Monthly Archives: June 2010
JON OLIVA’S PAIN – Festival
Jon Oliva’s Pain – Festival (2010, AFM records)
1. “Lies” … 6:19
2. “Death Rides A Black Horse” … 6:15
3. “Festival” … 5:00
4. “Afterglow” … 6:50
5. “Living On The Edge” … 5:11
6. “Looking For Nothing” … 3:05
7. “The Evil Within” … 5:15
8. “Winter Haven” … 7:39
9. “I Fear You” … 5:11
10. “Now” … 4:22
Band:
Jon Oliva – Lead Vocals, Piano, Guitar, Keyboards
Matt Laporte – Guitar, Hammered Dulcimer, Backing Vocals
Tom McDine – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Kevin Rothney – Bass, Backing Vocals
Christopher Kinder – Drums, Percussions, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Howard Helm – Piano, Keyboards
Casey Grillo – Percussion
Jason Blackerby – Percussion
Tom Morris – Guitar
Jim Morris – Guitar
Laurien Moahi – Guitar
Dana Piper – Guitar
Producer: Christopher Kinder, Jon Oliva and Tom Morris
Thanks to AFM I had a digital copy of this album at my disposal but didn’t bother listening to it because I wanted to actually buy the CD because I’m a fan of Oliva’s vocals and early Savatage albums. I’ve listened to it a number of times and have been sitting on this review for quite some time. I think Savatage itself is an acquired taste but there’s just something about Jon’s work outside of Savatage that I have a hard time getting into. I didn’t think Doctor Butcher was all that great and I felt the same about the debut JOP album ‘Tage Mahal. After that initial disappointment, I didn’t bother with 2006′s Maniacal Renderings. I had good intentions to pick up 2008′s Global Warning because the reviews were so positive but I never did. Well, I finally get around to picking up another “Pain” album and it’s actually pretty decent and I’m enjoying much more than the first release.
With the continued success of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a reunited Savatage is unlikely anytime soon so by Jon’s own admission this is about the closest to Savatage as fans are gonna get in terms of sound, if not band members. I have to say that I agree when it comes to Festival, there are many Savatage worthy moments to be found on this disc.
Most of this album is very dark & heavy throughout, there’s not a lot of melodic, mid-tempo numbers and that’s a good thing in my book because that’s when Jon begins to lose me. The album only slows up for the ballad “Looking For Nothing”, goes mid tempo for “Winter Haven” (though that song starts to get a bit heavier towards the end) and “Now” sounds like a lost TSO song complete with orchestrations. The rest of the album features Jon’s trademark wail (with hasn’t lost a step over the years) and some nice heavy riffs. As with previous albums, many of these songs were developed with or based around ideas and recordings Jon had kicked around with his late brother Criss (along with a few unused TSO ideas too). The song “Festival” has parts going all the way back to 1979!
If we can’t have Savatage, Festival is a good consolation because the spirit of that band lives on within these songs.
The CD is an “enhanced” one, featuring live clips, video footage with Jon talking about the album, photos and wallpaper.
Highlights: “Lies”, “Death Rides A Black Horse”, “Festival”, “Afterglow”, “Living On The Edge”
MASTERPLAN – Time To Be King
Masterplan – Time To Be King (2010, AFM Records)
1. “Fiddle Of Time” … 4:20
2. “Blow Your Winds” … 3:19
3. “Far From The End Of The World” … 3:35
4. “Time To Be King” … 4:44
5. “Lonely Winds Of War” … 4:35
6. “The Dark Road” … 6:19
7. “The Sun Is In Your Hands” … 4:32
8. “The Black One” … 4:13
9. “Blue Europa” … 5:07
10. “Under The Moon” … 4:14
Band:
Jorn Lande – Vocals
Roland Grapow – Guitar
Jan S. Eckert – Bass
Mike Terrana – Drums
Axel Mackenrott – Keyboards
Producer: Roland Grapow
I don’t follow the power metal scene all that closely so I don’t know much about Masterplan but I have been familiar with Jorn Lande thanks to his work with Tobias Sammet’s Avantasia projects and I’m aware he’s a pretty big deal in his own right amongst the progressive, melodica and power metal communities. He’s a truly gifted vocalist but I’ve never been enticed to try out any of his other projects just because I’m not a huge power metal fan. When the option to check out Masterplan’s Time To Be King came along, I first did a bit of research on the band and liked a few songs from their earlier releases so I figured I would give this a try.
I’ve listened to this album more than a few times but to be honest I’m having trouble finding enough words for fill a review for it. There are very few power metal bands that impress me. While there are some really good moments on this album, ultimately, Masterplan is not amongst that elite group that makes an impact on me. It’s certainly a competent album filled with talented musicians and Jorn Lande proves his worth once again as one of metal’s best active vocalists but I can’t help shake the feeling that this music has no soul (this coming from a guy that LOVES hair metal!).
Again, that’s just the way I feel about power metal in general so perhaps Masterplan never really had much of a chance with me in the first place and I’m not the best opinion to seek out. Is this “bad” music? No, but I don’t think anyone who isn’t already sold on melodic metal is going to be converted by this album.
Highlights: “Far From The End Of The World”, “Time To Be King”, “Lonely Winds Of War”, “The Dark Road”
http://www.master-plan.net/
http://www.myspace.com/masterplanmetal
DIO – Intermission
Dio – Intermission (1986, Vertigo Records – German Import)
1. “King of Rock and Roll” … 3:41
2. “Rainbow in the Dark” … 4:42
3. “Sacred Heart” … 6:23
4. “Time to Burn” … 4:25
5. “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children” Medley: “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”/”Man on the Silver Mountain” … 9:40
6. “We Rock” … 4:55
Band:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Craig Goldy – Guitar
Jimmy Bain – Bass
Vinny Appice – Drums
Claude Schnell – Keyboards
Additional Musicians:
Vivian Campbell – Guitar
Producer: Ronnie James Dio
Intermission is a fantastic live EP which features one new studio track. All of the live songs were taken from a performance on 12/06/85 at the Sports Arena in San Diego, CA. I’ve read a couple of different theories on why this EP was created. One theory states that it was an attempt to boost sales for the previous year’s Sacred Heart album (which found itself not doing quite as well as Dio’s first two efforts). The other theory is that it was meant to introduce new guitarist Craig Goldy to the world. Goldy had replaced Vivian Campbell in the middle of the Sacred Heart tour.
Vivian was still in the band at the time of the recording of the live songs so they actually had Goldy re-record some of those guitar parts. The new studio song “Time to Burn” was recorded entirely with Goldy on guitar. It’s a good song that is on par with some of Sacred Heart‘s better moments but anyone in 1986 who was hoping it would be a return to the Holy Diver or The Last In Line albums would have been disappointed… even more so since half of this EP is compromised of Sacred Heart songs. I’m a big fan of that album though so I think this EP is great. The live performances are typically very good. You can’t go wrong with Dio live. I especially enjoy “King of Rock and Roll”, “Sacred Heart” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Children” (which features a medley of “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” and “Man on the Silver Mountain”).
I’ve had this album on my want list for a long time but it was always a low priority because it was a live EP. With the unfortunate passing of Ronnie, I decided there was no time like the present to get it. I tried to order it used on Amazon’s Marketplace but two or three days after placing my order, the seller told me they did not have it in stock and probably would not be getting it in stock again. So I went to my usual online stop CD Universe where they had it on backorder but I knew that was normal because every time I looked at the listing in the past it was always listed as such. I went ahead and placed the order anyway and hoped for the best. The CD finally shipped about a week and a half after I placed the order.
Highlights: “King of Rock and Roll”, “Sacred Heart”, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children”
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots [Limited Deluxe Edition] (2010, Atlantic Records)
1. “Between the Lines” … 2:50
2. “Take a Load Off” … 3:11
3. “Huckleberry Crumble” … 3:10
4. “Hickory Dichotomy” … 3:22
5. “Dare If You Dare” … 4:29
6. “Cinnamon” … 3:33
7. “Hazy Daze” … 2:59
8. “Bagman” … 2:45
9. “Peacoat” … 3:29
10. “Fast As I Can” … 3:33
11. “First Kiss on Mars” … 3:03
12. “Maver” …. 4:52
BONUS TRACKS
13. “Samba Nova” … 3:33
14. “Vasoline” (live) … 3:10
15. “Hickory Dichotomy” (live) … 3:18
16. “Between the Lines” (live) … 2:55
Band:
Scott Weiland – Vocals
Robert DeLeo – Guitar
Dean DeLeo – Bass
Eric Kretz – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Bill Appleberry – Keyboards
Producer: Stone Temple Pilots and Don Was
After a five-year layoff (during which Scott Weiland famously was the lead singer for Velvet Revolver) and nine years after the disappointing Shangri-La Dee Da, STP is back at it again. For some reason, this band has always struck a chord with me and has been a favorite of mine from the “alternative scene”. Maybe that’s because in the face of the exploding grunge/alternative scene they always had more in common with ’70s glam and hard rock acts than their own contemporaries.
They definitely had more variety when it came to their albums and this self-titled release is no different. Another huge plus for the band is Scott Weiland. The guy can sing a variety of styles. You want the typical grungy mumbling vocalist? He can do it. You want Bowie-esque or Beatles-esque vocals? He can do it. You want him to sing soft and pretty or light and poppy or get down with some heavy metal? He can do all that too. He’s a really underrated singer just on variety alone.
Much to my delight, this album blows away 2001′s Shangri-La Dee Da and is right up their with the rest of their exceptional albums. I wasn’t sure if the band could do it, but they did. I instantly tore into this CD and listened to it the whole way through four times within the first 24 hours of owning it. It’s that good. This album is STP in their element doing what they do best: hard rock influenced by ’70s glam and psychadelia that swirls with pop-sensibilities and a Beatles harmony influence. The band even takes time to provide some Aerosmith worship with “Huckleberry Crumble” (seriously, Aerosmith should sue these guys!) and “First Kiss On Mars” is a song that would make David Bowie proud. Is it me or does anyone else think of the 1960s Batman show when Weiland sings “bagman” on “Bagman”? It must be some kind of joke, the delivery just sounds too similar!
If there’s anything I can say that would be a negative for this album is that it’s a bit soft and laid back but that’s not really a surprise because Weiland seemingly had more control over the second Velvet Revolver album and much to Slash’s chagrin it was a softer and lighter album than their debut. There are a few solid rockers here though like “Between the Lines” (a song in the classic STP style), “Take A Load Off”, “Huckleberry Crumble” and “Hazy Daze”. These songs are very good but still nothing comes close to their best and most aggressive songs of the past.
Don’t get me wrong, this is an awesome release, one of the best I’ve heard in 2010 and it’s great to have STP back.
I went to Walmart to pick this up and would you believe they didn’t have it? I’m not sure if they sold out or what (I went to pick it up the weekend after it was released) but this is a pretty major release so I would have thought there’d be at least a few copies lying around. I ended up ordering this from Best Buy’s website (free shipping!) and got the limited deluxe edition that includes “Samba Nova” (a b-side to the “Between the Lines” single), three live tracks and a mini-fold out poster with the album cover on one side and a band photo on the other. The live tracks are listed as being recorded in Chicago but the location and date is not mentioned though I assume there were at least recorded sometime in 2010.
Highlights: “Between the Lines”, “Huckleberry Crumble”, “Hickory Dichotomy”, “Dare If You Dare”, “Cinnamon”, “Hazy Daze”
http://www.stonetemplepilots.com/
http://www.myspace.com/stonetemplepilots
PEARL – Little Immaculate White Fox
Pearl – Little Immaculate White Fox (2010, Megaforce Records/White Fox Music)
1. “Rock Child” … 4:20
2. “Nutbush City Limits” … 3:29
3. “Broken White” … 4:35
4. “Check Out Charlie” … 3:22
5. “Mama” … 4:08
6. “My Heart Isn’t In It” … 4:48
7. “Nobody” … 5:02
8. “Worth Defending” … “4:18″
9. “Love Pyre” … 2:53
10. “Whore” … 2:33
11. “Anything” … 4:18
Musicians:
Pearl Aday – Lead Vocals
Scott Ian – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jim Wilson – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Carl “Nalle” Colt – Guitar
Marcus Blake – Bass, Backing Vocals
Dominique Davalos – Bass, Backing Vocals
Matt Tecu – Drums
Eric Leiderman – Drums
Ted Nugent – Guitar (“Check Out Charlie”)
Jerry Cantrell – Guitar (“Anything”)
Producer: Joe Barresi, Jay Ruston, Pearl
When this album unexpectedly arrived in the mail, I wasn’t sure what it was going to sound like. I knew of the album’s existence but I knew nothing about it, or Pearl, really. The only thing I knew about Pearl Aday is that she is the daughter of Meat Loaf and is engaged to Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. A new cool fact I learned is that in addition to singing back up for Meat Loaf, she used to sing back up on tour for Motley Crue. I figured her own style could fall anywhere in between the rock opera of Meat Loaf and the thrash metal of Scott Ian.
She could’ve sounded like anything but Little Immaculate White Fox is a collection of good old-fashion rock ‘n’ roll. Just pure bluesy and southern-influenced rock ‘n’ roll with classic rock vibe. Anyone who likes ’70s hard rock is going to like this disc a lot.
I typically shy away from bands with female lead vocalists. I guess that’s sexist of me but it’s not that I don’t think women should sing or play rock ‘n’ roll it’s just that it rarely appeals to me. Sorry, I prefer male vocalists but having said that Pearl can more than go note for note with the boys. I guess that’s a prerequisite if you wanna tour as a singer with Meat Loaf! She can really belt them out and just has such a powerful rocker chick voice with a song like “Rock Child” but on the flip side she play it soft and sounds downright country on a ballad like “My Heart Isn’t In It”.
The players on this album are pretty interesting. Ted Nugent plays on “Check Out Charlie”, Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell plays on “Anything” and Scott Ian is actually a member of her backing band and plays throughout the whole album.
All told, Pearl’s debut solo disc is a solid rock ‘n’ roll album from top to finish. There are a number of stand out tracks that immediately grabbed me upon first listen. If you long for the days of honest, hard working and passionate rock ‘n’ roll, look no further than Little Immaculate White Fox.
Highlights: “Rock Child”, “Nutbush City Limits”, “Broken White”, “My Heart Isn’t In It”, “Nobody”
THE L.A. GUNS – American Hardcore
The L.A. Guns – American Hardcore (1996, CMC International Records)
1. “F.N.A.” … 0:21
2. “What I’ve Become” … 3:37
3. “Unnatural Act” … 4:10
4. “Give” … 3:16
5. “Don’t Pray” … 4:07
6. “Pissed” … 4:01
7. “Mine” … 3:35
8. “Kevorkian” … 4:47
9. “Hey World” … 5:01
10. “Next Generation” … 2:33
11. “Hugs And Needles” … 3:08
12. “I Am Alive” … 18:51
Band:
Chris Van Dahl – Lead Vocals
Tracii Guns – Guitar, Keyboard, Backing Vocals
Johnny Crypt – Bass, Backing Vocals
Steve Riley – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: The L.A. Guns & Denis Degher
Yikes, what a difference from the days of Cocked & Loaded! American Hardcore is generally to be considered the worst album from L.A. Guns. Or should I say the worst album from The L.A. Guns? The band was really going for an image overhaul at this point in their career abandoning their traditional sleazy pop metal sound like rats fleeing sinking ship.
Just take a look at the album’s cover. With addition of “the” to their name, I guess it does make the group seem a bit more dangerous in conjunction with the album art. If I had never heard of this band before and picked this album up when it was released in 1996, I probably would have thought this was gangsta rap! Luckily, Tracii doesn’t chase that trend but along with new lead singer and ex-Cherry St. vocalist Chris Van Dahl (having replaced Phil Lewis) the Guns go for a much darker, heavier alternative vibe that sometimes comes across like Black Label Society, Marilyn Manson or Rob Zombie. Hilariously, All Music Guide refers to this album as a return to the band’s “hair metal heyday” then calls it a “standard pop-metal” release that apes KISS, Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Led Zeppelin. Um… WHAT !!
Honestly, the album isn’t too bad. It’s heavy metal, it’s alternative, it’s angry and while none of those terms typically bring to mind L.A. Guns, it’s not half bad if you’re in the right frame of mind. Chris Van Dahl actually has a decent voice for this type of music. He does the whole deep, guttural screaming thing well.
I have to wonder the point of keeping the L.A. Guns name though. Tracii was obviously taking a desperate stab at relevancy yet was holding onto a name associated with the ‘80s (the ‘80s were sooooo lame in the mid ‘90s) in order to pull in the few fans this band had at the time. He was trying to have his cake and eat it too. He should’ve just gone one step further and renamed the band. This project might’ve been better received.
Further adding the the album’s weirdness is the final track “I Am Alive”. The song ends at 6:57 and there’s nothing but silence until about the 17 minute mark where there’s some weird scene playing out with violins, prison guards talking and then some murderer gets the electric chair and we hear him screaming.
Highlights: “What I’ve Become”, “Unnatural Act”, “Don’t Pray”, “Mine”, “Hey World”
www.laguns.net (Phil Lewis’ version, AKA – “the real one”)
www.myspace.com/lagunsofficial
www.lagunsofficial.com (Tracii Guns’ version)
www.myspace.com/losangelesguns
