I picked up “Kicking & Screaming” a few days ago (I got the CD/DVD version) and it’s been on daily rotation ever since. In fact, I’ve been playing it 3 or 4 times on some days. “Kicking & Screaming” is not “Angel Down II”. Bach’s terrific voice is still there, but “Kicking…” seems to be a much brighter affair. In my eyes (or ears?), “Angel Down” was a pretty dark album while “Kicking…” feels a lot more positive. Equally likable, but very different.

The title track has been lurking around the Internet for the past month or so (thanks to the video being on YouTube) and it gave a good indication as to what this new album is all about – Hard Rock that will get your foot tapping and your head banging. Sebastian and his band truly are firing on all cylinders.

The songs feel strong and complete and none of them feel like they’ve been thrown onto the album to fill up a bit of space. Each one oozes its own character and, after a few listens, they begin to feel like old friends. I guess there is, in some way, a relatively “retro” atmopshere to the album – but that could just be because Bach’s voice is so familiar to me now.

I couldn’t go through the whole review without mentioning Nick Sterling (click here to read an interview with the man himself) – the phenomenal young guitarist who has been at Sebastian’s side for the last couple of years (he was terrific at the London gig in October 2010). Not only is Nick a great guitarist (which is proved on each and every track on this album), but he is also an astoundingly good songwriter. The songwriting partnership between him and Sebastian (on some of the songs) brings the album up to another level.

The production is clean, crisp and powerful – meaning that you never miss a thing… and, on some of the tracks, you can hear the cowbell in all of its glory!

Highlights include: “Tunnelvision” (featuring a surprising guest appearance from John 5), “Kicking & Screaming”, “As Long As I’ve Got The Music”, “I’m Alive” (some of us heard this track on the recent tour – it’s as good as I remember it), “Dirty Power”, “One Good Reason”, “Wishin’” and “Jumpin’ Off The Wagon”. I believe that “Jumpin’ Off The Wagon” is only available on some versions of the album – it’s definitely worth buying one of those versions! It’s so addictive!

I’ve got a fever and there’s only one prescription… MORE COWBELL! “Kicking & Screaming” is, without shadow of a doubt, my favourite Hard Rock album of 2011. If you’re looking for a feel good hard rock record then this album delivers.

Rating: 100%

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Nick Sterling with Sebastian Bach in Warwickshire, England. Photo by Hans Brendestam

Nick Sterling is the extremely talented guitarist who recently joined Sebastian Bach’s band. He has just completed a tour with Sebastian Bach (supporting Guns N’ Roses) and is now in the process of promoting his own album and writing/recording the new Sebastian Bach album. This guy is unbelievably busy… and yet, he still made time to answer my questions. To put it bluntly – Nick Sterling is awesome.

Lou: Hi Nick, thanks for agreeing to answer my questions – I understand that you’re really busy at the moment! Anyway, how’s it going today?

Nick: It is going swell. It’s been nice to be home after this last tour in Europe with Baz.

Lou: How was the tour with Sebastian Bach and Guns N’ Roses? I saw you in London on the 13th October – it was a great show!

Nick: I thought the tour went great; we definately had a lot of great shows, the crowds we’re wonderful. We played like 7 shows in 7 nights and we’re really a band that gets better the more we play.

Lou: What was the highlight from that tour?

Nick: Playing the O2 arena in London was really cool; the second night that we played there was better though, that show was awesome! The crowd was really into it and Baz was really singing great so we came off stage feeling really good.

Lou: Slightly bizarre question, but I really liked the hat you wore on this tour (I have a small hat obsession!) – where can I buy one of those bad boys from?

Nick: Yeah, I really like hats a lot too and when we’re out traveling I’ll go a few days without showering so hats help that too. That hat has gotten pretty funky over the past year. I’ve taken it to Europe, Canada, South America, Jersey, haha. I don’t know where you’d find one, mine’s actually from the theater department from a school near by.

Lou: I’m sure you’ve been asked this a thousand times before, but how did you end up becoming the guitarist for Sebastian Bach?

Nick: We’ll he was looking for a guitarist and he initially saw me in an advertisement for Eminence speakers in Guitar Player magazine. After that he checked out some of the stuff that I had online and we started talking by phone. Sebastian was just so stoked about making some new music and he really likes my style of writing so everything has just kinda fell into place. I wouldn’t want to be involved if he was just into doing the whole nostalgia rock thing, that’s not what he’s about, he wants to keep making records until he’s much much older and that’s cool.

Lou: I understand that you’re working on the new Sebastian Bach album at the moment, are you able to tell us anything about it? Does it have a title yet?

Nick: We will be starting the preproduction for the new record soon. Most of the songs on there are ideas that I have had written in the past, a lot of the tunes that work great for sebastian to sing happen to be tunes that just didn’t fit with the songs on my last solo record. It will be more of a Rock record, lots of melody but while still keeping Sebastian’s signature high level of energy.

Lou: Will it carry on from where “Angel Down” left off?

Nick: I think it will be a very different style of album than Angel Down but still compatible with Sebastian’s fan base. I’m really excited to start working on it.

Lou: Will you be hitting the road again with Sebastian Bach once the album has been released? (Hint: come back to the UK!)

Nick: I hope so, I would definitely assume so! Sebastian and his management team are really wanting to give it 100% so I’m sure that a huge tour supporting the album will happen sometime in the future.

Nick Sterling in Warwickshire, England. Photo by Hans Brendestam

Lou: You’ve only recently turned 20 years old and you’ve already accomplished so much… to say I’m jealous is an understatement! Haha! What or who was it that initially made you want to become a musician?

Nick: Well, playing the guitar always just kinda came naturally to me but my dad always played a little bit in bands growing up. He taught me some of the first things I ever learned and has supported me ever since then; my whole family has.

Lou: What was the first album you ever bought?

Nick: I’m really not sure. I wouldn’t remember that far back in detail, a lot of the things that I first started listening to were in the cd case in my parents closet.

Lou: I’ve read that, as well as being a superb guitarist and singer/songwriter, you’ve also had a go at producing. Will you be producing the new Sebastian Bach record? Have you produced any albums for any other artists / bands?

Nick: I hope to have some involvement on Baz’s next record in the studio. I’m pretty sure that it will just end up being a group effort; we’re not sure who will be producing it yet. I’ve done a little bit of production for other bands locally here in Arizona but mostly my experience is with recording my own stuff. Recording is definately one of my favorite things.

Lou: Do you have any tips for any aspiring musicians / songwriters / producers?

Nick: Don’t get to caught up in being so technical, let the music be music.

Lou: What equipment do you use?

Nick: I use a lot of different guitars and amps. With Baz it’s usually just rented backline gear. I’ve been taking my 73 Les Paul Custom and a really cool RS guitarworks telecaster on the road with him.

Lou: My research tells me that you got your first guitar when you were 7 years old (please correct me if I’m wrong!). Do you still have that guitar?

Nick: My first guitar was a Fender Duo-Sonic, I’m pretty sure it’s still somewhere at my parents house! I don’t play it much anymore; it’s a short scale string length.

Lou: I’ve been listening to your solo album, “Invisible”, quite a bit recently and it’s ridiculously good (my current favourite track is “Wasted Identity”… or “Awake”… or “Was It You” …or “Something to Believe”). What inspires you to write your lyrics?

Nick: I really don’t know, I really write a lot in spurts. When it isn’t happening it isn’t happening. I try to write things out for the most part pretty simply, I like lyrics that read more like as if they were spoken, i try not to get to artsy with alliteration or other technical writing and stuff like that, I like to keep it pretty simple.

Lou: Unfortunately I haven’t listened to your “Life Goes On” album yet. How would you say “Invisible” compares to that album?

Nick: Invisible is much different than Life goes on. That record was released when I was 15 and I was really into Rush and Boston and big huge vocal harmonies and stuff like that. My writing definately sounds a lot younger on that record also. It kinda just marks a place in time for me.

Lou: Will you be doing a solo tour to promote your new album “Invisible”?

Nick: Possibly, I’m already on to making some new music; it’s really what I’m wanting to work hard on and play live at this point. Soon enough I will be playing solo shows of my own again, I’ll know when I’m ready, when I’m confident in the music I’m putting out there and have a group together.

Nick Sterling in Warwickshire, England. Photo by Hans Brendestam

Lou: You’ve written a vast selection of good songs so far, which one stands out the most for you? Which song are you most proud of (from any album)?

Nick: I really don’t have a favorite. I think that having a favorite song would be kinda silly. Usually I’m most proud of the one’s that I’m writing at the time. It’s just really exciting when you’re working on something brand new; once it’s completed it’s just getting more familiar. I still can love a song that I’ve gotten familiar with but it’s just not the same as the excitement of the creative process.

Lou: Which bands are you listening to at the moment? Are there any albums that you’d recommend we buy?

Nick: I’ve been listening to a lot of early Smashing Pumpkins lately, pretty much all Gish and Siamese Dream.

Lou: The final words are yours: Do you have any messages that you would like to say to your fans and the readers?

Nick: I’m so excited for the recording of Sebastian’s next record, I’m really happy with the songs and they will be a blast to play live! Looking forward to it!

Lou: Thanks again, Nick! You’re awesome!

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