he Autumn season has always been an important one for ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE. Not only is it the time of year that we roll out our KICKING AX list. We also roll out our FRONT & CENTER list which highlights our publication's favorite front men in rock. For the better part of rock n roll's illustrious history, the music has always benefited from the kinetic energy created between a lead singer and a guitar player. Look at MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS. Consider ROBERT PLANT and JIMMY PAGE. Or how about ANN and NANCY WILSON? We could go on and on. This year's FRONT & CENTER list heavily compliments the list of guitarists in the KICKING AX feature and according to editor-in-chief BRIAN LUSH, it's one of life's happy little accidents. " There is a lot of cross-pollination between the two lists. " says LUSH "But that speaks to the chemistry generated by these bands. It's that very chemistry that keeps rock n roll going despite all the times that someone like GENE SIMMONS has declared it dead."

ATRICK KEARNEY is all about the voice. His pyrotechnic delivery aims to shatter the proverbial glass but for his band STATION, it has meant some positive notices and a longing for the day when fun, earnest rock n roll was more commonplace than it is now. But nostalgia isn't the end-all-be-all for this band. It's about elevating some rather glorious sounding rock n roll in these current musical surroundings to epic heights. KEARNEY manages to do that vocally.

STATiON'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR NEVER ENOUGH



n their latest album SHADE, LIVING COLOUR have put blues music under the microscope and found it's correlation to rock, metal and hip hop. Such a broad range of music requires a vocalist like COREY GLOVER, who time and time again has proven to possess a voice that defies genre and mere categorization. One only needs to hear this guy's pipes to understand that rock, blues, soul and gospel all come from the same damn place.

LiViNG COLOUR'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR WHO SHOT YA?



s a publication, we have followed WAYLAND since the beginning. Their bombastic straight ahead rock n roll sensibility has always won the day with each successive single they have released. At the heart of the matter is front man MITCH ARNOLD whose down-home, earnest delivery goes from plaintive to electrifying in a seconds notice. On the band's newest LP RINSE AND REPEAT, ARNOLD shows what he is made of vocally and as a lyricist.


bsence has indeed made the heart grow fonder. It's been three years since ZEROKING's last album (which was a re-issue) and now they are on the verge of releasing their new album EMPIRE OF SIN. We're all too happy yo see ANDY HAUGHT taking centerstage again  and issue that full throttle maching gun vocal delivery  that has made ZEROKING stand out by a mile in the current active rock heap.





front man like CHRIS LUCA represents the fusion of metal and hip hop that has been steadily rolling itself out for thirty years now. The man's dual approach is used to great effect on the band's take of the 1992 KRIS KROSS hit JUMP. Described as a parody, the song plays like more like a loving tribute. Thankfully we've got more bang for our buck (or however much an iTUNES download costs these days) with  the band's latest album STFU,  where we can hear LUCA put it all on the line vocally.

KiLLSET'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR JUMP



he former lead singer of DISHWALLA  J.R. RICHARDS had a voice that was tailor made for nineties rock radio. It had a kind of yearning quality to it. Now, the band is back with the album JUNIPER ROAD and new vocalist JUSTIN FOX does more than fill an empty space. His full throttle vocal assault demonstrates more of a bite and a sense of knowing  and it is elevating DISHWALLA  far beyond one-hit wonder status.


ap metal artist ANDREW W. BOSS has that lust for life and that drive that propelled a guy like EMINEM to dizzying heights. The only thing separating these guys is BOSS' penchant for metal and his debut album INVINCIBLE which tells a  real life story with rhymes that are delivered with machine gun precision and a heavy rock sound rooted in the venomous riffage of THE DEFTONES.

ANDREW W. BOSS' MUSiC ViDEO FOR WRECK THE PLACE



he only constant in the line up of DALI VAN GOGH has been it's founder and guitarist ISAAC KENT. However, this latest incarnation of the band boasts some keepers, namely JOHN SCOTTO, whose roaring voice gives the music of DALI VAN GOGH 's latest album FROM THE ASHES some teeth. Fangs to be exact. The band's ascent into wider recognition has been delayed by line up changes, a temporary break up and  KENT's home studio catching fire. But now, there is no reason in the world for the this band's rock n roll revelry to go unnoticed.


ront man ENRICO MINELLI has a story to tell with his band's debut album HORIZON. The songs are directly inspired by MINELLI's 92-year-old father,his service during World War II and tells of the horrors of war. With a sound that recalls ALICE IN CHAINS, MINELLI tears into these tales of the human condition with  heartfelt drive and can't-be-faked gusto. At press time, the band is working it's way Stateside from their native Brazil, and we've got out fingers crossed that significant notice will be taken.




hen a band has a sound that is pure heavy metal mixed with classic rock flourishes and the hellraising country fury of an episode of  THE DUKES OF HAZARD, you need a vocalist with the stamina of a freight train. The band we are talking about is SCATTERED HAMLET and said vocalist is ADAM JOAD. Raised with music in the rural part of Pennsylvania, JOAD does what comes naturally  and tears into the SCATTERED HAMLET's gritty set with true, heartfelt abandon.

SCATTERED HAMLET'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR REBEL SWAMP MACHiNE



SCAPING VELOCITY by SIGNALS OF BEDLAM has proven itself to be one of the most satisfying albums of 2017 with it's deft mixture of both progressive and alt-rock sensibilities. It's a varied listen with many musical textures that move from loud, heavy, bombastic moments to something sparse and nuanced. With a wide palette of sound to work with, how does one master it vocally? Vocalist CERO CARTERA has drawn comparisons to MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN of TOOL, and that is an assessment we would agree with. CATERA's vocal artistry  gives the music true character and has us excited to hear what's next from this group of superior talents. 

SiGNALS OF BEDLAM'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR MASS APPEAL



ip-hop has taken a hold over Indian Country just as it has with the rest of the United States and beyond. It speaks ot the joys and to the politics that go along with American Indian life and that's a great thing. But we find it refreshing that heavy metal is on the minds of the men who make up UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE - a band hailing from Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Front man DANIEL "RAGMAN" HUDSPETH is an intimidating stage presence and a formidable metal vocalist with one hell of a growl. 


he story doesn't end when a band splits up. DAVE NARUSZEWICZ made an impact as front man of the band HEART SET SELF DESTRUCT but when that band came to an unceremonious end, NARUSZEWICZ still had a muse to chase. In 2014, he started working with musicians in his stomping grounds of Chicago. Proving that there was no mountian high enough, he even found himself working with musicians in Los Angeles and came up with the means to commute there every other week.  Out of this, VYCES was formed and have toured the country endlessly in support of their EP DEVILS and will continue to do so with their forthcoming EP ANGELS. The fortitude and perserverence of this guy should be commended but his high octane vocal prowess should not go unnoticed.

VYCES' MUSiC ViDEO FOR NOCTURNAL



he sounds of Seattle in the '90s figure heavily into the sound of LULLWATER. Despite hailing from the State of Georgia, LULLWATER and  their lead singer JOHN STRICKLAND  have made Seattle a second home. They've even taken to recording their stuff at the same studio where PEARL JAM cut their now classic albums. STRICKLAND possesses the the kind of growl that made guys like VEDDER and STALEY the legends that they are.

LULLWATER'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR RELEASE





here has been a lot of talk about the city of Detroit being a city in decline and if we're talking about the automobile industry, that is probably true. Musically, things seem to be sound and A WAR WITHIN  is the latest offering from the Motor City's proud musical heritage. Music is what these guys are heavy on. Their latest album BELIEVE is a collection of songs that showcase the highs and lows of life and singer SPENCER D. MAYBE is up to the challenge of giving these songs the pyrotechnic delivery they so richly deserve.

A WAR WiTHiN'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR SLAVE



ock n roll should be rollercoaster ride that is both fast and furious. Otherwise what the hell is the point? The band SEASONS AFTER understands this. Their front man TONY HOUSH acts as a  mad conductor  on this wild ride through desperation and longing.The band's latest album is MANIFESTO and the album is just that - a meeting of the minds by the members of SEASONS AFTER to see this rock n roll dream through. The message is getting out there and the band has the right guy up front. 

SEASONS AFTER'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR FiGHTER



ATT DANIELS is more than just a front man. He is the branchild behind REMADA and has seen this musical endeavor evolve from a one man hip hop act to a full fledged hard rock band that operates with the tagline "music heals". DANIELS brings a striking stage presence, top notch songwriting and considerable vocal chops to the table, but it's the guy's mission to share the healing power of music that has won us over.   

REMADA'S MUSiC ViDEO FOR A BETTER TOMORROW