The Winery Dogs thread - Portnoy, Sheehan and Kotzen

[ErHaO]

First impression: Awesome album! 

I agree with the notions above. More diverse and more groove. A few of the tracks don't really click with me at this moment, but I do think the diversity helps a lot in making this album feel a bit more "special". The first one is great catchy rock I keep coming back to, but this one feels more creative and like there are more stand out moments. And they do so without forgetting to just rock out and be groovy. So yeah, initial impression is that this is exactly what I wanted from them. Now please make a special edition for the sake of changing the cover


On a sidenote, their DVD Unleashed in Japan was uploaded on YT one year ago and has 1.1 million views. That is quite a number! I hope this translates to good album/ticket sales for them.

[OpenYourEyes311]

anyone know if they're bringing an opener on tour with them?

[bobs23]

anyone know if they're bringing an opener on tour with them?

The band name is Kicking Harold

[Stadler]

What does Harold have to say about that?

[cramx3]

On a sidenote, their DVD Unleashed in Japan was uploaded on YT one year ago and has 1.1 million views. That is quite a number! I hope this translates to good album/ticket sales for them.

I became a fan by watching that youtube video of the DVD, that performance is amazing and had me hooked.

[Art]

Halfway through the album and i am really liking what i hear. Itīs more groove/funky based but it has a lot of hard rock, too. Amazing stuff.

[Kotowboy]

The cover is incredibly stupid and awful looking.

Makes me think of that one Adrenaline Mob album cover with the skeleton holding a flaming card.

[mikeyd23]

Listened to the album once through. First impression is positive. Definitely a little funkier and more groovy overall, they definitely stretched a little further stylistically, but a lot of stuff sounded like it would have fit on the first album as well.

There is some great guitar playing on the record and MP sounds fantastic as usual. I'd say if you liked the first record at all, you'll probably like this. If you didn't like the first record I'm not sure this is really different enough to appeal to you.

[hefdaddy42]

What does Harold have to say about that?

[Art]

The album is amazing. in my opinion itīs on the same level as the first. Looking forward to catch them live again.

[ZKX-2099]

Feeling compelled to say I like the new one more than the first.

[jingle.boy]

Agreed... this is a really great rock album.

[ZKX-2099]

Capatin Love reminds me of Perfect Strangers.

[goo-goo]

I prefer the 2nd half of the album starting with Fire. I find the first 5 songs a bit more on the funky side, which is not much of my liking.

Does anybody feel that this one sounds more of a Kotzen solo album? I know he's the main songwriter but I feel a lot of the songs could be easily replaced in any of the Kotzen discs.

But I agree, this is a stronger effort than the first release.

[goo-goo]

Ghost Town should be the next single. 

[Art]

I am completely hooked on Spiral. What a song.

[ErHaO]

Capatin Love reminds me of Perfect Strangers.

Yes! That song popped into my mind as well.

[Phoenix87x]

Just finished my first listen

A very cool album. I really like it, pretty much just as much as the first one.

[Nihil-Morari]

Going to listen to it soon, sounds amazing based on how you guys like it!

[Nekov]

My first impression is that this one is much more funky than the first. Really different, but very cool.

Agreed. The first one was more in your face about the music, this one seems more relaxed and diverse.

[cramx3]

I am completely hooked on Spiral. What a song.

This is a standout for me as well. 

I still have to get this album and badly.  Been listening to the link for streaming it a lot and really liking it.  I can't wait to see them Friday.  I saw the setlist and it's very heavy on the new album, as expected.

[Calvin6s]

Oblivion video

[r0cken]

Oblivion video

Funny video. Billy  and Mike making angry faces into the camera and Richie's like totally bored.

I appreciate this song now, much more than when it first came out.

[Cyclopssss]

What surprises me, from the first album, is how cohesive they sound together. As if they've been playing together for ten years. Really amazing.

[kaos2900]

While I enjoy the new album it's not a good as the original. While not a bad thing, Hot Streak sounds like a Kotzen solo record with an amazing rhythm section. The debut sounded completely original.

[cramx3]

A lot of people are saying this is like a Kotzen album, I guess I need to get into his solo stuff cause I really dig the album, got it last night but need to digest it quickly for Friday night.

[wolfking]

I really like Oblivion, but from the comments, it doesn't seem like a good representation of the album.  Am I correct?

[r0cken]

Correct, Oblivion sounds more like an outtake from the previous album.

[wolfking]

Correct, Oblivion sounds more like an outtake from the previous album.

bah, I'll listen before I spend money on it.  Wasn't a big fan of the first one anyway.  But I should go back and listen to it again.

[r0cken]

bah, I'll listen before I spend money on it.  Wasn't a big fan of the first one anyway.  But I should go back and listen to it again.

I wasn't a huge fan of the first one too, but I like Hot Streak a lot. Gave a few listens to that stream on AMG, was sold on it pretty fast.

[Calvin6s]

I think I'm starting to worship Kotzen.  Was there before Winery Dogs, but this cements it.

Quite a trip too.  Kotzen was a Shrapnel guy.  And to be honest, his first album was one of my least favorite Shrapnel releases.  I mean, in the beginning you had Becker, Friedman, MacAlpine ....  and then you had this:
REH video intro
It was fun to watch as a budding shredder, but his debut album really did very little for me.

I'd basically written Richie off until Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey had Dream of a New Day on its soundtrack.  And I absolutely loved it.  I knew it was Kotzen by the credits, but it was a totally different guy to me.  Then I saw him live (I think it was a Randy Rhoads benefit concert) and I was starting to get wood.  His solo albums later on were just mind blowingly good.

Richie is just a natural musician down to his core.  He writes melodies perfectly supported by the instruments that don't feel like they were composed.  They just came into being like the Big Bang.  One millisecond, the song never existed and then a millisecond later, it was like the song isn't just there, but feels like it is a 40 year old classic.  Portnoy lucked out with Sykes being a flake because being able to align your musical path with Richie would be like a living dream.  There are few people that just *are* music.  Being around them must feel like a nonstop inspiration.  I'm so jelly.

[rumborak]

For me Richie Kotzen is one of those people that I can't really explain why I don't like them more than I do. He has a great voice, great chops, great presence ... but his stuff never exceeds "meh" status for me.

[r0cken]

For me, the two weaker songs are Spiral and Devil You Know. All the rest are great. Very enjoyable album overall.

[cramx3]

Pumped to see them tonight since I am really enjoying this album!  First time seeing MP live since DT at MSG opening for IM.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Pumped to see them tonight since I am really enjoying this album!  First time seeing MP live since DT at MSG opening for IM.

First time seeing him live for me. I was offered tickets to that Maiden show but decided not to go and then a few months later he quit. I was gonna see Sevenfold during Uproar but decided to catch them on their next leg and then he was kicked out. I kept making stupid decisions that led to me not seeing him. Not this time.