W.A.S.P. - Babylon (2009)

W.A.S.P. were very much part of my heavy-metal upbringing. They rebelled, they threw raw meat around, they strapped half-naked women to chairs on stage, and they rocked. Blackie and company were always glorious in their fiery rage. Naturally, over time, and despite sticking to their guns, the scene they became part of fizzled out and even they sought pastures new. A few concept albums and rock opera's, even a darker sound, but nothing beats that sexsonic groove they produced back in the day. Some would argue that such a sound is at once dated and riddled with cheese, but then again W.A.S.P. wrote some true metal anthems. Even their 'Helldorado' record of more recent times was a rocket up the arse, so where does 'Babylon' see the band venturing ? Well, there's alot of fire on this record....literally. 'Into The Fire', 'Burn', 'Babylon's Burning', 'Seas Of Fire'...and there's that familiar formula of many records gone by...and it still works. Maybe it was because I was there when they screamed 'On Your Knees', maybe it was because i got pulled in by the dark magic of 'Live...In The Raw'...maybe I just have a soft spot for W.A.S.P.

They don't break any new ground but I don't wanna hear W.A.S.P. teasing with industrial funk, I want real metal, and as long as it smokes then it'll continue to work. 'Crazy' and 'Live To Die Another Day' are a rattling good listen. Blackie's vocals may have started to weaken, but it's still that recognisable yelp. 'Into The Fire' is clearly another return to form, a companion to the awesome W.A.S.P. classic 'Sleeping In The Fire'. With metal it doesn't matter how much it's not 'in' anymore, or how big it gets, the factor is, it continues to rule, and mainly due to the fact that the classic bands refuse to die and continue to show the new kids just how its done. 'Babylon' is a real heavy metal album, what more do you want ?

7.5/10

Cheap Trick - The Latest (2009)

Okay, so I've been a bit of a criminal by not reviewing any Cheap Trick albums on this blog, but then again, there's always more to come. Here's a band, who, next to Enuff Z Nuff manage to use hordes of Beatles hooks and melodies but somehow get away with it. I don''t know how they do it, but 'The Latest' is a fantastic record that should see them filling stadiums, but which of course won't. Cheap Trick have always been underrated, their sugary rock all about sweetness and light, and the occasional tear. I don't personally think they are as mighty as Enuff Z Nuff but there's enough on offer here to suggest what we've always known, that most of the more successful bands in the world are crap and the coolest bands never get anywhere. Cheap Trick have been around for decades, but somehow they continue to evoke images of hazy days and love-filled summer's. 'The Latest' pines, swoons and dips its strawberry into the sugar, making you think you've heard every track before, possibly on a Beatles record, and yet somehow it still sounds new and refreshing. 'When The Lights Are Out' just sounds like a timeless classic of upbeat melody. It's hooks are in and you'll be humming it forever. 'Miss Tomorrow', 'These Days', 'Miracle'...utterly beautiful and majestic, evoking images of Lennon and Macca. It really is that good at times. Of course, the band can still rock, 'Sick Man Of Europe' and 'Alive' are big groovers, but again, it's back to those sweeping , soul-searching tracks which are born to be classics, if only in the minds of the metalheads fortunate enough to hear it. Gorgeous.

8.5/10

Church Of Misery - Houses Of The Unholy (2009)

When some musical genre's get saturated there are always a handful of bands who can oull you from the quagmire out into the light. The 'doom metal' genre has spewed out some cracking bands ever since Black Sabbath crawled out of their beds. A lot of these bands are imitators, some keen to jump on the retro bandwagon and shake their boogie doom. Other bands just try to be so heavy, but become tiresome in their plodding whilst other bands become 'stoner' and simply bathe all to much in the mighty weed. However, with Church Of Misery there's that simple motive - to pummel the listener. This isn't stoner, this doom rock 'n' roll...albeit serial killer obsessed. Sure, thousands of bands have glorified the sick and perverse ways of certain killers, but Church Of Misery seem genuinely seedy in their worship of sadists such as Albert Fish. Fused with samples of radio coverage and quotes from the actual killers, 'Houses..' is a monstrous record which provides a soundtrack to the extraordinary crimes that shocked the world. Those knowledgeable of serial killers will have heard of Richard Speck and Charles Starkweather, but it's the sheer dirtiness of the grooves that defies. Imagine Led Zeppelin only a thousand times heavier with a gritty vocal sneer...total doooomm! Church Of Misery aren't ponderous, but simply remove your teeth by vibrating the walls in their gargantuan riffage.

Forget the 'stoner' crap, this is the apocalypse right here, right now. Not for the faint-hearted or those offended by serial killers!

7.5/10