Los Angeles Metal giants RATT are back and ready to infest the world once again with their own personal brand of “Ratt and Roll”. Ratt just released a great new CD on Roadrunner Records entitled “Infestation” and are preparing to tour the world with great bands such as Scorpions. Carlos Cavazo, formerly of “Quiet Riot”, has called in to Inside Heavy to talk metal with us and to gives us the details about joining Ratt and recording the new CD!
On March 23rd 2010 Scorpions, Germany’s very own heavy metal and hard rock masters, released their latest album “Sting in the Tail” of which they have said will be there last. The band is gearing up for a three year tract across the globe to say goodbye to their fans and to support Sting In The Tail. Scorpions are one of the longest lasting bands in rock history and have undoubtedly earned their retirement. If you think the Scorpions are a hair metal band who were an eighties hard rock one hit wonder with “Rock You like a Hurricane” then you either don’t know your rock history or you are a diehard country music fan under the age of twenty one.
Here are the facts: the Scorpions have been around for 45 years and have released 17 studio albums. The band floundered around early on and never really came into their own, style wise, until their 1976 “Virgin Killer” album. After that they were swinging for the fences and knocking them out of the park with songs like “The Zoo”, “No One Like You”, and “Holiday”. The Scorpions became heavy metal and hard rock legends based on beautifully arranged vocals, meaningful lyrics and more than anything else, their monstrous guitar tones!
Power chords, searing leads with brutal, kidney bruising tones were the Scorpions backbone. A tradition which began early on with Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker and Rudolph Schenker. Mattias Jabs(lead guitar) joined the Scorpions in 1978 and the guitar partnership of Rudolph Schenker and Jabs proved to be the magic formula for the Scorpions. The power and energy that they were able to capture through their guitars and amps are unparalleled, in my humble opinion.
In 1984 the Scorpions released “Love At First Sting”. This album would be their biggest and most successful release to date and would also be where the Scorpions would peak both musically and in popularity. Love At First Sting was pack with 9 grade “A” quality hard rock and heavy metal songs, all well written and arranged. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” a timeless and beloved rock anthem for the ages was a smash and has stood the test of time. It can be heard to this day in heavy rotation of rock radio, as well as in commercials. A royalty gold mine! They had hit the nail on the head in a big, big way!
The next five Scorpions albums would see the Scorpions begin to decline musically and in popularity. Always a top notch hard rock band and making great hard rock and heavy metal for sure, however the musical landscape was changing. The world had grown bored with hard rock and heavy metal due to over saturation and grunge was on the horizon. Have said that, please make no mistakes, the Scorpions have never made anything that wasn’t good…..just not as good.
In 2007 the Scorpions released what I think was a masterpiece called “Humanity: Hour 1”. If you haven’t listened to this album, then you definitely should. I feel it is some of the best Scorpions music ever. I was pleasantly surprised how very good it was. So when I began to hear the claims the band was making that Sting In The Tail was some of their best music in a long time I thought, “Man, this album is going to be mind blowing if it is better than Humanity: Hour 1”. Would the music match the hype?
March 23rd 2010 the Scorpions released their last album “Sting In The Tail”. The CD’s first track entitled “Raised On Rock” is a great, classic sounding Scorpions hard rock anthem, which recalls their late 1970’s sound. The last track entitled “The Best Is Yet To Come” is an awesome, staple Scorpions power ballad, which seems to say goodbye to the fans and leave them with a word of encouragement that everything will be alright. I can almost see it now, 10,000 forty something heavy metal fans at their last show, adorned in their favorite Judas Priest and Ted Nugent concert shirts from the early eighties. Bic lighters in hand, drying their eyes with their mullets while the Scorpions seemingly saying “There, there, there” through the power of song. All having been said, it is a damn great song. In fact the entire CD could be carried completely on these two songs alone, and unfortunately at first listen I thought the album would have to be carried by them.
When I first listened to the album I was disappointed a bit. Maybe I was expecting too much due to the hype, and also because Humanity: Hour 1 was such a great hard rock/heavy metal album. So before passing judgment I listened to the CD again, and then again, and then again. I realized that “Sting In The Tail” is packed with great songs. The problem is that at first listen they don’t reach out and grab you like “Raised On Rock”, but once fully listened to objectively I realized that these songs kick just as much ass!
“Sting In The Tail” is a great Scorpions album with the same bench mark melodic vocals, meaningful lyrics, and crushing guitar tones just as other great Scorpions efforts and is worth every penny. It is full of the usual hard rock/heavy metal anthems and power ballads one would want from the Scorpions. I don’t know if it is better than Humanity: Hour 1, but very close indeed. It is obvious, as well that they took a completely different approach to the producing of this album than they did for “Humanity”, and the difference in sound is unmistakable.
The Scorpions are so freaking good I could listen to them forever, but all good things must end, and end it shall. After 45 years the band deserves the right to ride off into the sunset, and over the next three, grueling years of touring they’ll earn the right once again. With “Sting In The Tail” the Scorpions have given their fans a classic hard rock/heavy metal album that will put the period and the end of the chapter that has been their long and lustrous career as one of the greatest hard rock/heavy metal bands in history. I can’t imagine any modern day band that could stand the test of time and consistently make quality music that is relevant the way the Scorpions have…..they will be missed!
Legend, a hardcore metal band from Detroit Michigan, are about to release their debut CD on Rise Records on May 25th entitled “Valediction”. Inside Heavy caught up with the Legends founder Chad Rhulig on the road to discuss the new hardcore metal bands CD, which was produced by Zeus at his recording studio at Planet Z. Chad Rhulig is also interviewed about line up changes in the group, which includes Joe on bass, who is from their previous hardcore band For The Fallen Dreams.Legend is currently on tour with other hardcore metal bands includingOceano, Sleeping Giant, Born of Osiris, and Bleeding Through! WATCH VIDEO!!!!
Manowar has been a constant force in the world of Heavy metal since 1980. They have developed a cult like following all around the world with some of the most fanatic heavy metal fans on the planet. Through the years Manowar developed a never say die attitude and a no holds barred approach to their brand of heavy metal!Joey DeMaio is interviewed about the new Manowar DVD “Hell On Earth V”, up coming tours with Metallica and Rammstein and other heavy metal topics! Check It Out!!!!
On May 25th, 2010 Krokus will release their 16th studio album entitled “Hoodoo”. Krokus have been plugging away for years making good music , however the classic line up that created “One Vice At A Time”, and “Headhunter” had dissipated many years ago. Through the years the common nucleus of Krokus has been Marc Storace, Fenando Von Arb and Chris Von Rohr, and in recent years even Fernando had called it quits. Well, the stars have aligned once again and the classic line up of Marc Storace, Fernando Von Arb, Chris Von Rohr, Mark Kohler and Freddy Steady are together again making power chord heaven on Hoodoo, but before we get into the nuts and bolts of the album let me give you a little recap of Krokus history as I see it.
When Krokus first came onto the scene they were known for sounding nearly identical to Bon Scott style AC/DC, and were even criticized for that very reason. This is, however what made Krokus a great band. They did sound like AC/DC, but it was a sound that came naturally for them as it was their pure style. Who knows maybe they listened to a lot AC/DC and it just became part of their musical DNA. I don’t know, but it worked and it kicked ass!
In the early eighties Krokus were swinging for the fences and with “Headhunter” they hit a grand slam! Krokus broke free of the AC/DC tag in a big way and created a hard rock musical masterpiece that was original in every way. Headhunter was one of the top ten hard rock albums to come out of the eighties and I would even go as far as to say it is one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time.
Post Headhunter is where Krokus began to loose their center a bit. Albums like The Blitz and Change of Address where good albums, but they lacked the originality of Headhunter. Krokus seemed to be trying too hard to fit in with the L.A. driven American style metal bands of the mid to late eighties. I think this tactic clipped the bands wings a bit and as a result they never broke through to become the major headline act that they were on their way to becoming. Who could blame them though, I mean bands like Poison and Skid Row were cleaning up and times were changing for Hard Rock/Heavy Metal and sometimes bands have to follow the trends or fade away, however I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the only reason why Krokus didn’t become a major headline act in the U.S.A is because they didn’t look like women. They looked like men in a metal band during a weird transgender faze in the world of Heavy Metal. I have always believed that had Krokus just been themselves and continued to create their brand of strong European style heavy metal they would have ended up in the same realm of great bands such as Judas Priest and Scorpions.
From start to finish Hoodoo is full to bursting at the seams with meldoic catchy vocals, sizzling riffs and power chords that’ll make the rafters shake! Chris Van Rohr one of the bands guitarist and producer of Hoodoo has stated that he wanted the album to recall the sound Krokus had on the One Vice at a Time and Headhunter albums. In my estimation Krokus accomplished this task and then some. Hoodoo has recaptured the style and energy of those two classic hard rock albums on tracks such as “Keep Me Rollin”, “Rock and Roll Handshake” and “In My Blood”, which is my personal favorite song on the album. Remarkably Krokus has managed to produce a classic heavy hitting hard rock album as strong as their strongest material ever, and nearly a quarter of a century since their hay day. With Hoodoo you get a taste of everything that made Krokus great. Songs that would have fit easily onto One Vice, Headhunter, and The Blitz. All these Krokus styles are represented here. No doubt about it this is the album that should have followed Headhunter, and sounds as though it did. Krokus sounds as strong as ever and doesnt seem to have slipped a bit. Simply put…..Hoodoo is pure hard rock magic!
It is to the credit of Krokus that they are still around making music 30 years later, which also says a lot about their talent and inexhaustible work ethic. May I also add that the music they make is top notch hard rock music that is as good as anything on the market today. I highly recommend that you give Hoodoo by Krokus a listen. Every single track is as strong as the other, there are no duds on this album period. If mainstream hard rock radio does not play Hoodoo in heavy rotation then they are missing the F***ing boat bigtime!
By 1983 the legendary hard rock band Van Halen had recorded five landmark hard rock albums and had toured the world over as a major headline act. They were about to release an album titled “1984″ that would send their career sky rocketing into orbit never to return! They were in search of the perfect album cover for the album when they happened across an obscure artwork by Margo Nahas of a baby angel smoking a cigarette. They knew it was the perfect album cover for Van Halen. Margo Nahas is interviewed about the creation of the Van Halen 1984 album cover. Also joining the conversation isCarter Helm, who is the smoking baby angel seen on the Van Halen 1984 cover. LISTEN TO INTERVIEW!!!!
Joey Verafrom Armored Saint talks on Inside Heavy about encounters with Metallica in the early years that could have landed John Bush and himself in Metallica as members!
LA metal group Black N Blue lead singer Jaime St. James is interviewed about the groups new CD due out in 2010. The CD will be titled “Hell Yeah” and is their first studio album since 1988. Jaime talks about the bands early years in Los Angeles, as well as Tommy Thayer the bands guitarist that is now Ace Frehley’s replacement in Kiss.LISTEN!!!!
Asking Alexandria guitarist and founder Ben Bruce calls in to Inside Heavy from the road to give us an update on the band. Ben reveals how Asking Alexandria are about to embark on their first headline tour beginning in April, make their rounds in some festivals throughout the summer 2010 and then hit the studios in August to begin work on their sophomore album!Listen to interview!!!!
Abscess drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert is interviewed about the groups latest album on Peaceville records “Dawn of Inhumanity”. Chris Reifert is well known as the founding member of Death Metal giants Autopsy. Chris talks about the recording of Dawn of Inhumanity, as well as the bands decision not to tour, his original artwork on the inside sleeve of the CD and what Abscess did to get banned from clubs in their early days of live performance. Listen To Interview!!!!
