I'm finally listening to some new stuff again! Well, almost. I did throw in a classic album from a classic band, but it's all good stuff this time around. Here's what I've been listening to lately!
I'm realizing that reviewing AOR albums is actually pretty challenging because these bands have a pretty specific goal in mind. And since it's a classic sound, all the tricks and techniques for recording it well are well known and practiced. So to state that such albums are predictable or samey are really compliments, as that's kinda the point. It's all about having some crunch in the guitars, melodic hooks, and lyrics that go down easy. As such, pretty much every AOR album is solid, and this one from W.E.T. really isn't any different.
If there is something that helps W.E.T. stand out from the crowd, it's that their songs are definitely riffier. Sometimes with AOR, the riffs can be kinda basic to help the vocal melodies stand out more, but W.E.T. seem to be able to make the most of both. Of course, we're not in full-on metal territory, but this is definitely closer to Night Ranger than, say, Journey or Survivor. Honestly, great work from the guitarists Mårtensson and Henriksson. The vocals from Jeff Scott Soto are solid as well, with a lot of tight haromnies to spice things up. There's also some decent variety, with hard rockers like "The Moment of Truth," "How Far to Babylon" to softer tracks like "Got to Be About Love" and "What Are You Waiting For." Standard stuff, really.
Of course, another problem with reviewing this genre is identifying stand out tracks, as the experience is usually pretty seamless from beginning to end. Fortunetly, this one does have a few, namely the big, anthemic single "Big Boys Don't Cry," the solid, driving rocker "Beautiful Game," "How Far to Babylon," which gave me Def Leppard vibes ala "Rocket," and the crunchy closer "One Final Kiss." While I don't know if this "best of the year" material yet, it has the right pieces in the right places for a pretty enjoyable album.
Going from the newest sounds to something classic again, this time I'm pulling out Accept's third record, and this time, it's straight ahead metal, much like Judas Priest and the NWOBHM bands that really exploded at this same time. Gone are the AC/DC style, pop-friendly vibes (mostly), and in come the chugging rhythms, the noodly solos, and Udo fleshing out his defiant, gritty vocals.
Most of the album really is heads-down, full-on heavy metal, but there are a few ballads to mix things up, and "Midnight Highway" sounds very AOR, like Graham Bonnet Rainbow. However, the stand out tracks for me are "Breaker," with it's uptempo chugging and some very noodly solos, giving me proto-Helloween vibes actually, and "Burning," which I enjoyed before as a cover song by Metalium, so it was nice to dig into the original. However, the rest is pretty average stuff, but I could see this standing out at the time. A pretty fun listen, and certainly a historic shift for a historic band.
After hearing a song from this album and how epic it sounded, I had to hear the rest, and it definitely follows through with that. These guys fall into the power metal company of early HammerFall and Dream Evil, but it also has some proggy elements, as it shifts tempos and throws in an acoustic guitar here and there, giving me vibes of Judicator or Blind Guardian. The one thing I'd say these guys do differently is that they don't go overboard with things, often sticking to mid-tempo riffing, and a lot of melodic guitar leads and solos. Nothing really feels excessive.
Well, except for Daniel Heiman vocals. Don't get me wrong, he's a great singer, obviously building off the styles of Rob Halford and Bruce Dickenson, and the vocal harmonies are top notch. However, he likes to throw in epic wails, which are arguably par for the course, but when you have four or five on every song, it does get a little tedious. Another issue I have is that the songs kinda blend together. While it's fun to listen to, it's hard to really feel like any particular song stands out. They do try to mix it up with acoustic sections and tempo changes, but again, when it happens on nearly every song, it just because a muddy mush in the memory.
Still, it's a pretty solid album, with lots of great guitar work from Bob Katsionis and Andreas Sinanoglou. Tons of chuggy riffs and great solos, as well as lots of harmonized guitar melodies that are fun without being too noodly, much like Iron Maiden or early HammerFall. Definitely worth a listen for those who like their metal epic and story-driven.
Just three this time, and nothing really mind-blowing, but solid stuff all around. I admit I've been busy with work lately, but I still find time to listen to an album or two. Still, plenty more to cover out there, so until then, rock on! \m/
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