JK NORTHRUP
“WIRED IN MY SKIN”
(Alien Records)

JK Northrup has chosen to hit the rock market with a solo work this time through his new record label “Alien”. So, he called up a bunch of vocalists he knows and has also co-operated in the past in order to make it happen. Three out of the eleven songs of the album are instrumental (“Black Moon”, Mark My Territory” and “Metamorphosis”) and on the other he delivers some great hard rocking music with powerful guitars riffs, nice vocal melodies and stunning atmospheres. Highlights of the alum are with no doubts the homonymous song “Wired In My Skin” sung by Johnny Edwards (ex-Foreigner… on the album “Unusual Heat”), the mid-tempo rockin’ “Big Blue Sky” sung by Kelly Keeling (Blue Murder, MSG, Trans Siberian Orchestra), the ballad “The Road” and the emotional slow rocker “So Long” both sung by Terry Ilous and the heavy “dark” rocker “Cemented Eyes” sung by the not so known David Zaragoza. The songs that I believe were totally out the album’s character were the modern rocker “Perfect Imperfection” and the acoustic “If I Were James Taylor (I Could Finnish This Song)” both sung by Ted Poley (Danger Danger). In general, “Wired In My Skin” is a very good rockin’ album with nice performances and very good songs. JK is a very talented guitarist that always delivers nice music and quality releases… how can this be changed with this album?

T.A. 7,5/10

TERRY ILOUS
“HERE AND GONE”
(Fyco)

The new Terry Ilous album contains some rare recordings he made for his solo projects and his band XYZ. Some of those songs appeared on some XYZ releases while others recorded more recently as soundtracks for movies and TV. Terry was lucky enough to have some of his friends participating on the recordings such as: JK Northrup, Tony Franklin, Vinny Appice, Matt Bissonette, Jeff Pilson, Randy Castillo, Mike LePond and Jack Frost… so as you can understand this album is not only well-written but well played as well. The production (in general) is good although it differs from song to song and sometimes some tracks are sounding better than others. This release is mostly addressing y to the loyal fans and friends of Terry and XYZ that are following this talented singer through the years. For the history, the Japanese writing on the CD means “Bushido”… aka “the way of the Samurai”.

T.A.

SHADOW CIRCUS
“WELCOME TO THE FREAKROOM”
(PRogRock Records)

Shadow Circus is a new band that hails from NYC. The guys here have recorded a complex piece of music that is rather influenced from Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Rush… so far, so good… but what it happens when the final result isn’t as good as it could have been? Do not misunderstand me, I do not mean that “Welcome To The Freakroom” is an awful album or something like that… but sometimes, although some good ideas are there, it lacks of inspiration and originality. On the other hand, we should not judge so hard a new band that makes its first steps on the music industry with a nice and well played album. I believe that the band will be more careful on its next steps in order to present something more personal and emotional.

T.A. 5,5/10

OVERLOADED
“REGENERATION”
(Self Financed)

It was about time for this Detroit based band to release its second full length album. I’m really happy that the band didn’t fail me with this work… I had the best impressions from the previous works of the band (the debut album and the E.P.) so this was like a test for the band… whether it would make it right or it would fail all those people that trust them. I’m also happy ‘cause the production this time is very good and heavy, as it should be for a powerful band like Overloaded. The band continues to move between 80s hard rock and heavy metal music with influences from Skid Row, Ted Nugent, Saigon Kick and L.A. Guns. Heavy guitar riffs, pounding rhythms and passionate “metallic” vocals… is what we get here. No rest for those who do not like heavy rhythms on their stereo… Overloaded offers here a good hard n’ heavy album in the way that it was made in the late 80s… if you are fan of this time period and like powerful heavy music then do not let them go by unnoticed.

T.A. 7/10

SEQUEL
“BACK”
(Peris Records)

The truth is that I was waiting to listen to something more powerful and inspired here. Yes, we all love hard rock music and some big band of the 80s like Van Halen, Twisted Sister, Ratt, Motley Crue, Quit Riot etc, but playing this music with no inspiration and freshness can become really painful. “Back” is a plain hard rock album full of clichés with a rather 80s production that does not satisfied me at all. Sometimes is like I’m listening to all those (we lack of inspiration) kids that play nu rock/nu breed music and they played it so fuckin’ plain that it drives me crazy! Maybe if this album was released in the early 80s had a better fate but nowadays that so many bands take care of their sound instantly and are looking how to make nice and smart orchestrations, something so dull and plain cannot appeal to me…  can’t say about you…

T.A. 4,5/10

STAN BUSH
“IN THIS LIFE”
(Frontiers)

Stan Bush gets things straight from the start. He teaches how inspired, wonderful catchy music can be written nowadays… “In This Life” is a brilliant melodic rock/AOR album and thank goodness Stan released it in this life! “Shine On” was a good album but nothing more. This time Stan does what he knows best… he mixes all those 80s melodic rock elements that made him one of the best artists in AOR music along with some more rockin’ guitars and the result is simply fantastic. The production is awesome (maybe the best production Stan ever had) and was done by the guitarist Holger Fath. The album starts ideally with the catchy rocker “I Never Fall” and then Stan takes us by storm with 10 more excellent tracks. Best among others, in my opinion, are: “I Got A Thing For You”, “ I Can’t Cry”, “This Moment”, “Waiting For You”, “Long Long Way”, “Take It All Away”, “In This Life” and the dramatic/acoustic “Southern Rain”. No fillers here at all… everything is being said and done perfectly. I’m pretty sure that all the Stan fans will be more than happy with this album and I can say that many more fans will come on the band’s shore. I also cannot see, till now, any other album in this genre that can easily beat “In This Life”. I already consider this album as one of the best 3 albums that Stan has released to date… do not think that it will be a good idea to miss this superb album.

T.A. 8/10

SILVERCHAIR
“YOUNG MODERN”
(Atlantic)

We should be grateful to the major labels that feed us with all those “super groups” that they sold millions of copies once upon a time… yes that’s really weird… why the major labels still support those bands… and on the other hand why they have totally turned their backs to hard rock bands of the late 80s that once upon a time they brought them thousands of US dollars? What are they really thinking? They can “force” us to like Silverchair a band that followed the trends in the mid-90s, tried to kill rock music along with the lords of stupidity Nirvana and a bunch of other losers? What the hell?! Are those suit-dressed guys in the major labels totally deaf? Have they ever truly tried to listen to all those shit music that are offering to us by thousands? Are they suffering from schizophrenia or something? Or the worst the music they make the bigger are the profits? Anyway, those who liked Silverchair once upon a time better take a good listen first of the album… the Australians decided to be something like U2 mixed with Simple Minds and put a little of The Darkness and Coldplay (WTF? Is this a joke?!) on the final result and you have the new re-born rockers Silverchair! If it was the easiest thing in the world to be Bono & co in this life then everyone should have done it till now… do you think that you are so smart or so great music talents?!! Mercy me!! No more garbage in my CD-player… make a stand... send those kind of bands in your toilets where they deserve to be… enough said I should go and listen to the new Dimmu Borgir album in order to feel alive again!!

T.A. 3/10