Book Review: Your Band is Called What???

Think about all the great bands over the decades. The bands that are now legendary, and have had long careers, and are now icons in heavy metal. Bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Dio, Black Sabbath, and the list of legendary bands goes on and on. But, ask yourself, what do all those bands have in common other than longevity and amazing music? (minus a bad album or two..<St. Anger, Lulu> ) I'll tell you, but let me first ask you a question. How far would Iron Maiden have made it if they had called themselves 'Medieval Impaling Bridge Ornament?' They might have gotten as far as the bands in the book I read called 'Your Band is Called What? 101 Band Names I Never Thought I'd Type or Say' by Romeo Rodriguez, which is available for download on Amazon for 99 cents. The book is coming soon. So, the answer to my question is on top of great music, they also had great names.

Once you start reading this collection of the worst band names...REAL band names ever conceived, you won't be able to put it down. Author, Romeo Rodriguez does a great job of critiquing these band names, and you will be laughing hysterically most of the time. Some (very few) of the names are awesome, but most of them make me wonder exactly what kind of drugs these guys were on to think that they would ever attract a record label with a name like that.

I have been in a bunch of bands myself. The band name was something carefully chosen to represent our music and ourselves as the band. I would never dream of calling my band "Anal Vapor Ooze Queens on Acid." While I just made that one up, as far as I know, I'd bet that A: There is already a band with that name. Or, B: A grindcore death metal band will read this blog and swipe it. If you want this name, go ahead. Its yours. Please don't credit me with it. But rest assured, if you do swipe that name, Rodriguez will list you in a future volume of this book if he decides to write more volumes.

Another thing he touches on is the bands who have names that aren't necessarily bad, just super long. They are rare to attract the record labels as well. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head with long names who also made it big are The Red Hot Chili Peppers and They Might Be Giants. And, compared to some of the ones listed in the book, those two aren't very long at all. I'm not going to drop any of the names he listed because I want you to buy the book; But there are quite a few long ones that are actually pretty good, but just too long. However, one in particular having to do with a large moose was a very cool name, but the writeup that Rodriguez did for it had me bawling because I was laughing so hard.

Something else that happens frequently is that the author will talk about a name, and say that the band is very good. Most of the time, the bands are worse than the names, but there are a few where its a shame that they decided that picking a name that would shock, nauseate, or offend was more important to them than getting good gigs, record deals, or even a girlfriend. What decent girl would be proud to say her boyfriend was the bass player from 'Bleeding Herpes Discharge in your Breakfast Cereal?' None I would want to hook up with, that's for sure. Once again, I made this one up, but it could easily be in this book. If you like it, have at it, but I don't want credit.

So, do yourself a favor, and buy this book. You will enjoy it, and won't be able to put it down. Its also a book that your friends will want to read as well. But, don't let them borrow your copy. Just let them get on your computer, go to Amazon, and have them download their OWN copy. Like I said, its only 99 cents.

In closing, I can't think of much more to say about this book, other than I enjoyed it, and I recommend it. Right now, I am going to go look up some of these bands that Romeo Rodriguez says were good, and give them a listen. Who knows, we may have some of the good ones on the Will and Thunder Show <Ca-ching!> at some point.

What's this? I just got an email alert. Upcoming concert in my area...Lets see...It says at the Rusty Nail Pub, the Screaming Satanic Pythons with Aids and Gangrene are coming in concert with I Hate Carrying Pianos Upstairs With an Idiot, along with local opening act, The Vomit Finger! It also says the date is pending until the health department is able to complete their investigation of the bar.

I'm getting a tetanus shot, and I'm there.

Top 11 Best Metal Anthems of All Time!

I've gotten away from music a little too much this month, so to make it up to my readers, its time for the baddest and the loudest list you'll ever see, and you'll be cranking it, I promise. Grab a beer, and get ready to rock!

Now, I have a criteria. This is strictly metal anthems. There will be no death metal, and no nu metal or grunge. There will only be glam if the song or band is considered metal. For example, Slayer used to be glam, but they were always metal. There will also be no classic rock bands like Foreigner or Led Zeppelin. Its just METAL! Also, only one entry per band. Makes it more difficult, and more entertaining to list.

So, here we go with the top 11 (HAD to be 11, and you know why!) songs that make us want to break out the air guitar, and rip out some air solos, while throwing the horns, and just all out jamming!

So, crank it to 11, sit back, and get ready to head bang! Ready? Too bad! We're starting!!!

Number 11: Death to All but Metal by Steel Panther Sure, I've mentioned them before, but this song HAS to be included. You can't get much more metal than calling for the death of lame acts in a song with a brutally tough guitar lick, blistering solo and piercing screams. Say what you want, but Steel Panther is partially responsible for the resurgence that metal is seeing right now.









Number 10: Bang Your Head (Metal Health) by Quiet Riot You can't have a metal countdown without this song somewhere. The press hated this band, but they didn't care, and the fans loved them. Plus, it spawned 2 legends on guitar and bass. Of course, I'm talking about Randy Rhoads, and Rudy Sarzo.

Number 9: Caught in a Mosh by Anthrax This one brought the mosh pit into the spotlight, and made parents from coast to coast consider insuring their kids before they went to an Anthrax concert.

Number 8: Soldiers Under Command by Stryper
Some of you guys are going to give me grief on this one, I know it. But this song has it all. Twin axe attack, blistering high notes, powerful rhythm section, huge chorus, and one of the most legendary opening riffs there is. Funny...I never knew they made a video for this song.







Number 7: Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth I know Megadeth has lots of better songs than this, but this one fits with the anthem format, since that's what we are going with here. Hangar 18 just doesn't have the chorus that you would want to sing along with. Sure, Peace Sells could be on here too, but I can only pick one, and everybody picks Peace Sells. We like to be different and not cliche. Wait..Wrong band. Anyway, CRANK IT UP!!!

Number 6: Master of Puppets by Metallica How could we not include this one? If this is #6, what could possibly be #1??? Be patient, my friends. This song defined a genre. This was the song that put thrash metal on the map, and blew everyone's doors off. I still remember being afraid of this album when I first heard it. Master of Puppets was my first thrash album.








Number 5: Mister Crowley by Ozzy Some of the finest guitar work ever done, and it is unmatched to this day. If I were to do an air guitar list, this song would likely be #1. I think this song also has some of Ozzy's best vocals too.

Number 4: Holy Diver by Dio Never before has there been a bigger voice from such a little guy. He is one of the 4 singers that when you hear their name, you think METAL. The other 3 are also on this list too. This song put Ronnie James Dio on the map as a solo artist. And by the way...He didn't die. He was killed by a dragon. I am convinced of this.

Number 3 Hallowed be thy Name by Iron Maiden So many to choose from Iron Maiden. I chose this one because of the guitar work, however its vocals are raw power, especially when the song kicks into full speed. Out of Iron Maiden's many masterpieces, I would rank this one definitely top 5. You can't go wrong here, and if my memory serves, this was the song that got me into Iron Maiden.

Number 2: Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath I had a very hard time choosing this one. It was between 4 songs. This, Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and NIB. I finally went with this because it would have required choosing between 3 Ozzy songs, and I couldn't do it. Plus, Heaven and Hell has that anthem sing along feel to it on top of the dark overtones. Plus, what would it hurt to have a second tribute to RJD?

Number 1: Painkiller by Judas Priest And, now here we are at number one. This song is so badass that it KNOWS it is #1 It even has its own drumroll to intro the song to the number one slot. Sure, Priest has lots of songs that are more anthem like than Painkiller like Metal Gods, Breaking The Law, Another Think Coming, Electric Eye, and the list goes on and on. But, this song is their most heavy hitting, and is the epitome of what a metal anthem should be. Plus, the number one song shouldn't be in my opinion a radio hit. So, get ready to blast it, and get the air guitars blazing because Painkiller is bad. Think there's a better song than Painkiller to be number one? Well, you got another think coming!




So, there you have it. The top 11 Metal Anthems of all time. I hope you enjoyed it. I sure as hell did. As always, I welcome comments. And as always, if its not METAL, TURN IT OFF!!!

Earth to Roger Goodell: It SNOWS in New York in February!!

Roger Goodell, are you an IDIOT? Don't answer that. The Super Bowl is February 2, 2014, in NEW JERSEY, at the Met Life Stadium. An OPEN AIR stadium. The chance of a blizzard in the beginning of February in New York/New Jersey? Better than the chance of rain in Miami.

So, can somebody PLEASE tell me what the hell Roger Goodell was thinking when they scheduled the Super Bowl in New York/New Jersey??? It seems that ol' Roger is surprised that they might have snow. There are plans to reschedule it to Saturday or even a weekday if it snows. Really? You're gonna piss off lots of fans, Rog. Especially if they have to miss the Super Bowl because its on a Monday during working hours.

I swear I had no idea it snowed in New York/New Jersey!

Lets recap, shall we? What Northern states have hosted Super Bowls? Has Chicago? No. Has Green Bay? No. Has New England? No. Has Pittsburgh? No. Has Philadelphia? No. Has Buffalo? Stop me if you've heard this, but No. What do all those stadiums have in common? Lets see...Open air stadiums, and a very good possibility of SNOW! Now, you may have noticed I left out Indianapolis, Minnesota and Detroit. Now, what do those 3 cities have in common? Lets see...DOMES!!!! Those cities have DOMES!

DOMES, as in buildings with roofs to keep the weather OUTSIDE so that people don't get too hot, too cold, wet, etc. I promise I'm not insulting your intelligence by spelling it out like this. I know that my readers are smart enough to know what I am getting at. But, apparently there are people in the upper echelons of the NFL who can't figure out the fact that there is a VERY good chance of snow in Northern New Jersey in February, so we have to spell it out, and talk very slowly. Its for the NFL suits benefit, not my readers.

Roger, this is a stadium with a retractable roof. Metlife
does not have one. That means that it is not shielded
from the weather.

Now, lets take a look at a total contradiction in reasoning from Roger Goodell. In the 2006/2007 Super Bowl in Miami between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears, it rained for the
entire game. This was the first time that had ever happened. But, the people who paid for those ridiculously high priced tickets were complaining about it. (Bears fans were actually demanding their money back. BEARS fans who SHOULD be used to watching football in crappy weather.) Then, Roger Goodell ruled that Miami would not be able to host a Super Bowl again until they spent millions of dollars to put a roof on Sun Life Stadium. Its ridiculous, and it seemed more like a mafia style muscling considering that Tampa hosts Super Bowls frequently, and there is no roof on that
stadium, and nobody said they had to build one. (And there shouldn't be either.) Putting a roof on Sun Life Stadium would do two things. 1, It would rob Miami of their home field advantage. 2, Make fans want to vomit because the proposed designs are hideous.

This is hideous. And, what happens if a category
4 hurricane comes through? 

Basically, telling Miami that they (and not Tampa or Jacksonville) have to build a roof is nothing more than hypocritical. But, after doing that, giving New Jersey a Super Bowl was a slap in the face to Miami, and a blatant example of favoritism by Goodell and the league.

No roof in Tampa as it should be.

Roger Goodell is to the the NFL what Barack 0bama is to the United States. A joke, and a wrecking ball. If the NFL survives Goodell's regime without becoming flag football in domes, it will be a miracle. Do the football fans a favor, Roger and FIRE yourself!

Its football right? Don't be a wuss and play the game in whatever weather
there is on Feb 2, and deal with it. Then, don't be such an idiot when scheduling
the venue for the Super Bowl. 

Late Movie Review Series #2 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Here is a second entry in my "Late Review Series." Although, I didn't wait for this one to be released on
Netflix and DVD. I went to a matinee showing today. I may actually start doing that because there's hardly nobody in the theater, and I could focus my attention well enough to be able to hear what was going on. That being said, lets get started!

I didn't review the first Hunger Games movie, but a friend of mine did. I am going to give my own brief review of the movie because its relevant in my feelings on this movie. First of all, my friend mentioned in his review that it was a glorified reality show with kids killing kids. He is right. That is what the show in the movie is all about. However, the underlying story is a government gone mad, that has to use fear of death to keep its subjects in line. The games are punishment to the oppressed people for trying to overthrow the tyrants in charge, who were literally starving them to death. Hence the term, The Hunger Games. Now, while I kept that in mind as I watched the first movie, I was still cringing, especially when an eight year old died.

The funny part about this movie as far as I was concerned was that I had no desire to see it at first until I was in a video store, and the cutie working there suggested it to me. I told her I wasn't interested because I had no desire to see another teen vampire movie. She laughed, and told me that it wasn't, which I made her swear on her job to. Once she swore, and gave me a brief synopsis of the film, I said "So, its Lord of the Flies meets The Running Man? She of course had no idea what I was talking about. I rented the movie, and enjoyed it for the most part. I quickly latched onto the story about the tyranny with its foot on the necks of the poor. I liked it, but it isn't something I would let a kid watch. If the movie were geared toward adults, I think my friend would have enjoyed it more. Actually, the movie for the most part WAS geared toward adults, but was marketed to kids. It didn't sink in as to just how much I liked the movie until a day or two later, when it hit me that the truthful words "In the not too distant future" could have easily kicked off the film at the rate humanity is going, which made me anxious to see the next chapter of the film.

Now, onto that next chapter. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The movie picks up right where the first film left off, with the heroine, Katniss Everdeen adjusting to becoming a celebrity. She and her co-winner, Peeta Mellark (who develops a backbone in this movie) are preparing to embark on the propaganda tour to spew programmed dribble about how great the government and the Hunger Games are.

What they are not expecting is a visit by the president (played by Donald Sutherland) who is waiting for them at the start of the tour. He is angry at how the two of them managed to survive the games, which seemed to be them giving the finger to the establishment. He is worried (as all dictators or wannabe dictators should be) about a spark igniting a revolution. He orders the pair to convince the masses on the tour that their 'love' was real, and that the pair were now part of the ruling class establishment. They reluctantly agree, and go on the tour reading scripts. But, the president isn't buying it. He orders a "wrinkle" in the games for the commemoration of the 75th games. Basically, the only people involved would be previous winners, who were supposed to have been free as a prize for winning. He wants to make sure that all the winners are wiped out, so that any potential spark that could ignite revolt are eliminated.

I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and
doggonit, people like me!

He hires a diabolical game programmer, Plutarch Heavensbee to make the deadliest arena to date. And he delivers, with spine tingling results.

The whole movie focuses on the catch phrase "Remember who the real enemy is." Its kind of hard to forget, because of the showing of brutal control tactics used by the government to instill fear, and also a hatred of Katniss, who is targeted because she is the one blamed for inciting the rebellion. (although her fame is a direct result of the government.)

This movie could have easily been just a remake of the first one, but it wasn't. The stories are drastically different, and the only similarities are the selection of the game contestants, and the festivities leading up to the games...Of course more lavish, but there are differences there that make it interesting as well.

Congrats on your win!
 Now, we want to kill you again!

I'm not going to reveal it, but there is a twist in this movie. I'm pretty good at picking out things like that, and even I didn't see this coming. It is a twist that will make you 'hungry' for the next chapter to come out. I know I am. Once again, this movie is not for kids, but don't let that keep you from seeing this story of the oppressed rising up against a tyrannical government. If you haven't seen the first film, do it. Then, see this one. Katniss is a very believable heroine. In fact all of the characters make you love them or hate them, which is something missing in movies these days, where you'd just as soon see an alien come and eat all the characters, good or bad.

I'd say that this was my most anticipated movie of the year, and it delivered as far as I was concerned, and after seeing this one, both will soon be added to my DVD collection. If you view this movie as I did, as a look into something that could be headed our way, especially considering how kids are being brainwashed and raised to believe that violence is okay and not to mention how they are sexualized, then you will enjoy it in the sense that it will scare you in a very real 'disturbance in the force' kind of way.

Hollywood may have inadvertently made a movie about how the things that they glorify will more than likely turn out if left to their devices. That, to me is funny.

Terrorism: Alive, Well, and Livin' in America!

The MAIN job of the president

I had just started a blog post a little while ago, but I lost my inspiration just as quickly as I gained it. Its been almost 2 weeks since I made a blog post, but I also did seven in the first nine days of January. But then, I saw this story. This story, combined with 2 others I've seen recently are enough to send a chill down down your spine.

I'm going to recap the 3 stories, but this post is about the reality and ramification of these stories, which I will get to one by one. The story I saw today was a Muslim man stuck in a water pipe at a New Jersey water facility. The next story is that al-Qaeda has retaken control of Fallujah, Iraq. And the third story is that 0bama is working to secure 30,000 Syrians amnesty in the US. 

The sheer incompetence of the 0bama administration is staggering, and the fact that the media, knowing EVERYTHING that is going on, continues to bury stories, and report that everything is great as long as the great ruler, King 0bama is on the job. Stories like these three I just linked.

This is to keep you safe. GO RED SOX!

I have one more story to share with you. Seems that in May of 2013, in Boston, a month after the Boston SEVEN Muslims were found trespassing at a Boston water supply...and were not charged with anything other than trespassing. Seems to do so would cause a dangerous ripple effect into Muslim relations.
Marathon bombings,

Let me tell you what this means for you in the Northeast, since the media and government won't. You are under attack. And, while 0bama beats his chest, swearing that al-Qaeda is not a threat, more and more dry runs are happening in the US, and they are doing nothing about it. The Boston Marathon bombing happened, and they pinned it on 2 people, and that was it...meanwhile, locking down an entire city at gunpoint...Talk about a dry run.

Welcome to the Super Bowl! We're here to keep YOU safe!

I'm just a blogger, but I can tell that the Northeast is more and more a target every day. They just found this guy messing with the water in New Jersey. Anybody know what is happening in New Jersey in about 2 weeks? The Super Bowl. You can bet that the Super Bowl will be a testing ground for everything the NSA wants to get away with in the future. A former NSA top official has said that the US has become a police state. Just wait for the stories to come out after the Super Bowl. Stories that will be on blogs and social media because the media won't dare report on them. Stories about illegal search and seizure, and likely even detainment with no charges being filed. You think I'm crazy, but you just watch. They are coming.

I find it funny that the left in this country were all up in arms talking about what could happen as a result of the Patriot Act and our rights. Now, everything they were afraid of IS happening, and worse than they could imagine, and it is being ordered by Barack Hussein 0bama himself. THEY are the ones saying "Well, if you're not a terrorist, you have nothing to worry about." For the record, I was against the Patriot Act when it was passed, and I am against it AND the NSA now.

Mission Accomplished!

I am not a huge fan of George W Bush, but I would take him in a heartbeat over 0bama or Hilary. I find it VERY funny that the same people who were trashing Bush over the Mission Accomplished sign (Which was a ceremony for the completion of THAT PARTICULAR SHIP's mission) are silent over 0bama's speech where he said that al-Qaeda is on the run. Since then, we've had the Boston bombing, Benghazi, al-Qaeda taking Fallujah (which those of us with a brain knew would happen if we left Iraq) Where are you people now? Oh. You're out there justifying everything this idiot is doing, and throwing your backs out bending over to come up with excuses for him.

Now, I brought up the Muslims doing dry runs in the Northeast. Here's the connection. The 0bama administration will act on them, but they will act in a way to punish the American people by stripping more and more rights away. This administration doesn't see Muslim terrorism as a threat. They see it as an opportunity to seize even more power. THAT is why he is considering moving all those Syrians into the country. Sure, alot of them are peace loving people who just want to be left alone (like me) but there is also enough of them to be able to set up cells in the US. Does 0bama want Americans killed? No. But, he will live with it if it means more power to him. And it is guaranteed to happen. These people won't be screened. And, even if they are, to quote Hilary Clinton, What difference does it make??? Somebody screened the Boston bombers, and they were still allowed in the country. Ask yourself this question...Why would someone who cares about the Americans and their families bring in an even larger chunk of people at taxpayer expense in a time where 1 in 3 Americans are unemployed? He doesn't want us dead, because we pay taxes. But if he gave a damn about us, he would not be bringing in more people who will need jobs, and will ultimately wind up on welfare, food stamps, etc.

Rahm Emanuel: Former 0bama cabinet member,
current mayor of Chicago

The end game of this president is takeover. Anyone who is paying attention, and knows history knows that he is getting people used to being controlled, and being ok with the idea. It all revolves around crisis. With each new crisis, expect a new set of regulations, and less freedom. And, expect more and more new crisis to come up. 0bama doesn't have to worry about reelection now. He can and will do whatever he wants, to the cheers of the dumb masses.

So, get ready people. The consequences of electing Barack Hussein 0bama president are closer than ever before. More terrorism, more unemployment, more taxes, less freedom. And, all of you who voted for him are responsible. You were all warned, and you called everyone who warned you racist morons, and blamed Bush. Keep watching reality shows and posting pictures of food and puppies on Facebook. We'll keep fighting for YOUR rights to call us idiots. And, we don't expect any thanks from you. We're not doing this for you drones. We're doing it for our country, ourselves, and our families.

21st Century Fugitives: Bean Town's Prodigy

When I first looked these guys over, I thought to myself  "Ok, a high school punk band. How good can it be?" After I listened, I thought to myself "These guys blow your high school efforts out of the water. And even some of your adult efforts." I was humbled. I admit it. They have the talent and skill that some signed 'national bands'  lack. So, here I am, reviewing them.

21st Century Fugitives hail from Boston Massachusetts.

The Lineup Is: 

                                        John Lucas/ Vocals
                                        Jimmy Bezreh/ Guitar
                                        Jaden Mendola/ Bass
                                        Jackson Kehoe/ Keyboards
                                        Gavin Burke/ Drummer

           

These guys (Out of genuine respect for this band's talent, I am not going to call them kids.) are all very

talented musicians, and will go far. Even this 40 year old metalhead knows talent when he sees it. In fact, if guitarist Jimmy Bezreh sticks with it, he could have the title 'Guitar God' attached to him by the time he is 25.

Their upcoming EP called Regret Nothing, available on Itunes, is positively nothing to regret, that's for sure.

They bill themselves as an alternative band with the driving energy of punk. That is accurate, but it sells them short. Their music is definitely rock, and songs like Hurricane have a groove reminiscent of the arena rock bands of the 80's. I can see this band with the ability to rule a crowd with the energy of their songs. The songs are catchy and have great melodies. Their song, Epic Fail has some incredible guitar work that brings back memories of Guns N Roses in their heyday. Its all mind blowing how good this music is, considering how young the band is. The song Down has a very deep sounding metal groove to it.

I mentioned that the term 'alternative punk' while accurate is selling them short. The reason is that most bands that fit that description just use 4 chord progressions. An intro that is the chorus progression, into the verse, into the chorus, etc. Very basic stuff. 21st Century Fugitives music is anything but basic. Even the songs that have a definitive punk groove like 'Let Me Go' and Spy Master are are not even basic. Advanced is more like it. The music is that of seasoned musicians. I can't stop saying this, but I'm blown away.

I said 'High School band' but looking through their photos on their Facebook page, there are some that show them playing at a middle school. I keep telling myself that these guys are light years ahead of where I was in high school when my crappy band decided to play our first show, and thought we were rock stars.

This photo of Jimmy Bezreh (Future
Guitar God) is SO epic.
Photo by Leah Astore

Definitely, go check them out. My favorites are Epic Fail and Down. They have a Reverbnation page, a Soundcloud page , and make sure you follow them on Twitter.  But most importantly, buy their album!!!

Record companies, take notice. Bands this young, and this good don't come around very often. And, a word of advice to the band...When the record labels come, and they will come, go with the smaller labels like Century Media, Rat Pak, or something like that. You want a label that wants you for YOUR music, the way YOU wrote it. The large record labels with all the pop crap on the radio will sign you, make you sound like every other crappy band on the radio, then toss you aside once they have milked every last penny they can from you. The smaller labels are where you want to be.

Very cool!

One last thing, guys..You're doing great. Keep it up, and don't let all the praise and accolades you're getting go to your heads. You're going to go far. Now, get in there and practice ya little punks!!!

Seriously, 21st Century Fugitives have gained a new fan, and you'll become one too. And, be looking for them to be touring soon! As good as they are, I'm sure they will be the easiest 'Fugitives' to find.

Album Review: The Winery Dogs

Elevate me take me higher

I dont want to be wasted

I've got nothing left to lose...

This happens alot to me. I'm late to the party on getting an album. Bands, movies, etc don't feel bad. I'm late on everything. I was the last person on the planet to get a CD player, the last to get a DVD player, the last to get a PC, and the last to get an MP3 player. Its just how I am, I guess. 

Anyway, on to The Winery Dogs. I'd heard all about Them from every musician friend that I know. I was very interested in hearing them. I listed them as an honorable mention on my Top 10 Releases of 2013 post because I had only heard 2 tracks off the album at that time, and I thought if I didn't mention them, my friends might lynch me in the middle of the night. If I had heard the album at the time, they would most definitely be on the list, rather than an honorable mention. 

The Winery Dogs are:

 Richie Kotzen is the guitarist who briefly replaced CC Deville in Poison. I was expecting Mr Big meets Dream Theater with kind of a glam feel. I was wondering why they went with Kotzen. Since he has really been out of the loop for a long time as far as I knew, and his only credit (that I knew of) was being in Poison, I was really skeptical about him. 

Mike Portnoy of course is the original drummer/founder of Dream Theater. One of the best around. Honestly, since being replaced in Dream Theater, he seems really happy based on the interviews and appearances I've seen him in. He has a damn good reason to be happy now, for sure. He has a great band, with a great debut album. Ask me to choose between seeing Dream Theater and The Winery Dogs in concert, and its The Winery Dogs, without even a second thought. 

And the third piece, of course is Billy Sheehan. Bass guitar virtuoso, who played with great guitarists like Steve Vai with David Lee Roth, and Paul Gilbert with Mr. Big. I think that Sheehan was a great guitarist as a kid, but because he grew into such a tall guy, he had to switch to bass because he was more comfortable with it. (That was a lame joke) Seriously, he can do on a bass what lots of guitarists wish they could do on guitar. 

I Underestimated Kotzen. Many people did. What I got was a pleasant surprise. On top of its classic feel, it  has a much more modern feel, balancing influences from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Also, Richie Kotzen is a phenomenal guitarist, who was either holding back in Poison, or he did lots of practicing since then. The man duels with Sheehan, and some of the solos and song arrangements are nothing short of spectacular. Something you would expect from the virtuoso type guitarists. I listen to this, and I realize that Richie Kotzen is an extremely underrated guitarist. He's a pretty damn good singer too. And of course, Sheehan and Portnoy form one hell of a brutal rhythm section.

I think that the most amazing thing about this album is the fact that 11 of 13 songs were written by Kotzen, Sheehan, and Portnoy collectively. It shows. The other 2 songs; Damaged and Regret were written by Kotzen.

The first song on the album, Elevate has a very uplifting feel and message. It’s a fun song that would make time pass on a long road trip. It is a very good opener for the album because the entire album is that way. The video for Elevate is just the three band members playing, but we see something about Kotzen that sets him apart from lots of other guitarists. He does not use a pic. He uses his fingers like Mark Knoppler. This means that he is fingerpicking or tapping those fast leads that he does throughout the album. And to do that intricate picking while singing is impressive. Time Machine has a kind of dark Deep Purpleesque feel to it. But the solo at the end of the song makes my head explode considering Kotzen is finger picking on it.

While it does have a modern rock/metal feel to it, it also has the feel of metal that has been AWOL since the late 80’s to early 90’s. For example, Damaged is a power ballad, that has roots and influence in 80’s metal, and even a Soundgarden feel, but flows like a ballad that you might hear on the radio today. Not to mention Kotzen’s beautiful guitar solo.

The Winery Dogs basically have all the talent of Dream Theater, but the album much easier to listen to for non musician fans. Yes, this is a 'supergroup,' but one thing I like about this over other recent 'supergroup' outings is that while the songs are brilliant in musical composition, they are easy to listen to. They aren't just each individual member showcasing themselves. All the songs sound different, yet they all have the feel that the same band wrote them. That’s one thing that makes this ‘supergroup’ more appealing to me than others. The Winery Dogs have a chemistry that makes them sound like they have been together as a band for a decade, and I hope they are. I'm waiting for them to come to my area in concert, and I'm already anxiously awaiting their next album. So, if you haven't yet, go pick this one up. You will wear it out.