Modern Superstar - Under My Skin

Modern Superstar is made up from some previous members of Bullet Boys (Ryche Green) and Britney Fox (Jamie Fletcher).  Don't get too excited, because the guys in this band are probably dudes, you are not too familiar with.   Both guys were in later incarnations of these band.s after the originals had departed.  That being said, the two have formed a band to bring back the sounds of hard rock from the 80's/early 90's, but unfortunately it fell a little flat.

Moderns Superstar's debut release is mediocre at best.  The songs are tired and just don't have enough originality to stand on their own.  With the resurgence in this sound over the last few years, some have tried to capitalize, but many have failed.  To make it in the industry today, the sound can be based in that era, but you still need to keep it sounding fresh and I think that is where Modern Superstar falls short.  The songs are okay, but not great.  The only song that I kind of got into was their remake of the Steelherart/Steel Dragon tune We All Die Young from the Rockstar movie.  They sound good on that one, but that was about the only one.

Bottom Line: Average hard rock.  Songs are okay, but not great.  Note: I have a pet peave about song titles, and this one sent me over the edge.  Txt U gud' bye - Really????

Standout Tracks: We All Die Young and Generation Star.

-Ragman needed some aspirin after this one.

The Dwarves - Born Again

It is hard to believe that The Dwarves have been around almost 30 years.   The Dwarves are one of the last original punk bands left in the world today.  These guys are the real deal, and they prove it on their latest CD Born Again.  Not being the biggest punk fan, I wasn't sure how I would like this release, but I ended up loving it. 

The disk is packed full of 18 songs, which mostly don't clock in longer than 2 min. each.  The songs are catchy and the lyrics are sophomoric, but fun.  If you like fast aggressive music with lots of vulgarity, then this is your band.  I was blown away as to how melodic and memorable the tracks on this CD were.  This CD is prefect to put on at a party when there is lots of alcohol flowing.  It would be a hit.  This one is fun when you're sober as well.

Bottom Line:  Punk rock at it's purest and it's best.  Fun melodic songs about debauchery, need I say more.

Standout Tracks: The Dwarves Are Still the Best Band Ever, We Only Came to Get High, Happy Birthday Suicide and Working Class Hole.

-Ragman is exploring his punk side, though there will be no mohawks in his future.

Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy

Pagan's Mind consistently put out solid product.  They are one of those money bands, that you can count on to give you a solid platter of music, from release to release.  IF you're not familiar with the band, you should be, because they are a force to be reckoned with.  The band has a progressive sound, with a really heavy edge.  It has been 4 years since the band's last release, God's Equation, so the band had to dig deep to produce another stellar release, as strong as their last.  Heavenly Ecstasy marks the band's 5th studio release and as its predecessors, it does not disappoint.

The CD starts off strong with the track Eyes of Fire, which is driven by a cool keyboard progression that morphs into a killer heavy melody.  The next track to kick my ass was the mid-tempo track Into the Aftermath, which shows another side of the band, by mixing in some guttural vocals.  They are subdued and not prevalent in the song; but they do add to the heaviness of the track.  Another killer song that mixes in this heavier style vocal, is the killer track Revelation to the End.  The coolest thing about this track though, is the bridge before the solo.  The break starts with a 80's bass lick ala Extreme, before kicking into this sick heavy riff that emulates the flash of the 80's.  Dude I  almost wet myself, when I heard this.  It is that killer. 

Pagan's Mind have a killer way of melding the best elements of power metal, with progressive music.  They have strong melodies with memorable choruses, that will stick with you.  Another thing about this band is the killer musicianship, which is displayed within every release. This is one killer CD, that should not be overlooked.  Great melodies and memorable chorus, topped by some kick ass musicianship.  Great release from start to finish.

Bottom Line:  Solid progressive/power metal, mixed with some heaviness.  Great songs executed to a T.

Standout Tracks: Eyes of Fire, Revelation ot the End, Follow Your Way and Into the Aftermath.

-Ragman has renamed this CD, audio ecstasy.

Who Cares - Single (Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi and friends)

It's been almost 30 years since Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan have collaborated on new material.  The two joined forces in the early 80's, under the Sabbath moniker, on the somewhat controversial Born Again Record.  The record was a commercial disaster, but many years later is now receiving some critical acclaim.  Well the lads have joined forces again, but this time not to form a band, but to help out a charity.   The Who Cares project was formed to help aid the rebuilding of a music school in Armenia.  The project includes a star studded line up, but Iommi and Gillan are the marquee names. 

The single includes two tracks Out of My Mind and Holy Water.  Both tracks are mid-tempo rockers, that mix the sounds of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.  I would say that the opening track Out of My Mind has more of a Sabbath feel, while the more melodic Holy Water has more of a DP (Thanks to Jon Lord) vibe.  The great thing about this single is that the songs get better with each spin.  I like the diversity of the two songs, because they are different vibes.  I think that this project will be better received than the first time the two got together. 

Bottom Line: The songs are well written and are catchy and will be a nice addition to any metal collection. Two songs that rock, that will keep you wanting more.

-Ragman wonders if the two will do a full CD, sometime in the future.

Don Jamieson - Live and Hilarious

Hot off the heels of the success of That Metal Show, side man, Don Jamieson was signed to a record contract with Metal Blade, for at least one album.  Don was the first of the duo, from the comic relief, on That Metal show, to score an unlikely deal with the label.  Not sure if this is Brian Slagel's first comedy signing, but it may be his last.  Unfortunately Jamieson's record doesn't deliver like one would hope.  Jamieson and Jim Florentine seem somewhat constrained on the VH-1 Classic show, so it seemed that once the no holds barred CD came out, that Don would give us a good laugh, but that rarely occurred.  The jokes are tired and just not that funny.  The sad thing is, that the audience of maybe 10, thought the show was weak as well. 

Live and Hilarious is mainly a live show taped somewhere in Jersey, along with a couple of musical tracks.  The songs on the record are weak as well.  They are acoustic based tracks where Jamieson tries to sing metal, I would like to stress tries.  They do not help or enhance this product.  Overall, a very weak offering.  I have to say I had always wondered how strong a comic Don was, but unfortunately he was not as strong as I would have hoped; at least not on this CD.   I was hoping to like this one, but after about 3 listens, it just got painful.

Bottom Line:  Don needs to get some more solid material, if he wants to keep his comedy gig a float.  If there is a second release, you can only hope it is much better than this one. (Note: Being a previous guest on the Genghis and Ragman Show, we had a lot of fun with Don, so hopefully no hard feelings.  We just call em like we see em)

-Ragman wonders how long Don would last on Last Comic Standing.