Borrowing the title from Lou Reeds classic 1972 solo set, ex-Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick issued his sophomore solo set, Transformer, in 2004. And while his solo debut, 2001s Audio Dog, was extremely Kiss-like in sound and approach, Kulick stretches out far more the second time around, as several of his influences can certainly be detected throughout -- Van Halen in the album opening "Jump the Shark" (whose title comes from a popular website), the Beatles in "If Loves the Answer," and Jimi Hendrix in "Inn of the Mountain Gods." Elsewhere, the melodic "Truth or Dare" sounds quite Foo Fighters-esque, while "Against the Grain" shows that Kulick is just as adept on the acoustic guitar as he is on the electric. A solid follow-up to his debut, and further proof that perhaps Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley should have let Kulick contribute a bit more in the songwriting department circa Kiss 1984-1996 era. ~ Greg Prato
Rovi