Slash (featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators) – Apocalyptic Love (2012)

Not since Abraham Lincoln has someone been so known for their top hat. Sure, the Monopoly Man, Mr. Peanut and Uncle Sam are all in the running, but the modern day hero of the stove pipe is legendary guitarist Slash.

As part of the groundbreaking act Guns n’ Roses (whom pretty much owned rock and roll for most of the 1990s), Slash cut his teeth during an age when rock was at its peak. While he didn’t get the immediate recognition as one of rock’s more formidable axemen (the go-to guys of the era were Eddie Van Halen, Warren DeMartini, George Lynch and others), Slash kept his eyes open to all styles and influences which shaped him into one of rock’s most versatile performers by the turn of the century.

The problem, though, was that just when Slash was at the top of his game, he didn’t really have any teammates left. GnR had long-since disbanded, the ill-timed formation of Slash’s Snakepit with former band mates Matt Sorum and Gilbey Clarke fizzled out before it really even started, and the curly-haired rocker was left holding his guitar all by himself.

This loneliness didn’t last long, though, as Slash reunited with Sorum and Duff MacKagan (also from GnR) to start a new band. The GnR chemistry was still there, but they were missing one vital part – a lead singer. After countless auditions, the band – going by the name Velvet Revolver – chose former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland to front the unit, and the group quickly found its way back to the top of the hard rock heap. With two great albums and hundreds of great concerts, Velvet Revolver seemed poised to take on all comers, but Weiland’s battle with drug addiction derailed the band. Weiland left in 2008, and while the band has never officially “broken up”, it seems as though everyone involved has decided to move on with their careers – including Slash.

In 2010, Slash released his first official solo album featuring guest vocalists on every track. With the help of big names such as Fergie, Adam Levine, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy Kilmeister, and Iggy Pop, the self-titled debut reached No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, but the true success of the album came in a very subtle form. Singing vocals on a couple tracks was Alter Bridge lead man Myles Kennedy (who assumed vocal duties on the subsequent tour) – who hadn’t really come into his own yet. What a difference a couple of years makes…

Alter Bridge’s latest album III absolutely blew up, and music fans (myself included) went from not knowing Kennedy to touting him as one of rock’s greatest modern singers. I was sure that after the emergence of Alter Bridge, Slash would once again be left as a man with no band, but fortunately friendships sometimes supercede the almighty dollar.

It would have been easy for Myles to concentrate his efforts towards his ‘other’ band, but instead not only offered to sing vocals on Slash’s new collection of songs, but sat down and took part in the writing process. The end result is Apocalyptic Love – and in a few short words, Slash is back.

While the last album was a complete mix of styles from track to track (mostly due to the variety of vocalists), Apocalyptic Love is far more focused as just a rock and roll record. From the opening riffs of the title track all the way down to the closing chords of Crazy Life, the album is a guitar lover’s wet dream. But it is so much more than even that.

The connection between Kennedy and Slash seems to be a match made in heaven. Both are true rockers through and through, but the combination of the subliminally soulful vocals with the underlying blues tones of the guitar parts add to almost every track along the way. Slash holds nothing back, and you get to see all aspects of his maturing style along the way.

There are the tracks reminiscent of the old Guns n’ Roses days (One Last Thrill, Hard & Fast), the down and dirty groove of Velvet Revolver (Standing In The Sun, Halo) and even a few romantic takes (Anastasia, Not For Me, Far and Away), but the album is at its absolute best when Kennedy and Slash carve their own niche. The album’s first single, You’re A Lie, is the perfect marriage of styles and showcases both performers at the top of their game. You can tell from this track alone that Slash has a renewed energy as both a writer and performer, and that attitude permeates the rest of the disc.

The album is filled with everything great about rock and roll. Unforgettable lyrics (No More Heroes), great swagger (Bad Rain), and air-guitar worthy solos (Crazy Life) – all sugar-coated with a vibe of excitement and energy that you don’t get very often in today’s modern rock scene.

I’ve listened to countless rock albums this year, but this one has a certain intangible that sinks the hook deep in your skin and pulls you along for the ride. Myles and Slash are definitely on to something with this release, so much so that I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. The chemistry between the two is off the charts, which should keep Apocalyptic Love on the charts for the rest of the year as THE rock album of 2012.

10/10

Tracklist:
01 – Apocalyptic Love
02 – One Last Thrill
03 – Standing In The Sun
04 – You’re a Lie
05 – No More Heroes
06 – Halo
07 – We Will Roam
08 – Anastasia
09 – Not For Me
10 – Bad Rain
11 – Hard & Fast
12 – Far and Away
13 – Shots Fired
14 – Carolina (Bonus Track)
15 – Crazy Life (Bonus Track)

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MySpace: Link | Wiki: Link

Marilyn Manson – Born Villain (2012)

Love is a mysterious enigma. One that many would do anything for, and often times can’t live without. Having it can fulfill one’s life, yet the lack of it can tear your soul apart piece by piece. Just ask Marilyn Manson…

As the resident weirdo of modern industrial rock, Manson built a career on the shocking, the perverse and the disturbed. The music was so good that many looked past his anti-religious themes and over-the-top antics and embraced the artist despite the controversies he seemed to create for himself.

But the oddity that is Marilyn Manson wasn’t saved for just his music. A head-scratching, short-lived relationship with actress Rose McGowan, as well as a failed marriage with fellow freak Dita Von Teese all took place while Manson was at the peak of his popularity, and it seemed that even while in love, he could continue to pull off the magic trick of staying strange while still selling records. But love is a fickle demon, and after divorcing Von Teese he found himself arm in arm with Evan Racheal Wood – which turned the master into the puppet. Not only did the succubus find herself the topic of every tabloid magazine out there (it is rumoured that Manson and Wood’s infidelity were the cause of his divorce), but she found a way to pull the imagination and spirit out of rock’s most imaginative performers. You don’t have to look any further than Manson’s last two albums (Eat Me, Drink Me and The High End Of Low) for proof that the inspiration had taken back seat to his personal life. Even the lyrical content of those albums sang to the emotional torment Manson was enduring from the whole “love” thing – and the critics and fans alike walked away in drones.

So here we are three years later, and Marilyn Manson is back with his ninth studio album – Born Villain. I wasn’t sure I could handle another album of “Dear Diary” bullshit, but the fact remains that he IS who he is, and maybe – just maybe – we would catch a song or two that would again remind us of the twisted excellence that Manson once shoved down our throat on a regular basis.

Apparently Manson has snapped out of his bleeding heart phase. If he ever needed to remember who he was, it was now – and Manson (as well as newly reunited guitarist Twiggy Ramirez) has emerged out of the darkness of emotions and stepped back in to the more familiar darkness of evil. And it’s about fucking time.

Opening the album is “Hey Cruel World.” I knew the first track was going to be hard and forceful, but all the while worried that we were getting dessert first – and the rest of the meal wasn’t going to be nearly as tasty. But as the track progressed, I realized that there was no way he would lead in with a song of this magnitude unless he was extremely confident that the rest of the album was going to hold up. And that’s what has been missing from Manson for a long time – confidence.

That attitude spills over into the disc’s first single “No Reflection,” a catchy reminder that Manson can still write great songs. The lyrics are a bit confusing (which I haven’t been able to put my finger on after at least twenty listens), but musically the track knows exactly where it is going throughout. Manson hasn’t necessarily been a “hit machine” over the years, but this one has charts written all over it.

“Pistol Whipped” is the first song that hints at relationships here, but it takes a completely different persona than in the past. The song is obviously about physically abusing a girl – which is something I neither condone nor support – but if anything shows that Manson is back to sharpening his teeth and getting back to being the controversy he thrives on, it’s here. It’s a bit slower than the first two tracks, but somehow takes the brutality of the subject matter and twists it into a sexy, perverse thrill ride.

The opening quote in “Overneath The Path Of Misery” sounds like Manson getting extremely personal, but for those of you with literary knowledge, you will recognize the quote from Shakespeare. In fact, the whole song plays out as a William vs. Marilyn showdown of Macbethian proportions, with allusions to Greek mythology thrown in for good measure. You need not be a historian to get into the track, though, as it teems of signature Manson. He may be the only artist out there that has us tapping our feet and banging our heads to lyrics of rape, murder and evil – but that’s what makes him special.

There is a minimalist approach to the aptly-titled “Slo-Mo-Tion.” It lacks in tempo and clarity, but the fuzzy, disorienting feel is perfectly placed here. It’s less a punch in the face than previous tracks, but the drip of the chinese water torture burns a hole in your head. “This is my beautiful show,” proclaims Manson, and while it’s far from beautiful, it is definitely profound.

When Manson gets down to business with his mind and lyrics, good things usually happen – and they happen times ten in “The Gardener.” The track tells the tale of the illusions we create of people we don’t even know, and then expect them to live up to those standards. Could that be a better painting of Manson himself? Twiggy shines here (as he has through most of the album) and it really seems like the two are back in synch for the first time in a long while.

There had to be a weak point coming soon, and that takes place with “Flowers Of Evil.” It starts with a good half minute of just static and noise – which was probably supposed to build the sinister vibe, but it just didn’t give me the same goosebumps as other attempts by Manson to be “spooky.” The fact that it is the weakest link in the chain on Born Villain is one thing, the fact that is still better than anything off of the last album says something, too.

“Disengaged” is a depressive track that also didn’t have the focus of previous tracks, but what I liked about it was that even though it didn’t really know where it was going, it kicked and screamed all the way. It felt like the panic and chaos one would experience being blindfolded, bound and gagged and stuffed into the trunk of a car – where you don’t know where you are going but fully understand the end result is going to be terrifying. It’s heavy on deep keyboard notes and darkness, and it works well to mix things up.

In an album filled with memorable choruses and catchy hooks, “Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms” is almost more of a review of everything good so far in the album. It doesn’t stand out on it’s own, doesn’t come across as anything too dangerous, and gets caught up in continuing the experience more than adding to it. It does its job of keeping the pace up, but you can’t help but feel like you’ve heard this track already somewhere.

For those that have only experienced Marilyn Manson through the speakers at Hot Topic, “Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day” probably comes off as sounding like every other Marilyn Manson song, but such is not the case. In fact, it’s one of the few “signature” sounding songs of the lot, filled with the industrial-fueled madness that made Manson the icon he is. Yes, it has the angst and fury that is easy to associate with MM’s enigmatic personality – crucnhy guitars and all – but the fact that the end of the song has a humorous take shows that even Marilyn himself can laugh at the misconceptions.

Title tracks are usually the hit-or-miss factor of most albums, and here it teeters between both extremes. The effort is so broken and disjointed at times it almost makes you feel uneasy, and that was the point. It has moments of anger, episodes of morose, yet hits melodic points along the way. If anyone could be more weird than Manson, it would have to be Manson himself, and that’s the perfect explanation of this track.

“Breaking The Same Old Ground” opens with the all-too-familiar music box creepiness, but shifts gears almost immediately from something gothic to something extremely personal. It feels oddly romantic and absolutely pathetic at the same time. Manson shows his humanity here, tossing aside his confidence for a moment of self-loathing and despair. It’s a death march of the forlorn, showing that Manson maybe hasn’t broke free from all his demons just yet – but the powerful rise of music and self-worth strengthen the track at the end showing that despite being fragile, Manson is up for the challenge.

I usually save the bonus tracks for a surprise for the consumer, but it has to be mentioned here. Manson teams up with Johnny Depp on guitar (yes, THAT Johnny Depp) for a dank rendition of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” Outside of the strangeness of the collaboration, the song is interesting and amusing. I will say that when Depp joined Manson on stage at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards show last month, it pretty much saved a telecast that was drowning in a pool of its own vomit.

The final words on Born Villain is that – yes – we get back the Manson we all grew up with. It’s easily his best album in ten years, and finally cuts him free from the puppeteer’s web of strings. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, but for now we at least have an album of new, exciting material from one of the most interesting, vivacious artists of our generation. Some times the villain does win…

9/10

Tracklist:
01 – Hey, Cruel World.
02 – No Reflection
03 – Pistol Whipped
04 – Overneath the Path of Misery
05 – Slo-Mo-Tion
06 – The Gardner
07 – Flowers Of Evil
08 – Children Of Chain
09 – Disengaged
10 – Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms
11 – Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day
12 – Born Villain
13 – Breaking the Same Old Ground
14 – You’re So Vain (featuring Johnny Depp)

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MySpace: iTunes | Wiki: Link

Jack White – Blunderbuss (2012)

The reclusive nature of Jack White has made it difficult over the years for us to judge his true genius. Sure – we all know of his now-defunct band The White Stripes – and many of us even followed his journeys with The Raconteours and The Dead Weather. But what do we really know about him. He’s been caught acting, producing, collaborating and writing over the years, but the truth is, we still don’t know jack.

Currently a Nashville-via-Detroit native, White has always let his music do the talking and kept to himself the rest of the time. This quiet disposition has earned him the usual criticism of being detached, polarized, and outright strange – and while a lot of that may have some merit, we finally get the opportunity to step into Jack’s unique world with his first solo album Blunderbuss.

By definition, a bluderbuss is a gun with a wide muzzle that fires scattershot, and the title couldn’t be more apt to this collection of songs from one of the most varied musicians of our time. It’s safe to say that White (through his previous projects and collaborations) is a man of many hats, and he puts them on all display throughout this album. What really comes through, though, is what is going on under the hat that makes this record so intriguing.

White has claimed “I’ve got three fathers: my biological dad, God, and Bob Dylan” and that vastness of perspective is all over Blunderbuss. The tracks vary from straight-ahead rockers to chilled-down story telling, all of which have such a dedicated, purposeful sound to them that you might just call it the “feel good album of the year” – but it’s anything but that.

Beneath the guitars and pianos and stand-up bass is a dark, morose statement that takes special attention to pick up on. White walks effortlessly through this affair, but the lyrics present a harrowing circle of vultures closing in above him. There is fear, anger, pain and torture taking place in Jack’s already-twisted mind – and the end result is a harrowing collection of songs recalling severed body parts, knifings and torture. All brought about from the journey inside a collapsing relationship.

At first thought, I assumed the lyrical content had to be about his failed marriage with the recently estranged Karen Elson, but the fact that she appears all over the record in a backing vocal role makes me think that White’s resentment and struggles are wounds far deeper than surface scratches. Either that, or he has taken the opportunity to draw upon his recent experiences and twist them into a deeper, darker tale of blood and tears laced with American Gothic imagery and good old-fashioned oddness.

The album opens with “Missing Pieces,” which borrows a prog-rock intro from Yes before giving way to a sixties-influenced rocker, highlighting White’s unmistakeable voice. Squealing guitars and Moog organ fills are the flavor of the day here, and it’s easy to get lost in the trippy, near-psychedelic vibe.

“Sixteen Saltines” gives the listener a lesson in White Stripes 101, as the crunchy guitars and pounding guitars bring back memories of earlier White songs when his sister, Meg, was along for the ride. The falsetto vocals add to the many layers of sound happening here, and it permeates the eardrums with heavy rock goodness.

Although just about every song here is about the perils of loving a woman, none are as blatant as “Freedom at 21.” White croons “She don’t care what kind of wounds she’s inflicted on me. She don’t care what color bruises that she’s leaving on me. Cuz she’s got freedom in the 21st century” – an obvious cry of someone who’s had enough female equality-driven bullshit to last a lifetime. The guitar plays low and thick, and the track stands out as one of the most original offerings of the bunch.

–

Nashville singer Ruby Amanfu shares the microphone on “Love Interruption,” and you catch the first glimpse of how much Music City, USA has rubbed off on the garage rocker. The sound is a throwback to old country-western with just enough of a blues coating to keep it entertaining. It’s the kind of song that becomes a classic in your mind the first time you here it, and White’s drawled vocals work perfectly with Amanfu’s.

The vocal prowess continues on the album’s title track, which is plain and simple White at his best. The instrumentation is pretty and soft, but you hardly notice it when the vocals are being thrown at you. David Bowie always seems to lose me in his songs with his charismatic vocals, and White is replicating that experience here.

“Hypocritical Kiss,” with its elegant piano opening, plays along nicely with its mid-tempo pace and moving structure. It feels, again, a little White Stripe-ish, but I think that’s mostly due to the drums getting a little looser with the high hats.

While most of the album has been pretty smooth and mellow, “Weep Themselves To Sleep” takes a stab at the grandiose with blasting pianos, complicated arrangement, and wildly episodic lyrics. It’s not what you expect, but I dare you to not be impressed.

Part of what I always admired about White was his penchant for off-the-wall style and swagger, and that encapsulates itself with “I’m Shakin’.” It’s a cover of Little Wille John’s blues classic, but Jack makes it his own with some interesting tempo shifts and a hint of doo-wop. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher as to why he would put a cover track on the album that has been so undeniably personal and telling, but it still works.

Need a little jukebox honky-tonk? “Trash Tongue Talker” is all that and more. Again, White embraces a genre that is a bit left-of-center for him and completely nails it with his sincerity and skill. It’s SO different from anything else I’ve ever heard from White that it impressed me even more than the rest of this album has.

Expanding even further, White dips his finger into a little bit of vaudeville with the experimental “Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy.” The energy and upbeat vibe is obviously something Jack picked up on from fellow-Raconteur Brendan Benson, as it sounds like more of a Benson signature than White’s. A nice break from the melancholy feeling the record had been putting off until now, and it fit perfectly.

I’ve always loved the Irish chantey – the tales of the drunken and disorderly sung along as a folk tune – and White does his own version with “I Guess I Should Go To Sleep.” It’s bound to be a great bar-closing song, and is the anthem for the uninspired. It’s pretty simple, but the interesting vocal overlays made it one of my favorite cuts on the album.

“On and On and On” is such a potpourri of instruments and styles that it’s bound to be the critical standout of the disc. If for no other reason, it shows how White doesn’t care about precision and perfection. It’s a little messy and ethereal throughout, but that is what makes it beautiful. It moves at a snail’s pace with stirring cellos, steel guitar accents and only in the last few bars crescendos to a loud, pronounced finish.

The softer, mellow mood carries over into the album’s closer “Take Me With You When You Go,” which comes across as a jam band effort with defined parts for pianos, backing vocals, brush snares and just about any other White could get his hands on. It combines just a pinch of everything presented in the albums other tracks and blends it all together in an amazing toe-tapper. Just when you think the album is going to fade off into numbness, though, White stomps his foot down and closes the track with raucous, fuzzy guitars and rock and roll vocals like only he can provide. A fantastic closing to a fantastic ride.

For those that don’t know of White, this is safe enough to be a nice introduction. The music is accessible and brilliant. But for those of us that were waiting to get inside the skin of Jack White and find out what he’s all about, we get treated to an album that is strange, contradictory, disturbed and gorgeous, and probably the perfect window into the elusive soul he is.

10/10

Tracklist:
01 – Missing Pieces
02 – Sixteen Saltines
03 – Freedom at 21
04 – Love Interruption
05 – Blunderbuss
06 – Hypocritical Kiss
07 – Weep Themselves to Sleep
08 – I’m Shakin’
09 – Trash Tongue Talker
10 – Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy
11 – I Guess I Should Go to Sleep
12 – On and On and On
13 – Take Me with You When You Go

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Stream Album: iTunes | Wiki: Link

Job For A Cowboy – Demonocracy (2012)

Staying relevant in today’s modern metal scene is no small task. Staying relevant while juggling a band lineup over and over (and over) again is even more difficult. THese are the challenges that have faced Glendale, Arizona’s pride and joy Job For A Cowboy. Since their inception in 2003, the band has changed musicians more times than Lady Gaga has changed hairstyles, which might explain the fact that they have only released two albums (as well as two EPs) over that period of time.

Those albums, though, were absolute killers – so it’s no surprise that the metal community is ready to flash their horns again with the release of Demonocracy. Front man Jonny Davy is the last man standing from the original lineup, but with what he calls a “steady” lineup behind him, the band is poised to reignite the torch they held high as one of metal’s brightest “new” bands five years ago.

I first heard the album a week or so ago, but instead of giving it the “knee-jerk” reaction, I wanted to listen this one a few times – or fifty – before giving it the proper write up. Why?

Two reasons. First, I really like this band. I’ve driven countless miles to see them on several occasions and have bought every damn album, EP, t-shirt and belt buckle. They’ve earned my respect as one of the “better” metal bands going – and that respect forced my hand at giving the review all I could.

The second, and more important, reason is that it feels to me like this is “do or die” time for the band. Metal fans are notoriously picky and impatient – they don’t like changes and they don’t like waiting. Job For A Cowboy are guilty of both to a certain extent. Three albums in six years isn’t an abnormal schedule for most bands, but the hype the band created with their first full-length Genesis had fans salivating for more – and quick. Ruination fed the appetite in 2009, but since then only a less-than-stellar EP has made its way to the public, and frankly – the natives are restless.

Demonocracy needed to be awesome. It needed to be heavy. It needed to prove that – despite the revolving door of guitarists and drummers – the band could put out a cohesive, brutal album. It needed to be Job For A Cowboy…

And it is. In every fucking measure.

What we have with this album is possibly the most brutal, most ingenious effort to date from Davy and company. When they first hit the scene, they were trendsetters in the way they delivered their unique style of death metal – yet here they are setting a new trend with less of the bad and more of the good. Gone are the pig squeals, as is most of the deathcore influence that permeated their earlier efforts. What we have now – in the band’s current state – is a heavier, more technical approach to death metal that knocks the wind out of you and kicks you while your down.

A nice addition this time around is the fact that Demonocracy hints at the melodic side from time to time, which mixed in with all the brutal chaos makes the record sound tighter, more polished, and as accessible as anything the band has ever recorded.

For me, the first two albums – in all their glory – felt like the band was relentlessly beating the shit out of me. Demonocracy has a slightly different vibe in that I felt like I was invited along to do the ass kicking with them. And that, folks, is what makes it so great.

It’s not the kind of album that one reviews track-by-track. What am I going to write about? All of the songs have the same powerful elements and same vocal stylings – but don’t let that fool you into thinking the record is one monotonous bore (that type of critique would be more appropriate for Meshuggah’s latest – Koloss). Instead, the album is the perfect cocktail of technical precision and straight-forward death metal supremacy. Each track tugs at you a little differently, but the bruises left are equally horrific.

The “newcomers” to the band – Tony Sannicandro on guitars/backing screams and Nick Schendzielos (ex-Cephalic Carnage) on bass – add an extra punch that is noticeable on almost every track. Add that to the enraged drumming of Jon Rice and fretwork of “longtime” (since 2008) guitarist Al Glassman, and the quintet sound as in tune with eachother as JFAC ever has.

Standout tracks? You could write all the song titles on little pieces of paper and draw them from a hat and would be just fine, but for me there were a few that stood a little higher than the rest.

The opener, “Children of Deceit” was a true technical showcase. The guitars and drums had such an odd syncopation that it was infectious. “Imperium Wolves” caught my attention with its amazing guitar fills and sledgehammer bass parts, and “Tongueless and Bound” is not only the coolest track title on the disc, but also has the most interesting tornado of tempo shift the album offers.

No track more exemplifies the progression of JFAC than “The Deity Misconception.” The track is slathered with modern metal excellence, from the Randall Blythe-esque opening growl to the demonic high and low vocals. It’s as close as the band has come to having “that” song – the one that everyone knows as JFAC.

And that’s the only minimal complaint I have with Demonocracy. The band has such a signature style that it can’t seem to wrap itself around that ONE song that will stick with them forever. All these songs are great, but none are that epic definition the band is still searching for. Maybe we will forever be subject to the whole being a greater beast than all of it’s parts – but for commercial (yes, it’s necessary these days) success, the band has to come up with it’s very own “Master of Puppets” to truly break through the ranks. It’s not here, but based on the progression the band is experiencing with this album, it can’t be too far off. Until then, Demonocracy will at least get the band back to relevancy – and hints at something far greater that seems to be in the not-so-distant future. Which gets us back to where we were before this album was released.

Waiting. But this time we have nine ferocious tracks to hold us over. Hopefully we won’t be salivating again for long…

8/10

Tracklist:
01 – Children Of Deceit
02 – Nourishment Through Bloodshed
03 – Imperium Wolves
04 – Tongueless And Bound
05 – Black Discharge
06 – The Manipulation Stream
07 – The Deity Misconception
08 – Fearmonger
09 – Tarnished Gluttony

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Myspace: Link | Wiki: Link

Halestorm – The Strange Case Of… (2012)

Over the last ten years or so, it seems that hard rock and heavy metal have always had that “one” band. You know the one – the band with the super hot female lead singer that wears the sexiest thing she can find on stage and makes guest appearances on a ton of other albums. Most of the time, the extreme talent matches up to the extreme boners they give teenage rock fans. Nightwish, In This Moment, Arch Enemy, Evanescence, Within Temptation and others have all taken their turn as the “it” band at one point or another over the last decade with their gorgeous front women, but it’s time for all of them to move over…

Lzzy Hale has arrived, and she’s ready to knock your teeth down your throat.

Halestorm gained tons of notoriety after their self-titled debut back in 2009, but the band has been hard at work for a lot longer than that. Officially, the band formed around 2000, with Lzzy and brother/drummer Arejay Hale and released a few EPs over the years before getting their break. In the early days, the sibling’s dad played bass for the band in a modern-day Partridge Family scenario, but left the band in 2003 (probably because being in a band with your son and daughter is kind of weak). Filling out the roster was Joe Hottinger on guitar and Josh Smith on bass, both of whom which are still with the band.

When the debut album was released, Halestorm quickly rose to the top of the modern hard rock scene. Their opening slot gigs make for a virtual who’s who of today’s top metal and hard rock artists. Avenged Sevenfold, Megadeth, Buckcherry and Papa Roach have all shared the stage with little miss thing and her band mates, so it’s no surprise to find one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2012 would be the groups sophomore release The Strange Case Of…

The band teased the release with a 4-song EP titled Mz. Hyde a couple of months ago, but we don’t review EPs here – my readers have proven to me that they want the whole meal, not just the appetizer. So the wait was on – until today. We finally got a chance to preview the new album (as well as a few new band photos), and found we have a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it.

The album opens with the ever-popular “One.. Two… One, two, three, four!” and jumps head first into a mammoth of a track titled “Love Bites (So Do I).” It’s heavy and sexy, and has Hale trading off between her unmatchable singing style, some spoken word, and some gritty, gutteral screams that actaally had my ears at attention (instead of – well – the “other” parts). A powerful opener for sure.

“Mz. Hyde” is a more even-tempoed jaunt that is supposed to be scary, but the only frightening here is how eerily similar this sounds like a Pink song. Now I’ve known all along that Halestorm isn’t a real metal band, despite what people think. Hard rock is a better term, but this song is something different. It’s really a pop song in wolf’s clothing. The guitar crunches are going to trick you into thinking this is hard rock, but after dissecting it over and over I’ve come to the conclusion that it is simply well-disguised pop radio food. It doesn’t sound bad, but for someone who just lent her vocals to Mike Portnoy’s Adrenaline Mob project, it felt a little safe…

This magic trick continues with “I Miss The Misery.” Another top-40 track sneaking around the metal scene wearing a leather jacket and heavy black eye-liner. This one is, fortunately, a little rougher around the edges at times and the guitar parts and Hale straining her vocals a bit kept me from skipping ahead.

“Freak Like Me” returns to the level of rock I was expecting with complex drums and good ol’ fashioned rawk guitar. Hale’s vocals are as strong as they’ve been on the album here, and the sexual overtones were the perfect answer to getting the album back on course. Hottinger’s solo wasn’t too complex, but filled the space nicely on one of the CD’s stronger efforts.

I hate ballads. I’ve proclaimed that a million times. That said, it was nice to hear “Beautiful With You” which features Hale’s “soft” voice, as it truly is one of the best in the business. Its non-operatic realness only adds to it’s beauty. For me it sounds like a mix of Pat Benetar’s brash with Shania Twain’s perfection – and it echoes and resonates throughout.

“In Your Room” is another softie – and honestly was misplaced on the album. If you think I’m going to sit through two ballads in a row on what was supposed to be a rock album, you’re wrong. Maybe if the song was a few songs from now I’d pay it more attention, but for now we are clicking ahead…

…to “Break In,” which made me want to break the CD case. Yes, Lzzy – you have a great voice, but three ballads in a row is too many. It took ever bit of stomach I had, but I did take this track from start to finish – and it probably is the best of the three due to its stripped-down nature (it’s essentially just Hale and piano throughout).

If I didn’t get a guitar rip or maniacal drum fill to start the next song, this review was probably over. Thankfully, we get back to what we paid for with “Rock Show.” The lyrics are a bit mundane and simple, but at this point I was ready for anything that had a heart/drum beat. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser, as it was written for them, but lyrics such as “getting high on the solo” or “when a bitchin’ riff comes” are a little beneath Hale, I thought. I’m not sure what inspired this track, but it didn’t inspire me much…

“Daughters of Darkness” opens with an interesting tribal drum and “na-na-na” combination, and suddenly I’m back into giving this record a chance. The song is good – and the lyrics are passable – so it’s a step back in the right direction. I think it’s about witches or vampires or something – it doesn’t matter – the strength of the track lies within its structure and violin highlights. Too bad the track was buried under four tracks of yuck, as it is one of the highlights of a CD a lot of people would have turned off by now.

Continuing the resurrection is “You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing.” The title really says it all, as it is filled with attitude and swagger and stomps along with beefy bass strikes and pounding drums. I’ve just about forgotten about the middle part of this album by now, and am keeping the fingers (and toes) crossed for a strong finish that has been set up by the last two selections.

“American Boys” is one of those types of tracks that Kid Rock perfected. A slice of Americana, a slice of redneck, a slice of country, and a slice of good old fashioned guitar rock. I can see this being the most successful single off of the album as it has all the right things in place for a long run on the charts. It’s a beer-drinking, barbecuing good time, and worth many repeat listens.

For an album that already had one or two too many slow songs, the fact that it closes on yet another – “Here’s To Us” – was a let down. The record was just starting to pick up some steam, and a rocking finish would have seemed fitting, but it was not to be. Again, Hale’s voice is on target – but the rest is just normal rock radio filler.

Fortunately, the deluxe version (which I would recommend) had three more tracks to finish off the listen. “Don’t Know How To Stop” is better than at least four of the songs on the regular version, “Private Parts” features Sixx:AM vocalist James Michael in a softer but powerful track (which, ironically, is the best ballad on the disc), and finishes with the upbeat “Hate It When You See Me Cry”.

All in all, I think Halestorm are having a bit of difficulty honing in on their identity. It’s as if they can’t decide if they want to be AOR, pop, hard rock, or metal. I’ll tell you from the listen that you can scratch metal off the list. I doubt you’ll be seeing them at Mayhem Festival or Ozzfest anytime soon. In their current state, they seemed more fit for a stint with Skillet or Shinedown or another of those radio rock bands – and that is a bummer.

When Lzzy flashes her shark-toothed grin she has all the moxie to be the next Lita Ford. She’s an aggressive soul cursed with a beautiful voice, and The Strange Case Of… shows too much of the latter and not enough of the former. It’s going to sell, and is bound to be a financial success for the band, but for me the magic trick wasn’t all that impressive. It’s too simple, too safe, and too generic to keep me coming back. Well, I’ll probably come back for the pictures, at least…

5.5/10

Tracklist:
01. Love Bites (So Do I)
02. Mz. Hyde
03. I Miss The Misery
04. Freak Like Me
05. Beautiful With You
06. In Your Room
07. Break In
08. Rock Show
09. Daughters Of Darkness
10. You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing
11. American Boys
12. Here’s To Us
13. Don’t Know How To Stop (Bonus Track)
14. Private Parts (Feat. James Michael Of Sixx:A.M. / Bonus Track)
15. Hate It When You See Me Cry (Bonus Track) (3:11)

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Dragonforce – The Power Within (2012)

If you haven’t heard of England’s Dragonforce, the history lesson is short and sweet. Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman formed the band in 1999 and may just be the fastest tag-team ever to play on the same stage. Their unique style of power/fantasy metal played a supersonic speed usually includes electronic elements reminiscent of retro video games. Longtime vocalist ZP Theart has left the band recently, and the new vocalist – Marc Hudson – hopes to carry on the legacy of one of the most entertaining, epic acts in all of metal.

The Power Within is the highly-anticipated fifth release from these shredders, and comes after a four year absence (the record is the first since 2008′s Ultra Beatdown). Honestly, I wasn’t sure the band would ever come back after the controversial chatter surrounding that album and subsequent tour.

You see, calling Li and Totman “fast” is like calling the sky blue or the sun hot. The riffs the two provide on every track are insane. The fingering and fretwork are almost unbelievable – and thus lies the controversy. There have been countless occasions (and fan-filmed video proof) that the tandem have had problems pulling off their six-string acrobatics live. Footage has surfaced of the two either slowing down songs, or drop-tuning their guitars in attempt to “keep up” with the chaos of the studio versions of their songs. For me, I vaguely remember seeing them live in 2006, but was honestly too drunk to remember if they were hitting all their notes or not.

And with that, I say “so what” to the claim that they may or may not use studio tricks to make them sound louder and faster than they really are. Even if it’s true, it’s not the first time a riff has been sped up, or a vocal cleaned up, or a drum pattern looped in the studio for the sake of effect. And if they really CAN play live that fast, more power to them.

That said, let’s get to what we came here for. The Power Within is the first chunk of new music from the band in a long while, and with new vocalist en tow, it’s time to see if the band still has what it takes to stay a top the power metal mountain.

“Holding On” kicks things off with – what else – a double-headed guitar intro followed by a great high-pitched scream for Hudson, announcing his arrival in glass-shattering fashion. It’s frenetic and melodic, and just what you’d expect – which immediately put up a red flag for me. As enjoyable as Dragonforce can be, the last album wasn’t very expansive. I hate using the term “one-trick pony,” but that’s the feeling I was starting to get a few years ago. Unfortunately, this track is more of the same. Sure, it’s got tricky guitar work, but the structure is so predictable it’s almost annoying. But we’re only one track in, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet…

According to the band, “Fallen World” is the fastest, most intense DragonForce song to date, While it does have a certain “thrash” feel it at times, it doesn’t as feel as fast as some of the bands other hits off of previous albums. What is noticeable here is how much more I like Hudson at the microphone. His presence is very powerful, but not so “over-the-top” as Theart was. It gives the listener the chance to appreciate everything about the songs instead of getting caught up in the pissing contest between vocals and guitars that earlier albums seemed to force upon us.

Medieval fantasy has always been an anchoring point to Dragonforce lyrics, but never as much as with “Cry Thunder” which falls somewhere between an Irish folk song and pirate shanty. With the signature blitzkreig of guitars, of course. Worth mentioning is how on point drummer Dave Mackintosh has been so far. To keep rhythm with such a electric pace is no small task, but Mackintosh is up to the challenge time and time again. For a band that is known for the guitars, make sure you are listening to the drums here, as they are just as incredible.

Hudson takes a lower octave for much of “Give Me The Night,” and this is the type of diversity the band has lacked in the past. It’s nothing THAT new, but the vocal switch-up adds a freshness to the track. Also, the guitars are crisp, but not overpowering leading to what may be my new favorite Dragonforce song.

I was pretty convinced that “Wings of Liberty” was going to be a ballad until Frédéric Leclercq’s bass fill ignited the flame about 30 seconds in. The track is a hundred-mile-an-hour ballad on speed, occasionally softening up but staying pretty heavy and inspiring all the way through. Even the solo takes on more of a bluesy feel that stands out for it’s feel instead of it’s pace. Again, the little shifts here and there add a new dimension to the band’s sound, and the end result is phenomenal.

“Seasons” has rock radio written all over it with heartfelt vocals, methodical structure and echoing guitars. In a sense, it took me back to the heyday of hair metal with its accessibility and the lack of shrieking vocals – making it hard not to like. Again, there is a thick bassline and slower, more meticulous guitar parts – but you still get the Malmsteen-esque solos and fills that keep the energy high. It’s at this point of the album that I’ve realized the monotony has left Dragonforce. It’s obvious – at least to me – that they are trying hard to encompass a lot of different styles and sounds on the album, and it makes them sound better than ever.

If there is a track on The Power Within that sounds like “old” Dragonforce, it’s “Heart Of The Storm.” Not only do we get guitar tricks up the wahzoo, we also get the keyboard treatment in high dosage (which has been pretty quiet so far). The solo just screams, and I dare all you guitarists out there to try to copy it. I know I couldn’t.

“Die By The Sword” is another signature track. You can’t blame the band for sticking with the recipe that has brought them to the dance – and the fact that it doesn’t sound like everything else on the album makes it passable here. The piano parts add a breath of life to it, but otherwise it’s a lot of guitars and not a whole lot of anything else. If this is your first experience with Dragonforce, you’ll love it. It gallops and soars, but for those of us that have been with the band since the beginning, this is old news.

Hudson is highlighted in the opening of “Last Man Stands,” which tricks you into thinking it’s something by The Cars early, then slams through a brick wall with pace and prowess. It has a inspiring message and I can actually see the live performance in my head when I close my eyes. Yet again, the guitars aren’t overcooked and pick just the right moments to rip your face off and hand it to you.

The album closer revisits track six and plays the acoustic card with it. I like this version almost as much as the first, and it shows yet another side to the band, as nothing is electric here. It showcases the harmonies and cohesion the band has found among all members, and was a great way to sign off.

So…

I’m taking two things away from this release more than anything. The first is that the change in vocalists appears to have been the right move for the band. I heard a lot more heart and soul on this record than I ever have with Dragonforce, and it was the perfect balance to the technical orgasm of guitars along the journey. I didn’t consider this just a great guitar album – it was a great metal album.

Secondly, Li and Totman (who are the only original members left in the band) have obviously learned a thing or two from the past. They still own it – and are as great as ever – but they seemed to have matured in the sense that they pick and choose the moments a little more eloquently on this album. Instead of giving us 60 minutes of shred, they give us 60 minutes of music – and really good music at that.

Not only has the band shed the image almost instantly of being “that” band, but they have written and performed ten pretty amazing tracks. Where the previos four albums wore on me after multiple listens, I see this release staying in pretty heavy rotation for quite some time due its diversity and “clean sheets” aroma. It’s as if the band still sounds like Dragonforce, yet doesn’t really sound like Dragonforce at all – and that’s a pretty hard thing to do.

8.5/10

Tracklist:
1. Holding On
2. Fallen World
3. Cry Thunder
4. Give Me the Night
5. Wings of Liberty
6. Seasons
7. Heart of the Storm
8. Die By the Sword
9. Last Man Stands
10. Seasons (Acoustic Version)

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Metallica – Armageddon (2012)

The last time we heard from California natives Metallica was last October when the band – almost inexplicably – teamed up with the legendary Lou Reed for the project titled Lulu. Critics had a hard time swallowing the combination of the two, and after some early hype, the album disappeared into obscurity as quickly as it had arrived.

Diehard Metallica fans screamed foul, so it’s small wonder that the band hustled their collective asses back in to the studio to get to work on their latest effort, Armageddon. Many years ago, the band attempted the experimental St. Anger, which brought out the lynch mob in record proportions, and Lulu seemed to reignite the hate from long time fans. The bands most recent release, Death Magnetic, seemed to calm the storm for a while – and was actually a solid metal record – but after Lulu, it was mandatory that the next album be what the fans wanted. Metallica is a loud, fast band that plays metal better than anyone – and the fans aren’t going to settle for anything less.

Which makes Armageddon perhaps the most curious of any Metallica release to date. Where Magnetic erased St. Anger, the new record is only bound to confuse fans even more after the ill-fated Lulu. It’s not that it’s a bad record by any means – the band is as cohesive and heavy as ever. The inclusion of guest performers on every track, however, is bound to have a head-scratching effect on most lifelong fans.

Korn jumped ship from heavy metal on their latest effort by joining forces with dubstep DJ Skrillex, and James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo seem to be following suit on the album opener, Not On My Time. Here, the band thrashes harder than they have in years, but overdubbed the track with electronic beats courtesy of legendary British club DJs The Pet Shop Boys. Surprisingly, the track is filled with moshpit energy, and the synthesized back beats only add to the chaos. On paper, I would have called this a disaster, but it might end up being Metallica’s most revered song since “Master of Puppets.”

“Red-Headed Bitch” slows things down substantially after the ferocious opener, and features the one and only Barbara Streisand in a duet of sorts with Hetfield through this melancholy love song. “She may be old and she may be rich, but there’s something about that red-headed bitch” is only one of the many poignant lyrics professed in this show tune pushed through a meat grinder. Ozzy had Lita, Sonny had Cher, and now – apparently – James has Babs…

Call it the need to wind down, or the endless pursuit of the eternal summer, but even Metallica needs to relax every know and then. That’s the only way to explain “Buried My Babe in Bermuda,” a collaboration with one-hit wonder Eddy Grant (of “Electric Avenue” fame). If Bob Marley and Anthrax had a baby, this would be the demon child. The track is the perfect balance of speed metal and steel drums, and is sure to become a fan favorite at the live shows with the ragga chant of “Nothin’ Rude-ah than Bermuda.” Another great track.

Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger is featured on “Sold My Soul For A Shot,” which finds Hetfield and company experimenting in the tamer side of rock. While not truly metal, it does carry that arena charm of sing along vocals and sexual innuendos that is all the rage on the modern rock scene. The last minute and a half of the track is a great solo from Hammett blazing over the grunts and moans that sounds like an arm-wrestling match between Hetfield and Kroeger – a match I’d bet James won…

Rock and country have been crossing over for years, so it’s not a stretch for Metallica to take the plunge in this sordid affair by pairing with country superstar Dolly Parton in “Gun On The Rack” (an obvious play on words to the country songstresses enormous breasts). We’ve known all along that Ulrich was a master of the drum kit, but you can now ad spoons and washboard to his repertoire, as the band throws gasoline on this hillbilly-meets-hellraiser jaunt. Another one that seems ridiculous, but plays to perfection.

For an album that has laid waste to almost every genre out there, it was obvious that hip-hop could not be ignored. Chart toppers Pitbull and Wiz Khalifa drop rhymes all over “Get Outta My Bag,” which has Hetfield contributing nothing more than hand-claps to a track that will be embraced by headbangers and gangbangers alike. Sure, the “puff-puff-give” lyric has been used more times than Madonna’s strap-on, but the wall of sound provided by Hammett, Castillo and guest guitarist Jack Black more than keep the track fresh and tight.

Call it getting older, growing more mature, or common sense – but something has shined a new light on faith for bassist Robert Trujillo. Many point to the near-death choking experience at Vancouver’s annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Eating Festival in 2008, which nearly cost the musician his life. On Trujillo’s request, the band invited the Harlem Boys Choir to share the studio with them on “Swallow Your Pride (Balls Down).” The gospel-influenced rocker was a bit too preachy for me at times with lyrics such as “God’s balls are too big for you to swallow”, but the music was pretty amazing, and the chorus from fifty little black kids only added to the groove.

So far, the album has been pretty spot on, but the moment every Metallica fan has waited forever for finally comes to reality in the albums 38 minute closer, “The Unforgiven, Part XII.” The epic tale, done in three movements, re-unites Metallica with three of it’s most integral players that have since left the band. In “Cliff’s Notes,” The band opens the trilogy with an instrumental piece that features long lost recordings of deceased bassist Cliff Burton. Unfortunately, the recordings aren’t of Cliff playing bass, but contain episodes of him talking on the phone to Chinese restaurants, yelling “No Whammies!” to what we assume was his television, and occasionally farting, burping, and what sounded like a dry heave or two. The fact that these tapes have been kept secret for so long is a true testament to how highly regarded Burton was to the band, and defines his legacy to perfection.

Part two features former member Jason Newsted (Voivoid) playing all instruments at once, showing not only his skill at all stations but his flexibility as well in “My Flotsam To Your Jetsam.” Hetfield carries the vocals well here, but pauses on occasion, in obvious awe to Newsted’s amazing talent. It’s apparent that time heals all wounds, as both Jason and James can be heard smashing guitars to pieces at the end of the track while Hetfield’s haunting vocals of “Kill me now…” echo out. I’m pretty sure they were both smashing guitars…

The coup de gras is the last part of the trilogy, in which former member and current Megadeth ringleader Dave Mustaine joins the band in the speed-friendly “Better Than Thou.” Although an unlikely reunion, everyone shines brightly through the track, but the back and forth chorus break between Mustaine and Hetfield revisiting the Annie Get Your Gun showtune “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” is the icing on the cake. I never thought I would hear these forces on the same album, let alone the same song – and it makes Armageddon worth the price for this track alone.

The album as a whole is a shining example that Metallica can do just about anything they want whenever they want. They have the record sales and concert numbers to prove it, and as far as releases for 2012 go, this one is a must, and can be purchased online beginning April 1, 2012. Which we all know what that day is, right??

10/10

Tracklist:
01. Not On My Time
02. Red-Headed Bitch
03. Buried My Babe In Bermuda
04. Sold My Soul For A Shot
05. Gun On The Rack
06. Get Outta My Bag
07. Swallow Your Pride (Balls Down)
08. The Unforgiven, Part XII
i. Cliff’s Notes
ii. My Flotsam To Your Jetsam
iii. Better Than Thou

Buy record HERE!

Myspace: Link | Wiki: Link