It's that time again.

"So long, suckers!"Yup, it's that time of year when The Right To Rock staff goes on summer sabbatical. We could say we're recharging our batteries, but who are we kidding? We'll likely come back worse than ever.

In all seriousness, the lads want to wish everyone out there in metal land a happy and safe summer vacation wherever you roam, and they look forward to returning with some new podcasts as soon as they can. So until then...

Horns up!

Mörglbl - Tea Time For Punks

M. Godin et ses amis font un excellent musique ensemble. Écoutez et vous serez surpris.I never tire of instrumental guitar music, you guys know that. And when I reviewed Mörglbl's album Brutal Romance three years ago, I marvelled at French guitar wizard Christophe Godin's fretboard mastery. And to be sure, bassist Ivan Rougny and drummer Aurelian Ouzoulias are also well-respected, endorsed clinicians who deliver in spades.

Tea Time For Punks is as unclassifiable an album from an unclassifiable band as you will enjoy, if you're a fan of bands like Freak Kitchen, Steve Vai, or their guitar primogenitor, Frank Zappa. Basically what I call space rock in that its practitioners sound like they come from fucking outer space in terms of their insane skills. They're just on a whole other level above us mortals in their preternatural mastery of music, plain and simple.

That said, all of the expected playful genre-hopping is here for your enjoyment, with the kind of awe-inspiring synchronicity that great trios are made of. Knee-jerk time signature changes and exotic scales abound in a heavy raucous atmosphere where anything can and does happen, all played with tongue in cheek - which is part of the appeal, as I can never get into anyone who takes themselves too seriously no matter how talented they are. Mörglbl may be musical demi-gods amongst us, but you always feel like you could sit down and shoot the shit with them in some little diner after the show.

The Bottom Line: You pretty much can't go wrong when a trio of seasoned master musicians get together for uninhibited jamming. And Mörglbl's metal fusion style is just the ticket for guitarheads waiting for a new fix during the summer lethargy.

- Genghis aimerait rencontrer ces gens un jour...

Lucifer - Lucifer I

Johanna Sadonis rocks the shit out of some classic Sabbathy tuneage like she stepped out of a bitchin' Stargate. Let's do this!You may recall that when I reviewed The Oath's debut album I was quite impressed with the authentic old school feel of it all. I mean this was some really great tuneage regardless of musical era or influences and such. Sadly, that project never continued past the debut, but luckily vocalist/guitarist Johanna Sadonis began Lucifer, and their first album continues more of that fantastic occult-tinged sound she seems to conjure up so easily - and satisfyingly.

I don't want to say this is just basically The Oath in another form, though the sound is understandably similar. Johanna Sadonis' ethereal voice goes with the music perfectly, giving the whole affair a kind of Heart-goes-proto-metal groove that I couldn't be more into. Helping out with songwriting and guitar work is Garry Jennings (ex-Cathedral/Death Penalty), who gives some tasteful riffing throughout. This thing is classy from the get-go, let me tell you, from the energetic opener Abracadabra to the trippy Morning Star (with a sweet galloping break at 2:46). It's great music that happens to sound like a different era (seriously, it's like someone unearthed an old musical recording vault from the early 70s), rather than just some band aping the sound for a retro cash grab. Authentic and exhilarating from beginning to end.

The Bottom Line: The Oath may have been broken, but Sadonis and company keep the dream alive in her latest outfit Lucifer. Thankfully, with all of the occult-soaked, gothic, protometal vibe intact. Fantastic old school rocking to be had here, folks.

- Genghis will be cranking this album in his new car...

District 97 - In Vaults

Great googly-moogly, prog wunderkinds District 97 have finally released a new album. To the stereo!Oh, frabjous day, District 97's latest album In Vaults has come to brighten up my summer lethargy. I've been all about this Chicago quintet since I heard their sophomore effort Trouble With Machines nearly three years ago. Suffice it to say, I was pleasantly and amazingly caught off guard with some of the best sounding progressive tuneage I've heard in a long time with no small amount of credit going to vocalist Leslie Hunt's brilliant voice. Don't get me wrong, even without Hunt in the equation this is some stellar progressive jamming and no mistake.

The opening track, Snow Country, sets the stage for proving my case with a sinuous riff that sounds like an amazing cross between Genesis and Black Sabbath. Death By A Thousand Cuts escalates things nicely with more chunky rhythyms - I can't get enough of jams like the verse line. Handlebars keeps the proggy train rolling with a tasty keyboard solo (3:27) and some Leslie rotating outro vocal jittering that blends into the bassy beat of A Lottery. The second half of the album, heralded by All's Well That Ends Well's mellow noodling, is where the band turns up the knobs on that old school progressive feel (save for the grungy Takeover that exemplifies the District 97 signature sound). And the coda of On Paper (2:25) is the closest the album gets to its more Liquid Tension Experiment groove many have mentioned before. I think Leslie's voice shines on the wistful opening to the most diverse tune of the album, Learn From Danny, kicking into a Spock's Beard-style guitar solo, then winding its way into some chunk before progging out hard for a bit, finishing with some trippy call-and-response vocal riffing (4:16). Lastly, you'll float away on the high of an eleven and a half minute jam session as Blinding Vision closes out the proceedings. All in all, this is another home run for prog fans with more of what they loved about the previous album. I'm loving it.

The Bottom Line: District 97 is absolutely one of my favorite new progressive bands and their latest album, In Vaults, is a perfect example why: Fearless musical invention executed with flawless ability. If you're a progressive music fan, you've got to be a District 97 fan. 'Nuff said.

- Genghis is sitting by the window awaiting a sign that this band is coming to town...

City of Ships - Ultraluminal

Spaced between Brooklyn and Austin, this trio knows how to blast some alt-rock.City of Ships is a three-piece outfit with members that aren't even living in the same town together. Not that it stops them from making some pretty bitching alternative, post-rock jams on their third studio album, Ultraluminal. And while you'd be tempted to fear a 90s retread, you'd be selling them short. This is pretty good stuff along the lines of a punkier Smithereens.

I only occasionally dabble in noise rock, but while the wall-o'-sound™ thing can sometimes be a turn-off, it's the melodic substructure of this band's music I dig (and it's not . There's a definite almost pop sensibility to the music, as if The Fray or John Mayer were playing their tunes while Mudhoney were also jamming on stage? Somehow it all works, though I am tempted to wonder if turning up the mix to favor the pop side a little more would make those tracks music more rewarding. Still, don't think I'm panning this. Songs like Metadata Blues or Illawarra Escarpment make you realize how good this band is, and that the noise rock stuff is merely one side of their style. Alternative rock may get a lot of shade thrown at it these days, though it's perhaps the fault of writers (Doh! That includes me doesn't it?) who can't seem to properly quantify some bands' sound, but good music is where you find it rather than what you call it.

The Bottom Line: City of Ships is an alternative band with a lean towards a grungier time in music, but there's plenty of good to be heard on Ultraluminal that might be missed if you approach it with a limited musical view.

- Genghis is wondering if these cats might be on to something...