10/10

By Glenn Milligan

Young American Double Action Revolver – S/T
(S/R – 2014)

10/10

By Glenn Milligan

YOUNG BLOOD - Transfusion/First Blood
(Angel Air - 2011)

Another AOR name nibbles its way out of the woodwork, these three lads being by far one of the best British metal acts I was too young to pounce on at their original heyday peak.

Then again Darlington trio Youngblood’s debut full-lengther ‘Transfusion’ has actually just been released for the first time following twenty five years wait. Worth it... I think so. Traditional hard rock, AOR and old-school metal of 80-83 vintage hit head on and shoot upwards on impact, delivering choruses and gritty guitar chords song in-song out, like they’re glad its not allowed to bee done this way any longer. ’Fantasy’, ‘American Bride’, ’ Run for Your Life’, ‘Doin’ The Best That I Can’, ‘Talkin’ About LOVE’ and ’Shine On’ make good use of Stewart Goodchild’s soulful throat as well as short but decoratively played solos.

Including the full content of their original four-track spinner ’First Blood’ their only release to have originally seen light back in the day which sounds as welcomely dated with immediate faves in ‘Hold onto Your Love’ and ’Good Time Tonight’, Youngblood may sound more like old tissue to today’s seekers of the soundest new innovations on the metalworks floor but that serves as their own trend-suckingly stupid loss. As we play through a final couple of glossily-remastered demos to prove the point, the rest of us can take grab ourselves a great plate of British-as-bacon-and-egg rock n’roll with well-surviving ketchup at its side.

Excellent.

9/10

By Dave Attrill

RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Thin Lizzy, UFO, Statetrooper, Diamond Head, Def Leppard (early era) & Judas Priest.

NET: www.angelair.co.uk

Y&T - Facemelter
(Frontiers - 2010)

It is with some stinging degree of poignancy that I review this comeback offering from the San Franciscan hard rockers, reeling from the recently announced passing of Phil Kennemore.

Returning after almost 15 years since their last disc ‘Endangered Species‘, the last thing they really could have wanted now was a passing within the ranks, the dreaded ’C’ having claimed the legendary bassist’s life on January the 7th. At least we have an absolute stormer of a new studio cd to remember him by - ’…Melter’ surely rates amongst the San Fran act’s strongest and even with only half the original formation still in force, vocalist/guitar king Dave Meniketti is aided as strongly today by Messrs Nyman and Vanderhule. Following an irritably overlong spoken intro with ‘Prelude’, ‘On With the Show’ is a typical Y&T rocker as if the last 25 years never passed ,’Mean Streak’, ’Open Fire’ and ’Don’t Stop Running’ all melted into one mammoth rock. ’How Long’ hits Sabbath style with strongish ‘Heaven and Hell’ feel then surprises one and all with a mighty Whitesnake chorus line.

The band’s roots are genuinely unearthed by ‘Shine On’, a boundy upper mid-paced seventies-esque number and a good old fashioned hook to totally fit the style. Hand-clapping blues rocker, ’I Want Your Money’ is cut open in the middle by a typically great solo line from Dave, getting faster as track goes along. The first one on the album to grate with me at first play is ’Wild Child’ . This heavy-edged, slightly progressive number fails to become a favourite despite the Warrant-ish zest to its verse part. ‘I’m Coming Home’ rocks with testosterone loaded ‘Midnight In Tokyo’/’Forever’ rhythm though bringing along a longer and wordier hookline and strong bridge harmonies than either of the two said classics. Soloing is replaced by an acoustic interlude at the middle eight regions, but hey, ol’ Dave needs a break (joke not intended) sometimes.

What would a complete melodic rock album be like without a ballad - well in truth ’If You Want Me’ is only one till about half distance then transforms into a seventies blue metal grinder. With ’Hot Shot’ we get something else these guys haven’t forgotten to do properly in their time away, a straightahead bar-room rock number. In similar vein to earlier tracks on the album, , the chorus also vaguely echoes of Skin’s ’Look But Don’t Touch’. ’Blind Patriot’ is just a relentless uptempo hard rocker, pure classic Y&T at their very barnstonkingly best, an indisputable live number in the coming. Delivered with maximum Meniketti class, it comes with timeless piece of speed soloing in the middle before returning for a final attack of the chorus with added widdling at the rear. One does often expect a shocking difference with the number that follows tailing an absolute mind blower - ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ veers as close to being alternative as Dave dare get, progressing from grungy verse structure to lightweight uptempo rock and back round the loop.

Another bluesy outing with bold gritty angst and unexpectedly powerful hook embodies ’Gonna Go Blind’ before D.M. does more of his trademark bends for measure. A classy bass ripple from Phil leads off ’One Life’ , another out and out hard rock assault with probably one of the best choruses of the disc. Dave’s solo here begins with a strange Pink Floyd moment before heading on into an all-out Meniketti shred. ‘Losing My Mind’, a so-so bonus cut brings one to a lukewarm end, a decent enough mid-paced number but fails to ignite any sparks over the rest of the main album. Still its been an almighty comeback of the sort bands away this long rarely send our way, though some do try hard. Y&T have tried more than that and though it required less than the amount of effort saved for this special time Meniketti’s always got the strings and the shreds at hand to slot everything back into its dusty old holes again.

Bel-TER! Phil, I hope you’re proud.

9.5/10

By Dave Attrill

RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Harem Scarem, Tyketto, Georgia Satellites, Skin, AC/DC, Whitesnake, UFO & MSG.

NET:.myspace.com/Y&T www.YandTrocks.com

In Memory Of Phil Kennemore 1952 - 2011

Yellowhouse - What's Shining Through
(Self Released - 2000)

I can't categories this outfit as they cross right across the board, bringing to the forefront aspects of rock, jazz, funk, metal plus a bit of reggae. Imagine Faith No More meeting Ugly Kid Joe, Living Colour and Lenny Kravitz at a party - sounds cool - believe me it is.

Opener, 'Return to the Sky' will put you in the picture of what I mean by my description of 'Yellowhouse' which features a jazzy solo early in the song. 'Another Day' jumps into the laid back Chilli Pepper territory and I'm sure I recognise that chorus arrangement from somewhere but can't put my finger on where. The title track, 'What's Shining Through' is a bright story about a girl trying to make it and is a likeable power ballad. Then they get weirdy and sorta depressing on us with 'Hollywood Cell' - a strange and negative way of looking at what it's like getting to the top, losing popularity and having no-one to turn to.

An interesting quirky and rather intrepid outburst for a debut - there's plenty going on here.

7/10

By Glenn Milligan

Yellowhouse - Illusions of Everyday
(Rock Werk Records - 2003)

Album number two sees the band sounding far more confident with better developed melodies and harmonised vocal approaches but that quirkiness is still there - just listen out for it.

Yellowhouse keep it interesting throughout especially in songs like 'Nobody needs you' about an unwanted control freak by the looks of it. Highlights include 'Signs'; the funky bass grooving of the proggy, quirky 'Babylon'; the poppin' rock EMF like like 'Between the where'.

Be nice to see what album number three will be like.

8/10

By Glenn Milligan

Our first label discovery of '04 provides us also with one of the most interesting bands yet. These two lads -though there may be a few more hands on hire - have crafted quite an intriguing piece of metal artwork here.

Take the symphonic metal styling of - well most of the talent Scandinavia has to offer, place on top, a voice that could only be of those who front Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride, but equipped with a few of the harmonies of Brit melodic rock king Gary Hughes and you can work through this one in little time at all. With very little that fails to satisfy, this is a top rate conglomeration of ideas and integrity that has more legs on it than a two-bodied centipede.

With hope, this outfit should move onto a more major league label in the near future, though an album of this quality could see Holy Records heading in that direction. Yearning are definitely a name to remember for the coming year.

9/10

By Dave Attrill

Way of the absolutely-off-their-bl**din'-trolleys, more to the point. I don't quite know what this Chicago based lot's games is, but I'll tell 'em somefink, I certainly wouldn't have minded playing for their team. Either they're trying to be as incredulously diverse as five chaps called LaBrie, Petrucci, Myung, Rudess and Portnoy or they're trying to scrape right against the realms of innovation, or probably both. I mean , mixing metal, industrial, hardcore, punk, jazz, classic rock, folk and goth into the space of one disc.

The rock elements of the blend lean heavily on Strapping Young Lad, Faith No More, Dub War, Slayer, Machine Head, Sabbath and Dream Theater amongst countless others, and in using the word countless I'm rather understating the matter. 'Vergasso', 'Yama', 'Chicago Typewriter' and 'Obscurity' are but four examples of a band whose music takes itself more where it wants to than where they do.

The piece de resistance for most will be unquestionably the last track '01000011110011', at a record 43 minutes, the longest song I've ever listened to. You may be missing the vocals a bit as they would have helped to pass the song by, quicker, but sitting back to savour the mix of instruments and their uses through this incredible track soon becomes easy. Just imagine accidentally knocking the reverse skip button on your player, during the middle of this tune and trying to find again where you left off.

A band who've done the unpredictable and who I can safely brand unpredictable. There's only one mark I can give this display of almost previously unbounded musical genius and highly tutored craftsmanship.

10/10

By Dave Attrill