By Metal Dave If you wore a Sepultura patch in San Antonio during the early 1990s, you and your leather high-tops surely got bruised slamming to Alienation, Judge Mental and Scythe. As the go-to local opening acts for Anthrax, Deicide, Overkill and Suicidal Tendencies, the Alamo City’s Big Three were a whiplash squad of mortar-blast drums, blinding guitar […]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Review: Under No One, ‘Bullhorns & Politics’
Posted: 30th October 2015 by admin in ReviewsTags: Alienation, Bullhorns & Politics, Judge Mental, scythe, Under No One
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Review: Michael Monroe, ‘Blackout States’
Posted: 17th October 2015 by admin in ReviewsTags: Blackout States, dregen, ginger wildheart, hanoi rocks, Horns and Halos, michael monroe, Sensory Overdrive
By Metal Dave With due respect to Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe’s best run is now. Fightin’ words, perhaps, but the truth is worth the risk. On a raucous roll since 2011’s “Sensory Overdrive” and its 2013 follow-up, “Horns and Halos,” the iconic glam-punk singer is back with “Blackout States,” the third in a near-flawless trifecta of […]
Review: Broken Teeth, ‘Bulldozer’
Posted: 1st October 2015 by admin in ReviewsTags: ac/dc, broken teeth, jason mcmaster
By Metal Dave Broken Teeth arrived in 1999 as the best AC/DC sound-alike since “Powerage” and “Let There Be Rock.” Over multiple albums and various lineup changes (not the least of which was necessitated by the untimely passing of bassist Travis Weiss), the Austin, TX band has since spiked its bad-boy boogie with the speedier, […]
Review: Kickin Valentina ‘Super Atomic’
Posted: 28th May 2015 by admin in ReviewsTags: Kickin Valentina, Sleaze Rock, Super Atomic
By Metal Dave If Scandinavian sleaze rock crashed into vintage Hollywood hair metal, the shattering sonic slam might sound like Kickin Valentina. Gruff and nasty, these Atlanta-based, raunch-n-rollers are back with their second platter, “Super Atomic.” Opening with “Sermon,” which is actually a mini-narrative about the corrupting evils of rock-n-roll, the six-song “Super Atomic” gets […]
Judas Priest: Still Defending the Faith with Expanded Re-Issue of Classic 1984 Album
Posted: 30th April 2015 by admin in ReviewsTags: Defenders of the Faith, judas priest, rob halford
By Metal Dave Compared to my other youthful offenses, lying to my parents so I could attend my first Judas Priest concert is practically cute today. Seriously. Just ask my Mom. The year was 1984. My co-conspirator was my younger sister who — despite a mighty showing by the storming Priest (and a hungry Great White) — would […]
Kickin Valentina: Boozy, Hard Rock from Atlanta Aims to Steal Your Dirty Black Heart
Posted: 16th January 2014 by admin in ReviewsTags: Kickin Valentina, rockets to ruin
By Metal Dave More Trash Alley than Sunset Strip, the self-titled, five-song EP from Kickin Valentina sounds like the grittier bands from the late ’80s and early ’90s making a pilgrimage to Nazareth. Think Circus of Power, The Four Horsemen and Sea Hags. In other words, bands that smell more like gasoline than hairspray. Hailing […]
Black Sabbath Delivers a Bloody Good Set, But Will Ozzy’s Voice Survive the Tour?
Posted: 9th October 2013 by admin in ReviewsTags: 13, black sabbath, black sabbath concert review, Ozzy Osbourne
By Metal Dave At the risk of being killed in my sleep by Sharon Osbourne’s henchmen, I’m re-posting my Black Sabbath concert review from the Aug. 2013 issue of Classic Rock magazine (right). The published text appears below. And hey, at least I’ll die honest. Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas: July 27, 2013 When Black Sabbath announced […]
Review: Buckcherry’s ‘Confessions’ Reveals Layered New Twists on Sinful Hard Rock
Posted: 19th June 2013 by admin in ReviewsTags: buckcherry, Confessions, josh todd
By Metal Dave If Buckcherry admits to anything on new album “Confessions,” it may be a degree of infidelity for straying on “All Night Long.” While that 2010 album idled mostly in Neutral, “Confessions” is a return to Buckcherry’s punch and swagger — albeit with added dynamics and vibe. Ambitious without being Radiohead, “Confessions” is […]
Ignitor Rekindles Classic Old-School Metal
Posted: 8th April 2013 by admin in ReviewsTags: Agony Column, ignitor, jason mcmaster, Mix Tape 85
By Metal Dave While most tribute albums are obvious contractual jailbreaks, Ignitor’s “Mix Tape ‘85” comes off like a license to kill. Why be Poison when you can be Venom? Looking past overbaked heroes like Van Halen, KISS and AC/DC, Ignitor mines the darker corners of the heavy metal underground and breathes new fire into […]