Hot Ham & Cheese

Cleveland power trio Hot Ham & Cheese moves between punk, metal, and hard rock like it's throwing a triple combo to your ribs, kidney, and head. Revolution & Revelations isn't exactly a knockout blow, but it packs some punch. Singer-guitarist Charlie gets political on "New Bomb/Vietnam," singing, "Said it wouldn't be Vietnam/Just gonna get Saddam." You can practically hear his spit fly. The band faces more danger at home, navigating a minefield of pills, loose women, and assorted homicidal maniacs. Bassist Louie Styx and drummer Robby Mitchell play rugged and rough, captured in the act by Track Six studio engineer Brandon Youngs and producer Don Debiase, who (again) provide some of the city's most reliably crisp-and-crunchy sounds. Another couple of albums like this, and they'll all be heavyweights.