Monthly Archives: January 2011
Recker – Tragedy Or Triumph
Recker – Tragedy Or Triumph (2010, self-released)
1. “3X Loser” … 4:08
2. “Give It All” … 3:22
3. “Shine On” … 4:34
4. “On The Run” … 3:50
5. “Love Gone Cold” … 3:44
6. “Winds Of War” … 4:14
7. “Fool” … 3:53
8. “Olympus” … 3:51
9. “1,000 Years” … 4:33
10. “I Will Be There” … 4:44
Band:
Rich Recker – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Brad Halleck – Guitar (Tracks 3-5, 10)
Scott Smallwood – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Phil Bennett – Keyboards (“Olympus”)
Producer: Rich Recker
Recker is pure old school blue collar heavy metal! I’ve listened to this album a number of times and I’m enjoying it more and more. It’s almost as if this album is some hidden gem from the late 70s/early 80s. Had it come out during that time, I can totally envision someone on some heavy metal message board these days going “hey man, remember Recker !!! What a classic!”
Now I don’t mean to say that Recker is retro just for the sake of it because that doesn’t always appeal to me and I’m certain it doesn’t always appeal to other people as well. While an old school influence is always appreciated, when showing it off, some bands come off as more calculated than others while Rich & Co. bring heart & passion to the music. This even carries over to the production side of things, you’d be surprised to learn this was a self-released effort.
There are a number of great tracks here. “One The Run” and “Olympus” are lean and mean, “Fool” is a fantastic ballad that stays strong and metal while “1,000 Years” is just a beast and exactly the type of song I want to hear from a band like this and “I Will Be There” is a dark, pounding track that brings the album to an appropriate close.
Overall, this is a great album old school album to throw in the player and listen to. Recker has heart, Recker has riffs, Recker rocks! Definitely recommended.
Highlights: “3X Loser”, “On The Run”, “Love Gone Cold”, “Fool”, “1,000 Years”, “I Will Be There”
http://www.myspace.com/reckerrocks
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Recker/113616228707515
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Recker1
Marvelous 3 – Hey! Album
Marvelous 3 – Hey! Album (1998, Elektra Records)
1. “You’re So Yesterday” .. 3:56
2. “Freak of the Week” … 3:20
3. “Until You See” … 4:20
4. “Write It On Your Hand” … 3:23
5. “Let Me Go” … 3:21
6. Every Monday” … 3:06
7. “Indie Queen” … 4:52
8. “#27″ … 2:51
9. “Mrs. Jackson” … 3:33
10. “Over Your Head” … 3:40
11. “Vampires In Love” … 4:01
12. “Lemonade” … 6:42
Band:
Butch Walker – Vocals, Guitar
Jayce Fincher – Bass
Doug Mitchell (aka – Mitch “Slug” McLee) – Drums
Producer: Butch Walker & Jim Ebert
The second album (first major label release) from the short-lived but fantastic power pop/rock group Marvelous 3. It was the only album to produce a hit single (“Freak of the Week”). I knew nothing about this band or album or “Freak of the Week” until I picked up ReadySexGo two years later but when I backtracked and bought this album, I ended up loving it almost as much as I love ReadySexGo.
Released in October of ’98, the album was actually self-released in early ’98 but then Elektra signed the band and the album was remixed and a few songs were dropped/added. “Cold As Hell” was on the original version of the album and later found its way onto ReadySexGo.
I don’t really know what to tell you if you can’t get into this album. Marvelous 3 is one of the catchiest bands of all time. Every song is a sing-along, whether it’s bombastic anthems like “Freak of the Week” and “You’re So Yesterday” or melancholy moments like “Until You See” and “Let Me Go”. Butch is a great vocalist and great lyricist. I’ve always loved the sense of humor, wordplay, self-deprecation and teenage emotions that come through in his lyrics. Sample from “Vampires In Love”: And now you know that I suck at this/and you suck at it too/And now we’re nothing more than/vampires in love
How this band never went on to sell millions of albums I’ll never know. Butch went on to become a successful songwriter/producer but he’s gone on a totally different path as a solo act, which is a shame. Anyone that’s a fan of power pop should love this album.
Highlights: “You’re So Yesterday”, “Freak Of The Week”, “Until You See”, “Write It On Your Hand”, “Let Me Go”, “Every Monday”, “Indie Queen”
Monster Madness
Various Artists – Monster Madness (2000, Razor & Tie Music)
1. “Dr. Feelgood” – Motley Crue – 4:51
2. “Unskinny Bop” – Poison – 3:48
3. “I Remember You” – Skid Row – 5:15
4. “Kiss Me Deadly” – Lita Ford – 4:01
5. “I Wanna Rock” – Twisted Sister – 3:04
6. “Silent Lucidity” – Queensryche – 5:49
7. “Epic” – Faith No More – 4:54
8. “Up All Night” – Slaughter – 3:47
10. “Don’t Treat Me Bad” – FireHouse – 3:58
11. “Hole Hearted” – Extreme – 3:40
12. “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” – Quiet Riot – 5:20
13. “In My Dreams” – Dokken – 4:21
14. “Wait” – White Lion – 4:03
15. “Easy Come, Easy Go” – Winger – 4:03
16. “I Saw Red” – Warrant – 3:50
17. “I’ll See You in My Dreams” – Giant – 4:45
Following Razor & Tie’s success with Monsters of Rock and Monster Ballads, here comes Monster Madness! Monster Madness is essentially Monsters of Rock 3 (Monsters of Rock 2 was released a few months before this album) and is certainly superior to MOR 2 (which was already scraping the bottom of the barrel) and is just as good as the original MOR album in my opinion.
I mean, just look at the songs here. “Dr. Feelgood”, “Unskinny Bop”, “I Remember You”, “I Wanna Rock”, “Wait”, “Bang Your Head”, “Hole Hearted”, “Don’t Treat Me Bad”… It’s a hair metal dream! Even the odd inclusion of Queensryche and Faith No More is welcomed because those are killer songs.
The album takes me back to my youth. No, not the ’80s but the year 2000 when I bought this album and my girlfriend at the time loved it because it had Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly” on it. I still remember her getting all excited when she heard it for the first time in years.
Just a great “feelgood” album filled with major acts and songs.
Exodus – Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Exodus – Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010, Nuclear Blast Records)
1. “The Ballad of Leonard and Charles” … 7:14
2. “Beyond the Pale” … 7:40
3. “Hammer and Life” … 3:31
4. “Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)” … 7:15
5. “Downfall” … 6:22
6. “March of the Sycophants” … 6:45
7. “Nanking” … 7:22
8. “Burn, Hollywood, Burn” … 4:05
9. “Democide” … 6:36
10. “The Sun Is My Destroyer” … 9:33
11. “A Perpetual State of Indifference” … 2:25
12. “Good Riddance” … 5:33
Band:
Rob Dukes – Vocals
Gary Holt – Guitar
Lee Altus – Guitar
Jack Gibson – Bass
Tom Hunting – Drums, Percussion
Producer: Andy Sneap
Try as I might, I cannot get into this album. I have such a hard time with thrash these days. Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax really ruined me for everyone else. I’m finding that I’m not a huge fan of the retro thrash movement or the “second wave” of ’80s thrash bands. Overkill, Testament and Evile are okay, Death Angel I actually like a lot but Exodus is leaving me cold. The worst part of the album for me is Rob Dukes. I just can’t stand his screaming. It’s really ruining the music for me because it borders on that screamo/hardcore stuff I can’t stand.
I’ve listened to this album 4 or 5 times since buying it shortly after it came out in 2010. Yes, it’s been that hard for me to get into and listening to it again recently, there’s really nothing that sticks out. Is it terrible? No. There’s some good metal on the disc. Despite Dukes’ harsh vocals, “Nanking” is a pretty awesome song and is the best of the bunch for me. Very little stands out and none of what does is particularly memorable to my ears.
Highlights: “The Ballad of Leonard and Charles”, “Beyond the Pale”, “Nanking”, “Democide”
http://www.exodusattack.com/
http://www.facebook.com/exodusattack
http://www.myspace.com/exodus
Gunfire 76 – Casualties & Tragedies
Gunfire 76 – Casualties & Tragedies (2009, Wednesday 13, LLC)
1. “Let’s Kill The Hero” … 2:51
2. “Casualties And Tragedies” … 3:31
3. “Nothing’s All I Need” … 3:18
4. “Los Angel-Less” … 4:26
5. “Rocket To Nowhere” … 3:55
6. “Something For The Suffering” … 4:24
7. “One More Reason To Hate You” … 3:52
8. “Tell You Like It Is” … 3:40
9. “What Did You Expect” … 3:47
10. “Back To The Gutter” … 3:35
11. “Get Me Through The Night” … 5:16
Band:
Wednesday 13 – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Roman Surman – Guitar
Jamie Hoover – Bass, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Jason West – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Ziad – Saxophone (“Back To The Gutter”)
Producer: Wednesday 13
I recently came across Gunfire 76 because they were one of Amazon.com’s recommendations while I was viewing another artist’s album page. I’ve started to discover many cool bands based on their recommends! The band is one of a seemingly endless number of side projects for Wednesday 13 (what’s his main project?). I never got into Murderdolls so I wasn’t sure if this was gonna be something for me. I click on the samples, thought they were pretty cool and ordered myself a copy.
On their MySpace page, Gunfire 76 cites New York Dolls, KISS, Deadboys and The Stooges as what they sound like and all of that is true and can be said for most projects Wednesday 13 is involved with but there’s a twist this time. Instead of the trashy horror punk Wednesday usually plays this album is glam rock meets classic rock meets punk rock. Lyrically, the album is a lot different too and while some song lyrics feature some of the signature angst from Mr. 13, there’s no B-grade horror movie lyrics to be found.
The whole album is just so catchy. Listen to “Los Angel-Less”, “Something For The Suffering”, “One More Reason To Hate You”, “Back To The Gutter” (love the saxophone!) and “Get Me Through The Night” and try to get those songs out of your head. A song like “Get Me Through The Night” comes off like a great lost ’70s glam rock classic, I can hear Starz or Angel playing something like this or even Alice Cooper while “Tell You Like It Is” gives me a KISS vibe circa Rock and Roll Over.
Wednesday 13 fans probably are already aware of this album but even if you’re not a fan of his usual stuff, anyone who like ’70s rock, glam and punk will really enjoy this one. Looking back, it’s easily one of the best albums of 2009. Nothing but fun from top to bottom… Too bad I didn’t listen to it until 2011!
Highlights: “Let’s Kill The Hero”, “Los Angel-less”, “Something For The Suffering”, “One More Reason To Hate You”, “Tell You Like It Is”, “What Did You Expect”, “Get Me Through The Night”
http://www.myspace.com/gunfire76/
Like this:
Steelheart – Steelheart
Steelheart – Steelheart (1990, MCA Records)
1. “Love Ain’t Easy” … 3:41
2. “Can’t Stop Me Lovin’ You” … 5:06
3. “Like Never Before” … 4:45
4. “I’ll Never Let You Go” … 6:21
5 .”Everybody Loves Eileen” … 6:20
6. “Sheila” … 7:40
7. “Gimme Gimme” … 5:23
8. “Rock’N Roll (I Just Wanna)” … 4:10
9. “She’s Gone” … 6:30
10. “Down n’ Dirty” … 6:42
Band:
Michael Matijevic – Vocals
Chris Risola – Guitar
Frank DiCostanzo – Guitar
James Ward – Bass
John Fowler – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Jai Winding – Piano
Producer: Mark Opitz
I officially became a Steelheart fan with Good 2B Alive but previous to that, I had heard and liked Tangled In Reins. Two years after hearing Good 2B Alive, I finally picked up the band’s debut.
I’ve always been put off by the cover. It’s a a bit… prissy and misleading. You’d think maybe it was another female hard rock act like Vixen or something. I guess someone else thought so too because there was a reissue with a different cover released in 1991.
Getting to the music, it’s the typical early ’90s slick hair metal sound that all the labels by this time were putting out but with one exception: Michael Matijevic. This guy is easily one of the most gifted (if not *the* most gifted) singers in the subgenre but also is a powerhouse in his own right compared with some of rock & metal’s legendary singers. If Steelheart were a HEAVY METAL band, Matijevic would be a legend. No doubt about it. But because Steelheart came late to the pop-metal game and did not achieve the same success as they might’ve had if they came out earlier, Steelheart is remembered as nothing more than a second-tier (at best) hair band by most people.
The music isn’t bad at all though, in fact, it’s really good. “Love Ain’t Easy” is a great rocker, “Can’t Stop Me Lovin’ You” is probably the album’s catchiest song, “I’ll Never Let You Go” puts the POWER in power ballad and then there’s the epic ballad “She’s Gone”. Those last three songs are Michael’s best vocal performances, I think, for this album. Without Michael, this album would still be very good but with him? I think this is one of pop-metal’s all-time best albums.
Bruce Dickinson (yes, that Bruce Dickinson) is credited as the album’s executive producer. Pretty cool!
Highlights: “Love Ain’t Easy”, “Can’t Stop Me Lovin’ You”, “Like Never Before”, “I’ll Never Let You Go”, “Everybody Loves Eileen”, “She’s Gone”
Wildstreet – II …Faster …Louder!
Wildstreet – II …Faster …Louder! (2010, self-released)
1. “Shake It” … 3:54
2. “Poison Kiss” … 3:53
3. “Hot Lixx” … 3:09
4. “Cocked and Ready” … 3:59
5. “Can’t Stop The Rock” … 3:46
Band:
Eric Jayk – Lead Vocals
Aaron Joos – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ali Hassan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Brian Beck – Drums
Producer: Kyle Kelso
Wildstreet debuted in 2009 with one of my favorite albums of that year, so I was very pleased to discover new Wildstreet music was coming in 2011! What I didn’t expect was the shift in sound. The debut was pure Mutt Lange/Def Leppard worship. That’s not a knock. I love the Lange/Leppard sound and Eric Jayk did an amazing job giving us some of the slick pop-metal that I wish Def Leppard would still write.
So what does Wildstreet sound like now? Like a much more loose, raw rock ‘n’ roll band. This EP is a much more stripped down affair with a bluesy hard rock influence that brings to mind High ‘n’ Dry-era Def Leppard or the other band Mutt’s known best for — AC/DC. For as much as the debut set out to out-Leppard Leppard, don’t think that this album strives to be an AC/DC clone. They haven’t decided to become another Airbourne or anything, the glam-metal and sleaze factor is still there… It’s just not as produced and polished as the debut and this was all done purposely in order to match the band’s live performances and Jayk even sat out on playing guitar for this record to help achieve that goal. Jayk & Co. have set out on their own rock ‘n’ roll path this time around, instead of following in the footsteps of their idols, and you can only respect them for that. They aren’t trying to sound like anyone anymore other than a rock band that knows how to have a good time and write catchy tunes.
Credit also goes to producer Kyle Kelso who encouraged the band to take the less-produced route and has helped the band with getting Hollywood to take notice. So far, songs have been licensed out to various television shows: E! Entertainment’s Married To Rock, TBS’ Glory Daze and VH1′s upcoming Saddle Ranch. Pretty cool! It’s always great to see your favorite bands grow and gain a bigger audience. I remember coming across a listing for their first album purely by chance at Retrospect Records’ website. I then went to their MySpace page and immediately had to have the album after hearing them. I think the debut went unnoticed by many fans and rock/metal sites so it’s great to see Wildstreet is not only continuing to put out great tunes but are also on their way to getting everything to achieving the success they deserve.
This EP will be available for digital download (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) on January 25th with a physical copy pressing to follow shortly and I’ll happily put down my cash to pick it up. If you missed out on Wildstreet the first time, January 25th is your second chance to check out this great young rock ‘n’ roll band. In the meantime, go back and buy their debut!
Highlights: Oh… All of it!
www.wildstreetmusic.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Wildstreet/8342603261
