John Elefante made his breakthrough in the music scene forty years ago when he was chosen to front American rock legends Kansas. He then went on to have a hugely successful career as a music producer and studio owner whilst also releasing a number of solo records and albums with Mastedon. On 22nd April he releases a new solo album called “The Amazing Grace” through Escape Records. I had the opportunity to chat with John about the new album and his career during a call on 28th March.
You can hear that interview on the Friday NI Rocks Show from 1st April which is available now via our MixCloud page - https://www.mixcloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-john-elefante-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-1st-april-2022/
Under the Surface has been operating for just over a year now and thanks to all that have got in contact and sent in requests. This week’s show is Number 70 and takes a light touch look at the career of Scott Weinrich better known as Wino. There are very few musicians that have operated so prolifically in so many bands and projects over the last 40 years. This show gives a flavour of that with tracks from the likes of The Hidden Hand, The Obsessed and Place of Skulls. Also on offer this week is a glimpse of the latest Converge record – “Blood Moon” which is all enveloping and already shuffling into an annual top 10. Also alongside the above are tracks from the likes of Mortuary Drape and Clutch. Going forward the playlist from the previous week will be put up to see what was missed!!
Under the Surface 69
Ozzy Osbourne - Steal Away
Kiss - Love Her All I Can
Death - Zombie Ritual
Gruesome - A Waste of Life
Ghost - Spillways
Saxon - Age of Steam
Bethlehem - Gestern Starb Ich Schon Heute
Immolation - Age Of No Light
Iron Monkey - Fink Dial
Bog Oak - A Sea Without Shore
Faith No More - Cuckoo For Caca
Cardiacs - Day Is Gone
Iron Maiden - Invaders
Van Halen - Where Have All The Good Times Gone
Ozzy - Diary Of A Madman
A regular feature highlighting some of the best album releases each month. I don’t do album “reviews” – this is simply a personal recommendation to check out an album - just a few words about the albums that appeal to me and about the artists releasing them. These will also be albums from which I’ll have been playing tracks on the Friday NI Rocks Shows recently. This month there will be albums from the Kris Barras Band, New Horizon, Radioactive, Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate, FM, Steve Dalton, Ronnie Atkins, Moonlight Haze, SheWolf, Gauntlet Rule, Shining Black, Altzi, Circle of Friends and Bomber.
Read more: NI Rocks Recommends - Album Releases in March 2022
Udo Dirkschneider is undoubtedly a rock legend, releasing numerous albums over the past 40+ years with Accept and U.D.O. On 22nd April he releases a solo album of cover versions called “My Way” through Atomic Fire Records. I chatted to Udo via Skype on 17th March about that new album as well as U.D.O. and other recent projects with The Old Gang and Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr,
You can hear that interview on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 18th March. That Show is available now via our MixCloud page -
https://www.mixcloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-udo-dirkschneider-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-18th-march-2022/