In the Mind of Nate

I know I haven't written in awhile. But seeing this new video immediately inspired me to share my thoughts. And I will share more again very soon. Enjoy. Once again, the SpaceMan has taken us on a wild ride into another universe with hos new muisc video for the somg 10,000 Volts . Continuing to inspire Fellow axe slingers, and giving us a new song with some familiar Ace Tones, Especially in the solo as some of the licks are reminiscent of other Ace classics, such as “You give me a feeling” and "Shock me" but unique in its own way. Same goes for the music video itself, where at first it seems like a simple rock music video. But then you will discover some innovative special effects that without giving them away will both shock and amaze you. The title of this track is also a hint to what those visuals may be. Overall, this soon to be hit song, gives his former bandmates a phallic finger without even attempting to. As This ...

Hello Everyone, This is technically my 100th entry. Although originally I created this blog to promote shows and other news about my band. So officially about another 25 posts or so will be the 100th entry where I'm actually writing. which will probably only be a few more months from now, if by then you haven't gotten sick of coming here and reading what I have to say of course. Either way, thank you in advance it's much appreciated. Even with all the years I've put into this, I'm still learning and trying to find ways to gain more readers and visibility. The point is, we should always be looking to improve things and moving to the next step. As I've said before in some way or the other, for an ambitious person being content his death. it's okay to be proud of what you've done so far, but there's always something we can learn and improve upon and I shouldn't be viewed as a burden. Even with the many years I have spent performing ...

Hello everyone. After last week I don't think there's any way I could top that, so I'm not going to try. But I'm also not going to allow the the shift in my schedule or the fact that this it's a holiday weekend to put things to a screeching halt. For many this is the time of Lent in which people are supposed to give up something they enjoy for a short of time. With everything that's going on in the world right now most people, regardless of religious beliefs or lack thereof are already giving something up they enjoy. And not just one thing, in most cases several things. For many it's almost as if our lives our assembly being put on hold until further notice. Anyone who read my last entry, knows that I decided to not let my life be on hold and took a trip out of the country. I think the airlines and the place I was staying did a very good job of keeping everybody safe. Despite not requiring a vaccination (as if they h...

Hello again, you might have noticed that I then a little bit more consistent lately. And I must admit it's because of the wonderful feedback I've gotten on my writing. I do appreciate when even one person takes the time out of their busy day to read and give feedback. It makes me want to keep sharing more with all of you. And for that I am very grateful. After all, a decent of the time I am speaking from a personal perspective and not a journalistic one. At this point in my life I've heard many sayings and parables that were created in order to teach people how some wisdom. One that certainly sticks out is one I heard from a dearly departed friend and mentor Alan Tynes . He said "God gave us two ears and one mouth because we are supposed to listen twice as much as we are supposed to talk". He wasn't talking directly to me but since I was within earshot [sic] I took note of it. Another saying that has been on my mind is of course "Less is more"...

Hello all, I just wanted to share something that happened yesterday and my thoughts about it. Today started out pretty much like any other weekday, I had to get up early and go to my day job (yes us ambitious types still call it that regardless of how much they pay or how old we are) even though I'm not a morning person I trained myself to look forward to everything that's in store for me throughout the day and of course remembering to be grateful that I am even here to do so. Pretty much a quiet day, didn't really hear from any of my friends even though I had plenty to say. I know that most people are unable to talk during the day but I was able to reach out to a select few just to check in and see how they were doing. I know for me (especially what all that's going on these days) that goes along way to know someone was thinking of me and decided to time out of their day to reach out to me. This wasn't the point I was trying to get at but i...

Hi everyone, as all of you know about two and a half weeks ago the Rock World lost a true legend and most likely the greatest, most influential guitar player to ever live: Eddie Van Halen As late as this tribute may seem, and impersonal. Due to the fact that I never had the pleasure of even meeting the man, I'm sure many who enjoyed his music and quite possibly inspired to play guitar because of him can relate to how is truly personal this actually is for me and many others. So where do I begin? At the beginning of course (well for me anyway). Despite the fact that my age wasn't even in the double digits when I discovered Van Halen , I became a fan a little bit later in the game than many. My cousins and their friends had turned me on to Van Halen . I remember taking trips with them to the local mall,clamoring on while in route piled into my Aunt's van while we expressed how awesome we thought that band is. "In his book,they are the best!" my cou...

A mutual friend had told me that Dean was about to start promoting his new solo project, along with their debut album "Life Lessons" and his new company: "Plan 916" where with the help of Owner Matt Kustom he has developed his own signature guitar pickups. This prompted me to listen to his new album and get some insight into how he formed this new project and his history as a musician Brandishing a persona that appears to be a hybrid of Johnny Depp and Stone Cold Steve Austin who happens to know how to shred on guitar, Dean has been performing live since 2002 with his first band,which was formed in the previous year: Eyeless ,and then with Deathstick,Verfallen and Salvage . He then went onto tour with more notable acts like: The Independents,Black Cat Attack and Darrow Chemical Company and currently is a member of Darkness Descends and Children of October ,and surprisingly a Hip Hip act known as the Draf and Retro Glam . However, "Life Lesso...

Mike Repel with Heidi Sheperd from the band the Butcher Babies For most musicians, especially us "gear heads" this past weekend is like a second Christmas. This past weekend the NAMM show was held at the Anaheim convention center in Anaheim, California. All music instrument manufacturers showcase their new gear including products that feature the latest technology (such as recording software).From new guitars to synths,drums,saxophones and much more. Along with new product demonstrations you can also see live performances and appearances by many of the industrie's top artists. Most of us (myself included) have to patiently wait for the new products to hit stores, and hope to catch a few highlights of pics and videos online. I was able to pick the brain of a friend that attended this years show. Mike Repel, Lead Singer/Guitarist for the band "Riotous Indignation" and author of : The Music Industry Self Help Guide which is a very good read (a must for ...

   This title may suggest that this post is about the feeling a guy or girl has when they approach someone that they are attracted to for the first time hoping to strike up a conversation. But, I'm afraid it is not about that for the most part. I am speaking mainly about trying to learn a new song that someone else has written. This can also help those that are thinking of picking up an instrument for the first time. One of the hardest things I have noticed with my students was that they are not used to having guitar playing as part of their everyday routine and hence they don't practice as much.Or they become frustrated early on that they don't know many songs. But the more you pratice, the better you become and the easier it will become to learn songs(sometimes,it happens by accident just from fiddling around,the start of learning a song by ear-no sheet music or instruction needed)Many people sometimes hear a song on the radio & are so intimidated by the artist...

I decided to take a few days off my "real job", I was planning on taking just today. But after a very unfair situation that cost me a promotion, I decided to take a few days to recharge, handling the stock pile of work that has been building up and prepare for the re-release of our album this Fall. I would have enjoyed making more money and being more stable, but not at the expense of creating words and music. I feel that after the all the years I have put ino creating this music, I need to bring it to the next level no matter who or what is holding me back.Especially after I learned the business side(partly thanks to my High school music teachers who hosted seminars in house with industry professionals). But, I didn't stop there. I have done lots of research, read many books on the business, and I always keep an open mind to new trends. More of this will be included in future blogs. So I decided to try and make some order of all the video I have captured over th...

I have been wanting to do some gear demos for since I started this blog. In the spirit of the NAMM show(the annual convention where all the music instrument manufacturers showcase their new products)which just ended a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a good time to do my first video and gear demo with the help of Dmitry, the guitar player from my other band of Beauty and Madness. Btw, the dog that sneaks into the video is also named Nate or Nathan.Enjoy Some tips for using this amp: I recommend buying the footswitch* for this amp,it's just easier to use and change from clean to heavy sounds while playing Turn the amp on (NOT on standby) about a half hour before you are going to use it so the tubes warmed up and you get the best sound from the amp Run the all effects(including pedals)thru the effects loop for a smoother sound, with the exception of an Overdrive *To get the model of the Footswitch please visit the Peavey Homepage

Hello, Previously I was using this blog to inform people about news on the band such as events, release and what not. I figured I would change it up a bit and write about some personal experiences, both related to the band as well stuff that has happened to me in my personal life that I figured people would enjoy reading. Perhaps I will just start by giving a bit of background. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey called Ridgefield Park. For most of my childhood I was shuffled in & out of schools outside of my town and it kind of made me feel out place with the other kids. But, I did get to meet people from other towns which was cool and some of these people I still talk to. I think the first song I remember hearing was "Imagine" by John Lennon and I became fan of Black Sabbath by no choice of my own. I recall my Uncle and his friends hanging out in the garage chanting "Generals gathered in their masses" in unison and I ended buying a copy of thei...