Tag: metal
0 New Video – Firewind – Mercenary Man
Have you heard the new track, Mercenary Man by Firewind yet? This is a cool tune. Check it out!
0 Free Download by OPETH
You can download the new OPETH track ‘Lotus Eater’ for free from Roadrunner Records here.
The track comes off their upcoming new album, Watershed, which is due out on June 3rd in North America – a day earlier internationally via Roadrunner. The album will be released as a Regular Edition CD and Collector’s Edition two-disc CD/DVD and Limited Edition 180-gram Vinyl.
Watershed tracklisting: ‘Coil’, ‘Heir Apparent’, ‘The Lotus Eater’, ‘Burden’, ‘Porcelain Heart’, ‘Hessian Peel’, ‘Hex Omega’.
The Collector’s Edition two–disc CD/DVD set includes three bonus tracks – ‘Bridge Of Sighs’ from ROBIN TROWER’s 1974 album of the same title, ‘Den Ständiga Resan’ (sung in Swedish) by Marie Fredriksson as well as the classic ALICE IN CHAINS song, ‘Would?’ – 5.1 audio mix of the entire album, extensive video content, and expanded artwork.
Limited Edition 180-Gram Double LP Set includes bonus track, exclusive poster and expanded artwork and more.
Watch the new video, Porcelain Heart, below!
0 New Video – Electric Earth – Platonic
Electric Earth released a CD in 2007 titled, Organic Songs Volume One. Platonic is one of the tunes on that disc. You can hear more songs at the band’s myspace page. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c06bKd4tXMs}
12 New Feature: Sink or Swim Video of the Week – OTEP – Breed
Hard Rock Hideout posts the latest rock videos every day. Each week we will post a Sink or Swim Video.
If you say SWIM, we will review the disc at Hard Rock Hideout.com. If you say SINK, we will pass on reviewing the disc. You will have one week to decided the band’s fate!
The first week’s SINK or SWIM video, is OTEP doing their cover of the Nirvana song, Breed. This is off of the new OTEP CD, The Ascension.
You Decide! Sink or Swim!
0 Video – Icarus Witch – Capture the Magic
Check out the video, Capture the Magic, by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s, Icarus Witch!
1 Believer – Sanity Obscure (Release Year – 1990)
If you are a fan of 80’s style thrash metal, a release that you may have missed the first time around is Believer’s Sanity Obscure.
Singer Kurt Bachman sings like a growling mad Dave Mustaine, after a pack of cigarettes, and fifth of whiskey to wash them down. His vocals take some getting used to, but this will not be a problem for the many thrash metal fans out there.
I have listened to plenty of thrash metal in my time, and still do on occasion, but I never heard of Believer until only recently. What blows my mind is how technically proficient each member of this band is.
Dave Baddorf ‘s guitar riffs are off the hook on this record. Joey Daub’s pounding drum beats keeps the band in time, but assures that their will be headbanging-a-plenty.
If you are a fan of late 80’s thrash, such as early Megadeth, Metallica, Exodus and Slayer, Believer will definitely make a Believer out of you. This CD has been out of print, and was recently re-issued by Metal Mind. Without question, this CD will sell out! Don’t miss getting you copy of a CD, that deserves to be well known in thrash metal history.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Sanity Obscure
2. Wisdom’s Call
3. Nonpoint
4. Idols of Ignorance
5. Stop the Madness
6. Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)
7. Dust to Dust
8. Like a Song
Believer is:
Kurt Bachman
Joey Daub
Dave Baddorf
Wyatt Robertson
2 Ultimatum – Into the Pit (Release Year – 2007)
If Thrash Metal is your thing, Ultimatum has released a record that you must seek out!
Ultimatum is a Christian thrash metal band that has been around since 1992. Don’t let the Christian thing fool you! This is 100% pure heavy metal.
Into the Pit features the razor sharp vocals of Scott Waters. His style may not be for everyone, but extreme metal fans are likely going to love this. His style is almost Death Metal like, but unlike many singers who fall into the cookie monster trap, you can understand the lyrics. At times, Waters often reminds me of Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies. Often Into the Pit is a heavy record, that compares sonically to 80’s thrash metal. Fans of bands like Overkill, Testament and some early Metallica, may find something to sink their teeth into here.
On Into the Pit, the guitars are fierce, the lyrics and vocals are intense, and the drum beats are driving and sometimes insanely fast.
I don’t recall any recent albums of this style being this good. Retroactive Records has found one hell of a band with Ultimatum. My favorite cuts on this disc are Heart of Metal, Into the Pit and Game Over. This isn’t usually the style of music that I listen to on a regular basis, but when I want to hear some new thrash metal, I will be grabbing for Ultimatum’s Into The Pit.
Buy Into the Pit and Play it Loud! For more information on Ultimatum, check out their myspace page.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- One for All
- Exonerate
- Deathwish
- Blood Covenant
- Heart of Metal
- Wrathchild
- Transgressor
- Blink
- Blind Faith
- Into the Pit
- Game Over
Ultimatum is:
Scott Waters-Vocals
Robert Gutierrez-Guitar
Rob Whitlock-Bass
Alan Tuma-Drums
1 Overkill Tour Dates!
Veteran New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL will embark on a tour of U.S. and Canada this fall. Support on the trek will come from TOXIC HOLOCAUST and WARBRINGER.
The dates are as follows:Sep. 25 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
Sep. 26 – San Antonio, TX @ Scout Bar
Sep. 27 – Dallas, TX @ Ridglea Theater
Sep. 28 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
Sep. 29 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s
Sep. 30 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Brickhouse
Oct. 01 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
Oct. 02 – San Marcos, CA @ Jumping Turtle
Oct. 03 – Mexicali, MX @ El Jardin
Oct. 04 – Orangevale, CA @ Boardwalk
Oct. 05 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
Oct. 06 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Oct. 07 – Spokane, WA @ Big Easy
Oct. 09 – Maplewood, MN @ The Rock
Oct. 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Oct. 11 – Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
Oct. 12 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabodys
Oct. 13 – Toronto, ONT @ El Mocambo
Oct. 14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
Oct. 15 – Rochester, NY @ Penny Arcade
Oct. 16 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
Oct. 17 – West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
Oct. 18 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Sep. 26 – San Antonio, TX @ Scout Bar
Sep. 27 – Dallas, TX @ Ridglea Theater
Sep. 28 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
Sep. 29 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s
Sep. 30 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Brickhouse
Oct. 01 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
Oct. 02 – San Marcos, CA @ Jumping Turtle
Oct. 03 – Mexicali, MX @ El Jardin
Oct. 04 – Orangevale, CA @ Boardwalk
Oct. 05 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
Oct. 06 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Oct. 07 – Spokane, WA @ Big Easy
Oct. 09 – Maplewood, MN @ The Rock
Oct. 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Oct. 11 – Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
Oct. 12 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabodys
Oct. 13 – Toronto, ONT @ El Mocambo
Oct. 14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
Oct. 15 – Rochester, NY @ Penny Arcade
Oct. 16 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
Oct. 17 – West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
Oct. 18 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Tickets will go on sale today exclusively through EnterTheVault.com until April 12, at which point they will be made available through all normal ticketing systems.
4 Great White – Stick It (1999)
Does the name Stick It seem unfamiliar to you? This isn’t a new Great White Album. Stick It is a reissue of the band’s debut album from 1984, with 5 additional Bonus Tracks, by Axe Killer Records in 1999.
Great White’s debut CD is just about impossible to find, so this is the one to grab if you want to at least hear the original tracks from the first release.
This CD showcases a heavier sounding Great White. Long time members, Michael Lardie, Audie Desbrow, and Tony Montana had not yet joined the band. Great White was a four piece unit, and leaned more to the heavy metal side, than the pop metal of their later releases.
Out of the Night and Stick It are two of the heavier songs on the disc. They open the disc up in a big way.
Great White’s cover of the Who song, Substitute has been on a few compilations, and is an old favorite of mine. It is a solid, but heavier version of the original song.
Bad Boys, On Your Knees, and Streetkiller are all above average heavy numbers.
No Better Than Hell kind of reminds me of pre-Pyromania Def Leppard. It is o.k. track, but nothing that will set your world ablaze. Nightmares is a semi-average song.
Dead End is a a very solid tune. Mark Kendall really rips it up on this song. This would have been a very good closer for the original album.
The Bonus Tracks on Stick It Are: Down At The Doctor, Train To Nowhere, The Hunter, Red House, and Rock’N’Roll.
Down at The Doctor is an old Mickey Jupp cover that sounds nothing like the other songs on Stick It. This song is more hard rock than metal. It is a very upbeat tune, with some killer saxaphone by Clarence Clemons.
Train To Nowhere is an old Savoy Brown Blues cover. This is mostly an acoustic guitar piece with some blues harp, and saxaphone. Once again….it sounds nothing like the other songs on Stick It.
Rock ‘N’ Roll is a pretty solid cover of the Led Zeppelin tune. This song feels more at place on this record than the other covers present here.
The Hunter is an old Blues song originally recorded by Albert King. I don’t the original tune, but Great White’s version is pretty cool.
Red House is a seriously long tune. Clocking in at almost 9 minutes in length. This tune is a cover of an old Jimi Hendrix tune. Great White does a pretty good job with it.
If you are a Great White fan, this is a must own disc in the bands’s discography. Even though the bonus tracks don’t really line up well with the rest of the songs on Stick It, I am happy that I have them in my collection. This disc has only been available as an import, but I found mine through Amazon.com. Don’t miss this!
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Out Of The Night
2. Stick It
3. Substitute
4. Bad Boys
5. On Your Knees
6. Streetkiller
7. No Better Than Hell
8. Hold On
9. Nightmares
10. Dead End
11. Down At The Doctor
12. Train To Nowhere
13. The Hunter
14. Red House
15. Rock’N’Roll
Great White is:
Jack Russell: Lead Vocals
Mark Kendall: Guitar
Lorne Black: Bass
Gary Holland: Drums
0 New Video – Razer – Super Paun
Check out the new video, “Super Paun” by Phoenix, Arizona’s Razer.
2 2008 Another Banner Year for Hard Rock?!
2007 is now gone, and as a whole, I thought it was a pretty good year for Hard Rock. There were plenty of strong releases in 2007, and 2008 looks to be stronger than ever.
The following bands are expected to release CD’s in 2008.
- Aerosmith
- Airbourne (U.S. release of Running Wild)
- Alice Cooper
- Anthrax
- Asphalt Valentine
- Avantasia – Scarecrow (Metal Opera from Edguy’s Tobias Sammet)
- Benedictum – Seasons of Tragedy
- Big Cock – Motherload
- The Black Crowes – Warpaint
- Black Stone Cherry
- Black Tide – Light from Above (new band, 80’s style metal)(Feb 2008)
- Brainstorm – Downburst
- Brother Firetribe – Heart Full of Fire
- Buckcherry
- Bullet Boys
- Bullet For My Valentine
- Broken Teeth – Electric
- Danger Danger
- Disturbed
- Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again (April 2008)
- Def Leppard – Sparkle Lounge
- Extreme
- Frehley, Ace
- Gamma Ray – Land of the Free II
- Gypsy Pistoleros – Para Siempre
- Gypsy Rose
- Hatchet (Thrash Metal)
- Headrush – Just Bring It On
- Heaven and Hell
- Iced Earth
- Jetboy
- Jon Oliva’s Pain – Global Warning (April 2008)
- JORN
- Judas Priest
- The Law – Distorted Anthems from the Suburbs (Thrash Metal from Sweden)
- Lechery
- Metallica
- Mob Rules
- Poison
- Pure Inc. (Great new metal from Switzerland)
- RA
- Ratt
- Rhino Bucket
- Royal Hunt – Collision Course: Paradox II
- Sandalinas
- Saint Daemon
- Shinedown
- Seven Tears
- Soto, Jeff Scott
- Steelheart
- Tank Buster Jack – (New Rock from Germany)
- Tesla
- Testament – The Formation of Damnation (April 2008)
- Tiles – Fly Paper
- Valient Thorr
- White Lion – Return of the Pride
- Whitesnake – Bad to be Good
- X-Sinner – A World Covered In Blood
There are also a ton of music that is getting re-released in 2008, such as early releases by Lillian Axe, Baton Rouge, Sleaze Beez and more.
2008 is going to rock!!
3 Hard Rock Hideout’s Top 25 Songs of 2007!
It was such a great year for hard rock, I thought I would take a look at some of my favorite songs from the last year. There were many good tunes, but the ones listed below were my personal favorites!
- I Wanna Be Your Man – Endeverafter
- American Metalhead – Sebastian Bach
- Life is Beautiful – Sixx A.M.
- Stand Up For Rock ‘n’ Roll – Airbourne
- Ladies and Gentleman – Saliva
- Before Tomorrow Comes – Alter Bridge
- Sleepwalker – Megadeth
- Six Feet Under – The Showdown
- Satisfaction – The Order
- 321 – The Scorpions
- Friday Night (In The City) – UGLY
- Horny – Sin City
- Operator – Soulcrusher
- Black Eyed Bruiser – Rose Tattoo
- Escaping the Clouds – Grand Lux
- Roots of Anger – Thunderstone
- Lost and Gone – Masterplan
- Miss Cocaine – Hell N’ Diesel
- I Don’t Wanna Stop – Ozzy Osbourne
- Biggest Letdown – Crash Anthem
- Forgive Me – Burn
- King of the Mountain – Redline
- Rock Bottom – Tesla
- Dreamin’ In A Casket – Hardcore Superstar
- Mustasch – Double Nature
1 Merry Christmas from Hard Rock Hideout!
Here are some hard rocking videos for you to enjoy for X-Mas!
Dokken – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Twisted Sister – Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Twisted Sister – Silver Bells
Charlie Brown Metal X-Mas
We Wish You A Merry X-Mas
Tom Keifer – Blue Christmas
Skid Row – Jingle Bells
1 New Video – Scum of the Earth – Bombshell From Hell
1 New Video – Down – On March The Saints
0 Introducing ENEMYNSIDE
Rome, Italy’s ENEMYNSIDE has signed with Sleaszy Rider Records from Greece, and their second album “In the Middle of Nowhere” will be out soon. ENEMYNSIDE sounds like a mix of Metallica, The Haunted and Machine Head.
The video below, Your Enemy Inside is for the band’s debut release from 2005, called Let The Madness Begin.
Be sure to check out the band’s website, https://www.enemynside.com and add their myspace page here to hear additional tunes.
0 New Video – Excalion – Wingman
3 S.E.X. Department – S/T (2007)
New glam metal from nearly every country on the planet continues to show up at the Hard Rock Hideout. The new release by the S.E.X. Department from Perris Records is the first that has come from Italy.
The S.E.X. Department has a sound that I would compare to early Motley Crue, mixed with Pretty Boy Floyd. For a three piece band, they have a decent sound.
Something about this release reminds me of the rawness of Motley Crue’s debut. This disc is not as strong as Too Fast For Love, but it is a pretty good cut of glam tunes for these Italian rockers.
Kelly Trash Mendess vocals are not overpowering, but are well suited for the tunes
here. The best cuts on this disc are Revenge of the Vampires, Glitter Bitter, Sir Yes Sir and ,S.E.X. Department.
The band’s sound could be greatly enhanced with a second guitar player and more background vocals. That may be all that S.E.X. Department needs to push them over the top. This CD is a solid debut for S.E.X. Department. This disc should be enough to gain them a whole new slew of fans, and help the band build success for a more powerful sophomore effort.
Check out S.E.X. Department’s website here, and head over to Perris Records to pick up their new disc.
Rating:
Out of 10
The video below is the band performing their song, Rock n’ Roll. Check it out!
Track Listing:
- Call Me, Baby Call Me
- Drive Me Insane
- Revenge of Vampires
- Rock n’ Roll Never Dies
- One Way Ticket to Rock
- Glitter Bitter
- Sir Yes Sir
- Italian Cowboy
- Rock n’ Roll
- S.E.X. Department
S.E.X. Department is:
Kelly Trash Mendess – Vocals/guitar
Doctor Dok – Bass
Milky Milano – Drums
1 Crazy Lixx – Loud Minority (Release Year – 2007)
Sweden seems to have a never ending pool of talent, when it comes to glam metal.
Crazy Lixx’s new CD, Loud Minority is an album that hair metal fans across the world can rejoice about.
Crazy Lixx has pledged to bring great 80’s style rock back, and with Loud Minority, they have done just that.
This disc was produced by Chris Laney (Zan Clan, Randy Piper’s Animal) and as a result, sounds like a million bucks.
I have listened to a lot of new glam CD’s in 2007, and especially during Glam Month at Hard Rock Hideout, and I don’t think there is one that I have enjoyed as much as Loud Minority.
There are some obvious hits on Loud Minority, with Want It, and Heroes are Forever. There isn’t a bad song in the bunch on Loud Minority. Crazy Lixx has formed eleven quality sing along anthems, that will surely appeal to fans of 80’s glam metal. Some of my personal favorites are Hell and High Water, Want It, and Love on the Run.
The video below is the band performing Do or Die live in 2006. The sound isn’t the greatest, but it will give you an idea of what Crazy Lixx sounds like.
I recommend checking out the Crazy Lixx’s myspace page, where you can find a video for their song Want It and additional song samples. If you are a fan of 80’s style glam metal, you need to pick this disc up! This disc is available for purchase online at Swedmetal records.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Hell or High Water
- Dr Hollywood
- Want it
- Love on the Run
- Make Ends Meet
- Death Row
- Heroes are Forever
- Do or die
- Pure desire
- Boneyard
- The Gambler
Crazy Lixx is:
* D.C. Danny (Dirtychild Danny) – Vocals
* Vic Zino – Guitar
* Joey Cirera – Drums
* Luke Rivano – Bass
2 Introducing Lechery!
Lechery – Sweden’s brightest Metal hopefuls unleash debut album!
LECHERY were formed in 2004, when guitarist/ vocalist Martin Bengtsson left ARCH ENEMY. After a couple of demo tapes, the band came to the attention of Metal Heaven A&R Georg Siegl who signed this band for the production of their debut album. The result became “Violator”, an album that is filled with pure Heavy Metal, just the way that LECHERY wants it to be! The album will see the light of day on January 18th, 2008.
Here come some sound samples in advance:
LECHERY are: Martin Bengtsson – Guitar, Vocals, Fredrik Nordstrandh – Guitar, Keyboards, Robert Persson – Drums, Martin Karlsson – Bass
37 Avenged Sevenfold- S/T (Release Year – 2007)
Avenged Sevenfold is a band that I have not checked out until very recently. I read that a band that guys in Black Stone Cherry enjoyed were Avenged Sevenfold. That recommendation was good enough for me. I have got a ton of play out of BSC’s debut disc, so I thought I would give Avenged Sevenfold a shot. Lucky for me they just came out with a brand new disc to check out.
I had no idea what this band sounded like until I watched the video for Almost Easy. The video was enough to sell me on the band, and off I was to seek out the latest by Avenged Sevendfold. Lucky for me, the local rock shop got a few copies in early. (This disc should be available in most U.S. retailers on Tuesday, October 30th.)
Avenged Sevenfold was once lumped into the Metalcore category, but don’t really fit into that mold anymore. Singer M.Shadows had to change his vocals approach due to throat and vocal chord damage, of which he had to have surgery to repair.
I was very surprised to find a Metal band that actually plays guitar solos that you can hear, and a vocalist with a very clean voice. How these guys managed to stay off my radar for so long is a great mystery to me, especially considering how popular this band is with today’s generation.
After listening to this record, I think this band may appeal to some older metalheads than today’s youth.
This disc is not perfect by any means. One listen to the track A Little Piece of Heaven and you may find yourself scratching your head in confusion. This sounds a twisted Pink Floyd circus that was given a metal makeover. This is a very strange track to me.
The guitar sound on Dear God has a country twinge to it, and quite frankly is a song that I will skip every time. ( I hope this isn’t the band trying to pull a Bon Jovi. ) The song could actually have some crossover hit potential on the radio, but isn’t to my liking.
Aside from those songs, I could not find many faults with this record. Synyster Gates guitar playing on this record is extremely cool. The Rev has plenty of double bass drumming to get you rocking, and Johnny Christ offers some chugging bass riffs to get your blood pumping.
Critical Acclaim is a very cool head banging tune. Almost Easy should be a massive hit for the band. If you aren’t hooked by the time you hear the killer guitar riffs on Scream your headphones may be broken.
As a whole, this is a pretty cool metal album, and one that I will be spinning quite a bit in the up and coming weeks. If you haven’t ever checked out Avenged Sevenfold before, give the new album a chance. I think you will like it.
For more info on the band, and to hear more songs, check out Avenged Sevenfold’s myspace page. You can buy your own copy of this disc at Amazon.com at this link!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Critical Acclaim
2. Almost Easy
3. Scream
4. Afterlife
5. Gunslinger
6. Unbound (The Wild Ride)
7. Brompton Cocktail
8. Lost
9. A Little Piece Of Heaven
10. Dear God
Avenged Sevenfold is:
M. Shadows – lead vocals, piano, guitar
Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
The Rev – drums, piano, backing vocals
Synyster Gates – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals
Johnny Christ – bass guitar, backing vocals
10 Top Ten Metal Songs For Halloween
Here are the Hard Rock Hideout’s Top 10 Metal Songs for Halloween!
Be sure to check out these other fine sites for more tricks and treats:
0 All That Remains Live DVD (Release Year – 2007)
All That Remains fans have caught the band live on the Ozzfest tour, have seen their videos on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball, and now have something to look forward to this Tuesday with the band’s new LIVE DVD.
This DVD should keep the momentum of their debut release, “The Fall of Ideals” going strong.
This DVD captures not one, but two live shows from Philadelphia and Baltimore, during the band’s tour in 2007.
As a bonus, you also get all six of All The Remains music videos.: The Air That I Breathe, Not Alone, This Calling, Tattered On My Sleeve, This Darkened Heart and The Deepest Gray plus photos, interviews and some additional bonus material.
This is a very cool collection for All That Remains fans and should not be missed. This DVD hits the stores on Tuesday, October 30th.
Metal and hardcore fans out to grab these up quick!!
Here is the All That Remains Video, “Not Alone”.
Rating:Out of 10
3 (hed)p.e. – Insomnia (Release Year – 2007)
Insomnia is a very difficult CD for this listener to review. (hed) Planet Earth or p.e. if you prefer is a rap metal band.
This CD mixes both styles in a genre of music that is a dying breed.
This is not a style of music that I enjoy, however I am sure that this band has a younger audience out there.
If you are curious, as far as how the band sounds, check out the video below for the song Suffa.
If you like this song, you may find more to like on Insomnia. The CD does have a couple of solid metal moments. Walk On By will appeal to some metalheads, as will the Buffalo Springfield remake of For What It’s Worth in the song Children.
Atlantis A.D. has a pretty cool guitar riff that I found myself liking somewhat.
If I enjoyed rap metal, I would have probably liked this disc a lot more than the rating below indicates. If you like this style of music, give hed (p.e.) a shot.
For more info on hed (p.e.) check out their myspace page here!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Madhouse
2. Walk On By
3. Game Over
4. Habeus
5. Suffa
6. Comeova2nite (feat. Young Roscoe)
7. C2gu
8. Rto (Feat. Big B)
9. Mirrorballin
10. Tienanman Squared
11. Children
12. Atlantis A.D.
13. Wind Me Up (Feat. Kottonmouth Kings & Tech N9ne)
14. Don’t Let Me Down
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
0 Crystal Pistol – S/T (Release Year – 2005)
Today’s post comes from Tania from the Hard Rock Hideout Forum! Have you checked out the HRH forum lately?
Band –
Mike Ireland – vocals
Greg Laikin – bass
Dave Troutman – drums
Brian Bresett – guitars
Pinto – guitars
1. Watch You Bleed
2. Rockstar
3. Locomotive
4. Line It Up
5. Salt of the Earth
6. XXIII
7. Shake
8. All The Freaks
9. Live Fast
10. Teenage Parasite
11. No Fun City
Producer: Jeff Dawson
Hailing from Canada, Crystal Pistols self titled full length debut starts off promising. The first three tracks are nice little rockers. Singer Mike Ireland has a great sleazy, grimy sounding voice and the first two songs in particular, Watch You Bleed and Rockstar, show off his dirty gritty snarl perfectly.
I’m not really sure what Crystal Pistol are trying to do with
the Crystal Pistol band shot rest of the tracks on this CD. Some of it has a punk element to it, some have a rock element, some goth sounding. I guess its “punk rock”, but to me it sounds as if they are trying to put too many different types of musical sounds into each song.
The songs are fast and short, in fact this CD only clocks in at just over 35 minutes. After the third song, the rest of the songs are decent. I’m not saying they are bad, some are catchy but there is nothing really standout after Locomotive. Salt of the Earth is a nice change of pace but it all gets fairly boring and predicable fairly quickly. All in all a mixed bag. Good enough but not great. Check them out at their myspace to get a taste of some Crystal Pistol.
www.myspace.com/crystalpistol
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
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
