• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Hillbilly Vegas: Ringo Manor

Country/Southern Rock

4.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Red Dirt Music Company
by Craig Hartranft,  04.09.2012

While not necessarily one of the first genres considered by Dangerdog Music Reviews, I've always enjoyed country and southern rock. I grew up with The Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels, and Little Feat to name some early bands. Like most genres, in the last twenty years, country and southern rock has evolved and blurred boundaries. Just think of Kid Rock bending his rap rock into some classic southern style.

Hillbilly Vegas: in the back alley of The Bellagio.

So here's Hillbilly Vegas and their debut, Ringo Manor. Think less Allman Brothers and more towards Kentucky Headhunters. They can rock, but still also favor banjo and other sides that offer the grits and gravy sound. And it's the rock side that interest me. Shake It Like A Hillbilly, Oklahoma 3.2, Grits N Gray, and Mason Jars and Moonlight offer a better balance between 'twang' and rock. When it sounds too country, they don't necessarily lose me, but my interest wanes. By example, Helluva Nigth, at least by the title, would suggest a boot-kicking romp. Not so much. It's more like a country hangover waiting for the hair of a Harlan County mongrel in a dirty shot glass to offer revival.

Nevertheless, the best thing about Hillbilly Vegas is that they don't sound like polished mainstream Nashville 'just-get-me-on-the-charts-with-Taylor-Swift' bullshit. Just listen to vocalist Steve Harris' anecdotal prounouncements in Shake It Like a Hillbilly. Hillbilly Vegas is fun, but also quite deft a merging rock with country and southern music in a contemporary setting. I'm sure Ringo Manor will not appeal to most Dangerdog readers, but check them out just the same. Recommended.

On Ringo Manor, Hillbilly Vegas effectively puts classic rock into country and southern music, but sometimes, to not the best advantage, the 'twang' gets the upper hand.

Alphabetical Index

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]