If you like Rush, Myriad will conquer you as well almost instantly. Sometimes it’s a thin line between copies, imitators and creative, genuine artist and this New York based trio it’s somewhere between. “Specter, Fate & Fable” it’s so Rush that it’s obvious for anybody, but still it’s not the same, the band gathering influences also from other progressive Rock acts such as Kansas, ELP, Yes, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, UK, Camel, Genesis, Pink Floyd, King’s X, Flower Kings, Spock’s Beard, etc. But the main and dominant influence is definitively Rush. On the other hand, it’s at least hard to be the equals of Lifeson, Lee and Peart…
Also, there was a pretty obscure, but reached to cult status Australian progressive rock duo also under the same name: Myriad, and even more recently, there is a band named The Myriad from Seattle, so, the band name is not so inspired as well and although they have web site, MySpace and Facebook profile, it’s pretty difficult to locate and identify them. And by the way, the site looks and taste pretty old-fashioned and kind of amateurish… Just like their videos – unfortunately. Like it or not, in a consumer’s world, the wrapping matters more then it’s normally should.
But then again, “Specter, Fate & Fable” it’s a quite enjoyable “food for ears”, eventually for soul. And have a decent cover. 🙂 Read more Myriad – Specter, Fate & Fable (2012)
hard rock
Backtrack Lane – Black Truths & White Lies (2012)
Do you remember Rock? Did you were there in the 80’s headbanging? Everything were simple, straight and much more honest then it is now. Listen to the French Blacktrack Lane just remembered those days. This is Rock. (Very) Hard Rock with groovy Heavy Metal taste, killer like Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society at the end of the 90’s, or as Skid Row were grinding on their second album in 1991. Not too many bands deliver that kind of powerful, still melodious, heavy, classic Rock/Metal. Although they also mention as influences bands such as Papa Roach, Avenged Sevenfold, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, and Megadeth, this is definitively the best and the strongest kind of Rock and it feels great to listen their songs. And it’s not only nostalgia, but it’s about real, breathing and alive music. It’s kind of shame that a band like this is still looking for a label!!! Read more Backtrack Lane – Black Truths & White Lies (2012)
Ugly Kid Joe – Stairway To Hell, EP (2012)
I have hundreds of albums to listen and eventually write a review, but when a band are back from the dead almost literally after 16 years, and this band really rocks the socks off once upon a time, I leave everything aside and focus on their release. This is only a six track teaser, probably the guys want to know if there are still headbangers out there interested in real Rock and worth the effort to come back full force. 16 fucking years! It was like yesterday when half of the rockers love them, the other half hate them for their success in 1992 with the single “Everything About You”, which peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart and made it into the Billboard Top 10. Later in the year the song was used in the movie “Wayne’s World.” “As Ugly As They Wanna Be” went on to sell over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone becoming the highest selling debut E.P. of all time. But this mixture of satirical humor and Heavy Metal really got me back then, and till they disbanded in 1997, Ugly Kid Joe actually proved they are quite a serious and heavy band, well, keeping a good sense of humor is songs such as “Sandwich” or “Bicycle Wheels”. “Stairway To… Hell”? Are you kidding, don’t you? 😆
Their current line up is the last line up of the band crystallized in the mid 1994. Read more Ugly Kid Joe – Stairway To Hell, EP (2012)
Slash – Apocalyptic Love (2012)
The times when a Rock act sold 28 million copies of their debut album are long – and definitively – gone. But Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, are still doing fine. His previous solo album, imply titled “Slash”, debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. chart upon its release in April 2010, with 61,000 copies sold during the first week, pretty good figures for this digital era. It featured an all-star roster of guest musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, and Iggy Pop. To promote the album, Slash embarked on his first solo world tour with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge (band including guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, all of whom are also members of Creed) — on vocals, Bobby Schneck on rhythm guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and Brent Fitz on drums. The album was produced by Eric Valentine and Eric is the producer of this new album as well. This time the band is consisting of vocalist Myles Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns, and drummer Brent Fitz (collectively referred to as “Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators”) and it is set for release on May 22, 2012. Read more Slash – Apocalyptic Love (2012)
Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth (2012)
Ladies and gentlemen, put your seatbelts on, we’re in a time capsule and we’re gonna landing back right to the 80s just as you close your eyes and push play! Our guides for this precious ride are the Van Halen family, Eddie on guitar, Alex on drums and the young refreshment, Eddie’s son, Wolfgang on bass and not at least, the restless lead singer, Mr. David Lee Roth. Although the twelfth studio album by the band it’s the band’s first album of completely new material since 1998’s disastrous “Van Halen III” featuring ex-Extreme singer Gary Cherone, as well as the first since 1984’s to feature David Lee Roth on lead vocals, the long awaited new Van Halen album, “A Different Kind Of Truth” just right fits in between “Women and Children First” and “Fair Warning”.
I am the first to admit, I was 101 % skeptical about this reunion and album. Don’t misunderstand me, I love Lee Roth, some of his bluesy solo releases are absolutely killer cuts, but definitively the best moments of this band were with Sammy Hagar. And well, Hagar teamed up with guitar-God Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and classic Halen bass player Michael Anthony to form Chickenfoot, one hell of a successful hard rock supergroup. So, “the other half” already proved vitality, the expectations were pretty high about this and the comparison – unfortunately for both sides – is almost unavoidable.
And “A Different Kind Of Truth” rocks like s*it, eventually this is one of the best Van Halen albums ever released. Read more Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth (2012)
Hooka Hey – Little Things, EP (2011)
A little piece of the 70’s careless, still heavy, harmony full, but simultaneously powerful as well rock. Several names came up instantly with every chord they take, but names are less important: the kids of today probably never hear of most of them anyway. But they may get know Hooka Hey, a French band, formed in 2008 on the basis of two other bands: Sentenza and Holsters.
In May 2008 Hooka Hey released their first album finding balance and merging into one the power of Led Zeppelin’s guitar and the rawness of Neil Young’s folk. It was followed by an acoustic EP, “The Country Side” which highlights the country face most of the group and it was only distributed to fans.
“Little Things”, the bands third EP was released this year in September and we’ve got a little bit of everything. Read more Hooka Hey – Little Things, EP (2011)
D-A-D – DIS.NEY.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK (2011)
When the lights are out in Disneyland, anything can happen. This was Disneyland After Dark back in ’82. Then the lawyers of The Walt Disney Company showed up, threatening with lawsuit and the Danish rockers changed their name subsequently into: D.A.D., D•A•D, D:A:D and D-A-D, and each name practically represents a period in the band’s history.
The brand new album entitled “DIS.NEY.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK” was released on the latest fatalistic date of the human history: 11-11-11, while the album is another nice piece of the history of the band and a fresh set of pulsing, pounding hard fucking rock songs in the best possible tradition. It’s odd, but nowadays, two thousand fucking eleven, you need lot of guts to play – and release – a hard rock album.
D-A-D began playing together in the early 1980s in Copenhagen, Denmark, and they released their first EP in 1985 and have now existed for more than twentyfive years, with only one change in the lineup, as Laust Sonne replaced former drummer Peter Lundholm Jensen back in ’99. This is odd too for a rock band, isn’t it?
And they (still) got a good sens of humor. 🙂 Read more D-A-D – DIS.NEY.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK (2011)
Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot III (2011)
Don’t panic – as I did 😀 -, you didn’t skipped the band’s second album, despite its title, this is not the band’s third album, but second. Some rumors said that the working title was “Chickenfoot IV”.
Scheduled to be released on September 27, 2011, the new album delivered by the “supergroup” of Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony (Van Halen) and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) continue exactly from where they left on the debut album with the same kind of classy, powerful American hard rock. “Last Temptation” could find its place on any Van Halen album. It’s the classic case of something familiar, but fresh. But it’s not the only song which could be on any Van Halen album. “Alright, Alright” follows pumping in that same bright American spirit. Satriani delivered a tasty solo while the whole recording sounds quite raw and alive.
And let’s admit it: this “everything’s alright” attitude it feels so good sometimes and if the band can delivered some good-old fashioned hard rock in it’s best shape and with some fresh breath and timeless taste, it’s just great! Read more Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot III (2011)
Kiss – Animalize (1984)
Kiss officially appeared in public without makeup for the first time on a September 18, 1983 on MTV for the release of the band’s album “Lick It Up.” “Lick It Up” became Kiss’ first gold record in three years, but guitarist Vinnie Vincent who replaced Ace Frehley in 1982 did not get along with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and left the band at the conclusion of the tour in March 1984. Vincent’s replacement was Mark St. John. Before joining Kiss, St. John (Mark Leslie Norton, February 7, 1956 – April 5, 2007) was a well known and respected teacher and guitarist for the Southern California cover band Front Page and after leaving Kiss, he formed a band called White Tiger.
“Animalize”, the 12th studio album by Kiss and the second album of the “unmasked” period, was the biggest-selling Kiss album since 1977’s “Alive II” and it was certified platinum only in four months.
When asked what “Animalize” meant, Stanley said that people were starting to become more like computers – and that “making music by pressing buttons” was no fun. Read more Kiss – Animalize (1984)
Faster Pussycat – Wake Me When It’s Over (1989)
This isn’t definitively their dirtiest album, actually after their sleazy debut album, on this the boys from Los Angeles turned to more bluesy sounds kind of leaving behind their glam and hair metal roots, but still, this is 60 minutes of quality and dirty rock and roll as only at the end of the 80s were possible. “Bathroom Wall” back then was one of my favorite songs, kind of Sex Pistols/New York Dolls meet Steppenwolf (“Born to be Wild”).
“House of Pain” is a bluesy song, off the band’s original punk rock/glam outfit and style. The guys still rocks on with “Where There’s a Whip, There’s a Way”, “Slip of the Tongue”, “Ain’t No Way Around It”, etc, while songs as “Cryin’ Shame” combined hair metal and blues rock tastefully. One of my favorites from this album is the bluesy, cabaret taste like “Arizona Indian Doll”.
“House of Pain” reached #28 in the Billboard Hot 100 and the video, which was directed by future film director Michael Bay, was in rotation on MTV. The album itself peaked at #48 in the Billboard 200. Read more Faster Pussycat – Wake Me When It’s Over (1989)
