Posts Tagged ‘Chickenfoot’

Supergroups have a tendency to be a little like those McDonalds employees you see with the coveted ‘Five Stars’ on their badges, you think they are going to be something special but they still sneeze on your fries.

Looking to redress the balance, Chickenfoot return to build on the success of their debut offering and unleash Chickenfoot III.  Titled in true Spinal Tap style, Sammy Hagar explains the numerical anomaly; ‘It’s so good, it’s like we jumped right past having to make a second record’.  A confidence it has to be said is not entirely without merit as Chickenfoot III is good.  Really good.

How much you will enjoy this album depends on your views on stadium sized classic rock, for this is (as you would expect from its contributors) a classic rock record.  A manly slab of riff laden, testosterone driven rock, the kind of tunes that will put hairs on your chest.

Proving this point somewhat is the opening ‘Last Temptation’, Joe Satriani puts his stamp on the intro before it gives way to the bruising syncopated rhythms of the verse and towering vocals of the chorus.  A brute force attention grabber. 

‘Alright Alright’ is a Stones meets Rod Stewart swagger fest, culminating in some serious shredding from Satriani and much like the foot stomping ‘Big Foot’ which sees Hagar in full Zeppelin mode, they are huge slabs of granite riffage and gravel pit vocals, making both hard to resist.

That is not to say that this is an album without subtlety however, ‘Come Closer’ allows the more mellow side of the band to surface whilst ‘Three And A Half Letters’ is a surprising emotive piece.  Based around Hagar reading out first-hand accounts from people who have struggled to find work, make ends meet or cope with the horrors experienced during their service in the armed forces, it maintains a defiant rather than depressing tone expressed through the primal scream cry of the chorus.

On first listen this would almost appear to be the Hagar/Satriani show but on each repeat you realise that whilst perhaps not flashy, Chad Smith and Michael Anthony are the air tight glue holding this collection together, flawless performances from two musical heavyweights.  Far from being an albatross around their necks, these are big tunes, from big stars that can carry the mantle of ‘supergroup’ with ease.

Jules says….

Find out more by visiting the Chickenfoot website HERE.

Following the release of their long awaited second album ‘III’, the hottest rock & roll band in the world, Chickenfoot, have announced a 5-date UK & European tour for January 2012; their first European concerts since July 2009.  Including 2 UK concerts in Manchester and London, tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday October 14th 2011; further info is detailed below, and at www.chickenfoot.us.

Chickenfoot will perform songs from their gold-selling, eponymous debut album, alongside tracks from the critically acclaimed ‘III’, for the very first time outside of the United States.  The European tour kicks off at the Manchester Academy on Thursday January 12th, followed by London’s O2 Academy Brixton (Saturday January 14th), Paris Olympia (Monday January 16th), Tilburg O13 (Tuesday January 17th) and Dusseldorf Mitsubishi Electric Hall (Thursday January 19th). Tickets for the 2 UK concerts will be available from www.livenation.co.uk/artist/chickenfoot-tickets.

Featuring guitar hero Joe Satriani and Van Halen duo, bassist Michael Anthony & frontman Sammy Hagar, Chickenfoot drummer Chad Smith has temporarily handed his sticks over to the legendary Kenny Aronoff, who will join the band for these concerts.  Says Joe Satriani, “Kenny brings that same combination of super chops and wild energy to the band that we’re used to; and, offstage, he’s just as crazy as Chad”.  Watch a video of Chad Smith introducing Kenny here.

Chickenfoot fans in the UK will be treated to a special Planet Rock pre-sale, where tickets can be purchased 24 hours ahead of the October 14th general on-sale date.  By visiting www.planetrock.com, tickets will be available from 9am on Thursday October 13th.

CHICKENFOOT, the acclaimed US supergroup featuring guitar hero Joe Satriani, frontman Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony (both formerly of Van Halen) and world renowned drummer Chad Smith, celebrate their highly anticipated second album Chickenfoot III with a special concert and Q&A webcast, streamed worldwide tonight (Sept 28th) from 8pm (UK time) at www.chickenfoot.us.
 
Originally transmitted live yesterday at 6pm PST (2am UK time), tonight’s one-off re-broadcasting is aimed exclusively at Chickenfoot’s European fan base.
 
Produced by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica), Chickenfoot III comes complete with innovative, never-before-seen 3D packaging. Each physical copy of the album with contain a pair of Chickenfoot 3D glasses where fans can view otherwise hidden album cover art, 3D pictures of the band, and hidden messages.