Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews
In This Moment know how to reinvent the modern metal wheel. Each album is different in sound so their fanbase doesn't get tired of them easily. This alt-metal group, founded by Chris Howorth and Maria Brink, have gone further down the Marilyn Manson/Nine Inch Nails-infused industrial metal rabbit hole with their new album Godmode!
After some slight hints in their 6th album Ritual, their next one Mother began to push the band's industrial side up front, creating strong anthems like their girl-power anthem of a Queen cover plus a few weak links. Although Godmode can have earlier fans cringe in dread, here the band refresh their sound into something simpler and more lively. The songs sound bolder and more organic, and Brink sounds like a true modern metal goddess.
The opening title track already hints at that return to their heavier feel. "The Purge" is another powerful highlight! I can hear quite a similar vibe to the more electronic material of Bring Me the Horizon and Motionless in White. The lyrics are quite eerie and fit well with the demonic-ish music. Maria Brink is quite impressive at making a cover of "Army of Me", a Bjork classic, though I prefer the covers from their previous two albums. Continuing to test out different styles, we have the djent-dance track "Sacrifice" that shows more clarity in the album than their previous few ones.
Brink's singing in "Skyburner" sounds a bit drunken, but there are good driving riffs. However, she can really scream in the verses of "Sanctify Me". Then "Everything Starts and Ends with You" continues to show the band adopting more electronic influences than before. It certainly can work for a video game of heavenly universal connection.
As usual, the album has a duet in "Damaged", with Ice Nine Kills vocalist Spencer Charnas. However, the interplay comes out a bit weird. It just isn't as balanced as that duet with the Ded vocalist in the previous album Mother. "Fate Bringer" has more of the earlier dance beat which, despite being unsettling, flows well. "I Would Die for You" is an epic ballad originally in the soundtrack for John Wick: Chapter 4. It reaches a hysterical climax that has really paid off.
All in all, In This Moment have truly revived what made them spectacular. With solid songs, all having Brink's godly and ungodly singing, Godmode has truly proven what the band has in store as the modern metal legends they are today!
Favorites: "Godmode", "The Purge", "Sanctify Me", "Everything Starts and Ends with You", "I Would Die for You"
Genres: Alternative Metal Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
With their EP A Certain Innate Suffering released in 1997, Withdrawn started off as dark sludgy metalcore/hardcore. Adding in some death metal elements that had yet to solidify the metal/deathcore sound of their 1999 album, you can consider this band a mix of Asphyx and Earth Crisis. Those were the days when UK hardcore had the slower metallic vibe of Deviated Instinct.
You can hear a stunning difference between this EP and Seeds of Inhumanity. Here you have a simpler yet brutal experience as there's more heaviness than variation. And this can actually be more of a struggle for modern listeners like myself...
First track "Lifeless" fits well in the song title. Apart from the aggression, there's not much exciting as it just plods along. The 7-minute epic "Serenity" is much better despite the lack of hardcore gang vocals and melodic hooks. What makes this song stand out is thick guitar reverb (different from the album) and the loose drumming (just like the album). Interesting despite the repetition! "Oceans of Darkness" greatly adds the doomy progressiveness that later Dodheimsgard and Green Carnation would have to the metallic hardcore of later bands like Vision of Disorder and Demon Hunter. "Embalmed" is a little too anticlimactic.
Intending to make a dark impact on UK metallic hardcore, the end result was a somewhat poor EP. After this, two of the members left to form their own bands, which would explain the more melodic sound the drummer and the guitarist would make in their album. Still this EP is worth hearing hardcore/metalcore at its darkest....
Favorites: "Serenity", "Oceans of Darkness"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: EP
Year: 1997
Till Lindemann, the leader of Neue Deutsche Härte kings Rammstein, first decided to go solo during the band's hiatus. Rammstein prefer to be a whole band rather than just different members. Whenever one of the members takes a break, the other would too. Guitarist Richard Kruspe has his own side-project Emigrate since 2005. Lindemann later had his own side-project with Peter Tagtgren (Pain, Hypocrisy) and opened his boundaries further. While Kruspe took on more of an alt-rock/industrial metal direction with his secondary band, Lindemann expanded his NDH roots with modern heaviness to go with his suggestive lyrical matter. It's like those two guys each had their own sound in which, connected together, form their main band's popular sound...
The truth is, I haven't really gotten the appeal of this NDH/industrial rock/metal triangle. Despite that, I managed to check out some of Lindemann's heavy yet infectious work in Rammstein's new album Zeit and a few other songs by Rammstein and Lindemann. Of all the albums Lindemann has made, the only one in which the majority of it is in English is Skills in Pills. I wasn't initially interested in checking out his new album Zunge (Tongue), but considering how much I like Zeit, I decided to give it a shot. This is his 3rd solo album, but it's not part of the Lindemann project. He's gone completely solo, under his full name, partly soiled by abuse allegations towards him earlier this year.
The title opener is an excellent throwback to Rammstein and Lindemann, almost as if he wrote for either one of those projects. "Sport Frei" (Sport Free) also has that classic Rammstein sound with its industrial verses and chorus. "Altes Fleisch" (Old Flesh) might reminds some more of CKY in the guitar groove. "Ubers Meer" (Over the Sea) has great synth melodies to make you nostalgic for the 80s.
"Du Hast Kein Herz" (You Don't Have a Heart) doesn't sound like a certain Rammstein hit that the first half of this song's title is identical to, but it works as a great Rammstein flashback anyway. Another favorite of mine, "Tanzlehrerin" (Dance Teacher), a beautiful flamenco-style ballad. It's a well-done standout that doesn't have to be as hammering the other tracks to have you dancing along. Next song "Nass" (Wet) continues the hilarious yet heavy blend of metal guitars and baritone vocals with slight abrasion. "Alles Für Die Kinder" is so weird yet dreamy, mixing dubstep synths with light piano and children's background noises. You know Lindemann's signature odd experimentation.
"Schweiss" (Sweat) is ominous while often having deep emotion. I really like "Lecker" (Yummy), which has gigantic synths and grooves as Lindemann shines in melody and occasional raspy vocals that he has been using recently. The narcissistic piano ballad "Selbst Verliebt" (Self-Love) is OK. And even the hidden track "Rodel" (Toboggan) that parodies German pop hits is quite fun in some degree.
From the moment I've heard Till's unique voice, I knew Zunge would have some solidness. He managed to continue the Rammstein sound without being too restrained. He can make strong bombastic writing with his main band's sound as its base. It can be ridiculous while still being ferocious. And that's what to expect from the most famous (and infamous) man of NDH....
Favorites: "Zunge", "Sport Frei", "Du Hast Kein Herz", Tanzlehrerin", "Nass", "Lecker"
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Withdrawn was a band in the UK that developed the vegan straight-edge metal/hardcore scene in the UK. Their blend of elements from hardcore and melodic death metal give them an early metalcore/deathcore sound. After their 1999 album Seeds of Inhumanity, they changed their name to Evanesce (not to be confused with the more popular alt-rock/metal band Evanescence). The vocalist for this Withdrawn album is different from that of their EP, hardcore band Voorhees vocalist Ian "Lecky" Leck. His desperate vocals vary with more than just death growls and screams...
The band's influence is quite diverse for their early metal/deathcore sound, mixing elements of American metalcore bands like Earth Crisis and Abnegation, and European death metal bands like Carcass and old-school Anathema. With bits of melodeath and even death-doom in the cauldron, you know you're in for an interesting metal/hardcore dish, though the musicianship might be off at times despite being decent.
"Your Messiah Incomplete" is an ominous intro, but even then, it sounds a bit incomplete. Then "Cries" crashes through with some of the black/death-infused metalcore of Underoath at that time. That sound continues in "Bloodaxe", one of the best of the album. There's a bit of the early Anathema-like melodic death-doom riffing in "Tainted".
"Striation" is my favorite highlight of the album. They lose some speed but in a controlled pace, leading to a mighty breakdown, before getting moody in the end. Perhaps one of the greatest early deathcore songs besides some of the ones from Embodyment's Embrace the Eternal! "Infernal Black Skies" is an early example of adding some melody to deathcore, kinda like what early Abigail Williams and Lorna Shore would do many years later, but without any of the symphonic black metal elements. But then things get thin and filler in "Fueled by Fear".
I also f***ing hate "Hate Reborn", as it really deflates in quality. Fortunately, the title track redeems the album quality, opening with some crawling doom-ish riffing, followed by a Slayer-fueled midsection. "Incinerate" has some of the metallic melody picked up by Unearth. The song is 4 minutes long, but then nearly a half-hour of silence follows, and then a hidden track comes on, a strange demo outtake that doesn't add too much value.
Seeds of Inhumanity was a pretty good addition to the early UK metal/hardcore age, despite moving on as a different band that is Evanesce. Despite the thin guitar and a couple downers, this album has its right position with its violent rage. While not a total winner, I'm glad to listen to this offering, as my metalcore journey continues.....
Favorites: "Cries", "Bloodaxe", "Striation", "Infernal Black Skies", "Seeds of Inhumanity"
Genres: Metalcore
Format: Album
Year: 1999
Roadrunner Records is one of the most famous and diverse metal/hard rock record labels of all time. Famous and infamous bands signed to the label like Slipknot, Trivium, Fear Factory, and Machine Head have made the label as big as it is. And the then-core members of each of those 4 bands were chosen for ambitious project conceived by ex-vice president of the label Monte Conner...
Mr. Conner wanted to do a special thing for Roadrunner's 25th anniversary. He wanted 4 members of different bands band together to make an album dedicated to the label. But then he decided to upgrade his idea into something more ambitious... The 4 chosen ones, ex-Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison (RIP), Trivium frontman Matt Heafy, Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, and Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn were tasked in each recording 4 songs (though one captain would have a bonus 5th) and choose any member of a Roadrunner-signed band past or present to record with them. The end result is a massive 18-song 77-minute album featuring 57 artists from 45 bands!
The modern thrash/groove/metalcore anthem "The Dagger" opens the album as the first one of Flynn's songs, and it already has a Machine Head gone Killswitch Engage vibe, which makes sense since it features ex-Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones. A godly guitar solo played Canadian thrash master Jeff Waters of Annihilator absolutely tears down the house. An amazing kick-A starter track! The guitar skills of second captain Cazares the guitar/drum chaos of "The Enemy" after an acoustic intro by Sepultura's Andreas Kisser. With Cazares' riffing that is able to bring back that of Demanufacture without any of the industrial aspects, and the sharp vocals of Mark Hunter (Chimaira), you're in for another deathly thrash-metalcore treat. "Annihilation by the Hands of God" is full on death metal that showcases Jordison's stampeding drum blasts and murderous riffing. The song is OK, but a little too deathly for me, and Deicide vocalist Glen Benton's growls aren't that great. The diverse writing of Matt Heafy, back then a 19-year-old aspiring metal star, begins with the song "In the Fire". The sinister and operatic singing of the legendary King Diamond is some of the best vocals I've heard in the album. And we have an awesome guitar solo duel between Matt and Trivium bandmate Corey Beaulieu. An absolutely killer 80s heavy/speed metal standout!
"The End" features Heafy's clean singing in a wonderful hard rock/alt-metal power ballad. An incredible experiment by Cazares and Heafy that has paid off! And I'm glad that one received a single and video, the only one from the entire album to have those. "Tired 'n Lonely" is a much different song written by Jordison, like is this modern bluesy hard rock?!? Likely so, as if it's something Slash and Wednesday 13 would write! Life of Agony's Keith Caputo (now known as Mina Caputo after gender transition) has well-fitting vocals there. Still a highlight, but not beating most of the first 5 tracks. "Independent (Voice of the Voiceless)" has the fast aggression of the thrash/groove metal that can be heard in Sepultura, Soulfly, and a less industrial Nailbomb. And it's no coincidence that Flynn chose the vocalist of those 3 bands, Max Cavalera for that song. It's great hearing this Cavalera-borrowed bridge riff, though the rest of the song is a bit strange. Though not as much as the next one written by Heafy, "Dawn of a Golden Age", pure blasting black metal with the haunting shrieks of Cradle of Filth leader Dani Filth. This is only for those brave enough to explore the Satanic depths of black metal.
The next Flynn-written song is "The Rich Man", with Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor singing as sinister atmosphere builds up along the way. There's decent bass in the soft verses, and then the chorus has usual heavy riffing of metal. A solid nu/alt-metal song made interesting with the clean verses and rough chorus. "No Way Out" is more of a simple alt-pop rock song. However, unlike Jordison's other rock song, there's way more melody than actual heaviness, and the vocals by Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw come out so bad. I'm sorry, but NO. Then "Baptized in the Redemption" has more of Cazares' heaviness, and Dez Fafara of Coal Chamber and Devildriver. You can consider this a Latin-inspired groove/nu metal song, especially in the f***ing headbanging riffing at the start, and another guest appearance by Andreas Kisser in a pulverizing solo. One song that doesn't get mentioned much is "Roads", and that's because it wasn't written by any of the 4 team captains, along with being a much different-sounding song from the rest. Beautiful keyboards are performed by Type O Negative keyboardist Josh Silver and the vocals and acoustic guitar are performed by Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt. That's all the song has, but it's still pretty nice, with a catchy chorus melody. Another incredible song written by Heafy is "Blood and Flames", a sludgy groove metalcore song with powerful vocals by Killswitch Engage current vocalist Jesse Leach. A definite highlight here!
"Constitution Down" has heavier extreme drumming by Jordison. I enjoy it a bit, but that groove/thrash track sung by Kyle Thomas of Exhorder sounds a bit unnecessary in their attempt to tribute to Pantera. Heafy's last song here is "I Don't Wanna Be (A Superhero)", and... What?! I never thought he would write a two-minute Pennywise-esque hardcore punk song featuring ex-Misfits vocalist Michale Graves, let alone make one that's a true anthem to please my ears! Nicely done, Matt! The last one of Flynn's songs "Army of the Sun" is the most different one in that category. That one's more of a melodic heavy/alt-metal power ballad in a similar vein to "The End". The chorus and bridge is so beautiful, sung by Tim Williams from Bloodsimple and Visions of Disorder. Cazares makes one more move in "No Mas Control", which has the most Fear Factory-like vibe in the riffing for a groove/nu metalcore attack, as Ill Nino vocalist Christian Machado rages through. Not bad, though could've been better. Joey got to write a bonus 5th song to end this offering, and that final song "Enemy of the State" starts with the beautiful piano of Josh Silver. Adding more to the calm gothic doom depressiveness of Type O Negative is the deep singing of the late Peter Steele (RIP). The song is OK, but it ends it all in more of a whimper than a bang.
All in all, this impressive Roadrunner United is one of the most ambitious offerings in metal history. Although it is considered alt-metal, you can't deny the metalcore, thrash, groove, and to a lesser extent, death/black metal appearing here. Heafy and Cazares write the best songs here, and how can I say otherwise? They're from two of my favorite bands! No disrespect to Jordison, but he really could've written his songs better. Flynn is somewhere in between. Any musicians from at least one metal band you love and enjoy? They're all in this astonishing offering. Here's to another impressive project like this in the future, hopefully in Roadrunner's 50th year, 2030....
Favorites: "The Dagger", "The Enemy", "In the Fire", "The End", "Tired 'n Lonely", "Baptized in the Redemption", "Blood and Flames", "I Don't Wanna Be (A Superhero)", "Army of the Sun"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2005
You gotta admit, Arjen Lucassen is a true talented space metal genius. He can make a song with just a couple riffs and transform it into something beyond belief. I was once a fan of Ayreon and remembered the mind-blowing status of his albums. I suppose one day I can check out some of his former projects that I missed out on like Stream of Passion, but for now, let's escape into a wonderous dimension of progressive space metal!
Musically, Star One's debut picks up where Ayreon left off in Flight of the Migrator, including that album's heavier D-tuned sound. This time, only one of the two discs is the main album, and there are 4 vocalists in every song; Russell Allen, Floor Jansen, Damien Wilson, and Dan Swano. The music speaks in loud fury while in spacey beauty.
Beginning the album with mellow keyboards is the intro "Lift-Off" which is the perfect title in this space metal album. The upbeat heaviness ignites in "Set Your Controls". The deep synth/guitar momentum adds more heaviness to this song than any other Lucassen has made before then. Allen and Jansen's vocals stand out in "High Moon". With mid-tempo guitar heaviness, that song and the faster previous one are the best way to summarize what's next for the rest of the album. "Songs of the Ocean" is pretty good, though it sounds closer to the earlier hard rock of Deep Purple. Next track "Master of Darkness" is based on Star Wars. Being the Star Wars fan I am, I give the song a thumbs-up for that and the best Stratovarius-like guitar/keyboard soloing battle that greatly alternates with the climax lyrically based on the Skywalker father-son battle.
The ballad-ish 3-part epic "The Eye of Ra" breaks the earlier mid-tempo/fast pace and is so majestic, especially in the epic ending where all 4 vocalists plus background vocalist Robert Soeterboek sing in perfect harmony. "Sandrider" is a bit choppy in the riffing, but the pace is kept steady. Catchy strong vocals are performed by Swano and Jansen. "Perfect Survivor" is another slow track. It's not perfect but still solid. "Intergalactic Space Crusaders" is another brilliant highlight, as the keyboards, guitars, and vocals take you on a d*mn smooth galactic ride. Based on 2001: A Space Odyssey, "Starchild" is another long slow 3-part epic. However, unlike that other epic, the choir sounds a little annoying and pompous. The ballad-ish pace here is just too cheesy, though the song ends better than it began. Probably the weakest track here, but strong enough to maintain the 4.5-star rating for this album, or at least the standard edition...
The limited edition bonus disc starts with the kick-A "Hawkwind Medley" consisting of 9 different Hawkwind sections, with Dave Brock himself leading the vocal pack. "Spaced Out" is just straight-on rock. "Inseparable Enemies" has better guitar/synth harmonies. "Space Oddity" is a delightful cover of the David Bowie hit, sung by Lucassen himself. "Starchild" is given a slightly longer Dolby Pro-Logic remix, but it doesn't really improve much. Then there's a differently vocal-arranged version of "Spaced Out". The humorous hidden track "Intergalactic Laxative" (originally by Donovan) doesn't add much. Still most other limited edition bonus tracks are worth going that extra lightyear.
Having taken a break from my daily dose of metalcore/deathcore to check out a piece of Arjen Lucassen's prolific career, holy sh*t, I can still hear his amazing space magic! This Ayreon spin-off project of progressive metal with the speed of power metal and the cosmic vibe of Hawkwind is something not to miss out on. This man's a true genius!
Favorites: "Set Your Controls", "High Moon", "Master of Darkness", "The Eye of Ra", "Intergalactic Space Crusaders", "Hawkwind Medley", "Inseparable Enemies", "Space Oddity" (David Bowie cover)
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2002
Nothing like some dense dark experimentation, eh? Epiphanic Truth is an anonymous trio whose photos only show them masked up and in monk robes, and having come from some former unmentioned bands. You might think of their album Dark Triad: Bitter Psalms to a Sordid Species as a 3-track EP, but those 3 acts cover a total runtime of almost 44 minutes. And there's a lot in their experimental prog-death metal journey with some pieces of ambient black-doom and psychedelic jazz to make this an adventure.
The band guard their anonymity so well, and it makes sense to keep this dark secret away from the social media spotlight. The dark triad is said to consist of psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism to warn us of civilization's bitter future.
"The Truth of the Beast" has an abstract structure for an under-10-minute track. Throughout the first half, they let their brutal frenzy run loose. Then it ends with a few minutes of soft creepy jazz. "An Inescapable Verdict" has a lot put together, as listeners are kept in attention easily as pride collapses. "Our Vile Roots Flourish Beyond Light" is the 22-minute show-stopping epic that covers over half of the album's length as different sounds breeze through this satanic tale.
Imagine hearing complex heaviness blended with intricate atmosphere. Ain't that something to get you hooked! That's the kind of sonic extreme prog-metal you can hear from Enslaved but darker and more deathly. Epiphanic Truth prefer not to relive the past but shape up the future with their strange new realm....
Favorites: All 3, but the best would be "Our Vile Roots Flourish Beyond Light"
Genres: Death Metal Progressive Metal Post-Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2021
You know what? This band is right. Djent is not a genre... It's a subgenre! A progressive metal subgenre originated by Meshuggah (in a happy accident) and developed by Sikth and Textures. Periphery is part of the trio that popularized the subgenre, alongside Animals as Leaders and Tesseract. I haven't really heard a lot of Periphery, but I decided that this will be the best time to explore what this band has to offer. And I just found a glorious prime example of the subgenre! Despite the album title denying it...
People say the pandemic is no more, but I don't think so, at least not in my country. I do have to mention that the virus really impacted the music industry. Having written this album as early as 2021, Periphery was able to persevere through those dark times and release it two years later. I, along with many other djent fans, am thankful for that.
The intense fury of "Wildfire" stampedes with crushing riffing, and the vocal aggression of vocalist Spencer Sotelo. Melody shines in the vibrant chorus, and there's more of that to come in this blessing... "Atropos" shows the band confidently balancing out technical brutality and elegant melody. They can unleash aggressive power at any time. Drummer Matt Halpern can switch from mid-paced drumming to machine-gun-firing blast-beats when the time is right. Those guys know how to do it right, and that's why that track is an ultimate djent highlight. "Wax Wings" continues the captivating creativity. The leads and rhythms keep you in attention, and the soundscape gets more emotional with some clean piano. Heaviness can be beautiful!
"Everything is Fine!" has more of the dissonant hooks. Destruction is unleashed from the complex drums. Not for the faint of heart, but for those who are willing to take on the mosh pit, especially with the riff returns as a slow devastator. "MY BODY IS NOT A HAVEN, IT'S A F***ING PRISON!!!" After that, "Silhouette" is the calm after the storm with nostalgia-inducing 80s synths. "Dying Star" has that similar uplifting vibe, only they return to the impressive intricate heaviness. They can really add warm calm color to an ultra-heavy subgenre like djent.
"Zagreus" kicks the heaviness back to bloodthirsty brutality. This almost has a blackened vibe with the riffing and demonic growling. I haven't heard Sotelo sound so savage since when he guest appeared in Sikth's "Cracks of Light". Then the track closes with a cinematic orchestral ending. After that is the first of two 11+ minute epics (the second album I've reviewed in a row to have that, first being Tool's 10,000 Days), "Dracul Gras". The hammering intro gives you the energy for an epic journey. Lots of cohesive transformation to leave your jaws dropped to the floor. Midway through is a haunting yet beautiful melodic section. Then the monstrous intensity attacks once more before ending with soft ambient synthwave (huh???). The second epic "Thanks Nobuo" has optimistic momentum leading up to ending it all with great energy. Melodies and grooves battle for prominence while Sotelo's vocals continue to soar from high to low and vice versa. Whoever Nobuo is, he says "You're welcome."
Periphery is proud of their innovative career, and they never cease their incredible experimentation in the 5th part of their non-Juggernaut saga. It's not every album or band whose members all form a team of unbreakable passion. The pioneers of modern djent stay strong, whether or not they deny the genre status of the style they popularized!
Favorites: "Atropos", "Wax Wings", "Dying Star", "Zagreus", "Dracul Gras"
Genres: Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Tool is a tough band to decide if I want to keep listening to or not. Their progressive side is really out there, but they also have more of the mainstream side of alt-metal. Alter Bridge made a more pleasing perfect balance for me. However, vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, bassist Justin Chancellor and drummer Danny Carey push their sound out of mainstream despite sounding like they're in it, with their long journeys of songs. But then we have the fanbase who expects them to stay in the underground and not go so progressive. Despite those earlier fans staring daggers at them, they know how to please other fans who accept the band as they are...
Tool's innovation and humor scored them high points with fans and critics, but the praise started to fade away. All the different and unconventional time signatures and song structures that were used in their first 3 albums ended up being deemed low quality. This might be due to lack of new ideas the band had at the time, and yet there are fans hoping for a sequel to Lateralus. Now let me just say that the band's success is still on top, and in this album 10,000 Days, nothing is highly different, nor is it highly the same.
The aggressive opener "Vicarious" picks up where Lateralus left off with Chancellor's crashing bass. This menacing 7-minute track has the exciting guitars and drums played alongside Keenan's plain lyrics which seems relate to any TV viewer who enjoys something so fun yet time-wasting, "You all feel the same, so why can’t we just admit it?" Letting loose with the groove is the second track "Jambi", especially the riffing surrounding the guitar solo. Next track "Wings For Marie" is the prelude to one of two epics. Atmosphere goes on for a little long, but it's saved by the clean guitar buildup. The title epic is dedicated to Keenan's mother who, when her son was 11, suffered a brain aneurysm that left her paralyzed until her passing 27 years later. 10,000 Days is a reference to that amount of time along with the orbital period of Saturn. The lyrics have great sentiment, though they're a bit jarring, "Should you see your maker's face tonight, look him in the eye and tell him? I never took a life, but surely saved one."
"The Pot" shows the bass rhythm being less snappy, instead synchronizing with the beat in a groove-powered breakdown perfect for some live moshing. Maybe that Plankton AI cover would level up the mosh pit even more. Yeah, that version of the song is what my brother was listening to that made me interested in checking out this album. "Lipan Conjuring" is a one-minute interlude that breaks the album flow with its ritual chanting. In "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)", you can hear a nurse and a doctor talking to each other talking as guitar echoes through. It leads to "Rosetta Stoned", in which we enter the mind of the coma victim the doctors are keeping an eye on. Keenan can pull off different vocal styles very well from unclear alien garbles to clear desperate cries. The guitar is also performed well, from rumbling echoes to an intense frenzy.
Electronics enter in "Intension" which is fine despite its lack of heavy progress. The supreme "Right in Two" finishes off the progressive greatness in a breakneck climax. But the moaning outro "Viginti Tres" I find a bit unnecessary.
I can talk about an album's highlights as much as its more critical moments, like when previous album Lateralus attracted newer fans and repelled earlier fans. Although 5 years is a long gap, it's quite short when you think about their next album Fear Inoculum. But at least the more progressive fans had an album to savor in 10,000 Days....
Favorites: "Vicarious", "10,000 Days", "The Pot", "Rosetta Stoned", "Right in Two"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2006
Slipknot bassist Paul Gray passed away in 2010. Drummer Joey Jordison was fired from the band 2013, and he also left the world in 2021. RIP... Taking the place of those two fallen members are two new guys who also mask up, Jay Weinberg (drums) and Alessandro "Vman" Venturella (bass).
Although I enjoy a bit nu/alt-metal, I'm never really in the Slipknot fan camp. This collective-like band that also consisted of vocalist Corey Taylor, percussionists Shawn "Clown" Crahan and Chris Fehn, guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson, and keyboardists Sid Wilson and Craig "133" Jones can still unleash great rage from their time of grief in .5: The Gray Chapter! It is a dark punishing experience balanced out with clean vocal melodies. They sure know how to put the old and the new in killer contrast.
Synth organ and xylophone add solemnness to the intro "XIX". Corey Taylor yells in his clean voice about being "too busy being called to disappear, I'm in no shape to be alone contrary to the s*** you might hear". That adds a bit of a vibe from his other band Stone Sour. The raging "Sarcastrophe" starts off with slow guitar and percussion before breaking down the walls with heaviness and speed. Killer riffing, growled vocals, and rapid-fire drumming add faster delivery. No disrespect to Joey Jordison, but it marks quite a step from his earlier precision that works well for that thrashy madhouse. "AOV" has much faster thrash, probably the most out of this band, especially in the neck-breaking intro. The growled verses work well together with the clean choruses. Slipknot is already showing their progressive evolution, as they slow down in the bridge and even add sing-along melody towards the end before the last of the brutal riff rhythm. A different addition to the band's journey! "The Devil in I" begins with a sludgy groove intro then quiets down for the verses of morose clean guitar and bass with Taylor's vocal sorrow. The chorus is heavier but modest. There's a massive breakdown leading into a quick bridge as fast as grindcore. Right from there is "Killpop" which Taylor's Stone Sour tendencies blended with the industrial of Nine Inch Nails. The chorus soars with crazed percussion, and the chaos rises until it makes an abrupt stop. Note that the song is the shortest full song at 3:45, but it could've been a bit longer so it wouldn't end abruptly like that.
A tribute to Paul Gray, "Skeptic" has satisfying thrash-groove riffing with a bit of Faith No More-esque experimentation. "Lech" starts with Taylor shouting "I know why Judas wept, motherf***ers!", another total ripper. There are scorching drum patterns ranging from slow brutality in the breakdowns to jackhammering thrash in the faster sections. The more draggy electronic-tinged "Goodbye" has Taylor's cleans in soft echo. Then the heavy rhythm grows into a terrific solo that makes things better, sounding like there might be a return to the thrash, but that doesn't happen in the song when the climax ends prematurely. "Nomadic", however, segues into the band's earlier charging blitz, also having some harmonic choruses. The thrashy solo blows you away like a hurricane. "The One That Kills the Least" is a killer track that leads into the one that kills the most...
The reckless "Custer" has a bit of spoken word before his scathing ranting over crushing speed as he chants, "CUT CUT CUT ME UP AND F*** F*** F*** ME UP!" When my brother was listening to the song this year when the song became a TikTok staple, that was my indirect invitation to listen to the album that included that thrashy highlight. Then there's the spooky interlude "Be Prepared for Hell". It then leads "The Negative One" filled with thrash-grind mayhem. Compelling finale "If Rain Is What You Want" is once again dedicated to Paul Gray, signifying the end of an era and a new beginning. There are a couple hidden tracks, but we'll skip them.
The Gray Chapter works appropriately as a tribute to Gray after Slipknot had all the time to mourn and grieve their fallen member. Anyone who's more likely to be a Slipknot fan than I will ever be can definitely get onboard. Just choose what you like and ignore the haters....
Favorites: "Sarcastrophe", "AOV", "Skeptic", "Lech", "Nomadic", "Custer", "The Negative One"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2014
Hearing an awesome popular single from this band in a show I've been binge-watching made me up to checking more of this band Godsmack via their 3rd album Faceless. And that wasn't the only time that song was used for a show or movie; you might know the song as part of The Scorpion King soundtrack. So what is that battle-ready nu/alt-metal song? As usual, I'll save what it is for when get to that song in the review...
It's part of this Boston-based band's blazing return in popularity that is Faceless. The vocals sound rough yet harmonic over guitar heaviness. I'm sure anyone listening to some of these tracks on the radio 20 years before this review was having great headbanging joy.
"Straight Out of Line" crashes in with tribal percussion in this live staple for the band. Both the guitar and vocals by Sully Erna cry out in heavy anger. The title track continues that in more of a radio-friendly form. "Changes" has more rock, though those killer guitars and vocals continue to soar. "Make Me Believe" once again has heavy guitar destruction by Tony Rombola and bass devastation by Robbie Merrill.
"I Stand Alone" is a different standout in this collection, and the aforementioned single featured in The Scorpion King and the show I've been binge-watching. An absolutely killer song for battle! The nice follow-up "Re-Align" continues the band's earlier heaviness used in this album since the previous track. Next one "I F***ing Hate You" is filled with rage and heaviness worth ranting against your estranged ex. "Releasing the Demons" fits right in the name for Sully unleashing the personal demons from his soul and mind. Lots of great potential in that one!
Following this is "Dead and Broken" which has TOOL-esque guitars in nice contrast with Sully's lyrics of women and their mind games. You can think of that as Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" but heavier. "I Am" has the band's classic intense/melodic blend. "The Awakening" is an interlude with tribal percussion and chanting. "Serenity" is a slow cool way to end, inspired by the late Rush drummer Neil Peart's book chronicling his motorcycle trek through North America after losing his wife and daughter.
Faceless can be considered part of the popular alt-metal release lineup of 2003, alongside albums by Evanescence, Linkin Park, and unfortunately Metallica. Godsmack's killer entry into that lineup shows that the album can stand both alone and altogether....
Favorites: "Straight Out of Line", "Changes", "I Stand Alone", "Re-Align", "Releasing the Demons", "I Am"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2003
Until this month, I've never realized how kick-A 70/early 80s metal can be. I know that there are people around here with more metal knowledge who might correct me, but I'm saying this without fear of contradiction; Riot is the first American true heavy metal band to still be popular today, and they've had some metal right from the start. However, Fire Down Under is the album that really baby-sealed their metal sound!
Yeah, my metal history is slightly mixed up, maybe because I'm so young like in my mid-20s, but I know where some bands get their speed from. Speed was a new and fresh idea in the early 1980s, with some metal albums paving the way for other bands kickstarting speed/thrash metal in its full form. Fire Down Under is one of those albums.
First track "Swords and Tequila" is the album's classic heavy metal at its f***ing peak! They know how to pull off a bit of humor while keeping their metal serious. I'm talking about absolutely blazing metal! You can hear Guy Speranza singing about a knight charging into battle after swigging a certain Mexican alcoholic drink, though the band's later vocalist would have greater range. The speed is what bands like Venom and early Running Wild would pick up for their own speed metal styles in the mid-80s. There's glorious fun in the dive-bombing solo by Mark Reale that might remind some of the soloing in Manowar's songs. Not only does the soloing sparkle but also the metal riff rhythm. It's just upsetting that both an amazing vocalist and a master-mindful guitarist are gone from this world. Once again, RIP... The title track is full-on early blazing speed metal. You can't get more electrifying than that in the first couple years of the 80s. However, the band would take a slower turn right after that... "Feel the Same" has more mood and less speed, but I guess it's fair after that massive one-two punch.
"Outlaw" has more Thin Lizzy-esque hard rock, but the guitars really punch through. That's the kind of hard rock that wasn't usually heard in America at that time, but it could shine in the 80s as much as it did in the 70s. The organic sound and production deserves my respect! "Don't Bring Me Down" once again kicks up the pace, with Speranza singing comedic lyrics smack-talking his ex-girlfriend, "You call me a wimp, you say I'm a chump? Well your face is bent, and you smell like gorilla dump". A bit of silly fun without sounding out of place in the seriousness. "Don't Hold Back" really kicks up the speed, though the irony is, the verses and heavy rhythm seem to be held back. It still turns out well with a gang-shouted chorus. Next track "Altar of the King" is my favorite here. The riffing is absolutely memorable, and there are well-crafted leads. None of the songs in the album reach the 5-minute mark, yet that highlight makes things seem pleasantly long and worth it.
"No Lies" can actually be an excellent example of early slower power metal. "Run For Your Life" is also good, but what bugs me is, they used the same song title for an entirely f***ing different song in Thundersteel. "Flashbacks" is, just like the previous album's title track, a 4-minute instrumental. It's quite weird hearing audio samples of concerts and interviews over a screeching guitar solo. But then it fades out a cool song is starting to play. A bit anticlimactic, but a good sign that the band would continue.
I won't keep track of the bonus tracks, but I'll say Fire Down Under is the most famous album of the Guy Speranza era. Other bands boosting up classic heavy metal outside the UK back then include Germany's Accept and Denmark's Mercyful Fate. I still can't believe Speranza is gone from the band and this world. Carry on through the fight!
Favorites: "Swords and Tequila", "Fire Down Under", "Outlaw", "Altar of the King", "No Lies"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1981
Riot is another band in which I hear more metal in the least metal material than other listeners could. Their earlier riffs sound quite metal to me. However, I can't say for the album cover. It's a little strange for me. The baby-seal-faced warrior is dressed up like a sumo wrestler, which I guess makes sense for this album being called Narita.
Odd cover aside, the music is quite interesting. The members of the band continue to impress fans of their sound. The vibrant energy shows their motivation. They continue their hard rock/heavy metal sound with slightly more metal emphasis. There are even songs that hint at the speedier sound that would appear in their next album Fire Down Under. Yep, Narita already has some songs heading there...
Right there is the wicked "Waiting for the Taking", which actually maintains the Rock City tone in the guitars and bass, almost like an outtake from that album. These easy tones fit well with the riffing that's bad-a** as h*ll. You can expect great sass from the soloing of Mark Reale and the vocals of Guy Speranza. RIP those two awesome musicians along with original guitarist L.A. Kouvaris who wrote some lyrics for Narita but passed guitar duties to Rick Ventura who's also quite great. Jimmy Iommi (brother of legendary Tony Iommi) keeps up the bass pumps, while Peter Bitelli stays steady behind the drum kit. One track, "49er" isn't as catchy as the rest. Sounding cool once again is "Kick Down the Wall" which has more of the bluesy hard rock of Foghat. Iommi's bass pumps displays his booming talent.
The band's cover of "Born to Be Wild", the Steppenwolf hit that popularized the phrase "heavy metal" in rock music. Nice execution, but the sh*tty production sounds like it was a last-minute addition. The rapid title instrumental has upbeat riffing and drumming. An explosive piece of early speed metal! It would've been better with Speranza's vocal power, but the track can still do fine without it. And there's more of his expressive singing to come in other catchy tunes. "Here We Come Again" has some casual rock to expect from early Riot. "Do It Up" is respectable while a bit humble compared to the band's more top-notch material.
The constructive "Hot for Love" has a memorable chorus with melodic emotion that's worth radio play. The short rebellious "White Rock" continues the heavy energy the band could present at ease. The soloing is in strong diversity as always. But it doesn't beat "Road Racin'". This one is more remarkable in the vocals and heavy riffing, yet another hint at the more metal direction of their next album.
Riot was a band who wanted to make money. But they weren't doing it for the business, they were doing it for the joy. The American heavy metal scene was starting to form, and Riot was ready to enter it. So if you're up for the challenge in Narita, buckle up! It's gonna be a heavy flight....
Favorites: "Waiting for the Taking", "Kick Down the Wall", "Narita", "Hot for Love", "Road Racin'"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1979
To paraphrase a Honeymooners quote, they're a RIOT! One of the earlier American heavy metal bands, Riot was formed in 1975 in New York City. Their mascot is a buff warrior with a baby seal face, apparently suggested by one of the producers' girlfriend who fought against animal poaching. Riot would then become synonymous with classic heavy metal in America and battle against record labels who don't allow what they want but give them what they don't want.
And holy sh*t, their debut album Rock City already shows the band rolling through. Those guitars rise up high in raging speed of the dynamic duo Mark Reale and Lou A. Kouvaris, in perfect balance with the memorable vocals of Guy Speranza. 3 talented band members, sadly long gone. RIP...
Let's go straight to the opening track "Desperation". Kicking things off is the attention-grabbing bass of Jimmy Iommi (brother of Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi), while the two guitar men strike on with their top-notch skills. And right after the second one of Iommi's bass fills is a kick-A solo by Reale. "Warrior" has glowing energy in the chorus, and the guitar solo stands out yet again. The title track has more in common with Boston's Aerosmith. There's some old-school bluesy riffing, which is somewhat cool. I don't mean to put down a popular band like Aerosmith, but Riot has louder intricacy in Reale's riffs and solos, and Speranza's vocals are more organic and happy. But if anyone reading is a fan of Aerosmith, that's OK. Riot is what I'm in for when it comes to classic hard rock/metal.
"Overdrive" blasts through in speed overdrive within more of the bad-a** guitar. Which leads us into "Angel", in Reale continues the Aerosmith-like heavy rock in the rhythms and solos. The chorus is quite suggestive and PG-13, "You're an angel with a broken wing, you're an angel who was born to...born to swing, oooh yeah I feel like a dog in heat, oooh yeah I got a fire burning under my feet." Playing things out with radiant guitar is "Tokyo Rose", as the fast addictive chorus plays. This is worth listening to in a nice night drive through the streets of Tokyo.
You'll never lose your good mood in "Heart of Fire". Then "Gypsy Queen" continues the catchiness of earlier tracks. "This is What I Get" is a total gem of a highlight. Seriously, it barely flops at all! It's a graceful catchy tune without ever going too far into the mainstream. Over 45 years since this heavy metal/hard rock classic offering was released, and that closing track can still please a young metalhead like me.
The production in a few songs may plant the seed for a couple genres a few years later like biker metal and street punk, but expect classic heavy metal in this release, which would be cranked up in later albums. Rock City proves that the band can light up the world today as they had in the late 70s!
Favorites: "Desperation", "Warrior", "Overdrive", "Tokyo Rose", "This is What I Get"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1977
Nightwish is one of the most popular symphonic/power metal bands today, and was an essential band for me long ago. Now it's hard to accurately categorize their evolving style when they add elements of gothic, progressive, thrash, doom, etc. The operatic singing of then-vocalist Tarja Turunen was a true standout in the band's first era.
Once I had a dream of what metal would sound like with lots of TSFH-like orchestration, and this was it when I discovered this nearly a decade ago. Today I feel like I had been too optimistic. As varied as this album is, I'm starting to think the orchestra overpowers the metal. But what else is there from a full orchestra? Despite the orchestral overdose, many songs stay heavy, and founding keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen is able to display his own synth work. But let's get over the whole "selling out" nonsense...
Kickstarting the album is the anthemic "Dark Chest of Wonders", having lots of power and atmosphere, with a solid chorus. There's a bit of progressiveness without going too overboard. Then we have the gothic dance-rock/metal single "Wish I Had an Angel". It is followed by "Nemo", a heavy yet beautiful mid-paced highlight. The name is Latin for "Nobody", and the song has nothing to do with Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, which is a shame because that's the first ever movie I've ever remembered watching. The more symphonic yet heavy "Planet Hell" was one of the first songs I discovered from this band, when it was associated with RuneScape and the infamous Falador Massacre.
It seems abrupt switching out of a highly upbeat energetic track into the ballad that is "Creek Mary's Blood". Their attempt to turn an acoustic Native American ballad into an long epic ends up failing and sounding too draggy. The heaviness begins to build up in the Eastern-sounding "The Siren" with mysterious violin and solid Maiden-like riffing. "Dead Gardens" is heavier with a melodic chorus, but it ends too abruptly. "Romanticide" has more focus on metal than orchestra with more riff groove and interesting choir.
"Ghost Love Score" is the album's true epic, and very much everything the album has already offered is blended together greatly. First we have a couple verses with more of the Eastern sitar, then it slows down to a ballad-like section, and after that, we have a lovely orchestral break that is well-executed. Immediately when the metal comes back on, you're hit by one of the most epic moments in symphonic metal, right before Tarja continues singing. And the rest is memorable too. Next up, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" (Death Makes an Artist) is a nice orchestral ballad sung in Finnish. "Higher Than Hope" is one more power ballad closer to the band's earlier material. An excellent finale!
All in all, I would consider this album the weakest in my revisit trip, but I would never consider Once or Nightwish super-bad. However, there are some things I might object to. The production and style is a bit over-the-top, but still mostly enjoyable. I would recommend this album for any fan of gothic-infused symphonic power metal. It is different from their earlier material, yet worth trying this bombastic rollercoaster. Though this is Tarja's last ride...
Favorites: "Dark Chest of Wonders", "Nemo", "Planet Hell", "The Siren", "Ghost Love Score", "Higher Than Hope"
Genres: Power Metal Symphonic Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2004
Blending metal with symphonics well since 1996, Within Temptation is one of the first 3 bands that made me up for symphonic metal, together with Kamelot and Nightwish. And unlike those other bands that I discovered via their earlier releases, I was hooked to Within Temptation via this album Hydra, only weeks after its release. The music is pretty good here. Vocalist Sharon den Adel sings nice melodies, though she doesn't have her earlier power that other female singers have. As the metal instrumentation stand their ground, the symphonic keys and orchestra lift it up in cinematic atmosphere. Beautiful, right?
I would've selected one of the band's earlier symphonic metal releases, since this one is beginning to show the band's rock side, but I gotta stay true in what I've really discovered. You just gotta admire how well the band can diversify their sound. Here we have a symphonic metal/rock sound that often dives into their earlier gothic metal and their later pop/alt-rock, all while making sure their fans know that it's the same Within Temptation as before.
The excellent opener "Let Us Burn" is a catchy start, with fantastic riffing and chorus, all in pure epic symphonic metal/rock that would surely please the live crowd. Former vocalist of Killswitch Engage Howard Jones guest appears in "Dangerous" which has an edgier modern heavy metal sound. This might qualify as my first ever metalcore association, even though Jones only performs clean vocals. "And We Run" definitely throws me off. Guitarist Robert Westerholt thought it would be a good idea to invite hip-hop star Xzibit to make an appearance in the song. I certainly don't think so. I'm fine with rapping in a few metal genres, but in symphonic metal?! Nope! I'm outta here!
"Paradise (What About Us?)" is an epic upbeat piece of symphonic gothic metal, featuring the operatic soprano singing of ex-Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen. Not only was this one of the first songs I've listened to by Within Temptation, it also made me up for Nightwish! The symphonic metal chain was just beginning for me. Then we switch to a slower pace in "Edge of the World", which has Sharon's beautiful vocals over cinematic symphonics. It's fine, but the slow epic pace I prefer is from DragonForce's epic "Edge of the World". There's some background growling in "Silver Moonlight" by Westerholt, in clear prominence for the first time since the band's gothic doom debut Enter. That song's a faster highlight though. There's some cool vocal melody in "Covered by Roses".
"Dog Days" is a little too poppy, which I find annoying. However, there's still some heavy power to make a bit of the metal still around. The 6-minute epic "Tell Me Why" is a full hodgepodge of different influences to go with their symphonic metal, such as gothic metal, power metal, and even melodic metalcore, the latter covered by the heavier riffing and more of Westerholt's growls. Still it can't beat "Paradise". Dave Pirner, the frontman of the band behind that "Runaway Train" hit Soul Asylum, sings in the alt-/pop rock duet "Whole World is Watching". Intriguing, but not really what I'm looking for. There's a Polish edition with Coma vocalist Piotr Rogucki instead of Pirner.
If we ignore the strange tracks, you might consider Hydra an enjoyable offering. There's solid song construction with strong variety. Some guest singers work nice and well, but others don't. And the atmosphere doesn't greatly catch your attention as it should have. Despite all that, Hydra is an album for new fans and die-hard collectors. Within Temptation could still stand strong and not lose steam, at least until their subsequent albums that would show a highly different era for the band....
Favorites: "Let Us Burn", "Dangerous", "Paradise (What About Us?)", "Silver Moonlight", "Tell Me Why"
Genres: Symphonic Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2014
Avantasia is Edguy vocalist Tobias Sammet's ambitious side-project. The project started off with two Metal Opera albums in the early 2000s. The albums have many guest musicians and artists from bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray, Virgin Steele, Stratovarius, and Within Temptation. They were, just WERE, an essential part of my power metal discoveries. After reforming with a 2007 two-EP series Lost in Space, the album promoted by those two EPs had arrived... 2008's The Scarecrow was hitting the charts in not just Germany but other European countries also, such as Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, and Switzerland. The different sound and atmosphere replaced earlier fans with new ones. It's more of a blend of hard rock and power metal, with guests coming from bands of both genres. A great album with monumental vocalists!
Sammet made a new lineup for the album which consists of himself performing bass and vocals, ex-Heaven's Gate members Sascha Paeth and Miro on guitars and keyboards, respectively, and Kiss drummer Eric Singer. Some guitar solos were provided by Gamma Ray guitarists Henjo Richter and Kai Hansen (though I wish Hansen could've also done some vocals) and Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker. As for the guest vocalists, it was because of ex-Kamelot vocalist Roy Khan in the first track that I ended up stumbling upon this band and entering the metal opera world. Other vocalists from big bands include Jorn Lande (ex-Masterplan), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Bob Catley (Magnum), Amanda Somerville (Aina), Alice Cooper, and Oliver Hartmann (ex-At Vance). This bombastic hard rock/power metal album also has a bit of classic heavy metal, soft rock, pop rock, and a couple ballads. The guitars range from memorable riffs to dueling solos, and the drums are solid too. And outstanding vocals here!
"Twisted Mind" is the aforementioned opening track, and a strong place to start. The dark Middle-Eastern-esque riffing melody reminds me of Power Quest's "Another World", and that's one of a couple reasons why this song is my entryway to this band, the other reason, of course, being Roy Khan, making a fitting vocal contrast for when he sings with Sammet. The chorus totally blows my mind, though the ending drags a bit. The best song here is the 11-minute title epic. This was, and still is one of my favorite power metal epics when I was still heavily into the power metal genre nearly 10 years ago. It's more of a metallic hard rock track with a Celtic intro and a symphonic bridge. There's also a strong chorus, Sammet's vocal duel with Jorn Lande, and a long solo leading into a majestic climax. Lande has that Whitesnake/Dio edge in his voice. There are also background vocals by Michael Kiske near the end. One of the best highlights of Avantasia! "Shelter from the Rain" is a fast standout similar to early Helloween, featuring the two Gamma Ray guitarists and vocals by Kiske and Bob Catley. From the epic intro to the melodic chorus, along with a Gamma Ray guitar battle, it's just so great!
Then we switch gears to hard/pop rock in the strictly Sammet-sung "Carry Me Over", though the chorus almost reminds me of Dream Theater's "Pull Me Under". The pop rock ballad "What Kind of Love" is a love duet with Amanda Somerville. It's not terrible, but it doesn't really fit right in the album. "Another Angel Down" has the usual power metal, with more of Lande's strong vocals alongside Sammet. The guitars leads and duels are all memorable, as is the perfect chorus. "The Toy Master" has Alice Cooper singing, with not much from Sammet. It starts creepy and atmospheric before some memorable mid-tempo hard rock strength. I enjoy the chorus, plus the great power metal bridge.
"Devil In The Belfry" has some catchy speed. It starts with nice soloing, and Lande's vocals are pretty good. However, the chorus sounds too pompous, like it tries to be impressive but ends up dragging and falling flat. "Cry Just A Little" is an acoustic/soft rock ballad that causes further damage to the flow. "I Don't Believe In Your Love" is mostly mediocre hard rock. "Lost in Space" is one more pop/hard rock track, but the best one of that category. I especially recommend the extended version featuring Kiske.
All in all, The Scarecrow is a strong comeback for the band, the first part of the Wicked Trilogy continuing in their 2010 albums The Wicked Symphony and Angel Of Babylon. The album is a bit uneven with a couple weak tracks and Sammet getting more vocals than one of the guests and vice versa. Nonetheless, a very solid metal opera album....
Favorites: "Twisted Mind", "The Scarecrow", "Shelter from the Rain", "Another Angel Down", "The Toy Master", "Lost in Space"
Genres: Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2007
"The time has come. A chance to make amends for what went wrong. An opportunity to lay to rest. The ghost of all my memories. This time I cannot fail. This time..." That quote is somewhat accurate to my current plan, revisiting power metal albums from the past to let go of the haunting subsequent memories of my regretful desire to let it all fall from my grasp. Wings of Forever is the debut of a band formed by keyboardist Steve Williams who had just left DragonForce when they still had the name DragonHeart. A couple other DragonForce members were also in Power Quest; guitarist Sam Totman in the debut, and ex-vocalist ZP Theart in the demo. This association encouraged me to make my power metal interest a reality. And there is some similarity to DragonForce's Valley of the Damned released next year, though that one is a mountain-sized feat!
Now here's what different from DragonForce's debut. Wings of Forever is a bit humble of a start for Power Quest. I mean, there is the technical speed that is what many power metal bands were doing 20 years before today, but this band does it all without having to expand their resources. The band had trouble find a drummer, so they instead used a drum machine with the nickname "Scott Michaels". It sounds quite realistic, but it gives the album less organic strength. A real drummer would've made this a perfect offering. While DragonForce is known for their fast headbanging songs with the length extended by their solos, Power Quest seems to have more focus on epic-sounding atmosphere to cover that length which can make things slightly uneven, though they would have less of that issue in later albums. The atmosphere is created by Steve Williams who also bring the keys up to the front stage alongside the melodic guitar wizardry by Sam Totman to get you hooked.
The catchy brief "Prelude to Destiny" already gets you onto your seat with Williams' keyboard fiddling, a nice pleasant guitar solo, and a rising scream from vocalist Alessio Garavello to top it off. The title track is a true standout. The pace pretty much mirrors that any one of the songs from Valley of the Damned. Other guitarist Adam Bickers is Sam Totman's soloing buddy for this album, just like Herman Li but without any 8-bit tricks. Just pure electric guitar melody right in the face! Another fast catchy track "Far Away" is one of the band's most popular songs, and Alessio's versatile vocals have great harmony. I guess ZP Theart would've probably made this song sound more like DragonForce, but Alessio is the real star there. The progression is less apparent in another fast track "Glory Tonight", one of the two tracks originally in the Theart-led demo.
The mid-paced epic that acts as the band's theme song "Power Quest (Part I)" displays great impact in Williams' writing. He had assisted in writing some of DragonForce's long songs, and he was able to continue showing the lengthy side of his writing in his own band's ultimate anthem. "Beyond the Stars" is the only song Sam Totman wrote for the album, and it makes sense for that song to be the most DragonForce-esque of the bunch. Anyone who has listened to Valley of the Damned would be amazed by such a rocket-fired speeder. If Williams stayed with DragonForce, would that song end up in a DragonForce album? Likely, though with extension in the soloing. "Immortal Plains" is the album's power ballad, and it shows Alessio taking a break from the Iron Maiden/Helloween highs for a softer baritone closer to my voice, over smooth piano/keyboard. And it's done better than Dragonland's ballads!
"Follow Your Heart" is the other track originally in the Theart-led demo, and the better one of the two. This is pretty much my introductory song to Power Quest upon discovering the ZP Theart demo version on YouTube. The band once again greatly progress through wild soloing. "Freedom of Thought" is the last full song of the album, with astonishing glory once more in another 7-minute epic. The outro "Distant Lands" closes the album as a nice melancholic E-flat tuned guitar outro to end this standard yet ambitious album better than Dragonland's debut. To experience the last of Williams' ambient keyboard majesty, check out the Japanese edition bonus track "Gates of Tomorrow", a grand epic interlude. The soloing is fun despite being buried in the mix. And then it's all over until next time...
All in all, Wings of Forever displayed Power Quest as a different band from their later albums. Williams' writing evolution started out from his time with DragonForce, and when he worked with Sam Totman and ZP Theart (demo only) among other members in Power Quest's debut, and their DragonForce influences show, though not proven until next year with the release of Valley of the Damned. By then, Totman and Bickers had already left the band, and the last thing Totman could do for Power Quest was add in some soloing contributions to their second album Neverworld. As the band's tenure went on, so many different instrumentalists and vocalists took the place of those who were leaving, which further turned the band towards a different path. While it ended up giving the band a more mature identity of their own, the time when they were known as a DragonForce spin-off should be remembered. Whether being original or identical, the quality is what's worth this album being added to your power metal collection!
Favorites: "Wings of Forever", "Power Quest (Part I)", "Beyond the Stars", "Follow Your Heart", "Freedom of Thought", "Gates of Tomorrow"
Genres: Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2002
Power metal cheese is like regular cheese. You loved it a lot when you were younger, but as you get older, you can get sick from having too much shoved down your throat. In saying that, I probably wouldn't have gotten into the more symphonic side of power metal without an accidental discovery via this band. Orchestral keys and guitar fury slam through clay-cracking bass and pounding drums, alongside the sweet vocals of Jonas Heidgert, as if the entire band is a dragon. A Rhapsody (of Fire)-influenced dragon!
Fixing some mistakes from their debut, their second album Holy War has energetic progression that is a d*mn stunner. Heidgert stands out as another amazing vocalist in the power metal league. His unique delivery is out of this world.
The orchestral intro "Hundred Years Have Passed" is a little longer than it should've been, but it reminds me of the different Elder Scrolls theme songs. You end up warping into the medieval fantasy realm that is Dragonland. The fast heavy greatness begins with "Majesty of the Mithril Mountains". I barely have anything to say about the majestic glory of that track. "Through Elven Woods and Dwarven Mines" creeps in with ominous synths then knocks you fine blazing guitar riffing. You'll definitely wanna explore the Elven Woods of Tirannwn and the Dwarven Mines near the Ice Mountain in RuneScape with that crystalline song as your soundtrack. The glorious title track begins with organ paving the way to metal fury and impressive vocals. That's the song that made me discover this band in a video that was wrongly credited to DragonForce as the band.
A slower mid-paced but still epic track "Calm Before the Storm" adds some progressive brilliance that the band would fulfill more in later albums. "The Return to the Ivory Plains" continues the battle-ready power of that other "Ivory Plains" song and has an Iron Maiden-ish galloping beat. "Forever Walking Alone" is the ballad here. Now I'm pretty picky about ballads. And although it is quite beautiful and emotional, I find to be another slow love song that is worth skipping. But just when I was gonna put it down as a stinker, the song speeds up in the drums, the distorted guitars return, and Heidgert's vocal strength is regained. Not the best song, but much better than "A Last Farewell".
"Blazing Hate" has more of that blazing power metal speed. Same with "A Thousand Points of Light" that has the last of the mighty power unleashed for the standard edition. "One With All" is a little too long for an orchestral outro, but it's a nice uplifting way out. The Japanese edition comes with 3 bonus tracks, the first of which is an upbeat cover of Limahl's "The Neverending Story" from that fantasy film. "Allemande" and "So Many Questions" are just useless acoustic interludes with not much to say there.
Dragonland's sophomore album is a more enjoyable improvement from their debut, performing their sound with fantasy pride and not too much cheesiness. I miss out on my youthful days of loving this band to the max, but I need to stay true to my mature evolution. Nonetheless, Dragonland have done well in pleasing fans of power metal!
Favorites: "Majesty of the Mithril Mountains", "Holy War", "Calm Before the Storm", "The Return to the Ivory Plains", "A Thousand Points of Light", "The Neverending Story"
Genres: Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2002
"Look at the sky as the dragon flies by, storming across heaven like fire pierce through ice..." Dragonland was one of my first power metal discoveries AFTER DragonForce. This band introduced me to two things in metal I was already familiar with elsewhere; the orchestral symphonics of Two Steps From Hell and medieval fantasy concepts similar to RuneScape, the Elder Scrolls, and Lord of the Rings. And it all started with an accidental encounter with a song from the album after this one...
Nowadays, while I do enjoy these fantasy concepts, I begin to realize their lack of original inspiration. The Dragonland Chronicles saga has the same ol' "leaving your loved ones to go to a war you end up falling in" idea, which my fantasy-loving teen self thought was epic, but now it's a little too cheesy for me as a heavier more serious adult.
The instrumental synth-orchestral intro "Dragondawn" starts the album with a nice epic vibe. And it's at a decent short length enough to keep you satisfied and prepared for power metal war... "Storming Across Heaven" still reigns as one of my favorite songs from the band, a remarkable power metal tune with a catchy chorus. A song that I now think of as disappointing is "A Last Farewell". It's a slow soft power ballad that would've been in a better place later on in the album. Sure there's catchy melody with nice vocals including female singing, but the cheesy lyrics are too d*mn hard to overlook. And that's before the rest of the album in which, although the songs bring back solid memories, they're not as highly mind-blowing as I once thought they were. "Ride for Glory" has more infamously cheesy moments, but it's still pretty decent.
I prefer when the music and lyrics are more serious and do the story better justice, such as in "The Orcish March" that allows you to comfortably visualize the event described in the name. The title track also has that upside, where you can really imagine the war that occurs in the story, and the subsequent tragic falls. Another true highlight! Next up is a much better ballad than that other one, "Graveheart", hinting at similar symphonics to Xandria while continuing the Braveheart-esque fantasy concept, all in a nice slow bridge song between the faster ones.
Now one notorious song that I shouldn't leave without mentioning is "Rondo ala Turca", a two-minute adaptation of the well-known piece of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11. I'm familiar with power/heavy metal covers of classical compositions, and I used to love them a lot, but what do I think of this now? Well, the speedy keyboard soloing sounds too much like an 8-bit video game soundtrack (which I also liked in metal back then but nowadays not so much). On top of not adding much here, the position doesn't make sense. The hero is dying and right before unveiling a big secret, this classical-covering track comes on! At least it still sounds a bit uplifting. "A Secret Unveiled" sadly shows the band at a humble stage and continues ruining the epic feeling. "World's End" may not be the most original song title in power metal, but it's a great way to unleash the last bit of heavy power. The melancholic outro "Dragondusk" isn't as strong as the album's intro, but it fits well as a way of saying "To be continued..."
Despite the cheesiness and odd positions in a few tracks, The Battle of the Ivory Plains is a 50-minute adventure any power metal fan should check out. And you should read the story within the lyrics for the full Dragonland Chronicles experience. I just don't feel the same amount of epic brilliance from this band and album as I had 10 years ago....
Favorites: "Storming Across Heaven", "The Orcish March", "The Battle of the Ivory Plains", "Graveheart", "World's End"
Genres: Power Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2001
So I've given Empire and this album Promised Land a revisit complete with listening and reviewing. Empire is where the band was starting to walk down the mainstream path while maintaining some of the metal sound of Operation: Mindcrime. As for Promised Land, well... You're gonna be finding a lot of rock bumps here. But perhaps we better start from the beginning in the Queensryche history lesson leading up to that point. The band's sound of progressive/heavy metal first touched down with their fine sharp 4-track self-titled EP. Then their debut full-length album The Warning warns us about a more complex sound. Rage for Order followed with catchy atmosphere. Afterwards, the progressive grandeur of Operation: Mindcrime had pretty much kick-started the rock opera concept album aspect of many progressive metal bands.
Now before we get further down this band's history, I'll just say that they were part of the big 4 of pre-Dream Theater American progressive/heavy metal along with Fates Warning, Savatage, and Crimson Glory. Fates Warning and Savatage both made their progressive peak with their 1989 albums, and again with their 1991 albums, although Savatage isn't as progressive as Fates Warning. By the year of this Queensryche album, 1994, those two bands moved on to do shorter radio-friendly tunes while sticking to their respective genres, and they wouldn't slow build them back up until after that year. Crimson Glory had also hit their prog-ish heavy metal mark with their 1986 and 1988 albums before switching to a more rock-oriented sound as well (they would split up later). So after Queensryche started moving away from their own progressive metal brand in Empire, they stripped them out even further in Promised Land. It's far more radio-friendly than complex while adding a few different ingredients to their dish.
The album starts off weird with "9:28am", named after the time of birth for drummer Scott Rockenfield. It follows a soul transcending from death to reincarnation to rebirth in a brand new life of a crying baby. Unfortunately, the first actual song "I Am I" doesn't start things well. That song and "Damaged" foreshadow their embarrassing attempt at the grunge-metal of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden that would fully commence in their next album Hear in the New Frontier. But how can I blame this band? They're from the same state as those grunge bands. It just doesn't sound right for this once metal band. My ears are much better pleased with the smooth ballad "Out of Mind".
"Bridge" is another ballad and one of my favorite soft songs by Queensryche. It's so simple yet adds in some slight progressive layers. The band's earlier progressive metal atmosphere is still around in the 8-minute title track. There is some light shining from the sky in more than just the full-on ballads, but sadly, you'll end up walking away from a bar and taking the train to a bit of a disconnect... "Disconnect" has too much of a rockabilly groove. "Lady Jane" is another ballad though with some slight alt-grunge.
The blues rock filler track "My Global Mind" really brings the album quality down. Vocalist Geoff Tate tries to give the track some saving grace, but it only makes me wish he could stick to his earlier vocal style. However, in "One More Time", he adds much better emotional drama. Ending the album is "Someone Else?" which only has Tate singing and guitarist Chris DeGarmo playing piano. While I prefer the full-band version, I appreciate this simple soft version more than I had a couple years ago. Appeal growth, am I right? The operatic bonus semi-ballad "Real World" is from that Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero and should've been in the original album for a better rating.
In an era where the band's earlier progressive/heavy metal and their later hard rock/grunge were battling side by side, it's clear that the latter was winning. And it seems like DeGarmo was also burned out after losing the band's earlier progressive metal, because he left after the band's full switch to grunge in Hear in the Now Frontier. A promising journey through the earlier Mindcrime sound just wasn't there here. But at least long later into their career, they would show that the metal is never actually lost for eternity....
Favorites (only songs I really like): "Out of Mind", "Bridge", "Promised Land", "One More Time", "Someone Else?", "Real World (bonus track)
Genres: Heavy Metal Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1994
Empire is a pretty good album, though I liked it much better when I was into the melodic heavy/progressive metal of their first 3 albums. With their 4th album Empire, Queensryche began to take on a more commercial hard rock/metal sound, which was already being hinted in Operation: Mindcrime, and reduced their progressive aspects. Most of the songs are smashing rockers that can easily be remembered.
See, the thing about commercial albums is, it's not about the album itself but about the songs. Many are memorable, but some are not. Any band wanting to have more global appeal can achieve that goal, and Queensryche has certainly done that in Empire...
As the opener "Best I Can" rolls in, you are thrown into a dimension where the prog-rock of Rush and the hard rock of Van Halen collide, guided by vocalist Geoff Tate and his emotional instrumentation crew. Although more of a rock-ish tune, it makes me quite happy. The guitar strength of the mighty duo of Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton is maintained by Mindcrime, but the bridge and lack of drama in the chorus seems to make the song a bit bumpy despite the vocals and guitars being crystal clear. Still a solid start! "The Thin Line" is more metallic with some synths, but rather forgettable. Same with "Jet City Woman", which also has more classy glam, yet the singing isn't so strong.
One other progressive song here is "Della Brown", a great throwback to the more complex side of Mindcrime. It shows how different that album is from Empire. Here, instead of being a concept album spreading through all the songs, the lyrics of crime and drugs are only centered in that hard rock song. A more metallic standout "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" drives through strong guitar and bass, especially in the chorus. The title track is the heaviest song here. The lyrics center around corruption of race, and Tate's wide-ranged vocals in the chorus are worth appreciating. There's a bit of goofiness in the spoken part, but the song is still a majestic metal highlight. "Resistance" also has some metal, though nowhere near as memorable as the previous track.
"Silent Lucidity" is the one Queensryche song that practically everyone knows outside the metal and progressive realms. It's a beautiful rock ballad with notes in perfect harmony. I used to not like this song because of how popular it is for a non-metal song, but after listening to Extreme's "More Than Words" that was released in the same year, I've realized that the beauty of a song for me doesn't always come from metal. I find myself a little more accepting for non-metal songs from metal artists being popular singles. A highlight that's not the best, but I totally understand its appeal. However, "Hand on Heart" isn't all that great. "One and Only" is one more metal track, and while some parts are forgettable, it's still a great standout. "Anybody Listening?" is another power ballad, though much weaker. There's a cool electric chorus, but it's still a poor way to head out, especially when the album closes with a one-minute outro of rain ambience.
Empire is certainly a far different album from metal genres that I'm used to like the more hardcore ones. Heavier Queensryche fans may be disappointed that there's more hard rock added to their earlier heavy metal, but most other hard rock bands can't surpass this band in the heights of memorability....
Favorites: "Best I Can", "Della Brown", "Another Rainy Night (Without You)", "Empire", "Silent Lucidity", "One and Only"
Genres: Heavy Metal Progressive Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1990
Astral Doors is a band that made it big in the heavy/power metal realms but not quite elsewhere. With their 2003 debut Of the Son and the Father, they set a path that their subsequent albums would take. However, I don't feel the memorable flame of glory that I once had from other power metal bands. Still this takes me lightyears beyond this world into a realm of astral fantasy... Of the Son and the Father is quite a Dio-inspired album. I have listened to some of the late Dio's material including his 3 albums with Rainbow and a few anthems from this solo work, so I'm familiar with the themes of magic and sorcery. There are hooks with lots of power, but the power doesn't last long. Those Dio songs are quite anthemic and more sticky to your mind, something a little hard to achieve in this album.
So what are the things that make this otherwise solid album lack eventfulness? There are melodic chords, but the riffing sounds too traditional. We have well-done leads to enjoy, though could've been more remarkable. The band can make catchy guitar grooves worth headbanging to. The keyboard work doesn't have much power metal cheese, instead closer to the jazz organ used by Deep Purple and Rainbow. The keyboards cover pretty much 99% of the album's length! They fit perfectly well with the guitars in some places, though when they have one of their alternating battles, it's more playful than serious. The drums have standard kicks that also work greatly with the guitar riffing. The bass isn't so audible, but it shines when it's slow and thick. The member who really stands out is vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson who's also in epic progressive power metallers Wuthering Heights. He has a rawer and slightly whiny voice compared to mighty Dio in the verses, whereas the chorus show his energetic delivery.
"Cloudbreaker" is an amazing opening track with catchy hooks, showing the impressive songwriting not too far off from other bands reviving the classic heavy metal of Dio. The album is actually titled Cloudbreaker in Japan, as the band's Japanese label objected to the original album title and cover art that shows crucified priests. However, the reduction of memorability starts with the original album's title track. The chorus tries to sound catchy but ends up forgettable. Same with "Hungry People", enough said. "Slay the Dragon" is quite catchy, like how metalcore bands like Trivium, August Burns Red, and Shai Hulud are catchy for me while in a whole different genre.
"Ocean of Sand" continues that kind of catchiness. However, "In Prison for Life" has too much of a Thin Lizzy-infused hard rock thing going on. It sounds far more miserable than epic throughout those 4 minutes. I suppose despite that and the mundane verse-chorus style, they didn't want to feel too pompous. "The Trojan Horse" isn't that great either. Their attempt at a slow dirge crawls in a painful way.
Approaching greater fury is "Burn Down the Wheel", driving through lead/rhythm intensity. Another cool highlight is "Night on the Witch". My favorite track here in the album is "Rainbow in Your Mind", with mighty strength to love. "Man on the Rock" has grittier power metal riffing to foreshadow that of Amaranthe (ONLY the riffing is similar).
Of the Son and the Father marks the band's solid entrance into the scene with mostly amazing tracks. However, a few of them are a bit dull and iffy and could've been improved to bring the album to perfect glory. This is Dio-inspired classic heavy metal right here! I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys the catchy anthems of Dio's heavy metal sound. Just don't take the lower-quality tracks too seriously....
Favorites: "Cloudbreaker", "Slay the Dragon", "Ocean of Sand", "Burn Down the Wheel", "Night on the Witch", "Rainbow in Your Mind"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2003
Maudlin of the Well has been my favorite avant-garde metal band for a few years, but I think it's time to pass that torch over to its direct successor, Kayo Dot. Their debut Choirs of the Eye was a difficult album to find for me a couple years ago, even on YouTube, but finally it's here! And it's perhaps the most brilliant offering of unpredictable avant-garde metal I've heard today. Why try to achieve it all in so many short songs when it can be done in 5 mostly long tracks?
I'm sure even the more doomy metalheads will be impatient with how slow things go. But the music is atmospheric to keep you transcending before something unexpected happens, like a more diverse Isis.
The opener "Marathon" has ambient saxophone in the two and a half minute intro. Then BOOM!!!! Heaviness comes on with beautiful singing and vicious growls/screams. It keeps switching from ambient to heavy while moving things slowly. Next track "A Pitcher of Summer" is shorter than the other tracks at only 6 minutes long. It's calm without much of a structural setting, in which the buildup seems to teether up and down before having more haunting loudness. There's even some Radiohead-esque singing.
"The Manifold Curiosity" has so much to explore, as more instruments and vocal styles are added to the arsenal. 4 and a half minutes into the track, the soft ambience is broken by a melodic explosion with a huge variety of jazzy instruments that not a lot of metal bands can add without tainting their sound. From the 10-minute mark onwards, there's more intense chaos. How intense?! It's actually in the same level as Strapping Young Lad with Converge-like screaming rage, especially at the very end with a brief moment of grind-ish metalcore. A truly heavy and artsy epic!
Next up, "Wayfarer" is a haunting yet lovely song. The singing drama and Psycho-like violin screeches get the song a bit of a horror vibe. I also like that good solo. The final epic "Antique" starts off with the usual slow ambience then builds up some heaviness, at one point reaching the intensity of The Dillinger Escape Plan, another brief grind-ish metalcore moment! Then it all quiets down for a long piano outro, similar to the end of TDEP's final album Dissociation, but with a more jazzy background.
Well the jazzy side of this album isn't as much as Maudlin of the Well. Choirs of the Eye can be considered a unique brand of doomy post-/avant-garde metal with a few brief moments of grind-ish metalcore and alt-prog rock. Ya like jazz? Ya like rock? Ya like metal? Give this perfect masterpiece a go. Bring more life to music appreciation!
Favorites: "Marathon", "The Manifold Curiosity", "Antique"
Genres: Avant-Garde Metal Post-Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2003
Aaannnd the metal is gone. A lot of it. Scorpions had just started making their move to the hard rock/pop rock era that would sadly become more popular than their metallic past. Pretty much the only exact thing in common is the return of the controversial album covers, with the cover photo by erotic photographer Helmut Newton.
That is the problem with several rock/metal bands starting off in the 70s. All their glory in that decade starts fading away in the 80s, and most of those bands have no chance in bringing it back. Scorpions is one of those bands with Love at First Sting. While similar to Blackout in terms of formula, almost all the heavy greatness of that album has been replaced with cheesy glam for the sake of commercial success. There's good music and some more killer riffing/soloing, but except a lot of highs and lows...
Starting things off promising is "Bad Boys Running Wild" that still has a bit of metal riffing and soloing despite the more commercial direction. "Rock You Like a Hurricane" rocks much more like a glam/hard rock hurricane, but I kinda recognize it as a classic. The downers start with "I'm Leaving You" having more lightness than tightness.
"Coming Home" starts calm in the intro verse for a little too long, but then it explodes into the last of their remaining speedy heavy metal to enjoy. "The Same Thrill" also has speed, but the rock is more dominant than metal and sounds terrible. "Big City Nights" is a good anthem of party rock (not that LMFAO sh*t) with Priest-like guitar power.
"As Soon as the Good Times Roll" doesn't have much of the metal madness, with the rhythm clashing with ska, but that kind of crossover works quite well. "Crossfire" has a darker military-esque marching beat. It's a little bad, but not as bad as... The ballad many people know, "Still Loving You". It's just highly unnecessary and unfitting, and it's the unfortunate sign of their softer era to come. Sonata Arctica performed that song much better when they covered it as an upbeat power metal tune.
So this album Love at First Sting is quite overrated. I wouldn't say it's completely bad, but when the band starts losing their metal steam and heading off in a more commercial path, there's not much that can appeal to a metalhead like me. The heavier side of Scorpions has pretty much faded away. That stings....
Favorites: "Bad Boys Running Wild", "Coming Home", "Big City Nights", "As Soon as the Good Times Roll"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1984
Right before Scorpions began losing much of their heaviness in subsequent albums, such as the chart-hitting Crazy World and the painfully experimental Eye II Eye. People who have checked out those albums are gonna regret not hearing their earlier heavier albums. Blackout is quite amazing! A f***ing great offering of 80s hard rock/metal.
This is probably the center of the band's direction in their tenure. The 5 albums before Blackout are filled with twisted hard rock/heavy metal anthems, with only a few commercial-sounding songs and several ballads throughout. In the albums after Blackout, it's almost just commercial hard rock/pop rock with barely any metal. Blackout marked that true balance between those eras. They were able to write catchy hooks strong enough to fit well with the metal that shows the last of its dominance here.
The album starts with a throwback to the catchy heavy insanity of Virgin Killer with the opening title track. This is pure heavy metal, almost having the speed of speed metal, with riffing that's hard to ignore, performed by guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs. I'm starting to realize that Jab is one of the finest guitarists in classic hard rock/heavy metal, in the same level as the band's previous lead guitarist Uli Jon Roth. A shredding man of steel! Vocalist Klaus Meine performs some of his finest vocal work to date. He's awesome at his singing there, and even sing-screaming, ending with some raven cawing at the end, high enough to literally shatter glass, like in the album cover (odd, but not following any of the controversial aspects of previous album covers). I think his vocal cord surgery really enhanced his range. And I think the original has much more power than its re-recording 3 decades later. "Can't Live Without You" dominates again with speedy rock/metal. You can hear how brilliantly Jabs shreds in the song, and that kind of shredding is hard to find in their subsequent releases. In fact, most of his leads throughout the song are solos! Another spectacular anthem! People know "No One Lies You" as a single. That opening solo will keep you on your seat. It's so cheesy, yet something the more classic metalheads would much rather hear than the band that pushed earlier heavy metal off its reign of popularity (Nirvana and its grunge sound). It's an irresistible mid-paced sing-along. The rhythm section of bassist Francis Buchholz and drummer Herman Rarebell works well with the soloing and singing insanity. It's like AC/DC but far better and more metallic!
"You Give Me All I Need" continues that mid-tempo pace, but it slows down into a generic ballad in the verses. Still we don't get to hear full-on mainstream rock until at least the band's next album. "Now!" has more metal energy to enjoy wish there could've been more of because of the song's short length. "Dynamite" is a bit dull in the riffing but has some great power, like it probably could've worked just as well in their next album. It's a bit generic, but you know how kick-A the band can get. The verses and soloing will certainly "kick your a** to heaven!"
So "Arizona" exists... And I'm talking about it! People seem to overlook this track, but it's quite underrated. It's so emotional, tight, and filled with rock/metal. Just get it ASAP! Still the greatest highlight is coming up next... It's time to really hear what these guys really were as a rock/metal band with the 7-minute epic "China White", the ultimate heavy metal engravement in Scorpions' legacy stone. The heaviness can surely beat what Maiden and Priest put out that year, and even material from earlier thrash bands, with its godly Sabbath-like slow marching pace. This would make you want to raise your fist and tell the catchy pop sh*t to f*** off and let this true metal foundation out and spread to different bands. And don't forget Meine's unique singing! The emotional "When the Smoke Goes Down" is a good ballad, but not the best way out.
I recommend this historical metal greatness to any fan of the genre. This is Scorpions' true heavy metal offering which they sadly f***ing discarded most of from their next albums onwards. Don't back out from the Blackout!
Favorites: "Blackout", "Can't Live Without You", "Now!", "Arizona", "China White"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1982
At this point, I'm starting to wonder, am I really one of the few people who actually thinks the majority of Scorpions' late 70s/early 80s material is metal enough to deserve their right in this site? I mean, the sharp riffing and upbeat tempo just scream metal to my ears! Of course, Scorpions is still the hard rock band they've been known for. And for this album, the cover art is at a more tame level without any need for an alternate, though not without a small bit of controversy over it.
The classic lineup of vocalist Klaus Meine, rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker, lead guitarist Matthias Jabs, bassist Francis Buchholz, and drummer Herman Rarebell are back at it again! Animal Magnetism shows the German hard rock/metal masters continuing their formula that would later propel them into global fame.
The popular opener "Make It Real" already displays the sharp riffing of hard rock/metal. Same with "Don't Make No Promises (Your Body Can't Keep)", this time cranking up the tempo for a good metallic time. Now that's the kind of structure that would make the band big and pave the way for the commercial sound of their next two albums. Then we get to the slower mid-tempo formula of "Hold Me Tight". If you're frustrated about your partner with a straining relationship, tell them to "ALL RIGHT!!! Have it your way!"
Another underrated track for this 21st Century young man (me) is "Twentieth Century Man". Buchholz's bass sound audible there! The powerful beauty of the ballad "Lady Starlight" sounds cliche, but hey, it's the Scorpions! They have to have at least one ballad per album. More of Meine's stellar vocals can be found in "Falling in Love".
"Only a Man" is another track foreshadowing Scorpions' later sound. An anthem dedicated to New York City is the highly popular "The Zoo", which actually has more charm than when I first reviewed it in the October Guardians playlist. The chorus is melodic while having aggressive metal fury in the leads, hard to match in most of the band's other tracks with its bouncy groove. The slow title finale can still pounce like a hyena on a zebra, and that hyena (Klaus) laughs smugly in the end after enjoying his feast.
Hearing albums like this decades after they come out has made me realize the appeal of their pathway to success. Animal Magnetism isn't as successful as the albums that followed it, but it was the spark they needed to make those albums happen. The elements they have for that are right here, so get ready to feel the sting!
Favorites: "Don't Make No Promises (Your Body Can't Keep)", "Twentieth Century Man", "Falling in Love", "The Zoo", "Animal Magnetism"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1980
Scorpions' controversial album cover streak continues in this album Lovedrive. Is it strange or wrong that find this cover art quite funny? Probably. A man was bored in a taxi ride with his wife to a formal ceremony (their own car broke down earlier), and he was chewing gum. He wanted to have a little fun during the long ride, so he spat out the gum to his hand, pulled down one side of his wife's dress, slapped his gum onto her exposed breast, and started stretching it out. That's the best scenario I can think of for that un-P.C. moment. And of course, an alternate cover was used for editions of the album released in other countries like the US. Anyway...
Lovedrive would've surpassed Taken by Force if Uli Jon Roth was still their guitarist instead of Matthias Jabs who's been with the band ever since. Roth was a talented member of Scorpions (except for his horrid vocal contributions). His metallic noise had really blown the roof off in the albums that he was in. But that's not to say Jabs is super bad at all, he's really good too. Lovedrive is another solid album by the band in which hard rock/metal anthems are in great balance with radio-friendly ballads.
"Loving You Sunday Morning" is a catchy hard rock tune. A sign of their later work, but still a pretty cool opener. Sprinting through a more speedy hard rock/heavy metal sound is "Another Piece of Meat". I almost wanna call this album "Loverace"!
Disappointingly, we end up slowing down for the dull power ballad "Always Somewhere", sadly one of the band's most popular non-single songs. "Coast to Coast" is a rock instrumental. I don't know why they chose not to add vocals to that track. That would've given the track a more memorable swing. However, what's really a full-out highlight here is "Can't Get Enough". It's a crushing heavy tune that would have Van Halen, Judas Priest, and Motorhead dropping their jaws, being a speed metal assault leaning into thrash. This is Scorpions at their most metallic. Relentless guitar, bass, and drums attack with punches. And they still bring the house down by performing it live. Awesome!
For the next track "Is There Anybody There?"... Reggae? No thanks. Reggae-infused rock/metal? Yes please! Even when playing a genre that you never usually hear mixed with rock/metal, the song is written quite well. You can even hear Jabs jamming along in the soloing with former member Michael Schenker (Rudolf's brother). The title track comes on as another metal highlight, though not as menacing as Judas Priest. The riffing gallops along like a horse. It probably would've worked well as a live staple, and while it isn't, we shall let "Can't Get Enough" get all the live glory. The effective closing ballad "Holiday" shows Klaus Meine's vocals taking on a fantastic bittersweet mood. A far better ballad than "Always Somewhere" and the closing ballad of Taken by Force!
The whole reason why I'm still listening to and reviewing Scorpions albums is just so I can determine which of their albums are metal or not, especially Blackout which is said to be their most metal album. For now, we have this solid 70s rock/metal cruise in Lovedrive, despite a couple questionable moments leaving me scratching my head....
Favorites: "Another Piece of Meat", "Can't Get Enough", "Lovedrive", "Holiday"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1979
Ask any modern metalhead who likes young bands that mix metal with native influences who their favorite band is, and the common answer would be Alien Weaponry. This New Zealand band shook the world with their Maori brand of thrashy groove/alt-metal. Their work has been praised in countries like the U.S. and Finland. 3 years after their debut Tu, the band has presented a new album, Tangaroa. And it might just come close to surpassing Trivium's In the Court of the Dragon as my best album of 2021!
Alien Weaponry is not just about writing riffs and creating the best music they could make, it's about their local art and culture. They goal is to make sure Maori culture is heard of beyond New Zealand. While some songs are in English, many others take on the Maori language, or as they like to call it, te reo. With lyrical themes of history, colonialism, and the environment, they're almost like a less progressive and more historical Gojira. And the language perfectly matches the metal rhythm. The riff groove is certainly what you gotta look out for that balance.
The opening track "Titokowaru" (18) starts with some Maori warriors chanting while rowing their boat over stormy seas. Then the storm becomes pummeling as fast riff groove comes in. The verses have a simple melody that pushes along like when those warriors push their oars, as the seas have different layers. It also fits well for a gym workout. An excellent boat-rower! "Hatupatu" (Struggle) is where the rhythms get more progressive and the riffing has more aggression, already taking on some Gojira vibes. There's some tribal depth in the drums, and the kit is really handled with care. Lots of interesting rhythm to add to the atmosphere. Next up, "Ahi Ka" (Burning Fires) is the first single of the album, released only under a year after Tu. It seems picks up stylistically where Tu left off. In 1952, while preparing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Auckland, the City Council thought they would make the city look more beautiful by exiling Ngāti Whātua people from their homes and burning down their village. The dark music is in perfect fit with that tragic event. The title track is about how marine wildlife is suffering climate change and fishermen wanting to grab endangered species. The band start adding in some English lyrics, for anglophone fans to follow. Alien Weaponry and Gojira can really raise environmental awareness while staying aggressive.
The slow progressive "Unforgiving" has lyrics of mental health. Frontman Lewis de Jong seems to have written those lyrics in his perspective with his heart-piercing vocals. The song sounds a bit jazzy in some places, but it's all part of the band's interesting direction of different horizons. Then "Blinded" switches gears to the band's groove side, as the crushing riffs and drums drive through. That single came out as early as "Ahi Ka", two months after that single. The te reo lyrics are on again with their next track "Kai Whatu" (People Food) (wait, that's almost the same translation as "Kai Tangata"), which is worth great headbanging. From the long heavy intro with tribal percussion, you know you're in for a killer track. There's even some extreme prog there in terms of the overall sound, with some distance in the vocal range. Next track "Crooked Monsters" has more ambience, starting with a two-minute psychedelic intro. Lots of experimentation here, including complex riffing and the vocals that only appear in the second half.
The ultimate heavy highlight here "Buried Underground", more of a nu-ish groove metal track. You can mosh along to that opening riff in live performances. "Dad" has another one of the best intro riffs. De Jong performs some more of his intriguing vocals in different styles, and he isn't breaking boundaries, he's expanding them! Lots of emotional aggression in his voice, along with the vocals of bassist Ethan Trembath. Then we have another mostly instrumental track, "Ihenga" (Ratio). As the album is reaching its end, the band decided to add as many indigenous vibes as they could with their instruments and songs. And did I say this track is mostly instrumental? Yes, the vocals don't appear until the 3-minute mark is a strong beautiful section of te reo vocal choirs. Just close your eyes and visualize a Maori land with all your knowledge of the culture and region. And finally, "Down the Rabbit Hole" regains some Gojira vibes in the riffing and atmosphere. It's slightly more industrial-sounding and less progressive, but the vibes are still there. For any metalheads wanting Alien Weaponry and Gojira to tour together, their dream has come true with an American tour in support of the album.
Well, there you go! Another perfect addition to the discography of a band that has made up for the lack of desired authenticity from other bands. Alien Weaponry has made their sound big with an organic lookback at their culture. All equally sharing their moments are all the instruments and vocals. Bass groove, drumming aggression, riff melody and vocal power are all keys to the sound. I've already mentioned the sounds of sailing through water at the very start of the album, and they really fit in with the theme. By the time, we reach the next decade, the band will already be close to age 30 and probably reach at last album #5, and they'll remember the strong history they've made with their first two albums. But for now, they continue to rule the modern metal world and will unleash the moshing monsters, with the glory of this perfect offering by their side!
Favorites: "Titokowaru", "Ahi Ka", "Tangaroa", "Kai Whatu", "Buried Underground", "Dad"
Genres: Alternative Metal Groove Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2021
Anacrusis has reached a greater progressive height in their tech-thrash sound. Their two albums before this one showed subtle hints of progressiveness, but with Manic Impressions, they have reached their signature style that has formed the bridge between the thrash of Testament and the prog of Voivod. This album and Coroner and Dark Angel's respective albums that year form the 1991 tech-thrash triptych!
Manic Impressions shows a new vision for Anacrusis, along with a different drummer, Chad Smith (not the guy from Red Hot Chili Peppers, though that would be quite cool), whose skills added to the complexity. Soft breaks and multiple time signatures have become more common than before, as are the mid-paced progressive aspects that would be in full force in their swan song album Screams and Whispers. With the songs and lyrics in cohesive flow, you can almost consider this a concept album when it isn't. Not every album has nothing but strong songs, but this album stands out as that.
"Paint a Picture" opens the prog-thrash gates as the talented voice of Kenn Nardi crashes in. Their cover of "I Love the World" by New World Army is so unique, you might end up thinking it's the band's own original song. The riffing in "Something Real" shows that their influence from bands like Metal Church is real. If music from other bands can enter their minds subconsciously, that's an interesting motive.
Breaking away from any tiredness, "Dream Again" unleashes some brutal death-infused rage in an absolute highlight to stun even fans of hardcore bands like Vicious Circle. "Explained Away" is another masterpiece of progressive thrash, as dark atmosphere and intense heaviness collide in a dramatic mix. The best and most ominous riffing comes in "Still Black", which continues this perfect streak as is my personal favorite here. "What You Became" has more spine-chilling darkness to discover and possibly become with once you're already immersed into the experience.
"Our Reunion" has some of the most memorable thrash here, perfectly balanced with the mid-paced sections surrounding, slowing down to heavier doom in the second half. "Idle Hours" experiments with a more melodic progressive metal sound that there would be more of in Screams and Whispers. The atmospheric riffing works quite well especially in the technical ending. Wrapping things up as an atmospheric heavy ballad is "Far Too Long", with some of the most compelling leads to be heard from the band.
All in all, Manic Impressions is an album any tech-thrash/progressive metal fan should hear. Just brush aside the muddy production and let the dark technical emotion in the music and lyrics show you what progressive tech-thrash is all about!
Favorites: "I Love the World", "Dream Again", "Explained Away", "Still Black", "Our Reunion"
Genres: Progressive Metal Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1991
Anacrusis has made another solid prog-ish tech-thrash album that is 1990's Reason! It is another stormy collection of tracks with doomy leads and thrashy riffs blended together. And within the frenzy roam nihilistic lyrics. All of these make this album one of the more diverse albums in the classic thrash era. They've added in more focus than what they had in Suffering Hour, though the soundscape is more narrow while having some variation. The guitar duo can perform godly riffs leaping between speed, prog, and doom, while the bass and drums pound in different times and places. The Slayer-esque leads sound technical and melodic to add to the speed. However, the creepy ambience might come out as confusing when bringing the writing out to sound.
If anyone thought Suffering Hour was crushing, Reason has a more lethal balance of headbanging thrash and occasional doom. Having different variations of speed in the technical riffing is something Coroner has also done. Fast doom, slow thrash, plus a bit of hardcore groove. Vocalist Kenn Nardi has matured in his usual shrieks and shouts. The same can be said for the poetic lyrics. Emotions, fears, and doubts sound more confident without lecturing the listener, and that's what makes the lyrics stand out here. Nardi knows how to phrase them well enough to be taken seriously...
Attracting you right away is "Stop Me", hinting at their later progressive thrash as Nardi's soaring vocals guide you through atmospheric heavy riffing. Without too much repetition, the dark "Terrified" has moments leaning into brutal death in the instrumentation, in a similar technique to their debut, but with more polished frets. "Not Forgotten" starts off with punky bass that then warms up for moshing riffing and vocals in the chorus. "Wrong" has epic madness form Nardi's vocals and riffs.
"Silent Crime" starts off sounding like a serene ballad, but then it immediately takes on their memorable thrash sound, complete with semi-shrieked choruses. "Misshapen Intent" adds more speed in the well-written chorus and intricate time changes for the guitar to breeze through. More of the impressive lyrical writing makes "Afraid to Feel" another fantastic track. "Child Inside" is another track to enjoy for more of the pure thrash of Suffering Hour and 80s Anthrax. It's not the most technical here, but there's much more of the technicality to come...
"Vital" is a bit creepy, while you get to hear melodic riffs speed up by the second half for some essential prog-thrash shredding. "Quick to Doubt" ends things quick without a doubt as a standout finale with fast guitars of moshing anger that sometimes pauses for a breath-catching break. The CD edition has two bonus track, starting with what's actually my favorite in the album overall, "Killing My Mind". I wish this was in the actual album so I can give bump the rating up a half-star. This is an intense track that starts off as a mid-tempo doom march with Nardi's vocals ranging from low to high before suddenly bursting into the usual speedy thrash. Lots of excellent riffing form an insane cauldron thrash that ends with the earlier doom march. The second CD bonus track "Injustice" sounds like a more proper ending for this album.
Reason is an offering of solid greatness from this underrated band. The chemistry within the band is so unique. The destructive intensity of this band was overlooked in a time when alt-metal bands like Alice in Chains and Tool started to appear. The lack of attention the band received is a good reason why they should've been given a chance....
Favorites: "Stop Me", "Wrong", "Silent Crime", "Afraid to Feel", "Quick to Doubt", "Killing My Mind"
Genres: Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1990
Now what is this? A thrashy debut album from a band that would take on a progressive thrash style in 1993 and subsequent tour with Death? Absolutely right! Suffering Hour came out in 1988 when thrash was at its highest peak, and this album is an interesting work of art to enjoy that's ahead of time...
There's just so much stylistic talent going on beyond thrash, but they never go as heavy as death metal. Maybe if Anacrusis didn't split up after their 1993 album and tour with Death, they would follow that band's progressive death metal footsteps? Anyway, Suffering Hour drifts away from the more traditional thrash for more of a tech-thrash sound hinting at their progressive tendencies. The diversity ranges from slow melodic leads to fast thrashy riffs, from booming bass soloing to furious guitar shredding.
First track "Present Tense" has a lot of insane creativity. "Imprisoned" expands on that in perfect wild chaos, especially near the 3-minute mark. However, the vocals get carried around too much in "R.O.T. (Reign of Terror)", in which the screaming gets too tiring. Nonetheless, Kenn Nardi has a unique voice despite how grating it might be.
The rollercoaster ride of the first two songs is not always exhibited, with the slow "Butcher's Block". Then we have the catchy "A World to Gain" that sounds closer to melodic speed metal, maybe even power metal. I should mention "Frigid B***h" that starts off slow before exploding into violent punk-ish speed, with lyrics that sound like Nardi wrote this about his ex-girlfriend. At that point, there should be something like a slow ballad for more of their adventurous diversity, but ultimately they don't have that. But that's OK because... Thrash all the way, baby!
"Fighting Evil" has a nice sing-along chorus which makes me surprised that this song (or any of the other ones here) wasn't converted into a single in classic metal's golden decade. "The Twisted Cross" is a bit restrained for a long epic, with the two-minute intro being a bit draggy. "Annihilation Complete/Disemboweled" doesn't do a lot for me, despite sounding like Annihilator at that time.
Despite the bumpy last couple tracks, Suffering Hour is another original tech-thrash album. It is one of the most extreme albums in thrash, though Dark Angel and Sadus have more strength and fire....
Favorites: "Imprisoned", "A World to Gain", "Frigid B***h", "Fighting Evil"
Genres: Thrash Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1988
Scorpion's Uli Jon Roth trilogy marked the beginning of the band's hard rock sound with a metallic side. Roth was the key to the heaviness in the leads. I love his guitar playing, though I hate his singing in a few tracks from the previous two albums. The Roth album trio was also infamous for the controversial album covers. Well this album cover isn't controversial in the sexual/nudity sense, but I'll just say, this is why you shouldn't let kids dress up as cowboy gunmen in a soldiers' graveyard.
Taken by Force is another solid Scorpions album! The dark heaviness continues with a slight step up from their previous album. Roth's lyrics shine as well as his guitarwork, and thank heavens there's none of his god-awful vocals. Vocalist Klaus Meine is the real singing star here.
"Steamrock Fever" is a fast catchy start to this offering. Meine's vocals are rougher than in the previous album, and that I really like. The album's definite highlight is "We’ll Burn the Sky". This perfect rock/metal tune should've had more attention than the band's other popular slow songs. It starts off as a slow ballad than fastens into catchy heaviness, best exhibited in the chorus with awesome. One of my favorite Scorpions songs ever, in all its beautiful melancholy! "I've Got To Be Free" has good simple rock.
"The Riot of Your Time" has the band's usual earlier darkness. The first one of the two Roth-written songs "The Sails of Charon" stands out with his good dark lyrical matter. The second Roth-written song "Your Light" even has a satanic vibe. Quite some cool Black Sabbath influence there.
"He’s a Woman, She’s a Man" has some humor while still being a legendary rocker. "Born to Touch Your Feelings" is the closing ballad, as is many Scorpions albums' ending tracks. It's good, but too long for a ballad. The final third of the track has several women from different countries speaking in their native language, from Japan, Suriname, Italy, the U.S. and Tahiti. Honestly though, that part is quite boring and doesn't help the extended length. Without it, this album would've been perfect.
Most people who have heard of Scorpions only know them from their newer ballads. That's a shame because they don't know what they're missing out in Taken by Force. Forget about the band's material from the 80s and beyond for a while and check out their 70s era. This album is a total view-changer!
Favorites: "We’ll Burn the Sky", "The Sails of Charon", "Your Light", "He’s a Woman, She’s a Man"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1977
Rainbow's Dio trilogy were the albums that show the band's metallic side at its best alongside their usual hard rock. In fact, Rising was pretty much the first ever European-style power metal with 3 songs from that exemplifying what that genre is known for. Sadly, the band would never reach those amazing heights again after Dio left. So long live these albums from the colorful metallic kings while they last...
It was after their strong classic Rising and their live album On Stage. The band planned to make one more album that would have the special delivery of Ritchie Blackmore's guitar and Ronnie James Dio's vocals and maintain the magic of Rising. And did they do it? Yes they did! Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll is another amazing addition to the band's discography and Dio's career. They expand their heavy focus in their songs, while at the same time, continuing the versatile experimentation. And most of the songs have come out as f***ing fantastic, further solidifying the band's status as 70s hard rock/metal heroes.
The title opener has way more energy than just rock 'n' roll. The energy of hard rock/heavy metal! The mid-paced riffing allows the riffing and drumming to bounce through. Dio takes the spotlight once again and has lots of g****mn singing passion. Amazing guitar soloing that isn't so bluesy, but instead full-on metal power! And the final chorus keeps going on, which is quite catchy, but before you can get tired of it, it fades out. "Live! Live!! LIVE!!! LIVE!!!!" The mediocre but OK "Lady of the Lake" has rock riffs rather than metal. It still has potential in live shows though. "L.A. Connection" also has a bit of awkwardness despite having more of Dio's vocal spirit. Let the lyrical metaphors relate to sex and drugs, the slow repetitive riff is what my mind is fixated when I don't want it to be. However, it's still fine, never being totally embarrassing.
"Gates of Babylon" is an epic closer to the first half of the album that makes sure this offering remains another 4.5-star classic. It takes you on a journey through the Middle-East, both musically and lyrically, from the keyboard intro, to the mystical riffing, and the vocal power in the chorus. Although keyboardist Tony Carey was still around for a few other tracks in this album, David Stone stepped in with his own keyboard contributions in this track and a few others, here to provide an exotic atmosphere and get you hooked alongside Blackmore's riffs. I just really love that track! "Kill the King" doesn't explore as globally as that track but, having been heard as early as the band's tour, it's one of Rainbow's most well-loved tracks! It would plant the seed for speedy melodic bands like Heathen and Gamma Ray. Searing soloing, intense vocals, devastating drums, and booming bass make the song another one of the best here, and the only true power metal song here, since the power metal aspects from Rising were greatly reduced.
"The Shed (Subtle)" is also f***ing incredible, opening with beautiful guitar leads before the hellbent verses come in as a headbanging riff stomps through. The drumming by the late Cozy Powell drive through in power, while Bob Daisley's deep bass rumbles through as well. Quite unlike the previous two tracks, but another underrated favorite of mine! Throwing back to the band's debut is "Sensitive to Light", which I like for its melodic bridge. That melody makes sure this song isn't entirely boogie rock. Then it all ends with the unique closing track that is "Rainbow Eyes". It's actually a long quiet medieval folk-inspired tune that would foreshadow Blackmore's later project Blackmore's Night. Lots of emotion in the soft guitars and vocals, Renaissance-esque flute. It's quiet as f*** with barely any climax. Enjoyable, but not the best way to conclude a classic album.
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll is the final part of Rainbow's amazing trilogy, and is the second-best of the trilogy, with the band's debut in 3rd place and Rising winning the gold medal. Sadly, Blackmore planned to move to a more commercial sound after their 3rd album, and Dio, disapproving of that idea, left the band and joined Black Sabbath. And thus ended Rainbow's era of promising glory. It was an amazing travel through bluesy hard rock, heavy metal, and even the earliest power metal ever, all summarized in this 3rd and last chapter. And all hopes for Dio to reunite with Rainbow are no longer possible. RIP... Long live their music!
Favorites: "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", "Gates of Babylon", "Kill the King", "The Shed (Subtle)"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1978
Rising shows Rainbow... well, rising! And there are some aspects that are actually ahead of their time, like up to a decade ahead. They already have the melodic NWOBHM of Iron Maiden and even the epic-sounding power metal of Helloween, while a bit of their prog-ish hard rock is still around. And since this isn't an entirely American band, and there's more focus on epicness than speed, I can safely say that Rising is the first ever European-style power metal album right here, at least in half the amount of songs.
There's practically no weakness in the group's talent. The late Ronnie James Dio sounds strong as always, especially when boosted by Ritchie Blackmore's background riffing. Only a couple small moments in the album show his vocals at fault, but he's still the lean mean singing machine that he was.
The fast power metal riffing makes its appearance in "Tarot Woman", though you might not suspect at first when the song starts off with a strange one and a half minute keyboard intro. And it's not just the music that adds to the power metal tag, it's the lyrics in which Dio sings about night witches in a dark forest. But then the album's sound switches to boogie hard rock in "Run with the Wolf". The chorus consists of just the song title repeated, and that's after a promising pre-chorus ("There's a hole in the sky...")
Then we end up facing the mainstream in "Starstruck". That song and "Do You Close Your Eyes" don't have much memorability in the riffing and lyrics. Cat-calling and crazy stalking groupies? That doesn't seem metal or politically correct! Despite having to singing those lyrics, Dio is a master of doing the singing he wants.
The epic power metal strikes back in "Stargazer" in almost a doomy pace. You can ever hear dramatic keyboards in the background during the climax. "Where is your star?" Finally, "A Light in the Black" is the most ahead of time when it comes to power metal, as it adds some speed to the European-style power metal that was more reserved for US power metal beforehand. The Tolkien-inspired lyrics, long song length, and blazing soloing say it all. Lots of melodic excitement and drama going on there!
All in all, Rising is a historical monster, with some of the greatest lyrics and vocals in heavy metal's first decade. Sure there are a couple problematic songs, but they barely affect the album's classic status. This is the kind of album to get if you're up for early melodic heavy metal, and perhaps the earliest power metal songs ever!
Favorites: "Tarot Woman", "Stargazer", "A Light in the Black"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1976
In 1976, people were getting tired of Black Sabbath's brand of heavy metal. Even that band was getting tired of that, getting ready to switch to a more hard rock sound in Technical Ecstasy. But then Judas Priest restored the genre and added more speed and energy in their second album Sad Wings of Destiny! Gone is the messy forgettable blues/hard rock of the 2.5-star debut Rocka Rolla. Instead, we have Rob Halford's aggressive singing shrieks and Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's harmonic guitar melodies.
Like Black Sabbath's debut, the visual is worth the price of admission. The dark cover (Why's the angel dude dabbing!?), the gothic band logo, the fierce song titles... Judas Priest wanted to let the world know that they're not the bluesy hippies producer Rodger Bain forced them to be, but rather a band who wants to be the next Black Sabbath, but in a more unique way. While Judas Priest's sound is heavier, they still don't mind composing soft and long songs, albeit with most of the progressive aspects taken out for something more commercial. Also, note that side A and side B were switched after the original pressing. I like the more well-known tracklisting better, so let's dive into that...
Spawning from two earlier songs from other bands, "Whiskey Woman" and "Red Light Lady", "Victim of Changes" is truly a song that no Judas Priest fan can ever deny. Already it makes me feel curious about checking out the live rendition of that song and a few others in this album in Unleashed in the East. Although it is a single song, you can split it into a few parts, with smooth transitions, as the great riffing and soloing from the guitars continues to shine alongside the booming bass and Rob Halford's melodious screams. The ending part with the riff building up to the last of Halford's screams is the best part of the song and possibly the album, making up a lot for the lifeless quiet slow sections. An excellent piece of classic heavy metal that's hard to replicate! If that song is this album's "War Pigs", this next one is this album's "Paranoid"... "The Ripper" is a short track based on the notorious Jack the Ripper, in which Halford sings through a truly memorable chorus. It's so simple, yet that's the song's charm, practically inspiring the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that Saxon and Iron Maiden would kickstart a few years later. A cool riff creeps in at the center and speeds up, letting out a similar vibe to the Ripper's horrid actions. Then we have one more ripping scream by Halford. Next up, "Dreamer Deceiver" starts off with acoustic atmosphere with soft clean guitar and singing. If many later bands throughout the ages have the confidence to make soft metal ballads, this song is why, though it's a bit repetitive, while nowhere close to as dull as "Planet Caravan". Still I enjoy the long mellow soloing and Halford's screaming having more energy why the song stays at that slow speed.
It segues to another song that you might think is connected to the previous track as a suite because of its name, "Deceiver". It works much better midway through the album instead of at the end. However, it's quite mediocre. Not bad, but a bit disappointing when the speedy guitar riffing isn't as memorable as it should be. That's this album's "Iron Man". The album's still amazing though, and an interesting "Prelude" plays that is strange but marks a great start to the album's second half, with its booming synths and guitar. The monstrous song "Tyrant" is actually the greatest highlight here, slightly higher than "Victim of Changes". Pretty much everything great about the band at that time is displayed; heavy riffing, a fun pounding chorus, a necessary break, and best of all, a full-on guitar solo duel! That underrated classic really does the band justice.
There's a similar lyrical subject to the previous track in "Genocide" that's a bit deceiving with lack of energy, but still a really cool piece of early heavy metal. What makes that song stand out is when things really speed up at the end, and while Halford is tried out, he lets out the last bit of yelling he could do for this song. Piano and vocals are all you can hear in "Epitaph", which can be a struggle for any fans of Judas Priest and metal, but it breaks up the repetition. The piano is performed by Tipton while Halford sings in sweet bliss. He even layers his vocals with higher vocal tracks as if he's leading a choir, which is pretty impressive. Interesting, but not a song I would add to a metal playlist. It segues directly to the closing "Island of Domination" which marks a comeback for the monumental energy of the album's earlier classics. It's great hearing Halford's usual melodic shrieks and another pounder of a chorus. This oughta give me a great feeling for their next album Sin After Sin, if I ever feel like giving that one a go.
Sad Wings of Destiny is an amazing album that I recognize as a classic in early heavy metal. And as a young metalhead who's had much experience with the classic past as the modern present, I can really see the appeal. This melodic album was the definition of heaviness in 1976, though highly different from the definition of heaviness that was given to Suffocation's debut 15 years later. Sure the more mainstream Priest listeners can praise British Steel, but Sad Wings of Destiny has heavy metal classics that has seen the band break free from their bluesy roots. This would even set the stage for when metal becomes faster in the 80s, infused with the punk explosion in that decade. The few songs that don't reach true glory prevent the album from being totally perfect. Nonetheless, there are great treats in this heavy metal game-changer to behold!
Favorites: "Victim of Changes", "The Ripper", "Tyrant", "Genocide", "Island of Domination"
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1976
So, this is where it all begins... The rock genre that has since spawned countless subgenres. The main topic of this site. HEAVY METAL. The quartet of guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne are who you gotta thank for starting this awesome genre. I suppose you also gotta thank Iommi's friend, his factory foreman for giving Iommi back his confidence to play guitar after an industrial accident cost him two of his right hand's fingertips, by playing a recording of jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt who can still play despite losing the use of two fingers in a fire. On top of that, Iommi tuned his guitar down in some songs as low as D-flat to bend the strings easier, and that help pioneer the heavy aspect of lower tunings in metal. Anyway, there's also the lyrical concept which, unusual for rock bands at that time, was darkness and horror. This came from a horror movie cinema across the street from their studio, with one of the movies shown there, Black Sabbath, inspiring the name of the band (previous known as Earth, name later taken by an American drone metal band 20 years later), their first song, and their first album. The scary atmosphere the band would add to their songs would form the basis of their debut album. This is... BLACK SABBATH!
With the band's vision becoming a great success, it was like the beginning of a new era. Not just a new era... A new GENRE! Earlier bands like Cream, Led Zeppelin (still not metal, SIT DOWN, guys) and The Who may have been known as noisy trailblazers, but Sabbath took the noisiness to a different heavier level. Right from the visual, you know what this band and album is gonna be about. A frightening yet intriguing cover art of a pale woman in a black cloak with a watermill in the bleak background. And when you start playing that record, you'll be entering the most spooky yet pleasant experience of your life, a stormy realm with church bells ringing from afar...
Ladies and gentlemen, the title track of this album and band is heavy metal's big bang moment, with that melodic doomy riff in dark atmosphere being as impactful as the actual Big Bang! That tritone riff is actually inspired by the "Mars" segment of Gustav Holst's The Planets. And the lyrics are based on when Butler had a dream of a strange dark figure standing on the foot of his bed after he read an occult book Ozzy gave him. These lyrics are sung by Ozzy, whose vocal power is expressed from his scared cries of "Oh no! No! Please, God! Help me!" Still he tries some deeper notes which, even though they fail to get low, fits well with the angst. The riffing speeds up into fast hard rock/heavy metal for the last minute and a half, as Iommi shows his vibrato talent. If you're looking for the true beginning of heavy metal, that song is it right there! However, "The Wizard" is a different story. It's a harmonica-filled blues/hard rocker. Harmonicas aren't exactly the most metal instrument, but they make the song decently catchy, as does Ward's excellent drumming behind riffing effects. Ozzy's singing seems to hint at his later higher tone, but other than that, nothing super exciting.
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" is really great, though it has more of a stoner-ish blues rock sound. The title comes from a Lovecraft story and it's fits greatly with the atmosphere. A bass riff rumbles through under Ozzy's usual singing. "N.I.B." (Nativity in Black) continues the lyrical narrative idea they first had in the title opener, this one being more of a fictional devilish love story. Now listen, just because the band mentions the Devil, Satan, or Hell, etc., doesn't mean they worship any of that. They're against that, portraying them like they are bad things. Lucifer is depicted as the dark seductive antagonist he's meant to be. The riffing has that bluesy hard rock vibe of Cream, which is a little mundane, especially when Ozzy sings over it, but is made up for by the rest of the song being heavy metal/proto-stoner metal, especially in the slower sections. A brilliant hint at the genre they would establish! "Evil Woman" is a hard rock cover of a Crow song, which isn't so interesting, but it works well anyway.
"Sleeping Village" is a nice touch. I love the gloomy atmosphere caused by another rare instrument in metal, a Jew's harp. Whether or not it works, it's quite historical. Ozzy continues his deep emotional vocals that make younger vocalists wish they have that kind of sincerity. That I can consider a more prog-ish take on classic hard rock/heavy metal. "Warning" is also progressive in the sense that it's an over 10-minute-long jazzy jam. However, that's way too long and improvisational when covering a short blues song. Ozzy's vocals seem to flop a bit, but Iommi's soloing work well as the best part of the track along with the doomy atmosphere. An OK track, but too lengthy. "Wicked World" replaces "Evil Woman" in the American edition, and is also the bonus track in the 1996 European reissue. And let me tell you, that's an excellent replacement for "Evil Woman"! You can definitely hear "Wicked World" as an underrated stoner-ish hard rock/heavy metal classic. It starts with some fast punchy riffing. The bass drifts under Ozzy's skillful vocals that range from low to high in each verse. Unlike any of the other songs, this one has more political lyrics, albeit more simple than specific, while responding to all those happy hippy bands preceding them. Unfortunately, and you might hate me for this, Iommi's solo goes on for way too long and draggy, which is ironic considering his long solo in "Warning" is the only solid thing about that song. For "Wicked World", his soloing is just too rough. Still there's great power in his riffing as always.
I don't think any other album released in 1970 has ever been as historical as Black Sabbath's first two albums, with only Deep Purple in Rock being close to Black Sabbath's heavy greatness. Their debut is a revolutionary beginning of a new band, a new era, and a new genre. So put this record on and witness the birth of heavy metal!
Favorites: "Black Sabbath", "Behind the Wall of Sleep", "N.I.B.", "Sleeping Village", "Wicked World (bonus track)
Genres: Heavy Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1970
You know how much I like when bands are in a transitional phase through albums. This once-metalcore/hardcore band Code Orange is already making their way towards alt-/industrial metal, and although Forever and Underneath will share the reign in that transition, The Above is an amazing continuation!
The band that would go on to perform massive tours and even a WWE concert started off as an underground high school band from Pennsylvania named Code Orange Kids. After releasing their debut Love Is Love/Return to Dust, they dropped "Kids" from their name and showed the world what they're capable of in I Am King and Forever. Then Underneath showed them adding a more industrial/alternative flavor to their metal/hardcore. With The Above, they drop the hardcore violence and let their new form emerge.
Heading right to the eccentric "Never Far Apart", it's like a harsher Massive Attack! Lead vocalist Jami Morgan performs moody whispering while guitarist Reba Meyers adds in her clean singing. The metal doesn't make its entrance until literally the last minute, in which repeated cries of "DO IT" echo before slowing down for the band's usual destructive breakdown. "Theatre of Cruelty" chugs through brutal groove that alternates with soft mesmerizing electronic sections and Morgan making his own attempt at clean vocals. The dirty moshing parts help break up the gloomy mood. A true Gateway anthem, the accessible yet total rocker "Take Shape" is a killer single. The one and only Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins performs his signature nasal singing over an ominous bridge, though the dark melody and harsh rhythm of the chorus really hits the spot for me. Hard yet smart writing! Adding a bit of grunge is "The Mask of Sanity Slips" has heavy yet harmonic chords before strange dark synths towards the end. Next track "Mirror" is an odd semi-acoustic ballad where the clean guitar strumming is in good arrangement with the drums, guitars, and synths. Totally different from I Am King!
The bombastic "A Drone Opting Out of the Hive" is a perfect hip-hop-ish industrial metal track. This crossover idea works so well! Then we have a highly different cut in "I Fly". Same with "Splinter the Soul" with pushes further away from the band's hardcore roots for some 90s-inspired alt-metal. The rhythm section consisting of Max Portnoy (from Tallah, and the son of Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy) and bassist Joe Goldman has that undeniable groove. A 90s-inspired rock fest! The earlier heaviness shines the most in the earlier singles of the album, starting with the headbanging thrash of "The Game". The hardcore "Grooming My Replacement" is the closest the band has been to their savage past roots in a more industrial level. The distortion is Morgan's vocals makes him sound possessed, in this unique heavy production.
There's some electro-dark wave in "Snapshot". Another Smashing Pumpkins-infused track "Circle Through" isn't too surprising for that "Forever" band, if you can get used to the softer art pop section. The beauty reaches its high point in "But a Dream..." Killer chorus in that one! The title finale summarizing all that the band has stated. The exciting ominous crescendo of transcending vocals, chords, and leads shows their loud diversity. The changes in the beat and the dynamics are all in decent calculation and mark a climatic conclusion to this powerful journey.
The Above continues Code Orange's imagination in different eras. They look back at the past, stand by the present, and plan out their future, checking out different styles to add to their own. Their song delivery has always been in great display as they go above and beyond!
Favorites: "Never Far Apart", "Take Shape", "A Drone Opting Out of the Hive", "Splinter the Soul", "Grooming My Replacement", "But a Dream...", "The Above"
Genres: Alternative Metal
Format: Album
Year: 2023
Most metalheads who start exploring heavy metal from the very first year begin with the first two Black Sabbath albums, but me? I'm starting with Deep Purple in Rock! Sure this album came out in the middle of the period between those two Black Sabbath albums' release, but you gotta acknowledge the fact that Deep Purple came before Black Sabbath, releasing 3 psychedelic/prog-rock albums in the late 60s. But once their lineup changed, so did everything else...
When vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover stepped in, the band dumped their psychedelic roots in exchange for something heavier. Deep Purple in Rock is a true start to metal alongside those Black Sabbath albums (SIT DOWN, Led Zeppelin). Deep Purple's raw heavy formula is something that is hard to replicate in subsequent albums.
Classic opener "Speed King" starts off the album in a bang with fast distorted shredding before fading into soft ambient organ. Then the hard rock/heavy metal rolls in, and you might not agree with me here, but this is practically proto-speed metal! Maybe close to speed rock? Still the organ shines in some sections. An upbeat way to begin this early example of a heavy metal album! "Bloodsucker" is more firm in catchy hard rock/heavy metal. The rhythm is worth praising, and so is the sweet soloing.
One track that takes a break from the formula is "Child in Time". I didn't say ALL the progressive/psychedelic roots were taken out! As much as some speed is still around in some sections, it mostly just slowly builds up without reaching a specific destination, though I do like the vocals here. While one of their more famous tracks, it's never really the best for me while still great. "Flight of the Rat" marks a solid comeback to the proto-speed metal, or speed rock, I don't know. "Into The Fire" has a more Sabbath-like direction, slower marching hard rock/heavy metal, coming close to proto-doom metal.
"Living Wreck" takes on a great hard rock groove. However, it seems like they keep following that same groove without much proper focus on a chorus, instead just trying to compromise with the same lyrical passage at the end of a verse. That song's still great though. Finally, "Hard Lovin' Man" is more of a Scorpions-like track, crossing through their earlier hard rock/heavy metal era. The riffing/soloing momentum drifts through the technical structure at ease.
Deep Purple in Rock offers a lot of tight heaviness and variety, and is the one Deep Purple album that truly does that. With that, it is an essential hard rock/heavy metal album and one of the true first of the latter genre. Practically any music lover should give this historical offering a listen!
Favorites: "Speed King", "Flight of the Rat", "Into the Fire", "Hard Lovin' Man"
Genres: Non-Metal
Format: Album
Year: 1970
If you wanna be technical, this is truly the first ever industrial metal album, to be recorded anyway. And already it sets the genre's aggressive synthetic tone. From the heart and mind of innovative inventors, listeners who had the chance to hear the sound when it was performed could hear a new modern future. One of humanity's complicated life of what's more moral and what's not. All told within compositions of sonic noise, industrial synths, and metal guitars. The damage done in society is impossible to fix, and this is the kind of music made by people who want to let out their thoughts of desperation in an instant, for people who have those same thoughts. The 80s was a decade when the noise-fueled genre of industrial was spreading over to rock, and later, metal, ready for our minds to be warned of mankind's peril...
1982 was when two Birmingham musicians B. C. Green and Paul Neville first started the band O.P.D. (Officially Pronounced Dead). Then a year later, they changed their band name to Fall of Because, taken from a song by industrial rock developers Killing Joke. Then another year later, Justin Broadrick entered the band as their drummer. The trio recorded a demo in 1986 titled Extirpate. Most of those songs, along with a few live tracks, make up the album Life is Easy, which was not released until 1999. Note that this band was an earlier incarnation of Godflesh, with a few Fall of Because songs later being-re-recorded for Godflesh's debut Streetcleaner and EP Merciless. What makes Fall of Because different from Godflesh is the primal production, Justin Broadrick using live drums instead of a drum machine, and the instrumentation sounding more punky while still having industrial noise. Though the vocals by Broadrick and Neville foreshadow that of Godflesh with their bleak cold shouts and melodies.
Beginning this cold isolated album is the devastating intro "Devastator", showing the best of Neville's guitar nose. That song was re-recorded for Godflesh's Streetcleaner along with the title track, with an approach easily compared to Swans before they moved out of their original industrial-noise sound at that time. Thanks to the dual guitar attack, bands like Pitchshifter would be able to emphasize their discordant lead work and help develop industrial metal. The dirtier side of the album that deviates from Godflesh's later glory is exhibited in the punky "Middle Amerika". Seems like they were more interested in punk than metal back in those days. The industrial rock of early Killing Joke and Swans is combined with a bit of the pre-grind punk of Napalm's Death Scum side A. Ironically, the monstrous "Grind" is a slow crawler.
"Ecstasy of Hate" shows that there's a noise-ridden side of industrial metal that is a polar opposite to the catchy melody of later bands like PAIN. "Malew***eslag" has more mellow yet noisy sludge. "Lifef***er-Sh*tsucker" has too much of the punky grind of early Napalm Death. "Merciless" is so slow and doomy, with powerful riffs crushing your spine and ripping it out from your neck. That's the kind of feeling induced from the sludgy bass and the heaviness brought forward from the 45-second mark onwards. The crushing riff may sound redundant, but the repetition is worth it. Justin's smashing vocals come close to growling. This could be used in a dramatic slow-motion movie fight scene. Midway through is a clean bridge that's also repeated. Everything is memorable here, though still behind the title track as the ultimate highlight. "Survive" is the first of the 3 live tracks, though this one is just a singular song, unlike the next two...
And now for the live shows, the first of which, "Fight Show" is worth a small journey. Although consisting of a few songs ("Empire of Lies", "Whiterock-Blackdeath", "Christian Motherf***er", and "Ecstasy of Hate"), when performed back to back, they actually form a top-notch multi-part 15-minute suite. The concert is infamous for a crowd fight in the middle of the setlist, with one of the members telling someone to go back to their "gothic s***hole in town". For the actual performance, it is one of the most intense live shows I've heard! Ex-Napalm Death members Mick Harris and Nik Napalm appear as guests, thus furthering the hardcore-industrial crossover. Sadly, the "Xmas Special" live recording doesn't sound as nice in quality, only there for the sake of history. The "Life is Easy" segment there is still good, but not "Calling" or "Submit-Suppress".
It's amazing how even when you think Godflesh started off big in their young years, an earlier developing demo from their earlier incarnation was hidden under Godflesh fans' noses for some time. Life is Easy would've made history as the first official industrial metal if it was released in 1987 as initially planned. I guess more extreme metalheads back then weren't too disappointed since Bathory's 3rd album and Mayhem's EP from that year turned out to be black metal's developing miracles. Anyway, while I don't favor this Fall of Because album as much as Godflesh's classics, it's still essential for those who want to hear the earliest industrial metal to ever exist....
Favorites: "Life is Easy", "Middle Amerika", "Ecstasy of Hate", "Merciless", "Fight Show", "Xmas Special" ("Life is Easy" segment only)
Genres: Industrial Metal
Format: Compilation
Year: 1999