e

This is a band that has brought the classic metal formula of yesteryear into the present day. With screaming guitar solos, a classic metal voice, and enough rhythm section bombast to sink the Titanic, this is a must for the classic metal fan. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, this band has received accolades from many of the U.K. newspapers and magazines, and is being heralded as the band to watch in 2006. Landing gigs with metal pioneers and legends like Saxon, Blitzkrieg, and Armored Saint has put the band in the forefront of the classic metal genre.

Their 5-song EP, "In Concert With The Mirror," has that sound that's timeless for the true metal fan. Yes, it sounds like it could have been released at the same time as Saxon's "The Power And The Glory" or Accept's "Balls To The Wall" records. And yes, it sounds like a leftover from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) that kicked the world's ass back in the 80's. But, as any genuine rivethead knows, those are the records that are still vital to this day. Attica Rage plays with that kind of spirit. Bare bones, t-shirt and jeans heavy metal is what they dish out. Songs like "Walk Away" and "Contradictions" have the gang vocals and the chugging guitar riff, which is all held up by thunderous double bass drum hammering and fat bottomed bass lines. Not to mention, this band has the most menacing looking, badass bassist anywhere on the planet. Known appropriately enough only as Colossus, his partner-in-crime on the drums is Richie Rage. They also have a guitarist that goes by the name of Changer, and rounding out the quartet is guitarist/singer Jonny Parr.

The band is scheduled to play all sorts of large gigs and festivals over on the U.K. side of the world as they prepare to release their first full-length album, tentatively titled "Reactivated," in late summer of this year. My thought is, that with the unleashing of this new disc, Attica Rage just might be the four horsemen that end up pulling a cart we'll be labeling "SWOBHM" - Second Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

Attica Rage : www.myspace.com/atticarage
Official website: www.atticarage.com

What if you could have Richie Sambora, Joe Lynn Turner, Howard Leese (ex-Heart), Kelly Hansen, Glenn Hughes, Bobby Kimball, Carmine Appice, and Steve Priest (ex-Sweet) all on one record? It would be a wonderful thing, right? Well, Black Star Records' Heaven & Earth has arrived. And you know what? The above list just scratches the surface of excellence here. I could throw out more names like Paul Shortino (ex-Rough Cutt), Chuck Wright (ex-Quiet Riot), and brutal blues guitarist Al Mirikitani (Buddaheads), but I'm afraid you might think that it's too good to be true.

Guitarist extraordinaire Stuart Smith put this top notch lineup together and created a 16 track monster that stalks your musical senses with a storm of blues rock fury. All of these songs are aggressive, wonderfully written, guitar driven songs with deep roots in the blues rock style. Stuart Smith is a student of the great Ritchie Blackmore, and let me tell you, he paid attention in class. This guy smokes on these tunes. From his perfect rendition of Gary Moore's "Still Got The Blues" to the band's explosive original "Life On The Line," Smith is impressive throughout. You can also hear the usually clean and mellow Toto vocalist Bobby Kimball get down and dirty with his bad self on the latter tune. With keyboardist Arland Schierbaum attacking the Hammond on the song as well, "Life On The Line" alone is worth the price of admission.

I could go on and on and tell you about songs like "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," where you can hear the incomparable Glenn Hughes light up the mic, or tell you about the cover of Deep Purple's "When A Blind Man Cries" that highlights Richie Sambora's vocal abilities as well as his guitar prowess, but again, you might think that it's too good to be true. Believe me, this band really does exist, and you can find them on MySpace too. I do think the band should change their name though. I think Heaven On Earth is a more accurate description of what this band delivers.

Heaven & Earth: www.myspace.com/heavenandearthband
Official website: www.heavenandearthband.com

Thanks Guce. You guys have put a beating heart back in the unconscious body of the ska / funk genre. No Doubt was trying to do it, but they got a little too wrapped up in rock and r&b. This band is staying true to the ska sound and attitude. The blaring horn section, the chanting gang vocals, the tongue-in-cheek humor - it's all a part of the band's debut disc, "This Is Guce," and it's all so nice to hear again.

When I threw the disc in and the "Party On Capitol Hill" horns came screaming out of my speakers, I immediately thought of Fishbone. More specifically, I thought of "Party At Ground Zero" from Fishbone, and let me tell you, it was great to hear a band that had an appreciation for the style. "The R. Kelly Prison Song" and "Butterface" follow with the same perfect spirit and precision. As the disc progresses we hear the band rarely shy away from the style, too. We get the perfect example of who this band is with the final song on the disc, a song entitled "I Think We Oughta Funk Other People." Great melody combines with sometimes bizarre and quirky lyric play, while the entire band takes turns grabbing the spotlight with solo interludes. They have a lot of fun with their talent here, and it all sounds very natural for them. There are a few instances where the band commits to a more contemporary Jazz Rock sound on the disc, and that works wonderfully well for them also.

While many similarities can be drawn between contemporaries like Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish, Guce has also managed to stay a separate entity by incorporating complex guitar, horn, and drum soloing into the mix of melodic lyrical cheekiness. When this 10-piece outfit gets the keys, and the horns, and their two female backup singers (known as "The Lovely Ladies") going they are one of the hottest acts of their kind.

Guce: www.myspace.com/guce
Official website: www.guce.net