CD Review: Rich Robinson – Paper, Llama Blues

CD Review: Rich Robinson – Paper
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Rating: B+

CD Review: Rich Robinson – Llama Blues
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Rating: A-

Rich Robinson - Paper reissue 2016
Now that it appears the Black Crowes ' divorce is final, guitarist Rich Robinson can focus all of his attention on reviving a solo career that began in 2002, the year he started recording Paper.

Ultimately released two years later, Paper – the colorful cover art painted by Robinson himself – was an engaging, if occasionally messy, pastiche of different genres, effortlessly blending country, blues, soul, pop and psychedelia in a Southern-fried rock meal rich in diversity, skillful songwriting and tasty, tantalizing guitar licks to savor long after devouring them.

Kept in a New Jersey storage facility, along with his gear, the 2-inch master tapes for Paper were mangled by Hurricane Sandy's wrath, but there was a silver lining. With Robinson initiating a reissue campaign through Eagle Rock Entertainment for all of his solo outings – preparing the way for a new studio album due out this spring – came an opportunity to record new vocals, do some remastering and alter the sequencing for Paper. The results of those efforts, including three previously unreleased tracks from the 2004 sessions, are found on this reconfigured package due to drop Feb. 26, along with 2013's Llama Blues EP. New versions of Through a Crooked Sun and the Woodstock Sessions will see the light of day on April 15.

As for Paper, the warm sound of this expanded reissue is washed clean of impurities, allowing the full instrumentation, pristine vocals and the buffed chrome-plated sparkle of Robinson's electric guitar tone to shine through on the rollicking opener "Know Me," while giving a slightly serrated edge to the sunny, laid-back funk of "Enemy" and its strutting, tougher cousin "Stand Up." Even the Exile On Main Street murk of "Words Of The Chosen," an instrumental carried by gently rolling rhythms, has a certain clarity to it, while the crawl and stomp of "Yesterday I Saw You" and the smoldering distortion of "Places" assume pleasing and clearly defined shapes.

Falling from wistful '60s pop ("Walking By Myself") into a deep country blues hole ("Forgiven Song") as a mournful violin saws away, Paper somehow manages to avoid betraying its "south of Mason-Dixon line" heritage, that down-home twang rarely leaving Robinson's beguiling guitar work. More amorphous and less cohesive are the piano-based "Baby" and "Cause You're With Me," two drifting, worn-out tracks whose lovely parts never seem to coalesce into actual songs. The grand, Southern gothic vibe and undulating rhythms of "Answers," however, are more congruous and structured, making for a wholly realized offering that seems haunted by Townes Van Zandt.

Rich Robinson - Llama Blues
reissue 2016
Llama Blues was originally supposed to pair nicely with Through a Crooked Sun, its traditional blues feel echoing that album's "Fire Around." Limited to 1,000 CDs, Llama Blues became a cult favorite – can it really boast of being so if it's only three years old? – of Robinson's fans and it, too, is back on the market.

Robinson's distorted singing adds grit and honky-tonk attitude to an organic and thoroughly authentic – doing without any kind of slavish imitation – set of four songs that build small shrines to the ghosts of the Mississippi Delta. Wild harmonica blares through the Stones-y stutter of "By the Light of the Sunset Moon," while Robinson deftly massages subtle slide guitar into a stomping "Look Through My Window" and a slow burning, drawn-out "Broken Stick Crown." Stay for "Run Run," a brooding closer with a stripped-down aesthetic that's earthy and hard, but full of integrity.

While Paper is somewhat long and you wish it was the more charismatic Chris Robinson singing on these records rather than his somewhat subdued brother, both albums are well worth revisiting. Though not as immediately rewarding or as transcendent as the best stuff from the Crowes' catalog, their charms stick around for a while and make good company.
– Peter Lindblad

Origins of Ace Frehley

Ex-Kiss guitarist reunites with Paul Stanley on new album, leaks version of Cream's "White Room"
By Peter Lindblad

Ace Frehley - Origins Vol. 1 2016
Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley have KISS'd and made up, or so it seems. Not that there ever was much of a feud, at least according to Frehley.

"We've always been friends," said Frehley, in talking to Rolling Stone magazine about recording with Stanley again, as they did on Frehley's upcoming album of cover songs Origins Vol. 1, slated for an April 15 release. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."

Some, if not all, of the rancor that sullied the band's 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame must have subsided somewhat, as the two joined forces to remake Free's hit "Fire and Water," marking the first time they've collaborated since the KISS 1998 reunion album Psycho Circus. Frehley has announced a release date and track listing for Origins Vol. 1, featuring re-imagined versions of 12 classic songs that influenced the legendary former KISS guitarist. It's the follow-up to 2014's Space Invader, which at the time had been his first album in five years. The record debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, making it the highest charting KISS-related solo project ever, propelling Frehley back to the Top 10, a place he hadn't visited since Psycho Circus.

Today, Rolling Stone magazine debuted Frehley's new version of Cream's "White Room," which can be heard here: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ace-frehley-announces-new-lp-white-room-cover-paul-stanley-reunion-20160210. Faithful to the original, Frehley's take on "White Room" flashes an orgy of wah-wah guitar effects behind strong, clearly articulated vocals and powerful drumming. Capturing the psychedelic whirl of the original, Frehley brings the song out of its late-'60s haze and reintroduces it to a more contemporary audience, enhancing its melodic character.

Stanley is just one of the big-name guests appearing on Origins Vol. 1. Slash and Frehley trade leads on Thin Lizzy's classic "Emerald," while Lita Ford sings and playing lead on The Troggs' staple "Wild Thing," and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 plays guitar alongside Ace as he sings his classic KISS composition "Parasite" for the very first time. The two also give their rendering of Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic," with Frehley finally doing his KISS Alive I mainstay "Cold Gin" with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready also on guitar as Ace as sings. 

"White Room" is also an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the LP on iTunes will receive the Cream cover song instantly. Pre-orders for physical versions can be made here:  http://www.amazon.com/Origins-Vol-1-Ace-Frehley/dp/B01BMS3MS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455188080&sr=8-1&keywords=ace+frehley+origins+vol.+1. Go here for digital versions: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/origins-vol.-1/id1083108066

The track listing for Origins Vol. 1 can be found below:

1. White Room (Cream)
2. Street Fighting Man (Rolling Stones)
3. Spanish Castle Magic (Jimi Hendrix) *John 5
4. Fire and Water (Free) *Paul Stanley
5. Emerald (Thin Lizzy) *Slash
6. Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin)
7. Wild Thing (The Troggs) *Lita Ford
8. Parasite *John 5 (KISS)
9. Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf) 
10. Cold Gin *Mike McCready (KISS)
11. Till The End Of The Day (Kinks)
12. Rock and Roll Hell (KISS)

Ace and crew will be active on the road in 2016. Three weeks worth of tour dates in the U.S. have been announced, including two nights at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. His band features Richie Scarlet (rhythm guitar and vocals), Chris Wyse (The Cult) on bass and vocals, and Scott Coogan (Nikki Sixx's Brides of Destruction) on drums.

Tour dates are below:

2/26 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
2/27 - San Antonio, TX - Fitzgerald's
2/28 - Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory 
3/2 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
3/4 - San Miguel, CA - The Ranch
3/5 - Beverly Hills, CA - Saban Theatre
3/6 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl - Las Vegas
4/1 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
4/2 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre
4/3 - Sunrise, FL - Markham Park - Rockfest 80's
4/5 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
4/7 - Danville, VA - Carrington Pavilion
4/9 - New Hope, PA - Havana New Hope
4/11 - New York, NY - BB King's Blues Club
4/12 - New York, NY - BB King's Blues Club
4/13 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
4/15 - Wilkes Barre, PA - The F.M. Kirby Center
4/16 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance



CD/DVD Review: Onslaught – Live At The Slaughterhouse

CD/DVD Review: Onslaught – Live At The Slaughterhouse
AFM Records
All Access Rating: A

Onslaught - Live At The
Slaughterhouse 2016
Presumably, Onslaught didn't actually perform at places where dead animals are processed into meat. Although a screaming abattoir might provide the horrifically ideal live atmosphere for catching a show from these veteran U.K. thrash-metal savages.

Presenting ample video and audio proof of life, the violent and energetic AFM Records release Live At The Slaughterhouse draws from two highly visceral, staggeringly brilliant gigs in Bristol and London to comprise a package that completely erases the memory of the Neil Turbin debacle of 2014 and smacks of Venom's blackened anger, while siphoning off gallons of Slayer's crazed intensity. Throwing around big, heavy hooks like brawny longshoreman even while thrashing about everywhere as if in the throes of the nastiest demonic possession, Onslaught blows the doors off their hinges here. Vocalist Sy Keeler rages with Satanic fury throughout, singing of "spitting blood in the face of God" as the rest of Onslaught explodes and engages in the predatory tempo shifts of a seething "Killing Peace." Furious charges "Chaos Is King" and "Let There Be Death" set a scorching pace, before the exotic wailing of "Children Of The Sand" signals the thrilling rise of a massive, cinematic epic that comes on like ... well, a surging sand storm gathering strength.

The propulsive, sulfuric boils, venomous tonality and diabolically clever leads emanating from the ferociously feral guitars of Nige Rockett and Leigh Chambers crack the whip on vigorous, blazing sonic rampages "The Sound Of Violence" and "Rest In Pieces," while "66 'Fucking' 6" rides a dark, ominous melody and the creepy music-box intro to "Destroyer Of Worlds" seems to perfectly build hair-raising anticipation for the riot of hell-spawned, warring riffs that awaits. And there's a tinge of regret in Keeler's voice as he ushers in "In Search of Sanity" by disclosing he hasn't sung the song with the band since the late '80s, but after Onslaught relentlessly and fiercely pounds it into smoldering rubble, the wait seems well worth it. There really is no rest for the wicked.
– Peter Lindblad

CD Review: Anvil – Anvil Is Anvil

CD Review: Anvil – Anvil Is Anvil
Steamhammer/SPV
All Access Rating: B+

Anvil - Anvil Is Anvil 2016
Leave it to Anvil to record a wickedly playful, heavy-metal sea shanty about pirate mythology. Heaving to and fro, like a massive, creaking ship tossed about by stormy seas, "Daggers and Rum" – rife with stereotypes as it is – flies the Jolly Roger with a knife between its rotten teeth and a black heart that lusts for treasure.

It would make a fine drinking song if nothing else, and as Anvil always seems fond of history and a good gimmick – who doesn't get a childish chuckle from seeing Steven "Lips" Kudlow play a guitar with a vibrator? – the steady, relentless march of "Daggers and Rum" could be another "15 Men On a Dead Man's Chest" for a new generation. At the very least, it's an unexpectedly theatrical and fun opening to the Steamhammer/SPV release Anvil Is Anvil, a good, satisfying meal of simple, meat-and-potatoes metal from the resilient underdog trio of Kudlow, Robb Reiner and new bassist Chris Robertson.

Hard to believe it's been eight long years since the rockumentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" brought them temporary fame that quickly faded. Anvil Is Anvil does feature moments of inspired performances, creative vitality and focused intensity and drive, as Reiner's impressive drumming again steals the show. Still, despite the high-energy attack of "Up, Down, Sideways," the strong, sure hooks and rugged AC/DC-style riffs of "Ambushed," the thrashing excitement of "Fire on the Highway" and the raw horsepower of "It's Your Move" – a Motorhead-like rave-up that serves as an homage to the late Lemmy Kilmister and his former band – Anvil Is Anvil's flagging, pedestrian midsection and the unwillingness of these shaggy old dogs to learn new tricks make it unlikely legions of new members will flock to join the Metal Pounders' Union.

Nevertheless, Anvil is worth rooting for, the self-deprecating humor of the cover being one reason. Another has to do with their willingness to tackle controversial subjects head on, as they rumble and grind through "Gun Control" like tanks and skewer religious justification for war and hate without mercy on an otherwise flaccid "Die For a Lie." This is Anvil, for better or worse, still as capable of delivering blazing, rip-roaring metal anthems as they are of falling flat on their faces.
– Peter Lindblad                                                      

Absolutely Prong

Alt.-metal frontman talks new album, Glenn Danzig, great crossover LPs and touring
By Peter Lindblad

Prong's Tommy Victor
The road hasn't always been kind to Tommy Victor and Prong. And being in a gritty, uncompromising alternative-metal outfit can be a crushing grind.

Victor has seen it all and lived to tell about it in his 30 barnstorming years as Prong's frontman, having also served on punk and metal's front lines as a sound engineer at the legendary New York City music club CBGBs in the late '80s and played alongside other musical agitators, such as Rob Zombie, Ministry, Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor and Glenn Danzig.

These are better days for the battle-tested Victor, as a re-energized Prong – with Jason Christopher on bass and Art Cruz on drums – gets set to unleash the blistering X – No Absolutes via the SPV/Steamhammer label. In the last four years, Prong, more prolific than ever, has been on fire, releasing a string of critically acclaimed studio albums such as 2012's Carved Into Stone,  2014's Ruining Lives and the punk covers album Songs From The Black Hole in 2015, in addition to the Official Bootleg – Unleashed in the West LP, which gave Victor and company a chance to re-make some the band's classic songs.

X – No Absolutes is as vital and ferocious as any of them, an incendiary record that's remarkably fluid and fast, while refusing to tone down the violence of its heady mix of hardcore, thrash, hard rock and metal, even as more melodic elements seep in. With a massive touring schedule on the horizon, Victor recently discussed the new record, along with a host of other topics, in this candid e-mail interview.  

With Songs From the Black Hole, you covered a pretty diverse set of classic punk and rock songs. Did the making of that album have any impact on the creative process that brought about X – No Absolutes?
Tommy Victor: I didn't notice during but looking back, yes. Especially with the vocals on X- No Absolutes. I had to interpret several different vocalists on Songs From The Black Hole. That may have broadened my eventual approach on the new record. Covering Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer" was motivational for me. That was a vocal challenge for me and Chris Collier and I built a method in making that vocal happen on Songs From The Black Hole and that definitely carried into X – No Absolutes.
 
In what ways do you feel you're getting better as a songwriter, and how do they manifest themselves on the new record?
TV: I think I've become a better collaborator. I'm improving there. And in the area of figuring out the puzzle of arranging songs, I have different methods these days. Steve Evetts helped me on that big time. I like getting together with another writer or two and getting feedback and making adjustments. without killing oneself doing it. We worked at a very fast pace on this record, as with Ruining Lives. I don't like overworking songs anymore. The impact of the lyrics waters down and the riffs dry up!

Prong seems to be enjoying a rebirth in recent years, with Carved Into Stone and Ruining Lives having a real palpable vitality to them – not that past efforts didn't have that as well. Still, do you feel there's something about your most recent work that has a different creative spark or a new urgency to it?
TV: Some of that transfers into the business side of things. This really started when we signed with SPV. They want consistent records and so does management, so I feel like I'm obliged to deliver to the best of my ability. It's weird when you are given a short amount of time to get things done. I think that may create that urgency that you are speaking of. I think it goes in line with this sort of music. We really haven't had time or money to overthink things. I've also gotten real lucky with having Art and Jason, Chris Collier, Steve Evetts and Erie Loch in this mix. They've really saved Prong's ass.

Prong - X - No Absolutes 2016
It seems that X – No Absolutes has more elements of thrash and hardcore than those records, even as some songs sound more melodic than ever. Was there more of a tendency to play up those elements on this record?
TV: Prong is ever attempting to find its formula, as well as keeping an eye on the successful elements of past recordings. I must say this No Absolutes record is the most stealth record I've ever been involved with. We went into this like a well-oiled machine. The old songs are so beaten into us after so much touring. And Chris Collier and I have this amazing working arrangement that has been building since Ruining Lives. So we simply seem to have been given this instinct on what Prong should be in 2016. It's nothing designed on paper. It all comes from the gut these days.

In this environment, when music is viewed as more disposable than ever, do you think "Cut And Dry," which is really intense, has a chance to be thought of in the same way as other Prong classics, such as "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck?" 
TV: I don't know to be honest. Prong was very dialed in on the preparation for Cleansing. And I think we were dialed in even more on this record. It was a whole different time back then. Prong was newer and fresher. On the other hand I think legacy bands can make some waves these days too.

Talk about the production of your most recent records, the ones released since 2012. Do you think they sound better than past efforts? And if so, in what ways has the production improved or been able to capture what the band is all about and how has Chris Collier helped this time around?
TV: I've touched on this in previous answers.I liked Steve Evetts' mix on Carved Into Stone and Ruining Lives. But I wanted a more full-throttle attack on this new one. Chris is a younger dude. He doesn't come from the analogue era, so he really doesn't care about being vintage and I wanted that for this new Prong record. That's why I've been sort of moving him up to the role of producer for Prong starting with his work on tracking Ruining Lives. Then I pulled him into tracking vocals and mixing Songs From The Black Hole. So with two records of experience in all facets of making a records with Prong, I had him co produce, engineer, mix and master X – No Absolutes. As a co-producer, I simply have to make a few key decisions on how to get a record done efficiently and of course within time and budget. Chris took the role most commonly thought of as production. He guided all the tracking and made technical decisions along the way. A lot of that is really under the title of engineering, but Chris also had a lot of input on all the aspects of making the record – from guitar overdubs to guitar positioning, phrasing, solos, and tunings. Drum parts, arrangements and, of course, sounds. He was the ears on the vocal performances as well. He's amazing.He's really a top notch dude.

Prong is Tommy Victor, Art Cruz
and Jason Christopher
"Do Nothing" could almost be described as a ballad, and the intro to "With Dignity" features some lovely piano work. In what ways do you think X – No Absolutes expand the template for Prong?
TV: I wanted some real "songs" on the record and that was the basis for getting those tracks together. Here's where Erie Loch came in. I had worked with Erie on this industrial Primitive Race record and was blown away by his talent. He wrote the basic music for those songs and Chris and I developed the treatment. Art and Jason came in with their parts after that. I guess it is about expansion. But it's really not anything too different than what Prong was trying to do on Rude AwakeningCleansing and even the last five records. I didn't want to completely abandon that aspect of Prong. Not many bands are doing this sort of thing and that therefore sets us apart. I never quite feel comfortable with being just a thrash band or metalcore or whatever. These days my biggest priority is getting those vocal hooks together. And writing current, biting lyrics. The music is really a backdrop for that in a lot of ways. That's sort of what I mean by classic "songwriting." Its just not all about the riff and technical proficiency to me anyhow.

You've been really busy lately, with recording and touring extensively. Has the schedule taken its toll or do you feel revitalized by all this work?
TV: I got real burnt out after the Danzig/Superjoint/Prong tour. I had to get revitalized by doing other things like hiking and really just taking it easy. As usual, one gets bored with the simple life and now I feel like doing shows again. I'll get sick of that and be itching to make a new record. I've been through this cycle so many times. I try not to get scared and try to live in the moment and just appreciate life.

What's the biggest lesson you learned as a sound man at CBGBs back in the '80s?
TV: I don't know if what I learned there applies to today's age. Back then it was important to be involved in the scene. I was right in the middle of it. For many years, I was a club kid. And I played in bands, hung out in clubs and then worked in a club. My whole life was centered down in the art scene of the Lower East Side. If I didn't do that, I wouldn't have had any juice to make the music business a career. Today everything is online. You don't really have to be "out there" making the sacrifices and earning street cred.

While known as a punk club, there were many crossover bands that played there that incorporated thrash, metal and post-punk. Did you have a sense at some point that the club was broadening its horizons? And do you feel that part of the club's history has been sufficiently told?
TV: Not to be an ass but based on your question, it's obvious that the club's history has not been sufficiently told. That place started out as a country,blue grass and blues bar. And it always welcomed music of any style. Yes "punk" bands like Blondie and the Ramones came out of there, but it was always eclectic with its music. Hardcore punk only existed there on Sunday afternoons. Then it would transform back into allowing art-rock bands, noise bands, acoustic artists, pop bands, funk groups – whatever – to come in. If you're talking strictly hardcore matinees, yes they would do thrash there occasionally, but it wasn't popular.

What was the most enjoyable part of your fairly recent tour with Danzig and Superjoint Ritual, and in what ways has Glenn Danzig influenced what you do?
TV: The fact that I got it done was the most rewarding aspect of the tour. It was tough doing double duty. Playing a rushed Prong set, then a long Danzig set was nerve-racking. Then I had to jump in the Prong van and do our own shows or support for Superjoint on Danzig days off. It was definitely the hardest tour I had ever done.

The main attribute of Glenn Danzig that I have appreciated over the years is his dedication to who he is. He's got big balls. He's totally committed to what he does and really doesn't care what others think.

What was the hardest tour Prong ever did, and by the same token, what was the best one?
TV: We've had some brutal tours. I must say, most of the tours we did back in the day were just not fun. There was too much pressure on us all the time and we were easily jealous of other bands. I really don't have that many good memories. I like this lineup. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm less of a little brat these days that I can somehow get along with people better. We've had some great runs recently. The last Songs From The Black Hole tour in Europe was stellar.

Has your approach to making records or the process of doing so changed at all over the years?
TV: Again I've touched on that. I really didn't have a clue what was going on years ago, and I still don't really. I just think I'm a little more trusting these days. All music is a gift. The songs or ideas that you think you come up with aren't really yours, they come from The Universe. I trust in these gifts and just make them happen now. I can't afford to question every little thing I do anymore. I just roll with a lot of things

What are you most proud of with regard to your career? 
TV: Not to act like some guru or something, but I try to avoid pride like the plague. It's too dangerous for a person like me. I'll start believing bullshit about myself and start treating people badly. Everything I have has been given to me, especially when it comes to Prong. Based on my attitude, this should have been dead in the dirt a long time ago. So actually the best moment for me in my career is right now, doing this interview with you. Everything else is bullshit. Who cares? The past is the past, it doesn't exist anymore.

What would you say are your five favorite crossover albums and why?
TV: I like early ones like Corrosion Of Conformity's Animosity. That was groundbreaking and it had all that great Sabbath overtones. Suicidal Tendencies' Join The Army. Its just so damn noisy and violent. Agnostic Front's Cause For Alarm has some great NYHC with thrash. Leeway's Born to Expire has classic crunch picking,with the CroMags style approach. Sheer Terror Just Can't Hate Enough because it's dark and dangerous.

There's that question they give in job interviews about, "Where do you think you'll be in five years?" Do you have a sense yet of what you'd like to do with Prong in that time?
TV: I'm not on a job interview! Maybe I will be in five years!

Short Cuts: Primal Fear, Megadeth, Pagan's Mind

CD Review: Megadeth – Dystopia
T-Boy Records/UMe
All Access Rating: A

Megadeth - Dystopia 2016
Incendiary socio-political commentary comes with the territory with thrash-metal titans Megadeth. So do gnarly, complex guitar riffs and leads that defy the onset of arthritis, explosive displays of technical instrumental brilliance and a pervasive sense of impending menace, as well as the occasional lineup change. Newcomers Kiko Loureiro (guitars) and Chris Adler, still the drummer for Lamb Of God, hopped aboard after the departures of Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover, and the jaw-dropping results of this personnel reshuffling can be found on the breathtaking Dystopia, a buzzing hive of insanely ambitious and meticulously orchestrated, yet absolutely furious, activity that reminds us why Megadeth still matters ... a lot, especially to guitar aficionados. Aside from the dizzying array of squealing, careening solos found all over this record and the frenzied overlapping guitars that close the title track's wild ride, there are tastefully executed classical acoustic intros that begin the otherwise seething and hard-hitting "Look Who's Talking" and "Conquer Or Die." Tight hooks crop up in "The Emperor" and the fast, punk-infused "Foreign Policy" opens up the throttle. The heavy thrum, thundering drive and darting movements of "The Threat Is Real" make it an instant Megadeth classic, while the ominous and dense "Poisonous Shadows" is beautifully wrapped in melancholic strings, before bleeding out with a delicate and darkly stylish piano outro. This is elevated thrash, capable of precise, surgical guitar strikes executed with such fluency that they feel almost futuristic, yet Megadeth still possesses a mean streak a mile wide, as the punishing malevolence of "Post American World" and "Lying In State" so brutally declares. Dystopia charts a course for thrash-metal's brave new world.

CD Review: Primal Fear – Rulebreaker
Frontiers Music srl
All Access Rating: A-

Primal Fear - Rulebreaker 2016
That old saw about life being all about balance has a lot of truth to it. Primal Fear likes to apply that same philosophy in making records, as their sonic rampages often grow into snarling beasts soon soothed by stretches of melodic wonder and magic. Such is the tradeoff on the well-produced Rulebreaker, album No. 11 and the dynamic, crushing follow-up to 2014's Delivering The Black. Offering a little bit of everything, as some hard-charging, high-voltage thrash ("Angels Of Mercy") gets mixed in with hammering bursts of power-metal glory, a grand, orchestral prog epic ("We Walk Without Fear") and more traditional metal grit (see the NWOBHM throwback that is the title track), Rulebreaker finds the German metal machine – led by ex-Gamma Ray singer Ralf Scheppers and bassist/vocalist Mat Sinner – administering a good, satisfyingly heavy bashing a rugged "The End Is Near," with its full-bodied, sneering vocals, and getting downright nasty on "Bullets & Tears," both songs flexing thick, muscular grooves. And when an opportunity arises for Primal Fear to hit the accelerator, they floor it on the slamming anthem "In Metal We Trust," long before the ascending magnificence of power ballad "The Sky Is Burning" is realized with a jaw-dropping chorus. Rulebreaker is classic Primal Fear, sometimes a bit too straightforward, but also full of vitality and blazing energy.

2 CD/DVD Review: Pagan's Mind – Full Circle: Live At Center Stage
Steamhammer/SPV
All Access Rating: A-


Pagan's Mind - Full Circle:
Live at Center Stage 2015
Pagan's Mind has become a fixture at the ProgPower USA festival, the 2003 edition of the event serving as the band's coming-out party. On Sept. 11, 2014, the progressive-metal powerhouse made history there, performing its sophomore album Celestial Entrance in its entirety, along with an additional set of what they call "True Norwegian Hard-Hitting In-Your-Face Space Metal" centered around the sweeping, epic instrumental "Full Circle" – its watery passages and wide-ranging emotions making for a gripping listen. All of it is included in a new live release, out in various formats, including a spectacular 2 CD/DVD set. Intricate metallic riffing abounds, as Pagan's Mind comes off as a Scandinavian version of Dream Theater on the crunching, yet gracefully melodic, "Entrance Stargate," " ... Of Epic Questions" and "Dimensions of Fire," with dramatic keyboards swirling about or taking on a vaporous quality. The gorgeous piano waterfall of "Back to the Magic of Childhood I: Conception" gives way to a maze of riffs and tempo changes in its companion piece "Back to the Magic of Childhood II: Exploring Life," and the stirring gallop of "Dreamscape Lucidity" rouses the masses, later sent into paroxysms of delight at the lightning-fast soloing and grumbling riffs of "Eyes Of Fire." Meanwhile, the dramatic surges and quicksilver tempo changes of "Intermission" are carried out with aplomb, and "Live Your Life Like a Dream" rides a lovely current of melody. With a theatrical singer that, at times, emotes like Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, Pagan's Mind offers enchantment and wonderfully expansive journeys, even if they occasionally take all-too-similar paths. Still, this Pagan's Mind release would be a terrible thing to waste.
– Peter Lindblad


Last In Line honor Jimmy Bain with video releases

Dio tribute band deals with the death of legendary bassist
By Peter Lindblad

The artwork for Last In Line's
upcoming release 'Heavy Crown'
What an extraordinary musical resume Jimmy Bain built over his 68 years on this earth, not only as bassist for Dio and Rainbow during their glory days but also as a co-writer for some of Dio's most memorable songs.

He was going to add to his enviable legacy with the Dio tribute band Last In Line, but his death over the weekend brought everything to a screeching halt, leading surviving members to push for the early release of a pair of videos for songs from the project's upcoming debut album Heavy Crown.

That seems fitting, as Bain was evidently chomping at the bit for the world to hear what Last In Line was about to unveil.

In a statement on social media recently Bain's Dio and Last In Line bandmate guitarist Vivian Campbell wrote, "Jimmy was immensely proud of our new album and his input to it was immeasurable. We will continue to celebrate his life through music." Campbell added that he was indebted to Bain, who gave him his first big break in the music industry.

Formed in 2012 to pay homage to the work of late singer Ronnie James Dio, Last In Line gathered together Bain, Campbell and drummer Vinny Appice – all of whom played on the Dio album of the same name. Going out and playing vintage Dio material and keeping the spirit of their old friend alive was the mission, but then the threesome began writing their own stuff. They later brought in singer Andrew Freeman to round out the group. Last In Line was performing on Def Leppard's "Hysteria On The High Seas" cruise when Bain passed away. Saddened by his loss, the remaining members have issued a new lyric video for "Blame It On Me" and a proper music video for "Starmaker," with their debut LP Heavy Crown slated for a Feb. 19 release on Frontiers Music SRL.

Both songs are slow burners, with "Blame It On Me" taking shape as a methodical, steady march with gradually developing hooks that wrap listeners in a sleeper hold. Heavy beats drop like cinder blocks from the sky, as Bain stomps and smolders, Freeman's vocals sound positively sinful and Campbell's riffs hit like a punch to the solar plexus, before a melodic passage hints at redemption. In the lyric video for the track, a nicely arranged slide show of images of Last In Line members seems haunting given the circumstances, dredging up nostalgic emotions and wistful remembrances. The confessional tone of the lyrics only adds to the sense of melancholy.

The lyric video for "Blame It One Me" can be seen below:



In similar fashion, "Starmaker" stalks like a predator, as Bain's seductive groove locks in with Appice's weighty thud, Freeman emits a soulful and bluesy wail and Campbell's guitar attack is tough, menacing and sharp. It's as if Altar Bridge had taken to channeling Dio-era Black Sabbath. There's just enough modern pop-metal sheen to shine a light in what is, otherwise, a trip to the dark side of fame. A straight performance video, filmed with good definition and drained of color, the imagery captures the gritty personality and cohesiveness of a quartet that was just beginning to realize its potential. See the video for "Starmaker" below:



As for Bain's legacy, his contributions to rock, though mighty, came mostly in a supporting role, rather than a lead. Still, he left his mark, despite issues with substance abuse. It's not just that he served as bassist for both Rainbow – enlisted by Ritchie Blackmore for the second version of the band that made Rising –and Dio, though that would be enough to qualify him for metal and hard rock sainthood for some. He was integral to the success of both iconic groups, serving as their steely, but flexible, backbone.

There was also a short three-year stint with Wild Horses, the group that boasted ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson and produced two albums over that span. Robertson then went on to join Motorhead, while the versatile Bain lent his talents to recordings by Roy Harper, Gary Moore and Kate Bush and later worked with close friend Phil Lynott on his two solo LPs. Oh, and Bain also played keyboards, and in a bit of '80s Cold War rock 'n' roll intrigue, as the story goes, he was secretly recruited by German metal legends The Scorpions to play bass on their smash hit album, Love At First Sting.

With Dio, Bain co-wrote legendary songs "Rainbow in the Dark" and "Holy Diver," and helped pen other tracks for Dio records The Last in Line, Sacred Heart, Intermission, Dream Evil and Killing The Dragon. World War III arrived, pairing Bain with vocalist Mandy Lion, but that project was cut short, and Bain returned to Dio for the making of 2000's Magica.

More recently, however, Bain became involved in Last In Line, and that apparently was a labor of love for an artist who'd battled demons and still made an impact on the lives of his bandmates and fans.

David Bowie and me

Five occasions when the 'Thin White Duke' left me gobsmacked
By Peter Lindblad

David Bowie - The Rise And Fall of Ziggy
Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
A rare shopping trip at Kmart used to be a big deal to a wide-eyed innocent living in the relatively isolated environs of northwest Wisconsin in the 1970s and '80s.

It was an opportunity to rifle through a bargain bin of cassette tapes to strike gold at the low, low price of three for $10, and on one particular day, there was one nugget that shined above all the rest. How David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars ended up there I'll never know, but it was the deal of the century, at least to me. To an awkward teen struggling to fit in socially at a school that still seemed foreign, even though I'd been attending it for five years after moving from another state, finding it was a spiritual and musical awakening. Although at the time, the fact that it had "Suffragette City" on it was enough to warrant its purchase.

Hearing a preening Bowie at his bitchiest exclaim, "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am" was pretty suggestive stuff for a sheltered preacher's kid looking for a little excitement and finding loads of it in the glam rock glitter bomb that was, perhaps, the late musician's finest hour. It was a song that begged to be played over and over, at the expense of every other cut on the album, and every listen was a shocking encounter and a teasing invitation to explore worlds way beyond my understanding. It wouldn't be the last time Bowie, whose death the world is still grieving, did something that shook me to my core. There are at least four others that stand out:

Meeting Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: Others might point to the "Berlin Trilogy" of Low, Heroes and Lodger as more innovative and groundbreaking, and the '80s commercial success of the stylish Let's Dance sparks warm memories, but The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars brought about, in me, a revolution.

It was the gateway drug to punk and new wave for an altogether unfashionable, shy, clumsy and risk-averse small-town boy scared, but also excited, by what that album represented. Not that I was at all aware of any of it at such a tender age (being around 14 at the time), but the sexual ambiguity, the gender-bending, the depressed rock star undergoing an existential crisis and the idea of a "Starman" wanting to come and meet us, " ... but he thinks he'd blow our minds" actually did blow my mind. It was all too much for someone weaned on '70s progressive rock and Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and The Scorpions, and other tamer arena-rock acts.

Others obviously had a different experience, but it wasn't easy to fall for an album that challenged cultural norms so aggressively. It was audacious, arty and raw, with an androgynous, glam-rock swagger on the completely exhilarating "Suffragette City," which was raucous and fun. But, there was hard-bitten desperation and anxiety in the air of "Hang On to Yourself." A mental breakdown was coming in "Ziggy Stardust," and despair permeated "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide."

Nevertheless, the swooning beauty of "Moonage Daydream" and sweeping majesty of "Starman" – along with the the intoxicating resignation of "Five Years" – gradually eased the tension of the rest of the recording, and over time came acceptance, which grew into an undying romance with its overarching concepts, its incisive social commentary, its broad imagination and its wild, timeless vitality. I'm still madly in love with it.

Ashes to Ashes ... Major Tom's a junkie?!: Wading through hours of bad TV just to get to late-night music shows was a weekly ritual. "Friday Night Videos," anyone? The MTV generation had it so goddamn easy. Every so often, however, there was a reward for such perseverance. Bowie's video for "Ashes to Ashes" made the tough slog worth it. When it at first it popped up, it seemed disturbing, and surreal, but still utterly captivating. It was a continuation of the Major Tom story, and things had taken a very dark turn indeed for the intrepid astronaut. (Check out the behind-the-scenes making of the video below)


As skies blacken, Bowie, dressed as a French clown, walks along a deserted beach talking with an old woman. Joined by worshipers in orthodox religious garb, he leads a funereal procession ahead of a bulldozer and the scene is awash in solarised colors. Elsewhere, he's imprisoned in a padded room and plugged into a spaceship.

In a matter of minutes, the stunning visual feast had taught us all more about symbolism than four years of college-level literature and poetry classes. Innovative and artistically daring, the "Ashes To Ashes" video was breathtaking, a strange, melancholy dream world constructed by otherworldly creatures obsessed with themes of mortality and alienation. Or, maybe it was just being weird for the sake of being weird. Whatever the case, it left an impression and haunted my dreams for years.  

Glass Spiders: 1987 saw Bowie and his poofed-up pompadour attempting to pull off one of the biggest, most theatrical tours ever conceived, "The Glass Spider Tour." Initially, critics were not kind in their assessment, calling it pretentious and overblown. And it probably was. The costs associated with it were exorbitant. There were dancers, a dazzling array of colored lights, projected visuals and stage props, and the whole set-up was designed to look like a enormous spider.

Thanks to a high school and college friend, who was quick to buy us tickets, I was able to see one of the shows at Milwaukee's Marcus Amphitheater. It was the only time I ever saw Bowie, and it was an amazing, jaw-dropping spectacle. Completely over-the-top, the staging was ridiculous, and yet, it was also utterly brilliant. You couldn't take your eyes off it. Rarely have the worlds of theater and music collided in such an ambitiously artistic tour de force. It was a blazing supernova, accompanied by a great setlist. And it also revived the career of Peter Frampton, while confronting conventional notions of what a rock 'n' roll concert was supposed to be and spitting right in their tight, puckered faces.

"Saturday Night Live" – Dec. 15, 1979: Out in America's Heartland, nobody knew who Klaus Nomi was. David Bowie's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" on this particular date changed all that. A cabaret performer with an incredible, operatic voice, Nomi's legend was growing in New York City's underground, when Bowie plucked him from obscurity for a fiercely avant-garde coming-out party on national television that nobody expected.



With startling facial features, makeup and vivid costumes, Nomi and fellow New York performance artist Joey Arias were visually arresting backing up Bowie, who performed three songs. After a stirring rendition of "The Man Who Sold The World," Bowie dressed up in a skirt and heels for a "TVC 15" off Station To Station and when they closed with Lodger's "When You're A Boy," Bowie had morphed into a living marionette, with oversized arms that moved. Crackling with electricity, this outing was shock therapy, a carefully orchestrated attempt to cause the anesthetized masses some discomfort and make them squirm in their easy chairs. Mission accomplished.

The End: Blackstar came out two days before Bowie's death, a parting gift from one of the most influential and daring artists of this, or any, generation. It became Bowie's first No. 1 album, debuting at the top spot on the Billboard 200.

The video that accompanied "Lazarus," with a blinded Bowie levitating off what appears to be a hospital bed in an antiseptic, sparsely furnished room, is soothing and disquieting at the same time. The last time a video this affecting came along, Johnny Cash was reinterpreting Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" with stark instrumentation and confessing to sins and mistakes with trembling sincerity, all in the hope that redemption and salvation lay ahead in the next life. Like Cash, Bowie seems to be looking for closure as he clings to life, and he does it in such an elegant, understated manner that you can't help but wish him well on his journey into the afterlife and wave goodbye (the video's director talks about Bowie's last hurrah below).




Short Cuts: Prong, Drowning Pool, Conan, Celtic Frost

CD Review: Drowning Pool – Hellelujah
eOne Music
All Access Rating: B+

Drowning Pool - Hellelujah 2016
The accursed nu metal ship known as Drowning Pool hasn't completely run aground yet. Since the 2001 death of singer Dave Williams – his passing coming at the very height of their popularity – they've shuffled through singers and defended misinterpretations of their smash hit "Bodies" in the wake of the 2011 Arizona shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Dealing with the fallout of reports that bassist Steve Benton said he was honored that the U.S. Military was using the band's music during enhanced interrogations of Guantanamo Bay prisoners only made their public relations nightmare worse. So, forgive Drowning Pool for wanting to vent a little on their newest album, Hellelujah, as flame-throwing vocalist Jason Moreno settles in as the band's frontman after debuting in 2012 with a fistful of singles and, later, the 2013 album Resilience. Teeming with aggression and rousing, confrontational anthems packed to the gills with surefire hooks and call-and-response shouting, Hellelujah could spark a most pit in a convent, as "Push," "Goddamn Vultures" and "Stomping Ground" throw their heavy weight around with brawling, vicious grooves and slamming riffs. "Sympathy Depleted" finds the Texans bouncing off the walls in a violent waltz and "My Own Way" locks in with tight, Helmet-like precision, but it's the nasty, mean guitars and infectious, seething energy of "We Are The Devil," as well as the melodic, acoustic tangle of "Another Name" – a fully realized, affecting post-grunge ballad – that would make anyone shout Hellelujah to those within earshot, even if Drowning Pool's sound hasn't really progressed much over the years.

CD Review: Prong – X – No Absolutes
Steamhammer/SPV
All Access Rating: A
Prong - X - No Absolutes 2016

About as prolific as anybody these days, Prong has been on fire since returning from a brief hiatus with 2012's Carved Into Stone, releasing two more blistering albums of originals, plus a covers LP of punk and rock classics, since then. The band's latest fiery epistle of punk-metal fury is X – No Absolutes, and with intense thrashings such as "Ultimate Authority," "Sense of Ease" and "Cut And Dry," Prong gnashes its teeth with more grit, substance and raw energy than practically all of their peers combined. Immaculately produced to harness their power, ensure the hooks are tight and gripping and enhance the melodic character of these songs, X – No Absolutes is also a fairly diverse listen, at least for Prong, with "Do Nothing" coming off as a sort of an alternative-rock power ballad lifted by a fountain of guitars. "Belief System" is heavier and it buzzes with electricity, while the swarming, meaty riffs of "Soul Sickness" and the frenzied speed of "In Spite of Hindrances" remind everyone that Prong's punk-rock heart is still beating strong. Their hard-hitting socio-political commentary hasn't softened either, nor has Victor's sharp guitar work lost its edge.

CD Review: Various Artists – Morbid Tales: A Tribute To Celtic Frost
Corpse Flower Records
All Access Rating: A-


Various Artists - Morbid Tales:
A Tribute To Celtic Frost 2015
What started off as an homage to blackened extreme-metal legends Celtic Frost by Corpse Flower Records in the form of an illustrated comic would eventually expand to include a tribute album that shows a healthy respect for the source material by not treating it with kid gloves. Some of underground-metal's most malevolent hordes are gathered here, and they set out to befoul the already dark, gothic brutality of Celtic Frost with their sonic malignancy. Spreading like some horrible affliction mercilessly attacking a vulnerable immune system and leaving its victim almost lifeless, Persekutor's "Procreation Of The Wicked" methodically breaks down the original with diseased vocals and trudging riffs, while Acid Witch's enormous version of "Cherry Orchards" is carried off by monstrous, plodding guitars and dies in a thermonuclear meltdown. Municipal Waste downshifts efficiently from ferociously fast punk to mean, mid-tempo metallic riffing in bringing "Nocturnal Fear" back to life, before Hayward (featuring Scott Kelly and Jason Roeder of Neurosis) envelopes "Jewel Throne" in harsh, almost incomprehensible noise. Philip Anselmo appears with Child Bite to lay waste to "The Usurper" in a swamp of sludge that morphs into a riot of punk energy, and Temple Of Void ride roughshod over "Os Absmi Vel Daath" with vim and vigor, a sky-scraping guitar solo and dirty cymbals splashing filth. Celtic Frost deserves all of this and more.

CD Review: Conan – Revengeance
Napalm Records
All Access Rating: B

Conan - Revengeance 2016
The churning follow-up to 2014's Blood Eagle, Conan's Revengeance is made of gradually evolving, ponderous doom metal that practically drags its large knuckles on the ground as it walks. With its hulking mass, "Thunderhoof" plods along grimly with down-tuned heaviness, its distant vocals crying out in the gloaming and then turning guttural as its grey clouds darken, becoming more dense and brooding. Somehow moving even more slowly, as if that's possible, "Wrath Gauntlet" is a crusty wrecking ball of giant riffs that would be a total bore, were it not for its brutally psychedelic crescendo. This is where Revengeance takes a turn for the better, as the feedback-scratched title track and its successor "Every Man Is An Enemy" pick up the pace, with fuzzy coatings blanketing pounding, chaotic energy, while closer "Earthenguard" becomes a hypnotic, mind-bending experience that implodes at the end in glorious fashion. The Beatles came from Liverpool, and so does Conan, who seem intent on bulldozing everything in their way into the ground. However, the power trio could learn a thing or two about melody and song structure from their hometown's favorite sons.
– Peter Lindblad

DVD Review: Ritchie Blackmore – The Ritchie Blackmore Story

DVD Review: Ritchie Blackmore – The Ritchie Blackmore Story
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Rating: A-

Ritchie Blackmore - The
Ritchie Blackmore Story 2016
Enigmatic, demanding, quick to anger and evidently fond of pulling off elaborate pranks, the iconic Ritchie Blackmore has always jealously guarded his privacy. Though rather stodgy and a little dry, a revealing new documentary titled "The Ritchie Blackmore Story" finds the dark lord of rock guitar sorcery in a more open and talkative mood than usual.

Offering as much access to Blackmore's inner-most thoughts and memories as anyone ever thought possible, the film relates Blackmore's story in a dry, straight-forward fashion, going chronologically from birth through his time with pop act The Outlaws, his early session work in the '60s and then exploring in more detail the triumphant highs and disappointing lows of his glory days with Deep Purple and Rainbow. And with his wife Candice Night by his side, Blackmore recounts how his passion for traditional Renaissance music evolved, leading to the formation of the project that has consumed both of them in recent years, Blackmore's Night.

Professionally pieced together, "The Ritchie Blackmore Story" takes us inside the making of such landmark records as Deep Purple In RockMachine Head and Burn from Blackmore's point of view, and with frankness and soul-baring honesty, he talks of the lineup changes in Deep Purple and why he left the band on multiple occasions. Discussions with Glenn Hughes, Roger Glover and David Coverdale flesh out what happened behind the scenes, adding more meat on the bone.

What emerges from the video biography from Eagle Rock Entertainment is a revealing and in-depth portrait of a restlessly creative, if curmudgeonly and downright prickly but occasionally funny, artist who's authored a slew of original and memorable guitar riffs and rained down torrents of lightning-fast, yet tasteful and classically inspired, soloing like an angry god. Tributes and insightful commentary on Blackmore's brilliance come pouring out of admirers such as Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Queen's Brian May, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Joe Satriani, Gene Simmons of KISS and Toto's Steve Lukather – to name a few – and their observations are sincere and thoughtful, with some making him out to be a caucasian Jimi Hendrix. And there's 40 minutes of additional interview material tacked on to the DVD, packaged with informative and well-written liner notes and great vintage photos.

The best stuff, though, comes straight from Blackmore's mouth. In a series of casual interviews over beers, Blackmore pulls no punches, talking candidly about his temper, his belief in ghosts and dalliances with the supernatural, and his stormy relationship with Ian Gillan – including recollections of a restaurant fight that ended with him throwing a plate of pasta into the singer's face after Gillan had doused it in ketchup, as bandmates cringed.

In the end, however, what matters most is the music, and an abundance of sensational vintage live footage from various periods in his career speaks to his wild, unpredictable showmanship, boundless creativity and incredible talent. Segments of performances of such classic material as "Highway Star," "Smoke on the Water," "Black Night," "Mistreated" and "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll," among other favorites, are strewn throughout the film, and much is made of Blackmore's explosive meltdown at the infamous 1974 California Jam event. All of it is tightly edited so that the movie doesn't come off as some hastily thrown together patchwork. Ever the perfectionist, Blackmore would undoubtedly be livid if it had.

As it is, its contents comprise an essential dossier of Blackmore's life and career to anyone with even a passing interest in him, his bands and rock history in general.
– Peter Lindblad

Another @#$&! 2015 Top 10 rock albums list: Part 2

The best five metal and hard-rock records of the year
By Peter Lindblad

Sevendust brought forth 'Kill The Flaw'
in 2015
While death and the mortality of rock legends have dominated headlines in recent weeks, stories of musical resurrection and redemption made 2015 a year of renewal and inspiring artistry, with a number of fantastic records seeing the light of day. Such tales were sorely needed.

Most notably, Sol Invictus marked the glorious return of Faith No More, proving that even after lying dormant for 11 years, the intensely creative spark within them still burned as bright as ever.

And then there was Baroness, still reeling from a horrible tour bus accident that caused the departure of half the band and forced John Baizely to go through excruciating rehabilitation. In spite of their troubles, Baroness marched on, releasing in December one of the year's most life-affirming records with Purple. For consistency and continued brilliance, there's Clutch, whose album Psychic Warfare provided more evidence of their greatness, and Motor Sister's Ride showed that all Mother Superior's Jim Wilson needed was a little help from friends like Anthrax's Scott Ian, his wife Pearl and Joey Vera, of Fates Warning and Armored Saint, to churn out great '70s-inspired rock 'n' roll.

Ross the Boss and Death Dealer screamed, "Death to false metal" with their rugged, all-encompassing brand of power metal on Hallowed Ground. Lucifer conjured up beautifully evil sonic witchcraft. Fear Factory crafted another epic sci-fi concept record with Genexus. Rivers Of Nihil conceived a nightmarish dystopian scenario in Monarchy, and TesseracT somehow performed some kind of weird alchemy to convert complex prog-metal into something melodic and tuneful on Polaris. In the end, however, none of those records made the final cut, failing to beat out others like Sevendust's dense and darkly soulful Kill The Flaw. Here's a look at our top five albums in metal and hard rock for this past year:

Baroness - Purple
5. Baroness – Purple: Arriving late to the party, Purple was an emotional volcano, erupting and overflowing with anguish, confusion, joy and a determination to not let the harsh reality of their circumstances derail the mighty Baroness. A binge-and-purge record that celebrates and appreciates life and all its confounding highs and lows, Purple made a statement, a declaration of independence from what happened in the past with arms spread wide to embrace the future. Its rough-textured riffs seemingly chiseled out of granite, Purple is not smooth or stylish, but it is powerful, exciting, heavy and raw, with full-bodied choruses of voices bloodied and beaten, but unbowed. It slams into ears like a giant runaway freight train. The feel-good story of the year.

Sevendust - Kill The Flaw
4. Sevendust – Kill The Flaw: Luxurious melodies pulled along by strong, thick currents of heavy guitar riffs combine to make Kill The Flaw nearly flawless, as do the rich, full-bodied vocals of Lajon Witherspoon and Morgan Rose's accomplished drumming. Never once have they lost that sense of who they are, and yet Kill The Flaw finds Sevendust still growing and maturing as artists, expanding their signature sound without compromising their integrity. Commercially speaking, the '90s were nirvana for Sevendust, but in the here and now, they're as polished and potent as they've ever been.

Clutch - Psychic Warfare
3. Clutch – Psychic Warfare: Earth Rocker was a tight, efficient machine running on organic grooves, grabbing hooks and killer riffs. On Psychic Warfare, all those elements can still be found, along with Neil Fallon's oddball humor and infectious storytelling, his forceful, rousing delivery begging for a rapt audience of miscreants. What also emerges is a tougher, more tumultuous sound that doesn't mind digging around in the muddy blues of ZZ Top. There is plenty of dirt on Clutch's boots and flannel shirts here, but when the time comes to regale us with noir-like tales from the trailer court, mystery and menace lurks in the shadows.

Motor Sister - Ride
2. Motor Sister – Ride: Explosive proto-punk mingles with rugged, rough-and-tumble '70s American hard rock and shaggy, blues-infused soul on Ride, the earthy, tuneful album that shined a light on '90s underdogs Mother Superior and its talented leader Jim Wilson. The genuine article in a period of pop insincerity, artificiality and insipidness, Ride is hungry for riffs and has real blood running through its arteries of compelling, gripping melody. It has swagger, energy and sex appeal – everything good, meat-and-potatoes rock 'n' roll music should have, although Motor Sister manages to elevate it to something more inspired and pure. It is altogether human, and it knows what it likes, and you want to hang out with it for hours on end in a dimly lit tavern before taking it someplace more exciting and dangerous, because it's not a stick in the mud and it wants a little adventure before the night ends. This Ride should never end.

1. Faith No More – Sol Invictus: Sol Invictus really is the album of the year, unlike the 1997 Faith No More LP that sarcastically proclaimed itself to be just that and failed to deliver on such promises. Furiously propulsive, deeply soulful, and incredibly diverse and playful, Sol Invictus isn't Angel Dust and it isn't The Real Thing, but it's something in between – a uniquely eclectic entry in the Faith No More catalog that remains interesting and intoxicating right up until its last breath. The sonic architecture of Sol Invictus is designed to amaze, and it leaves lasting memories of melodic grandeur, schizophrenic vocal treatments, swirling keyboards, rhythms constantly pushing and pulling back, and guitar riff conflagrations. Translated from Latin, the title of the album supposedly means "Unconquered Sun." That's as apt a description of this record as any ever written.


Metal Church reveals new LP track listing, cover art

Veteran hard-rockers reunite with former singer
By Peter Lindblad

Metal Church will release its new
album 'XI' in March (Photo by
Mike Savoia)
Welcome back, Mike Howe. We missed you in church ... Metal Church that is.

Like the prodigal son, Howe has returned as lead vocalist for the Northwest metal and hard-rock heavyweights, and the track listing and cover art for Metal Church's latest album XI has been just been released.

Due out March 25 on Rat Pak Records, XI is the band's 11th studio album and is available for pre-order in various bundles via http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/metal-church. A limited number of the Deluxe International Version, which features a bonus disc of eight extra songs, can be had through the website.

Choose a bundle, however, and guitar picks, stickers, a special edition behind-the-scenes photo book, t-shirts and even a limited number of personal phone calls from Howe himself are among the many treasures packaged with what has to be one of metal's most highly anticipated albums of 2016.

Metal Church - XI 2016
XI is also available for pre-order on Amazon, Google Play and via iTunes at http://smarturl.it/MCXliTunes. Those ordering the digital version will receive an instant download of "Killing Your Time" from the new record, produced by guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof and co-produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier.

Howe-era Metal Church made its mark on metal through strong songwriting, and "Needle and Suture" and "Soul Eating Machine" from XI are said to be reminiscent of that period. "Signal Path" and "Sky Falls In" exceed the 7-minute mark in length, giving Metal Church a chance to stretch out and flex its musical muscles.

Already, the band has released its first video from the album, as Metal Church roars through the rampaging debut single "No Tomorrow" inside the Satsop Nuclear Facility, an abandoned nuclear power plant in Elma, Wash. It was directed by Jamie Chamberlin of Black Dahlia Films and features a unique visual that ties in to the location. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ary17dRnC3o&feature=youtu.be. There's also a behind-the-scenes video on the making of that little film and it can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr0bHRjfhmU&feature=youtu.be

Below is the track listing for XI:

1. Reset
2. Killing Your Time
3. No Tomorrow
4. Signal Path
5. Sky Falls In
6. Needle & Suture
7. Shadow
8. Blow Your Mind
9. Soul Eating Machine
10. It Waits
11. Suffer Fools

For more information on Metal Church, visit http://metalchurchofficial.com. Check out their Facebook page at https//:www.facebook.com/OfficialMetalChurch and go visit them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/metalchurchis1.