New Videos - October 2021!

Sorry for the lack of posts.  This month ended up being busier than usual.  Still, late on Halloween, I was able to get this article of videos together.  I've got some great metal this time.  Also, I want to make a minor change to my Spotify playlists: I'm going to have them go by quarter than by month.  Anyway, let's get started!

Starting off with some more Manimal, this track has a ton of Judas Priest energy.  Not only do you have some nice mid-tempo riffing, but singer Sam Nyman really channels that Halford energy with some epic wails.  This one is real solid, fist-pumping kind of stuff.

More Firewind!  It looks like Gus G and folks have another neat single for us, and while it may not be anything they haven't done before, it's solid power metal.  Herbie Langhans really seems to fit well with the band, now that he's had an album with them under his belt.

Now that I'm aware that Herman Frank is a part of this band, each new single definitely gets my attention.  Here, we have a nice, mid-tempo rocker, giving me some AC/DC vibes along with the classic German metal sound.  Vocalist Gianni Pontillo really lets it hang out, and it's great stuff!

Oh, hey!  These guys are back!  Once again, they've taken melodic metal and added a powerful swing-step to it, making a pretty catchy and groovy track with some nice, crunchy riffs.  I guess they're preparing an album for next year, but it's nice to hear they're still rockin'!

Here's another band I hadn't heard of before.  I guess this is from an album that came out last year, but this video was pretty new.  It's kind of a mix of heavy and power metal, but it has a some catchy riffs and good melodies.

Yup, Sabaton is back and doing more World War One stuff.  Of course, given the subject matter, they've added a strong layer of symphonic elements, giving the track a Trans-Siberian Orchestra vibe, going for both somber and anthemic.  Say what you like about the band, they certainly don't do things half way.

Anniversary Series - 2011!

I can't believe it's been ten years since 2011!  I swear it wasn't that long ago last time I checked!

Despite the flight of time, this is another pretty decent year, and while I had more for this year than 2006, most of it was power metal.  HammerFall would go a little darker (and have some very different album art) with Infected, Power Quest had a few fun tracks on Blood Alliance, and Alestorm continued their screwball pirate metal by going Back Through Time to beat up some vikings.

Outside of that, Saxon had a few good tracks, and Yes would release their first album in ten years with the decent, if lackluster, Fly From Here.  I'll give more details about this on that Yes Retrospective I'm slowly working on, but the epic title track (a revamped leftover from the Drama days) and the closer are really the only tracks that stand out to me.  There are a few other songs I've thrown on, but it is a very power metal heavy list.

So once again, I'll be reviewing a few albums from 2011 that I haven't listened to before.  Hopefully, this will help balance the playlist out with other genres, though I do get to one power metal album for this article.  Let's get started!

Haken - Visions

After reviewing their debut album last year for the 2010 article, I figured I'd do their follow up for this year!  Haken certainly has their own take on progressive metal, and while this album isn't as ambitious or eclectic as Aquarius, they still know how to lay down some dynamic, noodly tracks.

Once again, we get another concept album, this time focusing on the thoughts of a man who saw a dream when he was young that he took as a premonition of his own death.  Believing it to be true, it kind of messes with his life and perception of reality until he finally sees the premonition be fulfilled, but in a sort of a time loop?  I'm getting the impression that this band isn't as interested in storytelling as they are exploring a concept.

Still, there are some pretty good songs building on this.  The album actually kind of starts off pretty mellow, making me think of bands like Transatlantic and The Flower Kings, as they use a lot of clean guitars and feature a lot of jazz-fusion segments.  However, as the album goes on, it gets chuggier, and soon the noodly guitar solos and synth runs come out.  It's a nice build, overall, but it does tend to leave the album a bit overloaded at the end.  I definitely enjoyed "Insomnia" and "Portals," though, as I thought they had some neat ideas, and generally the album does feel more focused and streamlined than Aquarius.  I definitely got a stronger Dream Theater vibe this time around, especially during the solos.

If there is a problem, it's that it maintains a kind of bleak and depressing tone for most of the album.  Even during the lighter sections, it keeps this mysterious, foreboding atmosphere.  And the lyrics often are morbid, often through introspective existentialism, but do reference self-harm, to whom it may concern.  I understand it gets more hopeful towards the end, but it can still be a heavy listen.  And that's not just from the last track's 22 minute runtime!!  It's a decent closer, but I do think it runs on for a little too long.  Overall, it's a solid proggy experience, really meant to be listened through as an album.  The tracks are pretty fun and epic at times, but I don't know if really earns its length, as the good moments feel a little too far apart.

Lionville - Lionville

After enjoy one of their tracks last year, I thought I'd add some more AOR to this article by listening to Lionville's debut album.  Right from the get-go, they have the style down, and sound great.  However, as I've mentioned before, it can be hard to really review this style of music as it's clearly dedicated to an established sound, and Lionville really do well to meet those expectations.

If there is one thing that can be said, there are quite a few ballads.  They're not bad, and they tend to have a more 90s feel, but they do bring the energy down a little too much for me.  However, those who like their AOR to not just be rockin' the whole time will probably appreciate the variety, as they are well-performed.  As for the stuff that does rock, I did enjoy "Here By My Side," "The Chosen Ones," and "Dreamhunter."  "With You" also was pretty good, going from a mellow piano start before the guitars kick it into arena mode.  I also liked the use of keys across the board, adding little touches and moods to the songs, and even getting in a solo or two.  Overall, a solid collection of melodic rock.

Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner

Yup, I thought I'd take this opportunity to finally wrap up the Dragonland discography.  I remember hearing a lot of good things about this album, but I never got around to it until now.  The result is very much an evolution of the band's sound, now returning to their Dragonland story with all the things they've learned.

Right off, this feels like they've finally reached the epic heights the early albums were striving for, as this has massive atmosphere and majesty, much like Rhapsody of Fire.  They've also recruited a few other singers to take on a few roles, making it a bit like Avantasia as well.  However, it's all very well produced, and along with the improved song-writing and vocal melodies, this is easily the best of the story-based albums.  "Shadow of the Mithril Mountains" sets the stage well, "The Black Mare" is a great travelling track, and "Dûrnir's Forge" has these epic, slow riffs, with a proggy section in the middle that's really interesting.

I don't know if it's their best album, overall, as Contact is just about as good as this one.  However, Contact had some more progressive metal elements (not always a bad thing) and this clearly has the fantasy power metal style in spades.  I did notice that the guitars weren't as prominent on this one as previous albums, as the emphasis was on the orchestral elements, but there were some decent riffs and solos throughout.  While it remains unknown as to whether the band will put another album out, at the very least, Under the Grey Banner would be a great note to end on, as it's a very solid collection of symphonic power metal.

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Well, that's 2011.  Hopefully, I'll get around to more stuff and help balance this playlist out, but I think it's a solid collection of songs.  If I've missed anything, be sure to let me know.  Now that I've listened to all the Dragonland albums, I could just pull my reviews together and do a retrospective article, if I'm feeling lazy.  We'll see.  I still have plenty on my plate of albums to check out, both old and new.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Last Played - October 2021!

We're starting off a little different this month, as I've got a Last Player right here for you already to go!  After the power metal fest that was last month's article, I've decided to focus on more classic-rock-styled bands for this one.  Still, I got to hear some really great music on these.  Here's what I've been checking out lately.

Europe - Start from the Dark

So after Prisoners in Paradise was swallowed up in the grunge wave of the early 90s, Europe decided to call it a day.  However, after a few reunion shows in 2000, they decided to really give it another go in 2004 with this album. Bringing back John Norum who hadn't worked with the band since The Final Countdown, you'd think it would be a return of the 80s pop metal sound, but they decided to go in a darker direction.

Right up front, they've got a heavier, grittier guitar tone, likely something borrowed from the post-grunge sound of the time, and the song structures do feel like something out of the 2000s alt-rock playbook.  But then Joey Tempest comes in singing, and John Norum brings out some very classic guitar solos, and this odd mix of 80s pop metal and 2000s alt-rock sort of comes together.  Looking at some of the history, I get the impression the band felt like they were starting over again, so they wanted to prove to newer audiences they could still rock.

It's an odd combination, but it almost works at times.  Most of the tracks have some solid riffing, and Norum's solos are really nice.  However, the keyboards are pretty limited, often put pretty far back in the mix, letting the guitars do all the work.  I did like the title track, and "Wake Up Call" has a solid post-grunge vibe that I liked.  Unfortunately, the second half of the album kinda lags, and feels uninspired at times.  The fact that this isn't even on Spotify seems to indicate that it's a bit of a black sheep in the band's discography.  It's an interesting comeback, showing a darker, grittier side of the band.  However, I don't think this sound is where they really excel.

Vega - Grit Your Teeth

After enjoying Only Human a lot, I don't know why I didn't prioritize the follow-up last year.  Maybe there was just a lot to cover or I was distracted with something else.  With their new album Anarchy and Unity out already, I figured I should try to catch up real quick before I gave that a listen, and I'm glad I did.

Unsurprisingly, Vega brings more solid, 80s-inspired hard rock.  However, the first thing I noticed is the production, which feels a little looser and allows the band to have a few different tones and vibes.  Only Human had a solid sound, going for a thick, tight, anthemic style, but Grit Your Teeth feels more fun.  Everyone is on point, with great riffs, solid layers from the keyboards, and Nick Workman's vocals dominating center stage.  His voice is perfect for this kind of stuff.

As for stand out tracks, the first three are great!  "Blind," "(I Don't Need) Perfection"), and "Grit Your Teeth" come out swinging and set the expectations for the album very well.  "Save Me From Myself" and "How We Live" are some solid anthemic rockers, and I also quite liked "Consequence of Having a Heart," as it had a more mysterious vibe, making me think of the atmosphere in "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode, of all things!  To be honest, looking back over my top 5 for 2020, I think this might have squeezed out Primal Fear.  I honestly wished I had taken the time for this album last year, as it's a very solid set of melodic hard rock tracks!

Creed - Creed

I'm sure this is going to need some explanation.  This is not the well-known post-grunge band of the late 90s, but rather a completely different group from the late 70s, and they play some really solid southern-fried rock.  I admit I don't know a whole lot about this band, other than they're from Memphis, and they made this one album in 1978, but I'm honestly surprised they didn't go on, as they have a good sound.

What's interesting is that, while they're certainly in the same ballpark as bands like Molly Hatchet and Lynyrd Skynyrd, they have a simpler blues-rock sound, augmented with some interesting keyboards and synths, making them sound rather unique.  At first, they start with some solid rock tunes with "Keep On Rockin'" and "Tied Down," but then with tracks like "Firecracker" or "Just Can't Stop," they have these lush keyboards and synthesizers, like the kind you'd hear on a Styx or Kansas album from the same time period.  The rest of the album does pretty much keeps up the rock and roll, with lots of trading guitar riffs and some fun synths thrown in for good measure.  The final track "Time and Time Again" even dabbles in some space rock before kicking it into gear and shredding those frets.

Honestly, this feels like a weird mishmash of 70s rock ideas, but it's all in this fun southern-fried rock framework that ensures the things keep rockin'.  And I cannot stress enough how good the guitar work is here.  Lots of tasty licks, solid riffs, and electric solos!  This really is a solid, neat album that's worth listening to from top to bottom.  Fortunately, this album isn't completely buried, being available on sites like Spotify and Amazon, so you don't have any excuse.  Check this out!!

Yes - The Quest

The big one!  When your favorite band puts out a new album, you definitely pay attention to it.  After their last album Heaven & Earth was an underwhelming pile of slightly proggy soft rock, I was hoping they would follow up with something more driven.  As such, I've been cautiously anticipating this one ever since I was aware of it, and when "The Ice Bridge" (once the credit kerfuffle was sorted out) turned out to be a solid single with some great energy, my hopes rose a little.  Now, for their first album of new material in 7 years (not counting the From a Page tracks that Oliver pulled out for us), where does Yes stand now?  Unfortuntely, not much better.

Right off, I do think this is an improvement, and a lot of it has to do with the production and layering.  Much of this album reminded me of parts of Tales of Topographic Oceans or "Awaken," as they have a stronger sense of the mysterious.  However, the pace of these songs really do drag for me, as most tracks seem to start with a solo instrument before building up to a mid-tempo, soft rock atmosphere.  I'd still consider it prog, as the tracks do have some interesting shifts and movements, but the rock part is debatable.  Another problem I had is the vocals.  While Davison is a good singer, he doesn't seem to give anything a memorable quality.  It's more like his vocal lines are laid on top of the song at times.

That being said, there are parts I do like.  "The Ice Bridge" is a great opener and definitely the best track on the album, with some solid riffs, a great bassline, and nice solo/jam section at the end.  I can see that one doing well live, letting the band members rock out for a bit.  "Leave Well Alone" has some interesting segments as they shift from a funky groove to a more pastoral vibe with mandolins.  "Future Memories" has an interesting minimal approach, but I wish it went somewhere instead of just languishing in the mood it creates.  "Mystery Tour" is an amusing tribute the Beatles, but really isn't much more than a novelty.  Unfortunately, the rest of the album just passes in one ear and out the other.

Overall, I feel disappointed.  What happened to the drive from songs like "Yours Is No Disgrace" or "Roundabout"?  Even some of the later albums when Howe returned has some upbeat stuff, like "Lightning Strikes," "Finally," and "Spirit of Survival."  I know some of the main members aren't getting any younger, but I feel like there are bands just as old as they are and they're still cranking out some energized material.  Maybe as the years go by, I'll appreciate this album more, as the production makes this pretty listenable, but for now, this lineup of Yes only seems to show some slight improvements.  

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Well, that was an interesting mix of things.  Some of it was great, some of it kinda lackluster.  Still, I think it's worthwhile to go over all kinds of albums, as they broaden my perspective as to all the different ways people approach the concept of rock and what they want it to be.  In any case, I've still got plenty to listen to in these last few months of 2021.  Not only do I want to review things for the upcoming anniversary articles, but there are some major releases I need to pick up.  It's gonna be a busy fall!  At least there's a lot to look forward to.  Until then, rock on!  \m/