Kiss – Creatures Of The Night
Black Sabbath – Computer Gods
Iron Maiden – 22 Acacia Avenue
Judas Priest – Blood Stone
Megadeth – Symphony Of Destruction
Metallica – Through The Never
Fastway – Steal The Show
Badlands – Silver Horses
Warrior Soul – Rocket 88
Prong – Who’s Fist Is This Any Way?
Fear Factory – Smasher Devourer
Van Halen – Light Up The Sky

Tune in tonight at 8PM EST / 5 PM Pacific only on Stream A of MarkStriglRadio.com, iTunes, and the Live 365 player to the right of the home page. You’ll also find the various times when the show will replay this week.

Anytime a band puts out an album I try and compare it to a band’s past work, and the best thing to have recently come out by a similar band. Without a shadow of a doubt (at least to me) Ratt’s Infestation is the best hard rock album of the past few years, the best album from a band of this type of hard rock/metal. The album sounds like a classic Ratt album, but is also up to date in sound, making it also sound very fresh. Bands from the 80s are sometimes put in a tough spot. Do they imitate their past glories to keep their core audience happy, or do they try putting out something more up to date in the hopes of capturing some new followers? Ratt was able to do both, could Black ‘N Blue do the same?

Black ‘N Blue’s biggest claim to fame at the moment is that current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer originally played in the band. Although they had a song or two that was played on rock radio, and played on some decent tours, they aren’t one of the most popular bands of that era. Perhaps this album demonstrates why? Or perhaps Thayer not being part of the mix has effected how the band writes?

The album is by no means bad, and I’m sure plenty of fans of this type of metal will tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, but the album really lacks originality, or any sort of real catchiness. There are some solid songs on the album, but they all sound like other bands. For example Target sounds like Kiss, Fools Bleed like Aerosmith and, Hail Hail like AC/DC. Actually C’mon sounds as if it is left over track from the Kiss album Animalize.

Again the album isn’t bad, and I’m sure most fans of 80s hard rock and metal will enjoy it. Getting back to the Ratt album, that album didn’t bring anything new to the table, however it did add a chapter to the band’s history that can be argued about, and compared in a good light to their classic albums. You could definitely tell that was a Ratt album. There is nothing wrong with a band demonstrating their influences, but as far as Hell Yeah! is concerned, maybe one song that I can point to and say, oh yeah, now that’s Black ‘N Blue.

Rating: C+

Mix of new and classic cuts by Crowbar are played throughout the show.

The podcast can be streamed or downloaded from here:

Download MP3

Download From iTunes

Mark also has a solo podcast called The Mark Strigl Show, and runs two stations on the Live365 network. You can find links to both of them at MarkStriglRadio.com (I actually help program stream A).

Vince Neilstein is one of the editors in chief over at MetalSucks.net. Their site is a must read for any metal fan, and I am not just saying that because Vince has agreed to partake in this project. I read the site several times a day, comment on posts from time to time, and actually sport one of their t-shirts. You might not like what they have to say about your favorite band, and they may surprise you when it comes to bands they actually do dig. But in the end, it is all a great read, and entertaining none the less.

To check out Metal Sucks go here.

Greg Prato has been on the podcast. He has authored books such as MTV Ruled The World, The Eric Carr Story, and Grunge is Dead (among others). His interviews can also be found on RollingStone.com and UGO.com, etc. He is currently working with Carmine Appice on his biography, and will have a book out in September on the 80s New York Jets called Sack Exchange. His books can be purchased from LuLu.com or Amazon.com.

Kevin Estrada is a photographer that has done everything from sneak his camera into early Van Halen shows when he was a kid (some of those shots made it into an Ian Christie book). He has gone onto professionally photographing many well know artists like Kiss, My Chemical Romance, Fergie, etc. He has also directed videos for Serj Tankian among others, worked at labels, and can be seen in Nirvana’s video for Smells Like Teen Spirit.

To check out more of Kevin’s work go to his official web site.

Dustin Hardman has been working within the industry since the late 80s. He is currently the Web Promotion Manager for Frontiers Records US. His label has been behind getting projects like Allen/Lande off the ground, pairing Michael Kiske and Amanda Somerville, putting out Whitesnake’s latest album Forever, and will be releasing new albums from Warrant, Journey and Black ‘N Blue later this month.

To check out what Frontiers has to offer, go here.

Jim Florentine, comedian, and co-host of That Metal Show on VH1 Classic has signed on to form part of the “big project”. My first introduction to Jim was on the Howard Stern Show. I immediately ran out and bought the first two Terrorizing Telemarketers CDs after listening to the show. I always think of the track Broken Record whenever I have to do any sort of “cold calling”. Check out “The Vacuum”, and you’ll get a feel for Jim’s brand of humor:

Go Jim’s official home page to find out what Jim is up to.

Throughout the episode you will hear the following tracks by Crown of Thorns:

Rock Ready
Cold Blooded Bitch
The Healer
Heartbeat

Download MP3

Download From iTunes

If you are interested in purchasing any of his books, go to GaustenBooks.com

The episode features the following songs:

Misfits – Mars Attacks
Killing Joke – The Great Cull
Prong – Prove You Wrong
Bill Ward – Bombers (Can Open Bomb Bays)

Download MP3

Download From iTunes