Balzac – Judgement Day

Judgement Day is upon us.  Balzac’s new album is out now, and it rocks hard.  As was the case w/ 2009′s mini-album Paradox, the digital hardcore style is more prevalent on Judgement Day than past releases.  Not to fear – the catchy punk songs w/ the huge “Whoa-Oh” choruses are still there.  They just have some more effects on top of them now.  The album begins w/ “K.A.K.U.S.E.I.”, a half-minute of noise/effects which segue immediately into the heavy “The Countdown To Death Begins”.  Much use is made of the distorted, industrial style vocal sound on the first half of Judgement Day.  “Blackened” and “Red Indians Rock” are the only poppy tunes on said half.  The latter is a cover of the Gastunk song which features that band’s vocalist Baki sharing lead vocals w/ Hirosuke.  After the brief interlude of “Phantom II”, the hardcore kicks back in w/ “Detest You”.  The rest of the album, save a song or two, are of the melodic type.  “To Heaven” is an uplifting song w/ a big sing-along chorus.  The final track, “Dark End”, is a slower song that utilizes both melody and the digital effects w/ excellent results.

Balzac continues to get better w/ each successive release.  They’ve got an enormous body of work counting singles, EPs, split releases, compilations and their own full-lengths.  I’ve spent quite a bit of cash on their stuff since the majority of it is only available in Japan.  I’ll continue to do so.  Though they are still heavily influenced by the Misfits, through utilizing several different musical styles they’ve been able to create a sound that is all their own.  5/5

Accept – Blood Of The Nations

German metal stalwarts Accept have returned w/ Blood Of The Nations, their first studio album in 14 years.  It’s arguably the best of their career and about as close to perfect as an album can be.  As I began listening, I thought to myself, “That voice sounds familiar.”  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the band’s new singer is Mark Tornillo, former vocalist of TT Quick.  I am well acquainted w/ that group’s discography, so for me this is a win-win situation.  Tornillo’s voice is a perfect fit for Accept’s twin guitar attack of Wolf Hoffman and Herman Frank.  The leadoff track, “Beat The Bastards”, is a driving rocker w/ some major riffage.  “Teutonic Terror”, the album’s first single, is power metal at its finest, led by the rhythm section of Peter Baltes and Stefan Schwarzmann.  Blood Of The Nations is the best metal album I’ve heard since Iced Earth’s The Glorious Burden.  It’s full of everything a metal fan could want – killer solos, powerful vocals, big soaring choruses, etc.  The production is excellent; there is no evidence of modern mastering (too much compression) anywhere.  This ranks up there w/ the best work that Priest and Maiden ever did; it’s THAT good.  Even “Land Of The Free”, a bonus track on the Japanese edition, is fantastic.  Counting that tune, not one of the album’s 14 tracks is a throwaway or filler.  Blood Of The Nations is classic metal, yet it also sounds current.  Barring anything truly amazing or earth shattering being released in the next month, this is definitely going to be my album of the year for 2010.  5/5

100 Artists I’ve Seen In Concert

In no particular order…

01. The Raveonettes*
02. KISS
03. Hank III*
04. Ministry
05. Lords Of Acid
06. R.E.M.
07. Teenage Bottlerocket
08. The Stivs*
09. Radiohead
10. Darlington*
11. Stryper
12. The Cure
13. Huntingtons*
14. New York Dolls*
15. Supersuckers
16. KIX*
17. Social Distortion*
18. Twisted Sister
19. Sick Of It All*
20. Danzig*
21. Main Line Riders*
22. RATT
23. Dropkick Murphys*
24. Catherine Wheel
25. Soul Asylum
26. Gin Blossoms
27. Riverdales*
28. Samhain
29. Ducky Boys
30. MxPx*
31. The Slackers
32. Dokken*
33. LIVE*
34. L.A. Guns
35. Jetboy
36. Tiger Army
37. Halestorm*
38. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
39. Warrant
40. Ramones
41. Steel Panther
42. Charm City Devils
43. Ghoti Hook
44. Rhino Bucket
45. Martini Bros.*
46. CKY
47. Slaughter*
48. Mighty Mighty Bosstones*
49. Bulletboys
50. Y&T
51. The Apers
52. Amazing Royal Crowns*
53. Reverend Horton Heat*
54. H2O*
55. Misfits* (Graves & Chud lineup)
56. The Blues Vultures*
57. Mary Prankster*
58. Proteens
59. Dead 50′s*
60. Funny Money*
61. Cinderella
62. Extreme
63. Firehouse
64. Cracker
65. Screaming Trees
66. Blink 182
67. Undergreen*
68. Spinebelt*
69. Blownload
70. Assjack*
71. Seventh Void
72. Val Yumm*
73. Spin Doctors*
74. Grant Lee Buffalo
75. Steel*
76. Extreme
77. Sly Boots
78. ZO2
79. Gilby Clarke
80. Balistic*
81. The Rockvilles*
82. Meshuggah
83. Hemlock
84. Jani Lane
85. Substance*
86. 41 Gorgeous Blocks
87. The Manges
88. Rocket From The Crypt
89. Mike Ness*
90. Sniper*
91. The Explosion
92. The Independents
93. Violent Society
94. Earth Crisis
95. The Boils
96. Ashes To Ashes*
97. The Charms
98. Chesterfield Kings
99. FBS
100. Royal Crown Revue

*denotes more than one show

Actually, two of the entries are placed beside specific numbers. The first person to figure out which two wins absolutely nothing.

Huntingtons – 1-2-3-4!: The Complete Early Years Remastered

After being out of print for years, the Huntingtons’ pre-Tooth And Nail Records material is available once again. 1-2-3-4!: The Complete Early Years Remastered compiles 63 songs from 3 full length albums (Sweet Sixteen, Rocket To Ramonia and Fun And Games) as well as the You’re Not Right 7″ single, The Only One CD-EP and the Rock And Roll Radio EP. As someone who owns all of the original releases in their original formats, let me be the first to tell you that this stuff has never sounded better. J Powell at Steinhaus Mastering has outdone himself on this digital box set. Armed w/ his patented fine-toothed comb, he has restored dynamics, brought out vocals and bass and bettered the song transitions (among other things) while not horribly compressing everything as many mastering engineers do nowadays. This is the way these songs were meant to sound. Sweet Sixteen contains several tunes that remain permanent fixtures in the band’s live set to this day (JW, She’s Alright, Rock N’ Roll Girl). Rocket To Ramonia was the band’s first undertaking at a Ramones covers album. On Fun And Games, we hear the beginning of what would come once the band truly hit its stride. The Rock And Roll Radio EP is something special. One can really hear the hunger that the band had at the time, transitioning from a group of friends who knew nothing about being in a band to the “machine” that put out High School Rock and Get Lost. One of the most impressive things about this collection is that the oldest material present is only 2 years older than the first Tooth And Nail release. Great strides were made concerning musicianship, songwriting and the like. It’s almost hard to believe that the same band that made these amateur sounding records released High School Rock only 2 years later. This is where it all began. Take a stroll down memory lane w/ this set. It’s a lot of fun to listen to. Also included is a digital booklet featuring comprehensive liner notes and high quality printable cover art. This box set is a must for any fan of the late ’90s pop-punk scene. 5/5

Rock N Roll Heroes – Part 3

Sure, Mike Ness is not the most gifted vocalist or guitar player, but boy, can he write a song.  I’ve always liked both punk and classic country, and he combines the two effortlessly.  Additionally, I can relate to his lyrics better than any other artist’s I’ve ever heard or listened to.  An entire catalog of songs about pain, despair and heartbreak?  It’s the story of my life.

Dean Cramer is a great guitarist.  Even more importantly, he is a consummate professional.  I once witnessed him play a show while he had pneumonia.  Did he complain?  Let it affect his performance?  Not play at all?  No.  The show went on.  He’s a lot of fun to watch as well.  The guy always has a smile on his face and has mastered the art of guitarist moves.  If you’re ever able to check out a So Low or Funny Money show, do so.

Nikki Sixx is another talented songwriter.  I’ve often wondered how much better Mötley would have been if he hadn’t been wasted on heroin and cocaine.  Theatre Of Pain sucked and Girls, Girls, Girls wasn’t much better, but he has written some memorable, catchy tunes.  I’ll never know what my fascination w/ junkie musicians is; I’ve never touched the stuff.  Oh, and I’ve always thought Sixx had the coolest hair.

Speaking of junkies, Johnny Thunders was likely rock’s most notorious abuser.  What he lacked in talent, though, he made up for in intensity.  The Dolls were a truly groundbreaking band, and after he and Jerry left they weren’t the same.  Johnny’s solo work is some of the most heartfelt music I’ve ever heard.  It’s a shame he threw it all away.  Ok, I was wrong – Johnny Thunders had the coolest hair.

Yes, he’s nuts.  Yes, he destroyed one of the greatest groups ever to come along.  No, I’ll never go see one of his shows.  Still, W. Axl Rose deserves to be on this list.  To an 11-year-old, this guy who spat in the face of, well, pretty much everyone seemed like the man.  To this day, the Axl pictured above is the one who comes to my mind – not the beefier, cornrowed version.  There will be much more about this dude in a future post.

Rock N Roll Heroes – Part 2

The guy’s like a brother to me now, but before that Cliffy Huntington was one of my heroes. He still is, actually. His guitar playing has always been an integral part of the Huntingtons, both on recordings and in live performances. The style is simple – all downstrokes all the time. Like Johnny Ramone before him, that is what gives Huntingtons songs their punch. In the concert setting, Cliffy gets the people into the show very much the way Paul Stanley and Steve Whiteman do. He’s got a phenomenal stage presence.

This brings us to Cliffy’s band mate, one Mikey Huntington. This dude is a great bass player, has a killer voice and an outstanding stage presence. I’ve never heard him off-key at any Huntingtons show I’ve attended. Mikey is also an amazingly gifted songwriter. He can come up w/ fantastic lyrics like it’s nothing. One of my favorite couplets by anyone is one of his – “She looked in the mirror shut her eyes real tight, ’cause what was lookin’ back was lookin’ more like Jerry Lewis than Geri Halliwell”. Come on, that’s genius.

You’d never know it to look at me, but R.E.M. is my second favorite band ever. Now, when I say R.E.M. I mean R.E.M. – Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe. Anything after 10/30/07 is not R.E.M. in my eyes. There are a number of things I found appealing w/ this band – that they changed instruments among each other, that they had no identifiable image, that they never compromised anything and became one of the biggest bands in the world. They were just that – a true band. There were four distinct personalities present. When Bill Berry retired, a piece was gone.

As far as I’m concerned, Robert Smith IS The Cure. He’s been the only constant member, yet the magic is still there. He’s got one of the most easily identifiable voices in music. The Cure discography is a testament to his numerous talents – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, songwriting. He’s got a cool look, too. It’s not something I’d do, but it’s cool nonetheless. Oddly, Robert Smith is one of my biggest heroes even though I don’t listen to a great number of artists who play his kind of music.

Duff McKagan is my one of my favorite bass players. He is also partially responsible for who I’ve become, due to his being in GN’R. A lot of my favorite music comes from our shared love of punk and metal. Duff also had the best bass sound I’ve ever heard on Appetite For Destruction – chunky and super audible in the mix. Though I’ve never pursued it, that made me want to learn to play bass. I also became a fan of several bands I saw on his t-shirts, most notably the New York Dolls.

At 58 years old, Paul Stanley is STILL the man. Sure, his voice isn’t as strong as it once was, but he’s been at it for 35 years. He can still put on a show like few others. I’ve seen him both w/ KISS and on his solo tour, and both performances were fantastic. Paul Stanley is the quintessential rock star. There aren’t very many left; they’re a dying breed. If ever I were in a band, I would certainly have elements of Paul Stanley in my onstage performance.

Rock N Roll Heroes – Part 1

I have quite a few people I’ve looked up to when it comes to music.  Nearly all of them have been heroes of mine since I really got into music at age 11.  These are the people who have had the most influence on me, musically speaking.  This is not an extensive list, but these are the musicians I will always support, even if they destroy one of the greatest bands of all time (I’m talking to you, Bill Bailey).

Slash is the only one w/ a ranking – #1.  Always has been, always will be.  There’s just something about his playing style that I like more than any other guitarist.  You could have me listen to 100 guitarists playing the same thing and I’ll tell you which one is him every time.  The scuzzbucket image doesn’t hurt, either.  I suppose he wants to live now, what w/ the quitting smoking and being sober.  I loved the heroin addicted, alcoholic, chain-smoking version, though.

Glenn Danzig is the man.  People often overlook how great his songwriting is.  I’ve been a fan since I first heard Samhain shortly before they morphed into Danzig.  I recently saw Danzig in concert and G.D. sounded great.  I think he’s got one of the best voices in rock.  I’ve heard he’s a dick on a personal level, but that has nothing to do w/ this list.  Musically, the man’s a genius.

Joey Ramone was another one w/ a killer voice, and it was one of a kind.  He was on key every show.  He also influenced my wardrobe.  I usually look like some hybrid of Guns N’ Roses and The Ramones.  It’s somewhat hard to put into words the respect and admiration I have for him.  It sucks when anyone passes away, but w/ celebrities there’s a disconnect.  Most people don’t know them personally.  However, when I listen to The Ramones (or his solo album) I am moved almost to tears.  There’s just something about his voice that makes me think about how sad it was when he passed.

While Slash is my favorite guitarist, my favorite duo is Ronnie “10/10″ Younkins and Brian “Damage” Forsythe of KIX.  I’ve seen KIX countless times over the years, and going to see them never gets old.  Ronnie and Brian have 2 distinct styles of playing that compliment each other perfectly.  Live, they play off both the energy from the crowd and off of each other.  They put on a killer show, and I think that they’re better now than they were 20 years ago.  While some bands can get away w/ it, KIX songs will never sound right w/ only one guitar.  On a related note, I have 2 dogs.  Their names are 10/10 and Damage.  These guys must be great if pets are named after them.

Michael Monroe is a legend in my eyes.  Most people I know say, “Who?” and that is just not right.  It has been said that if there was never a Hanoi Rocks there would never have been a Guns N’ Roses, and I agree w/ that statement.  Michael Monroe has always had a fantastic look, but he continues to put out quality material.  His solo stuff is as good as any of the Hanoi albums, and he still plays shows on a regular basis.  The way he performs live puts bands half his age to shame.  He’s got an energy that’s almost unrivaled.  Sadly, I’ve never seen him live, but I hope to do so in the future – even if I have to travel to Finland.

I could go on all day about Steve Whiteman.  The man is one of the greatest frontmen in rock history.  Whether w/ KIX or Funny Money, fans get their money’s worth every single time, no exceptions.  KIX blows all other bands on the bill away, and Steve Whiteman is a big reason why.  Relentless energy, a killer screech, he’s got it all.  If you’ve never seen him perform live, do so.  He’ll show you how it’s supposed to be done.  Additionally, if you’ve never seen KIX, it’s true.  Poison (namely Bret Michaels) completely ripped off their stage show.  I’ve asked Steve about that a few times, and he’s said a few things but brushed it off quickly.  The man’s got class, too.