First Spin Impressions

Geoff · May 8, 2008

Okay, to prove there was method in my recent madness, I have finally found the reasons for why I went through so much crap to get to the goodness. I've built on these elsewhere on the forum, but in brief:

Safetysuit - 'Life left to go'

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&...epace&meta=

I was lucky enough to hear an advance of this CD and it is fantastic. If you like moody melodic modern rock this is a must. As I said elsewhere, it reminds me of prime Goo Goo Dolls in places but these guys are their own band. very, very strong songs and this album should please most people here if they give it a go.

Seventh Day Slumber - 'Finally awake' ; Killer christian hard rock disc. Silly lyrics again, but awesome song. I said it elsewhere also, but I'd go as far as to call this one of the best christian hard rock albums I have ever heard.

A New Revolution - 'Rise' ; Wow, interesting. Is this classified as "modern rock" or is this straight up hard rock? I haven't been to the thread so I will go there now to build further on this, but this was good solid hard rock. Vocalist is maybe a little rough around the edges, but shows a great voice on the ballads. Great disc.

TIM (2) · May 8, 2008

That's my fave too, is the ringtone on my phone. :anon:

phaffas · May 8, 2008

Yeh thats not a bad song.. i paid attention to it today, however i cant remember how it goes... i just know as i was listening it was nice...

Geoff · May 9, 2008

Goodnight Nurse - 'Keep my on your side' ; I really like this band. The two albums are both great, this being the better of the two. I'd really have to say that if you love Simple Plan you need to check these guys out. The only negative I can think of is the guy's voice is a little pop-punkish but not too much on this album. These are really great songs.

http://www.myspace.com/goodnightnurse

HAHA! Holy shit. I just found out these guys are from New Zealand! First New Zealand band ever? :lol:

Dropclutch - 'The reason' ; The first track is a bit of a kick in the ass. Great opener, but nothing too much happens afterwards. It's all pretty standard modern rock / metal. Kind of nu-metal, a few screams... but overall I'd probably pass on this one to be honest.

Tourist - 'The relevance of motion' ; I've been interested in this for a long, long time. It came out back in 2006 and somehow ended up being delivered on MTM. Got a good review over at melodicrock.com but I never got around to it. Shame on me for not doing so, because this is a very good slab of modern hard rock. My listen to it this first time was a series of breaks and losing concentration so I can't speak in too much detail about it, but I do know I liked what I heard all the way through, and there were several excellent tracks.

http://www.myspace.com/touristband

http://cdbaby.com/cd/tourist

**Blue Charvel** · May 9, 2008

Marcello-Vestry - s/t (Japanese +1): been waiting a long time for this and it appears to be well worth the wait. Produced by Bruno Ravel and many of the tunes were also co-written by him. You can hear some fierce D2 vibe going on here in both the overall production as well as the song structure. Marcello's playing is in top form, Vestry's vocals are on target, this thing doesn't show any cosmetic flaws that I can see. It's like a more technical version of Screw It!, which was one of my all time favorite albums. Good time party songs, straight ahead rockers, sappy ballads combined with a ton of harmony vocals and some smokin' guitar solos... this thing is fucking flawless! So far this one's going right up to the top of my best of '08, yeah it's that fucking good. It's even making me swear!

I can't see me getting tired of this any time soon. My recommendation? If you liked D2 - Screw It!, and Marcello's songwriting/playing, you NEED to get this, seriously. :bowdown:

aMetalhead1966 · May 9, 2008

Wow sounds Good...I'll have to check this one out... :drink:

JLPRocks · May 9, 2008

Upon reading this I went to their myspace page to check out some of the songs. Not sure if the ones on the myspace are the ones on your release that you're listening to.......but, I loved what I heard from the guitar/keys and vocals.....but the DRUMS....what in hell do these people use electronic drums for????!!! Why is it these bands do this?? I hate the sound of electronic drums in an album like this!! Use a damn acoustic drummer for God's sakes!! LOL To me, at least the songs I heard on the myspace were great except for the lame sounding drum machine!!!

**Blue Charvel** · May 9, 2008

I must admit I had not even noticed that, but upon a closer listen I think you are correct. I guess I don't listen to drums too much! :anon:

Still love it, but it would have been nice if they would have ponied up a couple $ for a real drummer.

aMetalhead1966 · May 9, 2008

Good drummers are hard to find.... :whistle: ....

phaffas · May 9, 2008

Is this a Jap only release?? The similarities to Screw it sound good

Doksdad · May 10, 2008

Gemini Five~Sex, Drugs, Anarchy.

This band sounds alot like Shakra. Perhaps a bit more modern but the guitars are heavy and the vocals are top notch. Great guitar solos in the mix too. Highly recommended.

**Blue Charvel** · May 10, 2008

So far I believe it is Jap only.

I got it from a Japanese eBay seller myself. Very rarely will I pay that much, but I Marcello's playing/songwriting combined with Ravel's production/songwriting made it a must have. I'm still not disappointed. :drink:

TIM (2) · May 10, 2008

DISTURBED - Indestructable

Now this is better. Hulking riffs, killer solos, memorable choruses, & a shattering production. Things that Disturbed have threatened to deliver for some time now, but it never quite happened. If you never thought they'd write an album with more than about 3-4 good tunes on it then you should definitely check this out as it's their most consistent CD to date. The only downside is that there's nothing to totally knock you off your seat. No "Stupify" or "Remember", or "Land of Confusion" even. It's all just solid, powerful, catchy, 'in-your-face' heavy metal, which sounds less like their 'nu-metal' roots than they ever did (listen to the snaking lead-guitar in "Perfect Insanity").

Having said all that, Draiman is still an arrogant tosser who deserves a beating.

Geoff · May 12, 2008

I need this CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also need a way to find it at an affordable price. Is there still plans for it to be released outside of Japan?

**Blue Charvel** · May 13, 2008

Everywhere except Australia I think...

...kidding, I actually have no information at all.

to follow up on my "First Spin Impression" I still LOVE this disc, played it all weekend long. My daughter likes the bonus track acoustic version of "Gone" and we had to listen to that over and over... good thing I like it too... this is just a great fucking disc. Marcello's playing is incredible, the songs make me sing along (much to the horror of the passengers in my car), and I love the production. The only downside is the fake drums, not a huge fan, but at least they're big and awesome sounding. When everything's going along full bore, I have zero problems with them, but occasionally when they're on their own they do sound kinda hokey. Don't care... still love disc... in my top 10 for this year easily and I don't think they'll be falling out anytime soon.

New first impression: Dokken - Lightning Strikes Again

Wow, I read the comments about Levin channeling Lynch, and when I listen to the beginning of "Standing on the Outside" or "Oasis" I could not agree more. To me this is close to the level of "Back for the Attack" and the awesome albums that preceded it, easily their best since then (although I do like "Erase the Slate" a lot). Good catchy songs with those Lynch style grooves and killer solos abound. My only complaint is Don's voice, which although still serviceable, sounds like it's aging not so gracefully. This is quality stuff from beginning to end on my first listen, not sorry at all for purchasing it, and with Dokken albums of late, it's always a bit hit or miss. This one's a hit, dead center. :tumbsup:

**Blue Charvel** · May 13, 2008

Whitesnake - Good to be Bad

Fuckin' ay! can Doug's guitar sound get any better, I submit that it cannot! Great riffs abound, David sounds very good, did I mention Doug's guitar sound? Songs are REAL good on this first listen, hope they'll stay that way throughout progressive listens. Overall production is phenomenal, the deep low end and the crisp highs are a thing of fuckin' beauty! Yeah, this is fuckin' great... I swear I feel like rock'n'roll is coming back with a vengeance based on the albums that have come out this year so far. Good stuff, a harbinger of fate I hope! :banger:

**Jez** · May 13, 2008

Have spun this a good dozen times now since I got it and the songs are still there for me, in fact some get better with each listen, so I think that this is definately going to be one of those discs that stays around for a good while, like most of the Whitesnake back catalogue in my opinion.

**Blue Charvel** · May 14, 2008

Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge

A return to their High 'n' Dry/Pyromania days? No.

A foray into modern/alternative? No.

A country album ala Bon Jovi? No.

A good album? Yes, actually!

Great production, cohesive playing, killer harmony vocals, and some very nice hooks. Won't put a dent on anything from the hard rock era Def Lep, but still a good album, plenty of guitars, and a few heavier moments. Looking at it for what it is, and putting aside my obvious bias against anything after Pyro, I genuinely like this album. It sounds damn good in my stereo, and I'll listen to it again for sure. Not sure about staying power, but so far it's already exceeded my expectations.

aMetalhead1966 · May 14, 2008

Perfectly stated Maestro Pete... :beerbang: It is actually good..and that is coming from one who doesn't like any Def Lep after "Pyromania"...good stuff

Fat Freddy · May 14, 2008

The Donnas - BITCHIN'

This is only my second Donnas disc, the other being 2002's punk-fueled SPEND THE NIGHT. Just looking at the cover and graphics immediately tells me that the Donnas have moved forward from the 1970s-steeped sound of their past records on BITCHIN'. On the first pass, it looks like their personal time machine has now reached the early 1980s and instead of taking influence from KISS, the Ramones, and Bon-era AC/DC as on previous efforts, they're now overdosing on vintage Pat Benatar, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts albums. Yup, this is a pure Hair Metal album that sounds like it dropped out of a time capsule straight from 1985. Their old punk rockin' fans will probably cry that the gals have wimped out, but IMHO the band still rocks like a mutha, just with an added syrupy-sweet coating of bubblegum that they didn't have before. I can't name a favorite track yet because I've only spun it once, but I can say that BITCHIN' will definitely be spending prime time in my CD player in the near future.

(Mmmm...syrupy sweet coating... :wub: )

**Blue Charvel** · May 14, 2008

I'd like to Pour Some Sugar on the Donnas for sure... :headbanger:

Fat Freddy · May 14, 2008

They're hot, sticky sweet, from their head down to their feet, yeh. :beerbang:

melodicrockoz · May 15, 2008

khymera - the greatest wonder ( love this gem, my fave of their catalogue, I get a southern sons vibe from this cd, esp the ss debut album )

TIM (2) · May 15, 2008

I'm fairly sure no-one reads this thread so I'm safe to post this:-

CLAY AIKEN - On My Way Here

Man, I just love this guys voice. His debut album was a killer disc, some of the worlds best songwriters/producers on that one. This one's a bit more ballad-heavy, but the songwriting is still a masterclass & his vocals are so high in the mix. However sadly he's chosen to go his own way a little, & even writes a tune on this album, & like Kelly Clarkson's latest album the results are disastrous. So a few blatant fillers, but there are still at least 4 bona-fide KILLER tracks with colossal hooks. Whoever wrote "Weight of the World" is a songwriting genius. I know some of the ex-Idol contestants have chosen to make "Rock" albums (Kelly Clarkson/Daughtry/Bo Bice) but for my money this is where the best songs/vocals are....

Fat Freddy · May 15, 2008

Bad Biscut - WE STILL BELIEVE THE HYPE

Man, I still miss these Jersey hard rockers. I saw them several times during their early 90s heyday and their lone studio album, 1994's THE AMERICAN DREAM?, remains a fave-rave of mine that still gets a lot of spin time even though the band's been broken up for over a decade now. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this new odds-and-ends/rarities compilation while trolling CDBaby a few weeks ago!! Naturally I had to order it ASAF'nP, and I think I can safely say that this one will be locked into my CD player for quite a while. On WE STILL BELIEVE THE HYPE you get 22 tracks of what I've described in another thread as "the love child of GNR and the Ramones doing bong hits with Skid Row." Some hellaciously cool cover tunes (including "Blitzkrieg Bop," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and even the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love you!") mix with originals like the catchy-as-hell "Chelsea Hotel," "Blood Suckin Freaks" and "Thunders Falling" (an ode to Johnny Thunders) making for quite a wild ride through this underrated band's too-short history. The material on this disc is compiled from several early demo sessions, some live stuff, and the rare-as-hell "CULT 45" limited edition 45 RPM single (which I am thrilled to finally hear as I missed out on snagging a copy back in 96) so production quality varies from track to track. Despite that, the sound quality remains listenable throughout (i.e. there's nothing "bootleg" here).

Odds-and-ends releases like these are usually "for diehards only" but I'd say that anyone who likes their hard rock on the gritty side (with a dash of punk for flavor) would enjoy this disc. The same label (Main Man Records) is about to reissue their THE AMERICAN DREAM album as well; maybe first-timers and newcomers to Bad Biscut should start with THE AMERICAN DREAM, and if you like what you hear on that, then WE STILL BELIEVE THE HYPE would make for an excellent second course. :beerbang:

First Spin Impressions

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation

Posts

Important Information