Metal playlists from the underground
1. “Head Crusher” Megadeth – Endgame: The first single from Megadeth’s recent release contains a devastating intro featuring Dave Mustaine thrashing on the low E string while Chris Broderick shreds the octave riff on the high e. The opening instrumental “Dialectic Chaos” contains some very similar thrash metal magic. “Head Crusher” is a punishing number […]
Los Angeles-based hard rock outfit Wyldsky offers this 10-track debut, delivering a feast of vintage tones and catchy hooks that make this disc a stereo staple. Rocking songs such as “Next World” and “Dog Daze” feature powerful drumbeats that at times summon the legendary John Bonham, or on a much lesser note, Stillwater’s “Fever Dog” […]
I can’t say that I underestimated Kiss before listening to Sonic Boom maybe just “underexpected” (my new word) them. That’s all gone now. 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 of […]
Kiss offers a heavy rocking release, the first since 1998’s mediocre Psycho Circus, titled Sonic Boom. Without Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in Kiss, it is very difficult to love and enjoy the band like the early days. But putting that prejudice aside, Sonic Boom undeniably contains powerful rock tracks that only Paul Stanley and […]
The 80’s hard rock queen Lita Ford returns with her first new album in 14 years titled Wicked Wonderland. Unfortunately shoddy production techniques like muddy vocal mixes, buried lead guitar licks, and repetitive electronica-modeled drum loops hinder this album from shining in today’s hard rock market. Additionally, the lyrics serve up a stinky batch of […]
The original Spaceman lead guitarist of the legendary Kiss lineup serves up a platter of 12 new tracks on his first solo effort since 1989’s Trouble Walkin’. On Anomaly, Ace Frehley refreshingly sticks to his classic 70’s roots keeping all of the fundamentals of hard rock prominent. Frehley’s guitars come out in a chugging blaze […]
Chevelle is one of the few modern hard rock bands that have never annoyed me. They are not whiny poser wannabes nor the greatest hard rock act either, they comfortably fall somewhere in the middle which forces me to submit my undying respect. Sci-Fi Crimes is the band’s latest disc since 2007’s Vena Sera. You […]
The best new album that you will find in stores and on iTunes today is not Daughtry’s Leave This Town or The Redemption by Brooke Hogan, it is A Touch of Evil: Live by Judas Priest, the fifth live album by the heavy metal pioneers. A Touch of Evil: Live contains 11 classic tracks recorded […]
In support of last summer’s Saudades de Rock and current tour, Gary Cherone (Lead Vocals) and Nuno Bettencourt (Guitar) of Extreme performed an acoustic rendition of “Interface.” [redlasso id=”26c08855-c4f1-4d1d-9692-6b280f81a94c”] The strength of the performance comes from Nuno’s tight backing vocals, or is it his black nail polish?
There’s not a shred of anything remotely AGAINST THE GRAIN about The Veer Union’s current three-song sampler that you don’t learn at Chad Kroeger 101, yet this fellow Canadian quartet’s advanced placement yields an angst-ridden vocal and action-movie hooky punch whose youthful exuberance and slick package demands attention, even if for a fleeting moment (“Seasons”) […]