ROCK N ROLL EXPERIENCE - February - March 2005

Welcome to the February/March 2005 Rock N Roll Experience Site....we've got some cool stuff for you guys to check out & check back often, because we are constantly adding new content!

We've got a VERY revealing interview with Chad from American Head Charge this month that you must check out!

Thanks again for checking us out & enjoy!

I have to give it to Neil Schon, the man is a great guitar player & constantly reinvents his style & always seems to be fresh in terms of his music....his new band Soul Sirkus is a mix of classic & modern rock with very catchy hooks, great melody, & he even got Sammy Hagar to co write the song "Peephole" with him! Musically, what can I really say about this band...if you like really good rock thhat has an edge, but is not full blown metal, then definitley check out this band!

Bobby Blitz & DD have kept Overkill going strong now for nearly 20 years & 14 albums...what an amazing feet in for a little Thrash band from New Jersey! Overkill has always been heavy & I don't believe they have ever done a ballad, & that trend continues on the bands new CD RELIXIV....I'll skip across everything & tell you just like it is...the band are as mean & nasty as they ever were...this CD will rip your face off, it's brutally heavy, but it has a sense of melody & rhythm that makes it ALOT different than say ALL of the nu-metal bands from the past few years....I always felt Overkill was underrated..I mean they are an excellent band & the best song on their new CD is "Old School"...it makes reference to Johnny Z, Eddy Trunk, & it's really a hoot if you are an old school thrash metal fan...the song itself is a take on an Irish drinkin' song that's done VERY metal style! RELIXIV is well worth the $$$, so make sure to pick it up & support the boys...they deserve it!

Black Label Society is without a doubt, the most guitar driven band in the galaxy! Zakk Wylde's riffs are more lethal than a Texas Rattlesnake on "Mafia", the latest opus from Zakk's BLS! The first track, "Fire It Up" starts off with a funky wah jam & after about a minute of jammin, it goes full throttle with chunky riffs & guitar solo's a-plenty! "What's In You" has a totally grinding riff that really sticks in your cranium, while "Suicide Messiah", the first single off the new cd is just plain heavy as bricks! "Forever Down" opens with a piano, but don't let that fool you...this track is a rocker! "In This River" is dedicated is Dimebag Darrell & is slow & touching...perhaps the most dramatic Zakk has ever been! "Dr. Octavia" is a guitar solo that screams Zakk Wylde, & "Been A Long Time" is a bluesy sorta metal song that has more blood & guts than a slaughterhouse! Overall, this is a traditional metal record in the sense that it's got great guitar riffs & hooks, & there are solo's all over the place, & the vocals are understandable & sung!

Trippy garage rock on acid....spaced out acid laced moon rock.....grungy stoner psych rock....call it what you want, this CD is full of instrumentals that numb the mind & "if" you were to use illegal substances, I am sure you'd see Jimi Hendrix & Jerry Garcia jammin out to this band....they are really unique in their approach, I mean they do 2 Hendrix covers & the opeing song, "Portal" is a 13 minute instrumental, so you know that this is a jam band for sure! Guitar wise, I'd say it sounds like sloppy Ritchie Blackmore or Tony Iommi, it's very fuzzy & sounds like the 70's style of music, which is a good thing. Overall, the recordings are lo-fi, & sound like nothing out there today, which makes this CD a wise choice in my opinion!

I realize that the majority of people who are reading this review probably were not alive in 1968/1969, but in those years, a little county & western singer named Johnny Cash was at the top of his game, & film maker Bob Elfstrom captured the man & his life on a documentary style film that's probably the best film on Johnny's life that I've ever seen! The film offers rare glimpses at where Johnny came from with interviews from his parents, & there are live songs, recording sessions, etc. throughout the dvd that really bring the story full circle! Seeing Cash at home, in the studio, jamming with Bob Dylan on "One Too Many Mornings", seeing the late Carl Perkins on here, Johnny playing for inmates, jemming for Indians....it's all a great nostalgia trip & a window back in time to when the music world was much more simple & Johnny Cash was king! The documentary really captures the raw, gritty essence of the man, while it also shows a tender side of him in homelife. There's also a really cool booklet that has some stories about the documentary & the man, so if you're a Johnny Cash fan, this is definitley a DVD to check out, I mean Johnny Cash was really the original bad ass musician...he was in jail, he didn't take crap from anyone & he lived his life the way he wanted to & this documentary really sums up what '68/'69 was like for him & the ones around him.

With the track "Stone Breaker", which starts almost like a church ceremony....the new C.O.C. CD picks up where the band left off previously, soaked heavily in the roots of Stoner Rock via Black Sabbath & St. Vitus with plenty of riffs to spare, the new C.O.C. CD, "In The Arms of God" is like a kick to the juggular of modern rock...it's crunchy, chunky, & has better hooks than Mike Tyson in his prime! "Paranoid Opioid" has a cool echoey vocal effect & the chorus sounds like it was sang underwater! "It Is That Way" reminds me of a very dark Lynyrd Skynyrd, except the drums sound like bolts of lightning! "The Truth is hard to find when you've got Survival on your mind" is a great lyric from the song "Dirty Hands...." & musically, it's got a unique breakdown that allows singer/guitarist Pepper to let his New Orleans roots bleed via an erie spoke word segment. "Backslider" is perhaps the purrest feeling riff on the record...it's just really slick feeling & sounding, & the vocal effects are spacey, but don't mistake that statement, because they are not goofy, they are really trippy sounding! "Crown of Thorns" is perhaps the only really odd song on the disc & it's an unplugged number that's slow. The title track, "In the Arms of God" closes the CD off much like it began, I mean you cannot mistake this is a C.O.C. record, it's pure stoner rock & REALLY good, so make sure to check out the CD when it's released on 4/5/05!

For those of you who may not know it, Ben Jackson was in a band called Crimson Glory back in the late 80's & they had minor success & toured all over the world opening for bands like Ozzy Osbourne, but that was then & this is now...Ben Jackson Group's a clean sounding rock band that's definitley got great rhythm! "Ghost in the Mirror" has some keyboards in it, but overall, this is a guitar heavy CD that's unusual, because it has vocals that are actually....get this...sung! There's even a female background singer, & musically, the band is progessive metal & NOT nu-metal! They have some great guitar solo's & if you like Dream Theatre, you'll dig this CD! "Turn It On" is my favorite track, but "Heavy On My Mind" isprobably the best song on the CD!

I read this bands bio & let me tell you...it does NOT do them justice! I was expecting a dull, lifeless band that sounded like old Deep Purple, but what I got was fresh sounding jams with hooks & riffs that ARE classic sounding, BUT NOT like a rip-off of 70's bands! "No Rest" has a punk vibe although it IS NOT punk by any means, it's pure rock n roll fury! "Car Crash" reminds me of Fu Manchu, & "Burn You Down" really moves with a fuzz heavy guitar tone & I hate to admit it, but a 70's style vibe! "Control" sounds like Monster Magnet minus all of the psychedelic stuff, & "Deep End" reminds me of John Sykes solo material alot! I guess what I'm trying to say with this review is that this is a stellar CD of great songs...they are ALL memorable & stick to you like a flea on a dog!

"Down" is a weird track from this band...I mean it's kind of funky, kind of rockin, & kinda progressive. I think that at times themusic is a little over-produced, but what makes this band distinct is the mix of things, I mean on most tracks, there are searing guitars & still-ness which fram every song like a painted canvas, & there are definitley some odd timings that make a song like "Rain" distinct. "Bob" is perhaps the best song on the CD in my opinion & that has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my name....The vocals are almost choir like at times!

I'll admit it...I sorta looked at Billy Idol as being a rock n roll dinosaur, but I've gotta be honest with you...BILLY IDOL STILL ROCKS!!!!! His latest offering is "Devil's Playground" & it's AMAZING! I'll go as far as to say I think this is Billy's best CD EVER! "Super Overdrive", "World Comin' Down" & "Yellin At the Xmas Tree" are gut punk pop rockers that display why Billy & Steve Stevens are such a great pair together! "Plastic Jesus" is a touching track & ""Evil Eye" reminds me of Jimm Morrison from the Doors vocally! The last 3 songs on the disc are slow & moving pieces..I think it was genius how they set up the cd with the killer rock tracks as openers & they ended the CD with the slower stuff! Musically, Billy & co. have NEVER sounded better & the spikey haired Rebel Yeller is still a rock n roll force to reckon with!

The opening track, "Stabbing the Drama" literally punches you as if it's stabbing you..the guitar riffs have a punching feel to them & it's just insane! On top of that, there are guitar solos! I had no idea what to expect as I listened to this CD track after track, but EVERY song is heavy as hell! "Obeservation Slave" is maybe the heaviest riff & the cool thing about it is that is has a groove too! The vocals are raw & up front, while the music is dead on! "Blind Eye Halo" is definitley the fastest song on the CD & let me warn you...this is like a mosh pit in your speakers...I mean it's borderline death metal! Overall, this is the first time I've ever heard this band & I was really impressed!

I got my first taste of this band when I saw them opening for KITTIE in Washington, DC about a year ago & they feature Tom from Slayer's brother on bass & Kittie's old guitarist/tech Jeff on lead guitar, but does anyone really care? Musically, the band stands on their own & are brutally intense, they have good guitar solos, & the singer is really good! "Cold Victim" is the first single off the CD & it's a good catchy track that picks up the pacs for nu-metal! Dynamically, the band is far ahead of it's peers today...they have a depth that dabbles in an early Pantera sorta vibe, while at the same time, the band also maintains their own sense od being which is what makes them original.

I love KISS, KISS changed how rock n roll concerts are done, they created a niche that many bands followed...the theatrics, the blood spitting, the fire, the show in general is pure sonic bombast....Gene, Paul, Ace, Peter, & later a cast of many, created the soundscape of what KISS is & with KISS GOLD, this 2 CD set over sees the band's entire history up until the mid 80's, & it's safe to assume that the band will release KISS GOLD pt. 2, but until then, let's talk about this new cd, well, sorta new CD....I didn't bother listing the tracks, I mean you know that "Rock N Roll All Nite", "Love Gun", "Deuce", "Strutter", etc., are on it, it's classic KISS for pete's sake! KISS were never known to musically break any boundaries, but I am surprised that they didn't include another track or 2 from the "Elder" CD. Possibly the best part of the CD is the cover, it's KISS in all their glory, in their prime, being what they truly are...KISS! There is also one song each from the ill fated Solo records, which is really what seperates this "Best of" compilation from the rest, but overall their is nothing that you can't get anywhere else on this CD....this is just another record company attempt to get more $$$ from the fans by re-releasing already avaialable back catalog material, but by no means am I knocking this compilation, it's good & worth the $$$!

I'll admit that, looks aside, Cinderella are an amazing blues based rock band, who, unfortunatley, are very over-looked due to their glam tendencies & their 80's legacy. When you actually look at the era the band came from, it's all relative, I mean they were no more glam than Bon Jovi or Motley Crue....it's just that the band didn't change enough when hair band rock went out, & literally a handful of the hair bands made it, but to be honest with you, good music is good music & Cinderella has a killer twin guitar attack, but the secret to the bands sound was/is Tom Keiffer's unique vocals, which is actually a stronger version of Steven Tyler from Aerosmith...I mean looks wise & sound wise, Cinderella perfected what Aerosmith started....Tom's voice could shout out rockers like "Shake Me", & ooze emotions on tracks like "Nobody's Fool" & "Shelter Me". "Gypsy Road" is perhaps one of the best rock riffs ever written in my opinion, I mean it's one part Rolling Stones, 2 parts Led Zeppelin! Cinderella always knew how to rock & play great power ballads, which makes the band so brilliant, because they really had it all....great vocals, great guitar work, great rhythm, & great songs....I really wish Cinderella could find a way to re-invent their sound & material & get some airplay here in the USA, but fear not, the band is gearing up for a Summer 2005 tour!

Motley Crue are back & supposedly this is gonna be their farewell tour & to hype it a bit, the band put out ANOTHER "Greatest Hits" 2 CD package...the cool parts of this are as follows: "Black WIdow" is included so you don't have to pay $60 for the bands 2nd box set that only has 1 rare song, which is "Black Widow"; "Toast of the Town" off the bands first ever single!; "Too Young To Fall In Love" (Remix), "Misunderstood" (Remix), "Afraid" (Remix), & the 3 new songs, one of which was wrote by Tracii Gunns! "Street FIghting Man" is a Rolling Stones cover & is wayyyy better than the original with it's infectious riffs & Vince's vocals have NEVER sounded better! I question if Motley will ever really retire, but this is a good 2 disc set of old material with 3 new songs. "If I DIe Tomorrow" was written by Simple Plan & is all over the radio, but overall, I think that is the weakest track on the entire CD! The stripped down red whit & black cover scheme is pretty cool too!

Rejoice Thrash Metal fiends....there is a band that still plays classic neo-shred, guitar solo's included, & they are called Havochate. Fans of the band Testament might recognize bassist Greg Christian, & sonically, the band has that early Testament vibe, I mean they are heavy as hell, but also maintain a melodic value that is unlike anything that I see & hear new today! "Cycle of Pain" is the first track on the disc & it goes for the juggular! "Alone" starts slow, but it's merely an illusion of the anger that approaches, because there are NO ballads & no love songs here, this entire CD is a shred fest from beginning to end, & let me tell you, ALOT of new bands could learn some things from this band! On another note, I LOVE the high quality glossy paper that the bands CD is printed on...few bands use really good stock like that, it's cool!

Musically, this is a band that's rooted in the classic rock of the late 70's, I mean the musicianship is totally there, just overall, it sounds a little dated, but that's cool, do not get me wrong. Listening to this band on a Sunday afternoon with the top down....this is very laid back rock music that's cool to chill with. The packaging of the CD is a little minimal, but overall it's good music from an indie band, so check them out at www.toastcd.com

Glenn Danzig is perhaps the most recognizable face & voice in the genre of horror heavy metal...he paved the way for acts like Murderdolls & Marilyn Manson in a less glam, stripped down, more evil sorta way that's seriously rooted in early Black Sabbath....with that said, Glenn offers his fans the new CD "Circle of Snakes" which is an 11 song opus of anger, shock, intrigue, & exposure to the darkness in a musical way that few can understand or produce authentically. "Skull Forest" is the slowest track on the CD & "SkinCarver" is perhaps one of Glenn's best songs ever...Tommy Victor's guitars are squealing like Zakk Wylde's & the guitar solo is good too! Rhythmically, this is perhaps the tightest the band has ever been, & sonically this IS the best the band has ever been! "My Darkness" is the center piece of this CD in my opinion, it's just so evil & dark that it's a total diamond in the rough...it's heavy as hell, but still retains a melodic feel & it's totally memorable! Glenn is actually going out on tour & from what we hear, this MIGHT be his last one, so definitley check out this superb CD & see the band live when they play your area!

The band American Head Charge described this CD as "What it's like to hit rock bottom", & in my personal opinion, I think the title of the record should have been "Cleansing" or "Born Again" (ed.'s note: I know those titles have been used before!) because with the release of this new CD, the band American Head Charge are re-born & re-created from the ashes of what used to be the older line-up of the band....the band is musically maturer, more focused, & writing music as a team as opposed to the bands previous records which were written by Hanks & Cock. In the song "Loyalty", Martin screams "Where is your Loyalty" as if to demand an answer from the people who have done him wrong personally, & the chorus to "Dirty" is simplistic, yet so deep when Martin beckons the words, "Like everything that proves that we are dirt, so dirty dirty"...it's clear that this is a band that is focused like a Vulture on it's prey! The track "Erratic" has an erratic (no pun intended!) guitar riff, & perhaps the most moving track on the CD is "Fiend", because lyrically it's really deep & the piano parts are moving, which is something that is pretty different than the bands previous material! "Cowards" is possibly the most brutal track on the entire CD & it will rip your face off! Musically, Mentally, & Personally, American Head Charge went through alot of crap to see this CD released....I think it would have been way to easy to call it a day & give up....AHC proved that with "The Feeding" that they have the determination to stand along side bands like Faith No More & Slayer...musically they are diverse enough that you can hear both melodic singing & gut wrenching screams all within a 4 minute track & it's all cohesive to the format of the bands no hits, no singles, take prisoners & ask questions later style!

Bob Dylan is perhaps the most recognizable icon that's still living, in the world of rock n roll, & photographer Barry Feinstein, who photographed Dylan from 1966 - 1974, allowed his photo's, most of which have never been seen before, to be featured in this new documentary DVD. Directed by Joel Gilbert, this DVD travels to Woodstock New York, where Dylan lived for many years following his near fatal motorcycle accident, & you get to see a good piece of the local community, where Dylan lived, etc., & Barry Feinstein gives a pretty cool blow by blow of what each pic represents & a rough idea of the time frame. Perhaps the strongest comment made is the very last statement that Barry makes, "Dylan told me that he didn't like to do interviews because no one ever asked him the right questions." My favorite moment in the film is when director/interviewer Joel GIlbert, who is a Bob Dylan impersonator, signs a womans jeans, because she thinks he is Bob Dylan & he plays along with it...it's classic! If you wanna check out this DVD, you can get it at www.musicvideodistributors.com

When I watch this DVD, I feel like an outsider watching a weird college hazing ritual or something, because I never really got too into Devo, but when you watch this DVD, there are thousands of crazy, avid, rabid Devo fans, absorbing every drop of their musical message & that in itself is incredible, considering I always perceived Devo to be Nerd Rock. Devo is actually part punk, part new wave, & all original with their costumes that change partially throughout their performance. This DVD is mixed with interview segments & clips of the band mingling on & offstage. There's some pretty cool bonus footage on the disc that has an interview with their drummer & a rare concert clip from 1980. If you wanna check out this DVD, you can get it at www.musicvideodistributors.com

Iggy Pop is, without a doubt, the father of American Punk Rock N Roll, & definitley the ONLY pure, true punk soul left out there still playing the music! Iggy looks pretty creepy at times, he has veins that squiggle in his chest like an octopus' tentacles, but Iggy is a small, slender, down to earth guy that possesses more energy than a 5 month old baby! The Stooges are joined by Mike Watt on bass, & this DVD is perhaps the best concert clip I've EVER seen! At one point Iggy gets hit with a bottle of water & never misses a beat, & the band is even joined by a saxophone player mid-way through their set! "I Wann Be Your Dog" is definitley the focal point of this dvd, but the entire thing rocks like you wouldn't believe! Honestly, I thought it was a little too short, but the bonus material quenches your thirst, because there's an ENTIRE in-store concert performance & that show is sooo small & intimate that it's a mind blow! Another cool feature is the Mike Watt tour diary that Mike narrates along with still pics & also, there is a Creem magazine photo gallery of Iggy pics! If you like to sing along with Iggy but don't know all ofthe words, there is also a bonus feature called Sing A Long with Iggy, where they place the words under the screen so you can scream/sing along with the Iggster! Iggy Pop is & always will be an amazing performer & I am personally glad that he was captured on DVD for the entire rock world to see, because if you've never seen Iggy Live, this is the next best thing, seriously! If you wanna check out this DVD, you can get it at www.musicvideodistributors.com If you wanna check out this DVD, you can get it at www.musicvideodistributors.com

Click on the American Head Charge pic to read our interview with Chad!

Click on the Joe Perry CD to read our review of the new Joe Perry CD!

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