By Chris Rockwell

It all started when I met the lead singer of “Eyes of Ruin”, Malcom Barrack at his place on St. Patrick’s Day in Chico. (And for all you folks out there who have never been to Chico, CA for St. Patrick’s then you may not appreciate the effort to make note of this insane day of debauchery, with the bars packed at 6 AM!). I walked up a dark corridor of stairs like the scene from Pulp Fiction where Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta’s last good role) enter an apartment complex to put a hit on some punk thieves who try making off with their bosses briefcase of valuables. The difference is I wasn’t sure whether I was Vincent Vega or one of those poor bastards getting shot down in a few seconds. As we neared the light and the reckoning, a dude jumps out at me and shouts a statement that added a near overdose of uncertainty to my fate.

“Hey dude! You wanna car bomb?!”

The question immediately sent thoughts of confusion and intrigue. My eyes were glued to his next move as I watched him grab a half filled pint glass of Guinness and recklessly drop a shot of Irish whiskey into the coal black beer and immediately chugged it down in 2.3 seconds, ending the last gulp with a yell and started screaming the words from the new Lamb of God album and bouncing around like a crazy man in a padded cell.

I knew right there that I found the lead man with attitude and a well crafted scream that would earn the respect from real music fans. Since then we’ve had time to talk and I noticed that Malcom and I possess a similar obsession for music, particularly in heavy rock (he’s seen “Lamb of God” 12 times at various Ozzfests and solo tours.). And what made me take real notice was his attitude. He had a certain expectation that he would be a rock star. Not in an arrogant and child like fantasy way. He just knows what he wants and is going after it because he believes he can do it.

King Duce Records has begun producing an album and music video for “Eyes of Ruin”. Imagine Pantera + Lamb of God and a mix of southern rock and punk roots, and of course Led Zepplin to create a balanced attack. I’m stoked on these guys because they possess heart, determination and they work well as a team. They have a great sound that is still raw and full of intensity. Most importantly, they have the desire and ability to be great.

I recently watched them play this small dive bar and was impressed to watch them win over guys who came in there not sure who the band was. By the end of the show they had everyone in that bar amped and starting to develop an early stage mosh pit. One guy got out of hand and fell into the lead guitarist, Chris Harvey, spilling a half pint onto him. He never stopped smiling or playing his solo. I felt like I was at a memorable show that Rolling Stone music critic, David Fricke writes in poetic flow twenty years later about Guns & Roses or Iggy Pop. I forgot how exciting and spontaneous a great band performance can be in a small club. It’s pretty intense.

The other face and sound of this band is lead guitarist Chris Harvey. He’s bringing Dime Bag, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wilde to the party. He has put in his time to showcase some complicated leads and a solid understanding of rhythm and timing. He knows when to light it up and he knows when to drop into a slow chugging riff that puts you into a tribal fire trance. Along with his technical skills he has a presence on the stage that’s exciting and unpredictable. He gives the crowd a show and a look like the baby of Malcom Young from AC/DC and James Hetfield of Metallica.
But the really cool thing is that “Eyes of Ruin” are intent on crafting their own sound from their unique mix of musical influences. The bottom line is that these guys bring it and will keep fans in a strangle hold until the song stops.

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