Nestor took the music world by surprise with their previous album Kids In A Ghost Town, the Swedes play authentic melodic rock that sounds like it’s been stuck in a time capsule since the late 80’s. Dispelling any notions of grunge or nu-metal, they’re here to party like its 1984 not 2024.
Unlike a lot of bands that have revived the AOR/melodic rock genre, Nestor actually formed in 1989 as a progressive metal band, releasing a few self-produced efforts but only in 2021 when they fully embraced the slickness and gleam of the ott 80’s did they fully realise their vision.
35 years of experience packed into these songs ring loud when they give you some Journey-like brilliance on Victorious or some Toto-like soul on Caroline, you can hear that even though they have their tongues in their cheeks a little the performances are honest reflections of that era, nostalgia but with reverence to the source material.
For example the title track is rose tinted look at the past Tobias Gustavsson is the reason why Nestor appeal to me so much, his vocals are in that melodic sweet spot of Steve Perry and Bobby Kimball soaring high but with soulful quality that brings real emotion on the ballads and rockers alike.
Jonny Wemmenstedt adds the flash with his widdly guitar playing, most of the songs building into some guitar heroics, the additional flavour brought by Martin Frejinger’s keys, sometimes a lead instrument, sometimes fleshing out the backing on strutting numbers such as Addicted To Your Love.
On 21 they up the speed, like those early Europe records where they were neo-classical in the song writing Mattias Carlsson’s drums galloping with double kicks as Marcus Åblad’s bass locks in for the wild ride, this will slay on the stage but so too will the huge ballads such as Daughter and The One That Got Away.
Nestor blend the best moments of Journey, Toto, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, adding dashes of hard rock and some prog rock technicality as well. They maybe a long time off from being Teenage Rebels but their experience shines on this slick, melodic rock record! 9/10
The Dave Foster Band – Maybe They’ll Come Back For Us (English Electric Recordings)
A band who met after being introduced by Marillion’s Steve Rothery, Dutch singer Dinet Poortman and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Dave Foster have been a band since 2017, having released two previous albums, I knew that even if I hadn’t heard the others I’d love this due to the membership.
The Marillion link continues a Dave plays in Steve Rothery Band too, as well as being a member of Big Big Train, whose label releases this third collaboration, joining them are bassist Neil Fairclough (Queen + Adam Lambert), drummer Leon Parr (also of Steve Rothery Band), pianist Anthony Hindley and string arranger Stephen Boyce Buckley.
They’ve even manged to rope Rothery in for a sublime solo on These Tendencies, while on Talented Failure there is the unmistakable bass playing of Level 42’s Mark King and elsewhere extra vocals from Carly Bryant ex-Big Big Train. With that beautiful guitar sound that opens Sleep Spindles I’m in heaven as the likes of Floyd, Marillion are instantly recognisable, Foster playing with feel over flash and Dinet’s vocals are smoky, breathy and full of 90’s alt rock sneer.
Lots of links to bands I love such as Mostly Autumn, Touchstone, The Reasoning are audible, on a track like Pollyanna for instance but also Cranberries (Queen Of Maybe), Muse (Delicate Things) and The Gathering (The Optimist) too. With the King funk bass driving Talented Failure, there’s a very specific nod to the Britpop of Shampoo and The Manics, These Tendencies too has a nostalgic 90’s drive to it.
This is pop prog at its slickest, the virtuosity never getting in the way of accessible song writing, emotion rings out of the guitar, piano and the vocals, functionality and groove from the rhythm section, the relaxed way it was recorded benefitting the players by letting them fully take control of the recording, giving them a way to experiment and make sure things are perfect.
It's damn close to perfect, I'm a sucker for this sort of music so of course I was going to like it but The Dave Foster Band deliver some top flight pop/prog on their third album. 9/10
Bass Communion - The Itself Of Itself (Fourth Dimension/Lumberton Trading Company)
No matter the genre, you can bet Steven Wilson will have a go at it. Progressive in the best sense, his discography is as broad as it is extensive and with his Bass Communion project he takes things to the furthest reaches paying homage to ambient, drone, noise and field recordings.
The Itself Of Itself is his 11th foray into the sub tones and atmospheres and it begins auspiciously with Unperson, 10 minutes of audio harshness that evolves into some ambience at the end, Apparition 3 on the other hand delves into low end throbbing, journeys through undiscovered galaxies to forgotten stars.
The obsession with analogue instruments and the sounds they make be that deliberate or incidental such as tape hiss or static on Bruise for instance. The Itself Of Itself will not be for everyone, there's not a huge amount of music here, but there is a lot of noises, drawn together, from the industrial harshness of Blackmail to the use of distorted, twisted string and wind instruments, there's nothing safe on this album.
It's going to upset some people, bore others but anyone who has an obsession with Sunn O))), Brian Eno or Alio Die this will infect your psyche. 7/10
EvilDead - Toxic Grace (Steamhammer/SPV)
Thrash has always been political so with a track such as Stupid On Parade US thrash metal band EvilDead continue a long standing tradition of raging against the fringes of political oppression and the bane of technology on Subjugated Souls. It's been a four year gap since this comeback album United $tate$ Of Anarchy but before that they last released an album in 1991.
I didn't hear the previous albums but Toxic Grace is retro as it comes, the production is rough and ready as they shift from their distinct thrash metal into doom, death and more. An experienced band then but playing thrash similar to the way it was back in 1986 when they formed so it can't really escape those trappings for very long. Only really the bonus track The Death And Resurrection Show adding a different sound standing as an industrial tribute to Kevin 'Geordie' Walker of Killing Joke.
So Toxic Grace continues EvilDead's socio-political thrash metal crusade, never wandering that far from their beginnings even after nearly 40 years. 7/10
No matter the genre, you can bet Steven Wilson will have a go at it. Progressive in the best sense, his discography is as broad as it is extensive and with his Bass Communion project he takes things to the furthest reaches paying homage to ambient, drone, noise and field recordings.
The Itself Of Itself is his 11th foray into the sub tones and atmospheres and it begins auspiciously with Unperson, 10 minutes of audio harshness that evolves into some ambience at the end, Apparition 3 on the other hand delves into low end throbbing, journeys through undiscovered galaxies to forgotten stars.
The obsession with analogue instruments and the sounds they make be that deliberate or incidental such as tape hiss or static on Bruise for instance. The Itself Of Itself will not be for everyone, there's not a huge amount of music here, but there is a lot of noises, drawn together, from the industrial harshness of Blackmail to the use of distorted, twisted string and wind instruments, there's nothing safe on this album.
It's going to upset some people, bore others but anyone who has an obsession with Sunn O))), Brian Eno or Alio Die this will infect your psyche. 7/10
EvilDead - Toxic Grace (Steamhammer/SPV)
Thrash has always been political so with a track such as Stupid On Parade US thrash metal band EvilDead continue a long standing tradition of raging against the fringes of political oppression and the bane of technology on Subjugated Souls. It's been a four year gap since this comeback album United $tate$ Of Anarchy but before that they last released an album in 1991.
I didn't hear the previous albums but Toxic Grace is retro as it comes, the production is rough and ready as they shift from their distinct thrash metal into doom, death and more. An experienced band then but playing thrash similar to the way it was back in 1986 when they formed so it can't really escape those trappings for very long. Only really the bonus track The Death And Resurrection Show adding a different sound standing as an industrial tribute to Kevin 'Geordie' Walker of Killing Joke.
So Toxic Grace continues EvilDead's socio-political thrash metal crusade, never wandering that far from their beginnings even after nearly 40 years. 7/10
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