Posted in Cd Reviews

Escape/Sound Pollution

Paul Bonrud returns with his self-titled melodic rock project. Produced by Keith Olsen (OZZY, SAMMY HAGAR etc.) Paul, all guitars, Rick Forsgren, vocals, and Paul Higgins, drums also utilizes the keyboard talents of Richard Baker (SAGA etc.), Eric Ragno (GRAHAM BONNET etc.) and Dave Gross. A lot of time has apparently been invested in this release, what have they achieved?

“We Collide” opens the proceedings. The song works without a clear refrain focus and I quite like the riff and the rhythm. The best effort on the album, “Bullet in the Back” has a lot of positive energy and the right style continues in “American Dream”. The title track rocks as well, and there is a fair bit of character in Rick´s voice...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Napalm/Sound Pollution

The Dutch/Swedish joint venture THE 11TH HOUR sports death metal veterans Ed Warby (GOREFEST, HAIL OF BULLETS etc.) and Pim Blankenstein (OFFICIUM TRISTE). The first album “Burden of Greif” (2009) featured Rogga Johansson of THE GROTESQUERY/PAGANIZER etc but he was too ill to carry on here. In stepped Pim, their live vocalist, and here is the result.

Seven tracks on a full album means doom, but also a new guitarist role (drums too though) for Ed. First served is “We All Die Alone”, with a synthesizer intro and a grand melody – sadly somewhat let down by the growls. I´d love to hear a version with clean vocals though...

Posted in Cd Reviews

French Symphonic metal band Whyzdom are back with a new singer and a follow up to their 2009 debut album ”From The Brink Of Infinity”. For this new album Whyzdom have signed with Scarlet records and will be releasing Blind? at the end of October 2012.

On their debut album, singer Clémentine Delauney was excellent, so after she left to tour with Serenity I must admit to having some doubts as to what the new album would sound like. Happily though Whyzdom have found an equally brilliant singer in Elvyne Lorient, and any doubts I had vanished almost immediately when I started listening to this new album...

Posted in Cd Reviews

A legendary figure in Reggae music, Bob Marley is probably the best known Reggae artist of all time around the world, so any new release is going to be greeted with considerable interest This album is the first in a series of collections of classic rare and new dub material from Bob Marley and the Wailers.
For anyone unfamiliar with dub, it’s a sub-genre of reggae (although it has now expanded beyond this), that is usually remixed instrumental versions of reggae songs. To know that this release is a Dub release then may dampen some peoples hopes, but fear not – this album is not totally instrumental – there are vocals included here.

The album contains ten dub remixes that have been previously available but hard to find, and have not been released before on CD or as part of an album...

Posted in Press Releases

KISS have released two tracks from upcoming album Monster. Listen to Long Way Down and All For the Love of Rock & Roll below.

Fans are expecting great things after the success of 2009′s Sonic Boom – the record they made after spending years insisting they wouldn’t return to the studio.

Gene Simmons says it’s all down to the band’s most recent additions. “Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have revitalised us,” he explains. “They have a work ethic and the talent to back it up.

“There are no symphony orchestras, boy choirs, keyboards, outside producers or songwriters on this album. The best thing we did was to turn inwards to ourselves.”
Monster is released October 8th.

Posted in Interviews

Hardcorebandet Seventribe från Västerås spelar i Göteborg i morgon lördag tillsammans med bland andra Zombiekrig. Bandets trummis Mikael Greeberg är peppad på spelningen.

Seventribe är ett liveband ut i fingerspetsarna.
– Det är det vi gör bäst, vi går in och kör över allt annat. Det är det vi lägger vårt krut på, säger Mikael Greeberg.
Nyligen spelade bandet i Norge
– Vi brukar åka dit en gång per år, det har nästan blivit en tradition. Det är jävligt roligt, det krossar varje gång.

Seventribe har funnits i dryga tretton år, debutplattan kom 2007. Tidigare i år kom en singel och nu smids planer på en fullängdare.
– Tanken är det så småningom, men det är inte hugget i sten än. Vi har inte riktigt bestämt oss hur det ska gå till väga...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Frontiers/BAM

DOKKEN, just taste the band name. Few bands had such a bright future back in the mid-nineties as DOKKE; led by esteemed vocalist Don Dokken, the band of George Lynch, guitar maestro, Jeff Pilson on bass and “Wild” Mick Brown on the drums, were flavor of the month between 1983-1989. But Don and George were not to last as personal differences grew and tension mounted. Don went solo with John Norum while George and Mick formed LYNCH MOB. Misery followed every attempt to reunite the band and the pair still seems to be on fragile terms. Since 2011 the originals apart from Don are working on an album as TOOTH and NAIL, possibly abbreviated TaN, with some other vocalist, possibly Sebastian Bach...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

This is the fourth offering by old school hard rock band THE ORDER. The band has roots in bands like the excellent thrash outfit GURD, as well as JESR, PURE INC. etc. Apparently this lot wants to relive the eighties, who wouldn´t?

Opener “The Power of Love” has a familiar ring to the riff, and is an unashamed homage to the finest of hard rock with a 25 year pedigree. Vocalist Gianni Pontillo knows his Paul Stanley, and don´t hesitate to sound more than a bit alike. “Long Live Rock´n´Roll” is nothing like the RAINBOW tune, but contagious albeit not up to par with the opener. To spoil the fun I must say that there is nothing in here but high octane 80´s hard rock and hair metal that either chases chicks or goes on a rampage...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Escape/Sound Pollution

Behind the moniker OXYGEN stands the quartet of Tony Niva, vocals (ex. ZANITY, ex. SWEDISH EROTICA, NIVA, ex. LION`S SHARE etc.), guitarist Roger Ljunggren, keyboardist and backing vocalist Marcus Persson, plus drummer Bengan Andersson. Tony released his first NIVA effort in Japan in 1994, and he has been pretty much active as a writer or in a band situation ever since. The style is of cause typically Swedish, with a slight American/Canadian early eighties touch.

“Janitor of Love” opens up the proceedings nicely, but the title is a bit lame. The song is quite alright apart from that, and the same goes for the ultra-Swedish “Anything for You”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

Ludwigsburg´s female fronted epic/goth metal merchants VOICES OF DESTINY return with their second outing. One change of personnel later the band is now lead by Maike Holzmann, the others are still founding members Christopher Gutjahr, guitars, and bass player Jens Hartwig, plus keyboard player/growler Lukas Palme and drummer Erik Seitz. A convincing album with more variety and heaviness is the message in the info sheet. Let´s check.

An intro is an intro, but the first track to feature vocals is the keyboard-laden title track. “My Separation” fares little better but the more refrain focused “Dreams Awake” is more in line with what I want from the band...