Stray Bullets-Shut Up

Sneakout Records
2018

Active since 2007, Italy's hard rock band, Stray Bullets, offer up some easy & sleazy glam on their full-length debut album, "Shut UP". Released on January 26th, 2018, this well-crafted release serves as the follow-up to the self-recorded album, "Lost Soul Town". Having teamed up with the good folks over at Atomic Stuff Studio, a huge chunk of "Lost Soul Town' was re-written & re-recorded in order to present this enthusiastic recording! Fronted by Alex Chinaski and featuring the mad skills of guitarists Steven Evil and Nick, bassist Dave Dufford, and drummer Zen, Stray Bullets official debut is sure to bring a smile to the faces of sleaze/glam fans as well as anyone that likes (catchy and fun) down and dirty hard rock!! This hidden gem features some sinsational guitar work and more than likely it will remind some of our older readers of the heyday of the L.A. hard rock/glam metal scene. If laid back (hard & heavy) sleaze is your drug of choice, "Shut Up" is the fix you need!  

Crime Scene-Vengeance EP

Self-Release/Independent
2018

Cologne, Germany's Crime Scene plays a hard & heavy brand of (somewhat sleazy) rock and roll on  "Vengeance EP". Starting off with the heavy rock of "Hey", this four-track EP almost sounds as if it could have come from Los Angeles, California...circa 1985. For those of you who might not get the reference point, Crime Scene could have been Germany's answer to Guns N' Roses. It's not a perfect match, but at nearly 17 minutes in length, "Vengeance EP" certainly tips it's hat to Axl and company! From the looks of things this brand new EP appears to be Crime Scene's studio debut. It might not be perfect, but thanks to the strength of numbers like "Hey", "Sex Drive", and "Back To Cologne" it is a fun listen. This one is recommended to anyone that likes like hard rock with a little bit of sleaze and muscle.

Enrico Sarzi-Drive Through

Street Symphonies Records/Burning Minds Music Group
2017

Enrico Sarzi (Midnight Sun) is an Italian singer-songwriter/hard & heavy rocker. Back on November 17th, 2017 this veteran musician released his full-length debut, "Drive Through". With the album's title being a nod of appreciation towards Enrico's biggest passion (Formula 1 car races), the 11-track disc finds this Midnight Sun member drawing from a wide-array of inspirations. Self-dubbed "Easy Hard Rock", Enrico's first solo album features something for everyone's tastes. Not only is there a couple of real hard and heavy rockers, but (grunge-infused) classic rock, AOR-like ballads, and a excellent sax-laden number ("Strange Freedom"). Granted that is to be expected when an artist is influenced by everyone from Alice In Chains to Adèle! Geared towards anyone that just loves all things rock (from Bad Company to The Cult), "Drive Through" has great production values, well-crafted numbers, and a remarkably confident vibe. It's the perfect album for when you are in the mode for something slightly-different...

Saturday Singles: Wishing Well-"Children Of Paradise"

Inverse Records
2018

The brainchild of guitarist/primary songwriter Anssi Korkiakoski, Wishing Well is a hard rock band from Helsinki, Finland that is currently fronted by Rafael Castillo. The recently-released single, "Children Of Paradise", comes from the group's upcoming album, "Rat Race". Due to drop on in early March, Wishing Well's new album sounds as if it will be something special. I am basing that assumption on not only the strength of this particular single, but the promo worksheet that accompanied it. While there are really no guarantees in life, I am hoping to review that album in the next week or so. In the meantime, "Children Of Paradise" is the object of focus and it serves as my first introduction to this hard & heavy rock band from Finland. Among many other nice considerations, the well-crafted number features a children's choir and a vintage vibe. It is a smooth track that makes you think fondly about the hard rock music of yesterday. In a world of artificial and fluffed-up hard & heavy (you know the kind of groups that I am talking about) I'll take this style of hard rock any day of the week! Along with the aforementioned promo sheet, "Children Of Paradise" gives me hope that "Rat Race" will light a spark under the tired old scene. Be sure to keep your eyes out for my review of "Rat Race" to see if that ends up being the truth.  

Saturday Single: The Fierce And The Dead-"Truck"

Bad Elephant Music
2018

Formed in early 2010, UK instrumental rock band The Fierce And The Dead is currently comprised of Matt Stevens (guitar, synth, loops), Steve Cleaton (guitar), Kevin Feazey (bass), and Stuart Marshall (drums). Available to download for free at the following site, "Truck" is the first single from the band's forthcoming album, "The Euphoric". At just over four minutes in length, "Truck" falls somewhere between progressive rock and (jam band) hard & heavy rock. It is somewhat catchy and has a great vibe going for it. Now, it might just be me, but the track "Truck" also reminded me of vintage video game soundtracks. I realize that is going to sound odd on paper. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'd love to hear other people's feelings on the matter. Either way, "Truck" is a fun listen that had me hitting the replay button several time over. I'm looking forward to what the group's next album has to offer.

Poisonheart-Till The Morning Light

Sneakout Records
2017

I don't know about anyone else, but when I hear the the phrase "poison heart" I can't help but think about The Ramones. Written in 1992 by bassist Dee Dee Ramone, "Poison Heart" is dark and depressing look at the uncaring world that is all around us. It has a simple yet haunting chorus that I can't help but sing as the tragic nature of life unfolds before my eyes. There is no way to know whether or not this Italian four-piece band named themselves after the poignant Ramones' number, but it sure does seem as if this hard/heavy rock group is looking to make the phrase their own. All it takes is one spin of their full-length debut here and that much is obvious. There is a strong and confident vibe at the center of this band. In spite of the many line-up changes and the long time that it took to put out this album out it is there and it is obvious. Having first formed back in the second half of 2000 as a classic glam/punk rock cover band, Poisonheart-Fabio Perini (lead vocals, guitar) Andrea Gusmeri (lead guitar, back-up vocals) Giuseppe Bertoli (bass, backing vocals), and Francesco Verrone (drums, backing vocals)-has come into it's own on "Till The Morning Light". These days the group has all but dropped any sign of their punk rock roots. In it's place we have groups like Kiss, The 69 Eyes, and W.A.S.P. Add in the living legend that is Alice Cooper and you have a nice starting point of reference when it comes to this dark and slightly-edgy recording. Of the ten tracks on Poisonheart's debut, "Anymore" (see the video here ) was the first number that I heard and it makes for a great single. While it remains my personal favorite of the bunch there really isn't a bad track to be found on "Till The Morning Light". That says a lot about the talent of this hard rock/dark rock and roll outfit. Due out later in this month, "Till The Morning Light" shows off the impressive skills of this four-piece band that went from playing covers to performing original material. It will be really interesting to see where these guys go from here.

Free Metal Monday: Mad John The Wise-Mad John The Wise EP

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Released back in early 2014, "Mad John The Wise" is the powerful debut EP from the four-peace Greek hard rock/progressive metal band of the same name. This name-your-own-price digital download features four amazing numbers from guitarist/vocalist Dimos Ioannou and company* with the shortest of the bunch (the excellent "Green pills"!) falling in at seven minutes and twenty three seconds! Armed to the teeth with technical weaponry that makes my head spin (and not to mention melodic wizardly that is pound for pound some of the best out there!) this talented Athens-based quartet effortlessly merges riff-heavy hard rock, progressive rock/metal, and traditional/melodic metal into something that is intelligent, timeless and 100% original. It's also highly enjoyable and demanding of multiple listens, but would you really expect anything less than that from a band named Mad John The Wise? With a new album in the works (yeah!) this extremely epic foursome shouldn't be that far off from becoming a house-hold name in progressive rock/metal circles. Oddly enough this band looks to be unsigned, but if this band keeps on putting out exceptional material like this that should change sooner than later. In the mean time be sure to pick up this first recording from Mad John The Wise because it is way too good to pass up. Obviously it is a absolute must download for anyway that claims to love progressive rock and/or metal. Let's not dispute that for a second. That being said, "Mad John The Wise" has a lot to offer for casual hard rock and heavy metal fans. Mainly we are talking about it's almighty bass and rhythm riffs, but at it's core this sweet EP also has some (thick) pounding drums and killer lead solos that are very metallic! Just check out opening number "My Dearest Crime" and you'll hear what I'm talking about! And don't even get me started on the raspy voice of Dimos Ioannou!! In a very cool way his style of singing gives "Mad John The Wise" a eerie kind of atmosphere and it is one of those vibes that is usually reserved for doom metal and dark metal recordings. Not that the EP itself goes in that direction. Again, this is progressively-tinged hard rock/heavy metal and damn fine progressively-tinged hard rock/heavy metal at that! Instead it's just a case where the raspy voice of Dimos Ioannou adds another metallic element to what is already a heavy release. Given all of that, "Mad John The Wise" is worse a listen whether you are into progressive music or not. And seeing as it is free and all.......



*Dimitris Ntolkas-Guitar
  Orestes Katsaros-Bass
  Spiros Stefanis-Drums

 

Lola Stonecracker-Doomsday Breakdown

This Is Core Records
2015

Active since 2009, Lola Stonecracker is a Bologona-based band that is currently comprised of lead vocalist Alex Fabbri, guitarists Lorenzo Zagni & Giovanni Taddia, bassist Diego Quarantotto, and drummer Christian Cesari. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Roberto Priori (Michele Luppi, Vision Divine, Danger Zone, Wheels Of Fire, Perfect View, etc.), "Doomsday Breakdown" is this hard & heavy/post-grunge band's 15-track debut album and in addition to 14 solid original compositions it includes a surprising effective cover of the Frankie Goes To Hollywood classic, "Relax"! Music-wise this rock-heavy Italian band's influences would seem to range from the "classics" (everyone and everything from Led Zeppelin, Pat Travers, The Edgar Winter Group, and Kiss to Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Blind Melon, and The Cult) to more modern bands like Buckcherry, Wolfmother and Halestorm. Vocally-speaking front-man Alex Fabbri comes about as close to being Axl Rose's stunt double as they come, but if (and only if) G N' R's lead singer was less of a douche and more magic man than he could ever hope to be! Also, Axl would have had to have been made in the image of a 70's rock star and been way more clean and crisp in his vocal delivery to match what Alex has going on! Regardless, "Doomsday Breakdown" stands on it's own two feet and style-wise it covers a lot of territory. With touches of blues rock, classic rock, eighties hard rock, groove, and guitar-heavy grunge(!) this album has a lot to offer and as far as debut releases goes it seldom gets better than this! With Atomic Stuff Promotion now handling matters, Lola Stonecracker has all the right tools necessary to carve out their own little slice of the hard rock pie. Ultimately though only time will tell if the band can make it from point A to point B, but given how strong their first album is anything seems possible for these Italian rockers!  

John Dallas– Wild Life

Street Symphonies Records
2015

"Wild Life" (which just came out last month and sport's a fantastic title-track!) is the full-length debut album from Italian hard rock singer/musician John Dallas* (aka Luca Stanzani). This 9-track recording also serves as the first solo offering for this veteran vocalist and it was laid to tape at Boat Studio's in Luca's birthplace of Bologna, Italy. Having teamed up with some anonymous studio musicians (and with Danger Zone's one and only guitarist Roberto Priori eventually mastering the whole affair!) this Italian vocalist actually self-recorded  "Wild Life" before he even had a record label to release it! Eventually Street Symphonies Records came knocking and it's really no wonder given the strength of the material at hand. With "Wild Life" Luca has crafted a worthwhile release that pays homage to it's creator's influences (Guns N' Roses, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Queensrÿche, Hardcore Superstar, and H.E.A.T. to name just a few) while stepping out onto it's own path of self-discovery and awareness! While it's technically not as heavy as some of those influences might suggest, "Wild Life" is nonetheless a heavy-rocking album that is somewhat modern in it's approach without losing the classic charm of old-fashioned hard rock. The album opens decently enough with the glam rock crunchy "Under Control"**. It's not the greatest thing in the world, but it gets the job done while it points towards the full potential of Luca's voice. Perhaps a better choice of opener would have been cut number two? That would be the rock-solid "Heaven Is". While I will admit to some level of frustration as far as coming up with an appropriate enough description of this terrifically awesome (gritty) metal number (early Guns N' Roses meets later day Avenged Sevenfold?) it does little to take away from the notion that it would have made a better opening moment. But, that's just an observation so let's move on to track number three. That would be "Falling". Even though "Falling" didn't exactly explode out the gate or anything it does get better as it rolls on. From there we move on to the sweet title track and then two tracks that proved to be favorites of mine, "Dreamin' On" and "Electric". Here's the thing though. Even if there are some songs that are clearly better than others there is seldom a dull moment on "Wild Life". The truth of the matter is all nine of the songs on "Wild Life" fall within the range of being  A+. Credit that to the songwriting as well as the apparent chemistry of all involved in the making of Luca's first solo outing. Quite obviously if I was pressed to name a few favorites it would be no chore at all. That would be tracks like the title cut, "Heaven Is", "Dreamin' On", "Electric", and "Love's Fake". But like I said even the "decent" cuts are good. Both "Psycho Game" and "Freedom" (a Bon Jovi meets Tesla kind of thing) have things to offer and they help make up the overall vibe of this LP. Admittedly things do get a little weird on the closing cut "Love's Fake". It has a Guns N' Roses meets Alice Cooper (by way of a more rock oriented N.I.N.!) feel going for it, but even it fits in with the overall theme of this album. And in the end I really liked this album. Seeing as this one is a heck of a debut release it will be interesting to see what John Dallas has in store when it comes time to record a follow-up. For now though be sure to catch this act live if you can. Something just tells me that John Dallas is not to be missed.


*A long-time member of the Bologna, Italy music scene (and a hell of a hard rock vocalist!) Luca Stanzani created the moniker John Dallas by combining Jon Bon Jovi first name and the eighties TV series, Dallas. 


**"Under Control" might not be as good as the some of the other tracks on "Wild Life", but even the so-so songs on this recording are well-written and cleverly-arranged! What that means is even the decent tracks on this one are really good! 

Free Metal Monday: Former Angels-Live at The Zoo

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Released back on June 21st, "Live at The Zoo" is (ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!) full-length album from Australian hard rock/rock 'n' roll band Former Angels. Recorded live at The Zoo in their hometown of Brisbane by Jesse Nikolic, "Live at The Zoo" features the killer live sound of a real  rock 'n' roll band and it is nothing short of criminal that Former Angels are essentially giving something as good as this away for free! Influenced by the likes of AC/DC, Guns 'N' Roses, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Wolfmother, Stonefield, and Jimi Hendrix, Former Angels are every bit as good as other so-called "name brand" acts if not a million-billion times better!! Someday (hopefully soon) somebody is going to catch on to this band, scope them up and then sign them because talent like this just doesn't come strolling along everyday! Offered as a name-your-own-price download, "Live at The Zoo" is for all you lovers of raw rock and roll and barroom-worthy hard rock! 

The V-Now or Never

Frontiers Music srl
2015

"Now or Never" will drop on July 10th and you had to have known that this would eventually happen. It's just surprising that it took this long. After all we are talking about one hell of a singer here! And there's no way that you could have kept her out of the main spotlight forever! Just in case you're in the dark I'm talking about Veronica "The V" Freeman releasing her own solo album. Yes, that's Veronica Freeman of Benedictum fame and here on "Now or Never" she's leaving the past behind and finally stepping up so that she can fulfill her true destiny. Veronica Freeman is a real, honest to goodness solo artist. In much the same way it took Doro leaving Warlock and both Joan Jett and Lita Ford stepping away The Runaways, Veronica Freeman has move beyond the band that helped make her a household name and finally come into her own. That is should she ultimately decide to take hold of the opportunity. All loyalties aside, "The V" (as Veronica is now known solo project) is simply too good to be held back by Benedictum. For her sake I do hope that she sees that. On the fittingly-titled "Now or Never" The V worked with various songwriters and a huge list of guest musicians in order to create a perfect solo outing. And really that's "Now or Never" in a nutshell. The V's solo debut is jam packed with great melodic hard rock songs that are well-written and proudly executed and there are more than a few numbers here that will ultimately get stuck in your head for ages! Other than the numbers "King For A Day"*, "Love Should Be To Blame"**, and "Again"**, "Now or Never" was produced by John Herrera and from that stand-point you simply can't go wrong! The production on "Now or Never" is top notch and everything falls into place nicely. Obviously Veronica is the album's main point of focus, but even as powerful and passionate as her voice is it never overshadows the album's instrumentation. That's a comforting thought given the (impressive) who's who list of guest musicians (see below) on "Now or Never"! To name just a few we have Michael Sweet (Stryper), Gary Bordonaro (The Rods), Jeff Pilson (Dio, Dokken, Foreigner, etc.), Jimmy Durkin (Dark Angel) and Mick Tucker (Tank). The album opens strong with "Again" and this fantastic number helps set up the disc's great title track and before long you release you've heard three killer cuts in a row by way of "Roller Coaster"! That said, "Now or Never" is really one good song after enough and although I do have my favorites ("Again", "Line In The Sand", "Love Should Be To Blame", "Kiss My Lips", "Spellbound", and "Below Zero") this is easily a album that you could listen to all the way through without every hitting "Skip"! As varied as the guests are on this album (Michael Sweet and Jimmy Durkin?) the music of "Now or Never" is actually fairly consistent. It's essentially hard rock/melodic heavy metal that's been maxed out by Grade A Rock and topped off by Veronica's sensational voice! I will say this. While Veronica Freeman has always been a great hard rock/melodic metal singer (she has the potential to be one of metal's all-time greats!) I really fell in love with her voice on "L.O.V.E." (no pun intended!). On this rock-steady track you will discover that all of a sudden Veronica has adopted the role of rock singer. Not a metal singer. No, she is a rock singer. As in rock and roll. And she is drop-dead sensational in this role! Could The V conquer heavy metal and rock? It's a good question and one that I'd like to ponder. Either way this upcoming album is a deal-breaker. The V needs to be doing her own thing and she should not let anyone hold her back. "Now or Never" is all the proof you need to make that judgment call and if you're a fan of Veronica then this CD will merely reaffirm what you already knew. 



*"King For A Day" was produced by Kenny Lewis.
 
**"Again" and "Love Should Be To Blame" were produced by Michael Sweet.

"Now or Never" Line-up:
 
Veronica Freeman – Lead Vocals
 
Leather Leone – Duet Vocals  on "Kiss my Lips"
 
Tony Martin - Duet Vocals on "King For A Day"
 
Meliesa McDonell- Additional vocals on "Starshine" & Acoustic Guitars
 
Pete Wells, Michael Sweet, Peter Tentindo, Jimmy Durkin, Mick Tucker, Jordan Ziff, and Michael Harris  – Guitars

 Jeff Pilson, Mel Brown, Garry Bordonaro, Aric Avina, John O’Boyle & Mike Lepond- Bass

 Derek Kerswill- Drums
 

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.

Saturday Singles: Mötley Crüe-"All Bad Things"

Released: Jan 20, 2015 
℗ 2015 Masters 2008, LLC. Under exclusive license to Eleven Seven Music from Masters 2008, LLC.

All bad things must end. Whether it's awful T.V. shows, a politician's corrupt career, a horrific first/last date or even a rotten marriage there are just moments when it's time to pull the plug and walk away. And as far as bands go there are quite a few bands that have seemingly overstayed their welcome. Is Mötley Crüe such a band? I'm not so sure. I'd actually put Metallica up towards the top of that list before I'd put Mötley Crüe there. That's just me though. Honestly though when it comes to this Saturday's single choice it's more like we have a random song title as opposed to a general statement about Mötley Crüe's worth. Especially if we are going to judge the L.A. rockers on the strength of "All Bad Things" alone. While this single might not be prime Mötley Crüe it's still good enough to put you in a happy mood and if the band were able to surround a number like "All Bad Things" with equal or better songs then we would likely be talking about one of hard rock's better comeback albums! Of course that would be a big "if", but for a band that obviously still has some fuel left in the tank and a strong following it does seem odd that one last single is all that die hard fans get. Either way, Mötley Crüe is calling it a day and that means one last tour and one last song before they ride off into the sunset. Or rather a "reported" final tour and song as we all know how these things usually end up going! But, if this really is the end for every one's favorite (sleazy does it) hard rock/glam metal bands then at least they are going out with a bit of a bang and before they turn into an absolute joke!

You can check out the "clean" video version of "All Bad Things" here:

Wrong Era-The Wrong EP

Atomic Stuff
2014

"The Wrong EP" is the debut offering from Italy's freshly-assembled Wrong Era. Formed earlier this year out of the remains of Italian hard rock band Sutuana, with this recently released EP containing four new tracks in addition to two remakes of old Sutuana songs, Wrong Era is made up of bassist (and now lead vocalist!) Marco "Sappa" Nicoli (Sutuana, Instant Karma, ex-Midnite Sun, ex- The Unripes), guitarist/vocalist Lorenzo Zagni (Sutuana, Lola Stonecracker) and drummer Gianluca Montanari (Sutuana). Recorded and mixed at SappaLand RockLab by band member Marco "Sappa" Nicoli, "The Wrong EP" is being promoted by the fine folks over at Atomic Stuff in another win-win situation for artist and record label! This match made in hard rock/heavy metal heaven has only helped to establish the key factoid that this very slick, six track EP is available for free download and streaming directly from Wrong Era’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/wrongeraofficial. Though it was initially presented to me as "rock in Italian" there is
a lot more to be said of this talented trio than that simple description or the above black and white artwork might suggest! A crackling fusion of heavy rock, alternative, post-grunge and the 1970's hard and heavy sound-scape, "The Wrong EP" is clearly in the right with this Italian rock band energized and amplified
by the presence of electronic elements! As much as the "lyrics ooze of discomfort" the music at hand is often times just as unnerving (if not more so!) with distorted vocals and studio trickery paving the way for band's one and only track "Wrong Era" to all but frighten the listener on an emotion plain! To be fair that bit of heaviness is the more extreme side of Wrong Era, but it does exist and it carries it's own distinctive attitude thus giving this rock trio's first piece of studio recording a fine and frightful edge upon which to build a more solid (and hopefully long-term!) foundation. You can find more information about Wrong Era at: http://www.facebook.com/WrongEraOfficial

Witchingseason-Witchingseason

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Part hard rock and part alternative rock, with 90's grunge making a much-appreciated appearance here on "Witchingseason" in order to serve as the well-traveled bridge which connects those two long-lived and long-loved genres together, London trio Witchingseason will finally satisfy the cravings of their fans once this self-titled release hits the scene on or around November 10th. Preceded by the singles "Spiders" (a number that I previously covered here: http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2014/08/witchingseason-spiders-single.html) and "Codeine" (https://soundcloud.com/witchingseason/codeine) this four-track EP finds Witchingseason once again tearing down heavy rock's highway with the likes of Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, The Doors,  The Stooges, Queens of the Stoneage, Mudhoney and Dinosaur Jr. loudly blaring from the speakers! With guitarist/vocalist Tom Reynolds sounding all the more like Chris Cornell's illegitimate child and the pair of  James R Willans and Wayne Summers (bass and drums respectively) soaking up the sunshine and radiation that is everything hard and heavy from a post-Black Sabbath/post-Nuke 'Em And Let God Sort 'Em Out wasteland this London trio knocks it out the ballpark with the new song "False Light". Meanwhile "Mechanical Failure" is anything but a failure thanks to it's wide-open structure and the overall crafty way that Reynolds, Willans and Summers combine the mid-late eighties alternative rock scene, heavy  garage rock and the likes of Mother Love Bone and King's X into one clever cut! Even "God's Waiting Room" with it's  Bush-like vibe has plenty going for it making "Witchingseason" a gold mine for fans of grunge, nineties hard and heavy rock and the darker side of the alternative rock scene! For more information on this up and coming London rock band be sure to check out any of the links posted below.

www.facebook.com/witchingseason   
www.twitter.com/witchingseason  
www.soundcloud.com/witchingseason

Blind Race-Come And Get It EP

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Blind Race is a Toronto, Ontario hard rock/alternative metal band that was co-founded by brother's
Costas and Stelio Kentros (guitars & drums/percussion respectively). Officially this band came into being in 2007 although prior to that (2005 to be exact) there was already demo material recorded. In fact there was enough music recorded for two EPs which is how this Canadian act evolved from a studio-only project into a full-pledged band that has already shared the stage with the likes of Breached, West Memphis Suicide, Left Turn City, Rise For Order, All But Over, Down In Ashes, Last Bullet, Polarity, Affinity, Kodessa, Revmatic, The Standstills, Rebel Hero, On The Verge, Sumo Cyco, Raised Emotionally Dead, Burning The Day, The Joy Arson, The Rabid Whole, Asleep Behind The Flame, Fallen Heirs and The Unchained! And that's just to name some of the group's that Blind Race has performed with since stepping out of the studio and onto the stage! The upcoming "Come And Get It" is actually the group's second overall EP and Blind Race's third release since first appearing on the scene with the 2008 LP "Seeing Red". Initially starting out as a four-piece, "Come And Get It" is the first recording to feature Blind Race's expanded line-up. Besides Costas and Stelio Kentros the new EP "Come And Get It", which incidentally is due out November 18th and can be pre-ordered at the bandcamp link below, features lead vocalist Tommy Geraldes, bass guitarist Mike Ferraro and keyboardist Joannie Cotten. If I had to take a stab in the dark I would say that Joannie Cotten is the latest musician to join Blind Race. But, seeing as this is my first sampling of this Canadian band such information is really neither here nor there when it comes to the 5-track EP on hand. If you are curious though here's what this bunch looks like:

 OK, now the we have that out of the way let's tackle this 16 + minute release. Produced by Mike Langford (Evans Blue, Parabelle, Charlie Hope, Rains, Hawksley Workman, Sloan, Ian Thornley, Jeff Martin, Crash Karma, Art Of Dying, Shiloh, Dane Hartsell, Rex Goudie, and Tupelo Honey) and mastered by Chris Crerar at Toronto's Metalwork Studios, "Come And Get It" isn't exactly what it appears to be at first. Very much in tone with the kind of great movies where a twist comes from out of nowhere to wrap everything up perfectly this EP starts out one way before going BANG! and turning the tables on you. Without giving away too many "spoilers" here opening track "Hypocrite" and then it's follow-up, "Come And Get It" are straight out of the playbooks of bands like Godsmack, Pantera, Slipknot, Disturbed and Five Finger Death Punch. So much so in fact that I swore I had this album pegged for what it was and that the track "Hopeless" would live up to it's name! But then "Hopeless" actually started and it showed a completely different side of Blind Race. The thing is "Hopeless" has a real Pearl Jam vibe going for it and while that would normally be a bad thing for me (as I honestly loathe Pearl Jam and all!) here on this EP it is amazing! "Truth Or Dare" is next where the band tackles "Black"-era Metallica by way of Stone Sour and while lead vocalist Tommy Geraldes shows off his versatility on the mic Costas Kentros shows off his solid skills as a guitarist. The pair even goes acoustic on the short, but sweet "Gone"! And here I was thinking that I could easily pigeonhole this band! Silly me! In closing this is one "new" band worth checking out and you can do that by heading either here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Race/7691919182 or over here: http://www.blindrace.net/online/ And if I haven't already said it then I must do it now. Collectively the members of Blind Race do a bang up job of complementing each other on their latest release and if they can continue to grow as a band and mature as songwriters then who knows just how far they could get! It's going to be interesting seeing what comes next for Blind Race, but in the meantime you can pre-view and pre-order this EP at this location:

http://blindrace.bandcamp.com/album/come-and-get-it

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/ 

Estrella-Whatever It Is (Single)

SJS Entertainment Limited
2014

"Whatever It Is" is a new single from Scottish four piece Estrella. Taking it's cue from classic 70s/80s rock influences such as Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Van Halen, AC/DC and Bon Jovi, Estrella is made up of  brothers Paul Gunn (lead vocals), Luke Gunn (lead guitar) and Nathan Gunn (bass) plus drummer Leo McPherson. Already a live hit thanks to plenty of buzz-worthy shows and a European tour with Robin Beck, Estrella, which is based in Aberdeen and will be touring Europe once more come November when they hit the road with ex-Guns N Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, will be releasing a new album in 2015. This particular single (due to released Oct. 13th) comes from the band's 2012 debut album, "Come Out In Play", which can be ordered from: http://estrellarocks.com/store. A perfect reflection of the group's influences, "Whatever It Is" is repeat worthy as it has a remarkably comfortable and familiar vibe about it. All out once it reminds you of your favorite classic rock and hard rock bands while maintaining it's own air of authenticity meaning it meets you have way between nostalgia and originality. If  "Whatever It Is" is just one tiny slice of the excellence that awaits listeners on "Come Out To Play" (an album which I hope to secure for review purposes in the very near future) then there is a good chance that Estrella's debut outing is nothing short of a rock and roll gem!

Letters From The Fire-Letters From The Fire

Self-Release/Independent
2014

This Tuesday, August 19th to be more precise, Bay Area hard rockers Letters From The Fire will release their self-tiled, 5-track EP. All the rage on rock radio these days thanks to their hard & heavy take on The Beatles' single "Eleanor Rigby" and their latest single, "Zombies In The Sun" (a crunchy Godsmack-like rocker featuring nice and meaty riffs courtesy of guitarists Mike Keller and Grayson Hurd), this 5-piece outfit features lead singer (and newest member) Elliot Weber laying down decent enough vocals over-top of decent enough post-grunge/heavy radio rock. While their version of "Eleanor Rigby" is fairly solid in and of itself it is nearly ruined by unnecessary screams towards the number's end. As for their own material there's the new single, another hard rock cut called "This Moment", "Waiting" (a semi-ballad) and (for some reason) the acoustic version of "Zombies In The Sun". Yeah. The EP really didn't need that at all. Letters From The Fire would have been better off adding another fresh number to the mix or (barring that) they could have just left it as is. But, it is what it is and of the few tracks offered here it would have to be "Zombies In The Sun" (the electrified version!) and "Waiting" that serve as highlights. Fittingly (since this San Fran outfit walks the same path style-wise) the band is currently out on tour with Trapt and they will continue to support the release of this digital EP well into October.

http://lettersfromthefire.net/

The Black Rain-Water Shape

Atomic Stuff Records
2014

Pure energy. No, we're not talking about that oft-repeated bit from Information Society's catchy "What's On Your Mind". Instead we're going to talk about the Italian band The Black Rain who, despite being born in Bologna in 2002, didn't grow into a proper band until 2010. The thing is by that point the band, which is categorically heads and shoulders above plenty of like-minded bands both in their native country and here is the U.S. (and that's before we even address their top-tier front-man Mirko Greco!), was well on their way towards setting fire to the playing field (or if you will the heavy rock and roll/hard rock scene) by way of well-thought out and (more often then not) heartfelt material. With a 2010 EP entitled "Hot for a Night" having served as the group's debut and then the late 2012 full-length album, "Night Tales", having helped to establish their name the stage was all set for this four-piece to come out swinging and really set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd with their sophomore output. To that end along comes the well-crafted/well-executed "Water Shape" which should do wonders for the ever-growing legacy of this band in their home country as well as serve as a pretty good introduction for the American audiences. From the way in which this disc opens strong with "Shadows" and then hits with "Mesmerize" you'd swear that this was going to end up being one of 2014's better hard rock platters! And that was before the album's first single "Rock 'n' Roll Guy" even kicked in! The track is righteously dedicated to those who still live their lives the rock 'n roll way and if any number is going to put The Black Rain on the charts it's this rocker!With both "Shadows" and "Mesmerize" (two rock and roll laced hard crunchers) grabbing hold of me hook, line and sinker (and by "hook" I mean the gnarly guitar playing of Eugenio Bonifazi and the strong presence of lead singer Mirko Greco) there was absolutely no way in heaven that I could have possibly been expected to see a number like "Rock 'n' Roll Guy" coming. And yet there it was. "Rock 'n' Roll Guy" is the sound of late eighties/early nineties hard rock/hair metal only the difference here is there is none of the long locks associated with said genres or any of the silly lipstick and lace! Instead we get the pleasure of four leather-clad musicians (including the rock-solid rhythm section of  bass player Marco Molteni and drummer Raffaele Marchesini) making magic for heavy rock/hard rock lovers! By the end of "Rock 'n' Roll Guy" I was close to ranking this album as one of the best rock and roll LPs of the last few years! "(S)He's So Amazing", which features Francesco Grandi (former lead singer of Rain) as a guest, did little to stop the enthusiasm I had for "Water Shape" and neither did the somewhat bluesy "Robert Johnson". Five numbers in and I was completely digging these Italian hard rockers whose sound hinted at a wide variety of influences such as (or rather as diverse as!) Collective Soul, Black Label Society, Soundgarden/Audioslave (In fact front-man Mirko Greco comes about as close as he can to being a rustic Italian version of Chris Cornell!), AC/DC, Santana, Billy Idol, Jimi Hendrix, Candlebox, The Black Crowes and even U2 ("King Of Stones" coming across as a hard and heavy version of said Irish rock band!). The versatility on display here is nothing to sleep on. The title of this 11-track album refers to the structure-free status of water and after just one listen to this recently-released album you'll understand the meaning behind that message! The way in which the rest of the disc plays out (check out "Without love" which reminded me of both solo Chris Cornell and solo Rob Thomas!) there really is an amazing amount of variety going on hence the title! The Black Rain probably did not go into the studio with the goal of crafting a Top-10 kind of rock and roll platter, but it's hard to pinpoint a moment that doesn't strive for that vision on "Water Shape"! With that said, "Water Shape" does offer plenty of heavier moments for the hard rock crowd. This one has guitar solos that go out of their way to be wicked as possible (it certainly looks as if they (the almighty riffs that rage on this disc!) are just aching for a good fight and then there are those dynamite rhythms that keep the beat steady, but are anything but restrained! And yes, the band does play as if they are dead set on taking over hard rock/rock and roll or at the very least taking a real chunk out of the scene by way of atomic leads, kick-ass bass and forceful singing that reminds you all at once of the glory of rock and roll as well as rock's dirty underbelly! Simply put this album (as smooth as it can be) feels like a band going a long way towards jam-packed rock/hard rock with slick licks that are (occasionally) disguised as commercial rock. "Water Shape" shakes, rattles and rolls and even offers a few surprises along the way  (no spoilers friends as you need to hear this one ALL THE WAY through in order to reap the full benefits of this particular party! How it is that Atomic Stuff Records can keep finding gems like this band is any one's guess. Somehow/someway the label picks up the scent of cool rock stars in waiting and then snags and bags them before anyone knows what the hell happened! It all seems so unlikely at times that bands like this are still out there. And yet here we are looking at another band with more talent between the four members than anyone can rightly be expected to contain. The Black Rain are a really good find on the part of Atomic Stuff Records and it just goes to show that when this label is tasked with finding their next new and exciting (dare we even say sensational?) act they know how to pick em! Although let's face it friends, that kind of task is much easier when you've got a band who can pair up good hooks with good looks!

So, if you find yourself looking for the next cool thing in hard rock/heavy rock and roll then look no further! Sure, the fine folks over at Atomic Stuff Records will likely get there hands on even more killer acts that happen to reside in Italy. The Black Rain should be leading the way though and doing it with plenty of sizzling guitar riffs and one of the better new front-men out there! You can find these guys online at http://www.blackrainrock.com/   and http://www.atomicstuff.com/ as well as on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Black-Rain/137533619623054