heavy metal

REVIEW: Slaughter – Stick It Live (1991 EP)

SLAUGHTER – Stick It Live (Chrysalis EP, 1991)

Slaughter were hot on the heels of their self-titled debut with a quickie live EP.  They were on the road so long, they still touring while the EP came and went on the front racks of the record stores!  The band were on fire in 1990 and 91, and Stick It Live was necessary to satisfy demand for more Slaughter.  However…

I absolutely hate listening to a live album when you can hear two or three tracks simultaneously of the lead singer.  Here, you can hear several Mark Slaughters singing together at once. Come on, Slaughter. We’re not stupid. And the thing is, from seeing them live opening for Cinderella, I know they don’t need the overdubs. The review that I wrote for my school paper at the time said, “Mark Slaughter has proved that his high-pitched wail is not studio trickery.” Well, you can’t tell that by this live EP!

Take the opening track, “Burning Bridges”. At several points you can hear several Marks singing at once. Why was this done? Did the live recordings suck?  Was it because the record company forced it?  Or because it was the fashion at the time?  I dunno. A live album (or EP) is an historical document, so too many bands feel they have to make them “perfect”. When in reality, perfect should have been as-is.  Documentary style.  My favourite live albums are often bootleg quality.

“Eye To Eye” follows “Burning Bridges”, opening with some stupid Crue-esque spoken word bit about an “ancient book of wisdom” and other unrelated nonsense. It’s a shame because “Eye To Eye” was one of their best songs. Once the song gets going, it’s fine, but you can still hear two or three Marks on the pre-chorus.  From there it’s into rote versions of the two big singles, “Fly to the Angels” and “Up All Night”.  The set ends with a high octane “Loaded Gun”, their album closer as well.  One issue to the overall listening experience is that the songs fade in and out, which may or may not be to your taste.

One fascinating note:  Mark goes out of his way to tell the audience that “Fly to the Angels” was not about suicide because “it sucks”!  Judas Priest were fighting for the musical lives in their infamous “suicide trial”, and Ozzy Osbourne was dealing with similar accusations of promoting suicide to the young and vulnerable.  An interesting artefact of 1990-91.

2/5 stars. A pretty fine live set otherwise spoiled by the dreaded studio trickery.

#1106: “The Entire Population of the World Can Fit in the State of Kansas”

A sequel to #893: Damien Lucifer, and #1104: …Parental Guidance…

RECORD STORE TALES #1106:  “The Entire Population of the World Can Fit in the State of Kansas”

Not all of us have been this lucky.  I had a fortunate and free childhood.  I was allowed to listen to whatever I wanted to:  AC/DC (oh no, “Anti-Christ/Devil Child!”), Kiss (“Knights in Satan’s Service!”), Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest…all the bands that the TV shows said were bad influences on kids.  They would lead us to drink, drugs, violence, and worst of all…Satan.

I went to a Catholic grade school where wearing a Judas Priest shirt to class earned scornful glares and harsh words.  I also had several friends in highschool from other religions with strict views on dress, music, movies, and TV.  I knew how good I had it at home.  I never had to hide my Guns N’ Roses tapes from my mom.  I didn’t have to crop my hair short like a couple of the highschool kids.  There was a family though…oh, there was a family across the street.  And this is a story about those strange characters that I loathed, then and now.

Now, keep this in mind:  I have no issues with faith.  I do have issues with dogma and assorted silliness.  So if you’re offended, I am sorry.  I’m cool with Jesus but not so much with strict, outdated thinking.

With that in mind, let’s push play on Ghost’s Opus Eponymous CD and dive on in.

Let’s call these people the Davids.  Mr. and Mrs. David, and their two kids, Boy and Girl.

Mr. David was a teacher.  I have rarely encountered such a dumb educated person in my life.  Maybe dumb isn’t the right word.  Airheaded?  Scatterbrained?  Moony?  Oblivious?  I once saw him pull out of his driveway, realize that he forgot something, stop his car in the middle of the road, run in to get whatever he forget, and get back in his car.  He used to park on our side of the road because he liked our shade tree, but he would park his car backwards against traffic, which drove me nuts to no end.  I would purposely park as close to his bumper as I could get without pissing off my own parents.

They had embargoed all kinds of fun stuff in their house.  One day we were out tobogganing.  Mrs. David was driving a car full of kids.  I was talking about how much I loved Doctor Who, in particular the villainous Daleks.  They may have looked like little pepper pots with a plunger sticking out, but their cries of “EXTERMINATE!” rattled the bones of every kid.  They were awesome!  Mrs. David simply said, “We are not allowed to watch the Daleks in our house.”  Ouch!  Talk about a buzz killer.  What the hell did she have a problem with?  Intelligent science fiction with badass villains, I guess.

In 1984 they all went to go see Bruce Springsteen. His music was allowed.  Helix was not.  I can remember Boy David coming over and watching the Pepsi Power Hour with Bob and I on television.  He was absolutely terrified from the “Rock You” music video.  I seem to remember him bailing and running home when it came on.

‘Twas Mrs. David who spied my MAD magazine and was so offended by the cover story about “Damien Lucifer“, lead singer of “Antichrist”.  She reported the offending magazine to my mother, who asked me about it.  I laughed and took great joy in telling my mom that Mrs. David thought a MAD Magazine was real.  Mrs. David was a child psychologist.  She fell for an obvious parody.  Directly below the Damien Lucifer picture was a contest, with the prize being getting trampled at a Motley Crue concert.  There was a “six page fold-out” of Gene Simmons’ tongue.  I mean, come on.

The weird thing is this.  About a decade later, Boy David was blasting Savatage’s “Hall of the Mountain King” from his front window so loud you could hear it around the corner.  Banning music didn’t really work for the David family.

Through the years, my parents have maintained suffering contact with the David family.  They always come home bitching about them, but haven’t been able to completely get themselves away.  I sense that they wouldn’t mind if they never had to socialize again, but don’t want to be the ones to make the break.

One night while I was still working at the Record Store, my parents came home from dinner with the Davids, and my mom immediately started with the stories.  The things these people would say!  My parents would sit in stunned silence, sipping drinks and nibbling food, but not really reacting.

“You wouldn’t believe what Mrs. David said at dinner tonight,” began my exasperated mother.

“You’re going to like this one Michael,” nudged my dad as he walked past.

“Tell me!” I squealed in delight.

My mom set up the story.  Mrs. David was on about the state of the world, natural resources, overpopulation, and lord knows what else.  Malthusanists, they were not!  You see, they adhered to a particularly hard (but traditional) interpretation of God’s infallibility.  Because God is incapable of error, the Earth that He created is flawless and perfectly made for us to use.  Hard-core Catholics used to believe that extinction was impossible, due to this perfect intelligent design.  Equally impossible is overpopulation.  God told us to “go forth and multiply,” did He not?  Therefore, overpopulation is absolutely impossible.

“You know, the entire population of the world can fit in the state of Kansas?” asked Mrs. David to my stunned mother and father.

“How the hell did we get on this topic?” they thought to themselves as they concentrated on their food.  My mother told me this in the kitchen that night, and I just laughed uncontrollably.

“Sure, if you packed them in like sardines!  What is wrong with those people?” I asked.

“I do not know,” said my mother in a flat, tired tone.

The last time I saw anyone from the David family was in the 1990s.  I’d like to keep it that way.

THREE-VIEW: Eric Carr – Rockology (2000/2023 RSD reissue)

ERIC CARR – Rockology (2000 EMI/2023 Culture Factory RSD CD release)

This release provoked a bit of controversy early in 2023.  Vinyl fans and collectors were pleased that Eric Carr’s collection of unfinished tracks, Rockology, was being reissued on LP.  They were doubly elated by the retro-1970s cover art that fit in with the original 1978 Kiss solo albums.  It even came with a poster to match the original four solo albums, and the CD was printed on a disc replicating a vinyl look.  The packaging, with obi-strip and brilliant black and orange coloration, looks sharp.  They even threw on five extra bonus tracks that weren’t on the 2000 release or 2011’s Unfinished Business.

Unfortunately, much like 2011’s Unfinished Business, the bonus tracks are hardly-listenable throwaways and castoffs that were never meant for public consumption.  What’s more, like all RSD releases, the LP and CD copies were so poorly distributed that fans were soon paying ridiculous amounts of cash on the second-hand market.  Music should be accessible and affordable to everyone, but this reissue was hardly worth it for what amounts to fancy packaging and five ragged unreleased tracks.

We’ll start this review by discussing the five bonus tracks.

Part One – the five bonus tracks

First up is a “long demo” of “Tiara”, a ballad from the original Rockology.  The original track was 4:28 and this “long” version is 23 seconds longer, but it is a completely different demo version.  It is much rougher and laden with occasional noise.  The lyrics are incomplete, as Eric improvises “do-do-do” vocals over  the instrumental opening.  Bruce Kulick provides overdubbed lead guitars, but sadly it sounds like a poor quality cassette.  This is the kind of thing we got too much of on the Unfinished Business CD.

Another “alternate demo” is next, of “Can You Feel It”, a song that Eric hoped Bryan Adams would cover.  Like “Tiara”, this demo is earlier and much rougher.  Similarly incomplete lyrics over a drum machine.  The liner notes claim it’s Eric Carr playing drums, but it’s obviously a drum machine.  Shoddy liner notes.

An “accapella” version of “Eyes of Love” is just a rough multitrack vocal take with no backing music.  It’s not the exact same vocal take used on the other demo version.  It is of limited enjoyment.  It doesn’t sound like there’s a pop guard on the microphone, therefore, lots of noise.

Finally, something we’ve really never heard before:  A 1967 version of the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”.  This is a very rough sounding tape with lots of noise, but due to its age, we’ll allow.  It’s a fairly faithful take of the Beatles classic, with Eric on lead vocals and drums.  It features his band The Cellarmen and is the earliest Eric Carr recording yet to be released.  A difficult listen, but at least something of value.  You’d think they could have used AI noise reduction to get rid of that crackling sound.

The last of the five bonus tracks is a 1974 original called “Stranger” by his band Creation.  Eric is on drums alone this time, with bandmates John Henderson and Sarita Squires (also the songwriters) singing lead.  It is a decent soul-rock song and one of the better sounding recordings.  Though the drums are not the main feature of the song, and buried back in the mix, you can hear Eric’s personality shine through his fills.

Part Two – the original album (review posted 2018/06/19)

The late Kiss drummer Eric Carr was frustrated towards the end.  He was writing good material, but it was always being rejected by Paul and Gene.  In the press, Eric would tow the company line and explain that everybody else had such good songs, that there was no room for his.  In his heart, he was hurt and felt shunned.

Eric Carr wasn’t just a drummer.  He could sing lead, and he could write.  Kiss’ single “All Hell’s Breaking Loose” was an Eric idea.  He co-wrote “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” with Bryan Adams.  Although his writing credits on Kiss albums were sparse, he had plenty of material in the can.  2000’s Rockology is a series of those demos, some in a near-finished state and some left incomplete.  Much of this material was intended for a cartoon Eric was working on called The Rockheads.  10 years later, Bruce Kulick finished recording some guitar parts and mixed it for release.  He also wrote liner notes explaining the origins and Eric’s intentions for each track.

Eric didn’t have a particularly commercial voice, falling somewhere south of a Gene Simmons growl.  There’s no reason why Gene couldn’t have sung “Eyes of Love” from 1989, which has more balls than a lot of Hot in the Shade.  This demo has Eric on drums and bass, and Bruce Kulick on guitar with a solo overdubbed in 1999.  It doesn’t sound like a finished Kiss song, but it could have been tightened up to become one.  Same with the ballad “Everybody’s Waiting”.  It sounds custom written for Paul Stanley.  But it was 1989, and nothing was going to displace “Forever” from the album, nor should it have.

Many of the demos have no words.  “Heavy Metal Baby” features Eric scatting out a loose melody.  This heavy and chunky riff would have been perfect for the later Revenge album, had Eric lived.  In a strange twist, several of the best songs are instrumentals.  The hidden gem on this CD is the unfinished “Just Can’t Wait”.  It could have given Journey and Bon Jovi a run for their money.   Eric, Bruce and Adam Mitchell wrote it for Crazy Nights, and you can almost hear a killer chorus just waiting to leap out at you.  This potential hit could have been the best song on Crazy Nights, had it been finished.

“Mad Dog” has nothing to do with the Anvil song of the same name.  The chorus is there but the verses are a work in progress.  This hard rocker from 1987 was probably too heavy for what Kiss were doing, though it would have added some much needed groove.  “You Make Me Crazy” is in a similar state of completion and boasts a tap-tastic solo by Bruce.  Apparently this demo was originally called “Van Halen” and you can hear why.  Two versions of a song called “Nightmare” exist, including a really rough one without drums.  This incomplete song could have really been something special.  It has a dramatic feel and different moods, and was probably too sophisticated for Kiss, though any number of 80s rock bands would have been lucky to have such good material.

The last batch of tracks show off the Rockheads material.  Whether Eric’s cartoon idea ever would have happened or not, the advent of bobble-heads and Pops would have made marketing easy.   The songs are virtually complete though the drums are programmed.  “Too Cool For School” is a little cartoony, which is the point, right?  For keyboard ballads, “Tiara” showed promise.  It’s not the equal of “Reason to Live” but it demonstrates a side to Eric unheard before.  Next, Bruce says that they always wanted Bryan Adams to cover “Can You Feel It”.  It would have fit Adams like a nice jean jacket.  Not that Adams really needed the help, it would have been awesome on Waking Up the Neighbors.  The set closes with “Nasty Boys”, nothing exceptional.  It sounds like a song called “Nasty Boys” would sound…or anything by 80s Kiss really.

Part Three – the packaging and remastering

The selling point for the majority of fans for this reissue was the packaging.  The original cover featured Eric in 1989 or 1990, obviously without makeup.  The new version is designed to look like an Eraldo Caragati portrait matching the first four Kiss solo albums.  It does, after a fashion.  It doesn’t have the depth or realism of a Caragati, but it matches.  The aura colour is orange.  Inside, there is a poster that similar recalls the original four from 1978.

The liner notes from the original CD release are missing.  This is unfortunate.  As such you don’t get the stories or context or knowledge from Bruce Kulick about the background of these songs.  Instead you get a CD that looks like a record.  This is pressed in black plastic, and has actual ridges on the face side that look like record grooves.  The play of the CD is inhibited in no way by this.

The remastering is much louder.  It does sound like somebody messed with the tapes.  “Eyes of Love” sounds like it has more echo on the drums compared to the original.  Is this due to more echo being applied, or more being audible due to the raised volume?  Possibly just a listener-induced effect, but it does sound different.

If you want but don’t have Rockology yet, seek out the reissue.  If you’re dying to make a display of the five lookalike solo albums, get the reissue.  If you don’t feel like listening to rough demos with tape crackle bonus tracks, run away like a fox.

 

Original score: 3/5 stars

Reissue value:  1/5 stars

Original mikeladano.com review:  2014/04/24

MOVIE REVIEW: Mystique – Standing On the Firing Line (2022)

Note:  This review is of the new 96 minute cut of Mystique – Standing On the Firing Line. 

A collaboration with Jex!  For Jex Russell’s review, click here!

MYSTIQUE: STANDING ON THE FIRING LINE (2022, 2023 edition)

Directed by Marco D’Auria

“EPIC METAL” – Martin Popoff

They had the raw talent to make it.  They just needed a break.  They didn’t get it, but what they achieved instead was a legendary status with a handful of priceless releases left behind.  They were Mystique, a progressive heavy metal band from Hamilton Ontario.

Standing On the Firing Line is a 2022 documentary film by Marco D’Auria, finally shedding light on the history and music of this lesser-known band.  They always deserved more attention, and hopefully the film brings them that.  From the first shots of the band, the music of “No Return” assaults the senses with chopping riffs and unholy screams.  Why didn’t they make it?

The main driving force of Mystique from their beginnings to their demise were opera-trained singer Ray D’Auria (originally from Naples Italy), and perfectionist drummer John Davies, who had spent time in a few hard rock bands before Mystique.  Many other talented members joined and enhanced them along the way, but it was Ray and John who were there ’til the end.  The two met up when John auditioned for Ray’s band, Orion.  A friendship was formed, but the band wasn’t paying them the money they were owed.  They split as a pair and didn’t waste time starting their own thing.  15 year old Dave Dragos was a shredder – rated 2nd best in Canada at the time – and was first on board.  He introduced them to bassist Mark Arbour (a mixture of Geddy Lee and Chris Squire), and a solid band was formed.  A 1984 basement tape of “Black Rider” shows the nameless band had the goods.  It was Ray who blurted out “Mystique”, which felt right.

They found a rehearsal space, and added keyboardist Victor Barreiro.  The band practiced hard, and pushed each other to improve as musicians.  Davies tended to handle the business side, but they were attracting attention to themselves.  They found a manager (Ted Smirnios), money was borrowed, and songs were improved upon, until they were finally in shape to record.  Primitive but technically inventive tracks were recorded on 1/2″ tape, on a 16-track desk.  Not the best for sound quality, but good enough to get the songs down.  They went as far as to butcher a classic Leslie speaker to get a driving keyboard sound.

A stoned viewing of the animated Lord of the Rings movie captured John Davies, and inspired the song “Black Rider”.  The band had a sort of gothic bent in the mid-80s, but Ray D’Auria’s voice was appropriate for this progressive style of metal.  Journalist Martin Popoff remarks that the keyboards brought them into that progressive world.  Melodic guitar/keyboard solos took time to work out.  They were unafraid to play ballads, which Martin compares to a vintage Judas Priest dirge.  Mystique were a serious band!  The Black Rider EP impressed their peers for the playing if not the sound.  Popoff heard a strong Maiden influence, but compares more to Armored Saint and Odin with elements of power metal.  1000 copies were sold, an impressive amount.  Their manager got it as far away as Greece, and even accidentally set himself on fire as part of their stage show!

The band were doing well but dreams were not exceeded, and eventually members left for greener pastures, leaving Ray and John to rebuild.  Bizarrely, they met a talented French guitarist named Eric Nicolas in Jackson Square, and went to France to record their next demo:  1987’s I Am the King.  They struggled with the language barrier, and were recording digitally for the first time.  Ray blew everyone away with the “God note” that he held in “I Am the King”.  They were offered a record contract with Elektra in France, which didn’t pan out.  They brought the tapes home to Canada for release.

They added a new bassist, Les Wheeler, and evolved from metal to “hair”.  “The explosion in the costume factory look,” as described by Popoff, of their new extreme look that didn’t match their music.  “It looked good, from a distance,” jokes Ray.  Teenage girls loved their posters though!  Unfortunately having a guitar playing living in France was a barrier.  Wheeler broke his wrist in an accident.  A new lineup formed.  They felt forced to go more commercial, which resulted in the 1988 Poison-esque single “Rock and Roll Party Tonight”.  It was vastly different from “Black Rider”, but they went straight from that to recording a proper album, funded by EMI.  They taped 11 to 12 songs…but the album was never released and is partly lost today.  The masters tapes were sold and erased.  There were some good songs on that tape.  Ray, however, looks back at their change of direction as a mistake.  More shuffles in band members caused long breaks in activity, and the writing was on the wall.  Ray no longer identified with the music, and was the one to leave.  By 1989, their music was out of date anyway.

Manager Ted Smirnios is given a tremendous amount of credit for making Mystique happen.  It’s a touching part of the film.  The band members went their separate and sometimes surprising ways, but the story never really ends so long as people keep discovering the music.  Their releases are now valuable collectables today, worth a small fortune on the second-hand market.

Rare live clips and candid photos really bring an intimate look at Mystique.  You feel like you get to know the personalities.  This new edit of the film cut a substantial amount of footage, mostly interview footage with people who were there at the time.  The movie gains better pacing from this, as it just flies by in no time.  A new ending to the film brings us to the present day, and the movie’s theatrical premiere in front of a cheering audience.  The original cut might be considered for more hard-core viewers who want that “feels like being there” experience, but the current 96 minute edit is better for the enjoyment of Mystique.  It’s a much tighter and more direct story.  There is still plenty of unreleased music and vintage images.

Stay tuned for the mid-credit scene!

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Guns N’ Roses – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 single)

GUNS N’ ROSES – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 Geffen 7″ single)

The band that once took 15 years to release a new album hasn’t been doing too shabby of late with new releases.  “Perhaps” we should say new/old releases (see what I did there?) because all four of the new songs released by Guns N’ Roses since Chinese Democracy have been re-worked outtakes from that era.  Since Duff McKagan and Slash have returned to Guns, we’ve had four new tracks:  “ABSUЯD” & “Hard Skool” were released on a previous single, and now we have “Perhaps” and “The General” to go with them.

The “G” side of this new single contains “Perhaps”, which is immediately reminiscent of Use Your Illusion era Guns, via the prominent piano line.  Of any song released since, “Perhaps” sounds the most like a song that would have come out on a new GN’R album in 1995.  Slash’s guitar solo sounds perfectly vintage, but it’s Dizzy Reed on piano, whose flourishes recall “November Rain”, that brings it all back to the glory days.  “Perhaps” wouldn’t have been a big hit in the 90s, but it certainly would have been a solid album cut.

On the “R” side is “The General”, a song we’ve heard whispers about from those in Axl’s inner circle.  This track is the most disappointing, without any notable hooks.  It sounds more of the Chinese Democracy era, and is purely B-side material.  It has a haunting quality that might come from Axl’s love of Alice Cooper, but it’s anything but memorable and the technical flourishes don’t do it any favours, except to obscure the lack of catchy melody or riff.

One good song, one throwaway.  That makes the score pretty clear.

2.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – “Afterglow of Ragnarok” (2023 single)

BRUCE DICKINSON – “Afterglow of Ragnarok” (2023 BMG 7″ single)

In 2024 we will be graced by a new Bruce Dickinson platter, his first solo album since Tyranny of Souls in 2005.  He’s back with Roy Z, and a forthcoming concept album called The Mandrake Project.  This single is billed as a “prequel”.  It comes with a beautiful, full colour comic book insert, installed in the middle of the gatefold.  The story will be fully revealed next year, but this is a project that Bruce has been working on a long long time…

Witness:  The B-side “If Eternity Should Fail”, a demo version of a song that Iron Maiden re-recorded on The Book of Souls.  It’s not the first time Maiden have lifted a song from Bruce’s solo compositions!  He remarks in the liner notes that the song is radically re-imagined on the final Mandrake Project album, but that the keyboards on this demo actually made it to the Maiden version!  Bruce on keys, Roy Z on bass and guitar.  It’s really not that different at all!  The drums are most noticeable.  Presumably this is a drum machine.  Roy’s bass work is pretty cool too.  It introduces the character of Necropolis, who will feature on the album.

The A-side, “Afterglow of Ragnarok”, is promising.  Drums thunder, in cavernous hugeness. Downtuned guitars provide a metallic gutpunch, with a riff that is as solid as any in Bruce and Roy’s impressive history.  The chorus is another demonstration of power and melody.  A Bruce classic, this will be.

Looking forward to The Mandrake Project, we are.  Bruce’s solo work has often rivalled Maiden in quality, not to set expectations too high.  This single is a positive omen.

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Extreme – Extragraffitti (1990 Japanese EP)

EXTREME – Extragraffitti (1990 A&M Japan EP)

This little EP, exclusive to Japan, is almost like a miniature “greatest hits” for Extreme.  Of the six songs, five were singles.  You might say “It’s not a greatest hits if it doesn’t have ‘More Than Words’ on it, and that would be a valid point, but that breakthrough ballad hadn’t been released as a single yet in November 1990.

Opening with the current single “Get the Funk Out”, we are off to a good start.  This track works most excellently as an opener.  That bass rolls in, before the guitar riff starts to rip.  Once the horns kick in, your face is thoroughly melted.  This EP focuses on fun.  There’s nothing here that’s a drag.

An edit version of “Decadence Dance” is unblunted.  It’s mostly just the intro stuff that’s missing anyway, and that belonged on the concept album from which it came.  The bonus here is you get Paul Geary’s cymbal count-in instead, which you can’t hear on the Pornograffitti album.  So dance to the beat of the decadent drummer, and get rocked.  This is one of Extreme’s best bangers, a full-on Van Halen romp with hooks and flash…as you like it.

Back to the self-titled 1988 debut album for the next three tracks.  A remix of “Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today)” may have more bass, edge and clarity.  It’s not a radical remix.  Nuno’s guitar fills jump out nicely.  The first Extreme album was a mixed bag of material, with none of it reaching the upper echelons like the second record.  That said, “Mutha” was probably the best track of the bunch, and the most like what came later.

“Little Girls” only loses about 20 seconds, so you’re fine with this version.  Again, it’s the opening missing.  This song is notable for some remarkable harmonica playing by Rapheal May.  Really impressive stuff here, just as superb as Nuno’s guitar work.  The lyrics, however, can’t be saved.  They were never good, even by 1988 standards.  “Incestual blood is thicker than water,” has to be the worst words that Gary Cherone has ever penned to paper.  Roll up your windows if you intend to sing along to this song.  Shame the band is so hot.

The album version of “Kid Ego” is here unaltered, it’s just not that interesting of a song.  The groove plods along in a lazy, 1980s way that every single band was doing.  It sounds like every band had their metronome set to the same time.

The B-side “Nice Place to Visit” has been released in a number of places, such as the “More Than Words” single in 1991, but first it was the B-side to “Little Girls”.  As an outtake from the so-so first album, this song is also so-so.

The final track, and the only one exclusive to this CD, is a message from Extreme!  These messages from band members were fairly common on Japanese EPs and singles by Western bands.  It is geared specifically for the Japanese fans, and it’s adorable hearing their deep Boston accents.  This message is fairly light.  Nuno talks about their goals as a band, and Gary assures the fans that they will see them real soon.  Apparently, the Japanese fans also sent the neatest, tidiest mail.

Good EP for its time.  There’s even a sticker inside.

3.5/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Sven Gali – Bombs and Battlescars (2023)

SVEN GALI –  Bombs and Battlescars (2023 Music In Motion Entertainment)

Look at me, in the eyes! When I say “Sven Gali is back,” I’m meaning it! The Canadian Quintet revitalised themselves with the 3 EP in 2020, and took their time with their next full-length (their first since 1995).  They recruited Coney Hatch bassist/singer Andy Curran for some of the production duties, picked a Triumph song to cover, and hit the road playing well-received shows in 2023.  Bombs and Battlescars is the name of the record.  Of note, the late Dee Cernile is credited with co-writing several tracks, and the album includes some unreleased demos from the before-fore times.  Let’s have a listen.

One thing for certain:  don’t expect Sven Gali to suddenly revert back to the sound of their self-titled debut.  This is a much heavier, more pounding and frankly more satisfying Sven Gali.  Opener “One Gun” slams with a more viscous brutality, but singer Dave Wanless is still the same.  If I wanted to hear the sound of ’92 again, I’d play the original purple platter by Sven (recently reissued on coloured vinyl).  I want the sound that satisfies the “me” of today – and I’m as frustrated as Sven Gali sound on “One Gun”.  The snaky guitar solo is just icing on the cake.  “I’m losin’ faith!” proclaims Wanless, and I believe him.

A steady chunky groove introduces “Coming Home”, a headbanger with a dark Metallica vibe.  Dan Fila and Shawn Minden lay down this beat that just boils.  The lead guitars are like liquid adamantium, but beneath it all churns a volcanic pressure cooker.  This is possibly the highlight of the new songs, a memorable track that demands to be cranked.  Car test it for good measure.  (The band is rounded out by guitarists Andy Frank and Sean Williamson.)

The Triumph cover is, appropriately, third in line.  “Spellbound” suits Sven Gali surprisingly well, but they don’t play it straight.  They’ve thrown the track into the darkest night, but let the chorus light the way.  Guitar textures are added.  This song should make the longtime fans very happy.  It’s Triumph, but presented as heavy as possible.  Listen to Fila annihilate his drums!

Darkness dominates on “Life Inside”, a dusky dirge with some pretty cool guitar work.  The atmospheric “Monster” resists being called a “ballad” but it’s the slowest moment in the journey thus far.  “Monster” just kills, not straightforward or easy to categorize.  It’s moody and doesn’t let up.

“Hang Me Out” is the first of the unreleased demos, and there’s something nostalgic about that.  You can hear an audible shift in sound, and “Hang Me Out” definitely has a mid-90s vibe.  There are twists and turns in the music that bring you right back.  Then the wah-wah pedal comes out for the relentless guitars on “Hogs”.  The funky groove here definitely brews nostalgia, but this track should have been released long ago!  By the end of it, you’ll be shoutin’ “HOGS!”  The 8th track “All” goes for speed and groove while the guitars ring in chaotic perfection.

Finally, a record needle drops and the acoustic guitars come out for the closing ballad and classic in the making:  “Nothing New”.  As much as Sven are known for rocking, some of their big hits were ballads (like “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”).  “Nothing New” is a lovely, stripped down ballad with sweet melodies and the purity of acoustic music.

Ultimately the demos are just as entertaining as the rest of the album.  They make you wish they’d come out ages ago.

Well done to Sven Gali on Bombs & Battlescars, a blazing comeback with a surprisingly tender ending.

4/5 stars

Get your copy on vinyl & CD, plain or signed!

 

REVIEW: Sammy Hagar – Three Lock Box (1982)

SAMMY HAGAR – Three Lock Box (1982 Geffen)

Sometimes it is fun to review an album on its first listen, so that’s what we’re doing today with Hagar’s Three Lock Box.  I only know a handful of tunes so this will be mostly brand new to me.  Released December 6, 1982, Three Lock Box was Sammy’s seventh solo album.  Jon Cain (Journey) and Mike Reno (Loverboy) make guest appearances, and it contains Sammy’s biggest charting solo hit.  Let’s give it a spin, on this fancy Japanese CD pressing.

The title track is familiar, with its slightly funky riff and rich organ backing.  I don’t know why, but that refrain of “One, two, three lock box!” reminds me of the kind of melody and simplicity of a children’s song.  But child’s play this is not!  A couple minutes in, and the gears shift to full blown hard rockin’.  This is a catchy and rhythmically clever little tune.

“Remote Love” might have a bit too much keyboard in the mix, but this is a cool laid back rock ballad.  It sounds like something from a past age perhaps.  Loud keyboards aside, there’s something purely classic about it, especially when you get to the soulful chorus.

Cain and Reno appear on “Remember the Heroes” (co-written by Cain).  Very Journey-esque, but Mike Reno sounds absolutely brilliant!  What a powerhouse singer, and when he and Sammy team up on the chorus, it’s mighty great!  You could easily imagine Journey doing this song, and perhaps they should have.

“Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” (#13 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock songs) is clearly hit material.  It’s all melody, smooth and polished.  The production has the bells and whistles and the track is just really hard to resist.

A haunting tone enters on “In the Room”, a completely different vibe.  It almost sounds like a lost Alice Cooper number from the same time period.  “I’ve been caught in the room, that moment of sleep when you think you’re awake.”  The lyrics match the music perfectly.  This is one of those must-have deep cuts, a song that absolutely deserves more attention.  It’s so different for Sammy.  “Rise of the Animal” follows with spooky sounds, and then a synth pulse.  “I just came out from the room…” sings Sammy, continuing his thoughts from the prior song.  “I saw the rising of the moon.  This ain’t no ordinary night!  Look to my left, look to my right.”  It starts slow and picks up the pace, and ends with some brilliantly frantic soloing from Sam.

Another great deep cut is the pop rocker “I Wouldn’t Change A Thing”.  A radio-ready corker, it could have been a hit in an alternate universe.  Let’s call it the Sammyverse.  A universe where everything is bright, colourful and shiny.  I wouldn’t mind hanging out in the Sammyverse, and “I Wouldn’t Change A Thing” could be its anthem.  Wave your red flags high!

“Growing Up” has a highschool-tough sound, while Sammy sings of the girls in their summer clothes.  The Sammyverse only has short skirts and high heels.  It’s probably the filler track of the album, as it doesn’t seem to have the hooks of previous tracks.  Fortunately “Never Give Up” is all hooks.  Another pop rocker with memorably melodies and smooth guitars, it’s just a fun song.  Easy singalong in the car.  Speaking of cars, the Sammyverse is fond of ’em, and the closing track “I Don’t Need Love” races like one of Sammy’s Ferraris.  It’s a brilliant rocker and probably the heaviest track on an otherwise pretty mainstream rock album.

Sammy Hagar albums don’t have a lot of pyrotechnics.  They are often meat and potatoes, workmanlike and easily accessible.  Three Lock Box has its strengths not in the production or flashy performance, but in the songs and the singing.  It’s a satisfying listen and I understand why it is so well liked.  It may not have a lot of edge, but it’s a fun, feel-good listen.

4/5 stars

Top Ten SAVATAGE Tracks Ranked – A Collaboration with the 80sMetalMan

SAVATAGE!  This Florida metal band reigned from 1979 to 2002, and is now back ready to unleash a new album called Curtain Call!  They never received the recognition they deserved over the course of 12 mostly excellent albums.  Let’s fix that here and now!

This list is part of a collaborative effort with 80sMetalMan!  You can check his list here.

10. “Handful of Rain” from Handful of Rain (1994)

We begin our story with tragedy, but also triumph.  Lead guitarist Criss Oliva was killed by a drunk driver, almost ending the band permanently, and shattering the soul of his brother Jon.  Jon Oliva was not even a member of the band anymore, having abdicated the mountain king throne to new singer Zack Stevens a year prior.  Undaunted, Oliva wrote and recorded almost all the instruments on the next Savatage album Handful of Rain.  Even though bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Steve “Doc” Wacholz are pictured inside, they did not play.  Jon did.  Joining him on lead guitar was former Testament master-shredder Alex Skolnick.  An immensely powerful team up.  They produced a somber album, but not without power and thrills.  The title track, available as a 5:25 extended edition or the standard 5:02 version, boasts acoustic verses and a powerful chorus that will stay with you for days.

9. “Morphine Child” from Poets and Madmen (2001)

The final Savatage epic from the final Savatage album.  Jon Oliva was back on lead vocals.  Zack Stevens departed to form his own band, Circle II Circle.  This song utilizes a powerful, relentless riff and a host of backing singers taking care of a complicated vocal counterpoint.  Different lyrics and melodies all overlap to form a cohesive and weighty segment of an already powerful song.  With piano and guitars intertwined with equal emphasis, Savatage may have taken their new operatic metal style to its peak here.  Though a comeback is planned, the band has remaining largely inactive ever since.  Regardless, at least they finished their first life in style, and with masterful progressive metal music.

8. “Warriors” from Power of the Night (1985)

Though this song commences with a corny keyboard bit and a ballady melody, it is far from that!  The battle grunts of the “warriors” soon join in with a sharp metal riff.  An alloy of iron and titanium, “Warriors” boasts a relentless chorus.  The verses are fun too.  “Armed to attack!  The soldiers react!”  Not poetry, but it matters not when Oliva screams.  This is simply heavy metal, down to the basics, and executed with youth and naivete.  The thing is:  it’s really good and catchy!

7. “Sirens” from Sirens (1983)

A shorty, at under four minutes.  The tempered steel of Criss Oliva’s riff is the main hook.  Much would improve later on, such as Jon’s lyrics and the band’s writing skills, but they had everything they needed from the get-go.  There’s a slower breakdown in the middle that only serves to re-ignite the powerful riff later on.  Oliva’s shrieking was already in place, fully formed and under his complete control.  Because the song is so short, you just have to go back and play it one more time.

6. “Strange Wings” from Hall of the Mountain King (1987)

Producer/manager Paul O’Neill was working with a little band called Badlands in 1989, featuring former Black Sabbath singer Ray Gillen on lead vocals.  He made a hell of an impression before Badlands as a backing vocalist on “Strange Wings” by Savatage!  This song, which boasts a powerfully simple riff, contains one of Savatage’s mightiest choruses!  A melancholy metal song with oodles of power, “Strange Wings” is one of Savatage’s top deep cuts.  There are many to choose from, but Ray’s singing on this one sets it apart.  His voice, mixed with Jon Oliva’s, offers a rare metal duet of stainless steel.

5. “Hall of the Mountain King” from Hall of the Mountain King (1987)

A classic Criss Oliva riff, backed by the haunting screams of brother Jon!  This song introduced Savatage to the metal masses.  Few songs can top the power of its mighty riff, or the unholy notes that Oliva hits on the chorus.  Not overly complex, but neither is it simple.  After Criss’ solo, Jon simply lets loose with the howls of a banshee gone mad!  Many would rank this song much higher than #5.   Perhaps the Metal Man is one.  It is extremely difficult, since Savatage have so many songs of different flavours.  Of their era of pure metal majesty, this song is tops.

4. “The Wake of Magellan” from The Wake of Magellan (1999)

Savatage have utilized counterpoint vocals numerous times on their albums from Handful of Rain to Poets and Madmen.  It is arguable that “The Wake of Magellan” is their most effective use of the technique.  Multiple vocal parts and lyrics overlap over each other, with uncountable Zacks singing complementary parts over each other.  Fortunately, the melodies are strong enough to stand out in the storm!  While the band and orchestra cooks behind, Zack Stevens sings all the parts, overdubbed for simultaneous power.  The first layer:  “Don’t see the storms are forming, don’t see or heed the warning, don’t hear the sound of tyrants, surrounded by the silence.”  Then a second Zack joins, singing the same.  A third Zack emerges overtop, singing the extremely fast and challenging lines:  “Columbus and Magellan and De Gama sailed upon the ocean in a world of ignorance with thoughts so primitive.  That men were killed with no more will than that they simply had the notion, but in this world of heartless men this thing they never did.”  Imagine singing that live, which the band had to do, at machine gun speed!  Another Zack doubles those lines.  Then a fifth Zack joins:  “Don’t hear it, don’t hear it…”  Then another Zack:  “Got to keep it underground, pretend you never heard a sound.”  More Zacks join with the lines “If they find it, kill it, blind it,” and “Lord tell me what is to be,” until all the voices coalesce together in the line “They whisper, and I…”  Has there ever been a more epic song in any genre?

3. “Edge of Thorns” from Edge of Thorns (1993)

New singer.  New lease on life.  Zack Stevens was sometimes compared to Geoff Tate when he first debuted in 1993 on Edge of Thorns.  The first single from the first album of a new era, combining the metal of Savatage’s early years and the piano epics of the previous two records.  The brilliant title track from Stevens’ debut still raises goosebumps on the arms.  An apex of this style of metal, “Edge of Thorns” has no dull surfaces.  Every edge cuts deep, the scarlet blood stains lingering in your heart forever.  “I have seen you on the edge of dawn, felt you here before you were born.  Balance your dreams upon the edge of thorns…but I don’t think about you anymore.”  Yet he clearly does.  This theme recurs through the album on songs like “Conversation Piece”.  Another genius Criss Oliva guitar solo is the cherry on top.  Few bands can meld their different styles from separate eras together like Savatage did on “Edge of Thorns”.  A masterpiece of a song.

2. “Gutter Ballet” from Gutter Ballet (1989)

I’ll never forget hearing that opening piano figure.  Loosely, Jon Oliva plays:  “ding, ding, ding…”  Then as he plays the notes become stronger and the tempo more steady.  Suddenly the band crashes forth and “Gutter Ballet” careens through your stereo, into your soul.  Savatage had never incorporated piano like this before, and by breaking new ground they broke down walls.  No longer were they a simple heavy metal band.  The doors to a whole new world of concept and drama had opened.  Welcome to the Gutter Ballet.  This track combines an epic piano melody with incendiary guitar riffs, an orchestra, and street-smart Oliva/O’Neill lyrics about the nasty gutters of New York City.  “Balanced on their knives, little parts of lives, such a strange reality.  Kill the unicorn, just to have its horn, soon he’s just a fantasy…”  And the Criss Oliva guitar solo!  A composition unto itself, backed by strings.  Power, emotion, skill and fire combined together into one incredible song.  An epic song that few bands could top.  Few…except Savatage.

1. “Believe” from Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)

Within the context of the Streets story, the main character D.T. Jesus witnesses a luminous spirit emerge from a dying homeless man, that he follows up several flights of stairs to a roof of a building.  D.T. opens his heart, and hears the voice of God.  “Believe” is the perfect ending to an epic emotional journey.  With all the power that Savatage can muster — overblown, dramatic, and pompous — “Believe” ends the rock opera (and this list) properly.  Interestingly, it retains an epic section that was lifted directly from “When the Crowds are Gone”, as the two albums share a genesis.  So epic is this segment, that Savatage had to re-use it.  Then later, on the Savatage album Handful of Rain, part of it was re-used again, along with other parts of “Believe”.  “Believe” ends this album on the bright up-note that you want a story to end with, your soul awash with light and musically uplifted.  “I’ll be right there, I’ll never leave, and all I ask is believe”