Lunar Electric-Lunar Electric

Electric Maiden Recordings
2015

Originally known as Resin Gypsy, with guitarist/vocalist Dre DiMura and drummer Kaleen Reading serving as the connecting factor between both projects, Lunar Electric is a L.A.-based rock and roll power trio whose sound could best be described as equal parts classic rock and alternative rock. On the group's debut release, "Lunar Electric", we find DiMura and Reading paired up with bassist Geena Spigarelli and this self-titled EP features three songs from Resin Gypsy's old catalog along with the brand new number and lead single, "Crossfire Child". A video for "Crossfire Child" can be found below and of the four tracks featured on the group's first release it is arguably the strongest cut of the lot! This 17-minute EP opens with a radio-edit of "Bread & Circuses" and while it's a fine enough number in it's own right things get better on "Moonlight". Featuring a interesting mix of Cream and (early) Soundgarden, "Moonlight" is as sassy as it is swaggered with the number slowing building in intensity and intrigue. From there we have "Sleepwalker" and as the last number left-over from the band's Resin Gypsy days it is every bit as bluesy and gritty as "Moonlight" is. The EP "Lunar Electric" actually ends where we began this short review. Naturally I'm talking about the feisty "Crossfire Child" which is arguably this EP's heaviest and most well-rounded number. If there's a default defect to be found on "Lunar Electric" it's this EP's most glaring red flag. And that would be the lack of distinction between tracks one through three. Given time to properly evolve a power trio like Lunar Electric should  shake loose it's ties to the past and move on to the greener pastures of full-fledged originality and creativity. As it stands now this L.A. band shows promise. Maybe with a bit more time under their wings and a clearer objective we'll find that Lunar Electric are the real deal. Dre DiMura and company have the potential and the skill-set is there so I can see this happening eventually. The key word being eventually. For now "Lunar Electric" should be enjoyed for what it is. It's heavy rock and roll with a alternative mindset for those who are into that kind of thing. And now as promised here is the official video for "Crossfire Child". Enjoy!

Pendulous-A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Now signed to Baneful Genesis Records*, Pendulous** is a doom metal band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in 2011. Having shared the stage with the likes of Evoken, Bell Witch, Primitive Man, Windhand, Atriarch, and Mournful Congregation (among countless others) this popular (and frankly rather innovative) L.A. band made it's studio debut in 2013 with "Mirrored Confessions". That 21 minute EP was just the beginning for Pendulous though as nothing could have prepared fans and critics for an album like "A Palpable Sense Of Love & Loss"! At nearly sixty minutes(!) this is the kind of release a band like Pendulous needs in order to make the leap from local favorites to national treasure. With the addition of second guitarist Nicholas Rocha (Deathkings) and a expansive catalog of influences from which to pick and choose (everything from funeral doom to dark metal) the band's full-length debut has so much to offer for the discerning doom metal fan. We'll get to that bit shortly. First things first. Let's talk about the overarching sound of "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss". The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by John Haddad at Trench Studios (Intronaut, Exhumed, Phobia, Abysmal Dawn, Hirax) and for Pendulous it's a near-perfect backdrop for the story that they wish to tell. To that end one simply couldn't ask for a better "storyteller" than lead vocalist E.R.M. (Eric Rezső Mendoza ). This former Dona Eis Requiem front-man moves effortlessly between clean and harsh vocals and with someone as all-capable as he is leading the way there's no telling just how far this band will go! With a surrounding cast of characters that makes all-encompassing death metal mood music for the doom metal minded this L.A. act is clearly on the rise. All of which brings us to this album. A lengthy spoken word intro opens things up on the appropriately-titled  "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss" before the nearly nine minute(!) car-crusher that is "A Faltering Will" works it's way into the picture. It's not the longest track of the lot (as that would be "Closure" with it's run-time of 11:48!), but it does the job that it was hired to do and it does it oh so well. And that job would be slowing grinding the listener under the weight of it's overpowering and oppressive boot while sadly humming a melancholy tune! Sounds pleasant right? You bet your life it is! Much likes "40 Years" it's all about squeezing the most of the music while making sure that there is always one eye focused on the prize. Everything about "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss" is aimed towards the bigger picture. It's the idea that doom metal can be miserable and menacing. It can be overpowering and naturally oppressive. It can crush it's enemy and bury it's bones under rubble. But that does not mean that it has to be pure noise. It can have structure and be well-conceived. "A Faltering Will" is heavy alright, but it's also full of purpose and it has it's own distinct charm. Then again so does "Hibernal Sun". Unlike "A Faltering Will" though it's not so much about death/doom as it is post-rock. It's a different side to this band and yet it fits perfectly with the overall atmospheric vibe that Pendulous was aiming for. The same can be said of "Pendant World". It's more in line with death rock, but it to fits a pattern that is started early on with Pendulous and their debut full-length and it's one that ends with the subtle, piano-driven beauty that is "Memoirs". Without a doubt this is one of the most compelling doom metal albums of 2015 as well as one of the most genre-splitting. Doom fans are going to want to check this album out.

*Independently-released, "A Palpable Sense of Love & Loss" is due to receive a special vinyl treatment thanks to Baneful Genesis Records.

**pen·du·lous adj \-ləs\
1 : poised with no visible support, or hanging downward.
3 : marked by vacillation (between polar opposites),and uncertainty. 

Elegantly Wasted-The Dog Years

Flaco Music
2013


"Keep it loud and stay true". That's the motto of  Los Angeles-based hard rock and roller's Elegantly Wasted and let me just say that wiser words have never been spoken! On "The Dog Years" (the group's 3rd album) singer/guitarists Lenny J and Queen D (founders/top tier musicians) continue their campaign to conquer the world with not just the same kind of killer music that was found on their debut album, 2003's "Greetings from a Strange Place", and its 2007 follow-up, "Desolation Row", but even better material that is rock radio-friendly and (if they still played music videos mind you) custom built for MTV and VH1! And by the gods of rock and roll they might just pull it off! Conquering the world that is or at least all of rock radio! When you're talking about radio-ready rock and roll that is equal parts of old-school hard rock/hair metal (Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, AC/DC, Shotgun Messiah, Hanoi Rocks, D'Molls, Enuff Z'Nuff and Shotgun Messiah), classic rock (Alice Cooper, Slade, New York Dolls, The Cult, Sweet and Kiss) and "modern" rock (Foo fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Underground, etc.) it's damn hard not to get excited about the possibilities that could lie ahead for the band if only the mainstream press and the corporate suits that run radio stations these days would just catch up to the band and really LISTEN! There's a damn good reason why Elegantly Wasted still plays all the best clubs in L.A. and has toured toured Europe 5 times and the US twice. Both on and off the stage this band simply ROCKS and on "The Dog Years" Elegantly Wasted has found it's footing thanks to sweet hooks, catchy rhythms, gripping lyrics and highly-addictive song structures! It's track after track of hit singles in the waiting on album number three with not one bad cut to be found among the lot! Released late last year, "The Dog Years" is only now making the rounds online. Had I covered it last year I would have marked it down as one of the best hard rock albums of 2013, but (seeing as it came out in December and all of 2013) I might still cheat a little and add it to this year's Top-Ten as it is just too good to be kept under wraps! Elegantly Wasted might not save traditional rock/hard rock all by itself, but  with an album like this one they are not about to give in and give up! "The Dog Years" is proof-positive that these L.A. hard rock warriors are in it to win it! All that's left now is for the fans and newcomers alike to step up and show Elegantly Wasted that their efforts are not in vain.... 


 https://www.facebook.com/elegantlywastedband

The Flesh Eaters-A Minute To Pray A Second To Die (2014 Re-Issue)

Superior Viaduct
2014

Re-issued last month by Superior Viaduct, which means this one is fresh off the presses and probably still hot to the touch(!), "A Minute To Pray A Second To Die" is the second studio album from California's legendary (experimental) punk rock band The Flesh Eaters. The product of Slash magazine writer/punk poet Chris D.(aka Chris Desjardins) this oft-times macabre/downright moody band, which was fittingly enough named after a cult horror film from the sixties, was formed in L.A. in 1977 before making it's official debut one year later with the 7-inch EP "Flesh Eaters" (aka Disintegration Nation). Three years later the punk "group" issued it's first full-length album, "No Questions Asked", and with it's dark, near-death rock take on garage rock and roll the stage was set for The Flesh Eaters (with it's goth rock mentality) to do something truly magical. Cue 1981's "A Minute To Pray A Second". More experimental and (in a way) breath-taking then "No Questions Asked" (an album that is also consider to landmark achievement in the field of punk rock) The Flesh Eater's (bizarrely beautiful) second full-length album benefited from having a star-studded backing band featuring a real who's who from the then ever-expanding L.A. punk scene. Besides having Chris D. on lead vocals/shrieks and maracas the one-time line-up included Dave Alvin (Blasters) on guitar, John Doe (X) on bass, Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) on sax, Bill Batemen (Blasters) on drums and DJ Bonebrake (X) on maracas, snare and marimbas. With it's darker hues and morbid, horror-themed lyrics the ghoulish "A Minute To Pray A Second To Die" had the impact of a speeding hearse slamming straight into punk's underground rock scene and (influentially) it would go on to inspire bands for years and years to come! By bringing together roots rock, country, rockabilly, goth rock, jazzy garage rock, death rock and the blues the album took a stab at what punk rock was supposed to sound like and turned it into something radically different and gloriously original. Much like The Gun Club this L.A. band marched to it's own beat as evident by the oddball nature of this landmark recording. As a re-issue it sounds as wonderfully madcap as ever making it all the more deserving of a spot in everyone's essential punk rock collection!

The Gun Club-Fire Of Love (Re-Release)

Superior Viaduct
2014

Long out of print and demanding a high dollar amount on the secondary market, "Fire of Love" is the 1981 debut from The Gun Club. It was only last month that this smashing 11-track album was re-issued in a CD-only version by Superior Viaduct and for those of us who had long ago given up any hope of owning a physical copy of this blues-punk masterpiece that is one dream that has now become a reality! Elegantly produced by The Flesh Eaters' Chris Desjardins and The Plugz' Tito Larriva the amazing thing about "Fire Of Love" is how well it has weathered the changing times. As someone who only discovered the music of this L.A. band as an adult (and only by the good fortune of having once worked with an older gentleman whose wide-ranging taste in music reviled my own!) I'll admit that it gave me a greater perspective on the importance of this early "alternative" band. First formed in 1979 by singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce*, with guitarist Ward Dotson, bassist Rob Ritter and drummer Terry Graham rounding out the crew responsible for this great LP(!), the band managed to release seven full-length albums, one EP and countless singles during it's existence. Not one of the follow-up release would match the near perfection of "Fire Of Love" though and once opener "Sex Beat" rocks and rattles it's way into your nervous system you'll start to understand why this album is so hard to put down! "Sex Beat" is a tribal number that comes across as solo Lou Reed gearing up some garage rock and roll for all the crazy natives whereas the cover of Robert Johnson's "Preaching The Blues" offers up the first clue that The Gun Club were as knowledgeable about the Delta blues scene as they were about New York punk and 60's rock! The biggest clue though would be the band's choice cover of "Cool Drink Of Water" which comes much later on. This Tommy Johnson traditional is as authentic as one can get and it shows how comfortable Jeffrey Lee Pierce was no matter the environment. As far as The Gun Club's original material was concerned "Sex Beat" (as good as it is) wasn't this album's real highlight. Arguably that distinction would fall on track number four. Much ink has been spilled in regards to the haunting beauty that is "She's Like Heroin To Me". Another love-lorn track that kindles the spirit of a young, lost and lonely Lou Reed (as well as the Velvet Underground), "She's Like Heroin To Me" definite deserves it's revered place in the halls of rock and roll's greatest singles of all time. The problem with "She's Like Heroin To Me" is (at times) it overshadows other strong numbers like "For The Love Of Ivy" (a five minute plus moment of pure punk rockabilly wonderment!), the chaotic (yet strangely alluring) "Promise Me" and "Fire Spirit", a 60s/70s-infused number where the passion of Jeffrey Lee Pierce is highlighted in furious fashion! The colorful "Ghost Of The Highway" is another punk rockabilly song and if there is one thing to be said about "Fire Of Love" it's that not matter how stripped it might get the music packed within The Gun Club's debut album never falls short of brilliant! Caution is throw to the wind on "Jack On Fire" (a bare-naked rocker where primitive sex is presented raw and uncut!) and yet even during it's most twisted moments it never fails that I stare there in utter disbelief at just how far ahead of their time The Gun Club were! Long before rock music would be unclothed by the bands like The White Strips here was this L.A. outfit taking the best of what real rock and roll had to offer and, after cutting away all of it's fat and gristle, giving it back to listeners in such a simplistic manor that it was a feast for the senses! Even at 41 moments like "Sex Beat", "She's Like Heroin To Me", "Fire Spirit" and "Jack On Fire" find me standing with wide-eyed wonder while "Black Train", "Cool Drink Of Water" ( and "Goodbye Johnny" make me believe that the magic of "Fire Of Love" should be shared with our younger generation! This re-release sounds amazing and from "Sex Beat" to "Goodbye Johnny" there isn't a single moment where your ears start to wander. Even if I've had the pleasure of hearing this album before these past few days that I've spent with "Fire Of Love" have found me falling in love with this album all over again. This is one re-release I'll be sharing with family and friends young and old alike!


* A theatrical lead vocalist and guitarist, Jeffrey Lee Pierce was a founding member of The Red Lights and once served as the head honcho for Blondie's U.S. fan club!

Diamond Lane-Terrorizer

Self-Release/Independent
2014

"Terrorizer", the upcoming new release from L.A.'s Diamond Lane, is due out next month and up front let's state the obvious. If you were a fan of either 2011's "World Without Heroes" (the band's debut full-length release) or last year's EP, "Sapphire", they you are going to love this new 9-track album. For anyone who has yet to hear Diamond Lane then let's spell it out. Somewhere between a more metallic version of hard rock and a less sleazy version of eighties hair metal is where you'll find this five-piece parked and hanging out and with "Terrorizer" lead vocalist Brandon Baumann stay true to their trademark sound while the group occasionally pushes the limits of their sound into an area usually reserved for N.W.O.T.H.M. bands. Early on cuts like "The Enemy", "Cheating Death", "Slow Destruction" and  "Life to Lose" (a cut that blazes towards true heavy metal!) show that the band can still write the kind of heavy hitting hard rock that makes small music venues shake, rattle and roll while tracks like "Kiss The Ring" and "Hopeless Romantic" recall this L.A. band's earlier years when the band excelled at pumping out their own brand of Skid Row-like hard and heavy. Saving one of the better tracks for last, Diamond Lane swaggers their way through "New Model" which, in a better light of day, could be a lost lost Mötley Crüe track that was given new life and a real bad attitude makeover to make it more mean and way more desirably! But then again, Mötley Crüe never employed a pair of guitarists like Jarret Reis and Frankie Lindia! Together they deliver scorching leads that recall the glory years of heavy metal! Even ending on a bait of a down note with the half ballad/half rocker "Drift" (the one track that has throwaway written on it) couldn't spoil this party as "Terrorizer" proved to be a worthy follow-up to the group's last two recordings and a positive step forward towards even better things to come. 

http://diamondlanerocks.com/

Maxxxwell Carlisle‏-Full Metal Thunder EP

Power Dungeon Music

2013

When it comes to rock, hard rock and heavy metal (as well as crossover, thrash, death and countless other genres) the city of L.A. is a well known and highly respected hotbed of talent. When you look at the list of who's who (band-wise) you see names like Armored Saint, Suicidal Tendencies, Dark Angel, Dokken,  Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses. The thing is that's only the tip of the iceberg as those were just a few of the names that came to mind as I was preparing to write this review. With that being said, we're now going to want to add hot-shot* guitarist/competitive bodybuilder Maxxxwell Carlisle to the list. In addition to having his own band, which (incidentally) has also released 2 full-length albums, 2 singles and one additional EP,  the very talented Maxxxwell has also spent time as a touring guitarist in Deathriders (The thrash band lead by former Anthrax vocalist Neil Turbon) and is now a member of  L.A.'s Hellion. When you take into consideration that neoclassical/shred guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle has also worked with Michael Angelo Batio (Nitro), Tina Guo (Solo artist and Cirque du Soleil / Michael Jackson Tour), Ethan Brosh (Angels of Babylon), Nita Strauss (The Iron Maidens and Femme Fatale), Simon Wright (Dio, AC/DC) and Bjorn Englen (Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony Macalpine) then it's even more impressive that he has found the time to have his own, self-named heavy metal band! And what a band it is! Falling just shy of 30 minutes, this 6-track EP is chock full of wicked shred solos that sit snugly atop a cool combination of straight-up heavy metal and U.S. arena metal! With a new vocalist on hand (Michael Yancy) and guest guitar solos by Nita Strauss (The Iron Maidens) and Rick Renstrom (Rob Rock, Mistheria) this EP offers just the right blend of shred-your-ass-off  guitar solos and in-your-face-heavy metal riffs as to appeal to both the shred crowd and fans of traditional heavy metal. In addition to Carlisle and new lead vocalist Yancy you've got the rhythm section of bassist Frank Mullis and drummer Anton Peterson. Now, as to whether or not Frank Mullis actually played base on this EP? Well, that's a good question. Especially as the Metal Archives lists Maxxxwell Carlisle's instruments of choice as being lead guitars, keyboards (supposedly from 2007-present) and, you guessed it, bass guitar! Whatever the case may be, in now way, shape or form does it impact this album's strong heavy metal vibe or it's epic sense of energy! In a way I admit that I was reminded of Kane Robert's (Former member of Alice Cooper's touring band) solo career when I listened to this EP,  but Maxxxwell Carlisle seems as if he's much more of a straight-laced metal musician then Cooper's former guitarist. And, even if guys like Chris Impellitteri and Yngwie Malmsteen are among some of Maxxxwell's influences, this band, or even just this EP, isn't a over-blown indulgence of neoclassical nonsense. And let's be thankful for that my friends. There is nothing worse in this world than what I like to call "musical masturbation". This band doesn't blow it's wad with run-away guitar solos that are slick enough in concept, but lack anything resembling emotion. Often times its those kind of stylish solos than ruin guitar rock and make me want to stuff dynamite in my ears, light the fuse and have my head explode. I'd sooner lose my head then come close to going bat-shit crazy over long, over-drawn neoclassical crap that doesn't even come close to being enjoyable! Thank the maker then that our man Maxxxwell has enough sense to rein his playing on this full-tilt heavy metal boogie of an EP and skip the over-inflated guitar solos. Instead this EP  shows how you can play with style and still rock the socks off of your intended audience! This one comes with my stamp of approval and I just might have to do a rewind and check out some of his other materiel!  

*In this case "hot-shot" is a more then fitting term and it is nothing but a compliment as Maxxxwell's guitar playing is superb! 

Twitching Tongues-In Love There Is No Law

Closed Casket Activities
2013

Having enjoyed the last Twitching Tongues release, 2012's "Sleep Therapy", I was knee-deep in enthusiasm and anticipation when I came across their new album's promo. The band, which hails from Los Angeles of all places, has only been around since 2010 or so, but in that short time frame they have made quite an impression. At the heart of Twitching Tongues distinct sound you'll discover elements of hardcore, metal, doom, stoner rock, goth metal ( the kind that made Type O Negative so much fun), death metal and even some black metal (think Celtic Frost). Of course you'll also discover how melancholy the whole affair is. Even though that might sound weird on paper, especially as this dread-inducing 5-piece draws some of their sound from early hardcore bands (Cro-Mags, Warzone, Sheer Terror and Agnostic Front), in reality the band pulls it off and the whole thing settles in quite nicely.  Lead vocals come from Colin Young whose somewhat raw delivery makes the material on hand all the more impactful. On lead guitar is Leo Orozco while Taylor Young handles rhythm guitars and provides additional vocals. Together the two guitarists spend their time ripping through riffs that are equal parts death metal (Obituary and Pestilence) and crossover (S.O.D.and Carnivore) while also not that far off from what Life Of Agony is all about. Bass guitar comes from the capable hands of Kyle Thomas while Mike Cesario hammers away on the drums. Both of these musicians do their proper-duty of keeping things nailed down while simultaneously they seem to be keeping themselves occupied with the notion that it's up to them to be the heaviest rhythm section in the land! All in all "In Love There Is No Law" is a step up and step forward for this L.A.-based band. It still shows a band that can pull in everything from hardcore to death metal and yet still maintain this overall sense of dread and despair. All of that makes Twitching Tongues a little bit different, but different is good.
 

Brute Forcz-Out For Blood

Self-Released/Independent
2012

Move over Fozzy! It turns out you're not the only rockin' and wrestlin' heavy metal band out there. Say hello to Brute Forcz (Why the "z"? Because everything looks cooler with a "z" on the end!) which is made up of (former) pro-wrestlers/twins Robb "Jammer" Steel and Ronn "Slammer" Steel. This 10-track affair was one of many that I found on my last adventure rummaging through dollar bin CDs. It's actually fairly new (I believe it was released back in Oct. of 2012?) so I thought I'd give it a spin and let the chips fall where they may. One last note before we go there there. Obviously there was no way I was going to pass up on this CD with that album art and the band's promo pic below! Alright, as far as "Jammer" and "Slammer" as concerned I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that these two probably wrestled on the independent circuit as I've never heard of them. While I don't watch wrestling these days (I'm more of a N.W.A., World Class Wrestling, UWF, mide-eighties WWF kind of guy) I do still pick up on the ins and outs of the ring through friends. Regardless, these two former wrestlers left the squared circle behind and headed for California. While they tried their hands at acting (They had a small part in Adam Sandler's God awful "Jack And Jill") they soon found that their true calling was in the field of heavy metal. After adding British guitarist Will Wallner (who was actually Robb's guitar tutor prior to joining Brute Forcz) the group issued their debut-EP, "Kick Ass Heavy Metal".

Alright, now that we are all caught up to speed the band lists Motörhead, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe and Kiss as their influences. To that end they managed to get Bob Kulick (Who, along with Brett Chassen, forms Office Studios) to produce their debut EP and this one, the band's full-length debut album. Of course Bob has done studio work with Kiss in addition to having his own cult band named Skull (See Metal Mark's Forgotten Gem article on Skull for more information). Since Bob has worked with Triple H. (He produced/played guitar on the theme music for Triple H) he's used to being around guys who have more adrenalin then they know what to do with! OK, so my first impression of Brute Forcz was not so positive. Or at least the album's first song, "Live For Speed", as it sounded like a poor man's Motörhead. As the album thundered along though I did get a sense that, while this album drips cheese, this L.A. metal band had their hearts in the right place. First things first. The bad parts of "Out For Blood" are plentiful. Lead vocalist Rob Steel sounds like he went to the Greg Hudson (Lead "singer" of Torn Flesh) School For Heavy Metal Vocalists. That's not a good thing my friends. Rob does the old sing/speak thing when this band would be better suited to find even a mediocre lead singer. It's hard to take this one seriously as a result. Especially when the lyrics come across like they were written by a high school metalhead serving detention! In that regard this album does thread the fine line between serious heavy metal and bands like Piledriver, Cycle Sluts From Hell and Spinal Tap. There's good news to be found though. Those influences that are listed above come out to play and they play hard! This L.A. 3-piece plays real heavy metal. When they get going they really get going. They smoke up the room with the Venom meets Accept track "Metal Injection". Throughout this album the band finds time to worship at the altars of Raven, Motörhead, Venom and Accept. Yes, they do occasional do it in such a sloop fashion that it sounds like a High School metal band still learning their chops. While that's not all that encouraging I will say that while these 3 are thrashing about it obvious that they are having fun.They have enthusiasm on their side which is a very contagious thing. The lyrics might be cheesy (I'm looking at you "Teenage Lover") and the band might sound like a Spinal Tap/Venom hybrid on more then one occasion ("Sex Machine"), but for $1.00 I'm glad I took a chance on this group. Heavy metal has lost a lot of it's fun side so Brute Forcz are a nice reminder of the way things used to be. Perhaps this band might not be anything more then a side-note in the heavy metal history books or will just be seen as a novelty act, but I can't help but wish them success as they give today's scene a much needed "Metal Injection"!