Sammy Hagar - Sammy Hagar and Friends

Sadly, I don't get too excited about Sammy Hagar releases, these days.  The Red Rocker died many years ago for me, once he formed the Waboritas.  Since then, he has been closer to a wanna be Jimmy Buffet, than the Red Rocker.  I had hope with Chickenfoot, but they come off a little stale and tired.   Alot of star power, but not a lot of substance.  

In hearing of the upcoming Hagar release, my ears perked up, because it was going to be an album, that was a retrospective of his career.  He was going to do some stuff with Montrose and the original Hagar band as well as try to mend the fence with Van Halen.  Unfortunately, the VH brothers squashed that one, before it got legs.  Since the VH brothers weren't cooperating, Sammy went back to the drawing board and decided to do a record with his friends.  Little did I know, he had so many country friends ARGHHH!!!!

Just as I feared, this album is an abomination.  Okay, to be fair there are a few redeeming qualities, Neal Schon was involved.  When I heard that, I instantly thought HSAS, but got something else.  Neal was featured on two covers.  Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode) and Going Down (Don Nix).  Out of the two, Going Down is probably, the more listenable.  It would have been cool if they would have written something new together, because I think that would have come off better than the covers.

I think the saddest thing for me on this record, is Sammy's increasing love for country music and Jimmy Buffet style island music.  Unfortunately, when the songs, Bad on Ford's and Chevorlets, Margaritaville and All We Need is an Island, come on the stereo, I can't hit the skip button quick enough.  To be fair there are a few listen able tunes, but that is about it.  I know Sam doesn't need the money anymore, so he can put out what he wants, but before he hangs it up, I wish he would put out one more solid hard rock album, just for his core fans.  

Standout Tracks:  Going Down, Knockdown Dragout and Winding Down.

Bottom Line: Sammy, once again, disappointing and sinking further down to where many of us just won't care anymore.  Another subpar record from one the greats.  Hopefully he'll want to rock again and we'll get one more good one, before he hangs up his red sneaks.

-Ragman was bummed to be this harsh, but wanted to be honest.  He just wants his red rocker back.

Def Leppard - Viva! Hysteria

It's hard to believe the Lep's have been around 30+ years.  Man, I'm getting old.  I remember the first time I saw, Bringin on the Heartbreak, on MTV, and instantly falling in love with the band.  They had a solid run for the next few albums, before hitting some rough patches, musically.  Though they've had their ups and downs, over the past 30 years, it is hard to deny that they aren't a great band.  It is up for debate, as to what album put this band on the map, but it would be hard to argue that it is not Hysteria.  Though Pyromania took the band to a new level, it was really the success of Hysteria that catapulted them to the top of the hard rock heap.  

To celebrate their landmark album Hysteria, Def Leppard took up residency at The Joint in Las Vegas and performed the record in its entirety.  The band recorded the show and has recently released it as Viva! Hysteria.  The show is available in a 2CD format as well as on DVD and Blu-ray.  The set list is comprised of the Hysterdia album as well as many well known and less known classics.  It is a solid set list, which makes one wonder, if the band will go into a heavier direction, for their next release.  

The band sound great and extra heavy live.  I was really impressed as to how well they sounded.  Joe Elliot struggles at times vocally, but mainly in the beginning.  By mid-set, he is hitting more of the notes he was missing in the beginning of the show.  I think the best part of this package is the set list, mainly featured on the second disk.  Their are several cuts featured from the first record as well as from High and Dry.  I would have liked to have heard more off of Pyromania, but was good with what was performed.

Standout Tracks:  Mirror, Mirror, Stagefright, Undefeated and Another Hit and Run.

Bottom Line:  The Lep's proving they still got it.  The band sound tight and heavier than I've heard them sound in a while.  This gives me hope for the next studio release.

-Ragman is looking for a Union Jack T.

Asomvel - Knuckle Duster

Oi! This is some kick ass motör-lovin' UK metal an' you better believe it!The retro train keeps on a rollin'. And, in fact, it's been doing so long enough that one might have to question whether this is "a thing", or simply the evolution of rock music happening right in front of us. After all, it's not that the music itself is a bad thing, it's the poseurs that make it annoying.

The lads of Asomvel have been doing their thing for nigh 20 years, so the idea of them being poseurs is ridiculous. And you'll know it as soon as you get a listen, as this is classic British hard rock/heavy metal in the vein of their legendary fellow countrymen Motörhead.

Their second(!) album, Knuckle Duster, marks the triumphant return of a band whose story reads like that of Spinal Tap or Bad News, having actually gone through much of the same trials (multiple drummers, obscurity, etc.) on their way to rock history - even culminating with the tragic loss of one of their founding brothers, bassist/vocalist Jay-Jay Winter in an auto accident. This is as real as metal gets, folks, and you can hear it in their music that's so down and dirty you'll need a pumice stone to wash your hands and face after a listen.

The Bottom Line: This is some authentic, working class metal from the UK happening here. If you're a fan of Ol' Lemmy and company you owe it to yourself to check these Brits out. It's as simple as that. Now somebody beer me! Anybody got a light?

Tracks That Require You Wear A Leather Jacket Or Pants: The whole damned thing

- Genghis always did want a leather biker jacket...

Benedictum - Obey

This is classic American heavy metal so good you'll swear you can smell someone sparking up a doob behind you.Formed back in 2005, San Diego metal band Benedictum has made a name for themselves and it's easy to see why. This is straight ahead American heavy/power metal in the vein of the venerable Ronnie James Dio, one of lead singer Veronica Freeman's inspirations.

Certainly, one of the stand out qualities of the band is Freeman's powerful vocals. This chick can scream and wail with the best of them and makes for a great frontwoman. But that's not to say the others in the band are riding her coattails. There's some great old school heavy metal happening here - enough to catch the ear of Jeff Pilson and Craig Goldy, who were captivated enough by what they heard to get involved in getting Benedictum more attention. Seriously, when you hear this album you'll likely get an instant flashback to those classic live shows of your youth: the colored lights pulsing, the smell of the fog machine, the taste of a cold beer, and the sound of a band that's there to rock the shit out the place. Great stuff.

The Bottom Line: There are very few female-fronted heavy metal bands that are putting out music that's more than just novelty. Like Doro, Veronica Freeman has the chops and the presence to carry Benedictum into its place in metal history. If you dig classic American heavy metal, in all its sweaty, smoky, headbanging glory, Benedictum may be the ticket.

Tracks To Make You Start Searching Local Venues For Upcoming Live Shows: Obey, Crossing Over, Cry, Die To Love You, and Retrograde

- Genghis would let nothing stop him from seeing this band live if they come through town...

Withem - The Point Of You

Guess what? Them crafty Norwegians have started playing around with progressive metal now. And it's pretty good!You don't hear a lot about progressive bands coming out of Norway, but damned if Withem hasn't released a pretty impressive debut with The Point Of You. And luckily they avoid the cliches that most progmetal bands seem to fall into. Instead, you get about an hour of clearly talented musicians that know their away around some odd time signatures, but don't turn it into the "look how we can turn a song on a dime" pissing contest that you normally see in the lesser bands of this ilk.

A big part of this success is due to the great vocals of Ole Aleksander Wagenius, who lends a sophistication that is often lost in the instrumental flurries that are a hallmark of such music. Reminiscient of Enchant's Ted Leonard, Ole's voice (and harmonies) is a vital instrument that compliments rather than competes with the other musicians to exhilarating effect. Aside from that, it's pretty standard progressive metal fare, but avoids the boring, mechanical gymnastics in favor of song-oriented compositions that serve a coherent melody without losing that all-important crunch that helps defines the genre.

The Bottom Line: Proving that there's more to Norwegian metal than just melodeath, Withem does a damned fine job of making some progressive metal that avoids much of the cliches of the genre. Using a steadfastly song-oriented approach gives their music a sophistication that delightfully belies its heavy yet complex, powerful rhythyms. And that is progressive metal, folks.

Tracks That Might Be Impossible To Resist The Urge To Headbang To At Work: Miracle, Burned By Senses, and The Paramount Of Lies

- Genghis sure wishes he could shred - especially after playing guitar for 25+ years...