After reviewing their first album “The Dark” it was only natural that I would review this eagerly awaited second offering from the West Midlands band Electus. With the title “Rock n Roll Incarnate Part 1”, I can honestly say I can’t wait for Part 2.

But let’s start at the beginning.

Formed in 2008 by rhythm guitarist/vocalist Russell Peake, it was clear he needed to form a band that would satisfy his hunger and passion for hard rock. Bassist Dan Smith joined in 2014 and the line-up was complete in 2015 when Mick Hales and Pete Checkly were recruited on drums and lead guitar respectively. And, for want of a better over-used cliché, the rest is history.

“The Dark” was a well-received album but it was clear from then this was a band that would be an acquired taste for some people. They are a marmite band, you either love them or you hate them, and, luckily for me, I love them. Part of my job as a reviewer is to find bands that are a bit quirky, that stand out from the rest in their genre…..and Electus sure do this!

Influenced by bands such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Opeth and Epica, to name but a few, Electus manage to combine all their influential elements along with some melodic chorus lines that creates music which conjures the full range of emotions. Says founding member Peake “if you can tap your feet, dance and sing to it, and I would buy it, then it’s in.”

I described their first album as a classic rock and roll album with a hint of grunginess and a pinch of country but this album takes them to another level. This is a hard rock album full of guitar driven riffs and ear splitting solos with a hard hitting rhythm section, and its Peake’s vocals that once again add that touch of uniqueness.

A lot of hard rock has become very stereotypical and boring in recent years but these guys show just what a spark of imagination can really do. The quirky nature of this band means they can produce a classic hard rock album but still manage to mix it up a little, making it stand out from the crowd and nothing captures this more than first single “Ticket to Nowhere.” With a video full of scantily clad women dancing around the band, it’s clear these guys are enjoying what they do. And so they should be.

Their music is infectious at every turn and is a must for anyone on the lookout for that “something different.”

I said in my last review that “this is a band who are destined for much bigger things” and this is the album that could potentially push them towards that success. And I have my fingers, and everything else, crossed for them.

Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny that Electus have an idiosyncrasy about them that sets them apart from others and in a world full of clichéd bands that all sound the same, this can only be a good thing! A great thing even!

I just hope they venture out further from the West Midlands and make their way down south because that would be a gig I would be in the front row for!

TRACKLISTING:
1. Ticket to Nowhere
2. I Wanted You
3. Slip Away
4. Saved
5. Another like Me
6. Freak Out
7. Light in The Sky
8. Running Around
9. Summertime
10. Angel Dust

LINE-UP:
Russel Peake – Vocals, rhythm Guitar
Mick Hales – Drums
Dan Smith – Bass Guitar
Pete Checkley – Lead Guitar

This review is purely the property of Dawn Smith and The Metal Asylum

As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I feel I was born too late where the rock and metal scene is concerned, many of my favourite bands being at the top of their game when I was too young to really appreciate them. This has meant that over the years there have been many bands that have passed me by and Warrant is one of them. Only really knowing their cheesy hit “Cherry Pie” through endless airplay on MTV and radio stations, I never really had much desire to check them out.

And what a mistake that was! With eight million records sold worldwide, two top ten Billboard albums, five top forty Billboard hits and five number one MTV videos, Warrant had the peak of their popularity at the end of the 1980’s and beginning of the 1990’s, forming part of the glam rock scene (another reason I am surprised they didn’t have that much effect on me to start with as I love that particular genre of metal!)

Formed in the mid 80’s by Erik Turner and Jerry Dixon, they released their classic debut album “Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich” in 1989 and, with extensive touring, sales exceeded two million records in the US alone!

1990 saw the release of their second album “Cherry Pie” and, produced by Beau Hill (Alice Cooper, Winger, Europe and Ratt) it featured hits “I Saw Red” and the anthem “Cherry Pie” which received massive airplay on MTV and still does to this day, making it probably their most well-known hit.

In 2008, their lead singer and songwriter Jani Lane quit the band and he was replaced by ex-Lynch Mob vocalist Robert Mason. Often referred to as one of the most prolific songwriters of the 1980’s, Lane died in 2011 from acute alcohol poisoning.

The band kept going and in 2011 released “Rockaholic” the first to feature Mason on vocals and the album that relaunched them as a force to be reckoned with in the 21st century.

Now, six years later, “Louder Harder Faster” has been released with a line-up of original members and is proving that Warrant are now stronger than ever!! With the production handled by Foreigner and ex-Dokken bass player Jeff Pilson, Warrant are sounding tighter and are playing better than ever and “Louder Harder Faster” remains true to the bands roots, full of rocking songs with some classic ballads thrown in.

Warrant have always had a catchy, very melodic style and that remains their signature sound even now, although they did experiment with a more grunge orientated album in the mid 1990’s to acknowledge the growing popularity of that genre.

Mason’s vocals are still a breath of fresh air and it is clear he was the best choice as a replacement for Lane. He has a swagger about him that gives new life to the band who are now “fired up and more inspired than ever musically.”

Stand out songs for me were “Music Man”, which starts off acoustically before crashing into a blues-filled rock song, title track “Harder Louder Faster” which sets the tone for the rest of the album from the outset and “New Rebellion” and of course, there is the customary rock ballad in “U In My Life.”

The thing I love most about the glam rock genre is the ability of the songs to make you dance around your living room like a complete nutter!! And this album certainly made me do that. Even sitting here, listening to it on my headphones, I am bopping away as I type. It is a real feel good album and one more suited to the summer. I can just imagine driving down the motorway, roof down (if my car had the ability to do that!) with the sun shining and this blasting from the speakers!

I just have one question now for the boys?……..when are you coming to play London because I will be first one there.

Classic Warrant, classic glam rock, excellent music!

TRACKLISTING:
01. Louder Harder Faster
02. Devil Dancer
03. Perfect
04. Only Broken Heart
05. U In My Life
06. Music Man
07. Faded
08. New Rebellion
09. Big Sandy
10. Choose Your Fate
11. Let It Go

This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith and The Metal Asylum

First published on http://www.metalgodstv.com

Reproduced here with kind permission from Metals Gods TV

Hi Everyone,

I’m Rick, and am very proud to be joining Dawn & Jon at The Metal Asylum to write reviews. For those that don’t know I have worked with Dawn before and she has been a close and valuable friend for a long time. I also played drums in Heavy Rock/Metal bands for 30 odd years, have been writing for 10 and also ran my own metal website for a few years until recently, when my life took a nosedive, from which I am slowly recovering. I actually stopped listening to music for 4 months, which has never happened to me before. It has always been my constant companion and it couldn’t last.

Over the last 4 weeks I have, once again, immersed myself in all things Metal & Rock and have had the pleasure of listening to loads of great new album releases. However, the one that has made me REALLY sit up and want to write again is “We Are Disconnected”, the second album from French Modern/Progressive Metal band Disconnected. It gave me the ‘shiver’ I get when I know I am listening to something special.

This is my first time listening to Disconnected and I think their name and album title is somewhat telling, as I have been feeling incredibly disconnected lately and the irony isn’t lost on me that this is the most ‘connected’ I have felt to an album in many months.

That feeling of connection arrives immediately, with opening track, the aptly titled, ‘Life Will Always Find Its Way’. It begins with a lone guitar before erupting into life and everything screams quality. It has a perfect blend of melody and power, a perfect blend of clean and harsh vocals and an incredibly catchy chorus. It all feels so well written and put together and to cap it all the production is HUGE!

Next up is ‘King Of The World’ and everything I said above applies again, with the added bonus that you really begin to hear how good guitarists Adrian Martinot and Florian Mérindol are. ‘Your Way To Kill’ is a more ballad driven track that showcases the huge vocal talents of Ivan Pavlakovic without ever descending into cheese and ‘The Only Truth’ is another excellent track with a guitar solo that really lets rip.

I’m not one for track by track reviews but all 8 compositions on the album are so good I could easily talk about each of them equally. None of them sound alike but they work so well as a collection. It really feels like an awful lot of time and thought has gone into track placement and arrangement. Soloing is superb and is up there with Scar Symmetry as far as I’m concerned and that is always a plus point for me. I love how powerful and aggressive Disconnected are without ever losing sight of the melody. The whole album will be stuck in your head after a couple of listens. I also cannot fail to mention the bass guitar of Romain Laure and drumming of Jelly Cardarelli who are both excellent and hold everything together without sacrificing their individuality.

I’m an old Metalhead and there was a time, in the distant past, when you could count the number of good French Metal bands on one finger. Thankfully, those day have long gone. Disconnected have awoken me from an acute depressive slumber and I thank them for that.

Due to my circumstances, I may be a late starter listening to music in 2022, but I am catching up and “We Are Disconnected” proudly sits at the top my ‘album of the year’ list. It will take a mighty fine effort for another band to remove it!

Track Listing

01. Life Will Always Find Its Way

02. King Of The World

03. Your Way To Kill

04. The Only Truth

05. I Fall Again

06. That’s How I’ll Face The End

07. Primal Rage

08. A World Of Futile Pains

Band Members

Adrian Martinot – Guitar

Ivan Pavlakovic – Vocals

Romain Laure – Bass

Florian Mérindol – Guitar

Jelly Cardarelli – Drums

This review is solely the property of Rick Tilley and The Metal Asylum.

When we decided to give The Metal Asylum a complete overhaul and to start including album reviews, there was really only one choice as to who that very first review should be for!

First played on the radio show in February 2022, A Beautiful Retribution quickly became a favourite of The Metal Asylum, and featured as our Band Of The Week in March, with three tracks from their debut album “I Am The Poison” being played over the course of the three hours!

The next logical step was to give the whole album a few whizz throughs and to give the guys an honest, open opinion of what we thought.

Two words immediately sprang to mind…..Fucking and Awesome!!

But first, a little history on the band themselves.

A Beautiful Retribution are a five piece metalcore (their words, not mine! I hate the whole “pigeon-holing” of bands!) from Birmingham, UK. Long term friends, they are a group of comrades you might not have expected to band together. Comprising of a dental student, a senior lecturer, a software developer/music producer, an IT projects manager and, as per their Facebook, a “dude who hammers metal really fucking hard” the group formed in a spare bedroom in 2006 (ran until 2008 before starting back up in 2019) and “I Am The Poison” was released on 5^th February 2022.

Produced by lead guitarist and vocalist, Steve Riggs, and mixed and mastered by Steve and Marvin Kinkel, the album is 49 minutes and 30 seconds of pure metal mastery. With influences including Machine Head, Lamb Of God, Pantera, Trivium, Killswitch Engage and Periphery along with the likes of Bury Tomorrow, Sylosis and Enterprise Earth, with some power metal thrown into the mix for good measure, I actually find it difficult to class these guys as just “metalcore”.

As much as I don’t like to use the usual cliches, this album really does have it all. Stonking, heavy riffs, galloping drums, killer guitar solos, clean vocals, dirty vocals and distortion, lots of distortion! These guys are thrash metal, death metal, melodic metal, all rolled up in to one stomping mass of HEAVY FUCKING METAL.

Every now and then, a band appears and totally changes the state of play. A Beautiful Retribution are one such band. If you thought you knew metal, think again because these guys have re-written the rule book!

My only gripe with this band is that NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE KNOW OF THEM! If there is a band that deserve to make it big,  A Beautiful Retribution are that band. They have a monster sound that deserves to be heard by everyone, so go and grab yourself a copy of this absolutely awesome album and if you don’t agree with me then I will eat my hat (if I had one that is!)

I don’t give marks out of ten for my reviews anymore as I feel the words mean more than the numbers, but if I did “I Am The Poison” would definitely earn about a squillion out of ten!

So, just in case I haven’t reiterated it enough, this album is the bogs dollocks and I urge you all to go out and buy a copy, follow the band on all of their social media profiles and go and support them at a live gig!

Note to the band: when are you coming down to London because we will be there right in the front row!

Track Listing

1. Out Of Time

2. Worlds Apart

3. I Am The Poison

4. The Beautiful Lie

5. An End To The Pain

6. No King Rules Forever

7. Axiom

8. What Doesn’t Kill You

9. Chaos

10. Deceptions

Band Members

Matthew Little – Vocals

Steve Riggs – Lead Guitars and Vocals

Jimm Wilson – Guitar

Darren Rhodes – Bass Guitar

Parth Malde – Drums

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of The Metal Asylum. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Not one to shy away from stepping outside my comfort zone, when Ritchie Randall, guitarist with Gravehuffer, approached me to review their latest album, I said “yes” straight away. Having heard tracks played on the station I DJ for, I knew it was not the type of metal I usually go for but that in itself made the review more of a challenge. Could I be impartial about a genre of metal that wasn’t one of my favourites? The answer was simply yes!

Hailing from Joplin, Missouri, Gravehuffer officially formed in 2010, although they originally started out in August 2008 under the name of Krom and Your Fault is the latest offering from this American quartet.

Often described as NWOBHM meets early Earache Records, this is a thrash/grindcore/crust band that seems to have a bit of everything thrown in. On their Facebook page they describe themselves as a ‘Metal/Punk band’ but throw in a bit of thrash, a pinch of death, lashings of hardcore and a spoonful of punk and you’d be a lot nearer the mark.

With eleven tracks totalling just 30 minutes, giving this album a spin won’t take up too much of your time, unless, of course, you get mesmerised by the lure of the album and the songs get stuck in your head! Because they will!

Some tracks are under a minute long, short and punchy, and will make your ears bleed, but this is by no means a bad thing. Your head will be banging from the offset and if it is not rolling around the floor by the time the last track kicks in you haven’t been listening properly. They mix fast Slayer-esque tracks, with vocals even more edgy than those of the big man himself, well with slower-paced, often doomier tracks and musically these guys are awesome. The drumming is tight, and fast, an all-out physical attack on the kit, the bass lines are fantastic and the guitar work is just amazing. Vocally, it’s not something I would usually like, but James’ voice works well with the rest of the band and this helps to produce their unique sound.

This is a high energy, in your face brutal metal album and one that does not let up from start to finish. It is a total onslaught on your ears, a bombardment of drums, dirty guitars and even dirtier vocals, and if this doesn’t have you reaching for the Gravehuffer back catalogue then nothing will.

Great job!

TRACKLISTING:
1. Gravehuffer (4:27)
2. Of Fish and Men (1:42)
3. Kill For Sport (3:12)
4. Dead Peace (0:49)
5. Shut Up and Skate (2:04)
6. Powers That Be (3:14)
7. Destroyer of Worlds (3:43)
8. Death Caprice (1:10)
9. Worms Of God (2:22)
10. Prince with a Thousand Enemies (2:16)
11. Chains Around You (5:37)

LINE-UP:
Larry Deardoff – drums
James Hiser – vocals
Mike Jilge – bass
Ritchie Randall – guitar

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith, The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

As a reviewer I have to be open to all kinds of rock and metal music, but underneath my reviewer’s mask I am a normal person and just like any other normal person, I have my favourite genres. For any of you that know me, thrash is one such favourite genre but, and maybe not so obviously, so is power metal and when the band, Nightmare, came up on our roster for review, I knew I absolutely had to do it.

Having first heard them on the album “Cosmovision” I have since acquired the back catalogue and have not been disappointed with anything they have done.

That, however, does not mean that I went into this review with my eyes shut, blindly liking everything just because of what they have previously done. That is not what reviewing is about. And besides, there have been some huge line-up changes for this album that could have totally altered their whole sound from anything they have ever done.

But let’s start at the beginning… Formed in the French town of Grenoble in 1979, Nightmare  were pioneers in the French heavy metal scene and they released their debut album “Waiting for Twilight” in 1984, with their second, “Power of the Universe”, released in 1985.

And then they disappeared! For fourteen years!

They burst back onto the scene in 1999 with their album “Astral Deliverance” and followed up with a further 8 albums, along with a few line-up changes but in October 2015 they announced their biggest personnel change to date, the additions of powerhouse vocalist Maggie Luyten (Beautiful Sin, Beyond the Bridge, ex-Ayreon) and drummer Olivier Casla (Sandragon, ex-Thalidomide, The Seven Gates)

Arranged in France by producer Patrick Liotard, “Dead Sun” was produced and mixed at Sandlane Studios in the Netherlands by Joost van den Broek and recorded at Noise Factory Studio in Belgium with Gerald Jans behind the desk and is the band’s tenth release.

Having previously been heavily influenced by the NWOBHM sound, this could be classed as their heaviest release to date, leaning towards the heavier, more aggressive side of power metal and the addition of Luyten on vocals has only added to this transition.

Her voice is powerful and rocking, fitting this style of metal almost perfectly. She sings melodically, harmonising fantastically with the backing vocals, her sound strong and clean. But don’t let that fool you. This lady can deliver the grunts and growls along with the best of the female metal singers and I would place her up there with the likes of Veronica Freeman of Benedictum and Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy.

When I first started listening to this album I posted a Facebook status saying “Whoever said women have no place as the singer of a heavy metal band, after hearing the performance of Maggy Luyten on the new Nightmare album, I beg to differ! Outstanding!” Those are words I still stand by. This lady is awesome, amazing and a true talent.

The album opens with an atmospheric instrumental intro to the infectious “Infected” before the riffs are unleashed and the song is launched into a tirade of guitars and drums. This is a great opener and sets the very high precedent for the rest of the album….and it does not let you down. Track after track provide you with an aural onslaught that will have you banging your head the whole way through.

I’ve previously stated in my reviews that two aspects of heavy metal that I absolutely adore are double kicking drums and galloping riffs…..and this album had both!! You know those sort of riffs that you can feel in your belly before they hit your ears, the drumming sounds that launch you into full blown air guitar mode.

This is a band that are capable and eager to move on and grow after big line-up changes, and what bigger line-up change can you have than transitioning from a male to female vocalist? This is something that has been accomplished in the past by bands such as Arch Enemy and The Gathering, and it has been done just as well this time round. The band have re-invented themselves with their own unique sound and identity and there is more power and variation than ever before.

So, albeit with a little bit thrash, a little bit of doom and a children’s choir thrown in, this is a full on metal album from start to finish, and is still very much a power metal album, just roughed up a little!

This is a must for any Nightmare fan, new or old, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed with it. So grab yourself a copy, turn the volume up to eleven and spend just under 55 minutes rocking out to one of the best albums around!

WE ARE INFECTED!!

TRACKLISTING:
1. Infected
2. Of Sleepless Mind
3. Tangled in the Roots
4. Red Marble & Gold
5. Ikarus
6. Indifference
7. Dead Sun
8. Seeds of Agony
9. Inner Sanctum
10. Serpentine
11. Starry Skies Gone Black

LINE-UP:

Maggy Luyten – Vocals
Franck Milleliri – Guitars
Matt Asselberghs – Guitars
Yves Campion – Bass, Vocals (backing)
Olivier “Piv” Casula – Drums

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith, The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

There is a debate in the world of rock and heavy metal that seems to have been raging ever since the dawn of time. No, it’s not who’s better, Megadeth or Metallica or who is the ultimate metal god of all time (of course, we know the answer to that one is Rob Halford!) It’s whether women have a place in the rock and metal world.

Before I get lynched for making such a statement, this is NOT, and I emphasise this, NOT, my way of thinking. I believe women have just as much right to be in a rock or metal band as men do, hell some of the women are BETTER than the guys but, this being said, there are some people around that think women can’t do the job as well as blokes can.

Now, I admit I was never really a fan of female fronted bands. This had nothing whatsoever to do with their musical or singing abilities, I just preferred the sound of a guy at the helm. I didn’t really like the mix of operatic vocals with heavy metals riffs by bands such as Nightwish and Epica and as this was obviously my own preference, I am by no means saying they weren’t good bands, they just weren’t for me.

But since those days, the female vocals have evolved, becoming a lot more aggressive and powerful which is why coming across a band such as Ashes to Ashes was a delight.

Formed in Genoa, Italy in 2010 by Marta Vassollo (piano/vocals), Paolo Schiavi (lead guitars) and Paolo di Lorenzo (drums), the three of them were eventually joined by Enrico Cabona (second guitar) and Stefano Anentodio (bass) to complete the line up. The band signed to Wormholedeath Records in 2013, after the release of their first album “Borderline” and their second album “Urania” was released in 2016.

In September 2016, Marta decided to leave the band and she was replaced by Giulia Sarpero (ex-vocalist of Kramers). Within a month the band were back in the studio to re-record two of the most representative tracks on the album with new vocals giving the songs a whole new atmosphere.

Musically, Ashes to Ashes blend light with dark, heavy with acoustic and, as their promo notes states they “take female fronted metal to a new level with a mix of cleans and growls that is visionary.” There are touches of alternative metal with bits and pieces of post hardcore on one side and clean arpeggios on the other.

At the first listen this album might seem a bit lightweight to some people, the vocals a teeny bit weak. BUT, stick with it, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Track five “The Forgiveness Song” introduces some male growls along with the female gentler vocals, a mix that shouldn’t work but does and this trend carries on for the rest of the album.

And listening through for the second and third time, the vocals are not as feeble as first thought. This woman has a great voice and although it’s not as aggressive as some of the female singers around at the moment, it doesn’t mean it is inferior to them in any way! In fact, it shows that women do not have to compete with the guys to make their mark. A woman doesn’t have to grunt and growl to prove she has a powerful voice, nor does she have to veer in the opposite direction and take on the operatics of Tarja or Simone.

Throw into the mix some great guitar work and musicianship and you have the terrific band Ashes to Ashes. They may only be starting out with this current line up but with a few years under their belt they could be up there with the best of them. The band, themselves, consider their strength to be their “ambition to create a distinctive sound” and this ambition could take them places. But they have to be careful not to fall into the trap of changing their vocal sound to fit in with all the other female led bands. Their “distinctive sound” is already starting to show through and they need to nurture that and let it grow and flourish.

All in all, this is a solid album from start to finish and is just over 41 minutes of well written, well performed tracks, proving that years of hard work, promotion and effort have paid off. I haven’t heard the first album but I certainly hope to hear anything else these guys put out and follow them on their journey of self-discovery and progress.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Popular
2. Nymph
3. Naked
4. Once Upon A Time
5. The Forgiveness Song
6. A Thousand Pieces
7. Birds In A Cage
8. Path In The Dark
9. Wallace Hartley
10. Mother Of Grace
11. Just Daydreaming

LINE-UP:
Enrico Cabona – Guitar
Paolo Di Lorenzo – Drums
Paolo Schiavi – Lead Guitar
Stefano Anentodio – Bass
Giulia Sarpero – Vocals

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith, The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Being a thrash, heavy metal type of girl at heart, it’s not very often I listen to something that is a bit softer, a bit mellower or a bit bluesier (is that even a word??) but that’s what I did when I listened to this album.

Released on Smilodon Records on 02/09/2016, the self-titled album is the debut recording for Swedish band Suicide By Tigers and has been hailed by European rock media as one of last year’s best debut albums.

Influenced by classic rock giants such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and Jimi Hendrix, Suicide By Tigers are “a rock band with a passion for hard-hitting yet dynamic classic rock, and strong melodies which captures the essence of loud rock.”

The four musicians became friends throughout the 1990’s while on the club scene in Malmö, Sweden, and although they continued to hang out, professionally they headed in different directions.

It wasn’t until vocalist Nils Lindström and guitarist Petter Rudnert joined forces in 2012 to work on some songs, that Suicide By Tigers was born, and they were joined by bassist Peter Broch or drummer Johan Helgesson in 2014, completing their lineup.

Produced by the award winning Berno Paulsson (The Haunted, Amon Amarth, Spiritual Beggars) Suicide by Tigers is a fantastic debut of classic rock infused with soul, a great mix of rock and blues all set to the back drop of superb musicianship.

Petter Rudner’s guitar riffs are thumping and heavy, even opening the last track Karma with a solo, Lindström’s vocals are strong, often reminding me of many of the rock vocalists of the 1980’s, and there is a solid rhythm section in both Broch and Helgesson.

Looking like they should play classic rock, this is exactly what Suicide By Tigers do, and they do it well. Not liked by some for playing music of a by-gone age, I think this is what adds to their appeal. As I was unable to live through those periods of classic rock myself (I’m far too young for that!) it’s nice to be transported back to an era when rock was rock, even if it is just for 45 minutes. That retro feeling of not actually knowing what time zone you are in only heightens the pull this album has. I could listen to this album over and over again and not tire of it, each track throwing up things I hadn’t noticed before.

This band should expect big things and, with the release of their first single “Vicious Malicious” earlier this year along with a video directed by Björn Wahlström, they certainly are on their way.

This is a must listen to for any classic rock fan and an ideal addition to any classic rock collection.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Death on Your Trail
2. Beautiful Nights
3. Pack of Wolves
4. True Believers
5. Vicious Malicious
6. Fox in a Hole
7. Ball of Fire
8. Keep You Smiling
9. Karma

LINE-UP:
Nils Lindström – vocals
Petter Rudnert – guitar
Peter Broch – bass
Johan Helgesson – drums and percussion

Originally posted to Ever Metal

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith, The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Always wanting to up my game when it comes to reviewing, this album by 80’s band Nightranger was always going to be a challenge for me. Not because I’m not a fan of their particular genre of rock/metal but because it is a LIVE cd. What’s wrong with reviewing a live cd I hear you ask? Well, nothing really, apart from the fact that I really do not like live cds. Even the great live albums such as Kiss Alive, Live and Dangerous from Thin Lizzy or Unleashed in the East by the mighty Judas Priest (my favourite band in case you didn’t know!) do nothing for me.

So when the live album “35 Years and a Night in Chicago” from Nightranger dropped into the Ever Metal inbox, I thought, why not give it a go? I really didn’t know much about them as a band anyway (being born far too late!) and I thought this would help as I wouldn’t have any preconceptions about them or their sound.

And I am glad I did. Recorded at the House of Blues in Chicago on 7th May 2016 this is nearly an hour and three quarters of non-stop, start to finish, high energy rock and roll. But let’s start at the beginning.

Formed in San Fransisco, California in 1979 by bassist-vocalist Jack Blades, drummer Kelly Keagy and guitarist Brad Gillis from the ashes of the band Rubicon, they performed under the name Stereo and by late 1980 they had changed their name to Ranger and were opening for acts such as Sammy Hagar.

In 1982 they had to change their name to Nightranger after the country band The Rangers claimed a trademark infringement and the Nightranger machine was born. By this time they had recorded Dawn Patrol, their debut album, which peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard chart and went on to sell over 1 million copies, and they had performed opening stints for ZZ Top and Ozzy Osbourne.

Their first five albums went on to sell over 10 million and their total album sales have topped 17 million worldwide. They can boast of several platinum and gold albums and they have performed over 3,000 live shows.

But their success waned in the late 1980’s and the band split in 1989. Some fans saw their Hollywood soundtrack “flirtations” (tracks were featured on the Nick Nolte film Teachers and Explorers in 1985 and in 1984 Jack Blades co-wrote the title theme to the Michael J Fox film The Secret of my Success) as selling out and they also had to compete with up and coming bands such as Bon Jovi, Poison and Guns n Roses.

They reunited with the original line up in 1996, releasing two new albums in the latter half of the decade and brought their “guitar heavy, melodic brand of hard rock into the 21st century with their unparalleled talent, energy and creativity.”

By 2014 they had 11 studio albums (including the bestselling Dawn Patrol, Midnight Madness, 7 Wishes, Big Life and Man in Motion) and 8 live albums under their belts, had numerous line-up changes and were also one of the first big “video” bands with over 10 number ones on MTV.

And now to commemorate their 35th anniversary in the business comes “35 Years and a Night in Chicago” which sees the band “at the top of their game, delivering a performance not to be missed.”

This really is a trip down memory lane and all the hits are there from the traditional opener “Touch of Madness”, to mega hit “Sister Christian”, to MTV essential “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” and rock anthem “You Can Still Rock in America.” There are some rarely played tracks and even a hint of what is to come with the track “Day and Night” from the new album “Don’t Let Up” released in the spring of 2017.

And that’s exactly what these guys don’t do. Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy’s vocals are sharp and on top form and the guitar mastery of Brad Gillis just never stops, while newer members Keri Kelly, ex-Alice Cooper guitarist and Eric Leavy fit perfectly into the band, delivering the songs as if they had been playing them from day one.

The comradery of the band is apparent even through a pair of speakers and there is so much energy and enthusiasm exuding from the band you would think they were all in their twenties, not a band with a combined age of 276!! (sorry guys!) But what is age but a number? These guys are obviously enjoying what they are doing and that’s the whole point of it.

So has my opinion of live cd’s changed at all after listening to this? I’m not sure on that one but what I will say is that this live cd captured the band and its current line-up at the top of their game, showcasing an outstanding performance that the fans in Chicago were lucky enough to witness first hand. It also captured the energy of the crowd and, as a listener, I felt I was there amongst them. I’m not sure if this is down to the superb performance or the level of production on the cd but whichever it was has leant itself to a fantastic cd that will have Nightranger fans reminiscing about the good old days.

Hard rock, pop metal or bubblegum metal. There have been many names for bands such as Nightranger but I will just class them as this……

Rock and fucking roll!!

TRACKLISTING:

CD1
1. Intro
2. Touch Of Madness
3. Sing Me Away
4. Four In The Morning
5. Growing Up In California
6. Rumors In The Air
7. Secret Of My Success
8. Sentimental Street
9. High Road
10. Eddie’s Comin’ Out Tonight

CD2
1. Goodbye
2. Night & Day
3. Night Ranger
4. When You Close Your Eyes
5. Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
6. Penny
7. Sister Christian
8. Rock In America
9. 7 Wishes

LINE-UP:
Jack Blades – Bass and Vocals
Brad Gillis – Guitars
Kelly Keagy – Drums and Vocals
Eric Levy – Keyboards
Keri Kelly – Guitars

Originally posted on Ever Metal

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith. The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Formed in late November 2015, Baranovich are a five piece rock band hailing from Sheffield, England and ‘Hyde’ is their new 3-track EP due for release very soon.

Having previously played one of the tracks, ‘Fire in the Sky’ on my radio show, I couldn’t wait to hear what the rest of the EP sounded like and I was not disappointed.

Describing themselves as “new wave of classic rock” I would add “with a hint of punk thrown in.” This EP is hard-hitting like a classic rock EP should be but with catchy choruses that you will be singing all day long.

With crushing riffs and a monstrous drum and bass section, this band have the makings of something big and Steve Baranovich on vocals brings the whole sound together.

I have never seen these guys live but I certainly hope to one day. They obviously play with a lot of energy and I would love to see that transferred to the stage. I have a feeling it would be a performance that would blow the roof off, and I am sure they did just that when they recently supported Toseland for a gig in Sheffield.

With just three tracks on the EP it’s hard to pick a favourite but I think I would have to say the title track Hyde is the stand out track for me. With a bouncing bass line, an awesome guitar solo mid-way through the song, heavy riffs and lyrics that attach themselves like super glue to your brain, what is there to dislike?

I hope these guys will be bringing out a lot more material in the future because I, for one, will be buying it.

Now go and grab yourself a copy of this awesome EP and bounce around the living room as you play it full-volume! That actually might have just been me who did that but you get the idea!!!

TRACKLISTING:
1. Have a Nice Day
2. Fire in the Sky
3. Hyde

LINE-UP:
Steve Baranovich – Lead Vocals
Emanuelle Repetto – Lead Guitar
Myke Thornton – Rhythm Guitar
John Atkinson Croad – Bass Guitar
Darren Blank – Drums

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith, The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Originally posted on Ever Metal