metalmaniac777

For those who are interested, my review of the new Whitesnake: "Forevermore" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Whitesnake review Anyone who enjoyed "Good to be Bad" should like this one too.

My review of German heavy rockers The New Black--"II: Better in Black" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click on the link below to check it out: The New Black review Fans of Black Label Society and others of that ilk are going to want to give these guys a listen.

My review of the Swedish modern hard rock/metal group CellOut: "Superstar Prototype" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: CellOut review Fans of the aggressive-yet-melodic school of modern hard rock--think Breaking Benjamin crossed with Closure--will want to check these guys out. Upcoming reviews from yours truly include... The New Black: "Better in Black" The Poodles: "Performacracy" Warrant: "Rockaholic"

My review of Stryper: "The Covering" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Stryper review I'm still not a huge fan of cover albums, but if you have to do one, this is the way it should be done.

My review of the new Lazarus A.D.: "Black Rivers Flow" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Lazarus AD review Good stuff for the modern thrash/metalcore fans around here...all 2 or 3 of us.

Thanks, guys. Actually pulled a double-shift at the prison, so there was lots of sex, drugs, nudity, rock 'n' roll, violence, and booze...but none of it was enjoyed by me. Actually celebrated with the wife & kids today; my 4 year old exclaimed, "Daddy's so lucky, he gets TWO birthdays."

For the heavy metal headbangers out there, my review of the new retro-thrash band Tuck From Hell: "Thrashing" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Tuck From Hell review Old-school, Metallica-style heavy/thrash metal with modern production values and catchy choruses...what's not to like??

Used a gift certificate I had leftover from Christmas to pick this up the other day after reading about them in HM (Heaven's Metal) Magazine (the lyrics are definitely spiritual, arguably more "Christian" than 80% of the actual Christian modern metal bands out there nowadays). Yes, there are some big, soaring choruses on this CD, but the production is almost TOO melodic, if that makes any sense. About half the album is forgettable throwaway filler, but there are some gems too; in the end, there were 7 tracks I enjoyed, with my favorite being "The Forgotten One," which happens to be one of mellowest songs on the disc but succeeds on the strength of its haunting, melancholic vibe and stellar vocals. No, this is not a masterpiece of an album by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm happy to have the seven tracks I plucked off it.

Yeah, they didn't change much at all. If you liked their first 2 CDs, you'll like "Highway Pirates."

For anyone who cares to peruse it, my review of the upcoming Bullet: "Highway Pirates" album is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Bullet review If you're looking for an AC/DC style band but with more balls, more swagger, and a bit more metal bite to their sound, then you should at least give these guys a listen.

Yes, they hail from Cleveland. Yes, they pretty much suck. Yes, they are pretty shitty. However, never turn down free beer is a good rule to live by. Though it was Pabst Blue Ribbon, so I guess you may as well have gone and drank from the nearest unflushed toilet and gotten the same taste. Thanks for the thumbs-up on the review. I try to call 'em as I see 'em when writing these things.

For those interested, my review of The Hot Rails: "Single Entendre" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: The Hot Rails review If you happen to be friends with the band, don't read it: I was not impressed.

Is this the band from Cleveland? Yep, their bio says they're Cleveland-based. Hope they're not personal friends of yours, 'cause based on the one spin I've given the album so far, my review is going to be pretty lackluster. That's an understatement! You told the guy to shoot his wife and hire a llama instead. There are lots of things he should be doing with his wife, but letting her sing isn't one of them. I'm sure he can find a better use for her mouth...

Here's PK Mitchell's myspace page: PK Mitchell myspace The video for his hard rock version of "Amazing Grace" starts playing automatically, then you can also sample some other songs as well, enough to give you an idea whether or not you want to track down the album (which, for what it's worth, is currently available on eBay for around $12). I had no luck finding samples for the Rock Power Praise: "Volume 1--The Hymns." I think it was released in '89 or '90, somewhere around there, on Pakaderm Records, so it's probably a bit hard to find these days. Well worth the time, effort, and expense, in my opinion, but I'm a big sucker for that Elefante brothers production sound/style.

Is this the band from Cleveland? Yep, their bio says they're Cleveland-based. Hope they're not personal friends of yours, 'cause based on the one spin I've given the album so far, my review is going to be pretty lackluster.

My less-than-favorable review of female-fronted goth-metal band Unsun's new album, "Clinic for Dolls," is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Unsun review Upcoming reviews from yours truly include: Hot Rails: "Single Entedre" Bullet: "Highway Pirates" Tuck From Hell: "Kings of Thrash" Lazarus A.D.: "Black River Flows" Cellout: "Superstar Prototype"

Oh, sure, Keef, now you tell me. Little late there, is all I'm sayin'...

Check out P.K. Mitchell's "All Hail the Power--The Rock Hymns Project" if you're craving classic gospel songs reworked in a hard rockin' metal style. There's also Rock Power Praise: "Volume 1--The Hymns", produced by the legendary John & Dino Elefante, which is a little more in the 80s melodic hard rock vein in its approach to reimagining the tunes. Or you can just ignore my recommendations and continue to fantasize about you & Geoff in the nude accompanied by a jar of Jiffy Extra-Chunky peanut butter.

Not exactly an uplifting tune, but I submit NITRO's "Johnny Died on Christmas" for your consideration...

My understanding is that this will actually be released under the name Classic Petra, as original vocalist Greg X. Volz has returned to the fold, and that it will be closer to the AOR sound of their classic earlier albums such as "More Power to Ya," "Not of This World," & "Beat the System" rather than the hard rock style they adopted when John Schlitt took over singing duties. As for the "childish God talk rubbish lyrics," all I can say is, Petra were one of the first bands to put rock music to bold evangelistic lyrics and they never backed down from that boldness during their 30+ years career. Love the lyrics or hate them, hearing Petra sing about anything other than God/Jesus/Christ/etc. would sound unnatural, kind of like Slayer singing about sunshine, roses, and kisses from cute li'l kittens.

Probably not too many melodic metalcore fans lurking 'round these parts, but for the 1 or 2 who may be interested, my review of All That Remains: "For We Are Many" is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: All That Remains review Upcoming reviews from yours truly: Bullet: "Highway Pirates" Tuck From Hell: "Thrashing"

Is "chorizo" Australian for cock?

No apology needed, as everyone is entitled to their opinion. As for them being arrogant dicks...I review music, not personalities. These guys won't be to everyone's tastes, that's for certain, but I liked what I heard, hence the positive review.

Oh, you foolish but oh so moderately sexy boy, you have no idea what you've been missing for all these years. Imagine the powerful voice of Sinner, but fronting a big, guitar-driven melodic hard rock band as opposed to the full-throttle metal for which he is known, and you have an idea of the musical joy you are in for when your ears wrap themselves around this album like the sleek thighs of a Swedish supermodel (male or female, your choice) wrapping themselves around your smooth, as-yet-unmarked-by-life face. Yeah, I got it. Yeah, I like it. Yeah, I think you will too.

My review of the new Texas Hippie Coalition CD, "Rollin'," is now available over at Hardrock Haven. Click the link below to check it out: Texas Hippie Coalition review Anyone seeking heavy-hitting southern-metal with giant guitar riffs should check these guys out.