|
|
|
  |
 |
|
| Jellyfish is perhaps the most underrated bands ever. The band consisted of Andy Sturmer, Roger Manning Jr, Jason Falkner, Chris Manning, and unfortunately did just release two original albums in the "Bellybutton (1990)" and "Spilt Milk (1993)". Two brilliant power-pop albums that did not receive any great commercial success, but that made icons in the power-pop genre. Very sad and very strange as it is in my opinion two of the five biggest pop albums ever made, filled with classic like “The Man I Used To Be“, “I Wanna Stay Home“ and “Joining A Fan Club”. But they arrived at the wrong time when grunge scene to grow and the market were not ready for this kind of smart pop.
This album was recorded at the now defunct club Bogarts in Long Beach February 21, 1991, California when the band support Bellybutton. And it may seem a bit obscure to be releasing material almost twenty years later and when the band does not even exist. But the band has a loyal fan base so guess that Omnivore Records saw that there was something to make on this album that contains some cool material.
I am very grateful that this came out as I’m obviously a huge fan, but it's actually better than expected. The sound is great and we get a band that is in fantastic form and fires off pop pearls for an hour. Furthermore, we get five previously unissued performances, so even the old fans will get something new. But most important of all, this is the first and only official live recording from Jellyfish, a band that shows the best side of pop! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| The Sound of the Life of the Mind is the fourth studio album by Ben Folds Five, and is the group's first release since 1999's The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. And geehh... It's really a GREAT comebackalbum and the production signed by Joe Pisapia, from the band Guster has nothing more to wish fo. The album is huge is it's sound. The typical "Ben Folds-piano"-trademark is of course there, but the production is also so much more. Imagine a mix between the earlier BFF-albums, Rooney, Sparks, SpyMob and not least the mighty Kevin Gilbert on the softer songs! The album actually sits on a couple of five-star songs like the amazing "Sky High" which is a lovely atmospheric song that all Kevin Gilbert-fans should check out at once. The opening "Erase Me" sounds like a cool mix of Queen, Mika, Sparks and BFF, and "Hold That Thought" with a GREAT production and a progressive edge in a typcal Kevin Gilbert sort of costume. This album is really really strong. Great work
HIGHLIGHTS: Erase Me, Sky High, Hold That Thought, Away When You Were Here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Stone Sour has gone from being the talented side project of Slipknot to be one of the true great rock bands on this side of the millennium. They really did a real impression on the second record Come What (ever) May, produced by Nick Raskulinecz that was clearly more interesting than the debut. On the third album Audio Secrecy they then really showed that they’re a band to be reckoned with by again deliver a perfect mix of tough alternative rock and metal. Through this album, I think they put down Disturbed down from the throne in this type of modern metal with better songs and especially a greater variety.
On this new album, House of Gold & Bones, which will come out in two parts the band follows their successful concept. Again, we are invited to tough, varied and very well made NUMETAL of high-quality. Had extremely high expectations for this album and have to say that it is just as good as I hoped it would be.
Is impressed by the band's variation where no song is the other equally and this without sounding confused. Tracks like "Absolute Zero", "RU486" and "Influence Of A Good Drowsy" shows a band with great imagination and experience and that has taken the metal to a new level.
So if you're buying one single NUMETAL album this year, so it must definitely be House of Gold & Bones - Part 1, which crushes the rest of the releases this year! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The swedish rockers Sister Sin are back with their third studio release named "Now And Forever".
I must say that my expectations were high because I really was impressed big time with their last album "True Sound Of The Underground".
And I am very happy to say that after listening to the new album, it becomes apparent that Sister Sin have done it again! And I would say even better then the last album !
Sister Sin really shows a great attitude and they do it with so much love and conviction that it works perfect on the new album.
Although they retain their old charismatic sound, I think they have found a more melodic style on the new album. It sounds like the band has matured and everything sounds tighter and better, something that is evident throughout the album, especially in the stylish guitar riffs and solos on the album.
And singer Liv Jagrell has never sounded better than she does right now, she is without a doubt Swedens finest Rock Queen right now.Along with the skilled musicians in the band and a great production, "Now And Forever" is a really amazing album, perhaps even the best hardrock album of the year in my opinion !
The album starts with the awesome song "End Of The Line" which immediately sets the standard for this brilliant album. Liv sings energetically and the rest of the band backs her up perfectly with a heavy sound that recurs throughout the album.
The next song "Fight Song" is a cool song with a cocky attitude and one of my personal favourites on the album. "In It For Life" is a great fast song and once again Liv shows what a great singer she is.
Then comes a couple of slower songs, "Hearts Of Cold", "The chosen Few" and "Hang 'Em High", all much reminding of the vibe of the 80’s hardrock bands such as Accept with their great electrifying guitar riffs but still with their own typical Sister Sin sound.
The faster "I'm Not You" is a great song filled with heavy riffs, "Running Low" is a heavy song with a nice melodic guitar soloand the song "Shades Of Black" is another great song filled with cool bass and heavy guitars.The last song "Morning After" is a beautiful and amazing ballad where Liv shows her vocal skills by singing engaging and passionate and the result is brilliant and stunning. A perfect song to finish a perfect album !
Overall the songs are very well produced and what we get is more rock than metal, still melodic and with a touch of the 80´s sound. Sister Sin are for real, they show a great attitude and they do it with so much conviction and love that I belive them.
This is absolutely worth checking out if you like rock/metal of the 80´s and if you like classic hardrock with a melodic touch.
I am really impressed and can only give you one advice: BUY THIS ALBUM !
Long Liv(e) Rock N Roll !! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jimi Jamison (Survivor) is back with a new soloalbum were his has worked with mastermind Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T and many more) and the result is outstanding. Erik has written some awesome songs and Jimi sings stunning. The opener Everybody´s Got A Broken Heart sets the standard for this album and this is a brilliant up-tempo AOR-rocker were Journey meets Survivor with a superb catchy chorus. I Can´t Turn Back is pure magic with a fantastic melodies, great hooks and a first class chorus, this is AOR by numbers. The rockin´ Street Survivor with crunchy riffs and a powerful chorus is brilliant. Not Tonight is a another winner and reminds alot of Bryan Adams Waking Up The Neighbours and listen to the huge background vocals, classy stuff. Bullet In The Gun is an up-tempo rocker similar to W.E,T with a huge sound, riff strong guitars and a powerful catchy chorus. Heaven Call Your Name is a strong powerballad were Jimi sings his heart out and the chorus is awesome and with a fantastic guitarsolo. The album rounds off with another W.E.T sounding rocker called Walk On (Wildest Dreams), what a way to end the album because this is AOR on the highest level. Jimi and Erik has recorded an album that could be the album of the year for sure. So this is an album I recommend highly for every AOR fan. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| I remember some years ago, I was trying to explain to my mother that Deftones makes beautiful music. She did not really agree, not at all actually. I was intrigued by the smooth vocals from front man Chino Moreno as a contrast to the quite heavy and complex music the band plays. I still love his voice and I think that the music is getting better and better as well. This is the second album without Chi Cheng who is still recovering from a serious car accident.
From the first couple of song things are crystal clear. You are listening to a Deftones album. All the elements that you like about the band are there, heavy, dreamy guitar riffs, soaring vocals and a tight rhythm section. Overall when I listen to these songs I get flashbacks from the brilliant White Pony album. In general this is a much more consistent album than Diamond Eyes.
Wow do they sound focused and vibrant on this album. There is such a high level among the song that it is really hard for me to pick favorites. But opening song Swerve City is a great one that sets the tone for the rest of the album. What an amazing song! Entombed is another gem with great guitar licks and a nice mood. But as I said it is really hard to pick favorites here.
I was hooked from the first song and when the album ends all I want to do press play again. I believe that this is the best Deftones album since White Pony and they have made Chi Cheng very proud. Do yourself a favor and get this album as soon as it drops in stores. This is one of the best albums of 2012. Great, great stuff indeed! And mom, you are wrong. This is beautiful music! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Cage9 is one of those bands that have received way too little attention. Thinks that they are of of the most bands in the Modern rock with awesome songs and an own style. Their last two albums El Motivo and Survival Plan are really given if you're straight and straightforward rock like Foo Fighters meets The Exies.
Their new album How To Shoot Lasers From Your Eyes is like the previous releases no exception and is nothing but top class. We got a bit more effects in production this time, but it is done with thought and thinks that it's taken the band's sound to a new level.
Tracks like "Beg for Mercy," "The Master of Your Disaster" and "How to Shoot Lasers from Your Eyes" are world class and overall is this album one of the 2012 most abandoned ones in modern rock genre. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Singer and musician Stefano Lionetti is back with the second Lionville album and what a album then. Last year the debut was released which was filled with classy AOR and this new album is even stronger than the debut. This time, he has gathered an impressive guest list of musicians again. On the album you will find Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin, Robert Sall (Work Of Art, WET), Sven Larsson (Street Talk), Bruce Gaitsch, Peter Frienstedt and especially Lars Safsund (Work Of Art) on vocals. Alessandro Del Vecchio has produced the album with a good result. As the debut album, this one is a wet dream for fans of AOR with a touch of Westcoast. All We Need opens the album in the best way and is an awesome AOR song with wonderful melodies and a first class chorus, a song that shouts Work Of Art all the way. The up-tempo rocker The Only Way Is Up has nice riffs, lovley keyboards and the chorus is fantastic. Bill Champlin sings on Higher and this is a song were Chicago meets Toto with a great chorus. The ballad No Turning Back is stunning with wonderful melodies. The keyboard-driven All This Time is pure AOR-heaven with a fantastic chours in the best Work Of Art style. The cover of Boy Meets Girl's Waiting For A Star To Fall feels a bit wrong on this album, still a nice version. Don´t Walk Away is great and reminds of Mitch Malloy. There is not one bad song on this album and if you´re a fan of Work Of Art, Street Talk and of course TOTO, then you can´t miss this stunning AOR album. This is an album that will be on many Best Of lists of 2012 for sure. What more can I say? Well, Lionville has done it again, faboulous album. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wow, here we have a new AOR sensation called Dallas. They have released a 5-track EP filled with great music with an awesome sound. Behind this band is Bryan Dallas on vocals / guitar, Zac Curtis drums and Matt Feifert keyboards. Bryan is the one who wrote all the songs and produced the album with an awesome result. This is among the best and most interesting I've heard in a while. One can hear that Bryan is influenced by Def Leppard (especially the harmonies) but not for the sake of becoming a copy-cat group. No, this is an awesome mix of Def Leppard, Final Frontier, Big Bad Wolf, Von Groove and Velocity and now makes you see how damn good this is. Then that Bryan has a voice that is absolutely outstanding does not make things worse, got a similar feeling when I heard Kenny Leckermo (ex-H.e.a.t) for the first time when I heard Bryan. Damn, how good this man can sing and with power and emotion, I'm amazed. Already after the first song This Love you hear that this is good stuff. Rich with melodies, catchy hooks and a stunning chorus. The powerful The Devil Is Rock 'n' Roll has great crunchy riffs and reminds of Velocity all the way. Bring The Light is pure AOR heaven with a fantastic chorus that will hook you up for sure. Listen to the powerful background vocals, this is AOR by numbers. Open Your Heart is a wonderful mid-tempo song in the best Def Leppard style. The melodies and hooks are absolutely brilliant. I Close My Eyes is a killer ballad that is built up little as Love Bites with Lef Leppard. Starts quiet but goes off like a bomb in the chorus and I'm spechless because this is so damn brilliant. After these five songs, I just want to hear more, and now I am waiting impatiently for the full-lenght album. So if you wanna hear something spectacular then I would recommend checking out this great new group callad Dallas. I am sure that we will hear much more about these guys in the future. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| It is funny how you discover artists sometimes. I actually found David Ramirez on fellow artist Matthew Mayfield's Instagram, where he recommended the followers to check out this album. I am sure glad I did, because this is, in my book, the best album of 2012!
Ramirez operates in the same area as Ryan Adams did on Heartbreaker. We are talking about songs in the folk/alt-country vein with lots of emotions. In fact, the opennig three songs are amazing. The third track "Stick Around" is the song that I played the most, by far, in 2012.
There are so many great songs on this album, but if I have to pick a few standout songs, I would go with; "Stick Around", "God Bless", "An Introduction", and "Goodbye". There is a mix of slow songs and songs with more pace, and Ramirez handles it all really well.
What lifts this album is that it is so filled with emotion. You can really "feel" the lyrics (as cheesy as it might sound). Like Ray LaMontagne, Ramirez grabs hold of you and you never lose attention to the stories he tells.
I would like to end with saying two thanks. First, thanks to Martthew Mayfield for helping me discover David Ramirez. Second, a big thanks fo David Ramirez for recording, and releasing, the best album of 2012!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Counting Crows debut album August and Everything After was nothing but a huge hit when it was released in 1993. The band has sold more than seven million copies of it just in the U.S., and it should be mentioned as one of the most important albums in the 90s.
On September 18, 2007 the band recorded this album in full at the Town Hall, New York City in front of an enthusiastic audience. It must have been a unique evening when the band really takes this great album to a new level. We get charming and interesting stories about the songs, which allows it to get to a new dimension. Adam Duritz is really passionate as frontman and just listen the story behind "Sullivan Street" makes the album worth buying.
The only thing you can have opinion about is that the band now has released four official live albums, compared to six studio albums. However, I think they are very good at spreading the songs and especially rearrange them so they all have very different characteristics.
This album is definitely my favorite with its warmth and passion, but also the clear sound that the band has created. Highly recommend! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| Yippie Kay Hey - motherf*****!!! This is a really nice piece of plastic. GREAT midwest rock in the vein of Del Amitri, Athenaum and Cracker. Superb CD with groovy hammonds, acoustic guitars mixed with distorted. Add one of the best voices I?e heard in the business for a long time and we?e quite there! No, this is sure a damn important buy for all you lovers of midwestern rock at it?s best. Brian Macleod (ex Tuesday night music club) is in the band btw. Go and get it now! You dont have a choise! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| "Black ice" is the first studio album in 8 years from AC/DC and the below par album "Stiff upper lip" in 2000, the new single "Rocknroll train" is the best single since the 1990 hit "Thunderstruck" from "Razor´s edge".Will this world tour be the last tour with the band, perhaps you should catch them on this tour just to be safe.What strikes me when I listen to their new album is that the Young brothers and Co sound hungry again, the new album is the most melodic AC/DC album since "Back in black" and their best release in 27 years, it doesn´t beat "For those about to rock" (1981).The first 5 tracks are glowing hot, "Anything goes" sound like a new AC/DC classic but they should´ve left out the 9th track "Decibel" as a b-side instead, it´s a typical "skip-over" track.I just love their background vocals, only ACDC sound like this. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Anneke van Giersbergen is a Dutch singer and is the former lead singer of the Dutch progressive/alternative rock band The Gathering which she departed in August 2007. She has also worked with Lawn, Farmer Boys, Ayreon, Napalm Death, Novembers Doom, Moonspell, Globus, Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Giant Squid, Devin Townsend, Anathema and Within Temptation. So it is not a newcomer we're dealing with here, and I must say that I'm impressed by this album. It's pompous modern rock with a undertone of pop instead of metal if you compare her stuff other "pompish" hardrock girls in the business. For example - track number two on the album is a great tune that is a lovely mix between - hold you horses now - Big Country and Within Temptation... Well - you never thought you should read a review with these two names in a combo did you :-) Anyway - the album is really cool and if you like boombastic progressive female rock in a cool combo with U2, Simple Minds and U2 you will have a new favorite in this girl and her music. A real surprise! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| This album is huge! From the opening track “The Gun Show” you can hear that In This Moment amped up the intensity on this release. Vocalist Maria Brink will terrorize your ear drums (In a good way) with her mind blowing screams. It took me some time to get used to this album due to how heavy it turned out compared to 2008’s release The Dream.
The Dream displayed a more melodic side of this band. Now here we have an onslaught of aggression and power that the band desperately needed to explore to help establish them selves as heavy hitters in the metal scene. At times it almost feels like you are listening to a completely different band with Maria Brink’s newfound screaming prowess and the prevalent backup vocals of Chris Howorth on these songs. It sounds great, but I prefer hearing Brink tear things up on the microphone all by herself now that she has truly found her voice.
The song that I thought combined the efforts of previous albums and A Star-Crossed Wasteland best was “Just Drive”. It has powerful vocals, blistering guitars and melodic sections that this band does so well. There are also tracks here that sound as if they are made to be performed live such as “Blazin” and “Iron Army”. The downside to this album is that not every song on this album is a winner. There are some that just don’t stand out but you will forget about those after hearing the tracks I mentioned previously.
Even though I was familiar with In This Moment from the release of The Dream, I felt like I was getting reintroduced to them during A Star-Crossed Wasteland. It is such a great album for old fans to take a listen to, and new fans to start off with.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you know that?
After meeting Joey Ramone, Bruce Springsteen wrote the hit “Hungry Heart” for the Ramones but, at his manager´s advice, kept it for himself.
|
|
latest reviews
|
 |
|
|
|
|
