Guitar-makers’ niche designs sell well with headbangers
The News Review:
- Guitar-makers’ niche designs sell well with headbangers
- Tel Aviv takes ‘Draconian’ measures
- CBGB Founder Hilly Kristal Dead At 75
Guitar-makers’ niche designs sell well with headbangers
Columbus Dispatch – Aug 29, 2007
Fueled by a resurgence in heavy-metal music and its numerous dark subgenres Halo makes andsells evil-looking instruments with bodies carved to resemble rotting flesh distended eyeballs andbone. The demonically themed guitars primarily find their way into the hands of death-metalmusicians. Regular heavy-metal music can cover the usual topics of scorn and despair while the death-metalsubgenre leans heavily on growled vocals and themes such as Satanism and dark mythology. Both are an important niche for electric-guitar manufacturers such as 5-year-old Halo. It sold200 guitars its first year in business and now sells 200 to 300 a month in direct sales and 200more per month to dealers co-founder Waylon Ford said. “Ever since we started making more outrageous designs we started selling more guitars” hesaid. “We really owe a lot to the metal genre.
Tel Aviv takes ‘Draconian’ measures
Jerusalem Post – Aug 29, 2007
The seven-person ensemble is considered to be a cross between Gothic metal (vocal combinations that promote aggressive male vocals and with ethereal female soprano notes) and Doom metal (emphasis on gloom melancholy and atmospheric music). “We don’t limit ourselves to anything” says Jacobsson. “We are dark Gothic Metal with influences from doom and death metal. We’re a progressive Gothic Doom band. For those wondering how Draconian will fill the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds it may come as a surprise to know that a Goth subculture thrives here in Israel. According to Draconian’s local promoter Yishai Schwartz there are over 10000 Goths currently living in Israel and the scene here continues to grow. The local gothic subculture began to gain popularity in the late 1990s (though its roots sprang from the punk-rock movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s) and now at least half a dozen Israeli metal bands can be found… Jacobsson explains that though the group is dedicated to its music and has received accolades from fans and critics alike it has never cashed in with its tunes and thus has everyday responsibilities. “Most of us have regular day jobs in addition to Draconian. Nothing glamorous but the work pays the bills” 32-year-old Jacobsson says noting jobs like a sports store clerk health care worker and a flower shop owner. “Some of us work really hard [in our day jobs] but the music is our passion. Draconian came about in May 1994 when Johan Ericson (drums vocals) former member Andy Hindenas (guitars) and former member Jesper Stolpe (bass vocals) joined forces as Kerberos a melodic death metal band with black metal influences.
CBGB Founder Hilly Kristal Dead At 75
MTV.com – Aug 29, 2007
“I am very sorry that Hilly is gone” Blondie singer Deborah Harry said in a statement released to MTV News. “He was a big help to Blondie and to the New York music scene for many years. His club CBGB has become a part of New York lore and rock and roll history. “Hilly was an integral part of the punk scene from 1974 until his death” said former Ramones drummer Mark Bell a… “He was a big help to Blondie and to the New York music scene for many years. His club CBGB has become a part of New York lore and rock and roll history. “Hilly was an integral part of the punk scene from 1974 until his death” said former Ramones drummer Mark Bell a. “He was always supportive of the genre and of bands like the Ramones Blondie Talking Heads and Richard Hell and the Voidoids and will hold a prominent place in music history. We are all grateful to him and will miss him.