IGNESCENT "Into The Night/Demons 777" Split-Single

(c) 2019 Independent Release

1. Into The Night
2. Demons 777

Jennifer Benson--Lead Vocals

Deven Elion--Lead Guitars

Joey Sepulveda--Rhythm Guitars

Ian Sebastian--Bass

Chris Calix--Drums

Ignescent means "emitting sparks of fire when struck".  Think flint and steel.  If you are still in question, check out the picture above.  Notice the sparks?  There you go!  Now, Ignescent the band is trying to spark a fire of their own in the Christian rock scene with the release of this two track single, "Into The Night/Demons 777".  Combining aggressive guitars and big rhythms with pop songwriting sensibilities and catchy hooks, this Chicago band has refined their sound and style, pulling in influential elements of bands such as Evancescence, Flyleaf, and Paramore, with bits and pieces of Fireflight, particularly in the vocals of Benson, while creating a sound that is all their own.  

The first single, "Into The Night" starts off with some programmed elements introing an aggressive percussion section from Calix, and a rumbling bass line courtesy of Sebastian, when a furious rhythm guitar line grinds its way into the track, setting the stage for the smooth, soaring vocals of Benson kick in.  Elion's leads run up and down the verse sections while Sepulveda's rhythm guitars saw their way through the track.  The keys/programming here are uncredited, but they serve as a big part of this rapid-fire, uptempo track.  As I stated before, there is a definite pop sensibility to the way the vocals are produced and layered in the chorus section, but the rock is unrelenting throughout this song about the redeeming power of Christ's love, even when we are at our worst and fighting our own darkness.  And while the whole track works extremely well, it is truly driven by the vocal approach of Benson...and punctuated by the crushing kit work from Calix, who really brings the thunder in this track.  The song has done huge things for the band, and if you somehow missed it, you would do yourself a huge favor to seek it out.  Check out the video below.

The other track here is the title track to the upcoming 2020 CD, Demons 777.  Equally hard-hitting, with edgy, aggressive rhythm guitar lines, the song is a bit darker in its sound.  Even the vocal approach from Benson is a bit more angst-driven, with less high-end soaring and more use of her lower-range.  Don't take this to mean that she plays it safe or that she never unleashes, because the is not the case.  However, there is a usage of effects on her vocals, particularly leading into the second verse section, that ups the modern rock feel here.  Less pop-oriented than "Into The Night", the buzzsaw rhythm guitars are a bit more prominent here, and the overall feel of the song is more aggressive, even if it isn't quite as fast, tempo-wise.  Currently climbing the Christian rock charts, "Demons 777" is a compelling piece of modern hard rock that I hope is representative of the overall sound of the record.

Produced by Cameron Pierce Mizell, who has worked with bands such as Memphis May Fire and Sleeping With Sirens, these tracks from Ignescent show not only a band that is on the verge of breaking through on a national level, but also a band that knows who they are and what they are trying to do musically.  Focused, energetic, and accessible while remaining faith-driven in their purpose, Ignescent is poised for great things if the rest of Demons 777 sounds anything like the two tracks here!  You can follow the band on Facebook and Twitter at @ignescentmusic as well as their website, www.ignescentmusic.com

Rating:  I don't normally rate singles, but the music here is definitely worth seeking out!

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ANVIL "Legal At Last"

(c) 2020 AFM Records

1. Legal At Last
2. Nabbed In Nebraska
3. Chemtrails
4. Gasoline
5. I'm Alive
6. Talking To The Wall
7. Glass House
8. Plastic In Paradise
9. Bottom Line
10. Food For The Vulture
11. Said And Done
12. No Time (Bonus Track)

Steve "Lipz" Kudlow--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Rob Reiner--Drums

Chris Robertson--Bass

As hard as it may be to believe, 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of this Canadian metal machine, who just keeps on cranking out album after album, regardless of their success...or lack thereof...in the world of music.  They have a very specific style and sound that they have rarely strayed from, they have been named as major influences on big time bands, and they have a loyal and dedicated following that a lot of bands only dream about.  So, perhaps Anvil defines success differently than a lot of bands do, and that has typically been a good thing for fans of classic heavy metal with heavy doses of speed and thrash mixed in.  It certainly has worked on the majority of the band's albums, so how will it work out now on album number 18?

The album kicks off with the title track to the record, "Legal At Last".  But, while a hair metal or sleaze metal band of old would have been referring to some underage hottie, Anvil is referring to the fact that Canada has now legalized marijuana.  As such, the song naturally kicks off with the sound of someone hitting a bong.  When the actual music kicks in, it is classic Anvil all the way, with speedy guitar riffs and big, heavy drums jackhammering away through this uptempo rocker.  Lips still sounds largely like he did in the band's 80s heyday, although he may be a bit gruffer in places, which actually works well on the material the band has been putting out on the past few releases.  Now, while I am no prude, I have never partaken of the "all natural drug" that is the inspiration for this song (and the next), so I can't really relate to the song's subject matter, but I can relate to the music, which is pure Anvil from start to finish.

Being from the Cornhusker State, and proud of it, I was naturally intrigued by the song "Nabbed In Nebraska".  Apparently, the song is an autobiographical account of the band being arrested for possession of marijuana in Big Red Territory, which has not legalized weed.  Musically, this is exactly the kind of song people have come to associate with Anvil, with aggressive guitars, big, heavy drums, and a style that screams traditional heavy metal with its mid-tempo riffs and plodding bass line.  And, despite my anti-drug stance, I can't help but find a bit of humor in the tongue-in-cheek lyrics here.  I especially like the gang vocals used on the chorus, which adds just a bit more menacing sound to the humor of the song.  Check out the animated lyrics video below...

By the way, I have to ask...if there are signs saying "Drug Dogs On Duty" and "Nebraska Drug Control Ahead", can you really claim (lyrically) that "police lay in wait" as you cross from state to state?  Just asking...while smiling...

"Chemtrails" blurs the line between classic metal and thrash just a bit, which is not uncommon for this band.  The speed and aggression of the guitars is definitely here, and Reiner really hammers away at the kit on this track.  In fact, it's his drums that really give that thrashy feel to the track, along with the edgy vocals of Lips and the political slant of the lyrics.  To me, this is when Anvil has always been at their best, on the heavy, fast stuff.  Really, the only thing that keeps this song from fully crossing over into the thrash realm would be the lack of a blazing lead guitar solo.  Let's face it...Lips has become a really, really good rhythm player since the band reverted to a three-piece unit, and yes, he has shown some flashes of speed in some of his older, classic-era solos, but he has never been much above average as far as creative and catchy leads go (with a few exceptions), and this song, and really this whole album, is no different.  Perhaps if he only had to focus on leads things would be different.  Regardless, this is still a really good metal track, and, if you can get around the paranoia of the lyrics, this is one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album.  

Just as quickly as things picked up pace with "Chemtrails", they are slowed back down to a plodding, dare I say doomy pace on "Gasoline".  To me, this is Anvil in Sabbath worship mode here, from the thick, sludgy tempo to the thumping bass line and the chug-chug-chugging guitars.  Lips takes his vocals down about a half-notch, especially on the chorus, and it is on a slow, churning song like this that his lead guitars actually really fit the pace and feel of the song.  For that reason, this is the perfect type of track for his style of guitar playing, but one or two songs like this from a band that is generally thought of as pre-thrash is really all that is necessary.  So, as long as "Gasoline" is the only track of its type on the record, I'm good with it.

"I'm Alive" picks the pace back up and injects a classic 70s metal feel into this uptempo rocker.  Once again, the rhythm guitars are top notch here, and Reiner, who I really think is an underrated talent on the drums, is the driving force behind this track.  The tones on the rhythm guitars here SCREAM "Cat Scratch Fever" by Nugent, but the guitar solo, while fairly fast and decently executed, is certainly not Nuge worthy.  All in all, another decent rocker with a classic feel that I enjoy.

"Talking To The Wall" and "Glass House" are two more tracks that fall perfectly into Anvil's wheelhouse, both heavy as stink with excellent drum work, grinding rhythm guitars, and a big, full sound despite the fact that we are dealing with a three-piece outfit here.  "Talking..." is the faster of the two tracks here, while "Glass House" is a bigger, thicker metal song, reminiscent of 80s-era Accept, especially with the gang choruses and that borderline power metal riffing.  Good, good stuff that I could listen to full albums of.  In fact, to me, it's stuff like this that really screams classic Anvil, as in Strength Of Steel, Pound For Pound and Forged In Fire-era stuff, which is when I really fell in love with the band.  Throw in the massively underheard Speed Of Sound record, and you have what I feel are the truly necessary albums from this legendary band, and tracks like "Talking To The Wall" and "Glass House" both are worthy of consideration with some of the best these albums have to offer.  (By the way...if you haven't heard Speed Of Sound, you need to IMMEDIATELY order/download a copy of that record as soon as you finish reading this review.  You will NOT be disappointed!!!)

Remember when I said one or two doomy, sludgy songs was enough for one Anvil album, as far as I was concerned?  Well, here is number two, as "Plastic In Paradise" lumbers along with a plodding riff and equally thundering drums, but with less heft than on "Gasoline".  In fact, this is definitely the lesser of the two tracks, although there are some fairly decent guitar antics from Lips on this one as he pulls out some whammy bar wizardry in a couple of spots.  I'd probably have cut this song from the fairly bloated 12 track list, but its not a skippable moment for me, nor will it be for most people.

As they previously did coming out of a slower number before, the band turns the tempo back up on high for "Bottom Line" and "Food For The Vulture", which may be the catchiest song title I have heard in a while, and is likely the best track on the record.  If "Bottom Line" borders on speed metal, "Food For The Vulture" crosses that border with lethal intent, as it is a full-on ripper of a track.  Once again, Anvil showcases why so many speed/thrash bands of the 80s point to this band as an influence.  The rhythm guitars and drums are relentless here, and once again, the days of high-speed classics like "Speed Of Sound" and "No Evil" come screaming back to me.  

"Said And Done" slows things down to a sludgy drone for a few moments, but just before I am about to protest, the track slides more into traditional heavy metal territory, and all is right once again.  Not a bad track, but not a classic by any stretch, "Said And Done" finishes the album proper, before giving way to the "bonus track" of "No Time".  Now, if there are album versions that don't have "No Time", then avoid those and get the bonus track version, because this snarling speedster is well worth seeking out.  Again, this is classic feeling Anvil and a song that I am glad I stuck around for!  There is no way this should have been a bonus track, folks!  This is really, really good metal, again treading that speed/thrash line that Anvil seems to play so effortlessly!  The bass work of Robertson is particularly strong on this rocker, and I really like the drum sounds here.  

Again, the album feels a bit bloated at 12 tracks, especially when none of the songs clocks in at under 3 minutes, and twice we have tracks that exceed 5 minutes.  I'd probably cut "Plastic In Paradise", and maybe even "Said And Done", to trim this back to a more manageable 10 tracks.  If the band really pushed the issue, I could see "Said And Done" becoming the bonus track here.  

The production is really good, the instruments are clearly heard, and I like the tones of the guitars and the drums.  Yes, there is something of an 80s feel to the way the drums are mic'd, but I'm fine with that, as that era was the pinnacle of this band's now 18 album career (yes, you read that right!).  Every bit as good as 2016's Anvil Is Anvil, Legal At Last doesn't quite live up to the band's best, but it is certainly an excellent addition to the continuing legacy of a band that simply refuses to quit.  And that, my friends, is a good thing!

Rating:  Still cranking after all these years!  Crank this to 7.5!

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SCOTT STAPP "The Space Between The Shadows"

(c) 2019 Napalm Records

1. World I Used To Know
2. Name
3. Purpose For Pain
4. Heaven In Me
5. Survivor
6. Wake Up Call
7. Face Of The Sun
8. Red Clouds
9. Gone Too Soon
10. Ready To Love
11. Mary's Crying (Bonus Track)
12. Last Hallelujah (Bonus Track)

Scott Stapp--Vocals

Whether you loved or hated him and his band, Creed, in the 1990s and early 2000s, Scott Stapp is one of the biggest, most recognizable voices of his generation.  Often considered an Eddie Vedder clone...which, for many, is NOT even close to a compliment...and despite the multitude of hits Creed strung together, the more than 50 million albums sold worldwide, and the multiple successful tours, Stapp, and by extension Creed, could not catch a break from the people who sought to slander them.  Some of that was, of course, the same thing that bands such as Nickelback, Pearl Jam, even Metallica, have faced as their careers skyrocketed and the pockets of people who "have been there since the band was nobody" became disenchanted that their own personal favorite band now belonged to millions.  But some of it was because of the demons Scott Stapp has fought against, fallen to, and then regrouped himself to fight against once again.  To be fair, Stapp has owned up to his failures, even opened up about them in his book, Sinner's Creed, and in numerous songs, including the powerful title track to the latest album by the band Art Of Anarchy, The Madness.  And, whether you love or hate him, the man continually feels called to keep writing, recording, and releasing new music to his fans, both as a part of his chosen profession, but also as a means of staying in touch with his fans and spreading a message of hope to those who seek it.

The Space Between The Shadows is Stapp's third solo album, following the multi-platinum success of  2005's The Great Divide, and the critical acclaim and Christian rock chart success of 2013's follow-up, Proof Of Life.  This new record, however, may be his most consistent musically and his most honest...perhaps even vulnerable...lyrically.  

The album kicks off with a bang, as two of the first three songs are hard-edged rockers, with the second being a tough, mid-tempo snarler of a song.  "World I Used To Know" laments the state of the world we live in today, a world filled with hate and anger and division among people.  The track starts off with a howling wind and the sounds of a distorted radio talking about dark...perhaps apocalyptic...events taking place in the world.  There's a steady drum build then the explosion of guitars as the song kicks itself in.  Stapp sounds strong, smooth yet edgy, his voice unmistakable to anyone who listened to rock radio from about 1995 on.  The uncredited (more on that in a bit) is definitely strong, with special note given to the gritty, buzzsaw feel of the rhythm guitars and some really big sounding drums.  Stapp appears to be supplying his own backing vocals, which is neither good nor bad...it just is, and it works fine on a punchy rocker like this one.

That edgy, mid-tempo number I mentioned a second ago is up next, as "Name", finds Stapp reflecting upon his life as a young child abandoned by his father and the pain that abandonment caused.  More mid-tempo than ballad-esque, "Name" is truly autobiographical, as he sings,  "I was a child/I was abandoned/Too young to fight to have a say/Oh God what seemed so heavy handed/Made me the man I am today."  Later in the song, Stapp makes a promise to his own children that they will never know the pain that he experienced as "...a son without a father/He gave his name and walked away...".  This is also the track from which the album's title, The Space Between The Shadows, is referenced, when Stapp refers to himself as both the "space between the shadows" and the "light inside the sorrow" for his own children, something that he never had for himself.  Poignant and powerful stuff.

With the third track, the album really comes alive with the lead single, "Purpose For Pain", which is the pinnacle of the album, musically.  Bordering on metallic, "Purpose..." is one big guitar hook right from the start as the rhythm guitars swirl among the big, thundering drum crashes with hints of synthesizer providing some musical fill in the few gaps to be found in the track.  Stapp wails about how he "...Shut every door but the right one/I fought the devil...and he won" when singing about his addictions and personal demons.  The song is listed as the third biggest hit on www.christianrock.net for the 2019 year, and it is easy to see why.  A far heavier rocker than anything I can remember Creed doing, this song is a brilliant piece of modern hard rock and one that has found its way into my workout mix.  Check it below...

"Heaven In Me" slows things down significantly, as the album enters into ballad territory for the first time.  A largely acoustic track, "Heaven In Me" is about as far away from "Arms Wide Open" as it can get musically, yet in both cases, it was Stapp's voice that does the majority of the heavy lifting.  "Wake Up Call", however, is another ballad that finds itself leaning a bit more in the direction of Creed, particularly when a children's choir is interjected into the piano-driven song.  That the track manages to avoid becoming overly sappy is in large part due to the song's subject matter: finding your way back from your own personal turmoil and making a change for the better..."if you want to/This is your Wake Up Call/And you can change it all/If you want to...".    

There is plenty of punch to keep things moving along through the first ten tracks, however, with "Face Of The Sun" being a catchy, positive rocker, and "Survivor" hits hard and heavy as a bottom heavy riff-rocker with a message of never quitting on oneself or letting anyone deter you from moving forward, as Stapp snarls, "I'll never bow down/Never own defeat/Cuz you messed with a fighter/I stand here, Baptized by the fire/A Survivor".  Sounds like the kind of call-to-arms anthem that Skillet might have placed on their latest effort, Victorious, but outside of the lyrical direction, the song styles really aren't all that similar. 

While I tend to gravitate towards the harder/heavier moments of an album, those aren't always my favorite tracks on any given disc.  As such, on Space Between The Shadows, my three favorite tracks on the album would be the rockers "Purpose For Pain" and "Survivor", and the the slower (not really a ballad), powerhouse of a song that is "Red Clouds".  This song is huge in its sound, and Stapp really delivers a vocal performance to match the style and scope of the track.  Probably the most "Creed-like" song on the record, it still has a heaviness and urgency that Creed hadn't really had, at least on any of their singles, since the My Own Prison days.  Stapp really seems to be pondering the state of the world in "Red Clouds" as he opines, "These are the days we live in/Sliding, winding, finding our way through the maze/The times of the unforgiven/The Light inside it slowly fades away"...and that's just the first verse.  For those who question where Stapp is at spiritually on this record, the chorus seems to answer that question, as he sings, "Reign down/Reign down/Red Clouds/Wash over me/Reign down/Reign down/Red clouds/Come and set me free".  For those who may miss the meaning, "Reign" would seem to refer to Christ coming to Earth to set up his reign, while "Red clouds" seems to be a reference to events in the Bible book of Revelations.

"Gone Too Soon"is a song of mourning for the loss of people who, as the title implies, have left us, seemingly before their time.  The video for this song incorporates images of Prince, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, and Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, along with soldiers at war, and people visiting the grave sites of those they have lost.  Yet, when you really listen to the lyrics you soon discover that the mourning feeling of the song is gone after verse one, and the song gives way to a message of hope that we will be rejoined with those that we have lost.  Stapp really delivers vocally here, especially when he pours his emotions into the last few lines, when he belts out, "Gone too soon, my friend/I know you're dancing with angels on the wind/Its not the end/Until I reach forever/And we're together...".

"Ready To Love" isn't a power ballad or anything, but it is definitely a much slower song than "Purpose For Pain" or "World I Used To Know", and the incorporation of strings in the track gives it an epic ballad feel, which would have made for the perfect album closer, except this isn't where the record concludes, as there are two "bonus tracks".  I give that term the quotations treatment, because I have yet to find a version of this album without the bonus tracks, although I am told that there is a version with just ten cuts.  If that is truly the case, then I would avoid that version and find this one, because the two "bonus tracks" are among the strongest on the record.  "Mary's Crying" is a poppier mid-tempo track with a strong message and some of Stapp's best singing, and "Last Hallelujah" is a heavier, plodding mid-tempo number, similar to "Red Clouds" in style and tempo, but with a bit less darkness to the sound.  Again, a strong lyrical message and a great performance from Stapp really pushes this song for me, and I find myself repeating this track every now and then...which, to be fair, I do with "Purpose..." and "Red Clouds", also.  

The packaging is pretty solid, overall, although I am still a fan of the old-school jewel case as opposed to digipacks.  That issue aside, the booklet contains full lyrics and writing credits for each song, as well as a thank you section and the typical production credits.  What it DOESN'T include, however, is credit for who plays what instrument on the album.  Unless I have completely missed it somewhere, I can't find a single name of a guitarist or drummer or anything.  I have to wonder if Escape The Fate's guitar player, Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft plays on the album as he is thanked in the credits.  It's also worth noting that Stapp give special, specific credit to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler "for giving me hope and teaching me to 'pass it on'".

This is a powerful album, musically and especially lyrically.  To say that it is not Stapp's finest post-Creed effort is foolish; to say that it is his best effort ever is possible.  The sad thing is that there will be those who deny themselves the opportunity to hear this great record simply because they continue to do the once-trendy thing of bashing the man and his former band, largely because of their success.  That is their loss, however.  It doesn't need to be yours.  Get The Space Between The Shadows and see if you can't find something to love about this album.

Rating:  Love him or hate him, this album is crankable!  Crank The Space Between The Shadows to 9.

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RANDOM HERO "Tension"

(c) 2019 Rockfest Records

1. Desperate Measures
2. Motivation
3. Weight Of The World
4. Tension
5. Outgrown
6. So Close
7. Public Enemy
8. Set It Free
9. The Sound
10. White Flag

Aaron Watkins--Lead Vocals

Micah Labrosse--Guitars

Rob "Los" McDonough--Bass

Patrick Madsen--Drums

Denver's Random Hero is no stranger to mainstream success, at least on a limited scale, but they are quite possibly a stranger to you.  Despite the fact that they have had two mainstream rock Top 30 hits with the catchy rocker "Impossible", as well as "Running"...not to mention numerous other Top 5 charting Christian rock hits...most fans of the modern rock genre probably couldn't pick Random Hero out of a lineup.  They seek to change that with their latest effort, and first for RockFest Records, Tension.

The album kicks off with a boom-crash-boom-boom-crash from Madsen's drums, and we are off and running with "Desperate Measures", the uber-catchy, hook-laden opener.  The song is an absolute powerhouse, with pretty much everything a hard rock fan could want from a band these days:  strong vocals, a big drum presence, and aggressive guitar work.  What goes unnoticed by so many is the strong bass presence in this song, and nearly every other song on the record.  McDonough is a very competent bassist, staying on the drum's line when necessary, or straying outside the lines to create interesting textures and rhythms when called upon.  When you grab this record (which you definitely should do), take the time to seek out the sounds that McDonough drops into each song and see if you don't appreciate him even more.

"Motivation" is another catchy rocker based largely upon a snappy drum/percussion line to open things.  The chorus is the big hook for me on this one, as Watkins' big voice is used for the call portion of the chorus, while a more laid-back vocal approach is used for the reply sections.  Good, good stuff here, and that isn't even giving proper credit to the guitars being used so strongly on these chorus sections or the superb drum work on this track, with changing tempos and patterns being used throughout.

"Weight Of The World" is probably the most aggressive song on the record, with edgy guitars blazing the path to Watkins' vocals right from the outset of the song.  A song about heaping too much upon yourself and stressing yourself out in the process, the lyrics likely hit home for a lot of people in today's full-speed-ahead world.  With stress being a huge issue of this record, "Weight Of The World" has some of the most blunt lyrics, as Watkins sings, "Oh no, the panic in my heads getting hard to bury/Let go, Easier said than done./Am I extraordinary/Running on fumes, getting close to empty/Oh no, the Weight of the World is getting hard to carry!"Good, good stuff here, both musically and lyrically.

The album's title track and lead single, "Tension" is up next, and it is a perfect example of the growth of the band in the songwriting category.  Teaming with Josiah Prince, guitarist of Disciple, Watkins, Madsen, and McDonough craft a song that builds upon some introductory programmed elements, adding in rhythm guitars and drums, before Watkins jumps in.  A bed of programming and guitars burns beneath the verse sections, but its the big, soaring vocals on the chorus that are likely to grab the listener's attention the first few times through the song.  After the second chorus run, we get a big tempo change with a piano being added to the mix as Wakins calls out, "Am I going out of my mind?/My vision's blurry all the time/I know You see where I hide/But I'm just too scared to chase the Light."  Already a hit at Christian rock radio, this is a song that should be all over Sirius/XM's Octane channel, as it hits all the musical chords that crowd craves, while delivering a message that so many people of EVERY crowd needs to hear!

If I had one complaint about Tension, it would have to be the middle of the record, specifically "Outgrown" and "So Close".  The first feels like a blatant stab at the modern pop scene, coming closer to the electronically enhanced hip-hop style that someone like Manafest uses than what I would expect from a hard rock group.  I mean, we have electronic drums, layers of programmed synths, fingersnaps...just not what I would have expected to be dropped into the middle of an otherwise stellar record.  As to "So Close", it's not the song that is troublesome for me, it is its positioning on the record.  Putting two slower-tempo songs back to back nearly bogs the record down for me.  But, I also want to be fair in stating that I don't dislike either song...not at all.  For example, I have made no bones about the fact that I actually like a lot of what Manafest does, and "So Close" is performed exquisitely, with Watkins sounding exceptionally strong on the ballad.  I just don't understand the track listing order, I guess.  I think both songs would have been better served to be separated from each other.

Fortunately for the rockers that either stuck around or skipped ahead, the record rights itself in a big way, as "Public Enemy" is one of the really good tracks on a record chock full of good-to-great songs!  Marching style drums intro the track and Watkins applies a rhythmic approach to the verse sections to go right along with the drums.  The pre-chorus becomes a bit more melodic and less rhythmic, only to return to that cadenced vocal approach on the chorus.  A grinding guitar solo tears into the musical fabric after the second chorus, and the track's intensity picks up a bit from there until it comes to a conclusion.  I love the sparse nature of the chorus and the rhythmic approach taken to the song as a whole, and it's stuff like this that really sets Random Hero and Tension apart from a lot of other bands out there today.

"Set Free" is a more straight-ahead rocker with buzzsaw guitars and a solid rhythm section bolstering Watkins powerhouse vocals that range from singing to shouting on this one.  The backing vocals are also really strong here, which serve to make Watkins stand out that much more.  I usually find myself hitting repeat on this track when I put it on.

"The Sound" starts off with some programmed elements and some subtle effects used on Watkins vocals, giving the track a very modern sound but with a catchy riff and a sing along chorus.  This leads us to another of my favorites, the album's closer, "White Flag", which is a song all about surrendering to God.  The chorus is very catchy and the guitar solo here is among the best on the record as Labrosse does some serious string bending before the band jumps back in to make a final run through the vocally-layered chorus.  An impressive ending to a very impressive record.

I'm not sure how much the move to Rockfest Records influenced the style and sound of this record, but it certainly didn't hurt things.  Rockfest has been a beast of a label in 2019, and the production work done on Tension is top-notch.  The guitars retain their grittiness on most songs, and the voices of the instruments are all given room to be heard.  I honestly feared that Tension would sound over-produced, especially with how well it was received on the charts, because, let's face it, hard rock and metal are generally not well-received without some sort of concession in the sound of the band.  That is not the case with Tension, however, as Random Hero still sounds like Random Hero, and I think a lot of that has to be due to the fact that the producer, Kellen McGregor, has learned a thing or two about industry perceptions with his own band, Memphis May Fire.  Yes, there are some differences between this record and the band's previous effort, but that is what we call "growth".  And, in the end, Tension shows serious growth for the band, especially as songwriters.  Now, my only real question now is how is Random Hero going to top this?  

Rating:  Definitely a crank-worthy release!  Crank it to 8!

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LOU GRAMM "Jukebox Hero: My Five Decades In Rock N Roll" (Book Review)

(c) 2013/2019 Triumph Books

Rock legend, Lou Gramm, relates his own personal rags-to-riches story in this excellent autobiography, "Jukebox Hero: My Five Decades in Rock N Roll".  The book tells of Gramm's early musical interests (originally as a drummer), his stints with a handful of local bands, his brush with fame with his first big group, Black Sheep, and how he made himself known to the guitar player of Spooky Tooth, one Mr. Mick Jones, who was on the cusp of starting his own group.  That group, of course, was Foreigner, which was destined to become one of the biggest rock bands of the time frame from 1977 to 1987.  It's hard to argue with the success of a band who is one of only two bands to chart its first 8 singles in the Top 20, with the other band being The Beatles!  

In this easy-to-read-but-hard-to-put-down memoir, Gramm talks freely about his relationships with the various members of the classic rock band, but it is, of course, his love/hate relationship with Jones that inspires the most words.  Gramm does a good job of telling about not only the strained years, which started around the Agent Provocateur album's recording and release, but also the good times, when Gramm and Jones were considered to be one of the best songwriting tandems in rock and roll!  As such, the two were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2013, which is roughly where the first edition of this book ended things, I am told.  However, with this newest edition, there is an expanded Epilogue section, which finds Gramm musing about his love of cars, his third marriage and the birth of his youngest child, and his reunion with Foreigner for a 40th Anniversary Tour in 2016, which found Gramm and Jones reuniting with several members of the original band, while also sharing the stage with the current version of Foreigner.  

If the reader is looking for vast heaps of dirt to sift through, he or she will likely be disappointed, as Gramm does very little name-dropping outside of members of his band...although he does have an interesting story to tell about his one encounter with John Lennon.  There are no torrid sex scenes with groupies, no piles of cocaine, and no hotel trashing going on in the book.  To be sure, Gramm admits to having addiction issues with alcohol and drugs, but there are no highly detailed episodes to speak of, although he does go into a bit of detail about the incident that led to his final admission to rehab some 22 years ago, and about how his discovery of a full faith in Jesus Christ turned his life around.  Gramm talks about his regrets to having not been there for his earliest children, his two failed marriages, and some bad decisions he made as he climbed the ladder of rock n roll success.

There is, of course, some discussion of his two solo albums, of which he is obviously proud, his evident frustration with the one-and-done "supergroup" Shadow King, and his forays into Christian rock with his Lou Gramm Band, but the majority of the book focuses on how he and Jones wrote some of the biggest rock songs of a decade and how the relationship between the two went from one of being partners to one in which Gramm felt he was reduced to merely being the man who sang the words Jones wrote.  There is a good dose of bitterness found in the book, but an even greater dose of humility, regret, and a desire to forgive, even if those things are not always encountered at the same time or to any degree of success.  

Foreigner has long been one of my personal "Top 5" bands, and "Jukebox Hero: My Five Decades In Rock N Roll" was a great read from start to finish.  So many songs of my youth were touched upon in the book, with none garnering greater attention than the one the book shares its title with, "Jukebox Hero", which Gramm explains is an autobiographical tale involving a young Lou Grammatico (his given name) standing ticketless outside a Jimi Hendrix concert, dreaming of being the one on the stage at some later point.  

I have not read the original printing of the book, but would highly recommend snagging this newest, expanded edition.  The stories kept the pages turning non-stop for me, and I found myself finishing the book in less than 8 hours of reading time.  There are a couple of editing errors, but nothing overly noticeable, and certainly nothing that makes the book difficult to understand or read.  Fans of Foreigner or Gramm will likely not find themselves disappointed with this book, and I would anticipate most will find themselves ripping through the book, much as I did.  

(Paperback, 240 pages)

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*RETRO REVIEW* ZWARTE "Zwarte"

(c) 1992 Minor/Major Music

1. She Wouldn't Wait
2. Lizzy
3. Easy Street
4. Isn't That A Shame
5. Miss Me
6. Slippin' Girl
7. Lucy
8. Smart Young Girl
9. Loco P.D.
10. Laughing Girl
11. Room 1000x
12. Windslow

Randall Zwarte--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Bob Zwarte--Dums, Percussion, Vocals

Chris Lippert--Guitars

Mark Fischer--Bass, Vocals

Growing up in west-central Nebraska, there was not a lot going on for the hard rockers and metalheads who were seeking live music.  The nearest town of any size, North Platte, had only 20,000 or so people at the time, so no major bands toured through the area.  When I went away to college in Kearney, the population only slightly increased, unless you counted the University of Nebraska-Kearney students, which added a significant number of people.  However, the live music scene really wasn't much better, at least as far as national artists, unless you wanted to hear country music.  I got involved with the college radio station, which was essentially a jazz station during the day, but it turned into an all rock/metal station at night, and that was where I found my home for parts of three years.  As such, I was fortunate enough to meet bands like St. Elmo's Fire when they would roll through town and perform at a local strip club/rock bar called The Fireside.  It was there, in 1993, that I was first introduced to a regional touring hard rock band from South Dakota called Zwarte.

Zwarte, which consisted of two brothers, Randall and Bob, as well as guitarist Chris Lippert and bassist, Mark Fischer, played a large number of popular hard rock covers from bands such as AC/DC and Aerosmith, but they also had their own music, which was what really drew me in.  And this CD, their debut effort, was also the first music by the band that I ever owned...and I still own it, nearly three decades after its release.

The album starts off with a quirky song called "She Wouldn't Wait".  I say it's quirky because it is like nothing else on the record, but it is a full scale song, not just an intro or some kind of mood-setting piece.  Featuring a piano and multi-layered harmony vocals, the song was more Queen than anything else, and while Queen was decent, this wasn't what I was looking for from these long-haired Dakota boys!  Not even the cool little guitar solo near the middle of the track could keep me from scratching my head at the inclusion of the song.  Today, I love the song and appreciate what the guys were doing, but it was definitely an oddity for me at the time.

For me, the album really started with the next track, an audience favorite in the live setting, the snarky rocker "Lizzy".  A simple staccato rhythm guitar leads the track in, with lead singer Randall Zwarte, somewhat monotonously droning on about his boring life.  But then he meets the song's subject and everything changes, as Lizzy leads our singer to "drop(ped) out of college, pick(ed) up a tattoo" and get a job fixing "little kids bikes", as he laments how this lady had completely changed the path of his life.  Its a humorous little ditty that isn't even close to the best song on the album, but one that sets the tone for who Zwarte is and what they do.

"Easy Street" follows and features a haunting, smooth guitar solo and a much more polished, commercial hard rock sound that I have always felt should have been a big hit for the band.  The band had strong faith in the song, as well, as they recorded the song a second time, releasing it as the title track of their second effort (Easy Street), which was also released in 1992.  I believe it was around this time that the band auditioned for...and was subsequently turned down by...Atlantic Records.  While this didn't stop the band from releasing multiple albums over the following decades, I always wonder what would have happened for Zwarte had "Easy Street" and a couple of other tracks gotten more of a chance at national radio or even possibly MTV.  Regardless, "Easy Street" is a cool, mid-tempo rocker, with Randall's vocals taking on a bit of a haunting feel as he glides over the chords of the song, while a haunting yowl runs through the background, especially on the chorus.  The guitar work is a solid piece of the track here, especially the solo, and it is on tracks such as this that you realize just how important the two guitars are in the band...even more so in the live setting.  "Easy Street" is easily one of the top three or four songs on this record.

"Isn't That A Shame" is a decent number, but nothing overly special, but things pick right back up with "Miss Me", a sleazy rocker that has always sounded to me like something Kix might have recorded.  The chorus vocals are at a higher pitch than anywhere else on the record, and the sass of the track is escalated by Randall's snarl.  This is a track that always came off well in the live setting, and is another high point on this debut record.

As far as true high points go, there are a couple more here that are of such importance that they have made the cover of the reissued version of this record.  Of course I am talking about "Lucy" and "Loco P.D.", both of which are absolute crowd favorites and both of which found at least moderate success on the radio stations in the area where I went to college.  "Lucy" is a dark track about a man who catches his girlfriend with another man, which Randall explains to the listener with a line that becomes a true crowd sing-along moment: "Lucy was my lady/don't love her anymore/Caught her with another man/God she was a whore!"  Throughout the song, the guy turns for solace from, "Jack Daniels was my friend/Stayed with me all night...", before he makes the decision to put an end to miss Lucy.  Everything about this track screams for big-time exposure, but it was simply not meant to be, which is really too bad, because the story aspect of this track just begged for a video.  Likewise, the hooky "Loco P.D." should have been given a chance to garner some national airplay, as everything about the track just works.  A song about the crazy things a woman can do to a man, this song was a huge live hit whenever Zwarte played, with the crowd screaming along to "call in the Loco P.D.!"  Great stuff that brings back some fun memories, to be sure!

The rest of the album ranges from decent to very good, but nothing else touches the levels that "Lucy", "Loco P.D.", "Miss Me", and "Easy Street" do, although "Lizzy", "Slippin' girl", and album closer, "Windslow" come close.  Throw in that quirky Queen-esqe opener, and you already have 8 tracks that form an extremely solid foundation for this debut record.  I probably would have dropped "Laughing Girl" from the album, and possibly "Room 1000x", which would have pared the album down to a more streamlined ten tracks.  But, as it stands, Zwarte, the record is a great representation of Zwarte, the band.  More than half the tracks here found their way into their live set for many years and never failed to draw a crowd reaction.  To me, that was one of the things that made Zwarte such a great band to see live, as their original stuff drew just as big, or an even bigger reaction than their covers of popular rock songs of the time.

The band would go through multiple line-ups in the following years, but really solidified with a new guitar player and bassist forming the most popular version of the band in the mid-90s.  Several albums followed Zwarte, but none captured the magic of the band the way this one did, although several had catchy hard rock tunes that would find their way into the band's setlists.  Today the band continues with Randall being the only remaining original member now, as he forges on with what is now referred to as the Randall Zwarte Band.    

There are actually two versions of this album, both with very similar covers.  The one pictured above is actually a 1996 repressing of the original.  The only thing different is that on the original, the words "FEATURING LUCY AND LOCO P.D." were not there.  I have an original, but since my scanner is broken, I had to borrow the above picture from the internet.  I have been told that the 1996 repressing was actually a CD-R, but I don't have one, so I couldn't tell you that for a fact.  The original is definitely a silver-pressed CD and the artwork says 1992 on the back.  As you can see, the artwork is nothing overly flashy, and it is likely the band had zero budget with which to work.  The insert is a big fold out with black and white pictures of the band members on the inside, with some quips about each track being included, along with writing credits and a track listing.  

Rating:  Perhaps it's partially due to nostalgia, but I still find this effort to be crankable, even nearly three decades after its release!  Crank this to a 7.5...and call in the Loco P.D.!

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LOVEMAKER "Lovemaker"

(c) 2019 FnA Records

1. More
2. Luvchild
3. Homework
4. Movin' On
5. Sugar & Spice
6. Turn Me On
7. Nursery Rhyme
8. Bubblegum Lover
9. Goin' Wild
10. Just Say No
11. One Cool Way
12. Luv NYC
13. Too Damn Young

Kriss Teen--Lead Vocals, Bass

Zane Fix--Guitars

Davey Jonesin'--Drums

Found in the "Late To The Party" files, Lovemaker was a sleaze/glam band from New York City that was poised to make it big until the scene absolutely collapsed.  Reportedly courted at one time or another by such major labels as Geffen, MCA, Warner Brothers, Columbia, and others, this NYC trio simply peaked at the completely wrong time, for while they were still a major draw for those in the scene, the music world had moved on to grunge and alternative rock.  Fortunately, for fans of this style of music, FnA Records managed to track the band down and obtain these 13 tracks that were recorded at various times during the 90s, when Lovemaker was refusing to give up the fight.  Three of these tracks managed to find their way onto a hard-to-find independent EP on Poptown Records back in 1994, but the majority of these have likely never been heard until now.

For me, the best moments on this album are generally found at the beginning.  For example, I love the marching drum intro to "More", and the way that Teen channels his inner-George Thorogood vocals on portions of the track.  Fix has a blistering solo run on this track, as well, and the sound is pretty full despite the fact that this is only a three man band.  "Luvchild" has a 1960s rock n roll feel with 80s era guitars.  And "Sugar & Spice" has a slowed-down sleazy approach, and Teen's vocals really fit the style here, sounding like a drugged out Jim Morrison (what an oxymoron that is...).  Once again, there's a definite 60s feel to the rhythm and song structure, with 70s sounding guitars, and a simple, straightforward drum beat from Jonesin'.  

A couple of later tracks are pretty catchy, as well, with "Luv NYC" being one of the strongest tracks on this entire collection.  Definitely glammy and poppy, the band sounds like a punked-up Poison with less polish.  The backing vocals and gang-shouted "heys" are particularly strong here, also.  Fix has a really good, extended guitar solo in this song, and I have to imagine that this was a big hit live, as the chorus not only fits the band's crowd, but it is a very catchy, very easy to sing chorus that surely fired the crowds up.  Likewise, album closer, "Too Damn Young", with its 70s glam style and gritty guitars, is one of the songs that I'm sure was the focal point of a Lovemaker show.  "Just Say No" again has a very 60s feel to the songwriting, reminding me a lot of the surf rock of that time, coming off a lot like something the Trashmen ("The Surfin' Bird") would play.  

Some of the stuff here is pretty ridiculous from a lyrical standpoint, with "Bubblegum Lover" being right at the top of the list.  I mean the chorus here implores the girl Teen is singing to, "Put on your hairspray, Lipstick, and Stretch Rubber/I'm gonna be your Bubblegum Lover".  And "Nursery Rhyme" incorporates "Along came a spider who sat down beside her" into the chorus section, so you can kind of let your imagination roam from there.

The style is here very derivative of 60s rock with edgier guitars, mixed with the 70s glam styles I just mentioned before, with doses of punk mixed in.  Fix is an above average guitar player, Jonesin' is a competent, if not flashy drummer, and Teen proves himself to be a capable bass player, on top of handling the vocals chores of the band.  As to his singing, Teen's vocal style is something that you are either going to love or hate, as is often the case with the true glam bands that often incorporated some punk stylings into their music.  We're talking about actual glam here, not the slick, polished hair metal glam that a lot of people associate with the glam genre.  Lovemaker has far more in common with the New York Dolls, The Sweet, or Marc Bolan than they do with Poison or Warrant.  In fact, if you have ever heard Bang Gang, Big Bang Babies or maybe an obscure band like Queeny Pop Blast, you have heard 80s/90s bands that each give their own take on the glam genre.  That is what Lovemaker is doing here.  Don't think KISS, think T.Rex or even the rockier stuff that Bowie did.  

If you are a fan of the glam/sleaze scene, and especially love getting hold of the bands that "just missed", then you are definitely going to want to track Lovemaker down.  If you are one of those folks who has to have absolutely spot-on, pristine production, you are likely going to be disappointed, as the sound here is pretty raw.  I'm not talking garage boombox recording sound, but definitely not big budget production.  As it is, Lovemaker is a solid representation of the namesake band and showcases the sound and effort of three guys who were just on the wrong side of time.  Had the band been discovered even half a dozen years earlier, it is possible these guys would have been pretty recognizable, especially if they were able to adjust their songwriting to a larger audience than the New York City crowd that the guys obviously geared themselves toward.

Rating:  Rock this at 6.5, with the raw production and some rather inane lyrics pulling the rating down just a bit.

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SUICIDE BOMBERS "Murder Couture"

(c) 2019 

1. Intro: The Murder Couture Suite
2. Murder Couture
3. Kings & Queens
4. So Bad
5. Love Disasters
6. Night That Never Ends
7. We Don't Negotiate With Terrorists
8. End Of The Story
9. Worlds Without End
10. Sleepless Elite
11. Madman
12. Outro: #overandmotherfuckingout

Chris Damien Doll (The Sleaze Fuhrer)--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitars
Stevie Teaze (The Sex Toy)--Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
C. Slim (The Thunder Mechanic)--Bass, Backing Vocals
Lyle Starr (The Beat Commando)--Drums

Sleaze is one of those genres that many people have a hard time defining, but those same people will tell you they know it when they hear it.  Well, if that is the case, then I can guarantee they will know what they are listening to when they hear Norway's Suicide Bombers, because there is little doubt about what these guys are all about! 

As is typical with these guys, the album starts off with an intro, and despite my general disdain for intros (and outros, which this album also sports...), I give this one a listen the first few times through the record.  A monotone voice intros the band amongst the sound of clicking camera shutters and the muttering of a crowd of paparazzi.  Humorous, especially when the band is referred to as "Ludwig van Beethoven for the next generation"!  Good stuff...

Things really get going as soon as the first song, the album's title track, kicks off with a catchy guitar riff from Teaze which pulls the rest of the band into the fray.  Right away, the catchiness of Suicide Bombers is evident, even as the sleaze drips from Doll's snarling vocals on a track which may be considered to be rather glam for these guys.  That glam feel likely comes from the guitar sound, which is a bit cleaner on this track than on most of the others, but it is the "cleanliness" of that opening riff that makes it so noticeable as it echoes throughout the rest of the song, worming its way into the brain.  The chorus is catchy, and the gang-shouted "Murder Couture!" vocals are the perfect complement to the song's hard-charging pace, adding to the frenzy of the track.  A great opening track, to be sure.

Things only get better as they get sleazier, and that is what happens with the next track, as the guitars take on a grittier, dirtier edge as soon as "Kings & Queens" hits.  Sure, the pace slows just a bit, but the attitude doesn't wain at all.  I really like the solo that Teaze drops in here, and the rhythm section of Slim and Starr is as strong as Suicide Bombers has ever been, which is saying something, as I have long felt this band has been exceptionally tight despite the line-up changes from album to album.  Of course, it is Doll who commands the listener's attention, as his vocals rasp their way through the track. One great thing about the Bombers, and especially Doll, is that despite being from Norway, an accent has never been an issue in understanding what Doll is singing about.  That is an absolute bonus for me.

"So Bad" is up next and it is definitely one of the real highlights of an album full of great songs.  But when Doll kicks things off with a line like "when the lights hit the shape of your body" you know that some sleaze-infested greatness likely follows.  I love the backing vocals that sneer their way through the chorus, dragging out the syllables of "you've been so bad" just enough to pack a little extra attitude into the words.  In fact, the gang vocals on this entire record are spot on, and the work done here is superb.  Again, Teaze rips into another blistering solo, and Starr's drum work is excellent, with some nice fills and tempo changes.  Check it out below...

     
"Love Disasters" is a different cat here, with a more 70s inspired guitar riff opening the mid-tempo number.  Simplicity is the order of the day on this laid back number that sounds like Cheap Trick with an attitude problem...and a throat infection.  The classic rock guitar tones work perfectly in this lovable oddball of a song, and I find myself hitting repeat on this track a couple of times when I work through the record.  Everything here catches me, from that opening riff to the guitar tones on the solo to the layered backing vocals to the drum sounds and production used here.  Is it my favorite track?  At this point, I may actually have to say yes, but that's a tough call.  With so many great songs on a single record, it is tough to nail down favorites. 

One thing that really stands out on this album is the fact that there are no dead spots.  In fact, I think the album actually closes even stronger than it opens!  Starting at about track seven, the band is just on full blast, ripping and tearing their way to the end.  For example, "We Don't Negotiate With Terrorists" is a song that I jump to with great frequency, even if it's just to hear the vocal acrobatics Doll has to go through to fit all of those syllables into one chorus (he achieves this expertly)!  I love, love this song!  Likewise, "Sleepless Elite", with its dirty opening guitar riff and simplistic drum line, just reeks of classic Sunset Strip era sleaze attitude, and when Doll snarls "suicide sex squad" as the first three words of the track, it is obvious where this track is headed...and it only gets raunchier as it goes (although it never crosses into Rated R territory, at least language-wise).  These two songs are Suicide Bombers at their best, in my opinion, both lyrically and musically.  Teaze is especially strong on his solo for "Sleepless Elite", which is an absolute string melter. 

Heck, even when the band slows things down, they do so with vicious musical intent, as on the slowest...and possibly angriest...track on the album, "Worlds Without  End".  This is another track that I would have to say is in contention for best on the record, and I absolutely love the guitar riff on this song.  Just because it is a bit slower (don't think ballad, however) doesn't mean the guys don't absolutely bring it with intensity here, and when Doll proclaims "you're a cancer spreading disease from a laptop", you can definitely feel the angst directed at the song's antagonist.  Teaze blasts forth with a straight-from-the-80s fret-running guitar solo that is one of his best, and once again, the backing vocals on the chorus are spot on. 

I also really like the vocal hook that is the chorus of "Madman", which is the closing musical track of the album.  Another uber-catchy guitar riff opens the track, and Doll charges headfirst through the track as he tells the listener to "call the doctor...call the ambulance...call the undertaker" in succession, hinting at the mayhem he is about to unleash.  Again, Teaze lays into another ripping solo, and the rhythm section is relentless...including Doll's underappreciated work on rhythm guitars...keeping the tempo blasting along, never wavering.  Another great uptempo rocker, "Madman" puts a great bow on the package of Murder Couture, wrapping things up as neatly as can be expected when the package is such a gloriously loud, sleazy, raucous affair! 

At the end of the day, Murder Couture is one of those albums that you really have to listen to in order to understand just how good it is.  Yes, there are numerous great songs here, but this is an instance of the sum being even better than the parts.  It's not that this is a concept album, because it isn't; its that there is a flow to the record that adds to how good each song is.  I feel pulled to the next song, even as I'm still running the previous one through my head; I just want to hear what comes next.  Everything here is so catchy and so well performed that it is all memorable to some degree, which rarely happens with albums these days. 

Suicide Bombers is a band that continues to grow, continues to expand their musical ideas, and continues to get better, without losing sight of who they are or who their fans are.  Since starting off with a bang on their debut, Criminal Record, the band has made at least minor improvements every time out, and Murder Couture is the pinnacle of the catalog...at least to this point.  In fact, there is no question that Murder Couture is the best record Suicide Bombers has put out yet, and it is easily the best sleaze record to hit my mailbox or inbox this year!  No self-proclaimed sleaze fan will want to miss out on the excellence of Murder Couture.  Grab your own copy and see if you don't agree!


Rating:  Crankworthy, no question!  Dial this one up to 8.5!

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A LIFE DIVIDED "Echoes"

(c) 2019 AFM Records

1. Hello Emptiness
2. Dry Your Eyes
3. Addicted
4. Confronted
5. Enemy
6. Rock N Roll Star
7. Far
8. Anybody Out There
9. Push
10. Servant
11. The Ordinary
12. Circles
13. Forevermore

Jurgen Pangger--Lead Vocals

Tony Berger--Guitars

Tobias Egger--Bass

Okay.  So, A Life Divided describes themselves as "modern rock with an 80s twist".  We've all heard this before, right?  But, I will give A Life Divided credit because when they say it, they absolutely mean it!  When you put in Echoes, you are immediately transported back to the 1980s. 

BUT....

...its not the 1980s you are thinking of.  A Life Divided largely combines modern, dark, hard alternative rock with 1980s New Wave synth rock...and they do it VERY well!  

I'm not going to sit here and type out a bunch of lies to the readers.  I like a bit of New Wave when I am in the right move.  Duran Duran, the Police, Simple Minds, OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, for the uninitiated), Thompson Twins, Adam Ant...all of the Pretty In Pink and Breakfast Club soundtracks...yeah, I'll admit to liking a bit of all of this, but again, the mood has to be right.  Well, I guess you could call this New New Wave (Neo Wave?), and it is actually pretty darn catchy for the most part.

A Life Divided is a perfect name for this German trio, as they incorporate the two types of music the founders really loved.  Pangger states that he "let my hair grow long and played the songs of my metal heroes on guitar", while Erik Damkohler, who is considered to be a band member as one of the primary songwriters, grew up a synth-wave fan in the 80s.  So, marrying the two sounds was only logical for the pair.  Incorporating both styles, while also adding in doses of alternative and hard rock, along with some rather...at times...dark lyrics, A Life Divided has really carved out a unique sound.

While all of the album is rather catchy in its own way, there are definitely a handful of tracks that stand out.  For starters, "Anybody Out There" rocks pretty hard, and honestly reminds me of a lot of an angrier Loud And Clear-era Autograph with the chorus lyrics of Def Leppard.  I mean, does this chorus sound at all familiar:  "Is there anybody out there?  Is there anybody there?  Is there anybody out there?  Does anybody care"?  As to the Autograph comparisons, Pangger sounds a LOT like Steve Plunkett here (and throughout the record, honestly), and that particular Autograph record used a lot more synth/keyboards than their "Turn Up The Radio" days.  Now, there are also some harsher shouts and some more modern production, but trust me, if you are honest with yourself and at all familiar with that latter day Autograph sound, you are going to know EXACTLY what I am talking about.

Another song with an obvious 80s hard rock reference point is "Servant", which for all intents and purposes completely takes the keyboard intro and guitar riff from Journey"s "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" and then completely changes the verse sections, lyrics, and chorus structure...but leaves a good chunk of the guitar solo in the song.  That keyboard refrain is repeated in a couple of sections in the song, and the harder-edged guitars serve as a strong counterpoint to the New Wave-styled synths and electronic drums.  A Life Divided can cut and paste the song however they want to, but the love this band obviously has for one of the all-time classic bands in the history of rock cannot be missed.  And even though I am a long-standing Journey fan, with Frontiers being my personal favorite album of their catalog, I can't even be angry with the treatment the song gets here, because it is done more out of respect for Journey than as any sort of musical blasphemy.

The album's opener, "Hello, Emptiness" also deserves some respect because it manages to merge elements of Pink Floyd with Phil Collin's "In The Air Tonight", stirred together in a dark, murky synth rock melting pot, as Pangger's vocals take on an angrier tone and the edgy guitars are used more for support in the chorus than anywhere else in the track.  Definitely a different musical tapestry that is woven here, but again, I would be lying if I didn't admit to finding it darkly catchy.

"Rock N Roll Star" has some great guitars in it, as one might expect with such a title, and the keyboard on this track has that debut Bon Jovi record feel.  Again, Pangger's vocals really have that Autograph sound to them, and honestly, I could hear this track being something that Autograph may have put together in the 90s had they stayed together and continued to put out music.  

Not everything works for me, with a track like "Dry Your Eyes" sounding a bit too poppy for me, with the guitars all but removed from the track entirely.  "Enemy" let me down, as I was hoping for something dark and gritty, but instead it utilizes a synth line that sounds almost identical to the main line from "Heart Of Glass" by Blondie and then melds it to a chorus section that sounds like Stabbing Westward-lite.  Not a horrible song, but definitely one that falls into the letdown section for me.

The rest of the record is solid and fun, and I can honestly see myself popping this album in when I need a musical change-up in my CD rotation.  It doesn't threaten to become album of the year, or anything even remotely of the sort, but it is a pretty good album, all in all.  For those who openly admit to liking the New Wave sounds of the 80s (or those who only tune to Sirius/XM's First Wave when they are driving by themselves), A Life Divided is going to be well worth tracking down when it is released in January of 2020.    

Again, not everyone is going to like this, and some may even question my sanity for reviewing it, let along liking it. But to each their own, I say.  A Life Divided is a nice little surprise at the end of the year for me.   

Rating:  I'm not sure "crank" is the right word to use here, but Echoes earns that tag.  So...crank this to a 7, whether you want to admit to liking it or not!

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BAYLESS "Ready.Aim."

(c) 2019 Independent Release

1. Ready.Aim.
2. My Declaration
3. Save The World
4. Game Over (featuring Justin Forshaw)
5. No More Suffering
6. Intermission

Jared Bayless--Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar

Vanessa Bayless--Lead Vocals, Keys, Programming

Additional Musicians

Justin Forshaw--Guitar Solo on 4

Wow.  Just...wow.

Rarely am I blown away by a band from the get-go, but Bayless accomplishes this rarity with their 2019 effort, Ready.Aim.  The husband and wife duo from Cheyenne, WY perfectly marries heavy guitars, symphonic string sections, and electronic elements, and both clean and harsh male vocals and soaring female lead vocals to create a musical tapestry the likes of which I cannot say I have ever truly heard before.  Whether Jared is utilizing his powerful baritone vocals in a rich singing tone, or snarling through harsh accompanying lines to support his wife's equally powerful, at times operatic voice, the vocal combinations here change from song to song...sometimes utilizing all three vocal styles within one track...to vocally match the intricate musical creations Bayless brings to bear on this effort.

The album kicks off with the title track, and it is immediately evident that Bayless is not just another symphonic metal band.  Vanessa handles the majority of the lead vocals on this particular track, showcasing a powerful range throughout the verses, with Jared adding his clean tones to the chorus, only adding in a bit of edge when he challenges "I'm coming for you darkness" referring to humanity's sinful nature, threatening to "take back what you stole".  Heavy guitars open the track, supported by what sound to be programmed drums and some electronic elements support the sweeping vocals, and hints of Evanescence creep forward, especially when the strings join the musical fray following the second chorus.  There's a musical buildup leading to a vocal bridge from Jared who snarls, "I'm running to the monster!  Ready, aim!"  Check out the powerful, very high quality video below!

"My Declaration" is the lead single from the record, and went straight to number one on several Christian rock and hard music charts.  Vanessa takes a lead vocal break from this track, with Jared contributing both clean and harsh vocals on this huge rocker.  Electronic elements are dropped all over this song, but as supporting pieces and not to the point that this becomes full-blown electronica.  The guitars are heavy and edgy, and Jared's voice simply owns the track.  In fact, it was this song, and specifically the vocals that drew me to hunt down this band and this EP, and I am glad that they did.  This is truly powerful stuff here.  Lyrically, it doesn't get much bolder than "My Declaration", with Jared proclaiming "I'll put my faith in who created me" before the chorus declares:  "I want to lead courageously, Leave a legacy/I wanna surrender myself./Faith awakening, Live for eternity/I'll stand with no ovation.  This is my declaration!"  I particularly like when Jared cuts loose on his vocals as he screams "Gonna face my demons, For I know that they will come/They'll here me screaming, 'The end of you has come!'"  The anger and coviction he delivers the chorus with is especially powerful, especially as Vanessa's offset the growl to add a depth and richness that simply isn't matched by a lot of bands today, as so many bands have taken on similar vocal styles now, at least in the modern rock genre.

"Save The World" is a more mid-tempo rocker with some obvious programmed lines running alongside the heavy buzzsaw rhythm guitars and some delicate keyboards.  While not quite industrial, there are some obvious influences from the genre here, and it works to great effect.  Jared and Vanessa share the lead vocals on this one, with Jared handling the majority of the chorus and Vanessa soaring through the verses.  There is a nice piano and strings interlude in the track, with just Vanessa singing for a couple of phrases before the guitars and drums return, bringing back Jared's rich singing style.  One interesting thing here is the unusual way Jared pronounces the way "proclaim", which comes out sounding more like pro-CLAY-eem the name.  At first, I was like...what the heck?  But after several listens, I have to be honest and admit that I sing along in the same way now.

"Game Over" is again largely a song with Vanessa handling the verse sections and Jared tackling the chorus portions.  Vanessa shows remarkable vocal control here, utilizing an almost operatic approach to the phrasing of the verses, and to say she is impressive would be an understatement.  There is an odd synth solo where one would usually expect the guitar solo to come slamming in, but fear not, for the guitar solo does drop, but as a final run-out at the end of the song.  Justin Forshaw, who handled the production on the record, tears his way through a complex guitar run that flashes more than he typically shows when he is ripping up the strings for his band, As We Ascend.

"No More Suffering" is another powerful hard rocker with a potent message, proclaiming "One day there'll be no more suffering/One day there'll be rest for me/But not today!", and the layered vocals on this chorus line, with Jared and Vanessa's voices paired together so perfectly, really adds an emotional depth.  This is the second single from the album, with it already cracking the top 25 of a few charts I've looked at.  Fighting for the title of favorite song on the album ("My Declaration" might win by a nose...), the song breaks down into a beautiful string section, with the two vocalists almost singing in a chorale style as they echo each other as the song concludes.  Again, the guitars are plenty heavy here, and the drums, while programmed, provide a solid rhythm line for the duo to perform their vocal acrobatics across.

"Intermission" is basically an all instrumental piece that concludes the album, so the name is rather odd.  There is some Gregorian-styled chanting at the beginning, but it is placed low enough in the mix that I can't make out what is being said, and other than Jared adding his voice as an instrument near the end (he's not singing actual words), this is song of pretty much all strings, piano, drums, and guitar, with some programmed elements shaking things up just a tad in places.

Forshaw handles the production on this album, and he deserves a good deal of credit for resisting the temptation to take things too far...in any direction.  While some may have considered burying the programmed elements further in the mix, I feel they provide an important support structure throughout this record.  And while many people would have been inclined to push the strings even further out front, the dynamics of the record would have been changed dramtically and much of the heaviness lost.  There is a near perfect mix of heavy, edgy guitars and smoother, more polished keyboards and strings, which mirror the different vocal styles incoporated throughout the five main tracks here.  My one hope for the band would be to add a drummer to the mix for the next album, as I feel that big drum sound would only serve to enhance an already remarkable sound!

Make no mistake, this is heavy stuff, both musically and lyrically, but the faint of heart need not fear Bayless, as there is also a melodic beauty and accessibility that can be enjoyed by most any fan of hard music.  This mini-album is an essential listen for 2019 and is one that people seeking something new and fresh should hunt down immediately.  I plan to track down the project's first two releases, as well, as Bayless has made that great of an impact upon me.

Rating:  A near masterpiece in my mind.  Crank this to a 9 with only the shortness of the album detracting at all from its greatness!

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JARON COX "Cyclical Madness" EP

(C) 2017 Jaron Cox

1. Temptations 
2. I Will Rise (featuring Primisis)
3. Twisted Carousel

Jaron Cox--Vocals, Bass

Brandon Mills--Guitars, Production

Joey West--Drums, Percussion

They say good things come to those who wait.  For Jaron Cox, the two years since he released his debut EP most likely seemed like an eternity of waiting, but it now looks to be paying off, as "Twisted Carousel" has rocketed up the Christian rock and hard music charts here at the end of 2019.  In fact, at the time of this review, the track has reached the number one position on the www.ChristianRock.net charts! Not bad for the North Carolina rocker whom I had never even heard of prior to hearing the single.

All three tracks on Cyclical Madness fall into a modern rock classification that doesn't stray too far from the sounds of Cox's influences such as Disciple, Decyfer Down, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch and the like.  Of course, the fact that his guitar player/producer, Brandon Mills, is the guitarist from Decyfer Down, and that his drummer, Joey West, is from Disciple, could have something to do with his sound.  To be fair, however, none of the songs here sound all that much like DD or Disciple, but the genre Cox works within is one he shares with all of his influences.

The album starts off with "Temptations" which is a solid modern rock track, but it's not quite on par with what is to come, as I don't find it quite as catchy as "Twisted Carousel" nor as edgy as "I Will Rise".  It's not as if it's a bad track, and I hate to use the word "filler" on the first song of a three song EP, but to be honest, that is kind of what "Temptations" feels like.  I wish it had a really solid guitar solo in it to spice things up, and Mills has some nice soloing-styled work going as the song exits, but it's a little too late for me.  The message is a great one, however, with Cox singing about man being pulled toward sin and our struggle to resist it.  I don't skip the song by any means, and it is musically solid, but just not that memorable, at least to me.  To be fair, though, it would be tough to be as catchy or "hooky" as "Twisted Carousel", which is definitely the cream of this three track crop.

If I had to make a guess, I think that "I Will Rise" will garner some airplay in 2020 and will likely follow "Twisted Carousel" up the charts.  Another modern rocker with an edge, this track also incorporates a rapped vocal section courtesy of North Carolina Christian rapper, Primisis.  Taking a cue from the likes of Manafest, POD, and TFK, "I Will Rise" is still a rocker at heart, but the cross-genre approach will likely appeal to a large portion of the modern rock crowd, and it certainly doesn't hurt to have some great guitar work from Mills thrown into the mix!

Rounding things out is the current single, "Twisted Carousel".  Of the three tracks here, all are solid, but it's easy to see why "Twisted Carousel" is topping the Christian rock charts.  The song is a catchy one with an easily singable chorus and a nice guitar hook.  Written from the viewpoint of someone trying to gain control of the life he is leading, "Twisted Carousel" is honest and up front about the struggles even a Christian can have with making bad decisions that make our life "...a Twisted Carousel/Up and Down and Around and Around/Cyclical Madness, I just can't tell/If I'll ever get off of this Twisted Carousel". I think pretty much everyone can relate to a chorus like that. 

Cox is a good song writer and I think he shows a lot of promise with this EP.  Musically, the performances here are top drawer, with Mills really doing some excellent rhythm guitar work throughout.  As I mentioned previously, I would have loved to hear some ripping guitar solo work, but as we all are aware, that is not always the case with modern hard rock.  So, when that is the situation, solid rhythm work is a necessity, which this album definitely has.  West is a great, great drummer, and his years of experience at the kit for Disciple really lends a strong hand to the tempo and rhythms of this record.  Cox proves himself to be a more than capable bass player, as well as a strong singer.  At times his higher range is reminiscent of TJ Harris from Decyfer Down.  There is some moderate use of effects on his vocals, especially on "Twisted Carousel", but nothing is AutoTuned here.

The packaging is very simple, as it is just a simple cardboard slipcase with the above artwork as the front and an alternate photo of Cox on the back, along with some very simple thank yous and credits.  CDBaby issues the CD, even if you purchase it through Amazon (as I did), and digital versions are also available at the usual outlets.

Here's hoping that this little EP is the start of big things for Cox, as I think he has some definite talent.  I couldn't be happier for the man and congratulate him on his breakout success with "Twisted Carousel".  Let's just hope that it doesn't take two more years before another song of his gets the airplay it deserves!

Rating: Rock the album at a solid 6.5.

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