metalmaniac777

I write music reviews and the occasional interview for Hardrock Haven (www.hardrockhaven.net) and work under a freelance contract doing a lot of writing (band bios, press releases, etc.) for Eonian Records (www.eonianrecords.com). Why, what's on your mind?

I begged Derric to assign me this album to review, but the greedy bastard kept it for himself. Of course, judging from his review, I guess I can't blame him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atSDmK7Xczw

Looking for something a little different in modern hard rock? Check out my review of the indie band Psychothermia's new EP, "Slash & Burn" over at Hardrock Haven. Just click the link: http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2012/09/psychothermia-slash-burn/ Crunchy and accessible...yet sporting a march-to-their-own-rhythm edge.

My opinion--no. It's like watching a Transformers movie, only not as good...and that's coming from someone who isn't a big Transformers fan.

Loved this movie. All the slasher/horror movie cliches, yet still unpredicatable as hell.

Just got this yesterday to review for Hardrock Haven. What new elements are you speaking of? I've only spun it once, but it sounded like fairly straight-forward classic heavy metal to me.

This indie came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. The Protest play crunchy (Christian) modern hard rock in the vein of Disciple, Pillar, TFK, etc. To check out my review, head on over to Hardrock Haven...here's the link: http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2012/09/the-protest-game-changer/ Seriously, if you like Disciple, you have to at least give these guys a listen (it's even produced by Travis Wyrick). The ballad "Up From the Fall" is fantastic and the rock anthem "We Will Rise" brings the head-bangin' aggression. They even do a hard rock cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" that rivals Nonpoint's. Good stuff for the modern rock/metal lovers.

Posted this over in the "Shout It Out" category like I always do with my reviews, but figured I would resurrect this thread and post it here as well. My review of Knock Out Kaine: "House of Sins" went up on Hardrock Haven this morning; here's the link if you want to check it out: http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2012/09/knock-out-kaine-house-of-sins/ A good, solid, '80s-style hard rock album.

Knock Out Kaine call themselves sleaze-rock, but their sound is more reminiscent of straight-up, classic '80s hard rock in the vein of Cinderella, GNR, Whitesnake, etc. My review of their full-length debut, "House of Sins," is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: http://hardrockhaven...-house-of-sins/ Nothing groundbreaking, but a real solid album.

Well done, Keef! I know I'm guilty of not commenting on them, but I look forward to and read every Hub article you write. Good, entertaining stuff. Even when I don't really care about the topic, I just enjoy your writing style. And that's awesome news on the Deliverance development. Total fan-boy moment, eh? Keep up the good work!

Hmmmmm...just finished spinning this and while it's good, my first spin impression is that it pales in comparison to their debut. That debut made my 2011 Top Ten List, but based solely on a single listen, this EP is far more average, with several songs settling for very average hooks. That said, the price was certainly right, and there are some cool gems mixed in with the more mundane tracks. Not a bad album by any means, but I was hoping/expecting something killer, so I have to confess to being mildly disappointed. Probably on subsequent spins I will appreciate it more, now that my expectations are dialed down to more realistic levels.

It's being hyped as one of the best, if not THE best, melodic rock albums of 2012. To see if I agree, check out my review of Eclipse: "Bleed & Scream" over at Hardrock Haven by clicking the link below: http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2012/09/eclipse-bleed-scream/ I'll say this much...it ain't too shabby.

Oh, my, that sounds absolutely delicious. Judging solely from those samples, this could turn out to be the modern hard rock album of the year for me. October 2 suddenly seems so far away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5rADaHdbP4

I was just sent this band to review by Perris Records. A nice surprise...some good, quality melodic hard rock with a kickass sound. Most people on this site should at least give 'em a listen. Pretty sure there are videos on Youtube...I'll go see if I can dig one up, 'cause these guys deserve to be heard.

This will be of limited appeal to Heavy Harmonies regulars, but for what it's worth, my review of "The Devil Made Me Do It," the latest release from Scum of the Earth, is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: http://hardrockhaven...-made-me-do-it/ Simply put, if you enjoy White Zombie or Rob Zombie's solo stuff, you'll probably enjoy this as well. Upcoming reviews include: Eclipse: "Bleed and Scream" Beverly Killz: "Gasoline & Broken Hearts" Nasty Idols: "Back to Kalifornia" Hotel Diablo: "The Return to Psycho, California" Naughty Whisper: "Addicted to Decadence" Psychothermia: "Slash & Burn"

http://youtu.be/_34q3MdEYtQ

Can't get enough of that retro hair/glam/sleaze sound? Check out my review of Hollywood Burnouts: "Excess All Areas" over at Hardrock Haven. Here's the link: http://hardrockhaven...cess-all-areas/ Pretty generic stuff that sounds like it just stepped off the Sunset Strip circa. 1987, but somewhat enjoyable in a cheesy, oldschool way.

From the land that Geoff calls home comes a new player in the modern hard rock stakes--Longreef. To check out my review of their new 5-song EP, "Dirty Motel," head on over to Hardrock Haven...here's the link: http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2012/08/longreef-dirty-motel/ Really solid stuff that slots somewhere between Buckcherry and My Darkest Days.

Just published another short story today and it is now available on the Kindle. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QM3QDC This one runs a breezy 11 pages and is called "An Honest Mistake," an action-horror tale of two Vatican-sponsored vampire slayers who make a crucial mistake during their latest assignment that could leave their souls in eternal jeopardy, and then concoct a diabolical scheme to cover up the error. Sick of angsty, tweener, sparkling vampires? Ain't none o' dat shit here, yo! These vampires are vicious & bloody, the way vampires are supposed to be. Just like the last story I published, this one can be purchased for only $0.99 cents. It's got sarcasm, crude jokes, macho banter, profanity, bloody violence...in other words, this ain't for the kiddies!! And remember, half the royalties are being donated to Heavy Harmonies; just shoot me a PM if you buy the story.

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Another unexpectedly good surprise in the modern rock stakes. Check out my review of 3 Pill Morning: "Black Tie Love Affair" over at Hardrock Haven. Here's the link: http://hardrockhaven...ie-love-affair/ I expected little and wound up enjoying the heck out of this album.

Most of you know I do freelance rock/metal journalism for Hardrock Haven and Eonian Records, but most of you probably don't know I am also a fiction writer. Up until now, very little of it has been published, save for a few short stories and poetry here & there. Well, I have begun the process of publishing my fiction in e-Book format through Amazon.com's Kindle Direct Program, so if anyone here uses the Kindle and is interested in reading my stuff, I'm going to use this thread to provide links, descriptions, etc. For the record, this is being done with Dan's approval. Additionally, as sort of a promotion-slash-appreciation for Dan letting me do this, I am going to donate to the site half of the royalities I receive from any Heavy Harmonies member who downloads one of my stories (you will just have to tell me you did so; Amazon reports to me how many times my stories have been downloaded, but not by whom). So without further ado, here's the link to the first story, which was published to Kindle earlier today: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008O4CT5S#_ It's a short story (about 24 pages) called "The Killing Question," about a down-on-his-luck private investigator named Jack Reece who is offered $1 million to track down the 400 lb. predator who raped her daughter...and $4 million to execute him. Jack's moral code won't let him turn vigilante, but when he comes face to face with pure evil, he is forced to question his beliefs and consider whether righteousness can sometimes come from the end of a gun. To kill or not to kill...that is the question. One of my readers gave it this description: "It's like a Spenser For Hire story crossed with the Hostel movies." It only costs $0.99 cents and is chock full of sexuality, profanity, graphic violence, and disturbing themes. Everything a growing boy needs. Thanks, everyone, and remember, if you do download the story, shoot me a PM so I know how much money to set aside for Dan to help out with the costs of running this awesome site. I'd also be interested in hearing feedback from anyone who chooses to read this story or the ones I plan to publish in the very near future. Thanks again, and we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Pretty much everyone on these boards knows how awesome Kane Roberts' "Saints & Sinners" album is. To read my review of the remastered limited edition (with bonus tracks) reissue, head over to Hardrock Haven; here's the link: http://hardrockhaven...imited-edition/ One of the all-time great albums made just a little bit better...