Pure Steel Records CD Review Rundown!

Normally, I'm not one to get into physical releases, as I listen to pretty much all my music digitally now.  However, taking a look around YouTube, I began to see folks sharing their CD collections and showing off their new purchases or surprise unboxings.  This got me hankering to maybe get into that a little myself, and when I discovered that Pure Steel Records was doing a big sale at the end of last year, I finally gave in and bought 8 CDs.  It's taken me a bit of time to get to them all, but I figured I would review them all together instead of making them part of my Last Played articles.  I tried to keep the reviews on the shorter side so that the article wouldn't run on too long.  Still, it was a lot of fun to check out a bunch of bands I wouldn't have otherwise listened to!

Blazing Rust - Armed to Exist

These Russians are definitely going old-school, pulling together elements of 70s Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy, and sharing a lot of qualities with later bands like White Wizzard and Gygax.  The production is perfect, giving the guitars a solid crunch without losing any of their musicality in the solos.  Fans of classic guitar harmonies will find plenty to enjoy here, Igor Arbuzov provides great vocals that have that old-school metal bravado, and everything is generally consistent.

They do try to mix it up a little, with a few songs having some tempo shifts and change-ups in the rhythm.  Songs like "Dying World" and "Witch" show some of their more experimental side.  However, they also have the straight-ahead sound down as well.  "Hellbringer" starts the album with a strong "Painkiller" vibe while "Shimmering Dawn" provides a more 70s hard rock vibe.  Overall, it's a good chunk of songs that mix it up just enough to not feel repetitive.  

Attick Demons - Let's Raise Hell

I know I've featured this band a few times before, but I've never really jammed one of their albums all the way through until this one.  When I saw it was on sale, I knew I had to pick it up because their Maiden-style of metal is so very on-the-nose.  Some might roll their eyes at them for being a clone of a classic band, but I think they get away with it because they perform with a lot of fun and energy.

A lot of it is because they get the little things right.  The playing is tight and powered by great production.  The guitarists provide both meaty riffs and noodly solos, with some interesting syncopation here and there to mix things up.  And vocalist Artur Almeida is doing more than just copying Dickinson's sound, but trying to recreate his sense of storytelling and theatrics to make the songs sound huge.  I do think Attick Demons has a heavier, chunkier sound, but that could be just from me comparing the more modern production of this album against the classic 80s Maiden albums.  While Let's Raise Hell is solid across the board, I did think that "Adamastor," "Dark Angel," and the epic "Endless Game" are the songs that stood out the most.  It may not be particularly innovative, but those looking for some classic metal done well with modern production, Attick Demons has you more than covered.

Blackbird - ...Of Heroes and Enemies

Another band that's clearly built on a classic template, Blackbird seek out the anthemic blues rock of bands like AC/DC and Airbourne.  Right off, the opener "Fire Your Guns" is a solid start, and "Don't Fool Me" and "Devil's Soul" also have some good energy.  The rest of the album occupies a kind of anthemic, mid-tempo vibe, with "Deuce" being the best of those.  They really stick to that fist-pumping arena rock formula and do a decent job of it for the most part.

However, there are some problems.  The production isn't as clean as I would like, as the instruments tend to blend together, especially during the gang vocals sections.  Another problem is that the singer Angus Dersim definitely has that gritty German vocal style, but it seems to lack a lot of charm, and can be grating at times.  Finally, the music is pretty standard 80s blues rock.  I wasn't expecting any massive innovations, but they really don't do much other than follow the classic templates pretty closely.  While it might be interesting for fans of this specific style of rock, most folks will probably be better off just listing to Back in Black again.

Sarasin - Sarasin

I guess Canada has become a hot bed for a lot of classic metal bands over the past decade, and Sarasin is another one from that crowd, blending a few different 80s metal styles.  With all the noodly guitars from Jim Leach and Greg Boileau, they certainly share a few vibes with US power metal and Ozzy's early solo albums.

However, what sets this album apart, strangely, is how much I was reminded of Godsmack!  Singer Mike Wilson seems to have a lot of similar cadences to Sully Erna.  Songs like "The Hammer," "Soul in Vain," and "Sinkhole" are the strongest examples of this.  The riffs will sometimes get a bit groovy as well, making the album feel like a curious blend of traditional and alternative metal.

I also want to point out the drumming of Roger Banks.  While he's tight on the rhythms, he gets a lot of opportunities for these little drum fills all over the album, giving the songs just a bit of extra flair that I liked.  Overall, it's a pretty good album, providing more than few solid grooves and some interesting atmospheric elements.  And at just under 40 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Shadowbane - Facing the Fallout

The only power metal album from the pack, Shadowbane focus on more post-apocalyptic themes for their lyrics, if the album art wasn't a clue.  Even though they got some support from the Wacken Foundation, this is their only album, which is a shame because I would have liked to hear where this band could have gone from here.

Their sound is very much like their German brothers, putting them in the same camp as Paragon, Accept, Iron Savior, and Primal Fear, with maybe a dash of US power metal here and there.  The result is a very chunky blend of heavy/power metal stompers, with plenty of noodly guitars, double-kicking bass drums, and catchy choruses; all pretty typical stuff.  However, they certainly have the chops, as they all sound very tight and epic.  The production keeps things thick without getting in the way of the high-speed riffing at all.  While there aren't any innovations in their songwriting (though they mix it up a little), I can't deny this is some very solid power metal.  I quite liked "Beyond the Winds of War," "Traitor," "Tear Down the Wall," and "Last Division."  Maybe one day they'll get back together and record another album, as I'd love to hear more!

Black Hawk - The End of the World

When I first got a sample of this group, I definitely got a Saxon vibe, mostly because of Udo Bethke's vocals sounding like Biff Byford.  However, now that I've listened to it, I'm hearing plenty of influence from their German classic metal compatriots like Accept and Grave Digger, going back and forth between high speed chugfests and more mid-tempo anthemic rockers.  Right off, the guitar work is amazing.  Wolfgang Tewes and Günny Kruse work great together, providing not only a solid set of chunky riffs, but also plenty of complex guitar harmonies, and they're really the highlight of the album. 

The biggest problem is the lyrics.  While I don't mind some clichés in my metal, this really does feel like they got a set of 80s metal refrigerator magnet poetry, and then just fiddled with them until they sorta made sense.  It's a shame, because Bethke is a good singer, especially for this kind of metal.  Your mileage may vary, but the weak lyrics really did become a bit distracting for me.  Still, there's plenty of solid traditional metal, with "Scream in the Night" being the stand-out track, as it has a bit of a power metal vibe, as does their rerecording of "Dragonride."  Overall, it's not bad, but I do wish the lyrics were as strong as the music.

Krossfire - Shades of Darkness

Despite having nothing to do with the boardgame with the over-the-top 90s commercials, these Bulgarians aim for a kind of fusion of prog and power metal, similar to the likes of Seventh Wonder and Darkwater, with some Ghost Opera-era Kamelot for good measure.  There's certainly plenty to like, with a few ambitious ideas, plenty of chuggy riffs, and decent production.  "One More Time" and "Fall from Grace" are good uptempo tracks, while "Glory to the Heavens" shows the best of their epic style.

However, there seems to be something missing, and I can't quite put my finger on it.  The performances are fine, across the board.  Dimo Petkov is maybe a little stiff, but his voice works well for the dramatic stories they're telling.  It's clear that their orchestrations are just keyboards, but Peter Boshnakov uses them well, and gets a few solid synth solos in along with the guitars.  There doesn't seem to be any major mistakes, and yet, I feel like this album isn't as good as I want it to be.  Maybe I'll figure out my feelings on this as I listen to it more, but for now, it's a solid collection of symphonic prog metal that might not blow you away, but passes the time well enough.

Steel Raiser - Regeneration

Despite coming from Italy, this band is very much in the vein of the German style of traditional metal, with a good measure of Painkiller Judas Priest for good measure.  Vocalist Alfonso Giordano certainly sounds like Udo Dirkschneider as he sings in his broken English.  The production does get a little muddy, but it's not a deal-breaker, as you can still hear all the furious chugging, riffing, and soloing that Giuseppe Seminara and Gian Luca Rossi has to offer.

It's definitely one of those albums that's trying make up for it's lack of innovation or original ideas by being as passionate as possible, and embracing classic 80s metal to its fullest extent, and it mostly works.  While the lyrics do get clunky from time to time, the way the album just rolls you over with riff after riff, it's hard to really care.  Stand out tracks were "Finalizer" with its neat little riffy section in the middle of the solo, "Wings of the Abyss" for it's anthemic build-ups, and there are even times where the album gets a bit thrashy.  Perhaps it doesn't do much that hasn't been done better elsewhere, but this was a solid listen, overall.

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So, that was quite fun.  I don't know how often I'll do this, as it can be pricey.  I mainly did this because it was such a good deal and it let me hear a bunch of bands that I hadn't heard before.  I think I enjoyed the Attick Demons and Shadowbane albums the most, but none of them were completely bad, as found bits I liked on all of them.  This was a fun exercise, but I don't know when I'll do it again.  Maybe someday I'll get more into collecting physical CDs or subscribe to the Metalhead Box.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1988!

The middle of the month means it's time for another Anniversary Article!  1988 is an interesting year, as we start to see the rock and metal scene shift and expand, resulting in quite the mix of genres.  While I sure I'm missing some stuff (let me know what you think of down in the comments below), here's a rundown of the big albums and songs that rocked folks 35 years ago!

The year starts off with a rather controversial group, Kingdom Come.  While at first they tried to deny it a little, but it's pretty clear they were intent on doing a glamified approach to the classic sound of Led Zeppelin, and to be honest, they were pretty good at it.  And it's not like they were the first to do so, as both Rush's first album and and some of Whitesnake's material come to mind.  In any case, one could see Kingdom Come as the beginning of the retro-clone style of bands that we see so much today, so maybe they're influential at least in that aspect.

Of course, the pop metal scene in general had plenty of albums going around, continuing to dominate the airwaves.  Scorpions came back after a four year album break with Savage Amusement, Europe went Out of This World, Winger was "Headed for a Heartbreak," Cinderella told us that we "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)," and Poison really blew up with Open Up and Say... Ahh!, featuring several big hits like "Nothin' But a Good Time," "Fallen Angel," and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."

Metal's various sub-genres also saw some decent representation this year.  Manowar and Candlemass brought the epicness with Kings of Metal and Ancient Dreams, respectively.  Helloween continued to establish the foundation of power metal with Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2.  Queensrÿche shifted into progressive metal with their concept album Operation: Mindcrime, and Iron Maiden pushed their proggy tendencies further with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.  

However, the big winner of the year was thrash metal.  While all the big thrash bands put out albums this year (with Testament's probably being my personal favorite), it can't be denied that Metallica really put a spotlight on thrash with ...And Justice For All.  Despite the production problems, the album benefited from the music video for "One" getting plenty of airplay on MTV and the now-infamous snub at the Grammy's.  While some would argue that thrash's best year was 1986, the subgenre clearly started to break into the mainstream in 1988, and Metallica was leading the way.

So that's another year wrapped up.  Be sure to check out the playlist below for more great songs.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - May 2023!

Does anyone else get bad allergies this time of year?  I feel like they've been rocking my sinuses this spring, more so than usual.  Still, I've been able to power through and get some new albums listened and reviewed.  Between the rock and metal, both fast and slow, here's what I've been listening to lately!

Journey - Departure

Journey is another one of their bands where I've loved the radio singles but haven't done much with their albums.  I have listened to their early jazz-fusion stuff, and I reviewed Evolution a few years ago, but otherwise I haven't checked out any of their 80s albums, even for the anniversary articles.  However, after doing so much metal last month, I was in the mood for some classic melodic rock, and figured reviewing this would be a nice change of pace.  Right off, we have "Any Way You Want It" as the opener, and this is classic arena rock.  Starting from that iconic beginning with the vocal harmonies, the song goes straight into huge melodies and chords, and has ingrained itself in the minds of rock fans for decades since.

However, the album starts to go a bit sideways from there.  "Walks Like a Lady" is this strange, chilled blues song that never gets beyond setting a little groove for Neal Schon to solo over.  Then it goes into some very curious songs that get a little proggy.  I actually thought of 80s Rush when I heard them, but I wonder if that has more to do with the production than the songwriting.  Still, they're very curious pieces, with "Precious Time" being the strongest, as it has some interesting dynamics, ultimately ending on a decent little jam.  After that, the album becomes rather inconsistent.  "Where Were You" and "Line of Fire" are cute little rockers, but between them is a few ballads that don't feel very complete.  "Good Morning Girl" and "Stay Awhile" in particular feel like halves of songs missing more development.  Then the album ends with a very Led Zeppelin inspired rocker, with a decent riff and some solid grooves.

So, despite such a promising start, the album is a bit of a wash.  It's a shame, too, as there are some good performances.  While Steve Perry's lower register can be a bit of a mixed bag, when he needs to hit the high notes, he's great.  Neal Schon also puts in some solid soloing, and finds plenty of gaps to throw in a lick or two.  And while this would be the last studio album with keyboardist Gregg Rolie, his keys and hammonds do give the band a massive sound (along with some orchestrations). Unfortunately, it's the songwriting that really holds this album back from being as great as it could be, leaving most of the songs (outside the big hit) as a novelty at best.

Robin McAuley - Alive

Going from one rock legend to another, Robin McAuley and Frontiers Records have put together another solo album full of 80s-style rockers.  While I enjoyed the first album quite a bit, this one does make a shift into darker, grittier territory, but the shift makes Alive feel pretty tedious, overall.

Don't get me wrong; it's still a solid collection of anthemic rock songs.  As is the case with AOR these days, the production is spot on, the guitar leads and solos are melodic, and Robin sounds good.  However, I do think the guitars got some extra crunch to them, and the riffs get a little chuggier here.  While on its own, that's not really a bad thing, somehow, it makes this album feel a little monotonous.  It's nice while it's on, but most of this stuff just passes in one ear and out the other.  The only real standouts are the title track, which is a decent anthemic opener, and "The Endless Mile," which has some nice noodling on the chorus.  Maybe I'm just nit-picking, but the first album stood on its own better, and felt more majestic, while this one settles into some pretty average melodic rock that isn't as alive as its title would imply.

Candlemass - Ancient Dreams

It might seem weird going from anthemic rock to epic doom, but I really don't give doom metal enough time on this blog, as I really do like it, and Candlemass is one of the best at it.  This time, I've checked out their third album Ancient Dreams, which carries over most of the same lineup from Nightfall, which I reviewed three years ago.  Once again, they've provided a thick, heavy album full of grimness and despair.

The album starts of well with "Mirror Mirror," featuring some double-kicking bass drums, noodly doom riffing, and Messiah Marcolin soaring over everything.  The epicness is at max level, and it carries through the next few songs.  "A Cry from the Crypt" has a nice 6/8 gallop, "Darkness in Paradise" features a solid chorus and very interesting shift into a chuggy section in the second half, and "Incarnation of Evil" just has great atmosphere.  Unfortunately, the second half isn't as strong.  Sure, the doom carries on, but the songwriting gets a little underwhelming.  The lyrics on "Bearer of Pain" are a little clunky, the title track just drones on this melody and doesn't seem to go anywhere, and "The Bells of Acheron" is an interesting idea, but the groovy riff doesn't feel like Candlemass.  Their cover of Carl Michael Bellman's "Epistle 81" is also rather drab.  Maybe it's meaningful to these Swedes, but it doesn't do much for me.  At least the album ends with a decent medley of Black Sabbath classics.

Still, as I'm going through these early albums, I can hear them getting closer and closer to the amazing sound that's on Tales of Creation.  I don't know if I'll review that one for the blog, as I've heard it many times, but it's pretty much the pinnacle of classic epic doom metal.  As for Ancient Dreams, there's some solid stuff here, and I'm sure I'll come back to those first four songs, but your mileage may vary on the rest.

Kamelot - The Awakening

Finally!  After catching up on all the Karevik albums, we reach the latest opus that Kamelto has to provide.  Once again, the mainstays have returned, but with new drummer, Alex Landenburg, they seem to have brought back even more of the classic power metal sound that I've been missing.  If I thought The Shadow Theory was a comeback, this one is even more so!

Once again, they seem to be channeling sound that mixes The Black Halo and Ghost Opera.  After the symphonic intro track, the band just jumps right in with "The Great Divide"!  Full of epicness and double-kicking bass drum energy, it's a solid start to a solid album.  Much of this power metal energy comes back for "Opus of the Night" (a sequel to the track "Ghost Opera"), "Bloodmoon," "Nightsky," and "The Looking Glass."  Even the chunky, symphonic tracks keep the energy high, as "One More Flag in the Ground" and "My Pantheon" are pretty epic.  Of course, there's a few ballad's for Tommy to croon through, but the lush orchestrations give them a great theatrical feel.  It really does feel like they've successfully blended their classic power metal style with the newer symphonic metal style they've had for the past handful of albums.

However, it's not quite perfect.  "Eventide" is a little underwhelming, "Nightsky" and "Looking Glass" sound a little too similar, and "New Babylon" tries to go for this Rhapsody of Fire level of bombast, but the song structure is a little disorganized, despite the epic choir singing.  Also, while they are nice, the symphonic intro and outro do feel a little pointless.  Still, these are not major flaws for what is probably the best album of the Karevik era.  I was hoping this would be an excellent album of symphonic power metal, and I'm glad to say my anticipation has been rewarded here.  Between this, Twilight Force and Lovebites, figuring out my Top 5 for this year is going to be difficult!

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While I'm glad to have finally caught up with Kamelot (and discovered they still had some chops), looking ahead, I feel like things are going to get very busy for me!  There's already quite a stack of new releases I need to check out, and I'm also learning that my Anniversary Articles might be leaner than I was expecting!  Plus, there's another surprise that I've been slowly working on.  I had hoped that I'd get it out sooner, but it hasn't come together quite yet.  In any case, there's a lot to look forward to, if I can just get to it all!  Until then, rock on! \m/