Mr. Lowery Plays "Angel's Son" with Sevendust

To honor the life and legacy that Clint & Corey Lowery's dad left behind, we found really cool video of Sevendust playing "Angel's Son" when they invited Mr. Lowery out on stage to help them. It's truly a surreal moment and really shows the love all the Sevendust nation and the Lowery family had for this great man. Today we honor you, Mr. Lowery!

Interview with guitarist Clint Lowery About Dark New Day, Sevendust and Call Me No One

Since 1994, his music has pierced the impervious veil of hard rock and created a sound all its own that’s as recognizable as zebra at a horse farm. If you are a fan of rock n’ roll or even simply a fan of musicianship, you can’t help but admire the body of work he’s put together over his long career. His musical portfolio is so diverse that you would think there’s no way the same person created it. From the soul searching lyrics and soft guitar riffs of Hello Demons Meet Skeletons, to the undeniable ass kicking each Sevendust record brings, Clint Lowery has been part of it all. 

Clint’s incredible talent coupled with other amazing musicians such as Will Hunt (Evanescence), his brother Corey Lowery (Eye Empire), Brett Hestla (Virgos Merlot) and Troy McLawhorn (Evanescence) has created yet another monster, with Dark New Day’s release of New Tradition.  Aaron Manogue talked with Clint about the new record, his upcoming project with Morgan Rose titled Call Me No One and what it’s like to work with his brother Corey again.

Aaron Manogue: Talk to me about the new record.
Clint Lowery: Oh man, it was great. This is a lot of B-Side stuff and stuff that we worked on at the end of the first Dark New Day cycle, for Twelve Year Silence. These are songs that we were actually writing years ago so we haven’t been back in the studio recording in years. This is kind of just something we wanted to release to the fans that we thought were pretty legitimate songs. We just remastered them and tweaked them up a bit in the studio.

Manogue: Things have changed a bit for the bands over the past few years with the successes of the individual members in their other bands. Where things any different with the guys?
Lowery: Well, we haven’t really been together since this. We just kind of talked on the phone and sent emails and maybe ran into each other a few times since we’ve talked about re-releasing this stuff. We’re all bro’s and we’ve all learned a lot but as far as collaborated on anything new, we haven’t done it. We’re just going to see how this does and then maybe we’ll go in and do another record together at some point.

Dark New Day "New Tradition" Review

Imagine being able to concoct a musical Frankenstein out of some of the best hard rock and metal bands out there today. Take your pick of the strongest appendages off of the most maniacal and well-known bands from the past decade and stitching them together with a strong, fibrous, passion for kick ass rock n' roll. Guitarist Clint Lowery (Sevendust),  drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence), guitarist Troy McLawhorn ( Evanescence) vocalist Brett Hestla (Virgos Merlot) and bassist Corey Lowery (Eye Empire) have been pieced together to form this rock n' roll juggernaut. Fuel it all with the desire to give the fans what they so deserve, and you have Dark New Days' new album, New Tradition. And let me tell you, you better run and hide because this album is all killer, no filler.

"We’re very excited about the new Dark New Day release,” proclaims Clint. “It seems the time is right to make these songs public and share with the fans that continue to support this project. We believe this music is still very valid and powerful today, and think its mandatory we give these songs a fair chance out in the music world. We owe it to ourselves and the DND fans. New Tradition sums up the mindset we were in writing the follow-up to Twelve Year Silence."

The album opens as you would expect it a group of some of the best metal musicians would start an album. Monstrous riffs and drum beats from the likes of Lowery, McLawhorn and Hunt in the song "Fist from the Sky." The hellacious pace of the chorus makes you get up and move. This has got to be the band's next single that is released to radio, as it has tons of hook with mountains of originality. The song has more layers than a french pastry and it is perfectly topped with Brett Hestla's amazing voice.

Next up is the aptly titled "Come Alive." You can almost see the lightning charging into this musical monster with the growl of the bass line. I really think this song showcases the true talent that Clint's brother Corey has on bass. Just give this song one listen and you can see why he's quickly becoming a favorite in the world of rock. I'm personally a guitar guy who likes crisp technical work and badass solos so fast that I can't even move my fingers fast enough to replicate when I'm shredding my air guitar. But in this song Corey gives a whole new appreciation to the old saying that "The untrained ear won't ever hear the bass, but without it and the song falls apart."

Soon comes the album's first single that has been released to radio stations around the country is the title track, "New Tradition." It definitely has that radio feel with catchy lyrics and addictive guitar riffs. I can already picture fans singing along at their next DND concert. With a patented guitar solo that isn't intended to impress guitar gurus (we all know that Clint and Troy could melt our ears if they intended too with a solo), but it builds with the tempo of the song perfectly and provides a spot-on bridge to the ending. Definitely a song we'll all be hearing a lot of radio stations near you.

The entire album has incredible musicianship layered throughout the entire thing. Each song you hear, you can identify another highlight of a different band member and why they are highly touted. It's like watching your favorite movie over and over again. Every time you watch (listen) to it, you find another part that is awesome and just makes you want to see (hear) more. If you don't buy this album when it comes out, not only are you not a fan of true hard rock and metal, but I'm going to put it out there and say you're anti-fun. Don't be a fun sponge! Go buy Dark New Days' "New Tradition;" you can thank me later.

Buy Dark New Days' NEW TRADITION February 28th!

Sevendust Members Launch New Project

It seems like this time of year is consistently like a belated Christmas for all rock and metal fans. There's always news of new albums from our favorite bands and anticipation being built for the upcoming spring summer and fall shows. This year has definitely been no different and we have yet another enormous musical present to make your metal heart sing. Sevendust members Clint Lowery (guitarist) and Morgan Rose (drummer) have announced a new project called Call Me No One. They have announced plans to record their debut album late this month and plan to release it in late spring. Clint Lowery said the following on his personal Facebook page: "[It's] Gonna be very exciting."

Those of you who are hardcore Sevendust fans and think this may spell the end of their long run in the business as a band, Lowery went on to say on his Facebook page that the band plans on recording a new album this summer for an nearly 2013 release.

"2013 - Double 7d record? Could be cool?" This is what the boys posted to Sevendust's official Facebook page Saturday afternoon. The next two years appear to be building up to be quite big ones for the mighty Sevendust. And yes ladies and gentlemen, Sevendust has arrived!

Dark New Day to Release New Album

Clint Lowery (guitarist from Sevendust), Will Hunt (drummer from Evanescence), Troy McLawhorn (guitarist from Evanescence), Brett Hestla (lead singer/guitarist from Virgos Merlot) and Corey Lowery (bassist from Stereomud and Eye Empire)—will release their highly anticipated sophomore album,NEW TRADITION, February 28 on Goomba Music (distributed by eOne Music). The first single, “New Tradition” is currently being serviced to radio stations nationwide.

NEW TRADITION is the follow-up to 2005’s debut album, TWELVE YEAR SILENCE, which was released on Warner Bros. Records. In 2006, the band releasedTHE BLACK PORCH ACOUSTIC SESSIONS EP after being on tour for over a year with Chevelle, Seether, Crossfade, and many others. After the EP’s release, they got to work on what would eventually be their second album, known at the time as HAIL MARY. Going through many employee and management changes, Warner Bros. decided to release the band from their contract, leaving the HAIL MARY album to be unreleased. It was at this point that DARK NEW DAY went on a hiatus, with the members either returning to their previous bands or venturing out into new projects.

The fire for new DARK NEW DAY material continued to burn in both the band members and the diehard fan base alike. The band came together in 2011 to compile tracks from HAIL MARY, along with newly written and recorded songs, for a special album which will be released as a "Thank You" to all the loyal fans that have continued to follow the band and request more material from the group.

"We’re very excited about the new DARK NEW DAY release,” proclaims guitarist Clint Lowery. “It seems the time is right to make these songs public and share with the fans that continue to support this project. We believe this music is still very valid and powerful today, and think its mandatory we give these songs a fair chance out in the music world. We owe it to ourselves and the DND fans. NEW TRADITION sums up the mindset we were in writing the follow-up to TWELVE YEAR SILENCE."

Clint Lowery's Demons & Skeletons Bring Hope with new "Words That Sing Well" CD

Photos by Kelly Lloyd

From the start, the name Hello Demons Meet Skeletons conjures an image of two bad guys being introduced in an awkward, unexpected moment in time and quite possibly throwin' down. So far so good...Now go a bit deeper. Drag some skeletons from your own figurative mental closet, face them off with a few of the collective, emotional demons that live each and every one of us. You get the idea.

It isn't easy to write songs. Certainly, writing about sensitive topics that are personal in an extreme nature can't be any easier. But Clint Lowery isn't afraid to be honest about what he's been through. As a matter of fact, he'll tell you it's a part of the whole process of recovery.

Back in 2008 I ordered Clint's first Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD online, called Chills. I thought I had a pretty good idea about what to expect because I'd heard it would be an all-acoustic, toned down, mellow version of some songs Clint wrote and recorded. So naturally, since I'm a decade-plus Sevendust fan, I figured we'd get some songs that were similar to "Xmas Day," "Angels Son," "Skeleton Song." Things like that. What I didn't know was that the lyrical content would be so excruciatingly honest and sorrowful, while remaining tangibly awesome.

 With the new release on April 19 of Clint's CD WORDS THAT SING WELL, I wasn't expecting anything this time, other than great music. Will this one be sad and reflective as well? Is this one different, more upbeat? Now that Clint is married and he and Tara have a beautiful baby, how will this reflect in the music? I won't give anything away other than to tell you that I find this CD utterly hopeful and it makes me smile a great deal. It's been written over the times that Clint has come to find more happiness than he'd expected, so perhaps that will shed some light on things, until you go get the CD yourself. If you already have it, as I suspect most of you reading this DO, then I'm certain you will agree that he has not only outdone himself, he's earned a great deal of respect.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that the songs are beautifully sung with some of the most touching harmonies and melodies in the music. If you have not ever heard him sing or play acoustic guitar, you're truly missing out, and I hope that you will at the least go to www.clintlowery.net, check out his new, awesome website (built by Natural Synthetic) and check out the samples of the songs on Itunes under HELLO DEMONS MEET SKELETONS! If you prefer the hard copy CD, they are hand signed, so get one while they're still available, and you'll also get all the tracks from Chills on the new CD, Re-Mastered!

Clint was very gracious to spend some time sharing some of the background as well as the inside of this project that means a lot to him and has come to mean a great deal to many of us...

Architekt's George Roskos sheds light on Clint Lowery's latest Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD

HELLO DEMONS MEET SKELETONS
2011 Release by Clint Lowery
Words That Sing Well

In an interview last week with Clint Lowery, we discussed his recent acoustic indie release, Words That Sing Well, under the moniker HELLO DEMONS MEET SKELETONS. That interview is en route to you this week, stay tuned...

When asked how it came about that a small privately owned business named Architekt Music came to be involved in this, Clint shed a little bit of light on the process, and also described the direct involvement of a gentleman by the name of George Roskos.

It may have seemed strange or even bizarre a decade ago if two people “met” over a social networking program. But that’s how it transpired. (It apparently happens quite a bit between musicians, as we've recently discovered).

In our conversation, Clint says he mentioned something on Twitter and got to talking with George and over time, things came together in a pretty incredible way, resulting in a new recording that could be shared with everyone.

Sevendust guitarist John Connolly talks Gear, Dimebag, Trampolines & Tattoos!

The soaring and steady relevance of straight up hard rock and heavy metal isn't going anywhere. As a matter of fact, you ask any hard rock or metal fan and you'll get an earful about it's longevity and importance.

John Connolly
photo by Angela Villand

Leave it to 5 humble guys from the South to make a difference. They are called Sevendust, they are known by friends and fans as great guys that have a damn good time performing and writing music. They have always known they're blessed, just ask them; they'll tell anyone that Sevendust fans are not fans, they are Family. Those of us that have watched them "mature" over the years are excited that the world is catching on, so to speak. Those of you that discovered Sevendust in the past several years have most likely found yourself welcomed, with open arms, a hell yeah and raised horns by the rest of us!

This is no news to some of you, but John Connolly, one of the 2 Sevendust guitarists, was a long-time friend and fan of Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damage Plan). He looked up to him with both ears wide open, he thought he was crazy, yet admired the hell out of him in every way. Here, John speaks openly about Dime, shares some of his most humorous and favorite memories of the times they spent together. He also talks about the "old school" Sevendust "shit they pulled," (trampolines on stage), shares some gear insight, and talks about how he and the music he makes has changed and evolved through over a decade of jammin' with his band mates.

With COLD DAY MEMORY celebrating it's one year anniversary (last week, April 20 marked the 1 year milestone), you might think it's time for them to pack up and head home, head back to the studio.

No sir, and no ma'am. That's not how they do things, nor have they ever. They're on the road now, still...Oh yeah they take breaks, but then they hit the road again and keep on playing for the fans. For you.

Clint Lowery's WORDS THAT SING WELL CD Is HERE!

Words That Sing Well www.clintlowery.net
(Photo Courtesy Natural Synthetic Design Studios
© Clint Lowery 2011)

Itunes & Hard Copy Release Date:  APRIL 19

Hard Copy CD (containing both HDMS EPs!) available for NOW at www.clintlowery.net

For every person that's heard the music of Sevendust, there should be as many that know what the hell Clint's up to these days. Since his return, he's kept busy on the road, but in his off-road time, he's maintained his side project at home and in the studio!

Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery is launching his second album Words That Sing Well under the title of his solo project, Hello Demons Meet Skeletons. This is not something you want to miss.

Interview with Ari of Destrophy

Written by Aaron Manogue

It seems like Iowa is good at producing two things: 1) Tons and tons of corn 2) Kick-ass metal bands. HRR has come across yet another of the latter in the band Destrophy. The Iowan quartet based out of Des Moines started all the way back in 2002 by highly-respected and enormously talented producer, singer/songwriter Ari Mihalopoulos, who at the time scouted the entire state in search of his perfect combination of musicians. After all was said and done, Ari had found Joe Fox (Drums), Eric Tisinger (Guitar), and Phil T (Bass) to complete his musical war party. Nine years, 3 albums and 1 EP later, Destrophy prepares for their second release under Victory Records titled Cry Havoc. HRR took some time to sit down with Ari and talk about their upcoming album.

HRR: Tell me about the album and the direction you took. Can fans expect the same Destrophy sound on the new album? What are you most proud of on the new album? (New sound, different directions lyrically, etc.)
Ari: I knew that I wanted this album to be positive or inspiring. I wanted people to feel good while listening to it and felt an obligation to try and energize our fans as opposed to bring them down. Most of my previous lyrical material had a darkness and a pessimism about it that given the current state of affairs; the economy, just the overall vibe of the times, I didn't feel right adding to or wallowing in personal misery. (Even the song titled, "Misery" is actually about reaching out to a person going through a tough time.) I thought about traditional forms of entertainment and the idea of framing the entire work as a play or opera entitled, "Cry Havoc". The theme is meant to inspire people to hold to their dreams and passions and embrace death at the end of a fulfilled life. The phrase, "Cry Havoc" comes from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and at least for our album basically means "go kick some ass". The title track and much of the album was directly influenced by the Spartan stand at Thermopylae, which to me is the perfect example of holding true to one's way of life at any cost.

Pre-Order Cry Havoc

In general the album has a very rock sound, and very melodic sound, which we've done before but not this extreme. This time I was interested in having an album of more cohesive material- songs that fit together thematically and sonically; and basically rocked the whole time for some good driving and workout music. I placed highest priority on serving the song, and more emphasis on vocals and melody. Those are our strengths, and after sharing the stage with the likes of Bury Your Dead, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, and Otep, I felt that being brutal and screaming was best left to them! Our whole album can be performed acoustically and sounds great. Maybe we'll have to do that sometime. This also marks the first time I've worked with another producer on a track. I went to Atlanta to work with Corey Lowery (Eye Empire, Stereomud, Dark New Day) and we developed the song, "Still Bleeding" and had his brother Clint (Sevendust) play a couple solos. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot from him.

HRR Interview with Sevendust's Morgan Rose

Drummer, Morgan Rose, of Sevendust

Written by Aaron Manogue

The hard rock scene isn’t something that is easy to break into in a "big" way, and even when it does happen, there comes the constant struggle of staying relevant enough to continue successfully writing music and touring. Very few bands have figured out the precise formula to balance immense musical talent while simultaneously pleasing the "industry suits."

Since 1997, when they released their self-titled debut album, Sevendust has done that and so much more. They’ve gone through lineup changes, financial troubles, and everything else that rock ‘n’ roll has thrown their way.  Sevendust continues to write, record, and produce music that transcends the struggles and has formed them into one of the most stoic forces in the hard rock music scene. Hard-Rock-Reviews.com's Aaron Manogue chatted recently with Morgan about Sevendust...