Category: CD Reviews A-H
2 Foreigner – Extended Versions (Live) Release Year – 2005
In case you haven’t heard, Foreigner will be joining Styx and Def Leppard on select dates on their upcoming tour that starts in the Queen City, Cincinnati, Ohio.
What you may not know, is the current lineup that Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones has put together, is a supergroup of Hard Rock Veterans, including Kelly Hanson (Hurricane) on vocals, Jason Bonham (Bonham) on drums, and Jeff Pilson (Dokken) on bass.
I had to do some digging and found that they did release a live album with this lineup. Amazingly, you can find this CD in the discounted CD sections at Walmart and Best Buy for a mere $6.00.
How do they sound? Amazing! Just what you would expect from a lineup this great! Kelly Hanson handles the songs like a pro, and sounds very close to former Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm.
Die hard Foreigner fans may hate the changes, but personally, I think this is an enhancement over the original band. I hope that they will do a studio disc with this lineup.
The songs in this live collection, need no introduction, they are all great Foreigner classics. Take a look at the videos and judge for yourself.
Urgent
Feels Like the First Time
Hot Blooded
You can’t beat the price of this live CD. The sound quality on this disc is very good, and will only whet your appetite to see Foreigner live when they hit your town in 2007!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Head Games
2. Cold as Ice
3. Waiting for a Girl Like You
4. Dirty White Boy
5. Starrider
6. Feels Like the First Time
7. Urgent
8. Juke Box Hero/Whole Lotta Love
9. I Want to Know What Love Is
10. Hot Blooded
2 Adrenaline Factor – S/T (Release Year – 2007)
Fast Forward to 2007, Paul Lidel left Broken Teeth as he was unable to tour, and his roommate Dave Beeson took his spot in that band.
Paul has since formed a new four piece band called Adrenaline Factor that features many of the AC/DC like aspects of Broken Teeth, and if anything, this band may be a little better.
Adrenaline Factor is Lee Scott on lead vocals, Paul Lidel on guitar, Steve Sweat on bass, and
Armando Reyes on drums.
Singer Lee Scott sounds like he came from the Bon Scott family. The songs on this disc are not very complex. It is the same three chord style that you are accustomed to hearing
from AC/DC. The music will not surprise you, unless you are astounded how close Lee sounds to Bon.
Some of these tracks demand to be heard! The opening track track Ride is a smoking hard track that just kicks your ass right out of the gate.
Adrenaline Factor
Boozin’ Susan is the fist in the air, beer swilling rocker that makes you beg for more.
Boozin’ Susan
Seven Year Bitch is a foot tapping, catchy song that will have you singing along in no time.
The closing track Goin’ Nowhere is closer to Deep Purple in sound than AC/DC (no, I am not kidding.).
Paul Lidel has been playing similar riffs in Dirty Looks, and Broken Teeth for years, and he has the AC/DC sound down pat. If you are tired of waiting for the new AC/DC disc, as am I, then you could do a lot worse than picking up Adrenaline Factor’s debut. I went back and listened to the last couple of AC/DC discs after this one, and I think is better than anything than AC/DC has done in a while. Do yourself a favor and go check this out!
Rating:
out of 10
Track Listing:
- Ride
- Wrong Number
- Boozin’ Susan
- Your Side
- Bad Habit
- Seven Beer Bitch
- No Warning
- Bet Your Life
- Hook Slide
- Goin’ Nowhere
1 Broken Teeth – Guilty Pleasure (Release Year – 2002)
From the ashes of Dangerous Toys, Jason McMaster and Paul Lidel formed the band Broken Teeth. According to Jason McMaster, “The band started as a joke, as an AC/DC rip off on purpose kind of thing and sort of snowballed. “
The band may have started as a joke, but the music that this hard rocking five piece outfit is putting out, is not. Guilty Pleasure is the 2nd studio disc by Broken Teeth. This band also features Dangerous Toys alumni, Mike Watson on bass, (ex-Pariah) Jared Tuten on Guitar and Bruce Rivers on Drums on this disc. The sound is definitely a derivative of AC/DC. Jason McMaster’s raspy vocals give these tunes a little more edge, but he does try to use a lot of Bon Scott mannerisms in his vocals. Amazingly, this sounds a lot different than Dangerous Toys. This is less sleaze and more straight forward hard rock.
Paul Lidel has Angus Young’s three chord guitar sound down pat and does a great job.
At first I was disappointed by this disc, as I was expecting Broken Teeth to be a little
closer in sound to Dangerous Toys. After successive listens, I got over the whole DT thing, and started getting into this disc a lot more. Guilty Pleasure is full of hard edged AC/DC style party rock.
There are a few stand out tracks on this disc including the title track, Guilty Pleasures, complete with its AC/DC trademark “OY”!
Guilty Pleasures
The blistering Crash Landing Affair is a song that will help you get a few speeding tickets. The rhythm section kicks ass, and McMaster does best Bon Scott. Killer Stuff!
Crash Landing Affair
Down to the Fire is a blues infested number that is infectious as hell.
You have to hear High on Danger and Chaingang to appreciate them. Both songs are great.
AC/DC seems to be missing from the musical landscape these days. Thank God there is a band like Broken Teeth to carry on the torch, while they are away! This CD wont win any points for originality, but is full of great hard rock, the way it should be played! You can hear more Broken Teeth songs at the band’s myspace page here.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Guilty Pleasure
- Devil Money
- Hangin’ By The Skin
- Crashlanding Affair
- Down To The Fire
- Second Hand
- High On Danger
- Shangri-La
- She Dances Evil
- Chaingang
- Happy End
0 Dangerous Toys – Pissed (Release Year – 1994)
Pissed is the third studio disc by Dangerous Toys, and the first featuring new lead guitarist Paul Lidel.
Dangerous Toys is a band that I always thought would be a good poster child for sleaze rock. I have picked up all of their CD’s over the years and I have never been let down by any one of them. I always know that I will get a disc full of hard driving tunes with great vocals.
On Pissed, Jason McMaster delivers the goods once again, and Paul Lidel sounds like he has been playing in the band forever.
There is a lot to like on this disc, and it does not disappoint. The title track Pissed, is a great up tempo number that need to be cranked up to be appreciated.
Pissed
Paintrain and The Law Is Mine continues the fun with two great in your face rockers back to back.
Promise The Moon is an excellent ballad and something that you wouldn’t expect to hear from the DT guys.
Strange is a heavy track full of sleaze and head banging goodness. Great Stuff! Loser has an AC/DC type of sound, and a great party rock feel to it.
Hard Luck Champion is one of my favorite tracks on this disc, and should be my theme song. 
Screamin’ for More is an upbeat song that has a less heavier feel that the rest of the tracks on Pissed. There are more acoustic guitars on this song but it has a great sound.
Oh Well, So What! is one of those songs that you would love to crank up and play in your office when you are having a bad day. This is the closest thing to giving someone the bird in audible fashion.
Illustrated Man is a cool song that would make a good theme song for Miami Ink. It is a great way to close out Pissed.
Pissed is a great hard rock record all the way through. There are no filler tracks, and it is a fun party rock record that is a great listen. Sadly, Pissed was released right in the middle of the grunge movement, and got very little attention. It is one of those nice gems in my collection that I like to break out from time to time. You can still find this one online quite often for under $10.00. It is worth picking up!
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Pissed
2. Paintrain
3. The Law Is Mine
4. Promise The Moon
5. Strange
6. Loser
7. Hard Luck Champion
8. Screamin’ For More
9. Oh Well, So What!
10. Illustrated Man
Track Listing:
- Jason McMaster – Vocals
- Mark Geary – Drums
- Scot Dalhover – Guitar
- Paul Lidel – Guitar & Vocals
- Mike Watson – Bass & Vocals
4 Dirty Looks – Cool From the Wire (Release Year – 1988)
The first time I heard any tracks off of Dirty Looks’ release, Cool From the Wire, I honestly thought I was hearing new music from AC/DC. Henrik Ostergaard has that whole Bon Scott sound down pretty darn close, and the rhythm section of former Harpo bassist Jack Pyers, drummer Gene Barnett could give AC/DC a run for their money.
This was the first major release featuring lead guitarist, Paul Lidel. Paul came out with his guitar blazing, and quickly shows that he is a very solid player on this disc.
Ozzy Osbourne producer Max Norman produced this disc, and the sound is on this disc is fantastic. Cool from the Wire hit #134 on the Bilboard charts, and three singles (Wastin’ my time, Cool From the Wire, and Oh Ruby) were released from this disc. It’s Not the Way You Rock was also on the Johnny Be Good movie sound track.
Dirty Looks never gained the fame and fortune that many of the hard rock bands from the late 80′s did. As a result, Cool From the Wire is a disc that was over looked by many. It is an all killer, no filler, hard rocking affair that is well worth picking up in 2007.
Dirty Looks certainly didn’t have an original sound, but they definitely rocked and rocked hard. Paul Lidel’s guitar work smokes on this disc and makes this one worth hearing. Fans of 80′s hard rock and AC/DC fans ought to give this one a look. If you like these tunes, you can still pick this disc up at Amazon.com and CDUniverse.com.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Cool From The Wire
- It’s Not The Way You Rock
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You
- Oh Ruby
- Tokyo
- Wastin’ My Time
- Put a Spell On You
- No Brains Child
- Get It Right
- It’s A Bitch
- Get Off
Dirty Looks is:
Henrik Ostergaard – Vocals
Paul Lidel – Guitars
Jack Pyers – Bass
Gene Barnett – Drums
0 Big Cock – S/T (Release Year – 2006)
In 2005, Robert Mason joined up with his buddy David Henzerling (a.k.a. David Michael-Philips – King Kobra, Keel, Lizzy Borden) to form Big Cock.
This self titled disc is the 2nd studio release by Big Cock. If you heard the first disc, Year of the Cock, you already probably familiar with this band’s 80′s Hard Rock Sound. The sound has not changed on Big Cock’s sophomore effort. They lyrics may be a little more explicit at times, and some of lyrics are dripping with sexual humor.
There are a few stand out tracks on this disc, including Real Man, Ride on Me, Real Hard, Get Me Up and the straight forward cover of the Tom Jones’ song, She’s A Lady.
Real Man
Ride on Me
So Easy Bein’ Me has a punk feel to it, and reminds me of when Motley Crue covered Anarchy in the UK.
I could have lived without a couple of the songs, including the 50′s sounding Scottsdale Girls, and country flavored Let’s Make Love. Both of these tracks seem out of place here. The lyrics for Scottsdale Girls are kind of funny, but something about this song has a 50′s, Jimmy Buffett, Beach Boys, bubble gum type of feel about it.
I wonder if Robert Mason is about ready to bust a gut, while trying to keep a straight face singing Every Inch of My Love. The lyrics are pure cheese, but this is still a cool sounding track. This is the closest thing you will get to a power ballad from Big Cock.
Take Me and Booze My Baby are ok tracks, but are nothing special.
As a whole, I tend to like this Big Cock disc, a little more than the debut effort. Big Cock’s sound and delivery are constant on both discs, and are a solid listen. This disc still wont make Robert Mason a household name, but it sounds like he enjoys what he is doing, and that comes across in the music.
Neither one of the Big Cock discs will set your world on fire, but if you like bands with that great 80′s hard rock sound, and are a fan of bands like Lynch Mob, and AC/DC, you will probably want to both of them. If you pick one, I’d say this is the one to get.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Second Coming
- Fucked Up
- Real Man
- Ride on Me
- Real Hard
- She’s A Lady
- So Easy Bein’ Me
- Every Inch of My Love
- Dirty Girl
- Scottsdale Girls
- Get Me Up
- Take Me
- Booze & My Baby
- Let’s Make Love
2 Butchering the Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute (2006)
It is Taxday in the U.S.A today, I can not think of a music review more appropriate for Taxday 2007, than a review for Butchering the Beatles, which contains the Beatles classic, “Taxman“.
Butchering the Beatles has the biggest collection of 80′s Hard Rock Artists in one place since 1985′s Hear ‘n Aid.
Some of the songs work better than others, but what you basically get are some heavy versions of the Beatles‘ classic songs.
Some of the stand out tracks are Magical Mystery Tour, Day Tripper, I Feel Fine, Taxman and I Saw Her Standing There.
Usually, I hate discs with cover tunes, but I must admit that Butchering the Beatles is a guilty pleasure of mine. Each cut on this disc is a heaver version of the original classic, instead of faithful covers ala Shaw/Blades new disc, Influence. I get a charge out the the faster and harder versions of these tunes, and I bet this will appeal to a bunch of 80′s hard rock fans out there. This is way the cover tunes, SHOULD be done!
Check out the tracks below, and let me know what you think!
Day Tripper
Taxman
I Saw Here Standing There
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. “Hey Bulldog” – Alice Cooper, vocals; Steve Vai, guitars; Duff McKagen (Velvet Revolver / Guns N Roses), bass; Mikkey Dee (Motorhead), drums
2. “Back In The USSR” – Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), vocals/bass; John5 (Marilyn Manson / Rob Zombie), guitars; Eric Singer (Kiss / Alice Cooper), drums
3. “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” – Geoff Tate (Queensryche), vocals; Michael Wilton (Queensryche), guitar; Craig Goldy (Dio), guitar; Rudy Sarzo (Dio), bass; Simon Wright (Dio), drums; Scott Warren (Dio), keys
4. “Tomorrow Never Knows” – Billy Idol, vocals; Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), guitars; Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne), bass; Brian Tichy (Billy Idol), drums
5. “Magical Mystery Tour” – Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie Malmsteen / Soul Sirkus), vocals; Yngwie Malmsteen (Rising Force / Alcatrazz), lead guitar; Bob Kulick, (Meat Loaf / Paul Stanley Band), rhythm guitar; Jeff Pilson (Dokken / Foreigner), bass; Frankie Banali (Wasp / Quiet Riot), drums
6. “Revolution” – Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), vocals / guitar; Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), guitar; Mike Porcaro (Toto), bass; Gregg Bisonnette (David Lee Roth / Ringo Starr Band), drums; Joseph Fazzio (Superjoint Ritual), drums
7. “Day Tripper” – Jack Blades (Night Ranger / Damn Yankees), vocals; Tommy Shaw (Styx / Damn Yankees), vocals; Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake / Dio), guitars; Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake / Thin Lizzy), bass; Virgil Donati (Steve Vai / Soul Sirkus / Planet X), drums
8. “I Feel Fine” – John Bush (Anthrax), vocals; Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), guitar; Mike Inez (Ozzy Osbourne / Alice In Chains), bass; John Tempesta (The Cult / Testament), drums
9. “Taxman” – Doug Pinnick (Kings X), vocals; Steve Lukather (Toto), guitar; Tony Levin (John Lennon / Peter Gabriel), bass; Steve Ferrone (Eric Clapton / Tom Petty), drums
10. “I Saw Her Standing There” – John Corabi (Motley Crue), vocals; Phil Campbell (Motorhead), guitar; C.C. Deville (Poison), guitar; Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction), bass; Kenny Aronoff (Smashing Pumpkins / Jon Bon Jovi), drums
11. “Hey Jude” – Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest / Iced Earth), vocals; George Lynch (Dokken / Lynch Mob), guitar; Bob Kulick (Meat Loaf / Paul Stanley Band), rhythm guitar; Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge / Beck / Bogert & Appice), bass; Chris Slade (AC/DC), drums
12. “Drive My Car” – Kip Winger (Winger), vocals; Bruce Kulick (Kiss / Grand Funk), guitar; Tony Franklin (The Firm / Whitesnake), bass; Aynsley Dunbar (Whitesnake / Journey), drums
2 EDGUY – Rocket Ride (Release Year – 2006)
In 2007, If you were to ask the average U.S. Rock fan about EDGUY, you would get a response like, Ed who? Who is that?
Simply said, this is the state of hard rock music in the United States. Only the die hard rock fans know who this band is. It is a real shame considering the strength of some of their previous releases (Hellfire Club, and Mandrake).
For those of you that don’t know EDGUY, this is a German Power Metal band that began in 1992. Their style has matured over the years into a NWOBHM type of sound that 80′s rock fans are sure to love.
Lead singer Tobias Sammet has a powerful set of pipes, and has a vocal style similar to Bruce Dickenson of Iron Maiden. The band features a dual axe attack of Jens Ludwig on lead guitar, and Dirk Sauer on Rhythm Guitar. Tobias Exxel handles the Bass guitar, and Felix Bohnke is the skin basher.
Rocket Ride is the 8th studio disc for EDGUY, and is a damn good one at that.
This disc starts off with an 8 minute melodic monster Sacrifice. This song is full of great vocals, heavy guitars and harmonic keyboards.
The title track Rocket Ride, is a tremendous rocker that falls somewhere between Judas Priest and Accept in style. There is plenty of guitar noodling and pounding drums in this song. Great stuff!
Wasted Time is a very cool Iron Maiden style tune, with plenty of back up vocals for good measure. Tobias Sammet sounds a lot like Bruce Dickenson on this track.
Matrix should have been a hit for EDGUY. Check out the video below for this track.
Matrix
Return to the Tribe feels a little too much like filler to me. It is a nice jam session, but not the best of songs.
The Asylum on the other hand is a superb cut off of Rocket Ride. The music and vocals are first-rate on this song.
Save Me is a hellaciously good ballad. This disc needed a break from the mid to high tempo rockers and Save Me comes at the perfect time to break it up a little bit. This is another song that screams hit.
Catch of the Century is a fun headbanger. It kind of reminds me of a heavy Pink Cream 69 song. It is very cool and the music is top notch!
Out of Vogue is an ok high speed rocker. I like the music on the track but the lyrics need a little bit of work.
Superheroes should have been another hit for EDGUY, but once again got shafted by U.S. Radio. Check out the video below for this song!
Superheroes
Trinidad has to be the closest thing to Pop Metal that EDGUY has ever tried. It is a very upbeat and happy sounding song. This is one that grows on you after a while.
You just have to love the title, Fucking With Fire (Hair Force One). This is another song that just rocks. This track is more hard rock than metal, but it very good.
The bonus track, Land Of The Miracle is nothing to get excited about. (How many bonus tracks are?)
Rocket Ride is another great hard rock/metal offering from 2006 that will hopefully find itself in a lot more people’s hands before it disappears into obscurity. If you are a fan of NWOBHM type of music, you need to check out EDGUY’s Rocket Ride. This disc will likely appeal to fans of bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Accept.
Don’t miss this!
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Sacrifice
2. Rocket Ride
3. Wasted Time
4. Matrix
5. Return To The Tribe
6. Asylum, The
7. Save Me
8. Catch Of The Century
9. Out Of Vogue
10. Superheroes
11. Trinidad
12. Fucking With Fire (Hair Force One)
13. Land Of The Miracle – Live In Brazil (Limited Edition Bonus Track)
0 Empire – Raven Ride (Release Year – 2006)
If you have been wondering what Tony Martin has been up to since leaving Black Sabbath, check out the new release by Empire, Raven Ride.
This disc features the vocal talents of Tony Martin, the expert bass playing of former Whitesnake bassist, Neil Murray, guitarist Rolf Munkes, and ex-Silent Force drummer, Andre Hilgers.
I have always thought that Tony was one of Black Sabbath’s most under rated singers, so I could not resist checking out Raven Ride. I am glad I did. This is a pretty good melodic metal offering by Empire.
The title track, Raven Ride is one of the better tracks on the disc. This song has a DIO feel about it. Killer vocals and music to match. Breathe is a heavy but cool track in the vein of Black Sabbath.
Raven Ride
Carbon Based Lifeform is a throw away track to me. I didn’t care for this one very much. Satanic Curses on the other hand sounds like Dio era Black Sabbath. This is a very good track.
Al Sirat – The Bridge To Paradise is a great follow up to Satanic Curses, and also carries that heavy Sabbath feel to it. Neil Murray’s heavy bass compliments Rolf Munkes guitar greatly, and Tony Martin‘s vocals are excellent here.
What Would I Do? is a heavy low to mid tempo keyboard driven number with more great vocals by Martin. This song is slowly growing on me.
Changing World is great except for this electronic drum beat that goes on through half of the track. I could live without that extra beat. It reminds me of something that Genesis has done in some of their songs.
Tony Martin growls as well as sings on Maximum. I didn’t like this track at first, but once I got over the growling, I found this song kind of catchy.
I will let the track, I Can’t Trust Myself do the talking for itself. This could have been a hit off of this record. Give it a listen below, and see what you think.
I Can’t Trust Myself
The Devil Speaks, The Sinner Cries closes this disc with a very doomy Sabbath style track. Martin’s vocals are great, but this track is a little too slow for me.
Empire is a pretty good listen from beginning to end. Tony Martin’s vocals shine more often than not, as does the music. Fans of Tony Martin’s previous work with Black Sabbath, Tyr and Headless Cross, will love this disc.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- The Raven Ride
- Breathe
- Carbon Based Lifeform
- Satanic Curses
- Al Sirat – The Bridge To Paradise
- What Would I Do?
- Changing World
- Maximum
- I Can’t Trust Myself
- The Devil Speaks, The Sinner Cries
1 Funny Money – Stick It (2006)
If you have been wondering whatever happened to Kix, look no further than the band Funny Money. Funny Money features former Kix members, Steve Whiteman on vocals, and Jimmy Chalfant on drums. The band has gone through some line up changes over the years, but Funny Money has formed a solid four piece lineup with former Centerfold bassist, Mark Schenker and Rob Galpin on lead guitar.
Stick It, is the third studio album by Funny Money, and may be the best one yet. Legendary producer Beau Hill, mixed this disc, and all of the songs flow well as a result of it. Stick It should give Kix fans everything they have been wanting. This is a very strong offering full of AC/DC style, blues infested hard rock.
Check out a couple of tracks below:
About Women is a live video performance by Funny Money.
Slow to Blow is a great track that will give you an idea of what you will hear on Stick It.
If you like either of the tracks above, you need to pick this up. This is a disc that will appeal to 80′s Hard Rock fans, Kix fans, and probably quite a few AC/DC fans as well. It is solid all the way through, and well worth checking out.
You can hear more tracks at CD Baby.com or at the band’s Myspace page here.
Buy It! You will be glad you did!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- By The Balls
- Hot On Your Heels
- Crush
- Big Bang Boom
- All Tied Up
- Fool’s Confession
- Slow To Blow
- Nowhere At All
- Play Me Like A Rhythm
- Thousand Thank Yous
- Weeds And Roses
- About Women
Funny Money is:
Steve Whiteman – Vocals
Jimmy Chalfant – Drums
Mark Schenker – Bass
Rob Galpin – Lead Guitar
1 Faith And Fire – Accelerator (Release Year – 2007)
Faith and Fire was formed by Tony Moore and Mike Flyntz, former and current members of RIOT. Faith And Fire also includes Danny Miranda from Blue Oyster Cult on bass and John Miceli from Rainbow on drums.
This disc has more of a hard rock/classic rock feel than the power metal offerings of Tony Moore’s past work on RIOT’s Thundersteel and Privlege of Power.
Ready is one of the better opening tracks that I have listened to lately. Tony Moore proves quickly that he still has plenty of vocal chops in 2007.
Villanelle on the other hand did not do much for me. Everything is one of the better tracks on Accelerator. Mike Flyntz cuts loose on this track. It is an easy song to learn the lyrics to, and sing along with.
I really wanted to like Radio Superstar. This song features more excellent guitar work by Mike Flyntz, but I felt it was a little weak lyrically. Breathe is a cool ballad. The opening riff immediately reminded of Whitesnake. This is another song that will stay in my play list.
Faith and Fire is a semi upbeat number that I was hoping would be a killer song, since it shares the same name with the band. This is another track that fails to deliver the goods. Fallen is one of the heavier tracks on Accelerator, and moves into a near progressive metal territory. The guitar work by Mike Flyntz is great, but the song itself is average at best.
Mike Flyntz adds a neo classical guitar styling to the track Ashes. This is another song that I enjoyed the music more than the lyrics. Avenue Z follows the same trend as Ashes.
The title track Accelerator has some interesting elements to it and although it starts off strong, it seems to get lost in a wash of a progressive metal jam.
Angel is the second ballad on Accelerator, and is one of the better tracks here. Accelerator closes with a track that fans of Riot’s Thundersteel may be able to get into, America. Tony Moore is singing at a much higher octave on this track. The styling of this song is similar to those found on Thundersteel.
Faith and Fire’s Accelerator is not the classic disc I was hoping for. I began noticing problems with the writing early and found myself struggling to get through a couple of tracks. Accelerator does have a few moments, but there are quiet a few misses as well.
This is a disc that will appeal to some RIOT fans, especially those longing to hear Tony Moore’s voice again. You can listen to more of the tracks at CD Baby.com and the band’s myspace page here. Those looking for a quick music fix can also download the tracks from Accelerator from ITunes.
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Ready
- Villanelle
- Everything
- Radio Superstar
- Breathe
- Faith and Fire
- Fallen
- Ashes
- Avenue Z
- Accelerator
- Angel
- America
7 Grand Lux – Carved In Stone (Release Year – 2007)
A new surprise contender for best album of 2007 has come from the Norway Metal band Grand Lux. I never heard of these guys before digging up some info on them last month, I heard a couple of songs, and decided to pick up their new disc on a whim. Based on what I have heard on Carved In Stone, I will be buying their back catalog.
Grand Lux states their influences as Dio, Kiss, Ozzy Ozbourne and Judas Priest. The influence of these bands is quite obvious in the music. Lead Singer, Phil Goode sounds like a mix of Michael Sweet and a dash of Rob Halford for good measure. The guitar duo of B.D. Hughes and Kirk Evin, really make this disc a worthy listen. It is a heavy, yet very polished sounding hard rock record.
One of the coolest hard rock videos I have seen in a while is their video for Escaping the Clouds, which you can view below.
If you like the video above, you ought to give Grand Lux a listen. Carved in Stone rocks hard from beginning to end, and there isn’t a bad song in the bunch. I think if you take a chance on this disc you will be pleasantly surprised like I was. You can check out a few of their tunes at their myspace page here!
This is a great slab of 80′s style hard rock that is going to appeal to a lot of hard rock and metal fans out there. Check it out!!
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
- 1000 Paper Cranes
- Fallen Angel
- Escaping the Clouds
- Eye of the Storm
- Through Dirt
- Like Hail From Blue Sky
- Love Reflection
- Never Fall
- Eternity In Fire
- Rainbow’s End
1 Dokken – From Conception: Live 1981 (Released – 2007)
When Don Dokken was revisiting the original multi-track tapes for a 25th anniversary edition of Breaking The Chains last year, he came across the long forgotten masters from gigs the band played in before they were signed to Elektra . Lucky for us, as we get get one killer Dokken live show with the classic lineup, (Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, Mic Brown) and three unreleased tracks!
If you are a 80′s hard rock fan of any kind, you have probably heard all of these songs before, but the live versions presented here are from a period when the band was unsigned and hungry. Needless to say, it is a great performance, and the band sounds like a million bucks.
The unreleased tracks here are pretty damn good, and Nightrider and George Lynch’s solo (track 7) are nearly worth the price of admission, all by themselves.
From Conception will certainly whet your appetite for the new Dokken disc, Lighting Strikes Again coming this summer. Until then pick up this killer live disc and relive an awesome moment from Dokken’s history.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Paris
- Goin Down (Unreleased Track)
- In The Middle
- Young Girls
- Hit And Run (Unreleased Track)
- Night Rider
- Guitar Solo
- Live To Rock
- Breakin’ The Chains
- Liar (Unreleased Track)
6 DIO – Dream Evil (Release Year – 1987)
Dream Evil is the 4th studio disc by DIO. On this disc, former Rough Cutt, and Giuffria guitarist Craig Goldy replaced fan favorite Vivian Campbell on guitar. Did Goldy live up to everyone’s expectations? If anything, he exceeded them quite a bit. This disc is heavy and melodic. The sound is quite similar to DIO’s past efforts.
Night People is a high speed rocker that starts off Dream Evil right. Great guitars by Goldy and heavy bass strumming by Jimmy Bain.
Dream Evil is always the track that I remember best from this disc. I remember wearing the cassette version of this song out in my car stereo many years ago. It still sounds cool today. The keyboards give this song a Holy Diver, Last in Line kind of feel. Great stuff!
Back when this cassette first came out, I didn’t care for Sunset Superman very much. The lyric was too silly for me at the time. I have grown to like this track a lot more over the years. The guitar work on this song is stellar.
All the Fools Sailed Away is one of my favorites on this disc. This is one of the more melodic songs on Dream Evil, and one of two tracks released as a single. Killer stuff!
Naked In the Rain is a pretty good song, but the image of Ronnie James Dio being Naked In the Rain makes me want to run out of my house screaming.
Overlove is a exceptional high speed rocker. Vinnie Appice sounds like he is beating the hell out of his drums on this one. Great Stuff!
I Could Have Been A Dreamer is another great track that was released as a single off of Dream Evil. This is another classic DIO track, and one of my favorites.
Faces In the Window is a pretty good headbanger. This song is a stand out on Dream Evil that never really got the attention it deserved. I think this would have been a better track to close out Dream Evil with but they didn’t ask me to mix it…lol.
When A Woman Cries is a solid Dio track. It isn’t one of my favorites on this disc, but its a good track.
Dream Evil is still one of my overall favorite solo discs from DIO. Plenty of great tracks on this one that I still play and enjoy today! If you haven’t picked this one up yet, you can pick this up for $10.00 off of Amazon.com. Dream Evil is a bargain at this price!
Wait……you aren’t done….yet! See what the other the Metal Madness Knights are saying about Dream Evil at the links below: Heavy Metal Time Machine, Heavy Metal Addiction, and Pulses, Verses and other Flotsam!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Night People
- Dream Evil
- Sunset Superman
- All the Fools Sailed Away
- Naked in The Rain
- Overlove
- I Could Have Been A Dreamer
- Faces In The Window
- When A Woman Cries
0 DIO – Killing the Dragon (2002)
Killing the Dragon is the 9th DIO studio disc, and the first to feature current Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich. Craig Goldy was not available for Killing the Dragon as he just recently had gotten married and his wife had a newborn child. Goldy did leave his mark on a few tracks, and has writing credits on Throw away Children, Rock ‘N Roll, and Push.
Doug Aldrich, on the other hand ,had played in quite a few hard rock bands prior to DIO, including Lion, Bad Moon Rising, House of Lords and Hurricane. He was the perfect replacement for Goldy at the time, and his guitar work on Killing the Dragon is awesome.
Killing the Dragon stars this disc off with a high tempo rocker. Doug Aldrich establishes himself quickly by showing off his mad guitar skills. This track sounds like classic DIO to me.
The heaviness continues with Along Comes the Spider. There are plenty of chugging guitars on this track. Sure the title and chorus is kind of silly, but the music is great.
Scream is one of the better tracks on this disc. Its a pretty solid song with some excellent guitar noodling by Aldrich.
Better in the Dark is an excellent upbeat rocker with a cool guitar riff by Aldrich. Dio sounds great here but Aldrich steals the show with some killer guitar solos!
Rock ‘n Roll is one an extremely cool track on Killing the Dragon. This song has an very heavy bass riff. Dio’s voice sounds amazing here. As a whole, this is a very heavy track, and a cool one at that.
Push is probably my favorite track off of Killing the Dragon. Aldrich reminds me of Jake E. Lee on this track. Its a cool song with excellent vocals by Dio. This song may be a little less heavy than some of the other tracks here, but it works.
Push
Guilty would have to be a close 2nd to Push as my favorite on this disc. This is another rocker that kicks ass. This track is also not quite as heavy as some of other tracks on Killing the Dragon.
The guitar work on Throw Away Children is absolutely superb. If it wasn’t for Aldrich’s playing, I would probably skip this track.
Before the Fall has a very Deep Purple sounding keyboard throughout the song, but the guitars are far heavier than any Deep Purple track. Once again, the guitar work is great, but I consider this an average DIO track. It is good, but not great.
The keyboards on Cold Feet give this song a less heavy feel to it. I like this song, but I don’t think I would have placed this as the last song on the disc.
Bottom line, If you want to hear an above average hard rock disc, with amazing vocals and stellar guitar work, you need to pick up Killing the Dragon. There are at least 4 songs on this disc that are mainstays on my play list today. DIO fans should not hesitate picking this up.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Killing the Dragon
- Along Comes a Spider
- Scream
- Better in the Dark
- Rock ‘n Roll
- Push
- Guilty
- Throw Away Children
- Before the Fall
- Cold Feet
Dio is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Doug Aldrich – guitar
Jimmy Bain – bass, keyboards
Simon Wright – drums
5 Black Sabbath – Dehumanizer (Release Year – 1992)
Dehumanizer is the 16th studio disc by Black Sabbath, and the third featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Ronnie returned to Black Sabbath after an 11 year hiatus in which he was performing as a solo artist.
This disc features the same lineup from the Mob Rules disc, which is Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass, Appice on drums and Dio on vocals.
Typically when people talk about Dio singing in Black Sabbath they will often refer to Heaven and Hell, and Mob Rules. Dehumanizer rarely gets mentioned, and that is a shame. It is a heavy disc, and easily as solid as the first two with RJD.
This disc starts off with Computer God, which is a very heavy track to start the pace of Dehumanizer. This is a well written and performed song, and quite possibly one of their best.
Computer God
After All is a very dark and heavy track that sounds like it was a left over from the period when Ozzy was still in the band. This is a bit too dark for my tastes.
After All (the dead)
TV Crimes on the other hand is a killer track that I absolutely love. The tempo is high paced, and Dio sounds awesome on vocals. This is one that I hope they perform live on the Heaven and Hell tour. This is essential for any Sabbath fan.
TV Crimes
Another track that I like a lot on Dehumanizer is Letters from Earth. This is another well written song, with cool lyrics, and superb playing by Iommi. Geezer’s bass sounds like it is going to rip the walls down, and Appice crushes on the drums here. Great Stuff!
Master of Insanity starts with a dark and gloomy bass riff by Geezer, and turns into a heavy rocker, that resembles more of a DIO solo track than a Black Sabbath song. Nonetheless, it is a good song, and one of the better ones on Dehumanizer.
Master of Insanity
I love the chugging guitars and fast paced bass rhythm of Time Machine. This song is another Dehumanizer stand out.
Time Machine
Sins of the Father is one of the most different Sabbath tracks I have heard in a while. It seems that Geezer’s bass is mixed so that it less audible. Iommi’s guitar seem to be tuned in a different key on this track. The end result is a very cool 80′s sounding Metal song.
Something about the track Too Late reminds me of Queensryche in a sense. It starts off as a low tempo acoustic track that allows Dio’s voice to shine, but then breaks in a heavy metal behemoth about midway through. This is one of those songs that you may not get the first time. I bet if you sit down, crank this song up, and close your eyes, and immerse yourself into the music, you will get into it to. I think it is a very cool song.
I is a track that grows on me more with every listen. The lyrics are cool, and the chorus is simple and sing songy…I..I..I. The music is good, and Dio sounds great as well.
I
Buried Alive is a song that I just could not get into. Its ultra heavy intro, didnt work for me. Sure Iommi has some cool solos here, but this feels like an average track to me. Quite frankly, I tend to skip this song when it comes up.
Aside from the intro on Time Machine, I can’t tell much of a difference in the Wayne’s World version. They could have used this one instead of the other version on the album, and added another original cut. There isn’t enough difference between the two to really support having two different versions here.
Bottom line, I believe Dehumanizer is a much better disc than a lot of people perceive it to be. It has some tracks that may need to grown on you a few times, and is probably the heaviest of the three discs that have Dio on vocals. It is still a good listen today, and to me and while it isn’t perfect, it is still a must have in my heavy metal collection!
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Computer God
- After All (The Dead)
- TV Crimes
- Letters from Earth
- Master of Insanity
- Time Machine
- Sins of the Father
- Too Late
- I
- Buried Alive
- Time Machine (Wayne’s World Version)
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitars
Geezer Butler – bass
Vinny Appice – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
6 Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (Release Year 1981)
Black Sabbath’s Mob Rules is the band’s 10th studio disc and 2nd featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Mob Rules also features the 2007 lineup of the Heaven and Hell Tour, Tony Iommi on Guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Vinnie Appice on Drums.
Mob Rules starts off where Heaven and Hell left off, by opening up with a heavy up tempo track Turn Up the Night. Iommi starts jamming early and Dio is in fine form here.
I find myself head banging to Voodoo each time I listen to it. Ronnie James Dio is probably one of the few singers on earth that can make a track like this work. Voodoo has a very good rhythm to it, and the guitar work is quite good, but Dio’s vocals are what stands out the most.
The Sign of the Southern Cross is one of the heavier tracks on Mob Rules. This song is essential to any Sabbath fan. Awesome!
E5150 is a dark instrumental track that will scare the hell out of your parents. This track flows right into the title track, The Mob Rules. This is a heavy track that is essential to any Sabbath fan. Great stuff!
Mob Rules
Something about Country Girl reminds me of an Irish drinking song, albeit a very heavy one. I didn’t really care for this track much at first, but it has grown on me somewhat.
Slipping Away is an upbeat rocker that has a simple rhythm about it. Its pretty much the same guitar riff over and over by Iommi. Geezer Butler has some funky bass grooves in this track. It is a cool track but not essential.
Falling Off the Edge of the World is one of the better tracks on Mob Rules. This tracks starts off as a dark low tempo number that only Black Sabbath could pull off, and then blasts off into a heavy guitar noodling , Dio screaming monster. This is probably my second most favorite track off this disc.
Over and Over ends this disc with a heavy low tempo track. Dio belts out the lyrics in fine fashion, and Tony Iommi ends this disc the same way it began, by jamming out. The song itself would just be an average track, by Iommi’s playing turns this into something much more enjoyable. While not this is not the best Sabbath track I have ever heard, it is still a solid way to close out this disc.
Mob Rules is an excellent slab of Black Sabbath metal. This disc isn’t quite as good as Heaven and Hell, but it still very much essential to any fan of hard rock and heavy metal!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Turn Up The Night
- Voodoo
- The Sign of the Southern Cross
- E5150
- The Mob Rules
- Country Girl
- Slipping Away
- Falling Off the Edge of the World
- Over and Over
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Vinny Appice – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
6 Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell (Release Year – 1980)
In 1979 due to lack of commitment and personal conflicts, Ozzy Osbourne was asked to leave Black Sabbath. None other than Ronnie James Dio was brought in to replace him.
Heaven and Hell is the first of 3 discs (and a live disc) featuring Ronnie on vocals and the 9th overall by Black Sabbath.
Heaven and Hell is nothing short of a metal masterpiece! Who can deny the incredible opening track Neon Knights! This is an up tempo track that pleases both Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio fans. Great vocals by Dio and killer guitars by Iommi. Awesome!
Neon Knights
Children of the Sea is another classic Sabbath track. This mid tempo jewel featues that fat Geezer Butler bass rhythm, and more awesome vocals by RJD. Outstanding!
Children of the Sea
Lady Evil is infectious as hell. Geezer’s bass sounds extremely fat on this track. If you don’t find your self singing “Lady Evil, Evil...” after a single listen, then you probably wont get this track. That would be a real shame too. This is killer track!
Heaven and Hell is unmistakably one of the biggest songs Black Sabbath has ever written. Dio’s vocals are in fine form here. Iommi’s guitars are amazing on this song. The sheer heaviness of this track is what makes it so cool. I can’t say enough about this track. Definitely one of my all time favorite metal songs!
Heaven and Hell
Wishing Well is a cool track that you need to sit and absorb a few times. Iommi’s guitar work on this track is so cool, you need to listen to this multiple times to get the true enjoyment out of it.
Die Young has a very trippy Pink Floyd and Queen progressive feel to it while retaining that Sabbath heaviness. I like this track more each time I hear it.
Die Young
Walk Away is one of those tracks that needs to grow on you. Af first it seems that this track isnt as heavy as some of the Heaven and Hell. This track is probably the least heavy of the 8 songs here. It is still a rocking track, but not one of my favorites.
Lonely is the Word is a another great track where Dio really belts out the vocals. One again, Iommi’s guitars are excellent. This song makes me want to break out a lighter and start waving it in the air. Absolutely incredible playing, and a superb song to close this record out with.
Heaven and Hell is an extraordinary debut by Dio with Black Sabbath. If Iommi and company were trying to get people to forget about Ozzy with this disc, they accomplished the task. This is an impressive heavy metal classic that still sounds great in 2007. No hard rock fan or metalhead should be with out it!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Neon Knights
- Children of the Sea
- Lady Evil
- Heaven and Hell
- Wishing Well
- Die Young
- Walk Away
- Loney is the Word
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Bill Ward – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
5 Accept – Eat the Heat (Release Year 1989)
Back in 1989 when Udo Dirkschneider was pursuing a solo career, the band Accept carried on without him, recording a new disc with the mostly unknown David Reece ( who would later form Bangalore Choir).
Most Accept fans will cuss and swear that this isn’t real Accept music. Personally, I think David Reece is a hell of a singer, and I got a lot of enjoyment out of this disc. His vocal style is about 70% Rob Halford and 30% Paul Stanley. Eat the Heat is more of a melodic effort than the Dirkschneider efforts, and sounds quite similar to the other hard rock and hair metal bands in the late 80′s and early 90′s.
This disc should have been much bigger than it was. Take a listen to Love Sensation and you will totally understand what I mean.
This disc rarely gets any mention today, and zero airplay from any of places that I listen to hard rock and metal. There are several stand out tracks on this disc including: X-T-C, Prisoner, Love Sensation, Hellhammer, and Break the Ice.
I think this disc will appeal to most fans of 80′s Hard Rock, Judas Priest fans, and Accept fans with an open mind. This disc is available in wide circulation still, including Amazon.com, and ITunes. Check it Out!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- X-T-C
- Prisoner
- Love Sensation
- Chain Reaction
- D-Train
- Generation Clash
- Turn the Wheel
- Mistreated
- Stand 4 What U R
- Hellhammer
- Break the Ice
Accept is:
David Reece – Vocals
Wolf Hoffmann – Guitars
Jim Stacey – Guitars
Peter Baltes – Bass Guitar
Stefan Kaufmann – Drums
3 Dream Theater – Train of Thought (Release Year 2003)
On the way home last night, I was listening to Eddie Trunk on XM41 the Boneyard. Eddie played the first track, As I Am, off of Dream Theater’s 2003 release, Train of Thought. I have always considered myself a Dream Theater fan, even though I do not own all of their discs. After hearing As I Am, I turned the car around and headed back to the local record shop, where I remembered seeing a copy of this in the used bin. As I Am has to be one of the coolest metal tracks I have heard in a long time. This ventures away from the progressive rock side of DT and into a new almost Black Sabbath sounding metal track.
Train of Thought has a low song count…only 7. Those seven songs clock in at well over an hour.
The Dying Soul is the first of 5 tracks clocking in at over 1o minutes in length. This track starts off with a two minute jam before you hear any lyrics at all. This song is a fusion of heavy and progressive metal. Plenty of heavy guitars and double bass drums on this track.
Endless Sacrifice starts as this low tempo melodic number with piano and awesome sounding guitars, and blasts off in short intervals into a heavy track full of distorted guitars and swirling keyboards, before returning back to the slow pace it started with. You really have to hear this track to appreciate it. The music on this track is incredible!
Honor Thy Father is a heavy prog rocker that is about a conflict between a father and son. It is a hate filled number lyrically, and the music seems to fit that perfectly.
Vacant is a short piano based number that seems out of place when combined with the other tracks on Train of Thought.
Stream of Consciousness is a beast of an Instrumental track, clocking in at over 11 minutes.
In the Name of God is the longest track on T.O.T, clocking in at over 14 minutes in length. This is a heavy based track with lyrics that are about violence and war in the name of religion. This is a well written track that you really need to listen to and absorb.
Train of Thought is full of stellar musicianship. If you are the type of hard rock fan that will only listen to KISS style, sing along anthems, you probably aren’t going to like this disc. If you like good progressive, heavy metal, this disc should be a no brainer for you. As I Am may be the only track that you will load into your mp3 player and listen to over and over, but, like many Dream Theater discs, this music has to be experienced soley for the amazing musicianship.
Enjoy the mini concert for Train of Thought below:
As I Am
The Dying Soul Part 1
The Dying Soul Part 2
Honor Thy Father
In the Name of God part 1
In the Name of God part 2
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- As I Am
- The Dying Soul
- Endless Sacrifice
- Honor Thy Father
- Vacant
- Stream of Conciousness
- In the Name of God
2 Armored Saint – Symbol of Salvation (Release Year 1991)
Another killer heavy metal disc that no rock fans should be without, is the 5th release by Armored Saint, Symbol of Salvation. Armored Saint features Jon Bush (Anthrax), Jeff Duncan (Odin, DC4) and Phil Sandoval on guitars, Joey Vera on bass, and Gonzo Sandoval on drums. Symbol of Salvation is the most successful disc to date by Armored Saint.
This disc has quite a few killer cuts on it including, Reign of Fire, Last Train Home, The Truth Always Hurts, and Symbol of Salvation.
This disc was getting heavy air play on the nationally broadcast Hard Rock station ZRock back in 1991. I don’t hear too many tracks getting played off this disc today, and its a real shame, as this is a classic metal disc. Symbol of Salvation has very little filler, and all of the tracks are head banger ready. If you haven’t picked this up, you ought to give this a look. For more information on Armored Saint, check out the band’s myspace page or their website Armored Saint.com
Rating: Out of 10
Reign of Fire
Last Train Home
Track Listing:
- Reign of Fire
- Dropping Like Flies
- Last Train Home
- Tribal Dance
- The Truth Always Hurts
- Half Drawn Bridge
- Another Day
- Symbol of Salvation
- Hanging Judge
- Warzone
- Burning Question
- Tainted Past
- Spineless
1 Fozzy – All That Remains (Release Year – 2005)
Fozzy is the band fronted by WWE wrestler Chris Jericho and Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward. I am not much of a wrestling fan, so I can honestly say that I have never seen Jericho wrestle, but I do know this, he is a good singer and he should be focusing on music, and not wasting his time in wrestling.
All That Remains shows that Fozzy has come along way from their tumultuous beginning as a glorified cover band.
All That Remains blasts off with two awesome hard rock tracks, Nameless and Enemy. Wanderlust is another killer track featuring the heavy guitars of Zakk Wylde. The Title track, All That Remains, maintains the heavy pace of this disc. This track is more subdued, but is a great sounding song.
The Test starts with an ultra heavy guitar riff, and ventures back and forth from a thrash to hard rock sound. This track is growing on me.
Its A Lie is a rap metal fusion featuring rapper Bonecrusher on vocals with Chris Jericho. I have never been a big fan of rap metal, so this track is bascially a throw away to me, but it may appeal to others.
Daze of the Week goes back to the normal Fozzy hard rock formula and kicks ass while doing so. Way I Am is a pretty good headbanger, and Lazarus, which sounds quite similar to Nameless, is one of the better tracks on All That Remains.
Born of Anger ends this disc with a non Fozzy like, Thrash /Death Metal type growler featuring former Megadeth guitarist, Marty Friedman. I did not care for this track at all, and it was a total throw away to me.
As a whole, All That Remains is a great Hard Rock disc that should not be missed. You can check out more Fozzy tracks at Fozzy’s MySpace Page. I have attached the video for Enemy below. Check it Out!
Enemy
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Nameless
- Enemy
- Wanderlust
- All That Remains
- The Test
- It’s A Lie
- Daze of the Week
- The Way I Am
- Lazarus
- Born of Anger
3 Axel Rudi Pell – Mystica (Release Year 2006)
Former Steeler axe slinger, Axel Rudi Pell returns with his eleventh disc in 2006, and sixth featuring Hardline singer, Johnny Gioeli. Current Masterplan drummer, Mike Terrana and Pell’s former Steeler band mate, bass player Volker Krawczak, rounds up the rhythm section.
I was re-exposed to Axel Rudi Pell, after hearing Fly to the Moon, on XM41 – The Boneyard. That track is great, so I had to pick this up. How does the rest of the disc sound? It is very good.
Valley of Sin is a great rock track that is similar in style to Lynch era Dokken. Rock the Nation is another good track that keeps the energy of the disc going.
The lenghty title track Mystica, is well sung by Gioeli. Axel Rudi Pell really shines on the guitar here.
Would you belive it? A power ballad in 2006. Yes, that’s right, No Chance to Live is an excellent ballad that would have easily been at home in the 80′s.
Mystica starts rocking again with another great track, Living a Lie, before moving into the epic, The Curse of the Damned that clocks in at nearly 10 minutes in length. This mid tempo song has a Coldplay sounding keyboard pacing the song and eventually blasts off into a high tempo, guitar noodling, Deep Purplish keyboarding monster of a song. It really needs to be heard to be appreciated.
Haunted Castle Serenade is a very cool instrumental piece. Losing the Game closes out Mystica with another good mid tempo rocker.
Don’t miss out on one of the better discs from 2006! You can hear some of the tracks at the band’s myspace page here! This disc is essential for Hardline, and Axel Rudi Pell fans. I think most Hard Rock Fans are going to like this a lot.
There are some great songs on Mystica that should not be missed. Axel Rudi Pell provides some excellent hard rocking 80′s style guitar, and Johnny Gioeli sounds great all throughout Mystica. Check it out!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- The Mysterious Return (Intro)
- Fly To the Moon
- Valley of Sin
- Rock the Nation
- Mystica
- No Chance To Live
- Living A Lie
- The Curse of the Damned
- Haunted Castle Serenade
- Losing the Game
8 Banshee – Race Against Time (Release Year 1989)
A CD that I still listen to regularly, and deserves mention is the full length 1989 debut, Race Against Time by Kansas City natives, Banshee.
Race Against Time is a metal masterpiece that very few hard rock fans should be without. Sadly, it has been out of print and is becoming harder to find, and has been capturing bigger bucks on EBay as of late.
Banshee’s music is heavy metal in the vein of Iron Maiden. Tommy Lee Flood’s vocals are kick ass, and the heavy guitars of Terry Dunn are second to none.
Why this band disappeared off the face of the earth remains a mystery, but music this good still deserves to be heard today.
There are quite a few stand outs on Race Against Time, including the anthemic, Shoot Through the Night, the killer All Alone, the excellent title track, Race Against Time, and the hard driving Call of the Wild, just to name a few.
If you can find this disc, I highly recommend picking it up! It will not disappoint you.
Rating:Out of 10
Here is a taste of what you will hear on Race Against Time:
Shoot Down the Night
Race Against Time
Track Listing:
- Shoot Down The Night
- All Alone
- Race Against Time
- Circular Flight Of The One Winged Sparrow
- Call Of The Wild
- Precious Metal
- Desire
- Get It On The Run
- Missing You
- Drive Like Hell
- Desert Moon
2 Frank Hannon – Guitarz From Marz (Release Year -2005)
Guitarz from Marz is the 2005 independent release by Tesla Lead Guitarist, Frank Hannon. This is a disc for Hard Rock Guitar lovers everywhere. I picked this disc up at the Winger / Frank Hannon show the other night after hearing Frank perform 3 songs off of this disc live, Chain Reaction, Eye of the Mind, and Electric Warriors. All three songs are damn good, but this isn’t all that is on Guitarz from Marz. Some of my other favorites are RE-Evolution, Stop The War, the Hendrix flavored Angel, and the Stevie Ray Vaughn like Touch of Magic.
Frank Hannon handles the lead vocals and the lead guitar on this disc. He is not as good of a vocalist as he is a guitar player, but he does do an admirable job. I have heard many vocalists far worse than him. The music is so good on Guitarz from Marz, that most hard rock fans are going to love this. This disc is a must own for all Hard Rock , Instrumental Guitar and Tesla fans. Don’t let this disc pass you by.
The only place I am aware that you get this disc is from Frank Hannon.com You can also hear the track Electric Warrior, at Frank’s Myspace page. I have included some videos for Guitarz from Marz below. Check it out!
Guitarz from Marz
Re-Evolution
Eye of the Mind
Electric Warriors
Chain Reaction
Angel
Touch of Magic
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Diamondz in the Sky
- RE-Evolution
- Guitarz from Marz
- Chain Reaction
- Stop the War
- Angel
- Eye of the Mind
- Touch of Magic
- De’ la Luna Acoustica
- Electric Warriors
- Funk It Up!
- Mobias Flip
- Hyperspace
2 CRASHDÏET – Rest in Sleaze (Release Year-2005)
If you want to hear a band that knows how to do 80′s Style Hard Rock right, you need to give Crash Diet’s, Rest In Sleaze a listen. Crashdiet has a sound that is similar to Shotgun Messiah in their prime, and maybe a little bit of Zan Clan. This disc is full of fist-pumping, kick ass rock and roll.
Crashdiet has 4 hit singles in Sweden from this disc, Riot In Everyone, Knokk ‘Em Down, Breakin the Chainz, and It’s a Miracle. This another example of excellent music being released over seas that never gets any attention in the United States!
Sadly, In January 2006, vocalist Dave Lepard committed suicide after being in a deep depression, so will never know how far this band could have gone with this lineup. Judging from this debut effort, they could have been huge globably.
The tunes here speak for themselves. It is great stuff that no hard rock or sleaze metal fan should be without!
You can still pick this up reasonably from CD Inzane. Buy It! You wont be disappointed.
Knokk ‘Em Down
Riot in Everyone
Queen Obscene (69 Shots) – LIVE
Breakin the Chainz
Needle in Your Eye – LIVE
It’s A Miracle
Back on Trakk
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Knokk ‘Em Down
- Riot In Everyone
- Queen Obscene (69 Shots)
- Breakin’ The Chainz
- Needle in Your Eye
- Tikket
- Out of Line
- It’s A Miracle
- Straight Out of Hell
- Back On Trakk
1 Dream Evil – The Book of Heavy Metal (Release Year – 2004)
The Book of Heavy Metal is the first release by Dream Evil that follows the NWOBH style. I enjoyed the United disc by Dream Evil so much I decided to find the disc that preceeded it. I heard a lot of good things about this disc, and it was not unfounded.
Much like United, this disc starts off with a blistering metal anthem, the title track (The Book of Heavy Metal) that will get in your head and wont leave any time soon. This is a classic heavy metal track in its finest form!
Into the Moonlight keeps the pace going with its heavy riffs and great vocals by Niklas Isfeldt. The Sledge is a cool metal anthem. The writing here isn’t the greatest, but I still like this track a lot.
No Way cranks the tempo way up. This track features excellent guitars by the tandem of Gus G. and Fredrik Nordstrom. This is killer stuff!
Crusader’s Anthem starts off with a Maiden like bass riff, but blasts off into a heavy, melodic Europe like masterpiece with chugging guitars and great solos.
Let’s Make Rock is another major anthem that will have you singing along in no time. Tired M.O.M. (Man or a Mouse) is a track that I get into more each time I listen to it. Sure its has kind of cheesy lyrics, but it is still a fun track to listen to.
The Mirror reminds me a whole lot of Judas Priest. This is another track that will get you head banging in no time.
The guitars on Only For the Night are nothing short of superb, leading into the Book of Heavy Metal’s lone ballad, Unbreakable Chain. After hearing the rest of the tracks on this disc, I was beginning to wonder if this band could slow it down. I can happily say that this track is one of the many highlights on this disc.
There are a couple of tracks that I could not get into on this disc, but for the most part most of the tracks on the Book of Heavy Metal range between good and great. Heavy Metal fans need to give this one a look!
Rating: Out of 10
Here is the video for The Book of Heavy Metal! Enjoy!
Track Listing:
- The Book of Heavy Metal
- Into the Moonlight
- The Sledge
- No Way
- Crusader’s Anthem
- Let’s Make Rock
- Tired
- Chosen Twice
- M.O.M.
- The Mirror
- Only For the Night
- Unbreakable Chain
4 Allen/Lande – The Battle (Release Year – 2005)
The 9th Day of Jorn brings us to the dueling singers of Russell Allen (Symphony X) and Jorn Lande. Last Tribers Magnus Karlsson handles the bass, guitar and keyboards, while his band mate, Jaime Salazar provides the drums.
One word describes The Battle, Brilliant! This CD is full of great melodic rock songs with excellent vocals by both Jorn Lande and Russell Allen.
Another Battle is a very melodic progressive rock anthem. This is the first track where you realize how much Russel Allen’s voice compliments Jorn Lande.
Magnus Karlsson starts the guitar riffs firing quickly on the hard yet melodic Hunter’s Night. Russell Allen handles the vocals on this track.
Wish For A Miracle starts out with a cool progressive heaviness that blends into a purely melodic rocker that is a pure joy to listen to.
Reach A Little Longer is a beautiful solo ballad by Jorn. Come Alive starts off with an awesome metal riff that would make Zakk Wylde proud, and settles into another exceptional melodic track.
Truth About Our Time is an uptempo rocker featuring both, Jorn and Russell on vocals. Jorn Lande sings solo and sounds a lot like Steve Perry on the superb track My Own Way Home. Not to be out done, Russell Allen takes over the lead vocals on the first-rate AOR track Ask You Anyway.
Silent Rage is infectious as hell and Where Have the Angels Goneis another great AOR song in the vein of Journey. Russell Allenshows his impressive range on Whitesnake like rocker, Universe of Light. Forgotten, Ones closes this disc with a pure AOR piano driven track with the excellent dueling vocals of Lande and Allen. What a fitting way to end this disc!
This amazing disc is for all hard rock, Symphony X, Jorn Lande, and Last Tribe fans. Fantatstic vocals, amazing guitar work, and well written melodic songs make The Battle one of the top discs of 2005. You need to buy this!
Here are a couple of track from the Battle. Enjoy!
Silent Rage
Where Have the Angels Gone
Wish For a Miracle
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Another Battle
- Hunter’s Night
- Wish For A Miracle
- Reach A Little Longer
- Come Alive
- Truth About Our Time
- My Own Way Home
- Ask You Anyway
- Silent Rage
- Where Have the Angels Gone
- Universe of Light
- Forgotten, Ones
3 Brazen Abbot – Guilty As Sin (Release Year -2003)
Day 6 of the 10 Days of JORN brings us to the project of guitarist Nikolo Kotzev, Brazen Abbot.
Guilty as Sin features a triumvirate of singers including, Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Goran Edman (Street Talk, Yngwie Malmsteen) and Jorn Lande. Brazen Abbot also features current Europe bandmates Mic Michaeli on keyboards,John Leven on bass and Ian Haughland on drums.
Guilty as Sin blasts out of the gate with an awesome Rainbow like track sung by Joe Lynn Turner.
Eyes on the Horizon is the first Brazen Abbot track Jorn Lande has ever sung on, and it is a great one. This song has a sound similar to that of Deep Purple.
I’ll Be Free almost seems out of place after the first two power tracks. This is a slow ballad sung by Goran Edman. It is a descent song, but its placement here seems odd to me.
Slip Away is another great rocker sung by Joe Lynn Turner. Jorn Lande astonishes all with his powerful voice on Mr. Earthman. Goran Edman shows that he can rock hard too on the very cool Like Jonah.
Jorn Lande sounds just like David Coverdale on Bring the Colors Home. This low tempo track would not have sounded out of place on any of the last few Whitesnake albums. This song has hit written all over it!
Goran Edman takes over the microphone on Fool’s Confession. This is another cool track, that could have easily been a hit.
Its no surprise that Joe Lynn Turner sounds great on Supernatural. This is another track in the vein of Rainbow.
Eve is another slow paced number by Goran Edman. I didn’t care for this track too much. It is too light as compared to the rest of the tracks on this disc, and seems out of place.
After that last clunker Eve, Jorn sounds like he is shot out of a cannon on A Whole Lotta Woman. This is another excellent rocker in the vein of Whitesnake!
Guilty As Sin closes out this disc with another low to mid tempo rocker by Joe Lynn Turner. This is another superb track, and a great way to close out this disc.
Joe Lynn Turner and Jorn Landesound like they are in competition on this disc. They both sing their hearts out, and sound fantastic. The Goran Edman led tracks are not in the same ballpark as the JLT and JL tracks, and are the only weak point on Guity As Sin. Guitarist Nikolo Kotzev is obviously a very talented guitarist as his amazing fretwork can be heard all throughout this disc. The Europetrio of Michaeli, Leven and Haugland do an excellent job as well. This disc is essential for Turner and Lande fans. This may appeal to fans of Rainbow, Europe and Whitesnake as well.
You can check out three of the Jorn Lande tracks below! Enjoy!
Eyes on the Horizon
Mr.Earthman
A Whole Lotta Woman
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- One Life to Live
- Eyes on the Horizon
- I’ll Be Free
- Slip Away
- Mr. Earthman
- Like Jonah
- Bring the Colors Home
- Fools Confession
- Supernatural
- Eve
- A Whole Lotta Woman
- Guilty As Sin
5 Ark – Burn the Sun (Release Year 2001)
Day 3 of the 10 Days of Jorn, brings the 2nd disc, Burn The Sun, by the progressive metal group, Ark.
Ark’s already amazing roster grew for their sophomore effort. The bass playing virtuoso Randy Coven (Holy Mother, Steve Vai, Blues Saraceno) and longtime Yngwie Malmsteen keyboardist Mats Olausson, joined guitarist Tore Ostby, drummer John Macaluso, and lead vocalist extraordinaire Jorn Lande .
Not only did the band lineup improve, so did the production on Burn the Sun. The muddy production that hurt the over all sound on the debut disc is gone. Former Victory guitar player Tommy Newton came in to produce this disc and did a hell of a job. The sound quality on Burn the Sun is nothing short of superb.
It seems that everything about Burn the Sun improved over the debut. This disc has better production, writing, and songs. Jorn Lande’s singing has improved over the first disc as well.
Heal the Waters is an amazing song to start this disc off with. Jorn Lande sings this song in a lower register, before breaking out in his powerful raspy goodness. It doesn’t take long for newcomers Randy Coven and Mats Olausson to bust out and show the power of this enhanced Ark lineup.
Everytime I listen to Torn I hear something different. The ghost like guitars of Tore Ostby swirls between your speakers. Randy Coven’s bass sounds amazing here.
Burn The Sun is a very cool track. Jorn sings in a lower register on this track. When Coven’s heavy bass matches Jorn’s lower range, this track takes on a Black Sabbath like feel to it. Nonetheless, this track could have been huge in the U.S., had any radio stations picked up on it.
Jorn shows off his impressive range on Resurrection. This song has a bunch of cool tempo changes, and Tore really tears it up this track. Very cool!
Absolute Zero is kind of an odd track to me. The bass and drumming is fast but light, and Jorn’s vocals seem to be at a slower pace. For some reason, this doesn’t mix together well for me. When the song picks up, it sounds great, but in the slow places it is a little weak.
Tore Ostby breaks out the Spanish Guitar on Just A Little. Jorn sounds great on this song, but I couldn’t really get into it. Its just a little too jangly for my tastes.
Waking Hour shows the world why Jorn Lande has one of the most amazing voices in rock today. Musically, this track has a Rush like sound, before moving into a harder edged direction. Once the tempo shifts, Jorn brings down the house with his incredible vocal range.
The composition of Noose is amazing. The crushing bass on Noose sounds very much in the vein of Dream Theater. Jorn’s voice on Noose sways between David Coverdale and Robert Plant. Tore Ostby smokes on the guitar. Mats Olausson keyboards remind me of Yes on this track. This is a killer progressive track, but needs a couple of listens to be fully appreciated.
Feed The Fire has Jorn singing in a range and style that I don’t think he has ever covered anywhere else. He sounds a whole lot like Steve Perry from Journey, and just about hits the range of Sting on this track. This track is a radio worthy hit!
Jorn breaks out his best David Coverdale like voice on I Bleed. Tore Ostby sounds great on this track.
Missing You ventures back into the Pink Floyd like territory of Can’t Let Go from the Ark debut. This track clocks in at over 9 minutes in length. I can almost see the laser light show while listening to the howling guitars of Tore Ostby. This is a very moody song, but it has an excellent sound quality to it, and the guitars are pristine on the track.
The Japanese Bonus Track, Silent Is the Rain is a quiet track in comparision to the other 11 on Burn the Sun. Jorn sings in a low register on this track. It is an interesting listen, but it is not good enough to merit spending a bunch of extra cash to get it.
Burn the Sun is much better than the debut by Ark, but a couple of weaker songs in the middle of the disc keeps it from being perfect. This disc is essential to Jorn Lande fans. Progressive rock fans need to get this too!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Heal the Waters
- Torn
- Burn the Sun
- Resurrection
- Absolute Zero
- Just A Little
- Waking Hour
- Noose
- Feed the Fire
- I Bleed
- Missing You
- Silent is the Rain (Japanese Bonus Track)
