ASTEROID-ASTEROID II-

Released in January 2010 this outfit originates from Örebro Sweden. True Heavy stoner melodies upon a vintage production leaves no one untouched.

Great bluesbased guitar riffs and potent singing from both Robin Hirse and Johannes Nilsson, also on bass guitar, thrives with a bit of spaced out resemblence to both The Doors and early ZZ Top. The production out plays their debut with more refined sound and this gives the band a more solid sound frame.

The Swedish stoner Music scene consists of great bands like Graveyard, Abramis Brama and the resemblence to others acts like Blowback is undeniable. This is high Music skills at its best. Very Good.

Whatabout the drummer, Elvis Campbell?? This drummer is a bit cautios and maybe this is the best thing for Asteroid. Great dynamics and Clean striking with (no) Fuzz makes this a walk in the park. Nothing dramatic just good Clean playing. Very nice.

As you read this, Asteroid III is just been released, and why not treat yourself with a christmas gift and invest in a great album. Asteroid II just leaves you with a satisfaction that few new records can deliver. Give this album a few spins on you turntable and be mesmirazed by the great songwriting. If you´re in for stoner/blues/prog rock this is a great record. If you´re not, you probably wonder where they keep the weed…:-)

VINYLRATING/GRADE

6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

ROSE TATTOO-ASSAULT & BATTERY-

Released in 1981 this Australian outfit second album stirred up the European Music scene with a  fresh street brawl record sound.

After the departure from Buffalo bass player Peter Wells hit the slide guitar and started up Rose Tattoo. Ian Rilen joined on bass guitar, a selftought inmate, that gave Rose Tattoo the street cred it was looking for and also responsible for the band s debut single “Bad Boy for love”. They cut their debut album and released it in 1978 and made a tour in the USA. At this time the album “Rock´n roll outlaw”, had begun to Surface on several European charts and gave the band a sincere chance to make the break in Europe.

So Three years after their debut they released”Assault & Battery” which peaked at no.1 in the UK Heavy metal charts and dragging the debut with it.

As Rose Tattoo is one of the most revered bands of all time, they rely on Heavy streetblues rock´n´roll with emphasis on slide guitar and strident lyrics statements, a hard beaten combo.The production of this album is in the old Vanda/Young style with recognizable sound Picture of early AC/DC albums. The songs are strong on the album with catching melodies with tough attitude lyrics. Brilliant!!

Whatabout the drummer, Dallas “Digger” Royal?? This is a like having the Marvel Caracter ” The Hulk” on the drums. No what so ever Dynamics, hard hitting with questionable striking and a fearce attitude. Perfect for this outfit. I can´t even imaging an easy beating soft drummer to this album. Nothing to add to your toolbox, just inhale the Power of hard hitting powerhouse drumming. Really fun!!

This is a land mark of an album with Hard/blues/punk/street attitude and “go for it” spirit. A partycracker to go at any beerfuelled BBQ or mancave gathering. Do You need this record? No, but you sure are missing a hell of a party by not buying it.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

BAD AXE-BAD AXE-

Released in 1976 as a demorecord, this LA outfit probably is one history´s most underrated bands of its genre, by this timeperiod.

A large portion of  the songs have influences of Rush, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. The great guitar versus bass battles through the record is as contemperary as greater acts of today. The production is as you´ve to expect from a demorecord, but the signs of great strong songs shines through and I can´t stop listening to find out what´s around the corner. The impression of an outfit before it´s time leaves you with a feeling of self inflected drowning in the L.A musicscene. To bad….

With a great following back in the day there are some famous stories about Bad Axe. One is the Starwood gig, when they summoned 1561 illegal standing room only into a 800 capacity nightclub, on a monday night!! Impressive.

Even when the local radio station KMET94,7 had their annual Rocktober Award and Bad Axe was voted third best L.A  band behind, The Eagles and Van Halen it didn´t lead to a record deal. The air slowly dissappeared from Bad Axe. Bass player Dana Strum Went on to other bands in L.A, as did guitarist Dave Carruth. A nice rumour has it that Dana Strum introduced Randy Rhoads to Ozzy Ozbourne…That´s an achievement!!

Whatabout the drummer, Steve Ward?? There´s a great contribution to this demorecord and as far as I can hear, his plying style is flawless with good interaction and nice drive. It´s a bit hard to determind techniques due to poor production, but I have to assume there were not that many retakes so I am impressed by his work. There are some things to Catch up on and bring back to your toolbox.

This is an album for hard/heavy/prog/rockcore fans only. Nothing you put on your turntable at partytimes. Due to the low distribution the price tags are high but you could find some nice copies for reasonable Money . That would be “one for the price of Three. ” though. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

AXIS-IT´S A CIRCUS WORLD-

Released in 1978 this outfit originated from Shreveport Louisiana.

Former gunslinger with Rick Derringer, Danny Johnson is at the head of the guitars and vocals. More interesting is the rumour that this is the album, who opened the opportunity for Vinny Appice to join Black Sabbath later on. A great album with top notch producing and strong tunes. Why the band got cut loose by RCA is a biq riddle. Aerosmith was on the brink to implode and there was nothing to hold this outfit back. Peculiar how the World works…

Funky chunky songs mixed with a disguise standard boogie Foundation leaves with the impression of something you´ve encountered Before. Not bad in anyway, this is a good record but it´s to even and doesn´t stand out as it could have done. It´s like Southern Comfort, a bit sleezy but it does the job and eventually you get drunk….:-)

Standout tracks would be, “Brown Eyes” and “Armageddon”. There the only ones with a bit of personality.

Whatabout the drummer, Vinny Appice?? As almost anyone knows this is a hard striking, clear as a bell delivery man. A bit resemblence to John Bonham in some of the songs and you could be compared with less better drummers. A great piece of work. Lucky for us there is more to come in the future in form of Black Sabbath and Dio.

This is a great rock´n´roll record and if you should come across a copy for a descent piece of dollar you should buy it. Most for the collaboration with Danny Johnson and Vinny Appice but also for a the sound of New York in 1978. Very nice.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

6-GOOD!!-WORTH BUYING-

THE OATH-THE OATH-

Released in March 2014 this outfit originated from Germany with Swedish guitarist Linnéa Olsson as Headmaster.

A fresh mix of 70´s style and early 80´s songwritting this is will be a lost gem in the future to come. The band dissolved after this release and this create a certain mysticism. The album was released on Rise above records and the similarity to bands like Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats are undeniable.

The star of this album is guitarist Linnéa Olsson, who possesses a great drive in her playing and push the band forward. An Excellent performence. Vocalist Johanna Sadonis is living on the edge on her performance due to an almost out of tune vocalstyle. Very personal but a bit lame. More attitude in some songs wouldn´t hurt the production which is flawless by the way.

Whatabout the drummer, Andrew Prestidge?? A sort of Comfort playing style is upon this album. There is a lack of engagement and the feeling of no, what so ever effort towards attitude is rubbing me the wrong way. The delivery is good and the striking as good as the next one but it will not be remembered as a drummers album.

This Picture perfect duo was not to be which is sad. There are strong songs here and Linnéas guitar is a real treat. The rumour has it that Linnéa Went on as one of the Ghouls of Ghost…:-)

If you are interested in Hard/doom/psych rock with a dosage of prog this is an album for you. For the rest of us it´s Worth exploring because of the freshness it brings to the genre.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

LOUDNESS-DISILLUSION-

Released in 1984 this Japanese outfit really hits the Nail with their fourth album. In a time of searching and development in the metal genre this record outplays most of its European counterparts, both in in songwriting and technique.

Great recemblence to Accept, Yngwie J Malmsteen and a bit of Rush in their song-catalouge this is a strong contender. A true gem. Guitarist Akira Takasagi would easily go head to head with the World´s guitar greats as Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen….a never fully appreciated six string hero!

The rest of the band is as much impressive and there´s nothing to get upset about but you may have a slightly hard time to accept the vocals. The production is top notch with no signs of weariness. This is A+ material.

Whatabout the drummer, Munetaka Higuchi ?? Well as almost no one ever heard this drummer Before, I must admit this is a Godsend !!  This is a true companion to guitarist Akira Takasaki. Strong delivery with Clean striking, excellent technique and a sense of participating with tremendous dynamics. It never gets boring to listen to his playing. This is a highlight of 1984. A force unleashed from the east. Just fantastic!

If you´re a metalhead in for Metal/hard/prog rock and misses the force of Accept and true blazing guitarsolos this is a must purchase. Great copies are out there and you will not be disappointed. The question is not “what could have been”?  It´s more like”do you remember ?”

An Album to cherish.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

7-VERY GOOD!!-GAME, SET AND MATCH-

LIGHT OF DARKNESS-LIGHT OF DARKNESS-

Released in 1971 this is a Scottish/german outfit. Byron Grant, Mike Reoch and John latimer went on to Hamburg were they teamed up with German beatmaster Manfred”Fred” Bebert.

Just leaving a sidenote in the German Musicscene at the time, they landed a record deal with Philips and set of on an European tour. The album became just a German release and the style was aiming towards hard/prog/blues/folk rock Music but with no direct heading.

The production is time typical with a lack of depth and sustain. Vocals by John Latimer are exceptional in a very personal way. Guitars and bass resembles a lot of early Black Sabbath, Captain Beefheart and maybe Status Quo. Nothing  extraordinary but all in all a good clean job. The band dissolved not far from this release due to poor sales and success.

Whatabout the drummer, Manfred Bebert?? This is a solid and nice tribute to the album. Determenation and Clean playing, striking and great Dynamics. You can hear that this is an experienced drummer and real treat for all you “drumheads” outhere. A Very good job.

This album is truly a lost gem and sought after by collectors due to its low distribution. But don´t let that discourage you. Great reissues for descent Money is still available and if you`re in to hard/prog/blues/folk rock with a sprinkle of Krautrock this is a must have.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

BLOODROCK-U.S.A-

Released in october 1971 this is the fourth album from the Texas hard/prog/psych rockers Bloodrock.

Acknowlodged a pretty great success back in the day, this album do tend to swing to a Deep progressive side of the band, comparing to the other Three albums. The production is a sign of times and leaves you a bit melancholic. Not necesssarily a bad thing but just so much to make you feel a Little bit uncomfortable.

Vocals by Jim Rutledge  is at its peak on this album, which was to be the last album with Bloodrock together with guitarist,Lee Pickens. Organs and bass are on a similar harmony highway to greatness. Not to small, not to big just building a great sound of progressive wall-highlight with flute and everything. Very good!

Whatabout the drummer, Rick Cobb?? On this album Mr Cobb is performing on a high and consistant level. No magic tricks in the technical bunnyhat but very good Dynamics and Clean raw striking. A treat for all fellow drummers. I like the cool backbeatings in especially “Crazy bout you Baby”. Hard to sit still and a forgotten toetapper gem.

This is a record for all you people that fancys a good dosage of hard/prog/psych rock with a very big Deep Purple tag attached to it. It´s no problem for you to get a descent copy for less Money and you got to admit that the album cover is one of a kind….:-)

VINYLRATING/GRADE

5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

THREE MAN ARMY-TWO-

Relased in 1974 this is the third time around for the Army but in reality their second real album.

Confusing? Well there´s more to come. The Gurvitz Brothers from the outfit “Gun” reunited for Three man Army after a séjour with other musicians and released the first album with several drummers such as Carmine Appice and Buddy miles but that hardly Counts as a real album do to the several outtakes with different musicians.

They teamed up with Tony Newman and their third release is a gigantor of an album. Hitting it on with “Polecat Woman” you barely  believe this is happening to you on the turntable, a tour de force of an opening track. One of the best ever!!!

A fantastic production brings a sense of ELO sound to the album but that´s not a bad thing on this album. A sense of deep prog seasoning brings air and personality to a very solid album. The guitar is an adult candy treatment and the organs and bass playing is second to none. Such good performence is a rare thing. Beautiful!!

Whatabout the drummer, Tony Newman?? There´s something special about British drummers and this is no exception. Hard focus, fabulous drive and clear as a bell striking sets this performance as one the best on a Three man army album. With great dynamic playing nothing is missing. A tremendous job.

This is one of the lost gems of great Hard/prog/rock albums and there´s only one suggestion for you and that is to try to purchase a copy. It´s hard to find good copies but if you´re not price sensitive, it´s a recommendation to put in a few more bucks ..

VINYLRATING/GRADE

7-VERY GOOD!!-GAME, SET AND MATCH-

STEEL-STEEL-

Released in 1971 this American outfit really shook the heavens with their straight foward Hard/blues/prog rock.

Their only album release contains several gems of protometal stuff and with the albums great production this is a timeless rock´n´roll album. Cream of the crop is bassplayer Roland Robinsson with his contribution on 6-string bass and vocals. Guitars and keyboards are in this with top notch performance and Carl Sims brings great vocals to the production. Single track “Never on a Monday” breaths future stardom for the band but to bad the band dissolved after its release.

It´s difficult to choose standout tracks because the whole album is a very strong affair. All of the musicians are among the best I´ve Heard and not to my surprise they proceed to play with the best. The album got some Mountain flavor to it and are as hard as Steel  in a positive way. Not noisy but with a soul singer with a hard/blues/prog band. Glorious!!!

Whatabout the drummer, Jerry Norris?? Well just check out the gatefold Picture and you will notice a bigass drumkit with double bassdrums and the biggest tomtoms in NYC. And what a drummer!! Funky, hard driving, striking like an athlete on the Olympics. No Pardon, just absolutely great performence. Thanks to the other musicians his playing just reaches the sky. Marvelous… 🙂

If you see this album..BUY IT!! There´s no excuse to avoid it, because this is rock´n´roll history at its best.

VINYLRATING/GRADE

8-EXCELLENT-HEAD ON RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES COLLISION WITH A FREIGHT TRAIN