Steel Panther is back with a brand new studio work: “On The Prowl”
Steel Panther is a band focusing on not taking themselves too seriously. They approach hard rock and classic heavy metal with a fun attitude and just want to connect with the audience with an energetic, good vibe. The group’s most recent studio work, On The Prowl, stands out as a perfect example of this!
The release has thirteen new songs, embracing the tropes of 80s hair metal, with incursions into synth-wave here and there. The intro song, ‘Never Too Late (To Get Some P***y Tonight)’, has a classic-sounding synth intro, which later delves into a fiery rock and roll anthem, in the vein of artists like Mötley Crüe or Poison, among others.
The song ‘Friends with Benefits’ follows along the same lines, capturing the riffage and swagger of 80s arena rock to absolute perfection. The album is a rollercoaster of fun licks and iconic riffs with a retro twist. From the hard-hitting shuffle of ‘One Pump Chump’ to the soaring guitar antics of ‘Is My D**k Enough’, featuring special guest Dweezil Zappa, a true guitar innovator and the son of the icon himself, Frank Zappa.
The track ‘On Your Instagram’ is probably one of the most fun and dynamic tracks from Steel Pantheron this album. The lyrics are absolutely hilarious, and the track itself pokes fun at the nature of social media and how people present themselves through the filters of cameras and the high expectations of curated social media scrapbooks of perfect moments that aren’t representative of real life.
Overall, On The Prowl should be taken for what it is: a fun rock album with a comedy twist, as Steel Panther is just the kind of band that wants you to have a good time and make us all smile!
Find out more about Steel Panther and listen to On The Prowl, which is currently available on Spotify.
TESTAMENT, EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL
October 1st, 2022
London, ON
Photos By: Kim Baarda
THE BAY AREA STRIKES BACK!
You’ve got the Big Four of thrash, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, and then we are left the rest. The ‘rest’ in this case happens to be three of the best Bay Area thrash bands to have ever annihilated eardrums the world over. Enter Death Angel,Exodus, and Testament.
This night, The Metal Pit’s resident shutterbug extraordinaire, Kim Baarda, captured the Bay Area’s best delivering performances packed to the brim with the very best of their respective catalogs to a packed house in London, Ontario, Canada. Check it out below!
Album Review: HAMMERHEDD
Nonetheless
Review Score: 9.0
Reviewed By: Jason Deaville
Let’s take this back. All the way back to the year 1990. Now, for those of you long enough in the tooth, you’ll likely remember ’90 as one hell of a year in metal. I won’t get into any of the details here, as you can do that by checking out my 1990 Year In Metal retrospective. To sum up, 1990 will always be known as a year of musical discovery. One of those discoveries came in the form of an album titled Beg To Differ, the incredible sophomore effort from New York City’s Prong.
The influence and impact of Prong in the early 90s cannot be understated. Both Beg To Differ and the follow-up, Prove You Wrong, went on to inform countless bands in the realm of groove, thrash, crossover, and alternative-metal, literally paving the way for bands such as Gojira, System Of A Down, Skinlab, Pro-Pain, Volbeat, and Lamb Of God. In fact, for better or worse, it could be argued that Prong was directly responsible for nu-metal, which sprung into existence a mere four years after Beg To Differ, with Korn‘s self-titled that dropped in ’94.
With the groundwork laid, let’s jump ahead to the turn of the century. In that time, metal had not only endured, it thrived. With the new century came Kansas City’s Ismert brothers (Abe, Eli, and Henry), all born in the first decade of the 2000s. In 2012, at the ages 4, 7, and 9 years old, the brothers would form the band Hammerhedd. Just a few short years later, the boys would release their debut EP, Essence Of Iron (2018), followed by their debut full-length, Grand Currents (2020).
To my pleasant surprise, both the EP and debut album came chock-full of Prong-like groove, and would go on to receive critical-acclaim, quite the feat considering their ages at the time of both releases. To these ears, it’s like they literally channeled Tommy Victor, spewing out all the dirty-yet-slick elements of Prong‘s Beg To Differ and Prove You Wrong. Magically, Hammerhedd took me right back to the early 90s, a time and place that holds many of my very best musical memories and discoveries.
Thankfully, Hammerhedd have once again proven that they are anything but a two-trick pony with their brand new, self-released album, Nonetheless. The album continues on with the groove-laden approach of their previous two releases yet, this time, there is a marked maturity in both sound and execution. It’s immediately discernible that the alt-metal elements are more pronounced, weaving in and out of the groove metal tapestry that is the core of their sound. If that weren’t enough, the boys sneakily drop tinges of both industrial and hardcore, combining to create a perfect sludge of relentless rhythms and brutal distortion.
As the album winds down, things take an unexpected turn. The quadrumvirate of ‘Fruition’, ‘Down The Hall And To Your Left’, ‘Synthesis Pt. 1’, and ‘Synthesis Pt. 2’ all combine into a trippy, prog-inspired experience not unlike the more hallucinogenic elements of Voivod‘s Nothingface, including, believe it or not, the tone and cadence of Voivod vocalist, Snake. Yep. Hammerhedd vocalist Henry and his merry band of crushingly-heavy brothers perfectly capture the sublime weirdness of the Montreal legends, intentional or not.
Without doubt, the three-piece juggernaut that is Hammerhedd are here to stay. Let us not forget that some of the most influential and successful bands to ever have existed are power trios: bands like Rush, Cream, ZZ Top, Melvins, Dying Fetus, and Motörhead. This is incredible company to keep. Considering their age and already-proven skills, the skies the limit for these exceptionally talented brothers. Stay tuned, as they are only just getting started!
Mike Campese Interview
Guitar virtuoso, Composer, and Educator Mike Campese is an all-around nice guy. I caught up with him for some Q & A after he was arriving back in the United States after a video filming and photo session in Bora Bora. Mike is from New York and is most known for being a part of the multi-platinum band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Mike’s 11th album Reset has been officially released and is available to purchase on his website. Mike says; “Most of this album was recorded during the pandemic, some of it was made before. He named the album “Reset” for several reasons. One is that the world resets after and during pandemics, allowing the planet to heal over time after a catastrophe. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mike Campese…
I like that I can express myself and do what I love. I also love the reaction from the fans. It means a lot to me when someone likes and is touched by my music.
2. Describe your creative process when you write new music.
There are many ways I write music and it can be different each time. It can start from a simple idea on guitar, like a melody or a chord progression etc and I will develop it from there. I get ideas all the time and I will record them on my phone and label them. If I feel I want to develop one of these ideas into a tune, I will brainstorm or improvise on the idea. I usually envision the whole tune in my head before it is written. Also, there are times I will write and get ideas without the guitar and experiment on a laptop on an airplane. I have even composed some full songs this way.
3. Describe your favorite venue for performing.
I have performed in many great venues, I don’t have a particular venue I like. I love to perform in theaters. I love the acoustics and it is a little more intimate than a bigger venue. Also, another reason why I like theaters over a club for instance. People are specifically coming to see the show and are more focused on you like they are watching a movie.
4. Tell our readers about your favorite performance in your career.
That is a tough one, I had many great performances throughout my career. It is hard to pick a favorite. One that comes to mind, I was playing in NYC at a close friends benefit at the Bowery Ballroom. Headlining that night was Lou Reed, Little Steven, Sylvain Sylvain and many more. My band for that evening was Bob Dylan’s band leader on bass and the drummer of the Smithereens. It was a great performance and a really great vibe with all these great musicians that night.
5. Describe your worst performance. What did you learn from this experience?
I usually have great experiences live, but one that pops up in my head was when I was playing at a jam. I was using the backline gear that was supplied by the club and when I got onstage the gear was working until I started playing the first song. It quit, it started again, and finally after switching things around it worked fine. Later on in the night it cut out with someone else.
From this experience, it is always important to check over your own gear and when using backline gear you have to adjust quickly should issues arise. I always maintain my own gear to make sure it is working properly.
6. Tell me what your first music teacher was like. What lessons did you learn from them that you still use today?
My first guitar teacher was great. He was a jazz player that was open to everything and he set me off on the right path. He taught me how to read music, scales, theory, ear training etc. Being that he was a jazz guitarist, he would show me jazz chords as well as the basics. I was bringing in heavy metal tunes that I wanted to learn and in the same lesson he would show me all this jazz stuff.
I learned a lot from him, but one of the lessons I learned is to be well-rounded as a player. Also, when teaching, it is important to show the student how to play their favorite songs as well as the important areas, like reading music and theory etc.
7. Do you follow a process or ritual before a performance?
Yes, I do have things that I like to do before a show. I usually run through the material that I will be playing and to keep my fingers limbered throughout the day. Also, I like to eat some pasta and a banana before each performance.
8. What interests or hobbies do you have outside of music?
I don’t have many hobbies outside of music. I do music full time and it doesn’t leave much space for hobbies. Sometimes I like to watch movies in my free time and I have been trying to do more exercising. Also, I do like traveling too. I try to book space in between my shows to visit different places.
9. Can you tell our readers a little more about your new CD “Reset” and what the inspiration was behind this body of work?
The new album, “Reset,” has 12 new tracks, 58 minutes in length and it is my 11th solo album. There is some intense stuff on it and there is some very melodic compositions as well. It moves around a lot and I have had a lot of great response from people.
As the world was resetting there is some new beginnings in my life that I have been exploring with. Also, during the pandemic and before I composed and recorded over 20 new tracks. Even though the situation, It was great to have the extra time to focus on the album.
10. If you did not become a musician, what would you be doing right now?
I’m not really sure what I would be doing if I wasn’t a musician. Maybe something with acting, it seems like that would be fun.
11. What do you feel is the best song that you have ever released and why?
There are a few songs at the top of my head that I could mention. But, if I had to pick one in the more recent years or from the latest album. I would say “Waisted Time”. It is one of my favorite songs I have written. The melody is very catchy and there is a lot of feel in it. Also, it has one of my favorite guitar solos I have written to date. There is no shredding in it, just slow and melodic.
12. If you can have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
I want my fans to remember that the music I write comes from my heart and is heart-felt.
13. On a scale of around 1 to 666, how good is your own new CD ‘Reset compared to your last one?
The previous album, “The Fire Within,” is 666. The “Reset” album is 667.
14. Which musician would you like to collaborate with next?
I don’t have anyone in mind that I would collaborate with. There are some musicians I could mention that are not alive anymore, but It would be amazing to collaborate with someone like Ozzy.
15. Who and what got you into music?
I kind of fell into it and there was some things that helped line it up. I did have some influence. I was heavily into Black Sabbath and that was a real big inspiration hearing their amazing music. My brother strummed some chords and I used to hang out at the music store in the mall. Also, being that my Dad was a violinist before my time, I’m sure that helped inherit the gene.
16. If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
Thanks for all your support over the years. Also, support your favorite artists and directly purchase merchandise through their websites.
17. Which famous musicians do you admire?
I admire many of them, a lot of them are not alive, but to name a few, I like Jimi Hendrix, Niccolo Paganini, Ronnie Dio, Prince, Michael Jackson, members of Black Sabbath and more.
18. What is your favorite song to perform?
I don’t have one favorite song. There are a few favs I can mention I love to play. I really like playing “The Fire Within”, “Feed the Flame” and “Vibe” to name a few.
19. ‘If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?’
I think that musicians should be making more money and deserve more recognition. I’m not big on the streaming services, the people behind the desks are making most of the money. The downloading is convenient, but it would be great if these companies can encourage people to buy more physical products.
20. *Lastly a little comic relief question* If you were a fruit what fruit would you be and why?
I would be a banana, because I eat them a lot and eat one before I hit the stage.
Thank you for the interview.
You are very welcome!
***Interview by Georgina Strilakos ***Photos used by permission of Mike Campese
