Tenacious D - Rize Of The Fenix (2012)

Genre - Hard Rock / Mock Rock / Comedy
Label - Columbia

Track listing -

01 - Rize Of The Fenix
02 - Low Hangin' Fruit
03 - Classical Teacher
04 - Senorita
05 - Deth Starr
06 - Roadie
07 - flutes and Trombones
08 - The Ballad of Hollywood Jack and The Rage Kage
09 - Throwdown
10 - Rock Is Dead
11 - They Fucked Our Asses
12 - To Be The Best
13 - 39

The modern day Spinal Tap, the mighty Jack Black and Kyle Rage Kage return with the follow up to The Pick Of Destiny, with more of the comedy rock, and its great to hear them with new material. A mixture of great comedy songs and extended skits makes for a fun album. Lets be serious, if you havent enjoyed previous Tenacious D releases then this is unlikely to be any different.
Yet despite the comedy element, there are some great songs on here, the title track goes through some awesome twist and turns, Senorita is just great, Roadie is sure to become the theme tune for roadies everywhere, because after all, that make the rock go..... Deth Starr is just classy and The Ballad of Hollywood Jack and Rage Kage is great too.

Theres enough good music on here to please the rock fans, and anyone with a sense of humour is sure to find amusement on this album.

If you've liked previous Tenacious D releases then you're gonna love this album, if you're new to the D, well check it out, what you got loose!
Jack Black back to what he does best with his partner in crime Kyle Rage Kage!

Rating 9/10

Steel Panther - Balls Out

Genre - Hard Rock / Sleaze
Label -

Track listing -

01. In The Future
02. Supersonic Sex Machine
03. Just Like Tiger Woods
04. 17 Girls In A Row
05. If You Really, Really Love Me
06. It Won't Suck Itself
07. Tomorrow Night
08. Why Can't You Trust Me
09. That's What Girls Are For
10. Gold-Digging Whore
11. I Like Drugs
12. Critter
13. Let Me Cum In
14. Weenie Ride

The mighty Steel Panther return with their second album, Balls Out, and well to be honest its more of the same. These guys maybe a 'spoof' band, and their comedy appeal is their main appeal, but each and every song is very finely crafted, and the musicianship is always impecable. These guys are serious musicians, with histories in other bands behind their Steel Panther persona's but Steel Panther is a mighty beast in its own right.
The basic and simplest truth is, if you didnt like the first album, then you are not going to like this one, but on the other hand, if you enjoyed Mike Starr's quirky sexist sense of humour on the first album, then by god you're going to thoroughly enjoy this one too!
Stand out tracks for me include, Just Like Tiger Woods, If You really really Love Me, Tomorrow Night, Gold-Digging Whore, Critter and Weenie Ride.

A great album by a great band, a real breathe of fresh air!

Rating - 9/10

Steel Panther - Feel The Steel Review

Ex-LA Guns singer Ralph Saenz's (aka Michael Starr) 80's tribute/parody band Steel Panther have been selling out South California's Key Club fairly regularly for some time now. Tongue in cheek humour, larger than life parody personas, and a wealth of on-stage celebrity guests (ranging from Tom morello, to Pink, to April Margera) helped them gain considerable recognition. It was only a matter of time until the guys landed themselves a record deal and set about recording their debut under the Steel Panther name. And what an album!The album opens with "Death To All but Metal", which most of you would have probably heard by now, if not, well its a great slab of glam/ sleaze rock circa 1987 - 1992 and brilliantly played,and i love the lyrics, you need to check this album out if only just for the lyrics to this song.Next up is Asian Hooker, which happens to feat guest appearences from buth Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT!), and again is just another out and out rocker.Comunity Property is the next track, with its acoustic opening, and heartfelt lyrics, and to be honest the lyrics probably reflect the average frontmans attitude from back in the haydays of the glam and sleaze scene. Next up is my favourite track, Eyes of a Panther, another great rocker, just loving this song.Fat Girl (Thar She Blows) is up next and its just out and out WHITESNAKE!Eatin Aint Cheatin' is another fine rocker, followed Party All Day which if Bonjovi's Livin On Prayer, well almost! Turn Out The Lights picks up the tempo a little, even if its a lil moody, love this track (probably my second favourite on the disc!), with Its nob to mid period Bonjovi.Stripper Girl is another ballady track, acoustic openings building to the big rock finish. Good song.The Shocker is a plodding rocker, not a bad song but not the best on offer here.Girl from Oaklahoma tacks Extremes More Than Words as its main inspiaration, I doubt it will chart as well though....lolfeel the Steel closes with Hells on Fire, another great rocker, Bonjoviesque if they could remeber how to write rockers.This album is a great tongue in check album by a great tongue in check band, a more modern version of Spinal Tap if you will, with the theme being Glam/Sleaze's heyday and the subjec being sex, sex and more sex......The musicianship is amazing and the songs are all well crafted, in the styles of Kane Roberts (ex ALice Cooper) Whitesnake, Extreme and Bon Jovi!

rating 10/10 (go on have a laugh!!!!!!!!)