Feature: Chris Gatto drops June playlist
Ever wonder what the station manager / curator over at Heaven’s Metal Streaming Radio listens to? Wonder no more.
1. Glory of Kings- The Mystery single- First single from a new project by Jonathan Johnson (Deny the Fallen, ex- Sacred Warrior) very much in the vein of Queensryche. Jonathan (guitars) fleshes out his prog metal master plan with a few of his friends- Erik Schelling (ex-Sacred Warrior) on vocals, Steve Watkins (Sacred Warrior) on bass, and Michael Feighan (Whitecross) on drums. A full length album Roots of the Past to follow!
2. Saint- Warriors of the Son w/ The Gentiles- A Legacy Reborn 2025– One of my favorite bands of all time, King Richard (Lynch) put together this cd package featuring their debut album- the original 6 song Rotton Records version. The real bonus for me is The Gentiles material included. This is the first time hearing the precursor to Saint (and Valor). All that was salvageable was Max Clark’s vocals, but a rerecording with Saint’s Richard Lynch and Matt Smith and Valor’s Jim Maxwell upon the original vocals is a treasure trove for fans of either band. Of the 4 songs, “Abyss” and “Space Cruzer” found their way onto the first 2 Saint albums. Max Clark’s vocals come from more of a NWOBHM type of sound than Josh Kramer’s signature King Diamond pipes with early Saint.
3. RedSea- Blood- What happens when you pair the powerful vocals of Robyn Kyle Basauri (Die Happy, ex- Reign of Glory) with axeman Chris Sorensen (Fear Not)? A classic slab of 70’s influenced, blues soaked brilliance that is my favorite performance from both Robyn and Chris. Love the tribute to Deep Purple in “Shades of Purple!”
4. Raining Locusts- Maligned into Deformity single- Raining Locusts is a meeting of the minds of Royden Turple (Scarlet Oath and The Beckoning) and Derek Corzine (Testimony of Apocalypse, Burial Extraction). Together these two extreme metal veterans cover the gamut of extreme metal and stretch it past its comfort zones. Fans of early Extol, Believer, and even King Crimson will find a lot to love here!
5. Intexesor- Battle and Exemption- Panamanian thrash, speed metal band that brings early Deliverance and Hirax to mind. Same croaking vocal style as FreaKings, but less frantic in pace.
6. Teeth for Eyes- Mines Along the Strand- Moody, p/o’ed punk rockers from Oregon that refuse to paint by the numbers. Love the change ups and all the intricate parts.
7. Rez- Silence Screams- Chicago’s Rez retired 30 years ago but they still frequently pop up on my playlists at any given time. Silence Screams is definitely a desert island album. Dropping in 1988 after a 3 year hiatus, christian metal was now exploding, and Rez matched that intensity with the title track, but felt no need to be the heaviest band in the kingdom, relying more on bluesy rock guitar and Glenn’s no-nonsense lyrics to get the point across- just read the lyrics to “You Get What You Choose.” From the Eric Clapton cover to “Light/Light” and “Waiting on Sundown,” this is one of the essentials- burned into my brain and inked on my arm.
8. Embodyment 1993-1996- Loyd Harp’s May playlist turned me on to this gem. It is both of Embodyment’s demos from 1994 and 1996 before being signed. Many bands’ sound changes over time (et tu, Guardian, Holy Soldier?), but this is a band that defies all logic. These demos are testament to their start as a brutal death metal band, and somehow by the end of their career they were a much mellower post-hardcore band. The Famine was a reunion of the earlier version of Embodyment.
9. Still Remains- Spirit Breaker ep- Grand Rapids, MI metalcore band comes back with its first new material since 2013’s Ceasing to Breathe. First became a fan when they signed with Roadrunner Records more than 20 years ago.
10. Death Protocol- Illusion of Faith single- Death Protocol is my friend David Priest’s Cali band.They ride the line between traditional metal and modern metal with David’s gritty vocal delivery. A newer band, I know they’ve performed at least one show, and this, their third single in the last couple years features the vocal prowess of Sean Peck (Cage, The Three Tremors, Death Dealer) and Luke Renno (Crimson Thorn, Taking the Head of Goliath). Eager to hear more from these guys in time!
About Author
