Here in the oddly titled Chickenfoot III, which in actuality is Chickenfoot's second album, the supergroup returns with a more refined yet still consistently fun recording. It is much better than its predecessor musically as Chickenfoot sounds more like a cohesive unit - not that they didn't before, but there has been a clear maturation.

     The riffs and melodies are much slicker than ever before, and the band exudes the awesome aura of the "Van Hagar" era of Van Halen. It rocks hard, it has a good time, and when things get serious, it emphasizes the moment appropriately - for the most part. As with the first Chickenfoot album, it has its dissonant moments - "Three And A Half Letters" is definitely the weakest song on the album but has a terrific concept behind it. Lead singer Sammy Hagar reads real letters written to him by fans who have been hit hard by the economic instability currently happening in this country, but then follows each heartfelt letter shouting "I need a job!" in what turns out to be a rather cringe-inducing chorus. While this is the lowest point of the album, the highlights are often spectacular.

     The opener rocker "The Last Temptation" is one of the best Hagar recordings of the past decade, along with the emotional dirge "Come Closer." The single "Big Foot" has a nice hook to it as well. The guitarist Joe Satriani sounds so much more comfortable as he blasts his way through the entire album. He often reminds me of Eddie Van Halen at his peak sometimes - with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, and legendary singer Sammy Hagar (Van Halen's best singer), Chickenfoot III seems to be the closest thing we'll ever get to hear or see something that resembles a modern day Van Halen recording.

     Chickenfoot has evolved into a modern day powerhouse with retro roots. They definitely rock like they did back in the day, but they still sound great doing it. They are still having fun, and still catch manage to take things seriously too when the time is right. Obviously Chickenfoot is aimed toward an older crowd, but it certainly has its appeal. With Hagar leading the way, Chickenfoot often has a better sound than a lot of the rock out there today. I look forward to a third Chickenfoot album, which obviously cannot be named Chickenfoot III, as that name is clearly already taken.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"Come Closer"

"The Last Temptation"

"Big Foot"

"Dubai Blues"

"Lighten Up"

"Something Going Wrong"

-Kurt L.

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