Category Archives: Review Centre
Vengeance & the Panther Queen – ‘We Who Feel Our Lobes Of Penitence Groped By Things With Petrol Claws…’ EP
My first listen to this EP prompted the following reaction – “strange..but rather brill!”. The Dublin five piece certainly live up to that reaction. Repeated listens to this blast of Punk-Metal-Party Rock mentalism only reinforce this feeling. The band themselves list influences as diverse as The Stooges, SST, Suicidal Tendencies, Seattle, Sunset Strip, Sly Stone, Scandinavian metal and stoner rock – and you can certainly hear all this and more.
Rock of Ages – Shaftesbury Theatre, London
I’m not too sure where to start this…..perhaps something like this: “My name is David, and I love musicals”! I realise that this makes me sound like some kind of addict but in all truth I think I may be. Now, like many people with addictions I am not into just any old musical – I know this because I’ve tried a couple of others and they don’t come close to the thrill and rush that Rock of Ages gives me. More significantly, if any further evidence of my little “problem” were needed, you may realise that writing for Rock-Zone UK means that we get sent things (like CDs or show passes) to enable us to review the latest releases and hopefully encourage our lovely readers to buy their own ticket or CD – this weekend was the third time I’ve seen Rock of Ages and it was the third time I’ve PAID for tickets!
Drew Stevyns Live 7/4/12
Photo Credit: Paven Sharma
Artist: Drew Stevyns
Date: 7th April 2012
Venue: My Living Room! (Well… almost!)
Last night I had my first experience of attending an online gig… and I have to say I liked it! Aside from the time difference, meaning I had to stay up until WAY past 2am this morning, it was fantastic! The video feed wasn’t very good (but that could be the speed of my crappy internet) but audio was perfect and the artist was one of my personal favorites so how could I go wrong!
OSI – Fire Make Thunder
Fire Make Thunder marks the fourth undertaking for the collaborative duo known as OSI. Formed in 2002 by Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, Arch/Matheos) and Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, former Dream Theater keyboardist), OSI is a long distance partnership, both musicians typically writing and recording alone and sending song ideas back and forth for further elaboration. Written and recorded throughout most of 2011, this latest release once again reflects the eclectic influences of both Matheos and Moore.
Job For a Cowboy – Demonocracy
Returning with their strongest line up to date and armed with “Demonocracy”, nine tracks of seething aggression and potent disgust, Job For A Cowboy have never sounded hungrier. Over the nine years of their existence the quintet have built a loyal fan base through their devotion to touring and a diehard commitment to creating relentlessly hostile, visceral, and involving music, and in 2012 they stand as one of the most exciting and inspiring bands in death metal.
Tyketto – Dig In Deep
Getting together to write your first album in over eighteen years is no easy feat, especially when the band members are spread out all over the globe. All the original band members agreed to make a new record, but on some conditions:
*The music had to be written by the core writing team of Danny Vaughn, Brooke St. James, and Michael Arbeeny (Clayton).
*The music should have stayed true to the Tyketto roots, but at the same time the album should have reflected where the band members lives were today.
*It should rock!
Trixter – New Audio Machine
Formed in, New Jersey during 1983, Trixter learned their chops playing live in the club circuit around their hometown with the likes of Skid Row and Kix, before eventually getting signed by Mechanic/MCA for their self-titled debut album in 1990, which spawned the Billboard Hits & # 1 MTV Videos ”Give It To Me Good”, ”One in a Million” and ”Surrender” and went on to become gold.
The band toured nationally during 1990-91 sold out arena tours with Poison, Scorpions and Warrant. Trixter’s second album, ”Hear!“, was released in October 1992, touring in support of KISS…..and then, along came Nirvana and Grunge to kill all that was good, happy and fun in the world of pointy headstock guitars and arena rock. Over night, out went the big hair and music to make you smile. Unfortunately the change of musical climate made it impossible for the band to keep going so, after the release of an independent covers album, the band called it quits in 1995.
Crazy Lixx – Riot Avenue
OK, I’ll admit it! I am definately (and not a little defiantly!) a product of the 80s in terms of my main rock loves. As long as it rocked hard, had good melodic tunes, rocked hard, had great guitar and…oh yeah, rocked hard….I loved it. Alright, some were better than others but if you dig through my records (yep, I’m that old!), tapes (“what are tapes, Dad?”) and CDs you’ll find them all there! It would appear that Crazy Lixx have been having a holiday in my collection.
Casablanca – Apocalyptic Youth
Casablanca are a Swedish/American five-piece, chock full of seasoned musicians. Featuring Ryan Roxie (formerly Alice Cooper’s mainstay guitarist alongside Erik Stenamo (of Swedish glam/synth rockers Melody Club), drummer Josephine Forsman (Sahara Hotnights) with Anders Ljung (Space Age Baby Jane on vocals. Bass duties are handled by former Swedish international footballer, Mats Rubarth who was most well known for his ability to pick up a staggering amount of yellow and red cards!.
Micki Free Electric Blues – Tattoo Burn
Never heard of Micki Free? I doubt it – you have certainly heard the Grammy Award winner’s playing having worked with some of the greatest luminaries of rock and pop (including Prince, janet Jackson, Wendy O Williams, Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley, Billy Gibbons and Bill Wyman – to name just a few).
Micki’s sound is about groove – soaking up musical influences and channelling them with the deft touch of his own style. “Tattoo Burn” (released on the 9th April via Cargo Records) has plenty of swagger from the hard rocking, riff-fest of “Hole in the Heart of the Blues” to the traditional “Greens and Barbeque”. If you are a fan of Jimi Hendrix, you will love the way that Micki’s heart and soul come through in both his guitar playing and his singing. He is not, however, simply a Hendrix impersonator. Gene Simmons described him, quite accuraqtely, as “…a Hendrix innovator”. We will never know what Jimi would sound like 40+ years on from his tragic demise, however I suspect that it may have been something like this.
