KILL DEVIL HILL IS:

REX BROWN – bass

VINNY APPICE – drums

MARK ZAVON – guitar

DEWEY BRAGG – vocals

It’s not easy to say what catches the listener’s attention first on Kill Devil Hill, the already nominated for BEST DEBUT ALBUM by METAL HAMMER Magazine,  by the newly formed band of

the same name: the strong guitar hooks, the killer

grooves, the dynamic production or the potent vocal melodies. Rex Brown, bassist of this

supergroup and erstwhile member of Pantera and Down sees Kill Devil Hill in its entirety

as an extremely exciting new band “To me, this band is a musical adventure trip,” he

reckons. Brown knows what he’s talking about, after all he was involved in some of the

most important rock and metal recordings of the past 30 years. So if Brown can hardly

contain his enthusiasm, there must be something special to the Kill Devil Hill

phenomenon.

The self-titled debut album just released on May 22.  Along with Rex, Kill Devil Hill

consists of drum monster Vinny Appice (formerly drummer with Black Sabbath, Dio and

Heaven And Hell), guitar virtuoso Mark Zavon and Dewey Bragg, a formerly unknown

vocalist who, you don’t have to have second sight to predict, is at the beginning of an

outstanding career. There can be no doubt that the future of this exceptional group is as

promising as the sound on Kill Devil Hill, their debut CD.

In 2009 Vinny had found the perfect guitarist in Zavon, who was also looking to start a

new band. Zavon played a demo he had recorded with vocalist Dewey Bragg, and Vinny

was floored. “Dewey has a fantastic sound, and has the perfect voice and image for this

new band.” Dewey is also a master of melody, with the gift of enhancing even the most

jagged arrangements with his haunting vocals.

Rex Brown and Vinny Appice have been friends for many years. “Vinny is a brilliant

drummer, and of course, I was immediately interested when he asked me whether I wanted

to play bass on a demo tape he was working on.” said Brown. Brown was sent “War

Machine”, an aggressive up tempo tune which really gets down to business, and is the

opener of the new CD. Rex’s bass was the missing piece of the puzzle. His “on 11 at all

times” bass style was a perfect fit, and completed the powerful rhythm section.

The CD’s strong numbers such as “Hangman”, “War Machine”, “Rise From The Shadows”

and “Up In Flames” feature contemporary and classic metal elements in equal measures,

combining old-school and new perfectly. The great potential that this new band has is

obvious, that special spark which draws the listener in and keeps them listening is

unmistakable. “This is a phenomenon which we also noticed during our first shows in front

of a live audience.” says Brown. Kill Devil Hill played their first gig back in April 2011,

followed by a 5-week tour in October to test audience reactions. Without relying on the

familiarity of Black Sabbath or Pantera covers, the band was able to win over audiences

after just the first few songs. “We’ve never experienced that with a band at such an early

stage.” Appice and Brown agree.

Kill Devil Hill’s strength is clear, they are an outstanding band who have written a brilliant

album featuring powerful songs, and will be a musical force to be reckoned with for years

to come.

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-kill-devil-hill-revenge/

Published by rbtaleman

Heavy metal (fiend/friend?) Writer, frustrat(or), frustrat(ee), decorated U.S. Navy veteran, Husband(twice), father(three times), grandfather(of seven), FM radio veteran, Concertgoer, music collector, muscle car aficianado. Grown up since five. Child since 45. View all posts by rbtaleman