CD REVIEW: Joe Matera – Slave To The Fingers
The tricky thing about making instrumental music is this: do you make it ultra technical for the musician crowd, or do you make it more accessible for the average punter? Every once in a while someone finds the perfect balance – Satch had it on Surfing With The Alien – and that’s what I dig about Joe Matera’s EP, Slave To The Fingers. Joe has captured that elusive middle ground where melody and musician-impressing meet.
I’m judging Rockstar Bowling Demon Rock Off guitar competition
Now this is going to be fun. What could possibly be more awesome than duking it out in a guitar battle royale where you must ultimately face the horned one him/her/itself, while being judged by an esteemed panel of respected guitar experts, and also me?
1ST ANNUAL DEMON ROCK OFF GUITAR COMPETITION
Celebrating ROCKTOBER, Rockstar Bowling proudly announces the first annual DEMON ROCK OFF GUITAR COMPETITION, to be held Sunday 16 October at 4pm at the venue’s Rock Bar.
Turning the volume up to “11” and inviting all amateur guitarists to showcase their signature “facemelting”, contestants will battle each other in a series of judged elimination rounds with two finalists selected for a soul-saving face off with the Devil himself. The Grand Prize winner will receive:
• A Gibson Epiphone Guitar
• $500 voucher to Gallins Musician’s Pro Shop
• Professionally Recorded Demo CD and Video
• Feature Showcase Gig at Rockstar Bowling Rock Bar
• Music Press Coverage Annoucements
• An Eternity of Free Bowling
CD REVIEW: Atomkraft – Cold Sweat (EP)
British heavy/speed metal pioneers Atomkraft were formed by Tony Dolan (Venom) in 1979. Part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement, they make a welcome return with the Cold Sweat EP, which will be available in two formats: a 7″ EP limited to 200 copies only in colored vinyl and insert, and a CD limited to 1000 copies with two bonus tracks. The EP’s centrepiece is a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cold Sweat” with I Heart Guitar’s good buddy Joe Matera contributing a ripping lead.
Oh and did i mention it features the most brutal cover art ever? Check it out.
Scared yet? You should be! The guitar tones are raw, dirty and unmistakably metallic with a sort of homespun vibe that works really well with the material and is in keeping with AtomKraft’s NWOBHM roots. In fact, the “Cold Sweat” cover almost has a Motorhead-meets-Rammstein vibe, with its Lemmy-esque vocals and fuzzy, fizzy rhythm guitars. Matera’s solo packs in some cool pentatonic legato licks and some tastefully-applied tapping, by the way – check it out.
Meanwhile “Dead Again” is classic speed metal, blisteringly fast and aggressive. “The Darkening” kicks off with the sound of angry dogs giving way to an angry riff and the sounds of an even angrier mob. Some almost Slayer-esque speed metal (and some very cool ‘angry bee’ guitar work) follow as the song twists and turns through evil forests of doom and other awesome metal stuff. Finally, “Gripped” opens with delicate Iommi-esque acoustic guitars before rocket fire and ominous industrial-edged riffing take over.
I love that bands like Atomkraft are still around. The Big Four of Thrash regularly pay tribute to NWOBHM these days, but live covers of “Am I Evil?” aren’t enough. We need the real deal to keep the sound alive. Hail Atomkraft!
Buy the EP here.
COOL VIDEO ALERT: Joe Matera – Face Off
Here’s a nifty little promo video for Joe Matera’s track “Face Off” for you to check out. Meanwhile, Joe’s been a busy dude: he plays a guitar solo on a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cold Sweat” by English thrash metallers Atomkraft, who were formed and are led by bassit/vocalist Tony Dolan, who took over from Cronos in Venom in late 80s/early 90s period. Tony plays bass on “Face Off.”
ATOMKRAFT “Cold Sweat”
7″ EP limited to 200 copies only comes in coloured vinyl + insert!
MCD limited to 1000 copies only comes with 2 bonus tracks!
Bonus 1:1985 ATOMKRAFT Intro…played at London’s Original, MARQUEE club ,opening for Slayer on the Hell Awaits tour…
Bonus 2: Gripped (unreleased track)
Out in summer 2011 at W.A.R. Production
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WAR-Productions/170923122971216?sk=wall
NEWS: New Joe Matera single – Face Off
I Heart Guitar buddy Joe Matera is preparing to release a new single, “Face Off,” from his forthcoming EP. It’s a more uptempo affair than the cruisy “Travellin’ West,” and I rather like the Shadows-esque approach to melody, placed within the contest of a more driving rock song. The track also includes a guest guitar solo by the great Rick Brewster of The Angels, which is damn fine.
PRESS RELEASE
Former Geisha guitarist Joe Matera is set to release his next original solo instrumental outing on May 2. Titled ‘Face Off’, it is an energetic rocker, and a full blown electric band affair, that features Matera’s signature melodic and tasty guitar playing. After having released previously two acoustic tracks, his original composition ‘Travellin’ West’ in Sept. 2010 and his cover of The Church anthem ‘Almost With You’ earlier this year, Matera decided it was time to return to his rock guitar roots.
Roxy Music live in Melbourne – March 3, 2011
On Thursday night Mrs I Heart Guitar and I went to the Roxy Music gig at Rod Laver Arena here in Melbourne. We don’t get to go to many concerts together – I’m a metalhead and she likes far classier music than involves far less shouting, skulls and demons – but occasionally our tastes overlap. Like Zappa, Steely Dan and David Bowie. The Roxy Music gig was great, with a balance of the rowdier, glammier moments that we live for, and the more poppy, radio-friendly early 80s fare that it seemed the rest of the audience was waiting for with folded arms. My buddy Joe Matera was also at the gig – he recently interviewed Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera for Guitar & Bass Magazine – and he was kind enough to let me accompany him backstage to say hi to Phil afterwards. Thanks Joe!
By the way, Manzanera used some great guitars during the gig, including his red Gibson Firebird, a 3-pickup Les Paul, and a Fender David Gilmour Stratocaster.
Here’s the setlist.
India (Tape, for walk on)
The Main Thing
Street Life
Pyjamarama
Prairie Rose
If There Is Something
More Than This
Jealous Guy
Like A Hurricane
2HB
In Every Dream home A Heartache
Tara
Bitter Sweet
To Turn You On
Same Old Scene
My Only Love
Virginia Plain
Love Is The Drug
Editions Of You
Do The Strand
Avalon
Let’s Stick Together
For Your Pleasure
If you’ve never really checked out Roxy Music before, might I suggest this, which I hold up there with Bowie doing ‘Oh You Pretty Things’ as one of the greatest things ever to happen in the early 70s.
GUEST POST: Joe Matera on his new single Almost With You
THE MAKING OF MY LATEST SINGLE, ‘ALMOST WITH YOU’
By Joe Matera
The background
The decision to record a cover of The Church classic Almost With You was something that dates back a few years. Prior to joining my previous and last band Geisha, Ash Naylor – who many will know from Melbourne indie pop-rockers Even as well as Paul Kelly’s Band – and myself performed for a number of years around Melbourne in an acoustic duo under the moniker of Radio City. One of the songs that was included in our set was Almost With You, a track that remains a firm favorite of mine from many of Australian band The Church’s brilliant catalog.
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I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat and The Brag. I started I Heart Guitar in 2008. I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18 (I'm 33 now). I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week) and a setup tech. I live in Melbourne, Australia. You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube.
You can email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com