Blessing A Curse INTERVIEW 🎶🎶

Heya ghouls! Lady M here with as promised interview with Blessing A Curse. A few days ago I had the chance to talk to their lead vocalist Joshy Singer. Earlier in the week I wrote a review on their studio album 'Satisfaction for the Vengeful' which if you haven't check out yet ....what are you waiting for go read it and check out the album!! Now ghouls let's jump into this interview and hope you enjoy!

Lady M- What inspired the name "Blessing A Curse"?

J.S.- We believe that sometimes the shittiest circumstances are what shape us into who we need to be, So it's kind of a 'Sometimes bad things happen and can be a blessing in disguise' kind of thing.

Lady M- With your album "Satisfaction for the Vengeful ", What do you hope to convey to your audience?

J.S.-  We want SFTV to convey a message of overcoming your inner saboteur, because a lot of the biggest battles in our lives are fought from within. Also the album itself tells a story of a boy who makes a deal with a witch to save his dying father by taking the lives of 100 corrupt souls, and in the end the witch deceived him and he still loses his father anyway, so the underlying message of the record is that 'There is no satisfaction for the vengeful.'

Lady M- Fondest tour memories?

J.S.- Going to Amsterdam and playing a show in Haarlem for the first time ever was amazing. Also our first time in California was everything we hoped it would be.

Lady M- When did you decide to play the genre you do?

J.S.- Our lead guitarist Brandon and I have been friends from r over 10 years, and we met because we were wearing the same Avenged Sevenfold shirt at lunch one day, so outlet fate was pretty much sealed from that moment.

Lady M- Your Wikipedia describes your style as metalcore and alternative. Do you agree? Why or why not?

J.S.- Pretty much! I would honestly say we go back and forth between metalcore elements and pop-rock elements in our songs, because I honestly love pop artists like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande and I'm always trying to incorporate similar poop hooks into choruses of our songs. Our label Smartpunk says we're 'pop-metal' and I think that describes us perfectly.

Lady M- Do you ever change song lyrics on live sets? If so why?

J.S.- Not really! That's a great question and honestly I don't think anyone's ever asked  that before, but I always stick to the lyrics as they are in the album.

Lady M- For your writing process, would you guys mind sharing some of the inspiration?

J.S.- Heck no I don't mind! Lyrically, Is say my biggest influence has always been Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. The dude has always had this charismatic way of writing about being miserable and hopeless while still keeping it poetic and classy, and that's how I want people to perceive my lyrics as well. Vocally, I'm a die hard fan of MJ, Dryden Mitchell from Alien Ant Farm, Claudio from Coheed and Cambria, Mike Patton, Randall from Lamb of God, I could go for days. Guitar-wise, Brandon's always been heavily influenced by Synyster Gates, Slash, JB from August Burns Red....pretty much any guitarist who can get super technical with their riffs but also plays with feel and soul.

Lady M- Do you think online presence is important this day an age versus face to face presence?

J.S.- I think they're both equally important in their own ways! Online presence is more about looking 'legit' and presenting your best version of yourselves, but live performance is always going to be what really draws people in and gets them to spread your band by word of mouth.

Lady M- Having a instrumental track on this album did you find it easier to work on or harder then laying out vocals?

J.S.- Our instrumental track on this album was mostly electronics/EDM, so it was definitely easier! But whether something's easy or hard to track in the studio doesn't really make a difference to us as long as we're doing what's best for the record. For this track 'Attic in the Sky' to be a nice build up into 'Down the Rabbit Hole' and that's exactly what we got out of it, so no complaints!

Lady M- The track "Cocoon", What experience inspired that particular song?

J.S.- That song is about the day my dad passed away from a very brief and unexpected battle with terminal spinal cancer 3 years ago. He and my mother were in the process of separating, and when I first visited him in the hospital, he made me promise not to tell my mother, because he didn't want her to feel obligated to stay with him because of the sickness. He passed away just a few days later after starting chemo, and since they were already living in different places it was up to me to tell my mother that he'd passed away, which is without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever had to do. 'cocoon' is about the guilt and regret I carry with me everyday of withholding that information from my mother at the request of my father.

Lady M- Upcoming tour dates ?

J.S.- Unfortunately none right now.

This concluded our interview. Thank you to Josh and the guys for taking the time out to talk to us here at Munster. Below are some links to their social media platforms as well as pictures. Thanks again and as always keep it loud ghouls!🖤💋

Lady Munster

Twitter/Instagram: @BlessingACurse

Facebook: facebook.com/blessingacurse

Link to our album on itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/satisfaction-for-vengeful/id1148796424

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3shZDIZDc7Isf7ZYSess8F

Our album on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa5I3Zao50D2j9A653kl3s7HnkH4Ki4u8

Satisfaction for the Vengeful (Album Review)

Ghouls,  Lady M here with a album review from the guys of Blessing A Curse.  Their first studio album "Satisfaction for the Vengeful" All the tracks on this album are exquisitely executed. The album gives an eclectic range of Joshy Singers voice. The band formed in 2013 and come from Orlando Florida. This album was released on November 2016. That being said I'd like to point out a few tracks that stuck out to me. Now don't get me wrong I enjoyed the album in its entirety however, these are a few that I wanted to elaborate more on. 

Track 4- "Strangers Again" This track starts out as a ballad then gains momentum while keeping its tenderness undertone in its melody. The chorus brings resounding depth and angst. 

Track 6- "Attic in the Sky" No vocals just instrumental. To me stuff like this can be risky on albums however this particular one was pulled of incredibly well. I actually was hoping to come across another one on this album.

Track 10- "Cocoon" The lyrics to this song will reach out and touch your heart. To many of us this track is very relatable in various aspects of life. As well as taking your own interpretations of this track.

Track 11- "Leather Wings" It may be the last track on this album but that doesn't mean it's the least. This track is a heavyweight and leaves us waiting for more. The opening acoustics tear at your heart strings. 

Track 1- "Your Disguise" Opening track to this stellar album! It instantly pulls you in with curiosity and then slams you in the face with its electrifying riffs.

This album is a solid 38 minutes of nonstop metalcore with dashes of alternative undertones. Overall I was surprisingly excited from start to finish. It's also a album I'd highly recommend to all the ghouls out there. So if you haven't checked out this band please do so you can find them on http://blessingacurse.com/ they're also on all social platforms. Stay tuned as we will have an interview with these gentlemen in the near future. Thank you and as always keep it loud ghouls! 🖤

Lady M

Dr. Newtons Metal Celebration 🎉

Hey Ghouls!!! Last night we attended Dr. Newtons Metal Celebration at the Rockbar in Scottsdale AZ . The night had a line up of nothing but heart pounding metal from start to finish. The line up had Fist Fight, Enemy Within, Murkocet, Hollow Terra, and From Within The Trench. Each band had their own distinctive sound. That generated the crowd and the bar with electricity. Many people were there to show love for different bands but all with the common love of metal and to celebrate Tyler Newtons Birthday.

Now usually this is where I would go into describing the events of the evening but I wanted to write something short this time around. The truth is all these band are extremely talented and I was captivated the whole night into enjoying the moment. Enjoying the music and interacting with the people who came out and of course hanging  with friends and family. As many of you have seen on my snaps last night. All these bands are heavy hitters and I truly think if you haven't heard any of them before, I'd strongly recommend looking them up on any and all social platforms. You won't be disappointed unless your not into metal 🙁 In which I suggest starting and use the line up listed above to start 🙂 Thank you to all the bands and especially thank you to the band Fist Fight, these guys came out all the way from Colorado. Completely amazing band!! Thanks again and below is some photos from last night! Keep checking back for more posts and on our social platforms for promos and upcoming announcements. As always Ghouls keep it loud 🤘🏻🖤💋-Lady M

Announcement with MMB 💋💀🔮

I’m coming at you again ghouls and gals. Del Le Strange here, and I wanted to write a little something for the up and coming bands that we here at Munster Music like to support. I wanted to let you all know exactly what you can expect from us.

It depends on what we’re going to do, a review (live or online) or an interview. Normally, if we do a live review, we attempt to get an interview with you. A live review consists of us coming out to one of your shows. We will promote your band for a week or so before the live interview/review. Most of the blog posts that will be written during that promotion time will be all about you, or at the very least mention you. We will push your online radio presence. We, the staff here at Munster Music, will partake in that online radio listener presence. 

We have been known to bring several people with us when we go out to shows. We tend to purchase extra tickets to “give away”, or allow the bands to “give away”. We generate revenue for you and we increase your exposure as a band. 

Cliff notes: More money from online radio listeners, more people coming to your show (or shows if we really like you) More exposure, you’ll get your interview questions in advice in most cases, you’ll be able to correspond with some awesome motherfucking Munster staffers, and you’re making new professional networking friends.  

That’s quite a bit of gain for you, at no cost at all.

With that said, we would like to advise our future band interviewees of a few key aspects. We don’t do this because we are rich as fuck and have spare money to throw at you and your bands. We do this, because we have a sick passion for music and want to support new performers. It’s hard out there, we know. We expect some courtesy for our cash. I don’t think we’re asking for too much. A shout out if we’re there to see you perform would be AMAZING! I mean, we’ve throw $100 at ticket purchases for bands to give away in the past guys, and not so much as a thank you. We have a strong following on this blog already, and we’re only going to grow. People read what we have to say. We don’t sugar coat shit for anyone, and we tell the brutally honest truth. If we didn’t say it like it was our readers would no longer have faith in us. 

We believe in a strong line of open communication here at Munster. We will work with your schedule to get things going for reviews and interview, but don’t dick us around. If you’re not going to be available for an interview, then don’t commit to one. We’re over here promoting your shit and then what? At the end of that week, you flake? What are we supposed to tell our readers? Nothing good, or nothing at all? 

And that’s it. The nut shell of how shit works with us. 

TO OUR READERS!!! 

If you want us to review a band, tell us! Leave comments to our posts, send us messages over our social media platforms. Let us know how we’re doing. We appreciate your feed back ❤️

The more you know 🌈 🤔

Hey ghouls and gals, Del Le Strange here. I wanted to write a little something for the up and coming bands that we here at Munster Music like to support. I scoured the web to find out how new bands can get their music onto internet radio. Now, there are tons of platforms out there, and all of them seem easy enough to get into.

So, If you’re a new band without a label or aggregator, you’re going to want to look into getting an one or the other. You can get an aggregator fairly easy and pretty cheap. Spotify has a super spiffy guide to help you out right here https://artists.spotify.com/guide. Keep in mind that not all aggregators are the same. Digital Music News wrote an article comparing digital distribution companies, and let me tell you, they all vary. The most important things to look at are: how many platforms do they sell to, how much does it cost you, and how much are they going to pay you. You really need to be sure that whatever company you plan on using is really selling to those top platforms. I myself listen to Spotify 8 hours a day during my work week, so if you’re not on Spotify, I can’t really help your band make anything if I can’t listen to you. 

Here’s the article detailing current information like company pricing and all that fancy stuff. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2014/05/29/digital-distribution-company-review/ So, if you’re a new band my suggestion to you is, get on internet radio toot-sweet. If your band is going to be featured for a review or interview with us, keep an eye on your internet radio reports. You’ll notice an increase during the weeks of promotions. If you’re a new band that’s already on Spotify, let us know. I’ll be sure to follow you. I’ll rock out with you again soon Munsters.

Del Le Strange 🔮Out 

I, Pariah cd release show 7/22/17

Hey out there. JTPK here: Frequent Munster Ghoul and one of the guys behind the camera- Providing you those awesome in your face Snapshots. I’m pumped to give my first blog post a go. So without further ado… July 22nd Club Red, I Pariah CD release. I’d like to start with an apology, to the first two bands playing. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to be in attendance for your sets. We were unable to enter, as our spots were not on the list. Once again, someone delivered their entry list late. On behalf of Munster Music we apologize. We have a firm understanding of what happened, and are currently seeking ways to prevent it from happening again. 

We arrived during Path to Exile's set up. I had not had the pleasure of listening to this band along, with the majority playing that night, beforehand. Honestly, I really enjoy walking in and not knowing what to expect. I enjoyed Path to Exhile’s choice of opening song. It felt very “this is who we are and this is what we’ve got!”There is something to be said about their intro tearing out of the speakers and feeling the vibration through every inch of you. It’s a full body high like no other; they carried this energy throughout the rest of their set. I’m excited to see where these guys go. During the brief intermission it felt like a lot of energy had left the room. The Exiled Martyr were up next. They went with their never disappointing haunted feel. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first, because they were telling a story musically. The quiet intro music, the band emerges, then bam! An instrumental kick to the teeth- jam packed with metal goodness. It didn’t take long for them to get the crowd moving. I thoroughly enjoyed their entire set. Next was Murkocet. I’ve seen these guys a few times and they always put on a hell of a show. Personally, I believe it was a great set and during the last two songs you could see that the crowd was really starting to get into it. Then the main even of the night, I Pariah. Everything went dark, the band kicked in and the singer started to sing; while standing on a platform. You can instantly feel the energy rushing through the crowd. I highly recommend you to check out a show from any of these bands or at the very least, watch a little something from them on youtube. Whether you’re just a casual metal listener or if metal is your way of life, I’m sure you’ll find something to rock your face off to.

The night as a whole was excellent. thank you to all the bands and until next time see you in the pit 💀 JTPK below are some pictures from the show hope you enjoy.

WestField Massacre 7/15/17

Hey there Munsters!

Saturday evening I attended the WestField Massacre show at the Rockbar in Scottsdale Az. That evening had a line up consisting of Ashes of the Dead, Riot Gear, Lost in Lies, Firing all Cylinders, Muckocet and of course WestField Massacre.
That night I brought some new ghouls to experience this ear pounding goodness. With much excitement the night began like any other.  715pm and the first band up was Ashes of the Dead. They're sound was like a straight metal punch to the ear drum. After they're delightfully evil set there was a short intermission before the next set. My ghouls and I stepped outside for a smoke and to recap over the band we just seen. Off to the left of us was a group of people who became noticeable due to their loud conversation. Now I'm not one to ease drop but when you are that loud it's obviously noticeable. What struck my attention more than anything was them talking about another band on the bill. What got me was they were loud enough to have my ghouls start to question the rest of the night. I told them just to watch and see for yourself. I get that everyone has opinions and that's cool however, when you are voicing it in front of newbies to shows you potentially take away their experience. Not to mention look bad yourself. (Not professional guys) with that being said my ghouls and I finished our smokes and went back inside for the next set.
8pm was Riot gear they serenaded the crowd with an acoustic set and ended with a cover of Alice and Chains's "Nutshell" which in my opinion was a little pitchy but tolerable for only having one night of practice.

Next up for the evening was Firing all Cylinders  holy fucking shit! these guys rocked it. They're stage presence was nothing short of Electrifying!!! I never seen them live before but most definitely look forward to seeing more of them.

After they're preformance came Lost in Lies this band reminded me of Rage Against the Machine but with a heavy metal gut punch. To see the crowd join in on the songs and the victory pose was thrilling to witness.

Then came Murkocet man these boys never disappoint!! They always own the crowd and know how to bring the place alive with there songs California smile and Overdose.

 Then the headliner WestField Massacre even though they had a new lead they still brought the house down. They are another band I haven't seen live before but would most definitely catch more from them. May I add to see everyone in the bar bum rush the stage to rock there face off to WestField Massacre was a sight to see!!

 At the end of the night the ghouls had an amazing experience in spite of what was said about another band. I was thrilled to see they gave it a chance and came out liking it and adding new music to their playlists. To the band that was catty in the future it would be awesome to keep comments to yourself. Perhaps at practice or somewhere else where it doesn't try to influence new comers. Part of what I do is bring people to check out the shows and listen to new music and show support to locals. You may not notice but actions like that effect others. In this case everything turned out well. Another show for the books and more are in store. This weekend at club red and another 8/1 keep posted to us for details and check out the awesome pics from this show. As always Munsters keep it loud!!

-Lady Munster 💋🤘🏻