Mötley Crüe’s Shout At The Devil Turns 35


Thirty-five years ago, 1980s glam rock and heavy metal leaders Mötley Crüe released their excellent second album Shout At The Devil (Elektra). Following up from their solid debut Too Fast For Love, this album has gone on to legend status over the years for breaking the band through to bigger audiences. It was definitely a commercial breakthrough and fan-favorite, although it was critically drubbed by some at the time. The next step in band mastermind Nikki Sixx’s plan for world domination (and to be the next KISS), it’s full of classic Crüe songs, memorable choruses, and some killer musical performances from the band. Continue reading


Danzig’s Self-Titled Album Turns 30


By the time 1988 rolled around, Glenn Danzig was already a music legend with over a decade-long career under his ghoulish belt. He had already left his imprint on two influential punk bands. Although much more underground at the time than today, The Misfits was one of the preeminent hardcore punk bands to ever come into being. The were innovated, copied and had a huge mythos since they were relatively short-lived. Samhain was even more underground, playing up the splatter and gore theme of the horror punk angle, and had several influential releases. Moving on to a solo project, and partnering with mega-producer Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Run D.M.C. LL Cool J) the Def American label honcho seemed like a calculated risk at the time. The results were explosive and arguably produced the best, most endearing music of Glenn’s career with his new band Danzig and his eponymous debut, which was released thirty years ago today. Continue reading


The V – Now or Never


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The V is the solo project of Veronica Freeman, and Now or Never (Frontiers Music) is her debut album. Freeman has been storming her way through the music scene for ten years with Benedictum, and now brings forth a Hard-Rock album supported by a lot of big names in the scene. Not the least of these is Tony Martin, formerly of Black Sabbath, who appears in the duet ‘King for a Day’.

Unlike Benedictum, this album falls in the Hard Rock or Hair Metal categories, and as it turns out, these work very well with Freeman’s very strong vocals. The subjects vary from empowerment to love, and in the absence of love, sex. Musically, the album opens and closes with a very classic hard-rock sound, while everything in between has the same modern quality and feeling as Jorn Lande puts into his album. However, it has even more clichéd riffs and far more clichéd lyrics.

Of the more classical songs ‘Now or Never’ is probably the most exciting, with funky guitars and bass and that same unapologetic rock-vibe that Gotthard excels in. Of the more modern songs ‘Line in the Sand’ is the catchiest, although the modulation gives a certain cheesy quality to the thing. The real highlight of the album is ‘Kiss My Lips’, which has a lot of variation in vocals and music, but keeps it all together. The mysteriously soft pre-chorus contrasts nicely with the heavy and driving chorus.

Although the album is very enjoyable in places, the overuse of echo and somewhat unoriginal lyrics and music in some places is a bit of a let-down. It is certainly not a bad debut, but hopefully the focus on the next album will be a bit more on the writing of the songs and a bit less on the production value.

 

6.0/10

LORRAINE LYSEN


On The Road… with Steel Panther


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Lots of people enjoy the sheer glam-rock fun of Steel Panther’s music. But seeing the band in concert, where there songs almost come to life, is another story entirely. In an age where most music fans, especially rock and metal fans take themselves too seriously, “The Panther” only want you to live in then ow, with lust in your heart. The most mirthless, hardened guy or gal would have a hard time not laughing and smiling up a storm when “feeling the steel”! Rock music hasn’t had a group this crazy or dangerous since the heyday of Van Halen was all original members or Guns `N Roses were still in their skinny jeans, The band recently returned home to the House of Blues in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip to a sold out crowd and a heroes welcome. The floor was a sea of people singing along the entire night. When they were still and underground phenomenon and an every week thing, fans might have started swearing off the hair spray and the spandex was put away. Now that they are a big international hit, the band can do a show like this and feel new again. Captured here by Nick Phelps of MasterPhelps photography you see the band in all of their glory (hole) and the crowd was too!

 

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

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Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

 

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

Steel Panther, by MasterPhelps Photography

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Henry & Glenn Forever Now A Full Graphic Novel


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Henry & Glenn Forever by Tom Neely, once a pocket-size comic love story, is now available as a full-fledged graphic novel. The original was easily one of the funniest things we’ve ever laid our eyes on. For those not in the know Henry & Glenn take two of the most iconic men in the history of music, Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig and sets them up as star-crossed lovers, roommates, and best of friends getting into all sorts of wacky situations in a crazy world. Not just a silly spoof on the male-dominated worlds of punk and metal, but also a clever, smart, satirical look at relationships using these two admired legends and icons of hyper-masculinity. I think even Rollins and Danzig, as serious as they are, would be hard pressed not to laugh at this!

 

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From the press release:

 

Henry & Glenn “Forever & Ever” Graphic Novel

256 pages, 6 x 9″ paperback by Rob Halford and Tom Neely

The collected graphic novel of the greatest love story ever told features twenty short stories about the domestic life of “Henry” and “Glenn” as well as their neighbors “Daryl” and “John.” Digging beneath Glenn’s bricks in the front yard, Henry uncovers Glenn’s mother, freshly unearthed, moves in with him and Henry. Without giving too much away, [spoiler alert: Glenn has mommy issues] Glenn’s mommy issues come to the surface as she critiques his art, replaces his wardrobe, scrubs their dungeon, and recalls his childhood. Glenn tries to sell his signature to a UPS driver, takes a punch, and has some daydreaming adventures with a plunger. Henry, “a loud guy with a good work ethic,” shows his darker side and indifference to a fan as he drinks black coffee and bonds with Glenn over their distaste for their own bands; two men who suffer best alone together.

Henry and Glenn go to therapy together, battle an evil cult in the forest, and profess their love between dealing with repeated jealousy and normal relationship problems while trying to figure out if their soft-rocking neighbors are actually Dungeons and Dragons playing Satanists. It’s a true testament to the power of love to overcome even the biggest, manliest egos of our time. The book also features dozens of pin up art and full color covers from the original serialized series.

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To order, or for additional info / images: http://aggronautix.com/products.cfm?productid=112

FOR ORDERS OUTSIDE THE US, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR SHIPPING COSTS

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