Blog: The Ripple Effect

iTunes (the computer program) doesn't lie. Opus Eponymous is my most-played metal album of the last year-- according to its coldly-calculating statistics. I even bought a ticket to see them play in October 1, 2011-- only for them to drop off the tour. I even play this fucker when I'm doing dishes-- because I love the tunes that much. Instrumental "Deus Culpa" opens the proceedings, in clearly-liturgical-fashion, followed closely by "Con Clavi con Dio," which, in its lyrical-literacy (even if it's dying to denounce the Catholic liturgy) is frankly inspiring, and an [...]

In the 3 years I've been scribbling for Ripple I've received some very cool stuff - lots of great music, some cool feedback on my reviews (Captain Sensible commented on my review of Grand Funk's Live Album!) and the chance to bond with my fellow rock freaks out there. But this DVD/CD that I was just got in the mail might be one of the best perks I've ever received. If you're into kick ass classic rock don't even bother reading this review. Just go to the bottom of the page and click the link to order a copy. Trust [...]

"Mr. Penfold, Mr. Corporate will see you now." "Thank you ma'am. I'll see myself in." I stood up, lifted my briefcase, and marched into the businessman's office prepared for battle. "Penfold, what took you so long? I left that message on Jim's phone three days ago. You're his representative. What gives?" "Mr. Wilson informed me of your message later that day Mr. Corporate." "Then you know we have some problems." "Yes, I'm aware." "Well did he tell you what the name of his album is going to be? The president of my company, my [...]

I'm an old fart, so when I was in junior high and high school, it was prime time for bands like Judas Priest, and I was barely out of high school when the classic Dio albums came out. Back then, those bands were considered heavy metal, and when you think about what they were up against, they made some pretty heavy music at the time. The current label for this type of music is traditional metal, and the new album from Primal Fear is a great example of the genre. I put this thing [...]

Ripple Music, home of the "Best retro-rock and metal on the planet" is thrilled to announce it's sponsorship of TBFM Factor 2012 - the biggest "on-air" battle of the bands ever! TBFM Factor 2012 is presented by internet radio station Total Biker FM, home of hard-driving rock n' roll. This is the second time the station has presented this competition. With so much talent out there TBFM wanted to help promote the top bands and hopefully give them the boost up the ladder that they deserve by setting up a fan voted competition. In 2010, the [...]

This was a sweet surprise. Thanks Racer. I first discovered Tuber while Bandcamp browsing last year and I immediately downloaded their free, self-titled ep after streaming their four tracks of superb instrumental desert-rock music. This power trio from Greece offer up a touch of trippy with plenty of heavy guitars and pounding grooves, believe me. I was more than happy to learn in Racer's email that Tuber have recently added a new single, "Smoked Up Notes", to their free digital catalog. Nice. I love that title. It's perfect, especially for someone who calls himself [...]

The Enthusiasts –Sinkin/Risin' b/w Joanne Mutated garage fuzz with a mean and beefy bottom end. The Enthusiasts know how to bring the rock into the garage rock vein. Not content to settle on the fuzz and tin can vocals, the lads drop some big, near-stoner riffs, a nifty breakdown and a blur of a guitar solo into "Sinkin'/Risin'". "Joanne" follow suit with a tasty, psychedelic guitar/vocal intro. Coming from a "small town north of NYC", this is the Enthusiasts second 7" platter. Toss in a handcrafted, self-stapled sleeve and we [...]

OK, a show of hands please! How many remember these lyrics - "Get cha motor runnin'. Head out on the highway! Lookin' for adventure. And whatever comes our way…" If you guessed Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons you're wrong, as bad ass as they were. But if that image of a custom chopper roaring down a backroad is stuck in your cranium then you're in the right place. First there was Riot. Then along came Quiet Riot. And RiotGod! Now there's Hard Riot. None of them have much [...]

If I told you you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me? Was that an earthquake or did you just rock my world? Hello, I'm a thief and I'm here to steal your heart. Eddie Grey loves women. Eddie Grey loves sex. It is his inspiration. He writes chick seduction music and he is not bashful about it. He's good at it, the writing and playing I mean, not the sex. I have no idea about the sex. His latest babe magnet is The Love Thief [...]

Unlike movies, it's possible to make a solid or even a great third album. As a matter of fact, several of my all time favorite albums happen to be the third record in certain artists' discography like Bruce Springsteen Born to Run, Green Day Dookie (the third studio album), Def Leppard Pyromania, The Ramones Rocket to Russia, The Clash London Calling and Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power. After careful thinking, I realized my favorite album for several artists in their entire catalog turned out to be their "third" album and included Metallica Master of Puppets, Radiohead OK Computer, Arcade [...]

Deadstar Assembly. Where oh where do I start with this band? They're certainly one of my favorites. I found them, how all great discoveries are made, by accident a few years ago when I was eleven. The Youtube player was on shuffle and they popped up right after Spectrum-X. The video was for "Breathe For Me" off of their self-titled debut. It was moving, wonderful, and totally captured that helpless, I-just-need-something-to-belie ve-in angst. I was instantly captured by how rough, and yet melodic their sound was. Deadstar Assembly's second album Unsaved came out shortly after that, and you [...]

In anticipation of the release of their new album, Utilitarian , on February 27th in Europe and February 28th in North America, the legendary NAPALM DEATH is now giving fans the chance to listen to their grindcore masterpiece online in its entirety! To join the album listening party, head here: http://www.cmdistro.de/

I found Waits via his readings of Bukowski's works (to me Waits sounds exactly like Hank's poems were meant to sound when read aloud, versus the author's own readings, which to me just absolutely fail). --and also via the Bulletboys' "Hang on St. Christopher," if we're being honest-- And though I really like several, this if by far my fave Waits album. It's a live set, from 1975. Each song has an intro (meaning badinage with the audience before the actual song commences) and then the song itself. This is the near-perfect [...]

Man, I am stoked that this new Corrosion of Conformity album is so good! They were one of the first hardcore punk bands that I discovered on my own, thanks to the recommendation of Bob Muldowney in the pages of his Kick Ass fanzine in 1984. When Animosity came out a year later it was blasting on my stereo pretty much non-stop and I even interviewed drummer Reed Mullin for my high school newspaper. It was also one of the first "hardcore" tapes my friends who were into Ozzy/Dio/Priest/Scorps could tolerate. Well, at least most of it. Side two was [...]

If you follow my reviews, you know that I'm a sucker for this power metal stuff that comes out of Europe. Power metal bands there seem to be like Starbuck's locations here in the US, on just about every street corner. And I'm glad for that, because I dig this stuff. One of these days I'm going to spend a summer in Europe, going to all the big outdoor festivals and listening to power metal until my head explodes. And I will die happy. Here we have Royal Hunt, and their new release "Show [...]

First attempt at teaching middle school age children history through song: "Greetings everyone!" "Mr. Penfold, why are you wearing that ridiculous wig? And why are you wearing what appears to be a frilly long sleeved shirt that is at least two sizes too big for you along with some ancient looking flood pants and tights?" "Excellent questions Billy! I'm wearing clothing similar to what was fashionable back when Christopher Columbus set out to reach the East Indies." "What's with the weird looking piano?" "This isn't a piano Chris. It's a harpsichord. I'm going to [...]

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Santana Live At Montreux 2011 on a 2DVD set & Blu-ray in a exhilarating set of jazz, Latin, funk, soul and rock 'n' roll. The 23-song show weighs heavily on the side of the songs that fans of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist (inducted in 1998) have loved over the years. Filmed in high-definition and recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, [...]

Heavy, hippie hard rock. Right on. There are a lot of great female-fronted rock bands emerging from the underground lately and one of my favorites is Denmark's Fuzz Manta, who add plenty of heavy blues and 70s psychedelia into the mix. If Opus II hasn't been covered at the Ripple Effect already, then I apologize. First, it's a spectacular hard rock album by a solid band, and second, it was released early last year and Fuzz Manta already have a new one out. Hey, I can only work with what I have. Now that [...]

(Re-presenting a Horn review originally published on The Soda Shop) Very like The Devil's Blood (i.e., highly capable female singer with traditional doom metal/ rock music background), but more 70s rock/metal, less 70s rock/pop. If that made any sense. Shut up. You read this site. You knew very well what I meant. "Over and over," a satanic T-rex, a heavier Kansas... "Pentagram and Crucifix," almost like a track from Danzig's eponymous debut (and very nearly as sweet) with its alternating time (i.e., downbeat to forebeat in the verse)... "Conviction" is an (improbably) Y&T-like ripper.... [...]

There's no doubt about it. Billy Joel deserves his place in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Just the work over his pivotal 3 albums, The Stranger, 52nd Street , and Glass Houses cements this. But prior to those albums,in late 1973, Columbia Records released Billy Joel's first major album, Piano Man . The album went on to sell more than 4-times RIAA platinum to date, and is one of the corner-stones of Billy Joel's Columbia catalog of nearly 20 studio and live albums. Still, back in the day, I [...]