Monthly Archives: January 2010
RIOT – Nightbreaker
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”
DREAM EVIL – In The Night
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”
FOZZY – Chasing the Grail
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”
KISS – Live In Las Vegas
KISS – Live In Las Vegas (2002, Pixelon.com)
1. “Shout It Out Loud”
2. “Love Gun”
3. “God of Thunder”
4. “Rock and Roll All Night” (as it is labeled on the DVD)
Band:
Paul Stanley – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Gene Simmons – Lead Vocals, Bass, Backing Vocals
Ace Frehley – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Peter Criss – Drums, Backing Vocals
Awful, awful, awful! Subtitled “The unseen concert”, I wish this one had remained unseen… by me! I was young and naive and wasted $14.99 on this DVD back on February 23, 2003 (the receipt was inside the DVD case). Live In Las Vegas is a cheap and unauthorized KISS DVD featuring the band’s four song “limited appearance” at Pixelon.com’s iBash ’99 from October 29, 1999 at the MGM Grand.
Pixelon was a fairly notorious dot-com company that got into the internet business by making ridiculous boasts about their video streaming technology and by throwing lots of money around to nab some big music names for their iBash launch party. Also notable is the company’s founder, who as it turned out, started the company under a false identity because he was wanted in Virginia for stock scams. The company only lasted a year before going bankrupt so I’m guessing this 2002 release was just a way to try to pay off some debts.
Paul Stanley issued a statement at one point saying “this DVD or Video has NOT been approved, endorsed or authorized by us”. I’m really surprised Gene & Paul would slip up to the point where someone else could market, own and release some concert footage of them. I thought they were pretty good about owning their performances, but I guess when someone is throwing an insane amount of cash at you to perform four songs, you tend to not worry about the details. Don’t feel bad for KISS only though, others were wowed by Pixelon as well. The iBash launch party also featured other big names like The Dixie Chicks, Tony Bennett, The Offspring, Faith Hill and The Who.
So why is this one bad? The performance is lip-synced, perhaps ripped straight from the albums themselves and then there’s the annoying issue of the video & audio not being sequenced correctly. Mouths are moving when they shouldn’t. The video is actually pretty good but the packaging of this DVD is very cheap. There is a director’s cut and a multicam cut to choose from. The director’s cut is horrible, there’s way too much jumping around from band member to crowd to band member. Your eyes never have time to settle and take in what you’re seeing. The multicam cut divides the screen in to quarters and those individual cameras are much more consistent, choosing to linger at different angles on the band as they play.
Surprisingly, there is a decent amount of special features. Perhaps Pixelon was feeling a bit bad about sticking us with a four song “concert”. I’m not sure how Pixelon got their hands on all of this extra KISS footage, but some of it is interesting.
Keeping with the failures of Pixelon, iBash was supposed to be broadcast over the internet, but the servers crashed at the last minute! Oops! Luckily, members of the KISS Army can now “finally see the concert that fate denied them the first time around”, as it says on the back of the DVD box.
But don’t bother, fate was looking out for you.
W.E.T. – W.E.T.
W.E.T. – W.E.T. (2009, Frontiers Records)
1. “Invincible” … 3:52
2. “One Love” … 3:58
3. “Brothers In Arms” … 4:49
4. “Come Down Like Rain” … 4:43
5. “Running From The Heartache” … 4:29
6. “I’ll Be There” … 4:46
7. “Damage Is Done” … 3:27
8. “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” … 3:16
9. “One Day At A Time” … 5:04
10. “Just Go” … 4:27
11. “My Everything” … 3:21
12. “If I Fall” … 6:09
Musicians:
Jeff Scott Soto – Lead Vocals
Erik Martensson – Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Background Vocals
Robert Sall – Guitar
Magnus Henriksson – Guitar
Robban Back – Drums
Producer: Erik Martensson
Frontiers Records has gotten me in the mood and right mindset for melodic rock lately. It’s not a genre I pretend to have an in-depth knowledge in but I know good music when I hear it and this project featuring Jeff Scott Soto (the main drawing point for me) is a really strong effort that sometimes reminds me of House of Lords because it rocks a bit harder than a lot of melodic bands do. Rounding out the core of W.E.T. is Robert Sall (from the band Work of Art), Erik Martensson (Eclipse) and Jeff Scott Soto provides the “T” from his old band Talisman. From what I’ve read, this album actually came to be at the request of Frontiers Records who wanted another melodic rock release from Soto. Well, that request has paid off in a major way!
The more I listen to this album, the more I like it. I had planned on buying it a while back, but the samples just didn’t grab me but with each spin, the power of the album is coming through more and more. It’s easy to see why this made the rounds on many rock sites as one of 2009′s best releases — there’s no filler! Every song is catchy, filled with hooks and choruses and you’ll get sucked in and start singing along before you know it.
The great guitar work of Erik Martensson is worth noting and really brings this album up a level in intensity but the highpoint for me is Jeff Scott Soto’s vocals. I’ve been a fan of his since I first heard him. He’s such an amazing and powerful singer and I know he experiments with different types of music, but his voice really was made for music like this.
“Invincible”, “One Love”, “Running From The Heartache” and “If I Fall” (which sounds like a lost Journey song) are the best of the best from an album that I can only believe is a modern masterpiece of melodic rock.
Highlights: “Invincible”, “One Love”, “Brothers in Arms”, “Comes Down Like Rain”, “Running From The Heartache”, “One Day At A Time”, “If I Fall”
STARZ – Starz
Starz – Starz [Remastered] (2005, Rykodisc)
Original Release: 1975, Capitol Records
1. “Detroit Girls” … 4:02
2. “Live Wire” … 3:20
3. “Tear It Down” … 3:10
4. “Boys in Action” … 5:39
5. “(She’s Just A) Fallen Angel” … 3:33
6. “Monkey Business” … 2:50
7. “Night Crawler” … 4:29
8. “Over and Over” … 3:17
9. “Pull the Plug” … 4:43
10. “Now I Can” … 4:13
BONUS TRACKS
11. “Sweet Jeremiah” [Demo] … 3:16
12. “Fallen Angel” [Demo] … 3:26
13. “Detroit Girls” [Demo] … 4:03
14. “Live Wire” [Demo] … 3:58
Band:
Michael Lee Smith – Vocals
Richie Ranno – Guitar
Brenden Harkin – Guitar
Peter Sweval – Bass
Joe Dube – Drums
Producer: Jack Douglas
Starz was one of those bands that should’ve gone on to become a huge commercial success. They had it all: a talented singer, two great guitarists, KISS’ manager (Bill Aucoin), Aerosmith’s producer (Jack Douglas) and a great live show. So why didn’t it work? I don’t know, maybe Capitol Records dropped the ball, but you can’t lay the blame on the band. They toured relentlessly and cranked out four quality albums over four years before calling it a day (a number of live albums have been released over the years too).
The band’s debut, unsurprisingly, sounds a lot like KISS and Aerosmith though the band’s own brand of early pop metal (which would serve as inspiration for bands like Poison, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi in the ’80s) is evident as well. The album starts off with “Detroit Girls”, a not-so-subtle nod to KISS (Gee, is Ace playing guitar on this one?), and the Aerosmith-influenced “Live Wire”. The band’s own sound comes through on songs like “Night Crawler”, “Over and Over” and “Now I Can” while “Boys in Action” is such a hair metal song, I’m surprised no one ever covered it in the following decade.
Definitely a good debut and a lost hard rock treasure but I think the rest of their albums are better.
Highlights: “Detroit Girls”, “Live Wire”, “Boys in Action”, “(She’s Just A) Fallen Angel”, “Over and Over”, “Now I Can”
HANSEL – Never Say Die
Hansel – Never Say Die (2010, Pussycat Records)
1. “I Don’t Need Saving (All I Need Is Rock ‘n’ Roll)” … 3:12
2. “Eruption” … 3:24
3. “Rock City” … 3:17
4. “On The Run” … 3:26
5. “Wild Tonight” … 3:15
6. “Rocketship Of Love” … 3:17
7. “Between A Rock And A Hard Place” … 5:15
8. “Vampire” … 3:51
9. “Murder 101″ … 3:40
10. “1-800-Pleasuretown” … 3:07
11. “The Whole Nine Yards” … 1:27
Band:
Jett Jones – Vocals
Grind – Lead Guitar
Busta Lacey – Guitar, Keyboards
Joey X-Kalibre – Bass
Thruster Jones – Drums
Producer: Daniel “Chainsaw” Leffler
The last few years have been great for fans of hair/glam/sleaze/pop metal (whatever you want to call it). Some of the veteran acts have renewed focus and energy and what’s just as good is that there’s tons of young bands out there that are making a mark for themselves in the genre.
The Australia-based Hansel is one of those bands and what a mark it is! I can’t stop playing this one. Many newer acts rely heavily on sleaze and a punk attitude, but Hansel embraces glam and has a kooky image to boot that brings to mind Steel Panther. Don’t worry though, this isn’t a “comedy” album. Some of the lyrics purposefully steer into the many cliches of ’80s hair metal (“1-800-Pleasuretown”), but it’s all done as an homage to the past and isn’t just the setup for a punchline later in the song. In the vocal department, Jett Jones definitely delivers. At some points, he reminds me of Great White’s Jack Russell.
I can’t say this is a total throwback to the ’80s. The influences are definitely there (Motley Crue, Poison, Van Halen, Guns N Roses, etc) and this is good time rock ‘n’ roll, but I wouldn’t dare call this a retro album. It’s old school with a mix of new coming close to bands like The Last Vegas, Charm City Devils, Wig Wam and Buckcherry and the better moments from Endeverafter’s Kiss Or Kill. Hansel would be right at home onstage at Cruefest (one of rock’s premier & essential concert attractions, IMO).
My favorite track is probably the opener “I Don’t Need Saving (All I Need Is Rock ‘n’ Roll)”. Other faves are “Eruption” and “Murder 101″ which are really catchy numbers and the acoustic “The Whole Nine Yards” which seems to be a nod to Guns N’ Roses’ GN’R Lies album.
Don’t let their purposefully cheesy ’80s rocker outfits fool you — Hansel are the real rock ‘n’ roll deal.
WIG WAM – Non Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll
Wig Wam – Non Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll (2010, Frontiers Records)
1. “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” … 2:59
2. “Walls Come Down” … 3:59
3. “Wild One” … 3:25
4. “C’mon Everybody” … 4:17
5. “Man In the Moon” … 4:02
6. “Still I’m Burning” … 3:36
7. “All You Wanted” … 3:16
8. “Non Stop Rock And Roll” … 3:52
9. “From Here” … 3:18
10. “Rocket Through My Heart” … 3:30
11. “Chasing Rainbows” … 4:59
BONUS TRACK
12. “Gotta Get It On” … 3:19
Band:
Age Sten Nilsen – Vocals
Trond Holter – Guitar
Bernt Jansen – Bass
Oystein Andersen – Drums
Norwegian glam rockers Wig Wam are back with their fourth album and it is an improvement over everything I have heard from them in the past. With previous releases, it all seemed like a bit too much of a throwback to the ’80s. The cheese factor was very high and the music was too shiny and glossy. I’m all for a band having fun and paying homage to the past, but it just wasn’t clicking for me.
I listened to this album with a cautious ear, expecting more of the same really and while I don’t proclaim to be an expert on Wig Wam, this album seems a bit more straight-forward hard rock. The band hasn’t forgotten how to write great hooks or catchy choruses and they still wear their influences on their sleeves but it all comes together on this album in a way that isn’t so over-the-top and it pays off.
One thing about this band (and many bands from this part of the world) is that sometimes I have no clue what they are singing about. Not that I can’t understand the vocals, but lyrically everything is just kinda weird. Oh well. These feel good songs will have you singing along in no time without a care and that’s really all that matters.
There’s nothing wrong with the first four tracks, but after that is really when the album gets good. “Man In the Moon” is a nice ballad which I think would be a great live song. “Still I’m Burning” and “Chasing Rainbows” are my favorite songs from this album. I just can’t get that chorus from “Chasing Rainbows” out of my head!
Highlights: “Man In the Moon”, “Still I’m Burning”, “All You Wanted”, “Non Stop Rock And Roll”, “Rocket Through My Heart”, “Chasing Rainbows”
KEEL – Streets of Rock & Roll
Keel – Streets of Rock & Roll (2010, Frontiers Records)
1. “Streets Of Rock & Roll” … 4:49
2. “Hit The Ground Running” … 3:54
3. “Come Hell Or High Water” … 4:03
4. “Push & Pull” … 5:00
5. “Does Anybody Believe” … 4:34
6. “No More Lonely Nights” … 4:22
7. “The Devil May Care (But I Don’t)” … 4:25
8. “Lookin’ For A Good Time” … 3:28
9. “Gimme That” … 3:34
10. “Hold Steady” … 3:58
11. “Live” … 4:48
12. “Brothers In Blood” … 3:52
Band:
Ron Keel – Lead vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
Marc Ferrari – Guitar
Brian Jay – Guitar
Geno Arce – Bass
Dwain Miller – Drums
Producer: Pat Regan
Now this is what I’m talking about! After nearly a 19 year absence (besides a brief reunion in ’98), Keel reunited in 2008 and the result is this masterpiece that hearkens back the good ol’ days of ’80s hair metal that doesn’t dwell or revel in the genre to the point of parody. Even the cover is a nod to the old school, using the same design of their 1985 major label debut, The Right to Rock.
I’ve never owned a Keel album previous to this one. Of course I’ve been aware of Keel, but to be honest, they never really stood out for me when whatever I had heard from them (basically the same way I feel about Dokken). I knew this album was coming out though, so I listened to the sample of “Streets of Rock & Roll”. I wasn’t impressed and decided thought that maybe I had totally written Keel off.
Well, when the opportunity presented itself to review this release, I figured, why not? Why not indeed! As luck would have it, Steets of Rock & Roll is a great release and I’m inspired now to seek out their previous albums.
Back on topic, any hair/glam metal fan is going to like this release and I mean really like it. The production is great, Ron Keel’s voice is strong (he reminds me of Kevin DuBrow on “Hit The Ground Running”) and the album is just Keel being Keel. They aren’t chasing the idea of being trendy and getting caught up in sounding modern. If you told someone this album came out in 1988, they’d probably believe you and I mean that in the most positive way possible.
There’s a great mix of melodic hard rockers and faster numbers here. “Streets of Rock & Roll” is a great way to start off the album — it’s melodic and affirms the band’s commitment to their right to rock while assuring fans what this album is going to be about. Then you have heavier and more up tempo numbers like “No More Lonely Nights”, “Brothers In Blood” and “Come Hell Or High Water” which really put you in that hair metal mindset and really give this album some bite.
This is a must have for fans of the genre whether you’re familiar with Keel or not (I think I’m probably getting close to spinning this one ten times all the way through) and already we have a strong contender for one of 2010′s best releases.
Highlights: “Streets of Rock & Roll”, “Hit The Ground Running”, “Come Hell Or High Water”, “No More Lonely Nights”, “Gimme That”, “Brothers In Blood”
