CJSS CD's and DVD's

 

2-4-1

CD
Lion Music
 
 

€9.90

$12.90
2-4-1 contains two classic albums from CJSS, ‘World Gone Mad’ and ‘Praise the Loud’. CJSS was formed by guitar wizard David T. Chastain during early 1984 with two other members of the band Spike, drummer Les Sharp and bassist Mike Skimmerhorn, and vocalist Russell Jinkens who had gained fame for his stint in local Cincinnati cover band Prizoner.

 

REVIEWS:


 

CJSS

World Gone Man
01. Hell On Earth
02. No-Man's-Land
03. Communication Breakdown
04. World Gone Mad
05. Run To Another Day
06. The Gates Of Eternity
07. Destiny
08. Welcome To Damnation
09. Living In Exile

Praise The Loud
10. Out Of Control
11. Land Of The Free
12. Don't Play With Fire
13. Praise The Loud
14. Citizen Of Hell
15. Danger
16. Metal Forever
17. Thunder And Lightning
18. The Bargain.
Damn, I like these initiatives from recordcompanies to re-release stuff from the eighties. Especially when we are talking about good music like these two gems here. To be exact, I’m talking about World Gone Mad and Praise The Loud from the American band CJSS. CJSS was the band of guitarwizard David T. Chastain, singer Russel Jinkens, bassplayer Mike Skimmerhorn and drummer Les Sharp. Take the first letter of every last name: CJSS.
World Gone Mad and Praise The Loud were originally released on vinyl in 1986 and available in Europe through the cult label Black Dragon. That same label released an obscure ‘best of’ cd called Retrospect containing ten songs from both releases in 1990. Almost ten years (1999) later Pavement Music got the rights and released both albums on one cd entitled 2-4-1. I think this also became an obscure piece of work and considering it came out still in the nineties it perhaps was a question of bad timing.
For those among you who didn’t had the pleasure of hearing this band, CJSS played US metal with the emphasis on fast, melodic guitarsolo’s and with a real metalsinger. The songs varied from fast to mid-tempo and of course the essential ballad was present. Taking todays standard in consideration the production could have been better but the albums sound good nevertheless.
Anyway, Lion Music got their hands on the rights and is releasing it under the same name as the Pavement release 2-4-1. That is, two albums for the price of one. People who got the albums back in the eighties must get their hands on this, no doubt about that. Others with an interest in eighties metal ought to have this in their collection or at least check it out. www.digital-steel.com


 


CJSS - 2-4-1 (B+) Lion Music, 2006
18 tracks, RT: 75:15
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/cjss241.htm ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
Well now, THIS is a nice old-school surprise! 2-4-1 is a handy-dandy single-disc reissue of CJSS' 1986 albums, WORLD GONE MAD and PRAISE THE LOUD, both featuring axe master David Chastain on guitar. Shred freaks are probably quite familiar with the many projects (including Chastain, Zanister, and Southern Gentlemen) that David has been part of over the years, but even though I've heard his name mentioned in tones of hushed awe by guitar aficionados for close to two decades, 2-4-1 is the first chance I've had to hear any of his playing. After many healthy spins of this excellent compilation I'd say that I am definitely going to have to do some more exploration of his extensive back catalog. Before you get the idea that CJSS was strictly the David Chastain show, i.e. less of a "band" and more of an excuse for Dave to show off his shredding prowess, keep in mind that when these two albums were first released, he didn't have a "rep" among six-stringers yet. So what you get on 2-4-1 is a very interesting time capsule showcasing a young guitarist making his bones for the first time in the early days of America's heavy metal boom. All four members of this Cincinnati based crew (in addition to Chastain, the lineup was rounded out by vocalist Russell Jinkens, Les Sharp, and Mike Skimmerhorn) formed a potent combination, powering out good old fashioned '80s style heavy metal anthems that must've sounded awesome when blared from the concert stage at max volume. I used to jokingly call stuff like CJSS "Van Priest" bands, meaning that the musicians would mesh the sing-along style and shred guitar of classic Van Halen with touches of the sinister denim and leather-isms of vintage Judas Priest. Just about every one of these 18 tracks is centered around a catchy chorus ("No-Man's-Land," "Out Of Control," "Don't Play With Fire" and "Welcome To Damnation" being some of my favorites) that fans could sing along to, backed by crunching power chords and thunderous drums to get the crowd's heads a-bangin'. Throw in a classic cover tune (a barnstorming take on Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown") and a couple of good old fashioned "METAL RULES, DUDES!" rallying cries like "Praise The Loud" and "Metal Forever," and you've got the early '80s US metal movement in a nutshell. It would be fairly accurate to compare CJSS to bands such as early Keel, Malice, Lizzy Borden, or Loudness (yeah, I know, they're Japanese, but they were sounding quite Americanized by 1985), all of whom were also making similar noises around the same time. Chastain was obviously quite a talent even at this early stage of his career (witness his instrumental "Thunder And Lightning" for proof) and Jinkens had a powerful, confident voice, which sounded a lot like Phil Lewis of L.A. Guns (no kiddin'). According to the band's bio, a third CJSS album was in the planning stages back in the '80s, but Chastain chose to move on and start his solo career, which he continues to this day. (That third album, KINGS OF THE WORLD, finally did surface in 2000, but it's unclear whether or not Chastain was involved at that time.) Even after all these years, it's obvious that WORLD GONE MAD and PRAISE THE LOUD still have a cult following among metal freaks, so it's very cool to see Lion Music giving them renewed shelf life. Now the old-timers can replace their worn-out vinyl or cassette copies and
newbies (like me) who've heard about CJSS but never experienced 'em can find out for themselves what all the fuss was about. Highly recommended.
- Keith Abt (KeithAbt@Yahoo.com)

Detritus Rock/Metal e-zine
"Rock Hard With A Purpose"
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/

 

 

 

CJSS – 2-4-1 (Reissue)
 



2006 Lion Music

Remember back in the day, the vinyl era, when labels like Shrapnel, Relativity, and Enigma released some of the most stellar guitar based highly melodic thrash records. Oh, what an era that was. And nowadays, with most of the playing factor often taking a higher factor than the song factor, that form of melodic metal is few and far between these days.

Combining two lost classic records by CJSS on one CD, both World Gone Mad and Praise the Loud have been released a ‘twofer’ titled 2-4-1 bringing the traditional characteristic of shred laden axe attack back to the surface. Featuring legendary axeman David Chastain, vocalist Russell Jenkins, bassist Mike Skimerhorn, and drummer Les Sharp, CJSS combines the sound of Talas, Cacophony, Hexx, Chastain (surprise, surprise), and Grim Reaper, marking the spot for what is the standard for technical metal endurance.

Looking at it record for record, World Gone Mad (originally released in 1986) has somewhat of a raw aspect to, and with musicianship like this, who needs the overzealous production techniques, right. Burning through cuts such as “Hell on Earth,” the ultra heavy rendition of Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown,” and the driving, moody “Welcome to Damnation” keep the record intact from front to back with the hard-edged fodder. When it comes to the follow up Praise the Loud (also originally released in 1986, but later), the sound is stays consistent record for record. Jumpy with “Out of Control,” dark with “The Bargain,” and protruding even more brutal moodiness on “Danger,” one listen and anticipation for more melodic metal glory is expounded upon the ears.

2-4-1 is by no means a retro album, it’s a glimpse on how technical metal guitar should be played, and it’s also one of those albums that heavy metal vinyl junkies need not miss out on.

Added: June 27th 2006
Reviewer: Tommy Hash   www.ytsejam.com
Score:

 

 

CJSS: 2-4-1
 

Fans of guitar hero metal of the mid-80's will surely remember the string of albums from guitarist David T. Chastain and his band CJSS. World Gone Mad and Praise the Loud are both represented here on 2-4-1 from Lion Music. Comprised of Chastain on guitar, Russell Jinkens on vocals, Les Sharp on drums, and Mike Skimmerhorn on bass, CJSS were a pretty hot band for a few years until the guitarist directed most of his attention to his other band Chastain. Most of the songs here on these two albums are solid guitar oriented metal, not quite thrash, too heavy for hair metal, somewhere along the lines of perhaps early Annihilator. Featuring the lethal riffs and histrionic solos of Chastain, as well as the strong high pitched vocals of Jinkens, both albums contain their share of heavy and memorable rockers.

From the World Gone Made side, some of the highlights are "No-Man's Land" and the crunchy title track, complete with a catchy chorus and rampaging solo from Chastain. David's style was refreshing at the time, as he favored speedy, legato, metallic runs and the occasional whammy bar blast rather than the neo-classical shredding and two-handed tapping that was popular at the time. "Run to Another Day" is a slice of early progressive metal, with plenty of acoustic and electric bombast from Chastain, passionate vocals from Jinkens, and the right amount of moody atmosphere to go along with the heavier moments. The complex riffery of "The Gates of Eternity" complement the pounding rhythms and dark lyrics, and the cover of Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown" is well done.

The songs on Praise the Loud are a little more lively, a little heavier, and a little faster. Kicking off with the bombastic "Out of Control", the band rocks hard, led by Jenkins' soaring vocals and Chastain's wild guitar pyrotechnics. The guitarist's descending scale patterns leads the rampaging metal of "Land of the Free", while "Don't Play With Fire" is as close to thrash as CJSS gets, and sees Sharp and Skimmerhorn working furiously. The doomy yet majestic "Citizen of Hell" includes some absolutely stunning solos from Chastain, but perhaps the most memorable tune here is the classic "Metal Forever", a raise your fist anthem that was no doubt a headbanging favorite in concert. Those who want to just hear Chastain wail, check out the instrumental "Thunder and Lightning", for plenty of guitar fireworks. Prog-metal fans will also eat up the classy "The Bargain", a lengthy number with beefy riffs, soaring guitar solos, and Jinkens over the top vocals.

With over 20 albums in the Chastain discography, there's plenty to choose from, but these two solid releases from the mid-80's are a good place to start as any. Of the two, Praise the Loud is the stronger and contains plenty of sick guitar work, but both are solid releases and now available in one package. Praise the Loud indeed!


Track Listing
World Gone Man
1. Hell On Earth
2. No-Man's-Land
3. Communication Breakdown
4. World Gone Mad
5. Run To Another Day
6. The Gates Of Eternity
7. Destiny
8. Welcome To Damnation
9. Living In Exile
Praise The Loud
10. Out Of Control
11. Land Of The Free
12. Don't Play With Fire
13. Praise The Loud
14. Citizen Of Hell
15. Danger
16. Metal Forever
17. Thunder And Lightning
18. The Bargain.

Added: June 17th 2006
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Lion Music