This very intimate and rare production released in 2003 features a duo between Robbie Dupree on vocals and harmonica and David Sancious on acoustic piano. They perform a collection of some of Dupree’s most memorable songs minus the hit “Steal Away”, which surprisingly does not appear on this production. These are well crafted renditions of Mr. Dupree’s repertoire simplified in instruments but enriched with re-harmonization, beautifully performed by Mr. Dupree’s silk vocals and Mr. Sancious’ smooth yet fierce playing. The mood of the whole collection makes it a pleasure to listen to even if you’re not a fan of Robbie Dupree and even if you have never heard these songs before. The is an artist exclusive release.
David Sancious is one of the most talented and sought after keyboard players in the music industry. Just off a recent tour with Sting, David is back in his studio completing his ninth album entitled “The Treehouse Sessions”. His other most recent recordings include "9 Piano Improvisations", "Cinema" and "Live in The Now".
David has always been inspired and motivated by the composing aspect of music. He thinks of himself as a composer who plays well, rather than a person who is proficient on a given instrument. His recordings have attracted the attention of artists the world over.
Since his first big break as a member of the original Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in the 70’s David has also worked with Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton, Santana, Jeff Beck, Seal, Yousou Ndour, Zucchero, Francis Dunnery, Aretha Franklin and many others over the years, David is admired and referred to by many as a ‘Musician’s Musician”. David has used his talents as a pianist, synthesist, guitarist, arranger, and producer on recording sessions and concert tours, playing an eclectic and diverse range of music.
Italians Bejelit might be unknown to most metal fans in the States, but with their fourth full-length release Emerge, the band creates some decent European melodic metal.Emerge boasts 13 energetic tracks of edgy power metal. However, the number of songs and over an hour in length is a little too much to take in, even for a progressive/power metal band. A few of the songs could have been omitted or some excess fat could have been trimmed from the overall song structures.
The music itself is made up of semi-cinematic, symphonic arrangements, aggressive riffs, tasteful guitar leads, and various keyboard samples and atmospheres placed accordingly to enhance the songs’ mood. Comparisons to Kamelot, Rhapsody of Fire, Dream Theater, Empyrios, Symphony X and Sonata Arctica would not be out of place.
Band Bejelit Info: Emerge Info: Italy Style: Heavy Metal / Power Metal Years: 2012 Info: MP3 CBR 320 kbps Info: 137 Tracklist:
1. The Darkest Hour
2. C4
3. Don't Know What You Need
4. Emerge
5. We Got The Tragedy
6. To forget And To Forgive
7. Dancerous
8. Triskelion
9. Fairy Gate
10. The Defending Dreams Battle
11. Deep Water
12. DefCon/13
13. Boogeyma
Swedish hard rockers CRAZY LIXX have released a new single, "Into The Night", via iTunes. A physical copy of the single has been made available in Sweden through Sweden Rock Magazine in the issue that will hit the streets this week. This special release will include two exclusive acoustic bonus tracks (unavailable elsewhere): "Riot Avenue" and "Fire It Up".
"Into The Night" is the first single from CRAZY LIXX's new album, "Riot Avenue". which will be released on April 24 in North America via Frontiers Records. Produced by the bandmembers themselves, the CD finds CRAZY LIXX in fine form, with eleven sexy, hard-rocking new tracks on the their third studio release (the second for the Frontiers Records label).
Formed in southern Sweden in 2002, CRAZY LIXX was among the first bands to emerge in what has now become known as "The New Wave Of Swedish Sleaze" alongside CRASHDIET, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR,BABYLON BOMBS and VAINS OF JENNA.
In The Night (4:26)
Danny Rexon - vocals
Andy Dawson - guitars
Luke Rivano - bass
Joey Cirera - drums
Tracklist
1. Heaven In The Backseat
2. Don’t Break My Heart
3. I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night
4. Wild Child
5. Hymn (Look Through Golden Eyes)
6. Velvet Tongue
7. Stay With Me Tonight
8. Inside Out
9. I Like What I See
10. Colour You A Smile
11. Heaven In The Backseat (live 1990)
12. Velvet Tongue (live 1990)
13. I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night (live 1990)
The Dogs D’Amour – In The Dynamite Jet Saloon MMX (2011)
Mar 27, 2012 10:41
Blues Rock Rock
The story of the Dogs D’Amour, for the benefit of our younger readers, is probably one of the saddest cases of a band who were world-beaters in their day fading into being (undeservedly) practically unknown. At the end of the ’80s, the Dogs were up there with the Quireboys as the twin titans of Britrock releasing a string of killer albums hewn from roughly the same influences (the Stones, the Faces and Mott the Hoople) which had them earning well-deserved good reviews everywhere from Kerrang! to the NME. Unfortunately, the twin pitfalls of grunge and a self-destructive streak so wide it made the Wildhearts look like Bon Jovi by comparison conspired to derail their career in the early ’90s and while Spike and co, their one-time peers, had the discipline to hold on through the hard times and climb back up the mountain to their current position of respected Britrock veterans able to command a healthy following in the 21st century, the Dogs have spent most of the decade since their last proper album, 1999?s “Happy Ever After”, not speaking to each other. Recent years have seen frontman Tyla touring and releasing albums (often patchy but all with moments of the old brilliance still intact) under the Dogs name with various helpers to ever-decreasing returns.
Anyway, on to 2011 (or rather 2010 – this album was actually recorded last year hence the name) and the Wolverhampton wanderer has opted to re-record the Dogs’ finest moment, their 1988 major label debut “In The Dynamite Jet Saloon”. And, given that the original version of that album tends to cost an arm and a leg from record collector scum these days, it leaves this as probably as good a place as any for those looking for an introduction to the music of the Dogs. The truth is, it isn’t actually a bad little album either in spite of my general suspicion of bands from this era’s “re-recorded” efforts. Okay so the tracklisting has been resequenced a bit with a few of the old songs dropped (the absence of “The Kid From Kensington” and “Heartbreak” is a bit disappointing) and some others from the same era (most of which were previously on the equally as good “(Un)Official Bootleg Album”) replacing them such as the rollicking bar room blues of “Swingin’ The Bottle”.
The key thing is that Tyla and his latest gang of sidekicks have actually done a pretty good job here of recapturing the original songs – T’s voice may now be quite a bit gruffer than it was in 1988 but somehow it adds a good authentic edge to the dark laments of “How Come It Never Rains?” and “Heroine” while the bar-room stomp of “Billy Two Rivers” and the swaggering “Last Bandit” still sound great all these years later.
Overall diagnosis? Well, it still hasn’t altered my opinion that I really wish Tyla and his fellow original Dogs Jo, Steve and Bam would try and mend whatever bridges were burned between them all those years ago (let’s be honest, life is too short for people who make such great music together to hold grudges like this) but this is a poignant reminder of what a great band the Dogs were and what a great songwriter Tyla is and he and his current line-up deserve credit for pulling off a decent job on something that could have been well south of disastrous. Listen to it with a bottle of JD to hand and sigh as you wonder what might have been for this lot with a bit more luck and judgment…
Tracklist:
1. Last Bandit
2. Sometimes
3. I Don’t Want You To Go (Acoustic Intro)
4. I Don’t Want You To Go
5. How Come It Never Rains
6. Everything I Want
7. Heroine
8. Billy Two Rivers
9. How Do You Fall In Love Again
10. State I’m In
11. In The Dynamite Jet Saloon
12. Swingin’ The Bottle
13. Wait Until I’m Dead
Line-Up:
Tyla - Vocals, Guitar
Timo Kaltio – Guitar
Gary Pennick – Guitar
Dave Tregunna – Bass Guitar
Danny Fury – Drums
Dangerdog has been inundated with female led metal bands since the beginning of the year. Here's another one: A Sound of Thunder, from Washington DC, with Nina Osegueda at the microphone. Out of the Darkness is their second release.
A Sound of Thunder: with matching black tees.
Thankfully, Ms. Osegueda and the band don't fall into the operatic symphonic metal category, nor the weepy melancholy of gothic metal, although I'm sure she could easily do both. And, believe it or not, there's no moron offering death growl accents. This is pure, no bullshit, classic American heavy metal, equally vital in the Eighties as much as it's need today.
For Nina's part, think a mix of Dickinson, Halford, and Dio in metal diva form. Or for something more outlandish, imagine if country singer Faith Hill went metal. (Listen to the opener, The Day I Die, and you may hear what I mean.) Osegueda will probably laugh at that comparison.
Otherwise, from start to finish, Out of the Darkness kicks serious metal ass. It's an unexpected pleasure of traditional metal genius. ASoT can be fervent and blistering as on Murderous Horde, epic and inspiring as on Calat Alhambra, or unexpected and glorious on Discovery. Then they bring the groove (and psychotic girlfriend) on the catchy and fun, Kill That Bitch. Throughout Osegueda shows her effortless vocal strength, control, and range; take note of how easily she dials it down on the ballad, This Too Shall Pass. Look out boys, the next great metal singer is here.
A Sound of Thunder's Out of the Darkness is premium, kick ass, classic heavy metal. Buy this album!
01. The Day I Die
02. The Nightwitch
03. Kill That Bitch
04. Murderous Horde
05. A Sound Of Thunder
06. Out of the Darkness
07. Calat Alhambra
08. Fight Until the End
09. This Too Shall Pass
10. Discovery
For those of you who don’t know O.S.I. (shame on you!), they could easily be considered a supergroup of prog metal masters. Featuring Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater) and Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) as the two staple members, their albums have seen appearances from Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, Adrenaline Mob), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), and several more. With credentials like that, this is a band that practically demands notice.
I’ve personally been a fan of this band for several years. That’s why I was so excited when I heard that a new album, Fire Make Thunder, was set for release. Now that I have it, does it live up to my expectations?
Let me describe the sound of O.S.I. for you real quick, as it’s unfair to just label them a prog rock band and leave it at that. Yes, they have some odd time signatures here and there. Yes, they do amazing mixtures of mellow and heavy. But there is also something very industrial about the band. I’m not referring to the electronic subgenre either. It’s more that I envision steel factories when listening to O.S.I.. Grimy smokestacks rising up, a dark smog cloud hanging overhead. That’s how I feel when I listen to O.S.I. and I like it.
With Fire Make Thunder, that same feeling washed over me as soon as I hit ‘Play’. It was a cold, mechanical welcome that I felt very comfortable embracing. Now, that’s not to say that the album feels harsh or overly digital. There are definitely moments of gentle warmth and beauty, such as in Winds Won’t Howl. There are also times when the band hits you hard, like in the instrumental Enemy Prayer.
This album doesn’t feel as heavy as previous releases, but that’s not what is important about O.S.I.. Listening to one of their albums is like embarking on a sonic journey where new and amazing tones and sounds assault you from all sides constantly. Crassly put, it’s an audiophile’s wet dream. It sounds fantastic and I truly enjoyed listening to it several times.
The Final Word: Fire Make Thunder only reinforces my love for O.S.I.. It’s a beautiful, harsh album that I’ll be returning to many times in the future.
Artist: OSI Title Of Album: Fire Make Thunder Year Of Release: 2012 Label: Metal Blade Genre: Progressive Rock, Metal Country: USA Quality: MP3 Bitrate: VBR248 kbps / 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo Total Time: 43:10 Total Size: 78 MB
Tracklist:
1. Cold Call 7:10
2. Guards 5:03
3. Indian Curse 4:42
4. Enemy Prayer 4:54
5. Wind Wont Howl 5:05
6. Big Chief II 3:04
7. For Nothing 3:18
8. Invisible Men 9:54
When the Ted Mulry gang formed in 1972, Mulry was already a well-known pop balladeer. After getting tired of being backed by different backing bands, in 1972 he switched from acoustic guitar to bass and formed his own band, “Ted Mulry Gang”, with guitarist Les Hall & drummer Herman Kovacs. The band signed a recording deal with Albert Records in 1974 and released their first album “Here We Are”. Guitarist Gary Dixon joined around this time to complete the foursome. With his own band behind him he adopted a more hard rockin’ style.
01. Rock'n'Roll
02. Lazy Eyes
03. Goodbye
04. I'm A Fool For You
05. I'm Down
06. My Little Girl
07. All The Headaches Came Today
08. Giving Up On Your Love
09. Jump In My Car
10. Linda
11. I'm Comin' Home
12. Sunday Evenings
13. You've Got It
14. Without You
15. Home To You
16. Only Love Can Make It
17. Heart Of Stone
18. Having You Around
Mencea is back to present their new album entitled Pyrophoric . The eight track long soundtrack of unearthly moods demonstrates an immensely wide sonic landscape, packing punch and diversity that few bands can match. Most of all, it undoubtedly shows that Mencea is leading the movement of bands exploring boundaries between extreme metal sub genres, often morphing into a mix of extreme metal with progressive sensibilities, a non conformist approach to melody and storming rhythmic outbursts. Pyrophoric is a fresh, and fearlessly musical approach to what Mencea is all about. Energy, sonic richness and sheer heaviness.
Band Mencea Info: Greece Info: Pyrophoric Years: 2012 Style: Progressive Metal Info: mp3, CBR 320 kbps Info: 102 Mb
Like a blast of raw, progressive energy from the college town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee comes a group paving the way for aspiring musicians. Drenched in technical prowess and a desire to rewrite standards in mainstream music, MTSU quintet Ocean Architecture has risen in a remarkably short amount of time to become an intimidating presence. Members Nic Giordano (drums), Kyle Standifer (guitars), Joe Dorsey (keyboards), Eric Hodge (bass), and Parker Deal (lead vocals) employ a dazzling array of instrumentation and musical progression while retaining deep influences of hardcore, prog rock, heavy metal, and even classical and electronic. Founded by Giordano, Standifer, and Dorsey in the latter half of September 2010, the group soon expanded to include Hodge and, in late March 2011, Deal. Says Standifer, “The formation was really natural. It just kinda felt like we were supposed to be in a band together…(laughs). We came up with our first song (Metatheory) in like two and a half hours.” After a series of experimental jam sessions, the group realized their songwriting potential and set offto define themselves musically. This proved to be a rather tough challenge, as they attempted to channel influences such as Dream Theater, Isis, August Burns Red, Muse, Periphery and Explosions in the Sky, as well as several genre-bending acts like Between the Buried and Me, Daft Punk, Devin Townsend, and Tesseract. “It’s an interesting challenge funneling all of our influences into one single sound,” says Dorsey. “We have so many different aspects to cover, we try not to rob our creativity by limiting what/who we ‘need’ to sound like.” The result is an explosion of creativity, a moving flowing organism and a sound truly their own.
1. Metatheory, 06:23
2. The Last Stand, 08:16
3. Plato's Cave, 09:01
4. Velvet, 05:24
5. Columns of Time, 07:33
6. Steel Ecstasy: Columns Collapse, 06:07
7. Animus Part I, 09:16
8. Animus Part II, 10:59
Reunited heavy metal band SLEEPY HOLLOW will release its new album,"Skull 13", on March 23 via Pure Steel Records and High Roller Records. The effort will be released on vinyl (limited 500 copies) throughHigh Roller and on CD/DDL through Pure Steel.
SLEEPY HOLLOW will film a video for the song "Spiral Effect" on location in Middletown, Delaware between February 2 and February 3. The clip will make its online debut on the day of the CD's release.
An album release party is currently in the works for Saturday, March 24. Details for the event will be made available soon. A tour of the Midwest is currently in the final stage of negotiations and will be announced soon.
"Skull 13" track listing:
01. Death Of The Horseman
02. Facemelter
03. Black Passage
04. Bleed Steel
05. Rear Window
06. Inquisition
07. Epic (The Legend Retold)
08. Eternal Bridge
09. Misery Waltz
10. Spiral Effect
11. Midnight
"Skull 13" was recorded primarily at No Oulet Studio in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania with producers Steve Stegg and Eric Fisher.
Bassist Mike LePond left SLEEPY HOLLOW in December due to his commitments with SYMPHONY X. He has since been replaced by Alan D'Angelo.
SLEEPY HOLLOW is:
Bob Mitchell - Vocals Steve Stegg - Guitar Alan D'Angelo - Bass Tom Wassman - Drums
