White Wizzard Releases 'Over The Top' on March 9th / Show at Santos Party House on March 10th

Los Angeles traditional metal band White Wizzard are releasing their first full-length, Over the Top (Earache), on March 9th and are playing an early show at Santos Party House on March 10th.

The new disc was produced by Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO, Michael Schenker) and Earache is taking pre-orders for limited edition colored vinyl and 2-CD versions of the disc. For anyone who wants an advance listen on how the new material sounds live, there are two White Wizzard videos from a recent performance at Reggie's in Chicago streaming on Chicago's UVTV site.

Here is an interview that I did with the band when they were in town last year for a show at Club Europa.



Links:
White Wizzard

White Wizzard: Video Interview & Live Footage, Club Europa 8-20-09 (Earache)

Los Angeles based NWOBHM/traditional metal band White Wizzard made their East Coast debut last month at the Brooklyn Thuder Fest at Club Europa. The band's debut EP "High Speed GTO" was released on Earache Records earlier this month and is getting excellent press. (Check out the coverage in the Village Voice)

I had the opportunity to catch up with the band before their set and I've included some footage from the band's live set after the interview.



White Wizzard recently posted on their MySpace page (link below) that they just finished recording their first full-length disc which is due out early next year.

Links:
White Wizzard

Ravage: Post-Show Interview with Vocalist Al Ravage 8/21/09 (Metal Blade)

I had the opportunity to catch up with vocalist Al Ravage from the Boston-based band Ravage (Metal Blade) after the band's set at Dingbatz last month.



Ravage is currently in the midst of a coast-to-coast tour in support of their Metal Blade debut CD The End of Tomorrow. The band is back in the area for shows at Club Europa (with Cage) on Sept. 13th and a "TBD" location in Jersey City on Sept. 14th.

Links:
Ravage's MySpace Profile
Pictures from Ravage's show at Dingbatz

Ravage: Photos from Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ 8/21/09 (Metal Blade)

Ravage released an independent EP ("Freedom Fighter") last year which sounded like a cross between old-school thrash crossed with NWOBHM melodies. The band's music caught my ear right away and, when I saw that the band's only area show was at Dingbatz, I figured that a chance to see the band live was worth an hour drive to Clifton, NJ on a Friday night (and I hate driving through the Lincoln Tunnel at any hour).

Note: Ravage has just added a show at Club Europa with Cage on September 13th



Ravage played a great set which included material from the "Freedom Fighter" EP and the band's Metal Blade debut The End of Tomorrow, which came out last Tuesday. The band's set also included a spot-on cover of Judas Priest's "Nightcrawler" (which is included on The End of Tomorrow).











Links:
Ravage's MySpace Profile
Ravage's Page on Metal Blade

Rumpelstiltskin Grinder (Relapse), Hull (The End) and Ravage (Metal Blade) are Playing A Free Show Tomorrow at Lit Lounge

Tones of Death.com (metal ringtones) and Precious Metal are putting on a pretty big free show tomorrow night at Lit Lounge.

I've been wanting to check out local boys Hull for quite some time. Hull got some great press for their SXSW shows and their first full-length disc, Sole Lord, is coming out May 26th on The End Records. Metal Maniacs described Hull as having "all the crush of early Mastodon met with the ambient fire of Neurosis, but somehow [Hull] avoids sounding like either one of them."

Boston metallers Ravage are also on the bill. I haven't heard the band play live but all the write-ups on the band cite the strong NWOBHM and thrash influence in their music. The band just signed to Metal Blade and their new disc The End of Tomorrow will be out this summer.

Ravage - "Night Crawler" (Judas Priest cover)


Last (but not least) is Philadelphia's "most extreme criminal thrash quintet" Rumpelstiltskin Grinder. RsG released their second full-length studio disc, Living for Death, Destroying the Rest, on Relapse Records earlier this year. Rumpelstiltskin Grinder are playing a few area shows before heading out on the road with Candlelight Records' bands Absu and SoThis next month.

Rumplestiltskin Grinder - "Nothing Defeats the Skull"