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Trixter – New Audio Machine (Album Review)
Trixter – New Audio Machine
(2012, Frontiers Records)
1. Drag Me Down … 4:08
2. Get On It … 3:45
3. Dirty Love … 3:41
4. Machine … 3:35
5. Live For The Day … 3:38
6. Ride … 3:48
7. Physical Attraction … 3:52
8. Tattoos & Misery … 3:33
9. The Coolest Thing … 3:37
10. Save Your Soul … 4:03
11. Walk With A Stranger … 4:33
Band:
Peter Loran – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Steve Brown – Lead Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
P. J. Farley – Bass, Backing Vocals
Mark “Gus” Scott – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Trixter
Can you believe this is only Trixter’s third studio album? The last studio album they released was in 1992 and since then there’s been an album of covers, a live release and a compilation. Of course, the shortage of Trixter material is all due to the band being inactive from 1995-2007.
New Audio Machine shows they haven’t skipped a beat and it feels like a natural follow-up to their first two albums. Call it pop/rock, pop, melodic hard rock, pop-metal… who cares! Trixter has launched a fun and infectious collection of rock songs on a world that wasn’t exactly begging for a Trixter reunion but should welcome it just the same.
I loved the 40Ft. Ringo project that Steve Brown & PJ Farley started up back in the early ’00s but that was an obvious attempt to sound current and fit in with the popular power/punk/pop bands of the day. Luckily, New Audio Machine doesn’t try to play catch up with today’s rock scene. This is honest catchy melodic hard rock with big sing-along choruses. “Live For The Days” bears a slight resemblance to 40Ft. Ringo while a few numbers are rock/pop that could make it to Top 40 stations but it all feels natural. I don’t think Trixter was looking to be trendy at all. This is an album that takes you back in time but that feels natural too. It’s just Trixter being Trixter.
Not that these guys are all bubblegum and sunshine. “Machine” sounds like Motley Crue circa Dr. Feelgood, especially at the chorus, while “Drag Me Down” is a dirty rocker that reminds me of Blue Murder. “Ride” is another heavy number that’ll put anyone in the mood to hit the road and burn rubber.
“Walking With A Stranger” is a cover of a Skid Row song. Skid Row originally recorded the song during the sessions for their 1989 debut but it didn’t make it to the album. I can see why it didn’t make the cut. It’s so poppy and upbeat it sounds out of place as a Skid Row song but perfectly fits Trixter.
Every song here is a winner. Trixter has delivered.
Highlights: “Drag Me Down”, “Machine”, “Live For The Day”, “Ride”, “Tattoos & Misery”, “The Coolest Thing”, “Save Your Soul”
http://www.trixterrocks.com
http://www.facebook.com/trixterrocks
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Tyketto – Dig In Deep (Album Review)
Tyketto – Dig In Deep
(2012, Frontiers Records)
1. Faithless … 4:56
2. Love To Love … 4:24
3. Here’s Hoping It Hurts … 3:51
4. Battle Lines … 3:30
5. The Fight Left In Me … 4:56
6. Evaporate … 3:42
7. Monday … 4:02
8. Dig In Deep … 4:09
9. Sound Off … 3:06
10. Let This One Slide … 4:29
11. This Is How We Say Goodbye … 4:41
Band:
Danny Vaughn – Vocals
Brooke St. James – Guitars
Jimi Kennedy – Bass
Michael Clayton – Drums
Producer: Tyketto
Honestly, I’m not too familiar with Tyketto. I know they are a melodic hard rock outfit that started in the late ’80s but I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to any of their songs other than “Forever Young”. They’ve been on that ever-growing “to buy” list of mine of years.
At least now I can cross off their latest effort Dig In Deep. The original Tyketto line-up is back and Dig In Deep is the band’s first studio album since 1995 and the first album to feature the band’s original line-up since their debut in 1991.
Granted, I don’t exactly know how Tyketto has sounded in the past but I expected this album to deliver something with a harder edge when judging them solely by listening to “Forever Young”. Instead, Dig In Deep delivers an upbeat melodic rock sound with only few tracks where I think the band qualifies as “rocking out”. The album starts off promisingly enough with the modern sounding “Faithless” but for most of the album I wasn’t inspired by the music.
There are really only three tracks I would count as real rockers: “Faithless”, “Dig In Deep” and “Sound Off”. And all three are very good so it’s a bit frustrating that the rest of the album comes off as generic melodic rock. “Here’s Hoping It Hurts”, is another standout. It’s a catchy mid-tempo number with fun lyrics.
“The Fight Left In Me” is a bit misleading. It starts out very impressively with a cool heavy metal guitar solo then it drifts downward from there as it becomes an up-tempo acoustic-driven melodic rock song. Granted, it still features some good riffing and another good guitar solo but I can’t get behind the chorus.
This album just isn’t hitting the right spots for me. It’s obvious they are talented enough to bring some solid hard rock to the table but much like “The Fight Left In Me”, the entire album is a mixed bag. If these guys were to put out a hard rock album, I’d definitely be interested but their brand of melodic rock isn’t that interesting to me.
Highlights: “Faithless”, “Here’s Hoping It Hurts”, “Evaporate”, “Dig In Deep”, “Sound Off”
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Jack Blades – Rock ‘N Roll Ride (Album Review)
Jack Blades – Rock ‘N Roll Ride
(2012, Frontiers Records)
1. Back In The Game … 4:21
2. Rock ‘N Roll Ride … 4:18
3. Hardest Word To Say … 4:37
4. Anything For You … 4:06
5. Love Life … 4:28
6. West Hollywood … 4:11
7. Born For This … 4:32
8. Don’t Give Up … 3:08
9. Say You Will … 4:26
10. Rise And Shine … 3:43
11. Hey Now … 4:39
Musicians:
Jack Blades – Lead/Backing Vocals, Bass, Guitar
Joel Hoekstra – Guitar
Will Evankovich – Guitar, Mandolin, Sitar, Backing Vocals
Kelly Keagy – Drums
Brian Tichy – Drums
Eric Levy – Keyboards
Christian Matthew Cullen – Keyboards
After enjoying Night Ranger’s Somewhere In California so much, I figured it was a pretty safe bet I would enjoy Jack Blades’ latest solo effort Rock ‘N Roll Ride. I wasn’t wrong and Jack didn’t let me down! The album rocks a bit harder than Night Ranger, isn’t quite as polished or keyboard-heavy as Night Ranger can but Rock ‘N Roll Ride still fits under the same melodic hard rock category.
Much like Somewhere In California, this is great album to listen to during the summer. The whole album brings to mind to the beach, blue skies, bright sun shining down, road trips, friends and pure fun. “Love Life” and “Born For This” say it all. Great positive inspirational anthems that are perfect to enjoy under the warm sun.
“West Hollywood” is a song that I almost swore was a cover, it sounded so familiar, until I read in the press kit that it was inspired by The Beatles and was co-written with Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander. There’s that same vibe familiarity with “Don’t Give Up”. That tune reminds me of Tom Petty. “Anything For You” also reminds me of The Beatles.
The ballad “Hardest Word To Say” is another fave but it sounds like something you’d hear on country radio these days (since country has basically become rock/pop). I can imagine Rascal Flatts doing this song. Maybe Jack should pursue a solo career as a country music artist? I’m serious, I would push that to country radio and see what happens. Back to the high energy stuff, “Back In The Game” and “Rock ‘N Roll Ride” are the hardest rocking numbers of the bunch and a good way to kick off the album. “Say You Will” is another fired up rocker.
Blades has developed a reputation as a great songwriter in the industry. He’s written and collaborated successfully with many artists and I’m glad he’s taken the time to develop songs for himself this time. Rock ‘N Roll Ride should be picked up by Night Ranger fans (after all, four-fifths of the band play on the album!) and any fan of melodic hard rock. Fun, uplifting rock album.
Highlights: ”Rock ‘N Roll Ride”, “Hard Word To Say”, “Love Life”, “Born For This”, “Don’t Give Up”, “Say You Will”
http://www.jackblades.net/
http://www.facebook.com/JackBlades
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Review: Michael Thompson Band – Future Past
Michael Thompson Band – Future Past
(2012, Frontiers Records)
1. High Times … 4:41
2. Can’t Be Right … 4:06
3. Future Past … 5:11
4. When You Love Someone … 5:24
5. Here I Am … 3:48
6. Beautiful Mystery … 4:38
7. Break Me Down … 4:33
8. End Game … 4:32
9. Gypsy Road … 4:44
10. Can’t Miss … 4:36
11. Fight For Your Life … 5:04
Band:
Larry King – Vocals
Michael Thompson – Guitar, Keyboards
Khari Parker – Drums
Alan Berliant – Bass
Additional: Musicians:
John Blasucci – Keyboards
Dave Hiltebrand – Bass
Matt Walker – Drums
Sahara Thompson – Backing Vocals
J.P. Delaire – Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Sax
Producer: Larry King & Michael Thompson
I wasn’t familiar with Michael Thompson before this album but his list of credits in the music industry is very impressive. He looks to be a very in-demand session player that has worked on soundtracks and with tons of rock/pop/R&B artists like *NSYNC, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Celine Dion, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Ciara, Debbie Gibson, the Eagles, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Joe Cocker, Johnny Mathis, Kenny G, Lionel Richie, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Michael Bolton, Michael Buble, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Seal, Shania Twain, Toni Braxton, TLC and Whitney Houston. Very impressive list.
Though Michael has managed to release two solo albums and also form another melodic rock outfit called TRW, with such a busy session career it’s no wonder there’s been a 23 year gap between the Michael Thompson Band’s debut album 1989′s How Long and Future Past. In 2007, Frontiers Records re-issued How Long (which was originally released by Geffen Records) so obviously they’d want to release the follow-up MTB album as well.
As you would expect from such a seasoned session player, the songs on Future Past are expertly recorded, written and performed. Thompson’s chosen vocalist for this album, Larry King, has a great voice and is exactly what I like to hear from melodic rock acts. A lot of this album sounds like the type of AOR that you would’ve heard in the early or mid ’80s (I am told this is referred to as “West Coast AOR”). But unlike many of those melodic rock albums from the 1980s, Future Past is thankfully not drowned in keyboards. After all, Thompson is a guitarist first and foremost so the keys take a backseat to that.
Future Past doesn’t actually live in the past completely though. “Can’t Be Right” has modern touches to it and “Here I Am” sounds like something I’d expect from Bon Jovi these days.
MTB has turned in a collection of sentimental moments and catchy, uplifting songs that is sure to please melodic rock fans everywhere.
Highlights: ”High Times”, “Can’t Be Right”, “Future Past”, “Here I Am”, “Beautiful Mystery”, “Fight For Your Life”
Mr. Big – Live from the Living Room (review)
Mr. Big – Live From the Living Room
(2012, Frontiers Records)
1. Undertow … 5:30
2. Still Ain’t Enough For Me … 3:24
3. As Far As I Can See … 4:05
4. Voodoo Kiss … 4:11
5. Take Cover … 5:34
6. Around the World … 4:23
7. Stranger In My Life … 5:15
8. All the Way Up … 5:17
9. To Be With You … 4:35
10. Nobody Left to Blame … 5:54
Band:
Eric Martin – Lead Vocals
Paul Gilbert – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Billy Sheehan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Pat Torpey – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Mr. Big & Pat Regan
Recorded during January 2011 in Tokyo, Japan in front of a small studio audience, Live from the Living Room captures Mr. Big’s very first acoustic show. Since the show was done during and for promotion of 2010′s What If… album, seven of the ten tracks from this set are stripped down versions of songs from that album. Of course it’d be crazy for Mr. Big to do their first ever acoustic show and not perform their biggest hit “To Be With You” (from 1991′s Lean Into It). Completing the set is “Voodoo Kiss”, which comes from the same album as “To Be With You” and “Take Cover” from 1996′s Hey Man.
Technically speaking, the band is very good. That should come as no surprise. Eric Martin sounds great and obviously Paul Gilbert & Billy Sheehan haven’t lost a step over the years. But… Mr. Big has never been one of my favorite bands. Despite the fact that they are great musicians, I’ve never really felt a big connection to them outside a few songs. Still, this live acoustic album should be an enjoyable listen that’s sure to please those that are big fans of What If… and Mr. Big in general.
Highlights: “Undertow”, “Take Cover”, “Around the World”, “Stranger In My Life”, “To Be With You”
http://www.mrbigsite.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mrbigmusic
Buy ‘Live From the Living Room’ at Amazon.com
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Mollo/Martin – The Third Cage
Mollo/Martin – The Third Cage (2012, Frontiers Records)
1. Wicked World … 4:40
2. Cirque du Freak … 4:13
3. Oh My Soul … 5:13
4. One of the Few … 4:01
5. Still In Love With You … 4:21
6. Can’t Stay Here … 4:08
7. Wardance … 6:00
8. Don’t Know What It Is About You … 4:55
9. Blind Fury … 5:06
10. Violet Moon … 7:38
Musicians:
Tony Martin – Vocals
Dario Mollo – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Roberto Gualdi – Drums
Fulvio Gaslini – Bass
Dario Patti – Keyboards
Brian War – Keyboards
If you’ve been following this blog for any decent amount of time or have conversed with me on message boards or Facebook, you’ve probably realized that I’m a big fan of Tony Martin. I rank his run in Sabbath second only to the great Ronnie James Dio. That said, I haven’t heard any of his side-projects or guest spots on other albums and have only heard the latest of his two solo albums (leaving 1992′s Back Where I Belong on my bucket list).
Dario Mollo, on the other hand, I know next to nothing about this Italian guitarist. Looking at his official website and the Frontiers website, I can tell you that he was in a metal band in the ’80s called Crossbones and in 2000 & 2005 released albums under the Voodoo Hill name with the legendary Glenn Hughes on vocals (I really need to check those albums out). He also did a UK tour as a member of the “Graham Bonnet & Don Airey Band”.
Also during this time is when “The Cage” series of albums came to be. Dario recruited Tony Martin to sing on and write lyrics for 1999′s The Cage and they paired up again in 2004 for The Cage 2. I was made aware of both of these projects awhile back and while I’ve seen good reviews for them, I never picked them up because they are, unfortunately, out of print and very expensive (I think I’ll pass on spending $80-$140 for a CD!). Well, at least now I am able to listen to the latest Cage album!
The first thing I noticed is that Tony Martin has not lost a step over the years. He sounds just as good here as he did on The Eternal Idol or Headless Cross. Not that I expected anything less because he sounded excellent on Scream as well. As for Dario, well, if you’ve got Glenn Hughes, Tony Martin, Graham Bonnet and Don Airey willing and wanting to work with you — then you know you’re pretty good at what you do. Some very nice solos and riffing going on here.
Though the album starts off heavy with “Wicked World” , “Cirque Du Freak” & “Oh My Soul” (the last two sound like they could’ve come from a Sabbath album with Tony), there’s a variety of styles to be found on this album. “One of the Few”, “Can’t Stay Here” and “Don’t Know What It Is About You” are all melodic rockers, taking Tony back to his musical roots and still displaying him as being just as comfortable singing these types of songs as he is singing heavy metal. “Still In Love With You” is heavy with an epic Middle Eastern-flair to it. “Wardance” is probably my favorite track on the album with the tribal rhythm of the drums and it’s just too catchy (“WAR!…DANCE!”). “Blind Fury” may be the heaviest track on the album while “Violet Moon” is a beautiful, near-trippy ballad that closes out the album.
There’s really not a bad track on this album. With each spin (and there’s been quite a few of them) I’ve grown to appreciate each song more and more but “Still In Love With You”, “Can’t Stay Here”, “Wardance” and “Don’t Know What It Is About You” were the instant standouts when I first listened.
How does The Third Cage compare to the first two Mollo/Martin albums? Don’t ask me! But I do know that Dario & Tony have delivered a great blend of hard rock, metal and melodic rock that has me wanting to snatch up whatever else Dario has done and has me wishing for even more new Tony Martin music.
Highlights: ”Cirque Du Freak”, “One of the Few”, “Still In Love With You”, “Can’t Stay Here”, “Wardance”, “Don’t Know What It Is About You”, “Violet Moon”
Dario Mollo Official Website
Dario Mollo – Tony Martin The Cage Facebook Page
Tony Martin Facebook Page
Looking Forward to in 2012…
2012 is shaping up to be another spectacular year for rock music. This is a year that is going to see releases from KISS, Judas Priest, Aerosmith, Van Halen and Black Sabbath. WHAT YEAR IS THIS ?!?
In no particular order, here’s what I’m definitely picking up in 2o12:
Accept – Stalingrad (April)
Accept really blew me away with Blood of the Nations. The band has proven there is life without Udo. In fact, I think many people would prefer the current line-up over the classic Accept roster at this point.
Crazy Lixx - Riot Avenue (April)
These solid modern glam-metallers are currently in the studio working on their 3rd album.
KISS - Monster (Spring)
Obviously, this is the album I’m looking forward to most. Sonic Boom was a triumphant return to the studio for these guys, now that the wheels are well-oiled, I think Monster has potential to be even better.
Sunstorm – Emotional Fire (February)
I missed out on the last Sunstorm despite good reviews. In the past year I’ve come to appreciate AOR/melodic rock more so I think I’m going to try out this Joe Lynn Turner-fronted side project when it’s released.
Crashdiet
No date yet set by these sleaze rockers but they are supposedly in the writing process now. I’m guessing sometime in the Fall.
Black Sabbath (Fall/Winter)
Another highly anticipated album for me because I’m really curious what it’s going to sound like. I’m not a big Ozzy fan, either as a solo artist or in Sabbath. I’d much rather see Iommi w/ Geezer go on to new projects (Iommi needs to give Tony Martin another call) but I still will be pre-ordering this one. My expectations aren’t all that high though given who is singing. I feel like he and Sharon are going to bring everyone else down to his mediocre level. Still, it’s exciting to know that new Iommi riffs and solos are coming.
Aerosmith (May)
So much prima donna drama in this camp over the last 5 years or so but hopefully that’s gone long enough to give us a new album. Granted, I don’t really expect much from these guys in terms of, well… anything anymore. They’re kind of a joke at this point but with the legendary Jack Douglas back on as producer, I have no doubts that he’ll drag something out of them that’s better than the last studio album (2001′s Just Push Play).
Van Halen (February 7)
Geez, it was starting to look like the new Chinese Democracy, wasn’t it? No album title has been released yet but a release date has been and the first single will be released on January 10. Van Halen is another band that has become a joke over the years (despite the last tour getting rave reviews) but I have a good feeling about this album. The first album with Roth since 1984 and 1984! Rumored titles have been The Future and 2012 but I don’t think either will turn out to be true. Maybe IV though..?
Judas Priest
The band hasn’t definitely said a new album is coming in 2012 but they’ve been working on new material for a while now and seem to be looking at 2012 for releasing it. It’s a different songwriting dynamic now though. Instead of Halford/Downing/Tipton, it’s just Halford/Tipton. By all accounts, new guitarist Richie Faulkner is carrying his weight in a live setting so I think the album is going to turn out quite good. I do think it’s time the band delivers a straight ahead metal album though. Angel of Retribution and Nostradamus were good but not excellent. The band really hasn’t given the world that kick-ass classic metal album that they should’ve already done since Halford has come back. They really need a Painkiller, Hell Bent for Leather or British Steel at this point and keep it simple.
Primal Fear - Unbreakable (late January)
I have heard this album. It’s good. Plan on reviewing it soon.
Mollo/Martin - The Third Cage (late January)
See above. It’s great to have a new album out with Tony Martin on vocals.
Buckcherry
Maybe wishful thinking on my part but they were working on new material this past summer so hopefully something new will appear by next summer.
The Last Vegas - The Other Side
No date announced yet but they recently released the free digital Other Side E.P. so I’d imagine we’ll have the new album by the spring.
Slash
His first solo album was one of the best records from the last few years and this time, Myles Kennedy is singing all the songs. Everything is written, all that’s left to do is record the songs so I’m guessing spring for this one as well.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Romanov: What Kings Must Whisper
The second non-holiday from TSO, it was actually planned to be their first album way back in 1994 but they held on it while trying to get a Broadway musical out of it first. Night Castle was dark and cool while still keeping that trademark blend of metal, rock and classical music, I expect more of the same here.
Dokken
With a deal in place with Frontiers Records for the new album, I’m expecting something special despite never being a huge Dokken fan. Lightning Strikes Again was good enough for me to be interested in a follow-up. The plan, as of this past November, was to have recording completed by February.
Stryper
This album was actually delayed from this past year in favor of recording and releasing the excellent The Covering album of cover songs. According to Michael Sweet, two albums are in the works: the first will be an album of re-recordings (Why? Can we stop this trend, please?) followed by an album of all-new material written in the same heavy, edgy vein as “God” from The Covering.
M-Pire of Evil
M-Pire of Evil is the renamed Primevil which itself was the reunited late ’80s/early ’90s line-up of Venom that featured Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan on vocals/bass . I’m not well-versed on the comings and goings of the Venom roster but the “classic” line-up is split into two different bands right now. Conrad “Cronos” Lant is leading Venom with a few newer guys while the other two “classic” members (Jeff “Mantas” Dunn & Anthony “Abaddon” Bray) have hooked up again with Dolan for M-Pire of Evil.
They released an EP this past summer called The Creatures of the Black, which was pretty good and I liked the Prime Evil album (the only Venom release I’ve heard from this line-up) so I’m looking forward to a full length album. I couldn’t find anything resembling a release date but going by the band’s Facebook page, it should be soon because they’ve been teasing releasing the album cover.
Tooth And Nail (March)
The band that features 3/4 of the classic Dokken line-up. How does “Wild” Mick Brown still retain a position in Dokken while joining Tooth And Nail? Given Don Dokken’s reputation, you’d think he’d have been fired from Dokken by now. I mean, this band was named after a Dokken album and they’ve gloated over the fact that Don Dokken isn’t in the group (bassist Jeff Pilson will handle vocals). What’s weird is that on the band’s Facebook page, they list current Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy as a member as well… I guess he’s there for the live shows in case Brown has to go off and play in Dokken?
I’m probably forgetting a few more albums but oh well!
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Fools Faith – Sinister F
Fools Faith – Sinister F (2011, Sick Day Records & Entertainment)
1. Across The Sky … 4:12
2. Forgotten … 3:51
3. Break Me … 4:32
4. Change Direction … 5:55
5. Sinister F … 3:53
6. Wait For Me … 4:58
7. Possession … 4:29
8. Ordinary Man … 4:12
9. Won’t Be Home (Tonight) … 4:55
10. Lies … 4:15
Band:
Joey Dia – Vocals
John Gallicano – Guitars
Andy Kadin – Bass, Keyboards
Marc Chandler – Drums
Sinister F is the sophomore effort from this Connecticut-based rock band after having released their debut Undone in 2007. A previous line-up of the group went by the name of Aftermath and had released Natural Destruction on the Escape Music label in 2003.
I wasn’t really aware of this band and by looking at the cover, I was expecting something heavy and perhaps something I wasn’t going to like. Instead, Fools Faith’s Sinister F delivers a great assortment of hard rock and melodic rock. Although the music and production certainly is modern and I can imagine a number of these tracks making it to radio (“Possession” has enough modern crunch), I still get a late ’80s/early ’90s melodic hard rock vibe from these guys that reminds me of groups such as Babylon A.D. and Mass at times.
For my first spin of the album I put it on as background noise and actually ended up getting sucked into a few songs like the “Across the Sky”, “Change Direction” and “Wait for Me”. Great melodies all around this album whether we’re dealing with rockers or ballads. Speaking of ballads, “Won’t Be Home (Tonight)” is fantastic. Great melancholy piece of melodic rock.
Had I done a list of the Top 30 albums for 2011 (instead of my usual Top 25), there is no doubt that Sinister F would’ve made the cut. Don’t get me wrong though, Fools Faith have delivered a hell of an album and are definitely worth seeking out for fans of melodic hard rock.
Highlights: ”Across the Sky”, “Forgotten”, “Wait For Me”, “Change Direction”, “Won’t Be Home (Tonight)”
http://www.foolsfaith.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fools-Faith/70421015019
http://www.myspace.com/foolsfaith
Buy ‘Sinister F’ from Amazon.com
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The Metal Excess Awards: 2011 Edition
Last year I said 2010 was a better year for music than 2009 was. I went on to wonder how 2011 could even begin to top it. Well, guess what… 2011 did indeed top 2010! I’m looking back at my Top 25 list for 2010 and while those albums are all still good, this year’s Top 25 list is much stronger top to bottom.
2011 was a great year that saw classic rock/metal acts like Whitesnake, Warrant, Riot, Alice Cooper, Journey, Black N’ Blue and King Kobra deliver some of the best albums of their career while younger acts like Steel Panther, Reckless Love, Savage Messiah, Evile (who missed the list by this much) and Black Veil Brides have shown that they are more than capable of carrying rock & metal into the future.
Top 25 Albums of 2011
1. Whitesnake – Forevermore
2. Sixx:A.M. – This Is Gonna Hurt
3. Riot – Immortal Soul
4. Warrant – Rockaholic
5. Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare
6. Steel Panther – Balls Out
7. Megadeth – Thirteen
8. Anthrax – Worship Music
9. Sebastian Bach – Kicking & Screaming
10. Reckless Love – Animal Attraction
11. Edguy – Age of the Joker
12. Hurtsmile – s/t
13. Journey – Eclipse
14. Chickenfoot – III
15. Mike Tramp & The Rock ‘N’ Roll Circuz – Stand Your Ground
16. Black Country Communion – 2
17. The Poodles – Performocracy
18. House of Lords – Big Money
19. King Kobra – s/t
20. Saliva – Under Your Skin
21. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
22. Black N’ Blue – Hell Yeah!
22. Savage Messiah – Plague of Conscience
24. George Lynch – Kill All Control
25. Joe Bonamassa – Dust Bowl
Best E.P./Single
In light of a few non-album singles being released this year, I’ve decided to make this a hybrid category.
1. Sixx:A.M. – 7
2. Black Veil Brides – Rebels
3. Who Cares – Out of My Mind / Holy Water
4. Wildstreet – II …Faster …Louder!
5. The Last Vegas – The Other Side E.P.
Best Compilation/Cover/Live/Reissue Albums
Kind of a catch-all category this year. Instead of listing each category individually, I decided to lump them all into one list and rank them that way.
1. Black Sabbath – Born Again [Deluxe Edition]
2. Stryper – The Covering
3. Vains of Jenna – Reverse Tripped
4. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990
5. Slash featuring Myles Kennedy – Live: Made In Stoke 24/7/11
6. Hell – Human Remains
7. Scorpions – Comeblack
8. Def Leppard – Mirrorball: Live & More
9. Eric Carr – Unfinished Business
10. Black Sabbath – Dehumanizer [Deluxe Edition]
Want to read more about the year in music? Check out some of the fine sites & blogs listed below! And be sure to keep checking back for more Year-End posts here at Metal Excess!
All Metal Resource — http://allmetalresource.com/
Bring Back Glam — http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/
The Crash Pad of Ray Van Horn, Jr. – http://www.rayvanhornjr2.blogspot.com/
Hair Metal Mansion — http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/
Hard Rock Hideout — http://hardrockhideout.com/
Hard Rock Nights — http://hardrocknights.com
Heavy Metal Addiction — http://heavymetaladdiction.com/
Heavy Metal Time Machine — http://metalmark.blogspot.com/
Imagine Echoes — http://www.imagineechoes.com/
Layla’s Classic Rock — http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/
Metal Odyssey — http://metalodyssey.wordpress.com/
The Ripple Effect — http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/
Like this:
Edguy – Age of the Joker
Edguy – Age of the Joker (2011, Nuclear Blast Records)
1. Robin Hood … 8:24
2. Nobody’s Hero … 4:31
3. Rock of Cashel … 6:18
4. Pandora’s Box … 6:45
5. Breathe … 5:03
6. Two Out of Seven … 4:27
7. Faces in the Darkness … 5:22
8. The Arcane Guild … 4:58
9. Fire on the Downline … 5:46
10. Behind the Gates to Midnight World … 8:56
11. Every Night Without You … 4:52
Band:
Tobias Sammet – Vocals
Jens Ludwig – Guitar
Dirk Sauer – Guitar
Tobias Exxel – Bass
Felix Bohnke – Drums
Producer: Sascha Paeth
Wow, I had planned on reviewing this one as soon as it came out but I just kept putting it off despite having already given Age of the Joker a few (unfocused) listen. Having given the album a few more attentive spins, Age of the Joker is a really good album that is easily an improvement over Tinnitus Sanctus (which itself was a fine album and one of the best of that year but was missing a certain spark I heard on Rocket Ride …yes, I’m a fan).
For a number of uptight power metal fans, Rocket Ride and Tinnitus Sanctus are considered to be low-points for Edguy. With those albums they took on more of an eighties melodic hard rock flavor though Tinnitus Sanctus was the heavier of the two albums that saw them going back into a metallic direction. I would imagine the same fans that derided the last two albums will have mixed feelings about this new release.
Age of the Joker borrows from both the power metal and the catchy hard rock eras of Edguy while also incorporating elements of Sammet’s Avantasia epics. Other than the goofy humor that Edguy displays with an eight minute song like “Robin Hood” (and if you don’t think these guys are taking the piss just watch the video for it), it’s getting hard to distinguish the two groups these days because they’ve both moved into a more friendly melodic hard rock/metal direction over the last few year. Perhaps it’s time to start using a producer other than Sascha Paeth…
Stylistically, I think the album art is a conscious effort on the band’s part to make the jaded fans take them more seriously after having last seen cartoon aliens riding a rocket ship and an ear-bleeding Jesus Christ being sported on the covers. This cover art reminds me of the cover to Mandrake even if it is still a bi
There’s a little something for everyone here. You want old school Edguy? Check out “Robin Hood” and “The Arcane Guild”. You want something more in line with Rocket Ride? You’ve got “Nobody’s Hero”, the bluegrassy “Pandora’s Box” and the power ballad “Every Night Without You”. Hey, were you a big fan of the recent Avantasia albums? Give “Rock of Cashel” and “Behind the Gates to Midnight World” a listen.
It all adds up to make one heck of a high quality album that is one of 2011′s best releases. In fact, I don’t think there are any filler tracks here (I would peg “Robin Hood” as my least favorite though). The band has quite possibly released one of their most consistent albums yet.
Highlights: ”Nobody’s Hero”, “Rock of Cashel”, “Pandora’s Box”, “Two Out of Seven”, “Fire on the Downline”, “Behind the Gates to Midnight World”, “Every Night Without You”
http://www.edguy.net
http://www.facebook.com/edguy
http://www.twitter.com/_edguy
Buy ‘Age of the Joker’ at Amazon.com
