Matti Alfonzetti- "Shake my blood"

Modern melodic Hard rock by one of the most underrated voices, Mark Alfonzetti. For those of you who are unaware of his musical past, he has his tenures as led singer in bands such as BAM BAM BOYS, JAGGED EDGE , SKINTRADE, ROAD TO RUIN. With a raw, yet melodic voice,that brings him to the category of singers like Andi Derris, David Reece he releases this solo work, where furious melodic hard rock  like "Shake my blood"trades places with soulful mid tempo songs like "Say Goodbye". Alfonzetti is a genuine Swedish melodicHard rock singer with his heavier moments, his fondness for the modern rock sound but a soft spot for the 80s AOR scene. The tenure in JAGGED EDGE left his mark in songs like the funky, groovy 'Who do you think you are". Bluesy and melodic, in the vein of MR BIG, late years EUROPE , Alfonzetti, brings the musical dreams to life in songs like 'Sanctified" where the groove meets the melody at a song that screams for airplay. This time Alfonzetti, who has gone back to his roots and together with Mikael Hujanen, Peter Forss, Johan Norgren, Henrik Bergqvist, Joel Sahlin and his son Dante created an album full of bluesy , yet FM oriented Hard rock. 'Digging in the dirt' with its melodic bridge and its heavy blues chorus is a fine example of the album's orientation. 

 

 

If you are into bands like COLD CHISEL you may understand my point of view.A melodic, yet bluesy,deep voice that has the versatility to serve both the FM as the more down to earth blues rock directions,allow Alfonzetti move in to various musical directions keeping the groove and the fire alive, without been utterly traditional or over the top contemporary. But it's the covers where he shows his own unique interpretation on songs we all know and love like at 'Don't believe a word" by THIN LIZZY ,where he transforms the song to a piano led, heartbreaking ballad, stripped down to the bones, leaving him and a piano."Kill my blues" could be easily at any of the post reunion EUROPE albums and been among the best songs they have written. In the same vein of hard rock with a bluesy touch, comes "Evil woman", muscular and anthemic.To put it simple EUROPE,SHOUT, MR BIG, WHITESNAKE, JAGGED EDGE, you like any of the aforementioned bands ,then you are obliged to buy "Shake my soul" period.

 

7,5

 

Song of the week The Last International Playboys - Have You Ever Fallen In Love? (Official video)

 Song of the week

 

The Last International Playboys - Have You Ever Fallen In Love? (Official video)

 

Song: Have you ever fallen in love? 

Album: Who shot Roy? Release date: December 10th, 2021 

Official video feat. Lefteris Eleftheriou (Λευτέρης Ελευθερίου) and Kalena 

Directed by Christos Doulgerakis 

Words & music: Angel Kalantzis B

acking vocals/vocal arrangement: Anna T. Tarba 

Special thanks to Lefteris Eleftheriou (Λευτέρης Ελευθερίου) for being such an actor and a fantastic guy, Kalena, Roula Karamanou and the music-cafe-food-bar "Αρωμα Πλατείας (arοma plateias)" 25ης Μαρτίου 19, Πλατεία Νέας Σμύρνης, the coaching school "Πρόοδος (PROODOS)" Καλλιθέα , Εσπερίδων 104 & Καστελόριζου και Νέα Σμύρνη, Αιγαίου 109, 

Purchase: https://thelastinternationalplayboys.... 

Follow The Last International Playboys https://www.facebook.com/l.i.p.greece https://www.instagram.com/thelastinte... 

 https://twitter.com/thelipband  

https://www.thelipband.com

Me and that man- "New man,New songs, Same shit Vol2"

Third times a charm and Nergal knails it one more time.Along with a stellar list of participants , expected Myrkyr, Gary Holt and unexpected Blaze Baley, he gives us his own successful recipe of Dark, wave, alternative rock, folk,country and Americana, with some metal elements and praise the Lord (Dark or not) he is a winner.From the opener "Black hearse Cadillac' the last song we heard Hank Von Hell, a chilling moment as the album was released the day we were informed on the death of the Great Norwegian singer, a creepy , chanting introduction, and soul searching lyrics, a cry for love and attention-who really gives a fuck and listen to the lyrics and their meaning for the artist ,in his real life?the album set high standards as usual.A help from GHOSTs Papa V...Mary Goore and BOC meets Me and that man rocking over a James Bond movie theme.A blues out of the Gary Moore songbook is "All hope is gone" where instead of Johnny Cash, Blaze Bayley, yes the ex WOLFSBANE,IRON MAIDEN singer along with Gary Holt (Exodus) and Jeff Mantas Dunn (V) gives the best song of the album, a heartbreaking, emotional overcharged blues anthem. Americana and country & Western rules at "Witches don't fall in love"."Losing my blues"  and if MOTORHEAD would think to play blues, this is how they would sound with Chris Holmes (ex WASP giving this dirty 80s ,sunset strip soloing). 

 

 

 

Dave Vinsent (Morbid angel) does what he knows best at ' 'Year of the snake'', thriving the song from a low ride to self destruction to the depths of personal abandonment and misery, standing against everyone and paying the price. The haunting violin solo makes the song an Appalachian cry for freedom, a mountain song from the mountain of the dead and unbowed.Michael Graves (MISFITS) gives a stunning performance at the hypnotic, mesmerizing "Blues and cocaine" a song that makes the term "desert rock" at least obsolete with its internal, sheer, demonic power.Randy Blythe takes the mic at "Silver Halide echoes" and gives us a modern Moricone song for a western where no one survives, despite motivations and moral grounds.What makes Me and that man a project,everyone loves is that Nergal takes musicians from mostly the extreme sound territory and present them in a totally different package like Alicia  White Glutz and Dave Townsend at 'Goodbye' a haunting dark Americana ballad. The closer 'Got your tongue" with our "own" Chris Georgiadis is a great example of the alternative rock spirit that broke the limits between metal and rock in the 90s and still releases great songs to dance with. 

 

Me and that man for the third time produce an album that other artists need a whole life to conceive. We love their work and hope they'll continue to bring such dark pleasures to our lustful ears.

 

8,5

 

When rivers meet- 'Saving grace'

 

 

The killer duet of Grace and Aaron Bond from the UK returns to remind us of how good, soulful blues rock has to be played. 'He ll drive you crazy' is a song that lets the gutsy vocals of Grace Bond reign over the fuzzy guitar all together in a Zeppelin-esque piece of music. If you already had their first album you know that WHEN RIVER MEETS are a band who wear their heart on their sleeve. They like their music, groovy have a soft spot for the blues and take the lead from where BAD COMPANY, Joplin, SAINT JUDE and less THUNDER (they are still active0)left it. 

 

 

'Don't tell me goodbye '' has the 'Wild horses" /country rock/americana (sic) feeling  with both musicians taking turns at the vocals and yes we love the emotional burden it carries. Groovy as hell at 'Do you remember my name" they keep the game simple and effective, aiming straight to the heart, without imitating WHITE STRIPES, BLACK KEYS etc but with a more alternative twist.Modern blues with a soulful touch is also the main theme at "Have no doubt about it"."Eye of the hurricane" has the lead vocals roles changing with Aaron coming upfront assorting by some haunting backing vocals by Grace in a dark Americana song.The temperature rises with the rocking "Testify", an in your face rocker with some great backing vocals enforcing the final result.Grece bond gives a thrilling performance at "Shoot the breeze", a groovy blues rocker while the tempo gets funkier at "Lost and found' and the song a bit more commercial and contemporary. 

 

Second album and the Bond family getting stronger and stronger at the songwriting and delivering departments. A Modern rock album that looks at the blues and winks at the more contemporary sounds, always within the rock context.They have the Grace with them and we hope for music s sake to keep having it by their side.

7,5

 

 

Dirty Kings-"Crown jewel"

When NWOBHM meets US hard rock with an alternative twist, you have DIRTY KINGS. Electric and eclectic, their sound is defined by the characteristic vocals who gives a bit gothic, a bit alternative color to their songs. Check out "Locomotive heart" and "Marquee lady" to understand my point. Imagine T.SO.L  meets DIAMOND HEAD and early DEF LEPPARD with a touch of ANGELS and you might understand, not to mention some early Ted Nugent guitar riffing that demolishes walls. 

 

 

 

Heavy, bit melodic and most of all original , it may be a bit more than enough at some points,but at the end is an album that combines in your face aesthetic with the recklessness of LA and the muscle of Australian hard rock dressed in the leather and spandex of the early 80s at the UK metal scene. Colorado has its own way  to produce metal with heart and balls.

6,5

 

HOUSTON-"IV"

 

Sweden rocks, rules ,reigns etc. Another album, another success and West Coast AOR lovers can laid back and enjoy their martini along the album. From SURVIVOR to Robert Tepper, melodic lines, keyboards, sing along choruses, razor sharp guitars and heartbroken lyrics about lost loves and inner strength "Hero" are all over the album. When you have songs like "You re still the woman", "Heartbreaker", "I will not give in despair". "Such is love" and "A lifetime in a moment" there are not enough words to describe the feelings created when you listen to them. 

 

 

Sugar coated, gold gilded AOR a mix between SURVIVOR, TRILLION, 101 SOUTH and FOREIGNER, this album delivers like a true IV. On the contrary to their  80s origins, the more they mature, the better albums they release, unlike "Rocky' and 'Rambo' series. So rent a convertible, a big boobs escort, a yacht and live the album to the limit.

 

8,5

Yola-'Stand for myself"

An album that starts with a soulful "Barely alive" and keeps rising the temperature with some RnB, soul, rock tunes that wink at Stax and the golden 70s all in favor of the great passionate, emotional voice of Yola. The dance floor favorite "Dancing away in tears" with the disco overtones, the honky tonk "Diamond studded shoes" or the laid back, "Be my friend" a song that could be easily at any Free album."Great divide" is another example of the versatility of her voice and the easiness she embraces different genres, a sugar coated ballad about heartbreak straight from the 60s songbooks. 'Starlight" is another jazz infused soul ballad with a dark dance twist and Yola's voice is as uplifting as ever. A bit more up tempo and modern "If i had to do it all again" is a modern pop song ready for the pop radio stations. At the same page/pace is "Now you are here, the smokey joints have been replaced by lounges with well dressed guys, but the warmth of Yola's voice is here even if the tempo has become more contemporary.

 

 

 

Yola is Bristol born and Nashville based but her voice is universal and her influences across decades and genres. So she is easily moves from the lounges to a 60s anthem like "whatever you want" with the slide guitar and the country overtones giving the tone."Break the bough" continues the up tempo ,soul effort, raising the roof of the joint with its intensity. It has to be "Like a photograph" for Yola to let her most sensitive side take over, once more in this countrified, jazzy ballad with the strings taking over like a Burt Bucharach's song, proving her voice range and her abilities to deliver emotionally, regardless the genre. The album is closing with "Stand for myself" a modern soul rock album where Yola makes her statement as a female voice with passion and nothing to prove to anyone ,but her ability to rock any place. In our days of plastic pop and lounge soul for elevators, Yola delivers music from the soul for the soul.

 

 

7,5