Cleveland Rock And Roll

Newsted

METAL

He was the "metal" in Metallica for years and years. He added credibility to a pretty much dead band like Voivod, as well as finances so they could produce a couple of fine albums along the way. Hell, he was the creative force behid Flotsam & Jetsam; a band that I love but clearly wasn't the same after DOOMSDAY FOR THE DECEIVER when he left. And yet, with all his heralded accomplishments, Jason Newsted somehow finds himself at a crossroads where he has to come out and prove himself and his metal merits once again. Newsted told me last month that he keeps the mindset always that he's only as good as his next record, no matter what the past has proven. Clearly, this is one guy that could rest on his laurels and his mountain of money and do whatever he wants. With all that said though, he returns with a simply smoldering EP that's as strong as anything he's done in the past.

METAL may not be the most creatively named EP out there, much like naming a band after yourself doesn't really show a lot of creative reach either. That said though, it is simple and makes it's point. No one that is a metal fan doesn't know who Newsted is. No one that simply picks up this EP won't know what is contained on a disc called METAL. Regardless of where you stand on either of these two points, you aren't going to be disappointed. Over the course of four songs, Newsted prove themselves worthy in any driving metal circles. From the surprisingly socially conscious opener "Soldierhead" on, it's clear that the old school attitude is still very much intact with Jason Newsted. This song just screams it's way into your head. As a vocalist, Jason Newsted will never be mistaken for classic Geoff Tate or Rob Halford, but his down and dirty, spit in your face growls are the perfect match for his raw edged music he's creating. What's interesting is how much METAL pulls from several of Newsted's previous projects. Songs like "Godsnake" have a lot of Voivod-ish grooves in it, as well as some very Papa Wheelie-like fuzzed out guitar provided by Jesse Farnsworth. Other songs, like this EP's best song "King Of The Underdogs", has a thick groove and soul much like Metallica's "The God That Failed" from his era in the band. In short, these four songs just kick ass in the purest, no bullshit metal fashion which you would hope and expect that anything Jason Newsted is associated with would sound like.

PITRIFF RATING - 90/100 - This loses points for being short, and for some fairly lame artwork. Musically, this is as close to perfect as it comes for a metalhead like me. A word of advice for many of you, this sounds immense in headphones on an iPod when cranked all the way up. Really, is there any other way to listen to this? Newsted's METAL is an asskicker!

Chris Akin is the editor in chief of PITRIFF.COM the leading metal website on the internet and a regular contributor to clevelandrockandroll.com. Chris will be our chief reviewer of CD's, Albums and DVD's. Got something you want reviewed send your request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Blue Sky Riders

FINALLY HOME

The term "supergroup" is thrown around very loosely these days. In the most general terms, most people associate that term with a collection of "name" players. By name, we generally mean famous. Certainly, if a band was formed featuring Mick Jagger, Joe Perry, John Paul Jones and Neil Peart, that would qualify in the broadest terms as a "supergroup". That said though, peripheral fame is all relative, while a collection of unquestioned talent that has had tremendous success in the music industry should also be considered as a "supergroup". For many reasons, Blue Sky Riders are a musical supergroup. They do have a very name player in Kenny Loggins, but probably more impressively they have a unheralded in public yet legendary songwriter in Country Music Hall Of Famer Gary Burr, and a tremendous, well heard songwriter who's written massive hits for other artists in Georgia Middleman gracing this group.

(Click Here For The Full Story)

Newsted

METAL 

He was the "metal" in Metallica for years and years. He added credibility to a pretty much dead band like Voivod, as well as finances so they could produce a couple of fine albums along the way. Hell, he was the creative force behid Flotsam & Jetsam; a band that I love but clearly wasn't the same after DOOMSDAY FOR THE DECEIVER when he left. And yet, with all his heralded accomplishments, Jason Newsted somehow finds himself at a crossroads where he has to come out and prove himself and his metal merits once again. Newsted told me last month that he keeps the mindset always that he's only as good as his next record, no matter what the past has proven. Clearly, this is one guy that could rest on his laurels and his mountain of money and do whatever he wants. With all that said though, he returns with a simply smoldering EP that's as strong as anything he's done in the past.

(Click Here For The Full Story)

Blue Sky Riders

FINALLY HOME

The term "supergroup" is thrown around very loosely these days. In the most general terms, most people associate that term with a collection of "name" players. By name, we generally mean famous. Certainly, if a band was formed featuring Mick Jagger, Joe Perry, John Paul Jones and Neil Peart, that would qualify in the broadest terms as a "supergroup". That said though, peripheral fame is all relative, while a collection of unquestioned talent that has had tremendous success in the music industry should also be considered as a "supergroup". For many reasons, Blue Sky Riders are a musical supergroup. They do have a very name player in Kenny Loggins, but probably more impressively they have a unheralded in public yet legendary songwriter in Country Music Hall Of Famer Gary Burr, and a tremendous, well heard songwriter who's written massive hits for other artists in Georgia Middleman gracing this group.

Unlike most supergroups though, the proof is in the musical pudding. I know it's early in the year, but having listened to FINALLY HOME a few dozen times now, I'm pretty sure I've stumbled on a finalist for album of the year in 2013. With the musical heritage of the three of them as songwriters, combined with some brilliant three part harmonies and the rare combination of all three musicians sharing lead vocals without anyone taking the dominant role as the "leader", Blue Sky Riders is a band that deserves attention - A LOT of attention. In the world of modern country-pop, FINALLY HOME is as good as it gets.

While certainly the band will gain attention largely because of the presence of Kenny Loggins, FINALLY HOME will stand as the launch of Middleman as a mainstream, brilliant singer. While she has penned hits for some of the biggest artists out there today (Reba McIntyre, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban), Middleman's long been overlooked as a singer and performer. That is until now. Her smoky voice pushes relatable songs like the uplifting "Little Victories" into your soul. Her voice, combined with lyrics that literally everyone can relate to, power this song. At other times, like on "Another Spring", she finds her space between Burr and Loggins to raise the spirit of the song. Middleman is one of the single best vocalists out there today, regardless of if she's been heralded as such before now.

This is not to say that Middleman is the dominant performer. She's not, and that's the beauty of FINALLY HOME. All three vocalists share, almost equally, vocal leads. Not only do they do that, but it's a very organic way in which they split the vocals. On a project like this, you would envision that they would all be looking for equal time, and yet, that's just not how it works. Instead, they find their places well, and simply combine their collective sounds where necessary. There's really no songs where Loggins or Burr dominate vocally as the "lead"; instead combining their collective talents to hook listeners in. Songs like "Dream" and "Feeling Brave" have a brilliant characteristic of vocal tradeoffs between all three vocalists on lead, as well as tremendous hooks that are powered by the band's best attribute - their ability to harmonize vocally. Simply put, the three part harmonies provided by Loggins, Burr and Middleman are as strong as anything you can reference. While the music isn't the same by any standard, their harmonies hook you in the same way a classic Crosby Stills and Nash might have 30 years ago.

While musically excellent though, what makes FINALLY HOME an incredible listen is the characteristic where they are simply as strong or stronger than any group working today. That is their songwriting ability. The lyrical craftsmanship on songs like "Windeer Woman", "Feeling Brave", "A Thousand Wild Horses" or almost every other song on the album is stunning. Clearly, FINALLY HOME is the work of three master writers who understand how to write memorable, hook filled hits each and every time they put pen to paper. They have done so here.

PITRIFF RATING - 98/100 - I discovered this band a few months ago as a fluke. I have lived with "Feeling Brave" and "Dream" for months, and have played the two songs over and over - just enjoying them and building anticipation on what I hoped would be a full album of songs to compliment these two great numbers. Never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned that the rest of the album would dwarf these two songs, but that's exactly what they have done. FINALLY HOME is a lot of things. It's fun. It rocks. It can make you laugh, and if you absorb the lyrics it can probably make you cry due to lyrics that tell stories we've all lived. It's musically great, vocally immense, and simply as good an album in the modern country/pop world as will be put out this year or in any other. This is as good as it gets.

Chris Akin is the editor in chief of PITRIFF.COM the leading metal website on the internet and a regular contributor to clevelandrockandroll.com. Chris will be our chief reviewer of CD's, Albums and DVD's. Got something you want reviewed send your request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Soundgarden

KING ANIMAL

Soundgarden were one of those grunge bands that really just "got" it. Unlike bands like Nirvana who put their desolate life imagery in front of their music, Soundgarden was always musical first, attitude second. Without question, vocalist Chris Cornell portrayed a lot of pain and passion in his soul, but he also was quickly regarded as one of the best vocalists of the era. While they were always pretty good musically, they were a band though that was erratic at best in the live setting. I saw the band at least 12 times, and I'd say they were 50/50 good to bad live. They played masterfully at the greatest concert of my lifetime (Day On The Green '91 with Faith No More, Queensryche and Metallica), and they played absolutely horribly at times (most notable - Lollapalooza tour). Still, even when they went away, their albums BAD MOTERFINGER. SUPERUNKNOWN and DOWN FROM THE UPSIDE have stayed in fairly recent rotation in my iPod.

(Click Here For The Full Story)

Soundgarden

KING ANIMAL

Soundgarden were one of those grunge bands that really just "got" it. Unlike bands like Nirvana who put their desolate life imagery in front of their music, Soundgarden was always musical first, attitude second. Without question, vocalist Chris Cornell portrayed a lot of pain and passion in his soul, but he also was quickly regarded as one of the best vocalists of the era. While they were always pretty good musically, they were a band though that was erratic at best in the live setting. I saw the band at least 12 times, and I'd say they were 50/50 good to bad live. They played masterfully at the greatest concert of my lifetime (Day On The Green '91 with Faith No More, Queensryche and Metallica), and they played absolutely horribly at times (most notable - Lollapalooza tour). Still, even when they went away, their albums BAD MOTERFINGER. SUPERUNKNOWN and DOWN FROM THE UPSIDE have stayed in fairly recent rotation in my iPod.

And now they are back. Years away where the bulk of the band went silent and Cornell dabbled musically with solo projects and Audioslave, the guys have found their way to bring it back. While not the best effort in their catalog, KING ANIMAL has proven that the fire did not die when the band was originally put down. Instead, it just quietly smoldered in limbo awaiting re-ignition. It has definitely happened here. Most interesting to me is not how good the band sounds now, but how similar to the past they sound. Certainly, it's not surprising as it's the same group of guys writing and performing their new songs, but given that it's been around 15 years since their last effort, you would expect everything from different playing styles to different tunes to change the vibe of the band overall. That's simply not the case. Guitarist Kim Thayil in particular sounds remarkably similar to the player we last left. His ambient playing on songs like "A Thousand Days Before" would fit perfectly on any of the past records. Drummer Matt Cameron sounds great as well. He was a powerful part of the galloping rhythms that made songs like "Spoonman" so great in the 90s, and he's every bit as important a player now. Songs like "Attrition" find Cameron moving the song with his rollicking beats as bassist Ben Shepherd brings the thunder along with him. To say the least, the new album SOUNDS like classic Soundgarden.

The real question mark was Cornell coming in. While he was a once masterful singer, his singing style and the decades of doing it have given him what I call "Brian Johnson Syndrome"; a condition where the vocals are not quite as strong and sound a little bit phlegmy when he reaches for high notes. This started during the Audioslave years, and to be perfectly honest, it's still here from time to time. That said though, Cornell sounds stronger than he has in a lot of years on KING ANIMAL. Songs like "Black Saturday" have that similar sound that people often mistaked for Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder in the Temple Of The Dog days. Other songs like "Non-State Actor" and "Been Away Too Long" are rockers where Cornell powers the song with his patented sound. He sounds good, and along with the rest of the band powers KING ANIMAL like the old days.

PITRIFF RATING - 84/100 - Considering the time away, and the fact that these guys were one of the more "inactive" hiatus bands of the last decade, it's surprising how well they have brought it all the way back. Powerful, solid comeback from Soundgarden, and quite a fine release to have in your collection.

Chris Akin is the editor in chief of PITRIFF.COM the leading metal website on the internet and a regular contributor to clevelandrockandroll.com. Chris will be our chief reviewer of CD's, Albums and DVD's. Got something you want reviewed send your request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Aerosmith

MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION

I think I waited just long enough to review this album. My initial reaction to MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION was one of absolute hatred. Once again, as Aerosmith has done for me every single time since PUMP, they claimed their album to be something that it just didn't live up to. This time, it was six months of claims that they were returning to their roots and writing a new ROCKS or TOYS IN THE ATTIC. What they delivered was, once again, a lot closer to GET A GRIP or NINE LIVES. It was certainly disappointing, as Aerosmith is much like Metallica in my book - a band who's music I actually WANT to like, but far too often don't.

(Click Here For The Full Story)

Aerosmith

MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION

I think I waited just long enough to review this album. My initial reaction to MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION was one of absolute hatred. Once again, as Aerosmith has done for me every single time since PUMP, they claimed their album to be something that it just didn't live up to. This time, it was six months of claims that they were returning to their roots and writing a new ROCKS or TOYS IN THE ATTIC. What they delivered was, once again, a lot closer to GET A GRIP or NINE LIVES. It was certainly disappointing, as Aerosmith is much like Metallica in my book - a band who's music I actually WANT to like, but far too often don't.

And yet, after a dozen or so listens to MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION, it really is a grower. Is it great? Nope, not even close. But there are moments where you get some good vibes and some tasty, dirty rock vibe from Tyler, Perry and the boys. Take a song like "Out Go The Lights" as an example. This song is probably the closest thing the band has done in over a decade to classic era Aerosmith; a full on blues rock number resembling "Big Ten Inch Record" and complete with some spit in your face guitar slop from guitarist Joe Perry. There's a real funk here from the entire band, and a lot of that sneering attitude from vocalist Steven Tyler. It's just good.

That's not to say that the album carries on that old school vibe at all, because for the most part it doesn't. In most ways, MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION will remind most long time fans of a more direct, less pompous version of GET A GRIP (which amazingly is now an old school Aerosmith just because it's been out for almost 20 years at this point). Songs like "Luv XXX" and "Legendary Child" are pretty much the standard fare that the cookie cutter factory that Aerosmith has become regularly shits out every few years. Like all their non ballads over the last two decades, the songs are decent but unmemorable past the first few listens. As for the ballads, they suck as always. If there's anything that no one needed to ever hear, it was the pairing of American Idol judge Tyler and American Idol contestant Carrie Underwood dueting on the absolutely abysmal "Can't Stop Lovin' You". Horrible. It's sad that the other guys in the band would allow this to even happen, but you have to think this was a management decision more than anyone, including Tyler, actually wanting to do this. Whatever the reason, it's horrible and should have been avoided.

PITRIFF RATING - 66/100 - An album full of ups and downs, MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION is better than the last couple of albums, but a huge distance away from anything good in their back catalog. It's a reason to tour, and they still do bring it strong live, so I guess that's a good thing. Thinking they can bring it strong one more time is a pipe dream at this point, but we can always hope. After listening to MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION, hope is all we have.

Chris Akin is the editor in chief of PITRIFF.COM the leading metal website on the internet and a regular contributor to clevelandrockandroll.com. Chris will be our chief reviewer of CD's, Albums and DVD's. Got something you want reviewed send your request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Chris Hatton

The Beard Album

It’s remarkable to me just how many amazing new musicians there seem to be today than in yesteryear. Quite possibly there aren’t really more but there sure seem to be thanks largely to the Internet revolution that’s occurring around us while you read this. There are also so many more tools at the hands of artists than there used to be. The problem is that in some ways it’s more difficult to get a light shined on any one artist simply because of the explosion of talent.

There are certainly exceptions to this observation, quite notably the band The Black Keys right from our own backyard in Akron. As you probably know, the duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney met while studying at the University of Akron. Now they are one of the most popular and influential bands in the World. My son who is studying in Copenhagen this semester says that The Black Keys are huge in Europe. He knows this because he proudly wears his “Black Keys – Akron, Ohio” shirt all the time.

(Click Here For The Full Story)