A Special Album (Emperor Norton). Review by Stein Haukland.

Kiss My Grass. A Hillbilly Tribute to KISS (Dualtone). Review by Stein Haukland.

Volume (Popularity / Artemis). Review by Stein Haukland.

Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs exhaustively detail the touring history of one of rock’s most memorable live acts in their new book, Kiss Alive Forever. Stein Haukland holds his lighter in the air.

Beautiful Trash (BYO). Review by Daniel Mitchell.

Various Artists (UTV). Review by Carl F. Gauze.

Abigail II: The Revenge (Metal Blade). Review by Matthew Moyer.

Morning Star (Koch). Review by Stein Haukland.

Stein Haukland risks great personal derision by revealing the ten guiltiest of his musical guilty pleasures. Be gentle.

He’s done time with Frehley’s Comet, Cheap Trick, and Ted Nugent, yet Tod Howarth can’t get arrested. Stein Haukland talks with the pragmatic rocker about the business of music.

Gail Worley sold her soul to Satan to bring you an interview with the legendary Alice Cooper. What a bargain!

As Gail Worley herself might say, “It’s all about hangin’ out with rock stars.” Gail hung out with plenty of rock stars this year, and here presents the 19 most memorable things they said to her.

Dragontown (Spitfire). Review by Carl F. Gauze.

Badlands (Koch). Review by Cindy Rivers.

Kurt Channing considers the puzzling popularity of internet cult figure Mahir, inevitable pop superstardom and all, and grasps about for a metaphor to neatly describe it all. Anyone up for picking scabs?

Clouds in the Head (The Music Cartel/Rise Above). Review by Nathan T. Birk.

Brand New History (EMI). Review by Liza Hearon.

While still best known in the States as the frontwoman for the critically acclaimed metal act Warlock, Doro Pesch (or just Doro, professionally) has had a thriving solo career in Europe. Now, after eight years abroad, she has a new album, Calling The Wild, out in the U.S. Cindy Harper caught up with the metal goddess on the eve of her tour supporting Dio and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Did you know that back in the day, the Marvelous 3’s Butch Walker was an ad rep for Ink 19? It’s true! But now he’s the frontman for the popular Atlanta-based rockers, and is sharing his philosophy on rock n’ roll in the Information Age with Andrea Thompson.

Music Midtown is a great chance to catch bands you might never get to see otherwise. Frank Mullen took some chances at this year’s festival in Atlanta, and found out what he’d been missing from the likes of Jimmy Cliff, BR5-49, the Jungle Brothers, and Bjorn Again, as well as a pre-Noel Gallagher walk-out Oasis.