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Great White Resurfaces
By Ward Porrill
The rock band Great White is back. After breaking out of the Sunset Strip circuit nearly 30 years ago, the band who came into prominence in the mid-80s alongside heavy metal bands such as Ratt, Motley Crue, and Guns N' Roses are resurfacing with a brand new CD titled "Rising" as well as an upcoming tour.
Although lead singer Jack Russell likens Great White to more of a "hard rock blues band," he is happy to see that the glory days of fist-raising, tattoo-brandishing, rock and roll are making a comeback.
"I can see a resurgence in it, a lot of people discovering it," says Russell.
"I look at our audience these days. There's definitely a new generation of kids out there. I see kids eight, seven years old with Great White shirts hanging down to their ankles. It really freaks me out!" he says laughing.
True enough, hard rock seemed to have flamed-out by the mid 90s when angsty bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden came onto the scene. Russell points to a certain metal-centric video game to explain the genre's return.
"You get a lot of metal music on RockBand. I think a lot of kids are discovering these bands through that, "the gravel-voiced singer explains. "It's kinda neat to see that."
Now that RockBand has reignited interest in metal, one can only wonder what it is about Great White's music that makes it stand the test of time.
"I think the elements of the blues makes the word 'timeless' not inappropriate," Russell muses.
"Though there are some songs of ours that our very 80s, the songs that have stood the test of time that I've noticed are the blues-influenced ones. 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' goes back to that bluesy kind of thing. "Rock Me" is very blues influenced. "
The music might be timeless, however, the method of purchasing music most certainly is not, as the cherry-picking of songs that the iTunes phenomenon promotes seems to be contributing the death of the album.
"I remember going out and buying cassette tapes," Russell recalls.
"Those days are tragically not here anymore and they'll never be back. [iTunes] has been a really big scab on our industry. People say 'Why are so many bands breaking up?' Well, it's because you're not buying their music. They can't afford to eat! "he laughs darkly.
The new Great White album "Ris-ing" features an image familiar to many of the band's fans - a shark breaking through the ocean's surface. According to Russell, the symbolism is no coincidence.
"I just felt like the band is on its way up again," he explains. "I've noticed every year the last five years our ticket sales have gone up or the attendance has picked up. It just feels really good. I feel like the members right now are the people that should be there. "
How confident is he that the latest Great White line-up is the best incarnation so far?
"I'm finally gonna get a tattoo of the band," he says proudly. "I've been wanting this for years. I've never felt comfortable enough to put everyone's face on my skin. I finally feel like, ok, this is it."
Now that Russell is celebrating his 30th anniversary of staying afloat in the ever-changing tide of rock music, has the singer acquired any wisdom from the past three decades?
"I should have been a doctor," he laughs.
"The best advice I can give anybody is to just believe in yourself. Never take no for an answer. If you really want something and are passionate about it, then follow your dreams. "
"Great White has always symbolized this thing of if we keep on swimming, we'll stay alive," Russell says philosophically.
"If its sink or swim, I'm gonna swim, man. "
"Rising" is available on Shrapnel Records.
Epica's Guide to The Classical Conspiracy: The In-Depth Interview
By Natalie Perez
Ever wanted to take a trip to a whole new world? Well you're about to enter that world, not out of boredom but out of fantasy, for this act from The Netherlands is a land that sounds a lot like a fantasy world but it's not. It has unleashed upon the masses a handful of various musical acts ranging from rock and roll to the heavy metal underground world. Enter Epica, a symphonic metal act.
The band consists of Simone Simons (Vocals), Mark Jansen (Guitars/Vocals), Isaac Delahaye (Guitar), Yves Huts (Bass), Coen Janssen (Keyboards, Synthesizer), and Ariën van Weesenbeek (Drums). Now that the band has made their mark in the music world, Epica plans to show us the process and pure excitement of creating a live album, their first in the making called "The Classical Conspiracy." Simone Simon's spoke to me about the band.
1. Do "The Divine Conspiracy," and The Classical Conspiracy," have any relation?
Simone: Well "The Classical Conspiracy," is the album after "The Divine Conspiracy," and since we are also playing new songs from The Divine we thought The Classical Conspiracy would be a cool album title.
2. How did the title, artwork, and lyrics come about for The Classical Conspiracy?
Simone: A friend of mine is a photographer and we did some photo shoots with him. My boyfriend and I did the cover with him, and thought he was very talented. He came up with something totally new.
3. Why the name Epica, what does it symbolize?
Simone: Before we had a different name and we weren't so happy with it and the record company said we had to have something. We were recording "The Phantom Agony," in the studio and we were also recording with Kamelot which was the "Epica," album and we thought "Wow!" the meaning of that name fits our lyrics. "Epica" basically means the place in the universe where you can find all the answers to questions about life
4. What are your favorite songs to play?
Simone: I'll go from every album from the first album "The Phantom Agony," "Sensorium," from "Consign to Oblivion," Mother of Light and from "The Divine Conspiracy," I like "Chasing the Dragon," and ""Fools of Damnation."
5. What are the future plans for Epica?
Simone: Well we're recording our forth studio album. Drums are already recording and our drummer is doing grunting. Guitar and bass are being recorded from home studios and then we plan to play a couple of festivals in the summer. We hope to release the album come the fall and right after that we will do a headling tour in either Europe or North or South America but have to see what our plans are for later this year.
6. What band are you currently listening too?
Simone: I'm listening to Opeth again while I was on the train. Their last album is just genius. I can listen to it over and over again. I love Opeth!
7. What are the smallest and largest crowds you've played in front of?
Simone: The smallest must have been in Germany in the beginning of our career I think there were maybe 20 people in quite a big venue. There's a funny story about that. The band that was recording us was standing in the audience and then we were standing in the audience. Another small crowd was in Nashville another 20 people or so. The largest crowd was a sea of people for the festivals that give you that kick and like "Wow" only some people are going to hear me. You can only see the first set of rows of people and you can't interact with the people as much as you could in a smaller setting.
8. What were you like as a kid?
Simone: I was very quiet and didn't have many friends. I did have two very good friends but they moved to other cities and that was sad. I loved music and was a movie freak and always watched movies. Music was my favorite subject in high school and primary school and I did musicals. But I was very shy and yeah that shit has changed a lot.
9. Do you remember the first show Epica ever played?
Simone: Yes. I was in the same city with Kamelot which was Holland, and I was 13 and that was the 15th of December 2002 and we played in front of 900 people. I didn't know what was happening to me. I was just standing there signing the song and earlier that day I had a show with my choir and I couldn't finish that show. I had to leave to do the sound check for Epica so yeah that day was a very busy day.
10. Have you guys managed to tour everywhere in the world or not yet?
Simone: We have toured pretty much all over the world; we've been to many cities in Europe and South America. One country that is still on our list is Tokyo, Japan.
11. Any final thoughts or comments?
Simone: I would really like to come back to America since the last time I was unfortunately unable to come and get a second chance. Everybody will be healthy enough and be able to play for our fans.
Holy Rolling Empire at Spaceland
By Jonathan Weichsel
Holy Rolling Empire took the stage at Spaceland in Silver Lake Wednesday evening to promote their new album Gigantis, which is out now on Burning House Records. The band was dressed modestly in t-shirts and jeans, but there is nothing modest about their music. This is psychedelic rock the way it is meant to be played- big and bold.
Hailing from Tucson Arizona, Holy Rolling Empire plays with the kind of unbridled energy that only seems to come out of the southwestern states.
The band has diverse influences ranging from The Doors, to The Flaming Lips, to The Almond Brothers, to Yes, but they are not stuck in the past. They play old fashioned rock music with a modern flair for musicianship and intricate songwriting. .
Guitarist Ian Carstensen was able to pull catchy melodies and riffs from his axe, as well as a few epic psychedelic solos. His playing is truly powerful, and his repertoire includes everything from mellow excursions into light-psych territory to thrashing cosmic space jams.
The lead singer, Orin Shochat, is a natural rock and roll crooner. He is full of energy and even stage dived more than once during the set. His vocals are extremely smooth, and he is able to express a wide range of emotions, from sentimentality to jubilation. Shochat is also an accomplished keyboardist, able to pull swirling cosmic blips and bleeps from his instrument.
Drummer Dave Mertz really possesses a lot of strength. He is a big guy and can really dominate his drum set. The result is powerhouse drumming that more than any other element gives the band its rock and roll flair.
But Holy Rolling Empire is bigger and better than any of its individual parts. This is a band that really plays together as a unit, and I wasn't surprised to learn that the individual members have all been playing together since middle school. In any rock band, the ability to play together is the key to artistic success. The band members all know each other's playing inside out. Their songs are all tight, and they are able to remain tight during their improvisations and individual solos.
The Southwestern roots of the band were evident through their stomping beats. This is psychedelic pop that you can drink to or dance too or do whatever you want to. This was evident early in their set when the crowd made their way to the dance floor. The music didn't so much make people applaud, as it made them howl. People were dancing, clapping, yelling, and screaming in appreciation of the band's skill.
The highlight of the evening was a brand new song that doesn't even have a name yet with the lyric I really liked, "I fell off the deep end." This song, with its pounding rhythms, sincere emotions, and hints of sentimentality, is what Holy Rolling Empire is all about. It is the kind of rock song that could earn the band some serious airplay one day.
Perhaps Labels like psychedelic and pop don't really apply to Holy Rolling Empire. This is just good old fashioned rock and roll, with a strong sixties influence and modern musicianship. Another song they played that I liked was called Mostly Bananas. But, there is nothing Bananas about this group's music. This rock combo is tight.
Holy Rolling Empire's lyrics manage to be simultaneously quirky and sweet, and come across as sincere.
The band ended their short but awesome set with their only ballad of the evening, but it wasn't one of those sappy saccharine ballads. It started with the comedic line, "You've only got one friend, and she is a loser," and then it just got sillier from there, before exploding into an instrumental jam session.
Holy Rolling Empire's album Gigantis is out now. To learn more about the band, visit them at www.myspace.com/theholyrollingempire, or visit their website at http://www.theholyrollingempire.com/.