YearInReview08

THE YEAR IN REVIEW - 2008

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, no pun intended � 2008 will go down in the history of the genre as being one of the best, if not the best year since the start of this century for good, consistent hard rock releases!

The list of bands who've released good product in 2008 is impressive to say the least, with numerous acts delivering their 'best' albums in years! We've had numerous 'come-back' albums, with nearly all serving up what we expected and in most cases � virtually all delivered, not to mention a parade of some of the biggest names in Hard Rock and Metal music!

Just look at these names: AC/DC, METALLICA, DEF LEPPARD, WHITESNAKE, DOKKEN, MOTLEY CRUE, JOURNEY,
JUDAS PRIEST, ALICE COOPER, BUCKCHERRY, TESTAMENT, MOTOHEAD, GIRLSCHOOL, METAL CHURCH, POISONBLACK, JADED HEART, BRAINSTORM and finally GUNS N' ROSES!

Most of the above acts delivered very good product � a couple unfortunately, definitely - missed the mark
with the new long, overdue Gunners album, easily being the weakest return by far.

With so many outstanding releases in 2008, with almost equal qualities, this year's selection for the KILLAWATTS.NET - "Album Of The Year" � is a dam, hard ask! This year, more than any other is extremely difficult, considering there's easily 20 plus contenders - but after much soul searching and possibly a little bias, my pick is GIRLSCHOOL's "Legacy" � because it's a great album that kicks, has good songs, great riffs, has the least filler/dud tracks - compared to the majority of the above releases! Also, these four women are still kicking ass after 30 years - another
very good reason!

It seems, that finally (better late than never!) - the US market has realized that, 'ROCK' music is back so over the next 12 months we should see a plethora of US hard rock bands releasing new product, to a whole new generation! Remember, the rise of Metal in the 80's was already up and going for 2 � 3 years in the UK and Europe before the US took notice, history repeating itself?!

The number of veteran hard rock and traditional metal acts, that have scheduled new product to be released in 2009 is already starting to heat up. Names like, SAXON, PRIMAL FEAR, KROKUS, ARMOURED SAINT, CHARON, RHINO BUCKET, WARRIOR, HEAVEN & HELL, RATT, TYRANT, KEEL, AEROSMITH and MALICE? - among others, with more to follow I'm sure - making 2009 another bumper year as well!

Personal favorites for films and DVD's in 2008, well I can't go past, TWISTED SISTER's "Live At The Astoria" as my favorite music DVD! Favorite films for 2008 were:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', Alien Versus Predator 2, Starship Troopers 3, Hellboy 2, Battlestar Galactica Razor, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, Quantum Of Solace and the Australian made mini series, 'Underbelly'!

"Movie Of The Year" - has to be the excellent, 'Dark Knight'!

Well let's get down to it � "The Year In Brief" - just in case you missed 'em?!

THE GOOD: (Killers)

GIRLSCHOOL � Legacy (Wacken) - "ALBUM OF THE YEAR"
The longest serving, all female hard rock band in the world - storm back with a highly satisfying, consistent release to mark their "30th Anniversary" - delivering one of the strongest albums of the year! (9/10)

AC/DC � Black Ice (Alberts)
Just piped by the girls above but equally one of the year's best returns with easily the bands' best product since 'Back In Black' � a surprisingly, good return! (8/10)

BRAINSTORM � Downburst (Indy)
Possibly one of the toughest, slickest and definitely � one of the most satisfying releases of the year stacked with meaty riffs, good songs with plenty to satisfy the hungriest of true metal fans! (9/10)

METALLICA � Death Magnetic (Universal)
One of the world's most loved metal acts, redeem themselves - after the hideous 'St.Anger' disaster with plenty of cranking meaty riffs, good songs and that certain charm - back where it belongs. A MAJOR step in the right direction! (8/10)

WHITESNAKE � Good To Be Bad (SPV)
The master of 'cock-rock' returns with a fuel injected WHITESNAKE - serving up one of the year's most outstanding returns, with an almost 'perfect' album - that's only mared by two, too many ballads! (8/10)

BUCKCHERRY � Black Butterfly (Atlantic)
Bouncing back with a more commerical product, sounding more like CHEAP TRICK than themselves with an album similar to the bands' "Time Bomb" release � in both execution and substance. Not the killer we expected! (8/10)

POISONBLACK � A Dead Heavy Day (Century Media)
One of Europe's most underrated modern metal acts, POISONBLACK are back with album # 3 delivering yet another slab of sonic assault with one of the best guitar sounds in the world today. Another meaty masterpiece, just maybe! (9/10)

ALICE COOPER � Along Came A Spider (SPV)
The King of 'shock-rock' delivers one of his finest ever, albums - that easily equals his previous best work, with flavours from both peak eras � a very, very good return! (9/10)

JOURNEY � Revelation (Frontiers)
Talk about a 'come-back' album � US melodic rock "superstars" enlist a new singer who sounds like their old singer and write their strongest album, since their late 70's 'hey days'! Awesome! (9/10)

STARBREAKER � Love's Dying Wish (Frontiers)
Album # 2 for ex-TNT singer, Tony Harnell's new band STARBREAKER � and again, they deliver one of the years' finest, classiest melodic hard rock records that's just as brillaint, if not more so than their excellent debut platter! (9/10)

JADED HEART � Sinister Mind (Frontiers)
Melodic hard rock at it's finest � delivering one of the best sounding, mouth watering collection of infectious, catchy, commerical and downright crunchy, melodic rock songs that shows sheer class only a few can achieve! Excellent! (9/10)

DOKKEN � Lightning Strikes Again (Frontiers)
With easily their best output since their 'hey days' � LA's 'rolls royce' hair metal act, deliver one of the year's strongest return products, that's a breath of fresh air for this once 'superstar' band. A very good release! (9/10)

DEF LEPPARD � Songs From The Sparkle Lounge (Universal)
After so many years of releasing very average product, Def Leppard - returns with an album that contains many attributes that made them 'Megastars' around the world in the late 80's. Their best work since, "Hysteria"! (9/10)

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR � Dreamin' In A Casket (Independent)
Album # 5 for this ass-kicking band and again like it's predaccessor - it delivers more crunching, infectious, good time hard rock with a hint of glam, showing most of LA's hair metal bands - how it should be done! (9/10)

TWISTED SISTER � Live At The Astoria (Riot)
One of New York's finest ever, ass-kickin' hard rock acts � delivers a blistering set of 'classics' that will re-ignite many good memories for 'old school' metalheads with an excellent CD. The DVD is awesome, new generation metal fans come and witness one of US Metal's best! (9/10)

WARRIOR � Fighting For The Earth (Rerelease)
A 'classic' in every true sense of the word. One of the best traditional metal albums ever, re-released on CD showcasing Los Angeles based act, WARRIOR's finest moments in metal history! (10/10)

MOTORHEAD � Motorizer (SPV)
Over 30 years and still going strong, the British metal institution called MOTORHEAD � deliver another consistent, satisfying album that has made them the 'legends' they are today! A good solid release. (8/10)

WEDNESDAY 13 � F**K It We'll Do It LIVE! (Riot)
Also released on DVD � this blistering collection of WEDNESDAY 13 tunes captured here in all their wonderous and in-your-face glory. This is good, nasty glam tinged hard rock at it's best! (8/10)

FIGHT � War Of Words (Remastered)
Rob 'Metal God' Halford post Priest outfit's excellent debut platter - is given a make-over, re-boot with a couple of new tunes thrown into the mix with an almost good quality 'demo' flavour, which sounds good! (8/10)

BIG COCK � Motherload (Driver Wild Import)
The third dose of this swaggering 'cock-rock' band - proves that they haven't blown their bolt too early with a strong, consistent and fairly satisfying release that's chock full of perfect party tunes! (8/10)

TESTAMENT � The Formation Of Damantion (Independent)
Possibly, the best real, metal album release of the year � easily out-classing Metallica's return with music that's tough, tenacious and thunderous that basically leaves most of the pack � far behind. A brillant return! (9/10)

ICED EARTH � The Fragility Of Man/Something Wicked Part 2 (SPV)
Original screamer Barlow replaces Owens - to reserrect a 'legion' of followers of this veteran US traditional metal act with more glorious metal, that delivers a sheer masterpiece of work with a very good product! (8/10)

METAL CHURCH � This Present Wasteland (SPV)
More US 'old school' metal that reigintes their 'glory days' with more bombastic metal anthems for the true believers of the genre, with more meat that a butchers shop! Another very good album! (8/10)

THE BAD:(Thrillers)

MOTLEY CRUE � Saints Of Los Angeles (Shock)
Back together again - the original 'Crue serves up a fairly consistent effort, that will please 'long-time' fans who've waited 8 years for a new album! A number of songs standout, the rest are equal in quality to 'New Tattoo' being a good, not a killer return! (7/10)

ROADKILL � God Bless America (Independent)
Obnoxious hard rock from Australia - that has cranking riffs with mixed styles of metal with an 'old school' feel, featuring TYRANT screamer, belting out a fistful of anthems with a reasonable debut effort! (7/10)

SEBASTIAN BACH � Angel Down (Independent)
Ex-SKID ROW howler Sebastian Bach - sounds in great voice throughout this collection of mixed metal styles that almost works but fails due to too many ordinary tunes. Far from impressive! (7/10)

SINNER � Crash & Burn (AFM)
Old school boys back with plenty of good riffs, some good tunes and plenty of passion � again suffering from average vocals that just don't cut it, really letting this otherwise good product down. Average is the word! (7/10)

JUDAS PRIEST � Nostrodamas (Sony)
The kings of British metal - deliver an excellent sounding project that, unfortunately was done far better by another band a few years earlier and to be brutally honest, is a 'Major' letdown � that's 2 average albums in a row! (7/10)

JOHNNY CRASH � Unfinished Business (Independent)
Second album release, recorded back in 1992 - finally sees the light of day after an 'injunction' preventing it's release due to a couple of GNR members onboard! Regardless of time, it's great to hear the boys doing their thing again - with the same groove, that almost matches their excellent debut! (7/10)

ANGEL � On Earth As It Is Heaven (Rerelease)
The release of third album by US glam metal act ANGEL � available, again on CD showcases a more commercial direction than the bands' 2 previous efforts, a far more melodic offering that's just above average. (7/10)

WHITE LION � Return Of The Pride (Frontiers)
By nature maybe .... more akin to singer Mike Tramp's recent solo outings, albeit with slightly more bite and dirt under the fingernails but it's defintely not the real WHITE LION. A good product but far from outstanding (6/10)

LOUDNESS � Metal Mad (Independent)
Japan's 'legendary' metal act serves up a ballsy, modern, malicious metal release that is far more modern in flavour, approach and style - leaving behind their 'old school' sound of the past. You be the judge?! (7/10)

KINGS X � XV (SPV)
Doing their thing, their way - delivering a thoroughly satisfying album, filled with influeneces ranging from funk, punk to everything in between, albeit with their unique quirky feel. (7/10)

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN � Perpetual Flame (Riot)
The guitar 'legend' dishes up his usual product with a slight difference - recruiting ex-Judas Priest/Iced Earth screamer, Tim Owens to weave his vocal magic over the whole project. While Owens delivers, it's Yngwie's heavy handed production that severly negates would could of been?! (6/10)

PAIN DIVISION � One Path (Riot)
Second album for Sydney based, Australian metallers who should heed their own advise and decide what type of metal band they are, like their debut platter � this also lacks that certain direction?! (6/10)

THE UGLY:(Fillers)

GUNS N' ROSES � Chinese Democracy (Geffen)
Easily, the biggest disappointment of 2008 - with an album that lacks grunt, spark and above all else � credibility with a record that sounds no meaner than Coldplay! A couple of tunes almost make the grade, the rest ...
Lame - what a joke! (3/10)

EVEGREY � Torn (SPV)
Sounding as tough as ever, EVERGREY's new CD lacks any real standout tunes herein and that combined with a more mechanical direction which is 'light years' away from their previous magnificent product. A fairly sad return! (5/10)

LARREN HARRIS � Calm Before The Storm (Independent)
The daughter of IRON MAIDEN's Steve Harris looks the part, has a good voice and has a very tight band behind her but the songs on offer are fairly luke warm in substance. Radio friendly melodic rock! (5/10)

NIKKI SIXX � The Heroine Diaries (Independent)
The mastermind of MOTLEY CRUE (remind you of some other rock star who also likes $$$?!) releases the soundtrack to the novel of the same name. Lunch boxes will be next? A good sounding product that doesn't deliver with just 3 songs herein making the grade, the rest .. forget. (3/10)

HOUSE OF LORDS � Come To My Kingdom (Frontiers)
I don't know what happened but this CD is far inferior to the brilliant, "World Upside Down" release with a return that is very complacent, very sad! (5/10)

INDEX