INTERVIEWS

I love music that makes you get up and want to pursue something. The Baltimore, MD band CHARM CITY DEVILS have done that with the new album SINS. From start to finish this album pushes full steam ahead with power, angst and real motivational qualities especially in the song UNSTOPPABLE. I love how front man John Allen serves up new approaches in his vocals throughout the songs on the album.  I love how STILL ALIVE tells a story and it brings together the elegance of rock and the grit of power that explodes throughout the song.  SPITE is just a energy induced track that gets you up and dancing and singing along on volume 10. LOVENWAR exudes the same edgy tone and energy amped appeal. If one band can cover a timeless track that would be these “Charmed” boys they tackle the song MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW and really bring their tone to it and makes it a fan favorite and I think even a band favorite. They also indulge you with a softer side of the band with ALL YOU’LL EVER NEED and DEVIL IS A WOMAN drives you with sex appeal and just a gritty bad ass rocking track.

CHARM CITY DEVILS have shared the stage with the Motley Crue men and also has worked closely with Nikki Sixx and I think with classic and talented spirits around them they have really showed the true talent of the band on this record SINS. I think with the recent release of the disc it’s going to be a real go getter for the summer and when these guys come to town you better go and see them because if you think they rock on an album the live set is explosive.

The band is signed with Eleven Seven Music and the band members consist of Anthony Arambula (bass), Jason Hesier (drums), Victor Karrera (guitar), Nick Kay (guitar) and John Allen (singer) who you might remember back in  the day when he backed up SR-71 as a drummer. I had the chance before John got busy with the new record to throw out some questions for him, so enjoy getting to know John and the band CHARM CITY DEVILS.

 WHERE DID ALL THIS AMPED UP ENERGY AND EDGIER TONE COME FROM ON THE NEW ALBUM SINS?

We are just five angry dudes!! Lol, no I should say I have some anger issues I am working through! Maybe writing and singing these tunes is my therapy.

FAVORITE SONG ON THE NEW DISC YOU JUST CANT LEAVE OFF THE SETLIST?

“Man Of Constant Sorrow”!  It’s got this cool/dark vibe.

RECORDING AND SONGWRITING THIS TIME WAS PRETTY ONE AFTER THE OTHER AND ALL DONE IN ONE SETTING AND ONE PRODUCER. HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT CHANGED THE TONE OF THE MUSIC AND OVERALL FEELING OF THE PROCESS?

Well, it was faster! Laughs, the overall process was so pro!  Skidd Mills is an incredibly talented guy and really helped us achieve another level of songwriting, musicianship and professionalism. He’s got Grammy ya know!

MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW IS A COOL COVER VERSION YOU GUYS DID. HOW DO YOU DISSECT A TIMELESS SONG LIKE THAT TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE YOUR BANDS WHOLE VIBE AND CURRENT MUSIC SOUND? IS THERE A LOT OF THINKING OR JUST GOING WITH EMOTION OF A LIVE JAM SESSION TO COVER A SONG?

We just felt like we had to de-construct it to make it work for us. I love it and many seem to agree which is always gratifying for someone who puts their balls out there!

DEVIL IS A WOMAN STILL SHINES WITH BLUESY SASSYNESS, WAS THIS A OLD TRACK YOU BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE AND IF NOT WHEN DID THIS SONG START TAKING SHAPE IN THE SONGWRITING PROCESS OF THE NEW RECORD?

“DIAW” is a totally new song and it was actually fairly late in the writing for this record. It’s the kind of song I like to write. It has a nasty groove that I can see strippers getting into worldwide!

ALL YOU’LL EVER NEED IS A OLD TRACK AND VERY HEARTFELT HOW MUCH WAS CHANGED FOR CURRENT EMOTION FOR THE SONG OR WHEN YOU WROTE IT BACK IN THE DAY DID YOU KEEP THE SENTIMENT CLOSE TO THOSE EMOTIONS??

That track is the lightest moment on the record since it deals with a fairly new romantic relationship and that state of complete blissfulness. We kept it close to its original form.

STILL ALIVE IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE TRACK ANY COMMENTS FROM YOU ABOUT THIS TRACK AND HOW IT CAME OUT OR THE WRITING OF IT?

It’s about the things you would miss if you were to die young and how the people around you can help you fight to live.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET EMOTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BURIED DEEP IN YOU AND GETTING THEM OUT INTO A SONG??

Write it down! I don’t know. Write, write, write. Then write some more. Get drunk and write.  See what comes out. Maybe it’s a case of not thinking about it too much and writing the first thing that comes to mind. The process is different for everyone.

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE BEEN A FRONT MAN FOR A WHILE NOW, IS THERE STILL ANY AWKWARD MOMENTS HAVING YOUR ROLES CHANGED FROm DRUMMER TO SINGER?

Not really. Sometimes before a show I look for drumsticks!

TOUR PLANS?

Yes!  We’re starting our tour on April 19 in Roanoke, and we’re really excited to play at Rocklahoma next month.   We’re going to be adding new shows all the time.

LAST COMMENTS?

Write to us on Facebook throw us a “like”! www.facebook.com/charmcitydevils

Metal Injection turns the camera onto the people working behind the scenes in the music industry and focuses on the abundance of females in bands in the new millenium, and their ever-growing influence in the metal scene.

Janus – is an ancient, two-faced Roman god of gateways and beginnings. Also the root word of January, Janus is a mythological figure that looks both forward and back and symbolizes change and transformation.

JANUS is also one of the best rock bands to come out in the last few years (yes, that is my opinion and I’m sticking to it).Hearing the Chicago based band is ready to release another masterpiece of a record made me a happy girl. The music these guys create gives you a sense of calmness, a bit of anger and a bit of overall power. The music is liberating pouring out sheer beauty with a twist of darkness  and mystery, but with a sense of “light at the end of the tunnel” mentality.

NOX AERIS the new album is coming out this week on March 27^th and the band has been touring already for this amazing record.  The guys have a full package; a killer creative side, an amazing live setting and a brilliant sense of storytelling.

I had the pleasure to chit chat via email with singer David Scotney while the guys were on the road with Chevelle and he gave me a little insight on the record, the artwork and how he got into performing,

BAND MEMBERS:

David Scotney
Johnny Salazar
Alan Quitman
Mike Tyranski

SINCE THIS ALBUM IS A TAD BIT HEAVIER DO YOU FEEL YOU TOOK THE SUCCESS OFF OF EYESORE AND CREATED FROM THERE FOR THIS ALBUM?

I would say it wasn’t a conscious choice to go heavier, based on the success of “EYESORE,” but we certainly wanted to go to a different place with the new record than the last and we had a lot of experiences to draw on that fed into the writing process.

WAS ANY OF THESE NEW TRACKS TAKEN FROM PREVIOUS DEMOS OFF RED RIGHT RETURN?

No, we started from scratch. There were certainly demos lying around, but we really wanted to tread new ground. It was the only thing that seemed inspiring enough to motivate us to make another record.

STAINS REPRESENTS A DARK POINT OF VIEW WITH A PROCESS OF SELF HEALING, WAS THISTHE OVERALL THEME FOR WRITING THE RECORD?

In a lot of ways that is true. There were many challenging life experiences that we endured as a band, and personally, throughout supporting the last record on the road and the writing process of the new record that we channeled and which led to the darker perspective.

THE ALBUM TITLE HAS AN INTERESTING MEANING WHICH YOU ALSO PLACED WITHIN THEBANDS JOURNEY THUS FAR WHY?

When it comes to the album concept and title, we always try to find something that speaks to where the band is collectively. A lot of the songs can be much more personal, but the bigger album picture always speaks to where the band is as a whole. The idea of connecting a man-made myth from the late 14thcentury around the Black Death seemed liked an interesting metaphor for where we were as a band during the writing process.

HOW MANY SONGS DO YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN THE DEMO STATE OF WRITING AND HOW DO YOUCUT IT DOWN FOR THE FINAL OF THE ALBUM?

We have a lot of parts that we demo, but very few that make it to song format. If we can’t get a few parts to the point where they work together vocally, as a verse and chorus, we usually move on.

TELL ME ABOUT THE ARTWORK FOR THE ALBUM DID YOU INTERTWINE THE VISUAL WITH THE MUSICAL THIS TIME AROUND ALSO?

We did look at a lot of the late 14th century artwork and imagery around the plague doctors which definitely inspired the art, but the challenge for us is to always try and make any historical visual reference feel modern so we try to put our own twist on it.

DID TOURING CHANGE YOUR IDEAS ABOUT SONGWRITING?

I think it definitely affected our writing in a good way. When you hear the crowd reacts to certain songs more than others you get inspired by it, which can then inspire you in the studio. I think you also know what songs you may not end up playing live so you can take a bit more freedom on them to explore other directions.

DO YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND ADD A HEAVY VIBE TO THE LAST ALBUM?

No, I think there are songs on the first record that mean a lot to us and reflect where we were as a band at that point in time. Those are the kinds of things you never want to change.

BIGGEST GROWTH FOR YOUR BAND IN THE STUDIO AND ALSO OUT ON THE ROAD THIS TIMEAROUND?

In the studio, I would say we’ve become very efficient. We’ve learned a lot and having a deadline motivates you for sure. On the road, I think we’re taking much better care of ourselves and have certainly learned a lot from our past experiences on the road.

YOU’VE TOURED WITH CHEVELLE BEFORE HOW IS IT DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND?

We’re playing new songs and we have a history with those guys, which make it fun. We like what they do and they get what we’re doing so it’s a good fit.

WHAT MADE YOU BECOME A FRONTMAN? A SONGWRITER AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN VISUALLYCREATIVE??

I started out painting and then learned the guitar. I didn’t start singing until later and mastering the front man persona is something I think is always evolving as you evolve as a person.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE IDEAS ON VIDEOS FOR SONGS?

Unfortunately, we have no plans to make any videos for this record .Hopefully we’ll have the opportunity to explore videos in the future.

DO YOU FEEL THE BAND INSPIRES FOR THE FUTURE OR TAKES A LOT FROM THE PAST TOCREATE MUSIC THAT IS UNIQUE BUT STILL CURRENT?

I think we try to explore music and textures that we’ve never experimented with and try to always push our songwriting. Outside of not wanting to repeat ourselves there’s usually no conscious effort to draw from the past or present.

A 15-minute video clip in which VAN HALEN members David Lee Roth(vocals), Eddie Van Halen (guitar) and Alex Van Halen (drums) talk about the band’s early days has made its way online:

The Wichita, KS band SOULICIT might be brand new to the rock community but their first full length album, PARKING LOT ROCKSTAR is competing with the national well known bands. They layout some fun rock n roll vibes with powerful ballads and just gyrating exciting ambiance. They just finished up a tour with Anew Revolution and Anchored and now are just hitting the road again on their own to give the exciting rock music to the fans around the world in a live capacity.

I had a chance to throw out some questions for vocalist Darick Parsons to give the rock world a little more incite on this band, SOULICIT.

WHAT DOES THE BAND NAME MEAN TO YOU GUYS?

SOULICIT is special to us and particularly the spelling because through playing live shows, writing songs, and recording albums we feel like we are out there soliciting our souls to the listener and crowds. We chose it back in 2002 and it has stuck since.

HOW DOES THE BAND NAME INTERTWINE WITH THE MUSIC?

Our music is about our lives and those close to us. The songs we write are about real life and things anyone of any walk of life can grab on to and relate. It is our souls we are putting out there and soliciting.

HOW WAS THE TOUR WITH ANEW REVOLUTION AND ANCHORED? DID YOU HIT CITIES YOU NEVER DID BEFORE?

The tour was great and we had a blast playing some great shows. Since this was our first national tour the majority of the cities we played were new to us so it was a great chance to get in front of new fans. The response from the crowds was fantastic.

HOW DOES TOURING IMPACT THE GROWTH OF YOUR BAND?

Touring has really tightened us up as a band. We know the songs now more than ever and have a comfort level that we never had previously. Touring is essential to that growth and exploration to keep pushing and making ourselves better.

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS ALBUM PARKING LOT ROCKSTAR AND DO YOU FEEL YOU ACHIEVED IT?

With this being our second album and first release on Thermal Entertainment we wanted an album that would compete on a national level with the biggest bands out there.  We believe we got just that. We feel like we have a collection of songs that each could stand alone as a “single” with no filler in between. Our hopes were that this album would be that tool we were always lacking to help propel us to that national level we wanted to be at. Since its release we have peaked at #37 on Active Rock charts and have been touring nationally so I would say yes, it has started to accomplish some of the things we wanted it to but we are a long way from where we want to end up still. Much more work to be done.

WHAT SONG OFF THE ALBUM ENCOMPASSES THE TRUE PASSION OF THE BAND?

I would say a song like HELL YEAH kind of does that for us. Everything we hit we hit with 110% at 100 MPH. When we drop our lives, jobs and families at home and leave on tour it takes a Hell Yeah mentality to do that. When we play live we want the crowd to party as hard as we are on stage. Rock n Roll represents the idea of not conforming to traditional concepts and methods and HELL YEAH screams that all the way through.

WHICH SONG SHOWS OFF WHERE THE BAND IS HEADING SONGWRITING WISE FOR THE FUTURE OF RECORDS?

We try not to hold ourselves to one style or another. We have a “genre” we try to stay within but style wise each songs beckons its own feel and take. Every song tells a different story. When we write we let the song choose its own feel and style and that differs each time.

WHAT ONE SONG LYRICALLY DO YOU FEEL CAPTURES PURE HONESTY AND HOW IS IT WRITING SOMETHING SO REAL?

Well back to what I mentioned earlier every tune we write is about real life, real things that have happened to us or someone close to us. If you’re looking for honesty you can find that in every song we play. We take pride in not being fake or manufactured we just play what’s in our hearts and fans keep telling us they see that when we play live. If I had to pick a couple favorites lyrically I would say COMPLICATED or YOU ARE THE SONG.

HOW WAS WORKING WITH BRETT HESTLA? WHAT ABOUT HIS CAREER DROVE YOU TO KNOW YOU GUYS WOULD BE A PERFECT MATCH IN THE STUDIO?

It was a blast. He is a great guy with an amazing ear. He came up with some great tones across the board and we were all very pleased with what we got done. I chose him because I thought he was the guy that could put a little different spin on our stuff and come at the project from a slightly different angle than we did. It worked out great and we are very proud of the album.

WHAT DOES EACH MEMBER BRING TO YOUR BANDS SUCCESS THIS EARLY ON IN YOUR CAREER? IS THERE ONE BOSS IN THE BAND??

LOL, Each guy has his own take on what a song should sound like. When I bring an idea to the band for a tune each guy has a different idea on the direction it should go and what the final product should sound like. It works great because we never get stale with one kind of sound. On the road our personalities are as different as our styles of music. Some guys are better at scheduling and organization while others are good with promoting and being in front of people. Just like song writing we have a great mix of personalities to get everything done. There really is no “boss” we all accept our roles and hit what we need to hit. However when the shit hits the fan we always blame it on our tour manager Blair! lol…just kidding we love you Blair.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOURING PLANS FOR THE REST OF 2012?

Tour as much as we can. We have already started our second leg of 2012 touring. After we got off tour with ANR we jumped right in to our own independent touring. Lots of road time in 2012 for sure!

DO YOU HAVE ANY LAST COMMENTS??

Thanks to all the fans both new and old for supporting us on the road and at home. You are the reason we do what we do and without you none of this works. We look forward to seeing you on the road and meeting and making new friends along the way! Keep Rockin!