Anniversary Series - 2013!

While I was able to do a good summary for 2008, I'm back to doing reviews for 2013.  Sadly, I don't have much to share for the year in my playlist below; it's a gap I plan to fill as I carry on with this blog.  However, I do want to draw special attention to Dimensionaut by Sound of Contact.  It's a fascinating sci-fi prog rock concept album that was a highlight.  While its the group's only album, members of it would go on to form groups like In Continuum and eMolecule, both of which I've featured before.  Now, onto some reviews!

Find Me - Wings of Love

After enjoying one of their albums in the past, I knew I needed to at least give their debut a shot when the opportunity came around, and this article certainly provided one.  Unsurprisingly, it's another solid block of melodic rock a la Journey or Asia, with typical modern production.

Right off, singer Robbie LaBlanc dominates the mix, coming front and center.  However, he has a great voice for this kind of music, singing the sentimental lyrics with confidence and ease.  While the guitars do a good job of holding down the rhythms, its the keyboards by Daniel Flores that really provide the 80s ambience and energy, providing all kinds of reverby synths to augment the emotions behind the songs.  That being said, there are some decent guitar solos through out.  It's no wonder Frontiers Records has hung on to this band for all their albums, as it's exactly the kind of stuff the specialize in.

The album starts with some good rockers in "Road to Nowhere" and "Another World," before dipping a little in energy, with "Eternally" filling the ballad slot on the album.  Things pick up again with "One Soul" and "Bottom of My Heart," and it carries through to the end of the album.  I know that AOR like this is pretty straight-forward, without any surprises, but this album is a high quality example of what the genre can provide.  

Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall - Free Fall

Magnus Karlsson has been in the business since the late 90s, and quickly got picked up to work on a variety of projects for Frontier's Records, playing, composing, and producing all kinds of albums.  He also joined Primal Fear in the late 2000s and has been with them ever since.  However, this is the only project that bears his name, and the debut album falls in nicely for this article.  Drawing upon a quite the list of vocal talent, it shifts back and forth between symphonic rock and metal.

My first thought listening to these is the Allan / Lande project he worked on for Frontiers, going for full sentimental lyrics, with melodic hooks, symphonic arrangements, and providing sonic platforms for the vocalists to soar over.  Speaking of which, this is quite the lineup, drawing from hard rock and AOR to power metal and more.  Magnus does sing a few as well, and he's not bad, showing that there's more to him than just shredding guitars and bombastic arrangements.  If there is a problem, it's the lyrics, as they go for a lot of vague empowerment and drama, sometimes making the songs feel a little inter-changeable.

Still, that could be just nit-picking.  Anyone interested in rock and metal backed by lush arrangements and an incredible lineup of singers will be satisfied.  The standout songs for me include "Higher" (sounding very Primal Fear with Ralf on the mic), "Our Time Has Come" with Mark Boals, "Last Tribe," and "Dreamers & Hunters," with singer Michael Andersson sounding a bit like Jorn Lande!  Perhaps not anything earth-shattering, but it's a fun collection of songs showcasing Magnus Karlsson's abilities as a songwriter and producer.

Haken - The Mountain

So after checking out the first two Haken albums in previous Anniversary Articles, I had to carry on with their third album.  While it's not as much of a concept album as the others, it does focus on the theme of overcoming obstacles and personal challenges, as well as the dangers of greed and ambition.  However, they have definitely retained their peculiar blend of prog metal and quirky jazz.

While at first, it certainly feels like more of the same, but there are some subtle differences that does set this one apart.  Reading up on the album, the band mentioned how this one was a much more collaborative effort, and I think it really shows.  The playing is especially tight, and every song feels pretty meaningful and distinct.  This definitely feels like a band really coming together to make music.  There also is a lot more overlapping vocal parts, with different voices singing different lines.  However, the wild riffing and spontaneous transitions remain very intact, letting the band flex their technical muscles without the songs feeling too long or flashy.

This album got Haken a ton of attention, putting them on the progheads radar and helping them become one of the higher profile prog metal bands out there.  While the whole album does flow well, "Atlas Stone" and "Falling Back To Earth" do stand out as well thought out tracks, with "Cockroach King" being quite the mix of prog self-seriousness and downright zaniness!  I do think this is an improvement, taking what they've done before and distilling it down a little to get a group of songs that solidify their sound.  

Anniversary Series - 2011!

I can't believe it's been ten years since 2011!  I swear it wasn't that long ago last time I checked!

Despite the flight of time, this is another pretty decent year, and while I had more for this year than 2006, most of it was power metal.  HammerFall would go a little darker (and have some very different album art) with Infected, Power Quest had a few fun tracks on Blood Alliance, and Alestorm continued their screwball pirate metal by going Back Through Time to beat up some vikings.

Outside of that, Saxon had a few good tracks, and Yes would release their first album in ten years with the decent, if lackluster, Fly From Here.  I'll give more details about this on that Yes Retrospective I'm slowly working on, but the epic title track (a revamped leftover from the Drama days) and the closer are really the only tracks that stand out to me.  There are a few other songs I've thrown on, but it is a very power metal heavy list.

So once again, I'll be reviewing a few albums from 2011 that I haven't listened to before.  Hopefully, this will help balance the playlist out with other genres, though I do get to one power metal album for this article.  Let's get started!

Haken - Visions

After reviewing their debut album last year for the 2010 article, I figured I'd do their follow up for this year!  Haken certainly has their own take on progressive metal, and while this album isn't as ambitious or eclectic as Aquarius, they still know how to lay down some dynamic, noodly tracks.

Once again, we get another concept album, this time focusing on the thoughts of a man who saw a dream when he was young that he took as a premonition of his own death.  Believing it to be true, it kind of messes with his life and perception of reality until he finally sees the premonition be fulfilled, but in a sort of a time loop?  I'm getting the impression that this band isn't as interested in storytelling as they are exploring a concept.

Still, there are some pretty good songs building on this.  The album actually kind of starts off pretty mellow, making me think of bands like Transatlantic and The Flower Kings, as they use a lot of clean guitars and feature a lot of jazz-fusion segments.  However, as the album goes on, it gets chuggier, and soon the noodly guitar solos and synth runs come out.  It's a nice build, overall, but it does tend to leave the album a bit overloaded at the end.  I definitely enjoyed "Insomnia" and "Portals," though, as I thought they had some neat ideas, and generally the album does feel more focused and streamlined than Aquarius.  I definitely got a stronger Dream Theater vibe this time around, especially during the solos.

If there is a problem, it's that it maintains a kind of bleak and depressing tone for most of the album.  Even during the lighter sections, it keeps this mysterious, foreboding atmosphere.  And the lyrics often are morbid, often through introspective existentialism, but do reference self-harm, to whom it may concern.  I understand it gets more hopeful towards the end, but it can still be a heavy listen.  And that's not just from the last track's 22 minute runtime!!  It's a decent closer, but I do think it runs on for a little too long.  Overall, it's a solid proggy experience, really meant to be listened through as an album.  The tracks are pretty fun and epic at times, but I don't know if really earns its length, as the good moments feel a little too far apart.

Lionville - Lionville

After enjoy one of their tracks last year, I thought I'd add some more AOR to this article by listening to Lionville's debut album.  Right from the get-go, they have the style down, and sound great.  However, as I've mentioned before, it can be hard to really review this style of music as it's clearly dedicated to an established sound, and Lionville really do well to meet those expectations.

If there is one thing that can be said, there are quite a few ballads.  They're not bad, and they tend to have a more 90s feel, but they do bring the energy down a little too much for me.  However, those who like their AOR to not just be rockin' the whole time will probably appreciate the variety, as they are well-performed.  As for the stuff that does rock, I did enjoy "Here By My Side," "The Chosen Ones," and "Dreamhunter."  "With You" also was pretty good, going from a mellow piano start before the guitars kick it into arena mode.  I also liked the use of keys across the board, adding little touches and moods to the songs, and even getting in a solo or two.  Overall, a solid collection of melodic rock.

Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner

Yup, I thought I'd take this opportunity to finally wrap up the Dragonland discography.  I remember hearing a lot of good things about this album, but I never got around to it until now.  The result is very much an evolution of the band's sound, now returning to their Dragonland story with all the things they've learned.

Right off, this feels like they've finally reached the epic heights the early albums were striving for, as this has massive atmosphere and majesty, much like Rhapsody of Fire.  They've also recruited a few other singers to take on a few roles, making it a bit like Avantasia as well.  However, it's all very well produced, and along with the improved song-writing and vocal melodies, this is easily the best of the story-based albums.  "Shadow of the Mithril Mountains" sets the stage well, "The Black Mare" is a great travelling track, and "Dûrnir's Forge" has these epic, slow riffs, with a proggy section in the middle that's really interesting.

I don't know if it's their best album, overall, as Contact is just about as good as this one.  However, Contact had some more progressive metal elements (not always a bad thing) and this clearly has the fantasy power metal style in spades.  I did notice that the guitars weren't as prominent on this one as previous albums, as the emphasis was on the orchestral elements, but there were some decent riffs and solos throughout.  While it remains unknown as to whether the band will put another album out, at the very least, Under the Grey Banner would be a great note to end on, as it's a very solid collection of symphonic power metal.

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Well, that's 2011.  Hopefully, I'll get around to more stuff and help balance this playlist out, but I think it's a solid collection of songs.  If I've missed anything, be sure to let me know.  Now that I've listened to all the Dragonland albums, I could just pull my reviews together and do a retrospective article, if I'm feeling lazy.  We'll see.  I still have plenty on my plate of albums to check out, both old and new.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 2010!

It turns out that I haven't actually listened to that many albums from 2010, so I'm doing things a little differently.  I'm going to treat this like a Last Played article, but with a focus on 2010 specifically.  That way they won't clutter up the normal Last Played articles with albums I'm just going to end up talking about here anyway.

Of course, I did have a handful of songs for my Spotify playlist before I made this decision, mostly stuff from Accept's Blood of the Nations, which I reviewed back in June.  Such a great album!  I've also threw in a handful of others, such as Grave Digger singing about Scottish Clans, a few tracks from Disturbed and a sludge metal band called Sonic Brew, and "Screaming Eagles" and a few others from Sabaton's Coat of Arms.  Now on to the reviews!

Amberian Dawn - End of Eden

Before they picked up synth-pop and were covering ABBA songs, Amberian Dawn was a more straight-forward symphonic power metal band whose first album I enjoyed very much.  It felt like Stratovarius with Nightwish's orchestra behind them, and I still consider it one of the best power metal albums ever made.  Their second one was more of the same, but not as strong, I think.  And now I've picked up the third one for this anniversary article!

Right off, I notice a greater emphasis of classical styles in the orchestrations (including an entire non-metal symphonic track), which makes the songs sound much more dramatic.  However, at the same time, I think there's too much emphasis on atmosphere and storytelling, resulting in less catchy and memorable songs.  River of Tuoni had some really catchy choruses and riffs, but I haven't heard them make a comeback at all.  The lyrics are also a little clunky, as the cadence and melodies don't seem to match very well.  I know I've had similar problems with Dragonland and Rhapsody of Fire.

That's not to say this album is bad by any means.  There's still plenty of epicness, and they do spice it up a bit by varying the tempo and the mood.  For example, "Ghostly Echoes" has a more gothic tone, with some pretty chunky mid-tempo riffs and "War in Heaven" has a doom metal quality to it.  The solos are also pretty solid, featuring some pretty high-speed fingerwork on both the guitars and keys.  It's solid stuff, but I don't know if I could say there are any real stand-outs.  (And, unfortunately, this album isn't on Spotify for some reason, so I can't include any of it in my playlist below!)

First Signal - First Signal

So after the members of Harem Scarem decided to break up and work on other things, singer Herry Hess worked with Frontiers Records to create First Signal, a band focused on that classic 80s AOR sound.  I know I've featured a few of their more-recent tracks here, but I thought I'd listen to their debut for this anniversary article.

And it's a solid piece of work.  There's a really good balance between the synths and guitars, without one dominating the other.  Hess himself is great, as he definitely sounds comfortable and confident with this style of music.  As is the case with these things, the songs are pretty predictable.  A few rockers here, a few ballads there, some nice solos, nothing really explosive or experimental, but of course that isn't the intention.  I'm sure it was a pleasant surprise for Harem Scarem fans at the time.  I don't know if there is anything particularly amazing, though "This City" is a good opening track, and "Naked Desire" has a thicker crunch in its guitars that I liked.  It's fun while it's on, making for some easy-going melodic rock.

Haken - Aquarius

Haken is another one of those bands where I had heard a lot of good things, but never got around to.  So for this article, I thought I'd listen to their first full-length album, which happens to be a concept album about a mermaid who gets caught and shown around in a carnival, only to end up being the savior of the world from a massive flood.

Right off, this is definitely jazzier than most other prog metal bands, incorporating a lot of different sounds.  I also had impressions of Evergrey, Dream Theater, Rush, The Flower Kings, and even Rick Wakeman.  It's really a curious mix of jazz-fusion, prog rock, and metal, like a rock soup.  That being said, none of it feels too jarring or schizophrenic, even when the calliope kicks on for some of the carnival parts.  It also even throws in some harsh vocals for the first two songs, and I was kind of expecting more of those as they seemed to be representing narrative turns in the story.

As for that story, while certainly aiming for a melodramatic tragedy, some of the details feel a little out of order.  For a moment, I wasn't sure if "Eternal Rain" should be before "Aquarius" in the timeline.  Then again, maybe fixating on it misses the point, as much of the lyrics seem to settle on the abstract side, especially towards the end.  I think the flood still happens, but the mermaid sacrifices her life so that her blood will force humanity to evolve so that they can live in the seas now.  Maybe?

Anyways, it works for making some solid prog metal.  Even for all the jarring shifts in tone within the songs, they all still seem to fit the story well, in their own way.  Of course, they also allow ample opportunities for plenty of soloing and mixed-meter sections to show the band's skills, and they are quite talented.  This is definitely an album I'll need to listen to a few more times to really unpack it, but first impressions are quite good.

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Well, that was a little different. Hopefully I'll have more for 2010 when this cycle of years comes back in 2025. In the meantime, check out the playlist below and let me know what tracks you think I missed. Until then, rock on! \m/