:: The Hair Review ::

Off Topic Opinion for the Day

2009-12-02T19:27:00.001-08:00

I did it again! Wow...I put too much work into this to keep losing it...oh well!

I want to start with a moment of intellect (it took hours to find this one today):

Now that I feel enlightened I would like to share my favorite music video:

No rants until I get some followers!

Cool Shit for the Day

2009-12-02T19:17:00.001-08:00

Van Halen got their big start opening for a 70s metal band in LA named Sorcery

Sound Familiar?

Pretty innovative for the 70s eh?

Check Out Sorcery Here

Weekly Shredder's Rig - George Lynch in Under Lock and Key

2009-12-02T19:16:00.001-08:00

The tone!!!

Lynch's Rig Would Be As Follows:

From the producer himself:
"We had two Marshall heads and two Laney heads, not sure which models, but one of them was a Plexi. We had cabs in three different rooms: two cabs were placed in the big room at Amigo, one connected to a Marshall, the other connected to the Laney. The Marshall was responsible for the high end part of the sound and the Laney was set to take care of the low end. There were 14 (fourteen) mics set up in that room in various psoitions around the cabinet and some further away to get some room tone. The second Laney was sent into a very dead room and had a Boss chorus pedal in front of it, set to very slight chorus. The second Marshall was sent into a small, tiled bathroom, to add a different room tone. Those 16 mics came in on the MCI 500 console mic pres. They were bussed to one bus and that bus had a UREI 530 EQ on it (best guitar EQ ever). George mentioned that he always gets a great tone with his Fostex 4track recorder when it's in total overdrive, so I asked him to bring it in. So after the 530 everything was sent to the Fostex 4track, which lived under a packing blanket under the console, so nobody would see it. The Fostex was on stunn, completely overdriven and was sent on to the 3M 32 track dig machine from there."

Assuming certain gaps in this explanation, let's break it down how we would normally:

4 Heads: 2 Marshalls and 2 Laneys for different sections of the EQ
I assume the "Plexi" head was his famed Modified Plexi.

Cabs: I assume Genz-Benz, correct me if I'm wrong

Boss Chorus Pedal

UREI 530 EQ Post Mic

and...FOSTEK 4 TRACK OVERDRIVEN!!! I think this may be bullshit...can't confirm it though.

It's also commonly known that Lynch would use an Ibanez Tube Screamer to push the preamp of his Marshall for many leads.

Weekly Writer's Pick

2009-12-02T19:15:00.001-08:00

My pick of the week this week would have to be:

Dokken's Under Lock and Key

Lynch sounds and plays amazing. Vocals are catchy. Riffs are clever and good. Lynch tone = Amazing!

I've been listening to this CD for about a year now and it still hasn't gotten old.

Check Out Under Lock and Key

Metal Band of the Day (modern) - Crashdiet

2009-12-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

I did it again...I deleted my old post for my new post...only readers that read yesterday will get the real pleasure of me bashing some other talentless modern band that "claims" to do Glam Metal...I can't even remember who it was

Favorite Album - Rest In Sleaze

Favorite Track - Needle in Your Eye

Key Member(s) - Bryn Bennett and Alex Necochea

Cool Point - In their 4 year original material existence they've had 3 singers (Not so cool point that one of these singers died, which happened to be the only one with any slight talent)

Best Solo - Straight Outta Hell

Do They Do It Well? - Not really

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7...Some badass lookin' mother fuckers!

Comments

These guys suck. Everything sucks. I'm not even going to waste my time writing about this overrated (by modern HM fans) shit.

The first CD was about a 3.5, second BOMBED...another complete disappointment. I hate bashing bands like this...but everything that comes across my plate today seems to suck!

Trust me guys...I would much rather like your garbage than bash it. It brings no joy to me to waste my life listening to a bad CD straight through and would bring me tons of joy to find a band nowadays that does it right.

RIP Dave Leppard, their only remotely talented singer that died.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Rest in Sleaze

Metal Band of the Day (from the 80s) - Kix

2009-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Hot Wire

Favorite Track - Luv-A-Holic

Key Member(s) - None

Cool Point - It's thought, or so the band thinks, that Poison ripped their style off...

Best Solo - Cold Chills?

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7 Just like Poison! ( ;) )

Comments

Hmmm...

These guys...kinda suck. Their fans are avid, but when somebody knows absolutely nothing about Hair Metal...and bash it...this is what they think of.

Very Cliche (I'm to lazy to put the accent on that e...yet have enough energy to write about it)

They have another album, Midnite Dynamite, that's ok...and the rest is not worth wasting your life...unless you're into this kind of shit (which according to their reviews...they have fans).

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Check Out Hot Wire

Off Topic Opinion for the Day

2009-12-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

I want to start with a moment of intellect (it took hours to find this one today):

Now that I feel enlightened I would like to share my favorite music video:

No rants until I get some followers!

Cool Shit for the Day

2009-12-01T18:42:00.001-08:00

Van Halen got their big start opening for a 70s metal band in LA named Sorcery

Sound Familiar?

Pretty innovative for the 70s eh?

Check Out Sorcery Here

Weekly Shredder's Rig - George Lynch in Under Lock and Key

2009-12-01T18:41:00.001-08:00

Weekly Writer's Pick

2009-12-01T18:40:00.002-08:00

Metal Band of the Day (modern) - Crashdiet

2009-12-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Rest In Sleaze

Favorite Track - Needle in Your Eye

Key Member(s) - Bryn Bennett and Alex Necochea

Cool Point - In their 4 year original material existence they've had 3 singers (Not so cool point that one of these singers died, which happened to be the only one with any slight talent)

Best Solo - Straight Outta Hell

Do They Do It Well? - Not really

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7...Some badass lookin' mother fuckers!

Comments

These guys suck. Everything sucks. I'm not even going to waste my time writing about this overrated (by modern HM fans) shit.

The first CD was about a 3.5, second BOMBED...another complete disappointment. I hate bashing bands like this...but everything that comes across my plate today seems to suck!

Trust me guys...I would much rather like your garbage than bash it. It brings no joy to me to waste my life listening to a bad CD straight through and would bring me tons of joy to find a band nowadays that does it right.

RIP Dave Leppard, their only remotely talented singer that died.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Rest in Sleaze

Metal Band of the Day (from the 80s) - Cinderella

2009-12-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Night Songs

Favorite Track - Nobody's Fool or Nothin for Nothin (hard to choose)

Key Member(s) - Tom Keifer

Cool Point - Named the band after the porn movie: Cinderella, not the children's movie.

Best Solo - Once Around the Ride

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7 Definitely kind of gay...but when you hear them...it's bad ass.

Comments

Night Songs...wow. Great CD. Solid Metal, with some of my ALL TIME favorite songs like, Nobody's Fool. As a matter of fact, the first time I heard Nobody's Fool, I had to listen to it about 100 times and never really could get it out of my head. It was my anthem and what I sang my girl friend whenever she wanted to do something I didn't...

They went more towards blues rock progressively as they grew older (and correspondingly lamer). As a matter of fact, their second to last studio album, Heartbreak Station, sucks and sounds like a horrific country blues cross with the same Tom Keifer vocals.

Their last album, Still Climbing, sucked...but wasn't as painful to listen to as it's predecessor.

What the hell happened?

Tom Keifer apparently loved the blues and always wanted to be a blues guitar player. Apparently that's where he went and left all of his fans behind...

I'm listening to Night Songs right now. FUCKING ROCKS!!! One of the all-time greatest CDs ever made.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Check Out Night Songs

Off Topic Opinion for the Day

2009-11-30T21:59:00.001-08:00

I wanted to copy the code of yesterday's Off Topic and accidentally posted today's topic in it's place...oh well. Enjoy 2 days in a row of the same Off Topic Opinion for the Day! Everyone except the that saw yesterday's post missed my Yngwie rant!

I want to start with a moment of intellect (it took hours to find this one today):

Now that I feel enlightened I would like to share my favorite music video:

No rants until I get some followers!

The Official Parent's Shopping Guide

Cool Shit for the Day

2009-11-30T16:53:00.001-08:00

Van Halen got their big start opening for a 70s metal band in LA named Sorcery

Sound Familiar?

Pretty innovative for the 70s eh?

Check Out Sorcery Here

Weekly Shredder's Rig - George Lynch in Under Lock and Key

2009-11-30T16:52:00.003-08:00

Weekly Writer's Pick

2009-11-30T16:52:00.001-08:00

Metal Band of the Day (modern) - Heart of the Hero

2009-11-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Wasn't Provided with One

Favorite Track - My Trust Must Be Earned

Key Member(s) - Drummer

Cool Point - Have gone by 2 other names, The Throne and Phalanx

Best Solo - None

Do They Do It Well? - They want to go for something new...it doesn't sound like what they claim to be influenced by. Maybe there was some misinterpretation as to what a Hair Metal band is?

Fashion (1 to 10) - 1, not diggin it at all. Don't even look like a band...they look like a bunch of kids I went to High School with...well the singer looks like he's in a band a little

Comments

I received a kind e-mail from one of these guys after a listing requesting bands to send songs. While I won't share the whole e-mail, I think they wanted to make clear: "Our whole goal as a band is to be the NEW hair metal or NWOBHM style (though, we're from San Diego, not Britain, haha) We're hoping that we portray a modern musical styling combined with our love for hair metal." So I will judge you as a hair or NWOBHM band.

NEW BAND DISCLAIMER
With a new band or a band trying to make it, I understand that the what's accessible to financially backed bands isn't accessible to you and I try to judge it not on engineering quality but what I hear. Of course you should always strive for the best quality everything.

I was able to listen to 2 high quality recordings from this group and did not particularly like what I heard...it's going to be harsh guys.

I'm going to play the songs as I review this one:

You're first song, "The Colour of Heartbreak", was not Hair Metal...in any way, shape, or form. What gave you this idea? There was way too much going on during the vocals and the guitar player has to get his chops down a little better. He's got to practice that tapping...it sounded horrible.

Vocals... I can't stand that horrible whiny sounding FOB shit for vocals sound. Grow some balls maybe? I hate that style of vocals. Absolutely hate it. I'd rather listen to auto-tuning rappers (did I catch some auto-tuning at the end of your second song)

Rhythms were very tight in parts and then sloppy in parts. It was progressive...but just gave me a headache. Sounded like a bunch of shit thrown together without transitions. I'm sorry, but I had to stop it around 5 minutes or so...so on to the next song.

Gay intro...maybe it will be funny. Woo, vocals AHHH. I can't tune them out either...Guitar sounds better though...you guys have to tame how many guitars you're going to track. It sounds very jumbled in parts.

This music has no organizational structure (I listen to Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash, etc. as well and have been for over 10 years, so don't assume it's because I can't take "the wrath, heartbreak, and heaviness". I don't dig this kind of teenage heartbreak shit.

I'm digging your bridge. WOW! Good bridge out of nowhere. Let's see how it pans out and transitions. Good transition but I'm going to have to stop wasting my Hair Metal reader's time with a non Hair Metal or NWOBHM band.

Solo sucked by the way...

You guys obviously want to go somewhere so stick to it. My opinion's only one, maybe you just found a niche that I don't belong in.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Metal Band of the Day (from the 80s) - Warrant

2009-11-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Dog Eat Dog

Favorite Track - April 2031

Key Member(s) - Jani Lane and Erik Turner

Cool Point - Jani Lane has married some of the all-time hottest chicks (he marries like many men date): Bobbie Brown, Rowanne Brewer, and almost married to Sheila Lussier...but the engagement was broken off after 3 years. I'm sure the conversation went something like:

Sheila: Jani...I really love you...I just don't want to get hurt. You've been through 2 marriages already and they only lasted a few hours...Who's to say I won't be any different.

Jani: Well baby...I love you...you know...like a fuckin...shit man...you're fuckin special baby. Ya know?

Best Solo - Machine Gun

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7 Pretty cool...nothing sticks out.

Comments

Warrant's a...run of the mill Hair Band. They're alright, have some cool points, nothing's too shocking. They're a pro band and they'll always be known somewhat. Their best album was a stereotypical pop album with a couple songs that stick out as good and a bunch of fillers. I liked April 2031, which was a completely different song than anything I've heard them make. Reminded me of Tool's song Jimmy.

Did a new album in 2006 named Born Again. The album actually sounded more like the band originally did than most of the other 80s "revival" bands. It still sucked.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Check Out Dog Eat Dog

Off Topic Opinion for the Day

2009-11-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

I want to start with a moment of intellect (it took hours to find this one today):

Now that I feel enlightened I would like to share my favorite music video:

No rants until I get some followers!

Cool Shit for the Day

2009-11-29T15:01:00.001-08:00

Van Halen got their big start opening for a 70s metal band in LA named Sorcery

Sound Familiar?

Pretty innovative for the 70s eh?

Check Out Sorcery Here

Weekly Shredder's Rig - George Lynch in Under Lock and Key

2009-11-29T15:00:00.001-08:00

Weekly Writer's Pick - Dokken

2009-11-29T14:58:00.001-08:00

The Best Metal of the 80s and The Best Metal of Today Competition

2009-11-29T14:57:00.001-08:00

Rules for the Best Metal of the 80s Competition and the Best Metal of Today Competition.

We all see these dumbass lists posted by big magazines with authors that seemingly know nothing at all about what they're talking about...so why not have a user related vote based upon the comments of our readers? We'll post 365 different bands for each category in a year, which should cover most bases for consideration.

If you like the band we post is the best so far of the year, simply comment: THEY ROCK HARD \m/

Limit yourself to one vote per band please, or we'll delete it. It helps alleviate mistakes in counting at the end of the year if you don't use all caps for the rest of your posts.

Rock On

We'll be listing the leader here after this week

Metal Band of the Day (modern) - Saints of the Underground

2009-11-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - If I have to choose...Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner (I think it's their only one)

Favorite Track - Jimmy

Key Member(s) - None

Cool Point - The absolute worst band I've heard that was listed on Amazon

Best Solo - None

Do They Do It Well? - No

Fashion (1 to 10) - 2, They don't have long enough hair, are old, have nothing cool or edgey...they remind me of the old guys I see playing covers in outdoor "fun-fests" with super expensive rigs and high-paying jobs to support them (ie not making any dough from playing, they just buy gigs)

Comments

...This band actually gets publicity? They're old and seem to know absolutely nothing about the music or fan side of the music business. They have the business side down though. They look like a group of...lawyers, stock brokers, or maybe...office managers and a worn out B type male that got recruited for saying dude and going along? What the fuck is this? A joke?

Vocals: Horrible
Tone: Not desirable, sounds like modern crap
Production: Very good, besides vocals

It was VERY painful to listen to all of their songs and I actually feel angry now that I did. Why do they think they can do this? Making it in the music industry actual requires some real sacrifice and I think this CD is an insult to those that actually have some talent and are working their ass off to make it.

Overall rating: 1

Take that money you used for that bull shit and invest it in a band of poor guys with talent.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s, if you do, I will assume you're from "Warrior Records"

Check Out Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner

Metal Band of the Day (from the 80s) - Ratt

2009-11-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Invasion of Your Privacy

Favorite Track - Lay It Down

Key Member(s) - Warren DeMartini

Cool Point - It's rumored that George Lynch tried to steal Warren DeMartini's Plexi at his daughter's birthday party, but Warren intelligently swapped the chassis with another undesirable amp. I have no way to verify this

Best Solo - Give It All

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7.5 They went through different eras. Seems like they got better as time went on.

Comments

Wow Ratt. One of my all time favorite bands. This album, Invasion of Your Privacy, is amongst my all time favorites. You can listen to it straight through. Killer riffs, killer DeMartini (San Diego native) tone, good slightly overrated solos, just badass all around.

Too bad Pearcy's a douche bag.

If you're here you should know Ratt...one of the leaders of this genre.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Check Out Ratt's Invasion of Your Privacy

Off Topic Opinion for the Day

2009-11-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

We'll start with a moment of intellect from South Park:

After feeling enlightened I'd like to share my favorite non-metal video:

I can't find my source right now, but I remember reading somewhere that Kanye West was the original writer for that song, but he passed it on to Trey Parker when his label claimed it was too short.

Cool Shit for the Day

2009-11-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Van Halen got their big start opening for a 70s metal band in LA named Sorcery

Sound Familiar?

Pretty innovative for the 70s eh?

Check Out Sorcery Here

Weekly Shredder's Rig - George Lynch in Under Lock and Key

2009-11-27T10:30:00.001-08:00

Weekly Writer's Pick - Dokken

2009-11-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Best Metal of the 80s and The Best Metal of Today Competition

2009-11-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

Metal Band of the Day (modern) - Dirty Penny

2009-11-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Take It Sleazy

Favorite Track - Midnight Ride

Key Member(s) - Rhythm Guitar Player

Cool Point - Despite not sounding good, they peaked at #38 in the classic rock billboard charts in 2008

Best Solo - Maybe Runnin' Wild, they could do with a real lead guitar player

Do They Do It Well? - Yes and No. Their New Album SUCKS, but their debut was a very cool Motley Crue rip-off with a slight Def Leppard influence. It seems like with the new one they caved into the dweeb criticism about sounding like Motley Crue and tried to stray away from the original sound. They ended up sounding like the Crues latest failure instead, with a more modern thick detuned sound and less catchy choruses.

Fashion (1 to 10) - 8, these guys know the fashion

Comments

Off of Take It Sleezey - I had to note that Black 'n' Blue SUCKS and Acoustic version of Sleeze Disease? Come on guys, what the fuck were you thinking? Harmonica, bad vocals, and a lead guitar player that has no idea what he's doing? If I didn't have so much hope for you, I would've laughed. The Acoustic version of Sleeze Disease...the non-acoustic version sucked enough, your singer is HORRIBLE and while obviously influenced by the Crue, can't do it quite as well...why the hell would you do an ACOUSTIC VERSION? You make your fans suffer through that shit twice? They're obviously very twisted...

The rest of the CD was boring with a couple cool parts. They would not have been notable in the 80s, but today they're amongst few that sound decent while doing it. Their singer could use some real voice lessons, they should seek a lead guitar player because their leads suck and aren't even remotely interesting, but their rhythms are good and tone is way better on their debut than newest CD.

The latest "Young and Reckless"...wow. You dropped the ball here guys. What the fuck were you thinking? The vocals were DRASTICALLY improved on this CD, but everything else was 10x worse. You were smart with the chorus in "If I Were You I'd Hate Me Too", it's catchy...but the guitars were AWFUL. Tone sucked, rhythms were uninventive and sounded like the same bullshit that's been around turning more douche bags in our (mine and Dirty Penny's) generation than any genre since the hippies. Tough out the critics guys, don't cave in. Oh and remember GET A LEAD GUITAR PLAYER, YOUR LEADS ARE HORRIBLE!!! You can't be an 80s style metal band with a bad lead guitar player.

Remember to say “THEY ROCK HARD \m/” in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Check Out Take It Sleezy Here

Metal Band of the Day (from the 80s) - Judas Priest

2009-11-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Defenders of the Faith

Favorite Track - Rock Hard Ride Free

Key Member(s) - Everybody

Cool Point - Iron Maiden opened for Judas Priest in their 1980 "British Steel" tour

Best Solo - Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

Fashion (1 to 10) - Despite the fact that it's not my favorite pop metal style, they paved the way for Metal S&M Fashion - 9

Comments

Whoo boy! This goes down as one of my all-time favorite albums ever created. It doesn't get boring and you can listen to it straight through. It's hard to top this. The guitar tone was at its peak before it sounded light digital garbage in their later 80s stuff, Rob Halford was at his peak, Glen Tipton RIPPED IT UP on every solo with beautiful Marshall JCM 800 tone, and each song gets you going or moves you.

This album brings me back to when I lived in St. Louis and would drive home at night on the deserted city streets with heavy levels of Urban Decay and the atmosphere was always cold. Good tough guy music.

Judas Priest is a band that paved the way for metal and made metal just that, unquestionably metal. Their initial albums make me think of an ok (or bad) rock band with some metal songs mixed in, but coming to think of it, one of my all-time favorite Priest songs is Victim of Changes which was released in 1976! That's a badass song for 76.

Judas Priest made metal something of a heavy respectable force and will always be remember as one of the greatest bands of the 80s (and even today).

Remember to say THEY ROCK HARD \m/ in the comments if you want to vote for them as the best from the 80s

Check Out Defenders of the Faith Here

Off Topic Opinion for the Day

2009-11-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

I want to start with a moment of intellect:

Now that I feel enlightened I thought I would like to share my non-metal music video of the week:

No rants today!

Cool Shit for the Day

2009-11-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

David Lee Roth was the first rock star to ever take out Paternity Insurance.

Shredder Rigs - George Lynch in Under Lock and Key

2009-11-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

Weekly Writer's Pick

2009-11-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

The Best Metal of the 80s Competition and The Best Metal of Today Competition

2009-11-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Metal Band of the Day (modern) - Steel Panther

2009-11-26T12:20:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Feel the Steel

Favorite Track - Death to All But Metal

Key Member(s) - All 4

Cool Point - Steel Panther has had 3 other names with the same songs: Metal Skool, Dangerous Kitty, and Metal Shop

Best Solo - Death to All But Metal

Do They Do It Well? - Yes, despite the fact that they're a humor band

Fashion (1 to 10) - 7, they've got the 80s metal fashion DOWN

Comments

Well, normally I wouldn't like a humorous 80s metal band, but they seem to be doing the glam metal thing better than most of the glam metal bands making music today! Unfortunately that's not saying much, we found most of the tracks boring and repetitive. Great solos, good operatic style glam singer, boring riffs, and hilarious content. After the first few songs, it gets boring.

I'm not a big fan of acoustic tracks, but this band seems to focus on the lyrics more than anything soooooo: "Community Property" was a lyrical riot.

Check Out Feel the Steel

Metal Band of the Day (from the 80s) - Dio

2009-11-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album - Dream Evil

Favorite Track - Night People

Key Member(s) - Ronnie James Dio

Cool Point - The Cover Art Work is Damn Cool

Best Solo - Dream Evil

Fashion (1 to 10) - Cape for the guitar player? 3

Comments

Damn cool riffs and solos. Wow. Super thick tone for the guitar, with a mid-early Priest vibe throughout the disk a la Priest's best (Defenders of the Faith). Definitely a play it through album. Solos have this really cool thick late 70s metal style tone with a nice 80s shred flair to them. Not fitting my favorite dive bomb ridden tapping filled solo needs, but still very tastey and soulful with some clever chops. Dio sounds amazing for what he does, as usual an it has the usual low fi sound quality that Dio recordings unfortunately feature.

This was chosen for today as I've recently found out that Ronnie James Dio has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. You and your family are in all of our thoughts, hopes, and prayers.

Leave a positive comment if you'd like to vote for this as the best band from the 80s

Check out Dream Evil