FARMIKOS – Scapegoat / The Sound Of My Gun (2014)
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FARMIKOS is the new L.A. band featuring former Ozzy Osbourne and David Lee Roth guitarist Joe Holmes and vocalist Robbie Locke (ex- Laidlaw), who are recording their debut CD.
Meanwhile the band has released separately some tracks from the album as sneak preview.
FARMIKOS is Joe Holmes’ first venture under his own flag since first attaining local notoriety with Terriff, an L.A. band he formed after taking guitar lessons as a teenager from none other than original Ozzy axeman, Randy Rhoads.
Holmes eventually went on to replace ALS-stricken Jason Becker on the 1991 David Lee Roth ‘A Lil’ Ain’t Enough’ world tour. In the middle nineties, Holmes was brought to the attention of Ozzy Osbourne who was looking for a new guitarist to take over Zakk Wylde’s spot for the ‘Ozzmosis’ album touring cycle. Holmes would go on to co-write three songs which appeared on Ozzy’s 2001 album, ‘Down To Earth’.
Recorded at the Mouse House in Pasadena, CA, with engineer/mixer Rich Mouser (Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic), the songs also features guest contributions from Holmes’ former Ozzy Osbourne bandmate, bassist Robert Trujillo (now in Metallica), drummer Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion) and writing collaborator Brent Hoffort (My Own Machine).
We have here two of these cuts, the riff-tastic “Scapegoat” combining a Lynch’s Mob vibe with some Ozzy dark atmospheres, and the groovy “The Sound Of My Gun”, recalling early Soundgarden yet much more technical.
I still remember attending to an Ozzy show in 1995, waiting for the crazy Zakk Wylde to appear on stage. It never happened… instead we were flashed by a monster (but incredibly clean) wall of guitars coming out from this (at the moment) unknown to me dude: Joe Holmes.
Owner of a terrific guitar tone and a polished technique, Joe Holmes will drop your socks off. Farmikos seems to be a promising vehicle for his talents as player as well as songwriter, a quite heavy, rocking stuff.
1. Scapegoat (4:48)
2. The Sound Of My Gun (6:23)
Joe Holmes – guitar
Robbie Locke – vocals
Robert Trujillo – bass
Brooks Wackerman – drums
BUY IT !
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/farmikos/id840636894
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