What's coming up?

I still have a review of Haken-Aquarius to do this week. Hopefully I'll get it done for Friday because I have listened to it several times and know what I feel about it so I know I just have to get my fingers cranking out some thoughts to share. I have been promising a Lesser of two evils for two weeks, but have just not gotten to it yet. Hoepfully next week will be the week I finally get it done. I have two all day trainings next week so it will be tight to get much writing done, I am going to aim to have out reviews of Eldorado-s/t, Stairway-Interregnum and I need that record DVD. Plus Clash of the album covers.

****Have a great week!

shEver-A dialogue with the dimensions

2009

ShEver are an all female band from Switzerland who have knocked out a pair of demos and a full length album prior to this EP. After listening to this disc I felt like I had initially been prepared for a roller coaster ride, but in the end the whole four song ride just coasted. There were some heavy tones, but all too often it was the same tone dragging on with little variation in pace, pitch or anything. I kept expecting and hoping for something to raise the intensity level, but it never came except maybe for a brief period on the final track. The vocals are of the low growling variety for most most of the time which is alright, but again there is very little altering of any part so it drones on. I even went back for a second try on this disc and the final song has some bits where the drums have some rhythm going and even the bass thumps in for a while, but even then you have to go through several minutes tedious ramblings to get to some moments of real substance. I can deal with drone when there is building or progress because all styles really need some structure. some way of building up or some momentum to draw the listener in. These four songs lack much in that department and that made reviewing this a difficult chore in some ways. Still I like the heavy, fuzzed out tones and think the production is fine, but beyond that they have a lot of work to do.

Battle of the bands

East coast against West coast. It is


Ratt

vs.


Twisted Sister

***Which band do you prefer?

Clash of the album covers

Here they are.


Priestess-Prior to the fire

vs.


Stone Axe-s/t

***Which cover do you prefer?

Guardian-First Watch

Retroactive
2009

Retroactive records have re-issued Guardian's debut in honor of it's 20th anniversary. Bass player David Bach adds liner notes telling about how the album was actually recorded in 1988. However their label Enigma made them wait until 1989 to release it because they wanted the band to tour hard in their home state of California to build up more interest before putting the album out. Stryper's Oz Fox produced this one and Bach relays some items of interest about that as well. On to the music. Guardian are melodic hard rock and could be compared to Dokken, Stryper and Hurricane. Mostly mid paced tracks with a few ballads tucked in. The best part for me are the guitars as Tony Palacios has a very strong, direct style and several times he pulled me in with just a few opening notes. The hardest part of Guardian for me to take was Paul Cawley's vocals. They are frequently way too high for my tastes. Although he fares better when he sticks to the mid range approach. It's Christian rock so you know that all of the songs center on various themes all dealing with the band's beliefs. The lyrics are perhaps a bit more subtle in their approach than some other bands of their genre. The production overall was decent, but not great. Even though this is supposed to be a remastered version it still sounds low to me in places and the drums definitely sound they needed a slightly meatier sound. Along with the notes and the remastering this anniversary edition also includes two demo tracks from
1987. The re-issue of "First Watch" is a likable offering for fans of late 80' hard rock.

Pick a replacement

So to go along with the replacement post form the other day I thought that I would ad a topic about replacements you might have picked to fill a position. When Iron Maiden were looking for a singer to replace Bruce Dickinson in the 90's the idea of Michael Kiske then of Helloween was tossed around in some circles. His voice was of a similar style, but in the end Maiden went for a different approach in Blayze Bayley. Slash was auditioned for Poison prior to being in G-n-R, but the spot went to CC Deville. So if you could control the metal universe and reach back and change history is there any replacements that you would have put in a band differently than what really happened?

Stone Axe-2

Music Abuse
2010

It was just a year ago that I was grooving on the sounds of Stone Axe's self-titled album so I was surprised that this one came out so fast. Not that I am complaing in the least, far from it actually. This is a project for Mos Generator frontman Tony Reed and vocalist Dru Brinckerhoff. Many bands over the last decade or so attempt to go back and copy the sound of is those early days of hard rock/metal from the late 60's/early 70's. Many succeed to some extent, but have been able to crank it out with the natural flow of Stone Axe. While the self-titled album was impressive I think they have raised the bar even more with their latest. It's as if all the gaps have been filled and every track is an explosion of old style hard rock. Many of the songs mix influences including Black Sabbath, Cream, Free, Zeppelin, AC/DC and Thin Lizzy. Other tracks channel single bands like "We know it's still rock and roll" is completely 1975-76 era AC/DC. "Those were the golden years" is 100% Thin Lizzy down to every hook and and every ounce of the vocals. Despite or maybe because they bring about such strong interpretations of the bands they loved these songs just overtook my senses instantly. Everything about this album was so immediate that I bonded with it right away. That's probably due to familiarity with the bands they are referencing. Still it's more than that because a lot of credit has to be given to Stone Axe. It's more than just copying sounds because it's also about embodying the spirit of the time that this music originated. That's where this band goes beyond many other acts. There is sincerity to each and every note, beat and word of every track and that's something that can't be learned, but it's just comes from belief in what you are doing. Just a fantastic album that gets better and better with every play and I should since I have probably played it like twenty times in the last few weeks.

What's coming up?

Stone Axe 2 review today. Over the next week I'll aim to review these:
shEver-a dialogue with the dimensions
Guardian-First Watch
Haken-Aquarius

plus...

Lesser of two evils
Clash of the album covers
Battle of the bands.

Replacements

Nowadays pretty much any hard rock/metal band has gone through a number of line-up changes. Some more than others as bands like LA guns and Krokus have gone through more than their share of changes. However there have been times when a replacement comes in and there is perhaps a time of uncertainty. It depends on the musician and sometimes how big the shoes they have to fill are. Music critics are always quick to point to Van Halen and AC/DC changing front man and selling more albums with the replacement, but I always prefered Diamond Dave and Bon Scott. Whenever I think of replacements I also focus in on Iron Maiden. Here is a band that in 1981 were on the rise, the replace Dianno with a much different vocalist in Bruce Dickinson and to say it worked out would be a massive understatement. Years later when Bruce decided to leave Maiden and they were faced with filling the singer spot again. This time they of course the expectations from fans were higher because they were now a major player although in a somewhat turbulent time in the not so metal friendly 1990's. Rumors swirled about who they would get and again they went for a singer different from the predecessor in the form of Wolfsbane vocalist Blayze Bayley. Only this time the results were not as favorable. It wasn't all Bayley's fault as the writing suffered too. Still looking back it doesn't seem that he was the right guy for the job. Maybe that's just hindsight. Then again Maiden are back on top in recent years and Bayley's recent solo efforts have been solid. Another replacement I come to is Ripper Owens in Judas Priest. These were some huge shoes to fill. Halford was the metal vocal god. We knew Maiden without Bruce, but Priest without Rob. Priest went the opposite route of Maiden. Instead of getting a different style they went for a guy who had been in a Priest cover band. The head scratcher for me was they get a guy with the same vocal style, but then change the music to a sound that doesn't really compliment the vocals. The result was two bad albums. Then when Halford came back they came out with two more bad albums with the writing still suffering. Owens has found steady work since, but bounced around as more of a journeyman vocalist. That's the downside. On the upside a surprising one for me was Brian Robertson in Motorhead. Okay he was in Thin Lizzy and he was a solid hard rock guitarist, but a very different style and image from Motorhead. We have all heard the stories of Lemmy complaining about him taking too long in the studio and Robertson still only lasted one album. However "Another perfect day" was a real gem and too often overlooked in their long catalog. So he was a surprise in how well he worked out in the end product.

***Any replacements that you hated or loved in hard rock/metal bands?

Clash of the albums covers

Big vehicles and guitars is the theme today and it's an old one against a new one.



Def Leppard-On through the night

vs.



Wig Wam-Non stop rock 'n roll


***Which cover do you choose?

JSS-One night in Madrid

DVD
Frontiers
2010

This show was recorded on April 18th, 2009 towards the end of the band's world tour. Having played with Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey, Talisman and many other projects it's safe to say that vocalist Jeff Scott Soto has been a very man over the last two and a half decades and he shows no signs of slowing down. If this particular show is any indication of his shows in Europe then it would be obvious that Soto has a loyal fan base perhaps more so on that side of Atlantic. Soto and his band knock out twenty tracks with more entries leaning towards his lighter material. His backing back is superb and extremely tight. The overall sound of the DVD is very sharp and consistent. The camerawork is steady and focuses on the action. I always enjoy a DVD that shows the audience because a large of the live show is seeing the reactions of the audience. The is particular audience was very into the show. Jeff Scott Soto has the kind of voice that never seems to quit. He sounds every bit as good today as he did over twenty years. I don't know what he does to keep his vocal chords in tip top shape, but whatever it is it sure works. It does matter if it's a rocker or a ballad Soto hits everything perfectly. I can't say I was totally thrilled by his choice to do a funky medley as his closer and several audience members looked like they would have preferred a heavier selection too. However Soto hits every note and there are some very high notes to hit on these selections so he was impressive in that respect. For fans this is a must show because JSS are right on all through a fairly long and varied set.

Keel-Streets of rock and roll

Frontiers
2010

Back in the 1980's Keel were one of those bands I tried to like, but never took to. Ron Keel's voice lacked power and smoothness and the music was oftentimes generic for the style. I remember repeatedly playing "The right to rock" and "The final frontier" trying to find something to latch onto. There was a song or two that were alright, but not enough to win me over. I always felt that Ron Keel fared better on that one Steeler album although I think most of what was good about that album was Yngwie Malmsteen. Anyways now we get the first Keel album in over a decade. So what do we have? Well, it's kind of odd because this isn't a bad attempt in fact there are some good songs. What's odd to me is that it doesn't sound like Keel did in the 80's and that may be why I like it a little more than I figured I would. It's almost like they tried to sound like everyone except what Keel sounded like twenty plus years ago. A few of the early tracks have a late 70's almost classic rock vibe mixed in while later in the album there is a song or two that sound like classic AC/DC and even some traces of Van Halen pop up towards the end. So I guess since there were no good old days to go back to for Keel that they reached into someone else's past instead. Guitarists Brian Jay and Marc Ferrari show far more here than they ever did on Keel's original run. Now Ron Keel also gives a better effort, but the results for him are not as strong as they were for the guitarists. Still he gives it a good try and hits on some moments. Now all that gushing aside, don't believe all the hype that many are pushing towards this album. I would give them a "B" for effort and a "C" for results. There are some good songs, but there are dry fillers too. It definitely exceeded my expectations, but they were not that high to begin with. Still in a time where many older bands just put out warmed over versions of their previous selves Keel actually tried to make it an album that rocked. They didn't totally succed, but there are more hits than misses on "Streets of rock and roll".

Disaffection-Begin the revolution

Bombworks
2010

The gun/guitar hybrid on the cover had me wondering what exactly was going to be contained on this disc and it has also had me remembering Kane Roberts playing his crazy gun guitar during his short stint with Alice Cooper. Disaffection are fortunately better than their album cover. This a Brazilian retro-thrash act with Christian leaning lyrics. They obviously have a strong affection for old style thrash and wear those influences on their sleeves with the likes of Destruction, Kreator and Slayer shining through. It's not a full blown blazing style of thrash as they often mix some mid-paced crunchy moments between the thrash attacks. That actually works out for them and the vocals very along with the pace too. The songs are blistering at times and they have some heavy pounding moments as well so it's a fairly balanced mix. The arrangements is perhaps this band's greatest strength. I do have two minor complaints. The first is that the drum sound is a bit tin sounding at times. This is a production issue, but there were a few times where they go to rip loose and thr drums just were not as heavy in the tome as they needed to be. The other item is that even though the album has ten songs it came across as very short. It was like as soon as I was getting into them it was over. Overall it's one of the better retro-thrash albums I have heard in recent months.

No Sunday metal funnies today

No Sunday metal funnies today I am afraid. I was sick most of the week and very busy at work so i didn't have the time to prepare something like I wanted. So instead of rushing something in I will instead skip this week, but be back with a double helping of funnies next week so come bakc for that.

Wig Wam-Non stop rock and roll

Frontiers
2010

Norway's Wig Wam have been knocking out their blend or AOR tinged hard rock for some time. Their latest release isn't a lot different. It's catchy, semi-sugary hard rock with some definite nods to Journey, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. However I'll be darned if it isn't one of the catchiest albums I have come upon in some time. They just know how to knock out the kinds of songs that are going to stick in your head and have the choruses going through your brain for hours after the song ends. The lyrics are cliche as are the topics, but it's smooth and you are likely to be hooked on it rather quickly. I must say that I was not as big on their ballads as I was on the more rock oriented tracks. The ballads tended to start fine and the vocals were good, but they fail to build any real steam or try to utilize building any momentum. The rock songs do more than make-up for the slower tracks. Sometimes sugary hard rock is just fluff that I can pass up and know that I didn't miss out, but other entries like this one will have me coming back for more.

What's coming up?

I skipped the chance to download the latest from Keel and Wig Wam earlier in the year, but then copies of them showed up in my mailbox the other day so I will review them in the next few days. Also hope to have Lesser of two evils out in the next few days as well. For next week I'll shoot to have out reviews of the latest from Daniel Lioneye, Stone Axe and Disaffection plus Clash of the album covers.

Toyz - Carte Blanche

Brennus
2010

This is the second album form French act Toyz. At the core of this album is an 80's style hard rock. Think Bon Jovi, Dokken and the Scorpions only with progressive bits added in. The playing is overall tight and strong on the melodies. They are smooth and obviously comfortable with this approach. The hooks are frequent and they handle them with confidence. The musicianship is high and the production brings out the best of the performances. However the biggest problem is that the progressive parts don't always blend smoothly with hard rock parts. Rather than fitting in nicely some of the pieces just sound rough and out of of place. They try hard and the skill is there, but there were several occasions where I am getting into their hard rock parts then a blast comes in from left field and my attention strays. I am all for diverse sounds and blending different styles, but it has to be done in a complimentary manner and I don't think this album does that enough to my satisfaction. Still the vocals and solid 80's hard rock foundation are appealing and the spirit of the album pulls me in on several occasions. That might be enough to warrant a listen, but Toyz definitely have some work to do.

Clash of the album covers

Going with some classics today.



Black Sabbath- Vol. 4

vs.



Led Zeppelin

***Which cover do you prefer?

Ufomammut-Eve

Supernaturalcat/Malleus
2010

The fifth album from Ufomammutis billed as a multi-form 45 minute long single track, structured in 5 main movements. It is also as the title indicates all about the first woman on Earth. Each movement is a sperate part of the whole and each has it's own individual sound. The track include chants, heavy beats and a huge variety of odd noises, sounds and anything else they could push into the mix. The results range from overwhelmingly heavy tp intriguingly bizarre, but the bottom is that everything about this album pulls you in. I found that they reach out far more than on the previous album Idolum. The aspect of this album that impacted me first was the vast worlds that they have created here. It's not like a song streaming out of your stereo, but rather all that they have created will come pouring out of your speakers and instantly overcome you. That is not a simple task, but this band made it sound easy as they plunge ahead. I just kep having the impression of having my senses pounded from many directions all at once. Many of the parts are slow in pace, but styles very from abrasive to beautiful and many in between. Ufomammut didn't just create songs or selctions here, but it's more like they created temporary worlds and they drag us along for the trip. After my first play of "Eve" my jaw dropped and my ears ached, but I was ready to hear it again. Simply an amazing album.

Sunday metal funnies

I have seen better tattoos come with a box of cracker jacks.

Why does their Randy Rhoads look like a Barbie doll who has had her face melted?

Wow, Firehouse and White Lion. Did he run out of skin to have other heavy hitters like Loverboy and Giuffria put on there?

This is what happens when you combine alcohol, too much free time and a complete lack of artistic talent.


***Thanks to Bob Vinyl for telling me about this picture.
I hope to make the Sunday Metal Funnies a weekly column where I just post up a metal related picture and offer up some brief comments on it. Feel free to add your own comments.

Enforcer-Diamonds

Heavy Artillery
2010

There are a lot of different directions that metal bands can go in these days. A number of acts really push the limits and attempt to explore sounds that have not been touched upon. However so many younger bands choose to go the other way and go back in time. Whether it's plethora of bands playing retro-thrash or the outpouring of 80's inspired glam bands, there just seems to be a lot of acts who think the sound of the past is the way to go. It's doesn't break a lot of new ground, but it's familiar and if it's played with enough energy it might turn out to be worth a listen. That leads me to Sweden's Enforcer. I first heard these guys on the "Speed kills...again" compilation a few years ago and was impressed enough to be excited when their "Into the night" album came out the next year. Enforcer showed a blend of NWOBHM and early thrash. That blending of styles is what set them apart from many other retro-metal bands. So my hope was that they would follow on that style and maybe bring some of their own ideas. Not so I am afraid. For some reason this time around they pushed out most of the traces of early speed metal and opted for an almost total NWOBHM sound.The prime influence is the first two Iron Maiden albums although there are traces of Angelwitch, Raven and Saxon as well. The previous album sounded like it could have been done in 1983, but by eliminating the early thrash influences "Diamonds" sounds more like could have been done in 1981. If you like early Maiden than you may take to right away and NWOBHM enthusiasts may very well embrace it too. For those reasons alone it's worth checking out. However I can't help but think that we are missing out on something because this band decided to delve completely into one style. It's a good album for sure and quite possibly it might grow enough to end up on my top ten album list by the end of 2010. However I still preferred the blended sound of "Into the night" and wished they had explored that sound instead.

Anniversary

Happy anniversary to my wife for putting up with me for 11 years today.

What's coming up?

The week looks kind of messy for work with lots of trainings and meetings. That's not the norm, but my work is going to a new catalog system on the computer and we have to learn it. I have been listening to a lot of music this week including the Hollywood Rocks box set that I picked up cheap. Was watching the old V mini-series and episodes of Home improvement. Other than that I was just enjoying the weather outside with the kids. This week I hope to have out the following:


Reviews of....
Ufomammut-Eve
Enforcer-Dimaonds
Daniel Lioneye-Vol.2
Toyz-Carte Blanche

Clash of the album covers

and maybe one other thing if I can manage to get the above reviews knocked out. I have one participant for Lesser of two evils, but I am waiting for the other to come in the mail and then I have to see if it is indeed bad enough to use. So that may happen late this week or more likely next week.

***Here is a question for you: If I gave you $20 to buy any one CD you wanted then what would you get? Can be any style of music, new or old, but just has to fit under that price range.

Behold! the monolith-s/t

Arctic Forest
2009

Admittedly when I heard this band's moniker I knew I was going to check them out. Right away it brought up images in my head from 2001 and I intrigued about whether or not this LA band could live up to the expectations they had already created in my mind. I was expecting something huge, heavy and awe inspiring.The disc arrived and I was already absorbed by the cover too. It has heavy written all over it so again my expectations went up even more before the disc even entered my player. The opener "Battlestagg" has the band wound up tight as a cocoon churning out some massively chunky, skull crushing riffs. Like High on fire only with quicker pace changes. Next up was the "Battle for balls deep". This was starts out similar to the opener only slightly slower. So now I thought that I had these guys pegged as being like a cross between High on fire and maybe Sasquatch. At least I thought that until around three minutes into this track then the straight ahead charge gave way to drifts of slow moving sounds spiraling out in different directions. At that moment I knew these guys had much more to offer. "Elders" comes on and it's very much in the old Sabbath style, but wrapped up with more dirt and grit. Then like the previous track they get a few minutes in and their one road dives into several with some semi-spaced out jams tucked in between the thundering wall of sound. The next track is the split "Phantasmata/Waking life". Unlike the previous songs this one the reverse with the dream-like, warped sounds twisting your senses in the first half of the track before giving way to a full throttle, stoner rock stampede in the second half. Like the magician who has you amazed with his warm ups, Behold the monolith seem to be saying "if you think that's something well, you ain't seen nothing yet". That may be true as the closer is a gigantic three headed monster with "Guardians of the abyss/Primal Extenuation/Rise of the brohemoth" (no typo on the last part). The first part is a somewhat affair with stretched out riffs being stretched wit a Zeppelin type groove at it's heart. then the monster wakes up around the middle and a tornado of growls, spitting riffs and killer drumbeats coming crashing down. The final is a mix of unrestrained jams, fuzzed out attacks and odd noises that wraps up one of the best albums of 2009 that I unfortunately missed out on last year.

Battle of the bands

Both these acts have had ups and downs in their long careers. Both probably peaked in the 70's.

Alice Cooper

vs.

KISS

***Which band do you prefer?

Clash of the album covers

It is....



Anthrax-Among the living

vs.



Motorhead-Iron Fist

**Which cover do your prefer?

The rest of the week

It took me five days rather than four to finish up those ten reviews, but that's still not bad. Clash of the album covers coming tomorrow. Probably Battle of the bands on Wednesday. At the end of the week I'll review one of the best albums of 2009 that I didn't hear until this year. I might also have out some list or something a genre. So if you get a chance check out all those reviews I just wrote and come back for the rest of the fun this week.

Armored Saint-La Raza

Metal Blade
2010


Towards the top of my list of most anticipated albums of 2010 was this album, Armored Saint's first in over ten years. This band hasn't had the smoothest journey over the years as they were kicked off Chrysalis records, Dave Pritchard passed away and John Bush left for Anthrax (okay, good for him, but bad for Armored Saint). Despite all that they marched on at least until Bush left in 1992. They disbanded rather than go on without him, but he hooked back up with his Armored Saint pals in 2000 for "Revelation". All the drama is recent years with Anthrax and their musical chairs situation at vocalist had fans thinking that another Armored Saint album might eventually happen. Fortunately is has come to fruition and despite the long wait we have finally gotten another Saint album. To be honest I was letdown by "Revelation" as it was too basic for my liking and lacked some bite. Enough of the past let's get at the new album. My first two thoughts on this album as a whole are that first it's much in closer in style to "Symbol of salvation" than "Revelation" was. It's also an album of two halves as far as quality goes, because the first half is much stronger than the second half. Not sure why it was set up that way, but the heavy hitters are at the beginning at the last five songs include some more different sounds and some dead space. "Loose cannon" and "Left hook from right field" are very much in the mold of this band's established sound only with a bit more groove. "Black Feet" and "Bandit country" offer up some different ideas that this band hasn't shown before, but they sit a little longer than they needed too. "Little Monkey" was the only song on the album that reeks of filler. The pace is alright, but they are not pushing to hard and the lyrics sound like the kind whiny finger pointing that's used more by Anthrax than by Armored Saint. The album as a whole wasn't as heavy as I was expecting, but they do take more chances that they have in the past. Not all of the ideas work and not all are fleshed out enough, but it's still fine effort. My expectations were high and this album didn't live up to those expectations entirely. Still it's very much in the style of their sound and most of the songs hit enough to be worthwhile. Likely it's an album I will keep playing throughout the year and it will continue to grow on me.

Aittala-Bed of thorns

Self-produced
2009

Once I saw song titles that included "Another Dirty Whore", "Torture", "Left for Dead" and "Sadistic Charm" I knew this wasn't going to be get up and get happy kind of album. It's fairly downbeat and even harsh in the lyrics and the music follows along with that mood. Eric Aittala handles most of the duties on this album so I am guessing that many of the songs are personal to him or at least his ideas. Now most of the songs are dark and moody, but the musical style very as they include hard rock, metal, doom and others. Aittala handles the vocals well even in the various musical styles. There are times where the music starts to drag, but his vocal melodies always revive the song and keep it going strong. I am not huge on the use of keyboards here, but they don't exactly hold any other part of the music back. The guitars are generally strong and versatile with some splendid solos. The overall sound at times reminds me of mid-70's Alice Cooper and even KISS only far more complicated musicaly and more serious in the overall tone and presentation. The playing talent is obvious and that's the strength of this album and what makes it worth hearing. What holds it back in mind is a mopey feel to several songs that I think holds back what could have been done. I understand the topics are dark and meant to be so, but I think that on several times that the flow of the album is hampered by an overall moodiness. Instead storming ahead the songs sometimes get bogged down. Still there is a great deal here to appreciate and I heard enough to potential to be interested in what comes out next from this band.

Titanic-Screaming in silence

Retroactive
2002/2010


Like with "Maiden Voyage" this Titanic re-issue has also gotten new artwork plus it has been re-mixed, re-mastered and Robert Sweet of Stryper came in to lay down real drum tracks. This one cuts like a knife as it's far more direct than "Maiden Voyage". The opener "And the band played on" is a solid smack in the face with and it sets the tone for the entire album. Vocalist Simon Tyler has a style that varies between a smooth stride and heavy attacks. He is proficient and handling both styles. Robert Sweet is everywhere knocking out beats all over the place and pounding his drums into submission. Bass player Ray Kilsdonk fits it perfectly with Sweet laying down the beats and keeping the pace. The real star of the show is undoubtedly guitarist/songwriter Bill Menchen. He pulls out riffs that roll you over and keep coming. His tones are deep and flow throughout the album. I pretty like Menchen's playing on most of his projects, but the solos on this album are some of the best I have heard him create. On every opportunity he is on top of the solos shredding his heart out. The overall sound is like a blend between Judas Priest, Accept, Dio and other mid-late 1980's metal acts. Bill Menchen has been involved with numerous projects and each has recorded several albums, but this is certainly one of my albums that he has done so far.

Saint-Hellblade

Retroactive
2010

Saint have gone through some line-up changes since their last release. Now down to a foursome Jerry Johnson on all the guitar duties and Bill Brost replaces Larry London behind the drums. More important than who is involved is the fact that the band gets back to their real metal roots. This is much more like it. "Crime scene Earth 2.0" was a confused effort that tried to use effects and only held back the band's sound. With "Hell Blade" the band stampede through through some bone-snapping metal in the style of Judas Priest, Accept and Metal Church. Vocalist Josh Kramer shines through some Rob Halford like vocals as he never lets up. There is no fooling around or trying to keep up with trends as Saint just pushes forth solid metal tracks like "Hell Train" and "New World Order". No offense to former guitarist Dee Harrington, but Jerry Johnson handles the guitars effortlessly by himself as explodes with with a fury this band hasn't had in far too long. The production also adds to their cause as all sounds involved can be heard to the fullest. I was blown away on the first play of "Hell Blade" and enjoyed it even more on subsequent plays. My only complaint is that it all seemed to go too fast. Good to see this band back to form.

Saint-Crime Scene Earth 2.0

Retroactive
2008/2010

This album was self-released just two years ago, but now this version has new artwork plus it has been re-mixed and partially re-recorded. I always kind of liked Saint back in the 80's. Stryper got more attention for supposedly being "christian metal" for putting out radio friendly, sappy songs, but Saint were more concerned with playing metal and getting their message across than they were with album sales. This album is based around 80's classic style metal. However there is a major problem with this album and that's the effects that are all too often added to Josh Kramer's vocals. I don't know if this was intended to add something to their sound or not. All it really does it make Kramer sound like Rob Halford singing into a drinking glass or it may be Tim Owens singing a glass. The effects deprive the vocals of any power they could have and serve to dampen the overall sound and hold back much of the energy that could have been present. The music manages to make up for the above to some extent. It's very Judas Priest influenced metal that heavy on rhythms although not too big on pace changes. Even the music isn't allowed to just burst forward. The drums frequently have a tin-like quality and the guitars could have come up in the mix. I am not sure what overall sound they were shooting for, but the ideas only serve to restrain their material rather letting them hit their potential. There are some strong moments, but too often I was having to strain to hear parts or change settings on my CD player to hear it well enough. What a shame because I think this could have been a good album.

Titanic-Maiden Voyage

1996/2010
Retroactive

The original version of this album came out in 1986. This new version includes new artwork and has been re-mixed, remastered and partially re-recorded. Robert Sweet was brought to provide what they refer roas "real" drums. So I am guessing that they used a drum machine the first time around.This one of several projects for guitarist/songwriter Bill Menchen. All his projects play mid-paced classic style metal although he does enough to make each project have it's own sound. For Titanic I woul say they have an early-mid 80's metal sound not far off from the the likes of Judas Priest, Saxon and Armored Saint. The songs are thick and straight forward although they rarely vary the pace much within each song. Vocalist Simon Tyler has a good range and uses it to the fullest here. Some of the songs tend to blend together at times, but overall Menchen's galloping riffs keeps it interesting. Robert Sweet is of course a welcome addition as he obviously adds a lot to the songs. One of my favorite parts of most of the Bill Menchen projects in recent years is the fact that he normally brings in Robert Sweet and Sweet just lets loose. Overall a decent outing.

Christopher Lee-Charlemagne:By the sword and the cross

Cadiz
2010

Christopher Lee has played many parts over his long career including Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, Saruman, Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu and many more. That was acting now he has decided to throw his hat into another area and record an album, but here he still gets to take on another roll. This is billed as a symphonic metal album with composer Marco Sabiu being in charge. However it is much a symphonic album similar to film soundtrack music and occasionally we get a few metal guitar blasts and flourishes. The music varies from thick, flowing landscapes to dull pieces that seem to be sitting there taking up time. Even when the music is well played I am not sure that it always fits the mood of the violent events taking place in the story. Lee himself isn't a terribly great singer, but the presence and distinctive nature of his voice help him to push through this okay. The narration between songs adds nothing to the story or the mood as it's presented in a flat fashion that seems very out of place with the rest of the album. While some of the music is well played this is still a rather dull offering that it difficult to take in once sitting. The bottom line is I am not sure who this album will appeal to. It's not metal enough for metal fans. The parts from the symphony hits at times, but I don't know that fans of that music would take to the vocals and long story. Christopher Lee fans are perhaps most likely to be curious enough to check it out, but even they might think that one play of the entire album is more than enough.

Scorpions-Sting in the tail

Universal

2010

So before this album was even released we get the news of it being the final Scorpions album. Right away I think beings about sadness amongst fans, but it also perhaps raises expectations. If it's their last effort then we want it to be great. This is a band that has certainly been one of the most consistent metal acts of all time. Not too many albums have been off and most have good and several have been great. Back in 2007 on Humanity Hour 1 the Scorpions opened up a little and reached slightly beyond their normal formula as they added in some heavier parts and explored some different tones. It worked wonderfully so I was hoping that they might follow in that direction. They didn't but instead they have followed a more tried and true approach. They have several songs with the word "rock" in the title. Thar's more than a little cliche. However the Scorps bring forth the sound they used so well between about 1982 and 1995 as they alternate between straight forward hard rock and anthems and ballads that manage to avoid being sappy. It's predictable, but they do they handle it so well. These are the kind of songs where you can hear five seconds know exactly who it is, but that kind of familiarity can be a good thing in this case. "Sting in the tail" breaks no new ground nor is it a classic, but instead it falls in with the good albums like "Savage Amusement" and "Face the heat". So if this is to be the Scorps last effort then they certainly end on an album that brings forth a sound that they have perfected.

Final Axe-Beyond Hells Gate

Retroactive
2005/2010



Beyond Hells Gate was originally released back in 2005. This collectors edition has new artwork and has been remixed, re-mastered and partially re-recorded. Guitarist/songwriter Bill Menchen has been involved with many projects over the years, but Final Axe is probably my favorite. Just something about how comfortable the band is with their material shines through with this particular project. Musically Final Axe sound like a cross between Judas Priest, And justice for all era Metallica and perhaps Meliah Rage. They waste little time is tearing forward with tight chops and they never waste any riffs or beats. Vocalist Keith Miles is one of my favorite of the singers that Bill Menchen has worked with. Miles sounds something James Hetfield only a little more force and grit. One of my biggest complaints with a number of christian metal bands is the lyrics tend to be a trifle wordy and many singers stumble with them. I don't know if it's the vocals or the vocalist, but on this album they work just fine. Robert Sweet was brought in to do the drums on this re-issue. Now I am certainly not a big Stryper fan, but I have always felt that he was a fine drummer. He gets even more of a chance to let loose on this album because it's much heavier material than he usually plays on with Stryper. Sweet has played on most of Bill Menchen's projects in recent years and it's been a productive partnership. Now for Menchen himself, his playing is spot on. He is a master of many riffs and his best ones seem to end up on Final Axe albums. All of the songs on this disc are easy to get into. A solid disc all the way around.

Six Dead Horses-Horn Tusk Antler

Self-produced
2010

Normally I like to come with my own descriptions when analyzing a band's music. However Orlando's Six Dead Horses had a description of their own music that I had to share. They described their sound as "mammoths stampeding through an earthquake fighting ancient bearded warriors on harleys while listening to sabbath and punching babies in the faces". It's over the top and comes across like they threw every ultra heavy image they could into the pot. Fortunately that's how they approach the three songs on this disc. They gather up everything at their disposal at bring it all into the mix. Not it's easy to be slow, but a little more difficult to be heavy at the same time and even more difficult to play slow, heavy and mix in different paces at the same time. This band handle all of that with ease plus more. My favorite part of this disc was these with which they blended the slow, dripping pace with thundering rhythms. Add in the crushing, rough vocals and it felt like I was being pummeled by a 1,000 hammers. This isn't just one dimensional doom either. No, sir. They ease you down into a murky pit of sludge that begins to envelop your senses, but they grab ahold of you and drag you though a barrage of pounding riffs and deafening drums. The songs are all fairly long and they squeeze and jam as many parts, pieces and passages as they can into them. Each song is a journey and each manages to have it's own identity. All of the above made me hungry for more. Last but not least I have to mention the hand made, wrapped packaging which caught my attention before I even played the disc. My thoughts were if they put that much care and effort into the package then I'll bet put the same work ethic into the music. Sure enough they proved me right. Definitely check this band out.

www.myspace.com/sixdeadhorses

What's coming up?

I have a number of reviews I need to do so I am going to attempt to knock out ten reviews between today and Easter Sunday. I have actually already listened to nine of the ten discs so it may not be as hard as I think. So I hope to have some big name acts, up and coming acts, new releases re-issues, metal, hard rock, doom and more. The bands will include Scorpions, Aittala, Six Dead Horses, Armored Saint, Saint, Titanic (2 titles), Final Axe, Guardian and Christopher Lee (yes, that Christopher Lee). I don't know if I can accomplish it or not, but I'll give it a shot.

Beyond those I'll shoot for a Clash of the album covers, something on another genre maybe doom and stoner plus maybe another topic as well.

***Have a great week.