LA GUNS "The Devil You Know"

(c) 2019 Frontiers Records

1. Rage
2. Stay Away
3. Loaded Bomb
4. The Devil You Know
5. Needle To The Bone
6. Going High
7. Gone Honey
8. Don't Need To Win
9. Down That Hole
10. Another Season In Hell
11. Boom!
12. Killing Machine (Live) (Japanese Bonus Track)

Phil Lewis--Lead Vocals

Tracii Guns--Lead Guitars

Ace Von Johnson--Rhythm Guitars

Johnny Martin--Bass

Shane Fitzgibbon--Drums

It's always funny to me how a band can go years...sometimes even decades...between album releases, and then turn around and start churning out album after album.  LA Guns is one of these bands, having sustained gaps of 7 years between Tales From The Strip and Hollywood Forever, and then 5 more years between Hollywood Forever and The Missing Peace, but now we are on the second studio record (third total counting Made In Milan) from the reunited Phil Lewis/Tracii Guns duo in less than a year and a half!  But hey, I'm not here to complain, especially when the results are as amazing as The Devil You Know, because this album takes all the furious energy of The Missing Peace and simply adds to it, coming across loud, aggressive, sleazy, angry, snarky, and wagging a middle finger at anyone who though the band was dead and gone. 

The first two tracks here have both been released on YouTube as singles.  "Rage" is a high-speed, punk-infused blast of adrenaline into'd by Fitzsimmons' sticks and a "1, 2, 3, 4!" that bursts right into a nasty guitar riff and a yowling vocal style that can only come from Phil Lewis!  Martin's bass throbs all the way through the track, and that beefed up bass presence is just improvements to the overall sound of this record from the more raw, almost garage-sounding style of The Missing Peace.  Tracii cuts loose on a rambunctious solo before the last couple of spins through the chorus, with Von Johnson's aggressive rhythm work charging hard from start to finish.  "Rage" sets a pace that would seem almost impossible to keep up for an entire album!

As if on cue, "Stay Away" backs off the speed just a tad, but don't mistake that for saying it backs off the aggression, as that is simply not the case.  I love the riff on this track, and Fitzsimmons has some serious issues with his cymbals, as he beats the living crap out of them, adding to the aggressive tone of the track's overall sound.  Phil Lewis strings together some of his best lyrics in years, with the line "I got a taste of success/The taste of blood in your mouth/Like getting punched in the face/And your teeth knocked out!" just grabbing my attention from the very first time I heard it.  Bitter much, Phil?!  Whatever has him angry, it has his full lyrical attention, which is a great thing for fans of the snark and sneer that was always present, along with an ever-present chip on his shoulder, when Phil was at his best!  

"Loaded Bomb" starts off with a snare drum intro and some Zeppish guitar work before it morphs into another high-energy rocker with some sick slide guitar from Guns and absolutely spot-on vocals from Lewis.  An absolutely filthy sleazefest, "Loaded Bomb" also features some excellent rhythm work from Von Johnson and frantic footwork from Fitzgibbon, and continues to find Lewis in a rather pissed off mood, lyrically.  "Loaded Bomb" sounds like it crawled straight out of an 80s-era Sunset Strip sewer then dragged itself to the modern version of the band and just slathered itself all over the band members.  At times fast and furious, at times a bit funky, and at all times sleazy, its on tracks like this, where the band stretches themselves a bit to incorporate different influences, that I think LA Guns has always sounded their best, regardless of the incarnation. I love this track.

The title track took me a few spins to really get behind it, but that is likely because there is a lot to take in on this track.  For starters, this is a pretty doomy sounding song, which is not something that one will often hear about LA Guns (in fact, I don't think I've ever said something like that...).  It seems Phil is trying his best to craft some sort of dark, horror rock track lyrically, with a chorus of "My mama done told me you're the devil/And the devil been suckin' on my soul..." or "Gotta stench that stinks like sulfur/And blood flows through your pores/Not band when you're numb to the horror/Gonna meet me...when I'm dead and cold!"  There are guitars all over this track, coming at you in waves, whether in the chug-chugga-chug tempo of the bridge, or the wailing Guns solo that screams to life right after, there is, as I stated before, just so much going on in this song.  The drum presence is big here, especially in that bridge section I mentioned, and the bass can be felt throughout.  Different, and not my favorite track, but one that continues to grow on me more and more.    

Back to back killer tracks here are "Gone Honey" and "Don't Need To Win".  "Gone Honey" captures that laid back groove that the band had down to such a science on Cocked & Loaded, a sleazy self-confidence with a smooth and sly, cocksure quality spreading across Lewis' vocals as he dismisses a scorned lover.  "Don't Need To Win" picks the pace up just a bit and Lewis' vocals regain their edge and bite with the whole band sounding like they've spent a good deal of time with the debut album, reliving that gritty, sleazy style of rock n roll that the band produced seemingly effortlessly back in the day.  "I don't need to win the game/But I'm gonna be in it" is such a great line that fits the feel and attitude of a band that has absolutely zero to prove but is still out there taking big league swings at the fence nonetheless!

"Down That Hole" is a song that will divide the fans a bit, I have a feeling.  The Zeppelin vibe on this track is absolutely inescapable, from the retro feel of the drum sound used by Fitzsimmons to the liberal use of slide guitars.  The solo from Guns is one of the best on the record and a big, catchy hook just grabs hold of the listener as Lewis glides (as much as Phil's vocals will glide) across the track.  This, and the title track, are likely to be the most challenging songs for long-time fans of the band who think every song should be "Sex Action" or "Rip And Tear".  But for fans of some of the bands' more adventurous musical endeavors, these two songs are going to be big time winners.

"Another Season In Hell" is as close to a ballad as the album comes, but this ain't no "Ballad Of Jayne".  Lyrically dark and musically intense, "epic" is probably the best single-word description for this track which stretches to nearly six and a half minutes.  Tracii's guitars carry a tone that matches the angst and pain in Lewis' vocals perfectly, especially on the melancholy solo section that is drenched in soul and carries as much emotional weight as anything he has laid into a song in years.  Dang close to musical perfection to these ears.  

The album closes with "Boom" is punkabilly at its best and a fun way to close the album proper.  Big, gang-shouts bolster the chorus, and Tracii rips through one last scorcher of a solo before the band exits the album on a high note that is likely to leave fans wondering how long they will have to wait before the band treats its fans to another slab of rock done right!

If you happen to snag the Japanese pressing of this record, a live version of "Killing Machine" is the final track on the album.  Sounding like a soundboard recording, this isn't the same version that was released on Made In Milan, and it finds the band in fine form.  A couple of minor vocal squawks from Lewis let you know this is, indeed, a live recording that, at least vocally, is likely free of too much touching up,  That being said, Tracii's solo is so note-perfect, I wouldn't be overly surprised to find it had been overdubbed, but it's really not a big deal because this song has nothing to do with The Devil You Know or how great that record is.

One thing of note that I feel needs to be added is that the sound quality of the videos that have been released is NOT of the same quality on the CD, at least to my ears.  I have had issues with some of Frontiers Records' releases as far as production goes, but I don't detect any significant flaws on The Devil You Know.  There are a couple of places where Phil's voice gets a bit raw, but these areas are small and don't run the course of entire songs or anything, and take nothing away from the quality of the songs.  If anything, these minor flaws only show that the production here is not so heavy-handed that everything has been sanded down and polished up to a glossy veneer that would run counter to the style of a band like LA Guns.  Of course, production is an opinion thing, but I like the way this album is mixed and put together, and I think the flow is excellent, with peaks and valleys in tempo keeping the listener on their toes, despite the lack of a pure ballad.  No real complaints from me in the production department.

Overall, I have to say that I think The Devil You Know is a step up from the really, really good The Missing Peace, and I have mentioned to people before that, as of this writing, this may be my favorite LA Guns record...ever.  As amazing as those first two records are, I truly feel The Devil You Know deserves mention with them both as far as the best the band has done.  Maybe it's the newness of The Devil..., and maybe it's because I have played those first two albums TO DEATH, but there is something about this new record that just grabs me and holds on for dear life while simultaneously trying to shake me to death!  Had this album come out in 1990, after Cocked & Loaded would it have been a hit?  Not likely, as I think it would have scared the crap out of most people to hear the band sounding this angry and this hungry.  Perhaps that is why it is so powerful to me now, because somehow, after all these years, and while dragging all that baggage, LA Guns sounds as powerful and as hungry as they ever have.  And that's saying something...

Rating:  One crankable beast, The Devil You Know is a definite 8.5 for me!

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RON KEEL BAND "Fight Like A Band"

(c) 2019 EMP Records

1. Road Ready
2. Fight Like A Band
3. Rock N Roll Guitar
4. Long Way Down
5. Hearts Gone Wild
6. Good Songs Bad Times
7. Girls Like Me
8. Fire In The Rain
9. Just A Cowboy
10. Old School
11. Tears Of Fire
12. Right To Rock
13. Hey Man

Ron Keel--Lead Vocals, Guitar
Dave "DC" Cothern--Guitars, Vocals
Geno Arce--Bass, Vocals
Jeff Koller--Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Scott "Dakota" Schmitt--Keyboards, Vocals

Additional Musicians
Mike Dresch--Backing Vocals, Producer

Ron Keel is a busy guy.  Whether its authoring books, performing with KEEL or one of his other bands, or working on his Streets Of Rock N Roll podcast, the man always seems to have something going on.  So perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that it has been 5 years since the singer/guitarist released his album, Metal Cowboy.  But now he's back with a new band, new album...and the same attitude!  Whether he is playing his own brand of metallic country rock, or blasting forth with 80s-era KEEL styled tunes, the man...and his band...are out to kick some serious ass!  And, with Fight Like A Band, the Ron Keel Band does exactly that!

The album starts off smoking hot, with "Road Ready", a song that could have easily come from KEEL's self-titled effort from back in 1987 (can you believe that?!).  Starting off with a nice, melodic piano which is partnered with some harmonic guitar work and simple drums, the song's introduction is misleading, because it is a matter of just a few seconds before the hard-edged guitars and Ron's unmistakable bellowing roar spring to life!  This is damn-near classic KEEL right here, and Ron seems determined to drive that point home, as he name-drops close to a dozen classic KEEL song titles within this one tune!  From "Right To Rock" to "Lay Down The Law" to "Back To The City", this track hits on them all...heck, he even pops his book title, Even Keel, into the mix, but it all works on this energetic and entertaining hard rocker!  For anyone who was concerned that the man and his band were simply going to be treading the hard-country-metal territory they plumbed on Metal Cowboy, take heart, for there is a LOT of classic KEEL here.  Ron may have shaved a bit off the top of his range, but the power is definitely still there, as is the lung capacity, and he sounds in fine form throughout the song (and record).  And, while there is no Bryan Jay to flash the guitar solos, DC Cothern more than holds his own, and with Ron, forms a fine twin guitar combo.  An excellent way to kick things off!

The title track, "Fight Like A Band" is up next, and the KEEL-esque material rolls on.  Yes, there is a bit of a hint of Nashville in the song structure, but the approach and the attack are more in-line with what KEEL was doing back on their later stuff, like on Streets Of Rock N Roll.  Again, Ron's big voice and excellent guitar work from Cothern really crank up the power on this track, with strong support from the powerhouse rhythm section of Jeff Koller on drums and Geno Arce, who has been with Ron in projects from KEEL (Streets...) to Iron Horse, and even the Rat'lers days, on bass.  Catchy with a big, anthemic, easy to sing chorus, my guess is "Fight Like A Band" will be one of the new tunes that garners the most attention live, along with "Road Rage" and the next tune, "Rock N Roll Guitar".

Speaking of "Rock N Roll Guitar", this track hits hard right from the start, with chunky guitars and a thumping percussion presence, before settling into a story-song style that tells a tale not entirely dissimilar to Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero", with the song's protagonist buying a pawn shop guitar and building himself into a rock n roll star!  The drums from Koller have a very big presence in this song, with a particularly ear-catching fill right before Cothern breaks into one of the best solos on the record, blazing through a six string tear that is reminiscent of some of the best stuff from KEEL.  Speaking of blazing guitars, be sure to check out the monstrous outro solo on this song, courtesy of 16 year-old phenom, Eli Dykstra!  I would have loved to hear this given some extended time, as he is simply melting strings as the song fades!  This and "Road Ready" are in a constant battle for top new song on this record for me, as both are instant winners that should have the rockers throwing their fists in the air and head banging along!

"Long Way Down" finds the album intentionally drifting into more of a country rock style, but the edge doesn't disappear in any way, and while the guitars have cleaned up some of the distortion, and the keys take on more of a piano feel, there is still a definite classic rock element to this song.  The thing is, a good song is a good song, regardless of style.  I know that not everyone shares this sentiment with me, but as someone who spent many years as the music director on a country radio station, I have an appreciation for the style that many may not have.  But I have long contended that 90s country is where a lot of the musicians that were originally headed for the Sunset Strip ended up once grunge hit, and country radio stole the look...and the hair metal power ballad...and turned out some of the best radio rock that many "rock and metal or nothing" people never got to hear.  That is where "Long Way Down" fits to me; excellent country-tinged classic rock with non-country radio vocals (Ron is just too gritty, too edgy for today's "Bro Country" scene), and enough attitude to keep the rockers happy.  I'll be honest, as much as I love classic KEEL, I could also take an entire album of songs like this and the follow up, "Hearts Gone Wild", and be perfectly happy.

"Hearts Gone Wild" is a more mid-tempo rocker with some southern rock and 80s radio rock sensibilities mixed in.  Easily a top 5 track on an album filled with great songs, "Hearts Gone Wild" is another story song that Ron delivers with a believable passion, especially on the acoustic section right before the final chorus.  Speaking of the chorus, big, gang-shouted backing vocals really beef up the sound here, and Ron cuts looks with one of his classic wails as the song comes to an end.  Again, just good hard rock here that would have found a home on mainstream radio back in the 80s, I'm sure.

"Good Songs, Bad Times" stays the mid-tempo course, as this heartland country rocker about how music is the soundtrack of our life, from the heartbreak of break-ups to the unforgettable great times of walking down the aisle or celebrating any of life's truly great moments.  As he does so frequently throughout the album, Ron interweaves classic song titles and bands, from "Take It To The Limit" to Tom Petty and AC/DC, but he does so without sounding cheesy, which so frequently happens on efforts such as this.

"Girls Like Me" is a barroom shuffle song complete with hard rock attitude, big, gang-shouted backing vocals...including vocals from several ladies, and rollicking piano as Ron sings about liking girls who have things in common with him.  Cothern lays into a pretty cool solo before the final runs through the chorus start, and the drum and bass work here really keep the tempo and swing of the song rolling along.  I could do without the Strip Club Emcee routine in the middle, but this is a fun song, nonetheless, and isn't designed to be taken seriously.

"Fire In The Rain" is reminiscent of the material Jon Bon Jovi recorded for the Young Guns II : Blaze Of Glory soundtrack,  with a hard rock take on the western sound, especially in the way the guitars are styled.  Catchy as heck, this song would have definitely fit on the Metal Cowboy offering from a few years ago, but the guitar solo from Cothern on this track is better than just about anything that was on that album...and I really, really like Metal Cowboy!  Cothern just has a feel for what Ron has written on these songs and his solos, as well as his extended outros, are spot-on perfect for these songs.  Again, a definite top 5 song from the record as far as new material goes.

"Just A Cowboy" is the most straight-forward country song on the record, sounding like something that would have been heard on the radio back when I was working in that industry.  It wouldn't surprise me to find a song just like this as an album cut from Brooks & Dunn, with Kix Brooks doing the singing.  Ron backs off the edge of his vocals a tad bit, and the guitars are completely cleaned up of distortion, adding even more to that 90s country feel.  I would imagine that the Rock-Or-Die crowd is going to skip this track every time, but again, for those open to good songwriting and performance, regardless of style, this is not a bad track at all. 

"Old School" retains a bit of countrified songwriting, but the hard rock attitude and edge starts to climb back into the song, as well.  The guitars are dirtied up just a bit again, with the gang shouts returning to the chorus, and Schmitt throws down on a classic rock Hammond organ section, just for good measure.  Not a KEEL song, but a good classic rocker, without question.

Speaking of KEEL songs, two of that band's better known songs are given the RKB treatment here.  "Tears Of Fire" remains pretty true to the original in all aspects, with Ron's vocals really turning back the clock here.  The music is pretty darn close to the way it sounded on The Final Frontier, but with a slightly cleaner sound, owing largely to different production methods, I would suspect.  Cothern's acoustic work here is excellent, and the solo is really good, as well.  Meanwhile, "Right To Rock" had me a bit worried, to be honest, as I was not sure how this band would handle that band's instrumental work.  I needn't have worried, however, as this is a blistering rendition of that classic KEEL track.  Again, Ron has lost a bit of the upper range of his vocals, most notable on the big scream that opens the song, but outside of that, very little has changed here.  Koller adds some extra double-time snare before the big "THE RIGHT TO ROCK" shout at the end of the song, and the guitar solo from Cothern is not identical to the original, but otherwise, not a lot of the music is all that different.  Even the gang-shouted chorus nails it for me!  Yes, I still prefer the original because that is the version my brain tunes to automatically, but if nothing else, this version proves without a doubt that RKB can pull off pretty much anything from the KEEL catalog that they would choose to work up.

The album closes with "Hey, Man", returns to that Blaze Of Glory style of song, but it wraps the album up in excellent fashion as this is just a well-written and well-performed western rocker.  In fact, the tempo of the song is very much like that utilized in "Blaze Of Glory", with some excellent slide guitar work done here, I'm guessing by Cothern.  As I stated earlier, I could do with an entire album of this style of music from the RKB should Ron choose to do such a thing.

As is frequently the case with albums that run more than 9 or 10 songs long, there are a couple of lesser tracks here, but nothing that ruins the overall feel of the album.  Sure, I would probably have left "Just A Cowboy" off, especially if I was really targeting my rock audience, but I don't think that is what Ron was doing here.  I think Ron likely wrote a bunch of songs, took the best 11 new tracks, threw in the two remakes, and put out an album that he would listen to if he was a fan.  Like he sings in "Hey, Man", "through the bad times and the good, we wrote the best songs we could".  And to that end, I think he succeeds in spades!  This is a really, really good album, with enough diversity to catch the ear of the whole scope of Ron's fans, and PLENTY of great hard rock to draw the KEEL fans that may have drifted away a bit back into the fold.

Rating:  Definitely crankable!!!   A solid 8.5 here!

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RAINFORCE "Rock N Roll EP"

(c) 2019 Roxx Records

1. Rock N Roll
2. In Good Hands
3. Stay Strong 
4. The Lost Sheep

Jordan Cutajar--Lead Vocals

Andy La Morte--Guitars

Matt Brand--Bass

Benjamin Mann--Drums, Keyboards

Rainforce returns in 2019 with this four track, follow-up EP, Rock N Roll, to try to maintain the momentum they garnered following their popular 2017 debut, Lion's Den.  Continuing in the vein of metal-influenced three chord hard rock, a la AC/DC, Dirty Looks, Krokus, and X-Sinner, Rock N Roll is a solid, if short, entry into the 2019 musical fray...and it is a good one!

The album starts off with the title track, and this is pretty much pure AC/DC worship, start to finish,  with vocals that sound freakishly like Rex D. Scott from X-Sinner (they are not...I asked Rex, just to be sure).  Jordan Cutajar (also of Pylon) handles all the vocals, and this guy deserves some SERIOUS props, because he has a range of vocal styles that is rather uncommon, being able to handle the lower, edgier backing vocals as well as the snarly, higher-pitched leads!  From the rhythm guitar riff to the pulsating bass and big kick drum/simple snare pattern utilized by the Aussie rockers, there is no denying where La Morte's passions lie, musically.  Lyrically, there is no misunderstanding his passions, either, as his faith if on bold display here, but he gets his point across without Bible-thumping the listener.  Take the chorus as an example:  "The world around us is constantly changing/But really good songs stay really good songs/Some good things never come to an end/Our faith in Christ and love for....Rock N Roll!"  Nothing pushy, nothing offensive, but also definitely not backing off from where he stands.  And when he isn't busy writing the songs and lyrics, La Morte is also slinging a pretty mean axe, filling this song with tasty riffs and a powerful solo.  A great start to this EP on a track that I would swear is a long-lost X-Sinner track (if you've never looked into this classic Christian rock band, you need to!)

"In Good Hands" continues the three chord love fest, but with Cutajar taking the vocals into a far lower range than those utilized on "Rock N Roll".  Even in this range, Cutajar holds his own, adding a hint of snarl to his lower tenor vocals, while the backing vocals on the chorus add a bit of depth.  Not as impressive as "Rock N Roll" or the next track, "Stay Strong", but still very solid, straight-forward hard rock with another really nice solo from La Morte, who really backs off the distortion pedal for much of the lead work here, giving the song a smoother, more 70s-influenced guitar presence here.

"Stay Strong" heads back to the AC/DC-inspired vocals, and is the second best track on the record.  A thumping, plodding hard rocker, the interplay between the lower, snarlier vocals, and the higher, more-screamed Brian Johnson-styled vocals is pulled off in excellent fashion, and the rhythm section of Brand and Mann is in full effect here!  Again, La Morte shines on the guitar parts here, tackling both rhythm and leads, and handling both with expertise.  The tightness of the band really shows through on a track such as this one, and it sounds like the band is having a lot of fun with this material, right up to the cold ending.  Love it!

EP closer, "The Lost Sheep", is an acoustic-based number.  I'm not really sold on this song, to be honest, although I do appreciate the message.  I just think going the acoustic route here after pumping out three solid hard rockers is kind of a letdown, especially when we only have four songs to absorb here.  Perhaps the band would have been better served to hold onto this track for a full-length studio record, and instead dropped another blast of rock on this EP, even if it was a cover of an X-Sinner tune (hint, hint) or something.

Bassist Brand did the producing on the EP, and he does a commendable job.  The mix is solid here, and the production is clean, with no muddiness to be found.  Mine is a digital promo copy, so I have no idea about the packaging of this project, but generally, Roxx Records does a solid job in this department, so I have no real concerns there.

Rating:  Do the math...3/4 = 75% = a crankable 7.5!  Hopefully the next effort will be another full studio album!

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COWBOY X "Can't Stop Rockin'"

(c) 2019 FNA Records

1. Dreamin'
2. Hard Times
3. Jealousy
4. Can't Stop Rockin'
5. Higher You Get
6. Need To No
7. Dreamin' (Demo)
8. Hard Times (Demo)
9. Nice And Nasty (Demo)
10. Runner (Demo)
11. Need 2 No (Demo)
12. Don't Give Up (Demo)

Greg Lee--Vocals

David Marshall Hughes--Guitars

Barry Engle--Guitars

Randy Cotton--Bass

Michael Watson--Drums

Nebraska is not known as a music mecca, by any stretch.  Trust me, I have lived in the state my entire life, and outside of 311, and to a lesser degree Emphatic, Through Fire, and Arson City, there simply aren't a lot of hard rock/metal bands that have made much of an impact at the national level.  Regional?  Sure, there are a few.  Zwarte springs to mind, as does Paisty Jenny (more on them in a second). But generally speaking, most hard rock/metal bands in Nebraska, even the good ones like Slantpiece and Empire's End, tend to have local followings, at best.  But such is the nature of things, especially in the music industry of today.

But in the late 80s and early 90s, there were a handful of Nebraska bands that seemed to be on the cusp of doing something on a national level.  One of those bands...which was actually the product of a couple of other bands...nearly made a dent in the national scene.  That band was Cowboy X.  FnA managed to track down the original recordings of the six tracks, all of which were originally recorded in a basement recording studio...on tape no less...in 1990 for a label called Direct Hit Records, the first six tracks make up an EP that was going to be shopped to the big labels before the change in the musical landscape wiped out pretty much any and all unsigned bands of the genre...and a lot of them that did have deals, as well!  The initial run of the EP sold well enough to sell out, but I have never come across a version of it on vinyl or cassette anywhere, so I'm not sure how many copies were pressed.  In addition to the EP tracks, there are also three additional songs that never made it to the full production stage, so they are included here in demo fashion, along with three repeated tracks with both studio and demo versions.

Musically, Cowboy X was somewhere between hair metal and more traditional metal for much of the material here.  Take for example the two best tracks here, "Hard Times" and "Jealousy".  "Hard Times" is a straight ahead rocker, with a metallic flair to it.  There is a decent amount of flash to the guitar, and the catchy chorus is definite sing along material, but it's not as poppy as a lot of the hair metal that was being pumped out in 1991-92.  "Jealousy"...man, what I would give to hear this with top notch production!  This is a GREAT song that I think would've been the band's big break track had more people been able to hear it.  Really good songwriting, a great guitar solo, strong bass work from Cotton, and a real showcase of Lee's vocals are all packed into one track that teases at being a ballad for a bit before it morphs into more of a mid-tempo power rocker. Musically, the song has some definite Dokken or Hurricane qualities to it, sounding more like a early-to-mid-80s melodic metal track than an early 90s hard rock track. The guitar outro is excellent, as well, and unfortunately it is hard-faded when it sounds like there is a lot more musical work that is being done when the mixer/producer decided to pull the plug on the track.  Seriously, I dig this track A LOT.

The album's opener, "Dreamin'" is a commercial, melodic hard rocker with a screaming guitar that reminds me of the type of rock that David Lee Roth put out on his Skyscraper album.  "Can't Stop Rockin'" feels a lot like a Dangerous Toys song with an early LA Guns chorus section.  Lee does his best Jason McMaster impression vocally on the verses, and the gang shouts in the chorus are excellent.  I could've done without the stock audience sounds being thrown into the mix, but again, this is a really fun song that would have drawn some attention had it come out in, say, 1989, instead of 1992.

The ballad of the record is "Higher You Get", and it is a decent song.  The guitars are a bit tinny sounding, again the result of low budget recording, I would imagine, but the songwriting has a very "Something To Believe In" feel to it.  The bass is a solid presence here once again, and the percussion is nicely done, setting a nice tempo and filling well without coming across as overpowering.  Lee works more in the lower register of his vocal range here, and it fits nicely.  Once again, there is some solid solo work done here (from which guitar player, I am not certain), and I think with bigger, fuller production, this would've been one of those MTV power ballads that were almost constantly in rotation.

"Need To No" (that's the band's spelling, not mine) finds the band back in that Dangerous Toys vibe, and this is a style they work very well in.  It feels comfortable and the sound is one they definitely are able to really pin down.  Lee's voice is perfect for this type of rocker, and the simple-yet-catchy songwriting is right in the wheelhouse of this band.  I very much wish I had been able to catch Cowboy X when they were out touring this music, because it is obvious these guys were convicted in what they were doing and they had a decent amount of talent that I think would've really come across in the live setting.  Additionally, I think a really good studio could've done SO MUCH with three or four of these songs that I think Cowboy X could've been more than just a regional flash in the pan.

Speaking of the studio, the production here is decent, but not spectacular; it is definitely 80s small label/indie quality, and you can tell the source material is tape, not digital.  The performances are generally very good, however, and the energy of the songs makes up for some of what is lacking in the production area.  Lee's voice suits the music very well, and fans of Paisty Jenny will be able to pick him out immediately.  The guitars are solid with several good intros, outros, and solos thrown in, particuarly on "Dreamin'" and "Can't Stop Rockin'", as well as on the previously mentioned "Jealousy".  And the bass, particularly on "Jealousy", is a very strong voice in the band, which was not always the case in the 80s/early 90s, as G2G readers are likely fully aware of.  I applaud the bass work done here.

The demo material for the full-production songs doesn't need to be included, honestly, as the finalized versions of "Dreamin'", "Hard Times", and "Need To No" are far superior versions. I get the need to try to get to at least 10 songs on a release, so I don't fault FnA for including these, but the only ones necessary are "Nice And Nasty", which is not as sleazy as it sounds, but still a decent song, "Runner", a rocker which is very poorly mixed with the vocals WAY out front,  and "Don't Give Up", which is very rough but had a lot of promise as an uptempo rocker.  None of these tracks has a fully-produced version elsewhere on this effort.

I happen to know Gregg Lee, so I look forward to getting the chance to talk to him about this release and about what was going on with the Nebraska hard rock/metal scene back in the day, as well as what's up with his most recent rock gig, fronting Paisty Jenny.  Keep an eye on the Talkin' Trash section for an interview with Lee in the very near future!

For those of you who, like me, love hearing bands that others haven't stumbled across, this little package from FnA is a solid pick up.  My understanding is there is a pre-order version available that is signed by all of the original members, which would be pretty cool.  Check it out and pre-order the package at the FnA Records site!  By the way, I understand FnA will also be releasing the Airstrike album, which is another Nebraska-based hard rock band from the 80s, which is where Lee got his start.

Rating:  A nice collection from a band that may have had something going had the musical tide not turned on them.  Rock this at 6.5!

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ALICE IN CHAINS "Rainier Fog"

(c) 2018 BMG

1. The One You Know
2. Ranier Fog
3. Red Giant
4. Fly
5. Drone
6. Deaf Ears Blind Eyes
7. Maybe
8. So Far Under
9. Never Fade
10. All I Am

Jerry Cantrell--Lead Vocals, Lead Guitars

William DuVall--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Mike Inez--Bass

Sean Kinney--Drums, Percussion

The record kicks off with the lead single, "The One You Know", which seems appropriate, because instantly the listener is greeted with an unquestionably Alice In Chains riff, hard and chugging, downtuned and sludgy, somewhere between grunge and metal, right in the world that AiC occupied so perfectly in the early-to-mid-90s.  Kinney's thudding work on the kit is the perfect time-keeper on this plodding, chunky rocker that carries a bit of a "Grind" feel to it.  Cantrell has always been one of the most underrated guitar players in the hard rock/metal world, and his talent is on full display here, as are his vocals, which William DuVall complements with near perfection.  No, DuVall is not Layne Staley, but that's kind of the point; this is Alice In Chains v2.0 doing their absolute best to recall what you fell in love with about the band in Version 1.  And with "The One You Know", and the follow-up title track, "Rainier Fog", it is easy to remember the halcyon days of this great band.  A tribute to the area where the band broke, "Rainier Fog" is probably my favorite track on an album full of great songs, and is, to my mind, the best song the band has produced in the DuVall era.   

The album is chock full of crushingly heavy riff, courtesy of Cantrell, and a deep-in-the-pocket bass presence, which Inez has brought to the band since replacing the late Mike Starr on the 1994 EP, Jar Of Flies, and the following year's self-titled album, Alice In Chains.  His bass is particularly noticeable on tracks like "Red Giant", and particularly on the doomy, sludgy "Drone",  which finds Cantrell and Company channeling their inner-Black Sabbath on a nearly 7 minute long mid-tempo riff rocker that would likely leave Ozzy grinning and shaking his head, especially when the chorus hits and Cantrell moans, "Stepping in and out of madness/Such a dedicated drone", with DuVall taking the higher vocal road in the pairing.  Thick chords of sludge drip off the song from every place you care to look, from the mournful solo to the rumble of the bass line to the production of the drums.

"Fly" backs off the distortion just a tad, giving way to a more melodic approach that is not wholly different from the style that AiC utilized on the stunningly good Jar Of Flies.  Again, just an amazing song that finds Cantrell and DuVall harmonizing perfectly, which is something that they also do to an extremely effective level on the country-tinged vocal intro to "Maybe"...the harmonizing returns again to intro the second verse, as well.  Again, a largely acoustic-based rocker similar to the Sap and Jar Of Flies, this song is yet another example of a band that is creatively leaps and bounds ahead of so many other bands today, daring to explore a style that is under-employed and certainly underappreciated, where the vocals are utilized as much as an instrument as a messenger.  Haunting, aching, somber...stunning..."Maybe" creates such a nearly perfect melding of voices that, if I'm being honest, I have to question whether or not Cantrell could have pulled them off with Staley. 

"So Far Under", with its repetitive, whining riff, returns the band to a more self-titled release style and the way the vocals swirl down a hole, accompanied by equally swirling, plunging guitar lines, is a work of art in and of itself.  Again, the cleaner vocals used on the verses here recall "Grind", which is a damn fine tune, but the drain of the chorus here just pulls your attention away from anything said in the verses, sucking you in, pulling you along, and then cutting you off with a sudden stop at the end of the track.  Repeat, repeat, repeat...I can't stop hitting repeat.

"Never Fade" feels a bit like Alice In Chains covering a Soundgarden song, which is likely the point as the track is said to be at least partly inspired by the passing of Chris Cornell.  DuVall handles the lead vocals on the bridge leading into the chorus sections of this pure 90s track, and the Cantrell/DuVall guitar tandem works especially well here.  Kinney, as per usual, is the understated metronome with his crisp patterns and punctuating kicks, and Inez is once again a presence that is both heard and felt with each strike of a bass chord.  Good, good stuff. 

The album's closer, "All I Am", is an haunting, emotional epic of darkness that recalls so much of what was great about this band on Dirt, which found the band constantly introspective, dark, and seeking a way out, even if that way out only lead to more darkness.  That same sense of foreboding is felt on "All I Am", with Cantrell's moaning guitar parts somberly wading through an emotional mire, regardless of if it is plugged in or not.  

While I don't hate The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, to me it felt disjointed in places, especially when compared to the surprisingly good Black Gives Way To Blue.  But here, on Rainier Fog, the band finds themselves perfectly straddling who they were and who they are, not turning back, but instead pulling their past into their present and introducing the two, marrying them into a brilliant piece of heavy rock that should spawn multiple treks onto the modern rock charts for the now-retro rockers.

Look, I realize grunge wasn't everybody's thing, and I'm cool with that.  But Alice In Chains wasn't...and still isn't...your typical grunge band, as they were...and are...as much doom metal as anything.  Add in a vocal style, in either version of the band, that carries so much more weight than all the Nirvanas and Screaming Trees and Tads and Mudhoneys and Sponges of the grunge scene.  As such, if you were a fan back in the day, Ranier Fog should be right up your alley.  If you were more into what the band was doing on the first two reunion efforts, there are still things to enjoy here, as the band both returns to their roots while also exploring new directions to travel in.  As for me, I'm loving pretty much everything about Ranier Fog, and hope that the band doesn't ever stray too far from what they have discovered here. 

If I'm perfectly honest with myself, I'd have to say Rainier Fog slips past Facelift and the self-titled record and lands in the top three studio album releases from this legendary band...at least for right now...trailing only the near perfection of Dirt and the brilliant Jar Of Flies EP.  But, to be fair, the top five AiC records are all so great that rating them seems like a laughable pursuit.

Rating:  A sludgy, grungy, metallic cranker!  Twist it up to 8.5!

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FOREIGNER "The Greatest Hits Of Foreigner Live In Concert"

(c) 2019 Trigger Productions

1. Head Games
2. Feels Like The First Time
3. Cold As Ice
4. Hot Blooded
5. Double Vision
6. Dirty White Boy
7. Urgent
8. Juke Box Hero
9. Waiting For A Girl Like You
10. Say You Will
11. Long, Long Way From Home
12. I Want To Know What Love Is (New Recording with Shriner's Hospital Kids)

Mick Jones--Lead Guitar, Keys, Backing Vocals

Kelly Hansen--Lead Vocals, Percussion

Jeff Pilson--Bass, Backing Vocals

Tom Gimbel--Guitars, Saxaphone, Flute, Backing Vocals

Michael Bluestein--Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Bruce Watson--Lead Guitar, Guitar, Backing Vocals

Chris Frazier--Drums, Percussion

Curse you, Foreigner!  You did it to me again!  Every time you put out a new "best of" or new "live" record, I say to myself, "Arttie, you have 8 greatest hits packages and about a dozen live albums, so you don't need this new one!"  Of course, I always lose this argument with myself if I think there is even the slightest reason to pick up said "new" recording, as Foreigner is so firmly entrenched as one of my all-time favorite bands that I can't seem to help myself.  And dang it if Foreigner didn't go ahead and give me a reason to pick this album up, as it is a fundraising effort for Shriner's Hospital For Children.  Additionally, the band took things one step further and re-recorded one of their biggest hits ever, "I Want To Know What Love Is" with a backing choir made up of Shriner's Hospital kids. 

The press for this album states that these are new live recordings, but a handful of them sound like they may have been taken from the Can't Slow Down...When It's Live release from back in 2010.  I got a bit suspicious when Hansen addresses the Tennessee crowd during "Cold As Ice".  If that is the case, this is a condensed version of that live show, as that double album had 16 live tracks, as opposed to just 11 here.  Even if it is the same show, it is fun to hear the nearly-13 minute long jam session that "Juke Box Hero" turns into, and the 7+ minute extended versions of "Hot Blooded" and "Urgent". 

As I have stated many, many times, here and in other places, my beef with the current version of Foreigner isn't that they sound bad, because they don't.  They are extremely competent at playing these songs live, and each player here is a talented musician in their own right.  But when people say that Kelly Hansen sounds as good...or better...than Lou Gramm ever did, it drives me up a wall.  It is simply not true.  Hansen is a very good singer, but he simply does not have the same soul and passion for these songs that Gramm had.  And why would he?  He's not as invested in them, as he didn't write them.  In fact, none of the songs from only Hansen-fronted studio album made the cut here, which I think says something.

So, if the album is not the original band, and if these song are versions you likely have already heard (and possibly already own), the only real reason to own this record then, would be the remake of the 1984 classic "I Want To Know What Love Is".  As many fans know, Agent Provocateur, the album "I Want To Know..." came from, is considered to be something of the fracturing point between Gramm and Jones, but the fact that "I Want To Know..." remains the only Number One hit for the band in the US and UK cannot be overlooked.  The song was a monster hit and is a staple of their live performances.  On this album, the Hansen-fronted version of the band went into the studio to re-record the track, with the assistance of a backing choir of kids from the Shriner's Hospital.  Musically, the song is almost note-for-note the same as the classic version, and I'll be honest...I wonder if Hansen simply sang over backing tracks of the original version.  Doesn't matter, I guess, as his vocals are different enough from Gramm's that you can tell it isn't the same identical version.  The children's choir is added into the chorus sections, and while it does add a sweetness to the song, it really doesn't do anything to improve upon the song, so much as it does something to further differentiate it from the original. 

All in all, this is simply another repackaging of a band that has been repackaged more times than any band that I can think of off the top of my head.  There are positives to take away, however, as this is a single disc version of some of the best Hansen-era live material that I have come across.  As I already mentioned, there are some very good, extended jam versions of three classic tracks that are worth giving a listen to.  And, the album is a fund-raiser for a very, VERY worthy cause, which is always a good thing.  For people who want everything the band has ever recorded in the studio, this album is an important one, as outside of Can't Slow Down, and the single new studio track, "Save Me", from the 2011 re-recordings package, Juke Box Heroes, this is a rare studio track from Hansen.  And, of course, for the completist, it is a must-own, for obvious reasons. 

I know this is available on Amazon, and I have been told it is exclusive to Wal-Mart, as far as in-store purchases go, but I am not sure if that is accurate.

So now, I am going on record as stating that unless they release a new studio album OR a live album from their recent run of shows with the classic line-up of Gramm, McDonald, Elliott, Wills, Greenwood, etc., I will NOT be picking up any new Foreigner packages....


....unless I do...


Curse you, Foreigner....

Rating:  As I regularly say about these live packages, the performance is still crankable, so I give it a 7, but there is literally no reason to own this record other than to support the Shriner's Hospital (which is a good enough reason on it's own).

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FEAR NOT "For The Wounded Heart"

(c) 2019 Roxx Records

1. Don't Want None (Come Get Some)
2. Shadows Fade
3. Carry Me
4. Love Is Alright
5. Shipwrecked Hypocrite

Eddie Green--Lead Vocals

Larry Worley--Guitar, Vocals

Chris Howell--Lead Guitar

Rod Romero--Bass

Gary Hansen--Drums

Perhaps the band should be called Believe It Or Not, because that is honestly how I felt when I heard that Christian hard rockers, Fear Not, were returning after 25 years.  And not only is the band back, but all four original members are back, as well!  Worley, Howell, Romero, and Hansen all made a pretty significant splash on the Christian hard rock scene in the early 90s, but like nearly all bands of the time, they were swept away in the alternative/grunge tsunami that would wipe away pretty much the entire hard rock/hair metal scene of the time.  But, a Roxx Records reissue of the band's self-titled debut album apparently sparked a desire for the band to give it another run.

On this new, 5-track EP, the band brings in Eddie Green to handle the lead vocals, with original vocalist, Worley, moving to backing vocals and guitar.  I have been asked why Worley is no longer the lead vocalist, and I do not have an answer to that question...yet.  Perhaps I will get a chance to talk some trash with Larry at some point and get that answer.  For now, however, know that the lead vocals have been left in good hands with Green, who has a deeper, richer tone than Worley typically employed.  But don't think that the band has changed all that much as far as their style and approach, as Fear Not is still, first and foremost, a hard rock band.

The EP kicks off with a big drum intro from Hansen, as "Don't Want None (Come Get Some)" comes crushing out of your speakers!  Edgy guitars from Howell and Worley join the fray, as does Romero's rumbling bass, before the newbie is allowed to utter a sound.  But, when Green breaks his silence, he comes out swinging!  Again, singing in a lower register than Worley used, Green's vocals carry an urgency, an angst, that really powers this track.  The chorus sections are complete with big, gang shouted backing vocals that sound a bit as if an angry mob, rather than a group of musicians, were rioting in the background.  Howell rips through a tasty solo before the final chorus kicks in, and by the time the track wraps, a feeling of "whoa...yeah!" sweeps over me.  This is impressive; what have you been waiting for?!

"Shadows Fade" steps a bit back from some of the modern rock hints that were thrown into "Don' Want None", and sounds a bit more like classic Fear Not, musically.  It is on this track that I finally realize that Green reminds me a lot of the vocal style of Ken Tamplin, both in the range he works in as well as the emotion he packs into his words.  Once again, Howell flashes his guitar talents with an excellent solo, and Green showcases his lung capacity when he holds one particular note coming out of Howell's solo for an extended period of time.  Swirling guitars churn their way throughout the whole song, and again, the drums and bass are huge support structures for this great, great rock tune.

The band slows things a bit for "Carry Me", which hints at being a power ballad, but perhaps with a bit more "power" than "ballad".  Again more in the vein of classic Fear Not, "Carry Me" is a moving song about never having to walk alone when you walk with Christ.  The song, to me, is a rocker's update of the classic Footprints In The Sand poem, and it is executed perfectly.  Green pushes his upper range a bit more here, but more in a rich tenor than in a rafter scraping scream or wail.  Worley's backing vocals are very evident on this track, in particular, and they add a great deal to the feel of the song.  I would imagine this will be released as a single at some point, as it is a song that melodic rock stations, whether terrestrial or Internet-based, will definitely want to add to the mix at some point.  

A bit of aggression returns to Green's vocals on the thumping "Love Is Alright", and he takes on a sound that is close to that of EZ Gomer from Jet Circus, if you understand that early-90s Christian metal reference.  Howell blazes through a killer solo here, complete with all the fret board antics one would expect from an axe slinger of his talent.  But as great as these things are, it is the bottom-heavy groove of the track that gets stuck in your brain on this extremely catchy track that has to be in the live set.  It just has to.

"Shipwrecked Hypocrite" closes out this all-too-short EP (just 20 minutes total) in excellent fashion.  The rhythm guitar line is a bit quirky, which I like, and Green again is offered an opportunity to explore his range a bit in this track about living your life without the guidance of Christ to help you set your course as you navigate the waters of life.  Before closing, Howell cuts loose one final time on a truly impressive solo, and once again the interplay between Green and Worley vocally is a treat to hear.  

I will be honest, I was very leery of another singer fronting this band that I have followed since 1991 when 3/4 of the guys were in LoveLife (minus Chris Howell on guitars).  And while there is a difference to the sound...how could there not be?...the addition of Green does not alter who Fear Not is or what they do.  This is an impressive return for a band that has been almost completely inactive for more than 25 years, and I get the impression that this is not a one-and-done deal.  The band has said that they plan to hit the road in 2019, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is more to come from these guys.  Again, I don't know the status of Worley doing any lead vocals on the classic material live, but I would definitely go check them out regardless if Fear Not is anywhere near your neck of the woods.  If what they bring to the table live, and in any future recordings, is anything close to the quality of the material here, it just may turn out that it was worth the wait.  

Top notch production, a thick, bold sound, and spiritual-without-being-preachy lyrics...For The Wounded Heart is a winner in a big way to start 2019!  Due out in March, you can pre-order your copy through Roxx Productions for just ten bucks!

Rating:  Crankable in a big way!  For The Wounded Heart hits 8 on my rock Richter Scale!

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IRON SAVIOR "Kill Or Get Killed"

(c) 2019 AFM Records

1. Kill Or Get Killed
2. Roaring Thunder
3. Eternal Quest
4. From Dust And Rubble
5. Sinner or Saint
6. Stand Up And Fight
7. Heroes Ascending
8. Never Stop Fighting
9. Until We Meet Again
10. Legends Of Glory
11. Sin City

Piet Sielck--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Joachim "Piesel" Kustner--Guitars

Jan S. Eckert--Bass

Patrick Klose--Drums

Consistent and relentless.  In my mind, no two words better describe the band Iron Savior and the music that it makes!  While I am not a power metal guy, per se, Iron Savior is a band that I fanatically seek out when I hear of new music being released, because it just resonates with me so strongly.  To my mind, there is no more consistent power metal band out there than these Teutons, with no disrespect intended for bands such as Blind Guardian, Helloween, Primal Fear, or even Sielck's other band, Savage Circus, or any of the other truly great power metal bands of the scene.  But, when you pick up an Iron Savior album, you know exactly what you are in for, and with the release of Kill Or Get Killed, their 11th original studio recording, the band seeks to capitalize on that consistency and remain at the top of the European power metal heap.

To explain the two words I chose to describe the band, let's start with consistent.  The band's lineup remains the same following the excellent Riding On Fire: Re-Forged, a 2-disc release of re-recorded classic material.  As such, drummer Patrick Klose is the the newest member of the band, working on his first original studio album, while Kustner and Eckert have been with band founder, Sielck, since at least 2000.  Once again, it is this consistency in the core of the band's lineup that helps to keep the songwriting and the performances spot-on, with the band always sounding like Iron Savior.  Throughout their 20+ year existence, you cannot pick out a single album from their catalog and say, "that doesn't sound like Iron Savior", because everything they have done sounds like Iron Savior.  A lot of that, of course, has to do with the unmistakable vocals of Sielck, who is once again in top-notch form here, with his melodic snarl soaring over the top of these eleven slabs of molten power metal.  Not the high, wailing, ear-piercing type of vocalist that so many speed/power metal bands routinely employ, Sielck stays more in the lower tenor range, but his vocals burst forth with power and clarity, depth and angst, and the layers of backing vocals employed only serve to bolster his already near-perfect performances.  In fact, for me, the backing vocals the band always employs, are one of the keys that truly separate Iron Savior from so many of its peers.  They are always an absolute match for the aggressive style of power metal the band plays, whether using the higher-pitched, soaring styles used on tracks like "Heroes Ascending", or the angrier, darker, nearly-shouted style utilized on "Stand Up And Fight".  Plus, the guitar combination of Sielck and Kustner...who had the unenviable task of filling the shoes of Kai Hansen back in 2000, is on a level that is nearly unmatched in the metal scene today.  While never mentioned in the same breath as legendary guitar tandems, Sielck and Kustner lay waste to anything standing in their way, with powerful rhythm lines and searing solos, while the rumbling of Eckert's bass melds perfectly with the crushing percussive performances from Klose, who was the perfect find for the band when longtime drummer, Thomas Nack, vacated the kit in 2017.

Relentless is the other word I chose to describe Iron Savior, and Kill Or Get Killed is, like all of the band's releases, relentless in its energy and aggression from start to finish.  Nowhere is this more evident than on the lead single from the album, "Eternal Quest", which comes ripping out of your speakers like a Berserker unleashed!  Kustner leads the attack, his rhythm guitars charging to the front, with Klose following in lockstep behind, his galloping drums driving the pace, as Eckert's bass rumbles forward as well!  Sielck's alternately smooth-then-snarled vocals rally the troops, sounding the battle cry, accompanied by the previously mentioned power backing vocals, delivering a nearly perfect metal anthem.

If the crushing metallic assault of "Eternal Quest" is to your liking, there is nothing here you will not find equally appealing.  The title track features some of the fastest rhythm guitar on the album, along with some seemingly impossible double-time drumming, while "Roaring Thunder" backs that up with a slightly slower (slightly!) tempo, but a darker rhythm guitar tone, with wailing guitar effects backing those up.  "From Dust And Rubble" starts off with some programmed synthesizer elements, before building into something of an 80s-inspired heavy metal song with a big, chant-along chorus that will have fans thrusting their fists in the air in concert.  "Never Stop Believing" has a more melodic metal approach, especially on the guitars, but doesn't lack for power because of the slight style change.  The bass is particularly strong on this track, also, and Sielck counters the smoother guitar with an edgier vocal tack than he takes in some of the other songs here.  It's a nice juxtaposition of sounds and styles and the result is a really, really strong song.  "Sinner Of Saint" has a Judas Priest feel to the guitar line, which is pretty darn cool, and Halford's vocals actually leak into my imagination for a moment, wondering how he would sound on this rocker.  Of course, Sielck has practically nothing in common with the siren that is Halford's voice, but his aggression and edge are the perfect sound for Iron Savior, and this tasty power metal track is a great representation of what Iron Savior does so well.  The guitar solo here is also not to be missed!  The onslaught continues through all ten tracks of the album proper, with album closer, "Legends Of Glory" nearly matching the opening title track in terms of speed and ferocity in the guitars, as well as in the sense of urgency in Sielck's vocals.  

For many, "Heroes Ascending" may be the pinnacle of the record, with its unique rhythm guitar-and-drum patterns, huge, sweeping guitar solo, and massive hook, all backed by a soaring backing vocal section that rips through the sing-along chorus parts!  For me, however, the real diamond here, amongst an album full of gems, is the epic "Until We Meet Again", a huge, nearly 8 minute long track of galloping, mid-tempo pomp and power.   There are some uncredited synth elements here that add to the overall atmosphere of the track, and the soaring vocals that Sielck utilizes on the chorus really speak to his range as a vocalist.  At a little over halfway through the song, there's a softer section, basically the programmed synth elements and Sielck's vocals taking on a whispered, almost spoken-word style, before a massive guitar solo erupts, building in power and intensity, before returning to the main riff of the song and ushering in the final verse and runs through the chorus.  The multiple styles that Sielck utilizes on this track really add to the overall depth, with verse sections that reminds me a lot of the harder-hitting material Pretty Maids has released, while the vocal phrasing on the chorus, reminds me a LOT of Dio, to be honest, especially as the album closes.  Such a great, great song, I really hope this song finds its way into the live set of the band, although its sheer length and scope may make that a difficult task. 

"Sin City", the eleventh track on the album, is a bonus track that was not included with my review copy.  I have been told that it is a cover of the AC/DC song of the same name, which I find a bit odd, as my brain can't really combine the two styles.  I will have to hung down the song to hear it, of course, and I am trying to gain confirmation that it is indeed a cover song.  I will update this review when I have further information.

As is frequently the case with Iron Savior records, Kill Or Be Killed is something of a concept album, although the songs are strong enough to stand on their own.  According to Sielck, the primary songwriter for all Iron Savior releases, the album was inspired by the book, The Star Of Pandora, a sci-fi book about the destruction of human civilization when it is overrun by alien invaders.  With that in mind, "the never give up, never say die" attitude of tracks like "Kill Or Get Killed", "Stand Up And Fight", "Never Stop Fighting", and "Legends Of Glory" are given even more context, although none was really required.

Chock full of metal anthems, Kill Or Get Killed is guaranteed to be a massive player for me in 2019, and is, as of this very moment, one of the two or three best releases of the young year.  More than half of this record will be going into my workout mix (which is more than 25% Iron Savior as it stands!), with numerous tracks likely to make the "best of" lists of longtime fans of the band.  Kill Or Get Killed is a superb metallic reminder of how great music should be made, with a consistent level of excellence demanded of the band, and a relentless drive from that band to always meet that demand!  This is the definition of Iron Savior for me!

Is this the best Iron Savior record the band has made?  Likely not, but then again, there is no such thing as a bad Iron Savior record, so ranking them is rather difficult for me.  I would say this is top five, to be sure, with Condition Red, Titancraft, Dark Assault, and the reissued Megatropolis 2.0 also competing for Top Five slots!  And that excludes great stuff like Battering Ram and The Landing!  So much greatness to be considered.  Quite the problem to have, eh?

Rating:  Metallic excellence!  Crank this to 9!

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TORA TORA "Bastards Of Beale"

(c) 2019 Frontiers Records

1. Sons of Zebedee
2. Giants Fall
3. Everbright
4. Silence The Sirens
5. Son of a Prodigal Son
6. Lights Up The River
7. Let Us Be One
8. All Good Things
9. Rose of Jericho
10. Vertigo
11. Bastards of Beale

Anthony Corder--Lead and Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

Keith Douglas--Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitars

Patrick Francis--Bass

John Patterson--Drums, Percussion

It's sometimes funny to me how the bands that didn't break big manage to stay together and still get along, while the bands that enjoyed huge success can't seem to stand one another and splinter, fracture, of flat out break up within a couple of albums.  Tora Tora falls into the first category, as all four members of the band continue to perform together 30 years after their A&M Records debut album, Surprise! Attack, which, in my opinion, should have been a much bigger album than it turned out to be.  And even if that album didn't have what it likely took to break big, their follow up, Wild America, should have been massive, as it is an excellent record that I feel is highly underappreciated!  Regardless, the band struggled to find success, and their third album, the once-shelved/long-bootlegged/finally-released Revolution Day was the last we would hear from the band outside of a trio of FnA Records releases of demo material from the first two records.  

That all changes in 2019.

Bastards Of Beale finds the full band reuniting for a brand new album for Frontiers Records.  Due out in late February, this new album brings together everything that fans of the band, or their style, would want out of Tora Tora.  Sounding more cohesive, and with more upbeat tracks, than Revolution Day, the new record sounds like it could have been the logical follow-up to Wild America.  Chock full of Memphis rock-n-blues, Tora Tora pulls no punches on this new record, hitting hard with the rockers and getting soulful on the slower numbers.

The album kicks off with the gritty, nearly sleazy guitar sounds of "Sons Of Zebedee", which finds the band right back in the form they left us in back in 1992.  Corder sounds almost identical to how he sounded on Wild America, with just enough gritty edge added to his otherwise smooth tenor to really drive the bluesy vibe of the track.  The guitar work is solid, and the drums fit the style perfectly, with no extra flash or unnecessary odd timings thrown into the mix.  This is just a straight ahead rocker that fans of Tesla, Tangier, Tattoo Rodeo and the bluesier side of Great White will instantly grab hold of.  But those same fans may not want to get too grabby too quickly, as the best is yet to come!

The next two tracks, "Giants Fall" and "Everbright" both pull in a distinct Zeppelin vibe to the guitars, with a dirty, hard-edged blues sound, and solid rhythm work from both Francis and Patterson.  These are the kinds of songs that Corder's voice was made for, as he seemingly effortlessly delivers a soul-drenched performance on each track.  "Giants Fall" hits hard with that blues rock vibe that Zeppelin did so well, with an undeniably catchy hook, sing-along (wail along?) chorus, and a deep groove that you simply can't get out of once you step into it.  "Everbright" continues that Zep feel, with a sassy swagger that simply isn't found in much music today.

"Silence The Sirens" continues the top-notch blues rock, and it is a sleeper for best track on the album.  The rhythm section here is particularly punchy, especially Francis' bass work, and the sparsity during the first part of the verse sections makes Corder's vocals sound even more haunting than they might otherwise.  When the intensity kicks up, so does the overall feel of the song, and the moaning wail of Douglas' guitar as he exits the chorus sections is spot-on perfect.  Again, an easy-to-sing-along chorus is a big bonus here, and I can envision fists in the air when Corder hits "Silence the sirens!" in a live setting.  The guitar solo here is a big string-bender, also, and there simply isn't anything bad to be said about this song.

A few people may be turned slightly off by "Son Of A Prodigal Son", as there is a definite country nod here, but think more alt-country or Red Dirt country than the slick product that flows out of Nashville these days.  No, Bro Country this is not...classically, Steve Earl ("Copperhead Road") comparisons make sense, or more modernly, a band like American Aquarium ("Burn.Flicker.Die" comes to mind....love this band, by the way...) might be a good line to connect dots with.  Bottom heavy, dirty, gritty, with a cool groove and a tinge of Southern twang in Corder's voice make this another instant favorite of mine...maybe even stealing song of the album honors.  As I have mentioned before, I worked for many years in country radio, and when bluesy, swampy country rock is done right, it is an awesome thing to hear, and Tora Tora NAILS it here!     

"Lights Up The River" is the album's big ballad, very much in line with the best the band recorded all those years ago.  If you found yourself hitting repeat on tracks like "Phantom Rider" from the debut, "As Time Goes By" from Wild America, or "Shelter From The Rain" or "Candle And The Stone", two powerful ballads from Revolution Day, then you are going to absolutely love this six minute-long track!  Heartfelt, soulful, bluesy, and stark, the track spends the first minute and a half as an acoustic track before the juice is turned on, and the power of the track hits just that much harder.  In many ways, it reminds me of something like "Song And Emotion" by Tesla, which is one of the more underappreciated tracks in that band's catalog.  Songs like this really make me wish more people would take the time to actually construct songs these days, because when a song is done really well, it doesn't matter the genre (at least to me), it's just a good song.  "Lights Up The River" is one such song.

"Let Us Be One" is a dirty rocker, with a filthy groove to match, and it is the perfect track to ring out of the speakers following something as soulful as "Lights Up The River" was.  Follow that up with the barroom boogie rock of "All Good Things", and this album has already done more work taking the listener from one style to another, without forgetting who the band is musically, than probably 2/3 of the stuff that crosses my desk.  This is what I think Revolution Day was missing to a degree; the up and down, faster then slower moments that found the band exploring various tempos and textures within a given style.  Bastards Of Beale has this quality in spades.

I thought "Rose Of Jericho" would be another ballad, but it is more of a throwback rocker than anything, name-dropping Elvis (well, the "king of Tupelo", anyway), and Tina Turner (albeit as the "queen of Nutbush") across another catchy, bouncy rhythm, with some more solid bass work from Francis, before a scorching solo from Douglas rips through the midsection of this track that also features a rhythm guitar riff that would likely make ZZ Top proud.  Good stuff here.

"Vertigo" is an instrumental number that just rips.  Douglas sounds like he is having a blast on this straight-up hard rocker, that reminds me of some of the stuff that Van Halen was playing around with during the Hagar years.  The drums are excellent, the bass tight and fluid, and Douglas is simply in the zone throughout!  Normally, instrumentals in the middle of an album...well, the annoy me, to be honest...but "Vertigo" was a dose of fun I did not anticipate.

The closing track, which is an odd place to put the title track, is another good rocker, coming as close to the Sunset Strip sound as anything here does, but that is largely due to the guitar solo Douglas chooses to treat the listener to.  Otherwise, this is more of a classic rock-styled track, albeit with Tora Tora's southern sensibilities thrown into the musical mix, as well.  It is a fine closer to an album that I was honestly a bit leery about when I first heard it mentioned.

Twenty-five years is a LONG time to go between albums (1994 is when Revolution Day was originally recorded, never mind when it was released, and I was curious where the band would find themselves.  Thankfully, they found themselves pretty much where they left us.  Unfortunately, you aren't likely to hear anything from this record on any radio...satellite or terrestrial...so you're going to have to track the album down  But, once again, Frontiers has found a quality band to resurrect, and I doubt most fans of the band from 30 years ago are going to find anything to complain about here.

Rating:  A step up from Revolution Day, but perhaps still a step behind Wild America, Bastards Of Beale is crankable, nonetheless!  Crank this to 7.5!

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SILVERTUNG "(But, At What Cost??!)

(c) 2019 Thermal Entertainment

1. Dodging Bullets
2. Feeling Inhuman
3. World Gone Mad
4. Wise Up
5. Black Sunset
6. You're Fine
7. Done My Best

Speed--Lead Vocals, Guitar

Codey--Lead Guitar

Danno--Drums

Sam Sour--Bass

Baltimore, Maryland isn't exactly a hotbed for the hard rock/metal industry, but Silvertung is doing their best to change that impression.  In fact, they have been doing so for some time now, as (But, At What Cost??!) is the band's fifth release in six years, and they have placed at least three tracks in the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, with "Face The Music" being the one that sticks out in my mind the most.  They've also garnered stage time with some serious heavyweights of the hard music scene, with opening slots for Godsmack, Anthrax, and Shinedown.  And now, with (But, At What Cost??!), the time may be now for this band to step fully into the spotlight.

This maxi-EP (7 songs is pretty long for an EP, but not really enough for a standard LP) kicks off with the hard rocking, "Dodging Bullets".  An aggressive, modern rocker, with tight, swirling guitars and relentless drums, "Dodging Bullets" is the perfect stage-setter for this band, as it includes everything they are about.  Speed's snarling-yet-oddly-melodic vocals rise above the musical fray on this scorching affair that would be perfect for a WWE or UFC promo song!  It sounds to me like there are some keys, or some sort of electronic programming effects here that are uncredited on the promo release I received, but they merely add to the mix here, rather than detract, and the guitar solo from Codey is a rather impressive chunk of work.

"Feeling Inhuman" continues the aggressive groove, again with some electronic elements mixed into the undercurrent of a track that carries a bit of a nu-metal feel, especially in the down-tuned guitars and the way Speed echoes the song's title in the chorus sections near the end.

"World Gone Mad" is a definite contender for best track on the release, with a chugga-chugga guitar riff punctuating the verse sections, and Speed once again adding an element of melody to his otherwise sneering vocals.  Utilizing an interesting vocal bridge/breakdown section rather than a guitar solo, the song carries a bit of a Rob Zombie feel to it, but not so much as to come across as a rip-off of any sort.  Sour's bass is definitely a presence on this track, as well, and the sing-along chorus is just the hook to complete the package.   

"Wise Up" is probably the angriest of the songs here, and it works well.  I really felt like I had heard this song before, somewhere, but I think it's just the catchy songwriting approach used on the chorus that feels so familiar.  Speed's snarling, barking vocals, especially on the ultra-aggressive chorus, mixed with the discordant guitars that rip through the section between the last two runs through said chorus, really set this song apart from most of the rest of the album.  I have a feeling this may end up in my new workout mix.

For much of the track, "Black Sunset" is rather reminiscent of a big Godsmack arena rocker, and that's a dang fine thing!  Bursting at the seams with metal-tinged angst, "Black Sunset" is a crushing mass of vocal fury, with a big vocal breakdown, with all sorts of angry barking and fist-punching-the-air, "Hey! Hey! Heys!"  I dig this track, no question.

"You're Fine" is another solid rocker, although it is rather repetitive in the lyrics, and it seems the track is over before it ever really got things going.  Normally that would be a frustrating thing, but it gets us to "Done My Best" that much quicker, and that is a good thing.  

The lead single from this release, "Done My Best" has a metallic "swing" feel to it, with some excellent footwork from Danno really helping to set the tone here.  Lots of stop-start guitars in the verse sections, and some nice twin guitar work in the chorus really set this song apart from anything else here, as do the gang-shouted layers on parts of each of the verses. Despite its aggressive vocal delivery, its impossible to miss the big, catchy hook here, and this is a track that I think should see some rapid, upward movement on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, as well as on Octane, and open-minded terrestrial radio stations that don't bow down to what the corporate rock gods think people want to hear (do such stations exist?).  I would have loved to hear Codey unleash a blazing solo here, rather than the nu-metallish breakdown that is employed, but this minor deficiency does  nothing to damper my feelings for this song.  Definitely a winner of a track here, and probably my favorite, although both "World Gone Mad" and "Black Sunset" are also big songs for me, as is the blood-pumping crusher, "Wise Up".         

Plenty of heavy riffage can be found throughout the album, and the production from Steven Wright (Slipknot, Mars Volta) brings an edge to the band's sound that should help it to fit right in...without blending into the modern rock landscape of 2018-2019.  Each track here is crisp and tight, without tons of extraneous intro or outro monotony to wade through, with every slap to the face track clocking in at between 2:45 and 3:47.  Of course, if you do the quick math, you also understand that this album...again, I'm calling it a maxi-EP...hits the stopwatch button before half an hour has passed, which is a bit of a bummer, as I was just starting to feel like I was good and warmed up by the time "Done My Best" wraps things up.   

Overall, a really fine effort from the band and one that I hope gives them more than a passing glance from the modern rock community, even if it's just so Speed can buy a jacket with two sleeves (watch the video, you'll get what I mean...).

Rating:  A crankable way to start the new year for these guys!  Give this seven track effort a seven on your dial!

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