Slothrust : "What They Grow in the Garden"

I am not sure I am as current on all their most recent releases, as it looks like some might have slipped between the cracks. This album, however, finds them returning to a more rock sound after some interesting flirtations with experimental pop. In some ways, it makes me think of Forget Cassettes. The drumming is a little more prog, with weird timing that keeps you guessing. "Smile" finds a Muse-like tension lurking in the song's pulse. Her voice accentuates this well. The chorus is heavier than what you expect from them. Lyrically, there seem to be some intersting lyrical themes regarding mental health. 

The more aggressive rock brooding still laces "Ring the Bell," which has a 90s alternative feel.  It's intersting that they are on Equal Vision this time around, as it was once a hardcore label. There is a more post-hardcore feel to "Twusted Paradise," though her vocals smooth this out. "Hearst Castle" has more of a reggae feel to the guitar, as she narrates a story with a Tom Waits-like cadence. Though not adopt a gravelly vocal tone. Not what I expected from them, but they are known for switching it up dramatically. "00101001" is more of a ballad until the shift in the chorus to a more alt-rock crunch. Once again, you can draw comparisons to Muse here. 

"What a Night" opens with a more atmospheric piano line before it gradually gains momentum. Her voice glides over it in a higher, lighter fashion. Then a burly Muse-like bass line collides with it to bring things to a crescendo for a few measures of this slow burn with moments of release. I like Muse's new album and see them as a prog band packaged for pop, which can also be said of how the band is evolving, though they started with a grungey sound. "Absoulte Power" has a somewhat more roots-blues-based backbone. It remidns me of something you might hear in a New Orleans dive bar. There are several layers of instrumentation sitting at the back of the mix. 

"Keep Us Thirsty" expands and contracts with more rock tension. The drumming on this album is pretty great. "The Lake" is a more typical rocker, though with syncopated interplay. "Dystopian Cemetery" closes the album. It builds like a boozy showtime power ballad. Lyrically, it's pretty intersting. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. They continue to be ambitious even if they are falling into a more accessible rock side of alternative rather than the grunged-out rock they once were, but such is the nature of growth. 

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The Warning : " Everything's Falling"

 This trio of Mexican sisters was said to be an influence on the band Freeze the Fall when I interviewed them, so I decided to give them a chance. They have a lot going for them in that they write hooky rock songs. It's big production, riding the line between hard rock and pop. Things get more blurred in that regard on the second song, "Perfect Daughter". The vocals are really well produced.  The title track is a little more of a power ballad as it explodes on the chorus. They lean in a nu-metal direction in terms of the way dynamics are used but have more of an organic rock feel, with none of the hip-hop trappings. The chorus on this one is perhaps too eager to rub shoulders with other radio rock hits.

Lyrically, I think Freeze the Fall is better in their more abstract approach, while this has more of the Avril Lavigne biitching about my boyfriend vibe. This is highlighted on "Why Do You Like It When I Cry' that finds stupid lyrics working against the solid groove. Yeah, I know this is more of a commercial-based band than what I normally review, but I review bands as big as the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift, so I am not opposed to that sort of thing. The lead singer is 26, so you would think she should have outgrown that sort of thing. 

"Bit My Tongue crossed over into nu-metal from a production standpoint at least. The vocals have more pop intentions to them. "Kill or Be Killed" is more straightforward rock. The drummer leans into grooves that play to their favor. Lyrically, this is not one of the best moments. They use their native tongue on 'Ego," which is another song elevated by the grooving drumming. I appreciate the popsmarts injected into this one. It is also the first to have a few measures of screamed vocals. The almsot get dancey from the grooves of "Nloodsport".  They bring the energy down to a tense strum with "Break," which is a needed dynamic shift, and gives her vocals more room to breathe. I  can even forgive the overly anthemic production on the chorus. 

Pop dynamics wrestle with nu-metal guitar tendencies, putting them closer to Muse in some ways.'Waste Your Time on Me" finds an electronic drum beat shifting into a more organic approach. But the mood of the song is too close to pop-punk for me. The lead single "Kerosene" was their calling card for this album. I think they have better songs on the front end of the album. I  will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me. If you are a fan and want them to go in a poppier direction, then this labum is what you hoped for. 

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The Rolling Stones : "Foreign Tongues"

 I've been a fan of these guys for as long as I have listened to music. In my early teen years along with David Bowie they were one of the only non-metal bands I listened to though in hindsight you could include Kiss and Alice Cooper to that list, bands the Stones influenced. They drew the distinction between the Beatles' pop music and their rock music by calling them a rock band with balls. For that reason, I  am always hoping these guys will go out on a high note. This is album 25, what more could they want? I think it's either Mick's or Keith's death that will be the end of this band. Their last album was great, so it's not a matter of quality. This was, in fact, recorded during those sessions. The boys are both 82, well past the age anyone should be making rock n roll

. "In the Stars" is plugged into their classic attitude. The opening track had a more blues-based feeling than the previous album. The fact that an 82-year-old man gets up into his falsetto is crazy. Steve Jordan plays drums for every song but track 8, which has a Charlie Watts take on it. "Mr Charm" stays true to what they do. "Divine Intervention" is not my favorite song so far, but it is a representation of what the band is about and conveys that. They dig into their countryside for 'Ringing Hollow".  It sounds like they haven't aged a day when they go to this place. 

The song I was looking forward to is "Never Want to Lose You' which finds Smith contributing backing vocals and synths. A big compliment to Smith as both Paul McCartney and Bruno Mars are on this labum but not sining with Paul playing bass, and Mars playing cowbell, which shows how seriously they take him. It does not bear any semblance of the Cure but finds Smith blending with what they do. He sits behind Mick in the mix until they do a call and response. 

They dig back into rock with more earnestness on "Hit Me in the Head."  The Amy Winehouse cover is weird but works for what they do. Richard's voice has not aged as well as Jagger's, but he makes it through "Some of Us". "Covered in You" finds them getting back into their strut. This might be the album's best song. "Side Effects" was well produced, and if you pay close attention, you hear how they give Mick's voice some love in post-production. It is the first song that feels like filler. I was expecting "Back in Your Life" to be a ballad, and it is. Despite Mick sounding great, the verses don't really grab me, though the chorus gets the job done. It is loaded down with guitar solos so if that is why you showed up then it is worth it.

The album closes with a Chuck Berry cover. Which makes sense given Richards' friendship with him, but leans all the way into their blues roots. While it's more rooted in their classic sound and the production is marginally more organic, it's on par with "Hackney Diamonds," meaning not their classic work but better than msot of the post-"Steel Wheels" material, so I will give it a 9.5. 

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The Pretty Reckless : "Dear God"

 

Their last album 'Other Worlds' did not live up to the height they hit with their songwriting on "Death By Rock N Roll," which ight be why there is less fanfare with the release of this album. The opening track "For I Am Death," however, delivers pretty solidly with Taylor Momsen dialed in where she needs to be to carry this band. "When I Wake Up" might not be as hooky, but it works when it comes to straight-up rock n roll. There is a pretty heartfelt performance to "Love Me".The song s is pretty dynamic even if it brushes against some common tropes. 

The strum of "Dragonfire" has a more rootsy blues-based sound.  It opens things up for her to belt it out more easily, as the band is allowed to stretch out a bit. The title track is the darkest so far and has a bit of Alice Cooper influence in the guitar playing, so it is not surprising that it is my favorite song so far. The album is broken up by interludes called "Life Evermore". "About You" is more of a punk-influenced ditty that works for what it is. "Spell On You" is not the Screaming Jay Hawkins song, but it's an angsty grunge banger. They use the 90s production style but do not feel the need to check off the grunge boxes for"Rollercoaster of Life." While this works for the verses, the chorus is not the strongest as it's too happy. 

Taylor is at her best with some brooding introspection in the equation, which finds its balance on " Eye of the Storm". She tackles the introspective part from another angle on "Devil in Disguise."  This shows another side of her voice with its folky feel. She doesn't always have to rock out to keep me happy. I was not expecting what they do on "Dark Days," so that gets points for not following the most obvious paths and spreading things out dynamically.. I think this album is better than her last and touches on the kind of magic that worked so well on "Death By Rock n Roll," so I will give it a 9.5, out on Fearless Records.

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Julez and the Rollerz : " Dirty Little Rock N Roller"

 

Yes, this is the band with the super-hot drummer. They also happen to write decent songs and are more rock than expected. Going into this, I expected something more like the Beaches. It's more power-pop than the shake your booty kinda of pop you hear on the radio. First off, these gals are playing real instruments and are more like a less punk version of the Runaways. If you think that means the Donnas, less 80s than them. There is also an angular quirkiness that you can hear in songs like "Phaser."They are also more upbeat than most punk. They do not hang onthe same chords nor try to overpower you with an anthemic bop. One of their strengths is that they pretty much just sound like themselves. 

"I Don't Know You" is pretty hooky without being today's definition of pop. Very melodic and memorable guitar playing. Their singer has control of her voice and employs very nuanced phrashing. "Call Me Up" has more swagger in its step. Similar vocal approach to the previous song. There is a slight 70s glam feel to how it struts. It is obvious they invested a great deal of time listening to rock radio growing up, as they capture the larger-than-life feel of it. "Bring it On" is the first song that comes clsoe to hard rock, and then it's balanced out by the synths. 

Things go in a more melodic direction for "Always Hard 4 U" which finds their singer really belting out in spots. I guess this one brings Veruca Salt to mind when all the elements are taken into consideration. I would not call any of their music dark, but the moodiest song is "Take it Back" which closes the album. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me, it's a solid preformance and writing from these girls, look forward to hearing where they go from here. Fans of anthemic rock from the late 70s, early 80s will dig this for sure. 

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Slipknot : " Look Outside Your Window"

 This is Slipknot, so I am not going to call it anything else. It was recorded during the sessions for "All Hope is Gone," and the band is finally giving it a proper release, even though they are trying to distance it from their discography in this odd manner, because well... it's not metal. The first song is Corey Taylor in a soft, emotive mutter over a more ambient industrial drone; things don't get into solid song territory until "Moth," which is like a 90s alt rock ballad that borders on being trip-hop. It's much more experimental than what they normally do.

 I think they should have worked these songs into what they did on "All Hope is Gone." It would have made for a more interesting album. Corey finally belts it out on this one. Darker than what he does with Stone Sour, it does allow him to open up and sing more. "Dirge" is more industrial, but the Filter/ Godlivesunderwater side of the genre. I can also hear some Faith No More in the verses. "Is Real" is more aggressive, but in a rock fashion rather than metal. It takes a few turns and works well. "Away" is not far removed from it, though compositionally more straightforward, but with a weirder mix. "In Reverse" benefits from a strong chorus, which pushes it over despite the verses being less focused. Then  "Toad" is more of a ballad with some strong vocal harmonies. 

"Juliaette" feels more like an A Perfect Circle song, as it builds tension more gradually. This album has allowed you to not only hear them in a more melodic place but breaking from their normal songwriting formula. Corey Taylor has always said Layne Staley was a huge influence on him, and "U Can't Stop This" is the first song where I hear this. Overall, I think I have let my thoughts be known on this album. I think it's different than what fans expect, but not a drastic departure, just lacking the bombastic drumming and metal guitar tones. I appreciate that they are capable of this and these are decent songs in their own right. I will give this one a 9.5. 

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Starbenders : ' the Beast Goes On"

 On the pop side of glam rock, they do indulge in a more biting dynamic upon occasion, but their strength seems to be leaning into this 80s-drenched sound that marries Pat Benatar and Cyndi Lauper. Music is not created in a vacuum, so the title track that opens the album is darker andd with some Ghost-like aspirations in how it's mixed and the overall vibe to some extent, as it feels like a late 60 hippie-garage for of spooky like Coven or Shocking Blue. Then they rock out harder for "Nothing Ever Changes' which is less hook-focused, so not as effective.

Things begin to find their groove with a touch of anthemic 80s arena rock, heavier on the hairspray than the metal for "Chantilly Boy". They also display a very taunt songwriting hook and let the vocal take on more introspection on "Cold Silver." The beat picks up on 'Forever Mine,' which tries a little too hard. "Hello Goodbye" is more like 90s dream pop. The vocals create more of a backbone. "Tokyo" digs more into the new wave side of the 80s. The chorus works really well, reminding me of the Bangles.

"Saturday" does not veer from the formula they have in place, and it is hard to argue against it as it works here." Summon My Heart" finds her voice taking on a Stevie Nicks-like tremble, which, given a more epic arena setting, is not unlike the 80s era Heart. They nail this sound and have it convincingly dialed in, which is coming from someone who remembers when this sort of thing wa a more dominant force on the airwaves.  Things drop back to the more tense, emotive brand of 80s power ballads on " Somebody Else," that really when this crossed over with the evolution of new wave. 

They end the album with a cover of Bad Religion's "21st Century" , and make the msot of what they do with it even if it is an odd choice. I like what goes down here and think they are talented songwriters who have captured an era intact and make it there own, so I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. 

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Corrosion of Conformity : "Good God / Baad Man"

Here is a new double album from the metal veterans that are taking things in a classic rock direction with more of an emphasis on the Sabbath side of the equation, as after the more rock opening track, which was pretty catchy, the Sabbath influence comes on hard and heavy, so that you can almsot pick out the fiffs they are drawing inspiration from. They said "Gimme Some Moore" was 80s punk rock, but it sounds more Clutch to me. They did pack some impressive riffs for this trip to the studio, but have also dipped them in ample amounts of high-energy chaos.

They claim their producer was calling these sessions the Dark Side of the Doom. This one, but the first song I hear any inkling of doom in is " The Handler" that finds the tempo dropping to add deliberate menace a bit."Beoudin's Hand" incorporates more melodic guitar tones, but is more of an instrumental jam interlude than an actual song. The first song that shows any Pink Floyd influence is "Run For Your Life." It's more about the phrasing of the riffs, with the vocals more like Lynyrd Skynyrd.  I had to dig back into the album and re-listen to the title track, which is likea funky version of "Sweet Riff." It falls somewhere between ZZ- Top and Queens of the Stone Age. 

"Lose Yourself" is not an Eminem cover, but another funky rock tune. A great deal of these funky shuffles are also in the ballpark of what Mastodon has been doing these days. To their credit, they are catchy. "Asleep on the Killing Floor". Finds the vocals dropping into a lower Captain Beefheart jive rap, before exploding out like a Jimi Hendrix-inspired Clutch song. Around the guitar solo, it gets jammy. "Handcuff Country" is driven by another grooving blues boogie. " Swallowing the Anchor" is another grooving blue jam that is more lyrically interesting than the previous song. This vibe is the dominant force of this album. 

"Birckman" is more of a rambling ballad, but at least it's a break from the Blues grooves. They go big to end things with 'Forever Amplified." It is a more Pink Floyd moment if we are talking about some of the more grandiose moments from The Wall. It's the best Clutch song that Clutch did not write. I will give this album a 9, as to why it's not "Blind", it's better than their more Metallica-like fare.

 

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Morrissey : "Make Up is a Lie"

 

There is a reason Morrissey has a fanatical cult following outside of the Smiths. He is one of my favorite singers, even as his croon has aged. It's been six years since "I am Not a Dog on a Chain." Even then, I will split the difference and not use the Smiths as the bar I judge him against in 2026 and use  2017's"Low In High School" as the bar. Granted, now 9 years later, Moz is almost 67 rather than the 58 years he was when he recorded that album. He keeps things at more of a reserved croon, which is pushed up further in the mix than the 2017 album, which sounded that more like he does live. 

When it comes to the percussion, there are more electronic elements in play, though the opener "You're Right It's Time" feels pretty organic with its casual, lounged-out croon. By the time we get to the lead single, Alain Whyte's guitar tone reminds me of the tones Stevie Ray Vaughn used on Bowie's "Let's Dance" album. He covers Roxy Music's 1973 penned"Amazona."  It was a quirky song for the band back then. Moz's version finds the guitar sounding brighter, and rather than go into the falsetto of Bryan Ferry, he shifts the dynamics of his voice to a softer tone to get the point across, showing he still possesses a fluid control of his voice. They even nail Phil Manzanera's solo. 

The tempo shifts for " Headache" that finds him writing with his former touring multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Manzur, which is odd considering Morrissey is supposed to be such a racist that half of his band is Hispanic. Manzur collapsed at a Colorado show and was replaced by Camila Gray, who also aided in writing for this album. While it sounds great, the song , is a ballad that drags a bit and is the first moment that feels like filler to me. "Boulevard" is also a ballad, but his voice does most of the heavy lifting as the accompaniment is sparse and takes time to come to a boil. Lyrically, it's more interesting than the previous song. 

Thi highlights that, lyrically, he is one of the heaviest writers in the game; he goes harder than most metal bands when it comes to the venom he infuses his sardonic poetry with. He also proves he can still belt it out to keep up with the dynamics. "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy" has a very 60s feel, which takes us back to the "California Son" album. Lyrically, he is back to saving animals. It almost sounds like he wrote it for "Yo, Gabba Gabba". Things get pretty fucking funky for " the Night Pop Dropped". 

"Kerching Kerching" finds Moz getting lyrically punchy even when casually crooning. It's a pretty intersting song with fun lyrics. "Lester Bangs" finds his pipes supple and a more lingering rock tone to the introspective nature of the song. His musing about a rock critic he grew up reading is endearing. "Many Icebergs" casts a darker reflection with its haunting folk feel. The kind of languid Brit pop Moz is known for closes things well with "The Monsters of Pig Alley." Overall, this album holds up his legacy in the manner expected. I will give it a 10. 

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Fotocrime : "Security"

 

Things continue to evolve for Fotocrime. My first impression of the first couple of songs is that I get they are going for a more Killing Joke sound, but when it comes to Killing Joke, there are so many sides of that band it could mean anything. They have chosen the earlier, more punk side with a bit of rock n roll swagger. "Shockwave" works the best of the first three songs as it has more of a groove and room for the guitars to be more melodic and places for the vocals to sit in a more intersting fashion. "Unthinkable" to me sounds more like New Model Army, which is fine as it means a more organic sense of brooding melody, but with a bit of punk in its step. 

"Disharmonizer" carries a darker, more post-punk tension, which brings to mind something closer to what you expcet from Patterson. Granted, you have to consider my personal tastes, but I feel the moodier moments are the strongest. This is run through a more rock n roll filter for "Intimidation."But this also works for me as the intersection of where punk and goth meet is one of my favorite eras of music. I suppose you could draw similarities to Killing Joke's "Night Time" album in this regard, but this is far more rock-minded. 

"Dreamstate" has that weird right turn some punk bands took, which places it closer to Husker Du. "Cautious" carries a little more bounce thanks to the buoyant bass-line, but I prefer the more sullen musing of "Grifter," which might be the album's best song. There is a slight new-wave anxiety to the vocals. The title track that closes the album is not a ballad but works off a more introspective tension. It works for what they are doing this time around. Overall, I enjoyed the album; it sounds like a lost classic from the late 80s, so I will give it a 9.5. 

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Hoaxed : "Death Knocks"

 

This album makes no attempt at draping things in goth window dressing, and we get to see who Hoaxed are: a grunge band. The riffs are more arena-rocking, even when they add tension to a song like "Kill Switch", which at times finds them beginning to drift toward the more straight-up rock n' roll side of grunge. Sonically, they hold a great deal of common ground with the Pretty Reckless, though with more of a penchant for minor ket melodies. At times it casts a somewhat witchy shadow n things when it comes to "Promised to Me ", but this album is nowhere near as dark as the previous one. 

I like how they vocal are produced as they have the right amount of effects on them and are not too forward in the mix. There is more melancholy; this is best heard on "The Fallen." They go into a more streamlined commercial approach with "Dead Ringer."  If this were the 90s, you might argue that the upbeat "Wretched" was also more radio-friendly. Though it does build into a heavier stomp. There are screamed vocals throughout the album that find themselves echoing out from the edge of the mix, which I am just mentioning here as an attempt to be more metal.

 They occupy a similar sonic space as Freeze the Fall when we get deeper into the album, and melodies become a little more ethereal against the hard rock punches. The vocals to the last are a little hookier and work for me. I will go ahead and give this album a 9.5, as they feel more in touch with who they are as a band, which sells me more on the songs. The hookier moments on this album are pretty awesome; it might take some time to grow on me, but fans of anthemic brooding rock from the 90s will dig this. 

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Puscifer : "Normal Isn't"

In prepping for the album's release Maynard dropped a "gpth" plalist of songs that were supposedly the inspiration for this album, along with the promo shots showing the band in darker make-up, while I am not surprised that he knows who Tones on Tail is, this is not a goth album, though there are more reverb drenched guitars in the opening track, I would not all it goth. In fact, the title track reminds me more of Devo. But you can here slight Gary Numan influence lurking around if you are the kind of savant like I am who can detect these sorts of things to draw that connection.

"Bad Wolf" is the most recent single and finds a bass line as the anchoring holding the groove down. It holds a tension not unlike what A Perfect Circle does at times. Most of what I hear as Bauhaus influence comes from the guitar tones, then it is typically on effects, opening tracks like"Self Evident". It's one of the more driving songs so far. This album feels heavier than the last A Perfect Circle album. "Public Stoning" opens in a way that reminds me more of Fugazi. 

"The Quiet Parts" is more like an A Perfect Circle, as Maynard is singing in his more ballad-ready, subdued voice. "Mantastic" is not sonically anything new, and really, neither is it lyrically just more heavy-handed. It grooves enough so it works from that angle. "Pendulum" feels more like old Depeche Mode without the vocal hooks. "ImpetuoUs" works better as the vocals flow with the music. "Seven One" feels like an interlude from David Bowie's "Outside" album. The last song is live, but it was released on the new "American Pyscho" soundtrack in 2024, so I will count it as new. It's about typical for what you expect from them. I will give this album a 9.5. It has some great grooves, and obviously, Maynard knows what he is doing, and if you like what he does, it delivers. 

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the Top 10 Heaviest David Bowie Songs

Heavy is not a term commonly associated with David Bowie, but it's a sonic quality he has used to color some of his songs over the years. When it comes to metal as a genre, Bowie thought that volume alone was an insecure approach to creating something with dynamics and depth. He respected the power the genre created when it was used by capable hands. He thought Lou Reed's collaboration with Metallica was Lou's best work, making him one of the few people who liked that album. Though the term "heavy" does not apply to metal alone, but can be a sonic aggression applied to other genres like post-punk, as bands like Swans have displayed. So on his birthday, he is a look at Bowie's ten heaviest songs ranked in order. 

10-Moonage Daydream

 

9-Seven Year's in Tibet

8-Cracked Actor

7-"She  Shook Me Cold." 

 

 6-Heart's Filthy Lesson 

5-"Scary Monsters."

4-"Pretty Thing." 

3-"I'm Afraid of Americans." 

2-"Under the God." 

1-"Hallo Space Boy." 

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Merry Kissmas : The Top 10 Heaviest Kiss Songs

The remaining members of Kiss are Jewish, so they are not celebrating X-mas, but Kiss is big on consumerism, so they share a great deal of common ground with this holiday. I have always championed these guys as being an underrated band. They were once thought of as metal in the early days of the genre, and were one of the most influential bands in the genre. While over half of their music today feels more like fun rock with a hard edge, some songs hold up against the common standard for metal, so I’ve made a list of Kiss’s top 10 heaviest songs. Gene’s music tends to be the heaviest, but Pal and Ace scored a few songs on here. The music speaks for itself when you are talking about wanting the best and getting the best, since the hottest band in all the land is Kiss.

10-"Creatures of the Night."

 9-"Not for the Innocent."

From "Lick It Up" 

 

 8-"Parasite"

From "Hotter Than Hell" 

 7-"Rain"

From "Carnival of Souls"

 6-"Black Diamond." 

From - "Kiss" 

   

  5-"Unholy" 

 From " Revenge" 

 

4-"Rocket Ride."

From "Kiss Alive 2"

  

 3-"the Oath"

From "Music From the Elder" 

>

 

  2-"Warmachine"

 

From "Creatures of the Night"

 

1-"God of Thunder."

 from "Destroyer."

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November is Doom- Black Sabbath : "Seventh Star"

This was originally intended to be a Tony Iommi solo album, but Warner Bros. made him use the name Black Sabbath. It is the most radio-friendly AOR-sounding record from him. Things did move into a bluesy direction with Glen Hughes on vocals. Eric Singer, who is most notably from Kiss, plays on this album as well, so the band was solid as Geoff Nichols plays a more prominent role, and was made an actual member of the band, as he should have since he was the last left standing with Tony when the smoke cleared.  There is an element of cheese about this album, mainly due to the very 80s-sounding production. With a heavier mix 'In For the Kill" could pass for metal. 

There is some great songwriting thanks to the fact that these are all very talented musicians at work here, even if they are not who should be Black Sabbath, but at this point, it became clear if Tony was at the helm, it was Sabbath. Eric Singer's drumming helps out on " Turn to Stone". It sounds like it is left over from "Born Again" in many ways. As far as '80s rock goes, it is still holding up against other mainstream hard rock bands, though Ozzy was killing it with "The Ultimate Sin."  The title track feels a little more like the Sabbath that emerged during the Dio years. Glen Hughes' double-tracked approach in the studio worked really well, and his voice sounds great. I do think the guitar should have been pulled up in the mix. If Martin Birch had produced this, it would have been a different story. 

'Danger Zone' is a little more of a metal song. They had to know the pressure was going to be on Tony to deliver something at least close to Sabbath. The verse riffs could be Dokken, and the chorus does not really punch. 'Heart Like a Wheel" is another solid song that might not sound like Sabbath, but is impressive regardless. Tony is ripping it on the track. Anyone who doubts his fretboard prowess needs to give this song a listen. While the riff to 'Angry Heart' sounds like a cross between "Lick it Up" and "Hell's Bells", I liked it when I was a kid. The last track sounds more like the idea of a song than an actual song. Overall, I will give this album a 9, it;s underrated in the grand scheme of their catalog but a victim of the time it was released. 

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November is Doom- Black Sabbath :"Never Say Die"

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if the Ozzy incarnation of Sabbath had made it into the 80s; their last album with Ozzy is a 1978 rock banger that shed most of the experimentation, though is not as streamlined as what would come after, as the drugs were peaking. The title track that opens the album is classic Sabbath, then synths lead into "Johnny Blade." The combination of the two is almsot like something Hawkwind might have done if Ozzy's vocals did not anchor it like a champ.' Junior's Eye" is pretty sad when you think about the relationship Ozzy had with his first son and feels pretty heartfelt, while being a rocker with honest pain emoted. 

Then it becomes literally a "Hard Road" though listening back to this album, it is better than I remember as some ofthe fast-forward classics are pretty solid. "Shock Wave: is a forgotten rocker that goes harder than you might remember, though the melody kicks in and it all comes back to me. The twin guitar intro to "Air Dance" sounds like Thin Lizzy, but the song goes into a darker, more melodic direction that is more fitting. "Over to You" has more of the Kiss rock n roll swagger. It reminds me of "Cold Gin" riff-wise before the cascade of pianos washes over it. One thing I have noticed on the final two Ozzy albums is that Toni solos less on them. 

The sax leading into "Breakout" makes it feel like they are going into a King Crimson song. It is only an instrumental interlude as Ozzy declined to sing on it, and then the last song is sung by Bill Ward, which is equally unnecessary. I will give it a 9.5, as it's far from their classic albums, but it is better than the bulk of other rock bands at the time

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November is Doom- Night Resident : "Total Obscurity"

 

The third album from the dark Greek proto metallers flirts with a similar brand of saccharine melodies to offset the darker metallic elements, though taking from the menace. In their case, it also gives things a uniform sound as they go to the well too many times with it, and that is by the second song alone. They have a Ghsot fixation. At least they are not dressing up like clowns.. "Summer Night Tale" is trummed out more likea 60s pop song, before they find a chug. I am all for melody in dark music and hard rock; in fact, I prefer singing over growls or screamed vocals, but here things are getting brightened up too much. 

To their credit, there is some great guitar playing on this album. "Echoes In Eternity" carries a more powerful punch before ebbing into the verse. It sounds like what we heard on the second song with the palm muted chug. The sugary melodies on the chorus are better than just random screaming, but a more aggressive vocal approach with more balls to it might work, as heard in bands like In Solitude, who were able to use emotive vocals to bring the gloom to life. There is more sonic intensity in the strum building up to "A Silent Vow" that dies into a cowpunk strum. 

Things are just not that dark at all for " Dark Alleys", I mean, when they wrote the song, did they listen back to what they were doing? And it's certainly not worth being an instrumental. The more Judas Priest guitar vibes of "Final Words" is an improvement that the vocals piss on a bit. At this juncture, the album becomes something I have to power through. The bass intro to "Ghosts of the Future" offers some promise. It touches on the same melodic themes they have really worn out, with just marginal enough changes to make it feel like a different song. This also includes the awful vocal harmonies that build for the chorus. "Sinking Spell" closes the album. The vocals once again take the edge from the vocals, but still leave a lingering melancholy that works better than some of the previous efforts.  I will give this album a 7.5, as there is some great guitar playing and the vocals try, but the vibe check is off. 

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RIP- Ace Frehley

 

I’ve listened to Kiss since I was a kid; they were the first band that I got into. I was more of a Paul Stanley fan. But the four original members of Kiss work magic together, and much like the Beatles, each member brings a vital personality to their songs. Ace is, without a doubt, an underrated guitarist. If you don’t believe me, ask other iconic metal guitarists who inspired them to play, be it Tom Morello or Dimebag. The Space Man’s light-up guitar and hug boots that kept him grounded might have overshadowed what his fingers were doing, but anyone who listened to the Kiss solo album series knows that, no matter who you are a fan of that Ace’s was the best, as he was the most capable on his own. 

Having seen him with both Kiss and his solo band, Frehley’s Comet, I can attest to the fact that he held up well on his own. Sure, after those first two Frehley’s Comet albums, my interest was largely limited to his work with Kiss. You can check out the Abysmal Hymns podcast episode on classic rock, where the debate about the greatness of Kiss that I was defending went into another 30-minute episode, as I brought up the point of Ace’s influence on the next generation of players, who he ignited an excitement in. He made being a guitarist look like being a superhero without getting caught up in shredding. Ace’s solos are always melodic, always serve the song, and are always memorable enough for you to hum.

I met Ace once at a horror convention. It was 13 years ago, and he looked like he might die at any moment then, or it was cold gin time again. If you have not seen any of the interviews where Ace speaks up then you are missing rock n roll gold and need to jump on YouTube right now.   I am not surprised that he was the first of the original four to go play with Eric Carr. However, I would never go see a version of Kiss with someone dressed up as Ace. At least Vinne Vincent came up with another character, though I always felt like he should have been wrapped up more like a mummy. Ace was an icon; he took his final rocket ride back into the cosmos

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R.I.P- Brent Hinds

I wrote something for Ghost Cult Magazine that really summed up my feelings best, but it feels wrong to not write something here since this is my personal blog, where I give you my raw thoughts on life and music.  I've written a lot of these, but it hits a little different when it's somebody who slept on your futon, somebody you played music with, somebody who gave you a big grin when he saw you walking around in Little Five Points, and yelled, "What's up, Bench Press." 

We never talked about Mastodon; we talked about adventures out on the road, but when I lived in Atlanta, he had enough hangers-on when his band blew up, and watching it happen in real time was surreal. We are always a few doors down from each other in seperate practice spaces, He encouraged a lot of bad ideas, like a roller skating Kiss tribute band. Even though he thought the music was silly, he compared it to a live version of the Electric Mayhem band from The Muppet Show. 

We bonded over artists we loved. The only two metal bands we really talked about were  Iron Maiden ( he preferred the first two albums) and  Neurosis. I think he enjoyed being able to talk to me about music that wasn't metal or punk, since that's what we were surrounded by in Little Five Points, the conformity or non-conformity, another frequent topic. But we talked about Waylon Jennings, George Jones Frank Zappa. Dire Straits, Chet Atkins, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave, Swans, Sonic Youth, and Die Kruzen come to mind. 

He loved music, he loved life, he understood when I said that you can judge a person by their taste in music, because if it vibes with them, then that is what resonates with them, it's how they are made up, and a good indicator of how much depth they are going to have. There was a good deal of music we did not always agree with. The band's I like that he didn't, he would say, were what made me a big kid, and we agreed that if you forget the things that made you happy as a child, you would be a miserable adult. 

He said it was amazing to him that I got sober and took care of my mental health the way that I did, and he wished it were that easy for him, but everybody has their own path. That is what I love the most about him he was a man who was on his own path and even in the face of the bullshit that comes along with the music business he did it on he own terms, and did not change much for better or for worse in the process, and he was one of a kind, glad we got to call each other friends my world is a little smaller without him in it now. 

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Buckcherry : "Roar Like Thunder"

I have at least heard the bulk of Buckcherry's 10 albums leading up to this one, so I doubt there is going to be a great deal of surprise with album 11. They intend for this album to be fun and lift your spirits, and I am not sure if that is what I want from this band. I prefer them when they are wrestling with the fact that they love cocaine. There is a more Guns N' Roses-like strut to " When the Sun Goes Down". It has more of the Hollywood sleaze to it, taking you back to the 80s, which is where their sound originated. They have never been a metal band; they just play a sometimes explosive style of rock n roll. 

This lineage of rock comes from the Rolling Stones, but ample amounts of AC/DC haunt the chords of "Come On". Although it may not be the most original song, it is well done and has an infectious energy to it. With this also comes a great deal of predictability if you were around when this sort of thing hit the streets in the 80s. Right down to the breakdown passages that build from.  "Talking About Sex" is this album's 'Crazy Bitch". Josh Todd is married to actress Mitzi Todd, so at the age of 55, he still might have the inspiration and testosterone level to pull it off, even if it lacks the balls of previous anthems.  

There is more of a Bowie-funk groove to "Black Out".  It does break the album from the cock rock vibes, and is a pretty decent song. "I Go Boom" leans more into the danceable side of rock with "I Go Boom". Which might not be what I want from the band, but is good for what it is. "Set It Free" has more of an AC/DC feel but is produced in a more Def Leppard radio-minded fashion. "Hello Goodby" tries hard but doesn't connect as much with me. "Machine Gun" is a more balanced wink in the direction of AC/DC, with Todd's vocals the primary thing that keeps them in their own lane. "Let It Burn" looks back at their harder rocking past. I will give this album a 9; it wears its influences on its sleeves, but is well written and executed despite this. 

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