Well, things really slowed down here at the end of the year. I admit my health got a bit rough for December, but I was still listening to stuff, old and new! Here's what I've been listening to lately!
Darkwater - Human
After being so impressed with their singles they released back in February, I finally took the time to listen to their whole album, and was satisfied to learn that the rest is almost just as good. While listening to it, the riffing and noodling of the guitars and keys were much like Dream Theater, the wall of sound and emotional tone similar to Evergrey, with the dramatic flair and character that of Kamelot (especially in the vocals!).
That’s not to say the band doesn’t have a sound of their own. Much of their tone has more of a repentant, striving, returning-home vibe (as opposed to Evergrey’s juxtaposition of hope and despair), giving their dark moods and chunky riffs a driving feeling with a lot of momentum. The opening “A New Beginning” really sets the tone, with other tracks just building on it from there. “Reflection of a Mind” has some very good, abstract story-telling, and “Light of Dawn” is a great, triumphant closer.
If there are any issues, it’s that they really do stick to one tone and one tempo the whole time, and anyone expecting any musical explorations beyond the likes of Dream Theater or DGM may be disappointed. However, this didn’t bother me, as I’m more interested in execution than I am in innovation, and this is a really well-made and well-realized album. Just plain solid!
Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World
As I’m listening to new stuff, I’m also taking the time to fill in some gaps in my music experience, and Blind Guardian is a big one! You’d think, with my love of all things power metal that I’d be completely into this band, but I’ve only listened to a bit of their early stuff.
To fix this, I threw on their third album, Tales From The Twilight World. First of, this really is a continuation of the speedy, thrashy style from their first two albums, but I can hear the subtle shifts towards the familiar power metal sound, mostly in songs like “Welcome to Dying” and “The Last Candle.” They also dabble in more proggy song-writing, particularly with “Lost in the Twilight Hall.” And while fantasy is not unfamiliar material with the band, they really do dig into literature for this album, building songs off of Dune, Steven King, Dragonlance, and Lord of the Rings (with a ballad, naturally).
As for the music, Hansi Kürsch really is undeniable. His vocals are so iconic and so strong, carrying the songs along at full volume. The guitars and drums are solid as well, if not as memorable, pounding along at a furious pace. I don’t know if this is material I will go back to often, but it’s easy to see this as one of the many prototypes of power metal before the genre took off in the mid 90s.
Iron Savior - Kill Or Get Killed
After enjoying their various singles throughout the year, I finally put in the full album, and right from the get-go, it’s full-speed ahead!! Iron Savior has been blasting power metal since the heydays of the late 90s with a focus on science fiction storytelling, and this latest album shows no slowing down!
To be honest, there really isn’t any real innovation to be heard. This really does feel like a sci-fi Blind Guardian, and a lot of that has to do with Piet Sielck’s vocals sound a lot like Hansi Kürsch. The guitars and drums crunch along as one would expect, with plenty of vocal harmonies in the choruses and dual guitar solos. It’s all pretty standard stuff.
Despite this, I can’t deny I enjoy the heck out of this! I’m not sure what it is about the Germans, but they have a knack for crafting catchy melodies to go along with their riffs, and making things unbelievably epic! Stand out songs include the title track, “Roaring Thunder,” “Stand Up and Fight,” “Heroes Ascending,” and “Never Stop Believing.” Just plain great power metal!
Vanilla Fudge - Vanilla Fudge
Just like when I decided to review a Caravan album, I had a headache one day and in the mood to lose myself in some new music, so I decided to listen to Vanilla Fudge’s debut album. I had been a little aware of their unique style of psychedelic rock, but after listening to this, I really got a feel for how they do things.
And how they do things is to have a massive hammond organ, strong vocal harmonies, and a slower pace that allows them to really feel the groove and explore around, often filling in gaps with drum fills, noodly mini-solos, and other jam-styled bits. That being said, they do feature some interesting variety. “People Get Ready” has near-church-like vibe, like a hymn, while their classic “You Keep Me Hanging On” is an absolute banger when they get going, and their version of "Eleanor Rigby" is very haunting. It’s not the tightest of performances, but it does have a very live sound for a studio album, really showing how well connected and fluid they are. These guys must have been amazing live.
Doing mostly covers is an interesting choice, but they really do make the songs their own with their half-tempo style and psychedelic chops. The result is a raw, hard-rocking jam of an album that’s more interested in playing it loud without losing the groove.
Well, this will likely be the last article I do for the year. It's been an interesting year, though, as I got to listen to and discover a lot of new bands and music. There are some things I want to do differently, maybe be less focused on new releases, but I do intend to carry on, one way or another.
First of all, I do think I'll do a Top 5 list for what I did listen to from last year. I'm also thinking about doing some retrospectives of a given band's discography. Otherwise, I'll keep doing what I'm doing.
I hope you've all had a good holidays, and I'll see you next year! Until then, rock on! \m/
