Powered By Blogger

Sunday, August 30, 2015

RECENT RECKANISM'S







Righto to start off this blogaroo of awesome newness, I shall begin with, using the clarity of perception that Lem himself is wont to use, quite possibly the final Motorhead album BAD MAGIC..and its a deadset cracker, the great man may be feeling all of his 70 years now, but Lem can still pen and play a ripper when required....


Bad Magic is Motorhead’s 22nd studio album. Their sound doesn’t deviate much from record to record. You know you’re going to get a boisterous dose of straightforward  rock ‘n’ roll played at maximum volume. It’s a formula that has served Lem and his various co-horts well over their career, and there is no reason to change....AND THEY HAVENT


 Rock or Bust, had a difficult birth. During recording, the band revealed that founding guitarist Malcolm Young was suffering from dementia, leaving his brother Angus in full charge of the band. Angus and producer Brendan O'Brien, who helmed the group's 2008 predecessor, Black Ice, enlisted the Young brothers' nephew Stevie to fill out some parts and the band whipped the record into shape in short order (admittedly with not much help from drummer Phil Rudd, who was hardly in the studio and left the band in a cloud of criminal allegations prior to the album's release). 




Malcolm may have been missing but his presence is felt. Angus completed the songs from old riff tapes he and his brother demoed, so Rock or Bust doesn't feel much different than any other AC/DC album. If anything, it's light on its feet, with "Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder" and "Hard Times" containing some swing and air in their rhythms and "Sweet Candy" feeling like part of a line of nasty bubblegum rock that stretches back to the early days of Harry Vanda and George Young...ALL IN ALL i RECKON ITS A CRACKER 





A treat for all of you who love power chords! A favorite from first listen is "Electric Blood", a extremely well crafted, crunchy and hooky rock and roll song performed with a classic rock sensibility. The approach throughout is basic rock and roll, yet so few bands can execute this simple genre . In fact no track on the entire album tries to venture into new sonic ground or get experimental. 




you should support the efforts of Biters and pick up "Electric Blood", or no longer complain about the Biebers of the world.



There aren't many bands that get back together (for the most part) after several decades and succeed in recapturing the elements that made them successful in the first place , one of the first things Rick Rubin did when he got Black Sabbath together was to play them their first album, presumably in the hope that they could recapture the vibe that basically invented heavy metal. 



The good news for Sabbath fans is that they've come pretty close on what may be their last album. On a mix tape/playlist, the songs on 13 would sit pretty comfortably alongside the first four Sabbath albums - especially Black Sabbath and Paranoid. Songs on 13 are mostly medium-slow tempo and, with one exception, very heavy and unmistakably Black Sabbath.



Bon Jovi had a rough time when Richie Sambora left the band. I thought that Bon Jovi was done but then Jon Bon Jovi made an announcement.




 This is an album that is the end of an era (the era with Sambora). This is an album to say goodbye to Sambora by releasing some songs that were meant for past albums. Everyone needs to realize this album is being released as the final album with Mercury records to fulfill their contract. The songs are mostly leftovers from other albums. Burning bridges song is also written about the record company and clearly the relationship is not good.




The Purple Album features revved-up versions of songs from Coverdale's tenure in Deep Purple some 40 years ago, from 1973 to 1976. The idea took hold after the death of Purple keyboardist Jon Lord in 2012, when Coverdale reached out to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to share his grief and make amends.





 The two hadn't spoken in 30 years, and their last meeting had ended in a fistfight, but they started talking. Eventually they discussed doing a c It's a tribute to Jon Lord, but talks broke down when they could not agree on the musical direction....so Coverdale went off and recorded them with his fellow snakes...lotta fans crapped on the idea, but as Coverdale said F**k em...couldn't agree more



The veteran German hard rock band, Scorpions are back with " Return to Forever." the three classic faces of this band, Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs along with James Kottak, have banged out  "Return to Forever,"



it  originated  from ideas unused from song ideas in the '80s . the veteran team have not forgotten what made them famous and this stands right next to any of the classic Scorpion albums


Part of the lure of DragonForce is seeing the band’s guitarists delivering their blistering licks live. And come this summer, you’ll be able to watch some of that fret board mastery from the comfort of your living room as the band will issue a new concert DVD titled In the Line of Fire.





This marks the group’s first live DVD and it’s scheduled for a July 10 release. The film was shot in high definition and features footage from the band’s Ultimate Stage headline show at 2014′s Loud Park Festival in Japan.
Guitarist Herman Li says, “We always held the opinion that if we ever did a DVD we wanted to do it properly. Now, having released six studio albums we thought we had a great cross section of material to pick from and we knew the facilities at Loud Park made it a great place to film a show. Everything just came together and we’re very pleased with the results and hope the fans will be also.”...Fans can look for a mix of the DragonForce’s older favorites and songs from their most recent Maximum Overload album added in for good measure. In addition, viewers will be taken backstage, behind-the-scenes and given some insight into the band’s off-the-road life



"Tearing Down the Walls" marks the second H.E.A.T record with Eric Gronwall on vocals; Gronwall replaced the terrific Kenny Leckremo several years back and H.E.A.T has been churning out the amazing records ever since. While I undoubtedly liked Leckremo, Gronwall brings a swagger and cockiness that makes the band more edgy and less 80's soundtrack sounding. 



The songs still hold that ingredient of 80's pop music, but they have infused a more modern sound and production to make it more appealing to a mass audience. The production on the album, and the songwriting is top-of-the-line as expected from any Swedish band, and the songs range from hard rockers to soft and intimate ballads. Admittedly I'm not the biggest fan of cheesy ballads, but H.E.A.T write some of the prettiest and heart-wrenching songs you'll ever set your ears to. Nothing on the album wreaks of filler to me; in fact, I'd argue that just about every track could be a single from the record.


Some critics have already (unfairly) blasted this album for being bombastic, over the top, and a bit cheesy. But this is what 80's melodic metal was all about. While it does contain tracks that border on the socially conscious, it is for the most part a fun album. The blistering opener "Heroes" is epic, and it recalls their earlier works. Some of the lyrics do border on the cheesy ("If God Loves Rock and Roll" and "Stay Crazy") but you can't argue with the songwriting.






 In their own way, even the lesser tracks on the album hit their mark to some degree. There is plenty of metal guitar, and the melodies you will be humming for days. Consider that 30 years into their incredible career, this band is still going this strong. That is quite an accomplishment. And while this may not be their greatest album ever, it has all the elements that made the original Helloween great, and the genre of 80's power metal they not only created but expanded upon is represented well here on "My God Given Right."



Holding All the Roses captures what i like about the Smokers, the energy, attitude, and honesty that have already made them one of America's hottest live rock 'n' roll outfits, a truly grass-roots phenomenon with a large and fiercely loyal fan base. 




The 12-song set produced by Grammy-winner Brendan O'Brien, whose previous production clients have included AC/DC, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, showcases the Atlanta-based quintet's mix of bluesy rock, gospel soul, and country, with Charlie Starr's raspy twang matched by his and Paul Jackson's snarling guitars, Brandon Still's expressive keyboards, and the ridiculously good brotherly rhythm section of Richard and Brit Turner. Holding All the Roses demonstrates how Blackberry Smoke has evolved from rough-edged club act to arena-ready rock 'n' roll juggernaut as well as continues to steadily extend and expand the Southern rock tradition.


I may very well be byast as all hell,BUT, this is an incredible album! gauranteed to please most Wednesday 13 fans. This is easily Wednesday's heaviest album, but it's also top heavy with melody. 




There are a lot of catchy songs and it has great lyrics and word play which W13 is known for and why I consider him the Alice Cooper for this millenium....stand tand out tracks are "I Aint Got Time To Bleed", "Keep Watching The Skies", "Serpent Society", and "Monsters of the Universe".


The alledged bad boys of Hollywood sleaze metal, take on the gods of New York glam on the bombastic tribute album "Kiss Of Death". Featuring 15 supercharged versions of KISS classics, including "Shout It Out Loud", "Detroit Rock City" and "I Love It Loud", 





 PRETTY BOY FLOYD founding member Kristy Majors leads the attack with his razor sharp guitar alongside vocalist Steve Summers who together breathe new life into the classic metal anthems of Gene Simmons & Co.



You can tell by the name - and the names involved - that Revolution Saints is not going to be your average rock n roll band....Deen Castronovo, Jack Blades and Doug Aldrich. Put these three rock monsters together in a band and you have REVOLUTION SAINTS. Handling drums and lead vocals is Dean Castronovo. 




Already known for his drum talents and backing vocals in Journey, Bad English and more, his vocal talents on this release are impeccable. On bass,  Jack Blades  known for his hard rocking approach to songwriting and playing via multiple classic albums by Night Ranger, as well as with the Damn Yankees and the Shaw/Blades releases. On guitar, Doug Aldrich , who just left Whitesnake after a fruitful 12 year run (including co-writing 2010s critically acclaimed "Forevermore" release) and also of Burning Rain and formerly of DIO, has a deep pedigree and is one of todays most respected guitarists...... The record brings back the classic melodic rock style to where it should be: inspiring, uplifting vocals, soaring melodies and musicianship to die for. Simply put, it is completely badass.



This is what real authentic rock 'n' roll should be like. The Darkness make it seem to damn easy to create catchy songs. Every song fits right in with the rest of their catalogue & could be a hit single especially Mudslide. It's just a shame that decent albums like this in these times fall way under the radar. But lucky for us The Darkness don't give a sh*t and provided us with more proof that they are the real deal....





Every song on this album ranges from strikingly good to downright awesome. The second single "Open Fire", in particular, actually showcases Justin Hawkins' diverse range. He sounds like a mix of Freddie Mercury, Ian Astbury and Vince Neil all rolled into one, combined with a very The Cult meets Motley Crue - esque riff chugging in the background. Great way to truly kick things off on the album having two back-to-back tracks full of awesome


In 2011, the band reunited for a one off live show at High Voltage Festival and since then, the band members have has never been fully able to let go of the band, playing Christmas shows and a triumphant return to Wacken Open Air in 2013. They got the itch again and the result is their landmark tenth studio album Wonder Days ....The groups first studio album in six years, Wonder Days reminds us why Thunder are now more revered than ever before.  the band s sound is a cohesion of unforgettable melodies and sheer rock . Their long awaited return with Wonder Days should ensure that Thunder are elevated to their rightful place in the pantheon of truly great British bands.....




In parts a rumination and reflection on the dreams and desires of young men growing up in the 70 s that inspired the band members to form their first band in their early teens, Wonder Days is also a potent mix of blues, soul and rock n roll ....From the epic Zeppelin esque title track, through the no holds barred pop prowess of The Thing I Want , Resurrection Day and BlackWater , to the big ballad Broken , Thunder have delivered one of the finest rock albums of recent years.



SO...there you go, there is what i got recently...hope i inspire you somewhat





















1 comment:

  1. Hey Recky - gotta agree 100% about Sabbath's latest offering. 13 certainly captures all of the elements of their very first recordings and the album in my opinion is one of their best. As you state, not many bands can push out an album 40years later, and sound as fresh and inventive as they did back when they were first starting out. Even Ozzie sounds like his old-self !
    Can't wait for 14.....

    ReplyDelete