#dan lorenzo

[shadowthief78]

Part 4 of making Blue Lock memes!

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

To be continued in the next thrilling installment...

[doomedandstoned]

Cassius King Drums Up Hard Driving New LP, ‘Field Trip’

~By Tom Hanno~

In the doom/stoner metal circles, the name Dan Lorenzo has become synonymous with his Vessel of Light project, but there is more to this prolific guitarist than just that band. From his days in Hades to Non- Fiction to Vessel of Light, Dan has laid his trademark work to many albums, and now he presents us with an album of original music from his latest project, CASSIUS KING. 'Field Trip' (2021) will be out next week and is, in my opinion, a must-have album.

For a bit of historical context, I want to add that Dan has been using the Cassius King name for years, from his debut solo album to his endless cover song CDs with various lead vocalists; but it wasn't until 2021 when Lorenzo decided to make an all-original album with vocalist Jason McMaster (Watchtower, Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth, Howling Sycamore, Ignitor). This decision stemmed from the Covid-19 pandemic keeping Vessel of Light from touring in support of their Last Ride album, with Dan also feeling that fans weren’t ready for a fifth VoL album without touring the last one.

Ironically enough, the song “Join the Exodus”, which we’ll talk about later in this review, was originally written during the recording/writing sessions for the second Vessel of Light album, Woodshed. Dan tells me that, “I actually recorded the music to the song Join the exodus for the Vessel of Light album Woodshed. I wrote so many songs that Nathan forgot about it. So then Ron ended up playing on it, and it just sat there for two years until Jason sang on it. It’s probably one of my favorite songs on the album.”

Despite the connection to Vessel of Light, I don't recommend jumping in thinking you're getting music that is just like them; there's obviously going to be a comparison because of Dan, but it's not an overly large one. Cassius King is less doom, even though there’s a definite Black Sabbath sound, and Jason McMaster has more in common with singers like Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and Dio, than he does with Nathan Opposition; who, as you know, provides his own awesome vocal style to the Vessel of Light albums.

Jason McMaster explains further, by saying that "It was the kind of material I had been wanting to do for a long time. It feels a bit like Ozzy and Dio playing poker over some leftover Sabbath material. The melodies came to me quickly, as well as some of the lyrics. Things I already had fit the visions I had upon first listen and it all flowed immediately. I would not call it a full "doom" application of terms, but its heavy, it reminds me of what I love about Sabbath and Dio songs."

Now that we have an idea on what we’re getting into, let’s begin talking about the best tracks on the album. We'll start with the aforementioned song, “Join the Exodus.” This is the one track where I will draw that direct line to Vessel of Light, and I had thought so even before Dan shared its origins with me.

Beginning with a heavy intro, with the guitars playing a stripped down version of the main verse riff, and Jason singing:

TEARS ON THE TRACKS IN A RACE, EMOTION GLEAM AROUND THE BEND I TASTE THE RAIN DROPS AS THEY TRICKLE DOWN MY FACE AGAIN REMINDS ME OF THE SAND FALLING FROM THE HOURGLASS TIME DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE.

Jason’s vocals are performed with such conviction, such power, that you can get the idea that he’s really really feeling what he’s saying, which helps make the song seem more honest than it would if he was just “phoning it in.” This goes without even mentioning the Dio influences in the lyrics themselves, and in certain areas of his performance here.

Musically speaking, this track is heavy, with a strong groove, which really makes sense because of the era of its beginnings. Woodshed had that heavy groove throughout the album. As always, Dan has a phenomenal guitar sound, and even if you didn’t know it was him on this, you’d still know that it was him within moments after hitting play.

Towards the end of the album, we find a song that is titled, "Six," which had a working title that Dan told me came from the way the intro guitar part had sounded to him.

"And I didn’t tell anybody else this," he confided, "but the working title for the song 'Six' was 'Randy,' because I thought that opening riff sounded more like Randy Rhoads than me! Not sure if you agree, but just a little bit of knowledge on the track."

I can definitely hear that Randy sound in the intro riff, but, in my opinion, it doesn't really sound like that iconic guitarist as we get much further into the track. In all honesty, I hear more of a Kiss meets Black Sabbath vibe once the riff opens up for the verse.

Jason really brings in that Dio vibe with his vocal performance, and it shows exactly why Dan partnered up with him for this album. Between Jason, Jimmy Schulman, and Ron Lipnicki, Dan put together an immensely talented band for this album, and they all absolutely crushed it on this track.

One of my favorite tracks is titled, "Apocalyptic Nations," which just so happens to be my favorite song on the record. This tune opens up with some tribal influenced drumming, and is a perfect way to bring in the album. I think of Judas Priest's Painkiller when an album opens this way. Lyrically, this song could be about many things, but I catch a Stephen King influence in there, with his book The Stand.

TRASH MY NAME ACROSS YOUR SEAS YOU CONTROL MY DESTINY BRINGING FATES UNKNOWN TO ME LEGENDARY, WHEN PEOPLE USED TO DREAM ANCIENT STORIES OF THE TRAVELIN' MAN YOU WILL BELIEVE

If you've ever read The Stand, you'll know that the villain, Randall Flagg, is known as "The Walking Dude" and that he is hell bent on destroying civilization through terror, violence, and death. The lyrics really could be about this "Man in Black," as he's also called, but it could just as easily be about a government that is just as hell bent on the same things as Randall.

As per his usual modus operandi, Dan pours his all into the riffs contained within "Apocalyptic Nations." They create the power needed to propel Jason’s vocals into the stratosphere, while also leaving the perfect amount of room for the other instruments to shine through.

The last track that I'd like to bring up is "Below the Stone," and is one of my two top picks from this album; with the other being "Apocalyptic." The riffs have a sweet little groove to them, and are, once again, the perfect vehicle for the vocal work. I'm unsure of what the lyrical content is about, but the execution, and the arrangement, makes this song shine, really standing out from the others. This chorus section really exemplifies what I mean:

OH, OH, OH, WE PRAY FOR THE LIGHT WE MAGNIFY ALL HOPE AND THE SEARCH WILL BEGIN BELOW THE STONES THE SECRETS LIVE AND BREATH OH, OH, OH, WE PRAY FOR THE LIGHT

Field Trip will be out in digital format July 23rd, with compact disc and vinyl due out this October. The CD will include two bonus tracks, a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Out on the Tiles" (Dan actually plays the bass and guitar on this cover). and Cheap Trick's "Big Eyes." The other ten tracks are all original tunes. I have an earlier Cassius King CD that Dan sent me, which is full of cover songs, and hearing them attack these originals is really great for me.

To sum it up in one short sentence: you need this album. Pre-orders will be announced soon via Nomad Eel Records, so get ready for that and I'll see you in the next review really soon. Enjoy!

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[metalsongoftheday]

Thursday, July 9: The Cursed, “Evil, in the Bag”

Overkill never stopped being an active concern over the past 35 or so years, even with all of the lineup changes, but most of its 2000s-era incarnation found time for side projects, with The Cursed being mainman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth’s one-time collaboration with Hades guitarist Dan Lorenzo.  And it is to their credit that Room Full of Sinners and “Evil, in the Bag” sound nothing like either band, instead aiming for something slower, rumblier and growlier.  Ellsworth was especially different here, mostly abandoning his trademark yelp and borderline crooning in spots, while Lorenzo’s riffing had a bit of a Southern feel.  It was interesting, and had its qualities, though admittedly wasn’t so compelling as to require a follow-up.  And that was likely for the best, since “Evil, in the Bag”, while enjoyable enough, didn’t feel like anything other a nifty diversion before both Blitz and Lorenzo got back to business.

[doomedandstoned]

Vessel Of Light Return For Harrowing ‘Last Ride’

~By Tom Hanno~

A few years back, Argonauta Records released an EP from a project named VESSEL OF LIGHT. I loved the band's name the minute I read it, and their music was amazing; the lyrical content was dark, the vocals themselves sounded equally dark, and the riffs were well crafted, doom influenced works of art.

The band quickly followed up that EP by releasing two more albums with hardly any gaps between them; the Argonauta released Woodshed (my personal favorite), and the self released Thy Serpent Rise. Now, on October 23rd, they are dropping their 4th release in three years, 'Last Ride' (2020), on Nomad Eel Records.

Vessel of Light is a project that first began in 2017, starting off as a collaboration between Ancient VVidsdom's Nathan Opposition, and Dan Lorenzo, the guitarist of Hades, Non- Fiction, and The Cursed; the latter featuring Overkill's Bobby Blitz on vocals. The duo later enlisted Ron Lipnicki, who had previously drummed for Overkill, and ex- Hades bassist, Jimmy Schulman, for the studio sessions of Thy Serpent Rise; both of them are now full fledged members of the group.

On Last Ride, we find the band doing what they do best, but with what seems like renewed energy. In my opinion, the addition of Ron and Jimmy helped fill out their sound, and these guys are a very tight unit musically.

One thing that really sticks out when I listen to the album is the drumming, which is absolutely fantastic! Ron plays exactly what each song needs, his parts are interesting without being over the top, and the overall tone of his kit is among the best of the underground scene.

I would normally begin with the first few tracks on the album, but, since this is my preferred song, we're jumping ahead to the ninth track, "In the Silence". This, in my humble opinion, is the best song the band has written to date. My reasoning for this is based upon many things, but the biggest one is the song writing; especially the guitar part during the verse. That riff is heavy, haunting, slow, and creates the perfect atmosphere for Nathan's vocals.

This opinion was made without even considering how incredible Nathan's performance really is, because these vocals sound so damn good, and the lyrical content is probably the best on the entire record.

My second preferred track is the one called, "Torture King", which begins with a bass and drum riff that is actually the main riff of the song. I always liked these types of intros, because when the distorted guitar kicks in, the power increases tenfold.

Another aspect of this one that I find interesting is its composition, there's only like 3, maybe 4, different guitar parts. The intro and chorus are the same riff, the verse is just a stripped down, palm muted variation of that part, then there's a mid section with another riff, and then it returns to the main piece of the track; yet, despite being that bare bones, it's still one of the best pieces of music on this release.

"Carving Station" is another track that stood out to me, and a lot of that has to do with the lyrical content. Nathan writes from the viewpoint of a serial killer, and he does it with a mastery that ignites my true crime fascination; I don't think any of these lyrics are based upon actual crimes, but he writes so well that the feeling comes nonetheless.

The music for this one is also excellent, with the main guitar riff being used as a building block for how Nathan executed his parts. Dan is a master riff writer, and "Carving Station" is no exception to this rule; he is also one of the most prolific songwriters that I'm aware of at the moment.

There's No Escape by Vessel of Light

I noticed that there's a massive Alice in Chains vibe on some of these tracks; particularly in "Disappearing Pact". The way the guitars flow, Nathan's vocal approach, and the sludgy tone of those guitars really brings to mind the Purple Album from AIC; making this just one more badass song on an album full of badass songs.

"Web of Death" is also worthy of mentioning, with its high energy, killer drumming, and Dan's guitar tone is super sweet. We aren't covering any new ground with the lyrics, but that's exactly what I love about the band; we know what we're getting with a new Vessel of Light release, and they always up the ante musically.

If it isn't already painfully obvious, I absolutely love Vessel of Light, and Last Ride is just one more reason for you to dig into this band now! They don't sound like the majority of watered down stoner doom bands, and thank the gods for that. October 23rd is coming up quickly, so get on it and preorder the album today. Enjoy!

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[metalsongoftheday]

Tuesday, June 9: Non-Fiction, “I Hate to Tell You”

Alan Tecchio and Dan Lorenzo deserve some credit both for recognizing that the world wasn’t really in the mood for the brand of thrash they were delivering with Hades, as well as being smart enough to not use the Hades name when switching gears and going for more of a Soundgarden vibe on their next albums and instead recording and releasing records as Non-Fiction.  “I Hate to Tell You” was the second track on Preface, setting up the band’s general approach and ethos.  Tecchio and Lorenzo both seemed perfectly at home delivering this kind of grunge metal, and that went a long way toward selling the track as something more organic than opportunistic.  Still, the energy and fun of their previous band was missed, and Non-Fiction ultimately sounded more dated than the ‘80s thrash that everyone felt was played out.  And apparently Tecchio and Lorenzo felt the same way, since they reformed Hades after Non-Fiction’s three albums failed to garner much traction.

[rockyoushow]

REVIEW: Hades, Dangerous Toys Vets CRUSH On CASSIUS KING'S Latest "Dread The Dawn"

REVIEW: Hades, Dangerous Toys Vets CRUSH On CASSIUS KING’S Latest “Dread The Dawn”

CASSIUS KING returns with Dan Lorenzo, Jason McMaster, Ron Lipnicki and Jimmy Schulman pounding out classic Metal that brings you back to the Ronnie James Dio era of Black Sabbath.  They have really outdone themselves, proving these veterans still have a lot of bullets left in the chamber. Dan Lorenzo (Hades, Vessels Of Light, Non-Fiction) presents some MONSTER riffage throughout “Dread The…

View On WordPress

[rockyoushow]

CASSIUS KING With Dan Lorenzo And Jason McMaster Release New Album And Video

CASSIUS KING With Dan Lorenzo And Jason McMaster Release New Album And Video

Dan Lorenzo (ex-Hades, Non Fiction, Patriarchs In Black) is a riff machine made flesh, or as the trade press attested to him: His mastery in the art of writing real, true-to-life riffs is second to none!  With “Dread To Dawn”, Cassius King once again prove this statement on their second album.  On 11 songs, the quartet rolls through dragging, poignant melodies, embraced by the striking vocals of…

View On WordPress

[rockyoushow]

Johnny Kelly and Dan Lorenzo Form PATRIARCHS IN BLACK

Johnny Kelly and Dan Lorenzo Form PATRIARCHS IN BLACK

Johnny Kelly and Dan Lorenzo Form PATRIARCHS IN BLACK “Reach For The Scars out July 1st Hear the first snippet of music from PATRIARCHS IN BLACK at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueZfziX9Xo8 The new single “Demon of Regret” from PATRIARCHS IN BLACK is available NOW! Stream here: https://patriarchsinblack.bandcamp.com/track/demon-of-regret Brooklyn native Johnny Kelly and NJ guitarist Dan…

View On WordPress