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Nov. / Dec. 2010NONPOINT / FRED SHAFER / JUDAS PREIST / ROSWELL SIX / BEYOND THRESHOLD
/ NORMA JEAN / PHIL MANZANERA / TSHIZABI / MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP / SLOW
INTENTIONAL DAMAGE / BLACK ROBOT / LA GUNS Fred Shafer "Resistor" (Goomba Music) By: Paul Autry Excellent radio friendly rock. A solid, well written album from start to finish. What I really like about this album is...well...it's pure and honest. Haven't heard an album like this in a long time. One where the music does all the talkin'. A lot of the music I hear on the radio...when I actually listen to it...comes off sounding forced and unoriginal. No talent people tryin' to write "the" song that they believe will bring them fame and fortune. There's no heart. No passion. Once I went through this release, I got the impression that Fred Shafer was all about heart. His passion is to write a really good song. One that comes from the soul. That's what I hear on all twelve of the tracks that are presented here. If there's any justice in the world...this album should be number one on any chart that's out there. This is an album that will stand the test of time. Well worth a listen. http://fredshafer.com http://www.myspace.com/fredshafer Judas Priest "British Steel" (Columbia) By: Paul Autry What could you possibly say about this album that hasn't been said before? It's a classic that has stood the test of time...and if you need a review to tell you that...you shouldn't be listening to music. Here's what you do need to know. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of "British Steel," Columbia/Legacy released...let's see...first...there's a CD/DVD package that includes a 2001 remaster of the album with two additional bonus tracks and a 16 song concert performance of the album + seven more tunes and an interview. On top of that, there's also a 2 CD/DVD package that's the same as the first + an additional audio CD of the concert. This is the one that I would suggest getting because you get everything the first package has with an additional disc on top of it. To be honest...a release such as this isn't for someone who's already a fan because, let's face it, we already own the album. We might pick it up for the bonus tracks or the DVD. It's nice to get a little something extra. But, I believe the real reason for a release such as this is to introduce the album to a whole new generation and...you have to admit...they certainly need it. The music of today is...well...UGH! It might give you a thrill for a moment or two. Then it's off to the next abomination. It won't stand the test of time. That CD that you're holdin' in your hand right now...you won't see people makin' a big deal about it 30 years now. I'm sure you'll see a "British Steel" 60th anniversary release around that time though. So, check it out and hear for yourself what real metal is all about. http://www.judaspriest.com Roswell Six "Terra Incognita - A Line In The Sand" (Progrock Records) By: Paul Autry I read a lot. I like to read. But, I could never understand the logic behind writing a book and then coming up with a CD to go with it. I mean...it's not like a movie soundtrack...which I can understand. Audio and video, they go together. Audio and the printed word? Not so much in my opinion. I can't even understand the whole audio book thing. Like I said, I like to read. I don't want to listen to a book. Anyway, that's what this release is all about. It's a companion CD to the second book of the "Terra Incognita" trilogy. Now, I never read the books and I probably never will. So, this isn't a "companion" CD for me...it's just another album. Having said that...it's a cool album to listen to. Musical style...high quality progressive rock. Steve Walsh, Sass Jordan and other provide the vocals. So, there's a little more variety, which is a good thing. I think musicians who perform this style of music are a bit more intelligent than most other people and the fans who listen have higher expectations. You can't just throw a few tunes together and call it progressive rock. It almost has to be larger than life in both sound and lyrical content. This release gives you that. It gives you something that's a lot better than most of what's floating around out there. You won't be disappointed. http://www.roswellsix.com http://www.progrockrecords.com Beyond Threshold "Revolution" (Turkey Vulture Records) By: Paul Autry This is a metal album. It's brutal and aggressive. It's loud and obnoxious. There's a bit of hardcore to be heard here...some thrash. Okay, sure, it's not exactly an original style of music. You've heard it all before. What makes this album stand out (in my opinion) is the fact that is has a very raw sound. I get the impression that what I hear on record is what I would hear in concert. There's nothing I like more than loud, heavy, pissed off music that I can feel. That's what this album does for me. http://www.turkeyvulturerecords.com http://www.myspace.com/beyondthreshold Norma Jean "Meridional" (Razor & Tie Records) By: Paul Autry I'm not really familiar with the music of Norma Jean. I've heard some stuff here and there. That's about it. Now, I read somewhere where they said the material on this album would be something totally new and different and that they were digging deep into their roots. Maybe I don't understand where they're coming from because I didn't really hear anything new on this release. They're a metalcore band...and that's what I heard...metalcore. Really great musicianship with a razor blade vocal style that will melt your face. What more can I say? I do appreciate music like this, especially if it's good. The music is what really does it for me and there's enough variety here to keep it interesting. Is this better than their previous releases? I couldn't say. Will you like it? If you're into this style of music...yeah...I think you would find this one to be a worth addition to your collection. http://www.myspace.com/normajean Phil Manzanera "The Music 1972-2008" (Expression Records) By: Paul Autry From what I've read elsewhere, this two disc set (+ a bonus DVD) isn't as complete as it should be. I can't agree or disagree with that statement due to the fact that I'm not familiar with Phil Manzanera's music or his career. So, I couldn't say what's important and what isn't. However, I don't believe my opinion...or the opinion of any other writer...should matter all that much because Phil picked the tracks to include on this release. When an artist is the one who decides what tracks best sum up their career...well...you can't really argue with that...can you? So, it's obvious that these tunes are important to him and that should make this a release worth checking out. Disc one covers the 70's and 80's and includes songs from Roxy Music and his solo work. The second disc covers more of his solo work and the DVD features a somewhat informative documentary about his career as well as some other footage. It's a nice package and there's a lot to take in. Obviously, a lot of time and effort was put into this release and, if you're a fan, this will probably be an album that you'll appreciate. http://www.manzanera.com Tshizabi "Tshizabi" (Tshizabi) By: Paul Autry Okay...let's see...I can't pronounce the band name and I have no idea what the music is supposed to be. Hardcore? Metal? Punk? Noise? I don't know...I couldn't figure it out. It was a very confused listening experience for me...and that's saying a lot because there's only three songs here...which I didn't really mind because I don't think I would've been able to sit through a full length album. About the only think I liked about this band were the half naked women on their website. There's a bunch of hot chicks with Tshizabi stickers on their tits. That will probably get most of you to their website. Once you're done checkin' out the flesh, you can check out the music to see if you like it or not. As for me...sorry...gotta pass. http://www.tshizabi.com http://www.myspace.com/TsHiZABi The Michael Schenker Group "The 30th Anniversary Concert - Live In Tokyo" (Inakustik) By: Paul Autry The first thing I thought when I heard this album was, "This should've been released on DVD." Then I found out it was. I haven't seen it yet, but, I have the album and all I can say is...DAMN! This is a really amazing record. It's been 30 years since the first MSG album? Really? Wow...that's hard to believe. If I didn't know the band or the history and I heard this album...I would've said it's a fresh band...a hungry band...a band that's tryin' to make the world stand up and pay attention. After 30 years, one might think the band would simply call this performance in...you know...go through the motions. You're already a legend. So, why not just kick back and take it easy? I'll tell you why...because a true legend wouldn't do that. I could name a band or two that's been around forever and they no longer give it everything they have. That's sad. It's like, why even bother to continue? I can tell you why MSG is still around. It's because they care. Music still means something to them. You can hear that on this album...and if you have the DVD...I'm sure you can see it as well. This is a two disc set with eighteen songs...and...wait a minute...when was the last time you heard anything this good? I honestly can't remember the last time I picked up a double live album that was worth a damn. Even the back of the CD said that Michael Schenker proved to be in peak form. Yeah...no kidding! We can hear that. It's been said time and time again that rock 'n' roll will never die. One listen to this release and you'll understand why that statement is true. Need I say more? http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com Slow Intentional Damage "Unstoppable" (Turkey Vulture Records) By: Paul Autry Slow Intentional Damage is a might that you might wanna keep an eye on. In simple terms, they're a metal band. Well, rock/metal/alternative is the description that I've seen. They have a thick, heavy and solid sound. It's brutal and aggressive...not all the way through. They do pull back from time to time to balance it all out. I believe this is their debut album and to hit the nail on the head the first time out...that's quite an accomplishment. On the other hand, I think it might be a problem for them in the future because they're gonna have to go to a whole other level in order to top this one. From what I've heard so far, the potential for greatness is here. I just hope the metal community catches on because, if they do, this album's gonna be HUGE! http://www.turkeyvulturerecords.com http://www.myspace.com/slowintentionaldamage BLACK ROBOT - BADASS: This is what rock 'n' roll should sound like. Black Robot has that sloppy raw sound that made those early AC/DC so much fun to listen to. I also hear a little Black Sabbath in here as well. Maybe even some Led Zeppelin. Basically, they took a sound that hasn't been heard since the late 70's/early 90's and they gave it a modern touch, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. You know, back in the day...when music actually meant something...getting a new album from your favorite band was exciting because you knew it was gonna be good. Even some of the "bad" albums from way back when sound really good today. There was a certain magic that seemed to flow through the music and it's a shame that you don't really hear that too often anymore. This album does the trick for me. http://www.blackrobotmusic.com http://www.myspace.com/blackrobot http://www.facebook.com/blackrobot L.A. GUNS - SHRINKING VIOLET: This is the deluxe reissue that we're talkin' about here and, to be completely honest, I'm not really sure what I think about it. On one had, if I was gonna reissue an L.A. Guns record, my first choice would probably be their debut release or "Cocked & Loaded." It's not that this is a bad album. There's some good material to be heard here. It's just...when I hear it...it's more like a Jizzy Pearl album. Some people say that his style worked well with L.A. Guns. Personally, I think it changed the style of the band a bit too much. Then again, L.A. Guns (as a whole) would constantly change from album to album. I think that's why some people love 'em and why some people hate 'em. Uh...anyway...for those of you who were into this album the first time around, the reason to pick it up again are for the live tunes that were added to the end of the album. "Decide," "Rip & Tear," "Never Enough," "The Ballad Of Jayne" and "One More Reason" are what they give you and I think it does give the album a little extra punch. http://lagunsofficial.com/lag2008 http://www.facebook.com/traciiguns http://www.facebook.com/lagunslive http://www.myspace.com/losangelesguns |
