Finally sat down and listened to the new album... and umm, reader beware.

AEROSMITH: Music From Another Dimension!

1. LUV XXX
--- Steven's parts aren't bad, but the band itself never really grabs me. VERY forgettable.

2. Oh Yeah
--- Better than LUV XXX imo. The song tries to be something from days of glory. Not a bad B-side. I dig it. Alot of energy. Guitar work is good, melody is strong. Thumbs up.

3. Beautiful
--- Opening is fucking horrendous. Melody is actually strong and doesn't fit the song AT ALL. The melody/chorus ironically is very modern and very radio-ready, sadly it's surrounded by literal turd. Then the song is too short,  so they tack on a guitar solo and more padding of the chorus. A trainwreck. What were they thinking?

4. Tell Me
--- Decent Steve-dominant song. Very appealing. I liked every second of it. Very good.

5. Out Go The Lights
--- "Lick her in the front and poke her in the back". I'm speechless. Lyrically it's definitely entertaining, but truthfully there's nothing here. Joe's solo is pretty damn solid though. Frankly it's another trainwreck tho. The backend is padded with an additional solo that's completely out of place -- again. Something is wrong here.

6. Legendary Child
--- Definitely the single on the album. I know now why this dropped first. Really the only instantly accessible song i've heard so far, other than maybe Tell Me. Still... this would be a B-side 20 years ago.

7. What Could Have Been Love
--- This is a VERY good song honestly. Sure it's "been there, done that" at this point, but honestly it's umm... fucking awesome frankly. Easily my favorite song on the album so far. Sappy, but in classic 80s/90s-Aerosmith quality -- done better than anyone else. REALLY good.

8. Street Jesus
--- This song tries to be something, but I never feel any passion for it, nor for it in itself. The fact that it's nearly 7 minutes long is laughable. Next...

9. Can't Stop Loving You
--- Fucking awful. Just fucking awful. Tries HARD to be some sort of epic duet ballad, and it's just... panderous bullshit. A "this band is dead" moment.

10. Lover Alot
--- The lyrics are laughable, but in this case it WORKS. Thank God. Great energy, the vibe is pure 80's sleaze. Steven goes dirty, but the song works. Chorus works for the song. Joe has a nice solo. Nice B-side rocker.

11. We All Fall Down
--- Song tries it's damndest to be some sort of epic vintage 80's ballad, and it just doesn't work. There's no melody to go with the chorus, and the song ends up being an epic fail instead.

12. Freedom Fighter
--- An absolute trainwreck. I know i've used that term alot, but this album is largely major hit or miss. Instrumentals are okay, then just go to the dogs in the end. Vocals are horrendous. Sucks.

13. Closer
--- The song gets right UP THERE, and then trips and falls in the chorus. It could've been something, but the chorus is about 85% finished. Steven just needed to hit about two more notes to put it over and doesn't. Fail. Next...

14. Something
--- The absolute WORST song on any Gene Simmons solo album is better than this. Does that sum it up for you?

15. Another Last Goodbye
--- A lock out ballad, decent start. Fails in the chorus. Nothing there. The stuff around the chorus is actually fucking stellar honestly. But the chorus fails it and ultimately buries it as a cutting room floor demo ballad for a box set-type of song.

*1/2 stars - 1.5/5 -- Fairly Poor

I love how the album locks out *woo woo* "We now return you to your perception of reality"

THANK GOD! I love my reality! You know? The one where Joe Perry doesn't sing songs and Aerosmith doesn't suck major chimp! I like that reality.

Finally listened to the album this weekend. I wish I could get a physical CD of it, but it's just too pricey for my tastes, and i'm not much into MP3 album purchases, beyond a certain price point. Despite it all, I really liked what I heard from the stream.

ADLER: Back From The Dead

1. Back From The Dead
--- Tries to be a comeback song, lesser than Crue '94, better than new Skid Row, but somewhere in-between. The guitar solo is the best part. There's just something awfully forgettable about this one.

2. Own Worst Enemy
-- Guitars instantly are the best part of the song. Fucking awesome man. Song chorus tries, but frankly never grabs me. Next...

3. Another Version of the Truth
--- The first song that immediately jumps out to me. Amazing start, awesome melody, great pacing, catchy as hell, general enough to be instantly accessible to many.

4. The One That You Hated
--- Even better. Easily one of the best songs on the album. Still just as good as the first time I heard it.

5. Good To Be Bad
--- Fucking horrendous. Tries to be rock-angst and sounds like a parody song from GTA: Vice City band Love Fist. What the fuck where they thinking with this? Absolutely laughable. Even John 5's guitar solo sounds like a piss take. Yes i'm serious... it sounds like Love Fist.

6. Just Don't Ask
--- amazing from start to finish

7. Blown Away
--- Mid-album B-side, tad forgettable

8. Waterfall
--- The big 'un ballad. As good as anything on rock radio today, so a huge kudos to Adler. I think I prefer the White Lion-esque acoustic version they did on YouTube, but the full production is great too.

9. Habit
--- Another late album B-side. Seems to be Steven's reflective song, but I doubt he wrote it. Seems to be a bio of Steven's life. Reminds me of something Slash would've done on Five O'Clock, but actually good.

10. Your Diamonds
--- A little gay. A bit too sappy and cliche for my tastes. Seems like almost a Steel Panther-moment. Not crazy about it.

11. Dead Wrong
--- Another self-reflective song, the album has seemingly given up on itself by this point imo. It just seems to be melody for the sake of melody.

***1/4 stars - 3.25/5 -- Pretty Good

Steven said he wanted something "relevant". Well this is definitely relevant. Every track oozes radio hooks, and instantly tasty melodies. However there's so much fluff, that just like eating Redi-Whip whipped cream from the can, after so much creamy sweetness, it starts to have a refined chemical aftertaste after so many tracks. Still, Steven can finally be proud that he's associated himself with something that he has MADE HIS MARK post-GN'R. Congrats Popcorn, you've come a long way. And not only did Steven make his mark, but this album is easily among the best of post-GN'R output. Easily. Axl's Chinese Democracy, Izzy's Ju Ju Hounds, Duff's Believe In Me, Slash 2010, or Gilby's Pawnshop Guitars. I'd actually put Adler's Back From The Dead among the Top-4 at least, if not Top-2. Yes, it's that good.

FINALLY!

The Rock has come BACK to Se-at-tle.

I finally got to listen to this thing this weekend, and umm... here's the review.

SOUNDGARDEN: King Animal

1. Been Away For Too Long
--- At first I hated this, but after awhile this has really grown on me as catchy, because it fairly easily became a personal soundtrack for me and what i've been going through. Decent opening track, dig it more now.

2. Non-State Actor
--- This has single written all over imo. I disagree this album has no singles. This one was immediately catchy to me, and for some reason the chorus reminded me alot of The Cult's recent single "Lucifer". They sound VERY similar. I love both. Nothing's changed.

3. By Crooked Steps
--- Lofton's right, Cornell's voice and lyrics here immediately grabbed me. Sound is a tad too modern for me. I think the vibe would've been benefitted by more of a 90's grunge appeal. By mid-song Cornell loses me, i'm listening to Thayil. Slow mid-section kicks major ass, too bad it's not in the forefront. Chorus needs work. If it's intentionally supposed to be in-accessible, they succeed greatly.

4. A Thousand Days Before
--- Immediately fell in love with this one from the intro. Reminds me of late 90's Pearl Jam. Grabs me from beginning to end. Classic grunge-vibe. Love it. Best song on the album so far for me.

5. Blood On The Valley Floor
--- Fucking heavy intro, right on! Vintage SG tone. Never really has a hook, but doesn't need it. It's just guitar-driven for that. But never once am I board. Haunting-feel. Love it, but any complaints I have is tone-wise it's a bit too upbeat for me. Needs a tad more Alice In Chains-tone to drive the point home imo. Other than that "Bloody" awesome if you ask me.

6. Bones of Birds
--- When I first plugged this CD into the radio, this was the first song that instantly grabbed me. This is absolutely the Soundgarden and the period they came from I remember. This is was a few of the early tracks should've sounded liked imo. I was absolutely FLOORED when I first heard this. EASILY the best song on the album. x 1,000,000

7. Taree
--- God this song hit me like a ton of bricks. Immediately resonated with me. Reminds me of Tripod-era AIC honestly. Thayil's guitar is classic. Cornell is a fucking GOD in this. Holy shit, I said Bones was the best, but I might like this better. Everything about it is killer!

8. Attrition
--- Vedder would proud, lol. Sounds like a fucking off in G moment he'd throw on Vitalogy or some shit. Not really awful, but it never really grabs me. First B-side on the album for me.

9. Black Saturday
--- Ironically I listened to this for the first time on a Saturday. I honestly think this is another potential single. Very catchy to me. Lyrically it's fucking STELLAR. Tad too upbeat, would be benefitted for being darker. Has a bit of a Stones vibe to me for some strange reason. LOVE the breakdown section, sounds like the entrance to Hell. Another killer tune.

10. Halfway There
--- What kinda pussy shit is this? What the fuck? I mean it's not bad, but what the fuck? Did some sort of Cornell solo shit sneak on to this album? It doesn't even had a melody. Is he just doing this to piss me off? It worked. It's actually not bad but doesn't feel like a Soundgarden song AT ALL. 'Huh' moment for me.

11. Worse Dreams
--- Love the intro. The guitar once again tells the story. The stuff around the chorus is the entertaining part. SO much is going on in this song. VERY rich piece. It'll probably take more listens for me to really feel this all, but I love what I hear so far.

12. Eyelid's Mouth
--- Apparently this is the THX sounder from hell, lol. That's what I thought. Great guitar intro. What I want to fucking know is who let the goddamn water run out?!?! Lmao, nice later album entertainer. Little experimental, but never boring. Thayil's shining moment on the album. He's the fucking rock star here, he absolutely KILLS it. Too bad there's a tad too much overproduction over his AMAZING guitar solo, worthy of comparison's to any of the great ones. WOW. But that's just a nit pick. Stellar moment for Thayil.

13. Rowing
--- WOW, what a lock out! Might be one of the best songs on the album. Lyrically awesome. Cornell nails it, VERY memorable. Harmonies sell it. Very haunting. Great lock out to the album.

WOW, what an album! My heart was warmed (or cooled?) completely to hear these guys have a full return 15 years later. If you tack on Black Rain & Live To Rise, it just adds to it being an explosive return. I actually disagree in some ways, I found it to be a VERY accessible album, but then again in some ways it's Soundgarden's "Chinese Democracy". It's accessible, yes, but it's a rich experience. It's not exactly got tons of radio singles on it. But I think that's a shame. I do think the album has radio singles. There's several songs on it that could easily be on radio and pushed as hits. Or should be, I dunno. I don't see why not. The album is that good.

After hearing Alice In Chains roaring return with Black Gives Way To Blue in 2009, in the back of my mind I had hoped Soundgarden would give me something similar emotionally and sonically when King Animal was annouced.

They did.

I was so happy. It took me alot of years to dig this band, but when I did I respected and loved what they were, are, and will be.

**** stars - 4/5 -- Very Good

I'll leave you with this... from one of my favorite songs on the album -- "Black Saturday". Ironically I listened to this on a Saturday for the first time. It really smacked me in the face, in all the right ways.

Promise something
Kill me right Away, if I start to get slow
And don't remember, how to seperate, the worm from the apple
Don't wait 'til tomorrow, kill me right away, if I start to listen
To the voices, telling all the mouths, what they need to swallow
Do that for me, it's the least that you can do, don't be afraid
I would do the same for you, burn out any memory
Of me ever breathing, until I am born again

Fucking whoa. Amen Chris. Never forget, and I won't either.

Solid review