America?

Hey Fiends,

It’s been awhile since my last blog. June 7th to be exact. And in that short period of time our country has changed dramatically. America has descended into total madness and anarchy. I spoke out about it a few times on my facebook page, and I now feel the time is right to put my thoughts in the blog. Since the last blog we have seen the worst Terrorist attack on our shores since the Twin Towers were brought down. I didn’t live that far away from New York when that happened. I don’t live that far away from Orlando now, and when the massacre at Pulse Nightclub took place, I got that nervous feeling of Deja Vu. That seemed to open up the flood gates for the decline of the American way of life that I love so much. If you are a regular reader of my blog. Or if you listen to The Rock Solid Pressure Show. Then you know of my hatred for Politicians and our crooked Government. I’ve been this way since I was a Teenager. I come from a Military family, so I will always support our troops. I have always rallied for the American way of life. But when it comes to Government. Count me out. Right now we are seeing how crooked our corrupt Government is. They are not even trying to hide it. They will lie right to our faces and there’s not a damn thing anybody can do. C’mon, when the FBI and the Attorney General are pretty much involved in keeping the corruption alive. It seems like there is nothing anybody can do. At least years ago, our bad Government was exceptional at coverups. Guess there is no need for that anymore.

Since June 7th I have witnessed numerous Terrorist attacks on our shores. There was one last night in VA and our Government is feverishly trying to cover it up. This made me stop everything in my busy schedule to put my thoughts in the blog rather than facebook. It’s not just Terrorism. Since June 7th I have witnessed militant groups burning down, and looting portions of our biggest cities. I have witnessed these groups kill cops as well. I have also seen our Government ‘praise’ these groups. Even inviting them to the White House for steak dinners. Just a couple weeks ago, a DC cop was busted for being in league with an anti American Jihadist Muslim group. Yes, he was radicalized. That was swiftly swept under the rug. Obama has welcomed over 10.000 Refugee’s into our country. Many of these people are the same group that have been carrying out attacks all over the world. He also gave billions of dollars to Syria and Iran, which basically funded Isis. Is our Government in league with Terrorism? How far does this go? What do YOU think is going on? I would love to hear your thoughts..

My hatred for the Government started a long time ago. Yeah, I was a wild kid growing up in NJ. I came from a lower middle class family. We were poor but I had a great childhood in America, or what used to be America. As kids we would go out and have kid adventures and not worry about being abducted or any of that. I didn’t have a Father around, and my Mother was sick all the time, so I was basically raised by my Grandparents. They struggled in giving us a good life. I watched as the Government foreclosed on our house, and put our Grandparents through hell. Who worked their ass off by the way. This kinda made me a ‘bad’ kid. I was rebelling against everything. I ran with a bad crowd. I left High School in my Freshman year to go work in the factories to help my Grandparents out with bills. No matter how wild I was back in those days. I always tried to help my family. My small NJ town was full of corrupt, and highly racist cops. That was the norm back in the 70’s. These cops hated me and the gang I ran with. They couldn’t wait till I turned 18 to throw me in jail. Which they did on numerous occasions. One time they surrounded my Grandparents house, pulled me out, laid me in the driveway for all the Neighbors to see. Put shotguns to my head. This was all over a bag of weed. These cops also beat the crap out of me on numerous occasions. So, not only did I hate the Government, but yeah, I hated cops too. Cops are no longer like that. This type of law enforcement was wiped out in the late 80’s. But looking back, I learned not to fight the Cops. If you’re involved in crime of ‘any’ sort, even today, if you resist arrest, fight the cops, run from cops, have a weapon that you’re reaching for, then guess what? You have a great chance to be KILLED!!

In Obama’s America, the cops are portrayed as the bad guys. Our Government is even calling cops the bad guys. Where were you back in the old days when they WERE bad cops?Sure, there are still a few of these rouge cops that are still around. Basically in rural communities, but the majority of bad cops are gone. Look, I don’t have a racist bone in my body. I’m a musician that has toured for over 20 years. There is no color barrier with Musicians. We have a different code entirely, but I do NOT support this ‘Black Lives Matter’ militant group. Of course black lives matter, but if you’re involved in criminal activity, I don’t care what color you are, if you’re commiting a crime and get busted and you resist arrest, there’s a good chance you’re gonna get hurt or shot. It’s called ‘law enforcement’. I’m now seeing our Government fully support a plan to kill cops. They are even in league with Mayors, District Attorneys, and many more. Do any of you out there think this is madness?

I refused to vote for the longest time. Our Government never gave me or my family a break in life. My utter distaste for Politicians stands to this day. I was propelled to vote in the early 90’s when Ross Perot was running as an Independent Candidate. THAT was for me. Just about every Musician I knew was voting ‘Ross For Boss’. I even wore the shirt proudly at many of my gigs. And guess what? We ALMOST did it. In the upper right hand of ‘all’ my voter cards states ‘No Party Affiliation’..I am NOT behind the Democrats or the Republicans. Hilary Clinton sickens me. I can’t even look at that Lady. She represents everything I hate in Government. Why is this Lady not in jail? From Whitewater (and the many suspicious deaths that surrounded that scandal), to Libya, Benghazi, FBI, Loretta Lynch, Clinton Foundation, email scandal, and recently, a DNC staffer was found dead. This guy wrote a scandalous book on Hilary. They say it was suicide. Then what about that spy that was recently connected to Clinton who was killed overseas. This crap just goes on and on and on and on. THIS is who our next President will be? REALLY? She even bought off most of the news networks. She controls them. I know some of my friends are Hilary supporters, and I don’t want to offend you, but please remember, I don’t support our Government ok? Then we have Trump on the Republican side. Not scandal plagued, but he acts like a raving lunatic. Some of his views I agree with like keeping our guns, and fighting Terrorism, but he scares me too. Look, I actually met Trump in the 90’s. At that time I really liked the guy. My band was invited to play his ‘Beach Fest’ 2 years in a row. I got to play in front of 30.000 people on the beach. He was a really cool person,but what I’m seeing on TV is not the guy I met.

If this Presidential race is as confusing to you as it is for me. Then there are OTHER choices. I’m not big on the whole Socialism thing, but Bernie Sanders could have pulled this off if he was running as an Independent. The Democrats made a mockery of this guy and used him as a pawn in their corrupt system. I kinda feel sorry for him. BUT we have Gary Johnson from the Libertarian Party. The first thing on his agenda is to legalize weed in every state. Umm, guess who I’m voting for? Then we have Jill Stein from The Green Party. I know a lot of Bernie supporters are voting for her. 3rd Party Candidates need 15% of polling to join the upcoming debates. This could change EVERYTHING if America wakes up. But we won’t. We’ll keep buying into the rhetoric from the TV pundits. If we have an actual ‘America’ left in 4 years, and I’m not shackled in some kind of concentration camp, or DEAD, then yeah, I will seriously consider running for office. I’m the hardworking American that has had every shit job in existence.I’m the American that has struggled my entire life while Politicians forced bullshit rhetoric down my throat. I’m the REAL American that nobody talks about. If you want REAL change..Then ACT ON IT!! We don’t have to take this anymore..

Here’s a rundown of our playlists from the last 2 months

*8/22/16

1. CASUALTIES OF COOL: Broken
2. MOTOROWL: The Highest City (debut track)
3. TRUCKFIGHTERS: Fiend (debut)
4. MURDER THE CROW: People Of Planet Earth
5. OPERATION MINDCRIME: A Smear Campaign (debut)
6. SPELLCASTER: I Live Again
7. CRUSH TONE: Bitter Words
8. BAD BLOOD: Crash N Burn
9. INGLORIOUS: Breakaway
10. SPIRITUAL BEGGARS: Dark Light Child

*8/15/16

1. FAMILY: The Dark Inside (debut)
2. THE DEVILS MUSIC: Devoid Of Light (debut track)
3. ROB ZOMBIE: Teenage Rock God (debut track)
4. HELSTAR: Repent In Fire (debut)
5. THE DOOD: Infected By Faith (debut track)
6. GEMINI SYNDROME: Alive Inside (debut)
7. MOTOROWL: Om Generator (debut)

*8/1/16 (My Birthday Show)

1. ALICE COOPER: Black Juju
2. JETHRO TULL: My God
3. EMERSON LAKE & PALMER: Battlefield
4. ALAN PARSONS PROJECT: The Raven
5. BLACK SABBATH: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
6. MAHOGANY RUSH: Land Of 1000 Nights
7. LUCIFERS FRIEND: Lucifers Friend
8. DUST: Learning To Die
9. BLACK SABBATH: The Writ

*7/25/16

1. ENTOMBED A.D.: Down To Mars To Ride (debut track)
2. SUMMONERS CIRCLE: Further Into Dis (debut)
3. WAYFARER: Catcher (debut)
4. WITHERSCAPE: God Of Ruin (debut track)
5. ROB ZOMBIE: Dedicated Gore Whore (debut track)
6. DESPITE: Synergi (debut track)
7. NETHERLANDS: New Jocks (debut track)
8. NIGHTWISH: Life (debut track)
9. SUNSHINE & BULLETS: Everyone’s Watching (debut)
10. ARAKARA: Blood Harvest (debut)

*7/18/16

1. WITHERSCAPE: Wake Of Infinity (debut track)
2. DESPITE: Praedonum (debut)
3. ROB ZOMBIE: Get Your Boots On (debut track)
4. THE DEVILS MUSIC: The Strange And Dark (debut track)
5. SPIRITUAL BEGGARS: No Mans Land (debut track)
6. SPELLCASTER: Night Hides The World (debut)
7. TEER: Pride (debut)
8. HYPER ZENITH: The Lesson (debut track)
9. STEVE VAI & STU HAMM: Dyin Day (debut track)

*7/4/16 (Corrosion Of Covers 4th Of July Special)

1. BROKEN TEETH: Lightning Strikes (Aerosmith) debut
2. SOULIDIUM: Run Like Hell (Pink Floyd) debut
3. MEGADETH: Foreign Policy (Fear) debut
4. THE RODS: Ace Of Spades (Motorhead) debut
5. THE BLOODLINE: Save Me (Damageplan) debut
6. THE DOOD: Zombie (Cranberries) debut
7. RIC SAVAGE: Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf) debut
8. ANTHRAX: New Noise (Refused) debut
9. ADRENALINE MOB: Sabbath Medley (debut)
10. VINNIE VINCENT: Let Freedom Rock (debut)

*6/27/16

1. THE DEVILS MUSIC: From Beyond (debut)
2. LACUNA COIL: Ultima Ratio (debut track)
3. ROB ZOMBIE: Medication For The Melancholy (debut track)
4. WITHERSCAPE: Divinity (debut)
5. METAL CHURCH: Sky Falls In (debut track)
6. WITHEM: The Pain I Collected (debut)
7. FATES WARNING: Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen (debut track)
8. AMERICAN FIX: Electric Skies (debut)
9. SCATTERED HAMLET: Warning (debut)
10. NEW CLUE: Hail To The King (debut)

*6/13/16

1. ROB ZOMBIE: Wurdalak (debut track)
2. NIGHTWISH: Weak Fantasy (debut track)
3. MEGADETH: Post American World (debut track)
4. FOZZY: Scarecrow (debut track)
5. LORDS OF BLACK: Art Of Illusions Pt 3 (debut track)
6. BLASTED TO STATIC: Dance Devil Dance (debut)
7. GODSMACK: 1000 HP (debut track)
8. 5 STAR HOOKER: Crash The Party
9. CRUSH TONE: Bitter Words (debut)

You can hear a view of these shows (I think) on our player at http://www.RockSolidPressure.com Right now we are getting ready for THE INDUSTRY SHOWCASE WEEKEND which will be Sept 23rd and 24th. Every broadcast will be a special dedicated to this annual event. We’ll be spinning Showcase bands on every show. Along with national releases of course. Not sure when I’ll get angry enough to post the next blog (lol), but here’s a rundown of some upcoming events YOU CAN’T MISS!!

Sat Sept 3rd: The Local 662: THE MOSH PIT OLYMPICS w/ The Cunningham Wake, Escape, Screaming At The Silence, (De)Absolve, Divine Science, A Dying Light

Sun Sept 11th: State Theatre: AUDIOTOPSY w/ Cypher Machine, Kadaver Dolls, Meatspace, From Darkness Arise

Fri Sept 23rd: The Local 662:  RSP INDUSTRY SHOWCASE PRE-PARTY w/ Psykotribe, A Light Divided, Drastic Fall, The DooD, Sahe, Chronologic

Sat Sept 24th: State Theatre: THE ROCK SOLID PRESSURE INDUSTRY SHOWCASE 2016 (14 Year Anniversary) Doors at Noon

Sat Oct 1st: State Theatre: MAX & IGGOR CAVALERA w/ Combichrist, All Hail The Yeti, Oni, Psykotribe, Grasping At The Shadow, Three Knuckles Deep

Thu Oct 13th: State Theatre: WEDNESDAY 13 / ONE-EYED DOLL w/ The Cunningham Wake. The DooD, No Komply

Fri Oct 14th: State Theatre: THE GREAT PUMPKIN JAM w/ Deviate The Plan, Polar Summer, Sunshine & Bullets, Aegea, From This Fire, Esque

Fri Oct 28th: State Theatre: THE HALLOWEEN PSYKO-FEST w/ Psykotribe, Didges Christ Superdrum, Coldclock Knockout, Sahe, Sinister Circle, The Offering, Dethstar Thrive

That’s all I got..Cya next time

J-Rock

Future? What Future?

Hey Fiends,

So it seems the Sci-Fi movies of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were blueprints for the society we live in today. Technology is moving so fast, it poses the question ‘Will it eat itself?’.. Well for me, it already has. I just saw a show on TV on how Driver-less cars will be the norm in 5 years. We won’t be able to ‘own’ these cars. They will come pick us up and drop us off for everything we need to do. Yeah, like UBER without a driver. There will be ‘zero’ car accidents, but we would not be able to drive our own cars..WHAT? For those that know me, you already know my Techno-Phobe ideals. For those that don’t, I’ll put some things into perspective. I came of age in the 70’s. I was one of those ‘Stoner’ Teenagers in the Mid-70’s. No Computers, No Cell Phones, nothing! The world was a different place. Seeking knowledge was a quest of discovery. But you had to go ‘outside’ to participate in this quest. The things I wanted to learn was not on TV, or even in books. I was obsessed with ‘Black Sabbath’ and Horror Movies. I could learn a ton of knowledge about Horror Films in books and magazines (Thank you ‘Famous Monsters”)..But to learn about the Concert Industry, well ‘Hit Parader’ and ‘Creem’ didn’t do that much for me..When ‘Kerrang’ came out of the UK, that was like the saving grace magazine for the hard rockers like myself. But you really had to go to concerts for the full experience..And man, my experience back in those days was priceless..

At the time, our group of social misfits was unlike anything you can understand. We were a rowdy bunch that was thrown out of High School. We traded our books for Guitars and were on the path to Rock N Roll glory. We lived in a sheltered backwater town of NJ. Every weekend we would venture across the bridge into Philadelphia and see national concerts at ‘The Spectrum’..Every week!! We were obsessed!! We didn’t care who was playing. We needed our fix. Little did we know back then, that we were experiencing historic concert events. It was just the normal life of music crazed kids. I still reflect back on those years with amazement. I rarely get time to say this stuff on air, but I believe one day, when technology eats itself. we will return to those wondrous times. Seriously, I have seen the ‘original’ BLACK SABBATH 3 times in the 70’s. Along with MOTORHEAD, RUSH, PINK FLOYD, RAINBOW (with Ronnie) AC / DC (with Bon Scott), IRON MAIDEN (with Paul DiAnno), JUDAS PRIES, EMERSON LAKE & PALMER. I don’t want this rant to go on forever, so I’ll just say I have witnessed ‘every’ rock band live of the 70’s era. YES, every single one..and ‘multiple’ times at that..

This is what I decided to dedicate my life’s work to..The music industry. By 1980 I was playing the clubs with my own band. My weekends were ‘not’ spent at The Philadelphia Spectrum anymore (Well, unless Sabbath was playing lol). They were spent at clubs and festivals with my band. There were other bands in our circle that we constantly did shows with like CINDERELLA, BRITNEY FOX, OVERKILL, and lots more. They were our equals before they got signed to mega contracts. My band was nothing like any of those bands. We were extremely heavy and dark for those times (Sabbath influence remember). We didnt fluff our hair or wear mascara. We were the ‘Odd Man Out’ on the scene. But hey, the bikers loved us. We did conform to the 80’s standard and we wrapped ourselves in chains, spandex and dripping makeup (ala Alice Cooper) for about a year or so, but the denim n leather came back, and we trudged along, and made a historic name for ourselves on the Jersey Shore.. My touring career pretty much ended in 2002 when I started work for Sony Records, and ‘Rock Solid Pressure’ was born. I have 8 albums under my belt. Some signed, some not. It was a long road. In the 90’s I became a Journalist for a few high profile Metal magazines, which put me back in the venues I was playing, but I would also interview the national acts I was opening for. All of this was a quest for discovery in the REAL world. No technology, no Computers. The lesson of life I learned growing up could ‘never’ be learned on a Computer..

Don’t get me wrong. I have to use a Computer in this day and age like everybody else. I have to use the iphone, and yeah, I rolled with technology. But it’s not something I feel will give the kids of today a REAL learning experience in life. LIPS from ANVIL is a friend of mine. I like having long discussions with him every time the band plays State Theatre. He’s just like me..A great thinker (lol) He believes the Internet will fold one day. Shit, he believes ‘electricity’ will fold one day. Would you be ready for that? I would..In fact, most of the people in their 40’s and 50’s (and beyond) would probably welcome it..All this future technology leaves me with a sense of dread. Am I too old for a brave new world? I just feel there is an implosion coming..That’s all

Here’s a rundown of the Rock Solid Pressure playlist for the past few weeks..Hope you all have been tuning in..

*THE PLAYLIST TO DIE FOR  5/23/16

1. NIGHTWISH: Your’s Is An Empty Hope (Nuclear Blast) debut
2. ABORTED: Bit By Bit (Century Media) debut track
3. CALIBAN: Paralyzed (Century Media) debut track
4. MYRATH: Legacy (Nightmare) debut
5. THE DOOD: Jesus Bleeding (debut)
6. EVERYBODY PANIC: No One Get’s Out Alive (CavGold) debut
7. NETHERLANDS: L.M.M. (Prosthetic) debut
8. ROB ZOMBIE: Satanic Cyanide (debut track)
9. NONHUMAN ERA: The Destiny Machine (debut track)
10. RED TIDE RISING: New Breed (debut)
11. THE HELL: Brutopia (Prosthetic) debut track

*MEMORIAL DAY SPECIAL  5/30/16

1. ANTHRAX: Defend Avenge (Megaforce) debut
2. MEGADETH: The Threat Is Real (Tradecraft / Universal) debut track
3. TEMPEST RISING: War
4. RAMMING SPEED: Horns Of War (Prosthetic) debut track
5. REDNEK MESSIAH: Hunting Season (debut track)
6. DROWNING POOL: Soldiers (Eleven Seven) debut track
7. THE DEFIANT: Old 666
8. EXODUS: War Is My Shepherd (Nuclear Blast) debut track
9. MANOWAR: Call To Arms (Magic Circle) debut
10. INGLORIOUS: Inglorious (Frontiers) debut track
11. MEGADETH: Blood Of Heroes (Capitol) debut (RIP Nick Menza)

*THE PLAYLIST TO DIE FOR  6/6/16

1. POLAR: Tidal Waves And Hurricanes (Prosthetic) debut
2. DARK FUNERAL: Beast Above Men (Century Media) debut
3. MINDSHIFT: Absolution (Eclipse) debut track
4. ROB ZOMBIE: In The Bone Pile (debut track)
5. LACUNA COIL: The House Of Shame (Century Media) debut
6. CRIMSON SUN: Portrait Of A Ghost (Maple Metal) debut
7. RED TIDE RISING: Sound Of Voices Screaming (debut)
8. CODA CUTLASS: New Machine (debut)
9. SCREAMING AT THE SILENCE: Mud Sank The Casket (debut)
10. (DE)ABSOLVE: The Rot (debut)

*INDUSTRY SHOWCASE NEWS: Do you all have your ticket for the RSP Industry Showcase on Sept 24th? Most of you that attend religiously every year know how fast this event sells out. You can get an ‘Advance Price’ ticket from any one of the 20 bands that have been chosen to perform this year. The event page is now up on facebook. You can see the complete lineup and set times over there. Have you joined? If not..GET TO IT !!

*UPCOMING CONCERT EVENTS

Friday 6/10: The Local 662: CYPHER MACHINE, MEATSPACE, FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN, KRYSTAL FINGER, AUDITORY ARMORY

Saturday 6/11: The Local 662: BLITZ 2 featuring CODA CUTLASS, DRASTIC FALL, SAHE, DIDGES CHRIST SUPERDRUM, CHRONOLOGIC

Saturday 6/25: THE FALLING AXE FEST 5 featuring KADAVER DOLLS, UNBROKKEN, COLDCLOCK KNOCKOUT, (DE)ABSOLVE, GRASPING AT THE SHADOW, KRYSTAL FINGER, OTHERWORLD

Friday 7/1 : State Theatre: STU HAMM with DRASTIC FALL, THE SKARZ, NEW TATTOO

Saturday 7/2 : OL GLORY RISING 3 featuring 5 STAR HOOKER, SAHE, SLINGSHOT ROBOT, POLAR SUMMER, DEVIATE THE PLAN

*To find the ‘official’ event pages for these events. Go to The State Theatre’s facebook page, and The Local 662’s facebook page

Make sure to tune in to THE ROCK SOLID PRESSURE SHOW every Monday night at 7:00pm EST USA..You’ll learn stuff..

That’s all I got..till next month..Cya in the field

J-Rock

14 Years of ‘Rock Solid Pressure’

Hey Fiends

It’s been over a month since my last blog, and of course I have a lot to say. Every year in May, we celebrate another year of the ‘Rock Solid Pressure’ broadcast. This year we are celebrating ’14 years on the air’.. Man, seems like only yesterday we started the show at Cameo Broadcasting in CT way back in 2002. We’ve come a long way and have conquered many things since our inception. When our show first started, Rock Solid Pressure was just an on-air gameshow for unsigned bands. The show was backed by Sony Records, where I worked at the time. The first couple years was ‘just’ competitions. It was nothing like what we have evolved into. When we moved the show to Florida in 2004 (and found our broadcast home in a haunted Dungeon), things changed drastically. Since we were in the Dungeon, it was only fitting to let our love for Horror movies, and darker edged music, come to the forefront. We still did the radio competitions, but we pushed that back to only a couple months out of the year. That dwindled down to only ‘one’ month per year. Then we decided to end those historic competitions in 2014.

The workload for the competitions became too much for our small ‘Skeleton’ crew to handle anymore. Our ‘regular’ broadcast of new music and superstar interviews really started to take priority in 2004. Yes, the competitions were extremely popular back in the day. It brought us to the forefront of the Hard Rock / Metal world, and we’ll never forget where we came from and ‘how’ the name ‘Rock Solid Pressure’ came to be. Our mission has ‘always’ been to support great unsigned bands and give them national exposure, and we ‘still’ do that today. In fact, it’s a much bigger forum for these bands now. As many of you know, I’m involved in booking huge national acts at The State Theatre in St. Pete Florida. I got into all of that when we moved to Florida in 2004. I didn’t start at State Theatre. I worked my way up the ladder in this business, but I have been at State Theatre since 2008.

Needless to say, we have made a ton of strong connections over the years. We work with many of the top Record Labels. And although we spin a ton of the newer national releases on the show. We still work in the ‘best’ unsigned bands from around the world. It’s been a long journey. We used to have ‘killer’ ratings for the show. There was a time when RSP was one of the ‘Top 10’ Metal broadcasts in the world. We were carried on lot’s of FM stations and a ‘ton’ on Internet stations. Man, I miss the Myspace years (lol). But we’re still here, and we’re still kickin’ ass! We’re not carried on as many stations as in years past, but we still get great ratings. And we’re ‘still’ known as the ‘go to’ show for discovering great new music.

One thing that has NOT changed since 2002 is the annual Industry Showcase. This will be our legacy if we ever go off the air. What we have done with the Showcase is beyond historic. We made this annual event one of the biggest, and most heralded, Showcases in North America. People come from near and far every year to attend this massive networking event. Even the ‘corporates’ down here have copied the event. Although we deal with corporate sponsors and labels for this show, it’s not about them. It’s about the BANDS! I constantly refuse corporate money. I have seen what that kind of thing does to a Showcase of this magnitude. I want to keep the integrity and personality of the event intact, and I feel I have done a great job over the years. In fact, we’re gearing up for the ’14 Year Anniversary’ of the event. The date has been announced for Sat Sept 24th. And of course, it will be at The State Theatre. The lineup has been officially announced in print on the Event Page on Facebook. If you have not joined, then DO IT NOW!! The 2016 Industry Panel and all the performing bands are listed on that Event Page as well..

Keep tuning in to Rock Solid Pressure every Monday night. We talk about the Showcase on just about every show. We are also celebrating our ass off during this ‘Anniversary’ month. I have more to say, but first, here’s a rundown of our Playlists for the past few weeks..

THE PLAYLIST TO DIE FOR (Epic April)  4/11/16

1. HAKEN: The Architect (Inside Out Music) debut track
2. BARREN EARTH: Set Alight (Century Media) debut track
3. METAL CHURCH: Soul Eating Machine (Rat Pak Records) debut
4. SKELETONWITCH: Well Of Despair (Prosthetic Records) debut
5. MINDSHIFT: My Revenge (Eclipse Records) debut
6. SEVENSINS: The Way I Am (debut)
7. BLACK SABBATH: Megalomania (Warner Bros)

THE PLAYLIST TO DIE FOR (Epic April)  4/25/16

1. EPICA: Sense Without Sanity (Nuclear Blast) debut
2. MASTODON: The Czar (Reprise) debut track
3. DEVILMENT: Mother Kali (Nuclear Blast) debut
4. ROB ZOMBIE: Get High (self released) debut track
5. MEGADETH: The Emperor (Tradecraft / Universal) debut
6. CIRCUS MAXIMUS: Havoc (Frontiers Records) debut
7. KING DIAMOND: Room 17 (Metal Blade) debut track

THE PLAYLIST TO DIE FOR  5/2/16

1. CALIBAN: The Oceans Heart (Century Media) debut track
2. SAINT DIABLO: Meet My Maker (Eclipse Records) debut track
3. MEGADETH: Look Who’s Talking (Tradecraft / Universal) debut track
4. BLASTED TO STATIC: Devil’s Preacher (Metalopolis Records) debut
5. SKINDRED: Volume (Napalm Records) debut
6. Interview with Benji from SKINDRED
7. PROGRESSIVE CHEMISTRY: Brutal Is My World (debut track)

THE PLAYLIST TO DIE FOR  5/9/16

1. FRANK ZAPPA: The Torture Never Stops (Warner Bros) debut
2. SUNFLOWER DEAD: It’s Time To Get Weird (Bloody Bat Records) debut
3. BOMBUS: Dead Weight (Century Media) debut track
4. METAL CHURCH: Blow Your Mind (Rat Pak Records) debut track
5. TREAT: Too Late To Die Young (Frontiers Records) debut
6. JESUS CHRUSLER SUPERCAR: Feed The Flies (SPV Records) debut track
7. COLDCLOCK KNOCKOUT: Andale (debut)
8. FALSETA: Pedestrian Crossing (debut)
9. AUDITORY ARMORY: Phantom (debut)

THE SCENE: You always hear me rave about what a great, and massive scene we have down here in St. Pete. It’s unlike any scene I have encountered. I have lived in NJ, CA, CT. I have toured the Country on many occasions throughout my 20+ years on the road with my various bands, and I have NEVER encountered a more unified and supportive scene EVER. The bands all support one another at shows. No one LEAVES after their favorite band plays, and we are honored to play a big part in all of this unity. Sure, there are ‘fringe’ bands who will ‘never’ get it, and are outside the box on all of this. But the majority of support is amazing. Just about ALL of the events are packed. And I would advise a lot of the dying scenes around the Country to take a good look at how we do it down here. I always fought for band unity in the 80’s and 90’s, but it never worked. Down here, all my ambitions came to fruition in an overwhelming way. We are very proud, and honored to be in the BEST scene in the nation. Don’t take my word for it. Come and see it for yourself. Here’s a few upcoming concerts that you can’t miss

Thu 5/12: State Theatre: HED PE w/ The Defiant, Cypher Machine, Almondy Brown. Doors 7pm

Fri 5/13: The Local 662: 5 STAR HOOKER (CD Release) w/ Three Killer Buds, New Tattoo, Bad Blood, Murder The Crow..Doors 7pm

Sat 5/14: State Theatre: OTEP, September Mourning, Through Fire, Doll Skin, Psykotribe, The DooD, Divine Science, Red Calling, Unbrokken..Doors at 4pm

Fri 5/27: The Local 662: BLOOD BATH & BEYOND (CD Release) w/ Slingshot Robot, Almondy Brown, Red Calling, Sinister Circle..Doors 7pm

*HORROR MOVIE REVIEW: Well, we all know that the theatrically released Horror Movies have sucked for the past few years. It’s pretty much all this politically correct bullshit these days. The ‘Direct to DVD, or the Pay-Per-View market is going strong, but 90% of those movies BLOW!! Sure, you’ll find a gem in that big pile of shit here and there, but for us, it’s not worth the effort or the time to sift through all the garbage. I grew up loving the Horror flicks of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Yeah, when it was REAL horror! I still enjoy the whole ‘theater experience’ for these films too. That has pretty much vanished, but every now and then, a movie comes to town that instills our faith in the genre. The movie this month is ’10 CLOVER FIELD LANE’..We LOVED this movie, and if you’re a horror fan, you wll too. John Goodman always makes  the best Psycho’s. I love it when he has these extreme Psycho roles. This movie will keep you guessing right till the end. It begins with two people being held hostage in a bomb shelter by Psycho Goodman. We are led to believe that there is a nuclear attack (or alien attack) on the United States..or nothing at all (?). Goodman plays a murderous Child killer, and the movie is basically watching this couple trying to escape. The ending will totally blow your mind. Yes, its a Horror Movie, and you won’t want to turn away for a minute. This is the kind of film that you will think about for a long time. I could go on and on because it has so many twists and turns. But I will say that this is hands down one of Goodmans best Psycho roles EVER (Think Barton Fink..remember that?) We both highly recommend this movie to any disillusioned horror fan out there..So far, this is the BEST horror film of the year..Still waiting on Rob Zombie’s ’31’ though (lol)

That’s all I got for this month..Cya in the field

J-Rock

EPIC APRIL

Hey Fiends,

Hope you all had a chance to listen to The Rock Solid Pressure Show this past Monday night. It’s EPIC APRIL in the Dungeon. All month long we’ll be spinning new (or semi-new) ‘epic’ metal tracks. What do I consider an epic track? Well, anything over 10 minutes in length falls into that category. It also has to be a majestic masterwork of music. This is the only time of year that we spin multiple tracks of this nature. Sure, we throw in an epic here and there throughout the year, but in ‘Epic April’, it’s a celebration of these crafty bands who have the musicianship and insight to produce these types of songs. I’m an old guy (lol) who was weened on those classic epics of the 70’s. In my touring years throughout the 80’s and 90’s, I also included an ‘epic’ or two on all of my releases. So epics are in my blood (lol) Each week on the show, the first half will be two ‘new’ epics. The second half will be business as usual, and we’ll close out the show every week with a classic epic from the 70’s or 80’s. Tune in every week for a deadly dose of insane musicianship!!

NEW MUSIC: Since 2002, our broadcast has been known for turning on the masses to NEW music. Sure, we spin older stuff now and then, but our goal has always been to focus on new music. We deal with tons of record labels and we’re bombarded on a daily basis with new stuff. Some of it is crazy good, and some of it is..well..not so good (lol) But you’ll only hear the ‘good’ stuff on The Rock Solid Pressure Show. We are not one of those broadcasts that will spin everything we get. Our screening process is a bit strict. After all these years on air, our standards for submissions has to be extremely high. And to all the bands reading this, I urge you all to keep writing new music. Keep going, keep writing. If you’re a prominent band on your scene. You should be releasing new music every year, or every other year. I try to instill this initiative on the hundreds of local bands I work with down here in Florida. It’s best to be prolific writers if you want to get noticed. I worked for Sony Records A&R and a prerequisite for a contract is to be prolific writers. A label won’t invest the time if you cannot produce an album every year, or every two years. They will certainly look at your past history of releases before any consideration. Since the days of ‘Artist Development’ are pretty much over. It’s up to the bands to keep the momentum going. And that’s with NEW releases. So keep going! You’ll get there!!

INDUSTRY SHOWCASE NEWS: We’re hard at work on the 14th annual RSP Industry Showcase. The lineup of 20 bands is ‘almost’ complete. We’ve had so many ‘epic’ Showcases throughout the years. Our Industry Panel every year reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ in the Industry. So many GIANT names have sat in on the panel over the years, it even amazes US (lol). Every year we like to change up the panel and introduce new ‘blood’ to our annual extravaganza. This year will also be no exception. We already have reps from PROSTHETIC RECORDS, ECLIPSE RECORDS, SP UNLIMITED (Who works with TONS of labels) on board, and we’re not finished filling up the seats. The date has already been announced for Sept 24th. And of course it will be at the historic State Theatre in St. Petersburg Florida. Next month we will be revealing EVERYTHING! Full lineup of bands and Industry Panel. Stay posted!

*Here’s a rundown of our Playlists from the past month..

The Pressure Playlist for 3/14/16

1. ABORTED: In Avernus (Century Media) debut track
2. JUNGLE ROT: Paralyzed Prey (Victory Records) debut
3. CRADLE OF FILTH: Enshrined In Crematoria (Nuclear Blast) debut track
4. SISTER SIN: Desert Queen (Victory) debut
5. ANURYZM: 199x (Melodic Revolution Records) debut track
6. MARTY FRIEDMAN: Lycanthrope (Prosthetic Records)
7. MEATSPACE: Phony Halo (debut track)
8. REDNEK MESSIAH: Rednek Messiah (debut track)
9. SHOTGLASS SERENADE: Bitch (debut track)

The Pressure Playlist for 3/28/16

1. HAKEN: The Endless Knot (Inside Out Music) debut
2. LORDS OF BLACK: Everything You’re Not (Frontiers Records) debut
3. 3 KILLER BUDS: Crack’n (debut)
4. JESUS CHRUSLER SUPERCAR: Let It Roll (SPV) debut
5. THE TREATMENT: Let It Begin (Frontiers) debut
6. SPIRITUAL BEGGARS: What Doesn’t Kill You (Inside Out) debut track
7. 5 STAR HOOKER: Crash The Party (debut)
8. 5 STAR HOOKER: Drinkin’ My Blues Away (debut)
9. EMERSON LAKE & PALMER: Knife Edge (RIP Keith Emerson) Island Records

The Pressure Playlist for 4/4/16

1. EXXILES: Rise (Nightmare Records) debut track
2. SYMPHONY X: To Hell And Back (Nuclear Blast) debut
3. SAILING TO NOWHERE: Sailing To Nowhere (Bakerteam Records) debut
4. CROSSING RUBICON: Unhinged (Pavement Ent) debut
5. AEGEA: Hysteria (debut track)
6. EVERWAR: The Evil Inside (debut tack)
7. EMERSON LAKE & PALMER: Tarkus (RIP Keith Emerson) Island Records

*RIP KEITH EMERSON: As you noticed, for the past couple weeks we have been honoring the late great Keith Emerson who passed away a few weeks ago. Keith’s music was a huge influence on my life as a musician. Tony Iommi inspired me to become a Guitar player, and Keith Emerson inspired me to become a keyboard player. For ME, Sabbath and ELP were 2 of the darkest bands to come out of the 70’s. Sabbath was more Guitar driven of course, but with ELP, the focal point was Keith Emerson on the Keyboard. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing both of these bands multiple times in the 70’s (the joys of being an old guy lol). And I urge all of you to go hunt down video of ELP in the 70’s and 80’s. watching Keith Emerson on stage was like watching a Lion Tamer. He would fight with his keyboard. Go upside down with it. Stab it with daggers. It was an immense shock on my fragile eggshell mind, and just like Sabbath, I worshipped this band. In the early 90’s, I had a chance to share the stage with ELP (look for the pic on my facebook page). This was like meeting my all time hero’s and I got to hang out with them and let them know what an influence they have been on my music career. Even did an in depth interview with them. I was saddened beyond belief to hear of Keith’s passing. We all know that 2016 has taken some of our biggest heroes, but Keith’s death really crushed me. I wanted to do an ELP special on our show, but was afraid all our metal listeners couldn’t get their heads into it. ELP wasn’t metal. Yes, it was extremely dark..The LYRICS were certainly metal, but the music was more of a Prog-Rock kinda thing. For the ELP fans like me, we HAVE been ending the show every week with one of their legendary tracks. On Monday it was the 18 minute ‘epic’ TARKUS!! Please raise your glass for Keith! The one and only innovator of the rock keyboard! There will never be another!!

UPCOMING CONCERTS: Since I have decided to keep this blog on a monthly basis, here’s a huge rundown of our concert events that you can’t miss..

Saturday 4/9: The Local 662: SOULFOUND (Reunion), TRACE OF DAY (Reunion), VERTEBREAKER..Doors 7pm

Saturday 4/23: State Theatre: LITA FORD w/ 5 STAR HOOKER, CRUSH TONE. Doors 7pm

Sunday 4/24: State Theatre: SKINDRED / SOIL w/ THE DEFIANT, PROGRESSIVE CHEMISTRY, CYPHER MACHINE..Doors 7pm

Saturday 4/30: The Local 662: HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN featuring PSYKOTRIBE, THE CUNNINGHAM WAKE, SCREAMING AT THE SILENCE, DEABSOLVE, FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN and more!! Doors 6pm

Saturday 5/7: The Local 662: COLDCLOCK KNOCKOUT (CD Release), DRASTIC FALL, SCREAMING AT THE SILENCE, TOGETHER IN EXILE, FROM THIS FIRE, CODA CUTLASS. Doors 6pm

Get more info on these events at our site http://www.RockSolidPressure.com or go hunt down the Event Pages on Facebook

 

That’s all I got!! Cya in the field..

J-Rock

Dark Days

Hey Fiends,

It seems we have been paying tribute to a fallen musician on every broadcast of The Rock Solid Pressure Show since December. Dark Days have come, and the mourning continues. Last week we lost another one of our friends ‘JOEY BISHOP’..He was the vocalist for the highly popular Tampa band THE LUVDOGZ. He’s been fighting Cancer for the past couple years, and lost his battle last week. His death hits close to home. Joey was a great friend. We’ve known him for many years, and I always booked his band on the biggest shows at State Theatre. This was a huge blow to our music scene. Joey was the ultimate ‘Rockstar’. His stage antics and over the top performances were unmatched by any vocalist on the scene in his genre. He had a legion of fans who worshiped him, and the shocking reality of his demise is setting in. Needless to say, it will be a long mourning process. We dedicated our broadcast to Joey last night, and it was hard. Patty and I both broke down during the show and it was hard to continue, but we got through it. Some of you know I have been going through some health problems myself. When Joey told me a few years back that he had Cancer, our conversations changed. We would talk about Death and the Afterlife. We exchanged health remedies, and shared a laugh on ‘who would go first’.. I was overjoyed to hear that he beat Cancer and was cured. He returned to The Luvdogz and the band came back stronger than ever. They were getting label attention, and everything was going as planned. Then the Cancer came back with a vengeance. Joey ‘still’ performed with the band right up until it was physically impossible for him to take the stage. I’ll always remember him. He was one of the ‘Good Guys’..Friendly to everyone. Even if you met him only one time, he made you feel like you had a friend for life. The Luvdogz was one of those rare bands that could pack State Theatre on THEIR OWN!! I’ve seen this band bring in LOTS more people than a huge national act. This was mainly due in part to Joeys charisma and likability..So please..RAISE A GLASS HIGH FOR JOEY BISHOP!! There will never be another like him..

JOEY’S BENEFIT / MEMORIAL SHOW: The date has been announced for Joey’s Benefit / Memorial Concert. It will be April 2nd at The State Theatre. It will be $10 at the door and all proceeds will be going to Joey’s wife Kim to help pay off his massive medical and funeral costs. Joey’s Harley will also be raffled off at this event..The lineup is full of bands that were close to him..We have a LUVDOGZ REUNION, CARNIVAL OF CRUE, CRUSH DELUXE, KENNY McGEE’S MACHINE, DEN OF THIEVES, THE DEFIANT, STONEGREY. This concert will be a celebration of Joey’s life. This will be a ‘happy’ occasion. Joey wouldn’t want us to be sad. He would want us all to get shitfaced and have a good time. His funeral service was an extremely sad event. This concert will be the ‘opposite’ of that. He’ll be there in spirit, on stage, and rocking out with everyone. This is what he lived for, and I can’t wait to see him again in the great beyond..

Here’s a rundown of our playlists from the past few weeks..

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST  3/7/16

1. THE LUVDOGZ: Luvdogz Anthem (RIP Joey)
2. LAST IN LINE: Heavy Crown (debut track) Frontiers Records (RIP Jimmy)
3. EROTIC LIQUID CULTURE: Ride Hard Die Free (Quandra Records) RIP David
4. INGLORIOUS: Until I Die (Frontiers Records) debut
5. MINISTRY: Change Of Luck (debut track) AFM Records
6. ROB ZOMBIE: Everybody’s F*cking In A UFO (debut track)
7. GILBY CLARKE: Johannas Chopper (Virgin Records) debut track
8. HYPER ZENITH: Heart & Soul (debut)
9. PROGRESSIVE CHEMISTRY: Ashes Of Burnt Flowers (debut track)
10. CYPHER MACHINE: Live On The Breaks (debut track)

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST  2/29/16 (The Japanese Special)

1. CALIBAN: No Dream Without A Sacrifice (Century Media) debut
2. PICTURES OF PAIN: The Storm (Pitch Black Records) debut
3. DIR EN GREY: Agitated Screams Of Maggots (Firewall Records) debut
4. MARTY FRIEDMAN: Resin (Prosthetic Records) debut track
5. MARTY FRIEDMAN INTERVIEW (featuring KEITA BABA)
6. MEGADETH: Prince Of Darkness (Capitol Records)
7. BLOODSTAIN CHILD: Unlimited Alchemist (Coroner Records) debut
8. MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: What’s Up People (Vap Records) debut
9. MARTY FRIEDMAN: Inferno (Prosthetic Records) debut track

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST  2/15/16

1. OCEANS OF SLUMBER: Devout (Century Media) debut
2. RAVENOUS: Deathstiny (Coffee Jingle Records) debut track
3. THE HELL: Panic (Prosthetic Records) debut track
4. DIVIDED MULTITUDE: Sacrificed (Nightmare Records) debut track
5. SPIRITUAL BEGGARS: Dark Light Child (Inside Out Music) debut
6. ARRAYAN PATH: Solomon Seed (Pitch Black Records) debut track
7. JESSIKILL: The Beast (debut)
8. DEAD DAY REVOLUTION: Bury My Soul (debut)
9. FAREWELL TO GOODBYE: Deja Vu (debut)
10. MARTY FRIEDMAN: Horrors (Prosthetic Records) debut track

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST  2/8/16

1. PRIMAL FEAR: Angels Of Mercy (Frontiers Records) debut track
2. BORKNAGAR: Noctilucent (Century Media) debut track
3. LAST IN LINE: Starmaker (Frontiers Records) debut track
4. INTRONAUT: Unlikely Water Landing (Century Media) debut track
5. MURKY RED: Nothing Can Go Wrong (Melodic Revolution) debut track
6. NONHUMAN ERA: Awakening (debut)
7. CYPHER MACHINE: Flick The Switch (debut)
8. MURDER THE CROW: People Of Planet Earth (debut)
9. HOWLING MIDNIGHT: We’ve Got To Live (debut)

THE SCENE: As stated in the blog below, the past few years has seen an incredible boom for our music scene. It’s always been a huge scene, but the past few years it really exploded. Take February for example..We started the month with that incredibly huge CRADLE OF FILTH show at The State Theatre. Our good friends in PSYKOTRIBE were on that bill, and needless to say, it’s in the running for CONCERT OF THE YEAR..The next night we had that huge GRAVEYARD show, and that was packed..Then we had DECAPITATED which also featured our friends in THE CUNNINGHAM WAKE, FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN, GRASPING AT THE SHADOW and AERA CURA..Then we had MARTY FRIEDMAN at The State Theatre, and HOLY SHIT, that was an incredible night. The place was packed to the walls..We had our good friends in WAR OF THRONES and DRASTIC FALL on that event, and THAT SHOW is also in the running for CONCERT OF THE YEAR..Then we had GILBY CLARKE come through. That event featured CRUSH TONE, UNDERCOVER BETTY, BAD BLOOD and SHORE DOGS, and that was great show..and this past Friday night we had ‘another’ doorbuster at State Theatre for the MARCH 4 METAL show, and that PACKED OUT!! And THAT was basically all local bands. It was a smashing success!! We had TOGETHER IN EXILE w/ RISING UP ANGRY, CYPHER MACHINE, CLENCHFIST, MEATSPACE, and SAHE!! March 4 Metal Part 2 is currently in the planning stages.

But we also had a  couple kickass events at THE LOCAL 662 (which is across the street from State Theatre) Both of these events were packed!! First up we had CYPHER MACHINE w/ FROM THIS FIRE, DIVINE SCIENCE, NEW TATTOO, and FAREWELL TO GOODBYE..The turnout was amazing for this show, and it was freezing out, yet the fans came in droves!! Then we had the ITTERASSHAI-FEST which was the going away party for our friend from Japan KEITA BABA. This event was also packed..We had PSYKOTRIBE, KADAVER DOLLS, FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN, HALF TON HAMMER, DEATH REQUISITE, CODA CUTLASS. This lineup was some of Kei’s favorite bands. Kei has been living down here for the past 9 months. He came here to experience the metal scene, and believe me, we gave him the experience of a LIFETIME. He became an integral part and a fixture on the scene. All the bands embraced him, local and national. Kei even became part of our Rock Solid Pressure broadcast on a few occasions. He did the Japanese part of our Tour Bus Interview with MARTY FRIEDMAN. He hit it off so well with the Friedman camp that it’s possible he will be working with them in Japan. Kei was also instrumental in getting Rock Solid Pressure a Japanese Wikapedia page. We literally had tears in our eyes when he left. Could a trip to Japan be in our future? We’ve conquered many things on our broadcast since 2002, and a trip to Japan could definitely be on the horizon. Why not!! Thanks to Kei, we have lot’s of Japanese fans. Maybe we’ll go over there as a tour package with some local Tampa bands..That would work!! But all in all, our music scene is rivaling some of the biggest scenes in the Country, and I’ve experienced them all. Here’s what’s coming up in March and beyond..

Sat 3/12, The Local 662: CRUEL CURSES w/ THE PROPER CROOKS, THE SKARZ, THE CRUZ BROTHERS, TRANQUILL

Sat 3/19, The State Theatre: WAYLAND w/ Stonegrey, A(k)new, Sahe, Shotglass Serenade, Almondy Brown

Sat 3/19, The Local 662: UNDERTONE, THE DOOD, EVERWAR (NY), THE DEFIANT, CHRONOLOGIC

Sat 3/26, State Theatre: ONE-EYED DOLL w/ Eyes Set To Kill, Open Your Eyes, The Cunningham Wake, The DooD, Progressive Chemistry

Sat 3/26, The Local 662: AEGEA (CD Release), SUNSHINE & BULLETS, FROM THIS FIRE

Sat 4/2, State Theatre: JOEY BISHOP BENEFIT / MEMORIAL CONCERT w/ THE LUVDOGZ, CARNIVAL OF CRUE, CRUSH DELUXE, KENNY McGEE’S MACHINE, DEN OF THIEVES, THE DEFIANT, STONEGREY

Get more info on these shows at our facebook pages or at our calendar at http://www.RockSolidPressure.com

• MOVIE REVIEWS: As usual, it’s been a crappy year for Horror Movies thus far, but we have seen a couple that we really liked..Here goes!

DEADPOOL: We both liked this movie A LOT!! This movie is for people like Patty and myself who hate the kid friendly PG-13 Marvel Superhero films. This is the ANTI Superhero film. In fact, it pokes fun at all those movies. Yes, it’s a Marvel Superhero, but Deadpool is like the unwanted bastard son of the X-Men. It’s rated R and it’s NOT for kids. Graphic violence, sex, and they pretty much say ‘F*ck’ in every sentence of the film. The Story revolves around a former Mercenary who now beats up people for money. His main clients are young girls at a boarding school who pay him to beat up their boyfriends. He is diagnosed with Cancer, and is approached by a Superhero recruit who promises him he will be cured and have super powers..Anyway, he’s cured, and his powers are ‘He can’t be killed’..If he loses a hand, it will grow back..etc..Only problem is, he was horribly disfigured during his transformation, and he wants revenge on the Doctor who turned him into Deadpool. It’s basically a comedy, but I gotta say, for the Superhero genre, FOR ME, it ranks right up there with The Punisher Films (which were also Rated R)..It’s also a bit like a Horror Film because Deadpool kinda bears a resemblance to Freddy Krueger..So, if you hate those tweenie Superhero movies, YOU’LL LOVE THIS!! There’s also a cameo by Stan Lee who plays a DJ in a titty bar (classic) I’m not the biggest fan of Ryan Reynolds, but he did a great job as Deadpool. The only thing I hated was the soundtrack, which was mostly Rap and WHAM tunes..This movie BEGGED for a Metal soundtrack..But we both still LOVED IT!!

THE WITCH: Patty liked this one a bit more than me, but I still liked it. It’s not the traditional slam bang Horror flick that we’re all used to in today’s world. It’s more like one of those Old English ‘Hammer’ films of the 60’s and 70’s. It’s REALLY slow moving, but it’s certainly atmospheric. It actually captured that 1600’s era better than any other film I have seen. One of the first scenes is a new born baby being sliced up by a Witch, then she covers her naked body with the blood..At that point, I was like ‘Holy Shit’..this is gonna be one of those extremely violent ‘Banned In 13 Countries’ kinda movie..I was ready to be shocked outta my shoes. But that was pretty much it till near the end..The story is about these overtly religious Pilgrim type settlers who set up camp at the outskirts of an ominous looking forest..And yes, a Witch lives in the woods..It’s REALLY hard to understand the dialogue of this film because its heavy Old English, but it’s a creepy movie all in all. The actors are REALLY ugly which lends to the realism. The Mother looks like IGGY POP, and the twin children look like tiny demons. We have an evil talking Goat who is the recruit for the Witch..Actually, its a Coven of Witches..Everybody dies in this movie and it’s really depressing..More depressing than horrific. But like I said, if you love those old Witch movies from the 60’s and 70’s, then you’ll like this!!

That’s all I got for this month..Cya in the field

J-Rock

When Hell Comes Knockin’

 

Hey Fiends,

The past few weeks we’ve been extremely busy in the field working concert events. It’s time to catch up and let you know what’s been going on in the crazy world of ‘Rock Solid Pressure’..As most of you know, the concerts are comin’ in left and right, and our music scene is exploding down here on the Tampa Bay Gulf. It’s been chilly down here in Florida but that’s not stopping the masses from attending these kickass events. Being the ‘Jersey Guy’, I’m loving this weather. It’s been an unusually cold winter so far, so I’m in my element. We also seem to be in top form for the broadcast when it’s cold out. And we’ve been crankin’ ’em out with fevered bliss. But the event that everybody’s talkin about right now is the CRADLE OF FILTH concert that invaded the State Theatre this past Wednesday night. Hell came knockin’ and the troops were rallied beyond belief. It was one of those epic, majestic nights that will live in the memory banks forever. I’m almost certain that this show will easily take ‘Concert Of The Year 2016’ on our ‘Best Of’ broadcast next year. We spin tons of ‘Cradle Of Filth’ on our broadcast, and it was so cool to ‘finally’ see the band in action. It was also cool that I played a big part in getting them to State Theatre..It was a historic night that will live in infamy..

When we get these massive metal shows, I never know what to expect when we roll in early. Usually, the bigger acts are bigger ‘dickheads’..A lot of times their crew members, tour managers, and the band themselves are a bunch of assholes. I’m well trained in handling these types of people. I’ve been doing this since 1980, and it doesn’t bother me a bit about going head to head with over inflated ego’s. NOT THE CASE with the ‘Cradle Of Filth’ camp. This bunch was so cool to work with. Even the band didn’t hide out on the bus all day. They hung out in the venue. Took pics with the crew, and generally, it was a pleasant atmosphere. Can’t say the same about ‘BUTCHER BABIES’…We’ve had this band at State Theatre many times. But this time was not so enjoyable to deal with their crew. I’ll spare you the morbid details, but let’s just say I’m ‘not’ a fan and we’ll leave it at that. Another band on the bill was NE OBLIVISCARUS from Australia. We know a lot of Aussie bands so immediately we struck up a friendship with these guys. They are also an extremely talented unit that explore all dimensions of the metal genre. But the surprise hit of the night was the opening act PSYKOTRIBE. These Tampa Bay ‘Hometown Heroes’ totally destroyed the stage. Everybody I talked too (including our State Theatre staff) proclaimed this band to be the hit of the night. Lotsa people also said this was the ‘only’ band on the bill that actually fit the hellious presence of CRADLE OF FILTH. If you love ‘C.O.F’ and you ‘don’t’ know about Psykotribe, then I suggest you get your ass in gear and check ’em out. They are a signed act hell bent on world domination. If you revel in the darkness (like us) you’re gonna die for Psykotribe..PERIOD!!

I have lot’s more to say, but first, let’s catch up on the playlists for the past few weeks. It’s been ‘Hellfire And Brimstone’ down in the Dungeon these past few weeks. We’re at that time when the record labels are bombarding us with new music. It’s coming in so fast we don’t have time to take a break. Many of these releases have not hit stores yet. So, in keeping with our standard of ‘always; turning you on to stuff that has not been released..We have no time for a break..Here’s what you have been consuming on ‘The Rock Solid Pressure Show’ since my last blog..

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST FOR 2/1/16

1. CRADLE OF FILTH: Onward Christian Soldiers (Nuclear Blast) debut track
2. ARRAYAN PATH: The Distorted Looking Glass (Pitch Black) debut
3. VOIVOD: Forever Mountain (Century Media) debut
4. PSYCHOSTICK: Dimensional Time Portal (Rock Ridge) debut track
5. SOULIDIUM: The Devil’s On His Way (debut)
6. SATURATE: Live And Let Live (Sidestage) debut
7. CASUALTIES OF COOL: Ether (Inside Out) debut track
8. SAINT DIABLO: Survive This (Eclipse) debut track
9. ABORTED: Termination Redux (Century Media) debut
10. GRIEVED: Asunder (Prosthetic) debut
11. DIO: Lord Of The Last Day (Spitfire) R.I.P JIMMY BAIN

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST FOR 1/18/16

1. PRIMAL FEAR: We Walk Without Fear (Frontiers) debut
2. LAST IN LINE: Martyr (Frontiers) debut track (RIP JIMMY BAIN)
3. DIVIDED MULTITUDE: Seal Of Faith (Nightmare) debut
4. ENTOMBED A.D. : Not What It Seems (Century Media) debut
5. TOGETHER IN EXILE: Six Feet Down (debut)
6. CASUALTIES OF COOL: Deathscope (Inside Out) debut track
7. KILL THE SOUND: Expected (debut)
8. RED CALLING: Never Go Back (debut)
9. YOSHI GISH: Loozer (debut)
10. DAVID BOWIE: Pretty Things Are Going To Hell (Virgin) RIP DAVID BOWIE

THE PRESSURE PLAYLIST FOR 1/11/16

1. BOMBUS: Eyes On The Prize (Century Media) debut
2. RAVENOUS: Reverse Sympathy (Coffee Jingle) debut
3. BORKNAGAR: Dominant Winds (Century Media) debut
4. RAMMING SPEED: No Forgiveness In Death (Prosthetic) debut
5. FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN: Here I Am (debut)
6. DIVINE SCIENCE: The Shattering (debut)
7. MOTORHEAD: Overkill (1979) RIP LEMMY & PHIL
8. MOTORHEAD: Don’t Need Religion (1982)
9. MOTORHEAD: Iron Horse (1981)
10. MOTORHEAD: Talking Head (1979)
11. MOTORHEAD: Ace Of Spades (1980)

OUR HEROES ARE DYING: It seems we are living through some type of strange phenomenon. A lot of our heroes are passing away..ALL AT ONCE!! I know the old saying goes ‘They die in three’s’, but it’s way beyond that. We’ve been on air for 14 years and we’ve never seen nothing like this..And we hope it stops NOW!! It seems we are paying tribute to one of our fallen heroes every week on the show. Yes, I realize nobody lives forever. I’m in my 50’s and I also realize I could be next. But this trend is very weird and uncomfortable. We are losing some of the biggest names in music..ALL AT ONCE! Don’t you find this a bit troubling? 2016 is starting out as the year that took the legends. On a positive note, I’m not so scared to take that journey into the beyond. I know there will be plenty of work for me in the nether. We’ve been discussing this every week on the broadcast..Tune in Monday night and we’ll keep the discussion going!!

THE CONCERT SCHEDULE: One thing for sure, our concert schedule is extremely hectic this month..We’re currently recovering from the CRADLE OF FILTH ‘and’ THE GRAVEYARD show, which were both kickass shows..But look what we have coming up

Wed Feb 10th: State Theatre: DECAPITATED w/ THE CUNNINGHAM WAKE, FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN, GRASPING AT THE SHADOW, AERA CURA..Doors 7pm

Sat Feb 13th: The Local 662: CYPHER MACHINE w/ FROM THIS FIRE, DIVINE SCIENCE, NEW TATTOO, FAREWELL TO GOODBYE..Doors 7pm

Fri Feb 19th: State Theatre: MARTY FRIEDMAN w/ HOLY GRAIL, WAR OF THRONES, DRASTIC FALL..Doors 7pm

Thu Feb 25th: State Theatre: GILBY CLARKE w/ CRUSH TONE, UNDERCOVER BETTY, BAD BLOOD, SHORE DOGS..Doors 7pm

Fri Feb 26th: The Local 662: ITTERASSHAI-FEST w/ PSYKOTRIBE, KADAVER DOLLS, FUNERAL FOR A CLOWN, HALF TON HAMMER, DEATH REQUISITE, CODA CUTLASS.. Dorrs 7pm

So make it a priority to come hang out with us this month. Lotsa cools shows to choose from. You can check out our full calendar (and binge listen to past shows) at our site http://www.RockSolidPressure.com

That’s all I got..See ya in the field

J-Rock

Best Of 2015

THE ‘BEST OF 2015’ ON THE ROCK SOLID PRESSURE SHOW

Hey Fiends..Here’s the charting positions from our ‘Best Of’ special last night. Congratulations to all the bands that took honors this year. It was another amazing year for music. Here goes

*ALBUM OF THE YEAR:  ANURYZM: All Is Not For All (Melodic Revolution Records)

*SONG OF THE YEAR:  HOUSE OF THE DEAD by THE DOOD

*EP OF THE YEAR:  PSYKOTRIBE: Wicked White Lies (Willpower Ent)

*THE TOP 15 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

1. ANURYZM: All Is Not For All (Melodic Revolution Records)
2. BARREN EARTH: On Lonely Towers (Century Media)
3. KADAVER DOLLS: Machines Of Death (Willpower Ent)
4. TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION: Ride On (Carved Records)
5. PSYCHOSTICK: Revenge Of The Vengeance (Rock Ridge)
6. THE HELL: Brutopia (Prosthetic Records)
7. CRADLE OF FILTH: Hammer Of The Witches (Nuclear Blast)
8. PROGRESSIVE CHEMISTRY: Out For Blood
9. CROWBAR: Symmetry In Black (E1 Music)
10. INTRONAUT: The Direction Of Last Things (Century Media)
11. DRASTIC FALL (Melodic Revolution Records)
12. FREEDOM HAWK: Into Your Mind (Small Stone Records)
13. TEMPEST RISING: Transmutation
14. IRON MAIDEN: The Book Of Souls (Parlophone Records)
15. THE AGONIST: Eye Of Providence (Century Media)

We received quite a few late entries in December that we did not get a chance to spin yet. Most likely these releases will chart for our ‘Best Of 2016’ special next year..

* THE TOP 25 TRACKS OF THE YEAR

1. HOUSE OF THE DEAD by THE DOOD
2. THE MAZE by NIGHTINGALE (Inside Out Music)
3. F*CKED by NONPOINT (Metal Blade Records)
4. SEE YOU IN HELL by PETE BERWICK (Little Class Records)
5. BREAKING OUT by RAVENEYE (Rook Records)
6. LET ME BLEED by WORLDS DIVIDE
7. STONED & HORNY by MURKY RED (Melodic Revolution Records)
8. RUNNING SCARED by RISE 2 BRUTALITY
9. THE HATCHLING by ILIUM (Nightmare Records)
10. REACHING by AEGEA
11. NO TIME FOR LOVE DR JONES by A LIGHT DIVIDED
12. LOVE IS A GRAVE by 3 KISSES
13. LEPERS AND LIARS by KRIADIAZ (Shark Sausage Records)
14. THE LAST DROP FALLS by DREAMGRAVE
15. VICTIM EYES by MEATSPACE
16. KINGDOM OF SLAVES by LYNCH MOB (Frontiers Records)
17. SPEED KILLS by THE CROWN (Century Media)
18. UNLEASH HELL by MUST NOT KILL
19. SUBLUNAR INVOCATION by TRAITORS GATE
20. HIPSTER by TEN HIGH
21. WARRIOR WITHIN by DESTINI BEARD/INFINITUS MORTUS
22. CLOCK STRIKES 12 by JIRO (Mosrite Records)
23. REFUGE OF LIES by DEATH REQUISITE
24. ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS by SAINT DIABLO (Eclipse Records)
25. WAGING WAR by SHATTERED SUN (Victory Records)

*THE TOP 5 EP’s OF THE YEAR

1. PSYKOTRIBE: Wicked White Lies (Willpower Ent)
2. CROWNED BY FIRE: Space Music For Cave People (Chrome Mountain)
3. VAMPIRE: Cimmerian Shade (Century Media)
4. FINAL CURSE: Sheryl Crow Camel Toe
5. HALF TON HAMMER (Self Titled)

 

*CONCERT OF THE YEAR:  PSYCHOSTICK (State Theatre)

This was another extremely busy year in the field for us. So many great national concert events like PSYCHOSTICK (State Theatre), SOULFLY/SOILWORK (State Theatre), ANVIL (State Theatre), NAPALM DEATH / VOIVOD (State Theatre), CROBOT (Local 662), QUEENSRYCHE (State Theatre), ORGY (State Theatre), GILBY CLARKE (State Theatre), NONPOINT (State Theatre), FEAR FACTORY (State Theatre), DOYLE (State Theatre), JACKYL (State Theatre)..These are the shows we really had fun at. Although we had ‘tons’ of national concert events in 2015. Sometimes we don’t even like being there. Either the Tour Managers are dicks, or the band themselves rub us the wrong way. The national concerts listed above are events that remind us why we’re in this business in the first place. We had WAY too much fun at these events.. We do not pick ‘Concert Of The Year’ by attendance. We judge it by the overall enjoyment of the entire day and night. We would love to pick THE ROCK SOLID PRESSURE INDUSTRY SHOWCASE  as Concert Of The Year..because it always IS..EVERY YEAR (lol). That’s where all our hard work for the scene comes together every year..It’s our legacy, but we can’t name it Concert Of The Year, or we’d be doing that EVERY YEAR!! Same with the tons of local shows we’re involved with every week. We ALWAYS have fun at those events..well..mostly

We picked PSYCHOSTICK as Concert Of The Year because this event stands out as a magical night for us. The entire experience was fun. Our friends in DRASTIC FALL, THE DOOD, and COUNTED OUT were also on this show. So yeah, it was a huge party. It was also my birthday, and it was one of the best EVER!.

*HORROR MOVIE OF THE YEAR:  Eli Roth’s THE GREEN INFERNO

Ok, let it be said that 2015 was ALMOST as bad as 2014 for theatrically released Horror Films. We only saw FOUR movies that were even worth a mention..THE GREEN INFERNO, KRAMPUS, CRIMSON PEAK, and MAD MAX (Not really a horror film)..We chose THE GREEN INFERNO because Eli Roth’s homage to the 70’s Cannibal films TOTALLY BLEW US AWAY!! In a year that was so bad for Horror, this masterpiece of gore stood out like a severed thumb. Lets hope 2016 will be much better..

*Before we leave 2015 behind entirely, we’d like to raise a final toast to all the great musicians we lost in 2o15…Our personal friends STEVEN McCORMICK (Traitors Gate), CRAIG GRUBER (Rainbow, Elf), DAVID VAN LANDING (MSG, Crimson Glory) and these other incredible musicians LEMMY, PHIL TAYLOR, AJ PERO, FRANK WATKINS, SCOTT CLENDENIN, CHRIS SQUIRE,, SCOTT WEILAND, BOB BURNS, EDDIE HARDIN, ANTHONY VALENTINE, CARSTEN HEUSMANN, JUSTIN LANE, RYAN SHUTLER, CRAIG HUFFMAN, MATS OLAUSSON and all the other great musicians we lost in 2015. We also lost Horror Movie icons CHRISTOPHER LEE, WES CRAVEN, GUNNAR HANSEN..We salute you all and will remember you forever..

*LIVE EVENTS THIS WEEK

Friday 1/8 (Local 662) FREE SHOW featuring UNDERTONE, SAHE, AMERICAN GREED, SHOTGLASS SERENADE, DETHSTAR THRIVE. Doors 7pm

Saturday 1/9 (State Theatre) LOCAL LOCKDOWN featuring SUNSHINE & BULLETS, FROM THIS FIRE, RISING DOWN, OTHERWORLD, ALL HAIL THE QUEEN, NYAMI MOIRE..Doors 7pm

That’s it..We’ll cya in the field… J-Rock

http://www.RockSolidPressure.com