Even though Shepherd's last album, the combustible "Trouble Is. . .", was quite a rousing statement (convincing enough among blues lovers to reach platinum status), it's broad-based appeal and fiery musicianship didn't quite impress everyone. There was still an underlying notion (held by a few holdout purists) that the zestful, blossoming work by this young blues prodigy was some kind of contrivance. That he was a one-shot, pop/blues wonder that didn't fully appreciate the form's real spirit. And those, my friend, are fighting words in the blues arena. Defending his welterweight title, Shepherd comes out raging for his latest, a disc full of high energy, roughneck, rock/blues that delivers a thunderous gut-punch to his detractors.

Putting the kabosh on his boyish charm, the opening "In 2 Deep," is a monstrous, max volume workout, with Shepherd tearing into the tune's solos with a full-head of steam and full-hand of Stevie Ray Vaughan licks that settles any of those unfinished scores. It's a very aggressive attack that is repeated consistantly throughout the album's 14 tracks. For instance, the follow-up, "Was," starts with a lone, rusty, Delta bottleneck that's some of the album's finest playing.

But, it's only a few calming bars until his band kicks in with another full- blown array of blisterin' blues that nearly rips the roof. Likewise, the series of "been done wrong" tunes here, like "Losing Kind" and "Everytime It Rains," already start out as heavy-handed blues brawlers (with vocalist Noah Hunt giving in to his best Greg Allman drawl), but then get kicked up several notches with Shepherd's handiwork.

In all honesty, there's very little subtlety or attention to nuance for the duration of "Live On," an album full of metallic-honed Southern rock - as if .38 Special's set list had been hammered out by Judas Priest - which becomes very apparent during the full-on cover of Peter Green's "Oh Well." A perfect bookend to Priest's heavy remake of "The Green Manalishi" (ironically, Green's other centerpiece for the original Fleetwood Mac). In fact, the only solace among the album's tracks is the closing, "Electric Lullaby," where Shepherd stands alone in a moving, downshifting instrumental, only to fan a few dying embers with some "last call" string antics.

Along with a guest list of enviable sidemen, including all of SRV's Double Trouble, Dr. John, James Cotton, Govt. Mule's Warren Haynes, and Primus' Les Claypool, Shepherd has positioned himself as the guitarist to reckon with during the year 2000. Let's hope he builds some shades of subtlety into his work, now that we know he's tough enough.