R3hab - Gullible's Travels

Let me start by saying I actually like this band. They sound like Uncle Kracker to some extent but have such an infectious sound and the song "Waho By The Hoti" is one of those instantly lovable tunes by the band. They follow up that super cool tune with another poppy groove that makes me want to dance in my seat while I'm driving my car down the highway. These guys continue to grow my love for them with more and more catchy songs like "Evidence", "Scared Of Change" and "Eat Sleep".

If you like them you'll like this if you don't you won't it's really that easy. I think I even like it more than their last album but I need to listen to it a little more.

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Lee DeWyze - What Once Was

Won American Idol and didn't get the Idol treatment from the machine's promotion division. He was probably one of the most boring acts to win but he wasn't the worst one for sure. The season he was on was pretty pathetic overall and him winning was better than the shrieking cow who he was up against. The Idol album he released was full of dull uninspired sing-songwriter fluff. There was nothing to like about him or the music he was given to sing.

So now he's been dumped completely from the shows label deal and here we have his fourth album overall but second since winning. This album starts off with a decent pop ditty called "Snaps" then a terrible rockier song comes next followed by another pop ditty that wouldn't be out of place on a Jack Johnson or John Mayer album. The trouble is that Lee doesn't have enough charisma to pull it all together and make it work like say Jason Mraz could.

Fast forward further into the record and nothing improves, in all actuality it gets worse. This guy just doesn't have it and proves that American Idol was right to throw him away and ignore him on last season finale. The best thing about this album is that it's only nine tracks long and the worst thing about it is that it's nine tracks long. Lee DeWyze is the most boring American Idol winner of all-time and he's got nothing to turn him around unless he is served up some seriously great material and produced properly. I'm not sure even that can save him enough to have a successful career. Coffee shops will always need boring artists to fill up the silence so he has that to look forward to I guess.

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4 Arm - Submission For Liberty

Now another heavy metal album and this one grabbed me and held my attention. The drum sound on this record is killer to start. I love the kick drum sound so much I'd listen to this just to hear it. The lead vocalist is pulverant but his ability to stay clearly understandable is what makes Danny Tomb a huge reason I like this album.

There are a whack of headbanging tunes on this record which will be mosh-pit madness at live shows but each cut is of high quality and has some sort of hook. The assault of "Taken Down" is only to be heard cranked to near maximum volume. It's very reminiscent of Slayer only with a better vocalist who has some ability to layout a melody.

There are some major influences which are worn on their sleeves like Slayer who I mentioned Black Sabbath, Megadeth in some of the phrasing of the vocals. This is nu-metal for sure but has tons of melodic structure never being too complicated, sometimes it does get a little repetitive but with that said I probably won't be dragging this one out for a complete listen front to back. It will be mixed up on random on my metal playlist in my I-Pod. The closing number "Blood Of Martyrs" has a nice intro that builds to a climax with some serious drama then explodes with a pretty hot guitar solo. Again those monstrous kicks of Michael Vafiotis just make me smile. All in all this is a very enjoyable album that I had no expectations for going in for the first listen.

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Biohazard - Reborn in Defiance

It has been a long time since this band was anything close to current and since its original inception music specifically metal has really changed. The music today is very abrasiveness with a lot of dirty grit. Turns out that this is just what Biohazard love to deliver. So Reborn In Defiance is a more slick album than those that preceded it. But that's kinda where it all goes wrong for the band.

The simplistic guitar riffs and the obvious lead vocal shrieks, shouts and yells are about as impressive as a silent fart that doesn't have an odor. If you want to hear a total piece of shit song listen to the ballad "Vows Of Redemption" this is a complete joke. Then they get all mean and tough again on "Waste Away" but it is so obvious and pedestrian that I actually hit the skip button not even half-way through.

The album continues to be a short sighted dirgy metal album that really does try to come alive but the band just doesn't cut the mustard any longer with band like Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed,  Halestorm and such who do the metal genre with more dynamics and personality. This band needs to move on and work in other bands where they can ignite the creative with new people.

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Check Out: Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound

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Adaline - Modern Romantics

I'm a huge fan of Robyn's electronica sounds of her recent releases and Adaline has encompassed a similar style on her current album Modern Romantics. The first single and opening cut is "That's What You Do Best" a seriously sexy and delicious song that draws me in deeply to her voice. She has an effervescence that takes you on a journey as the album unfolds that is almost mystical.

 As her pseudo singer-songwriter style breathes it makes you just want to hear more and more with every track to hear how she can blend both genre's together with ease. There are so many great moments on the album but one of my standouts is the new wave synth drive of "Rebels Of Love". I love the Gary Numan nods but used with warmth never coming off as cold and disconnected. Another of the highlight songs is "Cost Is Too High (Not To Love)" which Adaline shows off her incredible voice delivering an Adele like performance as she captures each word like a butterfly flying through a field of flowers.

The album picks up the pace on "Sparks" that incorporates some of the best that new wave ever had to offer while never sound old or passe. Kate Bush meets the Bangles for some reason is what I hear while this song plays. I really like the classic sixties go-go  groove hidden within the melody of "Stereo" harkening back to an era in music long since past that is being re-discovered by many artists today. Overall this is a great record and one can only hope she breaks over here in North America because she has earned the chance by being so cool and interesting unlike many of today's pop diva's.

This album is absolutely not for everybody but those who like this style will be very impressed with the quality contained on Modern Romantics.

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C.O.C - Corrosion Of Conformity

This is a hard album to review because they've been gone from the minds eye for so long as their previous stuff didn't stick in my listening rotation as it expired nearly immediately back in their short heyday. The kick off track sounds like it is many years old and also a demo not album quality in the compression era for sure. By the time I was three tracks deep into the album I was already bored with the terrible production and the buried vocals which are thin and shouty leaving much to be desired.

The band drops a couple of Sabbath influenced doom tracks which fail to catch fire and have nothing to like about them at all. The album continues long after necessary to thirteen tracks where it finally concludes. There wasn't one song on this album that I would recommend for a listen. This is such a waste of studio time and the labels money or their money because nobody will want to purchase this shit and really this band has expired a long time ago back when music in the rock world was at an all-time low. I think that might be the only reason that C.O.C. was ever popular, everything around them was shite and this was just a little bit less shite than the other stuff. Their self-titled 2012 album is awful and supporting this sort of garbage will only make music worse. Please stay away and save your ears.

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Devil's Train - Devil's Train

I stumbled across a cover of "American Woman" originally by the Guess Who and still the best version of the song and so this is how I discovered Devil's Train. The band are a greasy, dirty and dusty European metal band that are doing their best to be included on the next soundtrack album for Sons Of Anarchy. The band is pretty tight as they play through a set of American styled sleez metal some good some bad and some forgettable.

The song "Devil's Train" is a very good uptempo rocker that has a driving guitar riff and reminds a little of bands like Tangier and Sweet F.A. to some degree. Then you get cheese ball fluff like "Roll The Dice" that has a nice aggressive rhythm but misses the boat in the chorus department and the bridge is awkward as well. This is pretty much how the entire album plays out with a good song like "Sweet Devil's Kiss" or "Room 66.64" that keeps your interest up and are good enough to stand on their own for a metal compilation album you might make for the car.

The whole album with it's very samey sound comes to a close with said cover of "American Woman" which obviously is a re-imagination of the cover version by Krokus from many years ago. I have to say this one is tons better than that piece of shit by Lenny Kravitz. Still it doesn't compare to the Guess Who's version which is still the best nor does it compare to the version Bachman & Cummings did for their live album as they toured together across Canada. So overall this album is ok it is plain but has its place and a couple of songs that are decent enough to garner a listen now and again.

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10 Songs That Should Be On Everybody's I-Pod

I'm going to do ten of my favorite songs of all-time

10. I Don't Even Like You by Deadline
09. What You Say by Saigon Kick
08. Dial L.O.V.E. by Deadbeat Honeymooners
07. Emotional Addiction by Line Up In Paris
06. That's Rock N' Roll by Shaun Cassidy
05.I Only Want To Be With You by Bay City Rollers
04. Aphrodisiac Smile by Age Of Electric
03. Tokyo Rose by Idle Eyes
02. She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult
01. Get It On (Bang A Gong) by Power Station

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Carly Rae Jepsen - Curiosity

Here we have the new E.P. from Carly Rae Jepsen who is one of my favorite singers on planet earth. I fell in love with her instantly when she auditioned for Canadian Idol. The girl has an amazing voice that makes the sunshine on a rainy day. Her debut album was nothing short of brilliant and her follow-up is nearly the same. 

This time around she's got a more pop sound and much less of the singer-songwriter sound of the debut. This isn't a bad thing because her songwriting is still as strong as it was previously. The first single has taken Canada by storm and is set to rule the worlds music charts in a very short time. Curiosity is only six songs deep but every song is good while a couple stand out above the rest. I'm sure anyone who listens to this E.P. is going to love each song so really it isn't necessary to describe the individual songs.

Carly does a cover of the Joni Mitchell classic "Both Sides Now" which is a tough reach for any artists given how great Mitchell is but Carly does a very good job of modernizing the song. She keeps within reason to the original but does make it her own. Not quite like Nazareth did with "This Flight Tonight" but c'mon that's one of the greatest songs/versions in rock n' roll history. So as a closing Curiosity is a nice introduction to Ms. Jepsen's new direction and what the near future will hold. I only hope Jimmy does right by her as she records her full length album.

Now bring back Canadian Idol we were just finding our stride, maybe not the right winners but there was a load of talent unearthed and there is more here to mine as Canada is full of gold just listen to Carly Rae Jepsen and that is obvious.

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Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper, Weird Al & Bob Rock - Come Together

This is a mixed up crazy group of rock n' roll outlaws and misfits doing a pretty good cover of the Beatles classic "Come Together". Who'd have thunk it that Weird Al could smoke the mic and drop that wicked vocal!

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This is funny, I'm Country & I Know It

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Retro Rewind Track: The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

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Kyng - Trampled Song

Kyng doesn't live up to their single for sure and that is obvious on the albums opening cut "Falling Down". I didn't care for the second track either but the doom metal Sabbath styled "Trampled Sun" which is the albums title is a passable tune. Still nothing to write home about which continues through the next few tracks all the while this album is playing I'm wondering why I'm still listening to it.

Then "I Don't Believe" hits and the volume knob is need of a turn in the upward direction. That doesn't happen again until I changed the album to something different. This album is stoner rock that doesn't carry with it much charm or punch. The songs are all droning and spiraling with very little in the way of a hook outside of their single. I can't recommend spending your money on this album but I do highly recommend "I Don't Believe" though.

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Bobaflex - Hell In My Heart

I only just heard this band recently on Octane and had to check them out further. The album opens with the title track which is an intro piece which quickly blows up into the single I heard "Chemical Valley" a blistering nu-metal rocker that has enough grit to please the heavier sound lovers and still enough melodic structure to appease those of us who prefer hooks with our aggression. They drop two more excellent tunes in a row with "Low-Life" being an awesome slice of hard rock.

They of course don't continue to be quite as catchy when the songs pace slow to a near stop on "Playing Dead" and "Sing" both I didn't really get much from upon the first couple of runs of the album. The band are one step from being too close to that piece of shit band Avenged Sevenfold. But they usually fall on the right side. The ballad "Last Song" is actually a good track that has power and depth with a hook included. I enjoy this one over the previous two mentioned for sure. At sixteen tracks this album is long and drawn out which could have been better by being more concise.

They hit radio friendly at the number thirteen titled "Hate You" which should garner them mucho plays. The album closes the studio parts with a cover song and well everyone should know by now how much I love cover songs! This one is a reading of the Simon & Garfunkel masterpiece "Sound Of Silence" which is obviously in the short list of greatest ballads of all-time and very near the top. Bobaflex do it all absolutely right, they make no mistakes in covering such an endearing piece of music. They stay true to the depth and deep sadness of the melody and breath wonderful grit into the breathy vocals which actually adds to the song. The band show great appreciation of the intricate simplicity allowing it to stay true to itself while sounding modern and inspiring.

I have to say that this band and album overall are impressive and I really enjoy the majority of the record even with if I have to eliminate the filler tracks with a quick press of the skip button.

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Chevelle - Hats Off To The Bull

As I want to destroy this album and praise it for being the alter of shit that Chevelle has been for their entire career I can't completely hate on Hats Off To The Bull. The single "Face To The Floor" is actually a pretty good track with a nice grinding groove. The album plods along in a dirgy haze for the most part never opening up to anything lighthearted. As Chevelle quickly drops into crap mode on "Ruse" I find the skip button very helpful after the bland emo chorus plays through. The band are doing their best Tool impressions too many times to actually call this album good. There are a few songs that are digestible "Piñata", "Hats Off To The Bull", "Prima Donna" that are pretty good tunes for this sort of emo metal.

I think what helps this album a lot is the cleaned up production values and much less of the volume knob and dirty noise that is present on each record previously.

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Foxy Shazam - The Church Of Rock N' Roll

This is a very good record from beginning to end and mostly because of what influences the music. This band is akin to The Darkness upon first listen and the comparison's are many. But with that Queen, Slade, The Sweet, Led Zeppelin and Slade all come to light as the album plays through. The band strike hard with the opening cut "Welcome To The Church Of Rock N' Roll" that has so much British glam rock from the 70's wrapped up in it that one might think it's older than it actually is from being so bloody genuine in sound.

As the album unfolds there is barely a poor track to be had with that said "(It's) Too Late Baby" is weak song but with so many other excellent rock songs we can accept their missteps. "Wasted Feelings" makes me smile each time I listen to it because it just makes me happy with all the silliness. The swagger of "The Streets" is pure unadulterated drunken sing-a-long happiness that reminds me of the film Hair. I don't know why but it does and I love that about it. The album's standout track is the very Queen styled "Holy Touch" that is one of 2012's best songs so far and I hope they release it as a single and radio actually bites into it.

This is a total surprise for me and I'm glad I gave it a listen because it is way better than I thought it was going to be and is now on my best of 2012 list for sure.

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Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth

This is surely a VH album but its old and we all know that because once you hear the overall product and compare it to the previous few records with Sammy you know that the writing musically is completely different. Eddie is blazing on this record like he's not done in a long time which obviously nods to an era long past. When you hear the guitar on "As Is" there is no bloody way that Eddie came up with this in the last year. He's not ripped it up in this flashy fashion since Woman & Children First.

The album isn't as bad as I expected after hearing the horrible "Tattoo" which is so bad it made me dislike Dave a little. Where this album eclipses the entire III debacle is that Eddie is blowing up the fretboard constantly. Even with the lesser vocalist and missing Michael Anthony not to mention the somewhat bad drumming of Alex and his stunted fills the album is worth hearing for Eddie alone.

The grind of "Honeybabysweetiedoll" is a wanking moment for Eddie and whatever else is going on doesn't really matter at all and you'll see what I mean once you listen to it. It seems like when the band tries the more refined hook sound Roth just doesn't have that smooth vocal needed to make the song truly shine. He's so circus meets vaudeville now that all I can see is that dumb ass grin and his giant stage props. The guy is such a dork now he's not cool anymore "Dave's Lost His Cool".

There are some really gawd awful songs on this album like "The Trouble With Never" that goes nowhere and makes me feel sad that is the best they could do and think its good. But then a song like "Outta Space" appears and you shake your head fog away and are transported back to VHII and feel 12 again. It's such an awkward listen because of how uneven it is as well as knowing that none of this is newly written music and sounds as so.

Don't get me wrong if you enjoy Eddie Van Halen then there is a lot of stuff to like on the album but in the end I feel like Dave's weaker than before. Although his best moment might be "Stay Frosty" which still has some bad phrasing and stumbling vocals. If the band had a better producer who took control of Roth and kicked his ass when he was laying down the vocal not accepting some of the performances and such this album could be a much better record than anyone expected. So boogie on folks this is what we got after mooning over the return of Roth for decades and well honestly what did you expect in reality? There was no chance DLR was going to be running with the devil at his age.

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