Airbourne - No Guts. No Glory. CD

No Guts. No Glory. songs A devastating head-on collision between American and British rock influences -- a true supergroup that delivers a titanic rock experience greater than the sum of its supremely talented parts. The brainchild of producer Kevin Shirley, the band combines the rock lineage and forces of legendary frontman and bass guitarist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze), master blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, powerhouse drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper). Named after the industrial area in Britain where both Hughes and Bonham were born and raised, Recording information: Germano Studios, NY; Shangri-La Studios, Mailbu, CA; The Cave, Malibu, CA. Editor: Brett Diaz. Illustrator: Dennis Friel. Photographers: Christie Goodwin; Marty Temme; Rick Gould; Chris Callaway. Supergroup fever: catch it! 2009 was an especially kind year for these ego-busting entities, spawning Them Crooked Vultures (Josh Homme, John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl) and Chickenfoot (Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Chad Smith) in the hard rock category alone. So it was no surprise when 2010 brought us Black Country Communion (courtesy of mega-producer and matchmaker to the stars, Kevin Shirley), which blended the legendary talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Not surprisingly, the quartet's eponymous debut album was generally drooled over upon delivery, but for once, the media hype was largely justified by the music, which successfully set out to modernize the vintage Deep Purple template on the strength of former Mark III member Hughes' signature power-soul voice and the necessary Hammond organ sound replicated here by Sherinian. OK, so listeners who were unaware of bluesman Bonamassa's longtime affinity for `70s rock dinosaurs of Purple's ilk (look up his debut album for a devastating cover of Jethro Tull's "A New Day Yesterday") couldn't have known how well suited he too was to the task at hand; but it goes without saying that Bonham's unimpeachable classic rock DNA would provide a perfect foundation for all this. So with all of the ingredients set, the only thing that could possibly derail this coal-burning iron horse of a band was that all-too-common supergroup affliction: no songs -- never mind enough chemistry -- for the whole to equal the sum of its parts. But Black Country Communion actually delivers the goods for much of this album, including the infectious one-two punch of "Black Country" (a threat) and "One Last Soul" (a promise), the believably desperate "Down Again" (featuring a hair-raising vocal from Hughes), and the best of many epics, "Song of Yesterday," which contrasts a soft instrumental touch against Led Zeppelin-sized bombast. Elsewhere, a cover of Trapeze's "Medusa" brings it all back to the beginning for Hughes; the overcast mid-section of "The Revolution in Me" gives Sherinian some room to roam; and Bonamassa's solos show equal doses of tasteful restraint ("The Great Divide") and boastful abandon ("Beggerman") throughout, leaving just a few songs lost in the shuffle (even though the out-of-sorts, AC/DC-gone-Sunset Strip of "Sista Jane" is impossible to ignore). In short, to the relief of fans of all four participants, Black Country Communion's debut takes the dread out of the supergroup equation, at least until 2011 mints the next strain of virulent celebrity get-togethers, once again testing the wisdom behind this recurring phenomenon. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia Personnel: Joe Bonamassa (vocals, guitar); Patrick D'Arcy (whistle, Uilleann pipe); Derek Sherinian (keyboards); Jason Bonham (drums). Audio Mixer: Kevin Shirley.

No Guts. No Glory. buy CD music Ozzy Osbourne's tenth studio album was originally called Soul Sucka before fans shut the working title down. The resulting Scream may not win any awards for brain cell power as far as titles go, but the 11 tracks contained within find the Prince of Darkness in fine form. People who only know the metal legend from watching him mumble and baby step around his house in sunglasses and a track suit on reality television can hardly be blamed for steering away from his music, but it only takes one chorus of opener "Let It Die" to suggest otherwise. Like 1980's Blizzard of Ozz (Randy Rhoads), 1983's Bark at the Moon (Jake E. Lee), and 1988's No Rest for the Wicked (Zakk Wylde), Scream features a changing of the guard. Enter Greek power metal guitarist Gus G., a progressive, tech-heavy shredder who can pound out drop-D, Lamb of God-inspired doom riffs ("Latimer's Mercy") on one hand while paying respects to Rhoads' peerless "Diary of a Madman" intro on the other ("Diggin' Me Down"). His enthusiasm for the material acts like a charging dock for Osbourne, who co-wrote the record with producer Kevin Churko, and while Scream suffers from the same "a handful of songs are great and the rest are OK" curse that has plagued everything since 1981's Diary of a Madman, the songs that are great are indeed great. Ozzy Osbourne may be more product than man these days, but for every uncomfortable TV commercial there's a "Time" or a "Let Me Hear You Scream" to help remind people that the man behind the machine still has at least one hand on the wheel. ~ James Christopher Monger 2010 album from the veteran Rock vocalist, his first album in three years and his 10th studio album overall. Kevin Churko who produced Ozzy's 2007 worldwide million-seller album, Black Rain, is teaming up with Ozzy again to produce Scream. Notably, the album marks the first appearance of Ozzy's new guitar player, Gus G. The band also features bassist Blasko, drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman. Includes the first single, "Let Me Hear You Scream". Recording information: The Bunker, Los Angeles, CA; The Hideout, Las Vegas, NV. Photographer: Jennifer Tzar. Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Gus G. (guitar); Adam Wakeman (keyboards); Tommy Clufetos (drums). Audio Mixer: Kevin Churko.

No Guts. No Glory. album for sale The last time there was a new studio album from German headbangers Accept, it was 1996, and heavy metal was quite possibly at an all-time low -- completely ignored by MTV (Headbanger's Ball was off the air), and forget about radio. But the album in question, Predator, did include longtime members Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffman, and bassist Peter Baltes. Fast forward ten years, and vintage metal was in a much healthier and happier state, with bands from the '80s experiencing an undeniable resurgence in popularity. So what better time for Accept to dust off their Flying V's and rock once more? Only one catch -- Udo declined the reunion this time around. Undeterred, Hoffman and Baltes decided to soldier on, re-enlisting former Accept guitarist Herman Frank (who left the group in 1984), drummer Stefan Schwarzmann, and former T.T. Quick singer Mark Tornillo. The "new look Accept" issued their first studio album in 14 years in 2010, Blood of the Nations, and musically, the group has created an album that certainly measures up well to their early- and mid-'80s glory days. Vocally, hearing anyone besides Udo in Accept will take some time to get used to -- especially for long-time fans -- but hang in there, and you'll discover that Tornillo is certainly a worthy replacement. "Tough and heavy" is a straight-to-the-point description of such tunes as the ass-kicking album-opener "Beat the Bastards," as well as "Teutonic Terror" and the heavy duty title track. Producer Andy Sneap (known for working with the heaviest of heavy metal bands) successfully brings Accept sonically back to the metallic roar of their glory days throughout Blood of the Nations, resulting in an impressive return of Germany's second best-known heavy metal export of all time. ~ Greg Prato Lyricists: Mark Tornillo; Peter Baltes; Wolf Hoffmann . Personnel: Mark Tornillo (vocals); Herman Frank, Wolf Hoffmann (guitar); Stefan Schwarzmann (drums). Audio Mixer: Andy Sneap. Photographer: Wolf Hoffmann .

No Guts. No Glory. CD music Airbourne: Joel O'Keeffe (vocals, guitar); David Roads (guitar, background vocals); Justin Street (bass guitar, background vocals); Ryan O'Keeffe (drums).

No Guts. No Glory. buy CD music Ratt's first album in 11 years and their seventh overall (1997's Collage is a generally disowned odds-and-sods affair), 2010's Infestation turned the page on a decade-long nightmare for the `80s glam metal legends; a decade that was rife with personal and legal strife culminating in competing touring entities led by different estranged bandmembers and, most tragic of all, the death of founding guitarist Robbin Crosby in 2002. But just when most fans and detractors alike had given the band up as a hopeless cause, original members Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, and Bobby Blotzer managed to bury their hatchets long enough to recruit former Quiet Riot stalwart Carlos Cavazo, call on sometime bassist Robbie Craine, and sign a new deal with heavy metal HQ Roadrunner Records. The resulting Infestation was then conceived with every intention of traveling back in time -- all the way to 1985's Invasion of Your Privacy, to be precise -- for the sounds and songwriting inspiration guiding standout tracks like "Eat Me Up Alive," "Best of Me," and "Lost Weekend," which find guitarists DeMartini and Cavazo peeling off crisp, echoing staccato riffs and flashy lead runs as though grunge had never happened. These six-string histrionics buttress those often irresistible gang choruses, so typical of Ratt's platinum-coated heyday, and also crucial to supporting/masking lead singer Stephen Pearcy's well-known limitations. Although, to be fair, vocal acrobatics were rarely a top priority for a generation weaned on David Lee Roth-era Van Halen, whose legacy obviously towers over much of Ratt's work, and certainly unapologetic new odes to excess like "A Little Too Much," "Last Call," and the slow grinding "As Good as it Gets." That's not to say that the familiar formulas reprised here don't grow tiresome after a while, yielding some late album filler material like the mindless drivel of "Take a Big Bite" and lone ballad "Take Me Home," which once again confirms Ratt's career-long ineptitude with the form (a badge of honor, some might say, since Ratt succeeded without ballads while the vast majority of their peers absolutely depended on them for success). In the end, though, even these deficiencies contribute the authentic feel achieved by Infestation: its songs may not radiate enough magic by 2010's musical standards, but could very well have been arena-packing hits in another era; and so the album exceeds expectations on many levels, not least by sounding and feeling like the first legitimate Ratt album since the distant '80s. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia Recording information: Studio Barbarosa, Bavon, VA. Personnel: Warren DeMartini, Carlos Cavazo (vocals, guitar); Stephen Pearcy (vocals); Bobby Blotzer (drums). Audio Mixers: Dave Holdredge; Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

No Guts. No Glory. songs This is Armored Saint's first album in a decade, but it doesn't sound that way. The L.A.-based hard rock/metal quintet, whose lineup has remained remarkably consistent since 1982, have written ten songs that hold their own with the best from their five previous albums. They're not trying to out-heavy younger bands; they're doing what they've always done, but they're also willing to acknowledge their age and the knowledge and awareness time has brought them. The bluesy guitar solo on the lyrically mature "Chilled" picks up where their cover of Robin Trower's "Day of the Eagle," on the demos-and-leftovers compilation Nod to the Old School, left off. There's also a tinge of Latin music, acknowledging the background of the Sandoval brothers, who play guitar and drums in the group -- from the "Low Rider"-like cowbell that opens the album, to the percussion and almost Santana-esque bassline of the stretched-out, near-seven-minute title track. On that song as well as "Bandit Country," the guitar solos are heavily psychedelic in a way that's reminiscent of Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro. There are some retro touches here and there on La Raza, including Mellotron on "Head On" and a female chorus on the title track, but this is, for the most part, a somewhat classicist metal record. There are no concessions made to listeners who don't like cranked guitars, thundering drums, and raw-throated, soulful vocals. The one thing this album does best is make the case that John Bush should never have wasted his time fronting Anthrax when he could have been making killer metal with his first -- and vastly superior -- band. ~ Phil Freeman Lyricist: John Bush . Personnel: John Bush (vocals); Joey Vera (guitar, background vocals); Jeff Duncan, Phil Sandoval (guitar); Gonzo Sandoval (drums, percussion); Jon Saxon (percussion). Audio Mixers: Joey Vera; Bryan Carlstrom. Recording information: Tranzformer Studios, Burbank, CA. Photographer: Stephanie Cabral.