Artist: DIGGETH Album: Kings of the Underworld Label: T 34 Records Release Date: 2014
Tracklisting: 1. Downhill 2. Reminder 3. Heart Rocker 4. Kings Of The Underworld 5. See You In Hell 6. Cosmic Purgatory 7. Magnetic Highway 8. 21 Grams Of Reason 9. Forgotten Bones 10. When The Road Bends 11. Mission To Hanna’s
In the past, when I review an album, I usually critique each song, in depth, on its own. This usually means the review is long in length but I always thought each composition should be looked at own its own merits…until now. I’ve come across a very interesting and smart band in DIGGETH from the Netherlands. The band describes themselves as metal/rock and that is true but they run a much wider gambit than that. With one foot in the 70’s hard rock riff era and the other in the modern sounding guitar age, the band entwines both into a pleasant and exciting new approach to rock music. Now, I have no use for today’s modern sounding rock bands with all the technology behind it. In fact, I would rather live in the hills with nothing but my dog, beer and mid 70’s to early 80’s music. I have no use for today’s technology other than the internet. It’s where you can search out and discover great new bands such as Diggeth. But this band is smart enough to know when to input the past and bring in the present. Here is a rare find, an intelligent band.
Some of the material on the CD brings back riffs from blues/rock bands such as ZZ Top especially on the first song ‘Downhill’, a rip roaring, catchy rocker that would give the Texas Hippie Coalition a run for their money. While a few of the other songs reach back and exorcise riffs from Sabbath and Uriah Heep such as in ‘Reminder’ which uses Sabbath guitars and Uriah’s keyboards. ‘Magnetic Highway’ borrows UH’s main guitar riff from ‘Stealing’ while on ‘Cosmic Purgatory’, the albums lone instrumental, they use a banjo in the intro then morphing into the main Sabbathy rhythm. Crazy but it works! Also of note, on ‘Magnetic Highway’ they use a vocal effect reminiscent of ELO”s, ‘Mr. Blue Sky’…a forgotten but guilty pleasure.
Though most of the songs are embedded in the ideas of yesteryear, ’21 Grams’ stands alone as the albums true modern day hero. An acoustic lead rocker filled with angst, which fits alongside any of today’s top songs. The DNA from Motorhead is all over the vicious ‘Heart Rocker’ while the blood of Black Label Society flows through songs such as ‘Forgotten Bones’ and ‘See You in Hell’ complete with the Zak Wylde squeals.
The last song on the album is called ‘Mission to Hanna’s’ is one of my favorites. The beginning starts with guitar swells, earth shaking bass and a military marching snare. Now how can you go wrong? They don’t. A heavy rocked out song with Van Halen inspired guitar snippets here and there but the main focus is on the very catchy and infectious chorus……nice work!!!!!
Now at times the vocalist, Harald, starts to sound the same which may be the reason why the band adds a lot of pre-recorded audio. Sometimes the audio does help out and make a song interesting and others not so much, but that is of such little concern. Harald has the right emotion in all of the songs. Drummer, Benjamin, is spot on, hard heavy and at times, intricate and guitars. The bass plays an important role in this band as being a trio, he has to fill in all the voids and Alco does so with heaviness and punch. DIGGETH was a great surprise to hear and review. Combining the past and present styles of music isn’t easy and other bands that have tried, failed miserably. They are not just only very good songwriters and performers, they are more importantly, interesting. I really like the album and I’m looking forward to their next album.
Rating: 8/10
DIGGETH:
Harald – Guitars, Vocals Alco – Bass, Backing Vocals Benjamin – Drums, Percussion
Artist: JOE BONAMASSA Album: “Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks” Label: J&R Adventures Release Date: March 24, 2015
See the tracklisting at the end of the review.
The cicadas sing their distinctive summer song, scoring Joe‘s narration as it begins: “We went down to the Mississippi Delta to see the land where Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf came from… to see what was in the dirt and what was in the water that made these men cornerstones of Blues music.”
Road tripping in a ’57 Chevy on gravel and dirt roads alongside the cotton fields, Joe marvels at the sight of the fertile land before him and of the legends born and raised here. They would pick the cotton by day and at night, entertain folks in the juke joints across the South with a new kind of music that would become the foundation for all of Rock & Roll today.
On August 31, 2014, cars flow toward Red Rocks Ampitheatre like tributaries of the great Mississippi itself, fans filling the arena until it nearly spills over. They have gathered in the middle of these 300 ft. high, red sandstone monoliths near Morrison, Colorado at 6,450 feet above sea level, to experience Joe Bonamassa and his all-star band pay respect to the two Blues legends with their own interpretations of some of the songs.
Footage of Muddy Waters, reminiscing about life as a young sharecropper, then rocking his Telecaster at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival with (writer Willie Dixon’s) ‘Tiger In Your Tank’ segues to the present time, as Joe and his band kick in with their version of the song to open the show—three piece suits, Telecaster, and all. The crowd is already on their feet, rocking and swaying to the irresistible steady beat. The rest of the band—full horn section and harmonica included—are top-notch, and clearly into it every bit as much with each note they play.
Joe swaps the Tele for a tiger maple Les Paul and a slide for ‘I Can’t Be Satisfied’. He trades off with Mike Henderson (a Nashville artist known for his own guitar chops) on the harmonica, then lets Reece Wynans (you remember him from SRV’s Double Trouble) dazzle with some B3 playing before taking the helm again. They bring down the tempo a bit on ‘You Shook Me’, then rouse it up for ‘Stuff You Gotta Watch’. The big-band brass and their background vocals make this tune a lot of fun. What strikes me as particularly cool is that Joe doesn’t make it The Joe Show. He is all about sharing the spotlight with Mike, Reece, and the rest of the band. Kirk Fletcher (quite the bluesman himself) plays the lead breaks in several spotlight moments, and I enjoy listening to him just as much. They round out the Muddy half of the show with a killer version of ‘All Aboard’.
The sound of the cheering crowd fades just a bit as Howlin’ Wolf appears in old film footage, describing the spirit behind his genre of choice:
“When you ain’t got no money and can’t pay your house rent and can’t buy you no food, you damn sure got The Blues…” He whips out his blues harp for a little intro before belting the first verse of the smooth and steady ‘How Many More Years’. Joe grabs one of his vintage blonde Strats and he and the band take over from there in the present tense—and how! These guys are having a blast with ‘Shake For Me’ and ‘Hidden Charms’. After introducing the members of the band, Joe and another of his bevy of six-stringed beauties, an ES-335, sound especially sweet on ‘Spoonful’. While Joe is most easily recognized as a guitar man, his voice is strong and soulful, getting better with time. The energy and the mood at Red Rocks is palpable throughout the show and for the last song of the Howlin’ Wolf portion on ‘All Night Boogie’.
Jimi Hendrix‘s ‘Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)’ is a time machine, leading Joe and the crowd through the musical portal from the past to the present.
Tonight’s encores: a fiery rendition of ‘Oh Beautiful’, ‘Love Ain’t A Love Song’, the melancholy blue of ‘Sloe Gin’, and ‘The Ballad of John Henry’ to close out the show. His performances on these songs are some of the best I’ve seen and heard.
Interestingly, some of the tunes most identified with Muddy Waters (‘Mannish Boy’, ‘Got My Mojo Workin”) and Howlin’ Wolf (‘Smokestack Lightning’, ‘Wang Dang Doodle’) were not included in the set. I think those have been covered by a lot of artists already, and I like that Joe dug just a little deeper for some of the gems he ultimately chose for this outstanding setlist. The horn section and the polished production do make Muddy’s and Wolf’s music sound at times more Chicago than Clarksdale. On a foundational standpoint though, they strived to stay as true to the originals as they could while amping them up with a new verve.
The bonus material on Disc 2 features an hour of footage of Joe’s road trip (with producer Kevin Shirley) to Mississippi on August 20, just 11 days before his show at Red Rocks. It is more of a pilgrimage, really; Joe’s lifelong dream has been to visit the Crossroads, where it all began.
They visit the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, which has the remnants of Muddy Waters‘ actual house from Stovall, Mississippi (what was left after a tornado tore through it). Inside are several pieces of memorabilia, including a life-sized, lifelike wax figure of Muddy holding his beloved gold-top Les Paul. During an informal conversation with the museum’s curator, Shelly Ritter, Joe talks about having been inspired by listening sessions on Saturdays that his father would call “Record Day”. Joe’s dad had introduced him to a wide variety of artists, many of whose music Joe came to love and take to heart. He’d initially come to the Blues through the wave of British guitarists such as Jeff Beck and others.
This caused him to dig deeper, to find the roots of this music for which he’d developed so much passion. “There’s something about this part of the world, musically, that’s mystical,” Joe says. Clarksdale has been a Mecca of sorts for blues fans, considering many of the masters lived, worked, or played here at one time. The point of dispute, however, is whether or not it is host to the Crossroads of Robert Johnson legend. When Joe and Kevin come to the intersection of Highways 61 and 49, something just doesn’t feel right. The area has nary a visible trace of its purported legendary status, save for a tall monument of three blue Gretsch lookalikes with the road signs. And doesn’t the devil prefer to be closer to the river?
They travel on to Rosedale, and when they come to the intersection of Highways 1 and 8, Joe is feeling a vibe. They pull over into the lot of a nearby establishment to take a better look around and are approached by Leo McGee, proprietor of Leo’s At the Levee. The three men discuss the Crossroads legend, further convincing Joe he’s come to the right place. While in Rosedale, Joe and Kevin drive across old dirt and gravel roads, past the cotton fields, over the levee, and to the great Mississippi River herself, musing about all of the old songs, realizing where much of the
songwriting material came from. The legend and the romanticism around it, Joe clearly sees, are far removed from this reality, where many bluesmen from sharecropper’s families lived in shacks without running water, electricity, or enough money.
The rest of the bonus material includes a look behind the scenes at Red Rocks, where Joe, Kevin, and the all-star band prepare for the big show. Also featured on the disc is footage of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and a very nice gallery from before, during, and after the show (courtesy of photographer Christie Goodwin) to top it off.
Joe says that in the 25-year history of his career, this is the largest concert he’s ever played. 9,000 people were in attendance, and $5 of every ticket purchased were donated to Keeping The Blues Alive(Bonamassa’s non-profit organization) for a total donation amount of $40,000!
There are cynics, and I’ll admit, I used to be one of them. But after seeing this performance at Red Rocks and having the opportunity to hear his thoughts and lifelong passion for the Blues—as well as his veneration for the genre and those who founded it—I have to say I’ve gained a ton of new respect for the guy. He loves music. He eats, breathes, and sleeps it. It is the very life in his soul. I think Joe Bonamassa is the real deal, and I believe McKinley Morganfield and Chester Burnett (Muddy and Wolf, respectively) would be happy that Joe carries the torch for the next generation, and for all he’s doing to keep the Blues alive.
(rating: 10/10)
The All-Star Band includes:
Nick Lane – Trombone
Lee Thornburg – Trumpet and Horn Arrangements
Ron Dziubla – Saxophone
Mike Henderson – Harmonica
Michael Rhodes – Bass Guitar (Nashville)
Anton Fig – Drums (of David Letterman’s band)
Kirk Fletcher – Guitar (NY)
Reece Wynans – Keyboards
Production: Kevin Shirley/Caveman Productions, Roy Weisman, Executive Producer
Formats: CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Tracklist: Disc 1:
01. We Went Down To The Mississippi Delta
02. Muddy Waters Talking
03. Tiger In Your Tank
04. I Can’t Be Satisfied
05. You Shook Me
06. Stuff You Gotta Watch
07. Double Trouble
08. Real Love
09. My Home Is On The Delta
10. All Aboard
Disc 2:
11. Howlin’ Wolf Talking
12. How Many More Years
13. Shake For Me
14. Hidden Charms
15. Spoonful
16. Killing Floor
17. Evil (Is Going On)
18. All Night Boogie (All Night Long)
19. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)
20. Oh Beautiful!
21. Love Ain’t A Love Song
22. Sloe Gin
23. The Ballad of John Henry
24. Mississippi Heartbeat (Opening Title)
25. Muddy Wolf (Credits)
Artist: SLIGHT RETURN Album: WELCOME TO THE D Label: Raunchola Productions Release Date: March 25, 2015
Tracklist:
1. Welcome To The D
2. Shake Your Detroit Right
3. Hail The Heroes
4. Stone Free/Third Stone From The Sun
5. Horse Left The Stable
6. Funky People
7. Tale Of Two Bands
8. Move ’em On Out
9. Resistance
10. Big K
11. Ignorance
12. Subscribe Now
The members of SLIGHT RETURN are very proud of their Detroit, Michigan (USA) heritage. Detroit is very proud of them, too. And yes, if you were wondering, their name is a reference to Jimi Hendrix, one of guitarist Mark Kassa’s biggest musical heroes. It also well represents the band’s musical direction, evoking the past, present, and future with sounds reminiscent of Hendrix, Robin Trower, and Rare Earth, and a few respectful tips of a wide-brimmed black hat to bands like Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Funkadelic.
Having played the Detroit music scene for years, the guys are seasoned musicians, and together as SLIGHT RETURN, they’ve opened for bands like Grand Funk Railroad, Rare Earth, and Robin Trower. Lyrically as well as musically, they love to groove, and do so seemingly effortlessly. But they also dig a little deeper, often provoking thought and action to social issues yet unresolved. The quartet’s tight rhythm section—Ronnie Karmo on drums, Tony Mitchell on percussion, and Mike Schneider on bass—provides the perfect foundation for Kassa’s funky, rocking, bluesy, and at times psychedelic guitar licks. Though Mitchell does the singing on several of the cover tunes that the band performs live, Kassa is the primary vocalist, with a commanding, rapping style akin to that of Rage Against The Machine’s Zack de la Rocha.
Check out the video for a glimpse into SLIGHT RETURN’s fifth release, “Welcome to the D”:
The title track is the band’s signature song and opens the album. The song title plays triple duty, as it is also the name of a local TV show hosted by Kassa and fellow audiophile, producer/friend Bill Von Linsowe. Welcome To The D (the show) celebrates music of all genres, and often features interviews with notable acts as they come through the city to perform shows. Some of their guests include Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad (also a Michigan native), Gil Bridges of Rare Earth, Ken Hass of Reverend Guitars, Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, The Cure) and metal bands ACCEPT and SABATON. Near the end of the shows, Kassa (a graduate of the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA) does a segment called Man vs. Guitar, demonstrating new gear, and Prime Cuts, showcasing various classic rock albums that have shaped music history.
To say this man and his bandmates love music is a vast understatement. They enjoy making music as much as supporting their heroes, influences, and friends who do—and several were invited to join them in performance and production on this album. George Clinton, of Parliament and Funkadelic fame, joins the band for ‘Shake Your Detroit Right’, along with Tony “T Money” Green (The Dramatics, SNOOP DOGG, DR. DRE, TUPAC) on bass. Pat Lewis (ISAAC HAYES, ARETHA FRANKLIN, GEORGE CLINTON) apparently dropped by the studio one day during the recordings to visit George, and he handed her a mic too! George is also featured on ‘Funky People’. Billy Cox (of Hendrix’s BAND OF GYPSYS) sits in on bass guitar for a terrific combined rendition of Hendrix’s ‘Stone Free’ and ‘Third Stone From The Sun’, performing vocals also on ‘Stone Free’. This, according to Bill Von Linsowe, is the first and only time Cox has ever played ‘Third Stone From The Sun’.
Davey Pattison, whom you may remember from Gamma and Robin Trower , mans the mic on ‘Horse Left The Stable’:
Dennis Coffey (legendary guitarist and co-writer for Motown hits like the Temptations’ ‘Just My Imagination’ and ‘Cloud Nine’ and Edwin Starr’s ‘War’) graces the track ‘Tale Of Two Bands’ with a guitar solo, and up-and-comer Melanie Monsters plays piano on ‘Subscribe Now’.
On the production side, those involved with the album include Jim Diamond (recorded WHITE STRIPES’ first two albums); Jack Endino and Chris Hanzsek (Seattle WA Subpop Music Label for NIRVANA, MUDHONEY, TAD, and SOUNDGARDEN); Alan Sanderson (who’s worked with Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, BB King) and “Cornbread” (United Sound Studios in Detroit for MARVIN GAYE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, MILES DAVIS, PARLIAMENT, FUNKADELIC).
When putting together a labor of love, there’s no better way to celebrate the kind of music that inspired you than to invite those who created it to join in on the fun. And it sounds like they all had an awesome time.
SLIGHT RETURN is:
Mark Kassa: Guitar, Vocals
Ronnie Karmo: Drums
Tony Mitchell: Percussion, Vocals
Mike Schneider: Bass, Background Vocals
Artist: JARED JAMES NICHOLS Album: Old Glory And The Wild Revival Label: LISTENABLE RECORDS Release Date: April 14, 2015
Tracklist:
01. Playing For Keeps
02. Crazy
03. Let You Go
04. Can You Feel It
05. Now Or Never
06. Haywire
07. All Your Pain
08. Get Down
09. Sometimes
10. Blackfoot
11. Take My Hand
12. Come In My Kitchen
13. You Won’t Last (Live at the Viper Room)
14. Playing For Keeps (Live at the Viper Room)
The Blues are still alive and well, as proven by a young man hailing from the great state of Wisconsin, U.S.A.. Logistically, it didn’t make sense to me at first. That’s not to say that Wisconsin doesn’t have a thriving music scene—it does! But guitarist and singer Jared James Nichols truly stands out with a legitimate fever and talent for Blues, possessing the kind of mojo typically attributed to those Masters of the genre from another time, another place, much farther south.
Human anachronism, maybe? At first listen, as well as first glance, I am inclined to think so. And I don’t even want to tell you how long he’s been playing. (All of 10 years—and he initially wanted to be a drummer). Could be some sort of magic wafted its way from SRV’s stellar performance at Alpine Valley back in 1991 on that fateful night to Nichols, who lived a hop, skip, and a jump away, inspiring him to make a spiritual trek to the crossroads deep in the Delta. I don’t hear that specific reference in an obvious way in his playing, though. He says artists like Son House influenced his desire and his style, because he truly resonated with the music, heart and soul, of the Blues. Whatever the case, I am enjoying listening to this collection of electrifying tunes from his full-length debut album, “Old Glory And The Wild Revival”.
Jared James Nichols hasn’t reinvented the wheel here; however, he surely has brought back how good it was the first time we felt it roll. Nichols and his Swedish bandmates, Eriik Sandin and Dennis Holm, are a power trio with a wonderful stripped-down, raw feel and a great big sound. To see and hear Nichols perform, it’s clear that he really feels the music. Earthy and elemental, he doesn’t use a pick, giving him a deeper connection with his instrument and a tone that’s warm and smooth.
Handling the vocals was serendipitous, too: apparently they were in a spot one day and nobody else was around to do the singing. But no worries—this also seems to come naturally to Nichols, whose voice at times recalls a younger mix of Lonnie Mack, James Dewar, and Ronnie Van Zant. That was just another step in the right direction. Helping to bring out the best of the trio’s musical offerings are producer Eddie Kramer (known for his work with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones) and engineer Warren Huart (Aerosmith).
‘Playing For Keeps’, ‘Crazy’, ‘Let You Go’, and ‘Take My Hand’ rock steady with a decadent vintage feel that I love. The upbeat ‘Can You Feel It’ eases into the one-two beat of ‘Now or Never’, a terrific acoustic tune. I really like the solid, funky groove of ‘Haywire’; it’s the one that sticks in my head (the most) long after the album is over. There’s a not-so-subtle Lynyrd Skynyrd influence in the tracks ‘All Your Pain’, ‘Get Down’, and ‘Sometimes’, but I think that with the current Classic Rock Revival going on, it’s a welcome and appreciated reminiscence proving that music like this is timeless.
As his old running grounds were surrounded by reservations and the culture of Native Americans, Nichols came to “love the spirit and vibe inherent in Native American culture”. With ‘Blackfoot’, an energetic ballad, he pays apt tribute to tribe, of whom he calls “truly badass motherfuckers”. Nichols brings it down to a cozy, back-porch Delta feel a la Son House with acoustic dobro slide playing on ‘Come In My Kitchen’ before amping things back up on two live tracks, ‘You Won’t Last’ and ‘Playin’ for Keeps’, recorded live at the Viper Room.
All in all, there’s a nice continuity and flow to the songs, yet each track stands out strong individually. This album gives us a proper introduction to Jared James Nichols and his diverse talent on the six string as well as behind the microphone with variations of the blues genre.
I think that if an artist has the ability to bring to the present something that makes you want to re-explore the past with even more enjoyment and appreciation for what inspired both of you, that is indeed the mark of a successful artist. “Old Glory And The Wild Revival” is a terrific debut album, and if you dig blues with your rock, you need to go out and get this one.
(rating 8.8/10)
Band Members:
Jared James Nichols: Guitars, Vocals
Eriik Sandin: Bass Guitar
Dennis Holm: Drums
Jared and the guys are opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd on several European tour dates in 2015. Now that’s a bill you gotta see and hear! For more information: http://www.teenageheadmusic.com/pages/tour/JJN.htm
Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Band: HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS Album: “Herman’s Scorpions Songs” Release date: November 7, 2014 Label: Solid Rockhouse Records
Track listing:
01. Rock Of You Like A Hurricane (Bobby Kimball of TOTO)
02. Passion Rules The Game (John Parr)
03. Loving You Sunday Morning (Michael Voss of MAD MAX)
04. Is There Anybody There? (Alex Ligertwood of SANTANA)
05. You Give Me All I Need (Don Dokken of DOKKEN)
06. Make It Real (Doogie White of RAINBOW, MICHAEL SCHENKER)
07. Dynamite (Johnny Gioeli of AXEL RUDI PELL)
08. Arizona (Thomas Perry)
09. Love Is Blind (Paul Shortino of QUIET RIOT)
10. Don’t Make No Promises (Jack Russell of GREAT WHITE)
11. Falling In Love (Gary Barden of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP)
12. Another Piece Of Meat (Tony Martin of BLACK SABBATH)
13. Animal Magnetism (Michael Nagy)
14. Let It Shine (Al Crespo of UNBREAKABLE)
HERMAN RAREBELL AND FRIENDS – HERMAN’S SCORPIONS SONGS. The short version of this review would be, quite simply, “If you’re a Scorpions fan, don’t miss this album!” As fans will know, Herman Rarebell was an integral part of the songwriting team responsible for many of the Scorpions hits and classic album tracks, alongside Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine.
This release sees Herman celebrating a fine selection of those songs, joined by a cast of his Hard Rock peers, including Doogie White (Herman’s current bandmate in Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Don Dokken (who previously filled in for an ailing Klaus Meine during the recording of the Scorps classic “Blackout” album), Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Gary Barden (MSG), John Parr, Jack Russell (Great White) and Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot).
Each singer puts an individual stamp on the material, making for a refreshing blast though favourites like “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, “Dynamite”, “Make It Real”, “Another Piece of Meat”, and deeper cuts such as “Arizona”, “You Give Me All I Need”, and “Is There Anybody There”, the latter given an especially fine makeover by former Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood.
Herman himself drives the songs along with his trademark hard-hitting style, and can still crank up the double-bass drum pace, as he demonstrates on “Dynamite”. He’s joined in the musical engine room by bassist Dario Sexas, and Mad Max vocalist / guitarist Michael Voss, who gives a stellar performance in cranking out those Rudolf Schenker riffs , and adding his own touches to the familiar guitar solos originally laid down by Matthias Jabs and Michael Schenker.
The band also follow the initiative of the vocalists, in making subtle tweaks with regard to the song arrangements here and there, without drifting too far. This album is a great way to enjoy some old favourites from a different perspective. There’s also the added bonus of a brand new song, “Let It Shine”, featuring vocals from Al Crespo of up and coming German rockers Unbreakable, and intended by Herman as a follow up to “Wind of Change”
Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Band: SWEET & LYNCH Album: “Only To Rise” Release date: January 23rd 2015 Label: Frontiers Music
Track listing:
1) The Wish
2) Dying Rose
3) Love Stays
4) Time Will Tell
5) Rescue Me
6) Me Without You
7) Recover
8) Divine
9) September
10) Strength In Numbers
11) Hero-Zero
12) Only To Rise
SWEET/LYNCH – ONLY TO RISE. Frontiers Records have a great knack of pairing up artists on their roster to work on joint projects, and their hit rate is phenomenally high. This album sees the coming together of two talents who both tore up the charts in the 80s with their respective brands of melodic Heavy Metal in Stryper and Dokken, and in the guise of Sweet/Lynch, they’ve come up with a collection of tracks that blends the best of both bands. Both Sweet and Lynch are both formidable talents, and neither one is resting on their laurels as their careers progress. Mr Sweet sings as powerfully as ever, Mr Lynch still shreds with the best of them, and both partners have a keen ear for a good melody, which make this album listenable, as opposed to just being a display of technique.
And the pair really spark off each other as songwriters; this isn’t just something that grabs the attention simply because of the initial novelty of checking what the Sweet/Lynch combination might sound like; there’s a real affinity in their approach to the Metal genre, and cranking out 12 songs with no dip in quality throughout the record is ample proof.
There’s talk of them playing live, and it would be a real shame if this collaboration didn’t go any further than one record, ‘cos if they can come up with an album this powerful first time ‘round, I for one would love to see how they develop together in the future. Highly recommended!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Artist: DIGGETH
Artist: JOE BONAMASSA
Artist: SLIGHT RETURN
Artist: JARED JAMES NICHOLS
Band: HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS
Band: SWEET & LYNCH
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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 