Our winner last week was the mighty Clutch, with Opeth a few short votes behind and returning southern rock legends Blackfoot a distant third. But who will get your vote this time? Every vote counts — so place yours at the foot of the page.
Bon Jovi - This House Is Not For Sale
Is there a Bon Jovi without Richie Sambora? Well, it’s Jon’s name above the door so he can do whatever the hell he wants, and the Classic Rock office is fairly evenly spilt between those who think this is American radio rock by numbers and those who are somewhat surprised to find themselves enjoying the song’s large verses and even larger chorus. Either way, it’s good to have him back.
Black Oak County - Mad Dog
Already a Pick Of The Week on Danish rock radio station myROCK, Black Oak County have a name that suggests they’re probably from Georgia, or indeed Arkansas, but no, they’re from the Danish town of Esbjerg, a port that handles 65 per cent of the shipping of all Danish wind turbines. What’s that got to do with the song, which is a thumping hunk of hard rock that’ll eat its way through your skull in about 30 seconds? Absolutely nothing, but it’s good to learn something new.
Kansas - With This Heart
“Without a doubt, this is a new musical beginning,” says Kansas drummer Philip Ehart of the band’s new album The Prelude Implicit. The first track to be unleashed from said collection is With This Heart, an epic track featuring twinkling piano and a vocal that soars into the heavens like a glistening, celestial tower made of space diamonds, or something.
Jimi Hendrix - Power Of Soul
We’d boldly claim this to be previously unheard were it not for the fact there are thousands of unofficial Hendrix recordings floating about the web’s nether regions. What we can safely say, however, is that this particular version — recorded at the very first Band Of Gypsies show — is the first time Eddie Kramer has got his hands on the mix, and he’s given the whole thing a crisp, modern crunch.
Michael Sweet - Golden Age
Does Michael Sweet live in a house that looks like a bumble bee? We hope so. Either way, Stryper man Sweet is back with a thrusting, powerful slice of melodic hard rock that’s been polished to a bright metallic sheen and features Whitesnake’s Joel Hoekstra amongst its stellar cast. Sweet says new album One Sided War is his heaviest solo album yet, and for once we’re actually inclined to believe someone who says that.
Dio - We Rock
When is Dio not Dio? When Dio isn’t actually real Dio, but a hologram Dio. Does it matter? Should the dead stay dead? Or can the dead live on in the digital dimension? Our heads are literally spinning from overuse of the letter ’D’, but there’s no doubt that holographic Dio, who appeared at last weekend’s Waken Festival in Germany, is a harbinger of rock to come; a spooky, slightly ethereal on-stage presence and proof that the truly great never really leave for good.
Suicidal Tendencies - Clap Like Ozzy
How can we ignore a song called Clap Like Ozzy? The truth is we can’t, so instead we formed a circle pit in the Classic Rock office before spending much of the afternoon moshing betwixt the photo copier and the recycling bins to the sound of everyone’s favourite Venice thrashers. “Clap like Ozzy”, they demand, before continuing with “Slam like a beast!” Well OK!
Butch Walker - Wilder In The Heart
Butch Walker’s last album was a somewhat downbeat affair, written and recorded in the wake of his father’s death. It seems that new album Stay Gold may signal a turn towards better times, however, as Wilder In The Heart is a breezy, uptempo affair. On the other hand, the video features the grim crash scene from David Lynch’s Wild At Heart, with poor Sherilyn Fenn all bewildered and bloody. So perhaps not.
