Bay Area thrashers, Death Angel, have been proudly inducing neck trauma and countless trips to the chiropractor for decades and this tour is no different. Bringing their ferocious legacy to Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, in support of their latest album, Humanicide, Death Angel has brought along Neo-Classical shredders, Exmortus as well as the Classic Thrash outfit, Hell Fire, to decimate cities all across North America.
The first time I stumbled upon Hell Fire’s latest album, Mania, I honestly thought I was hearing a band that I might have mistakenly skipped over in the 80’s speed metal at the local record store. When Jake Nunn, vocalist and guitarist of Hell Fire, hit that first pummeling riff from “Warpath” at Hawthorne Theatre I was transported to the heydays of thrash. Screaming dual-guitars, soaring vocals, and leather were the order of the day. They finished off their blistering set with the catchy sing-a-long anthem, “Conquerers” and I was overtaken with the same chills of hearing Kill Em’ All for the first time all over again.
Prepared for battle, the Neo-Classical Extreme Metal outfit, Exmortus, led by guitar virtuoso and vocalist, Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez, have never been one to follow convention. Being equally influenced by Extreme Metal as much as the Classical composers of the past, the band is widely respected throughout the metal world for the technical mastery of their instruments and brutality of their delivery, meanwhile keeping their feet planted firmly on the ground, unlike their frilly-sleeved contemporaries of the 80’s. Exmortus’ flawlessly executed an epic curated selection of their most aggressive sword-wielding favorites, including songs off their 2014 release, Slave to the Sword as well as their monumental, The Sound of Steel. Exmortus’ fearless leader was prepared to teach a lesson to the audience from the Classical masters of old. Conan called out to the audience, “Are you ready for some Beethoven!” And an unworldly flurry of notes blasted forth, unveiling a modern metal interpretation of the Classical master’s “Moonlight Sonata (Act 3)”. Exmortus’ love of instrumental re-imaginings didn’t end there. They continued with their own version of the theme from Beetlejuice, the beloved cult classic from the late 80’s as heard on their latest EP, Legions of the Undead.
The words Death Angel are synonymous with speed, intensity and unrestrained power. Their fan-base are relentless, dedicated and are unabashingly proud of their Bay Area Thrash heroes for all they have achieved. The band wasted no time getting straight to the point, like a runaway bulldozer pulverizing everything in its path, they opened with the song “Humanicide”, the crushing opening track off their latest album of the same name. Fans reminisced about the many times they’ve seen their heroes perform in the past and proudly showed their hero’s logo not just on their chest but permanently branded on their forearms. Veteran vocalist, Mark Osegueda, is still as fierce a front-man as ever. The smile on his face as he sang with his arm around founding member and lead guitarist, Rob Cavestany made it plain to see that this was not just a band, it was a brotherhood. Rhythm guitarist, Ted Aguilar, drummer Will Carroll, and bassist Damien Sisson headbanged relentlessly, rounding out the Death Angel lineup for the last decade. The opening of the band’s epic 10min instrumental gift to Thrash, “The Ultra-Violence” was played was such intensity, I put my camera to the side and was sent into a possessed frenzy, running in circles and slamming into the wall of fans that made up the exterior of the circle pit until I could barely stand. They played songs from every era of their prestigious career including 2016’s, The Evil Divide all the way back to their first groundbreaking album, The Ultra-Violence.
The Humanicide Tour is every hesher’s dream. An in-genius display of technicality and aggression that has come full circle with thrash veterans, Death Angel at the forefront, Exmortus pushing the boundaries, and Hell Fire guiding us to a new future that also echoes the past. Grab your leather jacket, and sign yourself up for a massage in advance because you’re not walking away without some serious neck trauma by the end of this tour.
Detroit Native Kash Doll first broke through with her track “For Everybody” in 2017 which has since reached over 10 million view on YouTube. Kash Doll has opened up for Drake on his “Summer Sixteen Tour” and Meek Mill’s “2019 The Motivation Tour” and has been featured on tracks like “So Good” by Big Sean and “Sociopath” by Pusha T.
Kash Doll was featured as one of the “10 Female Rappers You Should Definitely Know” by Consequence of Sound's article which was published on May 01, 2019. Since her breakthrough Kash Doll has been on top of her game and has finally released her most awaited first full-length Debut Album “Stacked”! Her Debut Album has singles: “Ice Me Out”, “Kitten”, “Ready Set” and “Mobb’n” and features artist Lil Wayne, Big Sean and Teyana Taylor. Stacked since its release has debuted No. 76 on the US Billboard 200.
“Mobb’n” opens up with this sick trap beat, and Kash Doll rolling up in a Range Rover and taking over a Liquor store. Kash Doll's opens the song with her boldness and confidence of being one of the best female rappers to-date. With lyrics like "Ever since I came into this rap shit, I been killin' shit, All these bitches copy what I do, I might as well build a bitch". As the video continues Kash Doll appears to challenge the nay-sayers and those who’ve doubted her to “knuck if you buck, If you say you with it, why the fuck you ain't pull up?” as her and her crew show the wold what she is capable of.
Written by Elsie Hernandez
Living in California, you develop a love-hate relationship with driving. Some people hate driving, even for 10 minutes, while others love the prospect of getting behind the wheel. I happen to belong to the latter. For me, It’s a little bit of peacetime for myself; therapy if you will. This past Saturday I was afforded over 2 hours of alone time in my four-wheeled bubble. I was driving from Orange County to Agoura Hills to see one of my boyhood heroes, former KISS Lead guitarist Ace Frehley in concert. I spent most of the two hours re-familiarizing myself with his music; the oldies from the ’70s and of course his solo efforts. Some of the memories that his music conjured up for me were those days in my bedroom listening to their live album, Alive II, staring at the gatefold for hours and imagining myself in the crowd watching the spectacle that was KISS.
I distinctly remember back in those times that I always thought he was the coolest of the four . Oh sure, Gene Simmons spit blood and blew fire across the stage, and Paul Stanley presumably could snap his finger and be adored by every female in the crowd. But Ace was just cool. Oddly, as crazy as he was, he always seemed like the most normal of all of them.
Since his exit from KISS in the early ’80s, Frehley has enjoyed a decent career on his own. He’s put out a few albums here and there which seems appropriate because while onstage he always appeared to be the reluctant frontman. A bit shy perhaps. Free to continue his career at his own pace, I get the feeling that he just wanted it to be about the music and he wanted to play guitar. Again, every-man's rock star.
When I finally entered the show this very distinct feeling washed over me which felt like I walked into a room full of friends. Everybody was smiling, polite, and just plain enjoying themselves. The night began with a set by a band called Like It. Out of New York, these four guys played a pretty decent set of originals and mixed in a little bit of comedy, keeping the whole evening very light and loose. You probably won’t hear any of their stuff on the radio soon, but they were a boatload of fun just the same. Looking back a perfect band to open the night.
Finally, the stage crew was finished and the band members each took their position one by one. The crowd let out a massive roar when Ace made his way to center stage. He worked the crowd up a bit more, then finally belted out his patented 1-2-3-4 and there it was, the first notes of the classic, “Rip it Out”. I immediately felt they were on point and this show was going to be something special. The sound was loud and clear, the guitars big and clean, drums rattling the remaining glassware from dinner. Bottom line, we were off and running! Finally, Ace broke into the first line of the song and that was the cherry on top. Holy crap this was phenomenal!
The second song, “Parasite”, for me has one of the most devastating riffs you’ll ever hear in rock and roll. It came early in the set on this night. Originally sung by Gene Simmons when this song came out (apparently because of Ace’s lack of confidence in his singing voice). Ace has embraced this classic and delivered it with every bit of confidence and quirkiness he could muster. The band that Ace has surrounded himself with were no slouches either. They uncorked “Strange Ways”, “Shock Me”, “Cold Gin”, and "Hard Times” as if they were their own. Truly outstanding performances one and all. Also included in the evenings mega-set were “She”, “Rocket Ride”, and “Rock Soldiers”. Each was delivered perfectly and shook the Canyon to it's core.
This tight-knit, professional unit blasted through their set with precision and ease. Just like every other great show, you leave thinking they could have gone on for another hour. This was truly a show to remember for years to come and a true bucket-list performance for sure. Ace Frehley and his band-mates succeeded in transporting me back to my room in the ’70s on this night and gave me plenty to ponder on my 2-hour drive back home.
With five minutes left till the start of show, the seemingly endless line of die-hard fans that wrapped around Hawthorne Theater showed no signs of ending. Swedish Melodic Metal progenitors, In Flames were in Portland, Oregon to promote their latest album, I, The Mask, on their 2019 Winter Tour with the epic American rock quartet RED and Canadian Metal prodigies, Arrival Of Autumn along for support.
It’s no easy feat opening the night for a band with such a prolific, genre-defining career such as In Flames, but Arrival Of Autumn got the show started with a fierce start concreting themselves very quickly as a force in extreme music. The band, stemming from a small isolated city in Northern Canada, have very quickly made a name for themselves globally. After two self-released albums, they caught the attention of renowned producer, Jason Suecof who took on their latest album, Harbinger, their first release with Nuclear Blast Records. As the show began, the lights in the venue took on a blood red hue and Jamison Frieson’s vocals, both guttural and melodic led the charge for the band’s merciless onslaught. Blindsided by Arrival Of Autumn’s unassuming guitarist, Brendan Anderson’s impressive technical and melodic sensibilities on the fretboard, the front line of fans hugging the barricade stood in stunned disbelief during their ferocious performance of “Witness”, the band’s latest single. Sharing vocal duties with Frieson, guitarist, Ryan Sorenson, complimented Anderson with an aggressive edge and sharp riff attack. And with bassist, Kevin Student and drummer, Ty Fox laying down the foundation for their auditory assault, these Canadian hopefuls are sure to carve a solid future for themselves in Extreme Metal.
Epic and endearing, RED, the Grammy-Nominated, American-Christian rock band, towered over the audience on two risers celebrating the release of their latest EP, The Evening Hate as well as the 10 year anniversary of their second studio album, Innocence & Instinct. The quartet from Nashville, Tennessee stepped confidently on stage and vocalist, Michael Barnes grasped the mic with both hands instantly taking command of the audience with the opening track, “Fight Inside”. The band, RED is no stranger to wearing their Christian faith on their sleeve and their lyrics often vocalize inward struggle and a timeless search for solace in oneself. Brothers, guitarist, Anthony Armstrong and bassist, Randy Armstrong, as well as drummer Dan Johnson were headstrong and unified performed songs from their 17 year legacy. Their heavy hitting, fan-favorite, “Breathe Into Me” was a fitting and glorious end to RED’s dedicated performance.
For over 25 years, Swedish metal legends, In Flames, have been reinventing themselves with every album release and they show no signs of slowing down. Although the ever-evolving godfathers of Melodic Death Metal have weathered numerous line-up changes throughout the years and a noticeable stylistic shift in their songwriting, they’re latest release I, The Mask, is just as powerful an album as anything they’ve created in this latest evolution of the band. Their performance of “Cloud Connected”, the first track off Reroute to Remain showed that the Swedish band’s celebrated vocalist, Anders Fridén is just as potent and ferocious as ever. Guitarists, Björn Gelotte and special guest of Megadeth fame, Chris Broderick led a brutal and astonishing melodic dual-guitar attack throughout the night. Along with drummer, Tanner Wayne and bassist, Bryce Paul, In Flames played songs for nearly two hours with selections from their latest release, I, The Mask all the way back to their early albums, Whoracle and Lunar Strain.
As the forefathers of a timeless genre of extreme music, In Flames have proudly taken this role with open arms. For nearly three decades the Swedish Metal legends have been carving a new path for themselves while paving the way for generations of musicians to follow. Don’t miss your chance to witness this metal phenomenon on tour in a town near you!
The first time I saw Immortal Technique was in 2008 at the Jazz Reggae Festival at UCLA. It was arguably the best time to see Immortal Technique as he was at the top of his career. He’d been buzzing hard in the independent rap circuits after dropping Revolutionary Vol. 1 (2001) and Revolutionary Vol. 2 (2003). His last album to date, The Third World (2008), was set to release about a month after. With a populist message, he took on the establishment in all forms – from the greedy record executives to the weapons lobbyists who walked the halls of Washington DC. Whether you were a fan of his or were one of those people who heard “Dance With The Devil” in its entirety just once, Immortal Technique definitely left a lasting impression on you in the 2000s. While still touring and spottily releasing singles, Immortal Technique has since taken a step back from releasing full length projects… until now.
Over a decade later, there are increasing rumblings that the next album, The Middle Passage, is finally almost here. Immortal Technique's most recent Prelude To The Middle Passage Tour overtly advertises [Performing New Music] on the flyer. The Middle Passage is the underground’s Detox. We’ve been waiting forever. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see him perform new music and relive some moments from Revolutionary Vol. 1, Revolutionary Vol. 2, and The Third World. I made my way over to The Glass House in Pomona for what would be an eventful night. Let’s jump into the three main acts of night.
Poison Pen was the first of the three main acts to grace the stage. The battle rap pioneer from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn put on a hard-hitting performance that set the tone for what would be a fulfilling night of lyrically hard hip hop. As Poison Pen wrapped up his set, all eyes were on the stage entrance as the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of Chino XL.
The music started. You heard Chino XL start rapping. But Chino XL was nowhere to be found. The lights in the venue were dim. A sense of confusion overcame the crowd. In WWE fashion, venue spotlights located Chino XL as he moved through the crowd as aggressively as he rapped. Luckily, I was still next to the stage trying to grab security’s attention to let me into the photo pit. I yelled “nevermind!” and jumped into the crowd. Camera in hand, I pushed and clawed my way to Chino XL. The center of the venue opened up in pit fashion as Chino XL performed. The Bronx rapper spent a few songs performing on the venue floor with fans before finally being helped on stage. He spent a few songs on stage but ended his set back in the crowd again where it seemed he felt at home. There’s something electrifying about the 6’2’’ rapper stomping around screaming a high energy set in the middle of the venue floor.
The main act requires no introduction. Immortal Technique took to the stage and brought Poison Pen, Chino XL, and others with him. With assistance from the homies, he exhilarated the crowd as he dropped verses from songs such as “Point Of No Return”, “The Cause Of Death”, and “Peruvian Cocaine”. In between songs, Technique assumed the role as orator in chief as he preached conscious messaging to the crowd. He touched on a range of topics – from the early economic foundations of our country all the way to how a real gangster should never tolerate any sort of harm done to women.
My favorite monologue was when he asked everyone to look around at each other. Everyone in the room, Technique preached, no matter their religion, no matter their tax bracket, and no matter their walk of life, all shared in one thing. They all rejected the programming. They all rejected mainstream media and rejected normalcy. Instead, they all adopted free thinking and intellectual independence. They all made a conscious choice to embrace his messaging, far out of the cultural norm. Or… they got high one night, and their one of their friends asked them, “Do you want to hear a fucked up a story?” DJ Static immediately dropped the infamous “Dance With The Devil” instrumental and Immortal Technique performed the most spine chilling live song I’ve ever witnessed. If you haven’t heard “Dance With The Devil,” I’m not going to ruin it for you. I just urge you to listen to it yourself, before someone else blows what is arguably top 10 hip hop storytelling songs of all time.
Special kudos to DJ Static for rocking the ones and twos all night. Poison Pen, Chino XL, and Immortal Technique certainly did not disappoint. They also graciously met with fans for a quick meet and greet at the end of the show. After so long, it was great to hear Technique play some unreleased material. I’m now more than eagerly awaiting The Middle Passage. I started this review by reminding you what I felt about Immortal Technique back in 2008. I did this because it’s how I feel about his upcoming material now. He’s back in rare form with an album on the way. If you’re somewhere in his tour path for the remainder of this Prelude To The Middle Passage Tour, I highly suggest you grab some tickets asap and head down when these guys are in your town. It isn’t anything you’ll hear on Billboard or MTV, but it’s something you’ll cherish for a long time.
Full Picture Gallery Below
Rubi Rose is certainly making headway into the music scene proving to be a success by dropping tracks like "Trickin" and "Big Mouth". Her past life as a model appearing in music videos with Migos, LVRN, and Raury catapulted her into the music scene with a fan base already attached to her hip. The number “Hit yo Dance,” had two collabs with Yella Beezy who was rockin’ some pricey bling that might get you thinking-- maybe this guy is shitting hundos. But I digress, NLE Choppa, he likes choppers, I get it. When Rubi Rose began hitting her lines she naturally sounds commanding and ruthless; she gives no fucks and has the power to make all the mediocre men wet themselves. Not only she’s firecrackers on the fourth of July, she is the perfect counterpart to the other two young rappers on this song that arguably has some good clap beats throughout.
Still less glitches that a Disney streaming service launch, Hunnypot Live was a magic kingdom of music and entertainment last night. Hot Tub Johnnie started by slipping everyone musical mickeys. Brian Reyes splashed in with a mountain of a playlist and spoke with us about his past, present and future in the music business with ASCAP and more. XIMXIA (Shem-Shee-Ya) sang a snow white blizzard of catchy pop numbers. Mike Green performed harmonious acoustic pop from infinity and beyond. Grace Blue returned to display her singer sorcerer's apprenticeship magic. Bombay Beach Revival were soul monsters incorporated to entertain and Hot Tub closed the night with Fantaisiastic dance party set.
11/11/2019
Brian Reyes is the current Associate Director of Pop/Rock Membership at ASCAP and an accomplished songwriter. His work has been featured in numerous Film and TV projects including Gossip Girl, New Girl as well as international broadcast commercials for brands such as Guinness, Citibank, Microsoft and Paypal. Brian’s current work at ASCAP includes signing new songwriters, producing songwriter workshops/showcases/networking events and finding new ways to help ASCAP’s talented membership reach their musical goals.
XIMXIA (pronounced shem-shee-ya), a versatile Los Angeles singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, tosses handfuls of musical heredity and experience into her sonic swirl—a strikingly original sound rooted in the influence of some of rock and pop’s greatest singular visionaries.
Individuality and poignant self-expression are constants in XIMXIA’s musical universe. The equation works like this—XIMXIA sings her truth and you dance. Fans who can’t help but stamp a label on her music are wise to call it borderless pop.
Growing up in Buffalo, New York, music was about as common as oxygen in XIMXIA’s childhood home. She began studying classical piano as a precocious youngster and was soon writing and singing original songs with her two younger sisters. Before long, she was joining bands and winning over audiences at open mic nights.
Following a stint studying piano performance at Montreal’s McGill University, XIMXIA’s music career landed her in New York City, Washington, DC (where her previous band performed at noted indie rock venue Black Cat), and now Los Angeles—the planet’s biggest pop hub.
XIMXIA is gearing up to reveal even more of her genre-busting truth with a new EP. The lead single “Don’t Follow Me” was produced by #1 Billboard charting producer/writer Ted Kurie and features remixes by Grammy-winning remixers and other notable talent. “Don’t Follow Me” debuted as #50 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs.
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Mike Green is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music, Green has garnered attention in the music industry, having performed in front of artists such as Mick Jagger, John C. Reilly, Wyclef Jean, Maroon 5, Jamie Cullum, and more. Green has had music placed in film and television shows, performed in 30+ countries with international events band The Phly Boyz, as well as provided session guitar and vocal work for many LA-based musicians with world-class credits.
His style has been compared to artists like Coldplay, Dave Matthews, and John Mayer, although Green has found a way to plate his sound differently. His music is a dish of versatility, garnished with powerful choruses and head-nodding grooves. In 2019, his debut album “Restart" is a promising first installment from an artist who clearly has the writing, playing, and singing chops to get the material out of his heart and into a song.
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Based out of Los Angeles, CA, Grace Blue is a duo comprised of vocalist Grace Mogz and keyboardist Joseph Arazi who had the pleasure of meeting each other in their hometown in Israel. Grace Blue's first video for their current single "Our Eyes" has garnered over 100,000 views on YouTube alongside rave reviews. Their next video/single "Nowhere To Go" is out now.
Check out their full 5 song EP at the link below. All songs are Represented by Hunnypot, Master and Publishing.
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BOMBAY BEACH REVIVAL is a soul trio from Los Angeles, conceived by producer and guitarist, Daniel deBlanke.
Here is a dance party banger sure to get you moving, “Turn me On” by Riton and Oliver Heldens. The track has a sample from Yazoo classic “Don’t Go” and features a performance from star vocalist “Vula” (Basement Jaxx).
Henry “Riton” Smithson was born in Newcastle and attended Newcastle upon Tyne university. He emerged onto the scene as part of the Ed Banger crew with their single “Gare Du Nord” being one of the groups biggest selling releases. He dropped a series of singles and Eps under his own name and went on several global tours. His most recent release is a collaboration with Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens. Oliver Heldens was born in Rottendam Netherlands and started DJ’ing professionally in 2013 under the alias HI-LO. As he started releasing more music his song “Gecko” which peaked at #1 on DMC Magazine caught the attention of DJ Tiesto who then signed him to his label. His career has only gotten bigger and bigger since then. Hunnypot approved!
-Written by Gabriel Mena
Frequent Hunnypot Live guest Dionne "Diva" Character did a nice write up of our Halloween party show in Data News Weekly.
Party goers came out in full Halloween to celebrate with Hunnypot Live at The Mint LA for its annual Halloween costume party on Monday, October 21st hosted by Hot Tub Johnnie who has given Los Angeles 19 years of spinning on and off stage. One of LA's favorite DJ,s who has proven to be very influential in the world of entertainment, we can count on Johnnie and his crew to get the party started every other Monday of the week, brining us a lineup of new artists who are making noise in and out of Los Angeles.
Tonight, New Orleans was in the building with my fam Jordan Character AKA J. Character Music which after releasing his hit song "Ariel" on iHeart in Atlanta GA during the A3C festival is taking his career to the west coast.
Character is part of the new generation where artists are earning college degrees while pursuing their dreams in music. He graduated Magna Cum Laude earning a degree in international studies. His career as a rapper took off after performing in Chengdu while pursuing a modeling career in Shanghai. Characters music has proven to be diverse with collaborations with artists from China, London, and Africa. Breaking language barriers, Character in intertwining Chinese and English in his lyrics creating his own sound like those from New Orleans seldom do, setting themselves apart when it comes to music. Tonight also featured Munii Mu who collaborated with J. Character, Binx and Bonavega.
Seems like the front door has been left wide open for this new generation of music, as New Orleans artists are on the rise taking their southern roots to the spotlight introducing the birthplace of Jazz and Funk to more genres such as Bounce, Rap, and Soul. With recognition from BMI and BET, the city of New Orleans embraces its culture of music featuring 5th Ward Weebie, Dee 1, Big Freedia, who are changing our sound on a global level, bringing us closer to the bright lights of Hollywood with collaborations with Beyonce and Drake proving that we bring that Gumbo to all platforms and stages when it comes to music.
To listen to the audio of the full show go here.
Written by Dionne "Diva" Character
Don't forget to say "danks" to Indica for "Intoxication".
INDICA is an American Musician. The 22-year-old is based In California, born and raised in the Washington D.C. area.
He is creating an unparalleled buzz with his infectious style and sound. There is no doubt that this gifted Twenty-something, is shaking up the industry while creating his own sound with melodic flows, electronic synths, and big drums. Fusing all the sonics together creates the INDICA sound that has gained him an ever expanding fanbase. Along with his music, authentic aesthetic flair and vintage-styled visuals shape a creative cohesive package that further elevates his ‘Iit’ factor.
Recently signing with Tommy Boy Records, the super talent and his imprint have wasted no time cooking up dynamic music in the lab. INDICA plans to release his next project titled, RETROMODERN on March 29, 2019. Momentum is building with the recently released singles INTOXICATED and REMEDY
The highly anticipated effort, RETROMODERN produced and mixed by Andrew Luce, is inspired by 80's movies like the cult classic ‘Scarface’ and millennial fav, ‘Tron’. RETROMODERN gives fans and newcomers a glimpse inside the mind of one the industry most multi-faceted, multi-talented, rising artist.
The catalogue the musician has put together is outstanding -- being able to cross between genres with projects like INDICA (self-titled), and now RETROMODERN. From Electronic to R&B; from Hip-hop to Pop, INDICA’s knows no boundaries! The rising star has solidified his roles as a musician, song writer, influencer and fashion mogul. In an effort to continue to build and expand his brand beyond music, INDICA has joined forces with esteemed entertainment industry veteran Kevin Evans of 7th Agency.