DIO
Kill The Dragon
Spitfire Records

“I’m not messing around this time,” says RJD after his band’s triumphant storm through Portland’s Roseland Ballroom. “We are taking what we do best and delivering it with maximum force.” Dio’s stop in the Rose City comes at the end of a very successful European trek and begins his two-month jaunt through the States. He is in high gear pushing what maybe his finest recorded effort yet “Killing The Dragon”. By all accounts it is quintessential Dio. There is no hiding the Dragons, the Rainbowes, the Queens, the Kings, the Castles, the Swords and the Warriors - and it all starts with a magnificent cover painting by famed illustrator Marc Sasso. “We’re not hiding from the critics anymore,” says bassist Jimmy Bain. “This is what we do – get over it!” Killing The Dragon logs in as Dio’s 10th band record and marks more than 30 years under the spotlight for Ronnie James. All the elements are here from the resounding galloping bassline in the albums title track to the monster riffs in “Along Comes A Spider” and “Push”. “Rock & Roll” continues to up the level of Dio’s performance in vocal calisthenics and grinding force. The lyrics remain consistent - straight ahead good vs. evil and the championing of the underdog. There is a tendency to return to the more melodic side of song writing especially in “Guilty” and “Before The Fall”. There’s even the Elf inspired “Cold Feet” that makes no bones about the history of the small man with the BIG voice from Cortland, NY. Join us for our interview with Dio bassist Jimmy Bain by clicking here.



NOVEMBER 2002

THE FLAMING SIDEBURNS
Save Rock n Roll
Jetset Records

“Actually we’re not one band, we’re a bunch of different bands all coming together,” says Argentinean born vocalist Eduardo Martinez of The Flaming Sideburns. “We all came from four or more different bands and, to be honest, The Flaming Sideburns were just a side project to our other bands.” Formed in Finland in 1995, The Flaming Sideburns are an all-star assemblage of players from the top Finnish garage bands of the 1990s. They combine vintage ‘60s garage punk and psychedelic acid rock to make up their high-energy, tack-no-prisoners assault on the human ear. Displaying a keen sense of humor and wit, the group claim to have started back in 1965 as the support band for the Sonics and Little Richard. Maybe they did tour in South America for thirty years before coming back to Europe. At least that's how they sound. That sound seems to have traveled all the way from Georgia to the mid-West to South America and finally to the backwoods of Scandinavia. But where fiction meets reality is on the superb eleven tracks that make up “Save Rock ‘N’ Roll.” Read our whole review by clicking here.



OCTOBER 2002

DORO
Fight
SPV Records

Metal Priestess Doro is back for another attack with her strongest and most cohesive effort since her Warlock days of ‘Hellbound,’ ‘True As Steel’ and ‘Triumph And Agony.’ Last years ‘Call Of The Wild’ blazed a whole new trail for the Duesseldorf native bringing her back to our American shores after a nearly ten year European encampment. ‘Fight’ is Doro’s 13 release and solidifies her stable lineup of Joe Taylor (guitar), Oliver Palotai (guitar/keyboards), Nick Douglas (bass) and Johnny Dee (drums). The title itself encompasses what Doro has done her whole career, “Fight”. A constant professional, Doro Pesch is true to herself her fans and most of all her music. Her lyrics spill over in personal tales of life, be it love’s lost, inner strength or a fist-raised metal anthem. Every track on ‘Fight’ is a monster. It kicks off with a classic trademark of punching guitars and thundering beat and a voice that is immaculate. Surrounding herself with top-grade talent, Doro collaborates with Jean Beauvoir (Plasmatics, Crown Of Thorns) for ‘Sister Darkness,’ and legendary singer/songwriter Russ Ballard for ‘Wild Heart.’ She also covers the Gene Simmons (Kiss) penned classic ‘Legends Never Die’. Guitarist Chris Caffery of Savatage, and the Trans Siberian Orchestra stops by to lend his talents, but the haunting duet with Pete Steele of Type O Negative is a show stopper! Join us for our in depth interview with the Metal Priestess herself by clicking here.



SEPTEMBER 2002

BAD COMPANY
In Concert: Merchants Of Cool
Sanctuary Records

Finally, a decent live disc (and DVD) from this quintessential ‘70s Rock band. With a legacy that runs the gamut as the biggest band to tour the States since Led Zeppelin to a glorified cover band two decades later with only one original member, Bad Company plant seeds to reinvent themselves. ‘Merchants Of Cool’ proves that this line up can still put on one hell of a show. For fans of the band, the return of original vocalist Paul Rodgers to the fold is exactly what the band needed to pull it back on track. However the trade off has been the loss of guitarist Mick Ralphs (now been replaced by Ralphs’ protégé David Colwell), and bassist Boz Burrell (replaced by Jaz Lochrie). Original drummer Simon Kirke once said, “Bad Company is all about great songs,” and this disc packs in 14 of them. Kicking off with ‘Burning Sky’, the band run through ‘Can’t Get Enough,’ ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love,’ ‘Ready For Love’ and the landmark ‘Bad Company’ while still throwing in gems ‘Deal With The Preacher,’ ‘Rock And Roll Fantasy’ and a magnificent version of ‘Silver Blue And Gold.’ Or course the magic of Rodgers and Kirke ripen the performance which is spiced up by ‘All Right Now’ their massive Free anthem. Even Paul’s banter with the crowd between numbers gives the whole performance real honesty. Packaging on both the CD and DVD is classy without being slick. Added bonus include new songs ‘Joe Fabulous’ and ‘Saving Grace.’ This is a tremendous stepping-stone in rebuilding the band's career.



AUGUST 2002

THE MUSHROOM RIVER BAND
Simsalabim
Meteor City Records

Basking in the glow of their magnificent debut ‘Music For The World Beyond,’ The Mushroom River Band raise the bar one notch higher with their sophomore outing ‘Simsalabim.’ The disc is a blistering kick-ass rocker which strips away any thoughts of sludge by high-tailing it through dirty riffs bent on boozing. Second track in ‘Bugs’ will beat you to death with an awe-inspiring riff-heavy sledgehammer. Vocalist Spice (ex-Spiritual Beggars) says of the album, “This is more metal, more straight to the point songs, faster, maybe even a bit more punk rock, although it's all tuned down to C. Lyrically, I don't think I've changed that much from Spiritual Beggars. My influences are the same, just living, Charles Bukowski, and drinking. I live a two hour drive from the rest of the guys here in the south of Sweden, so I write my songs and Anders and Saso write theirs, each completely." Yet, once the three combine forces in the studio, the thunderous melody of what makes TMRB so dynamic comes into full view. The roots of Slayer, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath ooze from prime movers ‘Make It Happen’, ‘My Vote Is Black’, ‘Proud Of Being Cool’ and ‘Run, Run, Run.’ Not for the weak at heart, ‘Simsalabim’ is packed with a boot load of catchy power-rock and the balls to back it up.



JULY 2002

JERRY CANTRELL
Degradation Trip
Roadrunner Records

X-Alice In Chains guitarist revisits intensely dark territory that gave such haunting elements to the Seattle-based band ten years ago. Though the album was done and recorded before the death of AIC singer Layne Staley the uncanny lyrics of “Thinking ‘bout my dead friend whose voices ring on” gives the opening track ‘Psychotic Break’ a most eerie, even prophetic embrace. The singer/guitarist's Roadrunner debut is a sundry and sometimes scary journey to the center of the psyche. It may not always be a pretty trip, but it's a close-to-the-bone excursion that haunts both its creator and its listeners. This mental and musical exorcism of Jerry Cantrell's nearly 73-minute aural ‘Degradation Trip’ takes us from the durgy ‘Bargain Basement Howard Hughes’ through the acoustic trance of ‘Angel Eyes’ past a very metal ‘Helbound,’ ‘Chemical Tribe’ and ‘Spiderbite’ to finally conclude with the lovely, somnolent, bluesy strains of ‘Gone.’ Says Cantrell, “I rarely bathed during the writing of this album, I sent out for food, I didn't really venture out of my house in three or four months. It was a hell of an experience. The album is an overview of birth to now. That's all.” The visceral impact of the 14 tracks that make up ‘Degradation Trip’ soar from raw to highly polished and do reflect that often-naked and sometimes-grim truth of life’s journey. The melodic, ultra-heavy riff rocker ‘Anger Rising,’ is the albums first single and video.



JUNE 2002

NASHVILLE PUSSY
Say Something Nasty
Artemis Records

Our favorite Georgia-based quartet are back for a third pounding of high-voltage Southern guitar rock. Not surprisingly, NP singer/guitarist Blaine Cartwright declares in no uncertain terms, "It's our best one yet!" Nothing really new here, just 15-tracks of raunchy love songs with their sharpest production yet. Say Something Nasty includes such hilarious, hard-rocking originals as ‘You Give Drugs a Bad Name,’ ‘Keep Them Things Away From Me,’ ‘The Bitch Just Kicked Me Out,’ and ‘Gonna Hitchhike Down to Cincinnati And Kick The Shit Outta Your Drunk Daddy.’ Eleven of the new songs are written by guitarist/vocalist Blaine Cartwright. Two other standouts are ‘Beat Me Senseless,’ recorded for a Circle Jerks tribute album, and a blazing take on Johnny Winter's ‘Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo’. And just to endear the listener one step further the kids give us ‘Words of Wisdom’ to get the whole thing started. Bassist Katie Lynn Campbell is now firmly holding her own after replacing the fire-breathing amazon Corey Parks. Ruyter is full on the sexiest Angus Young impersonator on the planet. Blaine still finds enough venom to spit out each and every word while Jeremy adds more tattoos and punch each time around. Declares Blaine, "We rock for the stupid and the smart, and our audience runs the gamut every night. We'll be closing with 'Keep on Fucking' for the next 20 years. We're gonna shove this album up America's ass!"



MAY 2002

THE REGULATORS
Above The Law
Record Heaven Music

‘Above The Law’ is the European reissue of last year's ‘Bar and Grill’ by the Regulators, however a number of alternations make this worth picking up. Most noticeable is the change in cover art and graphic presentation. The album was also remixed and remastered which give the disc a major kick in the ass. A disclaimer is found on the back stating, “During the remix of Sweet Sustain we experienced a great deal of difficulty. The actual mix you hear is the result of finally giving in to an unknown entity. This is absolutely by no means a joke. We believe that this is possibly Jimi’s final touch, or maybe just the way of sayin’ he’s still with us in spirit.” It is to the memory of Jimi Hughes, a member and brother who passed away in March of 1993, that the album is dedicated. The second the laser hits this CD it is obvious The Regulators are the real deal. Easy Rider Magazine says “These guys just plain smoke!" Breakin’ Out, ‘Eatin’ Crow’, ‘My Bags Are Packed’, ‘Above The Law’, and ‘The Fire’ back it up with a full-frontal assault of southern-fried duel-guitars plowing through Ronnie Farrell’s whisky-drenched, soulful vocals. These boys (from Southern California) play honky tonk, blues-infused, good-time boogie rock with conviction. The sextet offers a new breed of rock & roll outlaw certainly ready to stand next to the presence of Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special or Molly Hatchet.



APRIL 2002

FRONTROYALE
Your everything outfit
Independent

Sometimes it’s faith in the chorus and a fist full of meaningful lyrics that break a band. It was that way with Matchbox 20 and it feels the same for newcomers Frontroyale. Singer/songwriter Greg Grant still doesn't have a story about where the name of the band came from and the only thing Grant cares about is writing catchy power-pop tunes filled with chunky guitars, melodic vocals and plenty of sexual tension. A genre Grant and his cohorts have aptly named "Big Dumb Rock." After releasing ‘Your Everything Outfit’, the trio have garnered the attention of critics who have compared FR to Cheap Trick, Wilco, Buffalo Tom, and Foo Fighters but with the punk attitude of Green Day, The band has received solid airplay at over 100 college and commercial alternative radio stations throughout the Northeast. ‘Broken Mind’, ‘New Cadillac’ and the infectious ‘New Disease’ with its wide-open riff and hammering baseline bring a seasoned element to the band’s debut. Hook after hook are sewn together by a string of clever lyrics making ‘Bastard’, ‘Getaway’ and ‘Justine’ memorable for their storylines. The CD closes with ‘Long Time Runnin’, a ‘Big Dumb Rock’ monster! In all we have ten tracks that will burn trenches through your cognitive memory and leave you beggin’ for another round.



MARCH 2002

THE HELLACOPTERS
High Visibility
Big Daddy Music Dist.

Yeah, yeah, this record is almost a year old but it’s only now receiving US release. And to top it off the boys are coming back over from Sweden to give it a good shove with some 20 US shows. Known for their brutal, in-your-face, almost punk-like, guitar assault, the Hellacopters move into heavy weight contention with High Visibility. Their fourth full-length album is produced by Chips K. (The Nomads, Sator, The Turpentines) and mixed by David Bianco (Posies, Springsteen, Pavarotti). The first single, “Toys And Flavors” exhault the bands newly crafted Thin Lizzy-type approach to arena rock (also listen to “Throw Away Heroes” and the mellow “No Song Unheard” for required proof). The acoustic guitar is reintroduced in "No One's Gonna Do It For You” which plays very well almost veering into Santana "Smooth" territory. "Hopeless Case of a Kid in Denial" quickly switches into full rock mode. "Hurtin Time," co-written with Scott Morgan of Sonic's Rendezvous Band and Hydromatics fame, finds the magnificent power of early Hellacopters releases while "I Wanna Touch" seems more representative of the Hellacopters' new direction. 13 tracks, all meat, no fat, a seriously smokin' record from one of the most defiantly original acts around today.



FEBRUARY 2002

HUGHES TURNER PROJECT
HTP
MTM Music

This was an exciting project from the beginning. Just the thought of these two living legends collaborating on a caldron of the best of Rainbow, Deep Purple, funk and soul was beyond belief. The risks were high. Could the two really pull it off? Well it wouldn’t be record of the month if they couldn’t. Not only does this opus exceed all my expectations but also it echoes back to when records were monumental. The harmonies alone will make you weep. Having sold a combined total of over 15 million albums, the two know a little something about writing a good song. Eleven of them are here, tightly packaged and perfectly matched. “Devil's Road” starts you on the journey with Hughes and Turner exchanging verses and blending brilliantly for the chorus. The ROCK stamp is firmly planted on “You Can't Stop Rock'n'Roll”, “Ride The Storm” and “Missed Your Name” and is fluid throughout. Aggressive but never over bearing. Both known for mood-inspired ballads, “Mystery Of The Heart” and “Fade Away” create an ambiance that the pair embraces. However, “Heaven’s Missing An Angel” and “On The Ledge” are near classics! Make no mistake this is a rock album full of surprises and pulling the best from the duo. Additional elements are added by guest musicians John Sykes, Paul Gilbert and Akira Kajiyama. Essentially, what we have here is a mile stone in the history of ROCK! An absolute must for all fans of good, honest down to earth rock music!!



JANUARY 2002

FU MANCHU
California Crossing
Mammoth Records

What a great way to kick off the new year! In the dead of winter Fu Manchu give us the California sun, a surfboard, damn-near naked chicks on the cover and eleven fuzzy grinders. Fu Manchu have always been about the ride -- windows down, stereo cranked, beach on the passenger side, headin' down the Pacific Coast Highway with beer in the cooler and surfboards on the roof. And on their latest journey, California Crossing, their destination is, as usual, unknown. California Crossing is a never-ending process of discovery, as intoxicating for the band as it is for their growing legion of fans. Like such frontiersmen as Lewis and Clark, Fu are charting new territory, boldly going where no band has gone before. Check out their pure SoCal vibe in "Squash That Fly," "Mongoose," and "The Wasteoid" A decade into their career, Fu's attitude and sonic approach have changed little. The heavy guitars still erupt (though not always blanketed by the band's previously ubiquitous fuzz), and the rhythm section still jackhammers away, but their sonic blasts are often shot with refreshingly hooky melodies. Thanks to the collaborative effort by producer/engineer/mixer Matt Hyde (Porno for Pyros, Monster Magnet), California Crossing is a gorgeous mix of heavy ass guitars, catchy hooks and rays of sunshine.