ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 1997
By Steve Newton
The folks behind previous Jeff Beck, Ace Frehley, and Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute CDs deliver a fourth laudatory project, which pays its respects to the estimable Queen catalogue while allowing an all-star lineup of hard-rock guitarists to get their fret-hopping jollies. The list of string-benders includes Megadeth’s Marty Friedman, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Dream Theater’s John Petrucci, former Doors-man Robbie Kreiger, Kiss veteran Bruce Kulick, and Jake E. Lee (ex–Ozzy Osbourne).
It’s disappointing to see only two selections culled from the band’s first five albums, but those pre–“We Will Rock You” selections are the best of the bunch. Swedish speed demon Yngwie Malmsteen rips it up right on the Brian May–penned “Keep Yourself Alive”, and on another May rocker, “Tie Your Mother Down”, Ted Nugent does the damage while Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister provides his inimitable croak-growl of a vocal. “Hello Brian,” he tosses in at the end, “hope the words are all there.”
A portion of the proceeds from Dragon Attack goes to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the London, England–based charity that fights AIDS in the memory of Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury, who succumbed to the disease in 1991.