Supershine - Supershine (2000)

Considering Supershine are somewhat a supergroup, consisting of Kings X main man Doug Pinnick and Trouble guitar warlock Bruce Franklin, this is incredibly uninspiring stuff. In its approach it resembles an upbeat stoner type of record, bland, tiresome, half-baked, casual and with a hint of dull grunge, stoner rock, and Southern mediocrity. Not a lot to say really, except you'd have thought that such masterminds would have created something of note, but as the tracks whimper by on dull riffs, the light on Supershine dims...very quickly.

4.5/10

Michael Moon - You (1998)

Michael Moon, aka Michael Anthony Franano, is the ex-frotnman of mystical rockers The Front, and then Bakers Pink. Both of these bands split up after one recording each. Franano went on to release 'You', a mellow, lightweight rock record of breezy ballads, piano-based melodies, and soulful integrity. Don't expect even a hint of a metal riff, but this deserves inclusion because people such as Michael made the early '90s more colourful with their alterno-rock. 'You' is probably Michael's best performance when compared to his other bands - here, his vocals are crystal clear, moving and moody. The guy can sure piece together a decent track. 'So Like Her' is bright and jangly, but does remind me of a rom-com soundtrack. Strangest inclusion is '80s Yazoo hit 'You', but overall, a short, sweet, bright and breezy record that should please more than just fans of The Front and Bakers Pink.

6.5/10

The Nymphs - The Nymphs (1991)

Another cool and yet oh so tragic act. Fronted by the enigmatic Inger Lorre, The Nymphs played a vibrant mix of goth, punk, metal, alt-rock...and got nowhere. Major label interest, but inner friction sadly caused the band to split in '92 after their debut record faded into obscurity. However, The Nymphs were a decent band, wrote decent tunes, and also released a superb EP, 'A Practical Guide To Astral Projection', which also 'flopped'. It's so sad that albums like this are forgotten by many, let alone never experienced by some...as more and more dire music gets released weekly, hopefully we can gather our thoughts for those cool bands who once came and flitted away so quickly. Remember The Nymphs because their debut album was a very good record.

7/10

The Throbs - The Language Of Thieves & Vagabonds (1991)

Wow, 1991 was a good year! And boy, were The Throbs gonna be the next big thing....formed in 1988, these NYC sleaze merchants, fronted by the elegantly named Ronnie Sweetheart, were signed to Geffen records and the buzz surrounding them was huge. However, like most magic bands, it soon dipped, and The Throbs disappeared up their own arses into the foggy avenue of rock 'n' roll folklore....drenched in scarves, bangles, lipstick and lace, and with enough sex, drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll to last a life time, The Throbs played it real, but not for long. 'The Language...' was the only release by the band, and with more Rolling Stones nods than one could imagine, just like Gunfire Dance, and all those who trod this diamond path before...those feet became bloody and those bodies toppled from the pathway into the pits of nowhere.

Sure, a lot of this kind of stuff could be considered a little pretend...maybe even fake, the swiggin' of JD, the clothes, the Stones' trip ('Honeychild' for starters), but if the chemistry is right, this type of retro rock can work, otherwise you end up sounding washed out like so many sleaze bands from the time. Even so, as debut albums go, despite too much hype, the final product was pretty cool and hip-shaking, but when you've heard the Stones, Hanoi Rocks, and New York Dolls, who in turn spawned a million imitators in the '80s and early '90s, I can see why The Throbs didn't work. Okay, the drugs probably didn't help...and neither did the drink...but for gritty, street-wise, lothario sleaze, The Throbs are a fuckin' wicked experience. 'The Language...' beats the hell out of most and of course has that tragic element, which adds a little haze to the glitz.

8/10

Agent Steel - Skeptics Apocalypse (1985)

Like Anvil, Agent Steel, despite a huge cult following, and being primed for the major league of metal, never achieved the status they deserved. Now, ' Skeptics...' is very much of its time, embedded in '80s metal folklore, and again it rises from the ashes of its fallen empire. Such bands were, and still are revered worldwide, maybe this fact is due to their mystical nature, a little like so many bands on this blog who quite simply never made it big despite huge talent. Okay, so Agent Steel are not exactly genius, but of it's time, 'Skeptics...' with its lean towards the paranormal, UFOs and mysteries of the world, is a decent debut record. The vocal attack is high in that it can shatter glass, certainly from the Rob Halford mould of metal wails, and the metal is pretty furious speed metal, reminding me of a hyper Iron Maiden at times, except when the vocal attack is double-barrelled and accompanied by a more sinister growl.

'Guilty As Charged', 'Taken By Force' and 'Agents Of Steel' are fist-pounding metal, roughly produced - which of course adds to the magic - and although Agent Steel won't be scaring kids anymore, this kind of stuff reminds me of the classic Arthur C. Clarke television series of the '70s and '80s which at the time seemed terrifying, but in the modern era, despite creaking at the spine, still maintain a hint of quality. Whether we took note of Agent Steel's warnings I don't recall, but as we shift into another decade, and 'Skeptics...' seems so long ago, let's still raise a glass for '80s thrash, and remember, that it was a moment, and not some cheap fad. Agent Steel were part of that wave, and although 'Skeptics...' hasn't quite stood the test of time, thrash metal wouldn't be the same without such bands.

7/10

Matt Kramer - War & Peas (2005)

When Saigon Kick ousted Matt Kramer, I was admittedly distraught and hearing Matt's 'War...' debut not only brings back the the glory days of the early '90s, but enables me to appreciate the silky tones of this bona fide rock star. 'War...' is a fragrant, swaggering, lush, snake-hipped and leathery debut record from one of rock's most mercurial front men. Instant, cool, and soaring, 'Soul Star' immediately grasps the listener, Kramer's distinctive voice spatters the track which steps into glorious motion, cavorting into a glam rock slither. 'So Long' is equally sleazy, and again, great to see that Kramer is sticking to that breezy, alterno-rock which made him so popular back in the day. The chug of 'Goodbye... is unexpected, in the same way that Saigon Kick were able to throw in dark and ugly rockers alongside such euphoric ballads. Vocally, 'Goodbye...' reminds me of Bowie and the acoustic laced 'Spinning Round' enables the listener to kick back and drift.

I'd love to see Saigon Kick back with Kramer, but then again, 'War & Peas' is a rewarding record of emotion but I just hope and pray that Matt is able to release such records on a constant basis rather than sinking into the depths of obscurity. Another similar talent brought to mind being Michael Franano of The Front/Bakers Pink.

The pensive 'Change' is magnificent, 'Im Getting Closer' more driving, blessed with a killer riff, as is 'If God Could Hear Me'.

This is a glorious record that deserves to be heard by the masses, and as 'Silence' glides into motion I can only huff in frustration as another superb record is no doubt ignored by the crowds in favour of commercial shit. Much respect to Matt and his beautiful sound.

8/10

John Christ - Flesh Caffeine ( 1999)

The ex Danzig man gets even meaner and moodier on his debut juggernaut. The title cut full of menace, hints of White Zombie whilst the twisted riff of 'Tell Me Why' reeks of early Danzig. In fact much of what's on offer has a Danzig feel although Christ is more wholesome, a straight, dark metal approach and those whispered, hushed yet demonic tones bleeding in to those infectious choruses. The most important aspect of the album is Christ's ability to tell a Gothic story, and then there's the rattling drums of 'I'm Gone' and meaty chug of 'Slow Down'. 'Flesh...' is a stormy album from a talented guy, and proof that there's life after Danzig. This is the spirit of true metal.

7/10