Cactus are firing on all cylinders. With ‘Temple Of Blues II’ arriving this Friday, April 3rd via Cleopatra Records, the drum legend Carmine Appice and his band drop “Bad Stuff” as their latest single, a piledriving reimagination of the track originally recorded on their 1972 album ‘Ot and Sweaty’. The result is a low-down, dirty blues crusher built for maximum impact.
The lineup here is absurd in the best possible way. Joe Lynn Turner, veteran of Deep Purple and Rainbow, handles vocals. Steve Morse, another Purple alumnus, brings his characteristic guitar alchemy. Tony Franklin holds down bass, Dream Theater’s Derek Sherinian commands the keys, and Cactus’s own Artie Dillon adds guitars. Turner calls it “a low-down, dirty blues track that moves and grooves with a sexy voodoo swagger,” and that description lands exactly right.
‘Temple Of Blues II’ is the long-awaited sequel to ‘Temple Of The Blues’ and expands on its predecessor’s star-studded blueprint with even more firepower. Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot, and Pat Travers all return, joined by an entirely new wave including Melanie delivering a transformative take on Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” Rudy Sarzo, Alex Skolnick of Testament, and others.
Seven Dixon/Wolf classics anchor the record, including “Spoonful” with Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley, “The Little Red Rooster” featuring Dee Snider, and “Back Door Man” with Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan. Appice drives every track with the power and groove that has made him one of the most influential drummers in rock history. ‘Temple Of Blues II’ is out now.