REVIEW : JONES STREET, Out Of The Gutter (Eönian Records Release: 3 June 2022)

Ladies and gentleman Los Angeles based hard rockers JONES STREET'S "Out Of The Gutter" record is going to be released through EONIAN RECORDS this June!! Heavenly influenced by bands such as Skid Row, Guns N Roses, KIX, Steelheart and Slaughter, JONES STREET'S opus is one of these albums that every single fan of the golden Hair Metal era must own!

REVIEW : BABYLON A.D. --- Revelation Highway (2017, Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Personally, when I hear the name of BABYLON A.D. the first thing that comes into my mind is the first two records of this U.S. Hard Rock band. And, to be honest with you here, I love the band's second release "Nothing Sacred" which released back in 1992. That was, and still is, a damn fine piece of pure U.S Hair Metal stuff that combined perfectly the classic U.S. Hard Rock sound with a punchier, ala Skid Row, approach that made this album one of my all time favorite discs ever!

PLEASURE ADDICTION / IN DEPENDENCE (2012)

Pleasure Addiction is a new band and has its roots from France!! They are playing melodic hard rock in the vain of the 80's, early 90's, Sunset Strip scene and through their sort career have shared stages with some 'big' names of this particular scene such as L.A. Guns, Lynch Mob, Ted Poley (Danger Danger) and Shakin' Street (feat. Ross The Boss from Manowar).

YOUNGBLOOD / NO RETREAT (2012)

Did you miss bands such as Steelheart and Slaughter? Are albums like "Tangled In Reins" and "Stick It To Ya" among your favorites? If yes, then Youngblood's "No Retreat" is your album definitely  But let's see a couple of things about these guys. After singing a deal with Epic Records, the band has entered the studio, in 1989, to record their debut.

ROCKARMA / BRING IT (2008)

For the band's debut album, Firehouse's axeman Bill Leverty helped them with the production and the mix and indeed he did an excellent job! "Bring It" was Rockarma's second release and was originally released in 2007.

STEEL PANTHER / BALLS OUT (2011)

This band kicks ass! The front cover of this new release is simply awesome. The songs are all about fun, attitude and pure Hair N' Metal from the 80's early 90's. Do I have to say more? Hmmm, I don't think so except that  I'm, also, sure that many of you dislike this band 'cause of their kinda of sexist humour and parody that their songs contain. But, hey, if you can forget about the lyrics for just one moment and focus on their music, you are going to discover a tight as hell band which is consisted of some great musicians!

DANGER DANGER / RARE CUTS (2003)

One of the best hair metal acts that came out from the U.S. were, no doubt, Danger Danger. Albums like their huge debut and "Screw It" are both superb pieces of U.S. Hair Metal stuff. And, even if they had it all to become the next Bon Jovi, the band separated after their second successfull release. After "Screw It", Ted Poley and the boys split and Paul Laine was the band's new lead shouter. The songs, that were written in 1993, for the band's third album, appeared in "Cockroach" in 2001. In this album, there is, also, a second disc in which we find Paul Laine on lead vocals.

GYPSY ROSE / PREY (1990)

This is an amazing album! GYPSY ROSE were from Canada and this is their one and only release. My opinion is that this band had it all to become a big name in that gerne! The band consisted of Micheal Ross on lead vocals, Brian Joyce on lead and rhythm guitars, Micheal Vaughn on bass, Steve Thomas on drums and Craig Van Gaver on lead and rhythm guitars and keyboards. "PREY" was produced by Gene Simmons' record label.

The album kicks off with the brilliant heavy rockin' tune of "Poisoned By Love". A really catchy track with a memorable chorus line! One of the best tracks of that era!! "Crawlin' " is more sleazier than the opener but it has some nice guitar licks. "Borderline" is another highlight of "Prey". It has a nice vibe in it and when it comes to the chorus, man..it's just minblowing! "Wild Reaction " is a fast paced melodic hard rock anthem with, again, a catchy chorus. "Don't Turn Your Back On Me Now" is the ballad of the album and it's a track that it's very emotional with a very good melody. The fact is that in this album you'll find some really impressive tunes but, also, there are a couple of average ones. If there were a couple of stronger tracks in the vain of "Poisoned By Love", then probably this album was much stronger.

Bottom line is that this is a must have for the fans of hair metal sound. Passionate vocals along with a tight musicianship and some really huge guitar work and there you have strong release!
HeavyParadise's Rating : 8,5/10

Tracks

. Poisoned By Love 4:27 2. Crawlin' 5:04 3. Borderline 4:14 4. Blood 'N Sweat 4:07 5. Love Me Or Leave Me 4:34 6. Make Me Do Anything You Want 5:08 7. Shiver Then Shake 3:27 8. Wild Reaction 3:18 9. Don't Turn Your Back On Me Now 4:05 10. Highway-One-Way 3:30

Child's Play / Rat Race (1990)

Damn, this is a very good hard rock album. Big hooks, huge melodies, a 'fat' production, a very good lead singer and some amazing guitar solos and riffs! I have discovered this band lately and took me by surprise! It reminds me a bit of Skid Row, Motley Crue and some heavier Bon Jovi. But the most impressive thing here is the guitar sound! The guitars have a tottaly big sound and some of the solos here are awesome! Nice work. 'Rat Race' was the band's debut album, in 1990. After three years, 1993, they released a second one which I'll try to find it. 'Good Ol' Rock N' Roll' is the opener track here and rocks big time. Soaring vocals, big pounding drums and a catchy chorus line. 'Day After Night' is another big anthemic track. 'My Bottle' starts as a mid-tempo with an acoustic guitar and then....comes the real thing. An impressive hard rockin' song with a strong bluesy elements. 'Rat Race' is an average tune. Ok, is up-tempo and it has a good vibe but it lacks of a good chorus. 'Wind' is an acoustic one and probably the weakest track here. 'Evicted' is a filler!! Uninspired and kinda of boring but with a very good guitar work. ' Knock Me Out' is a killer!! 'Girl Like You' and 'Pay Your Dues' are both rockin' good. 'Capricorn/Bang Bang' and 'Damned if I Do' are probably the highlights here. Awesome hard rock tracks! 'When Hell Freezes Over' which closes the album is a decent one.

All in all this is a very good hard rock album. Maybe a couple of fillers here but the final result is overall solid. A real blast from the past and a must have for the fans of Skid Row, Cinderella, Lynch Mob, Motley Crue and Xyz. 
HeavyParadise's Rating: 8/10

Tracks

1. Good Ol' Rock and Roll 4:24 2. Day After Night 3:25 3. My Bottle 4:38 4. Rat Race 3:26 5. Wind 3:48 6. Evicted 3:46 7. Knock Me Out 3:26 8. Girl Like You 3:43 9. Capricorn/Bang Bang 3:57 10. Pay Your Dues 3:09 11. Damned if I Do 3:46 12. When Hell Freezes Over 3:33

Jailhouse / Alive in a Mad World (1989)

Pretty good live ep from this U.S. band. The fact is that this EP is their first ever recording (!!), and the only one that I have in my hands. Their full-length self titled album was released back in 1998. The lead singer of Jailhouse reminds me a lot of Warrant's shouter Jani Lane. So, what we have here is 3 live tracks, one acoustic studio tune and a cover song. The cover song is "Jailbreak" from Thin Lizzy, which is well played. The other four tracks of this EP, are all good but nothin really breathtakin'. All in all this is a decent work.

HeavyParadise's Rating: 7/10

Tracks

1. Land of Today live 2. Please Come Back live 3. Modern Girl live  4. Jailbreak live Cover: Thin Lizzy 5. Stand Up acoustic studio version

Vince Neil / Exposed (1993)

This is an awesome album! I dare to say that this effort is probably Neil's best album to date. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of L.A.'s bad boyz Motley Crue. I just love every damn record that the boyz have released but this one is simply awesome. So lets take things from the start. In February 1992, Mötley Crüe parted ways with their lead shouter Vince Neil and then both sides issuing statements to each other! Mötley Crüe claimed that Neil was more interested in car racing and partying than the band's new music, and claims that Neil quit the band on his own accord. Neil claims that he was fired from the band, because he didn't approve of the band's new musical direction.

Baton Rouge / Lights Out on the Playground (1991)

Second album for U.S. hard rockers Baton Rouge and a great follow up to their huge debut album "Shake Your Soul". Both of their releases are more proof that Baton Rouge should have been a big name than they were. Ok, maybe this one is not a classic as their debut was, but for sure it's a great one too. Once again the big and catchy choruses are here, Kelly Keeling sings his heart out, a couple of MTV hits and a big production make this album a must have for the fans of that gerne. "Lights Out on the Playground" may not have reached a wide audience back then, but it was and for sure is a terrific hard rock album full of great moments. If you're already a Baton Rouge fan, then you are probably own this album and you know what I'm talkin' about. If you haven't heard this one and you are a fan of that gerne, then you have to check Baton Rouge's releases and discover a real great band.

HeavyParadise's Rating:8,5/10

Tracks

1. Slave to the Rhythm 3:26 2. Full Time Body 3:20 3. Tie You Up 3:27 4. Desparate 5:20 5. Tokyo Time 3:25 6. Vampire Kiss 3:42 7. The Midge II 1:20 8. The Price of Love 5:05 9. Dreamin' in Black and White 3:53 10. Down by the Torchlight 3:42 11. Light at the End of the Tunnel 3:52 12. Tear Down the Walls 2:58 13. Hotter than Hell 5:54

Baton Rouge / Shake Your Soul (1990)

This is an absolute gem! Baton Rouge was a very underrated hair metal band back then. This is their debut album and one of my favourite albums of that gerne. Great songwritting, some really inspired and memorable choruses, huge guitar work and a very charismatic lead singer Mr. Kelly Keeling (later MSG, John Norum, Lana Lane and others).

Their music was well played straight forward hard rock with big choruses and lots of melodies. Even if they had it all back then to become a huge name in the hard rock scene, for some reasons they didn't made it :-(  They released two more albums and then they split.
Back to the review. The album starts perfectly with "Doctor", a hard edged tune with a catchy as hell chorus. "Walks Like a Woman " was the big hit for the band back. A really cool song with a nice chorus. "Big Trouble"  is another one very good hard hittin' tune while "It's About Time " comes to slow things a bit. "It's About Time " is probably one of my favourite mid-tempos/ballads ever! Other highlights are the killer commercial hard rock of "Melenie " & "Baby's So Cool " and the fantastic ballad "There Was a Time (The Storm)". Call it melodic hard rock or hair metal or just hard rock, "Shake Your Soul" it's gonna move your soul !!!! A must have.
HeavyParadise's Rating: 10/10

Tracks

1. Doctor 3:44 2. Walks Like a Woman 3:54 3. Big Trouble 3:24 4. It's About Time 3:58 5. Bad Time Comin' Down 3:54 6. The Midge instrumental 0:57 7. Baby's So Cool 3:38 8. Young Hearts 4:15 9. Melenie 3:37 10. There Was a Time (The Storm) 4:11 11. Hot Blood Movin' 3:30 12. Spread Like Fire 3:16

Every Mother's Nightmare / Wake Up Screaming (1993)

Second album for U.S. heavy rockers Every Mother's Nightmare. The fact is that their first album was an excellent piece of huge hair metal stuff. Too bad that their debut was and still is a very underrated album. They had it all to become a big name in the scene of that era. When I bought this album, I think that it was about '95 or '96, I was excited that I was holding EMN's second album. The first spins didn't made me go crazy about the album but after a lot more listenings I discovered some really great moments in " Wake Up Screaming". Ok maybe their first was a bit more energetic and more powerfull, but I have to say that the guys of EMN didn't lose a bit of their energy in this one too. First of all, the guitar sound is huge as in their debut, Steve Malone was a very good guitarist and a very underrated too, the choruses are overall catchy and the whole production is strong. Maybe the final result isn't too heavy as in their first one, but is overall good. Highlights here are the fantastic  'I Hate Myself' , 'Cryin' Shame', 'Already Gone', 'Slip and Fall' and 'If I Had My Way' . All in all another one great cd from these guys.

HeavyParadise's Rating: 8/10

Tracks

1. House of Pain 2. Closet Down the Hall 3. I Hate Myself 4. Already Gone 5. Tobacco Road 6. Slip and Fall 7. Good Die Young 8. Break Down 9. If I Had My Way 10. Bang to the Bone 11. I Needed You 12. Cryin' Shame

Lancia / Lancia (1992)

Another one very underrated hair metal album that lost through the grunge revolution. Lancia's first and only album originaly released in 1992, a bad year for the U.S. hair metal bands. And I say 'bad' year because back then Nirvana and co. were ruled in the airwaves. But as so many 'hair' albums of that time, some of them were good and some bad or even average. Lancia's debut album was a damn good one. Lancia had it all, their songs were anthemic with a party feeling in all over the album with some cool guitar solos and riffs, a vocalist with a rough but still melodic voice, an overall good production and catchy tunes that stick in your mind from the very first moment. Overall a very good album that if you like this kinda of music you have to check it!

HeavyParadise's Rating: 8/10

Tracks

1. You Can't Keep a Good Man Down 2. Pain Sweet Symphony 3. Bad Attitude 4. Still in Love 5. Sweet Melody 6. Jimmy 7. Goodbye 8. Tattooed Love Toy 9. The Promise 10. Poetry in Motion 11. Wrecking Ball

Blue Blud / The Big Noise (1989)

Super rare and very underrated hair metal album. Somewhere between Danger Danger and earlier Bon Jovi, first two albums, Blue Blud achieve to combine the big hair metal sound of the 80's with some more melodic AOR stuff. Some really catchy and anthemic songs such as " Running Back", " Don't Turn Out the Light" and "One More Night "  are showing that this band could be huge back then. Maybe a couple of songs are a bit average but the rest of the album is a killer! So if you are lookin' for some big sing-a-long choruses with great guitar work and great performances then "The Big Noise" is the album you are looking for.

HeavyParadise's Rating: 8/10

Tracks

1. One More Night 4:24 2. Running Back 4:44 3. Don't Turn Out the Light 4:48 4. Love Grows Wild (in the Heat) 4:05 5. Never Rains in England 4:45 6. Secret Lover 3:54 7. My Idea of Heaven 3:59 8. I Can't Wait 4:00 9. Night Time City 5:11 10. Road to Ruin 5:33

Danger Danger / Screw It (1991)

Damn, I love this album! It reminds me of my younger days! Attitude, fun and some really inspired catchy tunes in this one. I can't say, if this is the best album of this great band, but for sure I can say that this album rocks big time. For most of Danger Danger fans, their debut album was and still is their best to date. This one is a bit harder edged, more crunchy and hairy I dare to say, with sing-a-long choruses, emotional ballads, fantastic guitar work and cool vocal lines from Ted Poley!

One of the strong points of Danger Danger was and still remains, the great guitar work by Mr. Andy Timmons. What a guitarist! Either with DD back then or in his solo records, the man has feeling when he is playin' the six string. Highlights here? From the bombastic and anthemic opener track, "Monkey Business", to the funier last one "D.F.N.S", every single tune here is an absolute gem for every hard rock fan of that era! All in all "Screw It" is one of the so called classic albums of that era, my personal old time favourite and a must have for every hair metal fan out there!!!

Buy it! It's all about attitude-fan and memories!

HeavyParadise's Rating:10/10

Tracks

1. Ginger Snaps intro/Monkey Business 5:22 2. Slipped Her the Big One 5:23 3. C'est Loupe prelude/Beat the Bullet 4:53 4. I Still Think About You 4:36 5. Get Your S**t Together 4:41 6. Crazy Nites 4:14 7. Puppet Show 1:20 8. Everybody Wants Some 4:15 9. Don't Blame it on Love 3:58 10. Comin' Home 4:39 11. Horny S.O.B. 3:22 12. Find Your Way Back Home 6:14 13. Yeah, You Want It! 3:34 14. D.F.N.S. 0:50

Cold Sweat / Break Out (1990)

Great melodic hard rock album. Somewhere between the lines of earlier Dokken and Lynch Mob, Cold Sweat's "Break Out" album is a fine example of pure U.S.hair metal! For me, this could be easily the next album of Lynch Mob's self titled album back in 1992!! So what we have here is a 10 track album full of great melodic hooks and sing-a-long choruses, big guitar sound with excellent solos and heavy, at moments, riffs from Mr. Marc Ferrari, a singer with a powerfull voice and a big production. Just listen the heavy rock "Cryin' Shame" with it's huge groovy sound, the super-catchy "Take this Heart of Mine " and "I Just Want to Make Love to You ", and you will understand what I'm talkin' about. A must have album from a great gerne......

HeavyParadise's Rating: 9/10

Tracks

1. Four on the Floor 4:11 2. Cryin' Shame 4:39 3. Lovestruck 3:06 4. Waiting in Vain 4:17 5. Take this Heart of Mine 3:54 6. Killing Floor 4:00 7. Riviera/Long Way Down 6:02 8. Fistful of Money 3:59 9. Jump the Gun 3:41 10. I Just Want to Make Love to You 6:29

Alice Cooper / Hey Stoopid (1991)

"Hey Stoopid" album, which was released in 1991, follows the more hair metal sound of the huge 'Trash". Great pop-metal anthems with catchy memorable choruses, Cooper's voice on top form, a big production, a couple of MTV hits and some really amazing guitar work makes this album a must have! "Feed My Frankenstein " is, for me, the huge moment here. Is a track that stucks in your mind from the very first moment with its heavy rhythm and its fantastic chorus. A song that featured on the "Wayne's World" film. "Love's a Loaded Gun " was the big hit of that album and an MTV air play back then. "Hey Stoopid " is anthemic with a catchy chorus. "Dirty Dreams " is a classic pop-metal anthem of that era, with cool lyrics!! 

Alice Cooper in "Hey Stoopid" co-operates again with some of the biggest names of heavy rock such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore, Ozzy & members of Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, and Zodiac Mindwarp. 

HeavyParadise's Rating: 9/10

Tracks

1. Hey Stoopid 4:34 2. Love's a Loaded Gun 4:11 3. Snakebite 4:33 4. Burning Our Bed 4:34 5. Dangerous Tonight 4:41 6. Might as Well Be On Mars 7:09 7. Feed My Frankenstein 4:44 8. Hurricane Years 3:58 9. Little By Little 4:35 10. Die For You 4:16 11. Dirty Dreams 3:29 12. Wind-Up Toy 5:27

Beau Nasty / Dirty But Well Dressed (1989)

Well this is a pretty good one album! Released in 1989. In "Dirty But Well Dressed" you can find some really catchy choruses, loud n' sleaze guitars, a great production and a powerfull vocalist. Beau Nasty were one of these bands that could be huge back then. They had a great combination between the hair/sleaze sound with a more sharp and heavy guitars, imagine a mix of Ratt, Warrant and Slaughter. But like so many groups from that era Beau Nasty finally didn't make it to become a big name. So, this one and only album from this band  is a true gem and a must have for hair metal lovers!! Buy it.

HeavyParadise's Rating: 9/10

Tracks

1. Shake It 4:29 2. Goodbye Rosie 3:59 3. Gimme Lovin' 3:36 4. Paradise in the Sand 4:14 5. Dirty, But Well Dressed 3:04 6. Love to the Bone 4:51 7. Gemini 3:48 8. Piece of the Action 3:51 9. Make a Wish 4:39 10. Love Potion #9 3:26