GYPSYHAWK completes record release tour, returns back to California to continue planning fall tour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2010

Press Release

GYPSYHAWK completes record release tour, returns back to California to continue planning fall tour

Following the recently-completed West Coast tour in support of the band’s debut album, GYPSYHAWK has returned home to Pasadena, Calif. and has several Southern California shows planned for the remainder of July and August before embarking on another tour -- this time reaching out east -- in support of the July 6 release of ‘Patience And Perseverance’ through Creator-Destructor Records. Several songs are available on the band’s MySpace page.

High praise for GYPSYHAWK has been rolling in upon the band’s first indie release following the band’s winter demo that caught the attention of the Bay Area-based Creator-Destructor Records. The band is keeping the ball rolling with a subsequent tour across the rest of the United States this fall, hitting some of the members’ hometowns along the way. Skeletonwitch band features two Californians alongside New York transplant Scotty Conant (guitars) and Louisiana local boy Eric Harris (vocals, bass). The latter spent time in Ohio-based metal band Skeletonwitch for several years before taking hold of a frontman role in GYPSYHAWK.

The 12 track ‘Patience And Perseverance’ was recorded in April with Oakland-based producer Zach Ohren (All Shall Perish, Light This City), and Harris recently issued a statement about the recording of the band’s debut full-length: “Going into the studio initially was exciting and uncertain at the same time, we weren't sure how Zack would fare with us, given his past works (Animosity, Suffocation, Odious Mortem), but we gotta say...this cat is a highly skilled professional, and he's definitely capable of getting a great solid sound no matter what the genre is. Being in the studio was baller; high times everyday, with video games, canned tuna, and community coffee on the reg. Everyone did a superb job of getting in, bearing down, and taking care of business.”

“We are beyond stoked for the album,” Harris continues. “It sounds fantastic, looks amazing thanks to Dan Lerner of the 614 (www.dan-lerner.com), and of course none of this would have been possible without Ben Murray and Creator-Destructor. We're unbelievably happy to be working with him, and we hope that everything he is doing for music gets bigger and stronger from here on out.” Meanwhile, guitarist Andrew Packer has also been continuing an ongoing blog for the recent two week trek up the West Coast and back, including photos, video, and dialog.

GYPSYHAWK on the road

7/25 Long Beach, CA – Que Sara (with Emeralds, Wildlife Sumerian Axe)

7/26 Boyle Heights, CA – The Blvd (with Wildilfe, Emeralds)

8/13 Los Angeles, CA – Relax Bar (with Hightower, Natur, Space Vacation)

9/07 Lafayette, LA – Sadie’s

9/16 Indianapolis, IN – Melody Inn

9/18 Des Moines, IA – Hull Avenue Tavern

*more dates TBA*

“The quartet…worship two things: the almighty riff and ganja.” – Decibel

“It’s a bit like discovering long forgotten tracks by Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath but with Lemmy on lead vocals.” – Brian Tattler, Diamond Head / TheLiveLine.com

“Gypsyhawk, an L.A.-based band intent on recounting and representing the elements that made metal so enjoyable in its infancy: twin guitars, melodic vocals, killer grooves and solos. Lots of solos." – Noisecreep.com

"A band to watch, if they can grow from here it’s going to get scary good." – HellrideMusic.com

"...They are seriously playing from the heart, and Harris’s world-weary vocals belie life experience beyond his years..." – City Of Devils

"Picture Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple and Slough Feg jamming over brews and doobs behind a wall of amps and twin guitar leads and you get the idea." – Metalsucks.com

“For a band to release such a strong sounding LP is very promising, and it seems Creator-Destructor Records have a great band in their grasp” – Sound-Revolution

VTT Returns From Tour; Announces More Live Dates With Benefit Shows, Festival appearances

VTT Returns From Tour; Announces More Live Dates With Benefit Shows, Festival appearances

Band continues benefit work along with two area festival appearances

New Jersey melodic metal quartet VTT recently returned from the three week “Victims Of Sin Summer Tour” and have already confirmed six more shows in the coming months, including a fund raiser for the National Wildlife Refuge, a fundraiser for Ronnie James Dio’s Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund and appearances at The Power & The Fury Festival and Richmond Metalfest among others. The band continues to support the late-2009 released ‘Symptoms Of Sin’, the band’s third album. The eight track release was produced by Biohazard’s Billy Graziadei at his Underground Sound Studios.

VTT will play an all acoustic set Aug. 15 in Vernon, NJ as part of a fund raiser for the disaster in the Gulf. All proceeds will go to the National Wildlife Refuge Association, a non-profit dedicated to conservation of America’s wildlife for future generations. Meanwhile, VTT will also participate in an Aug. 27 tribute to the recently-fallen Ronnie James Dio in Clifton, NJ. The New Jersey natives will share the stage with three other bands, paying tribute to the legendary vocalist with tributes all night, and benefits will go to Ronnie James Dio’s Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. The organization’s goal is to “reduce the risk of developing life threatening cancers by offering access to preventative medical services.”

Meanwhile, as part VTT’s recently-completed “Victims Of Sin Summer Tour,” the band took part in East End Hot Rods’ Second Annual Autism Speaks fundraiser show, and a clip of the band playing their Symptoms Of Sin track “Wake Of The White Devil” is available online here. Tracks from all three of the band’s releases are available on the VTT MySpace Page, including the official video for 'Symptoms Of Sin' lead track "The Victim."

VTT Live On The Road

7/09 Roknonoka, NY – Traxx (with Saviour, Death Tooth, more)

8/15 Vernon, NJ – Rt. 565 (Wallkill River Fund Raiser For Gulf Disaster)

8/21 North Syracuse, NY – Club Fusion (The Power & The Fury Festival)

8/25 New York, NY – Pyramid Club (with Saints Of Pain)

8/27 Clifton, NJ – Ding Batz (for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund)

9/25 Richmond, VA – Alley Katz (Richmond Metalfest Day 2)

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“The best thing to happen to the band was getting Biohazard and Suicide City guitarist Billy Graziadei to produce their new album, 'Symptoms of Sin.' The hardcore hero gelled well with the group, getting the best performances VTT have ever laid down on tape.” – Noisecreep.com

“Plain and simple the music is an aggression of brutality that contains this rock n’ roll vibration with heavy metal influence wrapped around giving it that much needed breath of fresh air.” – Metal Maniacs

“Take a second, pause, and check back into metal’s roots, and Symptoms Of Sin in a way acts like a reminder to the glory days, with a classic sort of evil in the mix. Fans of loud heavy metal need to check out VTT now.” – SMNnews.com

“…songs that stand out as being quite good, solid metal tunes.” – Pure Grain Audio

“VTT’s gritty sensibilities and memorable hooks hit hard and are bound to leave an impression on anyone with an ear for the sound of today’s aggression.” – Hot Indie News

“I can totally see these guys gaining mainstream recognition…much more palatable than your average over the top aggressive modern metal album” – All Metal Resource

“…this troupe’s cavalcade of strong riffs is sprinkled with a bevy of intriguing acoustic flourishes (“Looking For Serenity”, “Deleted Scenes”) providing the album a proper foundation that supports its constant switches in mood and atmosphere.” – Gears Of Rock

GYPSYHAWK signs with Creator-Destructor; to release debut July 6

GYPSYHAWK signs with Creator-Destructor; to release debut July 6

Pasadena, Calif.’s GYPSYHAWK have signed with Creator-Destructor Records and will release the band’s debut album, ‘Patience And Perseverance’ July 6 on CD and double gatefold LP through the Bay Area-based record label. The band will also depart for a West Coast tour in early July to support the release, heading up to Seattle and back.

Inspired by Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, and 70s rock of all sorts, GYPSYHAWK is led by former Skeletonwitch member Eric Harris (bass/vocals) and rounded out by Scotty Conant, Andrew Packer (guitars), and Joe Fabio (drums). The latter recorded and mixed the band’s eight-track demo that surfaced in late 2009. Since the formation of GYPSYHAWK, the band has played in and around Los Angeles and Hollywood, and even the Bay Area, before and during their recording schedule with producer Zack Ohren (Animosity, All Shall Perish, Heartsounds) at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, Calif.

GYPSYHAWK is currently gearing up with the release of ‘Patience And Perseverance’ and the live dates practicing for the live assault. Several samples of the songs are available online and pre-orders for the album are available through Creator-Destructor.

GYPSYHAWK on the road

7/03 Ramona, CA – Ramona Mainstage Theater (with Red Octopus, Green House, Moon Beams)

7/05 Hollywood, CA – Les Deux (with Sumerian Axe)

7/06 Ventura, CA – Take Two (with The Fucking Wrath, Ill Eagle)

7/08 Oakland, CA – Sugar Mountain (with Glitter Wizard, Hobocop, Taco Cat)

7/09 Reno, NV – Ryan’s Saloon (with Otis, Knightfall, Snake Piss)

7/10 Portland, OR – East End

7/11 Seattle, WA – Rendevous

7/13 San Francisco, CA – Kimo’s (with Space Vacation, Glitter Wizard)

7/14 Santa Cruz, CA – Blue Lagoon (with Glitter Wizard, Midnight Lights)

8/14 Los Angeles, CA – Relax Bar (with Hightower, Natur, Space Vacation)

9/16 Indianapolis, IN – Melody Inn

###

“Gypsyhawk, an L.A.-based band intent on recounting and representing the elements that made metal so enjoyable in its infancy: twin guitars, melodic vocals, killer grooves and solos. Lots of solos." – Noisecreep.com

"Picture Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple and Slough Feg jamming over brews and doobs behind a wall of amps and twin guitar leads, and you get the idea." – Metalsucks.com

"This is the type of material that makes it clear that, had Gypsyhawk been an obscure and under-acknowledged band actually from the 70’s and this their album, it would be considered a stone cold classic and be fetching insane sums on e-bay.... A band to watch, if they can grow from here it’s going to get scary good." – HellrideMusic.com

"...They are seriously playing from the heart, and Harris’s world-weary vocals belie life experience beyond his years..." – City Of Devils

New Jersey's VTT to kick off "Victims Of Sin Summer Tour” May 15

New Jersey's VTT to kick off "Victims Of Sin" Summer Tour May 15

New Jersey’s VTT will kick off the band’s “Victims of Sin” Summer Tour May 15 in Akron, Ohio, continuing to support the band’s third full-length release, ‘Symptoms Of Sin’. The record, produced by Biohazard and Suicide City guitarist Billy Graziadei at his Underground Sound Studios (Sick Of It All, Life Of Agony, Pantera), has led VTT to gigs alongside W.A.S.P., Biohazard, Wisdom In Chains, and more, as well as several headlining shows in and around the New Jersey area. The “Victims Of Sin Summer Tour” will take the band outside its tri-state homeland for the first time since the release of ‘Symptoms Of Sins’ in late 2009, heading as far away as Texas before returning back to New York in June for The Second Annual Autism Speaks Charity Car & Truck Show.

Several tracks from ‘Symptoms of Sin’ are now online at the band’s MySpace page. The band’s latest music video, for the lead track “The Victim”, is online along with other performance footage at VTT’s YouTube channel. The clip is also featured as an enhanced video segment on the digipack version of ‘Symptoms Of Sin’.

Formed in 2005, VTT released ‘Mandala’ in that same year and ‘Alone In Pain’ in 2007 under the name Voodoo Terror Tribe. ‘Symptoms Of Sin’ marks the recording debut of VTT vocalist Gil-PZ, a Texas transplant that moved to New Jersey to join the band, as well as the band’s shortened moniker of VTT. “The acronym better represents our new approach, and is iconic in its own way,” VTT guitarist Emir Erkal recently stated in an interview. “While in a way we’re a tribe, the term ‘terror’ doesn’t usually apply.”

VTT “Victims Of Sin” Summer Tour 2010
5/15 Akron, OH – Annabell’s
5/16 Allen Park, MI – Simon’s After Dark
5/17 South Barrington, IL – The Rock Room
5/19 Lincoln, NE – Knickerbockers
5/20 Tulsa, OK – Shenanigan’s
5/21 San Antonio, TX – Zombies (with When Words Attack, Charity Payne, more)
5/22 Arlington, TX – Dreamworld (Texas Hellfest 2010)
5/23 Austin, TX – The Headhunters
5/25 Birmingham, AL – The Nick
5/26 Clarksville, TN – The Warehouse (with Stoic Static, more)
5/27 Asheville, NC – The Boiler Room
5/28 Bluefield, WV – The Rock-It Club
6/06 East Patchogue, NY – East End Hot Rods (The 2nd Annual Autism Speaks Charity Car & Truck Show)
*more dates will be announced soon*

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“The best thing to happen to the band was getting Biohazard and Suicide City guitarist Billy Graziadei to produce their new album, 'Symptoms of Sin.' The hardcore hero gelled well with the group, getting the best performances VTT have ever laid down on tape.” – Noisecreep.com

“Plain and simple the music is an aggression of brutality that contains this rock n’ roll vibration with heavy metal influence wrapped around giving it that much needed breath of fresh air.” – Metal Maniacs

“Take a second, pause, and check back into metal’s roots, and Symptoms Of Sin in a way acts like a reminder to the glory days, with a classic sort of evil in the mix. Fans of loud heavy metal need to check out VTT now.” – SMNnews.com

“…songs that stand out as being quite good, solid metal tunes.” – Pure Grain Audio

“VTT’s gritty sensibilities and memorable hooks hit hard and are bound to leave an impression on anyone with an ear for the sound of today’s aggression.” – Hot Indie News

“I can totally see these guys gaining mainstream recognition…much more palatable than your average over the top aggressive modern metal album” – All Metal Resource

“…this troupe’s cavalcade of strong riffs is sprinkled with a bevy of intriguing acoustic flourishes (“Looking For Serenity”, “Deleted Scenes”) providing the album a proper foundation that supports its constant switches in mood and atmosphere.” – Gears Of Rock

New Jersey metallers VTT confirms show W.A.S.P. gig in March, preps summer U.S. tour

February 5, 2010

Press Release

New Jersey metallers VTT confirms show W.A.S.P. gig in March, preps summer U.S. tour

New Jersey’s VTT is proud to announce a confirmed March 12 show in the band’s home state of New Jersey alongside legendary American metal band W.A.S.P. on their headlining trek. In addition to the high-profile gig at Sayerville’s Starland Ballroom, two New York shows are also lined up, Feb. 10 and March 27, respectively. Plans are also underway for a tour of greater America later this year, most likely this summer; details will be available on that trek shortly.

In the meantime VTT will continue playing in and around the Northeastern US, continuing to support its third album, ‘Symptoms Of Sin,’ an eight-track effort of driven alt-metal produced by friend and Biohazard/Suicide City vocalist-guitarist Billy Graziadei at Underground Sound Studios (Sick Of It All, Life Of Agony, Pantera). Several tracks from ‘Symptoms of Sin’ are now online at the band's MySpace page. The band’s latest music video, for ‘Symptoms’ lead track "The Victim" is also online – and currently featured at Ultimate-Guitar.com.

VTT previously released ‘Alone In Pain,’ in 2007, and 2005’s ‘Mandala’ under the VooDoo Terror Tribe moniker, but ‘Symptoms Of Sin’ marks the debut of the shorter, acronym name. “The acronym better represents our new approach, and is iconic in its own way,” guitarist Emir Erkal recently stated in an interview. “While in a way we’re a tribe, the term ‘terror’ doesn’t usually apply.” ‘Symptoms Of Sin’ also sees the recording debut of new VTT vocalist Gil PZ, a Texas native who recently relocated to the band’s New Jersey headquarters

VTT live
2/10 New York, NY – Pyramid Club (4th Annual Broken Hearts Ball)
3/12 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom (with W.A.S.P.)
3/27 Woodmere, NY – The Backstage

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“...rock n’ roll vibration with heavy metal influence wrapped around giving it that much needed breath of fresh air…rest assured that there isn’t anything that these rock n’ rollers cannot do. Just give them the time and chance to sock it to you.” – Metal Maniacs

“Whether hitting heavy with the metal assaults or unleashing an alternative metal side, VTT’s song structure is solid.” – SMN News

“With their skill for producing metal it should be no time before someone inks a deal with these sick bastards” – HardRockHaven

“Unique and raw, aggressive harmonies, catchy lyrics... They are a hidden gem of metal” – RockEyes

"New Jersey's VTT ranges from sounding like old school Biohazard to the rocking ‘more commercial’ sounds of Sevendust, most importantly demonstrating that they can write some tried-and-true heavy metal arrangements that still have radio appeal" – TheMetalDen.com

FOREST MOON SPECIAL PRODUCTS confirms new releases from OAKHELM, PLUTOCRACY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

FOREST MOON SPECIAL PRODUCTS confirms new releases from OAKHELM, PLUTOCRACY

Portland area pagan, black metal lifers OAKHELM have confirmed plans to release the band’s second full-length with Forest Moon Special Products, the same label that released 2007’s praised ‘Betwixt And Between.’ The next effort, dubbed ‘ECHTRA’, is confirmed as a five track album with a running time of over 35 minutes, continuing in the same vein as ‘Betwixt’ but more varied and concise.

As part of the Northwestern stake in Paganfest: Part II last year, and compared to anyone from Agalloch to Wolves In The Throne Room, Ulver, and Woods of Ypres, OAKHLEM is proud to once again partner up with Forest Moon for ‘ECHTRA’, which was recorded over a period of several months in 2009 and ultimately mastered by Justin Weiss at Trackworx.

Featuring members of highly-regarded metal bands Assück, Wormwood, L'Acephale, and Fall Of The Bastards among others, OAKHELM received praise high praise for the band’s previous effort, which also saw a limited vinyl edition go into print after its original, well-received release. ‘ECHTRA’ will see an early summer release and more details will be available shortly. Tracks from ‘Betwixt And Between’ are available online here.

Additionally, Forest Moon Special Products is proud to also announce a partnership with long-running Bay Area political grind band PLUTOCRACY for the upcoming release of a collection of all new material. Formed in 1988 and featuring members that would later form No Less, Spazz, and Agents Of Satan, PLUTOCRACY recently reconvened to record material earlier this month that will be featured on a forthcoming EP of all-new material, the group’s first since 2000’s ‘Sniping Pigz’ full-length.

The yet-untitled EP will be available on limited CD and vinyl EP formats and will stay in the political grind frame of mind PLUTOCRACY has portrayed throughout the years. The two formats will be released later this year through Forest Moon Special Products. In the meantime, some samples of past material are available online here.

About OAKHELM:
Made up of frontman/bassist-vocalist Pete Jay (Assück, Wormwood), guitarists Donnie (Fall Of The Bastards, Human Shield), Cody Keyworth (L’Acephale), and drummer Eli (Fall Of The Bastards, Ashtaroth, Plutocracy), OAKHELM’s past black metal roots – and experience – have shaped what the band is to become. Highly influenced by Celtic texts, the band strives to set a similar mood amidst a similarly dreary mood to the band’s hometown. ‘ECHTRA’ is the band’s newest full-length, the follow-up to 2007’s well-received ‘Betwixt And Between.’ Both are through Forest Moon Special Products.

About PLUTOCRACY:
Dubbed after a wealth-based government, it’s no surprise PLUTOCRACY’s brand of grind is politically motivated. The Bay Area band formed in 1988 and has featured former and current members of No Less, Spazz, Agents Of Satan, and Oakhelm across its history of two full-lengths, an EP, and a slathering of splits and demos throughout the years. 2010 will see the release of an all-new collection of songs on both CD and vinyl EP through Forest Moon Special Products.

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“This is a meaty, blood-boiler of a record that’ll fill you with the sort of rage necessary to swing a hammer the size of a suburban mailbox.” – Metal Review

“…best Viking metal album of the year.” – Teeth Of The Divine

VTT Plays After Christmas Show, Schedules two More Northeast Shows

December 29, 2009

Press Release

VTT Plays After Christmas Show, Schedules two More Northeast Shows

Fresh off a post-Christmas hometown benefit show, New Jersey’s VTT has announced two new live dates in early 2010. Currently working through plans for a full US tour, these two dates are the first in a handful of additional appearances in support of the band’s recently-released third full-length, 'Symptoms Of Sin.'

Having already shared the stage this month with Biohazard, Wisdom In Chains, Suicide City, and Trapped Under Ice, among others, VTT recently played an after-Christmas benefit show for the Lollipop Foundation, a local benefit group in late December. Meanwhile, the band has secured the aforementioned dates in support of ‘Symptoms Of Sin,’ an eight-track effort of driven metal produced by friend Biohazard singer/guitarist Billy Graziadei at Underground Sound Studios (Sick Of It All, Life Of Agony, Pantera), several tracks from ‘Symptoms of Sin’ are now online at the band's MySpace page.

The band’s latest music video for "The Victim," the album's lead track, is also now online along with other clips, including material from the band’s 2007 effort, ‘Alone In Pain,’ released under the VooDoo Terror Tribe moniker. The band has also released ‘Mandala’ in 2005, but ‘Symptoms Of Sin’ marks the debut of new vocalist Gil PZ, a Texas native who recently relocated to the band’s home state of New Jersey.

VTT Live
1/15/2010 Secaucus, NJ – The Blue Room (with Saints of Pain, Primemover, Nuclear Harvest, Regalia)
2/10/2010 New York, NY – Pyramid Club (The 4th Annual Broken Hearts Ball with Saints of Pain, Hate In The Box, Kore Rozzic)

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“With their skill for producing metal it should be no time before someone inks a deal with these sick bastards” – HardRockHaven

“Unique and raw, aggressive harmonies, catchy lyrics... They are a hidden gem of metal” – RockEyes

"New Jersey's VTT ranges from sounding like old school Biohazard to the rocking ‘more commercial’ sounds of Sevendust, most importantly demonstrating that they can write some tried-and-true heavy metal arrangements that still have radio appeal" – TheMetalDen.com