Group / Artist: Savage Jack
Album Title: Promo CD
Reviewed By: Dave Rogue - SMMO Staff Writer
Source: Southern Maryland Music Online
Column: Southern Maryland Music Scene
Section: Local Band CD Reviews
Contact: www.smmo.net
Date: January 11, 2005

Savage Jack, ahh... the smell of vintage, hard rocking guitar riffs, wah pedal guitar solos, hard hitting drum lines keeping the time, chest punding bass holding the bottom end, and you say, man whatever happened to the heavy metal we knew? Well, without getting into speed death thrash metal and screaming vocals... Savage Jack has it. The bands sound is dominant of the hard rock blues, staright forward, not flashy, but, the guitar riffs are key focus, however the bands over all feel is there for the AC/DC fans right up to the Metallica fans, Remember Glenn Danzig? yeah the presence of Danzig is found in the Savage Jack sound quite heavily.

The drums, driven by Bill Hopf, are straight, hard driven, and packed with clean, planned fills. The bottom end which gives up Scott Smith on bass guitars is doing what he needs to do to hold the package together, with Scott also being on lead vocals. The catchy guitar riffs that dominate the scene in this group are kept busy, but not over cooked by Andy Gorfain, obviously a guitarist that takes the time to make his guitar talk and not slur.

Overall the 4 song demo is complete with a hard driven group that was born of classic and southern rock styles with the added addition of heavy metal spices of the 80's. Though the vocals are slightly pushed a bit too hard, the feel and intent of the aggression of the musics directtion is fluent throughout the cd. So, if you need to kick it in the ass one night and the radio just is not gonna play what you need, and the cassettes you have of your favorite metal band is stretched, call on Savage Jack to get your fix.

The Southern Transfer Band
"The Magics Still The Same"

Group / Artist: Southern Transfer
Album Title: The Magics Still The Same
Reviewed By: Dave Rogue - SMMO Staff Writer
Source: Southern Maryland Music Online
Column: Southern Maryland Music Scene
Section: Local Band CD Reviews
Contact: www.smmo.net
Date: January 22, 2005

OK! Here we have a band that's got my attention. What we have here is Jeff on bass, Mark on lead / slide guitar, and vocals, Don on rythem guitar and vocals, and Steve on drums. Right away if you love the lost sounds of southern rock, Southern Transfer is gonna smack you right in the face with Molly Hatchet! I almost forgot what was I was listening too, no... that's a very good thing. There are quite a few local bands that can play southern rock and think they sound like southern rock, but, Southern Transfer has got the talent, and the original music of this group is like a carbon copy of the southern rock we found in Hatchet, Skynyrd, and flairs with similar BTO.

There's just nothing more to say, Southern Transfer, is going to give you an experience you have not had in a while. If you like southern rock done right, then STB is what you're looking for. Be sure to visit the bands website for information on how to get their music, you'll be wondering how a local band has this sound without having been on the charts with the previously mentioned groups.

RockFish - "Shady Grove"

Group / Artist: RockFish
Album Title: Shady Grove
Reviewed By: Dave Rogue - SMMO Staff Witer
Source: Southern Maryland Music Online
Column: Southern Maryland Music Scene
Section: Local Band CD Reviews
Contact: www.smmo.net
Date: January 22, 2005

If you like the idea of listening to real american music from the bluegrass genre, mixed with a true folk sound, but, has a rocking feel that you can not prevent your foot from tapping to, the debut album release from the Calvert County, Maryland based RockFish is as complimentary to it's musical styles as you could possibly get. RockFish is a bluegrass/folk roup made up of four extremely talented musicians who have put the feel into the bluegrass music they play. RockFish is made up of Gary Pendleton, Ray Saunders, Susan Berman, and Chris Garrett. The Musicianship behind this team will give you music that has a story to tell and has somewhat of a old west feel, the compositions are almost mistically chilling in some ways.

Regardless of your musicial preferrences, RockFish will make for very interesting listening. Though the RockFish sound is more lent to bluegrass, it is quite bluesy and similar to popular rock groups of the 60's and 70's.

This is just honest good music, the debut cd contains 15 compositions which includes such titles as, "Blues Stay Away From Me", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", and "Big Ball's In Cowtown". The stories behind the songs are fun and entertaining, the music accompanies the lyrics in a way that makes the listeners feel the emotions in the songs.

RochFish will make you understand very quickly that the music they produce is alot of fun and this is what they want to do, the whole cd is a fun and entertaining experience, non stop musical talent, and I trust that an evening with Rockfish will have you coming back for more.

Arsenic - "Arsenic"

Group / Artist: Arsenic
Album Title: Arsenic
Reviewed By: Dwight - Editor
Source: Southern Maryland Music Online
Column: Southern Maryland Music Scene
Section: Local Band CD Reviews
Contact: www.smmo.net
Date: September 12, 2004

Ok, right from the start the sound of this band caught my musical attention, I love hard rock and heavy metal. Clean sound, professional recording and engineering techniques... "Are these guys really from Southern Maryland"? Never in my entire life have I heard another "local" band that sound as professional as this group, you know when you hear a cd recorded by an amature band, you pretty much know that band is amature just by the way the "sound" comes through the speakers.

Well, in the case of Arsenic, this is not holding true. I have played this cd for many people, and hoping that they are not familiar with the band or their music and I have heard the same remark more than a few times, "What station are you on?, these folks didn't know it was a cassette copy of the original cd!

If I had to compare Arsenic with any other band from the mid-Atlantic region from years gone by, I'd have to put the name Wrathchild America beside it, though Arsenic is not quite as dark and heavy with the power chords as WA was, Arsenic is very reminiscent of those days. I remember saying, Oh boy, don't this bring back memories".<

Let me first start with the vocals, this impresses me more than any other aspect of the group, when compared to other groups of similar music styles of course. Wayne Hosier, of all the "local" bands I have heard in the past, this guy can actually sing, staying in key while pushing his voice without losing the notes, now that's something to be proud of, very few bands have a singer capable of sounding like they are not going through puberty.

As for the guitarist in this group, well, now we have a big problem, this guitarist, J-Rod Policelli, makes the instrument scream, whine, and moan with an extreme cleanliness, finesse, and this guy knows how to make love to all six strings at the same time. He's a tight musician with well written rythem lines and very smooth transitioning lead parts, you know... the good stuff where the guitar solo sounds like he took the time to learn what he's doing and the final product doesn't sound like someone keeps running over the neighbors cat! So, what's the problem you ask, the problem is that this guitarist should not be playing this stuff in little dinky venues in the mid-Atlantic area, he should be on the stage in front of 50,000 fans with the rest of the band offering his talent to the world!

Oh what the heck, I guess I'll mention the drummer, Larry Pickeral. I'll bet you he drinks a 5 gallon bucket of coffee before he starts hammering out those drum parts, non-stop double bass, cymbals crashing throughout every bar of the score, I'm guessing that the fluid in one of Larry's hydraulic drum heads was secretly replaced with that infamous soda pop "Jolt", the fuel of all musicians from the 80's, and there's an IV line running up Larry's arm during his performances. Larry exhibits quick, well executed changes and I'm sure there's no clock mounted to his kit so he can keep time either, Lar is on the money and right where he should be! Back to the mention of Wrathchild America, "Hey, Shannon, you might want to watch out for Larry in a drum contest my friend, this boy is just good stuff!.

Josh "PICK" Pickeral, and I though bass players were the guys in the back beside the drummer, behind the lights that nobody every saw and occassionaly heard the low tones from every once in 5 songs, PA-LEEZ! Melodic, on time, and holding the bottom end with style and grace, and thumpin' the be-jesus out of those strings, quite a nice change from those guys who play the same 4-5 notes through the whole song, I think Josh has invented a few new notes.

After all this what you have here is a very professional sounding group of musicians, who know what the next guy is gonna do before he does it. For all us who appreciate the fact that there is a band out here in Southern Maryland who can make you feel like you stepped back in time by 10-15 years and make us remember what authentic heavy metal and hard rock was really like, Arsenic is going to give you those memories. Rarely do I pick up my guitar, or my bass, and take the time to learn a few notes from a local band, don't get me wrong, it's not because the average band is not good, BUT, I'm not gonna sugar coat it either, most bands have a very cliche sound and repeataive chord progressions, as for the drummers out there, you'll have to voice your own opinions about that, but, us guitar players and the audiences who listen to Arsenic know what they like. Arsenic made me think a little about what was going on in many parts of their songs, when I get a workout listening to a band, that band is doing the right thing with their music. You've just gotta experience it for yourself aswell. If Arsenic does not see a contract before their eyes soon, then there are alot of producers in the music business who would be much better off at flipping burgers.

To learn more about these guys, and how to get a copy of this must have cd for your collection, check out the Arsenic website at www.cinesra.com

Urban Sombrero - "The Worst Is Yet To Come"

Group / Artist: Urban Sombrero
Album Title: The Worst Is Yet To Come
Reviewed By: Dwight - Editor
Source: Southern Maryland Music Online
Column: Southern Maryland Music Scene
Section: Local Band CD Reviews
Contact: www.smmo.net
Date: January 1, 2004

First of all I want to make it an honest , known fact, that I am an old school rocker from the days of the 80's hair bands, as my passion, and the southern rock genre is reserved, as my religion. I have have never had much interest in the punk-rock scene, nor really cared for the style in general, for various personal reasons, however, I have to admit, a local punk group has changed my opinion. I recently reviewed the 19 track album titled,"The Worst Is Yet To Come", by the group Urban Sombrero, based in Calvert County, Maryland.

I am quite impressed by the professional sound of the group as a single unit, no local band sound here, and I was floored by the fact that I could actually understand every word these guys were singing. It's awesome to hear the words instead of some moaning and yelling about "who-the?, what-the?". I think what really caught my attention the most about Urban Sombrero's music was the stories behind the lyrics and how you could picture the events unfolding in your mind as to what it was they were writing about, more like a documentary, instead of song text.

The titles of the songs are very catchy, for instance, track 8 "Price Check On Isle 5", and my personal favorite, track 11, "Only Rand Mc Nally Knows", and the staffs favorite, track 15, "The Smurfs Were Communists". We all got the point of the story and had to rewind the CD deck a few times to hear them again, several times.

The lyrical phrases used in the songs "make the point", but, are humorously intense at the same time. In all honesty, I played this album 3-4 times in a row simply because the compositions, both, musically and lyrically, are very well thought out. The musical half of the songs are ever changing in tempo and style and the lyrical compositions are written in a way that you know these guys have brains and song writing abilities. I hear alot of bands who put lyrics in their songs and the song will start out heading in a direction and by the time the song in over the lyrics have nothing to do with what it was they started, in the case of Urban Sombrero, "The lyrics stick with the program".

I am going to serve Urban Sombrero top billing for the album, overall. Now, if your into punk rock and it's your personal taste, you are absolutely going to love "The Worst Is Yet To Come", afterall, Urban Sombrero made a fan out of me, right? To learn more about these guys, and how to get a copy of this must have cd for your collection, check out the Urban Sombrero website at www.urbansombrero.com

Odin's Court - "Driven By Fate"

Group / Artist: Odin's Court
Album Title: Driven By Fate
Reviewed By: Dwight - Editor
Source: Southern Maryland Music Online
Column: Southern Maryland Music Scene
Section: Local Band CD Reviews
Contact: www.smmo.net
Date: January 2, 2004

Ok, remember when you were a teenager and the world would come down on you all at the same time, and all you wanted to do was lock yourself in your bedroom, turn up the stereo, put the headphones on and hope the music would take you to another place in time? well, if you have the desire to be taken to a mystical, magical realm, the album "Driven By Fate", by the local Southern Maryland group Odin's Court is your ticket.

I recently reviewed the album and was totally amazed at the talent this group offers when it comes to composing, what I would consider, "mystifying metal". The one highlighted feature of this album is the tempo and direction changes in each song on the cd, it seems as though you are listening to several compositions in the same stretch of minutes, don't get the wrong impression however, the changes melt together in harmony like the voices of angels, it makes for a very intense "dream ride".

Given the titles of a few songs from the album, you can almost get the feel of the music just by reading the album cover, for example, Odin's Court submits to titles like, Surreal Contemplation's, Utopian Rust, and Esoterica. I have had the fortune to hear many Southern Maryland bands and musicians, or should I say the mis-fortune to hear them, the point is, I actually had forgotten that I was listening to a cd produced by a local group in Southern Maryland. I am a musician myself, and we all know that the worst critic your band can have is another musician, well, I can assure you that Odin's Court has received my top billing in what they are trying to do with their future in the music industry.

If your into screaming guitar riffs changing up into a classical finger picking feel, running straight into a wall of unseen musical hesitations, driven by a very solid, and talented, backing of well planned bass and percussion, with the addition of voiced synth accompanied by a classical string section, this is your dish. Lets just say for the sake of comparison, think Trans-Syberian Orchestra. I have to make my opinion clear, "Put away the paper plates, Driven By Fate, the album cooked up by Odin's Court, should be served as a silver platter meal".

I expect that Odin's Court should see a big future in the music scene and should look forward to making a name for themselves in the music industry aswell. You should make every effort to get out and see this group as soon as possible, and be prepared for an experience like no other. To learn more about Odin's Court, visit the groups website at: www.OdinsCourtBand.com