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.
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.
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.
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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.
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