Transcript
Speaker: Hey everybody, welcome to the Metal Mama podcast.
Speaker: My name is Candice.
Speaker: You probably know me as the Metal Mama and today, well, I'm not solo again.
Speaker: I am here with a guest and I will let them introduce themselves.
Speaker: Hello, my name is Christopher Jones, aka Jonesy, aka Shred Rogers, one of the co-founders and guitarist of the cyber metal band, Dark Halo, as well as my solo project, Shred Rogers.
Speaker: Awesome.
Speaker: So can you explain to me, like, what, what genre do you consider cyber cyber metal?
Speaker: That's, that's kind of a newer one for me.
Speaker: Well, that's the genre.
Speaker: It's, it's, it kind of started with like the foundations that were laid down by bands like fear factory, which then kind of has morphed into influenced by gent groups like Meshuggah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And,
Speaker: uh, there's a group called Mechina based out of Chicago, Illinois, that, um, has been, uh, I guess carrying the flag of cyber metal for some time now.
Speaker: Um, oddly enough, our, um, co-lead vocalist Melrose is also part of the Mechina project.
Speaker: So, but yeah, we, but yeah, so we call ourselves cyber metal because we kind of just fit in that, um, you know, like fear factory as a foundation, but then, um,
Speaker: It has like a futuristic vibe to it.
Speaker: And we throw in a lot of keyboard layers and orchestral layers and a lot of effects on the vocals to kind of just give that like an otherworldly sound.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: So it's kind of like metal meets a little bit of sci-fi.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Oh, I like that.
Speaker: I actually do like that.
Speaker: OK, sorry.
Speaker: It's just that was a genre that I'm like, I'm not too sure I'm familiar with that.
Speaker: I am familiar with Fear Factory, though.
Speaker: But yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then, um, my solo project Shred Rogers is more like a death thrash, maybe a little bit power medley.
Speaker: Um, and it'll get more into that with the melodic guitars in the future, but, um, yep.
Speaker: And isn't that the one that you did the nursery rhymes on?
Speaker: That is correct.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So, yeah.
Speaker: So I've released a few singles so far, but, um, I had the whole album planned out for Shred Rogers and, um,
Speaker: It's going to have a half of the songs are going to be reimagined nursery rhymes.
Speaker: And the other half are more like heartfelt instrumental tracks.
Speaker: And oddly enough, almost all of the instrumentals were written in honor of someone over the last 15 years.
Speaker: I've been demoing these songs for a long time before I knew what they were.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: Oh, that's super cool.
Speaker: Well, I want to, I have questions.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: But first I want to talk a little bit about a dark halo.
Speaker: Cause I know you guys have a new thing going on right now.
Speaker: That's right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So we just released our new brand new album, omnibus one.
Speaker: And we came out with that on July 14th this year.
Speaker: We just recently, it came out originally digitally, but we just got our stock in for the digit pack version.
Speaker: And then we have a super expanded USB stick.
Speaker: version that has the eight track album plus the single mixes.
Speaker: That's so cool.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then there's also like our, our first album is on that USB stick as well.
Speaker: And some other bonus features.
Speaker: Very nice.
Speaker: Did you ever, I remember that we were in a discord call not long ago and you were showing off the little 3d printed thing.
Speaker: Did you ever manage to do much with that?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: So the artwork for the omnibus one cover is,
Speaker: shows this little like tetrahedron Borg looking thing floating through the galaxy.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And the concept is that a dark halo takes quite some time to release singles just because we want to, we have a bangers only philosophy.
Speaker: So we, we, we just choose the top songs and we've, we've worked through many, many, many that you'll likely never hear.
Speaker: But the ones that make the cut we'll put out as digital singles.
Speaker: But when we have, we feel like we have enough tracks to do an album, we'll release what's called the omnibus then.
Speaker: And it's supposed to be like the idea, like this tetrahedrons floating through the galaxy and within it is all the information and knowledge from, you know, this like cybernetic, uh,
Speaker: civilization.
Speaker: So when that was being discussed with me originally by Dave Lohmiller, the lead singer and co-founder, I am a physical merch guy.
Speaker: I always have been, even as the world kind of goes more digital.
Speaker: I'm like, we got to do something cool with that omnibus concept.
Speaker: So I had a good friend and fan of ours, Will Sisney.
Speaker: He has a 3d printer and he developed a,
Speaker: using that artwork, a 3D printed tetrahedron.
Speaker: And within that you can store your USB copy of the album.
Speaker: So it's all contained within the omnibus.
Speaker: I love that.
Speaker: And that, so there you go, guys.
Speaker: Now you have to go order your USB copy and the, and the little, the little omnibus thing too.
Speaker: I do actually have to say, unfortunately, it was a very limited run and we sold out within, I think, three minutes of it going live.
Speaker: Are you serious?
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Yeah, we definitely the demand was higher than we expected.
Speaker: So unfortunately, the tetrahedrons are gone, but you still can't order the USB stick.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: OK, well, you have to order the USB stick and then you're going to have to like check on eBay or Etsy for the other one.
Speaker: There you go.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Or wait, you know, like two or three more years and then go look for it and pay like, you know, $6,000 for it.
Speaker: I hope people don't pay that much.
Speaker: You know it'll happen.
Speaker: Like eventually it'll be like, yeah, it's going to happen.
Speaker: Then you could be like, some dude just paid $6,000 for this.
Speaker: Or more.
Speaker: Well, sorry, guys.
Speaker: You can't get the cool little omnibus that kind of gave me some Hellraiser movie vibes.
Speaker: But that was just me.
Speaker: OK, so I'm not wrong.
Speaker: OK, yeah.
Speaker: The ship thing in the one Hellraiser movie.
Speaker: That was the vibes I got from it.
Speaker: Well, I mean, we definitely have a horror element to our music and some of the subject matter, you know, can can bring those feelings out.
Speaker: So it's it's not really too far removed.
Speaker: With that, you know, your thought there.
Speaker: Okay, that's cool.
Speaker: I mean, it doesn't look anything like it, but for some reason, like seeing the album cover and the whole thing, I was like, that's the vibe I'm getting is that ship in the one Hellraiser movie.
Speaker: I can't even remember which movie it was, but it was one of them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'm not a major horror buff.
Speaker: Sorry.
Speaker: I know, I know.
Speaker: I'm a metalhead who's not a big horror buff, but...
Speaker: Honestly, I'm not either.
Speaker: I like the old 80s thrasher thrasher, excuse me, slasher films.
Speaker: But both work.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Besides.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: Besides that, I don't really watch horror either.
Speaker: I do not like the only horror I ever really watched was like the really old horror stuff, like, you know, Lon Chaney's stuff and whatever.
Speaker: Oh, wow.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's that's what I liked, like the old Hollywood monsters and that kind of thing.
Speaker: I thought those were pretty cool.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I did watch the new Hellraiser, and I liked it.
Speaker: Now, is it a reimagining, or is it a sequel?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: A little bit of both, actually.
Speaker: Yeah, it really is.
Speaker: It's a little bit of both.
Speaker: It's definitely a reimagining of Hellraiser.
Speaker: And it also is kind of a sequel.
Speaker: But I thought I thought they were going to pull, you know, kind of like what Hollywood's doing right now is they're like, we're redoing all these movies and or cartoons, not thinking about G.I.
Speaker: Joe, that existed and making them horrible.
Speaker: And that's exactly what's happening.
Speaker: And so I'm like, oh, great.
Speaker: It's a remake of Hellraiser.
Speaker: And the original Hellraiser is like, this was campy.
Speaker: That was the point.
Speaker: But I watched it and I was like, oh, no, this is good.
Speaker: And I think it's kind of pulling from the comics, too.
Speaker: So, yeah.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: OK.
Speaker: There's a whole story behind the female pinhead thing that actually does exist.
Speaker: And I'm like, I wonder if that's her.
Speaker: Like, they didn't really explain how she got there, but I think it's the same chick.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: So you can get backstory if you get the comics and stuff.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker: There is a backstory and there is there is a female hell priest that that does come about.
Speaker: But the movie doesn't really go in depth.
Speaker: So but I think it's her.
Speaker: I'm not sure.
Speaker: But I think it's the same same character.
Speaker: You know, talking about multimedia entertainment, I just a couple of days ago got the first issue of the Ziltoid, the Omniscient comic book.
Speaker: I am not familiar with this.
Speaker: No, go ahead.
Speaker: Tell me.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So Zilltoid the Omniscient was a, uh, originally a single album concept released by Devin Townsend.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Uh, who he's, he, uh, got known through his Strapping Young Lad project.
Speaker: Um, it's very heavy industrial metal, but he's gone on to do all like a plethora of albums of material over the years.
Speaker: And, um,
Speaker: when he was kind of purging a lot of his darker side, he created like his strapping a lad persona as a alien puppet named Zoltoid.
Speaker: And then made this little cheesy story about it.
Speaker: So the Ziltoid the Omniscient album is about Ziltoid, who's a fourth dimensional being who comes to Earth to steal all of our coffee because apparently coffee beans can cause, you know, give you a lot of power in the fourth dimension.
Speaker: So it's the most ridiculous album.
Speaker: Does he not realize how many people like would just like go into intergalactic war over that?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: And not only that, but there's multidimensional beings in the story, even fifth dimensional.
Speaker: And it gets even more.
Speaker: And then he came out with a sequel a few years after that called Z2 Dark Matters.
Speaker: And it's kind of a slight retelling of the first album, but with a lot more production.
Speaker: Are you familiar with Devin Townsend's stuff too much?
Speaker: I do know who he is.
Speaker: I'm not too terribly, though.
Speaker: But yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, he's all over the place these days.
Speaker: Yeah, I just I love that.
Speaker: Gosh, somebody else got had a comic that they were teasing recently.
Speaker: And I can't remember who it was.
Speaker: I saw it on Instagram.
Speaker: And I love I love when bands and artists like take their music and create more with it.
Speaker: Just like you were telling me with your band.
Speaker: I mean, you guys have like this whole story behind what you're doing.
Speaker: And I love when people do that.
Speaker: Well, and with my Shred Rogers solo project, I plan to do a lot more of that.
Speaker: Like, actually, I want to have a comic book using the character that I designed as my alter ego, I guess.
Speaker: I guess so.
Speaker: So maybe it's somewhat influenced by what Devin has done over the years.
Speaker: OK.
Speaker: And whether I didn't even realize it, you know, I was like, do you do you kind of like do you have a drawing or anything for him?
Speaker: Yeah, so currently I have my Shred Rogers music.
Speaker: I've released four singles.
Speaker: I do have it on Spotify.
Speaker: The album artwork shows that character on each cover.
Speaker: So the idea is that I want to, when I perform live someday, Shred Rogers, I'll have like a corpse paint design on my face.
Speaker: But instead of black corpse paint, it's rainbow.
Speaker: Oh, so it's the same character I've seen on Discord.
Speaker: That's correct.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I was just going to say, wait a minute.
Speaker: I know that character.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So that's the same guy.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Cause, cause what I really wanted to do, like my ultimate goal with shred Rogers is to, um, release family friendly metal music, um, fueled by love for my adopted children, uh, and the foster children, um, that I've had.
Speaker: So the colors on the faces was originally designed to be like the color wheel.
Speaker: Like when you're looking at a,
Speaker: color wheel and teaching color theory to kids.
Speaker: Um, but I know like the rainbow color has, has a lot more meaning to it now in the, in our world, um, which I'm not necessarily against that either.
Speaker: Um, mainly I would love to come out with this like bright character and, and I do want people to kind of question like, what is this guy all about?
Speaker: And hopefully when they listen to my music, they can find that it's like the excitement that, that where I'm coming from.
Speaker: It's like, I love metal.
Speaker: And I think it could be for everyone.
Speaker: And it doesn't have to always be like evil and hate filled and things like that, you know?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, power metal typically isn't.
Speaker: Typically.
Speaker: I'm not saying it always isn't, but it's typically.
Speaker: But when like I'm going to kind of go on the kids thing, because I absolutely love the fact that you're like, I want to make metal that my kids can listen to.
Speaker: Like, how awesome is that?
Speaker: And I think we all know that anybody who listens to this show knows normally I have a pretty bad mouth, but I'm curbing it because I know you have small humans.
Speaker: And in case you want them to listen to it, that way you won't be like, oh, get past this part because I'm like, I'm actually watching my mouth this time.
Speaker: Oh, well, thank you for that.
Speaker: But I love that so much.
Speaker: You know, I was just telling you before we started recording that my roommate has a three year old and she enjoys metal, too.
Speaker: Like, I think I put a thing on.
Speaker: my story where she was like she told us she had to go dance so I put on like random metal and so she's like they're dancing to Bloodbound but if you really think about what she was listening to probably not the best bed for a child yeah I mean I love Bloodbound they're awesome but I'm not sure about them being appropriate for a three-year-old right
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so I love the fact that you're like, I want to make this that that my kids can like it.
Speaker: Is that where the reimagined nursery rhymes came from?
Speaker: It is.
Speaker: But the one thing that I'm really proud of, though, is that I'm also not holding back.
Speaker: Like my Baba Black Sheep cover was very intentionally made to be like brutal symphonic black metal and in vain like Demi Bourguer gear.
Speaker: Oh, awesome.
Speaker: So like, if you're listening to it, not knowing what I'm about, you would think it was, wow, did David Borg here just do a cover?
Speaker: So like, so I'm not holding back with, like, I want it to be as authentic as other bands like Bloodbath, even that you would listen to, but realizing that, you know, there's no cussing on it.
Speaker: And yeah, and it's just literally a, a nursery rhyme.
Speaker: Like I have, one of my covers I'm coming out with soon is there's a song called I'm a nut.
Speaker: And it goes like, I'm an acorn small and round, lying on the cold, cold ground.
Speaker: Like that.
Speaker: But I'm going to be like, I'm an acorn small and round, lying on the cold, cold ground.
Speaker: People come and step on me.
Speaker: That's why I'm so cracked, you see.
Speaker: Oh, that's amazing.
Speaker: You know what that makes me think of is when Death Clock did the comfy jingle.
Speaker: Oh, did they?
Speaker: Oh, nice.
Speaker: That's what that makes me think of.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: You know, the coffee jingle was like, you know, pretty much like this is a commercial jingle.
Speaker: And sometimes nursery rhymes can sound like a jingle.
Speaker: And that's all I was thinking of when you just did that.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, totally.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But it's like, to me, at least my my personal opinion is it's still metal, you know, just because like you've pulled some cursing out of it or maybe pulled some certain language out of it.
Speaker: Like you're still it's still metal, you know?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, and then and I'm sure you can relate to this, too.
Speaker: But like, you know, even though there's a lot of bands out there that do curse or have dark imagery or maybe a dark meaning, most of the time it's very therapeutic anyway.
Speaker: I mean, I listen to bands that, you know, I wouldn't show my kids.
Speaker: Sure.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, for sure.
Speaker: But it's still like, you know, helps me get through hard times.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: And I'm not I'm not saying like, obviously, you know, like everybody knows what I like.
Speaker: So I'm not saying like if somebody curses or has, you know, like some pretty dark or rough imagery or whatever in their songs that they're wrong, they're not at all wrong.
Speaker: You know, that's that's part of their expression and what they're creating.
Speaker: And I love it, too.
Speaker: Yes, absolutely.
Speaker: You know, but when you're dealing with very tiny little ears, even if they like it, it's like at least what you're doing.
Speaker: Like, you know, kids have a different level of understanding than we do.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so like they would be able to understand what you're doing.
Speaker: Whereas like, you know, if I went and like I said, played like blood bound for a kid, they'd be like, what's going on?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So, you know, I actually wanted to ask you maybe like what is one of your favorite recent power metal releases?
Speaker: Because power metal is something that I've always dabbled in over the years.
Speaker: But I think my understanding of power metal is different than what it actually is now.
Speaker: Oh, God, that's a hard one.
Speaker: Man, where's Power Metal Ranger when I need him?
Speaker: We could talk about this with you for like the next six hours.
Speaker: Your kids would be waking up for school the next morning and you'd be like, are you guys done yet?
Speaker: Let me ask you this then instead.
Speaker: Do you consider Nightwish Power Metal?
Speaker: No, yeah, no, no, not, no.
Speaker: They're, they're symphonic.
Speaker: I mean, so I don't hate Nightwish.
Speaker: Obviously like Florian Jansen has an amazing, beautiful voice.
Speaker: I saw them live recently, but I would consider them more symphonic than power.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: You know, but like, here's the thing with power metal today.
Speaker: And I actually talked about this on a previous episode on one of my solo episodes.
Speaker: Power metal is kind of in the middle of the shifty thing going on.
Speaker: So there's like your classic power metal sound.
Speaker: And the best way I can describe that is, you know, Dio.
Speaker: I think everybody will default to Dio.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And there's a lot of bands right now.
Speaker: that it's very obvious their new music is going into those roots.
Speaker: Like they are digging into their roots and sticking with it.
Speaker: Adrian Benegas, who I know, you know who he is, his most recent album.
Speaker: Perfect example of that.
Speaker: Perfect example of that.
Speaker: But then you've got,
Speaker: A lot of other power metal bands that they're still power metal, but they're throwing a lot of symphonic in there.
Speaker: Or, you know, maybe just experimenting, like throwing a little thrash, a little speed, like they're crossing the genres pretty heavy.
Speaker: Mm hmm.
Speaker: And so you're seeing a little bit of both happening a lot of, and it's like, not that anybody's actually fighting, but it almost feels like some kind of unspoken fight of like, you've got this group of people who are like, we are sticking with our roots.
Speaker: And then this other group who's like, let's see what we can do over here, guys.
Speaker: So that's kind of where Power Metal's at right now.
Speaker: Do you consider Dragon Force to be Power Metal?
Speaker: Uh, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But they're kind of like a bastardization of it, aren't they?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, I think people, but then again, like people would argue with me about Avantasia too.
Speaker: Um, cause like there's, there's, you know, a lot of people will say they're not power metal.
Speaker: I'm like, ah, I kind of think they are, but I do.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: I know that's like, you know, all three of you listening are like, well, I'm done with metal mama now, but that's where I'm staying.
Speaker: Well, I just remember when they came out, like, I mean, they were, they were very all about a million notes a minute and the showmanship.
Speaker: And I think they called themselves power metal at one point, didn't they?
Speaker: Yeah, and I think so at least.
Speaker: Yeah, and like, I mean, Dragon Force is one of those things where it's like, are they actually power metal?
Speaker: Probably not.
Speaker: But yeah, they're Dragon Force.
Speaker: Like, that's pretty much it.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, totally.
Speaker: Yeah, and you know, they still have the fastest guitar players I've ever seen.
Speaker: Yeah, right?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'm like, I'm seeing them live in November and I'm really looking forward to it.
Speaker: I'm like, that's going to be a really cool show.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, but it's funny because a lot of what I listen to that it's like, all right, yeah, Metal Mama is totally about power metal.
Speaker: It's like, yeah, but I listen to more than that.
Speaker: It's just mostly power metal.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So that would be like, so my listening tastes tend to be in progressive metal and black metal or symphonic black metal.
Speaker: That's where I tend to live most of the time.
Speaker: But I also branch out not only in other metal genres, but other music as well.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, same.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I've got a lot of other music genres that I listen to as well.
Speaker: But like, I think like when you're a metal head and maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like metal heads, we all have that one genre of metal that we're like, this is kind of where I'm at most of the time.
Speaker: And then we're like, but I'm also here, here, here, here and here too.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And actually I'm realizing that it's more thrash metal.
Speaker: I think is where I, that would be my most comfortable home.
Speaker: Like, um,
Speaker: Classic Sepultura and Metallica, of course, the old, the old albums, the first four and things like that.
Speaker: But, but yeah, but then like the second wave black metal bands like Emperor and Demon War Gear and Morbid Angel is a big favorite of mine.
Speaker: Oh my God, my brother could talk with you for days about that.
Speaker: That's like, that's, that's where he lives with metal is right there.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, that's why when you're naming it off, I'm like, oh, yeah, my brother.
Speaker: Like, I mean, but same as me, he branches out because I'll let him like, you know, pop over some power metal to him sometimes.
Speaker: It'll be like, oh, I like this.
Speaker: Yeah, this is good.
Speaker: Camelot is a group that I have dabbled in in the power metal world.
Speaker: Yeah, that would be, I think that like Camelot, Sabaton, and arguably Powerwolf, just because for some reason they have so many memes with their music, tend to be bands that will introduce people to the power metal side of things.
Speaker: Uh-huh.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Well, the thing that fascinates me about the genre is that, from what I understand of it so far, is that it's so professional and clean.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Like the performances are just top-notch.
Speaker: Yeah, it's like, you know, I was talking about the fact that it feels to me, at least, like most power metal vocalists have some level of classical training.
Speaker: And you almost have to, because like you said, you know, not only do they have those nice, clean vocals, but they're so well controlled and they have to hit notes that I'm like, yeah, you got to have some training for that.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: With some exceptions, there are some people I know of that are vocalists that they'd never had a day of training.
Speaker: And I'm like, wow, what a gift.
Speaker: Uh huh.
Speaker: Yeah, but you are right.
Speaker: And I think Campbell has a perfect example of that.
Speaker: Those are some hard-ass notes to hit, but he always hits them.
Speaker: I know they're more progressive, but Arion is a group that I've loved off and on over the years.
Speaker: Who did you say again?
Speaker: Arion.
Speaker: It's A-Y-R-E-O-N.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker: That's not the band I was thinking of.
Speaker: I was thinking of a band out of Latin America.
Speaker: I was like, really?
Speaker: Yeah, so Arjun Lukassen, I don't know if I'm pronouncing it right, but he's the gentleman who has the Arian project.
Speaker: He's a Dutch musician, and every album he has different people on it, but he has a lot of the really powerful, classically trained vocalists on his stuff.
Speaker: I know this guy's name.
Speaker: Why do I know this guy's name?
Speaker: Why is it ringing such a bell?
Speaker: Now I have to go look.
Speaker: I have to Google this.
Speaker: Star One.
Speaker: Stream of Passion.
Speaker: Those are some other bands he has.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker: I've got a couple tracks of like, looks like might be under his own name.
Speaker: Just on like a random playlist on Spotify.
Speaker: That's how I know it.
Speaker: Aha.
Speaker: He's used people from like Epica before.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: Well, the singer Dream Theater has been on his albums.
Speaker: Even Devin Townsend has been on one.
Speaker: Pretty much like all kinds of people over the years.
Speaker: So that's yeah, I was going to say that's already a pretty impressive lineup of vocalists, though.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah, I think even floor was on it, or at least her sister was on one of the albums.
Speaker: Oh, that's super cool.
Speaker: She's got an amazing voice.
Speaker: Beautiful voice.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I always gauge like bands by like when I hear them live, do they sound the same or similar?
Speaker: Because I know you can't always be great live.
Speaker: You know, there's 50 million things.
Speaker: And I live in Denver, Colorado, where I am genuinely shocked.
Speaker: Some of the people who perform here, like they come here from usually Kansas City or whatever the night before.
Speaker: I'm like, how are you breathing right now?
Speaker: Because I know you are not used to elevation, but so when somebody performs here live and they do a good job, they do a really good job.
Speaker: And she did.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Because again, like I'm in Denver, so I am literally at a mile elevation.
Speaker: And when you come here in the previous day, you were, you know, down on the Great Plains, like you ain't breathing all day, honey.
Speaker: You need at least three days to acclimate.
Speaker: And that's just the beginning.
Speaker: But then the next night you're belting out music.
Speaker: You are a good vocalist.
Speaker: Man.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: They must have really good lungs.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: When, when you guys decide touring, just remember that when you hit Denver, none of you are going to be able to breathe.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Well, we'll just make sure to do a lot of training, physical training then.
Speaker: It is this thing where, I don't know where it's at, but I know there's a gym here that trains MMA fighters and also Olympians.
Speaker: Because if they can have their endurance up here at this elevation, they're fantastic wherever else they're competing.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I'm like, you know what?
Speaker: That makes so much sense.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So I wanted to tell you, so the singer, a floor sister, her name is Irene Jensen.
Speaker: And I guess she was a part of a power metal group called Karma.
Speaker: OK.
Speaker: Anyway, so yeah, Irene Jensen is who sang on the Arian album.
Speaker: It's called The Human Equation.
Speaker: That's personally my favorite one that they released.
Speaker: Are they?
Speaker: Arian's released.
Speaker: I don't really, I don't, I'm not too familiar with her.
Speaker: And now I feel bad because like, if she is even partially as good as her sister, I'm sure she has an amazing voice as well.
Speaker: And so I'm like, ah, why haven't I heard of her?
Speaker: It's been a while since I've listened to it.
Speaker: So I, I, I couldn't tell you how she sounds in comparison.
Speaker: Now I'm going to have to, I've already got the name searching in on Spotify.
Speaker: So I'm sure that I'm going to go look after this and be like, all right, let's listen.
Speaker: But I have to finish this one song I've been checking out.
Speaker: So I, I know I talked about power metal Ranger and I catch up with this channel, you know, at least once a week.
Speaker: And he had this band that I'm like, I haven't heard of them yet.
Speaker: And I was listening to the track and I'm like, Oh, this is good.
Speaker: It's kind of got like a,
Speaker: sort of like old school 80s almost southern rock kind of a feel to it and i'm like i like this yeah what's what's that band um they're called rosario they're actually out of norway so they're not even american yeah i'll uh actually i'll just link it to you on this discord because if you appreciate like kind of the classic rock or you know like older southern rock you might really dig that track yeah
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Thank you.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And for those of you listening, I will link the track in the show notes below, as well as all of your stuff, too.
Speaker: I'll be linking your band and everything else as well.
Speaker: Oh, very cool.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, for sure.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: They need to know where they can get your stuff.
Speaker: So I'll link both of your projects, of course.
Speaker: But.
Speaker: Yeah, so if folks are interested in listening and purchasing the limited merch that we have, we do have a Bandcamp page.
Speaker: That's the best place to go.
Speaker: And one thing I want to mention is over the time that we've been doing, releasing the singles that have become Omnibus 1, we've made a video, either a full produced music video or a lyric video for every track except the final track on the album.
Speaker: And we're actually working on
Speaker: completing that video right now too so at some point all eight tracks will have a video component on YouTube that you can check out super cool I know I've seen a couple of them already so I will also link those down below for you to check out so do you know and I know I'm totally putting you on the spot do you know the ETA for that last music video or are you aware yet
Speaker: I am not aware yet.
Speaker: We're still getting, getting things put together since our band is primarily based in Austin, Texas, but there's a few of us that are outliers.
Speaker: So we do a lot of, you know, recording out of our, our home studios, whether it's video footage or audio and, and, and then put piecemeal together with, we have, we have a really cool team of audio visual experts as well that help us out.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I was going to say, I don't think you're in Texas.
Speaker: Are you?
Speaker: I am not.
Speaker: I didn't think so.
Speaker: I was like, wait, that's right.
Speaker: I thought, I thought you were, I didn't want to give away where just in case you didn't want me to, but I was like, I thought that's where you were at.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: That's where I'm at.
Speaker: That's one thing I love about music today is how people can put together a project from legitimately all over the entire world.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: You know?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: And it's so awesome.
Speaker: Yeah, the gentleman who's been producing our, that did the mix and masters for Omnibus One, and he's also been doing my Shred Rogers songs, is Tommy out of Tomster Studios, and he's based in the Netherlands.
Speaker: Wow, that's awesome.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: That's awesome.
Speaker: So you guys are like, you know, you're an American project, yet the person who does all your mastering is all the way over in the Netherlands.
Speaker: And like, that's just that's what I love about music today is that people are able to do that.
Speaker: And I love I love that you guys do that, too.
Speaker: That that makes me happy.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah, I actually I did a Shred Rogers collaboration with The Last Bear Ender, who he's a Netherlands based artist as well.
Speaker: Um, we released that, I think about a month ago.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: You can find that on Spotify.
Speaker: It's called the only thing they bear is you.
Speaker: Um, yep.
Speaker: And that one is like a mixture of our styles.
Speaker: Like he is definitely like lives in the super heavy gent kind of video game inspired world of instrumental music.
Speaker: And then I'm more of a thrash guy.
Speaker: So, so we kind of mixed our styles together.
Speaker: That's an interesting mix.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: That's going to be a real interesting mix.
Speaker: I'm going to go check it out because I hadn't heard it, but yeah, it's going to be an interesting mix of music there.
Speaker: I wonder how that sounds.
Speaker: That's, oh, now I want to hear it.
Speaker: So wait, how many projects do you have and how are you managing this with the amount of children you have?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I do have three children, um, that I've fostered and then, uh, adopted.
Speaker: Um, but I just find the time it's, uh,
Speaker: I've made music more of a priority as far as professional life during and after the pandemic.
Speaker: You know, that kind of impacted me.
Speaker: I left another a different career to originally to help take care of my father who had passed away a couple of years ago.
Speaker: But I'm really sorry about that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, what's one beautiful thing from that?
Speaker: It's kind of an Easter egg is that he survives now in our song afterworld by a dark halo.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, I love that.
Speaker: Yeah, the lyrically, the song kind of kind of talks about, you know, when you're missing someone and they're on the other side and you would do anything to to have them back.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Oh,
Speaker: Um, well, we were kind of in the process of making the, uh, song and the video and my father had passed and, um, the, the other guys in the band decided to, uh, they asked if I had any voicemail recordings or anything of my dad.
Speaker: And, uh, so I sent some stuff over to him and, uh, and they produced him.
Speaker: So he kind of sounds like, um, before the first chorus, you can kind of,
Speaker: like when it gets a little heavier, you can kind of hear some static.
Speaker: You like it's supposed to kind of sound like an astronaut trying to get through a lot of like, and it's your dad.
Speaker: It's actually my father who has since passed.
Speaker: So, Oh, yep.
Speaker: And he's a, he was a huge influence on me with music and he had like a huge vinyl collection.
Speaker: So he would be tickled to know that he's in a song.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That is beautiful.
Speaker: I love that.
Speaker: I think that's wonderful, especially taking somebody's voice like that and making it, you know, that is all.
Speaker: I love that so much.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That is so beautiful.
Speaker: Thank you.
Speaker: I have something similar that I'll share.
Speaker: It was my grandmother that I was super duper close to.
Speaker: And I did when she passed.
Speaker: I got some voicemails of hers.
Speaker: Obviously didn't produce it.
Speaker: So what I'm doing is she always said the same thing when she hung up the phone.
Speaker: She never said, I love you.
Speaker: She just always said, I'll talk to you later.
Speaker: Bye.
Speaker: And so I'm getting the waveform of that tattooed on me.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That is a really cool idea.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm getting, because I have like four or five different voicemails and I've matched up to make sure the waveforms match up.
Speaker: So I'm going to get the waveform of her saying that tattooed.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Is it a pretty long waveform?
Speaker: No, not at all.
Speaker: No, it's literally her saying, I'll talk to you later.
Speaker: Bye.
Speaker: That's it.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But that, just like you talking about doing that with your dad's voicemails kind of made me think of the same thing.
Speaker: And I was like, oh, I was feeling a little choked up because that's so beautiful that you did that.
Speaker: Yeah, well, I mean, it wasn't originally my idea.
Speaker: I have to give the credit to Dave and the rest of the band in Dark Halo for thinking about it.
Speaker: But I certainly appreciate it.
Speaker: It's helped with the processing of the grief.
Speaker: And oddly enough, I mean, if you're to listen, trying to find it in the in the song, you can't really tell.
Speaker: Like you wouldn't be able to hear a man's voice, right?
Speaker: You would just hear just like a static sound.
Speaker: almost like a radio communication.
Speaker: Sure.
Speaker: In the background.
Speaker: But yeah, it's in a similar way.
Speaker: It's like he became a waveform.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's kind of like when you were talking about that, sort of why I thought of that.
Speaker: I'm like, it's a very similar thing, immortalizing somebody in that way.
Speaker: And that is, like I said, I can't say anything else except for I truly think that's beautiful.
Speaker: Like what an amazing memorial.
Speaker: I love that.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's so cool.
Speaker: Oh, I love that dude.
Speaker: You're, you're like, you're a pretty admirable person.
Speaker: I mean, seriously, like you've got several different projects going and I absolutely adore the fact that you not only fostered, but adopted children.
Speaker: Cause that is just, that takes a heck of a heart to do.
Speaker: And I know, you know that.
Speaker: Well, it's, it's a, thank you.
Speaker: Thank you so much for your kind words.
Speaker: I, um, in my journey of life, uh,
Speaker: and my, on my journey to become a parent, um, really the only route we had, um, you know, it's just the way things turned out was we could either foster or just not have children.
Speaker: Um, so we took the risk and, uh, it is a challenging, um, path to becoming a parent for sure, because you're willing, you're willfully taking on, um, kiddos that have dealt with some pretty traumatic stuff.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And you're trying to,
Speaker: help manage that and get them on a better path and give them, give them a life that they deserve.
Speaker: So that that's the hard part, but it has been, you know, amazingly blessed.
Speaker: I'm amazingly blessed because all my kids are extremely amazing and you know, I can see the work we're doing helping.
Speaker: That's awesome.
Speaker: So, so yeah, that, that desire to continue to like try to change the world and leave it better than I found it is why,
Speaker: I've decided to start doing more with, you know, not only Dark Halo, but Shred Rogers, you know, both, both projects are very much like taking trauma and trying to make something beautiful out of it.
Speaker: That's what I mean, like at the core.
Speaker: So,
Speaker: If there's one thing people who are musicians and artists do very well, it's that.
Speaker: I mean, I think so many of us in one way or another tend to, you know, take what we've been through and take what's kind of hurt us.
Speaker: And to me, sometimes creating art out of something like that can be part of a healing process.
Speaker: I don't know how you feel about that, but I know that's how I feel.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: I found that like...
Speaker: It seems like almost every time I get close to finishing a song or, you know, participating in a music video, I'm concurrently going through like the hardest day or month of my life.
Speaker: It's like you truly do bleed for your music.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Sometimes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's, it's very odd how that happens.
Speaker: It's like, you have to just, you have to slog through it through the finish, you know, the finish line sometimes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But then once you make it, you're just like, oh my gosh, look what I accomplished.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I think that's so cool.
Speaker: And I also love the fact that going along with, you know, fostering and adopting kids, you're literally taking the music that you love, which is metal, and being like, I'm going to make this so you can enjoy it.
Speaker: And you know that it is something that they can listen to.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: I think that is amazing.
Speaker: And now I have this whole idea of like, you know, what would a kids metal show look like?
Speaker: Well, I mean, you know, you mentioned Death Clock earlier.
Speaker: I mean, I think that's that's kind of.
Speaker: Well, I guess it's not really a kid's show, is it?
Speaker: I don't think Metalocalypse is a kid's show, no.
Speaker: No, you're right.
Speaker: You're right.
Speaker: Sorry.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's a great show.
Speaker: Don't get me wrong.
Speaker: I love Metalocalypse, but I don't think it's a kid's show.
Speaker: Yeah, you're right.
Speaker: Touch violent.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: I mean, the very thing I was talking about with the coffee jingle, didn't he like melt the faces off of people with the coffee?
Speaker: That's true.
Speaker: That's true.
Speaker: Violence is funny.
Speaker: No, I'm kidding.
Speaker: Yeah, but that cartoon sure makes it seem that way.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Well, I mean, it definitely has a humor.
Speaker: You know, it does poke fun at metal.
Speaker: Right, right.
Speaker: Which is why I appreciate it so much, because it pokes every bit of fun at not only metal heads, but like dorks, too.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Totally.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Which I am, probably.
Speaker: Oh, I totally am.
Speaker: I know I am.
Speaker: Come on.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, you saw what I was playing the other night.
Speaker: I was like, you know, knee deep in Final Fantasy the other night and play D&D every other Tuesday.
Speaker: And oh, yeah, I'm a nerd.
Speaker: What kind of character are you in your D&D campaign?
Speaker: I am the I am the DM.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Wow, cool.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm the DM for this one.
Speaker: The last thing that I played was a half-orc barbarian.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker: Yep, I tried Dungeons & Dragons with a group for about a month or two prior to the pandemic, and that was the first time I've tried it.
Speaker: I've always been an RPG fan, whether it's been like board games or Japanese RPGs and stuff, video games.
Speaker: But I never tried Dungeons & Dragons, but I have like a
Speaker: I think that I would enjoy acting.
Speaker: So when I found out that there's an acting component to some of these games that you play with people, I had to give it a try.
Speaker: Oddly enough, the character I was was also a half orc, but I was a bard.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Which made sense.
Speaker: That's awesome.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Bards are great, but like, of course, bards kind of get made fun of because they pretty much, you know, seduce everything.
Speaker: That's sort of the stereotype of the bard.
Speaker: Oddly enough, that's kind of what I was doing in the campaign.
Speaker: You were playing a bard.
Speaker: I mean, yeah, you were playing a bard.
Speaker: I didn't know that that was the point.
Speaker: But the group, we found ourselves in a rather rough pub, and they turned to me because I had a high charisma.
Speaker: So that ended up being what I was doing.
Speaker: So I never knew that that's kind of a common...
Speaker: thing for a bard i mean you were just playing the bard it's okay i think that's a rule of anybody who plays a bard you have to seduce everything yeah that's hilarious that's just that's kind of so no you were playing it right it's okay cool all right yeah i do not have a bard currently in my party one of my players continually threatens that his next character is going to be a bard and i'm like oh lord we're in for it now
Speaker: When you guys play, do you use the TV screen map or anything like that?
Speaker: No, we use a virtual tabletop.
Speaker: So VTT, we use Roll20.
Speaker: We basically do everything from Discord because we are all located literally all over the world.
Speaker: Wow, that's cool.
Speaker: Yeah, we meet on our Discord server.
Speaker: And if anybody goes to my website, it's the same Discord server.
Speaker: So they'll see us in a certain channel talking crap about D&D.
Speaker: But yeah, that way we could get players from everywhere to be able to join in if they wanted to.
Speaker: So that's kind of how I created that game.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: That's good to know.
Speaker: Thank you.
Speaker: Yeah, I love virtual tabletops because you do get to play with people.
Speaker: I mean, like one of our players, a French Canadian, and then like we're all on different time zones.
Speaker: And yeah.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: That is sweet.
Speaker: So it's very similar to kind of like, you know, what a lot of musicians are doing.
Speaker: You know, get to just have great conversation and, you know, share sharing a creative moment with world with worldwide.
Speaker: Influence.
Speaker: It's just so fun.
Speaker: Yeah, it's kind of like, you know, I mean, you and I share a Discord server for a community.
Speaker: And I know that those of you who are there that are musicians, I mean, you guys are genuinely across the globe.
Speaker: And I love, like, I don't say anything in many of those channels because...
Speaker: you know, you all are the performers and the musicians, but I love seeing you guys talk and share thoughts and ideas back and forth.
Speaker: Cause you know, you're, you're literally watching musicians from all over the world talking to each other and it's so cool to see it.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: It's, it's very inspiring.
Speaker: And, um,
Speaker: What I love most about, you know, talking with you, working with folks all over and just having conversation is that like, we all have something important that, that we're here to contribute and we all matter so much.
Speaker: And it's just like wonderful to be able to hold somebody up in a moment with them.
Speaker: And sometimes finding out later that like, that's exactly what they needed to like get through their day and maybe even take on something huge and cool.
Speaker: that they otherwise wouldn't have if you hadn't had that conversation.
Speaker: You know, it's just very inspiring.
Speaker: I can't agree with that enough.
Speaker: That's like, I mean, that's kind of, I was talking about this on a previous episode with Pete Rawcliffe, because I think those of us who do reviews and, you know, are on this side of things, like sometimes people expect us to just rip people apart.
Speaker: And I'm like, I am, I mean, I've seen it.
Speaker: There is a guy who's a wonderful writer, fantastic reviewer, but oh my God, is he an angry person?
Speaker: At least when it comes to albums.
Speaker: Like, I don't know if he likes anything he listens to and he's going to rip them to shreds.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: And it's like people love this guy's reviews.
Speaker: And I'm like, I'm not going to do that.
Speaker: I don't want to do that.
Speaker: I don't want to have somebody come on this show and I'm going to be like, so let's talk about how much crap this was.
Speaker: Like, why?
Speaker: Why would I do that to someone?
Speaker: Especially not when it's like.
Speaker: You know, he gets that enough from somewhere else, I'm sure.
Speaker: And I never wanted to create a space where I like reviewed and covered music and talk to other musicians where it's like, I don't want to rip them apart.
Speaker: That's not why I'm here.
Speaker: You know, it's like we all love the same kind of music.
Speaker: We all love music.
Speaker: So like, I'm not going to rip you to shreds.
Speaker: I may have some constructive criticism here and there, which I have done, but I'm certainly not going to tear someone apart.
Speaker: Yeah, because I mean, there's enough stuff.
Speaker: There's enough crap in this world, you know, it's like,
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: We should hold each other up more.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I am I'm a firm believer in all ships rise.
Speaker: You know, if you're if you're lifting somebody up, if if I'm here on the show and somebody is on the show and I didn't know that they had a horrible, very bad day.
Speaker: you know, well, maybe coming on the show might make them feel a little better because we just got to kick back and for almost an hour talk about nothing but the music they loved.
Speaker: Maybe that helped them, you know, or like, but if I'm sitting there like, okay, I know you had a really crap day and now I'm going to rip you to shreds.
Speaker: Like that just doesn't work for me.
Speaker: I don't do it.
Speaker: I don't want to do it.
Speaker: Nope.
Speaker: It doesn't feel good.
Speaker: And I'm sure it doesn't.
Speaker: I mean, I know, like, as somebody who has been not on the music side, but I am a published author, and I have seen bad reviews of my work.
Speaker: And it's like, oh, I'm having a real bad day right now.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, yeah, I mean, even, so A Dark Halo originally was a two-piece project, just Dave and myself.
Speaker: We released one album called Catalyst.
Speaker: back in 2006.
Speaker: So we were, we had one album out, played some shows with a couple of buddies from our local scene back then performing live, but then we went on a hiatus for a long time.
Speaker: But you know, when that first album came out, like our official reviews, I think we had one on all music.com.
Speaker: It's still there now.
Speaker: It just was not very kind.
Speaker: And yeah, a lot of our reviews were not good, like not happy.
Speaker: you know, so you could read them and think like, that's what I'm hanging up.
Speaker: I'm hanging up the towel, you know?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Um, but we just didn't let it get to us.
Speaker: Cause, um, cause we, we found over the years, you know, people did remember that album and they've always wanted more.
Speaker: And we had this like hidden fan base.
Speaker: We didn't even know about, you know?
Speaker: Oh yeah.
Speaker: That's so cool.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So that, that, that inspired us to, you know, come back out and then we hired, um, not hired, but, uh,
Speaker: started collaborating with more people like Melrose and Abe and, and Kay.
Speaker: And now, now it feels like a proper, really fun project because everybody is so amazing.
Speaker: That's part of it now.
Speaker: And I just love all of them to death.
Speaker: So yay.
Speaker: I'm glad.
Speaker: And I'm glad that bad review didn't get you guys down because I know people who are newer in any kind of the arts.
Speaker: One bad review could be the end of it for them.
Speaker: It could.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I was absolutely terrified when the first novel came out.
Speaker: I was like, oh my God, if the first reviews are bad, I'm just, I'm done.
Speaker: Thank God they weren't.
Speaker: But then a...
Speaker: I'm not going to name the person, though.
Speaker: I always want to, but I'm just not.
Speaker: Another author in the same genre as me, because believe it or not, folks, what I wrote was historical fiction.
Speaker: They came out and tried to disguise who they were and put out a bad review.
Speaker: And I'm like, you jealous jerk.
Speaker: And yeah, I was like, are you kidding me?
Speaker: This is another author.
Speaker: They're just mad.
Speaker: That's just how does that help?
Speaker: You know?
Speaker: It doesn't help to do that stuff.
Speaker: It doesn't help.
Speaker: But, and that was the first bad review I got.
Speaker: So I didn't take it personally, but then I got an actual bad review and I was like, Oh no.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know how that feels.
Speaker: I'm sure you do.
Speaker: It's like, no, no, don't, don't read that anymore.
Speaker: Just get away, please.
Speaker: Well, and I don't know about you, but like what I found is as time has gone on, I tend to like, if I hear better, you got something, that's what I ended up buying.
Speaker: and reading and listening to, et cetera.
Speaker: Like, oh, you hate this?
Speaker: Then I bet I'm going to love it.
Speaker: And most of the times I do.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: That's the other thing is like, I said the same thing last episode.
Speaker: I'm like, look, if I'm reviewing something and I tell you I didn't like it, don't forget, this is my opinion.
Speaker: And you may not agree.
Speaker: You know, like even if I, because I did very recently and I still, I'm not naming the band because I like them too much and I don't want to keep reminding myself I didn't like their latest single.
Speaker: and I had to be constructive about it, and I felt horrible, and I still do, because I didn't like the single.
Speaker: But at the same time, I'm still anticipating their album, because I know how good they are.
Speaker: But I know, just from talking to people I know on Instagram, a lot of people really did like it.
Speaker: Really did like it.
Speaker: Yes, yes, a lot of people really like it.
Speaker: So obviously, it's just my opinion.
Speaker: Great.
Speaker: And that's the thing I think a lot of people that are new or don't understand is it's like, look, if you get a bad review, unless you get like all bad reviews, you might be doing something wrong.
Speaker: But if you just get like one bad review now, that's just somebody's opinion and you're okay.
Speaker: You'll be okay.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Same way.
Speaker: I mean, I'm sure that was kind of the same way you guys took it too.
Speaker: Well, especially because everything that we've done on Dark Halo, at least I'm speaking for myself, you know, you have like, if it brings me to tears and I'm getting chills listening to everything, then I know we did it right.
Speaker: Aw, that's so cool.
Speaker: You know, you want to, like, we try to make music that we love first and foremost, so it's very selfish in that way, and I know a lot of other artists do that.
Speaker: There's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: But I feel like if you're doing it and you know it's from the heart, then it doesn't really matter what anybody else thinks.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Because you know you weren't being fake, you know?
Speaker: Right, exactly.
Speaker: And in my, again, my opinion, but what I feel is if somebody, if a musician or a vocalist, if they feel what they're doing, you can tell when you hear it.
Speaker: I can tell.
Speaker: And I'm feeling a little of what they're putting out there.
Speaker: And that's, I love that.
Speaker: I love when I feel that.
Speaker: I love when I'm like, oh my God, like they were feeling this.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like, like I mentioned Demo Borgir earlier, like that's one group that has really helped me a lot in my life.
Speaker: You know, like, you know, on the surface, they're like a Satan, you know, satanic black metal.
Speaker: But a lot of their stuff is actually quite positive.
Speaker: And not, I wouldn't call it satanic in an evil way.
Speaker: You know, it's more of a. No, I understand what you're saying.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's what, that's kind of the perception people have of them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: But yeah, I mean, but it's just been fascinating to this.
Speaker: to have digested their music over the years and even, you know, taking the time to watch interviews and stuff, but they're like, their biggest like intent is to get people to question everything.
Speaker: You know, they just want you to question why you follow these rules or, or, you know, is your spirituality really right for you?
Speaker: And it's okay to ask questions.
Speaker: I mean, that's really their biggest thing.
Speaker: you know, reason for doing what they do.
Speaker: And I think that's cool because sometimes when you question things and you get outside of your comfort, you find there's so much more richness in the world.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: I mean, not for nothing, but I'm going to say it is personally, thanks to social media, we need to encourage a little more critical thinking and people.
Speaker: Yes, yes we do.
Speaker: That's how I feel.
Speaker: Yes, yes.
Speaker: That's my hot take.
Speaker: Uh-huh.
Speaker: I do.
Speaker: I truly feel like social media is taking away people's ability to critically think for themselves and it bothers me.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, it makes me want to listen to more metal.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And I mean, I'm with you on that, man.
Speaker: I had like, I mean, I know that everybody is aware that I went through a pretty messy divorce recently.
Speaker: And a lot of times there were days where I was like, I cannot take it anymore.
Speaker: So what did I do?
Speaker: I went in my room.
Speaker: I put on the music and I zoned.
Speaker: And, you know, just listen to the lyrics and was like, all right, I'm just right here and everything's good now.
Speaker: And yeah, I mean, that that got me through quite a few rough days.
Speaker: Awesome.
Speaker: That's great.
Speaker: Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker: Oh, no, it's not.
Speaker: You know, it's the same thing.
Speaker: I was often like thinking about maybe I'll pop out on the blog one day like, hey, here's the songs that got me through this rough patch.
Speaker: But I don't know if anybody actually wants that or not.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: Yeah, you never know, because there could be somebody listening right now that's going through what you've gone through, you know, and maybe wants to have that that moment or, you know, that day to do the same.
Speaker: For their sake, I truly hope not.
Speaker: Well, right, right.
Speaker: Yeah, I truly hope not.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: No, it's like, I hope that nobody listening to this is going through a bad patch.
Speaker: I mean, if you are, I hope you feel a lot better, but I really hope you're not as well.
Speaker: Right, I hope you're not either, but you really are not alone.
Speaker: Nope.
Speaker: If you need to even reach out to us, I mean, you can put my contacts on there.
Speaker: I have a shredrogers.com.
Speaker: I'm more than happy to just help
Speaker: I've had that a couple of times.
Speaker: I've had a couple of younger metalheads message me on Instagram and just kind of like unload because they know that I am literally old enough to be their parent.
Speaker: And I've been like, okay, I'm going to give you some like parental level advice here without being your parents in
Speaker: And it has happened.
Speaker: And I think I love that though.
Speaker: Cause I'm like, that is so cool that you are just like reaching out to a total stranger only because you listen to the same music.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: That says a lot about, you know, the community that we have at our fingertips.
Speaker: It's pretty cool.
Speaker: I love metal heads, man.
Speaker: I will say that a hundred times over.
Speaker: And then some metal heads are some of the best people you will ever meet.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And they're they're always like, I mean, just like, you know, the the discord community you and I are part of.
Speaker: I mean, none of us really know each other.
Speaker: I don't think there's anybody in there that I know, you know, but it's like nobody cares.
Speaker: Like we're all just like, hey, come on in.
Speaker: Like we love talking to you.
Speaker: And yeah.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: The the power of intention is definitely making a great positive thing there.
Speaker: So it's good stuff.
Speaker: Yeah, but that's kind of like, that's what metalheads are like.
Speaker: We're just always like that.
Speaker: And it doesn't matter what genre of metal either.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: It doesn't.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: Cause I've met people that are like super into, you know, I mean like they may as well be wearing corpse paint and everything else, but they're just like, yes, Hey, come on, let's go hang out.
Speaker: And they're awesome.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Well, we are going to wrap this up and thank you so much for coming on the show.
Speaker: I loved hearing your perspective on things.
Speaker: I'm so glad people got to hear like how, I mean, genuinely inspiring you are.
Speaker: Oh, thank you so much.
Speaker: I appreciate that.
Speaker: And thank you for having me.
Speaker: This has been a,
Speaker: something that I've very much been looking forward to.
Speaker: Yay.
Speaker: I'm so glad.
Speaker: Well, guys, if you want to hear anything or check out the bands and the projects, as you know, all these links will be down below in the show notes.
Speaker: I am Candace.
Speaker: You know me as the metal mama and I will see you guys next time.
