Latest News From the Rockworld!

Axl Rose + ACDC = True!

Axl Rose is confirmed as stand in singer for the remaning part of ACDC's "Rock Or Bust World Tour". This is after ACDC's lead singer Brian Jonson is at risk of suffering a permanent hearing loss. It's been buzzing about Axl being a stand in vocalist for ACDC even before the Guns N' Roses reunion where official earlier this year. Axl was also fan spotted at ACDC's rehearsal in Atlanta. The whole thing got confirmed a few hours before Guns N' Roses's headlining gig at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, with a statement from ACDC at their website. Followed by a guest appearance from ACDC's guitarist Angus Young at the same gig, performing two ACDC classics, "Riff Raff" and "Whole Lot of Rosie".

Axl Rose joins in with ACDC the 7th of May in Lisbon, Portugal. Then following the rest of their European tour, while still playing with his own Guns N' Roses and their "Not In This Lifetime Tour" this summer in North America and then finishing the ACDC shows that got "paused" in North America earlier this year. I don't think I'm only speaking for myself when saying that this is a combination I'd love to see live. I'm wishing the best of luck to both Axl Rose with all the touring and to Brian Jonson, hope he will recover. For more info about ACDC you can check out their website and the same goes for Guns N' Roses.

The First Glimpse Of New Avenged Sevenfold Song

The word is that Avenged Sevenfold are working on a new album which might be released at the end of this year and that we perhaps could hear the first single at the end of this summer, but it can go either way with that. According to the band themselves they are at the "demo-state" in the making of their next album. But here is an instrumental glimpse of some new material for A7X fans to have a listen to. They are teasing with their fans here. Avenged Sevenfold recently changed drummer from Arin Ilejay to Brooks Wackerman (previously known from Bad Religion). Check it out in the clip below.

Ace Frehley + Paul Stanley Releases Their First Collaboration In 18 Years!

Since the Guns N' Roses reunion we've learned that everything is possible in the music industry...
Now, former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley (lead singer & guitarist in Kiss) have put out their first collaboration in 18 years. The result is a cover of a song called "Fire and Water" by the band "Free" for Ace's new cover-album named "Origins Vol.1". Ace are also working on a new book to be released next year, 2017. Though it's stated that Ace and Paul wasn't in the studio at the same time due to both parties busy schedules. As it is right now there are no plans for another collaboration, but as Frehley said in an interview when asked about it, "never say never". Fingers crossed that they'll write some new music, because they sound good together. Maybe next year we'll see a "Ace & Paul World tour" or the original Kiss reunite...?
Anyway, I think it's a cool version of  "Fire and Water" and you can listen to it in the mini player below.

Album review

Backyard Babies new album 4 by 4

Backyard Babies is a rock band from Nässjö, Sweden that started in 1987. Members are Johan Blomquist on the bass, Nicke Borg the lead singer, Peder Carlsson on the drums and Dregen plays the guitar. 

Backyard Babies harrow and harrow, but dosen’t reach full rockstar status. But they seem to think that they already have. After Dregen’s successful solo career I think he should take more place in Backyard and sing more since he can sing better than what Nicke does on this album, who seems to have been spending far too much time in his own ”Homeland”. He is not present on Backyard Babies latest album.    

In my meaning they shouldn’t have done this album. It’s one of those ideas that could have remained in a dresser somewhere in Sweden.

A roughly retell of what someone said, reviewing this album,” it’s such a great album from Backyard Babies with influences from the greater bands like a ”bluesy Led Zeppelin” and ”Slade” among others with a lot of rock n’ roll attitude”. Correction, you do not hear Slade or Led Zeppelin in a positive way neither as an ”influence” or ”inspiration” on this album. The only thing you hear is all good music that have ever existed from the 70’s to the 21st century being grind down into a mediocre rock album. It’s not good at all. It’s not a nice surprise after a 5 year break as a band and it seems like many people just like the album because the haven't heard from Backyard in a while. So they are glad to hear from them, but what are we hearing?

”13 or Nothing” Was the first single from this album and it’s the song that the Four by Four album opens with and that´s the song that Backyard has toured with the whole summer. It’s a nice rock song with a well appeared cowbell. But I think this song is a bit thin, something is lacking in the lyrics here. They just sing the same thing over and over again, which can be okay if it’s executed properly, here it falls flat. Otherwise it’s a nice song. 

”I’m On My Way To Save Your Rock n’ Roll”  It’s certain riffs in the song that has a clear resemblance from Green Day. This is a song that sort of sounds like a softer and slower modern punk song rather than a rock song. It´s like a good try for a punk song, but it’s to slow. It’s lacking the punk energy. However it’s the most popular song on iTunes. This will probably be the best song on this album. Maybe they should thank Green Day for it…  

”White Light District” This intro sounds like two Hardcore Superstar songs, apart from that it’s sounding a bit like the ”old” Backyard Babies. While listening to this I get hopeful and think it might be something good here, but that wont last for long as it turns out it is a mix off something from the 70’s like Black Sabbath, more Hardcore Superstar, Alice Cooper, Fall Out Boy and Sixx :am. Did I forget anyone? Not much of their own music here and I don’t get how Nicke Borg sings in this song. He forces out the words. He sounds tired and the singing is annoying. 

”Bloody Tears” The only ballad on the album is not to melancholic, after listening to it you’re still in a good mood, nice lyric and the song holds a good paste thru out. Nothing in this song stands out, it’s a ballad with some sad lyrics and some power-music. Nothing new and nothing modern, it sounds like a bad version of an 80’s one hit wonder. We have all heard it before. 

”Piracy” In the same style like the three first songs on the album, but has a slightly obnoxious tone to it or that is the direction I think they want this song to go in. This one is more like the ”old” Backyard Babies, the ”Minus Celsius-era” (one of their old hits) but with more 70’s sounding riffs, it’s not quite there.

”Never Finish Anything” Dregen sings with Nicke in a few places and that sounds good, more of that. So the lyrics seem to be right, they didn't quite finish this song.  

”Mirrors (Shall Be Broken)” Nice intro, but it reminds me about something that I’ve heard before… again. I hear a clear resemblance from Bon Jovi, not Backyard Babies. It’s a bit ”small town redemption spirit” over this song and ”look we made it thru this any way, despite what you did to me”. 

”Wasted Years” Best song on the album according to me. The singing is good for a change, nice lyrics, all the instruments sounds well together and some guitar that takes a fun turn musically. A mood lifting song. 

”Walls” It’s a 7 minutes song and that’s a bit to long for Backyard Babies. It dosen’t even sound like a song. Where does this song go? Where does it end? With an outro that are way to long inspired by a Hitchcock movie (?) or what is going on?  The message was a bit lost in this song for me. This is the last song on the album and I’m sort of glad it’s over. 

The message of ”4 by 4” would be easier to access and easier to relate to if Nicke Borg would sing with more emotions and if we could get a sign that he still has a pulse, right now it sounds like he is vocally flatlining and what happened to the rest of Backyard? The other guys has almost vanished except from when they’re doing live shows. Aren’t they supposed to be a band?

When you listen to music or read a story, you want to be brought somewhere else for a while. On this album it doesn't seem like they mean what they’re singing, it just sounds like Nicke is reading out loud lyrics that doesn't make sense to music that sounds like a mix of several other bands. 

What might be slightly more disturbing than the fact that Backyard Babies ”new” album is an result of them just copying and paste from the music that they have been listening to, is that Nicke Borg recently said in an interview that with this new album Backyard Babies sounds more like Backyard Babies. I disagree. It’s 9 songs after 5 something years, I think they could have done a bit better than that. It makes you wonder if Backyard has lost their songwriting/music making touch/skills but it proves that it’s not hard to be a musician these days when you can copy and paste from whoever and then call it your own instead of doing your own work and be a different and awesome musician. 

This album is nr. 3 on Swedish album charts and it only proves that what Keith Richards recently said about Rap and Heavy Metal in an interview is right ” The fact that these things sells only proves how many tone-deaf it’s in the world” and I totally agree. 

They should rename this album to a tribute album by Backyard Babies instead of calling it their own.

☠☠/ 5

I like Backyard, especially their album ”Making Enemies Is Good”. I was up 06:50 am to buy the ”4 by 4” album the same day it got released, and I’m a huge fan of Dregen’s solo-album, so I got really disappointed when it turned out to be everything but Backyard Babies on this album. This will the first album that I will return to iTunes.

Backyard Babies next time! More of your material/work, Dregen should defiantly sing more and Nicke needs a bucket of ice-cold water thrown over him before he enters the studio. I hope Dregen does another solo album soon. 

Check out this Fresh Noize!

Close Quarters

 I found out about this band thru my dear mom, who came to me after have seen an interview on the internet with two of the guys from Close Quarters talking about their new album. She thought I would like the music. I did! It was really great. 
So I decided to write about them. Here it is!

Close Quarters is a rock band from Vadstena, Sweden. The members are Taliqua the lead singer, KK on guitar and backing vocals, Martin on bass and backing vocals, Davy plays the drums and Marty on guitar and backing vocals.
They started in 2006 and played several gigs in Sweden and in other countries. After have opened shows for Backyard Babies, (also a band from Sweden more to come about them later) and recording demos, the band got signed in 2010. The year after they released their debut album “We Believe in Rock n’ Roll”.  An album that ended up no. 11^th on Swedish charts. The band went on tour with bands like Europe and Takida (both Swedish rock bands) just to mention a few. The album sat well with both fans and critics. They also released the single ”You Wanna Get Away” in 2011 as an attachment to “Sweden Rock Magazine” and that reached out to around 8000 subscribers.

After two years of silence the band was back and they hit the studio to record a new single named “Let’s Put a Smile on That Face”. That is one of four featured songs on their EP ”Try To Pay Rent With Love” out September 19th 2014.  

In true Rock n’ Roll spirit, the song was recorded in a few hours with the goal to try to capture the raw attitude and energy of the band and the song. I think they succeeded!  The song is good Rock n’ Roll and the video is funny. Go see it now!

Close Quarters released a new single “My Way or the Highway” with a video to it, earlier this year from their new album “Always A lot Never a Little” that just got released August 19^th. Were the title track is written by Nicke Borg, the lead singer in Backyard Babies. Their sound is lighter and fun rock music that is easy to like, whit a slight resemblance of the band Poison to it. Fun opening song "The Boys Are Back", a clear message to the listeners.
Taliqua's voice has a wide range and he sings many different tones. He is not stuck in one vocal-mode. It sometimes sounds like it very easily could be two lead singers. They work a lot with the guitar riffs and it turns out nice.
Imagine this; it's summer, saturday evening, your friends are over and you had a few, everybody is happy and having a good time, that's when you play Close Quarters. It's party-Rock n' Roll and everybody is singing along.
This easygoing music is a nice contrast to all the songs out there in the music world about deep emotions. 
My favorite songs are: "My Way or the Highway", "Broken Wings" and not to forget the classical rock ballad "First and Last Time" that all rock bands that are inspired by the 80's has to have on their album. 

Fun fact: the name ”Close Quarters” comes from when some of the guys lived very close together in quarter and that the cover of the latest album is inspired by the famous nunnery in Vadstena. 

Close Quarters will follow the release of their new album with a tour that will visit several cities in Sweden and you can find more info about that on their website www.qlosequarters.se or on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CloseQuarters. 
The latest album ”Always A lot Never A Little” is available on iTunes, use this link below.  

First, Help the nuns! The nunneries sealing is leaking. They need our help to collect money in order to fix it. To support them you can send your gift to their account, number is: (Banktransfer 127- 8753) 
Bankgiro 127- 8753 mark it "Gift" or "Rooftop" along with your name and address and they will pray for you. 
Link to the nuns website: http://birgittaskloster.se
Thank you! Lee Joe