Concerto for Constantine: Untitled E.P. (EP Review)

March 17^th, 2008 was the last day I remember not hearing a loud ringing in my left ear. Years earlier I had damaged the same ear after the sound at a Def Leppard show in the Ambassador had been turned up so loud even the critics sitting in the balcony had to mention it (and make the obligatory jokes of course). Typically enough yours truly was right up the front and after just two speedy hours of perfect hard hittin’ rock n roll classics from Sheffield’s greatest band, young Tickets There was left with impaired hearing and tinnitus for almost four years. One day it suddenly disappeared, after tortuous efforts like avoiding gigs (well, going to the front at least), not using headphones, using personal sound wave techniques and a whole bunch of other crap.

After all that, it only took one hour in the sleazy, dark ‘n’ smelly surroundings of Fibber MaGee’s and one of Irelands most exciting rock groups, Concerto for Constantine to bring it all back again. But hey, it was worth it.

Despite the fact that the band was only formed in mid 2007, by former JJ72 ringleader, Mark Greaney, Gavin Fox (Turn / Idlewild) and Binzer (The Frames / Everyone else), it wasn’t long before they were recording, touring the country, headlining shows, supporting legends and getting up to all sorts of rock ‘n’ roll shenanigans and Tickets There was…uhm, there to see it all. A year and a half after the Fibber’s incident my hearing is finally starting to improve, just in time for Concerto to kick things into overkill and wreak havoc all over again as they prepare to release their very first E.P.

Fans of the band will be familiar with the majority of the material here. Tracks like Cats Cradle, Killing Fields and the belting, fire breathing monster that is Gaps, have been staunch set list standards since the groups first shows together. Now they appear beefed up to the extreme, losing none of their live energy and sounding better than ever thanks to the groups hard out efforts in the studio. The original demo’s of these songs still had traces of the band finding their feet together but these recordings make it very clear that C4C are now very aware who they are and what they want from their sound.

Concerto’s first radio (download only) single, Minsk is also here. The recording is the same as the one that’s been on MySpace for a while…but this is not a problem. Quite the opposite in fact because, out of all the recordings the band did of this track, the current one is hard to contend with. An absolute belter of a song only enhanced in a live environment with the bands attack mode ‘set to kill’.

Not ones to simply release an EP of the same tracks that have been on their MySpace for the last two years, the band are also throwing in two of their lesser known future anthems, Vox Humana and Last Swim. Anyone who was at the bands Radio City show in February will remember Vox Humana. A slick yet raw guitar riff backed by a sublime, tense verse and a full on WAR mode chorus. Mark’s voice sounds incredible and one note of the chorus will see many a hard rock fan out there con-fuckin’-verted.

Last Swim is a song that made its debut when the band played their first headlining slot in Whelan’s last April. Written by Gavin Fox, the song is possibly the heaviest track the band has, despite a very mellow, uneasy (uneasy as in it doesn’t give you a chance to relax. Not that’s its bad ) verse. Marks voice, a repetitive guitar riff and some background rhythm dominate the majority of the track until the massive building, crashing Armageddon styled chorus explodes and sends the track soaring higher and higher before a symphony of guitar and bass solo’s come crashing back together for one final pounding. Think it’s over? Fuck no. Just a minute after the song goes silent, Concerto come crashing back in, full steam ahead.

The bands return may mean Tickets There will have to invest in some much needed ear plugs but god damn it we can’t wait. They are one of the loudest, one of the most theatrical and one of the best bands you can go and see live in Ireland these days. Now the band have a stellar EP under their belts, a large underground following and as fans will know, a whole stack of tracks on par with anything here just waiting for their chance to be recorded. Need we say more about this bands future?

Concerto for Constantine’s new EP is available now for streaming from their official MySpace. If you haven’t copped on yet, Tickets There is very much recommending all our readers to go and check it out right now.  

• Concerto for Constantine Official MySpace
• EP Blog Post by Binzer @ C4C official MySpace
• Tickets There: Concerto for Constantine Brief History
• Interview with Mark Greaney & Gavin Fox (@ Drop-D.ie)

 

Slash – Sahara / Paradise City (Single Review)

Tickets There knows full well we should not be reviewing this, so we’ll keep it brief. Let us tell you right now, we hate both of these songs (yes, even Paradise City. It’s not a classic anymore. Instead it’s become…well, let’s save that for a little further down).

Sahara, featuring Koshi Inaba from Japanese hard rock outfit, B’Z (who’ve actually had something like forty odd consecutive number one singles and sold 78 million albums in Japan alone!!) Is one of the worst songs Slash has ever been associated with. We say one of the worst but honestly, we can’t think of anything else as bad, as boring, as shit as this track that Slash has worked on. It’s sooo boring, it doesn’t have any trace of rock n roll about it and the whole thing just reeks of ‘Gimmie Mo Money bitches!!’. With this single, Slash has sold out almost every ounce of credibility the famous living room guitarist had left. There isn’t even that many guitar moments in the bloody song so what’s the fucking point!!

As for the B-Side!. For a man complaining and whining about being asked about Guns N Roses all the time, it’s a wonder he didn’t stop and think that a cover of Guns N Roses classic, Paradise City would stir a few more GNR relaxed questions and conversations into the mix. Then again, let’s be honest. Slash was a great guitar player in Guns N Roses when he had Izzy, Axl and Duff helping out with the song writing, the singing, the composing, the attitude, the balls to pull it off and the chemistry to make it all work. On his own, with this album and it’s 1,000 page list of ‘guest musicians’, he’s just lost the plot.

Actually, I take that back. The plot for this album all along has been ‘Cash In!’ and that’ll probably work. Unfortunately it might just push Slash out of the musical limelight only die-hards and X-Factor viewers hold him I now.

Tickets There says shite but doubtless enough there’ll be some twat complaining about how unique, special, warm hearted, diverse and spiritual these mockeries are. Let me tell you right now, Tickets There doesn’t want to hear it.

Oh and Koshi, Hard Rock singers aren’t meant to sound like a guy who just got kicked in the balls with steel toe boots. They’re meant to sound like the guy that kicked him. Ask Lemmy!

Ash – Arcadia (Single Review)

On a total Ash buzz today and can’t wait until Monday to review the next single. Song has been heard, words must be written and bitches must get their rock!! The third release from the A – Z Series is titled Arcadia and it’s due out on November 9^th. If you’ve been following the band recently, you’ll know all about the 26 singles being released every fortnight for the next year. If you haven’t been following them, you know it now!

So far we’ve seen some disco. Then we got some monster eighties mash up. Then we saw some featherweight rock ballady work. Arcadia notches things up a wee bit in all respects. I haven’t heard the studio recording so this review is just based on a live video on You Tube.

The start is similar in ways to the last single, Joy Kicks Darkness. However everything kicks in a lot faster. The guitars are louder and heavier. The drums are wilder and Tim’s voice is more classic Ash. There’s no quiet moments and the harmonies sound like they’ll be killer on the studio version. Its shit catchy and sung at this speed just increases its catchiness. What can I tell ya, it’s probably my favorite along with Return of White Rabbit.

The only thing missing (and maybe I’m just missing it) is a full on Guitar Solo like they had in Joy Kicks Darkness. Tim is the most unlikely rock guitarist since Rivers Cuomo but when he rocks; he fucking rocks the place (just listen to that riff in Uncle Pat…which I’ve just stuck on because it rocks so fucking much!). Still a pretty sweet track and one Tickets There hopes they include in the set.

I’ll add the video when they release the official one. Until next Time, Happy Halloweennnnnn…..belated

UPDATED – 09/11/2009: Just heard the studio recording of this track and it’s savage. Go and check it out by Clicking Here.

Ash – Joy Kicks Darkness (Single Review)

Third single this year from Tickets There’s choice for Irelands leading alternative rock group, Ash and the third style we’ve seen from them. From the hard fueled disco styling’s of Return of White Rabbit the Co. Down boys moved onto some classic eighties era synths and pop with True Love 1980. The second single of their A-Z Series. Joy Kicks Darkness is more along the lines of restrained loud rock! And TT likes this.

Beginning with a slow, muted guitar intro and some light military style drumming on the snare, Joy Kicks Darkness is one of those builders Tickets There likes to discuss so much. It explodes in traditional Ash patented excessive, cathy pop style. The verse is a little slow at first but it grows on you once you hear the grandness of the chorus, not to mention the monster guitar solo’s and leads towards the end.

After a few listens it seems the for the second (third really) time in a row, Ash have pulled it off. Joy Kicks Darkness isn’t their best work but it’s pretty damn good and if we had a few more like it in the charts, the music world would be a lot more fun.

 

Ash – True Love 1980 (Single Review)

Single number one of the A-Z Series of singles Ash will be releasing fortnightly for the…well, the next 52 weeks. True Love 1980 is a totally different vibe from the disco styling’s of Return of White Rabbit. It’s more along the lines of New Order but a little more upbeat. They’ve still managed to keep that traditional Ash poppy feel and only added some classic eighties era drums, keyboards and even the vocals in places. Despite the hark back to the retro style, the band pull it off quite well. It’s no Angle Interceptor but then again, it’s not meant to be.

On First listen Tickets There wasn’t overly impressed but after a few goes it really starts to sink in. Similar to Walking Barefoot or Candy, this is just a nice song. Take it for what it is.

…and yes this review is short. Only so much you can say about a band when you know you have another 26 more things to write about them over the next year (26^th is the gig review )

ASH: A – Z Series (Singles Reviews)

Tickets There is on a major ASH buzz of a late. We’re resisting the extreme temptation of making them our favorite Irish act because we feel the position should go to one of the lesser known bands we love. In reality, ASH are our favorite Irish act currently on the go and their ability to write some of the catchiest and most perfect pop rock / alt-rock / grungy tracks in the history of the country never seems to diminish with the years.

Last year the band announced they would no longer use the traditional album format to release music and instead, were only going to release singles. Now they’re living up to their promise and are have just released the second single from their famed A – Z Series of singles. Every fortnight for roughly the next year, a new single will be released on limited 7” and for download.

Tickets There has decided to turn our attentions to this so we’ll be updating this post every two weeks when a new single is released. Please click on the song names below to read each review.

ʁ: Return of White Rabbit

A: True Love 1980

B: Joy Kicks Darkness

C: Arcadia

D: Tracers (Coming 23/11/2009)

Weezer – (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To (Single review)

Love this song. Weezer returns with their second album in two years. I never managed to pick up 2008’s Weezer (Red Album) but I loved that song Pork and Beans. Now they’re back with Raditude and judging by the albums flagship single, it’s gonna be a great mix of Weezer’s melodic pop rock with their usual mix of love ballads and metal references.

(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To has an exhaustingly long name but the track itself is a paced up little slice of perfection. The chorus is savage. The verse’s and bridges are perfect. One of those ones you couldn’t be bothered writing about because it’s just a great song. It’s no Blue Album (Weezer, 1994)or Pinkerton but it’s pretty damn sweet.

Have a listen for yourself and see what you think.

Ham Sandwich – Out of the Darkness (Single Review)

Tickets There doesn’t do many of these but we’d like start more of them. To kick things off, we’re taking a look at Ham Sandwich’s brand new single Out of the Darkness, which is officially released on November 6^th. Unfortunately I can’t find an image of the single cover yet (but it’s there on their MySpace in tiny format) so I’ll add this when one pops up.

Out of the Darkness is the first single from the bands highly anticipated second album and ya know what, it’s not too bad. Tickets There has always liked Ham Sandwich’s harmonies and there’s plenty of them on this number. The style isn’t as unique as their first album but it’s still got that Ham Sandwich loudness pasted all over it. Niamh’s voice sounds great but Podge’s has been pushed to the back alot more than on their previous material. Musically it keeps that building feeling from start to finish with several deliveries. The chorus is sweet. It’s simple but nice.

Weird to write about one song so we’ll wrap up this short n sweet wee tweet by saying, Tickets There likes it. The albums due out in Spring 2010 so we’ll be bring you more as we hear it.

Click Here to visit the bands MySpace and hear it for yourself!

Oh, and Niamh…smile more, it suits you.

KISS – Sonic Boom (Album Review)

Alright Tickets There readers. You wanted the best!….but there was a problem with their website so you came here!

Sonic Boom is here folks. KISS, the hottest band in the world have finally released their first album of new material in eleven years. That’s almost as long as Chinese Democracy!!. So, after all the hype, all the arguments and praise. After all the promotion, fanaticism and general shouting, what does Tickets There think of it?? Well, it’s a grower and it’s still growing!!

Kicking things off is the monster riff filled…ehm, monster, Modern Day Delilah, the albums flagship single and one of the heaviest tracks on the record. There’s almost nothing here but the band showing off their talents on the highest possible level. Everything about this song is savage and I think it’s settled into the hearts of KISS fans around the world. Off course everyone will need to see it in action for it to become a regular on the live circuit but musically, it’s got the goods. At first glance, second track Russian Roulette sounds a little Swiss. Gene’s voice isn’t as ferocious as fans would be used to and the bass sounds like it could have been notched up a little and made dirtier. The chorus, well it just sounds a little Nickelback or something. After a few goes it starts to warm up a little and you become more comfortable with it. Not the strongest song on the record and one that may be forgotten further down the line.

Never Enough see’s classic KISS galore back in the frame. Paul shouts his classic ‘Oh Yeah!’ (Which is always a sign of fun things to come’). Dirty, sleazy, bluesy and a sing along chorus. Never Enough is a good solid rock track and Paul’s voice sounds terrific, great solo aswell. Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect) has one of those definitive KISS intro’s. Blues rock mixed with the ‘danger’ we all love. Gene takes the mike back again and this time he shows us exactly why we love him. This is classic KISS with a basic message of ‘take off your cloths!’. It’s poppy, fun and Klassic KISS (see what I did? I replaced the C in Classic with K. What, not funny now because I pointed it out? Fair enough). Stand is an odd one. Not really sure if we’re meant to like this one but there’s no denying it’s catchy as hell and full on balls to the wall arena rock! Stanley and Simmons trade of vocals and it works perfectly. Bit dramatic, bit Swiss but damn it this is KISS! Swiss rhymes with their name so they can do whatever the hell they like. Personally, I think this is a deadly track!

Hot and Cold is another of Gene’s tracks and it’s another perfect rock n roll KISS anthem. ‘if it’s too hot, you’re too cold and if it’s too loud, you’re too old!’ What more can I say? Great solo again, classic Paul rhythm and Gene, a Gene, we forgive you for Russian Roulette. Anyone who can say ‘baby feel my tower of power’ is a legend and you can’t get more black and white that that.

All For the Glory is next and it’s sung by Peter Criss replacement, Eric Singer. What’s it like? Different, Eric’s vocals are top notch and the music is spot on. Classic KISS music given a fresh coat of paint with Eric leading the way. Makes a good change of pace and keeps everything running smoothly. Danger Us is a great number. Hard guitars, Stanley front and center and a catchy, excellent fun chorus. It’s everything KISS should be. Mixes references to women, booze and hell raising. If that Ain’t KISS, I don’t know what is. Two parts trouble baby! Gene Simmons comes back with the excellent I’m An Animal. He doesn’t try and growl this one out and instead displays a totally different side to his vocal range during the verse….and he pulls it off. This one could have been plucked right out of Destroyer. The lads have really managed to find their sound again and get back to doing what they love. Some classic Ace sounding guitar work here aswell.

Second last song, When Lightening Strikes makes some good use of a cowbell and some classic seventies American highway blues guitars. Written by Stanley and Tommy Thayer with Tommy taking vocals, the song doesn’t sound like a KISS song in the convention sense. It’s more like something ZZ Top or Free could have come out with. Thayer’s voice is great and really suits the sound, only made better with Paul’s harmonies giving it more scope. Really enjoyable rock n roll track with some great singing and nice guitar work. Final track, Say Yeah’s intro sounds uncomfortably familiar to Bruce Springsteen’s Radio No Where. Then again, he ripped off I Was Made for Loving You last year so now they’re even. The rest of the song is pretty sweet. Another great Ace sounding solo, colossal chorus and general arena filling, good time, KISS traits.

After only being on sale for two days, the album is on track to appear at #1 on the US Billboard Top 100 with sales off 150/175,000. In Tickets There’s opinion, it’s well deserved. Sonic Boom is a great KISS album and one that’s got more than enough material to keep fans digging through it. If 2008 belonged to AC/DC then 2009/10 will belong to KISS.

Oliver Cole – What Will You Do? (Single Review)

In Tickets There’s opinion, Oliver Cole is one of Ireland’s finest songwriters. After three incredible albums with his former band Turn, he’s now taking the first steps to launch his debut solo record. Since Turn disbanded three years ago, Ollie has spent most of the time writing, recording and playing sporadic solo shows around the country. Now, with a fresh record deal with EMI in place, he’s ready to show his eager fan base what he’s been up to.

For fans of Ollie’s solo material, What Will You Do? might seem like a strange choice for the album’s first single. It’s an ‘out of the ordinary’ little number that sounds like….well, it sounds like Ollie. It’s off beat piano, thumping drums and the start-stop feel of the choppy chorus and bridges. All this considered, it works quite well. There’s a lot of repetition in the lyrics  but each verse, chorus and break see’s something new being added and at a short three minutes in length, it never manages to go stale. It’s quirky enough to keep any first time listener interested and strong enough to make the single appealing to anyone wishing to spend €5 on a sure thing.

Second track, Holding Your Heart is a much more straight forward number. It starts off nice and quietly before the band come bursting in with a loud sound that still manages to stay slightly contained. This keeps a constant feeling of building throughout the whole song that does (you’ll be happy to know) get released at the end.

Sweet & Soft is the final song on the single and it’s a lot softer than the previous numbers. Its style is also quite different ,which is a big characteristic of Ollie’s solo material. Off course some traits can never be forgotten (and shouldn’t be anyways) and Ollie’s love for harmonies and melody shine through on this number. It’s got a nice, sweet, well rounded kind of feel and adds a lovely closing feeling to the single.

Now that the first single is out, fans can expect the album to follow early next year, Keep checking Tickets There for more information about future release and a review of last night’s launch show will be posted later today.

KISS – ALIVE IV (PART 4 OF 4)

Ah, I can’t believe this is the last one already. The sound of the classic ‘You Wanted the Best, You Got the best’ intro is a welcome, welcome return. So, this album was recorded seven years after the Alive III and in that time, the band reformed with their original line-up, played a massive two year world tour and released a studio album entitled Psycho Circus. Oh, and they put the fucking makeup and suits back on!! The legends returned to their thrones and revived one of Rock N Rolls greatest bands. KISS are kings, KISS are Gods, KISS are KISS!!

So, after the intro booms over the PA, the opening chords of Psycho Circus blare out and the band fire things up in rocketing style. Psycho Circus is an absolute gem of a track and without a doubt the best thing to come of their last studio album. Even the mighty Shout It Out Loud doesn’t undermine its impact, despite the fact that the version here is a heaving monster of a thing. Shout It Out Loud is one of about eighty KISS tracks that could take the title for ultimate party anthem. You may notice several repeats on this record from the previous three but I’ll try and keep it interesting J, so come on, ‘Shout It, Shout, It, Shout it out loud! Turn it up Louder baby!’

As always, the amazing Deuce makes an appearance and honestly, a KISS live record or show wouldn’t be the same without this song. In fact, if you ever do go to one of their gigs and they don’t play it, stage a protest and sing songs of freedom….until Gene tells you to stop, then you obey the master and be on your way. I love this song! I meant to write more about the stage theatrics when I was doing the first Alive article and one of the things I wanted to describe was the routine Ace, Gene and Paul do towards the end. You cant really describe it properly though so pop over to this location on YouTube and see if for yourself. Well worth it.

 Next up, their eighties classic Heavens on Fire, which just doesn’t get old. Kind of a slow start on the recording but they pull through. Next track, Into the Void is another great track from Psycho Circus and legendary guitarist, Mr. Space Ace Frehley himself make it what it is. Ace should do more lead vocals. It may not be the strongest voice in the universe but it’s perfect. Great upbeat rock number and its successor, Firehouse is just as good or else a lot better, I always get those confused :p. I think this is Firehouses first appearance on a Live record so I’ll fill ye in. When the band play this live, the stage lights up with siren flashing lights and at the end, Gene Simmons breaths fire (think it’s this one). The fire breathing is fun, especially since uses a flaming sword to do it. Fuck the haters; Gene Simmons rocks your balls off (wide open TT – Ed).

Do You Love Me is another classic KISS number that really doesn’t need too much explanation. Pretty good job of it done here. Let Me Go Rock N Roll is a brilliant riff/solo filled belter. Ace’s guitar work is incredible here and it’s good to know that, no matter how much time those guys spend apart from one another, that still got it! Tickets There’s beloved I Love It Loud’s up next. You can never get sick of this song. Not really bothered about details for this last one, just enjoying it. Personally I’d recommend just going out and buying these albums rather than reading my reviews, but whatever. Lick It Up, god I love that song. I wonder what Ace and Peter thought about playing it since they weren’t involved on the original. Ah well, it all sounds good.

Ah, the Stanley penned 100,000 Years. Does it get any better than this? Now the show is in overdrive and the next six (five songs, fuck Beth, we’re not mentioning it – Ed) songs will have you rolling around in your seat. Mental track and possibly the closest thing the band have done to metal or at the very least, it’s a damn fine attempt at it. Love Gun’s next and this is possibly my favorite live recording, even better that the Alive II one. Paul’s voice is shockingly good and the band sound on top form. At the start you can hear Paul mention he’s coming out to the crowd. During their reunion tour, they set up a rig that allows Paul to fly over the audiences heads and land on a small stage towards the back of the arena, stadium..etc.

Black Diamond, Beth (ugh) and Rock N Roll All Night finish the shows off as pyro’s explode away in the back ground and make any listener wish for their chance to stand in one of KISS’s crowds. Amazing stuff, good auld KISS.

Well, I’ve tried. Not sure I succeeded but at least I tried to write something about the magic of this band. They are incredible and with a new album on the way in a few days, you can guarantee KISS will be around for a long time to come.

KISS – ALIVE III (PART 3 OF 4)

Well folks, we’re less than a week away from the release of KISS’s new studio album, Sonic Boom. Ya all excited? By the sounds of the album’s first single, Modern Day Delilah, it’s gonna be some monster of a record. To continue celebrating the release, Tickets There is reviewing four of the bands Alive records (well, the last one isn’t technically an Alive! Release but who cares). After all four have been published, we’ll start to discuss promotion methods the band have been pursuing for the release of Sonic Boom and there’ll be a few more things aswell. Once the album is out, you can expect an overly enthusiastic review  to finish things off.

So today we’re looking at Alive III, released in 1993 and recorded during the bands Revenge Tour. Like Alive II, the band worked as hard as possible not to repeat songs from the first two and it worked pretty well. Even the duplicate songs appearing here have a different overall sound to the originals and they are more than worth a listen.

Foregoing the traditional ‘You Wanted the Best’ intro, the band launch straight into Creatures of the Night, a belting little number that shouldn’t ever be forgotten by KISS-Maniacs. The sound of pyro’s exploding in the back ground is gonna set you up nicely for this one. Paul’s rough n raw voice has more in common with Gene’s than his old style. What a savage track and it’s followed by another classic in the form of Deuce. More explosions and more energy. What a fucking great tune. Every time you hear those opening bars you want to leap onto the nearest stage, kick whatever whiney singer songwriter bitch is pouring their hearts out off and start hammering into this monster. Baby if you’re feeling good!!

Next it’s time for some eighties styled pop/rock/pop KISS, I Just Wanna. Slick guitars, slick vocals, slick stick in your face. Catchy, hooky and deadly. Forget every other pop rock band out there, KISS has em licked in every way possible (including the dirty, naughty ways)…despite the silly little melody bit in the middle. Unholy is one of Gene’s more demonic numbers but still retains some of those pop characteristics we’ll see more of later on. It may be very important to point out that Alive III was recorded almost ten years after the band took the make-up and costumes off. The band decided it was time for the next level and when that came off, everything else changed. They went on to release a massive amount of hit singles that’s style was closer to Def Leppard and Bon Jovi rather than their original material. When they released Revenge in 1992, it brought a darker edge back to the old war horses, Unholy is the perfect example of this and it’s a savage wee number to boot.

Now, let’s discuss some of those puppyish numbers. Heavens on Fire is as poppy as this band get (no it’s not – Ed) and it’s also the closest thing they have to a Spinal Tap track (Livin’ In A Hell Hole anyone?). Despite all that, Heavens on Fire is one of Tickets There’s personal favorites. This is pure, good times pop rock. There’s no poverty, no preaching and not one hint of recycling, carbon footprints or depressed souls laying dormant in the unused attic, or any of that other shit bands preach about these days. Watchin’ You is next and it’s more like a blues rock classic with some good auld fashioned pop sensibilities thrown in for good measure. Gene sings and like I always say, if Gene sings, shut up and listen. Same applies for the next track, Domino. Once again Gene takes control and it’s another of those Revenge songs that shows KISS heading back in a more hard rock direction from their eighties output. Make-up or no make-up, those boys could f**king write some classics.

Another of those classics is I Was made for Loving’ You. Yes KISS did Disco in the late seventies and yes this is one of the better ones. Like I said before, if KISS do it, it’s fine. I Still Love You on the other hand is a very respectable, more serious number. Blues kind of Alt-ish-big stadium kind of rock. That make sense? Ah well, Rock N Roll All Night is next and let’s be honest, an Alive album wouldn’t be an Alive album without this track. Strange they’re playing it so soon in the set but not a bad thing. KISS mixes things up ya see

Back to those lovely eighties classics. Everyone knows Lick It Up and everyone loves it. Anyone who doesn’t love it has something wrong so avoid those people. How could you not love Lick it Up? It’s so damn good it hurts!. I can understand people not liking the next track, Forever. Real stadium anthem styled ballad but a good one.  How many of you guys like to look at naked women? How many of you girls like to go home with somebody….and get naked! Take it Off , it does exactly what it says on the tin!

Now…now, now, now. Alright!….you know this one, sing it! I Love it Loud, possibly the best song Gene has ever sang on. Possibly the best song KISS ever wrote. Ok, so it’s not the best but it’s so fucking good you will happily sacrifice eighteen weeks of your life so you can continuously listen to this baby on repeat. Amazing sing along stuff. I remember I first heard this on a KISS dvd and I must have rewound it about twenty times and just listened to it all night. The live version on AIII is incredible, Hard, slow, beating and LOUD!! This brings us near to the close of the show and Detroit Rock City pops its head up to give us a smile. Great bass line over this version that’s far more prominent than the versions on the previous Alive and the Destroyer. Quite different and the band have updated it a wee bit so it sounds a little closer to their eighties style but still damn, damn good.

Second last track, God Gave You Rock N Roll II is an anthem if ever there was one. Great way to end a show as Gene and Paul swap vocals the whole through. May not be for everyone but it’s fun. Then everything closes on an the Star Spangled Banner!

So, that’s the original Alive I – III albums reviewed. Next, Tickets There is going to lie a little by doing a review of what should have been Alive IV but in fact, it ended up being released as the ‘Millennium concert’ and the Alive IV title went to the KISS symphony album. Who cares, it TT@s book, it’s the real Alive Iv ….and also, I never got the symphony album. Maybe I could just review the DVD, same songs. Hmmm.

Oh, and just to confirm, KISS still kept the theatrics,, despite not having the makeup.

KISS – ALIVE II (PART 2 OF 4)

OK, so that’s the mighty Alive! Out of the way, let’s have some real downright dirty KISS styled fun.
Alive  II was released in 1977 and recorded during the bands Love Gun Tour. By this time, KISS had released another three iconic albums. 1976’s Rock N Roll Over and Destroyer and 77’s Love Gun. Combined (and individually for that matter), these three albums had more anthems, more hard rock classics and more balls fired energy than any other band could ever dream off.

Opening with the amazing, the incredible and the utterly unstoppable Detroit Rock City. One (can’t really say two), finds it hard to imagine KISS without this song in their repertoire. This is the band at their finest and like many of their other hits, remains on of rock n rolls greatest assets. If you’ve heard this song and you weren’t converted then there’s quite simply no help out there for ya. You’re alone in the world, abandoned by all things holy and fun. Give it another go J.

King of the Night Time World comes straight from Destroyer and shows its might Live power on Alive II. Knowing this is the Love Gun tour is a tough thing for anyone who wasn’t there to actually enjoy it. In the background of all these guitars, drums, bass notes and vocals there’s a stage show going on that was so powerful, it’s energy could bring people back from the dead (but only if  its harnessed and used correctly by top men and military scientists). Ladies Room is a savage we number. Not a regular KISS fanatic favorite but one of Tickets There’s pet likes. Good riff, fun theme and the whole sha bang.

Makin’ Love is a poppy little rocky number. Not as great as the next song but pretty feckin’ sweet all the same. Love Gun is one of those incredible, unstoppable, unbeatable, un-everything in the whole fecking universe, amazing KISS classics. This is the point where you have to stop and ask, where can you go from this? The live recording on Alive II is fantastic, the solo’s, the riffs, the belting snare drum and crashing symbols and all those other music journalism cliché’s. The music is just savage. Now a days, the band deliver this same perfection while playing it and even manage to send Paul flaying out over the crowds head to a specially built stage at the back of crowd.

Calling Dr. Love’s next and continues to prove that KISS mix cheese and music like Ozzy mixes credibility with rodent killing. That make sense? No, well what I meant was KISS are a great band. Christine Sixteen is a classic not heard enough anymore. Any song that Gene sings on is a KISS classic and should be added to the set list no matter what! Same for Paul’s material. All KISS set lists should by 1,456 songs in length and include every single theatric the band have ever conceived during every single song. Get ready for the greatest 572 hour gig ever!!! (Don’t do the math, I’m being dramatic again)

Mr. Space Ace steps up to the mike next and the band crash into Shock Me! Now, Ace’s voice may not sound impressionably strong here but wait for the first chorus to kick in and you’ll see how perfectly it fits. He’s not the lead singer so don’t expect Paul  and Gene quality but it’s still KISS (and they still sing backing vocals ) After Ace shows his stuff, Peter gets his turn and performs the classic Hard Luck Woman, one of KISS’s best acoustic tracks that started life as a Stanley written, Rod Stewart rejection. There’s hope for us all. Tomorrow and Tonight and the amazing Stole Your Love come along next and beat the shit out of you. That simple. Stole Your Love is the best choice of song to play for anyone asking, what’s KISS?

Beth is being skipped for personal bias and reasons. One of their biggest hits but truly loathed by Tickets There. So moving swiftly along to…God of Thunder. Oh god yes!!. Another one of Gene’s (wow, he actually has a lot). This is yet another classic from their iconic Destroyer album. A great recording and it’s sped up a wee bit which works well. During the bands lives shows, Gene flies up to the top of the stage to play this after he’s done his bass solo with blood spitting. I Want You’s next and it’s a little quieter than most KISS material….until everything comes crashing together at the one time. There’s riffs, there’s solo’ there’s even some pings thrown in for good measure. Also, for a laugh, sing along with Paul when he asks you at the end. Or else you can Shout it Out Loud!!

All American Man wouldn’t be one of my favorites but fellow patriotic stomper, Rockin’ In The U.S.A.is a great poppy rock number. Not one of KISS’s best but pretty sweet. Larger than Life is, I’m afraid, a great song. Perfect one to understand Gene’s character. Rocket Rides grand but not their best and Any Way You Want It…well that’s not great either but you trying releasing two live albums in two years without repeating more than one song and see how you like it!.

Thankfully the band finishes on a high note with Rock N Roll All Night. Two years later and it’s still the ultimate party song. Next up in the KISS series is Alive III, released after the band had stopped wearing the make-up. Till tomorrow then, have a good evening.

KISS – ALIVE! (PART 1 OF 4)

Ok, Tickets There is continuing it’s celebrations in preparation for the release of KISS’s new album, Sonic Boom on October 6^th. First we had the KISS-LECTION and now it’s time to take a good, hard look at KISS’s four Live albums, Alive! I – IV.

Before we get into it, I should point out that none of the albums come close to capturing KISS’s impossibly amazing live shows. Tickets There has been fortunate enough to be in one of their crowds and let me tell you one thing, no album could ever capture exactly how amazing they are in real life….but these albums do a damn fine job of trying.

So let’s start at the beginning with 1975’s Alive!, recorded between March and June 1975 on KISS’s Dressed to Kill tour. Upon it’s release, KISS were suddenly lunged from almost broke, make-up wearing guys in a rock n roll band to world famous, gigantic megastars. This is the album that really broke KISS into the main, main, main stream and it ended up becoming one of rock n roll’s most legendary live albums. None of the bands proceeding live records match its unbelievable raw energy, power and force and that’s saying something considering how good II, III and IV are.

“You Wanted the Best, you got the best, The hottest band in the world, KISS!”.

When you buy tickets to a KISS concert, you spend the next few days, weeks and months just waiting to hear those infamous words. The intro to the best concert you will ever see in your life. Those words are unbelievably exciting at one of their shows and when that curtain drops and the four massive figures sprawl out across the stage to entertain you with two hours of hard hitting, riff driven, theatrical rock n roll with a stage show that could match the Olympics, you’ll swear you died and this is your reward for all the good things you’ve done in your life.

The only thing that tops those words is the first bars of the very first song the band play. On Alive, that song was Deuce. Deuce as an opening song couldn’t be any more perfect. They’re currently playing it as the opener on the current tour and really you can’t go wrong. Starts off with a little guitars riff before the drums crash into action, the curtain drops and four heaving monsters start their quest of ensuring you have the greatest night in the history of the world. That magic is well captured on Alive and its set the perfect tone for the rest of the record. Strutter follows and the pace is kept up. Filled with all the swank, swagger and traits of any hard rock n fucking roll classic. Except it’s sung by monsters. People, this band have some of hard rock’s greatest hits under their belt and they dress up like demons, space men, cats and superstars. How can you not love that?? Got to Choose follows and admittedly this wouldn’t be one of Tickets There’s favorite KISS tunes…but damn it that doesn’t mean much when everything thing they touch turns to gold. KISS are gods, learn that fact now because they don’t teach it in school.

Hotter than Hell is a truly deserved, bonafide KISS anthem classic (yep, anthem classic. It makes sense in our word baby). The version on Alive is as good as this song gets….until you see it live and it rules all!! Nothing to Lose follows and surprise, surprise…..It’s another fucking savage track. Gene sings on this one and when Gene sings, you don’t want to miss it. It brings a totally different flow to the bands tracks. C’mon and Love Me is yet another riff filled, exploited teen of a song. Paul takes the mike back and drives this baby into your ears like a doctor during an invasive medical exam with some sort of blunt yet thick object….with spikes. But before we go using all our unfunny witticisms, we have to discuss Parasite. Why the pause and dramatics? Because Parasite is one of those tracks God wrote and handed to mortals as a gift. Unfortunately for that mortal, KISS stole it and recorded it themselves. God was pleased by this, Led Zeppelin would have only fucked it up anyways. This is a savage, mentalist of a track that only improves with a live setting. Mental, mental, mental stuff folks.

She is another one of those iconic riffs and beat dependant tracks, not a bad way to spend your five minutes before the very seventies trait laden Watchin’ You pop’s along. Unfortunately this one ain’t included much anymore but it’s 100% KISS-TASTIC. Yes you can say things like that when you discuss KISS, they’re fun people. Enjoy it.

Oh, oh hang on. Gene’s bass, crowd’s cheering. Silence. Hands clapping, Gene’s bass again, the drums and finally everything else. 100,000 Years is easily KISS at their top level finest. Paul’s voice screams in over the audience as the band burst through one of their greatest recorded moments and one of the finest tracks ever written by a hard rock band. What makes this song look poor?(well, it doesn’t really. 100,000 Years is one of the finest songs known to humanity. I’m just saying that for dramatic purposes) Black Diamond, an ever bigger monster of a rock classic and the acoustic intro ion Alive really highlights this. Black Diamond is top ten KISS material. The kind of song that you play in a tank when you’re driving into one of those Vietnamese towns. The kind of song you play when you discover the true powers as a mutant. The kind of song KISS plays to remind the rest of us we aren’t Knights in Satan’s Service (K.I.S.S., for those of you that didn’t know).

Rock Bottom and Black Diamonds main rival, Cold Gin is up next as the album and show start to come to a close. How many people here like the taste of alcohol? I know it’s getting so hot outside you need something to cool off. I know some of you out there like to drink tequila. When you’re down in the dumps and you need something to bring you up. There’s only one thing that’s going to do it for you…COLD GIN!!!! What a classic, what a live record, what a fucking sweet, amazing, incredible deadly awesome band.

Rock N Roll All Night (The ultimate party song) and Let Me Go, Rock N Roll finish of the bands first, their finest and one of the world’s greatest rock live albums. If you don’t feel the party after this record then there’s something not quite right with you but Tickets There will still be your friend. We love a challenge. Later on we’ll discuss Alive II and see what the band got up to during 76 and 77. Be sure to pop back and remember….,

Keep it KISS’d!!!

MEGADETH – PEACE SELLS…BUT WHO’S BUYING? / CRYPTIC WRITINGS (DOUBLE REVIEW)

OK, same drill as yesterday, a double review feature of classic Megadeth in celebration of their new album, Endgame being a pretty decent record. Now some of you may wonder why I choose Cryptic Writings instead of Killing Is My Business and Business is Good or So far, So Good, So What. Well I plan on Doing So Far tomorrow along with another newish Deth album, The World Needs a Hero and maybe do Killing Is My Business in a double thrash metal review with Metallica’s Kill Em All. Clash of the titan’s debut albums and such like. In truth I don’t actually have a copy of Killing in Dublin so I’ll track one down and get back to ye about it.

Anyways, on with today’s review.

Megadeth – Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?

One of the bands three greatest albums, Megadeth really proved what they were capable of on this album. It’s one of those defining mid-eighties thrash records that really shows how metal should be done. Fuck killing, Metal is Mustaines business and with peace Sells, business is good!.

Wake Up Dead is suck a dirty piece of naughtiness it should be R-rated and standing inside a window on a sleazy street in Amsterdam. It’s just too much god like genius for any band to handle and it’s about a guy worried about waking his wife because she’ll yell at him. No way any moral man can get this much Armageddon styled playing onto a track about that. Then again, Mustaine isn’t moral, he’s the lovechild of Bitterness and Hate with a doctorate in being pissed…off. That riff’s and solos in this monster are fused together and so tight and delivered with such precession I imagine they were welded by the Irish in the early 1900’s and sent off to the Marines for arrangement. This song makes this album a classic all by its self and it’s more the capable of bearing the load.

Fortunately The Conjuring does its share in the lifting. A dark, blistering piece of amazing metal. Another dirty little tramp trying to sell Snow White hand grenades disguised as apples and then stomping on her charred carcass. Too graphic? Then you haven’t heard Megadeth, that’s the Politically Correct, family Friendly way of describing their sound and this song. Just wait until you hear this baby pick up speed and take flight. Full volume fully recommended, tourniquet optional. Ah, how can they keep doing this. What’s next you ask? It’s only the holiest of Holy Megadeth tracks (except all those others I mentioned yesterday), Peace Sells!! A blistering few minutes of solo’s, riffs, anger, sarcasm and ‘Dave Mustaine humor’. Remember I said Megadeth knows no humor (think I did anyway) well occasionally they do and this is it!. Seriously though, this song is so tough it would come out of the CD and beat the shit out of you for looking at it funny. Take Tickets There’s advise and bang you head, nod, don’t smile and rock out. Save yourself a major whipping further down the line.

However tough Peace Sells is, Devils Island does a good job of competing. Devils Island was a nasty little place in case you hadn’t heard and if they had had this song on the real Island it would have made things much crueler. Incredible anthem styled metal that shows Megadeth at their full on, stampeding best. Good Morning / Black Friday’s next and it’s much more of an atmospheric piece than any of the other tracks so far. I suppose this track would almost be the early Megadeth version of a ballad, despite the walls, mountains and piles of solo’s and general guitar malarkey. Not to mention the onslaught of drums, Dave’s voice and the Deth!! Another classic anyways. Bad Omen’s next and surprise, surprise, it’s another frickin’ sweet moment of metal. Another drawn out guitar n drum intro before Dave brings the noise and makes his mark. Piss on it? Nah, Dave sets fire to it and laughs while baby hamsters scream for help. He’s not a nice guy, I told you this!

I Ain’t Superstitious and My Last Words finish off one of the best metal records of all time. Little beat from reviewing four albums by the one band in the last two days so that’s enough of this one. Just buy it, what’s your problem? Fraid The Deth will reach out, smack your face and call you names? Well they’ll do it anyways so just buy the album and justify it!

Megadeth – Cryptic Writings

Now this is interesting. Cryptic Writings is certainly different from Endgame, Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction and Peace Sell’s. It could be called the bands Re-Load (while Risk would be there St. Anger…except better than St. Anger obviously). This was the first Megadeth record I ever owned and boy was I surprised. I was pretty sure a band with as much street cred and a name like Megadeth would be ever so slightly harsher than this. Turns out they had been ten years beforehand (five even L) but it didn’t take too long to warm up top this one.

This was released around the time bands like Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica were all drifting further and further away from the Thrash sound they had helped create, shape, perfect and bring to the masses. The nineties had shifted music heads all over the place and every band that had been big in the eighties either packed it in, disappeared or changed styles in an attempt to keep up with younger people. Megadeth was one such band and Cryptic Writings was a very obvious attempt at this. Instead of the hate, the scorching hot lyrics and wave after wave of ear drum shattering solos and riffs so strong, Chuck Norris couldn’t handle them (sad – Ed), (go fuck yourself Ed – TT), you got ‘radio friendly Megadeth’. Such a thing couldn’t have been imagined in the eighties, but here you are. The Deth on 2FM thanks to songs like Trust.

Trust may be a tame, shy little kitten compared to the rabies infected jackals their previous albums had been but it’s certainly not the worst Megadeth song out there. Those looking for the rush of real Megadeth won’t find it here but those looking for melody, talent and a good tune, look no further. In comparison, Almost Honest follows the same sort of pattern expect it’s a little more full on. Not much more full on anything here and I’m feeling a little distant after the pure adrenalin of the other records. Almost Honest is a decent song. Normally I like it a lot more but I did just listen to Peace Sell’s so, ya know?.

Use the Man is always a good way to get this record rolling and the distant sound of The Searchers classic, Needles and Pins sets the right tone. I suppose the themes on this album tie in a lot Dave’s drug problems. Around this time he was kicking away his demons and becoming the well disciplined, born again Christian (who’ll still bitch slap ya) he is today. Nice, slow moving but filled with enough little melodies to keep ya happy. Mastermind finally introduces so much needed guitars onto this sucker. Good heavy but slow riffs and Dave’s raspy voice finally throwing its self into the match.

The Disintegrators is much faster and heavier again. Great chorus but still retains that melodic sound that dominates this record. Ya know the way older Megadeth is a stampede of hopelessness and despair. Well this record sounds like reworked versions of Nickleback. I’ll Get Even brings the tone back down to quiet non-Megadeth levels again and it’s a good kind of Metal rockfish track. One of those choruses you can bop along to but I imagine a lot of Deth heads were sitting back scratching their heads as to why some other band are allowed to call themselves Megadeth when it first came out. Ah, it’s not a bad song, just not a classic and I’m worried my enthusiasm has dropped to low to keep this review interesting. Sin is another one of those that’s closest to older Megadeth but still lacks the speed and aggression of the old sound. Dave’s voice sounds good though, really suits this type of tune. Who’d have thought?

And so on. The remaining tracks are decent but I’ve lost the buzz I’m afraid. On a normal day, Cryptic Writings can be best described as a Megadeth album for people who don’t like Megadeth. Today however, it’s shows up poorly.

Oh, not one mention about Marty Friedman in these reviews, I just realized that. Marty rocks the biotches to the core as does Dave E.

Read Reviews of Rust In Peace & Countdown to Extinction by clicking HERE.

Click HERE to read a review of Megadeth’s newest album Endgame.

MEGADETH – RUST IN PEACE / COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION Double Review:

In celebration of Megadeth’s latest album, Endgame being a fairly decent output, Tickets There has decided to do a double review feature of two of their strongest albums, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction. I’ll also probably do another double review including Peace Sells and Cryptic Writings tomorrow.

Megadeth – Rust In Peace (1990)

So let’s start in chronological order today. Rust In Peace is probably the bands defining record. Although Peace Sells had been a massive, massive hit for the band, it was only when RIP came out that they were truly elevated to the gods of metal status they enjoy today. It marked a shift from their classic Thrash metal roots while still retaining an aggressive, onslaught styled sound. In comparison to Dave Mustaines previous band Metallica, RIP is Megadeth’s ‘Black Album’ and it probably would have brought them much more fame than it did if Metallica hadn’t released the aforementioned metal devoid opus just a year after RIP came out. (ok, so it had Sad But True, Holier Than Thou, Don’t Thread on Me, Of Wolf and Man, The Struggle Within..ok enough, it’s a good album).

Kicking things off is Holy Wars…The Punishment Due. Very little you can say about this song except….it’s fucking crazy mental metal madness. How could you not pull your back out doing those massive head banging moments during the bridges. Amazing stuff from Mustaine and the boys. Next up, the equally incredible Hangar 18. Now, if by any chance you’re reading this and you’re a metal fan but you’ve never heard of Hangar 18, that just means you are a total douche!. Hangar 18 is metal. Like one of those songs that comes out and instantly owns a genre. I couldn’t be bothered looking up the net but I think there’s something like 18 solo’s on this one song. It’s a total Romper Stomper of a tune that would be very difficult for any band to match on follow up records. Full on drums, full on guitars, full on vocals n aggression, full on every mother fucking thing. This is Megadeth, welcome!!

How the hell can anyone top two tracks like that? Well they can’t fully, but Take No Prisoners gives it a damn good try. Full on Thrash metal riffs, thrash metal drums, thrash metal everything up the wazoo. I’m sitting down listening to this on head phones and you have no idea how hard it is resisting the temptation of throwing my computer out the window and setting off on a mayhem fuelled rampage. Maybe if I do, I could arrange a TT presents job of it and Take No Prisoners will be our theme song. Five Magic’s is another classic track (yes, this is just one of those albums). Slowed down intro, but things don’t take long to kick into gear. The pounding of the drums and guitars picking up pace leads the listener to think ‘ah, here we go’ but don’t get too excited., it’s not happening yet and then….out of nowhere Dave’s snarling, hate filled vocals rasp their way in destroying all the songs goodness and purity. In short, it becomes Megadeth Sound sad? Yeah, well you’re faceJ

Poison Was the Cure is yet another classic from this album. Not played too often live but it’s a damn fine wee number. I won’t ramble on too much because I have to finish Rust In Peace and move onto Countdown next. Great song, just listen to it. Same with Lucretia which sounds much happier than most Megadeth stuff until you get down to the full depth of it off course. Megadeth knows no humor. They’re like Radiohead, but ya know, not gay. Now, this next song is the one I’ve been driving towards. Tornado of Souls. I know, before you ask ‘How can a song called Tornado of Souls not get you arrested, beat up your wife and steal your car?’ well honestly, it does all of that and even insults your mother while it’s at it. This is Megadeth baby, what else did you expect?

Dawn patrol and Rust In Peace are fine songs. Good clean cut, sell your children to Turkish importers clean songs. If you don’t have this album, if you’re just starting to like Heavy metal, if you’re a human being I implore you to go buy this record. It will show you exactly how f**king amazing Megadeth were, are and always have been.

Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (1992)

So you think most metal bands that were big in the eighties fizzled out and faded away under Metallica’s growing dominance over the scene after their black album? Unfortunately for any Met heads out there and possibly the band themselves, Megadeth released one of their finest recorded moments just a year after the Met had conquered all with their Black Album (and only two years after the incredible Rust in Peace). Why waste time with an intro when Skin O’ My Teeth is blaring through the headphones?

First of all, Skin O’ My Teeth does not sound in anyway Irish, don’t be fooled by the O’ (bad joke there TT – Ed)…..(Up yours Ed and stop interrupting my posts Biotch! – TT). Skin O’ My Teeth is without a single doubt one of the ten best songs Megadeth ever recorded in TT’s books. I mean this baby live is like a monster screaming at you from Mordor! Go find the find Frodo and don’t let Dave catch ya. Yes he’s that scary, haven’t you heard? I know he’s a born again Christian and all but that’s like Marilyn Manson becoming a born again….Christian….just shut up. But no matter how good SOMT is, no matter how much we love it, we love the next one even more. My girlfriend’s brother asked me once, ‘what’s the definitive Megadeth song?’ and there is only one answer when someone asks you that question, Symphony of Destruction. This is the song you play when anyone asks you what Megadeth are like. No, it’s not their heaviest and no, it’s not their lightest, this is 100%, full metal jacket Megadeth. A snarling, spitting beast of a track with guitars so militant they’ll drag your ass through boot camp before they hang, draw and quarter you. On par with anything else they’ve ever released and probably one of the greatest riffs/songs in heavy metal history.

Now that those two are out of the way, let’s move onto the other songs that make Countdown to Extinction so loveable and well, so damn good. Architecture of Aggression could be compared to Metallica’s One with its war styled intro but two seconds later it explodes into everything the title promises. War driven fury that Megadeth do best. Foreclosure of a Dream is one I never really liked the first few times I heard this record but god, give this baby a few listens and it’s some job. Now, I don’t mean to be rude to FOAD but the next song deserves urgent attention (partially because I got distracted and heard FOAD about 6 times on repeat and I want to move on). Sweating Bullets is a Megadeth standard. Can you imagine how kick ass this track is? No, you can’t. Not unless you’ve heard it. I’ll admit it’s no Hanger 18, Symphony of Destruction or Holy Wars but it’s bloody mental all the same. One of the Deth tracks you have to see live.

This Was My Life is much similar to a Megadeth album track that most of the others I’ve discussed today but when it comes to an album of this quality, that’s a good thing. The albums’ title track is another thriller of a piece, real full on one again. More melody than a lot of earlier Megadeth but hey, this was the nineties babe (hence why I’m saying babe every three seconds).  There’s such a great flow to this tune and it shows the Deth can write more than Thrash. Also, the chorus sounds like it could have been netter produced but it’s still catchy as hell. High Speed Dirt is another album track of the highest order, I mean, what does that even mean? Who cares, if Dave said it, it’s gotta mean something. Great, fast, energetic and vicious! Psychotron is more like an older Megadeth song. Hard, fast, dirty and brutally brutal for brutals sake…to put it simply. Captive Honour has more in common with their In My Darkest Hour style (well actually more like Risk and Cryptic Writings) and final track Ashes in Your Mouth is an okish finisher.

So that’s it. Two of Megadeths greatest albums done and dusted. Now I’ll leave you fine people to head out and grab these babies form the official Tickets There reviews send a shit storm HMV’s way. More than likely sales of the band will pick up 50% over the next three days. The band will pass this off as sales of the new album but we’ll all know better, wont we J.

Click Here to read Tickets There’s review of Megadeth’s new album Endgame

All the best,
T.T.

Megadeth – Endgame (Review)

It’s late, I’m still in pretty bad shape from a furious session on Saturday and not eating right all week but the allure of Megadeths new album, End Game just sting there on their MySpace is far too tempting to leave alone so Tickets There is going to attempt a very, very, very hastily written review of what some people are calling Dave Mustaine’s best album in almost two decades.

Ok, we’ll do this MySpace Review style. Things kick off with Dialectic Chaos, which I actually heard the other night and all I can say is FUCKING BRILLIANT!. Two minutes of chaotic riffs, riveting, powerful solo’s and intense drums. There are no lyrics, it needs no lyrics. This song is pure fucking metal to the core and an incredible strong intro, especially for a modern Megadeth album. This Day We Fight! is next and it wastes little time starting it’s aggressive mission to send the memory of Death Magnetic into it’s grave. Dave’s voice sounds harder and grittier than normal and it swells in sporadic, plunging solos. This is a track that will send mosh puts around the world into a haze of maddened frenzy’s and ensure no fan will be able to touch there neck for weeks after a gig. 44 Minutes is next and it starts off a little tamer than the previous numbers. A police radio scrambles in over machine gun like riffs. The bass stands out like a tourist in a mosque and the Deth take a stab at delivering one of those slower numbers they’ve tried more recently. Not really as piercing or as powerful as the previous two but not bad all the same. The drums and bass make up for the songs slightly mundane structure…and the solo is pretty fucking rockin’!. When the final chorus comes in you find the whole song growing on you a little bit more. Seems to fall together and become interesting. Another savage solo and the respect increases.

1,320 is next and it kicks off with a Judas Priest style bike revving before the guitar and drums kick in, in classic Megadeth, Punk styled fury. This is thrash metal for those of you who haven’t heard it, notice the difference? The riff is fast, Dave belts out angry forceful lyrics with a vengeance as the instruments break away together to allow some incredible shredding from Dave and…what ever the new guitarist is called. Not bad to say the least. Two and a half minutes in, the guitars explode in a duelling battle that, in the words of Dylan Moran “would melt your face”. This is the kind of thing that causes tinnitus when you hear it live. The true sound of energy filled, unyielding talent that strives to out do itself with every note. Bite the Hand has the least number of plays so I’m a little weary but it starts of pretty well. The drums style keeps changing and it’s brilliant. Another full on metal track with sneering, guitars but much deeper, crunchy, bellowing riffs. Dave sings about the current economy (please note Dave has always done this, it’s not just a fad) as the band that spill their guts to keep up with him. I cannot get over the amount of solo’s on this album. Isn’t this the band that release Risk and Cryptic Writings a few years ago? Cause there’s no signs of those albums left. Don’t know why it’s the least played, it fucking rocks. Bodies jumps in straight away and crunchy bass makes a welcome return. Maybe it’s always been there and I just need decent headphones. This isn’t a bad number but possibly best described as an album track….so far, I’m only a minute in. It’s defiantly not one of their future classics but it’s decent. Great solo at the end but I wont say I wasn’t waiting for the albums title track before the end.

Endgame has the traits of a true metal blitz in the making. Not bad. Gets better and better as it continues. Pretty savage riffs, Dave’s lyrics awkwardly fall together but only hang on loosely before breaking again. Unlike Peace Sells, which was clever, Endgames lyrics sound very forced. Maybe Dave really isn’t that angry anymore? Nah, no-one happy person can play like that. Ah, not bad but I need to be in bed in 15/20 mins so lets check out The Hardest Part of Letting Go. Hmmm, acoustic guitars, violins and Chellos. Ah, this is where Cryptic Writings got to, I knew it must be around somewhere. It’s not terrible or anything but no something Megadeth need to keep in their repertoire. They already have A Tour Le Monde and that’s enough for any band. Oh Wait, two minutes in there’s an apocalyptic kind of knock on the head. Good, galloping riffs appear from no where as the lead pushed it’s self further and further into the spotlight. There’s even a few duelling moments. Tickets There is once again turned around.

The album first single, Head Crusher is next and the third last track of the album. I don’t know if any of you out there know what a Head Crusher was but its all there’s in the name really. They used this nasty little device during the Spanish Inquisitions and it could be made to last for hours, days and even weeks. The first thing that would happen is your jaws would crush together, shattering your teeth inside your skull. Then you eye sockets would buckle and they would literally pop out. Some of the devices had little metal plates, resembling small ice cream scoops to catch the eyes as they popped out. Then it got painful. May not sound as horrendously violent as the public sawings that they used to do or treatment from the Spanish tickler but pretty shocking to say the least. Oh the song, sorry. The song is FUCKING AWESOME!! NUFF SAID. Second last track How The Story Ends is thankfully not another ballad. It’s not my favourite, possibly the one I like least, though it has some of the best machine gun styled drum and guitars interaction on the whole record. Final song, The Right to Go Insane is thankfully heavy one. No soppy ballad to send us to bed, just another kick in the skull from Mustaine. Chorus sounds kind of grungy in it’s delivery but it works, works pretty well in fact. Some nice, distance between the chords in the bridge that adds some tension as you wait for everything to tear back. This is a very respectable Megadeth track and a welcome return finally to a fairly impressive album.

So, that’s it. Honestly, I was expecting more but I thought the same thing about Death Magnetic when I first heard that so you can be sure Tickets There is going to give it another few drillings before making our final decision. Might sound alot better when our minds aren’t clouded with the worry of how late we’re staying up, getting spellings correct while writing so quickly and all that nonsense. It still lacks Dave’s full on aggression though. The rage and bitterness that inspired and drove so much of the bands earlier work seems a little distant and forced on Endgame. It’s still more appealing than The System Has Failed and United Abominations but is doesn’t quite deliver the classics we know from albums like Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction or Peace Sells. Still well worth a go.

Tickets There Likes: The Doors – The Doors

I always hated The Doors. Generally when I hate a band it means I’ve given them their time and tried several times to enjoy them because I hate it when I’m wrong so I like to really give things my all before passing such an extreme judgment. Believe it or not I do have three or four Radiohead albums because I was told after I’d listen to each one that such a one was better and you know what, they weren’t. I also have two Coldplay albums because I wanted to believe the hype and turned out I was right from the beginning about them too. The Doors however are a different story. I hadn’t ever given them a chance and the main song I knew, Light My Fire, was a little boring for my tastes. Then one faithful summer they found me.

I was staying at a friend’s house for a few weeks during the summer of 04 (all those years ago J) and he played the Doors constantly. After a few days of this and then a screening of the movie to help persuade me, I finally gave in. I wouldn’t say I turned total fanatic but just enough to make me buy every album over the following year and give each ones a good grilling. Honestly I never really picked a flat out favorite and only for the sake of this review have I picked their 67 self titled debut, The Doors.

If you don’t like the Doors yet, then opening song Break on Through will go along way in convincing you of their greatness. I’m not going to say it’s a full on, stampeding chaotic master piece because that just doesn’t do it justice…but it is all those things. It’s so full of energy and quiet / loud changes with underlining D word themes a go go. In sharp contrast, Soul Kitchen is everything the tin promises. A relaxed, stripped back verse of simple guitar and piano melodies with Jims voices croaking in the background before everything collapses together for a foot stomping chorus. At times it sounds like Johns drumming is too fast for Robby’s guitars and Ray’s keyboards but oddly enough, it all works perfectly.   The Crystal Ship slips even further into the albums melon collie state. Jim’s deep voice booms over the music, haunting every change and note the band play. It’s no secret that a lot of the love people have for the Doors also relies heavily on the myths, stories and a general love for Morrison himself. He’s one of music’s true icons, appealing to people in all walks of life…except those who just don’t like him off course.

Twentieth Century Fox wouldn’t be one of my favorite tracks. It’s very plain compared to the albums first three songs and falls a little on its face amidst a mess of guitars and organ melodies. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar), a cover of a Bertolt Brecht’s song (I’ve never heard of him either, don’t worry , is without a doubt one of the funniest songs they’ve ever recorded and could easily be used a sea chantey in the next Pirates or, if you’re like me, you have walked home many times from the pub singing this at full volume. Light My Fire follows and ya know…it’s good. Personally I think seven minutes was a bit much and the guys don’t really pull it off but many, many others would strenuously disagree so it depends from fan to fan. Back Door Man (written by Willie Dixon) on the other hand is one of the best songs they’ve ever recorded. Since it’s another cover, I won’t praise it too much in words or it may overshadow the other tracks I’ve written about….but god it’s a savage song.

I Looked At You sounds like something The Beatles could easily have come up with but still manages to retain some of the Doors quality. Not incredibly great but simple, fun pop. After all, many people forget the Doors did start of as a more a pop group than the bluesy poets they turned into. End of the Night is more of a definitive Doors piece. Broken melodies, slow changes, hits of spiraling melodies…etc. Again it’s not amazing but there’s more Doors atmosphere here than many of the songs. The best way you can describe a truly Doors-esque song is broken music and Jims lyrics. The sort of atmospheric, incoherent yet hauntingly good music they play in seedy L.A. bars at 4:00 in the morning. Take It As it Comes is one of the better tracks at the end of the album. The lyrics are bogged down in Jims over thinking and the music flows extremely well. Ray’s keyboards belt away behind Johns crashing drums and Jims iconic vocals.

I lied, I lied about End of the Night. It is not a definitive Doors classic. Not compared to the albums final track, The End. While its style is pretty general for the Doors, it is nowhere near as far reaching, over blown and mind bendingly good as The End. The lyrics represent a peak Morrison always strived for with his music. The band comes together more here than anywhere else on the record, despite the hap hazard sound. The entire group seems to spiral off in their own little tangents, all at the same time yet they seem to pull together like waves and re-group momentarily before drifting apart again. Jims voice is once again the glue holding everything together and the song loses all sense of time and structure. The music repeats and repeats but never gets stale. Jims vocals become more and more prominent at the song moves along culminating in his screams referencing the Oedipus  complex.

If you give the Doors time, it’s very hard to hate them. If you like Rock n roll, folk, pop or blues, the Doors have something for you and it’s good. Jim may be long gone, or just hiding somewhere but his music and the band’s music is still very much alive and ready for any curious new generations that are willing to open their mind and experience what music drove a generation to throw up their arms and say ‘No’ when it counted.

HY-GIY?: Jape – Ritual

If you read my blog you should know three things. 1, I have a frightening love for Sheffield’s finest rock band, Def Leppard. 2, I like tearing into terrible bands and ridiculing them to the point where it just inst professional and I make very few apologies to fans or band members for the way I discuss them and three, I consider Jape to be one of Irelands finest talents ever produced and last year, he sealed that claim with his third album, Ritual.

Ritual was without a doubt my favorite Irish album of 2008 and one of best ever to come out of this country as far as I’m concerned. Yes I know Enya has a lot of albums to compete with but let’s leave that aside shall we!. Richie Egan is one of very far artists making experimental music and getting it right pretty much every time.  No matter what style of song, effect or theme Richie deals with, he still manages to back everything up with inarguably good melodies; structure, imagination and a strong musical backbone (take note bands!). Before Ritual he had the poorly received Cosmosphere and the underground smash The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun than Me which spawned the massive cult single Floating. However Ritual brought all of Richie and co’s onstage energy as well as his styles and writing to a peak they hadn’t managed to release on either of the first two albums.  

Opening with the well weathered Christopher and Anthony, the album gets a feverish grip of dance beats, electronic samples and Richies unique lyrical style that fans hoped would play a more dominant role of this record than the previous albums. Despite it having all this, second track I Was A Man bombards in and ups the bar 100%. Previously, Floating was the dance highlight on Japes set and fans but he has worked hard to ensure this is pushed to mid-set and his newer work gets the attention instead in order to prove he isn’t a one hit wonder and I Was a Man proves this no end. All the dancey beats, anthem styled lyrics and changes any human could want from their bands. The overall chaos of the song is best seen live but as studio recordings go, you couldn’t ask anymore from this song.

Replays hops in at third and is again surprisingly upbeat and dance oriented. It’s one of those songs that just simple, cut n grab pop. Not the kind of pop you’ll see on X-factor anytime soon, I mean good f**king pop. Once again it’s impulsively catchy, upbeat and a full on stormer of a dance floor hit. Maybe if RTE felt compelled to play Irish music more often, this song, along with many more from the album might have actually reached the country. Ah well, there only the national broadcaster. Can’t expect them to start endorsing Irish talent when there’s easy ratings to be found with international crap. If you’re reading this and you work for RTE I say to you, Go F**k Yourself you absolute waste of an organization!!

(In a ranty mood today, had to put a Happy Mondays review on hold because I wrote 500 words of complaining). Graveyard follows and gives the album one of its most relaxed moments. Lyrics are interesting and worth reading if you can find them on the net. The song just has an overall sublime melody and flow that’s just so easily enjoyable and mellow. Bringing the quality up even further is the incredibly melodic and well loved, Phil Lynott. Hard to describe why this song is so special but its worth getting this album just to hear it, never mind the other songs and seeing it live is even better.

The dance tone returns with the bouncy Streetwise. Like Replays, this is pure pop and is followed by the albums most prominent reminder of Japes Monkeys style. At the Heart of all this Strangeness is the albums most stripped back piece of music. Acoustic guitar arrangements, mixed with low melodies and Japes quiet vocals striving to stay above the music’s volume. Absolutely fantastic song and one of the few singer/songwriter style arrangements that Tickets There fully endorses. Apple in the Orchard follows with another beat laden, smack your face anthem. This song has one of the catchiest chorus of all the songs on this album and there is some very stiff completion. Another crackin’ anthem, Strike Me Down, follows and gives Richie’s set yet another classic dance fueled hit for his live show. Final song, Nothing Lasts Forever has a real Moby-ish style piano melody and haunting vocals with a great bassy drive. Incredible stuff all round.

That’s all I can really say. I reviewed this album for Drop-D when it came out last year and its quality has been diminished one bit. It’s as strong, original and enjoyable as the day it came out. If you haven’t heard Jape I advice a trip to his MySpace and I’m sure you’ll have the album on your stereo by 6.00pm this evening.

Tickets There Likes: Metallica – …And Justice for All

Ya know Metallica get a very bad rap these days. It’s as plain as day that they haven’t done themselves many favors over the last few years but people seem to be forgetting they have a stronger back catalogue than most metal acts out there. Very few thrash/heavy or hard rock bands can boast so many highly regarded albums as Metallica and they’re highly impressive and widely diverse selections of song writing make them the bonafide legends they are. Forget the St. Anger disaster and forget the Napster issue and the Some Kind of a Monster fiasco. These are long over with and the Bay Area Thrashers have returned to what they do best.

I remember first hearing Metallica in the early nineties and not being hugely amazed. Then again I was a Def Lepp / GNR kid and the styles didn’t really crossover in my eyes. It was until the late nineties that one of the lads from school started pushing me to listen to them. I remember seeing a picture of Kirk Hammett. wearing Calvin Klein undero’s and thinking ‘wow, how metal is that…puke!’. It looked like Metallica had totally sold out and this didn’t give me any inspiration to check out their stuff. Now I know there’s nothing worse in this world that an uppity metal fan. Every time you talk to one of those Bruxelles chaps they’d nearly put you off the genre entirely. They’re so up their own holes it’s almost sad and they sit there and argue on and on about mundane, unimportant crap about bands who make a living dressing up in makeup and screaming about death. Not sure if you noticed folks, but it’s meant to be a bit of fun, not f**king politics ya tossers. Anyway, enough ranting about those Metalireland.com chaps, they have to pass their sad existence somehow.

So eventually I took a copy of Master of Puppets from yer man and after a few days adjusting I came to love that album and like most of the TT Likes articles, listened to it repeatedly for many, many weeks. Ride the Lightening, Metallica (The Black Album) and Kill Em All only spurred on my excitement for the bands material and overnight, became staunch classics in my books. However it wasn’t until the mighty …And Justice for All came into my possession that I found their best work. I’d been put of getting this one by many people who wouldn’t shut up about the Bass being low and the quality generally lacking compared to the other early albums. I strongly disagree folks, and I think I’m in the majority.

Opening up with the mighty Blackened, Justice is an hour’s worth of melodic / blistering riffage, doomsday lyrics and drums all backed by Hetfields more matured, powerful vocals.  I don’t care how elitist you are, there’s no denying Metallica did it better than anyone else at the top of their game. Tracks like Eye of the Beholder, The Shortest Straw, The Frayed Ends of Sanity and Dyers Eye give the album it’s unyielding power  while better know classics like the title track, One and Harvester of Sorrow give the whole record it’s unstoppable force that band have failed to recreate since, despite a pretty good effort on Death Magnetic. Justice for All’s sound is so dark and inaccessible compared to all of their other work before and after and the band can be seen to vent their frustrations, pain and anger over Cliff Burtons death. It’s true the bass isn’t exactly the stand out instrument here and this is very obviously an attempt to avoid having to admit Cliff had to be replaced. As a final tribute to their friend, Justice has a nine minute instrumental entitled To Live is to Die which the band composed using riffs written by Burton before his death.

Whatever people say about Metallica now is irrelevant. Bunch of stuck up, metal pussy’s who’ve forgotten the whole genre is about taking it easy, have a few beers and a laugh. Not procrastinating and philosophizing about who’s more metal than thou! And let’s all be honest, metal fans are mostly made up of…..should I say it?, maybe not…but you know damn well the kind of people that I mean and don’t deny it! Why the hell these folks feel the need to close turn Metal into a Pink Floyd convention is beyond me. Relax folks!