Queensryche are back! Dedicated to Chaos is a deep album, a rich listening experience. It is not a metal album, and riffs are not the core -- but that doesn't mean it is lacking. It will excite fans just like Promised Land excited them 17 long years ago.

If you are expecting a Dream Theater album, then skip Dedicated To Chaos. Queensryche are not, and never have been Dream Theater. In fact, as Geoff Tate said in a recent interview, "I don't like Dream Theater, for example. I don't get that band at all and I've listened to a lot of their stuff. It's just not something that connects with me at all musically, but I appreciate the fact that they're really into it and there are a lot of people that like what they do and that's cool." So there you go. Queensryche fans, real Queensryche fans that are eager to see what twists and turns they will reveal this time, will love Dedicated To Chaos.

Is it progressive rock? Who cares. It is good, it is deep, and it will reveal more and more as you listen to it. What is progressive rock anyway? Is it Dream Theater? Marillion? Gentle Giant? Spock's Beard? Jethro Tull? I hope you get my meaning here. Queensryche have never considered themselves "progressive".

At one point around Mindcrime, I certainly considered Queensryche to be one of my favourite bands. As great as Mindcrime was and is, Rage For Order was a life-changer for me. So was Promised Land in the 90's. As far as I was concerned Queensryche could do no wrong! But man...Hear In The Now Frontier...Tribe...Take Cover...those albums sucked. I hated those albums so much that I never even bought American Soldier. (But, I did like Q2K quite a bit.)

So here we are with Dedicated To Chaos, a rebirth of sorts, and easily my favourite album since Promised Land. Gone is Mike Stone on guitar, and in are new directions. Kind of like Rage was experimental for the Queensryche in the 80's, Chaos is experimental for Queensryche in the now. The guitar patterns are more drony than riffy. There are electronic effects, but tastefully done. There is a huge emphasis on rhythm, but not necessarily groove. A lot of these songs swing as much as they groove. Much like Promised Land and Rage, there are unfamiliar sounds coming from everywhere. Some are percussive, others are more musical, but this is another true headphones album from Queensryche.

My biggest complaint with Queensryche of late has been Geoff Tate's voice. It seems to have lost so much range and power over the years to the point where I can barely listen to Take Cover at all. The voice isn't getting any better, that's not how the aging process works, but the material on this album is more suited to Tate's singing now. His voice is also recorded much better than Take Cover. He's using more voices too. This is done particularly well on "Got It Bad".

I'm quite liking this record at the moment. Melodies are strong, such as "Around The World" which also has a nice positive message. You'll hear more of Tate's sax on "Higher" which is a really cool modern sounding song with just a pinch of funk, yet with dual guitar solos. Scott Rockenfield somehow navigates this albums's field of sound with a steady hand behind the drums. Lyrically, we're all over the map. "Retail Therapy" is just pissed off at the world. "Around The World" has a kum-bay-a peace and love message, so we're all over the map. We've even got some civil disobedience and the hint of a conspiracy theory in "At The Edge": "Time to look at what's behind closed doors, Got gasoline, ammunition, like 911, a controlled demolition." It also happens to be one of the best and longest songs on the album.

This has too much depth to discuss in just a simple review, so I'm going to leave it at that. Get the version with the bonus tracks. Most are mellow and atmospheric, but they're worth having.

If you like albums such as Promised Land, Empire, or Rage For Order then this is the Queensryche album that you have very patiently been waiting for. If you only like Warning and Mindcrime, then avoid this album!

Good album. Good comeback. 4 stars. Headphones are a plus!

Holy crap on a cracker. This is the best album that Deep Purple has never made!

Nine whole months since their incredible debut, Black Country Communion have returned with a second album, simply titled 2, that in fact may even surpass the lofty heights of the original. Hard to believe, considering that this "super group" do have other projects on the go. In every way that a second album should surpass the first, BCC2 delivers.

In my humble opinion, the guy who really shines this time is keyboardist Derek Sherinian. I swear to God there were times that it sounds as if Jon Lord himself was playing the organ. But it's not just the Derek show. Jason Bonham's mindblowing drumming will hit you right in the ribs while giving you an Excedrin headache. And Bonamassa, holy smokes, sounds like Blackmore at times, especially when he and Sherinian go into these fast unison runs.

Not to be outdone, of course, are the soulful voices of Bonamassa and Hughes. If you already know what these guys sound like, then you won't be disappointed. Neither are sitting back on their laurels, they are both singing as hard and soulful as ever.

I need to give the album a couple more listens before I want to start talking about the songs on an individual basis. Rest assured however that the songs here are just as good as those on the debut.

Amazing record. Album of the year? Possibly.

5 stars.

Holy crap on a cracker. Alright, so I already dug Watchmen. I'm not too much into modern movies usually, especially ones with a lot of CG, but Watchmen really got me. It was 50% the comic and 50% the style of the movie. So obviously I wanted to see what Snyder would do next and then came Sucker Punch, this time an original story.

Holy crap, I say again! I thought it was going to be all visuals with no worthwhile story. But I was happily wrong on that one. Yes, Sucker Punch is at least 50% there to punch you in the eyeballs and titilate your every dream. Which actually kind of works into the theme of the story. But there's a cool quest storyline as well as some character backstory stuff that all ties together. I mean, this director's cut is 128 minutes long. There's plenty of room there for action, but when it goes back to story, it's just as interesting. In fact, as much as I enjoy the visuals of the action scenes (I'm a total sucker for steampunk) I felt the movie was at its best when concentrating on our five heroines.

One of the biggest criticisms of this movie is the whole exploitation angle. Well, I think any of the five characters in this movie would happily kick your tail for that. Is there an excessive amount of skin? I have to say slightly. But only slightly, because it while it is unnecessary to the plot, it is not excessive. Hell, the movie is so tame that it even silenced an "f" bomb in the dialogue. What movie does that these days?

I also loved the fact that this is a movie with five heroines, kicking butt and taking names. Sure, Scott Glen is there as a guiding figure. But he's more of an Obi-Wan Kenobi, he's not involved in the kicking of butts nor the taking of names. I can't think of any other recent action movies with five heroines and no male heroes.

My biggest beef with this movie is how it feels like a video game when it reverts to the action scenes. From the music to the slow mo to the choreography, it feels way too much like a video game during these scenes. I mean, the train scene...I played a game like that once. Not to mention there's this gamey quest aspect to the story. However before too long it quickly reverts back to another level of reality -- not startlingly so -- and then we're back in a place slightly more rooted in the real world.

But not entirely. The movie feels very much like a painting, whether one of oil or pixels. Every shot seems meticulously composed. Every movement and expression, pre-planned. This isn't a bad thing. It's one thing I liked about Watchmen. And I sure liked Watchmen.

The soundtrack is, once again, brilliant. I dig the fact that we're listening to Bjork in the 1960's. And why the hell not? Another highlight is a modern remake of "White Rabbit". These songs play into the storyline, and recur at key moments like theme songs for each scene. I even liked the Queen medley rap thingy.

I've read reviews of this movie that compared it to Brazil. That's pushing it. They both have lobotomies in them and intense fantasy sequences. But Sucker Punch is not bad. The acting is fine. I mean, Jena Malone's an established actress by now. I don't know anything about the other actresses, except I remember seeing Lemony Snicketts and thinking that girl was really talented. Well that girl plays the lead role of Babydoll here.

By the way, there were no Nazis in this movie...there were no Nazis during WWI, where the scene in question took place. Do kids not know history anymore?

I really liked Sucker Punch, flaws and all. If you think you would too, go for it. I think it's a fun ride that won't rot your brain at the same time.

4 stars.

Although they're a bit more expensive than regular cheap CD-Rs, Lightscribe discs will enable you to burn images and text directly onto the top of a blank disc. Just make sure you have a lightscribe burner. Just flip the disc, and find some software to design the cover art. Nero has some software built into it, versatile yet complex and difficult to master. There are also some free ones available from Lightscribe's website that will allow you to print two fields of text and an image. You can create a nice looking picture disc with the title on it. Or, if you have something more versatile, you can print track lists and other details on your discs.

My old burner, which wasn't that old, it was less than two years, couldn't even burn music onto one of these Lightscribe discs. I don't know why but the results were always staticky and noisy. My new burner will burn music on here that any of my home CD players can play.

Although they're expensive I love the results you get with these CDs. My new addiction.

It's no wonder this band came and went, with Lucas Rossi now toiling in obscurity again. Even Jason Newstead didn't want to tour with this band. (Why would he, when he can continue to work with a real band like VoiVod?) Tommy Lee and Gilby Clarke have stated that they wanted to have two singers, Rossi and Dilana, but the TV execs wouldn't allow it. That shows you how much integrity is contained herein. Even the name of this band sucks.

Nobody remembers that producer Butch Walker was once in a decent band called SouthGang which later morphed into Marvelous3. Here, he's created a faceless, generic, dull sounding record with all the modern bells and whistles that scream "ProTools". The drums barely sound like Tommy Lee, the band has no identity. There is not one bonafide great song on this CD. There are a couple decent moments on some of the rockers such as "It's On!", but this is 40 minutes you won't get back.

If you buy this, you are simply supporting the same-old-same-old, plastic, processed, fake, and commercial music that has been rammed down our throats since the advent of reality TV. Really, this just gives rock a band name, because people see this and think it's actually rock music. It's not. This is prefab music designed to generate hype and sales. Thankfully people saw through it and the sales tanked (except in Canada where Rossi is from).

I've never been this harsh in a review before. Don't spend a penny on this music. If you like these musicians and you want to hear them do something cool and different that you probably haven't already heard on the radio, pick up the following:

Gilby Clarke -- Pawnshop Guitars from 1994
Tommy Lee -- Motley Crue's self-titled 1994 release with John Corabi on vocals.
Jason Newstead -- VoiVod's self-titled release from 2003

If you support Rock Star Supernova, you just twisted the knife a little bit deeper into the back of rock and roll.

No stars, just one big stinky piece of cheese.

You gotta give 'em credit for trying. 3 singers since Steve Perry and Journey still refuse to patch it up or pack it in. Arnel Pineda is still the singer, back here for his second Journey album, and now contributing songwriting to the mix.

Otherwise, Eclipse (stylized as ECL1PS3 on the cover art) is heavily dominated by Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, and you can tell that this is Neal's album. Upon playing Eclipse, you will be inundated by colossal Schon riff after colossal Schon riff. This is backed by some dramatic synth by Cain. This is a much heavier Journey album than any in recent memory. It's a good mix and producer Kevin Shirley captured it. I've usually been skeptical when Journey puts out a new album and says, "This is us being heavier." Stuff like the Red 5 EP...they were just underwhelming and were missing the soul of Journey.

I would argue that the soul of Journey belongs to Steve Perry, but Arnel Pineda turns in a stunning performance this time. Not that he didn't last time, but this time it sounds less like he's trying to be Steve Perry. This time it sounds like he's more himself, and it's better that way. Incredible set of pipes on this man by the way.

Also, I need to remind myself that Journey did three albums before Steve Perry joined the band and have their roots in more instrumental progressive rock. And some of the guitar passages on this album sound a little like stuff from those first three album. It's fleeting but it's there.

Current fave: "Edge of the Moment".
Most Journey-esque: "City Of Hope". (It even calls out an older Journey song called "Message Of Love".)

Meanwhile, the fine "She's A Mystery" (co-written by Pineda) is a great little epic acoustic/electric song with some sweet Schon overtones that sound like gulls flying overhead. It captures the vibe of the more atmospheric material on Trial By Fire that I like so much.

Japanese bonus track is a live cut of "Don't Stop Believin'", recorded live (In Manilla, I thought I read somewhere). This is obviously due to Glee, the cancer of TV shows. However, I ponied up for the more expensive Japanese version. It's a good version no doubt, and the first live recording to feature Arnel Pineda to be released on a CD. (Japanese CD also comes in an extra wide case with lenticular cover insert.)

I have to live with Eclipse a little longer to see how it grows or doesn't grow on me. That's the thing about Journey albums of late. Your brain says "this is a good song, it has a melody I like," but a day later you can't remember how the song went. The last album that did that for me was Trial By Fire, an underrated masterpiece was that Steve Perry's swan song. I don't know yet if Eclipse is going to stick with me. Stay tuned...

4 stars for now.

Two things that you need to be aware of before you purchase this comp:
1. If you're a Maiden die-hard, this collection is not for you. This, much like Somewhere Back In Time, is for new fans only. (Although a bone was thrown to us die-hards, more on that later.)
2. While Maiden's fortunes in North America sank in 1988 with the release of Seventh Son, they were never bigger in Europe where all the subsequent albums were hits. Maiden being a global band, there are a lot of great songs here that North American audiences may consider to be duds.

This is a great collection. As a die-hard, the reason I bought it was to complete the collection, and of course the great cover art. The cover pays homage to Maiden album and single covers of the past 20 years. The only one I didn't see represented in some way was The X Factor but see if you can spot a clue.

This collection is a joy to listen to from start to finish. I won't go over the details with a fine-toothed comb, but there are plenty of fan favourites here: "Passchendale", "Benjamin Breeg", "The Clansman"...and these are not short songs, folks! Of course there were the hits, all big in Europe: "Bring Your Daughter", "Wicker Man", "Different World", "Man On The Edge", "Afraid To Shoot Strangers", "Tailgunner". There are also a slew of personal favourites such as "Be Quick or Be Dead", "For The Greater Good of God", and "Where The Wild Wind Blows". Really it is very hard to find fault with this collection, or the running order.

In fact my only beef is the lack of inclusion of the ballad "Wasting Love" which I still have a soft spot for. Also I was surprised that "From Here To Eternity" is not on here, not a personal favourite song, but it did lend its title to this album!

Finally, one touch that I enjoyed was substituting the Blaze Bayley era songs for live versions with Bruce singing. After all, Maiden are out there touring now, and new fans don't need to be confused by a different singer. This means that you'll get the live version of "Sign of The Cross" from the Rock In Rio album. But what's really cool is that the live "Man On The Edge" was only released as a B-side to "The Wicker Man" single, so this is its first album release. A little extra bonus for the Maiden die-hard who may have missed that single a decade or so ago.

I strongly recommend this collection to new Maiden fans, as there is really not a bad song in the bunch, and it's a great listen from front to back. For die-hards, you already have (most of) these songs, so if you feel like picking it up for the cover art like I did, it's still an enjoyable listen.

4 stars.

This album is a mess, a smokey muddy mess of an album that served only to confuse and dissapoint those who were enthralled with Shout at the Devil. The Crue, now wearing ridiculous striped (stryped?) "jester" suits had dropped the chromium metallic sheen of Shout, and replaced it with this jumble of misplaced songs. Theatre of Pain was one of the most anticipated albums of the 80's, and one of the most colossal disappointments. Yes, "Smokin' In The Boys Room" is a fun jokey novelty, but it is also vastly inferior to the Brownsville Station original. "Home Sweet Home", billed by the band as their "Dream On" is anything but. How it still manages to have legs all these years later I do not understand. It is a cliche-ridden proto-ballad, the type of thing that every L.A. band has done at least once. And usually, better.

There is precious little OTT metal on this album, the terrible "Use It or Lose It" being the only foot on the gas pedal, but itself also being nothing more than a grade D song worthy only of album outtakes. There is absolutely nothing on this album that would have made the cut on the great Shout at the Devil. Even a track like "Louder Than Hell" was demoed for Shout and dropped; the band obviously lowered their standards. There is your warning sign.

The mix is muddy, an alcoholidaze of robotic drumming and uninspired vocals surrounded by quaaludes and coke. If a major band released this today as the followup to a beloved classic, it would be a career ender. Not so with the Crue, as the 80's were much kinder.

Bonus tracks are laughable. Did we really need three versions of "Home Sweet Home"? The vaults must be a lonely place indeed. Tommy's drug-induced sleepy "drum piece" is worthy only of the skip button.

No standout songs, terrible mix, terrible performances aside from a couple Mick Mars solos that rise above. If you simply must have the singles from this album, pick up Red, White & Crue.

One measly star. And that is being generous.

Here's Uncle Sampson with a dose of reality: This DVD sucks. Truly. It sucks. The New Tattoo album wasn't great to start with, but this is awful. The awfulness can be boiled down to one factor: Vince Neil, the laziest singer in rock. Here, a breathless Neil does his thing: lets the crowd sing half the song, skips every other word, and weasels his way out of the tough notes.

So embarassing is Vince Neil's performance on this DVD that I have only managed to watch it twice.

The main reason to own this DVD is "Nobody Knows What It's Like To Be Lonely", an audio-only track, and the first ever official release of one of the earliest Motley songs. This track was recorded back in the old days, around the time of "Toast Of The Town", and has yet to see a CD release. This makes this package worth owning.

Another good reason to own it is Samantha Maloney. Diehard Crue-heads will remember that drummer Randy Castillo had replaced Tommy Lee, but himself had to sit out the tour due to the cancer that eventually killed him. Ex-Hole drummer Samantha Maloney, the first and only girl to be in The Crue, took his place and did admirably well. I'd like to think that if Motley Crue did not reunite with the original lineup that Maloney would have been a great replacement for Tommy Lee.

Set-list wise, this relies heavily on the Motley hits with very little deviation. Which is good, can Vince even remember the lyrics to obscure tunes?

2 stars.

One listen to Just Say Ozzy, the 1990 stopgap live EP that Ozzy issued while writing the next album, will reveal a lot of studio trickerY. Indeed, if one focuses on the crowd noise you can hear edits everywhere. Billboard magazine revealed that the music for this album was re-recorded in the studio with audience noise overdubbed.

Having said that, if this kind of trickery doesn't bother you (and if you own Kiss Alive or Frampton Comes Alive then it shouldn't) then this is a great EP. Ozzy's second live EP of three so far, Just Say Ozzy's 6 songs feature the only recordings of the legendary Osbourne/Wylde/Butler/Castillo lineup. They were touring for No Rest For The Wicked at the time, a very underrated album, and Geezer Butler left Sabbath-bound before No More Tears was to begin recording.

Since this EP was from the NRFTW tour, three of its heaviest songs were showcased: the single "Miracle Man", "Tattooed Dancer", and "Bloodbath in Paradise". No ballads.

From The Ultimate Sin comes "Shot In The Dark", apparently Ozzy's "preferred version" according to the liner notes. Then a deuce of Sabbath: A smokin' "Sweet Leaf" and probably the best live version of "War Pigs" that I have ever heard.

Yes folks, this Zakk-infused version of "War Pigs" is, in this humble punter's opinion, the best live version ever released. Zakk's guitar digs deep into the guts and pulls them out piece by piece. It's just monstrous, plus with Geez on bass how can you go wrong? Randy Castillo was a very underrated drummer as well.

This EP has been out of print for a long time now, Ozzy was never very fond of the concept as the liner notes reveal. Track it down, it's worth it.

4 stars. Shame about the crappy cover art.