CD of the Month
  • Mudvayne
    Mudvayne
    by Mudvayne
Inspiration
  • Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground New Edition
    Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground New Edition
    by Michael Moynihan, Didrik Soderlind
  • Retribution
    Retribution
    by Shadows Fall
  • Brutal Legend
    Brutal Legend
    Electronic Arts
Thursday
Sep292011

Candelight Red - The Wreckage

Every now and then a new band comes along to stir things up in the modern rock catalog. Now, it's Candlelight Red.It's not everyday that a new band comes along and gives you a swift kick in the arse, and there's a certain satisfaction that occurs.  As you may know, I'm always on the lookout for a killer new band to blow me away, and the latest discovery is called Candelight Red.  They're right out of the Buzz Rock handbook, but with more of an edge. 

Sounding a bit like a cross between Papa Roach/Linkin Park/Bush, their debut record The Wreckage, is 10-track (if you count the intro) modern rock marvel.  The songs are well-written and very memorable.  Take the strongest aspects of each of the aforementioned bands, mix them together, and you get Candelight Red. 

For the most part, the CD is basic modern rock (with an edge), but on the track Medicated the band explores their heavier side.  This song is an uptempo rocker that is more in line with bands like Bullet for My Valentine and In Flames than the ones mentioned previously.  I gotta say I loved the other parts of the CD, but this track sent me over the top.  They may excel as a modern rock band, but they just explode when they heavy things up.  One last note, I have to mention that the band covered 80s pop rockers Roxette's She's Got the Look and just killed it.  I never thought I would hear that one on a hard rock/metal record.  Ballsy, and I like it.  A killer release.

Bottom Line: New rockers mixing it up a bit and creating a solid debut.  A new band with a lot of promise.  Solid tunes that will stay in your head for days.

Standout Tracks: The Dirt, Closer, She's Got the Look and Medicated

- Ragman is trying to make his quota...

Thursday
Sep292011

Michael Schenker - Temple of Rock

A return to form by one of the masters, Temple of Rock showcases Herr Schenker doing what he does best. Ausgezeichnet!As his fans well know, Michael Schenker, whose influence runs deep within the hard rock/heavy metal community, has had a long successful career as a guitarist.  Being a member of Scorpions and UFO, as well as the founder of MSG, Michael has given his fans lots of shredding over the years.  And while Schenker records have been kind of hit and miss over the last several years due to unstable line ups, his latest offering, Temple of Rock, may well be his return to form. 

The new disc has an all-star lineup with Michael Voss (Casanova) on vocals, Herman Rarebell (Ex-Scorpions) on drums, and Pete Way (UFO) on bass.  If that weren't enough, Michael re-unites with Robin McAuley for the killer track Lover's Sinfony.  I believe this is the first time the two have collaborated since the Mcauley/Schenker years.  Another killer tune in which Schenker re-unites with former a vocalist (Doogie White) is the mid-tempo rocker Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

Temple of Rock is chock full of killer melodic, hard rock tunes, boasting great melodies and memorable choruses.   Voss executes each song without a hitch, and I really dig this tandem.  These two definitely have a chemistry together - which may be the best match up since he was working with Mcauley.  Songs like Miss Claustrophobia and Scene of Crime are instant classics.  Now before I end this review, I also have to comment how good Schenker sounds on this release.  Michael rips more than I've heard from him in some time.  He really seems inspired and his hard work has definitely paid off.  This is simply a solid release from start to finish.

Editor's Note: Temple of Rock, could have been CD of the month, if it hadn't already been taken.

Bottom Line:  Solid songs driven by hard-hitting riffs make for the most complete Schenker record in sometime.  An all-star cast helps the master create one of his most intriguing, enjoyable records that will be hard to get out of the deck.

Standout TracksBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead, Scene of the Crime, Miss Claustrophobia and Storming In

- Ragman has been air guitaring to this one all week...

Thursday
Sep292011

Saga - Heads or Tails Live

A decent live album that could've been a lot better. Pity they didn't wait a little later to have Sadler return to the fold.I was never the biggest Saga fan growing up, but have come to appreciate their music more over the past few years.  The first full length CD I had heard from them was their 2009 release, The Human Condition, and I gotta say I really dug it. So when their new live album was released, I knew I wanted to check it out.   Heads or Tails was the band's 5th studio album which came out back in 1983.  For the 25th anniversary of that release the band decided to do a live recording of the full album - but this time, with a different vocalist. 

Editor's Note: Rob Morratti replaced original vocalist Michael Sadler in 2008, but has since been replaced by the original vocalist Sadler, in 2011.

Sonically the CD sounds well, but it didn't do as much for me as the last studio release.  I'm not sure if it lost some of its flavor due to the fact that Sadler didn't sing on this release.  Moratti is a great vocalist, and sounded great on the last studio release, but on this one I think he was just weak in some areas.  Not being familiar enough with Heads or Tails, I can't really make the judgement, but something was definitely lacking on this live recording.  The band as a whole sounds great, and I did get into this record, but unfortunately it just didn't blow me away like I was hoping.

Bottom Line:  A good release from the band, but should have been done once Sadler was back in the fold.  Incredible musicianship throughout the disc, but some of the songs fall a little short vocally. This one might have been better had the band just recorded a regular show which encompassed the entire catalog.

Standout Tracks: Intermission, Cat Walk, Social Orphan and The Sound of Strangers

- Ragman is on the loose...

Wednesday
Sep282011

Gary Moore - Live at Montreux 2010

What could have been?  That is a question I ask myself everyday, when I think of fallen rock soldiers.  Gary Moore is one of the more recent rock soldiers to leave us, and it still pains me to think about it.  Gary was such a great musician, and it is ashame to see such a great talent leave us, but it must of been his time.  That being said, he left us some great music to remember him by, and the latest is his last live recording from the Montreux Festival in 2010.  Gary had played the festival for many years, but to the best of my knowledge, this was the first and last show where Gary began to embrace his hard rock roots again.

Live at Montreux includes a blistering 11 track set from the axeslinger, in which he rocked out the crowd with some heavier tunes from his past.  The set also included  (3) new tracks from an upcoming hard rock record that Gary was working on, before his untimely passing.  This is a great set in which Gary and his band sound great.  It is interesting, because Gary sounds like a man possessed, with all of the furious licks, he poured out that night.  It was nice to hear Gary rock again.  It had been too long.  This is essential for all hard rock fans.

Standout Tracks: Empty Rooms, Miltary Man, Days of Heroes and Out in the Fields

Bottom Line: Gary Moore shaking the blues and rocking again.  The new tracks premiered on this one, will get you salivating for more, but unfortunately this is all we'll get.

- Ragman - R.I.P. Gary.  We miss you.

Wednesday
Sep282011

Rainbow - Live in Germany 1976

It is surprising that the strongest incarnation of Rainbow only recorded one studio album together, Rising.  The rumor mill might suggest that is was 1 1/2 (Long Live Rock N Roll - Rumors suggest that the original band might have put together a few tracks, before they made a line up change), but who really knows.  That being said, Eagle Rock Entertainment has just released a live collection of this classic line-up, on their only tour together, called Live in Germany 1976

The 2 disc set includes a best of from the band's first 2 albums, as well as a Deep Purple classic Mistreated.  The audio was taken from their tour of Germany back in the day.  This includes a solid set, which sounds amazing.  Dio and Blackmore as well as the rest of the band sound great.  Be ready to take a ride, because many of the tracks are extended with lots of jamming.  I really dug how the band took these songs, in so many directions, with the jams that came about within many of the tracks.  Not sure if these were planned or not, but it just showed how well the band was clicking at the time.  It would have been very interesting if this line up would have stayed together, because there is no telling what they would have put out.

Bottom LineA classic live release, from a very underrated band.  Rainbow before they got commercial.  A great introduction if to one of the bands that helped sculpt the music we know today.

Standout Tracks: Stargazer, Catch the Rainbow, Mistreated and Kill the King.

-Ragman wants the visual portion to this one.  It rocks!