WOLF – Ravenous

Posted in Wolf with tags , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Wolf – Ravenous (2009, Century Media Records)

1. “Speed On” … 3:46
2. “Curse You Salem” … 3:54
3. “Voodoo” … 4:19
4. “Hail Caesar” … 3:48
5. “Ravenous” … 3:59
6. “Mr. Twisted” … 3:54
7. “Love At First Bite” … 3:49
8. “Secrets We Keep” … 4:52
9. “Whisky Psycho Hellions” … 4:42
10. “Hiding In Shadows” … 4:20
11.” Blood Angel” … 6:26

Band:
Niklas Stalvind – Vocals, Guitar
Johannes Losback – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Anders Modd – Bass
Richard Holmgren – Drums

Producer: Roy Z

Wolf is a Swedish act that more or less plays traditional heavy/power metal as if it were still the 1980s (and all of their album covers SCREAM “low budget label ’80s heavy metal” in a good way). I’ve been familiar with their name for the last few years, but for some reason (probably because of the style of music they play), I thought there were some ’80s act that never made it big. The band’s history actually only goes back to 1995 (with their self-titled debut arriving in 2000), certainly a time when it was anything but cool to be playing traditional heavy metal.

With the thinking that this band didn’t “make it” in the ’80s, at least to the level of underground sensation, I never gave the band much thought the few times I ran across their name. It also only because I have seen Ravenous pop up on a number of “best of 2009″ lists that I decided to take a closer look. To my pleasant surprise, I discovered they were a fairly new band and while I liked the samples I heard online, the real clincher was that Roy Z was producing. Roy is one of my favorite producers from the last 10-15 years having worked with Bruce Dickinson, Halford, Judas Priest, Sebastian Bach, Rob Rock and Yngwie Malmsteen. Usually if he’s involved, I know I can expect a solid album.

If I were to compare Wolf to any bands, I’d have to say I hear traces of Judas Priest, old school Helloween, Riot and Dream Evil. Singer Niklas Stalvind certainly has the shrill voice for this style of metal.

Definitely a great album for fans of old school power metal and traditional heavy metal and it would’ve been a contender for my Top 10 of ‘09 list had I heard it last year. If I have one gripe it is that some of the songs tend to blend together but there’s more than enough standouts tracks here to make up for it. A very promising band that I’ll have to reach back for to check out their earlier stuff.

Highlights: “Speed On”, “Voodoo”, “Mr. Twisted”, “Love At First Bite”, “Secrets We Keep”, “Whisky Psycho Hellions”

www.wolf.nu
www.myspace.com/wolfheavymetal

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WHITESNAKE – Restless Heart

Posted in Whitesnake with tags , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Whitesnake – Restless Heart (1997, EMI Records – UK Import)

1. “Don’t Fade Away” … 5:01
2. “All In The Name Of Love” … 4:42
3. “Restless Heart” .. 4:50
4. “Too Many Tears” … 5:44
5. “Crying” … 5:34
6. “Stay With Me” … 4:00
7. “Can’t Go On” … 4:28
8. “You’re So Fine” … 5:10
9. “Your Precious Love” … 4:34
10. “Take Me Back Again” … 6:02
11. “Woman Trouble Blues” … 5:36

Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Adiran Vandenberg – Guitar
Guy “Starka” Pratt – Bass
Denny Marmassi – Drums, Percussion
Brett Tuggle – Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Additional Musicians:
Tommy Funderburk – Backing Vocals
Beth Anderson – Backing Vocals
Maxine Waters – Backing Vocals
Elk Thunder – Harmonica

Producer: David Coverdale

The only Whitesnake album of the 1990s (which has never seen a proper U.S. release) sees David Coverdale taking the band closer to their bluesy roots after the last few albums delved deeper and deeper into pop metal. The closest the band gets to the pop years is “Restless Heart”, which is one of my favorite Whitesnake songs and would have fit in well on Slide It In.

Anyone expecting another batch of glossy party tunes will be quickly set straight with the opening track “Don’t Fade Away”, which is basically a soft rock ballad. Not exactly the way you’d expect any Whitesnake album to start off but then again, this wasn’t intended to be a Whitesnake album. Coverdale intended this to be a solo release, but EMI forced him to put the Whitesnake name on it to help sales and so we have the compromise on the cover of “David Coverdale & Whitesnake” (just like how Tony Iommi shared billing with Black Sabbath on Seventh Star).

To this day, David doesn’t acknowledge this album as a Whitesnake album and prefers to look at it as a solo project but we finally get hear the legit studio debut of Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, even though he doesn’t really get a chance to show off. As if there was ever any doubt before, this album totally belongs to David Coverdale. Say what you will about these soft rocking, bluesy mid-tempo numbers, but his voice is incredible is the star of this album. I especially love his performance on “Too Many Tears”.

I was turned off by this album at first. Despite immediately recognizing the great vocals performance David was laying down, I couldn’t get past the fact that this album only seems to rock half the time. It was way more melodic and mellow than I wanted it to be. With repeated listenings, the album has grown on me. Taken as a Whitesnake album, it isn’t their finest moments, but I think it’s worth the time of any Whitesnake fan just for David’s vocals and if you keep an open mind, you’ll enjoy some of these slower numbers as well. Really old school Whitesnake fans should enjoy “Crying”, “You’re So Fine” and “Woman Trouble Blues”. Pure blues rockers.

I picked this one up at FYE for $14 and immediately kicked myself when I got home and realized it was on CDUniverse.com for only $7. I knew I had it on my CD Universe wish list, but I was thinking that it was about the same price online. I was pretty excited when I saw it in stock though because I knew it was not an album that could have been there for long because I frequently check out FYE. I don’t buy much from them because everything is usually marked up too high or they don’t have whatever I want.

Highlights: “Restless Heart”, “Too Many Tears”, “Crying”, “You’re So Fine”, “Woman Trouble Blues”

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

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STARZ – Attention Shoppers!

Posted in Starz with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Starz – Attention Shoppers! [Remastered] (2005, Rykodisc)
Original Release: 1978, Capitol Records

1. “Hold On To The Night” … 3:19
2. “She” … 3:22
3. “Third Time’s The Charm”4:36
4. “(Any Way That You Want It) I’ll Be There” … 3:24
5. “Waitin’ On You” … 3:24
6. “X-Ray Spex” … 3:29
7. “Good Ale We Seek” … 4:43
8. “Don’t Think” … 3:46
9. “Johnny All Alone” … 7:31
BONUS TRACKS
10. “Texas” … 3:58
11. “Wind” … 4:18

Band:
Michael Lee Smith – Vocals
Richie Ranno – Guitar
Brenden Harkin – Guitar
Peter Sweval – Bass
Joe Dube – Drums

Producer: Starz

Ever since discovering Violation I’ve been in a major mood for Starz.  The band blended a variety of styles together so effortlessly: glam rock, power pop, rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal. Attention Shoppers! dives completely into power pop and turns away from drafting up too many heavy numbers that might have been at home on Violation.

“X-Ray Spex” and “Good Ale We Seek” seem to get a lot of praise as being the two best rock songs on the album, but I personally feel “X-Ray Spex” is kinda weak. “Good Ale We Seek” is a good, but odd sounding song. It’s a bit trippy, but I like it. The lyrics are really fun. “Johnny All Alone” is a mid-tempo track that reminds me a bit of Ted Nugent when it comes to the guitars.

Even the bonus tracks are really good. I’m not sure when they were recorded, if they were B-sides or whatever, but they’re good. “Texas” is a fun boogie rocker and “Wind” comes across as southern rock to me. See? This band did it all and they did it well! Maybe this album would’ve been better reviewed and a tad more successful if these songs were on the album.

This album is another strong release from the band. I sound like a broken record but it’s absolutely criminal these guys didn’t find a wider fan base with these albums. Guitarist Richie Ranno didn’t like this more commercial direction and hated the album for years. Only recently has he changed his mind and admitted the album is pretty good.

What I find interesting is that according to the band history in the CD booklet (all the Rykodisc reissues talk about the events surrounding each album), Ranno was at war with bassist Peter Sweval and the band’s other guitarist Brendan Harkin over the direction of the band. They wanted a poppy sound, Ranno wanted hard rock. For some odd reason, Michael Lee Smith & Joe Dube stayed out the argument. I guess they were content to do whatever they were told to do.

Outnumbered, Ranno lost the argument and we got this album. Also, producer Jack Douglas (who produced the band’s first two releases) wasn’t available at the time but Capitol Records was demanding new material so the album was self-produced. If Douglas was leading the way, I think we would have had a very different album.

The end result of all of that is a very commercial album that is just as good as their harder material. It’s just too bad that the commercial sound turned off the small fan base they had.

Highlights: “Hold On To The Night”, “She”, “Third Time’s The Charm”, “Good Ale We Seek”, “Johnny All Alone”, “Texas”

www.starzcentral.com
www.myspace.com/officialstarz

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HOUSE OF LORDS – World Upside Down

Posted in House of Lords with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2010 by Metal Misfit

House of Lords – World Upside Down (2007, Locomotive Records)
Original Release: 2006, Frontiers Records

1. “Mask Of Eternity (Overture No. 1)” … 1:45
2. “These Are The Times” … 4:20
3. “All The Way To Heaven” … 4:31
4. “Field Of Shattered Dreams” … 5:51
5. “I’m Free” … 4:05
6. “All The Pieces Falling” … 5:29
7. “Rock Bottom” … 3:52
8. “Million Miles” … 5:06
9. “Your Eyes” … 4:15
10. “Ghost Of Time” … 4:15
11. “My Generation” … 4:34
12. “S.O.S.” … 4:43
13. “World Upside Down” … 4:25

Band:
James Christian – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jimi Bell – Guitar
Jeff Kent – Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
B.J. Zampa – Drums

Additional Musicians:
Robin Beck – Backing Vocals
Terry Brock – Backing Vocals

Producer: James Christian

After picking up Cartesian Dreams and LOVING IT, I decided it was time to own more House of Lords albums. What I would really like to own is the first three albums but those are a bit pricey right now, so I picked up World Upside Down based on my remembrances of “All The Pieces Falling” and “Rock Bottom” (a popular song title for rock bands), both of which I had heard online a few years back. I guess what I own is the U.S. version because the album was originally released in 2006 on Frontiers Records. Tracklisting is identical.

This is a really good album full of everything that makes House of Lords such a great band: amazing vocals, great guitars and keyboards, giant hooks and huge choruses but as a point of comparison, it doesn’t come close to matching the glory of Cartesian Dreams. As good as the album is, I can’t help but wonder how much better the album may have been if the group’s founder Gregg Giuffria contributed more than “keyboard productions”, whatever that is. I guess he gave tips and pointers to Jeff Kent.

There are a few songs that totally fall flat with me. “Field of Shattered Dreams” is just another song in a long line of songs dedicated to our military and the war on terror in the Middle East. It’s a nice gesture, but at this point, these types of song seem so cliche and generic.

Then there’s “My Generation”. No it’s not a Who cover but an ode to those that grew up listening to Hendrix and the like. It’s pretty weird to hear a melodic band like House of Lords name check Jimi and talk about such an era. They don’t even try to mix it up by sounding heavier. I thought the lyrics were pretty arrogant and silly too: “my generation/will take your breath away/let the music play/my generation/will always lead the way/just like yesterday”.

Okay, so what do I like? Well, “These Are The Times” is a great opener (“Mask of Eternity” is an instrumental) and is classic House of Lords. “I’m Free” is a great rocker. “All The Pieces Falling” is one of the band’s best ballads, I think. While “Rock Bottom” is easily one of their heaviest and meanest sounding songs that finds the band encroaching on heavy metal. The band also delivers another stellar ballad with “Your Eyes”.

So there’s a few filler moments on World Upside Down, but overall, the album gets a thumbs up from me.

Highlights: “There Are The Times”, “All The Way To Heaven”, “I’m Free”, “All The Pieces Falling”, “Rock Bottom”, “Your Eyes”, “Ghost Of Time”

www.jameschristianmusic.com
www.myspace.com/jameschristianhouseoflords

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BLACK ROBOT – Black Robot

Posted in Black Robot with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 3, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Black Robot – Black Robot (2010, Formosa Records/Rocket Science Ventures)

1. “Baddass” … 2:28
2. “Cocaine” … 2:45
3. “Momma Don’t Cry” … 4:07
4. “Girls Kissing Girls” … 3:15
5. “Money” … 2:52
6. “I’m In Love” … 4:46
7. “In My Car” … 3:33
8. “Black Robot” … 2:28
9. “Love on a .45″ … 2:56
10. “Dissatisfaction” … 2:39
11. “23 Days of Night” … 3:11
12. “Stop the World” … 3:45
13. “Nervous Breakdown” … 3:21

Band:
Huck Johns – Vocals
Yogi Lonich – Guitars (Tracks 1-3, 5-10, 12, 13
Andy Andersson – Guitar (Tracks 4 & 11)
Jonathan “JB” Brightman – Bass
Devon Glenn – Drums

Producer: Dave Cobb

Black Robot (a great band name if there was one!) is good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll influenced by acts like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Crowes and the Rolling Stones and even though the band doesn’t list them as an influence, I even hear a bit of Stone Temple Pilots. Much like The Last Vegas and Charm City Devils, there’s a cool retro vibe going for this band as they display a raw garage rock ‘n’ roll style that borrows from the 1970s and southern rock.

Oh, and one other band you might be able to draw a comparison to is Buckcherry. Which isn’t surprising because  Jonathan Brightman (who, along with Huck Johns, is the driving force behind Black Robot), Yogi Lonich and Devon Glenn all were members of that band up until it dissolved in 2002. Lonich and Glenn have since left Black Robot but gGuitarists Andy Andersson & Staffan Osterlind have stepped in, as has drummer Possum Hill.

To my understanding, this album was actually released in 2009 but the band went back into the studio with guitarist Andy Andersson (Osterlind hadn’t yet joined) and recorded two new tracks for this 2010 re-release.

Knowing the Buckcherry connection, I was immediately interested in hearing this band but somehow, despite the best of intentions, I ended up losing track of when the album was coming out. Luckily, the Gods of Rock had pity on me and the day after I had remembered to check them out, a review copy wound up in my mailbox! Talk about destiny!

“Baddass”, the album’s opener, sees the album off to a running start. It’s a great way to introduce people to the band. Loud rock ‘n’ roll where the singer sings about how bad he is? Who could not love it? Next up is what sounds like AC/DC doing a cover of  “Cocaine” (made famous by Eric Clapton, originally performed by J.J. Cale). Then there’s the jangly “Momma Don’t Cry” which I hear parts of STP and parts of Jimi Hendrix.

My absolute favorite track is the raucous “Girls Kissing Girls” (which has always been a favorite subject of mine) that sees the band back in AC/DC mode. The ballad “I’m In Love” is another album highlight bringing to mind ’70s southern rock and STP again. I think singer Huck Johns is a great voice throughout the whole album. He seems to easily capture Bon Scott and Scott Weiland, depending on what the song calls for.

Anyone who is a fan of the bands I have mentioned will enjoy this album. There are many great rock bands out there today, but there’s not many with as classic of a sound as Black Robot, so support real rock ‘n’ roll!

Highlights: “Baddass”, “Girls Kissing Girls”, “I’m In Love”, “In My Car”, “Black Robot”, “Love on a .45″, “Dissatisfaction”

www.blackrobotmusic.com
www.myspace.com/blackrobot

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Moratorium

Posted in Blog Stuff with tags , , , , , , on February 2, 2010 by Metal Misfit

CD overload! I have just had way too much music coming into my house lately. Sure, there’s the advance copies for review purposes (which are always good and appreciated) but in addition to that I’ve been extremely active these last few months buying CDs. Not just new stuff, tons of old stuff from bands like Overkill, Angel, Riot, Starz, W.A.S.P, Ted Nugent, Whitesnake, Gary Moore, etc. Some of it I’ve already gotten reviewed, but there’s so much more to be heard and written about.

My computer area is cluttered and messy with CDs and I feel as if I’m losing control of my life! I have so much music to listen to, I don’t know what CD to play first. I’m not one of those “done in one” type of guys either, I really like to digest an album with a number of spins before feeling like I can give some qualified thoughts on them.

I feel at times that I’ve become a bit too review-driven. I still enjoy the music and I’ve heard lots of great stuff lately but it seems like I keep looking for the next CD to listen to just so I can talk about it. I miss those days of playing a CD over and over and over and over again, weeks and weeks after having first heard it.

So, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time we get back to basics. With the exception of a few upcoming new releases, I am imposing a moratorium on purchasing CDs. This will not affect the regularity of my updates, but for my own sanity and to maximize my enjoyment of the music, I need to cool it with the purchases!

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METAL EXCESS turns 2!

Posted in Uncategorized on February 1, 2010 by Metal Misfit

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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RIOT – Nightbreaker

Posted in Riot with tags , , , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Riot – Nightbreaker (2002, CD-Maximum – Russian Import)
Original Release: 1993, Sony Music Japan

1. “Soldier” … 4:54
2. “Destiny” … 4:42
3. “Burn” … 6:01
4. “In Your Eyes” …4:34
5. “Nightbreaker” … 4:12
6. “Medicine Man” … 5:36
7. “Silent Scream” … 5:07
8. “Magic Maker” … 5:10
9. “I’m On The Run” … 4:56
10. “Babylon” … 5:05
11. “Outlaw” … 6:14

Band:
Mike DiMeo – Vocals
Mark Reale – Guitar
Mike Flyntz – Guitar
Pete Perez – Bass
Bobby Jarzombek – Drums

Producer: Steve Loeb

Those Riot boys are back at it again delivering even more great heavy metal to the masses (or Japan and Europe, at least)! It still boggles the mind that these guys aren’t heavy metal legends after delivering great album after great album since 1977!

This album didn’t get a U.S. release until 1999 under the Metal Blade label (which featured the bonus track “Faded Hero”), but was originally released in Japan in ‘93 (featuring the bonus track “Black Mountain Woman”), then Europe in ‘94 (which features “I’m On The Run” as a replacement for the Procul Harum cover “A White Shade of Pale”, which is available on the Japan and U.S. pressings). My particular copy is a Russian reissue from 2002. I almost thought I would never have this album. It seemed to be out-of-print and everywhere I looked online it was crazy expensive then I came across NuclearHell.com and was ecstatic find buy a brand new copy at a good price.

All three versions have a different cover, none of which make much sense in relation to the album’s title. The European covering featuring the shark is easily the best though and is pretty cool but it looks like something Great White would use. It’s a shame this album didn’t get a U.S. release sooner, but given the sound of the album, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference considering the musical climate at the time.

With Nightbreaker, we once again hear a new vocalist — Mike DiMeo. He has an excellent set of pipes and is a great replacement for the departing Tony Moore. They both have similar styles.

Riot is so good, I haven’t heard a bad album from them yet, but Nightbreaker is truly one of their elite releases. It continues the path of melodic heavy metal that Mark Reale started taking the band in with the last effort, The Privilege of Power. Riot always does great ballads and “In Your Eyes” is no exception, then you’ve got heavy metal numbers like “Nightbreaker” and “Destiny” where Mark Reale gets to show off as the guitar virtuoso that he is. There’s even a pretty good cover of Deep Purple’s “Burn” and Riot covers themselves with “Outlaw”, which was originally released on Fire Down Under way back in 1981. I happen to prefer this updated version.

If you’re a Riot fan, this is a must have!

Highlights: “Soldier”, “Destiny”, “In Your Eyes”, “Nightbreaker”, “Magic Maker”, “Outlaw”

www.officialriotnyc.com
www.myspace.com/officialriotnyc

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DREAM EVIL – In The Night

Posted in Dream Evil with tags , , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Dream Evil – In The Night (2010, Century Media Records)

1. “Immortal” … 4:38
2. “In The Night” … 3:15
3. “Bang Your Head” … 3:52
4. “See The Light” … 3:40
5. “Electric” … 3:50
6. “Frostbite” … 3:31
7. “On The Wind” … 3:45
8. “The Ballad” … 4:52
9. “In The Fires Of The Sun” … 4:41
10. “Mean Machine” … 4:05
11. “Kill, Burn, Be Evil” … 2:51
12. “The Unchosen One” … 3:36

Band:
Nick Night (AKA – Niklas Isfeldt) – Lead Vocals
Dannee Demon (AKA – Daniel Varghamne) – “Lead” Lead Guitar
Ritchie Rainbow (AKA – Fredrik Nordstrom) – “Lead” Rhythm Guitar
Pete Pain (AKA – Peter Stalfors) – “Lead” Bass
Pat Power (AKA Patrik Jerksten) – “Lead” Drums

Producer: Dream Evil, Henrik Udd and Fredrik Nordstrom

I missed out on 2006’s United album which I had read some mixed reviews on, but now I’m back on board for In The Night, which was a much anticipated release for me in 2010. Despite the change in membership since 2004’s The Book of Heavy Metal (which I haven’t reviewed yet because all I have is the bonus DVD, I lost the CD a few years ago), such as Gus G leaving to go full-time with Firewind and Snowy Shaw leaving to do a variety of projects, the band’s power metal sound remains the same as guitarist/producer/founder Fredrik “Ritchie Rainbow” Nordstorm holds the fort down.

In fact, the only noticeable change to the band is that all the members now have stage names, which is a bit odd to do eight years and six albums into your career, but oh well. Humorously, on the band’s website and in the album credits, everyone is listed as playing “lead” on their respective instruments. There’s also some pretty funny band photos in the booklet as well.

Lyrically, these guys are purposefully not breaking new ground. But how could you not like a song called “Kill, Burn, Be Evil”? How cool is that? There’s a lot of talk about “metal” that would fit right in on a Manowar release, but then that’s part of the fun isn’t it? There’s even a funny line in “The Ballad” name-checking Snowy Shaw.

“Just like lightning strikes a fire in the night, metal is the only way!”

It doesn’t make a ton of sense, but it sure does work well when Nick Night screams it with such passion. Truly a gifted “metal star” vocalist!

As for the music, Dream Evil does a great job of coming up with catchy choruses and keeps the filler to a minimum. They’re easily one of the best metal bands to come out in the last decade and it’s a shame they don’t get enough recognition. In short, if you liked their previous albums, you’ll like this one as well. This album is on par with Evilized and The Book of Heavy Metal, in my opinion, and is a definite highlight release for 2010.

Highlights: “Immortal”, “In The Night”, “Bang Your Head”, “Electric”, “The Ballad”, “Kill, Burn, Be Evil”, “The Unchosen One”

www.dreamevil.se
www.myspace.com/dreamevil

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FOZZY – Chasing the Grail

Posted in Fozzy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on January 29, 2010 by Metal Misfit

Fozzy – Chasing the Grail (2010, Riot Entertainment)

1. “Under Blackened Skies” … 5:32
2. “Martyr No More” … 4:37
3. “Grail” … 5:09
4. “Broken Soul” … 4:09
5. “Let the Madness Begin” … 3:47
6. “Pray For Blood” … 5:12
7. “New Day’s Dawn” … 4:34
8. “God Pounds His Nails” … 4:20
9. “Watch Me Shine” … 3:38
10. “Paraskavedekatriaphobia (Friday the 13th)” … 5:26
11. “Revival” … 4:47
12. “Wormwood” … 13:53

Band:
Chris Jericho – Vocals
Rich Ward – Guitar, Vocals
Sean Delson – Bass
Frank Fontsere – Drums

Additional Musicians:
Eric Frampton – Piano, Hammond Organ, Keyboards
Renny Carroll – Backing Vocals
Jeff Waters – Guitar Solos on “Martyr No More” and “God Pounds His Nails”
Mike Martin – Guitar (“Wormwood”)

Producer: Rich Ward

Five years after their last studio release, Fozzy is back with their fourth release which is similar to All That Remains in regards to the band playing it straight as a metal act that combines melody and heavy riffing. I do think this is a better effort than All That Remains was though and it’s certainly heavier.

They’ve shed the ’80s metal parody/tribute gimmick and for better or worse have an updated heavy metal sound. It’s funny because though they’ve left the 1980s behind, they seem to be embracing the early 2000s with downright nu-metal (“Let the Madness Begin”, “Watch Me Shine”, “Revival”) vibe on a few tracks along with post-grunge (“Broken Soul” could have come from any number of those types of bands) and I even hear bits of Black Label Society thanks to guitarist Rich Ward seemingly imitating Zakk Wylde.

Inspiration seems to be all over the place, which is surprising since Jericho is such an ’80s metal junky. I can’t help but get the feeling that the band is trying too hard to fit in with modern times though. They even took the time to come up  the nearly 14 minute progressive “Wormwood” that sounds like something you may hear from Avenged Sevenfold or Dream Theater with it’s shifts between tender moments, blazing solos and heavy riffs. It’s actually pretty good though, so who am I to complain?

I like this album a lot better than when I first listened to it, but like with their previous effort, there’s a lot of filler here and not a lot of focus. Seems like they want to sample a bit of everything. I guess it’s hard to expect a lot of focus from a band that is almost always on hiatus thanks to their lead singer being a full-time professional wrestler (or should I say “sports entertainer”?) who tours the world all year ’round .  They should pick one direction and go with it. To be honest, if Chris Jericho wasn’t one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, I don’t think I would have much interest in Fozzy. At this point, they’re really just “there” and don’t standout to me in anyway (I actually think Jericho’s vocals are kinda weak as well).

An okay effort that is probably only worth tracking down for Jericho and Stuck Mojo fans.

Highlights: “Under Blackened Skies”, “Grail”, “Let the Madness Begin”, “God Pounds His Nails”, “Watch Me Shine”, “Wormwood”

www.fozzyrock.com
www.myspace.com/fozzytour

Buy it at Amazon.com

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