ROCK N ROLL EXPERIENCE - March/April 2009

Before you begin reading these reviews, we have a rating system to tell you just how good or bad a CD is & here's the breakdown on how it works:

1 Star - You'd rather vomit than own this music!

2 Stars - This is a cd you don't want your friends to know you have

3 Stars - It's okay

4 Stars - This is a good one, it lacks a little something, but it's a keeper

5 Stars - You should consider buying this...it's a good one!

6 Stars - Do what you have to do by any means to get this disc, it's a MUST HAVE!!

Richard Patrick started out as a touring member of Nine Inch Nails, then went on to front his own one man band that he called Filter...14 years later Filter released a best of compilation & on this compilation you get to hear all the bands "hits" as well as the fan favorites. "Hey Man, Nice Shot" was a song written about Robert "Budd" Dwyer, an American politician who, on the morning of January 22, 1987, committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth with a revolver during a televised press conference, "Take A Picture" was written about the time Richard streaked on an airplane, & "Welcome To The Fold" is about addiction...those are just a few of the varied topics Richard Patrick wrote about in his 10 year career with Filter & my personal favorite off this cd is "Dose" simple because radio didn't kill it like some of the other songs on this disc, but when you listen to this cd you really are taken by the fact that Filter really does have a strong musical legacy & it's hard to believe the project is already 14 years old...wow, time flies when you're having fun!

Rating: 5 stars

Although this cd isn't the usual sort o' stuff Rock N Roll Experience would cover, we have a policy of mentioning everything that's sent to us, so with this cd, I give Susan Werner credit...her orchestral interpretations of these classic 60's songs are quite unique, quite beautiful, & overall, I like what she did with these covers...they are artistic, yet they stick to the original version in their overall arrangements. "Maybe I'm Amazed", the Paul McCartney penned song is my personal favorite off this cd.

Rating: 5 stars

North Carolina based Decyfer Down have a new cd out entitled "Crash" that's based after a near fatal car accident the band had...thankfully no one in the band were harmed & this strong body of work came out of that nearly fatal incident! The music is radio friendly yet crunchy & heavy! Imagine Three Doors Down meets Sevendust...that's a broad description in all honesty, but it's a close one for the sound of Decyfer Down. "Crash" kicks the disc off with power & passion & "Desperate" might be the title of the 2nd song on this disc, but the song is anything but desperate when it comes to rockin! The vocals sound really great on this disc & that's what's interesting...the guitars are gritty & raw but the vocals are clean & I can almost hear a pop quality in the singing & that's a good thing fyi! "Ride With Me" is my personal favorite & it pummels your ears, but the best is yet to come when "Wasting Away" kicks in because it's a song that has a proper mix of mellow & heavy that makes it really interesting. "Over my Head" hits hard & "The Life" is the most ballad-ish song on the disc.

Rating: 6 stars

Mix Kyuss with early Queens of the Stoneage (I know, both bands are almost the same, shut up!), Nirvana, elements of Black Flag, Black Sabbath & Blue Cheer...that's a really broad description, I know, but the overall sound of this Kylesa is stoner rock meets anti-corporate riff rock...they rock hard, go for the throat & this cd is a non-stop rollercoaster ride from hell! What makes this disc quite unique is that the stoners can light one up & enjoy the music, because there's that fuzz guitar tone & that stoner side, then the hardcore kids can mosh to this music because it's loud, fast & angry....this is really great riff rock for all fans of hard rock music! The vocals are aggressive & distorted which is a direct match for the overall tone of the music on this disc! I hate the way the band wrote out each song title on the back of the cd jacket because I had trouble reading it...everything ran together...BUT, in the grand scheme of things, perhaps that's an interesting point because every song on this disc kinda overlaps & runs together as well...non-stop riffs & aggression! Hands down, this is one of the best records for 2009 simply because there's more integrity on this disc than anything I've heard in many, many years....pure, simple, loud, fast rock played at maximum volume! Rock isn't dead thanks to Kylesa!

Rating: 5 stars

Melodic & Melancholy at times with catchy chorus's & pop driven themes, Tiny Animals new disc, "Sweet Sweetness" is anything but gloomy with upbeat energy, rhythm that you can pogo to & overall, the band has a fun vibe to them, a positive sound & they kinda remind me of Weezer ever so slightly. I really like the inside artwork with all the randomly placed animals..it reminds me of all those great 70's vinyl records that our parents had....the artwork really compliments this release....if you dig catchy pop rock songs with a touch of angst, check out "Sweet Sweetness" by Tiny Animals!

JoyFocus is an indie band hailing from Wheaton, Illinois. The band has 3 self released albums under their belt & their most recently released product is entitled "Cyber Suburban Electro Rock Circus"...it's a lengthy title, but it pretty much sums up the music on this cd...it's got elements of rock & pop & each song has single quality to it which means that basically the entire cd is very radio friendly, upbeat, you can dance to it if you want, you can pogo if you want & the general vibe of the record is one of living life to the fullest, having no regrets & just going for it! The vocals are handled by Holly Joy & her high toned vocals are what make each song distinctive & the cover of "Here Comes The Rain Again" which is an Annie Lennex song, is dead on, there's little deviation from the original & to be honest with you, the overall performance on that cover is damn good! You can check out more on JoyFocus as www.joyfocus.com & the interesting thing to note is that the band is primarily 2 people, Holly on vocals & Ray Kainz filling in the rest of the music that Holly's vocals lay on top of. I have to admit that for an indie release, this is a professional package, the music is good, it's still got some raw edges which I like, while maintaining a very polished tone & sound.

Rating: 6 stars

This dvd made me laugh my ass off! Video Game Theater is a short comedy skit that's shown on MTV Europe & basically, it's a handful of comedic spoof's on classic video game characters like Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Mario, & my personal favorite, as they put it, the first ever retarded video game star, Q-bert! The Pac Man pieces are the most popular & the spoofs show Pac Man at various points in his career, they elude to the fact that his son is gay, he's abusive to Ms. Pac Man & has some kinda serious drug habit...Joust is a seedy tale of a guy having an affair with an animal, & all I can honestly say is that this is one warped & twisted dvd that made me laugh pretty hard because whether you were old enough to play the classic "atari" era games back in the day or you only know of them because your parents speak of the older games, this dvd is a funny jaunt into video game past & the puppets look pretty cool, the overall show is low budget & that's part of the appeal to each episode....everything is low key, yet it's funnier than any high budget show out there!

Rating: 6 stars

If you remember James Hart, he was the lead singer for 18 Visions, & when that band crumbled he assembled a new musical troop that he named Burn Halo, & this musical endeavor finds Mr. Hart in a more hair metal kinda mode...I saw this band on their very first show ever opening for Avenged Sevenfold back in December, & the bands image matched their music...very glittery, very rockin' & kinda borrowing from the past just a little. "Dirty Little Girl" & "Anejo" both feature guitar work by Syn from Avenged Sevenfold & the music on this cd is loud, aggressive hard rock that's got all cylinders firing as it pummels your ears with loads & loads of energy. There's quite a few tender ballads on this disc, but the core of it is all fast, hard rockers, so if you like good, old school hard rock, you'll dig this band because they are a rock n roll with an edge, heavy music without anger & to put it mildly, they kick ass!

Last Year's 2008 C-U-LaTour spectacular that Al Jourgenson took on the road for a nearly year long road trek is offering the fans a souvenier from that tour via "Adios.." a live CD that captures 13 live Ministry gems & what I want to touch on real quickly is, "The Dick Song" & "Lies Lies Lies" sound sooo similiar that it's crazy! I've always known that fact, but every time I did a review of Ministry material I could never remember those 2 songs so I could make a reference to it, BUT, there you go..those 2 songs are almost interchangable for the most part minus the lyrics! Ok, not that it was too important, but I needed to get that out of my system & now onto the cd review! This disc sounds amazing, it was recorded using state of the art technology to capture the last touring version of Ministry on various tour stops from their last tour. What is actually missing though in all honesty are the Ministry classics that every Ministry fans knows & loves.."Stigmata", "N.W.O.", "Just One Fix", & the encores from this tour when they brought out Burton Bell, that was an amazing moment that they didn't even touch on with this cd, but I have a feeling you will see more of that stuff on the upcoming tour dvd that will be released later this year. Regardless, this cd kicks ass, Tommy Victor & Sin do a great job riffing it up with their rough neck guitar tones, Al's vocals are gritty, the band sounds amazing, the packaging is very cool & trippy, & in all honesty, when you listen to the last song on this cd, you can't help but get a little teary eyed, because if last year's 2008 tour really was the last Ministry tour ever...wow, the music world has lost one of the best ever live concert experiences & at the very least, the Ministry fans have this amazing new cd as a reminder of what a vital force & just how strong Ministry were!

Formed in 2004 in New York City, Dead Men Dreaming have a new EP out that was produced Billy Graziadei from Biohazard/Suicide City..this is the bands 3rd release & musically, the band is a mix of old school metal ala Iron Maiden meets Anthrax...the vocals are actually far superior to Joey Belladonna's from Anthrax though & a current band that Dead Men Dreaming really reminds me of is Bullet for My Valentine with the exception that BFMV tends to mix a little more hardcore into their vocals whereas I get a pure metal feeling from Dead Men Dreaming. "Chemicals" kicks off the cd with a powerful rocker, "Your Last Day" is a full on metal attack, then "Odds Against" starts off with keys & is melodic...this 5 song EP really shows the highs & lows this band are capable of & they are definitely worth a listen if you like strong musicianship in your metal!

Rating: 5 stars

What I dig about this indie rock bands presentation is, when they sent me a copy of their new cd for review, they included a nice little note thanking me for reviewing their music & taking the time to listen to their new disc...it's always nice to know that a band appreciates when I review their material, so I will preamble this review by thanking them for the nice little personal thank you letter! "Punk Rock Girlfriend" kicks the cd off & there's a unique little breakdown that's kinda punk-rasta for a lack of a better way to put it & when I hear this song the first thing that I think is, "Why the hell isn't this band on the Warped Tour this Summer?" because this IS Warped Tour styled music for sure! "Chaos By Committee" reminds me of a Good Charlotte song when it starts off & "Back Home" is mellow & sweet. "Just Fine" is my personal favorite..I love the slide guitar in the beginning, & the cover of the Tiffany classic, "I Think We're Alone Now" is cheesy in all it's glory...btw, I know that is NOT a Tiffany song, but more people recognize it as such, so that's why I addressed it that way! Handsome Deville's artwork reminds me of Aqua Teen Hunger Force & they do one thing very well...that thing they do is rockin!

Rating: 5 stars

This disc is quite unique....it's not something that other labels haven't done before, but it's unique in the fact that these artists have never taken part in a compilation like this before....the disc kicks off with Mastodon tackling the ZZ Top song "Just Got Paid" which rocks hard I might add! Disturbed's cover of "Mid-Life Crisis", the Faith No More penned song...I'm not quite sure what I can say about that cover...it's not too different from the original & it's kinda stiff compared to the original version & the same can be said for the Avenged Sevenfold cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" because the guitar solo in it is a little weak, plus, it's hard to compare Matt's vocals to a young Ozzy....few rock bands can cover that song with conviction, & I will admit that the cover is good, but when you have a classic band like Black Sabbath, it's hard to listen to a cover & not think of the original! The Flaming Lips cover of the Madonna classic "Borderline" is perhaps the most interesting cover on this disc & it's pretty different than the original, which is how I judge how good a cover is...I prefer to hear covers that add something new...The Used cover of the Talking Heads classic "Burning Down The House" is also pretty cool. This disc is available exclusively as a download & as far as I know Amazon is the exclusive distributor of the hard copy version of the disc, so it might be a little difficult to track down if you want the physical disc, but it's definitely worth tracking down!

Rating: 6 stars

Chugging guitar riffs, heavy themes & dynamic metal song structure, STEMM have a new cd out that crushes the competition! I remember seeing this band about a year ago when they played Baltimore @ a small bar...the sound was kinda messy but I remember thinking to myself, wow, these guys are good because even with the horrible sound mix I could hear the quality of the players, & I remembered pieces of songs I'd never heard before which is a mark of a good band! I also remember that this band started a small mosh pit in a club that had never seen a mosh pit before & fast forward to what I have in my hands...the new STEMM cd entitled "Blood Scent" which is a non-stop heavy music attack on the ears...the vocals are part clean part aggro, the guitars are constantly heavy, the rhythm is perplexing, the band kicks ass, & their new cd is strong from start to finish! There's even a cover of the NIN classic "Wish" that really nails (no pun intended!) what the song is all about....pure f**king aggression! Listen to the entire cd & you'll hear an unplugged bonus track too! I have to add, the guitar solo's are quite good too!

Rating: 4 stars

Rhino is a 3 piece band band from Spain that blends modern metal with touches of death metal, elements of prog metal & overall the vocals are harsh & coarse, the guitars are gritty with the occasional moments of mellow, the drums are constantly marching & "Funebre" is my personal favorite...the band really reminds me of Soulfly meets Venom alot when I listen to this cd...what I really do miss though is band pictures..there are no band pics at all in the artwork for this cd & I always feel like when a band omit's their photo, the fans kinda lose something. The music is all very driven by the drumming in this band & I feel like the drums are definitely the glue that holds this band together more times than not. "Wendigo" is the song that might shock some listeners & that's all I will say if you've never heard this cd!

Rating: 3 stars

If I didn't tell the truth in my reviews I would be no better than the crap publications that simply sell music through advertisements, so with that in mind, I'm going to give my honest opinion here & love me or hate me, it's my opinion, so deal with it! Queensryche has suffered greatly since Chris DeGarmo left the band many years ago & with their new cd, "American Soldier", I respect what they tried to do, they tried to tell a story..loosely, but Operation:Mindcrime was the bands opus...they even went back & make a pt. 2 of that story, Queensryche used to be a band that rocked hard...they were a thinking man's kinda metal band...then, somewhere after DeGarmo's exit, Tate took the band is a different direction & I give him credit for keeping the Queensryche franchise alive, but it's not the same & the music isn't what the old school Queensryche fans first fell in love with when they heard the band...I give my buddy Jason Slater, who more people might know as the mastermind of Snake River Conspiracy....Slater did a good job producing this cd & he even wrote alot o' the songs with Geoff, but overall, this doesn't feel like a Queensryche disc...I think part of my issue with this disc is that the theme of war, atleast from the point of view the band used...it makes the music kinda boring to listen to in all honesty. Do I think this cd is good....that's a matter of personal opinion...I can respect the integrity of the artist, but this disc is not to my personal liking.

Rating: 6 stars

I remember hearing this band a few years back...I might have one of their early demos or an early cassette...my memories's kinda fuzzy on that matter, but I remember hearing this band a few years back & liking what I heard...flash forward to the current day & Freakhouse has a new cd out that's heavy, hard & rockin! "Cold" is very radio friendly, has all the hooks & catchy moments that make it a memorable metal song, & if you check out this entire disc there are 2 rather unique covers....I won't say who they are by, but I will admit that they covers surprised me because they were damn good covers! "No Way Down" should be a single because the vocals are great, I'll admit that it kinda reminds me of some older late 80's/early 90's metal but that's not a bad thing because a good song is a good song & the chorus is catchy, the song sticks in your head & you can bang your head as well as shake your ass to this song! The entire Freakhouse disc is good...there's some elements of pop, but the pop elements/moments are still out numbered by the hard rock/metal moments! Overall, this is a good, strong rock record from start to cover song finish!

Rating: 6 stars

Hillbilly Prophet is probably the most unlikely artist you'll expect to hear in 2009...the band blends blues based rock n roll with modern sounding rock & elements of folk to boot...the guitar heavy songs are mildly retro in sound, it's stuff you're not likely to hear most artists on the scene today covering, & at the core of this cd, this band really captures the rawest essence of rock n roll...I'd call it an amped up version of the Rolling Stones if I had to describe it in one phrase. Tripp, the bands principal song writer/singer/guitarist, has played on the same stage as both Johnny Winter & Alice in Chains..how's that for diversity?!? Artistically, this is a very indulgent disc, there's nothing too commercial, no love songs, no sell outs, it's all rock n roll played from the heart!

Lillian Berlin has always been a rebel rouser who lets his political views take front & center...with the new Living Things record, "Habeas Corpus", the band's sound is sleeker, less crude & more slick...honestly, it's hard to explain the evolution of the band, because the music still has a punch to it, it's just not simple 3 chord rock n roll with attitude...the music is more alternative than straight up rock, it's got an artsy quality to it & leans more towards post-modern sounds than it does simple rock n roll, which is what the band was known for. "Let It Rain" is a song you can dance along to or pump your fists to & "Cost of Living" tackles the American dream & what it's like to live in the USA these days. The 3 brother's + 1 do an impressive job on this new record, but, I hate to admit it...I miss the old, straight up rock n roll style that Living Things had on their first record & it's interesting, because I remember chatting with Lillian back on their last tour & he hinted that the new record would go in this direction....less rock & more art with the same devotion to politics & change. On an artistic level, the new Living Things record goes out on a limb & it takes alot of balls for a rock band to progress & move past what they've already done...Living Things didn't stay in a rut with their sound, on this new cd they developed what they already had & took the music to it's next point.

Rating: 6 stars

Royal Bliss is a rock band with a new cd out entitled "Life in Between" that has interesting dynamics, pretty ballads, dirty rockers, & my personal favorite is a mid-tempo track called "I Was Drunk" that closes off the disc..honestly, "I Was Drunk" is a classic rock song, it's got a hook that will have you singing along & it's the best song off this cd! "Wash It All Away" is an upbeat song that's led by the rhythm up until the chorus kicks in & then the song starts rockin'! The vocals are interestingly sly & sound part modern, part old school rock...the best part is that all the vocals are clean, there's no screaming or cliche'd stuff that you hear non-stop these days from most new rock bands! The artwork is pretty cool, it looks like an old book with pics that kinda represent each song, & I think this cd as a whole is a very solid release for the band...there's alot of potential for radio play, singles, & the bands sound is just very appealing & alot of that has to do with how the band writes & crafts their songs...I get a very "working man" kinda rock vibe from the band & the overall recording quality is good too...sound wise, this cd is total ear candy!

Carmine Appice has played drums for everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Rod Stewart, but his stint in Vanilla Fudge is what most Carmine Appice fans will agree was a highlight in his musical career & for the die hard fans of Vanilla Fudge, there's a new concert dvd that captures the current line-up of the band doing what they do best...play rock n roll music! Tim Bogert & Carmine Appice are the only 2 original members of this line up that features Tedd Rondinelli on guitar & Bill Pascali on keyboards. Incase you are wondering what the title of this dvd means...it's a reference to the fact that the band plays along with a full on orchestra on this dvd....it's quite interesting & I think they pull it off pretty well. To be honest with you, there's been a few bands that played with Orchestra's who...shall I say, were NOT up to par for the Orchestra experience...well, Carmine & the boys pull it off quiet well & I won't spoil it for you, but there's some bonus footage on this dvd of the band playing a well known "Boy band" cover...it's pretty funny & worth checking out! It's funny that the music industry is, for the most part, youth dominated, & we are led to believe that older people can't perform as well as the younger ones in the genre of rock n roll...Vanilla Fudge blow that theory away on this dvd & it's a cool concert to check out. "Season of the Witch" & "You Keep Me Hangin' On" are the highlights as well as a cover of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart.

Rating: 6 stars

Fans of Iggy Pop must be salivating these days because there's been a flurry of Iggy related dvd's, cd's, etc. released over the past few years & with the Stooges being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, it's nice to see Iggy get his props from the rock n roll world! This new dvd...actually, the documentary isn't totally new...it's new to dvd but was released/filmed during the "blah Blah Blah" era & features loads o' interviews, concert footage & candid pics of the Igg-meister on & off stage & doing what he does best...be himself! There's 2 interviews that really stand out though, one with late Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton & one with Iggy where both sides explain why The Stooges fell apart...it's actually bittersuit at this point to see those interviews since Ron passed away recently. What more can I say, this dvd is pure Iggy Pop...it's not too long, it's too the point, gets the message across & leave you wanting just a little more...it's a great documentary on Iggy that was filmed back before he got his recognition from the music business, back when he was an underground darling...the irony is, I'm for sure Iggy was on drugs during this era of his career, BUT, his level of intensity is still as strong at this point & the man is 60 years old! All I can say is, check out this dvd, it kicks ass!

2008 marked the start of a new touring entity for Summer rock n roll concert goers...this new multi-billed touring monster was created by Motley Crue & therefore the creator's Summer tour package was aptly titled "Crue Fest" & on the debut trek of this tour it featured bands signed to Nikki Sixx's ElevenSeven label...the billing was an interesting mix of modern rock's best bands & hard rock's most notorious bad boys as the nights headliners! The maiden voyage of the Crue Fest was captured on film at the Toronto stop & this 2 disc set highlights all the openers on disc 2 while disc one is set aside for the entire Motley Crue set from beginning till finish. The footage of Trapt was good, but it was kinda clear that Trapt was the odd band out on this billing & they were the one's who didn't quite fit but on the same token, I give the band props for giving it their all & playing a strong set. SIXX A.M. was interesting on this bill because it gave fans a chance to see Nikki Sixx perform 2 times in one day, but DJ Ashba was the clear star of SIXX A.M. in my opinion & when you watch the SIXX A.M. footage, in all honesty, Nikki is focusing more on his playing than he does with Motley...with Motley he seems to be in cruise control for the most part, probably because he's played the Motley "hits" a zillion times, whereas the SIXX A.M. material is still new & fresh & different than what Nikki's done for the bulk of his musical career. Papa Roach are interesting & I say that because the band started out as a rock/rap hybrid with a heavy emphasis on the rap side of things, then they had a metamorphosis, they changed, Jacoby lost alot of weight, the entire band got a more glam-styled makeover & the music went from angry hate anthems to catchy songs that were radio friendly & memorable. "Forever" is the song that really changed the bands sound for the masses in my opinion & this live performance captured the essence of Papa Roach live very well, but I will admit that Jacoby's hairstyle is looking kinda Fall Out Boy-ish in this dvd! The Buckcherry footage....wow, the interview segment was slightly drawn out & boring...Keith is looking very rough & anti-rockstar in this clip with a scruffy beard & adorning bandanna, but when the band kicks in with it' first song, the snow-blind anthem "Lit Up", it's hard to figure it out in all honesty, but somewhere down the line this particular song has lost it's "feeling"...I've seen Buckcherry soooo many times over the years & "Lit Up" was always a strong, vibrant song, but this version just loses all it's "feeling"...I think a huge part of what it has to do with is the fact that Buckcherry are a gritty rock n roll band, they come across better in a mid sized or large club...seeing Buckcherry in an amphitheater or arena, you kinda lose the essence of rock n roll, what they do is really not meant for a large crowd, the Buckcherry style of rock n roll comes across the best on a smaller stage where it's hot, sweaty, dirty & pure rock n roll...seeing the band on that large Motley Crue stage, it kinda watered down what they do...on the other hand though, "Sorry" was perfect for that large stage! "Sorry" is the bands major cross over ballad off "15" that put the band back on the map...radio killed the song, but it's a good song, so what can you do? "Crazy Bitch" was the last of the 3 songs Buckcherry contributed to this dvd & all I will say is, the rant that Josh Todd went into....keep the kiddies, your parents & ANYONE else who's easily offended, away when you play this song! Josh get super dirty on this one & it was pretty funny in a sick kinda way...it was the perfect lead up to Motley Crue in all honesty! Motley's entire set in on Disc one of this set & what can I say....you get all the hits, a few newer songs, Mick Mars is still the silent shredder, Nikki's a little older, a little chunkier, but still the same old mf, Tommy Lee is part ghetto, part rock n roll, & pure Mayhem, & Vince Neil still owns the stage when he's front & center! "Live Wire", "Shout at The Devil" & "Looks That Kill" are my personal favorites & I've said it before & I'll say it again...the choice of "Home Sweet Home" as a closer is odd...."Kickstart my Heart" or "Shout at the Devil" should be closers for the show...the band ends on a ballad & it just came off very mellow, weak & NOT rock n roll....that's just my opinion though. Overall, this is a kick ass dvd set, it's loud, it's fast, it's fun, it's Crue Fest 2008 for all that it was!

Tommy Victor is a man who never quit got his recognition in the metal world...he's an amazing writer, guitarist, singer, & I always thought it was sad that he gave up his baby, Prong, in order to play guitar for Danzig & Ministry over the years...Tommy managed to keep himself busy, & the last Prong record, "The Power of the Damager" is being given the full-on remix treatment by numerous talented artists like Virus from DOPE, Jon from Pitchshifter, & Greg from Dillinger Escape Plan to name just a few, who gave the last Prong record the full on industrial remix treatment. The bulk of the original album was a full on metal record with crunchy guitar riffs, pinch harmonics, pounding drums & solid rhythm, whereas the core of the remixes are more electronic sounding, dancy, & each remix keeps the original vibe of each song, but it adds more flavor, more beat oriented rhythms & most of these remixes would be played in underground dance clubs! "The Banishment" remixed by Rob from Anthrax is quite interesting because it's still heavy, yet it's got a dance-ability to it...what I really got out of this cd was a unique blend, a crossing of 2 worlds...the metal fans can listen to this cd & enjoy it because Tommy's vocals are still there & angry as ever as well as his intense guitar playing, yet the original drums are removed from most tracks & replaced with electronic beats & samples...there's not alot to really say about this cd in all honesty...if you like Prong you'll dig this cd chock full o' remixes, because even if you remix Tommy Victor's music, it's STILL Tommy Victor tried & true & if you are familiar with Prong & Tommy Victor then you know what he does & that's the bottom line....remixed or what not, Prong kick ass & that's the bottom line!

Rating: 6 stars

Zakk f**king Wylde is definitely one of the most recognizable hard rock guitarists out there today...his bulls eye Les Paul's, the long main of dirty blonde hair, the scruffy beard, the physical build of Conan the Barbarian....Zakk is definitely a character both on & off stage, & this new greatest hits cd/dvd combo pack gives the die hard Black Label Society fans all the BLS they can swallow & then some! The cd portion covers the BLS "best of" & has a few rarities via the unplugged portion of the cd which features Zakk & Nick jammin' unplugged...the cd is great, but the dvd is pure gold! The dvd captures all the BLS music videos & having never seen "Fire It Up" I was very pleased to finally see this video on a personal note..the video is like a post apocalyptic newscast from hell! The video for "In This River" is touching & sad, & the live performance clips on the dvd capture Zakk & the boys doing what they do best...rockin! The Unplugged portion shows how truly versatile Zakk really is & the highlight of this dvd is the "Compound" portion...warning, the next few lines are a spoiler, so read at your own risk! The "Compound" footage shows Zakk cutting up & being a jokester...you see Zakk wearing a dress, having a beer party with barbie dolls, you see Zakk's Barbie doll collection, there's some footage of Dimebag, you see Zakk's guitar collection, he pulls out the camo-bulls eye guitar & jams for the viewers, you see Zakk scooping up dog poop, & when you get done watching the "Compound" footage you'll realize what a funny guy Zakk truly is...he's a huge guy who's biceps are probably bigger than your head, yet he's a sweet guy who can make fun of himself & have fun & not take himself too seriously! Overall, this is a cool collection of Zakk Wylde rarities & I'll admit it, I had a great time watching this dvd & listening to the accompanying cd!

Rating: 6 stars

Ok, so I just got done listening to the new Black Label Society cd & I was in this pure metal mood...all pumped up, & I saw the next cd I had to review was the new Aimee Allen cd "A Little Happiness" & the picture of Aimee on the cd cover has her playing an acoustic guitar, her hair is kinda messy, she has deep red lipstick on & she's wearing a striped shirt...in a word, she's cute as a button in that grunge sorta style....I'd say the pic of her on the front of this cd is a sanitized Courtney Love...Aimee looks very cool, decadent, messy, but the thing that separates her from the Courtney Love look is that she doesn't look like a heroin addict! Ok, so I pop this cd into the player & the first song I hear is "Change in Weather" which is part reggae/part vaudeville, yet it's all acoustic! I'm liking what I heard thus far & make it to track 2, then 3, then 4...there's a quirky, stripped down cover of "Santeria" by Sublime, the music is all acoustic driven, Aimee's voice is angelic, I think her looks on the cd cover offer a good alternating dynamic to what you hear on this cd...you might expect her to scream each song based on her looks, yet she's got a beautiful voice, each song is an opus to heartfelt originality & the closing track, "God Talks" reminds me of going to church on a Sunday morning...this is a great, very solid, amazingly well written cd & I will emphasize, this is NOT a hard rock or metal release, it's simple music with intense emotions, played in a melodic yet instrumental style that makes you wanna listen to each song from start to finish!

Rating: 6 stars

I like that Birch Hill Dam used a train on the front cover of their cd, because it really does sum of the feeling of the music they play...it's got that chugga-chugga kinda feel to it! I swear to god, I looked at the song titles & saw "Green Machine" listed & thought to myself, "Holy hell, did they do a Kyuss cover?" I checked the inside credits & sure as sh*t it's a cover of the Kyuss classic...I have no idea how many people even remember Kyuss these days, but that was the band that eventually became Queens of the Stoneage...it's interesting to note that Birch Hill Dam really do that a touch of the stoner rock vibe & they pull it off damn well, but don't lump them in the stoner rock category, because the music they play is a bit more modern sounding for the most part! "Seeding" utilized the cowbell, so the band gets double points for that little fact, besides the fact that the song kicks ass! "Gasoline Fiend" starts off with a car starting & the music is fast, loud & lewd, the way that rock n roll was meant to be...to be quite honest with you, this is the kinda song you could get a speeding ticket listening to because this is the kinda song that makes you wanna push the pedal to the floor & crank it wide open! "Soul Giver" has this amazing groove to it & to be honest with you, I dig the hell out of this band...they have elements of Kyuss, Black Sabbath, Fu Manchu, Led Zeppelin, & the best way to describe their sound is that they are very organic rock n roll that's heavily distorted, gritty, dirty, rough around the edges, & the music on this cd is pure, simple, honest to god rock n roll...no polished pop, no hit singles, no bs., just good hard rock music! The ending of the cd has some weird voice mail message that's god some loser talking trash about the band...it's weird & kinda funny, because the irony is that the band has a cd out & they made a mockery of the loser who made that voice mail!