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I still remember the first time I saw CKY<\/a><\/strong> live. It was December 2, 2000 at the famed Trocadero (RIP) in Philadelphia, PA. An amazing show lineup it was with Death by Stereo<\/strong>, CKY<\/a><\/strong>, Boysetsfire<\/a><\/strong> and headliners Snapcase<\/strong>. Though it was near 25 years ago, I very much distinctly remember Johnny Knoxville<\/strong>, of Jackass<\/em> fame, shoving me away from the balcony rail in order to take a massive dive onto the crowd below. If that sounds like an incredibly stupid stunt, it was. But that was the whole Jackass<\/em> vibe that defined the vibrant scene that was an MTV staple for so many years.<\/p>\n I really wasn’t into Jackass<\/em>, nor was I into skateboarding, but I was living in Southeastern Pennsylvania and was really into metal. CKY<\/a><\/strong> come along as a band that was extremely fresh and original. I was hooked with the first track I ever heard from them, the aptly titled “96 Bitter Beings.<\/a>” Their first widely released record, Volume 1<\/em>, was nine really solid tracks. It was genre defying, with a wealth of varied influences and standout songwriting. The follow-up, Infiltrate-Destroy-Rebuild<\/em>, was one of 2002’s best records that experimented with more complex sounds and signatures. In 2005, the band released the heralded An Answer Can be Found<\/em>.<\/p>\n CKY<\/a><\/strong> went on to have mixed success over the next decade or so, but then went into a long period of lineup changes, politics and drama. If you’re really interested in the CKY<\/a><\/strong> soap opera, there’s no shortage of videos out there that give a myriad of different takes. For me, however, what I care about is the music. And let’s face it, the music of CKY<\/a><\/strong>, has always been the primary focus. CKY<\/a><\/strong> today still exists, but without Deron Miller<\/strong>, who was the primary songwriter and vocalist for the band.<\/p>\n Miller<\/strong> formed 96 Bitter Beings<\/a><\/strong> back in 2016. Camp Pain<\/em>, an exclusive crowd funded record was released back in 2018 and Synergy Restored<\/em>, their first full-scale release came out in 2022, which I reviewed here<\/a>. A solid record that demonstrated that Miller<\/strong> was really the heart of CKY<\/a><\/strong>‘s greatness.<\/p>\n Now in 2024, Miller<\/strong> gives us a special record entitled Return to Hellview<\/em>. This particular LP is a collection of fan-favorite CKY<\/a><\/strong> tracks that have been re-recorded with an updated sound and better production. While some CKY<\/a><\/strong> fans may ask why this was needed, as the originals were just so good, I can say that these new versions really add a significant amount to the listening experience. In fact, I’ve listened to this record almost daily since I first got it. I’m reminded just how gifted Miller<\/strong> is when I hear these re-recorded versions. Miller<\/strong> tells us that he didn’t want to do a full thrash and burn on these tracks, rather just to make some tweaks here and there. The tweaks he made, are good!<\/p>\n “I love all the songs but there\u2019s always been issues that bothered me about the originals. A lot of my problems with them were arbitrary and not that important\u2026things that I just wanted to fix that most listeners wouldn\u2019t even notice.\u00a0But there were some things I wanted to add to these songs\u00a0and some things I wanted to take out. The goal was to challenge myself to\u00a0redo these classic tracks in a way that they could be heard as remixes instead of re-recordings. I think we succeeded.\u00a0”<\/p>\n There are some obvious differences in some songs like “Shippensburg<\/a>” which has a much fuller, richer and more updated sound from start to finish. This would be my favorite new version of all the songs on the Return to Hellview<\/em>. The re-recording takes this song out of the past and really makes it fresh. It also reminds me just a bit of Ghost<\/a><\/strong>‘s more recent records. If you love the last two Ghost<\/a><\/strong> records and you’ve never heard of 96 Bitter Beings<\/a><\/strong>, definitely give this song, and really, the entire record a listen.<\/p>\n The original “Flesh into Gear” is a classic, no doubt. And many might ask why fiddle with a classic? In fact, I asked myself that. But then I heard the re-recording and I found myself really loving the updated mix, the more distinct vocal effects and the lead vocal overall. <\/p>\n \n