Michael Schenker Group - Rockpalast - Hardrock Legends Vol. 2

Nothing beats a classic concert.  Over the past couple of years, the folks over at Rockpalast have released some vintage footage, of some of the great heavy metal/hard rock bands of our time.  Rockpalast was the German version of American Bandstand, but with some major balls.  The latest show to be released from the vaults, thanks to MVD Visual, is a vintage show from the Michael Schenker Group.  This show was filmed in 1981 and predominantly features the band's first album.  It is a killer show which showcases MSG in their infancy.  Nothing beats these classic shows.  It is just ashame that the lineup that recorded their debut is not featured on this recording, but that being said, this is still a killer show.

The footage is from TV and looks really good.  Remember this was filmed in the early 80's, so it is not perfect, but for what it is, it is amazing.  The sound is clear as well as the video.  The best thing about this DVD is seeing Schenker in his prime.  Pretty cool seeing the band play Lost Horizon live (One of my personal faves).  The set list goes presents the first album for the most part in chronilogical order.  The end of the show features some classic UFO songs that Schenker penned.  A killer DVD which takes you back to the day.  Schenker and Co., firing on all cylinders and delivering the goods live.  This DVD is essentail for any rockers collection.

-Bottom Line: MSG in their prime, it doesn't get much better than that.

-Ragman thinks this is the best MSG DVD he has ever seen.

Hell on Earth (At Midnight All Hell Breaks Loose!)

Get your popcorn ready with a slice of cheese, because it is time for another cheesy B movie.  My latest endeavor in the B-Movie spectrum is the Horror/Comedy Hell on Earth.  Hell on Earth is about a guy named Bobby, who is handicapped and lives with his parents, sister and crazy aunt Sadie.  Bobby's parents are complete a-holes, his sister is a first rate bitch and his aunt is a total psycho.  Bobby has some imaginary friends, or are they, whom were summoned by a book of the dead, which was provided to him by his aunt.  The story line is basically that spirits and demons from the underworld are using Bobby, through the book of the dead, to pass back through the other side and release hell on earth.  Sounds complicated, doesn't it?

Hell on Earth feeds off the recent desire to mix comedy with horror.  The acting is okay, but it is what is is, in this type of flick.  The storyline is interesting and the film is actually entertaining.  The movie is low budget, but the make up and special effects are done well.  Some effects are better than others, but you have to remember this is a B-Flick.  The film is shot very well and does not look bad for a B-movie.  The plot is cool, but the acting is okay and gets a little kooky at times, but not enough to take away from the finished product.  Believe me,  this one won't be get nominated for an Oscar, but might just slip into the rotation around Halloween.

Bottom Line: B-Flick that will hold your interest.  A nice mix of comedy and horror with a little cheese on the side.

-Ragman liked this one better than he thought he would.

Almah - Motion

The boys from Brazil do what they do best - shred the hell out of some great metal tunes.I am always pleased when I see that a new Almah CD is released, since they're one of those bands that fly off the radar until new product comes around. The band is the brain child of Angra vocalist Eduardo Falaschi, and Motion marks the 3rd release of a band that really has it all: great songs, great melody and - of course - kick-ass guitars. The twin-axe attack of guitarists Marcello Barbosa and Paulo Schrober is to die for; these cats rip it up on this disc (check out the solo on Bullets on the Altar for a little Cacophony-esque type shreddage)! The coolest thing about this music is that many of these songs would hold up as instrumentals because the axe-work is so amazing.  To top it off, you have the killer vocals of Falaschi to bring everything together.

Motion is nicely varied, featuring classic power metal tunes as well as heavier tracks that lean towards the death metal genre: check out the brutal track Zombies Dictator to hear what I mean. It's a machine gun pummeling track that will leave a chill in your spine and a crick in your neck. Like the past two releases, this one picks up where the previous one left off while bringing it up a notch. The musicianship on this record is amazing.  I like this direction.  A solid release from start to finish!

The Bottom Line: Almah stepping it up a notch, getting a little heavier.  Shred-heads will wet themselves after listening to this release.

Standout Tracks: Bullets on the Altar, Days of the New,  Trac of Trait and Daydream Lucidity

- Ragman hasn't air-guitared this hard in years (I think the tips of my fingers are bleeding!)

Scorpions - Comeblack

It will be a sad day when Scorpions hang it up.  The band is on top of their game live, but has suffered on their last couple of releases.  The band's last studio release, Sting of the Tail, was to be their last, but due to the inspiration that they had on the road, they decided to enter the studio and record a new CD.  Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop the clock...  Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, because this is not a CD of new tracks, it is a CD full of covers and re-recordings of past hits.  Rather than pen some new ideas and record an EP, Scorpions decided to cover other artists as well as themselves.  Comeblack is an interesting pairing of classic tunes reworked as well as some interesting covers from their peers.

I have to admit that I was disappointed this was not new material, but was willing to give it a shot.  The CD starts off in fine form with the re-worked version of Rhythm of Love.  I always thought this track needed some more UMPH! and they did it here.  I was never a big fan of the original song, but the new version is much heavier and seems to flow better.  The rest of the re-worked songs are kind of a wash.  Like most bands that have re-worked their classic tunes, it always seems the original is better, which is the case here.  The covers are interesting choices but don't really blow you a way. Tainted Love and Ruby Tuesday came off interesting, but still didn't grab me.  If you're a Scorpions fan you'll see this one as a throwaway or one that will go in the collection, just to say you have it.

Bottom Line: It would be ashame if this were the last recording from the band.  It was bad enough  when I though Sting of the Tail was it, but now with this one, it seems that the band has sank down one more notch.  Thank God the new 3-D Movie rocks.

Standout Tracks: Rhythm of Love, Tainted Love and Ruby Tuesday.

-Ragman is hoping that the band will do one more kick ass record before they hang it up.

Podcast #134: Gee

The legendary Tracy G: The boys don't think you'll find a straighter shooter in the business.What’s better than burgers and beer? Not much, but if you can mix in some metal, then you really have an evening. Join Genghis and Ragman as they discuss some metal news as well as the state of Thin Lizzy - like, are they better or worse without John Sykes? Tune in to find out. Next, the boys check in with the one and only Tracy G for a heart to heart as he discusses his band's latest CD, Controlled Chaos, as well as his upcoming book The Dio Years and Beyond the Skull.

DVD of the Show: Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous (Essential Albums of All Time)

Beer of the Show: Brother Thelonious (North Coast Brewing Co.)
	Appearance: 4.0 Aroma: 4.0 Palate: 4.0 Taste: 4.0 Overall: 4.0	"An American Belgian style ale done right."

Featured Tracks: Blessed By A Broken Heart - Forever; Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation; Thin Lizzy - The Boys are Back in Town (live); Jorn - The Sun Goes Down; Van Halen - She's the Woman; Goaded - Watch the Empire Fall; The Tracy G Group - Babalushi, A Place By the Ocean, He Said She Said & Run For Cover; Dio - Pain & Mistreated

Classic of the Show: Steeler - Hot on Your Heels

Ragman Pick of the Show: White Widow - Cry Wolf

Genghis Pick of the Show: The Intersphere - Sleeping God

- Ragman needs a breather...

Podcast #134: Gee