Podcast #169: Forward

Eve to Adam's Taki Sassaris talks turkey with two of the biggest turkeys in the biz. Here's to 2014. Cheers!Man, another year's come and gone. It's hard to believe that 2013 is now a brief memory, and so many great tunes and concerts now just a blur. Join Genghis and Ragman in their much overdue New Year's show as they discuss all that they're looking forward to in the new year. If 2014 is half as good as 2013, we're in for a great year of hard rock and heavy metal. To ring in the new year the boys cornered vocalist Taki Sassaris of newcomers Eve to Adam for a one on one where he discussed his band's latest release Locked and Loaded as well as their plans for the new year.

Beer of the Show: St. Bernardus ABT12 (Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV)
	Appearance: 4.0 Aroma: 4.0 Palate: 4.0 Taste: 4.0 Overall: 4.0	"Like Halloween's Dead Guy Ale, we wouldn't think of celebrating the winter season without this amazing Belgian quadrupel. Salut!"

Featured Tracks: All Hail the Yeti – I am Wendigod; Deep Purple – Vincent Price; Kiss – Black Diamond; Alice in Chains – Voices; Van Halen – She’s the Woman; Red Dragon Cartel – Deceived; Mötley Crüe – Down at the Whiskey; Iced Earth – Anthem; Rough Cutt – Black Widow; Eve to Adam – Straightjacket Supermodel, What Would You Kill?, Immortal, Fortune Teller, & Crime Scene

- Ragman is glad he got this one out before spring - DOH!

Podcast #169: Forward

Primal Fear - Delivering the Black

Now THIS is some bad-ass power metal. Squire! My sword!One of the reasons I never tire of heavy metal is that it endures so heartily, and it's because of bands just like Primal Fear that continue to fly the flag of musical irrepressibility. Those crafty Germans have been cranking out quintessential power metal for nearly 20 years, and they're nowhere near done yet, as exemplified by their 10th studio album, Delivering the Black.

Ralf Scheepers and company have fashioned yet another tight production of unstoppable force that kicks off with the thundering beat of King For A Day and only lets up once for the quasi-ballad, Born With A Broken Heart - as every other track on this 52 minute release comes at you like a tornado of flaming circular saws (no wonder metal guys wear so much leather).

While Ralf rocks the vocals so mightily you have to wonder why Judas Priest passed him up when they had the chance, you can't ignore the killer guitar work of Alex Beyrodt and Magnus Karlsson, whose razor sharp rhythms feel like they could cut through a battleship. Now this is power metal!

The Bottom Line: Fans of straight ahead, no bullshit power metal simply must check out Primal Fear's latest album. It's the kind of stuff that reminds us that all of the various subgenres and offshoots that crowd the genre today started somewhere, and this is it. Excellent work, boys!

Tracks To Make You Want To Tear Down The Highway Brandishing A Broadsword: Rebel Faction, Alive & On Fire, Delivering the Black

- Genghis would look *terrible* in all leather...

We Hunt Buffalo - Blood From A Stone (EP)

What, you don't like Canadian nuclear fuzz grunge collectives like We Hunt Buffalo? Take off, you hoser!Hot damn, who knew that Canada could still turn out some truly great fuzz grunge like We Hunt Buffalo? Seriously, this trio of Canucks knows their way around some stoner metal, with riffs so thoroughly enveloped in thick, pillowy fuzz it borders on the insane. Not bad for some dudes from the 'burbs of Vancouver, eh?

Just to be clear, I love this shit. It's like cranking some 90s era Seattle sound through an amplifier made out of cotton candy, with its warm, sweet, decadent droning forming a glorious wall of sound. See? Now I'm getting incomprehensible too. Listen, don't trouble yourself so much with the particulars, this is just all about bathing in the sheer psychedelia of sonic waves that WHB is throwing down. If you dig stoner metal, you gotta check them out.

The Bottom Line: There are a lot of bands that're basically putting out primal scream sessions set to music these days that just end up sounding like they lowered a mic into a dyspeptic robot's gullet. We Hunt Buffalo, however, just makes good fuzzy stoner grooves - with actual melody no less.

Tunes to Crank Up While You Twist Open Another Mickey's and Load Up Your Vaporizer: The whole damn album

- Genghis can't wait for a full length from these cats...

Concert for Ronnie Montrose - A Celebration of His Life in Music

It is sad to see the list of rockers we lose every year.  One of the most devastating losses of 2013, was the loss of guitarist Ronnie Montrose.  Ronnie influenced so many and will be missed.  To honor Ronnie's life, several colleagues and friends decided to take the stage for a memorial concert.  Concert for Ronnie Montrose, was a star-studded event, that included guitar greats like Neal Schon, Joe Satriani, Jeff Watson and more.  As you would guess, this turns into a bit of a shred fest.

The concert was filmed in San Francisco, where Montrose got his start.  The show covers every stage of his career, which includes performances from Gamma and Montrose.  Filling in for Ronnie in Gamma was Marc Bonilla, and for Montrose Joe Satriani.  This show was amazing and would have been fun to attend, but the Bluray is shot so well, it feels like you have a seat, front and center.  This concert was a very fitting tribute to one of the greats.  A must for any shred head.

Bottom Line:  A fitting tribute to one of the greats.  A shred fest from start to finish.  If that ain't enough, there is an extra jam session with the boys from Y & T and few special guests.

-Ragman thoroughly enjoyed this one.  Shred-age!

Europe - Live at Sweden Rock (30th Anniversary Show)

It is hard to believe that Europe has been around for 30 years.  Seems like just yesterday, when I saw the video for The Final Countdown debut on Mtv.  Damn, I'm getting old!  Europe has just release the 30th anniversary show, which was filmed at the Sweden Rock festival.  The DVD is jam packed with 28 songs, clocking in at 2+ hours.  The show is a best of, spanning the band's entire career, as well as a few covers.  The band even had a few guest appearances from Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) and Michael Schenker (ex-UFO and Scorpions).  I will say, I was a bit disappointed to see that former guitarist Kee Marcello wasn't invited back for a few tunes.  That would have made the DVD for me.

As I stated earlier, Live at Sweden Rock, is a celebration of the band's 30 year career.  Even though the band shut it down for a while in the 90's, for awhile, they are still counting the missed time.  If you're a stickler for this type of thing, you might want to put an asterisk by the 30, but if not, then you'll enjoy this for what it is.  The DVD is shot very well, and is one of those DVD's that gives you the sense of being there  The band are spot on and sound great.  This DVD is a very fitting gift to the fans, from a band celebrating their career.  This one's a keeper.

Bottom Line:  Europe 30 years later.  The band proving that they can rock us, even if they have a few more years, under their belt.

- Ragman has been very impressed with the last couple of Europe DVD's, he has viewed.