Metal playlists from the underground
Kiss offers a heavy rocking release, the first since 1998’s mediocre Psycho Circus, titled Sonic Boom. Without Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in Kiss, it is very difficult to love and enjoy the band like the early days. But putting that prejudice aside, Sonic Boom undeniably contains powerful rock tracks that only Paul Stanley and […]
The 80’s hard rock queen Lita Ford returns with her first new album in 14 years titled Wicked Wonderland. Unfortunately shoddy production techniques like muddy vocal mixes, buried lead guitar licks, and repetitive electronica-modeled drum loops hinder this album from shining in today’s hard rock market. Additionally, the lyrics serve up a stinky batch of […]
ARCH ENEMY THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL Metal mavens Arch Enemy have excavated some of their favorite cuts from the first three non-Angela albums, rehearsed (and in some instances rehashed) the hell out of them and went to the studio and laid down new versions to comprise their latest 13-track endeavor The Root of All […]
Update: Hellbilly Deluxe 2 full album review Rob Zombie’s first single from Hellbilly Deluxe 2 is titled “What?” As in what is with the vocals hiding behind the obnoxiously fuzzy distortion effect? Perhaps, a simpleminded production effort to compliment the song’s title, or a genius attempt to regain the feel of the original Hellbilly Deluxe […]
Seattle rock pioneers Alice in Chains are back with their first studio album in 14 years and since the death of frontman Layne Staley in 2002. The band enlisted seasoned professional and Staley sound-alike William DuVall in 2007 to steer the ship. Black Gives Way To Blue features the band’s signature alternative sludge grooves, unusual […]
There is no doubt that Rick Rubin is one of the greatest music producers of all-time in genres ranging from thrash metal to rap, which is why news of the release of Rick Rubin: In The Studio by Jake Brown won my immediate attention. However, upon opening my paperback copy, the enthusiasm dwindled to immediate […]
The best rock band from the early 90’s Seattle movement is back with another exquisite listening experience on their ninth studio release Backspacer. Once again Pearl Jam takes the unpolished rock and roll approach, a page directly from the holy book of The Ramones. For most of the record, Eddie Vedder shows he has no […]
Move over Guitar Hero: Metallica, the best rhythm game to feature a single artist has just invaded the gaming market. The Beatles: Rock Band offers the most pleasurable rock and roll gaming experience that you will come across this holiday season. Featuring 45 original and remastered studio tracks from each era of the band’s career, […]
The original Spaceman lead guitarist of the legendary Kiss lineup serves up a platter of 12 new tracks on his first solo effort since 1989’s Trouble Walkin’. On Anomaly, Ace Frehley refreshingly sticks to his classic 70’s roots keeping all of the fundamentals of hard rock prominent. Frehley’s guitars come out in a chugging blaze […]
VOIVOD INFINI Finishing up where Katorz left off, the final round of posthumous musical output from deceased guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour has arrived in the form of Infini, a 13-track collection dutifully piecing together the remainder of the compositional odds and sods D’Amour left behind on his laptop before succumbing to cancer in 2005. The […]