Monthly Archives: June 2011
George Lynch – Kill All Control
George Lynch – Kill All Control (2011, Rocket Science, Inc.)
1. “Kill All Control”
2. “Done”
3. “Fly On The Wall”
4. “Brand New Day”
5. “Wicked Witch”
6. “Voices In My Head”
7. “Resurrect Your Soul”
8. “Rattlesnake”
9. “Sun”
10. “Man On Fire”
11. “My Own Enemy”
12. “Son Of Scary”
13. “Go It Alone”
Musicians:
George Lynch – Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals
London LeGrand – Vocals (Track 5, 11, 13), Backing Vocals
Marq Torien – Vocals (Tracks 1, 3, 9), Backing Vocals
Will Martin – Vocals (Tracks 1-4, 6, 9), Backing Vocals
Keith St. John – Vocals (Tracks 7, 8, 10), Backing Vocals
Nic Speck – Bass
Adrian Ost – Drums
Fred Coury – Drums (Track 12)
Just like Michael Schenker, George Lynch is a guy that stays so active and releases so much music in any given year that it’s easy to lose track of what exactly his current project is and if any of those projects are worth listening to. Despite being a guitar hero it seems like a lot of his music goes unnoticed (although the Lynch Mob reunion album Smoke & Mirrors was well-received). Hopefully with the buzz the Lynch Mob reunion started more people will pay attention to this solo effort because it’s definitely worth listening to.
George has never really been one to live in the past. While I can applaud some acts for sticking to or going back to their “classic” sound in order to appease the hardcore fans, as long as the music is good I see no problem with catching up to modern times and that’s exactly what Lynch is doing here. This is modern hard rock/metal featuring elements of alternative and more classic sounding hard rock. These are songs that would probably find their way to radio if only they were done by someone half George’s age. Some of the music at times it reminds me of SIXX:A.M. (though certainly not as dark) but all of it sounds current.
It’s worth noting that the music does not sound forced. A lot of people gave Lynch a hard time (rightfully so) when he took Lynch Mob in a rap-metal direction in the late ’90s but Kill All Control sounds much more natural. It’s hard rock but it’s up-to-date, not trend-jumping. I doubt at this point in his career George believes he’ll get any radio play anyway (no matter what the style of his music is), so this is probably just where his head is at right now when it comes to solo material.
Admittedly, the album was originally intended to be a follow-up to 2008′s Let The Truth Be Known from Souls of We (George’s side-project with former Brides of Destruction singer London LeGrand) and drummer Adrian Ost. During the process of writing the album, the decision was made to make it a solo effort instead due to the direction that the songs were taking. As such, a number of vocalists were called in to lend their talents in addition to LeGrand. Marq Torien (Bullet Boys), Will Martin (Earshot) and Keith St. John (Montrose) all make appearances while Cinderella’s Fred Coury plays drums on the “Son Of Scary” instrumental. By the way, I did my best in listing who sang on what song, I couldn’t find a complete list of album credits.
For those hoping for something similar to Dokken or Lynch Mob leftovers, you’re out of luck. But, Kill All Control displays the great riffs and solos George is known for and a fantastic collection of vocalists along with tons of groove and hooks. Definitely worth checking out.
Highlights: “Kill All Control”, “Done”, “Brand New Day”, “Wicked Witch”, “Voices In My Head”, “Resurrect Your Soul”, “My Own Enemy”
Night Ranger – Somewhere In California
Night Ranger – Somewhere In California (2011, Frontiers Records)
1. “Growin’ Up In California”
2. “Lay It On Me”
3. “Bye Bye Baby (Not Tonight)”
4. “Follow Your Heart”
5. “Time Of Our Lives”
6. “No Time To Lose Ya”
7. “Live For Today”
8. “It’s Not Over”
9. “End Of The Day”
10. “Rock N’ Roll Tonite”
11. “Say It With Love”
Band:
Jack Blades – Lead Vocals, Bass, Backing Vocals
Brad Gillis – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Joel Hoekstra – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Kelly Keagy – Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Eric Levy – Keyboards, Piano, Backing Vocals
Producer: Night Ranger
Since in the last year or two I’ve heard a startling number of melodic rock albums that I’ve actually ended up enjoying, I decided to give the new Night Ranger a chance despite never really being a fan of the band other than a few songs (and I HATE “Sister Christian”). Deep at the core of Night Ranger I’ve always felt there was a really good HARD rock band there. When the band isn’t writing slick commercial melodic rock numbers, they can really go balls to the wall and they do this a number of times throughout Somewhere In California.
Pointing out the album’s highlights:
- “Growin’ Up in California” is a high-energy opener that name checks a few California locales and instantly brings to mind a song like “(You Can Still) Rock In America” as it somehow finds a perfect balance between the melodic rock & actual rock ‘n’ roll, keyboards & guitars.
- “Lay It On Me” is a great heavy number that precisely shows that the band can get down and dirty when they want to. Guitars!
- “Time Of Our Lives” follows in the great tradition of Night Ranger writing excellent ballads (“Sister Christian” is the exception to this excellence!) and is well-sung by Kelly Keagy.
- “No Time To Lose Ya” is extremely catchy and features a great chorus, one of the album’s best and most inspired tracks.
- “End Of The Day” is another excellent guitar-driven song, a bit dark sounding other than the chorus and yet somehow reminds me of Rick Springfield.
- “Rock N’ Roll Tonite” features a great chorus and is yet another guitar-centric number, classic Night Ranger hard rock. Tailor-made for a live setting and would’ve been a great way to close this album.
- “Say It With Love” is the album’s actual closer though and is absolutely infectious melodic rocker and ends the album on a high note.
Though Hole In The Sun was a step towards a more modern sound that proved to be controversial/disappointing for some longtime Night Ranger fans, Somewhere In California has the band delivering what you would expect a Night Ranger album to sound like. In other words, this is “classic” Night Ranger. Having only casual knowledge of the band, if you would have told me this album was one of their releases from the 1980s for the most part I would have believed you.
It sounds like Night Ranger: hooks, melodies, harmonies, great vocals from Jack Blades, great backing vocals, Gillis continues to prove himself as an unsung guitar demi-god (Joel Hoekstra is no slouch either!) and the keyboards are expertly woven into the tracks and don’t become overbearing. Somewhere In California is a really enjoyable album and should be a big hit in the melodic rock world and, most importantly, with Night Ranger fans. It was certainly a big hit with me since I consider 7 of the 11 tracks to be “highlights”!
Highlights: “Growin’ Up in California”, “Lay It On Me”, “Time Of Our Lives”, “No Time To Lose Ya”, “End Of The Day”, “Rock N’ Roll Tonite”, “Say It With Love”
http://www.NightRanger.com
http://www.facebook.com/nightranger
Juliet’s Vice – d.g.a.f.
Juliet’s Vice – d.g.a.f. (2011, self-released)
1. “Never Gonna Change” … 4:04
2. “So High, So Low” … 3:54
3. “Subliminal Seduction” … 3:26
4. “Lost Little Angel” … 3:24
5. “Good 4 Nothin’” … 5:11
6. “Concrete Jungle” … 2:45
7. “d.g.a.f.” … 3:28
8. “Live Like There’s No Tomorrow” … 3:54
Band:
Dan Parsels – Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Damian Monte Carlo – Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Joe Mal – Bass, Backing Vocals
Nicolino Maiellano – Drums, Backing Vocals
Producer: Juliet’s Vice
Formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2008, Juliet’s Vice are a sleaze rock act that owes much to the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Ratt, L.A. Guns, early KISS and the New York Dolls. And when I say sleaze, I don’t mean sleaze like all of those modern European sleaze bands. Nothing wrong with those groups at all (I’m a big fan of quite a number of them) but Juliet’s Vice has a down-to-Earth, “see ya at the bar” American street-smart vibe that doesn’t go in for all that hairspray, spandex and make-up.
Certainly the production isn’t glossy and smoothed over like how so many of the European glam/sleaze albums. It’s refreshing to hear the guitars buzzing and drums crashing all about and this adds to the band’s down ‘n’ dirty style.
Speaking of down ‘n’ dirty, listening to “Concrete Jungle”, the Guns N’ Roses influence is readily apparent. Intentional or not, it reminds me of “Think About You”. The rest of the album is trashy and sleazy with a bit of punk flair. d.g.a.f. is an enjoyable, raw and tough rock ‘n’ roll ride and the title track ( (if you’re not sure what d.g.a.f. stands for, the band will clear things up for you in that song) perfectly sums up the attitude of the band.
Not sure how this compares to 2008′s Decadence and Romance (because I haven’t heard it!), but d.g.a.f. is a good sleazy listen and I’m sure the band continue to grow and get even better.
Highlights: ”Never Gonna Change”, “So High, So Low”, “Lost Little Angel”, “Good 4 Nothin’”, “d.g.a.f.”
www.facebook.com/julietsvice
www.reverbnation.com/julietsvice
www.myspace.com/julietsvice
Concert Review: Def Leppard & Heart (6/19/11)
Def Leppard
W/ Special Guests: Heart
Opener: Evan Watson
6/19/2011
The Amphitheater at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama
First off, I gotta say that The Amphitheater at The Wharf is a pretty cool venue with not a bad seat in the house. I’d never been to it before and it was a much cleaner and nicer facility than I am used to going to. Then again, since it is located just over the Florida state line in a resort/beach town, it’s a given that the place would be pretty nice and well-maintained. Capacity is about 10,000 and though I can testify that it wasn’t a sell out from the five empty seats around us, it had to have been pretty close.
Here are my thoughts…
Evan Watson
Evan Watson is a blues/folk/rock guitarist who I wasn’t familiar with before this show. He wasn’t listed on any of the materials I saw promoting this show. Obviously, being the opening act, the venue wasn’t even half full at this point but those of us that were there appreciated Watson’s work. Great voice that lends a lot of passion and truth to the music he is playing and he came across as very likable during his stage banter.
Pretty interesting set up in that he didn’t have a backing band. Just a man and his guitar (he used some type of pedal setup to keep a beat). From what I can tell by his website, he usually has a backing band called The Headless Horsemen but it looks like he’s going completely solo for this tour.
He played a four or five song set but I can’t remember the name of the first song and in-between ”Woodpecker” and “The Giving Tree” he played a song by The Band (the name of that song also escapes me). “Woodpecker” is a pretty cool & lyrically naughty blues rock number but “The Giving Tree” was the set’s highlight for me. I am now a fan and I’m going to check out his album A Town Called Blue and the just-released South EP.
[EDIT: I contacted Evan Watson on his Facebook page and he has informed me of the two songs I was missing.]
Set list
“Latitude”
“Woodpecker”
“Shape I’m In” (The Band cover)
“The Giving Tree”
Heart
When I initially heard about this tour, honestly, Heart wasn’t even a selling point for me. I had seen Def Leppard back in 2009 and wanted to see them again and that’s all there was to it. Yes, I am a fan of Heart but with only two of their albums in my collection, it would be a stretch to say they were a favorite act of mine (although I really enjoy much of their ’70s output). Once they hit the stage though, my mind was totally changed.
Great performance from the entire band with Ann sounding just as good as ever at 62 years of age (it was her birthday and Nancy led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to her). It’s just insane that anyone can still sound this good 30 years on. She has to be the best female rock vocalist of all time. As for Nancy, she was full of energy all night — hopping, skipping and jumping around as she played.
The best part of their set was their classic ’70s material along with “WTF” from 2010′s Red Velvet Car. That song is classic Heart in my opinion and fits in well with their older material. Of course, they had a number of hit rock/pop songs in the ’80s and played those as well. These songs went over well with the crowd (though I think the women were more into those songs than the males). Though they certainly weren’t going through the motions, I got the feeling like they just wanted to get through those commercial numbers as quickly as possible (which is probably why they were lumped altogether) as the sisters would jokingly make references to the songs as “another eighties song” and talk about MTV and big hair styles.
Heart is a fantastic, powerful and graceful live band and “Cook With Fire” was on fire. That was easily the best performance of their set. Such a great way to open their set and my only complaint on their performance is that they did not play “Dog & Butterfly”.
Set list
“Cook With Fire” (w/intro from “In The Evening” by Led Zeppelin)
“Heartless”
“Never”
“What About Love”
“These Dreams”
“You’re the Voice”
“Alone”
“WTF”
“Magic Man”
“Crazy On You”
“Barracuda”
Encore
“What Is and What Should Never Be” (Led Zeppelin cover)
Def Leppard
I was pleasantly surprised to see them open with “Undefeated” (one of three new studio tracks from the newly released live album Mirrorball: Live & More - review coming soon!). Though the song has grown on me since first hearing it, it comes off even better live and was a great choice as an opener that the crowd was into.
The rest of the set was about what you’d expect from Def Leppard these days, at least when it comes to playing in the U.S. (they played a slightly different set over in the UK recently that included “Wasted” from On Through the Night). In comparison to the 2009 show I caught them at, they’ve dropped “Rock Rock (‘Til You Drop)”, “Too Late for Love” and “C’mon C’mon” while adding “Undefeated” and “Foolin’”. Other than that, they changed up the running order a bit.
Though there are very little surprises with this band nowadays, they are a tight touring machine and in addition to their precise musical abilities, they have all the smoke, lights and video screens to back them up. It’s great to see them still going out and giving 100% when it comes to presentation. It really is a grand concert experience to see Def Leppard perform live, they hit all their marks, I just wish they would change up the set list a bit more and dust off a few numbers like “Promises”, “20th Century Boy”, “Make Love Like A Man”, “Women”, “Now” or “Gods of War”.
Set list
“Undefeated”
“Let’s Get Rocked”
“Animal”
“Foolin’”
“Love Bites”
“Rock On” (David Essex cover)
“Rocket”
“Two Steps Behind” (Acoustic)
“Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” (Acoustic/Electric)
“Switch 625″
“Hysteria”
“Armageddon It”
“Photograph”
“Pour Some Sugar on Me”
Encore
“Rock of Ages”
Overall, it was a great night. Def Leppard, Heart and Watson all put in great performances and it was a real treat to see Heart perform live. If they ever came back around as headliners, I would be interested in seeing them. The whole venue had a great atmosphere and the weather was about as nice as you could hope for given it’s the south and summertime (had a good breeze going). This is a show worth seeking out this summer and worth every dollar.
The Rods – Vengeance
The Rods – Vengeance (2011, Niji Entertainment Group)
1. “Raise Some Hell”
2. “I Just Wanna Rock”
3. “Rebels Highway”
4. “Ride Free Or Die”
5. “The Code”
6. “Livin’ Outside The Law”
7. “Let It Ripp”
8. “Fight Fire With Fire”
9. “Madman”
10. “Runnin’ Wild”
11. “Vengeance”
Band:
David “Rock” Feinstein – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Garry Bordonaro – Bass, Vocals
Carl Canedy – Drums, Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Ronnie James Dio – Lead Vocals (“The Code”)
Producer: The Rods
After David “Rock” Feinstein turned in his solid Bitten By The Beast solo effort last year, I was pretty much expecting The Rods’ Vengeance to be more of the same. I mean, just look at these song titles. The Rods aren’t setting out to reinvent the wheel, all they want to do is crank out some rock solid heavy metal and that’s exactly what they’ve done on this release.
As with Bitten By The Beast, the song on this album featuring Ronnie James Dio is the true point of interest (for me anyway). “The Code” could easily be from a latter day Dio album and I think I prefer it over the cousins’ collaboration on “Metal Will Never Die” from Bitten By The Beast.
As for the rest of the album, there’s nothing here that’s going knock your combat boots off. Songs like “Raise Some Hell” and “I Just Wanna Rock” are typical heavy metal bashers but it’s 100% pure old school heavy metal and that’s good enough in the middle of the summer when you’re washing your car!
Highlights: ”Raise Some Hell”, “I Just Wanna Rock”, “The Code”, “Livin’ Outside The Law”, “Vengeance”
Journey – Eclipse
Journey – Eclipse (2011, Nomota LLC)
1. “City of Hope” … 6:02
2. “Edge of the Moment” … 5:27
3. “Chain of Love” … 6:10
4. “Tantra” … 6:27
5. “Anything Is Possible” … 5:21
6. “Resonate” … 5:11
7. “She’s A Mystery” … 6:41
8. “Human Feel” … 6:44
9. “Ritual” … 4:57
10. “To Whom It May Concern” … 5:15
11. “Someone” … 4:35
12. “Venus” … 3:34
Band:
Arnel Pineda – Lead Vocals
Neal Schon – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ross Valory – Bass, Backing Vocals
Deen Castronovo – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Jonathan Cain –Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Producer: Kevin Shirley with Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain
(And now for a really long review…)
After the incredible success of Revelation as a Wal-Mart exclusive in the United States, it was a no-brainer for Journey to ink a new deal with the world’s largest retailer for Eclipse (in other markets the album was released on the Frontiers Records label), their 15th studio album. Despite not having two extra discs to help boost sales like Revelation did, Eclipse still debuted at a very respectable #13 on the Billboard charts with 21,000 copies sold.
With that said, THIS is a Journey I could really grow to love! Obviously the band has delivered many classic radio staples over the years and the “hits” I have never had a problem with but for the longest time I could not fall in love with any of the band’s albums no matter who the singer was (and let’s be honest, no matter your preference, the vocalists have always delivered even when songwriting maybe did not). Sure, Journey’s albums have been “good” or even “very good” to my ears but there’s always been a certain wimp factor to AOR/melodic rock. A band like Journey has always been especially disappointing to me because Neal Schon has always seemed so content to rein in his guitar playing so that Jonathon Cain can deliver another keyboard-drenched ballad. Schon could’ve been a true guitar hero.
Well, I don’t know how it happened. I guess after the success of Revelation, the band finally decided to take somewhat of a chance because I’m happy to say the guitars are all over this album and Schon is standing center stage on this release. The keyboards have taken a backseat (as much of a backseat that they’re ever going to take in this band). Neal is dropping solos and inspired riffs all throughout the album but don’t get it twisted — this is not a “guitar” album as I have read other reviews state. Yes, Journey is rocking harder than they have in YEARS but it’s still Journey and you’re still gonna get some sticky sweet ‘n’ pleasant AOR sap in your ears after listening to this one.
It’s really the first half of the album that is most impressive. “City of Hope” is a good selection to open the album. It is a larger than life uplifting melodic rock song. “Edge of the Moment” is all Schon and is one of the album’s best songs. “Chain of Love” starts off with the keyboards but then kicks into a nice heavy guitar riff that reminds me of Led Zeppelin. “Tantra” is the album’s only true ballad and quite frankly, it’s a powerful and majestic one at that, almost sounds like something I’d expect to hear from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. “Anything Is Possible” is next and it’s acceptable but nothing essential, just the standard positive AOR message.
Halfway through the album is Eclipse‘s crown jewel: “Resonate”. Just a fantastic piece of work, very catchy, the chorus will stay in your head for days and it’s on par with the band’s classic material. I had see a live performance of this song on YouTube month’s before the album’s release. I loved the song then and I still love it now. Next up is “She’s A Mystery” which is a bit laid back sounding for Journey I think and does’t really go anywhere until closer to the end where it turns into a hard rocking number with Schon going mad on guitar. Too bad the first five minutes or so of the song weren’t like this.
Oh well, we’re saved by “Human Feel” which has a really cool tribal drum beat to it and more good riffs. My second favorite song off the album. Just a really fun song, I could see this going over really well live. ”Ritual” is a high energy number but yet still a bit bland. Along with “To Whom It May Concern” you can pretty much count it as filler. “Someone” is a step in the right direction, pure upbeat AOR but still good. The album closes on a high note with the instrumental “Venus”. Yet another showcase for Neal Schon.
After all this time of talking about Schon firing up the guitars for this album, I should also point out that on his second Journey album, Arnel is starting to come into his own. On Revelation, he seemed like he was trying to sound like Steve Perry. He wasn’t doing a bad job of it but it’s nice to hear him now using his “real” singing voice in the band.
This is a must buy for AOR fans and anyone with even the slightest interest in melodic rock should definitely give this album a listen. The old masters are back and sounding as vital as ever and re-energized. Hopefully Journey will continue down this more hard rockin’ road… or at the very least I hope Neal gets inspired to give us a blistering solo album some day.
I was expecting a few good tracks and for this album to be a decent casual listen but it’s shaping up to be one of 2011′s best releases.
Highlights: ”City of Hope”, “Edge of the Moment”, “Chain of Love”, “Tantra”, “Resonate”, “Human Feel”, “Venus”
Anvil – Juggernaut of Justice
Anvil – Juggernaut Of Justice (2011, The End Records)
1. “Juggernaut of Justice” … 3:40
2. “When Hell Breaks Loose” … 3:11
3. “New Orleans Voo Doo” … 4:25
4. “On Fire” … 3:23
5. “Fuken Eh!” … 4:08
6. “Turn It Up” … 2:57
7. “This Ride” … 3:12
8. “Not Afraid” … 3:44
9. “Conspiracy” … 3:20
10. “Running” … 2:54
11. “Paranormal” … 7:04
12. “Swing Thing” … 3:00
Bonus Tracks
13. “The Station” … 3:24
14. “Tonight Is Coming” … 3:44
Band:
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – Vocals, Guitar
Glenn Five – Bass, Vocals
Robb Reiner – Drums
Producer: Bob Marlette
This is more like it! Anvil always sounds like Anvil but I was treading lightly going into this album after the solid but plodding This Is Thirteen. The band has obviously been re-energized since the release of “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” and this is their first new studio release since that documentary came out. With Bob Marlette producing, the band has turned in one of their best sounding albums yet and the entire band really shows just how talented they are. Lips turns in some great work on guitar and Robb is relentless on the drums. Even Glenn Five gets to shine a bit — he handles lead vocals on “This Ride” (and does a darn good job too).
Look, reviewing another Anvil release is like reviewing another Motorhead or AC/DC album. If you like these band, you’ll like each and every album they put out. But Juggernaut of Justice is definitely a step above This Is Thirteen. The album seems to be more aggressive and faster than the last effort. It just goes to show that 30 years on Anvil is still a powerful and relevant heavy metal machine that plays in that fast and furious speed & thrash metal style that to me is best summed up as good ol’ heavy metal! The one time the band does go outside the box on this album is with “Swing Thing”, a surprisingly good instrumental jazz metal number. When I initially heard about the track, I thought it was going to be pretty lame but it actually works pretty well and is one of my favorite tracks off the album.
At fourteen tracks, I thought the album was a bit long but apparently “The Station” and “Tonight Is Coming” are bonus tracks. My copy is apparently a “limited edition” and these two songs are not on the album proper for a reason — they are standard brain dead heavy metal numbers (“tonight is coming/all day long!”).
Highlights: “Juggernaut of Justice”, “When Hell Breaks Loose”, “New Orleans Voo Doo”, “Fuken Eh!”, “Conspiracy”, “Swing Thing”
http://www.anvilmetal.com/
http://www.facebook.com/anvilmetal
Black Sabbath – Born Again [Deluxe Edition]
Black Sabbath – Born Again [Deluxe Edition] (2011, Universal Music/Sanctuary Records – UK Import)
Original Release: 1983, Warner Bros. Records
Disc One
1. “Trashed”
2. “Stonehenge”
3. “Disturbing The Priest”
4. “The Dark
5. “Zero The Hero”
6. “Digital Bitch”
7. “Born Again”
8. “Hot Line
9. “Keep It Warm”
Disc Two
1. “The Fallen” (Previously Unreleased)
2. “Stonehenge” (Extended Version)
3. “Hot Line” (live)
4. “War Pigs” (live)
5. “Black Sabbath” (live)
6.. “The Dark” (live)
7. “Zero The Hero” (live)
8. “Digital Bitch” (live)
9. “Iron Man” (live)
10. “Smoke On The Water” (live)
11. “Paranoid” (live)
Band:
Ian Gillan – Vocals
Tony Iommi – Guitar, Flute
Geezer Butler – Bass
Bill Ward – Drums
Bev Bevan – Drums (Disc Two – Tracks 3-11)
Additional Musicians:
Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
Producer: Black Sabbath & Robin Black
So this is the third time I’ll be reviewing this album (click for my original review and unmixed demos review). The original album itself is great and I count it as one of Sabbath’s best records. Born Again is notorious for the muddy mix it has and while this 2011 edition is a remaster and NOT a remix and has been cleaned up a bit. Honestly, I really can’t tell the difference between this edition and the 2004 reissue. It still sounds muddy and muffled and granted there is a certain atmosphere it gives to the album but I would still love to hear a remixed and clean version but it looks like that is basically an impossibility given the condition of the source tapes.
Now, just like before with previous Sabbath “Deluxe Editions”, the main reason I bought this was for the second disc. Previous to this release, “The Fallen” and the extended version of “Stonehenge” were being passed around on bootlegs. I guess Iommi wanted to finally “officially” get them out there so good for him and both songs are good tracks anyway so it’s good that Tony can finally make some money off them.
The real jewel of this release is the live tracks. Again, Born Again-era concert bootlegs are available (like Purple Sabbath Definitive Edition) but it’s nice to have a legit live release of Ian Gillan fronting the band. The songs are taken from the band’s performance on August 27, 1983 at the Reading Festival in Reading, Berkshire, England. In comparison to the Purple Sabbath bootleg, much of the set is the same except “Children of the Grave” and “Heaven and Hell” are not present while “The Dark” intro is. I’m not sure whether if what is presented here is the full set from the Reading show but the bands plays a few notes from “Heaven and Hell” at the end of “Paranoid”.
I know to this day there is great controversy surrounding the album, Gillan’s involvement with the band and of the band’s choice to cover “Smoke On The Water” in concerts (BTW – it goes over well with the Reading crowd) but Born Again is a great and special moment in the band’s history. Even if the reaction at the time from critics and fans alike was lukewarm, the Born Again album stands tall in the Sabbath catalog and the live show was just as good. If Ronnie can cover Ozzy songs, why not Gillan? He does a fantastic take on “Black Sabbath”. Although to be honest, I’d rather hear Gillan’s take on the Ronnie songs.
And going off of what I said earlier about the reaction to this album being lukewarm, I definitely think a big part of that ws because the album was never released in the U.S. for some reason (not a single U.S. reissue either!). So maybe the lack of excitement over this album and lineup was due word of mouth with those words coming from disgruntled fans who either wanted Dio or Ozzy in the band. I imagine in those days it was harder to get your hands on an import so if you knew a guy who sayid the album sucked, you took his word for it and passed that critique along to the next guy.
While Ozzy/Dio loyalists will probably ignore this release, I highly recommend this release for fans of the Gillan era. Even if you have the original album, it’s worth picking up for the second disc.
DareDevil Squadron – Out Of The Sun
DareDevil Squadron – Out of the Sun (2010, self-released)
1. Out of the Sun … 3:46
2. Punishment Fits … 3:47
3. Forgotten Son … 3:41
4. Back Lounge … 3:17
5. Hero Falls … 4:12
6. Chronicles of Sorrow Pt. 1: An Eternity Of Forgetfulness … 6:21
7. Streets of Montmartre … 4:13
8. Power Trip … 3:35
9. Faith Hope Love … 4:32
10. Lillian … 3:43
Band:
Andrew Ross – Lead Vocals, Mandolin
Angus Clark – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Aurelien Budynek – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Chris Altenhoff – Bass, Backing Vocals
Jason Gianni – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: DareDevil Squadron
Got turned onto this band because of my May 2011 of Trans-Siberian Orchestra review where I noted the amazing vocal talents of Andrew Ross and after seeing my review, the band contacted me and was extremely nice in hooking me up with a copy of Out of the Sun. It’s such a phenomenal release, I’m surprised I wasn’t aware of it beforehand!
Again, Ross absolutely shines throughout the whole album. It’s good to know he sounds good as good live as he does on record and let’s not forget about the guitars! Some really great work is being put in by Aurelien Budynek and Angus Clark (also tours with TSO, so you already know he’s a great guitar player). There are some really smokin’ solos and great riffs all throughout this disc.
The really cool thing about the album is that while it’s all metal, there’s a few different styles. “Out of the Sun” is a fiery opening number and displays that Iron Maiden is obviously an influence on this band and that’s readily apparent on others numbers too thanks to the twin guitar attack (“Forgotten Son”, “Streets of Montmarte”). The boogie of “Back Lounge” sounds like something that could’ve come from one of the Sunset Strip bands. “Chronicles of Sorrow Pt. 1″ displays a progressive side to the band while ”Lillian” sounds like an unreleased Thin Lizzy track (“Hero Falls” sounds a bit like Lizzy too) and closes the album on a fun, infectious note.
Maiden, power metal, progressive, Lizzy and a bit of classic rock all combine to make Out of the Sun one heck of an album. Not a single filler track to be found. DareDevil Squadron has got to be one of the best metal bands I have heard in sometime. All around high-quality players, Ross’ singing is just off the charts and they’re writing great songs. People really need to seek this band and album out. Definitely one of the best albums that came out last year.
Highlights: “Out of the Sun”, “Punishment Fits”, “Back Lounge”, “Chronicles of Sorrow Pt. 1: An Eternity of Forgetfulness”, “Streets of Montmartre”, “Power Trip”
http://www.daredevilsquadron.com
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