Gregorian B.C. - Conquistadors Of War

Gregorian B.C. - Conquistadors Of War
2010, Gregorian B.C. Records

If a high school dropout can become a doctor of pharmacy, there's no reason a kid from Iowa with a penchant for Gregorian Chant and flamenco guitar can't become a rock star. That said, Brian Chupp, aka Gregorian B.C., is an overachiever. The rock star part is perhaps still in question, but he's achieved the rest already. With a talent and sound born of the same rebellious spirit that gave birth to rock n roll in the first place, Gregorian B.C. blends Chant, flamenco guitar, rock, blues and metal into a sound that has perhaps not been heard before. Singing with a relaxed baritone voice that occasionally calls Jim Morrison to mind, Gregorian B.C. has to be one of the most distinctive artists in rock n roll today. Gregorian B.C. releases his debut album, Conquistadors Of War on July 6, 2010.

Conquistadors Of War opens with "Arise", a heavy rock opus that will appeal to Sabbath fans. The song is a call to war and a call to freedom wrapped into one. It's an ambitious opening foray that announces both the musical intent and personality of Gregorian B.C., who styles himself after the 16th Century Spanish Knights from whom his name is derived. "Gregorian Starlight" mixes elements of progressive rock, 1970's metal and Gregorian Chant. "Live Today" embodies "Carpe Diem" in song, admonishing listeners to live in the moment and not work their lives away. Gregorian B.C. takes the arrangement off the map mid-song, showing some wicked guitar skills in the process. "The Clock Of Time" sounds a bit like Jim Morrison fronting The Moody Blues, circa 1972. It's the most laid-back composition on the disc; a somewhat surprising and gratifying change of pace.

With "The Rise Of Spain", Gregorian B.C. moves into more gothic territory, decorating it with dashes of Flamenco guitar inside an expansive rock arrangement. "The Rise Of Spain" is a warning to today's national powers to heed history and how even the mightiest fall in time. Conquistadors Of War keeps the same tone but returns to the Sabbath-inspired slow, heavy rock style. "The Spanish Armada" takes a more conversational tone, as Gregorian B.C. highlights symbols of the Spanish empire in the 16th Century. Conquistadors Of War closes with "East Coast Rocker", sounding more like Jim Morrison than at any other time during the album.

Conquistadors Of War is an uneven but intriguing experience. Nearly half of the album is a historical song cycle with geo-political implications for today's rapidly changing international politics. The rest is a collection of Black Sabbath or Doors inspired tunes; the sum of which suggests that Gregorian B.C. has found a theme but not a solid writing voice he's yet comfortable with. The blend of sounds on Conquistadors Of War is highly original in spite of the influences referenced here; Gregorian B.C. has a sound that will gain him a lot of intention, although it's not as accessible to current mores as it would have been in the 1970s. If you're a fan of Black Sabbath, The Doors or other such acts, then Gregorian B.C. will appeal to you. His is an interesting sound.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Gregorian B.C. at http://www.gregorianbc.com/ or www.myspace.com/gregorianbc. Conquistadors Of War drops on July 6, 2010. You can pre-order the CD from Amazon. Expect wide availability.

Year Of The Dragon - Blunt Force Karma

Year Of The Dragon - Blunt Force Karma
2010, The International Brotherhood Of Consequential Truth

When Fishbone disintegrated after a quarter century, Dirty Walt Kibby and guitarist Tracy Singleton (Spacey T) went in a new direction together. Focusing on a heavy punk/metal sound, the band soon pulled in Roderick Palmer (Rodcore) as a vocalist and began trading under the name Year Of The Dragon. With regular gigs in L.A. and a well-received EP in A Time To Love Is A Time To Bleed, Year Of The Dragon drew on their core base of Fishbone fans while adding new fans drawn to the aura of the new band. Year Of The Dragon is back in 2010 with their first full-length album, Blunt Force Karma. It's a return to the concept albums of the 1970's and early 1980's, with a kitschy back story involving space aliens locking up all of the attractive women on earth. Year Of The Dragon leads the fight to restore the right in an album where the brute intensity of the band's sound sometimes struggles with the corny subtext that parallels that of Styx' Kilroy Was Here.

Year Of The Dragon starts strong with “Ispo Facto”. Big, impressive guitar work and a rap-style vocal line and a chorus about the downfall of freedom and end of the world make this a winner. Rodcore and Dirty Walt keep this song vital, appealing to the populace to educate themselves and stand up for their rights against a government that takes but does not give back. “Poppin’” goes to the other extreme, seeming to be more a song about shock value than thought. On “Destroy Your Fear”, Year Of The Dragon goes for a 1970’s metal sound ripe with minor chords and vocal triads. This is the band at their finest, creating songs that are progressive in construction and diabolical in tone. “Jailbreak” is the party song on the album, a fun rocker in the best early metal tradition.

Year Of The Dragon strips things down for “After The Dawn”, an interesting spoken word approach with a sung chorus built around a highly intriguing riff. The bare-bones presentation is a solid change of pace but dissolves back into the big guitar sound of the title track. “Blunt Force Karma” is a great tune with a message wrapped around an infectious funk rhythm. “Who Will Save You Now” is a driven rocker with philosophical learns that serves as an ample appetizer to the closing track, “Walking Tall”. “Walking Tall” features a crazy guitar riff you’ll have to hear to believe. Year Of The Dragon walks the line between Body Count and Black Flag with shades of Dio-era Sabbath on the most vibrant track on the album.

Year Of The Dragon hits a couple of small rough patches on Blunt Force Karma, but in general manages to match powerful messages with powerful sounds. Blunt Force Karma is one of the more convincing rock/rap hybrid albums of the new year thus far. Rodcore and Dirty Walt find a distinct brand of musical chemistry on Blunt Force Karma. It’s a chemistry that could be infectious, perhaps enough so to make a big splash in 2010.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Year Of The Dragon at www.mysoace.com/yotd. Purchase Blunt Force Karma either on CD or digitally from Amazon.com. Digital copies are also availble from iTunes.

Review: Fozzy - Chasing The Grail

Fozzy - Chasing The Grail
2010, Riot! Entertainment

Fozzy has a long and inglorious history. Started as an Ozzy Osbourne cover band (Fozzy Osbourne) by members of Stuck Mojo, the band had a fateful meeting with WWE star Chris Jericho after a wrestling event in 1999. Jericho sat in with the band for a few shows but thought nothing serious of the collaboration. An ankle injury in 2000 that sidelined Jericho from wrestling brought him back to the band on a permanent basis. In the early days, Jericho performed as Mongoose McQueen, and Fozzy worked with a back story of having worked for twenty years in Japan under a music craft. Returning to the US, Fozzy found that a number of their songs had been "stolen" by major acts. Consequently, Fozzy's first two albums included covers of major rock and metal acts of songs supposedly written by Fozzy. In recent years Fozzy has moved to original material, gaining significant critical acclaim from the Rock media establishment that's lead to significant album sales and world tours. In January of 2010, Fozzy released their fifth album, Chasing The Grail. It's their best yet.

Fozzy opens with Under Blackened Skies, sounding like a cross between Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne. Under Blackened Skies is both tremendously aggressive and musical at the same time; high powered heavy metal with enough polish to reign on the Modern Rock charts as well. Martyr No More, chosen as a WWE theme for Wrestlemania, is built on a delicious riff. The song has great energy and a chorus that's pure, classic Rock N Roll. Grail features some delicious guitar work that can only be described as aggressively melodic. Grail is a powerful tune with something of a morality tale woven in.

Broken Soul is the sort of Pop-Inflected metal anthem that tops charts, launches sold-out tour and otherwise saturates airwaves until you can't even stand to hear the opening three notes of the song. Its tremendous songwriting with big harmonies a sing-along chorus; a certain Top-10 hit (at least). On Let The Madness Begin, Fozzy heads back to the abyss with a heavy melodic rocker loosely about temptation, spiritual warfare and giving in to our darker selves. The song is very catchy memorable and rocks like nobody's business. Pray For Blood is a big radio-oriented rocker that borders on mess but never really disintegrates. The song is strong from the perspective of sound and fury but lacks the cohesion that Fozzy displays on most of Chasing The Grail.

New Day's Dawn turns out to be a tough transition, with Jericho singing in a falsetto voice in an arrangement that's thoroughly out of character with the rest of the album. Rather than playing as a respite or illustrative diversion the song serves as a jarring slam on the breaks on a runaway train no one wants to stop. Fozzy gets a measured start forward with God Pounds His Nails, a powerful but trite song about the inevitability of life and consequence before sliding through the formulaic and bland Watch Me Shine.

Fozzy returns in full force on Paraskavedekatriaphobia (Friday The 13th), with flailing guitars, Metallica-style drum beats and a vocal line that explodes like a cannon-ball. Revival slows things down a tad for a heavy ballad that comes from the Ronnie James Dio/Sabbath school of Rock N Roll. Revival is full of hope; a jettisoning of the bad karma of Let The Madness Begin. Rich Ward's guitar work is creative and intricate, and the rhythm section of Frank Fontsere and Sean Delson fills the song with a driving menace. Fozzy closes in revelatory fashion with Wormwood, a nearly-fourteen minute mini-opera about the end of times written from the perspective of one who witnesses the spiritual wars accompanying the tribulation. The song is powerful and disturbing, transcending its genre to an uncomfortable art form. It's actually quite a wonderfully unsettling creation that adheres to the events detailed in the Book of Revelation and sets them against a dark and creative Progressive Metal arrangement.

It's often the projects that start out as an outlet that turn into something big. Fozzy started as a knock-off cover band for established musicians from Stuck Mojo; a play-thing to create a sense of musical balance that was fun and a step away from their day jobs. A decade later, you could argue that Fozzy is one of the more innovative (and commercially successful) metal bands stomping the floorboards of stages the world over. Chasing The Grail is the definitive work from a band whose arc is still rising. It's easy to imagine Fozzy one day taking their rightful places in Cleveland. The scary part is they just keep getting better.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Fozzy at http://www.fozzyrock.com/ or www.myspace.com/fozzytour. You can purchase Chasing The Grail as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Verismo - Greed EP

Verismo - Greed
2009, Verismo

Brooklyn thrash metal scions Verismo are at it again, releasing a four-song EP entitled Greed in advance of their yet-to-be-named full length album due in the Winter of 2009. Together for six years, Verismo has taken the New York City thrash scene by storm. Unusual time signatures, punk energy and a heavy thrash musical core make Verismo one of the most dynamic and original trash bands on the East Coast. Stephan Laboccetta is one of the most enigmatic front men in the scene, and Tamas Vajda and Vincent Cruz create a steady, heavy backdrop that allows him free reign.

Greed opens with the title track, a highly rhythmic piece of Metal/Rock with flashes of pop insouciance. The song is very catchy and a fun listen in spite of the dark tenor it carries. Give It Back is a steady metal anthem that blows heavy and hard without every quite blowing out the equalizers. Houseboy is my personal favorite on the EP; the hardest play and some nice Randy Rhoads inspired guitar work back up an over-the-top vocal. Failure is perhaps the most intriguing composition, playing with time signatures and rhythm variations but perhaps not reaching its full potential.

Verismo certainly has a unique take on thrash metal, treating almost as an art form rather than just an outlet. The musical ability of the band is obvious from the four tracks offered on Greed, and you sense at times they want to let go a little further and branch out into the realms of more progressive metal. Whichever way they go, Verismo is a pleasure to listen to. Obviously if you're not into thrash then these guys aren't for you; but they're worth checking out.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Verismo at www.myspace.com/verismo or http://www.verismetal.com/. You can get the Greed EP absolutely FREE by signing up for Verismo’s mailing list at either their web page or MySpace page.

Review: J.A.C.K. - Deletist

J.A.C.K. - Deletist

2009, Yabyum Records

Brooklyn-based alt-rock quarter J.A.C.K. keep the meaning of their acronym secret, but the word of mouth about their sound was uncontainable almost from the start. Three rip-roaring sons of Rock N Roll met while enrolled in New York University's music program, and after cementing their sound with the highly flying falsetto of vocalist/guitarist Scott Holland knew they had something special. Their sophomore release (and first full-length), Deletist, is out today. J.A.C.K. may be secretive about the original of their name, and DIY to the bone, but their sphere of influence is likely to expand significantly in the near future.

Deletist opens with the chaotic track Dracula, which spends most of its time as an alternative rocker but closes out with a keyboard driven classic rock section that would make Dennis DeYoung weep with joy. One thing you should understand about lead vocalist Scott Holland is that he can be something of a chameleon. On The Leader, Holland sounds like a cross between Klaus Meine and Bon Scott, whereas on a track like Extinguisher he can sound like a particularly raspy Bono. I Cut Off My Arms is perhaps the greatest “relationship gone wrong” songs I’ve ever heard, although it may be a bit disturbing for some. A distinctly poppy love song with some heavy guitar work represents the alternately lovesick and disturbed states of the protagonist. Bug appears to be a song about torture, or perhaps it’s just an allegory for crossing lines. Either way it’s at least mildly disturbing and gets your attention, right down to the lyric dueling guitar work in the bridge. Suicide Man opens with what might only be described as a gospel choir in Hell before turning into an alternately minimalist and noisy arrangement. The song itself is intriguing and definitely off the beaten track. You’ll also want to check out Summer’s War and Rainbow Blood.

J.A.C.K., J.A.C.K., J.A.C.K., what are we going to do with you? You don’t fit in with the other bands. You have some of the loftier musical ideals of a Radiohead, the occasional slow-heavy drive of Black Sabbath or Heaven And Hell, an ability to write songs like what Bono might come up on a dark day and a wonderfully and slightly worrying warped world perspective. We’ll find a place for you, because I believe a lot of people will be intrigued by your sound, I am just not sure how we present you to the world. Hey, I know! Let’s bring everyone to a show in Brooklyn! After you melt all their faces for a couple of hours they’ll be hooked! They’ll be buying copies of Deletist hand over fist!

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about J.A.C.K. at http://www.jackbandnyc.com/ or www.myspace.com/jacknyc. You can get a digital copy of Deletist at either Amazon MP3 or iTunes. If you want a hard copy, the only place to get one right now is at a live show (Face melting is included in the price of admission), but if you contact J.A.C.K. through their MySpace page perhaps they’ll hook you up.

Review: Heaven And Hell - The Devil You Know

Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know
2009, Rhino Records

Heaven & Hell just might be the ultimate 1970’s Metal supergroup. Lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio has a long and storied career starting out with Elf, then Rainbow, Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. Guitarist Tommy Iommi is the axe wizard behind Black Sabbath’s distinctive sound. Bassman Geezer Butler was also a part of the juggernaut that was/is Black Sabbath. Drummer Vinny Appice has played with Sabbath, Dio, WWIII, Rick Derringer and John Lennon, among others. Together they’ve found a mutual musical space that is familiar enough to fans of individual members while becoming something distinctive. Heaven & Hell’s latest CD, The Devil You Know, trods upon these almost familiar sands while finding something new in the sound.

The Devil You Know opens with Atom & Evil, a dark and heavily lumbering rocker. The song features some tremendous progressive guitar work and Dio hasn't lost a note. Bible Black is big guitar work at it's finest and even features a lyric prologue. This is Ronnie James Dio in his wheelhouse, pushing the sound he's been creating since the 1970's. Double The Pain is a surprisingly hooky bit of early prog-metal and sounds classic Sabbath at their most inspired. Dio and Iommi really rev it up on Eating The Cannibals with this highly melodic and driven prog-metal song. Both are at their best here. Follow The Tears is an interesting change of pace and sound: a martial horror movie in song. Angry, swelling guitars fold into ambient and ethereal synths, dark, minor keyes and Dio's iconoclastic voice for one of the most memorable hard rock songs of the year. Heaven & Hell kick the whole project up another notch with Neverwhere, a classic guitar rocker you won't soon forget. The album closes out with Breaking Into Heaven, a slow and plodding guitar metal song that hopefully finds more life live than it did here.

Heaven & Hell is a dream come true for some fans. Folks who have followed Dio or Black Sabbath will love The Devil You Know. If you're unfamiliar with the names and want to know how metal sounded back in the 1970's and early 80', then this disc is for you.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Heaven & Hell at http://www.heavenandhelllive.com/ or www.myspace.com/heavenandhelllive. You can pick up a copy of The Devil You Know at Amazon.com, or as a download through iTunes.

Review: Strangers Pass - Strangers Pass [EP]

Strangers Pass - Strangers Pass [EP]
2009, Strangers Pass

Strangers Pass is a power-trio that derives its sound from a wealth of influences. Singer/guitarist Robert Sadowski credits Hendrix, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Tommy Iommi and Brian May, whereas Bass man Bob Mikkelsen grew up on a hybrid diet of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Rush and Yes. Drummer Frank Gattuso leaned toward John Bonham and Bill Ward, but also had a strong affection for James Brown skins masters Clyde Stubblefied and Jabo Starks. Strangers Pass came together at an impromptu jam session in August of 2008 that was meant to be for fun but turned out to be for good. 2009 sees the release of their debut, self-titled EP. The styles and sounds that influenced each band member combine here to create a hard nosed Rock N Roll album with subtle influences and pensive interchanges.

Strangers Pass opens with Alone, an aggressive rocker that sounds a bit like what Black Sabbath might have sounded in their early, garage days. Strangers Pass does an about face on 400 Monroe, a moody and introspective rocker ala Pearl Jam. Snake Charmer is another dark and pensive rocker that calls out a manipulator. See Them All sticks to the dark musical aspect that runs through the EP, rebounding for an almost hopeful, ambient chorus before ricocheting back into darkness. Through The Maze finds Strangers Pass ending in a melodic and unthreatening fashion, with an upbeat yet mellow performance that sounds more commercial alt-pop than anything else on the EP.

Strangers Pass does an imitation of the month of March on their self-titled EP: In like a lion, out like a lamb, although Through The Maze does show some verve in the chorus. When I read the bio on Strangers Pass and saw the range of influences I was very excited. Here is an opportunity to take some grand musical traits and construct something new and original. In fact, the opposite has happened. Strangers Pass have taken the core elements and wiped away the things that don't match, much like finding the universal elements on a musical Venn Diagram. The result is essentially a mellow grunge album that sounds something like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, etc. It's a good listen, but not necessarily what you'd expect.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Strangers Pass at www.myspace.com/strangerspass.

Review: Ecotone Refugees - Water Is Rising

Ecotone Refugees - Water Is Rising
2008, Echo Orange Music

Ecotone Refugees come barreling out of the vibrant Brooklyn Indie rock scene with a sound that is reminiscent of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Queens Of The Stone Age without really sounding like any of them. A modern rock psychedelic band with a shredder on lead guitar and a vocalist who sounds like Ozzy Osbourne had a child with Eddie Vedder is going to attract attention, and Ecotone Refugees definitely attract attention. Their debut album, Water Is Rising was released in 2008 and makes quite an impression.

Ecotone Refugees are a conglomerate of true music professions. Johnny Young lends vocals, guitar, Moog and keys. Outside of the band he is also a producer and composer who has provided music for the Oprah Winfrey show. Sean Egan (guitar, Moog, bass) is a shredder in the first degree and loves to play with dynamics and time signatures. David Weise chips in on vocals and bass, and drummer Michael Galante is a Berklee College of Music grad. Suffice it to say Ecotone Refugees aren't your typical rock bruiser. It's no surprise then how varied and complex the songs on Water Is Rising truly are. The album opens with Marathon, an Ozzy-era Sabbath-esque rocker built on some very interesting guitar work. Wake Up is a big, straight up rocker with Moog effects and an anti-war message. This is probably the least compelling song on the album, but still a decent listen.

Losing Your Faith is the sort of heavy rocker that would have ruled AOR radio in the early 1980's. Psychedelic bridges and big driving guitars give this song a distinctive sound that stands out. Lost In You is an interesting mix. There's a pop sensibility in the hook-laden song (even if the hooks are anti-pop). The chorus is classic punk rock and the song is a clear dichotomy that reflects the divergent sounds Ecotone Refugees pursue. Cyclone is a raucous old-school rock tune based on a classic Moog sound and surf-style guitar. B-Squad Brothers is feel good Rock N Roll in a classic 1960's format. Water Is Rising is pure psychedelia, Pink Floyd style. Nine and-a-half minutes of pure rock ambience.

Ecotone Refugees march musical ground that's been covered for years and yet they seem to find a way to sound fresh and new even while paying tribute to some of the biggest names in Classic Rock. Water Is Rising has the same sort of iconic feel about it that Pearl Jam had in their early days. If you love great classic rock sounds with a modern edge, then Water Is Rising (and Ecotone Refugees) is for you.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ecotone Refugees at www.myspace.com/ecotonerefugees. You can purchase a copy of Water Is Rising at www.cdbaby.com/cd/ecotonerefugees.