Asphalt Valentine Readies Debut CD Release on Chavis Records

I just received a copy of the title track single from Asphalt Valentine's forthcoming CD and was impressed enough to want to hear the whole disc.

The first track is straight-on sleaze rock played in the style of the late 80's Sunset Strip bands. Musically the obvious comparisons would be to Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses or LA Guns. Purist will notice some minor differences (singer Joe Flynt has more of a whiskey-soaked Paul Black/Jizzy Pearl style voice than the high-pitched shriek that Axl or Vince Neil would hit from time to time) but the band really sounds solid.

"Strip Rock Roll" is streaming on the Asphalt Valentine's MySpace page along with a couple of demo tracks and a drunken acoustic demo entitled "Asphalt Drunkeness".

The new CD drops on February 14th but, unfortunately, it looks like the band has no scheduled tour date in the area. Hopefully the band will schedule a NYC date after the new disc drops.

American Angel - Vanity CD Review

Who says you can't go home again? American Angel has returned after a 15 year absence and sounds great.

For anyone not familiar with the band, American Angel hit big at the end of the 80's with their first release and the song How Can I Miss You got major airplay on MTV. Unfortunately for the band, their record label (Grudge) tanked and folded in 1990. Like many of the metal bands of the late 80's, the Seattle grunge wave effectively killed any chance of American Angel getting re-signed or being able to sell their self-produced CD.

Singer Rocco Fury reconstituted American Angel with an all new lineup in 2005 and the band's new CD Vanity was released earlier this month. Musically, the band's sound is a closest to the 80's glam rock sound but it has the swagger of bands like LA Guns or mid-80's Aerosmith with none of the bubblegum pop or 'sensitive' balladry that plagued some of the bands from this era. While the music is solid, singer Rocco Fury's voice is what makes this disc great. Fury's voice can range from a throaty growl to a Sebastian Bach sounding falsetto. My favorite track on this disc are rock and stomp tracks: "Vanity", "In Perfection" and "Don't Wait Up" but there really isn't a bad track on this disc. Even on the slower tracks on this disc ("Warm Inside" and "Another Day"), Fury strong voice doesn't let these tracks sink into realm of the "power ballads" that seemed to be the death nail for many of the 80's glam rock bands.

The band is supposed to be doing a full tour this year to support this release which should be something to watch for.

When I was looking up some background on the band, I ran across RockEyez interview with Fury from Dec. '05 and it really covers everything that I ever wanted to know about American Angel. (link)

Hats off to Chavis Records for a strong set of releases and keeping the metal scene alive.

Links:
American Angel's Main Website (link)
American Angel's MySpace page (link)
Chavis Records (link)

Sonic X - Thirteen CD Review

Simply put -- this is a great CD.

Sonic X's second CD, Thirteen, is a great melodic hard-rock CD that builds on the sounds of the late-80s and early 90s but still sounds fresh and relevant today. A lot of reviewers have compared this disc to Bon Jovi and, while I can hear the basis for the comparison, I don't think it accurately describes the band's sound. Imagine a harder-edged Bon Jovi (without the keyboards), pre-1988 Whitesnake, the harder side of White Lion (and guitarist Lawrence Falcomer can hold his own against Vito Bratta), or the John Corabi fronted version of Motley Crue and you should get a sense of what this band sounds like. The majority of the tracks on this CD could and should get frequent airplay on the rock radio stations around the country. Guitarist Lawrence Falcomer also plays some incredible leads throughout this disc. It is probably inappropriate to compare Falcomer's guitar work to Zakk Wylde's work on the latest Ozzy CD (still thinking about my recent review of Ozzy's Black Rain CD) but Falcomer's guitar work really outshines Wylde.

There isn't a bad track on this disc but there are a couple tracks that I think will become big radio hits. Tracks like "Evident" or "Seeds of Thunder" should help break the band in the US market. There are a number of other tracks like "Carried Away" and the acoutic-guitar based "Shine" that could easily make it on to the radio once the band breaks. Hopefully Sonic X will tour the US in support of this release as I think they will quickly earn a loyal following.

Links:
Sonic X's Main Website (link)
Sonic X's MySpace Page (link)
Chavis Records (link)

New Jersey's Blakjak Signs with Chavis Records

BLAKJAK, who call themselved New Jersy's "most dangerous band" have inked a deal with CHAVIS RECORDS for the release of Pleasure In Pain. BLAKJAK is currently in Aarius Studios in Sayersville, NJ recording their debut with guitar virtuoso/producer Jack Frost (Seven Witches, Bronx Casket Company, Smell The Glove, Frost, Savatage) at the helm engineering and producing. PLEASURE IN PAIN will be mixed and mastered by Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning).

After playing many local shows in the NJ area, the summer of 2006 saw the band heading out to the west coast to play the Whisky A GoGo in California. Since then they have graced the stage with Winger, Buckcherry, and are playing several dates with W.A.S.P. this summer in the U.S. and Canada. The band will also be special guests for several shows with Jack Frost’s (Seven Witches/Bronx Casket Co.) new project Smell the Glove. BLAKJAK's press release describes their music as "rock [and] roll with a classic style of hard rock branding it with their own style and adding just enough heavy courtesy of Mr. Frost." BLAKJAK have lined a up a North American tour dubbed The Poor Tour for the summer of 2007. The Poor Tour will take them up and down the east coast, into Canada and out west.

Currently announced tour dates are:

Jun 17 2007 10:00P The Kathedral Toronto, Ontario
Jun 22 2007 10:00P Fireside, Denville, New Jersey
Jul 28 2007 7:00P House of Blues Orando
Aug 24 2007 7:00P opening for W.A.S.P. @ Starland Ballroom Sayreville, New Jersey
Sep 22 2007 8:00P Indy Metalfest Indianapolis, Indiana

PLEASURE IN PAIN will see a late summer / early fall 2007 release. BLAKJAK will continue to support the release through the end of 2007 and 2008.

Milwaukee Metal Fest Announces Undercard

I just received this press release...With round-trip tickets from LaGuardia to Milwaukee currently selling for under $250, this has really gotten me thinking about trying to make it out to this show.

Milwaukee Metal Fest XIX is proud to announce that the majority of our undercard has been booked! Undercard bands are featured, non-headlining bands. 36 featured bands are listed below. Though the list is substantial, it's not quite all of them! We'll be making more undercard announcements in a few days.

Many of you are chomping at the bit to know who the main headliners are. Well, folks, me too. We are working hard to get them confirmed.

The Undercard:

GOD FORBID
SKINLAB
RE:IGNITION
EXCITER
BYZANTINE
VICIOUS RUMORS
3 MILE SCREAM
MASTERY
BROKEN TEETH
MACABRE
JUNGLE ROT
VIRGIN STEEL
CAGE
CORPSICLE
VAMPIRE MOOSE
AGENT STEEL
BATTERED (FORMERLY EINHERJER - NORWAY)
A.N.J. (RUSSIA)
HURT LOCKER
PAIN PRINCIPLE
YEARS OF FIRE
SNAKE EYES SEVEN
AZREAL'S BANE
PURITY
LUPARA
ACHERON (Performing The Rites of The Black Mass Set)
GODLESS RISING
UNMERCYFUL
ANAL BLAST
DEVITALIZE
CARDIAC ARREST
ENGORGE
THUS DEFILED
DIABOLIC POSSESSION
TERATISM
RAISE HELL
Milwaukee Metalfest XIX May 11-12, 2007, Waukesha Expo Center, Waukesha, WI
Pre-party: May 10, 2007, venue to be announced.

For more information visit www.chavisrecords.net, www.myspace.com/chavisrecords, www.myspace.com/milwaukeemetalfest

Snake Eyes Seven CD Review and News

Canadian heavy metal act Snake Eyes Seven's debut CD will be released this spring and the band is playing the Milwaukee Metal Fest on May 11-12th at the Waukesha Expo Center in Waukesha, WI.

I have been listening to a pre-release of this CD and have been quite impressed. The band's bio describes their sound as "vintage Black Sabbath infused with Rammstein". I can hear the Black Sabbath influence as the band has a down-tuned doom-influenced sound. I really don't hear the Rammstein influence -- I would compare the band's sound to a doom influenced Skid Row or the more metal leanings of later-day Christian Death.

The band members have an interesting musical history as members have played in Into Eternity, Kick Axe, Wrathchild and Love Hunter. While S.E.S. has some noticable influences from its members' previous bands, their sound is pretty unique as it brings a refreshing new look to the guitar rock sound of the late 80s and early 90s

The songs on this disc are all strong rockers but none of the tracks are too hard to scare off radio play. The band has been rumored to be on OzzFest this year and that should give this CD the attention it deserves. The tracks that I particularly liked are Bitter Pill as it has great guitar hooks and vocals and the Christian Death sounding goth/doom track Devil with a Rosary.

The band is supposed to have a strong live show so hopefully the band will do a full US tour after the CD is released.

Links
- The band's main website (link)
- The band's MySpace page (link)
- Three tracks from this disc streaming on airplaydirect.com (link)

Quiet Riot - NYC Tour Dates and Rehab CD Review

I have been a Quiet Riot fan for years and one of my frustrations is that the band never seems to play in Brooklyn or Manhattan. I think the band's last show in the city was 2003 at B.B. King's. I rarely go to shows outside of the area but last year I drove to Staten Island to see the band's show at the St. George Theatre and it was a fabulous show. The band looked and sounded better than they did in 2003.

Finally, Quiet Riot are playing a show in the city. They are playing the Canal Room on April 6th. (There is another show in the area on April 7th at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ)

The band is continuing to tour behind their CD Rehab, which was released late last year on Chavis Records. This CD has been on my iPod for the last few weeks and I really like the band's change in sound. The glossy production and party-rock sound of past releases is gone and the band's current sound is harder and more blues oriented. A point of comparison would be Humble Pie or the David Coverdale lineup of Deep Purple. The Deep Purple comparison seems particularly appropriate as Glenn Hughes sings and plays on a few cuts, including a fabulous cover of Evil Woman (which was recorded by Spooky Tooth in the late 60s).

The band sounds in great form on this release. There is one track that is a throwback to "party rock" sound (It Sucks to be You ) but, other than this, the band's sound is firmly routed in early 70's British Rock. Some of my favorite cuts are South of Heaven, Black Reign and Old Habits Die Hard. The later song even features a gospel chorus which fits perfectly within the song.

The band has an integrated sound on this disc and all instruments and vocals flow together. Prior to listening to this disc, I hadn't heard of session guitarist Neil Citron before. He plays some amazing leads and Tony Franklin (x-The Firm), Frankie and Kevin all sound great. As great as the band sounds on disc, the touring lineup that includes Alex Grossi and Chuck Wright sounded even better at the Staten Island show last year so Neil and Tony's contributions aren't necessarily missed. (I still would like to see Kevin sing live with Glenn Hughes though).

You can find all Quiet Riot news through Frankie Banali's website. There are a couple of interesting interviews posted to Frankie's site that are worth checking out.

- Frankie discusses Rehab track-by-track - Link
- KNAC.com interviews Frankie on the (then) new release - Link

Chavis Records Signs Canadian Rockers Sonic X

Chavis Records just announced that they have signed melodic hard-rockers Sonic X and will be releasing the band's new CD Thirteen in April. The band has some tracks from this release streaming on their MySpace page.

The band had finished this recording prior to signing with Chavis and had been selling it via their website. What makes the Chavis release pretty cool is the inclusion of a bonus second disc with six additional songs.

The band has a killer guitarist Lawrence Falcomer who is a graduate of GIT. Fans of guitar-oriented rock should give the band a listen and hopefully the band will tour outside of Canada once this CD is released.