Not only does Mackay’s story incorporate that of the “three musicians,” but he also moved to become an accomplished composer, delving into library music and soundtracking.
Death metal, while integral, seminal, and highly advanced, is one of music’s most misunderstood genres. As a result, there is a case to be made that the genre has more detractors than supporters. While many misunderstand and subsequently relegate death metal, few take the time to understand its near-mythical origins.
I suppose it all depends on the perspective you take. If you take it for what it’s purported to be – a celebration of Eddie and Van Halen’s legacy – it could be fun. On the other hand, if you take it for what it may well be – an obvious cash-grab, and complete bastardization of a once-great band, by a group of players who together have no business calling themselves “Van Halen,” or “Van Hagar” – you might have different feelings on the matter entirely.
Finn, who migrated from New Jersey to California when he was fifteen, ultimately ended up settling into San Francisco’s burgeoning punk rock scene before parlaying years of miring in relative obscurity into a successful audition for local hard rock act Jetboy.
In my opinion, The Cult, as a band, was practically flawless over their first three albums despite the slight stylistic changes. They have had good records after that, but for me, those are the classics.
Although D’Anda recently stepped away from his notoriously volatile flagship band for good, his presence will be forever remembered as the heartbeat of the multi-faceted hard rock act. A revered rock ‘n’ roll showman, D’Anda established himself as the consummate entertainer over the years with his high-octane energy, natural charisma, and sheer joy of performing.
“The band is sounding better than ever, so we can, and will do whatever we want. The best is yet to come.”
“In our little world that success was a major accomplishment, as we went from borderline starvation to actually being able to eat at decent fast food joints. Success in our camp was measured in calories.”
From humble east coast origins to the biggest stages in the world, that, in a nutshell, is a brief summarization of the career of veteran bassist, Rob DeLuca. But if we simply boiled it down to those few short turns of phrase, we wouldn’t be giving DeLuca his due.
Known for his soaring vocals and a headband that stretched across his forehead at all times, Mike Reno quickly became one of the most recognizable frontmen in rock during the 1980s.
