Tag: Glam Metal
3 Reckless Love – S/T (2010)
Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Power Pop, Hair Metal. Whatever genre of music you could tag Reckless Love with, it would probably fit. The genre doesn’t matter, but the music does, and it is quite good. When I first saw the video for Reckless Love’s “Beautiful Bomb”, I knew we might have another great CD on the way. I had no idea it would be THIS GOOD!
If you want to know why H. Oliver Twisted aka Olli Herman left Crash Diet, look no further than his own band Reckless Love. The debut of Reckless Love exceeds the last Crash Diet effort by a mile. This CD sounds like it was recorded in 1989, not 2009. The music on this CD is has a very happy sound that blends elements from all of the biggest hair metal acts of the eighties. I hear the influence of Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Poison, KISS, Van Halen and more when I listen to this disc. Reckless Love pulls this sound off, and does not sound like a cheap imitation. The band has a passion for this music, and this disc shines as a result. If you like sing along anthems with big guitar riffs, look no further. Reckless Love’s new CD is packed with infectious rockers that is going to appeal to a ton of hard rock fans.
Olli Herman’s vocals are much more enjoyable with Reckless Love, and Pepe is going to turn a lot of heads with his outstanding guitar work.
In Finland, Reckless Love have already released two singles, “Babylon Bombs” and “One More Time”. Both of these are favorites of mine, along with “Romance”, “Badass” and “Love Machine”. I won’t waste your time giving you a song by song break down. What you should know is, there isn’t a bad song on this CD. Reckless Love is as close to glam metal perfection as you are going to get in 2010.
This CD does not have an official U.S. Release date yet, but you purchase it through CD Inzane at this link. The price may be a little on the steep side, but this disc is worth every penny. Your only regret will come from not buying this CD sooner! I love this disc, and I think you will too.
If you tune into the Hard Rock Hideout Radio show tonight (3/31/10), you will hear three songs from this CD. Don’t miss it!!
For more information on Reckless Love, please visit the band’s myspace page.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
01. Feel My Heat
02. One More Time
03. Badass
04. Love Machine
05. Beautiful Bomb
06. Romance
07. Sex
08. Back To Paradise
09. So Yeah!
10. Wild Touch
11. Born To Rock
Reckless Love is:
Olli Herman – vocals
Pepe – guitar and background vocals
Jalle Verne – bass and background vocals
Hessu Maxx – drums, percussion and background vocals
Catalog #: 2733094
0 Live Video – Whitesnake – Still of the Night
The following video is from Whitesnake’s 1987 tour. The video features David Coverdale, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge.
1 Danger – First Touch (Release Year – 2008)
I don’t know what is happening in Sweden, but good music must be busting out the country’s seams. It seems like every time I turn around I stumble on another really good band from Sweden. Danger is another band that caught my attention with their new six song EP “First Touch”.
So what does Danger sound like? To me their sound is a cross between Crash Diet and older Motley Crue. The first song on the EP “First Touch” sounds like it could have been on the excellent “Rest In Sleaze” from Crash Diet. This is the first song that I have heard from Danger, and it made me a fan instantly.
“Miss Money” and “California Red” are pretty fun rockers that remind me more of Poison songs, than a Motley Crue ones but I like them nonetheless.
There are days where I would like to crank “Shove It” at maximum value over the speakers in my office. This should be my new theme song. My wife likes this one too. 🙂
“On The Run” is a upbeat hair metal anthem, that is as solid of a closing tune as I have heard all year long.
The six songs on First Touch is like getting an awesome appetizer and having the kitchen close before you could order your main course. It will whet your appetite and leave you hungry to hear more. This is Swedish sleaze metal at its finest. Hair metal fans should not hesitate to buy this!
Check out Danger on their myspace page here. You can buy a 
copy of First Touch from the Danger website at this link.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. First Touch
2. Miss Money
3. Hey You
4. California Red
5. Shove It
6. On The Run (Bonus Track)
Danger is:
Jesse Kid – Vocals
Rob Paris – Guitar
Togge Rock – Bass
Danny Crash – Drums
2 Glam Rockers Wild August Make Comeback
Dan McCafferty and Kurt Monson had figured their days as rockers in the 1980s hair band Wild August were over for good.
That was before the two Traverse City natives’ former group was rediscovered by Retrospect Records. The company now sells their old recordings on the Web and talked them into getting back together in July for the Rocklahoma music festival, where they played in front of tens of thousands of glam-rock fans.
“It was a great time,” said Monson, who played bass in the band and graduated from Traverse City High School in 1980. “We were all waiting for a reason to get back together. We rehearsed again, did the show and pulled it off.”
The group’s reunion is also the subject of a documentary being filmed by Lior Ben-Aharon. The screenwriter heard about the band because he is a neighbor of its singer, Sullivan Bigg in Los Angeles. He traveled to New York, where most of the band still lives, and to Oklahoma to film rehearsals and the concert.
He is editing the footage he already has and plans to reconnect with members in a few months to see if the opportunity to get back together has made a lasting impact on them.
“My angle with it is, ‘What is it like to get a chance to be a rock star for one more day?'” Ben-Aharon said. He hopes to get the movie on the film festival circuit.
McCafferty is older than Monson, having graduated from St. Francis High School in 1973. The two were acquaintances when they lived here, having played in competing bands in town.
Yet they didn’t become friends or band-mates until they both moved to New York City in the early ’80s. While there, they met through mutual friends and helped form Wild August.
The group had promise. It recorded on independent labels and opened for such acts as Slaughter, Warrant, Ace Frehley of Kiss and in what they said was a mismatch, Katrina and the Waves.
Yet just when they figured they were poised to break through — they were talking to major record labels and they made an appearance on the soap opera “Another World,” a performance that lives on through YouTube — the entire musical world changed.
“Right about our pinnacle was the time Nirvana came around and turned the whole thing on its head, which we kind of felt it needed to do,” Monson said.
The band was disappointed as the era of one-color guitars, leopard-skin tights and big hair ended.
Still, they stayed together until the mid-1990s, even trying to change with the times. But it seemed contrived for them, so they finally called it quits.
Monson now owns and operates a record studio. McCafferty is a studio and live guitarist around New York City and performs with Dee Snyder, formerly of Twisted Sister, and other acts.
In 2006, out of the blue, Retrospect Records contacted them wanting to re-release their music for a new audience.
“I just think their music is fun,” said Sam McCaslin, president of the company, which specializes in hard-rock re-issues. “All the guys are real talented musicians. The songs are very memorable; great hooks. And I liked their look too.”
The group has been one of Retrospect’s best sellers, with fans primarily in the United States, Japan and Germany ordering their CDs. The group also has old and new videos on its Myspace Web site: www.myspace.com/wildaugustband.
When Retrospect secured a stage at Rocklahoma in Pryor, Okla. this year, it asked Wild August to perform a set.
Being a nostalgia act, they dressed similarly to how they did back in the day, but toned it down a bit. They played the second day of the four-day festival, which also included bands like Ratt and Tesla.
Wild August members don’t know how long the newfound interest in them will last.
“It’s probably already over,” Monson said. “But it’s amazing how many younger fans are into this type of music now.”
Courtesy of the Traverse City Record Eagle
16 New Sleaze/Glam Metal band – Hollywood Harlot
I stumbled upon the following videos on youtube by this Oklahoma based glam metal band called Hollywood Harlot. This is an unsigned cover band that also has some original tunes on their myspace page. Check them out!
Shit Happens
Rock N Roll Gypsy Queen
1 New Video – Innocent Rosie – Knock Me Out
Sweden’s Innocent Rosie has a brand new video, Knock Me Out! Check it out below!!
0 Warrant – Ultraphobic (Release Year – 1995)
Warrant has reunited with their original lineup intact in 2008, and will
be one of the headlining acts at Rocklahoma on Saturday, July 12th.
As much as I like the initial releases with the original lineup, I decided to dust off one of Warrant’s later discs, Ultraphobic, which featured Kingdom Come’s Rick Steir on guitar and James Kottak on drums.
I remember when I first heard that a couple of former Kingdom Come guys were joining the band, I was hoping that Warrant might try to approach a classic rock/ Zepplinesque update to their music. That was not the case at all with Ultraphobic.
In 1995, Hair metal was about as popular as diarrhea, but Warrant tried to forge ahead with a darker, grungier sound in an effort to stay relevant in
the music scene. The sound of Ultraphobic seemed to follow the heavier sound of the 1992 Warrant record, Dog Eat Dog.
The guitars are are tuned down, and a little grungier on Ultraphobic. For me, this style of guitar playing does not suit Jani Lane’s voice well, and this album suffers as a result.
There are a couple of highlights on this disc. Undertow, isn’t too bad, and Crawl Space is pretty cool. I kind of like the title track, Ultraphobic as well.
Chameleon is a song that would have sounded better if Warrant just stuck to their tried and true sound. The deeper guitar sounds mess up, what could have been one of the better Warrant tracks. There are some cool guitar parts, but this song scream redo.
I have to applaud Warrant for trying to stay relevant in the music scene (although some might argue that they never were relevant). Ultraphobic isn’t a total departure from their signature glam metal sound, but I didn’t care for the varied guitar sounds on this disc. (What was the purpose of that drill sound on Ride #2)
With the classic lineup of Warrant back together, they could rearrange some of the songs on Ultraphobic, and quite possibly turn them into new hits. This isn’t Warrant’s best work, but it isn’t their worst either. This is a middle of the road album, that isn’t as good as the first three discs the band released. Warrant fans will still want to pick this up. All others may want to preview this album on Amazon.com, before buying.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Undertow
2. Followed
3. Family Picnic
4. Sum Of One
5. Chameleon
6. Crawl Space
7. Live Inside Of You
8. High
9. Ride #2
10. Ultraphobic
11. Stronger Now
Warrant is:
Jani Lane – Lead Vocals
Rick Steier – Guitar
Erik Turner – Guitar
Dave White – Keyboards
Jerry Dixon – Bass
James Kottak – Drums
1 Free Downloads by Miss Crazy
Miss Crazy has two free downloads available on their myspace page!
Go download a copy of the new song, Left Me Here to Die, and their cover of the Def Leppard tune, Tear it Down!
0 Video – Def Leppard – No Matter What
In 2006, Def Leppard, covered the Badfinger classic tune, No Matter What, on their cover CD, Yeah.
Check out the video below!
1 Crazy Lixx Has a New Guitarist
After months of searching, Crazy Lixx have found their new guitarist in 19-year old Andy Dawson (Ex-SHARP). “We are very satisfied with our new member. He was our first chioce afer having gone through all the applications that we recieved and we’re completely confident that he will be a worthy successor to Vic Zino.
Andy is a very talented guitar player and despite his young age he has a mature style of playing combined with lots of experience of performing live on stage from his last band SHARP.
In addition, and this is probaly one of the most important aspects for us, he fits perfectly in the group on a personal level; He shares the same visions for Crazy Lixx and will contribute with the same energy and commitment as the rest of us in order to push the band forward. – Danny, Joey & Luke
3 Extreme – S/T (Release Year – 1989)
Extreme’s debut CD hit the hair metal scene in 1989. I always thought their debut CD was a little hit
and miss. There are some good songs, and there are a few tunes that feel like filler material.
The one thing that propels Extreme past many of their peers is the superb guitar work of Nuno Bettencourt. Without Nuno, I often wonder if this band would have been a blip on the musical radar.
Bettencourt adds a funky groove to Extreme’s music that helps seperate them from so many of the bands that oversatured the music scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The band broke out in 1989 with several videos on MTV that launched a fairly solid career for Gary Cherone and company.
This self titled debut isn’t the band’s strongest effort by any means, but it is definitely worth a listen. Check out the songs Wind Me Up, Kid Ego, or the Play With Me, and you will certainly have a rocking good time.
This is one of those discs that you have to get out from time to time, if only to hear Bettencourt shred. His guitar work on Play With Me is worth the price of admission, all by itself.
Extreme has reunited in 2007, and will play the first show of their 2008 tour, at the Rocklahoma music festival in July. For more information on Extreme, check out their myspace page.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Little Girls
2. Wind Me Up
3. Kid Ego
4. Watching, Waiting
5. Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go To School Today)
6. Teacher’s Pet
7. Big Boys Don’t Cry
8. Smoke Signals
9. Flesh ‘N’ Blood
10. Rock A Bye Bye
11. Play With Me
Extreme is:
Gary Cherone – Vocals
Nuno Bettencourt – Guitars
Pat Badger – Bass
Paul Geary – Drums
8 Pretty Boy Floyd – Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz (1989)
It is hard for me to believe that is has almost been 20 years since Pretty Boy Floyd’s debut, Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz. It has been a long time since I listened to this disc, as I only picked up a copy of this CD, only recently. I once owned a copy of this on cassette tape, but that tape bit the dust a long time ago.
I somewhat recall the band having a sound similar to Motley Crue, but aside from the title track, I could not remember much of the album.
Steve Stevens vocals do remind me of Vince Neil’s vocals from the Too Fast For Love album, but I believe the style of music is a little closer to Poison than Motley Crue. I don’t think Pretty Boy Floyd is as good as either of those two bands. I did enjoy their songs, Rock & Roll, the Motley Crue Cover, Toast of the Town, and the title track, Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz, but aside from that, I found this to be fairly standard stuff. This is a CD for hair/glam metal fans only.
Pretty Boy Floyd will reunite for the Rocklahoma Music Festival on Saturday July 12th. If you are looking for a copy of Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz, prior to the show, you can purchase the CD at this link.
For more information on Pretty Boy Floyd, check out the band’s myspace page.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz
2. Rock & Roll
3. Wild Angels
4. 48 Hours
5. Toast of the Town
6. Rock and Roll Outlaws
7. Only the Young
8. Last Kiss
9. Your Mama Won’t Know
10. I Wanna Be With You
11. Slam Dunk
12. She’s My Baby
13. Two Hearts
Pretty Boy Floyd is:
Steve “Sex” Summers – lead Vocals
Kristy “Krash” Majors – guitar
Vinnie Chas – bass
Kari “The Mouth” Kane – drums
2 New Video – Hardcore Superstar – Silence For the Peacefully
Something about this video, Silence For the Peacefully makes me want to see Hardcore Superstar live! They need to come to the U.S. to tour!!
3 New Video – Def Leppard – Nine Lives
Def Leppard has released a new video, for the song Nine Lives. This video also features, Country Music star, Tim McGraw.
0 New Video – Crash Diet – Falling Rain
Check out the latest video by Crash Diet, Falling Rain. This song is on the band’s new CD, The Unattractive Revolution, which is available for purchase here.
0 Motley Crue Colossal Announcement Tonight!
Motley Crue is going to make their “Colossal” announcement tonight at 7 P.M.
They will kick off Cruefest, in support of their new album, The Dirt with the bands Buckcherry, Trapt, Sixx A.M. and Papa Roach. One date in Tampa, Florida, has already been confirmed by Live Nation.
It has been a while since Motley Crue, has released any new tunes. 2005 to be exact, when the band released 2 new songs, and a cover tune, on their Red, White & Crue compiliation.
Here is the video for Sick Love Song!
and here is a preview of the new Motley Crue song, Saints of Los Angeles.
What do you think of the new Crue tunes?
DON’T FORGET TO WATCH MOTLEY CRUE ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, TONIGHT AT 12:05 A.M. EST!!!
18 My Take on Rocklahoma 2008!
Is Rocklahoma 2008 a big music nostalgia fest? Absolutely! Would I want to attend? Yes, without question.
Many of the bands in this 4 day music extravaganza haven’t released any new tunes in years. Would I still want to see them perform? No question about it.
Here is the Thursday Lineup:
LA Guns featuring Tracii Guns
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
House of Lords
Jet Boy
Bret Michaels (headliner)
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
House of Lords
Jet Boy
Bret Michaels (headliner)
Looking at the list of acts above, this lineup may not excite a lot of people, but I would still like to see it. I love Tracii Guns, but I make no bones about it, that I prefer the Phil Lewis version of this band. I wouldn’t go out of my way to see their set.
Chip Z’Nuff mentioned in the Rocklahoma that a new Enuff Z’nuff album is on the way with Jake E. Lee on guitar. I am not sure if Jake E. Lee will be with them at Rocklahoma, but if so, this is a show not to be missed.
I haven’t ever seen Vain live, but I have heard a lot of good things about them. I would be happy to check them out.
House of Lords is still putting out new music, and has a new CD that will hit stores in a couple of weeks. Their last album, World Upside Down was quite good. James Christian is a very good singer, and the band features the talent of axe slinger Jimi Bell. Count me in!
I had the pleasure of seeing Jetboy live in Columbus (See this article for the concert review with videos). The band was excellent alive. I wouldn’t miss this their set for anything.
Tracii Guns mentioned in the Rocklahoma press conference that he hated opening for these guys, as they used to blow him off the stage. Jetboy was originally signed to MCA, and as with most acts on that label, never got the proper support they deserved. They are going to open up a lot of eyes at Rocklahoma.
Bret Michaels mentioned at the press conference that this will be a big show with pyro etc when he closes out on Thursday night. It sounds as if he wants to make this every bit of fun as a Poison show. He also mentioned that a special area will be set up where you can meet him in person, get an autograph, and a picture, and talk music with him. With Rock of Love being the #1 show on cable televison, there will be a lot of people waiting in line to meet Bret, without question. I don’t know much of his solo music, so I can’t say if his solo set is something I would want to check out. I will likely check out his solo disc that is supposed to hit in June.
Strangely enough, most of the bands on the Friday schedule, I have not seen live. For them to all be on the same bill together is quite cool. I wouldn’t want to miss one band on the Friday night line up.
Friday:
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
TBA
Triumph
Extreme
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
TBA
Triumph
Extreme
XYZ was quite similar to Dokken. Terry Ilous said that this will be the first time the band has played together is several years. It should be an interesting set, and it will good to hear some of their tunes again.
Armored Saint is easily the heaviest band on the main stage for the entire 4 day event, and is a no miss act, in my opinion. Their CD, Symbol of Salvation, is still one of my favorites.
Kingdom Come always took a lot of crap for being a Led Zeppelin clone when they first came out. Nonetheless I like their first two CD’s, but I haven’t cared for their more recent material. I am not sure what the lineup will be for this show. I am guessing it will be Lenny Wolf and a bunch of hired hands. I will have to see what I can find out on this one. I have low expectations for this part of the show.
There are plenty of Night Ranger songs that I have enjoyed over the years. They put out a new CD in 2007, which I still haven’t checked out yet. Jack Blades, Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy are a very talented group. I wouldn’t dare miss this set.
Triumph and Extreme are co-headlining Friday night. This is one of the few appearances that Triumph is making
in 2008. Rik Emmett always puts on a good show. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.
Extreme is back together again with Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, and Pat Badger. They are working on new
material for a 2008 release. I would be happy to see Nuno play live, in any capacity. I am glad to see him return to the band that made him famous.
There is also one band that has not been announced for Friday. I am not sure who this will be, but the lineup is already a solid one.
The Saturday Lineup has a lot of question marks for me, but could turn out to be a solid day of rock.
Saturday:
Pretty Boy Floyd
Every Mothers Nightmare
Tora Tora
Black N Blue
Trixter
Kix
Warrant featuring Jani Lane
Cinderella
Pretty Boy Floyd
Every Mothers Nightmare
Tora Tora
Black N Blue
Trixter
Kix
Warrant featuring Jani Lane
Cinderella
My understanding is that Pretty Boy Floyd has completely reunited. This isn’t the watered down version of the band that Steve Summers has been on the road with. If so, then this would be kind of cool to see.
Every Mother’s Nightmare is a complete wild card. The singer, Rick Ruhl, and drummer Jim Phipps are the only remaining members. I like their bluesy Memphis rock, and would like to check them out.
Tora Tora on the other hand is a complete band reunion. I love their two CD’s Surprise Attack, and Wild America.
I have seen them live but it has easily been 18 years ago. They were great then, so I would imagine a solid show by this group. Hopefully their unreleased CD will see the light of day after this.
I never had the opportunity to see Black N’ Blue live, but I have all of their CD’s and would certainly want to check them out. Jamie St. James was pretty good on the last Warrant CD. I don’t know what the lineup will be for this show, but I doubt that Tommy Thayer will be part of it. Gene Simmons owns him now.
I have to admit that I have never been a Trixter fan. I always looked at this band as the New Kids on the Block
with guitars. I thought their music was a little thin back in the day, and seeing them live won’t change my opinion.
I have always liked Kix, and I have seen them live a few times. I have also seen Steve Whiteman’s other band,
Funny Money (which sounds exactly like Kix). It would be cool to hear some Kix tunes live again.
I saw Jani Lane solo in 2007, and he sounded great. I am happy that Warrant is back together again in a full reunion. I have seen them live a few times, and they always put on a good show.
Cinderella is also a band that has always put on an excellent show, each and every time I have seen them. Tom Keifer’s voice is the only thing that is a question mark about this show. The band has been off for a couple of years so I am hopeful that Tom’s voice is back to full strength.
The Sunday lineup is interesting, especially with two times slots still opened. One of these slots is heavily rumored to be Motley Crue. I am not sure of the other one, but wouldn’t be shocked to see Danger Danger get the other slot.
Sunday:
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
Lynch Mob
TBA
Tesla
TBA
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
Lynch Mob
TBA
Tesla
TBA
I doubt a lot of people are going to know Axe. I know the band, but I wouldn’t go out of my to see them play live. I like their tune Rock and Roll Party In the Streets, but that is about it.
Beautiful Creatures have released a couple of CD’s in this decade which is more than a lot of the bands in this music festival can say. Seeing them on the roster has me getting out my CD’s by them again. I would certainly want to check them out.
Zebra is a darkhorse in this lineup. I haven’t seen them live, but I am quite familiar with their music. This could be a good show.
Lynch Mob now features Oni Logan on vocals, Marco Mendoza on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums, and of course George Lynch on guitar. I saw half of this band perform with Whitesnake, and would love to see this lineup in action. Tommy Aldridge is an animal on the drums, and George Lynch needs no introductions. I am interested in hearing his new Scorpion Tales album, but this is a Scorpions cover album. This is quite odd, considering that he hasn’t ever been in the band.
Tesla is the must see band on the Sunday bill. I have seen Tesla twice in the last year, and they were excellent both times. They will easily be the best band on the Sunday lineup (amongst those that have been announced so far.)
The side stages at Rocklahoma has a bunch of darkhorses, and bands that may surprise you.
The lineups look like this:
The Retrospect Records stage includes the following bands: Jester, Sidekixx, air-A-Dice, Front Runner, Tommy Had a Vision, Valor, Gypsy Blue, Whitefoxx, Blue Tiger, Wild August, Messang, Paul Shortino, Mariah, Warryor, Bad Candy,
Lorraine, Nasty Nasty, Real Steel, Cuttlass, Vyper, Mass, Bad Candy, Oney, Strikeforce, Herazz, Reckless, Heartless, Ron Keel, Warryor and Alibi.
I am not familar with most of the bands on the Retrospect stage, aside from: Mariah, Mass, Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, Nasty Nasty and Strikeforce. I would certainly like to
check out some of these acts, although none of these were bands were ever considered A-Listers.
The other stage has Texas Hippie Coalition, Karnevil featuring Dario Lorina, Dirty Penny, Crooked X, Gypsy Pistoleros, Sweet FA, Banshee, Gods of Kansas, Lipstick Magazine, Pownd, Shadowside, Mindflow, Warmachine, Asphalt Valentine, and Krucible featuring Lance King.
The interesting thing about Stage 3 is most of these are all up and coming bands.18 year old Dario Lorina is an amazing guitar player. Look him up on you tube and watch this kid play. He is very good. Karnevil is his new band. I don’t know much about them, but with Lorina on the six string, they will be interesting.
Dirty Penny is one of the better new glam bands out there. They aren’t very original, but their new CD is pretty good.
The Gypsy Pistoleros close out Friday Night on stage three, and they are the must see band in Rocklahoma. The Flamenco twist on their upbeat glam tunes is certainly one that I would like to see.
Sweet FA is the late 80’s/early 90’s hard rock band that reunited in 2007. Their new CD, The Lost Tapes is quite good. I have seen this band live, and I know they are pretty good.
Banshee is another must see band on stage three. They are one of the heavier acts on this stage. If you haven’t heard any of their music, I recommend checking them out. They will surprise you for sure.
Gods of Kansas is a newer band that is starting to make some waves. They are currently playing a bunch of live shows all over the U.S.
Pownd is a newer heavy metal band that is located 2.5 hours down the road from me in Richmond, Kentucky.
Their newest CD is highly rated across the web. I will be reviewing this one soon.
Shadowside and Asphalt Valentine are two of Chavis Records newer bands. Shadowside has one cd out, and one
on the way. Asphalt Valentine is a hard rocking band from Atlanta, GA. Their debut will be released within
the next couple of months. (I will also be checking them out locally in two weeks).
I don’t know the other acts on this stage (Crooked X, Lipstick Magazine, Mindflow, Warmachine, and Krucible) but I will be exploring these bands in the months to come.
As a whole….Rocklahoma offers plenty of Nostalgia, but also a slew of NEW bands trying to make it in the music world. The addition of two more stages in 2008 greatly improves this event over the 2007 show.
I can only hope that I will be able to make the trek there for this show. I can’t imagine missing this event!
6 Rocklahoma Talk……Fact or Fiction?!
The band Strikeforce has been confirmed along with more rumored acts including: Keel, Harraz, Sunday night headliner “Motley Crue“, Bret Michaels, Warrant, L.A. Guns (Paul Black), Jackyl, Tora Tora, Krokus, Black N Blue, Vixen, Grim Reaper, Asphalt Valentine, Triumph and White Lion!
The official announcement is Tuesday March 4th, at 4 P.M. Stay Tuned!!
4 RATT – Out of the Cellar (Release Year -1984)
If you were to ask me what my favorite CD’s of 1984 were, my response would likely be, Van Halen’s 1984, Iron Maiden’s Powerslave, Judas Priest’s Defenders of the Faith, Metallica’s Ride the Lightning, and RATT’s Out of the Cellar. There are probably quite a few others that I am forgetting about. My point is, 1984 was an awesome year for hard rock. In the case of RATT’s Out of the Cellar, this is certainly one of the biggest releases of ’84.
This disc is RATT’s first full length record, and it is a damn good one. With a little help from MTV, the band gained success quickly with their video Round and Round. This song went on to become a hit, and Out of the Cellar ended up with 4 more hits, Wanted Man, Back For More, Lack of Communication and I’m Insane.
Stephen Pearcy’s raspy vocal delivery was unlike anyone at the time, and combined guitar efforts of Warren De Martini and Robbin Crosby were second to none. Whether you have ever liked RATT or not, you can not deny, that Out of the Cellar is the bands’ best release ever.
The band may not be creating new tunes in 2008, but Out of the Cellar stands up well today, and is an instant classic. This CD should be in the hands of every rock fan on the planet.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Wanted Man
2. You’re In Trouble
3. Round And Round
4. In Your Direction
5. She Wants Money
6. Lack Of Communication
7. Back For More
8. The Morning After
9. I’m Insane
10. Scene Of The Crime
Ratt is:
Stephen Pearcy – Vocals
Robbin Crosby – Guitars
Warren De Martini – Guitars
Juan Croucier – Bass
Bobby Blotzer – Drums
6 Classic Video – Whitesnake – Love Ain’t No Stranger
No hard rock band has written about Love more than the band, Whitesnake. Just check the song titles for yourselves. The band has 19 songs with Love in the title, and that doesn’t count Fool For Your Lovin’ which makes 20. I thought some Whitesnake would be appropriate on Valentine’s Day!
The video below is a classic. It features John Sykes on guitar performing Love Ain’t No Stranger in Rio in 1985. Enjoy!
1 Saints of the Underground Coming in April!
Saints of the Underground will be out in April on Warrior Records!
The project featuring Jani Lane from Warrant, Bobby Blotzer and Robbi Crane from Ratt and Keri Kelli from the Alice Cooper band.
4 L.A. Guns at the Blue Note, Cincinnati, Ohio 1/24/08
L.A. Guns brought their 20th Anniversary Tour to The Blue Note in Cincinnati, Ohio last Thursday Night. A couple of bands Session 9, and A Nervous Wreck opened the show, and got the crowd revved for Phil Lewis and company. This night started to look as if it was going to be the third live music debacle of 2008. The band Z02 were supposed to open for L.A. Guns, but
cancelled the day before the show. I was looking forward to seeing this band play live for weeks, so their cancellation came as a disappointment. This was the only thing disppapointing on Thursday Night.
L.A. Guns, featuring Phil Lewis on vocals, Stacey Blades on guitar, Scott Griffin on bass, and Steve Riley on drums, hit the stage at around 11 P.M. and played for a little over an hour. The set contained most of the band’s hits including: Sex Action, Over the Edge, One More Reason, Never Enough, Kiss My Love Goodbye, The Ballad of Jayne, Rip and Tear, Hellraiser’s Ball, and Gypsy Soul.
It was an extremely tight set, and the band seemed to be in top form all night. This is the second time I have seen L.A. Guns over the last few months (you can read about the first show here), but it was definitely the best out of the two shows I have seen.
Phil Lewis still sounds as good as he did 20 years ago. Stacey Blades is an outstanding guitar player. As a whole, L.A Guns still rocks and does it well! The Phil Lewis led L.A. Guns continues to prove that their is only one band that deserves to use the L.A. Guns name. The best one played in Cincinnati Thursday night. The 150 – 200 people that were there for the show, saw a very good night of rock. The turn out for this show was exceptional for a bitter cold Thursday night.
Special thanks to J.T. from Class X Radio for the ticket for this show, and to Paul at TransFusion Productions for bringing L.A. Guns back to the Queen City.
The following videos were below were taken at the show! Enjoy!
1 The Erotics – 30 Seconds Over You (2007)
New York glam/sleaze metal act, The Erotics are one of the many bands that I had the pleasure of seeing live and meeting in 2007.
I have known about these Cruefest veterans for quite a while and have listened to them quite a bit over the last couple of years. Most people are surprised when they find out that 30 Seconds Over You is the bands’ fifth release!
To me, 30 Seconds Over You is the band’s best effort yet. My favorite cuts are All-American Catholic Boy, Teenage Drag Queen, Baby Rock Out and Don’t Make Me Make You.
What does the band sound like? Imagine the bastard child of Alice Cooper singing for L.A.
Guns. It is a sound that is dirty, sleazy, and most importantly kicks ass! The songs sound even better live!
30 Seconds Over You rocks hard all the way through. The production is top notch, and the band is captured in fine form on every tune!
If you take the chance to get to know one new band in 2007, check out the Erotics. They are taking over the state of New York, and soon the world!
You can find the Erotics at their website at this location!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Same Nightmare Everyday
2. Your Mommy Is A Monster
3. 30 Seconds Over You
4. Where The Action Never Stops
5. Don’t Make Me Make You
6. Ain’t Your Fix
7. It’s True
8. Sunshine
9. Baby Rock Out
10. Agony & Xtacy
11. Give In To Your Addiction
12. All-American Catholic Boy
The Erotics are:
Mike Trash – Vocals and Guitar
Billy Bellaire – Bass and backup vocals
Rachel Toxic – Guitars
Johnny Riott – Drums
5 The Velcro Pygmies – American Muscle (2006)
I never expected to find a decent glam metal band in the Bluegrass State. This proves to me that quality glam bands can come from just about anywhere in the world.
Louisville, Kentucky’s Velcro Pygmies have been playing and touring clubs in the south for a few years now.
American Muscle is the band’s second CD, and a pretty good one at that. I can hear some definite Def Leppard and Van Halen influences in the band’s tunes.
There are several great original cuts on this disc as well as a fun cover of Lynyrd
Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.
Fans of 80’s style hard rock are going to love American Muscle. There isn’t a bad song on the disc. American Muscle is filled with songs that have infectious sing along choruses, and heavy guitar riffs. This is an 80’s style glam metal CD disc that simply delivers!
This CD hasn’t left my playlist since I picked up! This CD reminds of an era where music was supposed to be fun. The Velcro Pygmies may not be original, but they most certainly do 80’s style hard rock right! I think most hard rock fans are going to love this disc.
You can check the band out at their myspace page here. You can buy their CD’s at most FYE locations.
The band also has a brand new website, VelcroPygmies.com. Go check them out, you will be glad you did!
The video below is for the song Don’t Call It Love! Enjoy!!
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Sweet Miranda
2. Rich Bitch (All Over You)
3. Building Up To Feel So Good
4. Don’t Call It Love
5. Ready To Go
6. The Punchline of Pretty
7. Beauty In A Box
8. The Best It Ever Gets
9. Get Away
10. Sweet Home Alabama
Velcro Pygmies are:
Cameron Flener – Vocals
Chris Eddins – Drums
Delicious – Guitar
Jason Reed – Bass
Hard Rock Hideout 