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These two singles are pretty
much the leading off to the band's upcoming full album, In the
Blood, which judging from the songs included here, will be one
massive party rock album. In the style of Rhino Bucket, Sleeze
Beez and Slaughter, the Bengal Tigers clan offer some tasty and fun songs.
Fight for Your Right is one of the best covers I've heard in a while. The attitude and overall sound of this version sure beats the original, being more of a rocker than the Beastie Boys' mix of rap and metal. And hear the riffage on this one! Awesome party song. Mean Streets is in the vein of Helix and latter day AC/DC. Not too great, but not bad either. The guitar sound is rather fat and crunchy, which I really like. Do It! and Hot Lips are more reminiscent of Danger Danger 's tongue-in-cheek sexual banter although musically it's more similar to Jackyl 's hard, fast and southern rock. Do It! sounds like Suicidal Tendencies playing Danger Danger 's Don't Pull the Plug (if you can even imagine this!) The production is crisp clear and the packaging rather attractive, even including a lyrics sheet with the single. All in all, a very impressive introduction to the band. ----- Off In One Ear the first single for In the Blood, the songs are bit less hook oriented. Pain is nothing memorable, but I still love the band's crunchy sound. In One Ear is much more melodic and has a catchier pre-chorus/chorus section. Again, the similarities to bands like Jackyl, Rhino Bucket and AC/DC are huge. Check out the cool soloing in this track. Leather is sort of like an S/M chant - highly entertaining and reminiscent of Judas Priest's leather fetishes. The closing song is an unreleased track (therefore, one that unfortunately won't make the final cut of the album). Desert Heat is a very cool, mid tempo rocker. Very sleazy and groovy. I'd replace Pain with this one any day, but, I'm not one who has the power to do that! It's still released on this single, so it's available. Bengal Tigers seem to be preparing an awesome sleaze and party rock CD. It'll be fun to see how the songs in these two singles blend in with the rest of the album. If you like to take your rock with a shot of Jack Daniels, you must get this now! Fans of Jackyl and AC/DC will not be disappointed, but fans looking for a more melodic rock outfit won't find it in here. ----Released in 1998 by SM Records | Tracklist: (Fight For Your Right) Fight For Your Right, Mean Streets, Do It!, Hot Lips (In One Ear) Pain, In One Ear, Leather, Desert Heat
Having electrified audiences all over New England, Savannah gives us one of the most memorable debuts of 1998. I must admit I am quite happy to see an American band do so well these days. It seems we have come to expect only European (with very few exceptions) bands to deliver all strong albums in this post-grunge era. But Savannah is living proof that there is lots of talent here in the US and it is coming out. Watch out for the new wave of American hard rock. With their roots firmly planted in late 80's/early 90's hard rock, former Slyboyz and Lord Grey members have come together to produce quite a tight collection of songs. The style is pretty typical, but the band gives the music new twists and turns managing to sound unique and original while still playing straight-ahead rock n' roll. Standouts include Premonition, a hard rocker that could be a huge radio hit if given the airplay. This song features tight melodies, smart lyrics and crunchy, foot-stomping guitar riffs - more than enough to satisfy anyone's thirst for rockier tunes. Another highlight of the album is Useless Alibis . This song is a radically different ballad. It has a retro feel to it, yet still sounds contemporary. Plus, the narrative lyrics help pull you into the beautiful simplicity of the piano-driven melody of the song. However, the big hit of this album is the song Two Young Hearts - with its HUGE Tyketto influenced sound. This song is so reminiscent of Tyketto's Burning Down Inside off their Don't Come Easy album it's almost scary. And once it gets to the chorus its almost like listening to a Storm record. Still it is not a carbon-copy of either band. Two Young Hearts has its own identity and shows the band's tight sense of melody - the background vocals here are well-blended without being excessive. Savannah's debut is a must-have for fans of Tyketto, The Storm and Danger Danger. This album will hopefully open the door for more American hard rock bands and is a definite reassurance that the genre is alive and well on this side of the Atlantic, even if only European labels are able to recognize the talent of bands like this. ----Released in 1998 by Z Records | Tracklist: Down Every Road, Left Out in the Rain, Premonition, Never Too Late, Two Young Hearts, Spend a Little Time, Never Let It Go, Back in Line, Useless Alibis, Hardline Billy Squire - Happy Blue No matter how prepared I was for the "different" sound this album is being promoted as having, I was still blown away! On Happy Blue, Billy Squier has put out the most enjoyable collection of songs of his career. The sound is stripped and laid-back - a reflection of the songs' intimate narrative lyrics. Having only Billy and his guitars playing makes this record feel even more personal and one gets the feeling we are eavesdropping on his thoughts. It's quite a treat not to have to filter walls of sound to get to the core of a song. Every single song is a standout on its own, but be well aware that this album features ONLY Billy and his guitar - not even one thing more. If this doesn't appeal to you, visit J-Bird Records (follow link below) and take a listen. This is definitely not for everyone. Highlights include Stroke Me Blues, which gives his classic a nice new turn; Happy Blues - with its melancholic repeatedness and an outstanding cover of Joni Mitchell's River. However, the best song spot must be given to The Pursuit of Happiness. This one features Billy's most inspiring lyrics and touched a nerve on my system. I don't know if this says more about my personality than about the song itself, but this song makes me think more than I'd like to. That only proves the power that lies within this album. It's so heavily loaded with emotionality that you can't help but feel overwhelmed and involved. Any fan of Billy's will just love Happy Blue. It's such a wonderfully crafted collection of personal songs that no fan of Squier should be left out. Plus, the songs themselves are too good to be missed. ----Released in 1998 by J-Bird Records | Tracklist: Happy Blues, The Pursuit of Happiness, She Will, Grasping for Oblivion, If You Would Hate Me Less I'd Love You More, Stroke Me Blues, More Than Words Can Say, Inferno, Long Way To Fall, River, Two
Judging by the cover, I thought this was a prog rock release. Although I wasn't entirely wrong, I wasn't too right either. This band borrows styles from everyone imaginable. The sound is heavily 70's influenced - with obvious similarities to bands like Styx, Kansas, Yes and early Petra . Yet, there are prog rock elements all over the album: fast keyboard licks, dueling guitars, time changes and fairly imaginative and well-crafted lyrics. Twist of Fate have successfully married classic rock and prog rock, while still keeping it current. The highlights on New Skies include the magical No Questions Why - which blends melody and a passion for retro into a fresh sound rarely heard of lately. Celebrate is similar in sound and attitude to Petra's The Color Song although this one's more upbeat than Petra's hit song. Vocalist Pat Curry couldn't fit the sound and mood of the band any better, to the point where if they had a different vocalist, the songs would be too out of place in time. A big draw this release offers is its thought-provoking lyrics. Clearly, this band has a positive outlook on life. Their lyrics are happy without being sappy, romantic without being silly and always well thought. A lyrical highlight is the song Don't Follow Me. This song about finding direction and following one's dreams is a very welcome change in melodic rock songwriting. Now, the production is not top-notch - it could use some more bass and balls, but this doesn't get in the way of the songs. These are strong enough to shine through the rough production job. I can not recommend this to everyone, however, since this is an album you have to be in the mood for. If you want an alternative to the typical Journey-influenced AOR releases of late, and if you prefer classic rock over an 80's sound, then this is for you. ----Released in 1998 by Cellar Records | Tracklist: New Skies, No Question Why, Serenity, Don't Follow Me, Borrowed Time, Passing Time, Celebrate, All Inside Your Mind, Shine, Lost at Sea, Shades of Grey
Here's an odd story (although certainly not an unprecedented one). After releasing their second album Dream On , the critically acclaimed Amaze Me have been urged to re-release their self titled debut. They gladly did so (after shifting companies) and even added three more tracks that were not on the original release. Upon first listen, nothing jumps at you like Danger and This Night off Amaze Me 's second album, Dream On . Still, Amaze Me is quite a treat. It's heavy and melodic with lots of harmonies and sugar-coated choruses. Striking, perhaps, are the song titles. Some of these are really odd/funny. Take, for example It Seems so Hollywood. This is an awesome mid-tempo rocker about love, appearances and clichés of Hollywood life. This is indeed a heavier album than Dream On, but by no means inferior. Highlights include opening track God's Gift to Woman, You Say you Never Cry, Fair Warning and Fever. These are all great driving songs. Hard, fast, to the point, non-nonsense hard AOR. Nothing less. The best song comes in at number 8, Next Train Back features one of the band's most perfectly crafted choruses. And the verses aren't too bad either. The ballads Your Lover Your Friend and I Dream Long Distance (another creative title) are nothing too extraordinary, but fairly good. What strikes me the most of this band is how often I forget that they are not a band. Amaze Me is is comprised solely of vocalist Conny Lind and multi-instrumentalist Peter Broman. The sound is so tight and incredibly compact that it is just impossible to remember only one guy is keeping this sound together! Plus the production is as good if not better than Dream On (although still a bit too patchy for perfectionists). This is a great follow-up to the band's essential second album (even if Amaze Me *was* originally released way before Dream On ever took place). If you liked the second, you should really look into this one. It is also a good introduction to the band if you have never heard them. ----Released in 1998 by Z Records | Tracklist: Gods Gift to Women, You Say You Never Cry, Help Me Through The Night, Tough Ain't Enough, Fairwarning, Your Lover Your Friend, It Seems So Hollywood, Next Train Back, Love is Like a Fire, You Can't Hide, Fever, I Dream Long Distance, Tell Me Why
And here I thought 90's hard rock/metal could not get any better than Lillian Axe 's superb Psychoschizophrenia ! The boys in Human Race have not only topped Lillian Axe 's standard, they have a set a new precedent that will be even tougher to beat. On For the Sake of Your Soul , Human Race take their cues from 90's-influenced hard rock albums like Harem Scarem 's Voice of Reason and the already mentioned Lillian Axe - approaching a modern sound but keeping enough melody to interest melodic rock fans. The Web opens the album with assaulting guitar riffs and a chorus unlike anything fairly recent. If you don't fall in love with this song upon first listen, clean your ears, pay attention and believe! Where Do I Belong is a bit slow, particularly in the verses, and is perhaps the most alternative influenced song on the album. Remember When is a sort of ballad. Nothing too exceptional but it does keep up with the quality of the album. The multi-layered vocal lines are superb here and remind me of, yes, Lillian Axe again. At first, Free Your Mind sounds like a modern Rush , but it soon outgrows the comparison and gets a life of its own. This one is a major highlight of For the Sake of Your Soul. Them is much slower, with a groovy drum beat backing it up. The ambient sounding keyboards add a very cool effect and mood to the song. Now, on Mothership the band goes deeper into Progressive Metal. The menacing keyboard on this song gives ex- Dream Theater god Kevin Moore a run for his money. The song is instrumental, but doesn't sound incomplete as some other instrumental songs tend to sound. The guitar and keyboard lines provide enough meat for this song to stand on its own. Overall, it sounds like a Steve Vai/Kevin Moore duel! Another highlight, if a bit short (under 3 minutes). Into the Light keeps the pace up adding a few psychedelic elements like organs and voices. Again, fast/alternative-like verses with over the top melodic choruses. Another highlight of the album is Don't Look Back . If they ever have a hit, it should be this song. The chorus is just so perfect! Lost in the Shadows is fast and melodic, but nothing too memorable. Closing the album is another instrumental track, e20 expressway . As the name suggests, this is a very moody and entrancing piece of music. A nice and strong way to close the album. The only thing I would've changed would be to add a similar-sounding intro to the album. But it still works handsomely fine. Ive been talking a bit about production in many reviews, but here I have no complaints. This is major label perfection! However, I was left wanting more. 10 tracks and just over 40 minutes is simply not enough of this awesome band. Hurry up with a follow-up. ----Released in 1998 by Z Records
| Tracklist:
The Web, Where Do I Belong, Remember When, Free Your Mind, Them, Mothership,
Into the Light, Don't Look Back, Lost in the Shadows, e20 Expressway
With a touch of sleaze and glam and a heavy dose of 90's attitude, Jekyll & Hyde seem destined for great things. However, most of the songs fall below the band's potential. Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent tracks, but overall Heavenly Creatures seems to lack consistency.The sound of the band can be best defined as late-era Skid Row , but more melodically inclined. A cross between a more talented Axl Rose and a less screaming Sebastian Bach, vocalist Jakob Samuel has an amazing set of pipes, but the band doesn't back up his freshness. As a whole, the album can be a bit monotonous - saved only by some strategically positioned tracks and Samuel's powerful voice. Highlights include Breaking the Silence and Jekyll & Hyde , both of which are out loud rockers with an uncanny sense of melody. Breaking the Silence in particular is probably the best song on the album - a great example of what the band is capable of doing. But most of the songs that fall between the oustanding tracks just lack the strength these songs show. Peace Child and Holy Ground provide a particularily strong center for the album, being another set of fast rockers with strong vocals by Samuel. The surprise was left for last, though and it takes the shape of a beautiful acoustic ballad Ten Years Gone - made complete with a Spanish guitar (and castañuelas) solo. This one sounds a lot like Axl Rose singing a Ten ballad. My pick for ballad of the year - I bet it goes out great live. Overall, Human Creatures is not a bad album - just not as strong as it could be. I anticipate, however, a much better album to come from these guys. The talent is definitely there. ----Released in 1998 by Z Records | Tracklist: Breaking the Silence, I Am, King of Pain, In Your Dreams, Jekyll & Hyde, Peace Child, Holy Ground, Blood on My Hands, Point of No Return, Legends of the Fall, Everlasting, Last Time, Ten Years Gone
Musically, Pittsburgh area hard rockers Arkainz Eye are like a piñata: colorful and full of goodies. Judging from their live show set list, this band knows what good music is! (They've played songs by House of Lords, Dream Theater, Kansas, Alice in Chains, etc.) Too Wicked borrows from every source possible, managing to not sound like anyone else. Although they borrow the most from Dream Theater (the singer sounds a lot like an unrefined James LaBrie), classic influences are also present throughout the songs. Too Wicked Candle, The Dream and Victim could just be lost Dream Theater demos, except that Arkainz Eye is not as flashy as DT. My Life, is a pretty ballad that screams Kansas. The lyrics are typical prog rock lyrics, with sci-fi allusions and far-out imagery. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but still above the standard. I had an opportunity to catch the band live, but I wasn't able to. I will attempt to, though, and will keep an eye out for any of their performances. The production leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm hoping/almost confident that this will improve when they release a full album. Still, the production is not as bad as to not be enjoyable, far from it: the songs shine through the bad mix. This is a band to watch out for, since I predict they will be a major player in the prog rock genre once they tighten their sound and write a few more songs. They have started on the right track. ----Released in 1997 by Arkainz Eye | Tracklist: Too Wicked Candle, My Life, The Dream, Victim
Now, this isn't really AOR. The sound of this band can be best described as a combination of power pop, alterna-punk, hard rock and Black Sabbath /early Metallica -era metal. This is still a pretty good band, but be warned that they are not your typical AOR/Melodic Rock act. With this in mind, let's move on to the music. This is quite heavy! The Extra-Crunchy guitars mixed in with harmony-laden choruses provide a great layout for a hard rock album. The lyrics are thoughtful without being too preachy or ultra self-conscious. Seize the Day opens the album in a stomach-punch fashion. This one's a fast rocker with a very cool and memorable melody line - this song also shows some hints of prog rock. Psychosis goes a bit more into alternative territory with Alice In Chains -like verses. But this band manages to incorporate other band's styles and even genres without steering too far from a basic sound. Other highlights of the album include Society's Child, - a ballad in the style of Metallica's latest hits, but better - Days Gone By and what I guess is the band's staple anthem, The Cryer. These two last songs are the most melodic of the album - and show how entertaining Towne Cryer XXI must be live. The main problem this release has is its production. I am well aware that rock bands don't get the highest production budgets these days, but the songs really do lose their sharpness because of it. Such a modern sounding release deserved a decent production - which it did not get. The lack of production does take away from enjoying listening to the album. I do think that with a better production, the songs would be even catchier. Towne Cryer XXI display a lot of talent in this release and its a shame that they didn't/weren't able to have a better production. Still, if you don't mind a less than perfect production job and you like your hard rock with more of a 90's twist to it, you will by all means enjoy it. ----Released in 1997 by Psychotic Records | Tracklist: Seize the Day, Psychosis, Ecstasy, The D.W.D., Society's Child, Rage, Days Gone By, The Cryer, Save My Life |
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