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Posts By Brian Basher
0 Hard-partying band Hinder goes “To the Limit”
Hinder drummer Cody Hanson and his bandmates just bought 120 bottles of Jagermeister, the 70-proof German spirit. The Oklahoma City rock quintet recently installed a Jagermeister machine on its tour bus.
“It’s just a machine with three bottles that go in upside down,” Hanson says. “It keeps them at the perfect temperature, right above freezing.”
It should come in handy for Hinder’s upcoming headlining club tour, which is sponsored by the liquor company. On the road, the band guzzles about five bottles of Jager per night, the drummer estimates. “We’re partying and sharing a couple of them,” he says, “but for the most part we’re basically killing ourselves. It’s a good time, so it’s worth it.”
The party hasn’t stopped since the release of Hinder’s 2005 debut album, “Extreme Behavior,” which has sold 2.7 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. And after more than two years of touring to support the album, which featured crossover radio hit “Lips of an Angel,” Hinder will attempt to keep the momentum going with “Take It to the Limit,” due November 4 on Universal Republic.
“It’s definitely round two,” Hinder singer Austin Winkler says. “We got a little taste of what it’s like and what our lives can be like on the road with ‘Extreme Behavior,’ and we want to take it to the next step.”
‘THEY LIKE TO HAVE FUN’
For “Take It to the Limit,” the group — Hanson, Winkler, bassist Mike Rodden and guitarists Joe “Blower” Garvey and Mark King — is connecting with its core rock fan base by selecting in-your-face track “Use Me” as its first radio single. The song is No. 4 this week on the Mainstream Rock chart. Second single “Without You” is an acoustic-tinged ballad.
Hinder’s male fans should be pleased with the “Take It to the Limit” cover art: a photo of the quintet posing in front of a multimillion-dollar mansion and a bevy of Playboy Playmates. The album will be available in two versions: PG- and X-rated. Both feature the same cover, but the X-rated album, tagged with a warning sticker, contains photos inside of nude Playmates.
“It’s a little twist to remind people that this is a rock band and they like to have fun,” manager Kevin “Chief” Zaruk says. “It’s shot very tastefully.”
In another attempt to reach its rock demographic, Hinder has been releasing monthly webisodes about life on the road and the making of “Take It to the Limit” to various rock sites, including ultimate-guitar.com, artistdirect.com, tunelabmusic.com, cagerattle.com, dailymotion.com and the about.com rock page.
The group launched the 35-plus-date Jagermeister Music tour October 24 with support from hard rock groupsRev Theory and Trapt. The U.S. trek will visit 1,000- to 2,000-capacity venues through the end of the year.
Most of the new album was written on the road. Primary songwriters Winkler and Hanson agree that “Take It to the Limit” is “a little more old-school-sounding” than “Extreme Behavior.”
“You can see our influences come out,” Hanson says, citing acts like Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi. “We do some things that haven’t been done in a while, as far as the big gang vocals and hooks that you used to hear back in the day from our favorite rock bands.”
BAD BOYS OF ROCK
It’s been three years since Hinder’s last album, but through extensive touring alongside such acts asNickelback, 3 Doors Down, Aerosmith, Staind and Godsmack, the group has managed to remain in the public eye.
In 2007, Hinder grossed $4.4 million and drew more than 171,000 fans to 54 headlining concerts, according to Billboard Boxscore. A significant amount of those earnings came from last summer’s Bad Boys of Rock amphitheater tour, which also featured support acts Buckcherry and Papa Roach.
Hinder’s first road success began in markets around the band’s home. In the months following the release of “Extreme Behavior,” the act primarily performed in Midwest and Southern markets. The band received a branding boost from adult film company Girls Gone Wild during a four-week winter club tour in 2006, with video crews filming the group and its college-leaning audiences.
Zaruk says the Girls Gone Wild trek was a blatant attempt to inform radio stations and press outlets that Hinder was a rock act. “We didn’t want to sugarcoat it or hide the fact that they were an old-school rock band that has great songs and want to have fun,” he says. “If there was any question about what kind of band these guys are, we let them know right away.”
Living the rock star lifestyle has played to Hinder’s advantage in more ways than one. On some tours, the group played concerts in the same market several times. So what keeps fans in those cities coming back during such a short period of time?
“We take our shows and treat them like a party,” Hanson says. “Everybody had that buddy in high school who always threw a party every weekend. And you had fun every time you went, so you just kept on going. That’s kind of how our shows are.”
Winkler says that partying on the road never gets old, but there are rare moments of regret. “We definitely draw the line when we go on YouTube and a see a show that’s just absolutely dreadful,” he says. “We know we partied too hard the night before. It happens every once in a while.”
MAKING FRIENDS
“Rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be dark and depressing,” Winkler explains. “We write about true-life experiences, and that’s why people connect with us so well.”
Hinder made its biggest connection with fans after the release of “Lips of an Angel,” its highest-charting and best-selling song to date. Everyone in the Hinder camp agrees that the track’s debut on top 40 radio was the turning point for the band, and replicating its success this time around may be difficult.
Between October and December 2006, with a major boost from “Lips of an Angel,” “Extreme Behavior” was selling an average of 81,000 copies per week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The song went on to sell 2 million ringtones, according to Nielsen RingScan, and has sold 2.3 million digital downloads.
Establishing good relationships with radio programmers has played a large role in Hinder’s rise on the charts. During its early visits to stations for on-air interviews and acoustic performances, the band would bring along Hinder-branded tequila bottles. A few shots later, the group was making influential new friends.
“Whether it was seven at night or seven in the morning, they walked in with a case of beer, a bunch of shot glasses and a tequila bottle and said, ‘OK, let’s have a good interview,'” Zaruk says. “Radio stations were calling Universal after every interview, saying, ‘I haven’t done an interview like that in 10 years.'”
Reuters/Billboard
0 Dirty Sweet – …Of Monarchs & Beggars (Release Year – 2007)
If there is one band to take a chance on and spend your hard earned cash on it is highly recommended that band be Dirty Sweet believe me you will not be disappointed, especially if you like 70’s blues based rock. Taking their name from the lyrics of the T Rex classic “Get It On (Bang A Gong)” these California guys eat, breathe, and sleep the 70’s and definitely did their homework when learning how to play kick ass rock-n-roll. Taking the best of what was offered by such legends as Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, and Bad Company just to name a few, Dirty Sweet wastes no time in getting the proverbial ass kicking started with “Baby Come Home” right out of the gate. It has a great groove that just dares you to try and listen without tapping your feet, or doing the old head nod.
“Deliah” is up next with a swampy bluesy feel once again with a great groove, some excellent slide guitar work and one thing that is missing from a lot of the releases today, vocal harmonies but with four of the five members supplying vocals it should be no surprise the harmonies are as tight as they are. Ryan Koontz sounds like a cross between Kelly Holland (Cry of Love) and Shane (Law and Order) with great range and emotion in his voice. The band as a whole, guitarists Nathan Beale, Mark Murino, bassist/keyboard Shaun Cornell, and drummer Chris Mendez-Vanacore, are all excellent musicians and play great together.
“Come Again“, “Goldensole“, and “Born To Bleed” all offer more great grooves and sing along choruses. “Born To Bleed” along with “Baby Come Home” are my two favorite tracks on the album. If there is a song that could be considered an epic it is the fourth track “Long Line Down” with its haunting lyrics and keyboards then half way through it becomes a full throttle rock song with some great playing especially from the rhythm section of Cornell and Vanacore before settling back down to finish the song out.
“Sixteen” is another full out burner that completely oozes the 70’s. Once again with a great groove, vocal harmonies, and solo. If there was one surprise on “Monarchs & Beggars” it has to be “Isabel”. It could easily be found on an alternative country station as any rock station.
All in all “Of Monarchs & Beggars” is a great album through and through, with great songs, and great playing. If you take the chance you will not be disappointed in the least bit.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Baby Come Home
2. Delilah
3. Come Again
4. Goldensole
5. Long Line Down
6. Born To Bleed
7. Sixteen
8. Man’s Ruin
9. Isabel
10.Red River
Dirty Sweet is:
Ryan Koontz – Vocals
Nathan Beale – Guitars
Mark Murino – Guitars
Shaun Cornell – Bass/ Keyboards
Chris Mendez-Vanacore – Drums
7 Johnny Burning – Get Up, Get Loose, Get Off! (Release Year – 2008)
Sleaze Rock has seen one of hell of a resurgence over the past few years. While the majority of the bands have came out of Sweden, Johnny Burning is here to show the world that Italians can do it just as good if not better than the Swedes and judging from their album “Get Up, Get Loose, Get Off!” this five piece band from Imola, Italy are definitely on the right track.
There are about three song titles that kind of leave me scratching my head wondering what they are talking about. The first such song is the lead off track “Wrong Shape” but the guys can be forgiven because the song absolutely rocks with a great groove, catchy lyrics, a great sing a long chorus, and a smoking solo. Lead singer Manuel (no last name needed) sounds like a cross between the legendary Jesse Hart (Southgang) and Mimmo (Krystal), the guy can really sing and probably the biggest thing for me, I can understand what he is singing which unfortunately has kept me from being able to get into a couple of other Italian bands in the past. I’m not sure who is supposed to get credit for the solo since the band has two guitarists D.B. & Niko (once again no last names needed), but neither are distinguished as the lead or rhythm.
“Devil Inside” pretty much follows the same suit as “Wrong Shape” and it is just as rocking too. These guys definitely know how to write catchy songs with great hooks that will keep a part of your body tapping be it your head, feet, or hands you won’t be able to help yourself.
The third track is another one of those scratching my head title and it definitely gets my vote for the most interesting song title of year “Sassy Lassie Goose” is another great song that follows the same recipe as the albums first two tracks and pretty the rest of the album follows as well.
I have no idea what “Idiota” means but Johnny Burning changes things up just enough with this track to keep things interesting with it’s an a capella opening and throwing some harmonica in there as well.
“Shine” is the ballad/mid tempo song on the album and unfortunately it was written about 20 years to late because back in the 80’s this song would have been a monster hit. It could have easily stood toe to toe with any song released by Bon Jovi, Poison, Great White, or any other band we could sit here and name and it could just as easily stand toe to toe with any of the power ballads that have been released over the past couple of years, maybe a disc jockey somewhere will give this song the chance it deserves and give it some air play.
For “Rock in the U.S.A.” the guys drop the sleaze and give a more melodic approach but the results are just as great as any other song on this album.
I can’t forget the rhythm section of Cesko on bass and Rob on drums because they definitely keep everybody in line on this album.
If you like your rock sleazy with a touch of blues, big choruses, and smokin’ solos Johnny Burning maybe exactly what you are looking for.
Rating:
Out 0f 10
Track Listing:
01. Intro
02. Wrong Shape
03. Devil Inside
04. Idiota
05. Sassy Lassie Goose
06. Lost & Found
07. Burning Miracle
08. Time To Rock
09. Shine
10. Rock In The U.S.A.
11. Turn Down Just To Leave It
Johnny Burning is:
Manuel – vocals
D.B. – guitars
Niko – guitars
Cesko – bass
Rob – drums
4 Hinder – Take It To The Limit (Release Year – 2008)
Oklahoma City’s bad boy rockers Hinder are back with their first release of new material in three years. Was the three years worth the wait? I’ll answer that with a resounding YES! As much as I loved their debut “Extreme Behavior” “Take It To The Limit” leaves it in the dust. For all the “single” fans I have to warn you there is not a “Lips of an Angel” on this album and I think the album is better off without it. “Take To The Limit” is a stronger album from start to finish than the band’s debut.
Hinder’s mantra from the get go has always been “Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll” the more the better and they deliver by the bucket loads on this album. Right from the start with “Use Me” Hinder take us on a wild ride filled with debauchery and fun. I don’t usually like to compare videos to songs but I have to admit the video for “Use Me” is one of the hottest videos I have seen in a long time and the song is just as strong without the video. Guitarists Joe Garvey and Mark King are the perfect tag team trading licks back n forth while Austin Winkler lets all of us know how much he is going love being used.
“Loaded & Alone” is one of two songs that really caught my attention because it seems so autobiographical as they sing about someone giving up everything for fame and once they get the fame wanting what they gave up back. Once again Garvey and King’s playing make this song even better and not to be left out of the picture bassist Mike Rodden lays down some great lines and drummer Cody Hanson gives his best performance on the album.
“Last Kiss Goodbye” is a mid tempo rocker about a cheating significant other and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a huge hit if released as a single. “Up All Night” is exactly what the title suggest an all out anthem party song, filled with great gang vocals and a very cool opening from Garvey & King and another solid performance from Hanson.
“Without You” is the second release off “Take It To The Limit” and this album’s monster ballad. To be honest it blows “Lips of an Angel” out of the water. It is guaranteed to have people lighting their bics and cell phones when this is played live.
People try to lump Hinder into the “Post Grunge” genre even while the guys have stated over and over that Motley Crue is one of their biggest influences. The title track has had a lot of people talking because the guys are joined by the one and only Mick Mars who plays the solo. The song itself is another great party song that completely lives up to the hype, great groove, killer gang vocals, and Mick Mars like the legend he is completely nails the solo.
“The Best Is Yet To Come” is another mid tempo rocker that has the band looking back to the past but also looking forward to the future. I can see this song not only being a hit but also the class song for a lot of senior high classes graduating this year.
“Heaven Sent”, “Thing For You”, and “Lost In The Sun” are all great mid tempo rockers and all of them have single potential.
“Far From Home” closes the album and it is the second song that really caught my attention because it is so autobiographical about leaving life behind to follow a dream.
Like them or not Hinder is one of the bands leading the revival for straight up rock-n-roll and “Take It To The Limit” is going to go a long way in helping the cause.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Use Me
2. Loaded and Alone
3. Last Kiss Goodbye
4. Up All Night
5. Without You
6. Take It to the Limit
7. The Best is Yet to Come
8. Heaven Sent
9. Thing for You
10. Lost in the Sun
11. Far from Home
Hinder is:
Austin Winkler – Vocals
Joe “Blower” Garvey – Guitar
Mark King – Guitar
Mike Rodden – Bass
Cody Hanson – Drums
0 Stephen Pearcy – Under My Skin (Release Year – 2008)
With the news of RATT getting started on preparing a new album next year I thought it would be a good time to check out Stephen Pearcy’s new solo album “Under My Skin” . I think it is safe to say that Pearcy has one of the most unique and identifiable voices in rock-n-roll and has made some great music over the years with both RATT and Arcade, but to be honest most of his solo projects have been a little lacking in my opinion. With that in mind I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed listening to “Under My Skin”. If you’re expecting a RATT sounding album you may be mildly disappointed and it really doesn’t sound like an Arcade album either but I would say it is about 60/40 with the sound leaning more towards the heaviness of Arcade.
The first three songs “You’re Alot Like Me”, “Big Nothin”, and “Watcha Doin” are all in your face rockers . All three have great sounding guitars and big sounding drums of the three “Watcha Doin” would probably fit best on a RATT album it also has a great solo that would make Warren DeMartini proud. Track #4 “Time Slips Away” seems to be Pearcy’s tribute to the life his former bandmate and friend Robbin “King” Crosby, while I wouldn’t call it a ballad it is a slower song but still maintains it heaviness with Pearcy letting everyone know how he misses his fallen bandmate as the song comes to a close.
The title track “Under My Skin” is next while it is a decent song there is nothing that is really remarkable or memorable about the song. “In Outta Love” is #6 and it is another in your face rocker with a great groove and bass line throughout. “Here We Go Again” seems to be the anthem of the album and like “In Outta Love” it has a great bass line and groove. The next three songs “Bottoms Up”, “Are You Ready”, and “Injector” are pretty much like “Under My Skin” all decent songs but nothing remarkable to any of them and I will leave it up to you guys to decide if he is singing about women or race cars.
To finish out the album is the obligatory cover of a RATT song and if I gave you one guess as to which song it is it would be a pretty safe bet 92% of you would say “Round & Round” and you would be right. This time Pearcy has a little help in the form of the Donnas. It is pretty much a loyal cover to the original version with Pearcy trading verses back-n-forth with lead Donna Brett Anderson which amounts to a pretty enjoyable listen.
While there are no songs that can match the original “Round & Round” or Arcade’s “Dancin’ With The Angels”, in the end “Under My Skin” is a pretty decent album with a handful of good songs.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. You’re A Lot Like Me
2. Big Nothin’
3. Watcha Doin’
4. Time Slips Away
5. Under My Skin
6. In Outta Love
7. Here We Go Again
8. Bottoms Up
9. Are You Ready
10. Injector
11. Round & Round (featuring The Donnas)
Stephen Pearcy Band is:
Stephen Pearcy – lead vocals, rhythm & lead guitars
Erik Ferentinos – rhythm & lead guitars, bass guitar
Matt Thorne – bass guitar
Fred Coury – drums
Scott Coogan – drums
Dog Boy – drums
1 Badmouth – S/T (Release Year – 2008)
I’m not sure what is in the water in Sweden but the country keeps churning out one kick ass band after another, the latest band to join that list is Badmouth. On their self titled debut they are balls out and in your face from beginning to end. I do have to warn you that it took a few listens for me to get used to Tom Pearson’s voice, but after the third or fourth spin I realized how naturally his voice fit the music. I have seen where people have compared him to a younger Don Dokken but I’m not hearing it at all. What I am hearing is a little Lemmy in the way he sings and a little Jesper Binzer (D:A:D) in how he sounds and in my opinion neither of those are bad comparisons. For all the Doubting Thomas’s just give “Rivethead” a listen and you’ll see it could fit easily on any D:A:D album out there.
Everything gets kicked off with “Pedal To The Metal” and you better hold on tight because it is going to be a wild ride. This song has everything needed for a classic anthem great groove, great chorus and gang vocals, and a solo from guitarist Randy Joy that will make any air guitarist jump for joy. “Kick It Up” follows the same recipe with the same great results.
I definitely wouldn’t call “Cocaine Girl” an anthem but it is still a kick ass song nonetheless and it is probably the most sing a long song on the album. I can’t even describe how impressed I am with Randy Joy’s guitar playing three songs down and three great solos and great playing throughout.
“Last Train” isn’t the best song on the album but it gets my vote for best groove on the album. Bassist Chris LeMon lays down some fat bass lines and a tight groove throughout the song. It goes right along with “Cocaine Girl” as a great crank the stereo up and roll the windows down kind of song.
“Dance Little Sister” and “El Diablo” are both fairly good songs but if I had to choose between the two I would pick “El Diablo” because it sounds a lot like a Backyard Babies song.
Next is “Rivethead” and amazing does not begin to describe how great this song is, I could and probably will drive my wife crazy by putting this song on repeat and listening to it non stop. The song sets itself apart from the rest of the album. It is acoustic based but it is by no means a ballad. You truly have to hear this song for it to be appreciated.
“Hell Tonight” is the heaviest song on the album and it is a decent song but it is in the wrong spot on the album because it has to follow “Rivethead” and it would be hard for any song to do that.
“And Take Your Toothbrush With You” is another song that instantly reminds me of Backyard Babies. LeMon gets to stand in the spotlight again with a great groove and bass playing and my newest guitar god, Randy Joy completely smokes the solo.
“SuperSassyBaby” completes our journey with Badmouth and it is another great song. I would not be surprised at all for this to become a new anthem for strippers around the world.
Most bands would have a hard time coming up with 3 songs that are as good as the songs on Badmouth’s debut album yet Badmouth came up with an album’s worth of great songs on their debut nonetheless. It’s not hard to expect great things from this band in the future.
You can pick up Badmouth’s new CD at CDBaby for the nice price of $10.00. Go get it! It is worth every penny! You can also preview some of the tracks on this disc at the Badmouth myspace page at this link.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Pedal to the Metal
- Kick It Up!
- Cocaine Girl
- Last Train
- Dance Little Sister
- El Diablo
- Rivethead
- Hell Tonight
- And Take Your Toothbrush With You
- Super Sassy Baby
Badmouth is:
Tom Pearson – Lead Vocals
Randy Joy – Lead Guitar
Mike Hill – Rhythm Guitar
Chris Lemon – Bass Guitar
Rick Hard – Drums
0 Metal Church – This Present Wasteland (Release Year – 2008)
Surprise! Metal Church has a new album out, it’s scary to think that a legendary band like Metal Church would release a new album and there be no press on it. I have all eight of the other Metal Church albums and found out about “This Present Wasteland” looking through the new release section of a very non-metal website. As soon as I found out when it was being released I went straight to my favorite record store, known to many as Amazon and ordered it.
Metal Church has always been a strange band for the fact that they are hard to classify. Are they thrash or power, I think the answer is a little of both, especially with Ronny Munroe as the vocalist, if you haven’t heard him sing think of him as a cross between Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Biff Byford (Saxon). This is Munroe’s third album with the band and I still can’t get used to his voice, maybe I am just a die hard David Wayne (R.I.P.) fan.
The musicianship on “Wasteland” is excellent Kurdt Vanderhoof shreds as he always has and guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger, and drummer Jeff Plate round out the ’08 version and are all very tight. Jeff Plate is a monster behind the drum kit. Without a doubt the songs are there, but once again it goes back to the vocals and the fact that I just can’t get into Munroe’s vocal style.
“Breathe Again” starts everything off and probably is the best track on the album but it reminds me more of Iron Maiden than Metal Church. “Crawling To Extinction” is where Jeff Plate gets to shine but in all actuality he shines throughout the whole CD. “Deeds of a Dead Soul” kind of reminds of Metallica in the way it is almost nine minutes long but also the solo is very reminiscent of Kirk Hammett.
If you haven’t heard Metal Church before or only the three albums Ronny Munroe has sang on “This Present Wasteland” may appeal to you but if you are a fan of David Wayne or Mike Howe it may leave you wishing for a little more.
Rating:
Out 0f 10
Track Listing:
- In The Company Of Sorrow
- Perfect Crime
- Deeds Of A Dead Soul
- Meet Your Maker
- Monster
- Crawling to Extinction
- War Never Won
- Mass Hysteria
- Breathe Again
- Congregation
Metal Church is:
Ronny Munroe – Vocals
Kurdt Vanderhoof – Guitars
Rick Van Zandt – Guitars
Steve Unger – Bass
Jeff Plate – Drums
0 Wednesday 13 – Fang Bang (Release Year – 2006)
The first time I heard Wednesday 13 was a song called “Your Mother Sucks C**k in Hell” from Metal Sludge’s compilation “Now That’s What I Call Sludge”. I listened to the song and pretty much forgot about Wednesday 13, until a couple of weeks ago. A co-worker was playing “Fang Bang” at work at first I thought it was Stevie Rachelle. Boy was I wrong!
Although he does sound a lot like Stevie Rachelle his songs are closer to mid 80’s Alice Cooper than Tuff and like Cooper back then it sounds like Wednesday is having fun singing about American Werewolves, Haddonfield (Home of Halloween’s Michael Myers), and partying at Crystal Lake waiting for Jason Voorhees to pay a visit on “Till Death Do Us Party”.
If Wednesday is having fun singing you can’t help but have fun listening. Honestly how many times can you say you had a smile on your face singing along to a song called “Happily Ever Cadaver”? I’m guessing not to many.
But that is exactly what you will end up doing listening to “Fang Bang” and there are plenty more songs to go along with the ones already mentioned like ” My Home Sweet Homicide”, “Too Much Blood”, and “Curse of Me”. In today’s day and age it is nice to hear an artist having fun and not taking themselves too seriously and that is what you get with Wednesday 13 a guy singing fun Horror Punk wrapped in 80’s hard rock. “Fang Bang” is not going change the world or pave the way for a new rock-n-roll revolution. But for what it is “Fang Bang” is a pretty good album and most of all fun record, the perfect soundtrack for Halloween.
You can buy a copy of Fang Bang, at this link.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Morgue Than Words
2. American Werewolves In London
3. My Home Sweet Homicide
4. Faith In The Devil
5. Happily Ever Cadaver
6. Curse Of Me
7. Haddonfield
8. Too Much Blood
9. Till Death Do Us Party
10. Buried With Children
11. Kill You Before You Kill Me
12. Die Sci-Fi
13. Burn The Flames (Bonus Track)
Wednesday 13 is:
Wednesday 13 – lead vocals and guitars
Jamie Hoover – bass, background vocals, guitar, organ
Ghastly – drums, percussion
Kid Kid – background vocals
1 Johnny Crash – Unfinished Business (Release Year – 2008)
Sixteen years is a long time to wait for an album to be released, but that is how long I waited for Johnny Crash’s second album “Unfinished Business” to finally see the light of day. I guess the question is was it worth the wait, that is where the answer gets tricky. If any of you read or participate in HRH Forums you may know that Johnny Crash’s debut album “Neighbourhood Threat” is one of my top 5 all time albums. It has great songs from start to end but the biggest thing for me is after listening to it for the past 18 years it still does not sound dated to me. “Hey Kid”, “Crack of Dawn”, & “Ax To The Wax” all sound as great today as they did in 1990 when I first bought the cassette.
Unfortunately that is what is missing off “Unfinished Business” now don’t get me wrong there are some good songs and there are some o.k. songs but there are no great songs and as much as I hate to say it the album sounds very dated. “Damnnation Alley” and “Mama Don’t Care” try to capture the in your face balls to the wall feeling of the debut while they come close in the end just can’t pull it off. “Mama Don’t Care” could definitely be a better song but instead of letting it end the last minute and half is a senseless and useless outro that kills all the momentum of the song. “In The Groove” shows the guys stretching a little bit more with the acoustic intro and could have easily been a good stripper song back in the day but not in ’08. “Rock-n-Roll Suicide” is another attempt at trying to recreate the energy of the debut but it to falls a little short.
It’s not often that I say this but in this instant the best song off of “Unfinished Business” is a ballad “When It Gets Hard”. Vicki James Wright really gets to stretch his vocals on this song, it has a real bluesy feel and a backup choir that really helps fill the song out.
I don’t know if it was the fact that Dizzy Reed replaced August Worchell on lead guitar or because the band was still morning the loss of bassist Andy Rogers who died from a heroin overdose, but something is definitely missing off this album. To answer the question was it worth the wait? Yes and No I love the fact that I got to hear some new Johnny Crash songs, I just wished the songs were a little better than they are.
You can pick up Unfinished Business at SunCity Records. For more information on Johnny Crash, check out their myspace page.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Damnation Alley
- Monkey See Monkey Do
- Mama Don’t Care
- Renegade
- In The Groove
- Rock’n’Roll Suicide
- Summer Daze
- Ditch The Bitch
- When It gets Hard
- Livin Above The Law
- No Parole
Johnny Crash is:
Vicki James Wright – lead vocals
J.J. Bolt – guitar
Christopher Stewart – guitar
Dizzy Reed – keyboards
Andy Rogers – bass
Matt Sorum – drums
5 Marcello Vestry – S/T (Release Year – 2008)
Rumor has it that Danger Danger is in the studio recording their first album with Ted Poley on vocals in something like 15 years. Well to tide you over until the album is released comes Marcello Vestry, what does Marcello Vestry have to do with Danger Danger you ask? There are quite a few things actually. First off guitarist Rob Marcello has been playing with D2 for the past few years, secondly D2 head honcho Bruno Ravel plays bass and produced this album, and last but not least Marcello Vestry play fun party melodic rock just like D2, in fact if I didn’t know any better it would be very possible to think this album was released right along side D2’s debut album in ’89.
In all honesty, I had no idea who Frank Vestry was before hearing this album, but he has been around the music business for quite a while singing in Burning Starr back in the mid-80’s. Regardless of his past I am a fan now after hearing him on this album. He has a strong powerful voice that fits each of these songs to a T.
Now let’s get to the music, “Fireworks” gets us started and what a great start it is with a cool intro by Marcello and keyboards reminding me of Kasey Smith. It is impossible to listen to this song and not want to sing along or play a little air guitar or maybe keyboards. Great gang vocals for the chorus and Vestry shines.
“Ready or Not” is the next piece of ear candy for us to enjoy. Once again a great intro by Marcello and a great sing along chorus with a shout out to Twisted Sister and of course Danger Danger thrown in. If guitar gods still existed in this day and age Rob Marcello could definitely be leading the pack. I believe he would make Andy Timmons proud with his solo on this song.
“All I Wanna Do Is U” is hands down my favorite song on this album. Melodic rock perfection is the only way to describe this song. As much as I love this song I think I would love it even more if I got to hear Ted Poley singing. This song has classic Danger Danger written all over it.
“Gone” is one of the obligatory mid tempo power ballads on the album and probably the best one on the album. I can’t stress enough how skillful Rob Marcello is as a guitarist or how strong Frank Vestry’s vocals are
Two more songs that would easily fit on any Poley sang Danger Danger album “Live Life” and “Love Injection” also border on perfection. The only song on this album I couldn’t get into is “Gangster of Love” not that it is a bad song it just didn’t do anything for me. One misfire out of eleven songs is not bad at all, speaking of the 11th song, if you spend the money for the import version you are rewarded with an acoustic version of “Gone”, which really shows the power of Vestry’s voice.
As much as I am looking forward to Danger Danger’s new album I am already looking forward to the next Marcello Vestry album also, it would be an absolute shame if they do not record another album, because after listening to this one I think they are on to something great.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Fireworks
2. Ready Or Not
3. All I Wanna Do Is U
4. Gone
5. Without You
6. Live Life
7. What You Mean
8. Love Injection
9. Gangster Of Love
10. One More Night
11. Gone (acoustic version)
Marcello Vestry is:
Rob Marcello – Guitars, Keyboards
Frank Vestry – Lead Vocals
Kory Young – Guitars
Bruno Ravel – Bass, Background Vocals
Lynn D. Ruhms – Drums
1 Overloaded – Regeneration (Release Year – 2007)
To be honest I put off reviewing Overloaded for as long as I could because the sample clips I had previously heard did not impress me at all. When it came down to crunch time and I forced myself to sit down and give Overloaded a listen I realized what an idiot I was. I’m not sure what I was listening to before but “Regeneration” is loaded with in your face rock from start to finish.
When the first track “What’s In There” kicked off it took me a while to put my finger on who vocalist Chris Gillen reminded me of, so I sit back listened and enjoyed. The song has a great riff from guitarist Erik Kluiber and a ranting chorus from Gillen.
The second track “Obviously Envious” starts off and it hits me Gillen is the lovechild of Kory Clarke and Ron Keel. Which could also explain the heavy Warrior Soul influence or it could be something as simple as both bands are from Detroit. While Overloaded’s songs are not as politically charged Warrior Soul influence is dripping all over this album. If you don’t believe me just give “President’s Day” or “Ride That Feeling” a spin and it will hit you square in the face like a 2×4.
But just when you think you have Gillen figured out he throws everyone for a loop on “Don’t Leave Me This Way” channeling a little Jesse James Dupree. Other songs that impressed me were “Feeling Overloaded”, “Flashy Girl”, and “Try This One On For Size”.
Buyer beware that the band that recorded this album is not the same band you will see live now as Gillen and Kluiber replaced the rhythm section and added a second guitarist in Jan. 08. But “Regeneration” is a strong album with great playing from Kluiber and was an especially pleasant surprise to me when I was expecting the worst. Who said second impressions aren’t important?
Check out Overloaded on their myspace page! You can buy Regeneration at CD Baby.com and NEH Records.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. What’s In There
2. Obviously Envious
3. Feeling Overloaded
4. Presidents Day
5. Ride That Feeling
6. Why Don’t You Love Me Anymore
7. Don’t Leave This Way
8. Flashy Girl
9. Try This On For Size
Overloaded is:
Chris Gillen – Vocals
Eric Kluiber – Guitars
John Sullens – Rhythm Guitar
Michael Massie – Bass
Lorenzo Gonzalez – Drums
0 Backyard Babies – S/T (Release Year – 2008)
Back in ’99 I bought Backyard Babies “Total 13” and was absolutely blown away. I have been like a junkie needing a fix every since, getting my hands on anything from BYB that I can and the guys have never disappointed me. Since it’s been 2 years since Nicke Borg, Dregen, Johan Blomqvist, and Peder Carlsson released an album of new material I couldn’t wait to get this album in my hands.
Why these guys are not huge in the states confuses the hell out of me. When it comes to Backyard Babies, you know exactly what you are getting, which is straight up in your face rock that is going to beat you senseless and have you singing along while it happens. Which is exactly how the new album gets started with “Fuck Off & Die”. I have to admit the first time I heard I was a little disappointed, but the second time it felt like the song punched me square in face and kept beating me all the way to the end of the song. Peder play the drums on this song as if his life depended on it and Dregen pulls off a great solo. Nicke’s vocals are in your face from beginning to end. Johan is able to keep everyone in line and tight together.
Without giving me a chance to recover next in line is “Degenerated”. The best way to describe this song is BIG, Big sounding guitars, drums, and gang vocals, another great solo from Dregen. “Degenerated ” is definitely a roll the window down, crank the stereo, and sing along kind of song, as is most of the album.
While there isn’t a bad song on this album, “Come Undone” is my one of five favorite songs on the album. Peder once again plays like a monster on this track and Johan gets his chance with a very cool groove throughout.
The fifth track “Abandon” another one of my favorites gives your ears a break for a minute before starting the assault all over again and it continues all the way to the last song “Saved By The Bell”. While I would have preferred BYB went out with guns blazing they slowed it way down. This is the only song that Peder doesn’t get a chance to shine because there are no drums used on this track.
Fans of BYB know Dregen is the mastermind behind the band and along with Nicke the stars but Peder is the star on this album with phenomenal drumming throughout. In a year when some much great hard rock has been released BYB definitely made their case for Album of the Year with this release.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
01: Fuck Off And Die
02: Degenerated
03: Come Undone
04: Drool
05: Abandon
06: Voodoo Love Bow
07: Idiots
08: Ship
09: Nomadic
10: Back On The Juice
11: Where Were You
12: Zoe Is A Weirdo
13: Saved By The Bell
Backyard Babies are:
Nicke Borg – vocals, guitar
Dregen – lead guitar, backing vocals
Johan Blomqvist – bass
Peder Carlsson – drums
Reviewed by Rocknrollcoastie.
0 Fallen Silver – Blood In Blue Eyes (Release Year – 2007)
“Pub Rock” must be an entirely Australian term because the only time I have heard it used is in describing Australian bands. AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, the Angels (aka Angel City), Jet, and Airbourne are just a few of the known “Pub Rock” bands. So being a fan of all five bands I was looking forward to listening to what newcomers Fallen Silver had to offer and needless to say this 5 piece band from Sydney did not disappoint in the least bit.
It all kicks off with “East L.A.” which has a great bass line from Mick Garside and while you can definitely hear an AC/DC influence both this song and the second song “Loaded Gun” automatically made me think of Johnny Crash. I can’t compare singer Matt Chambers to Vicki James Wright but the songs lyrics and groove made me want to hear “Neighbourhood Threat”. I can’t forget guitarist Doug Nekic, he delivers two smokin’ solos for these songs.
Not to stand on AC/DC’s influence alone. The title track “Blood In Blue Eyes” starts out acoustically with Chambers trying to channel a little Robert Plant before the song kicks in to a Bad Company feel. Really how can you go wrong when one song makes a person think of both Led Zeppelin and Bad Company.
Mick Garside shines in the spotlight again on “Fire Walk With Me” with more great bass lines, while the song has a more alternative feel it took me a while to get into it but after a few listens I found myself loving it.
Snake Eyes and Sunset are the other two tracks that really stood out to me more great blues based rock and the album closes the same way it opened with guns blazing on the track “Pissin’ on the Poor Man“.
Without a doubt Mick Garside and Doug Nekic are the stars of this album with great playing from start to finish. Drummer John Duffy and rhythm guitarist Tony Vulic are also solid throughout the album. In all honesty it took me a while to get used to Matt Chambers voice but once I did. I saw how well it fit with the songs.
If you want flashy pretty boys prancing around Fallen Silver is not for you. But if you want sweaty, beer and cigarettes blue collar rock-n-roll they definitely deliver that and more.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. East L.A.
2. Loaded Gun
3. Blood In Blue Eyes
4. Fire Walk With Me
5. Leave This Town
6. Snake Eyes
7. Porcelene
8. Insecure
9. Sunsets
10. Vamphyres
11. Pissing On The Poor Man
Fallen Silver is:
Doug Nekic – lead guitar
John Duffy – drums
Tony Vulic – rhythm guitar
Mick Garside – bass guitar
Matt Chambers – vocals
6 HRH Interview With Buckcherry Guitarist Keith Nelson
I don’t make it a secret that Buckcherry is one of my favorite bands out there so of course I jumped at the chance for the opportunity to interview guitarist Keith Nelson. I thought it was a great interview, there were a lot of questions I didn’t get to ask because there wasn’t enough time but that is ok I will save them for the next time. Here is what he had to say, Enjoy!
HRH: Buckcherry recently wrapped up the inaugural Cruefest, how did you think the tour went
Keith Nelson: I thought it was phenomenal, a lot of fun
HRH: What were some of the other bands on the bill that you watched when you had a chance?
Keith Nelson: Papa Roach they are a great live band and of course the Crue they were just over the top.
HRH: Do you think Buckcherry will go out with Cruefest next year?
Keith Nelson: Definitely if we get the chance.
HRH: Buckcherry did over 300 shows in support of 15 are you looking at the same kind of tour for “Black Butterfly”?
Keith Nelson: We were thinking of maybe 600 or 700. Just kidding, Yeah you know we are a live band and that is what we do so going out on the road and living out on the pirate strip as they call it and making rock-n-roll 6 nights a week is kinda what we do.
HRH: 15 was recorded in 15 days how long did it take to record “Black Butterfly”?
Keith Nelson: 21 days on this record
HRH: When it comes to writing is everyone involved or is it you and Josh?
Keith Nelson: Everyone is involved, every song ultimately ends up in the room with all 5 guys weighing in regardless of where it starts. A lot of times Josh and I will come up something, get it pretty much completed, take it in and start rehearsing it. I want to hear what the other guys in my band think of it and see if they have any ideas.
HRH: Is there a story behind the title “Black Butterfly”?
Keith Nelson: Not really, well I guess the only story is there was a song called “Black Butterfly” that we all loved but ultimately didn’t make the record. Not because it was inferior to anything else but in the big picture of the record that piece just didn’t seem to fit, we loved it and certainly it will see the light of day at some point. But when we were coming up with concepts for the cover the image of the Black Butterfly was kind of stuck in my head so I proposed that as the title of the record and everyone seemed to like it.
HRH: So far there are 3 songs available for the fans to hear with, Too Drunk, Rescue Me, and Don’t Go Away, what are some of the other songs you like off the album?
Keith Nelson: Well there is a song called “Cream” that ends the record that is a pretty special song. It was written and rewritten and left for dead and then rewritten again and that is one of my favorite songs on the record. There is a song called “Imminent Bailout” which I think is probably one of the best rock songs I’ve ever written as far as sheer rock-n-roll intensity. There are so many songs, there is a song called “Rose” that I think is a great stretch for us as far as sonically in our approach to songwriting. Man there is a lot of great songs on the record.
HRH: Was the band surprised by the reaction of “Too Drunk” when it was leaked?
Keith Nelson: You know it is crazy how that all went down cause we actually finished mixing the record on a Sunday and 3 or 4 days later we left to start Cruefest, while that was all kind of going on while we were out of the road. Obviously it is in our best interest to present our record in a very structured, you know thought out way and with all the songs being passed around to different people for mastering, remixing, and what not unfortunately that song leaked. In this day and age we just kind of make the best of what we got so once the song was out there we just kind of had to follow it but it wasn’t our first choice for what the single was going to be.
HRH: You always have extra songs on the singles and imports, has there ever been any talk of putting out a B-sides album?
Keith Nelson: Yeah, I mean there hasn’t actually been any talk but it’s funny because early on the B-sides were very much, well you could tell why those songs weren’t on the record and now the left over tracks are as good as anything on the record but you can only put so many songs on a record. You never know I’m sure at some point after we have more of a discography behind us there will be some more special stuff.
HRH: After “Time Bomb” Buckcherry went on hiatus and you and Josh end up recording some songs with the guys from Velvet Revolver. The story goes there were 10 or so songs recorded is there a chance they will ever be made available to the public?
Keith Nelson: Well what happened with those songs is they were actually live recordings that we would make in a rehearsal room, they were multi-tracked. We didn’t make a record but we did do a very detailed recording of them in a live situation. They do exist, I do have them but they will never see the light of day.
HRH: In the past you played with Huck Johns and now he is playing with JB, Devon, and Yogi in a project called Black Robot. Is that something you helped put together?
Keith Nelson: I have no knowledge of that and know nothing about it.
HRH: Legend has it that you and Josh started Buckcherry because you both love AC/DC. Have you had a chance to hear their new single yet?
Keith Nelson: No but I am so excited about the new AC/DC record you have no idea.
HRH: With Cruefest finished and “Black Butterfly” tour starting up who are some of the bands you are looking at opening for you?
Keith Nelson: Well we start this next leg of the tour in a few days with Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown, and Saving Abel, which are all great bands that is going to be a fun, fun tour. Airbourne is awesome, I would love to have Airbourne and we are actually going to do some dates with those guys in Japan.
HRH: If you could put together a Cherryfest and you could have any 5 bands past or present on the bill who would it be?
Keith Nelson: Well we would have AC/DC close the show for us and we would go on right before them. Right before us or maybe flip flopping every night we would have Stone Temple Pilots and Rage Against the Machine and I would probably get Muddy Waters to start things off.
And with that we wrapped the interview up, like I said earlier I think it was a great interview, very relaxed and laid back Keith was extremely easy to talk too. I definitely look forward to talking to him again if and when I get the chance.
