ROCK N ROLL EXPERIENCE - September/October 2007

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1 Star - crap

2 Stars - This is stuff your Mom might like!

3 Stars - It rocks, but is only okay

4 Stars - This is good, but there's room for improvement!

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

6 Stars - Sell your car, dog, baby, etc., this is a MUST have!

The Robinson Brothers, Chris & Rich, who are also the 2 main men behind the Black Crowes, have a new dvd/cd set release out entitled "Live At The Roxy" under the moniker or Birds of a Feather, & it's really the purest expressions of music that you will ever hear! The entire show is essentially just the 2 brother's playing songs all by themselves, with an occassional back-up singer to add a little extra to the vocals. When you think of the roots of Rock N Roll, this cd will really evoke that same emotion...it's as stripped down as you can get, it's raw, un-polished, & really special for fans of the Black Crowes, & both brother's respective solo works, & I might add that there's quite a few really obscure covers on the cd as well that really show who influenced the boys! I was actually kinda surprised "Jealous Again" wasn't included on the cd, because that's one of the Black Crowes biggest songs & it's really beautiful on the dvd, but I guess the guys decided that it was better to cut that one for the cd! Listening to the cd & watching the dvd, it's really refreshing to experience pure music that's simple yet effective, with loads of emotion & just enough attitude to give it an edge! I also never saw Chris Robinson play guitar, so the dvd was interesting on that note as well! If you buy the dvd package you get both the dvd & cd, or you can buy the cd by itself in a jewel case..either way you get a stellar product, but I'd suggest getting the cd/dvd packaging because it's a better value for the money & there's never too much of the Robinson brothers! When you listen to the cd, or watch the dvd from beginning till end, you get the true vibe of what made the Black Crowes such a great rock n roll band...I always assumed they were just huge Rolling Stones fans, but they are much more than that, they are music fans, & they do what they do very well!

Imagine Queens of the Stoneage if they were a little more punkier & had electronic beats instead of live drums..that's the best way I could describe Rogue Thief, which is a one man band of sorts, in that Rocco wrote, played & executed all instrumentation on this cd, & overall it's an interesting EP from this Philly based musician. "Frontline" kicks the cd off with punchy electronic beats that are covered with crunchy guitar tones & this is the song that sets the pace for the entire cd, which is a fast paced ride that blends live playing with electronic elements, & it's been done a million times over since bands like Ministry & Thrill Kill Kult started oh so many years ago, but when it's done really well like on this cd, you have to acknowledge it & make note..this is an excellent cd from this un-signed artist! You can check out more on Rogue Thief at www.namenooneman.com

Ok, I'll be totally honest with you..I saw an interview Blaze did not too long ago & he admitted that he uses some sorta hair products that help balding men re-grow their hair, & when I started watching this dvd, I couldn't stop looking at his hair..it's so full & thick now..I remember seeing him with Iron Maiden many years ago when they did a club tour here in the USA & Blaze would sweat, & you could literally see right through his hair & it was like 6 pieces of hair on a bald scalp...now he has this thick main of hair & it's like a totally different guy! Ok, I got that out of my system, so the new DVD that the man & his band put out is quite simply pure metal genius...his band is strong, his guitar players are tight, his drummer is strong, & Blaze...god, his voice is amazing, but watch the dvd & look at the funny faces he makes..he's funny to watch! Ok, I will stop with the things I noticed & stick to the fact now...the band is amazing, it's pure metal, & the highlight for me is the band covering Iron Maiden's "Man On The Edge", which is the first single released off the Blaze era of Maiden & it sounds stellar! Watching Blaze interact with the crowd, sweting on them, high fiving, & making contact, it makes you feel like you're there, & the video of the band is superb & sharp & super clear! There's a load of bonus features as well & the interviews can kinda drag on a bit, but they are still interesting & this is a killer dvd for the real metal fans!

Basically, DJ Rad is a one man band that is the brainchild of Chuck Treece, & there's some additional playing by Phil Rowland on 3 other tracks, but for a one man creation, I have to give Chuck props..the music is a mix of Black Sabbath meets Black Flag..it's punk, but has elements of hard rock, & the only thing I can really bitch about with this cd is that there's quite a few instrumental tracks that should have vocals! I personally like instrumental tracks, but they get kinda boring after a minute & you've gotta have the vocals, a voice, to really make the song stand out! There's no ballads on this cd, it's just straight up riff rock that's loud, fast, & heavy, & everything has that garage rock quality to it, which is cool..nothing sounds overproduced or polished!

Within Temptationis a band that's very comparable to that band that's fronted by Amy Lee, I refuse to name the band since everyone makes that comparison, BUT, what really makes Within Temptation stand out is that they have songs that are really epic & the keyboard parts are super strong & rich, which is where the bands's sound really gets a gothic & intense feel from! The guitars are mellow sometimes & heavy as hell others, but the vocals, sang by Sharon Den Adel, are the other thing that makes this band what it is...she's pretty on a physical level, but her voice is beyond beautiful & it has the ability to really move you, especially when you listen to a song like "the Cross", which is great on it's own, & when the vocals are on top of the overall song, it's just the icing on the cake! If you look on the back cover of the cd, I really dig the references to the idea of multiple religions with the hand holding numerous neclaces that have numerous religious symbols. There's a special guest appearance by Keith from Life of Agony on "What Have You Done" & that particular song appears on this cd 2 times..one is the single edit & the other is the extended version, the latter being the best choice in my opinion! Within Temptaion are a great band that writes creative music that's wrapped in emotions, religion, & passion, & the band has everything a fan of music could ever wanna hear..the highs are high & the lows are...actually, there are no lows!

Ok..being totally honest, the only thing that kinda annoys me at times are some of the triggered drums that they use every so often...other than that, "Malice" is without a doubt, the finest release Through The Eyes of The Dead has EVER released! The CD kicks off with "Failure in the Flesh" that reminds me alot of Obituary..it's just brutal & ugly to the core! The entire tone of the new cd is just brutal & it's definitley one of the better American death metal releases for 2007, but the drums seem to be a little much at times...again, the triggers! The guitar tone is sharp, yet sludgy, & that's a very positive thing, because sometimes the death metal bands use too much distortion & their guitar tone is just mudd, but the tone on this cd is very treble-ish & it just sounds good to the ear! "As Good As Dead" & "Welcome To The Wasteland" are my 2 personal favorites off the cd, but to be honest with you, the entire cd has a recurring theme of brutallity, so if you like Death Metal, this cd is gold from beginning till end!

Whenever I listen to Frank Black's music, whether it's his solo stuff, or Pixie's stuff, I always think to myself, dammit, this guy is beyond talented, & it's sad that he's not to the level of a David Bowie, because EVERY Frank Black record is just pure genius, & the new Black Francis cd, which is Frank's alter-ego for recording, is entitled "Bluefinger", & it's what the White Stripes would be if they had a full band...Frank writes quirky pop songs that are introspective & edgy, & at the same time, they are simple & if you play music, you think to yourself, wow, it really is true that you don't need to make the most complex song to evoke the most emotions! "Captain Pasty" opens the cd with pop/punk passion & power, & "Threshold Apprehension" follows up with a solid pop rock punch that's got a killer breakdown with these really cool vocals, & the song really has a 70's vibe to it overall! "Test Pilot Blues" has this Nirvana feel to it, & "Angels Come To Comfort You" has this amazing vibe that you have to hear to believe! Honestly, imagine the best of Neil Young with the intensity & feeling of the White Stripes, & this cd is actually BETTER than that!

Rating: 4 stars

I remember Lillian Axe when they were pushing the "True Believer" record/single..they had this glammy pop metal vibe..they had a heavy side, but they were glittery & fell more on the glam side of things, or hair metal if you will. The band has weathered it out though, & they have a new cd out on Screaming Ferret entitled "Waters Rising" which finds the band more developed, more darker, less glam, & more direct. Incase any didn't know it, Godsmacks' original drummer, Tommy, was also in this band during it's glam era! I felt like throwing that in there just because! There's this Alice in Wonderland theme to the artwork for the record, & the cd opens with "Waters Rising" which is the most mature sounding I've ever heard the band! "Become A Monster" is the song that really got me excited..it's got this wild guitar lick & it's just as the title says, a Monster! "Quarantine" starts off very similiar to "Hotel California" by the Eagles & even the main part of the song is VERY similiar to "Hotel California" so I wonder if the Eagles will here this song & freak? It's got a great retro vibe & I like it, but everytime I hear that one part I'm thinking The Eagles! The dramatic ballads don't kick in till the middle of the cd & they are interesting, but "5" is the best closer for the cd..it's just riff n roll at it's best...shredding guitar solo's, killer hooks, & loads of action!

Track Listing: Let's Go, Watch Yourself, Life Is Good, The Dick Song, The Last Sucker, No Glory, Death & Destruction, Roadhouse Blues, Die In A Crash, End of Days pt 1, End of Days pt 2

Rating: 6 stars

Al Jourgenson is back with what is being billed as the final Ministry cd, which will be followed up by the bands farewell tour, but to be honest with you, I hope it's just a phase & Al NEVER stops Ministry, because the band, or rather the music that Al makes under the moniker Ministry, is some of the best industrial based-rock that's ever been made! Tommy Victor plays his ass off on guitar on this cd, as does Sin from Society One, who wrote several tracks, musically, on this cd. Is it any surprise that the basis of this cd is the George W. Bush administration, & the corruption of the Republican party...but to be honest with you, you can listen to this cd 2 different ways...you can listen to the lyrics & get the message, or you can just listen to the music & get off on the aggression, because it really works on both levels! "Let's Go" is a great opener that's fast & heavy, & the most interesting song on this cd is a bizarre cover of the Door's "Roadhouse Blues", which is alot faster, & the lyrics are the same, but the music has changed to fit the Ministry style, which is loud & fast! Every song is heavily layered, rich, & complex, & the best way to listen to this cd is in headphones, because you just can't get the rich quality of every song just playing them out loud...Al Jourgenson always makes sure every song is deep, & total ear candy in not just the writing, but the overall production! If this truly is the last Ministry record/tour, "The Last Sucker" is a great way to end a very rich legacy from one of the pioneers of industrial rock!

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WITHIN CHAOS

Virulent Track Listing: In The Beginning, What Doesn't Kill You, Rebirth of Rebellion, Power Trip, The Order, Virulent, Into The Shadows, Curveball, Buried Alive, Pain Is Temporary

Rating: 5 stars

Texas Extreme Metal act Within Chaos, who are on Koch Records, has a new cd out entitled "Virulent" & the tone of the cd is just freakin' heavy..it's got some great hooks, some intense vocals that are mostly aggro, & the band itself has a modern metal sound that's a mix of screamo, metal, & there's definitley some elements of hardcore as well! The band pretty much pummels relentless from song to song & there's no letting go of the intensity once you listen to this cd..it's pure heaviness from beginning till end with NO ballads, NO filler, & loads of attitude!

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CRITICAL BILL

Downtown The World Track Listing: This Is Critical, Downtown the World, Premium, Here I Am, My Suicide, Breakdown, The Shouting, The Ride, Rock Like That, Get High, Sky's Alive, Suffa, 1000 Times, What U Came Here For, How Many Times, Drinking Game, After Party, WTF

Rating: 5 stars

Ok, so, the first thing I thought of when I heard the opening notes & rhymes on the cd is, this bands sounds like POD! The band is a mix of rock/rap, & they rock pretty hard, but there's no denying that the vocals are hip hop oriented & there's some sampling going on as well. You've gotta love a band that starts their cd off with their own theme song..it reminds me of what Body Count did on their first cd & it's actually pretty catchy & cool! "Downtown the World" kicks the cd off really, because the first song is more or less an opener that introduces the listener to the band, so "Downtown" has a hooky chorus & main lyrics, but it kinda feels like sooo many other songs out there..there's not much that makes it stand out. "Premium" starts off really cool & has a definite vibe to it, but "Here I Am" is the song that shows what Critical Bill is all about..it's got some singing as well as the rap vocals, & the song is touching! "The Ride" is the song that is my personal pick for best song on the cd..it's just really catchy, & I think it could be a hit single if it got the right push..it's just REALLY good & almost reminds me of Incubus at times..it's REALLY good & my definite pick for best song on the cd!

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SPIDER ROCKETS

Ever After Track Listing: Ever After Track Listing: Too Far, Simple, Hate, Something More, Facing Fear, Reasons For Deceit, What I Want, Helter Skelter, Names, Whispers

Rating: 5 stars

Initially, my first thoughts of this cd are that it reminds me of a heavier version of Flyleaf, a more melodic Kittie, & a Metal version of No Doubt..the female vocals are really good, & it's what makes this band stand apart from the pack! "Too Far" kicks the cd off with metallic guitar riffs & "Something More" is the song that really got me hooked on this band...the vocals, the music..it's just magic! The cover of "Helter Skelter" was kinda cliche I thought...I didn't really like it until the last minute or so when the band just started bashing it out, I mean that song is an instantly recognizable Beatles classic & it's hard to do anything different with it & retain that vibe of the original, but I give the band credit, I do like their version of it, it just took some time to listen to it & get what they were trying to achieve with it. "Names" is a good song & could be on modern rock radio, but "Whispers", the last song on the cd is the one that you will remember the most..it starts off quiet & builds up to a heavy, raging pit of emotions. Very interesting, female fronted, & in your face - Spider Rockets are a band you need to check out!

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COMEDY DEATH-RAY S/T Track Listing: DISC 1: Paul F Tompkins, David Cross, Doug Benson, Maria Bamford, Todd Glass, Hard N Phirm; DISC 2: Patton Oswalt, Jimmy Pardo, Neil Hamburger, Ian Edwards, Brian Posehn, Nick Thune, Scott Aukerman, Chris Hardwick, Mindy Kaling, Dan Minyz, Andy Daly, Reno 911

Rating: 6 Stars!

Comedy Records are always iffy..most of the times, the visuals go along with the act & without it, it's a 50/50 chance that the jokes will work, or atleast that's always been my opinion on comedy records, & now Comedy Central has started their own label & their release of Comedy Death-Ray is really good...on Disc 1, the part of Paul Tompkins stand-up about Fabio is pretty damn funny, & the entire David Cross part is comical throughout...I can't even say some of the things he says, but the scary porn is comical & his story about his dog....priceless! The Todd Glass segment is funny as hell too! The Hard N Phirm segment that closes the cd is a good closer because they make their comedy using guitars & it's got a different feel than the rest of the tracks on disc one! Disc 2 packs alot more comedians on the disc & there's many funny moments, but my personal favorite was the Brian Poshen track, because he makes numerous references to heavy metal & comments about how fans always yell SLAYER at every metal show & there's numerous other things that I can't really repeat, but they are definitley worth checking out, & this cd closes with a musical number by the cast of Reno 911 that's hilarious!

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LEO NightMares Track Listing: Intro, Na Na, Horizon, Lake, Broken Record, Sheppard, So We Forget, Sommerset, Mourning, All For Good, Lullaby, Chemical Cell, Gasoline, Nightmares

Rating: 6 Stars

Ok..quick story here..I got this cd in the mail & I thought the band name sounded familiar, then I realized, OMG, I saw this band a few months ago when they opened for Papa Roach in Baltimore & I actually talked to the guys as they were walking around, so it was interesting to finally here their recorded work. Live, they come off very solid, & that's the same way they are on cd as well! The bands sound is rock, but it's not overtly heavy, & the focus is more on song writing & structure. At times, they remind me of 30 Seconds to Mars, only in the songwriting & hooks...sonically, they blow 30STM away! "Lake" is my personal favorite off the cd because it has that high/low thing going on where the song gets kinda mellow, then a strong chrous kicks in, & the singer, Ian Eddy, has this really interesting voice that goes really high, & then he can sing at an average tone, but personally, I think the higher register is where he soars as a singer! Another band that I think of when I hear Leo is Our Lady Peace...especially on "Broken Record"..the vocals remind me of OLP's singer alot, which is a good thing! The artwork is interesting & what I like about it is, I can't quote figure out what it is..it's artsy & strange & beautiful, but also kinda twisted! Overall, this is a great cd with lots o' dynamics, twists, turns, & chock full of really strong songwriting!

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Hailing from Birmingham, England, I'd like to introduce you to one of the more interesting hard rock/metal acts that I've heard lately...they are called Revenant Dead, & musically, they have this frantic energy that is kinda like Cradle of Filth, Bauhaus, System of a Down & the band balances gothy overtones with thrash style metal really well! The bands new cd opens with "Torment" which is a grinding metallic knock out of screaming & clean vocals, mixed with progg-ish guitar riffs, & pounding beats that demand attention & command your ears to listen with awe, because the pace of the song changes often, & I might be crazy, but in this song, I am vaguely reminded of Fred Snyder from the B-52's, just simply in the way West sings & changes his vocals so much..it's like hearing Serj from System of a Down & Fred Snyder teaming up, & I realize that might sound weird as hell, but it's actually a really good thing & super cool! The opening guitar lick on "Vertigo" is superb, & the only other artist that I have ever really seen that gets close to the energy Revenant Dead has is Devin Townsend...there's just this really crazy vibe to each song & it's what makes the band such a force to recon with! "Perfekt Hate" is a thrash metal epic that would make Testament & the forefather's of thrash proud, but the thing that is really unique is the changes in each song..the vocals never stay the same..there's manic screaming, then clean vocals, then there's moments where it's almost like spoken word! The guitar tone on "Blood Tide" might be some of the fattest & thickest tone I've ever heard, & "Tantamount" is beautiful in it's almost brooding like essence & mood. "Decay Dance" closes the cd & it's a great closer because it rocks with power & passion, & to be honest with you, this is definitley one of the better cd's I've heard all year...Revenant Dead are definitley a band you need to check out..their songs are not only amazingly well written, but their talents are musicians & artists are what make this band truly amazing..they simple ooze brilliance!

It's interesting that The Raspberries are a very influencial band that had fans like John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen & even KISS, but yet so few people really know who the band is! The band played a simple form of pop-ish rock that had an edge, & was all about having fun & living & loving life! On this new 3 cd live collection, it captures the band at a recent show in CA, & there's a cool dvd that allows you to see the band in action as well! The band sound flawless & there's even a cover of The Who's "I Can't Explain" that's as good as the original version! The Raspberries were highly underrated & I think that probably had alot to due with the fact that other acts from their time got the attention because The Raspberries did what they did & there wasn't alot of flash & the emphasis was placed on writing great songs, like "Play On" & "Party's Over" which are just great! "Go All The Way" closes the audio portion of the concert discs & it's clearly one of the best rockers the band has to offer..loads of energy & zest, this is probably my favorite song on the set as well!

Drowning Pool are back with a new record & a new singer..again! Ok, so I'll come out & say the first thing that struck me about this cd...the cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" sucks! Oh My God, why in the hell did you guys re-record this song? I mean, It's a great song, but the Drowning Pool version is very white..not saying that Billy Idol has loads of soul, but the cover DP do is just NOT good, because the core of the original song was that it was a blend of punk attitude with hard rock & DP try to make it all metal & it's just kinda lame! Ok...I got that out of my system..other than that cover song, the rest of the cd is strong & stands on it's own as a good body of work. I saw the band about a year ago when they were road testing these songs & the songs they chose from what they were playing live are strong & have depth & dynamics, & "Soldiers" is the first single & one of the best songs on the cd as well! There's actually quite a few slower moments where the music mellows a bit & you get to hear Ryan's voice more than the music, & sonically, this is Drowning Pools most dramatic & enigmatic release to date..the heavy parts are heavier & the mellow parts are mellower, & the band has the "it" factor, I just hope the record gets the right push & they get back on track where they were prior to derailing of the band after Dave's passing several years back.

I'm not even sure how to start off a review of anything that GG Allin did, because the man was an animal...everything he touched & everything he was seemed infected with insanity & dissfunction. The only official documentary on the man & his music, entitled "Hated" has been re-released & it's got alot of cool bonus footage including an interview with GG's Mom, rare audio tracks & extra interviews & clips, but the core of this dvd is the actual movire/documentary itself & how can I even describe it? GG Allin was known for getting totally naked onstage, he would shove things up his ass, he attacked the crowd, he hurt himself..he was everything that Marilyn Manson will NEVER be! The movie has clips of GG getting tattooed, fighting, playing shows, performing spoken word, & when I watched this movie, the first thing I thought was, wow, how in the hell did this guy even get shows? He was uncontrollable, his band sucked, but he had a decent fan base that absorbed every drop of the insanity! GG was a cross dresser while in school & it was almost as if he was looking for trouble most of the time, & his bass player was also his brother & did I mention that his drummer almost always played naked?? The movie, the man, & his band were even weirder than anything I could say...they were a rabid animal & there's definitley a reason why GG imploded..it was almost like karma cashing in big time..GG was an interesting performer if you enjoy a train wreck, but his shows are one's that I would never attend because I don't want to imagine being attacked by the band I am there to see, & I think GG's fans were just as crazy as him..if you doubt me, check out some of the fans who are intererviewed on this dvd! Overall, this is a MUST see movie, because if you think you've seen it all before at a rock show, you ain't seen shit till you've seen what GG was doing!

In all honesty, the only reason I didn't give this dvd a 6 star review is because the video is not as rich as I wish it was..it's very watchable, but it's like a 2nd generation vhs that's been burnt to dvd..it's still cool to see Johnny in all his glory & his band rips n tears through loads of covers & originals & a few NY Dolls medley's to boot! Johnny was the ultimate rock star & lived on the fringe, & sadly, his life was cut short from that life style & the biography that accompanies the dvd tells the Johnny Thunders stoey which I really didn't know in full till I saw this dvd. Johnny Thunder's is kinda like the father to Ace Frehley from KISS...what I mean is, his singing is NOT as good as a real lead singer, but his attitude, suitar playing & style outshadow his short comings as a singer, much like Mr. Frehley! "Personallity Crisis" is the highlight of this dvd for me..it's not the NY Dolls, but it's pretty freakin' close, & the only sad thing to note is that this is one of the last live performances Johnny ever did, so it's interesting to watch Johnny trreat his fans to a great set, while inside he was more than likely losing his battle to substances, & I have to note that his backing band on this dvd are super tight..I mean techincally, they are sloppy & very rock n roll trash, style wise, BUT, come on, it's exactly what rock n roll should me...sleazy & trashy with loads of attitude!

Rating: 6 stars

Iggy Pop is the king of punk rock n roll, & this newly released cd features a rare show from San Francisco in 1981..the dvd was released about a year ago & now there's a cd of the show, & the cd boasts 2 unreleased studio tracks that were produced by Ric Ocasek & these 2 songs feature an Iggy that's very modern sounding, & much less punk than his 70's era, & when I listen to this live cd, the only things missing are "Raw Power" & "Search & Destroy" which are the essential Iggy signatures in his live set! "Some Weird Sin" is a great opener that rocks with passion & fury, & "TV Eye" has more energy than mosts new bands have on their entire studio recordings!! The artwork is kinda limites, there's no fancy booklet, there's no frills other than 2 pics of Iggy performing live, & the music really stands on it's own as a strong entity...I used to really hate this era of Iggy's career because you can really see & hear the decline & fall of the Stooge, but when I listen to this cd, I realized that althought it was a dark period in Iggy's life, his music was still artistic & amazing!

Track Listing: Runnin' With The Devil, Eruption, Really Got Me, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin', Dance The Night Away, Somebody Get Me A Doctor, And The Cradle Will Rock, Unchained, So This Is Love, The Full Bug, Jump, Panama, Hot For Teacher

Rating: 4 stars

Ok..before I start this review, I want to justify my rating on this cd..I gave it 4 stars because it's a toatl cover cd & the cover's are true to the originals, with no deviation, & this band, Hot For Teacher is a full on Van Halen DLR era tribute band, so I had to give my opinion on a cd that was released with just straight on covers of the same songs a previous band did....I mean each song is executed flawlessly & the guitar work is impressive, but when you hear the audio portion of something you usually wanna hear the original if you have a choice of hearing a cover that's identical to the original, or the original, do you know what I mean? I don't wanna slam Hot For Teacher..these boys do dead on covers of all the DLR era stuff & I bet they are killer live to watch, but to listen to on cd, it's just nothing different from the original & I know that's what they strived for, so I give them kudo's on that, they know their shit & the only area I'd say that is different than the original is that the versions on here do not have the same backing vocals that only Michael Anthony could perform, but that's apple's & oranges, the band rocks, so check 'em out at www.hftrocks.com

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ISRAEL UNLEASHED

The Very Best Metal & Rock From The Holy Land Track Listing: The Coming of Soon - Abed, The Offer - Noble Brats, Redemption - Distorted, Selfish - Seven Percent Mind Usage, Heartbreaker - Crossfire, Sour Days - Behind The Sun, My Secret Truth - Manga, The Days - Jet Sam, Desolated Spirits - Xenlith, The Desert (In our Soul) - Desert, Six Years Old - Epidemic, Abandoned - Mens Rea, Blind Still Trill - Xarnavar, Easy Does It - Vltures, Nighty Knight - Imblizze

Rating: 5 stars

Interesting concept..a compilation of unsigned bands from the Holy Land..my first thought was, do they have metal bands over there? In the rest of the world I think we imagine it being more isolated & different than how it is, say here in the USA, but the bands on this compilation vary from screamo to death metal, to hard rock, to full on metal! Redemption kinda reminds me of Lacuna Coil in monets with the vocals, & Selfish reminds me of Kittie, except of course it's NOT girls, & Heartbreaker has this old school metal sound with a tocuh of prog that's pretty cool..actually, they remind me of WASP a little too, but that's just a personal thing to me & not everyone might hear that reference. Sour Day's track on this cd is probably the tamest & it rocks, but has more depth than the other songs on this heavy heavy compilation & actually, tracks 6 - 8 are the mellow section of the cd in terms of the song writing being a bigger factor than noise & aggression, which picks right back up on track 9 by Desolated Spirits. Blind Still Trill is my personal favorite off this cd..they have a bit of industrial to their sound & it's the quirky sounds that make the song just work..there's bag pipes on this song & really interesting female vocals! I think this compilation is very revealing as to the fact that there's a music scene in the Holy Land & everything is not all God fearing in that part of the world...music is truly universal, & good metal/rock is strong all over the world!

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THE CULT

Born Into This Track Listing: Born Into This, Citizens, Diamonds, Dirty Little Rockstar, Holy Mountain, I Assassin, Illuminated, Tigers In The SUn, Savages, Sounds of Destruction

Rating: 6 stars

So, anytime a band decides to reunite, I'm always skeptical, because it's usually done for monetary reasons, rather than just for the fun of it or for the music, but when a band reunites, & they decide to record new music, & the music is freakin' amazing, it's clear what the artist's intensions are, & the new Cult cd, "Born Into This" see's the band mixing their past with the present..in my mind, they really mixed the best of "Love" with some of the stuff off the band self titled release, I mean there's some different beats at times that make the songs sound notably different than the bands early works, but all in all, what I am getting at is, it's 2007 & the Cult are fucking back, & they are back stronger than ever! "Born Into This" is the title track & first song on the cd, which is a lesson in rock n roll attitude & expression with catchy riffs, a great chorus & coller than hell vibe! "Citizens" should be a radio hit, it's very catchy & one of those songs that sounds sweeter & sweeter the more you listen to it! "Diamonds" mightbe my favorite song off the cd..it's got a hip beat, you can actually shake your ass to it if you want, but it's also got a nasty rock attitude to boot & Billy's trademark riff's are all over this song! "Holy Mountain" is the slow song on the cd that will really move you..it's just touching & brooding & dark & just beautiful in a kinda Johnny Cash sorta way. "Savages" is one of those songs that the band HAS TO play on their upcoming tour..it's fast, loud & oozing with attitude & energy..I can practically see the crowd moving to this song! The last song on the cd, "Sound of Destruction" is probably the most stereo typical Cult song on this cd..it's just pure Cult with it's sound & attitude & it's really what Cult fans have been asking for all these years...a really good, organic sounding record from Ian & Billy that's not a product of what's going on in the music biz, but rather what's going on in the world of The Cult aka Billy Diffy & Ian Astbury!

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QUEENSRYCHE

Sign of the Times, the Best of Queensryche Track Listing: DISC 1 - Queen of the Ryche, Warning, Walk in the Shadows, Take Hold of the Flame, The Lady Wore Black, I DOn't Believe in Love, Eyes of a Stranger, Silent Lucidity, Bridge, Jet City WOman, Another Rainy Night, Sign of the Times, I am I, Real World, Some People Fly, Until There Was You, All The Promises; DISC 2 - Take Hold of the Flame , Walk In The Shadows, Before THe Storm, Waiting For The Kill, No Sanctuary, Prophecy, I Dream In Infared, Dirty Lil Secret, Last Time In Paris, Scarborough Fair, Della Brown, Someone Else?, Silent Lucidity, Chasing Blue Sky, Justified

Rating: 6 stars

I won't even bother reviewing the first disc of this collection, I mean it's simply the bands singles & best known hits, so ANY Queensryche fan knows these songs in & out & there's no point reviewing them..what I am excited about in this compilation is disc 2, which is all unreleased songs..the first few are from MYTH, which was Geoff Tate's pre-Queensryche band & the point of having those songs on here are to show how those songs developed into the version you might know better as Queensryche songs! "Last Time In Paris" is definitley my all time favorite on this cd..it was released on a movie soundtrack, but it's still a great rare song by the band & there's even 2 newer songs that were previously unreleased that round out this cd! The packaging is really cool, it's a thick digipack with loads of artwork, cool images, & a nice little Queensryche bio inside as well. When you listen to the tracks on disc 2 you get a sense for how much depth the band really has & there's no denying that Geoff Tate's voice is the focal point of EVERY song & wow, the man's wrote so many great songs, & I wonder how much more is in the vaults, because the unreleased tracks on this cd are amazing! Basically, if you don't own any music from the band, this is the CD set you wanna buy..it covers the best of the best & gived you everything you really need from the band if you're just a casual fan..for the die hards, like I said, disc 2 will ahve you salivating!

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D.O.A. Smash the State - The Raw Original D.O.A. 1978 - 81 DVD Track Listing:

Rating: 6 Stars!

D.O.A. are one of the most underated, & sadly, unknown punk bands, atleast outside of the punk rock music scene, & the band really created some great music that was a total reaction to society & life as a young person...this dvd is interesting because it's got some pro-shot footage, & LOADS of fan shot shot stuff & some shows are shot on stage with the band, some are from the crowd, & there's both on & offstage footage, as well as a few bonus features as well that include a news clip & a promo video! I have to call attention to the fact that Danzig fans might recognize the bands drumer, Chuck Biscuits, who later went on to play in the classic original line-up of Danzig, but this is a far cry from blues based rock n roll...this is full on punk power that's not always played in tune, or even on-key, but the power, enerfy, & enthusiasm the band had is what made them fan favorites & one of the best punk bands of all time! You get nearly 70 minutes of classic footage of the band on this dvd & it's worth every penny to check out this dvd because as important as the Sex Pistols & The Ramones are to the legacy of punk, D.O.A. are also a legendary act that you should know about!

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