As mentioned in an earlier post (The Best Metal Band of 2000) I think Avenged Sevenfold is the best Hard Rock/Metal band of this generation. And with three years since their release of the Monster album Hail to The King the band was due for some new music. What was odd was on how they released the new stuff, no fanfair. Just a quiet here's our title track released on Itunes, Amazon, Spotify oh and next few weeks the rest will be out. Hey when you are the biggest band out there you can have the luxury of people finding you.
So after a few weeks of listing to the album The Stage I am still mixed on my review of it. Let me start by saying Avenged Sevenfold has not stepped back musically or creatively. Truly it is the opposite the band is reaching for much more on this release, and my reaction is did they Overreach? The title track and first release The Stage is grand. The song clocks in at an epic 8:32 time wise and it isn't even the longest song on the album. Musically and lyricly it is ambitious and is very much worth the longer time.
Honestly all the songs on The Stage deal with deep issues and are richly layered with amazing guitar and pounding double bass drums. The final track on the album is the epic Exist, The song clocks in at an 15:41 and even has Neil deGrasse Tyson speaking on the track. So yes the songs are almost like orchestral movements on The Stage.
I loved Hail to The King and think the band reached the top of the Hard Rock world with its release. So if there is a time for a band to stretch out and go beyond their musical limits why not try when you are at the pinnacle? I am mixed on my review but I can say I have really enjoyed getting lost on The Stage. So if you want to hear a band at its height musically and popularity wise see how fat they can go you need to go listen to The Stage.
Til next time listen to the best your ears deserve it.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Alter Bridges the gap from Pretentious to Perfect Lead Singer
My praise for Myles Kennedy has been noted on this blog several times. Even a few posts back I was writing on how he is an incredible lead singer. As I mentioned, in the Louder Than Life post, his band Alter Bridge is incredible and not to be missed live. With the bands new album titled The Last Hero I had to give a good listen and review, so here we go.
I knew about Myles and heard some of Alter Bridge on SXM's Octane but that was the amount of knowledge I had on the band before this release. The album is great and I decided to dig into the band. Surprise, surprise the band behind Myles is the critics favorite Creed. (Yes, that is sarcasm,the critics Hated Creed and I agreed with the Critics somewhat) So with this knowledge it might explain my instant enjoyment of Alter Bridge. Follow me here , Creed was a great 90's band with a talented but Self Absorbed Pretentious lead singer in Scott Stapp. I really liked the band but I couldn't get past Scott. So for the second time (see my review of Slash's solo album) Myles has stepped in and brought a band to where I can really dig them.
The release is solid melodic heavy hard rock. The band lays down tasty hard rock groves and Myles delivery soars with them. One of the great things about the band is that they are Hard Rock but with many more musical layers that sets this band apart. The first release Show Me a Hero is a soaring rock anthem that has a message not missed on this listener during the Campaign season. My Champion has some outstanding guitar tracks. The title track drives home the dark theme of the release and ends a gem of an album.
Myles Kennedy with his band Alter Bridge delivers a great CD which is almost as good as they are live. The Last Hero is diffidently to be listened to.
Til next time , listen to the best - your ears deserve it.
I knew about Myles and heard some of Alter Bridge on SXM's Octane but that was the amount of knowledge I had on the band before this release. The album is great and I decided to dig into the band. Surprise, surprise the band behind Myles is the critics favorite Creed. (Yes, that is sarcasm,the critics Hated Creed and I agreed with the Critics somewhat) So with this knowledge it might explain my instant enjoyment of Alter Bridge. Follow me here , Creed was a great 90's band with a talented but Self Absorbed Pretentious lead singer in Scott Stapp. I really liked the band but I couldn't get past Scott. So for the second time (see my review of Slash's solo album) Myles has stepped in and brought a band to where I can really dig them.
The release is solid melodic heavy hard rock. The band lays down tasty hard rock groves and Myles delivery soars with them. One of the great things about the band is that they are Hard Rock but with many more musical layers that sets this band apart. The first release Show Me a Hero is a soaring rock anthem that has a message not missed on this listener during the Campaign season. My Champion has some outstanding guitar tracks. The title track drives home the dark theme of the release and ends a gem of an album.
Myles Kennedy with his band Alter Bridge delivers a great CD which is almost as good as they are live. The Last Hero is diffidently to be listened to.
Til next time , listen to the best - your ears deserve it.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Mellencamp ages fine like a great wine
For my birthday my dearest got us tickets to see John Mellencamp in concert. There were a couple of reasons we really wanted to see him preform. First off, John Mellencamp hasn't visited the Bluegrass since 1988 so this is the first time we have been able to see him in a very long time. Second, not to sound too grim, we want to see John Mellencamp preform before he dies. Really with the year we have been having with performers, it is time to see this artist.
I always loved John Cougar Mellencamp, as he was known then. I remember how huge the album Uh Huh was when I was in Jr High, the artistry in Scarecrow for my High School years and the insights of Lonesome Juliblee for my College years. The great things about John Mellencamp's songs is that he revels in the rebelliousness of youth but with the tone of enjoy it now cause it will be gone. What makes him a great artist is that you can enjoy and see yourself in his songs in anytime of life.
As for the concert, John Mellencamp showed that he has been preforming for over 40 years. He commanded the stage with an ease that only comes with time. He preformed all his major hits with a touching treatment of Jack and Diane. The song was just him and his guitar with the audience doing most of the singing. I was surprised he closed with Cherry Bomb, not Pink Houses, but it was a great closer.
If you get a chance, don't miss this great artist preform. With the year 2016 has been it might be your last chance.
Till next time, listen to the best - your ears deserve it.
I always loved John Cougar Mellencamp, as he was known then. I remember how huge the album Uh Huh was when I was in Jr High, the artistry in Scarecrow for my High School years and the insights of Lonesome Juliblee for my College years. The great things about John Mellencamp's songs is that he revels in the rebelliousness of youth but with the tone of enjoy it now cause it will be gone. What makes him a great artist is that you can enjoy and see yourself in his songs in anytime of life.
As for the concert, John Mellencamp showed that he has been preforming for over 40 years. He commanded the stage with an ease that only comes with time. He preformed all his major hits with a touching treatment of Jack and Diane. The song was just him and his guitar with the audience doing most of the singing. I was surprised he closed with Cherry Bomb, not Pink Houses, but it was a great closer.
If you get a chance, don't miss this great artist preform. With the year 2016 has been it might be your last chance.
Till next time, listen to the best - your ears deserve it.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Kansas: Progressive for the 21 century
So Kansas, the USA's best progressive rock band, has come out with a release that harkens back to their Signature style. Two things:, first I can't say America's best example of Progressive Rock due to Rush from Canada. The next thing is the USA has great bands that are almost Progressive Rock like, Journey, Styx, Boston and early REO Speedwagon, but mostly they are Arena Rock. If the USA had to showcase its Progressive Rock band it would be Kansas.
Unfortunately, it is the 80's Kansas that went to the Arena rock stage, but with this new release,The Prelude Implicit, the band has returned to its Progressive Rock roots. The first thing I noticed is that the violin is back. I always thought the violin was a great touch and depth to their earlier music. Unfortunately the vocal sounds of Steve Walsh are not here, but Ronnie Platt is a wonderful addition. The two vocalist are different but both can carry the right sound, and can even sing the phone book and grab my attention. The complex melodies and layers that are a staple of Progressive Rock bands are on nearly every track on the release
For the new release, The Prelude Implicit, there are 10 tracks. Eight of them I really enjoy. One I love and One I just don't care for. The first two tracks the band released, With This Heart and Visiblilty Zero are classic Kansas and got me really excited about the the bands return to form. Rhythm in the Spirit and The Voyage of Eight Eighteen are truly wonderful examples of what the USA can offer for Progressive Rock. The one track The Unsung Heroes leaves me flat, it's not awful, it is just filler. Refugee is the track that really made me stop and listen. It's haunting and the subject matter is hard but delivered in such a powerful way that it really grabs you.
The Prelude Implicit is not Leftoverture or Point of No Return but that's a good thing. No great band should step back; they need to take their music forward. Even so with different band members you can't catch that sound or chemistry again. No, The Prelude Implicit is a Progressive sound for this time from these members of the band and can be enjoyed for it.
Til next time, listen to the best - your ears deserve it.
Unfortunately, it is the 80's Kansas that went to the Arena rock stage, but with this new release,The Prelude Implicit, the band has returned to its Progressive Rock roots. The first thing I noticed is that the violin is back. I always thought the violin was a great touch and depth to their earlier music. Unfortunately the vocal sounds of Steve Walsh are not here, but Ronnie Platt is a wonderful addition. The two vocalist are different but both can carry the right sound, and can even sing the phone book and grab my attention. The complex melodies and layers that are a staple of Progressive Rock bands are on nearly every track on the release
For the new release, The Prelude Implicit, there are 10 tracks. Eight of them I really enjoy. One I love and One I just don't care for. The first two tracks the band released, With This Heart and Visiblilty Zero are classic Kansas and got me really excited about the the bands return to form. Rhythm in the Spirit and The Voyage of Eight Eighteen are truly wonderful examples of what the USA can offer for Progressive Rock. The one track The Unsung Heroes leaves me flat, it's not awful, it is just filler. Refugee is the track that really made me stop and listen. It's haunting and the subject matter is hard but delivered in such a powerful way that it really grabs you.
The Prelude Implicit is not Leftoverture or Point of No Return but that's a good thing. No great band should step back; they need to take their music forward. Even so with different band members you can't catch that sound or chemistry again. No, The Prelude Implicit is a Progressive sound for this time from these members of the band and can be enjoyed for it.
Til next time, listen to the best - your ears deserve it.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Louder Than Life Gets the Festival Right
Louder Than Life invited the Bluegrass Mixer to cover their festival last weekend. It was great to be invited as the press. Honestly it has been a few years since my last music festival, Never been a big fan of them, but Louder Than Life changed my mind.
With Music Festivals you get at most 30 minutes of the band playing a few hits then you get an hour of roadies changing the stage and checking the mics. Not exciting and worth the payoff for the wait. So the clever people at Louder Than Life had three stages. Two main stages for the headliners and a third separate stage for the smaller acts. At the music festivals in the past you sit very compact and crowded and bored through the sound check. Louder Than Life had plenty of room to wander around in between acts. The best thing Louder Than Life did was have all types of food trucks everywhere. The only change would be having charging stations for your phones.
If you chose to go next year, spring for the VIP pass. As members of the press, the Bluegrass Blog Mixer had access and it was a great set up. A separate tent with plenty of seating and their own food trucks and bar. It was nice to be part of the press.
Due to prior commitments, (Scarefest in Lexington), we only got to go to the Sunday line up. There was a great line up for both days and I do really regret not getting to see Avenged Sevenfold. The line up for Sunday was awesome and had a cool assortment of Hard Rock and Metal. The bands that surprised me were Crobot and Skindred. Crobot is a much tighter sounding band live and is a shame they can't catch the same sound in the studio. Skinred is a band not to be missed live. Hard and funny at the same time they drove the crowd hard in the early afternoon. Doing reading on the band, Skindred are known for kicking ass live.
The biggest surprise was Ghost. A very controversial band, I won't even get into the whole Satan worship thing. What I will say is that the band is charismatic and spot on musicians. Skillet was just as good live as on their records and a fun show. Myles Kennedy and Alter Bridge were amazing to hear and his voice was even better live.
The two headlines were Korn and Disturbed. Both have dominated the Hard Rock and Nu Metal scene for decades and after seeing them live I can say they deserve their place at the top of the heap.
Thank you Louder Than Life for allowing us to cover your event and showing us on how a Rock Festival can be done right
With Music Festivals you get at most 30 minutes of the band playing a few hits then you get an hour of roadies changing the stage and checking the mics. Not exciting and worth the payoff for the wait. So the clever people at Louder Than Life had three stages. Two main stages for the headliners and a third separate stage for the smaller acts. At the music festivals in the past you sit very compact and crowded and bored through the sound check. Louder Than Life had plenty of room to wander around in between acts. The best thing Louder Than Life did was have all types of food trucks everywhere. The only change would be having charging stations for your phones.
If you chose to go next year, spring for the VIP pass. As members of the press, the Bluegrass Blog Mixer had access and it was a great set up. A separate tent with plenty of seating and their own food trucks and bar. It was nice to be part of the press.
Due to prior commitments, (Scarefest in Lexington), we only got to go to the Sunday line up. There was a great line up for both days and I do really regret not getting to see Avenged Sevenfold. The line up for Sunday was awesome and had a cool assortment of Hard Rock and Metal. The bands that surprised me were Crobot and Skindred. Crobot is a much tighter sounding band live and is a shame they can't catch the same sound in the studio. Skinred is a band not to be missed live. Hard and funny at the same time they drove the crowd hard in the early afternoon. Doing reading on the band, Skindred are known for kicking ass live.
The biggest surprise was Ghost. A very controversial band, I won't even get into the whole Satan worship thing. What I will say is that the band is charismatic and spot on musicians. Skillet was just as good live as on their records and a fun show. Myles Kennedy and Alter Bridge were amazing to hear and his voice was even better live.
The two headlines were Korn and Disturbed. Both have dominated the Hard Rock and Nu Metal scene for decades and after seeing them live I can say they deserve their place at the top of the heap.
Thank you Louder Than Life for allowing us to cover your event and showing us on how a Rock Festival can be done right
Monday, September 19, 2016
Fire From The Gods: An American Blended Metal Band
Too many of these posts start out with me saying "As heard on Sirius XM Octane", but I listen to the station every day. Truly the station does a great job of promoting new and different bands. The band I'm going to write about today is one of their Accelerators bands.
Let me say this is a blog about music; not politics, but you would have to be living in a cave not to know about the unrest in our country. What this has to do with this band is that the group shows what's great about our country while singing about where we need to be better.
Fire From The Gods is a Hardcore/Metal band from Austin, Texas. Hardcore is not a style of Metal many Purists enjoy. I happen to enjoy it and there are some things that separate Fire From The Gods from the pack. First is what the songs are about and the singer delivering the messages.
AJ Ventor was born in the Bronx to a single mother from Jamaica. AJ's life has taken him around the world to settle in Texas. His voice, story and perspective is new to the Metal world. This is a great American blending of voices and styles that is one of great things our country had to offer. AJ sings about what is still needed to bring the Promise of our great Nation to be.
For the music itself, the band is good. It is solid Hardcore with a great blending of Rap and even Reggae tones. The Accelerator single Excuse Me is a going to a hit on the Metal charts and a strong single to introduce the band. Fire From The Gods is a band to check out
Til next time, listen to the best - your ears deserve it
Let me say this is a blog about music; not politics, but you would have to be living in a cave not to know about the unrest in our country. What this has to do with this band is that the group shows what's great about our country while singing about where we need to be better.
Fire From The Gods is a Hardcore/Metal band from Austin, Texas. Hardcore is not a style of Metal many Purists enjoy. I happen to enjoy it and there are some things that separate Fire From The Gods from the pack. First is what the songs are about and the singer delivering the messages.
AJ Ventor was born in the Bronx to a single mother from Jamaica. AJ's life has taken him around the world to settle in Texas. His voice, story and perspective is new to the Metal world. This is a great American blending of voices and styles that is one of great things our country had to offer. AJ sings about what is still needed to bring the Promise of our great Nation to be.
For the music itself, the band is good. It is solid Hardcore with a great blending of Rap and even Reggae tones. The Accelerator single Excuse Me is a going to a hit on the Metal charts and a strong single to introduce the band. Fire From The Gods is a band to check out
Til next time, listen to the best - your ears deserve it
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Still Ruling: Hard Rock House of Lords
This past week I fell done a Wikipedia hole. This happens every now and then. I was looking at an earlier post about Greg Giuffria of the band Giuffria, and remembered he had a follow up band House of Lords. My surprise was that this band from the late 80's was not only around but still recording. So off to ITunes I go.
The first thing I noticed is no Greg Giuffria. The amazing keyboard player is off and on in the lineup and is never a featured member. Honestly, Greg's amazing keyboard playing was not featured as much on the first two releases as I would have liked. I guess the goal was sales and keyboards in a hard rock band is sometimes a hard sell. I enjoy the great keyboardist like Jon Lord of Deep Purple and would put Greg Giuffria on his level.
The next thing I noticed is that the sound is straight Arena Hard Rock. Very similar sounding to Joe Lynn Turner and Sunstorm. The lead singer James Christian has been the one constant in the band. A top notch vocalist that still delivers the growl and bombast that is needed for the arena Rock sound.
To find the band was still around and sounding like a Arena band was a great surprise. The 2015 release Indestructible is an appropriate title given the way the band has lasted the decades. If you are a fan of the late 80's Hard Rock sound it is a great listen.
Til next time listen to the best your ears deserve it.
The first thing I noticed is no Greg Giuffria. The amazing keyboard player is off and on in the lineup and is never a featured member. Honestly, Greg's amazing keyboard playing was not featured as much on the first two releases as I would have liked. I guess the goal was sales and keyboards in a hard rock band is sometimes a hard sell. I enjoy the great keyboardist like Jon Lord of Deep Purple and would put Greg Giuffria on his level.
The next thing I noticed is that the sound is straight Arena Hard Rock. Very similar sounding to Joe Lynn Turner and Sunstorm. The lead singer James Christian has been the one constant in the band. A top notch vocalist that still delivers the growl and bombast that is needed for the arena Rock sound.
To find the band was still around and sounding like a Arena band was a great surprise. The 2015 release Indestructible is an appropriate title given the way the band has lasted the decades. If you are a fan of the late 80's Hard Rock sound it is a great listen.
Til next time listen to the best your ears deserve it.
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