King's X - XV CD review

We all know what to expect from King's X ... sure, they have grown, and that is natural with any band. Only two major detours have taken place in their career – the heavily grinding Tape Head, which tended to lack the lush sophistication that we know them for, and Please Come Home Mr. Bulbous, which was almost a little too out there to be a King’s X record. But with their days of commercialism and experimentation, which was widely done on their own terms, behind them, the power trio still possesses their trademark harmonies, the hooks, and the tight grooves.

With XV (wow, has it been fifteen records already?) the sound of the rumbling twelve-string bass finds itself amongst a regular four-string, a multi-textured production is hammered out (Michael Wagener is behind the board again for this one), and the songwriting pool is as diverse as it has ever been; still, the band is expanding its sound, writing a new chapter instead of re-dubbing something from the past.

The album opens up with the soulful “Pray,” which is a typical King’s X tune, grinding with melodic hard rock glory and powerful emotion…yet the next track, “Blue,” is a laid-back bluesy number, exposing the band’s knack for diversifying their sound – and that is what is what XV is all about. You have elements of hard-edged power pop with the straightforward and rockin’ “Alright,” darkened metal on both “Rocket Ship” and “Go Tell Somebody,” funkified prog with “Move,” as well as psychedelic tendencies on “Stuck;” where elements of their simplistic pop sweet-tooth tends to compliment the nuances that make up the record, instead of completely dominating it.

XV is a solid rock and roll record which still sees the band as one of the finest hard rock/metal acts around. Everybody holds up well – Pinnick’s vocals are at their finest, Tabor really stands out with some of the solos on this album, burning the axe, and Gaskill’s drumming is at its utmost technical and skillful – this might not be Gretchen Goes to Nebraska or Faith, Hope, & Love, but it’s certainly a King’s X record. (Inside Out Music) – Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the CD cover to buy XV from Amazon.com

Diamond Dogs - Up The Rock CD review

When you think of power pop, the first thing that comes to mind, of course, is Big Star and Cheap Trick, as well as followers such as Brit-popsters Teenage Fanclub and American sub-Seattle (actually Bellingham to be exact) heavyweights the Posies. But whatever happened to grittier, riff-driven rock and roll? Diamond Dogs is the answer, and ‘rock things up’ is what they do on their appropriately titled record called Up The Rock.

Hailing from Sweden, the band possesses the sound of classic Cheap Trick (think of the first three records), the glam infusion of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie (soundwise, but not image), and T-Rex a la Slider or Electric Warrior; perfect for hailing the raucous rock and roll spirit that invokes catchy hooks, melodic riffs, and churning grooves. The album’s upbeat stance is heralded with cuts like “We May Not Have Tomorrow,” “The Closest I’ve Ever Been To Memphis,” and “Put Your Hands Together,” where the latter is self explanatory – and even with the dark balladry of “Where Are You Tonight” and the soulfulness of “Make It To The Other Side,” the album still stays on its buoyant course, through and through.

Up The Rock’s production also mirrors that of the early days of power pop – reverb, tape delay, close-miked acoustic guitars (remember when you could hear the pick hitting the strings?), and arrangements that include organs, dancing piano, and a growling sax – the Visconti-esque vibe is all over the place. Vocalist Sulo fronts the band, mixing punkish attitude and soulfulness, and the band plays out multifaceted arrangements without going into stoner rock territories or getting redundant (and thankfully, they aren’t jam happy either). Up The Rock proves that Diamond Dogs are real troubadours of the classic edgy power pop sound – something welcome in the world of bubblegum teenybopper schlock. (Locomotive Records) – Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the CD cover to buy Up The Rock from Amazon.com)

Harem Scarem - Hope CD review

I have said it so many times, had Nirvana never hit the scene in the early 90’s, there is no telling how big these guys could have been – but let’s not dwell on what could have been, for Harem Scarem has been loved abroad: they're big in Japan, and in their home country of Canada, as well as having a good following in Europe – they even landed music in the TV show Degrassi High…not bad at all!

Even with the alternative rock dominating the charts and with the music changes over the past decade, the band still played great melodic rock, even when they might have jumped on the bandwagon at times (with releases such as Rubber and Voice of Reason), there was something about the harmonies, the sophisticated pop, and the lush melodies that always saved the music from being schlock.

Now, after twenty years, Harem Scarem is sadly packing it in and their final album, Hope, is the last will and testament from one of the finest melodic rock/AOR acts to ever hit the stage – in fact, the whole AOR/melodic rock genre seems to circulate around them (just like alternative circulated around R.E.M); everybody always compares other bands to Harem Scarem when talking about AOR.

They take the songwriting styles reminiscent of Jeff Paris and Paul Sabu, the harmonies of Queen and the Beatles, the pop prowess of John Waite and Bryan Adams, the arena rock stature of Journey and Bad English, and the hard rock/metal edge of Extreme, Def Leppard, and Giant – all of the best, you couldn’t ask for more.

On their final piece of melodic rock mastery, the only sign of the band actually letting up was the actual announcement that Hope would be their last – for this is a review that most of us wished we would never have to write. Following up Human Nature, Hope is a plethora of AOR mastery, possessing catchiness wherever you listen, tracks like “Time Bomb,” “Dark Times,” “Beyond Repair,” and the hard-grinding “Calm Before The Storm” see the band still executing their hard rock soul in full force, while more emotionally-laden cuts such as “Days Are Numbered,” “Shooting Star,” and the acoustic “Nothing Without You” (with lyrics that state “It’s Hard to Walk Away,”) stay within a more laid back/balladry approach where sadness is invoked in more ways than one, seeing that the band has hit the end of the road.

Even so, the album, through its eleven songs, feature the signature Harem Scarem sound, with the songwriting being top notch, solos here and there, harmonies being highly lush, and vocalist Harry Hess’ voice singing out at it’s finest – for which he has one of the most distinct voices in the rock world.

So as the band leaves us with their final Hope, we can look back and listen to a band that stood the test of time, shunned trends, and also fit in with them. Harem Scarem has a vast catalog of music, but most of it you will have to dig deep into the online import bins, which means a lot of it tends to be pricey. Nevertheless, listen to just about any release from this band and you will not be disappointed – and even with their disbandment, they will still reign as the kings of melodic rock and AOR. (Frontiers Records) – Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the CD cover to buy Hope from Amazon.com)

Hammerfall - Masterpieces CD review

Beloved Gothenburg power/trad-metalers Hammerfall play the human jukebox; and it’s all for the right reasons – to bang your head and raise your fist in the air. Compiling tracks from various albums, compilation appearances, single B-sides, etc, Masterpieces is a celebration of the influences that helped shape the sound of one of metal’s more modern influences.

All the tracks on here are pure metal, no covers of jaded 70’s classic rock or new wave songs for that matter (there is a band out there that is guilty of covering “Manic” from Flashdance, but I won’t say who, and I’m not going to try to figure out the shtick). Hell, the lightest song covered here is “Man on the Silver Mountain,” and we know how much that one rocks – and these guys really crank it up!

Nevertheless, it’s all heavy fucking metal – some tracks we might know, such as their cover of Helloween’s “I Want Out” (Feat: Udo Dirkschneider and Kai Hansen), staples such as “Breaking the Law,” “Detroit Rock City,” and even a new recording of “Youth Gone Wild” (one of three new cuts on this comp); but the band dives into a broad range influential metallic material.

They really get into some tracks, such as melodic metal opuses from Pretty Maids (“Back to Back”), Accept (“Head Over Heals”), and Riot (“Flight of the Warrior” – another new recording), but we get in with what some might seem like obscurities with their takes on Warlord’s “Child of the Damned,” Heavy Load’s “Run With the Devil,” and Picture’s “Eternal Dark.” Now you know what you are going to want to do when you hear these versions, right? Get on iTunes and hope like hell you can delve into the original artists’ catalog – there might be some new discoveries to be made for some of you folks out there.

But not is all based on mainstay staples and deep tracks: there is homage paid to guitar gods such as Malmsteen (“Rising Force”) and David Chastain (“Angel of Mercy”), and even more hair metal opuses such as Twisted Sister’s “Were Gonna Make It,” Loudness’ “Crazy Nights,” and Europe’s “Aphasia” (the final new track, which beats the hell out of a cover of “The Final Countdown”). Eighteen tracks in all, some of which you might already have, spanning Hammerfall’s entire catalog. Masterpieces, like last year’s Steel Meets Steel - Ten Years of Glory "Best of" compilation, would make a great introductory companion to the band, or maybe fill in the gaps, etc…

With a band as influential as Hammerfall, it won’t be surprising that in ten years we see a covers compilation of their songs…maybe I shouldn’t get into that, but anyway, you listen to it, this is a tried and true compilation of metal – redone the right way. (Nuclear Blast Records) - Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the CD cover to buy Masterpieces from Amazon.com)

Hammerfall - "Last Man Standing"

Zebra - The DVD review

You can’t say that this band is forgotten, because you always hear their songs on various XM Radio and Music Choice channels, VH1 Classic played their videos in rotation (when they were a video channel), and a ‘Best Of’ compilation has been released – and yet it seems now, they are getting more notoriety as the days go by, and it’s well deserved.

Coined as the band that played ‘Zeppelin better than Zeppelin did,’ Zebra finally has unleashed a DVD that unfolds the mystique that was driven by the dynamic vocals and axe attack of Randy Jackson (man, did he have a falsetto), the bass and keyboards of Felix Hanemann (what a great sense of melody), and the percussive power of Guy Gelso. Featuring a full-length concert with all of the faves, the band plays a set at the House of Blues in their hometown, rocking through cuts such as “Tell Me What You Want,” “Bears,” “Wait Until The Summer’s Gone” and “As I Said Before;” even easing things back for acoustic numbers such as “But No More,” and everybody’s favorite, “Who’s Behind The Door,” covering all the bases – and the guys still hold up; it’s certainly a strong performance.

The one part of this DVD beside the show is the documentary, which is probably the first time we get to actually hear the stories from the band themselves about how all of this came together; the false starts to New York, the sold-out shows in large venues before even having a record deal, and finally being signed with Atlantic – you also hear all this from the people who were there – friends, the road crew, DJs, club owners, and so on…. The thing that really connects with viewers is that the band brings us to the streets of New Orleans where they practiced, and all the humor that goes along with it…you just can’t get more intimate than that.

The DVD almost has a home movie quality to it, shot in digital, but then again, doesn’t every concert and documentary have the same quality in this day and age – the thing about this is not so much any fancy editing or massive bonus features, it’s the whole experience that is captured in the first place, you are there with the band. Proving a fine testament to one of AOR, hard rock, and even metal’s most enticing bands, The DVD is a must for fans and those who seek further into the aura of Zebra’s melodic monstrosity. (Music Video Distributors) - Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the DVD cover to buy Zebra - The DVD from Amazon.com)

Iron Maiden - Live After Death DVD review

Finally!!! After years of it being out-of-print, and having to either shell out the dough for a degraded VHS copy or a really horrid, muddy sounding and grainy-looking DVD bootleg, the official release of one of heavy metal’s most important concerts has been bestowed upon the masses.

Complete with recaptured video, revamped sound, and a shitload of extras, Live After Death is the latest mandatory installment in the Iron Maiden archival saga. While the concert features the performance at Long Beach Arena in 1985 within the Powerslave tour, it’s one of the most powerful and energetic performances ever. It shows Maiden at their height, right before they would become more melodic (no complaints about that) and enter another era and expand their musical annunciations.

The show could only be described a lightning in a bottle, complete with the dueling leads of Smith and Harris, McBrain’s rhythmic punch, Harris’ galloping bass, Dickinson’s magnetic stage presence and, of course, Eddie. Through it all, they burn through classics such as “Aces High,” Flight of Icarus,” “Number of the Beast,” “Run to the Hills,” and “Revelations,” which the latter shows a rare glimpse at Dickinson playing rhythm guitar. Noticeably, not only does the show have a lack of digital harshness due to the era of production, it’s also in full-screen…but then again, it’s in its original form, as it was filmed. The sound has been re-mixed in 5.1 (with stereo mix as well) to put you further into the front row.

With the extras, the first thing is the part two of History of Iron Maiden documentary, which is a continuation from the Part One DVD that was released in 2004, which itself was the beginning of the archival releases for the band. It features interviews from manager Dick Bell, Rod Smallwood, and band technicians who all speak about the recording of Powerslave and how the "World Slavery Tour" came together. Segments include Rock In Rio 1985, where songs from the same era are played, which is somewhat grainy in quality, but then again, we are glad to have it as a bonus. A nice documentary of performances, interviews, and home footage is included called Behind the Iron Curtain. At the time, this was something sacred considering this was in the height of the Cold War – this is montaged similar to a short film. You also get a photo gallery, promo videos for “Aces High,” “2 Minutes to Midnight” and a fifteen minute segment called “’Ello Texas” which like the Iron Curtain segment, features both performances and home video/interview shots.

Undoubtedly, this is one of metal’s finest moments. Indeed, I’ll never forget when I first got into metal big time, when I first heard the album. It wasn’t the first time I'd heard Maiden, but there was something about this recording in general that intrigued me. Watching a friend of mine’s older brother play “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” on acoustic guitar and seeing the LP spin on the turntable with the gravestone label, now that was cool. That was really the milestone in my life where listening to metal music was important and unlike in today’s world where video games, reality TV, computer worshiping is present…this was a time when hanging out with friends and listening to records was fun, it meant something. So, Live After Death was really my entry into the whole metalhead army, not bad for this Catholic Schoolboy who was only eight or ten years old at the time. (Universal Music) - Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the DVD cover to buy Live After Death from Amazon.com)

Whitesnake - Good To Be Bad CD review

It’s almost like an epidemic, most '80s era bands cashing in on nostalgia, touring, playing the same set list over and over again, releasing multiple ‘best of’ compilations, and treating us to stale new material that thankfully never gets heard. Unfortunately, a lot of these bands somehow eclipse the new blood of AOR and melodic rock outfits that work along the lines of what would be today’s "hair metal" or "'80s rock," if you must.

Nevertheless, Whitesnake has literally shunned any connotation of weakness or kitsch factor with their latest, Good To Be Bad, which is a record of serious hard rock proportions. Having played some of the strongest hard rock and metal to ever grace the turntable, David Cloverdale and Co. have returned with a kick-ass, balls-to-the-wall metal record that is just as strong as anything that the band has released, and is as strong, if not stronger, than anything that you will hear.

Armed with the lineup of guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich, bassist Uriah Duffy, keyboardist Timothy Drury, and drummer Chris Frazier, a real no-bullshit approach to making a rock and roll record is in play. One thing's for sure: this ain’t no record that was recorded in any basement for that matter, for the sound is big and fat – real production people, real fucking production (in a real studio)!! And the music, it can only be described as Whitesnake, where there is real substance here, not the substance of dancing on the hood of the car (although...it’s always something how we run to the TV during those old videos), it’s full-on aggressive guitars, catchy hooks, and the bombastic power that kicks you in the fucking nuts every time you listen to it, and you want more!

Anthems are in tow here, the lead off single "All For Love" is one hell of a hard-driving tune that ups the ante for the crankage factor. Cuts such as "Best Years," "Call On Me," and the title track follow suit, axe solo after axe solo, with Coverdale’s raspy vocals holding up with ease, singing out with commanding power and authority. He touches his blues roots with the Howlin’ Wolf call of "Lay Down Your Love" and "Got What You Need;" of course, he still has his flare for sentiment where there are ballads, and you have them here, but it’s not overloaded on the record. "Summer Rain," "Till the End of Time," and "All I Want, All I Need" offer up perfect backseat fodder without any cheesy factor involved.

Like Dokken and Great White, who both have recent releases out that pose strong tunesmith and hard rock gusto (although the same cannot be said about another ‘white’ band’s ‘return’), Whitesnake still has it. Yes, this might be a new lineup, but you have to hand it to Coverdale for keeping it together all these years, thirty to be exact…and let’s face it, with an album like this from the band long overdue, Good To Be Bad proves that the wait was worth it. Fucking brilliant hard rock, metal, melodic metal, or whatever you want to call it; so not only is it good to be bad, it’s good to be back! (SPV/Steamhammer) - Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the CD cover to buy Good To Be Bad from Amazon.com)

Leverage - Blind Fire CD review

Progressive metal has become a victim of its own excess lately, with so many bands jumping not only on the symphonic rock bandwagon, but having also succumbed to the sickly syndrome known as 'opus-itus.' These days, it seems like too many metal musicians are trying their hand at becoming modern classical composers (and only a few are doing it right), trying to prove some point and taking it further by attempting to teach us something by stretching a 'concerto' out with a wild concept to not only 'entice' and ‘intrigue’ us, but to also 'impress' the fans and 'outdo' their peers for all the wrong reasons – and in the process, the heart and soul always tend to suffer (the melodies and the songs), where the music often lacks catchiness and soul – so trust me man, we want to rock and roll and not have to be 'taught' about what the hell is going on, even when the music has a technical edge to it.

But when it comes to the whole genre of the supposed 'thinking man's metal,' there have been several great bands appearing out of the woodwork lately that have shrugged off the "I'm progressive/I'm a fucking composer" arrogance to rock out with the technical edge; artists such as Dominici, Sun Caged, Vox Tempus, Sphere of Souls, Twinspirits, Stride, Circus Maximus, and Saint Deamon, among others, are putting the melodic gusto forward, first and foremost.

Another band that is no exception to that rule is Finland's Leverage, a six-piece outfit that truly delivers the musical goods, with music that kicks ass, executing the thick riffage, layered instrumentation, and big choruses; blending AOR and skillful progressions in the right manner for powerful and thoughtful anthems of real progressive metal glory, complimenting and expanding upon what Dream Theater and Fates Warning created. You won't hear any wild tangents or improvisations here, folks.

And it’s no surprise that this band has inked a deal with melodic rock giant Frontiers Records where, of course, it's all about the mastery of good tunes, not wanky, spanky musicianship. But don't get me wrong – these guys can play; dueling leads, harmonious keyboards, powerful rhythmic punch, and fierce vocals provided by Pekka Heino (like Graham Bonnet crossed with Jimi Jamison), all the right elements of honest-to-God metal are in place. Just having hit the racks is their latest album, Blind Fire, a record of melodic progressive metal mastery; where you have anthemic cuts such as "Hellhorn," "Mister Universe," "Heart of Darkness," and the hard-driving "Shadow of the Rain" that sound like late-period Stratovarius crossed with House of Lords, executing catchy AOR mastery with a sub-power metal approach. Still, cuts such as the dark, staccato-laden "King of the Night," the emotive "Sentenced," and the ballad "Learn to Live," keep Blind Fire within a diverse path.

Offering up a heap of brutally sweet tracks with a highly dense sound, the album really touches the heart and soul while nailing the basis of what a 'thinking man’s metal' album should be, but then again, does metal really require any 'thinking' at all.

Not only has Blind Fire hit the racks, but their debut, titled Tides, is finally more widely available, as it has been reissued by Frontiers with bonus tracks. Tides is the album that planted Leverage's flag, and although tracks such as "Dreamworld," "Marching to War," and "Follow Down that River" make the record fall into more precision-based territories (think Mattsson crossed with Europe), with lush arrangements and the abundance of solos, these guys knew how to convey melodies all along – offering up an impressive debut, where Blind Fire tends to be more "song-based," Tides has a higher knack for the technical ear candy.

So, unlike most bands that are building a trap for themselves and literally falling into it, trying to make 'the next project kick the last one’s ass,' all Leverage has to do is write great songs and play the hell out of them – and we will continue loving them for it, for Leverage is another band that is helping bring back the real magic of progressive metal. Both albums are highly recommended for fans of both grassroots progressive metal (early-Queensryche and Dream Theater) and dark melodic metal (Headless Cross-era Black Sabbath). (Frontiers Records) – Review by Tommy "Hashman" Hash

(Click on the CD covers to buy Blind Fire or Tides from Amazon.com)