Unisonic (2012)

Michael Kiske reunited with Kai Hansen to produce an ENTIRE ROCK CD. How could I resist? How could I refuse? Two of my favourite metal idols back together. Sure, this isn't power metal, this isn't even completely metal, but that doesn't mean it won't be an excellent album, does it just?

First, let's look it over. I purchased the digipak because it had a bonus cd (containing a whole 3 tracks, but never mind). I don't know why, but I like digipaks. Sure, they're a bitch to store (since they won't fit in CD racks) and they collect dust (ok, so all my cds collect dust, cos I rip 'em and shelf 'em). It is attractively coloured in shades of blue, with a distinctly futuristic look, rather than the fantasy-esque of old. In the band photo, they all look very serious, except for goateed Kai Hansen, who is giving a little smirk.

"Unisonic" opens with a dramatic flourish, vocals racing up into a smooth and soaring chorus. Slammin' rockin' guitars and lots of energy. The lyrics are simple and repetitive - a great opening piece for both album and live performances with a rather complex and fast paced gutiar solo. Cleaner, polished and more mature than Helloween. Kiske's voice is clea, sweet and powerful.

A slower, but still dramatic opening to "Souls Alive" with twiddly guitar bits. Vocals are also slower, and rick with a good blend of guitars and vocals. This is pure rock with a touch of metal. It drops to a slower pace where Kiske's voice drops into his rich, lower notes, ending with a scream that proves he can still hold those notes!

"Never Too Late" starts with a bit of a quirk to it and good rock rhythms. Soaring into a great chorus. There is something so splendid about Kiske's voice, it fills me with joy and positivity, thrilling me to the core even to this day!


A modern, mainstream rock sound characterises "I've Tried".  The vocals are on a slightly lower register, rising up into a catchy chorus:

"I've never said I'm sorry, but god only knows I've tried..."

Ominous beats bring us into "Star Rider" with the litling vocals soaring up and down the octaves. Kiske still does a fine falsetto!

"Never Change Me" gives us a bouncy rock n roll rhythm with catchy beats.

There's a hint of glam in "Renegade" With its rich, thick vocals and higher pitched chorus. Nice flourishes of the guitars and a good solid guitar solo.

Another solid rock number, "My Sanctuary" has fast-paced vocals with sturdy guitar accompaniment. Soaring chorus and a nicely chanted conclusion.

There's a bit of an 80's rock vibe to the opening bars of "King for a Day". As powerful as ever, Kiske's voice soars and rises gloriously into an anthemic chorus, in which Hansen's distinctive vocals shadow his.

And for those that love the smooth, anthemic, feel-good pieces, "We Rise" certainly fits the bill. Kiske's voice is like a purr - smooth and sleek and the accompanying guitar rhythms reach deep down into the soul and fill the listener with, well, positivity.

We conclude with a haunting ballad, "No One Ever Sees Me", reminscent of some from Kiske's solo days: the sweet melodies, the bittersweet lyrics, the melancholic vocals. Accompanied by acoustic gutiars and somewhat soul-wrenching. Beautiful.

Now, for the three bonus tracks:

"Over the Rainbow" is another ballad; haunting and melancholic. The guitars a gentle accompaniment to the heart-breaking vocals.

Followed by "Souls Alive". I'm not sure how this differs from the previous version, except that it is two seconds shorter.

"The Morning After" is another haunting piece, the opening somewhat reminding me of Sting's ballads, for some reason. Maybe it's the guitar. It quickly surges into a rather rockier chorus, before slowing down  again.

This is not Helloween, this is not Gamma Ray. It is heavier than Kiske's solo work, although probably closer to that than any of the former. And you know what? If you want to hear Kiske doing power/symphonic metal, you just need to pick up an Avantasia album or any of his other side projects. This is more polished than the 80s stuff, with a clarity of sound and complexity of rhythm that is pure rock (with a touch of metal).

It's good stuff - 9/10.

Type O Negative - October Rust (1996)

After all that tenor and falsetto, I feel like something a bit lower, a bit slower, a bit moodier. Therefore, it is time to slip on one of my Type O cds.

There is something about Peter Steele's voice - so low, so somber, so emotional and powerful. Alas, on April 14th, 2010, aged only 48, he died of heart failure. It was a bitter day for the goth metal world. Standing 6'8" and with a history of cocaine and alcohol abuse, I guess his body was overworked. The negative edge to the lyrics, the self deprecation and general angst were also a sign of his mental health, as he suffered also from depression.

The legacy he left behind was seven albums and nine music videos. I'll try to find some that fit in with this review.

Like most (or perhaps all) Type O albums, "October Rust" is green and black, only the title and the band being written in the actual colours of october rust. Four vertical stems, thorny rose stalks, bissect the cover if the booklet, and on the back the band stare out. Monochromatic, scowling, their long black hair resembling hoods. Steele himself looks rather like a vampire. On it are the words:

"Functionless art is simply tolerated vandalism.
We are the vandals."

Inside, the lyrics share page space with autumnal scenes creating a melancholic, somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

The album opens with "Bad Ground" - 37 seconds of long, drawn out static, followed by an introduction by the band - complete with chicken noises.

First actual track, "Love you to Death" starts low and smooth - Steele's voice a rich caress to the aural senses. His low, bass-baritone vocals stir something deep in the soul, although mostly he sings at a slightly higher pitch. The keyboards and solemn melodies entwine into something that is somehow both romantic and melancholic at the same time. It ends with the heartfelt plea:

"Am I good enough for you? Am I? Am I?"

"Be my Druidess" has an electronic edge to the music and a faster paced, slightly more upbeat mood. This seems to be about pagan rituals involving sex, something which can easily be concluded by the closing lines*. Darkly romantic.

Still slow, "Green Man" is rich with verdant goodness, the music feeling organic and alive.

Heart-breaking "Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" is possibly the saddest Christmas song ever. Slow, poignant and melancholic. The lyrics say it all:

"My table's been set for but seven, just last year I dined with eleven..."

Steele's deep voice, with its slightly liliting, accented edge to it, combined with the slow rhythms and dejected Christmas bells are enough to bring a tear to the eye.

 In a completely different vein, we have "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" with its more upbeat rhythms, catchy chorus and rather silly and colourful video clip.

"Die with Me" starts with almost whispy vocals, gentle and mournful, accompanied by acoustic guitars.

This is followed by the rather repetitive "Burnt Flowers Fallen".

The cruisy, almost soothing "In Praise of Bacchus" is another richly organic piece. Vocals are slightly distorted and fuzzy. The fade-out is haunting and lingers, like smoke after a flame is extinquished, flaring again to complete the track.

Now for a cover song - Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" is treated to Steele's deep and magnificant vocals.

"The Glorious Liberation of the People's Technocratic Republic of Vinnland by the Combined Forces of the United Territories of Europa" is a weird instrumental that is over before I finished typing the title. I had to listen to it twice. It's slightly ominous, with chanting and cheering. I'm sure there's something deeply meaninful about it, but I don't get it.

The beautiful and haunting "Wolf Moon (Including Zoanthropic Paranoia)" opens with piano and violins (or bass). If you don't know what this song is about, read the lyrics carefully. If you still don't know, then it's probably better that way. It is another slightly murky sounding piece, over which Steele's voice rings out loud and low and clear and true.

The spectral and epic "Haunting" concludes the album. It starts slow and dramatic, looming beats and achingly wrenching vocals.

There's a final message from Peter too.

Although generally I prefer the higher, more operatic male vocals, I would have to say that the lower ones - like Steele and Brennare, definitely seem to stir something visceral within me.

Haunting, melancholic, beautiful, romantic - these are all words that can be used to describe this album. It's a fine offering from a fine band. We will remember you Peter, your legacy lives on in your music.

Rating = 8/10.

*Which are far prefereable to Quorthon's statements in his horribly grunge-esque solo track: "No More and Never Again"

The Best of Noise 1999

No, this is not my listing for "T" because that would be really lame, using "The" when I still have quite a few T albums to work through. This is the opportunity for me to listen to the bonus cd included with Stratovarius's "Chosen One"'s compilation.

Our first offering is "Ring of Fire" by metal legends, Virgin Steele. The vocals are raw, with a razor edge but also a hint of melody. Sounds rather old-school metal, with a definite American edge. Catchy choruses and a touch of keyboards.

Heavenly are a French neo-classical power metal band, but their track "Riding Through Hell" is nothing special. The vocals are raw edged, the instruments fairly repetitive and the structures uncomplicated. There are some nice twiddly guitar bits. This is from their debut album.

"Coming Home" by German band Iron Saviour is equally raw. What is does have, however, is a slightly catchier chorus. It also has Kai Hansen, but he's not doing the vocals -  if he were they would probably sound like Gamma Ray. As it is, they do not stand out stunningly from the preceeding two tracks. Good guitar, of course, cos of Hansen.

Of a faster pace and introducing a more progressive sound, Stigmata IV's "Crusade of Lies". The vocals are uninspiring - raw and rugged. Catchy rhythms and melodies. So far every track has featured a razor-edged tenor vocalist. It must have been a trend of the late 90s. Stigmata IV were a German band that were forced to continuiously change their name and eventually disbanded in 2005.

Kamelot introduce a bit of variety with "Millenium". The fast-paced drums race the keyboards, whilst Roy Khan's voice soars over them. As far as structure and melodies go, it's more akin to speed than the symphonic power metal they are classified under today. This was their first album with Khan, and you can hear the promise of it with the variable vocals and intricate keyboarding. I really must get myself some of the more recent Kamelot.

Introducing a rather more guttural sound - Afterworld bring us "Dark Side of the Mind". Steady pace, galloping drums, harsh vocals. They're a Finnish "power" metal (this ain't power IMO) band that have not even the recognition of a wikipedia page.

Now, here's something with promise - "Shadow Dancer" by Elegy. Vocals are melodic and of variable pitch (ie, he sings both low(ish) and high). Somewhat reminding me of Edguy. It's not extraordinary or original, but it does have appeal and is one of my top picks from this list - partly because the chorus is really catchy. It's colourful and stirring. They were a Dutch band with an unstable line-up. The carnival music at the end is a nice touch.

More raw vocals from German band Symphorce as they are "Retracing the Lines". Again we have unremarkable verses, but a decently anthemic build up to the chorus.

Somewhat dramatic "Thunderstorm" by Iron Fire builds up to the catchy chorus. There's echoes of the 80s reflected in this piece, which reminds me a little of a slower paced Judas Priest. The vocals are slightly lower than most of the other bands in this collection, although he manages something of a crescendo for the chorus. They're from Denmark and this was from their debut cd.

"The Game" begins at a frantic pace, as Headstone Epitaph take their turn. Vocals are more shouted than sung - at least until the chorus, when the backing vocalists display somewhat more vocal versatility than the lead. Uncomplicated, solid with repetitive rifts. I would suspect there are some punk influences here. Formed in 1987, they're from Germany and are still active today - despite only releasing three full length albums.

Bringing in more aggression and making a religious statement, we have Warhead with "The Other Side". This German band have been labelled power metal, but they're more thrash metal with a hint of punk. Despite (or perhaps because of) being very reptitive and mostly uninspiring, this song is annoyingly catchy and will pound through your brain for ages - much as the drums pound through your head while you're listening to it.

Finally we conclude with a rather odd cover by Lefay. Once Morgana Lefay, they dropped the Morgana when they dropped Black Mark. However, it appears Noise wasn't good to them either, because they later returned to BM and reclaimed their full name. The cover they have chosen is "Cocaine" and they have chosen to play it relatively true-to-form - with the solid instruments, slow and steady pacing and relatively low-pitched vocals. Originally performed by JJ Cale, and covered by Eric Clapton, it seems an odd inclusion to the collection, but definitely stands out.

It's not a bad mix, but for a compilation album the songs are all rather similar. There is actually more diversity in Stratovarius' album than there is in this collection of "the best of 1999". It makes for good background noise, and some of the songs are quite catchy, so I'll rank in 6.5/10. The only two bands I am inspired to hear more of are Elegy and Kamelot. Although I am a bit of a fan of Morgana Lefay anyway.

Stratovarius - The Chosen Ones (1999)

Thanks to penfriend Jeffrey, who travelled all the way to New Zealand with a number of cds, I first heard Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and decided that I should own an album by them. But which to buy? Well, this one seemed the best choice because not only is it sixteen of their chosen "best" tracks, but it also had a free cd of various other bands included with it. Alas, the flip-tray mechanism sucks, and I accidentally damaged it flipping it over, so now I am scared it is going to snap out altogether. Ick.

The cover is rather entertaining, depicting a band of mooses. Meese? Modelled after the musicians, I imagine. Very toony, very funny. Inside, a little letter from Timo Tolkki himself (the guitarist) explaining how the band formed in 1984 and that this is the end of one era for them - and the start of another. It marked their switch from Noise to Roadrunner. Also included are the lyrics - something of a luxury in "Best of" albums, which tend to avoid including them for some reason.

There is a possibility of two different vocalists on this album - Timo Tolkki was vocalist from 1985-94, with Timo Koltipelto from 94 onwards. He is the longest currently remaining member of the band. Tolkki left in 2008.

The album opens with the cascading keyboards of "Black Diamond". Keyboards soon symphonise with guitars creating a feeling of power and rising force, bringing with it goodwill. It is a triumphant and powerful piece, with the keyboards a constant and prevalent present. Timo #2's voice is strong and high, a fine tenor.

This is followed up by "Twilight Time" in which Timo #1 is the vocalist. His voice is very similar, with a slightly sharper edge, tinted just slightly with the hint of a whine or a scream. This piece is heavier, and slightly more dramatic, with more of a build up to the chorus through which Timo's voice swoops and soars.

A tick-tock-tick from speaker to speaker marks the start of "Father Time". Does this band have a time fascination? Faster paced, with rapid drumming and a soaring and inspirational bridge.

"The Hands of Time" is next on the agenda. This is one of their earlier songs - taken from 1992's "Twilight Time" album (along with the title track above). It has a rawer, energising feel to it. Good vocal melodies, pounding drums.

Following up is the power ballad, "Dream with Me" in which Timo #2's voice is gentle but strong and reassuringly haunting. Accompanied by piano-esque keyboards and light guitars, as we rise into the chorus. Filled with power, passion and emotion. Bonus track from "Destiny" (1998).

There's almost an 80s vibe going for "Paradise" - which is funny because it's from 1997. It's a great song - with strong melodies and thought-provoking lyrics:

"Many rare species will perish soon.
And we'll be short on food"

(I don't think he's condoning the eating of rare species, btw).

Jubuliant keyboards lead us "Out of the Shadows" as it erupts into power metal glory, with a taste of speed.

Violin and haunting, melancholy brings "Forever", one of the most beautiful and mournful but romantic songs I know of. Timo #2's voice bleeds emotion. There's flute too. I wrote a song fanfic based on this track (don't judge my writing too much, this is really old).  It is one of those songs about how death is not the end of love, and how:

"I'm still there, everywhere, I'm the dust in the wind. I'm the star in the northern sky. I never stayed* anywhere, I'm the wind in the trees. I will wait for you - forever..."

The electric-acoustic opening of "Full Moon" brings with it a whole different mood. Fleeting, mysterious, a little eerie but not too scary. It has a tribal and ghostly feel to it. This was a bonus track from 1994 with Timo #1 is on vocals.

A rather more rock and not overly complicated piece, "The Kiss of Judas" touches down with a solid bass line and strong vocals. The bridge soars and the guitars give their flourish, before the chorus takes over in full melodic glory. There's a nice keyboard solo in here too.

In "S.O.S", Stratovarius have reached their full complex progressive-heading-towards-symphonic structures. Powerful with a rich cornucopia of instruments (keyboard, guitars, drums) into a glorious, triumphant melody.

"Dreamscape" is haunting, a little intense, the poignant edge to Timo #1's vocals given it a melodically melancholic edge and the music twisting and turning down strange and eerie passages. There's a touch of insanity here - taunting, taking over, enveloping the narrator and dragging him away into another world.

"Am I safe in here? Nothing left to fear. I will close my eyes, and float away with stream."

Pounding guitars, punctuated with falsetto screams turn to darker, lost lyrics.

We rip-roar into the speed metal inspired "Against the Wind", a track from 1995 (and Timo #2's first album). Fast of pace, frantic rhythms, desperation in the vocals. Building, building, to climax into a grand and triumphant anthemic chorus. Listen to those guitars go - you can just visualise the hair wind-milling, the vocalist rushing about the stage. This would be a great way to open a concert (it's the first track on the album "Fourth Dimension" not surprisingly).

"Speed of Light" follows with similar speed metal and anthemic qualities. The drummer is going wild. Meanwhile the guitarists are thrashing their instruments towards broken strings - this song is rushing towards the speed of light. Even the keyboardist joins the race. Frantic, restless energy - very invigorating. You should never try to dance to this song, you'd hurt yourself!

"Every day, my life goes by...  at the Speed. Of Light."

A final flourish, and then collapse.

Of a less manic pace and a rather more progressive feel, "4000 Rainy Nights" brings with it a deeper mood of loss and melancholy. The vocals bleed with raw, wounded emotion.

"Will the Sun Rise?" brings us powerful and dramatic closure. The keyboards steal the show here, weaving and blending with one another into a rousing symphony. This track is also from "Episode".

The one Stratovarius song I feel this album is missing is "Anthem of the World". Otherwise, it is a fine blend of the old and the new and, when listened to carefully, it is easy to hear the transition from the more progressive and somewhat experimental days of Timo Tolkki on vocals, to the anthemic glory of Timo Koltipelto's later days. It is a generous album displaying a rich blend of the powerful and stirring, intermingled with the darker and more melancholic - and even slightly creepy. As a cross-section of their career, it is a worthy one and deserves an 8/10.

I am now going to go on and discuss each of the tracks in the sampler included with this cd, but I'm going to do that in the next entry.


* This would sound better had he said "strayed" but still...

Queensryche - The Warning (1984)

This is Queensryche's very first full length album, following on from their "Queen of the Reich" EP. It in inspired by world events of the time and also by the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

On a random aside - Geoff Tate was fired from Queensryche in 2012 - but due to legal issues both the line-up he left behind, now with the ex-vocalist  of Crimson Glory, and he with a "new" line-up including another ex-member, are both legally allowed to use the name "Queensryche". If both manage to get an album out in that time, it could make for an interesting aural battle.

But, in 1984 the wide world of progressive rock stood before Queensryche  - this album achieved modest success but never charted in the US of A, although "Take hold of the flame" became popular in Japan. The Japanese are known for having excellent taste in melodic metal (although I have only one Japanese metal band's album in my collection).

The cover is simple but makes a statement. It depicts a card - like a tarot card, inscribed with the words "The Warning" held in a gloved, and frankly rather unhealthy looking, hand, whilst green lasers shoot from the card like eyes or headlights, behind it is Earth. The message is clear - things are going wrong with our planet.

Here in his younger days (he's 24/25), Geoff Tate has a high and clear voice that rings out strong and clear with an almost bell-like clarity. The album opens with "The Warning", a song of simple structure with rhythmic guitar and drums. It is Tate's voice that gives it the power and emotional impact it implores - powerful, with a hint of desperation. He sure can hold his notes well!
"En Force" gets into a somewhat more dramatic start with tolling bells (their voices relatively high and drum-like) and surging into the vocals. Again, Tate's voice is a fine force and it is easy to see why his is considered one of the best in the genre. The higher notes are sweet and pure, but with the occasional harsher, raw edge. There is an innocence in it as well. The lyrics have a definite dystopia/sci fi edge:

"Light tracers follow me farther into the depths of unknown. The blackness surrounding the borders of hope. We're alone"

  The ghostly drumming and spectral and ethereal vocals give the final verse an eerie and unnerving edge. It feels lost, and haunted.

Before we soar into "Deliverance" a rather faster paced and energetic piece, similar to what we consider the classic Queensryche sound.

Ghostly and slow, feeling distant and haunted, "No Sanctuary" follows. This is not precisely a ballad, but definitely a slower, and softer song - again with an edge of desperation.

Following on from this is another dystopia-inspired song, "NM 156", this one possibly more inspired by the book. The vocals start with computer voices, then Tate's desperate high notes soar over them.

"Microchip logic, have we no more thought?
"Is this wrong" I enter, answers sought"

 The future is  before us, and it is not a pleasant place. Decent and somewhat complex guitar solo, soaring vocals compete with faster, harder, rawer and desperate. Tate can certainly wail.

Now, I believe it is time for a Power Ballad. And "Take Hold of the Flame" certainly fits the bill. The vocals are as bright and clear as the fire themselves, flickering into a gloriously high howl. The chorus is delightfully anthemic:

"So take hold of the flame. Don't you see life's a game?"

 I can almost see those lighters held high! (Of course, nowadays everyone uses cellphones instead - far less likely to cause accidents or fire alarms anyway).

The somewhat heavier "Before the Storm" follows this up with its echoed chorus and more involved guitar structures, the whirling guitar solo imitating a grey sky broiling with clouds.

"Child of Fire" is another song of loss and desolation, heavy with desperation as Tate wails:

"Look around. Is this the end you've foreseen?
The pain? The misery in us all?
What was it that you knew?
Will we someday learn it too?"

 Finally we conclude with "Road to Madness" in which Tate drops half an octave, or maybe a wee bit more and forlorn strings echo his words. His words are tinged with hints of loss and desolation. Like the soundtrack to a lost man, walking forlorn along an endless highway. It turns faster and more urgent as it marches towards its conclusion.

A very fine debut album, with hints at what Queensryche will become. The songs are nicely variable, contrasting with one another to take on personalities of their own. Haunting and memorable but possibly a bit dark and serious to earn it much acclaim at the time of its release - a time when Iron Maiden ("Powerslave") and Judas Priest ("Defenders of the Faith") were having their day and glam metal had laid its roots.  It had a lot of steep competition.

I'm going to give it 7.5/10.

(Note: Yes I posted R and Q around the wrong way, I DO know which way the alphabet works, that was just the way I happened to listen to them, okay?)

Rage - Secrets in a Weird World (1989)

This is German speed metal band Rage's fourth studio album. It has a rather uninspiring cover - the three band members all looking suitably bored in sunglasses and black and white.

It begins with the classically inclined "Opus 33 Nr 3" a slightly ominous piano piece with solid beats - somewhat one-fingered playing.

"Time Waits for No One" is a determined and powerful song. Peevey's voice alternates between soaring and screaming, with a little shouting thrown in for good measure. Nice skillful guitar solo.

The guitar surges with the bass in slow steady beats before taking off at a gallop in "Make My Day".  Lyrics are fast paced and aggressive:

"This is the sign of my deadly hammer, leaving its marks in your face right now..."

My favourite line is:

 "I'd like to smash all your toys to pieces, tickle your feet until you drop down dead..."

"The Inner Search" delivers pure speed with a cruisy chorus and some surprisingly menaingful lyrics:

"Be True to yourself, that's all you have to be..."

There is something inspiring about "Invisible Horizons" which reveals Peavey's love of the extra-terrestrial. This was the first Rage song I ever heard, from the compilation cassette "Thrash the Wall", a single album that pretty much shaped my musical future. It is quite an intense song, with melodic vocals, pounding drums and chugging guitars. 

"She" gets off to an ominous start. The title is rather ambivalent - it could be a love song (but this is Rage, so that seems unlikely), could be about a lady of the night... but no, it's about a car. A distorted, snarling (and possibly backwards) voice gets this song kicking into action. Indeed, this is about Christine, the red plymouth fury of the Stephen King novel.

With a determined beat and guitar flare, we shift into "Light into the Darkness". A slower pace and an almost positive vibe.

"... Blossom's better than decay"

We charge on in to "Talk to Grandpa" - a song about communicating with the dead to find out what happened to his money. Fairly repetitive, but catchy chorus and aggressive riffs.

"Distant Voices" is about those voices you hear before you fall asleep. The ghosts that call for you. Peavey likes to write songs about death and the supernatural - as you may have noticed. It is a slightly slower piece, with a hint of the eerie about it, but mostly classic Rage.

Slower, creepier, with a hint of the classic rock to it, "Without a Trace" has a jerky, rock beat. As you may be able to guess, it's about the Bermuda Triangle and other such mysterious - possibly supernatural, disappearances.

"Lost Side of the World" starts with slow, deliberate beats gathering in tempo until they erupt into the chorus. Has a few slower moments but is otherwise classic Rage.

Rage have found their stride - and whilst it is decent speed metal with good rhythms, catchy choruses and intriguing lyrics, it's nothing exciting or earth-shattering dramatic. They're a good, solid band  but this does not offer anything new or original or different from many of their other albums (admittedly most of which come after this one).

Solid metal, that I'm going to rank a 7/10.

Phoenyx - Keepers of the Flame (1990)

This album was a bit of a gamble - albeit a very cheap gamble. It lay in the Real Groovy Sale Price bins, at the kingly cost of $1 or $2. The band photo on the back makes them look like wanna-be gypsies from the mid 80s - big hair, tattered clothing in a cornucopia of styles. The cover depicts a phoenix so stylised that I only just realised it WAS a phoenix. It's pretty wicked - all celtic design. Nice gold font on the cover too - that must have cost a fair amount to print. Inside, the paper is thinner, more like an actual booklet than the glossy cd covers I'm used to, and the list of instruments is appealing - electric violin, mandolin, tambourine, bodhran, mandola, flute and something called a florlogue.  Also bagpipes and a female vocalist. Hrm, I thought - sounds like folk. Could be folk-metal, could be folk-rock or could be pure folk, either way, it's probably worth $2.

And when I put it in, I fair wooped with glee. DEFINITELY worth $2.

Phoenyx are pretty obscure. They're from San Francisco, California and labelled as "Celtic fusion rock". Googling "Heather Alexander" is interesting - because the vocalist is apparently actually Alexander James Adams - from his website:

Alec is also the appointed heir to Heather Alexander. Heather, who was actually a changeling, was called back to faerieland in November 2006; at the same time, Alexander, the child in whose place she had originally been left and who had been raised in faerieland, was released after beating the faerie queen in a fiddling contest. Thus, Alec now carries on Heather’s musical legacy.

This band just become officially even more interesting (finally reading more carefully through wikipedia I discovered he is transgender and transitioned in 2006). He also indulges in a little filk music. And he's pretty funny too. Okay, so I've got distracted and am visiting his website, where this is video of him performing "He of the Sidhe" - this is the story mentioned above (the duel with the faerie queen) - ohmigosh, that man can fiddle! Seriously, I expected to see smoke coming off the strings. He appears to be a bit of an icon in the Pacific North-West. He now lives in Oregon with his wife and many animals.

This is the only album Phoenyx released and it is (not surprisingly) out of print. But if you think it sounds interesting, there is a bunch of solo stuff available through his website both of his and Heather's.

Now, to get back on track... Inside the booklet, the lyrics are illustrated with simple line art, giving it a real storybook feel and the music, well, let's give it a listen, shall we?

"Banish Misfortune/Lark in the Morning" are two folk reels, playing back to back and inspiring a lively, frisky mood upon the listener, promises of what to expect. There's a slightly discordant edge to one of the instruments, I think Ritual make use of them.

In "Stormbringer" the vocals come in, and oh boy, does Heather have a powerful voice or what! There are definite echoes of the 80s here, with a lilt to her accent and an almost masculine depth* - when she wants it to. Not metal by a long shot, but definitely rock. The music is alive and energetic, giving quirky little trills.

"The King of Elfland's Daughter" is a duet, between male and female (Heather and Alec, now that would be weird and chronologically improbable) - there's no other vocalists listed for this track.

"Black Unicorn" has a menace to it, the music low and looming. Vocals with the lilting accent. Music evocative.

A far more lively number is "Cat and the Fiddle". Pure folk, with very little of the rock but perhaps a tiny touch of country.

"Hey diddle diddle, answer me this riddle...
Hey diddle do, tell me what you will..."

 "Marley O'Reilly"  is a reel jig, with a good rhythm to dance and spin to and some very delicate fiddling.

"The Voices of the Sea" is a haunting number, with eerie vocals drifting in a spectral fashion. Heather's voice is edged with sweetness. This is a siren song - a soft and gentle, luring tune from a mermaid to a sailor, wishing them well on their voyage.

The mysterious "Creature of the Night" gets off to a haunting start. Alexander's voice is powerful and slightly ominous. It increases in tempo and menace, as the sinister Satyr lures the innocent and ithe ignorant into the woods. The gentle music evokes the feel of the dark forest in which strange creatures lurk.

Another set of reels now - starting with the slow and melancholic, "Musical Priest" becomes more lively as it frisks and folics into "Butterfly" then dives and dips into "Swallowtail".

Something a little more aggressive now - "March of Cambreadth". It opens with some marching fiddle and violent lyrics:

"Axes flashing, broadswords swing, shining armour's piercing ring..."

Keeping in the spirit of the Celts, they even spelled "armour" the English way.

Now, something's "Up in the Loft" - something threatening and strange. The turne is dramatic and the chorus jerky and a little discordant, while the fiddles whimper and the drums and guitars thrum with tension.

"Oh but yesterday I heard it, with its haunting mournful cry..."

A jerky and strange intro leds us into the ghostly, modern and pretty intense "Concentration". Vocals on this piece are from Cat Taylor. It's not a heavy song, but the back-and-forth tribal rhythms and the whispered vocals are disturbing and creepy. Very different from everything else.

The album concludes with "Yo Ho!" A rousing nautical tune with somewhat dark lyrics that - partway through, goes into the folk song about sailors that we all know and love (but with possibly different lyrics).
Like all good folk songs at sea, it has a light and whimsical verse, then a rousing chorus that the rest of the crew can join in with.

"If you eat ship rats then you get more meat..."

Hrm, I'm in the mood for pirates now. Maybe I should skip past Q this time (it's just Queensryche again, I've nothing else) and leap into Running Wild. What do you think?

This is a charming album, folk blended with  rock and a smattering of the quirky and curious. It has a light and whimsical feel, like the band were having a bit of a lark when they created it. For something a little bit fun, with some quite entertaining lyrics and a vocalist that sounds like she stepped out of the 80s and does a bitchin' tenor**, this might well be the album for you. Of course, it's out of print, so you're out of luck - unless your local store is trying to clear it at a mega cheap price, that is!

Let's give it a 7/10.

* not surprising, really. 
** I'm trying to prove I know something about vocal scales now. I don't. So if I'm wrong, so be it.

Olympos Mons - Conquistador (2004)

A sticker on the cover describes Olympos Mons as:

Poetic Power Metal
A mixture of hard and aggressive guitar riffs and musical-like passages with strings, bagpipes and harps are the basis for powerful, bombastic epic metal songs full of mystical atmosphere.

 How could I resist picking them up? How could I resist listening to them? Well, I couldn't - and hence why this album is in my collection today.

It was that bagpipes that sold me on it.

It certainly isn't the cover, which is rather sexist - a woman draped in some sort of skimpy cobweb outfit half lies, in what must be a, if not physically impossible, at least physically very uncomfortable pose, a knife clutched in her right hand. The way she's drawn, I can tell she's supposed to be lying seductively, but her weight seems to be mostly supported by her left arm, making her look rather like she's been interupted in the middle of doing a one-armed, knife-wielding push-up but a rather more heavily armoured warrior. He has a cloak that looks like bat wings. Behind them rises rocky stalacmites, all slightly distorted as though caught in a desert heat-haze. I believe it is meant to be Hell, or possibly Mars. In the background there seems to be some sort of UFO.

Olympos Mons were a relatively young band - jumping aboard the Power Metal bandwagon and hailing from Finland. They first came together in 2002 and secured their recording contract in 2004. For all the promise that the album booklet raves about, they only released one other album and then parted ways in 2010. Their official website no longer exists. They were merely just a spark in the Power Metal wildfire.

"Seven Seas" surges into action, with powerful vocals and the haunting, melancholic dirge of bagpipes. The chorus is great - catchy and soaring, echoed by the sound of pipes. It is, pretty much, classic power metal - all complicated instrumental arrangements, powerful vocals and a fairly consistent drumbeat. Not nearly as fast as, say, Dragonforce. Quite appealing.

Delicate chimes lead us into the surging keyboards of "Stars". Again, soaring arrangements, strong vocals and very catchy melodies. Let's see how poetic they really are:

"We will fly to the stars on the wings of the night. Sparks will surround us and light up our flight. We'll fly to the stars, leaving rainbows behind. For the magical wonders that we might find."

Not bad. Quite evocative lyrics. Listen to that drummer go, I bet he's shaking his hair about as he bang-bang-bangs. In the early nineties this would have been amazing and original and new - but now Power Metal bands are a dime a dozen. Oooh, some interesting noises on the keyboards there. The organ effect?

Bit of dejavu here - the track opens a little bit reminscent of Nightwish. Then the drums and guitars come pounding in as we stand beneath "The Last Light of the Moon". Somewhat lower pitch to the vocals. Ian Highhill has a good set of lungs on him. Who let that horse in there? Oh dear, it's Lucifer, come from the Skylark album!*

"Wanted Man" is nicely dramatic, with lower vocals.We've got more poetry here:

"Walking through sunshine, seeing only rain. The story begins all over again."

 Dirge like-keyboards lead us into the crushing bass of "Black". Romantic lyrics, and a steady pace, with vocals varying between the low(ish) and smooth and that of a higher register. Highhill does have a very strong voice, and its pleasant to - it doesn't grate on you the way some vocalists do after a while.

To lead us "Through the Ice and Snow" we have the crystalline chords of an electric harpsichord. Until we hit the rampaging wall of ice and are struck by the avalanche that is Highhill's voice. Almighty and bombastic.

More power and might in "Black Desiree"  which is another one with romantic lyrics:

Whispers in moonlight, light promises.
Shimmering lights dancing in raven black hair.

Not bad poetically, but the editor in me will point out he uses "light" three times in twelve words.

"Cleopatra" gets off to a haunting start with eerie flutes and a vaguely oriental/african feel, before the other instruments charge in enforce.Has a nicely melodic passage towards the end, shortly before the guitars go to war.

There is a suitably Arabian feel to  "The Princess of Saba". This band clearly like singing odes to women! The vocals are sweet and delicate for at least a verse, before surging on into the power and the glory. Good ryhthms, nice and catchy, with an impressive keyboard solo.

Triumphant and valiant, the beginning to "Lady in White" has some very nice flute followed by a cascade of keyboards ang guitars. The harmonious chorus harks back to the 80s. This is a very powerful and quite refreshing track - the intense keyboard solo, in which the keyboardist goes into a frenzy and is then taken over by the drummer, then the guitarist playing all sorts of quirky little ditties in short bursts before the drums and the galloping guitars kick in and rip-roar towards the final chorus.

Harpsichord and waves open the final track, "Conquistador" bringing with them an ethereal, spectral edge before the keyboards take over. A slower, more intense piece which builds to intensity, soaring and surging with a hint of anger.

There's no arguing that Olympos Mons were a damned fine band - they have sophisticated arrangements, powerful control over their melodies, interesting lyrics and emotive instrumentation. The vocals are powerful and both soar and growl at just the right moments. They are polished and the recording is a brilliant wall of sturdy sound. They have power and passion and enthusiasm. However, they feel somewhat contrived to me. I feel bad saying it, because I am a big fan of the Power Metal genre and there is no denying that they are good at what they do, but they don't stand out in any dramatic manner. Except the bagpipes. It was the bagpipes that sold this album to me - otherwise I might just have dismissed it as "do I really need another power metal album that I'll probably never really listen to". I think, in a way, they are trying TOO hard - along with the likes of Dragonforce, Powerquest, Rhapsody, Skylark, Fairyland, Heavenly and about half a billion other European bands. All very good, very sophisticated, but somehow just slightly lacking the true spark.

I'm going to give them 8/10.


* Do keyboards come with a "demonic voice" programmed into them or something? Or maybe their keyboards are possessed.

Nightwish - Oceanborn (1998)

This has to be one of the most beautiful albums in my (rather large) collection - both visually and musically. The cover is gorgeous - with gentlre indigos and purples, a dragon's eye enfolds the earth - a snowy owl carries a scroll and a woman lies, face up in the water. It is somehow both soothing and slightly sinister. The band photo is intersting too - Tarja crouches at the front, her hair up and in almost Victorian attire, looking slightly gothic-Lolita'ly. Behind her Tuomas gives a sly smug grin and the other three members, all so young and fresh faced, look suitably bored. Inside the lyrics overlay images, all in the varying shades of blue, which make them a little difficult to read.

The music is as refreshing and powerful as the cover. It opens with the epic keyboard and guitar rifts of "Stargazers", the synths soaring wildly and intensely before the guitars surge in to wash them away. Tarja's voice is that of an angel - strong and powerful, rich and a fine soprano. She can scale three octaves and is classically trained.

"Gethsemane" follows. Haunting, beautiful, intense. Words cannot easily describe the delicious wall of epic sound, the soaring vocals and magical interplay of keyboards, guitars, bass and vocals. The mood is flawless and enchanting, taking the listener away across the waves and into a frozen wonderland of fiords and infinite beauty.

Pounding and intense rhythms lead us into "Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean" and the low and menacing, almost demonic vocals, quickly overlaid with Tarja's angelic ones. This is an immense and powerful piece. In the background, the keyboard florishes and soars.

"Sacarament of Wilderness" has the same intensity. The power and might of the instruments, the solid wall of evocative, emotive sound combines strikingly well with the silver-spear of Tarja's voice, which is like a radiant, powerful force. It is easy to imagine oneself in an immense and ancient forest, where moss and frost drip from the tree branches and the trees whisper their secrets to one another with the wind.

Solid guitar leads us into "Passion and the Opera", a magnificant and powerful piece in which Tarja's true vocal range is explored and the music more supports her rather than taking on a personality of its own. That's not to say it is not soaring and diverse and very dramatic. Haunting, melancholic. Breath-taking.

Gentle flute and enchanted melodies heralds "Swanheart", a soft and delicate number; fleeting and gentle as a cascade of feathers. Her voice is one of the most soaring and evocative that I have ever heard, so sweet and powerful it cannot help but touch your heart and bring a tear to the eye of all who behold it. This song is absolutely enchanting.

The instrumental "Moondance" proves how delicate and sophisticated the instruments can be, with a folkish edge, this is probably the most epic reel I have ever heard. It is easy to imagine faeries dancing by moonlight, flutes in hand, their tiny delicate bodies glowing under the gentle carress of her light.

"The Riddler" is gloriously melodic. The vocals sublime and smooth, the music playing both a delicate and dramatic counterpoint.

The rather ominous "The Pharoah Sails to Orion" starts with lows, menacing tones, with guttural  male vocals snarling over the rising power of the guitars, merging with flurries of keyboard; faster, faster, faster. It breaks, more growled vocals, and Tarja's angelic trilling an ethereal counterpoint. The keyboards trill. A flute whoops and soars in sweeps and shimmies.

The superlative and beautiful rendition of "Walking in the Air" has me entranced. The sublime vocals, soaring effortlessly over the melancholic, the bittersweet, the absolutely stunning and beautiful melodies. Words cannot describe how this song makes me feel.

And as if the emotion, the evocation, the splendour of that is not enough, it is then followed up by the even more spell-binding "Sleeping Sun". Supported only by gentle chiming and light guitar (I think), Tarja's voice is filled with emotive glory and power. Gentle, and oh so heart-rending. Magnificant.

This album is certainly one of the finest metal albums I have ever heard - powerful and evocative, emotional and heavy in parts, delicate and fleeting in others. It is one of the finest examples of symphonic metal I could ever imagine and is enchanting, haunting and all sorts of other delightful adjectives.

It's gonna have to be another 10/10.

Manowar - Anthology (1997)

Tonight I felt like a bit of a laugh, and thus I decided it was time to play my one and only Manowar CD. I purchased this from The Warehouse for very little, and suspect it is one of those cheap-knock-offs, excepting for the fact that my WMP does recognise its metadata and label the tracks appropriately. Who knows.

Manowar are one of the hardest metal bands to take seriously. This album does not help that in any way what-so-ever.  They formed in New York in 1980 - about the same time Iron Maiden we coming into their prime and they grabbed several themes with open hands - the first being fantasy and mediaeval, more of the sword and sorcery than the serious. You can sorta imagine these guys playing D&D on their weekends or pretending to be Conan the Barbarian. In 1984 they held the world record for Loudest Band ever, a record they have since broken twice. They are bombastic and pretentious and over the top with their raging guitars, throbbing drums and crazy lyrics about how awesome metal is. There's something totally over the top and anthemic about them.

As for this anthology... well, I'm going to do something I haven't done before in this blog - I'm going to scan the album cover. Seriously, my description cannot do it justice*:

It is a simple onefold affair - with a rather detailed history of Manowar on the inside. They have sprouted from the primeval roots of Heavy Metal, and from them was spawned the power metal genre (with some help from Helloween, of course). It extols the virtures of the band and how awesomely metal they are, and states that the vocalist Eric Adams, has a five and a half octave vocal range. That's really epic - I haven't found information on any other vocalist with that range. I didn't even know there were more than five octaves for male vocalists. They have also "declared war" on those who do not fully embrace the true spirit of their beloved heavy metal. I bet they'd like to take Slipknot down!

So let us begin our voyage of Heavy Metal discovery, we shall begin with the track:

"Manowar" with its solid beats, galloping guitars and somewhat powerful, but slightly tinny sounding vocals (I'm guessing that's the fault of the recording, which was probably made back in the early 80s). There is definite raw power here, and it kinda inspires one to jump around and posture and pose - either with guitars or swords, I'm not quite sure!

This is followed up by the rocky chords of "Metal Daze" in which Eric displays how high he can shriek and celebrates his sheer metal-ness:

"Only one thing sets me free, heavy metal - loud as it can be!"

There are aspects of Dio in the vocals, and of course pure 80s metal in the rhythms and uncomplicated structures. It's all very traditional, catchy and with enough repetiton to get the audience chanting along.

"Fast Taker" reminds me of soe of Sabbath's rockier moments (ie: with Dio or Gillian). The guitarist slides up and down his chords, racing along at breakneck speed, whilst Eric howls and screams. There's something visceral and somehow smokey and a little bit sludgy about it.

Now we get into the true sword and sorcery as we enter into the slower, driving bass of "Battle Hymns". There is more diversity in this track - and Eric sounds truly feral as he screams "Kill! Kill!" This almost seems like a true battle hymn - you can almost see the warriorss shouting it as they march (or ride) into war.
Oh my gosh - he's singing, actually singing! And he has rather a sweet edge to his voice. Amazing. Who would have thought?
And now he's screaming again. Oh and off go the duelling guitars.

Okay, I see what they mean by him being able to scale several octaves - it almost sounds like multiple vocalists - one minute his screaming the next dropping into bass.

And now the drummer's gone crazy. Then feedback!
Okay, this song is officially wicked.

Back to the more "ordinary" rock with "All Men Play on 10" which is about how society tries to force you from following your heart and fitting int society norms. I say "ordinary", but there's no way Manowar could ever be considered anything but over the top. The vocals are interesting in this one, closer to talking, but with rhythm, not fast enough to be anything like rap music, with the occasional smoother, sweeter bridge and anthemic chorus. I'm not quite sure how one plays on ten, however. Maybe it means full volume?

"All men play on ten, I'm never gonna turn down again..."

Back into the fantastical with "Sign of the Hammer" - insane drumming, throbbing beats and Eric's wonderfully diverse voice soaring into a rather awesome bridge. I can see the roots of power metal being set down right here. There's something amazingly evocative and stirring about their passion, it cannot help but send a thrill down your back. The recording quality has improved here too, so it must be a later track. Either that or I've gotten used to it. Galloping rhythms, soaring vocals... One can imagine the vast mountainous landscape, pine trees clinging to the slopes.

Now its time for "Fighting the World" and I can tell from the offset that this is another Metal is Great track. Yup:

"I'm fighting for metal cos it's here to stay!"

Truer words have never been spoken.

And of course, the loudest band in the world would have a song called "Blow Your Speakers". But it won't blow mine, because even at full volume this CD just won't go that loud. Solid rock with a hint of roll and a lot of passion and power and some very nice twiddly guitars.

What is this I hear? Piano? Could the mighty Manowar be about to give to me a ballad?
Oh yes! This is "Heart of Steel".
Wow, he really can manage quite a haunting and beautiful voice. Powerful too, as the verses march on. This is visceral stuff, digging right into the inner core of my being. It is empowering. Epic. Beautiful.

Screaming and screeching indicates that the next track is nto going to be anything less than a raging epic Heavy metal piece. Listen to the guitarists go - twiddly bridge-sliding, almighty rifts. It is time to bring the "Blood of the Kings".
The lyrics are totally ridiculous:

"On a crusade the world we bring, Four Kings of Metal, Four Metal Kings.
Death to the false ones, dance on a string..."

Oooh, more guitar duelling. This is hilarious!

And what better to follow up the blood of all king, than a little "Violence and Bloodshed"? It starts with the ominous howl of sirens, the buzz of choppers and then the guitars slip in. This is another one with faster vocals and a straightforward, fast-paced beat. It gives it a ... well not exactly modern sound, but definitely later 80s. 1987, in fact. Modern warfare for a change, and thus more savage and less bombastic than the medieavel/fantasy stuff.

Motorbikes might not be very fantasy, but they're very metal. "Wheels of Fire" from 1988 is more along the lines of thrash - pounding rhythms, roaring engine noise, surging guitars, aggressive vocals.

And then it's time for:

"Every one of us has heard the call.
Brothers of true metal, proud and standing tall
We know the power within us has brought us to this hall..."

You don't get a more epic Metal Anthem then 1992's "Metal Warriors". Even if it does declare "if you're not into metal, you are not my friend...". If I'd gone by that decree in my youth, I would have had even less friends. And I might not have the balls to take it, but I sure as hell wouldn't leave the hall (although I would probably have brought some ear plugs).

A rather sinister beginning to "The Demon's Whip" - more reminscent of black metal than power metal. Snarling demons, raging fire. Even the pounding, steel edged guitars makes one think of black metal - although the vocals are pure Manowar. Not a bad song, but I think it would have been better to end on Metal Warriors. There's some seriously shrill guitar here. And the false ending made me jump!
The drumming is far too fast, that can't be natural or real.

After it finishes, the silence left from the sheer intensity and enthusiasm seems odd. I almost expect my ears to be ringing, the world just seems too quiet now. And I wasn't even playing it that loud!

My only complaint about this cd is the quality. It's cheap. Even at full volume (and you want to play Manowar loud) it's not able to reach the intensity of more modern cds. Plus the bass lines and drums need to be lower and more ominous on some of the earlier tracks, it's all a bit high and tinny - like it came off a record. The later tracks are a bit clearer and you can't fault the band for the poor quality of a cheaply pressed CD I bought for peanuts.

If you want pretentious posturing, bombastic rifts, very versatile vocals, galloping intricate guitars, pounding drums, ridiculous lyrics and muscular guys wearing only their underwear, then check out Manowar. They're awesome, really.

No really!

And I wouldn't be a sister of true metal if I gave them anything less than 9/10.

* You may have wondered why I haven't put up the cd covers before. Partly it was due to copyright concerns - I'm not sure I'm legally allowed to, and mostly it was from sheer laziness - I'd rather be dissecting the music rather than trying to scan things straight. Besides, most album covers can be found by a simple google search.

Lake of Tears - Crimson Cosmos (1997)

Now we get to the point where Lake of Tears become truly awesome. Still retaining much of the doom, but shaking off some of the gloom, they took on a psychedelia edge, somewhat reminiscent of what Cathedral were up to at the same time - only LoT do it so much better. Quirky instrumentation, colourful artwork, lively music and Daniel's  voice all weave together to form one of my most played albums.

The cover is as psychaedelic as the music. A wizard sits in a duck-boat, with his companion corgi, whilst accompanied by a top-hatted gentleman riding a frog and a gnome atop a metallic fish. Around them, butterflies with strange patternings flutter. Behind, a forest of toadstools rises to meet the moon. The inside is fileld with whimsical colourful pictures, clearly detailed in colouring pencils - devils frolicing in bubbles, a grandfather and his grandkids staring at the Old Man moon. For Devil's Diner, candles are set, awaiting the diners. A manic jester, a frowning fairy and an angry wizard all illustrate the lyrics. Charming and delightful.

Our journey begins with "Boogie Bubble"'s sludgy guitar twiddliness before the bass and drums and full on guitars come barging on in, bringing with them delightfully bouncy rhythms and Daniel Brennare's slightly husky, raspy tones. This song makes me think of goblins riding bubbles. Or devils.

The opening chords of "Cosmic Weed" are also heavy and sludgy, as though slightly bogged down. The rhythm is slower, slightly doomy. The lyrics - well, you can pretty much guess what they're about:

"Come, come, try some cosmic weed and glance a world so strange indeed..."

Another with the typical doom arrangement is the crushing "When my Sun Comes Down" which has a haunting eerieness to it. The music is also kind of intense and low, making for a melancholic edge.

Then we slip-slide across the keyboard and enter into the rockin' beats of "Devil's Diner". The liveliest song so far, this is one that I have - on several occasions, danced to. Admittedly, not quite in the fashion of the scantily clad lasses in the clip. The piano and the rhythms give it an upbeat vibe.

This is followed by the almost folk-ish "Four Strings of Mourning". Again, the guitars and drums are mixed quite low, making them feel kinda sludgy and evoking feelings of forests and trees, their leaves turning from green to gold and drifting to the ground (but not quite as autumn themed as their next album). The slow paced verses lead into a slightly more upbeat chorus in which the music circles with the lyrics.I can almost hear the symphony of the frogs and crickets. There's a quite a decent guitar solo as well. It almost makes you feel a wee bit giddy. Or maybe that's because I'm doing as the lyrics say and:

"...spinning around in circles every day... spinning around and finding no new way..."

 The ghostly, spectral chords of the instrumental "To Die is to Wake" bring with them a melancholic, bittersweet echo of memories. The sort of song that carries you away on broken wings and takes you into the land of lost dreams.

"There's a fairy in my head and I call her Lady Rosenred" starts us off onto one of my favourite tracks on this album - the quite bouncy "Lady Rosenred" in which Jennie Tebler* does most of the vocals, with Daniel shadowing her. The references to "dragon fairies" inspired me to create a diminutive dragon species.

The next song is inspired by the Dragonlance books. "Raistlin and the Rose" is a haunting, melodic and melancholic number, filled with bittersweet rifts. It is an eerie and moody peace, fading out with echoing guitar and the spctral whisper of pipes.

"He calls him friend, and says he'll change, she calls him friend and he deceives again..."

The album concludes with the mystical and enchanting "Crimson Cosmos". The slow, light guitars, the whispers of flutes and Daniel's low and powerful vocals combine together to create a haunting and oddly nostalgic** number. It brings a shiver down my spine, and a tear to my eye.

"One went to seek the loss. One went to seek the darker side of us. One went to seek the cross. Only to find a crimson cosmos."

 There is something of a leisurely laziness to this music, which evokes the mood of talls trees and enchanted forests. Of mystical realms, and childhood nostalgia. I would go so far as to describe it as having a sort of fantasy/stoner vibe. The doom influences are still clear here, but they have stepped away from the death/thrash and more into a haunting, evocative and somewhat spiritual eerieness. The low, sludgy feel to the instruments, the low vocals, the somewhat surreal lyrics all contribute to both be soothing yet interesting, and somewhat quirky.

I believe this album deserves 9/10.

* Apparently she's Quorthon's little sister.
** Of course, the nostalgic thing might just be me - This album has been with me for quite a time and I have listened to it on numerous occasions, thus it evokes many memories.

Katie Thompson - Tall Poppy (2008)

Another mild oddity in my CD collection. Katie Thompson is a West Coast, New Zealand singer, with a fine voice. One of my co-workers was a friend or associate of hers, and I purchased this CD to support local music. For a self-published pressing, it looks very professional - the cover depicts the lovely young Katie Thompson with her acousitc guitar, beside a handdrawn poppy. Inside are some quotes and the lyrics of two of the songs - with a link to where you can find the rest. My copy is, of course, autographed.

She has a charming voice and her style of music is country, with a touch of pop. The vibe is very much a West Coast one - as you shall see from the song titles as I go through it track by track.
You can purchase it through itunes.

the first track is "Do It Today" which is essentially vocals and light acoustic guitar. Her voice is strong, but with a sweet edge to it.  She sounds rather like she's smiling.

"Karamea Cowboy" has a real western coutnry sound, which is quite funny given the lyrics:

"Holed up in Hokitika, living my life on Monteith's bitter..."

Firstly, for those of you not in the know, the West Coast NZ is not even mildly like the west of the USA. It's wetter, greener and although there are cattle and it does have a wild feel, it's rather more like Washington state than Wyoming.

"Tall Poppy" is a lovey song, rather sweet, even if the lyrics are slightly bitter. Has more of a pop music vibe.

Back into the true country again - vocals and acousitc guitar, "Gone" is your standing C&W song - ie: about leaving your loved one. Except in this case, she actually is taking pride in the fact that it is she that has ditched him.

The next one I imagine is a real pub favourite - "Monteiths on Tap".  It has a rolicking, sing-along chorus:

"Does heaven have a bar, is Monteiths on tap? Why work so hard, if he can't have that?"

A rather melancholic song - "Tears Me Down" is about the loss and loneliness in relationships and how it haunts you - bruising a part of you forever. The guitars are a little more emphatic here, and the music is very empathic.

Following it is the equally bittersweet, "Is It Ever Gonna Change?" There are some male vocals in this song too, ghosting alongside Katie's sweet, sorrow-filled tones.

"Better Left Unsaid" is a wee bit more upbeat, but still has the haunting sorrow-edge typical of light acoustic guitar and very low bass lines.

Now we get into the slightly more pop "Not the One for You" which has a stronger guitar and a slightly electronic/keyboard edge, which sounds a little out of place, but somehow also works.

This is followed by her rendition of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"* She does manage a bit of power and aggression, but for the most part, it's sweet and delicate. Even when the lyrics are a bit sinister!

The twisty guitar leading into "This is Goodbye" is beautiful and delicate, like petals falling. The vocals are soft and gentle, like tears in the morning rain. The general mood - heartbreaking. Haunting. Lovely.

We conclude with a duet "A Long Time Ago" which as advertised as "acoustic" but I think most of the album sounds acoustic (they might be electric-acoustic). Again, this song is all about the voices, the music more as a support to  than a force of its own.

At the end, we get a repeat of "Monteiths on Tap" so we can 'rock' out to it again. The lyrics have been changed to first person. This is another acoustic duet.

After listening to music where the instruments create a vast cascade of sound, this is a very gentle, very light album, it is sweet and somewhat soothing. Very pleasant to listen to. As far as country goes, it is blended well with the pop stylings. There is an innocence and naivette to her voice - not because it isn't powerful - (it is) but she feels fragile, like a flower, the sort of young lady who has yet to be hardened to the hardships of life, to truly feel love and pain and loss. Long may she keep that innocence!

Country music is "not really my thing" but I'm going to give her 7/10.

Here's her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/katiethompsonz/
Looks like she's moved into more blues now and away from the country, her voice has gotten stronger, the music more sophisticated. She has opened for Elton John.

* I am so proud of myself for recognising this! It probably helps that I listened to Johnny Cash a few weeks ago.

Iced Earth - The Dark Saga (1996)

As you may know, I live in New Zealand. And New Zealand is pretty far from anywhere else, and our musical diversity/availability is not great. Nowadays the internet has basically superceded the need for music stores at all - with a combination of Amazon and Itunes putting many of them out of business or at least making them struggle for profits. Even before then, if you wanted the more obscure acts (which includes most European heavy metal) you had to either go to specialist stores or order them in specially. Becoming a true metal head became a dedicated feat. Since you could not discover new bands via the touch of a button, I instead resorted to good, old fashioned penfriends. At one point I had around six penfriends - there was Mikael in Sweden; Nathan in Wisconsin; Carl in Florida and Jeffrey in Washington state; also Howell in Utah and Tim in Auckland, NZ. Jeffrey is the only one I still have contact with - he now owns a fish store in Seattle and we have met up on two occasions - one being when he came to New Zealand, bringing with him a suitcase full of cds for me to listen to and the second being when, some ten years later, I finally made it to Seattle.

Anyhow, through these penfriends (except Howell, who was in prison and made beautiful art) I traded mix tapes and was given a few originals - Carl gave me all his Iron Maiden cassettes when he acquired them on CD. And Nathan, I think it was, gave me a handful of samplers he had received whilst working on a fanzine. This was one of these samplers. As such, I just have a cardboard sleeve and information that it still technically belongs to Century Media. I don't think they'll be wanting it back anytime soon. Besides, Nate may have reviewed it, but now I finally shall.

Iced Earth hail from Tampa, Florida, which seems to be home to many pretty heavy acts. At the time this was released, the vocalist was Matt Barlow. After the September 11 attacks, Matt decided that he wanted to do something more meaningful with his life, and eventually became a police officer, also joining the First State Force Band (composed of law enforcement people) which performed to schools and gave kids a positive message. His brother-in-law, Jon Schaeffer, is the guitarist of this band, and also performs in Demons and Wizards with Hansi Kusch of Blind Guardian. I am not sure who is the demon and who is the wizard!

This album is based on the comic book Spawn. It is described as more simplified and melodic than their previous stuff so lets see if that's true - not that I have any previous stuff to compare it with, although I'm pretty sure I've heard the song "Burnt Offerings" at least. Just not sure where it is! The cover is very comic-book esque - a ghoulish, skeletal figure, wrapped with chains and with tattered wings - or maybe a cloak. Fire rages in the background, yellow and orange against the purple background.

It opens with the title track "The Dark Saga" - haunting guitar beating ominously, whilst vocals loom over it. This is not an introduction, but more a summary track, as the narrator - Al Simmons - mourns how everything, all his deeds, have more-or-less backfired and ended it tragedy. After his death on the battlefield (due to a betrayal), he makes a deal with the devil to see his wife one last time. However, things do not work according to plan... He is sent back, certainly, but as a decomposing corpse, with a living cloak.
 
Barlow has a fine voice - with some nice, deep, low and strong, switching within a few lines to a higher, somewhat menacing snarl.

 From some website somewhere:

Barlow is most known for his dark, verismo tone and powerful highs. A high baritone, he is often confused for a much lower voice type due to his hefty dramatic timbre and gravelly delivery.

I'm jolly well going to teach myself about octave ranges!

"I Died for You" is another haunting number, in which the narrator grieves the life he has left behind and how his wife, his love, has moved on without him (it has been several years). Barlow's low vocals are quite chilling, and powerful, enough to make hairs rise on the back of your neck, even as he screams over himself.

I saw the movie shortly after hearing this album, and I wish it had been the soundtrack - that would have kicked arse. I cannot even really remember the movie, but it was over ten years ago. And according to my husband, not very good. I believe I thought "Iced Earth did it better".

A rather more aggressive number, "Violate" has the pounding drums and racing guitars, whilst over them Barlow howls forth the anger and wrath of the terrible clown, the Violator:

I'll beat you with your spinal cord, split your skull in two. I'll feast on your intestines, there's nothing I can't do. I'll rip your heart out of your chest, watch it beat as you cry. I revel in your agony. I violate and make you die!

The menacing "The Hunter" follows it up; slow and ominous it begins, the instruments swelling and surging into a stampede. From what I can gather, the Hunter is an angel sent after Spawn.

"The Last Laugh" is another brutal track, with slamming verses and raging drums.

Slower but no less brutal and dramatic, "Depths of Hell" allows Barlow's highly diverse vocal talents to take hold once more - with the low baritone intertwining with the menacing screams and raw edged howls. His despair is easily apparent in the tension and frustration of the music.

 With its ominous and brooding opening rifts, "Vengence is Mine" threatens just that. Raw, wild aggression. Short and savage, it is followed by the even more brooding "The Suffering Scarred". Slower, steady with haunting echoes of guitar floating like a savage caress above the beat. Barlow's voice is low and rich, filled with power - like Geoff Tate in his finer moments,

Heavy on the angst and self-accusation, "Slave to the Dark" is heavy with tortured vocals and dark instruments. It merges into the haunting and beautiful, sorrow-filled "A Question of Heaven".

This is a fine album, heavy and slow, filled with brooding and a healthy dose of self-loathing. The lyrics are haunting and there are some beautiful melodies. The atmosphere is tense, but resigned and slightly lost.

I rank it 9/10.

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)

As promised, now it is time for the glory that is Keeper of the Seven Keys, part two, the follow up to tbe wonderful Keeper of the Seven Keys, part one and one of the definitive metal albums of all time. Here is where Power Metal began. That's not to say that Helloween are technically Power Metal, nor that they are the only band that can claim the honour of being the root of all that is awesome, but merely that this is one of the major contributing albums to the slightly pompous, extravagant genre of Power Metal. Helloween are more straightforward, but no less epic and this album is AMAZING.

When I was younger, relying on a fairly small allowance to afford the extravagances of cassettes, my brother and I bought a fair amount of music. I bought part one, he bought part two. This was a pity, because it meant that I could not really listen to this album. Since he preferred to sit in his room, door closed, music loud, burying himself within the immensity and engulfing himself fully in its richness, I could not easily join him. It is actually rather an awkward feeling sitting in your siblings's room, trying to sink into a sort of meditative, music induced state. Thus, I didn't really get to hear this album as much as I would have liked. I distinctly recall sitting outside his bedroom window one evening, whilst the power of the music poured through the window, listening. At this time, I also had a number of penpals and we exchanged cassette recordings around the world, sharing each others mix tapes. This, my friend, was how you learned about new bands before the interweb - before you could touch a button and hear samples from every single cd you can think of. Via snail mail... and mix tapes.... anyhow, I had a lovely penfriend in Sweden and he recorded this album for me so that I could listen to it too.

Of course, eventually, I purchased the CD. Along with Helloween's entire backlist, half of which I have on cassette tape as well as CD. Hey, you cannot have too much of a good thing - and at least I can listen to them in my car!

The cover is beautiful, moody and somewhat fantasy-esque. In the foreground, a hand inserts a key into a lake (from which faces stare out), whilst gnarled green hands grasp at it. The robes indicate that this may be the seer of visions - the cloaked figured from part one. The background is split in two by dark and brooding clouds - on one side, a monolithic rock formation glows in the mid day sun, in the other fires burn over a desolate and forboding, spiky black landscape. The cover is bordered in a chain of autumnal leaves. Inside it is all plain black text on white paper - very straightforward and simplistic, but pratical and easy to read.

This was Helloween's last album with Noise - a company that basically screwed them over. This cd went Gold in Germany, made it to #108 on the USA charts but despite being a highly successful album, they did not see much in the way of profits from it. Shortly after this they broke their contract, got into terrible legal battles (with Noise), weren't able to tour or release in the States for some years and not only that, but Kai Hansen left, not wishing to deal with the pressures of being in such a big band. Funnily enough, his band, Gamma Ray sort of took over the power and glory of this album with their "Land of the Free" release in 1995.

An eagle soars over forlorn, windswept cliffs in "Invitation" as the instruments rise in power and might, beckoning us onwards.

It swoops and strikes, charging in to the speed metal anthem of "Eagle Fly Free". The guitars are a wild and reckless beast, the vocals untamed and melodious. The drums... well the drums are slamming, beating a rapid and, at times, slightly monotonous, slightly tinny beat. Kiske displays his immensely powerful vocal talents, holding the note, unwavering for a good 15 seconds.

Then it is in to "You Always Walk Alone". I love the rhythms and structure of this song, it's so lively and inspirational, it fills my heart and soul with such empowerment.

"... the strength we have inside yourself is so more than you will know."

The highly entertaining "Rise and Fall" follows it up. It starts with rockin' beats and wooden laughter. You also get to hear Kiske say "bullshit" which is worth it in itself. The shifting rhythms and quirks of the backing music add to the somewhat comedic, fairy tale feel - as do the lyrics:

"A little dragon could spit fire, but never sought for something bad. He didn't know the knight's desire to throw a lance into his head."

It does make you ask two questions, however: How is luck like a ball? And what exactly did the queen of Los Angeles do with a chair? Sometimes I wonder if Weikath is on something when he writes his quirkier tracks. I mean, sheep?

Another quirky number is "Dr Stein" - a song about Frankenstein. For anyone who has heard Helloween as much as I, the opening chords are unmistakeable. This is probably one of their most famous songs - but there was no video made until it was re-released as part of the "Unarmed" album. Also written by Weikath, the lyrics are somewhat silly and rather fun. The guitars rise and fall in a complicated duet, with the keyboards arcing around them.

The anthemic "We Got the Right" follows. Kiske's voice is in fine form, a powerful tool with less support from the instruments in this piece.

Then it is time to get back into the speed metal with the raging "Save Us".  It is followed up by the equally powerful "March of Time". Two very fine examples of the speed metal genre, back to back. The racing guitars, the clanging drums, and above all, Kiske's voice soaring like the voice of a god, filled with power and glory. I have heard the chords and the rhythms of Helloween's music described as "happy sounding" and it is. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the technical terms to be able to tell you WHY their melodies sound positive whereas others do not, but the lyrics certainly help:

"Life's too short to cry, long enough to try..."

The final normal-length track is "I Want Out" which has an entertaining video. With its enthusiastic rhythms, catchy choruses and charismatic frontman, this track became a hit. Once again, the drums seem a little too high pitched on this piece, not sure if that is intentional or a result of not such great production. Once you start noticing it, however, it becomes a little annoying - and I don't want to be annoyed by this album. It's Helloween - it should be awesome! Everything should be absolutely perfect.

The final track is the epic "Keeper of the Seven Keys" and is a piece so majestic that it inspired me, in my teenage years, to write a highly derivative and pretty cliched fantasy novel. But not one that will ever see the light of day, I promise*.
And just to prove that nothing is ever original and that Helloween inspired other people to do the same thing - here's a D&D comic inspired by the same thing. Seriously, my characters even had similar names!
Anyhow, clocking in at over thirteen minutes long, it almost deserves an entire blog post of its own - but "The Seven Angels" didn't get one, so it isn't going to either.

It starts with light guitar, and Kiske's beautiful low vocals, soaring behind it are classical instruments, rising with power and might. This might be where the roots of Symphonic Metal began.
Our hero ("you") prepares for his coming Quest.
And off he sets, with the drums and guitars keeping pace.
The chorus rises, filled with power and ambition.

 "You're the keeper of the seven keys, to lock up the seven seas. And the seer of visions said before he went blind 'hide them from demons and rescue mankind'."

The first key belongs in the sea of hate, the second the sea of fear.

"Throw the third key into the sea of senselessness and make the people hold each other's hands..."

Fourth goes into the sea of greed.
The fifth into the sea of anger.

Meanwhile, something wicked is stirring, the guitars thrash and race and below it you can hear something growling.

Kiske becomes more urgent and insistent - urging you to "throw the key or you may die...". After the frenzy, the music dies down, mellowing into a haunting echo. Has the key been thrown? Is this the calm before the storm?

And where do the sixth and seventh keys belong? Who knows, it's never defined.

The devil is waiting on the shores of the last lake.
It might have been better to have Kai sing the voice of the devil - Kiske has the voice of an angel.
(Then again, Kai's a dwarf, right).

The guitar heralds the throwing of the key and the ensuring battle between the devil and the hero.
Don't worry, the hero wins and an earthquake swallows the devil down again.
Now it is time to celebrate.

I have noticed that there is a rough edge to this album - it has a slightly raw, untamed feel to it - not the overly polished and produced feel of later albums - such as "Pink Bubbles". I think that is part of the appeal, as it makes you feel closer to the band, making them seem more visceral. Although the higher pitch to the drums gets a little irritating. Also, the quality is not great - I have it at full volume to listen to it and when I put in my new Unisonic CD instead, it almost blew my speakers - it was that much louder. I guess that shows what effect 20+ years has had on sound quality.

Overall, however, this is an awesome album and should be in the collection of anybody who considers themselves a true metal fan.

I'm going to give it a 9.5/10 thanks to those drums.
I'm sorry Ingo...

If anyone does want to buy these two albums - they are now available as a set. Which includes some bonus tracks. These tracks I shall be reviewing in a later post.

* Michael Weikath would totally sue my tail. And as much as I'd like to meet him, in a courtroom over copyright violation is not the time and place for that!

Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius (1993)

This is the third Gamma Ray album and the last with Ralf Scheepers on vocals (he went off to join Primal Fear). It also follows the departure of Uli Kusch who later went on to replace Ingo in Helloween. Interestingly enough, in 2001 he and Roland Grapow were both fired from Helloween via an email from Weikath - which means Weikath may not be the nicest person to work with. I had not known that, but my interest in Helloween had lapsed significantly by the turn of the century. He and Grapow are now in Masterplan.

Anyhow, back to Gamma Ray - this is another rockin' album, harking more to the fun of "Heading for Tomorrow", rather than the more serious "Sigh No More". The music displays a fair amount of playfulness and creativity.

Originally published in 1993, this is the 2005 re-release - which comes with bonus tracks.

The cover is a ying and yang atom, with water and fire, electrons zapping around them. On the back of the booklet, the band are all pulling funny faces, although Dirk Schlater looks more like a zombie than a goofball. The only two I can immediately recognise are Ralf and Kai. Kai actually bears a resemblance to Fangface - maybe it's the grin. Inside they look far more mature and serious - and so young.

Ralf Scheepers also has nearly a four octave range* - varying from high-pitched tenor, to shrieks and a deeper baritone.

The album starts hard and fast with the kick-arse "Tribute to the Past". Gamma Ray are starting to show more Power Metal influences now, although the whole PM genre was only just gaining momentum. The vocals race forward, soaring forth into the chorus, whilst beneath them the drums pound away in speed rhythms.

The rocking "No Return" brings with it catchiness and a good, solid rhythm. Also, Ralf doing his baritone-thing.

"Last Before the Storm" is a somewhat less inspiring number. It's a solid metal song, but not nearly as catchy and more aggressive.

Then into something a little slower, "The Cave Principle" which quickly surges into a rather thrashier number. I've never been sure of the meaning of this song.

Frantic guitar and frenzied drumming leads us into "Future Madhouse" which is as compelling as it is speed metal. The verses are a bit blah, but the bridge and chorus are good and catchy.

"Our future is a madhouse and we all are moving in!"

 The quirkiest track on the album - "Gamma Ray" starts with an odd popping-stretching noise before going into a kinda pop rhythm and rockin' out. This is the editted version - as an added bonus we also get an extended version. It's more rock and has a rather more modern, popular twist to the melodies and rhythms. I always fancied it took a little bit - a mere fragment - of techno into its structure. There's a few explody noises too.

Just found out, this is a cover song. Originally done by a band called Birth Control, whom I've not heard of.

Another lively and inventive number, "Insanity and Genius" has rhythms you could dance to - were you so inclined; good melodies, strong vocals and bizarre lyrics:

"Sometimes my womb bears an actor."

 Slow, melodious and melancholic with shadows of Dire Straits, "18 Years" begins as a ballad. It comes in rather rockier, and Ralf shows that he is capable of holding a note for some time. By the end, it is frantic and urgent.

The next track, "Your Turn is Over" is fast-paced and my least favourite track on this album. Vocalist on this one is Dirk Schlachter. I wondered why the vocals were rather more gutural and aggressive. Guitars and backing instruments are also uninspiring.

In the next track, "Heal Me", Kai takes over the vocal duties. A slower, powerful number. For all his raspy-edge, Kai can do the low and melodic quite well. I wonder what his octave range is (I'm guessing he'll be another almost-four). The song twists and turns - one minute slow and mellow, the next screaming and angry. It's great. My favourite is the fairy-tale/masquerade ending, when the piano/keyboard comes in and brings with it a strangely carnival feeling slightly reminscent of Queen:

"Come on my friend and join the ball and everything is beautiful. Even the band ... is magic. Imagine you're a superstar - you're gonna fly, you're gonna go far... so far!"

"Brothers" is another rockin' number, with the catchy rhythms and deeper vocals courtesy of Ralf. The lyrics are fun and relatively shallow, but there's a general mood of friendship and happiness.

The extended version of "Gamma Ray" follows, bringing more technical noises and a few samples.

This is followed up by a cover of Judas Priest's "Exciter" - which proves Ralf Scheepers might have been a better choice than Ripper Owens. Fast paced and furious, pure thrash and a track that immediately evokes memories in me - as Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengence" was one of the first cassettes I ever owned. I'm not even sure I still have it...

Finally we conclude with another cover - this time of the awesome Helloween track, being performed live (to great celebration from the fans) - "Save Us". Funnily enough, the album the original of this is from is next on my list to play. Ralf does a  commendable job - he was asked to be vocalist of Helloween before they grabbed Kiske (he declined because he thought Tyran Pace were gonna be big. They weren't).

This is an album of highs and lows - there are some spectacular tracks - especially "Heal Me", but also some rather less inspiring numbers. On average though, it's still probably worth an 8/10.

Don't worry, I'll be giving the next GR album a higher ranking. It's "Land of the Free".

* As I have previously noted, does Michael Kiske. However, Kiske's voice is more angelic and powerful, whereas Scheepers has a raw edge.