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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
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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/
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Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock by Sammy Hagar (Book Review)
Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock
By Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin
(2011, It Books)
At 238 pages, I was able to read this one over the course of a week. Let me tell you, considering how long it usually takes me to read through a book, I’m pretty proud of myself for that. I’m not one of those people that can pick up a book and knock out most of it in one sitting. It usually takes me weeks to get just one book finished.
Anyway, Red is good light reading but it has some darker moments like when Sammy talks about his abusive alcoholic dad and his wife slowly having a nervous breakddown. Other moments like when Hagar talks about the VH reunion tour back in 2003 are just plain sad because of how out of it Eddie was at the time. But it’s weird because when Sammy talks about his dad it’s almost as if he is glorifying him, yet the Van Halen brothers come across as low-lifes.
For the most part, Sammy is pretty upbeat on his view of life but obviously still has issues with Van Halen. He seems so free-spirited and easy-going about everything in life… except his old band. Sammy even makes the (oft-repeated and ridiculous) claim that Van Hagar sold more albums than the DLR era. Not even close. Why do people continue to say this? The feather in the cap of Van Hagar is that their albums always debuted at #1, not that they sold more.
The book does not revolve entirely around Van Halen. Hagar talks about his childhood, working the club circuit, Montrose, solo career, Mexico and his various business ventures. If my memory serves correctly, there’s a few chapters that didn’t make the book that were posted online at one time. One dealt with the divorce from his first wive and the other involved some more shady business dealings with VH and the new manager they had taken on at the time (that Sammy was not getting along with).
A good read overall. There’s enough Van Halen drama for those that like their biographies to dish the dirt while giving us a deeper look into the world of Sammy Hagar. Recommended.
Buy ‘Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock’ at Amazon.com
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Review: The Morning After – You Can’t Hurt Steel
The Morning After – You Can’t Hurt Steel
(2009, Rising Records)
1. Metropolis … 1:04
2. Lost In Time … 6:09
3. Hell And High Water … 3:48
4. Glitter And Bombs … 5:02
5. Crush.Kill.Destroy … 8:26
6. In The Heart Of The Young … 6:12
7. Atlantis … 5:15
8. Sometime After Dark … 4:43
9. The Destroyer … 0:47
10. You Can’t Hurt Steel … 5:43
Band:
Sam Ryder – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Phil Maher – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Gary Stone – Bass, Backing Vocals
Jake Booth – Drums
Okay, after loving the ’80s melodic rock-meets-modern rock/metal sound of Legacy so much, I decided to check out The Morning After’s debut album You Can’t Hurt Steel. It’s a less pleasant offering because metalcore permeates throughout most of the songs complete with those harsh growling vocals. I like when bands are influenced by Avenged Sevenfold, I just don’t like when those influences are from A7X’s metalcore years.
The Morning After still has their melodic moments but nothing like what is to come on Legacy, the songs on You Can’t Hurt Steel are heavy and fast. This is heavy metal and I think with their follow-up they toned their sound down to be more in the range of hard rock.
Musically, I really have no complaints because unlike most metalcore bands there is tons of melody here along with the chugging riffs and shredding solos, the problem is when the metalcore vocals come in but thankfully clean vocals are used the majority of the time.
The intro “Metropolis” is hilariously deceptive as to what is about to be unleashed throughout the rest of the album. It’s epic AOR featuring keyboards and it’s jarring when the modern metal of “Lost In Time” kicks in. It’s not until “In The Heart of the Young” that the album finally lets up and allows you to breathe and see where the band was heading for the next release.
Overall, You Can’t Hurt Steel is a good melodic modern metal album that is well worth exploring but if you’re like me and backtracking from Legacy, you may be in for a bit of a shock from the metalcore influence.
Highlights: “Glitter And Bombs”, “Crush.Kill.Destroy”, “In The Heart of the Young”, “Sometime After Dark”
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http://myspace.com/themorningafterrock
Review: The Morning After – Legacy
The Morning After – Legacy
(2011, Rising Records)
1. Legacy … 1:39
2. Into The Fire … 3:57
3. Limit … 4:20
4. America … 4:28
5. The Witch Is On My Back … 4:05
6. Over The Wire … 3:52
7. Streams of Stars … 10:33
8. These Hills Have Eyes … 3:39
9. Powerdrive … 3:32
10. Rest In Pieces … 4:52
11. Nightmare Planet … 4:49
12. Seasons … 6:39
13. I Walk With Giants … 5:28
Band:
Sam Ryder – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Phil Maher – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Keyboards
Gary Stone – Bass, Backing Vocals
Jake Booth – Drums
I read about this band & album in an issue of UK’s Classic Rock magazine where they gave Legacy praise and the reviewer stated “there’s as much Def Leppard and Iron Maiden in the mix as there is Sweet and Queen”. That grabbed my attention so I had to check this British band out for myself.
In their own biography, The Morning After says they “combine the exuberance, showmanship and melody of classic 80′s metal and pop with a gritty backbone of the metal and hard rock of today.” A lot of times band bios are just fluff and the young bands seem to oversell themselves with them but that description is dead-on and was exactly what I was thinking.
If you took a AOR added a some glam metal and then added a band like Avenged Sevenfold that’s The Morning After. These guys know how to write melodies and they know how to work the twin guitar attack that Iron Maiden & Avenged Sevenfold have worked so well in the past. I hear a lot of Maiden by way of A7X in these guys because the songs are done in a modern style while still appealing to ’80s metal heads/melodic rock fans. Songs like “Nightmare Planet” & “Seasons” sound like something you would hear from A7X during one of their more melodic moments. I definitely hear Queen & Def Leppard influences in the way the vocals are structured and layered and from the production as well.
I don’t want people to get the idea that these guys are as heavy as Avenged Sevenfold, they aren’t, I would consider The Morning After more hard rock than heavy metal but they walk the line having a classic yet modern sound. In that regard, they also should appeal to fans of Black Veil Brides, Endeverafter, The Darkness and Bang Camaro.
Legacy is a refreshing album where the world of ’80s rock/pop & metal meets the current scene. It’s full of great lead & backing vocals, wonderful melodies, shredding guitars and plenty of headbanging hard rock moments. Great album from 2011 that I unfortunately wasn’t aware of until 2012.
Highlights: “Into the Fire”, “Streams of Stars”, “These Hills Have Eyes”, “Nightmare Planet”, “Seasons”, “I Walk With Giants”
http://www.facebook.com/tmaofficialuk
http://myspace.com/themorningafterrock
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/
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Buy ‘Live From the Living Room’ at Amazon.com
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Sunstorm – Emotional Fire
Sunstorm – Emotional Fire (2012, Frontiers Records)
1. “Never Give Up”
2. “Emotional Fire”
3. “Lay Down Your Arms”
4. “You Wouldn’t Know Love”
5. “Wish You Were Here”
6. “Torn In Half”
7. “Gina”
8. “The Higher You Rise”
9. “Emily”
10. “Follow Your Heart”
11. “All I Am”
Band:
Joe Lynn Turner – Lead Vocals
Uwe Reitenauer – Guitar
Dennis Ward - Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Chris Schmidt – Drums
Justin Dakey – Keyboard
Producer: Dennis Ward
There’s a few things I didn’t know about this Joe Lynn Turner/Dennis Ward project before researching this album. The first thing is that I wasn’t aware that the very first Sunstorm album debuted in 2006 (I had always thought 2009′s House of Dreams was the debut). Secondly, for those albums most of the songs recorded were songs that JLT had written in the past, either for other artists or himself.
With Emotional Fire there’s a twist because instead of recording songs that he had a hand in writing, Joe is covering songs that he sang backing vocals on. Examples: Michael Bolton’s “Gina” and Cher’s “Emotional Fire”. But don’t think this is just an album of old songs. A number of songs have been penned members of the current crop of AOR/melodic rockers who hold connections to Issa, Vega, Khymera and Xorigin.
My absolute favorite track is “Lay Down Your Arms”. Seriously, I’ve probably listened to that song about 15 times. It’s only January when I’m hearing this but this has got to be one of the best songs of 2012 when it’s all said and done. You’ll have to excuse my AOR ignorance because I am not sure if this is a new song or something Joe sang background vocals on in the past but it has enough of a modern touch that I can imagine it playing on a Top Forty station. There’s a great hook in this song.
The other song that stands out above the rest is “Never Give Up”, which is a great way to open the album. A bit cheesy with the lyrics perhaps: “never give up/never give in/if you believe it/you can win” but it’s so infectious and positive I had to use it as my Facebook status! It’s a fun & very upbeat melodic rocker.
The rest of the album is fairly standard AOR/melodic rock fare but some of it is quite good like “You Wouldn’t Know Love” and “The Higher You Rise”. Some songs like the closing ballad “All I Am”, “Follow Your Heart” and the cover of Bolton’s “Gina” fall flat with me but that’s because I’m not a hardcore AOR fan. I know the previous Sunstorm albums were well-received so I have no doubt this album will please fans of the first two releases and JLT fans in general. Even in his 60s, Joe is still proving that he is one of the best voices around for the genre.
Highlights: “Never Give Up”, “Lay Down Your Arms”, “You Wouldn’t Know Love”, “Torn In Half”, “The Higher You Rise”
http://www.joelynnturner.com
http://www.facebook.com/joelynnturnerofficial
Primal Fear – Unbreakable
Primal Fear – Unbreakable (2012, Frontiers Records)
1. Unbreakable (Part 1) … 1:37
2. Strike … 4:39
3. Give ‘Em Hell … 3:05
4. Bad Guys Wear Black … 3:31
5. And There Was Silence … 5:13
6. Metal Nation … 5:11
7. Where Angels Die … 8:09
8. Unbreakable (Part 2) … 6:05
9. Marching Again … 5:41
10. Born Again … 4:48
11. Blaze of Glory … 3:56
12. Conviction … 3:58
Band:
Ralf Scheepers – Lead Vocals
Magnus Karlsson – Guitar, Keyboards
Alexander Beyrodt – Guitar
Mat Sinner – Bass, Backing Vocals
Randy Black – Drums
Producer: Mat Sinner
Here’s a band I’ve known about for a very long time but never got around to buying an album of theirs until 2010 when I picked up Jaws of Death and Seven Seals. I like both of those album but I haven’t gotten around to reviewing them just yet. Anyway, Unbreakable is the band’s ninth studio album and their third studio release from Frontiers Records (who’ve branched beyond melodic rock/AOR and have started to pick up a number of quality hard rock/metal acts over the last few years).
It would be unfair of me to say where Unbreakable ranks in the Primal Fear catalog but what I can say about this album is that I think it compares favorably to Jaws of Death and Seven Seals. What’s good about this album is that it’s full of anthems. “Bad Guys Wear Black”, “Metal Nation”, “And Then There Was Silence” and “Where Angels Die” will get stuck in your head. And any song that isn’t a metal anthem is just powerfully heavy. “Strike” really rips from the get-go and was a great choice to open the album. Then there’s the album’s lone ballad “Born Again”. Another catchy number.
It’s not big revelation that Ralf Scheepers’ vocal work is reminiscent of Rob Halford (just ask Judas Priest themselves) but it’s on “Born Again” and “Conviction” that he really comes across as a younger version of the Metal God. “Conviction” is probably the most straight forward traditional sounding metal song on the whole album (with “Strike” coming in a close second) and it’s a true highlight. Very Priest-like.
Unbreakable is sure to please Primal Fear fans and should please anyone who has an interest in bands like Priest, Maiden and power metal. It’s a great album to kick off a new metal year in 2012!
Digipak pressing comes with the exclusive bonus track “Night of the Jumps”.
Highlights: “Strike”, “Bad Guys Wear Black”, “Metal Nation”, “Where Angels Die”, “Born Again”, “Conviction”
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