New Releases - December 2024 Part Two!

Yup, I'm still catching up on stuff, this time in the realms of AOR and melodic rock.  This is a genre I should be better at covering, but when this stuff is good, it occupies a fun, uplifting vibe in the rock space that isn't easily found elsewhere.  What I've got here are four albums that provide some interesting variety within the genre, but they all are worth listening to, for one reason or another.

Find Me - Nightbound

When I reviewed their third album, I felt that they had leaned pretty hard into the synths, and while I skipped their fourth album (an act of negligence I will likely fix in the future), here on their fifth, the guitars are very much forward this time around.  Otherwise, this is more solid melodic rock that catches the right balance between big and sentimental.

Once again, we're very much in Journey territory, with synthesizers on loan from Asia, and if there's a touch of Survivor in there, it's because they got Jim Peterik to help write some of the songs.  Robbie LaBlanc soars over the songs with confidence, Andi Kravljaca gives the songs plenty of classic shreddy solos, Daniel Flores provides the right ambience with his sythesizers, and the rest of the band is on point in giving them that classic 80s tone that makes these songs sound so big.  Things start well with the opener "Never Be Alone," which has some good energy, and that uplifting charge carries on with "Can't Wait Here Anymore," "Love Always Finds A Way," "Speechless," and the closer "The Time Has Come."  The title track takes things a little darker, and "I See You in Everyone" and "Distant Lovers" are full of cinematic sentimentality.

There is one problem, and it's the production.  While everything is pretty clear and easy to follow, something about it makes the songs feel narrow, like they're confined or compressed in a way that doesn't quite match the epicness I was expecting.  Once you're into the album, it's not a deal breaker, but part of me thinks the album would have been better if they could expand the soundscape of the songs.  Still, there is plenty of classic, energetic rocking, I enjoyed a lot of this album, and it's likely to be one of the best of the year for AOR.

FM - Old Habits Die Hard

Now that I've been becoming more aware of what's in the AOR space, this is definitely a band that comes up a lot.  Starting in the 80s, they had a few minor hits before breaking up in the mid 90s.  Then, starting back up in 2007, they've apparently been pretty consistent with releasing albums of melodic rock.  I don't know if this was a good place to start with them, but based on this, they rock like it's 1981.

While most AOR bands borrow from Journey, these guys glean quite a bit from Foreigner instead, sitting in a spot between cool and uplifting.  Despite not knowing this band before, I can tell that Steve Overland's voice has aged well, and Jim Kirkpatrick's solos have this ease to them that make me think of guitarists like Ian Bairnson or Steve Lukather.  Overall, it's a pretty laidback affair, with most songs settling into a mid-tempo groove, with the subtle use of acoustic guitars and 80s synths establishing a cozy, yacht-rock tone.

I admit I'm not completely sold on the band, as I prefer my rock to have more energy than this, but I could see this growing on me as it does capture a pleasant mood that few bands are able to do.  At the very least, I'm curious to go listen to their earlier albums to see what (if anything) has changed over the years.  The album doesn't blow me away but sits well with the rest of the stuff in the article.

Lionville - Supernatural

Looking at my previous reviews of this band's works, it's hard to say if this band has really done anything great, but rather maintained a strong consistency in their style.  Once again, they offer typical 80s rocking, with some appropriate synth ambience here and there. It's all written and performed competently, and fans of AOR will find plenty to like.  Compared to the others on this article, it's like they've found a comfort zone between Find Me's energy and FM's soft rock groove.

So is there anything that really stands out?  The title track, "Breakaway," and "The Storm" have some good energy, powered by some well-arranged synth choices.  However, much like FM, this is very much about capturing a very nostalgic and sentimental atmosphere.  Lionville's strength lies mostly in their production and soundscape, making each song feel like a melodramatic movie scene.  In the end, there aren't any surprises, but it's another solid collection of melodic rock from a band with a good track record for it.

Eclipse - Megalomanium II

While I thought their last album had some decent stuff, it was still a bit clunky, especially at the start, so making a sequel seemed like a weird decision to me.  Still, they insist on pushing through with another chunk of uptempo rockers.  This is another band I should probably dig into their earlier records to really get a feel for how they've evolved over the years.

As for this one, they're still crossing over into alternative rock, with "All I Want" sounding like pop punk, but in all honesty, it feels like they're taking anything that rocks and making it work for them.  The album starts well with "Apocalypse Blues," and much of the album is about grappling with desperation of all kinds.  "Divide & Conquer" is another stand out with its stomping drive, "One in a Million" has some darker vibes that make me think of 90's Metallica (in a good way), and "The Spark" probably has the best chorus for singing along with the band.  I think the biggest improvement though is that they added much more heft on the guitars, making them really chug.  While there's still plenty of energetic songwriting and playing on display, it's not quite as strong as Paradigm, but I do think it's better than the first Megalomanium.  For now, it's a solid entry, with a lot of momentum that pushes it above the pack.

Anniversary Series - 2012!

I'm getting to the end of this year's anniversary articles, and I have to admit, I'm realizing that I do have some serious gaps in my knowledge base.  My playlist for 2012 is going to look very slim, so if you folks have some songs that you think belong, please let me know!  However, I was able to check out a handful of albums from the year and give them a review to help fill things out.  Let's get into it!

Kamelot - Silverthorn

After recording Poetry for the Poisoned, singer Roy Khan fell ill and later reported having become completely burned out, causing him to leave the music industry for a while.  The band was able to get folks like Michael Eriksen and Fabio Lione to cover their tour dates, among many others, but for a permanent replacement, they ended up choosing Tommy Karevik of Seventh Wonder.  At the time, I wasn't familiar with him, but I thought he was alright when they released the single for this album.  Unfortunately, I never did get around to this album (or the two afterward), so this is my first time really giving this my attention.  However, as I wasn't a fan of Kamelot's previous effort, but having since listened to Karevik on Seventh Wonder's second album, I had some high hopes going in, and they were mostly rewarded.

Silverthorn is a bit of a concept album, revolving around an original story of the accident death of a young girl and her twin brothers who were responsible.  I don't know if the album itself really tells a story so much as it explores themes of death, grief, remorse, and betrayal.  The result is a very dramatic album that pushes the band even further into symphonic territory.  I will say that this is quite an improvement over Poetry for the Poisoned, as the songs have solid structures and never become jarring.  However, the band does seem to continue their shift into more of a prog metal style.  It's not bad, as the classic Kamelot sound does show up in a few places, and it feels like they've ironed out all the quirks from the previous albums to make for a solid set of symphonic metal pieces.

While Karevik isn't Roy Khan, he performs admirably here, giving the songs the dramatic heft they need.  Thomas Youngblood's guitar work is a little all over the place, but is much better, and he has some great solos on "Torn" and "Silverthorn."  The orchestral arrangements are as bombastic as they have ever been, at times bringing in a cinematic quality that sometimes goes a little to far.  "Prodigal Son" in particular could have been shorter, as it feel like the opening was mainly ambience and organ., and the final piece "Continuum" is some instrumental fluff that had a hidden cello solo track for some reason.  However, "Song for Jolee" was a nice, dark ballad, and the album flows together pretty well.

I feel kinda bad for ignoring this album over the past ten years, as this is such a step up from before.  "Sacrimony," "Torn," "Silverthorn," and "Solitaire" were the stand-out tracks for me, as they still had dashes of the classic power metal I know the band is capable of.  While I don't know how I feel about this shift in their style, as I do love the classic albums, but this gives me confidence that the band is still good, and makes me interested in the other two albums that I haven't heard yet.  I'll probably get to them in the next year, so keep an eye out for those reviews in the future.

Lionville - II

I admit I mostly wanted to throw this on the article to try and break up all the metal on here (only to discover later on that this album isn't on Spoitify).  While I have enjoyed some Lionville in the past, it's always tough to review this kind of music, and I said as much on my other two reviews.  Still, I can't deny that appeal of some solid AOR, and Lionville certainly qualifies.

Their second album offers up much of the same as their first: some mid-tempo rockers, some ballads, all wrapped up in some nice, warm production that gives these songs a shiny polish.  "Another Day" and "All This Time" had some good uplifting choruses, and I liked the keyboard noodling on "Higher."  "Next To Me" and "One in a Million" were pretty fun tracks as well.  It even has a decent ballad with "No Turning Back."

If there is a problem, the album might be a little on the long side, as it doesn't really offer much in the way of variety, making some of the songs bleed together in the mind, though it is pretty nice to having playing in the background as something to bob your head to.  For fans of the genre, they'll find this satisfying, as Lionville are very representative of the modern AOR landscape.

Accept - Stalingrad

After enjoying their 2010 comeback album a few years ago, I thought I would check out the follow up for this article.  Unsurprisingly, they pick up right where they last left off, providing a solid slab of straight-ahead traditional metal.  We all knew that would be the case when we saw the word "Accept" on the cover.

Things start of quite well with "Hung, Drawn, & Quartered," a great, uptempo opener establishes that the band remain as fierce and charged as ever.  Things get a little darker for the title track and "Hellfire," things pick up again with "Flash to Bang Time" and "Revolution."  "Shadow Soldiers" is a little more mellow and reverent, giving me some pretty big Sabaton vibes.  I know Accept was doing songs about war and battles long before those Swedes, but it's neat to hear that kind of songwriting cycling back around.

Unfortunately, the second half of the album isn't quite as strong.  It's still Accept, full of chunky riffs, melodic solos, and Tornillo's gritty vocals, but things don't seem quite as inspired.  "Against the World" and "The Quick and the Dead" feel like the band is on autopilot.  However, things pick up a little with the dark and doomy "The Galley," but even that one ends the album on this weird instrumental shift.  It's a nice solo, but it seems to exist for its own sake at the end.

That being said, this is a good follow up to Blood of the Nations from two years prior, as it has plenty of the things Accept fans have come to know and love.  Herman Frank and Wolf Hoffmann tear up their guitars with plenty of satisfying solos, and everything is very tight and well performed.  Those who were happy to see the band come back in 2010 were probably satisfied with this one as well, and I feel much the same way.  Accept proved the comeback wasn't a fluke, but that they were here to stay, and the metal world is better for it!

Last Played - May 2022! Now with EPs!

I'm starting to catch up on some newer releases, but one other thing I've decided to focus on is Extended Play releases.  To be honest, EPs are something that I've never really quite understood, but they remain a constant of the heavy metal scene.  I guess if you feel compelled to release something, I suppose it's better to release a handful of solid tracks instead of throwing on a bunch of filler tracks to fill an album.  However, reviewing them is still a bit odd.  With a full album, you can get a sense of what the band is thinking and feeling at the moment, but an EP just feels like a step or two up from a taste (which I guess would be singles, in this analogy?).

Nevertheless, as I began looking over bands' discographies and new releases, there are plenty EPs to discuss.  So I decided I would include them as little mini-reviews in my Last Played articles in between the main album reviews.  In any case, regardless of format, here's what I've listening to lately.

Eliminator - Ancient Light

After enjoying their single "Silent Stone" as a solid piece of Maiden worship, I figured I should give the rest of their latest album a listen.  Right out of the gates, these guys are clearly aiming for that early Iron Maiden era of Killers, Number of the Beast, and Piece of Mind.  Sometimes they lean into the NWOBHM side with a dash of rock, but other times, they turn up the epic, with decent results.

Of course, it's not completely like Iron Maiden, as there are a few tracks that feel closer to US power metal, like "Mercy" and the doomy "The Nightmare of Aeon," but honestly, that's a pretty subtle difference.  Regardless, this band certainly has the chops.  David Foster's vocals are very much like Dickinson's, and he's given plenty of opportunities to wail high above the music (though he does get a little buried on "Arrival").  Then there's the lead guitar work of Jack MacMichael and Matthew Thomas.  When they aren't chugging away at classic-styled riffs, they are often trading solos, or playing harmonized leads together, clearly reminiscent of Murray and Smith.  If it weren't for the modern production, this could easily make you feel like it's 1983 all over again.

If there is a problem, it's that there aren't a lot of surprises.  This album really feels the same from front-to-back.  Sure, they change up the tempo here and there, and there are a few segments were they break out the acoustic guitar, but it's usually in anticipation of some epic metal shift like "Foreverless," or in the bridge of a larger song like "Lord of Sleep, Dreamaster."  However, for those who can't get enough of that old-school Maiden sound and want to hear some guys who are pretty good at it, this is some solid classic metal.

Lovebites - Glory, Glory to the World (EP)

This release is probably a little bittersweet, as it was part of an announcement of an incoming hiatus caused by the leaving of their bassist, Miho.  While it retains much of the frenetic power metal they're known for, I don't think these songs are quite as good as what was on Electric Pentagram, which I loved.  "Paranoia" certainly shows the band's darker, more theatrical side, but otherwise, the songs are pretty standard fare for this band.  Expect plenty of high-speed shredding and catchy melodies, but nothing particularly earth-shattering.

Lionville - So Close to Heaven

After checking out their first album, I decided to give their latest a spin, and it's pretty surprising how little has changed in the 10 years between them.  While the production is a little richer and the guitars have a bit more crunch (and there are less ballads), this is still some pretty straight-forward, 80s-inspired melodic rock from top to bottom.  

Of course, it also makes it hard to review, as nothing really stands out too much.  I will say that the lyrics lean into the clichés quite a bit, but they're sung so sincerely you can't help but get caught up in the sentimentality of it all.  The music supports every word of it, with friendly, rockin' guitars and lush keyboards to make everything so warm and accessible.  It's a bit of a shorter album, but that only helps the pace feel brisk and not get bogged down.  Essentially, Lionville are the epitome of modern AOR, and it may not make many new fans, I generally enjoyed what I heard.

Greyhawk - Ride Out (EP)

Likely named after the classic D&D campaign setting, Greyhawk is very much in the vein of classic US power metal, a la Omen, Manilla Road, and Manowar.  I quite liked the vocals by Rev Taylor, and they were often harmonized, which added to the epicness.  Otherwise, it's some pretty straight-forward chugging old-school metal, with plenty of noodly guitars one expects from the style.  "The Abdication," and "Serpent King" stood out to me the most, with the former being quite epic, and the latter having some great energy.  This certainly is a solid taste of what this band has to offer, and I'm curious to listen to more, so I guess this EP did its job!

HammerFall - Hammer of Dawn

Let's wrap this up this article with finally getting caught up on HammerFall!  These power metal legends are still going, and while their sound hasn't changed much over the past decade, they still have a knack for some decent epic and melodic tracks.

Right off the bat, we get "Brotherhood" for the opener, providing a very classic HammerFall feel.  From there, it's mostly mid-tempo material, with a few change ups.  "Hammer of Dawn" and "Venerate Me" are probably the best of the stompy tracks, while "Live Free or Die," and the closer "No Mercy" do a good job to bring back the speed.  Supposedly King Diamond is on "Venerate Me," but I could never hear him (that's not a voice you can mistake; was he just part of the chorus?).  However, the really different track is "Not Today."  While it's not a ballad, it does have a more mellow rock vibe, with clean guitar tones throughout, except for the melodic choruses.  I don't recall them doing anything quite like this, but it's not bad.  A bit an experiment, I guess.

Overall, I think this is better than their last album Dominion, as I feel it's a little more consistent across the board.  However, I'm not sure how it would compare to the others.  The first five still loom large in my nostalgia goggles, and I don't think they've ever really reached those heights since.  Still, I'm glad they're carrying on, and Hammer of Dawn shows that they're aren't out of magic quite yet.

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Well, I hope you don't mind me throwing in a few EPs this time.  They broke things up a little, at least.  Looking ahead, I'm not sure where I'll go next.  I'm thinking of doing a Last Played purely on albums from 1997, as there are a bunch of big ones from that year that I haven't heard yet.  We'll see.  In the meantime, I've got another Anniversary Article coming up for 1987, and I'm finding more videos to share, so that should round out this month.  Until then, rock on! \m/

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/

New Videos - September 2020!

So I started putting this article together last month, but when I ended up listening to a bunch of albums, this got pushed off, so it gets to start September.  This time, we've got a bit of everything: AOR, symphonic metal, heavy/doom, prog metal.  Let's go!

Starting off with more nostalgic AOR.  Again, like Arctic Rain last time, this has the warm-n-fuzzy 80s vibe.  Nothing particularly strong or spectacular, but great to have on while you're working on things or just want to rock out from the comfort of your armchair.

So this band is listed as doom metal wherever I look, but this is way too uptempo, based on what I know for the genre.  This is creeping into heavy/US power territory, with some pretty technical riffs.  Still, it's crunchy and epic in an old-school sort of way, which works for me!

Dark, brooding symphonic metal, very much in the vein of classic Nightwish.  Dramatic and huge, with some solid crunching guitars and massive choirs, all centered around Elina Siirala's operatic vocals, it all makes for a great piece of epic metal.
  

Yup, DGM again.  This album is sounding like it's going to be as good as the last one, and the last one was very good!  The Italians just seem to have the touch: anthemic, melodic, broad, epic, just really great prog metal, as far as I'm concerned.

I know Magnus Karlsson mostly for his work in Primal Fear, but he's also in over a dozen other projects, and I guess this is the one he puts his own name on.  This one is an interesting fusion of AOR and symphonic metal, with a dash of shred for good measure.

I don't know if this band could sound more like Iron Maiden if they tried!  The singer Artur Almeida is clearly imitating Bruce Dickinson's dramatic style of singing, but he does it qutie well, and the band has some pretty solid chops to back it up.