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…
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.
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…
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…
By Metal Dave Refusing to follow their British metal peers down the path of “creative” bloat, Saxon returns lean and fierce on upcoming album, “Sacrifice.” A jolting thrill ride of anthemic thrash and crunching, mid-tempo swagger, “Sacrifice” continues Saxon’s celebrated themes of rocking hard, riding free, working-class pride and warrior souls. Even better, it’s all…
By Metal Dave Written as a heartfelt tribute to his dear friend Randy Rhoads rather than a dirt-dishing tell-all of Ozzy Osbourne excess, Rudy Sarzo’s “Off the Rails,” takes a while to build up steam. Fortunately, Rhoads was such a charismatic soul that any insight at all is still treasured like magical dust. Tedious at…
By Metal Dave The Last Vegas from Chicago may be dicey on geography, but who cares where you’re going when you’re having this much fun? Handpicked to tour with Motley Crue after an impressed Nikki Sixx decided to produce their 2009 album, “Whatever Gets You Off” — and then holding more than folding while opening…
Austin rock legends Dangerous Toys reunite Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012 at Red Eyed Fly in Austin. Ticket info here. Review below is from 2008, but serves as a safe-bet preview for this Saturday’s upcoming annual reunion. Hey, why fix the Toys if they ain’t broken? By Metal Dave Santa’s worst enemy returned with a bang…
By David Glessner Special to the American-Statesman Of all the well-oiled machines in town for Formula One weekend, none have survived more mileage and wreckage than legendary rockers, Aerosmith. Long sober and back on track following singer Steven Tyler’s detour to “American Idol,” the bad boys from Boston screeched into the Erwin Center on Friday…
By Metal Dave Fifteen years after proudly proclaiming they’d rather be hated than ignored, the Lower Class Brats are still driving harder than a stolen getaway car. Armed with the newly issued six-song EP, “Rock-N-Roll Street Noize,” the enduring Austin street punks show no signs of aging oh-so-gracefully. Opening with the “Clockwork” tick of “King…
A velvet goldmine of bygone garage-glam, Prima Donna’s “Bless This Mess” is a saucy cocktail of T. Rex stomp stirred with Stardust style — and then spritzed with a squeeze of Lennon.
By Metal Dave The most astonishing takeaway from Stephen Davis’ “Watch You Bleed” is not some tasty tidbit about Guns N’ Roses, but rather all the mistakes that flowed unfiltered onto the pages. Davis, you may recall, is the highly acclaimed author behind the classic Led Zeppelin book, “Hammer of the Gods,” and the Aerosmith…