ALBUM REVIEW: HEADCAT - WALK THE WALK

HeadCat is Lemmy’s rock n’ roll sideline with Stray Cats’ drummer Slim Jim Phantom and Lonesome Spur/Rockats guitarist Danny B Harvey, with Lem dabbling on bass, guitar, vocals and harmonica. The seeds of the project started with an Elvis tribute album in 2000, which instigated the trio’s 2006 debut ‘Fool’s Paradise’. This is another kickass collection of rock n’ roll numbers, two originals (‘American Beat’ and ‘The Eagle Flies On Friday’) and ten covers, that give Lem an outlet for his rockin’ soul which first got stirred and shaken with The Rockin’ Vickers. ‘Walk The Walk…’ may make Motorhead fans chuckle, but true pundits should be interested in where Lemmy’s origins come from. Good old rockin’ toons like Chuck Berry’s ‘Let It Rock’ and Eddie Cochran's ‘Something Else’ have a direct connection to Motorhead’s rep!

Pippa Lang

ROCK iKON Magazine

ALBUM REVIEW: QUEENSRYCHE - DEDICATED TO CHAOS

With their 12th studio album, Queensryche continue to push boundaries and explore new musical territories whilst retaining an 'unmistakeable' musical identity. With its stripped down arrangement, opener 'Get Started' would not have sounded out of place on 'Empire', however, any thoughts that this might be an early 90's retro trip are dispelled the moment track two 'Hot Spot Junkie' kicks in with a modern industrial vibe. The Pink Floyd influenced closer 'Big Noize' is a particular highlight and the perfect counterpoint to heavier cuts such as 'At The Edge'. Kelly Gray's top notch production features Eddie Jackson's intricate bass runs and Scott Rockenfield's drums high in the mix, creating at times a dance-like groove that might come as something of a shock to long-time fans. That said, the band's trademark ‘big rock’ sound remains intact!

Christopher Franklin

ROCK iKON Magazine