And God said, "Let There Be Rock" and the sisters, Maxine and Roxy Petrucci were born; and God saw that it was good! The cd I have before me today, entitled "Titania", is Maxine Petrucci's first solo release. For those of you who don't know, Maxine was the guitarist for the '80's Heavy Metal band Madam X. The band not only featured Max but also her sister, Roxy Petrucci who played drums and would later join the all girl Metal band Vixen. To make the story even sweeter, a young unknown vocalist that went by the name of Sebastian Bach sang for the band. You all know where he went....Skid Row! Now here we are in 2005 and Maxine has finally claimed her throne of guitar goddess and boy, does she ever. As a matter of fact, Maxine plays the majority of the bass on the album and she sings too! "Titania" also has a few special guests, such as Roxy Petrucci who plays all drums, Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big/DLR fame who makes his presence felt on the title track through his bass work.
Title song, "Titania", kicks off with guitar riffs that are so thick and crunchy they'll blow you away. There are times I find myself wondering if Zakk Wylde is playing! It's just that heavy, kids. Max hasn't lost her shred ability by any means; the lead break in "Titania" is fucking crazy, she shreds with the best of them and you can take that to the bank. Max's vocals oddly remind me of a few female bands; Rock Goddess, Femme Fatale and The Runaways. "Squeeked" again features Maxine's shredding power, in the lead break she slashes through so many scales I lose count. Dare I say there is no man that can compete with this type of talent. Roxy Petrucci also shows off her drumming skills with double kicks that take the track up ten notches! "Love Test" slows the pace down quite abit. It has an insatiable hook and groove that snatches me back into the old days so fast my head is spinning uncontrollably. By now it's not a surprise, the lead break rips like a hurricane! Just when I thought it was safe to come back out of the closet from all of this mad guitar shredding, "Space Hog" kicks in like a rabid dog. The guitar riffs in this track are beyond heavy! Maxine's vocals also peak into screams that fit well into the heavy dose of Metal I am being served. "Hard For You" is definitely seductive, the sex-driven lyrics found within, spin a web of earful pleasure like I've never known. Now this is how I like my Sleaze! The last track on "Titania" is an instrumental shred-fest entitled "Max Attacks". HOLY HELLFIRE!!! A little over three minutes of nothing but heavy riffing and insane leads, played at the speed of light. It sounds like something Michael Angelo would play, the only difference is it's done on one neck, not two!
Throughout the years I've wondered many times where Maxine went. After receiving this cd, it's more than evident Max hasn't gone anywhere. She's still here and she still rips like no tomorrow and I mean RIPS!!! Roxy hasn't lost her drumming edge either, she still slams as well. If you love Metal and mean, loud guitars, blazing leads and nut-busting riffs, you have to get this cd.
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review byBlackangle.comCheck out this video of "Have Sword Will Travel" They used a couple of my new songs! Its just a teaser of things to come!
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