MartinDavey87's Reviews
‘Alive in Athens’, released in 1999, is the first live album by American power metal band Iced Earth, and is an absolute marathon of a release, with a staggering duration of three hours split over three discs. Highly regarded by fans, ‘Alive...’ sees the band draw as much material as possible from their five previous studio albums and cram it into two nights of live music at the Greek capital. But is it really as good as people make it out to be?
Don’t get me wrong, this is a good album. The quality of the audio is fantastic, with some songs sounding nearly identical to their studio counterparts, and there’s a lot of incredibly strong material, from earlier hits such as ‘Iced Earth’, ‘Angels Holocaust’, ‘Cast in Stone’ and ‘Stormrider’ to later numbers such as ‘Burning Times’, ‘Watching Over Me’ and the ‘Something Wicked’ trilogy.
So what’s the problem, you ask?
It’s just so bloody long!
Simply put, that’s it. Iced Earth are a great band, but three hours in one go is a hell of a mouthful, with most songs sounding similar to the one before. The musicianship is fantastic, with every track performed to perfection, but there’s not really anything that stands out in particular. There’s nothing overly interesting in terms of crowd interaction, or adding anything new to the compositions. It literally is three hours of repetitive Iced Earth tracks, one after another, with crowd noises thrown in between.
For what it’s worth, this isn’t a terrible album, but the overwhelming duration is a huge detriment, and seeing as I’ve always preferred studio albums anyway, I can’t see myself choosing this over any of their studio releases.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love Metallica. I didn't mind them going alternative rock. I didn't mind them playing with an orchestra. I didn't mind them using trash cans for snares. But the only thing I've considered a detriment to all their albums since the mid-90's is that they're all so bloody long! And that has never been more evident than with 'Hardwired... To Self Destruct'.
The thing is, eight-minute songs (and longer) worked for the band back in the day, but since the rise of Dream Theater and progressive metal during the early 90's, it really feels like a field in which Metallica can't compete anymore. And in fact, maybe they were better suited to the stadium anthem vibe of 1991's self-titled album, because every song having a ridiculously and unnecessarily long intro, or intricate musical passages that feel like the band are just going through the motions, is getting a bit tedious now.
Criticisms aside, 'Hardwired...' follows on from 2008's 'Death Magnetic', in which Metallica have readily accepted a return to being a (thrash?) metal band. The music is heavy and fast, with lots of tasty riffs and each member really trying to get the most out of their somewhat limited musical prowess. Highlights include 'Moth Into Flame', which is one kickass tune, 'Now That We're Dead', 'Atlas, Rise', 'Spit Out the Bone' and 'Halo On Fire'. All of which are decent tracks that have the makings of great songs, but suffer from the aforementioned duration issues.
Special editions of this album came with a third disc, but there isn't much to write home about here. A bonus track (which goes on for too long), a few covers from various tribute albums, none of them are overly inspirational, and nine live tracks of songs we've already heard countless live versions of, make this hardly worth the investment.
After all that, however, 'Hardwired...' isn't a terrible album. It does show a lot of promise at times, but it really gives off an impression that Metallica aren't fully engaged with what they're doing unless they're trying something new or challenging themselves. Going alternative rock, playing with orchestras, theatrical movies, collaborations... seems like anything that takes them out of their comfort zone is really where they're most comfortable. While 'Hardwired...', to Metallica anyway, is just another metal album.
Well, it's the 90's (1991 to be exact), and the mainstream music trends are shifting dramatically. The majority of metal bands are going through an identity crisis while trying to adapt to the rising grunge scene, or, at the very least, avoid being killed off by it. And progressive/power metal band Crimson Glory are no exception.
Sadly, Crimson Glory's attempt at remaining relevant didn't go over too well, with the band's sound taking a bit of a hybrid hair metal/grunge turn. It reeks of early 90's rock, reminiscent of bands like Extreme or Ugly Kid Joe, but still maintaining their own distinctive style of riffing. But there's so many things here that just didn't stick well with fans.
There's more "chants" and big chorus's with female backing vocals, there's organs, tribal drums, even a bloody saxophone solo! Then there's a brief musical passage in the song 'Starchamber' that sounds almost identical to the chorus of 'Kid Ego' by the aforementioned Extreme. It's always great to see a band experiment with their music, but sometimes it just doesn't work out for the better, and in 1991, this could just have easily been considered desperation to adapt, as opposed to a genuine desire to try new things.
It's all a moot point either way, because unless you were Metallica or Guns 'n' Roses at that time, you were pretty much screwed.
It's not all bad though, songs like 'The Chant' (which is actually an awesome tune), 'In the Mood', 'Strange and Beautiful', 'Promise Land' and 'Love and Dreams' are all fairly good and catchy pieces that makes this album worth looking out for if you're a fan of the band, but certainly nothing of any real importance is on offer here.
Overall, 'Strange and Beautiful' was never going to win over any new fans, but it's certainly an interesting release. Some of the songs can tend to drag at times, but for the most part, it's a decent effort. Sadly, it signalled the end of Crimson Glory's run as a legit band, as, other than a brief comeback album in 1999, the band have done nothing of relevance since.
'Liquid Tension Experiment 2' picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, reuniting John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, with Tony Levin of King Crimson and Jordan Rudess, who would join Dream Theater shortly after the release of this album. Noticeable immediately is how much more complete and richer this record sounds when compared to the bands first outing. Not as self-indulgent, nor full of improvised jams, the songs sound a lot more structured, organized and consistent.
As you would expect, the musicianship between the four members is astounding, with everyone being given ample opportunities to show off their skills. "Often imitated, rarely duplicated". Few artists have this kind of connection with one another. These guys are all masters of their respective instruments.
While this album is overall a stronger release than their debut, there are still a few weak tracks. In fact, it's the last three songs that slow things down a lot, as the first half, in particular, 'Biaxident', 'Another Dimension', 'When the Water Breaks' and in my opinion the groups finest work, 'Acid Rain', are all instrumental classics that are rife with incredible technical playing.
Of the two Liquid Tension Experiment albums, this is definitely the better one. Less pretentious than the first, 'Liquid Tension Experiment 2' is a fine slab of instrumental progressive metal. Fans of Dream Theater will no doubt need this in their collection, but it's diverse enough that even casual prog fans will enjoy it.
Forget Slade, forget Mariah Carey and forget Cliff Richards. When it comes to Christmas music you can’t get any better than Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Lead by producer Paul O'Neill, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings together musicians from all different genres, and namely members of the metal band Savatage, to bring us Christmas-themed rock operas. Brilliantly arranged, with fantastic musicianship and some emotionally powerful vocals, if you're a Scrooge like me, at least this will give you something to look forward to around the holiday season.
The great thing about this group is the diversity of styles utilized in the music. Most notable are the metal and rock influences, but there's elements of blues, jazz and classical music too, with singers coming from all kinds of musical backgrounds. With such a wide pallet of dynamics and styles at their disposal, the music constantly sounds fresh and exciting throughout.
Songs such as 'The Lost Christmas Eve', 'Wizards in Winter', 'Christmas Nights in Blue', 'What Child is This?' and 'Christmas Canon Rock' make this album a joy to listen to, and it's only bought down a notch by one or two fillers.
In fact, the only major detriment with this release is that you can only really listen to it during the Christmas period, without feeling like a complete knob, that is. But when December 25th comes around, light some candles, pour some wine, and put on some Trans-Siberian Orchestra as you open presents with your loved ones. It's a truly wonderful experience.
While there’s always been subtle classical and theatrical elements to Savatage’s music, it wasn’t until 1989’s ‘Gutter Ballet’ that the band really started to take their sound in a more ambitious direction. Inspired by musicals such as ‘Phantom of the Opera’, there’s a much more grandiose feel to this album than anything they’d done before, and would only lead to the band transitioning from power metal to more progressive territory.
One notable change in the band’s sound is the more prominent use of pianos and keyboards. While there were always some keys lingering in the background, ‘Gutter Ballet’ sees them become a more integral part of the music. It works amazingly well, and really distinguishes Savatage’s unique identity.
Of course, the musicianship itself is fantastic. With each member, building upon the momentum they’d garnered with previous album, ‘Hall of the Mountain King’, being on top form. Jon Oliva’s vocals really suit the more theatrical approach well, and his guitarist brother Criss Oliva’s blistering guitars are as incredible as ever. Working with producer/songwriter Paul O’Neill, this was a time of growth for the band, and each member really plays their part to help the band mature.
With highlights that include ‘Gutter Ballet’, ‘When the Crowds Are Gone’, ‘Of Rage and War’, ‘She’s in Love’, ‘Hounds’, ‘Thorazine Shuffle’ and ‘Mentally Yours’, there’s an abundance of killer material here that constantly shifts from heavy to melodic, but never lets up in quality.
1987’s ‘Hall of the Mountain King’ may have been the album where Savatage hit their stride and started a run of successful (critically, if not commercially) albums, but for me, ‘Gutter Ballet’ is where they truly defined their sound and began a creative run that would see them continually release albums of high standards.
2001’s ‘Mutter’ solidified German industrial rockers Rammstein as global megastars, and while it’d be an impossible task to top, 2004’s ‘Reise Reise’ was a more than worthy follow-up which maintained the bands high standards. So what went wrong here?
‘Rosenrot’, released just one year later, is essentially a “leftovers album”. Despite containing a number of singles which were given music videos, the album, mostly consisting of tracks that didn’t make it onto its predecessor, came out to minimal promotion and advertising. But understandably, when the quality of the material doesn’t live up to what the group had released prior, perhaps that’s why.
The thing is, while ‘Rosenrot’ isn’t a terrible release, it’s just not very memorable. Most of the tracks are pretty generic and bland, and they all tend to sound pretty similar. The monstrous anthems of ‘Mutter’ or the electronic dance grooves of ‘Sehnsucht’ are nowhere to be seen, and there just generally seems to be a huge lack of keyboards here, compared to earlier albums, anyway. Most of the songs tend to plod along with the same monotonous guitar riffs and baritone vocals. Still, the music itself is heavy and pounding, and when the band is on top form there’s a couple of decent numbers here.
‘Benzin’, ‘Rosenrot’, ‘Mann Gegen Mann’ and ‘Te Quiero Puta!’ are all respectable highlights, and fit well in the bands discography, but none of these hold up all that well to the likes of ‘Sonne’, ‘Du Hast’ or ‘Mein Herz Brennt’. Arguably the weakest album the band have put out at this point, ‘Rosenrot’ is still worth a listen or two if you’re a fan of Rammstein, but if you’re a newbie then you’re better off going with anything the band released prior to this.
Eternity X are back for round two, with 'Mind Games', the follow-up to their debut release, 'Zodiac'. It's a bit of an odd one really, because while certainly a step up from its mediocre and boring predecessor, which took itself way too seriously, 'Mind Games' itself, is also mediocre, boring, and takes itself way too seriously.
Musically and sonically, everything's pretty much the same here as before, though at least they didn't do another concept album based on the zodiac star signs (what the hell was any of that about anyway?). But sadly, 'Mind Games' itself, despite one or two brief moments of goodness, is a mostly lacklustre affair, with boring, introspective lyrics, and rather static guitar riffs, that just sound like they're trying to be complex for the sake of it.
Onto the positives... if they can be considered as such... 'Faith' is an alright track, though it has a God-awful intro, and bonus track 'Switchblade' isn't half-bad... though the fact that a "bonus track" is considered one of the better songs speaks volumes about this album.
It's a shame, because vocalist, band leader and songwriter Keith Sudano is clearly very passionate about what he's writing, evident especially in his vocal performances, but the music itself just isn't very interesting. And with lyrical nuggets of joy such as "Mr. Suicide - grab his hand he'll take you on the ultimate ride", it's clear that this is nothing more than a self-indulgent cheese-fest.
Oh boy... this is a funny one... Eternity X's 1994 debut is a concept(?) album, based upon... you guessed it, the zodiac star signs!!!
And it is utter nonsense.
The music is boring and uninteresting. The technical ability is there, but everything seems so bland and formulaic. The lyrics are complete balderdash which don't really make any sense. Or maybe they do but the music is so devoid of excitement that it's impossible to follow.
A lot of the songs are too short for anything to really shine through, and on top of that, they all sound the same. You can clearly hear how passionate vocalist and main songwriter Keith Sudano is by his performance, but that just serves to make me somewhat pity the guy for how dedicated he seems to this album. I mean, it's laughable how serious this record is.
To add to the unintentional comedic value of 'Zodiac'... the most memorable song is probably bonus track 'Fast Forward'. It's a six-minute bass solo that is about four minutes too long, and while it does have some nice melodies in it, it gets repetitive fast. Sadly, there is probably an Eternity X fan out there somewhere that is desperately trying to seek out this rare bonus track (funnily enough, an edited, shorter version of this song will appear on the bands follow-up release. Yay!).
It's so hard to figure out what the hell this album is really about. I can only assume that it's meant to be some super inspiring introspective journey of self-discovery... but ultimately it just takes itself way too seriously.
Welcome back boys! After the disaster that was 'Fight for the Rock', Savatage's brief foray into adult-oriented rock (forced upon them by their label), the band rebound with an album that puts them back on track, and has gone on to be regarded as one of their most beloved releases, and certainly one that would maintain their upward momentum as a string of successful records would follow.
With the group going back to their heavier roots, there's a strong emphasis on fast, energetic guitar riffs, with early hints of the more classical-inspired sound that the band would adopt on later, more ambitious releases. Criss Oliva's blistering guitar work is second-to-none, and his brother, vocalist Jon Oliva's voice is as harsh and brutal as it's ever been. Each note really screaming out with pure passion and energy.
Highlights from this album include '24 Hours Ago', 'Beyond the Doors of the Dark', 'The Price You Pay', 'Strange Wings', 'Devastation' and of course, the title track itself. While I didn't mind 'Fight for the Rock', this is certainly a return to form for Savatage, and although it may be somewhat surpassed by the groups later material, it definitely still holds up well as a solid heavy metal album.
"Madness reigns..."
I knew immediately upon their formation that I would love this band! Formed by three of my all-time musical heroes, Rich Ward of Stuck Mojo and Fozzy, Mike Portnoy, one year removed from his tenure with Dream Theater, and Russell Allen, powerhouse vocalist of Symphony X. Some of my favourite bands right there. This was amazing!
Except, their debut self-titled EP was a bit of a disappointment to me. Not only was it the most expensive single CD I’ve ever bought (being sold directly by the band themselves and having to be imported from America), I was gutted to find out that Rich Ward (my hetero man-crush) didn’t actually play on the recordings, but merely posed for the pictures. Unfortunately he’d already left the band by this point, leaving sole guitar duties to virtuoso Mike Orlando.
And with that, the band recruited Disturbed bassist John Moyer and released their debut album, 2012’s ‘Omertá’, a hard-hitting, pull-no-punches and take-no-prisoners affair, which offers traditional heavy metal with a huge dose of groove and energy. Brimming with driving guitar riffs and a pounding rhythm section, the music is unapologetic in its raw aggression and attitude. And vocalist Russell Allen, renowned for his incredible range and passion, really nails the anger and emotion needed to bring the music to life.
The production on this album is fantastic as well, giving the music an incredibly heavy and thick sound, and helping the band live up to their name. Tracks like ‘Undaunted’, ‘Indifferent’, ‘Psychosane’, ‘Feelin’ Me’, ‘Hit the Wall’, ‘All on the Line’, ‘Believe Me’ and ‘Down to the Floor’ are all massive metal anthems that can make you feel unbeatable, and not only do they make up for the rather shoddy EP the group had released the year prior, but establishes Adrenaline Mob as more than just another supergroup side-project, but a legit band with a bright future ahead of them.
2001 was the year nu metal fully conquered the world, pushing heavier music to the mainstream and reaching all new heights of popularity. Sadly though, it was a fad that wouldn't last, and any band looking to make an impact had to strike while the iron was hot. For every Disturbed, there was a dozen Spineshank's, for every Korn, there were multiple Adema's. With a cult following building since their 1999 debut, it was now-or-never for Static-X. Go hard or go home.
Which brings us to 'Machine'.
A huge step up from its predecessor, Wayne Static and his ragtag misfits are back with this crushingly brutal yet innocently simplistic assault on the senses. 14 year-old me had never heard anything so aggressive, and to this day, it still amazes me how an album so stripped bare can be so heavy. Sure, it's overproduced to hell and back, with various electronic tracks and effects giving the album such a massive and fat sound, but the compositions themselves are all very laid back, with basic arrangements, no overly complex passages, and barely more than three or four chords in any one song.
It's a classic case of "less is more". And in a case of great timing, the album was released during nu metal's heyday, ensuring it would appeal to a new generation of young metal fans that were introduced to the genre by bands such as Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit.
Overall, 'Machine' is an incredibly polished release, with a great sound and some infectious tracks. In particular, 'Otsego Undead', 'Structural Defect', '...In a Bag', 'Machine', and the two hit singles 'Cold' and 'Black and White', are all standout moments that helped firmly establish Static-X as one of the bands that would outlast the nu metal fad, and more importantly, one of the heaviest bands from my childhood.
For most this probably won't be worth the money. If you want to check out Dream Theater, you'd buy ‘Images and Words’ or ‘Scenes from a Memory’. However, if you ever wondered what Master of Puppets might sound like with Keyboards (and who hasn't?) then this is the album for you.
Of course, that won't stop people from buying it and whining about what it is, but the thing is, this isn't an album to be taken seriously. Are Dream Theater superior musicians from a technical standpoint? Absolutely! Is James Hetfield a better singer than James LaBrie? It's debatable. Does Hetfield's vocals suit this album better than LaBrie's? Most likely.
Who cares? It's Dream Theater having some fun and covering a Metallica album live. Take it for what it is, although, avoid it completely unless you're an absolute die-hard fan of Dream Theater who needs everything in their collection. And who isn't?
The second release of Dream Theater’s demo series of official bootlegs, ‘When Dream and Day Unite Demos 1987-1989’ is a look at the making of the bands seminal debut album. Obviously...
Split into four main sections, there’s instrumental demos, early-Charlie Dominici demos, pre-production demos, and probably the most nerdy aspect of the album is the ‘X-Mas Demo’, which features a super early version of ‘To Live Forever’, which has remained more-or-less unchanged since its creation, as well as an array of random tunes and “messing around” spots that might (but probably won’t) pique the interest of die-hard fans.
The sound is alright, for what it is. Most of these being demos and recorded by the band themselves, there’s nothing massively remarkable, but again, this is for die-hard fans, anyway. Dream Theater are no doubt highly adept at their instruments, and this CD shows that even at a young age, these guys were technical wizards.
But overall, this isn’t really worth even considering to purchase unless you’re the absolute, most highest level of elite Dream Theater fan. And let’s be honest, even if you are, you’ll probably never listen to this anyway.
Slayer’s ‘Live Undead’... Another 80’s metal live release with poorly overdubbed crowd noises! While I like Slayer, I’ve never really been a fan of their first few albums. With each release only garnering one or two tracks that I enjoy, it’s no surprise that I’m not massively keen on this 1984 EP either.
Featuring seven tracks, five of these are from Slayer’s debut album, which I’m not really into. Sure, the “live” feel of this release gives you an idea of the energy Slayer exuberate at their shows, but ultimately the repetitive and lifeless crowd noises that seemingly refuse to stop shouting during the songs don’t do anything to further my listening experience.
It’s well-produced though (minus the plugged in crowd noises), with the band sounding clear, and the performances are pretty solid, but... that’s about it. Supposedly this was recorded in a studio in front of a small crowd, but there’s no doubt in my mind that there was some kind of tomfoolery going on here. And even if there wasn’t, and it turns out this is, in fact, 100% live, unedited and un-tampered, then well done to Slayer for being able to rile up such a raucous crowd so early in their careers. But ultimately I’m still just not into these songs, and therefore just not into this EP.
2002’s ‘Rude Awakening’ is the first official live album by thrash metal pioneers Megadeth. Released 16 years after their formation (what took them so long?), it sadly comes during a somewhat weird time in the bands history. Having just gone pop rock with 1999’s ‘Risk’ and then attempting a return to their roots with the rather stoic and not-very-well-received ‘The World Needs a Hero’, the band were suffering greatly around the turn of the century, and just a year later would split up (thankfully they’d return eventually).
Somewhere amidst all the struggle and strife, they’d release this little nugget. However, with a rather weak sound, a mostly non-audible crowd, especially during the first half, and a line-up which just wasn’t resonating with fans (drummer Jimmy DeGrasso and guitarist Al Pitrelli both had the unfortunate job of being with the band during such troublesome times), ‘Rude Awakening’ is a pretty average release that leaves much to be desired.
All criticisms aside, there are a couple of things this album does right. The performances are all solid and tight (although Dave Mustaine’s vocals are a little grating at times), and the set list is pretty much spot on, covering every major track from the bands discography at that point in time. However, the aforementioned detriments far outweigh the strengths, and I’d much rather just listen to the original studio versions of any of these tracks.
A fairly disappointing live release, ‘Rude Awakening’ isn’t overly memorable and serves only as an addition to the Megadeth collection for die-hard fans. And hell, even the front cover is kind of goofy!
As if 2000’s ‘Scenes from New York’ wasn’t enough, here’s Dream Theater with another three-disc assault on the senses, with 2004’s live album from Japan’s world-renowned Budokan venue, aptly titled ‘Live at Budokan’.
Touring to promote 2003’s ‘Train of Thought’, ‘Live at Budokan’ sees the band storm through a set of highly energetic and crushingly heavy material. The format of the shows were simply “an evening with...” type affairs, which meant there were no support acts. Yet, despite the mind-boggling duration of the set, the band remains on top form throughout, and shows no signs of fatigue or letting up.
Focusing more on their later material, ‘Live at Budokan’ is three discs of some of the bands strongest material, played impeccably by some of the absolute finest musicians in the world. Millions upon millions of notes are hit flawlessly, with a number of noodles and jamming sections bungled in amongst the set, this is a highly entertaining live album, and shows an unparalleled chemistry between the highly-respected musicians.
There’s an abundance of highlights here. From newer tracks ‘As I Am’, ‘This Dying Soul’ and ‘In the Name of God’, to older classics such as ‘Pull Me Under’, ‘New Millennium’, ‘Only a Matter of Time’ and ‘Beyond This Life’, which features a near-ten minute jam section which is absolutely incredible and never gets boring. Then there’s the exclusive of this album, ‘Instrumedley’, a 12-minute instrumental medley of various parts of the bands discography. It’s genuinely mind-blowing and further demonstrates how these guys are the absolute best of the best at what they do.
‘Live at Budokan’ may lie a little on the heavier side of things, but this is truly a gem that belongs in any prog fans collection. With an absolutely banging production and top-notch performances, this will surely come to be recognized as a true prog classic.
We all love concept albums, right? If there was one cliché that firmly embodies the essence of progressive music it's concept albums. Records which use narratives to link all the songs together, they often encapsulate the peak of an artist's creativity and on most occasions, the peak of their commercial and critical success. However, if rock operas can be seen as "prog 101", then we all know what to expect somewhere down the line... the sequel!
And that brings us to 'Room V' (that's "Room Five"), Shadow Gallery's sequel to the excellent 'Tyranny' album. I'm not going to deny, the story is a bit challenging to follow, and certainly not something I can summarize in a way that makes sense. It involves government conspiracies, biological weapons, and umm... lots of amazing music!
Anyone familiar with Shadow Gallery will know what to expect from this band, and for those of you who aren't... well, they're a progressive metal band... come on! Full of incredibly mind-blowing musicianship, heartfelt and sincere vocals, and plenty of catchy chorus's that'll have you humming along to every word, there's plenty of twists and turns in the plot that keep the music engaging throughout. There's also an abundance of interludes and rather unnecessary musical passages that make the album feel slightly cluttered at times, and extends the duration to a staggering 75 minutes.
However, the band compensate for the duration of the album with arguably some of their strongest work, with highlights including 'The Archer of Ben Salem', 'Vow', 'The Andromeda Strain', 'Comfort Me' and the title track, 'Room V'. Each one makes all the segues and interludes tolerable.
Proving why Shadow Gallery are one of the most underrated bands the genre has to offer, 'Room V' is an incredible album, and a worthy sequel to 'Tyranny'.
If you're a metal fan, you're no doubt gawking at this three-star review and seething with anger, and nothing I say will justify my views in your eyes. So let me just say, to Pantera; I'm sorry.
Pantera were one of the first metal bands I got into way back in the day, and I'm sure there was a time when I first purchased this CD that I thought it was awesome, even though I'd never really heard it enough times to familiarize myself with it. As a result, years of neglect and seeing absolutely nothing but the highest reverence for it has set the bar very high. Too high, in fact, as 'Vulgar Display...' has failed to live up to my expectations.
It's not a bad album, but it's very much the same as its predecessor, 'Cowboys From Hell', in that it's a good record with its fair share of filler songs, but it hasn't been helped by the expectations set by the countless fans who treat it like an absolute masterpiece. I mean, c'mon now... 'By Demons Be Driven' and 'No Good (Attack the Radical)' are incredibly forgettable.
But when Pantera do get it right... oh boy! 'Mouth For War', 'This Love', 'A New Level', 'Regular People (Conceit)' and the legendary though slightly overrated 'Walk' are all ballsy songs that are heavy as hell and groove-laden to the brim, with enough attitude and energy to make up for the albums shortcomings.
And the performances are all-round pretty good. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell shows off all the skills that would validate his countless accolades as one of the genres all-time greats, and vocalist Phil Anselmo screeches passionately with pure disdain at the world. While not every track is to my liking, there's no denying the chemistry between everyone.
In conclusion, 'Vulgar Display...' is one of the most influential metal albums from the 90's, and while its reputation may be justified, I don't think it's stood the test of time too well. Perhaps it's one of those things where "you had to be there" to truly appreciate it.
Megadeth took a huge risk (no pun intended) with 1999's 'Risk' album. In a bid to gain more mainstream success, the band shunned the thrash metal genre they'd popularized in the 80's and turned to a radio-friendly rock sound. It didn't pay off. Big time. Dave Mustaine and his crew had egg well and firmly on their faces, and nobody likes egg on their faces.
So by the time 2001 rolled around, the band had used up their one and only "gone back to their roots" cliché (every band that's been around long enough gets to do this at least once). The problem was, with 'Risks' massive failure behind them, and with rising tensions between artist and record label, this truly feels like a band, and in particular, a man (Mustaine), who is lacking enthusiasm and who's heart isn't in it.
For the record, I loved 'Risk'. Just saying.
With 'The World Needs a Hero', there's definitely a metal vibe again. But the music just seems pretty lifeless and rigid. The crunchy riffs are back, but everything seems so stoic. The spite and hatred of Megadeth's earlier days is long gone, having been replaced by some of the most mundane lyrics imaginable. While some of the songs are pretty decent, everything just seems so uninspired.
Guitar legend Marty Friedman, who left the band after the 'Risk' tour, has been replaced by Al Pitrelli of Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra fame. This is actually really cool, because I love those bands, but unfortunately Pitrelli doesn't really have his own unique voice like his predecessor. And the interplay between Mustaine and Pitrelli doesn't produce anything noteworthy.
Still, this album does have its merits. '1000 Times Goodbye', 'Moto Psycho', 'Promises', 'Dread and the Fugitive Mind' and 'Disconnect' are all decent enough songs, but not really much to shout about if I'm honest. 'Return to Hanger', a sequel to one of their biggest hits, 'Hanger 18', serves as a weak attempt at capturing some of their thrash era glory, and things are capped off with 'When', a diabolical rip-off of the Diamond Head classic 'Am I Evil' (which is only a classic due to Mustaine's former band Metallica... the irony of it all).
Overall, this isn't a bad album, but it really sounds like a group that are burned out and in need of some new inspiration. While the world needs a hero, it feels like this band needs a break. And on that note...
Right, you know the deal. It’s Metallica, and it’s a live album, which means live versions of songs we’ve already heard countless live versions of. ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Master of Puppets’, ‘One’, ‘Fuel’, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, ‘Battery’, ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘Master of Puppets’, ‘Creeping Death’ etc, etc... Whether it’s on previous live releases, singles b-sides, live DVD’s, or the fact that Metallica record every show to download from their website anyway, we’ve already heard live takes of these tracks plenty of times.
And I mentioned ‘Master of Puppets’ twice just now. Were you paying attention?
Take heed though, for ‘Through the Never’ isn’t just another live album (well, it is, but let me explain). It’s also the soundtrack to their live “movie”, which is a bit of a weird concept, but fair play to them for trying something new. A live concert interlaced with movie footage that the band had had shot, featuring actors and telling a narrative based around a roadie for said concert, it wasn’t a massive success for the band, but this live album on its own merits is still very good.
Because yeah, essentially, movie aspects aside, this is just another live album.
Released in 2013, it shows that the band still sound great live, which is a venue in which Metallica has always flourished. With a well-rounded set that incorporates most of their major hits (sixteen tracks is pretty limited by Metallica standards, but they did the best with what they had), it’s got a good sound, and everyone’s on top form.
Overall, this isn’t an essential album to own, although it’s very good, and has a very well-rounded and easily digestible set for any newcomers, but ultimately, Metallica have released other live albums that are more in-depth than this, making this serve as nothing more than something for collectors and fans to own.
Chris Caffery is back with his (sort of) second solo album, which perfectly demonstrates why I consider him one of the most underrated metal musicians in the world.
Boasting 15 tracks, of which only six can be truly considered new, nine of these songs were already released on the ‘God Damn War’ bonus disc included with Caffery’s debut release, ‘Faces’, the previous year. Do not despair, however, for these six new songs (the actual "new" ones) alone more than make this album a worthy purchase.
Offering up some ultra-brutal guitar riffs and spiteful lyrics, 'W.A.R.P.E.D.' picks up right where its predecessor left off, delving further into hate-filled misanthropy and anti-war sentiments than before. Each composition gives a firm, middle finger to the world leaders who are more intent on endless, senseless violence. And it's this anger that has lent inspiration to some true gems, such as 'God Damn War', 'Election Day', 'Edge of Darkness', 'I', 'Head of the State' and the title track.
Criminally underrated as a guitarist, a vocalist and a songwriter, Caffery has once again delivered a metal album that packs a punch (or a kick to the balls), and shows what fans of the "mainstream" are missing out on. Nobody truly knows what heavy metal is until they’ve heard a Chris Caffery album.
After two of power metals finest works, 1990's 'Iced Earth' and it's follow-up, 'Night of the Stormrider', the quality of Iced Earth's work dropped substantially. Two studio albums and a compilation of re-recorded songs followed, none of which impressed me, and I wasn't so sure if vocalist Matt Barlow was deserving of all the praise that was being heaped upon him. I'd all but given up on Iced Earth, until 1998's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' finally put the band back on track.
Maintaining all the qualities of the bands earlier albums, but with a more slick, accessible and mainstream sound, 'Something Wicked...' is a pumping, high-energy album that highlights all of the bands strengths, and none of their weaknesses. With a wide variety of heavy and softer songs, everything here is consistently well-crafted. The guitar riffs are intense and full of energy, while the ballads are hauntingly beautiful and passionate. There's plenty of tasty guitar solos and harmonies, and the very slight change of direction in the band's sound actually does wonders for Matt Barlow's voice, who truly shines on this album and has finally clicked into place.
The production is also spot on. While early albums had a gritty feel to it that suited the music perfectly, the last few releases, and in particular, 'Days of Purgatory', sounded overproduced. The fast guitar picking sounded muddy, and wasn't as tight as it should have been. But here, everything is perfect! The guitars have a big sound, while still accentuating the accuracy of the playing. And with a thumping bass and a pounding drum, this is probably the best Iced Earth have ever sounded.
With hits such as 'Burning Times', 'Watching Over Me', 'Stand Alone', 'Melancholy', 'Disciples of the Lie', 'Consequences', '1776', 'Blessed Are You' and the awesome 'Something Wicked Trilogy' (so basically, every song), this is easily one of the bands best albums, with every track flowing effortlessly into the next. 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' is a heavyweight album that firmly establishes Iced Earth as heavyweights of the genre.
Aw no... What happened here?!
Savatage were doing so well after the release of 'Power of the Night', an album that gave them real credibility in the metal community, so how do they follow it up? With a hard rock album!
Granted, there were circumstances in play beyond the band's power that forced 'Fight for the Rock' into being, and in all fairness it's not as terrible as it's often made out to be by fans, but it certainly sticks out like a sore thumb among the groups discography. And my God, that cheesy as hell cover doesn't help matters!
Despite the AOR-inspired compositions, Criss Oliva's trademark riffing is still firmly in place, and brother Jon Oliva's vocals still soar as powerfully as before. But for the most part, the songs just don't have that same spark that previous releases did. The "metal " energy just isn't there. And while some of the songs are still fairly decent, there's just a lot of generic 80's cheese to sift through first.
Let's try to be optimistic for a moment though, and look for the positives. 'Fight for the Rock' itself is a pretty good song, and a rerecorded 'Out on the Streets' is a nice treat, though not really one anyone in particular asked for. 'The Edge of Midnight' is a solid Savatage track, if you can just tolerate its awful keyboard intro, and 'She's Only Rock and Roll' has some vintage Savatage riffing going on. But there's also some complete drivel such as 'Day After Day' and the fact that almost every song has some incredibly God-awful 80's synths going on. Can't win 'em all, I guess.
Thankfully this would remain nothing more than a small blip on Savatage's radar, as they would quickly go on to return to their original metal sound and release some of their finest music. Buy this one if you're a collector, shut up, accept it for what it is, and let's all just get on with our lives.
Consisting of various demos, b-sides and other "rarities", Stuck Mojo's compilation album, 2001's 'Violate This', works as a nice bookend to the first chapter of their career. With constant tension between the members, the band were falling apart, and while this line-up would eventually call it quits, it would be six years of periodic gigging as-and-when anyone was available, before the band would bounce back with a new vocalist and a new album.
With that said, 'Violate This' is a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the demos are completed and mastered, or at the very least, of a high quality, while some of them are very primitive, and taken directly from cassette tapes. The better quality ones are the standout tracks by far. 'Ten Years', 'Revolution', and in particular, a re-recorded version of 'Not Promised Tomorrow' off of their debut album, are all fantastic offerings that make this a worthwhile purchase.
Most of the other songs are hit-or-miss though. There's demos from some of the bands most beloved tracks, though the raw sound and the differences to the arrangements make these far inferior to the finished products. There's a couple of covers which feature Devin Townsend on vocals, though the quality is so naff they're not very listenable. And there's a number of demos from the groups early days. While the rap/rock crossover was already apparent, there's a more funk and groove vibe than a metal one. The songs are alright, though nothing special, serving only to show how the Atlanta foursome have evolved from their humble beginnings.
Other than the aforementioned, 'Hate Must Be a Gift' and 'No Pride, No Respect' are also noteworthy songs. Though sadly, everything else is mostly forgettable, and will probably only appeal to die-hard fans (are there any others besides me?!). Overall, 'Violate This' isn't a bad release, and there's enough good material to justify owning it. And the booklet, which features a biography, liner notes and pictures, is a nice touch. But if you're new to Stuck Mojo, or just a casual fan, go with any of their studio albums instead.
Jokingly considered an apology to fans for the 'Lulu' album, which saw the band team up with Velvet Underground front man Lou Reed (to absolutely dismal reviews), 'Beyond Magnetic' is an EP consisting of leftovers from the 'Death Magnetic' recording sessions. Somewhat viewed by fans as the band trying to compensate for what was such a poorly-received release, sadly, 'Beyond Magnetic' isn't much better.
Everything about the four tracks featured seems so lifeless and "just there". It feels like the band are trying to be progressive, but the long, drawn out songs just don't favour them like they did in the 80's, and does more to emphasize their weaknesses as musicians than their strengths as songwriters. None of the riffs fit together and they all seem so disjointed, none of them flowing organically.
Three of the songs hit the seven-minute mark, while one of them staggers on to eight minutes, and it's just too much. They all drag with not enough interesting ideas to justify such long durations.
While 'Death Magnetic' is a great album, one of my major criticisms is the length, with each song in need of some serious cropping. However, it's all a moot point here, as no amount of cutting and editing could make these decent songs, and it's no surprise they weren't included on the record. If I had to be generous and find something positive to say, 'Just a Bullet Away' is a catchy track, though also suffers from jarring riff-changes and a tiresome duration.
Overall, this release is dirt cheap and easy to get hold of, but is only really worth the effort if you're a fan who needs to own everything.
I'm not usually one for listening to live albums. Sure, if I like a band, I'll certainly go out and buy everything they release (damn collector OCD), but for the most part, I prefer the crisp and clear sound of a studio recording. However, with that said, Stuck Mojo were, and always will be, a live tour de force, and any live offering from these rap metal pioneers will certainly be worth the purchase.
Performing music that is tailor-made for mosh pits, Stuck Mojo were always about energetic performances that leave all their contemporaries in the dust, and it's clearly evident that the crowds featured on this album, from recordings in Atlanta, Georgia and Barcelona in Spain, are at an absolute fever-pitch throughout.
What makes the Mojo so incredible live is the boundless passion, showmanship and banter between each member. While the songs are mostly performed as they sound on their respective studio recordings, it's the stuff that takes place between the songs that make this such a joy to listen to. In particular, vocalist Bonz and guitarist Rich Ward confidently and charismatically engage the fans in such a way, that's it just as much fun to hear them talk as it is to hear them play.
'HVY1' consists of pretty much every Mojo classic from what could be considered "chapter one" of their career. 'Rising', 'Enemy Territory', '2 Minutes of Death', 'Southern Pride', 'Mental Meltdown', 'Not Promised Tomorrow' and 'Throw the Switch'... they're all here! The inclusion of two new songs, 'Reborn' and 'My Will', serves as icing on the cake, and a hidden track which is mostly five minutes of the band rambling on stage and interacting with the audience is an absolute joy to listen to.
As I've said before, I've never really been the biggest advocate of live albums, but I truly cannot praise this release enough! Not only are the songs performed immaculately, but it's the chemistry between the band members and the audience that make this essential listening for anyone looking to be a true performer.
What’s interesting about this live EP is that it was recorded in “The Basement”, a small, indoor music venue which is about as far away as you can get from the stadiums that Metallica are used to. Released in 2010 and only available in independent record shops and on the bands website, it’s not the easiest CD to get hold of, especially in the UK, but I did it, and I spent upwards of £25 to get it (including postage).
But really, why bother?
Answer: because I’m a fan who has to own everything.
And that, is pretty much the only reason anyone would have for having this in physical format. It’s not a terrible release, and the more intimate setting actually makes for a more chilled out vibe. But it’s just so overdone. We’ve heard live versions of these songs so many times by now, that this EP, especially for the money spent, is just so pointless unless you’re a super fan like me. Even more is that the band had put out two similar live EP’s that same year, exclusive to Australia, which, you guessed it, I had to own.
Still, it’s got a handful of the classics… ‘Master of Puppets’, ‘Harvester of Sorrow’, ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ and ‘Seek and Destroy’… same old, same old. Decent enough sound quality and all that… but it’s just such a pointless EP unless you’re a diehard fan who needs to own everything.
‘Tokyo, Japan 10/28/95’ is the second release in Dream Theater’s live series of official bootlegs. Recorded in 1995 (the clue’s in the title!), it shows a fairly young band who, while playing immaculately, are still polishing off and refining their live shows.
With only three studio albums and one EP under their belts at this point, the set list seems fairly limited by today’s standards, especially as the band don’t play anything from their debut, and miss two pretty important tracks from their seminal ‘Images & Words’ album. Still, it’s a look back at the band in their early days, and the set is pretty solid nonetheless. There’s a fair bit of “jamming” added in which does get a little tedious, especially as some of the placements of these sections seem a bit jarring, but again, this is something the band will refine over time.
The sound is okay. The band themselves sound great and everyone is perfectly balanced in the mix. Unfortunately the audience are barely audible, which, considering this is a live album, is a little bit of a shame. Vocalist James LaBrie trying to get the crowd to sing only for the listener to receive near-silence in response is a bit of a letdown.
But otherwise, this is a decent enough release. The performances from all involved are fantastic, including LaBrie, who struggled enough live as it was, even before his infamous food poisoning incident, and there are a few added in extras that make this worth having for fans, such as an acoustic guitar version of piano ballad ‘Wait for Sleep’. While this pales in comparison to the bands later official live albums, it’s still cool to hear them in their earlier days, making this a worthy addition to any fans collection.
Aw man... poor James LaBrie. I can’t help but feel that this release is some kind of dig at the fella. Perhaps he’d upset Mike Portnoy or maybe he lost a bet or something? The fact is, this official bootleg by Dream Theater is a pretty substandard album thanks in part to LaBrie’s absolutely horrendous vocals which falter and diminish more and more as the set drags on.
It’s been well documented the issues LaBrie had after rupturing his vocal chords whilst touring in the mid-90’s, but damn, the number of times his voice cracks or wobbles or he just flat out can’t sing like he use to, is painful to hear. But props to the guy for never giving up, since stuff like this must have been a HUGE knock to his confidence.
Besides that, while the musicianship is fantastic as you’d always expect from this band, the only other notable reason that this recording was put out there was because it features the legendary Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden on vocals for a number of songs, (and Ray Alder of Fates Warning too! But that pales in comparison), and to be fair if I was joined on stage by Bruce Dickinson I’d probably want everyone to hear it too.
But even that is mildly entertaining, as it’s literally just a fun jam, and nothing overly memorable. But for what it’s worth, that’s probably the only major selling point of this release. Hell, even the front cover is a shot of Dickinson jamming with the band, leaving poor James LaBrie standing in the background with whatever shred of dignity and self-respect he had left slowly fading away.
Poor LaBrie.
Like so many other early power metal bands from the 80's, it took Stratovarius a few attempts to truly find their sound, leaving this, their debut, as nothing more than a by-the-numbers speed metal album.
Credit where credit's due, band leader Timo Tolkki shows some incredible skill on the guitar with his fast-paced neoclassical runs and galloping riffs, and to handle the lead vocals on top of that is quite impressive. Sadly, the song-writing itself isn't really anything inspiring and the vocals certainly aren't kind to the ears either. A+ for effort though! I can barely play and sing 'Wonderwall' without messing up!
Lacking the keyboard-driven compositions of later releases, 'Fright Night' is really "just there". It's nothing to shout home about, and really doesn't feel like the same Stratovarius that would one day go on to conquer the genre. Still, it's a good effort that shows a band in their early stages who have yet to fully develop their own style.
Highlights include 'Future Shock', 'Witch Hunt' and 'False Messiah', although I wouldn't be upset if these were excluded from future compilations, all are about as memorable as the album itself.
Having really hit their stride with the 'Tyranny' album, Shadow Gallery are back with 'Legacy', an album that is similar stylistically, though does away with the concept album format and features only six songs, and some rather ambitious ones at that.
Shadow Gallery's brand of progressive metal has always taken a more melodic approach than other bands of the genre, and while their guitar riffs can elicit plenty of headbanging, it's in the vocals and melodies that the groups strengths lie, with 'Legacy' being chock-full of catchy chorus's and interesting harmonies. Expertly produced to give the music the punch it needs, yet straying away from being too heavy or brutal. The Pennsylvania-based band has the right blend to appeal to fans of metal and softer rock alike.
The true centerpiece of the album is 'First Light', a 34-minute epic that serves as a smorgasbord of every possible element that gives Shadow Gallery their defining sound. The track can lull from time to time, but the highlights more than compensate for that. The middle section of the song features some of the bands finest musical virtuosity and vocal harmonies, making it a challenging yet rewarding listen.
Songs like 'Colors', 'Society of the Mind' and the title track 'Legacy' are all shorter songs that can be considered some of the bands best work. As per usual, the musicianship is incredible, finding a perfect balance between heavy and melodic, and Mike Baker's beautiful vocals are an absolute joy to listen to.
The duration of the songs can make for some demanding listens, which will ensure that while 'Legacy' contains some of Shadow Gallery's best compositions, it's probably not their best album overall. But hey, it's still a damn good one, and that's what matters!
Adema’s 2001 self-titled debut was released at a time when nu metal was one of the biggest musical genres in the world. However, it was also short-lived, and with only minor mainstream success, the band was unable to make a big enough splash to help carry them through the subgenres demise. And so by 2003, musical trends have already shifted, and the Californian five-piece would get one final chance to either release an album that’ll see them transcend the dying fad, or forever remain one of “those bands” that were good “back in the day”.
And sadly, despite a marked improvement in writing and more confident performances, ‘Unstable’ just wasn’t good enough.
Displaying a nice mixture of heavy, groove-laden and energetic tracks, with some melodic, sentimental and emotional songs, ‘Unstable’ shows a band that has really improved and matured since their last outing. Vocalist Mark Chavez (who was originally only noteworthy for being half-brother of Korn main man Jonathan Davis) has proven himself a competent frontman, and while the instrumentation is fairly straightforward, the band have become adept at using multiple layers of simple melodies to accentuate a warmth in their sound.
But with that said, there’s still only a handful of notable tracks here. ‘Unstable’, ‘So Fortunate’, ‘Co-Dependent’ and ‘Promises’ are all pretty amazing to be honest, and definitely shows a band who certainly had the potential, but sadly never lived up to it. ‘Stand Up’, ‘Blame Me’ and ‘Let Go’ are also fairly decent, but nothing worth getting overly excited about.
Much like its predecessor, ‘Unstable’ does have some moments of absolute genius, but sadly most of it gets lost amongst an abundance of fairly average songs. It’s a good album, but in 2003, with nu metal on its last legs, “good” isn’t good enough, and while it’s certainly worth a listen or two, it’d ensure that Adema will forever be nothing more than another nu metal nostalgia band.
I was ecstatic when this band announced their formation to the world. Mike Portnoy, formerly of Dream Theater, Russell Allen from Symphony X, and 'The Duke' Rich Ward from Fozzy and Stuck Mojo. Three of my musical heroes in one group. As a long-time fan of all of these guys' respective bands, this line-up seemed incredible!
So what is the music like? It's hard and heavy, and as the name of the band suggests, they're all high-octane, energetic metal tracks, but with five songs, at around 25 minutes (one of them a Black Sabbath cover), there's just nothing here to really reach out and grab me by the throat. Most of the music was written by guitarist Mike Orlando (who I'd never heard of before this band), and whilst he is an absolutely insane shredder, this EP is still pretty bland all-round.
Since this was A-Mob's first official release, we just need to see it for what it is; nothing more than a sample of what this band are doing. And in that regard, not only is it more than passable, but there's certainly potential here for some great things, if they could just polish up their sound a bit.
All musical criticisms aside though, my biggest gripe with this release is simply that Rich Ward didn't actually write or record on it. It took me four years to find a copy of this CD, and it cost me £22 to have it sent from Florida to the UK, and after all the excitement of owning a physical copy of the EP (which was only released through the band prior to the release of their first album), I was gutted when I found out that The Duke's only involvement was posing for the promotional photos.
Still, despite the musical content being pretty generic, the collector in me is still glad to finally own the CD. But that's all this is, something for collectors.
With their debut album, Fozzy may have reclaimed their throne as the true pioneers of heavy metal, but sadly there are still many songs out in the open being used by other bands, and so Fozzy return once more to take back what was stolen from them by the likes of Judas Priest, Scorpions and Twisted Sister.
But seriously…
Fozzy are back with their second album, once again a combination of covers and originals, all under the fictional backstory that these are Fozzy compositions stolen from them whilst they were trapped in Japan due to contractual obligations. But while the first album may have been treading the waters to see if the group can get away with such a gimmick, with ‘Happenstance’ the band dive right in at the deep end.
Everything about this album is a step up from ‘Fozzy’. The band sound amazingly tight, and Chris Jericho really comes into his own as a vocalist, and will surely impress anyone who doubted a pro wrestler would be able to sing. However, the true highlights of this album are the four Fozzy originals. I’m not exaggerating here, but…
THESE ARE FOUR OF THE GREATEST METAL SONGS EVER!!!
Nobody would expect it from a band called ‘Fozzy’, but the four originals ‘To Kill a Stranger’, ‘Happenstance’, ‘Crucify Yourself’ and ‘With the Fire’ are all beyond words. Seriously awesome metal tunes, and this isn’t a case of "awesome because it’s so cheesy" or anything like that. This is straight up, ass-kickin’ metal. Rich Ward’s riffs blow away anything he ever did in Stuck Mojo (and I love Stuck Mojo), and Chris Jericho takes his place alongside the likes of Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne. These songs should be heard by everyone.
The covers, as before on their previous album, may not have been my ideal choice of songs to do, but the band step up none-the-less and make such awesome renditions that it’s easy to forget these songs are covers to begin with. I know fans of W.A.S.P and Iron Maiden etc, will find this blasphemous, but yes, I think all these covers improve upon the original versions. But sadly, it's the covers that knock this album down from five stars to four (and that's only because I don't do 'half ratings').
Overall, I cannot stress enough how amazing the originals are. If you’re put off by this bands comedy antics, the fact their name is ‘Fozzy’ or their singer is the first ever WWE Undisputed Champion, don’t be. Get this album, and spread the Fozzpel.
1999’s ‘Scenes From a Memory’ is not only one of Dream Theater’s most beloved and pivotal albums, but also prog’s in general. A monumental success for the band and often cited as one of the best concept albums of all time... that doesn’t change the fact that you’d have to be the most nerdy virgin possible to actually “like” this album.
I mean, it’s mostly snippets of the album is production. Sound interesting? It’s really not. Even for die-hard fans, this is the kind of thing you’d listen to once just for the sake of hearing a documented “making of” release, only to keep it in your collection for collector’s sake.
The second disc features an alternate mix of the entire album, which is mostly why this release gets two-stars. The music is fantastic, but why wouldn’t you just listen to the actual, final studio product instead of remixes and snippets and demos.
The only real notable thing here is John Petrucci’s vocal demo for ‘The Spirit Carries On’, which is hilariously entertaining.
Definitely one for the collectors and die-hard fans, Dream Theater's official bootleg release of 'The Majesty Demos 1985-1986' is split into three sections;
The first part of the album consists of instrumental demos and covers. It's Dream Theater, so the playing is amazing, even at a young age. There's no keyboards or vocals, and as this was recorded by the band themselves on an 8-track tape recorder while at college, the quality is, quite understandably, naff.
The second section contains a number of brief, 20-second "songs", which are pretty much parodies of the band 'Stormtroopers of Death'. Mike Portnoy will shout a brief sentence, John Petrucci will shred out a quick guitar lick. Done. It's not cool, it's not funny, and it's not clever. A bit pointless having this on the disc, but whatever...
Then there's the section that really counts; The 'Majesty Demos' themselves. The sound quality is alright, considering the band recorded this themselves in the 80's, it's not terrible. The vocals are pretty cheesy though. Songs like 'Another Won', 'Your Majesty' and 'Two Far' are fairly decent, and it's a shame they were never officially recorded on a future studio release (although a few live appearances have popped up over the years), but the demo quality will deter me from ever coming back to them.
The musicianship and the tightness of the band is no doubt incredibly impressive, and perfectly reflects all the countless hours these guys spent jamming together while at college. Overall however, the bulk of this disc is just the core members, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci and John Myung, jamming. And if it isn't all that interesting to me, a die-hard Dream Theater fan, then it definitely won't appeal to the more casual listener.
'Days of Purgatory' is a two-disc compilation of Iced Earth songs remixed and rerecorded with then current vocalist Matt Barlow. At the time, it was intended as somewhat of a greatest hits album, with the goal being to give new fans a taste of the bands older material, while giving older fans "improved" versions of classic songs.
As a whole however, I find this album pretty pointless, and continues a downhill trend the band had been on over the last couple of years. While their first two albums, 'Iced Earth' and 'Night of the Stormrider' are absolute classics of the power metal genre, I find the two albums prior to this compilation, 'Burnt Offerings' and 'The Dark Saga' to be hugely disappointing.
The honest truth is that I just prefer the original recordings. Gene Adam and John Greely's voices suited their material better, especially with the overall sound and production of their respective albums. I find all the new arrangements uninspiring, and more often than not, where Matt Barlow has recorded new vocal lines, I find his ones don't really suit the music as well as his predecessors.
It's not all bad though, I mean, Iced Earth still release some outstanding music, and even though they're not as good as the originals, the songs here are still decent efforts. 'Iced Earth', 'When the Night Falls', 'Angels Holocaust', 'Burnt Offerings' and 'Colors' are among some of the bands best works, as well as a reworked version of 'Written on the Walls' titled 'Cast in Stone' (though I'd stick to the original, myself).
Ultimately, 'Days of Purgatory' is a mostly irrelevant release. Personally I'd recommend the original versions of all these songs. And thankfully, judging by later compilations, these recordings are somewhat "non-canon", so they've not really replaced the originals, but merely become novelty re-recordings for fans and collectors.
1991's 'Parallels', which was my introduction to Fates Warning, is a continuation of where the band had been going with previous album 'Perfect Symmetry'. The power metal influences of their early days were long gone, replaced by a more technical and methodical approach, and with more emphasis on melody than speed.
I was fairly new to progressive metal when I came across Fates Warning, a band who were influential in the genres early days. Being a fan of bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X, I assumed the key element was technical virtuosity (and a keyboard player!). So it was a change of pace when I first stumbled across this album.
While the musical acrobatics won't impress as much as the aforementioned groups, it's the bands commitment to strong songwriting that carries them. In particular, Jim Matheos and Frank Aresti's guitar playing is impressive, especially when using distorted and clean sounds simultaneously. 'Eye to Eye'. 'Point of View', 'Life in Still Water' and 'The Eleventh Hour' are all examples of this bands solid chemistry, with plenty of tasty guitar riffs, interesting harmonies and powerful vocals all on display.
'Parallels' is a great album, and a good starting point for newcomers to the band. Heavy enough to appeal to metal fans, melodic enough to appeal to rock fans, and ambitious enough to interest prog fans, it's an easily accessible album that can be enjoyed by everyone.
When discussing the making of this album, the members of Dream Theater have said that their goal, inspired by all the "classic" metal albums by bands such as Metallica and Iron Maiden, was to make a record full of "live songs" that will work well in a concert setting. An album full of metal classics, that'll get energy flowing, fists pumping and heads banging.
They succeeded.
As is always the case when bands stray away from their original sound, there are some who dislike this record for being more centered on metal, as opposed to the progressive elements that Dream Theater made famous in the early 90's. Being a metal fan as much as a prog fan, I love this record, and whilst anyone can see that they stepped away from a lot of their progressive roots on this one, the band more than compensate for it with these pumping metal anthems.
Of course, at the time this album came out (November 2003) I was still fairly new to Dream Theater, and definitely more of a metalhead than anything else. So why wouldn't I love tracks like 'As I Am' (that riff...), 'This Dying Soul', 'Honor Thy Father' or 'In the Name of God'? Each track perfectly demonstrates why Dream Theater can stand toe-to-toe with any of metal's elite.
As you would expect from this band, the musicianship is phenomenal. Most of the songs are definitely guitar-centered, with keyboardist Jordan Rudess taking more of a backseat in most songs. But he's there none-the-less, and when he's trading solos with guitarist John Petrucci, especially on tracks like 'Stream of Consciousness', you know that there's no one that can match these guys.
'Train of Thought' certainly has its prog moments, but ultimately, this is an all-out, straight-up, ballsy metal album. And it's a damn good one, at that!