Saturday Singles: The Ragged Saints-"Pretending Diamond"

Turenki Records
2015

Issued back in June of 2015, "Pretending Diamond" is the most current release from Finnish classic hard rock band The Ragged Saints. Members include Markku Kuikka (lead vocals), Tomi Julkunen (guitars), Toni Bite (guitars), Jukka Hoffrén (bass), and drummer Miikki Kunttu and yes, this is the same band that gave us "The Sound Of Breaking Free"*. Formed in 2011, The Ragged Saints hail from Helsinki and they are one of those rare bands that have managed to effectively combine elements of classic rock, radio rock, eighties hard rock, and melodic heavy metal into something absolutely magical! With a new album reportedly in the works there is still hope that the world will catch on to just how good this group is! Meanwhile a cool number like this should give fans a bit of cheer even if it does make you long for more...



*You can read my review of this rock classic by clinking on this link.

On Top-Topless

Toil Records
2015 

It's no secret that I've been a fan of Philadelphia's On Top since first hearing their 2012 debut, "Top Heavy". A drop-dead serious heavy rock/heavy metal gem, "Top Heavy" left me with high hopes as to the the future of this fantastic power trio. It took some time, but the band did (eventually) make their return with a worthy follow-up in the form of 2014's  "Top to Bottom". Between that (highly-recommend!) EP and the band's (must own!) full-length debut, "Top Heavy", this hard rock/traditional heavy metal band was on easy street. Now On Top return's with their third release (and second overall 4-track EP in as many years) "Topless". Digitally at least, "Topless" is due out on July 9th and if this band was on easy street already thanks to their two previous releases then this new EP should make them the supreme rulers of the surrounding city, state, and country! For band-members Jaron Gulino (lead vocal/bass), Brian Davis (guitar/vocals), and Danny Piselli (drums/vocals) this is as good as it gets and then some! Recorded at Tribe Sound Studios in West Chester, Pennsylvania, engineered by Brian Davis, and mix/mastered by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (KXM, Lynch Mob), "Topless" features the same kind of (sleazy does it) hard & heavy rock that we've come to associate with On Top and once you hit play on this EP's aggressive opener, "Lie to Me", it's all but over friends! Forget about Looks That Kill as this Philly-based trio has Hooks That Kill! These four tracks make you want to get up and get down(!) with the razor rock guitar solos of Brian Davis simply being too good for words! Between those riff-rocking leads and Jaron Gulino's gritty/gruff voice* it's all solid-gold for On Top, but make no mistake as to this band's ultimate strength. For On Top it's always been about that perfect balance between the melodies and the muscle and that's never been more clear than on this catchy EP! On Top's rhythm section helps that along nicely with each individual number on "Topless" showcasing it's own unique charm. Rounded out by the cool songs "Crazy", "282", and "Got Me Runnin'​" (with that last one a real a beauty!) this EP is just what On Top fans need. For the time being this is only a digital release, but sometime down the road there's talk of "Topless" getting a proper CD release. Let's all hope that happens sooner than later and let us also hope that On Top doesn't make us wait that long for their next full-length   release!
 

* Last time around I described Jaron Gulino's voice as sounding like "Rage Against The Machine's Zack de la Rocha (if Zack had been influenced more by the likes of Bon Scott, Lemmy, Ozzy, etc.) going through a sleazy street metal phase". I'll stand by that statement and no, it's not a problem at all for this band! His voice works well with On Top's guitar-driven, rough and ready stab at heavy metal/hard rock and by this point in the game I simply cannot picture any other singer fronting this trio!

Damn Dice-The Great Unknown

Self-Release/Independent
2015

"The Great Unknown" is the full-length debut from London's Damn Dice. If that moniker sounds a little familiar then you're not alone. It took me awhile, but the name finally came to me. This is the same band that released the "Wild 'n' Ready" EP. That was back in 2013. Apparently a lot has changed in the past two years because this doesn't sound like the same band. Then again this doesn't look like the same band either! Thankfully this London hard rock band has dropped the hairspray and make-up and in it's place they've adopted leather jackets. And with the leather jackets Damn Dice has brought a whole lot of attitude!! Honestly, two songs in and I couldn't believe that this was the same band that I once compared to Poison, Quiet Riot and Mötley Crüe! Once you hear the explosive opener "Power" for yourself you'll understand what I mean! Wow! The band follows that metal cruncher up with "What Now" and by this point in the album I'm starting to get the impression that this London band has fully made the jump over to heavy rock/heavy metal. "Drive" is more of the same and while there are still a few hints of the past this is obviously one band that has tightened up their sound and fully embraced the leather and denim lifestyle. "Down" proves to be more of the same. It's filled with rock and roll riffs and yet it's distinctly hard & heavy in it's approach. Song after song plays and the reality hits me that I really like this album. The mixture of heavy rock, hard rock and heavy metal is thoroughly enjoyable and the band's energy helps move everything along at a nice pace. Each and every track is upbeat and from opener "Power" to the album's final curtain call, "Home", there's never a dull moment. While I would like to throw out some names for comparisons sake I find myself at a loss. Damn Dice has definitely evolved in that department. The band has become a solid hard rock band and I would be surprised if this album's material didn't just kill it live! It's certainly heavy enough to get crowds moving. Hell, there's even a couple of tracks that push the envelope into true blue heavy metal territory.  "No Fear" is one such track and it's blazing leads damn near woke up the neighborhood! The same goes for the aptly-titled "Rock (Like You Mean It)"!! Talk about a number that lives up to its name! As epic as these cuts are "The Great Unknown" is still a creature of habit. So make no mistake as to this album's true intention as this is still hard rock through and through. And to that end modern hard rock fans should eat this album up. So should heavy rock fanatics. And of course Damn Dice fans should appreciate a album like this. For Damn Dice it looks as if second times the charm. I can see good things for these Landon-based hard rockers. Everything about "The Great Unknown" points toward that obvious outcome. To Damn Dice I say "Hell of a job guys!". Keep up the good work. This album has set a precedent so don't let us down!!!!

That was then...

 

This is now!

Dirty Fingers-250 Dollars

Logic(il)Logic/Andromeda Dischi
2015


Formed in the summer of 2010, with guitarist turned vocalist/guitarist Gabriel Grisanti the sole original member left standing after a round or two of unfortunate line-up changes, Dirty Fingers is a Italian hard and heavy band that is said to contain "Metallica energy, Motörhead tipsy bad manners and some gloomy Black Sabbath-inspired passages". I for one would beg to differ. That description leaves out Dirty Fingers whiskey-soaked/sleazy-does-it attitude (there's some sweet Guns N' Roses love going on here!) as well as the fact that this four-piece puts the ROCK back in rock and roll! And really both of those key points only add to the overall awesomeness that is Dirty Fingers! Because it's not just Metallica, Motörhead and Black Sabbath when it comes to Dirty Finger's sinsational full-length debut album here! No sir! On "250 Dollars" the up-and-coming Dirty Fingers also take a page or two from Megadeth, AC/DC, Hanoi Rocks, Krokus, Accept, Judas Priest, Riot, (early) Mötley Crüe, Rose Tattoo, T Rex, Alice Cooper, (solo) Ozzy, Kiss and even Jimi Hendrix and pretty much yes, it is as f**kin' killer as all of that sounds! For these Verona-based rock and rollers* it's all about kicking back and kicking ass and based solely upon their nine-track debut-album here these guys are already at the top of their game! One can only imagine then just how righteous album number two will be for Gabriel Grisanti and gang! If this is just the starting point for Dirty Fingers then quite possibly we could be looking at one of Italy's greatest contributions to hard rock and heavy metal! You can find Dirty Fingers online here and you will want to check out this album's kick-off track, "Back To The Move", by clicking on the YouTube link posted below! Dirty Finger's "250 Dollars" is everything that I love about rock 'n' rock-infused hard rock/heavy metal rolled up into the perfect underground club/dive-bar worthy act and I simply couldn't ask for a better soundtrack then this for the long-overdue summer days that lay ahead!

*The album's full line-up includes:

Gabriel Grisanti-Guitars and Vocals
Riccardo Menini - Guitar 
Edoardo Micheloni - Bass 
Giorgio Nuzzo - Drums

Ghost Season- Ghosts Like Her

Self-Release/Independent
2014

You will have to forgive me as I'm showing up late to the party that is Athens, Greece-based band Ghost Season. With a full-length album planned for sometime later this year it was just this month (March 4th to be precise) that I was first introduced to the band's debut offering, "Ghosts Like Her". Unfortunately I promptly went and tucked this EP away in a "To Do" folder and then (seeing as it is Mr. Flaky here that we're talking about!) I forgot all about checking that folder until today! Compounding the issue is the fact that I have far too many similarly-titled and themed folders which I desperately need to clean out. So, let me then be the first to apologize to Ghost Season and the nice folks over at Metal Revelation Promotion who first sent this EP to Metal Mark for consideration. My bad. Hopefully I'll be able to make it up to everyone once Ghost Season's new album comes out as I'd really love to review it! With all of that out of the way let us now move back to this Greek band that was formed during the summer of 2013 by bassist Dorian Gates of Clairvoyant, Night Guest and Madleaf fame. Those first two names are of the metal variety whereas Madleaf is a stoner rock/grunge-like band.  That is worth mentioning seeing as Ghost Season's sound comes at you from many different angles and it represents many different styles. With a total running time of 20 minutes and forty two seconds this highly recommend EP finds Dorian and his crew combining older hard rock and heavy metal ideas with newer alternative and modern rock influences for a sound that is all at once charmingly retro yet current and (you better believe it friends) majestically hip! Further credit most go to the surrounding cast of characters which includes highly-versatile lead singer Nick Lountos, guitarists Nash Sinner (ex-Station 11) and Nick Christolis (ex-Potergeist) and drummer Chris Grekas as (collectively) the five members of Ghost Season serve up a EP that is all at once rock-radio worthy while still loud enough for the hard and heavy crowd! And as referenced by the "alternative and modern rock" line the music of Ghost Season seems as if it would be just as capable of wining over fans of the nineties modern rock scene as it would those who still have an ongoing subscription to Alternative Press Magazine! Yes, a lot of that has to do with skilled voice of lead singer Nick Lountos, but the band's occasional foray into melancholy rock territory doesn't hurt either. Really, there is something for everyone going on here (if you are a rock fan that is) so hopefully the upcoming full-length from Ghost Season will not only capture that magic but expand upon it! Available to download on iTunes, Ghost Season's "Ghosts Like Her" is a praise-worthy debut and it's one EP that I hope to add to my personal CD collection as soon as humanly possible!

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.

Secret of Boris-Your Ghost

Cabo Records, LLC
2015

"Your Ghost" is the 12-track debut album from Secret of Boris. This Dallas, Texas-based band is lead by the rock-star/rock-steady voice of Cameron Taylor (a great singer who would also be comfortable fronting either a 90's alternative radio act or some post-metal/nu metal outfit!) and features three guys named Ryan in guitarist Ryan Byrd, bassist Ryan Ragus and drummer Ryan Arthur. Having previously shared the stage with bands like Black Light Burns, Hed(pe), F5, Underoath, Ugly Mustard, Fair To Midland, Anberlin, God Forbid, Boondox, and Hopesfalle this Texas act has a larger-than-life sound that is equal parts (modern) hard rock, radio rock, electronic rock and heavy rock/heavy metal. With catchy melodies, hook-happy guitar solos and what could only be described as an overly addictive sense of rhythm this is another new(ish) rock band poised for greatness! While they list their influences as Porcupine Tree, Mudvayne, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein you could also toss everyone from Stone Sour to P.O.D. into the mix (with the likes of Therapy?, Pantera and even Monster Magnet not far behind!) and you would be just as close to describing everything that there is to love about their BOLD sound! Secret of Boris is one rock radio hit away from the big time and given the poor state of the modern hard rock scene let us all hope that said hit song happens soon!