Album Review: Billy Idol – Dream Into It (Dark Horse Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

My introduction to the latest from Billy Idol (his ninth full-length studio album overall) was via the video for rowdy first single “Still Dancing.” I was alone in a hospital bed at the time, recovering from a recent surgery and unable to sleep in middle of the night. Yet somehow, seeing Idol still doing his thing at age 69, gave me a certain level of hope that I needed.

One of the things on my agenda once free again was to check out the rest of Dream Into It. And it didn’t take long to realize after fully digging into things that it was worth the decade-plus wait (not including a handful of recent EP’s).

The title track sets up the record on a sleek path, while other numbers like “People I Love,” “I’m Your Hero,” and “Too Much Fun” are, well…pretty fun. There’s also some interesting guest spots from the likes of Avril Lavigne on “77,” Joan Jett on “Wildside,” and Alison Mosshart on “John Wayne” (surprisingly one of the strongest tracks here).

While it might not be perfect, it’s great seeing Idol and long time guitarist/collaborator Steve Stevens back together again and doing what they do best. I genuinely hope there’s more of this left in them for years to come.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review: Ministry – The Squirrely Years Revisited (Cleopatra Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

I can remember it vividly; my hip, older cousin and her girlfriend coming up to me shortly after we both watched Ministry play at the House of Blues in Orlando circa 2008 (on their “C-U-Lay Tour”) and proclaiming, “I hardly even knew any of those songs!” While I may have been privy to a few more tracks than my innocent cos may have been that night, I too was fairly lost via the angry, anti-Bush set list at the time, and longing for the more carefree, agenda-less days of the band.

Thankfully after all these years, Al Jourgensen has finally realized there is still an audience – and a usefulness – for the music he created early on in his career, and has re-recorded many of those early ’80s songs of his (albeit with a heavier/more modern sound) here with The Squirrely Years Revisited.

I knew as soon as I heard fan favorite “Everyday is Halloween” I could finally get into Ministry again. So many brilliant songs are finally unearthed and shown the light of day here once again. Tracks like “All Day,” “Same Old Madness,” and one of my personal favorites, “Revenge,” are all suddenly worthwhile again.

I honestly have not been able to listen to much of the near-communist rhetoric that passes for new music from the band these days, and I don’t foresee having much interest in a so-called “final” upcoming studio album from them, either. You can keep that version of the band for yourself, while I keep mine (to each their own I suppose).

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review: L.A. Guns – Leopard Skin (Cleopatra Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

You’ve got to hand it to a band like L.A. Guns, who unlike many of their fellow contemporaries out there that are still relying on merely their earlier material/hits, have been hustling both on the live circuit, as well as putting out new music on a two-year cycle consistently since 2017.

Right off the bat the cover imagery for Leopard Skin invokes a welcomed, we’ll say “pair” of emotions (even if it may just be an A.I. photo) in true ’80s sleaze fashion. But once one digs a bit deeper, there’s way more to unveil here.

The first two singles, “Taste It” and “Lucky Motherfucker” put the band in some interesting and amusing scenarios in their respective music videos. But the likes of “Runaway Train,” “The Masque,” and “Hit and Run” all easily steal the show.

I won’t sit here and claim L.A. Guns are my favorite ’80s metal band out there by any means. But their continous tenacity is enough to earn them some respect in just about any of rock’s history books.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review: Midnight Vice – Self Titled EP (RPM-ROAR)

By: Jesse Striewski

It’s happening less and less frequently these days, but every so often I’ll have an “A-ha!” moment when coming across new music. Tampa, FL’s Midnight Vice manage to have that effect, much as many of the bands who came before them that so obviously influenced them (namely Enforcer).

They waste no time here on their debut effort, instantly starting things off with the adrenaline-fueled “Strike in the Night.” “Baptized by Fire” is another strong number, but the real highlights are the slightly cryptic “Mysteria,” and the epic “Spellcaster” (it’s bridge and eventual breakdown midway is truly something to behold).

I might be “getting up there” as they say age-wise. But this is the type of music that makes one still feel alive and (almost) ready to roam just about any dark alley late at night, or take on an army completely solo (take your pick). Either way, this is what heavy metal is, was, and always will be about in my book.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Pentagram – Lightning in a Bottle (Heavy Psych Sounds Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

It’s no secret I’ve always held a special place in my heart for the likes of Doom Metal acts such as Saint Vitus, Trouble, or Pentagram, and the minute I heard the latter would be releasing their tenth studio album, I knew the chances were good that what they would be putting out would be, well, Lightning in a Bottle.

Sure enough, the moment the sludgy opening riffs to “Live Again” began kicking in, I knew it was music to my ears instantly. Tracks like “Solve the Puzzle,” “In the Panic Room,” and “Dull Pain” only further cement this.

Legendary frontman Bobby Liebling, currently at the helm of a completely new band on this record, may just now be making waves among legions of youth after recently going viral online. But for those of us who have already been there for a good chunk of the ride, we already knew how awesome he was. Welcome aboard.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Killswitch Engage – This Consequence (Metal Blade Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

With the likes of All That Remains and now Killswitch Engage each releasing new music, 2025 is shaping up to be a great year for metal (specifically NWOAHM) already.

The moment I heard and saw the video for lead-off single “I Believe,” I too quickly became a believer that Killswitch have still got it nine full-length albums in. This merely scratches the surface though on the album’s ten tracks.

“Abandon Us” opens up the record in true KSE fashion, while “Aftermath,” “Forever Aligned,” and “The Fall of Us” each contain their own moments of unbridled fury and greatness.

There’s a certain nostalgia that comes to me when listening to bands like Killswitch now, similar to the feeling one might get while hearing the many acts that came long before them. No doubt this music unites, and even as I write this very article from a hospital bed two days after having surgery (which is another story in itself), I somehow don’t feel completely alone in the universe right now.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review: Crazy Lixx – Thrill of the Bite (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

By: Jesse Striewski

Sweden’s Crazy Lixx have been steadily climbing the ranks of rock for over two decades now, yet somehow feel as though they’re still one of rock’s best kept secrets. It’s been four years since the band’s last studio album, and Thrill of the Bite could not have come at a better time.

Kicking off their ninth full-length effort appropriately enough with “Highway Hurricane,” the band truly find their footing by the time they reach “Who Said Rock and Roll is Dead” and the six-minute “Little Miss Dangerous.”

Other tracks like “Hunt For Danger” and “Midnight Rebels” are fun enough. But the album’s finest moments find themselves sandwiched between the rest; “Call of the Wild,” “Recipe For Revolution,” and “Run Run Wild” are enough to make the likes of Whitesnake or Dokken proud just about any day of the week.

It might be easy for some to just write-off a band like Crazy Lixx and label them as “silly,” but make no mistake that this is the type of music with the power to motivate and make one take notice/feel alive again, and there’s not a damn thing silly about that.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Album Review: All That Remains – Antifragile (Independent)

By: Jesse Striewski

It’s taken seven years for All That Remains to release their tenth studio album, and the band has no doubt gone through much loss and hardships in that time span (most notably the untimely passing of guitarist Oli Herbert). But as the old saying goes, all good things come to those that wait.

Since last May we’ve been getting snipets of new music from Antifragile, with songs like “Divine” and “Let You Go” being released as singles. By the time they got to “Forever Cold” last November, I was completely sold.

“Kerosene,’ “No Tomorrow,” “Blood & Stone,” and the title track are just a few more tracks that give off those 2010’s metalcore vibes. Frontman Phil Labonte has kept the ATR ship sailing admirably while aging with grace (unlike some contemporaries), and I look forward to seeing what is next for the band.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Ringo Starr – Look Up (Universal Music Enterprises)

By: Jesse Striewski

I can honestly say I did not have “critiquing the new country album by former Beatle Ringo-Starr” in my deck of cards for my first album review of 2025, but here we are.

Yet somehow…it actually works. The introduction track to Look Up for me was the title track and first single, which is just catchy enough in its simplicity. Other tracks like “Never Let Me Go,” “I Live For Your Love,” and the masterful “Time on my Hands” (no doubt the album’s highlight) sound worthy enough to stack alongside the likes of Cash, Williams, or Jennings nearly any day of the week.

There’s also guest appearances along the way from Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, and Alison Krauss (among others). All in all, Look Up is far from a perfect effort, though a welcomed surprise from a music legend nonetheless.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review – Marilyn Manson: One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1 (Nuclear Blast)

By: Jesse Striewski

Whether in terms of music or politics, 2024 has undoubtedly been the year of the “comebacks,” and shock rocker Marilyn Manson’s first studio album in just over four years, after numerous attempts of character assassination, is no exception.

One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1 is a direct response to such accusations, with its scathing title track kicking things off with a fury. First single “As Sick as the Secrets Within” is an obvious return to form upon first listen, while “Meet Me in Purgatory” is a definite standout (and personal favorite). Other notable tracks include “Death Is Not a Costume,” “Nod If You Understand” and “Raise the Red Flag,” each upping the ante from the previous.

If you were an outsider Manson fan growing up in the ’90s (as so many of us were), and if you can get past the slightly goofy album cover artwork, this one should no doubt be right up your alley (and with any luck, in your Christmas stocking this year).

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars