CD REVIEW: VIVA! HYSTERIA (CD/DVD) by Def Leppard
(Frontier Records)
If you missed Def Leppard's 'Viva! Hysteria' in person, you will absolutely dig this! A CD/DVD set capturing the band for the first time ever, playing their album 'Hysteria' in it's entirety. The set was recorded live during an eleven-show residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas. This Live set is rock solid. It's no UFO's 'Strangers In The Night' or Thin Lizzy's 'Live And Dangerous', but it's not bad at all. Joe Elliott doesn't quite have the same voice he did in the early 80s, but it's pretty close, and he really nails it, over and over again. The band is in full force, too, with tight performances. Vivian Campbell who does an amazing job. Phil Collen is sharp as a razor and the rhythm section of Rick Savage and Rick Allen sounds great. CD 1 is highlighted with the band's more recent hits, "Rocket," "Animal," "Armageddon It", "Love Bites", "Pour Some Sugar On Me and "Gods Of War". CD 2 is loaded with, from my personal favorite era of the band with, "Wasted", "Rock Brigade", "Mirror" "Let It Go", "Another Hit And Run" and two of my personal favorites, "On Through The Night" and "Bringin' On The Heartbreak". Included on the DVD is a Ded Flatbird set, where Def Leppard performed some of their other-than-Hysteria-hits, posing incognito as a Def Leppard cover band. Ultimately, Def Leppard may never achieve the success that was 'Hysteria', as it is not only a great album but also came at just the right moment in time, but they are still deliver the goods. Viva! Hysteria' along with 'Mirror Ball', shows that Def Leppard are still and will always be force to be reckoned with as a live act. - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine
CD REVIEW: THE ULTRA ELECTRIC MEGA GALACTIC by The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic (CD Baby)
The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic's self titled debut release is a serious dose of instrumental variations of the third kind. A auditory mind blowing experience that will take your senses on a trip that you will be wanting to experience over and over. The gentleman responsible for this stimulating thrill ride are, Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet, The Atomic Bitchwax) on guitar, Collyn McCoy (Trash Titan, OTEP) on bass and Rick Ferrante (Sasquatch) on drums. This super charged trio serve up a intertwining instrumental barrage that is simply out of this world while staying locked into one serious mind bending bad ass groove. The opening, "Unassigned Agent X-27" serves a introductory piece that sets you up for the mega rush that awaits your senses! "Exploration Team", "Get Off My World!", "The Man With A Thousand Names" and the tour de force, "In The Atmosphere Factory" that clocks in at over 11 minutes. Every track on this album is intricate, complex where atmosphere and overall vibe are at a premium. Ed Mundell is an amazing guitarist and he proves that ten fold on this album laying down serious out of this world riffs . Along with the rock solid rhythm section of Collyn McCoy and Rick Ferrante , The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic is a psychedelic sonic power trip jam session that will have you firing up a bowl and banging your head for days! Truly a mind blowing experience. My advice, grab your headphones, fire it up the bowl, press play and prepare to take a "ULTRA ELECTRIC MEGA GALACTIC" trip through space and time! Hats off to Ed, Collyn and Rick for one hell of a mind numbing auditory experience! - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine
CD REVIEW: BENEATH by Amoral
(Imperial Cassette)
Fifth release from Finnish rockers, Amoral comes to us in the form of, 'Beneath'. In an age when most bands actually want to be labeled as a certain genre, Amoral seem perfectly at ease with doing whatever comes to mind. The band is made up of, Ari Koivunen on vocals, Ben Varon on guitars, Masi Hukari on guitars, Pekka Johansson on bass and Juhana Karlsson on drums. I am not about to go into a song-by-song review, as it would be more like a novella than a review. What I will say, however, is that, I would consider this album to be Amoral' s strongest effort yet. The songs are just flawless. Every song is strong enough to stand on its own two feet.From the opening title track that draws you in then without warning the band goes in for the kill with, "Wrapped In Barbwire", "Silhouette" and "Things Left Unsaid". All of the songs are well constructed. It's amazingly produced. The musicianship is fantastic. The vocals are superb. 'Beneath' also marks the recording debut of the band's new guitarist Masi Hukari , who does one hell of a job. It is rare nowadays to hear an album that comes out with this level of passion and power, but here it is. 'Beneath' marks a new sound. A new focus. A new beginning. If you've never heard of Amoral, this is a perfect place to start. - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine
CD REVIEW: FROM ASHES TO FIRE by Saffire
(Inner Wound Recordings)
'From Ashes To Fire', the powerful and stunning debut release from Swedish rockers, Saffire encompasses a wide variety of styles of rock music from hard rock, progressive rock with a touch of melodic flare. Inspired by bands like Rainbow, Dio, Whitesnake and Black Sabbath. Saffire takes those influences and have created a sound all their own. The band is made up, Tobbe Jansson on vocals, Victor Olsson on guitars, Magnus Carlsson on bass, Anton Roos on drums and Dion Zuzic on keyboards. Overall 'From Ashes To Fire'
is a solid listen from start to finish. The musicianship is stellar, Tobbe Jansson' s vocals are amazing and the songwriting is near-perfect. "From Ashes To Fire" was mixed by Fredrik Nordström & Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman [At The Gates, In Flames, Hammerfall] and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios [Symphony X, Opeth, Kreator]. Kudos to those gents for doing one hell of a job in capturing and bringing out the band's powerful sound. Their hard work is paid off in full and can be heard as soon as the opening track, "Magnolia" comes on you know you are experiencing something special. The video for the song is great as well. In fact, this song alone is worth checking this band out. Tracks like, "Kingdom Of The Blind", "End Of The World" and "Paralyzed" are simply stunning and more incentive for you to check this amazing band. The whole album is stunning. Saffire is like a super charged, super technical band that performs everything with absolute precision and perfection. Nothing seems forced or robotic. Everything flows perfectly. Listening to 'From Ashes To Fire' will literally excites all of your senses. You hear it, feel it, embrace it, love it, and it continues to reward you. Saffire is a dangerous five piece band with an exciting future ahead of them. If you like Progressive Metal (or even just rock/metal in general), you should own this CD. - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine
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