Sonic Ruin

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The Black Zombie Procession
We Have Dirt Under Our Nails From Digging This Hole We’re In
Most people will tell you there is nothing original in Rock and Roll anymore, that its all been done. This might be true to a certain degree, I guess we have all heard the D chord by now, and heard it played into the C chord more times than Angus Young can imagine. We’ve all shaken our asses to the 4/4 time signature a million times, so in some regards, we’ve heard it before. But the thing is, these facts have been true pretty much since 1970. Come on, we all know that “Wild Thing” is nothing more than a mean sounding version of “Louie, Louie”…or vice versa (who came first anyway?). How many other songs used that basic pattern back in the day, and how many garage bands did that and never got recorded? The key though, is that “originality” has to do more with how you string together then un-original.
This brings us to the wonderfully named Black Zombie Procession, a band that isn’t exactly breaking new grounds, but I dare you to find a band you can compare them to. Well, compare them to most of the time. The album starts with an intro that admittedly runs on too long. But suddenly the first song (‘Zombies Of The Black Order”) blasts out of your speakers, and I swear to God at first I thought I was listening to a long lost track by Entombed. I love Entombed, so I was O.K. with this, but hoping that they would find their own path. Well, I sure wouldn’t have to wait for long! “Have You Ever Touched Dead Skin” comes on with a phased out guitar, almost funky and psychedelic, but still just rocking the hell out of the speakers. As the song progressed I started to catch onto the fact that guitarist Nasty Samy is one hell of a guitarist, and then the drums start kicking along with it all, and it becomes evident that this band can play, write, and arrange in league with anybody out there! Just listen to the transitions in this song!
The sound you encounter on the second song is really the best example of what the band is about. They have a bit of a more Metallic sound of an 80’s Punk band, but still with more flash, but with out pretension.
The album features two covers, one of which is The Trash Brats tune “Teenage Suicide”, and the other of which is a frighteningly Cathedral-esque cover of the Kevin K. tune “Axis Of Evil”! I’m on the search now to find out of the original is so Cathedral like! Oh, the instrumental tune “Lonely Zombiefied Cowboy” is basically the theme from the 60’s Batman T.V. show, with some wild arranging.
The theme of everything is Horror, as the name of the band and the album would lead one to believe. But this is not your standard “Horror themed” band. There are a million of those out there, and they either play sped up Rockabilly, or they’re Death Metal or Extreme Metal. These guys though, aside from the opening track, really defy comparison. So if the image puts you off, don’t let it.
If I had one complaint about the album, it would be the instrumentals. It’s not that they are bad, in fact they are damn good, it’s just that I think the album would have moved at a much better pace without them. It’s just a very minor quibble.
This album is so hard to describe, and it’s driving me crazy as I wish I could so that it would cause everybody to run out and buy this thing! It’s such an impressive release in so many ways that really any fan of Rock needs to at least hear the damn thing! Just know this is some great stuff, and if you love FRESH sounding ROCK, please take a few minutes to check it out. Bands like this really deserve your attention.

Blood Vessels - Blood Vessels
As soon as the first song launches my mind goes straight to Black Flag in their most energetic phases. It’s a fine noise, as any person who has listened to Flag can tell you. No, you won’t think you have found a lost Flag album, it’s just a similar feel and rawness.
Song 2 “Escape From My Brain” friggin’ kills man. Slop guitar, hooks all over the damn place, just a cool tune.
Before we continue on, let me stress that the guitar is sloppy, but without a doubt it is pretty damn intentional. When Paul or Niff (whoever is doing our leads) breaks off into a lead, he shows us that he is quite capable of playing quite nice and smooth.
If you enjoy true Punk, the kind being kicked out of the US around the early 80’s do yourself a favor and grab this one. Hell man, searching over the CD book, I’m pretty surprised that these guys don’t hail from California. Pretty cool stuff, I recommend it to anybody looking for some fine Punk.

Cheap Wine - Freak Show
We’ll start with a comparison, if you don’t mind. Cheap Wine reminds me a ton of D.A.D.. Both bands play a similar style of Rock and Roll, and the productions, feel, everything rings in my mind as a D.A.D. type of thing. If you are familiar with D.A.D. then you know that they basically are their own sub-genre of Rock and Roll.
Cheap Wine are a mid-tempo Rock and Roll band that uses layers, backing vocals, and a seemingly endless array hooks, though their idea of hooking you seems to be more with the vocal melody than the guitar riifs. Certain songs, such as “Time For Action” might not have the most original guitar riff (though a good guitar “chucka-chucka” always works), but the chorus with the female backing vocal pulls it up a few notches.
“Nothing Left To Say” is a very cool tune, but it is driving me crazy as to who it reminds me of. Acoustic guitars, piano, keyboard, vocals, and damn it sounds like somebody. Great little tune.
There is actually a lot to recommend on this damn album. Do you want dynamics? Check out “Naked Kings”, the damn song builds to a huge sound. Complete with hooks in the vocals and in the guitars.
The album concludes with the monster tune “Evil Ghost”, a song that showcases the “artistic” side of the band, if you will. Complete with thoughtful lyrics dripping with meaning, slightly melancholy vocals (though never depressing), nice backing vocals, and layers upon layers of music. The song runs on over 9 minutes but never feels as such, with the last half being instrumental with a fine smooth slide guitar solo. Freak Show is a heck of a release from Cheap Wine and is going to lead me to track down their previous material. The packaging is exceptional, the production is top notch, and the material is solid all around. Hopefully Cheap Wine starts catching on with the rest of the world outside of their native Italy and we can all enjoy future releases from the band.

Gods ‘N’ Gurus - Smashing / Happy Animosity
I gotta tell ya, these two discs have been monsters to try and review. This is probably my 6th time writing this thing! Normally I have this problem only when it comes to discs that I am not fond of. But this time out it is due to my loving these guys and thinking both of these discs are quite amazing. But I don’t want to short change the band and make this review nothing but a bunch of comparisons and bullshit hyperbole. But ya know what? I don’t have too much of a choice, as this is a band that can only be described by comparing different aspects to really get across to all of you goofs just what the hell we are dealing with here. So lets start.
So they contacted me, told me to hit their site and download their two albums for review. So I did. I didn’t bother looking for their influences or what they sounded like, for some reason this time I chose to dive in cold. I started with Happy Animosity and was instantly taken in by the sound of the guitars in their heavy overdrive. The first song, “Held It” has an almost Glam/Arena Rock feel to it, but doesn’t sound like it. It reminded me of Balaam And The Angel, just in the cross between Glam and Goth, or whatever. I was hooked.
Once song 3 (“When The Shooting Starts”) hit I was starting to realize that these guys were way out of their time. In todays world the 80’s underground has become the flavor of the day. Bands such as The Killers have obviously been polishing up on their Joy Division and Human League “Best Of…” discs. Gods N Gurus are also a bit of a throwback, but I get the impression that it is more of a case of them being into the same things that bands like The Bolshoi and Bauhaus were into, not just being into those bands themselves. Drummer David Winn sounds so much like Peter Murphy at times though that if Bauhaus was to reform, and Murphy said “no”, Winn could step in and few would notice the change. But the band is damn near every bit as creative as Bauhaus and the others of the time were.
That’s really the difference, bands such as The Killers are lifting and ripping off songs and sounds. Gods N Gurus are just tapping the same influences and walking in a different path.
With both releases you get equal mixes of Progressive Rock, full on swaggering Glam, Goth (or 80’s UK underground if you will), and anything else the band may have heard.
The 5th song on Happy Animosity, “This Way”, will make you think of two bands, and both bands are justified. At first listen it sounds like something King Crimson might do, and that is where your mind will be if you listened to Crimson. But if you listened to Bauhaus, I bet you will hear Bauhaus. But I don’t think either band would have used a chorus like the one here. Then there is the part that sounds like Voi Vod during their psychedelic era…
Then you get song 7, “From Within”, which is all Glam. These guys cover so much ground it’s ridiculous. This is what I expected Love And Rockets to be when they first appeared back in…what…’85?
Smashing, which came first I do believe, is actually much more Bauhaus-ish in the vocal department. Though the first song is a crazy, fucked up timing creature. But with this album the vocals are much more “pained” in their delivery.
So, you say you want musicianship? O.K., these guys have it in spades. Check out tunes like “Nothing”, check out the layers, just check out the guitar. The band is a 3 piece, but sounds huge! Yes, I know this is studio work, but it is still mighty impressive stuff.
You have 2 albums here, but trust me, grab them both. The style is consistent, the production is fairly consistent, and the sheer quality is consistent. I can’t recommend Gods N Gurus highly enough, especially if you want some either classic sounding, or something fresh. They cover it all pretty damn nice.

Hellbats - Unleashed 'n' Alive
The Hellbats kind of confused me right off the bat (heh), as I was expecting a Psychobilly act due to their name and artwork. Now that I have had this for awhile and have listened to it numerous times, I still don’t know exactly where to place them. Are they Punk? Yeah, I guess. Are they Metal? Yeah, I guess. Are they Glam? Nah, but they throw out some “Glammy” hooks here and there. Are they all about death like their image leads you to believe? Kind of, they do have some “dark” lyrics, and will sing about death, killing, and insanity, but you don’t get handed monsters and boogy men.
Nothing “mellow” exists in the sound waves of this release, starting with the opening number (“Dark Shareholders Of Pain”) through to the closing number (“War Angels”) it is all played at one pretty decent volume and intensity.
Most of the guitar work is chord work, but at times the tunes step out into some pretty cool melodic work that has become a standard of many Metal outfits in recent years. But when these breaks come out when surrounded by a Punk atmosphere, it opens a whole new aspect up.
My enjoyment of the disc though doesn’t really go by song by song. With this disc I am finding it isn’t songs as wholes that I enjoy, but more that I like songs by which ones have the cooler parts within them. I love certain parts of “Hollow Me” such as the numerous breaks, but not so much the standard verses. The section with the “Follow Me, Follow Me” vocals is great stuff, as is the guitar break after it though.
To go totally against what I just wrote though, all of title track “Unleashed ‘N’ Alive” is solidly badass!
One thing to mention: before writing and recording this album the band lost their bassist, Nico. Filling in is Nasty Samy from Black Zombie Procession. How much this change might have effected the sound of the band I am not sure. But in the light of bad times the band managed to survive the tragedy. “Unleashed ‘N’ Alive” is a good, solid, well produced disc with some great friggin’s riffs through-out. It’s not going to be at the top of my “faves” list, but it will get played and I have no doubt it will be on top of some people’s lists at the years end.

Kelly Fairchild - Starland
O.K. kids, this is it, take fucking notes right now! If you ever belong to a former band or two, both of whom have some nice respect in the underground, and you are going to attempt to go off on your own in an era that is not kindly to your style of music, this right here is how you do it successfully! This is how you grab that damn 6 string of yours, climb to the top of the mountain and scream out that you ain’t going home yet until they get the government to stand in your way of making ROCK! How do you make an album that is purely “feel good” tunes, party Rock, the type of stuff convertibles, playmates, and Jack Daniels were made for, in this day and age? Right here, that is how. Somehow Kelly has managed to capture everything that is fun about Rock and make it work. This isn’t living in the past, this stuff works NOW. Add to it that his look works really well also, well, Kelly might just be onto something here!
The disc explodes from the start with “Let’s Rock”, and honestly folks, that is exactly what this whole damn disc is about! Nothing short of “Rocking”, and by the end, when the whole thing has passed and you realize there are no ballads, and the only slow spot is the
beginning of one track, you know that Kelly means it. Yes, when we got to the final song, a cover of the KISS tune “Coming Home”, I was jumping up and down that the thing made it to the end with no duds, and no ballads. At that point Kelly became one of my heroes.
In the first 24 hours of having this disc I probably listened to it 10 times. Since that day I have listened to it countless times more. The case is beaten to hell already. I swear, I have jewel cases that are 20 years old that look better! It’s been going everywhere with me! That says a lot considering it did make the immediate transition to my iPod.
Second song “Pam Anderson” (and first single) comes on strong and sounds like a hit from the very beginning with its drums and keyboard sound-effect beginning, into the impossibly catchy hooks.
“Together Tonight” shows the intelligence in the songwriter with the easy flow and change in the music to match the lyrics.
The day I heard “Don’t Stop”, on my way to my job (dreading the day ahead of me), the song spoke to me. I was listening to a person in my exact situation, a person who knew what it was like to have to go 9 to 5 to power his true loves. It was nice to hear in the context of the music.
The pairing of “It’s Alright” (my daughters favorite song) and the cover of KISS’s “Comin’ Home” is brilliant. Both songs accent each other perfectly and close the CD in pure style.
Kelly Fairchild has achieved something I really didn’t think was totally possible in this day and age. He made an album that is a perfect party album, an album all about fun and living life to its fullest, having fun, and yet not afraid to show his age. The album embraces having a great time, embraces youth as well as being married. It’s the perfect album for all of you Glam freaks and Rock freaks who are not 18 anymore, but it is also perfect for you Glam freaks and Rock freaks who are 18. It covers the demographics, and it does it with pride and power. Damn near absolute perfection. We have a new hero kids!

Kickin Trixi - Lady Luck
Fans of 80’s Sleaze take note of this band! Sounding for all the world like the fell straight out of that time period these guys offer up a pretty dang cool 3 song sampler that should make you quite happy.
Starting with a pretty killer rock tune in “Freeloader” that carries one of the crispier sounding guitars I have heard lately. Heck, a little more money in the production and it will rival that crunch found on the new Vanity Ink release. The hook itself reminds me of classic LA Guns.
Song two is our obligatory ballad. Readers who know me know how fond I am of ballads. I can’t stand the bastards, for the most part. This time out, a fine solo saves us, and a few hooks here and there. It’s mostly your standard ballad fair, and that goes for the solo also, but I like the solo. My only wish is that most of these bands would realize just how much more fun they have just tearing the shit out of the place, and stick to that. We’re in a different day and age kids, your ballads ain’t going to make you money more than likely. Hell, I know there are still Hairband/Sleaze band fans out there that love their ballads, but tell me you don’t enjoy an album that just kicks it in and goes for the throat for its entire run time! Yeah, you know you do…so shut-up and quit defending the damn ballads.
But like I said, nice solo. It’s going on right now, I like it. Partially it’s due to my being a sucker for this guitar tone. Oh, and that part right there reminds me of Randy Rhoads. Yeah…that part…that one…do you hear it?
Track 3 is our title track, and it starts out with a bass that makes you think of The Cure. But then it builds, and we land squarely in Sleazeland. Nice place, you should see the flag, it would make you blush if you were standing by your Mom.
Anyways, it’s that 80’s Sleaze thing again, with a pretty killer hook going on, and that wonderful guitar tone. Pretty cool chorus.
If I was to find one thing to whine about with this release, it would be that the vocals could have a little more energy to them. It’s not a bad voice, but doesn’t have that energy that could make this shine. That being said, lets not forget this is a first release and that could easily change in time, and I am sure changes completely in a live setting. But after having just checked the bands site, I see they are looking for a new vocalist, so maybe that didn’t change in a live setting.
I highly recommend all fans of the style to head on over to the bands My Space site and check these three tunes out. I bet ya like ‘em!

Kid Ego - Ignite The Tide
I’m going to make a prediction right now that Kid Ego will become one of our scenes bigger bands in the next few years. No, I am not predicting that they will become massive stars of Guns N Roses proportions, as that era of music is dead and gone and we will never have cool “Superstars” and “Rockstars” again. But, for us fans, these guys will become one of our bigger bands.
Though the disc does start out with a pretty good bang in the ways of the title track “Ignite The Tide”, and that song shows some cool features, it’s with song two that things come roaring to life, odd production and all. It’s hard to pinpoint what it is in the production that took my breath away at first, but the best way to describe it is that it feels very open and spaced out. It’s also with this song that we really start to catch onto just what it is frontman Zakk Taylor has to offer. Not only does he have a gift with lyrics, but the man has an energy in his voice that could supply a city with power for weeks on end. He has a great way of accenting the words at all the right times.
This isn’t to take a damn thing away from the rest of the band. There is no way Zakk could reach his energy without the right band kicking his ass, and these guys give him the power he needs. Killer riffs, great accenting, and backing vocals that punch you right in the gut.
I let a few people borrow the disc, and they all came back with the same impression I got on the first listen, the CD gets stronger and stronger during its playtime. The other thing you will notice is that it gets stronger and stronger the more you listen to it. On first listen “lady Conniver” was my fave track, second listen it turned over to the following song “Till I Die” with its cool opening guitar riff and great backing vocals. Then it became “Heartbreak Hooker” with its great lyrics. Then I went back to “UFO”, the tune that reminds me of the 80’s headcrashing into the 70’s with Zakk’s voice. But then I realized there was the incredibly catchy “Flirting With Suicide”. “Long Time Runnings” has too many great things to mention, and “Unbreakable” is a perfect follow-up to that tune. The flow by this time is almost ridiculous kids, and this one if probably my favourite this week. By the time I make it to press, who knows. “Hellshot” ends on more of the high energy and leads us to thinking that we are safe in our future of music with these guys.
In the end Kid Ego is a hell of a band that takes from the best the style has to offer and puts it all to great use with high energy. Zakk, Rookie, Birdy, Phil and Nicky have them selves one hell of a band and I hope to God they all realize how great they are and that they stick with us for years to come.

Maximum RNR - Horns Up
At only 6 tracks and less than 8 minutes long you had better be able to deliver your goods, especially when one of those 6 songs is a whopping 10 seconds long. It always amazed me how bands such as Discharge and Zeke could manage to offer up a 1+ minute blast of a track, with minimal lyrics, and still make it drive home and feel complete.
Now meet Maximum RnR.
“Trust Us” starts out sounding like an old blast of early 80’s punk, similar to the aforementioned Discharge, but reminding me more of an early Die Kreuzen.
For the most part the all 6 songs though are a mix of the blazing Punk meets street Punk/street Rock style. Try and picture great Rock hooks added into a Punk style, with vocals that are better handled than most early Punk bands. In early Punk days you formed a band around friends and people with like-minded ideals. These boys sound more refined than just grabbing a bunch of guys you know and forming a band. The tunes are tight, and the vocals very well executed.
For me the final song “I Hate The Cold” covers it all the best, as that one tunes packs in everything the band is about, cool riff, the Punk energy and scream, everything is perfectly pulled together.Though the disc is only 6 songs and 8 minutes, the damn thing will play for almost the full 80 minutes of the disc! You see, these were smart. They chose to loop the disc for it’s full duration, so you have almost 50 tracks on this damn thing! So, if you put it on while doing something else, by the end of its play time you should be more than familiar with the songs!

Snowbyrd - Snowbyrd
When I started this ‘zine up, about a year ago now, I told myself I would only cover the bands I enjoyed. But I also told myself I would stick to the Glam related worlds, extending out to some Punk, and still touching on Rockabilly. But I told myself that would be it. As the time went on, I got a few discs that just didn’t fit with that plan. One of which was Snowbyrd. The label believed in the disc though that they decided to say the heck with it, and took a chance on sending it my way. I can tell you this, I am damn glad they made that decision. It kind of helped me to change my mind-set a little bit. I have since decided that my main criteria is going to be that I have to like the bands, style be damned!
So, what does it sound like? Well, I took the disc with me to work the day after receiving it, and explained it as this to my boss: Take an 80’s Punk band, one that was really into Husker Du, have them really enjoy the 70’s writing style, while wanting to play Aleternative Country, but also doing a little 80’s underground, but also really liking the Allman Brothers...and Progressive Rock. He looked at me at the end of the disc, and said “That is easily the best way to describe these guys!” Seriously, there are so many style on this disc, and they all blend so well, the only way to describe it a long hodge-podge description. But then you have to conclude by saying “these guys just smoke!”
Do you want to hear a full on “bad ass” song? Check out “Morning Larks”! The pedal steel work on that mixed with the hyperactive drumming work along makes this whole album worth the price! It’s all quite exhaustive, but oh so cool!
Oh, but wait, you want drumming fills? Check out the next song, “Remember V”! We’re talking Keith Moon type wailing away at times here! Then the change that comes about in the middle of the song is almost “Wildhearts” like in it’s odd change that fits...somehow.
I’m not going to go in-depth with each song on this, as with all the different aspects of this album would almost require a full issue unto itself. There are so many shining moments here, the pedal steel, the killer bass runs, the lead work, the lead vocals finding the right melodies. The drumming...oh the drumming.
Look, if you want to step out of the standard stuff, and find something that will test different styles and never, ever, get boring, grab this thing!
I need to replace my copy of this though. For the time being it presides on my iPod. I gave my original to my wife’s cousin’s husband for Christmas. My cousin in-law? He’s a pretty big music freak so I figured he might like it. Well, I saw his wife just recently (they live about 12 hours from me) and she told me he won’t stop listening to the disc. So there is this issues “Friend Seal Of Approval” - Mark Likes It!
Oh, and the first time listening I kept hoping this thing would end with a BANG! And oh lord, do these guys end with a BANG! On that listen with my boss the end came up and he just laughed and said “perfect”. It’s the style we have had the whole time, but the tune just rocks on out perfectly.

Sparkling Bombs - Diamond Skin
Style, sometimes it’s all about style, and somehow the style falls into place with the music, and the whole package fits perfect. David Bowie has always been “style”, in fashion and in the music sense. If I was to try and point to a modern band that understood the whole package, had the same classy style and knew how to marry it to their sound as well as Bowie understood how to, I would be hard pressed to find a band that does it better than Sparkling Bombs. From their name, to the cover image, from the sound to their personal image (though no pictures are to be seen in the booklet), it all works.
Musically we cross almost every boundary that might be able to stand in the land of “Glam”, leaving out the Industrial side. A dash of Goth, a smattering of 70’s Punk (including a cover this time of the Dead Boys “I Won’t Look Back”), a kiss of 80’s Hair Bands, and a HUGE kick of 70’s full-on Glam, which is where the style comes from. Oh, they don’t look 70’s, but it’s that same attention to style that made Sweet what they were once.
The disc kicks off with a great rocking number complete with lively fills in the tune of “Diamond Skin”. Production is great right off the bat with the guitars meshing with each other perfectly, lead and rhythm guitars never outshining the other. Cool backing vocals to boot.
“Beautiful (Like A Molotov Cocktail)” for some reason reminds me of Hollywood Teasze, and that’s a good thing. I think part of it’s the chorus. But we got high energy running here!
The cover of the Dead Boys “I Won’t Look Back” is a nice little touch, and manages to not try and out-do the original, but still manages to become a Sparkling tune. Partially this is due to Alyss not trying to be Stiv, and rather singing the song like Alyss. They also smartly leave out the stab at the Sex Pistols in the beginning that Stiv originally did.
The final new track, “Glitter Riot”, is all 70’s and Trash. This is a song to lower the lights, strike a match, and proceed with what goes best with a darkened candle lit room. The song is pure sex kids. Alyss especially comes to life on this song, and the voice is perfect for the strut.
We end on the acoustic version of “Trust In Dust”. In my opinion the disc would have ended perfect with “Glitter Riot” as it would have left us begging for more in a perfect way. But as we end here, we will take what we get, and this is a strong song that quietly takes us out for the evening.
This is a killer release from one of the cooler bands working today, and a band that believes in giving you the whole package, and knowing how to fit it all together.

The Valentine Failures - Lights Out In Suicide City
O.K., normally I wouldn’t do this, but the band rushed me an advanced copy of the CD for an interview, and I ended up getting the new disc from The Valentine Failures before going to press for this issue, so I am going to go ahead and push a few things out of the way for it.
If you read issue 2 you know that I pretty much considered the bands debut E.P., Hearts Halos Hate, to being one of the finest releases in years. I was fearful of the debut full-length because of how much I loved the E.P.. So how does it stand up? Well, I was a little saddened by it due to it having 4 of the songs off the debut on it. 3 of the originals (“Darkstars”, Flatline Heartbeat”, and “Dead To You”) and then a new version of their cover of Dramarama’s “Anything Anything”. But upon a first listening I decided these new versions were not such a bad thing. The band pulled them together and sharpened them up quite nicely. They might not be as raw as the older versions, but the cleaner side of them brings out some very nice guitar fills.
Of the new songs I have to take my hate off and say the guys stepped it up quite nice. I’m still not too sure if these songs top anything off of the debut, but they definitely fit right in.
“Suicide City” at first threw me with the opening “Ooohh” and instant drum beat didn’t have the fire right away that I was hoping for. But now after numerous listens it’s a great way to start the song.
“Born Into This” is a vicious little song with a killer chorus that will beg for more of the D Generation comparisons, but still a great little bit.
If I am to continue with any kind of comparisons I have to admit that song 4, “Blood Shot Eyes” is a tune that I am sure Mike Ness would adore, and quite possibly love playing. All of the new tunes still contain all of the spit and fire that we found on the last release. But this time we get a few more sides to them such as the slower pace on “Blood Shot” and the classic Trash feel chorus on “We All Die Young”. But the backing vocals this time out carry more of a gang chorus, almost Hardcore Punk shout to them. But with this release those choruses are fast becoming a Failures trademark.
The killer guitar work between Dillon and Justin is still here all over the place, and the two know when to separate and join together at all the perfect places, and exactly how to add the perfect fills.
The rhythm section is as strong as ever. If I were to predict the future I would say that soon here we will be hearing more and more about Wayne. His fills are some of the tastiest I have heard, and they keep getting better.

The next issue will have much more on this disc, as by then I will have spent more time with it, and I will be featuring an interview with the band. But as of now this is one hell of a fine full length debut, and Valentine Failures retain their title in my book.

Vanity Ink - On Your Skin
When I got this CD I gave it a spin. On that initial spin I was caught by certain aspects of it, but certain other points were lost on me. I placed the CD aside and dragged it out every now and then to give it further spins. It slowly took to me, but I knew it was one I had to keep returning to for it to get a fair shot. I could tell that it was something screwy with me and not the tunes and anything at all about the band. You know, there are those days where even your favorite CD or band just isn’t going to work for you. I was in that type of a rut where things of this style just weren’t catching me. I hear ya saying “well, what style of music Is this?” Well, let’s continue on with the review then, since I have now finally got my ears back in action!
Do you like crunchy guitars? I’d expect so wince you are reading this little ‘zine. Fact, I’d wager a good years salary (from my real job…not this one) that ya do. We one thing about this debut full-length is that it offers one of the finest guitar tones you will find anywhere, no matter the size of production. These guitars are gorgeous sounding, absolutely stunning in their crunch and clarity!
When I first spun the disc I wrote it off too quickly as a typical Sleaze offering, albeit with female vocals, but further listening in the past few days has really brought me around to it. Songs such as “Voyeur Boy”, “Sucker” and “Someone Else” all offer such great choruses and all around hooks that you can’t help but get your foot tapping like mad! The grooves, the vocals (both lead and backing) all carry a great enthusiasm for the music, and those guitars, all add up to a hell of a package.
Vanity Ink are a hell of a band, and On Your Skin is a fresh and smart release.

This section here is going to be for those artists that just don’t fit the style of the ‘zine. The reviews will be a little bit shorter, but hopefully still decent. Ya know, we can’t all live on Glam/Trash/Punk alone…I guess.

Pan For Punks - A Steel Pan Tribute To The Ramones
Quite possibly the most unusual tribute disc I have ever heard. If you love the Ramones, and enjoy Calypso type of stuff, you need to track this thing down. When I first ran across it, I was expecting to hate it. When it arrived at my house, I first gave a little laugh. I listened to it on my way to work, and actually found it quite pleasing. No, it is not something I will spin everyday, or possibly even once a month, but there will be times where this disc will be exactly what I am looking for. By the way, it is also a 2 disc set. Disc 1 being the CD, while disc 2 is the video for “Blitzkrieg Bop”! Quite the deal!

Morgue City - Soulless
RAW, BIG, LOUD! Morgue City are “just this side” of being Industrial, and “just that side” of being Metal. They’re a little hard to describe actually as they utilize many styles into their sound. It’s one of those albums though that could either be one that grows insanely well on you, or in 3 years you put on again and wonder just what the Hell it was all about. But as of right now, the bastard is suddenly growing on me, especially the second song. Oh hell kids…tune into issue 4 for another review of this one.

Jonathan Blake - Wake Up Call
Here is a case of the person contacting me and asking about a review, then my checking them out and thinking they didn’t fit the ‘zine, but I liked what I heard. The music on the disc is just Jonathan singing with his guitar. Yeah, acoustic. A little Blues here and there, a little soul, and little of the popular Alternative Acoustic stuff going on right now (Jack Johnson) pretty much sums Jonathan up. Though tunes like “Reflections” carry a bit of the feel of a Luka Bloom almost. There is a lot of mellow, and due to it being all acoustic even the songs that rock never bring the walls down. But if you want something a little more on the mellow side, yet still pretty damn nice, check Jonathan out. At first listen I thought the disc would go on to my wife, but I am not so sure I want to give it up.

Sharelle - Magnanimous
Bordering on Alternative and straight Rock and Roll, and showing off a heck of a fine production, Sharelle are a cool band. I would place this in the normal review section, but the added mellow side of them might throw some folks. But the thing is that their strength is the mellow material. Songs such as “In This Room” and “Never Let Go” are mellow, but carry such a huge punch to them in their emotional kick. Sharelle herself carries a voice that can hypnotize you at times, but she is always in full command and powerful. Musically the whole band are top notch, and as mentioned the production is great. Absolutely an all around impressive disc and is one of those releases that keeps you anxious for future word on the band.

Swimming With Sharks - Written by Bernadette Giacomazzo and Melissa Deskovic
Our authors of this “self-help in the world of music” book are wise enough right off the bat to warn all of us that big success in the world of music is a very tough game, and one you are not likely to win at. But what they do promise you is a guide on how not to die too horribly, and possibly actually be able to survive it all. Instead of being a “how to make it big” book, it’s really a book on what to expect in band life, ideas on how to market yourself, and a bunch of tips on how not to be an idiot. Is it a worthwhile investment? Probably, it sure can’t hurt you. Is it a necessity? Nah, but nothing within the music world really is. One thing though, a rather funny error. In it they mention that nobody remembers the bassist in a band, and they use Peter Buck from R.E.M. as the example. In a way they prove their point, as Mike Mills is the bassist, and Peter Buck is the guitarist.

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