Geoff

lol, I'm not sure there was any part in my statement where I compared what the two parties did. I merely used Watkins as the example of the worst possible thing a musician could do, yet it doesn't taint the music, for me, personally. Not sure there was anywhere in my piece where I compared being a pedophile to being a non-thinking covid zombie, though. I view Bach and Snider and ill-informed pathetic sheep that I can no longer conjure up an ounce of respect for, but I wish them no harm. I never really got to the gory details of what Watkins did, but his actions are of a criminal nature and if I understand it all correctly he should probably be deceased now for all I'd care.

Another new song dropped today; Getting a bit nervous that by the time the new album drops in March 2024 we'll be at least half the album or more in on these singles. Don't get me wrong; love hearing the new songs but it's always a bit of a bummer when a new album drops and there's essentially only five new songs as you've already heard the other five. Anyway, I know I listen to these guys with rose coloured ears, but even that aside, I love this new track. My second favourite of the three new ones. It seems pretty evident that the new album probably isn't going to have the emotive impact of the previous album, but I don't think anything else will be lost. There's something I really love about this new track - the kind of darker groove, for lack of a better description. Not sure how to word it, but I'm completely into it. For anyone paying attention - which could just be me and you, Ponen - this song is actually a brand new storyline, that will also play out throughout future videos. The previous story is not finished and will continue in - I think they said - the next music video? But this is a new storyline too. I believe they mentioned the possibility of the two storylines possibly combining later on. Like I said above, really interesting dudes with a lot of cool stuff going on in their heads. For anyone just interested in the tune, it starts at about 1:08 mins in.

Haha, yeah, I was going to say the same... barely a ballad at all amongst his recent output.

Killer tune of an absolute killer disc;

Very nice. Man the vocalist reminds me of someone else I can't place at the minute... but another replacement vocalist... maybe? Or am I randomly thinking of After Hours? Who wasn't a replacement... same dude. But I could be thinking of them for some reason. Either way, it sounds very nice.

I am so far beyond ready for all this screaming shit to be a thing of the past. It was impactful when it popped up here and there, but it needs to be a thing of the past, or used sparingly, please, for the love of christ, so we can all move forward. Song is awesome when the chorus hits, but the verses probably keep it off an annual playlist. Maybe. Everything else is pretty killer... just so sick of the screams.

New Sebastian Bach and GN'R on the same day. How very 1991. Jeez, what to make of that? I actually think there may be a decent song under there if they stripped away every single ounce of absolute garbage over the top of it. The middle eastern twang shit in the verses, the overpowering vocal effects in the chorus, and all the other just absolute shit. Peel all that away and give us the Guns N' Roses version of this song and it might he half okay. As it is, it's an absolute fucking mess of absolute shit. Is he even meant to be audible in the chorus? Yeah, just fuck it all off and be Guns N' Roses would be my tip for them, and I know they'd be taking tips from me.

Yeah, I guess the song is solid but the band and production seems a lot tighter than any of his previous solo work. Everything else about the track sounds absolutely top notch - musically and vocally. Top marks for all that, and solid tune. I'd, of course, hope for better songs on the album, but it's definitely all pointed in the right direction. Would be very cool if Affuso played some drums on the album. Whoever's playing on this track, drums sound big, just like they should. On a side note, I'm glad I'm not one of those folk who lets shit outside music get in the way of my music enjoyment. Eg. I still enjoy Lostprophets music as much as I always did, separate to what Watkins did. And I'm glad I can say that about Bach and his time with Skid Row too as I stumbled across a montage thing the other day of all the absolute fucking drivel he was spitting out during covid. Had no idea he was such a blank-mind pfizer mouthpiece. As humans, I lost absolutely every single ounce of respect I ever had for him (which is a shame as he always came across as a pretty cool dude) and Dee Snider over their pathetic stance on all things covid, but thankfully that has zero bearing on how I enjoy their music. Looking forward to the album.

Intriguing. Not something to push of course, but if it ever came about I'd be really curious to hear the tracks clearly intended for Blue Tears album #2. Like I said, for all I know we've heard them and they were part of the Suncity releases. But the other part of me doesn't really hear anything in that that I think Gregg would be referencing as the greatest material he had ever written. So are there still a bunch of tracks possibly recorded for album #2 that we've never heard? Or alternatively, was any of it ever even recorded? He did say it was written, and was that literal, meaning it was written and because of the fuckaround they never even got to recording any of it? Sadly, things we may never know.

Yes, it was, you Canadian Harem Scarem fan.

I like all the First Signal albums, some more than others, but this one's a bit of a different beast to the others. Far more harder rocking, generally speaking, and to me it's a nice switch-up. I don't think you'd have to like their other albums to dig this one separately. To each their own, but to me this is very well worth an unbiased listen. As for Hess, even as what I'd consider to be a massive Harem Scarem fan, I have to admit I've always been a bit 50/50 on his voice. I love it because it's the voice of one of my favourite bands, but I would also understand someone 100% if they weren't a fan of his voice, specifically, not that you actually mention that separately. Everything else aside, though, I just think the songs deliver on this album.

Yeah, I dig it.

Was listening to Michael Sweet's solo debut album today (which is basically a Gregg Fulkerson album with a few late Sweet tweaks, and the minor thing of Sweet's vocals and guitar all over it) and it prompted me to see how and why they combined, and I stumbled across an old interview with Gregg from, I think it was 2003. Here it actually is; http://www.rockunited.com/fulkerson.htm But I just got so hung up on this part; we were getting ready to do the second record...there was no question of a second record.....had some of the greatest material I had ever written ready for that second record.....BUT....let's just say I was young and naive...trusted the wrong people....I don't want to talk about the specifics because I'm over it.....I have moved on....I lost everything...and everyone...I had............the band...the money...my house...my wife...was stuck in a situation where I couldn't record...couldn't make a record...couldn't get out of the contracts, but couldn't make a record...LITERALLY......legally, couldn't do anything...it took me several years to bounce back from that....so let's just leave it at that...MCA was ready to make a second record...we were ready to make a second record...but a third party was involved that had control over everything...enough said. Does anyone know anything more about this, and what/who it was this third party that made the recording of that second album so impossible? I find it a really sad story, the one of Gregg's life and way-too-early-death. I also found it sad later in the interview to hear how he felt about the Blue Tears debut album, which is an undisputed classic to most of us here. I've always been so curious about how many of those Blue Tears demos that we've all heard now were pre-debut, and what - if any - was meant for the second album... the greatest material he had ever written. Have we heard any of those songs, even if only in demo form?

Yeah, I just can't really get into these guys to be honest. It's all okay, just doesn't stick with me at all, though.

Seems kind of decent. Probably worth a listen with it comes out.

Even with guests they still sound like they did from day one. Just played back a tune from the debut (2009) to chug the old memory cogs along. The production doesn't have quite the same impact as it does these days, but everything else is exactly the same. Is that impressive, or non-innovative; I do not know;

Kind of okay album... not going to break anyone's head, though, I don't think.

Hate to say it, but I ended up being pretty underwhelmed by this. Turns out 'Mr. Know It All' is my favourite song from the album and the rest is another one of those almost-but-not-quite albums. I hope they stick around because I definitely see potential for a better next album.

I hate hearing someone's hard earned work and saying 'maybe next time,' but I'm going to have to say it here. This album is almost there in every single regard, but it also just misses the mark each time too. Great music tracks... just need those hooks to be refined for the next album. This one's very solid, though.

1 . From the Ashes 2 . For You 3 . Time Machine 4 . Second to None 5 . When She Calls Me Up 6 . Running in Circles 7 . Hit and Run 8 . Before the After Party First three songs are beauties... rest is a bit of a patchy affair. I do love this one;

Yep, would pretty much agree. These guys (and gal) genuinely impress me that they still deliver a reliable, quality product without ever truly dipping in output. I'll confess that this one is probably a bit slim on outright keepers (even if most are all but there) but it's still so damn solid. Favourite song is this 'Everything,' which does not appear to be on youtube.

So let's discuss the best album of the year (spoiler alert) that people seem to be purposely dodging and I need to understand why. I've missed the memo. First Signal - 'Face Your Fears.' You dudes are my people, but hit me with it. What trivial reason are we all ignoring this album for? Can't be the songs because they're killer. If we pause what we're doing now and just put this in your ears; Obviously no genuine member of this site is hearing that and thinking, "Oh my, that is yuck garbage." So why is everyone ignoring this album? Like I said, you're my people, but if there's on this thing this forum as a collective can do it's to get caught up on something trivial and insignificant and roll with it. Do we not like this album because it's another Frontiers project album? Fill me in, dudes. As someone who takes each album on it's own merit, this is pretty easily slaying most of what I hear this year (except maybe Creye) but it can't even earn a mention on any other list, on a melodic rock site? I am flummoxed. If it wasn't Hess singing someone else's songs for a Frontiers project, but it was a new band with the same album would everyone be falling over themselves for it?

It's a pretty solid album. Don't absolutely love it, but it is solid. This one's the pick for me;

Nice tune from pretty decent EP; Sleep Signals - Endure 1 . Fearless 2 . One Life 3 . Nomad 4 . Make It Up to Me 5 . Patterns Nice tune from a bit of a mixed bag album; The Seafloor Cinema - The Seafloor Cinema 1 . Mercury In Gatorade 2 . If This Were A Film (feat. Onlyfriend) 3 . Geese Attack!!! 4 . Crop Top Sorority 5 . Oaklands Finest Glass Beaches 6 . Dolly Parton Vs. The Government 7 . The Lesson (.44 Magnum) [feat. Aaron Pauley] 8 . Take Drugs! Kill A Bear! 9 . Jacob Cracks The Liberty Bell 10 . The Sun In Reverse 11 . Deeth Starr Valley (feat. Pulses.) 12 . Paper Planes Burning In Paris This one's a good, strong EP; Sakoya - Sakoya 1 . Wandering 2 . What You Need 3 . Cynical 4 . A Way Out 5 . Taking Sides Another cool song off decent EP; Crashing Atlas - Call Me Hysteria 1 . Capacities 2 . A Violent Affair 3 . Fake It With Me 4 . Call Me Hysteria This is a solid album; Block of Flats - No Hope For The Hopeless 1 . Set The World On Fire 2 . Feels Like 3 . Bleed 4 . I Got Your Back (If You Got Mine) 5 . Lake Of Fears 6 . No Hope For The Hopeless 7 . Dead Inside 8 . Burnout 9 . Never Forgotten 10 . Black Swan And the single, I guess; Another solid EP with a cool tune on it; Accvsed - House of Doubt 1 . Deviant 2 . Currents 3 . Unraveled 4 . What We'll Never Be 5 . Obscurity 6 . House of Doubt And another nice EP; To Octavia - Wonderland 1 . KISS KISS KISS 2 . Dare 3 . Do Ghosts Dream Like Us? 4 . Hopeless Romantic 5 . i'd like to see you more Another sweet track from a solid album; HumanKind - An End, Once and for All 1 . No Man's Sky 2 . It Comes in Waves 3 . The End of Everything 4 . We Are One 5 . Shadows 6 . Dead Girl Walking 7 . Worst Enemy 8 . Dear Mother 9 . Wastelands 10 . Daybreakers

Heard this this week and didn't realise this was the Loveblast singer. Glad I can piece it together. Brian Durbin - Only Jams 1 . Shake This City 2 . Give Me Your Love Tonight 3 . Something New 4 . Make A Scene 5 . Revenge Is A Long Game 6 . J. Lo of Chicago 7 . Dick 8 . I Love It When You Get Loud 9 . Down In My Soul 10 . Don't Let Go 11 . Feelin' Myself I found this to be a pretty mixed bag. Favourite song, by far, is 'Don't let go' (above) and I'm not surprised that this album must be a gathering of sessions, of sorts, but didn't realise that song dated back to 2021, obviously. 'Dick' is another thing, whoops I mean song that I really like, tacky as it is; Other than these two songs, it's a pretty patchy. But two cool songs, at least.