Podcast #116: Ticket

With Dee Simon, it's class all the way. Take it sleazy, people.Are ticket prices too high (hell yes!)?  Who's raising the rates, the artists or TicketBastard Ticketmaster?  Join Genghis and Ragman as they discuss the current state of ticket prices.  Are the artists pricing their fans out of the market?  Tune in and find out.  Next, the boys bring in fellow podcaster Dee Simon from the Sick and Wrong podcast, who discusses his show as well as his love for Der Teufel's musik.

DVD of the Show: Bullet for My Valentine - Live at the Brixton

Beer of the Show:  Infinium Ale   Rating:  3.5

Featured Tracks:  James Labrie - Euphoric; Bullet for My Valentine - 4 words; Aiden - Killing Machine; The Absence - Enemy Unbound; Ozzy - I Want it More; ZZ Top - Jesus Just Left Chicago;  Iron Maiden - The Alchemist; Alter Bridge - The Ghost of Days Gone By; Kiss - Rock N Roll Hell; Accept - Balls to the Wall

Genghis' Pick of the Show:  Allen/Lande - Never Again

Ragman's Pick of the Show:  Amorphis - My Sun

Classic of the Show:  Cheap Trick - I Can’t Take It

- Ragman is workin' it on the fly...

Podcast #116: Ticket

We're on UStream, ya know

Aren't you glad this isn't in HD right about now?In case you weren't aware, Genghis & Ragman's UStream channel over on ustream.tv's site is where we sometimes stream the recording of our podcasts, usually anywhere from 8:00pm - 11:00pm (CST), Thursday nights (on the weeks we record).  I usually tweet such events, so be sure to check over yonder ocassionally.

We recently recorded a show on the topic of Revolver's Annual Golden God Awards, discussing the picks that Revolver made and who we would vote for if they asked us.  Hey, you think they might, next time?

- Genghis just tries to help...

Los Podcasticos

We're working on some cool new content, like the return of The Metal Minute, new shows with more diverse topics and guests, and a little tweaking to the format.

In fact, our next show, posting this weekend, will feature an interview with a fellow metalhead, Dee Simon, of the Sick And Wrong podcast.  I've been listening to his show for a while now, and he's definitely a fan of the metals.  I sat down to a little confab with Dee to discuss his former DJ spot on Rampage Radio and his penchant for tattoos, Motörhead, Yngwie, Testament, black metal and whatever else came to our fevered minds, so please check it out.

Keep the faith, and keep those HORNS UP!

- Genghis is definitely looking to get that iPad 2 (and the new Garage Band for the iPad!)...

Madlife - Angry Sonnets for the Soul

Imagine Linkin Park if they had actual talent and a respect for music like these guys.I have to say, I was a bit leary when I read the press release for new-comers Madlife, because any band compared to Linkin Park, is generally not going to sit well with yours truly.  Yes, there was a time that I dug LP, but that was a long, long time ago.  Madlife have just released their debut LP on Universal/Fontana, and their sound is a hybrid of that late 90's industrial buzz music, mixed with hard rock.  The band's sound is reminiscent of LP, but with more melody and a classic hard rock vibe.  The first single on the record is a track called Be Tomorrow, which has a really catchy chorus and a great melody.  The song is heavy and a little poppy, and will be destined for radio.  It kind of reminds me of the more modern sound of Motley Crue.  Vocalist Angry Phill sounds a little like Chester from LP, but with more balls.  The songs are catchy and have a pop sensibility to them, while remaining heavy.  There are elements of the industrial, with some sampling involved, but I think the hard rock vibe that they generate, will help them stand apart form other bands in the genre.  Not a bad CD which should get better with more spins.

Bottome Line: Industrial rock with a hard rock flavor.  Linkin Park with balls and much more melody.  It would be intersting to hear these guys if they were to drop the whole industrial buzz sound and go strictly hard rock.  Now that would be cool.

Standout Tracks: Be Tomorrow, Everyone, Feeling Alone and There I Stand

- Ragman is wondering why Phill is so angry...

Distorted Wonderland (self-titled)

A solid hard rock band with a bit of an identity crisis. Think Marylin Manson playing Mötley Crüe.Don't judge a book by it's cover, my mom always says.  Well that is exactly what I shouldn't have done, when I put in the new disc from Distorted Wonderland.  Not knowing what these guys were about, I was convinced by their press photo, that they were some sort of goth/industrial band.  I wasn't sure what to think, but thought I should give them a listen based on the killer artwork on their debut CD on Jamsync Music.  Well, what I got was nothing like I expected, because instead of hearing a band that sounded like Manson or Rob Zombie, I got a band that sounds like Mötley Crüe.  How cool is that?  This band mixes the best aspects of old school 80s style hard rock with the new modern sounds of today.  Don't get me wrong, they're nothing like Bullet for My Valentine, they're are a tried and true Glam hard rock band with some modern elements.

The CD starts with the lead single Raised on Rock N Roll, which is an up-tempo rocker with an infectious chorus that will get in your head and not let go.  Top notch hard rock!  The rest of the CD follows suit track after track giving you some of the best rock I've heard in a while.  If I were to compare these guys to a classic band, it would probably have to be Ratt.  These guys write their riffs in a similar way to the rodents, which parlays into the cool tracks Slave of My Desire and Guillotine Babies.  There is a nice mix on the CD and the majority of the tracks are strong.  There is a little hint of a goth vibe, but for the most part, this is just pure hard rock.  My only critique of this CD, has to be the production.  The sound is a little thin, but other than that, this one is a keeper.

Bottom Line:  Solid hard rock, with a slight modern edge.  Well written songs, with big hooks and killer riffs.  Too bad the production wasn't better.

Standout Tracks: Raised on Rock No Roll, Losing It, Slave of My Desire and Never Had Nothing and Behind the Scenes.

-Ragman has learned his lesson and will no longer judge, well at least for today....