Blood simple Wretched Asylum paint the town red in Prognosis BY BOB GULLA

OK, so sometimes you gotta have a gimmick. Lotsa bands have one — Slipknot, Mudvayne, AC/DC, you name it. Even when it seems a band doesn’t have one, they do, especially on the national scene, where perception is everything. Dave Matthews, for example, is perceived as a regular guy, gimmick-less, but that’s a gimmick in itself. No? Wretched Asylum and Mr. Slugg both have their gimmicks, and both pay attention to supporting that gimmick with credible tunes.

Wretched Asylum: Prognosis (www.wretchedasylum.com)

Good evocative stuff from the bloodied bods in Wretched Asylum. Though I haven’t seen them live, it appears there’s plenty of macabre mayhem onstage, as Phil Smolinksy and his cabal wreaks serious havoc, with aspirations in that regard reminiscent of Cradle of Filth or Slipknot. The theatricality plays a big part of the band’s sound, though it’s not everything. While Prognosis, doesn’t do that sound full justice, it does give some indication that the Wretched Asylum vibe deserves serious consideration. It’s skillfully played, especially on guitar, ably perpetrated by the team of Michael Todd and Norman Maclean. Stephanie Canelas, who sings backing vocals in addition to her bass duties, does a terrific job underlying all the madness with real power, as does her rhythm partner Brandon Lee on drums. The assault is real and so is Wretched Asylum. Extra points for the faux-blood covered disc and an equally maniacal Website.

Like the best theatrical rockers vying for attention, consistency and shock value is key, and it seems like WA are circling a cool look and impact like vultures. The songs? Oh, yeah. Uh, well, "Darkness Within," for one, packs a huge wallop, with Smolinsky’s black metal screech and a galloping guitar line. "Negative 7" starts off as a terrifying trudge and claws its way into a murkier territory. "Reek of Vengeance," recorded live, is as good a recording as any on the disc and proves the band is totally up to their wretched task. Check ’em out, and bring the pig’s blood.

Mr. Slugg and the Legion of Doom: Box Full of Hammers (www.mrslugg.com)

Mr. Slugg and Chicken Chuck are at it again with their lugubrious synth-based funk ’n’ roll. The record kicks off with the wry "Flat Pickin’ for Jesus" and moves into the slow chugging "Are You Not Satisfied," one of the band’s best tunes. When the Legion hits the mark, the results can be satisfying, even for those whose taste doesn’t run to goth synth. Big penetrating bass lines add a dance flair to "If I Were a Small Man" and "The Red Eyed White Guy." Lots of Box suggests early Depeche Mode with perhaps a heftier helping of eye shadow, making it very cool to look at and almost as good to listen to.

Acid Rain Revival: Green Eyes in Blue Skies (www.acidrainrevival.com)

Over the past four years, ARR has mde significant progress assembling a sound, starting out as a naïve five-piece with lots of exuberance and moving to their current place: a naïve five-piece with lots of exuberance and hints of real promise. Bill Bartholomew leads the South County boys as a frontman/songwriter and he definitely possesses a flair for melody and arranging. The band understands the concepts of how melodic counterpoints and vocal harmonies can dress up a band’s sound. Drummer Shaun Horgay and percussionist Quinto Gelderman, the band’s newest member, don’t fall into the trap of overplaying on these demo-like recordings, which is refreshing. (Note to young drummers: drive the song, accent the song, but don’t try to monopolize the song, no matter what your girlfriend says.) Guitarist Patrick Sharkey does a nice job adorning the material with wah and other textures, but the rhythm tracks feel a little flat. An acoustic rhythm track under "Montreal" helps brighten things up. One other quibble is the ubiquitous upstroke guitar skank that so many bands like to employ. But when you don’t have to fall back on it, when you have so much more to offer as a melodic pop band, why bother? Lots of bands do it, and many do it well. Get ’em dancing some other way is what I think. But beyond that, ARR, which also features bassist Kevin Borsay, has some real potential tucked into their songs. Here’s hoping they unlock it.

SUCCESSFULStation Auction. John Langenstein, director of security for several prominent bands, teamed up once again with David Shulman and the Mimi Fishman Foundation to raise money for the Station Family Fund (SFF). The latest auction, which coincided with the second anniversary of the horrific fire, was the fifth organized by the pair, and raised more than $12,000. To date, more than $63,000 for the SFF.

Todd King, a survivor of the fire, is the VP of the Station Family Fund. "As we approach[ed] the second anniversary, the story [was] further removed from people’s minds. The needs of the victims are as great as ever. It’s vital we don’t forget the families left behind," King noted.

The auction featured items donated by bands and musicians and represented a wide variety of musical tastes. Every item was signed, which added to the value. Highlights included items donated by Paul McCartney, String Cheese Incident, Jackson Browne, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Sting, Dave Matthews, Neil Young, B.B. King, and many others. A few non-musicians such as Tom Hanks were also represented. For more information on the foundation’s ongoing efforts to aid the SFF, go to www.mimifishman.org.

Wandering Eye. The Goners and Sanityz Edge play the Rocky Point Pub tonight (Thursday the 3rd), while Erik Narwhal rocks the house on Friday and Soul Ambition does the same in a, uh, "soulful" way on Saturday. Don’t forget about the Thursday night open mikes at the Nepenthe Café on Main Street in East Greenwich. There’s something about the commingling of coffee and open mikes that makes it really entertaining. Call 558-0047 for more info.

The Onset Bay Association and the Onset Cape Verdean Association will present "A Night of Blues" to benefit the Onset Blues Festival and the Onset Cape Verdean Festival. It happens this Saturday (the 5th) at 7 p.m. at the Dudley F. Brown VFW in Onset, Massachusetts. The headliner is Weepin’ Willie and His All Star Band supported by the Bluegills. Tickets are $12.

On Saturday, the Goners will be playing a big show at the Safari Lounge on Eddy Street in Providence with Kill Tomorrow (local metal maniacs), the Amazing Poundcakes (female fronted punk from Boston), and the Left-Overs (Crazy backwoods punk band from Connecticut). Show’s at 9 p.m. and there’s no cover.

Dave Howard and the High Rollers will explore a new venue down in Westerly on Saturday. It’s called My Mary’s Restaurant and it’s on 336 Post Road right at the big bend on Route 1. Also on Saturday night, the American Legion Hall at 285 Smith Street in Providence will see some serious action. The fun kicks off early (9 p.m.) with Ty Jesso spinning vinyl followed by perforances by Spitzz (Boston) and the V8 Interceptors. A mere $5 gets you the secret key.

E-mail me with your music events: big.daddy1@cox.net.