Christopher Lee: Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death (Charlemagne Productions Ltd)
With this being Sir Christopher Lee's second album I was expecting more of the symphonic style metal of his first Charlemagne album, unfortunately two things struck me when I pushed play, the first was that the narration and orchestral parts that made the first album very good had gone and they had been replaced by just the few guest singers and some strong Judas Priest style metal (which could be because the musical arrangements come from current Priest axe-man Ritchie Falkner) while this has streamlined the album, it does mean that it seems a little less like an event which suited the performance style of Lee, who is at his best when he has large film-like orchestral swells with a metal edge. The second thing that struck me is that this album isn't new, it is not a sequel to the first album I thought it was going to be. It's the same album; I mean EXACTLY the same, the same songs, in the same order (albeit with different names) with the same lyrics and guest singers as there were on the debut. This was very disappointing as it seemed a bit of a cop-out that this album is just a more metal rehash of the first album. yes the music is good and Lee has a very strong voice for a man of 91 but if this had been the debut then it would have been good however because the debut already exists this just seems to be money making exercise aimed at those who thought the first album wasn't 'metal' enough. 6/10
White Wizzard: The Devil's Cut (Earache)
White Wizzard have returned and they have changed their line-up yet again since their last album Flying Tigers with a new singer in the form of the screamer Joseph Michael, a new drummer and two new lead guitarists. The only member remaining is Bassist/rhythm guitarist Jon Leon who makes no bones about White Wizzard being his band which could be the reason for many line up changes but I digress. On the previous release White Wizzard split the album with half being their brand of galloping early Iron Maiden like heavy metal and the second half being more of their more progressive latter years. This album is shorter than it's predecessor but it mixes the more progressive aspects on the opening salvo of Strike The Iron which is full of time signature changes and lots of little electronic samples, the middle track of the slow burning Steal Your Mind and the final track of a 9 minute epic in the style of Hallowed Be They Name it's these three tracks that are the most progressive pacing the album excellently, the rest of the tracks are full pelt, rampaging heavy metal with Leon providing the meaty bass and rhythm guitar riffage, Giovanni Durst doing his best McBrain smashing and the twin leads of Jake Dreyer and Will Waller pull solo's galore on tracks like Lightning In My Hands, Storm Chaser and the title track. I do hope that White Wizzard maintain this line up for future albums as it is strong especially with vocalist Michael who has tremendous voice. Another strong album in the White Wizzard catalogue yes they are generic but they are also fun. 8/10
New Device: Here We Stand (Abstract Sounds)
London band New Device have come back with their first new album since 5 years and it's the same but different. The line up has changed but singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist Daniel Leigh remains and as New Device is his brainchild it's only proper that he does. As far as sound goes New Device are aiming straight at the American radio with a sound somewhere between Buckcherry, Metallica, Fall Out Boy (mainly from Leigh's vocals) and 30 Seconds To Mars. The band have a distinct heaviness with a three guitar attack providing the big metallic riffs on the title track, Away From Here, On Your Knees and Feel The Wrath but they also have some massive hooks especially vocally Leigh has a fantastic voice which are the obvious high point of the band. The band are not just about heavy hook filled metal they have a soft side as well with lots of chart bothering ballads like New York, the orchestral Do Or Die, and the massive arena anthem of Another Life which is where the 30STM influence comes in. In between this there are some more hard rock style tracks like the single Save Your Life which does have all the hallmarks of a number one. This album is a bit ballad heavy, which could be because of their aim to be arena headliners and if they keep evolving and mixing the heaviness with the more radio-friendly stuff then they will achieve that goal. 8/10
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Reviews: Anvil, Children of Bodom, Artlantica
Anvil: Hope In Hell (The End Records)
Since their biographical expose Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, the Canadian metal bands have had something of resurgence in popularity. With Juggernaut Of Justice the band then saw their first release since 2004 and it was another slice of the bands hard hitting, tongue in cheek hard partying metal. This is there 15th album and it's an if it isn't broke don't fix it approach as even though long term bassist Glenn Five has left core members, frontman/guitarist Lips and drummer Robb Reiner still remain the main creative force, meaning that this album retains the classic Anvil sound of driving heavy metal all of which features some superb drumming from Reiner. Things kick off with the Sabbath-like title track before the pace picks up on the trashy Eat Your Words. This continues throughout with mid-paced heavy rockers mixing with the speedier metal passages meaning that the album mixes things up throughout but maintains the Anvil trad-metal sound with every song giving off the strong but familiar style and tone of some of Anvil's older material. Sure the lyrics aren't Shakespeare (in fact they are from it!) but this is no frills meat and potatoes metal at its best from a band that don't take themselves seriously, and yes some of the songs are a bit too silly in places but the Canadian comeback rolls on and the band still manage to churn out some big, dumb, heavy metal. So grab a beer (maybe a vibrator) disengage your brain and enjoy! 7/10
Children of Bodom: Halo of Blood (Nuclear Blast)
Alexi Laiho and his melo-death crew return a new album full of their particular brand of power metal influenced death metal. The band have been revitalised since Blooddrunk and this rise from the ashes continues on Halo Of Blood which starts with the keyboard powered Waste Of Skin that has the classic COB sound that is full of razor sharp riffs and Janne Wirman's excellent keys. The title track takes a different tack by going full death metal with furious thrash riffage and Laiho's scarred screaming vocals and it's from here that the pace rarely lets up with the odd time signatures of Transference through the keyboard driven Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming) before the mournful Dead Man's Hand On You shows that they can work well at a slower pace and still be a formidably heavy band. Laiho is still clean and the songs are still very song matching the bands hedonistic heyday with new found focus. Technically the album is flawless as usual with the twin guitars of Laiho and Roope Latvala providing the main power to the songs with the extremely dexterous playing topped by Laiho's fret melting solos, the drums and bass provide the living dead backbeat (sorry) and Wirman's speedy keys match Laiho's solo's perfectly contributing much to the band’s sound as they always have. Through these 11 tracks ending with the retrospective Crazy Nights COB show that they are still one of the best melo-death bands around. Yet again these Finns have created another strong album full of hard riffage and killer melodies that contribute to some excellent songs. 7/10
Artlantica: Across The Seven Seas (Steamhammer/SPV)
Artlantica are a new band and this is their debut album however when I first listened to them they sounded a lot like American prog metal crew Artension. After some research I found this is probably because this band features John West (sense a nautical theme?) on vocals and Roger Staffelbach both of whom were the vocalist and guitarist of Artension respectively, this album also features Artension bassist Steve DiGiorgio as the special guest bassist for the album. As far as the band's sound goes this is prime Neo-classical metal in the style of Yngwie Malmsteen, Symphony X and Artension (of course) that American bands seem to do very well. The songs feature lots of super-fast shredding, galloping bass and drums, melodic classical keyboard runs and some multi-octave vocals from West who has a superb voice. What hits you about this album is how strong it is, obviously Artlantica are not a 'new' band per-se but it is quite striking how accomplished they sound on what is essentially their debut album, they sound an awful lot like Symphony X who are one of my favourites so I was bound to like the album but with tracks like the Neo-classical rampage of Devout, You're Still Away, Fight For The Light and the piano-led ballad Ode To My Angel which shows off West's invocative range but also features a restrained but excellently played solo from Staffelbach who is a fantastic guitarist providing some supreme licks and serious soloing. Across The Seven Seas is a very strong neo-classical metal full of virtuosic playing but also some very strong songs which is the testament of a good band. Admittedly some may be put off by the ludicrous amounts of guitar solos, seen at their best on Demon In My Mind and on the instrumental Return Of The Pharaoh Pt.III or the helium fuelled vocals but if you are a fan of Artension, Symphony X or any kind of progressive, neo-classical metal then you will lap this album up in spades. Quality progressive/power metal that the Americans seem to do very well. 8/10
Since their biographical expose Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, the Canadian metal bands have had something of resurgence in popularity. With Juggernaut Of Justice the band then saw their first release since 2004 and it was another slice of the bands hard hitting, tongue in cheek hard partying metal. This is there 15th album and it's an if it isn't broke don't fix it approach as even though long term bassist Glenn Five has left core members, frontman/guitarist Lips and drummer Robb Reiner still remain the main creative force, meaning that this album retains the classic Anvil sound of driving heavy metal all of which features some superb drumming from Reiner. Things kick off with the Sabbath-like title track before the pace picks up on the trashy Eat Your Words. This continues throughout with mid-paced heavy rockers mixing with the speedier metal passages meaning that the album mixes things up throughout but maintains the Anvil trad-metal sound with every song giving off the strong but familiar style and tone of some of Anvil's older material. Sure the lyrics aren't Shakespeare (in fact they are from it!) but this is no frills meat and potatoes metal at its best from a band that don't take themselves seriously, and yes some of the songs are a bit too silly in places but the Canadian comeback rolls on and the band still manage to churn out some big, dumb, heavy metal. So grab a beer (maybe a vibrator) disengage your brain and enjoy! 7/10
Children of Bodom: Halo of Blood (Nuclear Blast)
Alexi Laiho and his melo-death crew return a new album full of their particular brand of power metal influenced death metal. The band have been revitalised since Blooddrunk and this rise from the ashes continues on Halo Of Blood which starts with the keyboard powered Waste Of Skin that has the classic COB sound that is full of razor sharp riffs and Janne Wirman's excellent keys. The title track takes a different tack by going full death metal with furious thrash riffage and Laiho's scarred screaming vocals and it's from here that the pace rarely lets up with the odd time signatures of Transference through the keyboard driven Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming) before the mournful Dead Man's Hand On You shows that they can work well at a slower pace and still be a formidably heavy band. Laiho is still clean and the songs are still very song matching the bands hedonistic heyday with new found focus. Technically the album is flawless as usual with the twin guitars of Laiho and Roope Latvala providing the main power to the songs with the extremely dexterous playing topped by Laiho's fret melting solos, the drums and bass provide the living dead backbeat (sorry) and Wirman's speedy keys match Laiho's solo's perfectly contributing much to the band’s sound as they always have. Through these 11 tracks ending with the retrospective Crazy Nights COB show that they are still one of the best melo-death bands around. Yet again these Finns have created another strong album full of hard riffage and killer melodies that contribute to some excellent songs. 7/10
Artlantica: Across The Seven Seas (Steamhammer/SPV)
Artlantica are a new band and this is their debut album however when I first listened to them they sounded a lot like American prog metal crew Artension. After some research I found this is probably because this band features John West (sense a nautical theme?) on vocals and Roger Staffelbach both of whom were the vocalist and guitarist of Artension respectively, this album also features Artension bassist Steve DiGiorgio as the special guest bassist for the album. As far as the band's sound goes this is prime Neo-classical metal in the style of Yngwie Malmsteen, Symphony X and Artension (of course) that American bands seem to do very well. The songs feature lots of super-fast shredding, galloping bass and drums, melodic classical keyboard runs and some multi-octave vocals from West who has a superb voice. What hits you about this album is how strong it is, obviously Artlantica are not a 'new' band per-se but it is quite striking how accomplished they sound on what is essentially their debut album, they sound an awful lot like Symphony X who are one of my favourites so I was bound to like the album but with tracks like the Neo-classical rampage of Devout, You're Still Away, Fight For The Light and the piano-led ballad Ode To My Angel which shows off West's invocative range but also features a restrained but excellently played solo from Staffelbach who is a fantastic guitarist providing some supreme licks and serious soloing. Across The Seven Seas is a very strong neo-classical metal full of virtuosic playing but also some very strong songs which is the testament of a good band. Admittedly some may be put off by the ludicrous amounts of guitar solos, seen at their best on Demon In My Mind and on the instrumental Return Of The Pharaoh Pt.III or the helium fuelled vocals but if you are a fan of Artension, Symphony X or any kind of progressive, neo-classical metal then you will lap this album up in spades. Quality progressive/power metal that the Americans seem to do very well. 8/10
Monday, 3 June 2013
View From The Front Of The Room: Evil Scarecrow, Counterhold & Darksite
Evil Scarecrow, Counterhold & Darksite: Mojo's Newport
Into Newport for another night with Nottingham's premier purveyors of stupidly entertaining blackened metal, replete with silly names, silly costumes and silly songs. So it was into the bowels of Club Mojo (originally it was supposed to be 200 Club but this closed shortly before the gig) for a night of Stirling local supports and shameless masochism.
Arriving late we missed most of the set of openers Effigies Fate but from what I could hear, which was hard because of the poor sound that totally lacked bass, they were your typical modern metal fodder full of blast beats and screamed vocals.
Darksite
I last witnessed Darksite playing their final gig with their first singer. With a new vocalist in tow the Welsh groove metallers brought an uncompromising set of tracks full of heavy riffage and some screaming vocals that showed off the bands ferocity and their huge amount of talent. However they would have been much better had it not been for the sound which meant that they sounded very muddy and made their set blend into one long song which is a big shame. Despite this a nice warm up for the rest of the night and they managed to pull people into the venue to see them ensuring that for the next band there was a reasonable crowd. 6/10
Counterhold
Locals Counterhold were that next band and this was a case of deja-vu as they supported Evil Scarecrow last time they played South Wales in Cardiff. However this time they were joined by their lead guitarist Dave Birbeck who was missing last time. This added to the bands brand of powerhouse melodic metal as they had the dual guitar riffage (with Dave joined by Karl Silverthorn) and the band’s sound was complemented by a heavyweight rhythm section, special kudos goes to drummer Ryan who completed the gig despite being extremely ill. Ploughing through a set of strong songs including The Beast Within, Disease, Charred Remains and the awesome Children Of A Lesser God the band were clearly loving every minute and the hometown crowd were receptive and appreciated the bands tour worn professionalism. Throughout the set frontman Steve conducted the proceedings like a general prodding, poking and bellowing for the crowd to shout along before showing everyone how it should be done with his fantastic set of pipes. A well-deserved hometown victory for Counterhold who should get bigger as soon as their album (called All Of Them Slain) is released. 9/10
Evil Scarecrow
The sight of five people covered in costumes and ghostly corpse paint in the middle of dance club (complete with THREE! disco balls) is interesting to say the least but it added to the ridiculousness of Evil Scarecrow. After the intro on which many shapes were pulled the band dove straight into Choose Metal which showcased the scarred black metal guitars of Dr Hell and Brother Pain, the rumbling bass of Viking like Kraven Mordeth, the blitzkrieg drums of Monty Blitzfist and the atmospheric keys of Princess Luxury. This was perhaps the most serious song on the set list which rapidly descended into madness from second song Vampyre Trousers. There was then the epic War And Seek which features some great time changes showing that despite their parody metal tag they are all very good musicians. The in between song banter was funny and slightly surreal in place with however the band didn't have many of the props they usually do, still they managed to put on an excellent show with Helldog being followed by ThunderCat's Theme (which should keep the RSPCA happy). Then towards the end of the set Evil Scarecrow showed one of the major reasons for their success, they inspire lots of crowd participation, which varied from the Black metal claws of Morbid Witch the side to side scuttling of new track Crabulon, the crying and wailing of emo anthem Blacken The Everything, before things really kicked went mad with the synchronised(ish) Robot dancing to favourite Robototron which ended in a stage dive from Brother Pain at the end. For a band that are madder than a box of frogs, they had met their match in the Newport crowd who actively took up every chance to participate before masochistically calling for the Final Countdown cover which meant everyone had to can-can for the entire song. The band seemed a little overwhelmed by how nuts the audience was and when all was said and done both band and crowd went home happy. Another fine showing from one of the best live bands in the country they are consistently brilliant and leave you smiling from ear-to-ear and there aren't many bands that can do that! 10/10
(Just as a little side note the sound got better as the night progressed)
Into Newport for another night with Nottingham's premier purveyors of stupidly entertaining blackened metal, replete with silly names, silly costumes and silly songs. So it was into the bowels of Club Mojo (originally it was supposed to be 200 Club but this closed shortly before the gig) for a night of Stirling local supports and shameless masochism.
Arriving late we missed most of the set of openers Effigies Fate but from what I could hear, which was hard because of the poor sound that totally lacked bass, they were your typical modern metal fodder full of blast beats and screamed vocals.
Darksite
I last witnessed Darksite playing their final gig with their first singer. With a new vocalist in tow the Welsh groove metallers brought an uncompromising set of tracks full of heavy riffage and some screaming vocals that showed off the bands ferocity and their huge amount of talent. However they would have been much better had it not been for the sound which meant that they sounded very muddy and made their set blend into one long song which is a big shame. Despite this a nice warm up for the rest of the night and they managed to pull people into the venue to see them ensuring that for the next band there was a reasonable crowd. 6/10
Counterhold
Locals Counterhold were that next band and this was a case of deja-vu as they supported Evil Scarecrow last time they played South Wales in Cardiff. However this time they were joined by their lead guitarist Dave Birbeck who was missing last time. This added to the bands brand of powerhouse melodic metal as they had the dual guitar riffage (with Dave joined by Karl Silverthorn) and the band’s sound was complemented by a heavyweight rhythm section, special kudos goes to drummer Ryan who completed the gig despite being extremely ill. Ploughing through a set of strong songs including The Beast Within, Disease, Charred Remains and the awesome Children Of A Lesser God the band were clearly loving every minute and the hometown crowd were receptive and appreciated the bands tour worn professionalism. Throughout the set frontman Steve conducted the proceedings like a general prodding, poking and bellowing for the crowd to shout along before showing everyone how it should be done with his fantastic set of pipes. A well-deserved hometown victory for Counterhold who should get bigger as soon as their album (called All Of Them Slain) is released. 9/10
Evil Scarecrow
The sight of five people covered in costumes and ghostly corpse paint in the middle of dance club (complete with THREE! disco balls) is interesting to say the least but it added to the ridiculousness of Evil Scarecrow. After the intro on which many shapes were pulled the band dove straight into Choose Metal which showcased the scarred black metal guitars of Dr Hell and Brother Pain, the rumbling bass of Viking like Kraven Mordeth, the blitzkrieg drums of Monty Blitzfist and the atmospheric keys of Princess Luxury. This was perhaps the most serious song on the set list which rapidly descended into madness from second song Vampyre Trousers. There was then the epic War And Seek which features some great time changes showing that despite their parody metal tag they are all very good musicians. The in between song banter was funny and slightly surreal in place with however the band didn't have many of the props they usually do, still they managed to put on an excellent show with Helldog being followed by ThunderCat's Theme (which should keep the RSPCA happy). Then towards the end of the set Evil Scarecrow showed one of the major reasons for their success, they inspire lots of crowd participation, which varied from the Black metal claws of Morbid Witch the side to side scuttling of new track Crabulon, the crying and wailing of emo anthem Blacken The Everything, before things really kicked went mad with the synchronised(ish) Robot dancing to favourite Robototron which ended in a stage dive from Brother Pain at the end. For a band that are madder than a box of frogs, they had met their match in the Newport crowd who actively took up every chance to participate before masochistically calling for the Final Countdown cover which meant everyone had to can-can for the entire song. The band seemed a little overwhelmed by how nuts the audience was and when all was said and done both band and crowd went home happy. Another fine showing from one of the best live bands in the country they are consistently brilliant and leave you smiling from ear-to-ear and there aren't many bands that can do that! 10/10
(Just as a little side note the sound got better as the night progressed)
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Reviews: Timo Tolkki's Avalon, Blood Ceremony, Leprous
Timo Tolkki's Avalon: The Land Of New Hope (Frontiers)
The former Stratovarius guitarist hasn't had much luck on the solo front since leaving the band he formed his Revolution Renaissance project tanked after three albums as did Symfonia his band that eh formed with Andre Matos. This apparently was the album that 'saved' Tolkki he says himself that he "sort of rediscovered myself musically" on this album. So has he? Well yes this is the strongest album since the Symfonia project. Things start off with driving Avalanche Anthem which features the three main voices on the album who are Symphony X's Russell Allen, veteran screamer Rob Rock and Amaranthe's Elize Ryd. The album is a concept that will work retrospectively over (hopefully) three albums Ryd is the main character (appearing on 6 out of the 10 tracks) and her voice is a perfect fit having the power and melody to fully compliment her billing. As for Rock and Allen they are both two of the best in the business and contribute to their songs excellently, the Allen parts make it sound similar to some of Arjen Lucassen's works with Ayreon and Star One though. Tolkki still stands up as an excellent guitarist with some lightning fast fret runs and some soulful phrasing, his production is also crystal clear and he has managed to recruit a glut of great musicians with all strings handled by Tolkki, drums come from Rhapsody Of Fire's Alex Holzwarth but it's with the keyboard players that he's gone all out on, Mikko Harkin also from Symfonia contributing the lion's share but both former BCC and Dream Theater man Derek Sherinian and current Stratovarius ivory tinkler Jens Johansson both add their two cents and duel on To The Edge Of Time. Vocally as well there is an all start cast with the aforementioned three main characters Tolkki has also wrangled help from Tony Kakko, Michael Kiske (hard to think of a concept/project without him) and Sharon Den Adel to fully flesh out the voices. However despite this being Tolkki's rediscovery, this album is a bit samey, it is full of galloping power metal with some orchestral backing (see soaring ballad I'll Sing You Home) but there are many doing this as well if not better, with a certain German coming to mind, still a good first whack that should see this last more than one album. 7/10
Blood Ceremony: The Eldritch Dark (Rise Above)
Blood Ceremony are psych/doom band from Canada and their third album is another slab of down-tuned, fuzzed up retro riffage that also has an incredibly folky sound that comes from front woman Alia O'Brien's liberal usage of flute. The band all cite Black Sabbath as an influence (what self-respecting doom band wouldn't) however they also are part Uriah Heep, part Fairport Convention and also have a lot of Jethro Tull hanging around too. The record kicks off with the open chord San Fran haziness of Witchwood which plunges into an organ fuelled creep that bursts into a heavy middle section that turns into a trippy progressive outro. With some heaving bass lines and good drumming from Lucas Gadke (who provides some vocals on the acoustic fire side incantation of Lord Summerisle) and Michael Gadke, the band tear through a set of excellent doomy tracks that are topped by some fuzzy riffage from guitarist Sean Kennedy, it's Alia O'Brien though that makes this album (and band) as her smoky vocals enchant and bewitch as she moves seamlessly from organ to that beguiling flute adding a unique stamp to every track. The tracks move from heavy weight doom, to floating folk in heart beat sometimes having both in one track, the fiddles of Ballad Of Weird Sister hark to Sandy Denny and company and the massive freak out of The Magician ends the album in suitably gothic style. This is another strong album from Blood Ceremony that shows that occult influenced rock is still an interesting and entertaining prospect. 8/10
Leprous: Coal (InsideOut)
Leprous have had something of a schizophrenic nature being both a fully formed band with their own identity and the backing for black metal legend Ihsahn, this style of extreme progressive metal is noticeable in Leprous music but they have a much more broad progressive scope encompassing rock, folk, jazz and metal and throwing it all into one album. This isn't a case of backing band going into the solo arena as Leprous have been releasing their own material under their own name since 2004 and this is their third full length album. The vocals and keys are handled by dreadlocked frontman Einar Solberg who has been Emperor's live key player since 2009 it is in Leprous however that we get to hear that as well as being a superb key player he is also has a very unique voice that is slightly operatic in the way Devin Townsend's is; drifting from high melodies see the church-like middle/final section of opening track Foe, through to the more scarred screams and croons of the darker more extreme tracks of like Chronic which features some superb blast beats and off kilter percussion from Tobias Ornes Andersen as well as some tight black metal riffs provided by Tor Oddmund Suhrke and Oystein Landsverk. One of the major factors of this record is that it is very progressive with every track differing in style so the middle of the album has a very melodic and euphoric ballad in the shape of the The Cloak which moves into the bass heavy breakdowns of The Valley which has a distinct electronic crackle behind it. With the extremely progressive nature of this record it brings to mind bands like Porcupine Tree, whereas the darker passages are Katatonia and obviously Emperor but there is also major influence of more mainstream prog bands like Muse in places, this is a very good album from an extremely talented band. 8/10
The former Stratovarius guitarist hasn't had much luck on the solo front since leaving the band he formed his Revolution Renaissance project tanked after three albums as did Symfonia his band that eh formed with Andre Matos. This apparently was the album that 'saved' Tolkki he says himself that he "sort of rediscovered myself musically" on this album. So has he? Well yes this is the strongest album since the Symfonia project. Things start off with driving Avalanche Anthem which features the three main voices on the album who are Symphony X's Russell Allen, veteran screamer Rob Rock and Amaranthe's Elize Ryd. The album is a concept that will work retrospectively over (hopefully) three albums Ryd is the main character (appearing on 6 out of the 10 tracks) and her voice is a perfect fit having the power and melody to fully compliment her billing. As for Rock and Allen they are both two of the best in the business and contribute to their songs excellently, the Allen parts make it sound similar to some of Arjen Lucassen's works with Ayreon and Star One though. Tolkki still stands up as an excellent guitarist with some lightning fast fret runs and some soulful phrasing, his production is also crystal clear and he has managed to recruit a glut of great musicians with all strings handled by Tolkki, drums come from Rhapsody Of Fire's Alex Holzwarth but it's with the keyboard players that he's gone all out on, Mikko Harkin also from Symfonia contributing the lion's share but both former BCC and Dream Theater man Derek Sherinian and current Stratovarius ivory tinkler Jens Johansson both add their two cents and duel on To The Edge Of Time. Vocally as well there is an all start cast with the aforementioned three main characters Tolkki has also wrangled help from Tony Kakko, Michael Kiske (hard to think of a concept/project without him) and Sharon Den Adel to fully flesh out the voices. However despite this being Tolkki's rediscovery, this album is a bit samey, it is full of galloping power metal with some orchestral backing (see soaring ballad I'll Sing You Home) but there are many doing this as well if not better, with a certain German coming to mind, still a good first whack that should see this last more than one album. 7/10
Blood Ceremony: The Eldritch Dark (Rise Above)
Blood Ceremony are psych/doom band from Canada and their third album is another slab of down-tuned, fuzzed up retro riffage that also has an incredibly folky sound that comes from front woman Alia O'Brien's liberal usage of flute. The band all cite Black Sabbath as an influence (what self-respecting doom band wouldn't) however they also are part Uriah Heep, part Fairport Convention and also have a lot of Jethro Tull hanging around too. The record kicks off with the open chord San Fran haziness of Witchwood which plunges into an organ fuelled creep that bursts into a heavy middle section that turns into a trippy progressive outro. With some heaving bass lines and good drumming from Lucas Gadke (who provides some vocals on the acoustic fire side incantation of Lord Summerisle) and Michael Gadke, the band tear through a set of excellent doomy tracks that are topped by some fuzzy riffage from guitarist Sean Kennedy, it's Alia O'Brien though that makes this album (and band) as her smoky vocals enchant and bewitch as she moves seamlessly from organ to that beguiling flute adding a unique stamp to every track. The tracks move from heavy weight doom, to floating folk in heart beat sometimes having both in one track, the fiddles of Ballad Of Weird Sister hark to Sandy Denny and company and the massive freak out of The Magician ends the album in suitably gothic style. This is another strong album from Blood Ceremony that shows that occult influenced rock is still an interesting and entertaining prospect. 8/10
Leprous: Coal (InsideOut)
Leprous have had something of a schizophrenic nature being both a fully formed band with their own identity and the backing for black metal legend Ihsahn, this style of extreme progressive metal is noticeable in Leprous music but they have a much more broad progressive scope encompassing rock, folk, jazz and metal and throwing it all into one album. This isn't a case of backing band going into the solo arena as Leprous have been releasing their own material under their own name since 2004 and this is their third full length album. The vocals and keys are handled by dreadlocked frontman Einar Solberg who has been Emperor's live key player since 2009 it is in Leprous however that we get to hear that as well as being a superb key player he is also has a very unique voice that is slightly operatic in the way Devin Townsend's is; drifting from high melodies see the church-like middle/final section of opening track Foe, through to the more scarred screams and croons of the darker more extreme tracks of like Chronic which features some superb blast beats and off kilter percussion from Tobias Ornes Andersen as well as some tight black metal riffs provided by Tor Oddmund Suhrke and Oystein Landsverk. One of the major factors of this record is that it is very progressive with every track differing in style so the middle of the album has a very melodic and euphoric ballad in the shape of the The Cloak which moves into the bass heavy breakdowns of The Valley which has a distinct electronic crackle behind it. With the extremely progressive nature of this record it brings to mind bands like Porcupine Tree, whereas the darker passages are Katatonia and obviously Emperor but there is also major influence of more mainstream prog bands like Muse in places, this is a very good album from an extremely talented band. 8/10
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Another Point Of View: Rush (Review By Paul Hutchings)
Rush – NEC Birmingham 26 May 2013
Friends of mine will know that I have a small
admiration for Canada’s finest power trio and, coming on the back of a magical
three day visit to Venice, this was the perfect end to a spectacular few days.
When Rush announced their UK dates almost a year ago, the cost of the ticket
made me think twice if not three times before committing. However, as always,
when the house lights dimmed and the anticipation rose, that dithering about
whether or not to buy a ticket was dispelled immediately.
As the band headed on stage to a huge ovation
(let’s face it they could fart Spirit of Radio and we’d love it) I
realised once again that despite all their critics, this is one band who rarely
play it safe. Opening with Subdivisions from Signals, the first
part of the set was heavily based on the synthesiser era of the 1980s. Four
tracks from Power Windows including the brilliant Grand Designs
and Territories, two from Signals (Subdivisions and The
Analog Kid) and another from Hold Your Fire (Force Ten)
indicated that this was not going to be a greatest hits show (that was on the
30th Anniversary tour). The first drum solo crashed in during the
instrumental Where’s My Thing and the first set wrapped up nicely with Far
Cry from the previous album Snakes and Arrows. As usual, there was
plenty to keep you occupied; constant video backdrop changes, cartoons and
close ups of the band in action, overhead shots of the Professor at work and
random popcorn machines at the edge of the stage. These guys don’t lack humour,
as demonstrated in the intro video and also at the start and end of the second
half. Anyone who has seen the quite brilliant Beyond the Lighted Stage will
appreciate that for all their professionalism, Rush really don’t take
themselves too seriously. However, in terms of the quality of their music, they
really are the most consummate professionals. Thunderous bass lines and ear
splitting lead breaks make Rush a much heavier proposition live.
The second set started with the arrival of the
Clockwork Angels String Ensemble, who proceeded to enhance nine songs from the
2012 album Clockwork Angels with an orchestral style. Remember what I said
about playing it safe? Not this band. Not only did they play nine songs from a
new album, but they rearranged Dreamline, Red Sector A and
unbelievably YYZ to incorporate the violins, violas and cellos.
That’s right, YYZ, the air drummer’s dream. Played with strings!!
This time I only counted three full air drummers and no-one throwing and
catching the imaginary stick which happened on the last tour, I kid you not.
Rush closed with The Spirit of Radio which tore the roof off the LG,
everyone singing alone with Geddy whose voice remains incredibly strong and
able to hit all the notes (unlike a certain Snake). (Now, now! M) To
complete the evening, we were treated to Tom Sawyer and then 2112,
Parts I, II and VII. Three hours of the highest quality
music, lighting, sound and overall entertainment. The comments made by
Geddy at the end of the gig suggested strongly that nights like these will
become much rarer in the future and once again I felt extremely privileged to
have seen them again. Fingers crossed that they do cross the water again one
day. It may well be the last chance and if so, I’ll finally realise my ambition
to follow them around the UK. 10/10 (Sorry Matt, no surprise there!!)
Monday, 27 May 2013
A View From The Back Of The Room: Journey
Journey, Whitesnake & Thunder - Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
So another year another package deal featuring an opening band and a double headliner for a reasonable sum. This time it was on again/off again band Thunder, Dave Coverdale and his band of youngsters and the continuing resurgence of Journey. So with a night of classic rock ahead of me, myself and my friends piled into the Motorpoint.
Thunder
A band I have wanted to see for few years and finally my waiting paid off as with a hit of AC/DC's Thunderstruck and the band arrived on stage and plunged straight into Dirty Love looking like they'd never been away the guitars of Morley and Matthews riffed for their lives and Danny Bowes ran around the stage like a man half his age weaving his cheeky spell over the audience from the off and also treating us to some hardcore dad dancing. The hits continued with River Of Pain and the anthemic Higher Ground with every song the band oozed with talent with each member showing off their chops with particular praise going to Danny Bowes' voice which still is unbelievably strong and soulful. The band then launched into the guitar overdrive of Backstreet Symphony and the hard rocker The Devil Made Me Do It before the super ballad of Love Walked In. This was a short, sharp, shock of some sublime hard rock from the youngest band on this bill; let's just hope they stay together for a while yet. 9/10
Whitesnake
So ol' leather lungs burst into life after My Generation rang out through the arena they burst into life with Gimmie All Your Love and Ready And Willing. What immediately hits you is that despite the tight young band Coverdale can't really hit the notes but he still oozes rampant sexuality and prowls the stage like a panther. The wild swinging of the mic stand and the thrusting of hips were abound from the off. The set was a mix of classics and the two most recent albums, Can You Hear The Wind Blow from Forevermore blended into Don't Break My Heart Again before Gambler was unleashed in tribute to former members Cozy Powell, Mel Galley and Jon Lord. The lighters burst out in their masses for Is This Love before Coverdale went and rested while Reb Beach and the bleach blonde Doug Aldrich duelled and while both have talent it's Aldrich who really shines as the better guitarist of the two, the band returned with Steal Your Heart Away from Forevermore which featured a drum solo from veteran drummer Doug Aldridge who threw away his sticks halfway through an continued with his hands this was another break in proceedings but when Coverdale returned for Forevermore and sounded revitalised as they broke into the heavy metal sounding Best Years from Good To Be Bad before they started to wind things up at the end, Coverdale in full flight physically and vocally as they ran through the big hitters of Fool For Your Loving and Here I Go Again and then finally it was time for Still Of The Night which still remains the best song Zeppelin never recorded. An extremely noisy, hard hitting set of songs from the rock legends who built their set into a fitting crescendo that blew the audience away. 8/10
Journey
So with a slightly thinner crowd the opening keyboard pulse of Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) got the crowd moving from the off and started with a mass sing-along as Arnel Pineda blasted out the words with his superb voice that is every bit Steve Perry ever was if not better. The band were all on top musical form (as usual) but seemed a little rigid as if they were going through the motions, Pineda was animated as was bassist Ross Valory and keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain however guitarist Neal Schon was stoic and almost silent throughout. It was from Separate Ways into Any Way You Want It and the cavalcade of hits continued through to Ask The Only and Only The Young and then this is where things came unstuck. I realise that this was a day before Memorial Day in the USA however for Schon to play the entire Star Spangled Banner backed by images of fireworks and the American flag fell flat on its face with the Welsh crowd who were stunned into silence, this meant that it was hard for Journey to recover from this faux par with the next few songs failing to connect no matter how much Pineda tried to incite the crowd to get excited again. It was with Lights and the splendid Open Arms that finally got the crowd back on side which went into Escape and Faithfully even at this late stage Schon still insisted on mucking about between songs adding some unnecessary instrumentals before things returned to normal with Wheel In The Sky (My personal favourite) Be Good To Yourself and then 'that song' the sing-along Don't Stop Believing which ended the set on a massive high. However for a band like Journey, who were supposed to be the headliner, to have so much stalling in their set is not very professional, the sound too was against them with every song sounding muddied and in places even quiet (compared to the previous bands) this all played against Journey despite the musical ability on offer. So all in all Journey were good but were let down by two factors the muddied sound and Neal Schon's ego. 7/10
So another year another package deal featuring an opening band and a double headliner for a reasonable sum. This time it was on again/off again band Thunder, Dave Coverdale and his band of youngsters and the continuing resurgence of Journey. So with a night of classic rock ahead of me, myself and my friends piled into the Motorpoint.
Thunder
A band I have wanted to see for few years and finally my waiting paid off as with a hit of AC/DC's Thunderstruck and the band arrived on stage and plunged straight into Dirty Love looking like they'd never been away the guitars of Morley and Matthews riffed for their lives and Danny Bowes ran around the stage like a man half his age weaving his cheeky spell over the audience from the off and also treating us to some hardcore dad dancing. The hits continued with River Of Pain and the anthemic Higher Ground with every song the band oozed with talent with each member showing off their chops with particular praise going to Danny Bowes' voice which still is unbelievably strong and soulful. The band then launched into the guitar overdrive of Backstreet Symphony and the hard rocker The Devil Made Me Do It before the super ballad of Love Walked In. This was a short, sharp, shock of some sublime hard rock from the youngest band on this bill; let's just hope they stay together for a while yet. 9/10
Whitesnake
So ol' leather lungs burst into life after My Generation rang out through the arena they burst into life with Gimmie All Your Love and Ready And Willing. What immediately hits you is that despite the tight young band Coverdale can't really hit the notes but he still oozes rampant sexuality and prowls the stage like a panther. The wild swinging of the mic stand and the thrusting of hips were abound from the off. The set was a mix of classics and the two most recent albums, Can You Hear The Wind Blow from Forevermore blended into Don't Break My Heart Again before Gambler was unleashed in tribute to former members Cozy Powell, Mel Galley and Jon Lord. The lighters burst out in their masses for Is This Love before Coverdale went and rested while Reb Beach and the bleach blonde Doug Aldrich duelled and while both have talent it's Aldrich who really shines as the better guitarist of the two, the band returned with Steal Your Heart Away from Forevermore which featured a drum solo from veteran drummer Doug Aldridge who threw away his sticks halfway through an continued with his hands this was another break in proceedings but when Coverdale returned for Forevermore and sounded revitalised as they broke into the heavy metal sounding Best Years from Good To Be Bad before they started to wind things up at the end, Coverdale in full flight physically and vocally as they ran through the big hitters of Fool For Your Loving and Here I Go Again and then finally it was time for Still Of The Night which still remains the best song Zeppelin never recorded. An extremely noisy, hard hitting set of songs from the rock legends who built their set into a fitting crescendo that blew the audience away. 8/10
Journey
So with a slightly thinner crowd the opening keyboard pulse of Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) got the crowd moving from the off and started with a mass sing-along as Arnel Pineda blasted out the words with his superb voice that is every bit Steve Perry ever was if not better. The band were all on top musical form (as usual) but seemed a little rigid as if they were going through the motions, Pineda was animated as was bassist Ross Valory and keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain however guitarist Neal Schon was stoic and almost silent throughout. It was from Separate Ways into Any Way You Want It and the cavalcade of hits continued through to Ask The Only and Only The Young and then this is where things came unstuck. I realise that this was a day before Memorial Day in the USA however for Schon to play the entire Star Spangled Banner backed by images of fireworks and the American flag fell flat on its face with the Welsh crowd who were stunned into silence, this meant that it was hard for Journey to recover from this faux par with the next few songs failing to connect no matter how much Pineda tried to incite the crowd to get excited again. It was with Lights and the splendid Open Arms that finally got the crowd back on side which went into Escape and Faithfully even at this late stage Schon still insisted on mucking about between songs adding some unnecessary instrumentals before things returned to normal with Wheel In The Sky (My personal favourite) Be Good To Yourself and then 'that song' the sing-along Don't Stop Believing which ended the set on a massive high. However for a band like Journey, who were supposed to be the headliner, to have so much stalling in their set is not very professional, the sound too was against them with every song sounding muddied and in places even quiet (compared to the previous bands) this all played against Journey despite the musical ability on offer. So all in all Journey were good but were let down by two factors the muddied sound and Neal Schon's ego. 7/10
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Reviews: Alice In Chains, Kylesa, Invictus
Alice In Chains: The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Virgin/EMI)
So this is the second album in AIC post Layne period and its a case of if it ain't broke don't fix it, this follows on immediately from Black Gives Way To Blue (which itself was a continuation of the AIC heavy grunge sound). From the opening downward dirge of Hollow all of the hallmarks are present, the dual vocals of Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, Cantrell's excellent lead work working it's way over the doomy metal rhythm, which is backed by Sean Kinney's drums and Mike Inez bottom heavy bass. Cantrell has been quoted as saying this album is unique in it's delivery but maybe I'm an idiot but to me it sounds like AIC of old, which is by no means a bad thing, but apart from the occasional Sabbath reference or hard rock tendency this is AIC's own brand of grunge with some classic rock leanings with the stirring guitar solo on Stone which surprisingly comes from DuVall not from Cantrell. This is an album full of some excellent songs like the aforementioned Stone as well as the atmospheric title track which builds to a massive crescendo before returning back to just stripped down guitars and the amazing and progressive Phantom Limb (which features another solo from DuVall). This is the second album of AIC's new age and if they continue in this vein then it looks to be as good as their original incarnation good stuff indeed 8/10
Kylesa: Ultraviolet (Seasons Of The Mist)
Sludge Metal masters Kylesa return with their sixth album and unlike their previous effort this album is more introspective and darker both lyrically and sonically. The band still have their own unique musical style with the twin vocal, twin guitar and twin drum assault leaving just bassist Chase Rudeseal as the only single instrument member. The dual drums work well on the bands sonic attack as they can bring a haunting percussive vibe to all the tracks and is especially prevalent on Long Gone. The drums are topped by the hazy and riff heavy guitars of Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasant's, both also contribute vocals however Pleasant's has the monopoly on vocals this time around with the album based on her personal tragedies, she does an excellent job having a wounded wail that infects the slower restrained tracks and also an aggressive Maria Brink-like roar on the more biting tracks like We're Taking This. With tracks like the full on chant of Unbroken the Lizzy-like dual guitars of Grounded and the punk rock styling's of What Does It Take. The band are clearly have taken their mantra of making every record different seriously as they have managed to make this one a dark, brooding, atmospheric record full of lazy psych, merged with some heavy metal riffage bolstered by some strong vocals and song writing. 8/10
Invictus: Unconquerable (Self - Released)
The first thing that strikes you about Invictus' debut E.P is that it is strong in terms of song writing and also from the production standpoint (debut production job from Seven Deadly's Archie Wilson) from the opening melodic guitar lines of Master Of My Fate (which have a similar sound to InMe). Then it builds into the double kicks and heavy breakdowns of modern metalcore. The band are a six piece and feature two vocalists both handle screams the one providing some black metal screaming and the other some more metalcore based growls and roars. However on the clean vocals they fall down a little with one having quite a good clean delivery but the others is a little flat in places which is noticeable at most on Lazarus. However the that aside the rest of the band have a good sound with some technical guitars laying beneath the heavy riffage and skull smashing drums they even have some progressive tendencies on final track Cimmerian. With a bit of refinement and some more experience the band could do well as it stands they have a good musical backing but are let down slightly on the (clean) vocal front. 6/10
So this is the second album in AIC post Layne period and its a case of if it ain't broke don't fix it, this follows on immediately from Black Gives Way To Blue (which itself was a continuation of the AIC heavy grunge sound). From the opening downward dirge of Hollow all of the hallmarks are present, the dual vocals of Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, Cantrell's excellent lead work working it's way over the doomy metal rhythm, which is backed by Sean Kinney's drums and Mike Inez bottom heavy bass. Cantrell has been quoted as saying this album is unique in it's delivery but maybe I'm an idiot but to me it sounds like AIC of old, which is by no means a bad thing, but apart from the occasional Sabbath reference or hard rock tendency this is AIC's own brand of grunge with some classic rock leanings with the stirring guitar solo on Stone which surprisingly comes from DuVall not from Cantrell. This is an album full of some excellent songs like the aforementioned Stone as well as the atmospheric title track which builds to a massive crescendo before returning back to just stripped down guitars and the amazing and progressive Phantom Limb (which features another solo from DuVall). This is the second album of AIC's new age and if they continue in this vein then it looks to be as good as their original incarnation good stuff indeed 8/10
Kylesa: Ultraviolet (Seasons Of The Mist)
Sludge Metal masters Kylesa return with their sixth album and unlike their previous effort this album is more introspective and darker both lyrically and sonically. The band still have their own unique musical style with the twin vocal, twin guitar and twin drum assault leaving just bassist Chase Rudeseal as the only single instrument member. The dual drums work well on the bands sonic attack as they can bring a haunting percussive vibe to all the tracks and is especially prevalent on Long Gone. The drums are topped by the hazy and riff heavy guitars of Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasant's, both also contribute vocals however Pleasant's has the monopoly on vocals this time around with the album based on her personal tragedies, she does an excellent job having a wounded wail that infects the slower restrained tracks and also an aggressive Maria Brink-like roar on the more biting tracks like We're Taking This. With tracks like the full on chant of Unbroken the Lizzy-like dual guitars of Grounded and the punk rock styling's of What Does It Take. The band are clearly have taken their mantra of making every record different seriously as they have managed to make this one a dark, brooding, atmospheric record full of lazy psych, merged with some heavy metal riffage bolstered by some strong vocals and song writing. 8/10
Invictus: Unconquerable (Self - Released)
The first thing that strikes you about Invictus' debut E.P is that it is strong in terms of song writing and also from the production standpoint (debut production job from Seven Deadly's Archie Wilson) from the opening melodic guitar lines of Master Of My Fate (which have a similar sound to InMe). Then it builds into the double kicks and heavy breakdowns of modern metalcore. The band are a six piece and feature two vocalists both handle screams the one providing some black metal screaming and the other some more metalcore based growls and roars. However on the clean vocals they fall down a little with one having quite a good clean delivery but the others is a little flat in places which is noticeable at most on Lazarus. However the that aside the rest of the band have a good sound with some technical guitars laying beneath the heavy riffage and skull smashing drums they even have some progressive tendencies on final track Cimmerian. With a bit of refinement and some more experience the band could do well as it stands they have a good musical backing but are let down slightly on the (clean) vocal front. 6/10
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Reviews: Queens Of The Stone Age, Airbourne, Joe Bonamassa & Beth Hart
Queens Of The Stone Age:...Like Clockwork (Reckords Reckords)
So Josh Homme and his cavalcade of stoners, clowns and madmen return for their first album since 2008's Era Vulgaris and it is a return to more natural sound in juxtaposition to the electronic influences of the previous album. With Homme handles all the lead vocals as well as guitar, with Troy Van Leeuwen helping on the six strings, Dean Fertita handles the keys and Michael Shuman brings the bass. All of the playing comes across excellent as usual on the creepy and haunting opening track Keep Your Eyes Peeled which also features Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) on co-vocals and opens the album with a restrained eerie vibe. The drums are split between three men: Frequent collaborator Dave Grohl, former drummer Joey Castillo and current drummer Jon Theodore. I Sat By The Ocean is a psychedelic rocker that features some fuzzed up classic QOTSA noise. The Vampyre Of Time And Memory is next this is a restrained piano ballad with some crackling synth behind it. If I Had A Tail is a milestone track as it is a features guest vocal from Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner, former member Mark Lanegan and most notably former bassist Nick Oliveri. Other guests are Trent Reznor on electronic swing of Kalopsia and Elton John, Reznor, Lanegan and Oliveri on the massive noise explosion of Fairweather Friends which has all of the QOTSA hallmarks along with John's stabbing piano. This is pulsing, brooding, psychedelic record that leads you on a magical mystery tour of musical adventure that is full of the hallmarks that QOTSA are known for an so much more and excellent record from a band that are still relevant and unique. 9/10
Airbourne: Black Dog Barking (Roadrunner)
Airbourne bring back the balls the rock once again with this their third album and this one merges their two previous releases bringing the straight up no nonsense rock of their debut with the slightly wider range on their second album (which if I'm honest was a little too long with 13 tracks and four bonus tracks too) This album kicks off with a chant and then the bursts into the rip roaring Ready To Rock which will be a live opener for a while and has a reprise of the chant in the middle of it. The first half of the record is taken up with songs like Animalize and Firepower coming off as vintage turbocharged Airbourne with songs of lust, sex and drinking, Back In The Game is a swaggering blues rocker that blows up into a massive solo. It's with the first single Live It Up that we get a hint of Airbourne's arena credentials as it kicks off with a cracking melodic opening guitar intro from Joel O'Keefe before working up into the classic frenzy which features one of the best pre-chorus I've heard in a while that will be a live staple for a while. This album is one that sees Airbourne bringing together their high profile tour experience and laying it down on a record meaning that it is paced like an Airbourne concert. As usual Joel's voice is a whiskey soaked snarl, the guitars of him and David Roads are classy and rocking and the rhythm section of Justin Street and Ryan O'Keefe is tight and metronomic throughout. Airbourne are that rare thing in life consistent, they know what they are good at and they stick to it yes the riffs are similar, the vocals don't vary but the songs rock like motherfuckers and really that's all you need from rock n roll. (See not a single mention of AC/DC...bollocks!) 8/10
Joe Bonamassa & Beth Hart: See-Saw (Provogue)
So the Queen of blues vocals and the King of blues guitar return for their second collaboration of soul, jazz and funk covers. Again Hart's voice is amazing throughout equally at home with the swinging horn filled jazz of opener Them There Eyes (originally by Billie Holiday) the raucous rock and roll of Nutbush City Limits and moves through the soulful spectrum on slow burners I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know and Strange Fruit. Duelling for supremacy with Hart's lush vocals is the guitar of Mr Bones which also goes through the several genre shifts showing off his chops on a variety of styles and each time inspiring and mesmerising especially on I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know. Through these 11 tracks you see just how good a vocalist Beth Hart is (Bonamassa's guitar prowess is a given) and after the first collaboration with Joey Bones she was propelled back into the limelight and now with a her first US released solo album in a decade under her belt she has teamed up with him again to show that these two records were no fluke. The two of them are backed by the same group that backed them on the first album with Blondie Chapman on guitar, Anton Fig on drums, Carmine Rojas on bass and a stinging horn section all of which is bolstered by the retro production of Kevin Shirley who adds his Midas touch to the record keeping it feeling fresh but also true to the original recordings. With this collaboration Joe Bonamassa has shown that he is a master of many genres and Beth Hart shows why she truly has an amazingly soulful voice. 8/10
So Josh Homme and his cavalcade of stoners, clowns and madmen return for their first album since 2008's Era Vulgaris and it is a return to more natural sound in juxtaposition to the electronic influences of the previous album. With Homme handles all the lead vocals as well as guitar, with Troy Van Leeuwen helping on the six strings, Dean Fertita handles the keys and Michael Shuman brings the bass. All of the playing comes across excellent as usual on the creepy and haunting opening track Keep Your Eyes Peeled which also features Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) on co-vocals and opens the album with a restrained eerie vibe. The drums are split between three men: Frequent collaborator Dave Grohl, former drummer Joey Castillo and current drummer Jon Theodore. I Sat By The Ocean is a psychedelic rocker that features some fuzzed up classic QOTSA noise. The Vampyre Of Time And Memory is next this is a restrained piano ballad with some crackling synth behind it. If I Had A Tail is a milestone track as it is a features guest vocal from Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner, former member Mark Lanegan and most notably former bassist Nick Oliveri. Other guests are Trent Reznor on electronic swing of Kalopsia and Elton John, Reznor, Lanegan and Oliveri on the massive noise explosion of Fairweather Friends which has all of the QOTSA hallmarks along with John's stabbing piano. This is pulsing, brooding, psychedelic record that leads you on a magical mystery tour of musical adventure that is full of the hallmarks that QOTSA are known for an so much more and excellent record from a band that are still relevant and unique. 9/10
Airbourne: Black Dog Barking (Roadrunner)
Airbourne bring back the balls the rock once again with this their third album and this one merges their two previous releases bringing the straight up no nonsense rock of their debut with the slightly wider range on their second album (which if I'm honest was a little too long with 13 tracks and four bonus tracks too) This album kicks off with a chant and then the bursts into the rip roaring Ready To Rock which will be a live opener for a while and has a reprise of the chant in the middle of it. The first half of the record is taken up with songs like Animalize and Firepower coming off as vintage turbocharged Airbourne with songs of lust, sex and drinking, Back In The Game is a swaggering blues rocker that blows up into a massive solo. It's with the first single Live It Up that we get a hint of Airbourne's arena credentials as it kicks off with a cracking melodic opening guitar intro from Joel O'Keefe before working up into the classic frenzy which features one of the best pre-chorus I've heard in a while that will be a live staple for a while. This album is one that sees Airbourne bringing together their high profile tour experience and laying it down on a record meaning that it is paced like an Airbourne concert. As usual Joel's voice is a whiskey soaked snarl, the guitars of him and David Roads are classy and rocking and the rhythm section of Justin Street and Ryan O'Keefe is tight and metronomic throughout. Airbourne are that rare thing in life consistent, they know what they are good at and they stick to it yes the riffs are similar, the vocals don't vary but the songs rock like motherfuckers and really that's all you need from rock n roll. (See not a single mention of AC/DC...bollocks!) 8/10
Joe Bonamassa & Beth Hart: See-Saw (Provogue)
So the Queen of blues vocals and the King of blues guitar return for their second collaboration of soul, jazz and funk covers. Again Hart's voice is amazing throughout equally at home with the swinging horn filled jazz of opener Them There Eyes (originally by Billie Holiday) the raucous rock and roll of Nutbush City Limits and moves through the soulful spectrum on slow burners I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know and Strange Fruit. Duelling for supremacy with Hart's lush vocals is the guitar of Mr Bones which also goes through the several genre shifts showing off his chops on a variety of styles and each time inspiring and mesmerising especially on I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know. Through these 11 tracks you see just how good a vocalist Beth Hart is (Bonamassa's guitar prowess is a given) and after the first collaboration with Joey Bones she was propelled back into the limelight and now with a her first US released solo album in a decade under her belt she has teamed up with him again to show that these two records were no fluke. The two of them are backed by the same group that backed them on the first album with Blondie Chapman on guitar, Anton Fig on drums, Carmine Rojas on bass and a stinging horn section all of which is bolstered by the retro production of Kevin Shirley who adds his Midas touch to the record keeping it feeling fresh but also true to the original recordings. With this collaboration Joe Bonamassa has shown that he is a master of many genres and Beth Hart shows why she truly has an amazingly soulful voice. 8/10
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Reviews: TesseracT, Battle Beast, Shooter Jennings
TesseracT: Altered State (Century Media)
So the British djent originators return with their second album, between the two albums TesseracT have been through two vocalists and have finally settled on Ashe O'Hara who makes his recorded debut on this release. Again the band focus on polyrhythmic, technical guitars coming from founder member Acle Kahney and James Monteith and some heavy palm muted bass from Amos Williams (who gets a bass break on Of Energy - Singularity), the drums too of Jay Postones are good too providing both the soft airy percussion on the more ethereal tracks like opener Of Matter - Proxy and second track Of Matter - Retrospect (which has a few nice little time changes in it to mix things up) as well as some big double kicked O'Hara's voice is suited to these ethereal songs as his high register delivery gives the tracks a ghostly feel. Like the debut this is a concept record with all of the tracks split into sections that relate to different states, because of this the record has a more of an esoteric feel than its predecessor starting out slowly before building, by the time Of Mind - Nocturne kicks in we are into metal territory with an upbeat djent riffage and some extremely strong vocals from O'Hara and an extended outro which is followed by the off kilter Of Mind - Exile which snakes through several time changes in its 8 minute plus run time. This second album has a more expansive soundscapes especially on the sax filled Of Reality - Calabi-Yau and goes much further than just being a djent album, with every listen you pick up another intricate guitar or bass riff, the band have managed to create a modern progressive metal masterpiece. 9/10
Battle Beast: Battle Beast (Nuclear Blast)
So Finns Battle Beast return with their second album and a new singer in the shape of the silver haired Noora who immediately shows her skills on the pulsing opener Let It Roar which wouldn't sound out of place on the last Stratovarius album. Noora is phenomenal talent her voice stretches between heavenly clean crooning and some screams that Rob Halford would have trouble hitting. On the musical front they still play the muscular traditional/power metal that would sound at home on a Sonata Arctica or an Accept album with some massive guitar riffs and solos from the two guitarists a bucketful of keyboards underpinned by some powerful bass and drums. Battle Beast have done one of the hardest things in music and made vocalist change for the better, Noora has a fantastic voice which suits the heavy metal style of the record that has made people call them a female fronted Dio. A comparison like that is apt because of tracks like Neuromancer and Out On The Streets which wouldn't sound out of place on a Dio album (the former having a Euro-pop backing that also lends them a bit of Amaranthe). Battle Beast is an extremely strong album that features some high quality heavy metal that rips and tears throughout threatening to explode out of the stereo with every track and it is topped by a phenomenally talented vocalist who can match the best metal singers out there note for note and some she walks all over! This is a trad metal experience par excellence! 9/10
Shooter Jennings: The Other Life (Black Country Rock)
So Waylon's baby boy returns with a new album from his new band The Triple Crown this is the follow up to last year’s Family Man which saw the Outlaw Countryman return to his roots but also he has merged this with the atmospheric rock styling’s of his side project Hierophant. From the spooky opening salvo of Flying Saucer Song which sounds like it has been taken off Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds, before moving into some mellotron backed train of thought vocal delivery. The second track A Hard Lesson To Learn is back to Jenning's country stomping grounds but with lashings of keys and organs from collaborator jazz pianist Erik Deutsch, he is just a part of Jennings' extremely talented backing band and shows his chops on The White Trash Song, while the rest of the band have that focussed looseness that comes only from country players. Jennings' himself covers a myriad of topics from heartbreak, to family, to religion his voice croons and roars in equal measure meaning he can move from forlorn to downright aggressive when he hits out at all the fake country stars out there on Outlaw You (Kid Rock beware!), Shooter Jennings has managed to create some fantastic songs on this album with the heart rendering sorrow of the slide-guitar and fiddle propelled title track, through the Yes styling’s of Mama, It's Just My Medicine to the blues rock of 15 Million Light Years Away (which features guest rasps in the from Black Oak Arkansas Jim Dandy). This is an album that draws from a wide palate but is rooted in the Southern roots of Shooter Jennings' heritage. 8/10
So the British djent originators return with their second album, between the two albums TesseracT have been through two vocalists and have finally settled on Ashe O'Hara who makes his recorded debut on this release. Again the band focus on polyrhythmic, technical guitars coming from founder member Acle Kahney and James Monteith and some heavy palm muted bass from Amos Williams (who gets a bass break on Of Energy - Singularity), the drums too of Jay Postones are good too providing both the soft airy percussion on the more ethereal tracks like opener Of Matter - Proxy and second track Of Matter - Retrospect (which has a few nice little time changes in it to mix things up) as well as some big double kicked O'Hara's voice is suited to these ethereal songs as his high register delivery gives the tracks a ghostly feel. Like the debut this is a concept record with all of the tracks split into sections that relate to different states, because of this the record has a more of an esoteric feel than its predecessor starting out slowly before building, by the time Of Mind - Nocturne kicks in we are into metal territory with an upbeat djent riffage and some extremely strong vocals from O'Hara and an extended outro which is followed by the off kilter Of Mind - Exile which snakes through several time changes in its 8 minute plus run time. This second album has a more expansive soundscapes especially on the sax filled Of Reality - Calabi-Yau and goes much further than just being a djent album, with every listen you pick up another intricate guitar or bass riff, the band have managed to create a modern progressive metal masterpiece. 9/10
Battle Beast: Battle Beast (Nuclear Blast)
So Finns Battle Beast return with their second album and a new singer in the shape of the silver haired Noora who immediately shows her skills on the pulsing opener Let It Roar which wouldn't sound out of place on the last Stratovarius album. Noora is phenomenal talent her voice stretches between heavenly clean crooning and some screams that Rob Halford would have trouble hitting. On the musical front they still play the muscular traditional/power metal that would sound at home on a Sonata Arctica or an Accept album with some massive guitar riffs and solos from the two guitarists a bucketful of keyboards underpinned by some powerful bass and drums. Battle Beast have done one of the hardest things in music and made vocalist change for the better, Noora has a fantastic voice which suits the heavy metal style of the record that has made people call them a female fronted Dio. A comparison like that is apt because of tracks like Neuromancer and Out On The Streets which wouldn't sound out of place on a Dio album (the former having a Euro-pop backing that also lends them a bit of Amaranthe). Battle Beast is an extremely strong album that features some high quality heavy metal that rips and tears throughout threatening to explode out of the stereo with every track and it is topped by a phenomenally talented vocalist who can match the best metal singers out there note for note and some she walks all over! This is a trad metal experience par excellence! 9/10
Shooter Jennings: The Other Life (Black Country Rock)
So Waylon's baby boy returns with a new album from his new band The Triple Crown this is the follow up to last year’s Family Man which saw the Outlaw Countryman return to his roots but also he has merged this with the atmospheric rock styling’s of his side project Hierophant. From the spooky opening salvo of Flying Saucer Song which sounds like it has been taken off Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds, before moving into some mellotron backed train of thought vocal delivery. The second track A Hard Lesson To Learn is back to Jenning's country stomping grounds but with lashings of keys and organs from collaborator jazz pianist Erik Deutsch, he is just a part of Jennings' extremely talented backing band and shows his chops on The White Trash Song, while the rest of the band have that focussed looseness that comes only from country players. Jennings' himself covers a myriad of topics from heartbreak, to family, to religion his voice croons and roars in equal measure meaning he can move from forlorn to downright aggressive when he hits out at all the fake country stars out there on Outlaw You (Kid Rock beware!), Shooter Jennings has managed to create some fantastic songs on this album with the heart rendering sorrow of the slide-guitar and fiddle propelled title track, through the Yes styling’s of Mama, It's Just My Medicine to the blues rock of 15 Million Light Years Away (which features guest rasps in the from Black Oak Arkansas Jim Dandy). This is an album that draws from a wide palate but is rooted in the Southern roots of Shooter Jennings' heritage. 8/10
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
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