CONFIRMED: I am a Rockaholic!

I have had the pleasure of going on the first three Monsters of Rock Cruises and I am currently booked on the upcoming fourth one in April 2015. One band that I am still surprised about their absence on the cruise so far has been Warrant. They have all the qualifications – American, MTV stars, late 80’s/early 90’s sound and they are still touring. Maybe there is a story behind why that I have yet to learn. However, I did get my chance to see them live on Sunday September 7th, 2014 as they pulled into the Western Fair in London, Ontario for a one off Canadian date.

Local band Nail started things off as they began to attract the fair goers towards the concert stage area. By the time Warrant arrived the place was packed. My sister Donna accompanied me to the park. She then asked me the infamous question us concert freaks get all the time. “So, how many originals left in the band?” I was quick to mention that the band consisted of the four original players from the heyday of their fame - Joey Allen and Eric Turner on twin lead guitars, Jerry Dixon on bass and Steven Sweet on the drums. The only replacement was at lead vocals once greatly held by the late Jani Lane who passed away in 2011. In the case of Warrant it is hard to complain about a band that wants to continue on despite the fact a member has passed on. I DO in fact have issues where bands have all original members but can’t get along long enough to give the fans what they really want – especially at this stage of our lives and theirs. Skid Row, Queensryche, Great White, Journey, the list goes on and on. (Don’t get me wrong – some of these newer renditions are pretty damn good.....but!). End of rant.

New on vocals since 2008 is none other than the great Robert Mason (Lynch Mob, Big Cock etc.). He truly has a great stage presence and really engages the crowd. He has a very distinctive voice but can pull off the lighter ballads such as "Heaven", "I Saw Red" and "Sometimes She Cries" with perfection. Although their set was short and sweet, clocking in around 1 hour and 15 minutes they managed to squeeze in all the faves and a few from their latest album Rockaholic. Warrant has the claim to fame in my books of having one of my all-time favorite songs from that era (or any other) in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and one of my least favorite songs “Cherry Pie”. This show I heard them both live back to back to end the night and in between snapping pics I was actually snapping my fingers and fist pumping to the latter.

The power of loud, live rock and roll can do that to a person.

Here are a few pics from Warrant and openers Nail from the event.....enjoy!!
Thanks Brian
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Bang Your Head! Quiet Riot Lives!

Quiet Riot, best known for their 1983 release Metal Health, the first debut heavy metal album to ever achieve #1 on the Billboard chart in the US, is still alive and well (no pun intended on their 1999 album Alive and Well) in 2014.

Quiet Riot's Quiet Riot 10, 2014

The band quietly unleashed their new studio/live offering titled Quiet Riot 10 on June 27, 2014.  For this outing drummer Frankie Banali is joined by bassist Chuck Wright, guitarist Alex Grossi and after a revolving door of vocalists we find Jizzy Pearl leading the group.  Quiet Riot 10's album artwork is not overly awe inspiring, featuring what looks like a solid steel prison cell door over the man with the metal face from the Terrified album cover.  Actually their twelfth studio recording, one can only assume that the first two releases have not been counted being as they were only issued in Japan, the album leads off with "Rock in Peace".  Aside from the sound recording or production being a little dull "Rock in Peace" is a track that perfectly captures the spirit of the Metal Health era thanks in part to Pearl's soaring vocals.  Next is the adrenaline charged "Bang For Your Buck" before the grinding riffs of the excellent "Backside of Water", a song that has been in my head for days after hearing it.  The dull sound of the recording seems to have lifted somewhere along the line and I was air drumming (no knowledge of how to drum, so basically just waving my hands in the air as I sit in front of the computer) before long.  "Back on You"'s gang vocal chorus and showcase of the talents of Pearl and

Quiet Riot's Terrified, 1993

Grossi keeps the pace going on this album that seems to just get better and better as it goes forward.  The bluesy feelings of "Band Down" take us through to "Dogbone Alley" and is another that I could easily hear on the Metal Health record.  The final four tracks of the album are live recordings from the last recorded performances of Kevin DuBrow before his death in 2007.  A spirited version of QR III's "Put Up or Shut Up" starts off the quartet followed by "Free" and "South of Heaven", both originally found on 2006's Rehab album.  The final track is over nine minutes of "Rock 'n' Roll Medley" containing a compilation of songs including Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love".  The whole album plays well and is a pleasant surprise but simply over too soon.  Quiet Riot 10 is a great start but hopefully there's more in the tank from this rejuvenated and reborn Quiet Riot band.

Frankie Banali on MORC 2014-photo by Brian Ronald

The band has been through many line up changes and derailments throughout their career that began back in the early 70's with a roster of guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Kelly Garni drummer Drew Forsyth and vocalist Kevin DuBrow.  This version issued two albums that were only available in Japan, 1977's Quiet Riot (QR I) and 1978's Quiet Riot II (QR II).  It was after this in 1979 that Randy Rhoads would move on to join Ozzy Osbourne and be killed in a plane crash while on tour in 1982.  The Metal Health era of the band includes guitarist Carlos Cavazo, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Frankie Banali joining DuBrow to form the most well known lineup.  Condition Critical followed but did not reach the same degree of success as its predecessor and with DuBrow's tirades in the press and media, Sarzo left the outfit.  Bassist Chuck Wright, who actually recorded on Metal Health) was brought in for 1986's QR III, which is actually their fifth album, but only third international release.  1988 saw the release of Quiet Riot (sometimes referred to as QR IV) with DuBrow being replaced by Rough Cutt's Paul Shortino.  None of these releases after Metal Health lived up to the critical or commercial

Jizzy Pearl on MORC 2014-photo by Brian Ronald

 sucess of that album and the band disbanded in 1989.  By 1993 DuBrow, Banali and Cavazo were back together and issuing Terrified with Kenny Hillery on bass.  Chuck Wright had returned before long and 1995 saw the release of Down to the Bone but by 1999's Alive & Well Sarzo was back to re-creating the classic era lineup that also issued 2001's Guilty Pleasures.  After another breakup and revolving door of players Quiet Riot came out with Rehab in 2006 featuring bassist Tony Franklin and guitarist Neil Citron joining Dubrow and Banali this time around.  Sadly this would be the final album with vocalist Kevin DuBrow as he was found dead from a cocaine overdose on November 25, 2007.  At that time Banali stated that it was the end of Quiet Riot, but with the blessing of DuBrow's mother Quiet Riot is once again Alive & Well and thank God for that!

Meister, Frankie & the Quiet Riot cup

I have a personal history with Quiet Riot as I'm sure that many my age do.  The '45 single for "Cum On Feel the Noize" was an early addition to my collection and the Metal Health and QR III vinyls were among my very first album purchases.  In 1983 a Canadian convenience store issued plastic collector "rock cups" free with the purchase of a large slushie, Metal Health being an easy choice for me over Huey Lewis' Sports and Men At Work's Business As Usual.  I finally got to see Quiet Riot live during a stop in Toronto on the Terrified tour and much of their music, especially Metal 

Mr. Wright points out Meister's tattoo

Health, QR III and Condition Critical helped to shape my life and musical tastes.  The Quiet Riot logo also appears in my full sleeve tattoo, depicting a guitar case stickered with the logos of about 25 of my favorite bands.  I again saw Quiet Riot in 2013 when they stopped in Toronto, that time fronted by Scott Voukoun and then together with Pearl they gave two emotional and stellarly rocking shows aboard 2014's Monsters of Rock Cruise.  On the cruise I was able to meet both Frankie Banali (he'd never seen the cup before) and Chuck Wright, both were extremely fan friendly and a pleasure to talk to.  It's time once again to "bang they head"!

Cheers,
The Meister

(The Meister on Facebook) (Meister on Twitter) (Brian Ronald's MORC Photos)

(Quiet Riot Website) (Quiet Riot Facebook)

MONSTER OF ROCK CRUISE PHOTOS BY: BRIAN RONALD 2014

The Sun Has Risen Once Again

Japan's biggest contribution to the world of heavy metal, the band Loudness returns to the musical
forum with their new offering The Sun Will Rise Again.  The album was unleashed in June of

Takasaki on 2014's MORC-photo by Brian Ronald

2014 and continues the personal musical roller coaster ride of the driving force behind Loudness, guitarist Akira Takasaki.  While the biggest successes in North America came in the 80's with albums such as Thunder in the East and Lightening Strikes, Takasaki has never stopped issuing music under the Loudness moniker, albeit sometimes very quietly and despite many line-up adjustments.  The original lineup reunited in 2001, but sadly in 2008 drummer Munetaka Higuchi succumbed to liver cancer.  Today we find Masayuki Suzuki behind the kit and the rest of the band's membership is as original as possible with vocalist Minoru Niihara and bassist Masayoshi Yamashita joining Akira Takasaki.  I personally didn't get into Loudness until they were announced on 2013's Monsters of Rock Cruise which prompted me to look back into their expansive (26 studio albums) library.  The band's harder edge was dropped with the American success of the mid 80's albums and that is truly the era of the band that I prefer.  Takasaki discovered Buddhism during the 90's, but managed to keep producing music

Minoru Niihara on MORC 2014-photo by Brian Ronald

 and the albums had a more grungy/alternative flare to them, no doubt influenced by the popularity of  the times.  Some of those albums are difficult to listen to at times, containing songs such as the absurdly titled "Dogshit" for example.  Getting away from the groove metal/grunge sound when the original lineup reunited in 2001 they released the abysmal Spiritual Canoe.  It and the following albums were all hybrids of several musical styles making for more difficult listening in my opinion.  The more recent albums are aggressive and speedy as the band has taken a speed/thrash/borderline death metal approach for albums such as King of Pain and 2012.

The Sun Will Rise Again

Loudness have struck gold in a manner of speaking with The Sun Will Rise Again.  It's hard to believe that I'm about to describe this issue as melodic, but that's the case.  It's much more melodic than its recent predecessors, successfully combining the elements of the 80's Loudness with the current sound.  Make no mistake, this album is chock full of absolutely blistering guitar work and face melting heavy metal and that's just not a cliche that has been used to describe many albums, it's 100% true!  The cover art, however, is less than awe inspiring and at a quick glance in the CD store (is there such a thing anymore?) you may simply

Thunder in the East

dismiss it as a re-release of Thunder in the East.  The covers are incredibly similar and it wasn't until a dispute with a friend in which he pointed out the subtle differences did they really become apparent.  I guess after 26 releases you run out of cover ideas.....hey guys I know a great artist who'd happily design your next cover if you need!  I was looking forward to hearing the whole album after getting a preview of two new songs on 2014's Monsters of Rock Cruise and after a couple of listens this album has become my workout music of choice, having just the right amount of aggression, speed and guitar riffs to keep me pushing harder.

Takasaki & Suzuki on MORC 2014-photo by Brian Ronald

The album leads off with "Nourishment of the Mind", a just over two minute live instrumental intro that basically serves no purpose and would not have affected the outcome should it have been omitted.  From there however it opens up with "Got To Be Strong" showcasing the unmistakable Takasaki guitar tone throughout the chunky riffs.  The thrash influenced "Got to Be Strong" also features guitar solos, something that has been lackingly absent from the recent Loudness issues.  "Never Ending Fire" continues in the same vein with several tempo changes while "The Metal Man" is the shortest, aside from the intro, at almost three minutes.  Track #5, "Mortality" was one that was showcased (debuted) during 2014's Monsters of Rock Cruise and unless I'm completely losing my mind the riff reminds me of galloping horses!  None-the-less a great track, still very heavy, but containing just that little bit more melody than we've seen from the previous Loudness efforts.  "The Best" is an eight minute and twenty second (8:20) opus that begins with a sort of funky electronic "bee-whoop" (for those of you have seen that

Masayoshi Yamashita on MORC 2014-photo by Brian Ronald

Daffy Duck cartoon), a funky beat that fits well and returns about halfway through the composition.  The other of the two tracks showcased on MORC 2014 is up next and the title track to the release, "The Sun Will Rise Again".  "Rock You Wild" seems as though it should be a fist pumping rock anthem with a title like that, but in reality doesn't have that much to offer.  The next track however, "Greatest Ever Heavy Metal", is another running past the eight minute mark at 8:13 and the opening riff to this one has quickly become my fave.  It almost feels like an awakening as you listen to it, certainly great workout music.  "Shout" and "Not Alone" wrap things up on this molten metal headbanger's delight.

The whole album is loaded with Takasaki's unique guitar tones and plenty of shredding riffs serving as a playground for Niihara's harsh edged vocals, a perfect heavy metal combination.  It may not be the Loudness of the 80's found on Thunder in the East or Lightening Strikes, but I feel it's a successful melding of the sounds throughout the journey of Akira Takasaki.  Unfortunately, I fear that The Sun Will Rise Again may appeal more to Loudness aficionados than the average CD purchasing metal fan.

Cheers,
The Meister

(The Meister on Facebook) (Meister on Twitter) (Brian Ronald's MORC Photos)

(Loudness Website) (Loudness Facebook)

MONSTER OF ROCK CRUISE PHOTOS BY: BRIAN RONALD 2014

Guitar Gods with Yngwie Malmsteen - Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto Ontario June 21st 2014

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com When I first heard about this thing called "Guitar Gods Tour" I immediately clutched my left chest and said a few unrepeatable words. When I heard the tour was coming to Toronto I had to go for a quick change of wardrobe. As the weeks passed I became more excited knowing Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, Gary Hoey and Bumblefoot would be sharing the same stage the same night!

Then a few weeks before the show we received the devastating news from the Roth camp that their visas had not been secured and Uli had to back away from his participation in the tour. I again had to go for a quick change.

Anyways, since I already had a ticket and had never seen Yngwie live before (at my age and the artists ages its all about the bucket list at this point) I decided to head to the show. Because I have always considered Uli Jon Roth the greatest guitarist of all time and being a die-hard early Scorps fan I wore my Uli t-shirt in his honour. I was lucky enough to see him two nights in a row last year at the Rockpile. When I arrived at the parking lot across the street from the Phoenix the lineup was already quite a ways down Shelbourne Street. The doors were supposed to open at 7:00 but it was close to 9:00 before they started to move people in at a snails pace.

When I finally got in the first band had already started. They had found a filler for Roth in the name of T.D. Clark. I had not heard of him before but was amazed at how polished and professional he and his band were. More importantly, how he could shred with the best of them.

Next up was Guns N' Roses' axeman Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. Right off the bat there seemed to be sound problems. Once corrected he brilliantly played that double neck Vigier as if part of his own body. The music however was a bit too modern and almost too Green Day-ish at times. Kudos to him though for his fabulous rendition of the Pink Panther tune to end his 7 song tenure.

Third on the bill was Gary Hoey. I had only known of him from his Heavy Bones band that he formed with Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali. However I knew he had a reputation as being up there with best especially on the more bluesy side. He certainly got the crowds attention early on when he said he wanted to make a Canadian classic song "heavier". He then proceeded to rip into Tom Cochrane's "Lunatic Fringe" with an edge I loved. He continued through his set of 8 songs ending strongly with his version of Dutch band Focus's "Hocus Pocus". The thing I appreciated about Gary was you could tell when he was playing he really put a lot of emotion into it and almost got lost in himself. I am glad I had a chance to see him live!

Once they started to move the first 3 bands equipment out of the way they also started to reveal what was behind it. Holy smokes Batman, the whole friggin' stage was wall to wall Marshall Amps! I took a few quick shots with my iPhone and sent them back home to responses like "WOW" and "Hope you brought your earplugs".

When the "The Maestro" as vocalist/bassist and fellow Canadian Ralph Ciavolino kept referring to him as broke through dry ice the fans went crazy! The opening song "Rising Force" set the tone for the next 17 songs that would bleed your ears throughout the night. You could sense right away that the show was all about Yngwie, strutting the stage, posing for the crowd and flicking guitar picks by the minute into the crowd. I was amazed that along with Ciavolino, drummer Mark Ellis and keyboardist Nick Marino how well they managed to keep up despite being cramped into such a small space of real estate. To be honest I was never a huge Yngwie fan and only knew the more popular songs that rocked the 80's radio. Songs such as "Spellbound", "Evil Eye", "Live to Fight (Another Day)", "Dreaming (Tell Me)" and my fave "Heaven Tonight" kept the three quarter full Phoenix Concert Theatre rocking. You could really tell who the die hard fans were when Malmsteen knelt down on the edge of the stage to rip a solo. They would fight and claw their way to touch royalty in the form of him or his guitar at all costs. After the final song, "Black Star", the crowd roared him back on stage for an encore. This time he had company. Both Bumblefoot and Hoey came on stage to rip through Deep Purple's classic "Burn". This was the highlight for me. But not to be outdone Yngwie kicked them off stage to have one final moment alone with "his" crowd as he closed with "I'll See the Light Tonight".

A night filled with one big guitar solo may not be for everyone and while Yngwie Malmsteen also requires a certain taste that not everyone appreciates - he truly was the "Guitar God" this night!

Attached are the photos of my experience that night. Enjoy!!!

Brian Ronald

Jackyl - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto Ontario June 13th 2014

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Having never seen Jackyl before, I highly anticipated their return to Toronto show after 17 years. The plan was to meet up with fellow Decibel Geek Rich "The Meister" Dillon to enjoy the show. However Rich had a last minute change of plans , so I was doing the show solo.

Toronto band Second Pass powered through their opening set as the crowd began to fill in. I had seen them a few nights earlier open for Stryper and quite enjoyed their set. Next up was A Rebel Few, another local band with quite a few followers who call themselves D.I.R.T. Bags. The crowd really got going as they rushed the stage and rocked with hands pumping and mouthing every word. A good solid rock band no doubt about it! Direct support band Heavens Fire was up third and boy did they rock. I have seen these guys a few times now and they seem to be raising the bar more and more each show. JT Harris's brilliant guitar playing is absolutely spot on and supported perfectly by drummer Mike Mackinnon and bassist Andy Narsingh. Newly acquired singer Jesse Jack dominates the spotlight with his intense stage presence. I can tell he feels completely comfortable in the roll and gels in with perfection. They had the whole crowd "Screamin'".

Finally it was Georgia's finest, Jackyl's turn. Unfortunately after two attempts to start the first song the lights came on. Following about a 15 minute delay to fix the blown equipment it was show time - and they never looked back. Lead singer and guitarist Jesse James Dupree didn't waste any time as he passed around a bottle of JD during "My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine's Ass". Their set consisted all of the faves, "Down On Me", "Screwdriver", "I Stand Alone", "When Will It Rain", "Secret of the Bottle", "Dirty Little Mind", "Redneck Punk" and a great crowd participation cover of Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-Ling". Brothers, guitarist Jeff Worley and shirtless drummer Chris Worley along with bassist Roman Glick seemed to be having a blast feeding off of Jesse's vibes and stage antics. After the crowd favorite "She Loves My Cock", came the closing song that everyone anticipated. With the sound of a chainsaw behind the darkened stage Jackyl returned with Jesse swinging the Stihl towards the three quarter filled Phoenix Concert Theatre crowd as it was time for "The Lumberjack Song". During the finale he managed to saw up a bar stool which sent wood chips flying all over the crowd up front.

All in all it was a great show. A couple observations I noticed included how good a guitar player Jesse really is considering he only plays it for a few songs. I was also amazed at how stage friendly he is. I seemed to have conjured up this image he was an angry Axl Rose/Sebastian Bach type. But no, he truly enjoyed what he was doing and was smiling while interacting with the crowd the whole time. In my opinion, the only negative thing I could say is that although they are fabulous musicians and have incredible rock songs they seemed to gear more towards the novelty and gimmick songs with a real emphasis on the southern redneck drinking image. But heck I guess that's what Jackyl represents and I respect that!!

Above are some classic Jackyl shots I took that evening of mayhem! Enjoy!!

Brian Ronald

Monsters of Rock Cruise 2014 Photos

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com Hello, I'd like to introduce myself as the newest member of the Decibel Geek team. My name is Brian Ronald and I'm located just outside of Toronto. I will be posting photos from local concerts alongside fellow contributors Wallygator Norton, Kate Campbell and Rich (The Meister) Dillon. I have also been fortunate to have participated in the past 3 Monsters of Rock Cruises. Here is a sample of some of my pictures from this years cruise.