I'm glad I was able to get this last one in at the end of June. Things have been a little all over the place this month, but there's just so much to cover! Anyways, a lot of artists make a comeback in this one, but when they keep cranking out the good stuff, how can I turn it down?!
This is One Desire's second single from their new album, and I'm impressed! Here, we see them get a little darker in their sound, but they haven't abandoned what made them great: catchy melodies and André Linman's great vocals. I should probably push their second album much higher on my "to listen" list!
Course of Fate apparently have been around for a while, but they've finally released their debut this year, and this single shows a lot of promise. Featuring more of a contemplative sound than most other prog metal bands, they still keep things sounding melodic and epic, with some very solid and deliberate song-writing.
From another album I still need to listen to, Olzon takes the lead on this one, making a great piece of symphonic metal. Backed by some more solid guitar work by Magnus Karlsson, this album doesn't seem to have any bad tracks!
I've featured Black Swan on here before, and this is just more of the same kind of stuff that puts a big smile on my face. Robin McAuley's great vocals, backed by huge riffs, and and solid melodic solo from guitarist Reb Beach. Another rocker from a band that seems to be full of them.
Yup, more from this band. I really like this style of crunchy-but-melodic prog metal. It's not too excessive, but still very creative and dynamic, all while providing an epic sound with soaring vocals and crunchy riffs. I guess I'm just a sucker for this kind of stuff! Anyways, good song! Check it out!
Yeah, I did these guys last time as well, but they're just keep providing solid melodic rock. These guys really have a iconic sound, even under all the 80s touches, and it's just straight-forward rock and roll. Can't go wrong with that!!
As the year moves along, I hope everyone is staying safe. In the meantime, this series carries on, into the year 1990! Another year of transition, much like 1980, with some genres coming to a close while new ones are picking up to take their place!
However, the year would kick of with the familiar sound of glam metal, as Slaughter would release their debut album Stick It To Ya, with the big song "Up All Night." In fact, glam and pop metal would have a pretty good year over all, with Poison's Flesh and Blood, Steelheart's debut, Ratt's Detonator, Warrant's Cherry Pie, and Jon Bon Jovi's solo debut with Blaze of Glory. The rest of metal weren't sitting back either. As thrash metal became more mainstream, Megadeth would find greater popularity with Rust in Peace. Chock full of big tracks like "Holy Wars," "Hangar 18," "Tornado of Souls," and the title track, songs the band still play live today, it was a release that was hard to beat. Even Judas Priest got in on the thrash action with Painkiller, letting Halford really go wild with the vocals. Power metal, while still a long ways off from its peak, would find a few solid releases. Kai Hansen, after breaking off with Helloween, would start Gamma Ray, with their debut album Heading For Tomorrow coming out this year. Blind Guardian would release Tales from the Twilight World (which I reviewed at the end of last year), would show them shifting into their iconic style of melodic leads and epic vocals. Of course, there was a new style developing out in the northwest of the US. While grunge and alternative rock wouldn't completely take over, bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden would laying down the groundwork for the explosion that would follow in the next few years. Meanwhile, classic rock fans would have plenty for them as well. After Tommy Shaw left Styx, he ended up forming Damn Yankees with Ted Nugent and Jack Blades of Night Ranger, who's debut album would put them on the map in a big way. Of course, Styx weren't sitting back, releasing Caught in the Act to some acclaim. This year would also give us AC/DC's The Razor's Edge, best known for "Thunderstruck" and proof that classic styles still had power to blow the minds of rock fans everywhere. As the year drew to a close, glam metal would end up having the last say, with the Scorpions releasing Crazy World with the track "Winds of Change," reflecting to the changing times in Europe. The genre itself would have a major shake up with Tesla's live acoustic cover of "Signs," a sign itself that glam metal had really gone about as far as it could go.
And that wraps up 1990, though my playlist below has a few extras, as always. Again, if there's anything you think I left out anything, let me know! Until then, rock on! \m/
Good heavens! It's been a while, hasn't it? It's not like there wasn't good material released in the past few months, I just wasn't getting around to it like I normally do. Excuses aside, here are some new tracks worth listening to!
Modern Kansas is not quite like the 70s material, but they do have moments where it comes together pretty nicely, and this definitely shows the promise of their new album. Thoughtful, broad, with that violin which adds that nice touch that's made this band stand out all these years.
I admit I haven't followed DeYoung's career after he left Styx, but here we see him aiming for that classic sound. Tons of vocal layers, some classic proggy synths, the build to the catchy chorus, it has a lot in common with the sound he forged with his band in the 70s. It could use some crunchier guitars, though.
After being blown away by them back in February, here they are again with another great song. It's pretty poppy and melodic, but retains the heavy, crunchy guitars of the other song, making for a pretty epic number.
Nice piece of melodic prog metal, in the vein of Dream Theater and Vanden Plas. With some interesting syncopated riffing and great vocals, this band just released their debut and from this track, they seem to have a lot of promise!
You can always trust Vega to lay down a solid rock song with a big chorus. This one is the title track of their latest album, and probably one I should go pick up. I really liked Only Human, and this sounds like it's more of the same!
More melodic prog metal! I was impressed by Noveria back in March, and this one is just as epic. Italian prog seems to have this perfect balance of melody, drama, energy, and crunchiness that works for me, and this track is a prime example.
Surprise, surprise! I'm definitely listening to more albums than watching videos these days, so here's another trio of albums I've listened to recently. At this rate, I might have another one of these by the end of the month! One thing at a time, though. Here's what I've check out lately.
The Flower Kings - Back in the World of Adventures As a fan of Yes, I've heard the names of Roine Stolt and The Flower Kings multiple times around the internet, and when I reviewed his solo album that started the band, I was impressed with it's Yes-like qualities, while noting that it was a bit more chill. Here, we have the official debut album for the band, and it's very much more of the same, but with a greater emphasis on jazz fusion, really. The album starts off with "Worlds of Adventures," a 13-minute epic which sets the stage for the album to follow, with hints of Yes, the Beatles, and even Genesis. It's pretty clear the band is most comfortable in the instrumental parts where the band gets to vibe on its uplifting layers of sound. From there, the album mostly stays there, with a few deviations to break things up. "Go West Judas" is a little harder and darker, "Temple of the Snakes" and "The Wonder Wheel" are moody and ambient in-betweeners, and "My Cosmic Lover" has quite the psychedelic groove going for it. As for the lyrics, they're okay, but can't quite shake the feeling that they're an afterthought compared to the rest of the music (though they are well sung). As a consequence, the pieces tend to be more about mood than movement, but their performance is solid and tight. Overall, it feels like a laid back Yes, with some occasionally spicy moments, which also describes the big 13-minute closer "Big Puzzle." Not bad, but perhaps lacking in energy.
Firewind - Firewind Finally getting around to a current release, Firewind's self-titled album is actually their ninth. They're best known for the band that introduced Gus G to the world, who would later join Ozzy's band for a while. That being said, outside of a few songs, I haven't really listened to Firewind before this, so I won't be able to say what affect their new singer Herbie Langhans has on the band. The album kicks off with a great opener with "Welcome to the Empire," starting off a bit soft before kicking it into high gear with power. This is followed by three other great songs in "Devour," "Rising Fire," and "Break Away" (the last of which is another highlight of the album). However, after that, the album sort of gets weaker, with the second half dominated by mid-tempo tracks that aren't as memorable and sound more like a neo-classical version of that Herman Frank album from last year. Of course, that isn't necessarily a deal breaker. The album is big and crunchy, and full of noodly pyrotechnics from Gus, and Langhans's gravelly voice fits the material well, but I felt myself losing interest as the album went on. I guess I was expecting more power metal from the release. Solid stuff, but a bit underwhelming by the end.
Accept - Blood of the Nations After the hearing the classic metal elements in the Firewind album, I was in the mood for some old-school, gritty metal and put this on. Better known for their crunchy 80s anthems, Accept hit a hard hiatus in the 90s, and this album represents their major comeback with new vocalist, Mark Tornillo. I had heard good things about this album, but hadn't gotten around to it until now, and I clearly missed out on a great traditional metal album! The first thing I noticed was the production, as everything just sounds huge. The second thing is, of course, Tornillo's vocals. They are front and center and demand attention! Comparisons to Udo are hard to deny, what with the iconic grit and wails, but I think Tornillo has a bit of a charming snarl like Brian Johnson, providing a lot of character to the songs. And how about those songs? Accept has always been nothing but straight-forward crunchy metal, and they bring that here in spades. Filled with tight execution and some solid song-writing, the album really doesn't have many low points. A number of the songs have some interesting dynamic elements as well, shifting from softer to louder sounds and back again with a practiced ease, which helps prevent the album from becoming monotonous. Throughout the whole thing, the riffs are powerful while remaining quite simple and catchy, the vocals soar, and the solos are the right mix of melody and shred. The stand-out songs for me are "Teutonic Terror," "Blood the Nations," "Time Machine," "Rolling Thunder," "Pandemic," and "No Shelter." Honestly, it's a solid album, like the 80s never ended! To be honest, I'm listening to a lot of albums in anticipation of those monthly anniversary articles, as I'm discovering I have a number of gaps to fill if I want a reasonably long playlist of songs for each one. Of course, that just means I get to listen to lots of rock and metal from all eras, which is what I wanted to do in the first place! So I guess I just keep listening to stuff and cranking out these articles. Until then, rock on! \m/
