OH-HO-NO!

Well it’s that crazy ass time of the year again. You know the one where people lose their shit over what gifts to buy and where the money to pay for all of these gifts comes from? Where we gorge on artery clogging foods, blow our livers to kingdom come on eggnog and ensure we get diabetes somewhere down the road by stuffing our collective faces with holiday baked goods! Yep, it’s good old X-mas time. Or what ever other holiday you happen to celebrate this time of year. The end result is all the same. Eat, drink and make an ass out of yourself  =D

For this holiday season, Desolate rage is currently working on a release date for the now finished album “Evolution's Mistake” there will be more on that as the next few blogs come up. Aside from that we will try to get the odd practice in when ever we can during this busy season. Trying to stay sharp for the coming years show dates. We came close to a few shows prior to the holiday season but timing as usual was not right. With Nelson in Cuba (you bastard) and the passing of my Aunt we had to say no to what would have been a fun show. On that night Cryptopsy was in town with My Hollow opening for them. Jorge still managed to get up on stage with My Hollow and performed “Kings With No Castles” with the boys which was pretty cool. On a side note just prior to the show, MH guitarist Greg fell of the stage while loading gear which resulted in him landing on his left hand and banging the shit out of it. No small miracle that he was able to finish the set but once the swelling started he was fucked! We wish him a speedy recovery.

That’s it for me this week.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from us to you.
Later
Jeff

EvOlUtIoN's MiStAkE

So this week we've decided that this would be the ideal place to preview the album cover for EVOLUTION'S MISTAKE so here it is......

We'll be making the album available for pre-order within the next couple of weeks and we'll keep you all posted on the digital and physical release dates soon!!
Cheers,
DR

What's Old Is New Again

What Up Ragers!!

So as Marco mentioned in the last blog we're pretty much done with the album and this will be the beginning of a new chapter for us as a band with it being the first (of many hopefully) release of the Desolate Rage!! We'll preview the album cover hopefully next week for you all and maybe, just maybe have a release date as well!

So, I was trying all last week to think of what I should write in our blog this week and was having a hard time with it. This isn't always the easiest thing to do and then after going through the 29 or so posts that we have I came to the conclusion that all this is, is a nice little diary of the things we go through (good and bad) and I went back to see if we had done anything like that before as CONDEMNED and found the notes that we did in '06 during our little run. It's funny reading it and while we're way more consistent about doing now it's a nice reminder of what we were doing back in the day....so here it is:

October 28th, 2005  - Halloween Massacre (Fun Haus)
So we hit the stage at about 10:45 (25 min late) and things throughout the entire night were just not going as planned (thanks Steve for jinxing us). We were filming the DVD and having a camera in your face the entire night gets a little frustrating but what the hell “SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCK STAR?” Hopefully the footage will look good. The intro didn’t start right, the masks were annoying as hell and sound on stage was garbage (not a good way to start the show). The crowd was awesome though, so much so that someone from the mosh pit hit Jorge in the mouth with the mic when they bumped into the stand. Crazy shit!!!! We ripped through our set (not very well) and then it was time!!!!!! Kevin and Andy from D.W.A. came on stage and even though the rest of the set was crap, Driven With Aggression was the best song we played that night. The crowd was pumped and we were amped about playing it. Needless to say it went over well and we did D.W.A. justice with a cover of their song. See you all on the 25th of November at Reilly’s. 

Pure Redemption: Nov. 25th, 2005 – Rielly’s
Another night, another show, and another 3 flights of steps to climb with all our gear. Rielly’s again but it seems like every time we play there something new happens (good or bad). So a good portion of people that were supposed to show didn’t, but what can you do? We played Last Mistake (first time in over a year) and it really wasn’t that bad (other than the fact that it killed the mood). Thanks Tim (from Baroque) for coming and singing Betrayal with us it was much appreciated.   

Christmas Hell: Dec. 17th, 2005 – Kathedral
Home at last (being the Kathedral). You know it doesn’t matter how many times we play there, every time we hit that little stage it feels comfortable. So we gladly opened the show for Zeroscape and the other bands to follow. Not many of our fans there but what did we expect for going on at 9 p.m. And of course things couldn’t be smooth for us (as per usual) During the song THE END Jeff’s bass and Jorge’s guitar amp cut out, so Nelson and Marco it is by them selves while we figured out what the hell was going on. All in all it was a great show and we enjoyed playing with all the bands that night. Much respect to them, see you all on the 14th of Jan. at the Opera House.

Last Stance In Hell: Jan 14th, 2006 – Opera House
The anticipation built and built until we hit the stage. The crowd was fucking amazing that night and the other bands were awesome. Of course other than a couple of incidents with bouncers and losing a patch cable everything went off without a hitch. Stage sound as usual was crap but at least vocals were coming out of the monitors, but from the mains it sounded killer. So we actually hit the stage at 10 sharp and the light show was incredible. Ripping through song after song it was the perfect send-off to a well-deserved break. Yes, “No Way Out” was played and the mosh pit was insane during the song and seeing people sing our shit got us pumped. 
We have decided to take a few months off and hopefully hit the studio and write a few new songs. Until then we’ll always have the Opera House night to remember. Respect to all the bands that played that night and we’ll see you all soon with a DVD, new merch, and a new CD (hopefully).

The Second Coming: Apr. 28th, 2006 – Fun Haus
After a well deserved 4 month lay away in the recording studio we were finally back and the anticipation was more than any of us could take. A couple of new songs and a new album on the way it was the return we wanted. As per usual the staff at the Fun Haus was very accommodating and the rest of the bands were grrrrreat!! So we hit the stage and ripped through all 8 songs with intensity and enough energy to light up this whole fucking city. (Including ripping through a bass speaker). The crowd was responsive and with a major surprise from us (NO WAY OUT) we proved that taking time off is sometimes a good thing. Two weeks and we’re playing at home again (Kathedral).

Home Sweet Home: May 12th, 2006 – Kathedral
Almost 6 months to the date since we played back at home the welcome we received was great. The bands were awesome and many thanks to Busted Muzzle for putting on one hell of a show. We played a strange set but yet it went off without a hitch. The crowd was great and things were on a roll. Album which is nearly finished and almost ready to be mixed and the anticipation couldn’t be bigger. NEXT STOP MONTREAL!!!! Si vous êtes prêt, ici nous venons. 

OMG Les Femmes: June 23-24th, 2006 – Café Campus – Montréal, Québec
So here it was, Condemned ready to rip ass in Montreal with Dropnote. He hit the road on Friday at 6 in the morning with everyone on very little to no sleep at all and arrived in La Belle Provence at approx. 12:30 p.m. Dropped off our shit at the families home and crashed for a few and then it was off to the Playhouse. Downer St. and Dropnote were playing and we wanted to support the boyz . They played a crazy show and Jorge did “Blinded” again with Dropnote on stage. After taking the gear back to the house a drinking we went…. $2.50 a beer and the music was stellar. A night that was to be remembered. Saturday was the day we had all been waiting for….grabbed the gear and made our way to Cafe Campus. After much discussion Dropnote agreed to headline the show and we would be direct support. Got ready and then we ripped ass and the pit was crazy (much thanks go to the boyz from Dropnote and Downer St. for sacrificing their bodies for the sake of a good pit…) Jordan from Dropnote filmed some of the show and in true Condemned fashion the set was not only tight but the performance was crazy. Dropnote then hit the stage and “Blinded” was played again and by far the most intense version to that with the combination of Jordan and Jorge on vocals….took the gear back to the house and a drinking we were going to go again. Hung out at the hotel with the other bands until about 5 a.m. and then it was off to bed. Left La Belle Provence at approx. 11 a.m. and we were back in good old T.O. by about 7 p.m. All in all a good little tour (for the first outing). Montreal we’ll see you again soon!!!!
Merci Beaucoup and Cheers Fuckers. 

In True Metal Fashion: July 29th, 2006 - Opera House 
Well shit went good for us this show. And in saying this I mean nothing broke. All our gear made it there and back no worse for wear. This would be a first for us. All bullshit aside it was a fun gig. We wanted to do a big "rock star" intro but pulled out of it just before going on. I am still not sure as to why??? We started off with Prayers for the damned and ended with the power. The fans seemed to like our set, we had a few moshes going on here and there and a lot of head bobbing and horns flying high. The lighting was awesome and our front sound was KICK ASS. The bright spot of the night for me was two things. 1) When Jorge’s strap came loose and our stage guy came running full speed to catch his Guitar and re-strap the guitar with out causing Jorge to miss a single note was cool. 2) After our 4th song the sound guy talking to us over the monitors saying that he was going to buy us shots of JAG after the show and then keeping his word was SWEET. All in all, a good night. 
Special thanks to Victor and Willy for helping us move our gear back to the studio. That was great, because for all you musicians out there we all know that moving gear after a gig FUCKING SUCKS ASS!!!
See you all at Adams on the 5th of Aug.

Long Time Comin

Hey,

Hope all you "Desolate Rage Heads" are doing well. We've finally completed the mastering process for the new album, and I must say I'm pretty happy with the final product. We basically have two mastered versions to choose from, one version is a little bit more bright in sound while it still hasn't lost its bottom heaviness, and the other version is a little bit more beefy while it still has enough highs to keep it sounding crisp.
It will be difficult to make our final decision on which of the two mastering versions we will stick with because they both sound killer, but at the same time it should be easy due to the fact that the difference between the two is subtle and at the end of the day I don't think we can really go wrong with either of them.
All in all this whole album has been a good experience, and I want to thank Christian once again for doing such a great job from start to finish, and for putting up with DR really says something about his character:)
We as Desolate Rage are looking forward to releasing this album, and after all we have been through with this whole recording process can't wait for our songs to be heard once again.

Until next time,
Marco

Metal Heads Unite! Or Don’t?

Good day to all,

I have been chewing over a certain issue for sometime now and I feel the need to vent about it. It has to do with Metal music and its fans. It would be hard to find another genre of music that has fans this passionate about the bands they like and music styles and yet having udder disdain for others in the same genres. Metal is a unique form of music which has sprouted out into many sub genres. My beef with all of this comes from the lack of support for certain sub genres from other sub genres. Example: Black metal supporters hate Death Metal supporters who them selves hate Hardcore supporters etc, etc. None of the Sub genres seem to get along for some strange ass reason? Even though they all came from the same origins? It was once a tight knit community that came together out of mutual respect for each other due to the fact that no one else understood us except us! Somewhere down the road battle lines have been drawn and a full blown civil war has broken out. Has Metal’s diversity caused all this? Too many different styles have bread too many different opinions as to which style is better? Or is it simply “hey you wear corpse paint and I don’t so fuck off”? This is hard to pin point. I have tried for years to figure it out without a definite answer. What the Metal community needs to realize is...we are not strong enough on our own to keep the scene alive and thriving. We really have to, (with out sounding too preachy) come together damn it. 

See I play bass for a “Thrash Metal” band. That did not stop me from going to see a really good “Death Metal” show a few months ago. Two really good local bands and the headliner from Montreal. To my shock and dismay I could not believe how bad the turn out was. There might have been 20 people in the whole club. A great line up and only 20 people for fuck-sakes! The following night had a Hip Hop show at the same venue which was sold out. WTF!

So you see, 
With all the sub genres of metal and all the great bands that have come from this, we are left with a huge divide in the fan base. One that has all but killed the once thriving scene in this city. Instead of 200 people per local show we have 20. This kind of divide is killing the scene. Local acts are barely making gas money and the clubs can hardly pay their staff. This fact has made it really tough for clubs to book metal shows and rightfully so. No one likes losing money and I get that. Larger acts like Lamb of God had two sold out shows in as many days in Toronto. So there are enough fans in the scene to keep things going but only for huge established bands. I suppose there were a lot of out of towners helping to fill the venue that would not come to see local acts. I get that too. But the local scene is just a huge ass mess at the moment. Me thinks it has to do with the sub genre divide. I could be wrong but doubt it. In any case I say “Metal heads unite or don’t” it’s up to all of us to keep this shit going. Who gives a fuck if you wear make up, have long hair, wear tight jeans, dress in black, sing really high or sound like a dying pig! Who gives a fuck if you play 300 BPM, have 5 min long guitar solos or no solos at all. Who gives a fuck? I know I don’t!
Rant over.

Jeff

Desolate Rage

I'm Just a Dreamer

Hello to all,

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. Jorge and I went to see Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage opened up for them as did Testament. Killswitch was nothing special, the music was repetitive and predictable and their ballerina dancing sure didn't help the cause, but the stage presence was average at best. Testament on the other hand, was nothing short of awesome. Testament in my opinion was heavy as fuck and were spot on with their playing and performance. But I noticed that both bands had a weak sound coming out of the drums, especially the snare. Lamb of God played as I hoped they would, I felt as if I was listening to their album as they hit every note, we're not lacking that aggression by any means, and had the best sound out of the three bands by far!
I must say, it was wicked to be at the show with my homie as it was the first time we had went to see a concert since he was given the green light after his chemo treatment and we were back to the good old days in a way.
Speaking of the good old days, Desolate Rage is working on hitting the stage again as our recording is complete, we are concentrating on a live set and really want to go on a good run with the shows again. It will be interesting to see how we feel when we hit that first note of that first show, but I think it won't be long until we feel right at home again:)
I can't speak for the boys but as for myself, being at the Lamb of God show made me realize that I still want to aim high and still want to dream of doing what I love to do for a living,  and maybe one day go on tour and play the music that I love.

Till next time,
Marco

10 Years Gone!!!

What's Up Ragers!!

I think I had what alcoholics call "a moment of clarity" this week so I figured I would share.

We've been around since Sept. 2003 (formally as CONDEMNED) and have released an EP (CONDEMNED), a Full Length (NEMESIS), and recorded another 4 songs "LIVE"IN HELL (Live off the floor demo) that will be on EVOLUTION'S MISTAKE.  A total of 28 songs since 2005 (some of those songs go further back though). I took some time this week to listen to everything we've recorded over the last 10 years and really try to be open-minded and listen to all the material as a fan and not as a member of the band (so as to try and not be critical about things). I've got to say that as a music fan I am happily impressed/proud at how we as a band have evolved over the years (no pun intended).          

You're probably saying:  "WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH THIS JORGE?"

Well I guess what I'm trying to get at is that when we're close to things we never really get to appreciate them for what they truly are. The music we've recorded over 10 years is a glimpse into everything we've been through from cradle to the grave (not yet bitches....but me getting cancer was some scary shit for sure). I always find myself being so critical of the things I do (or don't do) that I never get to appreciate what it is I'm doing and (if I do say so myself) how good it actually is. I recognize that we're not the best band in the world...far from it....but for fuck-sakes we're good at what we do and what we do is a coalescing of 4 crazy minds with various musical tastes, and what you get is DESOLATE RAGE plain and simple!!

The story gets old quick when you don't take credit for the things you have done and/or are always being critical....The way I look at it is...since we've been CONDEMNED / DESOLATE RAGE we are the only band that is still the same lineup since we've started and that boys & girls is a huge thing for us to be proud of!! 
We've had a lot of help along the way and the support from all of you through thick and thin has been amazing and we truly appreciate it! 

THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS...TO HAVE OUR VOICE HEARD!

DESOLATE RAGE 

TRICK OR TREAT YOU FUCKERS

I was going to start this weeks blog with a rant, but I thought to myself that would be douchey considering Halloween is only a few days away, so I have toned it down but promise to have a full blown rant ready for my next instalment. So anyways, I just finished hosting my 4th annual Halloween party at my house. This years theme was Wrestling stars of the 80’s. We had a lot of fun with this genre. Costumes were killer and everyone really got into their characters. The boys of Desolate Rage were in attendance and we had an unofficial listening party to our upcoming release “Evolutions Mistake” I must say it was pretty cool listening to it with all our friends for the first time.

So did any of you see Lamb of God this week for those of you who live in the GTA? They played back to back shows in Toronto this past week. I myself was not in attendance but some of my buds and members of DR were and they all said it kicked ass. I have seen LOG a few times but I would have loved to have seen supporting act “Testament” one of my fav thrash bands of all time.

Well that’s it for me,

Everyone have a safe and fun Halloween.

Jeff

Desolate Rage

Virtuoso King

Hello everyone,

Today I just wanted to talk about music and how it stays with us throughout the years. Ever since I was a little kid music was a big part of my life. I grew up listening to Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Grand Funk, to name a few. My dad was a big part of that due to the fact that this was the music he listened to and it got me into that style of music as I grew. About a week ago, I took my dad to see Joe Satriani live at Massey Hall. I had seen Satriani twice before so I knew how crazy the show was going to be, but my dad was blown away! I could tell he was feeling like a teen again when he and a bunch of older guys watching the concert were going nuts, and all we did was talk about all the bands he had went to go see growing up and how he sang in a band for a while back in his days. I also remember the time my dad insulated the whole garage for my band to play so that we wouldn't freeze our asses off in the dead of winter:) I always had that support to pursue my music and it helped me stick to it over the years.
I must say, it was great to hear Satriani play again and I can honestly say he is the best guitar player I have ever heard or seen live! His balance of paying with feeling and technicality is what makes him so unique in my opinion. I think my main point here is that it's a nice thing to be able to share that connection of music with my dad, and as a whole, with everyone around me including DESOLATE RAGE.

    We've decided that we would like to give you all a sample of what's to come on Evolution's Mistake (with you're input). We know that none of you have heard any of the new material but we'd like you to choose a song that you want us to stream for you all on Oct. 31!! 
Choose from the following list, vote at our website, and let us know....the most requested song will be posted on all our media locations for 24hrs for you all to hear!!

Until next time
Marco

Here is the list from our poll: www.desolaterage.com
1. Horns To Hell
2. Straight Jacket
3. You Are Not Alone
4. Hook, Line And Sinker
5. Mentally Deranged
6. One, Two, Many

The 411...or any other expression you care to use

It's finally here.....The track listing for EVOLUTION'S MISTAKE:

1. Evolution & Transformation
2. Horns to Hell

3. Straight Jacket

4. Hook, Line & Sinker

5. Truth Be Told (Tables Turned)

6. Mentally Deranged - feat. Graham Daniel Gaudreault from "My Hollow"
7. 2012
8. One, Two, Many 
9. Serve Thy Master
10. Control
11. You Are Not Alone

- Bonus Songs : From 2007 "Live" in Hell demo -
12. Lethal Injection
13. God of War
14. Just Another Number
15. Fallen Angel

There will be more stuff to come over the next little while but hopefully this will keep you all intrigued until then.

DR

Because The Greatest....Love Of All......

"Oh. Man, you lying, you ain't never meet no Frank Sinatra....

Fuck You, fuck you, and fuck you....who's next?"

    As I sit here listening to the rough mix of our album, (I'm not going to lie) I'm a little excited about what I hear and the whole thing. It's not often that what you envision being the final product comes so close to the real thing that you end up with. Most people end up just accepting what they have and living with it but I can honestly say that this is not one of those times (truth be told I've also never met Frank Sinatra, but I'm sure he was a bad mother-fucker!!). We're coming down to the wire and the next steps will be (hopefully) underway shortly and if everything works according to plans hopefully we'll be able to spill the beans on the track listing of the album for you within the next couple of weeks. 
    On a more personal note I found out last week that my CT scan is showing good progress and my oncologist doesn't want to see me for 6 months as my body seems to be doing what it's supposed to do so things are looking good on the health front which is amazing news!! It really just means that I have more time to belt out some more vocals and hopefully hit the stage soon. 
Much luv to you all, 
J

"Sexy Chocolate……(feedback)…..Sexy Chocolate!!! 

Goddamn, that boy can sing....You must be crazy" 

You're Fired

What’s going down everyone?

It’s been a while since my last blog. We took some time off to focus on our upcoming album “Evolution’s Mistake”. As stated in our last blog by Marco it sounds pretty good so far. Our second mix is complete and it sounds great. This recording really captures what we wanted all along which was to get the sound we have in our jam space and live shows and put it on CD. Mission accomplished. Once we agree on final changes to the mix it’s off to mastering for the final touch. Next step is album concept and pictures and all that shit.

We have begun to rehearse for our eventual return to live performances. Getting all the rust out and kinks straightened. We are experimenting with using an intro for our live shows. We never did shit like that before. It was pretty much plug in and start jamming. I am not a fan of intro’s myself but it does bring another dynamic to the performance. So I am game to see how it plays out.

October is right around the corner and that means hockey season is back.

It also means that Halloween is not to far away. I am huge enthusiast when it comes to Halloween. It’s the one time a year when grown ass people can dress up and have fun without ridicule. This years Halloween theme is 80’s Wrestling stars. Can’t wait to see everyone in costume. 

That’s it for me.

Take care.

Jeff

DR

A Chip Off The Old Block!

Hello to all,

Well it's good to be back on the blog, I was just watching my little girls rockin' out to some of Desolate Rage. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than me seeing a 2 and 6-year old enjoying some of daddy's music. My oldest holds the guitar like she's a pro and my little one loves hitting toy drums and anything she can find like a little rockstar! I think I'll get her a drum set soon to help me drive my wife crazy!

On another note, we are finally on the final stages of completing the album and it is good to be back at rehearsal. We had some rust to clean off since its been a couple of months since we rehearsed, but we're getting back into the swing of things again. Some finishing touches need to be made in the mix and then it's onto mastering. It's cool to come up with different ideas on the artwork for the album and try to make it flow with the music, I think it will be different then anything we have done in the past.

As for the music on this album, I won't say it is the best metal album ever recorded(it's the greatest album ever recorded...lol.) But in all honesty for me, it is the best recording we have done in the sense where it captures our true sound and what we do at rehearsal. I would say that this has been a success for me at least because I've always wanted to convert what our true sound is over to the listener and say: " this is Desolate Rage, take it for what it is, this is us in the flesh".

I want to thank my troops in Desolate Rage for creating something real and for never letting up on eachother even when we thought we couldn't hold onto this ride anymore, those times when we thought it was just too much and wanted to hit somebody the way brothers would, we always manage to hold on and make it to the next chapter and keep going.

Here's to perseverance.

Here's to Desolate Rage.

Just Breathe

What's Up Everyone,

So things around the DR camp are taking shape......We have the album mixed and are listening to the first cut of it and so far it sounds really good!! We're back to rehearsing on a regular basis again and we're getting our shit together and clearing off the rust (nothing like being on a 4 month break while recording to build up that rust) so that we can get out there and play live again for you all. 
    We're starting to work out all the details of the album and it's exciting and a pain in the ass all at the same time but the end result should be really fucking cool so I guess I shouldn't complain...much! Apparently some big dummy is doing the write up for next week so stay tuned for more "Evolution's Mistake" news as it becomes available.
Cheers,
Jorge

Never Again, Maybe

Hi everyone, it's beeen awhile and I'm writing this blog first cause you won't hear from me again.....maybe. I mean I'm not a big fan of writing "blogs" and shit. I don't even own a computer, you can't find me on Facebook, etc. Whatever, if I got something to say I'll "POP" a blog now and then. Until we meet again....
You Bud, 
Nelson F.

The "Sousa Thumb" Hard at Work

What's Up Everyone!!!

So it's been awhile since I've had write up but we've been busy in the recording studio and things are moving along at a nice pace. We're pretty much done tracking all the guitars, with only vocals left now !!!

It's finally starting to take shape bitches!!!!  

I'm excited about finally hearing the whole thing done with both guitars, and solos completed, etc. We may have a little surprise on this album with a guest vocalist making an appearance from our buddies at My Hollow!! Graham and I spoke a while back about doing some vocals on each others songs and it looks like we're going to get the ball rolling on the idea so....you may....just maybe....hear vocals from Graham on one of our songs and vice versa on My Hollow's new recording!!

Our rehearsal space got a makeover as well during this whole process and I can't wait to get back in the space and begin jamming again and working on putting together a set so we can hit the stage again!

As for me just thought I'd let you all know that I met with my oncologist a couple of weeks ago and he gave me the all clear and doesn't want to see me for 3 months and now I begin the process of living my "new normal" life (scan every 3 months for the next year or so). 

Cheers \m/
J

Wall of Boobies :D

So after a long week of clean up, our studio is finally clean! All furniture has been rearranged  including all the posters. We organized them according to genre. Example : Marco’s wall has all the movie posters, Nelson and Jorge’s wall consists of all the band posters and random shit. The wall behind our couch has been designated as the Desolate Rage wall. Our flag is up along will all the posters from previous shows etc. really. Cool. Last but not least I have the privilege of housing the “WALL OF BOOBIES” Awesome!

Now on to our never ending recording sessions. LOL

Due to scheduling it’s been hard to get in there and pull off long and productive sessions but we are doing what we can with the time we have. Nelson is almost done his guitar tracks which will conclude the music portion of this project. On to vocals next. Then mixing and we are done folks.

This past Monday Toronto was hit with some nasty flooding. Not as bad as what happened to the good folks of Calgary but none the less pretty devastating. It took me 5 ½ hours to make it home from work that day. Arriving at my front door at 12:45 am. I was soaked head to toe. Many people got the royal shaft this day. With basement flooding and damages to cars etc. Desolate Rage offers our condolences and support to all effected by this shitty circumstance.

Till next time.

Jeff

Dead Giveaway

Hey y'all,

It's been an interesting start to the summer, we're finishing up the recording and its coming along pretty good 

so far. The drum tracks, bass tracks and one of the guitar tracks including rhythm and solos are done, now it's just the other guitar that needs tracking, and vocals. Considering the music isn't mixed yet, it sounds as good as it can for what it is. I'm looking forward to hearing everything when it's all recorded and mixed!

On another note, I've been looking to sell my Mapex maple snare, it has a nice sound but just doesn't cut through the mix like I would want it to. The drum is 14 by 5 1/2 so I want to get a wood snare that has at least a 6.5 inch depth to get more bottom end and projection. I already have a bronze steel Ludwig snare which I love and is pretty much my go to snare, but essentially I think it's good to have a really strong steel and maple snare depending on the application.

I'm looking at the Black Panther wood snares from Mapex or the bubinga snares from Tama.  We will see what I end up with but whatever snare I decide on, it's gonna have balls the size of melons!

I can't wait for this recording to be over so we can hit the stage again, I think that's the part I love most about being in the band with these big dummies, there's nothing like letting loose on stage and having nothing on your mind but the music. I guess I'm lucky because I can do that, not everyone has something that they get to do and love doing it. 

I'm very lucky to be able to play the music that I do, with the the people I'm playing it with. Only an idiot would be unappreciative to having such a luxury:)

Marco

Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!!!

    

    So here we are about a month into the recording process and things seem to be moving along at a nice pace and Christian has really made it a comfortable working environment for us. The drums are done and Marco really kicked the shit out of it (considering we didn't use a click). 
    We moved onto tracking the bass and I'm truly amazed at how many little things we never really noticed before. There is something to be said about playing live versus when we're under the microscope in the recording studio. Jeff had to change a few parts but as per usual he was able to find new ways to make his parts not sound basic and still keep the integrity of the song intact at a rhythm level (leaves more room for Nelson and myself to shine). We finished with tracking the bass last week and we've moved onto the guitars now. Things are finally starting to take shape and the songs (in my opinion) already sound amazing and we're not even half way through the process yet. 
Until next time cheers
Jorge

One Year Old

    My birthday has passed and I'm 34, I don't feel old yet but I know I don't feel as good as I did when I was 25. Older but not smarter, guess that's why I'm dry walling and not making sure that a SICK 27 year old's vagina is in tip top shape. 
    The rest is all good, I'm working and always busy, even the rehearsal studio is getting a makeover...
Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!
Nelson

That They One!

Studio update # what ever fucking number we are on now?

So, after roughly 12 hrs of recording over the past two weeks we have completed all 10 drum tracks for our upcoming album. That is pretty sweet. I have to give it up to our tall and lanky, nappy haired drummer Marco for pulling off all his tracks in such short order. Although the tracks are still in it’s raw form they sound really killer. Lets hope Christian (recording guy) can make them sound awesome in the final mix. With the drums out of the way the focus will now shift to the bass. I am looking forward to laying down my tracks as soon as possible. Most likely to start sometime next week. The whole process so far has been enjoyable for all and is moving at a good pace.

On another note:

While we have our gear out of our jam space it has given us an opportunity to do some spring cleaning  that was long overdue. It has come up in conversation that we should rearrange our furniture. Everything has been as it is for almost 10 years. But of course in typical DR style we can not agree on where to put what. I got a feeling it will take us longer to rearrange furniture than it will for us to finish this album.

Desolate Rage, doing things the hard way since 2003 LOL

Anyways, that’s it for me.

Take care !

Jeff

Amber Lamps

To all the chiefs out there,

Well, its good to be back in the recording studio again. Feeling the pressure of being the first one to be tracked and getting a feel for new surroundings is always a bit of a challenge, but a good one. The first practice in the recording studio took a little bit of getting use to, but once we started recording the drums it got easier because lord knows, AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!!

The drums sounded pretty good considering they're pretty raw and no tweaking has been done yet but I gotta say, if Christian doesn't get that a.c. in the studio to work, I will put my sweaty balls on his chin. But for now wearing my headband will have to do:) I don't think its right that I should be in that hot-ass room when its bad enough I have to play with a white-stranded dummy, a goof who pees like a camel, and a hobbit who's ego is taller than he is (lol) but I won't mention any names;) I know, I know, my ass is grass in the next few blogs but I love these guys like brothers so, I can get away with it.

On another note, I was able to get four songs tracked so far and I'm hoping to continue at a comfortable pace and track the next six in decent timing, but I won't get too excited and just hope for the best. When I'm done recording the drums I would like to be around for the bass, guitars and vocals to see how sick everything will sound.............and to break the guys' balls in the process. Once this whole recording is done I'm sure it will be worth it. Christian is so far the coolest producer I've worked with and an easygoing guy, and I think I speak for the boys too, let's just hope he can stand us for a few more weeks!

Until next time,
Marco

Marco