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• Paleface Swiss – Cursed [January 3]
• Ex Deo – Year of the Four Emperors (EP) [January 10]
• The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard [January 10]
• Oni – Genesis (EP) [January 24]
• Obscura – A Sonication [February 7]
• Bleeding Through – Nine [February 14]
• Killswitch Engage – This Consequence [February 21]
• Architects – The Sky, the Earth & All Between [February 28]
• Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty [March 28]
• Memphis May Fire – Shapeshifter [March 28]
• Landmvrks – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been [April 25]
• Bury Tomorrow – Will You Haunt Me, with That Same Patience [May 16]

• Stick to Your Guns – Keep Planting Flowers [January 10]

• Dark Fortress – Anthems from Beyond the Grave (live album) [January 17]
• Harakiri for the Sky – Scorched Earth [January 24]

• Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead [January 24]
• Pentagram – Lightning in a Bottle [January 31]
• Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression [February 14]
• Nightstalker – Return from the Point of No Return [March 14]

• Labyrinth – In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye [January 24]
• Majestica – Power Train [February 7]
• Dynazty – Game of Faces [February 14]
• Lacuna Coil – Sleepless Empire [February 14]
• Nachtblut – Todschick [February 21]
• Avantasia – Here Be Dragons [February 28]
• Brainstorm – Plague of Rats [February 28]
• Crematory – Destination [May 2]
• Primal Fear – Domination [September 5]

• Thomas Erak – (AU) [January 31]
• Dream Theater – Parasomnia [February 7]
• Jinjer – Duél [February 7]
• Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis Act III: The Father of Make Believe [March 14]

Imagine that you’re sitting in your local bar, and the music is turned on, you are listening to an old school drumming, catchy guitar riffs, and powerful vocals. Yeah! This is what I felt while listening to ‘Women’ by Dirty Mitts. I believe that this song includes all your loving glam, hard rock, and heavy influences. It took you with a time machine to the golden era of rock n’ roll.

Dirty Mitts started their career last year and has been praised in several media outlets in several countries. They deserve it indeed. These days we lack such impressive old-school/modern output. These four dudes know how to keep their harmony and chemistry tight, which I find that many acts these days lack to do.

Women reminded me of many iconic names like Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Dokken, Skid Row, Steel Panther, and Ratt, among many other names. In fact, I see their music as a mix of all these legendary acts.

In my opinion, what makes Dirty Mitts‘ music iconic, is how it can be like music from two different eras. Definitely, I will be waiting for their EP ‘Hands Off!’ this November. Now, it’s time to feel the vibes. Enjoy!

‘Away’ is the second single off his upcoming album. The song is very energetic and full of melodies, harmony, and experience. I wasn’t really surprised by his voice, since he already joined such a legendary act after 30 years of success and was known in the Norwegian and European music scene, so his vocals for his tracks for sure were the first thing to catch my ears, along with the highly presented rock spirit.

If you are a fan of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Europe, then you will love ‘Away’ certainly.

Regardless, we will have another list for that; but for now, let’s discover more about people who really helped in modern music development, and worked with international artists and bands that we know and adore their hits. However, 50% of their success returns to their producers. Let’s know those music market masters…

Jimmy Page

Many people know him as the lead guitarist of the legendary classic rock band Led Zeppelin. Actually, the reason that Page created the band was his love to record production as well as putting new recording techniques, which became his legacy that was followed by music makers afterwards. Page spent hours and hours in the studio just trying to record techniques as well as observing the different points and changing microphones access, amplifier and trying new sounds and sometimes creating sound effects! Jimmy Page mainly produced for Led Zeppelin, The Firm and Screaming Lord Sutch bands. In addition, several side projects, one of them was Puff Daddy’s hit ‘Come With Me’.

Rick Rubin 

One of the wide known names in Europe and States. This artists didn’t work on a specific genre; he just knew how to get the right tunes for an artist and deliver it to the audience. I guess there’s few of the music industry that Rubin didn’t work with. Yes, any international artist/band you know you will find his name behind them. Some of these are: Johnny Cash, Metallica, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Slayer, RHCP, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Limp Bizkit, SOAD, The Cult, Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, ZZ Top, Audioslave, Rage Against The Machine Danzig, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow. Away from rock music, he worked with Adele, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Public Enemy, Eminem, Lady Gaga and many more…

Bob Rock

Bob is considered to be the man behind the success of Metallica. Yes, Bob was actually the main reason of letting some of Metallica’s riffs reach the fans in a proper sound and song structure. And that was so obvious in ‘A Year and Half in the Life of Metallica’; the documentary film that was made for the recording production for Metallica: ‘Black Album’ shows him giving instructions to the band and sometimes guiding, even arguing with them to work hard and get it right. In addition, he worked with Aerosmith, Motley Crue, The Cult, David Lee Roth, Bon Jovi, Cher, Skid Row, Bryan Adams, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Michael Buble, and The Offspring. Besides, he is a well-known audio engineer, so he worked with Survivor, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and many else.

Quincy Jones 

Quincy Jones is considered as the most famous music producer on Earth! Jones started as a producer in the early 50s and was a well-known for his work with the King of Pop Michael Jackson, as well as, Little Richard, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Frank Sinatra, Samuel George – a.k.a Sammy Davis, Jr. – Aretha Franklin, Eddie Van Halen, Will Smith, 2Pac, Ray Charles and hundreds! Besides, he was the producer, composer and conductor of many international hits such as ‘We Are the World’ and ‘Bokra’ – Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me with many Arab artists such as; Shakira, Tamer Hosny, Souad Massi, Marawan Khoury, Latifa, Diana Karazon, and the American hip hop artist Akon. The song was written by Magda Al-Roumi.

Paul O’Neill

For you, who don’t know Paul, he is one of the responsible of creating the genre of progressive metal. O’Neill started as an engineer and worked with many international acts, such as; Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Def Leppard and others. In the 80s, he became the number one promoter for shows in Japan and promoting every tour of Madonna and Sting. The real change happened was with Savatage, which was when he changed the whole concept of the band from just a heavy metal band to become the first influential progressive metal band as well as his other orchestral works with same band members and other musicians in the ranked #1rock orchestra, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Tony Platt 

Tony is one of the greatest English sound engineers and record producers. His resume could talk better than we do. Some of his notable works were with; Bob Marley, Buddy Guy, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Gary Moore, Johnny Cash, Samson, Manowar, Celtic Frost, Ronnie James Dio and Anathema.

Dieter Dierks

Most known as the owner of one the best international studios, Dierks Studios (audio and video studios), and the producer for the legendary band Scorpions. Many international artists worked and record there, such as; Michael Jackson, Accpet, Tina Turner, and many others.

R. Kelly 

This could be a name that many readers weren’t expecting in such a list, but this awesome composer, song-writer, arranger, mixer and record producer should be mentioned also. Kelly worked with numerous artists as a producer since the early 90s till now, and he was even the main reason behind many international artists production besides the younger ones. He produced for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, Billy Ocean, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Huston and many else.

Mike Clink

Well, he is a man with not much of a resume but no one can deny he was one of the developers of the hard rock/heavy metal movement. He started as an audio engineer – like many other producers – in the 80s and then found his interest in record production. Clink produced for Gun N’ Roses, Triumph, Motley Crue, Megadeth, UFO, Jefferson Starship, Heart and many others.

Roy Thomas Baker

Baker isn’t only a music producer but he is also a songwriter, arranger and the governor of The Recording Academy – the U.S. organization of musicians, producers and audio engineers. His notable productions were for many legendary bands, such as: Queen, Yes, Jet, Nazareth, Free, Journey, Chris de Burgh, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N’ Roses as well as motion pictures soundtracks for Heavy Metal in 1982 and American Anthem in 1986.

How did you guys get together and start the band?
3D In Your Face started way back in 1999 by our lead singer Alan ‘Hot Rod’ King. Alan played and toured all throughout the 80’s. In 1999 music and especially music in the Midwest USA had become boring and stale. There was a need for something new and different. He decided that he would put together a band that played 80’s hair Metal/Glam Rock and put on an over-the-top spectacle of a performance. This was before there where tribute bands on every corner. 3D In Your Face was an instant hit due in no small part to the popularity of the glam metal and the over-the-top theatrics of the show. After many lineup changes over the years Jeremy ‘The Playboy’ Deans was recruited to play drums. Guitar virtuoso Chris ‘Sniper’ Hineline was the next piece of the puzzle. I was actually with the band on the sidelines for many years as the guitar tech and stage manager. When the bass player position opened up I jumped at the opportunity and learned the set-list in a month. The current lineup we have now has been together almost three years. We have done three tours together, recorded and released Midnight Devils on Dec. 6th 2013, and we are working on our next album hopeful due out by Dec. of 2014.

Is there any significant meaning to your names and the band name?
First of all I wish I had an awesome story for you about the band name. I get asked this question all the time. The idea for the band name was to clue anybody and everybody in as to what we were doing with just the name. “3D In Your Face” is an unapologetic, unabashed high energy Rock N Roll circus. When you say “3D In Your Face” you are talking about lasers, pyro, big hair, tight pants, and loud guitars. In no other words it’s “In Your Face” Rock N Roll. As for the names of the guys in the band, each member has been outfitted with a special nickname. Our singer Hot Rod got his name because he is the front man, the flashy one. He blows fire on stage every night. He is the ring leader. Plus he loves everything with an engine. Sniper the guitar player got his name because he is an ex-US Army Ranger. He served his country in two theaters of war as a Sniper in the 82nd Airborne. Our drummer The Playboy’s nickname is pretty self explanatory. He is blonde, thin, and hilarious. He flips the sticks and gets the chicks. My name is Spade and I got my name from an old radio detective named Sam Spade. My first night out with the band Hot Rod called me Spade and 9 years later everyone calls me Spade.

Being an 80’s themed band, who is your favorite band/artist back in the 80?
I love a lot of music from the 80’s but honestly it doesn’t just have to be music from that decade. Sure the music was amazing then and that was the height of Rock N Roll but I love music with that raw primal emotion. I love music with that swing and swagger. I was first really drawn to KISS and they are still my favorite band to this day. I also was highly influenced by early glam bands like The New York Dolls, punk bands like The Ramones, and even metal bands like Iron Maiden. I think my favorite band from the 80’s would have to be Twisted Sister. I think that Dee Snider is the president of Glam Rock N Roll and songs like You Can’t Stop Rock N Roll, I Wanna Rock and We’re Not Gonna Take are the back bones of 80’s hair metal.

What inspired the lyrics to your songs?

A lot of the lyrics for our Midnight Devils album were inspired by actual events and things that happened to us as a band out on the road. From the time we decided to write this album until the time it was finished was about two years. The songs came from the things we saw, the things we read, and the things we experienced. Our first single Generetion Durt is about being broke and having to work every day just to get by but still being happy and determined to make something out of life. I found a lot of inspiration in angels and demons, both playing against each other in a cosmic battle for our souls. The good, the bad, and the ugly. There are other songs that deal with love and finding that one true love. As well there are songs that strictly have to do with sex, the down and dirty kind. All 12 tracks I believe come from a very honest place. Mostly we write about loving Rock N Roll.

If each of you had to pick any other job, what would it be?
I believe that Hot Rod would be a Nascar driver. Sniper would be a professional life coach. The Playboy would be an antiques dealer. I would probably be a teacher.

This was a very tough question because we already have the best job in the world. I don’t think any of us would trade this job for something else. It gets in your blood.

Whose idea was it do dress accordingly to the 80’s era?
The idea to dress like a glam band from the 80’s started with Hot Rod but I think it was just such a natural thing to do. Bands at the time where wearing shorts and sandals with backwards baseball hats on stage. It was appalling. Each gut in 3D In Your Face derives his look and style from the bands and the music that they were influenced by. I started out playing in a touring punk rock band wearing fishnet shirts and lipstick. To this day it has become our battle armor, our war attire. The clothes are an extension of our individual personalities. When I was a kid and even to this day I didn’t want to go and see bands that didn’t look the part. I wanted bands to look and act like Rockstars, larger than life performers. I have the attitude that the stage is yours, the people paid for a show and you damn well better give them a show. The bigger and brighter the better. Nothing is off limits.

Do you have any advice to other bands who want to show off a bold image?
Never ever back down and never ever give in. People hated KISS when they were first starting out. They hated the look and the music. Look at KISS now. Be proud of who you are and be proud of your individuality. Don’t think that we still don’t get called names every day on a regular basis because of the way we look. The trick is to not let it bother you or get under your skin. To me eye liner and hairspray is normal who is anybody else to tell me differently.

Do you have any setbacks this day and age because of your image?
No, not really anymore. People will always talk and they will always mumble behind our backs. They will put us down because of the way we look but in reality they are jealous that we are out there chasing our dreams and living life by our rules. When we step out on stage usually peoples jaws drop and they can’t believe their eyes. By the second song in we have them hook line and sinker. People listen with their eyes and when they see the passion we have for the music that we play that can’t help but get on board. Our goal every night is to win you by the second song. We are passionate about what we do and it shows on stage.

What message are you trying to send with your music?
We are saying, purely and simply, follow your dreams and never give up on what makes you happy. If you believe in something so badly that you are willing to give up everything than you are willing to go the distance. 3D In Your Face started out as a band for fans of Rock N Roll and to this day I believe we are no different than any person in our audience. We are no better or worse. We are all fans of dirty, sweaty, down-in-the-gutter loud Rock N Roll. We are all in this together. We promote individuality and dedication. We promote passion and emotion in our music.

Tell us about your first time on stage? When was it and was the audience feedback?
My first time on stage was roughly ten years ago and it wasn’t so much of a stage as it was a backyard. My band was asked to play a party at a girl’s house when her parents had left for the weekend. We showed up early set up and thought we were kings of the world. I was wearing an Iron Maiden head band and playing an Ace Frehley Les Paul. My mother had custom designed me a shirt that looked like a cross between Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne during the Black Sabbath years. It was one of those with the long fringe that hung down from the arms. As soon as the sun went down we stepped out into the backyard and hit the first chord. The audience which was full of underage drunk kids freaked out and started running because we were so loud. Needless to say we played about 5 terrible under-rehearsed songs to 15 people. It was a magical evening that I will never forget.

How has your music developed since the first album to the third one?

I wasn’t around for the making of the first album but I was there for the second and third. On our latest album Midnight Devils we wanted to focus more on straight-ahead guitar oriented Rock N Roll. We wanted the songs to be fast and mean. We wanted it to sound like the band did live on stage. We enlisted the help of our live sound engineer Troy Way to produce, mix, and master the album. I think Troy captured our sound right on the nose. Most of the songs had been rehearsed and were ready to be recorded before we even hit the studio. Some we had even played live to feel them out with a live audience. Our main goal was to take all of our influences whether it be KISS, Whitesake, Van Halen, or Motley Crue and mix them together. But we also wanted to give this album a modern feel. We didn’t want to set out to recreate Appetite or another album from the 80’s. We wanted the songs to be relevant to people listen to our music today. Our goal was to make a good solid Rock N Roll record with no filler and no loose ends. I believe Midnight Devils was inspired by the 80’s but is an album that stands up in 2014.

Anything thing you would like to say to your fans?
Our fans mean everything to us and without them we wouldn’t be here today. They have dubbed themselves the 3D In Your Face Army. Thank you for all the years. We love you and we are very honored to be doing what we love because of your dedication and support.
KEEP THE FAITH
I STILL BELIEVE IN ROCK N ROLL

Sam Spade

Thank you guys for the amazing music, and I can’t wait for your next album. ROCK ON!!

However, it bombed majorly. The cheesy satire of the club owner Alec Baldwin falling in love, appearing as a Macho rock star is done poorly. The mechanical setup of how Juliane Hough’s clichéd character named Sherrie Christian coming from the south and being a proper Christian girl and suddenly getting mugged as soon as she arrives in Hollywood. Then a hot bartender Drew Boley played by Diego Boneta comes to try to save the day. See not a total cliché because he could not get her bag. But wait for it? She came with only seven dollars to her name and wants fame. So, at some point waitressing and stripping were the only ways to try to achieve that and for Drew it’s rock and rap… Hmm. 

Had this movie been done right all the clichés would have been overlooked and foolishly enjoyed by movie aficionados. The 80s music and call for nostalgia could not save it with all due respect the cast ruined a lot of good songs such as Harden my Heart, Waiting for a Girl Like You and Hit me with your Best Shot among numerous others. Some dance numbers were done poorly; the shy reporter that suddenly becomes a sex maniac is totally unrealistic. The comedy can be easily foretold in every single scene and it was all done for cheap laughs and done half-assed. Disrespecting the audience musical knowledge and intelligence. When I heard of this movie being made I knew it was going to be a bore and the funny Catherine Zeta Jones stripping days dance skills won’t save the movie. Not even Tom Cruise’s portrayal of rock God and getting super fit for the role. Total disappointment a mediocre movie at best.

Reviewed by: Randa Ashraf