Tag: Tom Keifer
9 Hard Rock Hideout’s Top 10 Hard Rock & Metal Albums for 2013
There were a bunch of great releases in 2013 and each year it seems harder and harder to pick the 10 best. Ryo Vie and I have listed our 10 best hard rock and metal albums of 2013. Agree or Disagree? Let us know what your picks are in the comments below!!
Rob Rockitt’s Top Hard Rock & Metal Albums of 2013
I am glad 2013 is now in our rear view mirror. 2013 has hung heavily over my family on the injury and overall health and wellness. Not only has it affected my family members, I laid to rest two of my furry family members, Jake & Mia. On the music front, 2013 was pretty good. maybe not as strong as some of the recent past years. That doesn’t mean we were without quality music. There was a lot of great music that was released, and 2014 looks to be another great year for hard rock & metal music.
10. Death Angel – The Dream Calls for Blood
It had to happen sooner or later…. a band has out-thrashed the Big 4. Death Angel’s The Dream Calls For Blood is the best thrash metal album of 2013. When I first heard the title track “The Dream Calls For Blood” I was immediately hooked. This album is heavy, dark and sometimes brutal. It is Bay Area metal at its finest. This album also has a killer cover of Black Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell”.
9. Motörhead – Aftershock
You have heard one Motörhead, you have heard them all right? WRONG! Lemmy Kilmister and company prove they have plenty of fire left in them, and have crafted one of their best albums to date. I have all of 21 of their albums, and I have found Aftershock to be completely satisfying. Lemmy pulls out a bunch of new riffs for Aftershock, making this one of the most surprising albums of 2013. Fair warning, you may want to set your cruise control if playing this album while driving. It may be hazardous to your driving record.
8. Michael Monroe – Horns & Halos
Michael Monroe has done it again with his latest effort Horns & Halos. Monroe has crafted another great album. Horns & Halos is a little more punky and a little less glammy than 2011’s Sensory Overdrive, but it is a solid album all the way through.
07. Alter Bridge – Fortress
Man oh man, Alter Bridge quietly released their new album Fortress in October.With their album Blackbird being so great, I thought ABIII (2010) was a step backward for Alter Bridge. The band righted any wrongs with their new album Fortress. Fortress is Alter Bridge’s heaviest album to date. Myles Kennedy dishes out some powerful vocals, and Mark Tremonti’s riffs are drifting ever so closer to his metal roots.(Check out the video for Addicted to Pain below) Fortress is another one of 2013’s great surprises.
06. Stryper – No More Hell To Pay
If someone would have told me Stryper would release one of their best albums in 2013, I wouldn’t have believed it, but that is exactly what happened. No More Hell To Pay is packed with heavy riffs,and the fantastic vocals of Michael Sweet. No More Hell To Pay is one of Stryper’s heaviest albums, and packed with great songs. I am hopeful to see Stryper perform some of these in 2014. That would be a real treat!
05. Black Sabbath – 13
While the drama between Bill Ward and Black Sabbath continues, one thing is for certain, 13 is the strongest albums that Sabbath has ever released, and definitely one of the strongest with Ozzy Osbourne singing. If you didn’t pick up the bonus edition CD of 13 (available at Best Buy), you missed out one not one, but three killer Sabbath songs “Methademic”, “Peace of Mind” and “Pariah”. “Methademic” was a staple in Sabbath’s concert list this summer.
04. Tom Keifer – The Way Life Goes
Tom Keifer worked on his solo album for many years before finally releasing The Way Life Goes in 2013. The wait was well worth it, as the Cinderella front man has turned in one of 2013’s best rock albums. Getting to see Tom perform with his solo band was one of my favorite concert moments of 2013 too.
03. Airbourne – Black Dog Barking
Sooner or later, Airbourne is going to get the respect they deserve. The band released their third and arguably best album in 2013. This album has gotten countless plays from me in 2013, and will continue to be played for many years to come.
02. Winery Dogs – S/T
Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy, Richie Kotzen are some of the best hard rock musicians to ever grace the stage. With this in mind, I knew the Winery Dogs album would have to be awesome, and it is. Great songs, vocals and musicianship. The Winery Dogs are a dream band for any hard rock fan and should not be missed.
01. Brand New Machine- The Devil Made Me Do It
Sometimes simple is better…. Ever since I stumbled upon this album by complete accident in August of this year while music shopping with my buddy Ryo Vie, I have not been able to stop listening to The Devil Made Me Do It. Former Beautiful Creatures guitarist Michael Thomas has breathed some serious life into Brand New Machine. I am a sucker for good old 80’s style sleaze rock and The Devil Made Me Do It delivers from beginning to end. Check out the clips below and buy the album here!!
There were so many great albums in 2013, it wouldn’t be fair to not mention those albums that nearly made my top list. All of the albums below are very worthy of your hard earned dollars.
Age of Days – Radioactivity
Avenged Sevenfold – Hail To The King
Buckcherry – Confessions
Deep Purple – Now What?
Krokus – Dirty Dynamite
Megadeth – Super Collider
Pop Evil – Onyx
Sammy Hagar – Sammy Hagar & Friends
Sideburn – Electricity
Skillet – Rise
Suicidal Tendencies – 13
Voodoo Circle – More Than One Way Home
Ryo Vie’s 10 Favorite Hard Rock Albums For 2013
Another year is over. A new one has just begun. 2013 was a solid year for hard rock music lovers. Some exceptional albums were released by new comers, young stars, and the royal guard of the past. We were blessed with new music from Pearl Jam, Black Sabbath, and the return of Suicidal Tendencies.
Young bands like Pop Evil and Five Finger Death Punch released their best material to date. And a new band put out one incredible record. All in all 2013 was a fantastic year for music. We can only hope that 2014 will be just as great. And as we look forward to the new releases of 2014, let’s take a moment to reflect on the best releases of the past year. Here’s Ryo’s picks for the 10 best hard rock albums of 2013.
“Suicidal’s back, Suicidal’s back!” So sang Cyko Miko on the latest Suicidal Tendencies record, 13. This was a fantastic record that heralded the return of one of the best hard rocking bands around. 13 was a solid release that made me glad Suicidal Tendencies were back in action. Layered with multiple infectious grooves, powerful hooks, heavy guitars, and lots of funk and fun, 13 is a powerful album that takes the listener on a journey of musical styles with thrash always remaining as the main focus. Suicidal is back indeed— and we couldn’t be happier.
09. Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1
2013 was a very good year for Five Finger Death Punch. They released two terrific albums in the span of 10 weeks and both charted high on the Billboard charts, deservedly so. Both albums are exceptional works of art, and worthy of multiple listens. Volume One was an enjoyable, unexpected delight that really caught my ear and got my attention. And it was only the beginning of what was to come for this band in 2013. However, if this was the only record the band put out, it would have been good enough. Thankfully for hard rockers everywhere, Five Finger Death Punch wasn’t stopping at just one.
08. Hell Or Highwater – Begin Again
Atreyu drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller’s side project released one hell of a record this year. Begin Again is a stellar modern rock album packed with gems. The album had plenty of staying power and longevity and I found myself returning to it again and again as the year went on. That’s always the sign of an amazing record, which is just what Begin Again is. If this album somehow passed you by, I still recommend that you seek it out.
It was nice to see Buckcherry back with a new record in 2013. Most people may have forgotten about this album since it came out so early in the year (early January) and that’s a real shame, because Confessions is a strong record filled with enjoyable songs that rock eardrums hard. It was interesting to see Buckcherry put together a themed album, and they pulled it off, delivering a grand collection of songs on Confessions. I still listen to “Wrath” on a regular basis and it has become one of my favorite Buckcherry songs, up there with “Lit Up.” Yes, I did just state that.
06. Tom Keifer – The Way Life Goes
No Cinderella? No problem. Tom Keifer went solo and released the biggest surprise of 2013 with The Way Life Goes. I had no expectations when this record was released, and it absolutely blew my mind. After all that he has been through, it was amazing to see Tom Keifer can still make meaningful music, and that his voice still sounds as terrific as ever. It may be the best he’s ever sounded. The Way Life Goes has me hopeful to see Mr. Keifer at some of the festivals this year, particularly M3. With or without Cinderella, Tom Keifer is a force, and The Way Life Goes proves it.
The godfathers of heavy metal reunited (sans Bill Ward) and released a record. 13 is bound to be on everyone’s top 10 list this year, simply because it’s Black Sabbath and that creates a lot of exposure. However, the record deserves to be on most top 10 lists because it’s a spectacular album. Returning to the early sound of Black Sabbath (from their debut release), 13 is a mind trip of amazing music performed by real heavy metal pioneers. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne worked hard to create a sound that was true Black Sabbath—and they succeeded marvelously. 13 is a magnificent release and one that any hard rock fan should own.
04. Avenged Sevenfold – Hail To The King
Avenged Sevenfold just keeps getting better and better with every record they release. If there is any successor to the great Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold are it. Their music is complex, layered in multiple guitar riffs, complicated drum beats, and heavy bass lines that pull every note together into a harmony of joyful sound. Hail To The King is certainly Avenged Sevenfold’s best album yet and catapults the band to the next level of greatness. If you haven’t spent much time with Avenged, or if you don’t own any of their albums, Hail To The King is a great place to start.
2013 was a good year for Pop Evil fans. The band continued their endless touring opening for any band that would have them, their live act became better than it ever has been, and they released their hardest album to date, Onyx. I admit, it took me a few spins to get into Onyx, but once I did, I couldn’t get out. I still listen to this album on a weekly basis and continue to find new parts to fall in love with. Pop Evil worked hard to get away from the acoustic ballads they were becoming known for and went to a much darker place. The result was magnificent and Onyx was a serious contender for best album of 2013.
02. Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt
As is usually the case when Pearl Jam releases a new record, expectations were high. It had been four years since their last release, which was scattered at best. Many fans were wondering if Pearl Jam still had the goods and if they did, could they still deliver. And then the band released the first single, “Mind Your Manners.” Most doubts were squashed right there. Then the band released their next single, “Sirens.” Even critics jaws dropped at that point. “Sirens” is one of the best Pearl Jam songs ever recorded, and Lightning Bolt is one of the band’s best records ever released. In 2013, only one band could make a record better than Lightning Bolt.
01. Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2
When a band has two albums in a top 10 list for one year, it’s obvious that the band has had one magnificent year. Such is the case for Five Finger Death Punch. After the release of Volume 1, I was curious to see what Volume 2 would bring, but felt there was no way it would be better. I have never been more wrong about an album in my life. Volume 2 is one of the greatest records I have ever heard. It blends the perfect mix of hard, heavy, angry, introspective, and soft at just the right times. Volume 2 contains power, emotion, and a level of magnificence that is hard to find on a record. Without question, if you only purchase one release from 2013, The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 2 has to be it. It will be a long time before you hear a better record.
0 TOM KEIFER DELIVERS POWERFUL PERFORMANCE OF FIRST SINGLE “SOLID GROUND” ON LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist TOM KEIFER was the musical guest on CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” last night (Tuesday, June 18). Click here to watch the powerful performance of his first single “Solid Ground”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyay258to7M
Tom Keifer is currently out on his first ever solo tour supporting the effort.
0 TOM KEIFER CONFIRMED MUSICAL GUEST ON LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN TONIGHT
5 Tom Keifer – The Way Life Goes (2013)
When I first caught wind of Tom Keifer working on a solo album , I was excited that new tunes would be coming from the Cinderella front man. That was four years ago! Mr. Keifer has been working on They Way Life Goes for a long time. I can gladly say that good things come to those who wait. The Way Life Goes is one of Tom’s most brilliant pieces of work, and possibly his best song writing since Cinderella’s Long Cold Winter. It really is that good.
The Way Life Goes is NOT a hard rock record by any means. It is an honest to goodness rock record, with elements of blues, a little bit of country, and some hard rock moments as well. I was fortunate enough to experience some of the songs on this record live on Tom’s tour a couple of months ago, and I really enjoyed what I heard. I knew then that this album may be something special, but I wasn’t expecting it to be THIS good. This CD has been on constant repeat since I picked it up a week ago.
There are so many good songs on The Way Life Goes, it is hard for me to pinpoint a favorite, but “Thick and Thin” and “Ask Me Yesterday” are songs that really get me thinking. I love the harder rocking moments of the songs “Solid Ground”, “Mood Elevator” and “Welcome To My Mind”. “The Flower Song” is a terrific song to put the convertible top down on a sunny afternoon and enjoy the day. “You Showed Me” has a bit of a Beatle-esque quality to it. This is another tremendous song that deserves a ton of airplay. “Ain’t That A Bitch” is a cool bluesy rocker that has a 70’s type of feel to it.
The fact is, there is NOT one bad song on this CD. The songs on The Way Life Goes are arranged in a way that keeps the album flowing and interesting.
Fantastic song writing, and outstanding playing fill The Way Life Goes and Tom Keifer’s voice has never sounded better! If you buy one CD in 2013, this is the one to get!
I can’t recommend this enough! This is easily one of the best releases of the year! Don’t miss this!!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
l. Solid Ground
2. A Different Light
3. It’s Not Enough
4. Cold Day In Hell
5. Thick And Thin
6. Ask Me Yesterday
7. Fools Paradise
8. The Flower Song
9. Mood Elevator
10. Welcome To My Mind
11. You Showed Me
12. Ain’t That A Bitch
13. The Way Life Goes
14. Babylon
Tom Keifer – Vocals, Background Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar, Keyboards
Greg Morrow – Drums & Percussion
Michael Rhodes – Bass
Tony Harnell – Piano, B3, Wurlitzer, Clavinet
Background Vocals – Etta Britt, Crystal Taliaferro, Savannah Keifer,Vicki Carraco, Kent Agee, Chuck Turner
Additional Guitars – Ron Wallace, Pat Buchanan, Jeff Labar
Saxophone -Bobby Keys, Jim Horne
Midi Programming & Strings – Mitch Goldfarb, Blair Daly
4 Tom Keifer at The 20th Century Theater – Cincinnati, Ohio – 2/27/13
Tom Keifer came to the 20th Century Theater last Wednesday night. It was the second to last night of Tom’s solo tour, and quite frankly I didn’t know what to expect. It has been a few years since I have seen Tom perform with Cinderella. It was 2010 at the M3 Rock Festival to be exact. That was a killer show then, and as many times as I have seen Cinderella perform, the band, and more importantly Tom Keifer has never disappointed me.
I still remember the first time I saw the band play back in ’87, and won’t ever forget it. I remember the long line that I waited in for tickets at the now defunct Ticketron for the Cinderella/ Bon Jovi show. The line extended halfway around the mall. The fans in line were quickly disappointed when it was announced that the show sold out, but a second show was quickly announced. In my eyes, and ears, Cinderella blew Bon Jovi off the stage, and I fell in love with the band from that day forward.
Night Songs may have gotten Cinderella in the door for me, but it was Tom Keifer’s song writing and blusier material on Cinderella’s later albums that had me coming back for more and more.
Last Wednesday night’s show was a pleasant surprise. Keifer’s set was a good mix of Cinderella songs, and Tom Keifer’s solo material from his up and coming album The Way Life Goes (due out April 30th). Tom’s history with his vocal surgeries is well documented. Well believe me when I say, Tom Keifer has never looked or sounded better than he did last Wednesday night. His voice is in fine form, and he can still pull off all of those trademark screams that he is known for in Cinderella.
As far as the new music? Tom’s solo material is a little more bluesy than Cinderella’s style of hard rock, but it awesome nonetheless. My current favorite from the new set was “Ask Me Yesterday”, but I truly loved all of the new songs. It almost seems unfair that we have to wait until April to purchase his new CD.
Tom’s solo band has quite a few music vets including Paul Taylor from Winger (keyboards, and Paul Simmons (Petra, Reverend Horton Heat, Black Oak Arkansas), and rounded out by Tony Higbee (guitar) and Billy Mercer (bass). I thought it was a very nice touch for Tom to bring out his wife Savannah Snow to help sing some of the songs that she co-wrote on the new album. It was also cool to see Paul Taylor again. I haven’t seen him play since the 90’s (with Winger).
I loved the storyteller aspect of the show, where Tom talked about the song writing of several of his classic and soon to be released tunes. I also enjoyed the nice twist that Mr. Keifer company put on Cinderella’s trademark hit “Shake Me”, as well as the other songs performed this night.
As a whole, it was a tremendous night of rock and roll. I am quite glad that I got to see Tom perform again. I hope Tom Keifer will schedule more dates in the spring and summer to support his new album. The new songs are outstanding and need to be experienced in a live setting.
Don’t forget to pick up The Way Life Goes when it is released April 30th!
The Set List for the show was:
Sick for the Cure
Ain’t That A Bitch
A Different Light
Shake Me
Ask Me Yesterday
The Flower Song
One For Rock and Roll
Solid Ground
Cold Day In Hell
Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)
Coming Home
Shelter Me
Encore:
Little Help From My Friends
Gypsy Road
0 TOM KEIFER EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE OF “THE FLOWER SONG”
2 TOM KEIFER Set To Launch First-Ever Solo Tour In Support Of ‘The Way Life Goes,’ Debut Solo Album Due Out April 30
0 Cinderella At the M3 Rock Festival
Which Cinderella we were going to get at the M3 Rock Festival was anyone’s guess. Poor Tom Keifer has been through so many vocal surgeries, and has had so many issues with his voice in the past, it doesn’t seem fair. A few years ago, when Cinderella last toured, Tom’s voice was not at its best, and a lot of folks were disappointed with some of the band’s live shows. With the band back on tour in 2010, I assumed that Tom was 100 % again, but didn’t know until he took the stage.
For the fans at the M3 Rock Festival, they got to see Tom Keifer in fine form. He looked and sounded great, and overall Cinderella put on a pretty tight set that included the songs, “Shake Me”, “Nobody’s Fool”, “Night Songs”, “Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart At the Seams”, “Gypsy Road”, “Don’t Know What You Got (‘Til It’s Gone”, “Somebody Save Me”, “Coming Home” & “Heartbreak Station”. I am thankful that Cinderella is back in action, and sounding better than ever. In my opinion, Tom Keifer has one of the coolest, more unique voices in rock. I am very glad I got to see him sing again. My only disappointment with this show, was that Cinderella didn’t do one of my favorite songs of theirs, “Long Cold Winter”. Aside from that, I thought they were very good live.
I am hopeful that Cinderella will put out some new music in the career, although they have no current plans to record anything new. Thankfully, you will have several chances to catch them on tour this year, with the Scorpions!
1 Cinderella’s Live At the Mohegan Due in November! Audio Samples Available!
Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing of Hard Rock icons CINDERELLA for the European release on the “Live at the Mohegan Sun” album on November 6th 2009.
Featuring the all original line-up of Tom Keifer (vocals, guitar), Eric Brittingham (bass), Jeff LaBar (guitar) and Fred Coury (drums), the show was recorded during the VH1 sponsored “Rock Never Stops” package tour, which Cinderella headlined, supported by Ratt, Quiet Riot and Firehouse. The concert was held in Uncasville, Connecticut on July 21, 2005 is now officially and integrally released in Europe as an appetizer to the ultimate live return of the band on the European soil, which is planned for the year 2010!
Formed in Philadelphia in 1983 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham, they quickly added guitarist Jeff LaBar to the line-up. With Jody Cortez completing the band on drums, Cinderella started to write and perform original material in clubs and bars in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, until Jon Bon Jovi caught one of the performances and alerted his record company, Mercury, who immediately signed the band. Cinderella’s debut album “Night Songs”, was released in June 1986 and went on to sell over 3 million units, sporting such singles as “Shake Me“, “Nobody’s Fool” and “Somebody Save Me”. Fred Coury replaced Cortez prior to the release of “Night Songs” and the band has remained unchanged since.
Two years later Cinderella returned with their second album, “Long Cold Winter”. The record was another huge success, selling in excess of 3 million copies with tracks like ”Gypsy Road” and “Don’t Know What You Got (‘Til Its Gone)” becoming soon fan favourites.
Their third album, “Heartbreak Station”, was released in 1990 followed by “Still Climbing” in 1994. The later two albums featured songs more influenced by Keifer’s love of the blues. Cinderella disbanded in 1995 but by 1998, there was interest by promoters for Cinderella to reunite in the original lineup for a tour. Cinderella were later signed to Sony’s Portrait label by famed record executive John Kalodner, however the lack of success of the label’s initial releases brought the cancellation of the deal as the label folded.
Nevertheless, a faithful fan base supported the continued road work by the band, which reunited again in the summer of 2000 for a tour with Poison, followed by a second outing by the two groups in 2002 and regular live activity until 2006 which will be finally resumed during next year. Get ready for the return of Cinderella!
Final tracklisting of “Live at the Mohegan Sun” includes:
Intro; Night Songs; The Last Mile; Somebody Save Me; Heartbreak Station; Coming Home; Shelter Me; Nobody’s Fool; Gypsy Road; Don’t Know What You Got (‘Till It’s Gone); Shake Me; Fallin’ Apart At The Seams*; Push Push*; Still Climbing*.
(*) Bonus Tracks available on the first pressing in digipak!