DIO AT DONINGTON, UK: LIVE 1983 & 1987 is the first posthumous release by Heavy Metal legend Ronnie James Dio. Sadly, Ronnie lost his battle with stomach cancer on May 16, 2010…..but his music lives on and this live album is a perfect way to document the rise and peak of the Dio band in the early to mid-’80s. At the time of his death, Ronnie was still working and this live album was one of the projects he was working on. Unfortunately he passed before work was complete but his wife, Wendy Dio, had the album finished and released. Niji Entertainment (Ronnie & Wendy’s company) will continue to release archival material in the future.
This live set combines both appearances by the Dio band at the Monsters Of Rock Festival at Donington in 1983 and 1987. The 1983 CD is a concert in support of Dio’s first album HOLY DIVER and the setlist is highlighted by four songs (‘Stand Up And Shout’, ‘Straight Through The Heart’, ‘Rainbow In The Dark’, ‘Holy Diver’) within the first five sandwiching the Black Sabbath standard ‘Children Of The Sea’. The band has the second opening slot after Diamond Head kicked off the festival so time was a factor I’m sure but the band still had time to rip through Rainbow’s ‘Stargazer’ and Sabbath’s ‘Heaven And Hell’ before the final Rainbow song, ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ with a touch of ‘Startstruck’ in the middle. I could do without the guitar and drum solos respectively but, back in the ’80s, these were mandatory parts of the set. The band is tight…..Ronnie sounds incredible and Vivian Campbell shows that, back in the day, he was a premier Heavy Metal guitarist.
The 1987 live set promotes the DREAM EVIL album and is represented by three songs (‘Dream Evil’, ‘Naked In The Rain’, ‘All The Fools Sailed Away’). Dio’s return to Donington in ’87 was at a time when the band was at their commercial peak and the earned them the co-headline slot just before Bon Jovi (imagine that?). By this time, the Dio band was on album #4 and each one is represented with the bulk coming off the HOLY DIVER record but THE LAST IN LINE (1984) is represented by the title cut and SACRED HEART (1985) by ‘Rock And Roll Children’. No solos this time around, it would have been nice to hear Craig Goldy due a solo just so I could compare it to Vivian’s on the 1983 disc, but I’ll take the extra songs anyday! Nice to hear one of my Black Sabbath favorites, ‘Neon Knights’, open the show to go along with the ‘Heaven And Hell’ & ‘Children Of The Sea’ staples but the cool Rainbow track is ‘Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll’ to go along with ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’. The band is tight as they should be because the only different piece is guitarist Craig Goldy (replacing Campbell) but it’s not really different as Craig had been friends with Ronnie for a while.
The packaging is a three panel digipak with full color photos and a full color booklet that includes an essay by writer Dante Bonutto but it’s really a basic style package. The extras that were included are two replica all access passes for each Monsters Of Rock show.
Bottom Line:
It’s sad that Ronnie James Dio has passed away but his music lives on and this live document of both performances at Donington are a great way to celebrate his legacy. The music is crystal clear and the band is firing on all cylinders at each performance, especially Ronnie, who’s vocals are truly superb. If you are a Dio fan, I would highly recommend this live album, one of the better live albums I’ve heard in a while.
Favorite Songs:
All the songs are classics on both discs but it’s very cool to hear ‘Stargazer’ on the 1983 set and the DREAM EVIL songs and ‘rock And Roll Children’ live on the 1987 set.
One of my goals for 2010 was to open up myself to different styles of Metal that I normally wouldn’t listen to. If you’ve read this website regularly then you know that more extreme forms of Metal outside of Thrash really don’t find their way on my stereo except for maybe the occasional “big name” group in a specific genre. I didn’t want to limit myself to just hard Rock and traditional forms of Heavy metal, I wanted to explore more Black Metal and Death Metal because I know that there are great bands that I’m missing out on. When Attila’s third album, RAGE, crossed my desk, I really didn’t give the band much though. Then I went over to their MySpace page and saw that they describe themselves as a “party death metal” band, that was enough for me to wonder what was inside the jewel case.
Like I said, extreme forms of Metal aren’t my strong suit so it’s a whole new world for me as I check out different bands but I had an open mind going into RAGE. Opening track ’The End’ is actually a quick intro (26 seconds) and it moves right into ‘Make It Sick’, probably the best song on the album or at least the one I most enjoyed. Basically I can describe the entire album by describing ‘Make It Sick’ — buzzing guitars with good solos, double kick drums, “cookie monster” growling, high pitch vocals like Dani Filth from Cradle Of Filth and clean vocals that sound like Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit. It’s a complete mash of influences all rolled into each song and it all adds up to a distraction for me. Musically everything is good as far as I can tell, I like the traditional guitar solos on some of the songs, it’s the three different vocal styles that are throwing me off. Then there’s the songwriting which is either about partying, being a bad ass or not “giving a fuck”. Granted, most albums have the same themes running through most of their songs but it just feels like Attila’s writing is still a bit immature but, like the line in ‘Make It Sick’, Attila says, “I don’t give a fuck if you like this song!”.
Bottom Line:
This just isn’t the album for me. I tried…..I gave RAGE a ton of spins and I tried hard to make sense of the songs but I just kept coming back to the three different vocal styles, especially the Fred Durst-sounding clean vocals, that whining wail that made me want to punch Durst in the face! I like the music, I think the instruments are all tight, especially the guitars…..it’s the vocals that are killing it for me. Go either growls or screams, even both but lose the clean whines. Like I mentioned, this is Attila’s third album, and they look like a young band, so their influences might be all over the place. I wouldn’t mind hearing their next album to see if their songwriting matures and the vocals tighten up but I’m not going out of my way. Not a bad record but nothing really stuck except for a couple of songs.
Named after the 1944 film Murder, My Sweet, female-fronted Swedish newcomers The Murder Of My Sweet have made a serious impact signing with Melodic Rock label Frontiers Records and releasing their debut album, DIVANITY. The amount of female-fronted bands in all genres of Metal grows every year and The Murder Of My Sweet join a crowded field in the Symphonic/Gothic Metal genre alongside bands like Lacuna Coil, Epica, Lana Lane and Evanescence. Just like their peers, the band’s music is driven by heavy guitars, soaring vocals and a generous use of keyboards and orchestration. What sets The Murder Of My Sweet apart from the rest is Rylin’s voice because it just sounds different compared to Simone Simons, Cristina Scabbia and Amy Lee, sometimes it takes a newcomer to raise the bar and Rylin joins good company. The songs on DIVANITY are all heavy but very melodic, dark and brooding but varied in their compsition. There are a lot of sounds to take in between Rylin’s prominent voice, the guitars, keyboards and orchestration…..maybe a little too much and that’s where the band fails to pull away from the pack. The first half of the album impressed me and had me rocking out with songs like ‘No Evil’, ‘Bleed Me Dry’ and ‘Kiss Of Death’ but by the second half I felt like I had heard it all before. That’s not to say that the songs are bad, quite the opposite, they are very good. It’s just that I think that the album gets repetitive and there is so much more room for growth, it wasn’t until the final song, ‘Death Of A Movie Star’, that I heard something completely different. There was a Queen influence to ‘Death Of A Movie Star’ that I found different and refreshing.
Bottom Line:
Overall, a solid debut. I enjoyed listening to the album but after repeated listens it starts to sound the same. There is huge talent in The Murder Of My Sweet and not just Angelica Rylin because the musicianship and songwriting is top notch, all the band needs to do now is to separate themselves by expanding their sound. The Murder Of My Sweet is an up and coming band, I’m definitely looking forward to their next album to see what they do. If you’re a fan of Symphonic/Gothic Metal then be sure to check this album out.
Favorite Songs:
‘No Evil’, ‘Bleed Me Dry’, ‘Kiss Of Death’, ‘Death of A Movie Star’
Auras is a Melodic Rock band from Brazil formed in 2007 with a style/influence from AOR masters like Journey, Survivor, The Storm, Richard Marx and Toto and the lesser known Surrender. Most Brazilian bands that I listen to (Angra, Shaman, Sepultura, and Pleasure Maker) are more Hard Rock or Metal oriented so I was surprised to hear this ’80s AOR sound full of saoring vocals, big harmonies, piano/keyboards and melodic guitar. Lead singer Gui Oliver has a voice very similar to former Journey frontmen Steve Perry and Steve Augeri (also from Tall Stories) as well as The Storm’s Kevin Chalfant. I actually pulled out a few Journey and The Storm CDs to compare the vocals just like I did when Journey hired Arnel Pineda a couple of years ago. It’s obvious that Oliver has a solid voice with good range and that he will be the main focal point in comparing Auras to the older bands. The rest of the band provides top notch musicianship, especially both guitar players (Felipe Lacerda and Matheus Brandon) who have a found that niche where the guitar doesn’t overpower the keyboards. Speaking of the keyboards, I haven’t been able to find out who plays keyboards/piano on this record but they are done really well and compliment the guitars while being a prominent part of the overall sound. The lyrics are all positive and upbeat in that they are all about love, faith and hope.
Opening NEW GENERATION is the uptempo ‘Beauty Of Dreams’ that sounds like pure Journey and could fit easily on their latest album with Arnel Pineda. ‘Forgive And Forget’ is Journey-esque with a more prominent guitar and this honky-tonk style piano that finds it’s way into the middle while the opening of ‘Never Give Up’ sounds a little like the opening intro to Van Halen’s ‘Top Of The World’ but not as heavy, ‘Never Give Up’ is another song that I could easily see the latest incarnation of Journey playing. It would be an AOR album without a ballad and the piano led ‘In My Arms’ is definitely lighter worthy and one of those songs you hear at weddings! The rest of the album is more of the standard AOR/Melodic Rock uptempo fair: ‘Reach Out’ is more mid-tempo, the title track starts with a keyboard/drum intro and moves into one of the more anthemic songs on the album and ‘Forever In Your Eyes’ has a little more melodic power than ‘Reach Out’ but it still finds a mid-tempo groove. I’m halfway through the album and I haven’t heard a bad song yet, nor have I heard one that lacks perfect sound. ‘Hungry Hearts’ is the first song that the band worked on together and it also was the first one sent to various labels to see if there was any interest, I hear a lot of Survivor in ‘Hungry Hearts’ around that VITAL SIGNS era from 1984. ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’ opens with a guitar driven intro but the keyboards give it this ’80s Power Pop sound that only gets saved when the guitar kicks in and there’s not enough guitar for me. When I saw the title for ‘Keep On Lovin’ You’, I was sure that this was going to be a cover of the REO Speedwagon hit but it’s really an original that follows the rest of the album’s pattern. What makes this song stand out a little more is that the band uses a talk box on some of the guitar work to give it that Bon Jovi ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ touch. More mid-tempo Journey-sims arrive with ‘Out Of Love’ and I feel like I’ve heard it already, same with the final ‘Love To Survive’.
Bottom Line:
When I put NEW GENERATION on for the first time, I admit that I was very surprised that Auras came from Brazil because they sound like they come straight from the U.S. West Coast! After hearing the first two songs, I was convinced that I had heard them on the radio back in the early ’80 on FM radio! Of course I hadn’t heard them before but that just goes to show you that new modern AOR/Melodic Rock from around the world is taking hold and bringing people back 25-30 years back in time. I will admit that the sound is definitely dated and, after repeated listens, the songs kind of blend together and you feel like you’ve heard it all before. In keeping with the ’80s AOR style, the lyrics are completely upbeat and positive and it doesn’t offer too much variety…..it’s all about love and the band pours their hearts out. Some fans are going to get turned off by the dated sound and lyrics, maybe looking for something with a little more bite to it and less polish. I think the album is well done and the musicianship is top notch, I’ve enjoyed listening to it a lot but I’m a little thrown off with the complete Journey/Survivor worship. I think NEW GENERATION is a good album that gets the band out there initially but Auras’ career will be defined by their ability to build their own unique sound rather than following their favorite bands’ blueprints. If you like Melodic Rock, then this is for you.
Favorite Songs:
‘Beauty Of Dreams’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘New Generation’, ‘Forever In Your Eyes’
Methods Of Mayhem – A Public Disservice Announcement (2010, Roadrunner/Loud & Proud)
Drunk Uncle Pete
Time Bomb
Louder
Fight Song
Blame
Two Ways
Take Me Off The Ledge
Only One
All I Wanna Do
Back To Before
Party Instructions
Band Lineup:
Tommy Lee – vocals, guitar, drums
John “J3″ Allen III – guitar, vocals
Will Hunt – drums, percussion
Kai Marcus – guitar, backing vocals
Marty O’Brien – bass
DJ Aero – turntables
Additional Musicians:
Scott Humphrey – synthesizer, piano, backing vocals
Phil X – guitar
Chris Chaney – bass
Deryck Whibley – guitar
Chad Kroeger – backing vocals
Sonny Moore – synthesizer
Chino Moreno – vocals
James Kottak – vocals
Deadmau5 – electronics
Sofi Toufa – vocals
Marcus Davis – vocals
Steven McSwain – backing vocals
Methods Of Mayhem is Tommy Lee’s side band outside of Motley Crue. Way back in 1999, Tommy quit the Crue and, shortly after his stint in jail for spousal abuse, formed Methods Of Mayhem to give himself a new creative outlet. The band got some serious publicity and a platinum debut from Tommy’s name, his celebrity status, the racy video for the first single ‘Get Naked’ and a touring slot on Ozzfest 2000. I had read all the press releases and reviews and, as a card-carrying Metalhead, I couldn’t get behind Tommy’s Nu-Metal and Rap Metal style with Methods and I especially despised his collaborator, rapper TiLo. I was in attendance at Ozzfest 2000 in Mansfield, MA and I heard all the boos and laughter as Tommy strapped on a guitar and rapped along with TiLo. Requests for Motley Crue songs and the generic “You suck!” comments (a lot of those came from me) were responded to by Tommy by throwing the middle finger. I will never forget the overwhelming boos that the band received at the conclusion of their set and I wondered just how far the mighty Crue drummer had fallen. Fast forward to 2010 and Tommy has since rejoined Motley Crue, starred in various reality TV shows and managed to release two solo albums under his own name…..now we get a new Methods Of Mayhem album, A PUBLIC DISSERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Before I get into the review, let me explain why I was interested in this album. I’m sitting in my seat at Ozzfest 2010 (10 years after Methods got booed off the stage) and the screens keep running commercials hyping this new Methods record to the point of absurdity. There were street team members from the label or PR firm handing out postcard ads to the concert goers and it just seemed like this new album was everywhere a full month before it’s release…..the hype machine in full force! So I’m sitting there at Ozzfest and I’m thinking to myself, “Maybe this album won’t be as bad as the first one.” and “Maybe it’s worth a shot.”. Now I hadn’t heard a piece of music from the album but I did check out the press releases and it seemed that Tommy decided to open the creative door to anyone with an Internet connection and a desire to make music. Producer Scott Humphrey and Tommy offered fans and musicians from around the world to submit material to a specific website and, after listening to over 10,000 submissions, parts of selected submissions were added to Tommy’s writing to create the songs for the album. It sounded like an interesting concept but also threw a red flag in my head because it screamed “laziness” to me. How about just writing your own songs? Why collaborate with fans? Then again, I’m not a musician so how do I know about the creative process? I gave Tommy the benefit of the doubt. So the album comes out mid-September and I’m in the record store debating dropping the $12 for the CD and I decide to wait. Lucky for me, a friend of mine didn’t wait and I was able to borrow his copy.
What we basically have here is a continuation of the first Methods Of Mayhem album. A PUBLIC DISSERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT is an album full of Nu-Metal, Rap Metal, Alternative Rock and various beats and sound effects that are completely unlistenable. Tommy Lee has simply repeated the same formula as he did 10 years ago with the exception of outside contributions via the Internet. Of course there are also guest musicians, some good and some overrated. I can give credit to having Scorpions drummer James Kottak make a vocal appearance, same with the Chino Moreno from the Deftones, but Chad Kroeger from Nickelback? Deryck Whibley from Sum 41? Kroeger and Nickelback are successful but completely overrated and Whibley is more famous for his failed marriage to fellow Canadian alt-rocker Avril Lavigne than his own band! It just points to the fact that this kind of music and hype is at least 7 or 8 years out of date. At least Tommy listened to the overwhelming boos 10 years ago and got rid of TiLo!
Bottom Line:
Without a doubt the worst album I have heard all year and most likely the hands down favorite for my Worst Album of 2010. I seriously sat in my music room at least 6 or 7 times to give this a serious listen and it was a serious chore. There is nothing on this album even close to Tommy’s music with Motley Crue or even Hard Rock for that matter. Hell, I would even take basic Rock! All there is here is Nu-Metal, etc. and it’s 10 years past the sell by date. I can understand a musician’s right to explore new territory, to expand their musical base, but when you market the album heavily at a Heavy Metal festival like Ozzfest, then you are deceiving the fans. Thank god I didn’t waste my money.
It’s been a few years since Rob Halford released a new album under the Halford band moniker, 2002 to be exact with CRUCIBLE, but now there is a brand new studio album of Metal songs titled MADE OF METAL. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 8 years between albums because the Metal God has been very busy with his committments recording and touring with Judas Priest and his Metal God empire that includes his own record label, solo catalog remasters, special album releases like the Halford - III: Winter Songs (2009) release and a clothing line. Add touring with the Halford band on this past summer’s Ozzfest and now supporting Ozzy Osbourne internationally, it’s safe to say that Rob Halford has a lot on his plate while Judas Priest takes a well deserved break. Judas Priest is my second favorite band so anything the band members do on the side is always of interest so I knew about the new Halford album from the beginning. Rob’s previous solo releases under the Halford name (2000′s RESURRECTION and 2002′s CRUCIBLE) were high quality Heavy Metal records so my expectations were definitely high when Rob announced he was in the studio creating a new album.
I got my first taste of MADE OF METAL when the digital single ‘The Mower’ was released through Halford.com and then Halford performed ‘Made Of Metal’ when I saw the band live on Ozzfest 2010. I was impressed by both songs and I knew that the new album was going to be really good because ‘The Mower’ sounded like something straight from the first two Halford albums but I also detected that there was a more melodic approach to at least the title track. After listening to the album daily since it’s late September release, it’s easy to hear that Rob’s reunion with Judas Priest has greatly influenced his current solo work because most of the album has a more commercial sound then the previous Halford releases. Obviously Rob’s voice is a large part of the Priest sound so similarities between the two bands are obvious but I think that the 2009 tour celebrating the 30th Anniversary of BRITISH STEEL (1980) may have influenced the writing to have more of a late ’70s/early ’80s Judas Priest vibe. Songs like ‘Undisputed’, ‘Speed Of Sound’, ‘Like There’s No Tomorrow’, ‘Heartless’ and ‘Hell Razor’ all sound like they came straight off Priest records of different eras. That may be a good thing for many fans because Priest’s last album, NOSTRADAMUS (2008), was heavily debated among fans. ‘Undisputed’ has some really bad clichéd lyrics but it’s still a good song, ‘Speed Of Sound’ has a fast tempo like something off SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE (1982) but the chorus comes off like something from TURBO (1986) and ‘Like There’s No Tomorrow’ has a very melodic sound underneath the dual guitars, a Priest trademark throughout the ’80s. Take a listen to ‘Heartless’ and ‘Hell Razor’ (both are back to back in the running order), ‘Heartless’ could easily fit on an album like BRITISH STEEL while ‘Hell Razor’ has a more ’70s Metal sound found on SIN AFTER SIN (1977) or STAINED CLASS (1978). Backing up a little, ’Fire And Ice’ sounds like current day Power Metal similar to Hammerfall and Primal Fear and the title track sounds like a song that could easily fit on the NOSTRADAMUS album. The title of the song, and album when looking at the cover, is a little deceiving…..Rob Halford is the Metal God and ‘Made Of Metal’ sounds like it would fall right into place as a Metal anthem and Rob declaring his dedication once again but it’s actually a song inspired by NASCAR. Yes, NASCAR! Look at the cover and you see the “supersonic silver flying machine” and the lyrics to the song are blatantly about racing, even name-checking NASCAR. Is Rob pulling a Gene Simmons here by looking for an affiliation like Gene did years ago with Indy Racing?
I don’t like the Blues/Country/Western sound of ‘Till The Day I Die’, it reminds me of Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’ but not anywhere as good and ‘We Own The Night’ has it’s moments but it is so commercial that it becomes forgettable. ‘Thunder And Lightning’ has more of a Hard Rock sound to it and the underlying riff reminds me again of Bon Jovi, this time with ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’. There is a true ballad on MADE OF METAL called ‘Twenty-Five Years’ and it’s very surprising because it’s not really something you expect from Halford. It’s a quiet song for the most part with Rob softly singing until the chorus kicks in and he adds more power to his vocal along with the guitars. Looking at the lyrics, the first thing that comes to mind is the song is about Rob’s battle with drugs and alcohol and staying sober…..not sure if that is what the song is actually about but good music can always be interpreted different ways. ‘Twenty-Five years’ breaks the album up a bit and gives a different fresh sound to all the Metal. Expanding more sounds, ‘Matador’ has a Latin flavor to the overall Metal sound and ‘I Know We Stand A Chance’ sounds like something that a female-fronted band like Lacuna Coil, Epica or After Forever would do. Maybe it’s the mid-tempo pace or the love torn lyrics but this doesn’t sound like Metal God territory. Rounding the record out is the previously mentioned single ‘The Mower’, a song that is very heavy and reminiscent of the vocal work Rob did with the higher screams on RESURRECTION, CRUCIBLE and even Judas Priest’s ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION (2005). It’s a heavy song and a good way to end the album but really listen to Rob’s vocal style and tell me you can’t hear some Udo Dirkschneider (U.D.O. & ex-Accept) in there!
Bottom Line:
Like I mentioned before, I was definitely looking forward to this album and I have given it a daily listen since it was released. The problem for MADE OF METAL is that it’s very hard to top Rob Halford’s first two solo albums RESURRECTION and CRUCIBLE…..those are two classic Metal albums from the early part of the decade. It was easy to beat Halford’s third album, WINTER SONGS, because I just didn’t get into the whole “winter/Xmas” style. The bottom line here is that if you like Judas Priest, then you will like MADE OF METAL. All the songs on this album are very accessible and melodic and it’s obvious that the last few years focusing on Judas Priest has made the Metal God’s sound more commercial and full of hooks. Overall, I like this album a lot, I find myself easily getting into the music and the songs stick in my head making it relatively easy to sing along. This may not be the heaviest Halford album, this may not be the best Halford album either, but I would rank it up there as a solid release that I believe gets better as you play it.
Favorite Songs:
‘Fire And Ice’, ‘Made Of Metal’, ‘Heartless’, Hell Razor’, ‘Twenty-Five Years’, ‘The Mower’
NEW RELIGION is the second album by the Swedish Hard Rock band Crazy Lixx and it was released back in April on Frontiers Records. Crazy Lixx is one of many bands coming out of Sweden promoting the classic Hard Rock sound of the ’80s pioneered by the likes of Motley Crue, Poison, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. The band follows a very specific formula that includes plenty of hooks, big harmonies and sleazy guitar all infused into a complete party vibe.
The album starts off with the anthemic ‘Rock And A Hard Place’ that reminds me of gritty Danger Danger and then ’My Medicine (R.O.C.K.)’ that is a purely influenced by Def Leppard (check the harmonies) and Poison (the main riff sounds a little like ‘Unskinny Bop’). That’s not a bad way to start an album, especially if you are blatantly going for that kind of sound! As the album continues there are more ’80s hard rockers that have some grit and punch like the Skid Row-ish ’21 Till I Die’, ‘Road To Nowhere’, ’The Witching Hour’, ‘Children Of The Cross’ and ‘Lock Up Your Daughter’. ‘The Witching Hour’ really stands out for me because it has a real heavy guitar and sounds close to Metal, like an early heavy Ratt or something, but the harmonies bring that melodic Def Leppard influence to even it out. ‘Lock Up Your Daughter’ also stands out for me with that infectious drum sound and huge harmonies reminding me of a cross between Motley Crue, Danger Danger, and Poison. Other highlights from NEW RELIGION are the more AOR/Melodic Rock styled ‘Blame It On Love’, the Bon Jovi influenced melodic rocker ‘She’s Mine’ and the pure Jovi balladry of ‘What Of Our Love’. The only throwaway track on the album for me is the quick instrumental ‘Desert Bloom’, it’s not a bad instrumental but I would just prefer another full song. Ending the record is the tight rocker ‘Voodoo Woman’, another track that has that heavier guitar infused in the middle of the big melodic, harmonized Hard Rock. Just a quick note on the production and sound here…..Swedish musician/producer Chris Laney is back again handling the production duties and the sound is perfect. Almost too perfect actually! Don’t get me wrong, I like a good sounding record but at times I wonder if Crazy Lixx is too polished? Then again, if you are going to be influenced by ’80s Hard Rock, and write songs in that direction, then you have to have top notch production and sound. The Crazy Lixx sound stands up right next to the masters like a Def Leppard or Bon Jovi.
Bottom Line:
I have had NEW RELIGION since March and I have had this in my weekly rotation ever since. The band grabs your attention immeadiately with ‘Rock And A Hard Place’ and never lets go and, as you move on through the album, each song follows suit. I grew up listening to FM radio and watching hours of MTV so the ’80s Glam/Hard Rock scene was inescapable and as the years passed has faded away. What has been missing in the U.S. mainstream is that party atmosphere and good time feeling from the bands that topped the charts 20-25 years ago, it’s good to see a band like Crazy Lixx emulate that style. For me, this is one of my favorite albums of the year and I recommend it for Hard Rock fans that want to travel back to the ’80s.
Favorite Songs:
I like the entire album but if I had to pick a Top 5 off this album they would be: ‘Rock And A Hard Place’, ‘My Medecine (R.O.C.K.)’, ‘Blame It On Love’, ‘The Witching Hour’ and ‘Lock Up Your Daughter’.
After a long wait, Accept have finally reunited! After the successful Summer 2005 tour of the European festival circuit, rumors of a complete Accept reunion made it’s way across the Internet and infiltrated all corners of the Heavy Metal world. Unfortunately there was no reunion as original Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider declined to participate due to his committment to solo band U.D.O. The seeds were planted though and guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes started writing together in 2009. Adding guitarist Herman Frank, who joined & recorded on BALLS TO THE WALL (1983) in 1982 and participated in the 2005 reunion tour, and drummer Stefan Shwarzmann (ex-Helloween, U.D.O., Running Wild and more) to the band, the search was on for a lead singer. While Hoffmann and Baltes were demoing new material, a suggestion was made to bring in former TT Quick vocalist Mark Tornillo to sing guide vocals on the demos. That chance meeting landed Tornillo the job as Udo’s replacement in the reunited Accept and led to the recording of this new album, BLOOD OF THE NATIONS.
Basically, BLOOD OF THE NATIONS is an album that captures the classic Accept sound. There is no compromising to be more commercial or follow current Metal trends, the music is pure, traditional Heavy Metal that sounds like the Accept of the 1980s. Was there really anything else to expect? The core of the band is intact with Hoffmann, Baltes and Frank and Schwarzmann is an excellent Metal drummer who can play various styles…..the wild card in all of this is Mark Tornillo. As the original singer for Accept, Udo has carved his name into the true Accept sound, a sound he continues forward with in U.D.O. While Accept has been on various forms of hiatus, Dirkschneider has maintained U.D.O. since 1987 and has made excellent traditional Heavy Metal that sounds like Accept. Udo’s unique vocal style and image are synonymous with Accept, and not many bands can change singers and be successful, and Accpet tried that already once in 1989 when they brought in David Reece for the EAT THE HEAT record. EAT THE HEAT was a failure by Accept standards and the band broke up so I was disappointed and skeptical when I heard that Udo had declined and Tornillo had joined the reformed Accept. I hadn’t listened to a TT Quick album in a long time so I gave METAL OF HONOR (1986) a few spins…..I just didn’t hear the Accept sound. All of my fears of how well Mark would take over the mic were dashed as soon as the band released a video for the single ‘Teutonic Terror’ back in May.
Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? And Mark Tornillo sounds pretty close to the power-packed Udo doesn’t he? Once I saw this video and heard ‘Teutonic Terror’, I knew that the band was going to make a solid record. The entire album is a traditional Heavy Metal feast full of churning guitar riffs, twin leads, a pounding rhythm section and the band’s trademark backgound vocals and chants that supplement Tornillo’s vocals. The songwriting is dead on classic Accept and, musically, it sounds like 25+ years haven’t gone by since the days of albums like RESTLESS & WILD, BALLS TO THE WALL and METAL HEART. The key to success rests with Tornillo and his vocals fit the band and material perfectly. He plays it straight with a gritty singing style but his shrieks and screams are the most impressive and it’s those techniques that keep him close to sounding like Udo and the classic Accept style. Obviously fans worldwide agree because BLOOD OF THE NATIONS has entered high on most of the international album charts but the impressive feat is that the album cracked the barren Metal wasteland known as the Billboard 200 at #187. To break the U.S. charts with fourteen years between studio albums and a new lead singer is a great accomplishment.
Just some quick notes on the packaging…..first, there is a bonus track for the U.S. pressing (‘Time Machine’) that appears in the middle of the album. I know that the bonus track was advertised on the pre-order directly through Nuclear Blast so I’m not sure if subsequent pressings (if any) will include ‘Time Machine’. If you want to spend the big bucks on the Japanese import, then you get another bonus track titled ‘Land Of The Free’. This is a glossy digipak with a 14 page glossy booklet full of lyrics, liner notes and pictures so it looks as good as it sounds.
Bottom Line:
Like I mentioned before, not many bands can replace a unique singer, a lot of bands have tried (including Accept) and only a few have had success. On BLOOD OF THE NATIONS, Accept not only replaced the gravel-throated Udo Dirkschneider successfully with Mark Tornillo but they also wrote an album of killer Metal songs full of power and punch. Throughout this review I used two words a lot: “classic” and “traditional”. Using those two words to describe any band or new album in 2010 immeadiately gives a stigma of being dated…..many veteran Metal bands like to stay current and evolve their sound but it doesn’t always work. The basis of the Accept sound is found in album like RESTLESS & WILD (1982) and BALLS TO THE WALL (1983) and that is what they are beloved for, any deviation from that specific formula would be a failure, especially with a new singer. Accept have successfully gone back in time and brought their brand of Heavy Metal from the ’80s and made it sound fresh, exciting and full of power. Choosing a singer that sounds like Udo and enhances the true Accept sound was the right move and Mark Tornillo holds nothing back and makes the position of Accept’s frontman his own. I pre-ordered this album from Nuclear Blast back in the summer and it has been on my daily playlist since it arrived in my mailbox. As a longtime Accept fan, I can honestly say this is one of their best records and one helluva comeback! I had this album as my Album Of The Month for September 2010 but, due to my hiatus with the site, I am posting it now. BLOOD OF THE NATIONS is one of the best records I’ve heard this year!
Favorite Songs:
‘Teutonic Terror’, ‘Blood Of The Nations’, ‘The Abyss’, ‘Shades Of Death’, ‘Pandemic’
Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier (2010, Universal Music)
Satellite 15… The Final Frontier
El Dorado
Mother Of Mercy
Coming Home
The Alchemist
Isle Of Avalon
Starblind
The Talisman
The Man Who Would Be King
When The Wild Wind Blows
Band Lineup:
Bruce Dickinson – Vocals
Steve Harris – Bass & Keyboards
Dave Murray – Guitars
Adrian Smith – Guitars
Janick Gers – Guitars
Nicko McBrain – Drums
It’s hard to believe that it’s been thirty years since Iron Maiden’s debut album was released. Thirty years of creating some of the most impressive and creative Heavy Metal ever to be heard and thirty years touring the world several times over. When Iron Maiden debuted in 1980, they were the innovative pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and, in many cases, light years more sophisticated then their peers. Try and think of a band that has continually released top quality studio albums and played to packed arenas without compromising their sound, direction or principles. They were leaders back in the NWOBHM heyday and they are Heavy Metal’s leaders now, THE FINAL FRONTIER marks their 15th studio album and there is no sign of slowing down.
It’s also hard to believe that it’s been four years since the last Maiden record, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (2006). There is no doubt that the band is at it’s creative peak since lead singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith rejoined the band in 1999, the band has released four studio albums and toured the world extensively in support of each. This from a band that is well into their 50s now! I had to actually go back and make sure I wasn’t wrong that the last album was released in 2006, surely there was new music more recently? Iron Maiden has been able to keep the spotlight on themselves by releasing two excellent live albums and three high quality DVDs while touring just about every year, including a co-headlining spot on Ozzfest 2005 and countless headline appearances at major festivals around the world. This is no nostalgia act as the band has made it a point to feature new songs as the bulk of their live set…..in 2000 on the tour for BRAVE NEW WORLD, they featured at least 6 brand new tracks and they played the entire A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH album on their 2007 tour! It’s not that Maiden doesn’t enjoy revisiting the past, it’s that they embrace their past with their future…..and the future is THE FINAL FRONTIER. Since the band reunited as a six piece in 2000, all the studio albums have been more a Progressive Metal/Progressive Rock affair than the straight Heavy Metal that defined their career through the ’80s and ’90s. The band has progressed and have gotten better with age…..the musicianship and songwriting are of the highest quality, as are the live performances.
The album opens with a very weird, experimental instrumental intro and song titled ’Satellite 15…The Final Frontier’. It’s distorted bass, odd drum patterns and guitar riffs give the album a spacey feel especially when Bruce starts singing hauntingly about 2:30 minutes in and the momentum slowly builds for another 2 minutes until the band kicks into part two and the song takes flight in the most straightforward Rock direction that I can remember Iron Maiden taking. It sounds like Iron Maiden but very melodic and dark, you get the sense that this album will be a journey into the unknown just like the “space” theme the band is using for the album’s concept. The opening song moves directly into the initial single ‘El Dorado’, the song that was available for free download weeks before the album’s official release. ‘El Dorado’ is more familiar, old school Maiden with that signature Metal gallop and Dickinson’s soaring vocals on the chorus. I downloaded the song the first day and played it several times over, my first impression is that the band were revisiting the past to create something new. The last tour I saw in 2008 was a recreation of the band’s legendary World Slavery Tour from 1984 and was a “greatest hits” tour so to speak so I assumed that the band’s reperforming of the past got their creative juices flowing to return to their roots. Even though the song is decidedly retro, it easily fits into the more progressive and epic Iron Maiden sound.
‘Mother Of Mercy’ continues the uptempo gallop that has defined the distinct Iron Maiden sound while ‘Coming Home’ is a dramatic ballad styled song about piloting an airplane and the long journey home. Both songs are continued excellence, while ‘Mother Of Mercy’ remains a more traditional style Heavy Metal song, it’s ‘Coming Home’ that sees the band start to spread it’s creative wings and add various Progressive touches to the songs. Ending the first half of the album is the fast-paced charger ‘The Alchemist’, a song that brings me back to the old school glory days of Maiden’s Metal past around PIECE OF MIND (1983) and POWERSLAVE (1984). One look at the song title and you would guess that ‘The Alchemist’ might be one of those long progressive epics but it’s actually the shortest song on the record and it’s also the fastest.
The second half of the album starts off with the 9 minute plus ‘Isle Of Avalon’, this is the Iron Maiden that has evolved for the 21st century! Long time fans like myself remember the glory days of faster songs like ‘Run to The Hills’, ‘The Trooper’ and ’2 Minutes To Midnight’ but the newer fans are discovering a new Iron Maiden that is embracing longer and more epic songs. There have always been epics on Maiden albums but, since the reunion album BRAVE NEW WORLD (2000), the band keeps creating albums of high quality progressive/epic Heavy Metal. ‘Isle Of Avalon’ clocks in at 9:06 and there are so many layers to the song, same goes for ‘Starblind’ (close to 8 minutes), ‘The Talisman’ (just over 9 minutes), The Man Who Would Be King’ (8 1/2 mins) and ‘When The Wild Wind Blows’ (11 minutes). ‘Isle Of Avalon’ has a lot of Metal in it, the solos are great as usual, but it’s definitely a more Progressive sound, more atmosphereic. ‘Starblind’ follows the same way with really thick guitars and superb vocals from Bruce Dickinson but there is really a lot to listen here and everytime I hear it I find a different piece of music that I missed before especially in the middle solo section. More atmospheric touches appear with the acoustic, almost spoken word, intro that starts ‘The Talisman’. It’s a haunting 2 minute beginning until the band kicks in full force with that trademark gallop and one of the best vocals Bruce has on the album. It’s hard to believe that the song rolls just past 9 minutes because it really moves along and the vocals are catchy, I picked them up quick. Another slow/soft beginning for another epic as ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ opens with a simple electric guitar intro and moving into a soft vocal from Bruce. The song kicks in with twin harmonized guitars and Nicko’s excellent drumming. ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ is uptempo but not as fast as ‘The Alchemist’ but it keeps a solid pace and there is a lot of sounds to absorb, this is probably one of the most complex songs on the album as far as tones, changes and pace. Definitely one of the best songs on the album. The final song of the album is the 11 minute ‘When The Wild Wind Blows’, another awesome song. Iron Maiden pulls out all the stops with their musicianship as the song builds into a mid-tempo groove and it really serves as a showcase for each member to stretch out. Almost every longer song on this album has different sounds that I have discovered when listening closely, especially with quality headphones, but ‘When The Wild Wind Blows’ is an epic of epic proportions with different solos, time changes, melodies and drum patterns.
Bottom Line:
Album of the Year! Is it safe to call it a done deal now? Do I have to wait to put my list out in December? I have been a fan of Iron Maiden’s since the early years and, going on 30 years of recording, it’s obvious that the band is at their creative best, look at the releases since the reunited. THE FINAL FRONTIER gets better with every listen because there is something new to discover everytime, there is enough straight uptempo Metal to please one section of fans and enough Progressive Metal to satisfy the fans who prefer the longer more epic direction of the last decade. There is a lot to listen to hear so you have to keep playing the album in order not to miss things, in other words, the album stays interesting and fresh with each listen. With this album you get a high quality ten songs that are a long journey (a 76 minute one!) absolutely filled with different layers and textures. This is a band of musicians that can rip your face off with fast paced Metal or take you on a complex journey of sound…..does any band do it better? I can’t think of a band that does that has the time and history that Iron Maiden does. I have had this album since about a week before it’s official release date and I have played it just about every day. I made this album the Album Of The Month for August 2010 but, due to my hiatus with the site, I am posting it now. Hands down, the best album of 2010.
Favorite Songs:
I like every song on the album but if I had to pick four they would be: ‘Satellite 15…The Final Frontier’, ‘The Alchemist’, ‘Isle Of Avalon’ and ‘The Man Who Would Be King’
Band Lineup:
Jorn Lande – Vocals
Tor Erik Myhre – Guitars
Jgor Gianola – Guitars
Tore St Moren – Guitars
Nic Angileri – Bass
Willy Bendiksen – Drums & Percussion
Tommy Hansen – Keyboards
About a week later came a press release from Frontiers Records announcing the new album from Jorn Lande titled DIO. It was a little shocking to see a press release of this kind so quickly after RJD’s death and it looked like a very convenient marketing ploy to capitalize on his death. Fans worldwide started to voice their criticism on message boards and forums towards Jorn Lande and Frontiers Records for what seemed like an obvious cash-in but that turned out to not be the case. Jorn Lande has always been very vocal in his admiration of and influence from Ronnie James Dio and this tribute album was started back in the Spring of 2009 with the full cooperation and blessing of Ronnie James & Wendy Dio and Niji Entertainment. Even though it was a planned release to pay tribute to his hero, Jorn took a lot of heat for announcing DIO because it was just too soon after Ronnie’s death.
DIO is a 13 song collection of one new song, ‘Song For Ronnie James’, and twelve Dio classics taken from his work in Rainbow, Black Sabbath and the Dio band. What makes this tribute record stand out is the song selection. Most tribute records feature the most obvious and famous songs in order to sell product but Jorn Lande went the extra mile in my opinion by picking out some deep tracks. Some obvious song choices would have been ‘Holy Diver’, ‘The Last In Line’, ‘Heaven & Hell’ and maybe ‘Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll’ but they aren’t here! Instead we get some deep tracks like ‘Lord Of The Last Day’ from MAGICA (2000), ‘Push’ from KILLING THE DRAGON (2002), ‘Night People’ off DREAM EVIL (1987) and a medley ’Lonely Is The Word/Letters From Earth’ from Black Sabbath’s HEAVEN & HELL (1980) and DEHUMANIZER (1992) albums. Five of the songs come from Dio’s first album, HOLY DIVER (1983) and two come from DREAM EVIL but I was surprised that Jorn picked nothing from THE LAST IN LINE (1984). I was also expecting at least two each from Ronnie’s days in both Rainbow and Black Sabbath but it’s great to have the focus on Dio’s solo career because it’s just as legendary as his previous works. The performances are mostly a straight rendition of the original tracks so the entire album is completely familiar…..the only difference is really Jorn’s voice, which is in top form as always. The lone original, ‘Song For Ronnie James’, is OK…..basically an average song when compared to Jorn’s original material. Most of the lyrics are song and/or album titles and it’s meant to be a tribute to the master. I can’t really fault it but it’s not really my favorite either.
Bottom Line:
Everyone knows that I can’t stand cover songs included on new albums of original material but I like tribute albums…..strange isn’t it? Aside from the questionable timing of the press release and album release, DIO is a solid tribute album with a decent song selection and excellent performances. Ronnie James Dio always insisted on high quality and Jorn Lande has learned well from his master because this is a highly listenable record and a cool overview of the legend’s career. ‘Song For Ronnie James’ isn’t the greatest original song but it’s listenable so it gets a pass. If you’re a fan of Ronnie James Dio or Jorn Lande then it’s an album worth checking out.
Favorite Songs:
The deeper tracks are the best ones. The Black Sabbath medley of ‘Lonely Is The Word/Letter From Earth’ is excellent as is the Rainbow cover ‘Kill The King’. If I had to pick the best four covers of Dio originals, I’d go with ‘Push’, ‘Sunset Superman’, ‘Sacred Heart’ and ‘Night People’…..the deep tracks!
Here we go again! This is Round #2 of Bret Michaels’ reality television career and recording career combining to produce a new album!
Back in 2008, hot on the heels of the successful VH-1 reality series Rock Of Love, Bret Michaels released a “new” album titled ROCK MY WORLD. Unfortunately, ROCK MY WORLD wasn’t a new album but rather a collection of three new songs and nine previously released tracks from previous solo records. The album was advertised as a brand new album and it actually was, the problem was that the casual fan and buying public didn’t actually know that most of the songs were released three or five years previous. I was lucky to get an advance copy so I didn’t have to spend my hard earned cash but what about all the people who did? What about the diehard fans who already had Bret’s previous solo albums SONGS OF LIFE (2003) and FREEDOM OF SOUND (2005)? Now it’s two years later and Bret is about to debut a new VH-1 reality show, Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, in the Fall and we get a new album, CUSTOM BUILT. Again we are told this is a brand new album but is it? Is it a new set of songs or is this album “custom built” like ROCK MY WORLD? The bad news is that Bret has followed the previous formula and released another CD just like ROCK MY WORLD but this time around we get four new songs, a cover song and only seven previously released songs but three of those previously released songs are actually different mixes! Get all that? Four new songs!
Let’s run down the tracklisting:
‘Riding Against The Wind’ — This is the new theme song to Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It. Overall, it’s not a bad tune, it’s an upbeat Rock song that has a touch of the lighter side of Poison.
‘Lie To Me’ — Another pretty good Rock song that is very gritty sounding and retains the trademark Poison sexual theme. I really like the guitar tone here, it makes the song heavier than it really is.
‘Nothing To Lose’ — This is the much hyped duet with Disney Channel’s Miley Cyrus, better known as Hannah Montana. I went into this song with a ton of dread but it’s actually one of the best songs on the album! Cyrus’ contribution is basically background vocals and harmonies on this Country sounding ballad and, even though her singing is a little distracting, she actually adds something to the song. Bret does Country well, you can hear it in his Poison ballads from years past, so I don’t mind this song at all. I actually like it a lot!
‘Wasted Time’ — Second ballad in a row and another trademark Bret Michaels ballad that sounds like Poison but with that Country tinge. I think it’s safe to say that Bret can write great ballads and both new ballads on CUSTOM BUILT outshine the two new Rock songs.
OK, those are the the new songs and so far the album is pretty good but let’s continue…..
‘What I Got’ — A cover of the Sublime song from their 1996 self-titled third album. I actually like this song, at least I like the Sublime original, because it’s catchy. Bret’s version is a bit more Rocker than the Alternative/Ska/Pop mainstream hit. It’s a cover though and I could forgive it if the rest of the album was original material.
‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’ (Country version) — It’s the Poison hit Country-fried…..which actually isn’t too far from the original. What’s most important here is that it was previously released on FREEDOM OF SOUND (2005)
‘Go That Far’ (Club mix) — This is the Rock Of Love theme that was the lead song from ROCK MY WORLD…..the difference here is that this is a dance club mix. It’s terrible. I’ve only made it through the song once and I barely made it. Use the skip button for this one.
‘Driven’ (Rock mix) – Originally released on FREEDOM OF SOUND (2005) and re-released on ROCK MY WORLD (2008) but this is the “Rock mix”…..unnecessary. The original is good though.
‘Open Road’ — Great mid-tempo Country song from Bret but it’s already been released on FREEDOM OF SOUND (2005)…..if I ever get my hands on this album, ‘Open Road’ will be one of the top songs.
‘Rock’n My Country’ — Another FREEDOM OF SOUND track. If Bret likes FREEDOM OF SOUND so much, why not keep it in print and get us to buy it? For the interested…..an uptempo Country Rock hybrid.
‘Nothing To Lose’ (Bret demo) — This is the same exact song as before but without Miley Cyrus, still a solid song though. Why not make this a bonus track at the end and give us a legit original?
‘I’d Die For You’ — Bret really reaches deep down to re-release a song from his debut solo album, A LETTER FROM DEATH ROW (1998). I have that album, I bought into the hype of Bret’s solo debut, movie debut and directorial debut…..oh yeah, there’s a film of the same name starring Bret and this is the soundtrack.
Bottom Line:
Tale of the Tape = 4 new songs, a cover tune, an alternate version of one of the originals, 4 songs from FREEDOM OF SOUND and 1 song from A LETTER FROM DEATH ROW. Can anyone say rip-off #2?
“Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.”
That’s exactly what Bret Michaels had done two albums in a row: let’s take a few new originals and re-release a lot of songs from previous albums. This time around Bret sees fit to shake it up and give us a cover and a couple different mixes of previous tunes. This was obviously carbon copy of ROCK MY WORLD, an album to promote a reality TV series catering to the casual fan and Poison diehards who need everything. How do people get away with this? This time around, I paid the hard-earned cash only to be duped…..imagine my disappointment finding out I paid for only four new songs out of twelve. Even the booklet is bad…..there is no booklet! If it wasn’t for a really awful album by another band in 2008, ROCK MY WORLD would have been my Worst Album of 2008…..so far CUSTOM BUILT is the leading candidate for 2010. Even the four good originals can’t hide my disappointment!
Favorite Songs:
I really like the first four brand new songs. The best of the four are the two ballads: ‘Nothing To Lose’ (with or without Miley Cyrus) and ‘Wasted Time’.
Just in time for Motley Crue’s co-headlining summer run at Ozzfest 2010, frontman Vince Neil has released his third solo album. Huh?
When I heard that Vince was putting out a new album I was pretty excited because I am a fan of his two solo albums post-Crue, EXPOSED (1993) and CARVED IN STONE (1995). I’m also a big Motley Crue fan and I figured that a new Vince solo record would sound similar to a new Crue album. Vince may not be the best singer in Rock but his voice is so distinctive that you can’t help but identify the vocals with Motley Crue. So here I am waiting for more information on this new album and I find out that only 2 out of 11 songs are originals! (Those buying the European pressing get a 12th track, a cover of ZZ Top’s ‘Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers’.) Only two new songs? I could see if Vince was releasing some unreleased material, or a greatest hits collection and then added the two new songs but this is basically a covers album. That screams laziness to me especially when Vince didn’t even co-write anything on the two new songs. Why bother releasing an album then?
So here’s how the new album runs: new song, Cheap Trick cover, The Sweet cover, Aerosmith cover, new song, Sex Pistols cover, The Hollies cover, Scorpions cover, Creedence Clearwater Revival cover, Elvis cover, and an Elton John cover. Impressive…..right?
The two new songs are pretty good and they sound very much like Motley Crue. The title song, written by song guru Marti Frederiksen is pretty good, it catchy chorus with a modern sounding arrangement mixed with that Motley sleaze. If you could find an autobiographical song for Vince, this would be it…..actually, this album is supposed to be the soundtrack to an upcoming book Vince is writing on his life. Kind of like Nikki Sixx’s Sixx AM band and THE HEROIN DIARIES book and album. The second new track is ‘Another Bad Day’, a song co-written by Nikki Sixx, Tracii Guns, James Michael (Sixx AM) and Grammy award winning songwriter Kevin Kadish. I’m not sure about the original writing session for the song but James Michael helped write on Motley Crue’s NEW TATTOO (2000) and SAINTS OF LOS ANGELES (2008) and also on Nikki’s side project Brides Of Destruction. Tracii Guns was a member of the Brides and Kevin Kadish helped write on that project as well. So it’s safe to say that Nikki had this song in the can between 2000 and 2008. ‘Another Bad Day’ is a melodic mid-tempo ballad and it’s actually pretty good, basically a Motley Crue style track.
As far as the covers go, there are some that aren’t that bad and they are pretty much straightforward performances. I like his cover of Aerosmith’s ‘Nobody’s Fault’, the Scorpions’ ‘Another Piece Of Meat’, CCR’s ‘Who’ll Stop The Rain’ and The Hollies’ ‘Long Cool Woman’. The other cover songs are OK at best with the cover of Elvis’ ‘Viva Las Vegas’ being the worst, maybe we could add the Sex Pistols’ ‘No Feelings’ in there too. What Vince has going for him here is excellent production from Frederiksen and Night Ranger mainman Jack Blades and a superb band that includes Slaughter members Dana Strum & Jeff Blando and drummer Zoltan Chaney who has been rumored to hold the drum stool in the Crue everytime Tommy Lee decides it’s time to leave again. The band sounds perfect, Strum and Blando are seasoned veterans and Chaney has a huge drum sound…..even Vince sounds in decent voice.
Bottom Line:
If you’ve been a reader of this site for the last 4+ years, then you know my opinions regarding cover songs so it’s almost expected that I am going to crucify this album but I am going to try and be kind. I like the two new songs that are basically Motley leftovers and I like half the covers, not just because of song choice but also performance. I’m still disappointed though. When you advertise a “new album” and you hype it up, let it be a true new album. Releasing nine or ten covers with two new tracks that you had no hand in writing screams laziness to me. It’s not like Vince is the main songwriting force behind the Crue but he can write and has contributed in the past, at least contribute something! This album gives off the same empty feeling that all those late ’90s tribute albums with all-star lineups did, something Vince did a few times. You’ve got a good backing band, good producers and a label headed by your Crue bandmate, why not put some effort in and throw in more originals? If this were an album of ten originals and two covers then I would rate this higher but it isn’t and I can’t. I bought this for the curiosity and completist factors but it was $10 wasted. This is a trend that is happening way too much in today’s Rock world.
Favorite Songs:
I like the two new tracks ‘Tattoos & Tequila’ and ‘Another Bad Day’. As for the covers, give me the Scorpions, The Hollies and CCR as the best of the bunch.
