Last Played - December 2022 Part Three!

Alright!  I got this in before the end of the year!  I've definitely got a good mix of things for this last review article of the year, going from rock to metal and back again.  Here's what I've been jamming to cap off 2022!

Alter Bridge - Pawns and Kings

While I knew that Alter Bridge had a new album coming out, as I checked out the singles, none of them really impressed me too much.  However, it did show that the album was going to be quite a bit darker than Walk the Sky which I enjoyed quite a bit, though I suppose "Last Rites" did tease this would be happening.  In any case, their new album definitely shifts their sound into some darker and heavier territory, with some mixed results.

It's the production that really gives these guitars their weight as they slug their way through their riffs song after song.  Mark Tremonti must have found some new heavy tones he likes because he certainly gets a lot of use out them.  Sometimes the riffs are pretty catchy and groovy, such as with the first handful of tracks "This Is War," "Dead Among the Living," and "Silver Tongue."  However, other songs have some pretty jarring riffs, like in "Holiday" and "Last Man Standing."  They also include an 8-minute epic with "Fable of the Silent Son," which features all kinds of riffing, some of which feel a bit djenty at times.  I'm sure fans of Tremonti's guitar work will find plenty to chew on, but it does give the album this strange tension.  Sure, there are some lighter songs like "Stay" and "Season of Promise," but they almost feel like an after-thought compared to the heaviness of the rest of the album.

That isn't to say that I think the album is bad, it's just that I didn't immediately connect with it the way I did with their last one.  Of course, given that I haven't really listened to all of Alter Bridge's albums, it is possible that they've been this dark and heavy before.  In any case, there is still plenty to enjoy.  Myles Kennedy is still singing his heart out, and Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips remain a solid rhythm section that isn't afraid to shift gears whenever the song calls for it.  I think I enjoyed "Silver Tongue," "Sin After Sin," and "Fable of the Silent Son" the most from this album, but I do think it may take a few more listens to really unpack everything that the guitars are doing.  This one could be a grower, in the end.

Whirlwind - 1714

Sometimes you just need some straight-ahead metal about an 18th century conflict in Spain, right?  Okay, maybe that's a little specific, but outside of this album's theme, this is some pretty solid traditional metal that's more about the energy and epicness than anything else.  It might not be the cleanest or tightest performances, but the passion and momentum make this album a pretty fun listen.

The band seem to be going for a curious mix of US power metal and more Germanic metal like Accept or Running Wild.  The songs go back and forth mid-song between high speed affairs and slower stompers, and they occasionally bring out some 6/8 to add another layer of epicness.  The production feels a little muddy, sort of like a typical 80s metal release from a smaller band, but it seems to only add to the charm.  The vocals do feel a little buried though, which is a bit of a shame because Héctor Llauradó is really giving his all and I kinda wish I could hear him a little more clearly, especially with those harmonies.  The guitar work is solid, though, often providing some decent riffing and great, Maiden-like melodies, and most everything else is just a bit sloppy in a way that makes the performances feel so classic.

I don't know if much of the album stands out as it's generally pretty solid across the board.  I did like "Rebels Arise!", "Echoes of Time," and "Gallows Tithe" quite a bit, but the opening intro track doesn't really add much.  In any case, if you're looking for something that not only has a lot of the old-school style and energy, but adds an old-school production on top like it was recorded in 1985 (and I mean that in a good way), this album should be a high priority for you.

Fallen Sanctuary - Terranova

Featuring the talents of Temperance and bringing in the vocal giant Georg Neuhauser from Serenity, Fallen Sanctuary's debut album seems to have the pieces in place for some excellent power metal.  While there are some highlights, the album doesn't seem to maintain its momentum very well.

Starting off, the title track kicks right into high gear, giving me a strong classic era Sonata Arctica vibe, and works as a great opener.  Later tracks "Destiny" and "No Rebirth" have some of the same energy.  However, they don't keep that energy, instead shaking it up with some mid-tempo songs that feel more akin to AOR material.  Songs like "Broken Dreams," "To the Top," and "Trail of Destruction" in particular have some of that melodic rock style, though there's enough metal underneath it that it doesn't feel completely out of place.  There are also two tracks "I Can't Stay" and "Wait For Me" that are completely acoustic (though the first does have some piano), making them more like ballads to some extent.  They aren't bad songs by any means, but compared to the high-speed opener, it does feel like they had three styles and couldn't decide which they preferred.  Even if these style changes, the album does sound very samey towards the back half, where it feels like they're reusing a lot of the same vocal and riff rhythms.

For what it's worth, I do think the songs are well performed.  Neuhauser gives a solid vocal performance, and I think the other band members come to provide some good harmonies.  The guitar work from Marco Pastorino is decent as well, playing some good riffs and solos across the board.  I think what happened is that, after being excited by the two singles, I got my hopes up.  So when the album just kinda fizzled on me the more I listened to it, I felt underwhelmed.  It's certainly not a bad effort, but in a genre that has so many talented bands, this one doesn't do as much as it could to stand out from the pack.

Black Swan - Generation Mind

When I finally got to Black Swan's debut album Shake the World, I though it was decent melodic hard rock, but outside of a few songs, it didn't really leave much of an impact on me.  After I saw they were doing a follow-up, I was certainly curious, but when I heard the singles, they didn't feel like anything special.  Still, I wanted to give this a fair shake, and now that I've sat down with the album, I'm surprised to discover just how much I like it!

Right off, I do think the songwriting is better across the board.  The last album did have some weird extended outros and the songs did get a little samey, but here, I think they use their time much better, with some tighter arrangements and ideas.  They also do a pretty good job shaking things up, sometimes pushing the tempo up, and other times letting it settle into a mid-tempo groove.  While Robin McAuley still does a great job belting out the lyrics, I think it's guitarist Reb Beach who really steals the show this time.  His solos are as solid as ever, and he's come up with some pretty interesting riffs, not only drawing upon his Whitesnake experience, but may have been inspired by the likes of Dio's work, as many of the songs lean into those anthemic qualities.  I even thought of Van Halen and Herman Frank a few times!  Just a lot of solid, hard rocking tunes!

While the opening intro track doesn't do much other than provide some ambience, things kick off quite well with "She Hides Behind."  Following up is "Generation Mind" with more of a classic AOR style, and "Eagles Fly," which has a neat 6/8 groove and may be inspired by the classic sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds!  Other stand out tracks include "Miracle" and "Long Way Down."  I especially liked how "Long Way Down" suddenly sped up in the outro!  Overall, this is definitely an improvement, with a lot of great songs that allow this talented group to really shine.

Sword - III

As I mentioned in my review of their second album, Sword is a band I just stumbled across and feel in love with.  Now, after 34 years, Sword are back with their third album.  After enjoying their first two singles, I admit I was eagerly anticipating the rest.  While they still retain their iconic sound, starting off with some solid tracks, the album seems to lose a lot of steam in the back half, unfortunately.

The first three tracks set a very good tone, with "Bad Blood" bringing back all the staples of the band's sound.  There's very punchy riff, backed by some good energy from the rhythm section, and Rick Hughes is just soaring over it all.  "(I Am) In Kommand" carries that energy further, and "Dirty Pig" slows things down for a more stomping, chugging vibe.  The production is solid as well, giving these guitars almost a thrashy feel, letting Mike Plant's guitar work really shine once again.  I seriously think he has to be one of the most underappreciated guitarists still around!

However, at this point, the album loses a lot of its momentum.  "Surfacing" is a curious instrumental track that features 90 seconds of guitar ambience.  It's alright, but doesn't seem to do much, other than set up the next track "Unleashing Hell," which is a decent rocker but doesn't really hit the same level of quality as the earlier tracks.  This is followed up by "Spread the Pain" and "Took My Chances," both of which were pretty underwhelming.  While the riffing was still good and the vocals still soared, something about the songs felt a little empty or jarring, as they didn't really click for me.  Fortunately, the album closes with a "Not Me, No Way," which brings back a lot of the energy from the beginning, using some interesting 7/4 sections to shake things up.

But this also brings me to another point: this album is short!  While I wasn't expecting any kind of prog epics, this album barely gets going, and I kind of wish there were a few more tracks to it, especially now that the band doesn't have to work within the space limitations of vinyl records.  Still, what's here is decent enough, especially those first three tracks, and I'm glad to see the guys are still together all these years and still know how to write a killer metal track or two.  Maybe they can use this album to spur them on to do more work, as I'd love to see what they might do in the future.

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Well, that wraps things up for the year, at least as articles are concerned.  Now I gotta figure out my Top 5 for the year, so I'll be spending next month working that out.  (I might even consider doing a Top 10!  We'll have to see.)

I decided not to do a videos article for this month, as things did get kinda busy for me.  However, I do plan on carrying on into the next year with more of the same things I've been doing, so look forward to that.  Next year is already shaping up to have some pretty fascinating releases, such as a new Lovebites, another Rick Wakeman project, and Metallica of course!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - November 2022!

As the year comes to a close, I'm realizing that there are a lot of albums I want to catch up on!  While I won't go as overboard as I did last year in try to listen to as many albums as possible, I foresee at least a few more Last Played articles before 2022 finishes, starting with this one.  Featuring a decent mix of rock and metal, here's what I've been listening to lately.

Megadeth - The Sick, The Dying... And the Dead!

While I don't cover thrash metal too often, there are a few bands that I feel qualify for this blog, and this is certainly one of the biggest ones.  While Megadeth can be kind of hit-and-miss for me, I did like their last album Dystopia quite a bit. So was I certainly curious when their follow up would be, all these years later.  Of course, between now and then, they certainly hit some setbacks, including Dave's cancer and a scandal that caused a quick change in bassists (otherwise known as a Tuesday in Megadeth's chaotic history), but they still came out swinging.

Right off, you get another slab of good guitar riffs, melodies, and solos, but you knew that by looking at the name on the cover.  This album definitely brings back in some of the classic experimentation, though, with shifts in tempo and tone halfway through some of these songs, "Dogs of Chernobyl" and "Mission to Mars" being prime examples.  The lyrics are the typical Mustaine topics of social commentary and personal struggles, so those familiar with the band's catalog won't find many surprises, overall.  Even when Ice-T shows up on "Night Stalkers," it almost feels like an afterthought than any kind of true change-up.

I'm sure the fans will be (and have been) pleased with the band's newest effort, but if you haven't caught the Megadeth bug, this album won't change your mind.  While I think it's about as good as Dystopia, that one was very straight-forward and streamlined.  The Sick, The Dying... and the Dead broadens the songwriting out much like some of their classic 80s material, making it probably the more interesting than the last one.  I quite liked the title track, the thrashy "Life In Hell," and the sarcastic "Célebutante."  Overall, it's a decent collection of melodic thrash that carries on the band's legacy well, but doesn't really do much more than that.

Sword - Sweet Dreams

I think I stumbled across this band watching some old 80s music videos, and came across their video for "F.T.W." from their first album, Metalized.  When I dug up the rest of that album, I found it to be a really solid chunk of traditional metal.  However, I had neglected their second album, and with their third album on the horizon, I figured I had some catching up to do.  As it turns out, this is a very curious and fascinating follow-up to their debut.

Right off, there are a few things that stand out.  First is that the production is a little cleaner.  While they don't dip into glam territory, you can tell they were able to work with some better equipment.  However, their sound is a chunky as every, with plenty of beefy riffs.  The next thing I noticed is that, while the Metalized did embrace a lot of metal tropes and mainly stayed in a US power metal style, this album is definitely more diverse, as if the band was searching to broaden their horizons a little.  The first half of the album, including the title track opener, is actually slower and doomier, reminiscent of Cirith Ungol.  It's not until you get to their fifth and sixth tracks ("Prepare to Die" and "Caught in the Act") do we get anything like the speed and aggression of their first album.  Then, after those, things definitely take a divergence as "Until Death Do Us Part" has this 6/8 swing step, with a lot of bluesy licks.  "The Threat" sees the band get a little proggy, making me think of early Savatage, and the final track "State of Shock" is more of a punk rock song, with a d-beat stomping out the rhythm.  The lyrics also move towards social commentary, not unlike Megadeth (coincidentally enough).

Despite all these shifts in style, though, they definitely still sound like Sword.  Rick Hughes is wailing his guts out, and he sounds great.  However, the best performance has to go to Mike Plant on guitars.  Not only are the riffs interesting and catchy, but the solos are incredible as he shreds his fingers to pieces!  Guitar fans will find plenty to like on this, I think.

Overall, I think it's a decent album.  I'm not sure it's as good as Metalized, but I probably need to spin this several more times to really decide, as this album has a lot to unpack.  The tracks that stood out to me are the title track, "The Trouble Is," "Prepare to Die," and "Caught in the Act."  While I think they did lose a bit of the menace from the first album, Sweet Dreams shows a band willing to explore and push their sound into new territory without messing with what worked from the new album, with some interesting and enjoyable results.

Black Swan - Shake the World

Despite enjoying the singles for this album back in 2020, it kinda fell off my radar until they announced a follow up for 2022, so I decided to give this Frontiers-style supergroup a serious listen. With Robin McAuley on vocals and Reb Beach (co-founder of Winger and currently with Whitesnake as well), this album revels in that late 80s hard rock sound, where some of the pop metal bands shifted into bluesier territory.  

The album starts off with the singles, with "Shake the World" and "Big Disaster doing a great job of setting the tone, and the rest of the songs carry that through to the end.  The rhythm section of Jeff Pilson and Matt Starr perform well, but McAuley definitely steals the show with his soaring vocals.  Beach's guitar solos range from bluesy to shreddy, serving the songs quite well.  However, one problem that does kind of plague the album is that most of these songs have some pretty long outros.  I suppose they give the song some room, as well as some time for Beach to throw in a few more licks, but they mostly seemed to just stretch the songs out.  The one exception to that is "The Rock That Rolled Away," which ends up being quite the mini-epic.  After the second chorus, the song shifts into a bridge that first throws down a heavy riff, before changing over to a choir of vocals, building the song quite well into an outro that's quite a solid jam.

As always, reviewing these retro rock bands is always tough because they're definitely aiming for a specific target, and they quite often hit their mark.  For what it's worth, there are very few keyboards, so those who prefer their hard rock to be more guitar-focused will find a lot to like here.  Followers of the individual members of the band will likely enjoy this as being more of their respective catalogs.  Perhaps not the most exciting album, it serves up a solid slab of 80s-styled rockers, meant to please the fans, if nothing else.

Allen/Olzon - Army of Dreamers

When this project first came together, I enjoyed their first album quite a bit.  However, I wasn't certain if this was going to be a one-off thing or not, so it was with quite some delight when I discovered they were working on a follow-up.  While I liked their three singles, much of the album remains in the symphonic metal template they established with the first album.

That's not to say it's a straight-up carbon copy of what the project had done before.  First of all, Karlsson's arrangements are certainly broader, really getting some interesting work in the orchestrations and layers, and his guitar work is solid as ever.  While his solos alternate nicely between shreddy and melodic, I feel like he upped the game on some of those riffs, giving them quite the Primal Fear crunch.  Another interesting difference is that the two singers sing on all the songs this time, instead of having some songs feature only one of the singers, which makes the album feel more whole, I think.  In any case, both of them give a great performance, singing with gusto and power, though I do think Allen sometimes gets buried a little among all the layers.

While the first album was certainly a solid start, it definitely felt like a collection of songs, while Army of Dreamers feels more like a cohesive album, where the songs are stronger together.  Of course, it remains very comfortably within the symphonic metal genre, with very few surprises for fans, but it's very well executed.  Cheesy, bombastic, and making good use of the talents on board, this project demonstrates that it has plenty of power and majesty all the way through Army of Dreamers.  Here's hoping for a third album!

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To be honest, I don't think I've found my obvious choice for the best of 2022.  This might be like 2020 where my Top 5 was quite the struggle to pull together and organize.  Still, there are some great albums I haven't gotten to that could be contenders.  I've got Dragonland, Disturbed, Iron Allies, Alter Bridge, and plenty of others on my list to check out, so keep an eye out for those in the future.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - June 2020 Part Two!

I'm glad I was able to get this last one in at the end of June.  Things have been a little all over the place this month, but there's just so much to cover!  Anyways, a lot of artists make a comeback in this one, but when they keep cranking out the good stuff, how can I turn it down?!

This is One Desire's second single from their new album, and I'm impressed!  Here, we see them get a little darker in their sound, but they haven't abandoned what made them great: catchy melodies and André Linman's great vocals.  I should probably push their second album much higher on my "to listen" list!

Course of Fate apparently have been around for a while, but they've finally released their debut this year, and this single shows a lot of promise.  Featuring more of a contemplative sound than most other prog metal bands, they still keep things sounding melodic and epic, with some very solid and deliberate song-writing.

From another album I still need to listen to, Olzon takes the lead on this one, making a great piece of symphonic metal.  Backed by some more solid guitar work by Magnus Karlsson, this album doesn't seem to have any bad tracks!

I've featured Black Swan on here before, and this is just more of the same kind of stuff that puts a big smile on my face.  Robin McAuley's great vocals, backed by huge riffs, and and solid melodic solo from guitarist Reb Beach.  Another rocker from a band that seems to be full of them.

Yup, more from this band.  I really like this style of crunchy-but-melodic prog metal.  It's not too excessive, but still very creative and dynamic, all while providing an epic sound with soaring vocals and crunchy riffs.  I guess I'm just a sucker for this kind of stuff!  Anyways, good song!  Check it out!

Yeah, I did these guys last time as well, but they're just keep providing solid melodic rock.  These guys really have a iconic sound, even under all the 80s touches, and it's just straight-forward rock and roll.  Can't go wrong with that!!

New Videos - February 2020 Part Two!

It's that time again!  This one's definitely all over the place, genre-wise, but it's all great stuff, I promise!  Here's what I've come across this time.

Let's start off with another Beast in Black song to rock your face off!  They really have found that magic balance between power metal epicness and synth-pop energy, each side supporting the other.  Just plain huge!

Yup, another one from Archon Angel.  I'm really feeling the Trans-Siberian Orchestra vibes on this one, making for another epic entry in this week's list.  Zak Stevens really is an underrated singer!

Well, this was a surprise!  When the song started, I thought I know what the first riff was gonna sound like, so when they laid out that swing-step riff, I was totally caught off guard!  Sticking with the groove and keeping things heavy, Dynazty provides something that feels very fresh indeed!

Candlemass find themselves with a new EP and a new singer!  Actually, they've brought back the singer from their very first album, Johan Längqvist, and he sounds great!  Backed by the band's iconic riffs, they sound as huge as ever!  I should really listen to more of this band!

H.E.A.T. provides another great 80s rocker!  This one is definitely more metal than "Rise," giving me some really strong Dokken or Europe vibes.  Solid riffs and vocals, without sacrificing any of the melody, this one demands to be turned up to 11!

Let's end with another rocker from a bunch of 80s masters.  Black Swan really come out swinging with this one, making the classic metal riffs sound fresh and energetic.  I certainly wish this style of much could "shake the world!"

New Videos - January 2020 Part Two!

Going through some new videos, I found a bunch more I wanted to share, so this article came together quicker than I anticipated!!  A lot of retro stuff here, so kick back and get nostalgic!!

Robin McAuley is no stranger to good hard rock, and here we see him with a few other big rockers to give us a wall of sound like it's still the late-80s!  Robin really shines on this one, so if you're wondering where he's headed now, this isn't a bad direction to go!

Motorhead may be done as a band, but their influence is eternal, and Pain City are here to carry the torch.  While they may not be alone, it's still a fun style, and these guys rock it pretty well.

More AOR!  This one is huge, with great synths and massive guitar riffs.  With vocals from Dennis Ward, this is quality melodic rock with a solid crunch!

Serenity is a band I've stumbled across a number of times, but I really should spend more time with them.  Their symphonic power metal style has strong Kamelot vibes, and even the dash of harsh vocals only adds to the epicness on display here.

W.E.T. once again finds its way onto the blog, bringing another great hard rock banger!  Full of crunch and bolstered by Jeff Scott Soto's voice, this one is a definite must-listen track!!

Allen/Lande was a unique combination that resulting in some very solid metal.  Here, frontier records wants to make that same magic happen, this time teaming Russell Allen up with Anette Olzon, and they've succeeded!  Can't go wrong with epic metal featuring huge vocals!!