Yngwie Malmsteen - Perpetual Flame (2008)

Yngwie is the undisputed King and master of his style of composition, music and guitar playing.
He does not change much and we respect him for it... He is his own man and we like knowing what to expect from him.

The only negative thing about this new album is a problem MANY new releases seem to suffer from.......

Over-compression, extreme limiting, digital pops and overloads and other Mastering problems that you hear on many new CDs because younger engineers are squashing the dynamics of the music to try and make the CD as loud as possible..... but in doing so, they squeeze the life out of the music and create all these harsh, edgy, abrasive tones on the new albums that make them hard to listen to.

The latest Metallica album was so bad in this regard that the digital overloads caused the CDs to stop playing on many people's CD players ---- that or they would keep hearing a POP and see the words CD ERROR or CD OVERLOAD on the LCD displays.

A Mastering and Mixing guy like Bob Katz could really make Yngwie's music shine like a work of art.

It would be nice to see Yngwie hook up with a guy like Bob Katz ..... it would be more like Chris Tsangarides who did nice engineering work for Yngwie's albums in the 90s too.

Get your copy from ROCK KINGDOMS MuSIC STORE!!

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Whitesnake - Good To Be Bad (2008)

I must admit, I've never been a fan of Whitesnake, but I am a fan of Coverdale (especially his short time with Deep Purple) when he isn't singing ballads (I hated "Is this Love"). The ballads of David Coverdale were always a turn-off for me, and alas, I thought that's all Whitesnake performed. How wrong I was!! I must rate this album a 5, in spite of the fact there are just a few songs I skip.

It was also my misguided belief that Coverdale and Whitesnake were still a relic from that bygone era of the hair-bands. Fortunately, I was wrong about him. I now realize that Coverdale was just doing what he loved all along: good, old fashioned rock n' roll!!!

I cannot remember how I discovered this album, but the first song I heard from it was the title track, "Good to be Bad." After that I listened to the other tracks and I was not disappointed. Four-fifths of this album impressed me. The guitars were booming, Coverdale's vocals were characteristically powerful, and the writing was excellent. Coverdale's creative genius again shines through this incredible album.

But for all David's extremely rocking tracks, there are the ballads he fell in love with, which I hate, because they are dramatic, cliché and Coverdale performs so much better when he is piping about sex, drugs and rock n' roll! I believe he sells himself short by writing those types of songs. But, even if you are like me, don't let the ballads deter you, there are just a few on this album (even though most of the songs are still about love and relationships)!

Here are how I grade the individual tracks:
1. Best Years -- Begins with awesome guitar work and maintains a rocking, bombastic sound throughout. Coverdale's vocals are top-notch and the lyrics are well written. Though I don't care for the "you came along..." line, this track is one of the best on the album. A-

2. Can You Hear the Wind Blow -- More profound guitar work, and even better vocals and lyrics. It begins, "Over the mountains, across the sea...". I love the rhythm and the chorus. I hear the wind blow, David!! A

3. Call on Me -- The guitar work is yet again very impressive and possesses that belligerent, aggressive feel. On this track, in my opinion, can be found Coverdale's best vocal work of the entire album. His voice hits peaks and lows, but never ceases to amaze. The lyrics are perhaps the catchiest on the entire album, and the solo around the three minute mark tops it all off. A+

4. All I Want All I Need -- Not by any stretch of the means is this a muse-inspired ballad from David. The vocals are, as always, good; the guitar work, although very pedestrian, is enjoyable; the chorus is catchy, but most of the lyrics are very trite and cliché. "You're all I want..." makes me sing along but the rest of the track just leaves something to be desired. The only way I can sum up this track to you is by telling you I'd put it on my iPod but I'd skip it more often than not. C+

5. Good to Be Bad -- WOW!!! What a song! Guitars are once again bombastic, vocals are very similar to Call on Me, as Coverdale's voice has more mood swings than a knocked up schoolteacher named Ethel. Features another top-notch guitar solo. A

6. All For Love -- Another cliché love-song from David, which has some promise, is sold short due to a mediocre chorus. That is unique because "All I Want" was exactly the opposite: good chorus, disappointing on the whole. The overly romantic chorus lowers this one's grade (although the beginning guitar work is good). C+, maybe B- at best.

7. Summer Rain -- This song leaves me thinking, "David, what the heck are you rambling about?" Very acoustic, feminine and not very Coverdale-like at all, even despite his tendency to get soft. If you enjoy Simon and Garfunkel you'll eat this number up. C-

8. Lay Down Your Love -- Even though he is constantly talking about how his heart (and your heart) feels in this one, he manages to win me over with an attractive main riff, the album's arguably best solo, and his rocking vocals. "All my life I've been alone, lookin' for somebody to call my own," gives me chills every time I hear it, and Coverdale's screeching of "lay it dowwwwwn" is a nice feature too. While not as freaking awesome as his first three tracks, I would not miss it. B+

9. A Fool in Love -- See? Even he thinks his romance is over-the-top! Anyway, this song rocks. The first thing I thought when I heard it was that it mixed styles: it has an 80s feel, but also a Southern/country/western rock motif, and that typical Coverdale sound. But it works well: chorus is nice, riff is good, and just an all-around feel-good song. B+

10. Got What You Need -- This song certainly has what I need: a quirky "aye-up" at the beginning, that aggressive guitar work, and that repetitive chorus that everyone loves to hear. Coverdale, at one point, seems like he is rapping about how well he satisfies women. I'm gonna be honest, it is very entertaining. B+

11. 'Til the End of Time -- Another slow, very acoustic song which showcases that emotional personality of Coverdale and assures you he will always love you. It is a decent song, and not as annoying as "All I Want," but it isn't my style and seems almost filler to me. No booming riffs in the song, no aye-ups, and Coverdale never appears to wow us with his vocal durability. C

Overall, a good album which features 2-3 songs which could have used work. The songs I liked were so good, I'm still giving it an A+.

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Tesla - Forever More (2008)

Telsa return in 2008 with their first new studio album since 2004's Into The Now, which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #31 and featured the mainstream rock hits: "Caught in a Dream" and "Words Can't Explain". Tesla is a Hard Rock band formed in Sacramento, California in 1984, and they have sold over 16 million albums in the US as of 2008. Forever More is their seventh studio album. This is Tesla's first album to be produced by Terry Thomas since 1994's Bust a Nut. The album was engineered by Michael Rosen, who worked with the band on their Into the Now album and marks the first full album of original material for new guitarist Dave Rude.

Forever More is easily one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2008 for this listener. I am a big fan of Tesla, and have been for many years. Their cover albums from 2007 Real to Reel Volume 1 and 2 were really good, and I have had high hopes that the band would put out a CD with some new kick ass tunes for me (and everyone else) to enjoy.

Forever More finally hits stores October 7th. It has been over four and half years since their last studio album, Into the Now. I can gladly say that this album was worth the wait.

The title and opening track “Forever More” has more of a modern feel to it. It reminds me a lot of the sound from the Into the Now record. Frank Hannon’s trademark sounds show up often on this song. This one grows on me each time I hear it.

“I Wanna Live” is a great new rocking tune from Tesla. This is their first single, and it ought to be a hit.


Believe it or not, “One Day At A Time” rocks even harder than “I Wanna Live”. This song ought to be a new concert staple for Tesla.

The first time I heard the song “So What” was right here at Rock Kingdoms. I liked this song the first time I heard it, and still do. (Click here to listen to “So What”).

Each time I hear “Just In Case” I think to myself, man this ought to be a monster hit. This song sound is more similar in sound to The Great Radio Controversy. This song ought to be huge, if radio picks it up. Great stuff!

There are so many good songs on this disc, it is hard to call them all favorites, but “Fallin’ Apart” is definitely one of mine.

“Breakin’ Free” is a very moody sounding tune by Tesla. In fact, I don’t recall hearing them do a song anything like this one before. This song has some modern bass tones, and guitar sounds that initially reminded me of Tool in the beginning of the song. It then morphs into a sound that is more reminiscent of Into the Now. This isn’t my favorite song on Forever More, but isn’t bad either.

“All of Me” also has a very modern sound to it. This is a very mainstream rocker that ought to draw some new fans to Tesla.

I think the song ‘The First Time” should have been named “Extraordinary”, but aside from that, this is a pretty cool tune. Dave Rude breaks out the slide guitar on this bluesy rocker.

Tesla has been performing “Pvt. Ledbetter” during their live shows in 2008, so I was already very familiar with this song. This is also on Tesla’s new DVD, Comin’ Atcha Live. This is another solid tune and is also one of my favorites on Forever More.

“In A Hole Again” has more of that modern sound to it. I love Hannon’s solos on this song, but as a whole (no pun intended) this is my least favorite track on this disc.

The closing track “The Game” has a heavier edge to it, and sounds like it could have been a left over track from the Bust A Nut record. Dave Rude and Frank Hannon really jam on this killer song. This is a really cool tune to close out the album.

Forever More is every bit the album that I hoped it would be. Is it Tesla’s best work? No, not by any means, but it is really good. Forever More is better than their last studio effort Into the Now, and will please Tesla fans everywhere. Forever More has stellar guitar work, great production, and the fantastic vocals of Jeff Keith. What more could a fan want? This is highly recommended listening!

You can get your copy of Forever More at Rock Kingdom's Music Store
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Chinese Democracy - Guns N Roses (2008)

Let's get right to it: The first Guns n' Roses album of new, original songs since the first Bush administration is a great, audacious, unhinged and uncompromising hard-rock record. In other words, it sounds a lot like the Guns n' Roses you know. At times, it's the clenched-fist five that made 1987's perfect storm, Appetite for Destruction; more often, it's the one sprawled across the maxed-out CDs of 1991's Use Your Illusion I and II, but here compressed into a convulsive single disc of supershred guitars, orchestral fanfares, hip-hop electronics, metallic tabernacle choirs and Axl Rose's still-virile, rusted-siren singing.
If Rose ever had a moment's doubt or repentance over what Chinese Democracy has cost him in time (13 years), money (14 studios are listed in the credits) and body count — including the exit of every other founding member of the band — he left no room for it in these 14 songs. "I bet you think I'm doin' this all for my health," Rose cracks through the saturation-bombing guitars in "I.R.S.," one of several glancing references on the album to what he knows a lot of people think of him: that Rose, now 46, has spent the last third of his life running off the rails, in half-light. But when he snaps, "All things are possible/I am unstoppable," in the thumper "Scraped," that's not loony hubris — just a good old rock & roll "fuck you," the kind that made him and the old band hot and famous in the first place.

Something else Rose broadcasts over and over on Chinese Democracy: Restraint is for suckers. There is plenty of familiar guitar firepower — the stabbing-dagger lick that opens the first track, "Chinese Democracy," the sand-devil fuzz in "Riad N' the Bedouins" and the looping squeals over the grand anguish of "Street of Dreams." But what Slash and Izzy Stradlin used to do with two guitars now takes a wall of 'em. On some tracks, Rose has up to five guys — Robin Finck, Buckethead, Paul Tobias, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Richard Fortus — riffing and soloing in broad, saw-toothed blurs. And that's no drag. I still think the wild, superstuffed "Oh My God" — the early Chinese Democracy track wasted on the 1999 End of Days soundtrack — beats everything on Guns n' Roses' 1993 covers album, The Spaghetti Incident?

Most of these songs also go through multiple U-turns in personality, as if Rose kept trying new approaches to a hook or a bridge and then decided, "What the hell, they're all cool." "Better" starts with what sounds like hip-hop voicemail — severely pinched guitar, drum machine and a near-falsetto Rose ("No one ever told me when/I was alone/They just thought I'd know better") — before blowing up into vintage Sunset Strip wallop. "If the World" has Buckethead plucking acoustic Spanish guitar over a blaxploitation-film groove, while Rose shows that he still holds a long-breath vowel — part torture victim, part screaming jet — like no other rock singer.

And there is so much going on in "There Was a Time" — strings and Mellotron, a full-strength choir and Rose's overdubbed sour-growl harmonies, wah-wah guitar and a false ending (more choir) — that it's easy to believe Rose spent most of the past decade on that arrangement alone. But it is never a mess, more like a loud mass of bad memories and hard lessons. In the first lines, Rose goes back to a beginning much like his own — "Broken glass and cigarettes/ Writin' on the wall/It was a bargain for the summer/An' I thought I had it all" — then piles on the wreckage along with the orchestra and guitars. By the end, it's one big melt of missing and kiss-off ("If I could go back in time . . . But I don't want to know it now"). If this is the Guns n' Roses that Rose kept hearing in his head all this time, it is obvious why two guitars, bass and drums were never going to be enough.

It is plain, too, that he thinks this Guns n' Roses is a band, as much as the one that recorded "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Used to Love Her" and "Civil War." The voluminous credits that come with Chinese Democracy certainly give detailed credit where it is due. My favorite: "Initial arrangement suggestions: Youth on 'Madagascar." Rose takes the big one — "Lyrics N' Melodies by Axl Rose" — but shares full-song bylines with other players on all but one track. Bassist Tommy Stinson plays on nearly every song, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed, the only survivor from the Illusion lineup, does the Elton John-style piano honors on "Street of Dreams."

But Rose still sings a lot about the power of sheer, solitary will even when he throws himself into a bigger fight, like "Chinese Democracy." In "Madagascar," which Rose has played live for several years now, he samples both Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and dialogue from Cool Hand Luke. And at the end of the album, on the bluntly titled "Prostitute," Rose veers from an almost conversational tenor, over a ticking-bomb shuffle, to five-guitar barrage, orchestral lightning and righteous howl: "Ask yourself/Why I would choose/To prostitute myself/To live with fortune and shame." To him, the long march to Chinese Democracy was not about paranoia and control. It was about saying "I won't" when everyone else insisted, "You must." You may debate whether any rock record is worth that extreme self-indulgence. Actually, the most rock & roll thing about Chinese Democracy is he doesn't care if you do.

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Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008)

Metallica’s Death Magnetic has easily been one of the most hyped CD’s of 2008. This album will certainly be a major conversation piece in the hard rock and heavy metal world. I can’t think of another album released this year that will receive an equal amount of love and hate.

The question most people have been wondering is if this disc surpasses Metallica’s last effort, the awful St. Anger.

The first time I saw the cover art, I thought it was pretty terrible. I still don’t think it is great, but the way the cover is cut does make it kind of cool, and if anything, unique. Thankfully, the music is better than the cover art! Death Magnetic is cram packed with music. This CD has over 70 minutes of music. The first two songs together clock in at 15 minutes in length by themselves.

Death Magnetic is not a detour from Metallica’s roots ala the Black and Load albums. There are a couple of instances, where the album slows down just enough, so fans of the Black/Load era Metallica will find something to sink their teeth into. In fact, on Death Magnetic, Metallica does a pretty good job blending the sound of all of their past albums (with the exception of St. Anger). The end result is a heavy album that I think most fans will be pleased with.

Death Magnetic starts off in heavy fashion with “That Was Just Your Life“. The music on this song is awesome, and easily one of the heaviest songs Metallica has done since their album, And Justice For All. I thought the vocals of James Hetfield were mixed a little too low on this song, but the music is so full of headbanging goodness that the mixing quickly becomes an after thought.

“The End of The Line” is another long heavy cut with a crazy amount of guitar solos by Kirk Hammett. If this song doesn’t ignite your inner head banger, your headphones must be broken.

Chances are you have already heard the first single off of Death Magnetic, “The Day That Never Comes“. I immediately took a liking to this song. I though it was a nice mix of the Black album, with a mix of Master of the Puppets thrashing guitar solos by Kirk Hammett.

“Suicide & Redemption” might be the heaviest and longest instrumental track that I have ever heard.

I didn’t care for the track “Cyanide” at first, but repeated plays has completely changed my mind. I like this track a lot now. Some other highlights for me are “Broken, Beat & Scarred”, and “The Judas Kiss”.

The Bottom line, Death Magnetic is a great return to form by Metallica. Yes, folks that is right Metallica still has it, and if you haven’t bought Death Magnetic, you should go get it!

You can buy Death Magnetic at Rock Kingdoms!

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AC/DC - Black Ice (Release Year - 2008)

2008 gave us two of the most highly anticipated albums in hard rock. One was Metallica’s “Death Magnetic”, the other is “Black Ice” by the Australian Kings of hard rock, AC/DC. Metallica pleased most of their fans with their new disc. Can AC/DC do the same?

In case you haven’t heard, Walmart has the exclusive release of this disc in the United States, and it hits stores as of 12:01 A.M. today (October 20th).

AC/DC must be out to make a statement that they want to rock. Check out some of the song titles on “Black Ice”. On this album you have “Rock ‘N Roll Train”, “She Likes Rock N Roll”, “Rock N Roll Dream”, and “Rocking All the Way”. That is a lot of rock related titles on one album.

If you haven’t heard “Rock ‘N Roll Train” on the radio by now, your radio dial must be stuck on an easy listening station. I like this tune, but I am thankful to say that this is far from the best tune on “Black Ice”. I do like this song a lot, and it is a pretty good tune to get things started on “Black Ice”.

The best part of the song “Skies on Fire”, is Angus Young’s fantastic fret work. This isn’t one of AC/DC’s best tunes, and it isn’t very memorable, but it is an OK listen.

“Big Jack” is a foot stomping, fist throwing stadium anthem that is sure to please. I hope this is one of the songs that AC/DC adds to their set list in their 2008 tour!

AC/DC will surely have another hit on their hands with “Anything Goes”. This song has a really cool, uplifting guitar riff that will help power this song on to the radio.

“War Machine” is the kind of song that gets me pumped up, right before I go into battle (online). I have heard this song quite a bit prior to the album’s release, and like this hard rockin’ adrenaline pumper.

A song that has been growing on me is “Smash N Grab”. When I first heard this tune, I felt like I had heard it before, but couldn’t put my finger on which AC/DC song it reminded me of. I still haven’t figured that one out yet. There are some subtle nuances to this song that give it a slightly different sound.

Man oh mercy, the guitar work on “Spoilin’ For A Fight” is AWESOME! Another excellent tune that could be another AC/DC classic.

“Wheels” is a short little bluesy rocker that could easily be the new official theme song of NASCAR.

The pace slows down a little bit with the song “Decibel”. This is a mid tempo foot stomper with some really cool bluesy guitar licks by Angus Young. At first, I thought Brian Johnson’s pronunciation of the word decibel was incorrect, but there are two different sounds for the word depending on the area of the world you live in. It still bugs me somewhat, but this is an OK song.

“Stormy May Day” has a really cool slide guitar riff, but this was another tune that I thought was just on the OK side.

“She Like Rock N Roll” is another really good anthem that could become another AC/DC classic.

I can’t get the song “Money Made” out of my head. If you listen to this song one time, you will find your self chanting “Work, Work, Money Made”. This tune is extremely catchy, and is another sure fire hit.

“Rock N Roll Dream” is one of those typical AC/DC songs where the main lyric is repeated over and over again. This song is one of the more average tunes on Black Ice.

“Rocking All The Way” is another fun bluesy rocker. Angus Young has this innate ability to take an average song, and turn it into something special with his awesome guitar licks. This is one of those kind of songs.

The album closes out with the title track “Black Ice”. This is another good tune with an ultra cool guitar riff. This is a very strong way to close out this album.

I think AC/DC fans are going to be very pleased with this album. Is AC/DC breaking any new ground with this disc? No, absolutely not. Have the guys lost one iota of talent or skill over the years? No, not one bit. Brian Johnson’s voice is as strong as ever, and the Young brothers are still playing some of the best guitar licks I have ever heard.

“Black Ice” is easily the best new AC/DC album since 1990’s “The Razors Edge” Start your week off right, and get to Walmart and pick this CD up! For those about to pick up “Black Ice”, I salute you!

Highly Recommended!

You can now buy Black Ice through Rock Kingdoms

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