Welcome to my Heavy Metal Review page! I am a huge fan of heavy metal (not to mention a musician myself), so I decided to put together a page where you can check out some new and old releases that you may not find much on at the usual review sites. Now when I say heavy metal, I don’t mean the growling or rap nu-metal that is en vogue right now, I mean the old school style like your Iron Maidens, Judas Priests, and myself, the Johnny Lokkes of the world. Keep in mind that I call ‘em as I see ‘em, and what I hate you may love. When possible I try and give you a little comparison to other bands or cd’s that I like or don’t like so that you get a better idea of where I’m coming from and can judge a bit better on if we might agree. I also like to keep you informed of any exciting up and coming bands that you might like, so if you are (or know of) a hot new heavy metal band that is looking for some press, contact me through my site and I’ll let you know where to send your stuff. You can also check out some of my tunes there as well. Being a musician myself I don’t have a lot of time, but I’ll do what I can for you. And with that, it’s on with the show…

U.D.O. – Thunderball
For many years, the names Udo Dirkschneider and Accept were synonymous. Udo WAS Accept for many people. When Accept released their album "Eat the Heat" in 1989, fans were shocked and amazed (myself included) that the band would no longer contain the harsh, German singer, instead going with an unknown David Reece. While the album was not bad, it just wasn’t Accept. Likewise, Udo had set out on his own as well, releasing "Animal House" about the same time with similar results. How could one not compare either of these records with milestones like "Restless and Wild", "Balls to the Wall", and "Metal Heart"? Even the less well-received "Russian Roulette" was still strong enough to keep most fans happy. Accept reformed for a few years, releasing several more records, most being decent, but never reaching much past mediocre, and the band finally gave up in 1996. Udo had also continued to release music, but could never even reach the success of "Animal House", let alone the high standards met by his previous group. This leads me to his newest release "Thunderball". I have to admit, I was judging the cd before even hearing it. I have his previous cd’s, so I knew I would probably enjoy it, but figured it would be the standard U.D.O. release. When I received the cd and looked at it, I was immediately drawn to it’s cover…the metal earth smoking beneath Udo’s powerful looking logo was impressive. Maybe I was onto something here. I put the cd in, hit play and …OH MY GOD! THIS is truly the cd that Accept fans have been waiting for since "Russian Roulette"! Actually, it should have come before RR because it ranks right up there with Metal Heart"! The disc opens with the title track which has a 15 second opening (like the good old days) before launching into a "Fast as a Shark" meets "Restless and Wild" tune. All of the songs are winners, and even though they do borrow from a few Accept tunes here and there (such as the song "Pull the Trigger" which has a bit of "Monsterman" in it, and "Tough Luck" which has a "Balls to the Wall"-style opening), the sound is fresh (accordion on "Trainride in Russia???) and alive, which has been missing for quite some time. The production is outstanding, the playing is great (the band line-up has been the same since 1999 and I think it is paying off), Udo’s voice is better than ever and there are just really good songs, which is what it really boils down to. This cd is a must for any Accept fan, and is as close as you can get without the real thing. Maybe when Wolf hears this one, he’ll drop the camera and pick the guitar back up…hint, hint….

Cornerstone - Once Upon Our Yesterdays
Sometimes bands come along and make great music without a lot of hype or flash. Cornerstone is one of those bands. "Once Upon Our Yesterdays" is the third release from Cornerstone, and is full of catchy, hard-edged music. The band features Doogie White (ex-Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen) on vocals, and he truly is one of the best singers out there today. He has a voice that sits somewhere between bluesy Paul Rodgers and ballsy Ronnie James Dio, and just never falls short of great. On guitar is Kasper Damgaard (ex-Mike Tramp), whose melodic and emotional playing falls right into place with White’s vocals, as he is from the Blackmore/Schenker school, and does it very well. He can play everything from forceful power chords to light ballads and sound like he means business on both. Bass and Keyboard duties fall to Steen Morgensen (ex-Royal Hunt) who brings a Jon Lord/Deep Purple feel to the band which is great because it makes the keyboards a main instrument without competing with guitar or softening the music. Rounding out the group is drummer Allan Sorensen (ex-Royal Hunt). Sorensen also keeps the music from slipping into AOR territory (pronounced Steve Perry era Journey) by throwing down solid rhythm tracks with a very evident metal feel to them. Opening up the cd are a great pair of crunchy numbers, "Welcome to Forever" and "When the Hammer Falls" that really show off the talents of the individuals, while also showing how well each meshes with the other. Things keep right on rolling through the next several tracks, and don’t really slow down until track 5, the ballad "Man Without Reason". I was worried at first, as I’m not much a fan of the slow stuff, but this song is really only a ballad in the same way that Deep Purple’s "Child in Time" would be considered a ballad. It’s really just a chance for the boys to show off their bluesier side, and all get the chance to shine. Right back to business with one of the best songs on the cd, "21st Century Man". The live version of this song is also featured as a bonus track, along with the live version of "Wounded Land" (from a previous release), and I couldn’t believe that it sounds even better live (which doesn’t happen very often). The title track is next, and it reminds me of a Yngwie Malmsteen tune, with layered, ripping guitars and keyboards that have their own melody lines that carry the song to some really different places. The regular portion of the cd closes with "Scream" which is a cool song that goes from heavy to laid back and back to heavy again over six minutes, making for a memorable ending. This cd easily fits in with the Gary Barden/Graham Bonnett era Michael Schenker Group, Dio era Rainbow, and Ian Gillan/Ritchie Blackmore era Deep Purple with touches of Malmsteen and John Sykes thrown in for good measure. If you like these bands, you are going to be playing this cd over and over and over.

Until next time, peace.

Johnny Lokke
Metal from the Heartland
www.johnnylokke.com