Tag: Hard
0 New Video – HARD – Into The Fire
HARD has released a new video, “Into The Fire” in support of their new album, Time is Waiting For No One, that is available from Escape Music. You can buy the CD download at this link.
5 American Dog – Hard (Release Year – 2007)
I like Salty Dog and Michael Hannon’s current band American Dog a lot, so I was looking forward to listening to this CD and it didn’t disappoint. If you liked the Dog’s Red, White Black & Blue disc, you will definitely enjoy Hard. The songs are along the same sound as Shitkicker off the aforementioned disc. This is whiskey soaked, sleazy, hard rock typical of American Dog’s usual style, but this is their best effort yet.
As the name would suggest, “Sometimes you Eat the Pussy” is a great dirty little number with the dirty lyrics to match. “Beaten Broken etc” is a mix of southern-rock/blues/redneck rock and it all works perfectly. “Rock n Roll Dog” has such cheesy yet clever lyrics you can’t help but smirk. In fact all the songs on here are pretty good, nice, loud and pounding beer drinkin’ stuff.
Michael Hannon’s vocals are raw, raunchy and distinctive. The band is tight for a three piece, yet not too polished, with lots of catchy riffs and burning bass lines. It all sounds good. If you like stuff like Nashville Pussy, Circus of Power and even George Thorogood, American Dog is the band for you.
So give the Dog a bone, grab some beer and go Hard with some American Dog. This CD kicks ass!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track List:
01. Bock
02. No Pity
03. Sometimes You Eat The Pussy
04. Another Day In Paradise
05. Hypnotized
06. Long Time Comin’
07. Beaten, Broken, Etc.
08. Rock-N-Roll Dog
09. Spell On Me
10. Little Short
11. Bloodsucker
12. Magnificent Bastard
Band:
Michael Hannon – vocals and electric bass
Steve Theado – guitars and vocals
Keith Pickens – drums
Additional Musicians:
Andrew “The Bastard” Batchelor – keyboards (8 & 12)
Production:
Produced by Joe Viers, Michael Hannon and Steve Theado.
www.americandog.us – www.myspace.com/americandog
Reviewed by Tania
1 Black ‘N Blue – Live in Detroit 1984 (2001)
In 2001, the now defunct Krazy Planet Records released this live Black N’ Blue record, Live in Detroit 1984.
This CD is becoming one of the more rare live recordings that I have come across.
I have been a fan of Black ‘N Blue for a long time, but quite frankly, I don’t think this recording captures the best live show the band has ever done. It does have a few of the bands hits, but it is a short set (less than an hour).
This isn’t a live CD that I will grab for regularly. I prefer the studio cuts over the live version here. This disc turns up on Ebay from time to time, and you can find used copies at amazon. This is a disc that the diehard Black ‘N Blue fans will search for only.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Chains Around Heaven
- Action
- Autoblast
- The Strong Will Rock
- Hold On To 18
- Wicked Bitch
- School of Hard Knocks
- I’m the King
- One For The Money
Black ‘N Blue is:
Jamie St. James – Vocals
Tommy Thayer – Guitar
Jeff Warner- Guitar
Patrick Young – Bass
Pete Holmes – Drums
1 Drowning Pool – Full Circle (Release Year – 2007)
Drowning Pool has released their third disc in 2007, Full Circle. This disc is the first featuring former Soil frontman, Ryan McCombs on vocals.
I have been a fan of this band for a while, and I have enjoyed songs off of their previous releases Sinner, and Desensitized. I believe that Full Circle has surpassed both of those releases, both lyrically and sonically.
Usually, I don’t care for bands with singers who have a throaty singing style, but at times, Ryan McCombs reminds me of former Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley when he sings in his pure voice. His vocal style and sound is a definite improvement for Drowning Pool.
The title track, Full Circle starts this disc off right, with a hard driving tune that should please most head bangers out there. I bet you will find yourself singing “Rise Above You” with your devil horns in the air after a couple of listens.
Enemy is another heavy tune that absolutely crushes. It keeps the pace going nicely.
Shame has very catchy lyrics and reminds me quite a bit of Alice in Chains in style. Great Stuff!
Reborn is a mid tempo rocker that has some very cool guitar work by C.J. Pierce.
The tempo slows down for the song, Reason I’m Alive. This track was written by Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx. It is a cool song that should be a hit for Drowning Pool.
Soldiers is probably my favorite song off of Full Circle so far, and is the first single released by Drowning Pool. This song reminds me of the band’s former hit Bodies, which is very cool.
Paralyzed is another cool, mid tempo number that will likely find its way to radio before long.
Upside Down flat out rocks. This is another song that will get you headbanging quickly.
37 Stitches is another powerful song with major hit potential. You can preview this track below by clicking on the song title.
C.J. Pierce has more killer guitar work on the song No More. Great Stuff!
Love X2 and Duet are the only songs that feel a little like filler to me. Love X2 is the better of the two. 
Yes, you guessed it! Rebel Yell is a remake of the 80’s Billy Idol classic. I really like Drowning Pool’s version on this song. It is a little bit heavier than the original song while staying fairly true to that version.
If you have ever been on the fence with Drowning Pool, you need to give the band a chance. This is by far their finest release. Not only will this appeal to Drowning Pool fans, but fans of Alice in Chains, and fans of 90’s metal. Don’t miss out on this excellent disc.
You can check out more Drowning Pool tunes at the bands’ myspace page here.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Full Circle
2. Enemy
3. Shame
4. Reborn
5. Reason I’m Alive
6. Soldiers
7. Paralyzed
8. Upside Down
9. 37 Stitches
10. No More
11. Love X2
12. Duet
13. Rebell Yell
3 Femme Fatale – S/T (Release Year – 1988)
Several weeks ago, my wife and I made an unplanned stop at a Used CD store that I used to shop at several years ago. Flipping through the bins, the other customers in the store must have thought I won the lottery. I screamed out in delight when I found the self-titled disc by Femme Fatale. (Ok Bob Vinyl, you can laugh now.)
I have been searching for this disc for several weeks, and have been unsuccessful getting a copy off of EBay. I used to own a copy of this on cassette years ago, and never got around to replacing it. In 2007, it is nearly an impossible task with this out of print disc.
Some of you are probably asking, who is Femme Fatale?! This is an 80’s glam metal band that was fronted by singer Lorraine Lewis. The band members are as follow: Mazzi Rawd (Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals), Rick Rael (Bass Guitar and Background Vocals), Bill D’Angelo Lead Guitar and Bobby Murray (Drums and Background Vocals) Femme Fatale’s self titled debut hit #144 on the Billboard chart and spawned a couple of videos on MTV.
Waiting for the Big One
Falling In and Out of Love
Sadly, after the band’s 1989 tour, they split up and were never heard from again. This self
titled effort is a decent but very hard to find pop metal disc.
Usually, I don’t care for bands with a female lead singer, but there are a few exceptions to the rule, and Lorraine Lewis proves to be a very solid vocalist.
The lead guitar work of Bill D’Angelo (R.I.P.) is good, but sometimes sounds constrained. He occasionally gets some good guitar licks in but is unable to cut lose, as quite a few tunes have more of a keyboard focus.
At times, some of the songs on this disc start reminding me of Pat Benatar tunes, which depending on who you ask, is either a compliment or an insult. I think it is a good thing, as very few female rock singers showed their vocal prowess as much as Pat Benatar did in the 80’s.
I prefer the harder rocking tunes on this disc. The best ones are Waiting For the Big One, Falling In & Out of Love, Fortune & Fame, and Heat the Fire.
Is Femme Fatale the best band I have ever heard from the 80’s era of hard rock? Not by a long shot. This CD does have a few good tracks that still sound good in my playlist today.
You can hear more tracks at the band’s myspace page here.
Copies of this turn up on Ebay from time to time, and have hit as high as $30.00. You can also find this disc at GEMM.com. The prices will likely scare away even the most savvy consumer, for this long out of print disc.
Rating:
Out of 10.
Track Listing:
- Waiting for the Big One
- Falling In & Out of Love
- My Baby’s Gun
- Back In Your Arms Again
- Rebel
- Fortune & Fame
- Touch and Go
- If
- Heat the Fire
- Cradle’s Rockin
1 3 Legged Dogg – Frozen Summer (Release Year – 2006)
Carlos Cavazo returned in 2006 in a heavy metal, supergroup called 3 Legged Dogg.
This band features the talent of Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath) on drums, Jimmy Bain (DIO) on bass, Chaz West (Bonham) on vocals and Brian Young (David Lee Roth) on guitars. This disc also features 4 tracks produced by former Dokken bass player Jeff Pilson.
Frozen Summer may be short (only 8 songs, 33 minutes), but it does not lack punch. This may be some of the heaviest music you have ever heard Carlos Cavazo perform on to date. This music is riff and bass heavy. The Black Sabbath influence is very easy to pick up on. Chaz West sings his ass off. I don’t remember him sounding this good with Bonham.
XM41, the Boneyard broke out Frozen Summer a few months ago. I heard this track once, and started looking for this disc. This is a heavy track and very killer stuff!
The band recently released a video for Give and Take Away. I like this track more and more with every listen. The Sabbath style heaviness shows itself well on this track.
Rain on My Parade is a low tempo number where Chaz West’s voice really shines. You have to crank this one up to fully appreciate it.
One Good Reason is one of those excellent metal tracks that ignites your soul and makes you want to throw your fists in the air, with your mano cornuta’s extended for the world to see.
Wasted Life has a little bit of blues fused into the music with Chaz West playing the harmonica. No, this doesn’t sound like a Dave Matthews song. This is some classic metal fused with a little bit of blues. The end result is another whiplash-creating, head-banging tune.
The rhythm section of Appice and Bain really shine on the song, Long Way Back From Hell. This is a mid tempo number that really sounds great.
Man oh mercy, the music on Left for Dead is so good, it is crazy. There are great vocals by Chaz West, and the whole band sounds amazing.
Bring the Hammer Down is the only song on Frozen Summer that I couldn’t really get into.
With Frozen Summer you get quality over quantity. I am a big Black Sabbath fan, and I loved hearing the Sabbath influence in these tunes. I can only hope that these guys get together and do a longer disc at some time in the future. 3 Legged Dogg’s debut totally rocks, and has only left me wanting more. For more info on 3 Legged Dogg, check out the band’s myspace page here.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Frozen Summer
2. Give and Take Away
3. Rain on My Parade
4. One Good Reason
5. Wasted Life
6. Long Way Back from Hell
7. Left for Dead
8. Bring the Hammer Down
3 Legged Dogg is:
Chaz West – Vocals
Vinny Appice – Drums
Jimmy Bain – Bass
Carlos Cavazo – Guitars
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
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
3 Europe – Secret Society (Release Year – 2006)
Wow…this is a pretty tough CD to review. Fans of late 80’s and early 90’s Europe may find this release a little shocking.
Secret Society has a similar sound to Start From the Dark. There are a few modern rock almost Nu-metal sounding songs.
A couple of times, I had to check the credits to see if Joey Tempest was singing. His powerhouse vocals were so toned down, it didn’t sound like the same singer. At times he sings, what seems like, an octave lower than normal.
Personally, I think Joey is one of the the best singers out there. Why would they want to mess with his voice? It is a powerful instrument that they seemed to tone down this time around.
So how are the songs? If you can get past the initial shock of an almost 180 in sound from the late 80’s and 90’s version of Europe, you might actually like this. I am actually liking it more with each listen. John Norum plays like a madman on this disc. I always new he was a good guitarist, but he picked it up big time on Secret Society.
Here is a breakdown of the tracks:
Secret Society is the first track that may make you say….wtf?! Toned down vocals but excellent guitar work. It doesn’t sound like the Europe I was most familiar with, but its a good song. Norum starts slinging his axe around quickly and sets the tempo for this record.
Joey Tempest starts to sound like himself more on Always the Pretenders. This song still has the modern rock, heavy bass feel to it. It is a pretty good track. I could see this as being a hit in the United States, if they ever would play real rock on the radio.
The Getaway Plan is a more of the modern rock, heavy bass again. This song nearly ventures into the Soundgarden territory, then jumps back out of it again, as soon as Norum starts playing. It is my least favorite track so far, but it isn’t a bad song by any means.
The pace slows down with Wish I Could Believe. This song is really growing on me. This is a well written song. Tempest and Norum both sound great.
Let the Children Play is an interesting track that almost ventures into the Nu Metal area. This is another well written and Tempest sounds pretty decent here. The song finishes with kids singing the Chorus with Tempest. It sounds better than I can describe it. You have to listen to this song to understand it.
Human After All is another mid tempo modern rocker. There is plenty of noodling by Norum here. At this point, this song is starting to sound too much like some of the others on the disc. It isn’t a stand out track to me by any means.
Ah yes………Love is Not the Enemy picks up the tempo. I really like the groove to this song. This is a great track!
A Mother’s Son starts with some piano playing, and ventures into a low tempo modern rock song. This isn’t my cup of tea, but I can see that some people may like this track. It isn’t a bad song, but it is one that I will probably skip while playing this disc.
Forever Travelling is another mid tempo song. It is just an ok track.
Brave and Beautiful Soul almost comes across sounding like a U2 track. I like U2, but I am not sure if I like Europe sounding like U2. Another track that I am not crazy about.
I was hoping that Europe would close this disc with a powerful and high tempo rocker. Devil Sings the Blues is that same mid tempo modern rock formula that the rest of the songs on this disc have. Once again, it isn’t a bad track, but it isn’t great either.
If you are looking for the Final Countdown 2006 style, you aren’t going to hear it on this record. If you can listen to Secret Society with an open mind, you may enjoy it. This is one of those CD that is pretty good through the first half and kind falls off about midway through the disc. Nonetheless, it is another solid effort from Europe.
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Secret Society
- Always the Pretenders
- The Getaway Plan
- Wish I could Believe
- Let the Children Play
- Human After All
- Love is not the Enemy
- Mother’s Son
- Forever Travelling
- Brave and Beautiful Soul
- Devil Sings the Blues
This video will give you a minor taste of the Europe 2006 sound.
2 Black Label Society – Shot to Hell (Release Year – 2006)
How does Zakk Wylde do it? Each year he chugs out another quality CD.
Shot to Hell is no exception in the quality dept.
This CD sounds like it could be Mafia part 2 in many cases, with the exception that it has more slower tracks than its predecessor. Aside from that, Zakk’s vocals and guitar style is virtually unchanged, and that is a good thing. I guess if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. The BLS formula seems to work.
Several quality tracks and a only a 2 or 3 that I would consider fillers. If you liked Mafia, chances are you will enjoy Shot to Hell as well. Fans needing a heavy yet melodic hard rock CD should give this one a look. For Black Label Society fans, its a no brainer, pick this up!
Track Listing:
- Concrete Jungle*
- Black Mass Reverends*
- Blacked Out World
- The Last Goodbye*
- Give Yourself to Me
- Nothing is the Same
- Hell is High
- New Religion*
- Sick of it All
- Faith is Blind
- Blood is Thicker that Water*
- Devil’s Dime
- Lead Me to Your Door
Black Label Society is:
Zakk Wylde – Vocals, Lead Guitars, Rhythm Guitars, Piano, Keyboards
John DeServio – Bass Guitars
Craig Nunenmacher – Drums
Nick Catanese – Rhythm Guitars
0 Black Label Society – Mafia (Release Year – 2005)
I find myself gravitating towards this CD more often lately, so I thought I would give my 2 cents on it.
Zakk Wylde’s voice used to annoy the crap out of me, and thanks to my mp3 player, I have grown to like it after a few spins.
Listening to Mafia, the Black Sabbath and Ozzy influences run rapid throughout the CD. Not only does Zakk approach his vocals in a similar method to Ozzy, sometimes his guitars seem to have that dark, Iommi/Black Sabbath approach.
Even when Zakk slows it down, he crafts some great songs. Mafia has quite a few stand out tracks! Fire It Up, Suicide Messiah, In this River (written for Zakk’s buddy Dimebag Darrell) are my personal favorites. There are quite a few decent tracks on Mafia worth spinning this disc for.
It may take a couple of listens to really get into this CD, but I believe this is one of the top Metal releases of 2005.
Great Stuff!
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Fire it Up*
- What’s in You
- Suicide Messiah*
- Forever Down*
- In This River*
- You Must Be Blind
- Death March
- Dr. Octavia
- Say What you Will
- Too Tough to Die
- Electric HellFire*
- Spread Your Wings
- Been A Long Time*
- Dirt On the Grave*
- I Never Dreamed
*Best Tracks
Black Label Society is:
James LoMenzo – Bass, Vocals
Craig Nunenmacher – Drums, Shaker
Zakk Wylde – Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Piano, Vocals
9 Black Stone Cherry – S/T (Release Year – 2006)
Black Stone Cherry is quite simply at the top of my list for best new band in 2006. I discovered these guys only because I saw they were opening for Black Label Society. I found their website, listened to two songs and went out and bought the CD immediately.
The only way I can describe these Kentucky rockers is a cross between Skynyrd and Metallica. They are definitely harder and faster than Skynyrd for those that are wondering.
There are so many great tracks on this CD, I don’t even know where to begin.
My favorites change from day to day, but currently, they are Lonely Train, Violator Girl and Hell or High Water.
This is head banging, heavy southern rock! This CD is so damn good, you need to sign off the net now and get to your local CD shop and pick this up!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Rain Wizard
- Backwoods Gold*
- Lonely Train*
- Maybe Someday*
- When the Weight Comes Down*
- Crosstown Woman
- Shooting Star
- Hell and High Water
- Shapes of Things
- Violator Girl*
- Tired of the Rain
- Drive
- Rollin On
*best tracks
Black Stone Cherry is:
Chris Robertson – (vocals/guitar)
Ben Wells – (guitar/vocals)
Jon Lawhon – (bass/vocals)
John Fred Young – (drums/vocals)
