How does one describe to the uninitiated what a Sodom album sounds like? The best way to describe it is; picture getting hit by a freight train while sticking your head in a cement mixer. A much safer option would be to simply press "PLAY", something you`ll be doing again and again with the latest release from this terrifying Teutonic trio! After a five year wait since the release of their last studio album "M-16", Tom Angelripper and crew are back to wreak their own personal brand of holy Hell. This is a band that one either loves or hates; no middle ground. They have their sound, their style, this is what they do, no apologies! After being lulled with the acoustic intro, "Blood On Your Lips" bursts from your stereo like a pound of C-4! And there`s no let-up in sight. Nobody, but NOBODY does this kind of hyper-charged Thrash like Sodom. There are some interesting variants on the album, with slower mid-tempo numbers sharing time with the all-out neck breakers; Sodom takes you by stealth AND by storm! Among the choicest of choice cuts are "Buried In The Justice Ground", "City Of God", "Bibles And Guns"," Axis Of Evil" and "Lords Of Depravity". But my own personal fave here is "The Enemy Inside", certainly one of the most powerful numbers these guys have unleashed. So break out the Kevlar helmet and flak jacket and crank this one ALL THE WAY!!!!
Halloween is probably the best kept secret in Detroit Rock City [yes Mr. Pamela Anderson, it`s "Detroit ROCK City", NOT "Detroit RAP City"!], and for over 20 years they have stalked the dark, dreary stages of America`s Automobie capital, performing their own brand of Horror Metal to the hungry local hordes. And it seems the rest of the world is now being let in on this dark secret with the release of "Horror Fire", which hit the streets on 6/6/6! Starting with a long intro titled "I Am", after which we are treated to the blood curdling "Wake Up Screaming" and thus the tone is set! "Halloween Night" is up next, and a fitting band anthem if I ever heard one! The album impresses me on many levels; stellar production and packaging, esp. considering it`s self-financed, quality songwriting, and the highly skilled musicianship of vocalist Brian Thomas, guitarist Donny Allen, bassist George Neal and drummer Rob Brug. Why the HELL didn`t these guys get the big break years ago is beyond me! The basic Halloween [the holiday] themes continue with "Candles" & "Nobody's Home", while "Rage" and "Head Against A Wall" have a more modern Metal tinge. A fine cover of Alice Cooper's "Go to Hell" seems right at home here, as dear ol` Alice has had more than a passing influence on the band. There are a LOT of tracks on this CD, 19 in all, and I thnk that a couple of the intros/interludes could have been left out, but hey, it works. In sum, this is an album that should be played all year `round, not just October 31st! Yet ANOTHER great Metal release for 2006, and one of the BEST! Go to the link below, buy the band`s albums and merchandise, and celebrate Halloween throughout the year!!
In the early daze of this website, I happened to come in contact with a guitarist/vocalist from Florida named Kat Marco, a fine musician and all-around wonderful human being! Among my first reviews was her EP "Rebel Renegade", a nice 3-song affair featuring some well-crafted melodic Hard Rock and Kat`s` powerhouse vocals. Now, after a nearly 7 year hiatus from the public eye, the Kat is back! And lucky me, I happen to have no less than 22 new songs, sent to me by the Lady herself. The tunes I`m reviewing here basically demos, still being tweaked and fine-tuned, but they are Kat Marco songs all the way! Full of raw, naked passion and agression, a staple of Kat`s music. From the near Gothic "Reign Of The Diva" to the Metallic "I Ride The Wind", as well as the Hard Rock ballad "You Hurt My Heart" and the anthemic "Once I Pull The Trigger", it`s quite obvious that Kat has definitely NOT been sitting idle! There`s even a sweet cover of Aerosmith`s "Dream On", which is one of Kat`s own personal favorites and a fitting choice. Kat`s lyrics have themes of redemption, vindication, pain, hope running through out, and are delivered in her usual way, straight from the gut, no pretensions, no false angst, just heart and soul. And can you believe that there are 17 more songs [in addition to the one in my possession] listed on her website? Talk about prolific! The songs are rotated on a regular basis, so check her website frequently for new tracks. Now for God`s sake, will someone PLEASE get this lady into a major studio? We need MORE! [A very special thanks to Kat Marco for getting in touch again, AND for the CD. This website just wasn`t the same without a Kat Marco review! Feels like old times, doesn`t it? Rock On, Kat!]
The home of Grunge has started producing some quality artists in the last few years, and this band is certainly one of the city`s bright musical hopes! Legend Heart is the collaborative efforts of guitarist/vocalist Reno West & vocalist/flutist/keyboardist Suzette Monique. "River Cry For The Sky" is their second album, and runs the gamut between classic Hard Rock/Metal, Sixties, & Seventies Pop/Rock and all points in between, melding them into their own unique musical blend. It is truly inspiring to see a group of musicians follow their own muse, regardless of current trends and what is considered to be "hip" at the moment. A band doing what they love, loving what they do, simple as that! And while the production is a bit rough around the edges at times, the spirit of each track shines through loud and clear. Among the standouts are "Wizard Of Rock", the high-powered "Devil In The Batcave" and my personal favorite, "Can You Ever Go Home Again", certainly one of the best songs I`ve ever heard! Now THIS is the kind of band we should be hearing about, not Hillary Duff! So, what are you waiting for? Quit staring at the screen, go to the bands` website and buy their albums, so we can have MORE great releases by this band, and others like them. Plus, portions of net proceeds of the album go to charities that benefit homeless women, children and teen. So you`ll be supporting a great band, some fine causes AND get a killer CD, too! Does it get any better than that? I don`t think so........
A Rainbow fans dream come true [well, ONE of `em, anyway!], "Live In Munich 1977" has long been anticipated by diehards the world over, and man was it EVER worth the wait!! This DVD is simply packed with goodies; high quality digital remastering, audio commentary, bonus promo clips (a later generation would come to know these as "videos"]from the album "Long Live Rock & Roll", etc. And of course the concert itself, featuring some of the greatest Rock musicians to ever share the stage. Filmed for the German television show Rockpalast on 10/20/77, [a bit of trivia: on this very same date, Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashed hundreds of miles away...] the Rainbow lineup here is Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Bob Daisley on bass, the late, great God-Of-The-Drums Cozy Powell, David Stone on keyboards, and of course The Man In Black himself, Mr. Ritchie Blackmore,, freshly released from jail in Austria only hours before, after getting into a brawl with a security guard and breaking the guard`s jaw! So the band went on at midnight and proceeded to give one of their greatest performances. And WHAT a performance! Eight songs [there are more on the 2-CD set] of classic Rainbow, delivered with passion, precision and guts by a line-up that was TOO good to last. Tracks include; the powerhouse opener "Kill The King", Mistreated", "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves", "Catch The Rainbow", "Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll", "Man On The Silver Mountain","Still I’m Sad" [all 27 minutes!] and closing with "Do You Close Your Eyes". If you can still breathe after this, I`ll be amazed! Dio shows WHY Blackmore chose him for the vocal spot, as he is a solid pro and absolutley hypnotic to watch, then AND now! It`s also quite obvious why Daisley has always ended up backing some of the greatest guitarists in Rock history, and we are very lucky to see him here as one half of what is surely one of the greatest rhythm sections of all time. Cozy Powell? I really DON`T have to say any more, do I? And check out the super long "Still I`m Sad" for David Stone`s gonzo keyboard extravaganza. But of course, Blackmore is the main attraction here, and he NEVER let`s you forget it! On this DVD, Ritchie is a 6-string nuclear power plant, a Fender-wielding hellfire preacher, spewing forth wave upon wave of guitar histronics that have rarely been seen on this earth! How in the HELL this guy was ever rated below Jimmy Page and Ace Frehley [for cryin` out loud!] in the 70s` is beyond me! From damn-the-torpedos solos, to tear-inducing Blues and Classical cadenzas, Ritchie is a bottomless well of guitar licks, a reminder to the Napster generation that there was once a time when you had to actually learn to play an instrument! At the end of "Do You Close Your Eyes", Blackmore proceeds to beat his Stratocaster to death, but the whole spectacle goes on far longer than it should. Maybe he was channeling his anger at the Austrian security guard? Or perhaps he was thinking about his old nemesis Ian Gillan? Whatever. This DVD is, in my not-so-humble opinion, one of the best releases of 2006, so get this AND the 2-CD set, turn off the lights and get that Dolby Surround 5.1 workin`. Long Live Rock `n` Roll indeed!
