Chickenfoot III Review

What do you get, when you add two former members of Van Halen, a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a guitar virtuoso? If you answered one of the greatest new rock and roll bands currently out today, then you are correct!

So is the case with Chickenfoot, the American hard rock super group composed of former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar on vocals, Michael Anthony on bass, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and perhaps the greatest guitarist in the world today, Joe Satriani.

The band formed in 2009, and have just released their second full length album, aptly titled Chickenfoot III. This fun, guitar driven hard rock record is filled with a refreshing energy which bleeds classic rock and roll and is one of the best releases of the year.

The Last Temptation is the opening song on the record and perfectly sets the stage for what is to follow on the coming tracks. The big ballsy bluesy riff of Joe Satriani drives the song as an energetic Sammy Hagar screams about avoiding all types of tasty temptations. This is followed up by one of the coolest rock and roll songs on the album, Alright Alright.

Alright Alright is a great upbeat track with a Rolling Stones type of vibe. It is a fun song despite negative lyrics about being sick of the person you are in a relationship with. Musically, the tune is both stonesy and bluesy with a straight grooving digging bass line, while the guitar at time is reminiscent of Keith Richards.

The next song on Chickenfoot III, is currently my favorite song off of the album and it is titled Different Devil. Different Devil is a potential VH1 radio hit with classic Sammy Hagar vocals. Lyrically, the track takes off where the previous songs ended and is about a relationship losing heat and the appeal to look elsewhere. However, the message Sammy delivers is that no matter who you end up with, you will still be stuck in the same hell only this time the devil will have a different face. The chorus is amazing and will have you playing air drums the moment it hits.

The strongest, meanest riff on the record is up next on the track Up Next. The song is full of attitude with a cool bass line and a dark, disruptive guitar solo which is similar to what you might hear on a Joe Satriani solo album. The darkness of the solo accommodates the song since the track is about potentially being the next to die. This fear however does not resonate with Sammy as he bellows out some of the wittiest lyrics I have ever heard from him in the form of “when I arrive at the Pearly Gates/ gonna have my swimsuit on/ flip-flops and a pair of shades.”

Lighten Up is the fifth song on the record and is a sleazy, down and dirty track with a Humble Pie type of vibe. The slow building budding intro is perfect for this track until the breaking point is finally reached and Sammy lets it all loose.

Come Closer is next and is a different ballad then what most fans would come to expect from a rock and roll band. The track is very tender and is reminiscent of old 1970's R&B soul tunes. Groovy drumming and great bass progression would make Come Closer not feel out of place on an Otis Redding or Teddy Pendergrass album and surprisingly it does not feel out of place on a Chickenfoot record either.

The next song on Chickenfoot III, is a spoken word song with no singing or chorus and is called Three and a Half Letters. It is one of the craziest tracks on the record and features just a bass line as Sammy reads letters from fans who need jobs and are willing to work. The bass line builds until the end of each letter when Sammy lets out a blood curling scream of “I Need A Job!, I Need A Job!” The big bad riff of Joe Satriani follows with Chad Smith going nuts on the drums and Michael Anthony ripping up the bass until the track calms down again so Sammy can read the next letter, and then it goes back to psycho. This track is a real complaint of the statement of our economy and Chickenfoot makes a belligerent musical statement with one of the coolest endings of any song I have ever heard. This is a real highlight on the album, with a fantastic fading screaming guitar and delta blues melody.

The huge riffs of Big Foot is next and is a bad ass rock and roll song about cars and sex. It is on this track, where Chad Smith truly shines as he dances around the riff of the grooving bass and guitar.

Bluesy smoking guitar sounds of Dubai Blues is next and is a song where you just want to jump into your car and go with the explosive bridge that sounds like polished razor blades. Dubai Blues is a great Chickenfoot ensemble jam speaking on how money can buy you everything but love as Sammy sings “I got a hundred acre theme park right there in my own backyard/ 365 Bentleys, 1 day for every car/ But I ain't got you!”

The tenth song is a song in which you can tell Chickenfoot took a chance with. Fortunately, their risk payed off and Something Going Wrong is one of the best on the album. A banjo is brought into play here and goes along wonderfully with the great exploding solo from Joe Satriani. The background vocals of Michael Anthony on this tune are the best on the album and really help the song shine, especially during the huge gorgeous chorus.

The last track is a bonus song on the deluxe edition of the album and is a Michael Anthony bass driven beast entitled No Change. Listening to the deluxe edition is definitely worth it as this is classic Chickenfoot and should not be missed out.

Chickenfoot has really delivered with an all out fun refreshing hard hitting album, that is definitely one of the best releases of 2011. Joe Satriani is an unbelievable musical genius and proves why he is considered to be the best guitarist in the world right now. His musical ability is unquestioned and he has put together a really great album. Vocally, Sammy Hagar has never sounded better and Michael Anthony once again reminds every one how foolish it was for Van Halen to not welcome him back to the band, as his bass playing and background vocals are the driving force of this record. Chad Smith's drumming sounds as good as ever and his craziness is truly exploited on this album.

Finally, one question that seems to be on everyone's mind, is why Chickenfoot decided to name their second record Chickenfoot III. The answer for this is simple as Sammy says it was to avoid making the dreaded second album, so instead they just skipped it and went to three. I wish more musicians would follow this plan as Chickenfoot III completely avoids the sophomore slump and is definitely an album everyone should check out.

On the Beavis and Butt-Head Scale,
4.5 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads

Standout Tracks:
Different Devil, Three and a Half Letters, Big Foot, Something Going Wrong

WWE Hell In A Cell Preview & Rant

For the second time in two weeks, WWE will hold a PPV as Hell In A Cell takes place Sunday, October 2nd from New Orleans, LA.

The event will be headlined by John Cena defending the WWE Championship inside the barbaric Hell In A Cell structure against both Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk for the first time in a triple threat match. Also featured will be newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry going one on one with the man he took the championship from Randy Orton inside the Hell In A Cell.

Unfortunately, due to the short amount of time since Night of Champions, the story lines for both matches seemed rushed especially the WWE Championship bout. Just last month, CM Punk was involved in a feud with WWE COO Triple H and now he is back to where he was two months ago in the WWE title picture.

This is a shame, because John Cena, Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk all have the ability to tell great stories and throwing them in a feud to obtain PPV buys is ruining half the fun of being a wrestling fan. The short amount of time has not let the viewer become emotionally invested in the story and want to see the big blowoff match at the PPV. While I am confident all three men will put on a great match, without the story line, the match feels unimportant.

Hell In A Cell used to mean something in professional wrestling. Before it became an annual PPV, Hell In A Cell matches were rare and had a big time feel whenever they were announced. The match was a special attraction and was used as the climax to an important feud. In fact, the first time the WWE Championship was even defended inside one of these structures was the sixth Hell In A Cell when Triple H defeated Mick Foley in February of 2000.

Over the years, the importance and big time feel of Hell In A Cell has been dwindled down to almost nothing and it has honestly become just another match in the WWE machine. This is sad because some of the greatest memories of WWE from my childhood were moments that took place inside these matches. I will never forget the image of the Undertaker throwing Mick Foley off the top of the Cell threw the announce table to the concrete floor and afterwards Mick Foley smiling with his front teeth missing and a tooth lodged up his nose.

While I am aware that the times have changed, and am complacent with never seeing another human being plummet to the ground for entertainment, I am not okay with the fact that one of the most special and prestige matches of my era has been diminished to a throw away PPV. With the proper buildup, this event could have been special and quite memorable instead of just a prelude to the Survivor Series PPV in November.

UFC Verses 6: Cruz vs. Johnson Preview

This Saturday, the UFC Bantamweight Championship will be on the line as UFC champion Dominick Cruz defends his title against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in Washington D.C. on free television courtesy of the Verses Network. 

Dominick Cruz will be defending his championship for the fifth time since winning the 135 pound title back in August of 2010, and will be facing arguably the fastest competitor to ever step foot inside the octagon in Demetrious Johnson. 

Demetrious Johnson has looked unstoppable inside of the cage and is currently on a four fight winning streak over world class competition. His last two fights in particular were enough to earn him a title opportunity as he defeated the world renown Norifumi “Kid” Yamamato and former WEC Bantamweight champion Miguel Torres. 

Johnson is currently heading into his fight with Cruz as the underdog, but the underdog role is something Johnson has been playing his entire life. Standing at only 5'3, Johnson is considerably smaller than most opponents he has to face and Saturday will be no different as Johnson will be giving up five inches to the 5'8 champion Dominick Cruz. 

  To make up for his lack of height, Johnson possesses another tool to help him inside of the octagon, his speed. Johnson's quickness is his main weapon and he uses it to his full advantage. Opponents who normally obtain world class wrestling are unable to stop Johnson's shot mainly because they do not see it coming. Both Yamamato and Torres were essentially hopeless as Johnson's speed baffled and confused them both en route to unanimous decision losses. 

While Johnson has the upper hand in quickness, Dominick Cruz will be his greatest challenge to date. No slouch in the speed category, Cruz is the champion for a reason and could possibly possess the best footwork in all of mixed martial arts. Cruz' fighting style is one of movement and constant motion, and all of his opponents to date have been unable to figure out how to stop him. 

In his last fight, Dominick Cruz was able to successfully defend his Bantamweight championship against the only man to ever defeat him, Urijah Faber in the main event of UFC 132. In a potential fight of the year candidate, Cruz showed exactly why he is the champion and put forth a gritty performance using his crazy footwork to put on a show en route to a unanimous decision victory avenging the only loss on his mixed martial arts record. 

Saturday night, expect fireworks and do not blink when these two bantamweights collide together inside of the octagon. The 135 pound division is without a doubt the most exciting division of the UFC due to the nonstop action throughout the duration of the fight. There is never a dull moment or a stoppage of action when a fight within this division takes place and Saturday night the two best representatives of the division will fight for championship gold. 

In the Co-Main Event of the evening, two heavyweights in desperate need of a win will face off as Pat Barry will compete against Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve. Both of these men are coming off devastating knockout losses which stopped all previous momentum they had gained inside of the stacked Heavyweight division. 

For Pat Barry, his setback was the worst as he was the victim of arguably the greatest MMA come from behind victory of all time in his last fight against Cheick Kongo. With Kongo seemingly knocked unconscious, Barry swung wildly, putting his guard down for a split second and was caught with a stiff hook and uppercut knocking him out cold. The fight was catastrophic for Barry as he seemingly was well on his way to a victory and advancing his stock in a crowded heavyweight scene. However, his brief lapse in judgement pushed him further down the ladder, causing his stock to plummet as well. 

Stefan Struve is in the same boat as Barry, and his latest loss also pushed him towards the back end of the line in terms of relative heavyweight fighters competing in the UFC. Before his last loss, the 6'11 Dutchmen had back to back TKO victories, one earning him the knock out of the night award. Struve was well on his way to elevating himself into the upper echelon of heavyweights before crumbling to the superman punch of Travis Browne back in May. 

Both Pat Barry and Stefan Struve could quite possibly be fighting for their careers in the UFC on Saturday. With the recent addition of Alistair Overeem to the UFC heavyweight division, two consecutive losses inside the octagon could potentially result in being cut by the UFC and unemployment. With this possible stipulation on the line, I expect both warriors to leave it all inside of the cage with hopes of getting back to their winning ways. 

Saturday night is a great night for mixed martial arts enthusiasts as the UFC has once again delivered with an incredible fight card for its fans. The Bantamweight Championship fight is the first title bout the UFC has put on free television since 2007 at UFC 75 when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defeated Dan Henderson in a Light Heavyweight Championship contest. With the recent groundbreaking announcement of the UFC partnering with FOX, the UFC is unquestionably looking to gain more fan support in their quest to become mainstream. Their decision to go with Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson was an excellent selection to showcase not only their newest division but also two of the greatest athletes competing in the sport of mixed martial arts today. 

Half A Life

Barking with madness lost in a hopeless sea

Eternal damnation not a moment of glee

Broken & empty a hollowed look in my eye

Down on both knees, hands & tears flow to the sky

A life of such promise ravaged & run astray

I lived half a life & threw the rest away.

Vultures glide above in my darkest hour

Sinking their fangs to the neck of a joyful corpse I no longer empower

Winds change as the demons are drunk on their lust

My minds overcome with sorrow from the tornados of disgust

An uneasiness settles I'm caught in the lights unable to get away

I lived half a life & threw the rest away.

More questions then answers, the nights darkest before dawn

Pillaging confusion pours gasoline on the fire of my scorn

Ripped asunder from the boy who was once a majestic dove

What is left is the mosquito salivating for love

My wings ready to soar yet I am bound to the ground

Weeping for help but not a lending hand to be found

This game called life, I no longer wish to play

I lived half a life & threw the rest away.

A Reluctant American Hero

Today, an immense honor was bestowed upon a brave soldier who risked his live during live combat to rescue his team when they were ambushed two years ago in Afghanistan. However, if you ask Sergeant Dakota Meyer if he believe he deserves the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by The United States government, you will be answered with a resounding no. 

On September 8th, 2009 just before dawn in the Kunar province of Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers and marines were accompanying an Afghan battalion when they were ambushed by Taliban insurgents at Ganjgal valley. The mountains in the valley erupted in a deadly battlefield of open fire, as rocket-propelled grenades and bullet shells flew at the squadron from every possible angle, ranging from schools to the hills.

It was at this point, where the story of Sgt. Dakota Meyer becomes one of true heroism and brotherhood. Admittedly, never one to follow the flow nor the rules, Sgt. Meyer immediately knew he had to take action into his own hands in order to rescue his team. Located at the rear during the ambush, Sgt. Meyer watched as his brothers in war were trapped with no possible escape, left to die. 

After being denied permission to join the fight, on the count of it being to dangerous. Sgt. Meyer and Staff Sergeant Juan Rodriguez-Chavez embarked on what can only be described as a suicide mission. Disobeying the conventional Military operation of following orders, Meyer and Chavez defied the odds and drove a humvee straight into the heart of the ambush, with Chavez at the wheel and Meyer operating the gun on top, his whole upper body completely exposed to the chaotic atmosphere around him. 

Stopping to rescue and pick up the injured troops and give cover for American forces to escape, Meyer and Chavez were able to successfully save a great number of human lives both American and Afghan alike. A total of five trips were made into the middle of hell on earth, having to move on foot the final time. Each and every second, Sgt. Meyer said he felt he was going to die but as he says, “that's what you do for a brother.”

A total of thirty-six lives were saved that day during the six hour ambush. Twenty-three Afghanistan lives and thirteen American lives. Sgt. Meyer is also credited with killing eight Taliban insurgents who initiated the attack, some at close range. Unfortunately, when Meyer and Chavez reached their comrades, they had already been killed in combat. The four men apart of Meyer's team were Lt. Michael Johnson, Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Johnson and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class James Layton. However, Sgt. Meyer was able to rescue the bodies, enabling them to be brought back home and laid to rest peacefully, giving their families their proper goodbyes. 

Accepting the award on behalf of the fallen soldiers at a memorialization in his hometown of Columbia, Kentucky. Sgt. Meyer may feel uncomfortable with being described as a hero, but there is no denying the fact that what this man did on that doomed day is the definition of a true American hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Believing all the fighting men and women deserve this award, a simple beer with the President would have been more then enough compensation for Dakota, even though he was to busy to answer the Commander-In-Chief's call the first time claiming he had to work. 

Sgt. Dakota Meyer thank you. Your bravery and story is an inspiration to American's nationwide and I congratulate you on being one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor award.