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By Andrew Bansal

Best known in the hard rock & heavy metal realm as one of the hosts of VH1 Classic’s ‘That Metal Show’, comedian Jim Florentine has successfully been able to bring the two worlds of comedy and metal together through his witty, sarcastic demeanor on That Metal Show, his exploits as a stand-up comedian, radio show host, podcaster and in various other capacities. His material is rooted in rock and metal for the most part these days, and he’s been able to draw from his experiences as a metalhead over the years. He released his stand-up comedy debut album ‘Cringe n Purge’ via Metal Blade Records in 2011, which captures his personality to perfection. I spoke to him for this interview in late July, and at the time he was on tour with Megadeth, Black Label Society, Newsted and others for this year’s Gigantour run as a host/MC. Since this tour hit only secondary markets, we LA folks missed out on it but Jim recounts some of his experiences from the tour for us, talks about That Metal Show, and the other things he’s up to these days. Enjoy my conversation with Jim below. Continue reading “Jim Florentine Discusses Gigantour, ‘That Metal Show’ & More”

By Andrew Bansal

On October 27 2012, Devin Townsend played the grandest show of his illustrious career at the Roundhouse Tapes in London, a show christened ‘Retinal Circus’, a show that presented the biggest musical exhibition anyone has ever seen from Devin Townsend. For all of his fans who weren’t in London, this show will be released as a live CD/DVD package on October 29th via InsideOut Music. It’s always a pleasure talking to Devin, and it’s fair to say that he’s my favorite musician when it comes to doing interviews. Earlier today on August 23rd 2013, I spoke to him at length about all things Retinal Circus, and as always, he was more than willing to open up and discuss anything and everything I threw at him. Read the conversation below and look our for ‘Retinal Circus’ as it hits a store near you soon! Continue reading “Devin Townsend Talks About ‘Retinal Circus’”

By Andrew Bansal

The battle for the Kyuss name seems to be over, and former Kyuss members John Garcia and Brant Bjork have now moved on with their new band Vista Chino, which also includes in its ranks Bruno Fevery who played guitar for the Kyuss Lives shows in 2011. The band is ready to release their debut album ‘Peace’ via Napalm Records on August 30th, an album that musically continues the Kyuss legacy but also explores new territories. To promote this release, Vista Chino will be embarking on a North American tour in September. A couple of days ago, I caught up with John Garcia to talk about what this rejuvenated start means to him, the working process behind the debut album, and more. Read the conversation below. Continue reading “Former Kyuss Singer John Garcia Discusses Vista Chino Debut Album ‘Peace’”

By Andrew Bansal

Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, hard rock/heavy metal outfit Fozzy has been around for more than 14 years, releasing five studio albums and touring worldwide during this period. Their frontman Chris Jericho needs absolutely no introduction to anyone, but aside from drawing attention because of Jericho’s involvement, the band actually features in its ranks two excellent musicians in guitarist Rich Ward and drummer Frank Fontsere, both of whom also members of Stuck Mojo. In the States, Fozzy have found it hard to shed the label of being “Jericho’s band” and in all honesty haven’t been taken as seriously as a regular band would be, but their success in the UK and Europe proves them as legit. They got signed to Century Media Records last year and put out their latest album ‘Sin And Bones’, and will be hitting the road with the legendary Saxon for a month-long North American tour starting on September 12th. A couple of weeks ago, I had the good fortune of speaking to Jericho about all things Fozzy. Check out the conversation below. Continue reading “In Conversation With Fozzy Frontman Chris Jericho”

By Andrew Bansal

Canadian female-fronted heavy metal band Kobra And The Lotus released a new self-titled album earlier this year, and even though they’ve been in existence as a band for more than four years, their signing to Universal Music Group and the subsequent co-signing to Gene Simmons’ record label has garnered them attention and converted them into a heavily touring band. Having said that, they deserve all the plaudits they are getting at the moment because this new album certainly presents a set of epic metal tunes that utilize the power of the female voice in a manner very few bands are able to. Singer Kobra Paige delivers some fantastic vocals not only on the album but also in the live setting, well backed up by her band mates on their respective instruments. They toured with Fear Factory last June and then with Amaranthe in July, and during these tours they played at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood CA on June 9th and again on July 30th. The latter is when I finally got a chance to see them, but before the show I had the pleasure of talking to Kobra Paige for a short and sweet interview about all things KATL. Listen to the audio of the 6-minute conversation below, and make sure you check out this band, as they look destined for big success in the near future. Continue reading “Interview With Kobra And The Lotus Singer Kobra Paige (Audio)”

By Andrew Bansal

Southern California’s modern heavy metal mainstays DevilDriver are ready to release their sixth studio album ‘Winter Kills’ via Napalm Records on August 27th. One of their most dynamic records till date, this one retains the DevilDriver vibe but also does certain things differently. Besides the studio albums, the stage is where these guys really win over new fans each time with their high-octane shows. This hard-working band will be doing a co-headline North American tour with Trivium and support acts After The Burial and Sylosis, which will run through the continent starting September 12th through to October 17th. A few weeks ago, I spoke to vocalist Dez Fafara about the new album and more. Check out the conversation below. Continue reading “DevilDriver Vocalist Talks About New Album ‘Winter Kills’”