| CD REVIEWS - 2005 |
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY �M a f i a� (Riot) Talk about delivering the goods! It�s so hard to put into words just how fuckin� good this new CD by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - actually is! Zakk Wylde and his band have delivered their finest CD yet � and that�s saying something, because his previous efforts such as, �1919 Eternal� and �Blessed Hellride� were both very good products indeed. There are plenty of meaty riffs throughout; the guitar sound as always is AWESOME! Zakk plays some breath taking solos � as is to be expected and the songs are some of the best tunes he has ever written. All possess strong, catchy hooks that�ll have you singing along, whether you�re driving down the highway or sitting back chilling out listening at home with a jacks in one hand and a fine smoke in the other. Where do we start? Kicking off the CD is, Fire It Up a slow brooding monster that has a riff as big as KING KONG! What�s In You, has a relentless riff that beats you into submission while, Suicide Messiah sounds so much like Sabbath � you�ll just won�t believe it with a riff that�d make the master, Toni Iommi proud! A tasty piano piece intros, Forever Down which has all the trademarks of Zakk�s flamboyant guitar sound stamped all over it. The solo in the centre of the tune just takes off � absolutely brilliant! The sombre, In This River has all the elements of laid a back Zakk � (ala Book Of Shadows) and the rousing riffed, You Must Be Blind, sounds like a bulldozer crashing down the undergrowth. Death March, is exactly what the title suggests � a menacing slow paced beast that ravishes all before it. The instrumental, Dr. Octavia is Zakk showing his thing on guitar � no it�s not some 5 minute wank, it�s actually under a minute in length and just showcases a nice tight, interesting, tasteful guitar piece. Other so-called guitar gods � should take note! The stomping, Say What You Will is priceless � a bona fide killer tune that has everything you could possibly want in a ass-kickin� hard rock song. Too Tough To Die, crunches along as does, Electric Hellfire with a blistering solo by young Zakk. The chugging, Spread Your Wings crawls around the floor and then raises it�s head to strike � if this song doesn�t impress you then you�re probably dead! I tell you � I can�t pick any standouts � as all the songs here make the grade. One of my personal favourites is, Been A Long Time which just cranks so fuckin� hard � truly awesome. The CD finishes in fine style with, Dirt On The Grave a haunting piano based tune that has some very cool vocals harmonies, some very tasteful guitar interplay that simply tantalizes. There�s not too many CD�s that come along and deserve FULL MARKS but I can honestly say that this new CD by Black Label Society - �Mafia� is an absolute killer. It�s definitely a contender � for �album of the year�! Don�t believe me � well take a listen and if this CD doesn�t get your blood pumping, your foot tapping � then, I�m sorry to have to tell you but you know absolutely nothing about good, hard rock metal music! - 9/10 Mervin Tipping |
JUDAS PRIEST �Angel Of Retribution� (Sony) The expectations for this release are very, very high indeed! Gone is stand-in vocalist for the - last decade, Tim �Ripper� Owens who did a sterling job during that period lending his amazing voice to 5 Priest recordings, if you count the excellent �Live In London� DVD. The 4 albums, �Live Meltdown� (98), �Live In London� (02) and two excellent studio CD�s, �Jugulator� (95) arguably Priest�s heaviest album ever and the very fine �Demolition� (01) - with all being outstanding. Owens has moved on with I�m sure was a generous payment for his services with Priest and last year contributed vocals to veteran US metal band, ICED EARTH who�s �The Glorious Burden� was one of the year�s best metal releases. Now that original screamer, Rob Halford has returned to JUDAS PRIEST, the band have been reacquainting themselves with the metal world with appearances at a number of festivals through Europe and more recently at last year�s OZZ Fest in the US with a �Greatest Hits� show. Now, after much fanfare sees the release of their first album with Halford since 1990�s �Painkiller� and to be brutally honest folks � I hate to say it but the new CD, �Angel Of Retribution� sadly does not live up to expectations! After the heavy sound of the �Ripper� years - Priest has decided to return to a more traditional route and by doing so this record sounds dated and very retro. There are 10 songs on offer and maybe half, yes you read right half of those possibly make the grade. Rob�s in fine voice with his unmistakable scream apparent on many tunes and the band as always sound as tight as a drum but what really lets it all down is the song writing � which is average at best! While many of Priest�s old-school peers, like Saxon, Motorhead, Scorpions, Krokus and UFO to name a few have all delivered excellent �come back� records over the last 18 months � this album should have been an absolutely killer but the sad fact it�s far from it! It pains me to say that this CD has a number of throwaways the worst of these being the closing track, Loch Ness which is 13 minutes of mundane music and quite possibly the worst Priest song ever! Unfortunately, things don�t get any better with tracks like, Demonizer which has double kick attack but it lacks substance while Wheels Of Fire and Hellrider both possess reasonable riffs but again just don�t have that magic that should make them shine. There�s a ballad called, Angel which is O.K. but it doesn�t come close to three of Priest�s better ballads, Before The Dawn (Killing Machine), Beyond The Realms Of -Death (Stained Class) or Lost And Found (Demolition) � all 3 songs far superior in every way. The tune, Eulogy is also pretty bland and it doesn�t make sense why the majority of songs here don�t have what it takes. Maybe, the band haven�t ironed out all their ill feelings from 14 years apart, maybe they�re past it - who knows but one thing is for certain, this album doesn�t deliver the goods like it should. Luckily, for Priest it�s not all bad news with 4 songs that are pretty good, all are different in feel and all have that special something that far outweighs the above mentioned throwaways. The opening song, Judas Rising is the CD�s highpoint, a powerful metal song with that magic Priest feel we�ve all come to love and expect. Rob�s screaming vocals announcing he�s back and the band blaze away behind him. Track two, Deal With The Devil could have been lifted from their �hey day� of the early 80�s with a great riff, great hook and some tasteful harmony lead breaks. The song, Revolution has �old school� Priest stamped all over it with a riff a hybrid of Metal Gods/Touch Of Evil and this song sounds BIG and works rather well. The last good song is, Worth Fighting For which sounds reminiscent of something form �Point Of Entry� with a very radio friendly groove that should see the band get heaps of air-play � stateside. Well, fellow Priest heads � that�s it, the above 4 songs are the highpoints, the rest well I�ll leave it up to your judgement. I wanted so much for this album to be the absolute killer � it needed to be, but maybe after such a long time apart Judas Priest just don�t have that magic any more. This album is nowhere as good as the two HALFORD releases and it certainly does not come even close to the two albums featuring Ripper � that my friends, is the cold hard facts! Maybe, just maybe I�ll warm to it � but honestly I don�t think so. If this is the best the once mighty JUDAS PRIEST can come up with � then their days are numbered as far as this long time fan is concerned. So very, very disappointing. Did I hear somebody say .... Bring Back Ripper!! - 5/10 - Mervin Tipping |
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MOTLEY CRUE "Red, White And Crue" - Greatest Hits (Universal) During the last decade die hard fans of original LA �bad-boy� hard rock act, MOTLEY CRUE have been hoping, praying, shouting at the devil � for a re-union of the original line-up of the Crue would eventuate � and guess what, it has and the reaction has been absolutely amazing! Making far more noise than the recently re-united Judas Priest � MOTLEY CRUE are on a roll � plain and simple!! Yes, you got to hand it to the Crue � they simply know how to milk the machine and create interest in a franchise that was all but over!! Let�s face it � The Crue were all but dead so brainchild Nikki Sixx forms a new outfit, Brides Of Destruction with friend and fellow LA glam-rocker, Tracii Guns and release a balls-out rock record last year called, �Here Comes The Brides� which easily stood up alongside new supergroup, Velvet Revolver�s debut platter, �Contraband�. The CRUE are back and the timing couldn�t be any better. A World Tour is underway with up to 70 stadium shows booked in the US with a �sell-out� show at New York�s - Madison Square Garden � no less. Not bad for a band that were written off by the majority of mainstream media?!! Well, let�s talk about the new 2 CD set, �Red, White & Crue� which is another �Greatest Hits� package (their 4th since �91�s �Decadence� - if you don�t count the recent boxed CD package, �Music To Crash Your Car By�) Well, it does feature 3 newly recorded songs by the re-united band - Yes, even old T Bone - Tommy Lee is back with Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil and poor ol� struggling Mick Mars and the new songs do sound great � and that folks is what makes this CD! Sure, it�s got all the hits here � again, we�ll get to them later but the real interest is the new songs on offer. By now you should have heard the first single, If I Die Tomorrow which while being a little light-weight in places definitely kicks into gear in the chorus, the song is strong, hooky and remains entrenched in the brain! The second new song is the pick of the bunch, Sick Love Song which has plenty of meat, great riff, good sing-a-long chorus � in-fact it�s the perfect Crue song! The third tune is a cover of the Rolling Stones� song, Street Fighting Man which is also a pretty crisp rendition and doesn�t detract too much from the original. The overall sound of the 3 new songs is reminiscent of the 2 new tracks included on the �Greatest Hits� package released in �98 (the one with the brown cartoon cover artwork) Those songs, Bitter Pill and Enslaved were good solid rock songs and they are included here in this package, so if you haven�t hear them then there�s 5 new songs you haven�t heard! The rest of the 2 CD�s features plenty of memorable songs from the bands� 20 plus year career. Their audacious �83 debut, �Too Fast For Love�, the outstanding �Shout At The Devil�, the bands� commercial peak, �Dr. Feelgood� through to leaner times, including songs from the self-titled album that featured John Corabi on vocals and of course we have a couple of tunes from the hideous �Generation Swine� through to their last �official� studio release, the highly underrated, �New Tattoo�- released in 2000 which features the late Randy Castillo on the drum stool. Whether it�s the early hits like, Live Wire, Piece Of The Action, Looks That Kill, Too Young To Fall In Love, Home Sweet Home, Wild Side, Girls, Girls, Girls, - or the tougher sounding - Kickstart My Heart, Primal Scream, Afraid, Hooligan�s Holiday or Hell On High Heels � The Crue have written some pretty damn good rock songs along the way. The inclusion of lesser known songs like, Rock & Roll Junkie (from the fabulous movie, The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane), Teaser and Toast Of The Town make this the �Ultimate Motley Crue Collection�. Well, let�s hope all goes well and we get a full studio album within the next 12 months � now, that would be worth waiting for judging by the new songs here. Yes, the Crue are back and they�re coming to a town near you - soon. Oh, I almost forgot, I�m sure details about the film, �THE DIRT� about The Crue�s autobiography of the same name will also be divulged in the next couple of years just to add to the madness!! - 8/10 - Mervin Tipping |
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TYRANT � Live Bootleg! (Tyrantula) Two years have passed since the release of their highly, underrated strong second album, �Thunder Down Under� (2003) by Australian hard rockers, TYRANT. During that time the band have again received good reviews from around the world but still haven�t made the impact a lot of us had envisaged. Well, maybe this new 7 track �LIVE BOOTLEG� CD recorded in June 2004 might finally, open the rightdoors for this Australian rock outfit. Recorded Live in concert for Hobart based FM radio station, Edge Radio for a �Live To Air� broad-cast, the sound quality is very good with the guitars ripping your head off, the vocals charging over the top with the band sounding like a fuel injected, well oiled machine bursting with power. Vocalist, Neil Steel is clear and throaty throughout with some very fine banter between tracks. One classic line is: �If you don�t like explicit language � don�t listen�! It isn�t of say DVD quality but is about 95% there and it definitely has all the elements here to satisfy most head bangers who cherish undoctored LIVE recordings. That in itself, is the highpoint of this CD as it sounds like a LIVE gig, not some overblown multi-tracked layered, overdubbed product that most major acts release. Its warts �n all � with a couple of minor mistakes audible which adds to the realism of this release. The fact that there has been a number of acts under the same moniker over the years - may have indeed hindered the Aussie quintets rise in the metal world but as far as delivering hard assed-obnoxious, hard rock metal is concerned, TYRANT are a band that you have to hear! Not since AC/DC�s, �If You Want Blood� has an Australian band captured the LIVE essence like TYRANT�s new 7 track bootleg CD does. Opening proceedings with one of the bands� toughest sounding songs, Killing Machine just blasts out of speakers with a relentless riff that would crush an army into oblivion. Next up is the title track from the band�s debut platter from 2001, �Freaks Of Nature�, the song itself re-arranged since it�s inception to a more streamlined affect, the song not dissimilar in groove to Priest�s, Metal Gods. The next tune is a cover of the Chris Isaac hit, Wicked Game - a great song in itself which is given a real metal work over courtesy of TYRANT. The song is fairly true to its original form except now it�s has undergone a metamorphosis from a sweet pop song into a tough, grinding, song that is way heavier than the HIM version from a few years back. The heavy shuffle boogie of, Better Off Dead comes across far better here than the studio version with more bite than a Darwin river crocodile. The up-tempo staccato charge of, Dressed To Kill which is up next is simply out- standing with an attack that encompasses twin guitar heroics, dual lead solos and blistering double kick drums that simply pulverise the listener into submission. Most of the songs here with the exception of Wicked Game are from the band�s two albums so it is a nice surprise to hear a song from the band�s debut EP, �Never Too Loud�. The song in question is a bona fide metal �classic�; Lamb To The Slaughter � a tune that has pure 80�s metal running through its veins with a menacing riff, solid anthem like chorus and a brilliant twin lead solo section that enhances the song no end. The CD closes with a frantic paced version of, Thunder Down Under � and while the studio version sounded pretty damn good, this live rendition simply blows it away with an energy that is purely devastating as the band tears off into the home stretch. The band stresses that �LIVE BOOTLEG� isn�t an official live release but is intended to satisfy fans who haven�t seen or heard the band in concert. Well, for those who�ve never witnessed TYRANT on stage this CD definitely captures this damn fine Australian hard rock/metal act in full flight and given the opportunity should impress all who here it! - 8/10 - Mervin Tipping |
IMPELLITTERI � Pedal To The Metal (SPV) 2005 has already delivered some damn fine metal releases and we�re only half way through the year! Well, you can add another CD to the growing list of �must have� albums as this new one by IMPELLITTERI as it�s an absolute ball-buster. Packed with some absolutely outstanding tunes, these guys serve up their usual tasteful, excellent, perfectly executed metal that only a handful of bands throughout the metal world could only hope to emulate. Led by one of metal�s most gifted guitar players, Chris Impellitteri has every chop known to mortal man and on this new CD, �Pedal To The Metal� he shines like a 20 carat diamond with plenty of meaty riffs, impressive solos, tasteful licks � basically every trick in the book. His partners in crime, Vocalist, Curtis Skelton is amazing throughout as is the impeccable rhythm section of James Pulli � bass guitar and Glen Sobel on drums. Sobel�s double kick drumming is extremely impressive, how anybody could drum that fast let alone keep it in time is totally amazing � check out the song, Judgement Day for confirmation. Musically speaking, there are plenty of different styles within the metal genre that should please most with out and out menacing beasties like, Hurricane that has a tough riff that�d make any metalhead worth his or her salt - bang thy head in appreciation. The Iceman Cometh, is tough yet commercial at the same time but it never wimps out. The Kingdom Of Titus, has a choppy riff that entices with a strong rousing chorus. The grandeur opening on, Dance With The Devil will surprise as this song climbs into a frantic paced demon that is reminiscent of classic Rainbow mixed with a hint of Metallica�s speed era. Crushing Daze, is as its title suggests is a breakneck speed metal song that has melody, a nasty riff and exquisite execution of the highest order. Other standouts are, Destruction, Judgement Day, Propaganda Mind and The Writing On The Wall all deliver fine moments of thinking man�s metal. The extremely funny, Punk is a metal wrap song that�ll have you pissing yourself laughing with some of the funniest lyrics I�ve heard in ages. Now whoever controls or picks the singles, this song is the one � absolutely brilliant! For those uninitiated with IMPELLITTERI � what you have here is a band of superb musicians who create intelligent metal music with certain sense of class and style that does separate them from most of the pack. With so many influences in their music, there are glimpses of Rainbow, Queensryche, Megadeth � countless really, you cannot pigeon hole them. I could go on and on about how good this CD is, suffice to say that IMPELLITTERI�s � Pedal To The Metal is one of the best for year � no risk! - 8/10 Mervin Tipping |
BRUCE DICKINSON - Tyranny Of Souls (Sanctuary) While his fellow band-mates in IRON MAIDEN take a well earned rest after yet another massive World Tour, old �Air Raid� siren himself � Bruce Dickinson releases another solo album to keep fans happy. There is no disputing Dickinson�s vocal ability as he soars above the music like a B2 stealth - bomber with a range that imposes on the listener the quality of the man. Bruce is again teamed with his partner in crime, Roy Z - producer/guitarist, who is definitely no slouch in the riff or guitar heroics department area, doing a tasteful job throughout. The new CD delivers on all fronts, with plenty to satisfy most Maiden fans until their next opus arrives. The production is clear, crisp and heavy where it supposed to be without being over-produced. Song-wise Bruce explores a number of different routes within the metal genre with Maiden flavoured tunes like, Navigate The Seas Of The Sun, Soul Intruders and River Of No Return � all moody and moving in feel. Up-tempo rockers like, Abduction � which is my personal favourite cranks out with a tough ness and vitality that harks back to the peak days of Maiden. The other standout is, Power Of The Sun which is also a very strong tune that captures the zest and zips along at a good pace. The slow menace of Devil On A Hog treads a more traditional metal groove and is possibly the best track on offer on this CD because it veers away from the norm for the man. It has a nice, tough simple riff that chomps along. Another angry riffed beastie, Believil � has light �n shade approach that works well and musically sounds not dissimilar to something Sabbath could have written. The CD closes with the melodramatic title track, Tyranny Of Souls � a song that could quite easily slip onto a Maiden album proper. In a couple of places on this CD the music is very aggressive showing a nod to modern day metal. No, not a sell-out to that hideous Nu-Metal, I�m talking the angst of numerous real metal acts from the last 5 years that have that grunt in their music. Bruce Dickinson�s �Tyranny Of Souls� should please both his solo fans and Maiden fans alike as it�s a good all round release. It�s not a 10 out 10 killer album but should have most �eadbangers banging their heads for hours to come. - 7/10 - Mervin Tipping |
SENTENCED � The Funeral Album (Independant) It�s hard to believe that SENTENCED were once a hard-core thrash band when you listen to this, their seventh album in a career of 16 years. Their last release, �Cold White Light� from a couple of years back moved to a more rock orientated sound that had elements of Goth rock in it�s sound and the this new release also pursues that feel. Most of the songs on offer here are well written, well executed - mature minded rock tunes that crank when they need to and simply blow you away when they pick up steam. It�s very hard to compare SENTENCED with anyone in particular, there are elements of a numerous hard assed rock acts incorporated in their music. There are moments when they remind the listener of the heavier aspects of bands like, The Cult, Sisters Of Mercy or even Charon. Not surprisingly, they are from Northern Europe and their sound has elements of numerous Goth rock inspired acts currently riding high with this new sound infiltrating the world as you read this. Take the tougher elements of acts like, The 69 Eyes, Him, Gemini Five to name a few and basically you should get the direction they are coming from. The difference with SENTENCED is it�s not just the music that tough but lyrically there far away from the above mentioned acts who cater more for the female metal fraternity. The songs are tastefully constructed and most have nasty riffs that leave you wanting more, standouts are; Ever-Frost, Her Last 5 Minutes, Long Way To Tomorrow, May Today Become Today and Vengeance Is Mine � all a very, very good hard rock songs that will definitely annoy the neighbours for hours on end. There are some moody slow tunes like, Lower The Flags, We Are But Falling Leaves and Consider Us Dead that show the darker side of the band. The pick of the songs here is, Despair � Ridden Hearts which starts out with an almost country groove then saunters along exploding into a sabre-toothed bastard that takes no prisoners. SENTENCED are a band that has to grow on you, I dismissed them at first but after a few listens you too will probably appreciate a mature rock band that do what they want and are not too concerned with penning tunes just for radio. Forget all the hype on soft-cock worthless acts like, Coldplay or U2 � if you want to hear an impressive band that explore numerous grooves within rock genre, then check out the new SENTENCED �Funeral Album� is far superior to most of today�s throwaway disposable acts who have the money machine behind them. Strictly for Adults Only - or music lovers with taste. - 8/10 - Mervin Tipping |
| BEAUTIFUL CREATURES � Deuce (JVC Japanese Import) It�s been 4 years since their excellent debut platter was released and unfortunately � most of you out their in the hard rock world let this band pass you by. Shame on you - because these US ass-kickers have again come up with an absolute corker of a record. For those of you who�ve never heard of �em, read on! BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, finally release album number 2 titled, �Deuce� and again this fine hard rock act that have shown where the new direction of metal is at and it�s nasty, crisp, modern and above all else it kicks serious fuckin� ass! Combining the best elements of the 80�s with today�s tenacious crisp sound � that�s the result here. Let�s go back in time to say, 5 years ago when everybody in the mainstream metal music press was jerking off over bands like, Limp Buskit, Korn, System Of The Down etc. Remember? I sure as hell do, like it was yesterday. Luckily, i and countless others with both taste and a true dedication to metal music were blown away with Beautiful Creatures (who along with Buckcherry and possibly a couple of others) were flying the flag again for metal inspired ass-kickin� rock �n� roll in the US � long before Audioslave and the recent success of Velvet Revolver, were even on the scene. Well, ladies and gentleman it�s time to step up and discover and introduce yourself with a serious contender ... �Deuce� by Beautiful Creatures � just like their brilliant debut, delivers again � on all counts. The songs are great, whether it�s the out-in-out rockers like the rollicking: Freedom or the stomping: Superfly, or the riff laden: Never and how could we forget the relentless: Save Me � all absolute killers! But, wait there�s more � yes, just like the debut there are no fillers here folks! The infectious anthem styled rocker: Anyone � should have most of you shaking your head in glorious fashion. There�s the breakneck boogie of: Unforgiven, the frantic paced: Straight To Hell, takin� you on a rock �n� roll roller coaster ride. No, we�re not finished yet � there�s more, Beautiful Creatures show they have a helluva lot to offer the listener with some very tasteful rock songs along the way. An instrumental: The Unknown - is short, sharp and to the point leading into an interesting variation in style which is: Ton Of Lead, a mid-paced beast that reminds you of something Audioslave could have written � if they were heavier. Surprisingly, they are 3 songs � some might call them ballads I�ll just call them slow rock songs. Both: I Still Miss You and Starr Cross are �traditional� ballads in the true sense and could fit quite easily on any Bon Jovi album, get the picture? As ballads go they�re perfect � both have very catchy melodies. I Won�t Be The One, is a tear jerker of the maximum kind � if you listen very carefully you can almost hear the tears tumbling down young girl�s faces everywhere. Well, I�ve left the best song to last: Empty, is a medium-paced rock song of near epic proportions. It has a solid, haunting, take-no-prisoners riff, an awesome melody and a chorus as catchy as a severe dose of genital herpes. This song has hit � written all over it! (Imagine, for a moment a nastier version of say: -Guns� N Roses�s �Sweet Child Of Mine� albeit with today�s sound and vitality with a more thought provoking lyric and less �hair-metal� influence! Yes, that�s what I�m talking about, a very strong song. Overall, this CD is as strong as Velvet Revolver but without all the hype and bullshit. This new release from Japan is about to be up-dated with the guitar parts being re-recorded for the US release this month, so we will have two different versions of the same release. That in itself, will prove interesting � can anyone remember Dokken�s 1995 �Dysfunctional� release? The US and Japanese versions were uniquely different and both had their special moments. Yes, ladies and Gentleman � Beautiful Creatures are serious contenders � make no mistake about it and if you think I�m full of it?! Go out and listen to possibly one the best hard rock releases for the year, so far in 2005! Well, there�s 4 months to go � anything could happen? Hey, maybe the Gunners record will finally come out and blow us all away? Yeah right!! - 8/10 - Mervin Tipping |
| LA GUNS � Tales From The Strip (Independent) Who would of thought that LA Guns could, would come up with their most consistent release since �91�s �Hollywood Vampires� after their last abysmal studio album, the hideous � �Waking The Dead�?! Not me, that�s for sure. The band has been treading water for quite a while now with a number of rather ordinary releases. Last years - �Ripping Off The Covers� was an O. K. release with 8 out of the 10 songs on offer making the grade while 1994�s thrown together release, �Vicious Circle� - while a little diverse in places, definitely had some pretty good songs - so luckily for them they�ve kept my interest. We all know that founding guitarist, Traci Gunns jumped ship and formed Brides Of Destruction with old� pal, Nikki Sixx releasing a pretty good debut platter last year. Well, Nikki has re-joined the Crue while Gunns and the rest of Brides are about to release album #2 which is another story we�ll get back to in the near future. Meanwhile, back to the new LA Guns CD, �Tales From The Strip�. Yes, it�s definitely the most cohesive, consistent product released under the LA Guns name in well over a decade! The songs are good, Phil Lewis is in fine voice and the band sound like they�re back enjoying kicking ass again. That lovable mix of sleaze, pop and metal are eagerly displayed throughout this enjoyable CD. Strong songs like, It Don�t Mean Nothing, Electric Neon Sunset, Gypsy Soul, Original Sin, Hollywoods Burning, Rox Baby Girl, and Crazy Motorcycle � just the titles alone tell you the boys are happy singing about the ups & downs of Hollywood lifestyle. The CD contains a very good ballad, Vampire which easily sits alongside some of their most memorable reserved songs like, The Ballad Of Jane or Malaria � (both from Hollywood Vampires �91). The unusual, Anything Better Than Love has a more modern sounding groove that suits the band well while the toughness of both, Resurrection which chunks along nicely as does, Shame with plenty of zest here folks! The sleaze of, Skin almost dribbles out of the speakers when it�s played with Mr. Lewis screaming like a banshee on heat! Overall, it�s a damn good release with all the melody, sleaze, and infectious pop/metal we�ve all come to love over the years. The classic line in the song, It Don�t Mean Nothing is priceless. �Don�t wanna work another day in my life, want a Californian tan and a trophy wife�- absolute classic! The only downside for me is why are there three, yes � three instrumentals here. Why bother, personally it�s a waste of space and the CD would be a far superior release without them so they lose a couple of points. �Tales From The Strip� is one of LA GUNS strongest releases in years � die-hard fans will love it � if you�ve never checked them out before then this is a good starting place. - 7/10 Mervin Tipping |
| CHARON � Songs For The Sinners (Independent) Northern Europe over the last half decade has produced a number of acts that are breathing fresh air into the stagnant rock world. Just look at this list and tell me I�m wrong, The Hellacopters, Sentenced, Nightwish, Edguy, The 69 Eyes, Him � just to mention a few and there�s plenty more to come and of course another band that has a helluva lot to offer the listener is � CHARON. Their last release, �The Dying Daylights� (2003) was a tough, dark and sometimes sombre Goth rock inspired CD that highlighted a band with plenty of depth and a shit-load of class. Well, my little Goth rock lovers � you�re gonna dust off that black outfit in your closet and celebrate with painting your fingernails and slipping into your tight leather clothes as this something to get excited about! Charon, have upped the ante a couple of notches here with this their new CD, �Songs For The Sinners�. While not quite as dark as their previous CD the newie makes up for it with some of the best songs penned by the band. To these ol� ears I can pick at least 5 maybe 6 songs that could quite easily be issued as singles! Yes, there are some very, very good songs here. Colder � with its shared female vocal should be a single, it has HIT written all over it .(think along the lines of Nightwish�s Nemo) Deep Water blisters along with a chain-saw riff topped off with a catchy chorus. Gray, has an almost haunting delivery � again backed up with a wall of sound chorus. If this song doesn�t grab you then I�m afraid you are dead � plain and simple! While a lot of people who�ve discovered Him in the last couple of years yearn for the new CD � Charon have penned songs that easily top anything that the former have offered to date. Rain, simply barrels along as does the first single, Ride On Tears � both songs giving it to you with more crunch than a polar bear standing on a ice flow. Both are good up-tempo rock songs that should please most who hear them. It�s not all up-beat with more diversity on this CD than before with a couple of slow brooding tunes, Rust and She Hates - showing that Charon have lost none of their black heart or their soul is still very much in-tact. The beautiful, Air has a quality that will surprise many with its almost tragic feel that is quite enticing. The shared female vocal in parts puts a nice icing on the cake. The cello intro to the song, Bullet is outstanding � the song itself bursts into a very tough hard rock song complete with devastating chorus that pulverises the listener, brilliant! Every song is a winner; I can�t recommend this CD highly enough. It�s a well constructed, well executed release for lovers of exceptional music with a maturity and substance that others could only hope for. Yes, it�s a contender for �Album of the Year� � it�s THAT good! - 9/10 Mervin Tipping |
| PRIMAL FEAR - Seven Seals (Nuclear Blast) Most regular readers would know by now that I usually nominate any standout releases as a �contender� for �Album of the Year�. So far in 2005 there have been numerous hard rock metal acts who�ve released out-standing products that definitely fit that bill. Names like, Charon, Iommi, Black Label Society, Beautiful Creatures, L. A. Guns, Sentenced, Dream Evil, HIM, Saxon, Bon Jovi, Starbreaker - to name a few who�ve delivered very, good consistent products indeed! Well, ladies and gentleman let me now declare that, the new PRIMAL FEAR CD, �Seven Seals" is the - �ALBUM OF THE YEAR� � as far as I�m concerned. Yes, there have been some very good releases this year but as far as traditional metal is concerned � this is definitely the best, so far! If the re-united Judas Priest comeback album from February, �Angel Of Retribution� had adopted a more modern metal approach and carried on the sound they established during the �Ripper� years then they, quite possibly would have been a contender! Primal Fear, on the other hand succeeds where Priest failed � to put it simply, they deliver in every major way with an album which is magnificent in every department, including an excellent ballad titled, �In Memory� - which closes this excellent CD. Unlike Priest �s insipid ballad, �Loch Ness� � which failed miserably, Primal Fear deliver the goods hands down - having a plethora of mean ass-kicking metal riffs that are truly awesome and the band simply blazes away throughout, with possibly the high point in their career. Yes, it�s that bloody good, I shit you not! Every band has an album that typifies the band, whether it�s Judas Priest�s �British Steel� or Rainbow�s �Rising�, Metallica�s �Ride The Lightning�or AC/DC�s -�Let There Be Rock� � the list is endless and you all know where I�m going with this?! Yes, I can quite honestly say the �Seven Seals� by Primal Fear is THAT sort of release! Big call, I know but this is one hell of a solid metal release that has that - �something special� written all over it! The songs are some of the best �traditional� metal I�ve heard since Iced Earth�s brilliant - �The Glorious Burden� featuring Tim �Ripper� Owens. Yes, I know the recent Exodus release, �Shovel Headed Kill Machine� was pretty darn good but Primal Fear�s CD is really that much better! Primal Fear � are a metal band that delivers some of the best damn hard, aggressive, metal anthems on the planet. There are elements of classic, speed and power metal throughout their music and its obvious these guys grew up listening to countless metal bands. There are so many influences to be heard in their songs it�s almost like listening to the who�s who of metal. There are elements of some of the finest metal acts ever to walk the planet, acts like Accept, Priest, Maiden, Iced Earth, Warrior, Dream Evil, Metallica, Megadeth etc. � are you getting the picture? What Primal Fear does is, write great metal songs paying homage along the way to many great acts while incorporating their own brand of crunch with today�s heavy meaty sound and it just hits you where it�s supposed too! Song wise, where do we begin? The opening track is a good start, �Demons and Wizards � is as in your face musically as you could ever want! A double kick attack monster that just blisters along like a bullet train - think along the lines of say: Accept�s Fast As A Shark or Tyrant�s Thunder Down Under or even Motorhead�s Overkill � the perfect album opener! Next up is, �Rollercoaster� which has that riff that is hard, fast and melodic � all in one. If this song doesn�t get you head-bangin� then you must have shit for brains from listening to too much nu-metal crap like Limp Buskit etc.! The slow title track is next, sounding very similar to Iced Earth�s ballad � When an Eagle Cries � both having a good melody and very tasteful solo. Vocally it could almost be Owens singing, uncanny. The dual guitar intro to, �Evil Spell� leads you into the most frantic song, that gallops away with double kick drumming in parts almost inaudible because of their speed, breath taking metal! No, it doesn�t let up with another riff that will get that mop of hair flying in the breeze, �The Immortal Ones� - a bona fide metal anthem, I can almost see the sea of raised hands pumping in the air! The song, �Diabolus�- is a slow paced ballad that is reminiscent of a Dio meets Priest (Ripper Years) style of song, while still hinting at a European metal feel. �All For One� - starts soft and slow then crashes into an up tempo beast that tears along like a hungry wolf. At times both musically and vocally it sounds like Maiden/Helloween crossed with say, Malice/Priest � some very fine work is on display here � it�s a another great anthem song. 'Carniwar� is as its title suggests, mean, nasty and almost up-stoppable. The epic intro to, �Question of Honour� sets up a blistering metal anthem complete with dual guitar intros, chainsaw riffs and a very strong chorus � this track is brilliant in every way, a �classic�! Well, my fellow connoisseurs of the genre of music we all love, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal � whatever you want to call it? Me, I just call it Metal � plain and simple and I can proudly say, Primal Fear�s new album, �Seven Seals� deserves, demands your attention because it is one of the best modern, metal masterpieces I�ve had the pleasure of listening to! " ALBUM OF THE YEAR " � you bet your ass it is!! 10/10 Yes � Full Marks!! Mervin Tippin |
| HIM � Dark Light (Sire) I have no shame in admitting that I quite like Finland rockers HIM � it�s their heavier material over the last half decade that really hooked me. Musically speaking they offer something, just a little different as far as rock music is concerned and it wasn�t until I heard, �Razorblade Romance� and their excellent, �Love Metal� (2003) that I truly liked this Goth/rock inspired act. HIM and a number of other bands from Northern Europe, each have their own individual, slant on the Goth rock sound that seems to be gaining acceptance all around the world. Bands like The 69 Eyes, Nightwish, Sentenced, Charon and a host of others, all have a certain essence and flavour to their music which is very original in sound and I think that�s why so many people are tuning to this new wave of metal? That in itself - is rather like the LA hair metal explosion of the mid 80�s or the Grunge era of the 90�s. Could we be witnessing the next big thing in music? Quite possibly - only time will tell? Back to HIM, so what�s the new CD, �Dark Light� like then - I hear you ask? Well�s there�s some good, tough songs on offer here but there are a few O.K. tunes along for the ride as well, like their early material which suffered from too many soppy love songs � something I can do without out. Let�s face it, if it wasn�t for their covers of Chris Isaac�s, Wicked Game and Blue Oyster Cult�s, Don�t Fear The Reaper � I doubt whether HIM would of ascertained the degree of interest from hard rock fans around the world. Last years �Greatest Hits� package � their last recording for their old record company was a tidy affair that included 2 new recordings, an excellent version of Neil Diamond�s, Solitary Man and the album�s title track, And Love Said No � which was strong, melodic and slightly more commercial in sound. Well HIM�s first release for their new record company picks up where the above song, And Love Said No � left off. The bands sound is slicker than a well lubricated � (you know what I�m saying!) Yes, the band sound very polished indeed, every instrument sanitised to perfection and unfortunately that my friends could be part of the problem here too. There�s no doubt there are a number of cool rock songs on offer here, the first single/video, �Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly� being one of them � a quaint, catchy, pop rock song with a great hook but the beef in their sound is rather safe to say the least. It rocks, don�t get me wrong but sound-wise it�s just too nice compared to their excellent �Love Metal� album from a couple of years back. That album rocked fairly hard when it had to and to me it was commercial enough, when it had to be � that is my only gripe here. There are no songs on �Dark Light� that rival say the ferocity of songs like, Buried Alive By Love, Soul On Fire or even Endless Dark � all from the �Love Metal� CD. Some might call it natural progression, I say its �wise - move� for the new US record label. Under the circumstances, we could crucify the band for �selling out� but it�s basically about becoming more successful, moving up that ladder to the next division - something I�m sure HIM will undoubtedly achieve with this new CD. Hey, when the band crunches out a riff they�ve still got balls, take a listen to, �Killing Loneliness� for example � a good strong song with plenty of bite. Other up-tempo rockers like, �Under The Rose�- coasts along proudly while there is no song on �Dark Light� that matches the finesse of the smash hit, �The Sacrament� (from �Love Metal�) with possibly the song, �Behind The Crimson Door� coming close enough and has enough meat to keep most fans happy. The beauty of listening to this CD is you just know, when you see the band strutting their stuff live � this shit will sound tough! Songs like, �Vampire Heart� and �Drunk On Shadows� both have hooky melodies and meaty riffs with that typical HIM sound. Too be expected their a few songs that are slow, ballad type tunes. The title track, �Dark Light� � sounds like a Billy Idol ballad, talk about cheesy! Play Dead� is also a slow, ballad type song while, �In The Nightside Of Eden� � starts slow and toughens up as the song progresses. I�m sure there�s probably a lot of their fans who really dig the slow songs � each to his/her own. HIM�s new CD, �Dark Light� is a pretty good product, it rocks, it�s very commercial and it�s very HIM. I reckon there are at least 5 maybe 6 songs here that could be released as singles. Believe me � it will grow on you after repeated listening, the songs themselves becoming more and more infectious. Overall, it�s a good, solid release - even though some hard core fans might dislike the pristine production, it �s going to sell by the truck-load which I�m convinced will only push HIM further up the ladder of success. - 7/10 Mervin Tipping |
| BON JOVI � Have A Nice Day (Universal) New Jersey�s finest sons return with their first studio album since their highly underrated, �Bounce� from 2002. Personally, I liked their last record even though sales wise it didn�t set the world on fire. It was a tough sounding CD with heaps of good songs but then again I�ve liked the band since I first heard, �7800 Fahrenheit� back in �85. The new CD, �Have A Nice Day� has all the elements we�ve all come to expect from this, fine rock band, heaps of commercial pop/rock songs with those magic sing-a-long melodies that stick in your brain all day. By now most of you would have heard the title track, first single which has that Bon Jovi magic stamped all over it. There are a numerous up-tempo strong songs on offer here including, Last Man Standing, I Want To Be Loved, Last Cigarette, I Am, Complicated, Novocaine, Dirty Little Secrets and Story Of My Life. Like another recent release (HIM), there are a number of songs here that could be potential singles - as each and every song has that definite hook that assaults your senses. The toughest song is, Unbreakable which is reminiscent of material from the above mentioned, �Bounce� release � it�s a quirky, relentless riffed beastie. Of course there are a couple of ballads, as to be expected from a Jovi album and they all possess that perfect pitch to pull at your heart strings. Tracks like; These Open Arms, Welcome To Wherever You Are, Bells Of Freedom, Wildflower - all do what they intend to and you all know by now what to expect but the standout as far as ballads are concerned is the lovabe, , Who Say You Can�t Go Home is the pick of the bunch. Compared to the above mentioned tunes this song has that special quality that made Bon Jovi such a big band back in the 80�s. Overall, it�s a fairly consistent release from Bon Jovi and should satisfy their insatiable legion of fans all over the world. I�m sure the band will embark on another world tour to promote this release and like me you�ll be there to see �em as they always deliver a very good show. What, you don�t believe me? Well, the recent Live Aid concerts proved without a doubt that Bon Jovi was far superior to many of the �so-called� world acts on stage that day! - 8/10 Mervin Tipping |
| IOMMI - Fused (Sanctuary) Black Sabbath guitarist, Toni Iommi � the man who almost single handily created the music genre called, Heavy Metal returns with his second solo CD, �Fused�- five years after his very impressive self-titled release. While his solo debut of 2000 featured an impressive list of vocalists, including such names as: Henry Rollins (Rollins), Ian Astbury (The Cult), Dave Growl (Foo Fighters), Phil Anselmo (Pantera) among others and of course old Ozzy � the new CD features one of Rock music�s �classiest� and well respected singers, Glenn Hughes. Hughes� main claim to fame was as additional singer/bass guitarist in British heavy rock stalwarts, Deep Purple � (MKIII version featuring David Coverdale as lead vocalist 1974 � 1976). In truth, Hughes range was far superior to Coverdale�s � Hughes could hit all the high notes. So as you can see it�s a pretty fuckin� big pedigree! Iommi and Hughes last worked together during 1986 when Hughes contributed vocals to an album released under the Black Sabbath banner titled, �Seventh Son�. In all reality, even though it was �officially� a Black Sabbath release, Iommi was the only original member on board so I suppose we could call it the �un-official� solo release by Iommi. Joining Iommi was Hughes and a number of very good musicians, Eric Singer, Dave Spitz, Gordon Copley and Geoff Nichols. The collaboration with Hughes as vocalist seemed to work well and for numerous reasons � too many to go into here the alliance between Iommi & Hughes never eventuated, that was up until now! What we have here my fellow music lovers is, the master of metal riffs delivering the crunching riffola, we all know the man possess combined with one of the best voices in rock � a match made in heaven really!! There are plenty of tasty, nasty, heavy riffs to appease the fans of this master metal guitarist � in-fact there�s more meat here on this CD than on actor/governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger after a work-out! A big call I know but seriously, there are some damn tough riffed bastards on display as well as some very good songs. The singing throughout is magnificent to be expected, Hughes dips and weaves from start to end with his magic tonsils wrapping around a diverse selection of well written and perfectly executed songs on offer on this brilliant CD. Every song is different in feel and in style to each other, musically it explores different highs and lows combined with various grooves within rock and that�s a benefit of these seasoned veteran rockers like Iommi & Hughes. There are plenty of modern ideas incorporated with some very tough riffs topped off with mesmerising melodies provided by Hughes competent vocal ability. Sorry, I know I�m raving but it really is a good CD and it quite easily sits up there as a contender for �album of the year� � and there are plenty of them so far in 2005! Best cuts, well that�s a hard question but I�ll try and give you a quick run down. Dopamine - is slow, intense and relentless while Wasted Again - swaggers and crunches and Saviour Of The Real � has a riff that�s sometimes modern, snappy and truly heavy. Resolution Song � has light �n� shade, a very dark, tough riff that will please even the hardened Sabbath fanatic! More Sabbath styled doom is unleashed on the song, Grace � a tune that sounds at home today or even if it were written back in�86 � the song just cranks! The commercial sounding, Deep Inside A Shell - has it all, great melody, enticing riff, big powerful chorus, musically a very fulfilling song. The charging riffed, What You�re Living For � screams away at a great rate of knots, almost stampeding it�s way out of the speakers. The last 3 songs, Face Your Fear, The Spell and I Go Insane are slow, brooding heavy rock songs with diverse directions and differing tempos, showing Iommi & Hughes explore all the boundaries with no thought of making insipid music for the record company bozos. This is a great CD, Iommi has delivered on all fronts with his second solo CD, �Fused�. It�s an album a lot of older metal-heads have been waiting for since 1986 and I can assure them, you won�t be disappointed. For those still discovering the roots of metal, this is one place you must visit because the man playing the Gibson SG here, Toni Iommi is the �master� and the first true innovator of metal music. He and Black Sabbath created a music genre that today is still very much alive and well � some 30 years later!! - 9/10 Mervin Tipping |
| STRYPER � �Reborn� (MTM/Riot) Back after 15 years with � of the original line-up, LA Christian rockers STRYPER return with a modern rock album worthy of your attention. Forget for a moment their religious beliefs, because believe it or not STRYPER actually dish up a pretty consistent effort here. Their trademark excellent vocal harmonies are here in abundance � their impeccable musical abilities are as usual on display and above else they�ve left most of the 80�s far behind them. Musically speaking, the band deliver up quite palatable hard rock songs with plenty of modern influences while still having that slight lean to their style so well presented in the late 80�s. Remember, these guys were massive especially in the US when bands like Motley Crue, Ratt etc. were chalking up multi platinum sales � so too were STRYPER as they definitely had some very good rock songs. Sure, they had a couple of massive selling ballad type tunes � back then they weren�t too many metal acts who hadn�t tried to secure a major hit with a ballad! Back to the new CD cleverly titled, �Reborn� which does indeed showcase a band that sounds fresh, rejuvenated and above all else musically speaking, very in-tune with the current rock trend sweeping most of the western world. Standouts, you can�t go past the tough title track (my personal favourite) with a staggered riff that�s as big as King Kong with a no-nonsense sensibility. The menace of, When Did I See - You Cry works well while the bouncy, 10,000 Years scampers along and the relentless riff of, Live Again sounding almost too tough for a band of Christian rockers. The infectious groove of, Make You Mine captivates the listener, the up-tempo in-your-face drive of, Open Your Eyes is very attacking while the boogie groove of, Wait For You will have you singing along when driving down the highway. The inclusion of a remake, I.G.W.T. (In God We Trust) sounds not dissimilar to the original version from the album of the same name but here the tempo is increased and modernized to good effect. As to be expected there are a couple of ballads, If I Die - being the pick of the bunch here. Overall, in a year with so many strong, consistent releases � a number of them being �come-back� albums � STRYPER�s �Reborn� is among one of the better rock releases in 2005. - 7/10 Mervin Tipping |
| BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION � �Runaway Brides� (Shrapnel/Riot) The band who delivered one of strongest angst, ridden rock records of 2004, �Here Comes The Brides� - returns with their long awaited follow-up album. Unfortunately, a lot has changed during the last 12 months! Gone is co-founding member and main songwriter, Nikki Sixx who has returned to his old band, MOTLEY CRUE who have ascertained almost �mega� status again with their recent �Best Of� package that contained a couple of very good new tunes. Also a whirlwind alliance with ex-Wildhearts guitarist, Ginger didn�t produce the desired results - so it was left in the hands of the remaining band members. That my friends, is where the problem lies � the lack of good, consistent, punchy, hard rock songs that are nowhere within ear shot! Talk about hideous, there�s not one song here that lives up the calibre of material that was so abundant on their debut. If this is the best these guys can offer, well I�m sorry but it�s just not good enough from an act led by one of L.A.�s pioneer hard rockers, Tracii Gunns. C�mon buddy, you�ve co-written some damn great songs over the years with L.A GUNS � not to mention the debut CD, what the hell has happened? All cynicism aside, the music here is very average, with no real direction, no get up and go and above all else � no good grooves. Maybe it was too much indulgence � or maybe, not enough to get the juices flowing � somebody tell me what happened?! To me the only one track, Lord Of The Mind - is at least an interesting modern sounding, rock song but it just doesn�t really go anywhere. The rest, well I�ll just say, �I wouldn�t part with my hard earned cash for this record � that�s for sure�! Besides below average songs, vocalist London sounds tired and uninterested and his vocal ability is no-where as good as it was on the debut platter � seriously, I�ve heard better garage bands. Well, that�s all I can say � a very, very disappointing effort by a band that promised so much! Mervin Tipping (2/10) |
| KIX - Thunderground (Independent) Well, well � looks who back! Those bad ass boogie boys from Baltimore, KIX make a timely return with their first album release in a decade titled, �Thunderground�. The bands� last recording, �Show Business� (�95) was released prior to band disbanding and strange as it may seem - 3 songs from that album also appear on this new disc as bonus tracks. If you know the band, then you know exactly what to expect and KIX do not disappoint with their brand of party on, pop rock tunes. For those that don�t know of KIX � they were never a metal act � far from it, they were in-fact the ultimate party rock band with plenty of riffs borrowed from AC/DC, The Cult, among others. Their music is very melodic with a pop edge, along the lines of bands like 70�s pop rockers, Cheap Trick. KIX were together for over 15 years, releasing 7 albums along the way � the best of these being 1985�s, �Blow My Fuse� which had a couple of hit singles that finally gave the band Platinum success in the US. Outside the US and Japan, the band had more of a �cult� following. In Australia, it was only the dedicated lovers of hard rock music that actually discovered the band. The new CD could easily be interchanged with any of the bands� previous work, sound-wise it�s no different to earlier recordings. That, in itself isn�t a bad thing, as long-time fans will love how nothing has changed. The zaniness of singer, Steve Whitman is still more than apparent throughout this trip down memory lane. Song wise, it�s the usual mix of up tempo rockers, a ballad (for the girls) and party tunes all the way. As stated before, 3 songs from their �95 release are included here, two tunes - �Ball Baby� and �Baby Time Bomb� both sounding almost identical to their original versions � maybe they are new recordings � if so they�re carbon copies. Personally, I suspect a slight re-mix?! The third tune in question, �Fireballs� is again a totally new recording or another version not used previously as the arrangements in the chorus are completely different to the original version. All sound great especially the new version of, Fireballs. The new songs on offer are pretty good and live up to the usual KIX standard including the title track, (complete with thunder claps rumbling) a stomping rocker which is great to hear. The bubble-gum pop of, �Geisha House�, �Hot Pants & Cold Feet� and �I Drank Too Much� (including Cheap Trick guitar melodies) are harmless, fun and easy on the ears � as is always the case with this band. The grinding rocker, �Screw The Screws� is a nice change musically while, �Ring My Bell� chugs along having an interesting vocal intro. The charging riff of, �Screamer� sounds not dissimilar in parts to the AC/DC song, �High Voltage� (a possible law-suit maybe?) it�s one of the CD�s highpoints. There�s only one ballad, �Baby Blues� which romps along at an acceptable pace with melodies similar to a very well known GNR hit?! There are 2 more bonus tracks � live versions of, �Cold Blood� and �Blow My Fuse� which sound pretty good capturing the band and crowd in fine voice. Yes indeed, KIX have returned with their new CD, �Thunderground� showcasing their unique brand of bubble-gum pop, rock that their fans will simply devour! For those uninitiated, KIX are a pop band with a rock edge that even your mother would probably tap her foot too! Mervin Tipping 7/10 |
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