Number one

Here we are, the the end of my top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown. Number one is of course...


Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix was an insanely brilliant player in tone and technical ability. He made it look so easy and did so much in a short period time. There were good players before him, but the guitar has not been the same since Jimi got ahold of it.

There you go.

Number two

My top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown is almost at a close. Number two is...


Tony Iommi

This is the man who changed not just metal and hard rock, but all heavy music. Sabbath's guitarist may not be the greatest technical player of all time, but he more than made up for it with deep tones and the off the cuff bursts. He could pull so much energy out of a few notes and then just run like crazy with some other passages.

***So that leaves just one left. May have that one posted some time this weekend.

Number three

Already up to number three on my top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown. It is...


Dave Murray and Adrian Smith

The greatest guitar duo of all time. They play off of each other and just seem to always have these riffs going everywhere. Being part of the greatest metal band of all time helps, but these two are a certainly a large part of why Maiden are so fantastic.

***Number two is coming soon.

What's coming up?

The kids and have been watching a lot of episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard this week. I remember when my brother and I used to watch this show back when it was first on. We really looked forward to it each week. Okay, it was corny and pretty much the same thing every week, but we loved it.
As for music I still have a Blaze Bayley review to post and hope to have that out soon.
Here is what I hope to have out this week.

Reviews of...
At War-Infidel
Hysterica-Metal War
Freestone-The temple of humanity

Interview with Admiral Browning (that's a band not a military dude)

Numbers 3 down to 1 of my top guitarist countdown. After I reveal number one I'll stick up the whole list of the top 25 together.

Clash of the album covers

***Have a great week!

Bone Gnawer-Feast of flesh

Pulverized
2009

As I glanced at such song titles on the case as "Sliced & diced", "Cannibal cook-out" and "Hammer to the skull" I knew what this album was going to be about lyrically. That's right,the theme of the entire album is cannibals and cannibalism. I also had a good guess at to what the music was going to sound like too. It's old style death metal that's not quite as meaty as the song titles. These have obviously spent many an watching a lot of B grade horror movies. Bone Gnawer crank out some medium-fast, old-style death metal not far off from the likes of early Death and Massacre. They strike directly and benefit from some decent production values. The vocals are actually a little cleaner than others of this genre and I certainly think helps the sound to stick with me more. They roll along approaching every song relatively the same. It's heavy, but variation and melodies are not a part of their approach. They stick to a fierce style without flinching. Old style death fans might be thrilled this platter, but those looking for something more than just a throwback may not embrace Bone Gnawer as easily. It churns along just fine, but it's very simple and most of this style was done some time ago. After the album I felt like they just didn't take any chances and stuck to very simple format that wasn't terribly memorable. Not bad, but nothing special.

Argus-s/t

Shadow Kingdom
2009


Pennsylvania’s Argus might well get put into the doom metal category due to the thick riffs and the oftentimes deliberate pacing. However, their influences are more varied than some bands. It’s obvious that along with Sabbath, Candlemass, Trouble that they also took in their share of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Metallica. They frequently travel around the mid-paced level as they build the songs like large walls around them. The mood is often serious and to the point as they waste little time in laying down a heavy foundation. They remind some of Pale Divine only more active. The aspect about Argus that impressed me the most was their desire to attack right away and let you know what they are going to do. They have a sinister edge to their sound and they use it to their advantage. Vocalist Butch Balich has a powerful and steady voice that blends together very nicely with the music. Argus have taken some classic style doom and metal but added their own galloping approach to it. The only downside was that a few songs were fairly similar in their sound. Still I liked this disc right from the start and I am sure it will continue to grow on me.

www.myspace.com/theargus

Number four

My top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown is down to number four. It is...


Eddie Van Halen

Van Halen the band revived rock music and Eddie Van Halen was a huge part of that. People were in awe of that debut and I think most of that feeling stayed through to 1984. Okay, he hasn't done a lot since, but he did far more in those six albums than most players do in a whole career. Those albums still hold up well. He could play cool rhythms, stunning solos and make it look fun.

***I'll have the final three out next week.

Number five

Up to number 5 on my top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown. It is...


Steve Vai

Vai could go crazy on his solo stuff and then fit in well with more mainstream acts like David Lee Roth and Alcatraz. Vai has a very distinct sound. He can also shred with some off the wall riffs and make it looks easy. Yet the key fact is that he is rarely self-dulgent. Every part he plays is for the good of the song.

***Number five will be out soon.

Number six

Up to number six and it is...


Ritchie Blackmore

Blackmore's work with Deep Purple and early Rainbow were oftentimes a combination of simple and stellar. Blackmore could get off on some fantastic winding passages and then bring everything back to center. A true master at controlling at the pace.

***Number five is coming soon.

Number seven

Number 7 is...

Jimmy Page

His love and background in the blues blended wonderfully with hard rock. He could handle heavy songs, slower songs and wasn't afraid to experiment. I prefer his rhythms to his solos. Even though his best contributions ended over 30 years ago, he still made a huge contribution with Zeppelin.

***Number 6 is coming soon.

Clash of the album covers

Two by the same band again. Both Priest covers, it is...

Hell bent for leather

vs.




Screaming for vengeance



***Which cover do you prefer?

Lesser of two evils

I have talked about Supergroups on my site before. Normally I think that it is a very misleading label. It's given to bands where at least some of the members have previously been in known bands. I think the term tends to raise expectations, but it doesn't mean the finished product is going to be much good. Most Supergroups tend to sound like good ideas on paper, but then the album comes out and you wonder what happened. The Supergroups in question todays are...

Contraband-s/t

vs.

Damn Yankees-s/t



Contraband was a side project for all involved as they were all still in their main bands. Damn Yankees became a regular band for those involved at least for a few years. So both a little different right away in that aspect. Let's break these down.


Vocals

Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades take on Richard Black. Black seems like the odd man out in Contraband as Shark Island were barely known at this point or really ever. However I liked their debut, but here he sounds like he is going through the motions on much of the material. It's not off, but very bland. Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades are smooth, but frequently very sugary in their approach. I guess that's a large of what appealed to some people about this band, but I found it to be mediocre. However the Damn Yankees guys had a sense of order and came across as enjoying what they were doing.

Point to Damn Yankees



Guitars

Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw for Damn Yankees going up against Michael Schenker and Tracii Guns for Contraband. First off, I normally like the Nuge a lot. However on this project he sounds very restrained. He and Shaw just stay below the surface only peeking up occasion with a few decent runs here and there. Schenker and Tracii Guns would be pick for guys who should have been the storng point of their band. However that was before I played this disc. Like everyone else in their project they just seem to be phoning it in. They hit the notes, but they lack any real passion or much of any spark whatsover.

Point to Damn Yankees





Rhythm section

Bassist Jack Blades and drummer Michael Cartellone of Damn Yankees take on bass player Share Pederson and drummer Bobby Blotzer. If the possible strong players Contraband above couldn't do much then the weak links (the rhythm section) would seem less likely to shine. At least I am right on this call. The drums and bass are about as bland and run of the mill as it can get. Blades does enough sound like he is doing his job and Cartellone might even be a hair better than that.

Point to Damn Yankees

Originality/production

Contraband take on a number of cover songs and add very little to them. However the originals are even worse. Again it's not that they are out of tune, but rather they show the energy that most of us would give to a task like turning off a light switch. Damn Yankees combine AOR and hard rock that wasn't particularly new or all that inspired for 1990, but it was tight. Production on both is typical for early 90's hard rock as both have reasonbly decent sound, but virtually no edge whatsoever.

Point to Damn Yankees

Who rocks more?

Again if either band really rocked they wouldn't be here in the first place. Contraband try to tie up everything, but there just isn't much there to grab onto. There are no hooks and even less soul. Damn Yankees are fluffy, but they move around at least. Contraband was a real challenge to get through as I could feel it dulling my senses with each passing second. Damn Yankees wasn't a treat, but it certainly wasn' difficult to get through.

Point to Damn Yankees



A clean sweep for Damn Yankees. It's not that they were that good, but rather that Contraband were really that bad. According to Richard Black the band never met while recording. They only met for photo sessions. Plus Black is the only member who contributed to the writing. All of that shows up in the final sound. It just sounds a project that wasn't thought through very well.

Clash of the album covers

We have two Black Sabbath covers to choose from. It is...


Heaven and Hell

vs.

Paranoid

***Which cover do you prefer?

What's coming up?

My daughter was sick a few days ago and now my son is sick so I am taking care of him today. So that may be about all I can do today unless I knock out Clash of the album covers. Here is what I hope to have out this week.

The Lesser of two evils that I didn't get to this past week

Reviews of...
Bone Gnawer-Feast of flesh
Argus-s/t
Blaze Bayley-The night that will not die

Clash of the album covers (maybe even a double dose since the first one may be today)

Numbers 7-4 on my top guitarist countdown

***Have a great week.

Number 8

Number 8 is...



Alex Lifeson

Often overlooked because he is in a band with two others very talented musicians. He played different styles over the years although his peak was from about 1975-82. Rush grew greatly over that time period and so did Alex's playing. Subtle at times and spectacular when needed.

***Next week I'll have numbers 7 all the way down to number 4.

Number 9

Number 9 of my top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown is...


Ted Nugent


The Nuge is one of the top guys who can squeeze a lot out of a little. By that I mean that he plays some simple material but he pulls as much out of it as possible. It's not just all chords and scales because at his peak the Motor City Madman's playing has had a certain personality. These are traits that have made his work stand out.

Number 10

Moving right along is number 10 of my top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown. We have...



K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton

I was hesitant at first on this pick because Priest have not put out a good album in some time. However they did do a lot of great albums year ago. The guitar style and approach of this pair varied from the 70's to the 80's, but they still managed a direct sound that is still influencing metal bands today.

***I'll have numbers 9 and 8 out on Friday.

Number 11

On to number 11 of my top 25 hard rock/metal guitarists. It is..


Michael Denner
and

Hank Shermann

The Mercyful Fate pair are definitely the most underrated duo of all time. Their peak was during the band's all too short first run in the early 1980's. They helped define a classic metal style with their tight churning style. Both guys could pull so much out of each riff.

Metal Witch interview

Germany's Metal Witch actually formed back in the 1980's and had an all too brief run before parting ways. The reformed over ten years ago and this decade they have already knocked out an LP, an EP and a split album. They have also played some major festivals in Europe. I recently had the pleasure to talk to this band and fine out more about their past, present and future.

-Hello, please introduce the members of your band and tell what instrument you play.
Kay Rogowski - lead vocals
Ingo Hinz - lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Lorenz Hoppe - lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Thorsten Meyer - bass, backing vocals
Rüdiger Voigt - drums, backing vocals

-Tell us some about the history of your band.
1985 - Founding year of METAL WITCH from Wedel.
1987 - Split up for private and professional reasons.
1998 - Reunion of the original members!
2001 - METAL WITCH finally complete with bass player Thorsten Meyer.
2002 - The first CD "Ready To Burn" comes out.
2004 - Opener of the 7th "Headbangers Open Air" festival in Brande Hörnerkirchen after winning the "Headbangers Ballroom band battle" in Hamburg.
2005 - Support for AGENT STEEL (USA) in Hamburg.
2006 - Kick off band at the official "Wacken Warm Up Party" in Hamburg. Co-headliner at the "Kielowatt Festival".
2007 - "Risen From The Grave" studio recording sessions.
2008 - The second CD "Risen From The Grave" comes out. Founding member Dietmar Hanke quits the band. Lorenz Hoppe becomes new METAL WITCH guitarist. 2009 - Co-headliner with ARTILLERY and GRAVE DIGGER at the "4. Kuttenfestival". Split CD with VINDICATOR (US) on SLANEY RECORDS (Ireland). Co-headliner at the Waldbrand Open Air.

-Who are your musical influences?
Kay & Rüdiger: The NWOBHM, 80s American Power-and Speed metal bands and some old punk bands in general. Some all time faves are: Accept, Charged G.B.H, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Ramones, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Twisted Sister, Misfits and Kiss.

-What are you currently working on?
Kay: We are working on new songs to put a new CD out and we are contacting festivals for 2010 to play.





-Is this the only project for you guys or is anyone currently working on any other projects?Rüdiger: Our guitarist Lorenz and our bass player Thorsten also play in an AC/DC cover band called OVERDOSE. Lorenz is playing the drums there. He's an excellent musician and plays many instruments. He also plays in his own band LOROCKO where he sings and plays guitar. I also play drums in a surf beat band called THE TYPHOONS. Kay and Ingo were for not too long ago in a punk rock band called REINHEIZGEBOT. You all can find that on myspace if you are interested.

-You played the Waldbrand Open Air festival in June. How did that go?
Rüdiger: We played there last year in the evening for the first time. They liked us a lot and asked us to co-headline this year. Very cool people and it was well organized. These are the ones keeping metal alive in the underground. Cheers to you and all the best for the future!

-Do you have any other shows lined up for the near future?
Kay: We definitely will play some festivals next year and some club gigs around. To be updated you're welcome to visit our myspace site: www.myspace.com/metalwitches or our homepage: http://www.metalwitch.de/. We appreciate your feedback!



-What are some of the most memorable shows that you have played?
Kay: I liked the 20th anniversary gig in our hometown the most. That was an unforgettable party with some of our oldest fans and friends! Many beers a a whole lot of fun!
Rüdiger: Another great one was the Headbangers Open Air 2004. We played our hearts out and got an amazing feedback from real hardcore fans who know what metal is all about.



-What was your music like during your first run from 1985-1987? How was it different from the music that you have been doing in the last ten years?
Kay: We were teenage Heavy Metal fans and formed our first band. We wrote our first songs like "Metal Witch" which we play every single gig ..till this day. Some songs were really cool but we didn't have musical chops so we often sounded like a Heavy Metal train wreck. Today we play tighter and learned a lot over the years, but I think we stayed the same in taste over all these years.



-What is the metal scene like in your part of Germany these days?
Rüdiger: There are obviously huge festivals like WACKEN where you can find people nowadays who don't even like metal, but there are smaller really ass kicking old school festivals to mention like the Headbangers Open Air which is our favorite. Here it's all about the music and being a fan.


-Are there any great unsigned bands there that you would like to mention?
Kay: I would say our friends the death/grinders IRATE ARCHITECT deserve to get signed. They play very well and they are really original. Maybe the best in extreme music Hamburg has to offer.
Rüdiger: I add our local band LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. They deliver finest 80s old school hardcore which I love a lot.




-What kind of music are you currently listening to?
Kay: I..m listening to the new U.D.O. CD "Infected", the first STRAY CATS record and the "Eagle Has Landed" live album from SAXON.
Rüdiger: Currently I enjoy the MUNICIPAL WASTE album "The Art Of Partying". I have just bought the new SLAYER 7 "Psychopathy Red" and I always listen to KISS. They are my heroes since 1975.

-What would you like to accomplish in the next year?


Kay: Having enough songs to record a new CD. Try to conquer other countries. Thank myspace we are selling merchandise and CDs to: Japan, America, Greece, Poland and Ireland. It would be awesome to play there. So foreign bookers! Book METAL WITCH! You won't regret it!

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

Accept or Scorpions
Kay: Easy! ACCEPT! It was my first concert back in 1983 since then I'm their fan. The SCORPIONS have no doubt some great songs. I like their old stuff like the "TOKYO TAPES“ double live album, but ACCEPT is the band which we collectively like the same since the beginning of the band. A mayor influence! Rüdiger: I would say that Kay sounds a bit like Udo Dirkschneider, too.

Twisted Sister or Wasp
Rüdiger: For our taste it's TWISTED SISTER. Both bands have incredible frontmen which wrote many great favorites of ours, but as a live act TWISTED SISTER wins.

Metallica or Motorhead
Kay & Rüdiger: Motörhead! You can..t go wrong with Lemmy! A living legend and he's still great! Metallica WAS great.

Iron Maiden or Judas Priest
Kay & Rüdiger: No competition! Both are the kings of British Heavy Metal in all it's greatness! Long live Priest and up the Irons!

-Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?
Kay & Rüdiger: We would like to thank: our families, friends and fans, bands, bookers and magazines worldwide who supported us so far and we promise you that METAL WITCH will always be good old rough and raw HEAVY METAL and nothing less!

Snail-Blood

Meter City
2009


Snail formed back in the early 90s as a trio and pumped out a self-titled album and an EP called "All Channels Are Open". Then they began writing material for their second album, but lack of success and other issues caused the band to break up. Last year the guys got back together and revived the band name. Then they added a long time friend, Eric Clausen (guitar) as a fourth member to add to their sound. Then they were ready to finally knock out their sophomore LP and "Blood" is made up of mostly songs that were originally written back in the 90's. So that brings everything up to date. So if a band is called Snail then ou would expect them to be slow and indeed this band lives up to their name. They churn out large mountains of riffs in attempt to create an atmosphere right from the start. I would say that the sound is more thick than heavy as the sound tends to float more than pound at your senses. The sound is a cross between Fireball Ministry, "Holy Mountain" era Sleep and a few others. Where this bands succeeds is that they take some of the same influences as other stoner acts, but they try to be more subtle in their presentation and even stretch the sound out some more. This gives their sound some definite texture. The downside to Snail's sound is they really could have used some kick to the head type bursts. There were songs that had a hypnotizing effect, but others that were beginning to put me to sleep. I like their approach to an extent, but would have enjoyed more if they would varied the sound more and added some punch to it. Still not bad for a band who have not recorded in a long time.

Doro-Fear no evil

AFM
2009



Doro Pesch has been in the game for a long time and my initial reaction after hearing her latest offering was that the production on her albums has gotten very slick over the years and the writing has grown more and more basic. Now initially that combination doesn't sound altogether promising, but Doro has the voice to elevate mediocre material and she has done it before. Several songs on this album remind me of some of Manowar when they first signed to Atlantic in the 80's. The music is more background than anything despite the volume and most of the emphasis is placed on the vocals. That's as it should be and Doro still has the pipes to make this worth hearing. Her voice has taken on a slightly raspy sound, but she still has what it takes. Her duet with Tarja vocalist Tarja Turunen, "Walking With the Angels" turned out much better than I figured it would. However there were several occasions on this disc where it like they had just swept together ideas from past Doro albums and roughly pieced them together just enough so they would up for her make it through them. It is to her credit that she took average to fair material and elevated it to a decent level, but I also felt she deserved better material to work and the fans sure deserved more substance to take it. Overall this is and above average piece of work and there are some moments, but certainly not one of her best.

Praying Mantis-Sanctuary

Frontiers
2009



Often lumped in as part of the NWOBHM, but this band actually formed quite a few years before that scene erupted. Also rather falling under the usual metal sound of many bands from that movement, Praying Mantis leaned more towards a melodic approach. Their 1981 debut "Time tells no lies" still stands as a must hear from the early NWOBHM scene though. They have certainly gone through the lead singers over the years as Paul Di'anno, Gary Barden and Doogie White are just a few on the long list of vocalists who have recorded with this band. The current vocalist is Mike Freeland and here's hoping he stays for a while because he is a wonderful fit on this album. His voice reminds me at times of former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske. He has an excellent range and a dynamic presence. The Troy brothers Tino (guitar) and Chris (bass) have always been the heart and driving force force of this band. Rounding out the line-up this time around are guitarist Andy Burgess and drummer Benjamin Reid. On "Sanctuary" the band plays a smooth and severely tight blend that draws on hard rock/metal and AOR. They remind at times of a mix of older Scorpions and Whitesnake although far more involved. Every song on this album is a work of a well oiled machine. I am not sure if the key ingredient was time, new members or a combination of the above, but whatever the reason they seem to have found the proper recipe for success. This was one of those albums where I immediately took to it on the first listen. Easily their best since their debut. Normally many bands who are 35 years into the game are doing well to just put something decent, but Praying Mantis have managed knock a fantastic melodic hard rock album. Okay, it sounds a lot like it could have been done in 1983, but nonetheless "Sanctuary" is certainly worth hearing.

Clash of the album covers

We have two Iron Maiden covers this time around.


Piece of mind


vs.


Somewhere in time

***Which cover do you prefer?

Number 12

Moving along is the last one that I will reveal today. It is...



"Fast" Eddie Clarke

Sorry to you two or three Fastway fans out there, but he is on this list strictly for his work with Motorhead. His playing on those early Motorhead albums had a huge impact on metal due to his tone and speed. Often overlooked, but Motorhead and thrash would not have been the same without his contributions.

Okay, that's probably it for a while. I'll have numbers 11-8 out around next Friday or Saturday.

Number 13

Number 13 is...


Randy Rhoads

This was a tough one for me because I think that he tends to get slightly overrated. He did manage to establish his own style in a rather short time period though. Even 27 years after his death, his work still holds up well. His work with Ozzy showed his ability to alternate between heavy hitting riffs, classy passages and strong solos that were more substance than flash.

Number 12 will be up soon.

Number 14

The top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown is already down to number 14. It is...


Chuck Schuldiner

Death along Possessed were one of the bands that help start the death metal in the early-mid 1980's. That may have been enough of a legacy to make Death's frontman important, but he didn't stop there. He kept progressing as a player and a writer. He pushed and broadened the boundries of death metal by bringing in his technical abilities and helped the genre to grow. I think he was progressing as a player and a writer even up until he was taken from us all too soon.

Number 15

The top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown continues moves on with....



Joe Perry

Pulling out basic yet instantly likable, groove-based blues rock. Not the greatest technical player, but a great sense of tones and he knows how to pull the most out of just a few notes.

Number 14 will be up soon.

What's coming up?

The big thing this week was that I got accepted to start graduate school online in the fall. This is both exciting and it makes me very nervous at the same time. Years ago I thought I would go back for my masters degree at some point, but I got into having a house built and starting a family. In recent months I thought it was time to start back.

For this blog I will continue to post daily until mid-August. After that I may come back to post when I have time, but there will be no regular or set schedule. I will leave the blog up to come back to and I will still be moderating comments and responding to them accordingly. I will continue to keep up Whole lotta covers as I only do two posts per month over there.

This means I need to step up the top hard rock/metal guitarist countdown to finish in just a few weeks. So I will be doing several of those per week instead of just one. I am still on the list for at least half a dozen discs coming out in the next month or two so any that arrive after the middle of next month will still be reviewed as soon as possible since these are items I already committed to reviewing. I will try to do at least two lesser of two evils in the next four weeks as well. If you have questions, comments or topic suggestions for these next few weeks then please let me know. Thanks for reading. Here is the jam packed schedule for this coming week.

Reviews of...

Doro-Fear no evil
Snail-Blood
Praying Mantis-Sanctuary

Number 15, 14, 13 and 12 on my top hard rock/metal guitarist countdown

Interview with Metal Witch

Clash of the album covers


Lesser of two evils (possibly Contraband vs. Damn Yankees)


***Have a great week!

The Hell Candidates-Bring to war

2007




Portland, Oregan's The Hell Candidates have been around for over a decade. The cover doesn't really give an accurate image of what the music might be on this disc. Once I started it up I was right away taken back in time about twenty plus years or so. This band sounds like the kind of classic metal influenced acts that were popular in the metal underground years ago. There is a huge Judas Priest influence mainly focused around the albums from 1980-1984. However the production is less polished and even the performance has something of a "live" feel to it . I mean that in the most postive sense. This is a band who are far from perfect, they are loose around the edges and seem to figuring some things out as they go along yet that goes well with this no-nonsense sound. They remind me some of Ohio's Damien only with female vocals and a little order to their style. On many tracks I felt like I was listening to a lost demo from 1987 or so. The only downfall was that they went on a bit too long. Once it got around track eleven I felt like they were continuing on more than they needed to. Still this is an album that I see myself going back to. They have that old style metal sprit and that goes a long ways.

Number 16

My top 25 hard rock/metal guitarist countdown continues with number 16. We have...





Andy LaRocque

Often overlooked LaRocque has been the heart of King Diamond's music. He easily goes back and forth between solid rhythms and elaborate solos. His style has added the rich textures to King Diamond's albums. He has played with other projects including playing on Death's fantastic "Individual Thought Patterns".

***Number 15 will be coming next week.

Wretched-The exodus of autonomy

Victory
2009



I have come to expect a lot of metalcore fromVictory records, but North Carolina's Wretched are a death/thrash band which is both surprising and refreshing. Their style has a heavy influence from old style bands like Kreator, Possessed, Morbid Angel and others. They still manage to add enough of their own sound and some more recent death influences too. The approach is steady, but often boils up to a brutal level. The riffs often in a machine gun like attack with a choppy style that pushes ahead. The technical level is good for this style although they far more focused. Wretched possess a tightness that can be heard and felt in every level of their music. They are in complete command and drag us through valleys and over peaks while punishing us all the while with pounding layers of crushing sound. The tones are varied enough to be interesting and the pace is just astonishing because I felt like they were so relentless, but that certainly worked. They also kept the songs relatively brief. Really a fine job all the way around.

Syrym-s/t

Hatrix
2008

I wasn't sure at all what to expect from this one. I knew that Babylon A.D. founding member/guitarist Ron Freschi was in this band so I was expecting late 80's-early 90's hard rock perhaps. That indeed part of this equation, but certainly not all of it. When I heard someone use the phrase modern rock or modern hard rock I am afraid that I oftentimes cringe. This is because my experience has lead me to believe that bands that receive these labels often tend to be more about slick edges and less about really rocking. Syrym are a band where I feel like they represent at least a good attempt at being what I wish modern hard rock or modern rock was. Much like Lillian Axe they carry the solid riffs and sharp hooks of hard rock from years ago, but they manage to bring in some modern elements without losing their edge. The combination of the two styles isn't always seamless, but it's a worthy attempt with strong results. The production is rich and greatly enhances the sound. There were several songs where the main riffs were so loud and vibrant that they helped the band establish themselves mere seconds into the song. There were places here and there where some general tightening and trimming could help, but overall a very strong album.

Artillery-When death comes

Metal Mind
2009

I'll be straight forward so this is definitely one of the top 2009 releases that I have been looking forward to. There are not a lot of thrash bands that I feel this way about, but these guys have never really gotten their due. Each of their first four releases were powerful entries with 1990's "By Inheritance" being their best offering to date. I think they had an influence on bands like Sodom, Dark Angel and maybe even Slayer at one point early on. This band has faced the obstacle of having long gaps between releases before as it was nine long years between "By Inheritance" and "B.A.C.K". So this time around it's a ten year stretch, but that's no big deal. I am sure the biggest question in the mind of every Artillery fan was would newcomer Søren Nico Adamsen be able to fill the shoes of Flemming Rönsdorf. Every Artillery album has featured and benefited from having Flemming on vocals. His voice unique to thrash and very much helped to define this band over the years. Søren has a different vocal style, but there is no denying that he is a terrific fit for this band. His voice has a touch more clarity and perhaps he even more direct in his approach. The change is seamless as he didn't just fit, but rather he stormed in and is helped the band forge ahead. They are not quite as experimental this time around as they were on "By Inheritance". Still they possess the ability to slam you back with a mountain of cutting riffs and pounding rhythms. Despite having long gaps between the last few albums I have never thought of Artillery as doing a comeback because they never seem to have lost a step so I never really question them. This isn't going to win over a great of new fans perhaps, but it will certainly thrill fans of killer old style thrash.

Clash of the album covers

Today we have....


Cirith Ungol-Paradise Lost

vs.


Slough Feg-Atavism

***Which cover do you prefer?

UZI-Madhouse

Eonian
2009


Chicago's UZI formed in late 1986 out of the ashes of KIDD. They started out as Dillinger, but soon changed to UZI. They played around the area,recording a number of tracks and playing shows in the Midwest. In late 1990 the band earned a trip to Los Angeles to perform at Concrete Management's "Foundations Forum" music clinic and promotional event that was headlined by Judas Priest. After that they decided to move out to LA and take their chances.The entire music scene was already changing and the days were numbered for many hard rock bands. UZI recorded a few more tracks and played some shows, but eventually called it quits in 1992. This collection captures ten of their songs and gives a decent snapshot of what this band was like. There are a variation of styles represented here and that's to be expected because the songs were written over a seven year period and recorded over a six year period. Most of the songs from the 1980's reflect the hard rock sounds that were in style back then. I hear Ratt, Skid Row and even Guns and Roses as influences. The production quality is consistent throughout even if the styles very slightly. They opt mainly for a mid-tempo approach, but handle a ballad good enough as well. Some of their later tracks are slightly heavier and much like someone like Skid Row on "Slave to the grind" they were attemting to keep up with the trend of heavier music becoming slightly more in fashion at the time. Really they still sound good on these songs even if it may not be their first choice in musical directions. I found the majority of the tracks on this album to be instantly likable because they know how to sell a good hook. Although I can't say they were doing much different from a lot of other bands running around the scene back then. There were so many bands like this pushing to get noticed that some were bound to get left by the wayside and UZI were one of those casualties. At least they are getting chance to see some of there music get released even if it is two decades after the fact.

What's coming up?

I never saw the Flash tv series much during it's 90-91 run because I was working second shift at the time. However I recently got a good deal on the DVD set and picked it up. It is much better than I figured. Definitely influenced some by the 1989 Batman movie. The characters are likable, the effects are good for the time and the stories are generally strong. High cost per episode and low ratings did them in and it unfortunately only lasted one season.

I still owe a Syrym review so that will be the next post. Plus I will have the following out.

Reviews of...

Wretched-The exodus of autonomy
Uzi-Madhouse
Artillery-When death comes
The Hell Candidates-Bring to war


Plus...
Clash of the album covers


and
Number 16 on my top hard rock/ metal guitarists

Have a great week!

Number 17

Up to number 17 on the top hard rock/metal guitarist countdown and it is...



Tom G. Warrior


One of the guitarists on this list who progressed the fastest. In Hellhammer he was playing second rate Venom riffs, but that quickly changed. In the early days of Celtic Frost he was playing simplistic rhythms, but the tone was thick, heavy and dark. The band did their own thing and Warrior's guitar sound was at the heart of that mentality. They made the leap to "Into the pandemonium" which was one the most experimental mental albums of the 80's and most of it came off brilliantly. Warrior's style grew on that album as well and his sound has been an influence on bands in different sub-genres for the last twenty plus years.

***Number 16 coming next week.

Spirits of the dead-s/t

Voices of wonder
2008



Before starting this disc the cover caught my eye. The shiny, intricate shield put upon a white background drew my attention in, but it didn't afford me any clues as to what the music would sound like. A few seconds into the opener "White Lady/Black Rave" and the fuzzed out, 70's influenced sounds assaulted my sense immediately. Further on they continue to reach back a few decades and bring forth music that is obviously influenced by the the likes of the Doors, Black Sabbath, Moody Blues and others. Still they are not merely a retro act nor are they just a progressive band although they may likely be branded as both. They are a contemporary band first that uses elements of past music in their own concoction of energetic blasts to help form their own musical identity. On songs like "Fields of gold" and the title track they bring a lot of ideas into play and just keep them all in motion while bringing out enough passion and emotion to to really make them special. There is a lull in the middle of the album with "Red" and at least part of "T.I.T. (Traveller In Time)". During these songs they let their guard down some and seem to lose the combination of old and new ideas as they go for a more current sound. Certainly they are talented enough that this is decent, but they follow several really good songs and the change in direction seems oddly out of place. However they quickly get back on track for the final two songs and finish strong. I think they need a little work here and there on tightening some parts, but overall a refreshingly exciting release from a band with a great deal of promise.

Celan-Halo

Exile on Mainstream
2009



This project came to be when Ari Meyer of Einstuerzende Neubauten and Chris of Unsane got together. I don't what was said during those initial meetings, but at some they had to work out their ideas. I am sure that was an interesting series because these two performers come from very different musical backgrounds. The final results as evidenced on this disc are different from what I expected. It's not as abstract as Meyer's background might have suggested and the hardcore sounds are fairly limited and spread out. There are light industrial influences and electronica parts sprinkled within. They have positioned pieces that contrast within each song and primarily it keeps matters interesting. The playing is fairly tight. The varying styles and frequent pace changes helped to keep my interest. The mood is at times dark as they create some tense moments. The only shortcoming was that I was really expecting more surprises and they were more subtle than I expected. Still they show a great deal of promise for a debut.

Acid Drinkers-Vile Vicious Vision

Metal Mind
1994/2009

From their debut in 1990 Poland's Acid Drinkers instantly established themselves as being more than just a thrash band. At the heart of the music was thrash, but they mixed all kind of odd styles, sounds and whatever they could throw into the mix. At times they sounded like a cross between the Dead Kennedys and Anthrax. By "Vile Vicious Vision" something was definitely changing in this band. The first aspect was that they were definitely slowing down and the thrash parts were becoming few and far between. Okay, maybe that just a product of the times as a number of thrash bands were opting to slow down. Besides being fast these guys had a quirky approach and frequently pulled in numerous different unexpected part and passages. At first I wasn't sure if I had gotten used to their style or if they had just cut down on the surprising parts. Upon a second play I think it's the second reason. At least for about the first perhaps 3/4 of the album the band seems far more subdued and even predictable (at least for them). Granted being less predictable for this band is well above average for most other bands. There are still a number of moments where they just take off on odd paths, but they had certainly toned it down on this release. There are some fine moments and the last three tracks all demonstrate Acid Drinkers at their chaotic best, but this album is certainly weaker than the previous discs. This re-issue includes lyric booklet, a bonus tracks and two video clips.

Clash of the album covers

Two new ones from old bands this time around. It is...



Artillery-When death comes

vs.



Obituary-Darkest Day

**Which cover do you choose?