Free Metal Monday: DamseL-Demos

Self-Release/Independent
2018

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia and falling somewhere between hard & heavy rock and roll and (working man's) heavy metal, DamseL (sic) is a slightly-sleazy five-piece band that knows how to write some damn catchy material! Sadly there are only two songs on the group's "Demos" ("Obscene Machine" and "Dead of Night"), but when they are both awesome(!) that helps to ease the pain!!! So far this seems to be the only release from DamseL. Hopefully that will change in the near future. In the meantime this two-track release in free to download. If you ask me (and really, more people should!*) that is a absolute-steal for hard & heavy rock and roll songs like this, but seeing as I don't set the prices for these things who am I too complain?


*It's a joke folks...

Aerodyne-Breaking Free

Street Symphonies Records/Burning Minds Music Group
2017

Aerodyne is a hard & heavy/sleaze rock/glam metal band from Sweden that was formed in the summer of 2016. Lead by vocalist/guitarist Daniel Almqvist, Aerodyne is primarily influenced by the likes of AC/DC, Def Leppard, Kiss, Cinderella, Whitesnake,  and Led Zeppelin. Other influences include Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, but based on the sound of their first full-length album, "Breaking Free", those two classic bands take a back seat to all things easy & sleazy! Johan Bergman (lead guitar), Timmy Kan (bass), and Christoffer Almqvist (drums) round out the line-up for this enthusiastic Swedish outfit that should appeal to fans of Crashdïet. Released in mid-December of 2017, "Breaking Free" is a grade A release from this young rock band that has more than enough attitude to match their undeniable charm. With catchy material and stand out performances from everyone involved with it's creation, Aerodyne's full-length debut leaves me with the impression that there is nowhere to go for this fantastic foursome other than up! You can find "Breaking Free" at places like Amazon, iTunes, and CDbaby.

Roxin' Palace-Freaks of Society

Sleazy Rider Records
2016

Originally known as Modern Middle Ages, Roxin' Palace is a (somewhat sleazy) hard & heavy band that hails from Italy and was formed back in 2011 by Crown, guitar player of Revoltons and Hell, ex-drummer for Elvenking. This 13-track album is Roxin' Palace's second full-length recording and it was just released last October.  Available on iTunes for the unbelievably low price of only $4.99(!), "Freaks Of Society" follows the group's 2013 self-titled debut and it finds Crown and Hell backed by two new members, lead vocalist Al and bass guitarist Gian. These two talented musicians replace the departed Axel (vox), Slaver (guitar), and Garret (bass). Having heard some of the group's previous album (which you can read about thanks to the good folks over at Sleaze Roxx) this new line-up seems to be a improvement over the old one. Or to put it another way, "Freaks Of Society" provides a clear cut case of addition by way of subtraction! With the short and sweet title track serving as little more than a brief introduction on Roxin' Palace's brand new album, "Monsters Love" (this album's second track) is the heavy crunchy that actually gets the party started!! Running close to five minutes in length, "Monsters Love" is a (guitar rock-worthy) song that combines the appeal of classic bands like Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, and (early) Mötley Crüe with the vibrant colors of modern day hard rock. The same slick set of circumstances applies to the album's third number, "Gangs Eraser", as this wicked fun cut takes from the past and the present in order to roll out a rock-steady song that is just DYNAMITE! Thanks to influences that run the gamut from The Beatles to Megadeth(!), Italy's Roxin' Palace is able to offer a lot more bang for your hard earned buck. When you stack this up-and-coming quartet next to your average, everyday sleaze rock/hair metal/glam metal revival band you'll quickly notice just how much these other influences help out when it comes to an album's overall listening experience. Sure enough, because of the way in which "Freaks Of Society" was written, performed, and produced it does have the same lively feel of vintage band's like Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, Dangerous Toys, Ratt, Kik Tracee, Faster Pussycat, and Shotgun Messiah. There's nothing wrong with that picture. Not at all. Actually, that's a big part of why this album is as fun as it is! For those who loved the mid-eighties to early-nineties hard rock and/or hair metal/glam metal scene this disc should be a real hit!! It's just that the guys in Roxin' Palace stretch their creative wings nice and wide by adding in some harder moments ("Rockers of the Eagles" and "F.A.N.") that wouldn't be too far removed from the likes of Alice Cooper, Mind Funk, "Black" to"Load"-era Metallica, Leatherwolf, and "Slave to the Grind"-era Skid Row. With bad ass ready-steady rockers ("Thai of Mine", "Postatomic Hotel", "Monkey Junkie", and "Little Lizzy") and the obligatory ballad ("L.A. Mist"), "Freaks Of Society" is damn fine any way you slice you! But what happens when you toss in some punk rock Poison ("F.A.N."), dive bar hard rock ("Neighborhood Stars") and sleazy & easy garage metal ("Fading Idol")? Well, that's where the aforementioned "party" comment comes into play. Carrying around a copy of "Freaks Of  Society" is akin to having an instant party at your fingertips! Just add some cold beer and hot women to the mix and you are all set!

Bad Guys-Bad Guynaecology

Riot Season Records
2015

It's sounds like a bad joke, but here goes. What do you get when you lock two Englishmen, a Canadian and a Hungarian together in a filthy rehearsal room, force feed them shit food and even shittier booze and then tell them there is no way in hell that they are getting out of this London Dungeon until they have provided you with the perfect soundtrack to that hole in the wall (read: DUMP) joint down the street? If you answered Bad Guys then be sure to go and pick out one treat from the prize box. But if your answer was "Bad Guynaecology" then be sure to grab an extra treat for yourself as that is the exact name of dive-bar inspired masterpiece! Wait, you don't know which dive bar I'm talking about? Oh, sorry about that. It's the one where they like to host underground boxing and wresting matches and the air always seems to smell of cheap cigarettes, stale beer, greasy fried "food", pot and sweat. Well, it's mostly (stink palm) sweat but you get the general idea. It's also the dump where bar fights are a everyday occurrence and the chicken wire that encases the front stage is as much for the audiences' protection as it is for the bands! Do you recognize the place now? Yeah? Well, I'd wager a crumpled up twenty that Bad Guys would not only recognize such a place but that they would fit right in! And that's all thanks to the red hot way in which these four rock the living hellights out of "Bad Guynaecology"! Working with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Cathedral, Angel Witch) proved to be a blessing for Bad Guys as they have cranked out a finger lickin' and ass kickin' sophomore release that is by God all kinds of  loud and proud! When it comes to Bad Guys we're talking about a band whose beer-soaked take on heavy rock/heavy metal is nothing short of amazing and that's all thanks to the fact that these guys have a balls-deep kind of love & appreciation for the likes of Sleep, Deep Purple, Electric Wizard, Motörhead, Harvey Milk, Black Flag, MC5, ZZ Top, Killdozer and Black Sabbath. The music of Bad Guys is all of that glorious goodness smashed and bashed together with a case of Natural Light and a box of cardboard pizza and damn if this doesn't just remind me of the underground punk, rock and metal scene of my youth then I must just be off my golden oldie meds again! This one's fine as wine kiddos....it's just so fine....

Uncle Sam-Heaven or Hollywood (Re-Release)

Minotauro Records
2014

Well folks now we're talking. Talk about a golden oldie! Leave it to our friends at Minotauro Records to dust off this classic LP and give it a proper re-release. It's been a long time coming if you ask me! Now, I'm sorry to disappoint folks, but I'm going to try to keep things PG 13 here with the cover. If you are older like I am and are in any way, shape or form a collector of all things hard rock and heavy metal then I am going to guess that you've heard of this band before. Or you are at least familiar with the cover artwork of this 1987 LP. This is one of the less risky versions although the bikini cover one is probably the safest bet. Otherwise I am sure that you can guess what's under that sticker! Yes, it's pretty scandalous all around. The thing is what of the actual music? By the name and album title you'd likely be guessing that this one is sleaze and or glam metal. Am I right? I know that was my guess way back in the day when I first came across an MP3 of "Heaven or Hollywood". And yet this one is all about rock. Underground/garage rock if you will with the result being one album that is closer to the New York Dolls or solo Johnny Thunders than it is the likes of  Poison, Ratt or Mötley Crüe. And man alive if it isn't just one of the most beautiful things out there! To be fair there is more then enough raw metal and punk on an album like this one to have universal appeal. There are shades of Motörhead, Kiss and even (early) Mötley Crüe. But in it's heart of hearts this band was all about rock. Imagine heading to a seedy bar in the worst part of town and hearing a band that pulled from the better parts of not only the New York Dolls and solo Johnny Thunders, but Iggy& the Stooges, Alice Cooper ( a HUGE influence on this four-piece!), the Cramps,  the Ramones and even the Godz. Imagine finding out over the course of the evening that this band knew as much about the Sex Pistols and the Dead Boys as they did AC/DC and Aerosmith. And to top it all off the blended all of that knowledge and all of these different influences into a glorious rock and roll racket! That is what we are talking about with Uncle Sam and their album "Heaven or Hollywood". As vocalist Scott Cesna took to the mic like a disillusioned rocker of old his bandmates trashed the joint with the kind of finesse usually reserved for the likes of the Stooges, MC5 or the Dead Boys. Theirs' was a take no prisoners, love 'em and leave 'em take on over the top garage rock and roll and Uncle Sam had to have known that they were living for the moment with the D.I.Y. "Heaven or Hollywood" a means to an end. As good as they are on this record they were reported every bit as good live and whether they were tearing the walls down with their own material or covering the likes of "Steppin' Stone" or "Train Kept A' Rollin" (both choice covers tacked on here as bonus numbers with Uncle Sam's take on "Train..." coming across like a cross between The Godz version and Motörheads!) Uncle Sam was always spot on! And thanks to this very cool (enhanced) re-release here you can relive all of that conflict and glory, the good times and bad times if you will, in the comfort of your own home! Served up as a mini-LP with gatefold Japanese style papersleeve packaging, custom OBI and a sweet poster this re-release offers a great look at this Rochester, New York-based band that was just too cool for the times. Having sadly released only one more album (1990's "Letters From London") the band Uncle Sam came and went before they could be fully appreciated for what they had to offer. That's a shame as Uncle Sam's take on sleazy garage rock was sweet on the taste buds and ahead of the times.


http://www.minotaurorecords.com/

Eyes 'N' Lips-Pornstar For President

Street Symphonies
2014

Milan, Italy is a long way's off from the Sunset Strip, but you sure wouldn't know that from listening to "Pornstar For President"! Not only that, but it's 2014 and not 1980 something! And yet here we have Eye's N' Lips who sound like come straight out of LA circa 1986-1991 (or as Wikipedia put's it so elegantly the "Second Wave" of glam metal!). First dreamed up back in 2009 (when lead guitarist Gypsy and drummer/backing vocalist Vik meet by random chance) Eyes 'N' Lips really broke ground in 2011 with their current line-up (per their Facebook page) fleshed out by lead vocalist Mr. Skorpian (sounding somewhat like Vince Young's illegitimate brother from another mother), rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Cri and bassist/backing vocalist Swiff. That being the case and all it should be duly noted that here on "Pornstar For President" (which, besides being a cheeky title, is a concept we might want to consider here in the U.S. for our next presidential election (it would have to be an improvement over what he have now and at least when you were getting the royal shaft and getting screwed over their would be someone with a lot of practice in that department!), as we need change and we need it now!) one Donnie Young* handles the rhythm guitar parts with keyboards on the Scorpions-like "With You" and "Day After Day" (a punk rock Poison?) performed by the group's drummer, Vik. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Oscar Burato at Atomic Stuff Studio (Isorella, Brescia, Italy) "Pornstar For President" opens with the chant-heavy "Jack And Daniel" before moving towards the F-Bomb laden "Fucking Obsessive". With the title cut recalling a more pop-oriented Mötley Crüe ("Too Fast For Love"-era) and "Solider Of Love" simply kicking it sleazy and easy fans of old school glam metal should immediately add this one to their shopping list! Influences here can lean heavy on the likes of Mötley Crüe (see also "Desire And Curiosity" ), Poison ("Bring Me To Your Paradise") and Guns N' Roses ("Come Away, Come Away With Me" and "Desire And Curiosity" which, in a very cool way, sounds like Mötley Crüe and G N' R!), but on "Rock Your Love" it does sound as if these hard rockers are strutting and striving towards doing their own thing and offering their own take on the whole hair metal/glam metal thing. And with that in mind there is one thing that will work in their favor. When it comes to Eyes 'N' Lips here we have a band that is perfectly suited for Street Symphonies (http://www.streetsymphonies.com/ ) and will get the benefit of being on a label with bands like Bastardogs, Seventh Veil, Easy Trigger and Saturday Overdose! These are just a few of the high-quality acts that have come from Street Symphonies and if Eyes 'N' Lips are to be on their A game it would suite them to draw on the experiences of their label-mates! You can find out more about this hard rock and roll act at their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/EYES-N-LIPS/221389967880460





*Donnie left the band during the recording of this album.

Party Animals-Light a Fan Cool

Street Symphonies Records
2014

Pardon the cheesy one-liner Party Animals, but you had me at "Fuck You Baby"! This balls-to-the-wall, sexy sleaze rocker opens up "Light a Fan Cool" and from that moment on lead singer Andre and her band-mates had me just where they wanted. This "100% Rock'N'Roll Band From Italy" takes a page or two from early Mötley Crüe on this brutally real opener. The only difference being Vince Neil and company never managed to put me in a situation where I was literally peeling myself off of the ceiling after a song like "I Wanna Get It All"! But for Party Animals, which first formed back in 2012 (releasing their debut-EP, "Rock 'n' Roll",later that year), it all comes across as oh-so-easy and sick & sleazy especially when you've got a kick-ass front-lady like Andre manhandling the mic! Fortune favored this Italian four-piece when, in May of 2013 after original lead singer Sabrina had vacated the position the previous February, Andre (of the well-known Italian metal band Ravenouse) stepped up to the challenge at hand and if their 10-track full-length debut album here is any indication at all then Party Animals should keep the good times going for a l-o-n-g, l-o-n-g time! Now, back in the late eighties/early nineties albums like "Light a Fan Cool"** would have been the talk of the town. At the time bands like Mötley Crüe, Cinderella, Guns N' Roses and Poison, all of which influence this hard rocking band in one way or another-from looks to hooks (along with the likes of  W.A.S.P, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Kiss, Skid Row and AC/DC!) ruled the radio and MTV. That was then though and this is now. All of which begs the question then as to what can Andre and her cohorts (guitarist Max, bassist Gian and drummer Ile) hope to offer modern day rockers? Quite a bit as it turns out! Well, that's mostly if you're A) A long time fanatic of hard rock, hair metal, glam metal and sleaze metal (as in the long hair of yesteryear might be falling out and the denim jacket might be fading, but you still say proudly proclaim "I Love It Loud" and how you want "Nothin' but a Good Time"!) or B) A fan of the retro hard rock revival. Still, Party Animals packs a nice wallop and they could have easily fit into the collections of the "A" crowds and, thanks to the fact that this album is peppered with not only great rockers like (the aforementioned) "Fuck You Baby", "Damned Road", "Set Me Free" and "Hellfire"(just to name a few as this album is loaded-down with more gritty little rockers then you can wave a stick at!), but well-arranged ballads like "Lace And Spurs" (part Cinderella/part Bon Jovi), they could EASILY wipe the floor when it comes to the bulk of modern day hair metal bands (none of which have an Ace in their pocket named Andre!). Honestly I did not expect to love this one as much as I do now. When it first arrived the album cover gave me pause and the band's name*** didn't exactly have me drooling in anticipation. The music though is what matters. And the music here is everything you could ask for when you're talking about hard rock. These tracks offer hooks, well-arranged parts, cool choruses and more then anything serious ATTITUDE making them perfect soundtrack for your Friday and Saturday night activates! They are also the proper response for when people come up to you and try to argue something stupid along the lines of "women can't rock" or how every female fronted hard rock is as lame as Vixen (both of which I've actually heard within the last few months-man, we live in an ignorant world!). Italian hard rockers Party Animals are the real deal folks. Whether Party Animals can push on through here in the States does remain a question (you wouldn't believe the roadblocks in place for some bands when they find themselves ready to tour the U.S.-it's a story for another day though), but for now we have their debut album (which naturally comes highly recommended!) and maybe that will just have to do.


www.facebook.com/PartyAnimalsrock
www.streetsymphonies.com

*Maybe it's these lines "I can't repress my arousal again. I'd like to taste you, would you like to taste me?" but there is just something about Andre that peaks my interest!

**Per the promo material: "Light a Fan Cool" is a wordplay based on the similarity with an expression from the band’s hometown (Udine) that means “Fuck off!”.

***Quite literally hundreds of cover bands from California to New York have used the name Party Animals so I'll admit that the group's choice of moniker could have been better.

Gunpowder Grey-Gunpowder Grey

Boris Records
2014

You've heard it all before and so have I. After all it's the same song and dance. Members from this band and then that band come together and, unlike their day jobs, make music that's more rock n' roll then anything you would expect to hear from said people in their normal bands. In this case you're looking at a (self-dubbed) "Rock n' Roll sleaze"* act from Atlanta, Ga. (we'll get to that part in a second!) that is made up of two Disfigurement members in vocalist Nate Godbee and guitarist Adam Besserer (ex-Morionor, ex-Hellgoat, ex-Jenovah, ex-Malefic) and "three local punk veterans" in Chris Heffernan (guitar and vocals), Sam Vaughan (bass) and Joey O'Brien (drummer who also performs with Biters). And true to form the various members come together to try their hand at something different. Or at least on the Disfigurement end as A) This is anything but death metal! and B) I really have no idea who these other three gentlemen are! 

Looking the part....

When you think about it though the days jobs of these gents don't add up to a stack of beans (or is it hill of beans?). Right? Even if these sort of side-projects are quickly becoming the norm Gunpowder Grey should be judged on their own merits. So, I'll park my cynicism at the door as we check out "Gunpowder Grey" together. I mean hey, I'm just as new to these Atlanta act as you are! Or I was. Having listened to this one through I know feel as if I have a pretty fair idea of what these guys are on about and, truth be told, it ain't all that bad kids! Starting up front you've got lead singer Nate Godbee and, while this guy might normally be doing the whole death metal thing, here he comes across as a more rough and ready (and not to mention lean and mean fighting machine) Axl Rose! And he works well in this capacity. As a front-man he excels on the mic and even if there are moments when his vocals make the whole affair sound like blues-punk version of Guns N' Roses the album still passes the smell test. And his band-mates? Well, there might not be a Slash anchoring this outfit, but these guys do more then a fine job of keeping up with lead singer Nate Godbee and giving his voice a nice sound to fall back on. And that sound is fairly cool in it's own right! While the group might be wearing their best "easy & sleazy" outfits they also take a stab at a more "mean" metal sound here and there. Now, the promo says that they draw their sound from Black Sabbath and Pentagram as well as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. I've just got to say that maybe you could stake a claim at the latter, but the former? Truthfully Pentagram might work (as they were not strictly doom), but I scratch my head at the idea that a band like this draws their sound from Black Sabbath. And that is exactly why you can't always trust everything you read in promos boys and girls. Sill, the other part of the equation is fine as, at the heart of this group mind you, one could likely find some N.W.O.B.H.M. influences. They would be the more hard rock side of the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene, but it would be there and reasonable enough to see that as being the case. As a compromise though let's call this act a bluesy & sleazy hard rock act with some metal hooks at their disposal. Sound fair? Don't take my word for it though. You can hear a couple of tracks that made it onto the seven-song album (albeit it slightly different forms) like "Cummin' My Way" (ha ha!) and the title cut right here:  http://gunpowdergray.bandcamp.com/. After that you can even download the album track "Cut Me Out" right here: http://puregrainaudio.com/audio/gunpowder-gray-cut-me-out-free-song-download-exclusive-world-premiere. Then you could judge for yourself what this band brings to the table. Now, as I wrap this one up it should be pointed out that on Record State Day (April 19th) Boris Records will release the group's self-titled EP on 12" purple translucent vinyl format! And yes Virgina, it looks mighty wicked if the pick below is to be believed!

One could argue that albums like this one would sound better on vinyl (being that it's eighties-tinged hard rock and all!), but we'll leave that discussion for another day! When it comes right down to it these guys do what they do and they do it right so I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't like this EP. Maybe it's not brilliant (none of the tracks really screamed out to be unfortunately), but there really isn't a clunker to be found out of the seven tracks. Instead "Gunpowder Grey" is a rock-steady release from musicians who likely have much more to offer down the road! Let's just hope they get that chance...

www.facebook.com/GunpowderGray
gunpowdergray.bandcamp.com
 borisrecords.bandcamp.com
 www.boris-records.com
www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Boris-Records/186507934792104

*Or so says their bandcamp page! In reality though Gunpowder Grey takes a more blues-based approach to their sleazy rock and roll along with the already mentioned N.W.O.B.H.M. additions.

Asomvel-Knuckle Duster

Bad Omen Records
2013

Twenty years have passed since vocalist/bassist Jay-Jay Winter (RIP 2010) and guitarist Lenny Robinson first started Asomvel. Back then the group, which also featured ex-Cathedral/Acid Reign drummer Mark Wharton, could not have possibly guessed all that would happen to their band in the coming years. Before they could even get around to releasing their first demo, "The Blood Eye", which featured a "fitting" cover of a great white shark on the move, they reportedly went through ten or so different drummers in a way that would make even Spinal Tap chuckle! Not so funny though was the tragic passing of Jay-Jay Winter. Killed in a road accident in 2010, Jay-Jay's death would nearly crippled the band. While ex-Deathwing bassist Conan, who also plays/or did play bass in deathcore act Tangaroa (not quite sure if he still plays with them or not as there are conflicting reports online), would step in to handle vocals and bass even he knew that he could never really replace Jay-Jay and to this day both the band members themselves and fans still consider Jay-Jay to be a member of the band. Now, I freely admit that this release was a spur of the moment/impulse buy and prior to receiving it in the mail I had never heard of this British three-peace (which is rounded out now by drummer Jason hope) so I do not know how this one could or would compare to their older material. As I simply did not wish to be bias one way or the other I purposely choose not to listen to any of their previous recordings. That means "Knuckle Duster" is it for me as heck, I didn't even listen to samples of this one before I ordered it off of Amazon! I simply went by a review that I read in some metal mag (or was it online?) and now you will have the same option if you want. Here's the nitty-gritty details of this English heavy metal act. And actually gritty is as good a place to start as any. These English rockers play real, working man blues, drink hard and play even harder rock/metal that sounds as if it was honed by playing in every dive bar, biker hangout and empty parking lot between in Europe and the U.S.! That's a compliment of course as these fine gentlemen play working-clash rock and roll with lyrics that reflect a life that's seen it's fair share of blood, sweat and cold beer. These guys sound as if it's been a hell of journey, leaving behind them a trail of cheap liqueur and "Bad Mojo Rising" women, but we all know that "it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll"! That said, in Conan we find a better then advertised bassist whose gruff, whisky-soaked vocals fall somewhere between Zodiac Mindwarp (the man and not the band) and a certain Lemmy Kilmister (the main man period!). He's able to convey real emotion with his delivery while the rest of the group as a whole, which at times (admittedly) did have me thinking about Lemmy's band, rock the part the freak out with a wonderful blend of sleazy hard rock, raw blues-rock, drunk punk rock and of course heavy metal! On one hand these guys (deservedly so) fit into perfectly into my ideal collection of all things "loud and proud". On the other hand though these English musicians do a good job of playing "cut  the crap all you crazy cats and get down with your bad selves!" rock and roll that wouldn't be too far out of place if served up hot and spicy alongside the likes of Neil Young, Aerosmith, Kiss, AC/DC or Ted Nugent! So yes, even though I "took a big chance at the high school dance" when I bought this one blind it paid off big time! This is one of those "9 points out of 10 points" or "three and a half stars out of four" albums that's a leap and a (HUGE) bounce better then (and yes, it does make me choke up to say this as I'm a total fanboy for the band!) "Aftershock" (I'll cover Lemmy's latest release tomorrow if I can) from a band that is "shut your mouth I'm just talking about Shaft" epic in magnitude and ready for the big time/primetime baby!