Asphalt Valentine Strip Rock Roll
December 31, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Being straightforward and simple in rock music often can be considered a shortcoming, especially to those critics who tend to think of rockers as the Neanderthals of music. And though this description probably does fit a number of bands both past and present, true rock fans know that while Meshuggah and Fates Warning are great when you feel the need to hear a band stretch their virtuosic muscles, play around with bizarre chord phrasings and dabble with odd time signatures, sometimes the greatest gift that the electric guitar has given us is that of the power chord and the simple, gut-level music that comes with it. Asphalt Valentine exemplify this notion, and do so superbly on their new album, the fittingly titled Strip Rock Roll.
There’s not too much reason to detail the 10 tracks on this album individually, as the comments would be virtually the same for every track; they are super catchy, fun, up-tempo rock ditties with lyrics that are sleazy and basic, but also witty and smart enough not to be laughable. Each song is comfortable and familiar, but none sound like direct copies of anything else well known. Sure, “Don’t Come Easy” closely mirrors the main riff of Kiss’ “All American Man,” and the intro to “Hard Life” fools listeners into thinking they’re listening to Van Halen’s “Everybody Wants Some!!” Elements of all of the best-of-the-best resonate throughout — Motley Crue, L.A. Guns, AC/DC — yet strangely, Asphalt Valentine manage to create their own identity, learning from their forefathers, but never directly stealing from them.
It should be noted that when dealing with “simple” rock and roll, it may be deduced that this somehow implies a lack of quality musicianship. That is certainly not the case here. Sure, there’s nothing resembling “Bohemian Rhapsody” on Strip Rock Roll, but it’s not just Gavin Rosdale-esque talentless crap either. What makes the “simplicity” work is that it is backed by actual skill. The music is simple because the members want it to be, not because they have no choice but to make it that way. And for that, the members of Asphalt Valentine should be commended. They’ve managed to create an album that lacks pomposity and arrogance, but still contains enough flash and integrity to keep it exciting and interesting.
With all this praise, it seems only fair to give a little criticism. Perhaps one of the biggest “areas of improvement” would be in the backing vocal department. Not to say that they are bad when used, but several choruses seem a bit thin and would be improved with a bit of harmonizing or possibly even some classic “gang” vocals. “Dirty Little Secret” is a perfect example of this, as it is a great song with “hit” potential, but the chorus ends up sounding a bit anticlimactic. “It’s Not You” suffers a similar fate and could have done with a beefier background part.
In a similar vein, there are several instances, such as on opener “Never Lose It,” where only one rhythm guitar is featured during solo breaks, leaving the backing track a bit weak. There’s something to be said for keeping things real by only tracking what the band can do live, but sometimes a bit of guitar doubling can add the extra kick to really bring listeners to the floor.
Overall, Strip Rock Roll does exactly what it needs to. It gets feet tapping, heads banging, fists pounding and clothes disappearing. And isn’t that what rock and roll’s really all about?
Label: Chavis Records
Web: www.myspace.com/asphaltvalentine2
Band Lineup:
Stoopid “Joe” Flynt (vocals)
Brett “Beretta” Ciaramella (guitars)
Dallas James (guitars)
Scott “McGuyver” Clark (bass)
Scozzy Valentine (drums)
Tracks:
1. Never Lose It
2. Dirty Little Secret
3. It’s Not Me
4. Hard Life
5. Love & Gone
6. Don’t Come Easy
7. Be Your Drug
8. Strip Rock Roll
9. Down To The Aces
10. Bombshell
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.8/10
Prozac Daisies Krazzy
December 29, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Despite a cheesy looking cover, and odd name and a penchant for strange spelling, Krazzy – the five track debut EP from the Prozac Daisies – is an exceptionally good effort.
The music of the Prozac Daisies is difficult to classify since the band had done what every band should do when trying to land a real record deal – they’ve mixed up their styles to display their musical versatility and songwriting talents, doing everything from a heavy rocker to a dodgy cover tune. The band is not your conventional five-piece rock band, as along with the required guitars/bass/drums they have a cello.
Guitarist / vocalist Vinnie D. founded the band with bassist Rocco Rado, both Chicago natives. They’ve added Patrick Christie (guitar), Michelle Tess Oberlin (cello) and Jeff Duckett (drums) to round out the lineup. Each of the Daisies is very talented, and none dominate the sound. One might expect the cello to be a huge attention grabber, but Oberlin is a very good player and the band treats the instrument as if it was nothing unusual. The cello is not used as a gimmick, rather it blends in as one might expect from keyboards or additional guitar. Vinnie has a good voice for classic rock – deep and resonant, and plays a solid guitar. He teams very well with second guitarist Patrick Christie and they make a formidable pair who can handle almost any style of rock. The bottom end provided by heavy-stick drummer Duckett and bassist Rado is nicely reinforced by Oberlin’s cello. Duckett and Rado work well together and seem to be the happiest when they are playing their hardest.
The CD opens with a heavy, pounding cover of Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309 / Jenny”. They’ve dropped the speed on this track, and the lower key and cello give it an almost dark and spooky tone rather than the original’s “happy rock” feeling. The guitar break is very “metal”, and they’ve added extra heaviness in the chorus. This is NOT the same song – the band took a “classic” and gave it their own twist – a lesson any other band recording a cover tune should learn.
“Khalifornia” opens with a classical cello line that fades into a pounding rhythm line, and then into a fairly standard hard rock tune with a really catchy chorus. “Don’t Give Up On Me” is almost a ballad, and features some nice acoustic guitar work and a smooth cello line that floats over the rest of the music, and really solid vocals and lyrics.
“Superstitions” opens with a very upbeat and driving bass/drum line that carries the song until the good gang vocals take over, and then settles into an almost funk/punk beat. “Krazzy” opens with an alternative rock sound, and that tone carries across and is very reminiscent of King’s X.
The production and engineering are very good, emphasizing the unique aspects of the cello without shoving it in your face. The musical balance is consistently good across all the styles, and the crisp engineering allows the raw talent of the band to be heard. The musicianship is top notch, and the songs are well structured musically and lyrically.
Krazzy is a fine debut EP by a very solid and creative band with a unique sound, and a fine example of American indie rock. While the EP would have been stronger with a fifth original song, the Daisies’ retooling of “867-5309” shows that the band has no intention of being a “conventional” group, and is willing to take some chances by messing with a “classic”. Highly recommended!
Label: Out Of The Box Records
Track Listing:
1 – 867-5309 / Jenny
2 – Khalifornia
3 – Don’t Give Up On Me
4 – Superstitions
5 – Krazzy
HRH Rating: 8.5/10
Cowboy Prostitutes Let Me Have Your Heart
December 28, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
When Cowboy Prostitutes released Swingin’ At the Fences in 2008, they immediately became one of the hardest to pigeonhole bands out there. Yeah, it was “Hard Rock,” but it was also Metal, Punk, Blues, and probably a few other monikers tossed in for good measure. Now they are coming at you with their brand new third studio album called Let Me Have Your Heart, and if anything, they have gone even further to make their sound indescribable, unless “kick ass” covers it all.
“Outrageous” is the opener, a bare-knuckled brawler of a rock anthem. It’s furious yet melodic, and infused with Punk attitude. The chorus, a scorching “Die die die, motherfucker you got to die!” is simplistic and memorable as hell. You’ve heard songs like this before, something Social D nailed seemingly hundreds of times, but it doesn’t make “Outrageous” any less of a track. Especially on lines like, “I’m a loser, and a boozer, I could never have a car like you sir,” you can hear their sense of humor along with their social commentary. With lead singer (and bassist) Luca’s snarling but expert vocal style, it almost makes you want to just hit repeat and not worry about what the rest of the album has to offer. But that’d be a mistake, cuz it’s all this good.
One band you can probably align Cowboy Prostitutes with is The Erotics. Both bands wield a serrated edge to their songwriting, but they are excessively catchy and radio-friendly once you get through the rawness. “If the Sky” is the perfect example of that description. You can hear their affinity for the ‘80s in this track, especially with the chorus. Guitarist LAO plays with a thick, fat style on this solo, almost bubbly (not neo-classical though) and smooth as Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. This is probably their “hit” song, should radio dare look outside the corporate status quo.
The riff on “Make Things Right” seems to glide back to the Classic Rock of the ‘70s. Cowboy Prostitutes likes to write about booze and girls, and typically both in the same song, but “Make Things Right” is more about perseverance. The telling line is “I’m still like 15 years old, playing guitar laying on my bed, this is like a curse and it will last forever!” It’s being stricken with the curse of Rock N Roll and never saying “die.” Lyrically, the band has improved and become more introspective without losing any of their edge. Smart lyrics just make a good song great, in other words.
“Save Our Cities” is sort of a slap in the teeth to conservationists, especially when you hear, “Saving trees is so exciting; and I thank you for the lovely gesture.” In a couple words, NOT politically-correct. If you thought some of the other lyrics were dark, try on the chorus, as Luca sings, “Save our cities and the true romancers, save us all a place where we can slowly die.” It’s not all fun-and-games in the Cowboy Prostitutes’ camp any more, kids. If you want to deconstruct it a bit, though, maybe they are saying mankind needs to learn to live with itself in global peace before we start worrying about inanimate objects like trees—that man versus man will be the real death for all of us. Nah, it’s just Rock N Roll, not existential philosophy, right!
After getting your head around “Save Our Cities,” you will welcome the uncomplicated “Up Yours!” This track features the biggest stadium anthem chorus on the release, especially at the end with “Well you can laugh some more, but I won’t BE YOUR TOY!” Luca’s voice soars on the ending here, with a wicked solo from LAO, and this one is as solid as “Outrageous.”
Sometimes “mature” can be a slap in the face to a band, but there no doubt Cowboy Prostitutes has “matured” from one album to the next. On the last song, “Finale,” you can’t help but feel uplifted by the lyrics, “In this moment I found the reason why I have never had a doubt in my mind.” This is an EVERYMAN song, for everyone who has ever doubted you in your walk through life, and how you found the resolve to keep going no matter what happens around you. The rhythm section here, from drummer Jonas Lewin and Luca, thumps the point across again and again. If you dig gang vocals, this chorus will be your best friend.
Let Me Have Your Heart is just another surprising release from another band from Sweden (go figure, ain’t all the great new bands from Sweden?) Just because you haven’t heard of a band doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of their music—it just means you need to listen to more music. That being said, if you are going to open up your musical landscape and try something new, start with Cowboy Prostitutes.
Label: Sunny Bastards
Online: www.myspace.com/cowboyprostitutes
Track listing:
1. Outrageous
2. Nail That Pretty
3. If the Sky
4. Through the Streets
5. Girls Like You
6. Make Things Right
7. Waitin’ Around
8. Save Our Cities
9. What Shall I Do?
10. Up Yours!
11. Finale
HRH Rating: 8.3/10
Steel Panther Feel the Steel
December 27, 2009 by Managing Editor
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
Steel Panther are no strangers to the Sunset Strip. The Los Angeles rock band has gone through many name changes including Danger Kitty, Metal Shop, and the infamous Metal Skool. Steel Panther is keeping the ’80s alive and well with their debut album, Feel The Steel on Universal Republic Records. Feel The Steel pummels with ’80′s Van Halen and Bon Jovi guitar riffs and vocals reminicent of Diamond David Lee Roth.
Steel Panther features Michael Starr AKA (Ralph Saenz)of LA Guns on vocals, Satchel on guitar, Lexxxi Foxxx on bass, and Stix Zadinia on drums. Opening track “Death To All But Metal” is a parody of how the music industry and MTV control what is played on television and radio today. In retrospect, maybe that is why so many young people today are turning to ’80s bands for sheer musical entertainment. The ’80s were a time where music knew no boundaries. Well, Steel Panther are breaking all the rules with their X-rated version of songs that are laden with sex, drugs, and pure rock – n – debauchery.
Standout track on Feel The Steel is the hit, “Community Property.” A tribute to touring musicians and their girlfriends and wives who are left at home wondering what really happens on tour? Steel Panther give a graphic account of what it is like to be an ’80′s musician on tour. It is kind of like the old cliche’, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” “Party All Day” has a Bon Jovi vibe, as “Eatin Ain’t Cheatin” has a Van Halen groove. Throughout the entire album, Satchel enthuses his love of ’80s riffs with precise execution. In a recent In-store in Norwood, Mass. Satchel commented, “Van Halen played a mjaor role in the influence on the band.”
What would Rock – N – Roll be without women? Steel Panther pay tribute to strippers and slow things down for just a moment on “Stripper Girl.” ”Girl From Oklahoma” salutes the groupies in pure parody. Steel Panther has paid their dues on Sunset Strip. Michael Starr A.K.A. (Ralph Saenz{ sings his heart out with his Diamond Dave vocal style. As guitarist Satchel unleashes the Spartan ’80s guitar riffs. Steel Panther are so much more than a modern day Spinal Tap. They entertain you with their comical satire but behind the parody are four talented musicians who have paid their dues on Sunset Strip.It would be interesting to see on their next album if they can shed the comedy skit and rely on the strength of their serious song-writing instead.
Label: Universal
l. Death to All But Metal
2. Asian Hooker
3. Community Property
4. Eyes of a Panther
5. Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)
6. Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’
7. Party All Day (**** All Night)
8. Turn Out the Lights
9. Stripper Girl
10. Shocker, The
11. Girl from Oklahoma
HRH Rating: 8/10
Arbogast Certainties and Doubts
December 27, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Sweden has produced a wide variety of quality musical acts that span decades and genres. From the Hall-of-Fame-worthy pop of Abba, to the American-inspired garage rock of the Hellacopters, and even the prog-infused black metal of Vintersorg, Sweden seems to have no shortage of musical luminaries. Perhaps it’s because of the lack of daylight during Swedish winter, forcing everyone inside with nothing else to do but create. Whatever the reason, it certainly seems to be working, and relative newcomers Arbogast are no exception.
Arbogast’s second full-length album, Certainties and Doubts, sees band leader Svante Widerström expand on previous efforts and futher refine the “Arbogast sound.” But what is that sound? That is an interesting question, as there’s not an obvious answer. The bulk of the material has a very ‘70s-throwback feel, but almost in an inspired-by-other-70s-throwback-bands way. Many songs call to mind Spacehog, both musically and vocally, though they lack a bit of the Freddie Mercury-like stylistic meanderings of Royston Langdon. Additionally, there is a preponderance of three-chord, punk-inspired backing music, though plucked and strummed rather than noisily expelled.
Humorously titled opening track “Robbed, Stripped and Glad About It” feels like a leftover from early Alice Cooper sessions, and would have worked well on Killer. Of course, Alice would doubtfully have veered away from some of the bizarre falsetto vocal stretches. This rocking song kicks the album off with a great amount of energy that the rest of the album, unfortunately, lacks. This is not to imply that the remainder is of lower quality, but after getting jolted with such a powerful track upfront, everything else seems a little lethargic.
For the most part, the rest of the songs on Certainties and Doubts could almost all fall under one description—fun and quirky. Gently strummed acoustics and pop melodies help to create an album of smile-bringing ditties. “Steal Me Some Luck” would almost fit well in a Macintosh commercial, though it’s a bit less contrived than usual Mac-fare. “Psychomath” is a great piece of pop fun, reveling in its simplicity and insane catchiness. It’s unlikely that anyone will be able to get it out their head after even one listen. “Bitacora Club” and “Applause to You” bring the initial energy back to a point, but end up as electrically dominated pop-rock nonetheless. Closing track, “The Cholera Song,” with its upbeat synth melody, builds up to what feels like children’s program theme music (though going by the title, it would be a pretty dark kid’s show).
While Arbogast use the simplicity and laid-back attitude to their advantage most of the time, there are points where things do become a bit redundant. Many of the vocal melodies are almost identical, and as noted before, the energy level never quite reaches beyond a mellow cheeriness. A little more power and slightly increased tempos would surely bring extra life to the songs and create a more diverse album.
What is certain is that Arbogast have created a solid, pleasant album that would feel very comfortable (stylistically, if not alphabetically) between Cheap Trick and Jason Mraz—not quite as hard hitting as the first, but a bit less obvious than the second. Chock another one up to Swedish creativity.
Label: Self-released
Web: www.myspace.com/arbogastrockbov ; www.arbogast.se
Band Lineup:
Svante Widerström (vocals, guitars, keyboards)
Bolivar (bass)
Gunnar Hansson (drums)
Jonas Hjortstam (various solos)
Mats Lilja (background vox)
Fredrik Lillen Falkerstedt (guitar solo)
Jason Lewis (spoken)
Tracks:
1. Robbed, Stripped and Glad About It
2. Psychomath
3. Steal Me Some Luck
4. Once the Tip of the Spear
5. Stay Up and Talk to Me All Night
6. Bitacora Club
7. Applause to You
8. The Other You
9. Thinking ‘Bout the Boss
10. Beckomberga 1944
11. The Cholera Song
Hardrock Haven rating 8.6/10
Witches Mark A Grim Apparition
December 23, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
A Grim Apparition is the debut EP from Texas metallers Witches Mark, one of the more promising new bands of the traditional metal revival that’s been emerging in recent years. The band, which features members of Of the Fallen, Panzergod, Hammerwhore and Reverend, is poised to pick up the torch from classic metal bands like Omen, Liege Lord and Helstar.
Beneath the gorgeously grim cover artwork (this artist needs to be doing Iced Earth covers), A Grim Apparition offers four new compositions as well as a few surprises. It’s easy to slot Witches Mark in the traditional metal genre, but their sound also draws heavily on power, thrash and doom metal. There are even moments (especially on “Salem’s Fire” and “Ethereal”) where the melodic thrashing riffs sound like they could have come from an early Swedish melodic death metal album (like Arch Enemy circa Black Earth). These lightning riffs are paired with thundering rhythms to great effect, especially when Michael Lance’s powerful vocals are added to the mix. You can see why he was chosen to replace the late David Wayne in Reverend. Unfortunately, the vocals seem buried under the sheer weight of the guitars and aren’t always clear, which is the EP’s only real flaw.
If the first four songs weren’t impressive enough, A Grim Apparition also features a trio of bonus tracks. The first is a demo version of the title track. This is an interesting addition, but probably isn’t anything you’ll need to hear more than once. It is followed by a pair of “hidden” cover songs. The first is the band’s take on the classic Candlemass song “Solitude,” delivered with the requisite amount of doom and gloom. The second is a version of the lesser-known Angel Witch track “Something Wrong,” which totally fits the band’s sound. There is also an MP3 label sampler included on the CD, which is a nice touch.
Fans of the new breed of traditional metal bands (think Wolf, Pharaoh, Icarus Witch, Widow, et al) should absolutely check out A Grim Apparition. There’s just this great aura of grim heaviness, power and drama that few bands of this generation seem to understand. It’s the kind of mentality and earnest devotion to the music that made the classic Metal Massacre-era bands strap on their spiked gauntlets and slay their metaphoric (and some not-so-metaphoric) dragons while the L.A. party rockers were primping in front of the mirror. It’s just so damned … metal. Needless to say, A Grim Apparition definitely whets the appetite for a full-length Witches Mark album, which hopefully will not be too long in coming.
Online: www.myspace.com/witchesmark
Lineup:
Michael Lance – Vocals
Robert Williams – Guitar
Robb Bockman – Guitar
Andy Gonzalez – Bass
Sandra Torres – Keyboards
Yevgeniy Dankovjucovic – Drums
Track Listing:
1. Salem’s Fire
2. Cauldron-Born
3. Ethereal
4. A Grim Apparition
5. A Grim Apparition (demo version)
6. Solitude (hidden bonus track, Candlemass cover)
7. Something Wrong (hidden bonus track, Angel Witch cover)
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10
Sigh Scenes From Hell
December 23, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
For those uninitiated, the Sigh story goes all the way back to early ‘90s Tokyo, where band leader Mirai Kawashima put together the initial lineup of what would become one of black metal’s most unique and long-lasting acts. An early milestone came in 1993 in the form of their first full-length being released on the infamous Deathlike Silence label, founded by none other than slain Norwegian anti-hero Euronymous. Traditionally reserved almost exclusively for his Norse kinsmen, this was a breakthrough not only for the genre, but also for the Japanese black metal scene. Through the years, Sigh have undergone a number of changes, both in terms of personnel and music, dabbling in everything from straight-ahead black metal, to jazz, to avant garde experimentation. With 2010′s Scenes From Hell, we see the band taking all of the elements they’ve touched on in the past and blending them into a very unique extreme metal miasma.
The eight tracks that make up Scenes From Hell present an interesting emotional convergence. On one side is the standard black metal fare — high-pitched screaming vocals (delivered spectacularly by female vocalist Dr. Mikannibal), trem-picked grim guitars, and lyrical content dealing with Hell, death and war. The other side, though, is embodied by Sigh’s unique use of horns, woodwinds, keys and strings. Instead of following a similarly disharmonic, discordant, and generally dark musical course, the passages utilizing this diverse (by metal standards) instrumentation tend to be almost enlightening and positive, creating a very unique musical paradox.
Though most songs feature this strange clash of styles, a few stand out as particularly obvious illustrations. Opening track “Prelude to the Oracle” kicks things off with a bang, but boasts an oddly Mariachi-inspired horn passage. “L’art de Mourir” follows immediately after, though this time, the horns take on more of a carnival-esque feel. For a song that translates to “The Art of Dying,” it seems a very unlikely juxtaposition. Closing title track “Scenes From Hell” echoes this by coming off as a very musically upbeat song with very dark (obviously) lyrics.
While the above represent examples of rather bizarre stylistic pairings, there are many places in which the genre-bending mix works exceptionally. Of particular note, the spoken word over piano intro to “The Red Funeral” is incredibly haunting, and the use of violins later in the track create a Halloween-like atmosphere.
Unfortunately, while Sigh may be unique in the ever-growing black metal kingdom, in and of themselves, they tend to become a bit repetitive. After a few songs, the underlying guitar and drums riffs become almost indistinguishably similar and feature very few memorable melodies/patterns. Weirdly, even the avant-garde diversions seem to suffer the same fate, as the songs tend to feature the same mix of horns and strings over generic black metal riffing.
The other biggest drawback to Scenes From Hell comes from the lackluster production. The drums are flat, the instruments muffled and over-compressed, and even with all of its ebbs, flows, and varied instrumentation, there still seems to be a lack of dynamic range that would have added to the cinematic quality that the band seems to strive for. But perhaps the less-than-stellar recording values were done to add to the overall grim vibe of the album, following the footsteps of early Darkthrone, among others. But if history has taught us anything, everything can be improved upon. And though purists will disagree, later Darkthrone albums, along with works by similar acts such as Khold, have retained their innate grimness in spite of slick production. It would be nice for Sigh to give it a chance next time around.
Criticism aside, however, Sigh are a recognized name in extreme metal for good reason. They follow no one, instead blazing their own path of blackened fusion. And the hordes that have worshiped them from the beginning will no doubt proclaim this yet another piece of fine, black metal art.
Label: The End Records
Web: http://www.myspace.com/sighjapan; www.sighjapan.com
Band Lineup:
Mirai Kawasima (vocals, orchestrations, piano)
Dr. Mikannibal (vocals, saxophone)
Satoshi Fujinami (bass)
Shinichi Ishikawa (guitar)
Junichi Harashima (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Prelude to the Oracle
2. L’art de Mourir
3. The Soul Grave
4. The Red Funeral
5. The Summer Funeral
6. Musica in Tempora Belli
7. Vanitas
8. Scenes from Hell
Hardrock Haven rating: 6.4/10
Genitorturers Blackheart Revolution
December 23, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
If you like your metal dark, twisted and just a little bit sick, you’ll enjoy Blackheart Revolution, the latest from the Genitorturers. These veteran rockers have built up a small but loyal cult following over the past 10 years, and if you have any interest at all in industrial dark metal but haven’t sampled it, Blackheart Revolution is a great starting point. If you are already a fan, you won’t be disappointed.
Genitorturers music spans multiple genres – everything from industrial underground metal to electro-pop to punk to hardcore to straight-up hard rock seems to get mashed together and squeezed into a relatively unique sound that at time delights, and at other times offends. Think Joan Jett meets Nine Inch Nails, then toss in some porn and you have a truly raunchy and raucous experience. Despite the band’s obvious desire to provide some shock value, they don’t need to rely on it, as they are very good underneath it all.
Musically, the Genitorturers are very solid players. Lead vocalist Gen has a number of voices, ranging from sweet and innocent to gritty and ballsy. She can sing and she can scream and tailors her voice appropriately to the tone of the music. David “Evil D” Vincent provides the bass for the band. He pushes out a very aggressive bass line through most tracks, mixing up the tempo changes and patterns without missing a beat, and even plays a full upright bass on one of the tracks. Bizz gets credits on guitar, and while he is a good and aggressive player capable of laying down some great riffs, the music is mostly driven by the the rhythm section. Three players are credited as drummers – Angel, Joe Letz, and Mark Prator, although Angel will be the touring drummer.
The CD opens with “Revolution,” a gritty driving song with a kicky bass and aggressive drumming and an overall “industrial” sound. “Kabangin’ All Night” is the quintessential raunch-rock party song and is moved almost totally by the bass and drums, but features a great guitar solo by Bizz. “Devil In A Bottle” is a heavy blues rock with Gen doing her best Joan Jett impression. This one is a real air drummer’s delight. “Louder” is a pounding tribute to rock, and the best way to play it – and has a simple catchy chorus that will easily have you singing along. The middle track, “Falling Stars,” is one of the highlights of the CD. It is a much lower-energy song but is close to rock-perfect – great lyrics, great vocals, a solid rhythm line and great muscianship from all. This track would be extremely radio friendly – and might be a bona fide hit if it was marketed right. “Take It” brings back the raunchy industrial theme, and is NOT radio friendly, while “Confessions Of A Blackheart” is a dark and almost techno-creepy with a dash of extra-spooky vocals thrown in. “Cum Junkie” – guess the theme of this one – is a musically solid track done with an almost house/dance beat, and it is all about the rhythm. This track would be Top 40 material but for the explicit lyrics. “Vampire Lover” has a great rolling bass line and fantastic vocals with a somewhat moody “electronica” feel. “Tell Me” wraps the disc is a very straight-up hard rock manner, and is one of the few tracks that is guitar driven.
The production and engineering are very good, with co-production credits going to Scott Humphrey (Motley Crue, Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne) and bassist David Vincent. They’ve hit the musical sweet spots on every track no matter the genre. The Genitortures have received a bunch of well-deserved publicity, appearing on everything from video game soundtracks to Playboy TV.
All in all, Blackheart Revolution is a very diverse and solid recording. The band is good and the music is fun. Most of the tracks are aggressive but remain melodic no matter what the style of song. If you don’t mind your music a little raunchy and appreciate the underground sound, grab this one (just don’t play it in front of the kids).
Label: G-Force/MVD Entertainment
Web: http://www.myspace.com/genitorturers, http://www.genitorturers.com/home.html
Track Listing:
01. Revolution
02. Kabangin’ All Night
03. Devil In a Bottle
04. Louder
05. Falling Stars
06. Take It
07. Confessions of a Blackheart
08. Cum Junkie
09. Vampire Lover
10. Tell Me
Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10
Slayer World Painted Blood
December 16, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
World Painted Blood. Why not? Slayer has always used hyperbole to the Nth degree in album and song titles, and the new Slayer album aptly titled World Painted Blood continues that psychotic legacy. Less Satanic than God Hates Us All and Christ Illusion, Slayer seems to have somehow rekindled their love for violence-themed Speed/Thrash Metal, often tinged with Punk, to create a newly energized sound on World Painted Blood.
Not one to beat around the bush, the album’s title track is up first. “World Painted Blood” is another Slayer song that is both technically adept, especially with Dave Lombardo’s drumming, yet wildly chaotic, thanks to the snarling guitar solos from Hanneman and King. As always, Tommy Araya’s vile vocals stand above the entire genre as his spite and venom mix with articulation and quasi-hidden melody. In other words, “World Painted Blood” is awesome …
For sheer speed, “Snuff” is immense. The opening guitar solo bleeds violence, and Lombardo proves once again why drummers compare themselves to him in this arena. “Is he as good as Lombardo?” No, whoever he is, he’s not. Just check out the drumming during the raging guitar solos and try to keep up. When Araya starts screaming, “Killing is my future, murder is my future!” your blood will boil.
It’s not always about speed, though. When you get to “Beauty Through Order,” which begins at a bit more mid-tempo pace, you’ll be reminded of masterpieces like “Dead Skin Mask.” Araya, although he might not want to admit it, can hit all the notes and owns various subtleties to his vocal style that make him multi-faceted as a singer, even if most of the time he’s merely yelling on-key. Plus, hearing “God did not do this!” is almost as rabid as him singing “Dance with the dead in my dreams!”
“Psychopathy Red” is one of the heaviest and fastest songs on World Painted Blood, with jarring breakdowns between the verses that feature drum and bass solos. As with most Slayer guitar solos, the notes scream and shriek instead of just “sound.” The few stark tempo changes and vocal onslaught should make any classic Slayer fan drool.
Their first single is “Playing With Dolls,” and in a lot of ways, it sounds like Danzig at first. Araya completely removes the edge from his voice during the first couple verses, but quickly goes back to a more guttural style during the chorus, yelling “Die in front of me!” This is the track that proves Slayer is no one-trick-pony, and although they can be counted besides the heaviest bands in the world, they can also write a Heavy Metal song outside the Thrash genre. For a multitude of fans, this will probably be their favorite new Slayer song, because it has everything you’d want in a Metal anthem.
“Not of This God,” the closing track, sounds like it could be off of Reign in Blood. It doesn’t sound dated, but it’s vehemently heavy like “Jesus Saves,” albeit more technical. “You call him the Messiah, I see a reckless fraction based on mental slavery!” They’ve come a long way since “Jesus saves, listen to you pray …”
As long as Araya, Hanneman, King and Lombardo keep making music as Slayer, they will be the force to be reckoned with in the genre. The word is they’ll be touring with Anthrax, Megadeth and Metallica as the “Big Four,” but who is really everyone coming to see? With Metallica living off their past success and Anthrax switching singers back and forth, only Megadeth is close to as relevant as Slayer. But they don’t play the same style of music as Slayer, and their following just isn’t as loyal. World Painted Blood is proof that Slayer is the “Big One,” and the rest can follow.
Label: Sony
Online: www.slayer.net
Track listing:
1. World Painted Blood
2. Unit 731
3. Snuff
4. Beauty Through Order
5. Hate Worldwide
6. Public Display Of Dismemberment
7. Human Strain
8. Americon
9. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God
HRH Rating: 8.6/10
Eldorado Golden
December 15, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
It seems that a lot of very good classic-style rock had been coming out of Europe lately, and Golden from Spain’s Eldorado is no exception. The Spanish quartet has done a great job and put out a fine blues-based rock CD that will bring a smile to the face of any fan of the genre. Golden, the band’s second release, is filled with great foot-tapping, air-guitar numbers and features a killer cover of Ray Charles’ hit “I Don’t Need No Doctor”. The only disappointment is that the CD is relatively short and ends after 9 tracks.
Formed in 2007 and based in Madrid, Eldorado released their first CD entitled En Busca De Eldorado in May 2008. Both albums were produced by Richard Chycki (who has worked with Aerosmith and Rush, to name a few). Chycki came up with a very apt description of Eldorado’s sound – “New Vintage Rock”, and after listening to the very classic elements presented in a modern style one would be hard pressed to disagree with the term. For an interesting twist the band decided to release two versions of the album, one English and one Spanish.
The four members of Eldorado are fine musicians and play well together. Jesus Trujillo (vocals) has an ideal voice for the classic rock style of music – a bit growly and grindy but always clear and precise. He sings with gusto and energy. Nano Paramio plays an outstanding guitar. He lays down great hooky riffs and catchy rhythm lines, and does a nice job with his short-and-to-the-point solos. Cesar Sanchez (bass) and Javi Planelles (drums) are a solid bottom end. Not only to they play well off each other, they take over the songs and drive them forward during Paramio’s solos. Both are energetic players, and Planelles loves the cymbals (but doesn’t overdo them). As a whole, the band is very good at setting and following a mood, and they work as a team through all of the tracks.
The CD opens on a high with “The House Of The 7 Smokestacks”, a track that opens as a drum driven song, but changes to a kicky guitar and bass tune with a great guitar solo and a mystical, slightly rough and raunchy feel. The energy carries over in the well-crafted “The Rocket Song”, but then the band becomes soft and ethereal storytellers on “Atlantico” – terrific vocals and smooth music. “Falling, Falling” is probably the strongest song on the album with great bass and heartfelt vocals, although some may argue for the excellent cover of “I Don’t Need No Doctor”. Lyrically the band is at their best on the regretful “The Worst Of Myself”, and reaches down into the heavy classic grooves to pull out the riffs for “Free (A Chain Reaction).” They comment on society with the heavy “Tarot TV” and wrap the disc with the spooky and paranoid visit to “The Jackarta Club”.
The production and engineering are crisp and clean allowing the natural warmth of the vocals and instruments to show, and there is little in the way of enhancement, dubbing or other studio tricks. Refreshingly the band seems to want to come across as if they are playing live as a four-piece, and despite thins being a studio album Paramio’s guitar rhythm lines disappear as he solos allowing the bass and drums to be full contributors to the music rather than just background.
All in all, Golden is a fine album and Eldorado plays with intensity and fire. Any fan of classic or blues rock will enjoy this one. It has an almost a 1970’s sound, but played with current techniques. Golden is a CD that will find its way into your player and stay there for quite a while.
Label: Dejame Decirte (Indie)
Web: www.eldoradorockband.com , www.myspace.com/eldoradorockband
Track Listing:
01 – The House Of The 7 Smokestacks
02 – The Rocket Song
03 – Atlantico
04 – Falling, Falling
05 – I Don’t Need No Doctor
06 – The Worst Of Myself
07 – Free (A Chain Reaction)
08 – Tarot TV
09 – The Jackarta Club
HRH Rating: 9/10
Liberty N’ Justice Light It Up
December 14, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
As the Christians’ favorite holiday closes in on the world again, Justin Murr’s Liberty N’ Justice project has released its brand new studio effort, Light It Up. As far as Christian music goes, Murr certainly has an ear for talent. Most of the musicians on the roster aren’t someone you’d immediately align with religion — Robert Mason of Big Cock fame anyone? — but just like each Liberty N’ Justice release before, it’s worth hearing, even if you are an unrepentant sinner who loves Hard Rock.
The title track also opens the release, featuring Phil Lewis and guitarist JK Northrup. “Light It Up” features a fairly sleazy riff and those omnipresent semi-sexual vocals that Lewis can’t help but convey when he sings. While some of the songs feature heavy-handed lyrics rich in Biblical imagery and warnings, this is probably the most straightforward rocker. “Young men dream about tomorrow, while old men smoke and cry of sorrow,” sings Lewis in a fairly non-preaching way during the chorus.
Light It Up offers 14 songs, but the first three just don’t make a lot of noise, even if they are noisy. “The Other Thief,” with Dale and Troy Thompson of Bride, is forgettable and slightly jarring vocally. “Blink” sounds just like Vixen, but that’s because Lynn Louise Lowrey is singing. She sounds energetic and Murr did well in bringing in a female vocalist.
The first song that melds the message with the songwriting is “Man vs. Mother Nature,” with Ted Poley and Vic Rivera, who have a history with each other. “When will we listen, when we will see? It’s man vs. Mother Nature, and the winner is God!” shouts Poley, with his enviously melodic vocal style. With the floating keys, Rivera’s uniquely heavy but “poppy” guitar playing, and Poley’s prowess, this is one of the best tracks on Light It Up.
“Uncle Sam” SHOULD be the song everyone votes as “the best” on this release, though. Sheldon Tarsha of Adler’s Appetite mans the mic, and he is a revelation (one not found in Revelations). The track is about the godless direction the U.S. has decided to go, a nation “denying God,” at least in the songwriter’s opinion. The lyrics are specific, touching on stock market crashes, wars, the foreclosure epidemic, and more. Tarsha sings the words like he damn well means it; the conviction in his vocals is almost eerie.
Searing rockers like “Uncle Sam” are one thing, but Liberty N’ Justice tends to feature ballads as well. “Every Reason to Believe” is the first one, with Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge) and Kerri Kelly (Alice Cooper) on guitar. With the two-part vocal harmonies, it sounds like an Eagles’ composition, just acoustic guitar and hauntingly poignant vocals. Keeling has long been one of the most underrated singers in Hard Rock, but the talent is obvious.
Wrestler/musician Chris Jericho brings Liberty N’ Justice into the now with “Best Time You Never Had.” As a singer, Jericho is fairly solid, but more along the lines of Rev. Theory, Theory of a Deadman, Three Days Grace, than L.A. Guns or Danger Danger. He was fortunate to sing on a song that brings the best out of his vocal style, but it’s weird hearing him sing, “I’m not worthy of your crown of thorns. You’re the one, the only one that I adore!” That being said, it’s one of the catchiest songs on Light It Up and you’ll go back to it again and again.
Current Warrant singer Robert Mason, known for his single-entendre innuendo in the band Big Cock, sings on “Greed.” Of course, the only way the song could open is with him snarling, “Here I am and I’ll bring you to your knees!” In this case, it’s double-entendre, because it’s actually about the personification of “greed,” and not some sexual act. It is Christian music, after all. Mason owns the song, probably the perfect voice to sing about this sin, whatever that may mean.
Light It Up’s last track is “For Better or Worse,” with the up-and-comer Shawn Pelata (Line of Fire) on lead vocals. This is a huge ballad, with tasteful keys and a soaring chorus. Pelata is one of those higher range singers like Steve Perry, emotional and confident in his talent, and it bleeds through.
This may be the most polished Liberty N’ Justice so far. Sometimes it’s difficult to hear a new voice each track and keep the cohesion, but with the breadth of talent here, you can’t help but embrace the overall release. You don’t have to be a Christian or even care about the message if you just dig high class Hard Rock. But the message is there for you if you ever decide to start listening …
Online: www.libertynjustice.net
Track listing:
1. Light It Up (Phil Lewis of LA Guns & JK Northrup)
2. The Other Thief (Dale and Troy Thompson of Bride)
3. Blink (Lynn Louise Lowrey of Vixen and Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister)
4. Do What You Believe (CJ Snare & Bill Leverty of Firehouse)
5. Man vs. Mother Nature (Ted Poley of Danger Danger and Vic Rivera of Crunch)
6. Treading On Serpents (Les Carlsen of Bloodgood and Ox Fox of Stryper/ Bloodgood)
7. Uncle Sam (Sheldon Tarsha of Tarsha/Adler’s Appetite and Jeff Pilson of Dokken/ Foreigner)
8. Every Reason To Believe (Kelly Keeling of Baton Rouge/TSO and Kerri Kelli of Alice Cooper)
9. Wrestling With God (Pete Loran, Steve Brown of Trixter & Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal of GN’R / Lita Ford)
10. Best Time You Never Had (Chris Jericho (WWE Wrestler/ Fozzy) & Phil Collen of Def Leppard)
11. Beautiful Decision (Harry Hess and Pete Lesperance of Harem Scarem)
12. Drunk Dead Gorgeous (Marq Torien of BulletBoys and Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P.)
13. Greed (Robert Mason of Warrant/Lynch Mob and Jerry Dixon of Warrant)
14. For Better Or Worse (Shawn Pelata of Line Of Fire & Stephen Chesney of Frontiers)
Some additional musicians: Eric Ragno, Terry Ilous (XYZ), Chris Dickens (Mission Of One), Marc Danzeisen (Bulletboys/ Little Caesar), Doug Odell (Crunch/ TNA) & John Pine
HRH Rating: 7.7/10
Natu Sabverata Existing To Ensure Your Destruction
December 12, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Existing to Ensure Your Destruction is the debut release from North Carolina-based death metal band Natu Sabverata, and is the first extreme metal album released on the Heaven and Hell label. Natu Sabverata has been active in the North Carolina metal scene for the better part of the decade, supporting bands like Lamb of God, All That Remains and Six Feet Under. Their style is fairly straightforward. They play brutal (br00tal?) death metal. Period. No melody, no “core”, just totally crushing death metal. Think Sepultura and Celtic Frost with a strong Slayer thrash influence and a touch of Napalm Death and Carcass for grinding good measure. While the band’s lyrical approach is decidedly anti-Christian, they probably don’t fall into Satanic metal territory. Still, the lyrical content definitely matches the music in brutality and aggression, and the post-apocalyptic cover artwork suits the music perfectly.
The second you hear the first grunt on album opener “A Bastard’s Birth,” you know exactly what’s in store. It’s wall-to-wall riffing, machine gun drumming and sinister growled vocals. While you can certainly appreciate the band’s devotion to their particular brand of metal, it does start to wear a bit thin after a few songs. What is no doubt a completely effective way of starting a pit at a live show doesn’t always translate well in a studio setting, and about midway through Existing to Ensure Your Destruction you start looking for something to break the monotony. The album might have been more effective if they had shaved off a few tracks.
If you’re in the market for sheer brutality, you’ll be hard pressed to find a 2009 release that’s fiercer and heavier than Existing to Ensure Your Destruction (aside, perhaps, from Dethklok’s Dethalbum II). If nothing else, you have to respect an American metal band that resisted the trendy lure of metalcore and stayed true to their own death metal sound.
Label: Heaven and Hell Records
Track Listing:
1. A Bastard’s Birth
2. Eyes of God
3. Godless State of Mind
4. I Decay
5. Sin Eater
6. Burnt Church
7. Cut Into the Bone
8. Denounce
9. Breaking Point
10. Servant To None
11. Hindered
12. Bow
13. Pin Point Hate
14. Where There Is a Will There Is a Way
15. Whimper of the Whipped
Lineup:
Jacob Edwards: Vocals, Guitar
Chris Castelda: Drums
Brad Gentry: Bass
Online: www.myspace.com/natusabverata
HRH Rating: 6/10
Angst The Liner
December 12, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
Hailing from Crawley, UK, best known for birthing Goth icons The Cure, comes 4-piece metal/rock band Angst. Though their name may bear some resemblance to the aforementioned group’s lyrical content, luckily the similarities end there. Angst instead play a blend of rock, metal, and perhaps a little punk, as showcased on their second EP, 2009′s The Liner.
Following the three-song format of their previous EP, Fantastic, from 2006, The Liner features a hat-trick of new, original tracks, each showcasing a different facet of the band’s diverse style. Opening track, “Cruise Liner,” kicks off with a guitar riff reminiscent of Devin Townsend in both structure and tone. This super-catchy bit pops up throughout the song, and instantly digs its way into the listener’s brain, destined to stick there for many days to come. Though this riff may be the most memorable, the rest of the song more than lives up to its standard, featuring chunky rhythms and punk-like vocals, resulting in a power-chord fueled metal anthem. The dual-lead break is simple and melodic, and details the band’s taste for harmony.
The second track, “Running,” shows a very different side of the band, as it is a slower, more radio-friendly track somewhat reminiscent of “When the Wall Came Tumbling Down” from Def Leppard’s On Through the Night. It features some nice vocal harmonies, though the lead vocals feel a bit weak, and would have benefited from the vocal approach used on the other two tracks.
“Darkness Rising” closes the EP by getting back to the heaviness that started everything off. A piano intro complete with a Priest-esque double lead gives way to groovy heaviness topped off with Hetfield-inspired vocals. A flashy yet tasteful solo by lead guitarist Liam O’Brien drifts into another double lead break, and the abrupt ending leaves the listener hoping for a fourth track. But alas, the EP is over as quickly as it began, only serving to build anticipation for the follow-up.
The Liner is still a bit rough at times, but is an excellent introduction to a talented British band who will no doubt achieve great things if they keep on doing what they’re doing and manage to navigate the slowly dying music industry. Anyone lucky enough to take a ride on their “Cruise Liner” will be anxious to see where it takes them.
Label: Unsigned
Web: http://www.myspace.com/angstuk
Band Lineup:
Liam O’Brien (vocals, lead guitar)
Mikko Figura (rhythm guitar)
Nicky Moynihan (bass, backing vocals)
Matt O’Brien (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Cruise Liner
2. Running
3. Darkness Rising
Hardrock Haven rating 7.9/10
Covered Call Money Never Sleeps
December 12, 2009 by Managing Editor
by Franco Wissa
Staff Writer
As luck would have it, it seems, as of late, that there has been a flux of melodic hard rock to once again fill a huge musical void. With the nonsense that seems to be infiltrating our airways, thank God for this, Covered Call’s Money Never Sleeps. Filled with superb vocals, deep guitars, and hard rocking drums, this could, and damn sure should, please even that most discerning critic. Sounding like Lipservice era Gotthard or Jaded Heart with the great hard rock guitars of Velocity’s CD Impact, Covered Call has shown that they can indeed take a rightful place in the rock world.
Taking their name from the financial word for the selling of securities and investments (makes sense, seeing as how the band members make their living as stock traders,) what comes right out of the box are the amazing vocals of front man Thomas Vikstrom, whose work can also be heard with Candlemass, Brazon Abbot, Stormwind and Therion. His authoritative, full voice totally encapsulates each track making it almost seem that at times that only thing needed to bring these tracks to life was his voice. Time and again, his voice comes across as The focal point of Money Never Sleeps. And while this may seem to be a redundant thing to mention as this can be said for most releases, it must be pointed out that Vikstrom’s vocals were just what this band needed. Taking a listen to releases where it is the drums that are the focal point (Bonham,) the guitars (Dokken,) bass, (Geddy Lee’s outstanding My Favorite Headache,) or keyboards (Kayak,) on this, it is the vocals. And to that end, Thank God, Vikstrom’s vocals work – and work extremely well. However, with all that having been said, note must be made about the guitars of Joel Carlsson and Morgan Rosenquist, and as well the rhythm section of band founder/drummer Ronny Svanstromer and bassist Thomas Thulin. God Damn it, these boys can play, for they are all tremendously gifted musicians.
From the opening track, the amazing “”All Because of Me,” to the pianos of “Anything You Want,” the wonderful harmonies of “Shine,” the hard rocking “Never Again,” the distorted guitars of “I Wanna Be Free,” the drums of “Let’s Make it Real,” and the CD highlights “Till the End,” and “Nothing At All,” will all undoubtedly make one reach instantly for the volume knob. So excellent in fact was “Nothing at All,” that it seemed it just couldn’t be turned up loud enough. But there is what makes this a CD just what this rock world needs. In a time when mainstream radio is pushing fluff and marginally talented “vocalists” in our direction, and creating a huge void for the hard rockers, bands like Covered Call take up the slack, release exceptional CDs like Money Never Sleeps, and because of which, we can say no to fluff, find a road where the traveling is easy, slip this into our car’s CD changer, reach for the volume knob, turn it up as loud as possible, and loose ourselves in our kind of hard rock. And damn those who may give us disparaging looks.
The sound rocks hard and the production was superb. With not a filler to be heard, from start to finish, the overall tempo and vibe was spot on. The layout was perfect, with the hard rock intensity building until the break up of the mid CD ballad, to the thundering closing of “Let’s Make it Real,” not a track was out of place. It is a hope that Blistering Records understands what they have on their hands with the release of Money Never Sleeps, and gives this band the support they need to bring their music for all to hear.
This could very easily be on many of 2009’s best- for this was outstanding – simply outstanding.
Track Listing
All Because of Me
Till The End
Shine
Never Again
Anything You Want
I Wanna Be Free
Nothing at All
Money Never Sleeps
What About Us
Let’s Make it Real
Musicians
Thomas Vikstrom – vocals
Joel Carlsson – guitars
Morgan Rosenquist – guitars
Thomas Thulin – bass
Ronny Svanstromer – drums
HRH Rating: 9/10
MSG Live & Loud
December 9, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by John Kindred
Staff Writer
Live & Loud offers digitally re-mastered songs recorded by the legendary guitarist Michael Schenker with his band MSG. The breakdown of the nine-track release includes six live tracks taken from previous live performances, the studio track “Written in the Sand” and his audio-biography in English and German.
Offering nothing “new” for longtime fans, this release falls in line with many previous “best of” or “greatest hits” packages that have been offered up over the years. And with such a minimal track listing, it really doesn’t do justice to Schenker’s long, tumultuous career. Starting his musical endeavors by forming the Scorpions with his brother in the early ‘70s, Schenker moved on to the British band UFO until his departure to form his own band MSG in the ‘80s.
Schenker displays his virtuosity throughout this brief foray into his musical journeys. Included are live songs from 1999’s The Unforgiven World Tour Live!, “Doctor Doctor,” “Lights Out” and the instrumental song “Captain Nemo.” Three more live songs are from 1997’s The Michael Story Live; “Assault Attack,” “Attack of the Mad Axeman” and “Natural Thing” also appear on the CD. And the lone studio song is the title track “Written in the Sand” from the ’99 release.
Chances are that, as a Michael Schenker fan, you have all the original releases in your collection. You probably own an ipod or MP3 player or still use CDRs to make your own MSG mix playlists or CDs. So you really don’t need another “best of” or “greatest hits” package. Unless you are a hardcore collector or Schenker newbie, this just won’t be a release you have to have.
Label: IMV/BLUELINE PRODUCTION
Tracks:
1. Doctor, Doctor (from The Unforgiven World Tour Live!)
2. Assault Attack (from The Michael Story Live)
3. Written in the Sand (from Written in the Sand)
4. Attack of the Mad Axeman (from The Michael Story Live)
5. Natural Thing (from The Michael Story Live)
6. Lights Out (from The Unforgiven World Tour Live!)
7. Captain Nemo (from The Unforgiven World Tour Live!)
8. History I (English Audio-biography)
9. History II (German Audio-biography)
Hardrock Haven rating: n/a
The Fall of Troy In the Unlikely Event
December 8, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
In The Unlikely Event is the latest release from the Washington state based trio called The Fall Of Troy. These guys seem to be a band in search of a genre – their music is mostly progressive rock, but contains elements of blues rock, thrash, some screamo, a bit of punk and a tinge of black metal. All of these styles mixed together makes In The Unlikely Event an inconsistent and sometimes jarring listen.
The Fall Of Troy have been around for a number of years, and are veterans of the West Coast music scene. Founding members Thomas Erak (guitar and vocals) and Andrew Forsman (drums) are joined by new member Frank Ene (bass and vocals) on this latest recording. They hit the studio with the intention of keeping their unique sound alive, and they succeeded. Their songs are mostly melodic, but contain some really pounding passages and sudden tempo/tone changes that can easily catch the listener by surprise. Occasionally, their sound seems to jump into some experimental, almost “art rock” dissonances. Erak’s voice has limited range, but he uses it fairly well – except when he switches into his scream and his lyrics become difficult to understand. His guitar is interesting – he can lay down some amazing and unusual riffs (the very close to the bridge solo on the opening “Panic Attack” for one). Ene and Forsman are a very technically capable rhythm section, and both are able to handle the abrupt tempo changes cleanly. Both are comfortable playing slow and moody, and shift over to near manic when called upon.
Lyrically The Fall Of Troy seems to fall into more of the grunge anti-society area, spitting anger at many things. One of the band’s problems as implied earlier is that the lead vocals are at time unintelligible when Erak goes into “screamo” mode, and most of the track “Straight-Jacket Keelhauled” is that way. However when Erak decides to sing the band is very good and very tight. The band comes across as almost punk rock in “Battleship Graveyard”, but mid-song it seems to switch to screamo, then to almost classic rock and back to screamo. Erak displays his solid guitar chops and good clean vocals nicely on “A Classic Case of Transference.” “Single” is much more of a mainstream progressive rock tune with great guitars, a catchy riff and a solid chorus.
The highlight of the album has to be the infectious and bouncy “Empty The Clip, The King Has Been Slain, Long Live The Queen!” – great vocals, good lyrics, incredible musicianship. ”People And Their Lives” is a moody piece that gives Ene and Forsman a chance to show their stuff. “Dirty Pillow Talk” seems to mix in almost every possible rock genre from screamo to guitar-god riffs. “Nobody’s Perfect” is very Coheed & Cambria-like, while “Webs” is an excellent, almost classic rock ballad. “Walk Of Fame” is a very pointed criticism of the Hollywood lifestyle, and “Nature vs. Nurture” sports a smooth groove and an interesting syncopated rhythm line.
In The Unlikely Event is a mixed bag. While fans of art rock will definitely appreciate it in its fullest, this album will probably not find wide appeal with the general listening public due to wide mix of genres and abrupt and jarring style and tempo changes. While almost everyone will find a number of songs enjoyable, most will also find some that aren’t. For the most part the band is melodic, but The Fall Of Troy seems to take tempo changes and style mixing to the extreme, making for a somewhat musically confusing and inconsistent listen. The band is at their best when they stick to a more consistent sound throughout a song. They get some bonus points for technical proficiency, but need to work a bit more on coming up with a unique sound rather than a unique mix of styles. In The Unlikely Event is an interesting listen if you want to check out the cutting edge, but may be beyond the tastes of the average listener.
Label: Equal Vision Records
Web: http://thefalloftroy.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/thefalloftroy , http://www.equalvision.com/artist/The_Fall_of_Troy
Track Listing:
01 – Panic Attack!
02 – Straight-Jacket Keelhauled
03 – Battleship Graveyard
04 – A Classic Case of Transference
05 – Single
06 – Empty The Clip, The King Has Been Slain, Long Live The Queen!
07 – People and Their Lives
08 – Dirty Pillow Talk
09 – Nobody’s Perfect
10 – Webs
11 – Walk of Fame
12 – Nature vs. Nurture
HRH Rating: 7.5/10
Raise the Red Lantern Raise the Red Lantern
December 8, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
There’s nothing wrong with stoner-style, extended jamming. Hordes of ‘70s bands did it, Phish fans can’t get enough of it, and every new band probably tries their hand at a little freestyling, even if just for fun. The one major problem facing would-be jammers, however, is the need to keep things interesting and exciting for the length of the jam. Unfortunately, the members of Raise the Red Lantern seem more concerned with length, and less with how to use it.
Taking a large cue from Kyuss, and mixing it up with metalcore vocals, the result is a set of detuned, distortion-fueled stoner grooves topped with angry, screechy howling. Not a terrible idea by any stretch, but Raise the Red Lantern fall flat and fail to live up to the potential of what they have tried to create.
Repetition seems to be the name of the game here, with most songs becoming no more than monotonous onslaughts of sameness, a far cry from those the band seems to take influence from. The abrasive vocals mostly manage only to distract from the underlying guitars, and though this helps to break up the general monotony, they often overpower all of the instrumentation, leaving it as nothing more than low-end background noise.
Another distraction that serves to hinder rather than help the band comes from the all-over-the-place tempo ramblings of drummer Jim Staffel, also of Chicago avant-garde metal band Yakuza. Coming from such a respected band, and knowing what he has done in the past, it seems surprising that the drumming would be any sort of negative aspect. At first, it seems possible to chock it up to experimental, progressive tempo fiddling, but upon further inspection, it is nothing more than poor rhythm. Perhaps in this setting, a click track—something generally forbidden to jazz drummers—would have helped immensely and kept everything in line. But as it stands, the constant acceleration and deceleration feel very amateur.
But perhaps the biggest issue facing the band comes from the frequent, extended jams that feature in virtually every track. Rather than taking the listener on a musical journey of emotion and melody, the jams contained herein showcase nothing more than endless repetition of the same riffs. In fact, on opening track, “Ritual in Cm,” the riff is played so many times that by the end one of the guitars appears to go slightly out of tune. Midway through “Wilde Stallion,” the band presents one of it’s best riffs—a uniquely melodic break—but they manage to play it so many times that by the end it feels like a trip on the “It’s a Small World” ride, leaving the listener hoping it will soon be over.
With all this negativity, it should be said that the album is not without its merits. The riffs in and of themselves are not bad, and in many cases are very heavy and well written. By trimming down the repetition and focusing on tighter, more versatile song structures, Raise the Red Lantern would be in a better position to earn the respect they very well may deserve. Of course, if the jamming is a necessity and a defining part of the band’s style, then the members would do well to mix things up and add a bit of variety, be it in the form of solos, intentional tempo changes, or just more rapid-fire riff development. But who knows, maybe the repetitiveness is what will make Raise the Red Lantern famous. It worked for “99 Bottles of Beer” after all, and who doesn’t take their turn at that song every once in a while?
Label: At A Loss
Web: www.myspace.com/raisetheredlantern
Band Lineup: Dylan, Craig, Kris, Jim
Tracks:
1. Ritual
2. Thick As Thieves
3. Awaken
4. Oracle
5. Deliver Us/Deliverance
6. No Man’s Land
7. Wilde Stallion
8. Seduction Of Slumber
Hardrock Haven rating 4.4/10
Killing Mood Just Another Love Song
December 8, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
Killing Mood is a project by Swedish – Australian singer / songwriter Belinda Kordic and her band who modestly describe their style as pop and country on their MySpace page, but in fact present a finely wrought, singular mixture of retro 1920s pop, 1970s disco, folk, and only occasionally lean into the direction of light-footed country.
Airy and crisp acoustic guitar provides an intro to practically every song on this record, but this is not the only routine that the band chooses to stick to on this album. Most of these songs have more in common – a shadowy atmosphere of graceful, eerie elegance – something which Belinda is an expert at creating with her stark, transparent voice standing out against the spare, uncluttered production.
But the record’s charm is not only in execution but in the material itself. Those are simple songs with simple melodies, a black-and-white world which is deliberately not interested in vivid colours, somehow managing to appear ever more convincing for it. To anyone who would say that the lack of emotional latitude on this record is its shortcoming, one could retort that self-restraint is probably the hardest thing to achieve these days in pop.
The standout “Killing You” is one track which proves that self-imposed discipline pays off in full when it serves as a platform for deeper emotional extrapolations. After going through the familiar motions, it suddenly takes off the ground and starts to levitate, expanding the band’s habitual routine and showing off how magically Belinda’s voice can float in its end-of-60s Haight-Ashbury psychedelic mode, supported by the spare acoustic guitar and barely audible percussion.
“Orbit” is another such highlight, this time married to a pop beat and toying with exploring a grander, more epic feel, at once ambitious and irresistible in its kooky charm. Delivering both diversity and the necessary escape from the very familiar modus operandi, it shows that there is more to this band than the painstakingly crafted atmosphere of private moods and fixations.
Label: GMR Music Group
Track Listing:
1. Dancing with the Damned
2. Still
3. The Urge
4. Devil’s Robe
5. If I Could
6. Love Burns
7. It’s You Again
8. Strange Fruit
9. Killing You
10. Orbit
11. Road to Nowhere
12. Ramblin’ Man
Hardrock Haven rating: 6.5/10
Bones of Freedom World Domination I
December 6, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
World Domination I is the full-length debut of a very good American-style classic-blues-psychedelic-rock band. Surprisingly, they are based in Gothenburg, Sweden – yes, the birthplace of melodic death metal. Bones Of Freedom blasts out music that would be right at home in the late 1970s, and they do it with major style.
Bones of Freedom is an oddity in that the music is about as “American” as possible, but the band members originally hail from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and England and are currently based in Sweden and Scotland. Not one is from anywhere in the good ‘ol USA. Thomas Pipes (bass) from Denmark, Tim McWeed (guitars) from Finland and Red Morgan (drums) from Sweden provide the Scandinavian touches, and Eddie Wolfe (vocals), a Brit now living in Scotland, provides the voice. Brought together by the power of “The Interweb” and MySpace, this quartet imparts a slightly European touch to an American standard. World Domination I is a follow up to their earlier five-song EP, Butterfly.
BoF’s music definitely has a groove that’s heavily influenced by the blues, soul and classic rock. All the hallmarks of 1970s-era rock are here – deep juicy guitar grooves, loud bass riffs and driving drums. The influence of Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple are obvious, but none of them beats you over the head as BoF is not trying to be a sound-alike or copy band. Eddie Wolfe has a great voice for this style of music. It is deep and raspy but always clear. He can sing, and he can roar. Tim McWeed lays down some incredibly heavy rhythm lines, catchy riffs and then goes off on some really long and well-crafted guitar solos. He is a fine blues/rock player and works very well the other members of the band. Thomas Pipes plays a great bass, and his bass is not just background or rhythm – it is as much a key part of the music as the vocals, drums and guitars. Red Morgan is a solid drummer – not flashy or obnoxious. He has a solid sense of the role of the drums in the music, and his contributions are vital to BoF’s complete and unified sound.
The CD opens with “Loud and Proud” – probably the band’s personal mantra – and it describes their music perfectly. They are unabashedly hard rock to the core. The subject material of their songs is today’s world, and they write about the cult of fame, greed and money, angels and demons, peace, love, rock ‘n’ roll, sex, human nature, ecology, reality television and history. Most of the songs are heavy and have a thick bluesy groove, and they are always melodic. The song styles are diverse enough that each song is fresh and interesting. Highlights are the kicky “Loud and Proud,” the ultra-heavy, blues-style “Miss Dynamite,” the softer ballad-like “1973” and the poignant “Soldier’s Song.” Two other pieces stand out more for their diversity than anything else – “Led Waters” literally sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Muddy Waters, and “Celtic Woman” would make Thin Lizzy proud.
The production and engineering are solid. The vocals are crisp and clear; the instruments nicely balanced, and the bass is boosted so it becomes a vital part of the music.
World Domination I is a very good album. Fans of blues rock, ‘70s rock, or just good old classic rock will enjoy this release on multiple levels. The music is great, the lyrics are solid and timely, and the sound is perfect for the genre. It is an interesting listen, and shows that, unlike NASCAR, American-style music is alive and appreciated in Europe. What was old is now new again, and it just works.
Label: Spook Records
Web: www.bonesoffreedom.net, http://www.myspace.com/bonesoffreedom
Track Listing:
01 – Loud and Proud
02 – Blitzkrieg
03 – Miss Dynamite
04 – Save My Soul
05 – The Wolf
06 – 1973
07 – Mistress
08 – Led Waters
09 – Soldiers Song
10 – Ten
11 – Greed 2009
12 – Down
13 – Celtic Woman
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10
Ideamen May You Live in Interesting Times
November 30, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
The semi-heralded and underground Ideamen has released the follow up to their 2007 EP and first full-length album, the appropriately titled May You Live in Interesting Times. It’s sort of a double-whammy here, because 2009 certainly counts as “interesting times,” but the array of music Ideamen creates certainly be described as interesting. Self-described as Progressive/Alternative/Experimental, Ideamen sounds as if Ben Folds Five and Faith No More/Mr. Bungle decided to become Siamese twins and write danceable yet heavy Rock anthems that run the gamut from Metal to Jazz. It’s all there for the listening …
The opening track, “Interesting Times,” is a burner, with drummer Phil Goodrich stealing the show amongst the chaos around him. You will have to immediately understand that although Ideamen uses two singers, Tim Swanson and Dave Solar, they both have an affinity for Mike Patton, thus the Faith No More vibe. With signature changes, mechanized falsetto passages and two and four-part harmonies, there’s a lot to digest. Mostly, it’s just cool.
“Emergency” is a more straight-ahead rocker, with chunky riffs from guitarist Dan Figurell. With Ideamen, though, everything can change at once, as it does here, slowing down before heating back up throughout the song. You won’t get the verse/verse/chorus from these guys, but it’s always interesting. The vocals trade lead and are accompanied by a female vocals as well.
One of the goofiest songs is “Horse’s Head,” also one of the most upbeat songs, and at under four minutes, it doesn’t give them time to be convoluted about the songwriting. In this aspect, it immediately becomes the most memorable. Ideamen is never about elongated guitar solos, but more likely to change tempos a few times in the song, offer various breakdowns, and also, come at you with a mountain of vocals. It reaches its peak on “Horse’s Head,” especially with the cool keyboard passage near the end of the track.
If you like Swing Music, check out “Uneventful Day.” Fans of They Might Be Giants or maybe The Mighty Mighty Bosstones would get a kick out of this. Actually, label mates Dog Fashion Disco/Polkadot Cadaver regularly pull off stunts like this; maybe they were influenced Todd Smith and the boys here. It’s rare to find a band that can easily play so many styles of music this well.
Swanson, who also plays keys, takes charge with his fingers as “Paper Goose” begins, another upbeat, happy anthem about … something. It doesn’t really matter. If you are a fan of the aforementioned Faith No More, the Patton-like vocals (although not nearly as sinister) are a pleasure to absorb.
May You Live in Interesting Times gets eerie on the final track, “Your Signature Here.” With swarming keys, an ever-changing wall of sound and those mammoth vocal melodies, “Your Signature Here” is the most complicated composition on the release. Bassist Mark Vasquez shows he can pummel yet play as intricately as the rest of his mates, sometimes just a few bars apart.
Ideamen, based on their dynamic style of music, probably are even a better live act than studio creature. With the endless amount of energy packed into their music, it’s nearly impossible not to glom on to their infectious songs and musicianship. That aside, May You Live in Interesting Times isn’t the most accessible release you’ve ever heard, and you’ll have to put the work in to figure out what they are all about. That being said, if you only delve as deep as their vocal harmonies, it’s still a sound you’ve yet to hear this year.
Label: Rotten Records
Online: www.myspace.com/ideamen
Track listing:
1. Interesting Times
2. Emergency
3. The Rest
4. Sunshine
5. Horse’s Head
6. Incident
7. Collectibles
8. Uneventful Day
9. No Thought
10. Paper Goose
11. Quares
12. Your Signature Here
HRH Rating: 7.7/10
Joe Becker Hot As Love
November 29, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Like a thick, juicy steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, Joe Becker’s latest album Hot As Love is simple and basic yet ultimately satisfying. The veteran blues guitarist has put together a collection of 16 (mostly) guitar-driven tracks that will sate the appetite of blues and blues-rock fans. Most are original compositions, but he’s thrown in a handful of cover tunes to spice it up. Becker has been around for a while and has played with a number of big names including Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Richie Sambora, Steve Morse, Alex Skolnick, Ron Keel, Randy Coven, E’nuff Z’nuff and Trixter.
Recorded at Becker’s home studio in Chicago, Hot As Love is a fine example of blues guitar – and proof that a great album doesn’t require tons of enhancement and electronic tweaking. This is Becker’s second solo release, following 2006’s Short Stories, and is proof that the blues are still alive and well in the Windy City. Becker really allows himself to show off on this CD, playing many instruments and laying down a number of tracks fully on his own, but he also plays well with others. His style is refreshingly old school, almost “slow hand,” but he really can crank it up and lay down a speedy series of notes when needed.
Becker opens the CD with “Times Change,” playing some hot dueling guitars with his uncle Joe Kelley (former lead guitarist of the ‘60s rock band Shadows Of Knight), and also playing keys. Drums were provided by Kenny Hopkins. “Hard Times” is a slow and moody piece written on the death of Billy Preston, with Becker playing guitars, bass and keys, and Jim Beyer playing drums. “Hot As Love” is a real heartfelt blues number with Becker and Beyer again, with Joe playing everything but the drums. Becker and Beyer do a great cover of The Chi-Lites classic “Oh Girl,” with Becker playing a different guitar for what would be each vocalist – a really nice piece of work with some great engineering. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is an amazingly simple track that sums up the essence of Joe Becker’s style – a very simply but catchy rhythm line with a delicate lead track that seems to dance nicely on top of it. On “Don’t Look Back,” Becker is joined by drummer John Paoli, and they put together a great big bass-driven Motown-style track with some interesting guitar leads and solo taps. Guitarist Todd Duaneprovides the leaping and spiraling solo for “Season In Hell,” another heavy bass track. He tosses in another recognizable tune – a great cover of the Commodores’ “Nightshift.” Becker’s old friend, Laroo Leathers follows with a great solo harmonica track, “Grape Jelly.” Joe Kelley steps back in and plays along on “Gloria’s Revenge,” inspired by the Shadows Of Night hit “Gloria.” Delbert McClinton gets covered on “Back To You (B-Movie Box Car Blues),” showing that Becker can play funky and heavy. The cover of Marmalade’s “Reflections of My Life” shifts back into a mellow and light mode, while “TC-720” (yes, named after the old reel-to-reel tape recorder) is a great one track one take piece. “Venus and Mars” is a great bouncy blues number, while “You’re All I Need” is a simple and catchy acoustic track. “I Learned The Blues” is a great wrap to the album. The vocalist in unnamed, but seems to have a true understanding of the genre along with a good sense of humor.
The production and engineering are a bit rough and inconsistent, but only in the positive sense. The simple and basic sound is perfect for the blues – ’nuff said.
Any fan of blues guitar will enjoy this release. Joe Becker has proven himself to be a gifted technical guitarist and a musician who plays from the heart. Like the mystery vocalist on the last track says, “you gotta feel it and live it to be it,” and Hot As Love proves that Joe Becker is “it.” This is a true modern blues album. Enjoy!
Label: Indie – www.joebeckermusic.com
Web: http://home.comcast.net/~jbdotcom/index.html , www.myspace.com/joebeckerdotcom
Track Listing:
01 – Times Change (featuring Joe Kelley)
02 – Hard Times
03 – Hot As Love
04 – Oh Girl
05 – Who Do You Think You Are?
06 – Don’t Look Back
07 – Season In Hell (featuring Todd Duane)
08 – Nightshift
09 – Grape Jelly (featuring Laroo Leathers)
10 – Gloria’s Revenge (featuring Joe Kelley)
11 – Back To You (B-Movie Box Car Blues)
12 – Reflections of My Life
13 – TC-270
14 – Venus and Mars
15 – You’re All I Need
16 – I Learned The Blues
Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10
Von Benzo Von Benzo
November 29, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
Sounding like a typical bar band pedalling an unpretentious concoction of Southern rock and punk oiled by an occasional dash of pop, this Swedish quartet still manages to show that there is more to their clichéd gravelly-voiced bad-boys-of-rock stance than an attempt to make a living out of pleasing the crowd on a Saturday night at your local.
Straightforward, simple harmonies and undemanding melodies is the foundation on which they base their act, but somehow they also know how to add enough swagger, style and panache to turn at least some of those songs into valid and independent artistic statements. “I’m On My Way” is one of those songs – a gloriously laidback, strutting highlight where singer Jay’s rough-hewn, whiskey-soaked voice suddenly shows unexpected range and a taste for flowing, swaggering looseness.
“Die Beautiful” is another standout taking Jay out of his customary Hetfield-meets-Lemmy vocal mode – a country rock ballad with some real emotional depth boasting an ostinato chorus with illuminates this track to a hauntingly beautiful effect.
If every song on this record was in this way inspired, the band would be on its road to superstardom as we speak. So far, however, there is more work to be done on learning how to get out of the routine and the prescribed and to connect with what’s going on inside. There is definitely more where those gorgeous standouts came from, but it will take more effort to tap into it properly.
Label: Orange Haze Productions
Track Listing:
1. And the Dead Said No
2. Let Myself Go
3. Poison
4. Sad Dead Me
5. I’m on My Way
6. I Don’t Give a Good God Damn
7. Bad Father, Bad Son
8. Ain’t It December
9. Black Eyes on a Saturday Night
10. MTV Killed Rock’n’Roll
11. Medicine
12. Die Beautiful
13. Move to Detroit
14. Jona Song
15. Demolition Man
Hardrock Haven rating: 6/10
BM Linx Black Entertainment
November 29, 2009 by Managing Editor
Comments Off
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
It’s hard to decide whether or not rock and roll and dance beats were meant to be combined. A number of bands have tried it over the years—Kiss with Dynasty, Queen with Hot Space, Terrorvision with Good to Go—and the results have been mixed. Perhaps rockers aren’t meant to dance, and dancers aren’t meant to rock. NYC trio BM Linx are out to challenge this theory though, and on their sophomore release, Black Entertainment, they do more than their part to bring the rock and dance worlds together in blissful harmony.
Strangely enough, opening track “Valentine” is not only the weakest song on the album, but also seems to have little to do with what follows. The synth-laden, whiney track sounds incredibly dated, and boasts none of the noisy guitars or energetic vocals that define the band’s sound on subsequent tracks. It’s tough to say whether or not the track would have fit better somewhere deeper on the album, but it certainly did not deserve a home in first position.
After snoozing through “Valentine,” everything takes an immediate turn for the better. “The Outlaw Jimmy Rose” sets the scene for what BM Linx are all about—loud, garage-rock guitar riffs and high-energy vocals gliding over danceable beats. Throw in a layer of acoustic guitars and the result is a classy-yet-dirty dance-rock anthem that gets the adrenaline flowing and the feet tapping. First single “Kids on Fire” follows in a similar fashion, but with a healthier portion of synthesizers that in this instance work to enhance the track rather than date it. Maybe the age of the synthesizer didn’t die in the ’80s, but instead took a long rest until people found a way to use it in a less embarrassing way.
After the initial storm of rocking tunes comes an interesting break in the weather, the instrumental “White Limousine.” Boasting many layers of acoustic guitars, string accompaniment, and an almost Black Crowes-esque arrangement, the song acts not only a quiet intermission, but also one of the best tracks on the album. A second instrumental, “Defender,” follows three songs later, but unfortunately doesn’t live up to its predecessor’s glory.
One interesting quality that guitarist/vocalist Tony Diodore possesses is the ability to somehow invoke everyone from David Gilmour to Glen Buxton when soloing, but without ever sounding like a direct rip off. Whether or not these artists acted as actual inspiration is unknown, but nevertheless their presence is felt and the result is a very raw-yet-refined guitar style. Diodore is also an accomplished acoustic player (a gift many electric whizzes lack), as showcased on the aforementioned “White Limousine,” as well as on the closing track, an acoustic version of the debut album track “Understanding Orange.” This soulful version closes the album with class and leaves the listener hoping for more.
All in all, BM Linx haven’t necessarily created anything entirely new, but have done something many before them tried an failed—to make rock dancey without castrating it and stripping it of its innate grittinness. Maybe more rockers would be drawn to dance clubs if this was the quality music they could expect to hear.
Label: Craze Factory Entertainment
Web: www.bmlinx.com
Band Lineup:
Tony Diodore (vocals, guitar, synths)
Jonathan Murray (bass)
Andrew Griffiths (drums)
Tracks:
1. Valentine
2. The Outlaw Jimmy Rose
3. Kids On Fire
4. Red House Been Empty
5. Clean Dirt
6. White Limousine
7. Find The Water
8. 123Cat
9. Defender
10. Ives Park
11. UO Acoustic
Hardrock Haven rating 7.9/10
Steve Morse Band Out Standing in Their Field
November 29, 2009 by Publisher
Comments Off
by John Kindred
Staff Writer
Taking a break from his regular gig as the guitarist for Deep Purple, Steve Morse returns with his latest studio release under his solo band moniker Steve Morse Band. Joining Morse on his musical adventures are bassist Dave LaRue and drummer Van Romaine. Together, they take us on a journey through various genres of rock, bits of classical, country, jazz and fusion.
A talent that excels within the context of several genres of music, it seems Morse knows no boundaries. He is quite comfortable merging his influences into the designs of any given song that he undertakes to write and record. Not necessarily a household name, Morse is well known and respected by his peers. Taking timeout for his personal endeavors, Morse along with his band mates, delivers fans his 12th solo studio album to date.
Out Standing in Their Field is an instrumental release of 10 new songs plus a live recording of “Rising Power.” Morse struts, rocks and grooves. LaRue and Van Romaine provide the sound bed for Morse’s guitar-driven jaunts. And at the same time, each has the freedom to shine as well.
Being proficient in different musical styles isn’t the forte of most musicians. Yet Morse’s skills are demonstrated as each song twists and turns from bluesy to country to shred. His technique is clean and crisp. His knowledge of music theory gives him a canvas to create entertaining arrangements that are fresh and unique.
Out Standing in Their Field is the perfect outlet for Morse to express his musical feelings. Instrumental rock fans will enjoy his latest studio album. The diversity of the music keeps the mind and ears alert in the ever-changing sonic landscape. A must-have release for Morse fans, you will be hard-pressed to find a guitarist as capable as Morse who. along with skill, also knows how to write a song.
Label: Eagle Records
Band:
Steve Morse (g)
Dave LaRue (b)
Van Romaine (d)
Track Listing:
1. Name Dropping
2. Brink Of The Edge
3. Here and Now and Then
4. Relentless Encroachment
5. John Deere Letter
6. More To The Point
7. Time Junction
8. Unnamed Source
9. Flight Of The Osprey
10. Baroque ‘N Dreams
11.) Rising Power (Live)
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10
