Methusalem-Unite and conquer

Rock Inc. (Distro)
2010


Hailing from the lowlands of the Netherlands, the members of Methusalem come from backgrounds of death and gothic metal bands. They decided to unite and go in a different musical direction for this band. They reached back and embraced a more classic metal sound along the lines of acts like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest early Queensryche and others. Don't think that this is just another retro band who try to look and sound just like it's 1985. Instead Methusalem take the foundation of early-mid 80's metal and add enough ideas of their own to make it sound fresh. Not an easy task and it's an undertaking that too many bands don't even attempt. Then again this band is obviously talented enough to pull off the approach. They definitely have a balanced sound and this allows them to pull off heavy, pounding tracks like "Hardrock showdown" and "Forever" as well as smooth, slower tracks like the catchy "Brothers in arms". They even push the boundaries some and show off their ability to construct and execute more involved tracks like the fantastic title track which also serves as the great closer. The title track might also be the most Iron Maiden styled track on the album which is fine by me. There are few instances where it feels like the music is sitting rather than moving forward, but those times and few and far between. Judging by the band name and cover I wasn't sure what the music was going to sound like and classic style metal probably would not have been my first guess. That is what we get and Methusalem are good enough writers and performers to really make "Unite and conquer" be an album really worth seeking out.

Clash of the album covers

Here you are. Machine versus man (of some sort), it is...



Exodus-Shovel headed kill machine

vs.


Hirax-El Rostro De La Muerte

***Which cover do you prefer?

Mehida-The eminent storm

Bullroser
2009

From the cover I was expecting a much darker offering. However Finnish band Mehida actually play melodic hard rock/melodic metal with some progressive elements and they focus mainly Christian themes. The band features vocalist Thomas Vikström (ex-Candlemass, Therion),keyboardist Mikko Harkin (ex-Kotipelto and Sonata Arctica),Jani Stefanovic (guitars), Markus Niemispelto (drums), Olli Tanttu (guitars) and Toni Mäki-Leppilampi (bass). The Eminent Storm is the band's second release and their first was "Blood and Water" which came out in 2007. Actually this album was recorded between Fall 2007 and Summer 2009. The songs often revolve around thick layers of flowing melodies and the band is competent and creative enough to really get the most out of all that they do. Vikström is really an asset for this band and he not only keeps up with the frequent pace changes, but he leads the way with a magnificent range. The lyrics get the point across without being awkward which doesn't always happen with Christian metal so that's a definite compliment to their writing skills. Almost every movement they make is carefully orchestrated and every step works towards building the whole of the song. The only complaint I may have is that I would have liked to have seen them take a few more risks. There are several moments where the music seems on the cusp of taking off, but then they kind of reel it back in and go in more predictable direction. That may be a suggestion for the future and certainly one they could do skill wise if they chose to. Either way this is a pleasing effort with plenty to offer and I look forward to hearing what they do in the hopefully near future.

Bronz-Carried by the storm

Your Tune
2010

Bronz had some success after releasing their debut "Taken by storm" back in the mid 1980's. They were excited about working on their sophomore effort in 1985 with Ozzy-producer Max Norman set to work with them. Line-up changes and record label problems lead to the album being shelved. Band members went their separate ways, but now guitarist Shaun Kirpatrick and mastering engineer Gordon Young have blown the dust off the 25 year old master tapes and finally put together a polished, finished version for fans to hear. They are sometimes lumped in with the NWOBHM, but don't expect Saxon or Raven because this really isn't metal. There is some old blues based hard rock similar of some 70's British bands, but Bronz owe much more to American style AOR of the 80's like Foreigner or Survivor. After all of the history and background story, this really is a decent album. Typical of the style of the time as they offer up huge melodies and smooth production values. The vocals are the band's best featuire for certain, but the guitar solos are strongand the keyboards are used moderately for the most part which works for me. A few songs like the title track and "Man girl machine" lost me by being way too pop for their own good. Most of the other tracks are heavy and memorable enough. Thinking back to 25 years ago I could imagine some of these songs getting airplay if it had out back then. Fans of 80's AOR will likely eat this album up and be thankful that it finally came out.

Ratt mirror

Running behind with writing this week. Work has been busy as we switched to a new cataloging system. I thought I would just link to an old post today. This is one of the first posts I ever made. Enjoy. I may get time to write an album review later today.


http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2005/06/ratt-mirror-in-my-living-room.html

What's coming up?

Reviews for the coming week.
Methusalem-Unite and conquer
Canvas Solaris-Irradiance
Bronz-Carried by the storm
Mehida-The eminent storm

plus...
Clash of the album covers and another topic or two once I think up what in the world that might be.

D.O.A-Talk-Action=0

Sudden Death
2010

It is indeed difficult to believe that Canadian punk rock legends D.O.A. started over thirty years ago. Their 13th studio release shows that frontman and founder Joey "Shithead" Keithley certained hasn't mellowed over the years and we are grateful for that. They have showed no signs of letting up as they continue to blast out pure raw riffs while Keithley barks out hit patented vocals and socks it to organized religion, big business, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the music scene and more. No one is safe from their attacks and that's the way it should be, but there is always enough humor and sarcasm mixed in to make it more than just a straight on angry assault. I thought that their 2008 release "Northern Avenger" was their strongest album in some time. It was, but the new album surpasses it with pure adrenaline pumping, memorable tunes like “That’s Why I’m An Atheist”, “The Rebel Kind” and “Don’t Bank on a Bank”. Not all is negative either as they crank out their tribute to Star Trek with "Captain Kirk, Spock, Scotty and Bones". No strangers to cover songs they knock out two on this album. Their version of "That's Amore" is silly, but fun enough to be passable. It's their cover of Bob Dylan's "The times they are a-changin'" that might actually be the best song on the entire album. What a fantastic choice for D.O.A to take on as it completely fits in with their attitude and spirit. There is nothing totally new to the overall sound on this album, but instead D.O.A pull upon some of the best elements of what has worked for them all of these years and manage to put out one of the best albums of their long career.

Clash of the album covers

Here you go...



Motorhead-We are Motorhead

vs.



Overkill-Immortalis

***Which cover do you prefer?

Celestiial-Where life springs eternal

Bindrune
2010

Have you ever gotten really quiet and listed to sounds outside like birds, the rain or insects? I am sure you have and it can be an up lifting experience, but would you buy an album of it? Even more is it possible to mix nature sounds with instruments and have the results turn out to be even more powerful than the individual parts? That's what Celestiial attempt here. By the title you may have already guessed that thry try to create songs that will make you think of Spring and new life. So there are lots of birds chirping, waterfalls and various levels of rainfall. In between there are bits of music with the typical instruments you would expect from a doom band plus a harp on some songs too. The doom elements are scattered indeed with very singular notes and beats stretched out across the landscape of nature noises. A few times the notes are thick enough to draw you to them. At other times it sounds like feedback or I imagine someone sitting back in a recliner tapping the strings every so often with all the feeling of someone flicking a fly off their nose. Yes, the results are mixed. The idea behind the album isn't bad, but the results contain far too much filler. Most of the album is like background music, but it's rarely engaging. Even if there are birds chirping and constant waterfalls are going it still becomes tedious after a while. They aimed for vibrant and ended up with almost an hour of cold and dull results.

Convicted-s/t

Slaney
2010

Hailing from Greece this trio has been in existence since the late 1990's. They claim a number of 80's thrash bands as influences and that's exactly the kind of music they serve up. The lyrics sure aren't this bands strong point as they knock out some of the silliest lyrics I have heard in some time. They are about as bad as the garish album cover. They do make up for it with music and vocals. Their sound draws on the likes of Kreator, Sodom, Slayer and other top thrash acts from two decades ago. This style isn't exactly a breeding grown for original ideas, but it can work if a band brings the right amount of fire and pure energy with them. Convicted have sufficient amounts of both at their disposal as they frequently go for a galloping approach and use it for all it's worth. The production helps as well since you actually get to here the bass which didn't always happen on many 80's thrash albums. The vocals are of the barking variety though more coherent than some. It's a good fit for the music. One of this band's best attributes is their ability to control their pace and be comfortable in it. Such as the passages on "The legion of the damned" and "Merciless" where they use medium paced parts to build the song rather than just using them as breathers between the faster full throttle blasts. Most of the tracks are under four minutes a piece so this a fairly short album, but they make good use with the time they have.

Battle of the bands

Another battle is at hand. It is....



Def Leppard

vs.



Van Halen


****Which band do you prefer?

Silent Fall-Otherwise

Pitch Black
2010

France's Silent Fall know what they want to do and that is to play a style of power metal very much like Sonata Artica. They try hard to emulate that sound and at times they actually succeed. They have some talent and a plan, but The problem is the writing is severely lacking in the creativity department. The melodies are not memorable enough and that's a real killer for this style of music. Good power metal thrives on it and there just isn't enough to go around on "Otherwise". That's problem number one and problem two is the vocals. Soaring vocals are another trademark or fine power metal. Here the vocals are frequently flat and the range is mediocre at best. To be honest the music has to try to pick more of the slack than they should just because of the weak vocals. There are some decent moments even some splendid passages, but they lose my attention all too many times. This is also due to the legnth of the songs as they obivoulsy do not realize their limitations and try to plunge ahead. As a unit they are in over their heads by attempting this kind of music. They need some serious practice and maybe some help in the talent department to really make this work the next time around.

Lesser of two evils

I'll tell you straight out that the contestants this time around are Susie Hatton and Joey C. Jones and the Glory Hounds. So quick quiz what do these two acts have in common.


A-You have never heard of either of them before.

B-They both stink like a landfill on a hot day.

C-Neither deserved a record contract.

D-Metal Mark is now the not so proud owner of their CDs.

E-They both have ties to Poison members.


Well it could be any of those, but the one I am looking for is E. Susie Hatton was Bret Michaels' girlfriend at one point which is the main reason she got a record contract. He also greatly contributed to the album and she toured as his opening act when he did a solo tour in the early 90's. Joey C. Jones was in Needle Park with CC Deville. Joey C. Jones and the Glory Hounds came to be after parting ways with CC. So this could indeed be seen as the guilty by association version of Lesser of two evils.


Let's have at 'em.


Joey C Jones and the Glory Hounds-s/t (1993)

vs.

Susie Hatton-Body and soul (1991)


Vocals

Susie Hatton vs. Joey C Jones in the first match-up. Susie Hatton's melodies are so much like Bret Michaels as I guess he taught her all he knew and just his style. That of course is a very limited approach and actually she has a decent voice, but she never reaches out much or goes beyond a very basic radio friendly rock style. Joey C Jones has a slightly nasal voice, but it's slightly rough too which helps. The biggest problem with him is that sometimes he pushes beyond his limits and the results are painful. Fairly close in this category. Neither do a good job of conveying any emotion though. I'll go with the smoother voice...

Point to Susie Hatton



Guitars

For Susie it is Pat Schunk for most of the time and Bret Michaels is listed as playing acoustic guitar too. They are up against Craig Bradford for the most part and drummer Adam Hamilton actually does acoustic guitars. Now I did not plan the part about each band having a separate guy doing acoustic parts. I didn't even notice it until I went to write up this part. Not that having a separate person helps in way for these two albums. The guitars in general are prime examples as to why hard rock fell off the face of the music world in the 90's. Many of the riffs here on both albums are bland and ten seconds after the track finishes I was mentally scrambling to remember what the riff sounded like. Then I realized that if I couldn't recall it then I probably wasn't missing out on much. The biggest difference between the two is that the guitars for Susie Hatton just glides through lifelessly. However the guitars for Joey C. Jones do hit upon a few tiny grooves here and there.

Point to Joey C. Jones and the Glory Hounds


Rhythm section


Susie Hatton's rhythm section of drummer Jeff Schunk and bass players John Pierce and Sean Englesby are up against bass player Christopher Torok and drummer Adam Hamilton for Joey C. Jones. If I had trouble remembering the guitars you can imagine the trouble I had recalling the rhythm sections for these two acts. The bass for Susie Hatton is practically non-existent and the drums are the same any other early 90's fluffy hard rock album that nobody should have to hear these days. The rhythm section for Joey C. Jones fare a slightly better as they are part of those short grooves I mentioned above.

Point to Joey C. Jones


Originality/production

Susie Hatton was likely doing her hair and make-up when original musical ideas were being handed. Come to think of it I'll bet Joey C. Jones and the glory hounds may have been in the same situation. Anyways originality points for Susie are 0. This is warmed over Poison only lighter. Originality points for Joey C. Jones are maybe a couple. They sound kind of like Enuff Z Nuff only more boring, but on a few songs they wake up and stir up a few sparks. The production on both albums is fine enough.

Point to Joey C. Jones

Who rocks more

If either band rocked I would be rubbing my temples right now trying to figure out how to answer this question with a response other than "pass". As stated above Joey C. and his band hit some grooves, but there was never a whole song that really rocked. Susie Hatton's band fell flat and the ideas were limited, but vocally she did enough to keep my attention for a whole song despite dealing with poor material. The scales are even on this one...

Tie


Joey C. Jones and the Glory Hounds beat out Susie Hatton 3-1-1 in this contest. Both albums are good examples of bad hard rock from the 90's and both should probably be put in a time capsule, buried and maybe it would be best not to dig them up at least until I am dead and gone. At least that way I wouldn't have to think about either again.

40

I turned 40 today so I guess that I am just glad that no body parts fell off when I got up this morning. Actually I am glad to reach this point as at one time I doubted that I would to be 40 just because it seemed so far away. Not sure that I have accomplished much, but I try to keep going, help my family and do the best I can.

***Still working on the Lesser of two evils and it should be out later today.

Predictions

Almost half-way through the year, but lots more metal to go and the year has heated up with releases over the last two months.

Best album yet to come-Well, duh... the new Iron Maiden. The last two have great so I am expecting more of the same.

Worst album yet to come-I am thinking this will be the new Ozzy based on the fact that he hasn't done a good album since 1991 and the last several have been horrible.

Band most likely to step it up to the next level-Could be the Sword, but I'll go with Sister Sin instead. I think their new album is going to explode.

Feel free to make your predictions or tell me that I am out of my mind for any of my predictions.

What's coming up?

Should be Lesser of two evils on Friday and then a review of Silent Fall's Otherwise on Saturday. Next week it will be reviews of the new DOA, the latest from thrash band Convicted and one more review. Also a Clash of the album covers and a Battle of the bands.

Lethal Saint-s/t

Pitch Black
2010

In the press release for Lethal Saint's debut it states "80’s-influenced youngsters PARTY LIKE IT’S 1989!". I agree with the first part about this band from Cyprus, but the release needed to rewind a few years earlier to be totally accurate. Lethal Saint sound like they could have come out in 1983-84. They obviously have a great love for the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Manowar, Saxon and other NWOBHM and classic style metal bands of the early-mid 1980's. So they put on their best black band shirts, white high-top Nikes and shreddded jeans as they tried to do honor to the bands who influenced them. The end result is they manage to capture the tone and sound of where metal was in between the NWOBHM and the dawn of thrash. They play straight up metal with direct rhythms and lots of energy. However there are some cracks around the edges. The vocals of Andreas Pougioukkas are out of tune on several occasions. He hits the medium songs well enough, but on the slow tracks he gets out of pitch and reaches too far out of his range with slightly painful results for the listener. That's the main problem. A lesser one is that the solos of guitarists Christos Papadopoulos and Andreas Kasapis are off sometimes. They start out okay, but on a few tracks it sounds they are scrambling to pluck off enough notes just to fill in a certain length. This had me thinking that they really needed to rehearse these parts a lot more. The skills are not perfect, but the spirit is strong and for the majority of the time Lethal Saint do enough to maintain my interest. Originality isn't their strongest point, but their hearts are in the right place and they hit more than enough head banging moments to make this and enjoyable and fun album despite their flaws.

How I was saved by the Exploited

The Exploited's forth studio album the 1984 release "Horror epics" is one of the finest hardcore albums ever. Full of attitude, severely dark and heavy as a ton of bricks. I have had it on vinyl for years, but just got it on CD for a low price. Yesterday I was coming from a meeting and going back to work in the rain. A van had been riding close behind me for a long time. I had the Exploited cranked up and was completely into it. I was less than 1/2 mile from work as I approached a bend in the road. I looked ahead and saw a red car in the other lane. Amidst the chaos and anarchy pouring out of my speakers a little voice in my head said "that guy is driving too fast", but I was into the music. As the guy passed me I realized he was out of control and sliding fast, but because I was into the songs I hadn't noticed what he was doing and just kept driving normal. Then I heard the loud CRASSSSSHHHHH and looked in the rearview mirror as the red car slammed into the van behind me. If the Exploited's Horror Epics hadn't have pulled in my total attention then likely I would have hit the breaks earlier and the crazy driver would have nailed me hard. Then again if the jerk in the red car hadn't have been speeding going into a bend on wet roads then there wouldn't have been any accident at all.

Pretty Maids-Pandemonium

Frontiers
2010

The first time I heard this band was well over twenty years ago with "Future World" back in 1987. A fellow metal fan in high school (yes, I really am that old) had it on vinyl and taped it for me. What I liked most about them then was their ability to mix in melodic pieces with heavy rhythms. They did it in a manner where the two parts worked together and complimented each other. This band is still going and they have been through some different musical approaches over the year. Pandemonium hears the band mixing metal with AOR into a form of melodic metal that again gets the best out of both worlds for Pretty Maids. Sometimes they blend the styles and on other songs the approaches are more seperate. Either way they handle it all well enough to get the most out of their efforts. Their style hasn't changed all that much and it fact the years seemed to have made their finished project much smoother around the edges than it has been in the past. Melodic metal is a style that can have some problems as some bands get stuck in the sap and lose sight of the metal part, but Pretty Maids avoid that trap and keep eveything going forward. This year has been a fine year for veteran metal/hard rock acts with solid releases from Scorpions, Ratt, Treat, Krokus and Armored Saint. Now we can add Pretty Maids to that list as well.

Clash of the album covers

A couple more recent releases.


Cathedral-The Guessing game

vs.


Jon Oliva's Pain-Festival

***Which cover do you prefer?

Remembering Ronnie James Dio

When I first heard Ronnie James Dio had stomach cancer I knew it was going to be tough to beat and inevitably it was. However I am sure Dio fought it with all his might because he certainly lived his music career as a fighter. There were times in his long career where he struggled and bands folded or his music fell out of favor due to change in styles, but he always seemed to bounce back and find an opening with another act. He did great albums with multiple bands in different decades. He had a strong voice and was a highly consistent performer for decades. That's why he had the respect of fans, musicians and the press. My first exposure to Dio's voice was hearing "Rainbow in the dark" on the radio in late 1983 and his voice drew me in right away with it's power. Months later I bought "The last in line" on cassette and probably wore the copy out in a year or so. I remember many nights sitting in my room listening to this tape over and over and soaking in Ronnie's voice. I have spent many hours over the last 35+ years listening to the albums he did with his own band, Rainbow, ELF and Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell) Jokes popped up over the years about his persistence of singing about dragons, wells and fantasy topics while other bands focused on current issues. However Dio had the kind of voice and presence that he could sing about whatever he wanted and people were still drawn to it. He stuck with what he knew and pushed hard and that's why he still had such a long career. He seemed to enjoy what he was doing and he brought that joy and that excitement to his fans and I thinks that's why he was as successful as was even though he did the same style for so long. When a musician dies many people seem to race to their collection and pull out a bunch of that artists music to play right away. Typically I don't do that, but I know that for Ronnie James Dio I will be listening to many of his albums this week because he was one of those rare performers in metal who could pull you in right away. He will surely be missed by the metal community.
R.I.P., Ronnie.

~Metal Mark

Sunday Metal Funnies with WarMinister-Out of the ashes

First off the band name WarMinister doesn't exactly flow so well and it's a little odd, but the real crime is the cover. It's so goofy I don't know where to start. Oh, let's begin with the background. It looks like they did it on graph paper because you can see the squares. Then the dude looks like a cross between he-man and Thor (the Canadian singer not the Norse god). Only he is standing like he is trying to keep from crapping in his pants or maybe his briefs are on too tight. Even the land looks funny like he is giant standing above a little canyon. The guy must feel cramped by the tiny surroundings too because he is tarting to step out onto the border. I don't know what fifth grader they got to do this or how much they paid him or her, but I am sure they paid too much. Oh, well it could have been worse. Well maybe not.

I need that record-The death (or possible survival) of the independent record store

MVD VISUAL
2009

Young film maker Brendan Toller takes a look at the world independent recordstores and examines the causes and effects of the struggles that many of these stores have had over the last decade. Now I must admit that I was actually hesistant about seeing this film because my fear was that it was going to be nothing but owners and record fans ranting on about how fine their stores are and how wonderful they are because they go to a indie record store. Fortunately Toller digs way deeper than that. Now many of the owners and store patrons do go on about what they like about their shops and why it's important to them. There are also plenty of interviews tossed in with perspectives from Ian McKaye, Mike Watt of the Minutemen, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and many more. However the film is balanced by quite a bit of research as to why 3,000 record stores have closed across the nation in the last decade and what this means for record fans. This back and forth between personal experience and figures from the business world creates a powerful view of what is transpiring and why it's important to notice before it's too late. The thoughts presented here have the origins of the indie record stores woes beginning back in the 90's. The blame is distributed to several sources including radio stations, big box stores and of course major record labels. The motive is greed of course and the tools are dominating and controlling the market. These facts are countered by the stories and views of the record store owners and the musicians. They talk about why they love music and about the importance of sharing views with and how it's great for record fans to have a local record store to go to. If you have or have ever had your favorite record store and spent time searching through their collection, choosing records, talking to the people that work there or just soaked in the atmosphere then you know the feeling. Likely most people that are long time record store fans are the ones who are going to seek this movie out because they already have that connection. Toller does a fine job of pulling facts and personal views together and bringing the film to some sort of closure in showing in something is not done then these stores will continue to go under. I also liked that he mentioned about it not being record stores, but that other speciality type small store like comic book shops and others are also in danger to. That's true that in a world where every town of any size has a Wal-mart that it's more and more difficult for speciliaty types stores to compete and stay above water. The only thing that could have been missing was that not much mention of the sagging economy was mentioned as a possible cause for record stores being in trouble. This film is fast paced, looks fantastic with all of the views of various record stores and brings in lots of sources. So overall a fine job.

Clash of the album covers

Two recent albums to choose from.


Krokus-Hoodoo

vs.


Scorpions-Sting in the tail


***Which cover do you prefer?

Lo-Pro-The beautiful sounds of revenge

Rocket Science Ventures
2010

Lo-Pro released their self-titled album in 2003, and then toured in support of it throughout 2004, until Geffen dropped them. They continued to work after that and released their "Letting Go" EP last year. Now they have released another full length "The Beautiful Sounds of Revenge". The basic sound is radio friendly alternative rock with slight touches of metal in the background. What they lack in originality and heart they try to make up for in volume with some pounding beats. They waste no time in launching into almost every track. I certainly give them points for being quick to attack and there is no doubt that they are tight. The problem is that this is all rather routine. I like the energy, but that can't really make up for average material. Many of the songs bleed together with very similar tones. On an emotional level they fall flat. They are direct and keep everything to the point which helped me to take it in one sitting, but once it was done I wasn't inspired to listen again.

Liberty n' Justice-Light it up

Retroactive
2010

Bass player/songwriter returns with a variety of supporting musicians to help him with his Christian hard rock album including current/former members of Def Leppard, Warrant, Stryper, Dokken, Firehouse, LA Guns and others. However one listen has me thinking of the Love Boat. You get a hodge podge of people that all did something kind of known in the past, but here they are kind of thrown together with so-so writing and not much direction. That's how much of this plays out. I read the credits to see who was coming next, but even normally good performers like Phil Lewis and Robert Mason sound less than inspired. I can't blame too much because most of the material is about as drab as it gets with plenty of warmed over riffs too. Many of the tracks are bland and they manage to seem twice as long as they really are. Out of fourteen tracks there were only two real standouts. The surprise one was "Wrestling with God" with Pete Loran and Steve Brown of Trixter plus Bumblefoot from G-n-R. Nothing wrong with Bumblefoot, but Trixter were one of the absolute worst abominations to unleash their no-talent, hair-sprayed selves on the hard rock world. However here they are part of a fairly catchy song with some striking hooks. Not bad at all. Now before I even removed this disc from it's sleeve I knew the song I was most interested in was "Drunk Dead Gorgeous" Marq Torien of the Bulletboys and Chris Holmes formerly of WASP. My interest was due to the fact that I am a huge WASP fan. Not that Holmes was ever great, but he was good and he played on most of WASP's best albums. He doesn't disappoint here either as the rhythms sound similar to WASP around the time of say "Inside the electric circus". However it's Torien who really sells this song. It's not the best written song, but he gets in there with voice, elevates the energy level and pulls everything he can from it. Fine track and performances indeed. Not a good album at all, but it was worth a listen just for that one song.

What's coming up?

I will finally have that review for I need that record out later today. Beyond that I need to churn out reviews of some items that have been sitting for far too long on my desk. So a review for new Lo-Pro will be out tomorrow I hope. Beyond that there will be reviews of Mehida's The eminent storm, Liberty 'n justice-Light it up and Pretty Maids latest Pandemonium which has been melting my speakers for the last couple of days. There be a Clash of the album covers or two and possibly even a Lesser of two evils if I can find time.

Have a great week!

D.O.A-Let's wreck the party

Sudden Death
1985/2010

Joey Keithley's Sudden Death records have re-issued his band's 1985 album "Let's wreck the party". Hard to believe that this is twenty-five years old now, but it is. This was the band's third release and it was a departure from the first two albums. The previous releases were far more straight ahead hardcore while "Let's wreck the party" goes down more of a hard rock style although Keithley's vocals retain the same bite. Listening to their early albums and more recent albums it's almost starling to hear the couple of tracks on here that use keyboards and some pop style drum beats. It's just a few, but obviously they trying some new things. Fortunately the attitude is still the same and that's what's always defined this band for me. Their discontent and disatisfaction with an unfair system are still the focus of their lyrics. So even the music is a little lighter the motivation is still the same and that's what has and still gives this band the punch behind their songs. In the middle of the revolving door of drummers, bass players and occasional second guitarist; it's always been Keithley who has been driving this vehicle for over thirty years. That kind of passion, anger and sarcastic humor of his is at the forefront of this album. The above traits are a huge part of why this band has been able to survive for so long. Not their greatest album, but a good one with some memorable tracks.

Underrated and overrated 70's albums

I think I did one of these lists for 80's album so now maybe I'll tackle the 70's. Here are five albums that I overrated at one time and five that I underrated.




Underrated

1-Led Zeppelin-3
This one didn't click with me for years just because it was way more mellow than I was used to. It has grown on me and I glad that it is an album with it's own personality.

2-Rush-Caress of steel
Not everyone's favorite Rush album for sure. Odd around the edges and perhaps that's why it stands out for me.

3-Aerosmith-Get your wings
This one often gets left in the shadows of album like Rocks and Toys in the attic. It's more subtle, but the grooves are solid.

4-TKO-Let it roll
Known more for their 80's output, but this 1979 release was a solid Boston inspired album that didn't work for me in the mid-80's. In recent years I came around.

5-KISS-Hotter than hell
I used to skip past this one for most of their other mid-70's albums. Now I think it's one of their 4-5 best of their long career.

Overrated
1-Deep Purple-Who do we think we are
I always put this in with their fine string of early 70's albums, but really it's a mixed bag.

2-AC/DC-High Voltage (US version)
All their other 70's efforts rock and this one has some fine songs, but some snoozers too.

3-KISS-S/T
I used to like this one just as much as the five albums after it. There is some potential there, but it's clunky too.

4-Alice Cooper-From the inside
I got really into this one for a while mainly just because I liked the concept. Then I realized the songs were not quite as good as the ideas behind them.

5-Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
Once I saw this one a small step away from Sad wings of destiny and sin after sin. Time and repeated plays has made me realize that the distance is wider than I thought it once was. Their are some sparks here, but it's a long ways from where they would go with their other 1970's efforts.

Judas Priest-British Steel 30th anniversary edition

Sony
2010

Many fans consider British Steel to be a landmark album of sorts for Priest. That's probably true more with the band's popularity and appeal on this side of the Atlantic. The band obviously think highly of the album since they celebrated the anniversary a year early with their tour in order to have this CD/DVD in our hot little hands when the actual 30th anniversary hit. The first part of the set is the Legacy edition disc from 2001 with the bonus tracks of Red, white and blue and a live version of Grinder. I didn't buy the 2001 version because I already my old copy that I purchased back around 1989 or 90. Oftentimes and album can say it's re-mastered, but you may not hear much of a difference in sound quality. Not so this time around as the quality is remarkably clear. Every beat, guitar lick and word hits harder than ever. The album as a whole took half a step up in my estimation just do to the know fiddling that was done here. This is new, but not to most people. The majority of fans who have this set on their shopping lists are buying this because of the DVD. Recorded live in Florida last year on their British Steel Anniversary tour this disc has the band churning out British Steel in it's entirety plus a few old favorites at the end of their set. The film quality is spotless with steady camera work and a good variety of camera angles. The sound quality is also everything it should be which means it's loud and bone rattling. The music itself is crushing and the British Steel tracks have certainly aged well for being thirty years old. Grinder still crushes, Steeler is a brain melter and You don't have to be old to be wise allows the entire band to attack your senses. My only really problem with this disc is that Rob Halford seems like his just isn't in it. His voice is there for sure, but he just seemed tired and often just goes through the motions. I know he has been at it for a long and perhaps he has some physical pain, but his stage presence seemed sorely lacking on this show.The crowd were certainly wound up tight and ready to explode. Not perfect, but a good way to celebrate a fine album.

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.



Ozzy-Scream

vs.



Ratt-Infestation

***Which cover do you prefer?

Battle of the bands

A couple of long running heavy hitters in this match-up.



Judas Priest

vs.



Scorpions

***Which band do you choose?

The Legacy-s/t

Eonian
2010


Christian hard rock act The Legacy formed back in 1987 and were based out of Columbus, Ohio. They claimed Stryper, Dokken and the Scorpions as influences. I can easily hear those first, but not so much on the Scorpions. They played melodic metal that pulled me over to their camp far more than I thought it would. The guitars are strong and that where hear the Dokken influence as their are some powerful George Lynch-ispired meodies displayed prominently in almost every song. The songs do have a bit of demo quality to guitar sound and I had do some sound adjustments on my stereo to hear them like I wanted to. The vocals are what reminds me most of Stryper as they rather high and not always to my liking, but decent overall. As a whole the Legacy have a polished enough sound that I am surprised that they did not receive more notice back during their late 80's-early 90's run. Their sound is striking enough that I am glad to get to hear their music now even if it is well after the fact. I think they could have used some work with their sound as a whole. Still the potential is there and it's worth a listen for any fan of late 80's hard rock.

Charlotte-Medusa Groove

Eonian
2010



Relatively new label Eonian records has been making a steady at putting out discs by hard rock bands who were active in the late 80's to really 90's but never got released back then. Orange County, California's Charlotte fit that bill as they were trying to make a go of it twenty plus years ago. They play a style of hard rock with a rather slim blues rock base at the core. This was a rather typical sound of the day and they sound not unlike Great White. It's a rather tight, but very predictable sound. Charlotte manage to sound excited even if the music has few surprises. The vocals are smooth and most of the music is focused and direct. The biggest problem is you feel like you heard this before because you probably have. They pull it off well enough by being fairly catchy and keeping things short and to the point. However I can certainly see why they probably were not signed back in the day because there just isn't any quality here that makes them stand out from the pack. Fans of Great White will likely enjoy this, but others will likely want to pass.

What's coming up?

I still have a review of the DVD of "I need that record" to do. So hopefully Friday will see that one get done. For the next week I am aiming for these reviews...

Judas Priest-British Steel 30th anniversary edition
DOA-Let's wreck the party (re-issue)
Charlotte-Medusa Groove
The Legacy-s/t

Also...
Clash of the album covers
Battle of the bands

***Have a great week!

Stairway-Interregnum

Self-produced
2010



Stairway's fifth album is firmly cemented in a NWOBHM sound. Think Iron Maiden as the core, but with traces of numerous other acts of the time like Anglewitch, Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and others tossed in. The result is a mix of past sounds with elements of metal and melodic hard rock coming together in a smooth, cool sound with just enough sharp edges to make it interesting. The album as a whole is slightly under produced with a slightly fuzz texture around the guitars and the drums being just a little light. That approach while intentional or not takes away from the overall power perhaps, but the production along with the style make it sound like it could have been recorded in 1982. This trio isn't exactly the tightest band on the planet. The music meanders at times and there too many gaps where there just isn't enough going on. Still Stairway manage to do enough to keep you hanging in there. The rhythms frequently strong and instantly likable. The vocals are consistent although not overwhelming. Also they do an admirable job of mixing up the styles."Interregnum" isn't an album that's going to knock you out with anything remarkable, but there is a certain familiar charm to their sound that's easy to latch onto.

1/3 of the year gone already

Hard to believe it, but we are already more than a 1/3 of the way through 2010. The year has picked up musicly over the last say 6-7 weeks with releases from Armored Saint, Ufomammut, Ratt, Stone Axe and Enforcer leading the way. So right now here are a few thoughts on 2010 thus far...
Best album-Ufomammut-Eve
Runner-up-Stone Axe-2
Biggest surprise-Ratt-Infestation
Album that's growing on me -Enforcer-Diamonds

Still a lot of the year left and the new Iron Maiden coming in a few months. A good year may get even better.

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Manowar-Hail to England

vs.



Tank-Filth hounds of Hades

***Which cover do you prefer?

Haken-Aquarius

Sensory
2010


Right away this cover summons a rather dark image. This is indeed a rather moody blend of progressive rock. This band hails from London and some the members are also in To-Mera and Linearsphere. Right away I hear some definite Dream Theater influences with the rapid bursts of different sounds going to and fro. I also hear some Kansas, IQ and others as there is a definite nod to classic style prog-rock. In fact despite some similarities to Dream Theater this is definitely more hard rock and just rock mixed in with the prog-sounds and not so much metal. Not a problem though because the whole and explosive nature of their many sounds is going to enough to occupy your senses for the duration of this album. Every instruments contributes in building this many layered songs. They go from hauntingly beautiful to mind crushing and then back again. Granted it took me several plays to real grasp everything because it is indeed a very busy album. They manage to do so much without seeming completely self-indulgent because everything they do contributes to the overall feel of "Aquarius". I think this is and album that fans progressive rock/hard rock will be to sink their teeth into.

Eldorado-Golden

Self-produced
2009


I have this disc for a while and have certainly been meaning to review it for some time, but am just now getting around to it. One spin had me realizing I really should have reviewed this sooned, but it's a keeper. Their 2008 debut En Busca De Eldorado was a good outing, but the new disc surpasses it by a few notches. The vocals are about as strong as I could have asked for on the new disc. To me the biggest improvement is the guitarwork. This time around the licks and riffs roll off the fingers without hesitation. There are no gaps or filler as every track is a heavy hitter. They play blues based hard rock with a great of passion and power. The influences I heard on the first disc are stll present here as Eldorado are still very much influenced by Deep Purple, Zeppelin and AC/DC. After looking back at my review of their previous effort I saw that one complaint I had was that many of the songs seemed to short. This is obviously something they have rectified on Golden. In fact I think their song structure in general is greatly improved. The songs strike your interest right away and never let go. These guys have greatly improved over a rather short period of time. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next.

Today

Sorry that I didn't get around to reviewing anything today. I did a lot of chores and spent a lot of time doing my annual attempt at trying to make my flower garden look like something. About the biggest hard rock/metal moment today was when on the way home from the store my six year old requested I play "Set the night on fire" by Pretty Boy Floyd. The she and the four year old were singing the chorus as loud as they could as we drove home with the windows down.

Free Comic Book Day

Just got back from going to two comic stores with the kids for Free Comic Book Day. Had a blast. Bought some comics, got some free ones and helped support the stores. My favorite decade for comics was definitely the 1970's. Likely because it is when I first got into them. So I thought that I would post a few 70's comic covers that I enjoy a lot.
***Hope to have an album review up later today.