Month: September 2013

New Beer Blog Upland Oktoberfest Bavarian Style Lager

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into a craft brewery that finally made its way to the Chicago market.  I am talking about my friends of Upland Brewery.  If you read my earlier blog beer post on their Dragonfly IPA, which is their flagship, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read that post to get to know this great craft brewery from Indiana.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear copper color with a semi white head on this fall seasonal.   The smell is malty.  The taste is a creamy caramel to malty.  The aftertaste is limited and fades quickly with notes caramel.  It is pretty drinkable.

Here is a description from their website (www.uplandbeer.com):

No season is as synonymous with beer as autumn, when the most storied beer festival of them all, Oktoberfest, takes place in Munich, Germany. Since 1810, this celebration of good food, good company, and, most importantly, good beer, has most prominently featured Marzen-style lager–so much so that many refer to the beer simply as Oktoberfest. Our Oktoberfest is a traditional Bavarian lager featuring all-German malts and rare German hops. This dedication to authenticity produces a beer that would be as at home in Munich as it is here in the Midwest United States. The aroma is authentic, the taste sweet and malty, and the finish crisp and hoppy; perfect for a beautiful fall day!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.uplandbeer.com

Twitter:  @UplandBrewCo

Closing, there is many craft breweries in the states that try to make Oktoberfest.  Some breweries have some good and really bad ones.  There is more misses than good ones.  This brew is one of the few good ones on the market.  There is some nice tasting notes from caramel and malty.  There is slight kick from the hops but it is little hit.  Overall, this is a pretty good brew.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ommegang Games Of Thrones Take The Black Stout

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into the second installment of the Games Of Thrones beer series brew by Ommegang Brewing.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know about this brewery.  If you have not and want to get know the history of this brewery, please, read that beer blog post.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a black color with a semi tan head on the stout.  The smell is hints of roasted chocolate and coffee notes.  The taste of this medium to full body beer is a burned chocolate to espresso.  The aftertaste is like a liquid espresso bean with smooth to creamy caramel notes.  It is pretty drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A stout as dark as the winters that once engulfed wasteros.  As robust as t he men who swear their oaths at the Weirwood tree, chocolate and caramel sweetness are balanced by hop bitterness.  Roasty, woodsy notes and an earthy finish.

Here is a description from their website (www.ommegang.com):

Ommegang and HBO® announce the newest beer in the Game of Thrones® collaboration series. Through its first three seasons, the critically acclaimed drama has become the biggest show on HBO. Take the Black Stout follows the highly coveted Iron Throne Blonde Ale, which flew off of shelves earlier this year. To satisfy the appetite of Game of Thrones fans, production of Take the Black Stout will more than double the final volumes of Iron Throne Blonde Ale.

Inspired by the brotherhood of the Night’s Watch, Take the Black Stout was made to be deep, dark and complex like those who have sworn  the oath to defend Westeros against threats from the north. The label depicts the Weirwood tree where Jon Snow recited the oath before joining the Night’s Watch.

In time for the holidays, Take the Black Stout makes for the perfect gift. Shipping to distributors in September 2013, the beer is available in 750 ML bottles and 1/6 barrel kegs.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website;  www.ommegang.com

Twitter:  @BreweryOmmegang and @GamesOfThrones

In closing, I was pretty excited that HBO was in talks with Ommegang to brew some beers for their hit show.  The first installment of this series of beers for Games Of Thrones was Iron Thorne.  I was not a huge fan of it.   This next beer has lived up to the theme from the show.  I am talking about the Night’s Watch, if you are not a fan of the show.  I can see beer fans falling in love with this beer and checking out the show.  I can see fans of the show liking this brew and checking out other brews.  I hope it turns them on to some good beers that out on the market.  This beer is heavy with chocolate and coffee notes but it smooths out with a nice caramel notes.  It is pretty interesting that this beer is drinkable beer.  Go get some, if you can find this beer.  It is a limited release beer.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Unknown Music Thursday Hell’s Addiction Raise Your Glass

In this Unknown Music Thursday blog, we are going to get into and upcoming band called Hell’s Addiction.  They just released their first record this year which is called “Raise Your Glass.”  There is not too much history or information from this young band.  Here is some information I found off their website.

Here is their bio from their website (www.hellsaddiction.com):

Hell’s Addiction deliver classic no-bullshit Rock and Roll in a style that draws comparison with the likes of AC/DC, Guns ‘n Roses, Skid Row and Mötley Crüe.

The band came together in 2010 in Leicester, born of a mutual passion for the hard-hitting rock of the great 70s and 80s bands. Before long they were supporting bands such as Heaven’s Basement, Voodoo Six, Fury UK, The Heavy Metal Kids and Zodiac Mindwarp around the country.

Over the following months the band wrote and recorded their debut album Raise Your Glass. With crowd-pleasers like Let The Good Times Roll, Feels like Rock ‘n Roll and the debut single Alcohol you’re left under no illusion as to where the band’s passions lie.

Now in 2013, the band have unleashed the album and will be bringing the rock to a venue near you soon.

I wrote a review on their single, which is “Alochol” in one of my earlier blog posts.  We will review that song and the rest of their songs in this post.  Let us get into the music.

Track List:

Feel The Fire

I love the guitar playing at the beginning.  The drumming and bass playing are simple but solid for the backbone for this band.  The singing is really solid with some really good lyrics.  His singing brings back the metal singers of late 1970’s and 1980’s.  There is a nice guitar break that turns into a pretty good guitar solo towards the end of the song.  The music on this song reminds me of something that Ratt or early Saxon would have written.  This is a great beginning to their frist record.

Brand New Story

I love the beginning of this song.  There is a nice short guitar solo.  There is some great playing from drummer and bass player.  I love his clean vocals at this point of the song.  I love his melody he wrote for his vocals.  There is solid lyrics.  The music kind of reminds me little bit of early Whitesnake at least during the main part of the music.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the mid-point of the song.  There is an extended guitar solo towards the end of the song.  There is a nice ending to this song.

Feels Like Rock And Roll

There is a nice classic hard rock guitar sound and playing at the beginning.  The simple music from the bass and drums gives you a little feel like this could have been a Kiss song.  It is not but it is pretty solid.  The singing and the lyrics are solid.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song.  You can feel the guitar solo coming and it just fit perfectly where they placed it.  I love the ending with the screaming vocals over the top of the music.

Breaking Free

I love the start of “Breaking Free.”  There is some awesome music.  I am loving the lyrics.  This song reminds me a little bit like Motorhead.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  This song is solid and short to the point.  I love the guitar solo exiting the song.

Big Bitch

I love classic sound on the guitars.  I love the bass playing on this song.  I love how the bass is equal to the rest of the band.  I love the lyrics.  This band has some punk influence.  This song has elements from the New Jersey rockers known as Skid Row.  I am talking off their first record.  There is a nice and solid guitar break towards the middle of the song.  It turns into to a short guitar solo.  They put some thought behind the writing of the music on “Big Bitch.”

Heaven Sent Me

I love the drumming and the guitar solo at the beginning of “Heaven Sent Me.”  I love the music and the guitar riff that is over the top good.  There is some nice vocal singing with some great lyrics.  I love the guitar solo at the mid-point of the song.  I love how the singer hits the some of the notes during the solo.  I love the ending to it.

Raise Your Glass

This is the title track off this record.  The beginning is something you would heard from 1980’s metal band.  I love the music.  The lyrics and singing are pretty solid.  This  band has written a nice anthem for today’s rocking youth.  I love the stops in the music and the start back up.  There is a pretty solid and well placed guitar solo towards the end.  I love the stops from the bass and drumming.  It gives the music another element.  The guitar work on this song reminds of fast Whitesnake.

Let The Good Times Roll

I love the music at the beginning of this song.  This singer sounds like younger Lemmy but not as deep as him.  There is some pretty solid lyrics and music on “Let The Good Times Roll.”  I love the guitar break and solo towards the end of the song.  There is a solid ending to “Let The Good Times Roll.”

Wings Of An Angel

The start of “Wings Of An Angel” has the classic 1980’s metal pop sound.  I am talking like Ratt and WASP.  The singing and lyrics remind me of something from those bands.  Even the back up singing is solid.  I love the drumming and bass playing.  It fills the music up.  There is no holes in this song.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song.  I feel at the end the singer needs some back up vocals.

Alochol

The first single of this record is “Alochol.”  I love the pace of this song.  It is fast and in your face metal music.  There is some great singing and lyrics.  This is one of my favorite songs off “Raise Your Glass.”  I love the music break that enters into a well written guitar solo.  The drumming towards the end is awesome.  This is a perfect ending to this song and the record.

Line Up:

  • Ben Sargent – Lead Vocals And Guitar
  • Liam Sargent – Lead Guitar And Backing Vocals
  • Jason Green – Bass And Vocals
  • Headache – Drums

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.hellsaddiction.com

Twitter:  @Hells_Addiction

Closing, Hell’s Addiction has put together a pretty solid first record.  This is a band that is on the raise in the hard rock and metal world.  This band has taken elements of the classic rockers of the past.  I am talking like Whitesnake, Ratt, and WASP.  The more and more I listen to this band’s music.  It reminds me of Motorhead.  The lyrics, song titles, and how the singer sings.  There is more from the sound of the bass and the guitar playing.  It reminds me a little Fast Eddie’s sound.  I am not saying they sound totally like Motorhead.  They brought back classic hard rock and metal sound from the late 1970’s and 1980’s.  The singer has a little punk influence to today’s Lemmy, who is the lead singer and bass player of Motorhead.  He has brought back this singing style and put his own twist on it.  Along with the lead singer, Hell’s Addiction has some punk influence and mixed it with some hard rock and metal.  They put their own twist on their music.  They took a page out of American rockers Skid Row and many of those bands from 1980’s.  If you are classic hard rock and metal fan, you will love this band.  I believe any metal fan will fall in love with Hell’s Addiction.  If you do not, please, tell me why.  I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.  Go get some “Alochol” and “Let The Good Times Row.”  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Revolution Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing Dos Osos India Pale Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into a brew where two craft breweries teamed up to brew.  I am talking about Dos Osos India Pale Ale from Revolution Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing.  This is a special and limited edition brew.  If you read my beer blog posts on both of these breweries, you know the history of both of them.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know both of these breweries.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear deep golden color with a constant white head on this India Pale Ale.  The smell is a heavy grapefruit with a slight orange.  The taste is about the same with some carbonation notes.  The aftertaste is a sweet grapefruit notes.  This is an extremely drinkable beer.

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Here is a description from Revolution Brewing’s Website (www.revbrew.com):

Dos Osos

Dos Osos, or “two bears,” IPA is a collaboration brew with our great friend Dustin Kral who is the lead brewer at Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, CA. Named after both the bear on the California State flag and the Chicago bears this IPA is described as a Central Coast IPA, named for California’s Central Coast. As with most West Coast IPAs, our version in not bogged down with lots of specialty malts and is dry, crisp and clean which is a trademark of the hoppy ales from both Revolution and Firestone. 2-row, Munich, and a touch of cara-pils lend a subtle malt base to which the layers of hop character are built upon. An array of hops including Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Cascade and Citra infuse this ale with aromas and flavors of fresh flowers, citrus and passion fruit. The finished product is a clean refreshing IPA with a crisp bitterness and wonderful hop bouquet.

India Pale Ale

ABV  6.6%IBU  75

Profile: Dos Osos, or “two bears,” IPA is a collaboration brew with Firestone Walker Brewing Company.

Color: Deep Gold

Availability: 1/6bbl, 1/2 bbl, 22 oz.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.revbrew.com and www.firestonebeer.com

Tiwtter;  @revolutionsbrew, @RevBrewChicago, and @firestonewalker

Closing, this beer has been on my radar since it came out.  I keep on picking it up at the liquor store and pulling it back down on the shelf.  I knew I was leaving the Chicago area to move back to Michigan.  I wanted to make sure I had at least one before I leave.  I have to say I am not disappointed one bit.  Both craft breweries did a great job working together to make a really good brew.  It is well-balanced from the malty backbone to the hops.  If you can find a bottle, I highly recommend you trying this brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Wieser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter;  @djweiser

New Unknown Music Thursday First Reign As The Dead Lead The Dead

In this Unknown Music Thursday blog, we are going to get into a band that comes out of the northern part of Canada.  The band is called First Reign and the record is “As The Dead Lead The Dead.”  I have played their songs when I had a radio show on www.stfu.fm before the station shut down.  I have talked to these guys from their twitter feed and they are really nice and down to earth dudes.  I have been wanting to do a review on their record on my blog but I have been so far behind.  I now have a chance to do it and I am going to write it.  There is not much history on this death metal from Canada.  I know they are working on their second record.  Let us get into the first record.

Track List:

Inception

The opening track is “Inception.”  This track is intro to the real opening track.  I have to say I love the music from the guitars.  The drumming is pretty good.  I love how they are using the bass on this song.  It is a nice build up song.  I feel this song is great display of an opening song.  Most bands should take some notes from this song and band on how to write a good opening track.

This Ghost Of Ours

I love the insane and in your face drumming.  It is a nice step up for the fast pace music.  The guitar and bass playing is really good.  I really love the singing on this song.  They have written some nice lyrics.  There is a nice guitar solo in the first quarter of the song.  I love the lead singer’s death metal vocals.  It is pretty than most death metal singers.  There is another pretty good short guitar solo almost to the half way point of the song.  There is a nice groove to this song.  I love the music change in the back half of the song.  I love the singers screaming.  There is a nice long extended guitar solos towards the end.  I love the trade-off from the two players.

Where The Ocean Meets The Sky

I love the drumming and bass playing at the beginning.  I love the nice guitar riff with the guitar solo over the top.  This is some awesome music.  I love the singing from the singer.  I love the switch off from clean to death metal singing.  There is a nice guitar solo in the first quarter of the song.  The drumming so far on this record is off the charts.  I would put him in the same class as Richard Christy of Charred Walls Of The Damn and Iced Earth.  I love the music change in about the half way point.  Nice touch on the acoustic guitar with some nice singing over the top.  This music on this song is mind-blowing.  First Reign took the idea of Opeth to the next level.  I love the guitar works towards the end of the song.  There is some nice exiting guitar solos at the end.

Wretched Flesh

I love the drumming and guitar work at the beginning.  The bass playing is simple and there is nothing wrong with that writing.  I love the singing and the lyrics.  There is a nice pace on this song.  There is a nice guitar solo in the first quarter of the song.  I love the change in the music about the half way point of the song.  There is some awesome singing about this point of the song.  I love how they pick up the heaviest of the music after that point.  I love how they are ending this song.  It is a very good ending.

Thistle

Here is another intro song to the ending track of this great record.  I love the acoustic guitars.  The drumming is calming but still heavy enough to be a metal song.  I love the dancing bass line with an awesome acoustic guitar solo over the top of the music.

As The Dead Lead The Dead

I love how the acoustic guitar playing at the beginning of the song but yet echoes the intro song.  I love the heavy guitar and the screaming vocals in the main part of the song.  I love the melody and the singing on this song.  There is a some insane drumming on this song.  I love the music on this record.  I love the guitar solo towards the mid-point of the song.  The drumming in the last-minute of the song is off the charts.  I love the distance effects on the music at the end of the song.  This is a perfect ending to the song and the record.

Line Up:

  • Russ O’Shea – Bass
  • Sean Lang – Drums
  • Dallas Erickson – Lead Vocals
  • Chris Holtz – Guitar
  • Ryan Macdonald – Guitar

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.firstreign.com

Twitter:  @firstreignband

In closing, I enjoyed the music on this record and I find myself going back and re-listening to this record at least every two weeks.  I love the length of these songs.  They are long and have a ton of thought behind them.  The drumming from Sean is off the charts.  This guy practiced a ton and he is extremely talented drummer.  I love the bass playing from Russ.  I am a bass player and I could not picture myself playing that fast.  I would have to work myself up to it.  This rhythm selection makes this band what it is as far as music side. The guitar playing is off the charts from Chris and Ryan.  The guitar solos are well written.  The singing from Dallas is really good.  I love his death metal vocals and his clean vocals.  First Reign taken the idea of Opeth and took it to the next level.  I really love this band and I cannot wait to see what their next record is going to be like.  I highly recommend you checking out this band.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog 21st Amendment Brewery Hop Crisis Imperial IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from 21st Amendment Brewery.  It is their limited release brew, which is called Hop Crisis Imperial IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not read those beer blog posts, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a cloudy straw to golden color with a constant white head on the beer.  The smell is a heavy tropical fruit to this IPA.  The taste of this light body beer is a sweet tropical fruits like mango to pineapple.  The aftertaste echoes the taste notes.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a descriation from their website (www.21st-amendment.com):

Shaun and Nico have to break out of Alcatraz. And fast. The Hop Syndicate is hoarding hops, depriving the people of their right to hoppy, aromatic beer. Join Shaun and Nico on their adventure to Free the Hops! First, they plan a daring escape through the sewer pipe, then they surf monster waves on ironing boards, and finally they attempt a high speed cable car getaway.

Hop Crisis. Crisis? What Crisis? A few years ago, when hop prices shot through the roof and the worldwide hop market went into a tailspin, at our pub in San Francisco we decided there was only one thing for us to do. We made the biggest, hoppiest IPA we could imagine and aged it on oak for good measure. This Imperial IPA breaks all the rules with more malt, more hops and more aroma.

  • Alcohol Content 9.7% by volume
  • Color Gold
  • Bitterness Units (IBUS) 94
  • Bittering Hops Columbus, Centennial, Cascade
  • Yeast Top Fermenting Ale Yeast
  • Malts Pale Malt, Munich, Dextrose
  • Special Ingredients Aged on Oak

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.21st-amendment.com

Twitter:  @21stAmendment

End of the hops, this beer is something else in a very good way.  This is Imperial India Pale Ale and it does not drink like one.  It is light to medium in body for the type of beer style.  I love the hops that they used in this brew.  It has a well made malty backbone to balance with hops that are being used in it.  The hops kick off a nice tropical fruit notes.  If you are in the west coast, I highly recommend you stopping into their brewpub in San Fran.  They service some great food and you can purchase some of their beer to go from the brewery.  I highly recommend this brew too.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Robinsons Brewery Trooper Ale

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Run to the hills, we are going to get into the brew from Iron Maiden and Robinsons Brewery and it is their Trooper Ale.  This is recipe came from Bruce Dickenson, who is the lead singer.  Robinsons Brewery was founded and started in 1838 by William Robinson in England.  They brew several different beer styles.  Here is a youtube video with Bruce talking about this beer.

It has a clear copper color with a semi white head on this Metal Beer.  The smell is a slight caramel to some hop notes.  The taste has some caramel with hop notes along with a slight water notes.  The aftertaste has a dry hop and malt finish that falls flat at the end.  It it is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Onward, onward Ride the 600…

The change of the light brigade, which inspired the Iron Maiden song The Trooper, took place at the Battle Of Balaclava (1854) during the Crimean War when 600 British cavalry courageously charged the masses Russian artillery.  This gallant but foolhardy assault resulted in a massive loss of life and came about due to a misunderstanding of an order given by the commanding officer, Lord Raglan

Trooper is a premium British beer inspired by Iron Maiden and handcrafted are Robinsons brewery.  Being a real ale enthusiast, vocalist Bruce Dickinson has developed a beer which has true depth of character.  Malt flavours and citric notes from an unique blend of Bobec, Goldings, and Cascade hops dominate this deep golden ale.

Here is a description from Robinson Brewery’s website (www.robinsonsbrewery.com):

Premium British Beer – Inspired by Iron Maiden, handcrafted by Robinsons. ABV 4.7%

TROOPER takes its name from the Iron Maiden song which is inspired by the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. Being a real ale enthusiast, vocalist Bruce Dickinson has developed a beer which has true depth of character.

TROOPER is a Premium British Beer inspired by Iron Maiden and handcrafted at Robinsons brewery. Malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops dominate this deep golden ale with a subtle hint of lemon.

Premium British Beer – Created by award-winning heavy metal rock legends Iron Maiden, brewed by Robinsons. ABV 4.7%

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.robinsonsbrewery.com and www.ironmaidenbeer.com

Twitter:  @ironmaidenbeer

Fear of the dark, I am huge metal head and fan of Iron Maiden.  When I heard the band was coming out with a beer, I thought it was a money grab.  Of course, they will make money on it either way.  When I heard they are taking this beer serious, I started to take this brew serious.  I had a hard time finding a bottle to try it here in the states.  I had a friend from one of my beer stores get a few cases.  It is 16.9oz bottle for $7.99.  I am not saying this is a bad beer because it is not a bad one.  I just feel this beer is over priced.  Of course, I understand it is an import beer that is one reason why it is a little bit more.  I recommend you trying this brew if you are a fan of the band, metal head, and/or craft beer drinker.  Overall, it is a well made beer and I enjoyed this brew. Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Music Monday Blog Charred Walls Of The Damned Cold Winds On Timeless Days

In this Music Monday blog, we are going to get into the second record from Charred Walls Of The Damned.  The record is called Cold Winds On Timeless Days.  We are going to get into the history of the band and then the music.  Let us get into history.

History:

Richard Christy, who is the drummer and founder of Charred Walls Of The Damned, left Iced Earth in 2004.  The lead singer at that time was Tim “Ripper” Owens.  He began working on the Howard Stern Show. In 2009, Richard returns to music with his band called Charred Walls Of The Damned.  The name of the band came from prank calls while on the Stern Show.  In 2010, the band released their first record which was self titled.  In 2011, the band released their second record called Cold Winds On Timeless Days.  Let us get into the music.

Track List:

Timeless Days

I love the guitar playing at the beginning of the song.  There is a nice guitar solo before the main part of the song.  I love the drumming from Christy.  Tim’s singing is pretty solid.   There is some pretty good lyrics.  The guitar and drumming is pretty solid on this song.  This is a pretty good opening track for the record.  I just kind of feel this song is too long.  There are also parts of the song where Tim’s vocals do not fit with the song.  There is a nice acoustic guitar break towards the end.

Ashes Falling Upon Us

I love the beginning of this song.  There is heavy guitars with a guitar solo over the top.  The drumming is pretty solid with some nice bass playing.  Tim’s singing is solid and his voice fits the song.  There is some pretty good lyrics.  There is a nice short guitar solo quarter into the song.  There is some well placed nice short guitar solos between the main part and chorus. There is a long and extended guitar solo at the end of the song. I love the end of this song.

Zerospan

The music on this song is insane.  The drumming is what I expect from Richard Christy.  I am talking about speed and more speed on this song.  The lead singer’s singing is solid.  The lyrics are pretty good too.  There is an awesome guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  The guitar and bass playing is pretty strong on “Zerospan.”

Cold Winter

I love the acoustic guitar playing with the other guitar over the top.  The bass is dancing in the background.  I just wish it was a little bit turn up on the bass.  I love Tim’s singing on this song.  The lyrics are pretty solid.  The music had some emotion and feeling behind it.  This is one of my favorite tracks off this record.  I love the ending of this song.

Lead The Way

I love the fade in on the guitar playing.  It is a pretty solid riff.  I love the drumming and the bass playing is really good.  The music is pretty strong on this song.  The singing from the Tim is strong.  I love the lyrics on this song.  There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  Nice touch on the fade out of the music.

Forever Marching On

I love the bass playing at the beginning.  I am glad they let him out to dance up and down on that neck.  The guitar playing to me does not seem to fit.  There is a crazy drum beat.  Tim’s singing is pretty good.  I am not sure how i feel about that guitar riff over the top of the bass.  The chorus music is awesome.  I love the lyrics on this song.  I love the pace towards the end of the song.

Guiding Me

I love the acoustic guitar playing.  The music during the main part of the song is good.  Tim’s singing is solid with some great lyrics.  I love the melody on this singing.  The music is pretty solid.  There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  This band wrote some nice music on this song.  I love the ending to the song.

The Beast Outside My Window

There is a nice acoustic guitar at the beginning of the song.  This is thinking man’s music.  This is very well written music.  The music picks up to the heavy part.  The guitars are using the same riff but it is heavier.  There is some solid singing from Tim.  I am not really a fan of the lyrics but the music is pretty killer.  There is a pretty good ending.

On Unclean Ground

I love the bass playing at the beginning.  It is an insane riff.  The drumming is starting to sound the same in each song.  It is still pretty good.  I love the music on this song.  The lyrics are pretty good.  There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the end of the song.

Boodworm

I love the slow down pace on this song to the rest of fast over top speed songs on this record.  I love Tim’s singing with some good lyrics.  The music is pretty good.  The music gets pretty killer towards the middle of the song.  There is a nice guitar break about the same point.  They wrote some nice music on this track.

Admire The Heroes

I love the music at the beginning of the song.  It is just like the last song.  It has a nice pace and groove to it.  Tim has been pretty solid on his singing on this record.  There is no drop off on this song.  There is some solid lyrics on this song.  There is a nice exiting guitar solo to end the song.

Avoid The Light

This song is over the top fast and in your face at the beginning.  The music is pretty good.  I love the drop off during the main part of the song.  Once again, Tim’s singing is pretty solid.  I love the bass playing on this song.  This is a great tune but I just feel this is a bad song to end the record.  This record deserves more and I do not know what it is and what song.  Overall, this was a pretty good second record.

Line Up:

  • Richard Christy – Drums
  • Steve DiGiorgio – Bass
  • Tim “Ripper” Owens – Lead Vocals
  • Jason Sueof – Guitar

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.richardchristy.com

Twitter:  @cwotd

Closing, I had interested in this band because of their lead singer, who is Tim Owens.  I discovered Tim when he was part of the legendary band, who is Judas Priest.  Yes, he was the guy that replaced Rob Halford.  I am a fan of his ever since.  Charred Walls Of The Damned first record was really good.  I still pull it out and put it in my music of the day.  I did not know how to feel towards their second record, which is one that I am reviewing it here.  Richard’s drumming is up to his standards.  It was over the top good.  I just felt at times that the drumming sounds the same in every song or most.  I had the same feeling in their first record.  There is nothing wrong with that because that is Richard’s style.  Tim’s singing is really good but I felt his singing in some songs did not fit.  I love the bass playing on this record.  This band has a really good rhythm selection.  The one thing I noticed on this record is the guitar playing.  There was some really good guitar playing.  I enjoyed most of it.  I just felt some of the guitar solo were not forced into songs.  They sound like they should be in the songs.  There is many guitar solos in many songs from other bands where the solos sound like they were forced in so the guitar player can show off.  Not every song needs a guitar solo and I am glad Charred Walls Of The Damned realizes this situation.  This was a really good record overall.  I will be adding it once in a while to my daily line up of music.  I highly recommend this record and their first one too.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Unknown Music Thursday Blog Ass Kick Ass Kick Ass

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In this Unknown Music Thursday Blog, we are going to get into a local Detroit base hard rock band.  The band was started around 2010 with Brian Thomas, who is the lead vocals of Halloween.  I am talking about Halloween not Helloween.  Halloween is hard rock and metal group based in Detroit in the 1970’s to now.  There is not much history on this band.  They are having fun with this band and trying not to take it too serious.  The band on their Facebook page says anyone from the 1970’s hard rock to today’s metal will like their band.  Let us get into the music.

Track List:

Sabbwacwij

The song starts out with a nice piano music.  I love the guitar playing that echoes the piano music.  I love the guitar work on the main part of the song.  There is a nice pace to this song.  I love the screaming from the lead singer before he sings the main part of the song.  There is some good music and lyrics.  There is a well placed and good guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  I love how they used the back up vocals towards the end of the song.

The Machine

I love the drumming at the beginning of “The Machine.”  The simple but perfect guitar and bass riff.  I love how they shaped the music around the lyrics.  I love the lyrics.  There is some well placed sound effects.  This song sounds like something that Anvil would have written as far as music and lyrics wise.  I love the guitar break towards the middle of the song.  I love the ending.

I’ve Always Hated You

I love the speed on this song.  The drumming is insane.  I love how they let the bass player free and he dances around.  I love the lyrics.  There is some really good music on this song.  I love the guitar solo at end of the song.  This is classic speed metal song.

Marching On

There is a killer guitar riff.  I love the drums.   There is some killer metal music on this song.  There is some nice acoustic guitar work during the versus.  Ass has written some awesome music on this track.  I love how they build up to the guitar solo towards the end of the song.  They know how to use the back up vocals.

Falling Angel

There is a pretty good guitar riff at the beginning.  The singing is solid with some great lyrics.  I love the groove and pace on this song.  The drummer is really good along with the bass player.  Ass has a great rhythm selection and that is key to a successful band.    I love the guitar playing on this song.

The Running Of The Bull

Hola! I love the start of this song.  There is some nice acoustic guitar and a nice dancing bass playing.  There is some nice music on this song.  It is Mexican Metal music.  This is a pretty fun song.  Si!  The singer has written some great lyrics and the singer is a pretty solid.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song.

I Am A Warrior

I love the guitar playing on this song.  There is some nice lyrics and singing from the lead singer.  I love the drumming and bass playing.  I love the groove on this song.  There is a guitar solo that is well placed half way point of the song.  I feel they need to turn up the lead singer on this song.  He just seems like he is singing in the background along with the rest of the band.

Line Up:

  • Brian Thomas – Lead Vocals And Bullhorn
  • Chris Taylor – Bass And Back Up Vocals
  • T.J. – Lead Guitars And Back Up Vocals
  • Foot – Drums And Back Up Vocals
  • Brandon Richardson – Guitars And Back Up Vocals

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  Facebook Page

Twitter:  No Twitter account

In closing, this record was passed to me by a friend and co-worker, who is Ed Harker.  We love our music and we are always trading and leaning out our music.  He told me to check out this band for two reason.  One I am from the Detroit area and two this is some good metal music.  I have to say I was pretty impressed.  I know Brian’s singing from his Helloween years.  I have a few of their records.  I love the pace of all these songs.  They know slow but their fast is over the top good.  The lyrics are funny but really good.  Brian’s singing is really good and strong.  The guitar playing is really good.  The drumming and bass playing is awesome. I will be looking for this band when I come back to visit Michigan.  Go get some Ass!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

New Music Monday Blog Black Country Communion Afterglow

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In this Music Monday Blog, we are going to get into the third record from a super group, who is called Black Country Communion.  The third record is called Afterglow.  We will get into the history and then the music on this blog.  Let us get into the history of this young super group.

History:

Glen Hughes and Joe Bonamassa met at a NAMM Show in 2006 and they jammed at Hughes studio.  In 2009, the two artists did jam after three years since their first jamming session.  The band had Jason Bonham, who is the son of John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, and Derek Sherinian, who was park of Dream Theater.  Bonamassa producer, who is Shirleys, suggested to pick these musicians.  Joe wanted a second guitar player not a keyboardist.  The band named their band called Black Country, however, there was a band out of Maryland that put a lawsuit against the band.  The band later named themselves Black Country Communion.   The band entered the studio to record in their first record in 2010.  In the later part of 2010, the band released their first record which was self titled.  The record was a UK success.  The band did not tour to support their first record.  In that same year, the band started to talk about recording their second record.  Black Country Communion Two was released in June 2011.  The band did a short Europe dates and a seven-day dates in the United States.  The band announced it was going to record a live record.  The band released their live record in later part of 2011.  The band took a little break to work on their other projects.  In 2012, the band return to the studio to start recording their third record, which is AfterGlow.  This is the record that will be reviewed on this blog.  Afterglow was released in the later back of 2012. Glen Hughes did not like the lacking of touring and the support from Bonamassa.  Joe said the band can tour but I had to pick the guitar player.  The band did not like this at all.  Joe finally left the band in March of 2013 he left the band.  Glen said that the rest of the band would recorded in the future in the another name.  Let us get into the music.

Track List:

Big Train

The guitar, bass, and drums start-up the song like a driving force.  I love the touch on the music when Glen comes in singing.  There is a nice driving groove to this song.  I love the back up vocals on this song.  I am not a fan of the lyrics but I love the music on “Big Train.”  There is a nice guitar break halfway through the song that turns into a nice guitar solo.  I love the slow down on the music after the guitar solo.  The band turn to the main riff and chorus to finish up the song.

This Is Your Time

I love the dark theme guitars at the beginning of the song.  I love the melody that Glen wrote for his vocals.  I love the lyrics on this song.  I love the pace of this song.  This song has elements of Bad Company and Deep Purple in it.  I love the guitar solo towards the back half of the song.  The bass line and drums are simple but are perfect the song.

Midnight Sun

I love the guitar riff at the beginning of the song.  I love the music on the main part of the song.  There is a nice pace on this song.  Glen’s singing is strong with some great lyrics.  He sounds better than ever.  I have always loved his singing since Deep Purple.  There is a pretty good guitar solo that does not need all the reverb on his guitar solo.  It is pretty good but I just feel like this song could live without a guitar solo.  There is some nice drumming towards the end of the song.

Confessor

I love the heavy music at the beginning.  This is classic hard rock driving song.  There is some really good singing and I read the lyrics before listening to this song.  I have to say I love how they wrote for “Confessor.”    Jason is killing it on the drums on this song.  There is a nice guitar and organ solo towards the end of the song.  It seems forced but it smooths out towards the middle of the solo.  I love the ending of the song.

Cry Freedom

I love the classic hard rock guitar sound and riff.  There is some nice music on this song.  The singing is strong on this song.  The singing is pretty Blues like on “Cry Freedom.”  I love how they are using the back up vocals.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  The singing on this song reminds me a little bit of the Deep Purple Mark III and IV era.  There is nice guitar break at the mid-point of the song.  The guitar work kind of has a little Robert Kriger, who is the guitar player from The Doors, feel to it.

Afterglow

The title track for this record is “Afterglow.”  There is some nice music at the beginning of the song.  I love the acoustic guitar playing and the singing is pretty strong.  There are parts that sounds like later Led Zeppelin.  The drumming and bass playing has that feeling too.   There is some pretty good music on this song.  The lyrics are pretty average but the music is what saves this song.  I love the build up to the ending of the song.

Dandelion

There is some nice driving music at the beginning of this song.  I love the drumming and bass playing on this song.  The singing is pretty good with some great lyrics.  I love the music on this song.  There is a well placed guitar solo towards the end of the song.  I thought the ending was a little weak.

The Circle

I am not sure on how I feel about the beginning of this song.  I am not sure on how I feel on the singing and the lyrics.  I love the keyboard playing in the background.  The music did get a little bit better during the chorus part of “The Circle.”  I am really not liking this song.  I hate to say it but I really do not like this song.  I can see someone liking this song and it could be you.

Common Man

I love the music at the beginning of this song.  There is a killer guitar riff on this song.  I love the movement on the bass.  There is some pretty good singing and good lyrics.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the middle of the song.  The band switches off and on in the solo part.  I love the organ playing right after the guitar, bass, and drum solo.  The back half of the song there is some nice playing from the bass, drums, and organ players.  There is some nice playing over the top from the guitar player.

The Giver

There is some nice slow pace music on “The Giver.”  There is some nice singing and some pretty good lyrics.  I love the pick up going into the chorus part of the song.  I am really not liking the guitar riff during the main part of the song.  I am not a fan of the guitar solo towards the end of the song.  It does not fit in the song.  I love the music and the singing for the ending of the song.

Crawl

I love the music on this song.  This song has some powerful music on it.  There is some great singing and lyrics.  I love the keyboard touch on this song.  This song is full with no holes in it.  There is a nice guitar break towards the middle part with a nice keyboard solo right after it.  I love the trade-off solos between the keyboard and guitar players.

Current Line Up:

  • Glenn Hughes – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar, And Acoustic Guitar
  • Joe Bonamassa – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, And Co-Lead Vocals
  • Jason Bonham – Drums, Percussion, and Backing Vocals
  • Derek Sherinian – Keyboards

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bccommunion.com

Twitter:  @bccommunion

In closing, I was so sad to hear that this band has broken up.  I was a little late picking up this record.  I feel bad for it.  I have to say this record lives up to their last two records.  There is some great music and lyrics on this awesome record. There is a few songs towards the end of the record that I could do without on the record.  This is one of the best super groups put together in the last few years.  I am glad Glenn clean up his act and is drug free.  He is a great bass player and singer.  I love all his work and I cannot wait to see what he will be doing next.  I highly recommend this record and their first two records.  Please, hope this band gets back together and tour with some more new music.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser