Black 'N Blue - Hell Yeah

It seems like a lot of veteran bands are resurfacing with new material in 2011.  Thanks to the folks over at Frontiers, we are able to get new music from the bands we love.  The latest group to put out new product, is 80's rockers Black 'N Blue.  I've been a fan of this band since the first time I read about them in Kerrang some 25+ years ago.  Kerrang did a feature on them right before they released their debut album, and ever since then, I have been hooked. 

Just like so many bands of that era, they hung it up in the late 80's, but have gotten back together in the last 5 years or so.  The band has resurfaced a few times over the years, and promised to deliver a new record, as far back as 2003, but for reasons unbeknownst to this reviewer, it new was released.  That being said, the band is back and reunited, minus ex-lead guitarist Tommy Thayer (Kiss), and trying to get back on the horse with their first studio release in 20+ years, Hell Yeah.

I have to say I was really excited when I heard that the band was back and that Hell Yeah was finally going to be released; my only concern was that Tommy Thayer was not involved.  It wasn't because Thayer is this monster shredder, rather it was for his killer song writing skills.  Thayer played a big part in the band's sound back in the day, so without his song writing credits, I was worried how this one might come out.

The CD is a mix of mid-tempo and up tempo rockers with a a ballad thrown in for balance.  The songs for the most part are good, but not great.  I would say about half of the record kicked my ass, whilst the other half just came off as mediocre.   The signature BnB sound is their, but without some of the catchy-ness and melody, that they had back in the day.  The songs on this CD seem more organic and raw, and unfortunately don't come out and grab you.  I will say with each listen I get into this one a bit more, but I'm not sure for how long.  At times the listener feels like these songs were rushed and not given the proper time to mature.  Not a bad CD, but not a great one, by any means.  Essenential for Black in Blue fans, but not sure how far it wil go from there.

Bottom Line: Black 'N Blue trying to re-capture their signature, but off by a little bit.  An album that is about half good and half mediocre. 

Standout Tracks: Hell Yeah, Monkey, Fools Bleed and So Long.

-Ragman stills loves him some B 'N B.

King Kobra - S/T

Its been 25 years since the original lineup of King Kobra has recorded an album together.  2011 marks the return of King Kobra, minus former lead singer Mark Free.  Mark/Marcie declined an invitation from the band to do a re-union record, so they got the next best thing, veteran rock vocalist Paul Shortino.  If there was anyone that could replace Free, and totally pull it off, it would have to be Shortino.  I have to say, when Paul mentioned it on our show, months ago, I was totally blown away and geeked beyond belief.  This re-union has been a long time coming, and though some thought this day would never come, it has finally arrived.  The boys re-convened months ago to record the first KK record in 10 years, and the finished product is simply called King Kobra.

The CD is comprised of some new tunes as well as some left overs from back in the day.  I think the split is probably about 50/50, but that is my guess.  The overall vibe of the record is classic KK.  Some of the songs on this disk definitely have an old school vibe, which the boys pull it off without a hitch.  The other songs incorporate more of a blues vibe, and I think that is highly attributed to the addition of Shortino.  Check out the bluesy track, We Got a Fever, to get a taste of the nasty blues rock the Kobra is dishing up.  You'll need a couple napkins to clean up after this one.  

Another interesting element to this record is the influence Paul brings to the table.  Not sure how the writing process worked for this record, but you can hear Paul's influence, especially on the track Turn Up the Good Times, which sounds similar to something Paul did with Quiet Riot, back in the day.  Definitely a good thing.  Never fear though, because the boys have come up with some new KK classics like the emotional Live Forever, which brings back the signature guitar harmonies from David Michael Phillips and Mick Sweda.  Sweet!  A very solid return from a band that should have been bigger than they ever got.  Go get this one.

Bottom Line: This is the record that should have come out after Ready to Strike, because the vibes are similar.  Solid melodic hard rock from a veteran band.  Great catchy tunes that will keep you coming back for more.

Standout Tracks: Live Forever, Midnight Woman, Tear Down the Walls and We Got a Fever.

-Ragman is wondering if the boys are looking for their peroxide...

Negligence - Coordinates of Confusion

Avoiding the sophomore jinx deftly, the Slovenian thrashers turn out a damn fine effort.Slovenia thrashers Negligence have just released their sophomore CD, Coordinates of Confusion.  If you're not  familiar with the band, then their sound can best be described as being rooted in early 80's style thrash, albeit with a fresh, more up to date sound.  The band isn't breaking any new ground, but their music is strong enough that it doesn't matter.  Most of the songs on Coordinates are midtempo with thrash elements.  So, it has that classic 80's thrash sound where melodies are mixed in with the heaviness.  Personally, I like that they've gone to that sound, rather than going with a [more predictable] full on death/thrash type vibe.

The majority of the songs on Coordinates, start off thrashy before settling in to midtempo, heavy rockers.  The songs have a certain common formula, but they do the job.  I have to say the highlight of this band, and the CD, are the vocals of singer Alex Skofljanec.  Alex has a nice mix of gruff and clean vocals, at times reminiscent of a young James Hetfield.  The songs are well written and catchy, with some of them sounding a bit like early Metallica.  The band does a nice job of combining thrash with melody, which is most apparent on the track Addicted to Aggression.  All in all, a solid release.  I was glad to see the band didn't suffer from the sophomore jinx.  I can see this one growing on me with repeated spins.

Bottom Line:  Classic thrash played by some new schoolers.  Thrash played at a mid-tempo speed, combined with some nice melodies.  Definitely a great CD to bang your head to.

Standout Tracks: Disharmony, Addicted to Aggression, Insane Asylum and The Q Box

- Ragman is feeling a little proud right now...



Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74 - BluRay

Rory Gallagher is one of those guys that you constantly scratch your head and say what if.  Like many of the great ones that pass before their time, you always wonder what they would sound like today.  For those of you that aren't aware, Rory Gallagher was a smoking blues rock guitarist, from the 70's, who influenced countless guitarists.  Rory was from same mold as Hendrix, but unfortunately didn't make it on the grand scale that Jimi did. 

Irish born Gallagher, was a guitar god in his native land of Ireland.  He also did really well internationally, but with his career ending so quickly, he never became the household name that he should have.  Well that is all about to change, because Eagle Rock Entertainment is in the process of re-issuing Gallagher's catalog, remastered.  How cool is that?  The re-issues started about a year ago and will keep on coming.  The latest item to be restored is the incredible concert film Irish Tour 74'.

Irish Tour 74' is a film documenting Rory's tour around Ireland back in 74'.  This film actually played in theaters back in the day, but has just recently, seen it's first release on BluRay.  It is an excellent film which contains live footage as well as some behind the scenes.  I think one of the things I like most about the film, other than the live performances, were Gallagher's narrations.  Gallagher explains what it is like on the road, as well as what it was like touring Ireland at the time.  There are lots of cool behind the scenes footage, but my favorite was when he gives the viewer a mini guitar lesson. 

This DVD really gives you a sense of what a good person this guys was, as well as what a talented musician he was.  And, oh so talented.  The film is crystal clear and the audio is spot on.  There are a few times that the music gets a little distorted, but not enough to distract you.  This was a great view that will stay in the rotation.  I challenge you not to buy some of Rory's music after viewing this one, because it will be virtually impossible.

Bottom Line: A great movie to familiarize yourself with one of the better blues players of our time.   Not only do you get some killer live footage, but you get to see how things were back in the day.  If you dig hard blues guitars then this one is for you.

-Ragman is craving a Guiness.

Timo Tolkki - Saana Warrior of Light (part 1)

The amazing Tolkki works out his classical jones in an effort that could possibly alienate his fans.Timo Tolkki was once the driving force behind power metalers Stratovarius, but since his departure from the band, he has been shredding with power metal outfit Revolution Renaissance.  At one time, Tolkki was slated to be one of the breakout guitarists of the genre before suffering a mental breakdown.  Towards the end of his time with Stratovarius, Tolkki started experimenting with operatic and classical themes that just didn't fit well with the band, but he made it apparent that was a direction he wanted to explore further. 

Tolkki has just released his latest project, Saana Warrior of Light, where he explores his classical side once again.  At the risk of sounding too critical, all I can say is that Saana was a major disappointment.  I wasn't sure what to expect with this record, but hoped it would be better that what I got.  The CD is a mix of classical and operatic compositions.  The music is stale and the vocals are mediocre at best.  As far as guitars go, forget about it because there aren't any (well, not too many).  Don't get me wrong, I'm open-minded enough to enjoy music for what it is, but I do have one stipulation; it has to be good.  This CD starts off boring and quickly becomes annoying; I hate to admit this, but the CD was so bad I had to turn it off about 75% of the way in - I couldn't take anymore.   I better not say any more so this review doesn't get too ugly.  Purchase this one with caution.

Bottom Line: Timo Tolkki trying something new and not succeeding, with a record that will probably alienate his core fans.  Had the songs been more memorable and the vocals been stronger, this might of worked, but the jury's still out on that one.

Standout Tracks: NONE

- Ragman will not be anticipating part 2...