Conquering Heroes

Legendary journeyman hard rock drummer Carmine Appice has always surrounded himself with great musicians, from Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart to his bandmates in Cactus and Vanilla Fudge. His Guitar Zeus project goes one step further, pairing a core band with many of the most dynamic axe slingers in rock and metal. Conquering Heroes collects the best of Guitar Zeus (1996) and Guitar Zeus, Vol. 2: Channel Mind Radio (1997), along with a sprinkling of bonus tracks, in one convenient double-disc package. Among the legendary six-stringers who join Appice, fretless bass monster Tony Franklin (ex-the Firm), and singer Kelly Keeling (Blue Murder) are Brian May, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Yngwie Malmsteen, and even tennis star John McEnroe. Surprisingly, considering the stylistic diversity of those involved, both discs are very consistent, with the participants sounding more like a real band than a collection of guests. The rhythm-section sound of Appice's pounding, locomotive drums and Franklin's overdriven, serpentine bass ties together the disparate tracks, which recall a host of classic rock standard-bearers including the Beatles ("Gonna Rain"), Van Halen ("4 Miles High"), and Mountain ("Nobody Knew").