Josh Todd & The Conflict: Year Of The Tiger (Century Media)
With Buckcherry in split into two pieces vocalist Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie D have formed a new band called The Conflict and it seems as if Todd is doing stuff that he has maybe wanted to do for a while but that wouldn't fit in the mould of his former band. Only Push It is Buckcherry-like the rest of the album is a jukebox of genres with Erotic City taking the band into strange Pattonesque oddness, there's some rap metal riffs on Atomic which means Todd can spit meaningful lyrics with his sneering, scarred vocals, it's a trick repeated on the groove heavy antagonistic Fucked Up. The majority of this record is a lot heavier than anything Buckcherry produced with fat riffs throughout you are taken through more styles such as the incendiary title track kicks things off with two boots full of punk attitude and leather clad metal chest beating of BLS which leads into Inside driven by the head kicking riffage of Motörhead but with a big chorus hook. As always Todd's lyrics are reflective, political and personal, the pumping riffs keep the blood pressure up and fire burning hot with only the Southern stomp/clap of Rain and the continuing country vibe of Good Enough slowing it down. Year Of The Tiger sees a new side of Josh Todd's musical spectrum, far away from the sleazy hard rock of his past it's him trying something a bit nastier and louder and it works well. 8/10
Kee Of Hearts: Kee Of Hearts (Frontiers Records)
This obscurely titled record is yet another collaborative project from Frontiers. This time it's former Europe guitarist Kee Marcello and Fair Warning vocalist Fair Warning, they have brought in the two house musicians on bass and drums under the musical direction of Alessandro Del Vecchio who guides the project as producer. You get what you'd expect from this collaboration it's slick melodic rock with choruses that get your fist pumping (A New Dimension), Heart's vocals soar with a smooth croon he has the ideal AOR vocal singing of lost love on Crimson Dawn and Stranded. Obviously with Kee Marcello in the band it's going to be a bit guitar centric with Marcello doing the soloing and riffs he showed during his two album tenure in Europe. Kee Of Hearts is your typical Frontiers projectm, maybe the membership isn't as well known as some of their others but they have a solid slab of AOR that doesn't do anything out of ordinary but is perfectly listenable. 7/10
The Midways: Rorschach (Second Avenue Records)
Aussie band The Midways Louche rock n roll with pub rock back beat and a punk attitude. The music here is pretty standard fare the three piece bringing one-two drumming with easy head nodding riffs. My Way is this ad nauseum slow and lumbering over 3 minutes and it goes on like this with Black Sheep. Only the songs that inject a bit of pace such as Different Kind make your ears prick up. Id describe this as indie rock it's Oasis with Nirvana's grunge so if you're excited by that more power to you but the record does nothing for me I'm afraid. 5/10
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