Can't Stop The Music reviews
here are some reviews and brief descriptions that i have compiled from various sources to help you learn a bit more about the following artists.
Aces High "Pull No Punches" - Pretty cool Swedish melodic metal; Has an 80's feel to it; Mixes Whitesnake with Pretty Maids.
Aldo Nova "Blood On The Bricks" - 1991 release from this multi-talented & underrated guitarist who worked early on with Bon Jovi. Featuring the songs "blood on the bricks" "medicine man" "someday" "this ain't love" "hey Ronnie" & "touch of madness"
Angels The "Beyond Salvation" - 1990 release from this excellent 3-chord Aussie band; Good sleezy songs top-notch riffing axework and slightly ruff vocals; Will appeal to fanz of AC/DC Rhinobucket and such; Good drinking music!
Axel Rudi Pell "Oceans Of Time" - Latest release with ex-Hardline vocalist he actually breathes a much needed change into Pell's band. Excellent vocals & of course outstanding guitars; A kickass release all the way around and of course... Highly recommended
Axel Rudi Pell "The Masquerade Ball" - Once again Axel releases a class A effort in the melodic metal field. He is joined on vocals once again by Johnny Gioeli (Brunette Hardline) and this dude has an awesome voice. 'Course Axel's axework is short of brilliant. If you like killer melodic metal with amazing vocals and axework that is heartfelt and sone with sheer soul you'll love this!
Babylon AD "American Blitzkrieg" - Well here it is...Babylon's new one! Adopting more of a mod sound mixed with elements that made them 80's/90's heroes. If you're expecting vintage Babylon you get a taste. More beefed up heavier and a touch darker; Vocals are right where he left off...excellent! Sooo if you are a die hard B.A.D. fan (like me) you'll like it. If you're looking for the 80's again forget it.
Baton Rouge "Lights Out On The Playground" - 2nd release from these early 90's hair metalers; well-produced and kinda catchy; not bad at all; With a remake of Babylon A.D.'s Desperate
Bonfire "Fuel To The Flames" - Latest release from these German rockers; This release is alot like their earlier stuff meaning more axework & balls. Not a bad release at all! Will appeal to fanz of melodic metal; Highly recommended!
Bonfire "Knockout" - 1991 release from this melodic metal band; This finds them adapting a more U.S. MTV/hair metal sound; Clean vocals cool guitars pure late 80's/early 90's attitude; Has a remake of Billy Squier's The Stroke; For fans of Firehouse Steelheart Sweet F.A. and such.
Bonfire "Rebel Soul" - 1997 release; more melodic German metal; very well produced and a return to a more guitar-oriented sound
Briton "Alien Romper Room" I have the previous Britton albums here and thought they were a good slice of old style American rock. But there was always just a little something missing.
On Alien Romper Room it appears to have all come together for main man Michael Britton. This album is a much improved sound and quality over the previous albums and sees Michael take a huge leap as a songwriter. The other noticeable improvement is the production. Vocally, Mike still compares to Carl Dixon, but this time has a tougher edge to his voice. The title track is a prime example of how far these guys have come. Great hard edged riff's. Good vocals and a multi-layered harmony chorus.
Primarily this album is a good fun hard rock album. The songs aren't over the top, but it's a real party type of record. Tongue in cheek lyrics and a happy go lucky feel. There is a more serious side to the band - I Wanna Know is a cool mid tempo rock ballad that showcases that side. I can't pick a fault with this album. Anyone that likes good straight up hard rock with a small dose of Def Leppard or Coney Hatch for good measure, is going to like this.
Broken Teeth "S/T" - When two of the world biggest Ac/Dc fans get together to make an album it doesn't come as any surprise that this is "Ac/Dc". Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, WatchTower and Paul Lidel (Dirty Looks) are the brains behind this. Entertaining, if you like hard rock'n roll.
BSR "The Fire Under Your Feet" - 80's style hard rock along the lines of Helix Sammy Hagar and such;
Casanova "Heros" - Latest release from this German melodic/smoochie metal band; Clean vocals, good axework & polished production; Will appeal to fans of Amaze Me Dokken Gotthard and that bunch; Not bad at all; Co-produced by Stefan Kaufmann (Accept);
Contraband "S/T" – with Michael Schenker and members of Ratt Vixen LA Guns & Shark Island
D.A.D. "HELPYOURSELFISH" - 90's sounding AC/DC. D.A.D. achieve a more modern sound on this disc, yet they still retain some of those classic D.A.D. qualities such as their unique lyrics. There are some good tunes on this disc, so give it a try & it will grow on you in no time at all.
DAVID VICTOR "Proof Through The Night"
(Reviewed in Scream #48 by: Kenneth Hjorth)
Here's David Victor's (ex. Velocity) solo album. It's a good melodic album with a lot of catchy songs. Songs like "Getaway Machine" & "Tears Like Rain" are the real rockers here
DIRTY WHITE BOY: "Bad Reputation" (90)--straight-up late 80s-style hard rock with a touch of sleaze produced by Beau Hill (Warrant; Unruly Child). Songs include "Lazy Crazy," "You Give me Love," and "Hammer on the Heart."
DC WORLD "Dc World" New project in total AC / DC style of Marc Storace and Peter Thanner (both ex Krokus) together with guitar player Leo Leoni (Gotthard).
A must have for any AC/DC fan!!!
EDDIE MONEY "Ready Eddie"
Eddie Money has still the melodic sound in his music, but this time it's more rock'n'roll
and has good guitars and well written songs. With songs like Ready to Rock, Don't Say No Tonight, Let it Go, Broken Down Chevy, & When You Gonna Satisfy Me. This could very well be one of his best releases in years; not one bad track on this one!!
ENUFF Z'NUFF "Paraphernalia"
(Reviewed in Scream #47 by; Jan Dahle)
14 tracks which sounds like a cross between The Beatles and Cheap Trick isn't the worst you can listen to. The songs are mostly fine, but a couple of weaker cuts are to be found as well. Anyway, this is a fine CD for everyone who likes their music melodic. ""Believe In Love" is maybe the closest you can come The Beatles without listening to the original, and this track is absolutely among the highlights here. We've already mentioned Cheap Trick, but we also have to say that there's a cover of their "Everything Works If You Let It" here. Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen is also a guest on the CD together with Styx' James Young and Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan.
EYES: "Eyes" (90)--a melodic hard rock classic; no collection is complete without it. Led by the awesome vocals of Jeff Scott Soto this band exploded onto the scene with its near-flawless brand of hard rock and hook-hungry ears rejoiced at the great guitars big choruses and huge layered backing vocals. From start to finish this album is as close to perfect as it gets on level with other greats such as Blue Tears or Unruly Child. Whether rocking out ("Callin' All Girls") or slowing down for a power ballad ("Nobody Said it was Easy") this band just knew how to do it. An absolute must-own.
EZO "S/T" - Jap release from this Jap band; Produced by Gene Simmons (KISS duh!) and with several songs written by Jaime St. James (Black 'N Blue vocalist). Good vocals & strong axework; A cool release from '91; Recommended!
Fair Warning "4" - Latest release from this German melodic metal band; Clean and polished this mama squeaks. Quality music that will liken fanz of Millenium, Jaded Heart, Amaze Me and Europe. A very talented group indeed
Firehouse "Hold Your Fire" - Another 80's hard rock supergroup that really didn't take off which is a shame because there is some kickass stuff here! Great guitar & vocals; A class act all the way!
Funny Money "S/T" - Cool debut release from this ex-Kix vocalist; Good 80's style hair metal; For fanz of Kix, Dirty Looks & such; Recommended!
Gorky Park "S/T" - Russian hair metal; Rare and out of print from '89; simialr to Def Leppard, with songs written/produced by Bon Jovi
GRAVEYARD TRAIN: "Graveyard Train" (93)--melodic metal produced by Tom Werman (Steelheart; Motley Crue) in the vein of Johnny Crash. Songs include "Down to the Wire," "Hell on Wheels," and "Walkin' the Line."
Heavens Edge "Some Other Place - Some Other Time" - Latest melodic metal/hair metal from these Jersey rockers; A great release for anybody longing for the decade past; Excellent vocals fantastic guitars; Well-written songs; I thought these guys would be huge with their 1st release but once again it came out during metal's decline
Helix "Half-Alive" - 16 tracks with 5 of them being new material from this Canadian hard rocking band that's been around since '76; The live portion has all the classics of course and the new stuff
HotWire "Face Another Day" - 2nd release from this melodic metal band; Along the lines of Bonfire & Firehouse
Hotwire "S/T" - German melodic band w/ Bonfire members. smooth vocals with melodic rock music.
Jackyl "Stayin' Alive" - Excellent release from this redneck metal band; Good vocals & music but what sets these guyz apart from the norm is their attitude! They don't give a f*ck about anybody or anything and that's what's missing from the metal scene today. An excellent 90's band paying 80's metal with attitude and conviction! With a killer remake of AC/DC's Live Wire; Highly recommended!!
JESSE STRANGE: "Jesse Strange" (92)--clean cranking melodic metal with excellent aggressive guitar-work big hooks and gang-style backing vocals. Songs include "Raise a Little Hell," "Make a Wish," and "Living Without Your Love." Recommended.
Jaded Heart "Mystery Eyes" - 3rd release from these German melodic hard rockers; Kinda like old Bonfire & Bon Jovi; Good guitar Great production
JOHNNY CRASH: "Neighborhood Threat" (90)--excellent very aggressive melodic hard rock/metal with a whole lot 'o attitude. Produced by Tony Platt (Lillian Axe) this CD is loaded with mean monster guitars great hooks/riffs/power chords and gang-style backing vocals. Tracks include "All the Way in Love," "Axe to the Wax" (great song!) & "Halfway to Heaven." Recommended.
JOHNNY LIMA "Shine On"
(Reviewed in Scream #47 by: Kenneth Hjorth)
Here's the second album from the melodic man himself. If you dug his debut album, you gonna love this one. "Shine On" is packed with powerful sing-along songs and mid-tempo songs in a rhythm & groovy way. A melodic tune like "Touch Of Love" gonna take u to heaven and back. This is the album of the century!
JUNKYARD: "Junkyard" (89)--blues-based hard rock in the vein of Child's Play, Zwarte', Four Horsemen. Produced by Tom Werman (Steelheart; Motley Crue).
KISS OF THE GYPSY: "Kiss of the Gypsy" (92)--due to the onset of grunge in the early 90s this band did not do as well as it should have. But that lack of success has nothing to do with lack of talent because this is well-done 80s-style melodic hard rock full of smooth guitars lots of hooks and catchy choruses.
LILLIAN AXE: "Fields of Yesterday" (99)--though they never made the so-called "big time," Lillian Axe remain one of the greatest hard rock/metal acts to ever emerge in the late 80s/early 90s. This latest release finds them raiding the vaults for songs that never made it onto any of their albums and it's a true treat for their legions of fans. An absolute must-own for anyone who appreciates well done hook-laden hard rock. Songs include "Twilight in Hell," "The Last Time," & "Calm Before the Storm."
LITTLE ANGELS: "Don't Prey for me" (89)--hook-laden late 80s-style party rock with songs like "Do you Wanna Riot," "Kick Hard," & "Broken Wings of an Angel."
LITTLE CAESAR: "Influence" (92)--melodic hard southern rock. Good guitars a lead vocalist with a touch of attitude some cool hooks and gang-style backing vocals. Produced by Howard Benson (Tuff; Sweet F.A.). Songs include "Stand up," "You're Mine," and "Turn my World Around." Similar to The Four Horsemen, Junkyard, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
RESTLESS: "Alone in the Dark" (98)--this MTM Records release features a good solid dose of that big mid- to late-80s melodic hard rock sound a la Bon Jovi. You know the look--five guys with big hair and leather pants--and you know the sound--good guitars big hooks plenty of backing vocals--and that's exactly what you get here. Twelve tracks including "In Your Eyes," "Keep the Fire Burning," & "Body to Body."
KANE ROBERTS: "Kane Roberts" (87)--very rare highly-sought late 80s melodic hard rock release produced by the legendary Michael Wagner (Skid Row; Bonfire). As you would expect from the year there are plenty of cool guitars big choruses and thick backing vocals. Songs include "Woman on the Edge of Love" and "Too Much (for Anyone to Touch)."
Laidlaw "First Big Picnic" - Southern-twinged hard rock produced by Nikki Sixx (the Crüe dude!); Reminds me of Blackfoot, Skynyrd
Lost Angel "Destination" - Another band that refuses to believe that 80's metal is dead! This Ohio band takes their influences from XYZ Britny Fox Dokken (old) Cinderella and any other hard-edged hair metal band from that time; Good strong vocals top-notch axework; Man... A most excellent indy release that will appeal to all fanz of guitar-driven 80's style hair metal; Way to go Guyz! Highly recommended!!!
Loudmouth "S/T" - Hard rock/sleeze from the U.S.; Has just a touch of the mod sound but not enough to f*ck it up; Some of my favorite songs are "fly" & "rat's in the maze" just rocks!!! Fans of Rhinobucket, New American Shame, Buckcherry will dig this! ....Good hard rock the way it should be done!
Loudness "Thunder In The East" - Excellent release from '84 that got this band into the U.S. Excellent axework & some kickass songs! Produced by the great Max Norman
MANIC EDEN - S/T (1994/FRANCE) all-star hard rock outfit featuring adrian
vandenberg (vandenberg/whitesnake) ron young (little caesar) rudy sarzo (quiet
riot/whitesnake) and tommy aldridge (whitesnake/black oak arkansas)
McQUEEN STREET: "McQueen Street" (91)--a great dose of hard rockin' attitude. This band combines cranking guitars big hooks gang backing vocals and a healthy dose of kick-your-teeth-in aggression to create a prime example of just how good hard rock/metal can be. Produced by Tom Werman (Steelheart; Motley Crue) who gave the band some polish without sacrificing any of their raw power. Includes the rippin' good riff-rocker "Money." Highly recommended.
MICHAEL MORALES "That’s The Way" (Reviewed in Scream # 50 by; Jan Dahle) Michael Morales have mixed one part "Hysteria" (Def Leppard) and one part "Waking Up The Neighbours" (Bryan Adams), and there can’t really be any doubts about Mutt Lange being this guys hero. The robbery is a bit too obvious on tracks like "That’s The Way" and "Blood" which really reminds me of Def Leppard, but we can live with it since the tracks are very catchy. Both the rockers and the ballads are fine on this album, and the record has quite a few killers. As the record progresses the Mutt Lange sound is becoming less obvious, but I won’t hesitate one second about recommending this album to all the old Leppard fans out there.
Midnight Angel "Addiction" - Wow where'd these guyz come from? Let's see...Good vocals top-fuckin'-notch axework songs about sex drugs rock 'n roll and all the other stuff that made the 80's special! Yup another East Coast band that sayz "F*ck Modern!" and belts out some serious 80's style metal! I mean this sounds like it was done 15 years ago! A class one debut release from this Pennsylvania 80's style kick ass metal band! Way ta go Guyz!
Moon ‘Doc "Get Mooned" - Really good hard rock, metal w/ Hermann Frank (ex-Accept & Victory) and members of Fair Warning. Blazing guitars and some rapid fire drumming. .......This baby rips!!!!
Moon 'Doc "Realm Of Legends" - 3rd release from this German metal band featuring the kick ass axework of Herman Frank (Accept Sinner Victory Hazzard and countless others). This is a killer release! More of a power metal sound than the melodic sound of the previous release. Top-notch vocals (kind of a mixture of Soto & Gary Moore); Blazing I mean blazing axework; This is an essential must for this year.
Nevada Beach "Zero Day" - Sleezy hair metal from 1990; Not bad drinking music; Kinda has a Dirty Looks feel to it and that AC/DC sound.
New American Shame "S/T" - Excellent 3-chord metal from Seattle! No grunge here my friend just top-notch sleezy 80's style metal; Good strong vocals & killer music! For fans of AC/DC (old) Buckcherry, Loudmouth, & Junkyard; Good stuff! Highly highly recommended!!
Pink Cream 69 "Electrified" - Latest release from this melodic German metal band; this is some jamming melodic metal it its finest! Outstanding vocals and excellent fretwork make this a kickass release. PC 69: "Electrified" (99)--one of the best melodic hard rock/metal import releases of '99
***second view***
Lead vocalist David Readman has a voice born to sing this brand of music with a perfect blend of power attitude and melody. Flawless aggressive guitars lay down blistering hooks that build to killer choruses with slick layered backing vocals. Any melodic hard rocker or metalhead who does not have this album will not be disappointed. Highly highly recommended.
Pink Cream 69 "Sonic Dynamite" - Follow-up to the highly successful "Electrified"; This German band shows why they have been around so long. They actually play excellent metal! This release is a touch heavier than "Electrified". Superb vocals and some killer guitar; Outstanding all the way around; Kickass blending of in your face metal with a touch of melody; A top 10'er of 2000 for sure!
Pink Cream 69 "S/T" - Excellent debut release from 1989 of this German melodic metal band; Featuring the vocals of Andi Deris (Helloween); This is some classic 80's riff-driven metal; Excellent vocals & killer axework make this appealing to fanz of Shakra early Gotthard Mudslick and such;
Pole Position "S/T" - Really good Swedish hard rock/metal band
Poor The "Who Cares" - Aussie metal that sounds more like Junkyard & Four Horsemen than AC/DC; Good strong vocals; Excellent axework; Well-written songs; These guys were good! Wonder if they got eaten by a dingo. '94 release Highly highly recommended!!
PowerAge "Business Toys" -
Powerage is Germany’s answer to Ac/Dc. This, their third album I believe, is packed with classic hard rock’n roll. Must be played on loud volume. Rock on.
Private Angel "The Truth" - Pretty cool German guitar-driven hard rock that has hints of early PC69 Gotthard & even Schenker; Very good vocals & a pretty outstanding 80's style axe attack; Can be melodic at times but if you like the above mentioned bands you should love this release; Highly recommended!
PUSH: "On The Run" (00)-- One of the better Z Records release is this one. In fact this is one of the label's best releases to date. This is Push's second album and beats that release in all areas. And yes vocalist Martie Peters is a dead ringer for Mike Tramp of White Lion.
The guys are in fact a blend of the best of White Lion and a slice of European style hard rock being that the guys are from Denmark. Incidentally the birth place of Mike Tramp.
Tracks like On The Run Better Late Than Never and Jokerman are more European hard rock something that would appeal to fans of Pink Cream 69.
The there is the more melodic / AOR side of the band on tracks like Waitin' In Line Believe In Love Never Too Loud and the big ballad One Reason that are more commercial American style hard rock/AOR in the classic White Lion vein.
BOTTOM LINE: Basically this is a great example of a European band taking their influences and mixing it with their own sound and most importantly doing it with some great songs. This album is extremely catchy and infectious and is filled with some wonderful harmony vocals and 'Def Leppard' style multi-layered lead vocals.
Add to that the very solid production and you have an album that is begging to be added to your collection.
QUIET RIOT"Alive And Well"
I didn't expect much of this album, but then it turns out to be very good. The classic QR line-up is back together and they have made a brilliant album with eight new tracks and some of the classics re-recorded to give them a fresh taste.
PUSH "Shaken, Not Stirred"
If you mix a bit of Def Leppard, Ratt, Poison, Dokken and White Lion you get Push. When that's said it should be no doubt about this being a band in good eighties tradition. This CD have a raw and fresh guitar sound, and "Almost Pornographic", "Casanova" and the cover "Guess I'll Always Love You" are all song that really rocks. On the other hand we have "Need You Here" and "Those Were The Days" which can easily be described as acoustic ballads. These two are fine as well, but I prefer Push when they rocks. ... very good!
ROXY BLUE: "Want Some?" (92)--an excellent example of melodic hard rock/metal with layers of clean cranking guitars and those all-important gang backing vocals. Songs include "Too Hot to Handle," "Luv on me," and the awesome power ballad "Nobody Knows." Produced by Mike Clink. Highly recommended.
Sabu "Between The Light" - Excellent metal with some Bonfire members; Alot heavier than Bonfire; Really good vocals & some really good axework! A really good release; Good 80's style metal; Highly recommended!
Saints & Sinners "S/T" – Canadian hard rock with ex-Sword vocalist; Produced by Aldo Nova
SLAMMIN' GLADYS: "Slammin' Gladys" (92)--very aggressive attitude-laden melodic hard rock/metal executive-produced by Jani Lane of Warrant. Songs include "Bad Attitude" and "Lay Me Down in the Roses."
Seven Wishes "S/T" - Wow where did these dudes come from? Formally Lovechild; Killer 80's style melodic metal that will bring to mind the heavier sides of XYZ, Wildside & Dokken; Great killer vocals and some of the best riffin' axework you'll heard in a while (Well since Shakra anyway!). So if you're into the heavier side of 80's style hair metal you'll eat this shit up! A kickass release! Excellent Swedish metal! Highly recommended!!!
SHADOW KING: "Shadow King" (91)--a semi-supergroup featuring legendary AOR vocalist Lou Gramm and renowned guitarist Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard). The sound is straight-ahead melodic hard rock with good guitars good hooks and cool choruses with plenty of backing vocals. Produced by Keith Olsen who knows how a good melodic hard rock album should sound. Songs include "I Want You," "This Heart of Stone," & "Danger in the Dance of Love." Recommended.
Shakra "Moving Force" - Totally kickass second release; Quality vocals (Hardline-like) and some totally ballzy axework makes this one killer band! Melodic yet in your face; Excellent songs; Just outstanding 80's style melodic metal! Hope these guyz stick around! Highly highly highly recommended!!!
Shakra "S/T" - Pretty cool riff-rockin' 80's style Swiss metal; Good strong vocals & some really cool axework; Will attract fanz of early Gotthard Mudslick & PC69; Good stuff! Has a great 80's sound. Highly recommended!
SHAMELESS "Backstreet Anthems" (Reviewed in Scream #46 by; Jan Dahle)
Important message to fans of Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd's debut albums: Shameless have arrived. There's no sign of anything really new her, but you can't help love these glam/rock'n roll tunes. "Backseat Action" and "What's Goin' On" makes it impossible to not move. "You're The One (I Want)" is not a rocker like most of the stuff here, let's just call it a ballad, but it's just a fantastic track. Shameless' version of Kiss' "Flaming Youth" is a bit of a downer, but it's all made up for with a great version of The Beatles "Hard Dayz Night". The list of musicians involved in this CD is impressive, but let's just mention that you'll find members from bands like Kiss, Pretty Boy Floyd, Tuff and L.A. Guns here.
SHARON "Edge Of Time" (Reviewed in Scream #47 by; Jan Dahle)
Sharon are a new band in the melodic hard rock genre. There's really nothing special about these guys, except for the fact that they have some very good songs on their repertoire. You'll catch the songs very fast, and you'll find yourself singing along in no time. "Miss The Day", "Stop Draggin" and "Work" are excellent hard rock songs, and the ballads are good as well. The only thing that isn't really good enough here is the production which is a bit weak, but it's not really a big problem since the good melodies are shining through anyway.
Skitzotik "S/T" - Extraordinary 80's style metal along the lines of Skid Row (early); Excellent vox & music! Produced by Bob Kulick
SLEEZE BEEZ: "Screwed, Blued, & Tattooed" (90)--a great melodic hard rock release loaded with that late 80s sound & attitude. Aggressive guitars plenty of hooks big choruses and thick backing vocals. Songs include "Rock in the Western World," "House is on Fire," and "Stranger Than Paradise." Good stuff
SOUL KITCHEN: "Soul Kitchen" (92)--melodic hard rock with some bluesy influences. Produced by Randy Canton.
Spread Eagle "Open To The Public" - 2nd release from this New York sleeze/metal band from '93; This is in a heavier direction & has some really Rockin' tunes on it. Check out "Devil's Road", "Preacher Man", "Revolution Maker" ....A must have for anyone!
STAGE DOLLS: "Stage Dolls" (88)--tough-to-find early offering from these AOR/hard rock favorites. Like the best of Bryan Adams & Bon Jovi mixed together. Songs include "Still in Love" and "Wings of Steel."
STONE ANGEL: "Turning Point" (99)--fairly new band that's making some waves on the melodic hard rock/metal scene. Good guitars solid hooks good backing vocals...you get it all. What you also get is a band not afraid to break new ground with their songwriting carefully avoiding all the formulaic cliches and offering melodic metalheads some new twists. Songs include "Imagine Us" & "Hey You."
SPREAD EAGLE: "Spread Eagle" (90)--aggressive attitude-laden melodic metal in the late 80s vein with clean cranking guitars solid hooks and a killer lead vocalist. Songs include "Broken City," "Thru These Eyes," & "Shotgun Kiss."
SteelHeart "S/T" - With ex-members of Rage Of Angel & Bruce Dickinson as executive producer you can't go wrong and it didn't! Full of hooks fist in air anthems this is textbook 80's hair metal all the way! Excellent axework & the most unique vocals of Mike Matijevic! Songs include "Love Ain't Easy" "Everbody loves Eilen" & "Never let you go(angel eyes)" Highly Recommended!
Steve Jones "Fire & Gasoline" - Ex-Sex Pistol guitarist's 2nd solo release; Don't think this is punk rock au contraire this is kickass 80's hard rock/metal; Rough vocals and excellent guitars make this an unsung classic; Just picture a more refined Motorhead and you'll get the idea; Has Ian Astbury Terry Nails & Axl Rose helping out
Stuart Smith "Heaven & Earth" - Great release (debut) from this Blackmore-like axeslinger; With a host of many to help; Includes Kelly Hansen (Hurricane & Unruly Child) Joe Lynn Turner Glen Hughes (Deep Purple) Richie Sambora Chuck Wright Carmine Appice plus other members of Heart and Unuly Child; For fans of great axework and blues-based metal
Stun Leer "Once" - Ex-Touch vocalist; Basically it's hard-edged smoochie music;
includes the song "Love is a Liar"
Tony Montana "Tombstone Shuffle" is the former bass player for much loved blues rockers Great White. This is his debut solo album, recorded for Japan and hopefully soon to be made available through a wider release.
I hope this happens, because this is a great rock n roll record. There is a whole bunch of influences that shine through on Tombstone Shuffle, but the main thing that grabbed me was the aggressive attitude the songs have. This really rocks!
Tony's voice has an attitude of it's own, as does the music, but to best describe him I would say he is a little Axel Rose meets Robert Plant and Jack Russell.
The songs are varied. There are references to Guns N Roses (San Antonio) , a little blues rock courtesy of Great White, a little Sebastian Bach (Tombstone Shuffle), a little Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin (Premonition/Rock It Man) and even the Bulletboys on Thunderbird. 4 tracks, 4 styles, but all flowing together
well. The opening two tracks really have a swagger to them. Heavy blues tinged sleaze rock that should go down a treat. Then there is a little Zeppelin, a little blues, an excellent cover of Thin Lizzy's Cowboy Song and a couple of Great White inspired acoustic ballads with Prayer and One By One. BOTTOM LINE: I like this album a lot. It appeals to the side of me that digs bands like Great White, Bulletboys, Guns N Roses and Skid Row. If that sounds like part of your CD collection, then I recommend you sample some Tony Montana soundbytes.
With a great production this album highlights the best of Tony's songwriting and playing skills. He's also a pretty fine singer.
TYKETTO: "Strength in Numbers" (94)--sophomore release from this popular melodic hard rock band. The sound is the same as their well-received debut--cranking guitars solid hooks and cool choruses. Check out the super-catchy title track. Other song titles include "Rescue Me" and "Catch My Fall." Produced by Kevin Elson.
reminds me a bit of .38 Special
VICTORY: "Culture Killed the Native" (89)--excellent late 80s-style hard rock/metal from this long-running German metal outfit which features Herman Frank (Moondoc) and Tommy Newton (Crystal Ball) on guitars. Big ol' anthems with big hooks and even bigger backing vocals which bring to mind classic bands like Keel Dokken and Hurricane. Easily one of the best releases of the band's stellar career. Songs include "Never Satisfied," "Don't Tell no Lies," & "Lost in the Night." Recommended for all late 80s metal fans
W*A*S*P* "Still Not Black Enough" - Excellent release; Really cool melodic metal from Blackie; Features Frankie Banali & Bob Kulick; What a remake of Jefferson Airplane's Somebody To Love! Highly recommended!!