Archived Reviews: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Reviews Index
A2 Records 2001
12-02-01 The first fruit of the recently signed deal between Swedish hard rockers Million (or M.ILL.ION, even the band is unsure about that) and A2 is this compilation album, featuring tracks from the band's three previous albums and some new & unreleased tracks.
The name of the game is hard rock, with the emphasis on "hard". Although Million are "scando-rockers", they are a quite a bit heavier than the Europes and Treats of this world. They might have begun their journey as a more melodic unit, but over the years their sound seems to have gotten heavier. I'd stick with the "Scandastic" bands, I would say their closest relative would be Pretty Maids. Both bands share a sound that has its roots stuck in the 70'ies, yet with a contemporary heavy edge to it.
I must admit that this kind of heavy rock isn't among my favourite styles. Sometimes it feels like the band has abandoned food melodies just for the sake of sounding like a supercharged Uriah Heep! If that was the intention, they nailed it down, but I wouldn't have minded hearing a few more catchy numbers, like "Signs Of Victory" or "Dr Lööv".
What's worth pointing out is the fact that the album number three, "Electric" was produced by pop guru Martin Hedström of Ace Of Base. Oddly enough, it is the most metallic and mean album of the band so far, despite being produced by a guy from "the other side of the fence"! A special mention must be given for the lyrics - the band has stayed away from the familiar subjects, and dealt with serious issues instead. Politics, business and pollution are all taken care of. With the song "90-60-90" the band seems to discuss the various dimensions of women, a topic that is also quite serious...
You should consider "getting millionized" if you like the likes of Pretty Maids and Deep Purple, and feel like adding some headbangin' hard rock to your collection. AOR fans might want to listen first.
A2 Records 2001
01-03-16
MILLION's first release on their new English (Go Sven Go!) record label A2 is an compilation with songs from their three previously albums, a couple of live tracks and two new songs. A perfect? way to introduce this Swedish melodic hardrock band who's been around for more than ten years now, to new fans and also something for the oldies to kick back and relax? too. That is until the new studio album comes out later this year.
The new songs prove that the MILLION $ boys still know how to rock and new members vocalist: Ulrich Carlsson and guitar shredder: Jonas Hermansson both sound very promising. "I Know Your Name" is a great uptempo rocker with some splendid guitar work and a catchy chorus. Same goes with "Shadow of the Cross" I must admit that they sound better than I expected, this is superb party hardrock with flashy guitars and lovely keyboards/hammond.
Some have compeared them to KISS in the past and sure we can hear influences from the make-up dudes (Hey! What about the great cover of Deuce?) Still they are no clones and you can hear both Rainbow, Kingdom Come (old vocalist "Hasse" is sometimes a real deadringer for Lenny Wolf) and typical catchy Swedish hardrock in their music. Best from the past are "Judgement Day", "Get Down to Biz" party rock a-la KiSS, "Sign Of Victory" which sound very German a-la Kingdom Come/Bonfire, the superb "Opinion Machine" and the lovely "Mother Earth". Only one thing remains... Put on the CD... Turn it up LOUD... it's time to ... GET MILLIONIZED! www.million.o.se contact: band@million.o.se label: www.a2records.com
A2 Records 2001
Review by
21 August 2001
After hearing a couple of these tracks on the previous M.ill.ion release (the compilation album) and having been not that impressed, I didn't have too high expectations. But whaddaya know, this ain't half bad! Million still deal with classic Scandinavian hard rock, with Pretty Maids being the closest relative, but I would say that their sound might have been affected slightly by the recent arrival of what has been dubbed "Action Rock", meaning The Hellacopters, Backyard Babies and the likes of them. This is not necessarily a bad thing, the band does sound very energetic. "Melodic Action Rock", anyone?
"I'm Your Blood" kicks off the show in fine fashion, a nice mixture of keys and heavy guitars. "I Know Your Name" is a frantic hard rocker that was previewed on the compilation, didn't really like it then and don't really like it today. "Stronger Than Ever" is more like my cup of tea, similar in style to the opener, heavy but melodic. A suitably church-like intro opens the pounding heavy rocker "Shadow Of The Cross", which was also previewed on the compilation album. "Showstopper" doesn't make much of an impression, but "Even The Sun" does - it's a classic hard rock ballad and a very good one.
"Standing Proud" falls into the same category as "Showstopper", abit average, but then again "Bonebreaker" is a good melodic hard rocker. The chorus is a bit familiar-sounding, but I can't really name the song it reminds me of. "Ready For The Man" is another OK hard rocker featuring some tasty keyboards and interesting set of lyrics about a guy on the death row.
"Race With The Devil" is a heavy rocker in the best 70'ies/early eighties fashion, sounding like Deep Purple or Uriah Heep with a heavy dose of Hammond organ sounds. Not my kinda thing, unlike "In Your Dreams", which is probably the most AOR-like track here. One could imagine it being an unreleased track from Treat's "Organized Crime" sessions, especially when the vocals of Ulrich Carlsson aren't that far from those of Robban Ernlund. The closing number "No Place Like Hell" is unfortunately a bit on the dull side. All in all though, this album is better than I expected!
M.ILL.ION Website
A2 Records
A2 Records 2002
Review by
7 October 2002
A2 Records keep on pushin' Million CD's to the market...after one compilation and one new album it's time to revisit the roots again with this double CD, featuring the first two Million albums "No.1" and "We, Ourselves and Us". I'm not complaining though, as my curiousity towards these albums was raised by the inclusion of a few tracks on the "Get Millionized" compilation.
"No.1" seems to be the band's most melodic effort and therefore much to my liking. The band began their career as a pure "scando-rock" band with a sound resembling the likes of Treat, Europe and 220 Volt, although a bit less polished. Songs like "Lovers", "Live It Or Leave It" and "Tomorrow" are brilliant examples of the style, with big books, powerful background vocals and lively keyboards. The whole album is quite enjoyable, although towards the end the standard of songwriting drops - namely "The Poseur" and "Take It To The Limit" are quite average. Had this been a ten-track album, it could be hailed as a landmark scandinavian melodic rock album.
"We, Ourselves and Us" is altogether a different ballgame, as the Extreme-like opener "Burn In Hell" proves. The "scando-sound" has been replaced by a funkier, heavier and more angry one. The smooth keyboards have clearly taken the backseat, and what's more, the band has decided to flirt with distorted vocals and sound effects. I was expecting much more of this album based on what I had heard on the compilation. Little did I know that two the featured tracks I liked, "Dr. Lööv" and "Mother Earth" were pretty much the only tracks worth mentioning here!
For a regular AOR fan, this double-CD is worth getting for "No.1". "We, Ourselves and Us" is stylewise somewhat closer to what the band sounds like today, but falls short when it comes to songwriting. Considering that and the fact that the current vocalist Ulrich Carlsson is better than the orginal singer Hasse Johansson, it has to be said that Million is on the right path these days, even though they may never return to the melodic sounds of their first album.
www.million.o.se
www.a2records.com
Stealth Records 2003
Review by
11 August 2003
Oh dear... this CD opens up with some truly awful guitar "arrangements" in the worst tradition of Weezer or Green Day. You know... one of those "riffs" where the guitarist tries to kill his six string by beating it to death with a brick. It really picks up after awhile though and "Today Is The Day" turns out to be a rather okay song after all. In fact, the whole CD kicks like a mule to the head and the music can only be described as f-u-n.
The Millions is the first signing by Stealth Records (they're obviously heard but not seen?) and their "Million Dollar Rock" has already been avaliable in Japan for awhile. These Chicago scene veterans have created an healthy dose of loud rock'n'roll on their debut album. It's a lovely mish-mash of influences mostly from oldies like Cheap Trick, (early) KISS, to the more updated sound of Marvelous 3 or Good Charlote. By the way, can you recall Kerri Kelli's (Pretty Boy Floyd, Ratt, etc) Big Bang Babies act??? You'll find some stuff similar to their music too!
Dan "The Fox" Edwards (vocals/guitars), Johnny Million (vocals/guitars), Christopher Grey (vocals/bass) and Larry "Crash" Brown (drums), are probably inspired by fellow Chicago outfit and heroes? Enuff Z'Nuff too. There's defenitly some songwriting in the style of Donnie Vie every now and then here. You wont find anything weird or remotely complex with the music of the Millions though. It's very basic, simple, and darn catchy 1-2-3 Power-Pop/Rock. Try and just ignore the first couple of minutes of this CD as it only gets better with each track. "Gimmie Gimmie" is one of my favorite songs of the year, since it's great, vintage Cheap Trick with those corny Beatles harmonies. "January Fool" continues on the same path, while the title track (Million Dollar Rock) is heavily inspired by early KISS. All songs do have modern rock stuff included and it helps if you're into some "nu-breed" material. It's however not entirely necessary as I believe this to be some 3/4 retro and 1/4 nu-rock. Songs like "Brand New" and "I Want You" simply rocks, and you can even find a wicked cover of "Highway To Hell" (AC/DC) here. Bottomline, lots of loud guitars, catchy hooks, and dirty, rotten, smelly, rock, makes this one fun CD. Keep however in mind that you wont find anything completly new or groundbreaking music here. One or two of the songs do sound a bit too familiar in the end. Let's also hope they wont be known as "The Pennies" after spending some time at their new label (ouch!) [yet another "very close to a 9 rating" CD].
www.zrecords.net
Z Records 2002
Review by 
20 June 2002
Cruiser is a collection of Tony Mills' solo material mainly written between 1990 and 1995 after his departure from Shy and before he joined Siam. Some of the songs were finished mastered tapes, some just 8 track recordings, and some other stuff recorded over that period. Having Excess All Areas among my all time fave albums and digging Mills' voice very much, I was glad when I heard of the Shy reunion for the new album, and the release of this, although might be seen by some as an opportunistic release prior to the "main thing", to me looked like a good appetizer of things to come. But it turned out to be quite different from what (me guess) can be expected from Shy's forthcoming return album.
Cruiser marks clearly from the beginning a departure from Mills' previous work with Shy, and it can be heard on the opener Only Love Knows Why, a hard rocker slightly in a Foreigner mood (minding, of course the absolutely different vocal ranges and styles between Mills and Gramm) and one of the few guitar driven tracks on the album along with Into The Unknown, a main riff based song. The album has an overall more laid-back approach than expected, containing mainly keyboard driven songs like Keep The Faith, (no, not "that" Keep The Faith!), with an anthemic chorus that works really nice, being one of the highlights of the album, or As Sure As The River Runs, a nice ballad with good backing vocals and an easy listening one. We Got The Night could be described as a more laid back version of Shy, with those trade mark high pitched lead vocals, and some really good back'up vox as well. When Two Worlds Collide is high tech AOR in a Mr. Mister mood. Walking Away From Love is a remarkable midtempo ear-candy to all AOR fans out there. Hearts Under Fire is another ballad this time a more classic sounding one, with sing-along chorus and such, that works well enough. Dressed In Music is, well... you can even get from the title a bluesy-rock tune to rock the house, reminds me a bit of Boston. Finally, Don't Look In The Mirror Much, is the third ballad on the album (and the last, since it's the ending track), a bit more rockier than the two previous ones, and again with Mills singing on his higher registry.
As stated above, this is a laid back album, and IMO very good at that. Production is decent enough for being a bunch of recordings gathered through the years and put together later on a CD. No major faults soundwise, on the songwriting department, Cruiser is a varied enough album, mostly in an AOR mood but ranking from hi-tech AOR to classic late 70's/early 80's US hard rock ala Foreigner meets Boston (see above for examples). I think it might be appealing for most AOR fans out there, specially if you like Tony Mills unique voice, and that's the case with yours truly! :-)
Minaton Music 2002
6 May 2002
Yo! Are you guys in the mood for some freakin' metal? Then you better check out this gang as they kick some serious lederhosen behind(s). With a mixture of Classic Rock from the 70's [The song 'Take The Power' do sound like part:II of Queen's "We Will Rock You" hit], The Power Metal of The 80's [read Judas Priest] and modern 'rap-metal'. Have Minaton from Germany done a good (yet, different) follow up album, to their 1994 debut "One Day In Paradise".
Sport fans in Germany may also have heard about these guys before, since they are responsible for the production and performance of the team songs, for national football teams: Hamburger SV, Hannover 96 and 1st FC Magdeburg. I'm not sure which team they actually support though? I believe they are still discussing this loudly, in both Hamburg and Hannover :-)
Not to forget that above mentioned "Take The Power" was the anthem song of the World Championship Icehockey in Germany 2001. Hint to why it does sound like "We Will Rock You", the hockey audience need that 'clap your hands - bang your head' beat, to roll with the punches [ouch!]. Nedy J. Cross (vocals, keys, songwriter, producer) has managed to come up with some nicely played party anthems here. Even if some of the tracks bares that old feeling of 'been there, done that' already. Like the ballad "Always Be There" which do sound a lot like "Saltwater", that Mark Spiro wrote for Julian Lennon [the chorus is not the same though]. Nothing remarkeable new maybe, but it's at least pleasure for the moment. Just remember to play it loud !!!
www.minaton.com
www.minaton-music.com
Metal Mayhem 2002
Review by
20 December 2002
Mindset 7 is a new, modern rock band from Indiana with a very 'hip' sound. Or rather neck and feet as they tend to mix some really marvelous Nu-Breed songs, with some... ehh, not quite as marvelous really. Still, "Blur" is a pretty-darn-nice debut from a spanking new rock act. The line-up of Mick Rowe (vocals/bass), Phil Monfort (guitars) and Criss Wheeler (drums). Besides being a power trio, do also include some semi-famous musicians from the past. More about this later and let's check out the music of M7.
What first comes to mind while playing this disc are the instant hooks of many of the songs. They do follow in the footsteps of bands such as The Calling, Goo Goo Dolls, and even Creed sometimes (without the 'Pearl Jam' vocals). Still, me thinks M7 have managed to stay on their own path, most of the time. Sure... some tracks like "SOS" or "Six" are more about groove than hooks. Still, I find myself tapping along to the songs anyhow, somehow.
Tracks like opener "Long Red Hair" and the softer Rock/Pop of "Please Save Me", "Control", "Illuminate", "Stay", "By Your Side". Are all great Nu-Breed rock with lots of hooks and harmonies though. "Blur" may not be the Modern-Rock album of the year, but it's surely not THAT far behind the really great one's either. Did I mention you can also find a nice cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds here? Oh, and going through the info sheet, it says: "We are not a retro band in the least, but we do not try and hide those influences". Really? Then why can we only read about Mick's previous bands Goliath and Midnight Orchestra here? Shouldn't they at least have mentioned that Mikk (old spelling) used to be the lead guitarist/songwriter of the 80's band Tempest? The Christian band at the Pure Metal label with Jaime Rowe (now: Adriangale) as the vocalist. I still think your "Good-Bye" song from the Tempest CD, is one of the best ballads out there Mick/Mikk. Very touching lyrics!!!
www.metalmayhem.com
Record Heaven 2001
01-06-29
The Urbanizer to the rescue... Hillbilly´s from hell? Rednecks? Southern rock with an attitude? Slide guitars? Stoner/Soundgarden elements? Hell yeah!!! All this and more from the American band Mississippi Sludge which are the latest signing to the Swedish classic rock label Record Heaven.
With an album named "Biscuits & Slavery" and a frontcover that ... ehh... is really something special (the dude seems to be shouting: "Beans... I need more beans !!!") indicates that these guys got a weird sense of humor. (God! I do hope it´s humor?) The music itself are to be taken seriously though (they say) as Mississippi Sludge plays a music style influenced by bands such as Soundgarden, Black Sabbath with a stoner groove, some southern rock and a string bender which reminded me of Ty Tabor (King´s X) and any old Lynyrd Skynyrd kinda slide guitarist. [Bandi: Come on, Urbanizer! This artwork and the title of the album are hilarious. Contender of the artwork of the year so far! :)]
The production and the overall vibe I get from this album are very heavy and dark indeed. Bassist Tracey Scott and drummer AJ Cavalier play some serious heavy stuff here that actually comes out sounding more like a fight between a sledgehammer vs. a cement mixer than an ordinary rhythm section. [Bandi: You've been watching too much of that Transformer cartoon stuff lately...] While opener and title track "Biscuits and slavery" and songs like "Dirty boy" or "Family" are fun to play a late saturday nite; way too many flashbacks from the (boring) early/mid 90s grunge music are here.
Record Heaven
Independent 2000
This is the 3rd demo from the Swedish hardrock band MISTER KITE and I must say that it´s great fun to listen to some cool guitar rock again. FOR YOUR EARS ONLY was recorded in vocalist ALF WEMMENKIND´s livingroom (poor neighbors) and it contains 3 songs in the same kinda style as SKID ROW, MILLION, NASTY IDOLS with some really wonderful power guitar riffs by MAGNUS KRISTENSSON. The production (done by the boys) sounds really good and raw.
The demo kicks off with "I WANT MORE" a superb guitar rocker with a really catchy chorus! The attitude and vocals sound a lot like early SKID ROW, but I can also hear some THIN LIZZY & EUROPE (without keys). Don´t get me wrong this is more sleaze then melodic hardrock but the harmonies are there and the guitarist sounds like JOHN NORUM sometimes. "SEVENTEEN YEARS" is a bit slower & darker tune with a crunching guitar riff and some good work by bass player ANTON JOHANSSON & drummer MATS BERGENTZ (ex.Silver Mountain). BTW Mats is a real deadringer for JAYMZ (Metallica). The song is nice but nothing special. Last track "SOULSAVING SISTER" starts with another superb guitar riff a-la SKID ROW, ATELLO or FREAK KITCHEN! The chorus is a killer and the vocals by WEMMENLIND sound really raw´n´cool a-la Sebastian Bach.
This is a band that all fans of real guitar hardrock should check out! They will start to record their first full-length album in May with producer Bjorn Dahlberg (BAD HABIT, PETE SANDBERG). It´ll also feature a guest appearance from MATTIAS "IA" EKLUNDH (FATE, FREAK KITCHEN). Find out more about MISTER KITE at: www.samuraj.com/misterkite or email: misterkite@hotmail.com
LionMusic 2002
02-03-23
Mister Kite is a band which I've had the pleasure to follow since day one really. Formed in the southern parts of Sweden in 1999, it didn't take long before they supported acts like Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Helloween and Aces High etc. On their debut album "All In Time" you will be able to hear that Mister Kite do have a 'original' thing going on here.
A marvelous production by Bjorn Dahlberg (Bad Habit, Pete Sandberg) and overall good material, makes this a nice piece of craftsmanship. They are mixing Hard Rock with both progressive and 'normal' metal and the result is very positive.
The arrangements of the songs are cleverly done and do remind me of both King's X and Freak Kitchen from time to time. The album features also a guest appearance by Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen, Fate) by the way. The epic concept "The Diary Of A Stranger" is a four track segment, with a progressive structure and vibe I may add, that is really powerful and mighty at the same time. However, I must admit that I enjoyed the demo versions of "Soulsaving Sister" and "I Want More" more than the final result. Sure, soundwise it's much better by now and the songs are still catchy. It's just that the raw energy from the demo's are gone, and they've slowed down the songs a bit. Still, "All In Time" is simply filled with power riffs and it's darn fun to listen to some cool guitar rock again… even if I could have done without a couple of the tracks included here.
www.lionmusic.com
www.misterkite.net
LionMusic 2004
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallström,
19 February 2004
Credit to Mister Kite for paying attention to the big picture with their second release. Everything from artwork, booklet, to production and musician performances are of highest quality on "Box Of Fear". The whole layout and such reminded me of Dream Theater and they've actually progressed this time around.
Mister Kite is like an even more progressive version of King's X somehow. There's lots of cleverly done passages and structures to be found on this CD. They have added a keyboard player to their line-up (Tomas Djurfeldt), which has resulted in more progressive vibes I'd guess.
I can't say that I'm all that impressed by the material this time though. It's almost like they've trying too hard to add as much as possible into each track. Simplicity is a very underrated thing as the result may not get any better with tons of stuff included. Perhaps they're just too gifted and I'm too stupid to get it? Ehem... I don't get that feeling at all really [:-)]. This is however far from crap as you may notice by my ranking of the album. They are definitly trying to create something original here instead of looking too much at other acts or trends. You won't find any straight ahead rockers like "Soulsaving Sister" or "I Want More" from their debut. Instead you'll get very complex tracks such as "Evil Bob" and "I Know You Know", where the latter is blessed with some really strange lyrics. No real highlights perhaps, but on the other hand, you won't find any real fillers either. Solid, progressive, and quite unique for its time.
www.lionmusic.com
Indie 2003
Review by
23 October 2003
M.O.B. (Most Outstanding Band) hails from Stockhom, Sweden, and "White Trash Stomp" is their 4th album ever since the anonymous debut "Read My Lips" back in 1990. I believe that release was and still is only avalible as vinyl though. Anyhow, M.O.B. has obviously been around the block a couple of times already, something which you tell by first impression and the ever-so-solid performances by all musicians involved.
I frankly can't figure out why they're still are "independent"? This sure beats the crap out of many well established rock acts out there. The pure energy of the band is flying across the sky like Irish confetti at a catholic/protestant wedding in Dublin. Sadly they do not always put all that energy into motion, and some of the tracks comes out sounding merely dull or even boring in the end.
The good stuff is on the other hand really good and the mixing by Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed) is a nice piece of craftmansship (especially for a indie release). There's no secret that M.O.B. have always been heavily inspired by KISS & Ozzy Osbourne. "White Trash Stomp" is no exception to the rule, even if the overall material is slightly heavier than before. They are actually not that far behind from the sound of MILLION (also from Sweden) and their latest release. Add that vocalist Fredrik Notling is a distant cousin to both Ozzy & Biff (Saxon) somehow (soundwise, not in reality), and you're in for a treat? "Scapegoats" could easily have been a Million tune while "Alone But Not Lonely" is nothing less than a smash hit. The refrain shows both Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy influences, check out the great guitar work by Peter Gustafsson for some more Lizzy. "Can't Find My Way" is very much like the latest Ozzy mixed with the energy of Freak Kitchen. "In Spite Of It All" is a nice ballad and "Damned Nation" rocks big time. They may not have recorded a classic album here, but it sure beats listening to the new Met****ca. Pretty nice actually, make sure to check'em out at CDBaby.com or visit their official site below.
www.mobrockz.com
MOJO GURUS (ROXX GANG): "Hot Damn!" 3
Perris Records 2003
20 July 2003
About a month ago in a review of Hollywood Hairspray II - another Perris Records album - I called the label "the nursing home for hairbands" [see the archives for the review] ... now carrying on with the idea I think we all know that death is a frequent visitor in nursing homes. And Roxx Gang is hammering the last nail into their coffin with this release. Take a 10-track, barely 36 minutes long release that features some weird 60s style rock n' roll, mixed with boring bluegrass guitar licks, simple (dare I say 'primitive'?) 1-4-5 blues circles and add some weak vocals that even good-enough production couldn't help and there you go... buried alive.
This may be fun when jamming it in a bar at 2 a.m. by the time everybody is totally drunk and you play 2 songs like these but a whole album of this is more than boring. This whole thing reminds me of David Lee Roth losing ground in the late 90s and coming up with similar releases. Kevin Steele's vocal abilities are in about the same league as Dave's, so the sound engineers were wise enough to hide the vocal tracks under a massive wall of reverbs and put it in the back of the mix. As a result of this the album sounds as if he was singing (?? - chanting) from a cave somewhere below while the rest of the band was playing on top of the hill.
There is however one diamond in the rough on the album and that would be track 3 "Spoonful", a cool little rock n' roll number with a thick enough arrangement (saxophone, honky-tonk piano, and such). The song is reminiscent of Cinderella's "Shelter Me", my fave song from their "Heartbreak Station" album. The rest of the tracks are just total shockers, if you happen to find soundbytes on the net, take a listen to "Bumble Bee" or "Raylene" or any other that I do not care to list here and you'll hear what I'm talking about. Very sad indeed.
Side note: the promo material of the album emphasizes the Roxx Gang plug of this album (and lists it as a Roxx Gang release) while the artwork uses Mojo Gurus. My advice to Perris Records would be to forget about the Roxx Gang connection and try to market the album to a different audience because melodic rock fans would be very disappointed with this.
Frontiers 2002
19 April 2002
Italian guitarist Dario Mollo is one of the lucky few, who's not only blessed with one... but two recording contracts at the same record label. Indeed, 'The Cage' is one of them and you may also remember last years 'Voodoo Hill' project with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath etc).
Then again, his partner in crime, power vocalist Tony Martin (ex. Black Sabbath) is no stranger to work with several projects. Other musicians involved here are Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder etc.)and Italian sessionists Dario Patti (keys) and Roberto Gualdi (drums). Nevertheless, this is the second release by Mollo/Martin and it's a bit heavier rock than Voodoo Hill. '2' is filled with late 70's/early 80's rock and you will be able to hear both Black Sabbath (doh!) and Dio influences, added with some Led Zeppelin touches here and there.
They even cover the latter band with their old "Dazed And Confused" hit. Not to mention that Martin does his best Ronnie James Dio likeness with "Balance Of Power". I could swear it's the little Elf himself behind the mic, as the song is totally Dio ala mid 80's. Opener "Terra Toria" is a pretty lame flirt with modern hard rock though. The verses are excellent while the chorus is Pantera-like with some distorted, enhanced vocals. Shame on such a good tune really, as the chorus ruins everything. The very melodic "Life Love And Everything" sounds very 'Scandinavian' somehow and it's for sure a favorite. The lovely ballad "Wind Of Change" (no, it's not the Scorpions tune)is another winner. "Poison Roses" is very much like Sabbath in the late 80's (when Martin was the singer). Martin does an excellent performance as always and Mollo comes up with some cool guitar work here. Bottomline, "2" is a solid rock album, nothing remarkably fresh or new maybe. It's meat and potatoes and you can wash it all down with a couple of beers later...nice. [Look out for Urban's new cookbook, "Two Muppets rolled into one: The Swedish Chef and The Animal!" - Layout Dept.]
www.frontiers.it
SPV 2003
Review by
6 Mars 2003
One of the three major Southern Rock bands (the others being Lynryd Skynyrd, & Allman Brothers) is back with yet another live album. Indeed, "Locked And Loaded" is their second double-live release, but it's been 18 years since the last time though.
This 2-CD release was actually recorded during Wacken Open Air in Bremen, Germany. A place the band consider to be their home away from home, if that makes any sense? The Molly' story begins back in 1971 when guitarists Dave Hlubek, Duane Roland and Dave Holland as well as Bonner Thomas (bass) and Bruce Crump (drums), got together to form a band. When vocalist Danny Joe Brown (ex-Rum Creek) joined the rest of the gang in 1976, things got serious. The debut was released in 1978 and "Locked And Loaded" is their 13th album overall.
Some may also recall the horrible? recording of the KISS tune "Hide Your Heart", around the same time as everybody else did it (Robin Beck, Bonnie Taylor, Ace Frehley, Kiss). It's NOT covered here though and at least the die-hard fans of Southern Rock, are pleased. Since that was recalled as the lame, MTV-rock period. They come out with all guns blasting here really and pretty much all the classic's are included. With 22 tracks on a double CD for the price of one, you can safely say, that you'll get value for your money. That is... if you enjoy live albums in the first place? Tracks like "Whiskey Man", Heart Of The USA", "Beatin The Odds", "Bounty Hunter", "Dead And Gone (The Redneck Song)", "White Lightning", "Gypsy Trail" and "Flirtin' With Disaster" are all nice. Put on your cowboy boots and spit tobacco like a rabid dog, and you're halfway home... somehow.
www.spv.de
Universal 2003
Review by
26 July 2003
Hola Amigos!!! "Parental Advisory - Explicit Content" is what the sticker featured on this CD says and that's always a good sign... right? One thing's for sure, this is one explosive cocktail with some mucho weirdo rap-metal, mostly in Spanish and some... ehhh... English? Or whatever they like to call this LA slang for nowadays.
Molotov actually said it themselves about recording "Dance And Dense Denso" in LA: "We'd record a couple of tracks in Echo Park, then go down the street for tacos. I don't even think we spoke English much. It was as if we never left el D.F." Indeed, Mexico's best kept secret (at least on this side of the pond) is back with yet another straight in your face album. The Three "Mexican" Stooges (and one "El Gringo Loco") of metal returns with some truly awful, childish, lyrics and hilarious songs.
In other words... some really funny s**t to play while skating down the highway in baggy pants and crappy boots (?!). I actually had as much fun listening to some of these songs as with Beastie Boys in the past. Fans of "old school" metal should be warned though, since many/most of you will probably hate this as much as your -ex. The first three tracks are all full of sarcastic humor and catchy loops. The opening and title track "Dance And Dense Denso", can only be described as a mayhem of chaos and fun rap-metal. "Here We Kum" with lyrics mucho worse than any Danger Danger song, is darn catchy though. Sadly the fun doesn't last throughout the whole CD and something like "No Me Da Mi Navidad", "Frijolero" (I can't believe they released this as a single), or "I'm The One", are without a doubt -the most horrible songs of the year so far. What where they thinking about here??? Molotov are surely the new kings of rap/metal down the border of Mexico and in east LA of course. I'm not sure they can "escape" the latino world with this release, and that was probably never the intention either... I guess. Lyrics with political incorrect and truly controversial messages is always fun... for a while. That's it... now I've got a hunger for tacos with lots of salsa and maybe some burritos (oh crap, now I'm in trouble).
www.stockholmrecords.com
Indie 2002
Review by 12 August 2002
Monkey See, Monkey Do... Monkey Bite? I'm not sure about the later statement actually, but one thing's for sure... I simply can't get it off my back or mind for that matter. This is Marc Ferreira's original band project with his brother Alex on drums & Claudio Santillo on the bass guitar. 'Monkey Bite' is pure nu-breed heaven and I can't believe that Shire Records turned this baby down, they were goin' to release it at the end of the year at first (at least that's what the press release said).
Someway, Somehow, Shire Records changed their mind about releasing this and it's really their loss. This is freakin' marvelous nu-breed rock a-la Goo Goo Girls, Invertigo, SR71 and the modern sound of Bon Jovi and even some Harem Scarem (this is way better than Harem Scarem's latest release tho'). I also find this to be better that Marc's solo album and you really can't find one single filler here.
OK, I'm not too crazy about the song "Twice" and the production is not perfect either, the drums are a bit flat and could need a bigger & thicker sound. Still, this is the s**t right now and most of the songs had me boppin' and rockin' all over the place [not a pretty sight I may add :-)]. Opener "Super Perfect World" is commercial radio rock with a chorus to die for, "Change The Weather" opens up with a wicked guitar riff before the chorus hits you right between the eyes. The silly yet marvelous catchy Pop/Rock of "Boomerang Girl" could easily be a world-wide hit with some promotion. I even enjoy the corny "do-do-do" vocals in the background here!!! "You Don't Know Me Anymore" is nu-breed rock at its best, "Talk About It" is a lovely rock ballad with another chorus that goes straight to the heart... ouch! "She Promised" has a wacky guitar sound with a vibe a-la Beatles and the whole song breathes the air of Liverpool. "She Changed Her Mind" is blessed with some acoustic guitars and another chorus from rock heaven. This is very much in the style of Nelson/Bon Jovi or even Harem Scarem in these days and "It Got To Be" is another winner with its 50/50 mix of Bon Jovi & Goo Goo Girls. This will once and for all prove that Brazilians can not only play soccer, they sure can play some excellent rock too. All they need now is label to support them as we're talking about 'catchy hooks' from start to finish here. Get "Out Of The Way" now... (I'm not sure if that's a joke or not?)
MP3.com Site
Frontiers/Now&Then Productions 2001
17 October 2001
Back to the late eighties, ye-haw! Remember all those bands who made one or two videos, got a few enthusiastic reviews in Kerrang! and other mags, maybe toured as support act to the likes of Slaughter or Great White? Bands like...Roxy Blue, Disturbance, Dangerous Toys, Blonz? No? Well anyway, Monkeyhead could've been one of them - one of those bands who were signed during the time when A&R guys were desperately looking for anything with a lot of hair, highpitched singer and a flashy guitarist.
This album does sound good, I'll give you that. it's produced by the band leader Jason Hook, who's also working with Mandy Moore these days. Beau Hill, producer of many classic 80'ies hard rock albums is listed as the excutive producer. So, the sound is good, but I'm afraid the songs aren't...I've been playing this album over and over, and I still can only remember a few of the songs. Most of them are simply forgettable, recycled hard rock riff collections - albeit well performed.
A special mention must go to the lyric department: a couple of these songs make the KISS lyrics sound like fine poetry! The opener "The One That Makes You Crazy" is just too much: "Blueberry sauce dripping off your peach, got a fur pretty kitty with an ultra suck"...
Polygram 1989
The reason of digging this oldtimer classic up was that our Finnish contributors plan to attend Michael Monroe’s tour in their country, write a concert report, and as far as I know they want to hook up with Michael for an interview too. So I thought a bit of Monroe appetizer would be cool and this album definitely deserves to be mentioned here. This is one of the ultimate glam-sleaze-hard-punk n’ roll-melodic rock albums. What? Can I hear some category freaks rumbling about my genre characterization? Well, do yourself a favor: listen to the album and come up with a better one!
You can feel all the above mentioned touches on the album and tons of energy, attitude, and thoughts! Oh, yes, I know that the majority of the glam/sleaze albums were born with brain-dead lyrics but this one is different, the songs have really good lyrics “While You Were Looking At Me”, “Not Fakin’ It”, and “Smoke Screen” being the highlights on this field. As for the music: the majority of the songs were written in collaboration with Little Steven, his influence and Phil Grande’s bluesy scaling, yet high-tech tricky guitar playing that would please fans of Steve Stevens, Blues Saraceno, or Greg Howe (Howe II album era) are characteristic.
If I remember correctly the video version of the opening “Dead, Jail or Rock n’ Roll” guests Axl Rose. It is a sleazy hard rock anthem of the best kind with way cool lyrics, a shout-out refrain, and great bluesy harmonica parts. “While You Were Looking At Me” slows a bit down being a mid-tempo rocker with tasty riffing and between-vocal-lines bluesy scaling solo parts. “She’s No Angel” is the little sister of the opening track while “All Night With The Lights On” is the first more commercial track that would please fans of more polished melodic rock too. The next highlight is the uptempo “Not Fakin’ It”, a stripped down biker rock anthem with very funny lyrics. Each of the tracks are worth listening, there are no fillers here but “Man With No Eyes” needs an extra mention. It was a minor hit as far as I remember, and I’m pretty sure this track would please ANY melodic rock fan. The song has another one of the refrains that we can’t help using our favorite phrase “gets ya in the heart”. Here I gotta confess I’m pretty jealous that these reindeers (read: our Finnish contributors) have the chance to hear this track live. I keep my fingers crossed for them hoping Michael will be wise enough to include it in his set. Stay tuned for more on Michael Monroe soon.
SPV 2003
Review by 
28 January 2003
Uncompromised rock ‘n’ roll. The thing with Michael Monroe is that you really know what you get when you buy the CD. With Whatcha Want” Monroe pretty much picks up from where he left off with “Life Gets You Dirty”. The only bigger difference here is the number of cover songs and the influence of Pink Gibson who plays guitar on the album.
This CD has 13 songs of which 9 are covers. Most of the covers that have been given the Monroe-treatment work really well. For instance the opener “Do Anything You Wanna Do”, “Rumour Sets the Woods Alight” and “Identity” are excellent stuff. Still I think that the songs he co-wrote with Pink Gibson and Jude Wilder represent the best in this album and I would have liked to hear more. Rocking “Right Here, Right Now”, saxophone-driven “Stranded”, and my favourites “Shattered Smile” and “Life’s a Bitch and Then You Live” show that this man continues to be a force to be reckoned with. I like Monroe’s lyrics and this time is no exception, just listen to “Shattered Smile” and you’ll know what I mean. I’ve always enjoyed no-bullshit straight forward R&R if you’re into that then this album should be in you collection ASAP.
A lot has happened in Michael Monroe’s life after the millennium. He lost his longtime companion Jude Wilder during the summer of 2001 and soon after that came the rebirth of Hanoi Rocks and new album “Twelve Shots on the Rocks“. I guess you could think of “Whatcha Want” as an end of one chapter in his career. The life with Jude Wilder who contributed to his work immensely (Leonard Cohen’s “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” is dedicated to her) is over and at least for a while his solo career is at halt. On the other hand the new beginning with Hanoi Rocks seems to be going rather well so there’s a lot to look forward in the future.
SPV 2004
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallström,
9 January 2004
Ka-Boom! This will probably rip a hole inside of your head as effectivly as a shotgun blast. It's been three years since we last heard of Monster Magnet and they're most certainly back with a bang. "Monolithic Baby" is exactly as loud, noisy, and straight in your face as you'd expect by the nu-psychedelic crew.
Dave Wyndorf (vocals/guitars) felt a long time afterwards 9/11 (2001), that the right moment for a new Monster Magnet release simply hadn't arrived. He decided to work on the "Torque" soundtrack instead and left the die-hard fans hanging for years. With the backing of a new label (SPV), plus the addition of a new bassplayer Jim Baglino, the inspiration returned with a vengeance though.
Wyndorf refers to Monolithic Baby as "Twentieth century rock'n'roll psychedelia, larger than life", and you can't do anything but agree. To my very suprise you'll also find two excellent cover songs this time. "There's No Way Out" was originally composed and recorded by David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) on his first solo labum back in 1978. Wyndorf reckons it to be "the last real Pink Floyd classic" and you can't do anything but nod and agree again. Marvelous stuff! The other cover tune is "The Right Stuff", which ex-Hawkwind vocalist Robert Calvert (Captain Lockheed and The Starfighter) did in 1974. This sure brings a smile all over your face as this version simply kicks. "Monolithic" is their own work however and quite possible their best? song ever. So simple yet very affective rock that hits like a sledgehammer to the head. "Supercruel" is everything like the title suggest and "Unbroken", will bring out the air guitarist in you. There's unfortunately a couple of fillers at the end of the CD (Too Bad, Ultimate Everything) and "CNN War Theme" is just weird. Otherwise a really fine "comeback" and not at all as boring as I expected it to be. Get into the stoner groove with a...ehhh, monolithic baby!!!???
www.spv.de
Indie 2000
All American ALEX MOON and his band plays a mixture of 70´s hardrock like LED ZEPPELIN old fashioned BLUES/ROCK from the 60´s and even a bit of SLEAZE/GLAM from the 80´s.
Too bad that the sound quality on some of these songs are so bad that you can´t almost hear what they´re playing. They really need to try and find a studio with a better sound or even better... a descent producer cuz some of these songs are not bad at all.
Opening track "BLACK LEATHER" is a nice rocker with a cool chorus, much thanks to a superb (but still a bit silly) female choir. "ROOM WITHOUT SHADOWS" is a nice semi-ballad and "SNOWED IN LOVE" is a good rocker again with female harmony vocals and "AIMLESS AMBITION" sounds a lot like an early LED ZEPPELIN song. Find out more about them at: www.mp3.com/alexxmoon where you can buy their MP3 CD.
Surgeland 1998
Review by
Former SleezeBee Andrew Elt is back in the limelight with his new band The Moon. The Def Leppard-style wall-of-sound production has been replaced with a stripped production and a more melodic approach to songwriting.
The album kicks off with "Have You Ever", which is indeed quite melodic but it is almost spoilt by a repetitive and dull chorus. Next track that deserves to be mentioned is the ballad "What Do I Know", which is one of the highlights here, as is the other ballad "Everyday". Then we're subjected to a few OK tracks which pave the way for the infectious "I'll Come Around". It is without a doubt my favourite track on this album and surely a potential single! The remaining tracks are all more or less OK, not counting "Fashion Louse", which can only be described as a departure from the rest of the album.
In conclusion this a decent, if not brilliant album. Elt and co. can surely write a good tune, but on this album I would have liked to hear more than just a few of them.
Outlaw Recordings 2003
Review by
27 November 2003
Like the bumper sticker once said: Honk if you believe in GODZ! Mkay... will the grey haired lady with the white volvo 72', please stop already. We get the picture thank you very much, only mothers and close relatives are still God(z) loving people. :-)
Not a pretty picture and not the entire truth either as I'm sure there are still believers out there. The Godz were an all American band from the late 70's scene (not to be confused with the UK act from the late 60's), with a mean biker image and suiteable nasty music.
The boogie-woogie of the late 70's bare resamblance to acts like Grand Funk, Ted Nugent, KISS, Rolling Stones, only sleazier and constantly on dope somehow. They were signed to Casablanca Records and even had an opening slot on KISS' Love Gun tour. Michael Hannon from American Dogs writes stuff in the booklet of "Twenty-Five More Years", and you can tell they've been influenced by the Godz. What you get here is a 2-CD compilation with everything from live stuff, demos, oldies, and new songs, by Eric Moore (only original member left) And The Godz. Classic tunes like "Gotta Keep A Runnin", is of course included and there's even material from 2003 to be found too. Casablanca tried to hype GODZ as "a louder, noiser, KISS without make-up". Something which they never really succeeded with, even if tracks like "Go Away", is similar to the stuff Peter "The Cat" Criss, did during the heydays. It's mostly "biker rock" however and it ends as always after 50 beers and a couple of good fistfights. It's raw, mean, and very simple rock, which you can't help to enjoy every once in a while. The Godz are rock'n'roll machines, you know?
www.outlawrecordings.com
Axe Killer 2000
17-12-00 This leather-packed double album is definitely a "value-for-money" deal, featuring two full albums and a bunch of bonus tracks from Gary Moore, one of the UK's finest at his prime. The albums featured are 1983's "Corridors Of Power" and 1985's "Run For Cover", the latter featuring the vocals of legendary Glenn Hughes, not to mention even more legendary Phil Lynott, Moore's one-time bandmate in Thin Lizzy.
"Corridors Of Power" was an unknown album for me before recieving this compilation. Somehow I was under the impression that the early Gary Moore albums weren't something that I'd like, but I'm glad to say I was wrong. The first half of "COP" is excellent hard rock, with the brilliant melodic rocker "Don't Take Me For A Loser" and the awesome ballad "Always Gonna Love You" being the cream of the crop. The second half isn't quite as interesting. Out of the three bonustracks my vote would go to the long version of classic "Empty Rooms", a breathtaking AOR ballad.
"Run For Cover" is even better, an album that would fit nicely to any AOR/melodic hard rock collection. It features some of the best tracks Gary has ever written, and is probably his most AOR-like album. Highlights include the title song, "Out Of My System", "Out In The Fields" and "Once In A Lifetime", all four great uptempo tracks with strong hooks. Oddly enough, apart from the "Fields" which is a duet with Lynott, these are all sung by Moore, not Hughes... I guess he wanted to keep the best songs for himself!
The bonustracks are quite special too, two big ballads of Moore's career: the Thin Lizzy track "Still In Love With You" and a live version of his breakthrough hit "Parisienne Walkways".
I'd take these two albums anyday over the bluesy snorefests that Moore has released during the last ten years. Since I don't think that Moore will return to melodic rock any day soon. I suggest you do the same. You won't be disappointed!
Sanctuary 2003
Review by
27 August 2003
Oh no... yet another live album with Gary Moore and once again with "Parisienne Walkways" as one of the songs. Live recordings is one of few things this marvelous guitarist has never really been any good at. I'm not sure you can lay all the blame solely on Moore though? Surely the label should have granted this rock legend with a double live CD, with all of his goodies someday?
Think about it, neither "We Want Moore" or the Japan live "Rockin' Every Night" etc do stand the test of time as one of the classic live albums out there. "Live At The Monsters Of Rock" was recorded earlier this year and it's unfortunately only nine tracks and a guitar-intro/solo.
On top of that Gary opens up with two cover tracks (Shapes Of Things - Yardbirds, Wishing Well - Bad Company), and his voice dosen't even sound good on the first one. Yo Gary! We want moore of your own material, especially since you've done some really marvelous stuff in the past. Something like "Stand Up" or "Just Can't Let You Go" isn't one of them though. Incredible boring stuff without any rock or roll in it. Things looks a bit better with "Walking By Myself", "Don't Believe A Word", and "Out In The Fields", but it's too little, too late. Not a single track from classic albums such as: Corridors Of Power, Victims Of The Future, (except those covers of course), Dirty Fingers, or Wild Frontier. Well, at least we got one from "Run For Cover" huh?
www.metal-is.com
Sharpnel Records 2001
28 July 2001
Most of the instrumental albums go over my head and I have very little interest in them. That's why it's usually Bandi who takes care of the reviews of those albums, him being a musician and a fan of instrumental music. But sometimes, something on an instrumental album strikes the right chord with me, and this is the case with this Vinnie Moore album.
Moore has created an instrumental album that should appeal to a wide audience, and I think it should keep an average melodic rock fan if not exctatic, at least quite satisfied. You see, Vinnie has decided to keep the melodies and his songwriting in the spotlight, instead of himself. Sure, he plays like the guitar hero he is, but it's not endless soloing or shredding, there are some really good melodic themes here, that carry the songs to a higher level.
My favourite songs include "Alexander The Great", a traditional metal instrumental that has some classical influences, "If I Could", which reminds me strongly of Journey, the fast-paced "Awaken The Madman" and the glorious, if a little short, closing number "Between Then And Now". I quite like the latin-influenced, acoustic tracks, which are all loaded with melody too...eat your heart out, Carlos Santana!
www.vinniemoore.com