NEWS
FEATURED MUSICIAN THIS WEEK IS
JOE DI TARANTO
FRONTMAN FOR WARFACE
*TODAY'S PICKS*
INTRODUCING
"PRISONER"
PLEASE WELCOME
MAD SYMPHONY
CRASHING ANGELS
ARE BACK AND READY TO ROCK!
Q&A INTERVIEW WITH
"HYPERSONIC"
PAUL DENTON's
INDY ROCK BLOG #232
our FEATURED MUSICIAn
is warmachine's
joe di taranto
Our feature musician this week is Joe Di Taranto, guitarist/vocalist and frontman for the hard rockin' hard working Warmachine. Joe is well established in the music scene, with loads of experience and long list of accomplishments. He's an accomplished musician and song writer and has an incredible work ethic. Joe can shred your ears off or play smooth rhythm riffs, all of it fits the songs story with ease. Joe is a born entertainer and it's evident every time he steps on stage. The guy has a gift and it doesn't take much to realize this fact.
LAST FM:
"WARMACHINE is a young 4-piece "old school" Metal band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Their musical style consists of catchy melodies with aggressive and energetic rhythms that create a sound that has been found to be very appealing to a wide range of audiences. Their material is honest, contains lots of heart and is viewed as a rebirth of "old school" Metal with a new young face that is more than willing to carry the torch for traditional Heavy Metal music for years to come."
Joe and WARMACHINE is a must see band, true professionalism at it's finest!
Catch Warmachine on our web radio platform:
INDY ROCK NETWORK'S
PICKS TODAY
October 7/24
SONGS
VIDEO
INDY ROCK RADIO
PLEASE WELCOME
"PRISONER"
TO THE NETWORK FAMILY!
Check out their song "HOUSE OF CARDS" which debuts on Indy Rock Radio Saturday October 5th at 8pm CST.
https://www.indyrock.net/indy-rock-radio
The creation of “House of Cards” reflects the band’s dynamic journey, with the current lineup forming during the recording process. Founded in Calgary, Alberta in 2020, Prisoner draws from classic/hard rock, heavy metal, and blues to create a sound that is both rooted in tradition and refreshingly modern. The band, comprising frontman Murray Emery, guitarist Jeremy Hartmann, bassist Trevor Macdonald, and drummer Karl Pflug, delivers the ultimate hard rock experience, combining their individual talents to produce music that resonates deeply with audiences.
“House of Cards” is a conglomeration of music with multiple elements from varying sub-genres, bridging the gap between emotion and life experience. The single and the album are a must-listen for anyone interested in modern rock and heavy metal that pays homage to its predecessors from the 70s-2000s, especially fans of Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Metallica, and AC/DC.
INTRODUCING
MAD SYMPHONY'S song "BLOOD TO DUST" will debut on Indy Rock Radio Friday September 27 at 8pm CST.
“It ain’t over, never over, ‘til we do it all over again!” is the hook-line and rallying cry from Vancouver-based melodic prog-rockers Mad Symphony on their forthcoming single ‘Do It All Over Again.’ While channeling the sounds of classic rock bands such as AC/DC, The Who and Led Zeppelin, Mad Symphony infuse their songs with modern elements of heavy guitars, elaborate keyboards and massive vocal harmonies to create a sound that is both contemporary and instantly recognizable by music fans of all ages. Examining the themes of love, loss, and betrayal with songs such as ‘Sell Me Out,’ ‘Reality Check’ and ‘Wasted in Oblivion,’ Mad Symphony seek to illuminate the pressures and struggles faced by all who live through these confusing and rapidly changing times.
Mad Symphony is the collaboration of accomplished and professional Vancouver-based musicians who collectively have many years of experience writing, recording, and touring internationally with various acts. Formed from the ashes of Seattle grunge-metal band Soulbender (which also featured Michael Wilton of Queensryche fame on guitar), lifelong friends and collaborators Dave Groves (guitar) and Wes Hallam (drums) joined up with multi-instrumentalist/producer/engineer Ted Tosoff (Blue Voodoo) in 2018 to begin writing for a new, as-yet-unnamed project. Ted knew of powerhouse vocalist Kevin Wright (The Wilds, TNT (Bon Scott Tribute), whose raunchy and melodic vocal stylings a-la Bon Scott and Robert Plant, fit the new songs perfectly; Kevin was quickly recruited into the fold. To round out the lineup, the formative members didn’t have to look far. Dave and Wes had both played with keyboardist Mike Russell (Sweeney Todd) and bassist Amrit Prasad (Assault), but not always in the same bands or at the same time. With the addition of Mike on keys and Amrit on bass Mad Symphony immediately began recording their debut album and rehearsing tirelessly.
With the goal of creating memorable and powerful music that resonates with the listener both in style and substance, Mad Symphony write songs with a message of hope and resiliency that harkens back to the glory days of rock and roll. Screaming guitars, driving drums, and huge vocals combine with melodic keyboard orchestrations and thundering bass to make the sonically dense and raucous sound that is… Mad Symphony.
CRASHING ANGELS ARE BACK!
After a short hiatus the B.C. rockers are winding up with new attitude, excitement and songs. The band will be releasing their latest album "OK YES YOU CAN CRANK IT" on September 24th and Indy Rock Network will have "My Emotion" on air all day on the 24th more to fallow! Drop Date online Sept 24th. Album Out October 4th.
listen live on
Put it on your calender. Friday Oct 4th .The Wolf Bar In Maple Ridge. We will be cranking it up , playing songs from our new album -OK YES YOU CAN CRANK IT. Drop Date online Sept 24th. Album Out October 4th. Hope to see a lot of people come out and support live music.
INDY ROCK BLOG
#232
With Paul Denton
Road Trip
There is nothing better than taking your band out on the road. After 40 years of having this opportunity, I still feel it to be exciting with the things you can learn about yourself, and your bandmates, it can be incredibly special. I prefer the camaraderie of the band travelling in one vehicle as opposed to separate forms of transportation as it gives you a chance to really get to know one another on a more personal level rather than just seeing each other as musicians.
In the early days I used to keep a journal of places we had played, distance we had travelled and the amount of pay we may have received. I still wish I had that journal today; it would be interesting to look back upon. The positive nowadays is we have cell phones to record all these special moments.
This last road trip (Sun Peaks) was an outdoor festival that I had longed to play for many years and finally had the opportunity to do just that. The special moments for me was the day before the show. Walking around the site, people not knowing you were part of a band and asking who they were there to see. It was cool to hear them reply with your band's name. Another fond memory was standing on the deck of our room with our drummer Steve and talking to people that had recognized us and handing out guitar picks. If there was a downside it would have been the weather on the day of the show. 9 degrees in the mountains with blowing rain made for a wet stage and equipment. This, however, was quickly forgotten as you would look out from the stage and see a good-sized loyal crowd of music fans. Everyone that weekend was there for the music. Come rain or shine that didn't seem to matter.
I thank my bandmates in Blackheart for making this trip so memorable. I am proud of each of you. Also, to all the support staff in making things run like clockwork.
To our Indy bands, enjoy your road trips, cherish the moments, there's lots that can be learned!
Out On The Road.
Paul Denton
Indy Rock Network
September 10/24
Q&A WITH HYPERSONIC
https://linktr.ee/hypersonicmetalband
When did you form? How did the idea come to be?
Hypersonic was born in 2006 by the idea of Salvo Grasso and Emanuele Gangemi. We wanted to create our own music, we wanted to follow our instincts as artists. We dreamed as kids of releasing albums and playing around Europe. So, we succeeded and we can't wait to play the songs from "Kaosmogonia" live.
How would you describe your sound in five words?
Powerful, symphonic, epic, extreme, dramatic.
Your upcoming album, how do think it will be received by fans?
We think that our album will be well received by our fans and metalheads in general who love Symphonic and Extreme Metal music. Fans will find our trademark but also many new features: a powerful sympyonic orchestra and many death metal influences. But even more importantly they will be able to listen to our new great singer Eleonora with her great songwriting qualities.
What kind of listening experience is trying to give fans with this album, its singles?
In addition to the musical perspective, which we said is symphonic and extreme, we try to express the feelings and weaknesses of human beings in music. Man creates, destroys, loves, hates, man is all these feelings. We want to communicate restlessness, melancholy but at the same time hope and the positive meaning of our life.
How is the writing process for the band?
Salvo is the composer and arranger of all our songs and he takes care of all the musical part, as well as helping with some lyrics. Emanuele has always been our main songwriter but for "Kaosmogonia" Eleonora was the author of many great songs. Furthermore, our keyboard player Dario joined the writing process.
Are any of the band members known on the local scene from any other bands?
Of Course. Salvo played for some years in Metatrone, an italian prog/power metal band, he also released a debut album with Astralium as main composer and now he also plays in Steel Raiser. He was also part of Denied, another italian power metal band.
How did you decide on the tracks for this album? How much more music can fans expect?
We started writing the songs for the new album during the lockdown. The situation of oppression, sadness and melancholy was very important in searching for ourselves as artists, as people. Furthermore, our evolution as musicians was necessary with the addition of powerful orchestrations and the rage of extreme metal. We still have a lot to give to the fans. They still have to expect a lot of music, because it is our mission, our life.
What can people expect live from your band compared to other bands?
We are Hypersonic. We don't look at other bands during their live shows but we can say that we always try to give our love for music and our being warm to the audience. "Kaosmogonia" is a life experience and the fans will be catapulted into the dark but bright life of the human being.
Where do your lyrics come from? What inspires your writing?
As we said before, the new album was written during one of the darkest moments of our history. So the songs are the mirror of the feelings that came out of all this. The lockdown inspired us to stop, to abandon the unnecessary things in our lives and seriously reflect on who we are. All this has also allowed us to bring to light all those human weaknesses such as depression, fears, the harm we do to others, unhealthy relationships with the people we love, revenge and protection. But also a lot of hope for a better future.
Are the songs a collaborative effort?
Absolutely yes. Everything we decide to compose and write is shared within the band. We are friends first of all and we share every part of our lives, including music.
Does the band have a main songwriter?
As said before, Salvo is the composer of all the music while Emanuele and now also Eleonora and Dario are the authors of the songs on the new album.
How does the music affect the lyrics and vice versa?
Compared to the previous album, Kaosmogonia is a very heavy and extreme album so even the lyrics have a very hard and dark approach. We've included a lot of drum blast beats and more grunts in our sound, so you can imagine the fury of the lyrics in some songs.
How would you describe the evolution of the band’s sound?
Listening, arrangement and harmony studies have been very important in our evolution as musicians. Studying allows you to gain awareness of yourself and what your being wants to communicate and share. We play Symphonic Metal full of many influences that are part of our lives. Name the Top 5 band influences of the band/ Top 5 Bands that your band sounds like that fans like. Giuseppe Verdi, Igor Stravinskij, Giacomo Puccini, Cinematic music, Heavy Metal. Epica, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Nightwish, Dimmu Borgir, Septicflesh.
What metal genres influence you as a band the most?
Definitely Symphonic Metal, Power, Prog, Death, Black Metal and Gothic imagery.
Describe the album as a whole
“Kaosmogonia” it's a total musical experience. The album is connected with the Greek world and philosophy. The title "Kaosmogonia" is a compound word from Kaos and Cosmos, two essential elements for the Greeks. Chaos is the great void that is present before the creation of the cosmos. The cosmos is the opposite of chaos, it’s an ordered and harmonious system. So for us, humanity is both chaos and cosmos. About the music, if you love Metal you will love this album. It's a very varied album, there are no similar songs or something you've heard before. Each song has a separate story, musically and lyrically. There’s a symphony orchestra, cineic arrangements, gothic and dreamy atmospheres and of course many extreme metal influences.
“MOTHER EARTH” comment:
The band comments: “We are totally excited about the release of our new single ‘Mother Earth’ taken from the new album ‘Kaosmogonia’. We're coming back with a symphonic attack, powerfull melodies and extreme metal influences. ‘Mother Earth’ is the manifesto of human being. Even though the years pass, history repeats itself over time like a cycle, but each time nature's revenge on every distortion created by man is clear and evident. Man builds, sows and then destroys but from the ashes nature comes back to life. Thanks to Her we can be reborn better. Mother Earth represents the weaknesses and at the same time the humanity’s hopes. On the musical side, it's a symphonic metal song with a melancholy refrain that you'll never forget”.