martindavey87 2007’s ‘Pins and Needles’ is the second studio album (or third, depending on whether you consider ‘W.A.R.P.E.D.’ a compilation or not), by American heavy metal guitarist Chris Caffery. Best known for his work with Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Caffery’s solo work is a lot heavier and aggressive than any of his bands, and following on from his previous solo efforts, we’re in for plenty more heavy goodness.

Brimming with skull-crushing guitar riffs and Caffery’s rather unique vocal phrasing with angry, cynical and sarcastic lyrics, ‘Pins and Needles’ continues to demonstrate why the man is such an underrated player and writer. Without the restraints and expectations of mainstream record labels, Caffery is given free-reign to rant and speak his mind to his heart’s content.

But unlike its predecessors, which were solid albums from top-to-bottom, the quality of the music on ‘Pins and Needles’ does tend to drop a bit towards the end, especially when you consider that this album consists of fifteen tracks, there’s bound to be a bit of filler material in there.

But for good material, there’s still an abundance of tracks here that hold up well to Caffery’s previous work. ‘Pins and Needles’, ‘66’, ‘Chained’, ‘It’s S-A-D’, ‘Reach Out and Torment Again’, ‘Y.G.B.F.K.M.’ and ‘Mettle Eastern’ are all exceptional songs, and bonus track ‘Once Upon a Time’ ends the album on an uplifting note, which might seem odd and out-of-place, yet Caffery pulls it off effortlessly.

Overall, ‘Pins and Needles’ isn’t quite as good as 2004’s ‘Faces’ or 2005’s ‘W.A.R.P.E.D.’, but it’s still a pretty solid release with enough highlights to make it worth a listen or two, and if you like your music heavy and full of attitude then you won’t be disappointed.

martindavey87 'Music Man' is the second EP released to promote Chris Caffery's 2004 debut solo album, 'Faces', and contains an eclectic choice of songs.

First there's the title track itself, 'Music Man'. A soft song with plenty of cool melodies and some really nice singing by Caffery. Not sure why this track was chosen as a single however. It's a good track, but not the best choice to reflect the album it appears on. Unlike...

... Straight up, two of the best songs from the 'Faces' album, 'Pisses Me Off' and an extended version of 'Abandoned'. Brutally heavy, with some thunderous riffs and insane vocals, these two songs alone make this EP worthwhile. There's also a censored version of 'Pisses...' which is slightly humorous to begin with, but quickly wears thin and becomes pointless.

There's also three non-album tracks. None of which are all that interesting though. Two of them are Christmas-themed, with a strong Trans-Siberian Orchestra (of whom Caffery plays for) vibe going on, but they're pretty dull songs. And there's 'Forever We'll Be', which also appeared on previous EP 'The Mold'. I wasn't too keen on that song then, and I'm not keen on it now.

Overall though, this is a decent EP. Chris Caffery is an incredibly underrated guitarist and songwriter and I can't recommend his solo material enough. And while this EP is mainly for collectors (I'd definitely suggest checking out his 'Faces' album if you love your music heavy), there's a few songs here that hold up as some of Caffery's finest.

martindavey87 'The Mold' is taken from Chris Caffery's debut solo album, 'Faces', which is a monstrous release that sees the guitarist of the legendary metal band Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra truly cut loose and reveal a side of himself that we've never seen before. It's angry, heavy and loud, and riddled with political and misanthropic lyrics.

Released in 2004, 'The Mold' (the song itself) is great, with some jackhammer guitar riffs and incredibly powerful vocals, it sums up Caffery's sound perfectly. The true highlight of the EP, however, is 'God Damn War'. Taken from the two-disc edition of 'Faces', and later released on the 'W.A.R.P.E.D.' compilation, this is one of Caffery's strongest and most politically-charged songs, with some exceptional guitar playing and demonstrating a great knack for songwriting.

'Fade Into the X' and EP-exclusive track 'Fright Knights' are both reasonably good, but nothing massively memorable, and 'Forever We'll Be' is a pretty dull ballad, which tends to drag on a bit, but does a great job of showing Caffery's development as a singer.

Overall however, this is a pretty decent EP. There's enough solid material and strong enough performances to make it a worthwhile purchase if you're a fan, and there might be enough here to convert any new followers too.

martindavey87 Chris Caffery is back with his (sort of) second solo album, which perfectly demonstrates why I consider him one of the most underrated metal musicians in the world.

Boasting 15 tracks, of which only six can be truly considered new, nine of these songs were already released on the ‘God Damn War’ bonus disc included with Caffery’s debut release, ‘Faces’, the previous year. Do not despair, however, for these six new songs (the actual "new" ones) alone more than make this album a worthy purchase.

Offering up some ultra-brutal guitar riffs and spiteful lyrics, 'W.A.R.P.E.D.' picks up right where its predecessor left off, delving further into hate-filled misanthropy and anti-war sentiments than before. Each composition gives a firm, middle finger to the world leaders who are more intent on endless, senseless violence. And it's this anger that has lent inspiration to some true gems, such as 'God Damn War', 'Election Day', 'Edge of Darkness', 'I', 'Head of the State' and the title track.

Criminally underrated as a guitarist, a vocalist and a songwriter, Caffery has once again delivered a metal album that packs a punch (or a kick to the balls), and shows what fans of the "mainstream" are missing out on. Nobody truly knows what heavy metal is until they’ve heard a Chris Caffery album.

martindavey87 With his first solo album, Chris Caffery, well known for his work with Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Doctor Butcher, introduces us to a dark side we never knew existed.

Mainstream metal fans have no idea what they’re missing out on when people like Chris Caffery are releasing such brutal records. Using some of the most hard-hitting lyrics imaginable, Chris clearly displays his disgust towards politics, war, and above all else... people.

‘Faces’ is easily one of the heaviest albums I’ve heard, and has some true truly monstrous songs on here. ‘Faces’, ‘The Mold’, ‘Evil Is as Evil Does’, ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Abandoned’ are all metal classics with riffs that could drown out a nuclear explosion. ‘Music Man’ demonstrates Caffery’s softer side, and then of course, the legendary ‘Pisses Me Off’, a song with incredibly amusing and creative lyrics, yet its maintained cynicism and brutality prevent it from becoming a comedy song.

Of course if this isn’t enough, my version of this album comes with a bonus disc, ‘God Damn War’. Whilst most albums that come with bonus CDs usually feature nothing more than some demos, outtakes and live tracks, 'God Damn War' is pretty much an entire extra album.

The second disc is pretty much an anti-war statement, spitting in the face of all the politicians who continue to run this planet to the ground. And these are by no means B-tracks, these are equally up to the same standard as the first disc. ‘God Damn War’, ‘Edge of Darkness’, ‘Saddamize’ and ‘I’ are all top-notch metal tracks from one of the most underrated metal musicians on Earth today.

And if the music alone isn’t enough, fans are in for an extra surprise. Mr. Caffery has one hell of a voice! Who’d have imagined his range? Angry growls, emotional screams, and even clean vocals with a tint of sarcasm, this guy has the most metal voice I’ve ever heard, and it almost sounds like he isn’t even trying.

Heavy riffs, humorous lyrics, misanthropic themes… Chris Caffery IS heavy metal.