 | ARTIST: Steevi Jaimz ALBUM: My Private Hell LABEL: SCS Records SERIAL: SCS001-2 YEAR: 2009 SPONSOR: Steevi Jaimz COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: LINEUP: Steevi Jaimz - vocals * Chris Laney - guitar, bass, drums * Anders Ringman - guitar, bass, drums TRACK LISTING: 01 Amazing * 02 Don't Say It's Over * 03 Something Good Something Bad * 04 Still Crazy * 05 Little Sistah * 06 My Private Hell * 07 Kiss Of Death * 08 I Don't Wanna Walk Away * 09 Dancin' With Danger * 10 Kikk It Down RATING: WEBLINKS: www.steevijaimz.com : www.myspace.com/steevijaimz |
Background Whoa! What's going on here? The former
Tigertailz frontman Steevi Jaimz has possibly released one of the best British hard rock albums of the year with 'My Private Hell'. If you are into a vital cocktail of
Danger Danger,
Kiss and
Enuff Znuff - churned up through a glam rock whisking machine, then you'll be digesting this and coming back for more, excusing everyone for serious burps while you're at it! We're fortunate to get an advance hearing of the album directly from Steevi (who just happens to be good pals with our very own Kelv Hellrazer), and I can tell you - this one will turn some heads upside down. Steevi joined forces with Swedish musos Chris Laney (remember the name, also released his 'Pure' album just recently) and Anders Ringman, 'My Private Hell' was recorded at the famous Polar Studios in Sweden - anyone who knows a thing or two about
ABBA or
The Scorpions will know of this place. The trio have been working on this material for a year or two, and it's only been the reluctance of labels that has held this album release up. Steevi is now signed to Rock-It Management (who also look after
Wigwam) and the album hits the shelves this week (May 25th 2009).
The Songs Did I mention
Kiss? Oh ok, then I'll mention it again, as the riffs are flailing off this album like juice off a summertime's popsicle. Yep, it's sweet and dripping with hard rock excess that even
Paul Stanley has got sticky fingers, as his influence is everywhere - from the music to the vocals. Not to forget the other bands I mentioned before.
'Amazing' is the opening salvo, complete with chugga-chugga riffs and big gang choruses, I was reminded of Canadian outfit
Saints And Sinners when listening to this..
I'm guessing that
'Don't Say It's Over' might be the initial single (if there is such a thing these days) off the album. It has a made-for-radio sound, and is not too far removed from the production style of Dennis Ward and an act like (lets say)
Place Vendome.
I really liked
'Something Good Something Bad' with its careful build-up, background keys and effective chorus all striking a chord.
I liked the cool intro to
'Still Crazy', it's a rampant rocker with a tear-it-up attitude, and a gracious
'I'm still fuckin' crazy' by Steevi at the tail of the song.
It's all raw and rabid on
'Little Sistah', landing somewhere beside that first/classic
Skid Row LP!
More
Kiss riffs abound on the title track
'My Private Hell', this one stomps all over the soundscape, so much so that Mr Simmons should be jotting down URL's and email addresses and personally introducing himself to Mr Jaimz!
'Kiss Of Death' contains an insistent riff that never lets up for a moment, sort of like
Danger Danger meeting
Enuff Znuff down on the strip!
For something a little different is the ballad
'I Don't Wanna Walk Away' which should interest fans of
Ted Poley and
Danger Danger. It's pretty good..
'Dancin' With Danger' features more big choruses and gang styled choruses made famous by
Def Leppard, though this one has more of a pop/rock vibe a la
Enuff Znuff.
Closing out with
'Kikk It Down', you'll be transported back to the late 80's and early 90's, the guitar riffs are leaden weight, again think
Skid Row or perhaps
Spread Eagle at their most melodic.
In Summary Whew! What a disc, why has this been sitting around in the can? I'm glad it's finally out, hard rock fans should rejoice. I notice on Steevi's MySpace page that there appears to be a concerted effort to get into the North American market, and I should think that with an album like this, the plan might just work out. I know that Kelv got some tracks aired on Jeff Duran's The Edge radio station the other week, so promotion like that always helps. Whether you are into any of the aforementioned acts, 'My Private Hell' deserves a lot of investigation by those of you skirting around the fringes. Check out the audio samples on his MySpace page, and read some of the forthcoming comments on this site and decide for yourself. However, if you are a
Kiss fan, 'My Private Hell' should be a compulsory purchase - in my opinion. So I guess that means you Mr Daly (a.k.a sabace)!
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