Holy Grail - "Seasons Bleedings" EP Review (Prosthetic Records)

The two best metal Christmas releases this year came from Holy Grail and Austrian Death Machine.

Los Angeles thrashers Holy Grail released a two song, limited edition colored vinyl 7” (“Holy shades of Sub*Pop Batman”), "Seasons Bleedings", and these two songs are also included on a four-track digital EP which was issued under the same name. The vinyl single contains covers of King Diamond’s first solo single “No Presents for Christmas” and Rainbow’s “Kill the King” and the digital EP adds covers of Judas Priest’s “Exciter” and Accept’s “Fast as a Shark.” These later two cuts are from the original pressing of the band's " Improper Burial" EP





This release marks the recording debut of guitarist Alex Lee (x-Bonded By Blood) and he and guitarist Eli Santana give “No Presents for Christmas” a heavier feel than the King’s original. The band has some fun with this track, substituting a selection from the Nutcracker Suite in place of the original’s “Jingle Bells” and some music from Charlie Brown’s Christmas for the original’s snippet from “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. The second track, “Kill the King”, is a heavier, thrashed-out rendition of Rainbow’s classic song where the original’s keyboards have been substituted for Holy Grail’s dual guitar attack.



The vinyl version of "Seasons Bleedings" is limited to 500 copies (250 on Red and 250 on Green) and is still available through Prosthetic Records’ web shop for $6.66.

Links:
Holy Grail

Holy Grail, Cauldron and Wizardry Play Union Pool on May 4th

A double-bill of Cauldron and Holy Grail should make for a hot show. Tickets for the show at Union Pool are $10 and like-minded local band Wizardry is opening the show.

Rising stars of metal Holy Grail will be teaming up with Cauldron for a North American trek. The tour touches down in Brooklyn, NY on Wednesday, May 4th at Union Pool. Holy Grail will close all U.S shows and Cauldron will close all Canadian dates. Holy Grail has been touring in support of their critically-acclaimed Fall 2010 release, Crisis In Utopia, and Cauldron is touring behind their 2011 disc Burning Fortune.

Only assembled a few years ago, Holy Grail is already at the forefront of the new wave of metal that pays homage to such legends as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dio. The band's debut EP "Improper Burial" (released in late 2009), featuring just two original tracks and two covers, earned Holy Grail significant press accolades including a 2-page feature in hometown paper LA Weekly, a spot on Decibel's "25 Most Anticipated Releases Of 2010" list and inclusion on Metal Hammer's "Guide To The Best In The Upcoming New Wave Of Trad Metal". Holy Grail was also recognized with a nomination for Metal Hammer's 2010 Golden God Awards in the "Best New Band' category - quite an honor since they hadn't even released a full-length album yet! Metal Hammer sums it up best: "With a killer name, awesome logo and a sound that is more metal than metal itself, Holy Grail are one of the most promising traditionally inclined metal bands to emerge from the US in the past decade...This is metal played with conviction and belief and you're going to love it."



Holy Grail / Cauldron Tour Dates

APRIL
15 -- West Hollywood, CA, Viper Room
16 -- Oakland, CA, Oakland Metro Opera House
17 -- Portland, OR, Dante's
18 -- Seattle, WA, El Corazon
19 -- Vancouver, BC, Media Club
21 -- Calgary, AB, Republik
22 -- Edmonton, AB, Brixx Bar & Grill
25 -- Winnipeg, MB, Royal Albert
26 -- Thunder Bay, ON, Crocks
28 -- Toronto, ON, The Wreck Room
29 -- Quebec, QC, L'Agitee
30 -- Montreal, QC, Il Motore

MAY
1 -- Allston, MA, Great Scott
2 -- Hartford, CT, Webster Underground
3 -- Philadelphia, PA, Trocadero
4 -- Brooklyn, NY, Union Pool
5 -- Washington, DC, Red Palace
6 -- Columbus, OH, The Summit
7 -- Chicago, IL, Subterranean
8 -- Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock Social Club
9 -- Kansas City, MO, The Riot Room
10 -- Denver, CO, Three Kings Tavern
11 -- Salt Lake City, UT, Club Vegas
12 -- Mesa, AZ, Nile Theatre

Links:
Holy Grail

Holy Grail: Crisis in Utopia CD Review // Show at Gramercy Theater on Feb. 2nd

Holy Grail formed from the ashes of the original lineup of White Wizzard (Earache) and created a buzz with their non-stop touring (with bands like Exodus, Saviours and 3 Inches of Blood) and their 2009 EP “Improper Burial”. While the two originals on the EP provided an initial view into the band’s thrash-infused power metal sound, Holy Grail firmly established their sound with the release of their debut full-length disc Crisis in Utopia this past October (Prosthetic). Breaking from their White Wizzard / NWOBHM-revival roots, Crisis in Utopia incorporates significant elements from thrash and speed metal which pushes them closer in sound to bands like Armored Saint and Accept.

Across the disc’s ten tracks, the band combines a strong sense of melody with an equal level of aggression. The band leads this charge with a combined attack of dual-lead guitars and James Paul Luna’s vocals. Luna sings in a rawer, raspier voice than he did on White Wizzard’s debut CD which he can take up to a falsetto scream. Backing vocals range from clean vocals harmonies to the (expected) melodic “wow-oh-oh” to a death metal growl. Lyrically, the band’s focus is on sword and sorcery imagery but, while some of the songs are shout-along fist pumpers, the lyrics seem to take a backseat to the raw sonic power of the music.

Guitarists James LaRue and Eli Santana skip the NWOBHM power-metal leads and play fast-paced, technical, speed metal riffs (check out the dueling leads on the disc opener “My Last Attack” and “Fight to Kill”, which is an aggressive hold-over from the 2009 EP) and the drumming stops just short of death metal blast beats. The only exception to this is “Nocturne in D Minor” which breaks up the disc mid-way with an atmospheric instrumental which highlights a flute and acoustic guitar.

Holy Grail were in town with Exodus and Bonded by Blood this past August (video from the show is below).



The band is coming back to the Gramercy Theater with 3 Inches of Blood, Eluveitie and System Divide on Feb. 2nd. Tickets are $18 (+$9 LiveNation surcharge if you buy tickets using LiveNation.com) and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Holy Grail

Holy Grail Tapped to Open Blind Guardian Tour // Full-Length Disc out Oct. 26th

Formed from the ashes of the original line-up of White Wizzard, Los Angeles traditional metal band Holy Grail have been generating a buzz after last year’s release of their debut EP “Improper Burial”. The band has been confirmed as direct support for Blind Guardian's fall North American At The Edge of Time tour, which kicks off on November 19th in Philadelphia, PA at the Trocadero. The tour stops at the Best Buy (aka Nokia) Theater on the 20th. Seven Kingdoms is also on the bill for the NYC show and tickets are $30 (in advance and $33 DOS).

Holy Grail frontman James Paul Luna commented, "The Holy Grail guys and I are really pumped to go out with Blind Guardian. Their new album is amazing and our new album, Crises in Utopia, will drop right before the tour begins. Blind Guardian and Holy Grail will be a killer bill!"

Crises in Utopia, Holy Grail's debut full-length album will be released on October 26th via Prosthetic Records. The new disc is produced by acclaimed producer/remixer/musician Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle) and features cover artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Skeletonwitch, Municipal Waste). Prosthetic Records is currently taking pre-orders for Crises in Utopia.

Holy Grail supporting Blind Guardian:

NOVEMBER
19 - Philadelphia, PA, Trocadero
20 - New York, NY, Nokia Theater
21 - Worcester, MA, The Palladium
23 - Montreal, QC, Metropolis
25 - Quebec City, QC, Theatre Capitole
26 - Toronto, ON, Kool Haus
27 - Royal Oak, MI, Royal Oak Theatre
29 - Chicago, IL, The Bottom Lounge
30 - Minneapolis, MN, The Cabooze

DECEMBER
01 - Winnipeg, MB, The Garrick Centre
03 - Calgary, AB, McEwan Hall
04 - Edmonton, AB, The Starlite Room
06 - Seattle, WA, Showbox At The Market
08 - San Francisco, CA, The Regency Ballroom
09 - Los Angeles, CA, Music Box @ Fonda
10 - Tempe, AZ, The Marquee Theatre
11 - Albuquerque, NM, Sunshine Theater
12 - Denver, CO, Bluebird Theater
14 - Dallas, TX, Trees
15 - Houston, TX, Scout Bar
17 - Asheville, NC, The Orange Peel
18 - St. Petersburg, FL, State Theatre St. Petersburg
19 - Atlanta, GA, Masquerade
21 - Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theatre
22 - Springfield, VA, Jaxx

Links:
Holy Grail

Bonded By Blood: "Exiled to Earth" Press Interview with Vocalist Jose Barrales, Earache Records, NYC July '10

Earlier this month, I had a opportunity to catch up with Jose Barrales, vocalist for the Pomona, CA thrash band Bonded by Blood. The band's second album for Earache Records, Exiled to Earth, is due out August 10th. This time around, the band recorded with producer Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO and White Wizzard) and the end results are a heavier and tighter sound.

I talked with Jose about the new release (and the limited edition signed comic strip that comes with the disc if you order through Townsend Records), the evolution of the band since the "Four Pints of Blood" demo and their upcoming tours with Exodus, Overkill, Evile and Early Man.



Bonded by Blood are on the road from August through the end of the year and local shows are August 28th at Gramercy Theater with Exodus and October 10th at Europa with Early Man and Evile. The show at the Gramercy Theater also has Malevolent Creation and Holy Grail on the bill and tickets are $20. Details about the show at Europa aren't posted yet.

Here are the tour dates for the run of shows with Exodus, Malevolent Creation and Holy Grail:

08/16/10 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
08/17/10 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC - CANADA
08/18/10 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
08/20/10 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
08/21/10 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
08/23/10 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
08/24/10 The Mod Club - Toronto, ON - CANADA
08/25/10 Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC - CANADA
08/27/10 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
08/28/10 The Gramercy Theater - New York, NY
08/29/10 Polaris - Philadelphia, PA
08/31/10 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
09/01/10 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
09/02/10 Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
09/03/10 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
09/04/10 The Social - Orlando, FL
09/05/10 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
09/07/10 The Door - Dallas, TX
09/08/10 Emo's - Austin, TX
09/12/10 The Avalon - Santa Clara, CA

Links:
Bonded By Blood