Between about 1989 and 1991 major labels seemed to be signing every big haired band in sight. So the market was flooded with bands who would soon be gone in a blink of an eye. Today's contest focuses around two such acts. Hericane Alice started in Minnesota, but eventually migrated to LA of course. They were originally called Hurricane Alice and did an album under that name. They later changed names when threatened with a lawsuit by the much more popular band Hurricane. They did land a major label deal which resulted in this one album in 1990 although by this point the line-up was much different than the one that did the previous album. Tuff spent years on the LA scene and once included Jim Gillette (Nitro) in their line-up. He was later replaced by Stevie Rachelle. They also appeared in interviews in Decline of western civilization 2 several years before they were signed. I think both of these bands fall into the category of "too little, too late". Both had their albums come out in the 90's after piles of other bands had already saturated the scene. Plus both bands came on doing a sound that had already been done many times over. Whenever I think of Tuff I am reminded of the story of how their first video had been shooting up the MTV charts for a couple of weeks and then Nirvana's "Nevermind" was released. Tuff were wiped off the face of the scene just like that. Enough of the history lessons, let's see what's really behind the hair and the make-up of these bands.

Hericane Alice-Tear the house down

vs.

Tuff-What comes around goes around

Vocals

Hericane Alice has Bruce Naumann going up against Stevie Rachelle of Tuff. Bruce Naumann sounds like a guy who has no idea of what direction to take. He can sort of carry a tune, but he has or doesn't develop his own identity. He seems anxious to copy other styles, but he doesn't have the range to pull it off. It's like a teenager thinking they can sound like their idol and they get a few lines into an imitation and then start reverting back to their own voice. Stevie Rachelle also sounds like other singers as at best he sounds a little like Alice Cooper and at worst it's kind of like Zodiac Mindwarp. Still Rachelle is consistent and for today that's good enough.

Point to Tuff


Guitars

Danny Gill is up for Hericane Alice and he goes against Jorge DeSaint of Tuff. Okay, both guys probably took some lessons or practiced some because they are not bad. Of course "not bad" doesn't exactly mean highly creative either. Both guys figured out enough to keep the songs from dying although they do get shaky here are there as they sound like they are doing just enough to get by. Of course that could be all they are capable of. All the guitar parts are bits that were old hat well before these guys went into the studio and they added little this style. The only thing that stood out was that Danny Gill's tone has a grain or two of grit to it on occasion.

Point to Herican Alice


Rhythm section

Hericane Alice's rhythm section is bassist Ian Mayo and drummer Jackie Ramos and they are clashing with bassist Todd Chase and drummer Michael Lean of Tuff. I guess it's an unwritten law that hard rock/hair metal bass players should not be heard in the final mix. At least that seems to what happens in the end. These bands are no exception as I don't hear a lot of bass so it boils down to the drummers. Both of these skin thumpers had their text books for "very basic and dull hard rock drumming 101" opened for them to go by. I wouldn't say that either guy bothered to turn many pages either. Michael Lean benefits a little from some good production. It gives his sound some needed depth. However a couple of listens had me thinking that Jackie Ramos had a better sense of rhythm and that's enough for me. This was the closest contest of the five for today, but ...

Point to Hericane Alice

Originality/production

It's one of those match-ups where originality never crossed the minds of these two bands. Hericane Alice call on everyone from AC/DC to the Bullet Boys. Tuff some times get compared to Poison and there is a slight influence, but there are also some Warrant comparisons too. I just can't believe that the labels that signed these bands actually listened to these guys before getting their signatures. If they had then they would have realized that this stuff had been done many times over by better bands. Hericane Alice might also lose points here for having songs called "Bad to love", "Wild, young and crazy" and "Badboy breakout". Those are horribly cliche even by 1990 standards. The production on Hericane Alice is okay, but kind of fuzzy on some of the early tracks. Howard Benson handled the production for Tuff and deserves a lot of credit. The production is so strong that it almost covered up for this band's many other shortcomings.

Point to Tuff


Who rocks more?

The production really helped Tuff, it almost made them sound like they knew what they were doing. However repeated plays made me realize it was good production covering up bland music. Otherwise Tuff just churn out lifeless hard rock complete with some very bad lyrics. The music is loud at times, but they never get anywhere even near a simmering level. They just stay back, go through the motions and hope you will buy into what they are doing. Hericane Alice also struggle to be much of a rock band, but the guitars help. I also keep coming back to their title track. It's nothing great, but it's a true moment of something resembling a rock song and that's more than Tuff managed to create. So...

Point to Hericane Alice



Actually a pretty tight contest, but Hericane Alice take it 3-2. Both bands were better than some others that have been on here, but both were good examples of the kind of unspectacular acts that major labels were trying to push on audiences at the tail end of hard rock's big run. Hericane Alice should have had better production for being on a major label and Tuff should have had more of their own ideas. Tuff came back a few more times over the years and Stevie Rachelle has had more success when he started Metal Sludge. Hericane Alice broke up, but are back again and are none too surprisingly slated for Rocklahoma this summer.

**Be back in a few weeks with another one of these.

Crescent Shield-The stars of never seen

Cruz Del Sur
2009

I had this one sitting around for awhile before I pulled it out of the sleeve. I stared at the disc with all these little stars on it. I guess I was hoping that these points of light would give me some hint as to what kind of music was contained on this disc. I still had no idea what to expect as I slipped it into the player. It didn't long for me to pulled in by this LA based band. My first impression was that they reminded me quite a bit of Sanctuary. There is a similar approach in the structure and the vocals are along the same lines. Crescent Shield are not quite as heavy, but they opt to be slightly more melodic. They are obviously fans of early Queensryche and Iron Maiden too as those influences are strung throughout. The whole style is a bit off from your classic metal medium. I say that in the best way possible. It's not all 1-2-3 from this band, there are surprises and there is a certain off the cuff feel to many of the songs. They have ability to play it out though and that's where they shine. There are definite elements of classic, progressive and other metal sub-genres, but take them, give them a twist and make the results be their own. Certainly not an album I could listen to every day, but there is a certain allure about Crescent Shield that appealed to me right away. Maybe not what I was expecting, but far more than I was hoping for.

www.myspace.com/crescentshield

Ah, the need for speed. I remember when I first heard early speed metal like Kreator and Destruction around 84-85 and I thought it was oh so fast. I remember first being exposed to Napalm Death and Bolt Thrower in the late 80's. I liked all of those bands, but faster does not always mean better. It's like driving a car, there has to be some control in there to balance the speed. Not everyone seems to feel that way though. Which leads to our contest today. We have....

Dragonforce-Ultra Beatdown

vs.


The Great Kat-Worship me or die




The Great Kat claimed to be "the worlds fastest guitarist" and she went from playing the violin to playing the guitar, singing and cutting her debut in less than two years. It's a shame she didn't take time to practice writing or developing some style during that time. When I first heard her album in 1988 I thought it was fast. That opinion has changed over the years. Dragonforce had a more gradual rise, but the approach is about as questionable. Instead of playing haphazard semi-speed metal, they opted for taking power metal and stepping it up to an even faster pace. Unfortunately they don't add much to that sound except speed. It's not a combination that is pleasant to the ears. Well, lets blow the dust off the cases and have at these speedy stinkbombs.


Vocals

The great Kat vs. ZP Theart. The Great Kat is about as good a singer as she is a songwriter. Which means she is abysmal. There are growls, shrieks and numerous other unpleasant noises thrown in. It sounds like some teenager got a hold of a tape recorder and told her friends "check this out, I can be a cool metal singer". Theart has a range of some sort, it's just unfortunate that he spends too many occasions sounding like he has someones knee firmly slammed against his crotch. Both try to be extreme singers and both end up being extremely horrendous. Theart actually hits some notes though so...


Point to Dragonforce


Guitars

The Great Kat is up against Herman Li and Sam Totman. The Great Kat plays mainly choppy chunks during the bulk of the song and then hits these shrill bursts of fast flying noise the rest of the time. Fast she may be, but it's not heavy, appealing or memorable. Despite her boasts, her guitar parts are really rather weak. If guitars could sound like they were on helium than that would be Dragonforce. Their guitars are like typical power metal only sped up and slightly higher in pitch. Which means they add nothing to their genre, but take away much of the force and fire that could have been there. The only thing that helps Dragonforce is some degree of continuity.

Point to Dragonforce

Rhythm section

That's right there were actually more people in the Great Kat's band than just her. We have Kat's rhythm section of Tom Von Doom on bass and Adam Killa on drums taking on bassist Frederic Leclercq and drummer Dave Mackintosh. I don't really hear the bass on Kat's album (yes, I am tired of calling her "great" at this point). I did hear the drums though and they sound like an old type writer clicking away. Their is no depth, rhythm or much else to the drum parts. The Dragonforce guys fare better. I hear the bass on occasion and it's nothing spectacular, but it has an adequate tone. The drums are the best thing about Dragonforce if there is such a thing. Of course they are too fast at times and do not always add anything, but they never become as ridiculous as the guitar. Plus they have a solid sound for the most part.

Point to Dragonforce

Originality/production

Kat's album came when thrash was huge and I think she was aimed at that crowd, but her music is so scattered that it's not really thrash. I am not sure if it's really music either. Now her sound isn't entirely original, but at the time it came out it was at least slightly original as a gimmick or a joke band which is more of what she is. Dragonforce despite all their hype still sound like someone took albums from Helloween, Gamma Ray and Hammerfall, stuck them in blender and mixed them all together. Then they poured out the remains and sped it up even more. The results are as messy as that description. For production I would say that Kat's album has alright production for the time. I don't think richer production would have enhanced the raw sewage that's there. In fact the raw edges work a little. Dragonforce have high production values, but that just makes their candy coated garbage sound even more glossy.

Point to Kat

Who rocks more

Perhaps which album gave me less of a headache would be a better description. I am going to with Kat here. Neither of these turd platters rock much. However there is a roughness to Kat's disc that has a grain of something that's worth hearing once. Probably only once, but that's more than I can say for Dragonforce. I finished Dragonforce's album and came out all disoriented like I had been riding some cheap, spinning carnival ride for an hour. It wasn't much though. My ears hurt, my head hurt and I realized that speed could be an awful thing in the wrong hands and Dragonforce continue to prove that point.

Point to Kat

Dragonforce squeeze it out 3-2. Although I think this is only the second time in Lesser of two evils that a band has lost the "who rocks more" category and still held on to win the battle. I felt that I had been doing too many of these match-ups on just glam bands so I purposefully picked other styles this time. Unfortunately I paid for that idea as I had to listen to their ranting nonsense. Dragonforce do deserve to be called Dragonfarce because that is what they are. The Great Kat is a joke too and doesn't deserve to be called great or even mediocre, but no one really pretends otherwise with her. Still both these discs should be locked away in a vault and not see the light of day for some time. If you missed the hair bands then never fear because a second Lesser of two evils is coming soon. Very soon actually as I will have another Lesser of two evils out this week.

Comment moderation

You may notice that I have put in comment moderation. I thought I would never do this, but here is why. I have always gotten a few spam comments, but starting a few weeks ago I was getting 4-6 a day. I was getting some with links to pornography and some people were leaving comments with links to illegal downloads. I put in word verification last week and was still getting spam from one source so I have had to put in comment moderation because it's easier for me than going in and deleting several comments per day. I apologize for any inconvenience and I still hope everyone who wants to comment on the topic will continue to post. The only kind of comments I will not post are...
A)spam
B)comments with links to illegal downloads.
Everything else I will post as long as it's related to the topic. You can call me names and tell me I have my head up my rear end for my musical opinion and I will post that kind of comment. I always welcome different opinions, but I will not approve spam or illegal downloads.
Thanks for your understanding.

Mindbreaker-s/t

Self-produced
2009



This band hails from Easton, Pennsylvania and includes a number of veteran musicians in their ranks. The first thing I noticed about this disc is that the production is sorely lacking. The sound starts out very muddy and dull. It does get better particularly for the guitars, but the vocals often sound like they are being sung into a can and the drums lack the punch they need. However the sound does get a little better as the album goes on, but I think that is just due to the band stepping up the pace. After one play I knew that I had to push past the production shortcomings and see what was going on with the music that I could hear. Even then it was tough at first to really figure out what this band was doing. They have a short intro and then "Never needed" comes on and it sounds very underdone like they just knocked it out right then and there and didn't work anything out. "Orchestrated Commodity" follows and it's in the same style in that it is fuzzy and wanders around a lot. It's kind of loud, but nothing is ever distinct enough to make much of an impression. The next song is "All the same" which fortunately goes against it's name and finally this band sounds like they are putting some pieces in place. The main riff is simple, but driving. It's the best part of the song, but it does make an enough of an impression to get my attention with it's Judas Priest meets Accept approach. The vocals improve here and begin to solidify a style of some sort, but it's still streaky. After this the album fortunately never dips down to the quality of those two horribly raw songs although they never quite get everything on the same page either. The guitars might be the most consistent part of this album, but they still struggle to keep it together. The vocals show some promise, but it's normally only in bits and pieces. There is not one whole song where they really have everything. They really desperately need a better production job the next time around. They also need a lot of tightening around the edges as well. I hear a few decent riffs some potentially decent vocals, there is a whole clean-up and re-writing that needs to be done before I can really say this is a band worth checking out.


www.myspace.com/mindbreakerrocks

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Dio-The last in line

vs.


Judas Priest-Painkiller

**Which cover do you prefer?

Knyght-Bet Everything

Anko
2009

I heard this band's demo "Destination Unknown" a couple of years ago. It was honestly quite messy with poor production. The writing and playing were scattered and weak at best. So as I started up their new offering I was wondering if improvements had been made in the last two years. Let's start with the production since that was a major shortcoming the last time around. The production has improved a lot this time around. On the last disc the production was an absolute horror that made it hard to make out much of what the band were really doing. Now at least it's coherent and adequate enough that it doesn't take away from the sound. Now the question of whether or not the music is any better is the major deal. The music here is at least reasonably tight and they actually sound like a hard rock band for the most part. That might sound basic, but that is a big step up from their last disc. However, it is certainly not without some major flaws. Vocalist Tommy has a voice that's high and by high I mean that's about all he can do is sing high and kind of nasally. That style doesn't work well here as he just sounds thin and lifeless on most of the songs and actually it's especially hard to take on the slow song. The music is alright, but they have real trouble bringing enough hooks to the sound. They seem to rely a lot on the vocals and that just doesn't work because there is not enough pull these songs off. They hit some decent opening riffs, but then they just don't bring enough during the songs to keep things going. There is hope though and I realized that when I got to the final track of this EP. "Shut up" is a far from perfect song, but they show promise. There's a short piano piece with a good, sharp transition into a fine, cutting riff. The riff is perhaps the best part of this disc and it's a shame they didn't milk it more on this song because they could have. Still the song keeps flowing with a solid drumbeat popping along. The vocals are high and shrill, but Tommy shows some real emotion on this song and that goes a ways even if the range isn't the best. So they end on a positive note. Not a great song, but a decent one that could be very good given some work. Okay, the positives here are the production is way better, the music is somewhat better and I can sense some sort of a musical direction. All of that is a huge improvement over that last disc. The things I don't like are that they they need to tighten up the music, bring up the guitars, embelish those hooks and re-consider some of the keyboard parts if they really want to sound like a hard rock band. The biggest issue is the vocals just are not going to cut it with this sound. The range is just not enough to be solid or consistant for this style of music. So they have made some real strides since their last effort, but there is a lot of work to do if they ever want to really be taken seriously.

www.myspace.com/knyghtband

X-terra-X-Nihilo

Self-produced
2007

Long running Christian hard rock act X-Terra most recent release is a collection of material that was written in 1997, 2005 and 2007. Much like their previous release "Wolves" this album is a mix of styles. There are elements of hard rock, metal and others tossed in during the course of the fourteen tracks contained on this disc. The influences are scattered as I hear early Rush, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and others . Unfortunately the results are varied as well. This is a band obviously has some fine playing skills and this shines through in the varied drumbeats and the guitar solos. However the writing ranges from decent down to dull and scattered. They typically shine early in almost every song. However they seem lose momentum and direction as they get into the tracks. There is a tendency for the lyrics to just drag on and the vocals ramble on robbing the songs of the cohesive feel that could have been there. The know to create come fine harmonies with the music, but there are too few choruses that are memorable. This was only a minor problem on the previous album, but it has become more of a handicap this time around. There are standout parts on this album, but very few whole songs that really impressed me. That's a shame because this a veteran outfit who have done fine songs before, but here they seem to have throw organization to the wind and the final product suffered greatly.

http://www.myspace.com/xterra

Top 5 albums of 1971

Here they are.



1-Alice Cooper-Love it to death
2-Black Sabbath-Master of reality
3-Led Zeppelin-IV
4-Alice Cooper-Killer
5-Tie-Black Sabbath-Paranoid and Deep Purple-Fireball

The fact that Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath each released two albums made this list hard to choose. Budgie and Bang both put out fine albums, but there just wasn't room as I feel bad enough having to give one tie.

My list for 1970 will be out next week.

What's coming up?

Let's see, the draft is coming up so lets hope that the Broncos concentrate on defense because they need some help there for sure. I still have a Lesser of two evils to do this week. It will be Dragonforce vs. the great Kat. So that's coming soon.

Here is what I hope to have out in the coming week.

Another Lesser of two evils (possibly Tuff vs. Hericane Alice)

Top 5 albums of 1971

Reviews of...
Knyght-Bet Everything
Mindbreaker-s/t
X-terra-X-Nihilo
Black Label Society-Skullage
Crescent Shield-The Stars of never seen

Have a great week.

Drivin-Black Epitaph

Self-produced
2008



British Columbia's Black Epitaph draw on 80's thrash, early 90's death metal and some more recent influences as well. The first thing I noticed about the music is that they immediately established a heavy and deep wall of sound. The production is a little shaggy around the edges, but that actually helped their style because it gives them some needed edginess. The vocals are gravelly, but clear enough to really work. They draw on Slayer, early Cannibal Corpse and down below the surface I even heard some finger bending riffs reminiscent of early Megadeth. Drivin tap into a primitive vibe and that's makes up the strongest parts of their sound. They have a good handle on how to create the kind of pounding rhythms that draw you in right away. The biggest problem with "Black Epitaph" is that on several songs the band seem too content to stay at one speed and they never quite just plunge forward. On several occasions they seemed to be set to burst into some thrash passages, but instead they were simply content to chug along and never step up the pace. In fact it was a few songs into it before they really to pull out the speed parts. There are seven selections here, but the opener "Death Metal Wind" is just an into so we really get just over half an hour of music. Drivin eventually pull everything together enough to put out some powerful and likable material. However there are some place here and there where they could stand some tightening and they benefit from taking a few more risks as well.



www.myspace.com/tdrivint

Noxious-Timbre

Self-produced
2009

Noxious hail from South Carolina and formed back in 2004. From looking at the cover I was expecting prog-metal or prog-rock of some sort. There are a few touches or progressive sprinkled throughout. However this album took me back to about 1993 or 94. The grunge influence is heavy on the entire disc. The obvious sources are and Alice in chains and Soundgarden. However this isn't the thick, heavy side of grunge. Instead it is the gentler side with slow passages, subtle build-ups and vocals that gradually grow in intensity. There are some light touches of Zeppelin and say late 70's Rush as well. Noxious manage to keep a firm grip on everything that is going on. They never give away too much too soon as they have a fair knack sustaining some energy throughout the entire song. The biggest drawback for me was simply that the majority of the songs sounded very similar. The pace was largely the same, the guitar sound was repeated many times over and before the album was done I was just hoping they would do something different. Anything different would have helped the severe lack of variety that set in about half-way into the disc. If you like this style then the lack of variety may not bother you, but I found my enthusiasm sinking towards the end of "Timbre".

http://www.myspace.com/noxioussc

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Blue Oyster Cult-Fire of unknown origin

VS.


UFO-Obsession


***Which cover do you prefer?

Interview with Hansel

What can I say about Hansel? Let's see, they are from Australia, they play hard rock and they wear outfits that will give you a headache if you look at them too long. Enough of my view though. I recently interviewed drummer Thruster Jones and he can tell us even more about the band.



MM-Please introduce the members of you band and what instrument everyone plays.

Jett Jones – lead vocal frontman extraordinaire
Buster Lacey – Guitar and Keys with licks like a leopard
Grind - Lead Guitar: venomous and deadly fast
Joey X Kalibre – Bass lines straight from Thor’s book of thunder
Thruster Jones – Drums that fall like a rain of molten metal

MM-What are you currently working on?

TJ-Finishing touches to our film clip for Murder 101.Writing and working on new tunes for recording later this year.

MM-Who are your musical influences?
Van Halen, Motley Crue, Guns ‘n’ Roses,Each of the members obviously has their own. Jett – Writing of Axl/Slash combo, Megadeath, Motley, Ratt.Grind into Van Halen, Poison, Dream Theatre, Iron Maiden. Buster digs Wham. Joey is into Great White, Kiss and Poison. Thruster is a punk rocker at heart, digs Bon Jovi and Celine Dion. Plus we all listen to a bit of modern stuff. We are loving Steel Panther’s ‘Death to all but Metal’.

MM-You released the “Mission to rock” EP last year. Have you had label interest since then?

TJ-Not a whimper. Wasn’t particularly expecting it in Oz initially. I don’t think our style is what most major labels are currently after. However once we’ve got our clip finished we may approach a few like minded rock/metal labels overseas. Do you know anyone who wants to sign us??? Hansel are after a good time and rock’n’roll glory. I reckon that’s a good reason to give us a wad of coin.

MM-What has been the response to “Mission to rock”?

TJ-We’re stoked. People are really digging it. The feedback has been great. Everyone wants more songs. Getting some cool reviews, plenty of folks starting to check us out over the net and we have a great, growing following at home. Can’t ask for much more from an initial EP.

MM-Do you want to record a full length next? Do you have any new material written?

TJ-Jett is always writing some crap for us to sift through and pull out the good bits from the garbage. Seriously though we’ve got plenty of hot new tunes, definitely a full albums worth and we’re always writing. We’re aiming for an edgier sound this time - a little more metal, guitar harmonies etc but still catchy. It’s better for us to record another EP. We want to maintain the production quality that we achieved with ‘Mission to Rock’ which we felt sounded great. Since we’re still independent and self funded it’shard putting up double the cash to record full length. So much of the budget has to go to film clip, merch , website, travel etc. So EP it is.

MM-I have to ask about the clothes. Tell us a little about where you get your outfits and why you wear what you do.A friends mom was telling me (Jett) about how she felt all modern bands were so droll and boring to look at even if they sounded good. Everyone is so focused on looking individual that they all look the same. I totally agreed So, when we started up Hansel and decided to go for that big hair metal/ glam sound we felt it appropriate to look just as loud as we wanted our music played – LOUD. We make our own gear, because for the most part you just can’t buy the kind of crap that we wear.



MM-What are some of the more memorable shows that you have played so far?

TJ-We played a show up the coast in a small town. It was a classic. I don’t think they were quite expecting us. The crowd was mostly geriatric; grey beards and the like. We were met with dead silence initially So we rocked out a little harder and brought out the rocker in a few of them. Thankfully we were met with drunken pats on the back at end of the gig and the odd young lady telling us of their pubic Mohawks. Great success and good times.

MM-I know that you have a few local dates coming up soon. Do you have any extensive plans to play in the upcoming months?

TJ-Our aim is to release a string of dates in different states and play with mates through the second half of the year. Putting it together is a slow and tedious process. Meanwhile we’ll tick along.

MM-Have you played out of your home country yet?

TJ-Nope.

MM-What is the music scene like in your area? Are there many great clubs?Is there much of a hard rock/metal scene?



TJ-We feel like we’re seeing the end of the Jurassic period in which alot of the great venues who did metal are becoming extinct for example the Lucky. There are a few gems left in town like the Cambo and the Lass. There is a definitely strong rock/metal community here (Newy)too.

MM-If someone came up to you and asked why should I listen to Hansel then what would you tell them?

TJ-We have a couple of responses depending on the vibe.
1. We’d like to introduce you to a little thing called Rock ‘n’ Roll
2. Because babe, you’re smoking hot and you deserve the best.
3. Because if you don’t then you’ll be wearing your ass for your face for a very long time buddy.
4. You should have something to listen to while I do your mamma
5. We’d like you to tell us if it blows and if so then demonstrate just how on one or all members of Hansel.

MM-In what areas do you think your band needs to improve? What do you hope to accomplish in 2009?

TJ-Thruster is having plastic surgery to improve his butt ugly face. We always aim to improve the live show. We want it tighter, brighter and as much energy as possible. A happy crowd means a happy Hansel. This year we aim for a formal tour and to build an audience outside of home so we can tour internationally.

MM-Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer and tell why you picked them.
TJ-
Bon Jovi or Whitesnake
Bon Jovi because they got more chicks (although Whitesnake may want to challenge that).

Guns and Roses or Motley Crue
Motley Crue for their total commitment to the hair metal sound and style. Also because of their well mannered, courteous and considerate nature.

KISS or Van Halen
Van Halen – Go Eddie

AC/DC OR Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo. Because Jett is as short as Angry Anderson but happier because he has way more hair.

MM-Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?

TJ-Hansel are having a great time doing our thing. We totally love rock and we love that people are getting into us. We’re doing it as we please and stoked that we can.

www.myspace.com/hanselmusic

Slough Feg-Ape Uprising

Cruz Del Sur
2009



There really are not that many albums that I was looking forward to in 2009, but this is one was towards the top of that short list. Hard to believe that this band has been around for as long as they have. This their seventh full length release is of course tailored to the style they have been playing for years. Think Thin Lizzy from around 1977 blended with a huge dose of Iron Maiden from around 1981-82. Then toss in some celtic influences and that's pretty much the blueprint for the last few albums. The opener "The hunchback of Notre Doom" slinks on with rough and steady riff. Unfortunately the songs stays rather one dimensional and the pace doesn't vary much at all. A rather flat opener, but it's certainly in the minority as the album really gets going with "Overborne". The disc picks up and Slough Feg get into their comfort zone. The first thing that comes to my mind about "Ape Uprising" is that it's heavier than the last few albums. There is less build-up on many of these songs and instead they plunge into the meat of the matter. The title track is an excellant example with it's pounding drums and surging Maiden-esque guitar attack. There are perhpas less celtic influences on this album than on some of their other discs. In it's place is even more NWOBHM inspired blasts. They are so emerged in that style and even the production has a slightly underdone quality that harkens back to another time. This album sounds like it could have done around 1981, but the intensity and energy keep it from being just a copy. Slough Feg's new release has all the grooves, instantly likeable vocals, sprawling solos and the classic sound that they have come to be known for. This album met with all my expectations and their approach is even more direct this time around. I highly recommend this one.





http://www.sloughfeg.com/

Acid Drinkers-Striptease

Metal Mind
1992/2009


The year was 1992 and metal was being swept away by grunge in many circles. However Poland's Acid Drinkers didn't seemed phased or concerned about the shift. If anything they seemed more than content to continue on in the direction that they had established with their first two efforts. This album includes a whopping fifteen tracks full of thrash, foolishness and other oddities. Almost everyone gets in on the action this time around as "Titus", "Litza" and "Popcorn" all contribute vocals. Always big on covers, the band contributes two here with an acoustic version of Metallica's Seek & Destroy. It is sung by a polish artist, Edyta Bartosiewicz. The second cover is "Menel Song/Alway's Look on the Bright Side of Life", a remake of a song by Monty Python. Both fit it very well with the band's less than typical approach. Their mix of thrash, punk and off the wall arrangements works wonders in large part to their sense of humor and unrestrained enthusiasm. When I can pin down influences I hear Anthrax, Dead Kennedys, Tankard (minus the beer soaked lyrics) and they even toss in some Guns n' Roses inspired bursts as well. Acid Drinkers were more than just a joke or novelty band though. The music is tightly woven and the flow is spectacular. They were about being off the wall than getting some cheap laugh and that's a large part of their appeal. It also gave their material a fresh feel that still works today 17 years after the fact. My only regret is that I didn't hear this back in 1992. The re-issue includes a lyric and two live bonus tracks.

Top 5 albums of 1972

Here they are.



1-Black Sabbath-Volume 4

2-Deep Purple-Machine Head

3-Captain Beyond-s/t

4-Alice Cooper-Schools Out

5-Sir Lord Baltimore-s/t


Sabbath were becoming heavier, but branching out some as well. Purple were hitting their peak. Captain Beyond were a super-group of sorts with former members of Iron Butterfly and Deep Purple in their ranks. Schools Out is one of Alice's more odd albums even by his standards. The sophomore album from SLB was large, loud and in your face.


I'll have the list for 1971 out next week.

What's coming up?

Growing up with a father and a brother who were baseball fans I became exposed to the game at an early age. I was raised an Orioles fan and went to my first game when I was four. Even though I was a mere six years old and an O's fan I still have some faint memories of Mark Fydrich in that 1976 season. I remember my Dad and brother talking about him and my brother had a poster of him on the wall at some point. It didn't matter that he played for the Tigers, he was still of interest to all fans of the game. I just remember him being very much a part of baseball when the sport was still exciting to me. His career turned downhill quickly starting in 1977. My interest in baseball went downhill too during the 1981 strike and I soon came to realize that football was a much more interesting sport. However for a brief time the Bird was very much one of those players from a time when attitudes about the game were still different. It's a shame his career was cut short and a shame his life ended too early as well.

Here is what I hope to have out this week.
Reviews-
Acid Drinkers-Strip Tease

Drivin-Black Epitaph

Slough Feg-Ape Uprising

Conspiracy-Concordat

Noxious-Timbre

plus...
interview with Hansel

Clash of the album covers

Top 5 albums of 1972

Lesser of two evils (if I can get to it)

**Have a great week.

Corpus Christi-The darker shades of white

Victory
2009

This is the debut from Corpus Christi who are not from the Texas, but rather they hail from Cincinnati, Ohio. They fall somewhere around the metalcore category not far from the works of Killswitch Engage and As I lay dying. The lyrics promote the band's beliefs in a manner that is strong and none too subtle. The vocals are spewed forth with a fair amount aggression and when the clean approach was used helped to create enough of a contrast to give a real boost to their sound. Although there were far too many occasions where the vocals were just going on with no break like there just way words for him to have push out. When this happened it took away from the flow of the song. The music is loud, relatively heavy and they can stir up some melodies and really use them. The drums were consistent although not overwhelming. The guitars were flying on and spinning around and this was both a positive and a negative. Okay, I get it they are fast and they want to seem angry. To some extent this works because they have enough skill to know when to punctuate the music and where to place a hook. Yet they fall into an all too common trap that goes with fast music. That is letting the pace lead you rather than the other way around. That was exactly the feeling I got on more than one occasion from Corpus Christi. They were storming through, but they just didn't have enough control of what they were doing to manipulate the parts of the song. They showed a few hints of some promise, but they were too fired up to just blast through and they didn't really leave enough for me to remember exactly what it was they did. They have some promise and it's certainly better than average for this style. They just to take a deep breath and let us soak in and savor what they are doing. To do this they may need to go back and approach their writing some more and spend some time working everything out.

Redliner-Vengeance

Self-produced
2009

I was torn on this album even after having listened to it several times. New Jersey's Redliner ride the line between hard rock and metal drawing on parts of both styles. I hear some Saxon, Motley Crue and others. There were songs that sounded like they could have been done around 1984 and then there were times where they fused in some modern rock sounds as well. This band's best trait was the driving guitars and strong rhythms that helped keep their songs going. The major drawback to this disc is that it sounds underdone at times. I think this is due to both the playing and the production. The drums are solid enough, but at times they are robbed off their luster as they come across with tin-sound and what's worse they even sound like they far off at times too. The vocals are good for the most part, but not always under control. This sounds more like a lack of comfort with the material than a talent issue. Almost half of the songs are tight, but too many times they ramble and come across as being a little clunky. Redliner have some potential for sure and some times they unlock it for all to hear. However at other times they come across sounding like a rather average bar band. So my final feelings are that they have some promise, but they have a lot of work to do to really bring all the ingredients together.

Stone Axe-s/t

Roadburn
2009



Mos Generator frontman Tony Reed has released a very focused and to the point album with his new project. Now when I first heard the moniker Stone Axe I immediately started imagining something simple and heavy. That image I received isn't far off from what this band is about. They may very well get lumped into the stoner rock category. That wouldn't do them justice though. These guys lug out the massive sounds and they begin spinning them around, manipulating and pulling us with them. The music is basic at it's core, but undeniably mesmerizing. Quite simply they know how create the kind of music that celebrates the essence of what once made rock music great and that is they know to craft the kind of guitar riffs that will pull in all who hear. That's an approach that worked forty years and it can still work today. Fortunately Stone Axe realized that and they are more than willing to share on this album. The influences include Cream, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Free and early AC/DC. These guys are not just a copy band or a retro band though. Whatever their inspiration may be, it is readily apparent that how create some stellar grooves and they know to run with them as well. There are plenty of 60's-70's inspired hard rock bands these days, but not everyone can pull it off. However Stone Axe obviously know and appreciate the essence of classic heavy music so they can deliver the goods in fine fashion.


http://www.myspace.com/stoneaxe

Clash of the album covers

Here you go


Fates Warning-The spectre within

vs.


Mercyful Fate-Don't break the oath

***Whuch cover do you prefer?

Gulch-Uphill both ways

Self produced
2009



The first thing I noticed about this disc by Kansas' Gulch was of course the cover. Interesting concept at the corn represents where they are from and the rest of the picture seem to indicate the coming of a powerful force. Largely the sound is a mix of heavy power and perhaps some musical roots. My first impression of their sound was that they sound a lot like a mix of Pantera, Anthrax and maybe even Prong. That makes up the aggressive, heavy hitting aspect of this band's sound. The other influences are some flashes of southern rock ala Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet. These guys are loud and heavy, but perhaps not as tight as they could be. At times they just charge forward being completely sure of what they are doing. However on other occasions particularly in the middle of some songs they seem unsure of what to do and stumble through. They have a good handle to get their songs going, but they don't always have the ideas to sustain a whole song. If it wasn't for the bits of southern rock then I might just write this disc off as being merely decent. I think the southern rock parts are help the material to be a little different and it also hints the potential this band has. However to really unlock that potential I think they would need to bring more of those parts into the fold. If they do that even a little more and work on tightening up their playing some then I think they pull ahead and be a band to look out for.



www.myspace.com/gulch

Acid Drinkers-Dirty Money, Dirty Tricks

Metal Mind
1991/2009



Poland's Acid Drinkers were back for their sophomore effort in 1991. Now I wouldn't go as far to say that they had mellowed since their debut, but they were overall less chaotic this time around. The Dead Kennedy's influence is perhaps even greater this time around. These guys were still rooted in thrash as well, say similar to Anthrax. However none of that quite does justice to the gung-ho direction of Acid Drinkers. They take metal, punk, hard rock and stir it all up in the pot and then pull just various elements from their arsenal as they see fit. Having that kind of take on their music allows for it to be both surprising and exciting. At a time when many metal bands were becoming all too predictable, these guys seem to have more than their share of ideas and they were not afraid to use them. They also benefit from not caring much about labels or sticking to one style. They pretty much just did what they wanted to. Obviously they had more varied influences than some of their peers, but these guys knew how to pull it off as well. Pulling off this style isn't something that everyone could do. This kind of insanity has to have a flow to it to really work, but apparently this band had the kind of skill and personality to make it look easy. This disc didn't have quite the spontaneous feel of the debut. It's close, but the debut just had more pace and style changes. Still this is another fine chapter in their career of this long running band. The re-issue includes a lyric booklet and a live version of "Street Rockin" from 1996 as a bonus track.

Panzer Princess-Oh, no it's Panzer Princess

Self-produced
2009



I heard the four song demo "Legacy of Ignorance" from Sweden's Panzer Princess a few years ago. I was pleased with it, but I was anxious to find out what they could do on a full length album. Well, I had to wait more than two years, but here is an eight song disc that runs just under half an hour. The sound on "Legacy of Ignorance" was a cross between Hanoi Rocks and Faster Pussycat. Those ingredients are present here as well. They have the quirkiness of Hanoi Rocks and the sleaze glam approach of Faster Pussycat. However this time around there is a definite 1970's Aerosmith influence present on several songs. The addition of this sound means these guys rock even more than they did before. The swagger is still there only now they are even tighter than before. The aspect of this band that appeals to me the most is the balance that they achieve. Panzer Princess know how to display strong rock hooks, but they mix it up enough to keep their listeners on their toes. This isn't the same old 80's style glam that a number of other current acts from Sweden knock so that plays to this band's advantage. The different influences help to give their sound more depth. My only real complaint about this disc is the length and amount or lack of amount of songs. There are eight songs, but the final track "Oh, no" is really just a snippet and "Rob the bank" although a fantastic tune was on the demo from 2006. So really it's only six new full length songs. All good for sure, but I still would like to hear them do a real full length album because they certainly have a lot to offer.


www.myspace.com/panzerprincess

Top 5 albums of 1973

Here they are.

1-Black Sabbath-Sabbath bloody sabbath
2-Led Zeppelin-Houses of the holy
3-Alice Cooper-Billion dollar babies
4-Budgie-Never turn your back on a friend
5-New York Dolls-s/t

My favorite albums by Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin happened to come out the same year. I probably flop between them as to which I prefer. For today I'll go with Sabbath. "Billion Dollar Babies" was yet another yet spectacular entry for Alice Cooper. "Never turn your back on a friend" is one of Budgie's best. The New York Dolls' debut is certainly a strong outing and one of the better glam albums of it's time.

I'll have my list for 1972 out next week.

What's coming up?

Great chattering chick-chicks Easter is coming. Also today is my anniversary. My wife has somehow managed to put up with me for ten years. I am still trying to make it through my stack so again I am going to trying to tackle a fairly tall load. Here is what I hope to have out in the upcoming week.

Reviews of...
Stone Axe-s/t
Gulch-Uphill both ways
Corpus Christi-The darker shades of white
Redliner-Vengeance
Panzer Princess-Oh, no it's Panzer Princess
Acid Drinkers-Dirty money, dirty tricks

plus...
Clash of the album covers
Top 5 albums of 1973

Gomorah-By the means of violence

Metalhit.com
2009

This band's debut EP is a dose of classic thrash, old-style death metal and more recent hard core influences. So not a lot of new ideas and not everything works, but the effort is certainly there. The rhythms are heavy and they do a fine job of varying the guitar tones enough to keep it interesting. The drums range from serviceable to downright massive when called upon. The most original part of the band is probably the vocals as they include guttural gurgling, dry-throated screams, deep squeals and combinations of the above. They don't always work 100%because not every part goes with the rest of the song. However there is certainly a power to most of the vocals and when it does work it adds an extra dimension to their music. I was pleased when the band hit with numerous brutal attacks. When they hit their stride they could normally maintain their aggressive approach throughout the song. The only problem they run into is that they occasionally sound spastic and when they happens they just seem to be stumbling along. It doesn't happen too often, but it's certainly something they could stand eliminate. It's far from perfect, but no doubt that this is a promising start for this band.

Fetid Zombie-Abort the Messiah

Metalhit.com
2009

This is the project of metal illustrator Mark Riddick who has done work for the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus and Arsis. My first response to him after hearing this album is "don't quit your day job". Even at a mere 10 minutes in length, this EP is hard to take. The disc contains indecipherable lyrics growled out in miserable fashion, some thin tap-tap-tap style drumming and blurring, but muddled guitar parts. Throw in song titles like "Ride the goat to Jerusalem" and I was almost believing that this was a parody of death metal. However that's not the case or at least that's their assertion I guess. Playing fast is all well and good, but there has to be some degree of depth, heaviness or something else to make it appealing. Fetid Zombie apparently didn't get that memo. I guess they were too busy down in their basement hard at work on songs like "Entrails of the divine" which probably took a whole minute or so to construct. I tried playing this disc on different players, with headphones and at different volumes hoping to find something to like about it. The only thing I got out of it was a mild headache and time that I will never be able to get back.

Persona Non Grata-Shade in the light

Sensory
2009



Persona Non Grata hail from Greece and formed back in 2003. Once they solidified their line-up they began concentrating on writing and recording. They play a traditional brand of progressive metal. Once the keyboards and soaring vocals emerged I was quickly reminded of "Awake" era Dream Theater. Although vocalist Bill Axiotis sounds like a cross between Queensryche's Geoff Tate and Fates Warning's Ray Alder. He surges forward with a voices that high yet powerful plus really helps to control the pace. What appeals to me most about this band is that they rely more on building solid structures instead of trying pour out and endless array of flashy bits and pieces. I am sure they have the talent to put on more of a show, but they use restraint and focus on maintaining a powerful foundation. I think their allows them to really a degree of depth to their music and pull a lot out of all that they are doing. If I have a complaint about this band it's that the songs that make up almost the whole first half of the album all start in about the same manner. They all begin rather slow and reserved and I was hoping and expecting them to open up and change the pace a bit. By the second half of the disc they seemed to wake up and be more daring. So maybe it's just a matter of song placement more than style. I certainly can't say that Personna Non Grata do enough to make me want to hear them all the time, but I do like most of the marterial here and I am sure that fans of Dream Theater will likely eat it up.

The Chelsea Smiles-s/t

DR2
2009

This band started in 2004 as the brainchild of Todd Youth (ex-DANZIG). The band released an EP one year later with Christian Black (ex-Dee Dee Ramone band) on vocals. Their first album, "Thirty Six Hours Later" was with Skye Vaughan Jayne on guitars and vocals. However, they soon ran into a line-up change as Skye left the band. So RJ Ronquillo soon joined, he is an in-demand studio player. He met Todd Youth through the various studio work that they have both done in the L.A. area. So that brings us to their second album which is also self-titled. Now this is my first exposure to the band so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The cover of the disc had me thinking of a circus poster due to the band logo, the colors and the animated poses of the band members. That's fitting somehow because much like a circus these guys are loud and a lot of fun. They take us back a few decades as I hear KISS, Ramones, New York Dolls and Misfits stirred into the pot. The guitar sound is particularly appealing with plenty of grit pouring out of every chord. The choruses are instantly memorable and help you to feel like you really know this album after just one listen. The production does enough to compliment all the instruments without stripping away too much of the raw edge of the music. The disc runs around forty minutes, but the upbeat feel and steady tempo made it seem shorter than that. No, it's not very original and I am not sure if it has any really staying power, but for right now this disc hits the spot. After hearing so many lifeless drones, clones and lackluster zombies this is certainly a breath of fresh air even if it's just for now.

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Aerosmith-Get your wings

vs.


New York Dolls-s/t

***Which cover do you prefer?

Acid Drinkers-Are you a rebel?

Metal Mind
1990/2009


I never heard of Poland's Acid Drinkers back in the day. I think I only heard the name in recent years despite the fact that they are still around knocking albums out. That's a shame because they really were/are something special even here on their debut. By 1990 thrash had been around for several years and there were plenty of bands who were just going through the motions and hoping to achieve success by just straight out copying bands like Slayer, Exodus and the like. This band were on a track all their own. Sure, they had some definite influences. I would say Anthrax, Tankard, Dead Kennedys and DRI all come to band, but that just the tip of the iceberg. I guess the easiest way to explain it is to just to say that these guys were nuts and I certainly mean that in the most complimentary way possible. It's thrash and crossover, but they are way too quirky and crazy to be restrained by such basic labels. They knew how to play fast, loud and heavy, but then they just take off on a tangent and slap in whatever they wanted. Obviously they did what they liked and didn't think twice about whether it was metal enough or whatever. I can respect that approach and what's more is it comes off brilliantly on most occasions. Never has chaos and humor been so unexpected yet worked so well. The element of surprise helps this disc because it was hard to tell what they were going to do next. I am sure that this wasn't and still isn't for every thrash fan, but I found it to be fresh even though it's almost twenty years later. The only remotely negative thing I have to say about this disc is that I wish that I had heard it when it first came out in 1990, but at least I am getting to hear it now. This Metal Mind re-issue includes a lyric booklet and several live and demo tracks.

Arctic Flame-Declaration

Pure Steel
2008

After a few false starts New Jersey's Arctic Flame started up in early 2003. They released their debut "Primal Aggressor" in 2006. They have opened for Thin Lizzy, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen/George Lynch, Helloween, W.A.S.P., Overkill, Motorhead and others. Being on PureSteel records gave me an immediate indication that this was going to be 80's style metal. Indeed these guys are very much in that camp. This is a blend of hard hitting classic influences like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Omen plus early progressive metal like Crimson Glory and 80's Fates Warning. The first two tracks "The Unknown God" and "Blind leads the blind" are both adequate, but not exactly complete. Both sounded like they need some more tweaking to make them complete. I am not sure what got into the band after that, but they turn the tide on on track three "Lords of the wasteland". It emerges with a massive riff and some inspired drumming. From this point on Arctic Flame seem more settled and they take control of the rest of the album. The last six songs are very fine examples of pure metal the way it was meant to be constructed. One of my first thoughts about this album is that it is refreshing to hear a vocalist who really sings and knows how to use their voice to really build their songs. The music is filled with think layers and some sharp turns and twists. There were a few songs where it sounds like guitars are a notch below the vocals and the drums. A minor production problem, but hopefully something they will look at before the next album. This style is very much up my alley so it only took me a couple of plays to really warm up to it.

www.myspace.com/arcticfire

Masterpiece-W.A.F.E

Demo
2008

Brazil's Masterpiece have been in existence since 1998 and this is their third E.P./demo. The bio claims they were influenced by the great heavy metal bands of the late 80's and early 90's. Now my first reaction to that claim was that it was a very broad label that could mean almost anything. So I didn't have an inkling of what this might really sound like as I slipped the disc into the player. The opener "Trajectory of death" comes on and everything becomes much clearer about this band. This song sounds like like Metallica if the band had held on to some "Kill 'em all" elements when they did "Master of puppets". It's tight and thunders along with a great deal of precision, but it has some wildness that keeps it from being too predictable. "Mr. Disgrace" comes on next and again there is a major Metallica influence from start to finish. However this time the sound is more a cross between "Master of puppets" and "And justice for all". The big difference being that you can hear the bass and they keep things on track which sets it apart from most of the songs on "And justice for all". There is more of a galloping sound this time around and a strong control of the pace. "The thing out of control" wraps up the disc. The Metallica influence isn't so great here although there is a little in the vocals. There is maybe a touch of early Anthrax in there as well, but this is the band's most original song. It revolves around a very simple riff, but they manipulate it well. All in all this was a very impressive demo for fans of early thrash.

www.myspace.com/masterpieceonline

Top 5 albums of 1974

Here you go.

1-Montrose-s/t
2-Budgie-In for the kill
3-Sweet-Desolation Boulevard
4-KISS-Hotter than hell
5-Aerosmith-Get your wings

A different kind of year perhaps as the bands who dominated much of the previous years (Sabbath, Zeppelin, Alice Cooper) didn't release albums in 1974. KISS, Judas Priest and Rush all released debuts but all were fairly rough entries. It would be guitarist Ronnie Montrose along with his young lead singer Sammy Hagar who would release the most impressive album of the year. Budgie and Sweet released the best albums of their careers. KISS quickly got things together on their sophomore release. Aerosmith improved greatly with their second album as well.


I'll have the list for 1973 out next week.

What's coming up?

I have been watching Johnny Quest lately. It had been so long that I had forgotten how cool Race Bannon was. He was always in on the action. Yeah, he might have gotten hit on the head on occasion, but would come back to smack the bad guys. Let's see, Jay Cutler goes to the Bears in exchange for Kyle Orton and several picks. I hope it works out for Denver. My stack of CDs is getting tall again so I really need to crank out some reviews this week.

Reviews of....
The Chelsea Smiles
Gomorah-By the means of violence
Fetid Zombie-Abort the messiah
Masterpiece-W.A.F.E
Acid Drinkers-Are you a rebel?
Persona Nongrata-Shade in the light
Arctic Flame-Declaration

plus...

Interview with Seven Dirty Words
Clash of the album covers
Top 5 albums of 1974

I can't guarantee I'll get all those reviews done, but I'll try.

Quest for fire-s/t

TeePee
2009



When I think of Quest for fire I think of the 1982 caveman epic with Ron Pearlman and the Maiden song from their wonderful "Piece of mind" album in 1983. However this band is certainly removed from Maiden and that movie. Like most of the other recent releases from TeePee records (Black Math Horseman, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound) this is heavy psychedelic rock with elements of space rock and early metal as well. Think of a blending of Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and even the Doors and you get an idea of where this band is coming from. There are plenty long rambling passages of mind numbing sound, but this isn't trippy music because there is a definite dark presence to many of the songs as well. Quest for fire approach their songs with subtle hand, but they are not afraid to go against the grain and pull in unnerving tones and sounds. This is one of the albums that requires you turn off any outside distractions and really focus in all of your senses on what is going on so you don't miss anything. If you do then you will be rewarded because there are many moments where just churn layers of thick, flowing riffs and mesmerizing vocals. There are six tracks with a running time around forty-five minutes, but somehow it seemed a little longer. The one shortcoming about Quest for fire is that as they went I expected them to expand their sound and become more involved. They did to an extent, but I don't they pushed enough or took some chances that would have helped this disc to be even better. Still a powerful effort and another feather in the cap for TeePee records as the fours albums I have heard from them in 2009 have all been very good or even better.

This could be referred to as my Rocklahoma edition of Lesser of two evils since both bands are on the bill for this year's festival (as are a lot of other acts who have been on this feature of mine). Perhaps it could be the $2 version of Lesser of two evils since I paid a whole dollar each for these CDs. Maybe it's the Lesser of evil for return visitors as Warrrant become the first band to be featured in a second contest and Nelson drummer Bobby Rock is here for the third time since both Nitro and Vinnie Vincent Invasion have been on here before. Well, whatever the case we have...



Nelson-After the rain

vs.

Warrant-Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich

Those Nelson boys seemed to come out of nowhere and assault good taste by being played so often on the radio back in 1990. They seemed to be kind of sissy music to me back then. I had not heard this album for at least 18 years. My first exposure to Warrant was seeing the video for "Down Boys" on Headbanger's Ball in 1989. My reaction was something "what is this shit and who is the idiot that gave these losers a record contract?". I think that is still my general reaction twenty years later. While thrash was still going and the death metal scene was on the rise, the hard rock scene around 89-91 seemed to be getting softer and fluffier. The bands may have had long hair, but this was marshmallow pop with a few guitar solos plugged in to make seem like hard rock. These guys made Poison sound like a real band if you can imagine that. It's no wonder these acts would get wiped off the map by grunge. So lets get the fire started and roast these weenies.

Vocals

Both Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are up for the band named after them and they are taking on Jani Lane of Warrant. The Nelsons looked like they spent all their time fixing their hair, but they actually had some okay voices. Not overwhelming and certainly not terribly exciting, but they could carry a tune. Some of the melodies were catchy although others were sappy and generic. Jani Lane might be one of the least charismatic singers of all time. I have such a hard time with Warrant because Lane was such a dull singer who manages to suck the life out of whatever comes out of his mouth. It's not so much that he isn't in tune, it's that he cannot conjure up any real energy or passion or anything that would make me care.

Point to Nelson

Guitars

Brett Garsed and both Nelsons contributed for their side while Joey Allen and Erik Turner handled duties for Warrant. Both bands seem to be all too happy to keep the guitars down low and have a syrupy sound prevail. If any heavy moments emerge, they are quickly overwhelmed by keyboards and/or vocals. What guitar rhythms are here were old and dry even by 1989-90 standards. They go through the motions for much of these songs likely posing with their instruments more than playing them. The only difference I could make out between the two bands was that there were a couple of slightly above average solos from the Nelson camp so...

Point to Nelson

Rhythm section

Matthew Nelson handled bass and Bobby Rock handled drums for Nelson while we have Jerry Dixon on bass and Steven Sweet on drums for Warrant. If the guitars were down on these albums then the rhythm sections were practicly drowned out altogether. Hard rock in the late 80's-early 90's was a low point for rhythm sections as they only seemed to exist in the credits of the insert. The bass is almost non-existent and the drums could have been done by chimpanzees smacking on trash cans for all of the emotion and energy displayed here. Only the production was able to allow me to make a decision here. Bobby Rock's drum sound stands out just a little more and it took me two excruciating listens to realize that. If his drum sound had been as big as his hair then the decision may have been even easier to make.

Point to Nelson

Originality/production

There are a few moments where Warrant sound a little like Poison if you really listen down below the layers of gloss. On other songs they actually do have their own sound. It's a sound that should have never been copied and largely is wasn't. Nelson sound like Bon Jovi on a few songs and on other tracks they just sound like rather generic AOR/hard rock. The production on Warrant is full of shiny polish and not a whole lot else. I tried adjusting the settings on my stereo to try and hear there was much else down below the surface on Warrant. Really there isn't, but the production doesn't help them to sound like a rock band. The production on Nelson is okay, but it does manage to enhance some melodies without burying anything.

Point to Nelson

Who rocks more?

I think Warrant were the first band that had me thinking hard rock was dying. They were all show and the music was some of the most shallow pulp to ever creep into my ears and that was just their debut. As I said above, the production didn't help them to sound like a rock band either. By 89-90 for every band like G-n-R or Faster Pussycat you had 2-3 bands like Warrant. Which should tell you why this stuff died out shortly after that. Nelson are actually better than I remember. Not good mind you, but not as sappy overall as I remembered them being. They hit a few slightly decent moments. I guess the real deciding force here is that I made it through Nelson without shaking my head and sighing. I couldn't say the same thing about listening to Warrant.

Point to Nelson.

I thought it would be closer, but Nelson were better than I remembered and Warrant were exactly as I remember them. If I ever miss music from the late 80's-early 90's then I can just put Warrant on and realize that I don't miss all of the music from back then. So there you have it. I'll be back in a few weeks with another match-up.

Interview with Robot Lords of Tokyo

I recently got to interview the Robot Lords of Tokyo to find out more about them.

MM-Hello, please introduce the members of your band and what instrument you play.

A: The Robot Lords is technically not a band, more of a project. The members are myself, Rick Ritzler, on drums and guitar, and Paul Jones on vocals and guitar.

MM-Who are your musical influences?

A: How much time have you got! I’m an obsessive consumer of hard rock/metal music, and try to soak up something from everything I listen to. But to boil it down, my primary influences as a drummer are John Bonham, Ian Paice, Jean-Paul Gaster, and Vinny Appice. On guitar I’d say Tony Iommi, Bruce Frankling/Rick Wartell of Trouble, Pepper Keenan/Kirk Windstien of Down, and Michael Amott of the Spiritual Beggars. Mix those all together, and the bands that most clearly influence my songwriting are Down, Clutch, Trouble, Spiritual Beggars, COC, and Black Sabbath, among many others.

MM-Where did you come up with you the band name?

A: It comes back to your previous question on influences. The name comes from a snippet of lyrics from the Clutch song “10001110101”, off their Robot Hive/Exodus album. Neil Fallon is a genius lyricist, maybe the best in the biz, and as soon as I heard that phrase, I knew it would make a killer name for a band.

MM-What are you currently working on?

A: As an independent artist, I spend half my time engaged in the marketing/networking side of the music business, and right now that means spreading the word about our current album, Whiskey, Blood & Napalm, which has been out for a several months now. Other than that I’m in the early stages of writing songs for the third Robot Lords release, which will hopefully be out this time next year.

MM-Is this the only project for you guys or is anyone currently working on any other projects?

A: I’ll do the occasional “session drumming” thing for friends – for example I just recently played on a song for an upcoming AC/DC tribute album that’s coming out. But the Robot Lords is the primary musical outlet for both Paul and I.

MM-You have had numerous guest players on your albums. Tell us about some of them and how did you come to bring them in to doing tracks with you.

A: The “guest player’s format” you mention is really one of the core principles of the Robot Lords project. From its inception my plan was always to keep a core songwriting duo, but then draw upon the varied talents of all these incredible players to take these songs to the next level.

Our two “go to” guys are Beau VanBibber of Deflagration and Joe Viers of Snowblynd. Beau played all the rhythm guitar parts, and Joe handles the bass. These guys are both good friends I’ve know a while, and they are both so solid I knew they’d knock the shit out of these tunes.

And for lead guitarists, I basically put together a wish list of all the guys I could think of from the general area of the Midwestern U.S. who’s playing I admire, and just started reaching out to them and pitching the Robot Lords of Tokyo concept. Incredibly, almost everyone jumped right on board, including Steve Theado of American Dog, Rob Johnson of Magnitude 9, Steve Pollick from Icarus Witch, and solo shredder Neil Zaza.

MM-Did you write songs with particular outside performers in mind or did you bring them in and work out something together?

A: All the material was written ahead of time, so none of the guests are really involved in putting the songs together. However, I was so familiar with the style and talent of these guys; I definitely had them in the back of my mind while I was putting the tunes together. For example, Steve Theado is a sick slide guitar player, and I knew I wanted that kind of feel on the tune “Bring it on Down”. So I made sure to leave plenty of open space and holes in the main riff of the song, knowing that Steve could play his typical wicked fills in between. And now that I’ve worked with all these guys, I’ll be able to do even more of that on the next record.

MM-Is there anyone who has not played on one of your albums that you would like to work with in the near future?

A: Oh yeah, definitely. I’ve got quite a list going, believe me! And I’m happy to say that within the last few weeks I got confirmation on one of those players: Rick Wartell of Trouble is going to be on volume 3. Other guys who I’d love to work with are Michael Amott, Ryan Lake of Alabama Thunderpussy, Ty Tabor from King’s X, John Perez of Solitude Aeturnus, Greg Stryzemka of Raging Slab, and oh about 100 others. And if I start thinking real crazy, I try and picture this thing getting big enough so that I can jam with Pepper Keenan, Paul Gilbert, and my favorite lead player, Michael Schenker!

MM-On your Myspace page it says that your first CD was a surprise critical success. What were your expectations with that album? Why do think it fared better than expected?

A: My expectations for the first record were absolutely zero. No bullshit, up until about a month before we finished the recording, there was a very strong chance Paul and I were just going to burn copies for our friends and family, and that would be the extent of it. Basically, once we got done with the final mix down and heard what we had, and the feedback we were getting from the musicians who participated, we knew we had to do an official release with packaging, and actually put it on sale.

As for the reaction from critics and metal radio, my answer on why it was so positive is a massive cliché: when you work on a project purely from the standpoint of making music that you love and are passionate about, with zero thought towards the reaction you might get from people, then the end result often connects with people because those elements of honesty and enthusiasm come through. Believe me, I would read quotes like that from musicians over the years, and I’d think “man are they full of shit”! But then I found myself in the exact same position, having dissolved my “regular” band, just writing songs by myself, for myself, and THAT’s when people started taking notice. Go figure.



MM- Your second album “Whiskey, Blood & Napalm" came out in the fall. What has been the reaction to it so far?

A: The reaction has been, in a word, ridiculous. To be honest, I’m not sure if another story anything like ours exists in metal right now. Because Paul and I are the epitome of “regular Joes”, we don’t even have a band, we’ve stopped doing the endless gigging thing, we use cartoon characters to represent us instead of traditional band photos, etc. And despite of, or maybe BECAUSE of, those things, we’ve experienced a level of success and exposure that thousands of struggling metal bands would kill for: heavy rotation at metal radio across the country, crazy critical praise, and exposure in mainstream music publications like Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, and Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Every day it seems something new happens for us and we kind of go “are you kidding me?”


MM-Did you approach the writing and recording any differently than with the debut?

A: Well, one thing that was inherently different the second time was that we’d already gotten such great response from the debut, I obviously knew when I started writing that the second one was going to be released, reviewed, circulated to radio, etc. But as far as the writing process, I’d say not really. I like to work independently early on, work up the riffs, lay down drums to a click, then layer the guitars and bass, etc. These are the demos I give to Paul and he lives with them for a while and puts the lyrics together. Sometimes I throw in some lyrics, and he also brings music to the table, but that’s kind of the formula.

For both records our bass player, Joe Viers, served as engineer and mixer. Joe’s got the best set of ears in Ohio, so having him involved is a real blessing, and it also ensures that even if my songs are shitty, sonically they’ll sound good!

MM-What kind of your music are you currently listening to?

A: Well, I think I have pretty diverse tastes, but I suppose that’s a relative term. Generally I like guitar-centric heavy rock and metal. I’m an “album” guy, so I hate iPods and the digital music/shuffle thing. I’m sure it makes me a fossil, but I believe records are meant to be listened to in the running order the artist intended. So I try and limit myself to carrying around no more than 20 CDs at one time, and couldn’t imagine having access to my entire catalog in one device! I’d spend all my time trying to decide what to listen to! In my rotation right now are the latest releases from Lamb of God, Testament, Neal Morse, Death Angel, Def Leppard, and Exodus. Plus some old favorites like Crowbar’s Broken Glass, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Attack, and Bonham’s Madhatter.

MM-What is the music scene like in Columbus, Ohio these days?

A: To tell you the truth, I don’t really know! Paul and I stopped playing the live circuit about 5 years ago, and since then I’ve become really disconnected from the bands and styles that are most prominent in the clubs. I do feel like there are less places to play overall, and that the vast majority of them are just looking for your typical “jukebox bands” who’ll crank out the hits everyone knows. Even though the money was good, that got old real fast. So I’d say I’m more in tune with the individual players in town than I am the scene itself. And as you can hear from the record, there are some kick ass players in these parts.



MM-Are there any great unsigned local bands that you would like to mention?

A: Sure. Two bands that I think deserve WAY more recognition are American Dog and Deflagration. Obviously I play with guys from both bands, but I can say without any bias that these guys are both some of the best in their respective genres. American Dog are a true power trio, and they play high-octane, Motorhead-meets-ZZ Top beer bash boogie. Although not technically “unsigned” (Bad Reputation has them signed for Europe), they should have a U.S. deal for sure. And Deflagration play kick ass power-groove-thrash, with elements of Pantera, Machine Head, and ProPain in their mix. Their new album A Call to Arms is phenomenal, so go check it out.


MM-Since it’s early into the New Year, what would you like to accomplish in 2009?

A: I don’t want to sound greedy, because we’ve accomplished so much this year already, but if I’m aiming high, I’d like to end the year by finding a home with the right indie label. I think Whiskey, Blood & Napalm still has a lot of life in it and could really take off with the right promotion team. And hopefully this new partnership will set us up nicely to record and release our third record and take this thing up another level.

MM-Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer and tell why you picked them.

AC/DC or KISS
Definitely Kiss. AC/DC are great, but like a lot of guys in their 30s, I grew up with Kiss, starting when I got a copy of Double Platinum on vinyl when I was 8. I always loved that everybody in the band sang and had distinctively different voices. Creatures of the Night probably tops my Kiss album list. Amazing drum sound on there.

Fu Manchu or Nebula
Hmmm….not a HUGE fan of either, but I’d say Fu Manchu would get the nod. I’m more familiar with their stuff. Plus they’re not afraid to pour on the cowbell, which always works for me.

Clutch or Kyuss
No contest here – Clutch are one of my favorite bands period, and I think their three album cycle of Blast Tyrant – Robot Hive – Beale Street is one of the greatest in the history of rock music. I’ll put those three records against any other “three in a row” from the giants: Zeppelin, Sabbath, Rush, Van Halen, you name it. I could go on forever, but to boil it down to two elements: JP Gaster’s drumming and Neil Fallon’s lyrics.

Black Sabbath or Deep Purple
This one hurts. Very badly. Assuming that I can’t get away with the cop out of a tie, I’ll reluctantly say Sabbath. Couldn’t be closer though. And the funny thing is that, unlike a lot of purists, I like a lot of the deeper catalog albums better than the supposed classics. Give me Burn and Perfect Strangers over In Rock and Machine Head any day. And Dehumanizer and Mob Rules stomp all over Paranoid in my humble opinion. At the end of the day it’s Iommi’s riffing, and the presence of Dio and Vinny Appice that push me over the edge into the Sab camp. And despite the fact that I worship the genius of Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore, there’s a certain style of DP song, such as “Lazy”, that I never could get into. Ok, I’ll shut up now.


MM-Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?

A: Two quick things. For everyone who reads this that has purchased our CDs, or plans to after this: THANK YOU. It’s incredibly appreciated. And lastly, for anyone who’s still trying to figure out what we’re all about, and whether you’d dig our stuff, the thing I’d say makes the Robot Lords music unique is that we combine the traditional riff-centric elements of classic-stoner-southern doom metal, with a more technical shred-type lead guitar approach. So if that sounds at all appealing to you, check us out. Now go forth and ROCK!


www.myspace.com/robotlords