Anvil! The Story of Anvil

I've been searching to find some time to post a couple of events I have recently gone to, both absolutely amazing!! Lets start with our boys from Canada.
First of all, if you have not read about this, I implore you to do so, anvilmovie.com . It was a beautiful sold out Thursday night at the John Anson Ford Ampitheater here in LA. Seats only 1200 people, not a seat past 90ft from stage! Johnny got to the show early and they let him into the arena early which meant I took the nicest seats dead center in the front row about 1ft from the stage which is about 4 ft high only. The director and producer of the movie and engineer for This is Thirteen were all there to emcee the event. The movie is a real life story like Spinal Tap (unfair to really categorize it that way) of the great Canadian Heavy Metal Anvil! It follow their trials and tribulations from trying to make "this is Thirteen" to a botched European tour chock full of hilarious moment. Lips and Robb are REAL people and you really get a feel for their struggle and determination to make this band work. Truly Metal or Death! They are hardcore bastards that show you "Never Give Up"!! The movie lasted 80 minutes and was freaking amazing, standing ovation, it was quite touching in parts. Their music is not part of the soundtrack, the movie is made very well, YOU MUST GO SEE IT!!
Following the movie there was a little surprise. Yes thats right Anvil came out and decided to rock us to death, it was an amazing moment after watching the movie. Johnny being 2 ft away from Lips was leading the charge for all the true metallers out there! I took about 1.5 gigs of video with our small camera, available on request. The set list was as follows: March of the Crabs, 666, Metal on Metal, Mothra, This is 13, School Love, and White Rhino. There were special guests: Scott Ian from Anthrax played with them on Metal on Metal (one of the best anthems ever recorded) and the director of the movie Sacha Gervasi played drums on School Love. He roadied with the band at age 15 and never forgot about them, the movie explains it more!! It was an amazing night when Lips handed Johnny the mic for the chorus of Metal on Metal, have proof ask the wife! Lips came down off the stage to jam with us too. It was a Canadian treat on a night I will never forget. Please see pics!! Next is another Canadian, Big Pipes docking in LA to party with Johnny...more to come....

J13

Booty Sampler•June 2008

There you go folks!
This month Booty Sampler is packed with first quality stuff more than ever! I really had a hard time in picking the material to put in, since this month we had an impressive amount of booty entering the treasure chest... You wont find anything posted here previously, nor the new Judas Priest, or other highlights supposedly known. Direct DL valid until link expires.

Enjoy!

BOOTY SAMPLER-Intro (June) • URIAH HEEP-Wake The Sleeper 2008 • GRAND MAGUS-Iron Will 2008 • EKOTREN-Light The Fire 2008 • SABATON-Cliffs of Gallipoli 2008 • IMAGIKA-Feast For The Hated 2008 • FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH-The Way Of The Fist 2007 • FREAKEYS-Freakeys 2006 • EPICUREAN-A Consequence of Design 2008 • ARCH ENEMY-Revolution Begins 2007 EP • DISTURBED-Indestructible 2008 • DOWNTIME-To Perish The Pantomime 2008 • WARRIOR SOUL-Classics 2000 • JORN-Lonely Are The Brave (Limited Edition) 2008 • SANDALINAS-Fly To The Sun 2008 • HOLY DRAGONS-Labirint Illuziy 2007 • CRYSTAL VIPER-The Last Axeman 2008 • CANEDY, FEINSTEIN, BORDONARO & CAUDLE-Hollywood 1986 • RITUAL STEEL-Invincible Warriors 2007 • PIG IRON-The Paths Of Glory...Lead But To The Grave 2007 • REVOLUTION RENAISSAINCE-New Era 2008 • EMIR HOT-Sevdah Metal 2008 • BONDED BY BLOOD-Feed The Beast 2008 • WARMACHINE-The Beginning Of The End 2005 • VADER-XXV 2008 • VENOM-Hell 2008 • BOOTY SAMPLER-Outro (June)

BOOTY SAMPLER-Intro (June) • DARK EMPIRE-Humanity Dethroned 2008 • MORGANA LEFAY-Aberrations Of The Mind 2007 • MOTLEY CRUE-Saints Of Los Angeles 2008 • RAIN-Dad Is Dead 2008 • AREA51-Daemonicus 2008 • SCELERATA-Skeletons Domination 2008 • VIPER-Soldiers of Sunrise (128 kbs) 1987 • BLAZE-The Man Who Would Not Die 2008 • WOLFPACK UNLEASHED-Anthems Of Resistance 2007 • REINGOLD-Universe 1999 • ADX-Division Blindée 2008 • WARPATH-Damnation 2008 • BEYOND THE EMBRACE-Insect Song 2004 • JOHN 5-Requiem 2008 • HYDROGYN-Deadly Passions 2008 • MICHAEL VESCERA-A Sign Of Things To Come 2008 • LAAZ ROCKIT-Left for Dead 2008 • DARK QUARTERER-War Tears 1994 • ABSOLUTE STEEL-Womanizer 2005 • ONE WAY MIRROR-One Way Mirror2008 • AVENGER OF BLOOD-Death Brigade 2008 • THEODORE ZIRAS-Hyperpyrexia 2007 • STEVE GRIMMETT-Personal Crisis 2007 • TACERE-Beautiful Darkness 2007 • NEURAXIS-The Thin Line Between 2008 • BOOTY SAMPLER-Outro (June)

2007 goods

"Water, water everywhere... and not a drop (of beer) to drink"
Maiden's Ancient Mariner would have been very happy with all this rain!

While waiting for J13 to report on a couple of interesting gigs he attended, I am giving you to bite at couple of 2007 very enjoyable discs, that have been keeping me company in the past days - together with Dark Quarterer (yep, I'm addicted to them now). It's melodic stuff. Just a bit progressive (the first).

SIEGES EVEN-Paramount, German band playing a kind of rockish melodic metal, very rich and various. You're not going to headbang on it, but certainly you will find yourself playing your invisible guitar in several instances... maybe joining some chorus too! Luckyly I won't be around to listen...!

WHITE WOLF-Victim of the Spotlight , a present from buddy Pipes, are from Canada (which together with a great nature, is home to a considerable number of musical (often underrated) talents... such as ANVIL - eh, J13?!! Wanna say something?! ;-P). Think a bit to Jorn, and you can glimpse these guys music.

SOLAR FRAGMENT-A spark of Deity. German band from Dortmund, playing a very pleasant, not-cliché, and quite catchy melodic power metal (what else could you expect from there, together with gallons of beer!). You won't get bored with it! One of the best absolute novelties I met lately (thanks to buddy Pipes).

Have fun!

F*cking good stuff!

Oh, my god!
Finally I managed to lay my hands on Dark Quarterer discography...! Freaky awesome music... !
"Violence" CD's sound is amazing! That's certaily the merit of the production and the label tools, but above all of DQ passion and research for details and sound perfection.

Oh, no, no... No illusions! You won't get it all at once! You need to purge yourself slowly to take it in this is cult stuff! For now, get the following: The Etruscan Prophecy. Released in 1989 and immediately sold out, becoming a milestone in Italian epic-metal and rock-progressive music world, this re-issue meets with the desire of countless fans... not only in Italy, in a period when epic seems to be spreading its wings again. Get it beofre the link expire, 'cause you won't find it easily elsewhere!
Have fun!

Plan B

Yesterday I was supposed to attend a Death Metal gig, here, close to the place where I live, where also LONGINUS played (without much relations with the other bands!), but a delay and the DAMN rain made me miss it. I have been waiting for it the whole week!
Luckyly a pirate-friend called me at the last moment and saved the night: we finished in ROPPONGI clubs, killing the time, and watchig Spain-Italy soccer match until the morning (came back to port at 07:30)! Long time, no do! A forgotten realm overe there! Have to go a bit more often... you get to see many funny creatures! Music SUCKS, though. Prices too!

Relief supplies

Somebody was talking about "rotting"...?

Men, I hate this! Where's my beloved sun gone?
It's got fuc*ing rainy season here in Port Royal... and hypocrits and idiots are the only things I hate more than rainy season! If you've seen the movie "Dark City" you can glimpse what's I'm taliking about. Just glimpse... Put together "Dark City" and "Matrix" and you get a good approximation!

Luckily there is METAL!
Come, get some! These jewels have been bringing me some relief during these past days.

MORGANA LEFAY (2008): a bit of a discovery. Very enjoyable. Melodic, but with something thrash-like buzzing in it (the voice and some rythms).

BLAZE (2008): I love this guy! He has learned well in Maiden and he's become one of the few British defenders of a metal very close to MAIDEN: rich in melody, catchy riffs, listenable lyrics and... real singing. Try "Samurai" and tell me that you don't like it! Nice bass work!

VALIENT THOR: absolute discovery. Can't describe it. Give it a try! Nothing you will be headbanging continously on or use for working out. But it's damn funny and there is plenty to listen to in it! If you want info on the band, go here.

Get them beofre they expire. And have fun!

Is this true?

Hei, dudes!
Is this true?
That's an amazing venue! Why am I stil rotting here?

We have to keep it present for the next meeting!

A message from DARK QUARTERER

It is rather normal for the Captain contacting members of bands he loves to bring them his cheers and support. Some of them kindly reply, some do not. DARK QUARTERER - which blew me away this week! - are of the former...! It couldn't have been differently: such a serious musicians are serious people too... and know that contact with fans is important! These a message to the Cpt. from Gianni NEPI, their bass/vocals. Needless to say it made the Cpt. very happy!

«Mi fa veramente piacere che tu ci apprezzi così !!! Noi abbiamo fatto così pochi album in 21 anni...perchè ogni volta abbiamo cercato di inserire brani di qualità (almeno per noi) curando la musica il testo, facendo in modo che ogni cosa fosse al momento e al posto giusto... Tecnica si ma con passione e volontà di dare sempre il meglio di noi. Speriamo di esserci riusciti. Comunque anche in giappone abbiamo un pò di fans e addirittura un gruppo giapponese "metallucifer" ci annovera tra i suoi ispiratori... Anche in Grecia abbiamo una buona schiera di estimatori... Purtroppo in Italia non è così perchè nessuno è profeta in patria e forse perchè facciamo una musica poco digeribile per la maggior parte del pubblico italiano... Comunque noi andiamo avanti per la nostra strada senza compromessi.
Troverai molta differenza tra il primo album e l' ultimo; è cambiato il chitarrista e abbiamo inserito le tastiere, ma a noi il tutto piace e speriamo di condividere anche con te questa nostra emozione. Un abbraccio forte!»

[ENG. transl. It makes me very glad to know that you like our music so much! We managed to put together so few albums in 21 years... But that's because, each time we tried to put on the record only tracks of very good quality (at least the quality we thought it was good), paying extreme care to both music and lyrics, and that in order to get everything at the right place ant the right time. Much technic, but with much passion and our sincere will to give the best of us. We really hope we succeeded. In any case, we managed to get fans in Japan too... There is even a band called METALLUCIFER that claims us among their inspirators. Also in Greece we've got some good supporter... Most regreattably that doesn't happen in Italy. Perhaps that's because "noboy is prophet in his homecountry" (Italian old saying) or simply because we play a kind of music too difficult to digest for the Italian public. Anyhow we don't care about that: we keep on going on our way, without taking compromises.
You will find much difference between the first and the last album, bacause in meantime we changed the guitarrist and started using keyboards. But the whole feeling get us really satisfied and we do hope we can share this satisfaction with you!
A strong hung!]

Good stuff

This sucks!
How can I have ignored for so long such an incredible band!? And they are Italians too...!
Had to come across J13, that introduced them to me, to get to them..!! Guess this is one more of those negative-miracles of the Italian metal scene of years ago... Incredibly talented musicians meeting with jack-ass labels and producers. 8 years of covers with virtually no public concert... Deep sound and perfection research... Then a troubled progress though the first good records and bad labels, and finally the birth of a finally recognized masterpiece... VIOLENCE (2002). HEAVY METAL with epic influences. Check their site for details. Giving you a bite to their first album (128 kbs), because you HAVE TO... Fu*king get it before it expire!

Pirate METAL

Sailors...!
I'm still feeling mercyfull... I always am after a nice gig or/and after I come across fu*king good music! Just kidding...

I'm giving you a shot to the two newly elected "war tunes" albums of PORT ROYAL server (after RUNNING WILD's Port Royal and Under Jolly Roger, of course) ! ALESTORM (2008) and SWASHBUCKLE (2006). Both these treasures comes from England... so, made by people who know what they're dealing with! Get them before they expire!
Have fu*king freeky fun with pirate metal!

Keep on rocking... in MEGURO!

Here we go again, dudes... even if after House of Blues or Irvine Wireless Arena it's REALLY hard switching again to the small live houses arund here..!

MEGURO LIVE STATION's Amusment Park vol. 6.
Small (tiny...) live-house in Meguro (Tokyo). Band list: Zero, Longinus, Vrain and Axbites. Doubt you know any of them: all Japanese groups... I was there for Longinus, but got pleasantly surprised by all the others, which I completely ignored before the gig! By the way, Longinus plays a melodic speed metal with a damn perfect blend of cheese, power, energy, screams and kick-ass performance! Their album (LONGINUS, 2006) is very good, but as Maiden and other bands you get a real hold of them and their sound only live! They're made to play! I came to know them last year (thanks to a HELLHOUND's gig) and then kept following them onward. The guys are really cool on stage: they do enjoy performing - you can get it! - and that's pretty much what METAL should be about!

Zero opened the show. What to say...? Young band: a cute female singer (good performer and full of energy, even if sometimes she pushes her voice beyond the needed); an even prettier female axewoman (got my eyes unwillingly turning on her all the time, while she was pointing at me - at least that was the impression - ... guess because I was the only foreign pirate in the crowd!); a good drummer. The guitar-man freaks around a little bit too much for what he can play at now. Youngster like to attract the attention, but they should concentrate a bit more on the sound and save the performance for the future (he trew the guitar around his neck twice, missing the catch)! Overall impression: they are promising and will certainly grow, but for now it's still "a long way to the top if you wanna rock'n'roll"! [AC/DC]

Longinus : at the cost of sounding repetitive: kick-ass performance! Good tunes, good lyrics (in Japanese) and good fun! Killer drumming; incredible guitar shredding (the axeman is impressive); pounding bass and a singing with a dose of originality (rather rare around here). I love them and I am very impatient to listen to new material as well as to other live gigs. After the show, they blessed me with some chit-chat, pic, CD signing, etc. (they went on purpuse finding out the guitarrist to get me his sign - thanks guys!).
Got also some extra booty... (yeah, J13, always thingking of you!)

Vrain. "OK, nice... but you'll never catch me listening to this stuff", I was thinking during the first track. Too visual... Then the only thing that prevented me from getting one of their CDs was the shortage of money!!! Indeed at half the show they got me! It's not properly metal: speed/melodic inserts, with techno; a bit of pop sound; stuff like that. Spiced up with the female voice of their frontgirl. Yes, again an attractive female singer/keybord player, very talented and good performer (with a voice perhaps too close to that of Onmyoza's singer and many other Japanese female singers). Very skilled guitar-hero (dressed like a Christmass tree, though!) and bassist, and an ABSOLUTELY amazing drummer! Who's this guy???! Star Wars-like Chewbaka look, but an inhuman drum-machine! I wanted to approach them after the show (they were there around), but... well, not knowing anything, it would have been a bit too embarassing. Next time.

Axbites were the highlight of the night. Good musicianship and very pleasant show. Endless guittar "ripping", solos, blasting drumming, etc. Yet, I didn't headbang! Don't know why. A bit tooooooo cheesy (if I tell you that half of the crowd were girls, perhaps you get my point)! The singer has a great voice (Eizo Sakamoto-like) and I would like to listen to him using it with some more originality. Very nice, but "You ain't got an hold on me" [AC/DC]

It's not MAIDEN, nor ARCH or 3IOB... but that it's something! I just quite don't get whay I have a mountain of good shots of Axbites and virtually no one of Zero's chicks...!?

Battleroar

After the awesome To death and Beyond... , which has become one of my three best album of the year, with an act of extreme mercy, I'm giving you a chance to lay your dirty hands on the two first albums of BATTLEROAR. I runsacked a DISC UNION brig today and they've become part of the Cpt. personal treasure chest! Epic Metal at its best! Get them before they expire!

Johnny in LA. Capt. at sea!! Dethklok 6/6/08

Gentlemen,

This is my first post to Port Royal blog, the site I am committed to! You have recently seen my travels with the Capt. in Los Angeles. This is where I thrive so give me some love for the Lakers winning tonight 87-81! The Saga continues on Thursday.

Breaking News: Boat from Canada ready to dock in LA..details coming soon...

It goes like this... Summer Slaughter Tour 2008 at HOB and Rockstar Mayhemfest at Glen Helen Pavilion! Details to come!! Buddy Big Pipes Journeys to LA, f***ng legendary!

Support METAL! , it's all that's real!!

By the way, last Friday... Metalocalypse: Dethklok World Tour in Los Angeles at the Wiltern 6/6/08!!

If you don't know these guys I'm sorry!! They Killed!! Best death metal animation ever!

Somewhere Back in California (2008/5/31, Irvine)

There you go, dudes!
Direct link to a bootleg of the Irvine (Verisign Wireless Amphitheater) gig of Iron Maiden, J13 and Cpt attended and reviewd the past week. Thanks to buddy Pipes, we managed to get hold of one copy. It's not soundboard quality, but it is still pretty good! At least, to us who were there, it is a VERY nice listening...! The cover is just a crop of the gig's flyer (thanks Pipes!). I worked it out... Stay tuned: we will get a better one for sure!
Have fun... until the link expires!

LATER POST: maybe somebody is curious, or simply may enjoy it: Lauren Harris (Maiden leader & bassist daughter) album. Nice chick and nice rock! Give it a bite!

New PRIEST album. Any impression?

Already while in L.A. the promo of the new Judas Priest's album started to be available here an there on the net, and J13, that gave an advance listen to it, one day shocked me telling me "Dude, it's a shit! It's strange, I really don't like it!!".

Back home, I got my copy, sat down and concetrated on it and...
Well, it's a different stuff. In my impression, more slow, more melodic and more complex than a usual Priest stuff. It gets close to an epic metal... perhaps because of the concept behind it. You need to listen to it a couple of times to get an hold of its content... But if you let yourself go with it, you can get how heavy it actually is! Tracks load slowly and then burst from half-a-way on. It fits a less screamy but more melodic and chanting Halford voice, in my opinion.

I have to say, I like it! And I'm sure also J13 will do... It's just that after a Maiden gig with backstage passes and a 3 Inches of Blood live you are understandably much more in a Vader mode, rather slow Priest's tunes! ;-)

Give a try to the PROMO (before the link expires)!

Donald Luck!

By the way, I forgot to mention that... While in L.A., digging in AMOEBA Records collection, I stumbled again into a treasure: a signed copy of NEVERMORE's This Godless Endevor...!

J13 wanted to kill me twice: one because I got there alone; the second because I found it!

Back to the village...

Sailors...!

Cpt. mind and heart are still in L.A., but his carcass is definitely back to the village (Iron Maiden fan will recognize the reference to omonymous track from Powerslave)!

Just one freeky curiosity: Mo's Bacon Bar!

This chocolate is weirdly awesome! Applewood smoked bakon and salt in it!!
I found it by chance in a supermarket arond Brentwood, when I was killing the time with the nicest LA guide before the dinner at OSTERIA LATINI. Every one I had trying it, after the first legitimate doubts, has fallen in love with it! It's relly addictive. Me and buddy Boris (had a stopoover by his house before heading home once arrived in Tokyo) ate one up after a pizza!

I'll trey to get more inside this stuff and maybe.. import it in Japan!

Stay tuned and have fun!

Show must go on!

Show must go on, dudes!
Ready to weight anchor and hoist the sail... this time heading home.
Leaving tomorrow...

Also today the Captain's got an unforgettable time in L.A.: blue sky, hot sun, cooling shadow of palm trees, the most beautiful girl in L.A. showing him around to Venice Beach and West Holliwood; the best people of this town eating with him in one of the finest Italian restaurant in the city...

By the way, if you are in L.A. or you ever plan to get there and want to eat Italian, please, try out OSTERIA LATINI (Brentwood, CA 90049): you won't regret it (fuck the negative review you may come across on the net - idiot people who's got the head and mouth full of shit)!

Had you not understood it yet: I really got an unforgettable time here!
An awesome series of coincidences (perfect weather, job openings, event's calendar, etc.) offered me a lifetime experience over here: I got the chance to experience a fantastic city; I attended incredible gigs; met unique people... words are enough to describe it anyway. And all this thanks to J13 and our fucking (no censorship this time...) amazing PORT ROYAL! Ah, last but not least, the trophy of the day (from J13) - the most incredible so far: an awesome Harley Davidson leather jacket!!

Fucking HEAVY METAL... to the bone!

Cpt. Roger

PS: By the way... Who's the governor here? Yeah, him! "I'll be back!"