A record-setting Grab A Stack of Rock Good Friday afternoon was had yesterday afternoon! With co-hosts Johnny Metal and Ash Geisler (awake at 4:00 AM just to do this show!), we had views exceeding the legendary 2023 Good Friday show that featured, as Jex’s mom put it, “a good view”.
Unfortunately Jex Russell was heading out of town for his Easter weekend, and was unable to attend (though Johnny Metal had him on a shirt). Ash showed off some cool Australian finds, from pop punk to harder edged tunes. Johnny Metal’s new arrivals included the complete CD catalogue of Dr. Kathryn Ladano, so we spent a little time talking about brain injuries and the album Anatomy of the Recovering Brain. Of course, Johnny Metal also brought plenty of metal, including one LP that tied into 50 Years of Iron Maiden.
As for me, I had three main things to focus on:
A brand new record sent to me by Dan Chartrand, from OfftheCharts…and some bonus music, of his own band Dead Culture Society!
A batch of new music that arrived this week. My thoughts on Epitaph by April 16th, Dreams On Toast by the Darkness, and Rock N Roll Party Tonite by Mystique.
An absolutely epic purchase of rock CDs from old friend Len Labelle. More to come on this in a future video showcasing even more CDs from the bulk purchase.
If you liked this episode, then join us next week for our 100th. We’re going to have a party!
Good Fridays Past:
Good Friday Afternoon April 7 2023: @MarriedandHeels and Jex Russell began the tradition for a special episode celebrating California music, Easter manicures, and shiny silver boots! Our first Good Friday afternoon episode, we did it at this time slot to enable @MarriedandHeels to join us from California. It was a fun afternoon, and look how shiny those boots are!
Good Friday Afternoon March 29 2024: Top 5 Albums From Our Birth Years with Jex Russell and Uncle Meat. This was a special episode! Jex and I wanted to continue the Good Friday tradition, but this was a special reunion for Meat and I, who had not done a show together in a year and a half. Jex surprised me – and my surprise is in the thumbnail image! A blessed good show!
NEXT WEEK: OUR 100TH EPISODE! A LIVE MIX TAPE WITH JEX, HARRISON AND JOHNNY METAL!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 99: Good Friday Afternoon – New Music Mania with Ash Geisler and Johnny Metal
A Good Friday tradition: For the third time, Grab A Stack of Rock goes LIVE this afternoon with special guests and special music! We have a ton of new music here to discuss at Grab A Stack of Rock HQ. You’ve heard all about the new Darkness album Dreams On Toast? Well now it’s my turn. I have SEVEN COPIES (six physical and one digital) to get all the tracks, and I will be discussing my impressions. I also have the new Rock N Roll Party Tonite EP by Mystique, and some vinyl from Dan Chartrand from OfftheCharts to unbox! What could be inside? You’ll be electrified. Time permitting, I may also show off my massive haul from a forthcoming video on a big, BIG purchase.
We’ll see how much we can get through, because joining me will be Ash Geisler and Johnny Metal, with their own new musical scores to show off. What could be new in southern Australia and the state of Alabama? We’ll find out this afternoon!
The Good Friday afternoon episode is a tradition now in its third year (see below). Sadly, Jex Russell could not be with us this time, but Ash and Johnny should be up to the task, even if the time zones make it tricky. Remember, this episode is LIVE so join us for the fun and let us know in the comments that you’re with us! See you this afternoon to Grab LOTS of Stacks of Rock!
Friday April 18 at 3:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.
Good Fridays Past:
Good Friday Afternoon April 7 2023: @MarriedandHeels and Jex Russell began the tradition for a special episode celebrating California music, Easter manicures, and shiny silver boots! Our first Good Friday afternoon episode, we did it at this time slot to enable @MarriedandHeels to join us from California. It was a fun afternoon, and look how shiny those boots are!
Good Friday Afternoon March 29 2024: Top 5 Albums From Our Birth Years with Jex Russell and Uncle Meat. This was a special episode! Jex and I wanted to continue the Good Friday tradition, but this was a special reunion for Meat and I, who had not done a show together in a year and a half. Jex surprised me – and my surprise is in the thumbnail image! A blessed good show!
NEXT WEEK: OUR 100TH EPISODE! A LIVE MIX TAPE WITH JEX, HARRISON AND JOHNNY METAL!
I came home from work last Friday to find not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE parcels containing new music! Of course, if you unbox something these days, you have to do it on camera. All of this music will receive a closer look on our annual Good Friday Afternoon Show on Grab A Stack of Rock, tomorrow! However, nothing can top the first look at a musical surprise!
Catch my reaction as I look at:
Six versions of the Darkness’ Dreams On Toast album, which will be discussed in more detail on Friday.
A brand new EP of previously unreleased music by Mystique!
Killer metal from the UK.
A surprise gift of a Japanese import.
A very special gift from Blotto!
All here in this spontaneous and magical unboxing video! Tune in tomorrow for our Good Friday show and a deep dive into all this new music, and much more!
STIR OF ECHOES – Stir of Echoes (2008 Stir Records)
When Hamilton’s near-legendary metal band Mystique broke up at the end of the 1980s, singer Ray D’Auria bounced back with the hard rocking Slam Glory. That is a story and album unto itself. D’Auria’s next major release was a full lengther with quartet Stir of Echoes. The band formed in 2006 with a self-titled CD release in 2008. According to a note from filmmaker Marco D’Auria, the album was engineered by Steve Negus of Saga fame. What musical avenues would Ray explore this time, two decades after the end of Mystique?
The answer is: if Mystique was metal, and Slam Glory was hard rock, then Stir of Echoes is good old rough n’ raw classic rock. A heavier Led Zeppelin, perhaps.
Ray’s voice has transitioned to a rougher, more raspy delivery though still with the power and range we expect. Opener “Sentimental” boasts some slippy-slidey guitar bits and bites, while a locked-in bass/drum groove keeps things moving. This bluesy rocker is world class. I like how the rhythm guitar part drops out when the solo comes in – very live sounding. That’s Marco Ciardullo on guitar.
Track two, “Alone” is an upbeat rocker with Ray shredding the vocal cords throughout. It’s actually a bit of a drum showcase on the side, with plenty of solos and fills by Darryl Brown. There’s a bit of Zeppelin in the vocal delivery when Ray sings, “I, I…” at the midway point. A brilliant track that smokes with a bass solo (by Carmine…just Carmine) and impressive musical exposition.
The groove of “Sold It All to Fame” recalls the classic British blues of bands like Humble Pie. It sounds like it was born from a jam. There’s a tasty guitar riff to bite into. Following this groove, they go heavier on “Bonefoot” which might recall a Sabbathy vibe, circa the first three or four albums, in the riff and looseness. “Lies, lies, lies!” screams Ray D’Auria like a man wronged.
Stir of Echoes slow things to a nocturnal crawl on the blues “In the Cold”. Many classic heavy rock bands boast a classic slow blues, and this sounds like Stir of Echoes’ stab at the genre. The band gets to stretch out musically while Ray focuses on the pain. “All of this time…alllll of this time…” Like a classic-era rock singer, Ray sounds out of another decade.
The burner gets turned up to 10, and things start smoking again on “Little Dog”, an absolute blitz. Then they go for a more fun vibe on “Shot Gun”, which has one riff that definitely reminds us of Zep’s “How Many More Times”. You have to question how Ray could sustain this kind is singing! It’s top level, at all times, with the rasp and high notes! At the end of the song, they ignite the afterburners and the whole thing goes stratospheric.
The first respite on the album lies within the acoustic intro of “Burning in the Rain”, the closest thing they offer to a power ballad. Emphasis on the power. Really, it’s more of a bluesy showcase for Ray to offer up some of his most passionate singing. “Shake” takes things back to boogie, and the mid-tempo groove really allows the bassline to breathe. This is a great song to dance or drink to.
The only song you might consider “soft” would be the acoustic closer “Too Late”. Very Zeppelin III in feel. The lack of volume allows Ray to lay back a bit and really just sing. It’s just him and some acoustics, so the spotlight is on, and he uses it well. Brilliant performance.
Except “Too Late” isn’t the closer! There is an unlisted bonus track called “Wild Eye” which may be the best of the bunch! It’s certainly one of the most memorable. The stuttery opening riff is just a little different from the pack.
Stir of Echoes aren’t as diverse as Mystique, and the subject matter is more grounded. Stir of Echoes is more laser-focused on a specific kind of rock, and they go all-in. They do what they do very well. The last band that attempted this kind of sound and did it this well was called Badlands. If you know, you know. Get it.
In a word: passion! Marco D’Auria is a creator with a passion for fulfilling his artistic drives. Since his youth, he had a passion for his uncle Ray D’Auria’s band, Mystique. He loved the music. He loved the history. He wanted to bring that story to the world, and he achieved it. The accolades are wonderful, but holding the DVD of Mystique: Standing On The Firing Line in his hands is the real reward.
In this hour-long interview, co-host Jex Russell and I quizzed Marco on the following subjects:
Getting the band back together for the interviews
Editing down over four hours of film into 1 hour 39 minutes, and finally 95 minutes
Unseen footage of Martin Popoff and other interviewees
Unreleased music
Awards and movie festivals
Getting the new version of the film out there for you to see
The Mystique story is compelling. The music justifies itself. This band had potential. There was magic happening. The big break never quite took shape, and this film is the story of what might have been. Nobody seems to have any regrets. The film is warming to watch, and I recommend you check it out while the February sale is on.
Thank you Jex and Marco for an awesome Friday night. Check Marco out at the Contrarians on Youtube!
Feb 9 – our 50th show! – Doctor Kathryn returns with Jex Russell and her cassette collection from the 1980s!
Feb 16 – Too Much Music? 2 (pre-recorded)
Feb 23 – LeBrainless with Jex, Harrison, Roger, John Snow & Aaron
Episode 49: MYSTIQUE: Standing On The Firing Line with filmmaker Marco D’Auria
We’ve spoken to this fine gentlemen about this excellent film a couple times, so why is Marco back to talk about Mystique: Standing On The Firing Line? The new cut of the film is in, and it is turning heads. The new version of this rockumentary has been making the festival circuit and picking up awards! (Couch Film Festival 2023, AltFF Alternative Film Festival 2023.) Director Marco D’Auria is eager for you to see this film, and talk about what he has coming next.
Mystique was a Hamilton heavy metal band that released some iconic independent music such as Black Rider and I Am the King back in the 1980s. The band never “made it” and faded into obscurity by 1989…until their old records and tapes started commanding insane prices on the collector’s market.
Why? What is that made Mystique special? We will delve into this with co-host Jex Russell tonight. Marco will explain what is new about this recent cut of the film, and what he hopes to do for a re-release. Tune in tonight!
Friday Feb 2 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube,on Facebook!
Feb 9 – our 50th show! – Doctor Kathryn returns with Jex Russell and her cassette collection from the 1980s!
MYSTIQUE: STANDING ON THE FIRING LINE (2022, 2023 edition)
Directed by Marco D’Auria
“EPIC METAL” – Martin Popoff
They had the raw talent to make it. They just needed a break. They didn’t get it, but what they achieved instead was a legendary status with a handful of priceless releases left behind. They were Mystique, a progressive heavy metal band from Hamilton Ontario.
Standing On the Firing Line is a 2022 documentary film by Marco D’Auria, finally shedding light on the history and music of this lesser-known band. They always deserved more attention, and hopefully the film brings them that. From the first shots of the band, the music of “No Return” assaults the senses with chopping riffs and unholy screams. Why didn’t they make it?
The main driving force of Mystique from their beginnings to their demise were opera-trained singer Ray D’Auria (originally from Naples Italy), and perfectionist drummer John Davies, who had spent time in a few hard rock bands before Mystique. Many other talented members joined and enhanced them along the way, but it was Ray and John who were there ’til the end. The two met up when John auditioned for Ray’s band, Orion. A friendship was formed, but the band wasn’t paying them the money they were owed. They split as a pair and didn’t waste time starting their own thing. 15 year old Dave Dragos was a shredder – rated 2nd best in Canada at the time – and was first on board. He introduced them to bassist Mark Arbour (a mixture of Geddy Lee and Chris Squire), and a solid band was formed. A 1984 basement tape of “Black Rider” shows the nameless band had the goods. It was Ray who blurted out “Mystique”, which felt right.
They found a rehearsal space, and added keyboardist Victor Barreiro. The band practiced hard, and pushed each other to improve as musicians. Davies tended to handle the business side, but they were attracting attention to themselves. They found a manager (Ted Smirnios), money was borrowed, and songs were improved upon, until they were finally in shape to record. Primitive but technically inventive tracks were recorded on 1/2″ tape, on a 16-track desk. Not the best for sound quality, but good enough to get the songs down. They went as far as to butcher a classic Leslie speaker to get a driving keyboard sound.
A stoned viewing of the animated Lord of the Rings movie captured John Davies, and inspired the song “Black Rider”. The band had a sort of gothic bent in the mid-80s, but Ray D’Auria’s voice was appropriate for this progressive style of metal. Journalist Martin Popoff remarks that the keyboards brought them into that progressive world. Melodic guitar/keyboard solos took time to work out. They were unafraid to play ballads, which Martin compares to a vintage Judas Priest dirge. Mystique were a serious band! The Black Rider EP impressed their peers for the playing if not the sound. Popoff heard a strong Maiden influence, but compares more to Armored Saint and Odin with elements of power metal. 1000 copies were sold, an impressive amount. Their manager got it as far away as Greece, and even accidentally set himself on fire as part of their stage show!
The band were doing well but dreams were not exceeded, and eventually members left for greener pastures, leaving Ray and John to rebuild. Bizarrely, they met a talented French guitarist named Eric Nicolas in Jackson Square, and went to France to record their next demo: 1987’s I Am the King. They struggled with the language barrier, and were recording digitally for the first time. Ray blew everyone away with the “God note” that he held in “I Am the King”. They were offered a record contract with Elektra in France, which didn’t pan out. They brought the tapes home to Canada for release.
They added a new bassist, Les Wheeler, and evolved from metal to “hair”. “The explosion in the costume factory look,” as described by Popoff, of their new extreme look that didn’t match their music. “It looked good, from a distance,” jokes Ray. Teenage girls loved their posters though! Unfortunately having a guitar playing living in France was a barrier. Wheeler broke his wrist in an accident. A new lineup formed. They felt forced to go more commercial, which resulted in the 1988 Poison-esque single “Rock and Roll Party Tonight”. It was vastly different from “Black Rider”, but they went straight from that to recording a proper album, funded by EMI. They taped 11 to 12 songs…but the album was never released and is partly lost today. The masters tapes were sold and erased. There were some good songs on that tape. Ray, however, looks back at their change of direction as a mistake. More shuffles in band members caused long breaks in activity, and the writing was on the wall. Ray no longer identified with the music, and was the one to leave. By 1989, their music was out of date anyway.
Manager Ted Smirnios is given a tremendous amount of credit for making Mystique happen. It’s a touching part of the film. The band members went their separate and sometimes surprising ways, but the story never really ends so long as people keep discovering the music. Their releases are now valuable collectables today, worth a small fortune on the second-hand market.
Rare live clips and candid photos really bring an intimate look at Mystique. You feel like you get to know the personalities. This new edit of the film cut a substantial amount of footage, mostly interview footage with people who were there at the time. The movie gains better pacing from this, as it just flies by in no time. A new ending to the film brings us to the present day, and the movie’s theatrical premiere in front of a cheering audience. The original cut might be considered for more hard-core viewers who want that “feels like being there” experience, but the current 96 minute edit is better for the enjoyment of Mystique. It’s a much tighter and more direct story. There is still plenty of unreleased music and vintage images.
2023: what a year! I have personally not experienced highs and lows like this since back in 2018. We’ll get into that in a minute. For now let’s talk music.
It was interesting to see both the Beatles and the Stones back on the charts. What year is it, anyway? Last I saw this happen, it was 1995. The Beatles Anthologies were coming out one per year, and the Stones had their latest CD Stripped on the Top 40. It was my second Christmas at the Record Store.
There were a number of new releases that I never got to in 2023, either due to time or budget or both, including the Beatles and Stones. I saw some people writing lists of their top 50 albums of 2023. My 2023 haul was much smaller. However, as usual, I do have a Top Five of banger albums that you absolutely need to own. Not stream – own! People who have Spotify accounts have been posting lists of their most streamed songs. That’s nice, but I don’t stream and I don’t just listen to songs – I listen to albums. Good songs, bad songs, the whole album without skipping. CD, vinyl, and cassette were all played and enjoyed here in 2023, with no apps tracking what I heard. Too bad! Support the artist in a real way, and buy physical product! They say CD is making a comeback. Let’s see what happens in 2024. As for 2023, here are my lists!
Hoping for a new physical EP in 2024! Check out this amazing uplifting track, because bad times will get better!
OK, so I guess I stream a little bit. 2023 was the year of the Arkells here at Ladano HQ. There are a lot of great Arkells live performances on YouTube, and some cool music videos as well. Here’s what YouTube had to say about that in 2023.
Sorry, Def Leppard. It has been a long and winding road with you, but this has not been a good year for us. I have not truly enjoyed a new Def Leppard album since 2015. This isn’t our first dry spell. I felt similarly negative towards you after Euphoria and X, but this latest album has only warranted two listens. I’m actually sorry that I bought it. This is one of the rare cases where I can justify skipping an album. (Think This Left Feels Right by Bon Jovi.)
I think it is possible that Def Leppard and I are through.
For me, 2023 will be the year that I learned to better trust my gut. I think we all know what I’m talking about here. Mistakes were made, and I chose to trust someone, over the screaming alarms in my head. She still generates massive hits and views, to this day eight months after the fact, but the cost was my happiness. I cannot apologise enough for foisting this person upon the community that I love. It was not worth it.
On the other hand, my instincts told me that Jex Russell is good people. I credit Jex for helping me keep Grab A Stack of Rock going last summer during the most painful of months. The Friday afternoon shows were a true joy. His enthusiasm and friendship redeemed 2023. And of course, Harrison was there too, as always, helping me keep the ship afloat with his incredible art and willingness to go live even when he didn’t care about the bands we were discussing. He even got to do a dedicated Blaze Bayley episode, and it was one of our most successful ever. Amazing! We had so many wonderful friends who guested in 2023, bringing light to my days and nights. Friends, old and new. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who helped me in this year. You know who you are, but what you don’t know is how much I needed you.
Jen had her struggles and nearly broke her jaw, but she keeps getting up and getting back in the saddle. Jen is my real #1. You’ve never seen someone fight so hard.
Rest in peace to Uncle Paul. I will wear your hat with pride at your beloved Lorne Beach this summer at the cottage. You will be with me in spirit.
We survived it all. Here we are. Allons-y.
In 2024 we look forward to new Judas Priest (Invincible Shield), Ace Frehley (10,000 Volts), Bruce Dickinson (The Mandrake Project), and maybe even Guns N’ Roses. Now where have I heard that before?
Please join me in 2024 as I continue to review music from my humongous collection, live stream with friends, and hopefully have a laugh or two. I’ve been knocked down, but I get up again…
MYSTIQUE – Black Rider – 30th Year Anniversary (2016 Eat Metal Records)
Hamilton Ontario’s Mystique might have been my favourite musical discovery of 2022, a steely classic progressive metal band, with a load of expensive past releases to seek. This reissue covers the Black Rider EP with some demos and singles. It’s an absolutely essential purchase for any serious metal head, despite the production values, simply because these songs all scorch with an impressive diversity ranging from Priest to Poison.
mikeladano.com 