CACTUS

"Temple of Blues II" (Cleopatra; 2026)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

Original Cactus drummer Carmine Appice is the hard-driving backbone to this album that sounds a little like ZZ Top meets Led Zeppelin on steroids. There's thick, catchy riffs. There's fiery, furious leads. There's a thunderous bass. There are pile driver drums, all combined to bring you a hard rock blues sound that jams a cigarette between your lips, stuffs a bottle of beer in your fist, and dares you not to become one with the music.

This album from the legendary Cactus should be twice as thick as your typical CD considering the number of superstars they've squeezed into its 49-minute running time. Just check out the tracklist below.

1. Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2 feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan
2. 300 Pounds Of Joy feat. Ty Tabor
3. Moanin' At Midnight feat. Pat Travers
4. Down In The Bottom feat. Dug Pinnick
5. Token Chokin' feat. Bumblefoot
6. Bad Stuff feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian & Tony Franklin
7. Tail Dragger feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick
8. The Little Red Rooster feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy Haslip
9. Purple Haze feat. Melanie
10. Spoonful feat. Ted Nugent & Bob Daisley

And that doesn't even include an eleventh bonus track featuring Billy Sheehan, Britt Lightning, and Tommy Thayer. Talk about your all-star release!

There isn't a bad or even middling track to be found here and I wouldn't dare pick a favorite considering the star power involved. Needless to say, there's almost an hour of music here, and its keeps rolling over you with its rich, whiskey-soaked atmosphere and its deliberate pace.

It's been said that the Rolling Stones have always wanted to grow into a great blues band, but Cactus has beat them there. It's been a hella long time since Cactus first released their self-titled debut, but albums like "Temple of Blues II" prove that there's a lot of life in this band yet.

For more information, check out http://www.cactusrocks.net. 

"V" (Escapi Music; 2006)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

It's been over thirty years ... yes, thirty years ... since the original members of Cactus released their last studio album and that's both a blessing and a curse for this legendary band.

It's a blessing because, on "V," it doesn't sound like Cactus has missed a lick. This band might as well have been recording together for the past three decades because "V" sounds tight, confident and fluid. Of course, the members of the band have each improved in their musicianship since the last Cactus album, and their songwriting has matured. But the bluesy riffs and solid melodies that issue forth from this CD sound more like a band that's been touring together for the last thirty years rather than a band that's virtually been apart since then.

It's a curse because, despite the fact that "V" is a hard-rocking, irresistibly-hooked CD, it sounds a bit dated. Of course, the heavy blues influence here, especially on songs like "Day For Night," could also give the CD it's almost vintage sound. And, really, does "Muscle and Soul" really have to sound so uncomfortably like Montrose's "Rock Candy"? At first, you're almost certain you're listening to a cover song.

Regardless, this is one great CD featuring truly great musicians who have proved themselves elsewhere in the years since Cactus split up. Fans of the band fans will be thrilled, seeing as their heroes have pretty much picked up where they left oh so long ago. Fans of blues rock will dig this CD, too, with guitarist Jim McCarty's fretwork being a highlight here.

Cactus: Carmine Appice, Tim Bogart, Jim McCarty, Jimmy Kunes.

For more information, check out http://www.cactusrocks.net. 

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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