By Steve Newton When your band is called Graveyard, it’s no surprise that you sometimes get pegged as yet another grinding death-metal act. According to Graveyard frontman Joakim Nilsson, it happens quite a bit. “Yeah, we hear that a lot,” says the 37-year-old singer-guitarist, on the line from his home outside Gothenburg, Sweden. “But I … Continue reading Graveyard has nothing to do with death (metal)
Tag: 2015
Krampus makes the most of demonic gingerbread men
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 4, 2015 By Steve Newton Anyone who enjoyed mid-‘80s horror-comedies that relied on animatronic puppets for their chills and chuckles—movies like Gremlins and the lower-rent Ghoulies—may get a mild kick out of Krampus. Starting out with a Christmas Vacation vibe, Krampus sees your typical afluent American family--parents Tom and Sarah (Adam Scott and Toni Collette) and teenage kids … Continue reading Krampus makes the most of demonic gingerbread men
King Crimson freak suggests watching the band like it’s an orchestra
By Steve Newton I was a huge fan of prog-rock in the seventies, but for some reason I did not follow King Crimson much. About all I remember about them was the heavy riffs of "21st Century Schizoid Man". Guess I was too busy getting my prog-rock jollies from Yes, Tull, Floyd, Wishbone, and Genesis. … Continue reading King Crimson freak suggests watching the band like it’s an orchestra
Neil Young’s ragged glory undermined by shitty sound in Vancouver
The sound from the stage was great--until the band got up there. By Steve Newton Yesterday I wrote a fun little blog about how nice it would be if Neil Young topped off his show in Vancouver last night with one of my fave tunes of his, "Long May You Run". He didn't do that--opting instead to … Continue reading Neil Young’s ragged glory undermined by shitty sound in Vancouver
The Visit drives a nail in the coffin of the found-footage format–with a twist!
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 11, 2015 By Steve Newton Will M. Night Shyamalan ever clue in? Just because there's a twist in a movie doesn't mean the movie's any good. Sure, he won us all over with that gotcha moment in The Sixth Sense back in 1999, but by the time of The Village, five years later, … Continue reading The Visit drives a nail in the coffin of the found-footage format–with a twist!
Will the Foo Fighters blast out some old-school Van Halen riffs in Vancouver?
By Steve Newton The Foo Fighters have been paying respects to some fine classic-rock acts on their current tour. During their last gig, in Scotland on Tuesday, the Seattle guitar-rockers played snippets of Van Halen's "Eruption", Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust", and Big Country's "In a Big Country" during the band introduction. And two days earlier … Continue reading Will the Foo Fighters blast out some old-school Van Halen riffs in Vancouver?
Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion
By Steve Newton Back in January I blogged about the "major concert news" that my old buddy's cover band, Cold Chain, was gonna play the 40-year reunion for my Chilliwack Senior High School class of 1975. At the time I put a request in for what was probably my fave tune that year, Ian Hunter's … Continue reading Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion
Steve Earle’s marathon Vancouver show a winner despite a-hole sighting
photos by the Newt By Steve Newton Steve Earle was his typically cool and collected self during his marathon set at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver last night, but there was one moment when his calm demeanour got left backstage. Just before his encore one overly enthusiastic fan scampered up on the empty stage to grab … Continue reading Steve Earle’s marathon Vancouver show a winner despite a-hole sighting
Sinister 2 is a groan-inducing cash grab
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 19, 2015 By Steve Newton Blumhouse Productions’ 2012 sleeper Sinister was an impressively creepy fright flick that drew much of its strength from Ethan Hawke’s convincing portrayal of Ellison Oswalt, a struggling true-crime writer who seeks inspiration by moving his unknowing family into a home where an unsolved mass murder occurred. For Sinister … Continue reading Sinister 2 is a groan-inducing cash grab
Came across a real Creep on Netflix last night
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 9, 2015 By Steve Newton I had a hankering for a scary movie late last night so took a look at the Horror Movies section on Netflix to see what was available. The first five offerings were Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Prometheus, The Conjuring, Orphan, and World War Z, all of … Continue reading Came across a real Creep on Netflix last night
Jason Bateman discovers his dark side in The Gift
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT. COM, AUG. 5, 2015 By Steve Newton If you thought Jason Bateman could only play affable sad-sacks, prepare for a nice surprise with The Gift. The actor best known for his gentle portrayal of the put-upon Michael Bluth in Arrested Development discovers his dark side in a big way in this unsettling revenge thriller … Continue reading Jason Bateman discovers his dark side in The Gift
Metal gods Judas Priest to play first Vancouver shows with Rob Halford outside of a hockey rink
By Steve Newton I've been going to see Judas Priest play concerts at Vancouver hockey rinks since the 1982 Screaming for Vengeance tour hit the Pacific Coliseum, and, quite frankly, I'm sick of it. The acoustics are never any good, and you can never get close enough to see the sweat dripping off Glenn Tipton's fretboard unless you … Continue reading Metal gods Judas Priest to play first Vancouver shows with Rob Halford outside of a hockey rink
Neal Schon’s fierce guitar dulled by Journey’s soulless corporate-rock vibe
By Steve Newton Journey has long been criticized for being one of the prime purveyors of "corporate rock", along with the likes of Foreigner, Boston, Styx, and REO Speedwagon. But anyone who's ever slagged the group for its commercial sensibilities would have to admit that its latest attempt to make even more moola is pretty … Continue reading Neal Schon’s fierce guitar dulled by Journey’s soulless corporate-rock vibe