April Fools! Weird Al Rocks the 90s!

Well, I had planned to do this article last year, following up from my first one, but totally dropped the ball as the concept slipped my mind entirely.  Better late than never, in any case.  Picking up with his soundtrack to UHF, we'll be mostly focusing on his 90s albums.  Rock music wasn't as much of a focus for him during this decade, as pop music drifted around a lot of genres by then.  Still, there's plenty of curious rock songs through the years that still put a smile on my face.

After his second Michael Jackson parody was a big success, Weird Al turned to making a movie in an attempt to parody film and television.  While it flopped in the box office, it's become a cult classic, and honestly is a pretty good representation of his style of humor.  Certainly a fun film, at the very least.  However, the official soundtrack was more like one of his typical albums, only featuring a few songs from the movie, as well as some of the kooky commercials as little audio skits.

When it comes to rock music, the title track is a solid stand out.  Rather than be a parody of anything specific, it's just a fun rock song with a very catchy riff.  It's probably my favorite song on the album They also take the opportunity to write another goofy sci-fi film song with "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars" and the polka medley this time is a collection of Rolling Stones songs.  "Generic Blues" ends up being a fun dose of dark humor, making a big deal about minor annoyances, but supposedly, B.B. King said it was one of the best blues songs he'd heard.  However, the highest profile rock song is a curious parody of Dire Straits, taking their big MTV hit and replacing the lyrics with those of the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.  While it fits well with the themes of his movie, the song isn't one of his better efforts, in my opinion.

The failure of his movie left Weird Al scrambling, and when Michael Jackson understandably declined to let him parody his next hit "Black and White," the musical king of comedy felt that perhaps his time was over.  Fortunately, with the arrival of Nirvana and the explosion of grunge, he found his next target, even going so far as to parody the Nevermind cover.  "Smells Like Nirvana" was a massive hit for him, and its easy to see why, making fun of the Cobain's mumbled lyrics while maintaining the apathetic tone of the original.  It's been a staple of his live shows ever since.

As for the rest of the album, there are a few interesting rock songs, all style parodies instead making fun of a given song.  "Trigger Happy" is a curious take on surf rock and guns.  "I Was Only Kidding" is a very sarcastic, heavy song that I think gets close to Megadeth in some ways.  (I think it would be rather fun if Dave Mustaine covered that song in his snarling style!)  "Airline Amy" and "When I Was Your Age" are more typical, but fun, rock songs, and while "You Don't Love Me Anymore" was just a spoof of acoustic ballads in general, the music video ended up being a poke at Extreme's "More Than Words."  The standard polka medley even has some Metallica, Warrant, and Mötley Crüe.  While the Nirvana song dominates the popularity of this album, the rest of the songs prove that Weird Al had plenty of gas in the tank, allowing him to carry on through this decade.

Now that he was in the swing of things again, he didn't hesitate, putting out Alapalooza the following year, the title riffing on the Lollapalooza festival that had just started.  While the main song was more about parodying the Jurassic Park movie with a symphonic pop song from the 60s, there was still plenty of rock to be had.  The shift to alternative rock is certainly felt, with a pair of Red Hot Chili Peppers hits turned into a song about the Flinstones and a style parody of REM called "Frank's 2000" TV." 

However, the big rock songs include a strange parody of Aerosmith's "Living on the Edge" about spoiled food that's now "Living in the Fridge," and a fun style-parody of AC/DC titled "Young, Dumb, and Ugly."  "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime" is another solid rocker, with an amusing premise.  (You think he would have noticed.)  But the best song on the album, in my opinion, is a full polka version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."  Instead of doing a medley songs, Weird Al and his band do the whole song in his bouncy style and getting plenty of work out of his accordion.  Obviously, Queen would have given him permission (as that's how Weird Al does things), but I would like to have been a fly on the wall when the esteemed classic rock band heard the thing the first time.

After a few more years, Weird Al would follow up with Bad Hair Day, featuring one of his most famous (and controversial) parodies with "Amish Paradise," even making fun of Coolio's hair on the cover.  As for the rock stuff, he's followed the trend of the expanding alternative rock scene, including parodies of U2 and Soul Asylum, and even naming his polka medley "The Alternative Polka," covering bands from R.E.M. and Nine Inch Nails to Foo Fighters and Soundgarden.  He also did a style parody of grunge with "Calling In Sick," which ends up being a solid track full of thick guitars and lazy angst.  The album ends with one of his starkest bits of morbid humor with "The Night Santa Went Crazy," a crazier holiday single than "Christmas at Ground Zero."

Beyond that, though, there really isn't much that really fits in with the kind of stuff I cover on my blog.  Still, this is a fun album, and one of his most popular for good reason.

From here, he would only get bigger.  For his next album, he was able to time "The Saga Begins," a song about Star Wars Episode I, in time with that movie's theatrical release.  Parodying "American Pie" by Don McLean and getting the music video up on MTV as the movie was delighting and disappointing audiences around the world, it was a massive success.  However, the rest of the album, while quite good, again doesn't really match my blog very well.  Much of it is either pop, hip-hop, or alternative rock, including The Offspring, Barenaked Ladies, Nine-Inch Nails, and ska bands like Mighty Mighty Bosstones, with the polka medley catching artists such as Smash Mouth, Matchbox Twenty, Third Eye Blind, and Marilyn Manson.  Still, I admit that, because this album came out right when I was starting to become a fan, I listened to this a lot through my high school years.

However, this album is topped off with a kind of modern prog masterpiece in "Albuquerque."  Not necessarily making fun of any particular artist (though Wikipedia lists a few), this is a straight-ahead hard rock number that goes for over 11 minutes, and is a blast to listen to all the way through!  The bizarre topic changes as part of an ongoing adventure may make it a little hard to follow, but it's peak Weird Al comedy with a very catchy chorus.  And yes, he has played it New Mexico.  While this album would be another big success, ensuring his continued relevance, it's hard to say much about it, even as a joke for a rock and metal music blog.

And I know this will only get harder as I continue, but I do want to complete his album discography with one more article.  I have enjoyed going back over his albums, though, picking through to find rock moments to talk about.  Weird Al is a staple of any good musical library, and I won't hear otherwise!

Top 5 of 1975!!

Like I mentioned in the Anniversary Article for this year, this was a year of transition, with prog rock phasing out and arena rock taking over.  Still, this meant a lot of good albums, and putting together this Top 5 was harder than it seemed.  As usual, I want to note that I'm just one guy with limited time, listening to what I can, and I'm keeping things within the scope of the blog, so this isn't going to be the most comprehensive list ever.

I did want to talk about a few honorable mentions, though.  While Black Sabbath and Scorpions had some decent stuff, those albums are a little clunky, and even though Rush had two albums this year, neither of them made it (even though Caress of Steel nearly made it in!).  With that out of the way, here's my Top 5 for 1975!

5. Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Sure, it might not be their best album, but this was the world's introduction to the titanic singer Ronnie James Dio, and his presence is immediately felt with "Man on the Silver Mountain."  While the album does get a bit goofy here and there, I find it to be pretty consistent in quality, and so it squeezes in here at number 5.

4. Queen - Night at the Opera

Like I mentioned when I reviewed this, it would be impossible to talk about this decade without Queen, and this album is a major reason why.  I have to admit it was tough to decide whether or not I liked this more than Zeppelin's work, but in the end, fourth is not a bad place to be.

3. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Again, this an obvious choice.  While their definitely experimenting with their sound, they still dominate the hard rock scene with titanic songs like "Kashmir" and "Ten Years Gone."  Being a double album, I will say that it's probably a bit too long, but that doesn't make the album any less amazing.

2. Styx - Equinox

I won't deny that Styx is one of my favorite bands, and even a clunky album of theirs will still rate highly for me.  It's a bit of a janky listen, but with catchy rockers like "Lorelei," "Lonely Child," and "Midnight Ride," the album gets plenty of play.  That awesome riff in the middle of "Suite Madame Blue" seals the deal.

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

However, this year is dominated by Pink Floyd's follow up to The Dark Side of the Moon.  While it doesn't get the same level of acclaim as their iconic album, I still think there's a lot going on with this one as well as they perfect their iconic sound.  If you really want to see me gush about this album, go check out the band retrospective I did four years ago, but suffice it to say, this is one of my favorite albums, so it's no surprise to me that it takes the crown for 1975.

Retro Reviews - March 2025!

While working on my Top 5 articles, I ended up listening to a lot of new stuff.  However, I figured I couldn't do a review for all of them, but here's a handful that I thought were worth talking about, partially because they let me carry on reviewing these bands' discographies.  

Deep Purple - Deep Purple in Rock

While I've reviewed a handful of this band's albums, I'm certainly doing them out of order.  In preparation for this one, I did listen to their first three albums, and they're just okay.  Obviously, Jon Lord's neo-classical elements were neat, but it was clear that they weren't really doing anything too special quite yet.  With a lineup change, things are certainly different, as the band really digs in hard on a louder, more intense sound.

Right away, new vocalist Ian Gillian makes an impact.  Rod Evans wasn't a bad singer, but he wouldn't have been a good match for this shift into hard rock.  Gillian takes command of the songs and gives them a ton of attitude.  The rest of the band really turns it up as well, making some very loud and forceful tunes.  Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore go back and forth with their solos, while Ian Paice rocks out with new bassist Roger Glover.  I can definitely see why the band felt this was a restart for them, calling this iteration Mark II.

However, it's still rough in spots.  Lord leans a little too hard on some atonal chords for his organ in spots, and the second half of the album isn't as strong, which is why it didn't make my Top 5 for the year.  Still, it's all pretty solid, heavy-hitting blues rock.  Songs like "Speed King" and "Child in Time" have cemented themselves in rock history, and the album sets the foundation for them to turn into one of the major hard rock bands of the era.

Scorpions - In Trance

Yup, it's time to pick up where I left off with this band.  While the first two album had them still messing around with progressive rock ideas, here we have the band fully streamlined into a 70s hard rock sound.  While I don't think they have their iconic sound quite yet, I can't deny this one had some very fun songs, and I'm kinda surprised it wasn't a bigger deal back then (on an international level, anyway).

Once again, Klaus Meine shows why he's one of the best of the business, his vocals majestically soaring over the songs, and the harmonies are very spot on as well.  However, I do wonder if guitarist Uli Jon Roth doesn't take a bit too much of the spotlight.  Some of the songs later on the album just feel like pieces for him to solo over, and not much else (including the instrumental track that closes the album).  Still, what's here rocks pretty well, finding a spot between Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep (especially with those organs they use in the background sometimes).

As for standouts, the title track is the biggest, feeling like a mini-epic with how it builds, "Robot Man" is definitely on the quirky side, but it also has some good energy, and many of the tracks show Roth's range of guitar playing ability, with him playing both melodic and noodly parts quite well.  Which is why it's strange that it feels like this album wasn't a bigger deal when it came out.  I get that getting a record outside of Germany in the 70s may not have been easy, but I could see fans of Queen and Rainbow really digging this, between the theatrical tones and dynamic guitar work.

Uriah Heep - Return to Fantasy

Speaking of which, I'm still working my way through this band's discography!  John Wetton of King Crimson (and would later start Asia) joins them on bass for this album.  However, the band stays pretty consistent with what they've been doing recently, though with a few twists here and there.

For an album title that claims to return to the fantastical, the lyrics seem to focus on typical romantic stuff.  I admit I would have liked them to bring back some of the ideas from Demons and Wizards.  Nevertheless, what makes Uriah Heep is still around: the tight vocal harmonies, the prominent organ, now joined by more synths, and some solid rocking grooves.  Wetton seems to bring a little funk with him, as well.  The title track and "Showdown" show the band still has their chops, both in performing and song-writing.  "Beautiful Dream" gets a bit weird, but in a good way, as the song builds well.  And the closer "A Year and a Day" has some good dynamics and transitions, getting a bit anthemic.

However, some songs end up being just filler.  "Your Turn to Remember" is a pretty generic blues rocker, "Why Did You Go" has this somber vibe that I think they've done better elsewhere, and "Prima Donna" has this horns section and bombastic energy that it didn't even feel like Uriah Heep!  I'm not sure why they went with that for a single.  Overall, it's decent stuff, about as good as previous albums, if perhaps a little less inspired, as it seems like they're hitting the same notes as before.

Queen - A Night at the Opera

Well here's a bit of a throwback.  Much earlier in my blog, I started reviewing Queen's discography, hoping to get a little deeper into their catalog.  After doing the first three albums, I guess I dropped the ball.  Fortunately, these Top 5 articles I'm doing have inspired me to pick this band up again.  With all the 70s rock I'm listening to, it's hard to imagine the decade without Queen, after all.

Of course, this album is probably their best known, featuring some of their biggest hits, like "You're My Best Friend" and the immortal "Bohemian Rhapsody."  Getting into the deeper songs, we see more of their humorous and whimsical side, with "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," "Seaside Rendezvous," and "Good Company."  These sound like some of the Beatles' later experiments with a bouncier sound, but Queen gives them just enough pomp to make them their own.  As for more of their rock side, while "Sweet Lady" does feel like filler, "Death on Two Legs" has to be one of their most aggressive songs, and "The Prophet's Song," while maybe a little too long with the neat a capella section, is them at their most epic and theatrical.  Those looking for hard rock with plenty of flair would find little competition in the 70s.  

Reviewing this album maybe a little redundant, as it is so well loved, but like I said, I wanted to go beyond the handful of tracks that I hear on classic rock radio all the time.  While previous albums have decent, I can definitely say this one is nearly the complete package, a joy to listen to all the way through, and one of the best albums of 1975.  This Top 5 article I'm working on is gonna be hard to decide!

Catching Up with The Ferrymen!

After I enjoyed doing my Catching Up article with The Brothers of Metal, I decided to repeat the concept for another modern metal band that has always been on my radar, but haven't spent the time to review any of their work.  Largely pulled together by Frontiers Records, it features Magnus Karlsson (of Primal Fear and various symphonic metal projects), Mike Terrana (formerly of Masterplan and Malmsteen, among others) and the voice himself, Ronnie Romero (who also has plenty of projects as well, but was best known as the singer for Ritchie Blackmore's sudden revival of Rainbow in 2015).  With a strong pedigree and a flair for the dramatic, they've released four albums now, including one from earlier this year!  What better time to catch up with this band than now?

The Ferrymen (2017)

With the introduction out of the way, let's get to the music.  Right off, the group settles into a melodic heavy metal vibe, similar to the likes of Dream Evil, Silver Bullet, and Last in Line.  There are more symphonic flourishes though, which makes them much like other Frontiers supergroup projects, such as Allen/Lande.  In short, it sounds like what would happen to Dio's sound if he kept going and added more strings.

Speaking of which, Ronnie Romero wails his heart out, sometimes sounding like the classic singer, but also with a bit of grit, making me think of Jorn or even Robin McAuley at times.  Nevertheless, he's great here, and the other two members are in top form.  Mike pounds out the rhythm with ease, and Magnus gets to show off both his lush arrangements and guitar prowess, easily going between shreddy and melodic as the song needs.  The songs are pretty solid all the way through, though I do think "Eternal Night" is a bit of a clichéd power ballad.

I'm not quite sure why they're listed as "Power Metal" on the Metal Archives, as they really are more like a symphonic-powered traditional metal band (again, like Allan/Lande).  However, I will say that I like the more uptempo songs, like "Still Standing Up," "Eyes on the Sky," and the excellent closer "Welcome to the Show."  I also liked "One Heart," the other power ballad on the album, as I think it builds well.  Overall, it's a good album to build on, even though they don't really deviate from what they established here.

A New Evil (2019)

So I actually featured two singles from this album back when I was more focused on music videos.  I thought were pretty good, but I guess they weren't enough to get me to check out the rest.  Now that I'm picking up the slack, this album carries on their journey by bringing another solid slab of symphonic-tinged epic metal.

That does make it difficult to find much that's meaningful to say.  The production is still big and powerful, the trio continue to play well, and it's easy to just get lost in the escapism of the sound.  I don't know if this one is better than the first one, but there is still plenty to like.  The opener "Don't Stand in My Way" start things off well, and the two singles I mentioned above, "A New Evil" and "No Matter How Hard We Fall," remain strong pieces.  As for the ending, "You Against the World" has some strong Primal Fear vibes that I liked, and "All We Got" is a nice, upbeat, AOR-style closer.  I do think the symphonic elements are stronger, but honestly, they're sticking with what they have, as it's certainly working for them.

One More River to Cross (2022)

Three years later, and not much has changed.  Magnus shreds, Mike pounds, and Ronnie soars.  So is there anything different?  Well, I do think the symphonic elements have been boosted again, really going for some bombastic sections in a few songs.  I also think the songwriting has slightly shifted in more of an AOR direction, but even then, there's still plenty of chugging riffs and shredding solos to keep this squarely in metal territory.  Honestly, though, this is just me splitting hairs.  The Ferrymen have their sound, and they aren't changing it for anyone.

Once again, I like it when the bring the energy.  "City of Hate" gave me some Karevik-era Kamelot vibes, with the darker tone and aggressive riffing.  The title track (while not a cover of a great Alan Parsons Project song) ends up being a very cinematic song, with the orchestrations really bringing the power.  "Bringers of the Dark" and "The Last Ship" have some tight riffing and solid choruses.  Overall, it's another consistent album that doesn't really have a bad song, which means its about the same as the first two albums.  No need fix what isn't broken, after all.

Iron Will (2025)

I wonder if it isn't a bit of a mistake to have binged these albums.  If I had been listening to them as they came out, I think each one would feel more novel.  While I can detect some small differences, these albums are pretty interchangeable in their sound.  Of course, there's nothing wrong with being consistent, especially in quality.

I think on this album they do a better job of embracing their symphonic metal nature, really making the orchestrations a part of the song rather than just some epic flavor in the back.  Still, this is a minor detail, as the trio still do what they do best.  I will say that, as the albums have gone on, Ronnie isn't trying to sound like Dio quite so much, which is fine.  He's got a great voice that stands on its own quite well.  The songs have become pretty formulaic at this point, with Magnus's solos predictably drifting between melodic and shreddy.  Not that I want each song to be completely different, but it's easy to fall into a single groove with this album (as with the others), so those expecting more variety might be disappointed.

Still, there are some stand out tracks.  The title track and "Dust to Dust" have some traditional metal grit, while the opener "Choke Hold," "Adrenaline," "The Darkness That Divides," and "Mind Games" shows their strong symphonic side, and the sentimental "Dreams and Destiny" adds in some folky flutes for a good power ballad.  However, the best track is "Mother Unholy," with that slow, ominous riffing, making me think of Lamenting of the Innocent by Sorcerer.  With the church bells and choirs singing in Latin, it makes for a very dramatic song and the highlight of the album.  As a whole, I don't know if this will be a Top 5 contender for 2025, but I do consider it another solid offering from a band that clearly knows what they want to do and do it well.

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While that was another fun, short discography to binge through.  One on hand, it's hard not to feel like this is just another side project for the three talented members, but I can't deny that what they've made is some above average melodic metal.  As I was listening through, I did wonder if this hasn't become more of Magnus's thing, as his orchestrations and arrangements got bigger and more epic (not that I think the other two members were slacking at all).  Still, I'm hard pressed to really say anything was particularly bad, and any of the four albums are recommendable to anyone missing the kind of classic 80s metal melodrama that Dio's band used to provide, backed by some well-made symphonic flourishes.

Top 5 of 1970!!

And so we begin this new series of articles!  Just to make the record clear, I am just one guy, listening to music off-and-on through my days, so it is impossible to listen to everything of a given year (especially within just a month).  I will also limit my choices to genres that I generally cover in this blog (melodic rock and metal), though that isn't much of a problem for me here with 1970.  It should also be noted that, since this was put together by one guy, this list will be very subjective, as they are essentially my favorite albums from the year.  

When I wrote about this year for my Anniversary Article, I mentioned how it was a time of change, with some bands ending and others beginning.  However, when it comes to finding the best of this year, it seems that I found it with bands that had some experience but were interested in expanding their sound into new ideas.  Here are my Top 5 for 1970!

5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

By 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival had already established themselves as a solid rock band, focusing on a roots-rock style instead of the popular psychedelia their San Franciscan peers were into.  However, with this album, they step back into a bit, with an 11 minute rendition of "Heard It Through the Grapevine" that really flows, as well as a nice groove-heavy section in the middle of "Ramble Tamble."  However, they still had their hard-hitting cuts like "Run Through the Jungle" and "Up Around the Bend," with a good measure of whimsy with songs like "Looking Out My Back Door."  While not every song is great, it's a solid collection of rock songs from a band that was looking beyond their established formula to create something fresh.  While I did listen to Pendulum as well, but it wasn't as strong as this one, so it gets the slot.

4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Another band with two albums this year, I think most metal fans will say that Paranoid is the better of the two.  Their self-titled debut isn't bad, but definitely leans into the jammy blues-rock that was popular at the time.  Here, with Paranoid, the band finds their proto-metal sound, as the title track, "Iron Man," and "War Pigs" set the standard that many bands would follow for decades to come.  The album does get a bit silly towards the end, and it's not quite the heavy metal we may recognize today, but the raw materials were established here, and they have aged pretty dang well.

3. Led Zeppelin - III

I've always been a Led Zeppelin fan ever since I took the time to dig into them when I was in college.  While their third album features some great songs, it does end up being stuck between their very successful second album and their iconic fourth one.  Still, the emphasis on more acoustic tracks and the inclusion of other sounds show this band was moving beyond their blues-rock origins and working toward the stadium rockers they would become shortly after this album.  It may not be the favorite of many people, but it's a solid entry in a discography that has stamped itself in rock history as one of the best.

2. Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You

I still remember when I first gave this shot on a Sunday when I had a headache, finding it rather pleasant and chill.  However, since then, the album has really grown on me.  Despite all its jazz-fusion-branded chaos, I find this album oddly comforting, full of little melodic earworms and neat transitions.  I really should listen to more from this band, if this album is anything to go by.

1. Yes - Time and a Word

However, my favorite band also released an album this year.  While it's not one of my favorites of theirs, I still can't deny that it has excellent songs, building on their first album's blend of sounds for something bigger and more dynamic.  The opening starts with a great cover of Richie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" that packs a lot of punch, followed by the enigmatic "Then."  The title track is a decent ballad, but the my favorite has to be "Sweet Dreams," with Christ Squire's rockin' bass taking front-and-center!  I will say that the second half of the album isn't as strong, as they dabble in some psychedelic weirdness that doesn't quite click.  But the fanboy in me still says this is the best album of the year, even if the band hadn't quite found their iconic sound just yet.

New Releases - February 2025!

Well, this came out later than I was planning, though I did come down with some pretty serious colds.  Hopefully I'm over those now and can work on what looks to be a busy year.  I'm trying to get a better start on new releases this time, as there are some big ones right off, and because my retro listening is a bit different this time around.  In any case, here's a trio of interesting metal albums to get things kicked off!

Dream Theater - Parasomnia

While I have covered Dream Theater a few times in the past, this one gets the notable return of Mike Portnoy to the fold.  From there, they've crafted something of a thematic concept album, focused on various forms of sleep disorders (if the title wasn't a clue).  This gives the album a darker feel that's more about mood and atmosphere than heaviness, necessarily.  Still, all of the band members' skills remain on display, which I'm sure will delight their fans.

That darkness kicks in pretty quick with the opener "In the Arms of Morpheus," starting with some cinematic ambience before getting some ominous guitar picking, followed by some heavy riffing.  It's an interesting intro, testing the rest of the album.  From there, the darkness carries on, pretty much through the rest of the album.  "Night Terror" feels like a carry over of the heavy parts from their last album, while "A Broken Man" feels like a throwback to their 90s era.  "Dead Asleep" gets theatrical with the story telling, throwing in a blues-rocking jam for good measure, while "Midnight Messiah" gets thrashy, similar to Train of Thought (which I ought to review at some point).  "Are We Dreaming" is more of an ambient piece that flows into the ballad "Bend the Clock," which features a really nice Pink Floyd segment at the end, allowing Petrucci lean more into his legato style.  The album closes (once again) on a big number, "The Shadow Man Incident," which features the band's typical arrangement of styles and transitions, including a Latin rhythm section because why not?  It's all performed well, with Portnoy getting plenty of time for some rapid fire drum fills to remind folks he's back.

However, I have this sinking feeling that I've heard it all before.  Sure, they have an interesting theme that allows them to explore the darker side of their sound, but compared to the other albums I've listened to, it just feels like more of the same.  Fans will be delighted to get an album they've been waiting for more than a decade for, and I do think it's not a bad album, in fact I enjoyed most of it.  And yet, when it's over, very little stays with me.  Maybe I need to give it a few more spins to let it really sink in (and perhaps the rest of their albums as well), but from my point of view, it's just another (certainly decent) Dream Theater album, just like all the rest.

Grave Digger - Bone Collector

Grave Digger is another one of those bands where I've seen them around, and enjoyed a song or two, but never seriously checked them out until now.  I know they're a long standing German metal band that's had a weird history early on with name changes and break ups, but otherwise they seem to have been a pretty consistent band.  Built on the foundation of bands like Accept and Saxon, they add some speed and a lot of metal clichés, but honestly, I wasn't expecting anything else.

Anything you'd think of when you think of German traditional metal is all here: gruff vocals, chunky guitar riffs, and plenty of energy.  While I'm new to this band, I speculate this is all very much par-for-the-course for this band.  The album starts up with two speed metal songs that go almost too fast for the band.  It's a decent start, but then album drifts into more mid-tempo territory, with "Mirror of Hate" and "Riders of Doom" getting very stompy (in a good way).  The speed picks up towards the end, with "Forever Evil & Buried Alive" featuring some solid energy.  The album then closes on "Whispers of the Damned (The Banality of Evil)," which feels like a Metal Church style power ballad.

While this is all quite fun, the biggest issue is the production.  I know it may be a strange way to describe it, but the songs feel narrow, somehow.  Chris Boltendahl's vocals sometimes get buried (which is strange as he mixed and mastered the album himself).  The lyrics are also a bit on the generic side, which is interesting, as I understand this band has covered more interesting topics in the past.  Still, this is not a bad album by any means, as the riffing remains solid and chunky throughout.  This album definitely falls under the category of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and that's just fine.

Beriedir - Liminal Spaces

When I saw Beriedir had a new album, I was pretty intrigued.  I liked their last one, as it has a lot of lush layering and interesting ideas, though it wasn't perfect.  Still, I wanted to see what they would do this time around, only to discover that they had taken a pretty dramatic shift.

While much of their sound is still here, with the synths really filling a wall of sound not unlike other melodic prog metal bands, they have chosen to twist it up with a significant dose of classic Gothenburg melodic death metal.  The vocals have both clean and harsh varieties, and the riffing definitely takes a more chaotic turn, resulting in some haphazard songwriting.  I'm not sure what compelled them to add this to their sound, but they're clearly dedicated to it, as it shows up on nearly all the songs.  The lyrics have also taken a level in pretentiousness, making references to Old Testament prophets and German Renaissance artists, among other things.  The band is tight in their performances, even with some pretty jarring rhythms and time signature changes.  I can't imagine this stuff would be easy to play live.

What I will say is that it is definitely not a boring listen.  I may have been caught off guard by the inclusion of some extreme metal elements, but the songs were compelling nonetheless.  I think I'm going to need to listen to this one a few more times to really wrap my head around what they're doing.  Credit to them for at least throwing a wrench into their own sound just to see what they could do with it.  If anyone is interested in a fusion of Evergrey and Wintersun, this album is definitely worth a listen.

Top 5 of 2024!!

This year as a tough one, as there were a lot of solid albums.  The top three were figured out fairly early on in the past month, but after that, it took some serious consideration to round out the rest.  Judas Priest's Invincible Shield had a decent shot of making it, as well as Nightbound by Find Me, which started to grow on me, despite the production.  I also really enjoyed Lovebites's EP II, but decided that I shouldn't really compare it to a full album.  In the end, I was able to whittle it down to these five albums of 2024 that stood out from the rest!

5. Paragon - Metalation

This was definitely the toughest spot to fill.  As I relistened to this year's albums, I started to wonder if I could pick one from the list at all.  However, I found Paragon's new slab of chunky riffs to be what helped it squeeze in.  It's not as good as Controlled Demolition was, as these songs are a little sillier, but it's a pretty consistent album across the board, and that counts for a lot.

4. Firewind - Stand United

I know there were some power metal albums I never got around to this past year, so it might be a bit cheeky to say Firewind's latest is the best one of 2024, especially as I wasn't expecting too much after their self-titled album from a few years ago.  However, once I recognized that they had slipped into more of a heavy/power blend, I found Stand United to be a solid album, and Herbie Langhans's vocals have really settled in well for the band.

3. Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks - True

It took more than a few listens, but I was finally able to really assess this album on its own.  While it's certainly aping the classic sound of my favorite band, and I do think the songs in the middle drag it down, it can't be denied that Jon has found something pretty magical with these Geeks.  "Once Upon a Dream" alone put this album in the Top Five!

2. DGM - Endless

This year's surprise!  When their last album felt lukewarm, a let down from my winner of 2020, I wasn't sure what to make of this band.  So when I was treated to a pleasant kick-in-the-head in the form of some very 70s prog that was played with energy, I knew this was going to be a contender for the Top 5 list.  "From Ashes" still puts a smile on my face!

1. Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine

DGM might have taken the year if it weren't for this one.  While I do think that Sphere was a better album, I can't deny this groups infectious tone and energy.  Giving their psychedelic rock a slight mechanical feel helped to shake things up, but otherwise, it was business as usual, as this band continues to impress with their dynamic song-writing and dense atmosphere.  

Article Archives!

This is just a quick post to point out a new section on the right.  I now have a category for pages that collected articles of similar types.  So far, I've only got the two, one for all those Anniversary Articles I spent the last five years writing, and the handful of Retrospective Articles I've pulled together over the years.  I'll do my best to the Retrospective one updated as I continue to make those.

Meanwhile, I'm still working out what my Top 5 will be for 2024, and it's not been easy.  At the same time, I'm planning to do another series of articles where I talk about the Top 5 of years past, going by fives like I did for the Anniversary Articles.  So in February, expect to see a Top 5 for 1970, and then in March a Top 4 for 1975 and so on.  Naturally, my Retro Reviews are going to be full of albums as I listen to as much stuff as I can for each year, so keep an eye out for those as well.

I maybe changing what content I make, but I still see myself trucking on for the next five years, listening to and talking about all the melodic rock and metal I listen to.  There may be even more surprises in the future, but we'll see what I can get to.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

New Releases - 2024 Wrap-up!

Alright, one last chunk of reviews to wrap things up.  After this, it's time to listen to everything again to figure out what my Top 5 of the year is, and there certainly are some contenders in this article!  I've focused on melodic metal much more for this one, but they're all from bands I've enjoyed before, and they're carrying on without too much to slow them down!  Here's what I've decided to check out for the rest of 2024!

Lovebites - Lovebites EP II

So I admit I'm kinda confused by this title, as this is technically their fourth EP (going by Metal Archives, anyway).  Based on the cover art, it might just be a sequel to their first EP, but what that means, I honestly don't know.  I decided to relisten to their entire discography before getting into this, and it really is amazing to hear just how consistent these girls are in the quality of their songs.  While Electric Pentagram remains my favorite of theirs, all of their albums have highlights, and this remains true for this EP.

Things start high with the opener "Unchained," which is some typical (and by that I mean good) power metal from them.  "Soul Defender" follows up well, leaning into some US power metal feeling with the chuggy riffs.  Then next comes "Where's Identity," which is straight up Bay Area Thrash, and probably the best song on the album, wildly enough.  However, the last two tracks aren't quite as good.  "The Bell in the Jail" has this strange groove going through it, and seems to have been inspired by The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and "Someone's Dream" sounds like their attempt at a Helloween style song.  It's not bad, just not as strong as the earlier tracks.  Overall, though, they maintain their high standard by providing another handful of high energy metal, and as a big fan of this band now, I don't think I could ask for anything more (except maybe a full album next time).

DGM - Endless

Well, this was certainly a pleasant surprise!  While I definitely liked Tragic Separation when I heard it, subsequent listens have shown that it might not be as strong as I first thought, and when Life turned out to be mostly fine, if underwhelming, I was concerned that this band was starting to slip in quality.  So I was pleasantly surprised when they decided to dive deeper into prog!

And when I mean prog, I mean full on hammond organs and flute solos from the 70s.  It's like they decided to go back to their roots and influences, making for a very surprising and satisfying album.  Sonically, the album finds itself close to the melodic side of Dream Theater, with some keys from IQ, and an uplifting tone like Neal Morse's solo work.  While the band's lineup remains the same, they clearly made some changes to their approach compared to their last few records (which largely felt like a fusion of modern prog metal with AOR-style choruses).  This time, it's like they decided to throw out their templates and just explore what they felt good about, filling the album with songs full of energy and excitement!  Seriously, I was smiling through most of this album as I was listening to it for the first time!

Things start of very proggy with "Promises," mostly being an instrumental jam, before going full-on prog with the dynamics on "The Great Unknown."  Even when they bring back their usual sound on "Final Call," it's broken up with a rather moody digression that builds quite well.  "The Wake" brings in some darkness to shake things up, and the 14 minute closer "...Of Endless Echoes" is all of this wrapped together in a wonderful musical journey.  However, the highlight for me was "From Ashes," with it's energetic start and cheerful lyrics.  I couldn't help but smile the entire time it was on!  Overall, this was a delightful surprise, as the band seems to find new life by bringing in some classic prog ideas to freshen up their sound.  Top 5 contender for sure!!

Dream Evil - Metal Gods

After reviewing a few of their albums, I've decided to skip ahead to their newest one, squeezing it in between these other new releases.  However, they haven't changed much, drifting into a style that's more traditional metal than power metal, much like how HammerFall have been for the last decade or more.  While listening to it, I thought of both the Saxon and Judas Priest albums I heard early last year.  Still, for those who don't mind a layer of cheese with their metal will find themselves headbanging through the album.

While the band is solid (and there are some interesting guest guitar solos), most of their strength comes from their vocalist Niklas Isfeldt, who belts out these campy lyrics with authority.  I think he's aging well, sounding a lot like Biff Byford in most of these songs, giving them the right amount of drama to be fun without sounding like a parody.  The lyrics are pretty typical "overcome the challenge" stuff, with equal focus on horror and fantasy.  It may feel like they're sticking to their formula, but they execute it well.

The album starts well with the title track, a tribute to the classic metal that inspires them.  "Chosen Force" is a solid follow up, and things get more power metal with songs like "The Tyrant Dies at Dawn" and "Born in Hell," the latter of which neat riffing that makes me think of classic HammerFall.  The rest of the album is solid, but it's easy to let each track slip by as the album goes on.  As much as I like this band and their brand of fun, this year has some tough competition, so I don't know if will stand out enough to get into my upcoming Top 5 article at the end of the month.

Paragon - Metalation

Good grief, has it really been five years since their last album?  Where does the time go?  Controlled Demolition ended up being a sleeper hit for me back in 2019, and while I doubt they've been resting on their laurels since then, I have had to be patient in waiting to see what Paragon would do to follow up that massive, crushing slab of heavy/power metal.  They've got a new drummer on board, but they've clearly picked up right where they left off.

Because I haven't been doing the Videos articles anymore, I haven't taken the chance to check out any singles, so I went into this pretty blind.  Happily, I found plenty that reminded me of their previous album, but I admit I was looking forward to that.  As usual, the band is full of chunky riffs and rhythms, the solos by Christian and Bertram range all over the place from melodic to shreddy (and include a few from Piet Sielck of Iron Savior, who I guess has been working with this band for a very long time), and vocalist Andreas Babuschkin brings his gritty charm to the songs.  They continue their unique blend of styles, taking the grit and energy from Accept and giving it a bit of a power metal boost in epicness.

The songs themselves are pretty consistent, though "MarioNET" goes by in a blink, and the later songs "My Asylum" and the title track drop the energy for the sake of more anthemic songs.  They're not bad, aren't as strong as where they began, starting with the high energy "Fighting the Fire," which carries on with "Batallions."  Meanwhile, "Beyond the Horizon" goes for more of an epic doom approach, making me think of Sorcerer's work.  Overall, it's another decent chunk of metal, and while I don't know how much this one will grow on me, I know I'll be giving it more listens to see if it lands on my Top 5.