On this episode of ROCK TALK WITH MITCH LAFON, new interviews with guitarist Kane Roberts and Beasto Blanco (Chuck Garric, Calico Cooper and Brother Latham).
In our first interview, Kane Roberts discusses his new album The New Normal as well as Saints And Sinners, Alice Cooper, Desmond Child, songwriting, Paul Stanley and the KISS Revenge album, Bob Ezrin, The Nightmare Returns and much more.
In our second interview, Calico Cooper, Chuck Garric and Brother Latham discuss Beasto Blanco's new album We Are as well as their live performance, the visuals, balancing her acting career and being in the band, touring with her dad, the brilliance of Lzzy Hale, Nita Strauss, and much more.
KANE ROBERTS has a cult melodic rock following, but it's been how many years since he actually recorded a melodic rock record?
That question will remain open, as this is nothing like his Self-Titled and Saints & Sinners records that fans have always hoped he would return to. Rather it is an amped up and further modernized version of Under A Wild Sky from way back in 1999.
So, a few problems with this record. First of all, the sound and style is modern rock – but a version that is now at least a decade (or two) out of date. Secondly, the production is atrocious yet again. The programmed drums and the thin sound just sound so ‘one-man band’.
Third – once you get past the aggression of the first two tracks, the rest of the album is a pretty mellow affair. And it’s a struggle to get through. If the sonics don’t damage your ears, Kane’s constant yelling will finish them off.
I dig a few of the songs – the opening duo offer some definitive hooks. One of the album’s best belongs to Beginning Of The End, but the arrangement and production is an absolute mess, all over the show.
There are tracks here that just sound so devoid of hooks and direction, they place the few that do in an uncomfortable position – raising them above the grade they probably deserve.
There are some decent hooks, ideas and riffs here, but the album is too much of a mess to appreciate. Production is horrible, execution is questionable and the style…the less said about that the better.
Kane Roberts is back with a new solo album, “The New Normal”, which will be released on January 25, 2019. The first taste of music has been released from the album in the form of the track, “Forever Out Of Place”.
“‘Forever Out of Place’ is one of the “lighter” tracks on the album, although it still kicks pretty hard with a killer chorus,” explains Roberts. “The lyrics are about not feeling at home anywhere, having zero sense of belonging, and the sooner you stop searching for those things, the sooner you realize where you belong. There is a bit of style cross section in terms of the material, but keep in mind that they all include my past, present, and what I hope to be my future, however short or long that might be.”
Kane has involved some really amazing friends in the making of “The New Normal, including Alice Cooper, Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, Nita Strauss, Babymetal drummer Aoyama Hideki and his former Alice Cooper bandmates: Kip Winger, Paul Taylor, and Ken Mary. Three years in the making, “The New Normal” melds the old and new in metal for a truly outstanding album. Kane comments on how the collaborations came to be: “I noticed artists that were busting down doors and at the same time kickstarting new ways of thinking about life and creativity. I knew I wanted to try to work with some of them. Nita Strauss is a killer guitarist. She really tore it up on the song “King Of The World". Her work on it woke me the f*** up and forced me to explore new guitar techniques to compliment her insane skills!
Alice Cooper....no one individual has scorched the earth like my former boss. I started getting into recording "Beginning Of The End" and realized I needed Alice to sing a duet with me. Not just a line, not just an intro, but sing throughout the song. I took the shot that he might be available at some point to get involved and when I called, he said "I’m in Hollywood. I'll be right over." Full on stroke of luck.
My approach to much of the album was cinematic in the hope that sounds and lyrics would create imagery and emotion beyond what I had done before. Keeping with that idea, I had Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) fall from the sky like some pissed off dark angel in the middle of the song with Alice and I and burn the place down. Her attitude and singing prowess is stunning and I was so jazzed when she agreed to participate. I was obsessed with getting drum monster Aoyama Hideki from Baby Metal. After he heard the song, he immediately came on board and played with controlled fury like only he can....AMAZING!
I also was also able to work with Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) on songwriting and they were of course a blessing to the entire process.
Upon hearing a few of the early recordings, Michael Alago (the A&R guy that discovered Metallica and White Zombie, to name just a few) offered to executive produce the project for me and got a lot of things done for that otherwise would have been impossible for me to accomplish. Last, but certainly not least, no one plays bass like Kip Winger or sings quite the way he can. Didn’t think twice about asking him to join up and he delivered, like always.”
“My music has evolved over the years, even though I was out of the spotlight. Stepping into this new project, there are new styles and sounds evident, but I haven’t made some false effort to distance myself from the past. People will notice a blend of influences from classic rock and metal to the hot bands that are emerging more recently,” says Roberts.
He continues, “Zeppelin to Volbeat to Arch Enemy - they’re all bringing crushing energy to rock/metal while creating truly awesome music. I was lucky to have found Frontiers because they allowed me three years to make this album and sort through my truest feelings and vocal/guitar skills to create something meaningful to me. There is a real concern for preserving the creative process at Frontiers and to my way of thinking there’s no better place for me right now”
Of the many iconic images of '80s rock 'n roll, one that has certainly stood the test of time is Alice Cooper’s then “Rambo-looking” guitar player shooting fire from his M-80 shaped guitar. That guitar player is none other than Kane Roberts, an accomplished musician and singer who, after leaving Cooper's band, went on to record a total of four solo albums (including the “Phoenix Down” project released by Frontiers Records in the late '90s).
Kane’s name and musical abilities first came to prominence on Alice Cooper’s “Constrictor” and "Raise Your Fist And Yell" albums. The tours and popular videos for each made Kane a well-known face in the scene, especially for his outstanding guitar skills, but also for his body-builder image and his iconic machine-gun guitar.
As a solo recording artist, he landed some Top 40 hits and his varied musical background includes recording, writing and touring with artists such as Rod Stewart, Desmond Child, KISS, Diane Warren, Alice in Chains, Berlin, Guns N’ Roses, Garland Jeffries, and more. He’s also written or recorded music for films like Light Sleeper, Penelope Spheeris’ Decline of Western Civilization, Friday the 13th IV: Jason Lives, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, and more. In 1991, his second solo album for Geffen Records, “Saints and Sinners” was released and included the Top 40 Billboard hit “Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?”, originally written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
Tracklisting:
1. King Of The World (Feat. Nita Strauss)
2. Wonderful
3. Beginning Of The End (Feat. Alice Cooper, Alissa White-Gluz, Aoyama Hideki, Kip Winger)
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the signing of Kane Roberts to the label for the release of his next solo album, sometime in 2017.
Kane says, “[o]nce you strap on a guitar and make the hard coded decision to play music in the face of everything you know and don’t know, you find that “the life” (of a musician) has its way with you no matter what and WILL tear you up if you try and wander too far away. I may have stepped into other enterprises and projects, but I was never far from the jet stream that I was lucky enough to have been a part of in the 80s and 90s. Now, because of the new songs inside of me, my guitar and the fans I’m in contact with, I know the creative fire will burn me down if I don’t step back inside the flames. I believe the people at Frontiers Music Srl also feel that creative heat, the need to be an integral part of the music industry (their output is resoundingly prolific) and I don’t know of a better place for me to record and release my new album.
Over the last few years the songs, the messages, and the fans have been burning a hole on my insides. This new album has been gearing up for a while and the songs and messages I’ll be forging will emerge from the fire.
Sorry it took me so long, all kinds of life happened that will definitely find it’s way onto the record and yeah, I’m gonna hit this one hard."
Kane has recorded a total of four solo albums so far (also including the Phoenix Down project released on Frontiers in the late 90’s). Kane’s name and abilities first came to prominence on Alice Cooper’s “Constrictor” album, which was soon followed by his self-titled debut solo album in 1987. More albums and tours with Alice followed, making Kane a well known face in the business especially for his guitar skills, but also for his body-builder image and his now iconic machine-gun guitar.
As a solo recording artist, he has landed a few Top 40 hits and his varied musical background includes recording, writing and touring with artists such as Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Desmond Child, KISS, Diane Warren, Alice in Chains, Berlin, Guns N' Roses, Garland Jeffries and more. He’s also written or recorded music for films like Light Sleeper, Penelope Spheeris’ Decline of Western Civilization, Friday the 13th IV Jason Lives, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, and more. In 1991, his second solo album, “Saints and Sinners” for Geffen Records included the Top 40 Billboard hit “Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?”, originally written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
