Reviews

Boys, this is the kind of stuff which impressess the shit out of me badly! When David contacted me a few months ago and said he would send me his stuff which was originally released in the late 80's, I wasn't particularly excited, expecting more of the Moore, Satriani and that kind f stuff, but once I played the albums, that was just another thing! This guy writes simply excellent Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal songs all the way, there's no fuckin' boring hyper fast leads through out the songs or whatever, just brilliant songwriting with excellent vocals by the man himself. Snakepit readers into greatly delivered Metal will get into this. I'm just waiting now for this new album which should be completed soon, "Thorough Scrutiny". Be sure you'll read more about David in the future!

Laurent Ramadier

DNC, no not DMC is David Neil Cline. He is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer of his bands music. So, is he just another kid with a 4-track recorder and little talent? No! Dave is much more than that. He made an album called 'Malefic Influence' which will lead a wave of music into the new millennium.

So, what does 'malefic' mean &endash; adj. Harmful; doing mischief. And that is exactly what his music is doing. DNC is "Harmful" to all those Blink 182 and one band wonders. His style is unique, playing solid and talent malefic to any bands in competition with him. The best way I can summarize his sound is perhaps Rainbow with Dio or The Michael Schenker Group (MSG).

David's vocals are clear with good tone with excellent mids and highs. Perhaps, a little improvement could be added here if he worked the lows in his vocals. The album consists of 8 songs all of which are a pleasure to the human ear. The rhythms are solid 4/4 rock with a wonderful sound on the guitar ranging heavy palm muting bass notes and a clarity of high notes especially when soloing.

The solos are structured melodically and rhythmically. Example: people listen to Yngwie Malmsteen and say "my god that dude is fast" but the distinction between solos are few on his scalular runs. Now, Eddie Van Halen did the same thing with his finger tapping and the world created a new guitar god. Why, because the speed was controlled with repetition and distinct phrasing. That is DNC!

David controls his speed and knows when to let loose. This gives songs feeling which David has proven in EVERY song on this album. The arrangement of songs is also top notch! He places a couple rockin' songs up front and then enters into a clear tone guitar intro with 'Crazy Dream' back to rockin' and then a cool city surroundings feel with 'Picking up the Pieces' which isn't too busy to the ear and then kicks into overdrive.

Usually, I try and find 3 positive and 3 negative indicators per review while staying non-bias to the music. The positives have far exceeded its limits so perhaps maybe I can find another minor negative indicator which actually accompanies the one listed above (low tone in Dave's vocals). Dave could try playing a Gibson Les Paul or similar style guitar ('57 humbucker pick ups), possibly heavier strings and/or picks to acquire a heavier bass tone thus resulting in a darker feel to the music. This would also cause a greater range in Dave's vocals by increasing the lows and creating a wider range of versatility.

Reviewed by: Ken Cormier

By Paul Autry

I actually have two releases here by David Neil Cline, with the other being "A Fit Of Rage Remixed Plus Two." These albums both saw the light of day in 1987 and 1988 when they were released on vinyl and cassette. "A Fit Of Rage," which was his original EP, was remixed with two new songs added (of course...the title) in 1990. "Malefic Influence" has been recently been remastered and it now found it's way to compact disc.

What can I say, this is a man who knows how to rock. While these songs may be a bit old (a few years, what the hell) they still hold up well today. It's classic 80's rock that sounds like it was ahead of it's time. The only thing I wonder is why it took so long to bring his full length album, which is "Malefic Influence," back and release it on CD. This is an awesome release that probably had quite an impact when it was originally released and now, it should do just as well.

Out of all the releases I've recently been listening to, these two have quickly become favorites of mine. Maybe it's because this is the style of music I really enjoy or maybe it's because these releases are both exceptionally good...actually, it's both of those reasons. If it's rock you want, David Neil Cline is the man to see!

Metal Land in Savannah, GA

David Neil Cline is one talented guy.  Not only does he play a killer guitar, but he also does lead vocals, keyboards, and some bass on his albums.  I received a couple of his albums through the mail, and I must say I was very impressed.

This is his 1990 release, "A Fit of Rage" remixed plus two extra songs.  It was oringally released in '87 with four songs, but he remastered and re-released it in '90, adding the two extra tracks to make six.  This album was released on David's record label, Gazochtahagen Records and distributed nationally by Important Records.  The guitar work is very impressive on this album, as well as everything else.  The vocals kind of remind me of Joey Belladonna from Anthrax, and I really don't like Joey too much.  But oh well.  While the guitar work on this album is pretty heavy, the vocals make it sound a little poppy.  My favorite track on this album is Bad Attitude, which is completely instrumental.  The guitar work is really awesome.  I also like the message he sends in the song "The Metal Rules."  He is basically saying that he is gonna live by the rules of heavy metal, even if it isn't in "style."  This is a good album, and the musicianship is great.

I give this album a 7 out of 10.

This is David Neil Cline's second release, being his first full length LP.  This one features eight songs, and I believe I like it better than his first.  The guitar work is much better than the first, and the song writing is much better as well.  I also like the singing a lot better.  David uses organs more extensively on this album than the previous one.  My favorite track is probably the second track, "Governmental Brainwash."  It has a pretty neat riff in it that I like a lot.  While this album sounds a bit more mainstream than his last, I like it better, because the vocals sound better, which helps a lot, plus the guitars sound fucking awesome.  The album is very remniscent of the early 80's.  I have no idea what his material sounds like now, but from listening to these two albums, I would like to find out.  The material is good enough to leave you wanting more.

I give this album an 8 out of 10.

Leather Knights in Rochester MN.

David Neil Cline

Malefic Influence

A Fit of Rage remixed + 2

4 song CD demo

These three CD's came in at the last minute so I haven't had the time to listen to them

all as much as I would like before writing this review. Even so I would have to say that the material is very NWOBHM sounding- particulary David's vocals. Add some hard rock influence and Hammond organ and you have metallic alloy that has that "old time spitfire rock and roll" feel with a breath of fresh air. I'm actully kind of surprised that I've never heard of this guy before as he is obviously quite talented- playing guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, and writing the songs. This guy even had a story about him in a book called " US METAL VOL.3." { Ironically enough I believe this book is printed in German only.} David also had "Governmental Brainwash" from the " Malefic Influence" album featured on a Zrock compilation CD. He is currently working on a new CD where he is doing most of the instruments and production, including drums on some tracks. After the release of this CD, David plans to tour Europe. Contact: e-mail: dcline@aol.com phone: 810-727-3805 snail-mail: 9593 Division, Casco Twp, MI 48064 Web: http://members.aol.com/dcline9720 Rating:8 (meaning Hard Hitting Heroics)

{ I didn't include the rough 4 songs demo in this rating however the songs are worth your interest}.  

David Neil Cline " A Fit of Rage"

Gazoctagen-CD-1990

David Neil Cline is one of the most important musicians of the hard rock and heavy metal scene. Back in the eighties, he released two albums, this one in 1987 and the highly collectable 'Malefic Influence' in 1989. In 1990, ' A fit of Rage' was re-issued on CD with two bonus tracks, "The Metal Rules" and the "False Reality". "A Fit of Rage" contains some really bone crushing heavy metal with the song " U " being an obscure metal anthem, thatyou schould definitely listen to. Both of the bonus songs KICK-ASS and especially " The Metal Rules" (what a great title!!!!)features killer riffing andlyrics about metalsupremacy. It's difficult for me to describe the style of David because he combines so many different influnces and elements that lead to a totally special sounding album but one thing is for sure, that I appreciate his sense of metal. This is an 'ancient' CD, I know, but since it's worth buying and there are still copies of it, I thought it would be an opportunity for you to get it even if you own the original, as the bonus material is great. Manos Koufakis

David Neil Cline "malefic Influence"

Gazoctagen-CD-1999

Originally released in 1989 on LP and tape, this is the first full length album of David Neil Cline. It is an important re-issue of the original on CD, since finding a copy of it on vinyl is too tough. "Malefic Influences" contains better gutiar work by David but it is obvious that the music has softened a lot compared to the EP "A Fit of Rage". Though songs like "Malefic Influence", "Govermental Brainwash', "Picking up the pieces', "A Matter of Time" and "We just don't care" showcase some amazing riffs and melodies that will surely get you high. The vocals were once again handled by David himself and I won't raise any objections to it, as he has a charismatic heavy voice which I like. Circumstantially, I believe that "Malefic Influence" will please every fan of 80's hard n' heavy music and had it not been for some very commercial tunes, I would rate it as a classic of the time. But I don't doubt it whether the more closed minded of us will get into David's music, although when he decides to put the pedal to the metal, he is unbeatable. That's why I've always regarded his EP as better or maybe closer to my tastes.

Manos Koufakis

David Neil Cline "Newsongcuts"

Promo CD-2000

In 1990, David Neil Cline recorded a third album(see the review section for more info concerning David's music) named 'Though Scrutiny' that was never released. David sent me a CD with four rough mixes of songs taken from that album. The first one,'Kassie Lane' didn't say much to me.It was quite modern for my likes and more on the hard rock side. 'Queen of the Skyways', that comes next, immediately changes the picture. A very nice composition with a catchy chorus and excellent riff and solo. 'Life under glass' follows and again I wasn't blown away by that song. Quite hard rocking but not so interesting. The last song, is 'Miss Minority' and it is a commercial but great compostion, with an awesome riff and vocals. So, my impression so far of 'Thorough Scruntiny'is a bit confused. Hope the other songs are more in the vein of "Queen....." And 'Miss.......'. In any case though, it is obvious that the material of that third album is much more soft than the previous two efforts of David. In the CD there are also 3 edited cuts from 3 new songs included. But since there are no vocals, I won't risk reviewing them, and wait for the complete version of those 3 tunes.

Manos Koufakis

MHR Magazine in Wales United Kingdom

DAVID NEIL CLINE - MALEFIC INFLUENCE//THROUGH SCRUTINY

GAZOCHTAHAGEN RECORDS

Fans of Cacophony, Judas Priest, Chastain, Sword, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen and Danny Danzi will like these records from Detroit solo artist David Neil Cline. Originally "Malefic Influence" was issued in 1989, and this is the first time it's been made available on compact disc.

Prior to this album David record an ep called "A Fit Of Rage" and in 1990 a third album appeared called "Through Scrutiny", although this was never officially released, "Through Scrutiny" shows how David's music had matured since "Malefic Influence". The songs were more powerful and eye catching on this album, the first track "Kassie Lane"is built around a solid groove and catchy grooves, this is the kind of thing that Danny Danzi is doing now, "Queen Of The Skyways" is a touch more progressive, but is still effective, "Life Under Glass" is a more commercialised hard rocker and "Miss Minority" continues in the same tradition, despite the production the album works and we can expect the long awaited release of "Through Scrutiny" sometime this summer.

Anyway "Malefic Influence" is typical of the eighties genre, the songs are all catchy and played with passion and skill, as the story goes, had a record label at the time picked up on this, David's story could have been totally different. The best song for me is the very catchy "A Matter Of Time" which is David's key track. This song has some nice keyboard structures that sit nicely along side Yngwie Malmsteen and John Norum amongst others.

David Neil Cline is a talented artist, it'll be interesting to watch how his career now develops in the twenty first century, the market is strong at the moment for this type of music and provided he can make the production more acceptable, then David should have no problems in creating a solid and healthy fan base throught- out Europe.One to watch.

Rating: 8/10 (Review By Nicky Baldrian)

Dimitris Starakis in Greece from TEMPLES OF ETERNITY 'ZINE/METAL INVADER MAG/MUSICAL SUICIDES RADIOSHOW

DAVID NEIL CLINE-Malefic Influence CD (Gazohtahagen

records)

Since the vinyl pressing of this CD is completely sold out, "Malefic Influence was re-released once again from David's personal label. Comparing his second CD to the debut CD he released in 1987, I noticed that the compositions that appear in "Malefic…" are a bit more commercial and include more hard rock elements. There is also an intense use of Hammond, something that adds a touch of the 70's in the songs. On the other hand, it's David's performance quite satisfactory, especially when he contributes his characteristic sequences and catchy rhythms. My pick from the CD is the loud "Suzy homewrecker" (this is the ideal style for David to show his great talent) and "We just don't care", "Malefic Influence" (with a chorus that reminded me the chorus lines from BLACK SABBATH's "Lady Evil", "I've been told" (a cross between the early PRETTY MAIDS and early DEF LEPPARD) AND "A matter of time" (nice DEEP PURPL-ish sound). Definitely not as heavy as his debut, but with some interesting moments in it that deserve your attention. "Malefic influence" costs 18$ and can be ordered from David's address, which is: DAVID NEIL CLINE, PERSONAL MAIL BOX #125, 1223 SOUTH GRATIOT AVE., CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN 48036, U.S.A.

DAVID NEIL CLINE-4 rough remixes from "Thorough scrutiny" and more

scrutiny" and more The latest demo-CD David sent to us included four tracks from his "Thorough Scrutiny" LP that finally never saw an official release due to financial problems that David faced. But currently he is on the process of doing the remix of the whole stuff, so expect the release of this effort pretty soon. From the four tracks that I have heard, I definitely choose "Queen of the skyways" since it is another hymn that presents David's wildest songwriting which combines Heavy guitars and magnificent choruses. I often catch myself singing" "Behold the queen…" etc! David, we need more songs like these!! Another track that satisfied me is "Miss minority" with it's great and traditionally Heavy musicianship. Let's hope that we can meet more songs like these in "Thorough Scrutiny". This demo-CD ends with edited cuts from four new songs without lyrics which I'll wait to judge as soon as they are finished…

DAVID NEIL CLINE-A FIT OF RAGE (remixed plus two)

This is David's debut CD that was originally pressed on vinyl in 1987, but the following year was re-released on CD with one bonus track. Things are pretty heavy here and David knows how to combine his voice with his excellent guitar playing. Great and powerful songs can be found in this work such as "Enforcer", "U", "Robbing the cradle", "The metal rules", etc. Another example of how many talented musicians can be traced anytime in the States and, even facing difficulties by promoting their stuff, they still play their favorite music. But let's move on to David's second effort, which was re-released recently on CD. "A fit of…" costs 16$, while there is an extremely limited vinyl quantity that costs 38$.

Strutter magazine in Holland reviews;

DAVID NEIL CLINE 'A fit of rage plus two'

(GAZOCHTAHAGEN RECORDS)

DAVID NEIL CLINE is a very talented vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist from Detroit who has been on the scene ever since 1987 when he released his first solo EP titled 'A fit of rage'. David has now re-issued that EP on CD and added two new songs. Musically this first album is in the category of DAVID CHASTAIN, JACK STARR… which means you get to hear pure 80s guitar-oriented Melodic Hardrock/Heavy Rock that still focuses on catchy melodies and has very good lead vocals. The first 3 songs are all very good 80s typed melodic hardrocksongs. "Robbin the cradle" starts the album and is stylish leaning towards a heavier DOKKEN. Next track "Enforcer" is a nice melodic rocker that has a lot of CHASTAIN similarities. These first two songs are songs that were recorded in 1990 and are the bonustracks of this re-issued CD version of the EP 'A fit of rage'. Then we get to hear the best song which is "U", this is a very good 80s melodic hardrocksong which is in the style of BLACK'N'BLUE/KEEL. The instrumental "Bad attitude" follows and actually ends the 1987 EP. The two remaining songs ("The metal rules" and "False reality") are much weaker and more Metal oriented. They remind me of VIRGIN STEELE. Anyway, a nice release and you can find more info about David on his website at: http://members.aol.com/Dcline9720

DAVID NEIL CLINE 'Malefic influence'

(GAZOCHTAHAGEN RECORDS)

In the same year as above reviewed 'A fit of rage', David also released the CD 'Malefic influence'. This CD has now also been re-issued on CD and actually this is very good stuff. There are 8 songs on the CD and musically it is Classic 80s Melodic Hardrock that leans towards bands like DOKKEN, WHITE LION, RATT, DANGER DANGER… David is a really talented man, because he is playing the guitar/bass/keys very good and also can sing very well. Anyway, the CD starts with "Malefic influence", a wonderful uptempo classy 80s melodic rocker a la DOKKEN, KEEL, JACK STARR (very much indeed), WHITE LION… This song has a very impressive melodic 80s guitarsound which I always like to hear in times like these. Next track "Governmental brainwash" is a groovy rocker and is nothing special. But then we get a song called "Crazy dream", this is pure Classic 80s fun melodic rock a la DANGER DANGER, DOKKEN… These are the kind of songs every melodic rockfan is waiting for, just straight-ahead have-a-good-time uptempo sing-a-long rock! The following 4 songs ("We just don't care", "Picking up the pieces", "Suzy homewrecker" and "I've been told") are all typical 80s faster melodic metal songs that sounds like a mix between PRETTY MAIDS, BLACK'N'BLUE, RIOT, JACK STARR and faster RATT. Closing track "A matter of time" moves then again into Classic 80s melodic rock. This final track is the best song of the whole CD and really is fantastic. "A matter of time" is very much in the classic DOKKEN style. If David would have put more songs in this style on the album, then it would be a classic. Nevertheless this is still a very good record to check out, especially if you like 80s typed melodic hardrock in the style of mentioned bands. More info about David on his website at: http://members.aol.com/Dcline9720

DAVID NEIL CLINE 'Thorough scrutiny'

(GAZOCHTAHAGEN RECORDS)

Finally, David also sent me a CDR copy of his 1990 album release 'Thorough scrutiny' which he is also planning to re-issue on CD. 4 songs are on this CDR and musically it is a continuation of his previous releases. Opener "Kassie lane" is a CHASTAIN/STARR typed melodic heavy rocker. The following two tracks ("Queen of the skyways" and "Life under glass") are both good uptempo 80s based melodic heavy rocksongs a la VICTORY and RIOT. Closing track "Miss minority" is a nice semi melodic rocker. So, also this is gonna be an interesting release from a very talented man. Besides, he is also working on some new material. Enough to check out I guess, visit his website at: http://members.aol.com/Dcline9720

Bonita at Euphony Music News Mag in Virginia writes:

You could call him a singer/songwriter in the great tradition... except he is also a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, producer, engineer and record label.. and he has a day job too! Better to call him a renaissance man. David Neil Cline has been making his mark in Detroit since he was 15. Maybe longer - - "I have a picture of me with a guitar from when I was really little," he offers. "In fact, every Christmas picture I've had taken has featured me with some kind of musical instrument, xylophone, lute, whatever! My dad finally got me a real guitar when I was 9. Of course," David muses, "I come by my obsession with music quite naturally. My father was a musician who had a number of hit songs on the radio in his day. Then he made the fatal mistake of getting married and having kids. (Laughter). Unfortunately he discovered he couldn't support a growing family on what he made in music and he got a "real" job. That happens to a lot of musicians." Except David, who has determinedly pursued his dream without yet acquiring hostages to life. "I've been THIS CLOSE so many times," he says ruefully. "Just never got the big break, the timing was always wrong. Once I had my CD in the hands of this big company, (DMA)that had launched bands like the Scorpions, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent and when I went to see the president of the company, he was dancing around the room to MY music! I thought for sure... then we never heard back from him. I checked around and guess what? The company had gone bankrupt! Can you believe it?" That may be the world's loss because David is an extremely talented performer and songwriter. Versatile, too. He has rock CDs, a funky band ("Wooden Boogers") and their CDs, and is playing in a blues rock band as well (Situation"). I was most interested in the rock material, which I liked a great deal.

David's first solo EP, "A Fit of Rage" was released on vinyl in 1987. Since he has always wanted to have his own label, this EP was released through this creation, "Gazochtahagen Records". A full length LP, "Malefic Influence" was released in 1989 also on his own imprint on vinyl and cassette. You probably can't find either of these now, but David redid the material on "Rage", added two new songs and re-released it as a CD in 1990 called "A Fit of Rage Remixed Plus Two". Malefic Influence made a bigger mark for him in Detroit.. a song was picked up by ZROCK (WDZR) and put into regular rotation and included on a compilation CD called "ZRock Best of Detroit Stuff Volume I". That made David a local hero. "Oh yeah," he laughs. "Those were the days. I had groupies and everything!" With this style of music regaining popularity, David then remastered "Malefic Influence" on CD and released it in 1999.

David also created a third solo rock album, "Thorough Scrutiny" in 1990 but never had the funds to release it. This CD will finally see the light of day this spring. Meanwhile, when rock went underground, David turned his talents to funkier stuff, coming up with "The Wooden Boogers" cassette tape in 1995 and turning that into a live band in 1996. another Wooden Boogers project, "itsnotwhatyouthink" was recorded in 1997 but has not been released to date. David plans to have both the Wooden Boogers recordings out on CD around this summer. When these projects are completed, David will be able to focus on his newest solo CD, which he is currently writing. If all goes well, that should see the light of day by 2001. In most of these releases, you can find David doing lead vocals, guitars, bass, keys (including a Hammond C3 organ)and handling the studio duties as well. Although his time began to be taken up with his floor business, David never stopped pushing his music. Eventually CDs found their way to Europe and began to catch on in Japan and Germany. A German heavy metal zine called "Iron Pages" featured David in a book, US Metal Volume 3. Obviously he is going to have to tour in Europe sometime soon. "I am working with some people to put together a European tour sometime this year," he tells me. "The first two CDs are continuing to do well there and I should have the 3rd one out this year as well. When the newest, as yet unnamed album is released, I will do a tour to support it, and then I will be able to promote the first three CDs some more as well." He pauses. "That reminds me. I need to get going on planning some merchandise to sell too!" Being your own band, writer, label and publicist is hard and time consuming. Being in Detroit now that the rock scene has died is worse. "I feel like the last of the Mohicans here! No one around me even has long hair!" David mourns. "The clubs are closing, the scene is just totally unsupportive now. I wish I could go somewhere else." Alas, he can't. His floor company pays for his music business right now and he isn't quite ready to retire from it. "Maybe in a couple more years," David is wistful. "I can't find good help so it is hard for me to take much time away from thebusiness that pays my way. But the plan is, two years, and I'll retire. I really want to have a successful label and if my music gets successful.. I only need one hit... then I'm good to go."

His music ought to be successful.. give "Malefic Influence" a spin and see why I am so impressed. And that was written when he was in his teens and early 20's! I laugh at David's insistence that he is "much better vocally and as a musician now!" For David, the problem is not talent but timing. "I'd really like to find a distributor," he points out. "I don't need a label, I am doing that. I just need a good distributor!" I'm looking forward to hearing "Thorough Scrutiny" soon and maybe catching David live sometime. "If I get to play a festival, I can put a band together like that!" David announces. So hopefully there will be a nearby festival in his future too! Meanwhile you can check David out on the web at http://members.aol.com/dcline9720 or email him at dcline9720@aol.com for more information. And if you are a distributor looking for a very saleable CD.. call his label! 810-727-3805. (March 2000)

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