Anniversary Series - 2008!

Sorry for the lack of articles lately; things have gotten a little hectic for me lately.  Nothing serious, just real life being less convenient than usual.  However, it does mean I don't have the time or energy to look at new albums or doing reviews, so despite planning on reviewing more albums, this Anniversary Article is going to be a normal rundown.  Fortunately, there is some really good stuff this year.

While power metal had since peaked, at least in its popularity, the style carried on with artists old and new.  DragonForce followed up their Inhuman Rampage with an Ultra Beatdown.  While it was largely more of the same, it was still a pretty solid set of shredfests.  Sabaton solidified their themes and sounds with The Art of War, featuring titanic anthems like "40:1" and the title track, and Edguy would shift themselves into more of an 80s hard rock style with Tinnitus Sanctus.

However, in my opinion the big power metal release from this year is Amberian Dawn's debut album River of Tuoni.  Finding a curious space between symphonic theatrics and Stratovarius style riffing, and drawing upon their native Finnish heritage, the album is full of tight, epic tracks with just the right amount of grace provided by Heidi Parviainen's vocals.  

Another album I want to draw attention to is PowerWorld's self-titled debut.  Sometimes called melodic metal, they feel like a mix of Queensrÿche and later HammerFall, but they have some pretty solid songwriting, and a decent cover of "(I Just) Died in Your Arms."  Speaking of covers, Northern Kings returned with another slab of symphonic takes on 80s pop songs.  It's a shame they never did more, though.  Other highlights of the year include Disturbed's Indestructible carrying on their melodic groove metal style, and Metallica's brief return to thrash with Death Magentic, which I praised highly in my Metallica Retrospective earlier this year.

As for rock music, I'm sure there are a number of albums out there, but there are two I want to talk about.  First is the Asia reunion album Phoenix, which features the original lineup working together again, bringing back their proggy AOR sound with tracks like "Never Again." And finally there's AC/DC's Black Ice, which saw the band really channel their classic 80s style with a very good album of anthemic stompers, like "Rock 'n' Roll Train" and "Decibel."

Well, that covers the year pretty well, I think.  I know there are a bunch of other albums I didn't get to, so be sure to check out the playlist below and recommend others in the comments.  In the meantime, I'll work on getting myself back on track!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - June 2023! (200 Posts!)

A little over two years ago, I posted an article celebrating the fact that I had reached 100 posts.  In that article, I talked about how I wanted to celebrate that as it had been the most consistent blog I had worked on in my life.  Now that I'm at 200 posts (as of this one), I do feel impressed that I've continued to be pretty consistent about posting all these music reviews and articles.  I also find it kinda crazy that I've been doing this for about 4 1/2 years (as I didn't start in earnest until November 2018).  I've listened to a lot of music and discovered some new bands, as well as taken opportunities to check out classic bands of the past.  That being said, I don't think I have much more to add to what I said for the 100 posts article, so I'm just going to keep right on going and dive into some reviews!

Yes - Mirror to the Sky

After there was a seven year gap between Heaven & Earth and The Quest, I didn't think we'd be getting another album from these guys so soon.  Yet, just in two short (or long, depending) years, we have another one.  The early singles left me feeling a little underwhelmed, but now that I've jammed the album a few times, this does feel like another small improvement for this particular era of Yes.

The lack of energy is felt once again, and there isn't anything quite as driven as "The Ice Bridge" from the last album, as the Mirror to the Sky seeks to match its cover art with a lot of laidback, spacy songs.  "Cut from the Stars" is a decent opener, setting the stage for the rest of these symphonically layered songs, and "All Connected" holds together pretty well for it's nine-minute runtime.  However, the energy takes a bit of a dive with songs like "Luminosity," "Circles of Time," and "One Second Is Enough." They're not bad, but their more chilled-out soft rock vibe makes it hard to really follow their progressions and ideas.  "Unknown Place" tries a few different things, but never really comes together.  These are then contrasted by some of their weirder ideas, with "Living Out Their Dream" having this satirical, rockabilly style, and "Magic Potion" bring out some 70s funk.  It seems like they can only be lively if they're being a bit silly.  Not that I think they need to be serious all the time, but it does make it hard to feel like they're not just wasting my time.

However, much of this is made up for by the title track.  This thirteen minute epic is definitely better than anything else on the album, as it has some solid ideas, great dynamics, and a better sense of what it's trying to be.  They let the song build on its own, having good energetic moments followed by moody passages that reminded me of some of the mysterious sections on "Machine Messiah."  They even use their symphonic arrangements well on this song, helping to bolster the melodies and transitions.  While I do think the ending could have been helped with something a little more epic, or even just a reprise of some earlier lyrics, I do think they have hammered out a pretty solid song here.

So overall, another mixed bag.  The production also has some blending that once again uses the lushness of Open Your Eyes or The Quest, but here it's starting to muddle together.  It makes me wonder what these songs would sound like live without all the production, if they wouldn't sound a little stronger.  Nevertheless, there are signs of a band figuring out what their sound should be, and if they do choose to write another one in the near future, I would hope they bring back some of the classic punchiness of their earlier albums.  They seem to have the prog side figured out, but they're still struggling with the rock side.

Starset - Transmissions

Starset is band I had been hearing about here and there.  While I had checked out a few songs and thought they were fine, I hadn't really dug in and given them a serious listen.  However, when an online listening party group gave me an opportunity to check out their debut album, I figured it was as good a time as any to give this band a chance.  What I didn't expect was all the production on the music, making this album quite the cinematic experience, for better and worse.

First off, this sounds just plain huge.  Making the most of both orchestral strings and synthy ambience, the album goes for the melodramatic and simply doesn't let up at all.  It even has a story concept, though the lyrics don't make it immediately obvious.  In their story, Starset is an organization set to interpret a set of message from the future, trying to fix their past into something better.  However, many of the lyrics also focus on personal relationships, usually discussing about how much another person means to the character singing the song, especially now that they're gone.  It's never clear if it's romantic or platonic, but the personal connection seems vital none-the-less, making it seem like a main motivation to affect the timeline.

As for the music, it's an interesting mishmash of bombastic movie soundtracks, synthwave, and melodic alt metal (think Breaking Benjamin or mid-to-late Linkin Park), with a dash of prog as it drifts from song to song.  In fact, most tracks have these long, ambient segues that bring the energy back down before the next anthem, but they go on for quite a while, some of them even being 3 minutes long!  While it certainly makes for an interesting album-listening experience, the songs start to blend together into an emotionally intense blend, with very little sticking out.  "Let It Die," ended up being the most memorable, mostly because of the sudden synthy arpeggios on the chorus.  It's certainly not a bad set of songs, as it has a very concrete idea of what it wants to be, but with all the production this album has, it feels like it has as much in common with Two Steps From Hell or Audiomachine as it does with rock music.

Judas Priest - Painkiller

Despite being such an iconic album from the legendary band, I hadn't listened to this album beyond the title track until now.  After some interesting attempts to lean more into the pop metal style, the band bring in Scott Travis from Racer X to play drums, and completely blow up everyone's speakers with tons of epicness and aggression!

Right from opening title track, this album was different.  Travis's drumming kicks things into high gear, and Rob Halford's wails make it clear that this wasn't going to be just any metal album.  Things carry on with more high octane riffing, with "Hell Patrol," "All Guns Blazing," and "Leather Rebel."  The second half of the album gets more dramatic and dark, as the band drift into themes of horror and evil.  "Night Crawler" in particular feels like it was based on some 80s slasher movie, which brings me to the lyrics.  To be fair, they have abandoned a lot of the glammy topics in favor for some of the more classic metal tropes, but they do get pretty cheesy here and there.  "Metal Meltdown" feels a little weak as a speedy metal anthem, and "A Touch of Evil" drifts into metal-based synth pop territory.  They aren't bad songs, necessarily, but they do feel weaker compared to the songs that really excel.

Speaking of excelling, I can feel that Tipton and Downing wanted to prove they were the iconic metal duo, and they succeeded!  They provide not only some great riffs, but the solos are technical and frantic without going out of control, and they often trade back-and-forth on the songs.  Travis's drumming is also all over the album, and seems to be the force that really drives this album forward.  Halford also gives a great performance, often going to his shrieking wail that we would later return to on his first solo album Resurrection.  I can see a lot of old-school metal fans seeing this as a great comeback after the lackluster Turbo and Ram It Down.  Looking back on it now, it's easy to see this album as redefining traditional metal and being influential on many other bands.

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Only three this time, as I have been pretty busy.  Also, I haven't forgotten about doing an Anniversary Article for this month, it just turns out that needed some extra time to come together, so it should be done by the end of this month.  Once I get into July, things should normalize (I hope).  I know there's a lot of albums that came out this year that I want to catch up on, but we'll see what I get around to.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - December 2022 Part One!

So it looks like this December is going to be very similar to last year, where I blitzed through a bunch of albums in order to catch up on what had been released.  I was kind of hoping to avoid doing that again, but I guess my attention was elsewhere for much of this year, I'm afraid.  Nevertheless, I am glad to keep finding interesting rock and metal albums, and this time, I have a handful that I've been looking forward to all year.  Let's get into it!

Iron Allies - Blood In Blood Out

As if having his own solo project and Victory weren't enough, Herman Frank teamed up with former Accept singer David Reece for this traditional metal project.  Even though these two were never in that classic band at the same time, this project sounds like stereotypical German traditional metal, featuring plenty Frank's iconic guitar work.

So we know what it sounds like going in: big and gritty riffs, wailing vocals, an occasional shift between fast double-kick fests and slower, stompier songs, all buoyed by anthemic pomp.  David Reece brings over his rhythm section, and they're as tight as they need to be for this stuff.  Not having heard anything from David Reece himself before, he fits in well, as his voice carries each melody with confidence and power.  However, I do feel like this album feels quite a bit like Herman Frank's albums.  He definitely leaves his stamp on things with his riffing and solos, which are all quite solid.

It's easy to say "It's more of the same, therefore it's good," but I do think this sounds fresher than either of Herman Frank's efforts from last year.  The title track, "Destroyers of the Night," and "Nightmares in my Mind" are great, mid-tempo anthems, while "Fear No Evil," "Blood of the Land," and "Truth Never Mattered" turn up the speed for some fierce, old-school shredding.  Overall, the songs are consistent in quality all the way through, and fans of classic 80s metal will find plenty to love here.

Disturbed - Divisive

Disturbed is probably the most extreme band I'm willing to cover around here, as I feel like they still have some great melodies among their groove-centric alternative metal style.  While I felt the last album was a little lackluster, this is very much a return to form, as observing the world over the past few years has inspired some pretty angry material.

Of course, these songs are very much in the same vein that they established with Ten Thousand Fists, with plenty of heavy, crushing riffs, David Draiman's off-beat vocal melodies, and anthemic choruses.  However, there is a strong theme of contention and how it makes things worse, as if the cover didn't make that obvious.  Their Believe logo being broken apart on the cover this album seems rather poignant.  Otherwise, it's a lot of the same material they've covered before.  They even do another somber ballad, this time a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart fame, and it's actually pretty decent.

Long time Disturbed fans will be happy with a return to the aggression after the ballad-heavy Evolution, but otherwise, it's a business as usual for the band.  I find this style happens to scratch a particular hard rock itch for me, so I like it well enough.  I don't expect them to be writing masterpieces, so I suppose my expectations were met.  Still, it's good to see that the band still has some power left in them to put out another set of crushing melodic metal.

Dragonland - The Power of the Nightstar

As I have reviewed every single Dragonland album on my blog, it has been interesting to watch them evolve and improve over their discography.  However, after being quiet for so long, I assumed they had broken up, so I was quite surprised to discover they were working on a new album, and the singles were definitely sounded promising.  Now that I'm finally sitting down with the album, I've found that Dragonland hasn't changed at all, continuing their tradition of bombastic, story-driven symphonic power metal.

As expected, the story covers the entire album, though they've gone for a science fiction tale, this time (if the cover didn't make that obvious).  Of course, they've done sci-fi before, most notably on the album Astronomy, but this is their first, full-length concept album in that narrative genre.  Their story starts with a civilization heading for the stars for a new world in an effort to leave behind a destructive past.  However, upon arriving at the Nightstar and igniting it, they summon an enemy fleet eager to wipe them all out.  Under-powered, the protagonist fleet resort to bringing out an ancient destructive technology they had hoped to leave behind them, but find they have to use it, despite the cost it brings.  Lyrically, things haven't really changed much, swapping out the swords and knights for blasters and starships.  Much of what they've done before is brought back here: soaring vocals and power metal riffing and solos, augmented by excellent orchestral arrangements.  Seriously, this album is very lush and rich in how it's weaved together.  The biggest difference I felt was the increase of more spacy synthesizers, not only providing extra ambient layers, but getting in on the noodly solos as well.  However, they don't sound out of place at all with the sci-fi concept they're going with.  I also noticed that many of the guitar solos weren't as shred-heavy as before, often focusing on more melodic phrasing.  

While their story-driven style may not click with everyone, and I admit I sometimes struggle with it myself, they remain a unique band in the genre with their songwriting and orchestral flourishes.  Some of the more narratively-driven songs aren't as catchy, but they don't feel like a waste either, as each song progresses the story, so it is definitely worth listening through from beginning to end.  It goes through a lot of dramatic dynamics, from the hopeful "A Light in the Dark" to the ominous "A Threat from Beyond the Shadows," and the doomy "Journey's End."  However the singles "Flight from Destruction" and "The Power of the Nightstar" are definitely the standouts, as individual songs go.  It's kind of comforting to know that, despite an 11 year gap, Dragonland hasn't missed a beat, carrying on as if they had never left.

SheWolf - SheWolf

Revolving around the voice of Angel Wolf-Black, SheWolf is a new female-fronted symphonic metal project, as if there weren't enough of those.  While I could make easily comparisons to the likes of Nightwish or Xandria, I do think this outfit does set itself apart by having a different set of tones than the typical stuff one gets from the genre, focusing instead on a stronger sense of lightness and freedom.

Right off, the orchestrations are incredible.  Not only are they lush and layered, but they do more than just provide atmosphere.  Quite often, they have the melodies that carry the song forward, and Angel's voice seem like a part of the orchestra, instead of standing in front of it, which helps the songs feel more unified to their benefit.  There were even times when I would get a little frustrated with the distorted guitars getting in the way of things.  It's not like they're bad, but they are very standard, with some solid low chugging, and some noodly solos, but it's honestly nothing symphonic metal fans haven't heard before.  However, Angel's voice fits the material well, shifting between long, dramatic notes and spritely moments with ease.  If you're looking for another great female vocalist, she certainly has her own touch things.

Obviously, there is an emphasis on wolves with songs like "Welcome to the Pack," "Lone Wolf," and "Moonbound," but there are also topics of nature, independence, and love in the lyrics.  While the sound does have some gothic elements, the band is less interested in darkness or epicness and more on romance and a rustic sense of folklore, with the occasional flute melody that brings some folkiness to it.  There are even times where it's rather quite uplifting, with "Home" and "Thrill of the Chase" being examples, and some of the songs even have a bouncy feel, like modern pop music.  However, given how rich the production is, and the cheerful nature of some of the songs, I could see this one growing on me.

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Well, that's the first of many articles for this month.  However, I really shouldn't complain.  Taking the time to listen to all these albums is still quite fun and enjoyable, and I know I'm anticipating more than a few of the albums I have lined up ahead.  That being said, I think I'll spring my Christmas surprise for my next article, which has also been an interesting journey to complete.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - September 2022

Dang, September is over already!  This year is going quick, and there are still plenty of new albums coming up that I'm very excited for!  I've got a good chunk of riffy, heavy metal for you this time, with a few proggy groups for good measure.  Check these out!

After enjoying their last album Let There Be Nothing, I'm certainly interested in what power/prog band Judicator doing next.  This track is definitely out there, though, with some horns, some old hammond organs, and a strange reference to a mid-2000s romance film.  Still, it wasn't boring!  

While there are a few other metal bands with the name Whirlwind, this one is so new, it doesn't even have a page on Metal Archives yet!  US Power Metal is the style here, with its gritty riffing and epic vocals.  It's not doing anything new, but it's doing it well, with some interesting tempo shifts for good measure.  Given the artwork and the album title of "1714," I wonder if this will be a concept album.

Sword are back!  Note that this isn't The Sword, but a different Canadian band that played traditional metal back in the 80s.  I stumbled across them somehow about 10 years ago, and I loved their first album, but I never got to their second one.  However, now that they've got a third one coming out, I suppose it's time to catch up!  Anyways, this single feels like they haven't lost a step, continuing that classic metal sound that made them such a gem.

I wasn't sure if I would hear from this group again, as the first album was kind of a mess, but I guess they had some more ideas they wanted to work out.  At least, right off, the production seems much clearer, while still retaining Sherwood's iconic warmth.  I don't know if I love it, but I'm more optimistic about a follow up than I thought I would be.  It will be interesting to see how it shapes up.

As if his own project and Victory weren't enough, Herman Frank has started another project called Iron Allies.  Bringing over a few folks from Victory, he teams up with vocalist David Reese, who among other things was a singer for Accept for a little while (though not at the same time as Frank was in the band).  In any case, it's another straight-forward dose of mid-tempo metal, with some solid riffing.  Coming in just a few weeks, I know this album is high on my priority list.

After their last album was just okay, Disturbed has come right back to the heaviness for their new album.  Of course, there is no change in their style, but I like their anthemic groove metal sound, and this track shows there is still some gas in the tank for it.

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Creed Retrospective!

So here's an article type I've been thinking about for a while now: going through a band's discography in full and writing a review about each album.  Of course, this isn't something I can do often, but I figured I'd start with a band that I've always enjoyed, and only has a handful of albums: Creed!  For this retrospective, I'll just be focusing on just the four studio albums.

Creed was a band that rode the wave of post-grunge that took over the radio in the late 90s, turning into one of the biggest bands of the moment.  As this style of rock became quite prevalent, Creed eventually became the whipping post for those who didn't care for its radio-friendly variation of the grunge movement, but I think that's been unfair.  Sure, Creed wasn't innovating anything, but at the same time, I think they wrote quite a number of solid rock songs that still hold up quite well.  Let's dig into it.

My Own Prison (1997)

For a small rock band from Florida, this is quite the debut.  This is definitely the rawest the band would ever sound, with the production coming across as a little dirty.  However, it fits the sound of the band at this time, as their riffs were heavier and grittier at this point.  Honestly, some of it is as much as alternative metal as it is post-grunge.

Scott Stapp takes center stage, though, as he is the voice for the song's somber but hopeful tone.  It doesn't matter if the song is slow and acoustic, or riffs out aggressively, his voice is full of authority and character.  I wouldn't say it's quite perfect, as some of the lines are delivered a little stiffly, but for a debut, it's quite a strong and iconic performance.

Of course, much was made of the Christian themes in the lyrics, but I would never consider them preachy, but rather quite introspective, which fits their post-grunge sound very well.  Songs about taking a good hard look at yourself, your mistakes, and your feelings about the world without resorting to whining or tantrums.  It's a controlled frustration that processes itself thoroughly into a form of anthemic relief, making for a very cathartic experience, in my opinion, and it's a feeling the band would carry through the rest of their records.

Overall, I still quite love this album, partially for the grittiness, partially for the dynamics, as songs shift of quieter moments to full-on arena friendly rocking at max volume without losing their theme or character.  Most of the songs are still winners for me, with "Sister" being a bit on the lackluster side.  Seriously a contender for one of the best debut rock albums recorded.

Human Clay (1999)

The big one that brought the band international success.  There is definitely a cleaner, shinier quality to the songs here, probably in an effort to make a more mainstream sounding album, and I won't deny that it certainly worked.  While I do appreciate the shift towards a more arena-filling and radio-friendly sound, I can't deny that it's lost some of the character and honesty that came from their first album.

Human Clay is definitely a broader album, though.  "With Arms Wide Open" might be a power ballad worthy of Journey, but you can't deny the execution as a sweeping, powerful dedication to fatherhood.  "Faceless Man" is probably the band at their most church-like, and features an Arabic vibe, as do a few other tracks.  And the big hit "Higher" shows a brighter side to the band, something that didn't appear much on My Own Prison.  Meanwhile, "What If" is particularly heavy and is probably the track that most resembles their first album.  Other songs with darker themes include "Wrong Way" and "Beautiful," and they both have the riffs to match.

Overall, there's plenty to like here.  The riffs might be a little catchier, and the songs more anthemic, but they haven't lost any of their crunchiness or attitude.  Much of the introspective tone has also been retained, as the lyrics continue to offer reflections of the self, bouncing around concepts like doubt and regret and absolution.  Stapp is definitely more confident here, the band letting his iconic baritone carry the songs for them.

Honestly, I still love "Higher."  It's an elevating song, with the hopeful lyrics backed by some great power chords.  I know when I first heard it on the radio, I was hooked, and Creed quickly became one of my favorite bands.  As for the rest of the album, I like a lot of it, and I do think that it's better overall than My Own Prison just slightly, but it is a bit on the long side for what they have to offer.  Still, a great rock album, even all these years later.

Weathered (2001)

At the height of their popularity, their bassist Brian Marshall ended up having some problems and would end up leaving the band/be fired (it's not completely clear), but this album would be recorded without him, with Mark Tremonti recording both the bass and the guitars.  It's a bit odd as this album is probably my favorite of the first three, as I feel it marries the polish of Human Clay with the grit of My Own Prison very well, making it the best of both worlds.

It kicks right off with two very heavy tracks: "Bullets" and "Freedom Fighter."  The first is straight up alternative metal, very aggressive and powerful.  The second has a 6/8 swing, and may be a bit cheesy, but it's still crunchy and a lot of fun.  "Signs" is almost just as fierce.  On the other hand, "My Sacrifice" and "Stand Here With Me" are great anthemic tracks much like "Higher," and the big, somber ballad "One Last Breath" is solid as well.  "Who's Got My Back Now" is moodier, and quite long for the band, clocking in at over 8 minutes, allowing for some rather proggy shifts in tone and dynamics.  "Weathered" further explores their introspective tone, which the band has mastered by now.  However, after the title track, the album sags for me.  "Don't Stop Dancing" is nice, but doesn't have the same carrying power as the rest of the album.  "Hide" and "Lullaby" feel like after-thoughts.  It's pretty disappointing after 8 strong tracks.

Still, I remember first getting this and being completely blown away, as it was the heaviest stuff I'd heard up to that point (my appreciation for metal would come much later).  I felt like Creed really had it together, with great songs and powerful performances.

However, it was not meant to be.  Stapp's live performances were becoming controversial, and internal tensions in the band caused them to declare in 2004 that they had broken up.  As a consequence, I listened to these three albums to death to the point that I know them like the back of my hand.  I still listen to them regularly, as I think it's solid hard rock that has held up well (though there may be some rose-tinted glasses involved).

Full Circle (2009)

A meaningful album title indeed!  While Tremonti and Phillips would team up with Marshall and singer Myles Kennedy to make Alter Bridge, and Scott Stapp kicked off a solo career, it had seemed like Creed was very much done.  However, by the end of the 2000s, the group brought each other around for another album, which helped inspire its title.

Right off, it seems like we're back into the comfortable shoes of post-grunge.  Scott Stapp is soaring over hard, crunchy riffs, all building their classic atmosphere of cathartic, introspective rock.  However, there is something different about this one that sets it apart from their earlier albums.  It's a little hard to pin down, but I think it has to do with the band's experience in Alter Bridge, making the songs sound a little more complex in structure (and there's definitely more guitar solos in general).  It could also just be the production.  8 years can make a difference in production technology, especially in recent history.

However, it's still a very solid hard rock album.  Stapp still sounds great here, showing some pretty good range between the softer songs and the more aggressive ones.  "Overcome" is a great opener that shows the band hasn't lost any of its power, "Rain" has a very refreshing quality, the title track is solid, and "Time" has a strong, emotional quality to it.  I don't know if I like this one as much as the first three, but I've listened to those three so many times, and I haven't listened to this one as much.  Maybe it will reach the same level as the others as I continue to listen to it.

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From here, the band fell apart again.  There was talk of a fifth album, but that has since been abandoned.  The rest of the band moved on with Alter Bridge and other projects, while Scott Stapp did more solo work, and ended up going through a pretty serious breakdown.  However, it seems he's recovered, doing work with Art of Anarchy, and recently putting out another solo album.

So that's the first of what will be many band retrospectives.  I knew I wanted to start with a band I loved, but didn't have a long discography, and Creed fit the bill very well.  I know it's become a bit of meme to like or hate the band, but I still think their music has weight and relevance after all these years.  I don't know if they will ever get back together again, but if things do fall together again, I know I'll be first in line to hear what they have in store.

Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 2005!

I have to say, writing these Anniversary articles has been fun.  I get to go over stuff I love as well as dig into things I haven't heard before.  This month: 2005.  I admit that my knowledge of what the rock world in general was doing at this time is pretty sparse, but I know what I like, and this year has plenty of melodic rock and metal worth celebrating.

Speaking of which, let's start again with power metal.  A lot of really good albums came out this year for the genre, including the debut of Allen/Lande, a team-up to two very dynamic singers who really lay it on thick.  The album is full of fist-pumping anthems that are blast to hear.  HammerFall would continue their crusades, providing another set of stomping huge songs in Chapter V, namely "Blood Bound," "Fury of the Wild," and "Born to Rule."  And while Stratovarius' history would be pretty bumpy at this point, their self-title release is something of a dark horse in their collection, having some of their best material, in my opinion.

Kamelot would carry on their quality streak with The Black Halo, the second half of a concept album pair based on Faustian legends, and features tons of epic material.  Sabaton would kickstart their military history flavored metal with Primo Victoria, camo pants and all.  And of course, a discussion of power metal in 2005 wouldn't be complete with DragonForce's Inhuman Rampage, featuring the Guitar Hero favorite "Through the Fire and the Flames," and cementing the band as the poster child for the genre.  Admit it, when most people think about power metal now, it's usually DragonForce they think of.

Of course, there was more to 2005 than power metal.  Post-grunge continued to stick around, with 3 Doors Down's opener "Right Where I Belong" from Seventeen Days, and Nickelback showing us that "Photograph" everyone keeps making fun of them for.  Other highlights include Wolfmother's debut, full of Sabbath-y riffs and Deep Purple-y organs, as well as Disturbed finally turning the corner into their now iconic groove metal with Ten Thousand Fists.

To cap off, I want to end with band that may have flown under the radar.  One called Presto Ballet.  Formed by Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, he set out to put together an album that paid homage to classic rock bands of the 70s, taking Yes and Kansas into strongest consideration.  Along with a dedication to more analog recording techniques, their debut album is a very bright and vibrant album that straddles the line between crunchy and prog the way bands like Kansas and Styx did back in their heyday.

So that's another anniversary article in the books.  As usual, the playlist with even more good stuff is posted below, and if I've missed something, shout it out!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Best of 2019 Spotify Playlist!

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to share a quick post, sharing a Spotify playlist I had been working on throughout last year.  It's meant to be a compilation of all the songs that really stood out to me, either from videos or albums I listened to.

Of course, I didn't listen to everything, so I'll still be adding stuff to this list whenever I catch up on something, but I figured I'd share it.  It's a little all over the place, but it works as a nice recap of the last year, which has been quite fun.

Anyways, check it out and rock on!  \m/

New Videos - September 2019!

We're finally getting into fall, and I'm very thankful!  Summer really wears me out, so it's nice to feel things get cooler and crisper again.  But enough about the seasons!  Let's check check out some rock!

Man, if the first two singles for Alter Bridge's new album were good, this is straight up epic!  It starts off kinda soft but then hits you with a massive riff and just gets bigger from there! Great piece of hard rock!

Visions of Atlantis is another symphonic metal band, going for that epic, dramatic sound.  While I know there are a lot of bands like this, this song shows some promise, having a bit of a folky vibe and keeping things accessible and melodic.  

Northtale once again bringing that classic power metal sound, like it's 1999 all over again!  With shades of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica, this is right up my alley.  I really need to around to listening to this album!

It's been a while since we talked about First Signal, but here's a newer one from them and it's another great AOR rocker!  They're really going for a big, epic sound on this one, and the chorus is very catchy.  Who knew the end of the world would be so uplifting?

More Twilight Force!  If you've heard these guys before, you know the drill: epic vocals, fast guitar leads, symphonic swells, and cheesy fantasy lyrics!!  Seriously, despite the low-budget vibe of the video, this is fun stuff!

Here's another one from The Defiants!  Once again, they have that great 80s, Bryan Adams vibe: big chords while still having that laid-back, summery feel.  Just turn it up, put the card in cruise-control, and soak it in!

Last Played - December 2018

Well, it's time for another one of these! Once again, these are just gonna be mini-reviews for what I've been listening to lately. Now that we're getting into December, the holidays are starting to creep into my playlists, but that doesn't mean we can't still rock out!

Kamelot - Dominion

Ahhhh, pre-Khan Kamelot. Their first two albums are a pair of peculiar albums, straddling the line between progressive metal and early power metal. While not bad material on its own (I quite like “We Are Not Separate”), and vocalist Mark Vanderbilt gives a passionate performance, it's hard not to see this as merely foreshadowing to the material Kamelot would produce later when Khan joined them. Again, only recommendable to Kamelot completionists.

Savatage - Fight For the Rock

Before orchestral arrangements and internationally successful Christmas albums, Savatage was another metal band just trying to break out. While they had gotten a bit of a following with their first few albums, this is the one that saw them really trying to get that MTV attention, mostly at the direction of their record label. As such, most members of the band don't have anything good to say about it.

Which is a shame because I think this stuff still has some decent tunes. Chris Oliva always had a slick riff and his brother Jon's voice remains powerful and dramatic. While the songs might be shallow, they're played well, proving that talent can shine through, even when they might not be giving 100%.

Judas Priest - Sin After Sin 

Early Judas Priest is always a peculiar listen. With their third album, we get more of their transition away from progressive blues rock into the heavy metal sound that would make them famous. It’s still a little rough and loose, but there are a few gems here. While their cover of “Diamonds and Rust” remains an old classic, I was particularly impressed with “Sinner” and “Call For The Priest” this time around.

However, there are a couple of ballads that feel kinda tepid and bring the album down for me, and while “Dissident Aggressor” is an inspiration for the thrashers to come later, I think I prefer Slayer’s version more. Still, it’s not a bad album, and you really get to hear most (if not all) of Rob Halford’s range as a singer.

Disturbed - Evolution

Disturbed has turned into an interesting band. After riding on the nu metal bandwagon, they morphed themselves into something more of a groove-laden alternative metal. While some critics argue that they haven’t changed much since Ten Thousand Fists, but there’s something to be said for sticking to a style that works, and I’m not ashamed to admit that they’ve turned into a pretty good rock band.

However, with this, their latest release, it does feel like more of the same (despite what the title may imply). There are some solid Disturbed-style rockers with “Are You Ready” and “The Best Ones Lie,” but the real surprise is three acoustic ballads. Perhaps they’re trying to expand on the softer side they showed with their last album’s sleeper hit cover of “Sound of Silence,” but it does feel weird to have things slow down so often on a Disturbed record. I’ll probably need to spin them a few more times to really decide how I feel about them.

Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas

I don’t care what anyone says, this is a Christmas classic! I can’t believe this album is over 10 years old now! I remember heard about it, I couldn’t quite believe what they had done. Now that it’s been so long, I can’t imagine a Christmas without it! I love the tongue-in-cheek humor about it, while still providing solid rock music! (Of course, it helps that they lifted some pretty good riffs!)

My favorites from this album are “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” mostly because of the fake intro, and “Silver Bells,” which has a really great bass solo! While Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s material is also a staple for this time of year, it’s Twisted Sister’s album that really lights me up and makes the season feel fun again!