MORE MUSIC REVIEWS

By Kevin Brown

Lillian Axe - Fields of Yesterday (Z Records)
The songs on this album were recorded between 1989 and 1992, so they are not exactly new, but they are some of the best songs this band has ever recorded. I think this is the best album they have done since Love and War. I hope a positive response to this album from the fans will get these guys back in the studio to make another album. There is not a bad song on this album. My most favorite tracks are “Death Valley Daze,” “Twilight in Hell,” “Do It,” “Kill Me Again” and “Pulling the Rats Out.” I highly recommend this album to all the old fans of this band, as well as anyone looking for killer new music that rocks.

Various Artists - This is Solidstate Vol. 1 (Solidstate Records)
I have previously reviewed many of the bands that appear on this compilation and I have to say that each song that appears on here is a pretty good representation of the music that each band plays. There are 15 bands on this CDn=, with the only band having two songs being Living Sacrifice. That is good because they are one of the best bands on this record label. My favorite songs on this comp are “Enthroned 98” and “Threatened” by Living Sacrifice, “Halo of Winter” by Embodyment, “Celestial Completion” by Extol, “Invert” by Blindside, and “Meet Us Here” by Unashamed. Blindside was the most impressive of the bands I had not heard before. I strongly recommend this compilation CD to anyone that is curious about these bands or what Solidstate Records is all about. The best part is that the CD should only set you back about $7. For more info: Solidstate Records, P.O. Box 12698, Seattle, WA 98111 or www.solidstaterecords.com.

Emperor - IX Equilibrium (Century Media Records)
Emperor has been hailed as one of the top Black metal bands in the world, but they have more to offer than your typical black metal band does. While the music is indeed heavy, the elements of operatic and choral singing are not heard on your run of the mill metal album. The rest of the vocals are relatively clean, though definitely on the low side. Don’t let the black metal label scare you away because I think this album would appeal to most fans of metal. My favorite songs are “Curse You All Men,” “An Elegy of Icaros,” “Sworn,” and “The Warriors of Modern Death.” For more info: www.centurymedia.com.

Paul Shortino - Stand or Fall
If you listened to hard rock in the 80s and early 90s, you should recognize his name. Between his singing in Rough Cutt and one album with Quiet Riot, Paul has shown that he is an incredible vocalist. Lucky for us, he continued to make music after leaving Quiet Riot. This album is full of soulful blues tunes that really let his voice shine. He has proven he can belt out the hard rock tunes, but this album shows he is a true overall vocalist and there are not many out there that can claim that. My favorite songs are “Stand or Fall,” “Honesty,” “Devil in my Heart,” “You Can’t Lose” and “All of my Life.” I also really liked the stripped down, old time feel of “Broke ‘N Busted,” it really got the message across. If you are a fan of blues rock or just a lover of a great voice, then you need not go any farther than this exceptional album.

By Lori Powers

Great White Can’t Get There From Here
Of all the CDs that I recently received, this one is my favorite. It has not left my CD player except to move to the portable player so that I can blast it out by the pool. It kicks off strong with “Rollin’ Stoned.” Many of you have probably heard this song on the radio (if you have a half way decent station around you). It rocks hard in classic Great White style. I loved the band’s last CD but this one is twice as good. I think this is my favorite Great White CD of all. Great songs, excellent musicianship, well produced, and Jack’s voice sounds better than ever. There isn’t a song on the CD that I don’t like. My favorites (which were hard to pick) include: “Saint Lorraine,” “Freedom Song,” Psychedelic Hurricane,” and “Silent Night.” It’s got the rockers, the ballads, and a great acoustic song titled “In The Tradition.” This is a must have CD.

Ratt Ratt
Another excellent CD. It didn’t hook me on the first spin (like Great White did) but it sure has grown on me. The line-up includes originals Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, and Bobby Blotzer joined by bassist Robbie Crane...a very tight sound. The songs are catchy and Steven’s voice sounds great. Even if you are not a big Ratt fan, I think you will be impressed with this CD. It’s got that big 80’s fun, groovin’ sound that you can’t help but move to. I’ve read many reviews and somewhere not so positive. Many complain that this CD is not a return to their 80’s sound. While it’s not an exact duplicate of Detonator or Invasion Of Your Privacy it’s just as great. The boys have grown and matured musically...but have no fear...you will find no “alterna-crap” on this CD. It’s good solid Rock N’ Roll. My favorite songs on the CD include: “Live For Today,” “Gave Up Givin’ Up,” “Luv Sick,” and “We Don’t Belong.”

Dokken Erase The Slate
WOW! Dokken is back. George Lynch is gone, but their great sound is back. This CD blows Shadowlife away. After their last album, Erase The Slate is an appropriate title...It’s basically a “new, fresh start.” Guitarist, Reb Beach, is no George, and should not be compared. They have 2 totally different styles. Both are great guitarists so Reb fits in perfectly. Of the 3 bands I’ve reviewed so far, Dokken has surprised me the most. I wasn’t expecting this CD to be as good as it is. My favorites include: “Erase The Slate,” “Change The World,” “Who Believes,” and “Haunted Lullaby.” If you don’t have this CD yet, you’ve got to get it. There’s an ad inside the back cover that tells you how to mail order it.

By Kevin Brown

Dad’s Porno Mag - Dad’s Porno Mag (Wax Tone Records)
I don’t know the social significance of the number 77 to Ryan Roxie, but it must mean something to him because both his E-mail address ends in 77 and this album has 77 tracks when put into my CD player. Really there is only 14 tracks listed on the CD, with tracks 15-76 being empty and track 77 featuring phone messages left on their hotline answering machine and an unlisted song that sounds like it is called "My Bad Knee." This is a Rock and Roll album with attitude that features great vocals and guitar by Ryan and a solid rhythm section of Will Effertz on bass and Mike Fasano on drums. I found it very enjoyable to listen to and the guys seem like they had a great time making this album. My favorite tracks were "Hello," "Smell My Finger," "Big Fat Song," "Rule Me," "V" and "Great Day." This is one Porno Mag that everyone should get a copy of. For more information: The DPM Society Club PO Box 931163, Los Angeles, CA 90093 or E-mail at Dizney77@aol.com. Also drop by their website.

Enertia - Momentum
I found this 8 track CD to be full of some serious heavy metal music. These guys are not messing around. My favorite tracks were "Dear God," "And So You Fall," "Weight Of The World" and "You Know." The instrumental track, "Sever The Wicked" really showed the band’s musical prowess and vocalist Scott Featherstone delivered a great vocal performance with his powerful, yet edgy singing. I would definitely like to hear more from these guys and feel they carry the metal torch very well. For more information: Animated Insanity Productions PO Box 687, Gloversville, NY 12078.

Plague Dogs - Plague Dogs (Cachell Records)
This 11 track debut CD shows a fair start with the music, but the vocals and lyrics still need help. Songs about hanging out at the rehab clinic (“Lon”) and the local pot provider (“Erik The Weed Dealer”) are just not my idea of entertainment. I hope the guys did not take this album very serious when they made it because I found it hard to take it serious while reviewing it. Though to be fair, I did like it a bit more after repeated listens. Hopefully the song writing improves on subsequent releases. For more information: Plague Dogs PO Box 340411, Brooklyn, NY 11234 or PlagueDogs@aol.com.

Stavesacre - Absolutes (Tooth & Nail Records)
This is another fine release coming out on Tooth & Nail. This 10 song CD would best be described as hard alternative. The slight religious overtones on a few songs are subtle and not forced on the listener by any means. I found the vocals to get a little grating at times, but not agonizing. My favorite tracks are “An Eclipsing”, “Shiv”, “Acquiesce” and “Zzyzx Scarecrow”. I think this release would appeal to anyone that likes alternative music with an edge. For more information: Stavesacre PO Box 18021, Irvine, CA 92623.

Ghoti Hook - Banana Man (Tooth & Nail Records)
Only 12 tracks are listed, though there are actually 16 tracks on the CD. Ghoti Hook sounds like Hardcore, but not as heavy as other bands I have heard. The song “Middle Ground” is probably the heaviest track on the CD. The reasoning behind putting the song “The Box” on the CD four times (three are non-listed tracks) escapes me. The total lyrics to the song are, “The box/This one’s called the box/Food Lion”. My Favorite tracks are “Banana Man” and “My Bike” because they are fun songs and “Just Fools” because it is the best song on the album. I think this disc would be great to play for background music at a party. For more information: Ghoti Hook PO Box 1011, Fairfax, VA 22030 or GhotiHook@juno.com.

Jailhouse - Jailhouse (DeRock Records)
In a perfect world every hard rock music fan would own this album. This 16 track CD is already in my top five CDs of 1998 and the year is only two months old. If you have not figured out by now, I love this album. Fans in the know will remember Jailhouse from their 1989 ep Alive In A Mad World. If you missed them the first time around, all five songs from that ep appear on the new album and even if you have the ep, you will have to get this one for the 11 incredible new songs. There is some powerful subject matter on this album including religion and racism and a nod must go to Michael Raphael as one of the best songwriters I have ever heard. All five guys in this band are excellent musicians. My favorite tracks from the new material are “Religion”, “N.A.B.”, “Long Way Up”, “Tell Me” and ‘Season of Suffering”. I don’t know what else to say, but sprint to your local music store and demand the new Jailhouse CD when it is released.

Plankeye - The One And Only (BEC Recordings)
I enjoyed this ten track CD very much. It is a straight ahead Rock and Roll album that is made up of great songs. Though the hidden track after song ten should stay just that. My favorite tracks were “Someday”, “How Much I Don’t Know”, “Playground”, “It’s Been So Very Long” and “Let’s Try Again Tomorrow”. Some of the songs on this album are just as catchy (and possibly better) than most things you would hear on the radio today. I hope these guys get a following because they deserve to be heard by a wider audience. For more info.: BEC Recordings 810 3rd Ave., #410-20, Seattle, WA 98104

Hair of the Dog - Hair of the Dog
This band delivers bluesy, southern fried hard rock that will keep your foot tapping from beginning to end. The 11 songs on this album are all quite good and reminded me of many 80s bands. They borrow bits and pieces from them, but then add their extra kick to make the recipe all their own. My favorite songs on the album included: “Cadillac Jack,” “Alone,” “Whiskey Tango,” “Southern Cock” and “Killin’ Heart.” It is good to see a band pick up where other bands left off and continue to carry the torch of bluesy hard rock. This album will leave you wanting seconds! Write to the band at: HOTD1@aol.com or the fan club at: P.O. Box 25729, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Adrenalin Kick - Massacre the Mainstream
Adrenalin Kick is a rare breed these days. They are a heavy metal band, not one of those many subgenres that seemed to pop up over the years. This 11 song CD delivers the goods and then some. Vocalist Mick Pritchard delivers one of the strongest vocal performances I have heard in a long time. His voice reminds of Dee Snider. Mick is very ably backed by the two Dazs, Dave and Stevie. My favorite songs are: “Deadpool,” “Born Blind,” “The Chosen Few,” “Burnin’ Down,” “Torn and Twisted” and ‘Master Plan.” This is an excellent album and I would recommend it to anyone looking for some new metal that will Massacre the Mainstream. For more information: Sawd Off Recordings 3650 S. Decatur Blvd. Suite 23C, Las Vegas, NV 89103

Savior Servant
The music on this 11 track CD goes from quiet acoustic ballads ("Inner Sage" and "Stillborn") to the edge of thrash metal ("Trippin'" and "In My Head"). I like the singer's voice very much and he is backed by some quality musicians. My favorite songs on the album are "Trippin," "Alleytown," "Wimstis" and "In My Head." I enjoyed this album and am impressed by the song quality. I hope these guys stay around for a while because I look forward to hearing more from them. This Hard Rockin' disc woud be a welcomed addition to any Eternal Jam reader's collection. For more information: Savior Servant, 242 Merrill Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314.

Cut Throat - 3 song demo tape
Call the fire department because this music is hotter than hell. "Bullet" fires off and is a killer. "Took It Away" is next and no less deadly and finally "So Far Down" finishes you off if there is anything left. This demo is incredible and I hope some labels will take notice of this band because they deserve to be signed. There is not a weak link in this chain. These guys represent heavy metal like few new bands in recent memory. Language my prevent two of these songs from being played over the air, but that does not mean my stereo won't be left in a smothering ruin after this tape gets into the cassette deck. This tape left me craving for more and I hope it is soon because I will have worn this tape out if it is any longer. Check this band out, but your neck may never be the same for more info write to: Cut Throat, P.O. Box 1574, N. Hollywood, CA 91614. You can also drop them a line via E-mail or check out their website

The Step Kings - Seven Easy Steps (Fantastic Plastic Records)
This seven song CD from the Step Kings is a good hardcore album that is just teeming with attitude. The start & stop singing on this disc is kind of hard to get used to, but that may be why I don’t normally listen to much hardcore because the same style is used by other bands in this genre. My favorite song is “The Clinic”. A song about the hazards of indiscriminate sex. I did like this CD more after the second listen, but a fan of hardcore should like it right off the bat. For more information: The Step Kings, P.O. Box 212, Summit, NJ 07902-0212

Exhibit Eight - Exhibit Eight
This four song CD is quite impressive. Exhibit Eight sounds like a very promising progressive hard rock band. All of the songs on this disc are very good, but my favorite is the last song “Fates End”. I think the band said it best with this statement: “The literal meaning of these lyrics and this music is not so important, as is the general vibe you get from it in whole. Play it Loud!” I will be very curious to see how this band progresses on future releases. They are off to a great start and I hope they stick to their guns. Any fan of progressive hard rock would be wise to check this band out. For more information: New West Records, 3230 E. Flamingo Rd. #344, Las Vegas, NV 89121

Static 13 - Eye Won’t Fool I (Call Back In An Hour Music)
New York based Static 13 delivers a strong 13 song debut album of hard rock, but with their own unique twists. They really don’t sound like any other band I have heard before. Most of the songs are mid-tempo with a couple of rockers (“The Beast” and “Eye Won’t Fool I”) and slower songs (“Mr. No Identity” and “Sounds You Can’t See”) also included. Ari David has an excellent voice and is very ably backed by Crunch on guitars, The Professor on bass and Animal on drums. My favorite tracks on this album are “Eye Won’t Fool I”, “I Will Be Comin’”, “Can’t Find You” and “The Beast”. To stand true to their name, track 13 is just that: Static (though it is very quiet). A very unique idea from a unique band. I think this band would appeal to a wide range of listeners and their debut album has them off to a great start. For more information: Static 13, P.O. Box 20195 Greeley Square Station, NY, NY 10001

Knobby Low Boy - Butterfly (New West Records)
Normally when I get an album that comes with lyrics, I like to look at them when I listen to the music, at least for the first time. In this band’s case that was a bad idea. Not that there was anything bad or offensive about the lyrics, it just made me think that the lyrics were too busy when they really were not. This is a good 8 song album of heavy metal. The guys have laid a good foundation to build on with future releases. I will be very interested to hear their next couple of releases to see how they grow as a band. My favorites on this album are “Nation”, “Control”, “Why?” and “Butterfly”. “Nation” is pretty heavy, but is also the most catchy song on the album. I find myself singing the chorus all the time. I would recommend this album to anyone looking for a new metal band to follow that has the potential to make it big. For more information: Knobby Low Boy Fan Club, P.O. Box 129, 5025 S. Eastern #16, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Night Ranger - Seven (CMC International)
This is the 2nd album recorded by the reunited Night Ranger. Don’t know why I’ve never heard the first, Neverland, but glad I got my hands on this one. Night Ranger is kickin’ ass as usual. This CD starts off with a very rockin’ tune titled "Sign Of The Times." One of my favorite songs on the CD is "Soul Survivor." Great White’s Jack Russell sings back-up vocals on this bluesy track. Another favorite is "Sea Of Love." It’s got a great beat, catchy lyrics, great guitar riffs and a Cheap Trickish-feel to it. "Don’t Ask Me Why" is a Beatles-inspired mellow tune that grows on me a little more each time I listen. One thing I love about Night Ranger is that they have two great lead vocalists (Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy). "Peace Sign" is another great song where Kelly’s voice reminds me of Tom Petty. It has great acoustic and slide guitar sounds. The CD is very diverse and very well put together. I’d definitely recommend it.

Savannah - Savannah
AOL has been buzzin’ for quite some time with talk of this hot new band called Savannah. Now that I’ve finally heard them, I can see why. I love this 10 song CD. The lyrics have great messages and focus on real issues. The ballads are not silly teenage love songs but instead focus on things that people my age can relate to. On some of the songs Earle Lord sounds a lot like Steve Perry (Journey). The background vocals are also great and really are a strong point of this CD. My favorites include: "Never Too Late" (ballad), "Two Young Hearts" (which reminds me of a Bon Jovi song), "Spend A Little Time" (a hard rockin’ song), "Premonition" (another rocker), and "Useless Alibis" (a great ballad that starts off with piano playing). For more info. about the band E-mail SavanaRox@aol.com.

Amaze Me - Amaze Me
I listened to this CD before I read anything about the band. When I did read the bios, I realized that Amaze Me is the perfect name for this band. I was amazed to find that this is a 2 man band. Peter Broman plays all instruments, does background vocals, wrote the music and lyrics, produced and organized the CD. Conny Lind is the lead vocalist (and a great one at that) .I didn’t think it was possible for a 2 man band to sound this great. Bands that I would compare Amaze Me to would include Dokken, old Whitesnake, and Journey. Conny Lind has a beautiful, strong, clear voice. My favorite songs on the CD is "You Say You Never Cry," "Tough Ain’t Enough" "Tell Me Why," "Seems So Hollywood," and the kick ass rockin song, "Love Is Like A Fire." "My Lover My Friend" is a beautiful ballad that would make a great wedding song. This CD is full of great ballads, and hard rockers. You can check some of the songs out for yourself by visiting the Z-Records site at: http://graffiti.virgin.net/zero_option_pro.z_records/. It’s one of those CDs that hasn’t left my CD player since it arrived. To purchase the Amaze Me CD or the earlier mentioned Savannah CD send $10 plus $3 priority shipping for each CD to: Ego Trip Entertainment, 717 So. Mill Ave., Ste 104, Tempe, AZ 85281.

Sedona - Reel History (The Early Recordings)
Anyone who has been reading Eternal Jam for a while knows how I feel about Sedona. They are my favorite unsigned band. I had most of the Reel History songs on tape for years from someone in the Sedona folder on AOL. Ever since then I’vebeen HOOKED! I was so glad to finally get these songs on CD because the sound quality on the tape isn’t the greatest. The first thing that made me fall in love with Sedona is Mikey’s voice. He has the most beautiful voice of any singer I’ve ever heard with the sexiest growl. If you have not heard Sedona, you definitely need to. Rather than try to review these great songs, I thought I would share the history of each with you. The songs may be early recordings but the sound is timeless.
"Ain’t Your Baby " (1990) - The first song written as a Sedona collaborative effort, penned deep within the walls of the "Spank Palace," the band’s rehearsal space at the time.
"Stranger" (1991) - A sad story about a young girl trying to survive alone on the harsh streets of this city. Yet, like many Sedona songs, it contains a seed of optimism with the belief that one’s life can be turned around with a little faith and perserverance.
"Leaving You" (1989) -The song that sparked the inception of Sedona, when the Fox brothers asked musician friend Mark Holley to sit in during the recording of the guitar tracks. It was recorded during a marathon 48-hour session that included brief naps in sleeping bags on the studio floor.
"Fire From The Sky" (1990) - Written for a performance that took place on the very first Earth Day. Recorded in a single night, the band attempted to save time by having Darrell play electronic drums, an exercise that was never repeated. The recording features a noisy wah-wah pedal that was used to create the intro’s eerie wind.
"Keila" (1991) - About the time that Mike was writing the lyrics describing the temptations of life in a rock band, Mark was introduced to a lovely stripper named Keisha. Names were changed to protect the, um, "innocent."
"Crimes Of Passion" (1992) - The recording features members of Sedona’s crew at the time: Mike Laird, Brad Lee, and Mick Schultz on "gang vocals." The lyrics were based on an event that took place years earlier, that ended with Mike climbing out a second-story window to excape a girlfriend’s irate father.
"Keeping Me Waiting" (1984) - Before Sedona, Ray & Mike performed in a band with their two older brothers, Jimi Fox (then a member of the Doobie Brothers) and Tom Fox (who engineered college radio favorite CamperVan Beethoven’s first album). "Keeping Me Waiting" was performed by Sedona years laterand was the song that first caught the ear of Mr Big’s Eric Martin. This lead to several gigs featuring Sedona as Eric’s opening act.
There is also a hidden 8th song that is a version of one of my favorite Sedona songs, Red Sky.
To get yourself a copy of the CD, send $10 plus$1.50 for shipping to: Sedona’s Reel History, 11230 Gold Express Dr #310-151, Gold River, CA 95670. Make checks payable to Red Sky Enterprises.

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