New Releases - December 2024!

While this came a bit later than I wanted, I gotta just keep plowing ahead with what I can.  Catching up on the year has been kinda tough, as there's so much to choose from.  This one features a lot of heavy and doom metal, but I promise to get to other genres in the next few articles.  For now, here's what I've been checking out lately!

Stygian Crown - Funeral for a King

So as part of this catch-up period, I figured I should get back into some epic doom metal, after enjoying Smoulder's album last month.  As for this band, I think they were recommended by someone on YouTube (though I don't remember who), and they seemed solid when I sampled them, but then forgot I had this on my list until now.  Like Smoulder, they feature and excellent woman vocalist in Melissa Pinion, and bring the doom as well as anybody.

Understandably, they sound like Candlemass, with the big, slow riffing, the wailing, melodramatic vocals, and songs about the occult and mythology.  However, there is a more significant push into this haunted, ominous atmosphere that drenches the album from start to finish.  They also bring in some strings and pianos here and there, and sometimes some choirs in the back, making me think this album was a soundtrack from some classic gothic horror film.  "Blood Red Eyes" in particular has no guitars or drums, leaning hard into this haunted cinematic tone.  Another interesting twist this band uses is to have riffs and drumming similar to the death metal band Bolt Thrower, of all things.  (Though I guess it's not a stretch, as their fourth album was pretty doomy as well.)  At the very least, it livens up the songs with some double-kicking bass drumming, and gives the riffing some variation.

So it's a familiar doom metal recipe with some different spices, making it just unique enough to feel like it's own experience.  Things start off well with the doom-laden instrumental title track, with last songs "Scourge of the Seven Hills" and "Strait of Messina" as more sludgy, chuggy highlights.  The rest of the album is solid (though "Bushido" doesn't quite click with me), largely thanks to the production letting the band really lay out their thick, atmospheric sound.  It's not a perfect album, but it certainly has some interesting ideas that help it stand out.

Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose

Yup, more doom!  Though this time the reference to the river Styx is in the album title instead of the band name.  Pedantic silliness aside, this is another solid slab of doom metal, though with its own twists and turns.

While Candlemass (again) and Sorcerer are obvious reference points, this band leans into some NWOBHM elements, mostly in the riffing and Maiden-like guitar solos.  The songs are also much longer, going for the epic side of the genre, and the lyrics focus on more of an angels-and-devils style of dark fantasy.  The rough singing of Brooks Wilson works well for these haunted themes, Matt Knox, Steve Jansson, and Frank Chin plow their riffs or shredding solos through your ears in ways that match the songs' need, Tanner Anderson adds a lot of good atmosphere with his pianos and synths, and Enrique Sagarnaga puts in quite the performance in the drums, his fills adding to the tension and urgency of these songs.  Putting all the pieces together, this makes for some very theatrical songs, tapping into the grandiose scale of the horrors of hell.  The lyrics also made me wonder if this wasn't a concept album about someone trying to find their lover by making deals with demons, but I wasn't sure.

While it may be unfair, as I can tell Stygian Crown is doing their own thing, but I think I like what Crypt Sermon is doing here just a little more.  Stygian Crown probably has the more interesting atmosphere, but the classic metal riffing makes Crypt Sermon's album flow better for me.  I really liked "Thunder (Perfect Mind)" and "Heavy is the Crown of Bone" quite a bit for this, and the title track is an epic closer that really settles into some excellent epic doom metal.  I need to listen to it a few more times, but this just might squeak into my Top 5 for this year.

Victory - Circle of Life

Shifting away from doom metal and getting into some classic metal, Victory is about as classic as it gets.  I enjoyed their last album, as it was a nice, fun 80s metal romp, though perhaps a little long.  Their new album keeps things shorter with just 45 minutes of music, but otherwise they stick to the guns.

The lineup remains the same, which means Herman Frank is still the only long-time member.  However, his work is solid as usual, as his riffs are chunky and his solos are old-school guitar hero wizardry, and the rest of the band nail that 80s sound.  While it may be more of the same, there is something to be said for consistency, and those looking for traditional metal that leans more on the rock side will find plenty to like.    They do shake things up with the mystical "Unbelievable World," but otherwise, fans of Frank will be in very familiar territory.  The stand outs for me were the energetic "Count on Me" and "Money," and the sentimental rockin' of "Surrender My Heart."  Still, I don't think this was better than Gods of Tomorrow, as I enjoyed more songs on that one.  This isn't Top 5 of the Year material, but bands like this are more like comfort food, providing some decent headbanging fun.

Accept - Humanoid

After enjoying some of their more modern releases, I figured it was due time for me to give the latest one a shot as part of this end-of-year catch-up.  While the lineup has changed a bit since then, Mark Tornillo and Wolf Hoffmann keep it classic, as anyone would expect by now.

In all honesty, it's a pretty solid and consistent album of straight-ahead traditional metal.  Things do start a little weird with some reverby guitars and sitars for the opening track "Diving Into Sin," but the song soon shifts into a decent metal song, but it was definitely a curious place to start.  As for the rest, there it stays in pretty safe territory, not shifting much from mid-tempo stomping tracks.  "Man Up" and "Straight Up Jack" lean more into AC/DC territory with their bluesy rock riffs, while "Frankenstein" and "The Reckoning" are solid anthems.  The closer "Southside of Hell" jacks up the energy for a closer that's almost power metal with that neo-classical guitar playing.

However, this is pretty much business as usual.  It's fine while it's on, but not something I haven't heard better from them on previous albums.  And given that there's some pretty solid competition in the traditional metal department this year, I don't know if this has enough to get into my Top 5.  That being said, there is nothing wrong with being consistent, and Accept has yet to disappoint.

Anniversary Series - 2019!

Here we are!  The very last Anniversary Article!  It's been a long five years, but it's been fun writing them all, even if I ended up just reviewing some albums for some of them.  And while this one will be more reviews, this one is a little different.  The blog has technically existed since 2017, but I really didn't start in earnest until late 2018, so 2019 is kind of the first major year for reviewing rock and metal.  As a consequence, this Anniversary Article will be a bit of a catch up on a handful of albums I didn't have a chance to listen to, or discovered to have come out this year.  

Smoulder - Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring

I featured a song from this album in one of my video articles, and while I've always liked it, I'm ashamed that it's taken this long to listen to the rest of the album.  Heavy/doom metal inspired by classic fantasy fiction is right up my alley, and while the album doesn't do anything original, it rolls along well enough.

Clearly I need to listen to epic doom metal more often, as the style's sense of storytelling and atmosphere really is unique.  As for Smoulder, they're par for the course, but they execute their ideas well and know how to mix it up by bringing in some faster tempos here and there.  Honestly, this sounds like if Dio-era Sabbath had a female vocalist and leaned more into Candlemass-style epicness.  Speaking of which, Sarah Ann's vocals are peak melodrama (in a good way), eager to share stories and battles of yore with a flair of haunted and ancient glory.  The production does feel very analog and dry, and I'm not sure if that was deliberate, or just a consequence of what was available to them.  Either way, it makes the songs feel like they came straight out of the 80s to be played along-side a classic AD&D campaign.

I don't know if there are any real standout moments, as the album is generally pretty consistent.  I do kind of wish the production was a little cleaner, but that's really just a nitpick.  While I don't know if this would have cracked the Top 5 for the year, I really should have listened to this back then when I first became aware of them, as it's quite a solid release.

The Dark Element - Songs the Night Sings

Here's another one I should have listened to back then as I was checking out the videos for this album.  Building upon what they established on their first album, Anette Olzon and Jani Liimatainen have worked out the kinks and leaned a little harder into gothic melodrama, making for quite a solid chunk of symphonic metal.

Right off, the songs may not seem all that much different from the previous album, or any other symphonic metal project, but I feel like the songwriting is stronger all around.  The trance-like elements are still around, but I think they're used better here, weaving them into the wall of sound as another part of the orchestrations.  I admit I'm not able to put my finger on a reason why, maybe it was just the mood I was in when I was listening to it, but I really do think this album is an improvement across the board.  The songs have a bit more variety as well, with some drifting into AOR or pop territory, while others get rather dark and somber, but they're all generally a good listen.  The only track that feels out of place is the closer "I Have to Go," which has this bluesy noir jazz tone, like a movie from the 1940s.  It's not bad on its own, but it is a weird way to end a symphonic metal album.

"Not Your Monster," the title track, and "The Pallbearer Walks Alone" are the best tracks (and coincidentally the ones I linked above), but the rest of the album is solid, telling their tales of failed romance and tragedy well.  With such a strong album, I'm surprised they haven't done anything more in the last five years, but I guess Anette and Jani have separately been working on other projects.  However, should they decide to come back together for a third album, I'll definitely check it out, especially if it's going to be more of this!

Gygax - High Fantasy

While their last album drifted into some very loose and fun blues rock, their third brings back the 70s metal sound of their debut, channeling Thin Lizzy and early Judas Priest.  Naturally, it's another set of solid rock/metal tunes dedicated to themes based on Dungeons & Dragons (in case if the band name didn't tip you off).

Despite the short length of the album, it's chock full of upbeat, rocking songs that feature plenty of tasty guitar solos and harmonies, once again provided by Bryant Throckmorton with newcomer Wes Wilson.  Once again, your mileage may vary, considering the overlap of classic rock and fantasy tropes, but fans of both should find something to enjoy on here.  Things start well with the opener "Light Bender," "Mirror Image" has more of a 70s rock song with some great guitar work, and "Spell Shaker" rocks with good energy and catchy melodies, but that describes the whole album really.  The title track which closes the album also throws in some very tight, epic vocal harmonies.

However, in the time since I last reviewed them, it seems they have broken up (at least according to the Metal Archives), which is a bit of a shame.  I understand that what Gygax was doing wasn't particularly original, but they had a fun blend of ideas.  I can't decide if I like High Fantasy more than their first album Critical Hits, but all three albums are worth checking out, especially for all the excellent guitar playing, as long as you can respect their tongue-in-cheek approach!

Warrior Path - Warrior Path

While I enjoyed their second album, I haven't gotten to their self-titled debut until now.  When finally listening to it, I was surprised to hear Yannis Papadopoulos (of Beast in Black fame) as the vocalist!  I did like most of Daniel Heiman's vocals on the second album, but I think Papadopoulos brings out a more Maiden-style epicness here.

Much of what I heard from their other album I'm hearing here: heavy/power metal melodrama, with occasional shifts in tone and tempo to make the songs more narrative and epic.  Many of the melodies, especially the basslines, make me think of Iron Maiden and Yannis is often channeling Bruce Dickinson himself.  However, the songs are quite a bit longer on this album, and unfortunately feel kinda repetitive, as sometimes they don't make use of the space well other than to riff around more.  That's not always a bad thing, but when it's on every song, it makes the album seem bloated.  Ending on two long, acoustic-heavy ballads doesn't really help things, either.

Overall, it's a decent album, but not really great.  The stand outs were "A Sinnersworld," which had a very 80s feel, like Pretty Maids, "Fight For Your Life," which is full-on energetic power metal, and the epic "The Path of the Warrior" has some interesting ideas, but is just too long for its own good.  I like Papadopoulos's vocals, but I think the songwriting is tighter on The Mad King, making it a slightly better album.  It's weird that there hasn't been anything from them since 2021, as this group has a very interesting style.  (And it seems they aren't on Spotify anymore, which isn't a good sign.)

Catching Up with the Brothers of Metal!!

So this is a style of article I've been thinking about for quite some time.  It's sort of like a Discography Retrospective, but with bands where I don't know much (if anything) about them.   While I've featured a few videos of theirs before, I haven't really taken the dive into The Brothers of Metal or their material.  As this coincides with the release of their third album, I figured it was time to, well, get caught up!  Let's begin!

Prophecy of Ragnarök (2017)

Right off the bat, their sound is pretty iconic.  While they certainly have some heavy/power metal elements, similar to their country mates HammerFall and Sabaton, I think the biggest influence is Manowar, with the mid-tempo songs and over-the-top lyrics.  Not only do they go for epicness all the time, they are also not afraid to sing about themselves and how awesome they are.  Definitely cheesy and fun, while staying focused on Nordic mythology, the album is a treat.

Much of their epicness stems from some solid synth symphonics and a pretty regular 6/8 time signature.  If one didn't know better, this could have been the soundtrack to a very strange metal musical.  In any case, the whole band is on board with their over-the-top vision, and make some fun music along the way.  While all the performances are fine, their most iconic element is their blending of vocals.  Ylva Eriksson is a great female singer in her own right, but when joined by the gravelly bellows of Joakim Eriksson and Mats Nilsson, the trio give the songs an interesting and unique texture that matches well with the triumphant tones of the music.

In all honesty, this kind of niche stuff tends to be divisive.  Either you get it or you don't.  Fortunately, this clicks with me, largely because I can tell that they aren't taking themselves too seriously either.  I liked the title track and the epic power ballad "Yggdrasil," and the ending "We Believe in Metal" is a solid.  If you can get on the same wavelength as them and their niche approach to metal, you'll have a good time like I did.

Emblas Saga (2020)

Three years later and very little has changed.  The symphonic elements are stronger and more lush, but that only adds to their epicness.  I do think this is a better album than the first, mainly because the songwriting is a little tighter, but this really is just more cheesy, Norse-laden metal, and that's just fine by me.

At first, I thought this was going to be a concept album, starting with narration and discussing the evil seed of Loki, but as it goes on, the songs just wanders to other topics within the mythology.  It's not bad, just maybe a little misleading.  The music continues to shift between heavy and power metal styles with a poppy symphonic flair, with many anthemic choruses that are fun to sing along with.  If there is a concern, it's that some of the lyrics wander into the farcical, or maybe they're just a bit childish.  While most of them do well to tell the grand stories, references to the Loch Ness Monster, Marvel's Avengers, and MC Hammer definitely feel out of place.

Still, this is all pretty fun stuff.  "Powersnake," "Chain Breaker," and "Ride of the Valkyries," were stand outs for me on this one, mostly for their upbeat metal epicness.  The title track is also good, going through many different moods to discuss the creation of the world, starting with some mysterious Icelandic vocals before going full into soaring symphonic melodrama.  Overall, the album flows pretty well, showing that the band are maturing as songwriters and performers, which is why I think this is better than the first.  A solid follow-up that expands things to greater heights.

Fimbulvinter (2024)

And now we have the new album that released earlier this month.  The band carries on as one would expect, but with an even stronger emphasis on symphonic orchestrations and a few variations on their established style.

The album starts off with business as usual, featuring their over-the-top metal style in the first handful of tracks, with "Sowilo" being a solid mid-tempo opener, and "Giantslayer" shows the fun epicness they have always been capable of.  However, after that, the album starts to shift around.  "Blood Red Sky" blends heavy with folk music, making me think of The Hu, "Ratatosk" has this bouncy, musical-like quality to it, "Chasing Lights" gets very upbeat like Freedom Call, "Heavy Metal Viking" has them playing a bluesy hard rock song, "The Other Side of Odin" picks up some AOR vibes, especially in the chorus, "Berserkir" is where they really get heavy, and the closer "Fimbulvinter" has them channeling Rhapsody of Fire with a lot of cinematic flair.  Of course, none of this is jarring or feels too far outside their wheelhouse (except "Heavy Metal Viking").  The band really seem to be exploring the style to see what different kinds of songs they can do, with some pretty decent results.

The ones I liked were "Sowilo," "Giantslayer," "Blood Red Sky," "Chasing Lights," and "The Other Side of Odin," largely because they had the kind of majestic and storytelling that I like from symphonic metal.  The rest of the album is still plenty of fun ("Heavy Metal Viking" in particular has the band loosening up quite a bit), and while I don't know if it's better than their second (as it's pretty close to it), the album remains a solid offering to the gods and a good time for those who don't take their metal too seriously.

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So this was a pretty fun article.  Like the retrospectives, I don't know how often I'll do something like this, but I know there are plenty of bands that could use a comprehensive listen, so I imagine this will come back at some point.  As for the blog, I'm working on one more article for November, wrapping up the Anniversary Articles, and then I plan on listening to more releases in December.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 2014!

Alright, I think I'm starting to catch up.  When I get to these later years, it's hard to really say anything conclusive, as rock and metal have long since come their own way by this point.  So once again, I'll be reviewing some albums from this year to fill out the article, but be sure to check out the playlist below for some more solid tracks.  

IQ - The Road of Bones

Funny story: I've actually heard this album before.  I remember some prog rock sites highly praising this one, so I gave it a listen, and at the time, most of it just kinda went in one ear and out the other.  Except for "Until the End."  For some reason, that song stuck with me, and I've since listened to it several times.  With this anniversary article, I figured I should give the whole album another shot and really see how I feel, now that I have a better idea of the band's sound.  I've listened to a few of their albums before, including their debut, but I think this one stands out for its rich production and moody atmosphere.

Not to say that IQ was particularly peppy before, but this album really leans into a particular sense of darkness, letting it linger so that it can explored.  Much of the lyrics focusing on wrestling with some abstract concepts, though some of the songs shift into a more hopeful tone, often with the theme of reconciliation.  The band is quite tight, with no performance standing out so much as these songs show just how in sync they are with each other, and the album flows quite well as a consequence.  If there are any problems, it's the songs are so similar to each other that they do kind of blend together.  Sure, they have the dynamics of prog rock within the songs, going from soft to loud and somber to uplifting, but when it's that kind of thing song after song, and the vocal cadences don't vary too much, the album may be a struggle for those wanting more variety in the tones and ideas.  However, those who don't mind letting the music soak around them won't have a problem.

What the band really excels in, though, is interesting transitions, solid atmosphere, and many catchy melodic hooks.  If the album weren't quite so long, I'd say it would be a great starting point for someone getting into the genre.  The songs are all pretty good, even from the curious start with the samples from the classic 30s Dracula, through the epic "Without Walls," the fascinating combo of "Knucklehead" and "1312 Overture," to the fade out ending of "Hardcore."  However, I think the big stand outs are "Until the End", which I mentioned before, "Constellations," which is a good throwback to 80s prog, and "Ten Million Demons," with a pulsing synth bass reminding me of Pink Floyd's "One of The Days."  As usual with prog rock, I'll have to listen to it a few more times to really decide how I feel about it, but overall, this is a good (if long) album of moody prog rock songs that flow, drop, and build-up well, arranged into a satisfying journey.

Sabaton - Heroes

Wow, has it really been more than two years since I last talked about Sabaton?  To be fair, their last album was kinda lackluster, being just another chunk of songs about World War I with some novel elements.  However, they've been pretty busy with their concert film and will likely be working on a new album soon (if they aren't already).  In any case, this article gives me the opportunity to fill in another gap in their discography that I haven't listened to.  The novelty with this one is an emphasis on individuals rather than the great battles of World War 2.

It's business as usual for the band, as Joakim Brodén belts out the stories with his usual charisma.  Naturally the band backs him up with the usual amount of melodrama and bombast, with choirs kicking in from time to time for the big moments.  The songwriting doesn't deviate much from their typical heavy/power metal flair, though "The Ballad of Bull" falls a little flat as it's more of a piano-driven ballad.  This is the first album with newcomers Thobbe Englund and Chris Rörland on guitars and Hannes Van Dahl on drums who all perform admirably.

Honestly, even with the lineup changes, Sabaton is pretty consistent in their style and quality.  As usual, I found a few songs that stand out from the pack, particularly the first two songs "Night Witches" and "No Bullets Fly" which set the tone for the album pretty well, and "Resist and Bite," which is full of the heroic vigor this band does so well.  While some may scoff at their discography being the same thing over and over, those of us who don't mind a bit a cheese with our epicness know that this band delivers where it counts, and that's more than enough.

Accept - Blind Rage

Accept is another band I've been slowly working through.  This one is their third with Mark Torillo, and the last one to have Herman Frank on guitars who would go back to his solo work and other projects.  Unsurprisingly, it's another slab of old-school, traditional metal with solid modern production.

The album chugs along pretty nicely, shaking things up just enough with the tempos.  Things start off energetic with "Stampede," and are carried on with "200 Years" and the closer "Final Journey."  Meanwhile, they get slow and groove-driven with songs like "Dark Side of My Heart," "Fall of the Empire," and "Bloodbath Mastermind."  They even touch on power metal territory with "Trails of Tears."  However, I think the song that stands out the most is "Dying Breed," featuring slick 6/8 riffs and referencing a bunch of their influences.  It's a pretty consistent album from beginning to end.

However, Blind Rage isn't as strong as Blood of the Nations or Stalingrad.  I'm not really quite sure why I feel that way; maybe it's just that I'm getting used to their modern sound and so this album isn't doing anything that the other two already did.  Still, I'm sure to come back to this one (and the others) when I'm in the mood for some classic metal crunchiness.

Retro Reviews - October 2024!

For reasons outside the scope of this blog, I've been jamming a lot of albums from 1984 as they're celebrating a 40th Anniversary.  This includes a bunch of metal album debuts that I've never heard of before, so I figured I'd pull them together into another Retro Reviews article for fun!  Here's some of the stuff I've been checking out lately.

Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken

While this band is known for being pioneers of progressive metal, I've never really heard them before.  I get the impression that this album is not the best place to start, as even the band's guitarist is reportedly not a fan of this work.  From what I read, this was sort of a demo that got upgraded to an album, so it didn't get the polish it deserved. However, every band has to start somewhere, and this isn't necessarily a bad one, sitting in the space between NWOBHM and melodic thrash that defines so much of 80s US power metal.

I see a lot of folks say this sounds a lot like Iron Maiden, and I do hear it here and there, but the riffing and singing feels closer to Judas Priest to me (with a chunk of Metal Church for good measure).  The production is a little flat (perhaps because it was first a demo), but I can tell the performances are solid, and there is some decent guitar work in both the licks and solos.  The two instrumentals provide some variety, but they feel more like finger exercises than songs.  The dark fantasy and horror lyrics do come across as more cheesy than shocking, but otherwise, they're mostly fine, though sometimes it feels John Arch is rushing through them to get them to fit in the phrasing.  

I don't know if this is vital listening, as it is pretty standard stuff for the time, but it also doesn't make any real mistakes, either.  Fans of deeper classic metal cuts will probably dig it, but prog metal fans will likely see it as merely a stepping stone to what the band would become.  As for myself, I liked "Misfit" not only for having some good energy, but for telling an interesting story as well.  Overall, I'd say it's a cut above the standard for 1984, but not by much.

Armored Saint - March of the Saint

Another band I mainly know by reputation (and that singer John Bush joined Anthrax later), Armored Saint fall into that US Power Metal style that was really starting to build by this time.  

I read that the production was shinier than the band wanted, as the producer treated them as more of a glam band.  However, a chunk of this material wouldn't be out of place on Ratt first album, particularly the songs "Can U Deliver," "Seducer," "Envy," and the power balled "Take a Turn."  That doesn't mean the songs are bad, just not perhaps what I expected with cover art like that.  For what it's worth, the clean production makes the performances very clear, the band clearly have a lot of synergy, the guitars carry the energy well with their riffs and noodly licks, and the harmonies on John Bush's voice are great.  The title track is a good opener, starting with some Mussorgsky before into a metal anthem, "Munity on the World" has decent metal gallop, and "Glory Hunter" has some early-Manowar-like epicness.  

Overall, the album kinda falls into the cracks.  Too polished and catchy for the underground and too gritty and sleazy for mainstream.  However, solid performances and tight song-writing keep this one just above average, especially as the album improves quite a bit in the second half.  It certainly makes me curious about the rest of their albums, as I know they didn't pursue MTV-style success.  A good start, even if some of the songs are a bit forgettable.

Hexx - No Escape

At first, this may seem like another also-ran from a decade full of bands trying to make it big.  Hexx never did get much attention at the time, but this album turns out to be pretty satisfying.  Once again, it feels like a blend of glam (I thought of Ratt again) and US power metal, like Metal Church, but I feel like the songs are well-written and the band's performance is tight and solid.

While they would not have him for long, the singer Dennis Manzo actually reminds me of Joey Tempest from Europe, and I mean that in a good way.  He has a soaring quality that really elevates these songs.  They aren't bad, but perhaps average for the era, but the execution is spot on.

As for standout tracks, "Invader" has some very good energy, "The Other Side" sounds like something from a classic Dio album, and "Beware, the Darkness" gets into more of a story-telling vibe with the dynamics.  The rest of the album is solid, but it is quite short, barely clocking at over 30 minutes.  Still, I think it's a shame that this album didn't get more attention at the time as others did, but that makes it all the more unique of a find, I suppose.  Definitely a gem if you're a fan of old-school metal!

Anniversary Series - 2009!!

I know I'm not posting these Anniversary Articles very consistently this year, but there were some pretty interesting albums I wanted to go over with this one, so it took some time to pull these together.  As always, there's more in the playlist below, so check that out, but for now, reviews!

Heaven and Hell - The Devil You Know

I feel like the story behind this album is better known than the album itself.  The Dio-era lineup of Black Sabbath came back together in the mid-2000s for a compilation record that included three new songs (which are decent).  After touring together afterwards, they decided to release a new album of songs under the name Heaven & Hell, after the first Dio-led album.  I had heard it was to avoid complications with Sharon Osbourne, but other sources make it seem like Iommi's decision to avoid brand confusion.  In any case, this is, essentially, the fourth Dio Sabbath album, and it's darker and doomier than the other three.

Once again, there's significant a boost in production, making the songs feel thicker than their last album.  The song-writing is also a bit more adventurous, as the band focuses more on a classic sense of darkness from the early Ozzy years (perhaps feeling more relevant with the reunions of the classic lineup before all this).  They're definitely trying some things, but sometimes, it feels like the songs are slow for their own sake or seem to be not as well organized.  Of course, the lineup's performance remains as consistent as before, though Dio does sound a little weaker (understandable, given the circumstances) but he still sings his heart ou,t and Iommi's riffs are as crunchy and heavy as ever.  It's the band you know, but with more experience and heft.

It's a solid album, but not all of the songs work for me.  "Bible Black" is certainly a highlight, making me think of the classic Dio era, and both "Follow the Tears" and "Breaking Into Heaven" are great slabs of doom.  But then you have songs like "Fear," where the chorus is just weird, "Double the Pain," which doesn't quite come together, or "Rock and Roll Angel" which just drags along.  I don't think it's as good as their classic 80s albums, but it serves as a fine conclusion to this part of Sabbath's legacy.

Astra - The Weirding

Well, after enjoying Birth's debut album so much that it ended up in my Top 5 for that year, I figured it would be worth my time to dig into what some of these guys were doing before and listen to Astra's debut for this article.  Going with a very retro sound that it nearly hurts, they blend elements of psychedelic and progressive rock in ways that feel appropriate and adventurous without feeling derivative.

If I could describe their sound, I'd say they're close to the mellow side of King Crimson and Caravan, but with the occasional Black Sabbath riff thrown in, and more layers of keyboards.  The performances are solid, as they focus more on exploratory melodies than technical musicianship, but there is so much reverb on everything, I wondered if I wasn't listening to some third-generation re-recording of a radio broadcast.  However, the band is much more interested in creating a lot of atmosphere than focusing on any sense of orchestral arrangement like most other prog bands, so the reverb doesn't really ruin the experience, featuring plenty of nice melodies all over the album.  The wall of Mellotrons might be a bit much at times, but those who like that classic sound will find plenty to love here.  As a whole, it feels like it was made in mind for those looking for an album to just vibe with while doing something (or nothing) else.

The other issue is that the album is very long, nearly 80 minutes, with a lot of repetitive sections.  If this kind of mood-driven space rock is not your thing, your time is better spent elsewhere.  However, I was able to groove with the songs pretty well, sinking into their sound by the end.  I ended up liking the title track with its space jams, "Ouroboros," which made me think of Tales of Topographic Oceans at times, and the closer "Beyond to Slight the Maze" which felt more Pink Floyd.  While I wish the reverb wasn't quite so strong so that I could better hear the performances, I found this album to be a pretty satisfying experience.  

Herman Frank - Loyal to None

Despite being a mainstay in German metal since the 80s, Herman Frank's first solo album didn't come out until 2009.  I came across him a few years ago, being blown away by his fourth album, but feeling that his fifth (and latest) was a little lackluster.  Now this article gives me the chance to go back and see how things started for his solo efforts.  Unsurprisingly, it's another chunk of traditional metal, but not without issues.

The first major difference is Jioti Parcharidis on vocals, who I assume Herman Frank brought over from Victory.  He has a rougher voice than Rick Altzi (who takes over after this album), but he's still a good choice for this style of metal.  However, the production is a problem.  I'm not quite sure what's wrong, but Jioti feels buried at times, and the guitars don't feel as punchy as they should, sometimes sounding thin or muddy.  The song lyrics are a bit strange as well.  A few songs are about epic battles while others are fun-times 80s rockin'.  "Hero" feels like some kind of political statement for which I don't have the context, and "Father Buries Son" is weirdly upbeat for its somber topic.  While the music is pretty consistent, the lyrics don't quite match the songs the way you'd think.

Otherwise, it's Herman doing what he does best: providing plenty of chunky riffs and tight solos, with the rhythm section giving him a solid platform to work from.  The album starts well enough with "Moon II" and "7 Stars" being good energetic heavy/power metal songs, and "Down to the Valley" has a bit of an Iron Maiden feel.  However, the production and the weird lyrics bring this down for me.  Despite the experience on board for the songs, this album feels rough and under-cooked, but if you don't mind that, there's plenty of 80s-style metal to enjoy.

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Well, I suppose that will do for 2009.  As always, let me know what you think in the comments.  In the meantime, I should get to work on the next one if I want time to cover all that I want to!  Until then, rock on!  \m/

New Releases - September 2024!

It's been a while!  I still kinda catching up on things, but I've worked out a plan that should get me back on track before the end of the year.  And for once, I'm not reviewing any metal!  All three of these albums are ones I have been looking forward to, each for their own reasons, but it is nice to see some older styles still be represented by artists both old and young.  Let's get this prog rock article started!

David Gilmour - Luck and Strange

So we finally have the latest from this guitar legend.  There's been some talk from him about maybe moving beyond Pink Floyd, and getting a producer who has no interesting in respecting Gilmour's past.  However, I don't think he can really escape it, especially with an album like this.  Once again, David takes us through another bluesy journey, this time with an emphasis on themes of aging and mortality.

Those looking for Pink Floyd vibes will certainly find them here and there.  The title track, which features a recording from Rick Wright as a basis, feels like it could have come off of Division Bell, and "Scattered" references some of the band's 70s ideas, including a heart beat and that reverby piano from "Echoes."  As for the rest, the album tends to drift between his last two.  "The Piper's Call," "Sings" and "Yes, I Have Ghosts" feel like a folky variation on the songs fom On An Island, while some of the darkness of Rattle That Lock shows up on "A Single Spark" and "Dark and Velvet Nights."  The latter one actually gets pretty funky.  If there's one that maybe feels like an odd duck out, it's "Between Two Points," which is sung by David's daughter Romany.  It's an interesting song, but the production feels much more modern, like a contemporary pop song.  I didn't mind it, but folks who like their Gilmour material to feel classic may find it jarring.

Of course, Gilmour hasn't lost a step in his guitar work.  He still has his tasty licks and legato-style solos, so fans will get their fill for sure.  However, I feel like this album was more focused on the song-writing than the solos, and I think it makes the album feel a little more whole.  I don't know if I can really compare it to his other albums too well; I'd have to really dig in deep to compare.  However, on it's own, it's a solid album that shows how well Gilmour is aging, despite what the lyrics might imply.

Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks - True

So the story goes that the Band Geeks were just a cover band who happened to include a lot of Yes covers.  When Jon Anderson joined up with them, fans were talking about how good they were at playing classic Yes stuff.  Then they announced an album, and despite that pretty terrible cover art, they did end up recording something that sounds like classic Yes.

While Jon Anderson's singing and lyrics give this a heavy Yes-like tone, I do wonder if maybe the rest of the band is trying a little too hard to be like Yes from multiple eras.  Obviously, there's some classic Yes stuff, mostly Tales of Topographic Oceans or Going For the One, but there elements of their 80s pop sound, especially on "Shine On," and even some symphonic flourishes making me think of Magnification.  The Band Geeks are due a lot of credit, as they're playing is definitely spot on.  They are eager to sound like the classic members of Yes, with keyboard runs like Wakeman, basslines like Squire, and guitar solos like Howe.  

I guess my main concern is whether this stands on its own as good music or if it's just reminding me of music I already love.  I know I struggled with Arc of Life's two albums, to say nothing of what Yes has been doing lately, for the same problem.  However, I can't deny that Jon and the Geeks have worked out the kinks and made something that really clicks with me here and there.  "Shine On" has a lot of good energy on it, "Build Me an Ocean" sounds like it comes from The Living Tree, and the 16-minute epic "Once Upon a Dream" sounds like a sequel to "Awaken."  I get the feeling that if I listen to this more, I'll start to come around on it, but for now, it's a solid collection of tracks that fans of classic prog will probably enjoy.

Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine

After loving their last album so much that it was my album of the year for 2019 (and checking out their first), I was pretty excited to hear they had a new one in the works.  However, this came out back in February.  I didn't plan to set it aside for so long, but life happens.  In any case, I'm finally catching up.  Despite the five year gap, these guys haven't lost a step.

As if the title wasn't obvious, these guys have a very Pink Floyd influenced sound, mixing in elements of post-rock, stoner rock, and even some crushing, Tool-like segments.   However, they are able to weave this together so that it all flows really well.  Their tone remains intact, drifting between mysterious and uplifting as the songs build and breakdown.  There is a stronger mechanical feel in the songs (matching the title), but it's only sprinkled in here and there, adding another layer to their iconic wall of sound.  Another factor I love about this band is, while they are experts at creating a solid spacey atmosphere, they aren't afraid to jam it out for a bit, freeing up the band to let the guitars go wild for a while.  Playing this stuff live must feel liberating.

I'm not going to lie: this is a Top 5 contender for the year.  "Ignition" gets things started perfectly, "Collision" is a solid follow up with the mechanical bits, "Kali Yuga" dips pretty deep into their atmospheric side, "Rackman" builds up really well, and "Collapse" is a good closer with a lot of fun Pink Floyd references and excellent transitions and dynamics.  I don't know if it's quite as good as Sphere, but it's very close, and certainly a standout album for 2024.

Anniversary Series - 2004!

Yeah, this one is about a week and a half late, but better late than never!  2004 would naturally be another decent year full of power metal, but I decided I'd give a few new albums a chance instead of going over ones I've heard before.  However, of those, the major standout for me is Nightwish's Once, as that album was one of my favorites in my initial year as a metalhead.  The symphonic flourish of those songs was incredible, and convinced me to continue enjoying the genre.  Check out the playlist below for more highlights from the year.  As for this article, I admit I ended up just diving into some more power metal, but these were albums I've been wondering about for a while.  Let's get into it!

Twilightning - Plague-House Puppet Show

Speaking of my early metalhead years, I came across this band's debut album Delirium Veil and absolutely loved it.  Definitely inspired by fellow Finns Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica (with a bit of Europe for good measure), they took a much more synth-heavy approach to power metal and spiced it up with some interesting prog elements, like mixed-meter sections.  I thought it was novel at the time, but I never followed up on their later albums.  Fortunately, this article gives me the opportunity to check out their sophomore effort.

While much remains the same, the songwriting has taken a shift towards more of an 80s pop metal sound, much like what Edguy was doing in the later 2000s.  The proggy elements have also disappeared for some pretty straight forward songs.  However, what worked before still works here.  Ville Wallenius and Tommi Sartanen have tons of incredible fret work in both licks and solos, Mikko Naukkarinen is right there with them on the keys while also providing a solid synth ambience, Jussi Kainulainen and Juha Leskinen are solid enough as the rhythm section, and Heikki Pöyhiä belts out the lyrics with gusto.  If there is a problem, it's that most of the album kinda blends together more.  There are a few ballads to break things up, and they're not bad, but overall, this album mostly sticks to a rockin' feel outside of a few power metal-like sections.

I think I still like the first album more, as I think it's more ambitious and iconic.  While these songs aren't bad, the production is solid, and the album flows quite well, this just feels a bit lackluster compared to what came before.  I definitely liked the title track as an opener, "Fever Pitch" had a great build up in energy as the song went on, and the rest of the album is enjoyable enough.  I just wish there was more going on.

Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal

So I've been listening to the title track of this album for years, but I haven't checked out the rest until now.  While I found their second album to be decent (though not as good as their first), I went into this third one with some high hopes.  For the most part, they've been met, as the band shifts into more of a traditional metal band with power metal moments.  

There are two main takeaways I have here.  First is that they really focused on having catchy hooks and riffs, making these songs really stick with you.  The second is the fact that Gus G. really goes hard on this album.  Sometimes, he's full of legato on the melodic solos, sometimes he's full speed shredding, and it's very front-and-center on this album.  However, the rest of the band is solid, as the band shifts from high-speed numbers, to anthemic pieces, to hard rock jams.  While "The Enemy" and "No Way" keep the power metal around, most of the album sticks to a mid-tempo groove of one kind or another.  Some of the songs like "Tired," "Unbreakable Chain," and "Only for the Night" make me think of Scorpions, actually, though that might be because vocalist Niklas Isfeldt reminds me of Klaus Meine sometimes.

I do wish there was more of the power metal from the first album, but the heavy metal and hard rock stuff is pretty fun.  The lyrics can be campy, so your mileage may vary with those, but overall, the album is never dull.  And that title track might be the best thing they've ever written.  Every time I put it on, you had better believe that I'm singing out the chorus as loud as I can!

Angra - Temple of Shadows

Yup, more Angra!  I promise this was the planned album for this article before I heard the band was going on hiatus, doing a quick tour of their homeland to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this album.  While the last album was a solid return to form with a new lineup, this one has them coming back with another concept album.  This one tells the story of an 11th century crusader being given a strange prophecy by a Jewish rabbi.  As events unfold, he finds himself questioning the teachings of his faith and finding the meaning of his life, while being given visions of the future.

The band is definitely going big with this one, really wearing their Dream Theater influences on their sleeve.  The album shifts between power metal triumph to somber acoustic ballads to technical riffing to jazzy songs like "Sprouts of Time."  "Spread Your Fire" is a firey opener (after the intro track), "Temple of Hate" gets neo-classical, while "Wishing Well" gets kinda folky and proggy, kinda like the Flower Kings. "Morning Star" really runs the gamut, going back and forth between heavy riffing and more somber, mysterious tones.  The lyrics themselves are mostly fine.  It feels a bit preachy here and there, but otherwise, they tell the story pretty well.  While it certainly is progressive metal, nothing feels confusing or jarring.  It's all well-arranged and performed, and the album flows well from song to song.

However, I don't know if I like it as much as their other albums.  I think this is one I will need to revisit a few times before I can really decide how I feel about it.  It has a lot of little bits I like, but the songs don't quite come together for me.  I guess maybe I went in thinking I'd get more power than prog, and this is definitely more on the prog side.  Still, it's undeniable Angra, maintaining an interesting balance between their influences while bringing in new ideas.

Retro Reviews - August 2024!

Wow, where did the time go?  I was on a good schedule and then fell behind somehow!  I'll work on getting back on track, but I will admit that the next Anniversary Article is gonna be late as well because that's going to be another stack of reviews.  I'll keep trucking along, but for now, here's what I've been checking out lately.

David Gilmour - Rattle That Lock

With a new album coming out next month, I figured I should catch up on this legendary guitarist's solo discography.  I've already reviewed his first three albums, so this is the last one left.  While On An Island was very chill and pastoral, Rattle That Lock goes for a darker tone.

While we're not in Pink Floyd territory (though bits will feel that way with his guitar solos and some of the layering of strings and synths), this definitely feels like a more personal darkness.  The songs end up feeling a bit long with all these slow tempos, but if you can get into the somber headspace it's creating, the time flies pretty quickly.  Gilmour's solos are still beautiful, emotional, and majestic, but his voice sounds a little rougher this time around, but he makes it work.  The songwriting is interesting as well, leaning often into cinematic ambience and some jazzy sections here and there.

The album also flows well, but the songs shake things up here and there.  I did connect with some of the emotions on "In Any Tongue," and I felt that "A Boat Lies Waiting" is the closest to his previous album.  "Dancing Right In Front of Me," gave me some Dire Straits vibe, and the instrumental "Beauty" starts of pretty ambient before getting into some Pink Floyd territory, and I liked both halves.  "Today" was a jarring shift, going from a church hymn to this 80s alt pop thing.  It made me think it should have been on About Face instead of this album, given how upbeat it was.  Overall, I enjoyed a lot of this, and might considering it my favorite of his solo stuff (though I'd have to listen to the others more to really say).  It's a shame I didn't listen to this when it came out, as I did know about it, but I guess hearing it now means I get to share my thoughts with you here, for what they're worth.  Anyway, I certainly recommend this one as I think it's very accessible and easy to get into.

Iron Savior - Interlude

As I continue my quest through Iron Savior's discography, I'm a little baffled that this is considered an EP when it's over 50 minutes long.  Sure, half of it is live stuff, but it's really pushing the limits of "extended."  Then again, Sonata Arctica sorta did that with Successor, so maybe there's precedent.  In any case, this release carries on the story of the Atlantean super-computer with another chunk of power metal.

The live stuff is good enough.  Performances are tight, and there is a bit of stage banter in German with a crowd excited to be there.  The new tracks seem to lean more toward traditional metal, and capping it off with a Judas Priest cover really cements it.  The production seems a little weird, like the bass has been turned up, but without consideration of how it affects everything else.  However, that's just a nitpick for what is a handful of decent tracks.  "Controtions of Time" has some interesting gritty riffing and "The Hatchet of War" feels very Gamma Ray (though with Kai still on board, that's not a surprise).  I don't know if this is really a substantial release, but as an Interlude, it provides a solid collection of songs before the next chapter of the saga.

Angra - Rebirth

While I found their third album underwhelming, the band went through a pretty big change after recording it.  The vocalist, drummer, and bassist all left, so guitarists Loureiro and Bittencourt had to pull together a new band, thus the album title Rebirth.  As far as I could tell, it's not a concept album, but it's still a solid set of progressive power metal songs.

The balance of Helloween and Dream Theater continues on, but some synthisized strings give them a touch of Rhapsody of Fire, provided by Günter Werno on loan from Vanden Plas for this album.  He even gets a few noodly solos along with the guitars.  New singer Edu Falaschi feels like a cross between James LaBrie and Fabio Lione, so he fits in pretty easily.  Aquiles Priester and Felipe Andreoli are the new drummer and bassist, and they keep pace pretty well, while still squeezing in a few tribal beats for some of the more groovy sections.  The songs themselves are an interesting blend of ideas, going from soft to hard, slow to fast, sometimes even within the songs.  For what it's worth, I'm not saying that Angra is a copy-cat; they definitely have their own sound, and it's pretty iconic.

This album just seems to take the best of what worked before and polish it with more modern production for the time.  I remember hearing "Nova Era" a long time ago, and it's still a great power metal track, while "Running Alone" is an interesting blend of power and prog.  The rest is solid, though maybe a bit ballady at times.  They're not bad, but the energy does kinda go up and down across the album, ending on a piece of Chopin that sorta feels like the album deflating.  Overall, there's a lot to like, though, as it's pretty similar to Holy Land, and about as good.

New Releases - August 2024!

Time to get back on track with some new releases.  I've got another trio of power metal albums, featuring some pretty big bands.  I promise I'll get to other genres as the year goes one, but these took priority for the summer, so here we are.  Raise your hammers, cast your spells, face all comers, and check out these reviews!

HammerFall - Avenge the Fallen

I have admit that doing the Retrospective article got me pretty hyped to hear the new album.  While I do think the band has changed, I do like their newer albums quite a bit.  They always provide a good, epic, fun time, and Avenge the Fallen is no different.  It may seem like more of the same, but there is something to be said for consistency.

Things start off well with the title track, with gang vocals on the chorus.  In fact, this whole album has a lot more gang vocals this time around.  I'm sure fans will be singing those parts when they play these songs live.  The album carries on well enough, with "The End Justifies" starting with some riffing that wouldn't be out of place on some of their first albums, before going to a spacy section that shifts into a different chorus-like part.  I also liked "Hail to the King," with it's slow, 6/8 groove, and both "Burn It Down" and "Capture the Dream" had some interesting ideas.  The ballad "Hope Springs Eternal" isn't the worst, though it does overstay it's welcome a bit, things get understandably dark with "Rise of Evil," and the closer "Time Immemorial" has a bit of an odd style, chugging under the verse, but dropping to a somber tone for the chorus.

Perhaps a bit of a mixed bag, but honestly it's pretty solid all the way through.  None of the songs feel particularly terrible (even the ballad), and their fans have plenty of more anthems to shout to.  I'm not immediately sure how it compares to their other recent albums; I'll probably have to listen to this one a few times to really decide.  However, I'd say they met my expectations pretty well, making another solid chunk of heavy/power metal.

Rhapsody of Fire - Challenge the Wind

The Nephilim's Empire Saga continues as Kreel learns more about his origin and faces a new rival known as the Black Wizard!  Rhapsody of Fire carries on with their majestic style of symphonic power metal, for better or worse.

To be honest, I really struggle to review this band.  I know I have a few times before, but it honestly ends up being a lot of the same: great orchestrations, bombastic style, noodly guitar solos, fantasy lyrics.  And it's still good, but I really struggle to feel invested in what they're doing.  For what it's worth, they do have a bit of a change-up, adding in some raspy black metal vocals, which I think are done by singer Giacomo Voli (there are no other vocal credits, so I think he's doing both).  Still, it only feels like another layer within the bombast.  Even their storytelling feels lackluster, often taking too long to get to where they're going.  They even have a 16-minute song in the middle called "Vanquished by Shadows," that could have been cut in half, as it has a lot of repeating sections.  And then they repeat them again for "Mastered by the Dark."  It's like they just cut out a section of the long song, made it a new track, and called it a day.  

That's not to say I hate what's going on.  There are some good moments.  I liked "Kreel's Magic Staff," and "A Brave New Hope," even if they did have some jarring time-signature shifts, and "Diamond Claws" brought back some folky elements.  Otherwise, I feel like the album just kinds goes in one ear and out the other.  I know Rhapsody of Fire are a pillar in the world of power metal, but I just can't seem to click with them, and their latest album is no different.

New Horizon - Conquerors

After loving their debut album so much that it was my #1 album two years ago, I was very excited to hear what these guys from H.E.A.T. have to offer for their sophomore effort.  I enjoyed their blend of Gamma Ray style power metal and AOR, but they've definitely picked up more symphonic elements, wandering towards the likes of Dragonland, and Twilight Force.

Another major shift is with the lyrics, pulling a page from Saxon's old worn playbook by focusing on a bunch of historical topics for this album instead of typical topics fantasy and triumph (squeezing in Iron Maiden's "Alexander the Great" for good measure).  As a result, the songs feel like history lessons based on quickly reading the associated Wikipedia pages, which has mixed results.  Still, all the shiny production and tight performances are back, and Nils Molin sings his guts out, sounding great.  There are more synths this time around, but they're just another layer among all the orchestrations going on here.  It's solid stuff, but compared to the first album, it does come across as an awkward turn.

I don't necessarily want to be down on a band who wants to expand to new horizons (pun intended), but this album was not an immediate hit like their first one was.  I liked the great opener "Against All Odds," the Kamelot vibes on "Messenger of the Stars," the heavy AOR crunch on "Edge of Insanity," and there's plenty of story-telling here, but I think I need to listen to this one a few more times to really decide how I feel about it.

Anniversary Series - 1999!

This article should be better than the last one, even if it means I gush about power metal most of the time, but it was great year for that genre.  After HammerFall had opened the gates, tons of new bands got signed, making it a ripe year for fans of the style.  However, I promise I'll talk a little bit about other genres, and we'll kick things off with some hard rock.

The big album of the year was definitely Creed's Human Clay.  Between the Matrix cameras in the music video and the anthemic post-grunge sound, this was when Creed cracked into the mainstream and became a big name.  I remember hearing "Higher" on the radio and thinking I needed more of this band.  I ended up loving them so much, they ended up being my first band retrospective article three years ago (the fact that they had such a small discography certainly helped as well.)

Other rock highlights include a few bands coming back in one form or another.  Def Leppard got back to their classic sound with Euphoria, Styx tried to make another concept album for Brave New World, and Santana teamed-up with Rob Thomas to give us "Smooth."  Classic rock might not have been the charting success it once was, but they still had plenty of good ideas and fun music.

I've delayed it long enough, though.  Power metal was really strong this year, with plenty of options to pick up.  Primal Fear came back with Jaws of Death, Gamma Ray and Iron Savior carried on their space crusade (which I reviewed earlier this month), Kamelot went into their Fourth Legacy now with epic vocalist Roy Khan helping with the songwriting, Edguy criticized the Theater of Salvation., and Helloween pulled out a Metal Jukebox for some interesting covers.

There were some solid debuts.  Freedom Call started their happy style of metal with Stairway to Fairyland, Metalium rang in the year with Millennium Metal, and Sonata Arctica blew everyone away with their debut Ecliptica.  With magnificent songs like "Kingdom for a Heart" and "Unopened," it was clear they were poised to become a champion of the second wave of power metal.

Of course, prog was making good stuff as well.  Dream Theater would reach a creative peak with their psychodrama Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, Alan Parsons would check out The Time Machine, and Yes would blow my teenage mind away with The Ladder.  I've gushed about this album before.  Despite being 25 years old now, I still sing along to every word and note and beat whenever I put it on.  Honestly a modern prog rock masterpiece in my opinion.

So there's my thoughts on a pretty dang good year of rock and metal.  As always, check out the playlist below for more, recommend what I missed in the comments, and try to stay cool out there!  August is looking to be a hot and busy month for me, as I have a lot of album reviews planned, so keep an eye out for those.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Retro Reviews - July 2024!

I know I've complained about the heat of summer in years past on the blog, but this summer seems to be especially brutal.  Fortunately, I've been staying in doors and listening to music.  Once again, I've got some Anniversary Article inspired reviews.  After this month, though, I want to get back to listening to some new stuff.  In the meantime, here's what I've been listening to lately!

Asia - Aria

Continuing my journey through Asia's discography, this album is full-on AOR.  While they've always had it as a part of their sound, it had been increasing since Astra, and has reached full transition for Aria.  I'm not surprised, really, but it does mean I need to shift my analysis and comparisons.  As it is, it's a nice album of soft rock with lush layering, but doesn't really aspire to be much more that.

Most of what was good about their last album, Aqua, carries over to here, mainly the nice melodic phrasing and broad production.  The biggest shift is the lyrical focus on relationships and emotions, making them feel more like a typical melodic rock band.  While the production is very 90s, the songwriting and synths definitely reach back to the 80s.  As for the performances, they're fine.  John Payne is a solid singer for this kind of material, Michael Sturgis holds down the rhythm well enough, and Al Pitrelli gives some nice melodic solos (though he would leave after this album to join Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra).  Honestly, if it weren't for Geoff Downes' banks of synthesizers (which sound great, by the way), it wouldn't feel like Asia at all.

There are a few interesting flourishes.  "Don't Cut the Wire (Brother)" has a decent shift from cinematic storytelling to anthemic rocking, and "Feels Like Love" also has a mid-song transition to a bigger cinematic sound.  In fact the whole album feels like songs that wouldn't feel out of place in some 80s movie.  As for the more standard rock songs, "Are You Big Enough" has a catchy chorus with tons of reverb on the vocals and "Military Man" probably has the strongest classic Asia sound.  In the end, it's not a bad album, but certainly a far cry from their first two in terms of songwriting and scale (though that may just be my nostalgia talking).

Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory

I can't believe it's been two years since I last reviewed a Dream Theater album.  While they've ever really blown me away, they certainly are a fascinating band, eager to push into prog metal when both prog and metal had fallen out of the mainstream for good.  This album brings in Jordan Rudess on the keys, and it's their first concept album, picking up from where Part 1 left off from Images and Words.

The story is kind of convoluted, focusing on a man named Nicholas who has been haunted by past.  Trying to make sense of them, he goes to a therapist who uses hypnotism to figure out what happened, only to learn that, in a past life, he was a woman named Victoria caught up in a tragic love triangle between two brothers.  However, once Nicholas thinks he's got it figured out, the album introduces some new twists that makes things worse than initially thought.  All of this is told pretty well, as the band switches tones, tempos, and even sometimes genres, exploring all these themes.  While I don't think it's their best album, it is certainly a peak of creativity for them, and I can see why this is celebrated among prog and metal communities.

(Funny story: I actually listened to this album once back in high school.  I borrowed the CD from a friend and while I don't remember much of the music, I do remember feeling pretty unnerved by it all.  I wasn't really into metal yet, and as certainly not prepared for the complex song-writing or psychodrama they were going for.  Listening to it again brought nothing back, which is interesting, but now that I'm more familiar with the band, and metal as a whole, I can now appreciate it for what it is.)

All the Dream Theater staples are here: weird rhythms, call backs to older prog ideas, dramatic shifts in tone and tempo, and plenty of technical wizardry from all the playing members.  I'm not necessarily a big fan of the story, but it allows them to push their songwriting and technical chops, matching the blending of narrative elements with musical ones.  One thing I will say is that this album flows very well from song to song, making this an album that easy to lose time to as it moves from part to part.  Highlights for me were "Strange Deja Vu," "Fatal Tragedy," of course the impressive instrumental "Dance of Eternity."  If nothing else, this album proves why Dream Theater are at the top of the list for progressive metal.

Gamma Ray - Power Plant

Speaking of being two years since the last review, it's time for another pair from Kai Hansen.  I decided to do Gamma Ray first, even though it came out two months after the Iron Savior album.  While I enjoyed their previous album well enough, Power Plant is a serious step in my opinion.

Gamma Ray have never been too shy about their influences, but this album seems quite transparent with many of their songs.  Things start off with a deliberate Iron Maiden reference with "Anywhere in the Galaxy."  Then later on, "Short As Hell" sounds like it could come from Metallica's Black Album, "Heavy Metal Universe" is their take on Manowar's style, and they dip into Queen again for the epic closer "Armageddon."  I felt like I heard some influences from their contemporaries like Blind Guardian and HammerFall as well, and they even have two covers, one of Rainbow and one of the Pet Shop Boys, of all things.  The covers are kind of basic, but the original songs are so good that they work as Gamma Ray songs anyway.  However, I think the biggest sound I heard was Kai Hansen's own classic Helloween chops coming back.  I really do think this album is the most Helloween they've ever sounded.  (Not that I'm complaining, of course!)

But how is it as an album?  Quite good, honestly!  This is probably my favorite album of theirs now, as I feel like every track works.  Even the weaker ones are solid enough.  Stand out songs include the opener "Anywhere in the Galaxy," the very catchy "Send Me a Sign," the grittier "Strangers in the Night," and the energetic riffing on "Wings of Destiny."  I've always loved the original "It's a Sin" from the Pet Shop Boys, but Gamma Ray's cover is pretty fun.  Overall, a very satisfying album, full of power metal staples, but using them well to create some very interesting songs.  I hope Kai Hansen can get some things together soon, as I've love to hear what a modern Gamma Ray album would sound like!

Iron Savior - Unification

And here's the other one.  Following up from their sorta concept album from two years prior (which I thought was decent if a bit clunky), Kai Hansen and company carried their sci-fi storytelling forward for another solid slab of power metal.

The concept picks up from the last album: Atlanteans who escaped destruction travel the stars, only to come back home to see that their Iron Savior (who was supposed to protect them) has taken over earth.  So they have to unify with the remaining people of earth, revive a long-sleeping Atlantean, and work together to take on this rogue AI that seems to be developing ideas of its own.  Perhaps typical for this band, but it has inspired some very good power metal that drifts between speedy and heavy in a very satisfying way.  Whatever problems the songwriting had last time seem to have been smoothed over, as Kai and Piet work great together, not only on the vocals, but their guitar leads are very on point and downright satisfying. (The covers at the end are fun, and there's an extra track by another band called Excelsis that won a contest. Their song is an okay piece of fantasy-based heavy/power metal, though the vocalist is quite gritty.)

The album starts off well with the one-two punch of "Coming Home" and "Starborn," and carries the high energy narrative through "Forces of Rage," "Prisoner of the Void" and "Unchained," and the rest of the album is consistent in it's heavy/power storytelling.  If it weren't for the slightly dated production, this would sound just like their recent albums that I've been loving so much lately.  This band is quickly becoming a new favorite for me, as their style of power metal is exactly what I seem to want right now.

HammerFall Retrospective!

In the mid 2000s, just when I was about to start college, I didn't have much knowledge about heavy metal and its various subgenres.  I had heard of a few bands and kinda knew what was out there, but certainly hadn't taken the time learn.  I had ended up making a friend who was a big metalhead, and he decided to send me a bunch of burned CDs of the stuff to try and get me into it.  One band out of the bunch caught my attention: HammerFall.  From this friend, I had gotten copies of the first four of their albums, and with titles like Legacy of Kings and Crimson Thunder, I could tell this one wasn't going to have dark and angry lyrics or style I would have expected at the time.  And I was absolutely right.

Technically, I had a few Stratovarius songs (which I liked) before I picked up HammerFall, but it was this Swedish band that opened my heart to power metal, and I have not looked back since.  Melodic vocals, chugging riffs, pounding rhythms, fantasy lyrics, and an epic soundscape, this band filled a gap in my soul I didn't know I had, and I've been thankful ever since.

Yes, it's time for another retrospective, this time for the band that turned me into a metalhead.  It's also been fun to review all these albums in anticipation of their next album, Avenge the Fallen, which comes out next month.  Once again, I'll be going over their studio and live albums in chronological order.  Let's get this crusade started!