Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews

Sevendust has released their ninth studio album this week entitled “Black Out The Sun”.  It’s hard to believe that the band is on album #9 already, but not surprising given the bands ever increasing popularity. This release seems to be timed perfectly as the first single “Decay” has spent the past four weeks hanging on to the #1 spot on Sirius XM’s Octane channel’s Big Un’s Chart.

One of the things I like about this release, is that much like the other Sevendust releases, there is a little something for everyone who likes music that ranges from hard rock to really hard rock to heavy metal. A good example of this is to listen to tracks 3 4 and 5 in a row. Track 3, “Til Death” is a heavy metal tune with some pretty heavy lyrics, then we mellow slightly with track 4 “Mountain” which I would describe as a good hard rock tune and then track #5 which is a mellower tune (if that can be said about Sevendust) with some more mainstream radio potential in “Cold As War”.

So which is the best tune on Black Out The Sun? For me this was not an easy choice because of the many styles, so it almost depends on my mood.  After the first few listens, my favorite so far slides in at track #8 in Dead Roses. There’s nothing fancy about this tune at all, it’s just the one I found myself repeating. I love the full powerful sound in this tune and the chance Lajon Witherspoon has to sing a bit more melodically than on a few of the other tunes, with one exception. There is a very unique and cool song entitled “Got A Feeling” that is a mellow acoustic guitar based tune that is absolutely incredible. This is no heavy metal tune, and in fact has an almost bluesy southern sound to it, but it is a great tune.

Photo by Davo

Sevendust is a fantastic live band and the new release of  “Black Out The Sun” gives the band some incredible material to continue their aggressive touring schedule. The band is out now with Lacuna Coil and Coal Chamber but has a huge touring schedule already posted for the summer. We last saw Sevendust as they rocked the ship literally aboard Shiprocked to an audience who watched in awe as this powerful live act mowed them over. We will look forward to seeing the guys in Columbus Ohio on Sunday May 19 as the band plays Rock on The Range. You can see the band’s entire schedule via their website at www.sevendust.com.

Black Out The Sun is a great release from the boys from Atlanta, GA and we give this album a hearty recommendation. If you have the chance to see the guys live as well, don’t miss it. They bring a power packed live performance and armed with these new tunes, it should be special.

The decision for us to grab a copy of Russ Dwarf’s new album “Wireless” was an easy one to make. We had the chance to see Russ play live acoustic sets of most of the tunes on two separate occasions a week before and the week of the album’s release and were simply blown away by the legendary singer’s acoustic versions of some great Killer Dwarfs classics.

Russ sat down with us and talked about the release, and everything else he’s been doing over the years. You can see that full interview at this link:

Lovers of acoustic rock and roll will find so much to love in “Wireless”. Let’s start with the fact that the years have not taken their toll on Russ’s voice and the guy can still belt out these classic Dwarf tunes and really make them sound great acoustically. This is no more evident than on the tunes that seem so appropriately titled from this veteran rocker “Keep The Spirit Alive” and “I’m Alive”.

Photo by Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews

My favorite tune on the release is easily the classic “Comin’ Through”. I am a very big fan rock and metal tunes done acoustically (when they’re done right) and this tune clearly was. As cool as it is on the CD, if you get the chance to see this one live, don’t miss it.

The album features 10 great tunes and they are all superb. Other tunes that jumped out at me were “Dirty Weapons” and “Doesn’t Matter”. With that said, there isn’t a bad tune on this release. In addition to some great guitar work from guitarist Kevin Reid who we had the pleasure of seeing perform these tunes with Russ live, there are some other big names that help out on this album. Glenn Drover from Megadeth and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal from Guns and Roses make appearances on the album with some great guitar work

If you are a fan of acoustic rock music, this one is a must own CD. I had to chuckle as one of the first things Russ said to me when we sat down was “I’m Still Alive”. I didn’t catch how relevant and meaningful that simple that comment was to this album until after I had seen the interview a week later. This was also true about a few other comments Russ made. He is a very funny guy, but you gotta pay attention, because he’s quick with the joke that has you laughing about it 10 minutes later once you realize how funny it was. The guy is as witty as they come. Well not only is Russ “Still Alive”, but musically her has created an amazing album with “Wireless”.

Photo by Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews

He played two incredible live sets aboard the Monsters of Rock Cruise and we also want to shout out to Russ for being a very “fan friendly artist”. It was amazing to see the variety of memorabilia that fans lined up with for Russ to sign. We took joy in watching his reaction and appreciation as fans revealed some really cool Dwarfs stuff for signatures.

The album “Wireless” is available now on Itunes, and in the category of acoustic rock albums is a MARR must own release. You can keep an eye on Russ at russdwarf.com. You can get a free download of “Dirty Weapons” on the site or keep up with him on his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/russdwarf

K-rock

We almost always go to shows early because we never want to miss the chance to se a band we have not seen before. Such was the case on February 16, 2013 when we were fortunate enough to catch “Falling Through April” for the first time ever at the House of Rock in White Marsh, Maryland. The band from Charlotte, North Carolina is tough to put a label on. There were some in our group watching that made an immediate comparison to Ten Years. I didn’t hear it at first, but lead singer Cory Wells definitely has a similar sounding voice to Jesse Hasek of Ten Years.

The band is sort of a combination of alternative/progressive rock, but with a slightly heavier edge to them at times. The music is characterized by a lot of melodic vocals and some strong harmonies, with some masterful guitar riffs. I find the lyrics to be interesting and a breath of fresh air from so many cliche lyrics that abound these days. Songs seem be trademarked by multiple tempo changes throughout that make for a really interesting almost occasionally progressive sound at times. So now that I have made that rather complicated attempt to describe the band that has many styles, let me simplify it all by saying that they are great band who has put together an extremely strong album in their release “Take Flight”.

The album really doesn’t have a weak track on it anywhere. The first tune “Enigma”, has a slightly heavier vibe to it and is vocally the best tune on the album (although all of them are very strong in this regard). It’s so hard to put a label on these guys. I hear influences from Ten Years, but then in a tune like “Pay The Price” you can almost feel a flashback to a band like The Cure or some of the classic alternative bands of the 90’s. Quite an interesting mixture? That’s precisely what makes it work.

Other strong tunes round out this full 10 song CD, and sitting down at track #8 is “Embrace The Day” which is a very cool 5 minute journey that is a great tune that sort of summarizes all of the bands styles mixed together in one tune. Certainly not to be left out is the lyrically very cool “We Are Not Alone”. This is a mellower tune and brings to mind the soulful style of music one would find in Counting Crows. Last and certainly not least is the slightly funky, slightly heavy “We Bring The Low” which is also a super cool track.

I know I have made a lot of comparisons to other bands in this review, which I do from time to time to try to paint a picture for the reader as to the style of music so one can determine if there is interest in the particular band. I really struggled on this one because there are so many different sounds within a single CD. In the end, maybe this is a band worthy of simply saying that you really do not want to overlook this cd. It’s a super cool album and one I suspect that if you will find yourself listening to over and over again.

Falling Through April put on a great live show and we look forward to seeing them live again as soon as we have the opportunity. Here is a video link to “We Bring The Low” that we shot at our very first “Falling Through April” show. We’ll be keeping an eye on this band’s tour schedule for sure.

K-rock

The Monsters of Rock Cruise is just around the corner, and for those of you worried about seasickness, let me share some advice from you from one of the most seasick prone people you will ever meet in your life. My caveat here is that I am not a doctor, don’t play one on t.v. and this advice is simply my suggestions based on my own personal experiences, and that you should consult your doctor before taking any medication.

Ok, so with that disclaimer out of the way, let me start with this. I tried the seasick patch that you wear behind your ear under the advice of a physician the first time I cruised. I am not saying that you should not use it, but for me personally, the side effects were not good. I actually had blurred vision for several days after the cruise and while on the ship as a side effect from this. I do know others who did not have the same problem.

I have settled on a number of other solutions. While these solutions don’t eliminate the seasickness for me, they definitely help make it tolerable so I can still enjoy the cruise.

First is Bonine. Bonine is an over the counter anti-nausea medication that has been VERY effective in reducing my symptoms. I find it to be much more effective than Dramamine. The one drawback is that it has the potential to make you drowsy, but it has never impeded my ability to function.

The next tip is Ginger, Ginger, Ginger. I take Ginger pills which you can buy at a vitamin store throughout the entire cruise and they ACTUALLY WORK better than anything else. I pop a few of the ginger pills every few hours. My stomach usually tells me when I am due for another dose. In addition to the ginger pills, some ginger ale can have a settling effect on the seasickness as well. The third way to get your ginger is to actually ingest ginger root itself. Now I have not tried this method personally, but a friend of our who was suffering on the last trip was offered some actual ginger root as a solution and found it to be effective. Where does one find real ginger on a ship? I have been told that most Sushi bars will have some and that it is possible to negotiate getting some there. Again, I have not tried this method.

The next bit of advice is to consider the elastic seasick prevention wrist bands. I know it seems like a strange idea, but let me tell you, I swear that these things really help me. How do I know? I first thought they were nonsense, but was feeling so bad on the first cruise I took that I was willing to try anything. Go figure…they actually seemed to work. Once I started to feel better I would take them off, and the seasickness returned. This has been true on every cruise I have been on. You can pick the wrist bands up at most drug stores.

Other tips:

Fresh Air is your friend. If you find yourself getting sick indoors, get outside whether on your balcony, or up on deck if you have an internal room. I highly recommend balcony rooms for the seasick prone, as it it much easier to get some fresh air at 4:00 a.m. by just stepping outside.

If you are on your balcony or on deck, try to focus on the horizon. It may seem like a bad idea at first, but it really does help.

Well, there you have it. K-rock’s unofficial survival guide for the seasick prone. I can honestly tell you that I am extremely prone to seasickness, but refuse to let it stop me from having the time of my life on rock cruises and I encourage all of you who are afraid to go for it and take the cruise. Believe me when I tell you, if I can handle it, most people probably can.

If you get on board and have not taken any of these precautions, ask the staff where the infirmary is. You can usually get some medication there and some more advice. The ship store will usually have Bonine, and the wrist bands although you’ll pay a premium price on board. So pack yourself a kit, and head on out to the high seas! I’ll see you on board!

K-rock