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bbb "smokehouse I" (GYR054)

bbb "crossroads" (GYR090)

bbb "raised on rock" (GYR065)

bbb "keepers of flame" (GYR041)

bbb "long hard road" (GYR018)

bbb "rare tracks" (GYR070)

onesko bogert ceo "cream jam" (GYR053)

tony spinner "rollin' & tumblin'" (GYR051)

· reviews ·

From the first listen, I was sold !!! "Evil" is a great opener and then it hooks into the awesome "Mojo Highway" and from there on, you know you are in for another great ride and another BBB gem of an album. Mike, Emery & Fletch's playing is seriously top shelf stuff and again, there is not one dud track on this album !!! Jay Jesse Johnson's work also shows what an exceptional guitarist he is and why he really is a genuine talent and it was a great move to have him play on those tracks because it worked really well. I love the entire album but "Working So Hard" and "Hear My Train A Comin'" are my two favourites. "Working So Hard" could easily slot into the 2009 "Smokehouse Sessions" CD and, on that track, that is Mike doing what he does best. He just nails these types of songs and you can feel so much passion in his vocals and playing. He really does give it his all. You can hear it and feel it !!! "Hear My Train A Comin'".. Just love it !!!!! It's one big massive jam fest that kicks serious ass. The head was boppin' and the toes were tappin' from start to finish.. awesome playing !!! Love the unplugged "To The Station" as well which was the perfect closer to this excellent BBB disc.

David Vear (Down Under Rock Solid Productions) (1.11)
 

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The Blindside Blues Band continues their "Smokehouse Sessions" series with Volume Two: The Blues Is Evil. Indeed it is.. and master of ceremonies Mike Onesko and his crew of electric henchmen provide their signature down and dirty takes on some loud, hot and tight original hard-rockin' blues jams and some pretty damn wicked interpretations of classic covers that fit the criteria referred to in the title -- smokin' and evil -- and loud -- and raw -- dripping with a sweaty, in-your-face attitude and rife with incendiary white-hot tones from the dark side. The thread that ties these tracks all together is a high-energy "open jam" framework (hence "Smokehouse Sessions" - get it?) featuring tight intros and outros, then lays the grooves down hard and heavy, then cranks the throttle up full bore and spontaneously barrels forward, guitars blazing, red lining through the 10 tracks on this jam extravaganza. And, if that wasn't enough, guesting on 3 tracks is the great Jay Jesse Johnson, slipping and sliding his way through these blazing smokehouse grooves with manic brilliance, adding his unique and singular voice to the ensuing mayhem on tap in this wide open groove parade.

With all the energy and abandon contained in the controlled musical chain reaction branded into the grooves of this fabulous CD, special thanks are in order to whoever didn't forget to press the "record" button and let these big dogs run. This is some strong medicine, kids, and it's not for the squeamish.. it's made by real men who like to play real loud, and is as far away from the reserved, calculated and contrived tripe that passes for "guitar music" today as you can get. There's a party going on down at the Smokehouse, and you're invited, but be warned.. these guys play with matches. And gasoline. And explosives. And other flammable things. All together. All at once. And they like it that way. Leave the fire extinguishers at home and let the jams begin..

Jimmy Ryan (Truth Squad) (3.11)
 

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Those that haven't been turned on to Mike Onesko and the Blindside Blues Band need to stop right now and check these guys out. We raved about their first Volume One opus and now comes the killer Volume Two packed with tough-edge, raw and gritty electric blues rock. Bassist Fletch Little and drummer Emery Ceo are the perfect bedrock rhythm section for Onesko multi talented style and gives the power trio its concrete density. Ten tracks fill this disc with a nice mix of originals and covers. Willie Dixon's "Evil" starts the record off with demonic possession and is a wicked pace setter. A Howlin' Wolf-like voice cackles through the speakers like a ghost from the past as Onesko's guitar burns a new page in hard rock blues playing. The Hendrix classic "Hear My Train A Comin'" has a special vibe with a lower tuning keeping it dark with a more menacing groove. Onesko's whiskey soaked voice embraces the song flowing seamlessly with the guitar. Dixon gets another tribute with "I Ain't Superstitious" where the band lunge into a big Zeppelin-esque interpretation of the song. The drums are especially heavy-handed with Bonham-like flare and a stomping bass kick.

Originals "Mojo Highway" and "Bad Woman Blues" equally hold their own. Slow, chugging, barn-burners, they take the 12-bar shuffle, plug it into a cement mixer and crank out a mind-numbing dirge. Personal favorite, "Whiskey Man" comes across as a mash-up between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Free. Sledgehammer drums introduce the piece followed by Onesko's ripping lead. The riff in a plodding first-pumper with all the gusto of an iron-clad steam engine. Songs like this are what power trios are built for. The thick interplay and full expression of each instrument is not only remarkable but fiercely heavy. They even capitalize on early ZZ Top with "Smokehouse Shuffle". A real surprise is the metallic "King Of The Sky" featuring Jay Jesse Johnson where the guitar gets full amplitude to the point of distortion and combined with a driving bass and drum make it the hardest track on the disc. The band slow long enough to bring out the sizzling "Working So Hard" and a cool unplugged "To The Station". The artwork, with its flaming guitar and skeleton filled vision of hell captures the music perfectly. As always, stick around for the hidden bonus instrumental track - it's a smoker.

Todd K. Smith (Cutting Edge) (4.11)
 

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