Alice Cooper ~ Hey Stoopid

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Style: hard rock, heavy metal, shock rock
Label: Sony
Year: 1991
Home: Arizona

Members: Alice Cooper ~ vocals/harmonica
Stef Burns ~ guitar
Hugh McDonald ~ bass
Mickey Curry ~ drums
John Webster ~ keyboards

Additional: Steve Croes ~ synclavier
Robert Bailey ~ keyboards

Guests: Slash, Steve Vai, Mick Mars, Vinnie Moore ~ guitar
Joe Satriani ~ guitar/b. vocals
Nikki Sixx ~ bass
Jai Winding ~ keyboards
Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Keeling, Lance Bulen, Stan Bush, Mike Finnigan, Zachary Nevel, Mick Wilson, Corky McClennan, Shaun Murphy, Tony Palmucci, Jack Ponti, Vic Pepe, Scott Bender, Terry Wood, Sherwood Ball, Cali, Nick Coller, Ian Richardson, Gary Falcone ~ b. vocals

Cooper has confessed in his autobiography to having spent the early 80's drunk & moving through musical styles that didn't work for fans or him. In the late 80's, after a series of hard rock albums that slightly brought him back on course albeit with no chart hits, he deliberately teamed up with hit maker/songwriter Desmond Child to get back on the charts after a decade & become again the respected musical force he once was. Trash was a return to glory via heavily commercialized hard rock, a fresh image & a successful world tour featuring an array of future icons in his backing back (Al Pitrelli, Derek Sherinian, Jonathan Mover, Eric Singer). Albeit, Child is known for penning love ballads for Cher, Aeromith & Bon Jovi & didn't much change his style to suit Cooper's style. But, the album achieved its goal while establishing Cooper as a leather wearing hard rocker balladier still surrounded by his famous props. But, it's the follow-up Hey Stoopid, sans Child & an over-reliance on love songs but keeping everything else, that finally brought Cooper completely home. It didn't have the plethora hits that Trash spawned but that's more a reflection of changing MTV audiences than the number of future classics on the album. Back in full force is the tongue-in-cheek horror themes that had worked so well for Cooper but abandoned(i.e. "Might As Well Be On Mars" one of two remaining tracks with Child, "Feed My Frankenstein", "Snakebite" co-written with Kelly Keeling of Dokken & the Michael Shenker Group, "Burning Our Bed" co-written with Al Pitrelli, "Hurricane Years", "Hurricane Years", "Dirty Dreams", "Die For You" co-written with Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx & Mick Mars), while underneath humor was an array of emotive love ballads & cutting social commentary, the former taking a more prominent role in later albums particularly the Brutal Planet trilogy. The corny sounding title track was actually a cry against those wanting to committ suicide with "Hey, hey, hey stoopid, they win, you lose" ... though many may not realize that Cooper is more than shock rock but has opinions & a positive social message. Remaining on Hey Stoopid is also the commercial sheen that had glossed up Trash & really works for Cooper however much raw music is cherished over commericalization. Cooper doesn't cuss, have nudity or do anything horrid on stage like many of his imitators & anything but a non-commercial sound would fail. Though, gone forever is the experimental flavor of the 1970's Alice Cooper band, here confirmed with an array of guest hard rock guitarists to prove this is a new Cooper. Hey Stoopid would be the mold for everything that has come since. All the pieces are here that would get developed further, from the leather to the humor to the guest musicians, to memorable chorus lines. This is also one of the stronger releases with some of his most memorable songs, though this is firmly rooted in 80's hard rock while Cooper would later experiment with industrial (i.e. Brutal Planet) & power metal (i.e. The Last Temptation). The post-Trash Alice Cooper is a heavy metal vicious beast. The songs are fairly generic 80's metal but what sets them apart is Cooper's recognizable vocal style, catchy lyrics that are more mini-narratives & unpredictable musical arrangements. Cooper wants you to go to on an emotional ride with him & he does it very well with this release, oft forgotten but deserving a new listen.

Boy George ~ Cheapness & Beauty

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Style: dance, hard rock, glam, British
Label: Virgin
Year: 1995
Home: England

Members: Boy George ~ vocals
John Themis ~ guitar/b. vocals
Winston Blisset ~ bass
Tansay Ibrahim ~ drums
Mike Timothy ~ keyboards
Lady Zee, Linda Duggan ~ b. vocals
Martin Bell, Stefan Frank ~ percussion

Guest: Luis Jardim ~ ethnic percussion
Hossam Ramzy ~ mandolin/violin

Those who know the Boy only from Culture Club have missed out on his most diverse musical output, far different than the reggae-tinged sacrine dance pop he became famous for. His solo outings have ranged from androgenous dance a la the Club (i.e. Sold), theater songs (i.e. Taboo), DJ techno mixes (i.e. The Martyr Mixes),  to acoustic gay & Hindu-themed love songs (i.e. Unrecoupable One Man Bandit) but Cheapness & Beauty remains an underlooked side avenue of guitar-driven hard rock that followed his successful single "The Crying Game". Though Unrecoupable One Man Band would follow from the same band, it was largely demos & acoustic live favorites & lacked the hard edge & completeness that Cheapness & Beauty had ... sadly, as this is a wonderful new face for the eternal boy of many faces. The song titles give it all as to the mood to expect: "Satan", "Sad", "God Don't Hold a Grudge", "Genocide", "If I Could Fly", "Evil Is So Civilized", "Blindman" "Unfinished Business" & "Funtime" penned by Iggy Pop & David Bowie. In many ways this might the more instrospective side of BG oft troubled life, albeit many of his songs have been introspective but always hidden under the androgynous image, tongue-in-cheek jestfulness & dance beat. The androgyny is still here but BG is allowing himself to musically cut loose in ways never before attempted. In his solo career BG let the gay themes flow more openly starting with this release, probably because not finding himself getting on the charts he didn't have to worry about what would keep him from it or what people would think of him, particularly obvious with the delightful transgendered anthem "Same Thing In Reverse". We expect BG to sing about sexuality & its comforting to hear him doing it finally. Glam influenced 80's rock guitars lace the album creating something more akin to Alice Cooper while BG doesn't change his soft singing style, considering glam is in many ways perfect for his style & the mix works well for the most part ... though if BG has a hard side to his persona it never comes out in his voice with rockin' out not a word in his vocabulary. While, underneath the rock edge is some diversity, to be pushed to the limit with Unrecoupable One Man Bandit, that never get enough appreciation including electronic bubbles in place of guitar solos (i.e. "Funtime"), soft ballads ("If I Could Fly", "Cheapness & Beauty", "Il Adore") while "Same Thing In Reverse" is actually a folksy tune with a violin & "Unfinished Business" has a mandolin strumming against an acoustic guitar & orchestra. This is a successful album but not successful in the desired financial way & thus BG found himself dropped from Virgin records & largely vanishing back to the underground where he started. It's shame because he really has a lot to offer beyond the make-up, but what started as an asset also became a straight-jacket because though glam has make-up'd lead singers ... not this type. For those that don't believe BG is good away from his old band or outside of a dance beat should be warned!

Halford ~ Winter Songs

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Style: heavy metal, holiday, British
Label: Metal God Entertainment
Year: 2009
Home: England


Members: Rob Halford ~ vocals
Roy Z, Metal Mike Chlasciak ~ guitars
Bobby Jarzombek ~ drums
Mike Davis ~ bass


Additional: Ed Roth ~ keyboards

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has generally received praise for his non-Priest outings with self-titled band Halford since its debut in 2000, so it was a bit of a shock that his collection of Christmas songs would fare as bad as it generally did with music critics. Albeit, unless you're Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas albums tend not to be the highlight of one's recording output, so its not really too much of a shock. What's worse is that the critics are largely right. It's not the highlight of the Halford catalog. Albeit, it's not bad as some say, as the band has yet to put out a truly bad album, as the catch-22 is that it might be a good, though not great, Halford album of straight-ahead New Wave of Heavy Metal but Winter Songs is a weak Christmas album. The problem is essentially the material itself & what he's chosen to do with it. It's all the traditional Christmas songs, no altered lyrics to make them metal themed, done with riffing guitars & double bass drum. But, the problem is so many of them are soft gentle tunes that just don't jive with the speed metal approach, or not with the arrangements here. It all comes off as campy unoriginal metal that shows how limiting the musical form can be or something akin to a karaoke metal performance. It's loud& wild, but heavy metal is far more than that. Some of the greatest heavy metal songs have been light, free & emotion ... just with lots of notes & distortion. It's not helped any by the fact that Halford doesn't really put a lot of emotion into his vocals, as was heard on the Halford debut album Resurrection or even the latest Judas Priest outing Nostradamus. It's missing any spirit ... Christmas spirit. However bloated Nostradamus was you felt Halford's love of the songs & theme, but here that's missing. Some of the songs have some piano picking out the melody against the vocals, but this is a musical cop-out to really pulling out the stops & being creative. But, one song does cry out something great & it's ashame most of the album didn't go in this direction. "Winter Song" is a soft melody with Halford's most emotional singing & is a near cry of Christmas unity. It's a definite inclusion on any Christmas rock mix tape. Though, what makes it so great is that it puts the thrashing metal aside to focus on the song not the musical genre. Making a Christmas album is a worthy but risky endeavor as one is essentially creating an album of limited listens. You can't market your Christmas songs in June. Not even Trans-Siberian Orchestra does that. So, one should try to aim for the best product possible. It's admirable that metal god Rob Halford attempted this project, though one can't help but ask why, but the results don't honor his vision. Anyways, this is by the near untouchable & definetly iconic Rob Halford, so on the whole we fans will tend to forgive him his mistakes, such as his outings with Fight & the Trent Reznor produced metal  hybrid Two, & look forward to the possibilities of his next release. The joy which most have welcomed the latest release Halford IV: Made Of Metal is proof.

(featured on the Roman Midnight Music CD Reviews & Interviews podcast: episode 9 "Xmas Headbanging Special", December 2010, click here to listen)

Hobo ~ Blues Jim Morrisonnak

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Style: Tribute, Hungarian, progressive, hard rock, blues-rock, experimental
Label: MUSIC Budaors Kft
Year: 2001
Home: Budapest, Hungary


Members: Hobo ~ vocals
Szabolcs Nagy ~ keyboards/b.vocals
Janos Varga, Gyorgy Pribill ~ guitar
Viktor Hars ~ bass/b.vocals
Lajos Gyenge ~ drums

For those that speak Hungarian the title says it all Blues Jim Morrisonnak, or Blues Of Jim Morrison. And, that's exactly what this tribute is, though taken into some interesting directions by Hungary's reigning Jim Morrison imitator/fan/keeper-of-the-flame Hobo, who tends to invibe the spirit of the music, poetry and art more than any physical resemblance to the life of the departed icon. To clarify, once during my 9 months living in Budapest, I stumbled upon a poetry reading by Hobo dedicated to Morrison in a rather fancy venue ... not exactly the Morrison we remember, albeit considering that once drugged out Lou Reed has done poetry readings who knows what MOrrison might be doing if he was still alive and nearing 70. This release takes a unique twist to being a tribute as it features an array of Doors songs translated into Hungarian, with some of Hobo's own poetry thrown in eulogizing Morrison, against an incredibly wide musical palette that's blues-rock, honky-tonk piano, 80's guitars and the Doors trademark prog rock. At times (i.e. "Alabama Song") it sounds like music from a circus, i.e. a little fun, odd and flamboyant, but given the reputation of the Doors the circus might be the perfect mood. They were their own circus with the greatest of ringmasters. So, this is essentially less a tribute then a new creation as the songs get such a work-out. "Wild Child", "The Spy", "Roadhouse Blues", "Five To One", "Waiting For The Sun", "When The Music's Over" & "Alabama Song" all get the Hobo treatment, which is typically pumped up blues-rock against Hobo's very non-Morrison sounding deep gruff voice. With his blues band and on his own Hobo, aka Laszlo Foldes, until his retirement in 2010 at age 66 had been churning out the blues since 1977 and is nothing but an expert on the form with a voice many blues musicians would love to have, let alone having released two previous tributes to the Doors in 1987 and 1996. The Doors may not be a blues or hard rock band, but their music lends itself well. Though, there's definetly something about hearing "Alabama Song" in a strange gutteral language even rougher than German to most ears ... though I still can understood some of it it's still strange sounding to me ... where the only recognizable words are "Whisky Bar ... Alabama". On one hand you can't help but be reminded of the original or English versions, but on the other hand this comes across as so much more than just another tribute. Rarely do tributes hold their own this well, hard as hard and instill new life in the songs as though the songs were new by the performing band and not forty years old and from thousands of miles away. I only have to ask ... have Ray, Robby & John heard this and what do they think? What would Jim think? I have a strange thing all of them would be inspired by it.

INXS ~ Original Sin

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Style: tribute, hard rock, experimental, Australian
Label: Petrol
Year: 2010
Home: Australia

Members: Gary Gary Beers ~ bass
Andrew Farriss ~ guitar/keyboards/vocals
Jon Farriss ~ drums
Tim Farriss ~ guitar
Kirk Pengilly ~ guitar/saxophone/vocals
JD Fortune ~ vocals

Guests: Tricky, Rob Thomas, Ben Harper, Mylene Farmer, Pat Monahan, Deborah de Corral, Dan Sultan, Loane, Kav Temperley, Nikka Costa ~ vocals
DJ Yaleidy ~ electronics

This is one of the more creative comeback albums I've seen, albeit it's not really a comeback as INXS already came back from the death of Michael Hutchence with replacement singer J.D. Fortuna on 2005's Switch, but to relegate him to two tracks & do an album that brings in a different singer for new arrangements of many of the band's hits is a quasi-comeback ... take two. Though, it's actually more akin to a tribute album, plus as the band has openly confessed this is how they perceive the album. But, a self-tribute? Normally that would be the most egotistical thing you can do ... normally ... but, in this case it's just sad that this is the state of their career. On one hand I'm glad to see the band still making music sans Hutchence & pushing boundaries, this release being musically farther than they've ever gone, but on the other hand if their newest material is but re-hashed hits, not even with their new singer, that's not a good sign ... & considering the new arrangements pale compare to the originals ... well, we all knew that INXS was essentially over when Hutchence died, though their career had already begun to decline follwing X. I know they got the memo, too, but obviously chose not to read it & thus while the previous Switch had a little hope in it, even if new face J.D. Fortune does sound too much like Hutchence but without the charisma, this just ends up being sad. The problem essentially is that it sounds like a typical tribute album, which means this sounds like 14 different bands. So much of the INXS sound was in the voice of Hutchence as the band went through numerous musical periods without really cementing any one recognizable style. Further, none of the members are really known on their own. I don't know how much the guest musicians were allowed to contribute to the arrangements but more than a few songs have taken on a heavy electronica sound, which INXS always had but it was under a rock sheen, ranging from dance floor electronica (i.e. "Original Sin" with Rob Thomas) to almost experimental (i.e. "Mystify" done in French by Loane & "Don't Change" with no guest). After opening with an odd electronic instrumental ("Drum Opera"), the one new song, it goes to the hit "Mediate" with Tricky turning it into a quasi-hip-hop. But, hip-hop has a gritty edge & so did the original with Hutchence's dead-pan delivery, but this is a strong dance mix a la Black Eyed Peas that just drags once you hit the guitar solo. But, for a moment you imagine the rest of the album is going to be like this, as it's definetly musically interesting & you predict what's coming next, but by the next track you realize you're in for a challenging listen & then the album just slowly falls apart ... without ever breaking a sweat or even really rocking out until a bonus track with Fortune ("Love Is (What I Say)"). There are two highlights on the album: "Never Tear Us Apart" with Ben Harper & Mylene Farmer singing in French & an acoustic version of "Beautiful Girl" with Pat Monahan of Train that's one of the most haunting ballads INX has ever done. These two tracks I'd recommend downloading on their own, which I tend not to do as I believe in supporting an entire album. The band pulls out the acoustic guitars again for "New Sensations" with Deborah de Corral but it comes off as something from a Mary Chapin Carpenter album, which is not what you want to hear when listening to INXS ... maybe if it sounded like the Indigo Girls that would be better. A third acoustic song ("Don't Change") makes you realize INXS is not an acoustic band & the Monahan success is just luck. After this odd collection I now understand why fans have requested the band change it's name or become INXS v2. This is almost as bad as when the Doors followed Jim Morrison's death with two albums as a trio, albeit their reunion was stellar. What's worse is that the songs are almost unrecognizable at times, even vocally, & I've heard most of the INXS collection. It's hard to say if this is a successful experiment at reinterpretation or just a band sadly past its prime ... particularly since half way through the album I found it lacking in energy & for someone who used to listen to INXS for hours was bored & waiting for the end. Though, I will say the singing was all great, but the arrangements just don't offer a lot to work with. "The Stairs" with J.D. Fortune sounds the closest to anything from the past as its given a minimal workout, but it only makes you wish for the past more. The one good thing about this album is the eclectic mix of guests, including many known in Australia but not America. After recent star heavy albums by Santana & Slash it's nice having names I don't recognize for a change. & I'm sure DJ's will find some interesting tracks to pull a beat or phrase from.

Scarlet Stoic ~ Scarlet Stoic (aka debut) (EP)

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Style: alt rock, progressive
Label: 2010
Year: self-released
Home: California

Members: Alex Zigo ~ guitar/vocals
Dave Sahlem ~ bass
David Lall ~ drums


Since the summer of 2008 the members of Scarlet Stoic have been anything but inactive as they developed their music, culminating in an EP. They label themselves punk on their myspace, so I hope they'll forgive me for saying this, but though Scarlet may want to be punk & might be fans of the genre they've done a great job of crafting what is actually alt rock/garage rock a la Mars Volta or Radiohead with far more commerical appeal than most punk will achieve. But, I'm sure Scarlet are just being modest by claiming they play the often seen as unchallenging & angst ridden punk music. If anything their music has more of a garage band psychedelic sound by way of Galaxie 500 & stoner rock & is more somber than angry. A highlight of the band is the vocal approach they've chosen. They don't scream, shout or create any type of indisguishable vocalization but rather have found a soft crooning (i.e. "From My Lantern", "Swollen Riddle") that often utilizes multiple voices in chorus providing a nice contrast to the alt rock wall of sound. Further, the vocals give a somber quality to the songs that isn't musically apparent. "Abandoned By Fate" is an instrumental, but sounds underdeveloped & demonstrates how valuable the vocals are to Scarlet. "Swollen Riddle" is a particular highlight that includes minimal lyrics & a bass interlude, particularly good for a live setting. "Until The Know" moves beyond a more hypnotic sound for something messier & little more wild vocally that ends up demonstrating that Scarlet are still developing their sound. But, all things come to a new level with "Salt & Stitch", their youngest child, which marks a new direction for the band on all fronts & shows what creativity is bursting inside them to be expressed when given the opportunity. The first reference that comes to mind is the Butthole Surfers largely due to the quircky talkie narration instead of their standard crooning over a steady rhythm & the guitar riffing between the verses. It also keeps the hypnotic approach of the band but pushes it into seven minutes, two minutes longer than anything else & the results are exciting & probably the most fully formed song in the Scarlet repertoire, let alone the most distinctive. I encourage the band to go in this direction with their next release. The pay-off will be worth the experiment, I'm sure of it.

Legend ~ Legend (aka debut)

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Style: progressive rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2010
Home: Ohio

Members: Chris Carroll ~ guitar/vocals
Chris Baker ~ bass
Rob Law ~ drums


The name says it all. But, it's not legend in terms of reputation or longevity in the music scene, but in the choice of legendary musical inspirations who clearly come through Legend's music. "Faded Mystery" is a slow somber prog where you're sitting through the barebones bass-heavy intro waiting for someone like Greg Lake to appear on vocals out of the mist ... suprisingly, or maybe not, that's what happens. Well, it's not Lake but the song does unfold as expected following its classic rock roots of build-up & suspence, instead of hurrying to the chorus in under a minute or rushing to show off with a guitar solo while the rest of the song suffers. Legend's most outstanding feature is the under-played guitar solos (i.e. "Crossing Over (Prelude)") that are the opposite of sonic blast. Frontman Carroll's whammy/wah-wah heavy solos are like ocean waves that paint a mood instead of showing off technically, he's no doubt talented but doesn't have to clonk listeners on the head with a flurry of notes to prove it. "Under The Midnight Sun" features Carroll in a Gilmour-esque instrumental three minutes at his highest form of crying stratospheric notes for anyone questioning if he can do anything more than rhythm or some under-played solos. "Hypnosis (The Awakening)", "Book of Song" & "Ancient Wonders" are the heavier songs in Legend's collection a la Dio-era Sabbath with rhythm section courtesy of the influence of Gentle Giant or Rush. The song titles definetly scream Rush-era psychedelic influence. The one downfall is the lower quality production, or at least an unfinished mix, which gives a darker & at times muddy feel to the band & puts the vocals a bit too low.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra ~ Christmas Eve & Other Stories

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Style: holiday, heavy metal, instrumental, hard rock
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1996
Home: n/a

Members: Bob Kinkel ~ keyboards
Al Pitrelli ~ guitars/bass
Paul O'Neill ~ rhythm guitars
Johnny Lee Middleton ~ bass
Jon Oliva ~ keyboards/bass
Jeff Plate ~ drums
Tommy Farese, John Margolis, Marlene Danielle, Michael Fawcette, Ken Williams, Babi Floyd ~ lead vocals

Additional: Mary Wooten ~ cello
John Clark ~ french horn
Chris Caffery ~ rhythm guitar
Zak Stevens, Nancy Jackson, Peggy Harley, Latasha Spencer, Danielle Lander, Jeffrey Stackhouse, Timonty Carosi, Peter Valentine ~ b. vocals
Joseph Murray, Adrian Ross, Nigel Tangredi, Warren Wilson, Beth Butler, Cabiria Jacobson, Rachel Rosenfield, Caroline Ross ~ children's choir

In the 80's if anyone had said that the struggling Florida metal band Savatage would eventually become one of the most popular, let alone physically largest bands in music with two independent groups on the road, everyone probably would have laughed including the band itself. But, it's one of the more unique histories, transformations & successes in the rock archives, let alone spawning one of the most popular Christmas rock albums a musician could hope for. Briefly, with new New York guitarist Al Pitrelli, who would later spend two years kicking it the thrash way with Megadeth, Savatage recorded the excellent concept album Dead Winter Dead based upon the Bosnian War, which Atlantic Records largely considered the last chance for the band to break into needed commercial heights. The instrumental "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)", musically representing a brave lone celloist in the middle of a battlefield, gave a modern metal edge to the traditional holiday song "Carol of the Bells". This wasn't the first time the band had given traditional &/or classical music metal flourishes, let alone the tradition extended back to Led Zeppelin, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer & others. The single became the success the band was looking for ... sort of. It's climb up the charts was marred by the band's metal sounding name that frightened radio DJs. TSO was created to boost the single past preconceived notions, though it was actually the same line-up but with rotating vocalists, a slightly less venonomous stage act & a prominent composing role for Savatage session keyboards Bob Kinkel. "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" was reissued & given a new story about an angel looking for something done on Christmas Day that represents everything good. At one point he flys over Bosnia & hears a lone celloist. Christmas Eve & Other Stories pushed everything Savatage had tried before to a new level - a complex storyline as always courtesy of Paul O'Neill, a positive moral message of a strong Christian nature, radio friendly metal, operatic vocals & well-known classical/traditional songs given a metal twist. The jury has remained out, despite numerous albums later both holiday themed & not, on what exactly TSO is. Many metal fans don't consider it's heavily choreographed light show & radio friendly tunes true metal, while purist classical fans cry sacriledge ... albeit, honestly, it doesn't take much for either group to cry out in discontent. As for everyone else listening the band has been praised to the highest & what is undeniable is that TSO appeals to the widest age bracket that any band could ever hope for, from children to grandparents, creating something for everyone ... even the purists if they give it a chance. Christmas Eve & Other Stories was focused on re-releasing "Sarajevo" a second year & hoping it would be a chart success again, but was essentially a one-off project working alongside Savatage. As much as Savatage wouldn't have been able to predict the creation of TSO, none of them would have predicted that Savatage would also eventually completely morph into TSO. But, there's no Christmas album like this & it remains a favorite holiday album over a decade later & the highlight of the TSO catalog, let alone one of the best Christmas rock albums made ... so it's really no surprise that TSO would eclipse its root band. The lyrics are sometimes a bit maudlin & cliched & the storyline takes itself too serious, but there's no questioning the widest range of musical styles any metal band could ever experiment with on a single album, let alone the high caliber of playing & singing across the board. The biggest loss, though, is Savatage vocalist Zak Stevens relegated to the chorus, as he's one of the most under-rated powerhouses in rock & his operatic vocals are perfect for this project. But, luckily, he's found new success in Circle II Circle where he also gets more time in the spotlight. Speaking of lyrics, the biggest hurdle with the album is that the 2 page synopsis in the linear notes often puts emphasis on events that get only a passing reference in song, if not skipped at all, while the songs often focus heavily on events passed over in the synopsis, which also suffers from stilted writing. The story can't be fully understood via music along, but this is a problem shared with all the Savatage/TSO albums finding a climax with Savatage's "The Wake Of Magellan" where the songs were written & then a story put over it afterwards. On later albums & on future tours TSO would eventually flesh out its ranks before expanding into two bands to bring the show to as many cities as possible in their short touring season, but on this debut it was still a small band. You don't have to wonder who is playing guitar or piano on what track as would be the case later. TSO is still a small musicial unit plodding forward with joy but also not yet sure of how far they can go with their new experiment. It's quite a contrast to 2009's double album Night Castle with 26 musicians, strings & a large choir. But, that being said, for Christmas albums this is an undoubtable highlight because it has just enough solos for the rockers but is melodic enough for everyone else, while everyone wants to sing along.

(featured on the Roman Midnight Music CD Reviews & Interviews podcast: episode 9 "Xmas Headbanging Special", December 2010, click here to listen & featured on the World Of Trans-Siberian Orchestra podcast: episode 28 "Christmas Eve & Other Stories", July 2011, click here to listen

Leslie DiNicola ~ It Resembles Fiction (EP)

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Style: blues-rock, country
Label: Skyelab Music Group
Year: 2010
Home: New York City


Members: Leslie DiNicola ~ vocals
Ellis Travers ~ guitar/keyboards/percussion
Michael Cheever ~ bass
Angela Webster ~ drums
Jeff Hudgins ~ sax
Greg McMullen ~ guitar
Nailah Daaj, Shannon Guttridge ~ b. vocals

I was recently at an artist showcase of independent bands & found myself thinking about the different approach groups take towards their success & music, to which I was sharing/screaming into the ear of one of the performing musician's boyfriend who instantly agreed. Some bands play music that might be great for the drunken oafs at the foot of the stage but doesn't necessarily translate well to a larger audience, or at least a more sober or more mature one, let alone the tidiness of the sterile studio. These bands are aiming for an immediate reaction but not necessarily songs or a sound that is going to be lining them up for a Grammy. Albeit, some bands have a popular sound which might be drawing crowds but it has no life of it's own, being pure imitation, & though imitation might bring overnight success it doesn't necessarily mean longevity. Then, there's bands that have an age-appropriate sound, that is ... a teenager may play good blues guitar, but the grit that an 80 year old guitarist brings to the music will probably be missing, while a 60 year old playing anarchist punk music may not be the best representative of the movement ... however classy he is it's really a bit of a strain to watch 62 year old Alice Cooper sing "I'm 18" & "School's Out". Country-blues vocalist Leslie DiNicola has a sound that works both on the CD & comes equally alive on stage, plus it's as comfortable to perform now around the age 30 as it will be when she's older. It may not be the best music to crash against walls drunk to but will appeal to the discerning ears of a wide age bracket of wide musical tastes that very could lead to things better than sleazy bar tours & already has via her performances singing the National Anthem for numerous major league baseball teams. Though I tend to gravitate in this forum away from things that are not hard rock, the first time I heard DiNicola's music I was instantly blown away by its original sound. I've now seen her in concert & plan to catch her again. I'm that blown away. & I'll confess to picking what shows I go to almost snobbishly carefully. With a strong dose of blues & a bit of country, DiNicola fronts an easy-going rock band that creates a groove oriented foundation for DiNicola's deep voiced commentary on love & heartbreak, co-written with producer Ellis Traver who supports her from the guitar slot both in the studio & on stage. "Lay Me Down" is probably the bluesiest with an old-fashioned horn blues line a la B.B. King, only to discover doo-wop backing vocals on the following track & probably the potential single "I Wish" ... demonstrating the range of styles DiNicola & Travers pulled together in crafting her sound on this debut release. DiNicola's voice is just as comfortable with screechy blues guitars akin to raunchy blues quartet Swamp Mama Johnson (i.e. "Chasing Nothing") or to more soulful moments like early Sheryl Crow (i.e. "Now That You're Mine"). But, this isn't an album of woeful ballads but an upbeat collection of inherent hope against life's sorrow ... that you can sing along with, too, & want to. DiNicola has been compared to Janis Joplin, which I find a poor comparison. Janis was a belter who never fully used her voice like she could. DiNicola is a classy singer. It Resembles Fiction is one of the most exciting debuts I've chanced to hear this year. Albeit, the one complaint that I have is that five songs are far too short. Additionally, I'd recommend her to stay away from the rock, go for the gutsy blues which makes the songs feel like they could go on forever, keep the B.B. King-esque horns or in this case single saxophone player Jeff Hudgins & throw in just a bit of country ... because really, who doesn't like to hear a Dolly Parton song once in a while? & one day I hope ... no, plan to ... say "I knew her when" & we got drunk together ... or maybe something like that!

CONCERT REVIEW: The Delancey Club, New York, December 2010. DiNicola appeared with her five piece band during an artist showcase. Besides being one of the few concerts I've been to in awhile where the band or singer wasn't drowned out by an over-blaring guitar DiNicola & co. were, for me, the most distinctive performers that night. The audience went wild when a later band threw out some bland alt rock & jumped around like the geeky boys they are, but the audience turned their heads & payed attention when DiNicola went into "Jolene" by Dolly Parton. It wasn't the first time she caught the audience off guard that night. & she had a great drummer who with a fierce look pounded the skins with a steady beat that drew right from the legendary Moe Tucker of the Velvet Underground.

(featured on the Roman Midnight Music CD Reviews & Interviews podcast: episode 16 "Interview: Leslie DiNicola," April 2011, click here to listen)

ZZ Top ~ Greatest Hits (hits comp)

(Click on heading to visit official website)
Style: blues-rock, greatest hits
Label: Warner Brothers
Year: 1992
Home: Houston, Texas

Members: Billy Gibbons ~ guitar/lead vocals
Dusty Hill ~ bass/keyboards/vocals
Frank Beard ~ drums


When I was a boy ZZ was like National Geographic where you looked at the pictures of naked Africaans when your mom was out of the room, but here it was listening to the band's raunchy songs & watching their videos with lusty ladies legs in full view (i.e. "Sharp Dressed Man", "Tush", "Legs"). I felt safe when mom & I saw 'Back To The Future III' & ZZ played over the credits but with a safe song ... but I sat there knowing the truth about this band. When I got older I began to hear ZZ as a great rock band that made this killer & super recognizable fuzz-toned pulsing groove with only 3 musicians & a drum machine. Now, in my 30's, I see them as a greatly under-rated gritty blues-rock band (i.e. "Rough Boy") that took a decade off from playing what they were good at. This last view is probably closest to reality as they started as a raunchy Texas blues band that found MTV success by putting a rock sheen on their sound (for example "Cheap Sunglasses", "Pearl Necklace", "I'm Bad") ... the same approach as fellow blues guitarist George Thorogood. ZZ has two parts to their career - the 70's blues days, where they saw the most successful albums over all, & the 80's/90's, where their albums had a couple hits but were much weaker overall but the band found more commercial success. In the past decade the band has largely returned to their 70's blues sound but with the success of either decade. This greatest hits collection is probably the best starting point for the casual fan as it has the MTV staples, a few blues & some new songs with any missing bits being minor quibbles. As for what the band has produced since it was released that might be missing, ironically, "Doubleback" from Recycler & made popular via the 'Back To The Future III' soundtrack & included here was pretty much the last time they ZZ enjoyed the success of MTV. But, that's not saying what they've released since isn't any good. Some of their most wild playing blues would come with later releases that returned them to their roots, but there's no place for a band like this anymore on MTV & days of rigid blues-rock had done too much damage to bring the band any new highs. Maybe if they dueted with Kanye West or Eminem ... There's only a few weak tracks here(i.e. "My Head's In Mississippi", "Viva Las Vegas", "Sleeping Bag") which are a bit too robotic, as many critics have described their 80's blues-rock, but its a small speedbump.

Le Mans ~ Le Mans (aka self-titled)

(No official website.)
Style: hard rock, glam
Label: Song Haus Music
Year: 1986
Home: San Francisco, California (disbanded)

Members: Derek Frigo ~ guitar
Johnny Johnson ~ guitars/keyboards/b. vocals
Peter Marrino ~ vocals
Brett Bloomfield ~ bass
Kenny Stavropoulos ~ drums

Dokken, Def Leppard & Bon Jovi are the first well-known bands that come to mind listening to Le Mans, named after the world's oldest sports car race. Sadly, in the opposite situation when thinking of Dokken or the others Le Mans is not a band that comes to mind, as their San Francisco radio friendly hair metal sound should be far more well-known than it is or was. Albeit, that might be the problem ... their self-titled second album is so radio friendly & so run of the mill in terms of their peers that there really wasn't anything unique about this band to propel them into the spotlight regardless of how memorable their hooks are or great their composing skills. There lots of well-known 80's bands who are more famous than Le Mans but far less interesting who only got on the charts because of a single hit song. Le Mans just never had their hit single. Le Mans was in the right place at the right time with the right music but just didn't have the luck. While today their sound is so dated that they have become a historical remnant of lost musical days. But, there's something in lost days & there's a reason glam/hair metal in its prime became a near national identity as much as the hippie era, considering the number of musical movements that have come & gone without becoming a national movement. Many of the bands that last beyond the 80's were the thrashers & metal bands that had never achieved the levels of success that their hair rock peers did & so had little to lose & still a lot they could gain. Le Mans is anything but heavy & raw. The playing is great, frontman Marrino has a great voice that doesn't fall into the falsetto habit, the songs are memorable & it's incredibly well-polished with all the 80's trademark solos, ballads & even little keyboard flourishes. The songs also cry out to the youth with such lyrics as "don't wanna work to make a living just wanna rock till I die" from "Don't Wanna Work". Le Mans are nothing unique, totally cock rock 80's but the music is fun, which is essentially what the 80's music scene was about. Whether it was Madonna, Boy George, Talking Heads or Le Mans, it was an era of fun that was lost. This obscure release is well worth hunting up for those who would prefer to pretend that bands are still making music this much fun, while shredding is what you do to a guitar & not to paper, something many contemporary supposeldy lead guitarists have yet to discern. Marrino would later find some modest success with Megadeth's Marty Friedman in guitarist Jason Becker's Cacophony project whould would also feature Le Mans drummer Kenny Stravropoulos on their second album.

Austrian Death Machine ~ A Very Brutal Christmas (EP)

(Click on heading to visit official website.)
Style: heavy metal, thrash, tribute
Label: Metal Blade
Year: 2008
Home: San Diego, California

Members: Tim Lambesis ~ vocals/all instruments
Chad Ackerman ~ Ahhnold voice
As Christmas time approaches it seems like everyone wants to make a Christmas album, albeit most fail to make something that stands up to the rest of their catalog ... even Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor, movie star, terminator wants to get into the act ... well ... sort of ... ADM is the pet project of As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis, or as he once put it AILD "is heartfelt & full of passion" while ADM "is an outlet of pure testosterone & stupidity." I'm glad he said & saved me the hassle, though I think he has the order backwards for ADM, albeit it is creative none the less. Many listeners may not be able to make it through the rather bland thrash onslaught of a full album by ADM so this EP is a safe place to go to get the same experience but in a smaller & tighter dose, plus it pretty much is the best of ADM, which is ... 'Ahhnold'. ADM usually fails by not including as much of the Terminating Governor as they should but with only three songs they have no time to waste & thus focus on the joke &  do what they should do in the full albums. ADM sets out to answer what if the governor of California turned president? No, sorry, I mean, metal singer? The answer sort of answers the question ... sort of ... Ahhnold, done in a pretty good imitation, appears between the tracks doing some Terminator slang narration via skits &  song introductions, only to have the songs be bland raunchy thrash with the normal shouting vocals done by Tim & not in the Ahhnold voice. It's supposed to be Arnold singing, but with Tim singing the joke is quickly killed. Sometimes Ahhnold will appear in a chorus or voice-over, but that's the extent of it. While the songs are violent but not necessarily Ahhnold themed. For full ADM albums the best way to listen is to skip over the music. But, on A Very Brutal Christmas, released the same year as their debut, the songs stay with an Ahhnold theme with the voice appearing before, in-between & during. The joke is kept tight like it should be. As for the songs themselves the title is misleading. The album was released for Christmas but features only one holiday song, "Jingle Bells". This is the highlight of the album, followed by the unmemorable Terminator themed original "Get To The Choppa" & a reworking of "Hell Bent For Leather" by Judas Priest. But, really, the music is secondary because really you just want to hear Ahhnold say "you'd better start working out or otherwise no cookies for you."

Anal Blasphemy ~ Profane Fornication Ejaculation

(Click heading to visit official website.)
Style: Satanic, death metal, black metal, Finnish
Label: Hammer Of Hate
Year: 2010
Home: Finland

Members: Molestor Kadotus ~ all instruments/vocals

Not being the biggest or most appreciative fan of black metal I, at first, found nothing enticing about this Finnish Satanic band as the music is just pure Mayhem/Burzum inspired distorted rhythms over indistinguishable gutteral singing with poor production values. It's an old mold done with just as much grace by their peers Nunslaughter. Not even the overly figurative song titles caught my interest, which usually they do, as they were so blasphemous my stomach was turning, which rarely happens so I have to give Anal Blasphemy some credit. Albeit, I feel compelled to share some of the songs as you won't get a grip on the type of band this is unless I do: "Foul Stench From the Crypt of Jesus", "Goat Of Blasphemous Lust", "Sniffing The Dead Nun's Vagina", "Cucifix Anal Rape Of the Priest", "Hail The Serpent Of Eden", "Warrior Of Satan", "Spit On Their Face", "Ejaculatoin Of Black Impurity", Masterbation Of Jehovah's Altar", "Raped By A Goatdemon" & "Allah Anal Impalement". I've probably never seen such a creative literary combination of Christianity, Satanism & sex, albeit I've never really given much thought to the topic of Satanic sex either. Let alone these are some of the most visual titles I've probablly come across. I don't know if that's good or bad in this case & I'm avoiding the temptation to dream about nun sex with goats to find out. But, pouring over the titles I find them more & more interesting, probably because of the fact of their extreme blasphemy. Further, having wadded through the mud thinly disguised as music for an hour I have to say that I found Anal Blasphemy not as bad as I initially expected. The heavily echoed screaming/gutteral vocals are actually far better than a lot of bands. Though, they could be singing in pig-latin for all I could understand from anything but a few words. But, & this is the reason I'm reviewing the band, if the devil had a soundtrack to his name this is undoubtedly it. I had a minister friend say recently that she thought Soundgarden was a musical version of Armegeddon. Well, this the musical version of Hell itself, largely thanks to the vocals which rotate through gutteral singing to more dramatic shouting (i.e. "Sniffing A Dead Nun's Vagina") that is truly creepy & surprisingly addictive to listen to. It's so dark, doomy & pornographic that I wonder what Molester Kadotus is really like? Is this an elaborate act a la Alice Cooper, doing something like this because free speech allows such, or is this something in the Count Grishnackh of Burzum vein where Kadotus is pouring his heart out no different than when Bon Jovi writes a love song? It's that mystery that makes this an enjoyable listening, plus the fact that I challenge someone to find music as creepy & dark sounding as this is. This album is actually a combination of seven track album Profane Fornication Ejaculation & the seven track tape Ejaculation Of Black Impurity included as bonus tracks. But, it's hard to distinguish much of a difference though Profane Fornication Ejaculation has slightly more complex songs though the bonus tracks do include the highlight "Warrior Of Satan" & "Allah Anal Impalement", with an ending right out of a Middle Ages torture chamber, to which I give Kadotus a lot of credit for having the courage to write in this age of Muslim terrorism.

Aus-Rotten ~ Fuck Nazi Sympathy (EP)

(No official website.)
Style: punk, heavy metal
Label: Havoc Records
Year: 1994
Home: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (disbanded)



Members: Dave Trenga ~ lead vocals
Corey Lyons ~ bass
Eric Good ~ guitar/vocals
Matt Garabedian ~ drums
Adrienne Droogas ~  backing vocals

A-R, at first, greatly reminds me of Satanic metal band Nunslaughter whose songs are guitar onslaughts of drowning chords behind shouted diatribes in under 3 minutes that are riddled with in your face discomfort & shock via lyrics, titles & attitude. This is pretty much A-R, even down to the poor production quality. But, there's a major difference - while Nunslaughter may not actually be Satanists, A-R are nothing but committed to the topics they sing about. I find something incredibly interesting & appealing about a band where the songs on their 5 song EP openly & heatedly criticize racial cleansing, war, Vietnam, the ignorant government, Nazi sympathy, death & the cure for AIDS (that is criticizing the government who aren't finding a cure). Nazi sympathy is not exactly a topic that most bands turn to for lyical inspiration, let alone most people even think about, let alone if a band is inspired to write about social causes more often than not any message will be hidden behind Dylan-esque poetry. A-R has no modesty &, thank God for free speech, puts it all upfront. But, then, musically there's not much here to work with so if you aren't listening to the message as it is, then what are you listening to? It also helps that the band doesn't take to indecipherable screaming, though a lyric sheet can at times help a lot for some clarity. I'll confess, it's an odd comparison I know, the only other time I've seen a band so forthright in sharing their socially corrective message is Chumbawumba, who have covered AR songs, the Gaelic Oi band Oi Polloi & Ian Stuart the father of the white supremacist music movement. But, that says a lot. A-R would, ironically, probably agree with Stuart's anti-government ideology. Its seems to me that most bands are more interested in aiming for the Grammy's than making any potential fans uncomfortable. It's only bands on the far fringe, Chumbawumba being the above exception as they've achieved commercial success, realize that they won't be on MTV any time soon & thus are far less hesitant about putting their neck potentially on the chopping block. They have nothing to lose by being honesty. Even bad press will be more press than they've had before so they've got nothing to lose. Even Bono, with all his honorable activism, would shudder at A-R's forthright honesty & lack of modesty. You may not always agree with A-R's far left anarchist point of view, but you can't help but have respect for what they're trying to express. & you can't help but smile when you hear lyrics like: "Don't give them freedom/cause they're not going to give you yours ... fuck Nazi sympathy" from the five line song "Fuck Nazi Sympathy", or: "by the time the war has ended a new one's just begun/modern day is just the same no war is ever won/you'd think we'd learn our lesson/but it's so plain to see/same old fate with a brand new date ... how many lives were lost/by the Nazi holocaust/see history reappear/ethnic cleansing's here" from "Tuesday May 18, 1993" though I'll confess to not knowing what happened on that day, or my favorite: "You see the pain & the suffering from your lavishly furnished materialistic shithole/you cry crocodile tears for the poor wretched children/that inhabit the two-minute time slot between your favorite sitcoms ... why should you care, after all, thy're not your children for now" from "Do You Know Where Their Children Are".