#Jazzy Danziger

[independentartistbuzz]

Indie 5-0 with Saint Luminus

The list of professional guitarists who had to completely relearn to play their instrument is a short one: jazz guitarist Pat Martino comes to mind, as does former Danzig guitarist John Christ. You can add to that distinguished shortlist electro space-rock guitarist, Saint Luminus. 

As his earthling name, William Rustrum, the instrumental guitarist-composer reached dizzying shred heights. Formerly, he fronted the premier Megadeth tribute, Hangar 18, and earned the opportunity to perform the thrash titan’s daunting back catalog with actual Megadeth band members. But after his 15-year thrash metal sojourn, the Los Angeles-based artist saw his physical playing ability crumble, and he had to start from scratch on the instrument.

Today, he’s as dexterous as ever, but he uses his technique in service of bringing the meditative sounds of the Universe and progressive rock together in one harmonious sonic experience. His sublimely melodic instrumental compositions have been called “cosmic vacations” due to their otherworldly majesty. Saint Luminus songs glow with dreamy atmospherics, tasteful passages of lyrical shred, and musical motifs that exude a bluesy longing reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.

We got a chance to speak with Saint Luminus about his new song “Cosmic Courier” and his musical career. So, let’s dive in:

Congratulations on the release of "Cosmic Courier"! Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the track and what it means to you personally? Well I started listening to chill lo-fi tracks because they had such an interesting vibe and they tend to use more extravagant jazzy chords. Then I started improvising over them and then sharing videos of my improvising to these tracks on social media. Surprisingly, lots of people commented on how they enjoyed the "Smooth jams". So why not make my own version. My intent was really to take the listener on a ride through our amazing Universe. I wanted to try something unexpected because most people know me as a Rock guitar player. Now the reaction from people has been very meaningful. I gott comments telling me how this was playlist material for slow and chill jams. Others told me how it made them feel things just by listening. To be able to produce music which affects people like that has been eye opening and rewarding. I sense there is a hunger for this type of music.

"Cosmic Courier" blends rock guitar with ambient textures and lush soundscapes, creating a dreamy and otherworldly vibe. How did you approach combining these elements to create such a unique sonic experience? I absolutely love good soundtracks for film and television. Today's modern soundtracks have so many textures and soundscapes which really create a vibe for what's happening onscreen. I always felt that the only thing missing is a guitar melody, unique riffage, and a killer solo. My approach is to start by writing a good old fashioned rock song with different sections and to have a guitar melody. BUT, the song has to be produced with lots of synths, soundscapes, echoes, verb. I entrusted my producer Troy Dexter to help develop my idea into reality. I don't want it to sound like a typical rock song. I want it to be a journey with a lot of unexpected surprises. In other words, I wanted to make music sound different.

As a guitarist, you have had an interesting journey, having to completely relearn to play the instrument. Can you share with us the challenges you faced and how you overcame them to reach the level of skill and dexterity you have today? Oh man, I could go on for days about this. The first challenge was having to quit the Megadeth Tribute band I was in. And I couldn't even join any bands or doing anything because I was solely focused on relearning all over again. Watching friends continue to play out live, and seeing all sorts of new guitar players pop up and doing their thing while I was doing very slow exercises, was maddening. I wasn't getting any younger. I wanted to be out there playing. One way I dealt with it was that I was still teaching music. So I was still involved in music making which was fulfilling. I had also gotten into Triathlon, the workouts and races were adventures and accomplishments. That helped keep my mind off a lot of my guitar frustration. But most importantly, watching my journey was eye opening. Though frustrated, I couldn't wait to see what would happen each day I picked up and practiced. I discovered things I never noticed in my many years of playing and going to music school. WOW!

With your background in thrash metal, what led you to transition to the electro space rock genre? How do you incorporate elements from different genres into your music while still maintaining your unique sound? Oh that's a damn good question. This arose out of my time relearning the guitar. I started hearing tones and expression I never had before from myself. I started to understand how the guitar greats were able to express themselves so freely on the instrument. Previously I thought of myself as a leader of a thrash metal group, and I play solos too. But to start to think of myself as a guitar player who uses the guitar as his singing voice in the vein of Joe Satriani, Gilmour, Santana, and more? That was mind-blowing, and I had to rethink who I was and what I had to offer.

So what do I love the most? I love Rock. I love soundtracks with electronic and spacey vibes. I really dig some electronic music, I also love the Astronomy, Cosmology, and everything outer space related. So I combined electronic music, with Space Rock, and rock in general. That's how I came up with the niche Electro Space Rock, because I don't know what else to call it. In simple terms its just rock, however, lol.

You have mentioned the influence of guitarists like David Gilmour and Joe Satriani on your playing style. How do you incorporate their expressive melodic approach into your music, and what other artists or genres have influenced your sound? Let's start with Satch. I can't shred lines like he can, though I do try. However Joe has a wonderful sense of melody & expression, and that is what I try to put in my music. I analyze the harmonic structure of his songs, write them down. And I transcribe his melodies and usually say to myself, "Oh? What a wonderful idea!" I'll then twist it around and manipulate the basic idea to give it a fresh sound.

Gilmour doesn't shred and that's so fascinating to me as he is considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. We have Satch, Vai, Guthrie Govan, Marty Friedman, etc etc. And yet Gilmour is always near the top when it comes to guitar players. Just like Joe, I analyzed the harmonic structure of Pink Floyd songs, and then transcribed his solos. He makes great note choices, but those little subtleties in how he approaches the note are what make him unique. I try to incorporate his way of approaching the notes. But I also use a lot of effects for my solos in that same vein in order to take the listener for a ride. Gilmour is so damn good at taking the listener for a ride.

Lastly other influences include Carlos Santana, Marty Friedman, and Albert King. And the electronic artist I absolutely love is Tycho. His work in developing soundscapes with real acoustic instruments, and fun grooves, is amazing.

[stllimelight]

Take Two's 'Rock of Ages' Is a Rollicking Triumph

Take Two’s ‘Rock of Ages’ Is a Rollicking Triumph

By Jeff Ritter Contributing Writer “Rock of Ages” is being staged in the Southampton Presbyterian Church’s social hall in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood. Several national tours of the Broadway hit stopped at the Fox Theatre in recent years. Would it work as well in such a confined space?

Surprisingly, it works very well moving The Bourbon Room to a more intimate stage in the cozy basement.

This…

[littleteakitten]

Who are some of your favorite bands? :)

Ooo also a tricky one! I love all kinds of music. My favorite bands of all time are Joyce Manor and Tigers Jaw, and I also like bands like Moose Blood, Modern Baseball, Girlpool, Basement, Turnover, Smidely, The Smiths, AC/DC, Sublime, The Misfits (Danzig era) etc. I could go on forever! I also like shoegaze and r&b, or anything with jazzy or old timey vibes. For sure a fan of Frank Ocean and the Weeknd, Jorja Smith, Daniel Caesar, Jinji Kikko, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, etc. Also 90's alternative!

[happymetalgeek]

DEATH THE LEVELLER

Casting an imposing, maniacal presence onstage are show openers, Death The Leveller. Taking us on a dope-fuelled trip through Danzig’s mind, frontman Denis Dowling’s slow, menacing movements, lock in with rhythmic, trudging, heavy but memorable riffery.

Echoing an Electric Wizard-esque psychedelic fuzz infusion, guitarist Gerry ‘Ger’ Clince channels mystical humming feedback in between repetitive and driving passages, generating formidable vibration throughout the room.

All the while Dowling leans on his microphone stand as if a preacher at an alter piece, casting damnation upon those in attendance, strobing lights and billowing dry ice add to an atmospheric purple haze later on in the set. It is here where Dowling demonstrates a diverse and captivating vocal range, at times reaching for Bruce Dickinson like heights, rounding off a sound that feels like classic metal but with a particularly dark side.

SENZAR

Slowly building up momentum with a jazzy-psych intro, Senzar quickly change the game by u-turning into ferocious, threatening but immediate extreme metal. Frontman Trevor McLave’s (ex-Coldwar) vocals are treated to some excellently applied reverberation, leading to verses resembling horrific whispers of damnation, floating through the room, sounding like bone chilling howls on a winter night.

Many songs performed have the unique quality of at once being slow and devastating, whilst coming across painfully aggressive and thrashy. With McLave circling the stage like an enforcing shark in a bomber jacket, he sounds like Neurosis’ Scott Kelly at his most visceral. The unit 4 piece Dublin unit generate a sonic hybrid of Stoner/Doom laden Black Metal; evoking notions of street toil, yet similarly, murky Scandinavian landscapes. Indeed, Senzar are a shining example of Ireland’s talent in producing artists comparable to those of Scandinavia’s extreme metal scenes and are an act not to be missed!

THE CRAWLING

Lisburn’s very own The Crawling are up next, with big boots to fill and with audience anticipation at a high for tonight’s headliner. The Crawling demonstrate considerable musical chops and feature a real snarl with Andy Clarke’s biting but sensitive yet contempt filled lyrics and vocals.

The band and audience are bathed in strobing lights and dense fog throughout the set, adding dramatic effect particularly during their pummelling breakdowns.

The three piece’s set closer is preluded by the irksome sound of a buzzing fly in stereo around the room, bringing on the sensation of being amidst rotting materials, those lain waste by The Crawling.

  PRIMORDIAL

With Primordial making their way to the stage, there is a feeling of something very special in the making. Indeed with it being “some time” since Dublin’s finest metal export’s last visit up North, the band have a treat in store.

Setting the scene, off the bat with the epic “Where Greater Men Have Fallen”, the room is charged and engaged, especially captivated by frontman Nemtheanga’s militaristic command. Primordial’s own brand of folk tinged black metal has taken on a form of aiming for the epic, and hits the mark regularly, with tracks like “To Hell or The Hangman” and “Gallows’ Hymn” early on, preluded by menacing but thought provoking introductory speeches.

Nemtheanga’s seismic performance takes form as commander in chief vocally, but in twisted and authoritative motions, on aforementioned “To Hell of The Hangman”, he navigates his way on stage in mechanically, rhythmic movements: eye catching and simply terrifying, given the apocalyptic attire and cryptic corpse paint adorning him.

A highlight of the set strikes early on, with back catalogue rarity and gem, “End of All Times (Martyr’s Fire)” – a point of interest not lost on many in tonight’s avid audience.

Building up a sweat on “No Grave Deep Enough”, Nemtheanga’s eyes run teary and extremely bloodshot. With a cocktail of char and corpse paint streaming into them profusely it is little wonder. This does little to expel his fury, if anything fuelling the fire, as he and the band spit out words of vengeance “I was never one for redemption!”

Primordial’s appeal is not just aesthetic, there is a clarity and focus to each and every song, fusing in classic rock sensibility and riffage into dark and visceral lyrics and execution. Their near quarter-of-a-decade making and recording music together has no doubt led to such flawless amalgamation and cohesion as a unit, and is documented somewhat sorrowfully on the track “Stolen Years”. Tonight’s performance of the song being the most introspective moment of the evening and really, the only chance much of the audience and band get for a breather. Evidently a tune with significance to each and everybody in the band, detailing “all the years we’ve been doing this”, it respects fists up from every band member on closing, in response to a rapturous applause – truly a heartfelt metal tune worthy of any road trip voyage playlist.

Following this, the bombastic drum lines of “As Rome Burns” lead the way for the biggest crowd chant’s I’ve ever heard inside the intimate but legendary Limelight 2, the epic and ferocious “Sing To The Slaves!” call and answer.

Primordial close out the night, giving us one more opportunity to ensure our voices have been lost for the coming week, launching into classic, Empire Falls. “Where is the fighting man” cry the crowd. Evidently, just down the road in Skerries Co. Meath, and boy can they fight.

Primordial will be taking their Exile in Europe Tour around the continent this year and are an act not to be missed at any headline event or festival stage.

= PRIMORDIAL SETLIST =

Where Greater Men Have Fallen

Nail Their Tongues

Gallows Hymn

To Hell or the Hangman

End of all Times (Martyr’s Fire)

No Grave Deep Enough

Stolen Years

As Rome Burns

Upon our Spiritual Deathbed

No Nation on this Earth

The Coffin Ships

Empire Falls

Review and Photos by Mike Lockheart, Metal Planet Music

GIG REVIEW: @PrimordialEire Descend On @LimelightNI With @TheCrawlingBand, @Senzar_Music & @Death_Leveller @dmepromotions @dpmetal @MetalPlanet72 DEATH THE LEVELLER Casting an imposing, maniacal presence onstage are show openers, Death The Leveller. Taking us on a dope-fuelled trip through Danzig's mind, frontman Denis Dowling’s slow, menacing movements, lock in with rhythmic, trudging, heavy but memorable riffery. 965 more words

[these-summer-nights-in-december]

Best New Poets 2014

My unpublished poem "Gathering a Few Facts" has been chosen to appear in the Best New Poets 2014 anthology, guest edited by Dorianne Laux.

The anthology comes out this November. You can see a list of the 50 poets/poems chosen HERE.

A facebook announcement with pictures of the poets is HERE.

I am honored and seriously excited by this happy news. Thanks so much BNP editors, Jazzy Danziger and Dorianne Laux!