CRISS – Cat #1

Criss – Cat #1 (1994, Tony Nicole Tony Records)

1. “Bad Attitude” … 4:35
2. “Walk the Line” … 3:49
3. “Truth” … 4:54
4. “Bad People Burn in Hell” … 3:47
5. “Show Me” … 4:04
6. “Good Times” … 4:36
7. “Strike” … 4:45
8. “Blue Moon Over Brooklyn” … 5:23
9. “Down with the Sun” … 4:37
10. “We Want You” … 3:48
11. “Beth” … 2:48

Band:
Peter Criss – Lead Vocals, Drums, Percussion
Mike Stone – Guitar, Lead Vocals
Mike McLaughlin – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Mark Montague – Bass, Backing Vocals

Additional Musicians:
Ace Frehley – Guitar (“Bad Attitude”, “Walk the Line”, “Blue Moon Over Brooklyn”)
Wayne Johnson – Acoustic Guitar
Doug Shawe, Dito Godwin – Piano
Kirk Miller – Guitar
Stephen Presley – Keyboards

Producer: Dito Godwin & Peter Criss

Peter’s non-KISS material has always been the least enjoyable of the original four members of KISS. His self-titled KISS album is pretty lame and I’ve read that 2007′s One For All was even worse. Of the five solo albums he’s released to date, I think Cat #1 is easily the best. Yeah, I know “Criss” is the name of the band and it’s commendable that he tried to get a real band going but let’s call a spade a spade and just say this is a Peter Criss album (even though guitarist Mike Stone handles vocals on “Show Me” and “We Want You”). This album may have gotten a bit more notice had it been titled as such.

You won’t find any of Peter’s jazz, R&B, big band or crooning influences here. This is a hard rock ‘n’ roll album that sounds like it came out of the late ’70s or early ’80s. In short, it’s the type of album he should’ve made back then during that very time frame!

There’s some great rockers like “Bad Attitude”, “Show Me” and “The Truth” and then some cool ballads as well (“Good Times”, “Blue Moon Over Brooklyn”). Peter’s always had a great soulful voice and it’s in fine form throughout the album. For KISS fans, I think this is worth seeking out, especially if you’re a fan of the original line-up and not only because of Peter Criss but because Ace plays guitar on a few of these songs.

Highlights: “Bad Attitude”, “The Truth”, “Bad People Burn in Hell”, “Good Times”, “Blue Moon Over Brooklyn”

http://www.petercriss.net/

August 30, 2010
Categories: Peter Criss . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 7 Comments

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 – Music From and Inspired By

Mission: Impossible 2 – Music From and Inspired By (2000, Hollywood Records)

1. “Take a Look Around” – Limp Bizkit … 5:20
2. “I Disappear” – Metallica … 4:26
3. “Scum of the Earth” – Rob Zombie … 2:55
4. “They Came In” – Butthole Surfers … 4:42
5. “Rocket Science” – The Pimps … 3:30
6. “Have a Cigar” – Foo Fighters & Brian May … 4:02
7. “Mission 2000″ – Chris Cornell … 3:42
8. “Goin’ Down” – Godsmack … 3:23
9. “What ‘Chu Lookin’ At?” – Uncle Kracker … 5:11
10. “Backwards” – Apartment 26 … 3:09
11. “Karma” – Diffuser … 3:16
12. “Alone” – Buckcherry …3:23
13. “Immune” – Tinfed … 3:49
14. “My Kinda Scene” – Powderfinger … 4:26
15. “Carnival” – Tori Amos … 4:18
16. “Nyah” – Hans Zimmer & Heitor Pereira … 3:32

Ordered this one online for dirt cheap all because I wanted the Metallica and Buckcherry songs that were exclusive to this album.

A number of singles were released from this album: Limp Bizkit’s “Take a Look Around” (a rap-metal reworking of the Mission: Impossible theme), “I Disappear” and the Foo Fighters/Brian May cover of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” spring to mind. The local radio stations seemed to be all over the Limp Bizkit single (it was 2000, after all, and rap-metal was all the rage) and “I Disappear” received substantial play as well.

I love “I Disappear”. I think it’s one of Metallica’s best songs. Sure it’s not heavy metal but it’s a great hard rock tune and whenever I heard it on the radio I felt compelled to drive faster. Maybe the music video of James Hetfield speeding around had something to do with that!

Once again showing myself becoming ever more the completist, Buckcherry’s “Alone” is what truly made me decide to buy this album. I didn’t even realize they were on this soundtrack until recently and the song is exclusive to this soundtrack so I had to own this. It’s a pretty good tune, not a career highlight for the band, but I like it and it’s a lot better than most of the songs here.

As you can tell by looking at the artists involved, this is mostly an alternative rock/metal album with most acts turning in the usual generic songs that has come to be expected from soundtracks. Chris Cornell’s “Mission 2000″ is decent and despite the title, it’s not some type of remix or variation on the M:I theme — it’s a new, harder version of the song “Mission” which was on his excellent Euphoria Morning solo debut from the year previous.

To be honest, most of this soundtrack is garbage but I only spent a few bucks and got out of it what I expected to get out of it so I guess it’s not a total loss.

Highlights: “I Disappear”, “Have a Cigar”, “Mission 2000″, “Alone”

August 28, 2010
Categories: Soundtracks . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 1 Comment

JORN – Dio

Jorn – Dio (2010, Frontiers Records)

1. “Song for Ronnie James” … 8:08
2. “Invisible” … 5:23
3. “Shame on the Night” … 5:21
4. “Push” … 4:00
5. “Stand Up and Shout” … 3:23
6. “Don’t Talk to Strangers” … 4:55
7. “Lord of the Last Day” … 4:50
8. “Night People” … 4:24
9. “Sacred Heart” … 6:26
10. “Sunset Superman” … 4:56
11. “Lonely Is the Word / Letters from Earth” … 5:28
12. “Kill the King” … 4:03
13. Straight Through the Heart (live)” … 5:05

Band:
Jorn Lande – Vocals
Tor Erik Myhre – Guitar
Jgor Gianola – Guitar
Tore Moren – Guitar
Nic Angileri – Bass
Willy Bendiksen – Drums, Percussion

Additional Musicians:
Tommy Hansen – Keyboards

Producer: Tommy Hansen

This album was quite a surprise that shocked the metal world for a short time. I believe it was only a week or two after Ronnie James Dio’s passing that a press release was sent out announcing Jorn Lande’s Dio tribute album would be arriving soon. Many people were confused and upset over this. Was Jorn exploiting the memory of Ronnie James? How would he have recorded this album so quickly? Well, soon the word got out that this album had been in the works since 2009 and it had the blessing of Ronnie and his wife Wendy. So all was good in the world again and the metal community then began to anxiously await Jorn’s take on some Dio classics.

The album features a few Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell and Rainbow tunes but it mostly focuses on the Dio band. 5 songs come Holy Diver and the next in line (not an intentional pun!) is Dream Evil, which is represented with 2 songs. I was pleasantly surprised by the track listing. Do we really need another cover of “Holy Diver”, “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”, “Heaven and Hell” or “Rainbow in the Dark”? No. Instead, we get some less obvious, but still great, choices like “Push” (from 2000′s Magica album!), “Invisible”, “Lord of the Last Day”, “Sacred Heart” (maybe my favorite song from the Dio band) and “Sunset Superman”. I really would’ve liked to have heard something from the Killing the Dragon album as well, I think that’s one of Dio’s best albums.

If there are a few complaints I could make about the song choices, it’s that I would have liked to have heard Jorn cover some of Rainbow’s more epic songs like “Stargazer” or Dio’s “The Last In Line” (even “Stars” would’ve been fun). I guess those count as “obvious” covers but I really would have loved to hear Lande’s voice on those pieces. And what a voice! Though I’m not in love with much of Jorn’s original work, you can’t deny he has a fantastic voice. Had he been around in a previous era, he’d probably be considered one of the all-time great rock singers. In this day and age, if anyone can do Ronnie James Dio justice, it’s Jorn Lande. In fact, if Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler are interested in doing something other than a reunion with Ozzy, I would love for them to work with Jorn on some original material.

The songs are pretty straight-forward covers. There’s no experimentation being done here, which is fine. If you’re like me, you didn’t buy the album to hear them fool around with the songs. You bought it to hear Jorn’s voice and he doesn’t disappoint. Given the advances in technology since the originals came along, it’s also nice to hear re-recorded versions anyway. There is one original song: “Song For Ronnie James”. When I first heard it, I didn’t like it and thought it was very cheesy but it has grown on me.

If you’re a huge fan of either Ronnie or Jorn, I think this is an album you need to have in your collection.

Highlights: “Song For Ronnie James”, “Push”, “Stand Up and Shout”, “Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “Sacred Heart”, “Sunset Superman”

http://www.jornlande.com/
http://www.myspace.com/realjorn

August 28, 2010
Categories: Jorn . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 1 Comment

WHITESNAKE – Whitesnake

Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987, Geffen Records)

1. “Crying in the Rain” … 5:37
2. “Bad Boys” … 4:09
3. “Still of the Night” … 6:38
4. “Here I Go Again” … 4:33
5. “Give Me All Your Love” … 3:30
6. “Is This Love” … 4:43
7. “Children of the Night” … 4:24
8. “Straight for the Heart” … 3:40
9. “Don’t Turn Away” … 5:07

Band:
David Coverdale – Lead Vocals
John Sykes – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Neil Murray – Bass
Aynsley Dunbar – Drums, Percussion

Additional Musicians:
Don Airey – Keyboards
Bill Cuomo – Keyboards
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar solo (“Here I Go Again”)

Producer: Mike Stone & Keith Olsen

And with this, my Whitesnake collection is complete. I held off on getting this album for years because I knew the whole album by heart since I had owned the cassette since 1996 or so. Out of boredom, I finally plunked down a couple of bucks online to pick this one up.

Despite being the band’s most successful time, this really began the worst era for the band (which even Coverdale himself now admits). Released 3 years before this album, Slide It In was a perfect blend of their old blues-rock sound and pop-metal sound of the day but this cheesy album went overboard with the pop-metal and commercial rock sound and it has a high filler quotient as a result. Sure, there are a few classics here like the epic “Still of the Night” and the monster hits “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love” but the blues influenced is basically gone and in its place is a lot of generic ’80s hard rock. At least Coverdale puts on another fine performance but the songs don’t really call for him to show off his voice too much.

This is one of Whitesnake’s worst albums but that said, it’s still an okay album that used to get a lot of play from me. I would rather listen to anything before or after this album and Slip of the Tongue though.

Highlights: “Crying in the Rain”, “Still of the Night”, “Here I Go Again”, “Is This Love”, “Don’t Turn Away”

www.whitesnake.com
www.myspace.com/whitesnake

August 27, 2010
Categories: Whitesnake . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 3 Comments

IRON MAIDEN – The Final Frontier

Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier [Mission Edition] (2010, Universal Music Enterprises)

1. “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier” … 8:40
2. “El Dorado” … 6:48
3. “Mother of Mercy” … 5:20
4. “Coming Home” … 5:52
5. “The Alchemist” … 4:28
6. “Isle of Avalon” … 9:06
7. “Starblind” … 7:48
8. “The Talisman” … 9:03
9. “The Man Who Would Be King” … 8:28
10. “When the Wild Wind Blows” … 11:00

Band:
Bruce Dickinson – Vocals
Dave Murray – Guitar
Adrian Smith – Guitar
Janick Gers – Guitar
Steve Harris – Bass, Keyboards
Nicko McBrain – Drums

Producer: Kevin Shirley & Steve Harris

Um, yeah. This “Mission Edition”? It’s basically the album in a tin instead of a jewel case with the band’s logo and the title of the album being absent from the album art and the CD artwork is different as well. So if you haven’t decided on which version of the album to pick up, I suggest you save a few bucks and stick with the “regular” version. There are some bonus features which you can unlock by going to www.ironmaiden.com/bonus and putting the disc in your computer but I’m not a fan of stuff like that. When I buy a special edition, I want bonus tracks not access to games, photos and videos on a website (at least put all of that ON the disc!).

By the way, I guess the idea of this “Mission Edition” tin is we’re looking out of a spaceship’s window. I initially tried to scan the booklet inside the tin case but it didn’t turn out so well:

The Final Frontier is an album that seems to have many Maiden fans divided. When you’ve got such a large following and have been a successful group for 30+ years, every new release is going to be analyzed, questioned and compared to the “classic” catalog. Before this album arrived in the mail, I read many reviews (from critics and actual fans) stating this album was the sound of a tired, repetitive and boring band. I read other reviews saying it’s a top three or top five Maiden album that is full of exciting music and that the band is admirably blazing new paths and taking chances with their music. Hm.

Despite owning the majority of Maiden’s catalog, I must confess I’m not a huge fan. Sure, I like them, but they wouldn’t crack the Top 20 as far as my favorite bands go. I’ve always thought many (not all) of their songs could be repetitive and their albums tend to drag. That said, I was still anticipating this release because they are legends and I recognize their contributions to heavy metal. I’ve been following the band since the Brave New World reunion album and the digital release of “El Dorado” sounded really promising, so I wasn’t going to stop following them now.

I guess one common complaint (or praise) I’m running across with other people is the progressive nature of this album. Well, other than the earliest records, they’ve always sounded like progressive metal to me. Especially since Brave New World, so I’m not sure why this is shocking people now. Someone put it best when they said Iron Maiden is no longer a heavy metal act and they are now a progressive hard rock act. This is true but I’ve felt that was the case for years. Anyone that turns in a 10-track album that clocks in around 80 minutes has to be progressive!

Still, they can churn out some really good rockers. “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier” is a great number (after we get through that way too long intro, seriously, they should’ve cut this into two different tracks) and “El Dorado” is the album’s bright spot, it’s really catchy and the most straightforward rocker of the bunch. Both of these songs stick with you. The rest of the album is mostly made up of mid-tempo rockers that all seem to have slow building intros. Again, standard Iron Maiden, in my opinion. In the middle of all of this is “Coming Home”, a ballad I’ve grown quite fond of.

So is this a classic Iron Maiden album? I don’t know, I’ll leave that up to the hardcore fanbase to decide but I do know that it’s a really good album and I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. It will probably my my Top 10 list for 2010 after all is said and done, if that tells you anything.

Highlights: “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier”, “El Dorado”, “Coming Home”, “The Alchemist”, “Isle of Avalon”, “The Talisman”

www.ironmaiden.com
www.myspace.com/ironmaiden

August 26, 2010
Categories: Iron Maiden . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 2 Comments

AVENGED SEVENFOLD – Nightmare

Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare (2010, Warner Bros. Records)

1. “Nightmare” … 6:14
2. “Welcome to the Family” …  4:06
3. “Danger Line” … 5:28
4. “Buried Alive” … 6:44
5. “Natural Born Killer” … 5:15
6. “So Far Away” … 5:27
7. “God Hates Us” … 5:19
8. “Victim” … 7:30
9. “Tonight the World Dies” … 4:41
10. “Fiction” … 5:13
11. “Save Me” … 10:56

Band:
M. Shadows – Lead Vocals
Synyster Gates – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Zacky Vengeance – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Johnny Christ – Bass
The Rev – Drums, Lead Vocals (“Fiction”)

Additional musicians:
Mike Portnoy – Drums
Brian Haner, Sr. – Guitar
Sharlotte Gibson – backing vocals
Jessi Collins – Backing Vocals
David Palmer – Piano, Keyboards
Stewart Cole – Trumpet
Mike Elizondo – Keyboards

Producer: Mike Elizondo

Another 2010 release that I had great anticipation for! I was never big fan of City of Evil, other than loving the song “Bat Country”. I think at the time Avenged Sevenfold was just too new and too different to me to really understand them and I decided I wasn’t a “fan”. Years later, I gave their 2007 self-titled release a try when I saw it on sale in late ’08. AMAZING ALBUM! One of my favorites from the past decade and I know Nightmare had quite a task ahead of it if it was even going to equal their 2007 album. I’m pleased to say I think it has!

A7X’s music and lyrics have always been dark, angry and borderline emo with a twisted sense of humor. For the most part, the twisted lyrics are gone (other than the usual about death and what not) and all that’s left is a much more somber and melodic album than anything they’ve done before. There’s a real melancholy atmosphere to the whole album, the band doesn’t seem to be going as heavy and as fast as they have in the past (I think Synyster Gates sounds particularly restrained), though their are exceptions like “Nightmare” and “God Hates Us”.

The songs aren’t as in your face and didn’t immediately grab me like songs off the last album did. It took me 2 or 3 spins to really start enjoying the whole album. I’m not sure if it was a calculated move to go this moodier route or if Nightmare is a band captured at less than 100%. And that’s completely understandable given the The Rev passed away during production of this album. I know he recorded some tracks and then Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy came in to finish the album. From my understanding, most of the lyrics were written after his death and many of them deal with the band’s loss.

On a creepy note, The Rev wrote the song “Fiction” by himself and the working title of it was “Death”. He also performs some lead vocals on it and the lyrics make the whole thing an odd affair.

As for the rest of the album, the hooks just keep on coming. Every track on here is really a winner except for “God Hates Us”. It’s okay, but it’s the band going back to their metalcore roots. A sound I really don’t care for. If you like Avenged Sevenfold, you’ll like this album. If you’re still one of those people that can’t accept the blending of modern and classic metal, this album isn’t going to change your mind even if the band seems to be spreading their wings a bit more (“Tonight the World Dies” sounds like a somber mid’-90s Stone Temple Pilots tune!).

As always, the lyrics are a real treat. I love the dark imagery A7X uses when talking about love gone wrong and things that go bump in the night. I can relate to a lot of it and for this album their words have added weight.

It took me forever to get this CD in the mail thanks to screw ups by USPS and BestBuy.com but it was totally worth the wait and is one of the year’s best releases as far as I’m concerned!

Highlights: “Nightmare”, “Buried Alive”, “Natural Born Killer”, “So Far Away”, “Fiction”, “Tonight the World Dies”, “Save Me”

www.avengedsevenfold.com
www.myspace.com/avengedsevenfold

August 24, 2010
Categories: Avenged Sevenfold . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 1 Comment

BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY – Music From The Motion Picture

Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey – Music From The Motion Picture (1991, Interscope Records)

1. “Shout It Out” – Slaughter … 4:20
2. “Battle Stations” – Winger … 4:02
3. “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II” – KISS … 5:23
4. “Drinking Again” – Neverland … 4:56
5. “Dream of a New Day” – Richie Kotzen … 3:17
6. “The Reaper” – Steve Vai … 3:20
7. “The Perfect Crime” – Faith No More … 4:26
8. “Go to Hell” – Megadeth … 4:36
9. “Tommy the Cat” – Primus … 4:14
10. “Junior’s Gone Wild” – King’s X … 3:09
11. “Showdown” – Love On Ice … 6:20
12. “The Reaper Rap” – Steve Vai … 4:27

Even though I already own “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II” and “Go to Hell” elsewhere, I bought this album basically just because it looked like a fun one and essentially an ’80s hair/heavy metal compilation. Some of these songs were written exclusively for this Bill & Ted sequel (“Go to Hell”, “Battle Stations”, “Shout It Out”, “The Reaper”) while other songs had appeared elsewhere or would be doing so shortly (“Drinking Again”, “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II”, “Tommy the Cat”).

It’s an interesting release that documents some of the final days of hair metal. It’s also interesting because it mixes Slaughter,Winger and KISS with Megadeth, Faith No More and Primus! Winger’s “Battle Stations” and Steve Vai’s “The Reaper” seem to be the two songs that get the most praise from this album and while I don’t necessarily think they are the soundtrack’s best songs, they are very good and definite highlights. Predictably, KISS and Megadeth are the best moments for me.

The title of the movie was originally going to be called Bill & Ted Go to Hell, so the movie studio specifically wanted Megadeth to write a song called “Go to Hell”. Which Dave Mustaine did, but then the title of the movie got changed and some people at the the time thought Dave was ripping off an Alice Cooper title or just plain doing a cover song. I for one thought it was a cover song (which would’ve been really cool) and was slightly disappointed years ago when I found out it was an original. It’s still a good song though. Another note about “Go to Hell” are these spoken words:

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take

Sound familiar? Metallica would also use these same lines (granted, it’s from a prayer) a few months later for “Enter Sandman”. Dave of course flipped out but who knows? Maybe it was just a coincidence or maybe “Enter Sandman” was recorded first. Lyrics aside, I think the song even starts out similar sounding to “Enter Sandman”.

Overall, this is a decent disc to spin if you’re a fan of this type of ’80s rock/metal. Definitely worth the $0.79 or so I paid for it!

Highlights: “Battle Stations”, “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II”, “Drinking Again”, “The Reaper”, “Go to Hell”

August 23, 2010
Categories: Soundtracks . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 8 Comments

FILTER – The Trouble With Angels

Filter – The Trouble With Angels (2010, Rocket Science Ventures)

1. “The Inevitable Relapse” … 3:30
2. “Drug Boy” … 3:48
3. “Absentee Father” … 3:59
4. “No Love” … 4:21
5. “No Re-entry” … 5:40
6. “Down With Me” … 3:53
7. “Catch A Falling Knife” … 4:03
8. “The Trouble With Angels” … 3:53
9. “Clouds” … 3;34
10. “Fades Like A Photograph (Dead Angel)” … 4:25

Band:
Richard Patrick – Vocals, Guitar, Programming
Mitchell Marlow – Guitar
John Spiker – Bass, Guitar, Programming
Mika Fineo – Drums

Additional Musicians:
Yogi Lonich – Guitar
Bob Marlette – Keyboards
Bruce Somers, Rae Dileo – Programming

Producer: Bob Marlette

So I’m vaguely familiar with Filter. I know that Richard Patrick used to play in Trent Reznor’s touring version of Nine Inch Nails before going on to form his own band. “Hey Man, Nice Shot” is a great tune as is “Where Do We Go From Here” but their biggest hit “Take A Picture” was way too light and poppy for me. I’ve never sought out any of their albums and when this arrived in my mailbox I wasn’t sure if I was going to get an alternative rock/pop album or something harder and a bit more industrial. Either way, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this album but with time to kill, it decided to pop it in and press play.

From the research I’ve done, The Trouble With Angels was a conscious effort by Richard Patrick to get back to a heavier more industrial sound. In other words, he wanted to get back to his roots (I’m told the last Filter album was a softer affair) and it has worked, in my opinion. Granted, as previously stated, I haven’t exactly followed Filter’s career but this sounds like their harder, alternative stuff of the past with the exception of “Fades Like A Memory (Dead Angel)” which seems to be trying to tap into the same mainstream appeal that “Take A Picture” had while simultaneously retaining some bite and being far, far better than that hit song. The original version of the song appeared on the soundtrack for the movie 2012 in 2009. I’m surprised it didn’t chart when it was released as a single from that soundtrack.

I keep mentioning (whenever I review an “alternative” band) that I’m not much of an alternative rock guy but I’ve really been enjoying some of the albums and bands I’ve been coming across lately that are outside my comfort zone. The Trouble With Angels has garnered much more play in my car and computer than I ever thought it would. I can only listen to so much industrial hard rock before it all starts sounding the same but there are more than enough hooks on this album to keep me and anyone else coming back for more. This album has been one of the year’s best surprises for me and it’s well worth seeking out for those that aren’t as narrow-minded as I usually am!

Highlights: “The Inevitable Relapse”, “Drug Boy”, “No Love”, “No Re-entry”, “Fades Like A Photograph (Dead Angel)”

www.officialfilter.com
www.myspace.com/filter1

August 19, 2010
Categories: Filter . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 3 Comments

BLACK SABBATH – The Dio Years

Black Sabbath – The Dio Years (2007, Warner Bros. Records/Rhino Records)

1. “Neon Knights” … 3:51
2. “Lady Evil” … 4:23
3. “Heaven And Hell” … 6:59
4. “Die Young” … 4:44
5. “Lonely is the Word” … 5:50
6. “The Mob Rules” … 3:13
7. “Turn Up the Night” … 3:42
8. “Voodoo” … 4:32
9. “Falling Off the Edge of the World” … 5:03
10. “After All (The Dead)” … 5:42
11. “TV Crimes” … 4:02
12. “I” … 5:12
13. “Children of the Sea” (live) … 6:12
14. “The Devil Cried” … 6:01
15. “Shadow of the Wind” … 5:40
16. “Ear in the Wall” … 4:04

Band:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Tony Iommi – Guitar
Geezer Butler – Bass
Bill Ward – Drums (Tracks 1–5)
Vinny Appice – Drums (Tracks 6–16)

Additional Musicians:
Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards (Tracks 1–13)

I’m becoming quite the completist when it comes to Ronnie James Dio and Black Sabbath. I never gave much thought to this album until recently. I own all of Sabbath’s albums so why would I need a compilation of the Dio years? For the three new songs: “The Devil Cried”, “Shadow of the Wind”, “Ear in the Wall”.

As a representation of Sabbath’s Dio era, this is a near perfect release. The only songs I think they missed the boat on are “The Sign of the Southern Cross” from Mob Rules and ”Computer God”, “Master of Insanity” and “Time Machine” from Dehumanizer. What can I say? I’m a huge fan of Dehumanizer. It’s one of Sabbath’s most underrated albums alongside Born Again and Headless Cross.

But let’s get back to the new tracks. The story goes that the label had informed Iommi & Dio that they were putting together this compilation and asked if they had any unreleased songs they could use. They didn’t but Tony and Ronnie got to talking and decided to try to work together again on some new stuff for the album. The rest is history and the third go-round of this fantastic partnership lasted up until Ronnie’s unfortunate passing due to cancer.

The new songs don’t really sound like anything they might have done on Heaven and Hell or Mob Rules. The songs here sound more powerful, darker, and gloomier. Much more in line with Dehumanizer, though not quite as heavy. Anyone who likes The Devil You Know will like these tunes as well. “The Devil Cried” is the best of the bunch but truthfully none of these songs are classics but it is all still solid & enjoyable Sabbath. It’s mid-tempo, plodding doom metal (“Ear In the Wall” picks up the pace a bit) with Dio in as good as form as ever. As time went on, his voice never wavered in power but got slightly deeper and richer in sound.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Dio years and wants to dip their toes in the water, this is a great way to do so.

www.blacksabbath.com
www.heavenandhelllive.com
www.myspace.com/heavenandhelllive

August 18, 2010
Categories: Black Sabbath . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 1 Comment

ASPHALT VALENTINE – Strip Rock Roll

Asphalt Valentine – Strip Rock Roll (2010, JamSync Music)
Original Release: 2009, Chavis Records

1. “Never Lose It” … 4:09
2. “Dirty Little Secret” … 4:33
3. “It’s Not Me” … 4:20
4. “Hard Life” … 5:24
5. “Love and Gone” … 4:08
6. “Don’t Come Easy” … 5:02
7. “Be Your Drug” … 4:01
8. “Strip Rock Roll” … 4:21
9. “Down To The Aces” … 4:26
10. “On That Line” … 3:11
11. “Bombshell” … 3:39

Band:
Joe Flynt – Vocals
Brett “Beretta” Ciaramella – Guitar
Evan McKee – Guitar
Scott Clark – Bass
Scozz – Drums

Producer: Andy Reilly & Asphalt Valentine

Asphalt Valentine is one of many bands I had been aware of for quite some time (this album was originally released in 2009 by Chavis Records) but never got around to getting their album despite reading positive reviews for it. Luckily, JamSync Music hooked me up with a digital copy when I found out that JamSync’s “Summer of Sin” tour package (Asphalt Valentine/Mama Kin/Modern Superstar) was going to be rolling through Fort Walton Beach. It was my original intention to coincide this review with the day of the show and also to attend the show but I ended up having to work. Asphalt Valentine may have left FWB but their music still plays on in my house!

As if you couldn’t tell by the album’s cover art and title, Asphalt Valentine are basically a modern-day hair band in the same way that Buckcherry, Charm City Devils, Black Robot and The Last Vegas are. It’s straight up sleaze ‘n’ hard rock though they are probably a bit more melodic than the bands I just mentioned. Being from Atlanta, you can hear a bit of a Southern rock influence. I found this to be most true on “Love and Gone”, though the Southern influence is not strong enough to call them a Southern rock act. The band even dabbles with in bluesy glam-rocker that would make Cinderella proud with the song “Don’t Come Easy” (easily my favorite song on the album). The rest of the album is filled with solid rockers that will stick in your head for the rest of the day.

I really wish I hadn’t missed out on seeing these guys live! I would love to see Motley Crue help these guys out like they have Buckcherry, Hinder and The Last Vegas. Take these guys on the road with ya for the next Cruefest, Nikki! I figured the album would have a few tracks I’d like but I didn’t think I’d be spinning the entire album so much. Asphalt Valentine are definitely a band that fans of no-frills good time hard rock need to listen to. And if you want to pick up this album, be sure to pick up the JamSync version because it has an extra track on it.

Highlights: “Dirty Little Secret”, “Love and Gone”, “Don’t Come Easy”, “Be Your Drug”, “Strip Rock Roll”

www.asphaltvalentine.com
www.myspace.com/asphaltvalentine2
www.jamsyncmusic.com

August 11, 2010
Categories: Asphalt Valentine . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Metal Misfit . Comments: 4 Comments

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