Glenn Hughes - The Arcada, St. Charles, IL 5/3/19

Glenn Hughes completely blew the doors off The Arcada with his Classic Deep Purple Live performance last fall.  He came back to do it again, and yes he did!  If there ever was a concert highlighting a vocal supremacy this was it!  Hughes is a former Deep Purple MK III bassist/vocalist.  Deep Purple is still around, but they don't do any MK III /IV material.  Hughes brings back the songs you wanted to hear live for a long time, and he does it with extreme perfection.

This is not just a show that is predictable, Hughes plays with the songs, he adds a lot of color and goes off on different angles.  It's a very spiritual experience to watch this man bring it alive.  There are plenty of breaks where Glenn went into overdrive and delivered an absolute vocal heaven.  He did not miss a note, but managed to add at least 10, 000 extra.

Opening with Stormbringer, he followed it with Might Just Take Your Life, and Sail Away.  And it just kept getting better and better.  Those songs are absolutely great live tracks and simply needed to be played and heard.  You Fool No One was presented in an extended form with plenty of room for jamming, just the way it was done back in the Purple days.  Hughes had a very reliable band, they took a lot of chances, and delivered the goods every single time.  You Keep On Moving was a great tribute to late Tommy Bolin, and one of the highlights of the show as well.  Biggest surprise was the inclusion of Holy Man which was not played last time around.  But due to an overwhelming amount of requests in Italy it found its way into the set.

Mistreated proved to be a center piece of the show, and it was a real treat.  Hughes went above and beyond to sing this one as if it was the last thing he was ever allowed to sing.  It was a very touching delivery, and the band was with him in every step of the way.  Some of the vocal notes made you shake in your own foundations.  It was absolutely glorious to witness.

Many may have question as to why is Glenn Hughes singing Smoke On The Water, and he truly does a great job with it.  But it's when he breaks into Ray Charles' Georgia On My Mind you see him move vocally into the stratosphere.  No words can describe it, you need to see it and feel it!  The show ends on high note with Burn.  It's a riff that can get anyone moving and grooving, Burn is a great song to start with or close with.  It never fails.

Glenn Hughes (once again) made history at The Arcada. Not sure how long more he will keep on doing this particular set, but it is definitely worth catching.  It is very likely you are witnessing the greatest singer alive.  Thumbs way up!!!!

Mark Kadzielawa

Aftermath / Wrath - Live Wire, Chicago 3/2/19 (Visual Review)

WRATH

AFTERMATH:

All photos taken at Live Wire, Chicago on March 2, 2019 by Mark Kadzielawa.

Master - Vindictive Miscreant (Transcending Obscurity)

Paul Speckmann is a metal warrior!  And he’s back with another Master album!  Vindictive Miscreant is exactly what Master fans come to expect from its creator.  This is some heavy classic death metal with a very distinctive sound.  It’s the Chicago sound Paul helped to invent back in the day.  Master’s influence all over the world in simply undeniable.  Speckmann could relax and rest, but he does not take the easy way out.  He is still releasing music, touring, and staying visible.  The album is very strong, full of heavy rhythms, and killer grooves.  Lyrically, Paul is still attacking civil unrest, injustices, and problems of society.

Many accuse Speckmann of not progressing, but he’s doing exactly what he should be doing.  Master has a very specific style, and it delivers every single time.  The tracks are well written and simply smoke!  One of my particular favorites is The Inner Strength of The Demon with its Sabbath influenced riffs, but there really isn't a song on this album that wouldn't give 100% Speckmann.  Much has to be said about guitarist, Zdenek Pradlovsky and drummer, Alex Nejezchleba who complete Master for many years now.  Both players completely understand the classic Master sound, and provide very solid back up for Paul.

Vindictive Miscreant is very much in your face heaviness, much like most of Master’s catalog.  Speckmann does not compromise and gives you an album as heavy as he would 30 years ago.  Paul's bass really drives the songs as you would expect it would.  The tracks work much like a complicated mathematical equations, there is a common denominator out there, just look for it.  Paul Speckmann may now be based in the Czech Republic but it’s pure Chicago coming out of the speakers!

Mark Kadzielawa

Carmine Appice - Guitar Zeus (Rocker Records)

Carmine Appice is a phenomenal drummer and a legendary performer.  This record sees him teaming up with some great guitar players and creating one great record!  The core of this project includes Appice, bassist Tony Franklin, and vocalist Kelly Keeling.  As each song was written, it required a special guitar player to take it to the next level.  I’m sure that trying to coordinates this with schedules, managements, and labels must’ve been a nightmare, but the end result is fantastic!

Guitar Zeus is a great rock record with an all-star line-up.  The songs are catchy and melodic, vary in feel and spirit, but perfectly suited to the individual players.  So, you’re wondering who is included here, right?  The tracks involve the following players:  Ron Thal, Richie Sambora, Steve Morse, Brian May, Slash, Neal Schon, Yngwie Malmsteen, Doug Pinnick, John Norum, Viviam Campbell, Mick Mars, Edgar Winter, Zakk Wylde, Ted Nugent, and others.  Now that’s an impressive list of players, and yes, you can get it all on one record!

Guitar Zeus is not a new release, it is a reissue record, but it combines two separate albums released back in 1995, and 1997.  And for the greater good it comes together here, and some bonus tracks are added as well.  But what really works here is the overall quality of the songwriting.  The songs are good and that’s makes a great difference.  I’m sure we can still remember big names being associated with projects that didn’t produce any quality material.  Not the case here.

Carmine Appice put together a great set of songs and brought some amazing players to execute them.  It all comes together here successfully.  If you missed these releases initially, here’s you chance to reconnect.  Guitar Zeus rocks hard, and delivers the goods!

Mark Kadzielawa

Wrath - Rage (Combat)

If you are familiar with Wrath's early records, you will be very surprised how mature this album is.  And if you are a new fan because of this album, a trip into the back catalog is more than required.  There is nothing accidental here, at least nothing appears to be at first.  Rage must've been very carefully planned, and even more perfectly executed.  It is also a record which reunites singer Gary Golwitzer with the band.  Golwitzer initially left back in 1988, and later resurfaced with Stygian.  The first two records with Golwitzer on vocals truly define what Wrath was always about.  His vocals always added a certain personality to the band.  Besides the singer, this incarnation of Wrath includes bass player, Gary Modica,  and guitarist Scott Nyquist; both long serving members.  Completing the band are two newer additions, guitarist Rob Noon, and drummer Jake Fromkin.  As a unit, Wrath works perfectly, this record is certainly a proof of that.

Wrath was always a heavy metal band that got progressively heavier with times.  It didn't always serve them well, and now, having gone the full circle, they are back doing what they do best.  The songwriting here shows a lot of experience.  The songs are catchy, heavy, full of twists and turns, and the vocals just soar above it all. 

The band sounds very tight, and the songs are well arranged making the music just flow.  There is an element of class in what Wrath is doing.  All the tracks on Rage give a solid punch, and their cover Motorhead’s Ace of Spades is just the icing on the cake, and a nice tribute to Lemmy.  Rage is just a solid dose of Chicago style metal that will leave you shaking for hours to come!  Welcome back!!!

Mark Kadzielawa

The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure (Radiant Records/Metal Blade)

Neal Morse (and the band) achieved something truly remarkable with Similitude of a Dream which was released back in 2016.  It was this writer’s choice for a progressive album of the year.  Now two years later, the group delivers a sequel in form of The Great Adventure.

At the moment of this writing I’m still trying to get to the matter of this record, but the excitement is there, and as soon as it’s over I want to press play again.  The same feeling immediately connects both albums, and the search continues.

The Great Adventure is a perfect title even from the musical standpoint; it does feel like it.  Lyrically of course there is a strong story behind that is conceptually worked out and well connected.  The message is very positive and reflecting Morse’s core beliefs. 

The outstanding musicianship guides this record, and allows the players to move in any direction at ease.  There are some great classic influences that come into play; deeply rooted in the 70’s and 80s classic prog or even rock.  But it’s the quality of the songwriting that shines here, as do the individual players.  Also, each member is singing on the album, and the combination of voices really opens up a lot of new possibilities.  Even though it’s Neal Morse’s name on the marquee, it really feels like a band.  And that’s something that is even more visible when seeing the group play live.

The Great Adventure is once again stretched onto two discs, and it’s nearly 100 minutes of music, but it doesn't feel like that at all.  It moves very quickly, and the themes are very melodic and memorable.  Every track here has its own place and function.  There are different vibes and the mood changes throughout the album making it a very exciting listen. 

The more you listen, the more you discover.  It’s a record certainly dedicated to a listener who likes to be challenged.  But the perfection is very obvious.  The Great Adventure is a sequel of epic proportions!

                                                                                                                                                                Mark Kadzielawa

Racing The Sun - Smokehouse (self-release)

Every now and then you find out your friends are not just music fans you see at the shows, but also musicians with a band.  Such is the case with Racing The Sun that includes not one but two guys I talk to and keep running into on regular basis.  And now I get to hear their music, and attempt to describe it for the world to to take notice.

Racing The Sun is a rock band with some unusual influences that fall outside of the typical box.  And that of course makes the music very interesting.  Their version of classic rock has some very cool traces of new wave.  The two bands that come to mind are Echo & The Bunnymen, and The Smiths.  And that is only in the instrumental sense, by no means Racing The Sun resembles either one of these groups vocally.  There is a traditional school of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Free, and Cream that is still the guiding light for this band.  

Smokehouse is the newest EP from the band.  The five tracks were written and recorded with a movie in mind, but they can certainly stand on their own as just another chapter.  According to the band members it is the strongest effort from the group.  The music has a good feel, and the songs just drive you forward.  Singer, Bill Carlson, is a very capable vocalist with a great sense of melody in his voice.  Guitarist, Don Berg, has a very interesting approach to his playing.  And it’s his guitar sound and licks that really add a lot of color to this band.  The rhythm section is very solid.  Drummer, Sargon Beblis, and the newly acquired bassist, Randy Kertz create a very powerful background for Berg and Carlson to shine.  

Tracks like Smokehouse or Till It Hertz are very catchy and instantly memorable, as are the other three songs upon further listening.  Specifically, Smokehouse, with its piercing bluesy harmonica really sets the tone as to what this group is all about.  While Racing The Sun will not revolutionize the rock music, what they do is very convincing, and stylish.  You can feel the passion in their songs.  And that’s the selling point for this writer.  This EP is very enjoyable, but what’s more appealing is the potential this group is displaying.

Mark Kadzielawa