U.D.O. Brings The Steelhammer To Moscow

When I found out that U.D.O., former vocalist for Accept was releasing another double live CD the only question that I had was why?  Why, why, why?  Don't get me wrong, I am a huge U.D.O. fan, having been fortunate enough to see him live on two occasions now, but he just issued a double live CD, Live in Sofia, in 2012.  Never-the-less we have been delivered a new album from the German power metaller with Steelhammer-Live From Moscow, available now.  The album was recorded during performances in Moscow on the recent Steelhammer tour and is available as a DVD/2CD set or triple vinyl package with Russia's national colors.  This album is the first live issue with the new U.D.O. lineup, the roster that I have seen twice.

The release starts off with a minute and a half intro that could have quite easily been omitted and doesn't seem to serve much purpose to me, but the random stage noises elude to the fact that there would be something to see should this be a DVD.  After that it blasts into high gear with the opening riff to "Steelhammer", the title track from 2013's studio offering, the fourteenth in the collection.  "King of Mean", also off Steelhammer follows before going back into the catalog for the awesome "Future Land".  "Future Land" sounds so much better here than it did on the initial appearance on the 1990 studio album Faceless World.  Flip-flopping back to Steelhammer for "Cry of a Nation" and then back to Faceless World for "Trip to Nowhere", we then branch out into U.D.O.'s first solo effort, Animal House, and the song "They Want War".  Continuing the workout of Steelhammer, "Never Cross My Way" and "Stay True" are flawlessly delivered with Faceless World's "Stranger" sandwiched in between.  Animal House's "In The Darkness" and "Azrael", found originally on 1998's No Limits wrap up CD one.  The second disc picks up where the first left off with "No Limits" from the album of the same name before a near eleven minute version of 1989's "Mean Machine" including some long and drawn out instrument solos that make me lose some interest.  Timebomb's "Burning Heat" is up next and then it's back to Steelhammer for a double shot with "Metal Machine" ("Mean Machine"/"Metal Machine"....I know it's confusing but they really are two different songs) and "Devil's Bite".  Animal House supplies "Go Back To Hell" before "Timebomb" and "Holy" both from albums of the same names.  The final song of the concert is the Accept classic and surprisingly the only one included with "Metal Heart". "Metal Heart" is also the only song that makes an appearance on both Live in Sofia and Steelhammer-Live From Moscow.

The whole band sounds great here and I can attest that they really do sound like this in concert, having seen them twice now, once in Toronto and once at Sweden Rock Festival.  Frontman and namesake of the group Udo Dirkschneider, the former leader of Accept with his rough, gravel-raked and guttural vocal style really does shine through here even though my favorite two tracks of the Steelhammer record, "Basta Ya" and "Book Of Faith" are not played during this concert.

Why did U.D.O. release another double live album so quickly after Live in Sofia?  Because he can and it's awesome!  Dammit, now I have to buy the DVD!!

Cheers,
The Meister

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SIX DEGREES OF KISS: FATS DOMINO

Brent Walter I accept your challenge and will connect Fats Domino to KISS in six steps or less.

Antoine "Fats" Domino, a singer-songwriter out of New Orleans, had 35 top 40 in the fifties and early sixties. How will I connect this R&B legend to KISS in six steps or less? Like this:

1. Fats Domino had a top ten hit in early 1954 with a song called "I'm Walkin'."

2. "I'm Walkin'" was also a top ten hit for TV star Ricky Nelson later that same year (1954).

3. Ricky Nelson's twin sons Matthew and Gunnar Nelson had a number one hit ("Love and Affection") and top twenty album (After the Rain) in 1990 with their own band called simply Nelson.

4. The drummer in Nelson was a musclebound dude who called himself Bobby Rock.

5. Before joining Nelson Bobby Rock was the drummer in a band called the Vinnie Vincent Invasion.

6. Vinnie Vincent had previously replaced Ace Frehley in KISS.

And there you have it:

SIX DEGREES OF KISS: EL DUCE

Rob Harris I accept your challenge and will connect El Duce to KISS in six steps or less.

El Duce was a founding member of seminal "rape rock" pioneers The Mentors. Soon after he went public with his story that Courtney Love had offered to pay him cash dollars to dispense with her husband Kurt Cobain a drunken El Duce was conveniently hit by a train. How on earth will I connect this guy to KISS in six steps or less? Like this:

1. As previously stated El Duce (real name Eldon Wayne Hoke--serial killer name alert) was a founding member of "rape rock" pioneers The Mentors.

2. The Mentors' 2005 album Over the Top was co-produced by Seattle mainstay Jack Endino. El Duce did not contribute to the album on account of his untimely demise, but still...

3. Jack Endino produced then former Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson's 1996 solo album Skunkworks.

4. A cover of the song "Riding With the Angels" by Russ Ballard from his 1980 album Barnet Dogs (which features one of the worst album covers in history) is included as a bonus track on the 2002 reissue of Bruce Dickinson's first solo album, Tattooed Millionaire.

5. Russ Ballard wrote many songs including "God Gave Rock and Roll To You," "New York Groove," and "Into the Night."

6. "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" was reinterpreted by KISS for the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack and included on the band's 1992 album Revenge, "New York Groove" became a surprise hit single from Ace Frehley's 1978 KISS solo album and "Into the Night" was the lead off single from Ace Frehley's first post-KISS album Frehley's Comet.

And there you have it:

SIX DEGREES OF KISS: BARRY WHITE

Joel Hebensperger I accept your challenge and will connect Barry White to KISS in six steps or less.

Barry White was a famous R&B singer who bravely quelled the Springfield Whacking Day snake uprising by singing his soothing soul number "Can't Get Enough of Your Love Babe."

1. Gerald Levert co-produced Barry White's 1994 album The Icon is Love.

2. Gerald Levert's father Eddie Levert was in The O'Jays.

3. The O'Jays had a top ten hit in 1973 with a song called "For the Love of Money."

4. "For the Love of Money" was covered by the Bulletboys on their 1988 self-titled debut album.

5. Mick Sweda, the guitar player in Bulletboys, was previously in a band called King Kobra.

6. On King Kobra's third album King Kobra III (which was recorded after Mick Sweda's departure from the band) King Kobra covered "It's My Life," an unreleased KISS song from the Creatures of the Night sessions.

And there you have it Joel Hebensperger I connected Barry White to KISS in six steps or less.

SIX DEGREES OF KISS: ABBA

Welcome to the first installment of SIX DEGREES OF KISS wherein BJ Kahuna will attempt to link artists suggested by Decibel Geek listeners to KISS in six steps or less, all to help celebrate KISSmas in July.

Todd Cunningham, I accept your challenge and will connect ABBA to KISS in six steps or less.

Swedish pop group ABBA are one of the best selling acts of all time and famously turned down A BILLION DOLLARS in 2000 for 100 concerts. That's TEN MILLION DOLLARS per show, and they said, "Uh, no thanks." Personally I think many of the group's songs are absolutely brilliant.

So how am I going to connect a Swedish pop group like ABBA to KISS in six steps or less? Like this:

1. Agnetha was in ABBA. 

2. Agnetha's 1983 solo album Wrap Your Arms Around Me was produced by legendary rock guru Mike Chapman.

3. Among other things Mike Chapman co-wrote the 1983 Pat Benatar hit "Love Is A Battlefield" with Holly Knight.

4. In the early eighties Holly Knight was in a rock band called SPIDER.

5. Perhaps the easiest way to connect Holly Knight and/or SPIDER to KISS is via a KISS album called Hot In The Shade which features a song called "Hide Your Heart" which was co-written by Holly Knight. 

But there are additional routes we could take. For example:

5. SPIDER was managed by Bill Aucoin.
6. Bill Aucoin managed KISS.

Also the drummer in SPIDER was Anton Fig, who not only played drums on Ace Frehley's solo album but we now know that he also played drums (uncredited) on the KISS albums Dynasty and Unmasked. So...

5. The drummer in Spider was Anton Fig.
6. Anton Fig played drums on the KISS albums Dynasty and Unmasked.

Anton Fig was also a member of Ace Frehley's post-KISS band Frehley's Comet until he landed the gig as the drummer in David Letterman's band, a position he still holds to this day.

So there you have it Todd Cunningham, I connected ABBA to KISS in six steps or less.

The Hardest Working Band in Canada Returns!

Ahhhhh Helix!  This Canadian band holds a special place deep in my heart alongside many other Canuck rockers.  I've seen them perform many times in different venues, from little bars to festivals
 to Cruise Ships and they have never disappointed no matter which version of the line up was on stage.  Frontman Brian Vollmer has remained the sole constant throughout the thirty plus years that Helix has been rocking the world with their impressive thirteen studio and many more live and compilation album discography. Their energetic "in your face" rocking live shows have won the band fans all over the world.  Vollmer is currently joined by drummer Greg "Fritz" Heinz and bassist Daryl Gray, both members of "the classic era" lineup, having rejoined the outfit in 2009.  Also in the fold is young guitar wizard Kaleb "Duckman" Duck since 2009 and newcomer Chris Julke who stepped in for John Claus in 2014.

Once known as the hardest working band in Canada, Helix has returned with their first full length issue since 2009's Vagabond bones.  Like that album Sean Kelly (Metal on Ice) had a hand with Vollmer in the song writing for Bastard of the Blues.  It's nice to see a new Helix album 35 years into their career, the cover art looking bad-ass and I anxiously cued it up expecting a heavy "in-your face" attitude metal album, like the Helix of the 80's.  Well I guess you shouldn't really judge a book by its cover and I guess the word "blues" in the album's title should have been a tip-off as well.  Don't get me wrong Bastard of the Blues is a great album, just not what I was hoping for.

The title track gets things underway and is the longest contained on the release at near six minutes.  A great bluesy riff and Vollmer's gravel-raked, throaty vocals fit perfectly together.  "Even Jesus (Wasn't Loved In His Hometown)" follows, switching pace a little with its funky beat, another great riff and catchy chorus.  I don't particularly enjoy "Winning Is The Best Revenge", finding it a little soft and weak, flaccid one might say.  On the other hand "Screaming At The Moon" (with Nick Walsh of  Slik Toxik/Famous Underground on background vocals) picks it up again with more balls.  While "Metal At Midnight" may be a little cliche it does contain elements that somehow remind me of Helix's 80's hit "Heavy Metal Love".  "Hell Bound For A Heartbreak" and the bluesy ballad "When All The Love Is Gone" lead us through to another "classic Helix" sounding cut of "Axe To Grind".  The next two tracks, "Skin In The Game" and "The Bitch Is A Bullet" originally appeared on the Skin In The Game EP from 2011 and, I feel, capture the Helix spirit.  Bastard of the Blues wraps up with "Sticks & Stones", a blues infused, boogie rock song that'll get your toe tapping for sure.  Over all the recording and production seem a little dull or muted, but that may just be the download copy that I received.

Bastard of the Blues definitely grows on you with each listen and while I have a healthy appreciation for the blues and direction of the band, I certainly miss the "heavy metal" Helix days of old.  In any case I'm happy to have a new selection of songs from one of my cherished bands at this stage of their career, hopefully there's still more gas in the tank!

Helix are embarking on a tour of Europe with stops in places such as Spain, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark in the fall.  Helix appeared at Sweden Rock Festival in 2005, but they haven't done a full tour in Europe since the late 80's.

Cheers,
The Meister

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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.

Anthrax Discussion part 1 - Ep143

Chris and Aaron tend to differ on many of the bands that they like. The dichotomy of those tastes have helped broaden their own musical palette over the course of doing this show. But one band that they both agree on is Anthrax.

This week Chris and Aaron are joined by Mars Attacks and Talking Metal host Victor M. Ruiz for a discussion of the first decade of Anthrax (1981-1992). In this discussion Chris, Aaron, and Victor go through the anthrax discography from their Neil Turbin-fronted debut, Fistful of Metal, through the final release of the Joey Belladonna era; Attack of the Killer B's.

Also included in this in-depth discussion are clips from the hosts favorite songs from albums of this era including Spreading the Disease, Persistence of Time, and the genre-bending I'm the Man EP among others.

Other topics covered in part 1 of this Anthrax discussion include rumors that Eddie Trunk was a key player in the removal of Neil Turbin as lead vocalist, touring troubles brought on by numerous problems including the death of Metallica's Cliff Burton, and the strange shared touring bill that had Anthrax opening up arena shows for KISS at their poppiest.

From the straight-ahead sound of Metal Thrashing Mad to their adventures into rap and hip hop with their cover of 'Bring the Noise,' Anthrax made a lot of movement during this first decade and we do our best to cover it all.

DISCLAIMER: Yes, we know that KISSMAS in July is starting next week. Never fear, part 2 of this discussion will be released during the first week of August.

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Anthrax

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Wayne Newburn, Robert Foster, Jason Thomas Broadrick, Joe Lascon, Wally Norton, Ben Mitchell, Andrew Jacobs, Scott Yeager, Heavy Rock, Jimmy Mercer, Kal Hinz, Paul Korn, Robert De Pasqua, Billy Hardaway, Brad Kalmanson, I am Hoops, PJ Brown, Chuck Speer, Lee Maslin (Audio Junkies Podcast), Justin Hayes, Brent Walter, Matt Syverson (Paperback Rocker Podcast), Mike Stewart, Joe Royland (Sit and Spin with Joe), George Savastano, PodofThunder, Darryl Alber, Derik Novak, Helix the Band, Hard Rock Dad, MusicMagsAndWax,

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The Meister in Sweden 2014: The Meister Parties With New Friends!

This is it!  This is the end!  So sad isn't it?  I wish I was still there and I can't wait for next year's pilgrimage to Sweden Rock Festival but until then here's my final day of the 2014 excursion.

Saturday's band schedule-another full day!

Roxy Petrucci-by Meister

As I walked by the stage prior to the show I was able to grab a little of the soundcheck, eluding me to what was in store.  Madam X began the day perfectly with one of the best shows that I saw in Sweden.  Drummer, Roxy Petrucci (Vixen) tossed a couple of drumsticks into the crowd before the rest of the band had even made it on stage.  Roxy and Maxine Petrucci make up half of the all original band membership, the stunning sisters being joined by vocalist Bret Kaiser and Chris "Godzilla" Doliber with his bass guitar.  By the end of the third song selection there were pin on buttons and guitar pics heading into the audience, around song number six it was one of "Godzilla's" broken bass guitars making its way into the crowd (passed down into the front row, not

Maxine Petrucci-by Meister

thrown out).  Wow, the budget for Madam X must be quite high I thought as shortly afterwards "Godzilla" began smashing his bass guitar off his head, drawing blood.  One can only presume his anger towards the bass for drawing blood was the cause of bits and pieces of guitar flying all over the stage as he destroyed it with great overhead swings, smashing it against the stage!  More buttons, pics and stick souvenirs were tossed out throughout the remainder of an awesome and exciting performance, sporting the best guitar sound I've heard yet on The Sweden Stage.  Songs included: "Dirty Girls", "She's Hot Tonight", "Come One, Come All", "Cat's Got Your Tongue", "Reserve the Right to Rock", "Stand Up and Fight", "Good With Figures", "Metal in My Veins", "Another 80's Rock Song" and "High in High School".  Madam X does "deserve" the right!

Chris "Godzilla" Doliber & Maxine Petrucci of Madam X-photo by The Meister

Ted Poley-photo by Meister

Danger Danger was the next of my targets due to take stage fifteen minutes after Madam X was over and I hustled to Festival Stage.  I've seen Ted Poley many times, but this would be the first seeing the full Danger Danger band.  It was a little odd seeing Ted without his awesome guitarist Maz Mazza, but the Danger Danger show was another great performance by the whole band including Swedish guitarist Rob Marcello.  Ted displayed all the charisma that I'd come to know him for including dropping to his knees quite a bit, his crowd interaction and also leaving the stage to sing in the crowd once on each side of the stage.  Their set included: "Rock America", "Boys Will Be Boys", "Under the Gun", "Hearts on the Highway", "Don't Walk Away", "Don't Blame It on Love", "Bang Bang", "I Still Think About You", "Crazy Nites", "Monkey Business" and "Naughty Naughty".

Ted Poley on his knees for Sweden Rock crowd-photo by The Meister

The Rods-photo by Meister

Somewhere during Danger Danger I slipped away for a few minutes to check out The Rods over on 4 Sound Stage as they were recommended by a friend back home.  They had a great energy and quite a sizable audience as well.  I lingered for two songs, "I Just Wanna Rock" and "Burned by Love" before being driven back to Danger Danger by the drum solo.  I wish I'd been able to catch the whole thing, but I'm not a fan of instrument solos, especially in shortened sets.  I'd never heard of The Rods previously and if it wasn't for my friend I never would have!  They sounded great and I'll definitely be looking into their catalog.

....and now is just about when the day started to get away from me.  The harsh Swedish sun had now been beating down on me, essentially cooking the ole Meiste
for about five hours now and mixed with a few Sofiero's (beers) it was time to take shelter in the VIP/Press area and charge my equipment at the same time, skipping Foghat.  The thought process in my mind was to head back out in about an hour or so to catch one of my all time favorite bands, Y&T, who I'd had the true pleasure of seeing several times.  I ran into one of my "new Swedish friends" that I'd met on Wednesday and had been seeing several times throughout the past few days.  As we got into a great conversation, the music crossing the bridges between our different countries, several more beverages were consumed.  I opted to stay longer chatting with my new friend as I'd seen Y&T many times in recent years, but I was able to hear "Mean Streak", "Don't Stop Runnin'", "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", "Hang 'Em High", "Dirty Girl" and "Midnight in Tokyo" before I lost track of the setlist.

Within Temptation-photo by Meister

My friend really wanted to see Within Temptation, who I was basically unfamiliar with, but I decided it was time to get out of the VIP and get back to the live music, so I tagged along.  They sounded great and the singer possessed an awesome vocal capacity.  Billy Idol was due up next on the Festival Stage and we made our way over there for a few songs like "Cradle of Love", "Dancing With Myself" and "Flesh For Fantasy".  From here things get even more fuzzy as I was having a great time with my new friends, but I moved from Billy Idol to 4 Sound Stage to catch a little of Avatarium.  They

Ted Nugent-photo by Meister

sounded good, but were not particularly my cup of tea musically, Ted Nugent however was "Just What the Doctor Ordered" and I caught a good portion of his set on the Rock Stage.  All the Ted classics sounded great to me and I loved hearing cuts like "Wango Tango", "Stormtroopin'", "Free-For-All", "Stranglehold" and "Cat Scratch Fever".  I had become separated from my new friends before Ted Nugent and I tried to hang on for Volbeat, who I had been told "not to miss", but I just couldn't do it and I decided it was time to retreat to DBHQ.

Even though the notes and memory is a bit sketchy during the latter parts of this day the whole Sweden Rock experience was once again indescribably incredible and I'm soooo looking forward to 2015's event!  I finished the last two days of my vacation in Copenhagen, a wonderful city, meeting many more new friends.

Cheers from Sweden,
The Meister

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Links to 2013's "A Canadian Decibel Geek in Sweden" series.

(Prelude to Departure) (Days #1 & 2) (Day #3) (Day #4) (The Final Day)