It's that time again! This one's definitely all over the place, genre-wise, but it's all great stuff, I promise! Here's what I've come across this time.
Let's start off with another Beast in Black song to rock your face off! They really have found that magic balance between power metal epicness and synth-pop energy, each side supporting the other. Just plain huge!
Yup, another one from Archon Angel. I'm really feeling the Trans-Siberian Orchestra vibes on this one, making for another epic entry in this week's list. Zak Stevens really is an underrated singer!
Well, this was a surprise! When the song started, I thought I know what the first riff was gonna sound like, so when they laid out that swing-step riff, I was totally caught off guard! Sticking with the groove and keeping things heavy, Dynazty provides something that feels very fresh indeed!
Candlemass find themselves with a new EP and a new singer! Actually, they've brought back the singer from their very first album, Johan Längqvist, and he sounds great! Backed by the band's iconic riffs, they sound as huge as ever! I should really listen to more of this band!
H.E.A.T. provides another great 80s rocker! This one is definitely more metal than "Rise," giving me some really strong Dokken or Europe vibes. Solid riffs and vocals, without sacrificing any of the melody, this one demands to be turned up to 11!
Let's end with another rocker from a bunch of 80s masters. Black Swan really come out swinging with this one, making the classic metal riffs sound fresh and energetic. I certainly wish this style of much could "shake the world!"
Good heavens, it's been a while since I've done one of these! Part of it is that I relistening to the 2019 albums for my top 5, so I didn't start spinning anything new until this month. Still, I've got some interesting albums to talk about, so let's get started. Asia - Astra
Despite listing Asia as one of my favorites there on the right, I really haven't listened to much beyond their self-titled, Alpha, and their first reunion album Phoenix. That being said, I've always wanted to get deeper into their catalog, and I figured now is better then never. So Astra. With Howe leaving, this album definitely doesn't carry as much of a prog vibe as the first two (though Alpha was already showing signs of streamlining). With Krokus guitarist Mandy Meyer filling in, the band is now fully embracing an arena rock sound, leaving behind the flourishes that made their debut so vibrant. The result is some pretty stereotypical 80s AOR. That's not to say the album is bad. "Too Late" and "After the War" are the two closest in style to the earlier albums, "Go" is a great rocker, and "Rock and Roll Dream" shows some interesting dynamics with the help of a symphony orchestra. Geoff Downes' keyboards really take up a lot of space on the album, providing the songs his trademark richness in the tones and textures. It's also curious to hear a cameo of THX's Deep Note at the beginning of "Countdown to Zero." Reading up on some of the background on the recording, it's clear that they were going for more pop radio success, and it shows. Songs are cleaner, bigger, but not necessarily stronger. I'm sure if I give it more time, I'll find more to like about it, but for now, it's just kinda okay.
Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius After reviewing Sigh No Moremore than a year ago, I've finally come back to this band and their discography. Their first two albums were okay, definitely a part of the early transition out of 80s speed metal, but very few songs really stood out. Here, we see Gamma Ray starting to break out and try some things, on their way to their iconic power metal sound. Still, there are a few quirks to shake out. A few songs, namely "No Return" and "18 Years" still have a strong Helloween sound, though I suppose that's just Kai Hansen at this point. "The Cave Principle" and " Heal Me" have strong progressive metal elements, with that latter song even showcasing a small mellow moment a la Pink Floyd, and a bit of theatrical touches towards the end. "Gamma Ray," despite being a cover, fits their sound to a T, with a very catchy chorus. "Last Before the Storm," however, is very much a glimpse into the future for this band and for power metal as a whole! It's easy to hear in this song the rest of German power metal that would be created in the decades to come. As it would turn out, this is the last album with Ralf Scheepers, and it's obvious that he's really grown as a singer. We start to hear many of his iconic style that would become an integral part of his later band Primal Fear. His performance on "The Cave Principle" really showcases this. Otherwise, it's just okay as an album. Like I said, they seem to be in transition, shaking out the last of the 80s cliches and trying to identify what they should be in the 90s by exploring a few different ideas. I understand Land of the Free is when the band really takes off, and when I get around to it, I'll let you know!
Alter Bridge - Walk the Sky Here's yet another band whose discography I have yet to really get into. I remember getting their first album, mostly from the momentum of wanting to follow up with the Creed guys after they broke up in 2004, and while I thought it was pretty good, very little of it stuck with me. However, after spending a large part of last year being blown away by their singles for this album, I finally decided to put it on and hear where Tremonti, Kennedy, Marshall, and Phillips are up to these days. First of all, this album sounds just plain huge! Of course, the big riffs and crunchy guitars were not a surprise, but it's the subtle symphonic or synthy touches that really kick this one into a higher gear. And in between it all, there are little, intricate guitar parts that help the songs sound very rich and varied. Sometimes they turn up the crunch and sometimes they break out the acoustic guitar for something softer. However, it never feels inconsistent, mostly because the melodies and vocal lines tie everything together so well. In contrast, the lyrics are simple and very straight-forward, though they certainly aren't cliched. Miles Kennedy, however, sings them with such sincerity that it makes them so much more than just their word count. He really puts on a great performance here. Of course, with this many songs, it would be difficult for everything to be at the same level of quality, and I do feel like the songs start to blend together after "Pay No Mind." Also, "Indoctrination" is a bit of a weirder one as it tries to go for something darker and more dramatic, but I don't know if it works all the way through. Nothing horrible, but a few road bumps in the album's flow. Still, there was plenty to like, that's for sure, with the standout tracks being "In the Deep," "Take the Crown," "The Bitter End," and "Pay No Mind." Honestly, I feel a bit ashamed that I didn't get to this one sooner (though it certainly would have made my Top 5 of 2019 much harder!). It's great to hear the band still providing triumphant epics in a genre that often doesn't have them. Really solid stuff.
As you can see, my article output has really stayed consistent so far this year, and I admit I'm pretty pleased! Things may change in the future, but for now, I'd like to keep at this pace for as long as I can. There certainly isn't a shortage of great material to cover, that's for sure! Until then, rock on! \m/
I've been talking about doing more kinds of articles this year, and this is the beginning of one idea I've been tinkering with for a while: anniversary articles! Okay, so maybe it's not the most original idea, and I admit that I'll be talking about music that came out before I was born for some of these, but it's still something different, right? At least it breaks up all the video articles I keep doing, right? Anyways, let's get started with 1970 and celebrate it's 50th anniversary!
While the year started with big songs from Chicago and The Guess Who, namely "25 or 6 to 4" and "American Woman" respectively, but the one that stands out the most (at least retrospectively) is Black Sabbath's debut album, kicking off the beginning of heavy metal. While critics didn't care for what they doing, often calling them Cream knock-offs, the band gained an immediate fanbase, and it's easy to see why. With it's big riffs and horror-like sound, they made a distinct impact to the music of the time, and set the stage for so many other bands to follow.
1970 was also a time of endings, as it provided the last Beatles album to be released from the band just after their official break-up. Famous for a rooftop concert that provided takes for the album, it features the iconic ballad as the title track, "Let It Be," and the back-to-roots rock song "Get Back," showing their departure from the more complex arrangements from their Sgt. Pepper's days. Overall, it marked the end of a saga that had changed rock and roll forever. As the year moves on, we see a number of bands really standing out, with Deep Purple coming into their own with In Rock, and bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and Santana only getting bigger, with songs like "Lookin' Out My Back Door," "Who'll Stop the Rain," and "Black Magic Woman," "Oye Como Va," respectively.
Progressive Rock would make some significant steps during this year as well. Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother shows the band getting closer to their iconic sound, Hawkwind makes their debut as does Emerson Lake & Palmer with their ballad "Lucky Man," Genesis gives us "The Knife," and Yes start including a symphonic orchestra to their efforts with Time and a Word. As the year winds down, we get more hard rock and heavy metal. Led Zeppelin's III, with massive tracks like "The Immigrant Song," "Celebration Day," and "Gallows Pole" becoming arena rock standouts (even if that last one is acoustic, it's still an epic song!). This is followed up by Black Sabbath's second record, featuring massive hits like "Paranoid," "Iron Man," and "War Pigs."
At the end of the end of the year, Creedence Clearwater Revival also gives us a second record in Pendulum, notable for the hit "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," while Eric Clapton forms Derek and the Dominos to give us "Layla." Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that retrospective of 1970, clearly a big year for rock and metal music. I've thrown together a Spotify playlist for the year that includes all these songs and many others. If you feel I've missed something, let me know! Until then, rock on! \m/
More videos! Got an interesting mix this time, a little all-over-the-place, really. Still, if it's great rock, then I'm putting it in! Check out what I've found this time around!
Let's start off with some proggy hard rock. Sons of Apollo seem to have found this weird spot between Deep Purple and post-grunge like Alter Bridge, but they really make it work!
It feels like each song they preview for this upcoming album just convinces me how much I'm gonna need this album in my life! This one is a little more laid back than others of theirs I've posted, but it still rocks!
While melodic death metal is beyond the scope of this blog, I do enjoy Amon Amarth, and here we have Mob Rules doing a great power metal cover it. While I don't know if it's as good as Sabaton's cover of "Twilight of the Thunder God," this is a pretty solid track, letting the power metal style provide a different kind of epicness from the original song.
Another one from Dirty Shirley, this time leaning harder on the Coverdale side. Seriously, this sounds about as Whitesnake as it gets, but that ain't a bad thing! Full of bluesy riffs and dirty attitude, this is a hard rock song that gets your head banging! (Well, mine did, anyway!)
Harem Scarem is another band that's been around for decades, but still rocking! Bridging the gap between AOR and hard rock, this one's really crunchy but has a great chorus. Another classic band to add to the list of "should listen more to these guys"!
We'll finish this list with another dabble into the realm of melodic thrash metal. Annihilator has been shredding away for as long as any classic thrasher, and here we see Jeff Waters and company providing chunky riffs with a catchy chorus. A dark ending to the article, perhaps, but no less fun to listen to!
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