Deep Purple - Live in California 74

The California Jam in 1974, marked a critical point for Deep Purple.  They had recently lost their singer, Ian Gillan, so they had a lot to prove, and that they did.  The California Jam, was the first major appearance by the Mark III line up, which introduced vocalist David Coverdale and bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes into the band.  The show was electric and full of energy.  The set list comprised of songs from their Burn album, as well as a few classics.  The band were on fire that night, and it shows in this recording.

Live in California 74, was previously only released on DVD, but thanks to Eaglerock Entertainment, we now get to enjoy the audio.  I have to say, I'm not real impressed with the sound quality on this disk.  The sound is thin and comes off sounding more like a bootleg, than an official live release.  Thank God the band was on fire, or this one would have undergone a different filing system, if you know what I mean.  The sound is not terrible, but it could be a lot better.  The poor sound quality ends up taking away from the overall listening experience.  I mean, listen to how the band kills on Mistreated and then image if the sound was better, and you'll get what I mean.  Even though the sound quality is off, this one is essential for Purple fans.

The Bottom Line: Deep Purple unveiling the Mark III line up to U.S. audiences for the first time.  A nice document of this classic line up.  Too bad the sound of the disk is subpar.

- Ragman is thinking he needs to see the DVD for this one...

Dio - Live in London (Hammersmith Apollo)

Oh, how I've been waiting for a DVD from this era of Dio - and on BluRay, no less. It is a dream come true, and for most Dio fans this is a lost era of the band. The band was struggling to find their own, after hosting 3 different guitarists within the span of 5 years, so to make an impact Ronnie was having to mix things up a bit. The first piece of the puzzle was to find a new guitarist - and that he did when he locked in on newcomer Tracy G (Ex-WWIII), leading to a 6-year partnership. It also marked the debut of Ex-Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson. And if that weren't enough, it also marked the return of long-time drummer Vinny Appice, making this incarnation a force to be reckoned with, as is apparent in the new DVD release: Dio - Live in London.

The DVD was filmed '92, in London, on the the Strange Highways tour, and that album marked a new darker/heavier direction for the band - and was possibly the heaviest record Dio ever made. Live in London is a great document of that tour and record. First off, the band sounds amazing and was definitely on top of their game for this show. The setlist is a mix of classic Dio, with a heavy inclusion of songs from the Strange Highways album. Of course, there are the mandatory Sabbath and Rainbow tunes included, but for the most part it's Dio solo material.

Live in London is shot very well and the hi-definition video gives the viewer a sense of being in the front row.  The picture is next to perfect, albeit in a 4:3 aspect ratio, and the band all seems to be having the time of their life putting on one hell of a show. Ronnie's vocals are dead on, and Tracy's playing is very impressive. One of the things I enjoyed most about this DVD was Tracy's interpretation of the solos of his predecessors, keeping the basic ideas of Campbell, Iommi and Blackmore, but putting his own spin on them. I have to say, this is one of the better live Dio DVDs I have in my collection. It's simply a must have for any Dio fan. Go get it!

The Bottom Line: Dio proves once again that he is the greatest metal vocalist of all time. And this DVD is a testament to how good this era of the band was, with great musicianship and great songs executed to perfection.

- Ragman can't wait to see what the Dio camp releases next...

Slaughtered Vomit Dolls

Have you ever watched a movie and wondered, what the fuck did I just watch?  Did I really waste an hour and a half of my life on something, and still not comprehend what I just saw?  Well, I have, and on too many occasions.  The latest WTF movie I viewed, was Slaughtered Vomit Dolls.  The movie is about a teenage runaway that suffers from bulimia.  She's a stripper, but also turns tricks on the side to make ends meet.  As her bulimia worsens, she begins to hallucinate, and have visions of her co-workers dying.   Interesting concept, and with the right execution, it might work, but unfortunately for Slaughtered Vomit Dolls, it doesn't.  This movie has no real plot and it jumps all over the place.  There is no consistency at all, which almost makes this one, un-watchable.

Bottom Line: A movie with potential, that never gets to the point.  A movie that will keep you guessing in a bad way, because you never know wha tthe fuck is going on.

-Ragman couldn't rip this on out of the DVD player fast enough.

Hate Crime

Let's face it, The Blair Witch Project, pretty much created a new way to shoot movies.  The realism of someone behind a camera chronicling horrific events, kinda works, and has for several motion pictures.  The unfortunate thing, is that once something hits, then all of the copy catters come out in droves to cash in on the new hot thing.  Fortunately, not all of the copy catter creations come out like shit, but there is still a fair amount that do.  Hate Crime is one of the latest films to come out of this craze, and hopefully it won't suck.

Hate Crime is about a family which has just moved into a new home, and is celebrating their youngest sons birthday.  Of course, they are filming the whole thing.  Wouldn't you, if it were your kid?  Well not long after the festivities commence, things go south, when a band of neo-nazi rapist's break in to the house to join the party.  Who invited these guys?  Not sure, but one thing I do know is that they are pissed off and they are ready to fuck things up.  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Unfortunately, my words are better than the movie. 

The acting in this movie is horrible and comes off very non convincing.  There are some entertaining and disturbing parts, but they are few and far between.  Actually, the trailer made this one look awesome, but the end result was a major let down.  The movie starts off interesting, but after a few minutes, I became bored and couldn't hit the FF button quick enough.  Unfortunately, with this one, the premise was much better than the final product.  It just drug on and on, to a point that I had to hit myself to stay awake.  It is ashame I have to be so harsh, because I was expecting so much more.  Unfortunately, all I was left with, was a full bottle of disappointment.

Bottom Line: Reallity style horror flick, that comes off totally unbelievable.

-Ragman is going to use this one for his new sleep aid.  Time to throw the Quil, in the trash.

Bloody Hammers - Under Satan's Sun

Bloody Hammers know how to capture that groovy occult horror vibe from the 70s, as demonstrated by this awesome poster cover.If nothing else, you've got to admit that North Carolinians Bloody Hammers don't slack. Having formed in 2012, they've released a full-length album every year, bringing us to their third, Under Satan's Sun. And their Sabbath-y, bottom-heavy groove is perfectly augmented by the Southern rock tempos you might expect out of Asheville. Throw in the occult/horror vibe of classic 70s films like Suspiria or The Wicker Man and you're on to something.

Ringleader, Anders Manga embodies the tone of the band completely, his victorian top hat crowning his 'chicken-fried gothic' look. His voice even fits the music well, sounding eerily like a long lost brother of the late Peter Steele. But what matters is that the music has a sound all its own, fitting amongst the scads of other retro bands without sounding like a group of bandwagon hoppers. This is a band tailor-made for the costume party to end all costume parties next Halloween. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll never sounded so cool.

The album is laid out like a horror movie, but it's not necessarily a concept record. The bass is quite prominent on pretty much every track, as if the band was playing in the belly of some great beast. There's a definite Southern rock groove to it, with some cool surf beats thrown in as on The Last Alarm. It all conjures up images of demonic go-go girls gyrating in bone cages while Anders glares at you from under the brim of his hat. Seriously, the music is cool, but the atmosphere is almost another band member in itself. Retro-rockers should definitely check this out.

The Bottom Line: Bloody Hammers knows what sound it's going for and hits the mark perfectly. While the retro train may be getting a little over-crowded, there's always room for those that innovate rather than imitate. So rock on, you groovy ghoulies.

Tracks To Crank While Chatting Up Hot Hippie Chicks At Your Next Kegger: Death Does Us Part, The Moon-Eyed People, Under Satan's Sun and Dead Man's Shadow On The Wall

- Genghis really wants to watch some Groovy Ghoulies now...