Rising Force?

Are you a fan of Yngwie Malmsteen? His guitar playing is unmatched - but I've always been on the fence about his music. Again, I appreciate his talent - but I've never really been drawn to any of his songs.

Actually, I find many of them quite boring.

It's possible I'll be seeing Malmsteen live - he and his band are rumored for the final day of Rocklahoma. Tim "Ripper" Owens is apparently signing for Malmsteen these days. I guess if this happens, I'll be excited. At least it would be a chance to see someone different - because I'm pretty sure I'd never deliberately buy a ticket to see Malmsteen live.

Is it me? Am I missing something? Remember: I am a huge fan of guitar heavy albums. I love just about everything from Van Halen to Avenged Sevenfold when it comes to complex riffs. With Malmsteen - I turn my nose.

Here are some videos featuring Malmsteen and his Rising Force. Maybe I'll learn to love it. Do you?

Here is "Heaven Tonight."

Here is "You Don't Remember."

I feel like I've just revealed a dirty secret: I don't really like Yngwie Malmsteen. Scandal!

Giant: Underrated Band

Do you remember the band Giant? Their most successful album is Last of the Runaways. I was listening to the single "I'm a Believer" last night while driving home.

Giant was a great band of true musicians. In fact, I wish they were still together today. When I say "true" musicians - I am not exaggerating. The quartet was not your average band of long-haired dreamers. No, these were seasoned session men. Most played with very famous bands. It's natural they wanted their share of the limelight.

Dann Huff sang and played guitar while Mike Brigadello played bass and David Huff played drums. Like any good AOR band, the group had a keyboard player. That person was Alan Pasqua. Giant landed a deal with A&M and then recorded Last of the Runaways in 1989.

I think the band got back together not so long ago - but that didn't last too long. Still, I think it would be cool to hear Dann Huff perform live. That man can sing!

Here is the video for "I'm a Believer."

Now, watch this clip of "Innocent Days."

Tell me: were you lucky enough to see Giant perform live? If so, where and when?

Rikki Rockett Rape Allegation?

Say it isn't so! One of my favorite drummers...busted on a strong arm rape charge out of Mississippi? According to my west coast mole Gerry Gittelson...the bust went down yesterday at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport).

The report is already on some other websites. Apparently my dear Rikki Rockett (Poison) was booked into Los Angeles County Jail - it seems he might already be out of the clink.

I hope he still has some of the Flesh & Blood money to hire a good attorney.  Remember - it's innocent until proven guilty in this country.  We'll see how these rape allegations pan out. Sigh.

Read the booking info here.

Rockets to Ruin

Listen up, Glam fans: I have a new favorite band: Rockets to Ruin from Atlanta, Georgia. Their album Love, Drugs, Rebellion owns you. People, this is down n' dirty sleaze rock at its finest.

Rockets to Ruin are:

Cleveland Willis – Vocals

Mike Grimmett – Guitar

Chris Taylor – Bass

Rob Hammersmith - Drums

Now, the great part about Love, Drugs, Rebellion is that it is raw.  Rachel Bolan of Skid Row produced the disc, so you know it has Glam cred. Plus, I love how the bass has a unique tone on most of the tracks. I don't exactly know how to explain the tone except that it is sharp - but far from hollow.

Here's the track listing:

We Are The Drugs
Take A Ride With Me (Straight To Hell)
Devil Girl
Screamin' At Me
Burnin'
1 More Fix
Helpless
Gotta Go, Gotta Roll
Revolution
Nowhere To Go (No Time To Care)

Now, my favorite tracks are "We Are the Drugs,"  " Take A Ride With Me (Straight To Hell)" and "Gotta Go, Gotta Roll."

Rockets to Ruin remind me of Buckcherry - except I like them a lot better. This doesn't mean I'm turning my back on my promise to support all things Buckcherry - just that I think Rockets to Ruin deserve some damn respect.

Get these Southern boys to Rocklahoma - and shove them on the main stage. Watch them blow the competition out of the water!

Speaking of stages, Rockets to Ruin has a few live gigs coming up with bands like Hookers and Blow and Jetboy. Visit here for more info.  The cool news is that Love, Drugs, Rebellion is on iTunes - easy as pie.

Listen to this video clip, then download. Ladies, did I mention these boys have looks and talent?

Take Me to the Top

The other day I posted the lost video supporting the RATT track "Givin' Yourself Away." Today: the lost video for Motley Crue's "Take Me to the Top."

Before I get into the discussion I have a warning: the quality on this clip is terrible. You need to watch close and pay attention. Since this is "lost" footage, the scenes are really dark.

You'll notice straight away that the Crue are wearing the exact same clothes used during the "Live Wire" video. That's because both clips were filmed on the same sound stage, the same day. Since the clip for "Take Me to the Top" has "not for air" burned on the footage, my guess the director used this take as a sort of warm-up before the "Live Wire" shoot. After you watch the clip I think you'll agree the coolest part is Mick Mars' guitar solo - I mean, he does flash the devil horns for the camera.

I never considered "Take Me to the Top" the best of Too Fast for Love. I've always been partial to the title track, "Live Wire" and "Merry Go-Round." Still, seeing the video for "Take Me to the Top" is way cool for someone who loves Motley and enjoys music history.

So, what do you think of this lost video?

South Texas Rock Fest

If you don't care for the Rocklahoma 2008 line-up there is an alternative: the South Texas Rock Fest.

The San Antonio-based event is three days and features some great Glam bands. It is sponsored by Miller-Lite and Harley-Davidson.

Confirmed bands for the South Texas Rock Fest are:

Bang Tango, House of Lords, Stephen Pearcy, Jackyl, Helix, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, Firehouse, Y&T, Queensryche, Dokken, Skid Row, Pretty Boy Floyd, Mad Margritt and more. Evidently there are several bands still to be announced...

Did I mention the South Texas Rock Fest is the exact same weekend as Rocklahoma? Exactly - it is July 11-13. Talk about a bummer. If the festivals were different weekends, I would go to both.

Here's something else you need to know: tickets for the South Texas Rock Fest go on sale today. V.I.P. seats are just $250 bucks and include beer and food. Here's the caveat: there are only 100 V.I.P. seats - so you better act fast. Camping is free with a paid ticket.

Just look at what you get with your V.I.P. ticket:

• VIP identification badge.
• Event T-shirt.
• Prime VIP seating on the stage.
• Private VIP tent with lounging sofas.
• Several VIP Receptions with food and drink.
• A meal all three evenings along with hors d'oeuvres all day.
• Meet & Greets with the bands when available.
• Massage therapist.
• VIP Games.
• Men or women's VIP gift.
• Private Party in the VIP lounge after the show.
• Free Beer, Sodas, Water, Red Bull

If funds are tight (and they always are in my household!) you can get a three day general admission pass for just $75. That's a deal.

For more information or to buy tickets, click here.

***What do you think of this festival competing with Rocklahoma? I think the promoters are brave to say the least.

Givin' Yourself Away

One of RATT's most underrated - and exquisite songs - is "Givin' Yourself Away." There was never a video for this song - until now.

Metal Sludge is down a lot these days, but every once in awhile I still get on and see what fellow rock fans are saying. Much to my surprise I found someone had discovered the lost video of "Givin' Yourself Away."

The song is featured on the Detonator album - definitely one of the band's best efforts. RATT released Detonator in 1990 and the album also features "Shame, Shame, Shame" and "One Step Away."

"Givin' Yourself Away" has always been one of my favorite RATT songs. The video is such a great find - it isn't slick and it shows the band toward the end of their prime era. For that reason, watching the clip is a little bittersweet. This video also shows just a few shots of a very happy Robbin Crosby.  

Here is the clip. Please watch and enjoy. I can't wait for your comments.