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Unruly Child - When Worlds Collide
Wednesday, 17 November, 2010
Well, this is reunion that I wasn't expecting. Unruly Child disbanded 16 years ago, but the original line up featuring Marcie Michelle Free (vocalist - King Kobra, Signal), Bruce Gowdy (guitarist – Stone Fury, World Trade), Guy Allison (keyboardist – Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) , plus drummer - Jay Schellen (Hurricane, World Trade, Asia), and bassist - Larry Antonino (Pablo Cruise), who recorded the debut album are back together again. That debut was released back in 1992. They went on to release a further two albums with Kelly Hansen (Waiting For The Sun) and then Philip Bardowell (III) on vocals, but it is the debut that most people will remember. Mark Free later released "Long Way From Home" in 1993 and then in 1996 Marcie Free released "Tormented". The rest of the band have been actively involved in the music scene on various projects.
That Unruly Child debut is one of my favourite melodic rock albums, so I was very interested in hearing what this new album sounded like. The good news is that the magic chemistry that created the debut is still there. The album kicks off with "Show Me The Money" which is similar to the debut's "On The Rise". "Insane" is also uptempo to make sure the band have grabbed your attention.
However, it is when "When We Were Young" kicks in that you realise that the chemistry that created the debut is still there and that you are in for a treat when listening to the album. "Tell Another Lie" is a semi-ballad that just seems to flow effortlessly. "Love Is Blind" picks up the pace again and reminds me that I like this band because the don't just concentrate on ballads. The title track is another great track. A ballad crops up in the form of the "Talk To Me", which delivers in a no nonsense fashion. Things go a little askew on the moody "Life Death" which is in danger of becoming a mindless rocker as the band add Aerosmith and Led Zep to the mix.
"Read My Mind" on the other hand gets the band back on the rails with a track that just glides from the speakers Richard Marx style. "Neverland" is a big pulsating track with a good chorus designed to fill stadiums. There are a couple of tracks that justify the price of admission on their own. I have already mentioned "Read My Mind". The other is the AORtastic "Very First Time". At the start of "You Don't Understand" you could be forgiven for thinking you are listening to a progressive rock track and then the semi-acoustic section kicks in on this emotional and intelligent song where Marcie delivers some deeply personal lyrics.
Unruly Child have delivered an album that consistently delivers great songs and performances all round. Welcome back Unruly Child.
Rating: 4 stars
Strangeways - Perfect World
Sunday, 24 October, 2010
Those of you with long memories will know that Strangeways were an UK AOR band that got very positive responses to their "Native Sons" and "Walk In The Fire" albums way back about 20 years ago. In a surprise move they have reunited with their American singer Terry Brock (most recently heard filling the shoes of Dann Huff for the Giant album).
Before I start this review I should say that I loaded up my MP3 player with this and the Unruly Child album and when I plugged it into the car stereo I was expecting Unruly Child to come through the speakers. Instead I got this and whilst the Unruly Child album is a fairly bright and breezy affair, this one is a more laid back affair and I'm not sure that the my initial impression hasn't coloured my judgement.
After listening to this a few times, I dug out my Strangeways Greatest Bits CD and had a listen. Mainly because although I haven't listened to it in quite a while, I always had Strangeways up there on a pedestal as one of the great UK AOR bands, but listening to this latest album had me starting to wonder.
Of course, it has to be remembered that Terry Brock was only the lead vocalist for a couple of Strangeways albums. Tony Liddel did vocals on the debut, Terry was there for "Native Sons" & "Walk In The Fire", before main songwriter Ian Stewart took over for the final three albums which saw to band head off in a more laid back direction. The Strangeways that I want to hear is the one that created the AORtastic "Walk In The Fire" & "Native Sons".
Instead I have to keep in mind those three albums after Terry Brock's departure. This album brings the band closer to AOR, but the band stick to their guns creating an album that is in keeping with the path they had previously been following.
As expected a few tracks remind you that around the time of NS & WTF, they sounded pretty close the Journey. This time out the tracks that I enjoyed the most had a hint of the Eagles about them such as "Borderline" & "Too Far Gone". However, I actually found some tracks such as their "Kashmir" inspired "Bushfire" annoying.
I respect the guys for staying true to their existing direction and not trying to recreate NS or WTF. This is the sort of album that needs plenty of listens to get the most out of, but I've got to say that so far it leaves me cold.
Rating: 3 stars
Kiske Somerville - Kiske Somerville
Wednesday, 20 October, 2010
Kiske of this duo is Michael Kiske who was the Helloween singer back when they recorded the "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" album. Amanda Somerville is a singer and vocal coach who's resume includes Avantasia, Epica and Kamelot. She has also released a solo album. On the songwriting front we have Mat Sinner (Primal Fear) and Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear, Starbreaker), plus Amanda also contributes. In charge of production was Mat Sinner.
Given Amanda's connection with Avantasia and to be honest not being that familiar with Helloween, I was expecting some sort of power metal meets symphonic metal big production. Instead we have an album that is firmly rooted in the Melodic Rock genre, albeit occasionally giving a nod to grander themes. The vital cue I had missed as I glanced through the press releases was that Michael was the singer of Place Vendome who are a melodic hard rock band that I have only recently stumbled upon via Spotify and I've been very impressed by both their albums.
At first a whole album full of duets took quite a while to get used to. A single duet stuck around track 6 or 7 on a album is one thing, but a whole album full seemed a bit strange. As the duo work their way through an album is fairly well balanced in terms of pace and mood. It is more that just a series of ballads.
Standout tracks for me are the dramatic power ballad "Silence", the uptempo rocker "If I Had A Wish", the symphonic "End Of The Road", straight forward rocker "Rain" and the ballad "Second Change". Elsewhere I found the tracks fell in the ordinary category. I think it is due to a combination of the songwriting and on some tracks I didn't think the vocals combined quite as successfully as on others. Overall the impression I'm left with is of a solid album that will be of interest to melodic hard rock fans.
Rating: 3 stars
ISSA - Sign OF Angels
Friday, 01 October, 2010
ISSA is Norwegian singer Isabell Oversveen. She is helped out here by Ronny Milianowicz (Saint Deamon) on production and musicians such as Peter Huss on guitar, Uli Kusch (ex Masterplan, Helloween) on drums, Nobby Noberg on bass and Tim Larsson (Nick Lachey) on keyboards. In the songwriting department she has contributions from the likes of Joacim Cans (Hammerfall), Thomas Vickstrom (Candlemass), Daniel Flores (TMOMS) and Soren Kronkvist (Crash the System). Issa is 26 years old, but her career started as a demo singer at 17. During that period she been working with various Norwegian acts.
Not sure why, but I was expecting this album to sound along the lines of Nightwish, but instead with have an album that is best described as modern pop rock, but thankfully with more rock than pop. The press release talks about Brother Firetribe meets Treat, and I can see where it is coming from in terms of the big melodic rock sound and great harmonies. A little digging around suggests that the overall sound is closer to Crash The System who include Soren Kronkvist & with Daniel Flores handling production .
ISSA is the star of the show delivering an impressive note perfect performance. This is backed up by a suitably big production job to give an overall polished feel to the album. ISSA puts a lot of effort into each song making even the couple of potential fillers very listenable. If someone like Kelly Clarkson or Anastasia were to release a track like "Unbelievable", their profile would make it huge.
This is an impressive debut that I think I be listening to long after this review has been posted online.
Rating: 5 stars
Rites of Ash - Like Venon
Friday, 10 September, 2010
As if Voices Of Extreme wasn't enough of a challenge to my melodic rock brain, along comes Rites Of Ash. This lot, comprising of 80-two on vocals, Lazzo on guitars/keyborads, Lumer on percussion and Berry on bass, describe themselves electronic pop/hard rock. "Live Venom" is their second album.
Describing themselves as electronic pop/hard rock doesn't cover the full range of influences on here. We've got everything from Lady Gaga pop to death metal.
The first couple of tracks feature voice box vocals, but otherwise are uptempo modern rock. Toxic is strange mixture of a new romantic electronic style with a more edgy chorus. The next track, "Burn", has Death Metal style vocals mixed in with more standard vocals. An eclectic mixture for sure which is repeated on "Breathless" and "Hand Grenade Heart". Tracks like "The Sleeper" & "Disaffected" come across as Bowie goes metal. There certainly is plenty of variety.
The whole thing is a bit of sonic overload, especially when the death metal growls start. If Rob Zombie went pop this is what it would sound like.
Rating: 3 stars
Voices Of Extreme - Break The Silence
Friday, 10 September, 2010
Voices Of Extreme (V.O.X.), which features musicians who have been involved with the likes of Doro, TNT, Ark & Mr Malmsteen, are a New York and Massachusetts based act who released their debut album, 'Hypocrite' in 2005. Stage appearances followed as the band opened for Disturbed, AIC and Godsmack. A couple of personnel changes later and the band are back with their new album and with Nicko McBain (Iron Maiden) trying his hand at management.
As you could probably guess from the bands that they have shared a stage with, these guys are into modern sounding heavy rock. However, that is only part of the story of this album. In fact, it is a bit of a melting pot of styles where I heard everything from the heavy "Blown Away" to the funky "Did It Again" to almost rap of "Numb" to the rock balladry of "Made Of Stone" and "Tell Me What It Takes" which reminds me of Bon Jovi's "Mother Father".
Perhaps a challenging album for your average melodic rock fan, but one to check out for the more modern minded.
Rating: 3 stars
Terry Brock - Diamond Blue
Friday, 10 September, 2010
The First Signal album proved that Frontiers are very good at putting together successful collaborations. This time they have paired together Terry Brock, who recently did lead vocal on the Giant album and is getting together with his old mates for a new Strangeways album, with Mike Slamer (City Boy, Steelhouse Lane, Slamer etc). The duo conjure up an album that hits all the spots a AOR album should. Just listen to the first two or three tracks for proof. Having established the quality of what is on offer, the duo continue to deliver throughout the rest of the album, with only minor blips here and there. About the only thing the album doesn't deliver is surprises. It is all a little predictable and safe, but when was the last time an AOR style album surprised you?
Frontiers are fast becoming the Stock, Aitken and Waterman of the Melodic Rock world. Their hit factory is a slick operation and this is another high quality piece of merchandise.
Rating: 4 stars
First Signal
Friday, 10 September, 2010
The demise of Harem Scarem was a sad, but not unexpected day. The band seemed to have run their course with the guys not really sure what type of musical direction to pursue and still keep the fans onboard. When I first heard about this CD I imagined that First Signal were a band that Harry Hess was mentoring. Instead, it turns out that First Signal is more of a project which teams up Harry Hess with Dennis Ward and a bunch of 80s style songwriters. The objective being to recreate the sound of the early Harem Scarem albums - namely S/T and Mood Swings. I have to say from the start that I'm a bit surprised that Harry Hess's first endeavor since then demise of Harem Scarem is what seems to be a backward step. I always figured that once freed from the shackles of Harem Scarem the guys would do something different, maybe in the power pop field which I always thought was where they wanted Harem Scarem to be accepted.
Putting my preconceived ideas to one side for the moment, upon listening to this album it is hard for me not to be very impressed. What we have is the promised set of catchy melodic rock and AOR songs which pay homage to the style of the early Harem Scarem albums. Without the input of the rest of the guys in Harem Scarem (apart from Darren Smith), it isn't quite the genuine article. But it is damned close and it is hard to find fault. If you were to force me to be pedantic, then it verges on the side of being too polite and polished. It feels like the album has been put together according to a mathematical equation carefully constructed to hit the heartstrings of its intended audience.
I have to admit that at various stages I bemoaned Harem Scarem's power pop dabbling, but in the end I realised that they were actually doing something a little different in a steadfastly uninventive genre of music. I actually assumed that the band disbanded because the fans wanted to trap them in the past. I guess I was wrong about that one. Harry has revisited the early days of Harem Scarem in a very successful manner.
Rating: 5 stars
Mystery - One Among The Living
Monday, 02 August, 2010
Canadian act Mystery began life in 1986 as the brain child of Michel St-Pere who later formed Unicorn Records as an outlet for their music. Around 2000 the first era of the band came to a close with the departure of vocalist Gary Savole and the release of the "At The Dawn Of The New Millennium" album. As Unicorn Records took off, it wasn't until 2007 that the band released "Beneath The Veil Of Winter's Face" with new vocalist David Benoit. That album was well received and in fact gained top spot in Dr Music annual top 10 list ahead of acts like Dream Theater.
It is now 2010 and David Benoit is also a member of Yes, replacing Jon Anderson on vocals. In fact, this album was recorded just prior to recording of new Yes material. Back in 2007 activity at Mood Swings was minimal as I finished off some part time study and Mystery's album got bunched in with the other Unicorn releases and didn't really get the attention it deserved. One characteristic of the album I do remember was that the album took a while to grow on me and this new album also took quite few listens for the understated presentation to work its magic.
Mystery play neo-progressive rock with pomp and melodic rock overtones. On the slow to mid-tempo tracks the band really excel. That means that for me the the menacing "The Falling Man" and the uptempo "Kameleon Man" are the low spots on the album, although they do provide the album with the some necessary variations in style. The centerpiece of the album in the 22 min epic torch song "Through Different Eyes" which yields its best when you let go, don't do anything else and immerse yourself in the music.
This is one of those albums which isn't an instant proposition, but does have sufficient substance to keep you onboard while each listen reveals at little more of the layers of work put in by the band. Maybe it is just my imagination, but I think this album edges on the progressive side, whereas "Beneath The Veil Of Winter's Face" has a bit more of a melodic rock influence coming through which just about keeps it a fraction ahead in my personal preferences. However, either or both albums would be good additions to your collection.
Rating: 4 stars
Tony Harnell & The Mercury Train - Round Trip
Tuesday, 27 July, 2010
Tony Harnell is best known as the front man for TNT and for latter day projects such as Westworld and Starbreaker. I'm familiar with some TNT material with the "Intuition" album being in my collection. For some reason Westworld seem to have passed me by which is surprising given the presence of Danger Danger's Bruno Ravel. More recently I have found both Starbreaker albums to be impressive affairs. For this album Tony is giving us new interpretations of TNT and Westworld material. So some of the original tracks I'm familiar with, others I'm hearing for the first time.
I very carefully described this as new interpretations rather than simply calling this an acoustic or unplugged album because Tony has taken the time to disassemble, strip back and reassemble these tracks giving us some interesting new music rather than simply 'pulling the plug' and playing acoustic versions of the tracks. The first bunch of tracks, which includes a nifty "Intuition", have a sort of mid-West vibe, not a million miles away from the type of material on Joey Tempest's solo albums.
The 50s jazz meets country of Satellite signals that Tony has a few tricks up his sleeve. Next track, TNT's "10K Lovers" gets transformed into a lilting South American jazzy number which is pretty far removed from type of music I normally listen to, but in the context of the album seems perfectly acceptable. Packed into this second half of the album we also get a sombre rendition of Alanis Morrisette's "Uninvited", a Beach Boy type version of "When I'm Away", Blackmore's Night meets The Corrs on the Celtic "Song For Dianne" and the Beatle-esque "Anywhere But Here".
This is a well executed album and Tony has gone to some lengths to step outside his normal sphere of music. The tracks that I enjoyed most were the ones that I was already familiar with, so whilst the album does have appeal as a standalone album, maximum enjoyment will be gained by those pretty au fait with Tony's other work.
Rating: 3 stars
Terra Nova - Come Alive
Tuesday, 27 July, 2010
Terra Nova's first release came back in 1996 with "Livin' It Up" which was a decent slice of 80s style AOR rock which made its was into my collection, but which I have to admit I found a little generic and it hasn't been played that much. "Break Away" and "Make My Day" followed in the 90s, but amid record company problems the band called it quits in 1999. Frontiers persuaded main man Fred Hendrix to put together their "Escape" come back in 2005.
In 2008 the band started work on "Come Alive" with the ambition of recreating the exciting sound of their debut. For the most part the band play AOR with bands like Balance, Journey and Styx as reference points, but occasionally a few Bon Jovi influences coming through on the more uptempo numbers. I have to admit that in between the less than stellar keyboard heavy title track opener and what sounds like a Journey cover version closer, "The Final Curtain", there are some decent tracks. However, my reaction to this album is pretty similar to their debut in that I think the music is too generic and it doesn't make a big impact on me. Fans of their earlier albums may disagree.
Rating: 3 stars
Jorn - Dio
Monday, 26 July, 2010
When I first started getting into rock music Rainbow fronted Dio were one the first bands to get my attention. The only Black Sabbath album I own in 'Heaven & Hell' from his first stint with the band. So Ronnie James Dio is a guy that I've admired for a long time. It was with sadness that I learnt of this passing earlier this year. I had 'Long Live Rock n Roll' as a ringtone for a few weeks just to mark his passing.
It seemed to be a very short period of time from Ronnie's passing to press releases for this album. I have to say that my initial thoughts about this album was that it was incredibly opportunistic. However, when this landed in my review inbox, I did a little research and it looks like this album predated Ronnie's illness & to be fair to Jorn he has recorded a couple of these song for other albums. Plus judging by his live recordings covers of Dio materiel features in his live act.
Apart from the original tribute song which starts off the album, we have a set of obvious and some not so obvious covers, some of which, 'Lonely Is The Night' and 'Kill The King' have already been released. It is clear that Jorn is a real fan of RJD and that these tracks pay homage to one of metal's great singers. I'm sure that Jorn spent a great deal of time and effort to accurately recreate this set of faithful covers. However, my reaction upon listening to these tracks is an urge to go off and listen to the originals with RJD singing. I think a little bit of inventiveness and the introduction of a few twists and turns to give the songs a new dimension would help the longevity of the album.
This album accomplishes what it set out to do with aplomb, but, in a way it does it too well, because unless you're a die hard Jorn fan most people's reaction will be to want to listen to the originals rather than these covers.
Rating: 3 stars
Primal Fear - Live In The USA
Sunday, 04 July, 2010
I only really started paying attention to these guys when they switched to Frontiers and I bought their 'New Religion' album. I was in the mood for listening to something heavier and I reckoned that Frontiers must have heard something appealing to add them to their portfolio. I've listened to 'New Religion' quite a bit. Their last studio album, '16.6 (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead', was a good follow up, but maybe I'm harder to impress second time around as it didn't have quite the same impact as 'New Religion'. I did have plans to review it here at Mood Swings, but this live album made an appearance before it happened. That review would probably have that the the albums are roughly equivalent, but that 'New Religion' remains my preferred option.
Of course, the band had released quite a few albums before 'New Religion', but to be honest with name like Primal Fear and a somewhat ropey image that seemed to focus on the darker side of life I was never inspired to check them out. Thankfully this album draws quite a bit from 'New Religion' and '16.6', with 'Fighting The Darkness' being the star of the show. Good the hear that the band can deliver this track in flawless fashion in the live arena. Earlier material such as 'Battalions of Hate' and the 'Metal Is Forever' sound like the type of ham metal Judas Priest served up when they were at their most laughable.
So I guess this album proves the band can deliver the goods in a live setting. As a bit of a Johnny-come-lately fan the newer material is the most appealing. Like most live albums, this will be of most interest to established fans of the band.
Rating: 3 stars
Vanden Plas - The Seraphic Clockwork
Sunday, 04 July, 2010
Vanden Plas are a group that I first came across due to my like for Dream Theater. I went through a period of checking out bands that were reported to sound like DT. This led me to buy the band's third album, 'Far Off Grace'. At the time of that review I pretty much dismissed them as mere DT copyists.
A few years and a few Vanden Plas albums later, I have the opportunity to see if anything has changed.
This time I again hear lots of Dream Theater-isms in their music. However, these guys are taking a broadly more melodic approach that DT. Whereas I'd describe DT as progressive metal, I'd describe VP as melodic progressive metal, maybe progressive melodic rock would be a better description. Possibly I'm becoming more mellow in my old age, or possibly I'm disappointed that DT headed away from the melodic rock/progressive metal fusion that attracted me in the first place towards a more pure progressive metal approach as their influences changed from classic rock bands to more modern sounding outfits.
Anyway, this time Vanden Plas are getting a much warmer reception from me. This is a fine sounding, well executed melodic progressive metal album which I find engaging.
Rating: 4 stars
Towersound - Who's Guilty
Sunday, 27 June, 2010
My first encounter with Towersound was back in 2005 when I reviewed their debut album, 'Towersound. At that time the band consisted of 3 French Brothers, but more recently they dropped back to the original duo of Jon & Lonn. In fact, I have just visited the band's website and it looks like in June 2010 Lonn has decided to leave the band and they have called it quits. The website will stay online and you will still be able to buy their albums from the website for a while, I guess until their hosting contract runs out.
Around the time of the debut the band described themselves as melodic heavy metal/power metal. In 2007 they released an album of rock ballads called "From Tears To Smiles" and the band now describe their style as "rock ballad and symphonic metal". However, the band's core sound is still the same, it is just that average pace of the tracks has slowed a little. The majority of the album is mid-tempo melodic metal tracks which seem to be hit a peak around the middle of the album with tracks like "Its Up To Me" and "Breathe Life Into Me". Unusually for me the stand out tracks were actually the couple of heavier tracks called "The Demon's Playground" and "No Mercy", where there is a kind of Manowar vibe in the background.
The symphonic element comes in on the 3 instrumental tracks on the album. The album bravely opens with a gentle baroque sounding track, which I think makes a change from the all guns blazing attack that most bands launch in order to get you attention at the start of an album. The titles of the other instrumentals sort of do the description for me - "Strings Over Drive" and "Quartet No 11 in B Minor". On top of the strings sits some neo-classical guitar work. I guess Mr Malmsteen features somewhere in their record collections.
Rating: 3 stars
Pretty Maids - Pandemonium
Saturday, 26 June, 2010
Pretty Maids are a band that at one stage came onto my radar and I ended up buying a best of compilation called "The Best of....Back to Back". That was quite a while ago and to be honest it was one of those albums that I haven't played that much, despite there being some decent tracks on there such as "Red, Hot & Heavy".
On to the present and this new album from these Danish rockers. Despite being Danish, they've got a soundbite from Obama opening the title track which in time honored metal tradition is a uptempo number designed to grab your attention. The next couple of tracks adopt a more melodic approach. INVU reminds me of the Treat album that was released recently. The lead off single "Little Drops Of Heaven" is very catchy and a really good track. The more muscular, but yet still melodic, "One World One Truth" & "Final Day Of Innocence" are decent tracks with some good guitar work.
It is then onto a full assault for "Ceilo Drive" & "It Comes At Night" as the band go into heavy metal mode. The way the band seem to suddenly veer off into this sort of metal mayhem is probably the reason that the earlier compilation didn't cut it for me. The band came across as a little schizophrenic and also tended to sound a little average on the more metal tracks. However, this time, I'll have to admit that the more metal tracks are better and manage scrabble their way into positive tractor.
The Bon Jovi-isms of "Old Enough To Know", the sufficiently melodic "Beautiful Madness" and the slower more acoustic "Breathless" all make good impressions. There a remix of "It Comes At Night" as the final track, but it isn't a radical departure from the earlier version.
The band have clearly put those years since I first checked them out to good use, as they have a good album that keeps me engaged even on the more metal moments.
Rating: 3 stars
Impulsia - Expressions
Friday, 23 April, 2010
Impulsia is a studio project which for this album includes Uno Sjöström, Johan Langquist and Marcus Jidell. Joining these guys are Robin Beck (James Christian on Backround vocal of "Too Many Heartaches"), Victoria Theodore (Stevie Wonder's band), Thomas Broman (drums), Pontus Norgren and Pandora (lead vocals on "Oceans Of Love").
I have to say that I'm a sucker for Robin Becks voice, so "Fly Away" makes for a great start to the album as far as I am concerned. The male vocals on "Rosa Lee" have a hint of the David Coverdales to them on this blues meets AOR track. Next up is a competent, but necessary cover of "Layla" which serves no other purpose other than to annoy me. If you are going cover such a well known track, at least have the wit change things around a little rather than simply reproduce the original.
Robin's vocals on the 80s AOR of "Alone" get me back on board, although after a few listens I'm starting to find this track a little pedestrian and predictable. Pandora (A Swedish eurodance act according to Wikipedia) handles the female vocal parts on the duet "Oceans Of Love". Given the title "Slow Down" it is no surprise that the track is a bluesy ballad."Too Many Heartaches" shifts the tempo and the quality in a positive direction.
"Move On" is the sort of AOR track that would be at home on a Glenn Hughes album. Robin is back on vocals for a big 80s style AOR tracked called "Seas To Cross". After a slowish start "Dream On" builds into a decent mid-tempo track. Tagged onto the end of the album are a couple of bonus tracks. I think I prefer the acoustic bonus version of "Rosa Lee" to the earlier version. The instrumental "Rivers Of Tears" is a nice way to end the album.
All the various elements of this album album at first glance seem like they are a very good match to my musical tastes and yet as a whole it sits somewhere around average for me. Maybe the music is too laid back? Maybe the switching between vocalist gives it a disjointed feel? Whatever the reason, I come away thinking that I should have like this more than I actually do.
Rating: 3 stars
Treat - Coup De Grace
Tuesday, 20 April, 2010
Twenty-five years ago Treat released their début album and went on to release 4 other albums. Thirteen years ago they called it quits. They got back together again in 2006 and released a best of collection called "Weapons Of Choice". In 2010 they have put all that experience to use in creating their sixth studio album, "Coup De Grace". I have to admit that back when these guys were on the go first time around, I never really paid that much attention to them and they didn't make it beyond my must investigate someday list.
New bands like Brother Firetribe have taken the best elements of melodic rock and fused them together with some great results. These guys aren't going to let the new bands take all the glory. Treat have used their experience and fused it with modern production to create an album that is a also great showcase for the best elements of melodic rock.
After a short prelude, the band declare their intentions in emphatic style on "The War Is Over". "All In" keeps things ticking over until "Paper Tiger" kicks in and makes you really pay attention. "Roar" pulls you further in with a catchy slice of hard rock. "A Life To Die For" is a very well executed power ballad. This is followed by a 80's heavy hard rock track called "Tangled Up" that rocks out but still holds onto a sense of melody.
Along with "Roar", "Skies of Mongolia" is one of the tracks that has been used to promote the album and it is a good mixture of power and melody that reminds me of prime time Europe. They vary the style slightly on the Whitesnake meets Brother Firetribe "Heaven Can Wait" by introducing a bluesy undercurrent. "I'm Not Runnin'" is a bit moodier than the other tracks but still manages to hit you with a big chorus. On "No Way Without You" band push the pedal fully down but yet maintain a sense of melody rather than trying mindless speed. "We Own The Night" is a mid-tempo AOR track that hits all the right spots for me. It is the type of track that I love. This is effectively followed up by "All For Love". The band again call up a bluesy feel for closer "Breathless".
Treat have returned with an album that condenses all their experience into a set of songs that combine to give a great comeback album.
Rating: 4 Stars
Flamedown - Flamedown EP
Saturday, 17 April, 2010
Flamedown were formed in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2009. Charlie Giardina was previously in a band called Hardway and has worked with Eric Martin & Bruce Kulick This is their debut EP. The band, who are currently working on their first album, describe their music as a mixture of Westcoast & AOR.
First a little story. My wife & I have many things in common. Musical taste isn't one of them. However, when it comes to deciding what music to playing the car when were are on a family outing & we aren't letting the kids take over the car stereo, LA Cowboy's Endless Summer is one album that we often play. A couple of days after this EP dropped in my letterbox, we were heading out in the car and my wife said why didn't we put on that CD you were listening to the other night. Yip, she was talking about Flamedown. So Flamedown made an impression whereas the majority of music of music I listen to is met with indifference at best and in good company with what is regarded as a Westcoast classic.
"No One" is a good AOR meets Westcoast opener. This is followed by the more laid back "Someday I". "Rivers Running Deep" has an AOR vibe to it kinda like Journey meets Toto. It was whilst listening to "Voices" that it clicked with me that Mark Spiro was the name of the artist that these guys reminded me of. An interesting fact I discovered when getting a bit of background on Flamedown is that it turns out that Charlie worked with Mark back in the Hardway days.
This first exposure to Flamedown made a positive impression on me and that is a good achievement because Westcoast is at the occasional end of my listening spectrum with acts often labelled as 'pleasant' rather than essential.
Rating: 4 stars
Auras - Generations
Sunday, 11 April, 2010
Auras was formed back in 2007 in Brazil. It features Gui Oliver – lead vocals, Ferpa Lacerda – guitars and background vocals, Edu Sallum – drums and percussion with help from Matheus Brandon – guitars and background vocals and Hemerson Vieira – bass to record this debut album. Frontiers' own Dennis Ward handles mixing and production.
Listening to the opening of first song "Beauty Of Dreams" will transport you back in time to the Eighties when Journey, Survivor, Toto and Styx were at their peak. In the vocals department Gui Oliver bears more than a passing resemblance to Steve Perry and combined with their style means thst without any additional information to tell you otherwise you might think you were listening to a new Journey album. Considering how slick Journey albums sound that is quite an achievement on a debut album.
Stylewise this is a good fit for me and I found myself enjoying the "pleasant" listening experience. The quality of the songs is consistently 'above average' throughout making it difficult to pick out individual tracks for special mention. "Never Give Up", "Reach Out" and "Hungry Hearts" were one that just edged ahead of the rest for me.
Overall my reaction to this album is positive and I think these guys have met their objective of recreating the sound and style of their influences. In fact, it is quite a achievement for a debut album. If they are to stay the course, however, they need to build upon this solid foundation and to add a bit of their own personality on future releases.
Rating: 3 stars
Dark Illusion - Where Eagles Fly
Sunday, 21 March, 2010
Dark Illusion are a band that actually date back to 1982 when a bunch of school mates together in Stockholm. With limited success back then they call it quits in 1985. Fast forward to 2003 when guitarist & songwriter, Tomas Hultqvist, got the band together again to record an EP. In 2005 their debut album, "Beyond The Shadows", was released with a slightly different lineup including Thomas Wikström on vocals. Things went quiet again until by 2009 they had enough new material for this new album.
Dark Illusion have a lot in common with the other album I'm reviewing at the moment - Dawn of Silence. Both bands play melodic power metal, with Hammerfall being a common reference point. Like the Dawn Of Silence album the music is well executed and the production is good.
Dark Illusion obviously love this type of music and they aren't seeking to change it. They stay within the known boundaries of the style, so it you're looking for invention then look elsewhere. As I said in the Dawn of Silence review I'm a casual listener to this metal sub-genre as it hasn't really greatly captured my imagination in the past. However, I've enjoyed listening to both these albums. Dark Illusion keep the 'pedal to the metal' as they romp through this uptempo set of songs which hint at Dio & The Scorpions influences somewhere along the line.
Rating: 4 stars
Dawn Of Silence - Wicked Saint OR Righteous Sinner
Sunday, 21 March, 2010
Dawn Of Silence started in a small town in Sweden in 2000 when friends Patrik Johansson (guitar), Mats Johansson (guitar) and Torbjörn Edqvist (drums) got together to play Iron Maiden covers. When they got bored of playing covers they started writing their own songs, Mats younger brother joined on bass and Patrick started to sing. The band recorded their first album in 2006 called "Moment Of Weakness" which was released on Metal Heaven records. The band recorded their second album in 2008 and a year later the band found a suitable record label GMR Music Group who released this album in February 2010.
The band play melodic power metal that takes the basic Maiden influence and wraps it in a clean powerful melodic package that works surprisingly well considering I'm not a huge fan of Maiden's one dimensional music. If you want comparisons then Edguy and Hammerfall are two that fit the bill.
The album is well executed as everything seems to fit together well - music, vocals & production. Perhaps a little too well, because if I had to find fault with the album it is that it seems to lack personality - you know, the sort that comes from a few flaws or quirks here and there. A bit bizarre maybe that I think a few flaws might notch this up my rating system. Having said that, it is a good album for casual power metal listeners like myself as is represents the genre well.
Rating: 3 stars
Heart Of Cygnus - Tales From Outer Space
Saturday, 13 March, 2010
Heart Of Cygnus are new name to me, but they actually issued their debut album, 'Utopia', in 2007 and followed that up with "Over Mountain Under Hill" in 2008. 'Tales from Outer Space' is their third album. The band consists of founder members Jeff Lane and Jim Nahikian, together with Aldo Galatioto.
There was something about the 50s style science fiction album cover and the name that made me think, given that I was unaware of their earlier work, that this would sound like some sort of second rate Rush tribute. Then I listened to it, proving that you shouldn't let your imagination run riot before you actually listen to the music. I was very pleasantly surprised by this album.
The album starts with a brief intro which mimics a sci-movie before the band launch into "In The Days Of The Galactic Alliance" which at first seems to confirm those Rush suspicions when Queen inspired vocals burst on the scene, to be followed by some Brian May infused guitar work.
In true prog style the next 3 songs form a trilogy with "Maiden Voyage" starting off and this time the vocals waiting until almost the end to make an appearance. "Perelandra" is another short track that paves the way for the 10 min epic "Awake, Sleeper". This centre piece of the album mixes Rush, Dream Theater and Queen to good effect against a backdrop of suitably spacey synths the keep up the sci-fi vibe. "The Last Man" is a stirring ballad. "Starship Troopers" follows up in a similar vein with some Yes style vocal harmonies.
With a title like "XBSN" I expected the final track to be an instrumental. However, it is actually the band having some fun and rocking out at the same time.
Unusually for a prog style band HoC have kept things short and sweet with the album clocking in just at just over 31 minutes. That half hours seems to pass quickly and I'm always left wishing there were a couple more songs on here. That's a good sign!
Rating: 4 stars
Wig Wam - Non Step Rock & Roll
Sunday, 28 February, 2010
I remember a few years ago I had a few Scandi bands on my wish list. At the time The Poodles and Brother Firetribe got the upper hand and made it into my collection. I first heard about Wig Wam when they were Sweden's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. In fact, the band have been around for quite a few years and have released a number of chart topping albums in their home country.
If you haven't heard of them before, then the name 'Wig Wam' might give a clue that these guys are into Glam Metal/Party Rock. So we aren't looking for invention here, we're looking for a set of catchy songs that you can sing along to, tap your feet to & play air guitar to - non stop rock and roll in fact.
Well, I'm pleased to report that for the most part Wig Wam deliver exactly what it says on the tin. Sure the song titles are predictable, the lyrics cheesy and the music cliche ridden, but that is what glam is all about. The ballads are serviceable in that they provide the contrast to the more rocking numbers & the band lose their way on a couple of tracks such as the Van Halen inspired title track, but elsewhere they deliver the goods, especially on tracks such are opener "Do You Wanna Taste It?", "Still I'm Burning" and "Rocket Through My Heart". I've been busy for the past month which has meant that I had longer than usual to listen to this before writing a review and it has stood the test of time and not faded which some instant 'bubblegum'/glam style albums tend to do with me.
Rating: 4 stars
The Murder Of My Sweet - Divanity
Sunday, 28 February, 2010
The name is inspired by the 1944 movie "Murder, My Sweet". Original, even if it doesn't exact roll off the tongue. The band was started by drummer, songwriter and produced Daniel Flores. When Daniel came across singer Angelica Rylin things fell into place and guitarist Daniel Palmqvist, bass player Johan Niemann and keyboardist Andreas Lindahl were all recruited. The band's aim is to create a distorted film noir vibe, with this album being a combination of diva, divine and vanity.
My casual glances at the pre-release press had me thinking that TMOMS were some sort of female fronted gothic metal in the vein of Nightwish. It has taken me while to get my head beyond these preconceptions. There are elements of gothic metal here, but this is a real melting pot of styles. There is progressive metal like Lana Lane. There is symphonic metal. There are some modern heavy guitar moments. There are moments that remind me of alt modern rock like Plumb. The choruses are fairly catchy and I can see why the interest from melodic rock label Frontiers comes from. Floating atop all this maelstrom are the soaring vocals of Angelica. Even that does begin to describe the theatrical vibe to the band. Maybe this is the modern day equivalent of Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell. Is this what would happen if Jim Steinman were to produce a Nightwish album?
The music is dramatic and it dips and soars, crashes and roars and each song is a fairly intense experience. In fact, there is too much going on here and it is almost as if the band are trying too hard to craft together all these styles to create their own unique one. The danger with this approach, and one which often befalls progressive rock acts, is that the songs feel like mini-albums and end up all sounding similar. Angelica is a real find in the vocal department, and I would have liked less going on around her to let her vocals stand out more. If you dip in and out of the album and listen to a couple of tracks at time, rather than work your way through the whole thing in one sitting, then you're reaction will be more positive.
As a debut album, it does its job nicely for the band. Even though I don't quite 'get it' this time around, I can see the potential in the band. I guess it might be going against the whole ethos of symphonic metal, but I'd like to see a 'less is more' attitude adopted for the follow up.
Rating: 2 stars
On The Rise - Dream Zone
Saturday, 27 February, 2010
On The Rise is a vehicle for Norwegian Terje Eide who does almost everything on the album - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass and songwriting. Erik Engebretsen handles drumming duties, whilst Christian Wolff (guitars, keyboards and bass) and Eric Ragno (keyboards) are called in for a few tracks.
During the 80s Terje played in several bands and started his own. He then spent some time exploring a number of musical genres, before returning to his Melodic Rock roots in 2000 and releasing the On The Rise debut in 2003. Back then the band also featured Bennech Lyngboe who shared vocal duties. In 2009 Terje returns with "Dream Zone", which although under On The Rise moniker, is effectively a solo album.
And a good album it is. It contains melodic rock which rocks out in a restrained way. Think Survivor, Pride Of Lions, Aldo Nova etc. In musical terms it isn't breaking any new ground. But it is well executed, especially the vocal harmonies and the songwriting is above average. The package certainly does enough to keep us returning for another listen.
Keel - Streets Of Rock & Roll
Saturday, 06 February, 2010
Having just finished my review of the reissue of "The Right To Rock", it is time to move onto the new Keel release, "Streets Of Rock & Roll". After a period apart, the band got back together in 2009 to perform a number of successful festival dates which led to the recording of this new album. The album is produced by Pat Regan (Kiss, Purple, ++). Guests on background vocals are Jamie St James (Black N Blue, Warrant) and Paul Shortino, who also produced and recorded Ron's lead vocals.
When I first listened to this album, the first thing I noticed was the vocals. Bucking the norm, maybe even nature, Ron's vocals have actually improved considerably over the years. Whilst the vocals on the re-released "Right To Rock" were a definite negative, as far as I was concerned, they are a positive element on this new album.
Rock & Roll reunions often involve a band adopting a more modern approach in terms of their material. Not so with Keel. They are still sticking solidly to the hard rock style that made their reputation in the first place. Perhaps inevitably, the energy and attitude that characterised their style has gone. In its place is a relaxed confidence and better sense of melody. There is a little bit of a blues swagger going on in the background of some tracks giving them an ACDC or Little Caesar vibe such as on "No More Lonely Nights" which is one of the album highlights.
The other highlights for me include the Boston sounding "Looking For A Good Time", the heavy anthem "Gimme That" and closer "Brothers In Blood". However, my favourite track is "Live" which seems to have the band in reflective mood in the lyrics - "I want to live, I want to rock, I want chase my dreams and never stop". Cheesy, yeah, but I love it!
This is a solid comeback for Keel. Perhaps expectedly, it is this album and not the reissue of "The Right to Rock" that makes me want to hear more from the band.
Rating: 4 stars
Keel - The Right To Rock
Saturday, 06 February, 2010
This is a re-release of Keel's second album, which dates back 25 years to 1985. Back then "The Right To Rock" was the band's major label début (actually their second album as they had released "Lay Down The Law" in 1984), with none other than Gene Simmons of Kiss in the producer's chair. It went on to become the fastest selling début album in A&M's history. Frontiers have re-issued this to tie up with the band's new album "Streets Of Rock & Roll".
The album opens with the title track on which the band declare their "Right To Rock" in a very forthright and determined manner. The track displays the characteristics of the band whose style is dominated by the 'rough and ready' vocals of Ron Keel and the metallic hard rock music featuring the guitar work of Marc Ferrari and Bryan Jay. Although "The Right To Rock" was more famous, I actually think the following "Back To The City" is better. The band do a decent cover of "Let's Spend The Night Together" by the Rolling Stones which actually fares better than you might imagine, despite Ron's voice suffering in the comparison to Mick Jagger's.
The presence of Gene Simmons surfaces on a number of tracks that bear perhaps too close a resemblance to Kiss, such as "Easier Said Than Done". When it came to "Get Down" the band should have looked elsewhere for inspiration, as it is a pretty dire track which I assume didn't make the cut as Kiss material.
Just playing faster on a track like "Speed Demon" doesn't give you a track that rocks out any better than the rest. Later, on "You're The Victim (I'm The Crime)" the band have another, this time more successful, go at a speedy track.
On the re-issue we get a re-mix of "Easier Said Than Done" which serves no purpose other than highlighting again just how close to Kiss it sounds. They have also re-recorded the title track which I prefer, but I'll admit that It lacks the impact of the original.
Back in 1980's I remember Keel being on my "must investigate" list, but for whatever reason the reviews I read never quite persuaded me to add them to my collection. Finally getting a chance to hear their material, convinces me that I made the right decision, at least where this album was concerned. In football terminology this is top of the second division rather than premiership material. Scanning around a few of the other reviews on the net, I might be in the minority on this one, as most other reviews have been positive, especially from people who picked up the vinyl first time around.
Rating: 3 stars
DesDemon - The Awakening
Friday, 05 February, 2010
DesDemon are a symphonic metal band from New York who describe their music as "Blackened Symphonic Metal". I didn't investigate the lyrical side of the album and the vocal style makes them quite difficult to pick out unless you are trying particularly to do so. However judging from info that came with the album, it seems the band are focusing on the darker side of life.
The opening track, "The Acquiescence of Illusion", is a speedy power metal outing with the operatic wailing of Mistress Tina layered on top. Musically I found myself quite liking the track, despite the fact that it is fairly standard fare, albeit well executed. The next track, "A Soul In Exile", confirmed my feeling that the dramatic vocals seemed to be too far in the background and divorced from the music, instead of driving it along as lead vocals should.
The next couple of tracks didn't do anything to change my opinion. Final track, the almost 12 min epic "The Absence Of Light", is the best on the album maybe because the vocals cover a wider range and the places which feature more straightforward vocals are more to my tastes.
So I'm left with the impression of a singer with a good vocal range and a band that can play. For me the vocals need to an integrated part of the music and not layered on top in a disconnected manner. The band show promise, but need to make some adjustments prior to unleashing a full album upon us.
Rating: 2 stars
JEBO - Settle Up Settle Down
Thursday, 04 February, 2010
Jebo released their first album, "Sinking Without You" in 2006. Since that release, in fact during the recording of this follow up album, there has been a change in personnel with Kevin J Messenger (vocals) and Gianfredo Konig (bass) replacing James Hollingsworth and Lawrie Jones. Rob Allen (guitars), Jeff France (drums) & Nick O'Neill (keyboards) complete the lineup and provide the continuity from the first album.
Their first album got a decent review here at Mood Swings due to the fact I could tell it was good debut album, even if maybe it didn't push all the buttons of my personal musical tastes.
My initial impression of this second album was that the 'intelligent modern pop' style which felt a bit forced on the first album, seemed to have matured and that the band were more comfortable with their sound. Well, at least, I'm certainly more comfortable with it!
One other review that I spotted online talked about this album being more contemporary than the first one which kind of surprised me. OK, I heard a song on the radio a couple of days ago (I didn't catch who it was by) which reminded me of these guys, but before that I would have said that this album had more of a retro feel compared to the debut.
Admittedly it might just be a reaction of having completed a review of gothic/symphonic metal band The Murder of my Sweet who have a 'kitchen sink' approach to their music, but what really struck me the first time I listened to this is the sense of space in the music. The music feels calm and relaxed, with the songs taking the time to develop naturally. Natural is a word that sprang to mind many times during listening to the album. That feel is helped by the largely acoustic approach taken on many tracks.
Having just scanned my review of the debut I notice that I mentioned Deacon Blue. They were one of the few pop orientated bands that made into my collection in the 80s. Jebo, in their current form, remind of Deacon Blue in that their brand of pop sits comfortably within my mainly rock album collection.
Rating: 4 stars
Crazy Lixx - New Religion
Monday, 11 January, 2010
Crazy Lixx started life in Malmo Sweden in 2002. Along with bands like Crashdiet, Hardcore Superstar and Vains Of Jenna they were labelled as part of the "New Wave Of Swedish Sleaze". The band released the well received "Loud Minority" in 2007. Now they are back with Chris Laney in the producer's chair to "beat the living s**t out of Loud Minority with these new songs".
I can't speak about Loud Minority, but on this release the band have defined a sound that recalls 80s hard rock more than sleaze. Inspiration comes from the likes of Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Skid Row and Poison.
Crazy Lixx have indeed created a good set of 80s inspired tracks that have a big chorus and rock out in all the right places. In that respect the band evoke comparisons with Def Leppard. As well as using Def Lep vocal arrangements on tracks like "My Medicine" and "Witching Hour", production is a integral part of the album, just like on Lep albums such as Hysteria. Maybe the production is even a little to slick.
However, it is hard to find fault with this album, the band seems to bring a fresh energy into this style of music. Yes, it has been done before by the likes of Poison, Leppard, Jovi, Winger and Aerosmith, but its 2010 and these guys are dishing up a set of tracks that feel like "selected highlights" from the 80s.
Rating: 4 stars
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster - Collapse
Saturday, 02 January, 2010
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster are a London based act formed in 2008 with a shared love of Progressive Metal and Instrumental Post-Rock. In September they put the finishing touches to their debut album, "Collapse".
The band's list of influences includes Isis, Russian Circles and Red Sparrows. Not much help to me, as I haven't heard of any of those bands. I even had to look up what 'post-rock' was - basically using rock instruments for rhythms, harmonies, melodies and chord progressions not traditionally associated with rock music. In fact, if you're into categorisation, these guys may even be described as 'post-metal'.
The tracks mostly at some point break into a grungy fuzz version of doom metal. Elsewhere you can have quiet/weird/spacey sounds which have a hypnotic quality. I'm not sure individual tracks mean that much in this type of music - it feels like a bit of a mega-jam session. Everything is loose and some of the tracks seem to meander and don't have a focus. Tracks that worked best for me were the doom metal sounding "Duggah", the vaguely relaxing "Tokyo Rose" and the epic slow build up closer "Twenty".
As this was my introduction to post-rock, I'd don't have any references to compare this with directly. It's a bit out there & modern for me, although most of my instrumental listening recently has actually been ambient stuff like Future Sounds Of London & Saru, so I'm expanding my musical horizons. Maybe I get around to 'post-rock' eventually. If you are an adventurous Mood Swings reader then check out the band at their MySpace page.
Spin Gallery - Embrace
Friday, 01 January, 2010
Moving on from the 2004 Spin Gallery debut, this time we a collaboration between the singer/songwriter Kristoffer Lagerstrom and guitarist/songwriter/producer Tommy Denander. The promo sheet says "The concept for the Spin Gallery sound has always been to mix melodic rock like Mr Mister, Toto and Giant with a more modern high tech sound that can be described as thinking man's Melodic Rock for the new millennium and also include influences of Peter Gabriel, Sting and Pink Floyd.".
On hearing the opening track, "Embrace", and indeed the closer, "The End", Saga meets pop era Yes is likely to be the comparison rather than the Westcoast style I normally associate with Tommy Denander. However as the album gets going the Mr Mister and Toto influences start to make sense, but I'm still trying to figure out how Giant fit into the picture.
The album features a couple of guest vocalists. Robin Beck on the catchy pop rock of "Just A Momentary Why" and Dan Reed on an uptempo Westcoast track called "To Do The Things You Do". I would have expected Dan to appear on the more funky "Without Love". A surprise package in the middle of the album is the acoustic "Blood In My Veins" which is a sparse track featuring guitar and cello creating a little tranquil island amid the high tech wizardry.
There is no doubt that that album is well executed and the 18 months of construction have been well spent. My reaction to Westcoast can be mixed and that's an adjective I'd used to describe this album. The progressive start and finish, plus the tracks I mentioned above, make a positive impression, elsewhere it falls into the 'pleasant enough' category. If you're more into Westcoast, then your reaction may vary.
