Tears From Venere-Temporary Lives

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Tears From Venere is a up-and-coming hard & heavy/pop punk-infused Italian rock n' roll band that was formed in 2011 and is made up of vocalist/guitarist Vincenzo Santoriello, guitarist/backing vocalist Andrea Morelli, bassist/backing vocalist Simone Morelli and drummer Matteo Rendina. The self-produced (and ABSOLUTELY recommended!) "Temporary Lives" is Tears From Venere's first full-length release and this golden gem of an album(!) follows in the footsteps of several successful singles and a 2012 EP called "A Long Road For Happiness...". Packed from top to bottom with nine great tracks of pure rock n' roll fun, "Temporary Lives" opens by way of the catchy "Roulette" and doesn't take it's foot off of the pedal until the very end of "Frame And Glory"! In-between those two very cool numbers there is one hell of a wild & crazy rock n' roll party going on so it's probably a good thing that you set yourself up with a designated driver before hanging out with the four guys in Tears From Venere! When it comes to debut albums there are very few that are as much fun and well-structured as "Temporary Lives". Then again there are probably not a lot of Italian rock bands like Tears From Venere! On the one hand you're looking at a hard rock band with more than a few familiar influences. Some of these would be Guns N' Roses, Hanoi Rocks, Dangerous Toys, Alice Cooper, Ratt, New York Dolls, Velvet Revolver, and "Too Fast For Love"-era  Mötley Crüe. That's all fine and dandy I hear you saying and you are quite right with that assessment. There is nothing fancy about that lot of influences. Not at all. The thing is you are also looking at a group of heavy rockers that pulls off HUGE chunk out of bands like Eddie and the Hot Rods, (early) Green Day, Bad Religion, The Stooges, All, (early) The Offspring, and Social Distortion for consumption. What you ultimately end up with is a bar room-worthy Italian four-piece that is smashes together late eighties/early nineties pop punk, heavy rock, old-fashioned hard rock, seventies punk, and garage metal. And it's all been neatly bundled together by way of real rock and roll. How very thoughtful...

Kezia-The Dirty Affair

Logic(Il)Logic Records/Andromeda Dischi
2015

Kezia is an Italian five-piece that was formed in September of 2013 by long-time friends/seasoned musicians Pierlorenzo Molinari (vocals), Antonio Manenti (guitars) and Alberto Armanini (keyboards). The band's current line-up is rounded out by the pair of Fabio Bellini and Michele Longhena (bass and drums respectively) with the 8-track "The Dirty Affair" serving as the group's official debut. This extended EP was recorded, mixed & mastered by Riccardi Frigoni at Studio 57 in Brescia, Italy and it should be noted that the bass parts on the "The Dirty Affair" were performed by Andrea Piovani while the drums were played by Matteo Viganiand. It's also worth noting how quirky Kezia is, but what else would you expect from a band that self-describes it's style as prop-metal? "What exactly is prop-metal?" I hear you asking. Apparently it's whatever this Italian band wants it to be! And that would be (up to and including) a odd combination of "rock, progressive, swing, electro and pop". Or as Kezia puts it "The structure is prog, expanding its melodic variations with pop freshness". Got that? I hope so. Especially seeing as there is going to be a quiz later! In all seriousness, "The Dirty Affair" is more in line with avant-garde rock and the EP likely reflects the distinct tastes and styles of it's band-founders. With Pierlorenzo, Antonio, and Alberto all coming from different (musical) backgrounds the sound of Kezia is every bit as all-encompassing as the various projects and bands that these three were previously involved with! Most of the time this collaboration works out just fine. The fluid chemistry of Pierlorenzo, Antonio, and Alberto is as undeniable as the metallic undercurrent of this 8-track album is. When this trio is in-sync there's a damn nice spark of fire. But when they're not? On those rare occasion it all becomes too much. It's kind of like having the perfect stew and then going out of your way to add in all these exotic ingredients. You may think that these additions will spice up your meal, but in reality you've just ruined a perfectly fine dish. Thankfully the trio behind Kezia know when to pull in the reins and when it let go. In the case of Kezia's debut release there are more good times than bad times which goes a long ways towards making "The Dirty Affair" a recommend pick-up. For more information on this interesting band be sure to check out Kezia's Facebook page or their official website. 

Psychedelic Witchcraft-Black Magic Man

Self-Release/Independent

2015

 

Recorded and engineered by Gabriele Romano at Gold 63 studio in Rome, Italy, "Black Magic Man" is the the debut EP of  Psychedelic Witchcraft. A one of a kind one-woman occult/doom rock project, Psychedelic Witchcraft is based in Firenze and fronted by a demon in angel's clothing by the name of Mia. Otherwise known as Virginia Monti (or at least that is how it appears) this temptress is blessed with a hypnotic voice that will all but distort your senses and leave you standing in awe of her power! As Mia uses her soothing voice to lull you into a false sense of security your body will be stripped of it's flesh thanks to the righteous music of this Italian band! Influences range from Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac and Iron Butterfly to Black Sabbath, Trouble and Leaf Hound with the band Coven serving as a great starting point of reference. This band's (awesome) take on hell-themed seventies rock is nothing short of heavenly-inspired as witnessed by the the title track and "Slave Of Grief". One can only imagine how significant a full-length release would be for the seventies-infused Psychedelic Witchcraft, but perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself here. After all, in no way, shape or form are we finished talking about this project's driving force! In addition to her strong vocals and the magical way in which she is able to transport you back in time to the early-mid seventies Mia plays guitar alongside special guest Lorenzo Bianchi. Front-woman Mia (aka Virginia Monti) also produced "Black Magic Man" and is responsible for the seductive art-work that is posted above. With four tracks in total, "Black Magic Man" was preceded in mid-January by the single edit of "Angela" and this highly-recommend EP will be getting the royal vinyl treatment later this summer thanks to the folks at Taxi Driver Records. It will be a limited edition 10" and if  I'm to wager a guess or two it will be a hot ticket item given this EP's overall warm reception from fans and critics alike. All of which is warranted mind you (the reception and the impeding record release!) as this is one band that is just screaming to be heard by a larger audience!

Tony Tears-Follow The Signs Of The Times

Minotauro Records
2015

It might not be obvious at first, but Minotauro Records has quietly amassed a strong catalog of doom metal releases. Now you can add another one to that note of distinction as "Follow The Signs Of The Times" is arguably one of 2015's better doom metal recordings in addition to being Tony Tear's greatest solo release to date! I realize that's high praise considering just how good Tony Tear's solo career has been up to this point. Even so it's the truth and that judgement call on my part has everything to do with the strength and consistent nature of such delightfully sinful tracks as "Mark Of Evil", "The Road To Research", "Queen of Darkness". and one of this album's better instrumental numbers, "Covenant of the Lords of the End". On instrumental numbers like this one, "Demonic Puppets" and "Deep Misanthropy" Tony  Tears (ex-Zess, Soul of Enoch, ex-Abysmal Grief, ex-Helden Rune, ex-Ignis Fatuus, ex-Kathekon, ex-Lux Obscuritatis) handles everything otherwise he is joined by vocalist David Krieg (Hexenfaust, Neith, Progeria, Toolbox Terror, Soul of Enoch, ex-Hastur, ex-Malignance, ex-Ignis Fatuus, ex-Kathekon, ex-Lux Obscuritatis) and bassist/drummer Regen Graves (Abysmal Grief, ex-Malombra). In addition to Tony's own material there is a Paul Chain cover ("Armageddon") and this album's eerie intro track, "Sighs of Time's Fear", shows how fantastic it can be when you add Dario Argento film scores to Italian doom metal of this caliber! Some are calling "Follow The Signs Of The Times" Tony Tear's HEAVIEST and best-produced release ever (!) and I would be hard pressed to argue with either of those points seeing as Tony's new album is so f**king good! This one most certainly comes with my highest recommendation!

Raging Dead-Born In Rage

Self-Release/Independent
2015


Heavy punk/hard metal band Raging Dead was formed in 2014 by Cloud Shade (vocals, guitars) and Matt Void (lead guitar). Bassist Simon Nightmare and drummer Traci Decadence complete the line-up of "Born In Rage" and this horror-infused EP opens strong with the track "Awakening The  Damned". From there you'll be treated to numbers like "Scratch Me", "Redemption" and "Nightstalker" with the heavy rock thrash of "Vengeance" closing things out just as effectively as "Awakening The Damned" opened things up! With influences such as Rob Zombie, Marylin Manson, Wednesday 13 and the Murderdolls listed you'd be forgiven if you thought that this EP might just lean towards the electronic side of horror rock. Thankfully that's far from the case as the group's horror-inspired debut offering is more in line with The Misfits and The Exploited than Marylin Manson and Rob Zombie! Otherwise listing Skid Row as a source of inspiration, Raging Dead errs on the side of caution with this EP drawing a straight as can be line right through gritty hard rock, raw heavy metal and horror punk/hardcore. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Oscar Burato at Atomic Stuff Studios in Isorella, Brescia, Italy, "Born  In  Rage" is full of rage and fury and for that I offer a tip of my hat in appreciation towards this up and coming Italian band ! 

T.H.L.-Thirteenth Hell Level

Sound Management Corporation
2014

Sent my way from the ever reliable Stefano Gottardi, "Thirteenth Hell Level" is a 10-track release from Italian hard & heavy outfit T.H.L. Featuring eight original compositions and two choice cover songs in the from of "Born To Be Wild" (Steppenwolf) and "Honky Tonk Woman" (The Rolling Stones), "Thirteenth Hell Level" is also this band's full-length debut album. And it's a recommended one at that! Formed in 2010, T.H.L. (Thirteenth Hell Level) is a five-piece band whose influences range from Alice Cooper to Metallica (by way of Dokken, Skid Row, Poison and Dangerous Toys!) and on this solid CD the band's opening number, "Master Dominio", set's in motion a rock and roll train that speeds along the track with reckless abandon! Infused with the blood of hard rock icons like Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Mötley Crüe and Kiss these Hell City rock and rollers light up the night on cuts like "Really Cruel" and "Erythroxylum" before treating us to what just might be the first female cover of "Born To Be Wild" out there! To be sure it's a different take on the Steppenwolf classic, but damn if it doesn't just make you want to cut the rug then brother you might want to check your pulse again because it's quite likely you're dead! Granted T.H.L. doesn't seem to have the same luck with "Honky Tonk Woman" and that's a shame as I am a HUGE fan of the original! But on "Born To Be Wild" they make it right and for a band that is otherwise lyrically-deep with their songs (the above mentioned "Erythroxylum" deals with drugs, "Sociopathic" is a look at modern society while "Forget" tackles the ugly reality that is rape and "War", well, that is self-explanatory!) it's both a fun diversion as well as little a peak at a different side of these skilled rockers! Cressi Federica does a great job of leading this lot and with a second album in the works (one which is rumored to be a concept album) T.H.L. has put themselves in a nice position to succeed. Fans of classic hard rock and heavy rock/heavy metal should find much to appreciate about "Thirteenth Hell Level".

Sinatras-Six-Sexy-Songs

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Everyone say hello to the Sinatras. We've got F.L.A. Sinatra on lead vox, Lele &; Minkio Sinatra on guitars,
Lispio Sinatra on bass and Jenny Sinatra on drums. Just like the Ramones before them these five use pseudonyms and the band's self-released EP is pretty self-explanatory. Or at least it is if  you are the type that equates beauty with nuts out brutality! And that's pretty much what we're talking about when it comes this Italian band and "Six-Sexy-Songs". They've self-dubbed their musical style "death'n'roll", but, unlike, say Entombed (just one of the "recommended if you like" bands mentioned along with Pantera, Hatebreed and my personal fave of the bunch, Carcass!) these five bandmates don't necessarily walk the "Left Hand Path".   Nah, these Sinatras roll out the barrels of fun via a hack and slash hodgepodge of death, hardcore, thrash, groove metal and hard rock where the phrase "Kick Out The Jams Motherf**ker!" takes on new meaning!  Custom-built for the rough and tumble crowd, "Six-Sexy-Songs" is a nice "How do you do?" from a band that I hope to hear more from soon!

Saints Trade-Robbed In Paradise

Logic(Il)Logic Records/Andromeda Dischi
2015

This is the second of two really solid promos that I received from my good friends over at Atomic Stuff Promotion and Logic(Il)Logic Records. I covered the first one back on February 26th and while the self-titled Embryo album was all about extreme & melodic death metal (and good extreme metal/melodic death metal at that!) this new one from Saints Trade is Grade A hard rock through and through! First formed in Bologna in 2009, with their first Roberto Priori (Dangerzone) produced min-album, "A Matter Of Dreams", appearing in 2012 to positive reviews, Saints Trade is first and foremost a product of the eighties hard rock scene. Musically-speaking the group's first-full length album here, "Robbed In Paradise", plays like a tribute to the glory days of hard rock with the only differences being A) A overall sound that is much-improved by modern production standards and B) A lack of ozone-killing big hair! 

There's no need to whip out the hairspray for this classy hard rock four-piece!

Otherwise this is one band that is literally soaked to the bone with the sound of radio-friendly 80's hard rock. But you know what? It's all good when it comes to this band and that's simply because they do the job that they were born to do and they do it with such enthusiasm that you can't help but smile at the end results! Even though this hard rock band has seen it's far share of line-up changes you wouldn't know it. If you were just going by the sounds of "Robbed In Paradise" then you would be excused for thinking that this four-piece band featured all original members with ten plus years of experience together! The band's delivery is that smooth and the chemistry on display here simply can't be beat! Comprised of lead singer Santi Libra, guitarist Claus, bass player Matteo Angelini and drummer Joana Lachkova, Saints Trade is aided here on their 11-track debut album once more by the great Roberto Priori. Not only does this Danger Zone member handle this album's glossy production job, but he also contributes guitar duties on "The Game". Also contributing guitar parts is the one and only Tommy Denander (Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper, Toto, Robin Beck, House Of Lords…) and this highly-talented Swedish guitarist makes himself known on the album's third track, "Inside". Along with the stylish keyboard performances from Pier Mazzini (Perfect View) these two guest guitarists merely add to the overall enjoyment of "Robbed In Paradise". For fans of radio-friendly hard rock and even guitar-oriented AOR this album would be a wise pick-up! Find out more either here
on the band's Facebook page or at their official page.

Embryo-Embryo

Logic(Il)Logic Records/Andromeda Dischi
2015

The first of two promo CDs to recently come my way from the fine folks at Atomic Stuff Promotion and Logic(Il)Logic Records (Badmotorfinger, Twintera, Steel City, Hex, Nightglow....), "Embryo" is the latest release from this long-standing melodic death metal band from Cremona, Italy. Formed in 2000, with vocalist Roberto Pasolini and guitarist Eugenio "Uge" Sambasile the sole original members and influences listed as Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad*, Embryo first hit the scene with the demo "The Source of Hate" in 2001. Following the release of "Promo 2002" the band issued their full-length debut album, "Chaotic Age" in 2006. Another demo ("Promo 2009") appeared before the band would release the highly-rated "No God Slave" in 2010. It was "No God Slave" that truly brought the group into the limelight with stellar reviews pushing the band upward and onward. Here it is 2015 and the band is finally rolling out album number three, the self-titled "Embryo". Currently rounded out by keyboardist Simone Solla, bassist Nicola Iazzi and drummer Enea Passarella** this five-piece band falls somewhere between melodic death metal and standard death metal with the harsh voice of lead singer Roberto Pasonlini often times moving this metal band into deathcore and/or extreme territory!  With a grand total of eleven-tracks and a run-time of over forty minutes the recently-released "Embryo" (recently-released as in the 10th of this month!) is all at once intimidating and intriguing. Lyrically-speaking the album "Embryo" is "a descent into the Maelström of human soul 'til the door to the abyss that is the denial of being part of mankind" even if you'd have a hard time catching on to that given the otherworldly/demonic delivery of Roberto Pasonlini. As stated it's his unapologetic approach to "singing" that gives this Italian band that extra edge making this self-titled studio recording excessively brutal! By balancing out his beastly voice with complex arrangements that are deep and soul-steering an album like this becomes much more than merely a LOUD death metal release. That isn't to say that "Embryo" isn't LOUD as it is! It's also extremely HEAVY as touched upon. But, thanks in no small part to the fact that "Embryo" was recorded, mixed and mastered by the skilled hands of producer Simone Mularoni (DGM, Empyrios, The Modern Age Slavery, Vision Divine...), it is all that (LOUD and HEAVY) and so much more! This Italian band plays with purpose and the various musicians involved with this recording did more than just unleash unholy amounts of hostility and vulgarity dressed up as "music". These numbers offer interesting riffs and imaginative keyboards. The bass parts are progressive and the drumming (while certainly pummeling!) shows passion and personal pride. When brought together the music gives the listener a reason to pause and reflect what Embryo is really about. "Embryo" is worth tracking down as there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to this particular death metal band.     

*Given the band's complex arrangements and the compelling ingredients that found their way into this mix those three influences don't even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to everything that "Embryo" has to offer. Whether you are into melodic death metal or extreme metal this album has something worthwhile to say to you if you should choose to listen!

** Drums on "Embryo", which by the way are freakin' smashing(!), were performed by the talented Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse).

Desma-Identità Anonime

Atomic Stuff Records

2014

Brescia-based, with local rock influences such as Litfiba, Timoria and Afterhours working side-by-side with the classic rock/hard rock scene of old (Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin), the Italian band Desma was formed back in July of 2009 with this recently-released LP . acting as their full-length debut. The album title roughly translates to "identity anonymous " 

and for this electronically-enhanced Italian rock band that would seem to be as much a reflection of this album's mysterious ways as it would be the notion that I am all but lost given the national stance that this release takes (ie: it's all in Italian and as I'm struggling enough with my own country's take on English these days it stands to reason that I'm quite helpless when it comes to lyrical content on an album like this!). Still, music is a universal language and for this particularly band that was emotionally energized and really stirred into action in September of 2012 thanks to winning a national "Battle of the Bands" and getting the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open up for Iggy and the Stooges in front of a frenzied crowd of 10,000(!) it was a case of don't look back and keep on keeping on! The members of Desma include vocalist Alberto Gobbi, guitarist Diego Gualtieri, bass guitarist Simone Pedrali and brothers Emanuele and Maurizio Torri (keyboards/synths and drums respectively) and as it was actually keyboardist Emanuele Torri who first conceived of this project it should not be all that shocking to discover that Desma does indeed lean heavily on the keys and the aforementioned electronic elements. The electronic part of the equation would seem to come by way of early Subsonica (one of Desma's many local influences), but for other comparisons one could look towards a more iron-clad, lean, mean and leather-wearing Depeche Mode! That's just so here and there though as

radio rock, classic hard rock, some modern and/or alternative rock and even prog influences get throw into the proverbial mix! And despite the use of keys and synths there are plenty of heavy guitar solos to even matters out thanks to the apt playing of Diego Gualtieri. So, what am I exactly getting at here with Desma's first studio offering? Well, bypass the whole "sung in Italian" aspect of this Brescia-based band and you are still looking at a steady/ready band which seems more than capable of balancing the keyboard parts with the guitar rock parts while also displaying melodic vocals and catchy, radio-friendly pieces. As that sure sounds an awful lot like some popular bands these days (say Coldplay and/or Muse!) there is most certainly a built-in market for this kind of magical rock. Time will time though if a band like Desma can conquer more then just their native country....  

Highway Dream-Wonderful Race

Street Symphonies Records
2014

It's a overused phrase, but all the same I've just got to throw it out there folks. Don't judge this one by it's cover. Frankly-speaking (and I'll be Frankie if you'll be Annette!*),"Wonderful Race" is a hundred thousand times better than it's artwork suggest. As is the Italian four-piece responsible for it's creation. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Oscar Burato at Atomic Stuff Studios (Isorella, Brescia, Italy), the recently-released "Wonderful Race" is the first full-length album from this six year old band from Cremona, Italy. It's also a cracker jack find for fans of female-fronted hard rock! Lead vocals come courtesy of Isabella "Isa" Gorni (a firecracker of a singer whose suggestive voice meshes well with Roberto "Roby" Zoppi sleazy guitar playing!) and as a follow-up to the band's 2009 EP, "Born To Bee...", this 10-track album shines a bright spotlight on this band's raw ability! Musically-speaking it's all about the eighties and early nineties for this Italian band and as they play dress up with the likes of Kiss, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, AC/DC, Skid Row, Europe, Warrant and White Lion and despite how iffy that might sound on paper it ends up being a game that everyone will want to be a part of! Once the aptly-titled and instantly accessible "Unbelievable" opens the floodgate it's on for Highway Dream and simply going by how well these four are able to re-work and re-imagine all the best parts of (80s/early 90s) rock, hard rock and heavy metal scene this Italian band could be in it to win it long-term! Even if the music in question sounds vaguely American rest assured that this is Italian hard rock through and through. And thanks to the vastness that is Highway Dreams' inspirational sources (listen in and hear influences that range from L.A. Guns to Loverboy and even Montrose to Mötley Crüe!) this band has what it takes to be a long-distance runner! Here's hoping "Wonderful Race" is just the start of a long and happy voyage for Highway Dream and that they get the chance to show fans what they are fully capable of in the long run!  

 www.highwaydream.it

.www.facebook.com/highwaydream

* I cannot be 100% positive, but I'm fairly certain that this is the first time that I've worked a Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello reference into a review!

Steve Foglia-Steve In Wonderland

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Self-produced by the main man himself (with the always reliable Atomic Stuff Promotions stepping in to lend a helping hand on the PR front), "Steve In Wonderland" is the second solo release from seasoned drummer/professional instructed Steve Foglia. Serving as the follow-up to 2011's highly-regarded "Revenge" (a concept album based on the legend of "Angst"*, "Revenge" found Steve working with the likes of Adam Bomb and one-time Yngwie Malmsteen/Loudness member Mike Vescera), "Steve In Wonderland" features eleven (70's/early 80's-inspired) classic rock/hard rock songs including a righteous cover of the well-known & well-loved Grand Funk Railroad hit, "We're An American Band"! Opening number "Fight for Justice" features guest vocals courtesy of Blaze Bayley (Wolfsbane/Iron Maiden) while Simone "Seth" Borsellini (singer for Sfregio and Fumonero bands) and Francesca Foglia guest star on "Enemy's Collection" and "Walking in Wonderland" (a sweeping eight minute plus number that recalls the heyday of AOR!). Meanwhile Rakel Traxx guitarist Zantolo offers up his skills on "Wrong Hole", a sleazy, seventies glam rock-infused, Hanoi Rocks meets (early) Great White (while Carlos Santana stops by a visit and a sweet and tasty solo!) number that is just too good for words! Otherwise the line-up for "Steve In Wonderland" includes vocalist Johnny Idol, guitarists Federico Mineva & Daniele Arieta, bassist Maurizio Dedoni (Alessio Menconi's bass player) and keyboardist Edoardo Tavanti. Naturally Steve Foglia (also of Jennifer Scream's) handles all the drums and percussion on his second solo outing and thanks to the mastering job of Dario Mollo (The Cage, Tony Martin, Voodoo Hill, Glenn Hughes) every minute that passes of "Steve In Wonderland" finds the listener pulled further and further into this time-stamped picture of hard rock perfection! Just going by it's vintage finish (one which gives "Steve In Wonderland" a remarkably classic vibe!) this a surefire winner for fans of classic rock of old or the seventies' hard rock scene. Whether it's original gems like "Few Days to the End", "Love's Gate" and "Numbers" or even Steve's respectful cover of "We're An American Band" there's not a single moment on "Steve In Wonderland" where something feels out of place. Songs like the rugged rocker "Numbers", "Enemy's Gate" (arguably the heaviest cut here this one almost sounds like Alice Cooper cooperating with Black Sabbath in order to make seventies hard rock sound as wicked as possible!), "Loves Gate" and "Club 27" (a track which references the numerous musicians who died at 27**) all gel together as Steve's second solo release glides about carefree and natural! Everything that was right about yesterdays' hard rock, glam rock and AM rock and roll is given an uplifting makeover in order to reflect Steve Foglia's personal love for the music and artists that inspired him. For this Italian drummer (and the all of the additional musicians who lent their time to the worthwhile cause that was the construction of Steve's solo album number two) every number here just springs to life! From heavy rocker "Fight for Justice" to "Eternal Last Day" every song has the heart and soul of yesteryear's music. You can hear as much on "Eternal Last Day" thanks to it's official video provided below for your viewing enjoyment!), but to think that is just one moment for Steve and company! Thanks to it's wide range of influences (Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Foghat, Rolling Stones, Faces, Kiss, Quireboys, etc.) and the commitment of all involved, "Steve In Wonderland" is just too good not to be shared with fellow music fanatics and collectors alike!

"Angst"* is a famous abandoned hotel in Liguria, Italy, next to the French border.

**Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, etc.

For more information on Steve Foglia and this album be sure to head here:
http://www.stevefoglia.com/ 

Overcharge-Accelerate

Unspeakable Axe
2014

Italian punk rockin' speed metal? Dig in the Dancing Queen mothf**kers!  September 30th-Mark it down in blood as that's the due date for Overcharge's full-length debut.  The promo material shoots it straight when it proclaims how these Italians sound like a "drunken fistfight between Motörhead and "Kill 'em All"-era Metallica, if everyone was gargling broken glass and Discharge was playing on the jukebox"! Formed in 2012 (and with a self-titled, 2013 EP having paved the way for this metallic nutcracker of an album!), Overcharge features bass player/lead vocalist Fabiettto (ex-Mitra, ex-Rogo), guitarist Josh (Skarsfukkers, Omnivore, ex-Nightmare of Fallen) and drummer Panzer (Skarsfukkers) and dammit Janet if these guys don't just rattle the rock and roll cage for you then I don't exactly know what will! Available for pre-order at the link below, "Accelerate" is just the thing to settle your nerves in these turbulent times! So, what are you waiting for? Just buy this one already!

http://unspeakableaxerecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/unspeakableaxerecords
https://www.facebook.com/OverchargeRnR

 

Hell's Chopper-First Ride

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Motorbikes, half naked dancers, alcohol, endless nights, sweat and Rock ‘n’ Roll this is Hell's Chopper!

That's what came packaged with this promo. While I do appreciate that description it didn't give me much to go on when it comes to this heavy metal act. Thank the maker we have Google right? As it turns out Hell's Chopper hails from Italy (the new home of heavy metal as far as I'm concerned!) and this is it (release-wise) for the band. Also the Metal Archives has this album coming out in 2013 and missing the last-track, "Ride On You!". My best guess then is that this is the second pressing of "First Ride" with that steamroller of a rocker "Ride On You!" tacked on to give it that extra special KICK. Not that it needed it mind you! Even without "Ride On You!" this ones a real bad-ass rock platter! With Paolo De Leonardis (Paulie) doing his thing on lead vocals (which turns out to be kind of devastating as Paulie sounds as if he could have been the front-man of a gritty eighties metal band!) Hell's Chopper churns out cut after cut of street-ready hard rockers with the likes of Motörhead, AC/DC, Grim Reaper, Kiss, Guns N' Roses, Rose Tattoo and Thin Lizzy seemingly serving as inspiration! Luca "The Italian Stallion" Scalese (Gigo) and Andrea Rusconi (Rusco) (rhythm guitar and background vocals and lead guitar respectively) handle the strings on "First Ride" and both they do a damn fine job at it! There's far too many cool moments to mention, but one example of their skill (besides the excellent opener "Mental Blindness"!) would be "A Chopper from Hell". Here the leads recall bands such as Judas Priest and Iron Maidens as does "Burn The Witches" (which is one number that could easily pass for an eighties metal song!). Meanwhile you have "In Your Faces" where the ghost of Randy Rhodes stops by to jam and on "Feel The Fire" the band channels all things Dio! Throw in nods to Accept ("Kingdome's Free" would have been a perfect fit for "Balls To The Wall"!), (mid-period) Black Sabbath, (early) Mötley Crüe, Riot, Zodiac Mindwarp, Twisted sister, W.A.S.P. and even bands like Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth and you end up with an album that should be on every metalhead's want list! Armed with a great rhythm* the band makes a song like the Ozzy-rocker "Struggle for Breathe" sound easy and I can honestly say that by the time this album wrapped up I was more then a little hooked on Hell's Chopper! For a band that has been around since 2007 and is this good it's kind of surprising that it is only now that we're hearing anything about them here in the states! Either way though now it is their time to shine and if you can somehow get a copy of "First Ride" then by all means do so! Find out more about Hell's Chopper and why it is that I can't help but envision "First Ride" being on Lemmy's iPod by checking the  group out here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hells-Chopper/295031579778 


*Bassist Jacopo Longhi (Bobo) and drummer/backing vocalist Patrick "Animal" Pavesi. Be sure to check out Bobo's bass playing on "A-Train"! Sweet!

Inside The Hole-Impressions

Logic(ic)illogic Records
2014

Inside The Hole is a Sicilian power-trio lead by vocalist/guitarist Roy Zappia. Formed in late 2009 this hard rock/blues rock band released the self-produced album "Beer! Sex!..and Fuckin' Roll" in 2011. "Impressions" is "Beer! Sex!..and Fuckin' Roll" after it was "touched up some". Apparently Roy Zappia and his band-mates (bassist Emanuele Cutrona and drummer Alessio Runfola) came to the attention of Logic(ic)illogic Records in late 2013 and after meeting with the label both parties decided that the lyrics and vocals on "Beer! Sex!..and Fuckin' Roll" needed to be improved. "Impressions", which was mixed and mastered at Atomic Stuff Studio by Oscar Burato, is the end result. Whatever it was that Inside The Hole (or rather front-man Roy Zappia) tweaked when it went back in the studio must have worked seeing as the ten-track "Impressions" is a damn fine thing! Self-describing their sound as "Hard 'n' Blues" and with influences ranging from Ted Nugent to Iron Maiden (something that really does work within an album like "Impressions"!) Inside The Hole captured the spirit of a working-man's barroom band on their "debut album" while firmly showcases a style that these three musicians were born to perform! "We'll Be Free" opens "Impressions" and the very first thing that one notices about Inside The Hole is the gruff voice of guitarist Roy Zappia. Whiskey-soaked and enjoyably rough this skilled guitarist gives "Impressions" an overall everyman feel and on a song like "I Pay For You" (a fave moment of mine which sounds like George Thorogood & The Destroyers teaming up with Motörhead!) he helps his band achieve a nice balance between all things hard & heavy and fundamentally-sound/authentic as hell bare-cheated blues! And it's that exact balance that makes "Impressions" such a fun listen! Musically this Sicilian band takes the best parts of Motörhead, Ted Nugent, Deep Purple and Foghat and then fuses it all together with the fanatical guitar playing that recalls Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter! For this Sicilian power-trio it's all fair game and when Inside The Hole let's everything roll nice and loose (check out "Mary, The Dream" and "Love Me Baby"!) that's one cool kicker, but it's even better when the trio gets HEAVY! The title cut actually looks towards Rainbow and Motörhead for inspiration while "Beer! Sex!..and Fuckin' Roll" slimes it's way across the stage like the Motor City Madman doing shots of whiskey with Lemmy! By the time "Begins The Blues" finally wraps this album up it's been a hell of a ride and the temptation to do it all again compels you to hit play "just one more time"*!

*Just one more time lead to an afternoon spent listening to this album again and again!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inside-The-Hole/175154769186932

Seta-Interferenze

Atomic Stuff Records

2013

Formed in 2009, with "Interferenze" serving as their grand debut, Seta are a five-piece electro/rock band from Verona, Italy. For this young act, whose lyrics happen to be entirely in Italian, the album "Interferenze" serves as the connecting point between the past, present and future. Only with Seta it's all eyes pointing forward as they aspire to "sound consistent". To that end they most certainly do succeed as "Interferenze", in a fashion that is often times reserved for the likes of (early to mid period) Depeche Mode or, in a way even I can't quite fully explain, a less-polished (but way more rock-oriented) Duran Duran. The contrast between music such as this and the album's opening sample of "Sid Vicious is Dead" is striking in more ways then one. True, anytime a album opens with samples clipped from (what I would assume to be) a British broadcast alert and then (dramatically) shifts right into Italian it's going to come across as nothing less then radical. In the case of Seta though it's not just that "unique" combination that counts for something, but it's also the strange allure that comes from positive, forward-thinking, edgy rock being broken up by these softer synth moments. The graceful synths are the work of Alberto Rossetti (keyboards/synth, samples) and even at the highest level of usage they are never overpowering enough to flood over the rock reality of this recording. Lead by Luca Tosato, whose voice has all the hallmarks of  a top-tier rock star (only without the bloated sense of self-entitlement that comes along with such a title), Seta offers the listener something different, a new choice if you will. Even within the electro/rock genre these Italians stand out as the music here almost has the feel of a movie soundtrack, but one that has transposed into the more traditional setting of a rock and roll LP. While it does feature quite a bit of  no-nonsense, heavy guitar rock, which comes courtesy of Lorenzo Meuti, these musicians do understand the delicate balance that is achieved by bringing melody into the equation. Rudy Ferrarese (bass) and Matteo Ortolani (drums) are the last two pieces to this puzzle and all told Seta, and their full-length debut album here, were a more then pleasant surprise. In the end this one comes with my sincere recommendations.

www.setaofficial.com

www.facebook.com/SetaOfficial

Iron Jaws - Guilty Of Ignorance

Pure Steel Records
2013

The Italian band Iron Jaws, which is due to release this, their sophomore recording, at the tail end of August, first came together back in 2006. Drawn together over the shared love of all things speed metal (Exciter, Abattoir, Agent Steel, etc) the band would go on to release their full-length debut, the aptly-titled "Louder Is Not Enough". This self-produced release ended up being well-received especially in Germany and Japan. In fact Metal Bound Records, a German underground label, would soon come calling and the next thing anyone knows the group's debut-album would be released on vinyl! After listening to this new album by Iron Jaws it's easy enough to grasp what all the fuss is about. You see there's speed metal and then there is Iron Jaws' version of speed metal. What's the difference? Within the ranks of Iron Jaws you have a bunch of speed metal fanatics doing what they do best (in this case it's thrashing about like a bunch of fist-bangin' metal maniacs) and doing it in such a way where it catches hold of your attention and just will not let go! Iron Jaws' style of speed metal has a lot going for it. From it's furious delivery to it's technical approach (not to mention the fact that a lot of what you find on "Guilty Of Ignorance" is down right catchy!) this is one band that sticks out in the overcrowded field of speed metal! The band features lead vocalist Andrea “Mixy" Finotti, whose vocal delivery comes across like this mad mash-up of all thing's German (or rather German thrash as his voice easily draws comparisons to the various lead vocalists of Kreator, Destruction and Sodom!) and a pair of Robertos in Roberto "Rock 'N' Rob" Massasso (bass) and Roberto "Micini" Quaglia (guitars). Drummer Riccardo "Ricky" Porzio completes the line-up of Iron Jaws. This album, which comes packed with a pretty cool cover of "Metal Merchants" (Hallow's Eve), is simply track after track of killer (old-school) speed metal. We're not talking about the European-style of speed metal mind you, but real speed metal like it used to be played!  This fun bunch pushes the scene back in time to the eighties, but they never fall into the dreaded "retro-speed metal" scene. The sound here is natural and just raw enough to give the whole album an underground appeal. This kind of long-forgotten and horribly missed speed metal finds Iron Jaws playing the hero role and I for one applaud this Italian band. Is the stage set  for more bands like Iron Jaws to emerge? Let's hope so. For now though this is the best of the bunch as it's the best speed metal release I have heard this year or frankly in a long, long time!