Top 5 of 1971!!

Yup, we're starting this over again!  Back when I did my Anniversary Article, I focused on who both prog rock and hard rock were evolving, and this Top 5 reflects that!  While Black Sabbath, with their detuned guitars, and Deep Purple, who cemented their Mark II sound, were considered, they couldn't quite make it in as those albums also have some lackluster tracks.  Remember: a few great songs do not a great album make.  As always, I couldn't listen to everything, and this is super subjective, but these are my Top 5 albums of 1971!

5. Jethro Tull - Aqualung

This band has always been on the weird side, even among their prog rock contemporaries.  Featuring curious folk melodies and quirky lyrics, this album squeezes into the Top 5 primarily because the songs feel very well thought out.  For all their fanciful strangeness, these songs are exactly what they need to be, and the title track is a classic for these same reasons.

4. Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself

When I first listened to this, I thought it was alright, but upon revisiting both of their 1971 albums, this one stood out as the stronger of the two, mainly because it had a more focused rock approach.  The title track is a great start and "July Morning" really builds well, and the rest of the album just has the right touches to help put this one in the Top 5.

3. Led Zeppelin - IV

I've been relistening to a lot of Zeppelin lately, and as cliche as it may be, I do think this is their best album.  Not only featuring some of their most iconic tracks like "Black Dog" and "Stairway to Heaven," I was more recently blown away with the droning blues song "When the Levee Breaks."  I know I had heard it before, but this last time, it stayed in my mind much longer than I expected!

2. Pink Floyd - Meddle

It took them more than a few albums, but Pink Floyd finally pull themselves together and make some great music. While there are a few goofy tracks here and there, they arrive at excellence with the dark and brooding "One of These Days" and the epic underwater journey "Echoes."  Absolutely beautiful stuff.

1. Yes - The Yes Album & Fragile

I know this is cheating again, like I did with my Top 5 of 1985, but when my favorite band brings out two incredible albums in a year, this is just gonna happen!  Seriously, though, this is some of their best material.  Getting Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman on board expanded their sound considerably.  While I do think The Yes Album is probably better as a whole, Fragile does have my favorite Yes song "Heart of the Sunrise," so it's a close match.  In any case, Yes is certainly the best of the year, and I'm not ashamed to say it!

Retro Reviews - February 2026 Part Two!!

So here's the follow up from the last article, featuring three returning bands, and this time, all four are from 1971 to help me work out my Top 5.  Unfortunately, I don't think any of these will be making it as they are a clunky group of albums.  I know I may be tipping my hand early here, but nothing here was particularly mind-blowing, despite their various efforts.  Still, they're interesting albums and worth giving a listen, if only to show how each band has changed and will change.

Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink

After checking out their debut and enjoying the follow up, it's finally time to check out their critically acclaimed third album.  At this point, the band was eager to get some attention outside their fanbase, and keyboardist Richard Sinclair brought some stronger pop music vibes to the songwriting.  While it's a decent collection of songs, I feel like something got lost in the shuffle as a consequence.

First off, the production is a major step up, sounding rather quite clean compared to their muddier previous albums.  However, the songs themselves are much more straight forward.  The album opens with "Golf Girl," which is about how the bassist met his girlfriend and honestly sounds bland, even with a trombone playing the lead melody.  "Winter Wine" is an improvement, letting the band jam around quite a bit, but then they get strange with the 7/8 "Love to Love You (and Tonight Pigs Will Fly)."  It's like they tried to blend prog with pop, and I don't know if it really works.  The title trick is alright, full of folky nostalgia for the band's hometown.  The album then closes with a 22 minute epic titled "Nine Feet Underground."  While it certainly has some interesting sections, I don't know if the flow is quite perfect as they journey through them.  It makes me think of Procol Harum's "In Held Twas In I" at times, but much more instrumental.  It's not bad, and probably the closest the band gets to the weirdness of If I Could Do It Again... that I liked.

While it's not a bad collection of songs, the spontaneity of the previous album is missing.  Perhaps the band wasn't as interested in psychedelic spaces this time around, shifting into their idea of a pop rock sound with some very safe song structures.  I liked "Winter Wine" and "Nine Feet Underground" the most, as they took me on more of a sonic journey than the others.  Maybe I need to listen to it more, but this is a let down compared to what I heard.

Wishbone Ash - Pilgrimage

While the band did well with their first album, they were pretty rushed to put out a second and relied on some older material they had written before but couldn't fit into the first.  I enjoyed their debut as a decent set of jammy blues rock, the band takes a much bigger dive into jazz-fusion.

Jazz was certainly a part of their sound before this, but this is stepping away from the likes of Cream in favor of something like King Crimson or Colosseum.  This is made very clear with the first two tracks "Vas Dis" and "The Pilgrim" being some very interesting journeys, and featuring some very technical playing.  Steve Upton in particular gives his drum kit quite the pounding.  It is also worth noting that these two songs don't have any lyrics, but instead feature some interesting vocals anyway.  "Vas Dis" goes for this rambling scat melodies, while "The Pilgrim" has some Yes-like ahs that fit the moodier tone.  There are two other instrumentals, but they're short and don't add much.  "Alone" was part of a longer song, but they decided to just include a section of it that's a meditative jam, and "Lullaby" has some appropriate sentimentality with the guitar harmonies.  "Valediction" is also in the soft rock style, though the lyrics are on the forlorn side.  Of course, the blues rock hasn't been completely abandoned, as "Jail Bait" is very straight-ahead with its structure (until the sudden reggae section at the end), and the album ends with "Where Were You Tomorrow," a live blues jam that goes over ten minutes.

I don't know if this is better or worse than their first, as it is kind of a different animal.  The one before was more of a blues-rock album and had some pretty good stuff, but here, I think the jazzy songs are the better ones, as the blues rock feels a little bland in comparison.  In any case, the band remains solid, featuring their slick guitar licks and harmonies and backed by a very driven rhythm section.  I understand their next album Argus is the one everyone praises, but I'll have to wait until next year to get to that!

Hawkwind - X In Search of Space

After getting through their first album, which was quite the unusual trip, I was feeling a bit hesitant about their follow up.  Fortunately, this one ended up being much more music focused, letting their synthy noise-makers be the spice to their spacey jams.

Things kick off with the 15-minute uptempo epic "You Shouldn't Do That."  It takes a minute to get into the music, but once it does, the chugging rhythms do a solid job of setting the tone and letting the band just mess around creatively for most of the runtime.  While the lyrics are more angst driven, they have this overlapping style that flows well with the song.  However, the album kind of descends from there.  While there are more decent space rock jams, they don't feel quite as ambitious, though. "Masters of the Universe" feels the most organized of the songs.  "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago" shakes things up by being more of a folky jam on acoustic guitars, but the rest pretty much stick to more mid-tempo songs that roll along.

This is a definite improvement, as the band is clearly focusing on creating a musical space rather than a noisy, ambient one.  I admit it's hard to know how much of this is intentional and how much is just improvised playing that's loosely organized, but I suppose that's space rock for you.  At the very least, this is much closer to what I was expecting with the band.  I don't know if I've heard anything great yet, but I can see this band growing on me the more I listen to them.

Electric Light Orchestra - The Electric Light Orchestra

Before becoming pop rock legends, the Electric Light Orchestra started as more of a chamber pop group, inspired by some of the symphonic songs of the Beatles.  Largely focused around Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan, their debut is a very confusing album, as they haven't quite worked out how to make their blend of ideas work smoothly yet.

The opening track "10538 Overture" is a decent start, featuring a solid riff and backed by the orchestrations well.  You can definitely hear their later sound in this one, as well as on "Nillie Takes Her Bow" and "Mr. Radio."  However, the album is uneven with its shifting styles.  The Beatles' influence is strongly felt on "Look At Me Now" and "Queen of the Hours," and they have some instrumentals that feel like movie soundtrack pieces, full of drama and noise, but they don't hold my interest very well.  The production isn't really helping them.  Maybe having different instruments panned far left and right might have sounded impressive at the time, but it just feels jarring now, and there are spots where things get muddy.

The one thing that holds the album together is this strong sense of melodrama.  You can tell the artists were dedicated to an idea, but hadn't quite figured out how to make it work.  Blending orchestral arrangements with typical pop and rock structures weren't necessarily new, but I don't think anyone quite embraced them as much as ELO was trying to here.  I did like "10538 Overture" and "1st Movement (Jumping Biz)," even if that second track was derivative of "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams.  Overall, this album is a mixed bag, but I'm determined to dig through their discography as I'm confident there will be some great tracks soon enough.

Retro Reviews - February 2026 Part One!

Now that 2025 is finally out of the way, I can focus on a new set of Top 5 lists for this year.  However, in order to check out some stuff for my 1971 list, I figured I should squeeze in a handful of debut albums in advance.  The first three bands all have albums in 1971, but I'll get to those next time.  Here's what I've been checking out for the start of the new year!

Caravan - Caravan

Formed by remaining members of The Wilde Flowers, and borrowing equipment from their country mates Soft Machine, Caravan had their humble start with this debut album in 1969.  While I definitely enjoyed their follow up from 1970, going back to this one shows them still forming their sound and clearly hoping for some pop success.

The songs are much more conventional here, with many of them featuring standard verse and chorus structures.  While they aren't bad songs, they do just kinda carry on in a bit of a lazy, laid back.  The opener "Place of My Own," "Love Song with Flute," and the nine-minute closer "Where But For Caravan Would I" all sound the most like their jazz fusion-y second album, so they stand out the most to me, but there were a few other good moments.  "Ride" gets some decent, meditative sections and "Magic Man" is a good little ballad.  However, other tracks like get a little too weird.  "Policeman" feels like their attempt at a quirky Beetles-like song, and "Cecil Rons" has some jarring repetitive chords and aggressive growling vocals, of all things!

So over all, it's a decent set of songs with more than a few clunky moments, though this is expected of a band who is on the cusp of something greater.  Sometimes it just takes some experience before a band really coalesces into themselves.  I don't know what I was expecting necessarily when I started listening to this, but it served as a decent foundation for them to build on for future releases.

Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash

This is a band I've heard about, but had never really gotten around to until now.  They are best known for having two guitarists, a style that would be very influential on later metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.  Opening for Deep Purple helped them get attention from MCA Records, and by the end of 1970, they released this debut album.  Clearly built on the British blues rock scene, this some decent rock with a very jam-friendly vibe.

While bands like Cream, The Yardbirds, and perhaps even Black Sabbath's first album come to mind, but the double-guitar work really sets them apart from those bands.  Another stand-out element is the very clean production, allowing you to hear those crisp guitar harmonies that really are the highlight of the album.  Even bassist Martin Turner joins Andy Powell and Ted Turner on some of the melodies, creating a powerful sense of unity.  Meanwhile Steve Upton gets plenty of work out of his drums, find all kinds of gaps to get in a fill.  Overall, there's a solid, upbeat vibe to their songs, at least for the first half, with "Blind Eye" and "Lady Whiskey" bringing a lot of boogie.

The second half has the band really pushing into psychedelic rock, featuring only two tracks that are both over ten minutes long.  "Handy" starts with an extended bass solo before settling into a blues rock groove that felt like a genuine ancestor to Seven Planets before reaching a rather jazzy ending.  "Phoenix" was much the same, starting with some laid back jamming before turning up the energy with a swing step.  I definitely like the second half more, as I think it had more identity and featured the players at their best as they jammed away.  Overall, it was a pretty fun album, banging my head through it all.  For a debut album, there's quite a bit going on, and I look forward to where the band goes from here.

Hawkwind - Hawkwind

Another debut album!  Hawkwind is another band I had heard about, but never listened to until now.  I mostly knew them as a band that leaned in "space rock" long after the 60s (and had Lemmy on bass for a bit before they kicked him out, which caused him to start Motorhead).  But I'm getting ahead of myself here.  Their first album is considered an early space rock landmark, but honestly, I don't think it's aged that well.

I get that the point of psychedelic rock is the vibes and atmosphere instead of having thought-out orchestrations, but there are times where this album seems to revel in musical noise that occasionally has some rock jams in between.  A great example is "Seeing It as You Really Are," where there are so many sound effects and strange noises going on that it overwhelms what might have been a decent track.  Another example is "The Reason Is," which turns out to be just a few minutes of jarring ambiance.  Fortunately, there are a few songs to enjoy here.  The opener "Hurry on Sundown" has a folky twang coming from a 12-string guitar, making for a very acoustic-heavy rock jam.  "Be Yourself" has some rather King Crimson rhythms at the start before settling into a decent groove.  The closer "Mirror of Illusion" is probably the best track, as Dave Brock's voice really carries the song through a pretty solid jam, featuring plenty of solos.  I guess this song is what I was expecting the whole album to be like.

After listening to the whole thing, I get the feeling that the band were more interested in freaking out the listener than focusing on the music.  The descending warp in "Paranoia Part 1" in particular seems designed to make the listener to panic, thinking there is something wrong with their player.  Perhaps innovative and bizarre for its time, but listening to this retroactively on a computer, it feels just tacky.  Even though there are a few decent sections, this feels like one of those "you had to be there" kind of albums.

Deep Purple - Fireball

Finally, something that isn't a debut album!  I've been slowly working my way through Deep Purple's catalog, and I can see why Mark II is so important to the band's history, as I'm finding quite a bit to like.  This one has another decent bunch of songs, but listening to this retroactively, it's hard not to feel like this is just preparation for something greater.

I think a good way to describe this album is to say that the band is coming to terms with their new sound.  While In Rock was a massive burst of power, here they are grappling and controlling that power into something more organized.  They also wander into elements of space rock here and there, exploring the dynamics of their sound.  "No No No" and "Fools" have some stark transitions between hard riffs and mellower sections, but none of it feels jarring as they make these switches with a confident ease.  "The Mule" also has this droning quality that pushes the listener into a very strange space (though I do think the version on Made In Japan is better, naturally).  Still, there's plenty of rockin', with the opening title track not wasting anyone's time with its double-kicking bass drum energy, and "No One Came" has this pulsing drive from Roger Glover that keeps things moving.  "Anyone's Daughter" is a curious attempt at a joke song, but it's hard to know how much of the band was into the idea.

This is an improvement over In Rock, as the band is a little more confident in what they're doing, not really having to prove themselves as much.  However, like I said, with Machine Head coming after this one, it's hard not to feel like this one falls short of that excellent album.  Perhaps it's unfair to do that.  In any case, they are really becoming a strong unit with some solid (if quickly written) songs, proving that the switch to Mark II was worth it for both the band and the listener.

Retro Reviews - December 2025 Part Two!!

While I've been going through all these albums this year, I have to admit this article is a little different because it features some albums that I considered back in 2020, but never got around to, for one reason or another.  In the end, this is turning into a great opportunity to catch up on some stuff that I liked.  I don't know of any of these will break into my revised Top 5 (as that was a very good year!), but I won't know until I give them the chance!  In any case, here's another chunk of reviews here at the end of the year.

Archon Angel - Fallen

This is largely a project built around Zak Stevens, singer for late-era Savatage and Circle II Circle.  While I checked out a few of their videos, for whatever reason, I never got around to this until now.  For what it's worth, this is some decently executed symphonic metal, much like other Frontiers Records projects like Allen/Lande and The Ferrymen.

Naturally, there's also a good dose of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, especially on the opener "Fallen" and the overlapping lyrics on "Under the Spell."  I think the main difference is that the symphonics, while well arranged, are further back in the mix and in the song-writing, letting the guitars and vocals take center stage.  Speaking of guitars, Aldo Lonobile leans more into the melodic style of soloing but also has some pretty chunky riffs throughout, and his fretwork sets this album apart from other bands in this style.  Overall, it's some solid symphonic metal, with "Rise" and "Twilight" as the standouts for their uptempo energy, while the epic closer "Return of the Storm" makes the most of their symphonic style into something bombastic and fun.  They released another album a few years later, which I will get to sooner or later, as this one was pretty good.

Paralydium - Worlds Beyond

Here's another group who had their debut album in 2020, where I checked out a few songs, and then didn't follow up.  Featuring a few members from the melodic metal band Dynazty, Paralydium aim for a very melodic-but-noodly style of prog metal with catchy choruses, much like DGM or Vanden Plas.

One thing that sets this band apart is a greater emphasis on chuggy riffing, giving the band a bit of a heavier feel.  Mikael Sehlin's vocals easily slip back-and-forth between soaring and having a touch of grit, giving the songs a bit of range, and the synths feel fresh without necessarily being experimental (and Mikael Blanc gets plenty of keyboard solos along with John Berg's guitars).  The production gives the band plenty of space, whether they want to power through or jam around a bit, adding to the metaphysical, sci-fi/fantasy aesthetic they have going.  While I don't know if this is a concept album, the lyrics have plenty of epic melodrama that fits the music well.

And yet, I don't feel that the band isn't doing anything to really stand above the pack in the field of melody-heavy, symphonic-driven progressive metal.  All the pieces are here, and they have plenty of talent and great atmosphere, but the songs don't really seem to stick with me much after I've heard them, especially since the tracks do feel a rather interchangeable.  However, none of it was bad, so maybe I need to give this more spins to really get a feel for it.  I see that they have done at least one other album, so I'll be sure to give that a shot as well at some point.

Seven Planets - Explorer

After their first album was a solid blues-rock jam, and their second took them further into spacey atmosphere, their third effort really is just more of the same, but that's not a bad thing.  Their tight rhythm section and effects-laden guitar leads put the listener in the right mood for another set of psychedelic rock.

Things start off well with "Vanguard," which has a very Led Zeppelin kind of energy to it (as does "206" and "The Buzzard"), while the title track builds up and breaks down its dynamics quite well, flowing from section to section with ease, making me think of early 70s Pink Floyd.  "Great Attractor" was basically a slow build-up revolving around some thick reverb with a pretty satisfying ending.  There is no 10 minute epic this time, but there are a few nearly reaching seven minutes, and none of this drags at all, as their repetitions only serve to enhance their atmosphere.  With their groovy riffs and spacey soundscape, I just bang my head along and enjoy the ride.  As far as I can tell, this is their last album as well.  The band may still be going somewhere, and if they decide to record a new one, I will certainly look forward to listening to it.  Until then, Explorer is probably their best, though their self-titled album was quite good, and all three are absolutely worth a listen.

Greyhawk - Keepers of the Flame

A few years ago, I checked out this band's first release, which was a decent little EP full of epic US-style power metal.  Now that I'm reviewing a bunch of albums for my Top 5, their debut full-length crossed my radar and I figured I'd check it out.  Naturally, I got some pretty epic stuff, built on plenty of 80s tropes and techniques.

The boost in production certainly helps, but the songwriting seems to have eased up as well, making me think of the likes of Dio and Ozzy.  The album starts with the high-speed tracks "Frozen Star" and "Drop the Hammer," both of which were good, but then it feels like they then pick up a dose of rock 'n' roll, being very noticable on "Don't Wait for the Wizard" and the 6/8 swing on "Masters of the Sky."  Even "The Rising Sign" sounds like a classic 80s glam metal ballad, but the band adds some clever dynamics to turn it into a storytelling song, and it turns out pretty good.  And of course there are plenty of guitar solos and harmonized melodies all over the place.  While it does get cheesy from time to time, those who don't mind some sincere affection for classic fantasy and old-school metal will find plenty to enjoy here like I did.

Stygian Crown - Stygian Crown

After enjoying their latest album, I figured I should go back and check out their debut, which came out the same year as the rest of these.  With basically the same lineup, this is another slab of well-made doom metal.  The band continues to have great atmosphere, with Melissa Pinion's haunted vocals wailing over it all.  While it's easy to point out similarities to other doom bands, such as Candlemass and Sorcerer (to say nothing of Black Sabbath), I do think they create their own space by really leaning into dark, mythological story-telling.

If there is a difference, I'd say that the band isn't quite as experimental as they were on the second album.  These songs are relatively straight forward and don't feature much outside of the standard doom template (though it is well-executed).  Still, there is plenty to like here, as the melodies feel as morose as the lyrics, and most songs have some playful mixed-meter elements and tempo shifts.  If you like epic doom metal, there is little to criticize here, as it's quite a solid chunk of mournful, grandiose tracks.

Sacred Outcry - Damned for All Time...

Here's another situation where I enjoyed the band's recent release, so I figured I'd go back and check out the debut.  As it turns out, much of this was written and recorded in the early 2000s, but set aside for some reason.  Then, the album was mostly re-recorded much later and finally got released in 2020, though I understand some of the earlier work was reused.  While their newer album was a solid (if rather overhyped) power metal concept album, their debut clearly paved the way for it, as much is the same here.

As with Warrior Path, we have Yannis Papadopoulos singing before he was replaced with Daniel Heiman, and he does a great job here, as one would expect.  His wails are great, and when the songs has him harmonizing with himself, it sounds very powerful.  I'm not sure if this one is a concept album, like the later album was (it's possibly about Elric of Melniboné?), but it follows some similar elements: soft acoustic guitars often give way to epic metal theatrics, a sense of adventure in the tone and lyrics, and a massive, 14-minute epic towards the end of the album.  It's all pretty competently performed and nothing feels particularly out of place, but there is a sense that I've heard better elsewhere.

Naturally, I end up liking the faster songs, like "Sacred Outcry" and "Lonely Man," while the title track (the aforementioned 14-epic) goes through some interesting moods, drifting between somber and intense.  In comparison, I think this debut album might have some better moments (especially with Yannis's vocals) than the second, but Towers of Gold was definitely supported with a cool, epic story, so they may be even overall.  On its own, this album certainly gets quite epic, but I don't know if this band really impresses me as it seems to impress others.

Top 5 of 1970!!

And so we begin this new series of articles!  Just to make the record clear, I am just one guy, listening to music off-and-on through my days, so it is impossible to listen to everything of a given year (especially within just a month).  I will also limit my choices to genres that I generally cover in this blog (melodic rock and metal), though that isn't much of a problem for me here with 1970.  It should also be noted that, since this was put together by one guy, this list will be very subjective, as they are essentially my favorite albums from the year.  

When I wrote about this year for my Anniversary Article, I mentioned how it was a time of change, with some bands ending and others beginning.  However, when it comes to finding the best of this year, it seems that I found it with bands that had some experience but were interested in expanding their sound into new ideas.  Here are my Top 5 for 1970!

5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

By 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival had already established themselves as a solid rock band, focusing on a roots-rock style instead of the popular psychedelia their San Franciscan peers were into.  However, with this album, they step back into a bit, with an 11 minute rendition of "Heard It Through the Grapevine" that really flows, as well as a nice groove-heavy section in the middle of "Ramble Tamble."  However, they still had their hard-hitting cuts like "Run Through the Jungle" and "Up Around the Bend," with a good measure of whimsy with songs like "Looking Out My Back Door."  While not every song is great, it's a solid collection of rock songs from a band that was looking beyond their established formula to create something fresh.  While I did listen to Pendulum as well, but it wasn't as strong as this one, so it gets the slot.

4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Another band with two albums this year, I think most metal fans will say that Paranoid is the better of the two.  Their self-titled debut isn't bad, but definitely leans into the jammy blues-rock that was popular at the time.  Here, with Paranoid, the band finds their proto-metal sound, as the title track, "Iron Man," and "War Pigs" set the standard that many bands would follow for decades to come.  The album does get a bit silly towards the end, and it's not quite the heavy metal we may recognize today, but the raw materials were established here, and they have aged pretty dang well.

3. Led Zeppelin - III

I've always been a Led Zeppelin fan ever since I took the time to dig into them when I was in college.  While their third album features some great songs, it does end up being stuck between their very successful second album and their iconic fourth one.  Still, the emphasis on more acoustic tracks and the inclusion of other sounds show this band was moving beyond their blues-rock origins and working toward the stadium rockers they would become shortly after this album.  It may not be the favorite of many people, but it's a solid entry in a discography that has stamped itself in rock history as one of the best.

2. Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You

I still remember when I first gave this shot on a Sunday when I had a headache, finding it rather pleasant and chill.  However, since then, the album has really grown on me.  Despite all its jazz-fusion-branded chaos, I find this album oddly comforting, full of little melodic earworms and neat transitions.  I really should listen to more from this band, if this album is anything to go by.

1. Yes - Time and a Word

However, my favorite band also released an album this year.  While it's not one of my favorites of theirs, I still can't deny that it has excellent songs, building on their first album's blend of sounds for something bigger and more dynamic.  The opening starts with a great cover of Richie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" that packs a lot of punch, followed by the enigmatic "Then."  The title track is a decent ballad, but the my favorite has to be "Sweet Dreams," with Christ Squire's rockin' bass taking front-and-center!  I will say that the second half of the album isn't as strong, as they dabble in some psychedelic weirdness that doesn't quite click.  But the fanboy in me still says this is the best album of the year, even if the band hadn't quite found their iconic sound just yet.

Top 5 of 2024!!

This year as a tough one, as there were a lot of solid albums.  The top three were figured out fairly early on in the past month, but after that, it took some serious consideration to round out the rest.  Judas Priest's Invincible Shield had a decent shot of making it, as well as Nightbound by Find Me, which started to grow on me, despite the production.  I also really enjoyed Lovebites's EP II, but decided that I shouldn't really compare it to a full album.  In the end, I was able to whittle it down to these five albums of 2024 that stood out from the rest!

5. Paragon - Metalation

This was definitely the toughest spot to fill.  As I relistened to this year's albums, I started to wonder if I could pick one from the list at all.  However, I found Paragon's new slab of chunky riffs to be what helped it squeeze in.  It's not as good as Controlled Demolition was, as these songs are a little sillier, but it's a pretty consistent album across the board, and that counts for a lot.

4. Firewind - Stand United

I know there were some power metal albums I never got around to this past year, so it might be a bit cheeky to say Firewind's latest is the best one of 2024, especially as I wasn't expecting too much after their self-titled album from a few years ago.  However, once I recognized that they had slipped into more of a heavy/power blend, I found Stand United to be a solid album, and Herbie Langhans's vocals have really settled in well for the band.

3. Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks - True

It took more than a few listens, but I was finally able to really assess this album on its own.  While it's certainly aping the classic sound of my favorite band, and I do think the songs in the middle drag it down, it can't be denied that Jon has found something pretty magical with these Geeks.  "Once Upon a Dream" alone put this album in the Top Five!

2. DGM - Endless

This year's surprise!  When their last album felt lukewarm, a let down from my winner of 2020, I wasn't sure what to make of this band.  So when I was treated to a pleasant kick-in-the-head in the form of some very 70s prog that was played with energy, I knew this was going to be a contender for the Top 5 list.  "From Ashes" still puts a smile on my face!

1. Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine

DGM might have taken the year if it weren't for this one.  While I do think that Sphere was a better album, I can't deny this groups infectious tone and energy.  Giving their psychedelic rock a slight mechanical feel helped to shake things up, but otherwise, it was business as usual, as this band continues to impress with their dynamic song-writing and dense atmosphere.  

Anniversary Series - 2009!!

I know I'm not posting these Anniversary Articles very consistently this year, but there were some pretty interesting albums I wanted to go over with this one, so it took some time to pull these together.  As always, there's more in the playlist below, so check that out, but for now, reviews!

Heaven and Hell - The Devil You Know

I feel like the story behind this album is better known than the album itself.  The Dio-era lineup of Black Sabbath came back together in the mid-2000s for a compilation record that included three new songs (which are decent).  After touring together afterwards, they decided to release a new album of songs under the name Heaven & Hell, after the first Dio-led album.  I had heard it was to avoid complications with Sharon Osbourne, but other sources make it seem like Iommi's decision to avoid brand confusion.  In any case, this is, essentially, the fourth Dio Sabbath album, and it's darker and doomier than the other three.

Once again, there's significant a boost in production, making the songs feel thicker than their last album.  The song-writing is also a bit more adventurous, as the band focuses more on a classic sense of darkness from the early Ozzy years (perhaps feeling more relevant with the reunions of the classic lineup before all this).  They're definitely trying some things, but sometimes, it feels like the songs are slow for their own sake or seem to be not as well organized.  Of course, the lineup's performance remains as consistent as before, though Dio does sound a little weaker (understandable, given the circumstances) but he still sings his heart ou,t and Iommi's riffs are as crunchy and heavy as ever.  It's the band you know, but with more experience and heft.

It's a solid album, but not all of the songs work for me.  "Bible Black" is certainly a highlight, making me think of the classic Dio era, and both "Follow the Tears" and "Breaking Into Heaven" are great slabs of doom.  But then you have songs like "Fear," where the chorus is just weird, "Double the Pain," which doesn't quite come together, or "Rock and Roll Angel" which just drags along.  I don't think it's as good as their classic 80s albums, but it serves as a fine conclusion to this part of Sabbath's legacy.

Astra - The Weirding

Well, after enjoying Birth's debut album so much that it ended up in my Top 5 for that year, I figured it would be worth my time to dig into what some of these guys were doing before and listen to Astra's debut for this article.  Going with a very retro sound that it nearly hurts, they blend elements of psychedelic and progressive rock in ways that feel appropriate and adventurous without feeling derivative.

If I could describe their sound, I'd say they're close to the mellow side of King Crimson and Caravan, but with the occasional Black Sabbath riff thrown in, and more layers of keyboards.  The performances are solid, as they focus more on exploratory melodies than technical musicianship, but there is so much reverb on everything, I wondered if I wasn't listening to some third-generation re-recording of a radio broadcast.  However, the band is much more interested in creating a lot of atmosphere than focusing on any sense of orchestral arrangement like most other prog bands, so the reverb doesn't really ruin the experience, featuring plenty of nice melodies all over the album.  The wall of Mellotrons might be a bit much at times, but those who like that classic sound will find plenty to love here.  As a whole, it feels like it was made in mind for those looking for an album to just vibe with while doing something (or nothing) else.

The other issue is that the album is very long, nearly 80 minutes, with a lot of repetitive sections.  If this kind of mood-driven space rock is not your thing, your time is better spent elsewhere.  However, I was able to groove with the songs pretty well, sinking into their sound by the end.  I ended up liking the title track with its space jams, "Ouroboros," which made me think of Tales of Topographic Oceans at times, and the closer "Beyond to Slight the Maze" which felt more Pink Floyd.  While I wish the reverb wasn't quite so strong so that I could better hear the performances, I found this album to be a pretty satisfying experience.  

Herman Frank - Loyal to None

Despite being a mainstay in German metal since the 80s, Herman Frank's first solo album didn't come out until 2009.  I came across him a few years ago, being blown away by his fourth album, but feeling that his fifth (and latest) was a little lackluster.  Now this article gives me the chance to go back and see how things started for his solo efforts.  Unsurprisingly, it's another chunk of traditional metal, but not without issues.

The first major difference is Jioti Parcharidis on vocals, who I assume Herman Frank brought over from Victory.  He has a rougher voice than Rick Altzi (who takes over after this album), but he's still a good choice for this style of metal.  However, the production is a problem.  I'm not quite sure what's wrong, but Jioti feels buried at times, and the guitars don't feel as punchy as they should, sometimes sounding thin or muddy.  The song lyrics are a bit strange as well.  A few songs are about epic battles while others are fun-times 80s rockin'.  "Hero" feels like some kind of political statement for which I don't have the context, and "Father Buries Son" is weirdly upbeat for its somber topic.  While the music is pretty consistent, the lyrics don't quite match the songs the way you'd think.

Otherwise, it's Herman doing what he does best: providing plenty of chunky riffs and tight solos, with the rhythm section giving him a solid platform to work from.  The album starts well enough with "Moon II" and "7 Stars" being good energetic heavy/power metal songs, and "Down to the Valley" has a bit of an Iron Maiden feel.  However, the production and the weird lyrics bring this down for me.  Despite the experience on board for the songs, this album feels rough and under-cooked, but if you don't mind that, there's plenty of 80s-style metal to enjoy.

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Well, I suppose that will do for 2009.  As always, let me know what you think in the comments.  In the meantime, I should get to work on the next one if I want time to cover all that I want to!  Until then, rock on!  \m/

New Releases - September 2024!

It's been a while!  I still kinda catching up on things, but I've worked out a plan that should get me back on track before the end of the year.  And for once, I'm not reviewing any metal!  All three of these albums are ones I have been looking forward to, each for their own reasons, but it is nice to see some older styles still be represented by artists both old and young.  Let's get this prog rock article started!

David Gilmour - Luck and Strange

So we finally have the latest from this guitar legend.  There's been some talk from him about maybe moving beyond Pink Floyd, and getting a producer who has no interesting in respecting Gilmour's past.  However, I don't think he can really escape it, especially with an album like this.  Once again, David takes us through another bluesy journey, this time with an emphasis on themes of aging and mortality.

Those looking for Pink Floyd vibes will certainly find them here and there.  The title track, which features a recording from Rick Wright as a basis, feels like it could have come off of Division Bell, and "Scattered" references some of the band's 70s ideas, including a heart beat and that reverby piano from "Echoes."  As for the rest, the album tends to drift between his last two.  "The Piper's Call," "Sings" and "Yes, I Have Ghosts" feel like a folky variation on the songs fom On An Island, while some of the darkness of Rattle That Lock shows up on "A Single Spark" and "Dark and Velvet Nights."  The latter one actually gets pretty funky.  If there's one that maybe feels like an odd duck out, it's "Between Two Points," which is sung by David's daughter Romany.  It's an interesting song, but the production feels much more modern, like a contemporary pop song.  I didn't mind it, but folks who like their Gilmour material to feel classic may find it jarring.

Of course, Gilmour hasn't lost a step in his guitar work.  He still has his tasty licks and legato-style solos, so fans will get their fill for sure.  However, I feel like this album was more focused on the song-writing than the solos, and I think it makes the album feel a little more whole.  I don't know if I can really compare it to his other albums too well; I'd have to really dig in deep to compare.  However, on it's own, it's a solid album that shows how well Gilmour is aging, despite what the lyrics might imply.

Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks - True

So the story goes that the Band Geeks were just a cover band who happened to include a lot of Yes covers.  When Jon Anderson joined up with them, fans were talking about how good they were at playing classic Yes stuff.  Then they announced an album, and despite that pretty terrible cover art, they did end up recording something that sounds like classic Yes.

While Jon Anderson's singing and lyrics give this a heavy Yes-like tone, I do wonder if maybe the rest of the band is trying a little too hard to be like Yes from multiple eras.  Obviously, there's some classic Yes stuff, mostly Tales of Topographic Oceans or Going For the One, but there elements of their 80s pop sound, especially on "Shine On," and even some symphonic flourishes making me think of Magnification.  The Band Geeks are due a lot of credit, as they're playing is definitely spot on.  They are eager to sound like the classic members of Yes, with keyboard runs like Wakeman, basslines like Squire, and guitar solos like Howe.  

I guess my main concern is whether this stands on its own as good music or if it's just reminding me of music I already love.  I know I struggled with Arc of Life's two albums, to say nothing of what Yes has been doing lately, for the same problem.  However, I can't deny that Jon and the Geeks have worked out the kinks and made something that really clicks with me here and there.  "Shine On" has a lot of good energy on it, "Build Me an Ocean" sounds like it comes from The Living Tree, and the 16-minute epic "Once Upon a Dream" sounds like a sequel to "Awaken."  I get the feeling that if I listen to this more, I'll start to come around on it, but for now, it's a solid collection of tracks that fans of classic prog will probably enjoy.

Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine

After loving their last album so much that it was my album of the year for 2019 (and checking out their first), I was pretty excited to hear they had a new one in the works.  However, this came out back in February.  I didn't plan to set it aside for so long, but life happens.  In any case, I'm finally catching up.  Despite the five year gap, these guys haven't lost a step.

As if the title wasn't obvious, these guys have a very Pink Floyd influenced sound, mixing in elements of post-rock, stoner rock, and even some crushing, Tool-like segments.   However, they are able to weave this together so that it all flows really well.  Their tone remains intact, drifting between mysterious and uplifting as the songs build and breakdown.  There is a stronger mechanical feel in the songs (matching the title), but it's only sprinkled in here and there, adding another layer to their iconic wall of sound.  Another factor I love about this band is, while they are experts at creating a solid spacey atmosphere, they aren't afraid to jam it out for a bit, freeing up the band to let the guitars go wild for a while.  Playing this stuff live must feel liberating.

I'm not going to lie: this is a Top 5 contender for the year.  "Ignition" gets things started perfectly, "Collision" is a solid follow up with the mechanical bits, "Kali Yuga" dips pretty deep into their atmospheric side, "Rackman" builds up really well, and "Collapse" is a good closer with a lot of fun Pink Floyd references and excellent transitions and dynamics.  I don't know if it's quite as good as Sphere, but it's very close, and certainly a standout album for 2024.

Last Played - 2023 Roundup!

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 - Battlelines

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.

DGM - Life

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.

Sorcerer - Reign of the Reaper

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.

Final Strike - Finding Pieces

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 - Megalomanium

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.

Tanith - Voyage

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.

Last Played - August 2023!

I'm not sure if it's just me getting older, but I felt this summer has been busier than others, taking up a lot of my time.  Nevertheless, I was able to squeeze in a few listens here and there.  It's a bit of an eclectic trio of albums, but there's pretty solid stuff to talk about.  Here's what I've been listening to lately!

Primal Fear - Primal Fear

(So this is a bit awkward.  I had originally written this to be part of the 1998 Anniversary Article.  However, when I took a closer look, I realized this album came out at the end of 1997!  So I've decided to move it to this article instead.)

In the mid 90s, singer Ralf Scheepers left Gamma Ray in hopes of being auditioned for vocalist position in Judas Priest after hearing that his name got onto a short list of potential candidates.  However, when Ralf heard nothing, and then saw that Tim "Ripper" Owens got the job, he was approached by Mat Sinner to start a new project, which turned into Primal Fear.  Since then, Ralf and company have been tearing up the power metal scene with their Painkiller inspired sound.  While I have enjoyed many of their recent releases, I recently decided to check out their debut, and unsurprisingly it's another slab of solid heavy/power metal.

If there is a difference between this and the newer albums, it's that this is much more typical power metal, which makes sense, as the scene was really growing at the time.  The band really did go right at the start for the nexus between Judas Priest and Helloween or Gamma Ray (and they even get Kai Hansen to come play on a few songs!).  While they do mix it up with the occasional anthemic stomper or power ballad, they really lean on the uptempo chugging and bass drum double-kicking for most of these tracks, not that I'm complaining.  There are a few moments where there could have been a bit more polish, either on the lyrics or the transitions, but otherwise, it's pretty standard, satisfying stuff.

Ralf Scheepers makes his presence known all over this album (which makes sense, as he was the main reason the band was made in the first place); he really soars here.  The rest of the band is tight as well, with Tom Naumann's guitars putting out riff after riff, with some great solos.  "Chainbreaker" is an excellent opening track, "Promised Land" has some interesting 6/8 riffing, and both "Battalions of Hate" and "Running in the Dust" have a lot of old-school charm.  While it's not a mind-blowing debut, it's pretty clear these guys had something special from the beginning and they've made it their core going forward, resulting in a lot of excellent music.

Rick Wakeman - A Gallery of the Imagination

I had been aware of keyboard legend Rick Wakeman had worked on and released a new album early in the year, but when the first few singles were lackluster, I didn't really pay attention to the album when it came out.  However, now that Yes themselves have put out a new album, I felt the need to give Rick his due.  I really did enjoy his last album with the English Rock Ensemble, so I hoped that this would be a decent follow-up.  While there are some interesting ideas across a diverse set of songs, the album doesn't feel quite as strong or cohesive as The Red Planet did.

Probably the first big difference is the inclusion of Hayley Sanderson as a vocalist.  She's not bad, but maybe a little high and light, and the mix makes her seem slightly shrill once in a while.  The lyrics mostly stay in figurative and flowery territory to help evoke the imagery that Rick and his band are trying to create.  However, the main problem, and it's kind of a big one, is that the album focuses on a kind of proggy sophisticated pop rather than any kind of rock.  Not that I can't enjoy other genres outside of the rock sphere, but when I think of Rick Wakeman, I don't think of chilled, pop-oriented, art pieces (though I suppose that better fits the cover art).  I wouldn't have been surprised if he had covered "Smooth Operator" by Sade.

For what it's worth, what it lacks in way of rock or adventurous spirit it makes up for with some decent variety, shifting between soft layers of synths to solo piano to latin jazz grooves, with the occasional synth or guitar solo here and there.  "Hidden Depths" brings in a bit of rock, "The Man in the Moon" made me think of the Alan Parsons Project, and "The Moonlight Dream" has some interesting, dreamy synth layers and solos that trade between guitar and keys.  He also has just some straight up solo piano pieces that are nice and atmospheric, but overall, there really isn't much to recommend outside of the occasional decent synthesizer solo.  Perhaps it's just a consequence of having bad expectations, but after his last effort was such a solid proggy tribute to the red planet, this is quite the let down.

Monkey3 - Monkey3

After having enjoyed their last album so much that it was my album of the year in 2019 (good heavens, has it really been 4 years?), I knew I needed to dig into the backlog of this band and hear more of what they've done.  With 2003 being the next target for my Anniversary Article series, I figured I could sneak their debut in here on this article.  It's a bit of a shift from what I heard on Sphere, but they remain excellent at maintaining a spacey, rockin' atmosphere.

The first thing I noticed was a lack of the Pink Floyd sense of emotion, instead leaning in harder towards a riff-filled stoner rock with massive riffs that dominate the space.  However, they remain experts at dynamics, letting their songs drift between high intense sections and softer, brooding moments, without ever feeling jarring or strange.  The songs just ease themselves between the sections with jammy rhythms all the way through.  I felt like they were aiming for a space between Tool and Seven Planets with maybe a dash of Pearl Jam: solid grooves and big riffs bound together with good atmosphere.  Sometimes, a section will feel repetitive without much going on, but for psychedelic rock, this is minor gripe, as setting an immersive tone is the priority, and sometimes that requires a bit of repetition for the trance-y vibes to settle in.

Because the songs have such good flow, it's hard to identify which tracks are the best, especially when they often transition seamlessly from one to the next.  "Last Gamuzao" is a solid opener, setting the tone for the album and having excellent moments on its own.  "Bimbo" gave me Blade Runner vibes, and "Darkman's Nose" has some nice heavy riffing.  Overall, it was a solid listen, though not as mind-blowing a Sphere was when I first heard it.  Still, it's a good start for the band, and it's easy to see how they could build on this.

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While things remain busy, I still plan on trucking along, with the next Anniversary Article coming up next.  I know there's a lot of new releases I've been neglecting, but I intend to get to them soon.  As always, it's overwhelming to see just how many new releases come out each year, but I'll get to as many as I can, eventually.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - February 2023!

Once again, anniversary articles are dictating my listening habits as I continue to expand my classic rock knowledge base.  While I was kind of planning on getting this out before the 1973 article, things didn't quite work out, but I suppose it's not that big of a deal to have these reviews come out afterwards, as I didn't really talk about the two 1973 albums I review here.  Ovreall, it's a bunch of classic stuff, as I've definitely been in the mood for it lately.  Here's what I've been spinning for the past while!

Blue Öyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation

After doing this iconic band's debut album last year, I knew I needed to follow up with their sophomore effort this year.  Once again, the album is quite the mix of sounds, though I do think there is a stronger blues-rock core to it all, making me think of the Rolling Stones or Steppenwolf at times.

I think there's a little more energy on this album, overall.  The opener "The Red and the Black" definitely sets the tone for some solid rock-and-roll style jamming, which carries on with "Hot Rails to Hell," and "Teen Archer."  Even the more chilled tracks like "Wings Wetted Down" and "Mistress of the Salmon Salt" still retain some doomy power.  In the middle is "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" where they mix it together into a jazz-fusion-styled jam that has them going back and forth between a bluesy groove and and a more uptempo chorus.  And through it all, Buck Dharma is noodling his excellent guitar work from beginning to end.

While the songs are another hodge podge of ideas, and the lyrics are still very strange and esoteric, I do think this one is a bit better in the songwriting, even if they have a tendency to let the songs jam on a little too long at the end.  However, I can imagine them being quite entertaining it see played live, as they have all kinds of spaces for the musicians to add extra touches and licks.  Again, I don't know if I've really wrapped my head around this band yet, but I haven't given up.

Uriah Heep - Sweet Freedom

Yup, I'm carrying on this journey as well.  After binging their earlier albums last year, I'm starting to get a feel for how this band is.  Compared to the last one, I think the band was eager to get back to their comfort zone of big hammond organs and tight vocal harmonies will retaining their streamlined songwriting.

At this point, the band is sounding very 70s.  I don't know if it's a deliberate thing or just a consequence of the production, but this one really did feel like they were picking on some poppier ideas from the time.  While the staples of the band are still here, Sweet Freedom doesn't really have much that the band hasn't done before, really.  The vibes of Deep Purple, Vanilla Fudge, and early Styx come to mind again.  "Circus" goes for a more chilled acoustic vibe, but otherwise, the album maintains a kind of mid-tempo groove, letting Ken Hensley get a lot of work out of his organs and David Byron sail over everything with his vocals.  Some of the lyrics were rather weak, often repeating themselves, and the whole alphabet thing at the end of "Seven Stars" is very baffling.

It's not a bad album, per se, as the performances are good, but it's very standard for them.  I did like parts of "Dreamer" and "Sweet Freedom," as they had some good energy.  "Pilgrim" is a decent closer, with some epic moments and a nice jammy section in the middle, but the ending is a little tedious.  Overall, they have some pretty good dynamics, building things up as they go, but I don't know if the payoffs are particularly strong, resulting in a very average album compared to what they've done before.

AC/DC - Powerage

At this point, my listening of AC/DC is just filling in the gaps that I haven't gotten to yet.  Of course, this one is another solid slab of blues rock that the band put out like clockwork, but I do think it shows a bit of a transition in their sound from the bluesier side into the anthemic hard rockers they're known as the world over.

The album does start a little slow, as the first few songs have some decent grooves, but not much more.  However, once we get into "Riff Raff," "Sin City," and "What's Next to the Moon," the energy picks up and mostly carries through to the end of the album.  Another thing is that they seem to have a better sense of dynamics on these songs than with their earlier albums, often starting with a low, brooding vibe before building up to some big riffs and choruses, clearly foreshadowing the huge hits that would show up on Highway to Hell and Back in Black.  However, I don't know if think this album is quite up to that level of quality.  It's a sign that their clearly building towards something, though perhaps it's more noticeable through the benefit of hindsight.  Still, what we have is decent, as there is plenty of opportunities for Bon Scott to croon over some solid riffs, the new bassist Cliff Williams does a solid job keeping the rhythm down with Malcom and Phil, and Angus Young jams out his solos with his usual reckless abandon.  As ever, it's a hard rock album that goes down easy, just like the rest of their catalog.

Anvil - Forged in Fire

Yup, it's time for the next Anvil album.  Once again, this is quite the step up from the last one, as it feels like they're embracing the 80s metal sound more and more.  While they carry over their Judas Priest and Iron Maiden influences, I'm hearing a bit of Dio-era Black Sabbath in there as well, as well as maybe some of the early glam metal sound.

Right off, everyone is performing much better.  The guitars are fierce and full of energetic solos, the drumming is pounding while still taking time for some solid fills, and Lips is really turning up his voice, channeling Halford many times across the album.  The lyrics also pick up more of the classic metal tropes, including fantasy combat, freedom, and even some social commentary.  Sure, there's still a few raunchy songs, but even those are driven by some interesting riffs.  Two tracks definitely stood out the most: the title track, which has a nice doomy feel, and "Free as the Wind," which has a great metal gallop to boost its anthemic power.

However, I can tell that the band is maybe at a bit of a crossroads.  Part of the songs do have a touch of the early pop metal sound, while still trying to retain the aggression of the NWOBHM style.  1983 was a unique year, not only featuring the success of bands like Quiet Riot and Def Leppard, but also kickstarting the extreme metal with the debuts of Metallica and Slayer.  Anvil seems like it's kind of trying to stand on the cusp of the two styles, as if hedging their bets as to where things are going to in the future.  Still, this album is definitely the best I've heard from them so far.  They haven't quite reached the level of the likes of Judas Priest or Accept in terms of classic traditional metal, but they're getting quite close.

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So that's a nice chunk of classic rock and metal.  I know there are several new releases that have come out, but I haven't gotten to them yet, as this older stuff has been my focus lately.  Still, I don't intend to be completely left behind, as I know some big names have made some big announcements.  I don't know when I'll get around to them, but I assure you it's become quite the list already.  Here's hoping I don't get too far behind!  Until then, rock on! \m/