Received my contributor's copy of the magnificent new SPOTLIGHT ON HORROR book from the UK the other day, for which I contributed essays on RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1984) and the recent two-part adaptation of Stephen King's IT. What a stunning volume, over 400 glossy color pages covering horror cinema from 1920 to 2019. Beautifully designed and illustrated, big congrats to Eric McNaughton and everyone else involved in its publication. I already know how my two contributions turned out but I can't wait to read all of the other essays in this terrific piece of work that all horror cinema lovers would devour.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Friday, September 25, 2020
GLAMOUR & GLAMAZONS!
Saturday, September 19, 2020
FAILURE TO LAUNCH
Monday, September 7, 2020
FROZEN TEARS ARE FALLING HOT!
It was out of this landscape that emerged the two main forces that would ultimately combine and lead to the formation of Frozen Tears, a melodic rock band who came together in 1996. Driven by close childhood friends Thanis Akritidis on vocals and Jon Powers on guitar and keyboards, with both contributing to the songwriting duties, Frozen Tears was a natural and organic progression from the bands which they had each led in the 1980s. Akritidis spent several years singing lead for Knight, a melodic rock outfit who proved popular on the local live scene, playing alongside noted acts like Axatak, De-Arrow, SAS and Virgin Soldiers, while Powers displayed a more aggressive, pure metal sound with his late-eighties act Blood on Kisses. The combination of these two disparate styles is what helps give Frozen Tears their distinctive sound…melody with bite!
While Frozen Tears went into an extended hiatus not long after
the release of Silence of the Night and its subsequent local tour to
promote it, the band never officially broke up, but have instead spent the
years since writing and working on new material, with the inevitable aim of
recording and releasing the long-awaited follow-up to their debut album.
The stars finally started to align for the band in early 2020,
when Frozen Tears began laying down tracks for Brazen Whisper, the
tentative title for their self-produced sophomore album. As the world started
heading into isolation and worrying about the future, Akritidis and Powers were
escaping into their music, laying down and refining cuts like “Set Me Free”,
“Love Can Be Real”, “Hold on Tight” and “Brazen Whisper”. These highly infectious new tracks show that
Frozen Tears have remained true to their original influences and direction,
while also showing a natural maturity in sound, lyrics and production. “Hold on
Tight” is a rousing, anthemic plea in the best 1980s Paul Stanley tradition, while
“Set Me Free” powers along on a chugging guitar riff, the song also featuring
some pleasing jazz and funk-inspired breakdowns and interludes. There’s also
the balladic “Can’t Stop”, which wears its classic Whitesnake influences
proudly on its sleeve, not to mention the title track, “Brazen Whisper”, which
starts amidst a kaleidoscopic swirl of ambient sounds and hypnotic vocal
echoes, before its heavy, dour riff kicks in and the song soars into high gear.
With seven tunes already finished and in the can, and work being completed on four more tracks, Brazen Whisper makes an emphatic statement that melodic hard rock in its classic style remains just as vibrant and vital as it ever was, and is not going anywhere anytime soon. Certainly not if Frozen Tears have anything to say about it.
Click HERE for the FROZEN TEARS Facebook PageAbove: The early Frozen Tears line-up, Jon Powers at far left next to Thanis Akritidis. Above: Frozen Tears lead singer Thanis Akritidis (rights) meets KISS legend Paul Stanley!