Thrillkiller-Showdown

Self-Release/Independent
2016

It was back in mid-January of this year that I first covered Baltimore, Maryland rock/metal act Thrillkiller. Their debut offering, "Time", was a hell of lot of fun and that explosive 4-track EP proved to be a easy recording to love thanks to it's simply unreal combination of  hard rock/guitar rock, AOR, and eighties pop metal! With their brand new disc here lead vocalist/main man Rob Bradley and crew* prove early on and often that sophomore slumps are for suckers and that it is indeed possible to out-think, outperform & outplay perfection!! More or less picking up where "Time" left off, "Showdown" builds upon the success of Thrillkiller's debut EP by adding six great new tracks to the mix. In addition to the fantastic title cut(!) there is "Living in Infamy", "The Fever", "A Reason", "The Believer", and "Social Disease". All six numbers sound simply amazing (and then some!) and showcase the insane amount of growth that this Baltimore group has achieved in it's short time together. What's more they fit perfectly in with the material from "Time" so that when it's all said and done you have the album to beat for 2016! If "Showdown" doesn't get Thrillkiller scooped up and signed then they is something terribly wrong with this thing we call reality!!


*Maxim Sobchenko - Guitar/Co-Founder
  Sebastian Ochoa - Bass
  Matt Bittman-Enginer and Drums

Saturday Singles: Black Leaves of Envy-"Forget What You Know"

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Black Leaves of Envy is a up-and-coming heavy rock/metal band that is based in Helston, Cornwall and comprised of Lewis Cunnningham (vocals/rhythm guitar), Cerys Plenty (vocals/bass), Adam Jones (vocals/lead guitar), and Dylan Plenty (vocals/drums). This young and talented band was formed back in November of 2013 before making their studio debut some two years later with the release of a demo single entitled "I Can't Trust You". Released on April 14th, "Forget What You Know" is this group's latest studio output and it was recorded and produced by Dare Mason at the VIP Lounge. The single follows in the footsteps of a 2015 EP, "Living In The Aftermath", and it shows the natural growth and progression of this underground English rock/metal band. Even though the young members of Black Leaves of Envy list groups & artists like Royal Blood, Biffy Clyro, Lower Than Atlantis, and Mallory Knox as their primary sources of inspiration the catchy "Forget What You Know" shows of the skills of one high-school aged band that has it's own thing going on! And we all know how hard that can be!! It is going to be very interesting watching this young band evolve and I for one simply cannot wait to see what the future has in store them. In the meantime be sure to support young rock and heavy metal bands like Black Leaves of Envy as they are the ones who will carry on the flag for all things LOUD and PROUD. Oh yeah, you can find this slightly-addictive single by heading here....

Thrillkiller-Time

Self-Released/Independent
2015

Released back on December 17th, 2015, "Time" is the debut offering from Baltimore, Maryland act Thrillkiller. A relatively new name to the rock/metal scene, Thrillkiller features two former members of the (sadly) now-defunct band Aries in it's line-up in Maxim Sobchenko (guitar) and Rob Bradley (vocals). But whereas Aries was a hard rock/heavy metal band (and a damn good one at that!) Thrillkiller comes across a slick combination of hard rock/guitar rock, AOR, and eighties pop metal. And when I say slick what I'm really trying to say is that this new project from Sobchenko & Bradley is top-down, turn yourself all the way around fucking phenomenal! With the help of engineer Matt Bittman (a hell of a talented individual himself Matt not only twisted the knobs on this SICK 4-track EP, but he played bass and arranged the drums to boot!) these two former Aries' members make it all sound so easy! Without sounding as if I'm off my rocker again (or worse yet my meds!) Thrillkiller has the chance to be the breakout band of 2016! Frankly speaking this is one hell of a hot new band that everybody is going to be talking about soon enough! Picture if you will a smooth (and dare I say sexy?) band that combines influences as diverse as Michael Jackson, ("Achtung Baby"-era) U2, Maroon 5, Fallout Boy, and Coldplay with the likes Van Halen, Firehouse, Tesla, King's X, and Extreme! Toss in the likes of Boston, Styx, and REO Speedwagon and you've got the basis for what Thrillkiller is all about! But, before you go thinking that this is some kind of retro con-job, "Time" is the story of a young band that sounds modern, bold, and and hip! The material on this EP could just as easily appear on rock radio as it could Top 40 stations thus putting Thrillkiller in a unique position. Is it possible that this Baltimore-based band could actual force it's way to the top of the charts and in the process bring rock music back to the mainstream? That's an interesting thought and yes, honestly it just might be a bit far-fetched. But, given the way that "Time" feels like the first step towards greatness maybe it's not as crazy as it sounds....

Grenouer-Unwanted Today

Mausoleum Records
2015

Due to drop on March 20th, "Unwanted Today" is the eighth full-length album from long-standing band Grenouer. That's not even taking into account the various demos, EPs, odd single and splits that this four-piece outfit has released since first forming way back in 1992. How that makes this band a "New breath of modern rock-metal from Saint Petersburg, Russia" then is beyond me! As odd as a opening/rant as that might be those are the exact words that open up Grenouer's promo for album number eight so it does seem a bit strange to toss out a word like "new" in regards to a band that first formed when I was still in high school! Maybe just maybe this Saint Petersburg band, with their Dualized (Mnemic, Voodoo Highway, Travis Cold) -produced new 13-track album here, is talking about their latest style as the Metal Archives has them taking the leap from thrash/death metal early on to industrial metal before finally landing squarely on rock/metal map that stands before us? If so that would make a bit more sense as (frankly-speaking here friends) that seems to be a trend for quite a few of Russia's more long-standing acts. The pogoing from one genre to another that is! Which brings us all the way back around to the latest "styling and profiling" sound that is Grenouer. Let's have more of the promo material if we can as the following statement is actually more telling about this band's latest LP. "The vocals reminiscent of Devin Tonwsend type prog-metal, while the guitars produce radical riffs not unlike Meshuggah" we read from Lukas Hendrik over at Rock Hard Magazine and (true to form) that's as good of a start as any for "Unwanted Today". Lead singer Andrey Ind (ex-C.O.D., ex-Tartharia) does have some Devin Tonwsend going for him, but quite honestly I prefer Grenouer's front-man over his "name that vocalist influence" counterpart! The truth is Andrey has a nice range going on and he breaths life into what can often-times be a difficult form of metal to fully embrace. Modern metal like this has it's own kind of built-in audience (of which I'm admittedly not a regular attendant) and there are plenty of sales figures to back that fact up. But, while I love the emotional vibe of rock/metal like this it always feel a tad artificial to me. That's not necessarily the case with these rockers. Together with Alexander Motor (guitars), Al Bolo (bass) and Danny D (drums) our main man Andrey cuts a nice path across Russia's cold landscape with material that is warmly-inviting. When Grenouer is in deep those ill feelings I have for modern metal lighten up even if I would be hard pressed to point towards any particular stand-out numbers. Even with all the special guests that invited special guests that Grenouer invited to the party it still strikes me that much of "Unwanted Today" blurs together. For the curious those guests would be Eddy Cavazza (John Wetton, Anthony Phillips) on guitar along with vocalists such as Demian Von Dunkelwald (Overunit Machine) and Enrico "Erk" Scutti (Figure Of Six). There is even an opera singer in Dmitriy Yankovskiy (Helicon Opera, NeoClassic Project) which one would think might add a little zing to the mix. Sadly it's still just Grenouer doing their thing. So, what does all of that exactly mean in the end? Well, as an outsider looking in the album "Unwanted Today" made for a pleasant enough listening experience even if it was one which I'm not likely to indulge in ever again. For everyone else it would simply depend on how much you were into the whole rock/modern metal sound. For those who are crazy about the scene a release like "Unwanted Today" might be worth a listen. But even then it's not likely that this will be the album to push over Grenouer over the hump. Just like every other form of metal the one that Grenouer is stepping into is way over-crowded! It's takes a lot for your voice to be heard with thousands of other bands vying for attention especially when you are late to the main event to begin with! That's not to say that Grenouer cannot pick up a few more fans along the way. They likely will especially with a label like Mausoleum Records behind them. But as far as being the next big thing in modern metal? I'd take a pass on that bet friends.....

Saturday Single: Faith No More-"Motherfucker"

Reclamation Recordings
2014

"Motherfucker" is a single from everyone's favorite rap rock band Faith No More. Serving as the first single from the band's upcoming/as yet untitled(?) new album (one which bassist Billy Gould says should be released this April), "Motherfucker" has a run-time of three minutes and thirty three seconds and it is the first new studio recorded material to be had from these San Francisco natives since 1997's "Album of the Year"! Produced by band member/multi-talented individual Billy Gould himself this vulgar new single was first released on vinyl on Record Store Day's Black Friday (November 28, 2014) before it saw a digital release on December 5, 2014. No strangers to controversy (read up on the video for "Epic" to see what really bothered people back in the day!) and most certainly not ones to settled for one particular style (see the strange differences between 1989's "The Real Thing" and 1992's "Angel Dust") "Motherfucker" is beyond rude and totally reckless. In other words it's prime-time/Grad A Faith No More! "Motherfucker," which is a song about accountability according to skilled keyboardist Roddy Bottum, almost feels as if it could have kicked off the post-"The Real Thing" Faith No More instead of what emerged thanks to "Angel Dust". Kicking up lots of political dust while it drags itself along by its stubby arms on a landmine-riddled dirt road, "Motherfucker" is all at once creepy/weird and (in somewhat typical Faith No More fashion) grandiose! This new single is a kindred spirit to Radiohead's "Creep" and Beck's "Loser" while it also feels as if it could be doom only without all the long, drawn-out passages. Harrowing images of Jello Biafra flash by as Mike Patton is at his absolute best here! As he confidently spits out this track's title over and over again one can't help but draw a parallel line between the one-time Dead Kenndys frontman and Mike Patton as they are both cut from the same anti-establishment piece of clothing and they both march to the beat of their own drummers (which in Mike's case would be the amazing Mike Bordin!). While it's way too early to wager a guess as to whether or not Faith No More's new album will have been worth the long wait at least this new single offers some slight hope that the band will return to their actual rock roots instead of the wall to wall craziness that has defined some of their later work. Well, there is that and then there are comments made by Billy Gould that the new album will feature blues rock material as well as numbers influenced by the likes of The Cramps, Link Wray and Siouxsie and the Banshees. All of which sounds rather lovely on paper so we shall see!

Elegantly Wasted-The Dog Years

Flaco Music
2013


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


 https://www.facebook.com/elegantlywastedband

Seagall-Hidden Ego

recordJet
2013

Around 10 years ago Seagall first saw the light of day and took flight. This Moscow-based 4-piece was originally brought to life to be a solo undertaking for highly touted guitarist Elena Seaglova, but that all changed with the addition of a group of similarly talented musicians. Elena, who (per the promo bio) is the winner of multiple guitar festivals and is an international endorser of Siggi Braun guitars and ENGL amplifiers, has manged to make Seagall into a rather jazzy (or should that be snazzy?) instrumental group. Good instrumental rock is not the easiest thing in the world to pull off as the lack of vocals can and, frankly speaking here, often do, expose flaws in the actually music. Little things that might otherwise be missed are magnified under the bright spotlight and exposed for all to see by attentive listeners. Of course that's just the first potential pitfall to be had for these sorts of groups. Just take a sneak peak at the other side of the coin where we might very well find music, when stripped down into vocal-free recordings, that fails to hold the listeners attention for long. When "Hidden Ego" is held up to the light of the day by a discerning public it just might be that some of this blurs together even when we're talking about highly creative compositions.  at first listen it might appear that Seagall isn't that concerned about listener interaction, but a repeated listen or two might be in order with "Hidden Ego". Two times through for me and I was happy enough with the direction this group, which is filled out by guitarist Alexander Sinitsyn, bassist Dmitry Shtatnov and drummer Ilya Lipatov were heading. If you find yourself in the market for a cut and dry "who do they sound like" I'm afraid this review will be of little help. Peppered with the familiar sounds of their home country, which works on several different layers, our friends in Seagall cover straight-up rock, hard rock and yes, even heavy metal. Most of the material present on "Hidden Ego" has a distinct classic rock vibe and when this group starts to pick up steam their helped out greatly by going for tried and true heavy metal riffs. As this might just be Seagall's first recording to see an "official" release outside of Russia it has just the right amount of highlights to make people stop and take notice. Find out more about this instrumental 4-piece at their Facebook page below.



https://www.facebook.com/SeagallBand 

NWOBHM WEDNESDAY: RANKELSON

Looking at these pictures would probably lead a person to think that this Welsh band was a sleaze rock/glam metal band. So, how exactly does this odd looking band, with an ever odder name, fit into the NWOBHM movement? Well, despite the ill-fitting and hair metal make up job, Rankelson is a name that should be on any respected NWOBHM fan's to check out list. Formed in 1984, the band managed to release two solid, if admittedly middle-of- the-road, rock/metal albums before folding four years later. According to the ultimate guide on all things NWOBHM, "The N.W.O.B.H.M. Encyclopedia" the band was formed initially by ex-Neon Spirit bassist Kim Hooker (Kim later went on to greater fame as the front-man of glam band Tigertailz) under the name Ran-Kelson. Due to numerous omissions of the hyphen the band dropped it and settled for plain old Rankelson. A four track demo appeared in the band's early days which lead to better live opportunities rather then an immediate record deal. It took some doing, but a deal was eventually struck with the classic Ebony Records. The result was 1986's "Hungry For Blood". With a keyboard player in the line-up the material released proved to be more on the hard rock/ melodic metal side of things. The overall impression is material similar in nature to bands such as Demon, Blade Runner, Tytan or Seducer. Album number two, "The Bastards Of Rock 'n' Roll", might have had a mean-looking cover and sinister- sounding title, but the music proved to be more commercial in nature (bands like Chinawhite and Persian Risk come to mind) even if it did retain some of it's hard rock appeal. Two albums proved to be all Rankleson could muster before folding and truthfully, as I do strive to be above all honest, neither album is a "masterpiece". Added together on one of those 2 on 1 CDs though (which I just ordered not that long ago, but you can easily make your own at home thanks to sites like  this:
http://bloodandhonor-metalblog.blogspot.com/search?q=rankelson ) and you get a very enjoyable mix of melodic NWOBHM metal/hard rock and keyboard-driven rock/metal. For those times when you want to listen to solid heavy metal (not thrash or speed metal, not power metal or hardcore metal) this is the right type of band. As stated though the band is mostly known for it's association with Tigertailz who, in and of themselves, proved to be far much more successful then Rankelson. Still, I like a good change-of- pace album for when I'm in the mood for NWOBHM, but not really heavy or fast metal. I will leave with this one last thought/observation though. Any day of the week I will gladly (and I mean GLADLY) take a band like Rankelson over what passes for hard rock/heavy metal these days. With these guys the emotions were real as was the energy and charisma. Bands like this, even if they were looking to sell a more commercialized product, were putting out fun records that were not 100% pissed-off rage like today's young crop. Don't get me wrong as we need the rage to stay in metal (and I say that as someone who has groups like Slayer, Napalm Death, Hatebreed and Pantera in their personal CD collection), but sometimes you want your rock to just rock and your heavy metal to just flat-out make you want to let loose without smashing furniture in the process!