Retro Riffs: KISS Debut [45th Anniversary] Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorEver heard the saying “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good”? Well, that may be true, but sometimes you have to make your own luck, and that only comes through hard work. (more…)
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#2019 #45th Anniversary #Ace Frehley #Album Art #Album Review #Audio Stream #Classics #Gene Simmons #KISS #Paul Stanley #Peter Criss #Retro Riffs #Review #Rock #SpotifyRetro Riffs: ALICE COOPER ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’; Album Review & Stream
Alice Cooper in 1975’s ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ Concert Film Article By: Brett Schacht, Guest Contributor ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor
Before the release of 1975’s ‘Welcome To My Nightmare‘, Alice Cooper‘s first record as a solo artist, Vincent Furnier’s alter ego and his band mates had already crafted a career’s worth of genre-defying, defining works that still hold up as…
Retro Riffs: FAITH NO MORE ‘The Real Thing’ Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorThe late ’80s were an exciting, at times bewildering, time for rock and metal music fans. New sub-genres were popping up almost daily, an arms race of originality that saw rock splintering off, assimilating, and merging with previously unthinkable bedfellows. And even in this unusually fertile period, FAITH…
Retro Riffs: MORBID ANGEL ‘Altars Of Madness’ Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorIt may make for splashy headlines, but art that depends on shock value rarely has any lasting relevance; the goalposts of what is considered taboo or too outlandish constantly being moved by relativity and the passage of time. (more…)
Retro Riffs: MOTÖRHEAD ‘Overkill’ [40th Anniversary] Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorLemmy Kilmister never had time for screwing around: be it social formalities, small talk, or suffering fools. He was all business, especially when it came time to clock in and deliver the music. (more…)
Retro Riffs: THIN LIZZY ‘Black Rose: A Rock Legend’ Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorA black rose is often used as a way to symbolize the death of a loved one or a relationship. (more…)
Retro Riffs: IRON MAIDEN ‘Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son’ Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorAll musical forms go through periods of change and upheaval, and traditional heavy metal was in a particularly weird state of flux in 1988 – thrash was shifting the tastes of many fans towards the more extreme side of things, death metal being the biggest beneficiary of this newfound open-mindedness and…
Retro Riffs: VAN HALEN ‘II’ [40th Anniversary] Album Review & Stream
Article By: Brett Schacht, Staff Writer ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief EditorWhat VAN HALEN achieved in the late ’70s is easy to underestimate 40 years down the line. (more…)
In June of 1982, guitarist Paul “Ace” Frehley negotiated his exit from arguably one of rock and roll’s biggest acts, KISS – with the departure taking effect six months later in December.
Behind the scenes of his seemingly questionable move, Ace Frehley remained a business partner with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, retaining a one-quarter share in KISS. To keep that share, Frehley was under contractual obligation to not release any solo projects, at least until the year 1985, despite the fact that his 1978 solo album début (one of four individual albums issued from each member of KISS) was the most successful of the four.
Facing a handful of years where he could not put out anything as a solo artist, without severely hurting his financial income and place him in danger of legal litigation, Ace decided to use the time in assembling a band. Intended solely as a backing band for his eventual entrance into life as a solo artist, Ace soon finalized the players for it by selecting guitarist Richie Scarlet (Mountain), bassist John Regan (Peter Frampton), keyboardist Arthur Stead, and drummer Anton Fig (David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra). However, before the new band began to record their first album together, Scarlet would leave to focus on his own solo career, which in turn led to Stead being dropped when guitarist / vocalist / keyboardist Tod Howarth was brought into the band.
The planned album was to be entitled ‘Frehley’s Comet‘, but sometime before its materialization, Ace decided to also use that as the name of the band, rather than release the record as a solo artist. Several more years went by, but eventually in 1987, Ace Frehley / Frehley’s Comet released the self-titled ‘Frehley’s Comet‘ via Megaforce / Atlantic Records. The album, which was produced by the famed Eddie Kramer, was considered a success, reaching No. 43 on that year’s The Billboard 200 while yielding a minor hit single, “Into The Night“. The cover song, originally written and recorded by Russ Ballard on his 1984 self-titled release, reached No. 27 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Charts and spawned an official video, as did another track, “Rock Soldiers“.
Both videos received regular rotation airplay on MTV at the time, and an interesting tidbit of trivia about them – both feature Billy Ward, not Anton Fig, behind the drum kit. He was Ace’s live touring drummer in the years that Ace was working on getting his band together, demoing music, and unable to issue recorded solo material without repercussions.
Ace Frehley / Frehley’s Comet would issue a second full-length in May of 1988, the appropriately titled ‘Second Sighting‘, recorded with a new drummer, Jamie Oldaker (Bob Seger, Eric Clapton). It would peak at No. 81 on The Billboard 200 and produce two singles with corresponding music videos, “Insane” and “It’s Over Now“. Like the preceding album, ‘Second Sighting‘ featured synthesizers, samples, and sequencing provided by Gordon “G.G.” Gebert of Angel.
Prior to this album, the band released an EP in early 1988, ‘Live +1‘, featuring four songs performed live in concert and one original studio song. It was followed with an accompanying VHS video titled ‘Live +4‘, containing live performances and the band’s official videos to that point.
By the time of the next studio release from Ace Frehley in 1989, ‘Trouble Walkin”, he had dropped the Frehley’s Comet name and the band itself had undergone several changes. Tod Howarth was replaced by a returning Richie Scarlet, and Jamie Oldaker by ex-Riot drummer Sandy Slavin (although Anton Fig and Ex-KISS drummer Peter Criss did perform some of the percussion work on the album). The album featured many guest vocalists, including Criss and Sebastian Bach.
Frehley’s Comet, the band, continued until 1995, with Richie Scarlet remaining throughout, and John Regan departing in 1992. Ace Frehley put his solo career on hold to rejoin KISS in 1996, and has since resumed his role as a solo artist, releasing several solo albums in recent years with Richie Scarlet, bassist Chris Wyse, and drummer Scot Coogan – all of whom Ace unexpectedly let go earlier this year.
That takes us to where we are now, with this week’s news that former Frehley’s Comet members John Regan (bass), Tod Howarth (guitar/vocals) and Richie Scarlet (guitar/lead vocals) have joined forces, with former Ace Frehley drummer Steve Werner, in RETURN OF THE COMET.
Together, they will celebrate their writing, recording, touring and co-production contributions to the band Frehley’s Comet legacy, by performing the hits and classic songs from the Frehley’s Comet catalog, and more, under the name RETURN OF THE COMET.
You can see RETURN OF THE COMET perform live at Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA on April 9th, 2019 [Info].
Riff Relevant Interviews: WOLFTOOTH; Plus S/T Album Review & Stream
(By Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor, RiffRelevant.com)
This weekend brings you a dual-feature on Riff Relevant. This round, we have a album review from David LaMay of the debut full-length release from Indiana’s Wolftooth, and finish things out with a sweet interview with the guys in the band from Pat Whitaker. If you’ve yet to hear the likes of Wolftooth, now is your prime opportunity to…
Unending thanks & gratefulness to @jjkoczan for both convincing me to do this & offering to do it on my behalf. The response is overwhelming so far. I appreciate & am honored by all of it & each one of you.
Many thanks also to @blues.funeral for sharing & your words of hope. Never in a million years would I have expected such grace from so many.🖤🙌🏼
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Link in bio.
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#fuckcancer #thankyou #kindnessrocks #theobelisk #jjkoczan #fundraiser #linkinbio #bluesfuneralrecordings #heavyunderground #heavymusic #saveslives #chemosucks #timetolive #itsonlymusictheysaid
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churchofsatannews
My friend Jim Forrester, affectionately known by the name Rev. Jim, was murdered by strangers while talking on the phone with his wife outside of his work at The Tattoo Museum in Baltimore City. Jim was former bassist for Sixty Watt Shaman, currently of Foghound and Serpents of Secrecy.
Video of the suspected killers has been released: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/12/22/fells-point-murder-video/
He leaves behind a wife and two children. A GoFundMe was set up to help with the financial burden this loss brings: https://www.gofundme.com/funds-for-forrester
There is also a benefit show tonight at Cafe 611 & Guido’s Speakeasy, located on N Market St, Frederick, Maryland. This event will feature 13 bands on 2 separate stages. All proceeds go to his family.
Show time is 6pm-12:30 pm Friday Dec 29th.
https://www.facebook.com/events/180510659201090/
There is a significant and growing reward for information leading to the arrest of his killers. The Church of Satan’s philosophy advocates Lex Talionis, the law of retribution. Justice will be served when his killers are punished to the full extent of the law.
Magister Kevin I. Slaughter
