STRYPER "No More Hell To Pay"

(c) 2103 Frontiers Records

1. Revelation
2. No More Hell To Pay
3. Saved By Love
4. Jesus Is Just Alright
5. The One
6. Legacy
7. Marching Into Battle
8. Te Amo
9. Sticks & Stones
10. Water Into Wine
11. Sympathy
12. Renewed

Michael Sweet--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Oz Fox--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Timothy Gaines--Bass, Backing Vocals

Robert Sweet--Drums, "Visual Timekeeping"

For those who may have been trapped in some sort of maximum security facility without access to the Internet, it is worth noting that Stryper has a new album, and they are back in a big way!  In fact, no matter who you are, if you are into the band, their message, their sound, their style...whatever...it is definitely worth noting that No More Hell To Pay has been unleashed upon the waiting masses and it brings a massive sound with it!

Many fans of the band have been less than thrilled with the past few Stryper releases, whether it be the more modern approach taken on albums like Reborn and Murder By Pride, the covers album, The Covering, or the re-recorded classics album, Second Coming.  While each of these albums had their weaknesses, to be sure, fans always held out hope that the classic Stryper song would reappear in full, much as it did with the new track, "God", which appeared on The Covering.  

The wait is over...

Stryper has returned to their melodic hard rock/metal roots with their finest album since the classic To Hell With The Devil.  This album finally feels like a truly Stryper album, and not an album of Michael Sweet solo songs performed by the band.  One needs only to listen to the album's opener, "Revelation", to be instantly blasted by the dual guitar sound that Fox and Sweet showcased so often throughout the band's strongest material from the 80's.  The same can be said of the title track, "No More Hell To Pay", along with nearly every other song here.  But what really makes this record shine as a Stryper disc, even more than the trademark guitar sound, are the vocal harmonies that were missing when Gaines was not in the band, as well as the killer production and the hook-infused songwriting.  Sure, there were some good songs on the last couple of albums, but it has been a long time since the band sounded as Stryper-ish as they do on the groove-heavy "Water Into Wine" or the stellar "Sticks & Stones".  Heck, even the remake of the classic "Jesus Is Just Alright" is treated like it is owned by the band!  The sound is pure Stryper despite the band remaining true to the basic sound and feel of the original.  

Arttie and Michael Sweet...photo-bomb courtesy of Virus...

Not simply satisfied to re-create the sound of their glory years, Stryper takes its most metallic approach to a song in decades with the gritty "Saved By Love" that finds the golden-throated Michael Sweet...*
gasp*...growling!  The snarl in his voice as he tears through the chorus is unmistakable, yet even in these vocally aggressive moments, there is not a feeling that he is compensating for the loss of power or range.  This is even more obvious in other songs, as it sounds to this reviewer's ears as if Michael has every bit of the vocal range he possessed in the 1980's, without an ounce of power missing from those vocal chords.  And, having had the opportunity to hear Michael (with Oz on guitar) in an acoustic setting just a couple of weeks ago at Skull Fest, I can attest to the fact that it is not studio wizardry that keeps Michael sounding strong here, as he was in great vocal shape in person, as well.  

There are a couple of moments that don't really reach out and grab me, for various reasons.  One, the song "Marching Into Battle" just doesn't do much of anything for me, especially with the sluggish-sounding chorus.  Not sure what that is all about, but it hasn't forced me to hit the skip button...yet.  The other song I find myself struggling to like is "The One", which is the closest thing to a ballad the band really gives us here.  The vast majority of the song is fine, and I actually find myself liking it...right up to the "ooh ooh eee oohs" of the chorus.  WOW!  Umm...no thanks.  Seriously, I really like this song except for those chorus parts which just about cause the skip finger to explode off of my hand in its mad dash to the control panel of my CD player or iPod!  The greatness of the rest of the song has caused me to sit on my free hand while I am driving, but I am fearful that too many more spins through that chorus will have me veering off into the ditch as I fight to keep my finger from leaping across the steering wheel at the disc changer!

The weak moments are few and the greatness is over-flowing here, so I can (probably) manage to get through these minor bumps in the road, especially when a classic-sounding Stryper track, complete with a big, sing along chorus, such as that on the non-Spanish (thankfully for me) "Te Amo" keeps me happily bopping along.  The same can be said of the metallic face-melter, "Legacy", or the album closing "Renewed", both of which contribute more signature Stryper guitars and big melodic vocals.  "Sympathy", which is not even remotely as laid back as the title might suggest, is another stand-out rocker that I find myself nodding my head along with.  

All of the originals are back for this effort, and, if interviews and album credits are to be believed, all of the members played their respective instruments throughout this effort, which makes it that much more special for me, as this has (reportedly) not always been the case through the years.  The guitars, as previously mentioned, are especially strong on this record, but the backline of Robert Sweet and Tim Gaines is exceptionally tight, providing each song with a solid framework to build upon.  

Having not had the chance to see the full band in concert, I am not sure what songs from this disc make it into the new live set, but there are many that could and should.  I would be surprised if "Te Amo", "No More Hell To Pay", "Sticks & Stones", and "Water Into Wine" aren't mixed in, and "Revelation", "Sympath" and "Saved By Love" all would sound great surrounded by classics as well.  And, I am almost positive "Jesus Is Just Alright" will be mixed in with a track or two from The Covering.

Unlike a lot of Frontiers Records' releases, this album did not come in a digi-pack, but rather in a jewel case, with full artwork and inserts.  I did not get the deluxe edition as I am not a fan of DVD's being added to a package such as this, so I do not know what type of packaging that comes in, but my guess is that those particular versions are likely digi-packs.

In the end, whether you are a fan of Stryper, or just melodic hard rock/metal in general, there is virtually nothing to keep you from instantly launching this album into the top ten of the year.  Amazing vocals, near-perfect guitar work, exceptional songwriting, and 80's-inspired-yet-still-modern production equate to an almost perfect album.  A couple of choruses are really all that stand between No More Hell To Pay and that coveted 10, so I guess Stryper will need to come back and try again.  Until then, make sure you snap this record up...IMMEDIATELY, if not sooner!

Rating:  Just a couple of "ooh ooh eee ooh's" away from perfection.  Crank this baby up to 9!!!  All hail the return of the Yellow and Black Attack!

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WHITECROSS "Concert Review: Skull Fest 2013"

 

 

North Platte, NE may have been an odd choice (for some people) for a hard rock festival to be held, but from October 18 through October 20, 2013, nearly 30 bands gathered together with hundreds of fans from across the country, Canada, and Russia, to celebrate their common love of music.  Among the most popular of the shows was the Christian hard rock group, Whitecross, who performed a powerful set of their classic favorites.

 



(Arttie and Rex Carroll)

Band founders Rex Carroll (guitar) and Scott Wenzel (vocals), along with long-time drummer, Michael Feighan, and bass player Benny Ramos, fired up the crowd from the opening notes of "Enough Is Enough", and not letting up until the final chords of "He Is The Rock" rang out.  While all of the songs were likely not familiar to many of the concert-goers, one thing that was universal was the love of a killer guitar solo, and Rex Carroll did not disappoint!  Whether ripping through the individual solos of the songs, or when he was threatening to melt the strings from his guitar during his extended guitar solo, Carroll left the fans cheering and screaming for more.  Likewise, Feighan's drum solo was something to not only hear, but listen to as well, as he seemingly took a page from Robert Sweet's (Stryper) book and turned his drum solo into a full-on spectacle for the eyes and ears! 

One thing that I was particularly happy about was the fact that Wenzel did not water down his message from the stage, repeatedly making reference to the love of God and Jesus, even on the couple of minor occasions when one or two individuals in the crowd were less than appreciative in their response.  While it is true that this was a rock show, the fact that Sunday's line-up included multiple Christian acts (Whitecross, Inner Siege, Jonathan Pagano of Novella, X-Sinner, and Michael Sweet and Oz Fox of Stryper) was a good indicator that these bands' faith was welcomed by the promoters (including yours truly).  Add in the fact that attendance for Sunday was better than that of Friday (headlined by Jack Russell of Great White), perhaps it could be said that many of the Sunday fans came specifically to hear these Christian artists who don't frequently get added to festivals such as this.

 

The material for the show leaned heavily on the band's most popular album, In The Kingdom, with "Tell Me The Time", "We Know What's Right", "Good Enough", "You Will Find It There", and the title track all finding their way into the setlist.  Also included was the rare, "Love On The Line", as well as "Enough Is Enough" and "He Is The Rock", both taken from the band's 1987 self-titled debut.  As is always the case, there are a couple of songs that I wish could have made it into the show, with "High Gear", "Red Light", and "Shakedown" being at the top of my wish list, but the entire 65 minutes was filled with powerful music with an even more powerful message, so my complaints are minimal.  One thing I was happy about, however, was the decision to not include any ballads.  (Granted, "In The Kingdom" is a slower song, but I don't really consider it to be a true ballad.)  I have never been a huge fan of Whitecross' ballads, largely because I didn't feel the production on them was "big enough", if that makes sense.  If I had to pick a favorite song (or couple of songs) from the show, I would have to go with "Love On The Line", simply because it is rare enough on CD, let alone to get to hear live, and "Down" and "Enough Is Enough" have always been favorite songs in any setting.  Of course, not including the drum solo and guitar solo as high points would be ridiculous, so perhaps NOT picking a favorite moment would be easier...   

 

Wenzel's voice was far better than his performance on a couple of YouTube clips that have surfaced, and he sounded spot-on for the majority of the tracks.  Ramos' bass lines were clean and distinct in the mix, providing a perfect accompaniment to Feighan's thundering drumming.  However, to deny that Carroll was the focal point for most would be to deny the truth, as the axeman's skills remain at an incredibly high level, and his performance left more than one attendee slack-jawed and screaming for more.  While Carroll is more commonly found with his other band, King James, or his side blues project, it goes without saying that if you get the chance to catch the Whitecross in a live setting, you should do so without hesitation.  In this reviewer's opinion, you will not be disappointed.







ADRIANGALE "Sucker Punch"

1. Sucker Punch
2. The Black And Blue
3. When I Said You'd Be The One
4. All About The Money
5. Believe
6. Give Me A Sig
7. What Would You Do
8. Temporis Intermisso
9. The World We Knew
10. Could've Been Me
11. You

Jamie Rowe--Vocals
Vic Rivera--Guitars, Drums, Backing Vocals
Eddie Campbell--Guitars, Backing Vocals
Matt Mahoney--Bass, Backing Vocals


Alright, show of hands....who can believe it has been 13 years since that first great AdrianGale record, Feel The Fire?  Okay, okay...put your hands down.  Now, who thinks that it has been FAR TOO LONG since the last record, Crunch?!  That's what I thought....

Since 2000, AdrianGale has been one of the best, if not necessarily the best known, melodic rock bands on the scene.  Featuring the vocals of Jamie Rowe (Guardian/Tempest) and the guitar talents of Vic Rivera (Poley/Rivera and a frequent collaborator with Liberty N Justice), the band has recorded off and on with various line-ups under a couple of different names (they changed their name to Crunch upon leaving Kivel Records several years ago).  Once things were set straight for the band to return to Kivel, the name was reborn and fans can once again kick back with a full album of top-notch melodic hard rock that is nearly unrivaled in the industry!  From the moment the boxing match sound effects kick off the title track, to the final fade of the piano-driven ballad, "You", it is obvious that AdrianGale has found the line-up that should push them over the top and into superstar status in the melodic rock world.

One thing I particularly like about the album is that it remains a ROCK record, not drifting into ballad territory every other song, and not trying to get all prog on me every other song.  Keyboards, while present on the disc, are used as a supporting instrument, not as the main player in any of the songs here.  The band never forgets who they are or what they are trying to accomplish on this record, which is incredibly refreshing to these ears.

It is virtually impossible to pick a favorite song here, as there are no bad songs to compare to!  "Sucker Punch!", smacks you right in the face from the outset, with the dual guitar attack of Rivera and Campbell and the vocal talents of the consistently underrated Rowe setting the tone for the rest of the record.  "The Black And Blue" backs off the pedal ever so slightly, giving Campbell a chance to really let loose on lead guitar here, keeping things "hard", but emphasizing the "melodic" a bit more.  "Give Me A Sign" is a bit more mid-tempo, with the exception of the speedy finger work that Campbell unleashes on the solo, and "What Would You Do" leads the band into the intriguing instrumental, "Temporis Intermisso".  The single, "When I Said You'd Be The One" is another melodic rocker with amazing harmony vocals and a radio-friendly pop sensibility to the hook, but the band doesn't sell out who they are to try to gain airplay.  After all, this is who AdrianGale is, a hard rocking band with a genuine knack for writing catchy hooks and intriguing riffs that nearly anyone on Top 40 radio would steal in a second....and then destroy with programming, Auto-Tuned vocals, and crappy hip-hop beats.  But I digress...

On the slower side of things, album closer, "You" is the only ballad, and it is killer.  This is just an amazing piece of music that I am willing to bet will end up being the first dance at several weddings over the next couple of years.  A simple piano line is the backbone of the song, with Jamie's soul-soaked vocals and a great, emotionally charged guitar solo placed perfectly over the top in the mix, making sure that every note of every instrument is crisp and clean and given a chance to shine.  Again, powerful lead vocals and perfectly executed backing vocals are what are going to hook so many listeners in, but at the end of the day, on this song and every other one here, it is the complete package that needs to be absorbed and appreciated.

After numerous listens and attempts to dissect the album far more than I probably should, I simply can't find anything wrong with it!  The production is top-notch, the mix is stellar...there is really just about nothing wrong with this record.  At the end of the day, this is a nearly perfect melodic hard rock record, surpassing the band's previous pinnacle, Crunch, and setting a very high bar for themselves should they choose to record again.  I don't see this album leaving my CD changer mix any time soon.

Rating:  An absolutely crankable gem!  I wasn't sure if we would see a 10 this year, but AdrianGale has delivered with the flawless Sucker Punch!

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PISTOL DAY PARADE "Burn"

(C) 2013 Goomba Music

1. Rockstar's Girlfriend
2. Where I Lay
3. New Life
4. Angels On Fire
5. Not Today
6. Callous
7. Even When 
8. High
9. Get Over You 
10. Hollow
11. Better 
12. Down On Me

Fuller--Vocals

Rob Banks--guitars

Guido--Guitars

Jason Lollio--Bass

Jason Hartless--Drums

Additional Musicians

Steve Richards--Guitars on 3

From the moment "Rockstar's Girlfriend" kicks in, to the fading seconds of "Down On Me", the listener gets the sense that Detroit rockers, Pistol Day Parade, are here to serve notice that their brand of modern hard rock deserves to be listened to.  Forget big name record labels.  Forget massive promotion campaigns.  What matters in today's music scene is hard work, determination, guts, and, most importantly, a product that demands to be listened to.  Pistol Day Parade delivers just that with their new album, Burn.

Burn can be best described as part throwback to the post-grunge scene of the late-90's, part modern hard rock, and a touch of arena rock all wadded up into a rough ball and then jammed into your ears!  At times the band reminds me of the hardest rocking parts of a band like Hinder's All American Nightmare album, especially on the scathing, snarky "Rockstar's Girlfriend" with it's biting commentary about plastic hangers-on seeking fame and fortune through others.  If this sounds reminiscent of Hinder's "Striptease" it is, but it is not a copycat song at all, although it rocks every bit as hard.  The music doesn't back off from here, however, as several tracks are designed to crush the listener just as hard, or harder, with "New Life" being on of the most powerful as Fuller finds himself venturing a bit into screamer territory while the band adds some borderline metallic riffs to the music with some assistance on guitar from Steve Richards of Taproot. "High", which is a lovely little ditty about drug-addicted hookers, is another quality rocker that will have heads bobbing (no pun intended) and fists pounding with the rhythm.   

Of course, to make it in the modern rock world, there have to be a couple of more radio-friendly tracks, which PDP provide here alongside the harder rocking material.  However, when we are talking radio tracks here, we aren't talking your Top 40-styled rock songs that Nickelback and their ilk tend to offer up.  Instead, PDP keeps the rock mostly intact, just adding a bit more emotion to the lyrics and slowing things down a notch or two in spots, but aiming more for the airplay of satellite radio than your hometown hits station.  Album single, "Not Today", is a prime example of this type of track, as is "Better", which I'm not sure will actually find its way onto radio...but should.  "Hollow" is another emotion-filled track that offers considerably more than the cookie-cutter rock that floods radio today, and a song like "Angels On Fire" offer power and depth that is rarely heard outside of a band like Another Lost Year, Wayland, or similar acts that sit on the fringe of true rockstar status without compromising their style and sound to fit into current trends.

While they don't necessarily reinvent the wheel, Pistol Day Parade does seem to make the rock n roll machine speed along more smoothly without the bumps of stripped down acoustic numbers or bloated string sections that so many acts use without truly understanding how to properly include them.  No, Pistol Day Parade is exactly what they claim to be inside the liner notes of  Burn: they are American Rock N Roll, nothing more, nothing less.  They just do it better than most bands you have already heard of.  Hopefully Pistol Day Parade will be the next modern hard rock band to really break out and take their music to the masses.

Rating:  A definite crankable album here.  Spin the knob up to 8.5 for Pistol Day Parade's Burn!

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JOHN CORABI "Unplugged"

(c) 2012 Rat Pak Records

 

1. Love (I Don't Need It Anymore)
2. If I Never Got To Say Goodbye
3. Are You Waiting
4. Crash
5. Everything's Alright
6. Father, Mother, Son
7. Hooligan's Holiday
8. If I Had A Dime
9. Loveshine
10. Man In The Moon
11. Open Your Eyes
12. I Never Loved Her Anyway

 

John Corabi--Vocals, Guitars

D.A. Karkos--Guitars

Topher Nolan--Bass

Cheney Brannon--Drums

Matt Farley--Drums

 

Guest Appearance:

Bruce Kulick--Guitars on 7 and 10

 

John Corabi has had an interesting career, to say the least.  Always seemingly the "replacement guy" in various bands (Motley Crue, Ratt) or "the guy" in projects that just fell short in terms of popularity and radio play (The Scream, Union, Angora, Brides of Destruction), Corabi has made a career as a musician that everyone knows but maybe doesn't know quite how they know him.  As such, I thought it was somewhat odd that the first truly solo Corabi disc to be released was not only an acoustic album, but also an album make up largely of other people's songs.  To be honest, I was completely ready to write the album off from the second I received it.  I mean, after all, who really wants to hear an acoustic version of "Hooligan's Holiday"?

 

Let me just say this...I'm really glad I didn't write it off.

 

Corabi's Unplugged is the acoustic album I wish ALL acoustic albums would be.  Beautifully performed, the songs here take on fresh, new life in their electric-less-ness, with the afore mentioned "Hooligan's Holiday" being a perfect example.  Already one of the best, most underrated songs in the entire Motley Crue catalog (off the most underrated Crue album...but I digress), "Hooligan's Holiday" is morphed into a funky acoustic rocker that immediately gets your head bobbing and your toe tapping.  Corabi's pal from the ESP and Union days, Bruce Kulick, drops in as the guest guitarist on this track (as well as, oddly enough, a Scream song later), and adds some fancy fretwork to the number.  From that same Crue album, "Loveshine" also ditches the somewhat grungy tone that Crue had utilized and turns the track into something much brighter in sound, allowing his voice to really soar on this tune. 

 

Other tracks from his past get the chance to shine here as well, with the Union track, "Love (I Don't Need It Anymore)" fighting with "Hooligan's Holiday" for highlight of the album for me.  What a killer way to open the album and to introduce the listener to the concept of this record, which is an extremely talented vocalist and guitar player getting the chance to show people his own vision for the songs featured here.  Another Union song, the Beatles-inspired"Everything's Alright", is also featured, although a lot of people probably won't know where the track comes from as the original version was on the very poorly received album, The Blue Room.  

 

Three tracks from Corabi's first "big" band, The Scream, are also featured here, with two being hits and one missing a bit.  "Father, Mother, Son", is a touching song, to be sure, and it is made all the more poignant in this acoustic setting, really letting the lyrics take over the song with the music more just a way to keep things going forward and not being the driving force behind the song.  "Man In The Moon" is again very solid with Kulick popping up once again to help liven things up.  Why he's on a Scream track I'm not sure, but it doesn't really matter, as it bears only a passing musical resemblence to the original.  The other Scream track, "I Never Loved Her Anyway", finds things getting a bit a bit too bluegrassy for me, a bit too "old country song about trains" in its rhythm and delivery (give the track a listen and I GUARANTEE you will understand that description!).  It feels like I'm at a boyscout retreat singing around a campfire and doesn't really pack the emotional punch tat so much of the other material does here, at least for me. 

 

There are also five new songs here, with most of them belonging to the better half of the material here.  My favorite of the new songs is easily "If I Had A Dime" which has some great lyrical jabs at scorned lover, and "Open Your Eyes", which as a moody, yet not depressing feel to it...somber, but somehow hopeful.  Again, great songwriting really carries this track, allowing the lyrics and the music work together instead of fighting each other for attention within the song.  Both tracks are solid examples of how artists should approach this style of music to keep the head-banger in all of us paying attention and not hitting the skip button, much the way Guns N Roses was able to keep us from throwing Lies out the window!   Solid songwriting saved the day then, and it does it again here.

 

I find myself coming back to this record on a  very frequent basis, regardless of my mood or the setting.  There is just something compelling about the way Corabi puts himself out there on this effort, leaving himself in a position that would be considered vulnerabilty if done by a lesser-talented performer.  After giving this album multiple spins through, it really is too bad that Corabi was never given the due he deserved in his other bands, and one can only hope that he is able to at least garner some of the acclaim with Unplugged that he was not able to find previously. 

 

Corabi is playing numerous dates around the country this summer and fall, and it is my hope that when he brings his acoustic act to Skull Fest in October, he will bring the best of this album along with him, in addition to a few more surprises! 

 

The one thing I could do without (and I always say this) is the interview track (13...I didn't list it above), as I really hate having to skip these tracks once I have given them the one-time-spin that I sometimes (although not always) do.  It's unnecessary, especially when the songs do such a great job of speaking for themselves.  A small distraction, especially in the digital age of just downloading what you want, but when you are a CD person like me, it's just a skip track that interferes the flow of a great album.

 

Rating:  Crankable is an odd word for an acoustic record, but crankable is what this is.  A solid 8 on the crankability scale!  Rock on, John...

 

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LOVEBLAST "Hard Liquor In Big Glasses"

(c) 2013 Loveblast

1. Wild Forever
2. In Your Arms Tonight
3. Rain On Me
4. Hard Liquor In Big Glasses
5. When We Were Young

Brian Durbin--Vocals, Guitar

Brian Gilmanov--Guitars

Johnny Rox--Bass

Jeff Dewbray--Drums

Chicago has become something of a hotbed of hard rock, with The Last Vegas drawing so many people's attention to the Windy City, and other bands such as Hessler getting people to take a look as well.  Perhaps less well known than TLV, yet absolutely no less talented, is one of the newer offerings from the home of Da Bears...Loveblast!

While their latest release is a short, 5-song EP, that does not mean that the music here is short on talent or delivery.  Far from it.  Each one of these well-crafted songs combines punch-in-the-gut guitar work, a solid, thumping bottom end, and Durbin's nicely controlled, mid-range tenor vocals.  With sleazy, but not filthy, lyrics, catchy rhythms, and a touch of modern production, Hard Liquor In Big Glasses is perfect hard rocking fun that seems to find itself wedged into my CD player on a frequent basis!

If I was forced to pin down one song as my favorite, it would be a nearly impossible task, as two songs really snag my attention when I spin this disc.  The title track is catchy as heck, with a great sing-along chorus and some nifty trade-offs between the guitars and the bass in the rhythm of the song.  Durbin's vocals are in top-notch form here, and the more melodic approach of this track is one that allows the band to expand their sound a bit without changing who they are.  The same can be said on the heaviest track here, "Rain On Me", which pours on the sleaze with a bump-and-grind rhythm and all-over-the-place vocals that find Durbin growling, singing, snarling, and sneering alternately...and seemingly at the same time!  Once again, some excellent guitar work is featured here, along with the tightest drumming on the release.  Just a killer number that shows this band could easily tackle this style every bit as easily as they handled the more straight-ahead hard rock of the title track.

Picking these two as my favorites is not intended to take away from the other songs here, as there are no skippers at all.  The album opens in punchy, heavy fashion, showcasing a smooth vocal approach from Durbin and some awesome guitar work, not to mention the driving bass that blasts the track out of the bridge which finds Durbin utilizing more of a whispered vocal effect, which was interesting to hear.  "In Your Arms Tonight" is the closest the band comes to slowing things down, and it really isn't all that close, as this is definitely not some sappy ballad, with some driving bass lines, layered vocals on the choruses, and a catchy "whoa oh" complimented chorus.  Themore "hair metal" oriented "When We Were Young" takes the Loveblast sound and tosses in just a dash of pop songwriting sensibility, sweetening up the sleaze ever so slightly.  This is definitely the most pure 80's sounding of the five tracks here, but it doesn't come across as mimicry or mockery at all, as the band is obviously having fun as they bounce along on this song as they close out the too-short-EP.

Complaints are few and far between and are mostly focused on the packaging and album length.  The CD comes in a simple cardboard slipcase with no pictures, lyrics, etc., which is a bummer.  The album's biggest detractor for me is the shortness...clocking in at just over 20 minutes when I was fully settled in and ready for at least twice that!  Talk about your teases!  

Loveblast will be hitting the road this summer, playing various shows and festivals, including Skull Fest, which will find the band taking the stage in support of Jack Russell, Phil Lewis (LA Guns), Oni Logan (Lynch Mob) Killer Dwarfs, and others!  Check 'em out and be sure to snag this EP while you're there, as you will want to be playing it for the drive home!

Rating:  Short, but crankable!  Twist it up to 8.5!

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CREAM PIE "Unsigned 2.0"

(2013) Independent Release

1. Tiger
2. See Ya Later
3. The Evil Inside
4. Such A Psycho
5. No Love Remains
6. Bad Habits
7. Missing You

Rachel O'Neil--Lead and Backing Vocals

Nikki Dick--Guitars

Phantom--Guitars

Micheal Drake--Bass, Keys

Brian Kent--Drums

Hailing from Italy, Cream Pie come screaming out of the box on this EP with a pissed off form of sleaze that has not been heard in quite some time, only to find time to shift gears, flash some creativity, and then get pissed off again!  Imagine Guns N Roses' swagger and attitude on Appetite For Destruction, but mixed with some of the experimentation of Use Your Illusion (pick which one you want), then combine these with the pure angst and fury that was delivered by Sledgehammer Ledge or Skid Row on Subhuman Race, and you have a decent idea of what these guys bring to the table.  

Now, I'm sure that there are more than a few people who are going to take one look at the name of the band and instantly dismiss them as being nothing but a running sex joke (a la Steel Panther), but those people would be wrong.  This band, and this EP, are all about the music, and it is evident from the moment that lead single, "Tiger" comes roaring from your speakers (pardon the pun).  With a very Axl-esque screech to his voice, Rachel O'Neil proves that he is more than capable on the microphone, and the twin guitar attack of Nikki and Phantom instantly recall the heyday of the underside of the Sunset Strip.  It's pure balls-to-the-wall power here, and a great way to start things off.

"See Ya Later" is not quite as scorching as "Tiger", but it doesn't miss by much, mixing in a bit more rhythm and pulling a little bit of the anger out.  Again, O'Neil uses his voice to good effect, but he spends more time singing here and less time shredding his vocal chords to bloody masses.  The same can be said of "The Evil Inside", which starts off with a little bit of keyboard work from Mr. Drake, but is not some Euro-AOR song by any stretch, especially when O'Neil cuts loose on the chorus and the guitar solo springs to life.  The distortion in the guitars is cleaned up just a bit and a more classic hair-metal solo is utilized here, but it works very well and doesn't detract from the urgency of the song.

The boys show their GnR influence in a big way with "Such A Psycho", which, much like "November Rain", starts off in ballad territory then builds up, backs off, re-builds, launches into a nice guitar solo, introduces some keyboards, and then plunges headlong toward the end.  Carrying an almost "epic" feeling to the way the song is put together, I dare to consider this the band's masterpiece and showcases the band's ability to write powerful and interesting, if not overly original, songs that capture the ear and imagination of the listener.

"No Love Remains" keeps things on the slower side of things again, and O'Neil shifts almost entirely into his singing voice, even exploring a lower range to his vocals.  People are either going to really like...or really hate...this song, as it is the area where the band either takes a misstep or chooses to show their ability to change things up without completely losing their identity.  I tend to think it's the latter, especially since "No Love Remains" was positioned on this EP to follow "Such A Psycho", as this track kind of feeds off the previous tune's "epic" feeling.  Here we even have some layered "whoas" chanted in the background vocals to add some depth to the track.  It took me a few listens, but I really found myself enjoying this track more and more each time, so I encourage people to not stop with one spin through.

"Bad Habits" kicks things back up, coming off like GnR meets Skid Row at a Motley Crue concert.  The buzzing rhythm guitars, the gang backing vocals, and O'Neil's snarling screech all have that 80's feel to them, but using today's production techniques.  Not slick or polished, but not raw, either, this is a decent track, but it's not my favorite by any stretch as it lacks either the brutal anguish of "Tiger" or the experimental-yet-sleazy progression of "...Psycho" or "No Love Remains".

The EP closes with the "bonus track" of "Missing You".  Honestly, I think this may have been thrown in to either generate a few more electronic purchases or to fill a bit more time on the EP, as it really sticks out and is the weakest track here.  It has a kind of bump-and-grind rhythm to it, but it sounds like it was put together in a hurry and all of the pieces don't quite seem to fit correctly.  Maybe with some re-tooling this mid-tempo bouncer could amount to something a bit more, but as it is, if you have the option and really need to save a dollar (or whatever the download cost is), I'd just skip this one.  It's really not that good.

The project is independently released but still has an above average quality to the production.  I have no idea about the packaging, as my copy is an electronic version sent to me directly from the band.  All lyrics are in English, so there is no problem with figuring out what the guys are singing about, and there is also not a major accent of any kind to O'Neil's vocals, so that is also helpful.

The high points here are the guitar work, the anger, and the willingness to experiment.  O'Neil is a more-than-competent vocalist who uses his voice to good effect most of the time and will only get better, I suspect.  The rhythm section is tight, if not spectacular, and the keyboards are a minor supporting instrument.

As far as low points, like I said, "Missing You" is purely a space-filler, and "Bad Habits", while not bad, isn't overly original or interest-piquing.  The mix is a bit muddy in a couple of places, but not overly so and it never becomes so bad it can't be listened to.  I do think a bigger recording budget and a name producer might help...but there is also a chance that these things will smooth down the rough edges that add to this EP's likability, at least for me.

In the end, Unsigned 2.0 is definitely worth picking up, especially for those of you who are having a hard time finding a new, sleazy band to throw into the mix with all of the AOR and glam that has been coming out lately.  Definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel, but willing to gamble here and there, Cream Pie deserves to be listened to...even if you could do without hearing their ridiculous name.

Rating:  Crank it, folks...7.5 for sure.

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SKILLET "Rise"

(c) 2013 Atlantic Records

1. Rise
2. Sick Of It
3. Good To Be Alive
4. Not Gonna Die
5. Circus For A Psycho
6. American Noise
7. Madness In Me
8. Salvation
9. Fire And Fury
10. My Religion
11. Hard To Find
12. What I Believe
13. Battle Cry (Deluxe Edition)
14. Everything Goes Black (Deluxe Edition)
15. Freakshow (Deluxe Edition)

John Cooper--Lead Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar

Korey Cooper--Vocals, Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards

Seth Morrison--Guitars

Jen Ledger--Drums, Percussion, Vocals

The latest album from platinum-selling Christian rockers, Skillet, finds the band moving into concept album territory.  While maybe not as strongly tied together as some concept discs, Rise still strings together the story of a teenaged boy who is trying to figure out where he fits in the messed up world around him. 

Musically, the album is going to remind most casual fans of the band of the last handful of albums that Skillet has released, such as Collide, Comatose, and most recently, Awake, as synthesized strings are intermixed in several songs and lead singer/bass player John Cooper trades off vocal lines on several tracks with the band's drummer, Jen Ledger, which are elements which the band has become known for as they have broken away from the rest of the Christian rock pack and have skyrocketed to mainstream fame.  However, upon closer listening (and after reading the liner notes) it should be noted that the band has incorporated such diverse instruments as a harp, dulcimer, mandolin...and get this...an accordion...so the band is not simply rehashing the same old, same old on this new record.   Granted, the heavy, distorted guitars are still the focus here, as they should be, and Ledger's drumming is as solid as it has ever been, so the rock is definitely as prevalent on this new album as it has been in the past.

One positive thing that I picked up on with this album is that Ledger's voice sounds more natural in spots (i.e. not as "auto-tuned"), and she pulls it off well.  Now, I don't know how the band will approach this in concert, but I suspect that they will try to start backing off the auto-tuning for her in the live setting as much as possible, as well.  And since this is rock and not R&B or hip hop...that's a VERY good thing!  To be honest, I never understood why the female vocals, whether from Korey or Jen, always seemed to come off as robotic sounding; maybe the band is working to "humanize" their female singer as well.

Some people are going to find fault with the band for not being overtly Christian with their lyrics, but I don't really have a problem with it, despite being a fan of Christian hard music.  I say this because, 1) it's a concept album and 2) I do think that a band that has broken onto the mainstream scene the way that Skillet has does a lot of good by bringing people to their shows and exposing them to their more Christian-themed lyrical material in the live setting.  While I believe evangelical music definitely has a place, I also think there is such a thing as preaching to the choir and failing to reach people who might not be as open to being "Bible beaten".  That being said, there is certainly nothing anti-Christian or non-Christian-friendly on this record, and if you read Cooper's lyrics as they are presented, his faith is definitely shown in a more real-world setting as he portrays himself as the story's main character trying to survive the fallen world around him.

There are several rock radio and satellite radio ready tracks here, with the lead single "Sick Of It" being one of the hardest rocking standouts.  "Good To Be Alive" takes the band slightly more in the direction of some of their earlier material, coming off like a U2-inspired 80's song, not rocking quite as hard and focusing more on the musical hook of the song, and it is done to very good effect.  "Circus For A Psycho" and "My Religion" find the band going back into a harder rock territory, and the title track, "Rise", ends up somewhere in between, effectively rocking out while also intermixing some orchestral moments as well as "news clips" talking about school shootings, war, and the crashing economy.  "Madness In Me" is in similar territory as far as style goes.  For those who were more into the Comatose sound, I anticipate you are going to like "Not Gonna Die" in particular, and "What I Believe" will likely tickle your fancy as well.  There are a few throwback electronic elements mixed in throughout the album, and keys are a bit more predominant in a few songs than on Awake, but never do they become the overpowering instrument of a song.

Personally, I would recommend getting the Deluxe Edition, as the three songs included there are worth the extra couple of bucks, with "Freakshow" being one of the two or three best rockers on the disc and a song I could definitely see as their concert opener.  "Everything Goes Black" is actually the ballad from the album that is the strongest, and the more mid-tempo "Battle Cry" has some of the most faith-based lyrics and is better than half of the album as well.  I'm assuming that that these became bonus tracks because they didn't really fit the "concept" theme of the rest of the album, but they are by no means throw away cuts.

There are still a couple of tracks that really don't go anywhere for me, with "American Noise" and "Hard To Find" being at the top of the list.  Album closer "What I Believe" isn't overly amazing, either, but the previous two not only are filler cuts, they also disrupt the flow of the album to a degree, which really set them apart for me.  All three are mid-tempo or slower and rather bland in their musical approach.  This was especially disappointing for "American Noise", at least for me, as I thought with a name like that we might be in for a really powerful rocker, but sadly that is not the case.

For me, there is a lot of good about this album, and I think it is definitely a better, more complete album than Awake, which I felt was fairly mid-tempo and samey outside of the small handful of harder-edged songs.  In essence, Awake was predictable.  I don't feel that way with Rise.  Skillet tries, with varying degrees of success, to keep all the elements of the "Panhead Nation" happy, regardless of the album the individual most readily identifies with.  The concept thread throughout the album is loose enough that all of the songs can stand alone if released as singles, yet comprehensive enough that when taken back-to-back-to-back you can follow along with the story. 

Nothing here is likely to make any fans jump ship, and Rise may actually bring back those harder-edged fans who found themselves struggling to maintain interest in Awake.  I know a lot of reviewers have bagged on Rise as not being overly original or creative, but I am not one of them.  I do, however, feel that the first half of the album is definitely the strongest, although "Fire And Fury" is a great song off the second half that I find myself listening to more and more all the time.

Rating:  Crank this to 7, slotting just behind Collide and Comatose for me, but definitely ahead of Awake and Alien Youth.

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QUEENSRYCHE "Queensryche"

(c) 2013 Century Media

 

1. X2
2. Where Dreams Go To Die
3. Spore
4. In This Light
5. Redemption
6. Vindication
7. Midnight Lullaby
8. A World Without
9. Don't Look Back
10. Fallout
11. Open Road
12. Queen Of The Reich (live) [Deluxe Edition bonus track]
13. En Force (live) [Deluxe Edition bonus track]
14. Prophecy (live) [Deluxe Edition bonus track]

 

Todd La Torre--Lead Vocals

Michael Wilton--Guitars

Parker Lundgren--Guitars

Eddie Jackson--Bass

Scott Rockenfeld--Drums, Percussion, Keys

 

Round 2 of "Ryche vs, Ryche" has been launched, with the Tate-less version releasing their first album since the ugly divorce.  This version of the band features three of the classic line-up members in Wilton, Jackson, and Rockenfeld, along with Parker Lundgren (who oddly enough was married to Geoff Tate's step-daughter and played on Tate's solo album), who performed on the Dedicated To Chaos album, the last by the united Queensryche, and new frontman, Todd La Torre, who formerly fronted Crimson Glory.  Got all that?  Good.

 

The album itself consists of 11 new tracks, along with three live versions of classic Queensryche numbers on the deluxe edition of the album.  As far as style goes, Queensryche combines elements Rage For Order, Operation: Mindcrime, and Promise Land, with some updated elements mixed in as well.  Right from the start, it is clear that this version of the band is going more for retaining the original fanbase and welcoming back those who lost interest in the band somewhere around the Hear In The Now Frontier time frame.  The album's opening track, the atmospheric "X2", gives the listener a bit of that Mindcrime feel, establishing the band before La Torre sings a single note.

 

When La Torre does leap into his contributions, the feeling that this album should slot in somewhere between Mindcrime and Promise Land really kicks in, as La Torre is a dead-ringer for Tate in his prime.  We aren't just talking tone and pitch, we are talking phrasing, presentation...everything.  I know people hate to hear the word used, but "clone" is the perfect word here, because that is exactly what La Torre is here, and throughout the record.  Compare what he sounded like on his Crimson Glory records, and what he sounds like here, and there is definitely a difference.  Now he sings like he's a member of Queensryche, not like he's Todd La Torre.  Does that make sense?  There is no escaping the fact that La Torre is trying to sound like Geoff Tate.  Nowhere is this more obvious than on the second single from the album, the Lundgren-penned, "Where Dreams Go To Die".  Listening to the way La Torre builds up to the chorus, there is simply no way to deny La Torre's intents to replace Tate rather than to leave his own imprint on the band.

One area that this album really bests Tate's album is on the classic cuts.  While this album's classic songs are live renditions, it's obvious that this version of the band has a firmer grasp on what they are trying to accomplish.  Where Tate's band altered the layout of the songs a bit, changing the structure here and there, this version doesn't do anything to mess with the greatness of the past.  This is especially evident for me on "Queen Of The Reich", which sounds almost exactly like I remember hearing it live so many different times throughout the years.  I guess that while is likely sounds like I have bagged on La Torre for ripping off Tate's style I would have to say that in the instances of the classics, his ability to project Tate's style and sound is a benefit rather than a hindrance.

There are a couple of stand out moments on this record, at least for me.  The first would be the lead single, "Redemption", which sounds like a heavy Journey song more than it sounds like a Queensryche song.  There is just such an arena rock quality to this song that I don't know what else to compare it to.  And you know what...I like it!  In fact, I think I would have liked to have heard the entire album take a bit more of this slant, as it would have represented the band moving forward rather than trying to sound like they were reaching back.  I know many will disagree with this, but for me, any attempt to make some sort of change would be welcome.

The other moment that really jumps out is the eerily reminiscent "A World Without" which sounds like it could have been lifted off the Operation: Mindcrime cutting room floor and given new life.  This is a GREAT song, and probably the best thing they have released since the Promise Land record.  Definitely slower in tempo than nearly everything else here, this moody song again showcases La Torre's uncanny ability to perfectly mimic the way Tate would phrase his vocals, but the haunting music is the best part of the track, at least for me.  Kudos to the band for recalling how to put together a truly great song!

So, it seems I'm contradicting myself with my favorite tracks.  On the one hand, I say that I would like to see the band move forward in some fashion, such as they did with "Redemption", while on the other hand I talk about loving how they were able to move backward 25-30 years and recapture the glory years with "A World Without".  So where do I really stand?  It's tough for me to separate the two, really.  And I think it's because this album was SO hyped, SO blown up by people in the Queensryche camp, SO massively built up by the Tate-haters of the world, that I don't think it stood a chance of living up to the hype, regardless of which direction the band went.

 

In the end, this is a very good record, with some excellent performances both musically and vocally, with outstanding production and above-average songwriting.  It is not amazing or life-changing, it does not make anyone forget the greatest moments of the original, unified band, and it does not make anyone want to burn their Tatesryche album that they picked up earlier in the year.  La Torre is a great Tate clone and I have no doubt that he can pull any song from the band's catalog and sing it note-for-note perfectly.  However, there is just something missing here.  Some of the magic is gone.  And while a lot of people will say that the magic disappeared quite some time ago, these are also the same people who claimed that La Torre was going to bring back what was lost.  He doesn't.  He tries but you can't replace greatness by mimicking it.  Again, the record is very good and I listen to it frequently, but my bet is that with the passage of time, Empire, Operation: Mindcrime, Rage For Order, and Promise Land will supersede this album as far as plays go.

So, I guess the final question is going to come down to this:  is it better than Frequency Unknown?  It is, but just barely.  Neither is horrible, and neither is a world-beater.  For me, the real difference is that La Torre sounds more like Tate than Tate does on the classic cuts that each version of the band chose to include at the end of their respective albums. 
 

Rating:  Crankable, but just barely.  Give it a 7.

 

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LIBERTY N JUSTICE "4 All: The Best of LnJ Volume 2"

(c) 2013 FNA Records

 

1. No Honor Among Thieves **
2. Grace And Gravity **
3. Memphis **
4. Lost And Found **
5. Show Me The Way (Oni Logan)
6. Fade (Jamie Rowe)
7. Do What You Believe (CJ Snare, Bill Leverty)
8. Man vs. Mother Nature (Ted Poley, Vic Rivera)
9. Wrestling With God (Pete Loran, Steve Brown, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal)
10. Best Time We Never Had (Chris Jericho, Phil Collen)
11. Throwing Stones (Donnie Vie and JK Northrup)
12. Chasing A Cure (Benny Mardones, John Pine, Bill Leverty)
13. Stretch Armstrong (Louie St. August, JK Northrup, Keri Kelli)
14. Stayin' Alive (Kip Winger)
15. The Greatest (David Cagle, Mark Allen Lanoue, Brad Stetler)
16. Cupid's Gonna Bleed (Gunnar Nelson, Steve Brown)
17. Under Construction (Eric Dover, Mark Kendall, Ian Keith Hafner, Eric Rango)
18. Cut Me Mick (Ron Keel, Michael Philips)
19. Sin (Jani Lane, Bill Leverty, Keri Kelli)

**New recordings featuring Liberty N Justice band members Justin Murr, David Cagle, and JK Northrup, with Eric Ragno on Tracks 2 and 3

 

Considering they have never had a "hit", it's interesting that Liberty N Justice has put together their second "Best Of..." package.  However, don't let the fact that current radio stations are ignorant of quality melodic hard rock make you think there is no reason to pick up this excellent collection because that would be a big mistake, especially for people just now getting into the band.

 

As most people know, LnJ has long been known as an "all-star project" more than as a band.  This has been both a blessing and a curse, as it has allowed Justin Murr to get his message and his music out to people, but it has also led some people to question the validity of the project.  Foolish, I know, but those are the facts.  However, people who pick up this latest package will find themselves treated to the first four tracks to feature Liberty N Justice, The Band, as the four new songs here all feature founding member Justin Murr on bass, David Cagle on vocals, JK Northrup on guitars and drum programming, and Eric Ragno on keyboards on tracks 2 and 3.  (LnJ drummer Michael Feighan will appear on the band's first full-length project next year). 

For people already familiar with the "all-star" releases, the real treat of this collection is the first four tracks on the disc.  Things kick off with the mid-tempo, acoustic-based "No Honor Among Thieves", which really showcases the slightly smoky vocals of Cagle and a scorching, if short, guitar solo from the massively underrated musical talent, JK Northrup.  Its a bit of an oddity to start off an album in acoustic fashion like this, but as an introduction to the band, this is a nice start as no one member is overpowered by the others. 

My favorite of the new tracks, "Grace and Gravity" follows up and features the quirky, humorous lyrical style that Murr often throws into his songs.  Need an example?  Check out the opening line"
               
   "Subway dancing to a hip-hop beat, Spitting rhymes, couldn't move my feet...
   Harlem girls sayin' 'boy can't dance'...so I went out and bought me some baggy pants!

Don't let that little chuckle of a line throw you, however, as the spiritual base behind Murr's lyrics remains fully intact on this, and all the songs here. 

"Memphis" comes up next and has a slightly more modern rock feel to the music, especially with the guitar tone, but the vocal delivery and the songwriting style are pure melodic rock.  Once again, Cagle's moderately gritty vocals really add depth to this track, and Ragno's keys add to, rather than distract from, the song by remaining a contributing instrument instead of the dominant piece of musical equipment on the song.  Northrup again erupts with a blistering solo run that is just too teasingly short for me...oh, and Murr plays bass nicely!

"Lost And Found" was the hardest of the new tracks for me to get into musically, but lyrically it may be my favorite of the new material.  This ballad reminds me of the material found on the Chasing A Cure EP, a bit more laid back and "adult contemporary" in approach than the other new material. After repeated listens, the track really has grown on me, although it was never "skip material" to begin with. 
 

As far as the older material, this collection is every bit as strong as the previous "Best Of...Volume 1" was, especially with the inclusion of "The Greatest", "Cut Me Mick", "Cupid's Gonna Bleed" and "Sin", four of the best tracks the band has ever recorded, in my opinion.  Only one cover song from Cigar Chronicles Volume 1 made it onto this collection, but it is the very nicely done acoustic version of "Stayin' Alive" that Kip Winger performed.  I was also very happy to see the inclusion of "Show Me The Way", featuring Oni Logan on vocals, and the underrated "Fade", which has Jamie Rowe of Guardian/AdrianGale on vocals.  With songs gathered from previous LnJ albums Soundtrack Of A Soul, Independence Day, Light It Up, Chasing A Cure, Hell Is Coming To Breakfast, and both volumes of The Cigar Chronicles, this collection packages together an excellent grouping of vocalists and musicians that, along with the first "Best Of..." package serve as the perfect introduction to this band.  No remixes or demos find their way onto this package, which is actually a benefit for new listeners who may be using 4 All...Volume 2 as a sampler for future LnJ purchases.

 

For anyone wanting to get a taste of what Liberty N Justice is all about, adding 4 All...Volume 2 to their purchase of 4 All...Volume 1 is the best way to go, as it gives the new fan a broad scope of older material along with exclusive new tracks that are not found on the other records.  For those of us who have been along for the ride the entire time, 4 All...Volume 2 provides an introduction to Liberty N Justice...THE BAND...whetting the appetite for fans who think that next year is simply too far away to wait for new music!

 

Rating:  Every bit the match of the first collection, and maybe a tad bit better because of the "band" songs, crank this one to 7.5!

 

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MADLIFE "21st Century Megalomaniac"

(c) 2013 Madlife

 

1. Just One Gun
2. To Live And Die in Hollywood
3. I Know the Feeling
4. Pain of Pleasure
5. Still Alive

Angry Phil--Vocals

Isaiah Stuart--Guitars

Carlos Pagan--Bass

Kyle Cunningham--Drums

 

Hard rock of all sorts shows up in my mailbox, with everything from the "Glitter" of glam to the "Gutter" of sleaze, and pretty much everything in between.  With 21st Century Megalomaniac, Madlife delivers the first industrial metal album to find its way onto the review stack in quite some time.  Most of the previous efforts have missed the mark pretty badly and were not really worth taking the time to review, as everyone seems to try to sound like Rob Zombie these days.  Madlife is a bit different, however, and managed to catch my ear in a way the others had not.

Apparently this is the fourth release by this band, although I had never heard of them previously and the line-up of the band has changed at least once, with Angry Phil and Isaiah being the original, founding members of the unit.  Again, as I had never heard the band previously, I have no idea how they sounded before but I can tell you that Pagan and Cunningham are absolutely locked-in as a rhythm section, providing some throbbing bottom end to the aggression poured forth in Angry Phil's lyrics, and giving a crushing underbelly to Isaiah's excellent guitar work. 

Now, as I stated, Madlife caught my ear as attempting to separate themselves from the Rob Zombies/White Zombies and Nine Inch Nails of the world, but it isn't because the music is something altogether different.  Indeed, there are going to be some musical comparisons, but there is a progressive element here that is not found in a lot of what is now referred to as industrial rock, and the songwriting is much deeper than the horror movie schlock that Zombie has churned out over the past few records. 

Take for example the album's opening cut, "Just One Gun".  What is unique about this track is the fact that it sounds like it is written from the standpoint of the gun, not the person using it.  The gun explains that it is simply a tool in the hands of a man and that the gun has no agenda of its own, positive or negative. Pretty much a perfect, "guns don't kill people, people kill people" statement if I have ever heard one, all set to a pummeling-yet-slam danceable rhythm and interlaced with electronic sounds and some chugging rhythm guitar work provided by Isaiah.  Angry Phil's vocals are...well...angry, but every word is understandable and delivered in a snarl that is perfect for the urgency of the music.  The song lacks a guitar solo of any kind, but there is something akin to a metalcore breakdown, albeit more of an electronica-influenced breakdown.

"To Live And Die In Hollywood" is another angry bone-crusher that finds Angry Phil sounding a lot like Alice Cooper at times, focusing on loneliness in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world.  This song reminds me of something Stabbing Westward would have done about ten years ago, but with thicker, heavier production and a collection of shouted "heys" in the background, incorporating a sense of arena rock to the industrial bullying this track puts forth.

I'm not a fan of how "I Know The Feeling" starts off, with an echoing keyboard effect kicking things into gear, but once the drums and guitar kick in, things are back on track.  Again channeling a bit of Alice Cooper, Angry Phil uses a bit of a cleaner vocal approach in spots on this track, although the aggression isn't lost.  Again, Stabbing Westward would be my point of reference for this song, not Rob Zombie, in this track about depression and battling one's own inner demons.

"Pain Of Pleasure" sounds to me like something that might be heard to come blaring from an industrial dance club, as a very catchy rhythm is incorporated throughout the track, pushing this one more into the NIN territory that some people will want to lump
Madlife into.  Phil's vocals are tainted a bit with some effects which took me a few listens to get past, but they aren't unlistenable, either.  There's also a weird, almost empty spot where a lot of rock songs would incorporate a guitar solo of some sorts, that I am not a fan of.   Definitely not my favorite of these five tracks, but not a skipper for most I would suspect.

The stand-out cut, especially from a writing standpoint, would be "Still Alive" which is a very dark, moody track that continues with the EP's common thread of pain, emptiness, and inner demons.  This is one of the two slower numbers on the album, but by no means is this to be considered a ballad, as power chords are present throughout the track.  I'm not sure what the chanting vocals say at the end of each chorus (there are no lyrics included here), but they add an ominous feeling to the music that throbs over the electronic drumbeats and sampled electronic sounds.  Angry Phil once again finds himself in Brutal Planet-Alice Cooper mode vocally, which he pulls off effortlessly and with great effect.

The album is short, clocking in at just under 20 minutes, but it leaves the interested listener wanting to hear more rather than feeling like they have been drug through a bloated soundscape that seemingly has no end.  Would I have liked to have heard more here?  To be sure, but only if the additional tracks fit the style, theme, and most importantly, the QUALITY of the five tracks assembled here.  Yes, I would love to have some ripping guitar solos, or at least a crushing breakdown, instead of the electronic sampling that riddles most of these songs, but you have to take the album for the style that it is presented in, not the style you wish it was.  With that in mind, this independently produced project is a stand-out among the others I have received of this style, and I would take this over anything Zombie-related since  Astro-Creep.  Again, I find these guys to have more in common with Stabbing Westward than anyone else, but perhaps I am the only one who remembers that band well enough to use them as a point of reference.

Packaging is of a bare minimum here, as the EP comes in a digi pack with no interior pictures, liner notes, or even band contributions (I had to track down who played what on-line).  The mix is very clean with nice separation of the instruments, and the production is powerful and without distortion.

Rating:  Not my typical listen at all, but definitely of higher quality than most albums of this type.  If industrial is your thing, crank this to a 7.5.

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HESSLER "Comes With The Territory"

(c) 2012 Hessler

 

1. Waste Away
2. Rising Sign
3. Who Will You Run To
4. Confessions
5. Gone Away
6. All You've Done (Is Nothing New)
7. Wicked World
8. Taste The Lips
9. Million Lights Above
10. Hate Me, Leave Me

 

Lariyah Daniels--Vocals

Frankie Snakes--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Igz Kincaid--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Erik Michael--Bass, Backing Vocals

Marcus Lee--Drums, Backing Vocals

 

 

First, I have to say this...WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING ON THE COVER?!  Okay...now, on with the review...

 

Hessler is an up-and-coming hard rock act hailing from the Windy City of Chicago.  Combining the sounds of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, a bit of the hair/glam scene of Hollywood, and some modern elements, Hessler doesn't really come off sounding like anyone in particular, largely because NO ONE plays this type of metal any longer.  Unless you still worship at the alter of early 80's, female-fronted acts like Bitch, Hellion, Lee Aaron, early, pre-radio hit Lita Ford, Warlock, or Leather Leone-fronted Chastain, you aren't likely to have a grasp on what Hessler appears to be trying to do, which is to recreate the old Metal Blade/Shrapnel Records sound (or so it would seem) and convince everyone that this is 1983 and not 2013, at least musically.   

 

One thing that I would think the band might find frustrating is the fact that every review that is written about the bands seems to focus first-and-foremost on Lariyah Daniels's looks, much the same way Doro Pesch (Doro/Warlock), Lizzy Hale (Halestorm), Christina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), and Angela Gossard (Arch Enemy) are all viewed more as sex-symbol leading ladies than they are powerhouse vocalists.  This is unfortunate because, like all the others mentioned here, Daniels brings a lot more to the band than just a pretty face.  Combining a powerful scream with a definite vocal sneer, Daniels delivers a commanding performance right from the first track...when the song allows.  For example, powerful guitars drive the album's opener, "Waste Away" , which has a definite NWOBHM feel to it, but it's Daniels' voice that slams the track home, accompanied by some big, shouted gang vocals from the boys in the band.  "Rising Sign" is much the same: pure NOWBHM worship musically with Halestorm-styled modern female vocals layered over the dual guitars, although Lariyah is all alone on this one, with the gentlemen remaining vocally silent (at least not thrusting their voices and their fists in your face on this number). 

 

This same formula is used throughout most of the disc...big, hook-laden songs with some killer twin guitar work, pummeling rhythms, and screaming vocals....and it works pretty well.  Case in point, take the multi-tempo track "All You've Done (Nothing Is New)".  On this song, things kick off with a chugging NWOBHM guitar rhythm before adjusting to a more bouncy style for the lyrics, then bursting into an arena rock-styled anthem complete with gang-shouted vocals backing Lariyah's, who sounds very similar to Lizzy Hale on this track, especially on the bridge section coming out of the lead guitar solo.  "Taste The Lips" is more direct in its tempo choice, but still has that big raise-your-fist-and-scream anthem feel that just reeks of 1982's metal scene, along with more gang vocals and some nice, if simple, guitar work.  The album ends on a crushing number, "Hate Me, Leave Me", leaving fans with a definite metallic taste in their mouths that will likely leave people banging their heads, pounding their fists, and begging for more.  I think closing in this manner is a very good move because it allows the listener to forget some of the less-than-inspired material that is scattered throughout the album.

 

"Million Lights Above" sticks out a bit from the rest of the album, at least for me, as it is the biggest departure from the early 80's sound, relying more on the later 80's power ballad approach.  On this track, Lariyah shows off a softer, more feminine vocal approach over a guitar line that reminds me a lot of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" at times.  It gets a bit long (over five minutes), and we don't even get any drums or bass of any note until after the 3:20 mark of the song, so you can tell there's not a lot of "power" behind this "power ballad", but it's a solid effort that sounds a lot like what I would imagine Metallica and Lita Ford in a blender might sound like.  While not spectacular, it is definitely the better of the two ballads on Comes With The Territory (I'll get to the second ballad in a moment). 

 

So, what are these problem spots?  "Wicked World" is just boring to my ears, as Lariyah shares lead vocal duties on the verses, sounding like a lot of modern hard rock bands, and when she does step into the spotlight she shifts into a lower vocal range as she enters the chorus section.  With a weak, repetitive chorus, and bland male lead vocals, the Iron Maiden-inspired guitar riffing on the solo is really the only thing that sets this song apart from a lot of what passes for hard rock on radio now, but it can't salvage the track.  "Confessions" starts off with a weird intro that leads into a kind of tired-sounding mid-tempo chugging rhythm that leaves Lariyah's vocals sounding flat and lifeless.  I think the potential for a powerful song is there on this one, but it fails to deliver. 

 

As I mentioned, there are two ballads on this album, with one being far superior to the other.  This is the other one.  "Gone Away" just seems to drone on and on and on, chewing up over five minutes and going nowhere musically.  This is one of the very few tracks here that are devoid of masculine backing vocals, as Lariyah is used as her own backing vocalist here, with multiple layers employed in what I imagine was an effort to add more emotion to the track.  It fails for me on all levels, however, and I skip this track every single time I get to it now.

 

The packaging is pretty typical of independent band releases, as it comes in a digipack with a band picture on the back and individual band member pictures on the interior.  There are no lyrics included, although there is a thank-you and credit section.  And, of course, there is that FREAKY thing on the album's cover that I still have no idea what it is!

 

All in all, not a horrible effort by any means, and I think Hessler will grow from here.  I have read that this is the first time the band has had a stable line-up, so perhaps as the band has more time to write as a group they will find their preferred groove, work to perfect it, and come out swinging on their next effort.  As to this one, there are a lot worse things out there to listen to (or to avoid listening to, I should say!), but there are quite a few more complete efforts, also.

 

Rating:  Rock this at a 6, with the best stuff slightly overshadowing the filler. 

 

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STACEY BLADES "Snake Eyes: Confessions of a Replacement Rockstar" (Book Review)

(c) 2009 BookSurge Publishing

Stacey Blades, the ex-guitar player for L.A. Guns and Roxx Gang took the time to put pen to paper and released this book, Snake Eyes: Confessions of a Replacement Rockstar as an independent author, regaling readers with stories documenting his rise from the Canadian rock-bar scene to making the jump to the (perceived) big time by joining Roxx Gang.  After slogging away in a band that had huge potential...but no apparent direction or follow-through...Blades made a career-defining leap when he took the opportunity to replace founding guitar player, Tracii Guns, in LA Guns.   

Most of the stories here are new, at least to me they were, as not a lot has been written about L.A. Guns AFTER Tracii left because, let's face it, the Hollywood scene had pretty much been shoved to the back burner by the time Stacey came on board.  That being said, Stacey has several cool tales to tell about time spent overseas with the Guns, working on the albums, and his personal relationships with Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, and other members of the band, and what it's like living in...and trying to get out of...Tracii's shadow.  And, speaking of relationships, Blades also offers up humorous advice for dating (or more specifically NOT dating) psychos, his dealings with his Roxx Gang band mates, and the handful of life-long friendships that help define who Stacey Blades is as a man and a musician.

Scattered throughout the book are several black and white photos, which are nice to check out, and show Stacey at various points throughout his career.  Also included are quotes and outtakes from various friends, road crew members, family members, and band mates, which add even more color and reality to the stories spun by Blades here.

A couple of negatives do pop up in my mind.  First, I can't believe how large the print is in this book (it's also double spaced, I believe).  Now, while it makes it an extremely easy read, it also makes the book's length a bit deceptive as there would probably be 20 or 30 pages knocked off the book's length if the font size was even an 11 or 12 point font.  Second, the book could have benefited from a bit more editing, as there are still several spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book.

These minor complaints don't detract from the enjoyment people can take away from this book, and they do not stop me from recommending this book.  Hey, Stacey did this on his own, after all; I'll cut him some slack. It is a pretty short, quick read that I got through in just under two days.  I look forward to the updated version that Stacey mentioned working on when I got the chance to interview him a while back (read the interview here).  As the book ends, Stacey is still in the band and there is no inkling of his upcoming resignation, so I'm assuming there will be more tales to tell regarding this chapter in Stacey's life, as well as projects he may be currently working on.  And, who knows...maybe a couple of psycho stalker fans will pop up again in the extended version of the book.

Is it the best rock bio I have read?  Not at all.  Is it the worst?  Not even close.  Definitely worth checking out and a relatively cheap pick-up at under $15 from Amazon.

Self-published
Paperback
232 Pages