Monthly Archives: November 2009
WINGER – Pull
Winger – Pull (2005, Wounded Bird Records)
Original Release: 1993, Atlantic Records
1. “Blind Revolution Mad” … 5:26
2. “Down Incognito” … 3:49
3. “Spell I’m Under” … 3:56
4. “In My Veins” … 3:14
5. “Junkyard Dog (Tears On Stone)” … 6:55
6. “The Lucky One” … 5:21
7. “In For the Kill” … 4:13
8. “No Man’s Land” … 3:17
9. “Like a Ritual” … 5:03
10. “Who’s the One” … 5:54
Band:
Kip Winger – Lead Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards
Reb Beach – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Rod Morgenstein – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
John Roth – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Frank Latorre – Harmonica
Alex Acuna – Percussion
Producer: Mike Shipley & Kip Winger
I’ve never been a huge Winger fan but I’ve always wondered about this album. It’s often cited as the band’s best. When I decided to give the band a chance to prove themselves to me again with Karma (I didn’t care much for IV), I decided to finally give this one a chance as well. The end result is an album that has much in common with Karma — a few dark mature tunes and few party-hearty hair metal tunes… Everybody wins!
It took me a few listens, but this is a really good album. I don’t think it is so obvious as the best album as others do, but I enjoy it a lot. It’s a bit more darker and mature than their debut and In the Heart of the Young, but it still retains a few pop-metal sensibilities and some incredibly catchy stuff like dirty guitar work on “Down Incognito”, “Like A Ritual” (a true sign Kip hadn’t left hair metal for dead!) and “In My Veins”. “Spell I’m Under” is power ballad worthy of any ’80s hair metal release with the production values and I really like the almost sinister and epic sound it has.
Of course, being released in 1993 during one of rock’s most boring phases, it was the final nail in the coffin for Winger (well, for a number of years anyway). It’s a shame because this is a fantastic release and Kip did a wonderful job of evolving the sound of the band without turning his back on the genre where he made his name.
Highlights: “Blind Revolution Mad”, “Down Incognito”, “Spell I’m Under”, “In My Veins”, “Junkyard Dog (Tears On Stone)”, “Like a Ritual”
CLASSIC ROCK – Back in the Saddle
Classic Rock – Back in the Saddle (September 2009, Future Publishing)
1. Alice In Chains – “A Looking in View” … 7:05
2. The Wildhearts – “John of Violence” … 3:51
3. Mott the Hoople – “One of the Boys” … 4:10
4. The Jokers – “The Big Rock and Roll Show” … 4:17
5. The Union – “Watch the River Flow” … 4:24
6. Cowboy Prostitutes – “Outrageous” … 3:36
7. The Black Crowes – “I Ain’t Hiding” … 5:58
8. Saigon Hookers – “Devil to Win” … 2:10
9. Cheap Trick – “Sick Man of Europe” … 2:10
10. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Simple Life” … 3:17
11. Porcupine Tree – “Time Flies (Edit)” … 5:23
12. We Will Have Victory – “Heretics in Vietnam” … 3:37
13. Black Spiders – “Meadow” … 6:21
14. Federal Black 40 – “The One” … 3:16
15. Emerald – “Live Forever” … 5:16
Another month, another CD insert from the UK Classic Rock magazine (the best rock magazine ever, IMO). This time the focus is on “returning heroes” (Alice In Chains, Cheap Trick, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mott the Hoople, etc.) and “young gods” (Black Spiders, We Will Have Victory, The Union, etc.). I was surprised they didn’t include KISS’ “Modern Day Delilah”, but come to find out, that’s included on the October CD from Classic Rock‘s sister publication Metal Hammer.
Typically for a collection like this, the style of rock and quality of it is all over the place. A few notes:
-Alice In Chains, despite the absence of the late Layne Staley, still sound like Alice In Chains. “A Looking in View” is plodding and dark. Good stuff, doesn’t compare to some of AIC’s better known songs though.
-The Wildhearts turn in a pretty good number that is probably one of the better songs I’ve ever heard from them.
-That Black Crowes song is just weird coming from them. It’s like some funky Fall Out Boy kind of song.
-Cheap Trick delivers with the crunch of “Sick Man of Europe”. They played this live on the Def Leppard/Poison tour this summer, I liked it then and I like it now.
-As I figured would be the case, after finally hearing them, Porcupine Tree is really boring.
-We Will Have Victory is a pretty good mix and old and new hard rock. The singer reminds me of Josh Todd.
-Emerald sounds like a band that would not have been out of place on The New Wave of Traditional Metal compilation Classic Rock issued a few months ago.
Highlights: “A Looking in View”, “John of Violence”, “Sick Man of Europe”, “Heretics in Vietnam”, “Live Forever”
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ALEXX CALISE – Morning Pill
Alexx Calise – Morning Pill (2007, Phantom Records)
1. “Give It to Me” … 3:39
2. “My Song” … 3:02
3. “Throw Your Words” … 3:12
4. “Nothing Feels Right (The Godlike Song)” … 2:44
5. “This Is Me” … 3:29
6. “Falling” … 3:51
7. “Touch My Hey” … 2:21
8. “Shake Dem Bones” … 2:40
9. “C’mon You” … 3:14
10. “Pull It (Bullet)” … 3:44
11. “Morning Pill” … 4:26
Immediately upon listening to this album, vocal comparisons between Alexx and Lzzy Hale from Halestorm come to mind. Alexx does not wail as much as Lzzy does but the similarities are there. With a beautiful and (dare I say) sexy voice, Alexx could have easily tossed her hat into the pop music realm and competed with a bunch of “divas” but luckily, she chose to ROCK the world with an album that is a blend of modern rock and good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll (and okay, there’s a touch of pop to it, especially with the stellar production values).
Seemingly on the cusp of major success, the career of Alexx Calise seems to be going nowhere but up with recent uses of her music by VH1 and The CW’s One Tree Hill and it’s easy to see why she’s in demand. Alexx is charismatic and full of rock & roll swagger. As for the music, there’s a definite sexy edge to it. This is the type of rock music that could easily get play on the mainstream pop stations.
Granted, I’m not much of a modern rock/pop guy so I would never have initially sought this album out, but with edgier hard rockin’ moments like “My Song”, “Touch My Hey” and “Pull It (Bullet)” how could I not enjoy this album? In recent months, I’ve been trying to look outside my usual circle of preferences and with this release, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
The album is enjoyable listen all the way through but it is the harder rocking moments that are my favorite. With her second solo album on the horizon, I hope to hear more of those moments. So get in on the ground floor, kiddies, because as VH1 might say, Alexx Calise is an artist “you oughta know”.
Highlights: “Give It to Me”, “My Song”, “Touch My Hey”, “C’mon You”, “Pull It (Bullet)”, “Morning Pill”
SCORPIONS – Crazy World
Scorpions – Crazy World (1990, Mercury Records)
1. “Tease Me, Please Me” … 4:44
2. “Don’t Believe Her” … 4:55
3. “To Be With You in Heaven” … 4:48
4. “Wind of Change” … 5:10
5. “Restless Nights” … 5:44
6. “Lust or Love” … 4:22
7. “Kicks After Six” … 3:49
8. “Hit Between the Eyes” … 4:33
9. “Money and Fame” … 5:06
10. “Crazy World” … 5:08
10. “Send Me an Angel” … 4:34
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Herman Rarebell – Drums
Francis Buchholz – Bass
Additional Musicians:
Jim Vallance – Keyboards
Koen VanBaal – Keyboards
Producer: Keith Olsen & Scorpions
One of the band’s best moments in my opinion is this album which spawned the massive international hit power ballad “Wind of Change”. 1988′s Savage Amusement was slightly disappointing, but Scorpions fired back in 1990 with one of their most infectious albums (it is also their second best-selling release). I can get into every song and sing along each time I play this one.
Scorpions were still in a very polished hard rock mode, but so what? Except for their earliest oddball releases, they’ve always been a commercial hard rock band. Nothing is quite as heavy as “No One Like You” or “Rock You Like A Hurricane” but “Don’t Believe Her” and “Crazy World” come close. The band has always done great ballads as well and the case is no different here — “Wind of Change” is of course an all-time classic and I’ve always been a huge fan of “Send Me an Angel” which is an even more commercial take on the haunting ballads Scorpions are known for.
All told, this is one of my favorite Scorpions albums and definitely light years better than anything else they released in the ’90s.
Highlights: “Tease Me, Please Me”, “Don’t Believe Her”, “To Be With You in Heaven”, “Wind of Change”, “Restless”, “Lust or Love”, “Crazy World”, “Send Me An Angel”
RIOT – Thundersteel
Riot – Thundersteel (1988, CBS Records)
1. “Thundersteel” … 3:49
2. “Fight or Fall” … 4:25
3. “Sign of the Crimson Storm” … 4:40
4. “Flight of the Warrior” … 4:17
5. “On Wings of Eagles” … 5:41
6. “Johnny’s Back” … 5:32
7. “Bloodstreets” … 4:39
8. “Run For Your Life” … 4:08
9. “Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)” … 8:55
Band:
Tony Moore – Vocals
Mark Reale – Guitar
Don Van Stavern – Bass
Bobby Jarzombek – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Mark Edwards – Drums (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7)
Producer: Steve Loeb, Rob Hui and Mark Reale
What was I thinking ?!?!?! Never judge an album by its cover because then you miss out on some great music! That’s a lesson I’ve learned quite well with Riot. Despite reading for years that they were a great American NWOBHM-style band, I never bothered picking any release up. The main reason? Those awful album covers. I can’t think of any other band that has had so much terrible cover art. It really put me off and had me thinking these guys were cheap, cheesy metal that was not worth my time. How wrong I’ve been proven with Fire Down Under and now Thundersteel!
Out of the two Riot releases I’ve heard so far, Thundersteel is definitely my favorite. Fire Down Under saw the band in fully entrenched in New Wave of British Heavy Metal coming off like Diamond Head, but Thundersteel has a blend of NWOBHM, power metal and a more traditional ’80s metal sound that brings to mind Helloween, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
This was Riot’s “comeback” album after not having released any music since 1983′s Born In America. The band has continued to released albums every few years, but it’s a real shame this one wasn’t a huge success for them and that this band and album are fully appreciated like they should be.
While I had no problems with Guy Speranza on vocals, I much prefer Tony (his first album with the band), but I think each one was perfect for the type of metal the band was playing at the time. Tony has greater range though and that shows on “Run for Your Life”, which is actually my favorite song on the album. It sounds like the band was going for a Judas Priest vibe, right down to Moore’s vocals and the song would fit in well on Ram It Down.
A definite classic metal album well worth any headbanger’s time.
Highlights: “Thundersteel”, “Sign of the Crimson Storm”, “Johnny’s Back”, “Bloodstreets”, “Run For Your Life”, “Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)”
L.A. GUNS – L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns – L.A. Guns (1988, PolyGram Records/Vertigo Records)
1. “No Mercy” … 2:47
2. “Sex Action” … 3:42
3. “One More Reason” … 3:07
4. “Electric Gypsy” … 3:25
5. “Nothing To Lose” … 4:14
6. “Bitch Is Back” … 2:53
7. “Cry No More” … 1:18
8. “One Way Ticket” … 4:20
9. “Hollywood Tease” … 2:52
10. “Shoot For Thrills” … 4:30
11. “Down In The City” … 3:56
Band:
Phil Lewis – Lead Vocals
Tracii Guns – Lead Guitar
Mick Cripps – Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Kelly Nickels – Bass, Harmonica, Whistle, Backing Vocals
Steve Riley – Drums (credited but did not play)
Additional Musicians:
Nickey “Beat” Alexander – Drums
Alan Jones – Sax
Paul Kaufman – Washboard
Producer: Jim Faraci
I’ve seen some critics call L.A. Guns a combination of Guns N’ Roses and Poison. That’s a pretty good description of them, though I think there’s a dash of Motley Crue as well. The Guns have always seemed to straddle the line between the seedy, sleazy life that GNR wrote about and the sex & party world of glam metal poster boys Poison. It makes for some good rock ‘n’ roll and L.A. Guns have never fully gotten the respect, success and credit that they should have despite having two platinum albums in their catalog (this one and Cocked & Loaded)… They should’ve sold more!
Anyway, this a really good debut. Phil Lewis rocks, guitars are great (Tracii also does not get the respect he should), there’s plenty of sleaze and fun for everyone! But the band has a softer side — there’s “Cry No More”, a pretty instrumental, to break up the album and it leads into the ballad “One Way Ticket”.
“Sex Action” was a small hit for the band, but I tend to think that’s an overrated song. It’s a good song, but I’ve often seen it mentioned as a LAG fave but I think there’s plenty of other songs here that overshadow it. “One More Reason” is my favorite from the disc. Cocked & Loaded is regarded as the quintessential L.A. Guns release. That album is a bit more catchy and melodic, but this one is heavier. I like them both equally.
Original LAG drummer Nicky “Beat” Alexander played on the album, but it was Steve Riley (coming over from W.A.S.P.) who got the album credit and his face in the band photo as he joined the band just before the album was released. Most of these songs were written with L.A. Guns’ previous singer Paul Black. Maybe that’s why Phil was able to get “Hollywood Tease” (from his previous band Girl) on the album?
Picked this up online for about $6. Definitely worth the cash. The cover is really cool too — you’ve got guns, a skull and a Hollywood night in the background. The art was done by Tyler. I wonder if he’s ever done anything else in the hair metal arena?
Highlights: “No Mercy”, “Sex Action”, “One More Reason”, “Electric Gypsy”, “One Way Ticket”, “Shoot For Thrills”
ENDEVERAFTER – Kiss or Kill
Endeverafter – Kiss or Kill (2007, Razor & Tie Records)
1. “I Wanna Be Your Man” … 3:06
2. “Baby Baby Baby” … 4:14
3. “Gotta Get Out” … 4:04
4. “Poison” … 4:14
5. “Next Best Thing” … 5:18
6. “Tip of My Tongue” … 4:06
7. “Road to Destruction” … 5:41
8. “All Night” … 3:35
9. “Slave” … 3:44
10. “From the Ashes of Sin” … 4:09
11. “Long Way Home” … 6:14
Band:
Michael Grant – Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
Kristan Mallory – Guitar
Tommi Andrews – Bass
Eric Humbert – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Butch Walker, Grace Sims, Tom Jane, Azeron, Skye Nicolas – Backing Vocals
Jessica Catron – Cello
Producer: Stacy Jones with Bill Lefler
Here’s a strange album for ya! Endeverafter are a fairly recent band that seems be torn as to what kind of rock that they want to play. Are they the next Fall Out Boy? Do they want to be the next generation of pop metal? Or would they rather play nu-metal or NWOBHM or post-grunge? Well, they aren’t sure yet and neither am I because this album waffles more than John Kerry, but I’ll get back to you as soon as they decide!
Don’t let the band’s looks and touring credentials fool you either — sure, they have opened for KISS, Poison and Cinderella but I have no idea what songs they would have played to win over those types of crowds when sound their sound has much more in common with Fall Out Boy than the previously mentioned bands. In addition to that, they’ve performed on ’80s rock packages like Motley Cruise and ShipRocked which makes their primary choice of music even more puzzling.
FOB is one of the worst bands to come out in the past decade. I have heard a lot of their stuff and it’s terrible and they’ve spawned countless (and equally terrible) copycat bands. The songs here with the FOB are just as bad as the real thing. Now, they did try to spice things up a bit. It’s not all alt rock/pop. A handful of songs break out of alt. rock/pop mode and get a bit heavy or at least bit more spirited than the majority of the album.
There is potential here. The band is totally Michael Grant’s show. He wrote all of the music and lyrics. He sounds way too much like Patrick Stump, but I hear bits of good hair metal (and good metal in general) within some of these songs. He just needs to decide what kind of band Endeverafter is. It’s too bad American Hi-Fi’s Stacy Jones, as producer, couldn’t straighten these young chaps out and tell them to pick a sub-genre and stick with it.
I totally took a chance on this band. Classic Rock magazine was hyping them up as the second coming of Poison and Motley Crue and that’s just not the case at all. Hm… Do you think it has anything to do with the band’s UK label being the Classic Rock-owned Powerage Records? Shame on you, CR!
Luckily, the album can be found fairly cheap so it wasn’t a huge loss. I would be interested in new music from this band, but I’d have to hear some samples first before buying.
Highlights: “I Wanna Be Your Man”, “Baby Baby Baby”, “Poison”, “From the Ashes of Sin”
SGT. ROXX – Weapon of Miss Distraction
Sgt. Roxx – Weapon of Miss Distraction (2009, Eonian Records)
1. “All You Need” … 3:20
2. “Why’d You Lie” … 3:28
3. “Movin’ On” … 4:06
4. “Push & Squeeze” … 3:48
5. “Million Dollar Girls” … 3:56
6. “Wrap Yourself” … 4:22
7. “Don’t Cry” … 4:26
8. “Rockin’ Horse” … 4:14
9. “Decisions” … 4:37
10. “Alright” … 5:31
11. “Without You” … 3:20
12. “Thinkin’ of You” … 4:29
13. “Ransom” … 2:41
14. “(Don’t Do) What Your Mama Sayz” … 3:37
15. “4th Time Out” … 4:57
16. “I Don’t Know” … 4:36
17. “Psycho In The House (live)” … 4:31
18. “My Lady (live)” … 4:08
19. “Bread & Water” … 4:37
Band:
Jack Adams – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Rob Briles – Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Bob O’Connor – Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals (Tracks 1-5, 11-16)
Scott “Grover” Weatherspoon – Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals (Tracks 6-10, 17-19)
Darrin Laszlo – Bass, Backing Vocals
Kevin Cora – Drums, Backing Vocals (Tracks 6-10, 17-19)
Scott Wilson – Drums (Tracks 1-5)
Gabriel “Gabie” Anthony – Drums (Track 11-16)
Sgt. Roxx are a Chicago-based melodic hard rock outfit that was active in the early ’90s. Though they never had a major label deal, there were able to release an EP called Push N Squeeze, which apparently has gone for big bucks on eBay. I couldn’t find a listing for it though… Maybe the few copies that exist have all found happy homes or maybe people just aren’t interested now that they can own the full EP plus tons of more songs on this remastered collection of songs recorded by the band from 1990-1994. Can you imagine shelling out $200 or so for the EP then finding out a few months later that that EP and so much more was getting a proper CD release? OUCH!
But let’s get to the music — it’s enjoyable, but nothing earth-shaking. Sgt. Roxx definitely treads on the lighter side of hair metal (though there is a slight Ratt influence) on the first half of the disc. They aren’t as slick & poppy as Danger Danger or Enuff Z’nuff, but I am constantly reminded of those two bands throughout that first half because the rockers just fall short. I have to admit, they do have a knack for writing ballads. “Movin’ On” and “Don’t Cry” are worthy additions to power ballad compilation.
When the band finally does muster up some quality hard rock, sometimes the lyrics themselves fall flat. On “Alright” we have a pretty good rocker but then one of main lyrics is “would it be alright if I made love to you?” What kind of lyric is that for a hair metal song ?! You don’t ask! You say you’re going to do it and that you’re going to be the best she’s ever had! Don’t be so sheepish!
What’s funny is once we get to the later songs, despite being recorded in 1994 when grunge and alternative was all the rage, you get to hear Sgt. Roxx digging their heels into glam metal and cranking out some really cool hard rockers like “Ransom” and “(Don’t Do) What Your Mama Sayz”.
Overall, the album is a mixed bag. First handful of songs are light, the ballads are good and second half really rocks like hair metal bands should (despite the less than perfect audio quality). Definitely worth looking into for anyone tired of pulling out their old Cinderalla, Poison or Ratt albums for millionth time.
Highlights: “All You Need”, “Movin’ On”, “Don’t Cry”, “Thinkin’ of You”, “Ransom”, “(Don’t Do) What Your Mama Sayz”, “I Don’t Know”
ICED EARTH – Days of Purgatory
Iced Earth – Days of Purgatory (1997, Century Media Records)
1. “Enter the Realm” … 0:54
2. “Colors” … 4:50
3. “Angels Holocaust” … 4:53
4. “Stormrider” … 4:47
5. “Winter Nights” … 3:55
6. “Nightmares” … 3:42
7. “Pure Evil” … 6:33
8. “Solitude” … 1:44
9. “When the Night Falls” … 9:01
10. “Desert Rain” … 6:56
11. “The Funeral” … 6:15
12. “Cast in Stone” … 5:59
13. “Reaching the End” … 1:11
14. “Travel in Stygian” … 9:32
15. “Iced Earth” … 5:30
Band:
Matthew Barlow – Lead Vocals
Jon Schaffer – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Randall Shawver – Lead Guitar
James MacDonough – Bass (Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 21)
Dave Abell – Bass (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 10-20)
Brent Smedley – Drums (Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 21)
Mike McGill – Drums (Tracks 10, 11, 13, 16)
Richey Secchiari – Drums (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 14, 18, 19)
Rodney Beasley – Drums (Tracks 12,15,17,20)
Days of Purgatory is a compilation featuring many songs from Iced Earth’s early career that were re-recorded in order to have definitive versions featuring Matthew Barlow on vocals (who joined in 1994).
It was the very first Iced Earth album I ever purchased and I did it because it was recommended to me as a starting point for the band. Iced Earth was a name I kept coming across online as a great metal band and I wanted to sample them. Despite this album’s purpose to be showcase for Barlow’s vocals, it’s his vocals that have deterred me from ever becoming an Iced Earth fan. I just don’t like his sound.
I bought this album in either December ’98 or ’99 and I remember listening to it with a friend and we both remarked how some of the music was really cool (“Angels Holocaust” especially) but the vocals were holding it back. Truth be told, looking back, even some of the music isn’t up to snuff for me but there are a few great thrash moments.
I’ve always loved the cover though. It features the comic book character and vampire goddess Purgatori with art provided by the late Steven Hughes.
A two-disc edition was released at the same time. Too bad I didn’t know anything about it when I bought this one disc version!
Highlights: “Angels Holocaust”, “Winter Nights”, “Nightmares”, “Desert Rain”, “The Funeral”
