I'm not sure if it's just me getting older, but I felt this summer has been busier than others, taking up a lot of my time. Nevertheless, I was able to squeeze in a few listens here and there. It's a bit of an eclectic trio of albums, but there's pretty solid stuff to talk about. Here's what I've been listening to lately!
Primal Fear - Primal Fear
(So this is a bit awkward. I had originally written this to be part of the 1998 Anniversary Article. However, when I took a closer look, I realized this album came out at the end of 1997! So I've decided to move it to this article instead.)
In the mid 90s, singer Ralf Scheepers left Gamma Ray in hopes of being auditioned for vocalist position in Judas Priest after hearing that his name got onto a short list of potential candidates. However, when Ralf heard nothing, and then saw that Tim "Ripper" Owens got the job, he was approached by Mat Sinner to start a new project, which turned into Primal Fear. Since then, Ralf and company have been tearing up the power metal scene with their Painkiller inspired sound. While I have enjoyed many of their recent releases, I recently decided to check out their debut, and unsurprisingly it's another slab of solid heavy/power metal.
If there is a difference between this and the newer albums, it's that this is much more typical power metal, which makes sense, as the scene was really growing at the time. The band really did go right at the start for the nexus between Judas Priest and Helloween or Gamma Ray (and they even get Kai Hansen to come play on a few songs!). While they do mix it up with the occasional anthemic stomper or power ballad, they really lean on the uptempo chugging and bass drum double-kicking for most of these tracks, not that I'm complaining. There are a few moments where there could have been a bit more polish, either on the lyrics or the transitions, but otherwise, it's pretty standard, satisfying stuff.
Ralf Scheepers makes his presence known all over this album (which makes sense, as he was the main reason the band was made in the first place); he really soars here. The rest of the band is tight as well, with Tom Naumann's guitars putting out riff after riff, with some great solos. "Chainbreaker" is an excellent opening track, "Promised Land" has some interesting 6/8 riffing, and both "Battalions of Hate" and "Running in the Dust" have a lot of old-school charm. While it's not a mind-blowing debut, it's pretty clear these guys had something special from the beginning and they've made it their core going forward, resulting in a lot of excellent music.
Rick Wakeman - A Gallery of the ImaginationI had been aware of keyboard legend Rick Wakeman had worked on and released a new album early in the year, but when the first few singles were lackluster, I didn't really pay attention to the album when it came out. However, now that Yes themselves have put out a new album, I felt the need to give Rick his due. I really did enjoy his last album with the English Rock Ensemble, so I hoped that this would be a decent follow-up. While there are some interesting ideas across a diverse set of songs, the album doesn't feel quite as strong or cohesive as The Red Planet did.
Probably the first big difference is the inclusion of Hayley Sanderson as a vocalist. She's not bad, but maybe a little high and light, and the mix makes her seem slightly shrill once in a while. The lyrics mostly stay in figurative and flowery territory to help evoke the imagery that Rick and his band are trying to create. However, the main problem, and it's kind of a big one, is that the album focuses on a kind of proggy sophisticated pop rather than any kind of rock. Not that I can't enjoy other genres outside of the rock sphere, but when I think of Rick Wakeman, I don't think of chilled, pop-oriented, art pieces (though I suppose that better fits the cover art). I wouldn't have been surprised if he had covered "Smooth Operator" by Sade.
For what it's worth, what it lacks in way of rock or adventurous spirit it makes up for with some decent variety, shifting between soft layers of synths to solo piano to latin jazz grooves, with the occasional synth or guitar solo here and there. "Hidden Depths" brings in a bit of rock, "The Man in the Moon" made me think of the Alan Parsons Project, and "The Moonlight Dream" has some interesting, dreamy synth layers and solos that trade between guitar and keys. He also has just some straight up solo piano pieces that are nice and atmospheric, but overall, there really isn't much to recommend outside of the occasional decent synthesizer solo. Perhaps it's just a consequence of having bad expectations, but after his last effort was such a solid proggy tribute to the red planet, this is quite the let down.
Monkey3 - Monkey3After having enjoyed their last album so much that it was my album of the year in 2019 (good heavens, has it really been 4 years?), I knew I needed to dig into the backlog of this band and hear more of what they've done. With 2003 being the next target for my Anniversary Article series, I figured I could sneak their debut in here on this article. It's a bit of a shift from what I heard on Sphere, but they remain excellent at maintaining a spacey, rockin' atmosphere.
The first thing I noticed was a lack of the Pink Floyd sense of emotion, instead leaning in harder towards a riff-filled stoner rock with massive riffs that dominate the space. However, they remain experts at dynamics, letting their songs drift between high intense sections and softer, brooding moments, without ever feeling jarring or strange. The songs just ease themselves between the sections with jammy rhythms all the way through. I felt like they were aiming for a space between Tool and Seven Planets with maybe a dash of Pearl Jam: solid grooves and big riffs bound together with good atmosphere. Sometimes, a section will feel repetitive without much going on, but for psychedelic rock, this is minor gripe, as setting an immersive tone is the priority, and sometimes that requires a bit of repetition for the trance-y vibes to settle in.
Because the songs have such good flow, it's hard to identify which tracks are the best, especially when they often transition seamlessly from one to the next. "Last Gamuzao" is a solid opener, setting the tone for the album and having excellent moments on its own. "Bimbo" gave me Blade Runner vibes, and "Darkman's Nose" has some nice heavy riffing. Overall, it was a solid listen, though not as mind-blowing a Sphere was when I first heard it. Still, it's a good start for the band, and it's easy to see how they could build on this.
While things remain busy, I still plan on trucking along, with the next Anniversary Article coming up next. I know there's a lot of new releases I've been neglecting, but I intend to get to them soon. As always, it's overwhelming to see just how many new releases come out each year, but I'll get to as many as I can, eventually. Until then, rock on! \m/
