STEEL PANTHER "Balls Out"

(c) 2011 Universal Records

1. In The Future (featuring Dane Cook)
2. Supersonic Sex Machine
3. Just Like Tiger Woods
4. 17 Girls In A Row
5. If You Really, Really Love Me
6. It Won't Suck Itself (featuring Nuno Bettancourt and Chad Kroeger)
7. Tomorrow Night
8. Why Can't You Trust Me
9. That's What Girls Are For
10. Gold Digging Whore
11. I Like Drugs
12. Critter
13. Let Me Cum In
14. Weenie Ride

Japanese Bonus Tracks
  15.  Do Ya Wanna Do Me
  16.  Handicapped Slut

Michael Starr  (Ralph Saenz)--Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Satchel (Russ Parrish)--Rhythm, Lead, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals
Lexxi Foxxx (Travis Haley)--Bass, Background Vocals
Stix Zadinia (Darren Leader)--Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals

Well, ready or not, Steel Panther is back with more KILLER hair metal songs and HORRIBLE lyrics.  You loved Feel The Steel?  You're likely to love this one also.  Embarrassed to admit you listened to Feel The Steel all the way through before turning it off?  You're not even going to want to open the wrapper on this one! 

I'm not going to waste the time going through each and every one of these songs, as you either love the porno-set-to-hair metal lyrics and humor of this band or you don't, so there is no sense in breaking each of these juvenile tracks down on an individual basis.  The titles are pretty much self-explanatory, anyway.  As such, I can review this entire album in just a couple of paragraphs.  This is easily one of the best hair metal albums to come out in decades...no, seriously...as far as the music goes.  Musically, there is not a single weak song here (minus the non-song intro), with huge solos (including one from Mr. Nuno Bettancourt), thunderous drums, throbbing bass (oops...now I sound like the band's lyrics!), and excellent backing vocals.  The production is top-notch, the mix is perfect...everything about this album is phenomonal...except the lyrics.

I am NOT a prude by any stretch of the imagination.  I loved W.A.S.P. back in the day and I've sung along to the worst that Motley Crue, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, or anyone else ever put out on vinyl, tape, or CD.  But NOTHING, not even W.A.S.P.'s "Animal" comes close to the utter trash and filth these guys have recorded here.  And yes, I get it, it's a joke.  It's just that it's the same joke done fourteen times to different tunes and slightly different tempos and rhythms with different (albeit GREAT) guitar solos wrapped around it.  It gets old...fast.  If Steel Panther wanted to keep three or four of these songs and also mix in six or seven REAL songs, I could even manage to consider the album something other than a XXX comedy album.  Sadly they don't, and I can't.

Folks, I want to LOVE this record.  As good as Feel The Steel was musically, this one is even better.  But as bad as the last one was lyrically, this one may actually be even worse.  So...as I stated in the opening paragraph, if you liked the first album, you will most likely love this one.  However, if you want to be able to listen to an album at full volume without worrying about the police being called and you being charged with public indecency, this album is one best left unopened...or unpurchased!

Rating:  Once again, musically, I would LOVE to crank this album to 9 but lyrically, I have to recommend just turning it off.

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HEARTLESS "Five Bullets In Your Heart"

(c) 2011 Independent   

1. Baby Maybe Someday'
2. Heartless
3. Stolen By Summer
4. The End Of Summer
5. Rock N Roll Dirty Dream   

Alpha--Bass

Rob--Vocals

Simo--Guitars

Ste--Drums

Hailing from Italy, the four guys in Heartless claim a rather odd mixture of musical influences, especially when the sound they come up with is considered.  While they claim such artists as Bryan Adams, Motley Crue, Kiss, Chuck Berry, Poison and The Beatles as some of their influences, virtually NONE of these can be heard in the music they have created on their debut EP, Five Bullets In Your Heart.  What the listener is given is a pop-punk/sleaze amalgamation that while energetic and up-beat, does not do a whole lot as far as forging new ground musically.  It's not a bad effort, just not overly memorable, in my opinion.

The EP starts off with the frantically rocking "Baby Maybe Someday", which is the band's first single which, according to their MySpace page, was first released in January of 2010.  The mix on this song, and on the entire album, is very bass heavy and rather muddy.  I don't know if this is intentional or not, but it is somewhat distracting to have the bass buzzing so loudly that I actually turned off the sub-woofer on my computer's sound system so I could more clearly hear the guitar solos.  This was a good move on my part as the guitar player, Simo, is one of the true highlights of this band.  His solo on "Baby Maybe Someday" is the best part about the song but it is absolutely buried with the full bass included.  

The follow-up track, "Heartless", is another pop-punk anthem that really sounds like it would have been at home in the punk clubs of the early 80's, complete with mohawked-and-safety-pin-pierced punks slam dancing in a pit in front of the stage.  This is a truly bizarre song, as musical pace of this song has to be described as breakneck early on before taking an odd down-tempo turn at about 2:40 into the song that, quite frankly reminds me of a 1970's kind of jam-band going off on some weird musical tangent.  Once again, Simo's guitar solo on this piece is strong and his instrument carries a really nice tone, but yet again it is buried by the bass which is the driving force on this track.  The track kicks back into gear at about 4:30 with the previously mentioned solo by Simo, but by this point, honestly, I have lost interest in the song and had to go back for a couple of extra listens to get a feel for the song.  I'm really beginning to get the feeling that Alpha is not only the bass player but perhaps the founding member of this band, which would explain why his instrument is so out front in all of these songs (and why his name is listed first in the credits, which is a bit odd....).      

Back-to-back "summer" songs follow, with "Stolen By Summer" and "The End Of Summer", which made me think this might be some kind of concept thing (it's not, at least as far as I can tell).  "Stolen..." starts off with an acoustic guitar intro and a quieter vocal moment which shows Rob actually singing rather than using the punkish "Geddy Lee meets Sid Vicious" nasal vocals and screams he employs throughout the rest of the album.  The track is a rather airy-70's feeling track with an odd guitar solo that has an almost flamenco feel to it and sounds eerily similar to the Eagles' "Hotel California" at times.  In fact, that song is a good idea of what I think Heartless was aiming for with "Stolen By Summer", and they may have been able to pull it off (or at least come a bit closer) had the bass not destroyed the emotion of the track.  "The End Of Summer", it turns out, is a nearly five minute long instrumental that starts off with a guitar intro that appears to be an exercise in showing Simo's talent and actually reminds me of something Tesla might use.  At the 1:10 mark, however, the band kicks into a punkish-pace once again but keeps a 70's influenced guitar tone throughout.  Simo gets the chance to really shine on this track, and it is actually the high point of this effort for me, which is really saying something as I usually consider instrumental tracks on an otherwise vocal album to be filler.  Not the case here.

The closer is another up-tempo rocker, this time giving the drummer, Ste, a chance to put his talent on display for a considerably long solo stretch.  Once again, the guy has talent, there is no doubt, but this constant changing of tempos and employment of multiple solos and musical styles inserted into otherwise punkish songs is distracting at best and generally is just annoying.


I wish I could find something to say about the band as a unit that is more positive, but it is difficult to do with the way this project is put together.  Like I mentioned, this has the feeling of a jam band kind of setting, like the band went into the studio with no real idea of how the songs were going to turn out until they heard the final recorded output.  The bass is just overpowering throughout this EP and the lack of any kind of structure to the songs really damages what I think could be some interesting, if not amazing songs.  I hope the fact that this band is getting some exposure with Atomic Stuff Promotions will give them the opportunity to better record their next effort, with an actual producer giving some direction to the music these guys make.


Rating:  Turn this down to a 4.5, with the instrumental track really being the defining cut here.


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ETERNAL RYTE "Anthology"

(c)2007 Roxx ProductionsDisc 1

1. Tightrope Dancer
2. Requiem
3. Someone To Love
4. Say Hello
5. The Killer
6. Surrender
7. On The Line
8. You And Me
9. The King
10. No More Lies
11. Forever Free *
12. He's A Killer (Version 2) *
13. No More Lies *
14. No Place To Hide *
15. Stand Up *
16. King Of Kings *

(* 1987 Anthem demo)

Disc 2

1. Intro **
2. Armed For Action **
3. Fight For The Light **
4. He's A Killer (Version 1) **
5. Quiet Times **
6. Run For Your Life **
7. Winners Take All **
8. On The Line (live) ***
9. Fight For The Light (live) ***
10. Someone (live) ****
11. Requiem (live) ****
12. No More Lies (live) +
13. King Of Kings (live) +
14. Tightrope Dancer (live) +

(** 1986 unreleased demo, *** Live Metal Mardi Gras, **** Live 10/28/89, +Live Metal Meltdown)

Limited Edition DVD (only 100 copies made)

1. Fight For the Light (live)
2. King Of Kings (live)
3. No More Lies (live)
4. On The Line (live)
5. World Requiem (live)
6. Someone (live)
7. Tight Rope Dancer (live)

Phil St. Vincent--Vocals
Bobby Smith--Guitars
Fred Gustavson--Bass
Scott Ernest--Drums

Wow.... If there is ANYTHING out there from this band that is not included on this extremely comprehensive collection, I have no idea what it could be, as here we are treated to the band's 1988 full-length album, World Requiem (remastered, no less!), two different demos, and three sets of live material. Oh...and if you pre-ordered the set, you also got a limited edition DVD called A Long Time Comin'... that was limited to just the first 100 pre-orders! That is a lot of material to sort through, but it is a treasure trove for fans of this gone-too-soon Heavenly hair metal band from Southern California!

Musically, disc one is by far the superior disc of the two, which is understandable since it contains the band's only fully produced release in 1988's World Requiem. However, people who have the original Pure Metal release would likely tell you the production on that effort is very bad, even borderline terrible in places, as it is extremely thin sounding with virtually no bottom end. That problem has been rectified here, as this version has been remastered, giving the songs a much fuller, more complete sound. As a result, songs like "Tightrope Dancer", "The Killer", and "On The Line" are really given a chance to shine like they should have originally, and they rival the quality of much of what was coming out of the Sunset Strip scene at the time. "Surrender" is another top-notch rocker, and "You And Me" sounds somewhat Stryper-esque, especially in their Yellow And Black Attack era style. One of my favorite songs by the band, "Someone To Love", comes off even more powerfully now that the mix has been beefed up, and the gang vocals have even more punch to them. Of course, the fact that Bobby Smith is a top-notch guitar hero stands out even more now that the production and mastering has been cleaned up, and I dare say he was every bit as good as his secular contemporaries on the Strip at this time. St. Vincent's lower-tenor register is strong, but I do wish he had a bit more upper range at times, as some of the songs would have benefitted from some upper range vocals. Do not mistake this for me saying that St. Vincent couldn't scream, however, as that is definitely not the case.

As far as the demo material goes, both demos are of above-average quality for demos. I already owned the Anthem demo, but the source tape for this one was of somewhat better quality than my played-to-death copy, and it is nice to have these songs in a cleaner sounding form. There is not a ton of difference between the demo version of these songs and those that made it onto the World Requiem album, but there are subtle differences. One of the most noticable things is that St. Vincent has a grittier, harsher vocal approach, which I think really works well. "He's A Killer", which of course morphed into "The Killer", is a prime example of where St. Vincent's vocals are actually superior in demo form. There is a bit of a tape problem on "No More Lies" on the demo, but this is the only real demo issue here. On the unreleased demo, the songs are again fairly similar, if a bit crunchier. I had a bootleg version of this demo and it was not in very good shape, but I listened to it because it contained a couple of songs not found elsewhere. "Armed For Action" is my favorite of these, but "Quiet Times" and "Fight For The Light" are pretty good, as is "Run For Your Life", although all are a bit predictable in lyrical content.

The live material is a bit hit-or-miss, basically due to the quality of the source tapes. All show the skill and tightness of the band, but I'll let you sort out your favorites from the seven live cuts here.

As you can see from the picture, my copy is autographed as I had pre-ordered this album from Roxx when it was first being discussed. Additionally, I also received the limited edition DVD (#65/100), which features seven songs taken from a show the band did. The production on the DVD is excellent and the video quality is actually very good considering its age. While I generally am not a huge fan of "watching my music", this was a nice touch, especially for the collectors.

The only thing missing from this collection is the lyrics to the songs, which would have been a nice touch but would have also increased the size of the already-6-page insert considerably. As it stands now, numerous promo photos and poster pictures are included here, as are band thank-you's, a band history, and a write-up from Heaven's Metal writer, Jonathan Swank.

Roxx Productions really outdid themselves here and, in my opinion, set the standard for what a career retrospective should look like. Hopefully other labels that attempt to release smaller bands' material will take note and follow suit, as this is just an awesome collection to have.

Rating: I think it's unfair to rate an entire collection like this based just on sound quality, production, etc., as the history is a huge part of this package. As such, this collector's set is definitely a crankable 10, even if the music contained ranges from a 6 to an 8.5...

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DUFF McKAGAN "It's So Easy (And Other Lies)"--BOOK REVIEW

(c) 2011 Touchstone Books
McKagan is the third Guns member to publish his memoirs, along with Slash and Steven Adler, and it is by far the best read of the three.  McKagan and his co-writer Tim Mohr, have put together a comprehensive, very reader-friendly history of the Guns N' Roses bass player's life from before, during, and after the GnR experience.  His life as a drug addict, and as a recovering addict, is well chronicled, as are his exploits with what many consider to have been the most dangerous band in the world during the height of the Gunner's run.  Duff's views on the rise, the peak, and the collapse of the band is entertaining and informative without an overly inordinate amount of finger pointing, although his frustration and anger with Axl's behavior at the time is not hidden.  The Velvet Revolver years are also given the autobiographical treatment, but not nearly to the extent the GnR years are covered, although the on-again/off-again struggles with Scott Weiland are given a good dose of coverage here.  Additionally, McKagan talks about his Seattle punk roots (such fabulously named bands such as The Fartz and the Fastbacks), his new band, Loaded, and even his stint with the re-formed Alice In Chains is also touched upon briefly.  He also discusses his solo record, his unreleased solo record (some bitterness there!), and his one-off project called the Neurotic Outsiders with Steve Jones, Matt Sorum, and Johnathan Taylor. 

People not familiar with McKagan's story are likely to find themselves intrigued about Duff's forays into mountain biking, the martial arts, mountain climbing, marathon running, a return to college, and ventures in the business and writing worlds...all of which he found himself successful at to one degree or another.  Marriage, however, was something McKagan required multiple tries at before finding success and, as is made obvious in the book, he has finally found his soul-mate and his missing half and has become a happy, successful family man.

All three of the Gunner's books so far share similar stories and really don't diverge too much on the rise and fall of GnR, which is nice because it adds a lot of credibility to everyone's story that they remember things pretty much the same way.  (Obviously Adler doesn't have the information about the Illusions years that Slash and Duff have...).   It is obvious that McKagan is far more able to reconcile his feelings about Axl and the way things went down, and McKagan still considers the moody lead singer a friend to this day. 

There are a few pages of color photos from various points in McKagan's life, which I think are always a good inclusion.  These range from band photos to family photos and really help to shine a light on the man in the various worlds he has been a part of in his life.

I devoured the 350+ page book in less than 3 days and consider it an excellent read that any fan of Guns N Roses, or likely even Velvet Revolver, will want to have in their collection.

Rating:  A page turner, for sure....

JEFF JONES "Spaced"

2010 XXX Records

1. Queen Of Hollywood
2. No Satisfaction Blues
3. Hell To Pay
4. Addiction
5. Resurrecting
6. Control
7. Not Your Love
8. Hate Me
9. Miss Tragedy
10. Bad Motor Girl
11. Bad Love
12. Underground

Jeff Jones--Everything

To the uninitiated, Jeff Jones was the driving force behind the late 1970's through mind-1980's hard rock group St. Elmo's Fire, and also part of the excellent underground sleaze act, Vamp LeSatat.  While neither one was exactly what would be referred to as a household name, both were top-notch bands as far as talent goes, and Jones' guitar playing was definitely head-and-shoulders above that of most players in the Hollywood scene, especially as far as playing the more melodic, often blues-influenced style that so many glam and hair bands abandoned in the early-to-mid 80's. 

Stylistically, Jones' the songs here run the range from Page or Blackmore-styled riffing to AC/DC or even early Priest-styled metal.  While this may seem a bit of an odd combination of styles and sounds, it is not entirely unexpected from a compilation album or older material, and it actually serves to keep the listener's interest piqued for what may come up next. 

My copy is an odd combination of a slip-sleeve/digipack thing, so there are no credits here and I have no idea who is playing on the rest of these songs if it is not Jeff all on his own.  This is a bit of a shame, to be honest, because the rhythm section on many of these songs deserves mention as they are a tight unit, especially on songs like "No Satisfaction Blues", where the driving rhythm is a huge part of the song for me.  If Jones is truly doing everything, as I am guessing he is, then it adds all the more to the talent level the guy obviously possesses and makes this stuff all the more impressive.  The vocals are generally performed in a gritty style, typically in a mid-to-lower register with a bluesy, sometimes sleazy feel to them, such as on "Queen Of Hollywood" or my personal favorites, the short, buzzing rocker "Bad Motor Girl" and the classic-Def Leppard sounding (musically, anyway) "Miss Tragedy".  "Hell To Pay" has a definite Bon Scott-era AC/DC feel from the guitar tones to the production style, while "Resurrection" again reminds me of High And Dry-era Leppard.


Nothing here is likely to blow you away as overly original, as most of this older material is very reminiscent of the sounds of the time.  However, fans of the late 1970's and early 1980's more melodic classic rock sound are likely to find a LOT to like on this disc.  As with all of the material Jones' XXX Records has been reissuing and releasing, the production is very solid and cleans up very well, making even these older songs an enjoyable listen.  I do wish the backing vocals were a bit higher in the mix on some songs, but I think this issue may be a result of some limitations in transferring this older material to CD from the original source tapes. This is a minor issue, however, and does not ruin any of the songs by any means.  I'm anxious for the next batch of songs from the Jones' vault to be released for me to get to take a trip back down musical memory lane with...

Rating:  Rock this at a solid 6.5

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EXIT STATE "Black Veins"

(c) 2011 King Prawn Records/Rock Sector Records

1. Enough Already
2. In That Place
3. Tonight Be Free
4. Check Out The Crazy
5. Circles
6. Ten Years Later
7. Stay
8. Black Veins
9. Wasted
10. Out In The Rain
11. All For You
12. This Life

Roy Bright--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Phil Ireland--Bass, Backing Vocals

"Texas" Peat Hicks--Drums

Adam Stephenson--Lead Guitars

Exit State is a band that I knew virtually nothing about upon receiving this disc in the mail.  After doing a bit of research, it appears this is the band's second release and that they achieved at least moderate popularity with their debut album, Death Of A Rockstar.  While this is not normally the type of band that I would seek out on my own, Exit State is not a bad band by any means, nor is this a terrible album.  It has some very strong moments, to be honest, but it suffers from a couple of things, which I will touch on shortly.

First the good.  Exit State plays a catchy brand of alternative-influenced hard rock with some punkish overtones.  Sounds like an odd mix, I know, but it works for the most part, especially on the up-tempo numbers where the band's energy really comes through.  The guitar tandem on this album of Bright and Stephenson is particularly adept at playing this style of music and seem to feed off of each other.  Unfortunately, according to the band's bio page on the Rock Sector website, Stephenson has left the band for personal reasons and a permanent replacement has not yet been found.  Hopefully a new member won't disrupt the creative balance of this band because when they are on, they are definitely a solid band.  Ireland's bass is also strong, especially evidenced on songs like "Stay" where his lines are right out in front, driving the tempo of the track, which I think is one of the strongest on the disc.  "Out In The Rain" is another song where the bass can really be felt.

"Raw" is a good term to describe the sound of much of this album, but not in a negative way at all.  There is no feeling of overproduction here, yet all of the instruments are easily heard in the mix most of the time.  There are a couple of songs that come across as a bit muddy, such as the album closer, "This Life", but this is the exception rather than the rule.  Most of the songs are not overly complex, but I think that also adds to the emotion and grit of the disc in general, and it makes for some catchy moments. 

As far as stand out cuts go, the ballad, "All For You" is easily the best track here and is one of those emotional moments where, despite the fact that Bright's vocals are not overly polished, the power of the lyrics and his delivery comes through very well.  The solo on this song, which is one of the real highlights of the album, is provided by guest axe-slinger Gizz Butt from Prodigy.  Not being a fan of Prodigy in even the smallest way, I was surprised to hear something like this solo coming from his guitar, and I would have loved to have heard more songs like this.  Other good songs include the title track, "Enough Already", and the really catchy "Check Out The Crazy".

At 12 songs, I feel the album is about three tracks too long.  There is definitely a small handful of lesser songs here (dare I say "filler"), and I think that if the album was pared back to 9, or maybe 10, songs it would stay fresher.  As it is, there are a couple of tunes, that kind of get lost in the wash and sound too samey with the rest of the album.  In fact, it took me four or five spins through before I could even really recall hearing a couple of the songs, which is not really a good sign.  Still, this is a worthwhile effort and the high points, such as "All For You" do a good job of making up for some of the lesser moments.

Rating:  Rock this at 6

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CINDERELLA "Caught In The Act"

(c) 2011 Mausoleum Records

1. The More Things Change
2. Push, Push
3. Hot And Bothered
4. Shelter Me
5. Night Songs
6. Somebody Save Me
7. Heartbreak Station
8. Last Mile
9. Coming Home
10. Fallin' Apart At The Seams
11. Don't Know What You've Got
12. Nobody's Fool
13. Gypsy Road
14. Shake Me

DVD Tracklisting

1. More Things Change
2. Push Push
3. Sick For The Cure
4. Make Your Own Way
5. Night Songs
6. Back Home Again
7. Somebody Save Me
8. Heartbreak Station
9. Coming Home
10. Fallin' Apart At The Seams
11. Love's Got Me Doin' Time
12. Drum Solo
13. Love Gone Bad
14. Don't Know What You've Got
15. Nobody's Fool
16. Gypsy Road
17. Shake Me
18. Shelter Me

Tom Keifer--Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Jeff Labar--Guitars
Eric Brittingham--Bass, Vocals
Fred Coury--Drums, Violin


Perhaps one of the cruelest stories of the 1980's hard rock/hair metal era is the sad situation Cinderella finds themself in today. As the story goes, Cinderella was pretty much roped into a brutal contract when they first signed and, more than 25 years later, the band finds themselves still trying to find a way out of it without having to give the label what could end up being the band's last chance for new material.  As a result, we are constantly fed (and in this case, re-fed) a steady stream of greatest hits and live compilations from one of the VERY few bands who has not changed line-ups, still tours on a regular basis, and still maintains a solid fanbase.  Despite Tom Keifer's on-again/off-again vocal problems and the occasional side-project from the members, Cinderella is still Cinderella and they are still one of the best (in my opinion) bands of the genre or that generation. 

While Cinderella is unable to record for anyone else, apparently other labels do not have the same problem releasing Cinderella's stuff, as it seems a different label pops up with a new Cinderella release every year or two.  Now it is Mausoleum's turn.  The sad thing is that Caught In The Act is simply a repackaging of Live At The Key Club that was released on Dead Line Records back in 1999.  That's right...it's the same show, recorded originally in 1998, so if you already own the Dead Line version, the only possible reason to pick up Caught In The Act is the bonus DVD.

Now, the DVD itself is really nothing all that special as far as the quality of the performance, unless you have not been fortunate enough to see Cinderella live.  The DVD is well-enough recorded, I guess, but it is pretty much what you would expect...Cinderella performing live at the Key Club.  What makes this DVD special is the tracklisting, as the band performs some very obscure songs that I have not found on any other live recordings anywhere else.  "Sick For The Cure", "Make Your Own Way", "Love's Got Me Doing Time", "Love Gone Bad", and one of my all-time Cinderella faves, "Back Home Again" all find their way onto the DVD of this set.  These songs are the ONLY reason I would buy this package, and even then it stinks that I have to WATCH them, rather than listening to them.  Had the label transferred the audio from the DVD and made a full two-disc live album, I would have been ecstatic, as we would at least be getting some new audio material that hasn't been packaged and re-packaged a thousand and one times.  Sadly, it was not to be....

The sound quality is pretty good overall, and Tom's voice was still fairly strong at this time...not yet having gone through the problems the early 2000's would bring...so it is a pretty good live CD, just not anything that you probably don't already own.  If you don't have either version, go ahead and snap this one up for the DVD if for no other reason.  However, as I stated earlier, if you already have Live At The Key Club, unless you are a person who likes to watch their music instead of listening to it, I wouldn't bother to replace it.

Rating:  Rock the CD at 5.5 simply because it is a rehash. The DVD gets a crank-worthy 7 due to the rare songs contained.

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SEBASTIAN BACH "Kicking And Screaming"

(c) 2011 Frontiers Records

1. Kicking And Screaming
2. My Own Worst Enemy
3. Tunnelvision
4. Dance On Your Grave
5. Caught In A Dream
6. As Long As I've Got The Music
7. I'm Alive
8. Dirty Power
9. Live The Life
10. Dream Forever
11. One Good Reason
12. Lost In The Night
13. Wishin'

Sebastian Bach--Lead Vocals
Nick Sterling--Lead Guitars, Bass, Backing Vocals
Bobby Jerzombek--Drums, Backing Vocals
John 5--Guitars on "Tunnelvision"

Many people hailed 2007's Angel Down as the return of Bas, although I don't know that he ever really left, to be honest.  Sure, his previous solo effort had been a live album of him covering himself as the lead vocalist of Skid Row, but he also did the very solid Frameshift album Absence Of Empathy, the somewhat under-the-radar DVD Forever Wild, and found himself on numerous tribute albums.  Oh, and there was also that stint starring in "Jesus Christ, Superstar" and several appearances on VH1 shows as a host of various hard rock and heavy metal countdowns.  Not exactly laying low....

If there was one knock on the Angel Down project, it would be that a lot of people felt Bas had abandoned singing in favor of a more screamed vocal style, and that is a fair assessment.  I think that this partly Bach feeling like he had something to prove and partly the fact that he still had a lot of anger and bitterness stored up inside of him, but I also think a lot of people forget that this was something he had been progressing toward as far back as the last Skid Row album.  He appears to be largely over whatever it was that motivated him to sing/scream in that manner, however, as Kicking And Screaming is far more in line with Slave To The Grind-era Sebastian Bach vocals...and it works incredibly well!  In fact, I dare say this is the album that both Bach and Skid Row have each been trying to record since the two camps went their separate ways, as neither has come even close to this performance level since that split.

What makes this album so special, aside from Bas's return to singing, is the introduction of the totally unknown Nick Sterling as guitarist and bassist for this album.  Folks, I don't know here this kid was hiding (and I do mean kid...he's not even half of Bach's 44 years old...), but I can tell you there are a LOT of bands that wish they had found him.  This kid is a whiz on both stringed instruments, with some killer leads and solos scattered throughout the disc, as well as solid rhythm and bass playing to really cement the songs together.  Bach would do well to keep this kid under some kind of contract for future recording efforts because Sterling is a truly gifted player that would seem to still have many years of musical growth and maturation that will supplement his already incredible talents.

As far as the songs go, several have a very Slave-ish feel to them, although with a more modern production sound.  "As Long As I Got The Music" is a prime example of this, and is one particular track where Sterling shines as well.  Other songs, such as the title track and "Tunnelvision" lean more in the modern rock direction while still retaining a strong sense of melody.  Wanting a power ballad or two?  "I'm Alive" fits that bill nicely, and while not a full-fledged lighter-hoister, "Dream Forever" is another slower number that allows Bach to showcase his talents.  "Wishin'" is another slower track that rounds out the disc really well.  For my money, however, Bach is at his best on the faster numbers here, with "One Good Reason", "Dance On Your Grave", and "Dirty Power" all being nice and aggressive while still retaining the types of hooks that sink into your skin and refuse to let go.

A couple of tracks miss ever-so-slightly, at least to me.  "Caught In A Dream" is one that comes to mind.  It isn't that it is a terrible song, and musically, it is actually one of my favorites, but something about Bas' delivery, especially on the chorus, bugs me.  This is the only song that the "whiney" side of Bach's vocals really rears its ugly head.  This has occasionally been a problem in his live performances, even going back to the Skid Row days, but rarely did it find its way onto an album.  This is one of those few times.  "Lost In The Night" is a song that I absolutely love...until the chorus.  This song is smoking, really chugging along...and then the chorus just seems to bog it down somehow.  Maybe more time with this track will change my mind, and by no means does it warrant skipping...I don't know...something about it just seems a bit off, at least for me right now.

There is no doubt this album will crack numerous people's top ten of 2011 lists, mine likely included; a top twenty slot is absolutely guaranteed.  It will be interesting to see if Skid Row attempts to pick up the gauntlet that Bach has thrown down here and step up with a comeback album of their own, but I highly doubt they will be able to come close to this album, as Kicking And Screaming is extremely solid, very entertaining, and full of attitude...something both acts have been missing since saying a not-so-nice goodbye to each other.

Rating:  Crank this baby to 9.

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HELIX "Skin In The Game EP"

(c) 2011 Sleaze Roxx Music

1. William Tell Overture
2. Skin In The Game
3. The Bitch Is A Bullet
4. Angelina
5. Champagne Communist

Brian Vollmer--Lead Vocals
Brent Doerner--Lead Guitars
Kaleb Duck--Guitars
Daryl Gray--Bass, Keyboards
Fritz Hinz--Drums

Okay, I have to admit, I have NO CLUE why Brian Vollmer decided to start out his latest Helix offering with the instrumental "William Tell Overture".  To say that it is a bit bizarre to start off ANY album with an instrumental, let alone an EP that only has five songs, would be an understatement.  However, this oddity perhaps best displays the fact that Vollmer and his band are still doing things their own way, traditions be damned.

Skin In The Game manages to reunite most of the commercially popular 1980's Helix line-up, as Vollmer is joined again by Brent Doerner, Daryl Fray, and Fritz Hinz, with newcomer Kaleb Duck playing second guitar.  As one might expect with this "classic" line-up in place, there is really nothing new that is done in these five tracks to make the listener wonder just who the heck they are listening to.  This EP sounds just like Helix, with Vollmer at times sounding a bit like Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame, as per his usual sound.  There are no ballads to be found here, with all the songs being mid-to-uptempo rockers.  "Angelina" is the most polished sounding of the tracks here, lending a bit of a classic rock vibe to the effort, but still sounding at home among the rest of the grittier, gruffer sounding cuts.  "Champagne Communist" features some obvious keyboard elements not as present on other songs, and Vollmer backs off a bit on the edginess of his vocals, but even these elements don't detract from the overall classic Helix sound.

If anything, Skin In The Game sounds like it could be a few songs that were left over from the band's last effort, "Vagabond Bones", but I have read elsewhere that this is not the case.  This makes me wonder a bit about why a band with the back catalog of Helix would be releasing an EP at this stage of their career, but, then again, Helix have never really done things the way every other band has, so who am I to question their methods or motives.  Helix still sounds largely like Helix, so if you are a fan, you will likely enjoy this little disc; if not, don't waste your time or cash.

Rating:  Rock this at 6.5...there's nothing earthshaking here, nor is there anything legacy-eroding.

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HOUSE OF LORDS "Big Money"

(c) 2011 Frontiers Records

1. Big Money
2. One Man Down
3. First To Cry
4. Someday When
5. Searchin'
6. Living In A Dream World
7. The Next Time I Hold You
8. Run For Your Life
9. Hologram
10. Seven
11. Once Twice
12. Blood

James Christian--Lead Vocals
Jimi Bell--Guitars
Chris McCarvill--Bass
BJ Zampa--Drums
Jeff Kent--Keyboard, Bass, Backing Vocals

House Of Lords does very little to surprise anyone whenever they put out a new album.  In fact, the biggest curiousity on an HoL album is who is going to be in the band other than quite possibly the most-underrated vocalist in the hard rock/AOR/melodic metal genre, James Christian.  If you pick up a House Of Lords album you expect strong vocals, above average-to-excellent songwriting, top-notch guitars, and a handful of truly memorable songs.  Big Money is not an exception on any of these fronts, as this is a very strong effort from one of the few bands of the 1980's/early 1990's who still sound almost EXACTLY the same now as they did then.

While I don't particularly care for the intro to the title track, the rest of the song is solid and a good indication of where this album will go, with a driving, up-tempo rhythm, powerful lead vocals, a great little guitar solo, and big, layered choruses.  Track two, "One Man Down" is easily one of my favorites, as it segues from an intro section that will remind many of "Can't Find My Way Home" into a blatantly Zeppelin-esque guitar riff and vibe that carries the last 2/3 of the track.  Killer, killer song, especially considering I am an openly non-fan of Led Zeppelin for the most part.  Elsewhere, songs like "First To Cry", "Seven", and "Run For Your Life" are just like an old, favorite sweatshirt:  incredibly comfortable, well-broken in and perfectly fitting, and so familiar you smile everytime you put it on...you just know this is what you came for when you pulled it out of the closet.  These songs are so purely House Of Lords that, if you are like me, you will feel like you have heard them before while at the same time grinning from ear-to-ear at the thrill of such great new music coming from a band you have loved for so long.

The band does experiment a little bit, with a song like "Hologram" using some minor vocal effects and layering on the chorus, for example, but not to such a degree that you start to wonder if you are listening to an entirely different band.  "First To Cry" is a bit more radio-friendly than many are used to hearing from HoL, but again it is not an annoyance, and the listener likely won't feel like this is a sell-out attempt so much as it is an attempt to tone down the "bigness" of the typical House Of Lords song.     

Christian is at the top of his game here, and never do I hear even a slight indication that he is struggling with his range or in maintaining his pitch and timbre.  Unlike David Coverdale, for example, who while still vocally powerful yet obviously not as rangey as he once was, Christian is able to reach the highs and scrape the lows that he has always used. 

Jimi Bell is an excellent addition to this studio-version of the band (I have no idea who will play live), and he is given multiple opportunities to shine on Big Money.  "Run For Your Life" has a great solo right before the closing chorus that gives him a chance to stretch the strings a bit.  "Seven" features another great solo, but nowhere is his influence on the album's sound more prominent than on the previously-gushed about song "One Man Down".  Excellent axework has always been a hallmark of  House Of Lords' albums, and Bell steps boldly into the shoes of the band's previous guitar heroes and meets or exceeds expectations at every turn.

This is not to say that this album is 100% without its flaws.  For one, it is a little bit odd to me that the bass is so low in the mix here, which leaves some songs missing a bit of punch.  Typically, Frontiers Records is known for solid production and mixing on its albums, but this one seems just a slight bit off.  It is not something that destroys any one song, but I think that hearing these songs live would really give a person a better idea of what Christian likely was hearing in his head, as the bass is typically more upfrong in the live setting.  Additionally, there are a couple of tracks where the keys are a bit more "in your face" than they have been at any time since Greg Giuffria left the band.  "Someday When" is a prime example of this.  Again, it is not a terrible song, and the keyboards don't kill it off, but they do very nearly overpower the guitar here, especially with the subdued bass lines.

Overall, this is yet again another extremely solid effort from House Of Lords, and I expect that Big Money will find its way onto many year-end Top 10 lists, mine included.  Just how high it finishes will be largely influenced by what comes out in the last quarter of the year and just how highly releases from King Kobra, Night Ranger, Journey, Sebastian Bach, and a handful of others are ranked. 

Rating:  An absolutely crank-worthy album...dial it up to 9!  With a bit more bass, we may be looking at a 10 here...

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LIBERTY N' JUSTICE "Sin" (featuring Jani Lane)

(c) 2011 iTunes single, Up-R-North/Justin Murr Music

1. Sin

Jani Lane--Vocals
Kerri Kelli--Guitars
Bill Leverty--Guitars
JK Northrup--Guitars, Drums
Justin Murr--Bass

Sadly, the hair metal world lost a vocal icon with the passing of Jani Lane just a few weeks ago. With this song, Liberty N' Justce has released the last known full-studio recording by Lane...and it is an incredible song. Released on iTunes, this song will eventually be part of LnJ's Cigar Chronicles release in 2012, but fans of Lane, and of LnJ, can enjoy this truly amazing song now. A heartfelt ballad filled with excellent guitarwork, the lyrics to "Sin", much like those of "My Addiction", Lane's previous effort with LnJ, seems to really fit what everyone felt about the singer: he was a flawed individual with many demons and sins, but that he was trying to find his way through the haze his life appeared to be so many times. Lane co-wrote the song, along with Northrup, Murr, Kelli, and Scott Bolan, and a portion of the sales of the track will go to charity in the name of Jani Lane.

Warrant fans, Jani Lane fans, Liberty N' Justice fans, and fans of great hard rock will not want to miss this song at such a bargain price. Stop reading and go download it now...


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BULLETBOYS "Rocked & Ripped"

(c) 2011 Cleopatra Records

1. Dr. Feelgood
2. Livin' On A Prayer
3. Take Me Home Tonight
4. Faithfully
5. Balls To The Wall
6. Free Fallin'
7. Renegade
8. Falling In Love
9. F**kin' Perfect
10. The Rover
11. I'll See You In My Dreams
12. Colder Weather
13. Rehab
14. Broken Wings
15. Tiny Dancer
16. Smooth Up In Ya (2011 version)

Marq Torien--Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Congas
Greg Gatti--Guitars
Chris Turbis--Keyboards
Don "Dish" Bish--Drums

When, oh when, are we going to put a bullet in the idea of 80's bands doing all-covers albums?  Not only has the idea been done to death, it is not being done very well in most cases.  I wish I could say that this new Bulletboys attempt at the lame trend is the exception, but sadly it follows the rule.  This is generally NOT a good record at all, although there are a couple of above average tracks here and a few out-of-the-ordinary choices that keep from bombing totally.

Most of these albums fall into one of two camps.  There's the "do it as close to the original as possible" camp and then there's the "make it our own" camp.  Marq Torien and his "band" (he has fired all of these players at last report...) generally stick to the paint-by-numbers style here, with very little variation in most of the performances.  Musically, "Dr. Feelgood" is pretty much a clone of the Motley Crue version and, perhaps surprisingly to many, Vince Neil actually does a better job vocally than the usually smooth-Torien, who sounds like he is having a bit of trouble controlling his screams.  "Livin' On A Prayer", likewise, does virtually nothing musically to distinguish itself from the original, although less than stellar production doesn't help the sound.  On this track, however, Torien's voice sounds considerably stronger, but still not in the same arena as good ole' Jon.  Poor production once again damages what could have been one of the best songs on this album with the third track, a cover of Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight".  Torien's voice sounds really good here, but the recording is so muddy it is almost hard to listen to. 

I have to say that I was shocked to hear the attempt to cover Journey's "Faithfully" because you are talking about one of the most well-known hard rock/arena rock/AOR songs of all time.  Guess what.  It is probably the best song on this album and is EASILY the best cover version of this classic I have ever heard (unless you count the multiple versions of Journey covering themselves through the years...).  Torien doesn't try to outsing Steve Perry or alter the song to make it something it isn't, and as a result he really delivers here.  Excellent work here that gave me hope that maybe there were a few more gems to dig out here. 

Before we get to anything even remotely good, however, Torien and Co. absolutely BUTCHER a couple of classic songs.  "Balls To The Wall" is terrible, especially with the bizarre vocal effects Torien uses here.  Musically it is almost dead-on, but, wow...these vocals are BAD on the verses and, well, there is no other Udo, so Torien really stood no chance here.  This is one track that would have been better off left on the cutting room floor.  Tom Petty gets the slaughterhouse treatment next, as Torien really can't do the chorus justice and, once again, the production is just of very poor quality.  For a non-Petty fan like me to tell you I actually PREFER Petty's version is pretty bad, so take that for what it's worth. 

Things look up a bit with Styx's "Renegade".  Once again, a MASSIVE classic is actually handled fairly well here, so Torien is back in good graces with me for the time being.  However, that is pretty short-lived as "Falling In Love" by the Scorpions and "The Rover" by Zeppelin are just not performed well, in my opinion.  Sandwiched in there is a cover of a Pink song (yes, I said Pink), with "F**kin' Perfect".  I don't think I can come up with an adjective to explain how bad this song is...seriously...so I won't try, because terrible doesn't even begin to touch it.  The same can be said of the absolutely brutal performance of "I'll See You In My Dreams".  Seriously, Giant is about as close to AOR perfection as you can get and for someone with Torien's voice to attempt to pull off Dann Huff is laughable.  The production is, once again, abysmal, and the guitars are nowhere near the caliber of Huff's.  Again, a track that should never have been attempted.

"Colder Weather", for those who do not know, is a modern country song by the Zac Brown Band.  It is an odd choice for inclusion here, but it is performed pretty well in general, although there are still some muddy production issues.  Not a bad song at all and a gutsy call as this is a pretty popular song.  On the flip side, Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" is brutal...just brutal.  Of course, I don't like the original, so maybe I am being a bit harsh here.

"Broken Wings" is simply out of Torien's range, and on the occasions he is close, production again destroys the effort.  Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" fairs no better. 

The one thing you would think the band couldn't screw up is their own song...right?  Wrong.  Torien sounds like he has lost his ability to scream, and since that is how the song starts, things just go from bad to...well, not good at all.  Really sad to hear the one truly recognizable song of the Bulletboys (for most people, anyway) get such a rough reboot.

This is not a good record by any stretch of the imagination, and I would never recommend buying it.  If I was you, I'd shell out a couple of bucks to download the songs I gave good words to, and then track down originals of any of the other songs that interest you. 

Rating:  Turn this down to 4, with two or three tracks being all that kept me from turning it all the way off!

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MASTEDON "3"

(c) 2009 Frontiers Records

1. Revolution Of Mind
2. Slay Your Demons
3. Nowhere Without Your Love
4. One Day Down By The Lake (See You Real Soon)
5. Water Into Wine (Fassa Rokka)
6. Questions (It's About Time)
7. You Can't Take Anything
8. Lying
9. Western World
10. That's What You Do
11. Dust In The Wind (Bonus Track)

John Elefante--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Dan Needham--Drums, Percussion
Anthony Sallee--Bass
Tim Smith--Bass on "Slay Your Demons"
J.R. McNeely--Guitar on "Questions"
Dave Amato--Lead Guitar
Kerry Livgren--Lead Guitar
Dino Elefante--Acoustic and Electric Guitars

As one would likely expect, especially after looking at the list of players, there is a definite Kansas influence on this album in places, but it is not as overwhelming as one might believe.  For fans of that legendary progressive rock band, John Elefante is a familiar name as he was the vocalist and keyboard player on albums such as, Vinyl Confessions and Drastic Measures.  Additionally, Kerry Livgren's is a name that is exceptionally well known, not just to Kansas fans, but to fans of prog rock in general.  Even more, Mastedon chose to include an updated version of "Dust In The Wind" as a bonus track for this album.  But Elefante also does his best to mix in a heavy dose of melodic rock, AOR, and even some classic rock sounds on this latest effort from Mastedon.  With all the early hype this album was receiving, and with me really enjoying the first two Mastedon discs, it isn't surprising that I was really anticipating this new album which comes more than a decade after the last Mastedon effort.  So, does 3 stack up to the greatness of the legendary Kansas or to the equally great, though lesser-known outside of Christian circles, previous two Mastedon records?

In a word...no.

Sadly, I am pretty disappointed in the album overall.  There are some strong pieces here, but the songs really just don't do much for me.  Neither as progressive as anything Kansas did, nor as gritty or edgy as anything done on the previous Mastedon albums, 3 is an overall bland venture to my ears.  Sure, John's voice is still very strong and there is no doubt that Livgren is a highly talented guitarist, and that shows through in places here, also.  But something is missing, and I think I have a couple of ideas as to what that missing link (or links) may be.

First, the previous Mastedon albums were quasi-all-star albums.  Elefante recruited dfferent players and vocalists for various tracks on both It's A Jungle Out There and Lofcaudio, but on this album Elefante handles all the vocals and while Livgren and Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon) add some guest the lead guitars, this is basically a set band of John on vocals, brother Dino on guitars, Dan Needham on drums, and Anthony Sallee (formerly of Whiteheart) on bass.  As such, I think part of the problem for me is that there is not a great variety in the sounds here.  Yes, I know that most bands utilize the same musicians on every song, but that was what was unique about Mastedon, at least for me; I didn't view Mastedon so much as a band as a project, and that is now gone.

Secondly, this album is just too smooth and slick for its own good, which should be expected, at least to a degree, as this is what the Elefante Brothers are noted for in their production styles.  But with that smooth, slick production, some of the emotion seems to be lost in these songs that a bit rougher production might have brought out. 

Finally, this albums suffers from a problem that a lot of melodic rock/AOR albums seem to be suffering from recently:  mid-tempo syndrome.  Everything here is so mid-tempo (or slower in some cases) that everything just kind of runs together.  There are not a lot of highs or lows...just a bunch of middles.  A couple of tracks here seem to be begging to really rock out but they are never allowed to.  "Water Into Wine" and "Lying" are perfect examples of this, and are the "hardest" tracks on the disc, although I think "hard" is overstating it.  "That's What You Do" has some rock to it, also, but not a lot.  Otherwise, everything here is of about the same tempo unless it drifts solidly into ballad territory.  Sure, a lot of it is melodic with some high quality musical performances, with "Revolution Of Mind" and "Slay Your Demons" being a couple of tracks that come to mind, but incredible musicianship just doesn't equate to incredible songs, at least for me.

What is ironic is that the two songs I enjoy the most are the two I likely should NOT enjoy the most.  The remake of "Dust In The Wind" and the big progressive rocker "One Day Down By The Lake" are the two songs that I can honestly say I enjoy here.  Why is that ironic?  Simply put, I am not, nor have I ever been, a Kansas fan with the exception of a couple of songs, yet these two tracks have the biggest Kansas feel to them and are the two most unique sounding songs on the album.  To me, it really says something when a remake is considered a unique song.  That being said, Livgren is in fine form on "One Day..." and at more than ten minutes long, it does give the listener an expanded taste of what I think this album could have been but sadly is not.

Rating:  It is really hard for me to say this, but I would recommend turning this down to 4.

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FAITH NATION "Faith Nation"

(c) 1997 Nightworks Records

1. When God Came Down
2. We Shall Stand
3. Then Love Came In
4. Book Of Life
5. The Raven And The Dove
6. Eternally
7. Grace Me
8. All That I Am
9. Give Me More

Huey Peterson--Guitars
Chris Gilbertson--Vocals
Rick Helm--Keyboards
Matt McClay--Bass
Dan Roussin--Drums

Okay, be honest. Who knew that Faith Nation had a CD out BEFORE their Oridnary People release from 1999? Not this guy. In fact, I stumbled across this one totally by accident and picked it up on a whim, wondering if it was, in fact, the same band. The answer to that question is yes....and no.

I say no because other than lead guitarist and main songwriter Huey Peterson, and bass player Matt McClay, there are NO members on both albums. However, I also say yes because there is no mistaking the style and sound between the two albums. It's not like the two remaining members totally morphed their sound and became a different band between albums.

One thing that always makes me nervous is when I look at the band line-up, see five members, but only ONE guitar player. That, to me, screams keyboards are gonna be very prominent on this album. Not surprisingly, that is definitely the case here. On this self-titled album, things start off very promisingly with the rocking "When God Came Down" that, while incorporating a good dose of keys, still manages to keep the guitars out front for the most part and utilizes a solid, if short, guitar solo. This song is a very nice hard AOR track with some great vocals and an excellent message about God coming to Earth in the form of Christ. Very promising start.

Sadly, at least for me, things don't stay the course. "We Shall Stand" gets very keyboard-laden and almost wanders out of rock territory and into pure CCM territory. One cool thing about this song, however, is the way Peterson's solo weaves the classic Christmas carol "The Little Drummer Boy" into what turns out to be a nearly full minute long outro that also incorporates some of the words from "Amazing Grace". All in all, its a pretty cool song, just not overly hard rocking by any stretch.

"Then Love Came In" is the only true ballad on the album, but other songs such as "Eternally" and "All That I Am" are both decidedly much slower in tempo than the album requires, as it is rarely out of mid-tempo territory. A couple more real good hard rocking tunes would have served this disc well, but sadly after the opening track, the only real rockers are "Book Of Life" and "Grace Me", both of which remind me of Volz-era Petra for some reason. "The Raven And The Dove", oddly, sounds more akin to early Schlitt-era Petra, at least in the arrangement of the song.

Peterson rips off several tasty solos, with the efforts on "The Raven And The Dove", "All That I Am", and "Give Me More" being particularly strong. McClay and Roussin do a fine job of holding things together, and Gilbertson is a more than capable vocalist. In fact, I would go so far as to say I prefer Gilbertson's voice to that of James Salter who would leave The Brave and take over the microphone for Faith Nation on the next release. And, to be fair, Helm has a lot of talent on the keys...they are just far too heavily implemented for my tastes. As a fan of hair metal and melodic hard rock, I can appreciate keyboards as enhancement instruments, with the occasional big role in a well executed power ballad, but this album is so keyboard heavy it drips of sugary gooiness that I just can't swallow in large doses.

One thing that I noticed on this album as opposed to the follow-up disc, Ordinary People is that this disc is a lot less lyrically vague as far as a true Christian stance. That is repeatedly the number one knock I read on reviews of Ordinary People...that it is just so wishy-washy and spiritual, almost New Agey at times, rather than Christian in its lyrics. That is not the case here.

If you can find it, and you are a fan of the more well known Ordinary People, then by all means, pick up Faith Nation if you find it for under $10 or so. If you have to shell out more than that, which I am guessing you will, I personally wouldn't spend it; this album is just too slick, too keyboard heavy, and too CCM meets AOR for my tastes.

Rating: Turn this one down to 4.5, with Peterson's guitar solos being the only reason it scores that high.

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FALLING RED "Hasta La Victoria Siempre EP"

(c)2011 Rocksector Records

1. Come On Down
2. My Little Vice
3. The Last Kiss Goodbye
4. Ain't Down With The Rock

Rozey--Lead Vocals, Guitar
Shane Kirk--Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Millsy--Bass, Backing Vocals
Dave Sanders--Drums, Backing Vocals


Not even a full calendar year has passed and we have already been graced with a new release from one of the hottest, most-energetic sleaze bands of the modern generation.  Perhaps not wanting to risk being lost in the shuffle of new bands that come and go on a seemingly weekly basis, of perhaps simply because they like to do things their own way, Falling Red have decided to put out this incredibly high octane EP to tide fans over rather than wait another year or so to release a new full-length album.  I, for one, and dang glad they didn't wait!!!

Hasta La Victoria Siempre picks up exactly where Shake The Faith left off...and then twists the knobs a little higher.  This is four tracks of pure balls-to-the-wall adrenaline charged attitude.  Right from the first punkish-buzz of the guitar on "Come On Down", there is no doubt that Falling Red was not a simple one-shot act.  The sleaze just drips off the chords of this track and the band's collective middle fingers are raised to the modern rock establishment that simply couldn't contain a band of this caliber.  It's easy to see why these guys are sometimes referred to as the Guns N Roses of this generation, although I think such labels are dangerous as they rarely do justice to the bands being compared.  However, the attitude presented here, along with the gritty, ballsy performances, certainly lends itself to such a comparison.

"My Little Vice" backs off ever-so-slightly, but it is still an uptempo rocker with just a bit more mainstream Sunset Strip charm than Hollywood underbelly slime.  The guitars are once again the dominating feature on this track and Rozey's rhythm work coupled with Shane's leads offer up a nasty little teaser for anyone who missed out on Shake The Faith (if that's you, go get it...NOW!).

"The Last Kiss Goodbye" is the one song here that I think has true GnR worship written all over it, but it never goes into rip-off mode.  The guitar tone is very much in the same style as that which Slash used to such over-the-top excess on "November Rain".  With a bit of Skid Row in the vocal stylings, this is a monster of a power ballad that just screams for lighters to be held high when it's performed live.  I can honestly say I have not heard a ballad performed with this sense of power and urgency in a LONG time.  This is an awesome track that is not to be missed.

"Ain't Down With The Rock" is another nasty rocker that closes out this EP in true sleaze fashion.  Think of a much more highly charged antithesis to AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)".  Falling Red already salutes their fans on a regular basis, so, in their words, if you "Ain't Down With The Rock...F**K RIGHT OFF!"  Whether you view this as a warning (you know...in case YOU ain't down with the rock...), or as a kind of personal anthem, this is Falling Red at the top of their game attitude-wise, and is a great way to close out this EP.

Checking in at just shy of 16 minutes, this is almost too much of a tease, to be honest, as I was begging for a hidden track or something.  I simply didn't want this EP to end!  I truly hope that Falling Red has some other stuff already in the can somewhere, because this is one band that I do NOT want to have to wait a couple of years to hear from again.  These guys have their sound down to an absolute artform and I would rate them with the Crashdiets and Vains Of Jennas of the world...if not a bit higher, to be honest.

Rating:  Despite being an EP, you MUST crank this little tease to 9!

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