Scorpions – ‘Unbreakable’ (2004) – Album Review (The Scorpions Collection Series)

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We are now on to the 15th Studio album from the Scorpions called ‘Unbreakable’. It had been 5 years since their last studio album, ‘Eye II Eye’, which was not a success. The band had some success with their live albums ‘Moment of Glory’ and ‘Acoustica’ and after some touring, the guys were ready to go at it again. They went to the studio in late March or early April and recorded 16 demos. Not a bad start…but…they scrapped every single one and started over. They tried again in June 2003 and nothing much from that one either. Finally after another short tour, they went back in to the studio a third time in September 2003 and did another 20 songs and finally they felt they could pull an album from those tracks.

They shopped for a producer and they had a number of people on the list that they sent the demos to in hopes of hiring a producer. They wooed Bob Rock, Max Martin, Rick Parasher, Erwin Musper and even old time producer Dieter Dierks. In the end they ended up using Erwin Musper and he did a pretty good job. But that wasn’t all they were shopping for as they also needed a bass player. The courted Jeff Pilson (Dokken) and Jimmy Bain (Rainbow/Dio), but they wound up with Paweł Mąciwoda who was able to play on about 10 of the 13 tracks.

After recording from October 2003 to January 2004, the album was finally complete. It saw the light of day on May 3, 2004 and I have to say after the last two albums were a departure from what we expect from Scorpions, this one brought the band back to form. They brought back the heavy riffs, the great bombastic choruses and even modernized it all a little. This is the album that reminded me that Scorpions still had the goods to deliver what the fans like best. Solid guitar rock. I think a lot of what I like about this one is due to the fact of there was so much I didn’t like about the last two. This probably elevates this one a little as a result, but still so much goodness.

It all starts with the killer opening track “New Generation” which starts out with a slow build that keeps getting grander as you go and then the song really kicks in slamming it home. The hypnotic guitar riff is stellar and the song sounds so modern yet so like classic Scorpions at the same time. A brilliant track that reminds a lot of the opening tracks from a lot of bands in the 80’s as it has that grand feel and runs close to 6 minutes. Love it!!

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Saigon Kick – ‘The Lizard’ (1992/2018) – Album Review

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For my last You Pick It vote, I had a tie between Queensryche’s ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ and with Saigon Kick’s ‘The Lizard’. Last week reviewed Queensryche and this week, as promised, we have Saigon Kick. Mike Ladano from MikeLadano.com agreed to tag team with me here and he is also reviewing this album so go check it out as it came out today as well. Go to Mike’s Lizard Review here.

Saigon Kick had a problem in 1992. Mis-labeling was their problem. Due to their massive power ballad hit, “Love is On the Way”, they got dumped in to the 80’s Glam Rock scene (or Hair Metal) when in fact, they were not even close to anything that sounded like that. People who bought this thinking it was the next Danger Danger, Trixter or maybe even Bon Jovi were surprised at what they heard. They weren’t Grunge either so they were a band that had no real marketable identity at the time. They were alternative, but to melodic for them and not metal enough for the glam. What a weird place to be. The timing sucked for them as well with the Glam scene dying at an alarmingly fast rate and Grunge taking over, just where did this band fit in the mold.

Saigon Kick’s sophomore album, ‘The Lizard’, was a diverse collection of rock songs that defied classification. The songs were so well crafted, so mature and unlike anything else at the time. The closest band I would say would be Extreme as they were also had a diverse, eclectic set of songs and because of their ballads also got lumped in to the Hair scene, unfairly as well I might add. The band was Matt Kramer (Vocals), Jason Bieler (Guitar, keyboard), Tom DeFile (Bass) and Phil Varone Drums). The bands second album saw Jason step up and produce the album and do most of the heavy lifting with the songwriting as he wrote all the music and had his hand in all but three of the songs on the lyrics. The album was released on June 2, 1992 and sold well, going to #1 on the Heatseekers Album Chart and #80 on the Billboard 200 chart. It did get certified Gold selling over 500,000 copies some time around 1996 though.

I was a fan of that ballad I mentioned earlier, but back in the day, I didn’t buy this album. I didn’t buy it until last year after I saw Jeff Scott Soto and Jason Bieler in concert together. They played mostly Saigon Kick songs and I had forgotten how great those songs were so I ran out and bought the band’s first three albums off Rock Candy. This version of the album has massive liner notes all new for this reissue and a bonus track. To top it off, thanks to the clout of The LeBrain Train show, I was able to snag Jason Bieler for an interview and Mike Ladano and I interviewed him for that show. It was a lot of fun and great diving in to his career.

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Cheap Trick – The Best & Worst Song from Every Album

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Last month, I did a post on the Best & Worst songs from every Judas Priest album. I really enjoyed doing that so I thought I would continue that process and this time we would go through every Cheap Trick album and see what is the best song and the worst one off each album as well. Cheap Trick has 20 studio albums to go through so sit back and take it all in. Now, let’s preface this with the fact that these are my choices and not necessarily yours as we can have different opinions. If you watched the show you will see that sometimes my worst song was their favorite so you never know what people like and we all like different things or this would be a very dull world. I hope you enjoy!!

CHEAP TRICK (1977)

BEST SONG – “ELO KIDDIES”: The song is telling kids to fuck school and go out and be nuts. It is a blast of a track with a catchy ass chorus and a Rick Riff that is memorable and you’re able to singalong and that is a good riff if you can do that. What teenage kid doesn’t think that school is a waste, but only Cheap Trick has the balls to tell you it’s true. This to me is a pure punk attitude.

WORST SONG – “MANDOCELLO”: The song sucks the energy right out of the album. With a heavy bass line and and slowed down tempo, the song drags along while Robin’s angelic singing style doesn’t actually breathe any life in to the song. The chorus though feels like the Beatles with the harmonies and is almost a saving grace but not quite.

IN COLOR (1977)

BEST SONG – “SOUTHERN GIRLS”: This album is perfect and so hard to pick a favorite or a worst for that matter as there isn’t any. But I had to pick a favorite and this was my choice. Now, this isn’t about “Southern” girls from the deep South in the U.S. Nope! This is Canadian Southern Girls. Didn’t know there was any such thing. The beat is perfect for hand clapping as it bounces along and feels you with joy. It is pure pop fun with a little gritty guitar work thrown in for good measure along with some playful piano fills.

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Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Damage Control’ (2012) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

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It had been 3 years since Jeff’s last solo album, 2009’s ‘Beautiful Mess’. That album was good, but a lot of people didn’t like it’s direction as it wasn’t the hard, melodic rock that fans of Jeff love. And I get it, but let’s be honest, Jeff should be able to make whatever music he wants to make. I wasn’t a massive fan of that album, but it had some great moments for sure. ‘Damage Control’ sees Jeff listening to his fans and giving them what he they want. He is always good about that. And I wonder if the title is in reference to that fan reaction from the prior album. It seems pretty tongue-in-cheek if you ask me.

I want to say the album dropped around January 6th, 2012, but I could be mistaken. But before that release date, Jeff put in a lot of work on this album and he worked with a ton of writers and a ton of musicians (and sometimes both). Some of the writers were old friends such as Jamie Borger (Talisman) and Gary Schutt (solo band) and then there were names we hadn’t heard yet in his career like Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake/TSO). Jeff has known Joel for awhile and Jeff would return the favor a couple years down the road (which we will review as well.

Jeff had a total of 21 songs ready for the album, but they needed to dwindle it down to 11 which somehow he did. The songs were recorded all over the world on three different continents including Europe as well as North & South America. The album wound up on Frontiers due to the long standing relationship he has had with Serafino Perungino. They agreed to do a Deluxe Edition where Jeff could actually include 14 of the 21 songs as long as there was a DVD with an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) and some music videos and that is the copy I have and will review.

The album kicks off with “Give a Little More” and it is nasty piece of a rock with that gritty guitar riff, the heaviness of the bass the drums. Jeff attacks the vocals with in equal intensity. An almost anthemic, melodic rock song that is proof that Jeff can still deliver the heavy rock like fans complained about. This song is a statement and the guitar solo by Leo Mancini is the exclamation point on that statement.

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My Sunday Song – “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart” by Chris Cornell

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For My Sunday Song #348, we are going deep in to “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart” by Chris Cornell. The song was written by Chris and is off his 2015 album ‘Higher Truth’. The song was the only single off the album and went to #7 US Rock Airplay Billboard Chart and #1 in Canada on their Rock Chart.

Chris has spoken on this one where he came up with the title and it immediately made him think what the song was going to be about. It is about when you find someone or maybe even something new in your life that you forget about everything else including the fact you had given up on life and that your heart was broken. It is actually a tremendously sad thing if you think about it. But when we are so broken, maybe something new in our life is really what we needed in the first place. However, this person he is talking about seems to bring him a lot of misery as it sounds so tumultuous in nature. The time spent dealing with this person and the awfulness they bring to him has consumed he forgets that the relationship is breaking his heart more than it already was.

The song starts off with a mandolin it the sounds is so full of melancholy. When Chris comes in with the first verse you can hear a sadness to the voice. Musically, there is a lot going on there and so many bits of beauty in it as well. By the second verse, the tempo picks up and it feels like a happier song despite the sorrow in those lyrics. I like that dichotomy.

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You Pick It! – Which Album to Review in March?

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You, my reader, are going to pick an album for me to review each month.  It is really simple…first, I will give you 5 albums to choose from and second, you will tell me which one of those you would like to see reviewed on the site.  See…simple! Now, if you want to cast more than one vote, comment on the Twitter and Facebook post and you could get up to 3 votes on your favorite pick.

There are no longer rules for my selections, maybe themes.  I’m just picking albums in my collection and this time they are all from European Bands that never really made it in the States. What are the 5 albums you ask?  I have them right here…

   Gotthard – ‘Lipservice‘ (2005)

   The Poodles – ‘Metal Will Stand Tall’ (2006)

   Jorn – ‘Worldchanger ‘(2001)

   Reach – ‘The Promise of Life’ (2021)

   Passion – ‘Passion’ (2020)

Let me know which one you would like to see and sometime in March, I will post a review of the album that gets the most votes. You have one week to decide and from there I will start listening to the album and do a review.

Thanks for participating!!

Friday New Releases – February 17, 2023

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Like last week (and pretty much every week), we have a big batch of new releases for you again. This time around there a hair over 30 new albums coming out so hopefully there is something for you. We get, yet another useless, re-release of Motley Crue’s big albums. Seriously guys, can you give us new albums or maybe even bonus tracks that haven’t been released…something to justify this. A few others I want to hear (but not running out to buy) are P!nk, Skillet and Creye. I like all three so happy for some new stuff. What do you want to hear this week? Let us know and also tell us if we missed anything. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

  • 617RLmZSxlL._AC_UY327_QL65_  Motley Crue – Crucial Crue: The Studio Albums 1981-1989 – (BMG Rights Mgmt)
  • 612lQeO7XqL._AC_UL320_   P!nk – Trustfall –  (RCA Records / Sony Music) 
  • 71z6OJAaA5L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Skillet – Dominion: Day of Destiny – (Atlantic Records / WEA)
  • 71zr4X3GcuL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Creye – III: Weightless – (Frontiers Records)
  • 71GGWHpVxbL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Robin McAuley – Alive – (Frontiers Records)
  • 71OfmJM0UaL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  First Signal – Face Your Fears – (Frontiers Records)
  • 71YRbuVYm1L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  All My Shadows – Eerie Monsters – (Frontiers Records)
  • 91anokPjLWL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Jesse Malin – Fine Art of Self-Destruction (Anniversary Edition) – (Melody Catalog)
  • 71fMUOx7EgL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Annett Louisan – Babyblue – (Ariola / Sony Music)
  • 91qnD2gLfUL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Jordan Davis – Bluebird Days – (MCA Nashville / UMG)
  • 81YHf-S4dzL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Screaming Females – Desire Pathway – (Don Giovanni Records)
  • 61HCGyKzRCL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Matthew West – My Story Your Glory – (Story House Music / Provident Label Group)
  • 81kKJ2L-sZL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Inhaler – Cuts and Bruises – (Polydor Records / Universal Music)
  • A1se0mu-PZL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Solence – Hope is a Cult – (Hopeless Records)
  • 91ZcI2iJd0L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Grade 2 – Grade 2 – (Hellcat) 
  • 91sFpXsuYfL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Orbital – Optical Delusion – (Orbital Recordings / London Music Stream)
  • 616jRhy571L._AC_UY218_  Lowly – Keep Up the Good Work – (Bella Union)
  • 71LOQF3iN+L._AC_UY218_  Avatar – Dance Devil Dance – (Black Waltz AB / Thirty Tigers)
  • 81rB8EUxhHL._SX466_  Transatlantic – The Final Flight: Live at L’Olympia – (InsideOut Music)
  • download-7  Runnner – Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out – (Run for Cover Records)
  • 71P23rOPMlL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Graphic Nature – A Mind Waiting to Die – (Rude Records)
  • A1HxJGaCNYL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Attila Csihar – Void ovVoices: Baalbek – (Ideologic Organ Music)
  • 91rNvLZg-4L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Tryglav – The Ritual – (Extreme Metal Music)
  • 819evobdryL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Tramalizer – Fumes of Funeral Pyres – (Soulseller Records)
  • B1Z94imon5L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Oceanhoarse – Heads Will Roll – (Noble Demon / UCM.One)
  • 81InDpMRdYL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Hellripper – Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags – (Peaceville Records)
  • 71xtoSqsm7L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The Abbey – Word of Sin – (The Abbey)
  • 81NavOC98QL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Tulus – Fandens Kall – (Soulseller Records)
  • 81urCYWgsaL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Siege of Power – This Is Tomorrow – (Metal Blade Records)
  • 81BfGyeY6ZL._AC_UY218_  See You Next Tuesday – Distractions – (Good Fight Music)
  • 91ay3FmMTUL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Tithe – Inverse Rapture – (Profound Lore)
  • 91XkIehRpKL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Land of Sleeper – (Rocket Recordings / Missing Piece Records)

Scorpions – ‘Bad for Good: The Very Best of Scorpions’ (2002) – Album Review (The Scorpions Collection Series)

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Really! Another greatest hits album. Why? Well, the labels want money as this is a cash grab, but it does have some good points. The album was released on May 28, 2002 on Hip-O Records and contains 18 classic songs from the band. Scorpions – ‘Bad for Good: The Very Best of Scorpions’ does offer something a little different than some of their other compilation albums. First, you get 3 tracks that are single edits and not straight album tracks. Second, you get two brand new Scorpions songs!! That right there is the reason to buy this one.

Now, that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems with this release and for that problem is glaring. Again, we get a greatest hits compilation that completely ignores any album prior to 1979’s ‘Lovedrive’. Why do they keep leaving off all those good songs? Is it that the band, or the label, don’t own the rights to those songs? Whatever is the reason, it is an absolute shame that the public doesn’t get to hear those great songs from the 70’s up against these smash hits. Being a single disc release, I see that there is no room and I do get the label wants the biggest hits…but biggest doesn’t mean the best.

The album is in chronological order…wait…not quite. They start it off with “Rock You Like A Hurricane” because that is like their biggest, most notable hit. After that, the rest are in chronological order. Not sure the point of that and seems quite silly in my book. I am not sure how much input Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker or Mathias Jabs had, but at least they might have had a say in the two new songs, but that might be it. There is a nice multiple page write up in the liner notes about the band by Gerri Miller from Metal Edge magazine and she talks about 3 decades of the band, but the compilation doesn’t give us songs that cover the whole period…but I’ve said that already. Enough bitching, let’s get to the songs.

Every band needs a signature song and Scorpions did that on their 9th album with the song “Rock You Like a Hurricane”. It only went to #25 on the Top 40 chart, but it has lived on and given the band one of the quintessential 80’s rock songs ever made. There is no one that doesn’t know this song the second that opening riff kicks in. It is a rock anthem like very few achieve. For ever how many songs the album sold, most were sold because of this track. With heavy riffs, killer solos and one of the most catchiest choruses ever, this song took the band to a level they probably never thought they would see.

Continue reading “Scorpions – ‘Bad for Good: The Very Best of Scorpions’ (2002) – Album Review (The Scorpions Collection Series)” →

Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live at Firefest 2008’ (2010) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

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Firefest is festival in Europe that came about after the end of another festival called The Gods of AOR. Firefest started in 2004 and it was bigger and even better than the Gods festival. Jeff Scott Soto performed at the Gods festival in 2002, and even released the show on a live CD/DVD. Jeff got the call again to do the festival in 2008 and he said Yes, obviously or this discussion would be ridiculous.

It wasn’t easy for Jeff because at the time of the festival, he was in the middle of rehearsals for the Trans-Siberian Orhcestra’s annual Winter Tour. TSO rehearsed 12 hours a day and Jeff was probably exhausted, but he jumped on a plane on a Friday in the U.S and landed in London by Saturday morning. He had to rush to Nottingham and meet his band. Luckily, it was his band so it was Howie Simon, Gary Schutt and Dave Dziaklak, but they hadn’t played in over about year and had like an hour to rehearse and get ready for the show. Did they pull it off…well, of course they did! They are professionals. It is a great show and another great live album from Jeff.

But…I have a major problem with this release and it isn’t the quality of the show as Jeff sounds amazing and the band is tight and all is good. It is the fact that this setlist is almost identical to Jeff’s last live release ‘One Night in Madrid’. Every song on here was played at that show in this order. The only difference is that the Madrid show had more songs (and was a totally killer show). I feel like I just reviewed this show and not really sure what new I can say about it. I could basically cut & paste that review here, delete out the songs that aren’t on here and BOOM!…the review and you probably wouldn’t know the difference.

So what I will do is walk through the little differences between the shows so I at least give you something different. Like the Madrid show, this one kicks off with the opening track “21st Century” from his latest album ‘Beautiful Mess’, but the big difference is when Madrid goes in to the next song “Colour My XTC” you get the whole song while her you get a small prelude portion before going in to the great “Soul Divine”. One of the highlights on this and the other live show is “Our Song” from his latest album. Jeff sounds amazing on this one and the band nails the song. A power ballad with a lot of Jeff’s powerful vocals. Such a great song.

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You Picked It! – Queensryche – ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ (1997) – Album Review

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Alright…You Picked It! This one was really close and we actually ended in a tie. That is right. Two artist got the same # of votes. The winner for this month’s picks ended up being Queensryche’s ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ AND Saigon Kick’s ‘The Lizard’ and I am real excited about this fact. So, what we are going to do is review them both, but with a twist. First, we will review Queensryche’s ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ and down the road, we will do Saigon Kick’s ‘The Lizard’ as someone out there has agreed to review it at the same time with me so I am taking him up on that offer. Here are the results.

  1. Queensryche – ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ – 5 votes
  2. Saigon Kick – ‘The Lizard’ – 5 votes
  3. Arcade – ‘Arcade’ – 4 votes
  4. Collective Soul – ‘Collective Soul’ – 2 votes
  5. Stryper – ‘Against the Law’ – Disqualified as I already reviewed that one…doh!!

Thanks to all for participating. The March choices will be up on Saturday! And the choices are all from my collection and the next one will all be more modern European Bands that never really made it in the States. Hopefully you can help me decide which one I should review.

QUEENSRYCHE – ‘HEAR IN THE NOW FRONTIER’ (1997):

Back around 1997, music was a sort of black hole for me. I was lost, wandering around trying to find something I liked and whenever bands from the 80’s put something out, I would get excited and grab it. As I did this one back in the day. Queensryche’s 6th studio album was ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ and it was released on March 25, 1997 and I wasn’t one of the first to get it, but I did get it that year. The CD was no longer in my collection for some reason, and when I was out digging, I found it and saw the name of the song “Sign of the Times” and thought, I liked that song, let me get this as it was only about $3m. Man, did I over pay for this thing. Also, now I remember why it was no longer in my collection. This was my jumping off point for Queensryche and honestly, never have revisited anything that has come after. They completely lost me with this one.

Continue reading “You Picked It! – Queensryche – ‘Hear in the Now Frontier’ (1997) – Album Review” →