Anniversary Series - 1999!

This article should be better than the last one, even if it means I gush about power metal most of the time, but it was great year for that genre.  After HammerFall had opened the gates, tons of new bands got signed, making it a ripe year for fans of the style.  However, I promise I'll talk a little bit about other genres, and we'll kick things off with some hard rock.

The big album of the year was definitely Creed's Human Clay.  Between the Matrix cameras in the music video and the anthemic post-grunge sound, this was when Creed cracked into the mainstream and became a big name.  I remember hearing "Higher" on the radio and thinking I needed more of this band.  I ended up loving them so much, they ended up being my first band retrospective article three years ago (the fact that they had such a small discography certainly helped as well.)

Other rock highlights include a few bands coming back in one form or another.  Def Leppard got back to their classic sound with Euphoria, Styx tried to make another concept album for Brave New World, and Santana teamed-up with Rob Thomas to give us "Smooth."  Classic rock might not have been the charting success it once was, but they still had plenty of good ideas and fun music.

I've delayed it long enough, though.  Power metal was really strong this year, with plenty of options to pick up.  Primal Fear came back with Jaws of Death, Gamma Ray and Iron Savior carried on their space crusade (which I reviewed earlier this month), Kamelot went into their Fourth Legacy now with epic vocalist Roy Khan helping with the songwriting, Edguy criticized the Theater of Salvation., and Helloween pulled out a Metal Jukebox for some interesting covers.

There were some solid debuts.  Freedom Call started their happy style of metal with Stairway to Fairyland, Metalium rang in the year with Millennium Metal, and Sonata Arctica blew everyone away with their debut Ecliptica.  With magnificent songs like "Kingdom for a Heart" and "Unopened," it was clear they were poised to become a champion of the second wave of power metal.

Of course, prog was making good stuff as well.  Dream Theater would reach a creative peak with their psychodrama Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, Alan Parsons would check out The Time Machine, and Yes would blow my teenage mind away with The Ladder.  I've gushed about this album before.  Despite being 25 years old now, I still sing along to every word and note and beat whenever I put it on.  Honestly a modern prog rock masterpiece in my opinion.

So there's my thoughts on a pretty dang good year of rock and metal.  As always, check out the playlist below for more, recommend what I missed in the comments, and try to stay cool out there!  August is looking to be a hot and busy month for me, as I have a lot of album reviews planned, so keep an eye out for those.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Last Played - December 2020!

December already!  As winter settles in, I thought I'd listen to some classic stuff before I got back into current releases.  This article certainly has an odd mix, as it features the last of a legendary band, a significant transition for another renowned band, and the debut of a power metal band that might not be as famous, but certainly holds a reputation of its own.  Here's I've listened to lately!

Led Zeppelin - Coda

After John Bonham passed away, the band decided to call it a day and move on, as the idea of going forward as Led Zeppelin without him didn't make sense to them.  However, they did see that bootleg copies of their concerts were still being bought and sold, so Page decided to give the fans one last collection of songs by pulling together various live and outtake tracks from across their career into a compilation that would work as a bookend to their legacy.

The result is quite the hodgepodge of material.  The first half is definitely the bluesier of the two, feature two covers from classic blues artists.  "We're Gonna Groove" has some pretty funky and jazzy riffs, while "I Can't Quit You Baby" has some great solos and playing from Bonham and Page.  The second half is mostly outtakes from the band's last album In Through the Out Door, along with a drum solo.  The three outtakes are okay, not much different than the quality of stuff on ITtOD, with "Wearing and Tearing" being a reaction to punk rock, as the band tries to prove they still have chops.

Unfortunately, much of the album is marred by an odd mix that seems to make Plant sound like he's in a tunnel.  Perhaps Page was just throwing on what they had around, so they didn't get much polish, but I don't know if proper production would have improved things much.  At least Bonham gets one last good performance on "Bonzo's Montreux," featuring solid playing and some interesting drum effects.  Honestly, the best track is "Walter's Walk," as the band sound the most alive.  It has an interesting groove and a lot of energy, definitely reminiscent of the band's heights in the early 70s.  Otherwise, there's not much to recommend, and was likely made for the diehard Led Zeppelin collectors anyway.

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail

I'm still working my way through some classic prog, this time going with the first Genesis album after Peter Gabriel's departure.  When I reviewed The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway two years ago, I mentioned that I struggled with the Gabriel-era stuff.  I think it's just a tad too weird for me.  I was kind of hoping that this one would be a little easier to get into, and to some extant, it was.

Right off, Phil Collins is definitely a more accessible singer.  While Gabriel was good for the outlandish stuff, this definitely has a closer-to-earth vibe in the lyrics and presentation.  Of course, the rest of the band hasn't changed much, as they pile on the layers for mood and effect, but we do get the first few inklings of a more streamlined sound, with "Squonk" and the title track feature a more poppy vibe.

While I do think I enjoyed this more than Lamb, there's still some quirky stuff in here.  Lots of dreamy vibes, occasionally broken up by a more aggressive section in the middle of the song.  I think a lot of it has to do with a greater emphasis on Banks' keyboards this time around.  I think the songs I liked best were "Entangled," with its interesting build up towards the end, and "Los Endos" being a nice mix of themes and ideas from the album.  Definitely still proggy, and proof the band had a future post-Gabriel.  I could see this one growing on me, maybe.

Freedom Call - Stairway to Fairyland

After listening to some classic rock and some classic prog, I was ready for some classic power metal, and decided to give this German band's debut album a listen.  I had a good idea of what to expect, and certainly got it: tons of uplifting choruses and melodic leads, with a flair for the fantastic.

While the band does develop their own style eventually, this early effort shows more of their influences, with large helpings of Gamma Ray and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, of all things.  The result is a kind of back-and-forth between full-on high speed tracks and more dramatic songs with symphonic flourishes.  They also do the sudden a cappella style on a later chorus that DragonForce would later incorporate into their style.  Stand outs for me were the opener "Over the Rainbow," and "Tears Falling, as well as the more dramatic closing tracks of "Holy Knight" and "Another Day."  

Like TSO, there's also a story being told, working as the concept that holds the album together.  A people of a fallen empire wander the lands, plagued by their sins and regrets, when they meet a group of guardians who tell them of a promised land maintained by a child-like holy one who was born under a holy star.  This chance at hope inspires this forsaken people to go on a quest to find the titular stairway and relief from their suffering.  It's no great tale, but is a decent enough framework for the songs, much like Gamma Ray's Land of the Free or Metallium's State of Triumph.

I don't know if I'd say that Freedom Call's debut is great album, but there is certainly solid stuff on here, and they do break it up with slower, more dramatic songs in-between all the double-kicking power metal.  It's certainly ambitious for a debut, and to their credit, they mostly pull it off.

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As always, I hope everyone is staying warm and safe.  I plan on finishing this year strong, with a few more articles on the way.  I intend to get at least one more "Last Played," featuring Majestica and Iron Savior, and maybe a few more New Video based ones.   We'll see what I eventually get around to.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - October 2019 Part Two!

Hey, so I was able to pull together another list before the end of the month!  Of course, I kind of cheated and picked a bunch of power metal songs, but when the stuff is this good, why complain!  Here's one last list for October!!

I warned you this would be heavy on the power metal, and we're kicking off with another NorthTale track.  This group really brings it together with all the staples of classic 90s power metal, with some crunchy riffs for good measure!  I really need to listen to this album already!

Now Freedom Call is part of those power metal hey-days of the 90s, and they're still charging ahead with their speedy, uplifting sounds like they haven't aged a day.  This is another band I should listen to more often!

Twilight Force has more power metal for us, though they are more in the DragonForce and Rhapsody of Fire style than the previous two.  However, anyone familiar with this group knows to expect epic lyrics, massive choirs, and a dramatic flair well-suited for their style of story-telling.  That speedy guitar solo doesn't hurt, either!

Alright, let's break up the power metal with something a little bluesier.  Here we have CoreLeoni, which is another group fronted by Ronnie Romero (how many bands is he in?!).  This has that late 80s, bluesy-metal of bands like Whitesnake and Great White, but with Ronnie's big vocals and some very nice shredding!

Sitting at the nexus of hard rock and post-grunge is Those Damn Crows, a band that doesn't sound like they come from Wales at all!  Full of upbeat, crunchy riffs, and a thick, soaring baritone voice, this is some solid stuff!

Let's wrap this up with more power metal, and this one is a classic!  With Helloween now featuring the return of Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, they're really going all out!  Full of soaring vocal harmonies and epic riffage, it's clear to see why these guys are the origin of power metal, and they're still slaying it today!!  Oh, and just in time for the 31st, as well!