Anniversary Series - 1994!

This year is certainly a tough one to write about.  While there was plenty going on in rock and metal, it was mostly in genres I generally don't cover on this blog (like pop punk or death metal).  That being said, I think I've got enough to scrape a few paragraphs together to try and cover the year without resorting to a handful of reviews.

Naturally, grunge was still big.  Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden put out some reelases to their diehard fans, with Soundgarden in particular having a massive hit with "Black Hole Sun."  However, this year would also serve the biggest blow with the death of Kurt Cobain.  Almost acting like a turning point for the genre, more radio friendly bands like Bush and Our Lady Peace would move the genre into the post-grunge era.

Prog would end up having an interesting year as well.  Classic bands like Yes and ELP (among others) would put out albums, showing they still have what it takes, while Pink Floyd released Division Bell, marking the end of an era (as it was the last album for them for many years).  Progressive metal was picking up, however, with Dream Theater leading the charge with Awake, their celebrated follow-up to Images and Words.  With newcomers like Vanden Plas and Symphony X following in their wake, prog metal was clearly on the way up.

Meanwhile, power metal was starting to come together.  Stratovarius would be in a state of transition with Dreamspace, but the big story was the comeback of Helloween.  Picking up new singer Andi Deris, the band returned to their speedy, melodic roots with Master of the Rings, one of my favorite albums of theirs.  Finally getting past their experimental phase, they laid out epic tracks like "Sole Survivor" and "Where the Rain Grows," anticipating the explosion of power metal that would soon follow.

So it's not much, but it's something, and there's certainly more in the playlist below, so check that out.  If I've missed something, let me know in the comments below.  Meanwhile, I'll keep carrying on, putting out articles as often as time permits.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

New Releases - June 2024!

I'm slowly catching up on some power metal, and looking ahead, there's only going to be more!  There's just a lot of big power metal albums this year, so apologize if it feels like I've become the Power Metal Champion lately.  Still, here are the newest releases that I've been checking out!

Scanner - The Cosmic Race

Like I said when I included their lead single in a New Videos article last year, I vaguely knew of Scanner, but I hadn't listened to them before.  Unsurprisingly, they're another solid blend of heavy and power metal styles that are so typical of their homeland of Germany.  But that just means there's a lot of competition, and based on this album, they seem to fall into the crowd.

Of course, this isn't a bad album, and they do have some decent variety.  The faster stuff seems to channel bands like Gamma Ray and Primal Fear, while their mid-tempo songs feel more like Judas Priest.  Singer Efthimios Ioannidis has a solid grit to his voice that goes well with the songs, though the lyrics can be a little clunky in their delivery.  There aren't really any surprises if you've heard any other band like this, but Scanner knows their way around the style pretty well.  

Based on the songs, I wondered if this was a concept album about people leaving an environmentally ruined Earth, travelling through space until they eventually get to a new planet, promising to take care of it better than their homeworld. "Scanner's Law" is the best track on the album, finding that blend of high energy and mid-tempo epicness, "Space Battalion" was interesting bit of Painkiller inspired metal, especially with that switch to 6/8 in the bridge, and "The Earth Song" sets the tone for the album pretty well.  I don't know if this will rank well at the end of the year, especially with so many other big power metal releases, but it's a solid slab of sci-fi-inspired music.

Hammer King - König und Kaiser

After enjoying their fourth, self-titled album, and feeling that Kingdemonium was a decent, if slightly underwhelming, follow-up, Hammer King carry on their crusade to sing about hammers and kings and the clashes between the two.  In all seriousness, they remain pretty consistent, even if they dip into a bit more silliness than usual.

With pretty much the same lineup as before, they pound on through another stack of heavy/power metal songs with plenty of gusto.  Things start off well with "Hailed by the Hammer," with its stompy riffing.  Their campaign continues with "War Hammer" and "Divided We Shall Fall," providing some crunchy riffs and epic choruses.  "Future King" and "I Want Chaos" turn up the speed and "Gates of Atlantia" is an epic closer to the main album.

If there is a concern, it's that the lyrics are starting to wander into the farcical, like PowerWolf.  The reference to Back to the Future on the time-travel song feels weird, and "The Devil I Will" is based on a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  While I don't want bands to feel like they have to be locked in to a style or lyrical theme, I admit I take my power metal pretty seriously as a fun style of dramatic and/or epic storytelling, so when these sorts of tongue-in-cheek songs happen, I have a hard time with them.  Still, this is a solid album of entertaining songs, and fit well with everything Hammer King has done before.  

Firewind - Stand United

While I felt a little underwhelmed by their last album, it was by no means bad.  Herbie Langhans was a solid addition, giving the band an extra layer of melodic grit.  Now, four years later, the same lineup is back for more, and I think I'm getting into it now.

Last time, I felt they were channeling traditional metal much like Herman Frank's recent solo output.  However, because I guess I was more prepared for that, I've ended up really liking it!  Sure, there are some power metal flourishes here and there, and Gus G. is still doing what he does best: playing great, melodic, noodly solos, but this is definitely leaning more on the classic heavy metal side.  I think what's working for me here is that the song-writing feels tight, with fun, crunchy riffs and choruses that are easy to sing along with.  If there is one thing I noticed that was different was a greater use of synthesizers.  It wasn't much, just enough to add a little flavor, but it was on most of the songs, giving them a touch of old-school charm.  

Honestly a lot of this is pretty consistent, with songs just trucking along one after the other, but I can't deny I enjoyed it.  Things start off well with "Salvation Day" and the title track.  "The Power Lies Within" is a very uplifting, traditional metal styled anthem, things get a little gritty on "Land of Chaos," and I even liked their cover of "Talking In Your Sleep"!  I admit it's not an amazing album, but there is nothing wrong with keeping things straight-ahead, especially when it's done this well!

Retro Reviews - June 2024!

Unsurprisingly, the Anniversary Articles are dominating my listening lately.  At least, with this one, I'm starting to get ahead again.  I've also got quite the variety here, going from 80s pop rock to grunge to prog and back.  Here's what I've been listening to lately!

Steve Perry - Street Talk

I admit I mostly threw this on for a lark.  At a time of Journey's peak success, Steve Perry sought to have a go on his own, ending up with something much more pop than rock.  Still, powered by his iconic voice, it has some nice, nostalgic charm, even if the album came out before I was born!

While the big song "Oh Sherrie" shares a lot with his band's melodic sensibilities, the rest of the album seems to drift between soul and pop, with dashes of funk here and there.  It feels like a 70s album with 80s production, if that makes sense, perhaps as a consequence of bringing some of his pre-Journey work into the mix.  "It's Only Love" was a nice, upbeat tune (even if it did have the James Bond chord progression in parts), and the other tracks flow pretty well.  While I think it's missing the hard rock crunch that Neal Schon provides, it's a nice collection of soft rock tunes that let Steve what he does best.

Rush - Presto

So after nearly a decade of synth-driven rock, the trio takes a break, then comes back together with a more guitar focused album, marking another turn in this historic band's history.  However, as I enjoy a lot of it, I feel like there's still something missing.

While the synthesizers have taken a backseat, Alex Lifeson retains his thin, jangly guitars, making the album feel more like 80s pop rock, like if U2 covered Rush.  Still, it's not like these are bad songs.  Neil Peart gives the album his regular blend of complex lyrics and drum patterns, ensuring the songs never feel flat.  This is also a more sing-songy album, as there are a lot of catchy melodic lines for Geddy to sing.  I also noticed that the choruses on these songs tend to be softer than the verses, making for some strange dynamics.  I guess when I heard this was going to be different that the ones before, I was expecting more than just a shift in which layers get the attention. 

Again, I don't think this is a bad album. (In fact, I'm getting the impression that Rush has no bad albums.)  Taking it as it is, Rush carries on their legacy of interesting songs, full of clever lyrics and interludes, while letting each member shine.  As before, I may need to listen to this a few times to really wrap my head around it, but first impressions leave me a little underwhelmed.

Rush - Sixteen Stone

Starting up just as the grunge wave was peaking, Bush's debut album was definitely the right album at the right time to go big.  While I never listened to it at the time, I remember a lot of kids in school talking about this band, and since then I've always been mildly curious.   Finally getting around to it, it definitely sounds like pretty typical mid-90s alternative rock, and not much more.

At the time, critics bashed the band for sounding too much like Nirvana, and I admit I have to agree.  Not only are the guitar tones, vocal melodies, and song dynamics similar, the angst-filled lyrics on alienation and drug addiction are pretty standard for the genre.  However, I do think there is more going on than just copying a popular band.  Gavin Rossdale is more of a singer, almost crooning at times, and there is more of a musical touch, giving them a bit of a Pearl Jam vibe, especially as many of the songs escalate towards the end.  It's hard to know if they have anything to themselves, though "Alien" feels like it wanders into post-rock or shoegaze.  Still, considering all the songs, I can hear the transition to post-grunge, as I'm hearing ideas I'd hear from later bands, like Nickelback and Our Lady Peace.

Coming out at the end of a rough year for grunge, I guess folks flocked to it, despite it's reputation, as the album sold quite well on release, thanks to a handful of big singles like "Comedown" and the cinematic "Glycerine."  I also liked "Little Things" and "Machine Head." Overall, it's some pretty typical grunge for the time, but I think there are signs of the band's potential, which, as it seems, carrying them well into the future.