A look inside Metal Excess HQ and a preview of what's to come…

I’m going to give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at Metal Excess Headquarters (AKA – my computer desk). It’s become quite messy lately with all kinds of papers and CDs lying about and I just haven’t mustered up the energy to sort through it all and clear it off.

Things you see on the main counter:

The recently reviewed Reimaginator from Rock Sugar is front and center and underneath that is Slash’s new record that I just got in the mail today. Reviews have been really positive for it and the samples I’ve heard of all of the songs sound promising. I hope to have a review up within a week or so. Underneath that album is a list of bands I want to check out that I have been compiling while reading Classic Rock magazine. My check book is there and there’s also a wrapper for McDonald’s cookies which I swear aren’t mine. The woman bought those and was inconsiderate enough to leave the bag on my desk.

Hidden away in the corner are stacks of blank CDs and DVDs. I don’t know what they are used for. Let’s see… um, various press releases and band bios… A small stack of CDs to the left. Up front and to the right is a stack of recently purchased albums (so much for swearing off buying new music). You may notice Hoodoo, the latest from Krokus, which I received in the mail yesterday and upside down there’s Armored Saint’s La Raza. Reviews for both coming soon. Far right is another recent review — the excellent Sting in the Tail from Scorpions. Then you see my actual computer and another spindle of CDs.

Direct your eyes to the top level of the desk and you’ll notice:

An empty can of Diet Pepsi (all a part of my less in-take/more workout lifestyle that kick started about a year ago), my iPod Shuffle which is simply wonderful for the gym and is how I get my old time radio fix these days by downloading radio show podcasts, my old junky Logitech mouse which has been replaced and never worked all that well in the first place yet I keep around as “back up”, a stack of CDs where I cherry picked songs for my iPod (don’t call the RIAA on me!), my recently purchased weight lifting gloves to keep my palms from getting pinched and calloused, my new debit card (no you can’t have the numbers or pin) and hand sanitizer which is very important in this day and age.

BTW – if you’re wondering who the girl is as my wallpaper that’s Maryse from WWE. And yes, she’s gorgeous.

Now that that’s out of the way, in addition to the few forthcoming reviews I already mentioned here are three other recent & upcoming releases I’ll be talking about this week:

Picture – Old Dogs New Tricks
Mass – Sea of Black
Tara’s Secret – Tranquility

After that and in between we can get back to cataloging a few old standards from my collection.