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...

Joe Bouchard-The Power Of Music

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Just released on April 29th and serving as an absolute must-have for classic rock fans both old and young(!), "The Power Of Music" is the latest (and arguably greatest!) solo recording from one time Blue Öyster Cult member (and superb musician in his own right!!) Joe Bouchard. This spectacular full-length album (which is Joe Bouchard's forth solo recording since 2010) features seven new numbers and two choice covers. It also serves as the proper follow-up to 2014's "New Solid Black". The album opens strong with the classic rock thunder of "Walk With The Devil" all but stealing the show and from there it is just one ace track after another until "Career of Evil" closes things out in style! Written by the poet Patti Smith and Joe's own brother Albert (who was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult), "Career of Evil" is just one of many classic B.O.C. songs that still rule rock radio and it is given special consideration by Bouchard on his new solo album. Simply put it works on so many levels, but then again you could say the exact same thing when it comes to the original material that makes up the bulk of Joe Bouchard's "The Power Of Music". In addition to the splendid title track (which sounds as if it could have been written by B.O.C. sometime in the seventies!) and the aforementioned "Walk With The Devil" (I love this great rock track!!) you've got the wild and fun ride that is "Is He The Wolfman". This first-rate song is old-time rock and roll number with a nice and spooky horror/Sci Fi vibe and it shows just how talented and creative this multi-instrumentalist is! Other stand-out numbers from this former B.O.C. member include "Story Of The Blues Project" (more old fashioned rock and roll, but this time with a nice blue twist!), "36 Strings" (a laid back number with an easy does it feel to it), and "Photographic Evidence" (another number that sounds as if it could have easily been written by B.O.C. during the seventies!). When it's all said and down "The Power Of Music" is a hell of a good rock and roll album from Joe Bouchard and it makes for a great (as in solid gold!) addition to one's classic rock collection.

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
 

Nick Oliveri's Uncontrollable-Leave Me Alone

Schnitzel Records
2014

Before we even start with "Leave Me Alone" let's go ahead and establish a quick point of reference just so that we can get it out all of the way. Bassist/guitarist/vocalist Nick Oliveri is primarily known for having spent time with Kyuss (and subsequently Kyuss Lives!), Mondo Generator and of course Queens of the Stone Age. He has also played with the Dwarves and Moistboyz. What's more it is making the rounds that Oliveri is collaborating with the likes of Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Gary Holt (Exodus) and Casey Chaos (Amen) on the soundtrack for the movie documentary "House Of Shock"! So, even if Nick Oliverri is mostly recognized for his contributions to the stoner rock scene this bassist/guitarist/vocalist has seen and done it all. Or at least musically-speaking. But, here's the thing about "Leave Me Alone". Cue the dramatic music because this is not the Nick Oliveri we've heard before and for those looking for past points of reference an album like this one shatters those expectations (along with rock and roll fundamentals!) into a million tiny pieces. In other words if you are expecting something along the lines of Queens of the Stone Age or Kyuss you are going to be disappointed. "Leave Me Alone" abandons those kind of principles. There is just no other way to put it then that. And other than a couple of guests (one of which is Motörhead's Phil Campbell!) "Leave Me Alone" finds Nick Oliveri working solo in order that he alone can take credit for the new direction he takes on his first solo release. It's true that he oft-times discomforting nature of  "Leave Me Alone" is unexpected as it definitely finds Nick Oliveri throwing all caution to the wind! By deconstructing (raw, striped-down and dive bar-worthy to begin with!) rock and hard rock and purging punk rock of what little purity it had left Nick Oliveri has certainly given fans and critics alike something new to talk about with this new release! At it's best "Leave Me Alone" is ramped-up post-rock/punk-rock cleverly disguised as noisy trash metal. And that works! At it's worse though it's an exercise in tolerance and patience where noise is just that-noise. Often times "Leave Me Alone" balances perilously close to that edge (a uneasy tipping point if you will) where one minute it's pure heavy rock/punk rock ecstasy and the next it's merely a bad acid trip waiting to happen. More so "Leave Me Alone" kind of carries itself as if it is a live album misdiagnosed as a studio recording. What happens to work great live (bare naked riffs, grungy bass lines and clunky drums) is a different animal all together behind the paddle walls of a recording studio. I suspect the bulk of what's been laid out on Nick's first solo album (the unedited moments where this vocalist/string-man just goes with the flow and improves punk rock and roll) would go over gangbusters in a live setting. Otherwise it is suspect to interpretation (ie: is this true, unfiltered and unspoiled post-rock art or is it much ado about nothing more then unrestrained noise?) more so then a statement one way or the another of whether or not is is good. Honestly I fall more of the side of "Leave Me Alone" as a good album with quite a lot to say, but there is a case to made that the "Uncontrollable" part of this project's title might be more than mere words....

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/ 

Karen Haglof-Western Holiday

True Morgan Music
2014

"Imagine a distaff ZZ Top without the bluster" was the only selling point needed when it came to the solo debut from former Rhys Chatham and Band of Susans guitarist Karen Hagloff. Upon first listen I couldn't have agreed any more. And yet another perspective threw me for a loop of sorts. As "Western Holiday" opened with the spectacular title cut (a blues-buster rock and roller that is based on a real life wrangler that Karen knows!) my teenage son duly noted how the first few notes of the track sounded similar to the "Left 4 Dead" soundtrack! That had not dawned on me, but it's an interesting observation all it's own with Karen's full-length endeavor finding favor with my whole household. For this one-time Minneapolis native whose currently a New Yorker it all sounds so natural and seeing as this singer/songwriter is also a hematologist/oncologist there is simply no way that one can downplay the talent involved with this 12-track debut album! As someone who paid years of dues in both the rock scene in Minnesota and New York (with time also spent as a member of The Crackers!) Karen Haglof craftily builds upon her roots making "Western Holiday" a album that is not only about the blues ("Righteous Anger" and the blues-punk infused "Musician's Girlfriend Blues" (featuring Mitch Easter on slide guitar!) starting off the LP in that direction) but Americana, noise-pop, cowpunk, rockabilly, alt. country, guitar-driven pop rock and heartfelt rock and roll. It's sort of one of those album's where anything goes as long as it plays to the strengths of Karen as a vocalist and guitarist. With Steve Almaas (ex-Beat Rodeo) not only sitting in the producer's chair, but providing bass and vocals on "Dog In The Yard' (alternative country and rockabilly wrapped together all neat and tidy!) and "Lincoln Letters" (a number that ended up featuring the late, great Faye Hunter of Let's Active on lead vocals) and CP Roth on drums, piano and percussion "Western Holiday" ends up being a well-rounded release with a clean and crisp sound! In fact doing a full track-by-track breakdown of this fine solo album from Karen Hagloff would be a huge undertaking because of how well-rounded everything here is! Karen and her fellow musicians do such a wonderful job of infusing each track here with originality, creativity and integrity that by the time 80's rocker "Won't Wake Up To You" kicks in you're out of breath! For me the highlights of "Western Holiday" were too numerous to note as there is not a dull moment to be found as Karen's debut album is filler-free! With a real voice of honesty, reason and sometimes hurt Karen carries the weight of the world through-out these 12 revealing cuts and if justice were to be served 'Western Holiday" would become this year's must-hear hit album!

Ronny Munroe-Electric Wake

Rat Pak Records
2014

As heavy metal fans should already known Ronny Munroe is the lead vocalist of Metal Church. And of course Metal Church just released the solid "Generation Nothing" last year. Outside of his duties with said classic heavy metal/power metal band Ronny (also ex-Paladin, ex-FireWölfe, ex-Presto Ballet, ex-Rottweiller, ex-Brutal Godz, ex-Far Cry, ex-Glamm Slamm, ex-Lillian Axe and ex-Sea of Souls) has managed to pull off a respectable solo career. As the solo follow-up to Ronny Munroe's "Lords of the Edge", which was released in 2011 to so-so reviews, "Electric Wake" is tailor made for fans of classic heavy metal. Hell, the promo material here states as much and with a few key guests in tow* this enthusiastic front-man (here at least sounding like he went out and bought every Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dio album out there so that he could envision the ultimate heavy metal front man and then transfer it to tape!)offers up a collection of tracks that combine the aforementioned three acts with the likes of Metallica, Megadeth and (of course!) Produced by Bruce Bouillet and mixed by Jon Wyman, "Electric Wake" features guitarist George Lynch cutting lose on "Ghosts" with numbers like "Burning Time", "Turn To Stone", "Sleepless Mountain"** and the title cut following suite and giving traditional heavy metal a big old high five! Then you have "My Shadow" and "United" where Ronny and company take on "The Dark"-era Metal Church (and turn the tables by taking things into thrash territory!), the riff-heavy crusher "Ritual Murder", "The Others" (This cool number featuring Pamela Moore and Dave Rude of Tesla is kind of hard to describe as it almost comes off as heavy rock and alternative rock meeting up with modern metal in order to tear a underground punk club down!) and "Pray" (a dark take on post-grunge/hard rock). For this Metal Church member it's all fair game and yet "Electric Wake" still comes across as the real deal. It's all part of one complete, fully-assembled project that should be a sweet treat for heavy metal fans young and old!
 
* On Ronny Munroe's 3rd solo outing we have guests such as George Lynch, Tesla guitarist Dave Rude, Pamela Moore (Queensryche's "Sister Mary"), Paul Kleff (ex Firewolfe), David Donigian, Sean Baker and Tony Rossi. 

**Love the solo guitar work here!

Joe Stump-Revenge of the Shredlord

Lion Music Finland
2013

With the full-knowledge that shred guitar fans will be doing a facepalm, and perhaps a well-deserved one at that, I have to admit that up until this album landed in my inbox I had no idea who Joe Stump was. Feel free to mock me to your hearts content, but even if I am starting to enjoy shred guitar more and more I'm just not that familiar with all the names in the game. While that could be looked at as a gross oversight on my part I will say that, as it was my very first time ever hearing the man play, I went into this one with no preconceived  notions that could have tainted my review. Sure, I do feel kind of stupid about it as this is his tenth solo release! Where have I been hiding out then? Here's the thing though. In addition to being a well-known and highly-respected solo guitarist ( Joe was named one of the 10 fastest shredders of all time by Guitar One as well as one of the 50 fastest players of all time by Guitar World magazine and one of the top 20 shredders of all time by Guitarist magazine!) he has played in The Reign Of Terror, Obsession, HolyHell, Raven Lord, Shooting Hemlock and way more bands/projects then could reasonably be mentioned here! So yes, there is no way that I shouldn't have heard of Joe Stump and his epic style of guitar playing. And yet here we are. Of course that does beg the question then as to what I thought about solo-album number ten from Joe. I've been on record in the past as saying that I didn't grow up loving shred guitarists and the neo-classical sort. In my high school days I found them terribly tiring. Yngwie fans will moan and groan, but I found him the worst kind of all. Before I go off into a tangent about Yngwie though (and trust me I could as the guy is beyond dull to these ears) let's talk about what I love about "Revenge of the Shredlord". In a very real way Joe plays music with meaning. It's not just a showcase for Joe's amazing skills as a guitarist, which is not in doubt at all, but rather "Revenge of the Shredlord" comes across as real heavy metal as played by a real band. In other words it's not just Joe standing online doing his thing and his thing only. Rather this album, despite being a "solo" release, sounds more like a band project from a really cool outfit. Musically this release is said to be heavier and more intense then his previous recordings. As it's my first time hearing Joe and his band-mates I'll just have to take their word on that one. I will however vouch for the fact that this release is heavy and intense! It's also a bit dark (which again is something the promo says is new) around the edges, but it's not one of those doom and gloom affairs. If anything you could simply look at this album as if it is a heavy rocker from an instrumental speed/U.S. power metal band. And speaking of band, on album number ten Joe is aided by bass player Jay Rigney (HolyHell and more), keyboardist Rock Jetstream (I'm assuming that's his Christian name!) and drummer Héctor "Blaster" Jaramillo (Kaala). Additionally Francisco Palomo (HolyHell) helps out on keyboards and together all of these musicians have created a album that sounds fantastic! Joe Stump's guitar solos are obviously insane, but there's real emotion behind the music and if you were to add a lead vocalist to this mix you'd be hard pressed to consider this simply "shred guitar"! Given that I had a blast listening to Joe Stump's "Revenge of the Shredlord" as it focuses on the overall picture not just crazy guitar solos that sacrifice substance for supposed "skill". I'm highly recommending this one to all metal fanatics whether you love shred guitar or not!

Fred Colombo-Memoria

Self-Released via Zimbalam
2013  

Fred Colombo is a talented French-Italian composer/musician who has been a member of the bands Spheric Universe Experience and Ghostfather. Both of those acts (between whom he's recorded five albums) have allowed this veteran keyboardist to play well within the fields of hard rock and heavy metal. He's also managed to have played gigs with the likes of The Scorpions (for whom he's opened), Threshold, Uli Jon Roth, Iced Earth, Amorphis and Orphaned Land. So, when you're talking about "Memoria", Fred Colombo's new solo venture, you might look at his track record and expect it to follow a similar pattern right? Well, not so fast. This French keyboard player/producer offers up more then a few surprises on this solo album...some of which comes from way out of left field and even surprised me. That's saying something as I'm known to have everything from Slayer to the Bee Gees on stand-by! To say that there is quite a bit of variety here is an understatement. While some of this album could be loosely described as "metal" it's better to air on the side of caution and just say that "Memoria" is Fred Colombo exploring just about everything and anything but heavy metal. As I was per-warned a little about what was in store for me here (style-wise) I could easily see a fans of Fred Colombo's other bands getting this album and being stunned. Let's see what all we've got here. There's pop, indie rock, electronic, house, dance, fusion and rock. There's also so much more. Overall the album is a billion miles away from his work with Spheric Universe Experience and frankly a lot of left me with a strange look upon my face. It's different alright. The thing is I sort of dug that it so "out-there". Even though it is an album that even involves some light jazz/adult contemporary, which I would normally run screaming from, it does work as a solo release. And it's obviously that Fred Colombo is taking a risk and stepping out into the open with this solo release. I give him props for that. As variety is the spice of life I do understand his desire to so freely explore all of his loves even if I can also see this album leaving a lot of people rather confused. In the end "Memoria" is a softer approach for Fred Colombo and there is nothing wrong with such a bold move on his part. So, just as long as the listener knows what they are getting into with this new solo outing the no harm and no foul I figure.

Jimi Jamison-Never To Late

Frontiers Records
2012

If it's Frontiers Records it's got to be AOR or melodic rock right? The answer is of course yes. Journeyman singer Jami Jamison (Target, Cobra and Survivor) has quite the resume. With collaborations with ZZ Top, (reportedly Billy Gibbons refers to Jimi as the fourth member of ZZ Top) Joe Walsh and numerous others (not to mention  having the Billboard hit "Burning Heart") Jami Jamison (try saying that one fast 10 times in a row!) obviously has talent. Of course it's also obvious that these sort of solo outings are, at best, often hit or miss. According to the promo Jami's solo career actually started in 1991 with the release of “When Love Comes Down” followed by “Empires” in 1999. "Empires" included the theme, "I'm Always Here" for Baywatch. In a nutshell that should tell you a little about where this one leads. On one hand it's excellent melodic rock/AOR with flashy guitar work and plenty of synthesizers to make you think it's the eighties all over again. With tracks like "Street Survivor" you can almost picture an 80's movie about an ex-athlete getting one last shot at glory. Since these days there is still a small (but very loyal and very vocal) audience for this sort of stuff Jami Jamison should be able to find his niche. And honestly it isn't a bad album at all. It's got a very slick sound and the songs are catchy, but it all seems a bit too "shiny" if you know where I'm coming from. There are moments when bands like Survivor and Whitesnake come to mind and then there are times when this sounds way too much like soundtrack rock from an era that does not necessarily need to be relived. If synthesizer-driven rock butters your toast or makes you feel all warm and fuzzy then by all means lay your money down. You could do much worse. 

Steve Harris-British Lion

EMI/UME
2012

 Steve Harris should need no introduction. Unless you are new to the genre known as heavy metal (in which case welcome to the family!) or have never bothered to read the line-up information that comes with your favorite NWOBHM albums (in which case I have to seriously wonder about you) Steve is best known as the bassist/chief songwriter for the one and only Iron Maiden. "British Lion" (which was the name of a band that Steve Harris had taken under his wing back in the late nineties) is the debut solo album/side-project from Steve Harris. As stated the album's roots can be traced back to a separate band, however, make n mistake about it-at the end of the day this is a Steve Harris project. All he did was pick up ex-British Lion member's  Graham Leslie (guitar) and Richie Taylor (vocals). If you are the curious type I've included the exact line-up information at the bottom. And speaking of being curious (if you're at all like me then I imagine you are) no, this does not sound like Iron Maiden even if you do have Iron Maiden's primary songwriter. In fact this has more in common with the likes of UFO and Thin Lizzy then Iron Maiden.Heck, there is even some Kansas love to be found along the way. It is the hard rock version of Kansas mind you, but still this is NOT one of those albums where you find yourself saying "You know what this album could use more of? It needs more Kansas!". There were moments here and there where the band gets things humming just right. Those moments? Well, here's the thing. As I sat down to look over my notes that I had typed up I noticed that some one (no names mentioned, but I'm pretty sure it was my son Matt as he was the only one here with me this past weekend!) had closed down the page without saving it. Do I really want to listen to the album all over again then? Not really. The few good spots (nice guitar solos and experimental bass techniques from Steve Harris) are not enough to counter the band spots (decent at best production and a very weak lead singer). This album did have the makings of something really good which is why I'm surprised that Steve Harris settled for a guy who sounds like he belongs in a cover band and thought that the album's self-production wouldn't be an issue. Being that this is Steve Harris I really wanted to be floored by the whole affair, but instead it's more likely to be one of those albums where I pick and choose a few songs to add to mix CDs and ignore the rest.

















Steve Harris-bass
 Richard Taylor-lead vocals
David Hawkins-guitar/keyboards (all tracks except 5, 6 and 8)
Grahame Leslie - guitar (tracks 5, 6 and 8)
 Barry Fitzgibbon - guitar (tracks 5, 6 and 8)
 Simon Dawson - drums (tracks 2, 4 and 9)
 Ian Roberts - drums (tracks 5, 6 and 8)
 Richard Cook - drums (tracks 1, 3 and 7)

Donald Trigger-Infinite Persistence

Self-produced
2012

In 1989 Dainel Trigger heard Europe's "The final countdown" being played during a laser light show at the London Planetarium and this had such an impact on him that he wanted to make music that sounded "like that". He would form his first band at 15. Then he few years later he had some problems with this voice, but he would eventually recover and then form Trigger with his wife, then teenage guitarist Dave D'Andrade. Trigger would go on to record four albums and get some real attention before calling it quits in 2011. That brings us to this solo album for Daniel Trigger. I suppose I was expecting more of an 80's AOR style there is some of that. However the album as a whole is more of a mix of hard rock, AOR and even some more modern rock mixed in. I hear some Skid Row, Bon Jovi, MSG (Robin McCauley era) and yes even some Europe mixed in.  There is definitely a strong balance between heavy rockers and ballads. There is no doubt that Daniel Trigger handles both styles with ease. Listening to this album it sounds like whatever throat/voice problems that Trigger had they are certainly in the past. His voice is one of the major strengths of this album. Fans of hard rock should definitely give this album a listen.

Bret Michaels-Rock my world

2008
VH1 Classic



Solo albums can be a tricky item because inevitably the largest audience group that is at most likely to at least be initially drawn to it are fans of the band that this artist is from. However, for the sake of originality it doesn't prove a whole lot if the artist sounds just like the band they are known for. So we hope that they reach out a little and establish themselves and perhaps show some aspects we have not heard before. Then of course there are those times when we hear the finished product and realize perhaps the artist should not have attempted a solo album. That's how I felt after I struggled through Bret Michaels' new release. Has everyone involved with this CD just completely forgotten what rock music should really sound like? Apparently so since they let Bret go ahead and release this collection of emotionless tripe. Okay, the songs are varied from one another some which is usually a plus, but here it just comes across as different forms of weak songwriting and okay playing. Bret has toured solo a lot in recent years and his summer tours with Poison typically get reviews they are a fairly consistent live act. So those two things had me thinking maybe he had something to give here. Obviously he had nothing to give yet he went ahead and slapped together some generic, watered down tracks that lack any soul, direction or even any genuinely good moments. Even his normally decent vocals sound rather bored here like he was sitting down looking at his watch and he just punched out what was in front of him to get this over with and move on to the next money-making venture. The best thing about Poison was they could be fun, but I can't imagine who this album could be possibly be fun for because it doesn't seem to do a whole lot of anything. Bret Michaels should obviously be thankful for his success on his reality show (of which I am proud to say I never watched) and the strength of Poison as a live draw in the summer because he may not get very far if he only had to depend on material like this to provide a career for himself.