*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Annihilator's CD/DVD LIVE AT MASTER OF ROCK is out now on
Steamhammer. Track list: "Intro," "King Of The Kill," "Blackest Day,"
"Operation Annihilation," "Clown Parade," "Set The World On Fire," "I
Am In Command," "Never, Neverland," "Fun Palace," "Phantasmagoria,"
"W.T.Y.D.," "Wicked Mystic," "Alison Hell," "Shallow Grave." See
http://www.annihilatormetal.com/ for more.

-In a chat with HeadbangerNYC.com Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante said
the band is "in the process of regrouping with" singer John Bush.

-Check out an e-card for The Atlas Moth's A GLORIFIED PIECE OF BLUE
SKY, out now on Candlelight Records, at
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk/digital/ecard/atlasmoth_ecard/atlasmoth_ecard.html
.

-The soundtrack to the film "Extremely Sorry" (Flip Skateboards)
features Motorhead's Lemmy and Slayer's Dave Lombardo covering Ben E.
King's "Stand By Me." Check it out at
http://soundcloud.com/volcoment/stand-by-me-baron-featuring-lemmy-kilmister-dave-lombardo
.

-Fire's THRILL ME is out now via Avenue Of Allies. Hype: "Energetic
melodic Hard Rock done the good old fashioned way with a strong lead
vocalist, powerful guitar riffs and a dynamic rhythm section are the
trademarks of Fire, a smokin' hot band hailing from the Mediterranean
island of Malta. The straight ahead Rock anthems of the band's second
album impress with a powerful production of international standard and
will win over friends of Thunder, Sammy Hagar, Krokus, FireHouse, Y&T,
Gotthard and Whitesnake." Track list: "Thrill Me," "Get It On," "That
Kind Of Woman," "Come With Me," "Always There," "Hollywood," "Crazy
Lovin'," "No More Pain," "Where Are We Goin'," "Lost Without You,"
"Back Home." Check out three song clips and the "Thrill Me" video at
http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=29120 . See http://www.firemalta.com/ ,
http://www.myspace.com/firemalta ,
http://www.facebook.com/pages/FIRE-Malta/70582425980 , and
http://www.reverbnation.com/firemalta for more.

-Lita Ford's WICKED WONDERLAND is out now in Europe and the U.S.
Ford's husband, Jim Gillette (Nitro), sings lead and backing vocals
and Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) plays drums. Track list: "Crave,"
"Piece (Hell Yeah)," "Patriotic SOB," "Scream," "Inside," "Wicked
Wonderland," "Indulge," "Love," "Betrayal," "Sacred," "Truth,"
"Everything," "Bed," "Garden," "Push." Check out the video for "Crave"
at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=29121 , and see http://www.litaxx.tv/ and
http://www.myspace.com/litaford for more.

-Grimmstine, featuring Steve Grimmett, is hoping to tour next year.
The tentative plan is to hit the U.S. in the spring and then the U.K.
and Europe in late summer/early fall.

-Halford's new video for "Get Into The Spirit" from WINTER SONGS is
available exclusively at MetalGodShop.com. HalfordMusic.com has the
album's first single "Christmas For Everyone" available as a free
download, and the other singles "Get Into The Spirit," "We Three
Kings," "Oh Come O Come Emanuel," and "Winter Song" for sale. See
http://www.RobHalford.com/ for more.

-Hazy Hamlet from Brazil has contributed the tack "Rebel In The
F.D.G." to the upcoming W.A.S.P. tribute, THE CRIMSON COVERS, due out
on Remedy Records. See http://www.myspace.com/hazyhamlet for more.

-Rush's new live set WORKING MEN compiles "greatest hits" tracks from
RUSH IN RIO, R30, and SNAKES & ARROWS LIVE plus the previously
unreleased "One Little Victory." Track list: "Limelight," "The Spirit
Of Radio," "2112," "Freewill," "Dreamline," "Far Cry," "Subdivisions,"
"One Little Victory," "Closer To The Heart," "Tom Sawyer," "Working
Man," "YYZ."

-Organizers for the Sweden Rock Cruise -- set for next April 8-9 --
announced Death Angel is confirmed to participate, and five more bands
will be announced soon. Check out a video from the 2009 cruise at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qp6ADjt5Hw . See
http://www.swedenrock.com/ for more.

-X-Sinner -- featuring Rex Scott on vocals, guitars, and drums, Greg
Bishop on guitar, and Rob Kniep on bass -- has released WORLD COVERED
IN BLOOD. Track list: "Back In Red," ""What Rock Is For," "Holy Ghost
& Fire," "World Covered In Blood," "Storm On The Horizon," "Ready To
Go," "Forgive Them," "Wanna Be Set Free," "Got Something To Say,"
"Who's Your Friend," "That Ain't Me." Check out clips of three songs
at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=29117 , and see http://www.x-sinner.org/
and http://www.myspace.com/xsinnernews for more.

Thanks to Music Buy Mail, Earsplit PR, and RockRealms.com for help
gathering some of this information.

*
*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-It's fun to have Kiss in the spotlight again. My kid's almost five
and likes "The Catman," and since we've been listening to SONIC BOOM
and KISS KLASSICS quite a bit we hear "Shout It Out Loud" being sung
around the house a lot. So we made a spur-of-the-moment decision last
Friday to carve our Halloween pumpkins like Kiss faces. I must say, I
did a remarkably decent job on Gene Simmons, doing it free-hand with
virtually no prep time. (I am *not* artistic so please indulge me
while I crow a bit.) My wife handled Paul Stanley and Peter Criss very
well, using the DYNASTY cover as a model. Alas, we didn't have a
fourth gourd for Ace Frehley... But when we displayed our handiwork on
the front stoop I sat the Catman on an upside down Ace Hardware pail,
so at least he was there in spirit. (And now that I think about it,
having "Ace" prop Peter up was actually a nice little homage to what
those guys did back in the '70s...) And besides all this, my wife got
me a musical Halloween card that plays "Rock And Roll All Nite" and my
kid's friend's mom bought us a pack of those Kiss M&Ms from Walmart.
Now tomorrow night Kiss plays Chicago, prompting a Chicago Tribune
article a few days ago that mentioned how Gene Simmons recently turned
60. It's crazy and admirable how long these guys have been at it.
Kudos.

-More on the new Lita Ford stuff... Check out a recent (and
unflattering) "You Again?" feature at Popdose, by Jeff Giles, at
http://popdose.com/you-again-lita-ford-wicked-wonderland/ , and get a
free MP3 of the track "Scream at Amazon.com.

-My new favorite album cover is for Fire's THRILL ME, mentioned above
in "News/Rumors." Check it out -- you'll laugh.

-In my current playlist: Halford - WINTER SONGS (Metal God Records),
Pretty Wild - ALL THE WAY (Swedmetal Records), S.E.X. Department -
ROCK N ROLL SUICIDE (Perris Records).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
BELLEVUE SUITE - SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY (B+) indie, 2009
4 tracks, RT: 13:40
[ http://www.myspace.com/bellevuesuite ]
[ http://www.sonicbids.com/bellevuesuite ]
Will someone wake up and sign this band already? The latest by
Bellevue Suite has been released with little fanfare, and I'm still
amazed that no one has been smart enough to take this band under their
wings to let more people know what they are missing. Lead singer/
songwriter Michael Sean still hits the stage with Jeremy Kletzien on
guitar, Barry Jaeger on drums, and Dann Walters on bass, which seems
to be the best lineup since Tony Lentz was in the band. Local fans
have been waiting a long time for this latest release and will be
nearly perfectly satisfied with the results. "Somewhere Along The Way"
is a live show treat that showcases how the new blend of voices will
carry on the rich tradition of harmonies against the driving beats.
"Exorcism" is an offbeat acoustic ditty, and "Rich And Famous" again
showcases Sean's introspective wisdom. The only song that seems to be
a slight misstep on this E.P. is the revamped version of "Burn."
Formerly an intense statement with a deadly beat, "Burn" has been
toned down somewhat. This is not to say that it has been changed for
the worse, it is just different than what the Suitehearts (nickname
for the band's regular followers) have become accustomed to hearing.
Still, the writing is incredible and intelligent, and the band is
tight; this is a great follow-up effort without label support.
Bellevue Suite now needs some real backing to flourish. If you are
already a fan, pick up this CD and support the band -- it's a steal at
only $5. If you are new to Bellevue, get their first release, THE DARK
SIDE OF ENLIGHTENMENT, from CD Baby to introduce yourself to the
party.
- Jan W. (jw4jzon@hotmail.com)

CRASH STREET KIDS - TRANSATLANTIC SUICIDE (C-) Hot City Recording
Company, 2008
CD: 11 tracks, RT: 47:11
DVD: RT: 37:40
[ http://www.crashstreetkids.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/crashstreetkids ]
[ http://www.ryanmckay.com/ ]
If you are looking for a glam/punk/rock mix, then Crash Street Kids
may be the band for you. But, TRANSATLANTIC SUICIDE appears to be
either a concept album along the crazy lines of The Who's TOMMY, or a
storytelling album like Queensryche's OPERATION: MINDCRIME -- though
it is far from having as much clarity as either of those classic
albums. According to lead singer and songwriter Ryan McKay, the story
centers around "The Kid" who leads a glam band and who also is
supposed to portray the Everyman of both band members and fans --
which is a confusing conundrum. The CD booklet attempts to lay out the
story by including a lengthy missive from The Kid to the fans that
reads much like a suicide note (hence the title, as The Kid is last
seen in Germany, if I read this right). The lyrics for the songs are
in the booklet but lend little help in clarifying the concept; there
are sidebars/notes telling us who is conveying the parts of the story:
The Kid, the band, the engineers, the press, and the fans. The worst
of the lot is "Dressed In White" which is not only divided into four
different parts, but it also includes different narrators -- maybe
reading the lyrics is information overload? It's not an easy task to
find them, but there are two songs to on this CD that could be singles
even if you don't understand the rest of the mess. "Do You Still
Believe In Rock And Roll?" and "Cigarettes And Starf*ckers" are both
upbeat with hooks that could grow on you -- and there are CDs out
there that have sold millions with less viable material. Drummer AD
Adams, Ryan Gregory, and Ricky Serrano round out the band, but nothing
outstanding from any of the three shows up anywhere on the release. A
DVD of the band was paired with this release. In a smart marketing
move (since the band is well liked in Germany) one side is programmed
for U.S. viewing and the other is adapted for European players. The
DVD does not shed any light to the story from TRANSATLANTIC SUICIDE;
it is simply a handful of live songs and a bio of the band with a few
interviews. The live song tracks on the DVD have fairly poor sound
quality, although the visual is okay and there are a couple basic
effects that lend nothing to the experience. Would having their
previous release CHEMICAL DOGS help a listener understand the story?
Possibly -- but that would just mean that this CD cannot stand on its
own and the Kids should have gone back to the drawing board with this
one. There is another band on MySpace calling themselves the Crash
Street Kids, so if you are looking for this particular band, be sure
their hometown/home base is listed as Phoenix, Arizona. Most of you
aren't going to care enough to worry about the confusion anyway --
this is a CD (and DVD) to pass over without any regret.
- Jan W. (jw4jzon@hotmail.com)

ANDREAS KISSER - HUBRIS I & II (B) Mascot Records U.S.A., 2009
Disc 1: 10 tracks, RT: 39:02
Disc 2: 11 tracks, RT: 32:38
[ http://www.andreaskisser.com.br ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/andreaskisser ]
[ http://www.andreaskisserfanclub.com.br ]
[ http://www.sepultura.com.br ]
[ http://www.mascotrecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.mascotrecordsusa.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/mascot ]
Listening to the first disc of Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser's
solo album HUBRIS immediately brought to mind the intro music to the
excellent TV cop drama "The Shield," with its metal meets world music
dynamic; indeed, Andreas has written music for Brazilian movies and
that flavor is definitely found throughout HUBRIS. Split between
electric and acoustic stylings, HUBRIS is an often fascinating journey
into unusual rhythmic and melodic territory; check out the first disc
and you'll find interesting things like "Eu Humano," "Virgulandia,"
"God's Laugh" and "A Million Judas Iscariotes," the pieces often
heavily infused with Latin folk influences mixed with metal and
alternative rock ideas. To my ears the second disc is even more
absorbing, with some very nice acoustic moments that just sit well on
the ears. "World's Apart" is a highlight, this one featuring a
nuanced, sensitive performance, while "Vivaldi" moves along with the
virtuosity and melody befitting its namesake, Andreas mixing in a bit
of electric flash on the title track. HUBRIS I & II is a long,
involved listen, and suffice it to say it's not for everyone;
approaching this like you would a movie soundtrack might just be the
best way to enjoy it, as you'll need to spend some time here and be
open to some odd juxtapositions, but HUBRIS is to be commended for
taking a distinctly different path than most solo albums you hear from
guitarists these days. Curiously engaging...
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)

POWERMAN 5000 - SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE (B+) Mighty
Loud!/Fontana, 2009
11 tracks, RT: 33:51
[ http://www.powerman5000.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/powerman5000 ]
[ http://www.mightyloud.com/ ]
[ http://www.fontanadistribution.com/ ]
[ http://www.megatronicrecords.com/ ]
I wrote these guys off years ago when they came out, dismissing them
as gimmicky White Zombie clones and/or nu metal goofballs with a silly
name. Perhaps I acted hastily -- I have to admit I really dig this new
album! Main man Spider has a great thing going here, basically
uncorking a fun blend of Shotgun Messiah's 1993 cyber-metal
masterpiece VIOLENT NEW BREED, Lordi's driving theatrical rock vibe,
and some way danceable grooves, peppered with a few movie dialogue
snippets/samples. Addictive tracks like "Do Your Thing," "Show Me What
You've Got," "Super Villain," and "Time Bomb, Baby" will get your
sorry butt up and jumping around, guaranteed. "Make Us Insane" is
another highlight, with its Nuno Bettencourt/Extreme-styled jittery
guitar riff, and "Get Your Bones" throws in some Nine Inch Nails-ish
bits to nice effect. I could do without the fairly straightforward rap
song "Horror Show," and the slow, spooky title track is too lifeless
for my taste, but otherwise SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE is
a fine collection of punchy, hooky techno/cyber-rock tunes. But I
still think the band's name is silly!
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

*
*** OUT ***
*