Detritus
Mini-Issue #395.5 - January 26, 2006
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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof@...
http://www.lakeoffire.net/

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@...
http://www.vongoober.com/

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Hear ya go, the much-ballyhooed "Year In Review" for 2006. - Tim

*
*** AT THE ALTAR ***
*
by Patrick Brower (patrickbrower@...)

This was a tough year for metal. As I was just discussing with our
esteemed leader, Tim, today, there were literally hundreds of new
metal CDs out in the year 2006. I maybe bought 25 of them. Maybe. I
love metal. It's my favorite genre of music. Thankfully it's not the
only music I listen to, but I love it and will never stop. However, it
just seems that so much of it is no longer for me. Why? Got me, man.
That's fodder for another time.

Last year in this very space I instilled the virtues of my favorite
on-line music source, Dynasty Metal Music [
http://www.dynastymetalmusic.com/ ]. Sadly, they are closing their
doors at the end of January. There's still time for you to grab
whatever your ears demand at close-out prices, so I highly recommend
you do that, right after you finish reading this issue of Detritus.
Thanks, Mel, for all the years of service and good luck in all future
endeavors.

Enough about the future; let us now look back to the year that was
2006! The main criteria I used this year is how much play I gave each
CD.

TOP CDs of 2007:

1. Jon Oliva's Pain - MANIACAL RENDERINGS

The Mountain King returns with one of his best offerings, ever. Maybe
it was finding all the old Criss Oliva tapes, maybe it was just damn
time.

2. Evergrey - MONDAY MORNING APOCALYPSE

Evergrey NEVER lets me down. It's that simple. I heard this album
criticized for being to poppy, but that is nowhere near the case. This
album is balls out in-your-face metal and it missed #1 by a hair. By
one of Jon Oliva's hairs, actually.

3. Paul Stanley - LIVE TO WIN

Some really, really good songs here. I could easily live without
another KISS studio album so long as Paul Stanley keeps putting out
quality solo releases like this. I just hope it doesn't take 28 more
years to the next one.

4. Winger - IV

Make fun of me all you want, this is a smart, surprisingly technical
album by a band that has used their time away from the spotlight to
grow as people and as musicians. Some of the lyrics are a bit forced,
but the ideas behind each song are very well thought out. Best way to
make a solid, thought-provoking album? Wait until you have something
to say. Winger did just that.

5. Queensryche - OPERATION: MINDCRIME II

Really didn't like this at first but it grew on me immeasurably. Far
better than you probably give it credit for, even if the story behind
the music is kind of a letdown.

6. Jorn Lande - THE DUKE

For the first half of the year I went around calling myself the Duke,
because of this disc. A solid, solid effort from the prolific Mr.
Lande.

7. Vanden Plas - CHRIST 0

The Count of Monte Cristo storyline aside, this is my favorite Vanden
Plas CD to date. Just when you think it's over, it keeps going with
more beautiful prog.

8. House Of Lords - WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

Wow, I had no idea I'd like this album so much! I used to listen to
House Of Lords back in college and this disc brought me right back to
that time period but with a more updated sound than most bands from
then still around today.

9. Veruca Salt - IV

This disc really surprised me. It's heavy, catchy and actually quite
good. I didn't care for the first post-Nina Gordon Veruca Salt
release, RESOLVER, and the LORDS OF SOUNDS AND LESSER THINGS EP had me
worried, but all of my fears were misplaced.

10. Edguy - ROCKET RIDE

Released in Europe in 2005, its American release was 2006 so it's
eligible. Probably the most fun I had listening to any album this
year.

11. Lennon - DAMAGED GOODS

A solid release for this woefully underrated artist, but weighed down
with songs that have been on EVERY album she's put out.

12. Strapping Young Lad - THE NEW BLACK

I picked this up late in the year, on the strength of "You Suck" and I
realize this band is what I've always wanted -- a thrash metal band
with a vocalist who can actually sing. Way to go, Devin!

13. Blind Guardian - A TWIST IN THE MYTH

As fun as A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, but I could really do without the band
interview "bonus track."

14. Slave To The System - SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM

Can you call Slave To The System an all-star band? Well this was
another pleasant surprise for the year. A very solid disc.

15. Mastodon - BLOOD MOUNTAIN

Not my usual cup o' metal but I have Ryan Voss to thank for making me
like this disc. I don't like it as much as everyone else seems to, but
hey, it made my Top 20, right?

16. Cloudscape - CRIMSON SKIES

Almost lost in the shuffle this year, Cloudscape produces a sophomore
effort almost identical to their debut, but still a decent listen.

17. Slayer - CHRIST ILLUSION

Usually not my kind of sound, but I really enjoyed GOD HATES US ALL as
well as this return-to-form modern classic.

18. O.S.I. (Office of Strategic Influence) - FREE

Way more mellow that Fates Warning but far more linear than most Kevin
Moore solo work. I know Tim hated this (sorry, boss!) but I dig it.

19. Pyramaze - LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER

Almost lost in the shuffle this year, Cloudscape produces a sophomore
effort almost identical to their debut, but still a decent listen.
Whoops, I meant "Pyramaze." Good music; lame subject.

20. We have a tie:

20A. Tyr - RAGNAROCK

Solid Viking metal.

20B. Rhapsody (Of Fire) - TRIUMPH OR AGONY

Change your name all you want, it's the same Rhapsody. Which is fine
with me.

Here's a list of albums that are worth listening to but just don't fit
in with Top CD criteria: no cover discs, no greatest hits, no live
albums, etc.

1. KISS - ALIVE! 1975 - 2000

2. Def Leppard - YEAH!

3. Dream Theater - SCORE

4. Dweezil Zappa - GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW

5. Twisted Sister - A TWISTED CHRISTMAS

6. Tenacious D - THE PICK OF DESTINY

Here's a list of albums that just let me down this year. Maybe I was
expecting too much, but they just didn't deliver. Every one of these
discs does have a good song or two, but you have to wade through too
much to get to it.

1. Skid Row - REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE

2. Warrant - BORN AGAIN

3. Sammy Hagar - LIVIN' IT UP

4. Nina Gordon - BLEEDING HEART GRAFFITI

TOP LIVE SHOWS OF 2006

Once again, I saw a bunch of cool rock shows this year, but 3/4ths of
them were not hard rock or metal (Joe Jackson, Dresden Dolls, Gary
Numan, Portastatic, Fiona Apple, etc.), so this is another small list.

1. QUEENSRYCHE

House Of Blues, Chicago, IL

OPERATION: MINDCRIME I & II back-to-back. Questions were answered and
I had a freaking blast at the show. Really.

2. PAUL STANLEY

House Of Blues, Chicago, IL

Man is his voice in great shape for his age. "I
stiiiiiillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
looooovee yoouuuuu." Only the people around me kept this show from
being in the top spot.

3. LENNON

Wise Fool's Pub, Chicago, IL

One of the most entertaining nights I had in all of 2006. The show was
only Lennon and a keyboard, but all of the events surrounding the show
made that night an absolute blast. And I owe her some Maker's Mark.

4. SAMMY HAGAR

Tweeter Center, Or Whatever It's Called Now, Tinley Park, IL

I saw this show before I got the new CD and that was definitely to my
advantage. Sammy ALWAYS entertains and gives you a great show. Or, in
this case, two shows, with two distinct "bands" for each have of this
festival event.

5. LOUDNESS

Joe's, Chicago, IL

I had never seen Loudness before but I had a great time. A hard to
hear sound system made for some interesting moments, but a good night
overall.

And that's all I have for this look back. I really wanted to end on a
"What I'm Looking Forward To In 2007" note, but I really have no idea
what to expect in the next 11 months.

*
*** BIG SOUNDS - LITTLE WORDS ***
*
by Rick Berg (strngbrg@...)

Top Eight Albums (I could not remember more) that came out in 2006. (I
hope.)

1. Amon Amarth - WITH ODEN ON OUR SIDE

Absolutely brilliant. Their best work ever. I don't think I have gone
more than two or three days in between listening to this thing. As a
matter of fact it's on right now.

The rest of these are in the order that I remembered them, not in any
particular best to worst order.

2. Iron Maiden - A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

A great return to form. Again.

3. Black Label Society - SHOT TO HELL

Always has great stuff mixed with some lame stuff. The great stuff is
really great.

4. Korpiklaani - TALES ALONG THIS ROAD

Super fun. Thanks to Detritus for sending this my way.

5. Slayer - CHRIST ILLUSION

Awesome! Thank the Devil for Slayer.

6. In Flames - COME CLARITY

This may be one of their best albums in their so-called new style.

7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - STADIUM ARCADIUM

Wow, I may just have lost my metal card. Maybe even a man card. I
still liked over 80% of two discs' worth of music.

8. Rob Zombie - EDUCATED HORSES

Not his best but I do think it came out in 2006. I know I own it. That
counts somehow right?

2006 was a great music year thanks to Amon Amarth. 2007 maybe just as
great because Type O Negative is releasing a new album!

*
*** FROM THE MEGA-VAULT ***
*
by Keith Abt (KeithAbt@...)

-This Week: "2006 IN REVIEW!"

Greetings and Happy New Year to my fellow metalheads! Wow, it's been a
LONG time since I last turned in a "Mega-Vault" column... There hasn't
been a new one since my LAST "year in review" edition, in fact. Life
took some new twists and turns in the past year and obviously my
column wasn't as high on the priority list as it had been in years
past, though I've done my best to remain involved with Detritus
through numerous stand-alone CD reviews throughout 2006. Hopefully
that tradition will continue into 2007, and who knows, maybe I can
still find some free time once in a while to squeeze out an fresh
column as well. On to the good stuff! Looking back, I'd have to say
that 2006 was a pretty good year for hard rock and metal. I bought,
sold and traded a TON of CDs this year, and I was surprised at how
many quality 2006 releases were sitting on my shelves by year's end.
Boiling that stack down to a mere "Top 10" was a tough task but I
think I finally nailed it. So here they are, the Mega-Vault Top Ten Of
2006, along with some extra trivia and other odds and ends, as always.
Enjoy, and I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and heavy 2007!

THE MEGA-VAULT TOP TEN OF 2006
(In alphabetical order):

Benedictum – UNCREATION (Locomotive): Imagine for a moment that the
Dio-era Black Sabbath lineup reunited (Yes, I know, they're already
DOING that, but it seems to be for live appearances ONLY at the
moment, so stay with me) to record a new album using 21st century
production values. Now imagine that at the last minute, Ronnie Dio
became ill and the band hired Doro Pesch to fill in. That's what this
female-fronted San Diego power/trad metal band sounds like, in a
nutshell. Veronica Freeman has a fearsome set of pipes that puts many
of her male contemporaries to shame, and the tunes absolutely crush.
UNCREATION is a blissfully heavy, doomy experience that was one of my
more pleasant surprises of 2006!

Beyond Fear – BEYOND FEAR (SPV): After working for years in the
shadows of such titans/tyrants (take your pick) as Glenn Tipton and
K.K. Downing of Judas Priest and Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth, Tim
"Ripper" Owens finally stepped into the spotlight with his own project
and produced BEYOND FEAR, a good ol' fashioned SCREEEEEEEAMING pure
metal CD that we always knew he was capable of!! Now get back to work
on that new Iced Earth disc, Tim... ;)

Funny Money – STICK IT! (Fizz Donkey): Kix were one of my favorite
bands back in the day but until now, I'd never had the chance to check
out Steve Whiteman's current band, Funny Money. After hearing STICK
IT, I wondered what the hell took me so long! Tracks like "About
Women" and "By The Balls" may not win any points for originality, but
they capture the classic Kix sound to a "T" and Steve's voice is as
youthful as ever!

HammerFall – THRESHOLD (Nuclear Blast): HammerFall have always been a
love/hate kinda band; you can count me among the "love 'em" camp, and
even though I felt that the sub-par CHAPTER V was a bit of a let down,
THRESHOLD was an impressive comeback.

Iron Maiden – A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (Sanctuary): The band took a
bit of heat for opting to skip most of the classics and perform the
entire new album during their U.S. live dates this past fall, but that
aside, this is arguably the best Maiden disc since Bruce rejoined the
band. (The new stuff sounded WAY heavier and cooler in the live
setting, too!)

Metal Church – A LIGHT IN THE DARK (SPV): As a longtime Churchgoer, I
had my doubts about the "new" lineup, but 2004's THE WEIGHT OF THE
WORLD was surprisingly solid and A LIGHT IN THE DARK was even better.
Their only misstep was re-recording the David Wayne-era classic "Watch
The Children Pray," which may have been a nice tribute to their late
original front man, but new guy Ronny Munroe simply doesn't have the
sinister delivery required to make that one work.

Skid Row – REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (SPV): There seemed to be a lot of
HATE for this CD upon its release, but speaking as someone who was
never a huge Skid Row fan, I absolutely LOVED it. Johnny Solinger has
a hell of a great voice, and Rachel and Snake wisely decided to quit
beating the hair-metal dead horse and come up with a catchy, heavy,
and occasionally hilarious punk-influenced hard rock CD that was as
refreshing as it was entertaining. Nice work, fellas!

Vicious Rumors – WARBALL (Avalon): Shred freaks rejoice!! One of
America's most underrated bands made a triumphant return with new
vocalist James Rivera and new guitarist Brad Gillis of Night Ranger
(!) fame in the revamped lineup. The result was the strongest Vicious
Rumors album since the glory days with Carl Albert (R.I.P.) at the
helm.

Wednesday 13 – FANG BANG (Ryko): Now that Rob Zombie's gone Hollywood,
Wednesday 13 seems ready to take over the position of metal's leading
ghoul. The ex-Murderdolls front man may look like Marilyn Manson but
thankfully he doesn't sound like him! FANG BANG is a raucous disc of
humorous horror-film odes that sounds like the Misfits playing '80s
style sleaze metal. Dumb as grave dirt but soooo much fun!

Winters Bane – REDIVIVUS (DCA): Just like Vicious Rumors, Winters Bane
came back from a long hiatus this year with a new lineup (the only
holdover from the band's '90s activity is guitarist Lou St. Paul) and
some killer new material. Stuff like this gives me hope that the U.S.
metal scene isn't as dead as some people think....

THE HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Queensryche, OPERATION: MINDCRIME II (Rhino): Yeah, it sounded great
on the first few spins, and it's certainly better than anything the
'Ryche has done since the glory days, but in the long run, did this
much-hyped, long awaited sequel hold up against the iconic original
MINDCRIME? Not quite, but they definitely gave it the old college try
and MINDCRIME II gets a few extra coolness points for Ronnie James
Dio's guest star turn as Doctor X!

X-Sinner, FIRE IT UP (Retroactive): Even though this is merely a re-
recorded version of the Christian hard rockers' 1991 classic PEACE
TREATY album (with one new track), I was simply so happy to see one of
my favorite bands back in action again that I had to include them
somewhere. :)

Dirty Rig, ROCK DID IT (Escapi): I still miss Warrior Soul, therefore
I was overjoyed to hear that Kory Clarke was now singing for this New
York based band of booze-fueled punk/hard rockers. ROCK DID IT hits
with a few decent punches to the jaw at the start but unfortunately
runs out of gas around the three-quarter mark. That said, the song
"Drunk Again" contains my favorite lyric of 2006: "Read the warning on
my forehead, dude: It says Instant Asshole, Just Add Booze." Now
THAT'S my boy Kory!!

Slayer, CHRIST ILLUSION (American): Slayer is back, and yup, they
still hate Jesus, big time. Nothing particularly shocking there, but
with Dave Lombardo back on the drum stool, Slayer re-captured the "x-
factor" in their sound that had been missing while he was away. "Flesh
Storm," "Jihad" and "Black Serenade" are worth the album purchase all
by themselves.

THE "OKAY, BUT NOT GREAT"

Seven Witches, AMPED (Candlelight USA): Another new vocalist (Alan
Tecchio of Hades) joins the Witches camp and he seems a little out of
his element here. There are some decent moments scattered throughout
but overall it's not a must-have.

Warrant, BORN AGAIN (Deadline): Warrant replaced Jani Lane with Jaime
St. James of Black 'N Blue fame, and the result was a decent, but not
spectacular, hard rock disc.

Frost, OUT IN THE COLD (Screaming Ferret): Five cover tunes on an 11-
track disc leads me to believe that Jack Frost may be spreading
himself a little thin between Seven Witches, his ongoing solo project
and his many side bands.

THE MOST DISAPPOINTING

Blind Guardian, A TWIST IN THE MYTH (Nuclear Blast): I had hoped that
Blind Guardian would bounce back from the overblown train wreck of
2002's A NIGHT AT THE OPERA on this album, but other than the single
"Fly" this one unfortunately induced more "Yawns" than "Yeahs" from
me.

Paul Stanley, LIVE TO WIN (Universal): Insufficient data, Star-child.
We waited 28 years for a new solo album from Paul and this was the
best he could come up with? Too fluffy, too pop, and even though it's
only 30-something minutes in length, it feels MUCH longer!
Boooooo-RING! Next disc please!

Manowar, THE SONS OF ODIN EP (Magic Circle): I wonder if the Manowar
guys have been hanging out with Rhapsody (Of Fire) a little TOO much
lately, as they seem to be getting more symphonic and overblown with
every new release. This taster of the forthcoming new album didn't do
much for me at all, and since the new CD is said to be "the first in a
cycle of concept albums," I wonder if they've completely gone off the
deep end. It seems that we'll all find out together in the Spring when
the next album hits the streets....

THE WORST:

From Behind, GAME OVER (Lion Music): I've been writing for Detritus
since 1999, and after I gave this disc a bad review back in the spring
(which I still stand by), I was amused and terrified to get my very
first insulting e-mail from a member of this band. (I've gotten tons
of angry e-mails from fans over the years, but never one from a
musician whom I've just reamed in print...!) This person told me that
I was "Very, very gay" and "had no balls." If those are the best
insults he could come up with, then it's no wonder that their album
was so clichιd and derivative. But seriously, thanks for caring enough
to write, fella!!

REISSUE ROULETTE:

A lot of classics were given renewed shelf life this year. I didn't
even try to keep up with all of them but of the ones I did hear, I
enjoyed CJSS' 2-4-1 (Lion Music), Venom's CAST IN STONE: EXPANDED
EDITION (Sanctuary), and the deluxe reissue of Helloween's KEEPER OF
THE SEVEN KEYS PART ONE (Sanctuary), but the pick of the litter for me
was Escapi Music's new version of the Trouble's 1984 debut PSALM 9,
which includes a bonus DVD of vintage live and interview material.
Check that one out and know true doom metal divinity!!

Coolest Cover Art: Iron Maiden, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH – Tim
Bradstreet's awesome "Eddie Tank" illustration is the best Maiden
cover since SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON!

Worst Cover Art: Slayer, CHRIST ILLUSION – Larry Carroll's ugly-as-
hell cover may fit nicely with the savagery of the CD, but it's not
something I want to leave laying around on my coffee table (or look
directly at) either.

Looking Forward to 2007: Among others, I'm anxiously waiting for
Trouble's SIMPLE MIND CONDITION, Megadeth's UNITED ABOMINATIONS, X-
Sinner's BACK IN RED, Iced Earth's continuation of the SOMETHING
WICKED saga, and Judas Priest's as-yet-untitled concept album about
Nostradamus.

That should do it for now, as this column is already MORE than long
enough, but before I go I'd like to extend my wishes to all for a
happy, healthy and HEAVY 2007!!

*
*** REALM OF SHRED ***
*
by Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

Favorites 2006

Albums:

Iron Maiden - A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
Vanden Plas - CHRIST 0
Pyramaze - LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER
Obsession - CARNIVAL OF LIES
Vicious Rumors - WARBALL
Michael Schenker Group - TALES OF ROCK N' ROLL
Benedictum - UNCREATION
Astral Doors - ASTRALISM
Wolf - THE BLACK FLAME
Seventh Wonder - WAITING IN THE WINGS
Jon Oliva's Pain - MANIACAL RENDERINGS
Winter's Bane - REDIVIVUS
Leatherwolf - WORLD ASYLUM
Giuntini Project - III
Riot - ARMY OF ONE
Jorn - THE DUKE
Firewind - ALLEGIANCE
Evergrey - MONDAY MORNING APOCALYPSE
Eidolon - THE PARALLEL UNDERGROUND
Katagory V - THE RISING ANGER
Beyond Twilight - FOR THE LOVE AND ART OF THE MAKING
Motorhead - KISS OF DEATH
Shining Star - ENTER ETERNITY
UFO - THE MONKEY PUZZLE
Talisman - 7
Zero Hour - SPECS OF PICTURES BURNT BEYOND
Images Of Eden - SUNLIGHT OF THE SPIRIT

Instrumental:

Alex Masi - LATE NIGHT AT DESERT RIMROCK
Joe Satriani - SUPER COLOSSAL
Electric Outlet - ON!
Paul Gilbert - GET OUT OF MY YARD
Derek Sherinian - BLOOD OF THE SNAKE

Reissue:

Y&T - EARTHSHAKER

Non-Metal:

Saga - TRUST
Steve Hackett - WILD ORCHIDS
A.C.T - SILENCE
David Gilmore - ON AN ISLAND
Sunstorm - s/t

DVDs:

Whitesnake - LIVE IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT
Rush - REPLAY X3
Rory Gallagher - LIVE AT MONTREUX
Dream Theater - SCORE
Bruce Dickinson - ANTHOLOGY
Gary Moore & Friends - ONE NIGHT IN DUBLIN
Dio - HOLY DIVER LIVE

Documentary:

METAL: A HEADBANGER'S JOURNEY

Concerts:

ProgPower USA VII - Earthlink Live, Atlanta, GA
Queensryche - The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
Molly Hatchet - Nashville Station, Macon, GA
Ian Anderson - Chastain Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA

Books/Magazines:

Neil Peart - "Roadshow"
Martin Popoff - "Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose"
Classic Rock
BW&BK
Guitar Techniques

2007 Anticipations:

Rush - SNAKES AND ARROWS
Judas Priest - NOSTRADAMUS
Dokken - LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN
Sinergy - SINS OF THE PAST
Marshall Law - AXIS OF POWER
Crimson Glory - box set
Scorpions - new album
Yngwie Malmsteen - new album
Saxon - THE INNER SANCTUM
Vinnie Moore - new album
Heaven & Hell - tour
ProgPower USA VIII
Savatage - reunion/tour
Van Halen - reunion/tour

Another great year for metal, looking forward to an absolutely killer
2007!!!

Cheers!

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

-Man, looking back on metal in '06 I kind of feel like D-Day in
"Animal House." You know, "all courses: incomplete." *Plenty* of stuff
I know I'd like or love came out last year that I was unable to check
out. A mere 30 cases in point:

1. Angra - AURORA CONSURGENS *
2. Beyond Fear – BEYOND FEAR *
3. Blind Guardian - A TWIST IN THE MYTH
4. Buckcherry - 15
5. Circle II Circle - BURDEN OF TRUTH *
6. Doro - WARRIOR SOUL
7. Evergrey - MONDAY MORNING APOCALYPSE *
8. Firewind - ALLEGIANCE
9. Ian Gillan, Ian - GILLAN'S INN
10. HammerFall – THRESHOLD *
11. House Of Lords - WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
12. Jorn - THE DUKE
13. Michael Kiske - KISKE
14. Metal Church – A LIGHT IN THE DARK
15. Mob Rules - ETHNOLUTION A.D.
16. Mystic Prophecy - SAVAGE SOULS
17. Eddie Ojeda - AXES 2 AXES (U.S. release)
18. Jon Oliva's Pain - MANIACAL RENDERINGS *
19. Pretty Maids - WAKE UP TO THE REAL WORLD *
20. Quiet Riot - REHAB
21. Rage - SPEAK OF THE DEAD
22. Rhapsody Of Fire - TRIUMPH OR AGONY
23. Riot - ARMY OF ONE *
24. Michael Schenker Group - TALES OF ROCK N' ROLL *
25. Shark Island - GATHERING OF THE FAITHFUL
26. Tarot - CROWS FLY BLACK *
27. Talisman - 7
28. UFO - THE MONKEY PUZZLE
29. Vicious Rumors – WARBALL
30. Violent Storm - STORM WARNING *

[* = an album I am particularly peeved about missing]

So you may be asking, "Hey dumbass, what in the heck *did* you listen
to last year?" Well, plenty actually but I still have a dilemma here.
There was no new Judas Priest or Kiss studio album for me to make my
default #1 choice of the year. Normally in that situation I'd branch
all the way out to new studio stuff related to those bands. The
problems with that strategy are 1) I didn't hear the Beyond Fear
album, 2) the Tipton, Entwistle & Powell album wasn't really *new*,
and 3) dang it, Paul Stanley's LIVE TO WIN, with a run time less than
34 minutes, is just too short to be top dog! So what's my #1? Don't
have one! I'm going to punt. Here are my "Top 10 Faves Of '06" in
alphabetical order: (And in true Spinal Tap fashion the list goes to
11.)

1. Bob Catley - SPIRIT OF MAN: Pompy, somewhat epic heavy AOR done by
the master.

2. DragonForce - INHUMAN RAMPAGE: Yes their level of over-hypedness is
directly proportional to the speed at which they play, but these guys
are fun psycho-fast melodic metal.

3. Dream Evil - UNITED: I feared the worst when Gus G. and Snowy Shaw
left, and the band temporarily broke up, but this disc from the
revamped lineup is right in line with their other stuff. Cool bonus
five-track CD, too. (Paul Stanley, take note on that last part there.)

4. Edguy - ROCKET RIDE: You just can't go wrong with Edguy. They're
funny, they rock, and they're cool. That's hitting the trifecta.

5. Giuntini Project - III: Love Tony Martin's voice. Love it.

6. Leatherwolf - WORLD ASYLUM: This may actually be my #1 but don't
quote me on that. This album surprised me in its coolness and as I've
said before, it's a shame vocalist Wade Black has already left the
building.

7. Pyramaze - LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER: I feel like I should dig this
band more, but for some reason I don't. Their stuff is "solid" but I
just can't seem to get it over the hump into the realm of
"spectacular." Still, a top disc of '06.

8. Queensryche - OPERATION: MINDCRIME II: I mean, c'mon, it was just
folly to try and do a sequel right? It *had* to suck right? Well, it
doesn't suck by any means whatsoever, and although it just doesn't
"feel" like a concept album -- the mystique wasn't there for me --
it's still good. After the last few discs, think of this as the
proverbial "step in the right direction."

9. Paul Stanley - LIVE TO WIN: The ballads drive me nuts and the
rockers do very much have a modern poppy feel in places, but call a
spade a spade -- the man can write hooks. I echo Mr. Brower's
sentiments: We'd better not have to wait so long for solo album #3.

10. Tigertailz - BEZERK 2.0: Yes, Tigertailz. For the first month I
had this, I thought it could end up being my #1 or #2 for the year.
The excitement tapered off a bit, but BEZERK 2.0 is actually quite fun
and good. Give the glamsters a shot.

11. Wolf - THE BLACK FLAME: These guys are fun old schoolers but I
suppose I'd have to rate this a slight notch lower than its
predecessor, 2004's EVIL STAR.

Next up we have the "Things That Didn't Quite Live Up To My
Expectations" list:

1. Andersen / Laine / Readman - THREE: I like all these dudes' other
bands but this didn't blow me away as I'd hoped.

2. Europe - SECRET SOCIETY: At first I thought I loved this but then
the shine wore off. I was never a big fan of Europe in the glory days
but it's cool they're back and plugging away. You have to like John
Norum.

3. Fairyland - THE FALL OF AN EMPIRE & Iron Fire - REVENGE (tie): Good
but not great. Dunno why but I was in the mood for some kickin' new
fantasy metal when these came out, and I got all excited, but the more
I listened to these I just thought, "They're good but we've heard this
all before..."

4. Frost - OUT IN THE COLD: Cool list of guest stars, sure, but...
Dunno. An apt title in some ways.

5. Iron Maiden - A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: Overblown, but it's still
Maiden and Bruce Dickinson is a god. I can't imagine this lineup ever
making a truly bad album, but they can certainly try my patience with
the overlong songs.

6. Tony O'Hora - ESCAPE INTO THE SUN - I loved his work with Praying
Mantis, and Magnus Karlsson is certainly an ace guitarist, but for
some reason the magic just isn't here.

7. Place Vendome - s/t: Yes, yes, technically an '05 release but it
came out in the U.S. in '06. I mean, how can you possibly not light up
the universe with Michael Kiske singing over music played by Pink
Cream 69 and Vanden Plas members? Beats me. I've had this for months
and I don't remember a lick about it... That can't be a good sign.
I'll come back to it though. I owe at least that much to Kiske.

8. Skid Row - REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE: Drop half the album and this is
a good EP.

9. Warrant - BORN AGAIN: Just can't get into this one very much. I had
a feeling the union of Jaime St. James and the Warrant guys would
really click but... I still have high hopes for the next one though.

10. Winger - IV: This one is still growing on me so I'm kinda
reserving final judgment for now. Initially *very* disappointing, but
I do like it now. The cover art is simply fantastic, too.

A short "Cool Oddball Releases" list:

1. Kiss - KISSOLOGY: THE ULTIMATE KISS COLLECTION VOL. 1 1974-1977 and
ALIVE! 1975-2000: Whoa, a *load* of live Kiss stuff! I'm still not
done watching and listening to all of it yet, but it's just cool to
finally have that "Millennium Concert" on CD.

2. "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" and VH1's "Heavy: The Story Of
Metal": If you don't own the "Headbanger's Journey" DVD you need to.
Just do it! Also, the four-part VH1 documentary was very cool. A good
year to look back on metal, I guess.

3. Tipton, Entwistle & Powell - EDGE OF THE WORLD: Recorded a while
back but shelved when Tipton's record company thought the boys were
"too old" to be marketable, this disc finally surfaced last year.
Turns out it's better than the disc Tipton released in its place
(BAPTIZM OF FIRE) back in '97.

4. Various - THE REALM OF NAPALM RECORDS: Very nice CD/DVD set with
tons of songs, live clips, promo videos, and other goodies from
artists signed to Napalm. See http://www.napalmrecords.com/ for more.

5. VH1's "Rock Honors": This wasn't released per se, but it aired so
that's OK. Hopefully the full sets these bands (Def Leppard, Judas
Priest, Kiss, and Queen) played when this show was recorded will come
out on DVD someday. This was a fun show. Who's up next? AC/DC,
Aerosmith, Journey, and Van Halen anyone?

The "What I'm Looking Forward To In 2007" list:

1. Battlelore - EVERNIGHT: I have a soft spot for this band.

2. Crimson Glory: Will all that stuff we heard about a while ago ever
surface? You know, the new version of ASTRONOMICA with Midnight's
vocals, the compilation, the DVD, the new album, etc. I think I had
Crimson Glory as a "what I'm looking forward to" for 2006...

3. Gamma Ray - LAND OF THE FREE PART II: I wasn't exactly clamoring
for a sequel to the original, but I'm sure this will smoke.

4. Halford - LIVE AT ROCK IN RIO 2001 (DVD): It's related to Priest
and I need it. 'Nuff said.

5. Judas Priest - NOSTRADAMUS: I am still scratching my head over why
these guys are doing a concept album at this point in the band's
career. Odd subject matter, too... You'd think all the Nostradamus
fever would've peaked around 1999-2000.

6. Kiss: KISSOLOGY VOLS. 2 & 3 DVD box sets: The first one ruled and
I'm confident the next two volumes will live up to the standard.

7. Lillian Axe: We know main man Steve Blaze is from the New Orleans
area. I am not trying to be funny here -- in light if Hurricane
Katrina will the new Lillian album still be called WATER'S RISING?

8. Lizzy Borden: I was really glad to hear these guys are back
together as Lizzy Borden. I liked the Starwood disc and all, sure, but
I want my Lizzy.

9. Lordi - THE AROCKALYPSE (U.S. release): C'mon, you know it's going
to be fun *and* it's got a bonus DVD and guest spots from Udo
Dirkschneider, Bruce Kulick, Dee Snider, and Jay Jay French.

10. Manowar - GODS OF WAR: Despite what Mr. Abt wrote above, I gotta
hear it. It's Manowar. What can you do?

11. Megadeth - UNITED ABOMINATIONS: Killer title, and I'm curious to
see how this might be more of a "band effort" than THE SYSTEM HAS
FAILED was.

12. Primal Fear - MASK OF SMILES: I can't put my finger on it but I've
lost interest in these guys over the last couple of years. Perhaps
this will grab me again.

13. Tobias Sammet's Avantasia: Wonder which 20 or 30 guest stars he'll
line up for the third in this series? :)

14. Savatage: Guys? Is Savatage still even a viable entity?? Please???
If not, I will make do with the next Chris Caffery solo opus.

15. Saxon - THE INNER SANCTUM: Haven't heard much about this but no
matter. Biff & Co. will deliver the goods.

16. Gene Simmons - MONSTER: THE GENE SIMMONS BOX SET: Call it a morbid
curiosity. I mean, with an alleged 100 songs, you *know* there's going
to be some crap here, right?

17. Paul Stanley: Let's hope the show he recorded at Chicago's House
Of Blues last fall surfaces on DVD this year!

18. TNT: I am curious to see how ex-Shy front man Tony Mills follows
in Tony Harnell's large footsteps.

19. Victory: New studio album, fellas?

20. W.A.S.P. - DOMINATOR: The NEON GOD albums left me a little cold,
definitely a "been there, done that" situation. What's Blackie cooking
up now?

And finally, the "Coolest Musical Christmas Gifts I Got" list:

1. Mr. Brower surprised me with a musical toothbrush that actually
plays Kiss' "Rock And Roll All Nite" while you brush. It's from the
"Tooth Tunes - Music In Your Mouth" line by Tiger Electronics. Yes,
Kiss will do anything for money but this is cool.

2. If you read the Chicago Tribune, tune in to next Tuesday's "On The
Small Screen" column in the Tempo section. I was contacted yesterday
and told I've won a copy of the "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" DVD, and
there may be a mention of it in the column. (And yes, there's a tie-in
with Christmas. Just read the column. :))

Happy New Year everybody!

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