by Dan Locke

COVER TEASER

“We’re coming to your town… we’ll help you party it down.”
Grand Funk Railroad’s Don Brewer looks back at fifty years on the road, anthems that shaped rock radio, battles behind the scenes, and why—after all this time—the music still hits just as hard.

THE HEARTBEAT OF AMERICAN ROCK: DON BREWER ON FIVE DECADES OF FUNK, FIRE & FM RADIO

There’s a certain rhythm that underpins American rock: a pulse equal parts grit, sweat, and rebellion. Few drummers personify that heartbeat more than Don Brewer, co‑founder and longtime rhythmic anchor of Grand Funk Railroad. With his unmistakable backbeat, powerhouse vocals, and songwriting chops, Brewer helped turn a blue‑collar trio from Flint, Michigan into one of the biggest arena‑filling acts of the 1970s.

From the early days of playing gymnasiums, to breaking the Beatles’ record by selling out Shea Stadium, to shifting gears in the era of FM hit radio, Brewer’s journey mirrors the evolution of American rock itself. In this expanded interview, he opens up about the music, the mayhem, the management battles, the fans, and the future.

Q&A WITH DON BREWER (EXTENDED EDITION)

EARLY DAYS — FROM GYM FLOORS TO FESTIVAL STAGES

Q: Grand Funk Railroad started in the late ’60s, right?
A: That’s right—1969. That was our first official show.

Q: Do you remember that show?
A: Vaguely. It was somewhere near Buffalo or across the border in Canada. Just a gymnasium dance, nothing glamorous. But it was new, exciting—we’d just taken on the name Grand Funk Railroad, and we were still figuring out who we were as a band.

Q: And pretty soon you were on massive stages.
A: The real turning point was the first Atlanta Pop Festival. We went down there as a favor for a friend and played for free. First day, 30,000 people. We finished our set and suddenly it was like, “Who are these guys?” The buzz was instant.

Q: That kind of exposure in 1969 was huge.
A: Massive. Back then, festivals were how you got discovered. No internet. No viral clips. You played your heart out and hoped people talked about you.
And they talked about us.

THE ROCKET RIDE — SHEA STADIUM & BEYOND

Q: Let’s talk Shea Stadium.
A: That was 1971. One of the wildest moments of our career. We were coming off our third album Closer to Home, which had “I’m Your Captain” on it. We’d built this insane fan base, and the Shea show sold out faster than the Beatles—a record at the time.

Q: Did you feel that momentum in the moment, or only in hindsight?
A: Both. You could feel the energy changing. We’d gone from being the underdogs the critics hated to this unstoppable live act fans adored. Shea was the confirmation.

THE BUSINESS BATTLES — “WE DISCOVERED THE TRUTH THE HARD WAY”

Q: You went through a major management dispute around then.
A: Yes. We found out our manager Terry Knight—and a couple attorneys working with him—had been taking our money. A huge chunk of it. We were young, hungry, and trusting. Bad combination.
Rock and roll isn’t just guitars and drums—it’s contracts, and not always good ones.

Q: That must have changed everything.
A: It forced us to grow up quickly. Suddenly we weren’t just musicians—we were a business fighting to survive.

FM RADIO CHANGES — ADAPTING OR DYING

Q: Around that time, FM radio was shifting too.
A: Oh, absolutely. FM underground radio used to play 7‑minute songs. Long arrangements. Experimental stuff. Then suddenly FM stations wanted tight, radio‑friendly, three‑minute singles. If you didn’t adapt, you disappeared.

Q: And that’s when Todd Rundgren entered the picture.
A: Exactly. We needed a new direction. Todd helped us craft a punchier, hit‑driven sound without losing who we were.

TODD RUNDGREN — “HE CHANGED HOW WE HEARD OURSELVES”

Q: What was working with Todd Rundgren like?
A: Fantastic. Todd recorded things the way he wanted them to sound in the end—effects, EQ, everything—right into the headphones. So while you’re performing, you’re already hearing the final product. That changes how you play. Most engineers kept everything dry until the mix stage. Todd blew that up.

Q: Did that affect your performances?
A: Completely. When you hear the real tone and texture in your headphones, you play differently—more confidently, more musically.

LYNN GOLDSMITH — PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAGE & THE POP SHIFT

Q: Lynn Goldsmith worked with you creatively as well.
A: She did. She added a poppier, more visual approach. Album photography, publicity strategy—she had a strong vision. At the time, FM radio was heading more toward mainstream pop, and what she brought fit that.

ROCK LORE — SWEET CONNIE, THE ROAD & “AMERICAN BAND”

Q: In “We’re an American Band,” you mention Sweet Connie.
A: Sweet Connie—Connie Hamzy—was introduced to us in Little Rock. She was legendary among musicians. I wrote the lyrics from real moments on the road. Connie, the “four young Chiquitas,” Freddie King, all those snapshots became part of the story.

Q: Did you ever meet Pamela Des Barres?
A: Not that I know of.

ZAPPA, SEGER & NEW CREATIVE WORLDS

Q: Frank Zappa produced one of your albums.
A: Yes, Good Singin’, Good Playin’. We’d seen 200 Motels, where he jokingly took a shot at Grand Funk. We thought it was hilarious and said, “Why not get Frank to produce us?” He loved the idea.
Working with him was incredible—funny, smart, sharp as a razor.

Q: And you’ve worked with Bob Seger for decades.
A: I’ve been his touring drummer on and off for forty years. Bob runs a tight ship, and the band is always top‑notch. Playing with him keeps you sharp.

THE FANS — FOUR GENERATIONS STRONG

Q: How has the fan base changed since the ’60s?
A: The same fans—just older and grayer!
But now they bring their kids and grandkids. Seeing four generations sing “Some Kind of Wonderful” or “We’re an American Band” together… that’s something special.

Q: That must be surreal.
A: It is. That’s when it hits you—you’ve become part of people’s lives.

DRUMS, TECHNOLOGY & THE MODERN STAGE

Q: How has drum technology changed for you?
A: The drums themselves? Not by much. They’re still acoustic instruments. But drumheads, sticks, hardware—they’re better than ever.
The real leap is the technology around the music: soundboards, PA systems, lighting, amplification. I wish we had today’s gear back in the 70s.

Q: Do you think musicians rely too heavily on tech today?
A: Sometimes, yeah. Technology is great, but it can overshadow the basics. A great song and a great performance—that’s what matters.

Q: Your drum heroes?
A: Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Dino Danelli… and older legends like Louie Bellson and Buddy Rich. Those guys were powerhouses.

OFF THE STAGE — LIFE, CARS & RADIO

Q: What’s on your phone musically?
A: I don’t listen to much music on my phone. Mostly talk radio. Satellite stations tend to repeat the same playlist over and over.

Q: First big purchase after your first gold record?
A: A 1974 Midnight Blue Thunderbird. Gorgeous car.

Q: When did you start playing drums?
A: Around 13 or 14. I hated clarinet, the band needed someone in the drum section, the drumline had girls in it, and my dad—who was a drummer—taught me. Easy decision.

THE ROAD TODAY — STILL ROLLING

Q: Your 2018 tour kicked off recently.
A: Yep, two shows so far. One in Delaware, another sold‑out show near Cleveland.
We stay busy. Grand Funk never really stopped touring.

Q: Favorite city from the early days?
A: I loved New York in the ’60s and ’70s. Now? Sedona, Arizona. Great energy, breathtaking scenery.

CLOSING THOUGHTS — “WE’RE STILL HAVING THE TIME OF OUR LIVES.”

Q: Any final message for fans?
A: This lineup has been together since 2000—18 years, which is rare. The last two years have been our best in decades.
We’re excited for another great year.
We’re coming to your town—come out and see us.

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Emily Wolfe is a triple-threat rock & roll singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer from Austin, TX, Wolfe is on a mission to breathe new life into classic rock & roll with her incendiary guitar chops and original songwriting. Wolfe’s creative songwriting, powerful lead vocals, and dominating guitar style has led her to share stages with Heart, Tool, The Gaslight Anthem, The Struts, Pretenders, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and more. Starting at the age of five as a self-taught guitarist, Wolfe has continually honed her craft, taking her playing to new heights. Her dedication and skill have earned her two signature Epiphone guitars: the Emily Wolfe Stealth and the Emily Wolfe White Wolfe.

Humans are tribal creatures, it’s true. Those days of yore when our ancestors were so leery of outsiders, risking all to keep their tribe safe may be long behind us but those instincts live on in our programing.  And today when most of the world doesn’t have to be so concerned about lions or pillagers sneaking up in the tall grass, those instincts have expressed themselves in other trifling ways. Take American football, for instance. Imagine loving ‘your’ team so much that you absolutely despise the team from the state just above, below, or aside from the state your team hails from. (And let’s also note that it’s very possible a player or two from ‘your’ team might even now play on that team in which you hate.)

This kind of behavior has also expressed itself in music. Not in the music itself but in the realm of music fandom. And it’s particularly hard on vocalists. We all know lovers of music who have ascribed themselves exclusively Team Bon Scott or Team Brian Johnson, or David Lee Roth versus “Van Hagar.” And sadly, these imagined rivalries often dominate over what’s most important – – – the music.

Music isn’t just fun it’s magical – music is freedom, it is healing, it’s lifesaving. The music should be the focal point of any music lover while enjoying the songs they love. And it’s important to have stated this because none of the following is in any way to slam current Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna. But, like many bands having been around more than four decades, Anthrax has had their share of line-up changes, and there are Anthrax fans who prefer either John Bush to Joey Belladonna or vice versa. But really, it’s difficult to even compare John Bush to Joey Belladonna as the singers have very different vocal styles.

That being said, those who prefer John Bush as the vocalist of Anthrax surely miss seeing songs of the Bush-era performed live. However, for three very special dates in December of this year, John Bush will be belting out some of his Anthrax catalog live. for one show in Los Angeles, one in the Chicago-area (St. Charles), and one more in New York City.

Despite having talked about doing this sort of show many times over the years, the time has come! Bush’s band, Category 7, will back him up for these special shows. Category 7 consists of Phil Demmel (ex-Machine Head, Vio-Lence), Mike Orlando (ex-Adrenaline Mob), Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, ex-Overkill) and Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning).

I recently caught up with John to discuss how this idea has finally come to fruition…

So many of Bush’s fans were thrilled to hear the announcement of these shows! How exactly did the planets align to make this a reality?

“Well there’s no time like the present,: stated Bush, “[I just turned] 62 years old, I feel great but I ain’t no spring chicken. There was a little free time in December so I pulled the trigger. Should be fun.”

I think for a lot of music lovers it was the song “Only” that really brought Anthrax to the forefront. Even with such an impressive repertoire of albums and material with Armored Saint, I know a lot of people feel that your songs with Anthrax during those years were really special. Do you feel that way as well when reflecting about that material?

 “I really believe there are a lot of killer songs throughout those four records. The band worked super hard during that time writing, recording, doing press, and of course touring. Not to mention dealing with record label woes and the big changes from the 80’s to the 90’s.”

Bush continued: “The glory years of Anthrax will always be associated with the 80’s, however; like you said there were many people who discovered the band in the 90’s. Hopefully, this little nostalgic trip makes some people happy.”

I think the only ‘complaint’ that I’ve heard about these shows is that it’s only three. I read that the geographical placement was important since there are only three, and that’s very cool. But do you think there will be more added at some point?

“Well, we’re starting with this. Who knows what the future holds.”

And are there perhaps any plans to video record these shows and perhaps put them out on DVD for purchase for the fans who can’t make it to these shows?

“You know I haven’t thought about that yet honestly,” stated Bush in earnest, “Does anyone buy DVD’s anymore?”

“But yes, it would be cool to film it for fans who aren’t close to the three cities.”

Although there’s not quite the cache of material to choose from for these shows as opposed to writing up a set list for an Armored Saint tour, is it still difficult at all to decide on some of the songs to perform? I’m sure some are no-brainers, choosing the fan favorites, but were there any that were harder decisions?

“I’m still singing to a lot of these songs and seeing if any deep tracks jump out at me before I finalize a set list. Obvious ones are easy. I would like each show to be a little different from one another but that being said, I don’t want to bite off more than I could chew. Plus, there’s also the band to consider. A lot of lyrics are coming back to me, but I also sang these songs many times. This is new territory for the C7 guys. That being said they’re amazing musicians and I have no doubts.”

Speaking of Category 7, it’s really cool that you have fellow Armored Saint band mate Joey [Vera] joining you for these shows as well since he has his own bit of Anthrax history as well. And all the guys you’ve brought together for this are wonderful. Even though I’m sure that there’s comfort in performing with the musicians you play with regularly, is there also an excitement for playing in new formations with other guys too?

“Joey’s my bro, and as you said he played in Anthrax for a brief time. I think the whole thing is exciting. Hopefully the fans will be pumped.”

Trust us, John, fans are pumped!

By Rob McCune

The Bear is back, and as fierce as ever.

Seven years after their Farewell Tour, Minus the Bear is adding an asterix to their rockography with a reunion tour to mark the 20th anniversary of their second album, “Menos el Oso.”

The Seattle-born indie, math, experimental rock band that formed in 2001 released six studio records and twice as many EPs in the 17 years before they disbanded, playing what was billed as their final performance at The Showbox in their hometown where it all started.

Fans who weren’t so fond about that farewell snatched up tickets for shows on this tour, many of which sold out quickly, including the stop at the House of Blues in Cleveland, where wiggle room was bare and grooving was mostly of the vertical variety (jumping).

Warming up the crowd first was opener Into It. Over It., an emo-indie rock band out of Chicago that has released six studio albums since forming in 2007. Frontman, guitarist/vocalist Evan Weiss—with Matt Frank on bass guitar, Joe George on lead guitar, and Adam Beck on drums—got into it with a 10-song set that featured the live debut of a new song, “Hypermobilisation,” that blends power chords and an aggressive beat with otherworldly geometry. The group mixed in more grounded tracks like the misery-with-company “Upstate Blues” off their 2013 album “Intersections” and the poppy solarplexus “A Trip Around the Sun,” off a compilation album, “Interesting Decisions.”

For their set, Minus the Bear reminded us what we all already knew, opening with “The Game Needed Me,” and then playing the full “Menos el Oso” record in tracklist order. Songs like “Pachuca Sunrise” added both pep and poignancy, putting “this night to tune” and making the crowd move to the rich vocals of lead Jake Snider, while others like “Fulfill the Dream, with its rapid-fire riffs were a playground for Dave Knudson on lead guitar and Cory Murchy on bass. Alex Rose, meanwhile, worked the synthesizer like a seahorse on speed, providing the electronica underpinning essential to almost every piece.

The second part of this headline set featured a selection from the band’s other five albums, with playfully tongue-in-cheek tracks including “Let’s Play Clowns,” “Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo” and “Lemurs, Man, Lemurs.” For the requisite encore, the Bear looked “Into the Mirror” and finished with the landmark “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse,” off their 2002 debut, “Highly Refined Pirates.”

Could this tour be yet another farewell from the arithmetical ursine poets? We can hope not, but even if it is, there are at least four more 20-year album anniversaries right around the corner.

Add those to the calendar.

Rob McCune is Every_Thing_After_Photo on Instagram, where he shares his concert photography and reviews, as well as clips from his “Every.Thing.After” podcast, with interviews with musicians and bands.

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By Melanie Falina

Those of us who have been around the block, perhaps even a few times, have very fond memories of the bands we supported in our youth. We were young – but legally adult, single – mostly, and usually broke. For most of us adulthood was hitting hard, but what we had were the bars and clubs (and sometimes dank garages, skeezy practice spaces, and the occasional forest preserve) where we could rock out with friends and feel free once again. They were magical years, but what we didn’t know then was that in a short time real life was going to hit even harder.

Some of our friends from that era are still in our lives, although most in different capacities, and a few of our favorite bands from then are still around too, however, sadly, still trying to do at 40 or 50 what didn’t quite work at 20. But then sometimes a phoenix does truly rise from the ashes. Sometimes a band that we loved long ago who went silent, somehow resurrects, but in the best way possible. Not as a halfhearted reboot of their younger selves but having evolved as not only musicians but souls.

For music lovers who followed the Chicago doom metal band Avernus, the band’s leave of absence for nearly three decades what a hard pill to swallow. Having left behind a string of much-loved demos and one full-length release in the 90’s, life got in the way as it’s wont to do. But now regrouped, revitalized, and signed to M-Theory Audio, Avernus is back to fill that void left so long ago.

We caught up with Avernus drummer and co-founder, Rick Yifrach, to talk about their new album, Grievances, and making magic again, on stage and in the studio, after 27 years.

Pointing out that 27 years is a long time just sounds a bit cliché, but man, 27 years is a long time! Despite those years filled with the rest of life – professions, families, and so on, Avernus was able to do what Bryan Adams in “Summer of 69” couldn’t – come together again and pick up where they had left off. During that sabbatical just how often did the ghost of Avernus-past whisper out from the darkness?

“It is something that never left us,” explained Yifrach, “Rather we struggled to find a way reinvent ourselves after releasing our [debut full-length] album Of the Fallen in 1997.”

“Bands in our death/doom genre, few as they were in the early 90’s, all seemed to experiment with a newer sound that was forthcoming, and we felt that it was just a natural evolution and went with it as well. It was not the right way for us in hindsight. I joke sometimes that it took 27 years between albums because everything ‘doom’ is just slow, but the truth is that it took a set of circumstances including Covid for us to get serious about doing something serious again. We’re happy we did. So, we are back, and we are grateful. Take that, Bryan Adams!”

So how exactly did everything start to happen again?

“It was a set of circumstances culminating in a window of opportunity that allowed us to pursue the task of writing and recording an entire album. We never gave up on wanting to do something, a full album, but as things go in life, sometimes it just doesn’t work out until it does.”

“A perfect alignment of desire, timing and circumstance I would say were the main catalysts,” added Yifrach.

Yet seemingly different people now with a slew of life experiences to boot, just how difficult was it to sync back up with one another and create?

“The desire and need to create is something that never leaves you. We are at our best working as a team [and] having all our original members made things easier. For most of us, I think that it was a matter of getting back into playing our instruments again, shaking off the oxidation that develops when out of practice. Once we did that it all fell into place naturally, we rediscovered the sound we needed and wanted for this. I could write a dissertation on all the calamities and follies that happened along the way, but there’s just too much and I wouldn’t know where to begin. It was a long and arduous path, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. And unlike our previous album, the light wasn’t that of an oncoming train!”

Regarding that ‘sound’ Avernus wanted for these songs, what elements did they need to bring on board to achieve that?

“The writing for the album came together in a rather unorthodox manner for us, but it ended up working out. We had bits and pieces of songs that we wrote over some years, but it wasn’t until Covid hit that Jimmy took the initiative to stitch together an album made up of all the songs and bits and pieces we had in our back pockets. We were able to record an album in four studios in about a year’s time that sounded like a completed piece of work.”

Musicians always talk about a point where they truly feel they’re creating magic, so to speak, when exactly did that happen for Yifrach?

“That’s a good question. We were doing pre-production for the song ‘Nemesis,’ and I decided to send a copy of it to my cousin because I knew he would be dead honest with me – he always is, and I was curious what the reaction would be. About half an hour later he called me with an overwhelming positive response, and he listened to it three times! We [also]shared two or three songs with friends and fellow musicians with open and strong opinions on everything. Of course, I think we all feel good when receiving positive feedback, but we were also looking for a second set of ears on guitar tones and how the drums were placed in the mix, things like that. The reaction was great. It’s a good feeling. You know when you truly have something good or not by gauging the reaction of others. There is a certain genuine response you get that is difficult to explain when someone outside the band has that positive reaction to it. That’s the magic for me.”

Once combing forces with a label again was that even more confirmation that everything was all happening as it should, despite the hiatus?

“Having a label supporting you, willing to put the money, the time, and all the other things involved into your record is a good feeling. It legitimizes you to an extent. You might think you have a good album, but it’s when someone is willing to put their support behind you that you feel the relief of knowing, hey, maybe we really do have something here. There is definitely confirmation in that, especially when it’s someone like Marco Barbieri, a legend in the world of metal.”

And probably the culmination of new release celebrations came during Avernus’ 2025 performance at Milwaukee Metal Fest playing alongside bands like Down, Black Label Society, Death Angel, Gwar, Arch Enemy, and many, many more fellow heavy hitters.
Avernus guitarist Erik Kikke chimed in on their long-founded history with this music festival:

“Milwaukee Metal Fest has always been a very significant and important festival for us for a few different reasons. It was where Rick Yfrach and Rick Mccoy first met in 1992, and it was also the very first Milwaukee Metal Fest that I had ever attended. And we were lucky enough to be able to play it in 1995, 1996, 1997, and in 2000.”

“It was exciting to see MMF was back,” Kikki continues, “We were truly fortunate to be invited back in 2025…Feeling full circle!”

Whether you’ve followed Avernus down this long and winding road or have just hopped on board, now that Avernus is back you’re in for one hell of a ride. Be sure to check out Avernus’ website and sign up for their mailing list, and to follow them on all the social media platforms to be in the know of what they’ve got in store for us next!

AVERNUS online:

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Charming Disaster, the goth-folk duo comprised of Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris, has released five studio albums since coming together as a band in 2012, including “The Double,” released this year which appropriately is a double album, paired with “Time Ghost,” a collection of singles dropped in 2024. On a recent tour, and before a show at Cleveland’s The Foundry Concert Club, the pair sat down for an interview for the Every.Thing.After (ETA) podcast and UnRated Magazine, when they talked about their fascination with the macabre and love for telling dark tales in a vaudevillian style.

ETA: You’ve cited writer and costume artist Edward Gorey, as well as filmmaker Tim Burton as inspirations for your flair. The animated music video for your latest release looks like it was directed by Tim Burton himself. You’ve performed with circuses and in cemeteries, with storytellers and comedians and puppets. My first question is multi-part: When do you expect the team behind the Netflix series “Wednesday” to call about getting you on the soundtrack? Why are you not only on the soundtrack but in the movie “Sinners,” which features a vampire folk band, and are you in fact vampires? Because I think you have to tell me if you are. Then again, I’ve already invited you in, haven’t I?

Ellia: Those are excellent questions to start with. In reverse order, we cannot disclose our vampire status. That is confidential, but we will tell you that we are 400 years old, so you can do the math.
Jeff: I’m 430.
Ellia: And I’ve seen “Sinners,” Jeff hasn’t yet, but I’m willing to go see it again just so he can. … That’s a great gig, being in the vampire folk band.
Jeff: I think we could fit in a lot of shows; we have a lot of songs. … We are influenced by the vaudeville aspect of musical performance, and that’s very important to us–the dramatic flair. Since there’s only two of us, we try to as much as we can with what we have, and putting on a theatrical-type show is part of it.

ETA: How did you get started as a band, and what are your musical influences?

Jeff: My earlier band called Kotorino was playing in a bar. I was the leader of that band and had six to nine people in the band at any given time. That was my main musical project. And I had just finished a set and someone came up to me and started talking to me about music.
Ellia: Oh yea, that was me. At the time, this was 13 years ago now, I also had a large band of which I was the band leader, songwriter, front-person. My band was called Sweet Soubrette. When I caught Kotorino at the bar that night, sort of by happenstance, I really dug the music. I really dug the songwriting. And I felt a kind of kinship because my band’s composition was kind of similar in that there were strings and horns and keys and drums and bass. It was a kind of parlor rock musical aesthetic with very dark cabaret-ish, lush arrangements. I really felt just a sense that Jeff and I had a lot in common musically so I struck up a conversation.
Jeff: And I thought, great, here’s another band we can share the stage with.

Ellia: Jeff had some crazy idea to try to do a show where all of our band members were on stage at the same time. And the thing about having a large band is it’s a nightmare to herd all the cats; it’s just so much wrangling of people. And I was like, “yea, that’s fine, but what if we started a two-person thing, just the two of us? We could rehearse as much as we want.” And I said, “we should try writing songs together,” which was not a thing that had ever occurred to me to suggest to anybody else ever. It just popped out of my mouth. It possessed me.
Jeff: And I was like, “Wow, I’ve never written a song with anyone before.” So we had a meet, and I got to see her band the following week.
Ellia: Then we had our first band meeting and started writing our first song that very night. That was “Ghost Story,” and we’ve been off and running ever since. This band subsequently eclipsed the other bands because it turned out having a two-person project was so nimble. We were writing a lot of songs and when you are prolific, it’s really hard. It’s very frustrating when you can’t get your band together very much because you have new material, but it takes a while to get good enough to play it out. We were able to just get together all the time and work on stuff, write, practice. Now, 13 years later, Charming Disaster kind of ate the other bands.
Jeff: And two people can fit into a car easily and play a variet of venues.
Ellia: We do still rope those other musicans into our recording sessions, so you will still hear Kotorino and Sweet Soubrette on the Charming Disaster albums here and there.

ETA: Did the two of you feel this connection right away?

Ellia: It was really easy. The night Jeff came and saw my band after I’d seen his band, we had this really long conversation at the bar about dead cats, like our own departed pets. When you can have a dead cat conversation with someone right away, you really know you’re on the same page. And in fact, it’s sort of a funny thing to say, but that conversation touched on a lot of the stuff that is part of our songwriting and our whole aesthetic, meaning mortality and a kind of dark humor, like gallows humor. It was very apparent from the start that we shared a certain sensiblity.
Jeff: After our first meeting, Ellia sent me an email with the first verse of the first song we wrote together. I was immediately like, “oh, she’s serious.”
Ellia: Yea, that’s my signature move. Somebody’s like, “oh it would be so funny to write a song about that time, blah, blah, blah.” And I’m like, “here it is.”
Jeff: She really made me up my game a lot. And I’m still running to catch up.

ETA: That first song wasn’t about your dead cats, was it? Did you ever write a song about your dead cats?

Ellia: We never did write a song about our dead cats. The first song was “Ghost Story,” which is about a living woman who is in love with a ghost, which was the first thing we wrote down on the list of things it would be cool to write a song about for this new project. Because we had this idea that it would be neat to really lean into the two voices thing, both as a musical device and as a narrative device. If you have two characters who have different sides of a story to tell, what are some scenarios that would be fun to explore? Living woman in love with a ghost. Two people have killed someone and they don’t know what to do. Road trip in a stolen car. That kind of stuff, just like regular stuff. It’s funny because our other bands were not so macabre, but it’s such a natural place for me to be in that zone.
Jeff: We wanted to tell stories where there was trouble going on, some sort of trouble, and it’s usually dark. … And we’re both band leaders, so there’s no way that one person is going to take a backseat and just sing backups or do handclaps in the back. We both wanted to be active in pretty much all the songs. So there’s a lot of back and forth and harmonies because that’s really fun. There are so many things you can do with two main vocalists.

ETA: It seems like folk music is really having another moment right now. Between the Bob Dylan movie and now “Sinners,” there’s a lot of stuff coming out that’s really folk-forward. Are you getting any of that buzz translating to you?

Ellia: It’s hard to say. We really occupy a niche, and that niche has been pretty consistent for a long time. If that niche starts to extend more into the mainstream culture, we’re not necessarily aware of it, until (“Sinners” director) Ryan Coogler’s people call us.

ETA: Are there any artists out currently that you would cite as really influential and who you would want to share the stage with sometime?

Ellia: There’s some folks that we have shared a stage with, like Rasputina, Melora Creager’s project. We opened for them back in 2019 on a tour of the Midwest, including in Cleveland at the Beachland Ballroom. And that was great. Melora’s historical storytelling narratives are very much up our alley. PJ Harvey is a big influence.
Jeff: Led Zeppelin is a big influence. The Decembrists and their kind of baroque storytelling style is something that we can jive with pretty well.
Ellia: And there’s also peer bands, other folks we play with and are friends with who really do interesting stuff, like the band Lung, who are another duo. They’re musically quite different from us, but they also are really interested in exploring how much you can do with just two people. We’re fans of the Dust Bowl Fairies, who we’ll be playing with up in Kingston, New York, who also do spooky folk music. There’s lots of people making great music all over, and we feel very lucky to get to play with a lot of those folks.

ETA: Do you think the duo aspect of your band opens up a lot of opportunities for you in terms of booking tours and tour dates?

Ellia: 100,000 percent. We can take advantage of opportunities more easily because there are only two of us, and can clear our schedule if something amaazing comes up. We can play a variety of venues, whether it’s a cult bookshop, a taxidermy store …
Jeff: or a mausoleum, or the Beachland Ballroom. We can fit into a lot of spaces.
Ellia: Even on this tour, we’ve played some more intimate spaces, and we’ve played some bigger concert halls. In St. Paul, we played a place called the Amsterdam Barn Hall, which was a pretty big room, and we can fill it. Our music is big enough to fill it, but we have a small footprint physically, which means our setup and breakdown is pretty straightforward. We don’t have a drum kit so we make a great opener if you have a complex setup as a larger band. All our stuff fits in an SUV. That’s the other thing, financially it’s a struggle to be an independent artist, especially right now. Ticket prices go up a little bit, but there are venues where tickets have always been $10, for the last 30 years. And then, if you’re not spending a lot of money on the tickets, it’s polite to buy a lot of merch. But it means, as a duo, our overhead is low. There’s not a lot of mouths to feed. There are shows we can’t afford to do because of the travel costs, and that’s become a realer thing as we’ve gone along. We understand better what it costs for us to get to a place and do a thing, so we have to say no to some stuff. But when we’re touring, we try to book stuff really back to back so there are efficiencies and we can say yes to smaller shows. Because if you have 10 smaller shows in a row, it actually works.
Jeff: And we’ve seen a lot of other duos who have been doing this for a while.
Ellia: It indicates a certain longevity.
Jeff: Exactly. They’ve figured out how to make a lot of sound with two people and that enables them to continue.
Ellia: There’s a duo called Frenchie and the Punk based in the Northeast in the Hudson Valley, and they do a lot with two people. We just played at the Chicago Steampunk Expo with a duo called Bellhead out of Chicago who also do a lot with just two people.

ETA: Can you share a story about one of your favorite, most-interesting and unique venues that you were able to play?

Jeff: Here’s a tip: It’s really tricky to sell merch at the fetish club because people aren’t wearing pants …
Ellia: and they don’t have any pockets.
Jeff: And they can’t carry their merch around usually. So that’s one thing.
Ellia: And another tip is if you’re playing a former cement mine, it’s gonna be really wet in there because it’s limestone and the water is just always trickling through the rock above you, which means that it’s always basically raining, so you might wanna bring a pop-up tent or something to protect your gear. An umbrella or big hat or just play unplugged because you might electrocute yourself. That’s a pro tip. We’ve played this mine twice, mind you. The fun thing about the mine is also … when they were taking limestone out to turn into cement, they would pump the water out, but since they’re not using it for that anymore, it’s filled back in with water, which means that the place where you perform, right behind the platform, is this vast subterranean lake, which is terrifying to stand in front of because in your mind the whole time, there’s a giant tentacle that emerges from the mysterious depths and just pulls us in.

ETA: You’ve shared a stage with fire-eaters and circus performers. Have you ever singed an eyebrow or gotten too close to the flames?

Ellia: It was a real highlight of that year when we get to MC a fire show at Coney Island. We were like, “guys, you know that we’re not fire performers, right?” But we did come up with some fire bits so that we could kind of participate a little bit.
Jeff: To stall for time as they’re getting their kerosene ready or whatever.
Ellia: We had a creme brulee torch on stage, and we roasted a marshmallow live. It was very exciting. And we did a dance with sparklers, that kind of stuff. There are all these people doing actual real crazy death-defying stunts — eating fire, they’re all aflame — and we’ve got sparklers.

ETA: Do you have any favorite tracks off of this new album, “The Double,” and what is the inspiration behind it?

Ellia: It’s hard to have a favorite track, but there are some that are especially fun to play live. We’ve been really getting to explore that because some of the tracks on the album are songs that we’ve been playing live for a while and others really not until this tour have we been playing them out. I would say “Trick of the Light,” which we’ve been playing out for six months, more or less. That one’s really fun, and is in fact a Dracula-inspired song. “New Moon” has also been really fun to start playing live.
Jeff: “Gang of Two,” which is about two criminals, cons, winding up in jail over and over again. It’s got a lot of time signature changes, which is fun. “Time Machine,” speaking of time, is fun.

ETA: Who did the animation for the music video for “Time Machine”?

Ellia: Summer Purks directed that video and came up with the visual concepts for it as well. She is a recent graduate of Florida State University’s film program and a rising-star animator who may well be the next Tim Burton.

ETA: Can you tell me a little bit about your instruments?

Jeff: This is a 1949 Gibson ES-150, which I use. It works really well. I don’t have to worry about keeping it pristine or anything. I got it pretty beat up and that was a big plus. I love it.
Ellia: My ukulele is a custom build by a maker named Peter Hurney, who’s based on the West Coast. His company is called Pohaku. It says Pohaku on the inside and there’s a lot of other pretty stuff inside where nobody can see except for me. I love that gratuitous detail. It has my portrait inlay on the fretboard, which is the most over-the-top. And it’s my most-precious possession if the house catches on fire — this and the cats.

Watch the full video interview on the Every.Thing.After channel on YouTube or listen to Apple Podcasts. 

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram |

Checking in with Bjorn Englen as Desert Fire hits the atmosphere

By Melanie Falina

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When you look at a list that includes Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteen, Scorpions, Dokken, Quiet Riot, Uli Jon Roth, DIO Disciples, Unida, Player, and Leatherwolf, you might think you’re in store for one hell of a concert festival. However, in the case of the melodic powerhouse Soul Sign, everyone on that list has indirectly played a part in creating Soul Sign’s signature sound, proving the theory that diverse perspectives absolutely enhance creativity.

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Having just unleashed the follow-up to their debut release, Life in the Dark, the highly anticipated Desert Fire demonstrates it was well worth the wait.

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We caught up with Soul Sign founder and bassist, Bjorn Englen, and he’s pretty adamant about Desert Fire‘s purest approach to recording, insisting there’s no autotune or additional over-production in any way in the making of this album. While AI and other computerized tools have made it easy for artists to enhance their recordings, it’s refreshing to see a band so committed to staying true to just good old-fashioned studio recording. 

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“It cheats the fans, but it cheats the bands even more,” explains Englen on why Soul Sign had nothing up their sleeves in the studio aside from sheer talent and dedication. “When things start to sound overproduced and too polished, it’s no longer as fun to listen to, I believe, in the long run.”

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But the recording of Desert Fire wasn’t without difficulties for this Los Angeles-based band. “The most challenging was some of the technical issues we had, and us being in geographically different locations made the album a bit delayed, but now it’s here,” exclaimed Englen. “Working together and creating the pieces was really fun and fulfilling. I loved the pre-production with Mike [Cancino, drums], and I also loved the recording sessions with both Mike and Rob [Math, guitar]. It was very nice to work so easily with Mark [Boals, vocals] from a distance, he is very professional and it was not a problem at all having him do his vocals in Las Vegas.”

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And with each member of this all-star band bringing so much to the table from their former groups and projects, we asked Englen if that combined wealth of experience has helped Soul Sign in the creation of these songs: “I think it’s helped us a lot, and us being of a mature age has helped us create a record that we can stand behind.”

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Now that the long-awaited sophomore release is finding its way into the hands of music lovers, Soul Sign can finally reap the rewards of their hard work. “It feels great,” comments Englen. “It’s been a long time in the making, and we’re looking forward to getting people’s reaction to the songs.”

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“We’re proud of the record and feel like it represents the band really well,” Englen adds in earnest.

And although asking a musician to pick one of his favorite songs is somewhat akin to asking a parent to choose their favorite child; even so, UnRated Magazine inquired as to Englen’s favorite of the eleven songs on Desert Fire: “Very tough question, but I would have to ‘Lost Vague Ace.'” But then he added, “I also think that ‘Negative Thoughts,’ ‘Desert Fire,’ and ‘Clean Soil’ came out great.”

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Check out the video for the album’s new single, “Lost Vague Ace” here. 

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So now that Desert Fire is available everywhere, what’s next for Soul Sign? “We’re doing four shows in California at the end of May, two in the Bay Area, and two in Southern California,” explained Englen, “We’re also looking to go to the East Coast later this year and Europe by next year.”

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And what would Englen personally like Soul Sign to accomplish in the next few years: “A new record, of course, within a couple of years. But big festivals in Europe, and world tours with bands like Queensrÿche, HammerFall, or Judas Priest would be nice. We definitely would love to go play Japan and Australia, but also South America and Mexico too.”

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Grab a copy of Desert Fire now and be sure to stay tuned to Soul Sign’s official website and Instagram pages for tour dates and announcements!

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Soul Sign Additional links:

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• Soul Sign on YouTube
• Soul Sign on TikTok
• Soul Sign on Facebook

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Checking in with John Bush of Armored Saint on their upcoming tours, the 40th anniversary of  Delirious Nomad, and heading into the studio to work on the band’s ninth studio album

by Melanie P. Falina

If anyone tried to write a short paragraph about who Armored Saint is and what they’ve done in their four-decade-plus history – well, they’d fail. There’s no way to encompass a band like Armored Saint, and not only because of their longevity. With ample, top-notch rocking songs in their arsenal to choose from, and always rolling out stellar, heavy-hitting live performances tour after tour – these guys are simply still at the top of their game and hard to summarize.

If anyone tried to write a short paragraph about who Armored Saint is and what they’ve done in their four-decade-plus history – well, they’d fail. There’s no way to encompass a band like Armored Saint, and not only because of their longevity. With ample, top-notch rocking songs in their arsenal to choose from, and always rolling out stellar, heavy-hitting live performances tour after tour – these guys are simply still at the top of their game and hard to summarize . Having just killed it at both the Bangers Open Air festival in São Paulo, Brazil and at the Sonic Temple Festival in Columbus, Ohio, now the guys are headed into the studio to continue working on their ninth studio album aiming for a spring 2026 release

We asked Armored Saint crooner, John Bush, if there was anything that he could share with fans yet about the forthcoming album:

“Some song titles are ‘Hit a Moonshot,’ ‘Bottom Feeder,’ ‘Buckeye,’ a song I wrote about my daughter leaving for college, and  ‘Not on Your Life,’ to name a few.” 

Bush then added, “It’s sounding great and continuing with the evolution of our songwriting. Classic Saint but feeling like 2026.”   

And regarding classic Armored Saint, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the band’s second studio album, Delirious Nomad. What kind of thought has Bush given to that release and how he views it now, 40 years later? 

“Delirious… was a rebellious response to things that happened with March of the Saint. Don’t get me wrong, we love March… but we were ready for more risk-taking regarding songwriting.” 

Bush goes on to say: “Some of the songs on  Delirious…  were old tunes we had from being a local band – ‘You’re Never Alone,’ ‘The Laugh,’ ‘Released’ – but the songs we wrote for the record got more experimental. We also yearned for better production that more resembled us live. [Producer] Max Norman did a great job, although at times we overdid it on takes of basic tracks. Regardless, Delirious Nomad is a fan favorite and a record that stands the test of time for Saint.”

And in further celebration of this album’s milestone anniversary, Dean Guitars will release a special Delirious Nomad wrapped guitar signed by the band. Pre-orders are coming soon!

Following their time in the studio this year, Armored Saint will be ready to hit the road again. At the end of September, the band will join W.A.S.P. for a trio of UK shows, and then in October will head out with guitarist Michael Schenker.

With the powerful cache of material that’s available to these guys after all these years now, does Bush find it at all stressful to decide which songs to include and which not to, or is it empowering to have so many options? 

“You gotta play the hits!” laughed Bush, “But always throw in some deep tracks and keep people on their toes.”

“I love to mix up the set even though it pisses the guys off sometimes,” Bush elaborated, “We will have nine records soon enough. You can’t just play the same songs all the time. Fans don’t want it. They are looking at Setlist FM, and so am I.” 

So after all these years and life changes along with way, what does Bush look forward to when going back out on the road?

“Playing killer shows in front of appreciative fans,” replied Bush in earnest. And their fans wouldn’t have it any other way. Check out Armored Saint’s upcoming tour dates listed below, and stay tuned to the band’s website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for all updates on what these guys are up to.

Armored Saint on tour:

w/ W.A.S.P.:

• 9/26/2025 Newcastle O2 City Hall – Newcastle, GB
• 9/27/2025 O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester, GB
• 9/28/2025 Eventim Apollo Hammersmith – London, GB

w/ Michael Schenker:

• 10/02/2025 Canyon Club – Agora Hills, CA
• 10/03/2025 Saban Theater – Los Angeles, CA
• 10/04/2025 The Grove – Anaheim, CA
• 10/05/2025 Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
• 10/07/2025 Marquee Theater – Tempe, AZ
• 10/08/2025 National Hispanic Cultural Center – Albuquerque, NM
• 10/10/2025 Trees – Dallas, TX
• 10/11/2025 Tobin Center – San Antonio, TX
• 10/12/2025 White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
• 10/14/2025 Rockhouse – El Paso, TX ^                                
• 10/16/2025 Count’s Vamp’d – Las Vegas, NV ^
• 10/17/2025 The Glass House – Pomona, CA ^    

** Festival Date

• ARMORED SAINT Headlining Date

Interview

by Drew Latshaw

Member of Under Exile

Rumeel Jim Bass
Skyy Gallegos Drums
Rylan Benally Guitars
Franklin Yazzie Vocals

The interview started with the aroma of fresh mutton lingering in the background – a glimpse into their down-to-earth reality. “We were out back, chowing down,” Franklin laughed, setting a relaxed tone that instantly put me at ease. I’d come prepared with questions, but quickly realized my perspective was limited. I was asking about “Native metal,” when they were simply making metal.

“We are not a native metal band, we are a metal band who happens to be native,” Franklin clarified. That simple statement hit me like a thunderbolt. It was a crucial distinction, highlighting their desire for their music to speak for itself.

The “Under Exile” Story: More Than Just a Name

Their band name, “Under Exile,” might suggest deep symbolism, but the truth is refreshingly straightforward. “Yeah, it doesn’t really have a meaning,” Ryland admitted. “We had a few songs and were trying for this Warped Tour battle of the bands and they needed a band name, so we just started shooting band names back and forth and ‘Under Exile’ came up and we just went with it.”

Lyrical Depth: Beyond the Surface

While they don’t incorporate traditional Navajo language, their lyrics are far from shallow. Franklin explained how songs like “Glass in the Sage” and “As Above, So Below” touch on the realities of reservation life and the impact of colonization.

“’Glass in the Sage’ is about…the realization of how poor the conditions are, but also overcoming that and not letting your circumstances prevent you from getting where you want to be or determine your ultimate fate,” Franklin shared. “’As Above, So Below’ was written from the perspective of experiencing colonization. ‘Dragged down their path of faith’ is the most direct line toward that idea in that song.”

Facing the Scene, On Their Own Terms

Under Exile’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. They’ve faced pushback, sometimes from unexpected places. “Honestly? I feel like we almost get more pushback from Native trendsetters sometimes, more than we do from people outside of it,” Franklin revealed. They’ve experienced shelved opportunities and interviews that didn’t align with their vision.

Despite this, they remain focused on their music and their roots in Shiprock. “If anything, they are most proud to be known as a band originating from Shiprock on the Navajo Reservation,” I learned.

Looking Ahead: A Message of Resilience

With a show in Farmington, NM, on December 21st, Under Exile is ready to share their sound with a broader audience. Their resilience and dedication shine through in their music and their message.

“A big part of who we are is in our mentality to get it done and do it the best that you can. Don’t dwell on the issue or make excuses, focus on the solution,” Franklin said.

Under Exile is a band that defies expectations, and their music deserves to be heard. They’re not just a “Native band,” they’re a metal band, period. They’re a band from Shiprock, and they’re here to make their mark.

Following a blistering triad of EP releases spanning nearly a decade, the idiom ‘leave them wanting more’ comes to mind, but Scour is about to satisfy that craving.

The extreme metal assemblage featuring Philip H. Anselmo (Pantera, Down), Derek Engemann (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals), John Jarvis (Nest, Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Mark Kloeppel (Misery Index), and Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Lock Up) is merging metal and the macabre like never before.

Ready to come ripping into the atmosphere on February 21 via Housecore Records (and Nuclear Blast in Europe) Scour’s first full-length, Gold, solidifies the nightmares lying in wait with speed, aggression, and a diabolical vigor.

Guitarist Mark Kloeppel explains the influence of literature’s horror genre on the making of this album: “Philip has always been a scholar of horror literature and strange fiction. While the tough persona may not lend itself to images of a person reading and studying books for hours on end, nonetheless, that is the reality.”

Gold’s predecessors, the 2016 EP The Grey, 2017’s The Red EP, and 2020’s The Black EP laid the groundwork for this highly anticipated forthcoming release.

“In releases past,” Kloeppel continues, “the lyrical approach was more of a tapestry of abstract phrases linked together to invoke the kind of existential tormented feelings one gets from horror fiction. While that approach is still present on Gold, it has evolved to include vivid depictions of scenes and scenarios. Similar to horror and strange fiction, those painted scapes are used to extrapolate emotion as opposed to just the direct communication of the phrases themselves.”

On Gold, Scour’s aural fusion of black metal, grindcore, punk, and thrash influences help weave an experience of terror that surpasses that of a book or movie.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call the songs stories, but some songs like ‘Invoke’ and ‘Infusorium’ do have distinctive plot-like succession of scenes,” added Kloeppel.

An official video for the forthcoming album’s first single, “Infusorium,” was released this past November, and has now been followed by a video for Scour’s latest single, “Blades” – both of which are effortlessly incinerating the eyes, ears, and minds of extreme music lovers.

As the release date of Gold creeps closer, Scour bassist John Jarvis explained what exactly was unique about the creation this album: “On Gold, I believe we pushed each other to be the best we could, faster and heavier than before.”

“It’s hard to compare to my other projects because it’s so different,” Jarvis continued, “but I learned a lot during the tracking of Phil’s vocals. At one point he was layering some vocals I asked him where he learned that, and he said ‘Ozzy.’ Good enough for me!”

Jarvis then noted: “I’d say it’s the most intense album I’ve been a part of!”

Of the thirteen tracks on Gold, Jarvis commented that “Invoke” is his favorite: “[A]lways a reaction from anyone I’ve played it for. A song that forces you to head-bang with a catchy sing- along!”

And regarding which song Kloeppel is most looking forward to playing live he explained: “We have played ‘Infusorium’ once live already and I loved performing that and its solo in front of people. It’s got a good combination of varying parts. With the amount of sheer speed we do, that one gives a good head- banging change of pace.”

Fortunately, the release of Gold is just the beginning of this deliciously dreadful journey. Despite a steady touring schedule for Anselmo with Pantera, Scour will perform at this year’s Milwaukee Metal Fest in May sharing the stage with the likes of Black Label Society, Gwar, Down, Arch Enemy, and many others, as well as promising more for this era of Scour to come soon. Click here for information and tickets for Milwaukee Metal Fest.

Gold, which features a guest solo by Gary Holt of Slayer and Exodus, will be available on CD, LP, limited edition cassette (in the U.S.), and digital formats, and is guaranteed to melt your face off. Click here for pre-orders.