Podcast #123: Missed

Seriously, this guy is one bad motherfucker on keys and guitar. And he knows how to wear a "show me your tits" hat like no other.Do you ever think you have missed the boat with a classic artist?  There are several classic artists that have had successful careers and are staples in the hard rock/heavy metal genre, but do you own any of their albums?  Join Genghis and Ragman as they discuss some of the artists that they never really got into, and why.  Next, guitar virtuoso Tony McAlpine joins the guys for a heart to heart, discussing his first solo CD in almost 11 years as well as what he has been up to since leaving the Steve Vai band.

Featured DVD: Crue Fest - Vol.1

Beer of the Show: Scaldis - Refermente  (Beer Rating: 3)

Featured Tracks: Coldspell - Heroes; Papa Roach - Hollywood Whore;  Ratt - Scene of the Crime; Yes - Miracle of Life; Deep Purple - Knocking on Your Back Doorl; Dream Theater - Stargazer; Black N Blue - Wicked Bitch; Yngwie Malmsteen - Déjà Vu; Judas Priest - Devil’s Child; Tony McAlpine - Peruvian Power Layback, Fire Mountain, Serpens Cauda, Dream Mechanism, The Dedication, and Tears of Sahara

Classic of the Show: Probot - Century to Sin

Ragman Pick of the Show:  Glamour of the Kill - Dying from the Inside

Genghis Pick of the Show:  Children of Bodom - Relentless Reckless Forever

- Ragman is feeling instrumental...

Podcast #123: Missed

Thick Lizzy

Our own Turtlehead put a spin on an old favorite by marrying the smoky, malted flavor of Guinness Draught with the creamy indulgence of Häagen-Dazs' Java Chip ice cream to create a fantastic milkshake for a horrible Texas summer.  Praise his Southern ingenuity - especially the brilliance of topping it off with alcohol-infused whipped cream 

• 1 (14 oz.) can of Guinness Draught
• 1 (28 oz.) carton of Häagen-Dazs Java Chip ice cream
• Amaretto Whipanol Whipped Lightning
• Chocolate shavings

Blend Guinness and ice cream, top with Whipanol and dress with chocolate shavings.  Arm self with baseball bat in case women are around. Or don't.

- Genghis could sure go for another one of these as the temperature reaches 100°+ again...

The Metal Minute #7

Thought I'd forgotten, eh?  Okay, fair enough.  Well in this installment, we hear of Jag Panzer sadly calling it quits after over 30 years.  But taking the sting out of that news a bit we also hear of a new power trio with Mike Portnoy and John Sykes.  I don't know about you, but I can't wait to hear this new stuff.  Portnoy's on a friggin' tear with this supergroup business.

That's Doctor Bruce Dickinson to you, pal!  What's next, is Eddie gonna start wearing a monocle?

And finally, Sir Oderus Urungus has been ousted from the Red Eye show on FOX News?  What's the world coming to?  I mean what does it do to your ego when you're not good enough to be on a news channel's third-rate version of the Chelsea Handler Show?

Tune in to find out all of this crap on The Metal Minute and keep those HORNS UP!

- Genghis is keeping his fingers crossed...

The Metal Minute #7

Duff McKagan's Loaded - The Taking

How long can you live off your past?  There are a lot of guys that try to live off their past, to establish their own thing.  Some succeed, but some fail miserably.  In the case of Guns N Roses, there have been so many members, that it would take a statistician to figure out who all has been in the band.  The main/original guys are/were Slash, Duff, Izzy and let's even say Adler.  These were the original guys, but do they stay relevant outside of G n R?  Well the jury is out.  Some say yes, some say no and others just don't give a fuck.  Yours truly, is probably in the latter 3rd.  Believe me, I 'll check out anything these guys do, but I'm not going to lick their balls and say it is great because they were in G n R.  Don't get me started on G n R.

Duff McKagan is branching out, as his counterpart Slash, and trying to start his own thing.  Even though they have Velvet Revolver, I'm sure they want to keep busy, during the hiatus.  Like Slash, he has only experienced a moderate bit of success, outside of the G n R regime, but I'm sure he hopes to strike pay-dirt, with his new band Loaded.  The band has just released their 2nd CD, The Taking which hit stores a few months back. 

The Taking has kind of a punk/groove thing going on.  The first song to somewhat grab me was the 2nd tune of the disc Executioners Song.  It is a cool track with a classic Black Sabbath feel to it.  I like the groove, but unfortunately, as with most of the disc, Duff's vocals fall a little short. The one thing is that Duff's vocals start off week, but seem to get better as the CD progresses.  The following track Dead Skin is definitely the best track on the CD.  It is a poppier, more melodic track, which is catchier than anything else on the album.  High point on the CD is the axework from guitarist Mike Sqires.  Dude is not the best guitarist ever, but is very tasteful and adds alot to each track.  Not a bad CD, but not a great one either.  Fans of buzz rock will probably dig this one.

Bottom Line:  A nice mix of buzz rock and punk.  The majority of the songs are catchy, but not spectacular.  For fans of buzz rock, ala Foo Fighters

Standout Tracks: Executioner's Song, Dead Skin and She's an Anchor.

-Ragman is needing sleep......

Nazereth - Big Dogz

Another classic rock sound from one of the classic rock bands, but best suited for die-hard fans.Can you teach an old dog new tricks?  More than likely, no.  And that is the case with most rock bands from back in the day; once they have a sound they stick to it.  The problem is, is it still relevant?  Scottish legends Nazereth have just released their 22nd album in their 40+ year career.  To be honest, I only really know two songs from the band, which are Hair of the Dog and Love Hurts.  I was blown away recently to hear that they have been going consistently, for the most part, for 40+ years.  That being said, the band has just released Big Dogz, which is their 2nd of this decade.  Who knew?  I surely didn't, but I have to say I was intrigued.  Not being the biggest fan of the band, "Hell, I didn't even know they were still together," I was curious to see what they sounded like today.

For you classic rockers, the band is still somewhat intact and the music is still true to what they were known for, back in the day.  The majority of the tracks on the CD sound as if they were written back in the 70's; in the hay day of the band.  I'm not sure if some of the tracks were leftovers from back in the day, or if this is just the way these guys write, but fortunately for them, they work for what they are.   Don't get me wrong, there are some nice hooks, with some catchy melodies, but unfortunately they didn't really grab me.  I have to admit, I was surprised by some of the songs, but the sound got a little too dated for me.  For classic rock junkies only.

Bottom Line:  New classic rock, from a classic band.  A 70s band churning out tunes as if it were still the 70s.  The band still sounds good, but have not adapted with the times, but would you want that anyway?  The songs on this CD are okay, but just fair.  There are a few standouts, but nothing that is going to stick with you.  For Nazereth die-hards only.

Standout Tracks: Big Dogz, Claimed, Radio and The Toast

- Ragman is starting to feel old...