ROCK N ROLL EXPERIENCE - April/May 2005

The interesting thing about this time of year is that all of the bands begin their touring cycles & alot of great CD's come out or are coming out over the next few months...rock n roll is sorta like a mosquito...it waits till it's warm to come back out & annoy the world & Ozzfest will be here soon with Headliners Black Sabbath & Iron Maiden along with numerous other tours, so keep checking back here for exclusive coverage on all of the great rock tours of 2005!

If all goes well, we will have exclusive content on the band Garbage very shortly...let's keep our figners crossed, because their new CD rocks!

Okay...enough rambling...enjoy the site!

I remeber the first time I heard Slunt was literally the day before they opened for Marilyn Manson in Washington, DC at the 9:30 Club...I heard they were opening for MM & I decided to go to their web site to see what they were about & when I first heard "TheBest Thing" via an MP3 on their site I was forever hooked! The band riffs like AC/DC with twice as many sexual inuendos, except SLUNT don't hint about things, they just come out & say it! Led by Abby on vocals/rhythm guitars, the band is a driving force in the raunchy rock n roll scene, mixing up power chords with possibly some of the most powerful drumming since John Bonham via their excellent drummer Charles! I also do not wanna forget their lead guitarist, who I might have insulted at their Philadelphia show by comparing him to Danny Bonaduche (I'm sorry man...you rock way harder than Danny!!) because he pours his heart & soul into his leads on this disc! The CD starts off with a child singing "Best Thing" which I thought was really cool, because the CD starts off all innocent & these guys/girls are anything but innocent! I think alot of people who saw Slunt opening for Marilyn Manson on their last tour remember the band for their cover of "Never Say Never", which is WAY better then the original version I might add, but for me, "My Cats Gay" steals the show on this CD.....it's a comical tale of how Abby's cat is gay & how she prefers "Tuna" lol..there's alot of satirical things in that songs that I think you'd have to hear to understand...taking it out of context might make it seem hateful when the song is really a funny little track that rocks! ""Not About You" is perhaps the most touching track on this CD & I'm not really sure why, but it's AMAZING none-the-less & is definitley a stand-out track...I hope they release it as a single! A couple of these songs were available on the bands EP but have been remastered & sound different than the EP. Overall, Slunt (who's name is a hybrid of 2 words..figure it out!) is a hard drivin, hard rockin band that stands out amongst the bands today...they play it like they say it & they say it loud with just a touch of humor, a bit of sarcasm, & alot of energy!

Musically, I'll admit that their is more than a hint of Dream Theater style music here & caome on, why wouldn't there be...this is the singers solo project! However, there is a bit of difference here, because there are moments where there's prehaps more techno/electronicy stuff & less solo's than a Dream Theater record might have. THis is still in the Prog rock vein, but just not to the point of a DT record, which is cool. "Crucify" opens the CD & pretty much sets the pace for the entire CD...it's a joy ride in good musicianship & strong song writing that only James could deliver! I think by the time you get to the last track, "Drained", that you feel sorta, well, drained, because this stuff is pretty inspiring & overall, the tracks are really deep, I won't spoil the lyrical content of any of the songs, but listen to them..they are intense...not in a Tom Araya/Slayer way, but in a lyrical sense of what is being said & the delivery! If you like Dream Theater, you WILL NOT be dissapointed by this cd...it's a great one!

Joe Perry has always been considered the 70's rock version of Keith Richards.....he's dark & mysterious & reeks of coolness without even trying...I mean Perry's solo's have more emotion than the majority of songs created today by modern rock bands! "Joe Perry" is the title of Joe's 4th solo CD & it is actually ironic that Steven Tyler boasted that he was working on a solo record months ago & nothing has yet to materialize, but Joe Perry can deliver a 13 song lesson in rock n roll in less than a year! Recorded at the Boneyard--Perry's basement home studio in Boston, this record rock & rolls like Aerosmith USED To! There are no watered down, over-produced, super slick sounding radio super hits, nor are there any sappy love songs made to impact radio....for the most part, this is a no frills bare bones rock record with riffs-a-plenty! The CD opens with "Shakin' My Cage" which pretty much picks up where "Let the Music Do The Talkin" left off, literally! Vocally, Joe sounds a little flat when you compare his voice to Steven Tyler, but musically, a song like "Can't Compare" smokes anything that Aerosmith has done in the last 10 years! Ironically, the big misconception is that when a classic rock artist records a new cd that it will all sound retro...this is NOT the case here! Granted, you definitely hear Aerosmith sounding stuff, & the Doors covers reminds me of well...the Doors, but some ofthe stuff on here has a John Spencer/Flaming Lips feel that's very modern & does not sound or feel dates at all! "Talk Talkin'" is very rootsy sounding rock n roll, while "Twilight" is an R&B inspired guitar instrumental that's pretty moody! I definitley think alot of people will be surprised at the depth this cd has, because on a track like "Vigilante Man", it's straight ahead, modern blues, & the last song on the CD, "Mercy" is a solid 4 minute plus arrangement of guitar tricks done as an instrumental. There are no all-star players on this cd, it's basically Joe Perry doing what he does best, creating GREAT rock music & this is a testament to just how amazing he truly is as a musician! This CD is not out until May, but it's well worth the wait!

It's funny how I've heard the name Turbonegro for many years, but NEVER have I really heard the band. I know they played shows here in the USA about a year ago & I knew little else about the band until I recently got their new "ResErection" DVD, & let me tell you guys....we here in America missed out on Turbonegro! To really understand the band, it helps if you watch the documentary first on this dvd..>I will admit that I found it slightly annoying to read subtext, because the entire band speaks a foreign language, BUT, it really tells the story of the band, how because of their singers Heroin use that they came to an end & how the band came back from obscurity overseas. The band makes the statement that they had no idea what sorat identity they wanted, but they wanted to put on a good live show to accompany the music, so in a brainstorm, they decided taht the thing that frightens a rock n roll fan the most is a homosexual, so the entire band decided to wear gay-ish attire, alla the Village People, with the exception of their singer Hank who wears early Alice Cooper Make-up & oh yeah...Hank also lights a sparkler/candle & sticks it in his butt! It's easy to see how the critics wrote this band off as a joke...they have songs about Pizza, Erections, Sadist & NAMBLA...they are a joke within a joke, because they know how to rock & they all silly to the 10th degree as well as seriously entertaining! This DVD is a must-have for the rock fans who like to be entertained....I mean the bands bass player must have 100's of sailor hats, because in the concert footage, he throws them into the crowd & within a minute his roadie has a new one on his head! Turbonegro are without a doubt, one of the most underrated bands in rock n roll, but I think a major part of ithas to do with the fact that they do not speak great English. One of the odd parts of the documentary was a story of how the band finally came to the USA to tour & their singer was checked into a mental institution for drug problems, so they put the Alice Cooper make-up & his cloths on a roadie & played the gigs in the USA without him & NO ONE over here in the USA really noticed! Again, if you like glitter rock, punk, or just like being entertained, this is a DVD you will wanna check out!

LA Guns, in their day, were an amazing band, & it's pretty cool that the general public gets to finally hear the original demos by the band....this is what got theband signed & gained them world wide acceptance by the heavy metal community. Tracii Guns always was an amazing player, & listening to these rougher & original version of what Later became the bands first major label CD, it boggles the mind how Tracii didn't achieve a bigger status than Slash from GNR, because Tracii pulls out all ofthe stops on these early demos! As an added bonus, there is an extra disc that has the bands 1st demo, however, Phil Lewis DOES NOT sing on this! It's funny how Phil Lewis has also been able to keep his voice pretty much intact after all of these years...he still sounds as amazing as he did back then now! Another cool sidenote is taht there are some really early pix of AXL Rose & Tracii together in this CD that have never been released before!

For thos of you not in the know, this is Stephen Pearcy, former Ratt lead singer's new re-recordings of Ratt classics & his earlier band Mickey Ratt's recordings. "Lay It Down" & Back For More" feature Tracii Guns on guitar & they are smokin' hot! I find it odd that Stephen would wanna re-release the same songs again, but whatever, I mean if you like Ratt, this is a cool collectors piece! The icing on top of the cake is the bonus DVD that comes free with the package. You get a low budget VIDEO of a new Stephen solo track where he's wearing Clockwork Orange motif, & then you get a weird interview where Stephen corrects a few Ratt tales & rambles through about this or that. The embarrassing part of it though is the studio footage where Mr. Pearcy "Tries" to play guitar...this is bad home video footage that should have been kept for home use only, but I'm sure some Ratt-fanatics will find it amusing. Overall, this is a decent package, the re-recordings are good & Stephen's voice sounds great.

Lita Ford has always been a very sexual & very provacative figure in the 80's rock scene, blending pop with rock hooks to create an upbeat, hard driving rock that is distinctive to Ms. Ford. The disc has an exclusive studio track called "Nobody's Child" that is really good, but the best part of this CD is the live cuts like "Can't Catch Me" & "Kiss Me Deadly" because classic Lita is untouchable! Before there was Lacuna Coil, Kittie, Veruca Salt, or Slunt, there was Lita Ford, delivering a tasy dish or raunch & rock & this new CD delivers just that....it actually sums up the entire LITA Live vibe really well.

CINDERELLA

Cinderella has always been an amazing live band, & for those of you who never got to catch them back in the day, there is a new live DVD called "In Concert" which captures the band during the "Heartbreak Station" era & this DVD has every song you'd ever wanna hear the band play live! I'll admit that the camera man is sometimes off with his angles & that he sometimes shows the wrong scenes, like when Tom Keiffer is playing a blistering guitar solo you see Jeff Labar in one scene & in another you see Fred Coury while Tom is in the crowd meeting fans...but overall, this is a great dvd! The music is great, the concert is energy filled & they don't really make bands like Cinderella any more! One parts Aerosmith, 2 parts Bon Jovi...Cinderella were a strong force to recon with in their day & it's truly great to see it documented finally!

Listening to this CD is really funny, because Lemmy has a higher voice, the band seems really hungry & poor & willing to do anything to make it, which is what always made Motorhead such a force to recon with...Lemmy & co., no matter who was in the band, are always playing with their A game & the bands first CD is no exception! "Vibrator" has rock n roll furry like no other band in their time, & "White Line Fever" is heavy & rockin & where the original Record ends with the Byrds cover that Aerosmith made huge, "Train Kepta' Rollin", this new re-issue has 6 bonus tracks & the ZZ Top cover of "Beer Drinkers..." is awesome! Very few bands in Rock N Roll can say they've done things their way, all the time, but Motorhead are one of them, I mean if you listen to this CD, or their very last one, they are all pretty muchthe same, pretty much equally angry, & they all have the energy of a locomotive on full steam!

White Lion, in it's day, was focused around guitarist Vito B. & Singer Mike Tramp...well, flash forward to 2005 & the band is ONLY Mike Tramp now....I was a White Lion fan back in the day, so I can tell you in my personal opinion, as a White lion fan from back in the day, these "New" interpretations that Mike Tramp recorded with new musicians are NOT anywhere near as good as the originals. Now, if I had never heard these songs before, I might say they were good, but I know the original versions & these versions lose ALL of the feeling that they used to have! For instance, "Wait" was a great mid tempo rocker in it's original form, but the newly recorded version is more organic & has no edge or feeling. To be totally honest with you, if you were a huge fan of the original White Lion, you will not like this CD....it's sub-par to the original band & I am not trying to be hateful or hurtful, I'm just being honest!

Now I'll admit it, I was skeptical of a new Quiet Riot Live CD, but this is actually a REALLY good recording of vintage Q.R. when the "Metal Health" era of the band was hot & on top of the world! I'm not sure if this CD is all from one particular show or from various shows, because it seems cut in pieces, but overall it's a good listen for the 80's heavy metal fans out there! Alot of you might not know this, but the reason the "Metal Health" era of the band got back together for a reunion in the first place was because Marilyn manson offered them alot of $$ to play an after show party & the band went with it until recently when DuBrow & Benalli decided to get a new bass player & guitarist, but overall, if you like classic metal, this is a rocker!

Okay..I'll get to the good point right away...on the track "Loki Cat" Billy Corigan sings, but musically, this is NOTHING like Smashing Pumpkins! The entire CD mixes rock. jazz, & smooth sounds with touches of rock to create a web or artistic license that only Jimmy Chamberlain could or would understand. To make matters even cooler, the band is currently gearing up to tour, so if you wanna see really good musicians, catch the band on their tour beginning on April 3 of 2005 in San Diego!

For those of you who may not know it, this is a CD featuring Joey Image, original drummer for the Misfits & the break down on this CD is that the first 7 songs are by the Mary Tyler Whores, the 8th song is by The Bell Ringers, track 9 - 12 is by Human Buffet & track 13 is by The Strap-Ons; all of which are bands that Joey plays drums for! My personal favorite of the bands on here is the Bell Ringers. All of the bands share that lo-fi, indie-punk sound & vibe & the theme of the entire CD is gore, guts & horror, all done in a comical way sorta likethe early Misfits records...it all has a camp value to it! I'm blown away that Mary Tyler Moore never got on them about that name, but I think it's brilliant & I like it. If you dig the old Misfits records, this is a must have!

Before I go too far with this review, I wanna apologize if I mispelled anything from this band, but have you ever noticed how the heavier a band gets, the harder it is to read their band logo's & their song titles??? Musically, Negator is alot like Deicide, except that they blend more melody in thier thrash epics & their singer is better than Glenn Denton! Also, just so you don't get confused, their song "Free Bird" is NOT a cover of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic! "Latharisis" is my favorite track off the CD, it's long enough to get out all of your aggressions & musically it's very dynamic & flows great with lots of anger & hatred!

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THis is Geezer Butler's (Black Sabbath bassist extraordinare!) 3rd solo record & I believe this is probably his best one to date! Musically, it's as heavy as Pantera & the riffs are tuned down & dark & it sounds very modern & fresh! "Misfit" opens the CD relentlessly with chunky riffs & heavy bass lines & "Pseudocide" opens with a spoken work piece by a female voice which adds some variety to the track. This CD has alot of good songs on it & it's all pretty heavy, but not too the point of black metal, just straight up heavy metal/hard rock. The really cool thing about this CD is that with a member of Black Sabbath being in the band, one might think that the CD would song "Old", but this CD is as fresh as any new Metal band out there today! Kudo's to Geezer & his crew for a great CD & I hope he tours the USA this time so we can see him perform it live!

I know that I am really behind in reviewing this cd & that probably everyone already has it, but I'll still give you my 2 cents worth on it! This is Greenday's "Grown-Up" record...it's still poppy, punk based rock music, but it's telling you a story of a rock star named Jimmy who hit all of the pit-falls of rock stardom ie., drugs, girls, $$$, selling out, etc., & overall, this is a really good disc from beginning to end. You know all of the hits already, but a really good one that has not been tapped yet is "She's a Rebel", which is a totally sing-a-long style track & there are some great ballads on this one. "Jesus of Suburbia" at times reminds me of old songs by Motley Crue, Bryan Adams, & a slew of other bands...riff wise, it rips off alot of stuff, but vibe wise, it's all it's own thing! This CD was nominated for 7 Grammy's & it actually won a few, & the band are touring this summer with Jimmy Eat World, so this CD is a must have!

I love the Family Guy cartoon..it's hilarious & Stewie & Peter are insane, BUT, this CD sorta misses the mark, because when you listen to it, you realize how visual the show really is. I enjoyed the disc, BUT, without seeing them it really loses something. "One Boy" is perhaps the funniest moment on the CD as it is sung by the pedeophile old man on the show that likes Chris Griffin, & it was sorta funny hearing Stewie & the family curse, but this CD just seems like a cash-in moment where they tried to capitalize on the cartoons re-imerging popularity. The saving grace of the CD is the DVD that comes with it...it's got a music video & some classic moments witht he family that makes this CD worth purchasing if you like Family Guy.

For thos of you not in the know, Team Sleep is the side project of Chino, singer from the Deftones, & before you make ANY comparisons to the Deftones, let me tell you that Team Sleep is wayyy more melodic, melancholy, & slower than Deftones! Chino's voice is really rich, layered, & textured on all of the tracks that have vocals, & musically, this IS a rock record, but it's more like a mix of mellow rock meets the Atari Teenage Riot...it's got some heavy electronic edges to it that seperate it from the rock/metal stuff a bit. "Our Ride To The Rectory" is a hit single waiting to happen...it's got a mute mix of rock mixed with alternative that will please both the rock kids & the alterna kids, & then you have a track like "Delorian" that is an instrumental which is pretty moody, but I think the moodiest track on the CD is "Ever", which takes a page out of The Cure & A Perfect Circle's handbook on how to depress while rockin the house! "Ataraxia" is a song that is seriously all over the place...I mean it reminds me of old The Police, early Teenage Fan Club, Bjork, & there's just alot happenening musically on that track. Overall, if you're a fan of music...really good music that is diverse, at times odd, & very artsy, then this is the CD for you! Listening to this CD is a trip...I've never really heard a disc quite like this in that it's just so very eclectic, & it's eclectic in a good way, not in a let's make some $$ way, but in a let's experiment & mix it up kind of way. The closest thing I could compair this CD to is Pink Floyd;s "Dark Side of the Moon" & trust me, this CD is NOTHING like that record...I actually think it's better!

This CD opens with possibly the coolest sounding drums, EVER! "Desaster & Decay" (no, that is not a typo, that is how they spell it!) has a really unique sounding drum intro & the guitars are simply crushing! Musically, this band reminds me of In Flames & Carcas alot...I mean these guys can REALLY play! "The Nightmare Within" jams..the guitars are played really fast & vocally, the singer has that death growl going on, but it's not to the point of say Napalm Death..it's actually got a bit of melody at times! Burden of Grief remind me of Lamb of God alot too...these guys are just simply amazing!

I'll get the obvious stuff out in the open first...James LaBrie is the lead singer on this CD & he's also the singer for Dream Theater, so YES, there are some similiarities to D.T., simply for the fact that they share the same voice, but musically, this CD has some intense guitar playing! "Million Miles" has some guitar licks that you just won't hear anywhere else, I mean they are odd to say the least, but they are also super cool sounding & Tim Donahue is a major shredder! "Let Go" is actually a very slow song & "My Heart Bleeds" is an amazing stand out track on this CD. The CD's booklet has a cool gothic feel to it like an old time book & the last song on the CD, "Madmen & Sinners" is almost 15 minutes long! Musically, this CD has alot of turns & twists, I mean there are jazzy riffs, HEAVY metal riffs, acoustic things, electronicy things & musically, this is probably as good as it gets!

Musically, Storm Warrior is straight up Metal that reminds me of Iron Maiden alot...there's good, dynamic vocals, the guitars are soaring with great leads & fills, & the rhythm section is tight! "Heroic Death" is my favorite track on the CD, & if you like classic sounding Heavy Metal, you'll totally dig this band.

I hate to admit it, but sex definitley does sell, but if you just listen to this CD without seeing the bands ravishing frontwoman, then you'd have no idea that this is an all girl goth/death metal band! Singer/guitarist Tristessa is simply beautiful & in the video for "Black Mighty Gods" which is an extra on the CD, she proves that she is the best looking woman in metal today! Musically, the songs are all very heavy & "Sirens" opens with a slow piece, but don't let it fool you, that song is brutal! "Underwater Persephone" is the only slow track on the disc! "Lloth" is musicially the best song I think, but the entire CD is good & if you like the gothy/dark metal stuff ala Cradle of Filth then you'll love this band, & trust me, the band is very pretty, so all the guys out there will love that aspect of the band!

Hmmmm, to be honest with you, I have no idea how to even begin this review, because this is my first time ever seeing the man, the myth, GG ALLIN on video. I had heard of him, I had heard the things that he supposedley did onstage, but up until now, I thought it was all fake...well...let me tell you, it's all true! GG Fuckin ALLIN was the sickest, most insane performer, EVER! Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper Wendy O Williams, you name it...none of those people has ANYTHING on GG! On this DVD you get to witness GG perform totally naked (which was NOT necessary!) & in one of the shows he poops on stage, in most of the shows he fights with the crowd, & one of them was so violent that it ended early, the crowd literally started punching GG & he punched them back, they stole pieces of the drum set & it was just plain UGLY! I wonder if the reason GG was so angry was because of his small "Member"? Musically, the Murder Junkies are crap...this is home video footage of a lunatic assaulting a violent crowd! In one scene you can hear the crowd screaming white power & in one instance, GG takes a picture of Jesus & destroys it & moments later he sings into the "Private Parts" of a stripper on stage & you can visibly see her downstairs piercings jingle as GG gives what I assume was oral sex to her. This DVD IS NOT for minors, it's actually very disturbing & I have no idea in this world how GG was even playing out...the things he did was against the law in EVERY state! There's a bonus clip of GG & the band performing acoustin in a motel room that sucks, & overall, I always want to think that everyone has some redeeming qualities, but GG had none, he seemed to be an angry person that just had nothing going on & the oddest thing to me is, WHY WOULD ANYONE GO SEE GG ALLIN IN CONCERT???? I know this might sound strange, but I totally advise everyone to buy this DVD & get freaked out so you can see just how far things can really go! If you wanna check out this DVD, you can get it at www.musicvideodistributors.com

It's pretty interesting really, this is the band fronted by Kelly Abe, who was on the Battle for Ozzfest MTV show, & when I listen to this CD I keep wondering WHY THIS BAND DID NOT MAKE IT? Musically, they are superb..I love the guitar tone, there's cool pinch harmonics, the rhythm is good, all of the songs flow, & the vocals are evil...this should have been the band that won! The thing that held them back was some antics I suppose, but the EP opens with "Omnipotence" which is heavy as bricks, & then a song like "Proof" follows it that has more depth & overall dynamics...this is a really good band that deserves a break, so if you like really good modern sounding metal, check out SICKS DEEP, I guarantee you will not be dissapointed, because SICKS DEEP stand out amongst the pack of tuned down, whiney, wimpy metal bands!

Iron Maiden's main man, Bruce Dickinson is back with a new solo record & this time he has actually gone heavier, music wise, than ever before...even with Maiden! "Mars Within" is a slow intro & "Abduction" is faster & heavier than anything Maiden has ever done! There's some great guitar solo's on here & Bruce's voice sounds superb! "Navigate The Seas of the Sun" & "River of No Return" are the slower songs that are very melodic & moody, while "Devil On A Hog" has a classic rock sound that leans more towards hard rock than heavy metal. "A Tyranny Of Souls" is an epic song that closes out this CD & this is the song that is perhaps the most like Iron Maiden, but I think Bruce did a good job of making this CD not really sound like Iron Maiden too much...it actually stands out on it own. This CD is definitley Bruce's best solo release to date & although the release is right before the beginning of the Iron Maiden tour, I can't help but wonder if Bruce will venture out from Iron Maiden & have a go at another solo career, because this is a great CD & I'd love to see Bruce sing these songs live!

Wednesday 13 has a wicked sense of humor & an insane love for the horror movies & hair metal, which is evident when you listen to his new CD, because the song titles are all very tongue in cheek, like "Transylvania 90210" or "Look What the Bats Dragged In" which are both parodies of a TV show & a Poison song (in that order lol!) & the music reminds me of the spookier side of Alice Cooper & Halloween night is the overall vibe! Matt aka Pig who used to be in AMEN is now a member of Wednesdays horror troop & "I Walked With A Zombie" is perhaps the best song on the CD, I mean it's totally burnt in my brain! The music is a mix of punk & poppy metal, but done in a very spooky & heavy way, & there are some heavy & spooky sounding keyboards, plus some interesting samples from mock/schlock horror films! We will have a feature on Wednesday 13 coming up in May 2005 that will feature an exclusive interview & photo's, so be on the look out for that coming soon! Musically, if you like the old Misfits stuff, early KISS, & scary riff rock that has a sense of humor, then you'll love this cd!

I'll admit that I was born in the late 70's & musically, I had no idea who Glenn Hughes really was until I got this CD. Glenn is a very soulfully bass player/singer that pours hi heart & soul into every track on this CD/DVD combo! Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers plays drums onn the entire set & Kevin DuBrow from Quiet Riot performs background vocals on the entire package too! The 1st CD is all Glenn originals whereas the 2nd CD contains some David Coverdale penned tunes & 2 new studio tracks...the best one being "Change" because that song just kicks ass! Fans of great classic rock, good guitar playing & great singing will totally love this collection & I might add that you get your $$$ worth too, because you get 3 discs here (2 CD, 1 DVD).

FINAL BREATH

Final Breath reminds me of Cradle of Filth a little bit...they are death metal times 10! The artwork for the CD is really cool..it reminds me of the movie "The Gate" from the late '80's. "Strong Pain" will get you going if you love your music anger ridden & "Let Me Be Your Tank" is just plain viscious! The cool thing about this disc is that the track "Dreamland '96" is a bonus track & "Exposed To Hatred" is a re-recorded version from the bands 2000 cd Flash-Burnt Crucifixes. I'll give it to these guys...they know how to play proper death metal....the guitars are low, the double bass drum is there & the singing/screaming is intense!

Okay...for those who may not know, this is Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's newest solo record & I was really surprised to hear that Bill had such a wide range of music on here...there's blues, hard rock, rock, jazzy stuff, ballads...this CD has alot of stuff on it! "Hate" has a classic rock vibe & there are even horns on it! "When I Was A Child" is a blues rocker that I like alot...I personally think it mightbe the best song on the entire CD! As far as the packaging of the CD goes, it's cool that there are alot of vintage pix of Bill throughout the CD! I remember Tony Iommi telling me a story one time about how the Black Sabbath boys set Bill on fire one night when he was drunk & passed out & how Bill's mother gave Tony a lecture after the fact....Bill has been through alot in his life & this CD really reflect it all. I was also surprised to hear that Bill could sing good too! You can catch Bill Ward this summer of 2005 on the Ozzfest tour playing drums with Black Sabbath, but hopefully he'll play some solo gigs to let us hear these songs live!

It's pretty interesting when I listen to Jonestown's new CD, because they are a New York based bandm but honestly, they sound like they are from the middle of the USA, because they have more soul & heart at times than alot of new York bands do, which is a good thing! Musically, the band mix it up on "When It All Comes Down"....there's radio friendly songs like "Slipped Away" which could be decribed as a heavier version of Matchbox 20, & then there's "Youre Arrogant Game" which starts slow, but is pretty heavy! One of the things that caught my eye, upon reviewing the cd was the artwork, because you have to really look at it to get it, I mean on the front cover is the back of a guitar head that appears to be broken, & on the inside of the CD case, there is an odd picture of 4 cucumbers...overall, I think the artwork is cool! Musically addictive & ready to rock, Jonestown are a great power pop band that you should check out! Go to their website at http://www.jonestownnyc.com

Musically, Full Scale is a hybrid of rock & rap, but they are a little bit more focused than say Limp Bizkit or Korn, because the songs on this CD are pretty vocal & more to the point than say "Nookie" by Limp Bizkit...Full Scale are lookin to start a revolution! The first song on the CD, "Empty Texas" is classic for no other reason than it mentions Oprah Winfrey....how many rock bands EVER mention the queen of daytime TV?!? Alot of the stuff on here reminds me of the band Lost Prophets, because there is some rap oriented vocals & ALOT of screaming, but there is also some melodic singing which really adds to the depth of this cd & Full Scale's overall appeal. I'd say that out of all of the new bands I've heard lately, Full Scale has got to be one of the best overall, because they have a message, they have a means to express it, & they are a really good band! Listen to the track "Sickness" & tell me it doesn't evoke emotions, & listen to "Rapture" & with all of it's intense feelings...Full Scale is simply a unique band if you like good, modern metal/rock music & I think they really carry that nu-metal torch well!

I'll be honest with you...most of the time a movie soundtrack is just a promotional vehicle to sell a movie, & alot of times they are really lame, but the soundtrack to "House of Wax" is actually a really good collection of rock oriented music, I mean nothing on this CD is uber-hard to find, but all of the songs actually flow & work really well together. For instance, the Prodigy's "SpitFire" is an amalgamation of electronic & rock that's very catchy, & the My Chemical Romance track is emo fury, while the Deftones track "Minerva" is a standard, stalemate rock song, & then you toss in The Stooges lo-fi punk energy & interject some of Marilyn Manson's goth/glam rage...this is really a unique & good package! The Marilyn manson track is slightly different than the version available on the bands "ACSS" record, & when I say slightly, the main differences are some of the noises added. Perhaps the most interesting choice on the CD is the Joy Division song "New Dawn Fade", because it was not recorded by today's standards...it sounds like it was recorded in a basement, but the energy on that song is indescribable! I don't really need to hype this CD anymore...it's well worth the price, so go check it out!

Come on now guys...this is Iggy FREAKIN Pop..do I need to say anymore???? This DVD captures Iggy in his days before the breakdown..Iggy struts around in drag for most of this DVD & musically, this might be some of Iggy's best stuff EVER! His band features some ex-Blondies members (Clem & Gary Valentine) & this DVD captures the essence of who & what Iggy Pop is...there's alot of energy, alot of chaos, & alot of fun on this dvd...Iggy looks a little wasted at times, but that is the beauty of Iggy, because Iggy is such a small guy, but he packs a 1-2 punch like a prize fighter...If you've never seen iggy live before, this will be a real treat for you, because towards the end of the performance Iggy leaves the stage & re-imerges like David Bowie & croons his last song or 2 before saying goodnight to the intimate crowd that clings onto every word the Igg-meister has to say! One thing I enjoyed was seeing "Lust For Life" live on this DVD, because Iggy does not perform that song live much anymore & it's a real treat to see that one live! Iggy Pop is & always will be the king of punk rock, & this DVD just further documents why Iggy is so amazing!

I realize that alot of people do not know who Johnny "Guitar" Watson was, or is, but if you enjoy funky blues music played with an ecclectic falir, then this cat is for you! This is not a straight up rock release, but this DVD shows Johnny playing the blues & playing his heart out to an excited German audience who absorb every note this guy has to offer. Johnny "Guitar" Watson was a great Texas musician who was really underated & again, if you like Blues music, you should really check this DVD out!

Click on the Garbage pic to read our review of the Garbage 4/21/05 Concert with exclusive pics!

Click on the SKIDROW pic to read our review of their 4/30/05 Concert with exclusive pics!

Click on the Faster Pussycat pic to read our review & see the first pics of the bands new guitarist, Eric from the Murderdolls!

Click on the BLS pic to read our review of their April 10, 2005 concert with pix!

Click on the Garbage pic to read our exclusive review of their new CD!!

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