SWEET & LYNCH - Only To Rise (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

 

Track listing:

01 - The Wish
02 - Dying Rose
03 - Love Stays
04 - Time Will Tell
05 - Rescue Me
06 - Me Without You
07 - Recover
08 - Divine
09 - September
10 - Strength In Numbers
11 - Hero-Zero
12 - Only To Rise
 

"Only To Rise" is the debut album title, and SWEET & LYNCH is the name of the newest super-group to come together to make some old fashion, ass kickin’ classic US Hard Rock.
This pairing only seems awkward upon first glance, but there's a perfect logic to these guys hooking up.
Michael Sweet himself has stated on record he'd considered Lynch a 'bucket list' musician to work with and, straight outta the Eighties, SWEET & LYNCH was born.
Bringing along with them awesome skin basher Brian Tichy (Foreigner, Whitesnake, Billy Idol) on drums and James LoMenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Lynch Mob) on bass, the unit's debut "Only to Rise", is, well, pretty durned cool.
"The Wish" rings precisely like you might expect, an amalgam between Stryper and Dokken with a hair more toughening up. As a mid-tempo power jam, Michael Sweet pounces upon the straight-laced lines and for the most part soars overtop George Lynch's steady riffs.
The song is written in the classic verse-chorus hard rock format, hitting Lynch's solo precisely where expected and the tune wraps up nice 'n' tidy as "Like a Dying Rose" struts out from it.
This track carries more Lynch Mob influence as Lynch chucks some bluesy plugs amidst the bobbing bass and floating keyboards. Sweet sounds relaxed as he molds his pitch to fit the lowdown groove of the cut.
The same can be said of the dirtier blues rawker "Rescue Me".
"Love Stays" could've been a predictable power ballad, but there's a heavier swing to this track even as it tails at a leisurely pace. This song is louder and chocked full of George Lynch's peals and rips where he can get away with them, but otherwise, it has far more oomph than meets the eye.
"Me Without You", features a gorgeous intro and threading melody by Lynch to compliment Sweet's harmonious croons. Sounding a bit like the Scorpions as the would-be ballad winds along, "Me Without You"'s biggest strength is the stellar vocal harmonizing aside from George Lynch's stress-free solo.
"Time Will Tell" changes the pace as Lynch and James LoMenzo ride hard upon Brian Tichy's crashing march. Reverberating chords and a determined bass channel thickens up this stout tune that carries an '80s action film verve about it. Accordingly, Michael Sweet reserves his best octaves for this one and the song blazes. The backing vocals are particularly great, one of the most uplifting songs Lynch or Sweet has ever put his name behind.
As much as this album stays in a low-rolling tempo, "Recover" finally steps on the gas with James LoMenzo's bass driving what becomes a Stryper-based rocker with more of a blues base to it. Sweet lets his falsettos fly free with "Recover"'s banging groove and lofting choruses. Appropriately, George Lynch, who delivers mostly tempered solos on the preceding tracks, cuts loose on this one.
Dipping back to mid-tempo, the band jams like beasts on the crawling "Divine". Only on the appositely sugary choruses does this song ease up, and Michael Sweet seizes those opportunities to remind his listeners to avoid letting the sins of the world swamp their lives.
There's classic choruses on "September", hot riffs in "Strength in Numbers" and "Hero-Zero" gimp more than move, but all that's come before them is enough to compensate, and the title track closing the album has enough sweat and hump (including a quick, bitchin' drum solo by Brian Tichy) to call it a good day in this camp.
Whether you get the soundness of this union or come to it with a glaring question mark, Michael Sweet and George Lynch answer their own call and "Only to Rise" is a killer Hard Rock record.

Well worth checking out!

Rating - 9/10

The Players:

 

Michael Sweet (Stryper) – Vocals, Guitar
George Lynch (Lynch Mob) – Guitar
James Lomenzo (ex White Lion, Megadeth) – Bass
Brian Tichy (ex Whitesnake) – Drums

BERNIE MARSDEN - Shine (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Blues Rock / Melodic Rock

Label -

Track listing:

01. Linin' Track

02. Wedding Day

03. Walk Away

04. Kinda Wish She Would

05. Ladyfriend

06. Trouble

07. Who Do We Think We Are?

08. Bad Blood

09. Shine

10. Dragonfly

11. You Better Run

12. Hoxie Rollin' Time

13. Nw8

### The following review is not my work but I couldn't agree more so I reproduce it here. All credit to the original author ###

Ex Whitesnake guitarist BERNIE MARSDEN new album "Shine" to be released next August 18, explores a wide ranging musical horizon including a cleverly updated bluesy, slick AOR, kick ass boogie, riff driven and twin guitar rock, a steaming bluesy shuffle and a book-ended instrumental.
By his own admission "Shine" includes some stockpiled material, but it’s subtly shaped, polished and nicely sequenced by his former Alaska band member turned producer Rob Kass.

Recorded in studio 3 in Abbey Road (where the Beatles cut ‘Revolver’), "Shine" sparkles with confident songs, sumptuous guitar tones, potent harmonies, magisterial playing and Bernie’s best ever lead vocals.
Producer Rob Kass strikes the prefect balance between the album’s song driven focus and the possibilities that an array of guests – including David Coverdale, Jimmy Copley, Ian Paice, Don Airey Cherry Lee Mewis, Joe Bonamassa and Mark Feltham – and a big studio offers him.
"Shine" is a coherent album that plays to Bernie’s strengths. He’s always been a consummate guitarist and a prodigious songwriter, but a combination of different vocals textures injects the steely arrangements with style and gusto.

Listen for example, to the airy, west coast vocal sweep of Danny Kirwan’s "Dragonfly" – included here as an ode to Peter Green – and the standout title track. The Cream style vocal harmonies are underpinned by Ian Paice’s pounding stick work and topped by Don Airey’s keyboard riffs and Bonamassa’s scintillating solo. All the elements coalesce seamlessly as if building to a naturally defining moment on the track.
But this is such a well paced album that the final four tracks find their sequential place as part of an integral whole, before coming to rest on Bernie’s acoustic instrumental outro.

"Shine" opens with a sledgehammer groove of Leadbelly’s "Linin’ Track" which mirrors the song’s lyrical muscularity, while the hot picking on "Wedding Day" has a lively feel, as part of an enveloping production.
The kick ass boogie and ZZ Top influenced "Kinda Wish She Would" is effectively a counterweight as Bernie’s slightly distorted vocal gives the track an extra bit of edge on a riff driven rocker with huge radio potential.

My absolute favourite is the AOR, keyboard led "Walk Away" (awesome Don Airey) with its '80s keyboard motif, uplifting hook and catchy chorus. It's a sister track to the eco message and vocal tour de force "Who Do We Think We Are", a mid-tempo melodic rocker full of magic.

The guests all make their mark, as Mark Feltham’s lyrical harp line colours the extended groove of "Ladyfriend", as it smolders, sparkles and envelops you.
It sets things up nicely for the percussive reworking of "Trouble" predicated on David Coverdale guttural phrasing. Bernie has never been reticent to explore his back catalogue and he’s rarely bettered himself than on this blast from the past.
Cherry Lee Mewis adds gritty vocal contrast on the laid back blues-rocker "Bad Blood" and just when you think the whole album has run its course on the hook laden "You Better Run", Bernie launches himself into a dirt tone wah-wah inflected Americana shuffle "Hoxie Rollin’ Time", which is surely destined to become a live favourite.

Shine" is a career high for Bernie Marsden. 

It’s an album glued together by his own deeply embedded imprint of harmony driven songs with significant hooks and burning solos. It’s almost as if he’s successfully pursued his own mission statement of cutting a definitive solo album. It may have taken him 40 odd years but it’s been worth the wait.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Rating - 9/10

The Players

Bernie Marsden - Guitars, Vocals

Ian Paice - Drums

Don Airey - Keyboards 

Joe Bonamassa - Guitar

David Coverdale - Vocals

Jimmy Copley - Drums

Mark Feltham - Vocals, Harmonica

thanks to Pete Feenstra

WAMI (White Appice Mendoza Iggy) - Kill The King (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Heavy metal

Label - Metal Mind Productions 

Track listing:

01. The Rider

02. Young Blood

03. One More For Rock'n'roll

04. Guardian Of Your Heart

05. Transition

06. The Resistance

07. Exodus (The Red Sea Crossing)

08. Heart Of Steel

09. Wild Woman (You Oughta Know)

10. Get Out Of My Way

11. I Don't Wanna Lose You

WAMI are a brand new super-group featuring the talents of vocalist Doogie White (Rainbow, Schenker, Yngwie, La Paz), drummer Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, DIO) and bassist Marco Mendoza (Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) alongside 16-year-old Polish guitarist Iggy Gwadera, who are releasing their debut CD "Kill The King" today, May 13.
The whole idea for this project was started by Marco Mendoza two years ago. Performing in Poland, Thin Lizzy was supported at that time by the metal act Anti Tank Nun – and, as it seems, the extraordinary talent of the support act’s guitarist, Iggy Gwadera, left Mendoza enchanted.
The collaboration between the two followed and soon it evolved into a full star-studded project, involving Mendoza and Gwadera as well as shouter Doogie White and monster drummer Vinny Appice.
To make a perfect heavy metal fairy tale out of it, it should be added that the impressive Gwadera is only 16 now, the fact that can really restore one’s faith in the late ‘90s “generation Z” as they call it.
Of course, the fairy tale wouldn't be complete without the input of the Fairy Godmother(s), or, in this case, the producers’ team. Here we go as follows: Jarek ‘Chilek’ Chilkiewicz (a well-known Polish guitar player) as well as the album’s composers Wojtek and Piotr Cugowski (the two talented sons of Polish classic rock legend Krzysztof Cugowski who followed their father’s footsteps artistically).
The result of this multi-dimensional collaboration is "Kill The King".
Enough of the background – let the music do the talking.
WAMI’s first release is perfect balance between hard rock versus traditional metal, classic roots versus contemporary sound, aggressiveness versus melody.
“The Rider” is the dynamic opener featuring the dazzling guitar gallop, followed by the powerful, upbeat mid-tempo “Young Blood” where stellar vocal harmonies complement the melodious main riff.
The next song is a bit self-introductory, as White sings 'we are rock’n’roll believers' in his raspy but strong voice; it’s “One More For Rock’n’Roll”, a number with a Black Sabbath trademark style and psychedelic flavors.
Fourth track is the absolute highlight – the ballad “Guardian of Your Heart”, where Doogie White shares lead vocals with the above Piotr Cugowski. A result of their collaboration behind the microphone is the brilliant, emotionally laden performance, and the surprisingly perfect match of these two voices brings the song to a whole new level.
“Transition” is pretty heavy and straight-in-your-face with a bouncy rhythm, which precedes the mellow intro to “The Resistance”, but that's only seconds before the track evolves into a metallic killer stomper with muscular gun-machine riffs and feisty, aggressive vocals – but at the same time, still melodic. Interestingly enough, this song’s outro is an obvious reference to White’s Scottish heritage – check it out and you’ll have it loud and clear.
“Exodus (The Red Sea Crossing)” is driven with a slow, lumbering, early eighties metal British-esque atmosphere. Its follow-up “Heart Of Steel” is a groovy but melodic hard rock piece, driven by quite modern riff.
Some bluesy hard rock overtones are to be distinguished in “Wild Woman (You Oughta Know)”, a feisty and groovy hard rock piece (think early Whitesnake), in a contrast with “Get Out Of My Way” which develops into a fast-paced, dynamic hard rocker with aggressive dialogue between the lead and backing vocals.
The final cut “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” is a soaring acoustic ballad with cello part played by the guest musician Dorota Wozniak-Mocarska and a perfect melody to finalize the CD.
"Kill The King" above all, proves one undisputed fact – this international, intergenerational hard rock WAMI project really works. And even more, the sensational artistic collaboration between a group of talented Polish musicians and the three hard rock legends would be seriously unappreciated if referred to only as a curiosity in Appice’s or White’s vast discographies.
It’s so because of many reasons – not only the predictable quality of the performance by the legendary musicians of Rainbow, Dio or Whitesnake fame, but also well-crafted compositions penned by the creative duo of Cugowski brothers.
The true scene stealer is, however, guitarist Iggy Gwadera – being not even old enough to vote and still, capable of meeting such a challenge. His talent and prowess, surprising at such young age, really shines through the entire album, and it’s almost certain we’ll hear about this gifted young man in the future – perhaps mentioned again alongside big names of the music industry.
Let’s also hope Kill The King won’t be the last album under the WAMI moniker – although with the bar set so high with the first one, it’ll be hard to top it.
Strongly Recommended.

Rating - 8/10

Full Line Up - 

Doogie White - vocals

Vinny Appice - drums

Marco Mendoza - bass

Iggy Gwadera - guitars

Additional musicians:

Jarek ‘Chilek’ Chilkiewicz – additional electric & acoustic guitars

Wojtek Cugowski – add. electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals

Piotr Cugowski – guest lead vocals (track 4), backing vocals

Tomasz Golab – bass (track 5)

Szymek Synowka – drums (track 9)

Marek Trojanowicz – all keyboards

Dorota Wozniak-Mocarska – cello (track 11)

Eliza Cugowska, Krystyna Cugowska & Ewa Chilkiewicz – backing vocals

thanks to Alexandra Mrozowska

VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS - ST (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Bluesy Rock

Label -  Mascot Records

Track listing:

01 - Lust And Lies

02 - Close To You

03 - Good Thing

04 - Breathing

05 - Steal Away

06 - Line Of Fire

07 - Out Of Reach

08 - Feel It

09 - Leave This Town

10 - One Step Behind

11 - Leeches

12 - Nothing Touches

13 - Sailing Ships (feat. David Coverdale)

Happily after many years of absence (too many), former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg is finally back with his brand now band VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS, a whole new group formed with unknown but talented youngsters, especially Coverdale-esque vocalist Jan Hoving.

The music flows with a pristine fluidity and at the same time exciting but yet familiar, surprising but still comfortable by using many traditional and well known elements as the groovy Hendrix riffage of “Leeches”, the Zeppelin vibes of “Close To You” / “Leave This Town”, or the beautiful acoustic intro for “Out Of Reach”.

Of course the Whitesnake's feel it's in Adrian's veins, as heard on the breathy Coverdalian “One Step Behind” and the over the top “Steal Away”, but also the American modern feel of “Breathing” completed with subtle strings layers and even the Tyketto flavor present at the beginning of “Feel It” .
The sound on the recording is quite flawless, vintage warm but still crisp and delicate, a real studio mastery in the proud method of the grand influential artists and far from amateurish of many cheap releases, with each instrument completely interleaved with each other, all enhanced by keen discreet backing vocals.
Adrian Vandenberg holds a true savoir-faire in crafting those songs, brilliant rockers in a real classic (in every sense of the meaning) album canvas.
The final surprise is the Whitesnake cover of “Sailing Ships” presented in a new arrangement, performed in a new fashion right in between the original version and the acoustic performance as shown in 'Starkers In Tokyo'. And yes, we have the one and only David Coverdale on guest vocals in fine form providing his best signature pipes for this superb cut once written by Vandenberg for '89s 'Slip Of The Tongue'. A killer tribute to their mutual past.

A great debut well worth checking out!

Rating 9/10

Bedlam - Live In Binghampton 1974 (2013)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock
Label - Angel Air Records

Track listing:
01. I Believe In You
02. The Beast
03. The Great Game
04. Set Me Free
05. Interview
06. The Fool

BONUS TRACK
07. The Beast (remix)

"BEDLAM were one of the hardest working rock bands of the early 70’s and they released one studio album, performed hundreds of gigs across UK and Europe and one USA tour from which this album was recorded in New York in 1974. The band was on the cusp of success but COZY POWELL’S success with his solo single “Dance With The Devil” effectively killed off the success the band had worked so hard for. DAVE BALL had left PROCOL HARUM where he replaced Robin Trower back in 1971 to form Bedlam. In the future FRANK AIELLO would work again with Cozy Powell in HAMMER. Included is a bonus track which is a newly remixed version of a track from the original Bedlam album."

Well first let me just say that considering the age of the live recording on offer here it is stunning!
Here Bedlam, a band that were truly on the verge of greatness, are captured at their absolute live best! Great songs that are on a par with anything released by their contemporaries such as Led Zepplin, Deep Purple, Cream, even the mighty Black Sabbath!
A truly remarkable recording presented with great linear notes by a lable that has a habit of un-erthing and releasing these lost gems!


Rating - 10/10

Snakecharmer - Snakecharmer

Genre - Hard Rock / Blues Rock
Label - Frontier Records

Track listing:

01. My Angel
02. Accident Prone
03. To The Rescue
04. Falling Leaves
05. A Little Rock & Roll
06. Turn Of The Screw
07. Smoking Gun
08. Stand Up
09. Guilty As Charged
10. Nothing To Lose
11. Cover Me In You
12. White Boy Blues (bonus track)

"Six of the UK’s most highly-esteemed and experienced rock musicians have joined forces to create Snakecharmer. Original Whitesnake members Micky Moody and Neil Murray have teamed up with Laurie Wisefield (Wishbone Ash), Harry James (Thunder, Magnum), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne) and Chris Ousey (Heartland) to bring you classic twin-guitar based rock as it should be played."
I have to say that I pretty much agree!
With Moody and Murray’s Whitesnake connections, the band toured a little while ago as Monsters Of British Rock, wisely ditching that name for the much improved Snakecharmer, and were initially largely a Whitesnake tribute act, knocking out all the best tunes from the original, and best, era of Whitesnake, before Coverdale shed that classic band in favour of big hair and over production.
With all of the talent on board Snakecharmer inevitably ended recording an album (self-titled) released by Frontiers Records, (something that I wished their previous incarnation as M3 would have done with Tony Martin on vocals!), and let me just say that this is one awesome Classic Hard Rock album full of magic and personality.

Obviously you have an old Whitesnake vibe to some of the tunes here, and that's a good thing when you play bluesy Hard with this class. Sure enough you could imagine Coverdale belting out the likes of "Turn Of The Screw", "Guilty As Charged", "Nothing To Lose" and especially the impressive "Smoking Gun".
It’s not all a ‘snake fest though. Chris Ousey’s vocal style lends itself particularly well to hard AOR, Foreigner-esque tracks like "Accident Prone" and the AOR-tastic "Stand Up".
The absolutley awesome power ballad "Falling Leaves", has that early '80 mysterious atmosphere, and with "To The Rescue" the band goes for a Bad Company style bluesy boogie with charm, same in the the excellent "A Little Rock and Roll", one of the album’s real highlights.
Another great moment is heard in the opening cut "My Angel", combining some ol' Aerosmith guitars with a terrific melodic background instrumentation and jumpin' vocals.


If you are a fan of good traditional bluesey hard rock, (and I am!), then I just can't reconmend this album highly enough.


Rating - 10/10

Bedlam - In Command 1973 (2012)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock
Label - Angel Air Records

Track listing:

TRACKLISTING

01. I Believe In You
02. Hot Lips
03. Putting On the Flesh
04. Sarah
05. Drum Solo / Seven Long Years
06. Mother in Law
07. The Fool
08. The Beast
09. Set Me Free
BONUS TRACKS
10.Dance With The Devil

MUSICIANS

DAVE BALL, COZY POWELL, DENNY BALL, FRANK AIELLO

"In 1973 COZY POWELL joined up with the Ball Brothers (DAVE and DENNY) (Dave had just left PROCOL HARUM) and Frank Aiello (TRUTH) to form BEDLAM (the ultimate rock band) whose debut album was released in 1973. The world was their oyster and they performed in Europe and USA to much critical acclaim. A review in Melody Maker from 12th May 1973 said "A perfect blend of big band experience and unquestionable talent are going to make the all-star British band Bedlam, very big indeed"

A highly successful tour of USA (with BLACK SABBATH), then the band crashed and burned. Ironically it was success that lead to the band breaking up. Cozy Powell had released a drum tune called "Dance With The Devil" which was released on Mickey Most's RAK label. Bedlam were offered a deal with the RAK label to produce pop music singles with Cozy fronting the band. This is not what Bedlam were designed for.

By 1974 the band split though following on from Cozy's UK number 3 Hit single "Dance With The Devil" which features as a bonus track on this release as the only known Bedlam recording of that song recorded for USA TV Show Midnight Special (recorded on 4th February 1974)

"Bedlam In Command 1973" was recorded live in front of an audience at Command Studios, London 22nd October 1973 principally as a promo recording for the USA."

This album captures the magic of what was Bedlam in full flight, an I for one are extremely grateful to Angel Air Records for releasing this album and allowing me to hear the majesty of this band, as I wasn't even born when it was recorded!

The album captures the sound of a band that were truly alive, in a gig that must have been amazing.
Well worth checking out!

Rating 10/10

The Answer - Revival

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Track listing -

01. Waste Your Tears

02. Use Me
03. Trouble
04. Nowhere Freeway
05. Tornado
06. Vida (I Want You)
07. Caught On The Riverbed
08. Destroy Me
09. New Day Rising
10. Can not Remember, Can not Forget
11. One More Revival
12. Lights Are Down

Irish hard rocker's, The Answer, return with their new album, Revival. Well the good news is that if you're a fan of the band then you're gonna love this album! Hell to be honest if you are a fan of Classic / Hard Rock then you are going to love this album. You've got great classic riffs, solid songs and HUGE chorus's to boot!
The band have been around long enough now to have the confidence to stretch their songwritting tallents a little too and mix the influences within the songs too, which a possitive, with some songs having a very Zepplin feel to them and some having a distinctive southern flavour too. There are out and out rockers like New day Rising, there's moody classy songs like Destroy Me, as well as great balladesque tracks like Lights Are Down and classy tracks like Caught On The Riverbed. This album really does have it all!
 
Revival is a fantastic album from a great band, a record (or should that be CD?) that really delivers!
Very Highly Reconmended!
 
Rating - 10/10

Whitesnake - Forevermore

Genre - Classic Rock / Hard Rock / Cock Rock / Bluesy Rock
Label - Frontiers Records

Track Listing -
01. Steal Your Heart Away
02. All Out Of Luck
03. Love Will Set You Free
04. Easier Said Than Done
05. Tell Me How
06. I Need You (Shine A Light)
07. One Of These Days
08. Love And Treat Me Right
09. Dogs In The Street
10. Fare Thee Well
11. Whipping Boy Blues
12. My Evil Ways
13. Forevermore
14. Whipping Boy Blues (Swamp Mix)

Forevermore pucks up exactly where Good To Be Bad left off, whilst not quite as heavy, and slightly more melodic. The album finds messiah Coverdale in fine voice, sure his voice hasn't quite got the power it had in his heyday of the 80’s but Mr Coverdale knows how to work within his limitations and deliver a powerful soul lifting performance.
I’ve got to be honest, Forevermore could be the strongest album Mr Coverdale has put his name to in years. There’s not a weak track here, and there’s enough variety to satisfy the fns of all eras of Whitesnake’s illustrious past.
With Good To Be Bad, Whitesnake rediscovered their blues based rock roots, something that continues here on Forevermore.
The line up changes have continues, unfortunately, but importantly the guitarist line-up has remained unchanged, with Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach forming a formidable partnership, whose riff’s and solos, really drive this album along and bring it to life!
David Coverdale has really pulled out all the stops on this one. A great album from a legend!
Possibly one of the albums of 2011!

Website - Whitesnake
Rating 10/10