Are You Ready To Rock with Messora

In America, it's easy to forget how there are two Canada's. Plain Canada and French Canada. Honestly, that's really cool. 

(NOTE: There's also a French America as well. The Acadians who were expelled from French Canada became the...wait for it... CAJUNS.)

Here in St. Louis, we collectively (read Auguste Chouteau) decided there was more money in English than French.

In Montreal, Messora has dropped their debut album via BANDCAMP. You should probably check that stuff out.

In the meantime, let's talk about the majesty of live records.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.  

I think maybe my A list band might be too underground and vice versa, but I’d say that Converge’s Jane Live is my favorite A list live recording. 

More underground would be Public Castration is a Good Idea by Swans.

Are You Ready To Rock with Tales Of The Tomb

Everybody knows that Edmonton, AB is City of Champions right?

What happens when someone there gets to be a bit more than one of the Edmonton Eskimos? 

At that point, are they just lending their Under Armour to the Oilers in a vainglorious attempt at defeating the Bleu, blanc et rouge in the first Heritage Classic?

While you're pondering that day in NHL history, check out Tales From the Tomb's latest release on BANDCAMP.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album. 

Are You Ready To Rock with All Else Fails

If you're looking for some metal out of Canada, All Else Fails might be the one for you. They're lyrically conscious and apparently aren't worried about what others might think of their titles.

You can get all of their info at their website HERE.

In the mean time, let's talk about some live records.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

Are You Ready To Rock with Mokomokai

Let's talk MOKOMOKAI!

Obviously that means this...

Mokomokai are the preserved heads of Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, where the faces have been decorated by tā moko tattooing. They became valuable trade items during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century. (PER WIKI)

So what do these odd head fellows from Petersborough, ON think about live records?

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. 

Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

That's a superb question. The album that got me into metal was a live record that my buddy lent me in high school. 

He knew I was a singer and so he gave me unleashed in the east by Judas Priest which to this day still blows my head apart. Killer performance, the recording of Exciter is almost better than the studio version. 

Are You Ready To Rock with Elegant Devils

Elegant Devils (Lovingly stolen from their site)

Dear Ottawa, I'm sorry about your Senators. Not the current ones, but the original team that moved to St. Louis, became the Eagles, and promptly folded.

In the meantime, check out your home town rockers, Elegant Devils. You can learn all about them and sample their wares HERE.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

DREW: Big Wreck Bag of Tricks 2013. 

Anything with Ian Thornley gives me tingly feelings. Man that guy can SING. Underground album - a band called Inward Eye played a show in Ottawa opening for Finger 11 when I was a younger lad. 

They had a demo that I bought off them after their set. Didn’t have a name but I listened to it non-stop for MONTHS.

Are You Ready To Rock? with Waingro

Waingro

Who loves Vancouver? When I was in Mexico last week, I spent about 3 hours at dinner with a whole table of people from British Columbia. They were super nice.

While you're thinking about those folks and what they were thinking about my Ramen inspired "Send Noods" t-shirt...

Check out some Doom Stoney Grunge stuff from that great province....here's a BANDCAMP for ya!

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

Generally, I really can't stand live albums, but there are a few that have snuck by and ended up in the ol Spotify rotation. 

KISS Alive! is probably the one I've gone back to the most consistently - we'll address the controversy of that whole situation in a couple of questions.  

Are You Ready To Rock with Triple Murder

The wild winds of Canada blew this interview down from the Great White North.

Precisely where the come from is a mystery to me! 

But you can check them out HERE.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. 

Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

Iron Maiden: Live After Death

Pantera: Live At Dynamo Festival

2. Kiss, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, etc, all have released several live sets. Tell me about a band who's gotten you to purchase multiple live sets and why?

Are You Ready To Rock?! with Sleeping In Traffic

In September, Sleeping In Traffic, a progressive rock four piece from Edmonton, Alberta released their latest EP.

You could easily check it out on BANDCAMP while you're reading this.

But don't stop there!

They've dropped three releases in the past few months.

As they're Canadian and prog rock, whom do you think they're going to talk about when it comes to live records?

I'm guessing it's Triumph.

Let's find out.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.  

Are You Ready To Rock with Davis R. Hay of Sophist

Sophist, Hay (Left)

If you're looking for a band that's not really sure what they do, you might be interested in Sophist. Black Grind Necrosis is proudly emblazoned upon their BANDCAMP page. 

Why, if you click that link, you can even hear their latest record.

Check them out. Anybody who lives in Edmonton and has had to watch the Oilers routinely screw it all up for the pat 13 years deserves a look.

Right?

So, Live Records!

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

Are You Ready To Rock with Chris Osterman of Iron Kingdom

Iron Kingdom is readying their latest record, On The Hunt, which you can pick up via Bandcamp, in Canadian Dollars on digital, or you can get the CD at their Online MERCH store.

But for now, let's talk about delicious live records.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. 

Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

I’d have to go with Scorpions - World Wide Live,  that record got me hooked on the band, all the leads and the way Klaus worked the crowd, the energy, the song selections, really the whole package made me dream of seeing them live.  

As for an underground act, I’d probably have to choose Crystal Viper - Defenders Of The Magic Circle (Live in Germany)

Are You Ready To Rock with Chron Goblin's Devin "Darty" Purdy

Chron Goblin

About 15 years ago now, my best friend and piled into my beat down AF Toyota Celica to go to Moline, IL from St. Louis, MO in order to see our favorite hockey team...the Missouri River Otters taking on their arch rivals...

The Quad City Mallards.

Well, in 2019, both of those teams are dead and buried so forget about them, but what happened on that particular trip is a big deal. I had this idea, let's listen to ONLY live records during the 11+ hours were going to be in the car.

Seriously, who doesn't friggin' love live albums so this was going to be the best god damned road trip we had ever taken..and we've gone on a fair few....right?

WRONG!