Last Played - December 2022 Part Three!

Alright!  I got this in before the end of the year!  I've definitely got a good mix of things for this last review article of the year, going from rock to metal and back again.  Here's what I've been jamming to cap off 2022!

Alter Bridge - Pawns and Kings

While I knew that Alter Bridge had a new album coming out, as I checked out the singles, none of them really impressed me too much.  However, it did show that the album was going to be quite a bit darker than Walk the Sky which I enjoyed quite a bit, though I suppose "Last Rites" did tease this would be happening.  In any case, their new album definitely shifts their sound into some darker and heavier territory, with some mixed results.

It's the production that really gives these guitars their weight as they slug their way through their riffs song after song.  Mark Tremonti must have found some new heavy tones he likes because he certainly gets a lot of use out them.  Sometimes the riffs are pretty catchy and groovy, such as with the first handful of tracks "This Is War," "Dead Among the Living," and "Silver Tongue."  However, other songs have some pretty jarring riffs, like in "Holiday" and "Last Man Standing."  They also include an 8-minute epic with "Fable of the Silent Son," which features all kinds of riffing, some of which feel a bit djenty at times.  I'm sure fans of Tremonti's guitar work will find plenty to chew on, but it does give the album this strange tension.  Sure, there are some lighter songs like "Stay" and "Season of Promise," but they almost feel like an after-thought compared to the heaviness of the rest of the album.

That isn't to say that I think the album is bad, it's just that I didn't immediately connect with it the way I did with their last one.  Of course, given that I haven't really listened to all of Alter Bridge's albums, it is possible that they've been this dark and heavy before.  In any case, there is still plenty to enjoy.  Myles Kennedy is still singing his heart out, and Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips remain a solid rhythm section that isn't afraid to shift gears whenever the song calls for it.  I think I enjoyed "Silver Tongue," "Sin After Sin," and "Fable of the Silent Son" the most from this album, but I do think it may take a few more listens to really unpack everything that the guitars are doing.  This one could be a grower, in the end.

Whirlwind - 1714

Sometimes you just need some straight-ahead metal about an 18th century conflict in Spain, right?  Okay, maybe that's a little specific, but outside of this album's theme, this is some pretty solid traditional metal that's more about the energy and epicness than anything else.  It might not be the cleanest or tightest performances, but the passion and momentum make this album a pretty fun listen.

The band seem to be going for a curious mix of US power metal and more Germanic metal like Accept or Running Wild.  The songs go back and forth mid-song between high speed affairs and slower stompers, and they occasionally bring out some 6/8 to add another layer of epicness.  The production feels a little muddy, sort of like a typical 80s metal release from a smaller band, but it seems to only add to the charm.  The vocals do feel a little buried though, which is a bit of a shame because Héctor Llauradó is really giving his all and I kinda wish I could hear him a little more clearly, especially with those harmonies.  The guitar work is solid, though, often providing some decent riffing and great, Maiden-like melodies, and most everything else is just a bit sloppy in a way that makes the performances feel so classic.

I don't know if much of the album stands out as it's generally pretty solid across the board.  I did like "Rebels Arise!", "Echoes of Time," and "Gallows Tithe" quite a bit, but the opening intro track doesn't really add much.  In any case, if you're looking for something that not only has a lot of the old-school style and energy, but adds an old-school production on top like it was recorded in 1985 (and I mean that in a good way), this album should be a high priority for you.

Fallen Sanctuary - Terranova

Featuring the talents of Temperance and bringing in the vocal giant Georg Neuhauser from Serenity, Fallen Sanctuary's debut album seems to have the pieces in place for some excellent power metal.  While there are some highlights, the album doesn't seem to maintain its momentum very well.

Starting off, the title track kicks right into high gear, giving me a strong classic era Sonata Arctica vibe, and works as a great opener.  Later tracks "Destiny" and "No Rebirth" have some of the same energy.  However, they don't keep that energy, instead shaking it up with some mid-tempo songs that feel more akin to AOR material.  Songs like "Broken Dreams," "To the Top," and "Trail of Destruction" in particular have some of that melodic rock style, though there's enough metal underneath it that it doesn't feel completely out of place.  There are also two tracks "I Can't Stay" and "Wait For Me" that are completely acoustic (though the first does have some piano), making them more like ballads to some extent.  They aren't bad songs by any means, but compared to the high-speed opener, it does feel like they had three styles and couldn't decide which they preferred.  Even if these style changes, the album does sound very samey towards the back half, where it feels like they're reusing a lot of the same vocal and riff rhythms.

For what it's worth, I do think the songs are well performed.  Neuhauser gives a solid vocal performance, and I think the other band members come to provide some good harmonies.  The guitar work from Marco Pastorino is decent as well, playing some good riffs and solos across the board.  I think what happened is that, after being excited by the two singles, I got my hopes up.  So when the album just kinda fizzled on me the more I listened to it, I felt underwhelmed.  It's certainly not a bad effort, but in a genre that has so many talented bands, this one doesn't do as much as it could to stand out from the pack.

Black Swan - Generation Mind

When I finally got to Black Swan's debut album Shake the World, I though it was decent melodic hard rock, but outside of a few songs, it didn't really leave much of an impact on me.  After I saw they were doing a follow-up, I was certainly curious, but when I heard the singles, they didn't feel like anything special.  Still, I wanted to give this a fair shake, and now that I've sat down with the album, I'm surprised to discover just how much I like it!

Right off, I do think the songwriting is better across the board.  The last album did have some weird extended outros and the songs did get a little samey, but here, I think they use their time much better, with some tighter arrangements and ideas.  They also do a pretty good job shaking things up, sometimes pushing the tempo up, and other times letting it settle into a mid-tempo groove.  While Robin McAuley still does a great job belting out the lyrics, I think it's guitarist Reb Beach who really steals the show this time.  His solos are as solid as ever, and he's come up with some pretty interesting riffs, not only drawing upon his Whitesnake experience, but may have been inspired by the likes of Dio's work, as many of the songs lean into those anthemic qualities.  I even thought of Van Halen and Herman Frank a few times!  Just a lot of solid, hard rocking tunes!

While the opening intro track doesn't do much other than provide some ambience, things kick off quite well with "She Hides Behind."  Following up is "Generation Mind" with more of a classic AOR style, and "Eagles Fly," which has a neat 6/8 groove and may be inspired by the classic sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds!  Other stand out tracks include "Miracle" and "Long Way Down."  I especially liked how "Long Way Down" suddenly sped up in the outro!  Overall, this is definitely an improvement, with a lot of great songs that allow this talented group to really shine.

Sword - III

As I mentioned in my review of their second album, Sword is a band I just stumbled across and feel in love with.  Now, after 34 years, Sword are back with their third album.  After enjoying their first two singles, I admit I was eagerly anticipating the rest.  While they still retain their iconic sound, starting off with some solid tracks, the album seems to lose a lot of steam in the back half, unfortunately.

The first three tracks set a very good tone, with "Bad Blood" bringing back all the staples of the band's sound.  There's very punchy riff, backed by some good energy from the rhythm section, and Rick Hughes is just soaring over it all.  "(I Am) In Kommand" carries that energy further, and "Dirty Pig" slows things down for a more stomping, chugging vibe.  The production is solid as well, giving these guitars almost a thrashy feel, letting Mike Plant's guitar work really shine once again.  I seriously think he has to be one of the most underappreciated guitarists still around!

However, at this point, the album loses a lot of its momentum.  "Surfacing" is a curious instrumental track that features 90 seconds of guitar ambience.  It's alright, but doesn't seem to do much, other than set up the next track "Unleashing Hell," which is a decent rocker but doesn't really hit the same level of quality as the earlier tracks.  This is followed up by "Spread the Pain" and "Took My Chances," both of which were pretty underwhelming.  While the riffing was still good and the vocals still soared, something about the songs felt a little empty or jarring, as they didn't really click for me.  Fortunately, the album closes with a "Not Me, No Way," which brings back a lot of the energy from the beginning, using some interesting 7/4 sections to shake things up.

But this also brings me to another point: this album is short!  While I wasn't expecting any kind of prog epics, this album barely gets going, and I kind of wish there were a few more tracks to it, especially now that the band doesn't have to work within the space limitations of vinyl records.  Still, what's here is decent enough, especially those first three tracks, and I'm glad to see the guys are still together all these years and still know how to write a killer metal track or two.  Maybe they can use this album to spur them on to do more work, as I'd love to see what they might do in the future.

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Well, that wraps things up for the year, at least as articles are concerned.  Now I gotta figure out my Top 5 for the year, so I'll be spending next month working that out.  (I might even consider doing a Top 10!  We'll have to see.)

I decided not to do a videos article for this month, as things did get kinda busy for me.  However, I do plan on carrying on into the next year with more of the same things I've been doing, so look forward to that.  Next year is already shaping up to have some pretty fascinating releases, such as a new Lovebites, another Rick Wakeman project, and Metallica of course!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - December 2022 Part Two!

If there are subgenres that I should be discussing more on this blog, it's progressive rock and metal.  As much as I like those genres, it seems to slip through the cracks.  To make up for it, I've decided that this next article will feature four current prog-related releases!  (And it also helps that I've been pretty interested in these albums, anyways.)  So let's kick back and appreciate some prog!

Beriedir - AQVA

This album came out early in the year, and I saw a video or two, but it didn't catch my attention right away.  However, as I caught another video, I decided to put this on the list of titles to review for the year, and I'm rather glad for it.  Finding an interesting spot between progressive and power metal, Berieder has provide a fascinating set of songs that make the most of their lush sound.

Initial impressions made me think of bands like Angra, Darkwater, and Evergrey.  However, the vocal harmonies make me think of Tyr, of all things.  In any case, we're definitely in quite some melodic territory that isn't afraid to shift around and build up layers of sound.  At first, things start in more of a power metal vibe, but as the album goes on, the proggy elements start showing up more and more.  While I don't think it's a concept album, most of the songs deal with water and weather, giving the album a strong sense of flow.  The middle has three songs that really stood out to me, "The Angel in the Lighthouse," "The Drowned," and "Stormbound," which I feel bring their different ideas together in a fascinating way, between all the proggy transitions and crunchy riffs.  There is also quite a bit of keyboard synthesizers on the album, often carrying the intro melody into the song, and featuring more noodly solos, which is interesting as they are credited to the vocalist Stefano Nusperli.  It would be interesting to see him do both the keyboards and the high wailing vocals in a live setting.

However, not all of it works.  Some of the lyrics can be a little on the clunky side, and some of the later songs feel a little weak.  "Arkangelos" goes for this mini-epic, but the chorus feels strangely static and uninspired compared to everything else, and "Of Dew and Frost" has more of a melodic rock vibe, despite its strangely dark lyrics, making for a messy fusion.  That being said, the album does end with "Moonlight Requiem," which provides a solid, power metal style closer.  Overall, it was a pretty good listen, and I think this one my grow on me the more time I give it.

Arc of Life - Don't Look Down

When I first heard about the existence of this band, I was pretty excited, so when their debut album came out, and it ended up being a weird blend of prog with AOR melodic rock, with a messy production that blended too much together, I was pretty let down.  I also assumed that this was going to be a one-off project, so when a follow up album was announced, I was certainly confused.  However, after the lead single seemed to show signs of improvement, I figured I should check how the rest of the album sounds.  While some of the song-writing problems remain, I do think this is a step up for the band.

Right off, the production is definitely better, and I'm able to really hear guitarist Jimmy Haun's and keyboardist Dave Kerzner's contributions.  While we still have Billy Sherwood's warm, lush soundscapes, the pieces feel more distinct and easier to hear.  However, the songwriting remains as loose as ever, with some songs feeling a little too busy, as if all their ideas are competing for space.  The opener "Real Time World" definitely has this problem as it shifts from idea to idea rather suddenly, making it difficult to grasp what the song is trying to do.  "Colors Come Alive" also has this problem, despite some interesting guitar work.  Some of the songs also feel long for the sake of long, with "Don't Look Down" being a track that could have been better if it were a minute or two shorter.  Speaking of song length, this album definitely leans into prog territory, as the pieces really wind around their chaotic ideas.  Most notably is the epic closer "Arc of Life," clocking in at nearly 18 minutes, and for what it's worth, is probably the best track on the album.  It doesn't seem as impatient as the others, letting their ideas flourish a little more and giving the performers more opportunities to express themselves.  I also liked "Let Live," as it has some solid basslines, though the chorus is a little jarring.

While I don't think they've quite reached their full potential, what I'm hearing is a band that is progressing forward.  It feels like they're trying to fuse elements of Tales of Topographic Oceans, Big Generator, and Open Your Eyes onto one album, with some pretty mixed results.  However, I can't help but wonder if their material wouldn't sound better live, without all the production's reverb, as it would give the band members the opportunity to really gel their sound together more naturally.  Still, the album does have a good sense of atmosphere, and is probably worth a listen or two for classic prog rock fans.

Borealis - Illusions

So what if Russell Allen sang for Evergrey, but then they added a ton of epic symphonic flourish?  This seems to be the sound Borealis is going for, and I can't deny that I like it quite a bit.  Between the chuggy riffing, catchy choruses, and lush orchestrations, this album goes big and largely succeeds.

The production is incredible, letting the heavy parts be heavy and allowing the lighter parts to stand out.  It feels like they picked up someone from Epic Music World to provide some incredibly epic strings and horns to back these songs with astounding power.  They also have nice little touches, like the occasional flute or violin providing a melody, and plenty of female vocals to wordlessly blend into the wall of sound.  The guitars really have a great tone, going back and forth between some very chunky riffing and great, melodic guitar solos.  Matt Marinelli vocals soar over all of this, not only magnifying the songs' energy, but giving them great emotional depth and weight.  Lynsey Ward comes in a few times as a guest vocalist and does a great job as well, often as vocal counter-point.  Stand out songs for me were "Ashes Turn to Rain," "Pray For Water," "Light of the Sun," and the epic closer "The Phantom Silence," bringing all their ideas together in one ten-minute monster that explores their dynamics quite fully.  Epic really is the best word for it all, and they do it very well.

If there is a problem, it's that it does occupy a very specific sonic space for pretty much the entire run-time, and so some people might feel that all this bombast might wear them down.  They do try to mix it up with some slower songs, like "Face of Reality" and "Abandon All Hope," and they even try a song without any guitars at all in "Burning Tears," but it still maintains the high drama throughout.  However, I love how epic they are willing to go with their sound.  I gotta be honest: this is probably going to end up in my Top 5 for the year.  If you're looking for epic, dramatic, symphonic metal with a few proggy touches and some heavy riffing, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than Illusions for 2022.

Atomic Symphony - Hybris

When I first came across this group of Swiss prog metallers, I was initially impressed with Jasmin Baggenstos's vocals, as her alto voice was pretty unique, giving the band a different kind of richness to the layers going on.  After hearing their new album, there certainly is a lot more of that, as they provide a very fascinating, eclectic listen.

Initial impressions make me think of bands like Haken or Symphony X (though without the latter's neo-classical flair).  Aside from the vocalist, the heavy riffs are what set this band apart, as Roberto Barlocci and Thomas Spoegler have some pretty groovy riffs for their material, chugging and stabbing their way through these songs.  The symphonic elements are more subdued than other symphonic metal releases I've heard, but keyboardist Carlo Beltrame also brings out some interesting synth sounds and solos, sometimes in the atonal vein of Keith Emerson.  And Jasmin is definitely doing some great vocal work, shifting her tone from mysterious to melodramatic to aggressive in order to match the tone of the song, and yet it all sounds perfectly natural.  She also gets a few opportunities to hold some long notes, adding to the epicness, soaring over all the gritty, syncopated riffing and orchestral ambience.

I do wonder if the mixing is a little uneven, as some of the symphonic elements get buried under the crushing rhythms.  Another thing is that the songs lead into each other, making it feel like one album-long 40 minute epic, and maybe that's deliberate.  I'm not sure if this is a concept album or not, but it really does stick to its proggy, angular sound all the way through, making the tracks feel a little indistinct from each other.  That being said, it's some pretty fascinating stuff, with stand outs including the epic middle-piece "Oath Taker," as it takes the listener on quite the journey, and the title track and "Chimera" offering more accessible pieces while still providing plenty of interesting riffing and style changes for prog fans to sink their teeth into.  This album is definitely the proggiest material of this article, and it's probably going to take me a few more listens to really unpack all that's here, but I do think my expectations were met pretty well.

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Well, that was a lot of fun!  I know I like prog, but it does take more time to really let it all sink in, and I'm not always in the right mood for it.  Grabbing some power metal or AOR is so much easier!  Still, I think I've had a great opportunity to hear some pretty different and unique songs, and that's what prog is generally great at.

Kinda crazy that we're already here at the end of 2022!  I've got two more articles I want to try and push through before the end of the year (we'll see how that goes), and then we begin a new year!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Retrospective!

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is pretty unique band in the pantheon of metal.  Starting as a side project for music producer Paul O'Neill, he worked with Savatage members Jon Oliva, Al Pitrelli, and Robert Kinkel on what was likely just going to be a one-off project.  However, when the "Carol of the Bells" inspired track "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" became a surprise hit from Savatage's Dead Winter Dead, they reused the track for their side project, making the album soar on the pop charts.

Now, after a handful of other albums, TSO is known for their epic arena rock shows and bombastic symphonic metal style.  I can't help but wonder if they didn't help to galvanize the symphonic metal explosion of the late 90s into the 2000s.  In any case, I was in the mood this holiday season to jam some of these albums, and I figured I might as well do a Retrospective article for them, reminiscing on the classics, and checking out on some of their newer releases that I hadn't gotten around to until now.

Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1995)

I don't know if it's possible for me to review this album objectively.  I don't remember exactly when my dad brought this CD home (I was in middle-school, at least), but I know we played it constantly after we got it.  Every Christmas this album came out; we played it home, we played in the car, and I never really got sick of it.  It's one of the first metal albums that really came to love, thinking retroactively.

I think what has helped this album feel so timeless is it's excellent use of dynamics, giving the album a very cinematic quality.  It's not afraid to drift from soft, almost sentimental, guitar pieces to outright heavy metal menace, and everything in between.  It is a concept album, following a story about an angel tasked with finding some proper Christmas spirit in the world.  However, it mostly sits in the background as the band reimagine many Christmas classics.  Obvious stand outs include the "A Mad Russian's Christmas" which provides a metal spin on Tchaikovsky, "A Star to Follow" with the overlapping male voices singing in a round, the original track "First Snow," and of course "Sarajevo 12/24."  The album is bookended by some excellent 80s anthemic cheese with "An Angel Came Down" and "An Angel Returned," and there some decent, if simple, acoustic guitar renditions of carols.  However, the album has it's thematic core with the acoustic ballad "Old City Bar," where the angel finally finds that Christmas spirit he has been looking for.

I doubt my review of this album will change anyone's mind.  You probably already know whether or not you like this kind of music, but I can't deny that it still holds a special place in my heart as one of the best Christmas albums ever recorded (and that's some stiff competition!).  Thinking on it today, I do wonder if this album didn't help prepare me for the power metal I would later discover in college, as it is quite an epic album with great symphonic elements, genuine guitar shredding, and melodramatic vocals.  At the very least, it's an album that still holds up to this day, and probably the band's best effort.

The Christmas Attic (1998)

So after that resounding success, they naturally followed up with another Christmas album.  This time, the concept mostly revolves around a girl finding some old letters in the attic that talk about Christmases past, and by exploring these memories comes to learn more about the holiday and what it can mean for her.  While it's a solid follow up, I will say that it's not quite as strong as the debut.

All of the elements are back, of course.  There's plenty of anthemic riffs and melodies, backed by a bombastic orchestra, ensuring all the emotional peaks and valleys.  "Christmas Canon" was the big single this time, focusing on the children's choir style again.  There is a stronger presence of blues and gospel, but the classical music still shows up to allow the guitarists to show off their fretwork.  However, the real outlier is the very strange "The Three Kings and I," which tells the story of how someone's ancestor saved the Three Wise Men from the Nativity story from the evil King Herod.  The song dips into more of a jazz groove, and includes a gospel-styled bridge.  While the guitars are there, it is very different from the rest of the album, though still quite fun.  

If there is one thing that this album does that the first doesn't, it's that The Christmas Attic is a much more emotional album, but I suppose that's to be expected with themes of memories and nostalgia.  My favorite tracks include "The World That She Sees," "Found Our Way Home," "Appalachian Snowfall," and "Christmas in the Air."  With power ballads are full of sentimentality, rearranged carols drawing upon an old Christmas spirit, and anthemic rockers to pick up the pace, this album does well to match the previous album, maintaining the qualities that the first one established.

Beethoven's Last Night (2000)

After the success of the two Christmas albums, the band decided to branch out with a completely different topic for their third album, this time telling a bit of a new fable regarding Beethoven and his theoretical 10th symphony.  While the music obviously shifts from Christmas carols to pieces of classical music for it's inspiration, it remains as theatrical as ever.

The story focuses on a fateful night when Beethoven is composing, when Fate and Twist show up to inform him of his looming death.  Then Mephistopheles arrives, trying to trick Beethoven into handing over his life's work for the salvation of his soul.  This leads him to review of his life to determine how things ended up this way, creating all kinds of opportunities to remake many of Beethoven's works as well as some of his contemporaries.  It's a pretty typical Faustian legend, taking a few creative liberties with the composer's history to explore its subject, but the result is a solid rock opera, full of the melodramatic elements that TSO has now mastered at this point.  The bombast starts right off with the "Overture," an carries through most of the rest of the album.  Jon Oliva is definitely reveling his vocal performance of Mephistopheles, and Jody Ashworth makes for a perfectly curmudgeonly Beethoven, as he's wracked with his doubts and anxieties.

I will say that this album is probably not as strong as the first two.  There are a few power ballads that drag things down a little, and some of the more narrative segments don't always make for great individual songs, but that's part of the rock opera style.  However, there certainly some highlights, such as "Mephistopheles" where the tempter first shows up, "Mozart/Figaro," "Requiem (The Fifth)" and "A Last Illusion" with their fun interpretations of classics, and finally "Mephistopheles' Return" being my personal favorite as Beethoven starts feeling the pressure of his situation.  Overall, it does a solid job of broaden the band beyond being just "that Christmas Metal band," while retaining their symphonic metal prowess.

The Lost Christmas Eve (2004)

Of course, they would go right back to the Christmas themes with their next album, completing what is now known as the Christmas Trilogy.  I will admit that, outside of the excellent "Wizards in Winter," I haven't listened to this one as much as the other two, as I do think it is a little weaker than them.  Still, it provides another hefty dose of Christmas charm and classical music interpretations.

Once again, it's a concept album.  Featuring the angel from the other two holiday journeys, he is tasked once again to find some Christmas spirit in the world.  While he does see many different examples (including a jazz club), the album then focuses on a single man who, when his wife died in pregnancy and the child suffered brain damage as a result, he gets angry with God, abandoning his faith in Christmas and putting the child up for adoption instead.  Decades later, he is reminded of his son and decides to follow up on what became of him.  He discovers that his son is working at that same hospital, taking care of newborn babies born to drug-afflicted mothers.  This inspires the man to reconnect with his son and with Christmas as a whole.  Satisfied, the angel observing all of this returns to heaven, successful in his mission.  As usual, this is all just operatic drama for the music to hang on, which is pretty typical for the band at this point, at the risk of even becoming formulaic.  All the trappings are here, and while it does capture the same sense of nostalgia the other albums do, it just doesn't feel as fresh this time around.

Still, this is by no means a bad album.  There's plenty of anthemic rocking to be had as it meanders its way through the story.  "Faith Noel" and "The Lost Christmas Eve" do a great job of bringing the listener back into its iconic atmosphere, the jazzy section in the middle breaks things up well, the melodramatic Broadway-style moments are as big and anthemic as they need to be, there's plenty of high quality fretwork on all those guitars, both electric and acoustic, and of course who can deny the excellence that is "Wizards in Winter," which has cemented itself into the pop culture canon for the holiday.  It's just hard to follow up what were two already great albums, so this one not being quite on the same level is not a deal breaker as it wraps up the trilogy well enough.

Night Castle (2009)

So this will be the first of the albums that I had not listened to before starting this retrospective.  I remember some folks making a big deal when it came out, but then it seemed to drop off right away.  As for myself, I simply hadn't gotten around to it until this year.  Unfortunately, despite some good music, I discovered that the album is mostly bloated, and narratively kind of a mess.

The concept this time really meanders about.  Starting with a little girl discovering a strange but kind man building a sand castle on the beach, he tells a story that focuses on the man's friend and how, before he goes to fight in the Vietnam war, this friend stumbled across a strange castle with Erasmus inside, who gives the soldier some advice.  Then the soldier goes to Cambodia and fights, only to be captured by the Khmer Rouge.  As a prisoner, he is visited by a communist general, and as they talk, the general has an internal struggle about what he is doing, eventually deciding to help the solider, only to see him die of his wounds.  So he goes on a quest to find the soldier's wife and child to beg for their forgiveness.  He succeeds on meeting the child, as the stranger building the sand castle ends up being that general, and the child who discovers him is the soldier's daughter.  It's definitely very convoluted, and a lot of comes from the liner notes in the album.  With the other albums, one could piece together the story from just the music alone, but here, I can't imagine making sense of the thing without the pages of prose that accompany the music.

As for the music, it's a lot of the standard TSO tropes: plenty of classical music references, shredding guitar solos, and anthemic ballads featuring voices bellowing their messages in dramatic fashions.  The album starts well with "Night Enchanted" making me think of Handel's Messiah, and "The Mountain" being a solid interpretation of Grieg's work.  "Sparks" ends up being a curious little rocker, and the bonus track "Nutrocker" is just as fun.  The classical music tracks are definitely the best part of the album, providing some fun, theatrical metal.  The biggest problem are the anthems, as they tend to lean quite hard into power ballad territory, with two of them being over 9 minutes long!  I understand that they're trying to provide these big, narrative moments, but I think in the desire to create a more fulfilling rock opera and fill out two CDs, they spread themselves too thin, and the album just feels padded.  Despite a valiant effort in trying to expand their style and storytelling, the album ends up being a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Dreams of Fireflies (on a Christmas Night) (2012)

While TSO have a lot of EPs and other releases, most of them end up being compilations or samplers of stuff from their Christmas Trilogy.  As far as I can tell, this is the only EP that has original material on it.  Once again, I had not heard this before I started this retrospective, and it seems this time it's just a handful of winter-themed songs without any kind of concept to tie them together beyond that.

It starts with a great pair of epic metal tracks, the title track being an adaptation of "Winter" by Vivaldi.  Both are well done and will certainly find themselves in my playlists.  However, the rest of the EP provides a handful of soft ballads, with "Someday" being very reminiscent of "Old City Bar."  They're okay, but don't really quite have the heart that makes their classic ballads so strong.  Still, it's a nice little collection of songs that feels like a post-script to their trio of Christmas epics.

Letters from the Labyrinth (2015)

And now we come to the end.  As far as I can tell, despite being a full-length album, there isn't any kind of story or concept to this one.  I think it's just meant to be a collection of shorter stories, with the idea that they are some of the letters Erasmus from Night Castle was sending out.  Unfortunately, this means the songs need to stand on their own, and not many of them do.

Again, the TSO staples are here, with a handful of metal interpretations of classic music and a number of anthemic ballads, but it's starting to feel very by-the-numbers for the most part.  If anything, it feels like the album is kind of incomplete, as if they came up with the songs, but then had to hurry through the production and didn't take the time to expand on them as one would expect.  Even the lush symphonics are reduced to some very obvious synthesizer-based strings, making the songs seem cheap compared to the epicness that previous albums provided.  Considering the tracks themselves, "Mountain Labyrinth," "King Rurik," and "Lullaby Night" are rather lifeless instrumentals, while "Stay," "Not the Same," and "Forget About the Blame" are some rather forgettable ballads (though they include a second version of that last track with Lzzy Hale from Halestorm singing, and it's probably the better of the two).

There are a few interesting sections, though, such as the interesting mood and tempo shifts in songs like "Prometheus," "Prince Igor" with the hammond organs, the strange "Not Dead Yet" that has Russell Allen of Symphony X fame not singing but doing more of a scat-singing thing, and the choir-driven "Who I Am."  Other tracks of note are "The Night Conceives," which is a pretty standard rock song that's helped with an aggressive vocal performance from Kayla Reeves, and "Past Tomorrow," which has this haunting atmosphere that's pretty unique for the band, with Jennifer Cella's vocals being multi-tracked, giving it almost an Enya vibe.  However, considering the album as a whole and comparing it to previous efforts, Letters from the Labyrinth definitely feels lackluster and underwhelming.  I guess when a band sets the bar so high from the start, it makes the weaker efforts stand out all the more.

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Well, that was a fun retrospective, even if the albums fizzled towards the end.  The Trans-Siberian Orchestra have certainly established a legacy of excellent works and made themselves a staple of the growing symphonic metal genre (if not an innovator).  While their later albums do lose a good chunk of the magic, the band still carries on, often doing tours focused on their Christmas material.

However, the brainchild of the project Paul O'Neill passed away in 2017, and it makes me wonder if there will ever be any new material from the band.  Of course, his frequent co-writer Jon Oliva is still very much involved, as well as other regular contributors like Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery, so it's certainly possible they could make a new album.  If they do, I guarantee that I will review it!

In any case, I hope that was a nice Christmas surprise for folks.  It's been a while since I did my last retrospective.  I had forgotten how time-consuming they could be!  There are others that I have been slowly working on, but they still seem quite a ways off.  I need to be catching up on new releases anyway, so keep an eye out for those articles coming soon!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - December 2022 Part One!

So it looks like this December is going to be very similar to last year, where I blitzed through a bunch of albums in order to catch up on what had been released.  I was kind of hoping to avoid doing that again, but I guess my attention was elsewhere for much of this year, I'm afraid.  Nevertheless, I am glad to keep finding interesting rock and metal albums, and this time, I have a handful that I've been looking forward to all year.  Let's get into it!

Iron Allies - Blood In Blood Out

As if having his own solo project and Victory weren't enough, Herman Frank teamed up with former Accept singer David Reece for this traditional metal project.  Even though these two were never in that classic band at the same time, this project sounds like stereotypical German traditional metal, featuring plenty Frank's iconic guitar work.

So we know what it sounds like going in: big and gritty riffs, wailing vocals, an occasional shift between fast double-kick fests and slower, stompier songs, all buoyed by anthemic pomp.  David Reece brings over his rhythm section, and they're as tight as they need to be for this stuff.  Not having heard anything from David Reece himself before, he fits in well, as his voice carries each melody with confidence and power.  However, I do feel like this album feels quite a bit like Herman Frank's albums.  He definitely leaves his stamp on things with his riffing and solos, which are all quite solid.

It's easy to say "It's more of the same, therefore it's good," but I do think this sounds fresher than either of Herman Frank's efforts from last year.  The title track, "Destroyers of the Night," and "Nightmares in my Mind" are great, mid-tempo anthems, while "Fear No Evil," "Blood of the Land," and "Truth Never Mattered" turn up the speed for some fierce, old-school shredding.  Overall, the songs are consistent in quality all the way through, and fans of classic 80s metal will find plenty to love here.

Disturbed - Divisive

Disturbed is probably the most extreme band I'm willing to cover around here, as I feel like they still have some great melodies among their groove-centric alternative metal style.  While I felt the last album was a little lackluster, this is very much a return to form, as observing the world over the past few years has inspired some pretty angry material.

Of course, these songs are very much in the same vein that they established with Ten Thousand Fists, with plenty of heavy, crushing riffs, David Draiman's off-beat vocal melodies, and anthemic choruses.  However, there is a strong theme of contention and how it makes things worse, as if the cover didn't make that obvious.  Their Believe logo being broken apart on the cover this album seems rather poignant.  Otherwise, it's a lot of the same material they've covered before.  They even do another somber ballad, this time a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart fame, and it's actually pretty decent.

Long time Disturbed fans will be happy with a return to the aggression after the ballad-heavy Evolution, but otherwise, it's a business as usual for the band.  I find this style happens to scratch a particular hard rock itch for me, so I like it well enough.  I don't expect them to be writing masterpieces, so I suppose my expectations were met.  Still, it's good to see that the band still has some power left in them to put out another set of crushing melodic metal.

Dragonland - The Power of the Nightstar

As I have reviewed every single Dragonland album on my blog, it has been interesting to watch them evolve and improve over their discography.  However, after being quiet for so long, I assumed they had broken up, so I was quite surprised to discover they were working on a new album, and the singles were definitely sounded promising.  Now that I'm finally sitting down with the album, I've found that Dragonland hasn't changed at all, continuing their tradition of bombastic, story-driven symphonic power metal.

As expected, the story covers the entire album, though they've gone for a science fiction tale, this time (if the cover didn't make that obvious).  Of course, they've done sci-fi before, most notably on the album Astronomy, but this is their first, full-length concept album in that narrative genre.  Their story starts with a civilization heading for the stars for a new world in an effort to leave behind a destructive past.  However, upon arriving at the Nightstar and igniting it, they summon an enemy fleet eager to wipe them all out.  Under-powered, the protagonist fleet resort to bringing out an ancient destructive technology they had hoped to leave behind them, but find they have to use it, despite the cost it brings.  Lyrically, things haven't really changed much, swapping out the swords and knights for blasters and starships.  Much of what they've done before is brought back here: soaring vocals and power metal riffing and solos, augmented by excellent orchestral arrangements.  Seriously, this album is very lush and rich in how it's weaved together.  The biggest difference I felt was the increase of more spacy synthesizers, not only providing extra ambient layers, but getting in on the noodly solos as well.  However, they don't sound out of place at all with the sci-fi concept they're going with.  I also noticed that many of the guitar solos weren't as shred-heavy as before, often focusing on more melodic phrasing.  

While their story-driven style may not click with everyone, and I admit I sometimes struggle with it myself, they remain a unique band in the genre with their songwriting and orchestral flourishes.  Some of the more narratively-driven songs aren't as catchy, but they don't feel like a waste either, as each song progresses the story, so it is definitely worth listening through from beginning to end.  It goes through a lot of dramatic dynamics, from the hopeful "A Light in the Dark" to the ominous "A Threat from Beyond the Shadows," and the doomy "Journey's End."  However the singles "Flight from Destruction" and "The Power of the Nightstar" are definitely the standouts, as individual songs go.  It's kind of comforting to know that, despite an 11 year gap, Dragonland hasn't missed a beat, carrying on as if they had never left.

SheWolf - SheWolf

Revolving around the voice of Angel Wolf-Black, SheWolf is a new female-fronted symphonic metal project, as if there weren't enough of those.  While I could make easily comparisons to the likes of Nightwish or Xandria, I do think this outfit does set itself apart by having a different set of tones than the typical stuff one gets from the genre, focusing instead on a stronger sense of lightness and freedom.

Right off, the orchestrations are incredible.  Not only are they lush and layered, but they do more than just provide atmosphere.  Quite often, they have the melodies that carry the song forward, and Angel's voice seem like a part of the orchestra, instead of standing in front of it, which helps the songs feel more unified to their benefit.  There were even times when I would get a little frustrated with the distorted guitars getting in the way of things.  It's not like they're bad, but they are very standard, with some solid low chugging, and some noodly solos, but it's honestly nothing symphonic metal fans haven't heard before.  However, Angel's voice fits the material well, shifting between long, dramatic notes and spritely moments with ease.  If you're looking for another great female vocalist, she certainly has her own touch things.

Obviously, there is an emphasis on wolves with songs like "Welcome to the Pack," "Lone Wolf," and "Moonbound," but there are also topics of nature, independence, and love in the lyrics.  While the sound does have some gothic elements, the band is less interested in darkness or epicness and more on romance and a rustic sense of folklore, with the occasional flute melody that brings some folkiness to it.  There are even times where it's rather quite uplifting, with "Home" and "Thrill of the Chase" being examples, and some of the songs even have a bouncy feel, like modern pop music.  However, given how rich the production is, and the cheerful nature of some of the songs, I could see this one growing on me.

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Well, that's the first of many articles for this month.  However, I really shouldn't complain.  Taking the time to listen to all these albums is still quite fun and enjoyable, and I know I'm anticipating more than a few of the albums I have lined up ahead.  That being said, I think I'll spring my Christmas surprise for my next article, which has also been an interesting journey to complete.  Until then, rock on! \m/