Retro Reviews - October 2025!

I know it's technically November, but things got a little hairy and this didn't come out until now.  Just understand that I listened to these last month, alright?  So, carrying on my journey of five-year jumps, I'm checking out a handful from 2005 now, and unsurprisingly, it's a lot of power metal.  At this point, the genre was winding down, but plenty of bands were still putting out some interesting music.  However, before we get to that, let's start off in a completely different genre:

Scott Stapp - The Great Divide

When Creed broke up, their singer Scott decided to shift into a solo career built upon the success of his former band.  I remember when it came out back in the day, and I think I heard a song or two, but for whatever reason, I never got around to the album itself until now.  While I certainly love the band Creed quite a bit, I find this album to be a little lifeless compared to those, despite being some decent hard rock.

To say that this sounds like Creed is pretty moot; it was intended to be a continuation of that sound.  The major difference is how the songs lean more into atmosphere and ambiance, giving them an ethereal quality, often making me think of U2.  Stapp himself sounds great, wailing and yarling as usual, though he does get a little harsher on some songs, like "Reach Out."  The songwriting itself feels kinda of basic, though.  Creed might not have been the most complex band, but there were touches here and there that teased more out of the songs, and I don't get that as much here.  Of course, there are a few curious moments that shake things up, like the talky style on the verses of of "Justify," and the back-and-forth between electric and acoustic guitars on the title track, but most of it is some pretty standard post-grunge or alternative rock.

This is by no means a bad album, just underwhelming.  It could also be that, since I have massive nostalgia for Creed's first three albums, it's hard to measure this against that.  Maybe if I'd listened to this over and over back in the day, I'd feel differently about it.  In any case, this is pretty much exactly what one would expect from such an album.  I liked the title track and "Let Me Go," and the rest was fine enough, but overall, I can understand why this one didn't do quite as well, as it does feel like an emulation of a style rather than a continuation of it, resulting in a lukewarm effort.

Black Majesty - Silent Company

When I checked out this band two years ago, I thought their debut album was decent, if rough around the edges.  Their sound was an interesting blend of European and US power metal styles, but in the two years leading up to their sophomore, they've clearly shifted over to the Europeans, particularly the high speed, double-kicking fury of the likes of Edguy and Gamma Ray. 

Right off, the production is a big improvement, as the band sounds much more unified.  John Cavaliere still has his Tate-like wails, but he sounds much more well-rounded here, Pavel Konvalinka continues to pound the tar out of his drum kit, and the rest of the band provide plenty of riffs and melodies.  The energy remains fairly high, kicking off with "Dragon Reborn," and carries on through with tracks like "Firestorm," "New Horizons," and "Never Surrender."  They do shake it up a little, such as the mid-tempo "Darkened Room," and the folky power ballad cover of "Six Ribbons."  The main portion of the album ends with the seven-minute epic "A Better Way to Die," and the bonus track "Chasing Time" has some good energy.

If there is a problem, it's that there really is nothing new here.  By 2005, the competition in the power metal space was getting pretty intense, and this album feels a few years behind everyone else.  Still, this is definitely an improvement over their debut, so I'm hoping things will continue to improve as I work through the discography.  As for the album itself, it's decent power metal, with solid execution, with no bad tracks, really.

Masterplan - Aeronatics

Oh hey, another follow up from that same article!  While the band does pick up a new keyboardist and bassist, things are business as usual with Masterplan carrying on their straight-ahead power metal style.

The main difference I noticed was with that new keyboardist, though.  Axel Mackenrott is much more prominent than Janne Wirman was on their debut, pushing the band in more of a symphonic direction.  Honestly, this feels like the half-way point between classic Helloween and Sonata Artica, but that's not a bad place to be.  The songs seem to focus more on personal relationships and introspective tones than standard empowering topics.  However, this does allow Jorn to really play up the melodrama, as his crooning style is more prominent on this album (and is honestly better for it).

"Crimson Rider" starts things off well as a burst of high speed, and "Wounds" also carry that energy as well.  They also shake it up with some mid-tempo stompers, with "Back for My Life," and "Dark from the Dying" being the highlights.  However, the song that stood out the most is the massive 9-minute closer "Black in the Burn."  With all the tempo shifts, it felt like a Helloween or Gamma Ray style prog epic, and was quite a delight to hear!  Overall, it's a solid album that might not be a massive step forward but a rather a refinement of the kind of band they want to be, making it a pretty satisfying listen.

Excalion - Primal Exhale

While I've been aware of this band, I've never taken the time to give them a serious listen.  Once again, the Top 5 articles give me the opportunity to check out the debut of a new band that I've heard good things about.  Hailing from Finland, they offer some pretty typical, synth-heavy power metal, like Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica.

Right off, the production is a little packed, giving the songs a slight muddy feel, as the wall of sound blends the instruments a little, and singer Jarmo Pääkkönen gets a little buried from time to time.  However, the band clearly has a very lush sound, as band-leader Jarmo Myllyvirta really works his keyboards and synths to give these songs a lot of atmospheric, with some occasional symphonic vibes.  The rest of the band plays their parts well, but I don't know if they've quite gelled as a band yet.  It also doesn't help that some of the lyrics are clunky, as they don't have a natural English flow (which is common when it's not a band's native tongue), but Jarmo delivers them well.  As for the songwriting, I do think they're leaning a little into Sonata Arctica's progginess and atmosphere, but they haven't quite ironed out the kinks.  However, their solo trade-offs and neo-classical noodling is on point, and none of the songs felt like a slog to get through.

Overall, I liked the faster songs better, such as "Reality Bends," "Stage of Lies," and "My Legacy," as their energy was able to get through the muddy production better.  I look forward to see where the band builds from here, as I think they have the right pieces.  It's not a bad debut album, providing some decent power metal, but there's definitely room for growth.

Anniversary Series - 1999!

This article should be better than the last one, even if it means I gush about power metal most of the time, but it was great year for that genre.  After HammerFall had opened the gates, tons of new bands got signed, making it a ripe year for fans of the style.  However, I promise I'll talk a little bit about other genres, and we'll kick things off with some hard rock.

The big album of the year was definitely Creed's Human Clay.  Between the Matrix cameras in the music video and the anthemic post-grunge sound, this was when Creed cracked into the mainstream and became a big name.  I remember hearing "Higher" on the radio and thinking I needed more of this band.  I ended up loving them so much, they ended up being my first band retrospective article three years ago (the fact that they had such a small discography certainly helped as well.)

Other rock highlights include a few bands coming back in one form or another.  Def Leppard got back to their classic sound with Euphoria, Styx tried to make another concept album for Brave New World, and Santana teamed-up with Rob Thomas to give us "Smooth."  Classic rock might not have been the charting success it once was, but they still had plenty of good ideas and fun music.

I've delayed it long enough, though.  Power metal was really strong this year, with plenty of options to pick up.  Primal Fear came back with Jaws of Death, Gamma Ray and Iron Savior carried on their space crusade (which I reviewed earlier this month), Kamelot went into their Fourth Legacy now with epic vocalist Roy Khan helping with the songwriting, Edguy criticized the Theater of Salvation., and Helloween pulled out a Metal Jukebox for some interesting covers.

There were some solid debuts.  Freedom Call started their happy style of metal with Stairway to Fairyland, Metalium rang in the year with Millennium Metal, and Sonata Arctica blew everyone away with their debut Ecliptica.  With magnificent songs like "Kingdom for a Heart" and "Unopened," it was clear they were poised to become a champion of the second wave of power metal.

Of course, prog was making good stuff as well.  Dream Theater would reach a creative peak with their psychodrama Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, Alan Parsons would check out The Time Machine, and Yes would blow my teenage mind away with The Ladder.  I've gushed about this album before.  Despite being 25 years old now, I still sing along to every word and note and beat whenever I put it on.  Honestly a modern prog rock masterpiece in my opinion.

So there's my thoughts on a pretty dang good year of rock and metal.  As always, check out the playlist below for more, recommend what I missed in the comments, and try to stay cool out there!  August is looking to be a hot and busy month for me, as I have a lot of album reviews planned, so keep an eye out for those.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1997!

I'm going to be honest, this year's article is going to be mostly about power metal, as 1997 was the year HammerFall exploded, bringing with it a massive wave of new bands.  I'll try to include a few others, and if there's anything you think I missed, don't hesitate to let me know.  Now, let's get this anniversary article started!

Let's just start with HammerFall and go from there.  The idea of a band that embraced the clichés of the 80s, added a heavy layer of fantasy and historical themes, and charged with some neo-classical energy was considered pretty novel when their debut album landed.  While I think their next few albums were better, they were off to a great start.  With epic tracks like "The Dragon Lies Bleeding," "Unchained," and "Steel Meets Steel," they established a foundation they and many other bands would build on.

Other power metal highlights from the year include Edguy's second album Kingdome of Madness, Kamelot's second Dominion, the debuts of symphonic titans Nightwish and Rhapsody of Fire, and earlier in the month, I covered Kai Hansen's one-two punch of Iron Savior's debut and Gamma Ray's Somewhere Out in Space.  Finally, there's Visions by Stratovarius, including blazing tracks like "Black Diamond," "Forever Free," and "Legions."  This album would cement the band as one of my favorites from this era!

Progressive metal also had a strong showing.  Not only did Dream Theater give us Falling into Infinity, with the iconic "Peruvian Skies," but Symphony X released The Divine Wings of Tragedy, with the 20-minute epic title-track that builds on John Milton and Gustav Holst, and Vanden Plas provided their own style of prog metal with The God Thing, featuring great songs like "Rainmaker" and "Crown of Thorns."

Of course, it wasn't all metal.  Post-grunge was starting to pick up again, particularly with The Colour and the Shape by the Foo Fighters.  Songs like "Monkey Wrench," "Everlong," and "My Hero would become rock radio staples.  And then there was the iconic debut of Creed with My Own Prison, the first of three great albums that I jammed repeatedly when I was in high school.  At least, when I wasn't listening to the new Yes album Open Your Eyes.  It's no innovator or prog rock triumph by any means, but one I have a lot of nostalgia for as well.

So that's 1997 in a nutshell!  Definitely some great music, and I have more selections below in the Spotify playlist.  Perhaps it's not the robust selection, but it will get better as I explore more music.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 2001!

The middle of the month means another anniversary article!  Once again, I'll mostly be relying one what I've listened to instead of being a comprehensive look at the year.  Fortunately, I have a lot for 2001, so let's get into it!

Once again, power metal comes up big, with some great albums from bands that would go on to do big things.  Let's start with Kamelot and their album Karma, which is a great follow up to their previous album, pushing the band to even bigger heights with songs like "Forever," "Wings of Despair," and the title track.  They even start to push their concept-based songwriting with a three part epic called "Elizabeth."

Speaking of storytelling, 2001 would give us the debut of Tobias Sammet's Avantasia with The Metal Opera.  While only having the first part of the story, it would kick start a run of albums telling all kinds of stories over the years, and their first is an excellent one, featuring tracks like "Breaking Away" and "The Glory of Rome."  We'd also get great power metal from Edguy's Mandrake (highlights include "Tears of the Mandrake," "Golden Dawn" and "Nailed to the Wheel) and from Sonata Arctica's Silence (which has "Weballergy" and "Wolf & Raven").  Just a great year for power metal.

The other big genre would be post-grunge, with two of its biggest acts releasing big albums.  Creed provided Weathered, and album that I think brings their gritting side with their radio-friendly side together very well, something I covered in that retrospective I wrote earlier this year.  The other big release came from Nickelback, with their breakout album Silver Side Up, which provided big hits like "How You Remind Me" and "Too Bad," though I think their deeper cut "Money Bought" is just as good.  Another kind of big album was the debut of Andrew W.K., I Get Wet, ensuring that Parties would always be Hard from then on.

Finally, I just want to bring up Yes's Magnification.  It's an interesting album because instead of having a keyboardist (as is standard for the band), they went with a full-on orchestra.  The songs have some fascinating variety, and it's probably the closest they have come to recapturing the majesty of their 70s material.

So that's 2001.  Kind of dedicated to some specific genres, but it's what I'm familiar with from this year, and definitely worth checking out.  As always, if there's something I've missed let me know.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Creed Retrospective!

So here's an article type I've been thinking about for a while now: going through a band's discography in full and writing a review about each album.  Of course, this isn't something I can do often, but I figured I'd start with a band that I've always enjoyed, and only has a handful of albums: Creed!  For this retrospective, I'll just be focusing on just the four studio albums.

Creed was a band that rode the wave of post-grunge that took over the radio in the late 90s, turning into one of the biggest bands of the moment.  As this style of rock became quite prevalent, Creed eventually became the whipping post for those who didn't care for its radio-friendly variation of the grunge movement, but I think that's been unfair.  Sure, Creed wasn't innovating anything, but at the same time, I think they wrote quite a number of solid rock songs that still hold up quite well.  Let's dig into it.

My Own Prison (1997)

For a small rock band from Florida, this is quite the debut.  This is definitely the rawest the band would ever sound, with the production coming across as a little dirty.  However, it fits the sound of the band at this time, as their riffs were heavier and grittier at this point.  Honestly, some of it is as much as alternative metal as it is post-grunge.

Scott Stapp takes center stage, though, as he is the voice for the song's somber but hopeful tone.  It doesn't matter if the song is slow and acoustic, or riffs out aggressively, his voice is full of authority and character.  I wouldn't say it's quite perfect, as some of the lines are delivered a little stiffly, but for a debut, it's quite a strong and iconic performance.

Of course, much was made of the Christian themes in the lyrics, but I would never consider them preachy, but rather quite introspective, which fits their post-grunge sound very well.  Songs about taking a good hard look at yourself, your mistakes, and your feelings about the world without resorting to whining or tantrums.  It's a controlled frustration that processes itself thoroughly into a form of anthemic relief, making for a very cathartic experience, in my opinion, and it's a feeling the band would carry through the rest of their records.

Overall, I still quite love this album, partially for the grittiness, partially for the dynamics, as songs shift of quieter moments to full-on arena friendly rocking at max volume without losing their theme or character.  Most of the songs are still winners for me, with "Sister" being a bit on the lackluster side.  Seriously a contender for one of the best debut rock albums recorded.

Human Clay (1999)

The big one that brought the band international success.  There is definitely a cleaner, shinier quality to the songs here, probably in an effort to make a more mainstream sounding album, and I won't deny that it certainly worked.  While I do appreciate the shift towards a more arena-filling and radio-friendly sound, I can't deny that it's lost some of the character and honesty that came from their first album.

Human Clay is definitely a broader album, though.  "With Arms Wide Open" might be a power ballad worthy of Journey, but you can't deny the execution as a sweeping, powerful dedication to fatherhood.  "Faceless Man" is probably the band at their most church-like, and features an Arabic vibe, as do a few other tracks.  And the big hit "Higher" shows a brighter side to the band, something that didn't appear much on My Own Prison.  Meanwhile, "What If" is particularly heavy and is probably the track that most resembles their first album.  Other songs with darker themes include "Wrong Way" and "Beautiful," and they both have the riffs to match.

Overall, there's plenty to like here.  The riffs might be a little catchier, and the songs more anthemic, but they haven't lost any of their crunchiness or attitude.  Much of the introspective tone has also been retained, as the lyrics continue to offer reflections of the self, bouncing around concepts like doubt and regret and absolution.  Stapp is definitely more confident here, the band letting his iconic baritone carry the songs for them.

Honestly, I still love "Higher."  It's an elevating song, with the hopeful lyrics backed by some great power chords.  I know when I first heard it on the radio, I was hooked, and Creed quickly became one of my favorite bands.  As for the rest of the album, I like a lot of it, and I do think that it's better overall than My Own Prison just slightly, but it is a bit on the long side for what they have to offer.  Still, a great rock album, even all these years later.

Weathered (2001)

At the height of their popularity, their bassist Brian Marshall ended up having some problems and would end up leaving the band/be fired (it's not completely clear), but this album would be recorded without him, with Mark Tremonti recording both the bass and the guitars.  It's a bit odd as this album is probably my favorite of the first three, as I feel it marries the polish of Human Clay with the grit of My Own Prison very well, making it the best of both worlds.

It kicks right off with two very heavy tracks: "Bullets" and "Freedom Fighter."  The first is straight up alternative metal, very aggressive and powerful.  The second has a 6/8 swing, and may be a bit cheesy, but it's still crunchy and a lot of fun.  "Signs" is almost just as fierce.  On the other hand, "My Sacrifice" and "Stand Here With Me" are great anthemic tracks much like "Higher," and the big, somber ballad "One Last Breath" is solid as well.  "Who's Got My Back Now" is moodier, and quite long for the band, clocking in at over 8 minutes, allowing for some rather proggy shifts in tone and dynamics.  "Weathered" further explores their introspective tone, which the band has mastered by now.  However, after the title track, the album sags for me.  "Don't Stop Dancing" is nice, but doesn't have the same carrying power as the rest of the album.  "Hide" and "Lullaby" feel like after-thoughts.  It's pretty disappointing after 8 strong tracks.

Still, I remember first getting this and being completely blown away, as it was the heaviest stuff I'd heard up to that point (my appreciation for metal would come much later).  I felt like Creed really had it together, with great songs and powerful performances.

However, it was not meant to be.  Stapp's live performances were becoming controversial, and internal tensions in the band caused them to declare in 2004 that they had broken up.  As a consequence, I listened to these three albums to death to the point that I know them like the back of my hand.  I still listen to them regularly, as I think it's solid hard rock that has held up well (though there may be some rose-tinted glasses involved).

Full Circle (2009)

A meaningful album title indeed!  While Tremonti and Phillips would team up with Marshall and singer Myles Kennedy to make Alter Bridge, and Scott Stapp kicked off a solo career, it had seemed like Creed was very much done.  However, by the end of the 2000s, the group brought each other around for another album, which helped inspire its title.

Right off, it seems like we're back into the comfortable shoes of post-grunge.  Scott Stapp is soaring over hard, crunchy riffs, all building their classic atmosphere of cathartic, introspective rock.  However, there is something different about this one that sets it apart from their earlier albums.  It's a little hard to pin down, but I think it has to do with the band's experience in Alter Bridge, making the songs sound a little more complex in structure (and there's definitely more guitar solos in general).  It could also just be the production.  8 years can make a difference in production technology, especially in recent history.

However, it's still a very solid hard rock album.  Stapp still sounds great here, showing some pretty good range between the softer songs and the more aggressive ones.  "Overcome" is a great opener that shows the band hasn't lost any of its power, "Rain" has a very refreshing quality, the title track is solid, and "Time" has a strong, emotional quality to it.  I don't know if I like this one as much as the first three, but I've listened to those three so many times, and I haven't listened to this one as much.  Maybe it will reach the same level as the others as I continue to listen to it.

---

From here, the band fell apart again.  There was talk of a fifth album, but that has since been abandoned.  The rest of the band moved on with Alter Bridge and other projects, while Scott Stapp did more solo work, and ended up going through a pretty serious breakdown.  However, it seems he's recovered, doing work with Art of Anarchy, and recently putting out another solo album.

So that's the first of what will be many band retrospectives.  I knew I wanted to start with a band I loved, but didn't have a long discography, and Creed fit the bill very well.  I know it's become a bit of meme to like or hate the band, but I still think their music has weight and relevance after all these years.  I don't know if they will ever get back together again, but if things do fall together again, I know I'll be first in line to hear what they have in store.

Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - March 2019 Part 2!

Well, so much for being in a groove.  At least I have more videos to share.  Here's what's rocking lately!

A real solid piece of AOR from First Signal.  Full of anthemic melodies and a driving rock sound, this one will fit right in your melodic rock playlists!

The End Machine consists of the fellas from Dokken with Warrant singer Robert Mason, and they sound really good together!  This has a bit more of a 70s rock vibe, but Mason really belts it out!

Iron Savior is back with another slab of epic power metal, this time in 6/8.  What's different here is the video, which is . . . . peculiar.  Love the guitar solo though.

Scott Stapp may not be everyone's cup of hot chocolate, but as fan of classic Creed, I can't deny his voice still works for me.  Here we have him banging out some more hard rock, and while there aren't any surprises, I find it to be pretty solid work!

More power metal from Bloodbound!  While the lyrics do feel a bit like fantasy fill-in-blank, but the tune is catchy and epic.  A nice piece of mid-tempo metal!

Yeah, more power metal, but it's such good stuff!  I really need to listen to this album.  Between this song and The Raven Child, it just sounds like great, symphonic stuff.

New Videos - December 2018

I've been pouring over the internet, looking for more rock videos to share with you all, and here's the latest batch!  I think I've found some good ones!

Avantasia has always been able to bring the epicness, and this early release for their 2019 album Moonglow shows no signs of changing that.  Combining the vocal talents of Tobias Sammat, Hansi Kursch, and Jorn Lande, we get 11 minutes of power metal greatness!

This comes from the solo band of long-time Accept and Victory guitarist Herman Frank, and it sounds like the 80s never went out of style!  Lots of power and lots of fun!

I've always been a fan of Creed, but I admit I haven't followed Mark Tremonti's career outside of that, but it seems like I should have been.  Solid grungy hard rock!

Roine Stolt has been doing the prog rock thing for a good while now, and this piece really shows his experience.  Solid playing and song-writing make for a worthwhile 10 minute epic!

Speaking of doing things the old school way, this is some great 70s hard rock/metal throwback material!  Starting off soft before really laying out the lead for this one, that scream at the end gives me chills!

We'll finish things off with the new Dream Theater track.  Their last album, The Astonishing, was a strange one, but it seems for their next work, they're getting back into the progressive metal groove they're known for.  (Not sure what to make of that drum layout, though!)