Live-Metal.Net - New Noise: Steve Cone

A while ago, a CD landed on my doorstep from this dude, Steve Cone. The disc, In My Bones, looked generic at first glance. Let's face it, the name "Steve Cone" doesn't exactly pique a lot of interest. However, when it finally came into my rotation, I was pleasantly surprised. Steve Cone plays a brand of retro-metal similar to Judas Priest or even Accept. His vocals are remisicent of Rob Halford and other classic '80s metal acts and his guitar licks are straightforward, yet catchy and heavy enough to get metal fans heads movin'. The coolest part about Steve Cone is that he is all D.I.Y. In other words, he writes all his own music and lyrics, sings and plays all instruments except drums, which were handled by his friend Erik Fehrenbauch. Cone is good enough and sounds like he could play guitar in any number of standout '80s metal acts, but also can crank things up a notch with heavier grooves for a more modern sound (see "Killing Machine").

Songs that immediately standout from the album are the catchy "Your Eyes," which comes across as a heavier Dokken song, the high energy of "Killing Machine" and the melodic guitar attack of "Nothing I Can Do." Other songs are just all out fun. That's a revelation. Remember when heavy metal was fun? Judas Priest and Iron Maiden were and are still serious musicians, but aren't they fun, too? Can you honestly tell me that The Black Dahlia Murder or even Lamb of God is fun? "Like the Dog I Am" and the closing track, "Crazy Like Me," fit this good-time mold perfectly.

Steve Cone doesn't do anything new or original with In My Bones, but if it's quality, fun and rockin' heavy metal that you crave, this is your ticket. It says something for someone's love of music when they are willing to take everything into their own hands, from making an album, promotion, playing shows and all the other aspects that are involved. But that's the thing; I don't think this is necessarliy a job for him. Heavy metal is Steve Cone's passion and it's a sure bet that he's having the time of his life doing this.

See what Steve Cone had to say about all of this below when he was interrogated by Live-Metal.net:

Live-Metal.net: For those of us that are unfamiliar with Steve Cone, give us a brief history of what brought you here today.

Steve Cone: I got my start in Rochester, New York ,where I played in many bands that always did a mix of covers and originals, leaning mainly on the original side. I got the opportunity to join an all original band in New York City and relocated to follow my dreams. I was in several acts that gained popularity in the tri-state area but never got that elusive record deal. We came close doing showcases for a few major labels, but at the time the grunge movement was taking off and I did not like to follow trends. When I decided to call it a day, I moved to Arizona, where I took some time off to reevaluate what to do next. I decided to start writing and recording to see were I would go next. When I found my path again, I built a home recording studio and have not looked back.

Was there one single band that originally got you into heavy metal? If so, how and why?

I would say KISS was the first band that got me into music. I saw them on TV and said that’s what I want to do. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal put me over the top with bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon, Motorhead, Raven, Diamond Head and Accept, to name a few, and I am still a fan of all these bands. Almost all of them still continue to put out great product and I hope they never stop. They all have been a major inspiration to me and help me continue my passion for music.

I guess it would be a mix of classic heavy metal with modern sounding elements. With each recording I try to improve on the overall sound and songwriting. This will sound cliché and I’ve read a million other bands say this, but to date this is the best overall release I have put together. It’s hard to do everything yourself, but I look at each song as one part of the total package. I try to keep a good flow to the way the songs are in order on the disc so that it feels like a total package and not just a few good songs with fillers. In the past, I have put songs on a release that when I listen to it now don’t seem like they fit with the rest of the disc. You live and you learn.

In My Bones Promo Trailer

You play guitar, bass and handle vocals on the album. Was this by choice to go at it alone? Do you have a regular band that plays with you?

At this point, it is by choice as I find it easier and faster to record. Usually I have a vision of how I want the song to go. On the last release, In My Bones, I added the drumming talent of Erik Fehrenbach and we are currently working on the next batch of songs. I don’t have a regular band, but it is something I am planning on putting together. I will never be a dictator and tell people what to do. If they have ideas, I am open to anything that will help make the song better. I have done some touring with David Shaw as a fill-in guitarist. I played all guitars and co-produced the disc with him a little over two years ago. The shows we have done together opened my eyes to a lot of things while on the road, good and bad.

I think the European market and fans of traditional heavy metal will find something they will like. The feedback I have received from those that have bought it has been great so far. What is great is that people that are discovering my music for the first time have not just bought the new release but have also purchased my other releases at the same time. Thank you to all of you!

Do you think that there are things lacking in metal music today? If so, explain.

The term metal now covers a wide spectrum of music. Everyone’s interpretation is different as we are all individuals with are own likes and dislikes. I don’t like the cookie monster vocals, period. I love that the music is heavy, but I like melodic vocals. That’s just my personal preference.

I’m not reinventing the wheel, but I hope to be at least steering it down the right path. I have taken all the things I like about this music and have added my personal touch to it.

You obviously put in a lot of work with the whole "do it yourself" mentality. Is there anything else you wish you could do, but can't or have yet to?

I would really like to be better educated on the whole recording process. I read a lot of trade magazines to try and get tips on recording. What I tend to find out is that the way I ended up getting a sound is the way they recommend to do it. So trial and error is how it’s done for now, but being better educated would shorten the process. I learned from every other recording session I’ve done and when I look back I realize they didn’t have a clue on how to get the sounds I was looking for. To have a label behind me with a great producer is something that I hope happens in the near future. I believe with better resources my music could really take off. That’s what I feel it needs to take it to the next level and if given the right opportunity, I would put every ounce of my energy into it. I do that now on my own and have sacrificed many things in my life for music. I have no regrets on anything I’ve done so far. The only other thing I really want to do is to take my music to the masses live.

At this point, no live shows are planned, but that will be changing in the next three to six months if all goes as planned. Financially, it has never made sense to tour, but now is the time to get out and promote my CD live at a local level to start. The CD is available at www.cdbaby.com; just search for Steve Cone. You will find other titles on this site as well as the ability to buy them digitally directly from CD Baby. You can also find the CD at iTunes and many other digital outlets online. Other sites like Amazon and CD Universe carry my discs but they charge a little more money.