We're Back!

As you might have noticed, we had a spot of bother with the website a few weeks ago.  Well, it was about time we updated and reorganized anyway even if it wasn't the way we planned on going about it.  But enough of that.

We're actually pretty excited to show you around the new place, including some of the new features here at The Right To Rock.  First, the podcast is back online with a new show: Episode #103, with special guest, Richard Christy, of Charred Walls of the Damned.

Next, we have a Discussions section which allows people to discuss various topics which Ragman and I will post for the listening audience.  The more interesting responses will be featured on future shows and might even get you a little something in return...

We've got a much better way to provide listeners and our guests with links to their sites on a separate Recommended Sites page in order to clean up our once cluttered sidebar.  Speaking of which, the sidebar on the right will contain better information about the CD of the Month as well as my Twitter feed (for whoever actually cares) so you can keep up with what's currently making our heads bang.

We'll add more features as we can, but until then, I'm thinking this will work out better than our old Wordpress site.  Hope you guys like it, and the podcast, and we'll keep on puttin' them out until our necks break from old age at a Megadeth reunion show.  Cool?

- Genghis wishes everyone a mighty HORNS UP!

Podcast #102: Covered

Airbourne has come for your women!What is your favorite album cover of all time? There are so many to pick from, it just may boggle the mind. Join Genghis and Ragman as they discuss their favorite metal artwork and see if they were able to pick just one. Also, the boys pay their respects to the late great Peter Steele (Type O Negative). Next, the boys corner vocalist/guitarist Joel O'Keefe of Airbourne for a one on one, who discusses the band's latest offering, No Guts, No Glory as well as their current tour.

DVD of the Show: Extreme - Boston 2009 (Take Us Alive)

Beer of the Show: Hoogstraten Poorter (Overall Beer Rating - 3.5)

Featured Tracks: Extreme - Decadence Dance; Type O Negative - Love You to Death; Dio - Jesus, Mary and the Holy Ghost; Type O Negative - Summer Breeze/Everything Dies; Poison - Sexual Thing; Iron Maiden - Genghis Khan; In Flames - Ordinary Story; Airbourne - Runnin' Wild; Steel Town - Blonde, Bad and Beautiful and Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast

Ragman Pick Of the Show: Adelita's Way - Invincible

Genghis Pick of the Show: Hellyeah - Cowboy Way

Classic of the Show: Steve Stevens - Pet the Hot Kitty

- Ragman feels he should let you know that this show was recorded before the passing of RJD...

Podcast #102: Covered

Alex Rudi Pell - The Crest

A little heavier edge is nice.There aren't many bands out there that are more consistent from release to release than Axel Rudi Pell.  Yeah, you might get a dud here and there, but for the most part you get a solid product every time.  Another thing about Axel, is that you pretty much know what your going to get every time - Good solid hard rock with a metallic edge.  Since Pell joined forces with vocalist Johnny Gioelli back in 1998, it seems like this guitar virtuoso has excelled as a song writer.  Gioelli's awesome vocal style fits Pell's songwriting to a "T".  ARP is as traditional hard rock, and metal as you can get.  His CD's are full of big catchy riffs, big choruses and smoking guitar solos.  The Crest is Pell's 14th studio album, and could very well be his best.

The Crest explodes with the uptempo rock Too Late, which sets the stage for the CD.  It is a heavy track with a great melody and a strong chorus.  The next track Devil Zone (My favorite), is a traditional metal track fueled by a killer riff.  Once the song kicks in from a mellow intro, Axel comes in with this driving guitar riff that sent me into a head banging frenzy.  It is one of those tunes that just makes the head bang and the fist fly in the air.  The next track is Prisoner of Love, which is destined to be a single on metal radio.  Its got the catchy melody and memorable chorus that will stick in your head for days.  The thing I love about this CD is the heaviness of it.  The majority of the songs are heavier and are mixed with a darker vibe, which is shown on the track Dreaming Dead.  All in all a very solid effort.  I think this could be the best CD Pell has ever put out.  Go get it!

Bottom Line:  Standard Pell, but with a welcomed heavier edge.

Standout Tracks: Devil Zone, Dreaming Dead,  Too Late and Burning Rain.

- Ragman is searching for buried treasure 

Masterplan - Time To Be King

Masterplan - Time To Be KingI have to say I was pretty geeked when I heard that Jorn Lande was back with Masterplan.  Not sure what happened, but I'm glad to hear that the boys have mended the fences and decided to rock together again.  Even though MKII rocked (The CD they did with former Riot vocalist Mike DiMeo), unfortunately the CD received mixed reviews, which left the fans clamoring for Jorn to rejoin the band.  Well 3 years later, Jorn has rejoined the band and they have just recently release their fourth CD titled Time to be King.  If your not familiar with Masterplan, they are powermetal band that was formed by ex-Helloween guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch back in 2003.  With the return of Lande, there will be high expectations placed on this new CD; lets see if the new disk will live up to the hype.

Time to be King blasts off with the killer track Fiddle of Time, which is an uptempo metallic rocker, which is full of melody and bound to be a staple in the band's set list.  It is great to hear Jorn back with the lads, DiMeo did a great job during his short tenure in the band, but there is nothing like the original.  The next track to kick my ass is the first single on the CD Far From the End of the World.  This track is also up-tempo rocker, fueled by Jorn's strong vocals and a very memorable chorus.  Killer track.  The interesting thing about this CD is that it has the classic Masterplan sound, mixed with Jorn's solo band.  It sounds like Jorn injected more of his sound into the mix with this release.  Once you check out the title track, you'll hear what I mean, because it sounds like it could have come off of one of Jorn's solo efforts.  All in all a solid effort, even though I think the latter part of the disk is not quite as strong as the first 6 tunes.  The last 4 tracks are good, but not as strong as the first 6.  Not sure if the CD was put together in stages or if the songs came from different sessions, but for the last 4 tracks, the band didn't bring their "A" game.

Bottom Line: Jorn is back in Masterplan, need I say more?

Standout Tracks: Far From the End of the World, The Dark Road, Time to be King and Lonely Winds of War

- Ragman has a plan...

Pearl - Little Immaculate White Fox

Pearl - Little Immaculate White FoxWhat do you do if you're the daughter of Meat Loaf and the fiancee of mosh master Scott Ian (Anthrax)?  Form a band and put out a CD, of course.  Well that is exactly what this former back up vocalist, for her dad and Motley Crue, has recently done with her debut CD Little Immaculate White Fox.  Pearl Aday has lived the life of a rocker since the day she was born.  She literally grew up in recording studio's and on the road; during the height of her father's career.  Pearl's influences run from AC/DC to Janis Joplin.  Actually if you look at the cover of her CD, it will remind you of a Joplin record.  Pearl was named after Joplin's nickname, by her biological father, who played drums in Janis' Full Tilt Boogie Band.  For her debut, Pearl enlisted a heavy arsenal of musicians to help her out like Scott Ian, Ted Nugent and Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains).  Even though this CD has all of the makings of a new millennium version of Janis Joplin, Aday has many other influences to make this hopefully a rockin debut.  Let's see if it rocks.

LIWF begins with track Rock Child, which is an autobiographical tune about Pearl's upbringing.  It is a uptempo rocker that oozes with 80's flair.  It actually has a Motley Crue blues vibe to it, and is an adequate way to start the CD.  The next track Broken White, is not as strong and actually will make you reach for the FF button with lightning speed.  It is a midtempo blues rocker full of cheesey lyrics.  The next 3 tracks, Nutbush City Limits, Check Out Charlie and Mama are probably the strongest tracks on the CD.  Nutbush and Charlie are killer rockers with cool riffs and catchy melodies.  Mama is a bluesy type classic rock ballad that flows well and is very soulful.  After track 7, I began to lose interest in the CD, because I don't feel the songs were as strong as they were on the first half of the CD; with the exception of Broken White, which I didn't dig.  All in all not a bad CD.  There are some highs and lows, but I think the highs win out.  The one track that sticks out like a sore thumb, is the Punk inspired Whore.  If the track were good, I would show some mercy, but Aday is out of her element on that track and it just doesn't work.

Bottom Line: A surprisingly good debut with a nice mix of 70's and 80's blues rock.  LIWF is a strong enough debut that Pearl will be able to stand on her own without be in the shadows of the Loaf.

Standout Tracks: Nutbush City Limits, Check Out Charlie, Mama and Nobody

- Ragman is feeling bluesy