"Hello there, I liked your article on Ratt. I am or was a big fan back in the day when they first started out in California at the Roxy and such, when they were with Joe Cristofanilli on bass. I wondered why he ever left the band and what happened to him...
They may hail from one of the coldest regions on Earth -- that'd be Canada -- but hardcore punk rockers Cancer Bats, who siphon from several genre tanks, are blazing right now. They're finishing up pre-production for their third album, and record label types are pretty hot on the band's trail to release this effort...
Anyone who has seen the Black Label Society live knows that it's more of some kind of cultural event than just a regular concert experience. For starters, outside of Iron Maiden, you'd be hard-pressed to see another band with more fans wearing their t-shirts...