Sonic Perspectives

Øystein Brun hears color: “When I listen to music, I see colors,” the brains behind Borknagar explains. “I have green riffs,  brown riffs, orange riffs, and together they make certain colors and shapes. It’s mental mapping, in a way.” It’s refreshing to hear a guy who demands absolute honestly in the arts actually practicing what [...]

Moron Police.  The name just jumps out at you.  But up to now, the Norwegian group has been a bit obscure, perhaps limited by the obscure lyrics and some “in your face” song titles (“T-Bag Your Grandma,” “Stomp the Goomba,” etc.) . So for the third album, A Boat on the Sea, Moron Police chief [...] The post SONDRE SKOLLEVOLL, Sheriff of The MORON POLICE: “It Was Time To Grow Up To Make Some Changes, If We Were to Get the Band In front Of People” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Before his show in Boulder, Colorado, Jon Anderson spoke to Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina about the tour and his new album 1,000 Hands. Below is a recounting of several of the highlights of the interview, interspersed with an overview of the show itself. The complete audio of the interview is also available underneath. The [...] The post Concert Review / Interview with JON ANDERSON: “Doing YES Songs a Little Bit Differently Than The Norm Is Part of My Adventure of Life!” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

I found myself in a dilapidated Chicago airport on a damp and dingy Friday in February 2001 without a plan, without a debit card, and frankly, without a clue. The freezing winds somehow didn’t feel terribly cold, I had traveled light, and I had to figure out quickly how I was going to make the [...] The post TALKING PERSPECTIVES: A Conversation with PROGPOWER USA Mastermind GLENN HARVESTON (Episode No. 26) appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Andrew Colyer should be doing something right. In a matter of years his has skyrocketed to world renowned fame. As the keyboardist for AWAKEN, CELL 15, 3.2 featuring ROBERT BERRY and his own band CIRCULINE, Andrew has achieved highly acclaimed success, in the world of Progressive Rock music.  Today Andrew discusses the many facets of [...] The post Renowned Keyboardist ANDREW COLYER Discusses the New AWAKEN Album, Touring with 3.2 Featuring ROBERT BERRY and Why You Shouldn’t Miss PROGSTOCK 2019 appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

New England’s leading metal band, DEAD BY WEDNESDAY released their self-titled full length album on April 19th, 2019 through Combat Records/ EMP Label Group. In addition, DBW released their new video for the first single off the record titled “You & Die.” The 12 track album showcases a rebirth and rebranding of the band since [...] The post DEAD BY WEDNESDAY Members CHRISTIAN “OPUS” LAWRENCE and DAVE SHARPE Talk Band’s Evolution: “Every Band Goes Through Different Changes and Morphs In Their Sound, That Is The Roller-Coaster Of Rock N’ Roll” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Despite arriving to their third decade in the music business, chances are you have never heard of THE 69 EYES, and if that’s the case you need to pay attention. Conceived in Finland in 1989, dark rockers THE 69 EYES have come a long way and shaped the genre of ‘Goth ‘n’ Roll’ like no [...] The post THE 69 EYES Singer JYRKI 69: “I Think the World Is Ready Now for Our New Album” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Two excellent reasons to party for the Freedom Call camp: first, the band surrounding vocalist/guitarist Chris Bay are set to celebrate their 20th anniversary this summer; then, on 23 August 2019 they’re also scheduled to release their tenth studio album, featuring the promising title M.E.T.A.L. Since their 1999 debut Stairway To Fairyland, the act from [...] The post FREEDOM CALL’s Singer CHRIS BAY: “We Are Doing Music to Make People Happy. I’m a Musician, Not a Metal Machine. I Am Honest to Myself” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Powerhouse drummer Ray Luzier is entering his 13th year with veteran ’90s metal titans KoЯn, and is currently on a co-headlining tour with Alice in Chains, but in between KoЯn album releases and tours, he finds time to work with dUg Pinnick of King’s X and George Lynch (Lynch Mob and The End Machine) to [...] The post KXM and KORN’s Drummer RAY LUZIER: “The Most Bizarre Day of My Life Was When JIMMY PAGE And JEFF BECK Watched Us Rehearse With The DEF LEPPARD Guys” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Currently on a lengthy North American tour to promote their latest album Warpaint, Buckcherry made a stop in Toronto at the Phoenix Concert Theatre last August 06th. Showcasing their unique blend of punkish attitude and sleaze rock, they brought in tow the newcomers Joyous Wolf, which were a pleasant surprise. Just before the show I [...] The post BUCKCHERRY And JOYOUS WOLF at The Phoenix Theatre, Toronto (August 06th, 2019) appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Released last June 14th, Baroness newest album Gold & Grey has catapulted the band to a whole new level of attention, both in musical and popularity terms. Press and followers have praised the release – the final chapter in their chromatic-themed albums – as a cohesive and very diverse album, encapsulating everything the band is [...] The post BARONESS Drummer SEBASTIAN THOMSON Weighs In On Claims of Excessive Distortion in New Album: “We Didn’t Want ‘Gold and Grey’ to Sound Like A Slick Metal-Sounding Record” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

JOHN 5‘s resume is staggering. He has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. Slash has called JOHN 5, “one [...] The post JOHN 5 Talks ‘Invasion’ Solo Album: “Everything On This Album Is Who I Really Am” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Most commonly known for his work with progressive metal stalwarts Haken as well as Nova Collective, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, Richard Henshall is now about to release his debut solo album, The Cocoon, which drops next August 9th via The Burning Shed. We recently published a detailed review of the record, which you can read [...] The post HAKEN’s Guitarist RICHARD HENSHALL Reflects On His Solo Album: “The Cocoon Is About Those Watershed Moments That Make You Perceive Things In An Entirely Different Way” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Thrash Metal legends DESTRUCTION‘s upcoming musical manifest Born To Perish will certainly create a furor when it hits the shelves next August 9th. The brand-new line-up featuring the Canadian drum animal Randy Black and Swiss shred-master Damir Eskić, together with veterans Schmier and Mike, is here to bring you musical destruction. This is a new [...]

If being a member of one of the biggest thrash metal bands of all time wasn’t enough, MEGADETH‘s Dave Ellefson is doing so much more nowadays that one guesses how is he pulling it off. A Christian preacher and recovering drug addict, Dave owns his Ellefson Coffee Co. to EMP Label Group, manages artists like [...] The post MEGADETH’s Bassist DAVE ELLEFSON Talks Band Future: “We Have Plans Well Into 2020, We Just Need to Clear The Deck For 2019” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

NANOWAR OF STEEL (Formerly know as NANOWAR) is a comedy heavy metal band from Rome, Italy. Everybody thinks their name is a pun on the metal band MANOWAR, but if you stick around and listen to this interview you’ll find out that is not the case. Their music, mostly in the early days represented their [...]

Drummer Dobber Beverly of Oceans of Slumber minces no words about the issues the band has faced during their brief but rapid climb. Singer extraordinaire Cammie Gilbert, the target of the unwarranted and uncharitable criticism her bandmate and companion Mr Beverly references, takes it in characteristic stride. “There’s a lot of societal variables that affect what people expect to see [...] The post OCEANS OF SLUMBER On the Diversity of Their Lineup: “There’s A Big Difference In the Acceptance You Get With a Black Frontwoman Versus a Non-Black Frontwoman.” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Swedish metallers Hammerfall have a new album in the bag. Entitled Dominion – you can peek at our review here – it features their traditional brand of power metal with Scandinavian roots, which has produced many excellent bands over the years. And they’re not shy to acknowledge their roots. Actually quite the opposite – they [...] The post HAMMERFALL Singer JOACIM CANS: “Our Motto For the New Album Was ‘Good is NOT Enough. It Has To Be Great!” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

New York-based heavy metal band DAMN YOUR EYES may seem new to the scene, but they are anything but green. The band – formed by former members of We Are The Enemy and Bonesmith, plus current members of Black Water Rising – came together in 2015 and immediately hit the ground running. As respected musicians [...] The post DAMN YOUR EYES’ Guitarist ARTIE ALEXANDER: “We Don’t Write About Dragons Or Fantasy, But About Stuff People Can Identify with As Happening In Their Lives” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

If we were to discuss all the albums that Simon Phillips took part of, we could be busy for the rest of the year. Primarily known for his work with The Who and Toto, he started to play professionally at the age of twelve in his father’s dixieland band for four years, and went on [...] The post Legendary Drummer SIMON PHILLIPS Discusses His Lengthy Musical Career: “I Didn’t Become JUDAS PRIEST’s Drummer Because I Was Already Committed to JACK BRUCE Band” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.