VIRTUOSO INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR SOLOIST
Michael Kolar began his 'obsessive' quest for the 'perennial' figure in 'rock',
"THE GUITAR HERO !" ~ During the mid 70's when he'd 'realized' there
was an 'Immortally' imaged band which prefigured the advent of 'shock'
rock. And of course it was 'The Hottest Band In The World - KISS !'
I just was utterly mesmerized by them, not only their 'image' but, their
'music' as well. I became 'immersed' & 'obsessed' with Paul Stanley and
Ace Frehley ! ~ KISS ALIVE I ! ~ Especially '100,000 Years' it had utterly
and completely altered my consciousness forever !
The song 'Black Diamond' - sparked the desire within my soul to play guitar !
'Rock Bottom' - The Melodic intro just gave me chills up and down my spine :
Ace & Paul on that double-neck 'Rules', because they opened the door which
led me toward the 'inner-realization' of how ones soul could be 'expressed' on
the 'Guitar' far more 'eloquently' than words could ever utter !
The problem was that my parents would never share the same 'feelings'
I felt for KISS or 'Alice Cooper' or 'Hard Rock & Heavy Metal !' And In
order for me to Play & Learn the guitar - my best friend 'Walt Blaze',
would sneak up in my attic at night with a copy of a Les Paul in one hand
and Kiss Alive I ! And the Alice Cooper Show ! In the other. And so, he began
to teach me how to play by ear. However, the struggle was that he was and is
'right - handed' & I on the other hand was and is 'Left - Handed' so, therefore,
I had to learn to play completely 'upside down' and I still play that way to this
very day. Of course my music 'influences' as well as 'diversity' grew.
For example, the band 'ANGEL' ~ Punky Meadows, had a very powerful
impact on me and my approach to 'style' as well as 'melody' and then,
I also began my 'obsession' for the 'classical style' because of the band
'Triumph' - particularly 'Rik Emmett' - The album 'Just A Game' had an
enormous influence on me & my playing ! And of course 'Jimmy Page'
from 'Led Zeppelin' - At that point I wanted to be able to play 'Classically'
styled phrases & lines and yet still be very much in the 'Shock Rock'
or 'Acid Rock' genre 'stylistically !' Although, once I had been exposed
to 'OZZY' with 'Randy Rhoads' then and only then had I truly found not
only my direction but, my passion as well ! ~ So, therefore, I always
strive for 'perfecting' the 'subconscious' release, of the hidden 'Classically'
woven 'Hard Rock' - "MELODIOUS GENIUS" - within me ! And Hopefully,
I'll enable others to 'feel' not only what I've felt but still feel from the
'Guitar Heroes' of my past ! A 'lifelong' fascination with 'art' & 'music' has
led toward a combination of simultaneous areas of interest into an original
bland of 'Magic, Talent & Technique' called - "Kolar's Sacred Hands !" -
Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / Wolverine
The Guitar Shredder
Michael Kolar ~ 'No Guts No Glory !'
- SoundBites -
By Jason Bracelin
OCTOBER ISSUE : 'The Cleveland Scene Magazine.'
Michael Kolar's living room looks like hell's Barnes & Noble. On wooden bookshelves that span an entire wall, there's more than 500 creepy tomes, with such titles as The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, Blood Curdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, and -- perhaps most unnerving -- Delta Style, the autobiography of husky actress Delta Burke.
As we browse through the stacks, Kolar's eyes gleam behind rose-tinted glasses. Combined with his shaven head, the giant scorpion tattoo on his neck, and his small, sinewy frame, the 35-year-old guitarist looks appropriately sinister, like a little hobgoblin. A well-read little hobgoblin.
'When I was in the fourth grade, that's when I got exposed to Randy Rhoads and Ozzy with Blizzard of Ozz,' Kolar recalls of his initial gateway into the dark arts and the works of notorious sorcerer Aleister Crowley. "Because of the song 'Mr. Crowley,' I got my first edition of Magick in Theory and Practice. I've been building my collection ever since."
Kolar then hands us the jewel of his library. It's a short script, with the rather shocking image on the cover of a woman getting her throat slashed. Its title, The Grand Guignol, refers to the infamous turn-of-the-century Parisian shock-theater company. Kolar wrote it himself.
"I want to be a horror icon," he tells us, and The Grand Guignol is one means to that end. The other is his dark, neoclassical guitar playing, which recalls the fire-and-brimstone virtuosity of Swede Yngwie Malmsteen. Combined, the two form the gory stage show Horror Rock, which Kolar describes as the "Trans-Siberian Orchestra meets Friday the 13th." On his website, Kolar boasts that performances are rife with 'Tortures and Mutilations. Stabbings and Gougings. Demonstrated Live! Before your very eyes!'
This is not a show for the kiddies. The Grand Guignol revolves around the slaying of women accused of practicing witchcraft and the violent revenge they seek (after death) on their religious persecutors. There's lots of death, sex, and uh, talk of how 'torchlit snatches were licked.'
'We went through 38 actors,' Kolar says, discussing the difficulty of finding folks willing to perform such graphic material. 'There was even a stripper from the Crazy Horse who was going to play the lead witch, but because of the content, she dropped out.'
Nevertheless, the show managed to debut at the Bottom Line Saloon over the summer. The audience response was predictably heated.
'There were people who had to just leave,' Kolar says. '[They] could not believe that they were seeing something like this in full view. It's almost like 'How dare you do that!'
In truth, though, the show is more fun than frightening. It serves much the same purpose as an over-the-top splatterfest like Dawn of the Dead: a way for its audience to revel vicariously in a violence that, with a lesser degree of severity, may have been directed at them.
'Have you seen the movie Trick or Treat?' Kolar asks about the cult-classic, heavy-metal horror film in which Eddie, an abused outcast teen, takes revenge against the jocks. 'I identified heavily with that film,' he recalls. 'Being small and not very athletic, and getting picked on.'
Kolar escaped into horror films and larger-than-life rock and roll. And now he's looking to lead a rebirth of both. 'I'm trying to make something tangible of this idea that Kiss and Alice Cooper originally had,' he explains, 'which is that, look, when you go and see a show, you don't want to be bored. It's getting boring to see a band just stand there and play. I want people to actually walk away feeling like This guy did something to really entertain me.'
On that level, Kolar's Horror Rock is a stomach-turning success. However, whether the show finds an audience remains to be seen. p 'I think that my greatest fear is that once I'm dead, people will forget who I am,' he says.With the stab-happy Grand Guignol, we think it's safe to say that Kolar will eventually rest in pieces.
"LIVE PHOTOS OF KOLAR'S HORROR ROCK ! PRESENTS : THE GRANDE GUIGNOL !" Written, Directed And Produced By Michael Kolar
NEW RESIDENT BRINGS ART, MUSIC, AND MARTIAL ARTS TO THE AREA By Pam Gilchrist
Michael Kolar is an artist, a musician, and a martial arts master who prefers to steer away from conformity. Michael staunchly supports self-awareness and encourages his students to pursue individuality.
Kinjiru, the martial art he founded, promotes practical self-defense techniques. Kinjiru combines eight different forms of martial arts, yet, according to Michael, is very simple to understand. Michael also says that Kinjiru is individually tailored and students are ultimately motivated to be self-taught. Michael began “Kinjiru Academy†in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Many students came to his school because they were concerned about the rising crime rate and wanted to learn realistic ways to protect themselves.
Michael’s love for music and art equals his love for martial arts. Michael enjoys neo-classical guitar music and considers Yngwie Malmsteen his favorite musician. Michael also appreciates musicians like Uli Jon Roth, who worked with several popular bands in the 1970s, but preferred to stay out of the commercial music scene. Michael’s own music can be sampled on the website www.kinjiruacademy.com.
In the field of art, Michael is a talented illustrator. His works generally depict Native American culture and nature. Samples of these works can be viewed at the Kinjiru Academy website.
Michael and his wife, Melissa, have two children, a two-year-old son named Davyn Yngwie and a four-month-old daughter named Zayla Zoso. The family moved to Queen Creek from Cleveland in May. Michael is excited for the many opportunities available in the area. He is currently working to get his artwork displayed at the Thunder Mountain Store in Apache Junction. He is also thrilled with the strong music industry and has high hopes for what that can mean for his own musical career.
Michael is available to teach Kinjiru, guitar, and illustrating to those interested. He can be contacted for any additional information at www.kinjiruacademy.com.
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