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"Heavy Trip" has slowly built its following since its initial limited release in fall 2018, but the doors to a larger audience blew open the following year with its wider release on Amazon Prime. If you are a heavy metal fan that has been burned by other comedic movies that lazily treated the genre as a joke, rest assured that "Heavy Trip" not only provides an infectiously uproarious tale, but also treats its musical inspirations with complete reverence. "Heavy Trip" is a tale of two approaches to comedic film writing. The first two-thirds of the film is a relatable tale of a death metal enthusiast (Turo Moilanen, played superbly by Johannes Holopainen) who is rotting away in his tiny Finnish town well into his twenties, forever feeling lovelorn for an old high school classmate (Miia, played very charmingly by Minka Kuustonen), and jealous of the local celebrity, a lounge singer whose audience is lonely divorcees around the region. Turo's only escape from the mundane doldrums is his duty as lead vocalist for a ragtag death metal group populated with fellow misfits of equal stature (or more appropriately, lack of). The band has never left the basement, but a chance encounter with the promoter of a Norwegian heavy metal festival inspires the group — now dubbed IMPALED REKTUM — to take its stab at leaving home. The writing/directing duo of Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren do a fantastic job infusing a potentially clichéd tale with earnest heart and relatable characters. Every member of the band has their own individual charms, while also being united in their quest for something greater than small-town Finnish life. Turo's shy vocalist is complemented by everyman guitarist Lotvonen (Samuli Jaskio), the walking Encyclopedia Metallium that is bassist Pasi a.k.a. Xytrax (Max Ovaska), and slovenly-but-lovable drummer Jynnky (Antti Heikkenen). Laatio and Vidgren showcase the daily rut that all members of the band are trapped in, from the listlessness of day jobs to local townsfolk teasing Turo for being a long-haired pretty boy. This isn't to say that the first sixty minutes of the movie is depressing though, as there is plenty of sharp humor and wicked laughs to be had. But that grounding in reality makes the broadly played closing stretch of the film more hilarious. The second half of the band's journey sees an incredible chain of events occurring, with the band embarking on forays into grave-robbing and run-ins with military police on their quest for heavy metal glory. The transition from the tiny world built during the first part of the movie to the grand sequences of the final act is a bit jarring initially, but the ride is fun once you embrace the insanity that is now occurring. The movie is executed in a way that would please even casual filmgoers, but if you are reading this site, you are probably wondering how the actual music is treated. Laatio and Vidgren do a great job delicately balancing the more humorous aspects of heavy metal fandom with a sincere love for the genre. It's easy to laugh at Pasi describing the band's music as "symphonic post-apocalyptic reindeer-grinding Christ-abusing extreme war pagan Fennoscandian metal," but there is nothing half-assed about the musical approach. The pounding riffs, blastbeats, guttural vocals, and lyrics that drive IMPALED REKTUM's original songs — written by Laatio — are delivered with loving brutality by vocalist Eemeli Bodde (MORS SUBITA) and guitarist Mika Lammassaari (also of MORS SUBITA and WOLFHEART). The movie's sound is given additional metal credibility by incidental music from STRATOVARIUS bassist/composer Lauri Porra. There is very much a sense of authenticity to the music that lends extra weight to the band's cinematic journey. If you have yet to take the journey presented by "Heavy Trip", the film is now readily available on Amazon Prime for you to headbang to and laugh at simultaneously. There is plenty of both to be had. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkAAAGEyFS8&w=638&h=359]

BUTCHER BABIES have released the official music video for their latest single, "Sleeping With The Enemy". The song is the second taste of the band's forthcoming EP, tentatively due later this year via an as-yet-undisclosed record label. BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Carla Harvey comments: "'Sleeping With The Enemy' is one of the most vulnerable songs we've ever written. The song is the ultimate 'own your own bullshit' song… because the first step in change is always admitting there's a problem, right?" Singer Heidi Shepherd adds: "When face to face with what you presume as your enemy; who is it? Is it you? In 'Sleeping With The Enemy', the devil and angel on my shoulders met. This song is about hypocrisy and self realization. We can get so caught up in the rat race of life, as humans we tend to lose track of ourselves and our core values along the way. There comes a point where you look at the perceived problems in your life and realize there is one common denominator; yourself! Whether it's in the lens you look at life through or an overall attitude, there comes a point where we must turn a negative into a positive. This song is that for me." Guitarist Henry Flury expresses: "And just when you thought we weren't going to be heavy anymore… BOOM! This is definitely a song for the stage. Can you sing and circle pit at the same time?" Asked in a recent interview with Syfy Wire's "Metal Crush" how BUTCHER BABIES' new material differs from 2017's "Lilith", Shepherd said: "It differs a lot. You still have the classic BUTCHER BABIES metal behind us, but I found myself wanting to sing more. "When I first started BUTCHER BABIES, I was an angry young girl, and I had a lot to scream about. I'm a happy 35-year-old woman now, so I have a lot that I wanna sing about." BUTCHER BABIES next album will be the band's first since its split with Century Media over a year ago. Last April, Shepherd told ELUVEITIE's "Corona Talk" that "it was a hard decision to part ways with Century Media." She explained: "Here in the U.S., the label doesn't exactly exist much here anymore. And so it was a really difficult decision. We were with them for our entire career; we've been a band for 10 years. It just wasn't working here in the States. But we do love our Century Media family." "Lilith" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked BUTCHER BABIES' recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016. In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo7s428YEa4] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2qNlv9r6Q]

Perry Farrell's "The Glitz; The Glamour" is a 35-year retrospective of his life, music and art that looks into his world outside the works of JANE'S ADDICTION and PORNO FOR PYROS — focusing on 68 tracks worth of Perry's alt rock rarities and innovative artistic explorations. The retrospective is served up in the form of a vinyl and collectible box-set and will be an art piece in its own right — in collaboration with fine artist Zoltar, this offering firmly puts Farrell's stake in the ground as the "godfather of alternative rock." In addition to the deep groove vinyl recordings, the box-set includes a Blu-ray featuring 12 uncompressed Dolby Atmos mixes from "Kind Heaven" and three previously unreleased Atmos mixes, a photographic memoir hardcover book, a bandana, plus two exclusive Zoltar prints. "The Glitz; The Glamour" is out now via Last Man Music. Visit www.perryfarrell.com for more information. Across nine 180-gram vinyls, "The Glitz; The Glamour" takes fans through his expansive solo career starting with his first band PSI COM and their five song self-titled EP. Recorded in 1985, just prior to the formation of JANE'S ADDICTION, the PSI COM sound was inspired by artists like JOY DIVISION and SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES — setting forth the template of what would become alternative rock. The band was featured in the documentary "Desolation Center", the previously untold story of '80s guerilla music, art and culture in Southern California, and is available now on all streaming video platforms. Perry has shared one of PSI COM's tracks off the EP, "Ho Ka Hey". 2001's "Song Yet To Be Sung" was inspired by and recorded after a life-changing experience in Sudan helping free thousands of slaves from human bondage. This experience and album set forth Perry as a humanitarian and his commitment to equality. The 12-song EP was written and produced by Perry Farrell and is joined on the album by lifelong friends including Dave Navarro (JANE'S ADDICTION), Martyn LeNoble (PORNO FOR PYROS), and Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION and PORNO FOR PYROS). SATELLITE PARTY's 2007 album "Ultra Payloaded" was co-produced by Perry, Steve Lillywhite and Nuno Bettencourt and featured Perry's wife and muse Etty Lau Farrell. The 12-song LP also included collaborations with John Frusciante, Flea, Fergie, NEW ORDER's Peter Hook, Peter DiStefano (PORNO FOR PYROS), THIEVERY CORPORATION and Mad Professor. 2018's "Kind Heaven" was described by Rolling Stone as "a mind-bending audio hallucination." For the recording of the album, the alt-rock icon assembled a dynamic group of artists who together realized the new collaborative musical venture known as the KIND HEAVEN ORCHESTRA. The record, co-produced by Farrell and Tony Visconti, features contributions from Elliot Easton (THE CARS), Taylor Hawkins (FOO FIGHTERS), Mike Garson (David Bowie), Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION), Etty Lau Farrell, Dhani Harrison as well as Tommy Lee, THE BLOODY BEETROOTS, Kascade and Joachim Garraud. It featured singles "Pirate Punk Politician", a searing indictment of the current state of our planet under a rising tide of autocratic regimes, and the soaring song of hope "Let's all Pray For This World", plus two exciting new tracks from the KIND HEAVEN ORCHESTRA. There is also an unearthed recording of Jim Morrison's (THE DOORS) that Farrell has composed, and to complete the circle, he has written and recorded new music with L.A.'s next-gen rockers STARCRAWLER. The box-set also features 11 specially commissioned remixes and collaborations spanning two exclusive vinyl albums. These feature luminaries from the electronic dance music (EDM) world, including Maceo Plex, Groove Armada, UNKLE, Solomun, Booka Shade, Richard Norris, Francois K and THE AVALANCHES. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VkLBk_71Vs]

Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum alt-rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN has revealed the details of a very special livestream fundraising event on Saturday, January 30, culminating with the music video premiere of the band's "Genocidal Humanoidz" single. The group once again steps up to support humanitarian efforts in their ancestral homeland of Armenia when needed most. The livestream will be broadcast exclusively on the band’s official YouTube channel. In the tragic aftermath of the most egregious violence to affect the area since 1994, soldiers for the Defense Army of Artsakh and Armenia (many of them volunteers) suffered war crimes at the hands of the invaders- Azerbaijan abetted by Turkey and their Syrian mercenaries. These young men, wounded in the conflict, remain in dire need of prosthetics, advanced treatment, and medical care. SYSTEM OF A DOWN is hosting the livestream in order to raise money to rehabilitate and outfit soldiers who have lost arms and legs with life-changing prosthetic limbs. Additionally, funding will benefit the introduction of groundbreaking laser therapy for the treatment of chemical burns from banned white phosphorous weapons. All proceeds from the livestream will be donated to this noble cause. The livestream launches at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. The band will welcome a roster of guests to join them for interviews. These include representative for Armenia Fund USA Maria Mehranian, Armenian-American musician Sebu Simonian, "Good Day LA"'s Araksya Karapetyan, Harvard clinician Dr. Lilit Garibyan (who leads the charity Face Of Angel which has established medical laser treatments in Armenia and now aims to provide medical scar laser treatments to soldiers with burn and trauma scars), Armenian parliamentarian Narek Mkrtchyan (who is leading the development of a new prosthetic hand lab and initiative with Homeland Defenders Rehabilitation Center), and director Adam Mason of Deep Sky Animation, who helped create the "Genocidal Humanoidz" music video. A special video from Lt. Colonel Sargis Stepanyan from Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund and additional videos of support from VIP friends of the band will be showcased throughout the livestream. Wrapping up the event, the video debuts worldwide at 11 a.m. PT/ 2 p.m. ET. Viewers may donate throughout the entire stream on the band's YouTube channel. In November 2020, SYSTEM OF A DOWN made new music available for the first time since 2005 in order to rally for Armenia. They released "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz" and pledged royalties earned, including from purchases on Bandcamp, to the major non-profit, Armenia Fund. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000 so far. "Genocidal Humanoidz" and "Protect The Land" were both produced by guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian, who also wrote the music and lyrics. The music video for "Protect The Land" incorporated recent footage of the protests and on-the-ground fighting in Artsakh, but in a very personal and aesthetic way. As he did for all previous SYSTEM OF A DOWN releases, bassist Shavo Odadjian executive-produced the music video and curated the cover and brand art for the project. On the recording of "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", Odadjian added: "It was such a pleasure for us to be together in the studio again, very comforting and natural, like no time had passed at all." "Protect The Land" a was originally written by Malakian for the next album by his other group, SCARS ON BROADWAY, while "Genocidal Humanoidz" was penned three or four years ago when Odadjian, Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan convened for a jam session that produced several songs, only to abandon them when singer Serj Tankian wouldn't commit to an album. Photo credit: Clemente Ruiz

Drumtalk, the video podcast by German drummer and videographer Philipp Koch, has released a one-hour video tribute to late CYNIC drummer Sean Reinert, who passed away a year ago. Included in the tribute are interviews with some of Reinert's colleagues and bandmates, among them Gene Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DARK ANGEL, DEATH), Tomas Haake (MESHUGGAH), Dirk Verbeuren (MEGADETH) and Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, DEATH), as well as a lot of previously unreleased footage. Reinert was found unresponsive at his San Bernardino, California home on January 24, 2020. According to TMZ, he was transported to a hospital, but after life-saving measures proved ineffective, he was pronounced dead upon arriving. Reinert was a founding member of CYNIC, along with guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal, and he remained in the group until September 2015. In 1991, Reinert and Masvidal joined the legendary Florida band DEATH to record the "Human" album. After touring with DEATH, they returned to CYNIC. 1993 saw the release of CYNIC's debut album, "Focus", which is regarded as a landmark LP in the field of technical/progressive metal. After CYNIC's initial split, Reinert and Masvidal relocated to Los Angeles, where they continued working with music by writing and performing for television shows and motion pictures. In 1999, Reinert helped Masvidal form ÆON SPOKE, which was described as an "ethereal rock" band. In 2007, CYNIC reformed for a tour and recorded a new album, "Traced In Air", which was released in 2008 and followed by more touring. After "Traced In Air", CYNIC issued two conceptual EPs, "Re-Traced" (2010) and "Carbon-Based Anatomy" (2011). Sean's final recorded appearance with CYNIC was "Kindly Bent To Free Us", which came out in February 2014 via Season Of Mist. Reinert played his last shows with CYNIC in September 2015 in Japan. He later said that the "performances were not up to par" and blamed the band's lack of preparation on "the accumulation of differences in musical directions and business practices." After his exit from CYNIC, Sean was involved with the Los Angeles progressive rock group PERFECT BEINGS, whose latest album, "Vier", was released in January 2018 via InsideOut Music. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKJdCM-ngGE]

SLAUGHTER frontman Mark Slaughter recently spoke to 80's Metal Recycle Bin about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting. "The grunge thing, I think, was a natural course of many events," he explained (see video below). "A lot of people are, like, 'Grunge killed this.' It wasn't that. I think there was a lot of bands that became a lot of industry that was creating these bands that was not what the bands were. I mean, it was, like, they'd sign the band, then they'd get get a writer, a producer, and these people, and those songwriters and those people, and those hair stylists and those people, and by the time they were done, the band they signed was not even the band that they really signed. They had created a whole different monster, which is the monster of music business. And I think that a lot of bands lost their way and really were not able to do that. "In the grunge scene, they say that grunge killed our style of music. No — it was people in the business that killed this music," Mark insisted. "What happened is the largest radio station in the world, MTV, had a new president, who was a programmer of KROQ in California, and he said to Billboard magazine, 'I will never play MÖTLEY CRÜE, SLAUGHTER, POISON…' — he named all the bands that were right on top at the time. And the next week, we were off all the playlists. It's, like, the tide just completely turned. And everybody was, like, 'What happened?' Well, the industry made a change. "In mid-'90s, we were running around on a tour bus barely keeping the gas going. It was a very rough time. But the thing is for us, music is art, music is life, and that's what we did." Slaughter's second solo album, "Halfway There", was released in 2017 via EMP Label Group. SLAUGHTER has not released a studio album since 1999's "Back To Reality". [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsoB-u_BMzQ]

Mike Mangini has finished laying down his drum tracks for DREAM THEATER's new album. The follow-up to 2019's "Distance Over Time" is tentatively due later this year. Earlier today, Mike took to his Facebook page to write: "My drums for DT15 are complete. "This is a long post, but for those of you just like me who need positive inspiration more than ever, this is for you: "I've not played on an album this energetically unrelenting start to finish since ANNIHILATOR. But the wild thing is the amount of vintage DT melody weaved on to that kind of energy. I've never tapped into more advanced uses of my old and new chops in musical ways because of a monumentally collaborative effort of 5 like-minded, organic/evolving individuals. Is it from the forced lockdown like other music I've heard released? Maybe. Is it from nobody individually or collectively trying to do anything specific musically except just play and be a daring 19-year-old again? Probably. "I never say that any new album is better than another. It never seems to be to me after reading, 'this is our best blah blah blah.' What I'm communicating is exactly what it is about DT15 that sticks out as being significant and important to me. Better? That's pointless given so many different tastes. Who cares. However, it's really cool that the band and individuals can keep progressing at this career stage. But we're supposed to given how we're defined. Accordingly, there's all the 'familiarity' one needs in this new music, but it's definitely not the same old fills/chords/beats. Besides, what could be more boring than a defined 'progressive' musician not being creative, dynamic, and growing physically and creatively from album to album? That would be kinda like a poker machine spitting out the same hands game after game, year after year. "Earning good mechanics is a great thing as it pertains to consistency and avoiding playing poorly. But A TRUE machine is a thing that doesn't grow. That's OK unless your thing, your claim, is to be a 'progressive' musician. We strive to 'complete' who we are even though nobody can fully 'complete' everything. No creative growth truly defines and = a 'BOT' so to speak. DT15 is no such thing and I'm excited to report back with so much joy." "Distance Over Time" marked DREAM THEATER's first album for for Sony Music's progressive imprint InsideOut Music. The group spent the past 25 years recording under various labels in the Warner Music Group system, most recently Roadrunner Records, which released five albums by the band between 2007 and 2016. DREAM THEATER recently released its ninth career live album, "Distant Memories - Live In London". Recorded at DREAM THEATER's sold-out show at the Apollo Theatre in London, the live release documents the band's popular world tour in support of "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of their seminal concept album "Metropolis Part 2 - Scenes From A Memory". My drums for DT15 are complete. This is a long post, but for those of you just like me who need positive inspiration... Posted by Mike Mangini on Saturday, January 23, 2021

Outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent has painted a bleak picture of the United States' immediate future, predicting that the Joe Biden presidency will result in a rise in unemployment and "manufactured fake racism" becoming "the #1 issue in America." Nugent — a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump — took to his Facebook page on Friday (January 22) to write: "Nuge Predictions on Impacts of Biden presidency: unemployment rises, energy and food costs soar, real wages shrink, freedoms are severely restricted or lost, membership in the NRA & GOA rises, gun & ammo sales soar, gangsters continue to slay other gangsters in Chicago, America becomes much more dependent on foreign energy, the Chinese and Russians play chess against America while Biden's team plays tiddlywinks, a malaise smothers the country, interest rates rise, the select rich get richer while the poor become poorer, excuse-making and blaming others is standard operating procedure, manufactured fake racism is the #1 issue in America, illegals become U.S. citizens, bloodsuckers outnumber producers, Hunter Biden isn't investigated, and yours truly turns up my We The People freedom hellraising to allnew hieghts. welcome to Zimbabwe". Nugent has repeatedly claimed that "there is no such thing in America as systemic racism," and has dismissed suggestions that a now-former Minneapolis police officer was responsible for killing George Floyd last May by holding his knee to the 46-year-old black man's neck for more than nine minutes. "George Floyd killed himself with fentanyl," Ted said during an appearance on the "Joe Pags Show". "The cops were trying to subdue a violent, arrest-resisting thug who was dying because of his fentanyl lifestyle." A board member of the National Rifle Association, Nugent has drawn intense criticism for his controversial past remarks, including telling then-president Barack Obama to "suck on my machine gun." He also made inflammatory remarks about Hillary Clinton, calling her a "devilbitch" who "hates everything good about America." In a lengthy Facebook post in 2016, Nugent said Obama and Clinton should be tried for treason and hanged over their handling of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. In 2019, Nugent defended Donald Trump after the U.S. president was accused of making racist remarks about Democratic congresswomen from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Leading up to the 2020 election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail. Ted has called Trump "the greatest president in our lifetime," and believes the billionaire real estate mogul represents "the heart and soul of the best American families out there." Nuge Predictions on Impacts of Biden presidency: unemployment rises, energy and food costs soar, real wages shrink,... Posted by Ted Nugent on Friday, January 22, 2021

THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen has once again reflected on how the deaths of SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell and longtime producer Kato Khandwala affected the making of THE PRETTY RECKLESS's new LP, "Death By Rock And Roll". Momsen, whose band was the opening act for SOUNDGARDEN's spring 2017 run of dates, told "Elliot In The Morning" (hear audio below): "It was traumatic. We were there that night in Detroit [when Chris died]. We played the show with [SOUNDGARDEN]; we were opening for them. I said goodbye To Chris, gave him a hug. We stayed in the parking lot hanging out with the rest of the band — with Matt [Cameron] and Kim [Thayil] and Ben [Shepherd] — all night long, till bus call, and drove off to the next city. And we woke up the next morning to the news. And the weight on the bus was so unbelievably heavy. I woke up to just everyone in the front lounge crying and in utter shock." She continued: "We played a few shows after that, but I got to a place where I was not okay — I was not emotionally prepared to handle that. I came to the conclusion that I wasn't in a good place to be public, and touring was not doing it for me at the time. I couldn't get on stage every night and pretend that I was okay when I really wasn't. So I canceled everything, which was maybe not the best business decision, 'cause we were in the middle of a record cycle at the time. But I went home and tried to kind of regroup and process everything and get my feet back on the ground. And as soon as I started to kind of do that and come to terms with what had happened, I was calling Kato, our producer, and I had written some songs, and I said, 'Let's get in the studio. I don't know if this is for a record or what, but we've gotta start to move forward. Let's start recording some stuff.' And as soon as we started to kind of put those plans in motion, I got the call that Kato died in a motorcycle accident. And that was really the nail in the coffin for me where I just kind of spiraled downward, to put it lightly." According to Taylor, "it took a lot" of effort for her to pull herself out of that dark place that she was in. "I'll say it again — as cliché as it sounds, it really was music that was the thing that I turned to," she said. "I say it's my best friend, because when you've lost everything, music has always been the thing that supported me and it's always been there for me and it's never let me down. And I think this was certainly a time in my life where I was testing those boundaries. I had to kind of make a conscious decision whether it was death or move forward, and I chose to move forward and start working on this album." "Death By Rock And Roll" will be made available on February 12 via Fearless Records in the U.S. and Century Media Records in the rest of the world. THE PRETTY RECKLESS's latest single "And So It Went". features a guest appearance by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello. In addition to Morello, "Death By Rock And Roll" features Thayil and Cameron on a song called "Only Love Can Save Me Now". The track was recorded at Seattle's legendary London Bridge Studios, where seminal LPs like PEARL JAM's "Ten" and SOUNDGARDEN's "Louder Than Love" were laid down. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSilyS4ERjY]

Live sound, mixing and recording engineer James "Jimmy T" Meslin has spent the better part of the past decade working with renowned progressive metal pioneers DREAM THEATER, both on tour and on the band's most recent records — including "Distance Over Time", the band's most successful album on the charts to date, using Mojave Audio. Meslin got his start at Cove City Sound Studios, where he was introduced to DREAM THEATER. Working as the assistant engineer on both their self-titled record (2013) and their 2016 double record "The Astonishing", Meslin eventually pivoted roles and went to work on the band's touring crew. "They needed a playback technician because they were going to be running pretty in-depth sessions and expanding on the way they do personalized clicks to ensure lock with a bigger scale live production," Meslin said. "I had the advantage of knowing the ins and outs of that record ['The Astonishing'], which made for a streamlined experience in building the live show. "Eventually, my studio foundation began to spill over into the approach of how their live show was captured and mixed. I had knowledge and resources to replicate FX achieved on the record, and capturing approaches used in the studio that could be utilized on the road. "The big introduction, for me, with Mojave was the MA-301fet, when we used it on [John] Petrucci's guitar rig in 2012," Meslin said. "For their self titled record, lead engineer Richard Chycki was auditioning microphones on Petrucci's guitar cabinets but only had one FET47 available. He was referred by Dusty [Wakeman, president of Mojave Audio] to try the MA-301, as we sought a second large diaphragm FET microphone. "We put the 301 on the cab and it was one of those moments for everyone in the room, where we had expected it to be a great emulation of its ancestor — but it was almost a sad moment when we realized the MA-301 blew the original out of the water. The 301 sounded like this huge glorious representation of the original, and there really was no reason to look any further. "We did because that's DREAM THEATER's style 'go big, or go home' — but the MA-301 gives a true representation of John's rig in one microphone. It's just really full range, very realistic and three-dimensional. The MA-301 eventually made its way on to Pertrucci's cabinets on the road as I began touring with them and brought some of the studio approaches to capturing DREAM THEATER with me. "Flash forward to 2018, I was asked to engineer their new record, which would eventually become 'Distance Over Time'. It was a unique experience. We recorded in upstate New York on a property called Yonderbarn, an old barn-turned-studio, but, unfortunately, gutted of all recording equipment years before our time there. It has a big open floor, beautiful views and acoustics and was intended to be where the band wrote the record. The plan was to eventually migrate to a formal recording studio, but the band fell in love with the place. Petrucci asked if we could pull off recording there and I said 'absolutely…' which unfolded into a huge to-do list of outfitting preamps, computers, monitors, wiring, microphones, cue systems — everything. "Of the many decisions to be made and challenges to overcome while preparing Yonderbarn to handle a DREAM THEATER recording session, myself and Matthew Schieferstein, DT's production coordinator — worked on a gear list to outfit the band's needs. Running 40 inputs and using up every bit of it, I relied heavily on Mojave's 301s to capture some of the most important elements of the record. It lived on Petrucci's guitar cabinet, blended with a Royer 121 and a Shure SM7B — although the 301 sat in the forefront. It captured the resonant head of [Mike] Mangini's kick drum, and was the sole microphone on [John] Myung's bass cabinet." Vocals for James LaBrie were recorded by Richard Chycki in Canada, who used a Mojave MA-1000 on Labrie's voice. "It's such a brilliant mic" said Labrie. "The response to the natural organic acoustics is unparalleled." After recording their "Distant Memories - Live In London" DVD, DREAM THEATER ended their European tour just before the world was put to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the live industry at a complete stop, conversation of new music and records being expedited came forth. "In March of 2020, Petrucci and I agreed to keep a small bubble and work together on his second solo record — 'Terminal Velocity'," Meslin commented. "The entire record was captured using the 301 on his guitar cabinet, and in addition utilized the 301s as overheads to capture Mike Portnoy's drums." "The 301s gave unbelievable clarity and top end to the kit, but never became harsh. The low-end response was clear and accurate, but never muddy," Meslin attested. Mid-summer 2020 led to the continuation of the Petrucci/Portnoy reunion with the resurrection of LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT and the making of the band's third record after over 20 years apart. With the success of the 301s function as overheads in an A/B configuration for "Terminal Velocity", Meslin recycled the same approach; however this time he upgraded to the sleek vintage gray body colors and added the Mojave MA-300 in the center, functioning as a mono overhead source. "The MA-300 is a smooth and powerful microphone, giving reinforcement to the snare and filling the hole an A/B stereo image can create. It can easily be used as the sole overhead source in the right production," said Meslin. Now working on the upcoming DREAM THEATER record, their 15th studio album, Meslin continues to rely on Mojave as a crucial resource in his recordings. "Mojave microphones have provided me with an easy access path to dial in sounds with confidence. I have yet to come across a situation their microphones can't handle. "As of 2012, the 301s have been a top choice to put on John's rig," Meslin continued. "They have remained crucial to the recordings and live work I do and will continue to be my go-to pick for larger-than-life guitar sounds." For more information about Mojave Audio, visit www.mojaveaudio.com.