Drowning Pool - Gregorian BC - Jackyl - Mr Big - King Lizard
Drowning Pool - S/T
Drowning pool – S/T – Eleven Seven
By Jeffrey Easton
Its 2010 and a few singers later, Drowning Pool has put out what I feel is their best record to date. With the S/T release, they have traversed the dark crevices of the mind as well as the out and out celebrated horns in the air hell yes attitudes. The music seeps with nasty attitude featuring razor sharp riffs with the rhythm pounding like a hammering heartbeat frantically on the verge of a heart attack. Darkness reigns with standout track Regret. Great tune with ominous language that anybody with a big mouth needs to listen to before they speak one more time. Turn So Cold, the perfect relationship song for the imperfect one. Anybody can write about love but it takes the right fired up singer to translate those feelings.. Of course this is Drowning pool so the anthem has to be in place and it is the lead of track here with Let the Sin Begin. This should be the theme song for any party where the mood can turn “nasty” any moment. Saying that you have to think about drinking but there are a few that do overdo it to hide their life and that is where Alcohol Blind comes in. Listen to that song and wake up and reopen your eyes. The 11 tracks here all rock with authority and if you do not own DP’s S/T then you are missing out on a solid piece of Rock!
Buy Drowning Pool!!!
By Jeffrey Easton
Its 2010 and a few singers later, Drowning Pool has put out what I feel is their best record to date. With the S/T release, they have traversed the dark crevices of the mind as well as the out and out celebrated horns in the air hell yes attitudes. The music seeps with nasty attitude featuring razor sharp riffs with the rhythm pounding like a hammering heartbeat frantically on the verge of a heart attack. Darkness reigns with standout track Regret. Great tune with ominous language that anybody with a big mouth needs to listen to before they speak one more time. Turn So Cold, the perfect relationship song for the imperfect one. Anybody can write about love but it takes the right fired up singer to translate those feelings.. Of course this is Drowning pool so the anthem has to be in place and it is the lead of track here with Let the Sin Begin. This should be the theme song for any party where the mood can turn “nasty” any moment. Saying that you have to think about drinking but there are a few that do overdo it to hide their life and that is where Alcohol Blind comes in. Listen to that song and wake up and reopen your eyes. The 11 tracks here all rock with authority and if you do not own DP’s S/T then you are missing out on a solid piece of Rock!
Buy Drowning Pool!!!
Gregorian BC - Conquistadors of War
Gregorian BC – Conquistadors Of War
By Jeffrey Easton
Wow, this one was hard to decide for the good or bad side of my CD pile. On one hand you have Gregorian and his enchanting yet melancholy Jim Morrison meets Glen Danzig vocals and on the other hand you have a batch of terrible lyrics. It seems as if the inspiration for a few of these songs came from an Oprah episode (“Live Today”), to many Spanish history books (“The Rise Of Spain”, Conquistidors Of War”, “The Spanish Armada”) and worst of all you have “East Coast Rocker” with its words of the Stock Exchange etc. I guess the idea was to get a record out no matter what, no matter what came from Mr BC’s mouthpiece. The riffs are decent enough but they seem redundant after awhile but then you are so dulled by the words it doesn’t matter. I think if Gregorian was inspired enough he could deal a decent CD but until then I do not see that happening.
BUY Conquistadors Of War..
By Jeffrey Easton
Wow, this one was hard to decide for the good or bad side of my CD pile. On one hand you have Gregorian and his enchanting yet melancholy Jim Morrison meets Glen Danzig vocals and on the other hand you have a batch of terrible lyrics. It seems as if the inspiration for a few of these songs came from an Oprah episode (“Live Today”), to many Spanish history books (“The Rise Of Spain”, Conquistidors Of War”, “The Spanish Armada”) and worst of all you have “East Coast Rocker” with its words of the Stock Exchange etc. I guess the idea was to get a record out no matter what, no matter what came from Mr BC’s mouthpiece. The riffs are decent enough but they seem redundant after awhile but then you are so dulled by the words it doesn’t matter. I think if Gregorian was inspired enough he could deal a decent CD but until then I do not see that happening.
BUY Conquistadors Of War..
Jackyl - When Moonlight and Dynamite Collide
Jackyl – When And Dynamite Collide – Mighty Loud
By Jeffrey Easton
It has been nearly a decade since Jackyl graced our sound systems with a new record and it was rather worth the wait.. If Jackyl was your bag then you are in heaven as they have not lost a mile of speed as they rage through these ballistic songs. I will say that they have, in my opinion, morphed into a more Black Oak Arkansas type of band on some tunes which is fine and I am sure they were influenced by them any way. The topics are still the same; booze,, booze, sex, booze and recklessness. But isn’t that great, that you have a band that can keep their sound and theme because that is what the fans want? Jesse has not skipped a beat and when he sings Freight Train it seems as if he is laying pipe while singing it. They do go a little deeper with “Just Like A Negro”, a nice tune featuring DMC from RUN-DMC that acknowledges the origins of Rock N Roll.. They also still roll heavily with their southern heritage, everything dripping with redneck delight. They do keep it real by recording their material in the middle of nowhere Kennesaw, GA so you know it will sound authentic and it does. Is it the right time for Jackyl to release a record considering what fans find popular? Who cares you know… Everybody needs a badass kick in the balls record and this is it for sure.
BUY WHEN MOONSHINE AND DYNAMITE COLLIDE!!
By Jeffrey Easton
It has been nearly a decade since Jackyl graced our sound systems with a new record and it was rather worth the wait.. If Jackyl was your bag then you are in heaven as they have not lost a mile of speed as they rage through these ballistic songs. I will say that they have, in my opinion, morphed into a more Black Oak Arkansas type of band on some tunes which is fine and I am sure they were influenced by them any way. The topics are still the same; booze,, booze, sex, booze and recklessness. But isn’t that great, that you have a band that can keep their sound and theme because that is what the fans want? Jesse has not skipped a beat and when he sings Freight Train it seems as if he is laying pipe while singing it. They do go a little deeper with “Just Like A Negro”, a nice tune featuring DMC from RUN-DMC that acknowledges the origins of Rock N Roll.. They also still roll heavily with their southern heritage, everything dripping with redneck delight. They do keep it real by recording their material in the middle of nowhere Kennesaw, GA so you know it will sound authentic and it does. Is it the right time for Jackyl to release a record considering what fans find popular? Who cares you know… Everybody needs a badass kick in the balls record and this is it for sure.
BUY WHEN MOONSHINE AND DYNAMITE COLLIDE!!
Mr Big - What If
Frontiers
By Jeffrey Easton
So Mr Big is back and what a comeback it is. After a decade of being away, longer if you count the absence of super guitarist Paul Gilbert, they are back with what I think is their strongest LP since their debut. Speaking of Paul, his guitar skills are as sharp as the day he destroyed his first Racer X record. The leads filling around the riffs are jaw dropping, he has not lost an inch. I cannot name more than a few guitarists whose skills are as complete as his. The album rocks well with scant mention of a ballad with the exception of All The Way Up, which is not as bad as their earlier efforts at stabbing hit singles but still one I skip over. Undertow, American Beauty, this is what Mr. Big means to me, just great riffs and Eric’s amazing vocal abilities. The plow at breakneck speed through Once Upon A Time and As Far As The Eye Can See while hypnotizing you with what I think should be an international hit single in Stranger In My Life. Around The World shows the bands skills through and through, amazing harmonies, technical bass and guitar abilities as well as slamming drums, this band is firing on all cylinders. The album ends on an uber high note in the form of Unforgiven. This sheer exercise of guitar ability from Paul shows that the band is in for a new legion of musical freaks that will latch onto the band in a new way. In closing, thanks for a great album and not leaning into the ballad hemisphere.
BUY WHAT IF!!
By Jeffrey Easton
So Mr Big is back and what a comeback it is. After a decade of being away, longer if you count the absence of super guitarist Paul Gilbert, they are back with what I think is their strongest LP since their debut. Speaking of Paul, his guitar skills are as sharp as the day he destroyed his first Racer X record. The leads filling around the riffs are jaw dropping, he has not lost an inch. I cannot name more than a few guitarists whose skills are as complete as his. The album rocks well with scant mention of a ballad with the exception of All The Way Up, which is not as bad as their earlier efforts at stabbing hit singles but still one I skip over. Undertow, American Beauty, this is what Mr. Big means to me, just great riffs and Eric’s amazing vocal abilities. The plow at breakneck speed through Once Upon A Time and As Far As The Eye Can See while hypnotizing you with what I think should be an international hit single in Stranger In My Life. Around The World shows the bands skills through and through, amazing harmonies, technical bass and guitar abilities as well as slamming drums, this band is firing on all cylinders. The album ends on an uber high note in the form of Unforgiven. This sheer exercise of guitar ability from Paul shows that the band is in for a new legion of musical freaks that will latch onto the band in a new way. In closing, thanks for a great album and not leaning into the ballad hemisphere.
BUY WHAT IF!!
King Lizard - Viva La Decadence
Psycho DeVito Records
By Jeffrey Easton
King Lizard’s debut CD, Viva La Decadence: Sleaze, Glam, Hair Metal, no matter what you call it, it still gets off. Opening cut Late Night Dynamite explodes from your speakers and it never lets up as the filth pours from your speakers. Viva La Decadence, Rain On You, Video Lover, it all stampedes with four on the floor guitars, bass and drums, pounding your ears while sinister vocalist Flash Roxx shears your eardrums in half with his caterwauls of sex and metal. There is the lighter in the air ballad, a necessity of you will, in the form of Not For me and it holds up with the bigger ballads of our time, a tear jerker for the sentiment set if you will. Not to many bands can shell out the sleazy glam of old and still make it sound as if it was fresher than bread but they have pulled it off and it is a damn essential listen for your CD player or whatever you listen to. If the likes of Motley Crue, Skid Row, Poison and WASP are what does it for you, this will do it even more. Buy or regret it!!
BUY VIVA LA DECADENCE!
By Jeffrey Easton
King Lizard’s debut CD, Viva La Decadence: Sleaze, Glam, Hair Metal, no matter what you call it, it still gets off. Opening cut Late Night Dynamite explodes from your speakers and it never lets up as the filth pours from your speakers. Viva La Decadence, Rain On You, Video Lover, it all stampedes with four on the floor guitars, bass and drums, pounding your ears while sinister vocalist Flash Roxx shears your eardrums in half with his caterwauls of sex and metal. There is the lighter in the air ballad, a necessity of you will, in the form of Not For me and it holds up with the bigger ballads of our time, a tear jerker for the sentiment set if you will. Not to many bands can shell out the sleazy glam of old and still make it sound as if it was fresher than bread but they have pulled it off and it is a damn essential listen for your CD player or whatever you listen to. If the likes of Motley Crue, Skid Row, Poison and WASP are what does it for you, this will do it even more. Buy or regret it!!
BUY VIVA LA DECADENCE!