Tag Archives: Bruce Kulick

Dec 29 2010

The Top 30 Albums of 2010 (#21-#30)

I think I say the same things every year when I write the introduction to my Best of the Year list…..this year was one of the greatest years for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal! Every year it seems like more and more new albums come out from a wide variety of bands and 2010 was no exception, this was the biggest year for Heavy Metal Addiction as far as promotional review copies go. Usually, I physically buy all my new albums but this year I partnered with more labels, more promotional people and more bands and I received more albums for review than any other year. Honestly, I couldn’t keep up and I came nowhere close to listening to all of them properly. Looking at the piles on my desk, the boxes next to it and the separate iTunes folder I reserve for promo downloads, it’s easy to estimate that I have more new 2010 albums submitted to Heavy Metal Addiction than the last two years combined! Add in all the new releases I bought on my weekly trips to the record stores, and my daily online searches, and it’s fair to estimate that the total number of new releases from 2010 that I have right now at my desk is over 200.

The only criteria I followed for my Top 30 was the same criteria I’ve used for the last few years: the album had to be a studio album (not a live record, best of, or covers collection) AND the album had to be released in 2010. Just like previous years, an album that was released in 2009 overseas, but was released in 2010 for the U.S., qualified as a 2010 album…..basically I went by the date on the back of the CD! There are plenty of albums that got late U.S. releases and there may be a few in this countdown. 

The ranking of the Top 40 is based solely on my enjoyment of the album and not some scientific formula. Bottom Line: I had to like it! There were so many releases this year that I could have continued with a Top 40 list but I got so far behind listening and writing so there are definitely albums I haven’t heard yet or didn’t give proper time to. We’re talking a couple hundred albums though so anything that got missed might end up in an expanded “Albums I Missed in 2010″ post during next year’s awards week. Just like last year, I will be splitting the Top 30 into three posts so it’s easier to read. Be sure to check out the links to the album reviews. So here it is, my Top 30 Albums of 2010 (#21 – #30):

#30

Van Canto – Tribe Of Force (2010): A Capella Power Metal…..that’s the best way to describe the Van Canto sound. I was skeptical when I first heard about Van Canto but after a few listens to the first single, ‘Lost Forever’, I got more interested. What drew me in was the uniqueness of the project but that also made the album a little hard to take after multiple listens. I’m adding TRIBE OF FORCE to the countdown because of the uniqueness of the idea and the fact that the band pulls it off extremely well. The only instrument used was the drums, everything else is vocal instrumentation. You have to admit, it takes a lot of talent to pull something like that off! Not having proper guitars and bass may take some getting used to for some fans but Van Canto is definitely more than a novelty band. http://www.vancanto.de

#29

Human Cometh – Evolution (2010): Human Cometh has to be one of the biggest surprises for me this year. I’m not sure how I found out about the band, either I found them through other Metal websites or the band contacted me about their debut album EVOLUTION. It doesn’t matter because I found them and the album is an excellent blend of different styles including Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, Power Metal and Progressive Metal. Every song on EVOLUTION is well written with solid musicianship and it’s hard to believe that this is a new band. One of the things I thought was cool about Human Cometh was that they offered this album as a FREE download to anyone interested and, if they wanted, fans could send a donation to the band via Paypal. It’s all about getting the music out there and Human Cometh have done just that. From what I understand, there is a proper CD pressing available so head over to their website to preview the music and support the band by purchasing a CD. http://www.humancometh.com

#28

Ozzy Osbourne – Scream (2010): After re-reading the review I wrote on SCREAM back in July, I noticed that it may be a little too influenced by the previous two subpar albums. I sat down and gave this album a fresh listen and it’s actually pretty good. When you start to compare it to Ozzy’s last two records it sounds like a solid comeback for the Prince Of Darkness. I’m always skeptical of anything Ozzy does because of that stupid TV show that made him look like an idiot and his puppetmaster wife Sharon but I have to give Ozzy credit for trying to stay relevant in an ever-changing Metal climate. SCREAM isn’t the Ozzy of old, it isn’t the Ozzy of the ’90s, but it’s definitely the Ozzy for the new millenium. Dropping Zakk Wylde and replacing him with Gus G. added some fuel to the fire and seeing Ozzy live this past summer proved that he is back in a big way. SCREAM was a grower and it turned out to be a solid record. http://www.ozzy.com

#27

Raven – Walk Through Fire (2010): WALK THROUGH FIRE is one of those albums that got a worldwide release in 2009 except for North America. Metal Blade Records stepped to the plate and distributed the album here in the U.S. and I finally got to here the new raven at a decent price! Nothing is better than hearing new music from one of my old favorites, especially from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Raven was one of those bands I picked up on from the Metal magazines in the ’80s and I have slowly acquired a lot of their back catalogue. This new album sounds like the Raven of old, like the Raven that made WIPED-OUT (1982) and ALL FOR ONE (1983). A ton of high powered energy here and John Gallagher sounds like he hasn’t aged at all. This an album well worth waiting for, I just hope the next one isn’t another nine years in the making! http://www.ravenlunatics.com/

#26

Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra (2010): Two of my goals for 2010 was to open myself up to more extreme styles of Metal and bands that I have always wanted to check out but never get around to. Dimmu Borgir fit both goals perfectly, I have been wanting to check out more Black Metal and Dimmu Borgir has been one of those bands that I have wanted to check out for a long time. I’m very new to the whole Black Metal scene, I’ve read a ton about it and I’ve heard some songs but it’s safe to say that my personal collection and listening habits don’t include a lot of it. Dimmu seemed to be the most popular Black metal band so grabbing this new album was a perfect opportunity. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this album, it had a lot of different sounds and orchestration and the vocals weren’t completely unintelligible. ABRAHADABRA has the same effect that Immortal’s ALL SHALL FALL (2009) had on me last year, it’s opened up a new appreciation for Black Metal and now I’m starting in explore Dimmu’s previous records and check out other Black Metal bands. http://www.dimmu-borgir.com/

#25

Heavenly – Carpe Diem (2010): It’s kind of funny following Black Metal’s biggest band with a band name Heavenly. CARPE DIEM is another one of those albums that got a release everywhere but the U.S. in 2009, we finally got the proper release from AFM Records in early 2010. I’m a big Power Metal fan but I had never heard any songs from Heavenly’s previous four records so they were a totally new band for me. I have to admit, the reason why I got so interested in this album is the album cover, it’s so old school and so ’80s that it’s great. Seriously, album cover of the year! The music is well done with plenty of soaring vocals, orchestration and powerful guitars and I was completely surprised by the overt Queen influence on a few songs. Heavenly is a perfect example of a band that makes music I like but has fallen below my radar, CARPE DIEM has me searching out the band’s previous albums. http://www.heavenly.fr/

#24

Overkill – Ironbound (2010): When you get into discussions about Thrash Metal, the first four bands people bring up are the big four of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. As you move along, you get the second tier of Thrash bands like Testament, Exodus and Overkill. I don’t know if it’s because Overkill was an East Coast band and the focus always went to the San Francisco Bay area scene back in the day but Overkill always seems to get forgotten. The band has been going strong for 26 years and they have released great album after great album the whole time. IRONBOUND continues the tradition and it’s one hell of an old school Thrash album following the same formula Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and D.D. Verni have been using their entire career: high powered, in your face Thrash. There’s no frills here just straightforward power and that’s why IRONBOUND is one of the best Metal albums of 2010. http://wreckingcrew.com/Ironbound/

#23

Bruce Kulick – BK3 (2010): KISS is my favorite band so anytime a former member releases a solo project I run to the record store! Bruce Kulick was one of the biggest reasons KISS remained a vital entity from the mid-’80s through the mid-’90s…..his playing was always great and he added that sense of stability at the lead guitarist position that the band needed since Ace Frehley left. I never really got around to buying Bruce’s two previous solo albums but I did follow him post-KISS with Union so I knew a little of what to expect. What I didn’t expect was a high quality and very personal Hard Rock album and that’s a statement made without all the KISS fandom attached. The songwriting is great as is Bruce guitar work but the surprise is how well Bruce sings because he only ever got one song to sing in KISS (‘I Walk Alone from 1997′s CARNIVAL OF SOULS). Another great surprise is how well the collaborations went with other musicians singing like Gene Simmons, Nick Simmons, Tobias Sammet, John Corabi and Doug Fieger from The Knack…..these are some of the best songs on the album. Maybe Bruce could teach Slash how it’s done? http://www.kulick.net/

#22

Mob Rules – Radical Peace (2010): I’ve been a Mob Rules fan since 1999′s SAVAGE LAND but I missed out on the band’s last album ETHNOLUTION A.D. (2006). When I read that Mob Rules was releasing a new record, I jumped at it as soon as it came out but the problem was that it didn’t get released until 2010 in the U.S. but everywhere else got it in late 2009. This is another one of those albums from AFM Records in Germany…..I don’t know if it’s a distribution thing or what but I wish these album would come out at the same time in all territories. RADICAL PEACE is a mix of Power and Progressive Metal and it has a HUGE sound, it kind of reminds me of one of my favorite records from 2008, Cloudscape’s GLOBAL DRAMA. All the songs on this album are really good but the standout is the 18+ minute long ‘The Oswald File’, a song that is the second part of ETHNOLUTION A.D. and is broken up into six chapters. Definitely an epic! http://www.mobrules.de/

#21

Sister Sin – Sounds Of The Underground (2010): I had Sister Sin on the list of bands to check out but once I saw them open up for the Michael Schenker Group in July, I ended up putting both their albums at the top of the listening pile. Sister Sin plays a traditional style of Heavy Metal and I was blown away by how much energy and power they had live. Lead singer Liv has a great Metal voice that reminds me of Doro Pesch and she kicks a ton of ass on stage. Sister Sin’s overall sound reminds me of Doro, Warlock and also Judas Priest, the aggressiveness gives it that early ’80s Metal sound. I like the fact that the music is guitar oriented and aggressive, the only other band I can remember in recent years that kicked this much ass doing female-fronted Traditional Metal is Benedictum. Sister Sin is definitely a band to check out and watch in the future. http://www.sistersin.com/

Mar 13 2010

Bruce Kulick – BK3 (2010)

Bruce Kulick – BK3 (2010, Twenty 4 Records/Rocket Science Ventures)

  1. Fate
  2. Ain’t Gonna Die
  3. No Friend Of Mine
  4. Hand Of The King
  5. I’ll Survive
  6. Dirty Girl
  7. Final Mile
  8. I’m The Animal
  9. And I Know
  10. Between The Lines
  11. Life

Musicians:
Bruce Kulick – Vocals, Guitars, Bass
Jeremy Rubofino – Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards
Brent Fitz – Drums
Gene Simmons – Lead Vocals on ‘Ain’t Gonna Die’
John Corabi – Lead Vocals on ‘No Friend Of Mine’
Nick Simmons – Lead Vocals on ‘Hand Of The King’
George Kerhulas – Hammond B3
Doug Fieger – Lead Vocals & Percussion on ‘Dirty Girl’
Tobias Sammet – Lead Vocals on ‘I’m The Animal’
Eric Singer – Drums on ‘I’m The Animal’
Steve Lukather – Guitars on ‘Between The Lines’
Jimmy Haslip – Bass on ‘Between The Lines’
Kenny Aronoff – Drums on ‘Between The Lines’

Producers: Jeremy Rubofino & Bruce Kulick

Country: USA

Total Time = 46:14

Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick MySpace page

The last 6 months or so have been a great time to be a KISS fan with new albums from KISS and Ace Frehley finally seeing the light of day and now former KISS lead guitarist Bruce Kulick releases his third solo album BK3. After having no new material for so long, KISS fans like myself are revelling in this recording rebirth! I grew up in the ’80s so the non-makeup KISS was my focal point and Bruce was a big part of the KISS machine at a time when stability and musicianship was desperately needed. From the ANIMALIZE TOUR in 1984 to the MTV Unplugged session in 1995, Bruce Kulick was a talented mainstay in the band and helped right the KISS ship and keep it on a steady course for 11 years until the inevitable reunion with Peter Criss & Ace Frehley. I make it a point to follow former members of KISS through their solo careers but I haven’t really followed Bruce past UNION, the excellent band project with John Corabi, to his solo albums. BK3 is Bruce’s third solo effort and I decided to check it out.

BK3 is like an all-star solo album with a lot of big name guest musicians making appearances on half the tracks and Bruce handling vocals on the other half. KISS fans will take note that Gene Simmons co-wrote and and lead vocals on ‘Ain’t Gonna Die’ while his son, Nick Simmons, helped write and sang on the first single ‘Hand Of The King’. ‘Ain’t Gonna Die’ sounds like it could easily fit into the ’90s REVENGE/CARNIVAL OF SOULS KISS era and it is one of the best Gene related songs to be released in the last 15 years. Nick Simmons puts in a solid vocal performance on ‘Hand Of The King’ and he sounds very much like his famous father when he sings, I didn’t even realize that it was Nick singing this song until I read the liner notes, I thought it was Gene doing a subdued vocal with Bruce on backup harmonies. Just goes to show you the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! ‘Hand Of The King’ is another song that could have easily fit on a ’90s KISS album, it has a certain bite to it, a dirty Hard Rock sound that was so prevalent on REVENGE and CARNIVAL OF SOULS. Current KISS drummer Eric Singer also makes an appearance by playing drums on ‘I’m The Animal’ and Bruce’s Union partner John Corabi (former The Scream & Motley Crue) adds a great vocal to ‘No Friend Of Mine’, a song that could easily be a long lost Union track and one of my favorites on the album.

This isn’t an all-star KISS related project though, Bruce has brought in a few other friends to add some different sounds to the album. Former singer of The Knack, Doug Fieger, adds a really catchy vocal to the power-Pop of ‘Dirty Girl’ (a title that sounds like a Gene Simmons song!) and Tobias Sammet of Edguy/Avantasia fame contributes his great set of pipes to ‘I’m the Animal’, a song originally meant for Gene to sing but is a much better fit for Tobias. It’s a guitar heavy track with that REVENGE style main riff and aggressive vocal but the harmonies on the chorus break it up a bit. Sammet is well-known for his Power Metal/Melodic Hard Rock vocals but here he filss in an aggressive ballsy vocal with a ton of attitude. ’Between The Lines’ is an all-star instrumental with Bruce and Steve Lukather (Toto) trading off guitar parts so smoothly. Seeing that this is his solo album, Bruce takes the reins on the other half of the album singing on the record’s other five tracks. No offense to Bruce but he’s no Joe Lynn Turner or Paul Stanley vocally but his performance is pretty good. ’Fate’ opens with a fast Hard Rock style and an edgy vocal while ‘And I Know’ goes for a more melodic approach. Where Bruce shines vocally is on the slower songs, kind of like his KISS vocal debut on ‘I Walk Alone’ from CARNIVAL OF SOULS. ‘I’ll Survive’ is laid back (like Bruce!) and he sounds a bit like Space Ace at the mic. ‘Final Mile’ is a melodic mid-tempo track that really spotlights Bruce vocally as does ‘Life’, a song that has a cool Beatles and Queen laid back vibe to it…..cool guitar on this song too.

Bottom Line:
I honestly wasn’t expecting a lot from this album because I hadn’t heard Bruce’s previous solo albums but I was pleasantly surprised at how varied and well done this album is. Maybe I wasn’t expecting much because Bruce is never really a focal point in the bands he has been in, he is always a solid part of the supporting cast. BK3 turns things around though, the writing is solid and Bruce’s vocals are pretty good. He’s always been an underrated guitar player so his guitar work is as solid as it’s always been. The collaborations are the highlights, especially the Gene and Nick songs for KISS fans, but the Corabi, Feiger and Sammet songs are the best on the album. ‘No Friend Of Mine’ is reason enough to buy this record and it’s probably my favorite of the album with ‘Dirty Girl’ coming in a close second. Overall I would say this is a really good solid album that flows very well. I’ve been giving this a lot of time on the stereo and iPod and I’m really enjoying it…..this album is going to surprise a few people and it’s going to win Bruce some extra fans outside of the KISS realm.

Mar 2 2010

Current Playlist

A lot of you may be wondering where the heck I’ve been for the last month or so…..well, I’m still here! Sorry for the lack of posts but I got a few new “toys” with my tax refund (new furniture, a 52″ LCD HD TV, and a Playstation 3) and I’ve been spending most of my time away from the computer. I’m still listening to Metal, that never stops, so here’s what I’ve been listening to in the last couple of days…..

KISS – Sonic Boom (2009): This is an obvious must to keep playing because KISS is my favorite band, SONIC BOOM is clearly the best KISS record since REVENGE (1992) and it keeps getting better everytime I listen to it.

Bruce Kulick – BK3 (2010): Another KISS-related release! Bruce Kulick has always been one of the most underrated guitarists but he has always been one of my favorites because he lent stability and versatility to KISS during his tenure. I like the different sounds on this album: a little KISS, some Union, some alternative, some Hard Rock, some Melodic Rock. It’s a pretty good record and I will be reviewing it soon (I should have done this in the beginning of February!).

Brainstorm – Memorial Roots (2010): I’m still listening to January’s album of the month and I will be reviewing it soon. I definitely like this album better than their last, DOWNBURST (2008).

Keel – The Right To Rock (1985/2010 reissue): I was a big Keel fan back in the day based solely on my ability to draw both Keel logos (the band changed logos after their 1984 debut album LAY DOWN THE LAW). I did get into the music and I bought both the first three Keel records when they came out. Re-listening to this record was great because I hadn’t heard it in a long time…..’The Right To Rock’, ‘Easier Said Than Done’ and ‘Electric Love’ are still cool songs 25 years later! One thing I will say, Keel’s cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ is still awful!

Keel – Streets Of Rock ‘n’ Roll (2010): I never thought there would be a new Keel album but I’m psyched the band came back and released new material, it’s been a long time coming. The band sounds great and the songs are strong…..so far it’s one of the best records of the year for me.

Gamma Ray – To The Metal! (2010): Just got the new Gamma Ray disc from the label, it comes out in 2 weeks. I’ve been looking forward to this album since it was announced and I was surprised to find it in my mailbox. I’ve given it only one spin but I heard some pretty good songs right away.

Hammerfall – (all albums): Guess who I’m going to see in concert Saturday night? That’s right! Hammerfall is coming to the Worcester Palladium and I am making the 45 minute drive to finally see them live. I’ve been listening to all their studio albums in preparation for the show, my favorites are still the first two: GLORY TO THE BRAVE (1997) and LEGACY OF KINGS (1998).

Jan 8 2010

Press Release: Bruce Kulick – BK3 (2010) artwork, tracklisting and release dates announced

From Bravewords.com:

The North American release date for former KISS guitarist BRUCE KULICK’s new solo album, BK3, has been been bumped up to February 2nd via Fanboy/Rocket Science Ventures. Frontier’s Records will still issue the album in Europe on January 29th.

If you ever play Six Degrees of Bruce Kulick, the former KISS/current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist’s résumé will keep you happily busy for hours. Having been tapped by artists as diverse as MEAT LOAF and KANYE WEST, the veteran axeman’s boundless creative energy permeates his third solo LP, BK3.

In the works for nearly six years and produced by Jeremy Rubolino, BK3 delivers explosive hard rock arrangements and addictive pop melodies that honor both Kulick’s singular past and bright future. And then there’s the jaw-dropping guest list, boasting members of KISS, THE KNACK, TOTO, MÖTLEY CRÜE and more.

“Bruce was to KISS what Ronnie Wood is to the Stones,” says Rocket Science GM & Fanboy Enterprises A&R executive Ken Gullic. “The new guy to one generation, and the long standing stable horse to another.”

After getting his solo feet wet with 2001’s Audio Dog and 2003’s Transformer, Kulick – the often unheralded driving force on 12 years of classic KISS records, from 1984’s Animalize to 1992’s Revenge – assembled his own rock ‘n’ roll dream team. The roster: KISS icon GENE SIMMONS and up-and-coming son Nick (each vocally appearing separately), longtime friend John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, Kulick’s own UNION), The Knack mainman Doug Fieger, Toto axe authoritarian Steve Lukather, EDGUY power metal stalwart Tobias Sammet and even current KISS drummer Eric Singer.

“Many albums lack cohesion with different vocalists, but I know that my guitar playing is the glue on BK3,” Kulick says. “There was the clear goal of making absolutely the best record that I could put together. I feel like this is my Revenge.”

BK3 tracklisting:
‘Fate’
‘Ain’t Gonna Die’ (featuring Gene Simmons)
‘No Friend Of Mine’ (featuring John Corabi)
‘Hand Of The King’ (featuring Nick Simmons)
‘I’ll Survive’
‘Dirty Girl’ (featuring Doug Fieger)
‘Final Mile’
‘I’m The Animal’ (featuring Tobias Sammet, Eric Singer)
‘And I Know’
‘Between The Lines’ (featuring Steve Lukather)
‘Life’
‘Skydome’ (exclusive bonus track for Europe, from the Bruce Kulick CD Audiodog)