He seems like a different man is on this album. It’s a long way from the “I am the Bullgod” days, when Kid Rock albums were a sweet mix of hip-hop, southern rock, and country. Born Free leans more toward the southern rock with little or no hip-hop involved.

The title track reminds me of some feelgood Bob Seger. Reuniting with Sheryl Crow on “Collide,” the bitter-suite country ballad is really beautiful with a nice piano track layed down by Bob Seger.

Tapping into some Southern Harmony Black Crowes, Kid Rock testifies he indeed will “Slow My Roll.” “God Bless Saturday” sounds like 38 Special meshed with some Lynyrd Skynyrd and it works really well.

The only hip-hop really present is a guest appearance by T.I., who provides a smooth rap interlude, on “Care.” “For The First Time (In a Long Time)” is very different because Kid Rock’s voice is virtually unrecognizable. This intriguing tune is worthy of a listen.

Born Free was produced by Rick Rubin and it is another solid production. I will tell you it does not have the out-of-the-park hit that Kid Rock has relied on in the past. Kid Rock is a survivor and I feel he will be around for a little while longer. If you haven’t caught his live show, you should. You will only gain respect for him because he brings it every time. -Nza

Track Listing:

1. Born Free
2. Slow My Roll
3. Care (feat Martina McBride & TI)
4. Purple Sky
5. When It Rains
6. God Bless Saturday
7. Collide (feat Sheryl Crow and Bob Seger)
8. Flyin’ High (feat Zac Brown)
9. Times Like These
10. Rock On
11. Rock Bottom Blues
12. For The First Time ( In a Long Time)
13. Care (Demo)

The programming is insane, the groove is comprised of an unbridled intensity, and the tribal percussion is in full Roots-like form, devastating.  Nothing beats the release of ferocity following the trippy sitar break during the mid section; a classic Soulfly trademark.

Greg Puciato (Dillingen Escape Plan) rules the lead mic during the verses, representing one of the few elite voices that even has the right to belt it out alongside Cavalera.

Cannot wait for the release of Omen on May 25th.  With tracks like this, it is gearing up to be the most important day of the spring.

Soulfly is Max Cavalera (Vox/Guitar), Mark Rizzo (Guitar), Bobby Burns (Bass), & Joe Nunez (Drums).

1. Slayer – World Painted Blood:

2. Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue: “DuVall’s vocal performance proves to be an adequate replacement for Staley, exceeding expectations of quality, capability, and image. He is no Brian Johnson to Bon Scott, but he does make the group better for what they are today. As for the rest of the band, Jerry Cantrell reclaims his throne as a guitar god and great vocalist, Mike Inez rocks the bass as if he is still in his 20’s, and Sean Kinney is the premier drummer he has always been. The survey says: Black Gives Way To Blue was worth waiting for. In other words, this record makes Chinese Democracy eat sh*t” (Full Review).

3. Megadeth – Endgame: “Dave Mustaine and company are back with an even thrashier and, once again, unapologetic lyrical effort on Endgame. The guitars of Mustaine and Chris Broderick prove to be the best work since Rust in Peace and arguably the most compatible in Megadeth’s history. Tracks such as “How The Story Ends” and “Head Crusher” unleash the classic headbanging euphoria that cannot be mistaken for any other group…another fine moment in thrash metal history” (Full Review).

4. Kiss – Sonic Boom: “Raise up your horns kiddies and let the ol’ Knights in Satan’s Service take you on a nice and rockin’ ride! Sonic Boom reinvents Kiss and brings a whole new respect for the band. They follow the formula that best suits them: Keep it Simple, stupid! Tracks like “Never Enough” and “Stand” make me forget that its 2009 and feel like im listening to the vintage Kiss records of the 70’s…Sonic Boom is the best stuff the originators of the rock n roll circus have to offer in merely two decades” (Full Review).

5. Mastodon – Crack The Skye: Whether you love or hate Mastodon, you cannot deny the success and attention that Crack The Skye has garnered for the band and the heavy metal genre this year. Since tearing up the main stage at last year’s Mayhem Festival, the band has grown stronger and more powerful than anybody ever expected of them. The release of Crack The Skye offers satellite radio gems “Divinations,” “Oblivion,” and the title track. If you appreciate metal, you can appreciate this album.

6. Pearl Jam – Backspacer: “Once again Pearl Jam takes the unpolished rock and roll approach, a page directly from the holy book of The Ramones. For most of the record, Eddie Vedder shows he has no shame in allowing his voice to rip and roar in a slew of continuous streams while leading us all to the chapel of rock…While this is not the greatest record in the band’s repertoire nor does it offer a stunning new direction, it is always refreshing to hear rock music that is done right” (Full Review).

7. Dream Theater – Black Clouds and Silver Linings: “What better way to begin a record with the words “Black Clouds” in the title than to include a disturbingly haunting intro on the first number — think stormy earth like the opening to “Black Sabbath” and combine that with the spooky keyboards of Jordan Rudess that would make the Cryptkeeper grin. After the opening horror show, John Petrucci shifts gears with a heavy riff for James LaBrie’s vocal entrance. Mike Portnoy’s double bass drum playing during the first movement is as fast and devastating as ever…The lyrical melody combined with the progressive groove is purely exhilarating” (Full Review).

8. The Last Vegas – Whatever Gets You Off: “If you are down with the classic hard rock sound of Airbourne and The Answer, then you will adore the trash glam band, The Last Vegas from Chicago. Whatever Gets You Off features plenty of obnoxious headbanging cuts and power ballad blitzes that will blast you back to the Sunset Strip circa 1982. There are plenty of catchy hooks on this record that will stick to your thick-ass skull for weeks…The Last Vegas brings an updated and fresh vibe to the 80’s glam culture” (Full Review).

9. Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot: “The supergroup concoction of legendary hard rock frontman Sammy Hagar, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith offers an eleven trackself-titled debut that confirms some recent speculation: “Satch” is the best guitarist to ever play alongside Hagar… For best results, find an open highway just before dusk, preferably along a coastal landscape, hit the pedal, crank it up, and cruise the lonely gray pavement into the pitch-dark sky” (Full Review).

10. Queensrÿche – American Sodier: “Queensrÿche is back with the conceptual release American Soldier, which fuses some modern rock elements with their progressive hard rock edge…the highlights of the record consist of the dramatic ballad “Home Again,” featuring the vocal talent of Geoff Tate (that would make him suitable for a Broadway lead), and the heavy groove prominent on the power hungry “Man Down.” Queensrÿche did not create the greatest concept album of all-time but one worth giving a shot” (Full Review).

Runners-Up: Heaven & Hell The Devil Knows Your Name, W.A.S.P. Babylon, Ace Frehley Anomaly, The Answer Everyday Demons, Otep Smash The Control Machine

Editor’s Note: The Top 10 Albums of 2009 list was compiled and based on the official Gears of Rock reader’s poll.

The hosts began the show by examining the reasons why European metal festivals are better than US festivals such as Ozzfest. Florentine noted that diversity of the bands on the lineups in Europe is a major factor because the bands on the second stage of Ozzfest sound identical.

Anthrax bassist Frank Bello came out blazing with doodie humor and cuss words galore! He talked about Dan Nelson, the fourth singer of Anthrax, his tour with Helmet, and a backstage photo with Florentine from the late 80′s.

In a pre-recorded interview with Anthrax, guitarist Scott Ian dominated the microphone and told an amusing story of Nelson dropping a deuce when Bruce Dickinson wanted to congratulate him on an excellent gig. Nelson also sported a New York Rangers hockey jersey when performing at a gig in February which immediately won me over.

Eddie Trunk went 2 for 3 on “Stump The Trunk.” Box of Junk girl, Kerri Lee escorted the box to the winning contestant who picked out Rock Band 2, and Frank Bello picked out a Kissology DVD. Trunk’s season 2 average thus far is .667 (4/6) with a lifetime average of .516 (16/31).

The “Pick of the Week” is the movie I Love You Man and the segment featured an interview with stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segal who talked about the role of Rush in the film and meeting the band for the first time.

“The Throwdown” matched up Van Halen I with Appetite for Destruction for the best debut album. Bello, Trunk, and Florentine argued Van Halen while Jamieson and the audience sided with Appetite.

Frank Bello was an excellent guest this week because everyone can appreciate doodie humor. Florentine and Jamieson are very comfortable in their roles compared to last season and they throw out much better one-liners. However, this episode lacked the energy of the Vinnie Paul and Mike Piazza shows. Perhaps it was Trunk’s lame buttoned down tan shirt. Next week’s guests are Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme.

Watch full episodes of That Metal Show on vh1classic.com.

Tunes such as “Voices (Randy Orton)” and “Pain (Vladimir Kozlov)” feature modern rock elements like industrial drum kits, guitars, and synthesizers, while other tracks exhibit a Kid Rock or even a hip-hop feel.

The “Land of Five Rivers (Great Khali)” contains a great tribal vibe while fully utilizing the appropriate percussive elements as does “Tribal Trouble (Umaga).”

The vocalist of “Get On Your Knees (Jack Swagger)” is an unapologetic Zack de la Rocha [Rage Against The Machine] wannabe while the guitars do the same for Tom Morello.

Long time WWE composer, James A. Johnson penned all of the songs on the album and has written a large chunk of the organization’s material since 1985.

Unless you are a WWE superfan to the end, you should pass on this volume. If you are hungry for a WWE record, check out the Junk Yard Dog and the Nikolai Volkoff classics on The Wrestling Album or better yet, all the greats on WWE Anthology. C

Here is the release from Columbia Records:

AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will feature the master recordings from the best of the band’s live performances. The live recording was specially remixed for Rock Band by Mike Fraser. The game features 18 tracks, with more than 99 minutes of game play for each instrument:

“Thunderstruck”
“Shoot to Thrill”
“Back in Black”
“Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be”
“Heatseeker”
“Fire Your Guns”
“Jailbreak”
“The Jack”
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
“Moneytalks”
“Hells Bells”
“High Voltage”
“Whole Lotta Rosie”
“You Shook Me All Night Long”
“T.N.T.”
“Let There Be Rock”
“Highway To Hell”
“For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

All tracks from the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available for play in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 by entering a special export authentication code for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 versions. As previously announced, AC/DC’s anthem “Let There Be Rock” is featured in Rock Band 2 – the first time the group has been included in a music-based video game. In addition, look for the epic Rock Band 2 TV commercial featuring the studio version of AC/DC’s rock anthem “Let There Be Rock” that premiered during the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards at www.rockband2.com.

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Anyways, the Poison cover is a fun listen that reminds me of Sheryl Crow’s version of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” from the Big Daddy Original Soundtrack; much softer than the original but still enjoyable if listened to in moderation.

Check out The Rocker movie trailer below:

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