Black Stone Cherry - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

Good ol' fashioned Southern rock you can't pass up. Think Alice In Chains by way of Kentucky.Whew, that's a long title to type. Black Stone Cherry's debut album was a nice breath of fresh air in 2006. And their latest effort deftly avoids the label of being a flash in the pan with more of what they've become known for; Southern hard rock that pays homage to its musical influences while still forging an identity of its own with big riffs, tasteful guitar work, and good old-fashioned charisma.

BSC's third studio album Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea rocks hard, coming off like Alice In Chains by way of Kentucky. Though, like other new bands that manage to avoid being little more than soundalikes, the boys in BSC do a great job of wearing their influences on their sleeves rather than wearing them as disguises.  So despite the obvious comparisons to bands from The Black Crowes all the way to Lynyrd Skynyrd, they've done a fine job of carving out their own unique sound over the course of their career.

Mind you it's not just all about rocking the whole way through. Tracks like Won't Let Go and In My Blood provide some dynamics with more melodic - almost ballady - respites in one of the most enjoyable albums in a long time.  And a good deal of that goes to the rich vocals of Chris Robertson, who is surely what Southern Comfort would sound like if a bottle could talk.

The Bottom Line: There are albums you listen to when you want to be impressed by this rock and roll music we all like (Van Halen, Dream Theater, et al); music that maybe makes you feel like a bit of a slacker when you hear just how amazing a person can become with dedication and practice. But then there are the albums you listen to for the pure enjoyment of the genre; great music that makes you grin from ear to ear, and sounds like it wants to buy you a beer. That's Black Stone Cherry.

- Genghis has got two zig-zags and you know he'll share...

Yes - Fly From Here

I gotta say I really love Yes, but I can't truly call myself a purist.  I got into the band in the 80's in the Trevor Rabin era, so I had not been privied to all of the great music these guys had done prior.  Sure, I knew Roundabout and the popular tunes, but I didn't know some of their earlier masterpieces.  The band has endured several lineup changes over the years, but the most challenging had to be replacing Jon Anderson (This is actually the 2nd time Anderson has left the band, the first being in the early 80's).  Anderson's vocals are a staple in the Yes sound.   Like many of the classic bands (Journey and Priest for a short time) moving in to the new millennium, Yes recruited a new vocalist, who could emulate the original. 

Fly From Here marks the vocal debut of Benoit David, who was singing in a Yes tribute band, prior to joining the real thing.  David fills the role well, and injects his own style into the vocals.  David does and adequate job vocally, but unfortunately for me, I kept finding myself wanting to hear Anderson.  I have this same feeling with Journey, but that is another story.  This album is the band's 20th and is a return to form of sorts.  The band has gone back to their roots and has created a record that brings back elements from their hay day.  Unfortunately the songs come off a little flat and leave the listener a little bored.  Don't get me wrong, there are some good tracks on this CD, but as a whole this one got me drowsy.

Bottom Line: Yes moving forward with a new vocalist, amongst some controversy.  A solid record, containing elements of the classic sound, but without much punch.  The songs are well written but come off a little stale and a bit of a snoozer.  Good back ground music. (No, I didn't just day that, did I?)

Standout Tracks: Fly From Here Part III - Madman at the Screens and Hour of Need.

-Ragman needs an energy drink about now.

Toby Hitchcock - Mercury's Down

I have to say, that prior to getting Toby Hitchcock's new release Mercury's Down, that I didn't know who the guy was.  I had heard his name on the AOR melodic rock sites, but never had heard the guy sing.  If you are as clueless as I was, then you might be intrigued to know that Toby is the also the lead vocalist of AOR band Pride of Lions with Jim Peterik (Survivor).  While Pride of Lions is on break, Toby teamed up with guitarist Erik Martensson (W.E.T. and Eclipse) for an album bearing his name, but seems to be more of Martensson's baby.  Erik wrote, produced and played guitars on the record.   Many critics are proclaiming this CD to be the melodic record of the year, so let's see what Mercury's Down has to offer.

Mecury's Down is a fine platter of melodic, hook driven rock which will keep the listener entertained throughout.  The disk starts with the somewhat hard hitting This is the Moment, which is probably the heaviest tune on the record.  It is an up-tempo rocker, that almost leads you to believe that the record could be a little heavier than it wound up being.  It is a killer track that is full of melody with one hell of a catchy chorus.  The next song Strong Enough is another up-tempo rocker, that has a total Journey vibe.  Also containing a catchy chorus (common occurence on this one), this one is a little less heavy and more AOR.  This track sounds like what we all wish Journey would sound like today.  It reminds me of some of the heavier moments off of Raised on Radio (not that there wre many). The end of the tune also lends to a killer riff ala Neal Schon.  Don't get me wrong, Hitchock sounds nothing like Steve Perry, but this song sounds like classic Journey.  Actually, Toby kind of reminds me of Mark Free (ex-King Kobra, Unruly Child). 

The rocking continues until the 4th track Let Go, which slows things down abit which takes away from the momentum of the first 3 tracks.  Each following track was either a hit or miss, but fortunately there were more hits than misses.  It  was a nice mix of ballads and mid-tempo rockers with a heavy dose of Journey influence.  It was funny because the track Just Say Good Bye almost has me start singing Don't Stop Believin'.  True story.  Killer track, nonetheless.  My real knock of the CD is that some of the tracks got a little too syrupy for me, but the strength of the heavier tracks, more than make up for the sugar rush.  The track Tear Down the Barricades is the track that sold me on this record.  It is another one of the heavy ones, that is probably the most solid track on the CD.  Killer riff a la Talisman, fueled by a big chorus.  A really solid effort especially when things got a little heavier.

Bottom Line: A nice outing By Hitchcock, which will definitely warrant me checking out some of his previous material.  This guy sang his ass off on this record.  Same thing applies for Martensson, because this guy can rip.  He is a good songwriter as well.  I just thought that the CD got a little too happy for me, in places.  This CD is a melodic rocker's wet dream come true.  Ear candy for days. 

Standout Tracks: This is the Moment, Strong Enough, Summer Nights in Cabo & How to Stop.

- Ragman needs to go to the dentist...

Jorn - Live in Black (Double CD/DVD)

It is no secret that Jorn Lande is one of the best vocalist in Hard Rock/Metal today.  The guy delivers with every studio record, as well as with each live opus.  The guy keep himself extremely busy, by fronting his solo band, Masterplan as well as sharing vocals on the Allen/Lande project, with Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen.  That being said, the man has delivered once again with a new live album entitled Live in Black.  And this ain't no ordinary live package either, because it boasts a 2CD set with an accompanying DVD.  I gotta say, this is one hell of a package, that would give any Jorn fan wood.  You get the best of both worlds, with the audio as well as the video.  It don't get much better than this.

Live in Black is a 14 track set, that Jorn and his band recorded at the Sweden Rock Festival last year.   The set list consist of mainly newer material, but with a few gems thrown in for good measure.   Make sure to check out his rendition of the Thin Lizzy classic Are You Ready, it rocks!  Jorn and his band, totally electrify the listener with the classics sounding better than ever live.  I have to say that this live CD sounds sonically better than any other live CD in recent memory.  The production on these disks is flawless, and the songs sound as heavy if not heavier than they do on the original studio recordings.  The track Below is a perfect example, because it sounds amazing and is sure to get your head banging. 

The DVD portion of the package is amazing as well.  Jorn and the band put on a killer show visually as well.  This band is awesome because all of the member are very talented musicians.  The filming of the DVD was done very tastefully, which lends to a very enjoyable view.  My only critique on this package, is that the set list  included 2 guitar solos as well as a drum solo, in lieu of more tunes.  I love a good guitar solo like the next guy, but for a live disk, I want more songs.  Other than that, there is nothing wrong with this package.

Bottom Line: Jorn doing what he does best - Rocking our balls off.  A great live package that will stay in the rotation for awhile.  It is always refreshing to hear a guy and his band sound as good live as they do in the studio.

Standout Tracks: We Brought the Angels Down, Below, Rock n Roll Angel and Spirit Black

-Ragman thinks this may be the most solid package of the year.

Trivium - In Waves

It's not a revolutionary album by any means, but it'll rock your ass pretty good, tell you what.It may seem silly to mention, but the cover for Trivium's latest album looks more like a minimalist poster for some new, atmospheric horror movie rather than the band's fifth studio album. And interestingly, the first track on the album seems to fit that mode with it's haunting piano, as if it were lifted from the next Silent Hill soundtrack.

But [Matt] Heafy and company's latest offering to the metal genre, In Waves, is more concerned with rocking the shit out of you than making you fear what's lurking around the next corner. And they do it with all of the bombastic energy and conviction you'd expect from the Floridian metal masters. There are a precious few in the current crop of young metal bands that tastefully blend the right elements of what's worked before in the genre without seeming like a throwback.

It's one thing to realize that speed is king once again, and that thrash is an enduring component of brutal, metal music. But Trivium makes sure to incorporate these elements as technique rather than gimmick, which shows them to be true fans of as well as creators of metal.  By the same token, many will no doubt criticize the band for not taking the next step in its evolution like some experimental prog band.  But look at the albums of Trivium's biggest 80s era influences (Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, et al) and I'd wager you didn't find much evolution in their music - and that didn't hurt them much at all.  Not every new album has to burst through boundaries, and there's something to be said for churning out respectable, dependable product.  Okay, off the soapbox. 

The Bottom Line: Trivium's new album may seem to some like a step backward for a band that's stood out in the post-metal-resurgence world, with the likes of Children of Bodom, as part of the new guard that's flying the flag of old school metal with a new school sensibility.  Sure, solos are more restrained - they've shown they have the chops - and production is less raw, but I dig what I hear, okay?   We get it, old school is cool, but this is the 21st century, is it not? I mean we're not talking Kanye 'Auto Tune' West-level overproduction here.

Standout Tracks: Dusk Dismantled, In Waves, & Black

- Genghis is ready for some more new metal releases...