DRAGONFORCE play The Regent Theater Dec. 6; photo courtesy of Dragonforce

Dragonforce, relishing in their killer lineup of fantasy, the power metal legends are taking on a new force of mid-tempo and slower hits while embracing their iconic up-tempo guitar solos on their Maximum Overload tour.

“It’s just a continuous illusion — the band,” Herman Li (guitars / vocals) said. “We just try to get better at everything we do, but also adding new things to it. The new songs help us create a more dynamic show live because on our first four albums everything was always fast and 10 minutes long, so when you come see us that’s what you’re going to get. Now we have different tempos so maybe it’ll be more interesting for people.”

One of the most promising songs that captures this new style is “Three Hammers,” starting with the unmistakable Dragonforce epic guitar riffs that glide into a softer, intimate acoustic. Maximum Overload, even with different tactics, maintains the fantasy lyrics, not so common in this day and age, that grew the original fanbase.

Marc Hudson’s voice is something crafted for power metal, hitting impeccably high notes and balancing the perfect amount of metal meets classical. “Symphony of the Night” is the embodiment of that classical aspect of metal with a complicated technique that doesn’t focus on one instrument but perfectly creates a harmony that leads to a chilling live performance.

On their album Maximum Overload, the band not only changed approach to tempo and song length, but also recorded a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

“We thought we’d do something different. We’d said we’d never do a cover, and when you say you’re never ever going to do it, you basically HAVE to do it,” Li laughed. “It’s a three-minute song. That’s the shortest song we’ve ever played!”

Continuing the theme of new projects, along with adding shorter songs to the setlist, the band recently released a live DVD, “In the Line of Fire”.

“We were on tour (while editing the DVD), so I’ve done the edits in five different continents around the world on my laptop,” Li said. “At the end, my laptop burned out so that was that. I got to get a new one! I was so glad when it was released because there’s no more coming back to it, there’s no more changes to be done, there’s no more worries about it.”

The DVD brought to life some of the new releases while also reintroducing some fan favorites such as “Valley of the Damned,” a song that truly displays the band’s ability to transform music into a journey.

“That’s one of the songs that I remember when I first heard it I thought, ‘This is really catchy, some people might actually like us’,” Li said.

Dragonforce writes songs that alter the genre from just an album to an epic novel with the most intense soundtrack. A live show with Dragonforce isn’t another “wall of death,” mosh pit metal show.

“Live shows with us are always like a party, we always have fun,” Li said. “We just like playing live, it doesn’t feel like a job. We like to do what we like to do.”

Dragonforce is reaching the final leg of their North America, playing the Regent Theater Dec. 6.

GRAVE DIGGER play Grove of Anaheim Nov. 21; press photo

Coming out of the birth of German power metal, Grave Digger, consisting of original member Chris Boltendahl (vocals) and members Axel Ritt (guitars), Jens Becker (bass), Hans Peter Katzenburg (keyboards) and Stefan Arnold (drums), will make their first U.S. tour appearance, hitting the City National Grove of Anaheim on Nov. 21.
Grave Digger not only creates the progressive power metal riffs from the 80’s, but recreates the sound with demonic undertones and a modern twist on their classics in their newest release Exhumation– the early years.

“We have some bass, guitar, keys and vocals, and that’s it. It’s honest music, what we are doing,” Boltendahl said. “It’s a pureness, what can I say?”

With Chris “Reaper” Boltendahl leading the clan, there has yet to be a halt in their musical success. Even among lineup changes the band has maintained a diehard fan base in and out of their European stomping grounds.

“We recorded the old songs in a new style, because you can’t buy the old records anymore — our idea was to make a kind of ‘Best Of’ with new recorded versions,” Boltendahl said.

The semi-new album consists of fan favorites, such as “Heavy Metal Breakdown,” one of those must-play songs that amp up the crowd and guarantee a “metal invasion,” and “We Wanna Rock You,” an anthem to the German metal era.

“I think my favorite old-new song is ‘Headbanging Man’ because it’s a really classic tune and represents everything the band is standing for,” Boltendahl said.

Even with a new lineup, the band holds true to the origins of power metal, using the fast-paced drive of the 80’s and the epic pieces and choruses of today.

“I like the aggressive stuff from the old songs, but this is 30 years later, and I like the way we do it now,” he said. “I think the metal scene is now bigger than 30 years ago. Nowadays there are so many bands on the market I can’t count them anymore.”

Grave Digger, having only done a few select shows in the U.S. in places such as New York and Phoenix, is anxious to see the reaction of the American crowd versus a European crowd.

“It’s the first real tour for us in the states and Canada. We have no real experience in the American market, so we’re going in to some surprise mood when we come over.”

Boltendahl is confident that, even among a new crowd, Grave Digger is ready to impress and definitely will be increasing their clan size.

“From the moment we start to the moment we play the last song, it’s 120 percent Grave Digger with a lot of energy. We are all old now — we are all around 50 — but I think we have more energy now than when we started. We are all healthy and focused on presenting good music.”

MEMBRANES play Slidebar Oct. 29 and The Echo Nov. 1

Membranes, with their release of Dark Matter/Dark Energy, have truly developed into one of the most unique musical and scientific experiments in the music industry. The mystifying contrast of a choir, introduction of the Higgs Boson particle research and talks about the universe are only a few of the captivating parts of a Membranes concert experience — and it truly is an experience of a lifetime.

John Robb, Keith Curtis, Nick Brown, Peter Byrchmore (Goldblade and former Nightingales) and Rob Haynes (Goldblade) rekindled the group in 2009, an experiment (pun intended) of music and the universe. They will be hitting up the The Slidebar Oct. 29 and The Echo Nov. 1.

Membranes came out of the 80’s post-punk era and developed a unique underground DIY sound that has only become a stronger vision for the industrial punk era. Unlike most of the punk scene, however, they’ve created a psychedelic twist to match the ideas of Dark Matter/Dark Energy.

Using the universe as a muse provides endless possibilities, but Robb felt the topic was just the inspiration the band needed. They held events over the past three years called “The Universe Explained” that uses research scientists, art experiments, poetry, etc. to invite the audience into the universe through a variety of mediums.

Three years ago Robb attended a lecture by Joe Incandel, who is one of the leading people at the CERN project. Following the lecture, while at dinner, Robb asked them to tell him about the universe. “And so the CERN people told me everything they knew about the universe in an hour conversation over dinner–about the Big Bang, about the edge of the universe, about the mystery of dark matter and dark energy!”

Following this conversation, Robb decided to follow the ideas and create what would be their most extraordinary album.

“At this point we’d started writing only a couple songs for the album, but this conversation was so fascinating. The idea of the words ‘dark matter/dark energy’ are so poetic and so melancholic, they just give you direction for a record,” Robb said. “The idea that the universe is so bizarre and so weird and what he (Joe Incandela) was talking about was so mind-boggling that it’s almost like a psychedelic, weird record. I thought, ‘If you can make music that matches the ideas that he’s talking about, that would make an amazing record.'”

Dark Matter/Dark Energy isn’t recognized solely for content, but also for the performances that are following along with it. The weekend of Sep. 26-27 Membranes performed in Estonia with the all-female Estonian Chamber Choir Sireen at one of the “Universe Explained” events. The band also collaborated with the choir for their singles “The Universe Explodes Into A Billion Photons Of Pure White Light” and “(5776) The Breathing Song.”

“It was probably the greatest gig I’ve ever played actually,” Robb said. “I think with music, the more opposite your disciplines are, the more likely they are to work together and also, the idea with Membranes is we like to take chances. It’s not a rock-n-roll band where you do the same old thing. It’s not the six tricks that work in rock-n-roll that you do forever.”

Although this unique event isn’t able to make it to the U.S. due to budget constraints, Membranes insist that the performances will still stand strong, with or without a choir background or a group of renowned scientists to narrate the event.

“For this tour, it’ll just be the stripped down sound,” Robb said. “That’s how we recorded the album and songs, and it works very well like that as well with just four people. But we also like collaboration. Quite often at gigs, because we’ve been around a long time and we know quite a lot of people, we just bring people in to do collaborations with us. So we can’t promise a whole choir, but we can promise a pretty diverse, quite exciting gig!”

SICK OF SARAH play El Cid Oct. 20 and Bar Pink Oct. 21

Indie rock Sick of Sarah is driven by the rebellious beats of the punk scene and the easily recognizable sultry voice that is Abisha Uhl. Even with the punk feel, it is obvious that there is a pop-background to Sick of Sarah, giving them, ultimately, a Paramore-esque feel.

Finalizing their lineup for their touring of their newest release Anthem, Uhl and drummer Jessica Forsythe introduce members Ari Applewhite (guitar / vocals), Jack Swagger (guitar / vocals) and AJ Stone (bass). During this tour, Sick of Sarah will play SoCal at two shows: El Cid Oct. 20 and Bar Pink Oct. 21.

“I would like people to be excited when they hear our name. Also, I hope that our music inspires people to dream big,” Uhl said in their band bio, “I want people to think of strength and confidence. I want them to internalize our lyrics and relate to them. I want people to pull strength out of our music and to help improve their lives. I want people to enjoy our music and have fun with life.”

This Minnesota-based band give way for the future of “girl bands,” powering through the typical bubblegum-pop sound and coming out with what is sure to be hitting Billboard “top” lists soon enough.

Their newest album Anthem is a collection of six songs that are truly catchy and “Contagious.” The positive notes found in lyrics such as in “Everything is Beautiful” give a twist to the normal negativity of modern music and entice audiences with the simple, uptempo beats.

In support of their newest release and tour dates, Sick of Sarah has combined with The Torn Labels Project, a non-profit project supporting anti-hate/anti-bullying through music and art. During this tour, the money raised will be used toward publications and educational groups in schools as well as to support programs that assist the youth to avoid drugs, violence, self-harm, and more.

Having a tour not only with an impressive new lineup, new songs and a purpose, make Sick of Sarah the tour to end the year. It’s bound to be packed with emotional playing and passionate lyrics to make for a not-to-miss performance.

THE DARKNESS play The Glass House Oct. 9 and Festival Supreme Oct.10 photo Courtesy of The Darkness

British band The Darkness has created the beauty of mythological glam rock meeting heavy riffs, while truly being the “Last of [their) Kind.” The band will be heading toward their North American leg of the tour in October, hitting The Glass House in Pomona on Oct. 9 and Festival Supreme Oct. 10.

Frontman Justin Hawkins truly embodies a modern-day Freddie Mercury, hitting insanely high notes and sporting unforgettable dramatic costumes in their music videos. Rounding out The Darkness are finger-picking guitarist Dan Hawkins, visionary bassist Frankie Poullain, and upbeat drummer Rufus Taylor.

Concert Guide Live caught up with Poullain to discuss the band’s background, their fourth album Last of Our Kind and their unexpected trip to Valentia Island.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: What makes a live show with The Darkness truly “legendary/mythological”?
FRANKIE POULLAIN: The echoes in the hearts of people. OUR people.

CGL: What preparations do you make before a tour?
FP: We challenge each other to be better using the tried and trusted formula of ‘dares’. If anyone resists then we make chicken ‘bukaw’ sounds and toss imaginary seeds at their feet.

CGL: What venues are you most excited about hitting on the North American leg of the tour?
FP: I looked at the itinerary just the other day and I understood what Ernest Hemingway meant when he said the ‘name’ of a place has more power and meaning than a fancy word. I’m paraphrasing obviously, but the point is that the imprint humans leave on, say a concert hall, is undoubtedly meaningful. It encapsulates geography, psychology, history and even spirituality, if you believe in that kind of thing. Vancouver Commodore Ballroom was a standout last time and cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit are proper music cities that always seem to bring out the best in us.

CGL: How do UK shows and U.S. shows and audiences differ? Do you prefer one over the other?
FP: In the U.S. I sometimes feel we are creatures from another planet because of our vaudevillian tendencies and English humour. American popular culture is generally more macho and while we can hold our own in that realm if we feel inclined, we simply have more fun and take more risks by embracing aspects of our psyche that aren’t necessarily hairy and propelled by testosterone. We can still kick the shit out of people and enjoy the heck out of a football match though.

CGL: How does your new album Last of Our Kind differ from past releases?
FP: It’s warmer, more heartfelt and impassioned. Even epic in places. What were we thinking!???

CGL: How did changing the scenery of your recording studio to Valentia Island impact your writing process?
FP: It brought chaos to the table. Older and more experienced musicians must beware of complacency and snug comfort for fear of turning into Eric Clapton. Valentia Island is our boot camp. No wait, that doesn’t make sense …

CGL: What was the deciding factor on the album name? What kept you from going with the working title Cliffhanger?
FP: The universe which we created for ourselves in that time period was better described as ‘Last Of Our Kind’. That phrase expressed the spirit of defiance that runs through the songs.

CGL: Using monologues like you do for the album’s opening song adds to the mythological feel of the band. How do you determine when and how to use a monologue during a song? What’s the writing process like for that?
FP: There are plenty of monologues. If Justin had his way, most of our songs would have monologues. I suppose we decide on the best ones, the ones that aren’t just funny but somehow seem meaningful and powerful too.

CGL: Are you currently working on any other projects?
FP: Yes, we are having great fun with Rufus Taylor working on songs for album five. The vibe reminds me of The Beastie Boys Ill Communication. It’s vibey, out there, ridiculous, spontaneous and great fun. The opposite of ‘over thought’. Under thunk?

LIVE play The Grove of Anaheim Oct. 1

Live will be hitting the City National Grove of Anaheim on Oct. 1, performing not only new songs from The Turn, but even some oldies but goodies from their early albums.

“One thing I want to clarify, we didn’t actually get together to be Live,” lead guitarist Chad Taylor said. “Patrick (Dahlheimer), Chad (Gracey) and I were saying, ‘Okay, we need to make music,’ and in order to do that, trust me, you don’t want to hear one of us sing, we need a singer. It just so happened Chris (Shinn) knew Live songs. It just sounded incredible with him singing and we thought, ‘Oh, wow, this was a twist on what the initial intent was.’”

Lineup changes, although common, often pose a minor threat to bands. But what about when it’s your frontman, your singer, the voice of the band? Fans might backlash claiming this isn’t the band they know!

However, Live, with new singer Shinn, have not only managed to reel back in devout fans from their 25 years in the music industry, but have built a new fan base with their classic 90’s post-grunge meets modern electric hard rock.

“Some of the fans of course think it’s totally added a new energy and some, of course, rebelled against it,” Taylor said. “It’s been an interesting experiment in both the social aspect of being a band and also the creative aspect of being in a band.”

With the rekindling of what was thought to be only a memory, Live burst back onto the scene with the album The Turn, released in 2014, providing the first experience of Shinn as a member. His voice truly is a gift to the “new” group, bringing not only the remembrance of where Live started, but revamping it with a heavier, yet still sultry, sound.

“The aspect that there’s a silver lining in front of a sad story, that some friendships were lost, the silver lining is that we have a renewed spirit from making music,” Taylor said.

The first release from the album, “The Way Around is Through”, speaks to the audience and truly recognizes the difficulties and changes the band has faced. This song became the much-anticipated sign that Live was going to make it out alive, and perhaps more successful than ever.

“I knew that when we were recording that song and writing it, there was some spark and the initial energy that propelled Live and then moved us forward,” Taylor said. “I really thought that that helped set the tone for the rest of the record.”

Even with a new sense of self and an obvious change in the sound of the band, Taylor recognizes that Live will always be Live, because you definitely can’t perform a show without the always-loved “The Dolphin’s Cry.”

“I’d probably tell you that the process of learning and rehearsing the older Live songs had a direct influence on the making of The Turn and the way those new songs sound,” Taylor proclaimed. “This is the first time in our career that I can honestly say the band itself was its own influence.”

RADKEY play Soda Bar Sep. 19, Alex’s Bar Sep. 20, The Echo Sep. 21 Photo: Vinny Dingo

Band of brothers Radkey will be releasing their debut album Dark Black Makeup on Aug. 21. This band of punks don’t simply cater to one genre, but rather dive into whatever party they are feeling at the moment, whether it’s funky, groovy, dark or upbeat.

This up-and-coming band has captured a deep, dark sound that truly contrasts their youthful look in the best way. If their new album is any hint of what to expect during a live performance, audiences are sure to lose their mind. The song “Dark Black Makeup” is, without a doubt, something of a sinister anthem for this generation.

Having played festivals throughout Europe and hitting up some U.S. shows, Radkey will be headlining their first U.S. album tour. Their tour will be reaching SoCal for three consecutive nights, Sep. 19 at San Diego’s Soda Bar, Sep. 20 at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach and Sep. 21 at the Echo in LA.

“We did a headlining thing in the UK, so we’re really excited to do one in the U.S.,” Isaiah Radke said. “We’re pretty excited about being able to do our full set every night. The whole night you’re basically in charge, so there’s no worries about going over time or being in the way of the headliner. That mindset is just not there, it’s pretty cool.”

The band, consisting of Dee Radke (guitar / vocals), Isaiah J. Radke III (bass / vocals) and Solomon Radke (drums), is truly entertaining the idea of a new genre that is nearly unplacable. Dee’s voice gives the illusion of something escaping the 50’s rockabilly era, while the guitar riffs, bass and drums maintain the heavy punk background.

Their song “Love Spills” just came out with a new music video that completely captures the angst-filled feel of the lyrics. “Love Spills” is a perfect execution of Dee’s belting baritone voice matched with the incredibly sing-in-the-shower catchy lyrics.

With new lyrics, an unforgettable sound and some experience with musical videography, Radkey is set for their first headlining show in the U.S.. Having predominantly played in the UK, however, leaves some wonder as to the reactions from U.S. crowds.

“The people in Europe, the music fans, are really cool and open-minded. So it’s a good vibe over there,” Isaiah said. “People in Europe and England really appreciate American rock music a lot more, so they’re a lot more likely to freak out and have a good time, whereas American crowds seem to be a little more reserved. Maybe they don’t want to be seen losing their shit and having a good time, like they won’t look super cool or something.”

Having been homeschooled, the brothers found focus and passion when creating music.

“It was just one of the things where we wanted to do something productive together,” Isaiah said. “We all do everything together. I wrote most of the album’s lyrics and Dee wrote a lot of the riffs and melodies. It’s a big mix. It’s pretty weird to have an album out for the first time, so we’re pretty excited to have people hear it.”

COAL CHAMBER play The Observatory Aug. 22

After a 13-year hiatus, Coal Chamber has come into their own, still capturing the essence of original 90’s Coal Chamber while creating the funk-filled, nu metal sound of their new album “Rivals.” Revamping the band with a new album and tour dates across the world, Coal Chamber will be rocking the Observatory on Aug. 22.

“I think the core is still Coal Chamber,” Nadja Peulen said. “I think obviously we’ve grown individually and collectively, so there’s definitely a new spin to it, but the basics are still the core Coal Chamber roots.”

Although the band captures the heavy sound of metal, Coal Chamber recognizes influences from multiple genres of funk, hip-hop, goth metal and others to create the unique sound throughout their new songs. Songs, such as the first on the album I.O.U. Nothing follows the dark sounds that Coal Chamber was built on while adding the new, upbeat attitude of the band as a whole.

“Now you would call it nu metal, but that term came out when we were already playing music,” Peulen said. “We definitely have dark, kind of gothy, new wave influences. I think we’re just a heavy band that has a lot of dark elements to it and lots of groove.”

Even after years away from Coal Chamber, members Dez Fafara (vocals), Meegs Rascon (guitar), Mike Cox (drums) and Peulen (bass) have not failed to draw in crowds throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and more.

“We played together obviously before in the 90’s and early 2000’s and I think once you connect as players you kind of know how everybody plays,” Peulen said. “Getting back into it was very natural, it’s like we never stopped.”

Coal Chamber signed with Napalm Records in 2014 and released their album Rivals on May 19, 2015. The album reached No. 80 on The Billboard 200 chart and matched the lost years of the band with an appropriate 13 songs. The album follows the need to rid inner demons and negativities in life (the “rivals”), which seems the perfect topic for the rekindling foursome.

“Obviously after having a break for 13 years, it’s nice to play together again — that’s enough of an inspiration,” Peulen said. “We like each other as people, as musicians we gel together and it just kind of went into the natural progression of releasing an album.”

Coal Chamber is diving headfirst back into the music industry with not only their headlining tour, but with appearances on Gwar-B-Q Presents B4BQ, Dirt Fest and more.

“I think our perspective on things and our attitude on things have changed a little bit. I think we’re much more team players now and it just kind of flows easier – I think that just comes with time and experience.”