Johnnie Rotten Junior - The Death Of Harry Potter (?)

This is an odd one. Chip Z'Nuff, the Enuff Z Nuff legend, releases a stoned, hippy and dreamy album which I actually find quite hard to listen to. Whether it's the haze of pot smoke surrounding it, or those sugary, watery Beatles licks I dunno, but it's not as endearing as Donnie Vie's more tragic serenades. For me, too many ELO and Beatles steals, 'A Day In The Life' on the album opener, but it's still worth checking out for those 'Revolver' loops, Lennon rasps, hippy grooves and cloudy atmosphere's. I'm not a fan of The Kinks cover ('All Day...') at the end, but I guess this is a personal record but The Beatles nods should be kept for the Enuff Z Nuff records where they work best. Light another...and drift away. I guess the album title was simply a ploy to get more hits on the internet.

5/10

Geisha - Phantasmagoria (1987)

I picked this oddity up at a record fair and have to say, this is a fine heavy metal slab. I expected it to be glam rock, but the cover didn't really give anything away except to hint that it might be of dramatic fashion. Sadly, the album is only just over half-an hour but the seven tracks on offer surprise me pleasantly. This is straight forward metal I guess, but there;s a fire raging behind it and even a trace of darkness. For some reason it reminds me of Fastway's 'Trick Or Treat' record, all guns blazing on the guitars and Yenz Cheyenne's vocals are quite Gothic in a theatrical metal sense. 'You Got What It Takes' and the stomp of 'Shock Rock School' are typical of '80s metal...and that's a good thing, believe me. I don't know what else the band did, in fact it's all a mystery I'm quite hooked on to. Certainly worth more than the £2.00 I paid for it!

7/10

Overkill - Ironbound (2010)

Many, many years ago, I was never the biggest Overkill fan. Like Exodus, I found the vocals a grate, ad the thrash so much weaker than the big boys around at the time. Strangely, both bands have soldiered on yet surprisingly, to become leaders of the thrash...and metal pack. 'Ironbound' is finally Overkill finding their true voice, this rampant record is of extreme weight, juggernaut speed, and Ellsworth's vocals finally hit home like a razor to the skull instead of a dinner fork. This is an hours worth of solid heavy metal in its truest form, marvellously structured, pounding, fast, and eternally raging. Not a filler on offer, the band, fronted by twin-guitar attack of Linsk and Tailer, hack and slash their way through a collection of enormous cuts, some rattling in at over six minutes, which would have been pretty unheard of back in the days of '80s thrash, with Metallica being the exception. 'Give A Little', ''In Vain', 'Endless War', 'The SRC', to name but a few are titanic in construction. No longer does thrash hide within its own field, Overkill and the likes now occupy the major league alongside the likes of Priest and Motorhead, but in consistency could well overtake their heroes. Much respect must go to Ellsworth who although of the same vocal style has added greater dynamics and more attitude, his snarl backed by the stampede of the thrash the band now create.

8/10

Asphalt Ballet - Pigs (1993)

This smokes like a bitch in the frying heat! What a stonking rock 'n' roll record, a few years too late, but deserved of much recognition and praise. This act combine the swagger, style, and certainly vocal sneer of Guns 'n' Roses, with a slight alterno-rock approach, the result a cauldron of cracking riffs, refreshing vibes, and sleaze-infested stomp. 'Angry Youth', 'Save The Children' and the fantastic 'Crash Diet' know how to rock...blending a dirty, but free-flowing grunge with a more sugary metal, all the while those Axl-infected vocals make for an interesting listen. Several years before Beautiful Creatures, yet parading the same bravado amidst those sauntering guitars and swaggering beats. Asphalt Ballet are one cool band who slipped by the wayside...a familiar state of affairs with bands bands of this ilk, but don't let that deter you because as we know, it's not always about the success. Uneventful album cover hides a gem.

8/10

My Sister's Machine - Wallflower (1993)

In my opinion My Sister's Machine were probably the best grunge band - with the exception of Mother Love Bone who aren't a grunge band - in fact, most 'grunge' bands weren't! Anyway, for me the bands debut 'Diva' record was a dark, stormy mini-classic, and although less melodic, 'Wallflower' is equally as engaging, hellbent on black riffs and that vocal snarl, this goes way beyond the depths trawled by Alice In Chains etc. There's even elements of C.O.C. circa 'Blind' (track two anyone ?), with the groove-based, monolithic riffage and swirling vocals. The angst and mood created by the band was probably their downfall as other acts succumbed to sucking corporate cock for the sake of a few dollars, but MSM remained cool and cult throughout. Whilst so many similar acts gradually built their aura, My Sister's Machine were born cool...and despite only existing for such a short time, their career and status is far more respectable than most of the acts within the genre. A very good record indeed...just buy it and see beyond the grunge boundaries.

8/10

Moon Dog Mane - Turn It Up (1998)

Don't get me wrong, Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon is a talented guy, but I can't dig this Southern rock shite. Predictable and just dull, only the beefy vocals separate it from so many other bands of this ilk. Maybe it's just me, but twelve tracks of boogie rock just gnaws my soul. Give me the Faces and their cock rock anyday, because this is just too swampy for my liking.

4/10

Forbidden - Trapped (1991)

Apparently this EP was never officially released, but those seeking that typical Bay Area crunch you may have become accustomed to on the bands first two records, may be a little disappointed. I'm not sure if these cuts were demo'd for the bands 'Distortion' and 'Green' projects, where the band adopted a more melodic sound, but on first listen 'Trapped' is more of a straight up metal album than a ballsy thrasher. However, this shouldn't detract from the fact that Forbidden should be respected for their experimentation. The band explore more of a melodic void, a world once inhabited by bands such as Sanctuary who combined icy metal with more moodier soundscapes. 'So Dark...' is a prime example of how Forbidden moved away from the thrash genre. This is understandable when you consider that bands such as Mordred did the same, especially as by the mid'- 90s thrash was a dying genre. 'Trapped' is worth listening to, but I have to be honest and say that 'Forbidden Evil' and 'Twisted Into Form' are far more rewarding.

6/10