Yah man I’m breaking protocol and reviewing sumthin new and probably well too new for me but it’s not too often that a new release can come out and basically kick me in the ass of awesomeness but World On Fire has done that man and it will possibly quite well be my número Uno 2014 fav release!
Slash and the boys have outdone themselves here. I mean when I seen it was 17 tracks deep I was like ah no way man maybe 10 keepers and 7 close calls but nope nada ….17 little cookers that prove to me in the year 2014 that guitar oriented rock is alive and well in Slashville.
Lets see what’s cooking under the top hat!
WORLD ON FIRE-The boys kick out the jams right out of the gate with the catchy lead off single. Myles Kennedy is without a doubt one of the best rock singers out there right now period. The dude holds his own and it helps that they have cranked up Todd Kerns on bass and backing vocals I mean why not Kerns fronted Age Of Electric and now he slings the 4 string for Slash and man how many bands can you say out there right now have two lead vocalists ? Yeah and that’s this band! Slash is riffing like crazy on this and on all others! Yeah if you choose to play the vid on your big screen,make sure the kids aren’t around ahem! Just don’t trip the wire!
SHADOW LIFE-starts off moody kinda chill like vibe and boom into gear and big Chrous and like I said Kerns and Kennedy a one two vocal punch to the gut. There not screwing around and man these guys are locked in by track two!
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE-this band just punches the gas and roars. You know the deal your baby is Automatic and she’s in Overdrive. This songs just clocks in under 100 mph so you know it’s a rocker. Slash has totally stepped up with the playing on this album. Man, you want huge riffs this is the place for em!
WICKED STONE- man oh man this one reminds me for some reason of that big band Slash was in about 20 yrs ago. Slash puts this song on his back and carries it right thru. Also of mention again is the fact that Kennedy is a crafty lyricist and he delivers it vocally. Plus the fact that they got Kerns cranked up as well vocally is a smart move(dude can sing,don’t believe me check out Ugly from his old band Age Of Electric). This song just keeps the momentum going ! Holy crap still 14 more songs to go!
30 YEARS TO LIFE-Brent Fitz slams some serious drumming along with some killer cowbell on this road rocker. Actually this whole band is firing and now there on the run. 30 years in the clink. Well if your gonna get locked up Myles at least your going in style! Slash once again riffs and riffs but not to the point of overkill. Brent Fitz is kicking the crap out of his drums, man he’s good.
BENT TO FLY- whoa, Slash slams on the breaks and the boys kinda chill out on this one well until the big hooky Chrous with the big hooky voices. Even though it’s a little more slow paced. The boys keep it rocking in a different way I mean you can’t go 100 mph 24/7 anymore. Well maybe 85 mph24/7 actually I would be at roughly 33mph/24/7 you get the drill!
STONE BLIND- all right this one is a scorcher. The song starts off super chill with Kennedy just chillin and than boom The verse is so friggin catchy. This one just grabs ya and doesn’t let go! This song rocks from start to finish.
TOO FAR GONE- it’s all been decided your Too Far Gone sez Myles and the boys. Yep your right fellas this song reminds me once again of that ol band (GNR) but how could it not .Slash wrote some huge riffs back than. And he continues to do it to this day! More power to ya Slash!
BENEATH THE SAVAGE SUN- the beginning reminds me of ol school Aerosmith and that’s where the comparison ends. The band shifts into some different time signatures and Kerns drops down some cool low end bass in at as well. Kinda epic style Slash N Roll…
WITHERED DELILIAH- hey I think SMK&C may have a hit here. This song just rocks along and it will make a great single. This album courtesy of Brent Fitz has a bunch of cool percussive action going on this whole album!(COWBELL) Kudos to Slash for keeping this unit intact for a few years now and not some revolving musical door!
BATTLEGROUND-this is the close to 7 minute epic track…slow buildup and man it’s a diversion of the rock that so dominates this release. Cool that like I said earlier are many different musical moods and this is a moody piece….but in a cool kinda way!
DIRTY GIRL- song number 12 and Slash heads back to the Sunset Strip for some Dirty Girl! Of course you knew this kind of song would be on here tucked neatly away and BAM here comes the Dirty Girl. Cool that dudes pushing 50 can still sing about sleaze and roll not be called out as creepy! YET! Great song man….this will be on the radio for all ya ol farts!(myself included)
IRIS OF THE STORM-it’s always a buzz to get this deep into a album and you realize this is my favourite track! Oh wait yeah it is. Songs starts off slow and slowly picks up steam. Man this album is chock full of radio rock and this is one of em also. Dig Kennedy’s voice on this golden nugget of a tune! The band is right in the pocket on this one!
AVALON-comes crashing out of the gate at rocket speed! SMK&C aren’t letting up man! Good solid rock song that pushes almost like a Heavy Nine Lives Aero Feel at times….
THE DISSIDENT- starts of like a mono LP with someone going off about the objector well make that a F*%kin Objector and than Fitz and Slash kick off the festivities and man during the Chrous you get some whoas and double whoas and man this is now my favourite track currently. It’s so damn catchy you will cruise around your house singing it..u will man..u will!
SAFARI INN- just a cool little musical and hey were over a hour into this bad boy and ya gotta give the lead vocalist a break!
THE UNHOLY-ends the record with some more epic material kinda like along the lines of Battleground. It’s ok man,this song is a fitting end it build and build and it’s over!
IN CONCLUSION- To say this is a great rock record in the year 2014 would be a understatement! It for me is thee rock record of 2014! SMK&C take it to another level with this release. Solid songs,solid performances all around and solid production take a bow Michael Baskette! Like I said earlier it’s cool that Slash has kept this trio of guys with him for a few years now and it shows in spades the cohesiveness of this unit. Hundreds of shows played and well the boys bring it home! So basically set aside about 1 hour and 17 minutes and head out on a rock n roll journey!
Wow, rockin track you posted Deke! Great review – I might get this one!
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Thanks Sarca….I mean I have only had this since this past Tuesday but I cannot stop listening to it!
Thanks for stopping by!
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THE rock record so far this year? Dude that’s saying a lot! I don’t doubt you, this could be the “ZZ Top” of 2014.
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Hahaha..I was just thinking that man! I thought how much I put the sell on La Futura on your site! And now the SMK&C …man the thing smokes……who knows with three months left this year I may eat crow but I dunno if anything else will come out and knock this off my perch! But if sumthin does I’m sure I will hear about it !!!
Hahaha…
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Dammit Deke, now I’ve got ANOTHER disc to add to the list. I’m glad you liked it that much!
2014 is shaping up to be a huge year, for sure.
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Oh yeah the top 5 is gonna be fun over at Ladano.com!
This album will be right up your alley! Dark alley that is..hahaha
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And don’t forget the annual Aaron’s Best Of over at KMA! I’m already really struggling this year… if I had to pick a winner right now, I wonder if I could do it. And now you’re throwing another into the mix? So many huge records.
Dude, I don’t have an alley. I have a freeway, with exits for ALL the genres! 🙂
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Hahahaha …that’s right …u are a musical melting pot! I’m a pigeonholed metal head! Hahahaha
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I do my best. 😉 And nothing wrong with going what you like and running strong on that, either. You waste a lot less time listening to crap trying to find the good stuff!
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Actually it’s a good feeling that when you sift thru crap and you stumble upon a gem! Kudos to u on that…..
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Oh yeah man, that’s the real gold. Some CD you take a chance and BOOM it’s great. I love that. But I have gone through a metric shiat-ton of mediocre and outright crappy discs to get the few. Actually, panning for gold is an apt analogy. You go through a lotta dirt and gravel before you get gold.
The advantage for you guys, of course, is that I tell you all about these adventures on the KMA! Then you get to decide for yourselves whether you wanna try it or not. And actually, if you line up all of these blogs – you, Mike, Scott, Geoff, Rich, J.,1537 (to name but a few) and all the rest, you get a pretty broad range of stuff and great reportage on it all… Gotta love the community that’s built here. No end to the new stuff to try out!
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Thanks for doing the panning!..hahaha…I owe ya a beer! Or 10!
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Sorry, I only drink POP. 😉
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Oh yeah and Sarca too, for the gamers! I was thinking music sites. Didn’t wanna leave anybody out.
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😀
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Also, that’s, uh, quite the video…
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So much for a PG site…I did throw down a disclaimer at the beginning of my review,…hahaha..
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Well I for one was SHOCKED. First time I ever saw a woman with her shirt off.
Hahahahaaa
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Hahahaha …man that’s funny Aaron!
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Honest;y. That poor girl. Has she no SHAME? 😉
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Deke, another awesome review! Gonna have to check this one out…. But I have a request, or let’s say a challenge 🙂 You’ve done so many great reviews of stuff you like/love… I wanna hear ya rag on something ya hated or were disappointed with. A few of my personal examples… Heavy Petting, Bad English, YnT (Down 4 the count)…. I’m sure there are others, lol. Just a thought. Keep up the great work!
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…and feel free to throw me under the bus if ya have to… Lol.
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Excellent idea TBone! I’m totally gonna have to do a SONIC MISHAP! ….and the odds in Vegas are real good that you will somehow get chucked under the bus! ….ha!
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Hey Deke! Digging the new look, man! But you better be careful… every girl crazy about a sharp-dressed man!
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Jesus F***ing Christ, did I just see that video right???? Even the RockStar thinks that is edgy, wow!
On Sat, Sep 20, 2014 at 11:04 AM, Arena Rock-Thunder Bay And Beyond (1979-
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Just like how you like your women Rockstar, EDGY!
Hahaha…
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