Part tomboy, part femme fatale, Zeena Koda is a SiriusXM DJ, vocalist, journalist, and lover of all things hardcore. You can catch her radio show Monday through Saturday on SiriusXM Liquid Metal and watch her inquisitive feminist side via her video web series Boxx Talk and Ask A Bombshell. Rot and roll, baby!
Mlny Parsonz, frontwoman and bassist of Atlanta rock powerhouse Royal Thunder, is one cool southern lady. Part Ann Wilson of Heart, with a healthy dose of Ozzy’s irreverent spirit during his formative Black Sabbath days, she holds a vocal confidence and ability that rivals some of the best voices in the biz. Parsonz humorously describes her signature vocal character–which is distinctively powerful with a patina and rasp that fills in the band’s gritty throwback sound–as the byproduct of “years of vocal damage.”
Over the past two years, Royal Thunder have made some significant moves, releasing their debut full-length, CVI, via Relapse Records, as well as clocking in some serious tour time winning audiences over one by one in venues across the U.S. It is no accident that Royal Thunder have been experiencing the reverberations of success: Parsonz has been preparing for this moment for the past 20 years as a musician. Sculpting her craft through a variety of musical styles and concentrations ranging from death-metal keyboardist to singer-songwriter stints, real-life experience has been her teacher. “When I was about 12, my brother had this crappy Yamaha guitar and amp he tried playing, and it didn’t click so I’d go in his room and take his guitar, go to my room and play” Parsonz recounts. “It took years to be good.” Play on she did, and it was through a variety of musical ventures that she landed in the company of her present husband and bandmate, guitarist Josh Weaver.
In terms of power duo, it doesn’t get more definitive than their decade-long rock-solid professional, musical, and spiritual bond. “We’ve always had a good musical connection,” Parsonz saysl. “We’re working together more than we’re spending time sitting home chilling, being a married couple.” That coexistence of both her creative passions and love life sits as the holy grail to most touring female musicians. In a profession where the imbalance of personal and professional needs can be great, it is inspiring to see both live humbly in harmony. One can’t help but think that this nurturing undertone might be a key factor in the legitimate passion felt in the music. There is a genuine emotion that Parsonz admittedly grabs from growing up “loving things [futureusgallerymusically] that were authentic,” as she says. Drawing influence from timeless talents such as Billy Joel, Tina Turner, and Elton John, her music sews in elements of melody without compromising gritty heaviness. Within five minutes of conversation with Parsonz, anyone can feel the down-to-earth heart she brings with a steadfast refusal to be anything but her true self. This was who she was meant to be.
“I realized when I was driving one day that I’m already living my dream, which was to make music and travel” she readily admits. “Then I was like, Fuck, I don’t have anymore dreams. I need a dream, dude!”
Watch Royal Thunder live the dream as they continue to rip it up live across the world in 2013.
Fun Fact: Mel has an awesome portrait tattoo of Ozzy Osbourne biting a dove’s head off on her upper arm that she got on her 18th birthday at a local tattoo parlor. If that’s not dedication to metal, what is?
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The Dillinger Escape Plan have announced the first leg (see dates below) of a worldwide tour in support of their forthcoming new album, One of Us Is The Killer. The band will kick things off at New England Metal Fest and then begin a U.S. headlining tour of clubs and theaters with support from The Faceless and Royal Thunder, stopping to make an appearance at the Revolver Magazine Golden Gods Awards on May 2.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been out doing what we do best,” said guitarist Ben Weinman. “We’re excited to present this album to the world.”
One of Us Is The Killer is set for release May 14th in North America through the band’s own Party Smasher Inc. in partnership with Sumerian Records.
Dillinger Escape Plan tour dates:
Sat 4/20/2013 Worcester, MA New England Metal Fest
Mon 4/22/2013 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Club
Tue 4/23/2013 Albany, NY Upstate Concert Hall
Wed 4/24/2013 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
Thu 4/25/2013 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar
Fri 4/26/2013 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Sat 4/27/2013 Brooklyn, NY Converse Rubber Tracks @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sun 4/28/2013 New Haven, CT Toads Place
Mon 4/29/2013
Tue 4/30/2013 Columbus, OH A&R Bar
Wed 5/1/2013
Thu 5/2/2013 LOS ANGELES, CA GOLDEN GODS/NOKIA THEATER
Fri 5/3/2013
Sat 5/4/2013 Newport, KY Southgate House
Sun 5/5/2013 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
Mon 5/6/2013
Tue 5/7/2013 Indianapolis, IN Emerson Theater
Wed 5/8/2013 Chicago, IL Reggies
Thu 5/9/2013 Des Moines, IA Wooly’s
Fri 5/10/2013 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
Sat 5/11/2013 St. Louis, MO The Firebird
Sun 5/12/2013 Lawrence, MO The Granada
Mon 5/13/2013
Tue 5/14/2013 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Wed 5/15/2013
Thu 5/16/2013 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
Fri 5/17/2013 Reno, NV Knitting Factory
Sat 5/18/2013 Sacramento, CA Ace Of Spades
Sun 5/19/2013 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge
Mon 5/20/2013 Anaheim, CA Chain Reaction
Tue 5/21/2013
Wed 5/22/2013 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
Thu 5/23/2013 El Paso, TX Tricky Falls
Fri 5/24/2013 Austin, TX Mohawk
Sat 5/25/2013 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks
Sun 5/26/2013 Birmingham, AL Zydeco
Mon 5/27/2013
Tue 5/28/2013 Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern
Wed 5/29/2013 Charlotte, NC Amos’ South End
Thu 5/30/2013 Carborro, NC Cats Cradle
Fri 5/31/2013 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Sat 6/1/2013 Richmond, VA Kingdom
Sun 6/30/2013 Dessel, Belgium Graspop
Fri 7/05/2013 Roskilde, Denmark Roskilde Festival
Sat 7/06/2013 Gothenburg, Sweden Metaltown Festival
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Leading up to the end of the year, Revolver has asked some of our favorite artists to pick their Top Albums of 2012 and tell us why each record rules. Here, James Paul Luna (pictured left), vocalist of the power-metal band Holy Grail, selects his faves.
5. Kadavar, Kadavar
“German hard, heavy rock band with a spot on throwback sound. The production, riffs, songwriting, and melodies almost sound like a long lost Bang or Blue Cheer album. Well done, boys!”
4. Razorwyre, Another Dimension
“Thrashy New Zealand metallers Razorwyre have won me over with this record, lots of insanely high-pitched vocals and killer riffs. Over the top, epic, and tongue in cheek at times, but such a fun listen each time.”
3. Striker, Armed to the Teeth
“Catchy songs with big choruses and tasty licks topped off with production by Michael Wagener (Accept, Metallica, Skid Row, etc.). These Canadian metalheads are living proof that metal will never die.”
2. High on Fire, De Vermis Mysteriis
“This record blew me away, man. I don’t know how they manage to keep it fresh each album, but dammit, they did it and just might have overdone it. So good!”
1. Royal Thunder, CVI
“Royal Thunder is what all those female-fronted doomy rock bands ought to sound like or wished they sounded like. Mlny Parsonz’s voice is the prize here, but backed by killer songs and musicianship, this album is pretty much unbeatable.”
Check out “Whispering World” off CVI below:
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