Black ‘N Blue
Hell Yeah!

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+

This week’s episode of Mars Attacks features an interview with Greg Prato author of The Eric Carr Story and When MTV Ruled the World (among others). The interview is split between both of these books, as both where released around the same time. During the interview he details what it was like to put both books together, what hard rock and metal musicians where interviewed for both (including members of Kiss, Judas Priest, Carmine Appice, Twisted Sister, Anthrax, etc.) and how difficult it was to get them involved in his projects. Some of the other items discussed with Greg are which testimonials (if any) surprised him, why he decided to release both books, and his two upcoming releases, an autobiography of Carmine Appice which he is currently writing alongside the legendary drummer, and Sack Exchange his first non-music related book which is centered around the New York Jets of the 1980s.

Go here to purchase Greg’s Books:

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A continuation of yesterday’s list.

31 The Sword – Warp Riders
32 Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
33 Cloudkicker – Beacons
34 The Ocean – Anthropocentric
35 Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
36 Daughters – Daughters
37 As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise
38 Daath – Daarth
39 Stone Sour – Audio Secrecy
40 Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra
41 Exodus – Exhibit B – The Human Condition
42 Slash – Slash
43 Melvins – Bride Screamed Murder
44 The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza – Danza 3: The Series Of Unfortunate Events
45 Norma Jean – Meridional
46 Salome – Terminal
47 Black Label Society – Order Of The Black
48 Fleshwrought – Dementia / Dyslexia
49 Ghost – Opus Eponymous
50 Veil Of Maya – ID
51 Nails – Unsilent Death
52 Ludicra – The Tenant
53 Sons Of Aurelius – Sons Of Aurelius
54 Kingdom Of Sorrow – Behind The Blackest Tears
55 Parkway Drive – Deep Blue
56 Burzum – Belus
57 Melechesh – The Epigenesis
58 Sevendust – Cold Day Memory
59 Cancer Bats – Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones
60 Death Angel – Relentless Revolution
61 Shining – Blackjazz
62 Sick Of It All – Based On A True Story
63 Dark Tranquility – We Are The Void
64 TesseracT – Concealing Fate
65 Wichery – Witch Krieg
66 Orphaned Land – Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior
67 Ion Dissonance – Cursed
68 Holy Grail – Crisi In Utopia
69 Bison B.C. – Dark Ages
70 Black Anvil – Triumverate
71 Rotting Christ – Aealo
72 Allegaeon – Fragments Of Form and Function
73 Atheist – Jupiter
74 Pain Of Salvation – Road Salt One
75 Hail Of Bullets – On Divine Winds
76 Keep Of Kalessin – Reptilian
77 Rob Zombie – Hell Billy Deluxe 2
78 Solution .45 – For Aeons Past
79 Coliseum – House With A Curse
80 Heathen – The Evolution Of Chaos
81 The Acacia Strain – Wormwood
82 Autopsy – The Tomb Within
83 Cough – Ritual Abuse
84 Murderdolls – Women & Children Last
85 Levi / Werstler – Avalanche Of Worms
86 Ratt – Infestation
87 The Crown – Doomsday King
88 Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here
89 Forbidden – Omega Wave
90 Kalmah – 12 Gauge
91 Kataklysm – Heavens Venom
92 Zoroaster – Matador
93 Alterbridge – AB III
94 Arsis – Strarve For The Devil
95 Bring Me The Horizon – There Is A Hell Believe Me I-ve Seen It, There Is A Heaven Let-s Keep It A Secret
96 Comeback Kid – Symptoms + Cures
97 Cynic – Re-Traced
98 White Chapel – A New Era Of Corruption
99 Underoath – (Disambiguation)

Tonight you’ll hear 30 through 1 on MarkStriglRadio.com on Stream A at 8PM EST / 5PM PST / 2AM CET

During this expanded edition of the Mars Attacks Podcast we bring you an extra special interview with none other than John Bush, the legendary lead singer of Armored Saint, and ex-lead singer of Anthrax. We obviously discuss his years in Armored Saint, their latest album La Raza, his tenure in Anthrax, almost joining Metallica, and how Armored Saint has been mentioned incorrectly during Metallica’s documentary Some Kind Of Monster, and Motley Crue’s The Dirt.

Here is a complete list of items that we touch upon:

Santana, Mars Volta, Dave Jerden, Cannibal Corpse, Mike Patton, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Radiohead, Rainbow, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Great White, Ratt, Black Sabbath, Ed Trunk, Dan Nelson, Symbol Of Salvation, La Raza, Anthrax, Dan Nelson, Revelation, March Of The Saint, David Pritchard, Rainbow, Six Feet Under, Radiohead, Thom York, Ronnie James Dio, Soilwork, Dimebag Darrel, Phil Anselmo, Peter Wichers, Volume 8, The Dirt, Metallica, Motley Crue, Some Kind Of Monster, Fates Warning, Joey Vera, Gonzo Sandoval, Kill Em All, Joey Belladonna, Faith No More, Soundwave, NY Steel, Talking Metal, John Ostronomy, Mark Strigl

During the course of the episode you will also hear tracks from throughout John’s career. Songs off of not only La Raza, but Revelations, Symbol of Salvation, and a re-worked version of the classic track March Of The Saint. You will also hear some Anthrax, and tracks that he collaborated with Peter from Soilwork, and Six Feet Under.

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Quiet Riot – The Ritual
Motley Crue – Merry Go Round
Ratt – The Morning After
Dokken – Don’t Close Your Eyes
Y&T – Go For The Throat
London – It’s So Easy
W.A.S.P. – Chainsaw Charlie
Bullet Boys – THC Groove
Vain – Who’s Watching You
Hurricane – I’m Onto You
House Of Lords – Can’t Find My Way Home
Great White – Stick It

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of talking to Frankie Banali from Quiet Riot. This band has always been one of my favorites and instantly caught my eye the second I saw their videos on MTV. What wasn’t there to love the mask, the straight jacket, the larger than life camera angles, and the black and white stripes which seemed to be everywhere! I have to confess that I immediately took two roles of electrical tape from my father, one black, the other white and proceeded to tape up my drum sticks to emulate the patterns they had everywhere in their videos. The cool thing about the band is no matter what fads were taking place, whether they were being cheered or jeered in the media, they always managed put out great music. Most will know them from obvious hit albums like Metal Health and Condition Critical. Some may also remember QRIII and the video for The Wild and The Young, but the band has always been so much more than that. Great albums like Terrified, Down To The Bone, and Guilty Pleasures for some reason have always fallen under the radar. All of their albums ranged from good to great in my opinion.

I had the pleasure of seeing the band live back in 2001 with Enuff Z Nuff, Warrant & Poison. No doubt in my mind what group I was going to see. They easily stole the show, hands down the best band to hit the stage, it wasn’t even close.

In any event, I had great fun doing the interview with Frankie; hope you guys enjoy it as well. The reason Frankie came on was to promote the new Quiet Riot documentary he’s trying to put together. During the interview you’ll hear him discuss all of the work he’s already put into the film, and why he’s pared up with Kickstarter.com to attempt to raise money and make the documentary come to life. But he isn’t just asking for you to fork over some cash, he’s offering plenty of cool items in return for your backing of the project. You can gohere to find out about all of the items you will receive in return for becoming a backer of the documentary. Items include gold album awards (the real ones with the RIAA certificate of authenticity), dinner with Frankie or a two hour drum lesson with him. Check the link out for more details.

If you’ve listened to my podcast enough you’ve heard me say support the bands you love, buy their music, etc. Quiet Riot is a band I love, help me support Frankie and get this documentary made! Go to the Kickstarter.com link I have posted above, or go to their site and search for Quiet Riot or Frankie Banali. Let’s make the Quiet Riot documentary happen!

Tracks heard during the episode are as follows:

The Ritual
Down To The Bone
Shadow Of Love
Run For Cover
Terrified

During the episode we discuss the following:

Quite Riot, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Randy Rhoads, Kevin Dubrow, Paul Shortino, Rudy Sarzo, Carlos Cavazo, Frankie Banali, Marilyn Manson, Metal Health, Condition Critical, Rainbow Bar and Grill, Bob Turner, Tony Cavazo, Chuck Wright, QRIII, Sean McNabb, Kenny Hillery, Down To The Bown, Alive & Well, Guilty Pleasures, Alex Grossi, Rehab, Tony Franklin, Neil Citron, Bobby Rondinelli, Terrified, Marilyn Manson, Santa Monica Civic Center, Footloose, New York Yankees, A-Rod, Ratt, Motley Crue, The Dirt, Chipster PR

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10 Rob Zombie – Hell Billy Deluxe 2 – Mars Needs Woman
09 Armored Saint – La Raza – Left Hook From Right Field
08 In This Moment – A Star Crossed Wasteland – Just Drive
07 Charred Walls Of The Damned – Charred Walls Of The Damned – The Darkest Eyes
06 White Wizzard – Over The Top – 40 Deuces
05 Overkil – Ironbound – The Green & Black
04 Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth – Hammer Of The Gods
03 Filter – The Trouble With Angels – The Inevitable Relapse
02 Ratt – Infestation – Lost Weekend
01 Ihsahn – After – Frozen Lakes Of Mars

During episode 11 we interview Frank Salvaggio from Anew Revolution and Robbie Crane from Ratt. Both are very stand up guys, very easy to talk to, and furthers my belief of having just a normal conversation with artists as opposed to doing a “Kent Brockman” type interview (sorry I say Trent during the episode).

In any event, we touch on the following items during the interviews, from Frank’s side his past in Slaves On Dope, putting Anew Revolution together, song writing, gear, etc. With Robbie we talk about Juan Croucier, Vince Neil, being in the band for roughly 15 years, Infestation, the drama surrounding the band, etc.

During the episode you will hear parts of the following songs:

Anew Revolution’s “Head Against The Wall” & “Ashes From Stone” both come off of the bands recently released iMerica
Ratt’s “Eat Me Up Alive”, “Best Of Me” & “A Little Too Much” all off of their latest release Infestation

Other items discussed:

Anew Revolution, Slaves On Dope, Unloco, E1 Music, Bill Meis, Frank Salvaggio, Joey Duenas, Ozzfest, Taproot, Sugar Ray, 311, Lemonade & Brownies, Snot, Drowning Pool, Nonpoint, Limp Bizkit, Shinedown, Sevendust, Gojira, Marilyn Manson, Hatebreed, Journey, Killswitch Engage, Projekt Revolution, Kittie, Insane Clown Possie, Coolio, Tara McLeod, Ivy Vujic, Randall Amps, Pearl Drums, Sabian Cymbals, ESP Guitars, Metallica, EMG Pickups, Ratt, Vince Neil, John Corabi, Motley Crue, Carved In Stone, Dust Brothers, Brent Woods, Kid Rock, Beastie Boys, Young MC, Tone Loc, Funky Cold Medina, Exposed, Steve Stevens, Paul’s Boutique, Phil Sousan, Out Of The Cellar, Vertex, Stephan Piercy, Al Pitrelli, Juan Croucier, Carlos Cavazo, Quiet Riot, Metal Health, Condition Critical, Robyn Crosby, Bobby Blotzer, Warren DiMartini, Michael “Elvis” Baskette, Roadrunner, Loud And Proud, Infestation, Fender Precision Bass, Rotosound Strings, Marshall Amps, Ampeg Amps, Hiwatt Amps, Steve Harris, John Entwistle, Metal Army America, Talking Metal, Mark Strigl Radio, Background Noise, Van Halen, Dan Lorenzo, Hades, Non-Fiction, The Cursed, Misery, Chad Gray, Mudvayne, Cory Taylor, Slipknot

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Here is the playlist for episode 31, all of these songs were released in 1992, or songs with asterisks next to them depict groups that had breakups or important member changes that year.

Kiss – Unholy
Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark
Lynch Mob – Tangled In Your Web
Vince Neil – Look In Her Eyes*
Motley Crue – Uncle Jack*
Ratt – Nobody Rides For Free*
Exodus – Bitch*
Pantera – Fucking Hostile
Tool – Part Of Me
Bad Religion – Generator
Alice In Chains – Got Me Wrong
Testament – Electric Crown
W.A.S.P. – Chainsaw Charlie
Black Sabbath – Computer God
Ministry – Just One Fix
Beastie Boys – Time For Living
King’s X – Black Flag
Manic Street Preachers – Slash & Burn
Faith No More – Be Aggressive
Def Leppard – Tear It Down
Biohazard – Punishment
Body Count – Bowels Of The Devil
Rage Against The Machine – Know Your Enemy
AC/DC – That’s The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll
The Offspring – Kick Him When He’s Down
Manowar – Metal Warriors
Warrant – Inside Out
Ugly Kid Joe – Goddamn Devil
Nine Inch Nails – Gave Up
Suicidal Tendencies, Monopoly On Sorrow
Kyuss – Green Machine
Megadeth – Foreclosure Of A Dream
Dream Theater – Take The Time
Motorhead – Ain’t No Nice Guy
Fear Factory – Martyr
Extreme – Warheads
White Zombie – Black Sunshine

Have you ever listened to a song and instantly been taken to a certain time period in your life? Well that’s what this episode is all about. It also helps further the fact that hard rock and metal were alive and well in the 90s, and that the decade offered a lot of great music. This episode is centered exclusively around songs that came out that year, or tied to events that took place in 92. You’ll hear tracks from the following bands:

Kiss, Iron Maiden, Lynch Mob, Vince Neil, Motley Crue, Ratt, Exodus, Pantera, Tool, Bad Religion, Alice In Chains, Testament, W.A.S.P., Black Sabbath, Ministry, Beastie Boys, King’s X, Manic Street Preachers, Faith No More, Def Leppard, Biohazard, Body Count, Rage Against The Machine, AC/DC, The Offspring, Manowar, Warrant, Ugly Kid Joe, Nine Inch Nails, Suicidal Tendencies, Kyuss, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Motorhead, Fear Factory, Extreme and White Zombie.

Episode debuts tonight 8PM EST / 5PM PST exclusively on MarkStriglRadio.com