Heart Of Storm merges dance and rock

Supergroup convenes to back Russian ballet

Heart Of Storm is a live mix of
rock music and Russian Ballet.

Take the glitzy bravado and loud bluster of a rock concert, pair it with the athletic beauty of Russian ballet and it all adds up to Heart Of Storm.

A unique artistic and cultural experience, Heart Of Storm will make its premiere in Los Angeles on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, at the Orpheum Theatre.

As for the all-star band that will be accompanying the dancers live, it'll feature many familiar names, including keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), drummer Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr, Electric Light Orchestra), guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio) bassist Tony Franklin (The Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers), Brent Woods (Warrant, Sebastian Bach), and saxphonist Brandon Fields (Tower Of Power, George Benson).

They teamed up with talented young Russian-Korean choreographer Stas Tsoy to tell the tale of a young major named Storm as he travels the labyrinthian depths of life, death and love with stunning visuals and powerful, and oftentimes symphonic, music. The dancing talent spans the Bolshoi Theatre, Swan Lake and the Nutcracker. Visit www.redrockballet.com for more information. To get tickets to the show, go to tickets@redrockballet.com.

Sherinian, Bissonette, Aldrich and Franklin took time out to talk about the project in this interview:

When did the whole idea for Heart Of Storm evolve from? What sparked it for you?
Derek Sherinian: The creator Alex Semenov approached me in late 2013 to produce and play on a rock instrumental record. Alex decided to have choreographed ballet performing live along witha rock band, he found Stas Tsoy, a talent Russian-Korean choreographer, and this sounded like an exciting, unique opportunity to me.

What was your vision for this artistically? What message do you guys want to get across? What should people walk away with?
Doug Aldrich: Artistically, I thought this was a cool fusion of arts, and I wanted an opportunity to push myself in some new directions after Whitesnake. This was really something interesting and obviously with a great bunch of friends that also happen to be at the top level as musicians. I hope to have people walk away feeling happy to see and hear something fresh that is a new idea.

Derek Sherinian: Heart Of Storm is Alex Semenov's vision. My job is to help him see his vision through on the musical end.

Tony Franklin: Heart Of Storm is part rock show, part Russian ballet – with a killer band, featuring top-name rock musicians – and world-class Russian ballet. "Storm" is the main character, and the storyline follows his tumultuous journey of love, anger, jealousy and death. But this is not just a dance show with accompanying rock music. Both the band and ballet are interwoven into a unique, powerful and emotional performance. I've never seen anything like it.

How did the idea of fusing the music with ballet come about? How did you create the songs to fit with the ballet choreography?
Derek Sherinian: The music was written first, and then the dancing was choreographed afterwards.

Doug Aldrich: Music has always been in ballet I guess, but this is a fresh approach that the composer felt would be more intense and fit well with the choreography. It could possibly reach a new audience that might otherwise skip ballet. I myself have never been to a ballet, but now I'm interested. The Red Rock Ballet is made up of very talented young dancers from Russia.

What is the story of Heart Of Storm? Tell us about the production and look of the show.
Tony Franklin: The Orpheum Theater is the perfect setting. In the Broadway Theater District of Los Angeles, it has a long history dating back to the 1920s. The list of artists who've performed here is remarkable, including Judy Garland, the Marx Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, Stevie Wonder – the list goes on. "American Idol" and "Amerca's Got Talent" are also filmed here. The Orpheum stage has been transformed to accommodate the unique Heart Of Storm production. The lights, the setting, the sound and performances are all fine-tuned to express the broad array of emotions of the storyline. I'm really excited to be part of Heart Of Storm.

Doug Aldrich: I was so immersed in learning the material that I didn't really know much about the story at first. But once we started to run the show together, it all made sense ... The look seems to be heavy ... very edgy, but with classic ballet feel in spots. In other places, it probably pushes the limit a bit.

Can you elaborate on the band's chemistry? What's the dynamic like?
Derek Sherinian: Everyone in this band is not only incredible musicians, but incredible people as well. Tony Franklin and Gregg Bissonette are hands down the nicest rhythm section in rock! I am truly blessed to be working with such a great team of people across the board.

Doug Aldrich: Derek is our fearless leader and has put together a very diverse bunch of people to perform the music. I know Derek has been working on this for some time. Then I happened to be in Moscow for a day, and I got a phone call from Brent Woods saying that he and Derek were out at a party in town and asked if I wanted to join (laughs). I was asleep and jet-lagged, so I didn't go, but a few months later Derek started to think about this production and called me to play. I have to say, it's been a huge amount of work for me to get up to speed, but we had so much fun that time has flown by. We are all very different people, so it feels unlike any project I've been in. Gregg and Brent secretly coordinated wardrobe the entire time showing up with the same shit and shoes or whatever ... tony is truly one of the nicest people you could ever meet. His playing is just astouding ... so giant. Like all the guys I reckon. Brandon has just blown me away ... with horns and flutes!! He has been very patient wiht his as he has not had to deal with a band this loud. But he seriously shreds if that can be deemed a compliment from me. Derek is that bad boy dude with chops that will back it up. Derek and Brent are serious gearheads, which, of course, I can relate to. Derek has more gear than just about anyone I know ... I get it. There is always more room for something new. Brent plays so awesome. I'm really glad to work with him. He is playing solos as well, but also doing acoustic work, which is very important with a ballet. Gregg is joking around all the time ... always, but he is just an insanely talented player. He, like all the guys, has played with the best of the best, 'cause they are that good.

Gregg Bissonette: The band chemistry is awesome. I've been a fan of all of these musicians for many years and have played with everyone before except Brent Woods, but now he's my new best friend. The first day I showed up for rehearsal, I was wearing a red Foo Fighters shirt and black jeans and Brent was wearing a red shirt and black jeans. Everyone commented on it, so each morning we decided to mess with the others by calling ahead of time and wearing the same colors. It took them a while to figure it out, and they thought we were on the same wave length, but they quickly caught on. We all take the music seriously, as a drummer in the band you have two-man jobs: the tempo and controlling the dynamics ... bringing it way down and way up when you need to. Brandon is one of the world's greatest sax players and I've played with him at the Baked Potato Jazz club in L.A., on his solo albums, and we were in the house band for the Latin Grammys a few years ago. I was in a band with Derek called Jughead, which my brother, Matt Bissonette (Elton John's bassist) and Ty Tabor (King's X) were also in. Derek and I played in Italy with Yngwie Malmsteen and Deep Purple, that's where I played with Doug Aldrich as well. Tony Franklin and I have played a ton together over the years and have been great pals for 20 years. We played years ago on a movie called Endless Summer 2. It was a surf movie. We've done a million albums together and toured all over the world. Derek is the glue that brought us all together. He is a great guy, a fantastic musician, and a wonderful producer and band leader. The music we are playing with Heart Of Storm is written so well that it lends itself to having a lot of dynamics, (playing at different musical volume levels). It's very passionate music and when everyone sees the dancers and storyline, they will love it and see that it's all brilliantly connected.

CD Review: Revolution Saints – Revolution Saints

CD Review: Revolution Saints – Revolution Saints
Frontiers Records
All Access Rating: A-

Revolution Saints - S/T 2015

A star is born, in this case the particularly luminous ball of gas being Deen Castronovo, drummer and backing singer for arena-rock stalwarts Journey.

Playing matchmaker again, Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino sought to find an appropriate vehicle for Castronovo to display his talents as a lead vocalist, ultimately surrounding him with former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich and Night Ranger bassist/vocalist Jack Blades in a trio called Revolution Saints.

With a slight rasp in his powerful throat, Castronovo is a poor man's Steve Perry, his soaring, expressive vocals carrying the band's uplifting motivational messages and yearning romanticism skyward. Revolution Saints is the album Journey fans have been waiting for since Escape, its bold, high-energy rushes of melodic hard rock as infectious and galvanizing as its power ballads are heartfelt and impassioned.

Tightly constructed, with generous hooks and big choruses planted throughout fertile ground, "Back On My Trail," "Turn Back Time" and "Dream On" are bright, punchy pieces of guitar-driven pop-rock, the kind that would have been surefire hits back in the '80s. So would the softer stuff, like "Don't Walk Away," "Way to the Sun" – with Neal Schon helping out on guitar – and "You're Not Alone," featuring some backup vocals from Arnel Pineda. Here, gentle piano and acoustic guitar intros lead into big, sweeping, slow-moving waves of guitars and yearning emotions, eventually yielding once again to dramatic, tension-building rockers like "Strangers to the World" and "Better World" reminiscent of Survivor.

Some might take Revolution Saints to task for its formulaic songwriting, predictability and saccharine, banal sentimentality, but to do so would needlessly throw a dark cloud over something that exudes a great deal of light and would undoubtedly resonate with the masses if this was a different, less cynical age. Aldrich's guitar solos are fiery, compelling and a good fit for the songs. There is unabashed joy and exuberance coursing through its veins, they know what their audience wants, it's not arty for the sake of being arty and Castronovo rises to the challenge, smartly avoiding tricks and modulations and just letting his natural ability shine through. People get ready, these Saints are marching in.
– Peter Lindblad

Revolution Saints' second video sees light of day

Clip for 'Back On My Trail' unveiled
By Peter Lindblad

Revolution Saints - S/T 2015

Not everyone can be as clever or creative as Red Fang.

What the Portland metal maulers can do with a shoestring budget is genius-level stuff, as Red Fang has created some of the funniest and most imaginative music videos of this, or any, era – the big-budget days of MTV included.

Today, the newly formed supergroup Revolution Saints unveiled its second video in anticipation of the release of their debut self-titled album, which is happening Feb. 24 via Frontiers Music Srl. It premiered on Billboard.com.

If you were expecting a grand cinematic masterpiece on the scale of something like "Citizen Kane," you reader have ridiculously high expectations. That said, while the video for "Back On My Trail" won't ever be a threat to take home an Oscar, it should generate excitement for one of the hotly tipped releases of 2015. Judge for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_-oy6dRJt8

The setting for basically what amounts to a performance clip appears to be a well-appointed home studio, where Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, Night Ranger's Jack Blades and former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich are playing "Back On My Trail" with gusto – somebody off-camera having tuned them in via an old FM radio, after some compelling vintage knob-twiddling footage. Aside from that, it's a high-energy clip for a song with a bumper crop of melodic hard-rock hooks, with Castronovo – the band's singer – wailing about trying to belong somewhere in a confusing and often cold, cruel world.

Clear and masculine, with just a hint of vulnerability, Castronovo's powerful vocals are phenomenal, and finally, he gets to show off what are some pretty amazing pipes. There's a searing solo from Aldrich, with the cameras getting in there close to capture his dizzying finger work and everybody seems to be having a jolly time, a behind-the-scenes shots thrown in to capture the group's obvious joie de vivre.

Fast-paced and edited tightly to make the action come alive, the filming is actually rather stylish for what it is: a simple, unabashedly fun romp through a fairly cheesy, but nevertheless utterly infectious, '80s-style rock anthem and while it's not arty or challenging in any way, it'll be a crowd-pleaser of a song. Previously, the band released a video for "Turn Back Time," which, as it turns out, is not a cover of the glitzy Cher hit and it's somewhat more melodic, with sunsets and landscape shots interspersed throughout. It was directed by Devin DeHaven, who's credits include videos for Rick Ross, KISS, R. Kelly and Whitesnake. Expect more of the same from Revolution Saints.

Of the song "Back On My Trail," Castronovo said, "'Back On My Trail' was the first song I recorded drums and vocals on. It was a new experience for me and really was the beginning of Revolution Saints. I pulled no punches, and I hope everyone can hear the fire on that track."

Available for pre-order at Amazon in standard CD format at http://geni.us/RevSaintsAMZReg, with a deluxe version combined with a DVD available at http://geni.us/RevSaintsAMZDlx. Those who order the album digitally via iTunes at http://geni.us/RevSaintsiTunes will get automatic downloads of "Turn Back Time," "Back On My Trail" and "Way to the Sun (featuring Journey guitarist Neal Schon).

To get familiar with the band and the making of the album, here's an EPK for the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOKjuLhUkKs

Dead of winter: New music to warm your cold bones

What upcoming releases are we dying to hear?
By Peter Lindblad

Venom will release 'From the Very
Depths' on Jan. 27, 2015

January can be a cold, barren time in the music business, such as it is.

After the frantic run up to Christmas, with a fall full of notable releases from high-profile artists singing for their holiday suppers, the whole industry often seems to go dark at once – at least temporarily.

The silence doesn't last long, however. Soon, the factories that feed the music-consumer beast will begin humming again, and in no time, a steady stream of news regarding upcoming albums, EPs, DVDs and tours will flood an already well-saturated market.

Even now, though, in this very bleak mid-winter, there's a trickle of news coming out regarding some hotly anticipated releases and other events for 2015. Just this week came word from the Nuclear Blast label that metal heavyweights Slayer, Testament and Meshuggah will all be issuing new material in 2015, as well as new tour dates for Helmet's 20th anniversary celebration of their landmark LP Betty. At the end of "Wilma's Rainbow" is a pot of gold, and this is it.

Here are some more upcoming releases we're salivating over:

Venom - From the Very Depths 2015

Venom – From the Very Depths: Satanic imagery and punk-fired black metal will bring the thaw, as Venom returns with From the Very Depths on Jan. 27, coming via Spinefarm Records.

Front man Chronos has a message for his followers.

"This album is perfect," he said. "All three members are totally over-the-top confident with the new songs and the production. We had a great atmosphere in the studio while we were recording – Dante created pure thunder from his drums, while Rage tears the flesh off your face with his riffs, making everything fall into place so well ... it's a strong release and really shows the band maturing into an unstoppable force of pure Black Metal. We can't wait to play the songs live for the legions ... Hell yeah!"

Having just recently received an advance copy – expect a review very soon – my initial reaction is From the Very Depths sounds like classic Venom. It's fast, dark and rugged, an incendiary hell broth of seething guitars and explosive rhythms.

Revolution Saints - S/T 2015

Revolution Saints – Revolution Saints: Super groups seem to be a dime a dozen these days, what with your Rated Xs and your Kings of Chaos all doing their thing.

Here's another one, featuring guitarist Doug Aldrich – fresh off his leaving Whitesnake – and Night Ranger's Jack Blades, as well as Deen Castronovo, the drummer from Journey. A self-titled LP is due Feb. 24 from Frontiers Records.

There won't be any EDM found here or any of that bearded folk-rock melancholy that all the kids seem to love. Expect melodic hard-rock of the highest order from industry pros, with an emphasis on songs that are all heart and soul and top-notch musicianship. And, on top of that, Castronovo will be handling lead vocals. Didn't see that coming, did you?

U.D.O. - Decadent 2015

U.D.O. – Decadent: U.D.O. is preparing for class warfare, and Decadent drops a bomb of hard-charging traditional metal and blistering social commentary on the wealthy and the entitled.

Keeping up with his old band Accept isn't easy, considering what an unbelievable roll they're on with their last three records. Still, Udo Dirkschneider and those legendary teeth-gnashing vocals of his take a backseat to no one, and his most recent studio effort, the titanic Steamhammer, was simply unstoppable, a unsinkable battleship of a record that found glory in tumult. A live release that followed brought to bear all the power and majesty of this version of U.D.O.

The hope is Decadent, album No. 15 from U.D.O. and the second since the departure of longtime collaborator Stefan Kaufmann, will make Steamhammer seem like child's play, as Dirkschneider looks to eat the rich – metaphorically speaking, of course.

"Decadent behavior by privileged society exists in the whole world in completely different shades," says Udo. "Decadence is almost like a universal language. What bothers me the most is the egocentrism that goes along with that. People who have everything seem not to really care about the world around them anymore; it's like they use their own privileged status as an absolution for that. Also they do not seem to see that there's a correlation between their own luxury and the poverty of others."

Those are, indeed, fighting words. Decadent drops Feb. 3 via AFM Records.

Toto - Toto XIV

Toto – Toto XIV: On the softer side of things, there's Toto. Some may scoff, but we've missed their sterling musicianship, their ability to craft memorable pop-rock ear candy and their grandiose arrangements. And quite frankly, we all could stand some romance, some adventure and some positivity in our lives. I do sorely miss the rains down in Africa.

It's been almost 10 years since Toto's last opus, Falling in Between. A date's been set for the release of Toto XIV (they do love their roman numerals, don't they?), with the glorious event taking place March 24, courtesy of Frontiers Records Srl. It'll be coming out in all kinds of different formats, a two-LP vinyl set among them.

Guitarist Steve Lukather can barely contain his excitement. "When you put us in a room, and everybody brings in their pieces, the next thing you know it all fits together," says Lukather. "Everybody's performances are top-notch. We are really bringing our best out, forcing ourselves to make personal best choices, what's best for the music. I'm really excited to hear what people think."

Lord Dying - Poisoned Altars 2015

Lord Dying – Poisoned Altars: Time to restore some street cred. Poisoned Altars is the second outing from Lord Dying, one of the most fearsome and powerful new doom-metal outfits out there. Its churning riff magma will undoubtedly cause fiery, blackened, aural devastation and destruction on an apocalyptic level.

Will Lord Dying be able to avoid the sophomore jinx, after 2013's monstrous Summon The Faithless? That's a given, considering Toxic Holocaust's Joel Grind is handling the production end of things. Let's just go ahead and give Lord Dying a spot on the Best of 2015 list right now. Poisoned Altars comes out Jan. 27 on Relapse Records. Great cover by the way. Lord Dying, you've really outdone yourselves.

New supergroup Revolution Saints unveils first video

Group features former and current members of Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Journey
By Peter Lindblad

Forming supergroups seems to be all the rage these days, with Revolution Saints being the latest to make some noise in the form of a new video released today for the song "Turn Back Time," which we have to believe has nothing to do with Cher.

Comprised of former Dio/Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, Night Ranger's Jack Blades and Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, Revolution Saints is due to release their self-titled first album on Feb. 24 in the U.S., and it promises to be one hotly anticipated dose of soaring, uplifting melodic hard rock.

The brainchild of Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino, Revolution Saints will spotlight the lead vocal talents of Castronovo, with Blades on bass and helping out with some singing. And then there's Aldrich, whose fiery, bluesy guitar should add plenty of electricity to what is already a pretty potent lineup.

So, without further ado, here are the Revolution Saints doing "Turn Back Time." Let us know what you think:

For more on the Revolution Saints and their initial shot across the bow, check out this electronic press kit:

Short Cuts: Saga, U.D.O., Michael Sweet

CD Review: Saga – Sagacity
earMusic/Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access: B+

Saga -Sagacity 2014

"These are the days of the improbable," sings Saga's Michael Sadler in "The Further You Go," suggesting perhaps that modern technological advancements are the stuff of miracles.

Just in case they don't lead to the fulfillment of mankind's hopes and dreams, Saga hedges its bets with this piece of sage advice: "Might want to leave a trail of crumbs for the future." Likewise, with Sagacity, the Canadian progressive-rock code breakers' newest album, Saga looks forward, while holding fast to past triumphs.

Engineering some of the most innovative and intricately layered arrangements of their career, Saga combines Ian Crichton's brilliant guitar riffs and sparkling solos with the dazzling keyboard theatrics of Jim Crichton and Jim Gilmour on a collection of songs that trades some of the powerful immediacy of 20/20, their last LP, for deeper, richer sonic experiments and unpredictable melodic movements, such as those found in shape-shifting pieces "Vital Signs," "Luck" and "It Doesn't Matter Who You Are." While the funked-up, heavy grooves and muscular guitars of opener "Let It Slide" have a metallic edge, the bulk of Sagacity is not so straightforward, showing more devotion to the more imaginative, maze-like designs of "Don't Forget to Breathe" and "The Further You Go" – all of it produced to sound as clean and clear as of Saga's recordings, each song a city of tomorrow unto itself.

Throw in a nine-track bonus disc with thrilling, expansive live renditions of classics such as "Wind Him Up," "On the Loose," "Mouse in a Maze" and "Humble Stance," and the topical, thought-provoking Sagacity – exploring themes of modern alienation in age of social media, the satirical, customer-service lament "Press 9" being a prime example, even if it does feel utterly disposable – is a pretty good value for your prog-rock dollar. http://www.eagle-rock.com/

CD Review: U.D.O. – Live From Moscow
AFM Records
All Access: A- 

U.D.O. - Steamhammer:
Live from Moscow 2014

It's a new era for U.D.O., and the revamped lineup, missing Udo Dirkschneider's longtime collaborator Stefan Kaufmann, delivered the goods on 2013's sizzling Steamhammer, a thunderous expression of Udo's vision of what traditional metal is supposed to sound like.

Losing such a vital organ as Kaufmann, a dual threat as a musician and songwriting partner, put U.D.O.'s long-term health in doubt. Working closely with bassist Fitty Wienhold in Kaufman's absence, while bringing aboard young and hungry guitar-shredding transplants Andrey Smirnov and Kaspari Heikkinen, only seemed to invigorate the former front man for Accept, however. And now, with this electrifying two-CD/DVD live release under their belt as well, U.D.O.'s prognosis is excellent.

A 10:52 version of "Mean Machine," with its dynamic drum and guitar solos, highlights Steamhammer: Live in Moscow, recorded with perfectly mixed sound in a place that's always warmly embraced U.D.O. Hard-nosed, brass-knuckled maulers "King Of Mean," "Stay True" and "Burning Heart" sound even tougher and more aggressive in this setting, as does the surging, fully engorged title track, while the dark, enthralling melodies and tight hooks of "Future Land," "Cry of a Nation" and "Never Cross My Way" come into sharper focus, as U.D.O. galvanizes its flock. Worship the head-banging riffs, witness in awe the scintillating dual-guitar dogfights and let Udo's gravelly growl send shivers down your spine. This is U.D.O. at their best. http://www.afm-records.de/

CD Review: Michael Sweet – I'm Not Your Suicide
Big3 Records
All Access: A-

Michael Sweet- I'm Not Your Suicide 2014

Now an author, too, Stryper's Michael Sweet goes solo on I'm Not Your Suicide, and from the heavy, serrated riffing and wailing vocals of opener "Taking On the World Tonight," it's clear Sweet has some inner demons to exercise.

Just as his autobiography, "Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed," pulled no punches and candidly copped to a surprising array of weaknesses, I'm Not Your Suicide is at once defiant and strong, but also emotional and raw. And where Stryper's glorious last album, No More Hell to Pay, was, in all respects, a satisfyingly heavy, if more straightforward, juggernaut of Christian metal, I'm Not Your Suicide showcases Sweet's wonderful diversity and creativity as a songwriter.

On this, his seventh full-length studio effort of melodic hard rock, Sweet's ever-evolving mastery of melody and pop songcraft is on full display, as uplifting sermons like "The Cause," the title track and "All That's Left (For Me To Prove)" soar on emboldened, sweeping choruses, like the one that also raises the riff-mongering "Taking On the World Tonight" to such dramatic great heights. And if it's great hooks you're looking for, "Anybody Else" has a bag full of them. Never has Sweet's songwriting seemed this organic or soulful, and that's especially prevalent in the album's rousing vocal treatments, so well-plotted and yet completely free of artifice. So is the introspective ballad "This Time," Sweet baring his soul to the world and yearning for salvation.  

Not one, but two, nicely rendered covers of Neil Young's world-weary classic "Heart of Gold," one featuring an engaging duet with Electra Mustaine, perhaps reveal a folk influence that, prior to this release, had rarely manifested itself previously in Sweet's work, as does the countrified "Country Home." Guest spots from Chris Jericho, Doug Aldrich, Tony Harnell and Kevin Max give rise to the notion that Sweet is tired of being pigeonholed. I'm Not Your Suicide makes damn sure that'll never happen again. http://www.big3records.com/
– Peter Lindblad

CD Review: Whitesnake – Made in Britain/The World Record

CD Review: Whitesnake – Made in Britain/The World Record

Frontiers Records

All Access Review: A-

Whitesnake - Made in
Britain/The World Record 2013

David Coverdale is not a man without a country. He calls two of them home.

Always the charming rascal, with lust in his heart, a bawdy sense of humor and the restless, romantic heart of a drifter – the type of character he seems to identify with the most – perpetually looking for true love, Coverdale is English through and through, even if he now has dual citizenship in the United States. He probably stills takes his tea in the afternoon.

Taken literally, the title to the new package of rousing live recordings from pop-metal warhorse Whitesnake is self-explanatory. Undoubtedly it refers to material culled from a massive 2011 tour that included nine sold-out U.K. shows and as many as 87 other concerts from around the globe for the boisterous, pulse-pounding Made in Britain/The World Record, but it could just as well describe Coverdale the man – worldly, cultured and yet clearly a product of his native environment.

Ever the likeable rogue, Coverdale is in his element on the 25-track, two-disc Made in Britain/The World Record, singing with surprising clarity and as soulfully as ever – especially on wistful, beautifully rendered versions of “Fare Thee Well” and a softly acoustic “One of These Days,” the warm rasp in his voice dripping with nostalgia and longing. Time hasn’t ravaged his voice one bit; it still rings out clearly amid the bluster and charged electricity this Whitesnake outfit brings to classics like “Fool for Your Loving,” “Bad Boys” and an exuberant, testosterone-fueled “Slide it In” that practically reeks of cheap sex – just as Coverdale intended.

Radioactive meltdowns occur as Whitesnake takes on Deep Purple’s “Soldier of Fortune” and a satisfying medley of “Burn” and “Stormbringer” to end the set, but they mean business when they grind away, like a desperate stripper short on rent money, in “Lay down Your Love” and “Snake Dance.” Much like those two STD-infested sonic brothels of pure bluesy nastiness, both of them sleazier and more infectious than the originals, “Can You Hear the Wind Blow” certainly smolders and “My Evil Ways” smokes, with mean, biting riffage courtesy of guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich, whose slide guitar work in the intro to “My Evil Ways” has an edgy drawl and sharp aspect to it.

Without their heaviness, their feel, their stylistic diversity, their vibrant tones and rich variety of orgasmic solos, Made in Britain/The World Record wouldn’t be nearly as vital or as fiery, and when melody and harmonies are called for, as they are on “Here I Go Again,” “Love Ain’t No Stranger,” “Is This Love” and “Give Me All Your Love,” Beach and Aldrich play with style and taste, making their presence known but not in an overbearing manner. The songs are allowed to breathe, as the six-string killers sneak around stealthily under dark, spellbinding atmospheres, like that which envelopes parts of “Still of the Night.” They make the epic arrangements of “Forevermore,” off the 2011 album of the same name, soar, but without the remarkably dynamic drumming of Brian Tichy, a definite star in the making, they would go nowhere.

A worthy and quick successor to Made in Japan, an equally dazzling, if not quite as expansive, Whitesnake live album released earlier this year, Made in Britain/The World Record will seduce and overpower longtime fans and new converts alike with superb sound and indefatigable instrumental vigor. http://www.frontiers.it/

– Peter Lindblad