Halestorm, "The Strange Case Of..."

Halestorm
The Strange Case Of...
Reviewed by Rob Acocella
Rating: 4/5
      Until now I've never had my hands on a full album by Halestorm. I have to be honest here and just say that before now I hadn't been all that interested in them. I've seen them live a handful of times as an opening act or direct support to a few great bands, and I did enjoy their live show, but I never had the motivation to buy their music. That changed when I heard a sample of their lead single "Love Bites (So Do I)" and immediately realized what I had been missing out on.
      Overall, the songwriting on A Strange Case Of... is really good, with a few exceptions where I feel they kind of fell short lyrically. Still, for a band I'm technically new to, the album is impressive. First thing's first: this is fun Hard Rock, so if you're looking to find hidden messages or the Fibonacci Sequence in the songs, you've got the wrong band. However, if you're looking for something to crank on a Friday night on your way to a concert or party, this is the album to grab.
      Lzzy and company mix equal amounts of old school female fronted Rock with some more modern influences. "I Miss The Misery" sounds so much like a Three Days Grace song, I was half expecting Adam Gontier to be doing some guest vocals, while "Freak Like Me" and "Daughters of Darkness" are perfect crowd-rallying songs. My only complaints are right in the middle of the album where the songs go a softer route. In my opinion it derailed the flow of the listening experience, and I have to be the bad guy here and just say that I don't really feel Lzzy's softer, more "girly" vocals are all that good, on top of the lyrics being very weak and cliche at times.
      Despite my minor complaints, I still find myself reaching for this album when I want to listen to some fun and aggressive tunes. I do give the band credit for including some softer tunes despite what some people may think of them, as it shows a maturity and willingness to take risks that so many newer bands these days don't have. Aside from the tracks I already mentioned, some other favorites on here are "Mz. Hyde," "You Call Me A Bitch Like It's A Bad Thing," and "Here's To Us."

Mindless Self Indulgence: Tighter

Mindless Self Indulgence

Tighter

Reviewed by Tara Salamone

Rating: 5/5

     I've been listening to Mindless Self Indulgence for eight years so, like any long-time fan, I have been coveting their 1999 album Tight. I would see it pop up on places like Amazon.com and Ebay.com but it's usually way too expensive, sometimes up to hundreds of dollars. When Tighter came out, my prayers were answered. It comes together with 15 original re-mastered tracks plus 12 previously unreleased tracks.

     The original tracks did not require re-mastering, considering they're not that old anyhow and they were mostly recorded in mono in the first place. It wasn't needed but I welcome the added bass and they sound slightly more polished, but not by a lot. There is definitely an eclectic mix of different versions of classics like "Bring the Pain," including demos, live tracks, etc. The unreleased tracks took me back to their original raw sound of Electronic/Punk but I was also surprised to hear songs such as "Free As A Birdie," which shows off Jimmy Urine alone with an acoustic guitar. Don't get me wrong, I am not surprised by his total lack of holding a tune, but it was way more organic than what I am used to hearing from them. I like it all the same, though, as their lyrics never take themselves too seriously. MSI's music is meant to make you laugh, gasp, and dance. Perhaps all at the same time.
     Overall, I would recommend Tighter to old time fans. All bands evolve and change but people sometimes have a preference for a certain sound. Some tracks could be considered fillers, such as "Agents," but, again, if you've been listening to them since Tight or at least Frankenstein Girls Seem Strangely Sexy, it's pretty interesting to hear about the beginning of the band. My personal favorites are "Cake" and "I Hate Everyone," given that they stick to the usual formula of their older stuff without sounding the same as everything else. I would have to give the album a 5/5 for keeping their fans from the beginning in mind as well as providing a good range of 27 tracks.

Jason Charles Miller, "Uncountry"

Jason Charles Miller

Uncountry

Reviewed by Rob Acocella

Rating: 5/5

When you think of Jason Miller from Godhead, you probably don't think cowboy hats and Civil War memorabilia. However, as he explains in the album title track "Uncountry" there ain't nothin' uncountry about him. 

I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Country music, so the few bands and albums I do like have to really have that something special to make them stand out to me. Jason's version of Country isn't your Garth Brooks or Honkey-Tink this-or-that. Coming from a much heavier style of music, you are guaranteed it's going to have an edge, and an edge it has. I would liken Uncountry to Zakk Wylde's Pride and Glory. Even though Zakk was known as the monstrous young guitar player for Ozzy Osbourne, most fans were pleasantly surprised to hear what his softer, more, um, twangy song writing was like. The same goes for Jason Miller. You can hear shades of Pride and Glory on Uncountry, as well as moments that really reminded me of Vicious Cycle, which was my personal favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd album. You can hear Jason's signature Goth-Industrial vocals peering through at times, which is reassuring when the album goes a little deeper into the Country vibe.

There are a lot of stand out tracks, and my personal favorites are "Uncountry," "The River," "You Must Have Loved Me A Lot" and the stickiest song on the album, "The Devil." I dare you to listen to "The Devil" and not walk around singing or humming it to yourself all day. Hell, I haven't listened to the album in 2 days and this morning I woke up with it in my head out of nowhere. 

Megadeth, "TH1RT3EN"

Megadeth
TH1RT3EN
Reviewed by Rob Acocella
Rating: 5/5




Megadeth are back, and this time it's BIG. Not only is this their thirteenth studio album, but it's also the return of David Ellefson to the band. David has always been such a huge component of Megadeth's sound that the albums without him really fell slightly flat for me. I may be a bit biased, being a a bass player myself, but without David it just wasn't complete.

That said, it's not just enough to have the correct lineup, you have to also have great songs and there is no shortage of them on this album. "Sudden Death" leads it off, and is a familiar track for anyone who has been keeping up with the world of Megadeth, as it was included in a Guitar Hero installment, as well as getting released as a single back in 2010, and is the first studio recording of Ellefson with the band since 2002. It's not the only song that will sound familiar to die-hard fans of the band. "Black Swan", "Millennium of the Blind", and "New World Order" are also a part of the Megadeth legacy and go back different spans of time in each instance.

"Public Enemy No. 1" is one of my favorite tracks right alongside "New World Order" "Deadly Nightshade" and "Fast Lane". Personally, with all the fast, crushing riffs, and especially the reborn older material that has finally received a proper release to the public, this is one of the most perfect Megadeth albums to date. I'm from the school of people that thought Rust In Peace was their masterpiece, and with TH1RT3EN being released right on the heels of the anniversary of Rust, it's only fitting for it to be such a powerhouse of  a record.

Steve Bello Band, "Go Berzerk"

Steve Bello Band
Go Berzerk!
Reviewed by Rob Acocella
Rating: 5/5







Ibanez-endorsed instrumental guitarist Steve Bello is back with his fifth and most anticipated studio album yet, titled Go Berzerk! (yes, the "z" is intentional)

The album starts off with the very popular lead single "Surfing To Venus" which had a video to accompany it while it was still in demo stages. You can see the video below, or by clicking here.
Following "Surfing" is a a track called "To Be Human Again" which gets you tapping your toes and snapping your fingers to the groovy little funk-infused intro before jumping right into a chunky lead riff that will take most by complete surprise. The title track is one of the strongest on here which not only showcases Steve's incredible lead abilities but bass player Joe Demott really shines through with his intricate bass fills.

On "Sometimes Hidden" we get to hear the softer side of Steve Bello with this warm acoustic track. It goes without saying that just about every instrumental guitarist includes an acoustic track here or there, and Steve is no exception, but this track just has such a nice flow and melody that it avoids feeling cliché. "Throwing Away My Skin" is at the top of my list of favorites on this album with it's Slayer-like groove. The guitar really takes on an almost vocal personality on this track. On "Chomp" we again hear Joe's incredible bass abilities. It's gotta be one of the funkiest Funk-Metal tracks I've ever heard.

I can't give Go Berzerk! album any less than a 5/5. Steve's been working at this for about as long as we've been working at Paragon and every album is better than the last. This is truly a work of art, incorporating so many different flavors without ever sounding out-of-place. It's availabe on CDBaby.com or iTunes, and you can get a physical copy if you find him on Facebook and order direct.

Rammstein: Made In Germany 1995-2011

Rammstein
Made In Germany 1995-2011 (Deluxe Edition)

Reviewed by Lisa Selvaggio

      For longtime fans or those who are new to the band, this 2-disc best of compilation encompasses highlights from Rammstein’s entire career.  Starting off with “Engel” and including their newest single, “Mein Land,” Disc 1 has a little bit off every album.  From “Du Hast” to “Mein Teil” and “Links 2 3 4,” all the songs the band has become famous for over the last 16 years are on one disc, proving how they’ve been able to keep it hard and heavy, never losing their signature sound.  There are 16 tracks on this disc, so it is packed to the brim with your favorites. 

      Disc 2 is a CD of remixes created by everyone from Laibach (“Ohne Dich”) to Faith No More (“Du Riechst So Gut ‘98”) and Devin Townsend (“Rammlied”), to name a few.  The remixes are innovative and give these classics a brand new twist, as any good remix would.  But if you’re looking for the heaviness the band is known for, the remixes lighten it up, sometimes way up, or even change the songs almost completely.  Townsend’s remix includes a banjo that is completely out of place and annoying.  Westbam’s remix of “Links 2 3 4” could easily be played at a club filled with guidos in Jersey---who would’ve thought you could do that with a Rammstein tune?  “Feuer Frei,” though not on Disc 1, is remixed on Disc 2, and it’s pretty good although it loses the speed and aggression the song is known for.
        

      You can purchase this release in its standard format, which would give you just the best-of disc with the new single, the Deluxe Edition which has the two discs I’ve just described, or the limited Super Deluxe Edition which has the two discs plus three DVDs and a 240-page booklet.  In any format, it is worth adding this release to your Rammstein collection. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Animals As Leaders: Weightless

Animals As Leaders
Weightless

Reviewed by Steve Bello


Tosin Abasi is, without question, the "it" guy for Ibanez 8-string guitar, and creating interesting textures where most players would just stick to Meshuggah-inspired riffing (nothing wrong with that, of course). Those who are familiar with Tosin know that he was once in a band called Reflux that musically was great but vocally was very distracting. When news broke out that Tosin was doing a purely instrumental project, fans of his fleet-fingered work were excited.

Weightless is the second album for AAL and while it is definitely very diverse and a great workout for both Tosin and the listener, something troubles me a bit. Every song virtually starts off the same, with a clean guitar intro, as if to say "This is a false sense of security, I am about to bludgeon you now." Tosin clearly studied Jazz and Progressive music, which is evident on tracks such as "Somnarium," "Isolated Incidents," and "Earth Departure" (the only track not to have a clean intro). One can hear influences as obvious as Yes, Rush, King Crimson, and some not-so apparent like Mahavishnu Orchestra. Utilizing the 8-string to its fullest potential, Tosin wrings out some intricate melodies that aren't contrived or give the sense of "I have heard this somewhere before." Tosin approaches the 8-string from a fresh perspective, not just for brutal guttural riffing (but when he does, he can give so-called "heavy" bands a good run for their money!)

For guys like Steve Vai to praise Tosin up and down, that's high praise indeed! I do recommend this album for anyone that wants to break from the "heavy-for-heavy sake" metal that is out there today. Tosin is clearly ahead of the curve and at the top of the game. Some of us should be so lucky.


Rating: 5/5


Steve Bello is one of NJ's most famous instrumental guitarists, known for his speed and dexterity. With his latest album, Go Berzerk, he is finding worldwide recognition for his hard work and dedication to his music. Check out our video interview with Steve here.