Hey, it's time for some more album reviews! I'm trying to get back to writing shorter ones, but we'll see how long that lasts. At least I had room to squeeze four into this one so expect some good variety! Here's what I've heard recently:
Probably not an obvious choice for this blog, what with all the hard rock and heavy metal, but ELO's Out of the Blue is very much a part of my childhood. Lately, I had been thinking about the Zoom album, partially because I'm doing the 2001 Anniversary article this month, but also because I had actually heard this album before. My dad picked it up when it came out, and I remember listening to it and liking it, but all this time later, I realized that I remembered nothing about it. So I put it on to see if I recognized anything, but it might as well have been my first time, as nothing sounded familiar.
Still, what we have is some pretty decent pop/rock songs. While it doesn't have the dynamic orchestrations all the way through like OotB did, we still have Jeff Lynne's iconic vocal harmonies, and some of the spacy synths and vocoders. Jeff Lynne pretty much does most of everything himself on this one, though he does bring in a few guests, including a few former Beatles. As a result, it has a lot of ELO's hallmarks, but in a more streamlined version. The songs are quite short, but don't feel like they're missing anything, resulting in an album that just goes down smoothly. There are some interesting riffs and licks, but it mostly just coasts along with a lot of mid-tempo grooves. "Alright" is a decent opener, and "In My Own Time" brings some of the orchestrations back, supporting a nice, moody, bluesy 6/8 swing of a ballad. The production also deserves a mention, at it really retains a lot of the classic 70s vibe, which only solidifies the classic feeling of these songs. Overall, it's a nice listen, but mostly goes in one ear and out the other.
Seven Planets - Flight of the Ostrich
I was feeling ill one evening, so I wanted something I could just kinda space out to, and remembered I had come across this band on YouTube and decided to give their first album a spin. Very much in the vein of desert rock, this is some seriously groovy stuff, expanding blues rock riffs with jazzy interludes and licks. It's also rather short, but that's probably not a bad thing here.
I've talked before about how instrumental albums can sometimes be a struggle, as the meanderings can make it hard to focus. However, the point of this stuff is to meander, but it doesn't really waste time, either. The band builds solid dynamics up and down the intensity chart without taking a lot of time between these shifts, and they sound tight all the way through. The guitars get some tasty licks in, and the rhythm section is on point, with the drummer getting plenty of opportunities for exciting fills. Overall, they know how to balance each track between the song itself and their improvisations. Of course, with something like this, there really isn't a track that stands out, as it's meant to be more of a "put it on and tune out" kind of thing, and I have to admit, this flows quite well. It definitely feels like a jam session between Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top, making it a solid listen.
After Herman Frank's last album Fight the Fear was such a solid slab of traditional metal, I knew I had to give his follow up my attention. However, the singles had left me a little lukewarm, so I started this album with a bit of trepidation. Fortunately, he's kept his straight-forward metal approach without any real deviation, with plenty of crunchy riffs and noodly solos, providing plenty of headbang-worth material.
However, I do things are a little darker and grittier this time around, especially with the lyrics. Still, Rick Altzi remains a great vocalist for this kind of material, having the right mix of grit and grandiosity. If there is a problem, it's that none of the tracks really stood out. While they're all generally solid and driven, it didn't have anything like the anthemic "Hail and Row" or the speedy freedom of "Wings of Destiny." That being said, it's also a short album, so it's not like there's any filler either. Just consistent metal, all the way through. Fans of classic metal will find plenty to like, but this does feel like a bit of a step down for me.
After listening to their first two albums back in 2019, I've gotten back to my journey through Queen's albums by listening to their third one. This is definitely a jump in quality, I think, as the material is stronger overall.
Of course, there are a couple of classics. "Killer Queen" remains a staple of Queen's sound, full of vocal and guitar harmonies so tight that they sparkle. And then there's "Stone Cold Crazy," a high speed shredder that seems that feels like metal before metal. It really is fascinating to hear something like this being recorded that far back. It must have mind-blowing to hear something so aggressive back then.
There are a few other good tracks as well. "Brighton Rock" is a narrative song that lets Brian May get all kind of bluesy licks, and features a section of May on a delay pedal soloing around, as if he's doing a duet with himself. "Flick of the Wrist," despite being part of a medley on the album, stands out with its thumping chorus. And then there's "Now I'm Here," a live highlight using some illusions to make it seem like Freddie Mercury is in multiple places at once, but the song itself is some solid glam rock.
However, the back half of the album really struggles, but certainly not for a lack of trying. Bouncing between all the piano ballads, honky tonk, moody acoustic numbers, and other threatics, it's very eclectic, and Queen is nothing if not confident. I don't know if any other band could have pulled these off without coming across as insincere. However, these songs aren't as memorable or consistent in quality as the well-known classics from the album.
Still, I do agree with other critics that this is where the band really comes into their own. While the earlier albums showed a lot of promise of where the band was going, here on Sheer Heart Attack, they've finally arrived. Finding that right mix of hard rock and pop theatrics, Queen would really pick up from here, turning them into an arena filler for the rest of the decade. Certainly a classic album for all the right reasons.
Well, there's all that squared away. I know I need to catch up on newer releases, as I know there are just going to be more of them before the year ends. I'm hoping these shorter reviews will help me cover them in an more timely manner. Still, it's fun to go back through some older stuff, especially the classics. Until then, rock on! \m/
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