Time for Turbo (that’s me lol) to get into some Twisted Metal! That is exactly what I did this past week at the Osage Event Center here in Tulsa, OK. Even being a small venue, about 1000 people at capacity, the line up of bands I personally was thrilled to see LIVE! So I have been looking forward to this show for a couple months. Before we get into the metal of screaming guitars, the metal edge through and through of music and all things twisted beautifully by fabrication. No intention of saying, I went, they rocked, I came home. Whats next? A glimpse for those of you who might not have made it to the concert or haven’t heard some of the newer songs these bands are out there rocking tours with. Or even if you did, a perspective for the love of.  Just an insight to what I intend to deliver…an honest ROCK SHOW review. On that note, if you will. Please welcome the first act of the evening, KOPEK!

KOPEK is a trio band having played together for a decade, from Dublin Ireland that traveled 10,000 miles to rock the United States and that is exactly what they did. On tour for their 2010 Debut Album ” White Collar Lies”.  Kopek delivered nothing short of a enthusiastic ”HEY AMERICA, WANNA PLAY?”  to the Tulsa crowd ! Sixty seconds or less into this performance of rock layer upon layer of talent, I found myself looking to see if I had mistaken and possibly they had more members but  they were indeed a trio. Very talented group musically speaking. The thing that really grabbed me not only as writer but as a music lover was Kopek’s Charisma on stage ! Their music has a lot of power. It says rock and roll in so many ways, words fall short.  Concert goers could visibly feel that and loved every beat as did I.  The lyrics are well written and run deep. Overall Kopek leaves you wanting more, a lot more. Debut album? Dark, edgy, inspiring and talented, rock and roll. Delicious introduction !

Next out comes a sharp, stylish My Darkest Days. Hailing from Ontario, Canada.  Each member of My Darkest Days were very crowd interactive. My Darkest Days put on a fun, high octane show that almost made you feel as if you were a member of the band too!  Matt Walst is at home on stage and keeps the interactive modern rock vibe going at all times and still manages to throw out a very strong voice with amazing range. Matt has raw talent dripping off of him, live. The Lead Guitarist Sal Coz Costa has a mesmerizing sound that just won’t quit! Shred. rinse, repeat. Fantastic! Brendan McMillan the bass guitar player rocked with a unique bass style that taunted us all!  The drumming of  Doug Oliver just revved up the audio of all of this together. Reid Henry on keyboard/guitar is all guts and passion in playing.  My Darkest Days belted out “Coming Undone”  the Duran Duran cover and the switch over to the alternative sound of the song with ease. Having the crowd pose for Live Facebook pictures was an instant hit! Another interactive thing  My Darkest Days did was have a meet and greet after the show with…the fans. No one left out.  This band has heart. I am not sure who is having more fun the concert go-er or the musician but it worked awesome, live.  Move Your Body and the closing song Porn Star Dancing (on  the billboard charts 30 weeks now)  many have termed “provocative”. Well, that is exactly the word I would use to describe this bands sound and show. Provocative Rock that has a very promising future! If my guess is right My Darkest Days is here to, play and stay.

Almost pouncing onto the stage next was Saving Abel! What a concert!!! These guys rocked the house! I was indeed impressed. On Tour for their current album Miss America. Giving homage to those who have served and are serving which Saving Abel did twice during the concert here in Tulsa. The audience loved it and so did I, classy for sure. They also talked about the small town in Mississippi (Corinth) that they came from with nostalgia in their voice that was unmistakable. These guys did not only rock their hearts out, they shared some of themselves with the audience as well. I interviewed lead guitarist Jason Null before the show (see here at Kick Acts) and the thing that struck me most about how he felt about Saving Abel’s progressive was that they all were still having a blast making and playing music!! He also said they felt “very blessed”. Playing the red, white and blue American flag themed guitar Null never missed a beat during the Tulsa Concert. Jared Weeks voice is a weapon! WOW!  the drumming was screaming! Just an all around awesome rock show! This is what rock should be and is !  Jared Weeks visited the interview with a splash of pre-show fun and a couple laughs!  Down to earth doesn’t cover it. I also had a chance to visit with Jonathon Martin, Saving Abel’s Tour Manager who said the guys from Saving Abel really are all about the music. More from Jonathon Martin in my next article on “Saving Abel – Miss America ” look for that in the next week or so, only here at Kick Acts. Saving Abel has come a long way since 2005 and performed a slamming good old rock show! No pyro, no hydraulics, no dragon side show, just great stage presence and letting their music do the talking and it was screaming ROCK ME AGAIN SAVING ABEL – THE SEX IS GOOD!

After all this great rock music the crowd was excited and rocking that was easy to see and then it happens! Lynn Hernandez of KMOD (97.5FM) Tulsa, OK get on stage to announce the sold out Headliner and really get the crowd going, clapping hands in the air, chanting HIN – DER, HINDER, HINDER out comes the amazing lights and the band and yes the crowd goes wild! I thought I couldn’t possibly see a better performance than the night had already delivered. But Hinder did steal the show ! They are at the top of their game in my opinion. Playing their guts out, loving every minute of it, each member giving it 100% on stage and a lot of talent in each member. They sound AWESOME Live! Playing several songs from the recently released All American Nightmare CD, Hinders third album. Austin Winkler and Hinder nailed a live version of “Better Than Me” the ballad off Extreme Behavior. It was refreshing to hear the range Hinder can carry. Ground pounding rock that will break your windows to ballads that reach in and touch your heart right in the place where it …beats. After touring since 2004 at least I couldn’t believe how hard these guys rocked. Guitar shredding at its finest. One of a kind drumming and gritty, almost southern rock style with a unique splash of hinder modern rock and roll. This band has proved they have staying power and have something to say. They ripped the knobs off and rocked Tulsa in All American Nightmare fashion. Tulsa will sleep well tonight.

The only thing I really felt lacked was the Event Center and its staff. A filthy square room with 2 small entrances. And staff that had no interest in assisting in anything.  With great shows like this and others visiting the Osage Event Center would do good to step it up a notch with a new coat of paint, if you know what I mean. We rocked anyway! \m/

Until next time, keep the Metal twisted, in the player!

I would like to thank Joseph Garza of www.okfightnews.com for assisting me at this event. See his photography in the Saving Abel article coming soon!

On today’s rock and pop stars:

Lemmy: “What the fuck is it about John Mayer? Someone should explain him to me. And the same goes for Justin Bieber. They’re all such boring people. They’re so fucking serious. I’m not interested in people as boring as that. It’s a shame these people are popular entertainers.”

Don’t ask the inveterate rocker to indulge in the virtues of hip-hop.

“Why should I do that when it’s not music,” Kilmister asks. “There’s nothing creative about doing that [rapping] over music someone else created. They go out and take John Bonham’s drumming. I don’t call that music. You think they [rappers] could come up with sounds of their own, even some basic sounds and they can’t do it. Sad.”

http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/arts-and-entertainment/features/Lemmy-Interview-Motorhead-Coming-to-House-of-Blues-March-4-116739699.html

Originally published in “The Nashville Hype” by Paul King

If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s this: Stryper will always ROCK in my book. 

I was one of those kids with parents who went off the deep end religiously and essentially banned all music that wasn’t “Christian” in the home – noble to be sure – ridiculous in a practical manner. 

True Story: I loved KISS from the moment I heard them, and up until the time some random missionary preacher came around saying KISS were “Kings In Satan’s Service” and Desmond Child (the famous songwriter) was really ‘Demon Child’, Satan’s own spawn on earth renamed “Gene Simmons”, my dad was cool enough to buy me all the KISS albums and cards and posters and stuff.   The preacher was just trying to ‘save the kids’ from the evils rock-n-roll.   Not long after that traveling preacher came though, all my KISS stuff was ripped off my walls and burned (along with Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent) because that’s what he told parents they needed to do with this evil – which virtually assured my soul for the devil because I wanted to murder someone after that! 

Needless to say musically, my home sucked raw eggs there after. 

Carmen, who was fine for what he was, was not what I wanted to hear.  Petra were okay, and Bob was a great guitar player, but they got wrapped up in the wussy keyboard sounds of Degarmo & Key (who for one brief moment I thought I liked), so they pretty much ended up sucking too.  It wasn’t until KANSAS somehow were branded “Christian” enough to be accepted at Christian roller-skate night that I was able to hear something I thought was even remotely worth a damn musically – “Carry On Wayward Son” was played in my room over, and over, and over (no, I’m not making any of this up – and I mustn’t forget the Rez Band which, to this day because of the recording techniques and guitar tones and rock attitude of laying it all on the line, rule. ‘Awaiting Your Reply’ is still very solid all around). 

Then out of no where came Stryper.  Thank GOD for Stryper. I was freakin’ going insane with the crap my parents were forcing me to listen to. 

Look, I’m not going ot start a sermon here, but I’m just going to tell you parents who are Christians, who are raising boys — society has sissy-fied boys to the point they might as well be raising all little girls.  Christianity is so full of ‘meekness’ and ‘sacrifice’ and ‘humble’ they forgot how to raise men — so I’m telling you – boys are meant to play with toy trucks, tear up everything they get their hands on, be aggresive, and ROCK — and if you’re having your kids growing up listening to watered down Kenny G (Christian music is full of that crap), you’re going to be in trouble.  Throw a dress on the kid and get it over with (BTW, I always found it funny that Jesus could get so ticked off he destroyed half a city block, but if a kid showed the smallest amount of aggression because of the great rock music he was listening to he needed a Paxil to calm him down – or Jesus).  Okay, that’s the end of my rant on that. But it makes my point: 

I am a Stryper kid. An aggressive, head banging, fist in the air rock-n-roll boy.  I didn’t like all the Michael W. Smith “Friends of friends are friends cause that’s how you become friends and can’t we all just get along and be friends” girly crap Christian music — and what some random traveling preacher stole, Stryper returned.  Rock and Metal once again filled my speakers and I’m sorry to say so bluntly, but here we go, I got my balls back!  I could Rock again.  Game on! 

The Original NH Logo Definitely Influenced By Stryper 

And man, were my parents pissed that the lyrics were ‘clean’.  Oh, they just couldn’t STAND that Stryper was preaching the same gospel they were.  Doing research for this review I came across this video which tells about those times back then – and this was really how it was, I lived this — my brother and I could be one of these poor idiot kids interviewed in this video (and I didn’t know Pastor Chuck even existed back then, but when I found this video it dawned on me why I felt SO at home in a Calvary Chapel church – they ‘got’ it even then and they still ‘get’ it).

So, how much more pissed would my parents be now to know that Stryper has gone where no other Christian band has gone – to the roots of heavy metal and the songs that every Christian kid grew up with, even if their parents didn’t know it – for an album full of great covers? 

I’ll tell you how, they wouldn’t care. Because just like everyone else that grew up during those highly ridiculous times in religious history, even my parents, after the divorce and affairs and the cheating and all that, lost their sanctimonious right to look down on everyone around them and had to accept the fact they they were human too, who like everyone, only made it by with the Grace of God. “Stryper covering KISS? Oh, that’s nice honey. Go play with your friends.” “Stryper is having Eddie over to play? Iron Maiden you say? That’s good, just don’t get hurt.” Such is life for anyone who survived those years of sheer stupidity and hypocrisy. 

So the rumors are true – Stryper has done what every single Christian kid who was raised in an over-bearing Christian household always wished they would do — Stick it to our parents by covering great songs by great artist we always loved but couldn’t listen to openly. What they should get for it is an album that’s 4 times platinum in America and 3 times platinum in the rest of the world and all the praise and record sales they can stand. Stryper has done it again – they have returned rock and metal to the masses and I’m just going to lay it on the line — they’ve never sounded so good. 

That doesn’t stop the idiot ‘Christian’ police from questioning their belief.   Even today we have so-called preachers who make a living scaring the beJesus out of duped parents who can’t see that really all the preacher wants is their money.  It’s a fight over money!  And it’s straight from the Saul Alinsky playbook – Find a target, focus on it, criticize it, and extort money to ‘fight’ it.  But pressure is still pressure and it’s for this reason the guys say they felt compelled to add at least one original Christian tune to the record – thankfully, it rocks just as hard as the rest of the record – so it’s not so bad.   And besides, Stryper IS a Christian band (even if they are still trying to prove their salvation to others nealy 30 years later). 

Bottom line – 2011 should be the year of Stryper.  Releasing an album like this is the smartest thing I’ve seen a band do in a long, long time.  It keeps them fresh, relevant, respected among peers, and rocking the world another year.  Brilliant. 

‘The Covering’ covers a lot of great music – and I’m telling you right now, it does not disappoint.   I mean, these guys are tighter than they’ve ever been – Tim Gaines is back in the band rocking the bass, Michael Sweet‘s voice strangely improves with age (how he could get any better defies logic, but there ya go), Oz Fox is still just flat out amazing on lead guitar (I wanted to be that dude!), and Robert Sweet‘s opening on “Over The Mountain” leaves little question to how good he remains as the drummer. 

You know these songs, so I’m not going to go through a track by track listing. You just need to know they’ve respected these songs, respected their original creators, and respected themselves by literally turning out one of the finest pieces of recorded heavy metal and rock music in years. You just need to buy this album, period. 

It’s a loud album – makes you feel like you’re being punched in the face repeatedly, but in a good way. If we had a star system that went to 10 I’d give it an 11, and tell you that’s the level you need to turn it up to as well. 

And a couple more things – Rob Halford commented on this album, and if anyone in Rock should be trusted to know what he’s talking about it should be that dude – and he has this to say: 

And last – Stryper will be coming to Nashville March 18th, 2011 to the Wildhorse Saloon.  The last time they played there they completely sold out the venue – so if you’re planning on going, get your tickets early.  They’re going to be doing these songs as well as several Stryper classics we’ve all come to know and love.   Rock on. 

The Covering – Album 

Judas Priest – Breaking The Law 

Iron Maiden – The Trooper 

Scorpions – Blackout 

Ozzy Osbourne – Over The Mountain 

Sweet – Set Me Free 

Van Halen – On Fire 

Deep Purple – Highway Star 

Black Sabbath – Heaven & Hell 

UFO – Lights Out 

Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son 

Kiss – Shout It Out Loud 

Led Zepplin – Immigrant Song 

Stryper – God 

Tags: Christian music, Judas Priest, Kansas, Led Zepplin, Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, Ozzy, Robert Sweet, Stryper, Tim Gaines, Van Halen 

http://nashvillehype.com/blog/stryper-the-covering-the-only-album-review-you-will-ever-need/

Saving Abel along with Hinder, My Darkest Days and Kopek played in concert here in Tulsa, OK on Feb 17th 2011. Before the show I had a chance to visit with lead guitarist Jason Null from Saving Abel about Miss America, Saving Abel’s sophomore album. We also about living the “rockstar” life and upcoming concerts and festivals. We had a surprise guest appear on the interview and had some fun! Take a peek! Live sound checking during the interview was so cool! I will be reviewing the concert performance of all four bands at this show soon so check back for that.  Wanna get Turbo Twisted? PRESS PLAY!

I can’t wait for this one! Hopefully Steven is back too!! chuck

Legendary rockers Alice Cooper has completed work on his new album, “Welcome 2 My Nightmare”. Cooper made the revelation during his “Nights With Alice Cooper” syndicated radio show, saying that “‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ is done. It’s just sitting there.” Like the 1975 original “Welcome To My Nightmare” LP, was produced by Bob Ezrin, who also worked on the singer’s “Billion Dollar Babies”, “School’s Out” and “Love It to Death” releases.

“We thought the story was good, but we started talking about ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’, which I think is our biggest triumph,” Cooper told Billboard.com last October. “He mentioned, ‘What if Alice had another nightmare?’ And we wrote three songs right there. He got really involved in it. Bob is even darker than I am.”

Cooper told Billboard.com that he and Ezrin were working on at least 13 songs, including the ballads “I Am Made of You” and “Something to Remember Me By”. In addition, Cooper recorded three new songs with original bandmates Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums) and Michael Bruce (guitar).

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=154234