Gillan & Iommi - Who Cares (2 Cd's)

I can't believe a year has passed since Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) released the Who Cares project, for the music school in Armenia.  If you don't remember, the two rock legends teamed up a year ago for charity, and recorded, the now classic tracks, Holy Water and Out of My Mind.  A year later, the two have compiled a 2 CD set of tunes, to continue their support to Armenia.  The CD set, once again, is titled Who Cares.  The CD is made up of rare tracks as well as the two previously released new tracks.  It is a nice mix of tunes from the two, with the selections weighing a little heavier on the Gillan's works. 

I would have to say my favorite pieces come from the unreleased tracks from Iommi and Glenn Hughes.  I'm guessing these were left overs, from the last Iommi solo record, featuring Hughes.  Also, I dug hearing the lesser know track Anno Mundi from the Sabbath album TYR.  That was a treat.  I have to admit, I was more impressed with the Gillan tracks, than I initially thought I would, which was refreshing.  All in all a very nice addition to the collection.  Two rock icons collaborating and making metal magic.  It don't get much better than that.  If that doesn't sell you, remember this is for charity.  If that ain't enough, get it, because it has a killer Deep Purple jam track called Dick Pimple.  Now that is worth the price of admission.

Bottom Line: 2 instant classics, plus some killer rare and unreleased tunes from two rock icons.

Standout Tracks: Out of My Mind, Anno Mundi, Slip Away and Don't Hold Me Back.

-Ragman if there is anymore Iommi/Hughes material laying around..

Queen - Greatest Video Hits

It goes without saying, that Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time.  This band was so innovative and has sculpted much of the music we listen to today.  Recently Eagle Rock Entertainment released a 2 DVD set called Greatest Video Hits, which is a solid collection of music videos from the band.  This package covers the gamut from the first videos, all the way up to The Miracle record.  Much of this material has been previously released, but for this package, the material has been remastered and remixed in 5.1 surround sound.  Not too shabby. 

A solid package that takes the fan through the various phases of the band.  This was a band that did not rest on their laurels, and was always pushing the envelope musically.  Not everything worked, but most of it did.  Very cool to see the evolution of the band during this 2 disc musical adventure.  From performance to concept videos, it's all there.  This is a nice package for the new/casual fan as well as the diehards.

Bottom Line: A video montage from one of the greats.  It truly makes you appreciate the great music these guys left us.

-Ragman wants to ride his bicycle.

Staind - Live From the Mohegan Sun (Bluray)

Hearing this one prior to the visual, had me salivating for this Bluray.  Not being the biggest fan of Staind, I probably would have never picked this one up, but with the strength of the live CD set, it was a no brainer.  When you think of Staind, you think of the slow heavy ballads, and not much else, but after the live experience, you realize that  this band is much heavier, and not just a one trick pony. 

I'm pleased to say that the Bluray holds up to the CD and provides an enjoyable concert experience.   The show is shot with a film look which looks amazing.  Granted, the band is not the most energetic group on stage, but it doesn't matter, because the music does the talking.  All in all a solid view, that is a nice accompaniment to an already strong live disc.  Get the two together and see if you can get them to sync.

Bottom Line: Nu-school metal guys proving that they are more than ballad writers.  These guys bring it live and get heavier than you would ever imagine.

-Ragman has a new respect for this band.

Cloudscape - New Era

These Southern Swedes know how to juice up the ubiquitous genre of progmetal with some cockrock style.Just when you think that you've settled into a genre, some wise guy comes along and shakes it up a little. In this case, we've got Cloudscape. This outfit out of Southern Sweden takes the standard progmetal formula and softens it with a little hard rock looseness while adding back in some death metal vocals for spice to make a potent musical recipe that goes down easy on their latest album, New Era.

And I have to say this formula kicks ass. You get the dynamics of your prog regulars like Dream Theater or Symphony X with their wailing guitar lines and powerful verse sections that builds things nicely. But then the choruses kick in with a melodic hard rock catchiness that I really like similiar to bands like Ark. And just when you're grooving on that, you hear the occasional death metal vocals floating around in the mix, reminiscient of In Flames or Scar Symmetry, that add an extra kick. Oh, and on top of all that, there's a really cool use of more industrial elements wisely made all the more effective by their judicious use. All of these elements blend perfectly into an overall sound that really sounds fresh yet familiar at the same time.

The Bottom Line: I know what I like in the way of metal music, but it's nice to have a band come around every now and then to ease you out of your comfort zone. In the hands of less talented musicians, the ambitious formula of Cloudscape would be a recipe for disaster. Hats off to these guys for making it work so well.

Tracks To Make You Wonder "Where Do They Get These Song Titles?": Silver Ending, Share Your Energy, Kingdom of Sand

- Genghis cannot stop rocking to this CD...

Witchcraft - The Alchemist

If you want old school - as in "has anybody seen the zig-zags?" - then this is the rock band for you.Seems like everywhere you turn there's a band that's hearkening back to that triple OG sound of bands from that tipping point in musical history when rock turned into metal. Some of them actually do a good job of giving you an old school sensibility with a modern sound. But few are so committed they record with all analog equipment like Witchcraft. These Swedes know how to tap into that old sound and make it sound new, and their 2007 album is being released here in America through Metal Blade Records.

The Bottom Line: This is a really authentic sounding record, but you have to go into it expecting that you're gonna hear some raw rock n' roll as if you just stepped through a time warp into the smokey 1970s. I've heard them compared to early Sabbath, but they're really more like The Doors if you ask me. All in all, if you're looking for competent, old school rock (keeping in mind this is old school), you'll prolly enjoy Witchcraft's nostalgiac extravaganza.

Tracks To Make You Want To Grow Your Sideburns Low: Walk Between The Lines, If Crimson Was Your Colour & Hey Doctor

- Genghis is wondering 'who bogarted the lighter, man?'