The Deadly Spawn

Originally released in 1983, The Deadly Spawn has been recently resurrected and put on Blu-Ray for its "millenium edition". I unfortunately missed this one the first time around, so I thought it had to be good if it was getting re-released after all of these years. Basically, it's your classic 80s horror/sci-fi flick in which aliens come to earth, via a meteorite, and start devouring humans. The first to go are a couple of campers and then the toll starts to rise from there. The aliens take up shop in the basement of a house of an unsuspecting couple and start doing their dirty work. All hope is lost until a kid happens upon them and figures out how to outsmart the aliens before they take over the world.

This is one of those movies that surprises you when it shows up in some sort of elite package. It is a cult classic B movie from the 80s that not many people have heard of and there is a reason for that; this movie is mediocre at best. The story is okay, but it drags like a mutha. You get to the point where you're scratching your head wondering why someone hasn't been offed in a while. The acting is not the best and the monsters look cheesy, but what really hurt this flick was the development of the story. The writer was so involved developing the characters that he the must have lost sight of the real purpose of the movie - aliens killing humans. Not horrible, but it did get hard to watch due to boredom. I will say that I was impressed by some of the special effects. Not bad for a B flick back in the day. The thing is once this one gets going, it does turn out to be a pretty cool flick. Lots of gore.

Bottom Line: A cult classic gets the royal treatment. A B rated flick that takes too long to develop, but once it gets going, the gore is plentiful.

- Ragman thought about hitting the fast forward button more than a few times during the viewing of this one...

Oz - Burning Leather

The easiest way for an older band to get re-introduced into the metal scene is to either issue a greatest hits package, or re-record their classic tunes, throwing in a few new ones to show the fans they've still got it.  Well, Finnish/Swedish rockers Oz just did the latter with their new album, Burning Leather.  The band has not released new material in over 20 years so it was a logical approach to get re-introduced to the fans, while maybe picking up some new ones.  The band put out a handful of records in the 80s before breaking up in 1991 then reunited nearly two decades later, leading to their just released 11 track platter containing 5 new and 6 rerecorded tunes.  The band was pretty underground but had a decent loyal following back in the day.  Unfortunately, they never really made it big back then, but hopefully in 2012 they can make one final push to make some noise.

Burning Leather, as one might expect, sounds a little dated. And while it was cool to hear classics like Fire in the Brain and Search Lights with an updated sound, the true test for me, was to see what the new tunes sounded like. The new tunes actually sound very similar to what the band was doing back in the day; just pure heavy metal - or what I tend to call it, meat and potatoes metal. [It's] nothing that's gonna knock your socks off, but not to be disregarded either. The new tunes stand up well with the classic material, but again will not blow you away. The only curve ball on the record is the track Enter Stadium, which is the band's attempt at writing a big anthem. A little poppier than the rest of the CD, it kind of stuck out a like a sore thumb. 

Bottome Line: A veteran band trying to become relevant again via a lesson in old school heavy metal in the modern day. Solid, classic, heavy metal with a face lift.

Standout Tracks: Fire in the Brain, Search Lights, Third Warning, Dominator

- Ragman has fire in the brain, and it's driving him insane...

Mystic Prophecy - Ravenlord

Mystic Prophecy is one of those bands in which you know what you're going to get with each release: pure unadulterated heavy metal.  The band have recently released their 7th studio album Ravenlord, and the formula has not changed, and that is not a bad thing.  Even though the band has a tried and true formula, they still put out great original tunes, and this new CD is no exception.  The band thrive on the power metal sound, while dabbling in some thrash.  I tend to like their mid-tempo more than their thrashier material and this CD really catered to me.  Don't get me wrong, there is some thrashy stuff on this album, but for the record, the guys have mixed in a few more mid tempo tracks.

The CD starts in perfect fashion with the title track, which is a mid-tempo skull crusher, full of melody.  It is heavy, but a very melodic track that will stay with you.  The next track Die Now is a thrashy tune, that is not as captivating as the opener.  This one lacked the melodic side of the band I really dig.  Not a bad tune, but one of the weaker tunes on the CD.  To me, it was the midtempo tracks like the opener, Eyes of the Devil and Hollow that kicked my ass.  The cool things about these songs, is that times they remind you of classic 80's hard rock with a darker/heavier edge.  They also have a nice mix of melodic thrash tunes that kick ass as well.  Tunes like Damned Tonight, Endless Fire and Reckoning Day, are perfect examples of fast tunes with a nice does of melody.  As an added bonus their is a cover of Ozzy's Miracle Man on the album.  Not a bad version.  It is pretty close to the original, and they did it justice.  

Vocalist RD Liapakis shines all over this record.  I think this guy gets better with every new release.  That is a constant with this band, very strong musicianship.  The guitars wail and vocals soar.  Dare I say this is their best release ever, well if it isn't, it is pretty damn close.  Nice job lads!

Bottom Line:  Pummeling power metal with a heavy edge.  Dark natured tunes (lyrically) but full of melody.

Standout Tracks: Eyes of the Devil, Hollow, Reckoning Day and Ravenlord.

-Ragman is loving this CD.

Michael Schenker Group - Rockpalast - Hardrock Legends Vol. 2

Nothing beats a classic concert.  Over the past couple of years, the folks over at Rockpalast have released some vintage footage, of some of the great heavy metal/hard rock bands of our time.  Rockpalast was the German version of American Bandstand, but with some major balls.  The latest show to be released from the vaults, thanks to MVD Visual, is a vintage show from the Michael Schenker Group.  This show was filmed in 1981 and predominantly features the band's first album.  It is a killer show which showcases MSG in their infancy.  Nothing beats these classic shows.  It is just ashame that the lineup that recorded their debut is not featured on this recording, but that being said, this is still a killer show.

The footage is from TV and looks really good.  Remember this was filmed in the early 80's, so it is not perfect, but for what it is, it is amazing.  The sound is clear as well as the video.  The best thing about this DVD is seeing Schenker in his prime.  Pretty cool seeing the band play Lost Horizon live (One of my personal faves).  The set list goes presents the first album for the most part in chronilogical order.  The end of the show features some classic UFO songs that Schenker penned.  A killer DVD which takes you back to the day.  Schenker and Co., firing on all cylinders and delivering the goods live.  This DVD is essentail for any rockers collection.

-Bottom Line: MSG in their prime, it doesn't get much better than that.

-Ragman thinks this is the best MSG DVD he has ever seen.

Hell on Earth (At Midnight All Hell Breaks Loose!)

Get your popcorn ready with a slice of cheese, because it is time for another cheesy B movie.  My latest endeavor in the B-Movie spectrum is the Horror/Comedy Hell on Earth.  Hell on Earth is about a guy named Bobby, who is handicapped and lives with his parents, sister and crazy aunt Sadie.  Bobby's parents are complete a-holes, his sister is a first rate bitch and his aunt is a total psycho.  Bobby has some imaginary friends, or are they, whom were summoned by a book of the dead, which was provided to him by his aunt.  The story line is basically that spirits and demons from the underworld are using Bobby, through the book of the dead, to pass back through the other side and release hell on earth.  Sounds complicated, doesn't it?

Hell on Earth feeds off the recent desire to mix comedy with horror.  The acting is okay, but it is what is is, in this type of flick.  The storyline is interesting and the film is actually entertaining.  The movie is low budget, but the make up and special effects are done well.  Some effects are better than others, but you have to remember this is a B-Flick.  The film is shot very well and does not look bad for a B-movie.  The plot is cool, but the acting is okay and gets a little kooky at times, but not enough to take away from the finished product.  Believe me,  this one won't be get nominated for an Oscar, but might just slip into the rotation around Halloween.

Bottom Line: B-Flick that will hold your interest.  A nice mix of comedy and horror with a little cheese on the side.

-Ragman liked this one better than he thought he would.