582. Jorn / Dio. 2010. 4/5

Released scarily just a few short weeks after the sad loss of Ronnie James Dio to cancer, this album is well worth a listen whether you are a fan of either of those two gentlemen or not. Recorded as Jorn's own tribute to a man who is obviously a great influence on his own career, this is an interesting collection of songs.

It leads off with Jorn's own tribute, "Song for Ronnie James", an 8 minute composition that meshes in lyrics and song titles from Dio's career. Though I do think it is a bit long winded, it grew on me over time.
Following this is a selection of songs that intertwines Dio's career with Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his own band Dio. What impresses me most about them is that they are true to the originals musically and vocally, without being exact replicas of them. In essence they are a good updating of each song. Some stand out more than others - for me the best include an awesome version of "Lord of the Last Day", "Kill the King", "Push" and "Invisible" - but overall they are all wonderfully done.

Like all of Dio's music, nothing will ever compare to the originals along with the Master's voice. As one man's (and his band's) tribute to his music, however, this is an excellent album.

583. Ozzy Osbourne / Scream. 2010. 2/5

As per usual, no one really seems to know what is happening with Ozzy Osbourne. In a lot of ways, that is as good as any other explanation for this album, its production and writing and its eventual release. Even for Ozzy there seems to be a lot of action going on in his life without him actually doing anything, and on this album there feels like there has been a lot of rush to produce the songs, get them recorded and get them released, without any real substance being attached to them.

One of the major holes with this album is the (what appears to be final) parting of ways with long time guitarist and collaborator Zakk Wylde - for whatever reason, and from whatever quarter. As always there isn’t a lot of information coming through. Certainly from my point of view, this always meant that there would be a lot more judgement of this album, either positively or negatively. While Zakk has been involved, whether as both songwriter and performer, or even only one of those things, there was a confidence that what was going to be on the album would have a solid base of hope for the material produced. That is not to pre-judge new guitarist Gus G, as he is good enough that he doesn't warrant comparisons with any of Ozzy’s previous guitarists, and his contributions can stand alone.

 
That isn't enough to save this album. It is tired. It is formulaic. It pretty much tries to rehash the success of Ozzy from another era, and wash it up to make it sound like a new version. It fails on this level. Artists that have been around as long as Ozzy are often on a hiding to nothing – if you look to change your style you risk alienating your long-term fans. if you look to stay true to your style you’ve cultivated over years, you could be accused of being unimaginative and unable to move with the times. I think the problem with Scream is that it fails to do either, and so it is stuck in the loop.
Why does it not work? I don't claim to know the full answer, all I know is that this doesn't feel like a traditional Ozzy Osbourne album, nor does it feel like a new venture. Apart from the first single, "Let Me Hear You Scream", which in itself is very formula-written and though it is catchy does tend to become repeatable, there is no magic in the remaining songs on the album. Most of it is stuck in a very similar slow and sludgy rhythm. “Soul Sucker” is a good example of this, as is "Latimer's Mercy", just plodding songs that can't get out of first gear, and yet Gus G’s solos try to rip along at a faster pace which just confuses the whole basis of the song. Either be a grunge song or a metal song, but the complete change of tempo within the song doesn’t work. The opening track “Let it Die” seems to drag on forever in a never-ending malaise. “Life Won’t Wait” and “Diggin’ Me Down” tend to do the same. The tempo of the album just doesn’t get to the point that the songs become fun to listen to. “Fearless” comes closest to working here, with its relatively short punch and faster rhythm throughout making it more enjoyable. “Time” feels like it stretches out for eternity. “I Want it More” is tolerable, while the closing hymn of “I Love You All” is a bit schmaltzy even for latter day Ozzy. And, not to mention that a number of the riffs on this album come close to those on some of the songs on the last three albums. Running out of ideas?

 
Ozzy’s co-writer of the album Kevin Churko has worked with a lot of different artists, such as Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, Papa Roach and... Shania Twain, so the different track these songs have taken, along with no guidance from Zakk or even Gus G as the hired replacement probably goes some way to explaining the lackluster feel of the album.
I can also add that for me there is no desire to hear any of it live, and after the initial rotation that all new albums get on my stereo and assorted mp3 players, it has remained on the shelf, and I’m not sure it will ever come back off it.

Could this be the end for Ozzy? It's quite possible. With the passing of Ronnie James Dio this year, the possibility of a Black Sabbath reunion album with Ozzy back on vocals will no doubt now be resurrected, especially given the success of the Heaven and Hell project over the last four years. An album co-written with Iommi and Butler may be all Ozzy has left to keep his own career afloat. If this album was to signal the end of his music career, it would be a sad way to bow out.

Best: “Let Me Hear You Scream”, “Fearless”.

Rating: “I'll take this rage, rattle your cage, nobody said it's easy!” 2/5.

582. Black Label Society / Order of the Black. 2010. 3.5/5

After a succession of very average albums (unless you enjoy his piano-laden recent releases) it was only out of sheer loyalty to the man that I decided to check out this latest offering. Given that he had been finally cast aside by the Osbourne Foundation, was it possible that he could rekindle his metal spirit and deliver something that fans of Black Label Society's initial releases were craving?
Somewhat surprisingly, the answer is a cautious 'yes'.
Order of the Black is a much better balanced album than anything the band has done since perhaps 1919 Eternal. There are songs here that you can actually get enthusiastic about, sing the lyrics loudly with a lungful of air and even play a little air guitar to. While I admire Zakk's musical ability, it's the heavier songs that really make him what he is, and he had not produced enough of that lately until this album.
OK, they mightn't be the calibre of songs that he had with Ozzy in early 1990's, and his vocals have never been Ozzy's, but that doesn't detract from the product here. To be quite honest, this album outrates Ozzy's Scream on every level. Whether that is much of an achievement is open to question.
My favourites are, probably unsurprisingly, the opening three songs of the album, "Crazy Horse", "Overlord" and "Parade of the Dead", but there are other good songs here too. The two ballads again, for me, tend to destroy the momentum of the album, but better that there are only two and not ten of them.

Those that have abandoned Black Label Society before this should somehow grab a copy and at least give it a try before all hope is lost. I like the album, and to me it does raise some hope that we may yet see more good material from one of the finest guitarists we have seen in the past twenty years.

581. Megadeth / Rust in Peace Live. 2010. 4.5/5

For the past decade it has become a popular pastime for bands to either a) cover an entire album live of one of their influences (see Dream Theater's efforts) or b) play one of your own albums in its entirety live. The decision to record and release these performances is a no brainer, especially when it is arguably your finest album.

Here then is Megadeth, having recently re-recruited founding member Dave Ellefson back into the fold, letting loose with Rust in Peace Live. Though some of the songs have remained in the band's setlist since 1990 ("Holy Wars... The Punishment Due", "Hangar 18" and "Tornado of Souls") some have not been played since the tour of that album, and other never at all. That is why that, as a fan, this album/DVD did not kick in seriously until it reached the third song. "Take No Prisoners" has always been a favourite, and the band really brings it home here, driving with the speed and intensity of the original. Having warmed up by now, they fly on through the remainder of the Rust in Peace album. The musicianship is faultless, and only Dave's vocals in places seem a little forced. Given that it is generally on the songs that the band rarely performs, this is not surprising, and really not an issue. Singing live is not like singing in layers in the studio.
The set is padded out at the end with crowd and band favourites, with "In My Darkest Hour", "She Wolf" and especially the awesome crowd-inducing "Peace Sells" rounding out a fabulous live set.

This is an excellent live release from a band that has rarely compromised and is still able to deliver the best that heavy metal could hope for. More than worth the effort to add to your collection.

580. Helloween / 7 Sinners. 2010. 4/5

Given the chosen directional change that Helloween adapted for their 25th anniversary Unarmed best of album, I can admit that I approached this new album with a certain amount of trepidation. The band had promised their fans that they would be returning to their heavy metal roots for this release, but one could only wait and hope.

So let's say from the outset that Helloween have succeeded in continuing their excellence in releasing yet another powerful album. What is immediately obvious is the pushing forward of the keyboards in the mix in all songs, even more so than for instance Rabbit Don't Come Easy and Gambling With The Devil. While it came as quite a surprise initially, once you are used to it being there so prominantly again you can accept it. After all, the power metal genre relies on keyboards so much, that it shouldn't be a surprise that one of the godfathers of the genre should fall back on one of its key elements (no pun intended).

Everything works here. Dani Loble's drumming is superb, even scintillating in places. With some high profile drummers in the world tinkering with their artform (and not in a good way) it is refreshing to hear a drummer who may not be one of the bigger names outside of Europe, but plays superb breaks and rolls and has a great sound out of his kit. Markus Grosskopf is magnificent on bass again, while guitarists Weikath and Gerstner are both brilliant. Throw in Andi Deris and his still awesome vocals and everything is still working in Helloweenworld.
I love the way the album starts, with "Where the Sinners Go", the anthemic "Are You Metal?" and "Who is Mr Madman?". Other fave songs for me include "World of Fantasy" and "Far in the Future".
While there is still a couple of dalliances with slower songs, it is most definitely the faster and heavier songs that stand apart on the album, and also make the album's mark.
In regards to recent releases, 7 Sinners doesn't quite match up to The Dark Ride or Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy but I think does stack up better than Rabbit Don't Come Easy and Gambling With The Devil. What is most pleasing is that it proves that Helloween are not a fading force, and that they still have plenty to offer the world of metal.

579. Metallica / Six Feet Down Under [EP]. 2010. 2.5/5

An EP released for the start of the 2010 Australian tour, and it seems to have created quite a reaction. Mostly negative.
As a collector and fan of bootlegs, I found it quite easy to listen to this collection. For those people who cannot listen to live recordings unless they are a pristine, 100% reproduction of the songs as they appear on the studio albums, there is no use coming near this release. In the long run, this wasn't released for those fans.
On the other hand, if you are a Metallica fan, who has seen the band on all of their tours of Australia, this is an interesting trip down memory lane. And THAT is who this release is for.

Containing two songs from each of their Australian tours (1989, 1993, 1999 and 2004), the quality of each song varies from location to location, and era to era. And that is how it should be. Just because Metallica now record every show they do, and offer it for sale at LiveMetallica.com does not mean they always did, and if you want a record of their material from those early eras, then bootlegs are your only choice.

So - my low rating for this EP does not come from the quality of the recording. It comes from the song selection. Quite simply, I do not like four of the eight songs here - "The Unforgiven", "Low Man's Lyric", "Devil's Dance" and "Frantic" are below par Metallica songs. They don't cut it, from an era of Metallica that, for me, is a bit hard to swallow.

If you enjoy the albums from the 90's, ignore the quality of the recordings and enjoy Metallica in their great live setting. If you are more a fan from the 80's era, then apart from the two brilliant songs here from ...And Justice For All you are probably like me in being able to put this aside.

578. Metallica / Six Feet Down Under Part II [EP]. 2010. 4.5/5

Second EP released for the Australian tour, this one A+ live recordings from the first half of the tour in September 2010.

All the songs played here are from Metallica's heyday, off the first four albums of the band's career. The sound quality is excellent, and they sound great. You have to accept the fact that Hetfield doesn't sing them the same way as he did 20 years ago - his whole way of singing changed after blowing out his voice on the Metallica album, and so there are a few cringe-worthy moments when he sings certain lines in a high sappy voice rather than the stinging anger-filled scream of youth. You also have to accept the fact that Ulrich is not going to play the drums the same way as he did on the albums, and even live up until the mid-1990's. His live kit has diminished to a size such that even learner drummers now possess more equipment, and he simply can't play the songs the same way as he originally recorded them.

Given that, Hetfield and Hammett still smoke on guitar, and Kirk's solo's are still awesome. Trujillo's bass and backing vocals do the job, and the eight songs produced are some of their finest. All in all, a worthy addition to your Metallica collection.

577. Iron Savior / Iron Savior. 1997. 3.5/5

When you set yourself up to write a story, it needs to be one that is engaging, even if it is only the basis of a music album. Given that it is also the first album you put out as a band, it would want to be a little higher on the scale, otherwise it will be picked to pieces. Iron Savior probably didn’t have a lot to lose, but maybe just a point to prove. Given those who were involved in the infancy of the band, those of us who bought the album when it first came out expected a great deal.

It starts off with the right credentials for a power metal album. The songs are driven by Thomas Stauch’s double kick and the twin guitars of Sielck and Hansen. Piet Sielck’s vocals are adequate – perhaps a little rough around the edges, but for the most part are good enough to get away with. “Atlantis Falling”, “Brave New World”, “Iron Savior” and “Riding on Fire” are all good mood songs, with “Riding on Fire” a particular favourite of mine.
The middle of the album seems to get tied down with emulating a stereo-typical power metal album, by throwing in the slow power ballad-ish type song. All this does is interrupt the flow of the album, thus either sending the listener to sleep, or encouraging them to skip the song(s) or turn it off. As can be seen from my other reviews of such albums, this is a common complaint of mine, and to my ears at least tends to bring an album down.
The glittering diamond of this album is that Gamma Ray’s Kai Hansen, one of Sielck’s best friends plays, sings and must surely have been more involved in the writing than has ever been actually said. Kai’s song “Watcher in the Sky”, the only song he performs lead vocals on, featured on the Gamma Ray album Somewhere Out in Space as a precursor to this album being released. This no doubt served two purposes – one, it is Kai’s song, and he wanted it to still be a part of his band, and two, to funnel the Gamma Ray fan base toward buying this album and experiencing what it had to offer. Though I may be biased, “Watcher in the Sky” is the best song on the album. Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian also lends his vocal support on the song “For the World” which follows, and it is these two songs that bring the album back up a notch at the end, which comes with the Nazareth cover “This Flight Tonight”.

This is a more than respectable debut album, with all its flaws and highlights. Better was to come down the road, when the band had ironed out the kinks and discovered the sound it really wanted.

576. Iron Maiden / Iron Maiden. 1980. 5/5

Thirty years ago today (April 14) Iron Maiden’s eponymous album was released, and the world hasn’t been the same since. There is no doubt that this band is one of the major influences of the heavy metal genre, and this release was the beginning of a tide of greatness.

Though many of those both in the band and around the band have decried the production on this album, and suggested that it eventually harms the way that they view (metaphorically) this release, in many ways it is the production that allows it to retain its charm and greatness. Certainly the album is tied to the era because of its sound, but that just makes the actual songs and music even more powerful, because it is so easy to hear how far ahead of their contemporaries they actually were by the riffs and rolls that they played. Sure, better production may have increased that, but the reality is that everything here still holds up against everything in the past thirty years, and that this album is still unique as it is.

“Prowler” was a hit in London pubs for a year before this album actually came out, having been a part of the original demo that had been pushed by people like Neal Kay, and had also appeared on the bands self-published The Soundhouse Tapes. It immediately puts forward Maiden’s main strengths – the twin guitars, one playing the rhythm and the other putting out a lead track, the solid drum beat that holds them together, the bass line that was just a little out of the ordinary for a typical rock band, and the vocals that were not classical, not punk, but a very complementary fusing of the two. In particular, Steve Harris’ bass line and Dave Murray’s lead guitaring are immediately at the forefront.
The band’s versatility then becomes obvious with “Remember Tomorrow”, a slow and gentle bass line with Di’anno’s vocals over the top, which then explodes into the heavy guitar riff of the first ‘chorus’ break. Then duplicate, into the dual lead break, before finishing on a high. Try and convince me Metallica didn’t have this song in mind when they wrote “Fade to Black”. This kind of change in song orientation was to become one of the hallmarks of Iron Maiden.
“Running Free” is the pub anthem that became the stadium anthem. Another head banging-type of bass line from Harris, followed by the ‘boy on the town’ lyrics and catchy sing-along chorus makes it a natural for the pub environment.
Then came the song that no one was doing, because it was just so far in advance of what heavy metal was that Iron Maiden were still inventing it. “Phantom of the Opera” is a quintessential classic, a song that had no right to have been written or recorded at that time. Steve Harris wrote a bass line that began matching twin guitar riffs, played it like a guitar, but with his fingers on a bass guitar. One of his most extraordinary efforts. Along with Clive Burr’s superb drumming that almost began matching the guitars in the same way, and with lyrics that began a tradition in the band, written about movies and books, this song is one of the most complete heavy metal songs ever written, and it was one of this band’s first released. Most would consider this to be one of the top ten Maiden songs. I certainly do.
This is followed up by the pacey instrumental “Transylvania”, which again showcases the wonderful way this band plays together. It flows almost unnoticed into the very underrated “Strange World”. In the same way that “Remember Tomorrow” does, “Strange World” shows that a heavy metal band can write and perform a song which may be slower and/or less heavy, but that does not compromise their principles. This is a triumph, highlighted again by Steve Harris’ bass line that wanders up and down throughout.
Speed returns with the first of the “Charlotte the Harlot” episodes, surprisingly entitled “Charlotte the Harlot”. Some people have said to me that they consider this song ‘childish’. Well, boo-hoo to you. All I can say is that every time it comes on, I can’t help but sing it out loud, arm raised in a Di’anno fist pump each time “Charlotte the Harlot” is sung during the chorus, and raising the Di’anno middle finger to the line “Let me see love!” It’s still catchy, and still great to sing along to.
The album concludes with the self-titled track, one the band must have now played a billion times, and is another that any Maiden fan can’t help singing along to. But maybe (just maybe) they could give it a rest live and play something else.

Thirty years is an amazing length of time, not only to find that an album can still stand up, and to realise what the band has done since then, but to then realise what you as an individual has done in that time, and how long this album has been a part of your life.

Thirty years later, and this album is still awesome, and one you can still draw inspiration from.

575. Scorpions / Sting in the Tail. 2010. 3/5

There has probably been more publicity surrounding the fact that this album apparently signals the final act for the Scorpions as a band than anything else, and perhaps it is this smoke screen that is being used to hide the fact that it has some failings.
The announcement that this would be the band’s final album, hoping to ‘retire’ while still at the top of their game, certainly drew some interest from me. However, I was more interested to see how they would follow up their finest album in almost 30 years, 2007’s Humanity: Hour 1.

Following on from the breaking of the Scorpions mould on their last album, this is a follow up that plays it straight down the line in order to try and keep all their fans of all genres happy, and in the process really not making anyone excited. The opening songs prove to be very much in the role of their typical nineties stuff, in a hard rock mode but without the great anthems that they flooded us with during the 1980's. "Raised on Rock", "Sting in the Tail", "No Limit" and "Rock Zone" leave you in no doubt that the band is trying to reinvest their past sound into their current music. There are also the typical Scorpions power ballads, which, I must say, don't quite hit the mark this time around.
In fact, the whole album is just off the track, and in trying to tie down what it is that just doesn't make it for me, I can come to a couple of conclusions - it is a very generic album, and it’s obvious that the band has played it very safe in the writing process. Being their final release, they have obviously gone out and tried to capture both lyrically and musically the best and most successful of their past, and recreate it here as a fitting finale for themselves and their fans. Though I hesitate to use the word, some of it is quite boring because of that, and in essence brings to the table the kind of emotion they were inevitably trying to prevent.
It's not a bad album, but it won't be memorable for the music, but only because (at this point) it will be their final release.

If they had announced that they were calling it a day after Humanity: Hour 1 I would have kicked up a stink, suggesting that they still had plenty left in the tank. Having now listened to Sting in the Tail a dozen times, I can honestly suggest that the band gets out and does a farewell World Tour – including coming to Australia, because we've only been waiting 30+ years – and then take a well earned rest, because maybe the bottom of the well is in sight.

574. Motörhead / Iron Fist. 1982. 3.5/5

It had been a heady five years for Motörhead by the time 1982 rolled around. Four excellent studio albums, each which had grown their fan base with their release, followed by a live album that showcased just what they brought to the stage when they were out on the road. Sometimes it would be easy to rest on your laurels, but the band still had plenty in reserve. Following up two albums such as Ace of Spades and No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith would have been a daunting task for many bands, but Motörhead just take it in their stride and pound out another release full of the songs that make them who they are.

From the beginning of Iron Fist it is undeniably a Motörhead album. The signature “NENG-A-NENG-ANENG, NENG-A-NENG-ANENG” of Lemmy’s bass rifles through the songs, along with the voice of a man who must have sandpaper on his vocal chords – unique and unreproducible. The guitaring and drumming from Motörhead alumni ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke and ‘Philthy’ Phil Taylor is also at its best here. The musicianship of the album is top shelf and once again the production brings out the best in the songs. The difference between the early recording of their debut album and now is actually quite astonishing. Whereas it was punky and distorted on those first recordings, the tracks here are really quite polished but lose none of their power and aggression.
There are songs on this album that for me are as good as anything that Motörhead has written, but there are also a couple of songs that if they aren’t considered as filler material then they are just not very good. The opening title track of “Iron Fist” is a perfect start, strong in music base and lyrically. “Heart of Stone” continues in the same vein with Taylor’s fast paced 2/4 drumming and a great riff from Clarke driving the song. The tongue-in-cheek “I’m the Doctor” still sounds great, and while I like “Go to Hell” it is a bit generic and repetitive musically. “Loser” is much the same, while “Sex & Outrage” and “America” contribute to this middle part of the album which does noticeably affect the flow of the album.
Still, it picks up from here, as “Shut it Down” and “Speedfreak” are just sensational, played at a speed that I believe produces the best material that Motörhead plays. This is followed by the hard fighting “(Don't Let 'em) Grind You Down” and “(Don't Need) Religion” which leave nothing to the imagination. “Bang to Rights” is the perfect closing track to the album, continuing the vibe of the second half of the album with power and pace to the very end.

Iron Fist continues to be one of my favourite Motörhead albums. Though it may not get the accolades of some of their other releases, this still has the ingredients and the personnel to make it stand up against other releases. This was the final album that these three played on together as Motorhead, with Fast Eddie Clarke moving on during the tour following its release. I still fail to see or hear why the band was so disappointed in this album. There are certainly a couple of tracks that could have either been reworked or dropped altogether, but the great moments generally outweigh these dead patches.

Rating: “Words are cheap and talk is free”. 3.5/5

573. Tony Iommi / Iommi. 2000. 3.5/5

As we entered into the new millenium, it was becoming more and more obvious that Black Sabbath as a real and functioning band was finished. Ozzy didn't look as though he wanted to do new material with the original line-up, and the Tony Martin-fronted line-up had also probably gone its distance as well.
What, then, was to become of the brilliant and genre-defining guitarist Tony Iommi? Back in 1984 when he tried to put together a solo album, it got tagged as a Black Sabbath release. Could he do something again, this time just as his own project? As it turned out, he could, although it would take a few years of prepping and recording, and a lot of guests to help out.

Here then is Iommi, an album written by Tony and co-written and co-guesting different vocalists on each track. As a result, it feels and sounds more like a 'collection' than an 'album', as there is not a lot of cohesion between tracks. That doesn't make it a bad album as such, but if there are vocalists that you don't like involved (there are) then it makes it difficult to enjoy the songs that they are involved in (it does).
Probably what also hinders the concept is that a lot of the riffs sound like they have been recycled from those more recent Black Sabbath albums, and to be fair a lot of those songs just don't rate highly. It wouldn't be fair to say that Iommi has run out of riffs, but they just don't seem to come so good as frequently as they used to.
The favourites for me on the album include Henry Rollins on "Laughing Man (In The Devil Mask)", Dave Grohl with Brian May on "Goodbye Lament" and Billy Corgan on "Black Oblivion", though it does stretch on a little too long. The songs with high profile vocalists, such as "Time Is Mine" with Phil Anselmo, "Who's Fooling Who" with Ozzy and "Into The Night" with Billy Idol, just don't live up to the hype, and perhaps suffer a little because of it.

Again, as I said, as a collective of songs based around the centrepiece of Tony Iommi's guitaring, it isn't a bad effort. Those looking for a post-Sabbath future, like myself, were left to further ponder what it may hold beyond this.

572. Ratt / Invasion of Your Privacy. 1985. 4/5

For me, this is one of those albums that will always be shrouded in the memories it brings back to me every time I play it. On a 90 minute cassette I had this recorded on one side, and Motley Crue's Shout At The Devil on the other, and throughout the end of high school in 1986 and 1987 this copped a caning. So the good memories alone create a high standing for this album.

Ratt's second album is a winner in most respects. In my opinion it has no weak moments. Every song backs up the other, linking together as one to make a terrific album. I guess the three singles released from the album - the opener "You're In Love", "Lay It Down" and "What You Give Is What You Get" - are the songs that many people speak of as the best, and they have a solid point. However, to me they are no better than "Never Use Love", "Give It All", "Closer To My Heart" or "You Should Know By Now", just for instance sake. While there is a similar theme running throughout the album both lyrically and musically, it doesn't impede on the enjoyment of songs on a singular listening level. Unlike some albums where there is such similarity, I don't have any problems being able to pick out the songs when they are played. That, of course, may well be just because I know the album so well.

Stephen Pearcy's vocals are at their best here, while the twin guitars of Robbin Crosby and Warren De Martini are just awesome.

Overall, this is one of the best ever albums of the hair metal genre, and for me it is definitely Ratt's best release. And whenever I hear it it still takes me back to driving in my 1970 two door Valiant, charging around the streets with this in the cassette deck.

571. Faith No More / Introduce Yourself. 1987. 3.5/5

Probably a better effort song-wise, and certainly better production-wise than their first album, Introduce Yourself is still a much maligned album in the history of Faith No More which is probably unfortunate.

Whether you love Chuck Mosely, or you hate him, the fact remains that the rest of the band was the core of the music, and their musicianship is second-to-none. The one man who stands up again here is Jim Martin, who guitaring was possibly the forefront of the band until the scene-stealing Mike Patton showed up for the next release.
There are some great songs here though. Leading the way are "Anne's Song", "The Crab Song" and the anthemic "Introduce Yourself", which is probably my favourite song on the album. One can only imagine just how 'popular' this song may have become to the masses if it wasn't for the updated and remodelled version of "We Care a Lot" that accompanies it here. For the masses it was this song that ended up becoming the crowd favourite at live performances, though for me "Introduce Yourself" could have been that song too.

Though somewhat buried by the mega-success the band experienced with their next album, Introduce Yourself deserves respect for paving the way for that eventual success.

570. Stratovarius / Intermission. 2001. 3/5

Intermission this most certainly is, with a bundle of tracks that only a hardy few could proclaim to have experienced a majority of before this release came along.

The first four songs are all "previously unreleased tracks", and surprisingly for these type of tracks they are pretty good. I say surprisingly, because if they haven't been released before, then there must have been a reason why in the first place. In this instance, the first two songs "Will My Soul Ever Rest in Peace?" and "Falling Into Fantasy" are both fine examples of Stratovarius titles. Perhaps the other two are not in the finest catagory.

Following this are three cover songs. Judas Priest's "Bloodstone", is okay, but really lacks the original's power. Rainbow's "Kill the King", again just doesn't have the same quality of the original. I originally heard this on the tribute album Holy Dio: A Tribute to the Voice of Metal: Ronnie James Dio, which strangely has two versions of this song on it - the one by Stratovarius and the one by Primal Fear. Sadly for the Strats, Primal Fear's version craps all over this one. Thirdly is another Rainbow song, a live version of "I Surrender", which is a much better effort than the previous two songs here.

Following this is a bunch of extra songs from singles and box sets and the like, the majority from Japanese editions which always seem to carry these types of songs to entice their citizens to buy their own editions rather than those from overseas. The quality of tracks is a mixture.

Overall, this is worth a listen. Whether you will come back to it often is open to question, but as a rarity of sorts it is something a fan of the band will want to possess a copy of.

569. Iron Savior / Interlude. 1999. 3.5/5

Following on the heels of their impressive first two albums, this EP (in name only, surely) is a welcome follow up as the band stopped to catch their breath.

The first five songs were all recorded live during the band’s set at Wacken Open Air festival in 1998.
The live versions of these songs are interesting. All the studio versions have Piet Sielck’s vocals layered through them, which makes a great effect in the studio. Out here live, though, and without that ability, they have a different quality. “Iron Savior” doesn’t have quite the same feel as the original because of this. “Riding on Fire” sounds great still, with Kai’s backing vocals complementing brilliantly. “Watcher in the Sky” is still Kai’s song, and he executes it perfectly.

Four new studio songs have been added after this. All are similar in nature to those found off the band’s second album, Unification. They have a very B-side feel to them, as though they were left-over songs from their last effort, and have been added here to ensure they are used. “The Hatchet of War” is probably the best of these four songs.
The final song is a cover of Judas Priest’s “Desert Plains”, the band being an obvious influence on all the band members youth.

In all, that makes ten songs on this ‘EP’, which is great value for the fans. The disc also has video of the Wacken gig which can be seen on a computer, and has been often on mine.
This is a worthwhile listen, if only for the fact that it has the only live material so far released by the band, and has Kai Hansen heavily involved, which can only be a bonus.

568. Dio / Intermission. 1986. 4.5/5

Back in 1986, in the middle of the Sacred Heart tour, guitarist Vivian Campbell quit the band, and former Guiffria guitarist Craig Goldy was drafted in to take his place. Amongst the confusion, Dio released this live (apart from one song) EP entitled Intermission, perhaps as a way of introducing Goldy to Dio fans, perhaps just to put some more material out there to keep the fans happy.

No matter what the plan, here then is Dio live sans Campbell, which to me was somewhat of a tragedy, as he was a hero of mine at the time (still is, I guess). And no matter how good this sounds, you immediately notice the difference in the guitaring between the original versions with Vivian, and the live versions with Craig. Now there’s nothing wrong with it being different – a guitarist should be able to put his own stamp on songs in a band – but it just isn’t Vivian, and I can’t get past that!
The live versions are also noticeable for the greater influence the keyboards have, certainly more pronounced here than they are on the studio versions.

Away from all of this, Intermission is a worthy instalment in the Dio legacy. A selection of the band’s best is here, along with an excellent medley version of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Children” with Rainbow’s “Long Live Rock and Roll” and “Man on the Silver Mountain”. Slap in the middle (which was Track One of Side Two for those that had the vinyl like me) is the only studio track on the album, “Time to Burn”. It mightn’t be a world beater, but it again introduces Craig Goldy’s guitaring to the Dio universe, and is catchy enough.

This was released in Australia just before his tour in September 1986, and served as an excellent appetiser to that wonderful moment when I first saw Dio live. As a live EP in a collection of a career spanning five decades, it a pretty fair listen still.

567. Yngwie Malmsteen / Instrumental Best Album. 2004. 3/5

Wow! What an innovative idea! Yngwie Malmsteen puts out a best of album that contains just his instrumental work! Can you believe it?

Well – let’s look at it. He has spent the better part of three decades trying to become a commercial star, with the singles he released become more and more pop-rock oriented. When that doesn’t work, and in fact puts a big dent in his popularity, he decides (or his record company decides…) to try and buy back a little bit of the lost fans, and put together a compilation of his vocal-less work.

Anyway, the songs here showcase Yngwie’s guitaring to the hilt. There is lots of flash and lots of flailing. Whether you could actually say it is his ‘instrumental best’ when it doesn’t contain “Black Star” and “Far Beyond The Sun”, the two songs that made everyone stand up and take notice of Yngwie back in 1984. Still, if you want to listen to the man show off his stuff, then this is worth a listen.

566. Dio / Donington Monsters of Rock Festival 22-8-1987 [Bootleg]. 1987. 5/5

Ah, Donington. If only we could all travel to England and see this festival. Well, and also travel back in time. One day I'll build that DeLorian...

This is a brilliant bootleg of Dio's set from the 1987 festival, taken from the Dream Evil tour, and is the first time I have heard anything from this tour. It is soundboard recording, meaning A+ sound.
It's great to hear the songs chosen from the album live - "Dream Evil", "Naked in the Rain" and "All the Fools Sailed Away". They all sound superb. In fact, the entire set list is awesome. Great versions of "Neon Knights", an absolutely blistering performance of "The Last in Line", which moves seamlessly through "Holy Diver" and "Heaven and Hell", a sensational rendition of "Rock 'n' Roll Children", the great Rainbow songs "Long Live Rock and Roll" and "Man on the Silver Mountain", and not forgetting "Rainbow in the Dark". Every song is at its peak.

Ronnie himself is is awesome form. I'm not sure he has ever sounded better on a live album that he does here. His voice is just so powerful and awe-inspiring, it sends chills down the spine. Backed by Craig Goldy, Jimmy Bain, Vinny Appice and Claude Schnell, this is a scintillating hour of some of the best music Dio has given us up until 1987. I don't have enough superlatives to praise this effort enough. If only I had been there in person. 23 years later, I can at least be happy with this recording, and to finally hear it in all its glory.

565. Yngwie Malmsteen / Inspiration. 1996. 4/5

So this album is supposed to represent the Inspiration of Yngwie Malmsteen’s career. No problems there, it’s actually a pretty good idea to base a covers album around. With eleven songs recorded, you’d think that it would have a pretty fair range of artists to showcase what it is that has made Yngwie the guitarist that he is today.

Error.

Two songs come from the influential Jimi Hendrix, and that’s fine. He probably deserves two. Other songs come from UK (whoever they are), Rush, Kansas (and really – “Carry On Wayward Son” does seem to get a fair hearing from a lot of artists in regards to being covered, or cited as an influence – but I just don’t see it myself. I think the song is dull and uninspiring) and Scorpions (and there are a hundred better songs to do than “The Sails of Charon”, but that’s just me).
That leaves five more songs, which end up being four Deep Purple songs and a Rainbow song – all of which the original version feature one Ritchie Blackmore on guitar. So it’s fairly probable that Ritchie was a pretty influential person on Yngwie’s career! The Rainbow song, “Gates of Babylon” also appeared on Holy Dio: A Tribute to the Voice of Metal: Ronnie James Dio, and on the sleeve notes all Yngwie talks about is his love of Ritchie Blackmore, and doesn’t mention the subject of the tribute album at all! I guess that’s Yngwie though in a nutshell. Apart fro that – all great Deep Purple songs as well, and these versions are great, if perhaps a little overburdened by the guitar side of things.
The songs feature three main lead vocalists – Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals and Joe Lynn Turner, and each does a good job of their renditions. There is no argument with the musicianship and the quality of Yngwie’s guitaring. Like most cover albums though, eventually you just want the original rather than the re-recorded.

Well worth a listen – but as good a guitarist as Yngwie is, what this proves is that a great guitarist in one era is still a great guitarist in another, and the original guitarists in the original songs have lost none of their lustre.

564. W.A.S.P. / Inside the Electric Circus. 1986. 4/5

Like another "third" album I've just reviewed (Gamma Ray's Insanity and Genius) this is a mixed bag and a little uneven, with some classic songs and others that are not forgettable, but slightly unmemorable.

Probably a little strangely, there are two cover songs on this album - Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor", the version here which is just brilliant, and has become one of W.A.S.P's greatest hits. The riff throughout is spectacular, and they have made this their own in the same way as Judas Priest did with "Diamonds and Rust". The other cover is Uriah Heep's "Easy Living" which is also one of the better songs on the album. It is just a little funny that having put together two great albums of original material, the band (sorry - Blackie) felt it necessary to put two cover songs in here to 'pad it out'. Had they/he run out of ideas? No matter - it works, and they are great, and it wouldn't be the last cover tune on a W.A.S.P. album.

There is plenty to like here. The title track “Inside the Electric Circus” is a great opener. “Restless Gypsy” and "I'm Alive" are both great songs that follows the W.A.S.P. doctrine. And while songs like “9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y” and “Shoot From the Hip” and “Sweet Cheetah” and “Mantronic” are good songs, they are all very similar musically and even lyrically. With the exception of “I'm Alive” and "Easy Living", the second half of the album (second side if you owned this on vinyl like I did back in the day) is almost like one long song. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at times it becomes monotonous.

In the long run, either because the album is good on its own merits, or because I have owned and listened to it for so many years I don’t count the flaws against it, I still love this album. It is the poor cousin as such of the two preceding and two following studio albums, but it still holds a place in my heart.

563. Gamma Ray / Insanity and Genius. 1993. 3.5/5

This is certainly the most haphazard Gamma Ray release ever, and given that there were some troubles in the recording of the album with missing band members, it isn't too much of a surprise.

The album starts off as brilliantly as one would expect. "Tribute to the Past" and "Last Before the Storm" were both re-recorded later on with Kai singing on Blast From the Past, and to be prefectly honest I prefer those versions of the songs. But the songs as they appear here are still brilliant in their original form. They envelope "No Return" which equals these two songs.
From here I feel the album is just a bit uneven. Two songs are left to other band members to sing - the live favourite "Heal Me" by Kai, and "Your Torn Is Over" by Dirk. Both are good songs, and certainly a change without Ralf's vocals. I'm not as big a fan of "Heal Me" as most other Gamma Ray fans seem to be. I think it's OK but not brilliant.
In all honesty, the remainder of the album I can either take or leave. "The Cave Principle" and "Future Madhouse" are both just average songs and don't really draw any enthusiasm out of me. The Birth Control cover "Gamma Ray" is a novelty by being the same name as the band, but for me isn't that great. "Insanity and Genius" and "Brothers" are probably the better of this group.

This was Ralf's final album with Gamma Ray, and though he has made an excellent fist of his move to Primal Fear, in some way this album seems to suffer from his appearance (or lack of it, according to reports on the recording of the album). It is a pity that his final fling with the band proves to be a little disappointing. The golden age of Gamma Ray began with their following album, Land of the Free. It's funny how I almost missed it, as after this album my adoration of the band went a little cold, and I didn't rush out to find the next release straight away. Imagine if I hadn't! But that was how ths album left me in the long run - a little uneasy, and not really sure if they could recover.

562. Iron Maiden / Infinite Dreams [Live Single]. 1989. 5/5

One of two live singles released to coincide with the Maiden England video, recorded on the Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour in 1988.

This contains three excellent live renditions three song - “Infinite Dreams”, “Killers” and “Still Life” – none of which appeared on the eponymous Live After Death, which not only makes it worthwhile buying for that reason, but to sample how these brilliant songs are almost improved in a live setting. Bruce’s vocals are probably the key here, as being able to sing them almost note for note as the studio versions is a remarkable thing. If you don’t have this single, you won’t be disappointed.

561. Queen / Innuendo. 1991. 4.5/5

In a different time and age, it was sometimes difficult to find out what date albums would be released, and then it depended on what record store you were going to, and whether they kept your genre of music, as to whether they would even have it on said date. Innuendo for me was one of those albums that I got on the day of release, forgoing my lunch break to rush off to the record store to secure my copy.
Given that touring was no longer an option for the band with Freddie’s illness, the band had plenty of time to spend in a studio, allowing them to experiment and throw in whatever instrumental pieces they wanted to, almost like The Beatles had in their latter years. Most of that is showcased here, with an eclectic mix of faster, slower, intricate, big-band, orchestral and quieter songs.

There are absolute gems. “Innuendo” is almost an album in itself, the work that goes into that song is amazing. “Headlong” is probably the best pure hard rock song on the album. “I Can’t Live With You” is another great song, Freddie’s vocal’s here are just awesome, reaching all the depths and heights without a care in the world.
“Ride the Wild Wind” is one of my favourite all-time Queen songs, as much for John Deacon’s fantastic bass line running through the song. It is the perfect combination of all of their talents - Brian’s eclectic guitaring, Roger’s perfect drum beat and Freddie’s vocals. It is the equal, if not the better, of every other song in their catalogue. Many people feel that “The Show Must Go On” is the song that has become the final legacy of Queen. For me it is “Ride the Wild Wind” – for me everything that is great about Queen is in this song.

There are also the average, the songs that just don’t quite seem to fit, the songs that are just that little too much varied in their style for my liking on the album. “All God’s People” and “Delilah” are two songs that for me bring down the quality of the album, not from a musicianship sense, but just in the sense that they are probably not my style of song. You can add to this “These Are the Days of Our Lives” – not because of the quality of the song, but again just not to my individual taste. Ditto for “Bijou”.

Having torn the album apart to try and give a rating song by song, when you listen to it from pillar to post, it all comes together in a wonderful meshing of all styles, and just becomes Queen. Whilst in my personal opinion there are albums that are marginally better than this one, this is still at the top of the pile.

560. DragonForce / Inhuman Rampage. 2006. 2/5

When I first heard a song by this band (it happened to be “My Spirit Will Go On” off Sonic Firestorm) I was amazed at everything to do with it – the frenetic guitars, the amazing vocals, the precision drumming and the rhythmic keyboards. It all seemed to blend into a wonderful mesh of power metal glory.
Little was I to know that it appears that they just seem to reproduce the same song ten times over, record them and then call it an album. And repeat.

I can’t help but feeling I must be missing something, but all the facts are before me once again. The squeals and twiddles on the guitars are the same during each solo break. The breaks to allow the vocals to punctuate in the middle of the song are the same. The build-up to resumption at this point is the same. All the songs seem to be 7+ minutes of the same thing. The melodies are either all exactly the same or so similar it is impossible to tell the difference.
There is nothing wrong with having a standard set up with your sound and song format. However, by album number three I reckon you’d have at least SOME variety in song structure. But no, it appears we are going with the same tried and true formula, except that for me, it has worn too thin to hide. It obviously works for them. I meet lots of 18-25 year olds who think they are the greatest thing around. Perhaps these guys just aren’t aiming at me.

In the long run, there is enough here to like if you a) don’t look too far beneath the surface, and b) don’t mind a bit of repetition. I have since decided against following up on future releases.

559. The Cavalera Conspiracy / Inflikted. 2008. 2.5/5

I’m guessing a lot of people would have gone out of their way to check this out purely for the fact that the Cavalera boys had worked together again. Count me in as one of that crowd. Though I had never been a huge fan of Sepultura, I had listened to enough of their stuff, and seen them live twice, to make it worth my while to see what they had to offer now.

There is nothing new or startling on offer here, which is not to denigrate the album before I’ve started. This follows a formulaic theme, unlike Sepultura’s groundbreaking early material. But these guys were a part of that, so this shouldn’t be seen as being that kind of album. It is a reunion of sorts, and while I was able to take in a lot of this kind of material when I was 20, I can’t quite take it in large doses now that I’m 40. Actually – I’m not sure I could when I was 20 either. :)

“Inflikted”, “The Doom of All Fires”, "Bloodbrawl" and “Sanctuary” rate with me as the better tracks on the album. The fans of the lads will no doubt enjoy this immensely and play it ad nauseum. As I have done over the last couple of days, I can put it on and listen to it, but I have no desire for continued repeat listenings.

558. Stratovarius / Infinite. 2000. 2.5/5

I’m still not sure whether this album signalled the conclusion of what I would consider to be the Stratovarius golden age, or if that happened on one of the previous releases. In any respect, having had the album on rotation for the past couple of days it has been increasingly difficult to listen to it on a constant basis. The major reason behind this is that, once you get through the opening two songs the album seems rather bland and tame, without something to jump out and grab you with intent.

The album starts off OK with “Hunting High and Low” and “Millenium” very much in the typical vein of this band’s songs. However, the accursed power metal ballad rears its ugly head here with “Mother Gaia”, which I’m afraid is a truly terrible song, and reminds me of what I despise most about power metal. I must admit that I don’t understand having such a song so early in an album, as it completely changes the tone and stops the momentum. From this point on, it is very hard to save what follows, but “Phoenix” makes a valiant effort to do so. “Glory of the World” is also a much better up-tempo song. The songs are full of Jorg Michael’s double kick drums and Jens Johansson’s keyboards, which perhaps both dominate just a little too much. The songs here are at their best when it is the guitaring that dominates, and not the keyboards. The solo’s in “A Million Light Years Away” is a case in point – they sound great, but once the keyboards take back over the song loses its strength.

If you are in the right mood for this album it is still (for the most part) a good listen. Timo’s vocals are still spot on, and if the mix between guitars and keyboards was switched so that the keys were more in the background instead of basically dominating, then this could have been a terrific album. Instead, it is another average release that doesn’t make you gag, but leave’s you just a little disappointed in the end result.

557. Dio / Inferno: Last in Live. 1998. 4/5

This live album, the first one released for the band Dio (apart from the 1986 EP Intermission), always had one huge hurdle in its path. This was recorded on the tour to promote the most average album Dio has ever released, Angry Machines, and as a result has a couple of those included on this release. Fortuitously for everyone, the songs “Double Monday” and “Hunter of the Heart” sound much better live than they do on the studio album.
Add to this the inclusion of “Drum Solo” and “Guitar Solo”, which is an automatic ‘skip’ when you listen to most live albums. Vinny Appice has been playing the same drum solo for 30 years, and Tracey G does do a good enough job on the guitar, but no matter how skilful both are with their instruments, it really isn’t that interesting to listen to in the comfort of your home (or car or workplace for that matter).

Taking all of that into account, this is still an excellent live album. Dio’s vocals are as wonderful as ever, and take centre stage as they always have. The music itself feels a bit sludgy at times (very much in keeping with how Angry Machines sounds), which is either the way Tracey G plays it (possible) or the way RJD wanted it at the time (probable - though he soon realised it was a mistake). The setlist is mostly from the definitive first three albums of the band’s career, and they all sound great. There is also a great version of Deep Purple’s “Mistreated” (which Ronnie also played in his time in Rainbow) and Black Sabbath’s “The Mob Rules”. You cannot fault the material here, though the complete lack of any songs off Dream Evil and Lock Up the Wolves is a slight disappointment. In the long run this is a pretty fair live album, which the band would eventually outstrip in two future releases, Evil or Divine: Live in New York City and Holy Diver Live.

556. Therapy? / Infernal Love. 1995. 2.5/5

Following up an album like Troublegum is no mean feat, and I know at the time of this release I was probably over excited about the outcome of this new album. As in most instances of this occurring I was a little more than mildly disappointed in the result, and having given it a listen for a couple of weeks the CD went back into the cabinet with only fleeting glances in the following years, and generally for only a few chosen songs. So I have pulled it out once again to reminisce, to find out if age has soothed or damaged its reputation, and to review here. In the long run, I found that my opinion had changed very little over the years.

It opens at a cracking pace, with “Epilepsy” and “Stories” both terrific tracks. The energy of the songs perform the duty of the opening tracks of an album, they draw you in and excite your senses for what is to come. One of the failings of this album is that they are both fast paced tracks, and from this point there are some major speed bumps which detract from the remainder of the album. There is no doubt that the angst and anger and “Misery” (yeah, bad pun intended) is all there in all of these songs, but coming hard on the heels of Troublegum where almost all the songs are faster and heavier, these songs have never really sat well with me. Bringing in the horns and the cello’s to be innovative is not really a problem, as long as it doesn’t detriment the final outcome. I still like songs such as “Misery”, “Bad Mother” and “Loose”, but the overall mood of the album doesn’t quite click like its predecessor.

And “Diane” – well, it just doesn’t do it for me. To me it is the weak link of the album. I dislike it tremendously, and I have never really been able to get over it.

As a result, Infernal Love can only just be rated as average. Even now, so many years later, I feel the disappointment I felt 15 years ago, expecting this to be awesome. Apart from some brief breaks in the clouds, this is just some grey drizzle.

555. Def Leppard / On Through the Night. 1980. 3/5

As I write this review, it is thirty years to the day since this album was released in the UK. The band has been through some ups and downs since its release, and the music they have written has progressed in a different direction than many of their peers from 1980 did. Not only that, they’ve outlasted most of them as well.

Driven by a very NWOBHM sound, On Through The Night is very much more based in the hard rock that was prevalent in the late 1970’s – bands like Kiss - than perhaps any intent on following the likes of Judas Priest, Motorhead and the emerging Iron Maiden who were pioneering the heavier edge at the time. It’s rockier themes separated Def Leppard’s debut album from those bands, and though not overly successful on the charts with this release, set themselves up for commercial success in the future.

The bouncy feel of the openers “Rock Brigade” (very like 1970’s Kiss!) and “Hello America” set the tone for the album early. Along with other up tempo songs like “It Could Be You”, “Satellite”, “Wasted” and “Rocks Off”, these songs show off the best of Def Leppard, especially at this stage of their career. Great hard rock songs, punchy choruses, good solos and excellent vocals. In fact, Joe Elliott’s voice is at its finest here. I’m not convinced he has ever sung better.

This was a better than average beginning for the band. For reasons that are probably obvious (those of us who listen to their current albums realise that they produce sugar candy songs now) the band seems to ignore this part of their history, which is a real shame. Adding songs off this album to their live set would be a terrific thing. However, as everyone nows, the music that you find on here is not their style anymore. Still, thirty years on and this album still has some magic about it, and is work either checking out for first timers, or reliving if you are an elder statesman like myself.

554. Helloween / Unarmed - Best of 25th Anniversary. 2009. 3/5

It is almost impossible to know where to start with this album. We’ve had a greatest hits package where the songs have been re-recorded rather than remastered (see Gamma Ray’s Blast From The Past), we’ve had songs re-recorded acoustically (see a thousand examples), we’ve had band’s record with orchestra’s (Deep Purple, Metallica, Scorpions) – but this goes beyond that by combining all three in a greatest hits celebration of Helloween’s 25 year anniversary.
By doing this, you can only admire the band for moving so far away from the style that their fan base loves, and trying something different to spice up a boring old greatest hits album. There should also be no prizes for guessing that there will be a lot of alienated fans of Helloween after listening to this. And in the long run, those two sentences explain my feelings about this album – a brave and innovative move that is not to my taste at all and makes me wonder what is to come in the future.

The jazzed up version of “Dr Stein”, with sax and horns all over the place is up-tempo enough, and is bearable. The songs that follow though have a definite acoustic down-turning. In the long run, it is the toning down of the speed of the songs that creates more problems for me with the material than anything else. Playing them as semi-acoustic, and adding orchestral parts to them, isn’t completely degrading the original material, but softening the tone and playing at a slower tempo does make it more difficult to enjoy. Let’s face it – this is the kind of stuff that former singer Michael Kiske has been trying to pursue since his sacking from Helloween for pushing this exact kind of stuff!! Take a listen to his album Past in Different Ways from last year, and you’ll almost see the birth of this album in the process. If ever the opportunity had arisen to invite him back for a cameo, this was it!
“Future World” to me is just blah as a result of this. “If I Could Fly” isn’t so bad, as it was always the kind of song that could lend itself to such a reimagining. I think “Where the Rain Grows” suffers terribly from having the pace of the song ripped from its heart, it just loses all of its emotional value.

“The Keeper’s Trilogy”, a seventeen minute operatic meshing of “Halloween”, “Keeper of the Seven Keys” and “King for 1000 Years” is worth a listen, and is very well put together. Personally, I think all three songs could have been recorded on their own, backed by an orchestra in the same way as Metallica did on S&M, because all three songs sound great here. But they should have been played as they were recorded and then have the backing of the orchestra, rather than change the personality of the songs to suit an orchestra, as they have done here. Apart from that, this is the shining star of the album without a doubt.

“Eagle Fly Free” is practically destroyed as a slow paced acoustic ballad. It was very hard to take. “Perfect Gentlemen” doesn’t quite work for me either, but I can almost feel where they were taking it, and it possibly almost works. “Forever & One”, “Falling to Pieces” and “A Tale That Wasn’t Right” are also songs that could tend to lean in the direction they have been recorded here, but again I just can’t help but think that they were fine in their original format, and that by slowing and dragging out the songs they have done them a disservice. Possibly strangest of all, “I Want Out” in acoustic, with the help of a kid’s choir in the background, is one of the closest songs to working in this environment. Don’t ask me why – it just does.

So – very difficult to rate. As brave and bold as it is, it’s not something you could ever keep coming back to. Musicianship-wise it is terrific, but I just want the original versions in the long run. The score is based on the innovativeness of the idea, crossed with my genuine lack of feel for the appeal overall.

553. Fear Factory / Mechanize. 2010. 2/5

Look. Here's the thing. Fear Factory started something new back in the 1990's when they first came on the scene. It was different and it was a little scary, just the right elements to draw fans in from any number of genres of music. There has been a lot of good stuff, and some average stuff. With the previous three albums (two of which did not have original guitarist Dino Cavares involved) it has been the same, a lot of good stuff mixed with a bit f the average. One of the problems that appeared to be raising its head as these albums progressed was that... well... they all seem to be sounding a little on the similar side. I mean, if you didn't know the band, and you threw on Archetype and then threw on Transgression would you really know that the albums had been changed? For heavens sake, I like a lot of Fear Factory, and I have trouble discerning between the two myself! So when it came to first getting and listening to Mechanize I wondered if the title was giving something away about the music itself. So yes, trepidation confronts me as I approached this new Fear Factory album. Whilst for the majority I enjoyed Archetype, the bad taste of Transgression still sits like a mouthful of out of date chunky sour milk.

Despite the circumstances around the abandonment of original members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers for this album, I could only applaud the recruitment of Gene Hoglan to play drums for this album. He is incredible under most circumstances, but his work here is quite astounding. I'm really not sure how many arms and legs he has in real life, because the speed and precision with which he plays his instrument on this album is quite extraordinary. Dino's guitaring (playing all guitars and bass on the album) is as precision perfect as always, while Burton's vocals move between the menacing growl to the clear anguish cries with abandon. And it's quite a change between the two when it occurs too. I sometimes wonder if it is too much, in the same way on early Trivium albums Matt Heafy does the same huge change between growl and clear vocals. Probably it's just me being too precious.
OK, so we've considered what could be seen as the similarity between songs and albums musically, and we've considered the vocal techniques used. As to the album itself taking those things into the mix, I still like most of this album. the opening track "Mechanize", it hits the ground running with aggression and power, with Burton's vocal chords getting a huge work out at every level throughout. The album flows nicely into "Industrial Discipline", "Fear Campaign" and "Powershifter", all the while being pushed along at speed by Hoglan's machine gun drumming. More is to come, with "Christploitation" careering through into "Oxidizer" and "Controlled Demolition". "Designing the Enemy" uses a similar theme and tracking, but the vocals by now start to grate, though more succinctly the randomness between the almost incomprehensible deep growling into the moaning clear vocal over the top of the synth programming with those drums still underneath. It's all a little too much for me by this stage. I don't like the structure and having made it so far into the album with some degree of enjoyment it is beginning to seep away. The instrumental joiner "Metallic Division" introduces itself into the final track "Final Exit", which combines the fast paced intro into the clear guitar and vocal combination before ebbing and flowing throughout the track, with a complete fade out to the finish. Given how the album started, this is a real character change to complete the album.

There was a real excitement about this when it was released, with the return of Dino to the fold, and while many parts of this album are enjoyable for me, as an overall package I didn't get as much from it as I expected. Still, for the drumming alone, this is worth a listen to try and figure out just how Gene Hoglan can play like this. And then wonder why they went with a drum machine on the next album.

Rating:  Dawn of our extinction, the human affliction.  3/5

552. Fozzy / Chasing The Grail. 2010. 3/5

I must admit that it came as some surprise when I found out Fozzy were putting out another album. Having ‘proven’ themselves as a band with the release of All That Remains and with Chris Jericho back in the swing of things in the WWE, I had pretty much written off any chance of new material from the band.
The start of the album could almost have picked up right where they left off with All That Remains, with “Under Blackened Skies” and “Martyr No More” retaining the best of what Fozzy showed us on that album. From this point on, though, there is a lot more experimentation with their style.

“Broken Soul” is an average attempt at ballad-type song. It just lacks the power and enthusiasm that most of the songs here contain, and as such it feels a bit half-arsed. It almost sounds as though they were attempting such a song just to see if they could pull it off. They could not.Add to this “New Day’s Dawn”, because this seems to be attempting something similar, and it really doesn’t work. Both these songs for me detract from the album. I’m not a nu-metal fan, and it seems to be where this track in particular is leading.

Redemption is immediate with the excellent “Let the Madness Begin” and “God Pounds His Nails”. Both are much more up-tempo, and Jericho’s vocals are at their best here.“Pray For Blood” is a bit cheesy, but Jericho is able to make it work. “Revival” is almost epic in stature, attempting to bring all of the instrumental aspects of the band to a symphonic rhapsody.
Probably the highlight of the album is the closer, “Wormwood”. Unapologetically Dream Theater-esque, this is Fozzy’s attempt at prog rock/metal, and they pull it off brilliantly. Everything about the song shows the amazing versatility of the band. There is no pretence as to the direction this song is written musically, and though it is not Fozzy’s typical song style they do it so well you cannot help but be impressed.

Overall, the album sits above average. Rich Ward is again the stand-out here, his guitaring and riffs once again fully underrated in the wider community. Whether the band has enough commitment to continue in their current line-up is possibly open to question, but this release certainly justifies their continuing efforts to do so.

551. Blaze Bayley / Promise and Terror. 2010. 3/5

With such a solid volume of work behind the band in the past decade, there was some honest anticipation towards this new release from Blaze Bayley.
What I discovered on the first few listens to the album was that it seems quite flat. In many ways, there is little to differentiate between each song, and the power and intensity just doesn't seem to be prevalent. Yes, the songs do start to sound the same, and even after many listens I have trouble distinguishing between the songs.

To be fair to this album in comparison to those he has released up to this point, it had a lot to live up to. Where this release falls down is that it doesn’t maintain the rage for heavy metal like Blood & Belief in particular does. It doesn’t contain anything unexpected or new. The riffs and melodies are all very similar, without the hook to grab you from the outset. No doubt Blaze had a lot on his mind when he was producing this album, and though it is often good to have a general theme running through an album, you need a change in the tone.
Best for me are the openers "Watching the Night Sky" and "Madness and Sorrow".

It is not a bad album, but it is for all intents and purposes an average album. Perhaps the plateau has been reached. I like the album and have no problem listening to it more than a month after first getting it, but how long that lasts for I can't say.

550. Gamma Ray / To The Metal. 2010. 4.5/5

As with pretty much every Gamma Ray release in the band’s history, I was looking forward to this album for months before its release. In these cases you can usually build it up too much in your mind, and as such have some initial disappointment in the outcome (see Heaven & Hell’s The Devil You Know in 2009 for reference). Sometimes this disappointment is too difficult to get past; sometimes you soon see the album in all its glory (as occurred with The Devil You Know).
With To The Metal I initially found small flaws.

There is little doubt that this album harks back more to the power metal aspect of the genre, but there is little compromising from that point on. The arrangement of the songs may be slightly different from recent releases, and the keyboards perhaps are more prominent, but not in a bad way.
The opening tracks are swift and powerful. “Rise” and “Deadlands” in particular are excellent additions to the Gamma Ray legacy. My initial doubts lay in the middle of the album.
“No Need to Cry” is a generic power metal ballad, (written by Dirk apparently over the death of his father, and with Dirk’s vocals through the middle of the song) though with a Gamma Ray twist that helps to make it more bearable than most. This is followed by “Empathy” which is not so generic, but is less in the vein of songs in recent releases. Then comes the title track “To The Metal” which, by all rights, should be the heaviest song on the album, but is more just a chance to chant “hail to the metal” a number of times over and over.
“All You Need To Know” is a lot faster and heavier than the previous three songs in the middle of this album – except when it comes to the chorus, which seems almost deliberately toned down. This is the chorus sung by former Helloween band mate Michael Kiske, whose current aversion to heavy metal is well publicised. It therefore seems a strange choice of song for him to be involved in. Surely on reflection “No Need to Cry” is more his style! Strange…

OK, so I’ve just picked apart the middle of the album, and yes I am being over critical, because I love this band so much, and everything they have produced over twenty years. The truth of the matter is, even though I may appear harsh, I still think all these songs are brilliant. As can probably be guessed, once I got through the first five or six listens, To The Metal had fully grown on me, and I had recognised its excellence.

The continuing brilliance of the musicianship, along with Kai’s scintillating vocals, are just two of the obvious reasons why Gamma Ray is in the top echelon of all metal bands. One often wonders how they can continue to put together such marvellous collections of songs.