12 Days of Vocalists | Music Junkie Press

Day 12 of 12 Days of Vocalists goes to Zakk Wylde

December 26, 2014

This is it! Our last day of 12 Days of Vocalists and our featured artist actually was featured on our 12 Days of Guitarists last year! The honor goes to the MOST BAD ASS GUITARIST… AND VOCALIST…. Zakk Wylde!!! Zakk has a voice that is not only powerful but brings out true honesty in his vocals. He conjures up a whirlwind of emotion as he sings with his grizzled tone. He has a rich quality in his voice that conveys everything from hard hitting in your face hard rock, soulful blues, powerful metal edge to a soft heart warming tone that will make your heart dance and flutter. This has been another busy year for Zakk. He released with Black Label Society, “Catacombs of the Vatican (Deluxe Edition)“. The release delivered a heavy dose of hard rock after their highly successful mostly acoustic release, Unblackened , live DVD/Blue Ray and CD. With all the great new music out, it led to a year of non stop touring that took Zakk across the country as well as on a [Read More]

Day 11 of 12 Days of Vocalists is for Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides

December 25, 2014

It is Christmas Day and what better way to treat yourself than celebrating Andy Biersack as our Day 11 of 12 Days of Vocalists. Andy’s signature vocals have been igniting screams from young girls to senior citizens for nearly a decade. It has been amazing to see him grow from a young teenager to a highly talented young man. His success with Black Veil Brides has kept him quite busy with non stop touring this past year. The much anticipated release of their self titled album has garnered high praises and rave reviews. They really created a musical gem that has opened up a completely new fan base to them as they are finally getting the attention they so well deserved for their stellar musicianship. Andy has graced the stages this year with their crowd pleasing Black Mass Tour. We have it listed as the Number 1 Tour for 2014 as it provided a night of over the top sets from a variety of bands that captured an audience that spanned ages, genres, cultures [Read More]

Day 10 of our 12 Days of Vocalists goes to Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October

December 24, 2014

It is Christmas Eve and we are at the Day 10 of 12 Days of Vocalists. Today I would like to honor a vocalist who not only brings a paramount of emotion to life when he sings but has also been the soundtrack to many of my life’s ups and downs. That is the supremely talented, Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October. There is something so purely magical when Justin sings, his heartfelt passion shines through to the listener and creates an everlasting connection. He brings them hope, helps them, quiets their frustration, comforts them, ignites a passion within them, and is that little voice in your head telling you that it will all be okay. Maybe it is the fact that through his music, he has dealt with so many issues, struggles, celebrations, etc. Through his emotionally driven lyrics he has invited us all into his world and his songs in return, help each and every one of us when we are faced with our own challenges. He is vulnerable, raw, passionate, and completely honest [Read More]

Day 9 of our 12 Days of Vocalists goes to Myles Kennedy

December 23, 2014

For Day 9 of our 12 Days of Vocalists, we wanted to honor the most amazingly talented musician, Myles Kennedy. Myles has been turning heads with his powerful signature vocals since he formed The Mayfield Four nearly 20 years ago. After joining the members of Creed to form Alter Bridge, everyone continues to speak high praise of his masterful vocals. He has soaring vocals that can hit some of the highest notes of rock n roll that is like a fine gift of ear porn. Myles did a fantastic job of perfecting the 80’s hair metal scream as demonstrated in his cameo appearance in the Rock Star. It is one of my favorite scenes of the movie as he is picked from the crowd by Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg) to take over and sing the vocals during the concert. Myles belts out this epic scream that just has you in awe of his talent. Myles has also been busy with his work as vocalist for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. He does [Read More]

Day 8 of our 12 Days of Vocalists goes to Manny Velez of BullyWest

December 22, 2014

For our Day 8 on our 12 Days of Vocalists I am taking the spotlight local to a voice that comes from Oakland but is sure to be heard everywhere! That is the stellar vocals of Manny Velez of BullyWest. BullyWest, an indie rock band from Oakland and if you are not familiar with them, you will be. The powerful trio of determined rockers deliver a sound that blends everything from grunge/rock/alternative/blues/americana and classic rock into their own unique style, they will truly capture your attention. Manny Velez not only gives a 150% on his vocals but is also ferocious on guitar. From the first time I heard his voice, I was blown away. Manny‘s voice reminds me of a blend of Jim Morrison and Chris Cornell and a side of Glenn Danzig, it will take you by surprise from the moment you first hear him. Then, you can’t wait to hear more of him. It is so apparent that Manny is passionate with his music and he brings that out in each and every song [Read More]

Day 7 of our 12 Days of Vocalists goes to Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil

December 21, 2014

We are very excited to announce our Day 7 featured vocalist as Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil. This is one amazing woman with a powerful voice that truly ignites energy in a crowd and emotions in your heart. Cristina is stunning on stage as she captivates her crowd and always gives a 150% of herself at each and every show. Her vocal range is superb and she has this way of truly connecting with the listener and their emotions which is somewhat hard to do when you are dealing with hard rock and metal. For Cristina, it appears to come so easy as her voice takes you on a musical journey that you don’t want to end. She can deliver deep powerful lyrics as well as serenade with sweet angelic tones, simply beautiful! She is also a beautiful person inside and out and has a charming personality that just lights up any room she enters. Check out the interview with did with Cristina earlier this year in Sacramento at the Ace of Spades: [Read More]

Day 6 of 12 Days of Vocalists goes to Michael Lars Schwartz

December 20, 2014

Here we are at number 6 of our 12 Days of Vocalists and it has included lots of well known artists; Tom Keifer, Danny Worsnop, Gerard Way just to name a few. For Day 6, I would like to place the spotlight on an amazing up and coming vocalist, Michael Lars Schwartz of Awoken Shadows. Michael and his band have truly made a solid impression on us here at Music Junkie Press this year. For only being introduced to them back in January, they have proven to be one of the hardest working and determined bands that we covered in 2014. Michael’s vocals are powerful and grab your attention. Their style can be described as theatrical metal, and metalcore but you can tell that Michael would be well suited to tackle a variety of styles and is not limited in his capabilities. His rawness and edgy vocals reminds me of early Marilyn Manson. We must bring attention to his incredible band, David Lopez on guitar and Anthony Arroyo on drums. These three have had quite [Read More]