Here's the problem: there are too many albums I want to listen to, and not enough time to listen to them all. Maybe if this were a full-time job, I could do it, but I'm definitely not to that level at all. Still, I wanted to at least give some time to all things I listened to, even if it wasn't as much attention as the albums in my regular Last Played articles, so here are a bunch of mini-reviews. To be honest, it's a lot of bands carrying on their sound, resulting in a lot of albums that were good, but not amazing. Here's the rest of what I listened to for 2023!
Vega has been an interesting band to follow. I started with Only Human, which I loved for it's cheesy 80s anthemic rocking. Grit Your Teeth saw the band keep their style but loosen up in a good way. However, Anarchy and Unity felt like a shift into more 90s or 2000s alternative rock. It wasn't bad, but certainly different. So how is Battlelines? It's pretty similar to Grit Your Teeth, honestly. The production isn't as thick as it was on Only Human, but otherwise, it's another solid set of melodic hard rock. The opener "Heroes and Zeroes," and "Embrace the Grey" have some good energy in particular.
This is one I wish I could have given more time, as their last album was my number one choice for 2020. However, it's hard to deny that Life isn't more of the same as what was on Tragic Separation. Of course, this means more chunky, syncopated riffing in the guitars, more catchy, AOR-style choruses, and more great soaring vocals from Mark Basile. This is clear from the beginning as they start with their lead single, and the rest of the tracks carry on just like that. Sure, they shake it up here and there with some clean piano or an a cappella section, and they throw on some appropriate synths for "Neuromancer," but otherwise, they remain pretty consistent. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that stood out compared to what I've heard them do before.
After Lamenting of the Innocence blew me away a few years ago, I knew I had to keep an eye out for what Sorcerer would do next. Once again, we are back into the weird blend of big doomy riffs and melodic shredding solos. This time, I feel like there's an increase in classic metal (which maybe isn't a surprise after doing an EP of covers during the lockdown). I continually got vibes of Judas Priest, Saxon, and Rainbow, which were blended very well into their wall-of-sound approach to doom. Anders Engberg soars over everything, and Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren bring another excellent set of heavy riffs and shreddy solos. If there is a difference, I feel like the songs are more uplifting and heroic. It's not something across the album, but I did pick up on it here and there, and I found it pretty refreshing, actually. While I don't think it's quite as good as Lamenting, it's about on par with The Crowning of the Fire King and is another solid release from a band who clearly has their own stamp on the epic doom genre.
This is the new project by Christian Eriksson, formerly of NorthTale and Twilight Force. Bringing along a few mates from NorthTale, this group sets out to do power metal in a very classic way. I know I enjoyed two of their singles, and I'm hearing everything from Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Edguy to even bits of Hammerfall and Stratovarius. Eriksson sounds solid, and the guitarwork by Martin Floberg is full of noodly shredding and uptempo riffing. While they do change things up, occasionally having a mid-tempo stomper, it's mostly high speed, double-bass-kicking anthems. "Finding Pieces" and "Freedom" remain as good songs, and I also enjoyed the closer "Turn of the Tide." However, this year has had some excellent power metal, so I will have to give it a few more listens to decide how well it stacks with the competition.
Eclipse makes no major changes, but why fix what isn't broken? While Paradigm remains my favorite of theirs, this is another solid set of rock songs, though they have pushed more in an anthemic direction (if a song simply named "Anthem" wasn't a clue already!). However, in an effort to sound big, I think they've lost some of the meat, especially since the opening tracks do feel a little lackluster. They even lean into pop punk a little with songs like "Got It" and "The Broken." However, things pick up with "Children of the Night," starting with a riff that could have come from Bark at the Moon, and the second half of the album gets back into some solid rocking. Overall, they haven't fallen into a slump as they continue to provide good, energetic tunes.
After enjoying two of the singles, this album is certainly a solid follow-up to their debut, carrying on their Thin-Lizzy-meets-Blue-Oyster-Cult style of rock. However, some of Russ Tippins' NWOBHM background has slipped in, as I sometimes thought of Iron Maiden's Killers, with some galloping guitar rhythms. Still, their of 70s fantasy lyrics powered by cosmic descriptions still makes them feel like something from another time. Tippins provides plenty of old-school fretwork on his guitar, and Cindy Maynard continues her role of vocal counter point, though this album has a lot more of them singing together. While a few songs get into some proggy or atmospheric sections, most of the album has a lot of solid, straight-on rock, making for a pretty consistent listen. I don't know if this is better or worse than their debut, as it's close, but this certainly confirms what they started, making them a pretty unique band in the current rock music landscape.
