Kixxstart Kitty - LIVE 24th June 2010

Thursday night, the suns blazing and slowly Chester slows down from the hussle and bussle of a busy day. What to expect tonight? Well it's World Cup time so most people will be settling down to the football or heading to their local to watch tonights game. At the City Bar in Chester though it's another Ritual night......and by god is Chester about to encounter a bit of shock and awe!!!

Anyone who has seen KK will know there is no other band out their locally who looks like them.............eg the shock and awe. And in general joe bloggs public will turn their noses up at them and walk away ('dam those pesky kids and their funny hairdos'!)!! However with what KK have in looks they totally match, and beat, in their performance tonight.

From the first song through to their finale the band capture the attention of the few people who have come to see them.....not just because of how they look but because they are bloody good!!! Zakky Storm's vocals are well.............off the chart!!! I dont believe in perfection but with Zak you're not far off it. As a band as a whole they are tighter than the proverbial ducks butt............and this is with a bass player who has only been with the band a week!!! Oh and yes the boys do love Jessy 11 (who wouldnt!!!). Karl Doobwah's guitar skills are just mesmerising, and show the skills of an artist far beyond his years!!!

The cover of The Beastie Boys track (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) as a finale nearly takes the rough off, and shows how well the band can interact with their fans, however few there maybe at a venue.

These guys will go amazingly far......and Im so proud to say I will be along to enjoy the ride!!

D :)

Hellacious! - EP

In today's musical world, bands can get lost in the blackhole of genre guessing..........whats rock anymore? Because it is'nt what it was 20-30 years ago. The world has changed and so have the musical tastes of those fans listening to music. With Hellacious! they have taken the best parts of their own musical tastes.....ranging from pop, punk. metal, indie and blues and created something amazingly fresh and new. There is something here to hit every musical taste, but obviously in essence Hellacious! are a rock band........and a great rock band!!! All 6 songs are superbly crafted, everything you want from soaring riffs to finely refined solos. Where Hellacious! stand out from similar bands is the fact they have 2 singers......and whether it's Carl or Sian singing, it's an absolute treat!!! These guys are looking to play live more in 2010 and I'd recommend to any promotor looking for a top quality band to get these guys on. They are toured with some big local bands in 2009 and got the the final of the Battle Of The Bands @ The Chester Hangman earlier in the year. Brilliant...........let them rock!! D :)

Esaius - ReverbNation Playlist

Sometimes, if not very often, when artists from now defunct bands come together the outcome can be quite ugly. 'Super groups' can be massive let downs!! Now Esaius arent no super group but you get my meaning, though they dont fall into this category.

The 2 tracks I listened to 'Parallel' and 'Time & Deja vu' literally stopped me in my tracks. It's raw and experimental yes, but there is also something quite new but classic to this. Clearly influenced by Oasis in their pomp, these guys have written 2 quite stunning songs. Andy Salter's vocals also set them apart from the 'lets copy Oasis cause it worked for them' bands. Brit pop is dead people, move on but borrow the best bits and use them in the correct way and you could be onto a winner.

Scary thing is these guys have only been together a few months. Where they can go is anyones guess, but I see a bright future here for these guys.

Deja vu? Maybe........but it's all the good bits.

D :)

Lorin Zu - The Red Dead Dog Album

Myspace states Lorin Zu sounds like 'A parrot cake with a slice of mixolidian tribe fungus being trodden on forcefully from a distance'.Im not sure if thats positive or negative if Im honest.

Luckily the 4 tracks I listened to 'Bones', 'Horses', 'Revolution Jukebox' and 'Valium Makebelive' were amazing tracks. Ok I feel like I've been on some sort of very weird trip but hey a good one none the less!!! It's unorthodox musically and lyrically but there is something that drags you in and quite frankly I couldnt stop listening to the tracks especially 'Revolution Jukebox'.

The 4 tracks are some crazy well humoured wizardry, and although they wont appeal to everyone Lorin Zu delivers something very different. And as far as Im concerned different is good.

Unique work and I'd love to hear more in future!! Let the madness begin!!

D :)

MakeLikeMadeline - Show Your Teeth EP

Huge riffs?......check!! Screamy lyrics?......check!! Non bullshit rock?........CHECK!!! Oh and from Chester for good measure. I saw MLM last year sometime in the dirtiness of what was Barfly in Liverpool......and after some climbing all over the set by lead singer Rich O'Brian I liked what I saw!!!

The MLM guys have been away for a while but have come back with something bigger and badder than ever. The 'Show Your Teeth EP' is MLM at their finest and they have most definitely grown since "Last Night At Monogamy Heights" (which is also a quality listen it must be said). I don’t like to pigeon hole bands but I'd guess this is something along the lines of 'screamo' which definitely has a place in the market at present (think We Are The Ocean). And if anything they do the genre so much better than their more publicised southern rivals!!!

Personally title track ' Show Your Teeth' is my favourite track on the EP. The whole EP is well constructed no frills rock........................what more could you want? See them live you say? Get your arses down to Ritual @ The City Bar in Chester on the 24th June. I will be there!!!!

D :)

Whiskey and Lace - Come Away (Single)

Well what a shocker.........who would have thought Guns N' Roses were now hailing from Wrexham!!! And not the 'new' Guns N' Roses but classic, early 90's Guns N Roses.Shit sorry it's Whiskey and Lace, an amalgamation of former local bands from the Wrexham area. I listened to 'Come Away' and at first thought my itunes was playing a classic Guns 'N Roses track.............so I replayed it!!! Second time around I was more amazed and very excited. This has everything that a quality old school rock track should have......and more!!! An amazing track and I'd recommend you all get on myspace and give these guys a listen (http://www.myspace.com/whiskeyandlacemusic). I want to hear more.....NOW!!! These guys will go far!!! D :)

Saliva - Moving Forward in Reverse: Greatest Hits

It's quite ironic when the most famous song associated to a band isnt sung by the band but sung by it's lead singer (Josey Scott sang on 2002's 'Hero' with Chad Kroeger). The fact that song isnt on this album is, well a shame! One nice surprise was the number of songs Saliva have done that I recognised, though had never realised it was them..............the odd WWE intro songs show where these guys lie in the USA.

It's big budget rock with the big hair, but unfortunetly for Saliva there are a lot of bands out there now who do this so much better eg Nickelback. The only new song on the album “Time To Shine” is again being used by the WWE, but again I've heard better done by other bands.

This album shows the band's ability to create arena rock anthems in the past, but for the future these guys will have to go some to stand out from the crowd. Don't get me wrong it's an enjoyable album to listen when you are out in the car, but the world of music is changing and these guys will need to change too if there are going to continue as a band.

D :/