1272. Foo Fighters / There is Nothing Left to Lose. 1999. 4/5

Foo Fighters had approached the end of the 1990's decade with a high degree of success and adulation coming their way. After the debut self titled album, written and almost completely self recorded by Dave Grohl, had brought about a sense of a new dawn in alternative rock after the demise of Nirvana, and the follow up album "The Colour and the Shape", which had spawned several high charting singles and put the band firmly on the path to superstardom, there were still roadblocks to overcome. When guitarist Pat Smear had left the band halfway through the tour to promote "The Colour and the Shape", Grohl had brought in his mate Franz Stahl to replace him for the remainder of the tour. Stahl has made clear in interviews since, and on the documentary Back and Forth, that he already had ideas he wanted to bring to the band for their follow up album. Unfortunately for him, as was also presented in that same doco, Grohl felt that his style wasn't quite complementing what he wanted in the band, that it just didn't fit. This led to Grohl having to inform Stahl that he was fired from the band. At this point the band remained as a three piece, alongside drummer Taylor Hawkins and bass guitarist Nate Mendel. This would again leave Grohl to perform double duty on the album as he had done with the previous album, although that had been on drums and guitar, whereas here Hawkins would have his first recording effort with the band, while Grohl played all guitars on the album.
With just the three members, Grohl decided to convert the basement of his new home into a recording space, and the album was written and recorded there with little influence from the outside world. While there was an obvious amount of pressure on the band to create an album worthy of the two that had come beforehand, with the three members writing as a trio, as a group, rather than Grohl taking the full hands on approach, they were able to conceive and compose the music that the three of them wanted, and be in total control of the direction the new album was going to take. With this greater degree of collaboration, Foo Fighters were able to come out with an album they felt was ready to back up their success so far, with "There is Nothing Left to Lose".

While it would be accurate to suggest that the Foo Fighters first two albums had already shown a great variety in the style of songs that the band could write, and that they found a way to mesh and stretch the track list in order to have these songs meld together n the best way possible, it would also be a reasonable statement to suggest that it was with this album that they truly showed their template, the way they would continue down the path for the next decade. Listening to this album is a roller coaster ride in itself, such are the heights and lulls throughout, the thoughtful and introspective songs and the hard core driving tracks, moving between the loud to the sublime. While this is also true of the band's first two albums, here it feels as though it is a coordinated effort with less assault on the heavy side of the music and a more directed effort towards the softer and less aggressive music for most of the album.
The opening to the album is bombastic, with the crushing hard crashing drums and riffing guitars of "Stacked Actors" a terrific start. It feels like Dave has channelled his youth and come within a whisker of wanting to write a real hard core death metal track, and at times during the song you can feel the whole band just wanting to career over the falls and let loose... but don't. I love Dave's guitar sound on this track and his vocals leaving little behind. If anyone has hear Grohl's Probot project album, some of the songs on that remind me of this song and where it could have gone if he had truly wanted it to. A great start to the album. Then comes the song that made this album, "Breakout". The song was featured in the Jim Carrey movie "Me, Myself & Irene", and the film clip for the song shows parts of that movie. The film clip is a beauty and helped pushed the popularity of this song and the sales of this album. That scream... Wow Dave can really get that out there when he wants to. And the final song of the opening triumvirate is "Learn to Fly", another song whose film clip pushed its popularity enormously, and which is arguably better than the song itself. These three songs provide the impetus to the album from the start and well and truly has the party started by its conclusion.
That softer, more easy listening side of the album includes both some of the band's most accessible tracks, along with songs that would be unknown to those that only focus on the singles and radio released songs. "Gimme Stitches" is an example of the latter, a song that focuses on Grohl's sweeter harmony vocals and is a catchy song that is firmly settled in the mid-tempo track and unobtrusive guitar and drums. So too to a certain degree is the following track "Generator", talk box and all, but with verses that are softly sung and quiet guitar, coming out stronger through the bridge and chorus but certainly not in a way that anyone who doesn't enjoy hard rock would find offensive. And the final bout of the trio is the beautifully performed "Aurora", again highlighted by Grohl's amazingly credentials vocals over the lower action guitar sound throughout. "Aurora" is a song that shows a maturity in the music being presented by this trio, utilising the opposite side of their musical roots to produce a track that few would have thought possible given the heritage. It ranks alongside "February Stars" as one of the band's crowing achievements in this alternate part of their musical universe.
"Live-In Skin" holds its own throughout with a steady tempo and strumming guitar. More of the same comes at you with "Next Year", the final single released from the album. It is the only one of these softer sided songs that got a single release, which suggests that the band knew that its base was the fans that wanted the harder rocking tracks, and they were the ones who would get pulled into the album from the singles, but that once in, perhaps these songs would present an option to their partners, or family to give them an entry point to the band as well. "Headwires" follows a similar approach to "Live-In Skin", which is followed by "Ain't it the Life" which comes off the same conveyor belt that "Next Year" was produced from. There's a real country twang in the guitars on "Ain't it the Life" which is surprisingly serene, and almost Eagles-ish. "M.I.A" again follows a path from "Headwires", the main difference being that Taylor does actually hit his drums with a bit of effort again during this track, giving the album closer a little more impetus the bring it all to a conclusion.

Listening to this album now and it becomes obvious that the straight down the line rock songs punctuated with less aggressive vocals or guitars are what actually dominate the album. The opening tracks drag you in, and the preceding tracks lull you into a sublime state of calm, which is not anything that I would have expected a Foo Fighters album to do to me when I first bought this album. And listening to this again, it really is quite a massive change that the band had made here compared to those opening two albums. It just never seemed so sudden. For a long time I was always of the belief that this change came with the albums of the mid 2000's, but having had this on again for the past 2-3 weeks, I finally myself standing corrected. It was this album that saw the savage directional change occur. Now that may have been from a collaborative writing partnership, or it may just have been the plan, to release the hard to heavy songs at the top of the track list to appease their fans, ad then travel to another part of the music appreciation society with the back two thirds of the album. Away from this, I still love this album. Sure the songs have less aggression, but they are beautifully written and performed by all three members. It is Dave Grohl's vocals that probably win the day, because anyone who can sing "Breakout" and "Ain't it the Life" on the same album has some talent.
I bought this album reasonably close to its release date, as by this time my work situation was beginning to change and I was getting to a point where I could actually buy music again. And it was another of those albums at that time where I was expecting a lot, and vey much wanted to hear an album that was exactly like the previous one. And this definitely not that. And... I must have known at the time that the mood of this album had changed, because although I listened to it I know I was rarely invested in the second half of the album. Not for a long time anyway. At the time I thought it was because I wanted "The Colour and the Shape Part 2" and as discussed this isn't that. But over time I found enjoyment in it all, even if it wasn't the harder material I would have liked. And "There is Nothing Left to Lose" ticks all of the boxes asked of it. As the next step in the bands progression this album does exactly what it set out to do.
There never seems to be a time in the Foo Fighters camp where there isn't some sort of problem or shift going on. Recent times have proven that all over again. The recruitment of guitarist Chris Shiflett before the tour to promote this album at least showed that loud guitar rock was still a part of the band's future, as did the reappearance of Pat Smear not long after. And the rocketing rise of their popularity was only increased with the release of this album.

1271. Bruce Dickinson / Scream for Me Brazil. 1999. 5/5

By the time this album came to be released, the world of Bruce Dickinson had come full circle, and the hard work that he and his various band mates had put in over the previous six years was about to come to a conclusion that perhaps in many ways always felt inevitable.
Since his split with Iron Maiden in 1993, Bruce had experienced the ups and downs of life after the biggest ride of his career. Playing smaller venues, with less promotion and hype, hoping to build something away from the spotlight that he had been a part of for that previous decade, and on the back of albums such as “Balls to Picasso” and “Skunkworks”, discovering the pitfalls of putting your heart and soul into a project, and not getting back the unadulterated adulation you may have felt it deserved. He has commented in interviews since that he was at his lowest moment at this time, and felt perhaps he needed to start looking at another profession. Then through the help of partner in crime Roy Z and former partner in crime Adrian Smith, the rise began in earnest, with albums such as “Accident of Birth” and “The Chemical Wedding” which were lauded by critics and fans alike, and the quality of both of those albums meant Dickinson and his band were making inroads and beginning to become a force in the world of music. This, and the falling album and concert sales of Iron Maiden in that time frame, and the real possibility that that band would shrink in popularity considerably should something not be done about it, led to the announcement on February 10, 1999, that both Bruce and Adrian were returning to Iron Maiden as full time members, something that the world greeting with ecstasy and excitement. Of course, this meant that Bruce’s solo career would have to be put on hold, perhaps permanently, although he publicly stated that was not something he wanted to occur.
What it did mean was that his tour following this date could be celebrated on all fronts. A tour to promote “The Chemical Wedding” album with its amazing material, as well as celebrating the fact that soon fans would be able to hear new material and the live the reformed Iron Maiden, and the excitement that would bring. With this in mind, and as a way to give this period of his career the proper ending and send off, it was decided to release a live album from this tour, to properly give the end of this moment in time with a true reflection of the band at its peak, and of songs that may never again have been played in the live environment. And so, the show played on 25th April 1999 in Sao Paulo, Brazil was recorded for this purpose and released in the sunset of the band but the sunrise of the new dawn of Iron Maiden, and appropriately titled “Scream for Me Brazil!”.

The release of this live album had to be well conceived in order to make the most of the moment in time, and it appears there was also some discussion about what to include on the final release. Given that there were two former members of Iron Maiden in the Bruce Dickinson band, it was obvious that they would cover some of those songs in their live set list. On this tour, there were three Maiden songs each night, those being “Powerslave”, “2 Minutes to Midnight” and “Flight of Icarus”. All three songs were excluded from the final album release. Whatever decision process may have been invloved in that decision, whether it was just the fact that Bruce only wanted the bands songs on the album (which would be a reasonable action) or whether they decided against having songs from the band he and Adrian were about to rejoin so close to the reunion (quite possible) or whether it was just the time constraints on only having a single CD release rather than a double CD of the entire gig (also a reasonable action), they missed the final cut. And while it would have been great to hear those versions of those songs, it was not to be. Two other songs were also cut, those being “Tattooed Millionaire” and “Taking the Queen”.
Instead, we have 12 of the 17 songs played on that night, the first 11 songs, and then the penultimate song of the night “Road to Hell” closing out the album. And the first half of the setlist is all off the album they were touring to promote “The Chemical Wedding”. Indeed seven songs in total come from that album, a rare event when bands play live. But that was the best example of just how popular Bruce’s solo work was becoming with both “The Chemical Wedding” and “Accident of Birth”, that he and his band could play more than half of that album live and be feted for it rather than criticised. And the live versions hold up spectacularly well, being at least as good as the studio versions, and in places providing even more in the live environment than those studio versions could offer. And while those seven songs they play, “Trumpets of Jericho”, “King in Crimson”, “Chemical Wedding”, “Gates of Urizen”, “Killing Floor”, “Book of Thel” and “The Tower”, are spectacular, I can’t believe they didn’t play “Machine Men”. That for me is a missed opportunity.
Beyond that, we also getting excellent live versions of “Laughing in the Hiding Bush” and “Tears of the Dragon” from “Balls to Picasso”, and “Accident of Birth”, “Darkside of Aquarius” and “Road to Hell” from the “Accident of Birth” album, rounding out a fabulous live album.
The performances here are amazing. Eddie Casillas on bass and David Ingraham on drums excel again as they have on previous albums, while the dual guitars of Roy Z and Adrian Smith are superb. And of course, the voice him, who on this album proves he could still sing every song the same way as he does on the studio versions – and more! - the incomparable Bruce Dickinson.

Here’s my usual spiel about live albums, to get it out of the way. Live albums should be automatic 5/5 albums, because they should contain the bands best songs performed in their best environment. That is certainly the case here with “Scream for me Brazil”. It is a top shelf, top rated live album that everyone should check out.
Even more than that, this album proves that Rod Smallwood had to be very canny to protect his number one priority when it came to this situation. Because there is no doubt Bruce was in the ascendancy at this time, and this lie album is the final proof of that. Neither “The Chemical Wedding” nor “Accident of Birth” could have been written of recorded in Iron Maiden. It isn’t their style and has a different set of writers and people in charge that would not have occurred in the other group. “The Chemical Wedding” is a superior album in every respect over Maiden’s “The X Factor”. And if the status quo had remained onto another album cycle... would Maiden have survived? Would Bruce and band have gained further success? This live album asserts that the band was firing on the stage, and that this scenario was more than possible. And while Rod was probably just looking to save his longest investment by insisting that Steve and Bruce meet up and see if their differences could be resolved, he probably also saw the future and knew that the true longevity lay in Bruce, and Adrian, returning to Maiden and getting that ship righted and sailing true once again.
I bought this pretty much on its release, and it has been a gem from the first day I had it. And all of those thoughts ran through my head at the time... as excited as I was to see those two return to Maiden, and hear what the reunited band would produce, I also wondered if another Bruce Dickinson album would be just as worthwhile. We did of course eventually get another album, the Bruce and Roy written-by-correspondence effort of “Tyranny of Souls” which showed that even in that environment they could produce another great album, and of course more recently the excellent “The Mandrake Project”. In essence, we have had the best of both worlds. But this album does capture a moment in time, where this band was on a high, riding on the coattails in particular of two amazing studio albums, with the surge of momentum driving them to greater heights, and also of the butterflies of expectation of what the following year would bring with the return of Iron Maiden. All of that comes through on this album, and it is all the better for it.

1268. Dream Theater / Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory. 1999. 4/5

Over the previous decade, Dream Theater had begun to break the mould of what progressive metal could achieve, especially through one of the most difficult decades that that style of music had ever had to negotiate. Against the tide of grunge, and then alternative metal, and all of the other changes during the 1990’s, Dream Theater had stuck with what they knew and what they were great at and kept putting out albums that continued to be noticed despite the mass of opposing rapids. With albums such as “Images and Words”, “Awake” and “Falling into Infinity”, not to mention the game changing EP “A Change of Seasons”, Dream Theater mad their music and captured their audience with their excellence.
Moving into their new album, and two major events occurred to set the direction that their next LP would take. Firstly had been the insistence from their fans to produce a sequel of sorts to their song “Metropolis - Part 1” from their “Images and Words” album, though the band had no intention to do so, as the Part 1 had been added as a joke by guitarist John Petrucci. Despite this the band recorded a 21 minute instrumental demo called “Metropolis - Part 2” for the “Falling into Infinity” album which subsequently didn’t make the cut. However, there were musical pieces within this demo that would eventually become parts of the following album, one that the record company had given the band free reign on, and which they then decided to create as a concept album on the basis of the demo and the story that became entwined with it.
During this process, the band also made another change. Derek Sherinian, who had been a part of the band as the keyboardist since Kevin Moore had quit after the “Awake” album, had found his own differences of opinion over the direction and music that the band was headed in, in the same way Moore had previously. At the same time, both Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci had been in a side project called Liquid Tension Experiment with keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and once this was completed, they convinced both John Myung and James LaBrie that they needed to make a change, and Sherinian was sacked by phone hookup not long after, with Rudess his replacement.
It was from this that Dream Theater then entered the studio to record the album that firmly established their credentials as one of the leading progressive metal bands in the world, with “Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory”.

As it turns out, the storyline of this concept album does not truly follow the path as a sequel to the original track “Metropolis - Part 1”, but more closely mirrors the story told in the 1991 film “Dead Again” that starred Kenneth Brannagh and Emma Thompson, the plot of which deals with past life regression through hypnosis, and of a tragedy in one lifetime occurring once again in the future. That is how the story of “Scenes from a Memory” plays out.
The basis of the story is as follows: Nicholas, going through regression, discovers that he was a woman named Victoria in a past life who was murdered, and she is trying to show him who that murderer was. The story of the album shows that Victoria was pulling away from her lover Julian, and began an affair with his brother Edward. According to a newspaper article and eyewitness Julian murdered Victoria and then himself, but Nicholas begins to doubt this. He also realises he must solve this or never be able to move on with his own life. Nicholas believes he has solved the mystery, where Julian begged Victoria to forgive him, and when she didn’t, he killed both her and Edward and acted as the eyewitness. Nicholas, believing he is now free, bids farewell to Victoria’s memory, even as she tries to call him back.
The story then cuts to Edward’s perspective, which sees Victoria looking to reconcile with Julian, and Edward instead killing them both, and becoming the eyewitness. Back in the present, Nicholas is followed home by the hypnotherapist who it turns out is the reincarnation of Edward, and Nicholas is startled by a request to ‘open his eyes’, before he is murdered, thus closing the circle once again.
Sounds confusing? Perhaps. As it turns out, there is a book being released in time for this 25th anniversary of the album’s release that relates the tale, so perhaps you could read that and see if it does the story more justice than me.
To create the story and lyrics is one thing. Putting it to music is another, and that task is masterfully done here. In saying that, the length of some tracks, extended by long winded solo breaks of keyboard and guitar, may not be to some people’s liking. The plateaus of rising and falling moods in music, and of the softly spoken emotional periods of the music to express the change in the story, and then the more expression energised pieces of songs where the story is on the crux of discovery, makes for a journey in itself.

Dream Theater is another band that was introduced to me by my heavy metal music dealer, who had discovered them on this album (I think... I’m sure he will correct me if I am mistaken). And what I remembered most about that time was him saying to me almost every time we got together for a three month period “Have you heard Dream Theater?! You have to. They are amazing!” Which of course I eventually did. The album that actually grabbed me the most though was “Awake”, an episode on which you can catch on this season of this podcast if you are so inclined.
But when it came to this album, something didn’t always click. The fact that it is a concept album didn’t phase me, and the opening tracks are just amazing, the musicianship and the music, and the vocals from James LaBrie, are wonderful. And that stretches throughout the entire performance. But I don’t deny that when I first got this album, a number of the songs didn’t grab, didn’t find what I wanted from the music. Progressive metal does sometimes do that to me. Often, I love it all, but there are certainly albums and/or band of this genre that I find are not for me. And when I first got the album, it is how it felt to me then. I even bought the DVD where they performed this in full, along with “A Change of Seasons”, and it is just terrific... but it didn’t make me feel any more enamoured about the WHOLE album. To me, it didn’t compare to another concept album, Queensryche’s “Operation: Mindcrime”. And it is probably an unfair comparison because that is one of the finest metal albums and concept albums of all time. But on that album the story flowed easily, and the music from song to song offered the perfect mood and music to create the atmosphere required to tell the story. And on this album, I don’t think that is quite the case. And it is quite possible this has always played in my head when it comes to this album. Like I said, not a fair comparison.
So here we are, some 25 years after this album’s released, and I am sure there is a great deal of fawning going about its 25th anniversary, and so there should be, because it is a landmark album in the band’s discography. And I have had this album going around again over the last two weeks. And you know what? Nothing much has changed for me. Those songs and parts of songs that I have always loved, I still love. And those other songs and parts of songs that left me slightly ambivalent in the past? I guess I feel the same way about them now as I did then. It is not a bad album, and it contains no bad songs. To listen to the musicianship of the entire album is to appreciate just how amazing these individuals are on their instruments. None of that has changed. But for me it just doesn’t hold my interest like other albums do. And I am sure that for the big Dream Theater fans out there, what I have said here would be considered blasphemous. I am happy to accept that. Immersing yourself into the story that is being told does actually draw you in to the album more, making you more attuned to the music and lyrics as they are playing around you, and over time I have found that actually following the story has improved my enjoyment of the album as a whole.
For me, the truly great Dream Theater albums were still to come, the ones where there was more songwriting in the style that I enjoy more. This may be the band’s landmark, but for me it is what followed this that truly caught my attention.

1265. Deep Purple / Total Abandon: Australia '99. 1999. 5/5

Deep Purple’s relationship with Australia has waxed and waned over the years. In the early 1970’s they made some memorable trips down under, one resulting in wild crowd scenes on the stage and heated arguments with other bands, famously with a young brash AC/DC. There was then a long period where the band was on hiatus, before their highly publicised reformation in 1984 of the Mark II lineup, which resulted in the hit album “Perfect Strangers”. To kick off the world tour to promote their coming back together and their new album, the band started in Australia, where they met with the acclaim that the returning heroes would have wanted. And then... they disappeared again, once again forgoing the southern nation as they continued to fight amongst each other and tour the territories that were close to their residencies.
The band went through their changes, and eventually jettisoned Ritchie Blackmore as guitarist and chief instigator, completing the final sessions of the Mark II lineup. In his place came Steve Morse, and the more settled band then moved forward, rebuilding itself with the mid-1990's albums “Purpendicular” and “Abandon”. And as the decade and millennium began to wind down, the band decided to once again tour the shores of Australia for the first time in 15 years. And much excitement ensued, especially from those of us who had waited a lifetime to see the band live.
Now Deep Purple had not been reticent when it came to releasing live albums, something that continued well into the next decade. And now, for Australian audiences, they decided to record their show in Melbourne on April 20th, 1999, and then six months later they released a live DVD and a double live album of the entire show performed on that night. And what was even more amazing at that time was that it was ONLY released in Australia, so for a short space of time, only Australians were able to listen to and purchase this album. Eventually it was opened up to mail orders, and as with all things, it was eventually released worldwide. But if you are from Australia, and you bought the album when it was released, then like me you have one of the rare original release copies of this album. Which, I won’t deny, is a little special.

By the time Deep Purple came around to this tour, they had locked into their new style, one which they had been slowly morphing into even before Blackmore had left the band. They were no longer spring chickens, but they knew what their fans wanted to see. Ian Gillan had become the cool version of himself, Roger Glover continued to groove away on his bass guitar, Ian Paice could still play his way around his drumkit, Jon Lord didn’t almost tip his Hammond organ over anymore, but he was still playing it as hard as ever. And new boy Steve Morse showcased his wares without the over-the-top flair and pomposity that Blackmore had, but with a smile and a laugh and a whole lot of skill and talent. The overt energy and antics may have gone, but this band still knew how to give it all on stage to give the songs they played the majesty that they deserved.
And this meant no loss or lack of skill and expertise. Ian Gillan introduces every song in his inimitable style, and he could still hit those high notes at this stage, as is showcased here during the last verse of “Bloodsucker” in particular. The setlist contained a mix of the band’s newer tracks alongside the great old songs that they will always have to play. Showcasing their newer material in this setlist were songs such as “Ted the Mechanic”, “Almost Human”, “Watching the Sky” and “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”. Each of them sound terrific here, especially “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”, a modern day classic that provides the perfect example of where the band was heading with its newer music, a more contemporary sound but still with the ability to create a heavier sound when required but also be able to ride the emotions of the track. The live version here is superb.
Mixed in with this are the great songs of the band, the majority from that Mark II era, both pre and post reunion. “Bloodsucker”, “Strange Kind of Woman”, “Woman From Tokyo” and “Fireball”, alongside “Black Night” and “Speed King’ still all packed an enormous punch, and glow and sparkle in the live setting. “Perfect Strangers” with that wonderous Hammond organ opening from Jon Lord is still magnificent, and then the “Machine Head” specials such as “Pictures of Home”, one of the most underrated songs of their career, the awesome “Highway Star” which closes out the gig, and of course “Smoke on the Water”, which has an introduction guitar piece from Steve Morse where he also plays some of the great guitar riffs of all time as a part of his solo piece on stage. Overall, the set list and thus this album gives a great mixture of the old and the new from that time, and is a terrific snapshot of this line up and what they had to offer on stage.

My friends and I had waited pretty much from the time Deep Purple had toured Australia in 1984 for the time they would tour again. We missed that tour by a couple of years when it comes to listening to the band and also being old enough to find our way to a gig, so we patiently waited (well, not really) for their next tour. And waited. And waited. So when they finally made it to our shores, we were there lining up for tickets. We ended up seeing them in Sydney the night after this CD concert was recorded, so I can confirm that it is faithful to what the band played on that tour. And the best part of that was that the next day the band put up a secret show for sale, that was played at a much smaller and more intimate venue called Selina’s out at Bondi, for four days later on April 25th, Anzac Day in Australia. Fortunately, one of my best mates worked around the corner from a Ticketek office, and having sweet talked the girl at the front counter, he went in the following morning and was allowed in a couple of minutes early , and was able to purchase tickets for this gig precisely at 9.00am when they went on sale.
Perhaps the best part of that was that another of our best mates, my brother-in-law, had not been able to see Deep Purple at that first gig, and so we were able to get him the chance to see them. We DID make it a surprise, telling him that we were taking him to see the support band from Deep Purple, and not Deep Purple themselves. He finally clued in when we lined up to go in (after many schooners in the bar beforehand) and saw posters advertising Deep Purple playing there that night. And it was amazing, standing so close to these legendary musicians as they played all the hits all over again. The other memory of this concert and our best mates group was my heavy metal music dealer constantly asking when we were going to get some songs off “Burn” and “Stormbringer” and “Slaves and Masters”. Surprisingly enough, Ian Gillan was not forthcoming with any of them.
So yes, this double CD of the entire Melbourne concert of April 1999is a terrific listen. It mightn’t have the fire and power of “Made in Japan” for instance, but it has great tracks performed brilliantly by one of the great bands that has ever walked the earth. I’ve had it on again while composing this episode, and it brought back great memories again, as it always does. Whatever you may feel about the material the band produced in the second half of its career, I think you’ll find something worth listening to on this album.

1254. Ratt / Ratt. 1999. 3.5/5

The 1990’s was a tough old time for hair and glam metal bands that dared to venture out of their comfortable decade, and try to play with the big boys of grunge, alternative and industrial rock and metal in the 1990’s. Most of those that took it on either died by the sword of remaining true to their roots, or died by the sword of trying to make a change to their sound to try and remain relevant in the changing marketplace. One band that made the decision to lay down their guns and move away to separate and differing battlefield was Ratt, who through five albums in the 1980’s and into the year 1990 had managed to attain a high level of success and popularity with their party style and glam metal tunes.
In February 1992, lead vocalist Stephen Pearcy announced that he was stepping away from Ratt to follow other pursuits, and while it was never officially announced if Ratt was going on a hiatus, or whether the band had actually split, all five members of the band went out and pursued other interests. It wasn’t until five years later, with the grunge phenomenon having finally worn down and the industrial metal side of things ramping up, that the members of Ratt moved to come together once again. With a new project looking to be in the works, guitarist Robbin Crosby was sidelined due to the ravages he was suffering after having been diagnosed as being HIV positive back in 1994, while bass guitarist Juan Croucier also decided not to participate. Robbie Crane was brought in as his replacement, and the compilation album “Collage” was released late that year. With a new worldwide record deal secured following this release, the rejuvenated four piece went about the task of writing and recording their first album with wholly new material since 1990’s “Detonator” album. After a break of nine years, and with the music industry having been through a great deal of upheaval over that period of time, it was always going to be interesting to hear just what the band would come up with for what could essentially be regarded as their comeback album. To throw more confusion into the mix, the band decided that the album title would be “Ratt”, which while being the band’s name, was also the name of their first EP back in 1984. The dual naming was not to be the only confusion part of the new album when it finally reached the shop shelves.

One thing that was obvious was that we were not going to get a glam or hair metal album from Ratt in 1999. Given the length of time since their previous new material release, it would have been something that would never have worked at that time. However, that does not reign in the surprise Ratt fans may have experienced when they first put this album on. Because, from the outset, what we are met with is a very blues rock-oriented track list, stylised completely from the vocals through to the guitar riffs throughout, and with a mid-tempo that rarely gets itself out of second gear. Producer Richard Zito brought in several guests to help co-compose some songs on the album, which does add to the style of the album. Jack Russell from Great White and Jack Blades from Night Ranger contribute, along with several others with a production and soft rock background. There is little doubt that this is a deliberate move to craft the sound that this album obviates to the listener.
“Over the Edge” taps into this immediately, perhaps only missing the true blues twang of Warren de Martini’s guitar to complete the full picture. The vocals from Stephen Pearcy are the immediate noticeable change to the albums we have heard in the past, the pulling back of his natural energy when singing makes this a less energetic sounding Ratt than we have had in the past. “Live for Today” has De Martini pushing a fuller complement of solo for his guitar, while the song actually sounds more like a latter day Def Leppard song than anything Ratt has produced before. It’s an interesting mix from the outset, with both of the opening tracks setting the platform for the layout of the album to come. Then we have “Gave Up Givin’ Up”, which is even more surprising because both vocally and with a certain guitar riff leading into the bridge and chorus, this has all the sounds that come from a Dream Theater song. Not the intensity and overplayed encompassment of the instruments, but just the sonic sounds of the track itself. The solo by de Martini lifts the song above the average once again, but the mix of tracks here and the incorporation of sounds does make this an interesting journey. Further troubles arrive with “We Don’t Belong” which is basically a country and western song, no doubt coming from the influence of one of the co-writers brought in for the album. Now we’ve already discussed that this album is different from what the band has issued before, but a C&W ballad?! Come on lads, this just won’t do.
“Breakout” returns to the blues formula from earlier in the album, and along with “Tug of War” and “Dead Reckoning” pick up the middle part of the album from the slower manifest that had come immediately prior to it. Then we have “Luv Sick” (spelled LUV) which it probably the closest the band comes to writing a song from their halcyon days, at the least lyrically if not necessarily musically. “It Ain’t Easy” is an interesting piece as well, as Pearcy actually sounds more like Axl Rose on this song than he does his normal self. Basing itself on an acoustic rock sound, it seems like a strange choice, but again appears to be at the whim of the co-writer on the track, which this time is the producer of the album. Possibly the best two songs on the album are left until last. “All the Way” is the best sounding song, best tempo-ed track, and most enjoyable of everything on this album. I think it would have been a better album overall if they had stuck to this formula more than they did. And the album closer “So Good, So Fine” rocks more than everything before it as well. It seems like an oversight to leave both of these songs until the end, when they may well have picked up the interest of the album if they had been utilised earlier in the track list.

I initially found Ratt the band through my heavy metal music dealer in high school and loved them from the outset with their first two albums, “Out of the Cellar” and “Invasion of Your Privacy”. They were hair metal gold, one of the best of that genre coming through and I played those albums to death over a number of years.
I didn’t pick up this album until about three years after its release, mainly because I wasn’t even sure the band was still together at that time, or that they released another album after all those years. So when I first got the album I was looking forward to what it contained. To say I was underwhelmed and disappointed would be accurate. As I have mentioned throughout this review, the music is of a different genre than what I had enjoyed back in the glory days, and while I did understand why that was the case, it didn’t make it any more palatable. Given the progression of metal music over the previous decade before this was released, I guess I expected the on-the-verge-of-the-millennium Ratt to be a more tuned down and aggressive style, harping on those characteristics that were most prevalent. Instead, we get what is basically a refined blues rock album, with a tempo and style that is not in the top five of my own favourite musical genres. The songs are composed well, and performed well. Pearcy’s vocals are not anything like what I expected from their original material, and there is not enough Warren de Martini magic on the guitar to help save these songs either.
Over the past week, I have listened to this album again, ten times in total, to correlate what I thought of the album at the time, and what I think of it now. My mind hasn’t been swayed from my reactions 20 years ago. I know when I first got the album I listened to it, found it was nothing like what I was listening to at that time, and shelved it. I can say with full confidence that now I have finished this podcast episode, it will return to my shelves without any qualms, where it can rest until the next time I have to do something similar to this. Which is probably never.
It would be another 11 years before Ratt released another studio album, which was also to be their last. But unlike this one, the band listened to their hearts and pulled out an amazing album. But that is for another day, a long way down the road.

1243. Gamma Ray / Power Plant. 1999. 5/5

The 1990’s was a decade of massive change in the music industry, and heavy metal had had its difficult times in adjusting to the changes going on around it. In Europe however, rather than tuning down, getting slower and having vocals go from growls to harsh screams, metal music had gotten faster, utilised more synth to complement the guitars and double kick drums to enhance the speed, and vocalists who hit the heights of the upper spectrum of their vocals.
No band better exemplified this than Gamma Ray, the band helmed by Kai Hansen after his departure from Helloween, and who along with a select few other bands provided the world the counterpoint it needed to the alt, nu and industrial metal that grunge had brought about in other parts of the world.
1995’s “Land of the Free” album was a landmark for the power metal genre, a concept album that not only had Kai return full time to lead vocalist and guitarist, but also brought on board in guest roles vocalists such as Maichael Kiske and Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kursh. This album was then followed by the equally terrific “Somewhere Out in Space” - the episode of which you can find in Season 4 of this podcast - which again pushed the band and the metal genre to greater heights, meshing the fast paced double kick drums with the twin guitars and punishing bass guitar that has formed the base of this band since its inception. The band’s first charted single “Valley of the Kings” showed they could create songs that found prominence in more than just the heavy metal fans bedrooms.
In between, Kai had also been involved in his friend Piet Sielk’s band as a side project. Iron Savior had brought out two albums that he had played on and also co-written some material, and while at this time there was no danger that Kai was going to switch camps away from his own band, some pondered just how full time Gamma Ray could be if he was spending time recording and touring with another band at the same time. Iron Savior’s second album “Unification”, on which both Kai and drummer Dan Zimmermann had played, and the episode on which you can find earlier here in Season 6 of this podcast, had only finished recording when Gamma Ray then went into the studio to write and record this album. It was a double shift that was not to last beyond the next two years, at which time Kai returned to concentrate full time on his number one priority – the glory of Gamma Ray.

“Power Plant” is most power metal of Gamma Ray’s albums. In general Gamma Ray utilise a combination of both speed metal and traditional heavy metal as their main focus, whereas this is more oriented in the power metal genre that Kai himself helped to define in the late 1980’s. But this album is power metal without the dominance of synths that usually comes to mind when you mention that genre of heavy metal, it still focuses on the twin guitars in the music which gives it a more powerful sound than they key and synth based sound that true power metal bands produce.
The opening track is a beauty, “Anywhere in the Galaxy” powering out of the blocks with Zimmermann’s double kick drums hammering through the opening with the guitar riff and Kai’s high-pitched scream crashing out of the speakers. The double kick runs throughout driving the song to the end, and Kai’s vocals at time become very Rob Halford-like in their screaming verses. It’s a brilliant opening track, and sets the album off on the right foot from the very beginning. This segues nicely into “Razorblade Sigh”, another automatic classic, darker in tone, opening with the phased guitar and Kai’s ominous vocals. This is an underrated classic in the Gamma Ray discography, not often thought of when it comes to best songs but is always one that when you listen to it you wonder why it isn’t considered so. The lead out bridge to the song’s conclusion is an emotionally charged highlight. “Send Me a Sign” follows, the song used as the advanced track prior to the album’s release. It has become the band’s signature song to close out their live sets and is a fan favourite to this day.
“Strangers in the Night” just has to be influenced by Judas Priest. Kai’s vocals in the verses here are so very flavoured by Rob Halford, and awesomely so. They sound brilliant. And the guitar melody and double kick drum is very much like a “Painkiller” album sound. The band has always been an influence of both music and vocals for Kai and his bands, and this song is no exception.
From here we move into one of the band’s best ever songs, “Gardens of the Sinner”. Bombastic, melodic, anthemic. Great singalong vocals, driven by the drums and guitars, everything about it screams ‘Gamma Ray classic’. It is amazing that this song did not make initial live set lists, and it wasn’t until the band gave the fans the chance to vote for the songs they wanted to hear live that this came on board, and hasn’t left since. “Short as Hell” is perhaps the most unusual song on the album, sandwiched where it is, an old fashioned jump step drum and guitar riff that bounces along rather than the double kick that dominates most other songs on the album.
The most surprising song on the album is “It’s a Sin”, a cover of the Pet Shop Boys hit single from the 1980’s. It’s a surprise in a couple of ways, firstly that the band chose to cover this particular song, as most of the cover songs they have done have been old NWoBHM bands songs, but secondly that it is done so well. Guitar replaces synth, and Kai sings it terrifically well. It is the best example of slight change in focus of this album compared to the last two that the band has done. It does polarise fans, with many believing that it diminishes the album. Personally, I have always enjoyed it. Following this comes another song that splits the fan base, the openly obvious metal anthem of “Heavy Metal Universe”. Some fans complain that this is such a cliched song looking for a fan reaction that it again lowers the whole expectation of the album. On the other side of the argument, metal bands have written anthem songs to play live forever. Judas Priest – there's that comparison again – made an artform of it in the early 1980’s, as have many other bands. Again, I like the song, I have no problem with it. “Wings of Destiny” ramps up the intensity and emotion with Kai’s harmony vocals and those terrific twin guitars of Kai and Henjo. The lead out bridge vocally is sensational, and sums up the best parts of the song in style. ”Hand of Fate” is backed back to a mid-tempo and is very much in Dirk Schlachter’s style of song, one that differs markedly from the Kai, Dan and Henjo penned tracks.
The closing epic is “Armageddon”, stretching to almost nine minutes and full of platitudes throughout, along with scintillating drumming from Dan again. While not quite on the scale of the title track of the band’s first album “Heading for Tomorrow”, this is where Kai excels, writing songs of magnitude that command your attention and become the types of tracks that drag you in to start the album all over again.

My undying love for this band has perhaps not yet filtered uninterrupted onto this podcast, given the few albums of theirs that I have so far been able to review for episodes here. That will over time be rectified. Suffice to say that from the first time I heard Kai Hansen play and sing on Helloween’s “Walls of Jericho” album I have been slightly obsessed with his music, which transferred completely to Gamma Ray when he formed the band back in 1989.
This resulted in me ensuring that I had this album in my hands on its first week of release. I had spent several years wearing out my copies of the band’s previous two albums, and I was more than ready for new material. When this album came out, I had just relocated from Sydney back to my childhood home in Kiama, living with my parents, and driving my father-in-law's taxi part time as my only source of income. So let me just say that it was a less than satisfactory time of my life. What helped to keep my spirits up was this album. I would drive the taxi around with this album on constant rotation, something that not only annoyed a few people, but also found some ready converts who enquired about who that band was, and what that album is.
For me, Gamma Ray is fun. You sing along, you air guitar, you air drum. This is what heavy metal is supposed to be, remember? Metal is supposed to lighten your mood, bring you to life, lift you above the ground. That’s why we listen to music, to improve our days. Gamma Ray for me has always done that, and this album is no exception. Helloween was known for its ‘happy guitars’ from Kai and Michael Weikath, and Kai has kept this in Gamma Ray. They are the happiest band on the planet – watch them play live. They are all grinning and smiling through the whole gig, it is amazing. And that’s what I do when I listen to this album as well.
“Power Plant” does prove to be that slightly different album in the catalogue though. The previous two albums are very much in the traditional Gamma Ray style, as are the following three albums. This one ventured down a slightly different path, perhaps through the writing being spread between all four members, with Henjo contributing two songs, Dan contributing two songs and Dirk one. Even so, I still love this album. It is an uplifter of my mood, with one particular song doing that more than most. It was also the first song I saw the band play live, on the only time they toured Australia, and it still sticks in my mind as one of the best moments of my life.

1233. Iron Savior / Unification. 1999. 4/5

Iron Savior from the outset was created as a band that, rather than to produce a concept album singularly, as was their debut album, but was to become a concept band, a somewhat unique thing in the history of metal music. The success of their self titled debut album led the band to continue on their journey with their second album which was titled “Unification”.
Following the release of that debut album, the band had gone on tour to support it, but the difficulty that the band found in preparing for a follow up release was having to work in with the schedule of guitarist Kai Hansen, whose number one priority was his own band Gamma Ray. Band leader Piet Sielck once again was the almost sole contributor to the writing and composing of the songs, apart from two tracks submitted by Hansen, on which he also contributed lead vocals in the process. The obvious problem of involving anyone else was that because this album continued the story that was begun on the debut album, one would have to know how that story was to progress, and given it came from Sielck’s mind he was left with the writing himself.
With the first album mostly recorded by Sielck and Hansen alongside drummer Thomas Stauch, this album brought on board the touring band to continue into the studio. This included Andreas Kuck on keyboards, Jan-Soren Eckert on bass, a position he has filled right to the current day, and Dan Zimmermann on drums, which only lasted this album before moving on to fill the same role for Gamma Ray. The recording was pieced together during Hansen’s availability both with Gamma Ray’s touring commitments and their own writing for their follow up to their “Somewhere Out in Space” album. These conflicts in time did eventually lead to Kai having to move on from Iron Savior, but at this point he was still actively involved in keeping the band on the rise in the European power metal community.

The album picks up the story where it was left off at the conclusion of the debut album. The Iron Savior, a gigantic machine built to defend Atlantis, has through the course of the story now come to believe that humans are the destroyer of Atlantis, and as such has set itself to wipe them off the face of the planet. The story moves on from this point, drawing in new heroes and another fleet of aliens from outer space, and by the time you reach the end of the album another cliffhanger is composed, such that the story will continue into the next album.
Now, I do have to say here, just like I did in my review of the debut album back in Season 2 of this podcast, it really isn’t necessary to know, to follow or to care about the story the album is telling. Yes, the concept story is there throughout all of the tracks and can be followed and enjoyed if you like, but it is not necessary to know it to enjoy the album. Indeed, a simple enjoyment of typical power metal music is more than enough to gain something from this album.
The opening tracks are a great start to the album as a whole. “Coming Home” opens at a good pace, with Piet soaring in vocals and encouraging you to sing along with him. Most of these charging songs have a choral backing with Kai, Andreas and Jan all contributing in this fashion. “Starborn” moves in the same direction, the great vocals backed by the humming guitars and Dan’s excellent drumwork driving the songs along. “Deadly Sleep” has always been a favourite, most probably because it is not only written by Kai Hansen but features him on lead vocals as well as guitar. It does still have that Gamma Ray feel about it but is differed enough to not make it sound like it was written for his primary band. “Forces of Rage” returns to the Piet Sielck style of song for the band, more frantic and less melodic in both guitars and vocals, and segues into the spoken word of “Captain’s Log”. This blasts straight back into the fire and brimstone of the album with “Brothers (of the Past), which showcases the exuberance of the best songs by this band, always at a faster pace with lots of fast riffing and great double kick drumming. “Eye to Eye” follows in a more melodic and anthemic way, with great vocals from Piet bringing the best out of the song. This jumps right in to “Mind Over Matter” which has a wonderful dual melodic guitar solo section through the middle of the song that equals all of those from the other songs on this album.
The only disappointment on the album turns out to be the final track, “Forevermore”, written by Kai and also with lead vocals by him. While not a genuine power ballad, this song acts in that way, the anthemic ‘feel-good’ wrap up of the story to this point, and while it is performed well, the keyboard and synth based track just falls out of place from the genuine metal feel of the rest of the album. The only saving grace in this is that the CD has two bonus tracks, with the band covering ai’s own “Gorgar” from Helloween’s “Walls of Jericho” album, and also Black Sabbath’s “Neon Knights”, which releases that slightly bitter taste from the mouth by the end.
Like the best European metal bands, Iron Savior are served wonderfully well by their twin guitar attack, and it is the star attraction of this album. Kai is a legend of the genre, one of the best guitarist/vocalists in a genre of music he was a proponent of inventing. Piet follows suit, and given these two were playing together in school you can hear how well their partnership in playing and collaborating works. “Prisoner of the Void” is another belter, and along with “The Battle” and “Unchained” not only outline the escalation of the story being told but also drive the album to its final conclusion in style.

The debut album, the self titled “Iron Savior” was a good album, a nice way to enter into the marketplace. This album is much better, both in song quality, production, writing and playing. It steps everything up a notch and it is noticeable from the outset. All of this is a reason why this is an improvement, but the fact that the band that toured together prior to this album being written and recorded must act as a major part of this. They were a solid unit entering the studio, and in particular the addition of Dan Zimmermann on drums, who had previously been in Freedom Call and from this album transferred his marvellous skills to Gamma Ray. Jan-Soren Eckert on bass is also fantastic and does a terrific job. But obviously, the star attractions and heavy lifting comes from Piet Sielck, the band leader, guitarist and vocalist and his long time mate Kai Hansen, in the same roles.
I have had this album since it was released, and it has had a couple of stages in the years since when it has been in the CD player for some time going over and over. Of my friend group, and of most people who I know who listen to heavy metal music, I am the only one who has found and loved Iron Savior, and for them, that is most unfortunate. The more I listen to the band, especially in this era of their first five albums, the more I enjoy them. This album especially, having had it running again for over three weeks in preparation for this episode, has given me more than I expected once again. I find more in the relationship on guitar between Kai and Piet, I find more in the rhythm of Jan-Soren and Dan, and I find more in the songs as well. Even in the Iron Savior fan base, this album seems to be unfairly underrated in my opinion. Musically it is at the top of the tree for its genre at the time it was released. And unlike many of the bands it was up against, the fact that it is a twin guitar set up and not a guitar and keyboard band always gives their songs more oomph, more power, more guitar driving throughout.
This is still a terrific album. And what’s more, the albums that follow are arguably better, at least for a time. For a band that no one in Australia at least seems to know, I still think this album holds up after 25 years. The only thing that scares me is that it is 25 years since this was released. It seems frighteningly much less years ago than that.

1053. Edguy / Theater of Salvation. 1999. 3.5/5

Much like contemporaries such as Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius, my everlasting problem with Edguy is the composition of their albums. You can generally split the songs into two categories, that being the faster and heavier versions of their metal songs and the slower ballad version of their metal songs. And for the most part their albums always excite me but also leave me feeling disappointed because of this. Theater of Salvation is no different on that scale.

The instrumental short "The Healing Vision" opens the album before leading straight into “Babylon” which is a terrific opening track that flies along from the outset with great vocals from Tobi Sammat. This is followed by “The Headless Game” which has a moodier and traditional heavier start to the song with a mid-tempo pace. “Land of the Miracle” is more or less a piano based power ballad, which by my definition takes any power out of the song. It’s okay for what it is, and the vocals are what really drives the song, but it's these kinds of songs that annoy me more than most others in all forms of music.
“Wake Up the King” sounds great, though the vocal lines seem little strange, even after all these years. They just don’t seem to follow what is being played instrumentally, and this is still off-putting. "Falling Down" slips back into that mid-tempo double kick scheme with Tobi sitting more or less in the one voice register, and mixes in a nice solo slot through the middle of the song as well as an inbuilt crowd singalong "woah-oh-oh-ooooh" leading into the final chorus. This leads straight into the faster "Arrows Fly" which kicks the tempo back up again, and is one of my favourites on the album, filled with those great power metal guitars while the vocals soar over the top without trying to do anything outrageous. Great stuff.
“Holy Shadows” is another song where the vocals in the chorus just seem out of ‘tune’ to what is being played musically. It's really very strange, and don’t feel right at all. It's a shame, because the rest of the song is really quite good, but I have trouble getting past this. “Another Time” is yet another piano based power ballad, and it doesn't matter how good Tobi sounds on this, it just makes me shudder every time I hear it. Yes, as always, I know what I've signed up for when I found and loved power metal bands. It doesn't mean I'll stop complaining about these kinds of songs though.
“The Unbeliever” is a MUCH better song, full of hard hitting drums, great vocals and terrific guitars. It immediately brings the right mood back to the album, one that should never have left it. Tobi sings hard and it is infinitely better than any ballad. Another of my favourite songs on this album. The album is then finished off by the epic title track, which flows from one mood to another in a satisfying climax.
There is a reasonable argument that Tobi has moved on from Edguy the band – that his Avantasia project has become his major focus over the past decade. Even at the time that this album was released it could be said to be true. The first Avantasia album was only a couple of years away from being released, and there are passages here that are reminiscent of the direction he went with it.

I always felt that the Edguy discography was growing towards something, improving with each album along the way until they reached their zenith, the album that would give the band the standing they deserved. While Theater of Salvation is not that album, it is yet another step closer to that goal. Like their previous albums there is plenty to like here and enjoy.

Rating: "I am the vision that comes to your mind when you denounce without regret". 3.5/5

1052. Primal Fear / Jaws of Death. 1999. 3.5/5

The exponential growth of the power metal genre in Europe through the 1990’s saw an explosion in not only the number of bands coming together to create the music, but the popularity of the music as a whole. Primal Fear, the band put together by former Gamma Ray lead vocalist Ralf Scheepers and Sinner bass guitarist Matt Sinner, were already in that explosion when they formed their partnership, and the release of the eponymous debut album created a new band with a sound that was in synch with the music being created.
On initial reflection, “Jaws of Death” is an album where none of the songs are outstanding, in the way that they jump out at you and make you love them. All the songs are solid and perhaps generic as a result, but in an age where singles were rarer, this album fits in with that ideal. There aren’t any songs here that you would immediately consider putting on a playlist of favourite tracks. There are no real standout tracks.
While Kai Hansen had provided lead guitar on three tracks of the debut album, for the second album the band brought in Stefan Leibing as the second guitarist, giving the band a true five-member platform, with both Tom Naumann and Matt Sinner providing keyboards on the album when necessary.

The opening of the instrumental “Jaws of Death” which then segues into “Final Embrace” is a good solid start to the album, coming at you in a fast tempo set by the double kick drums of Klaud Sperling, with a singalong chorus that makes the opening a good one. This is followed in quick succession by “Save a Prayer” which moves along a similar path with a nice solo break in the middle of the song. “Church of Blood” has more attitude in both music and vocals, the double kick drum driving the song along and Ralf’s vocals feel like they are more engaged and makes for a better listen, while “Into the Future” carries on along that same line of punchy drums and guitars and a great example of the range of vocals that Ralf Scheepers possesses.
The beginning of “Under Your Spell” brings about very strong similarities to the start of Judas Priest’s classic track “Out in the Cold” such is the similar way the keyboard opening sounds. Unlike that terrific song, this one is a bit dreary and just doesn’t quite manage to gather the momentum that has come before it. It sounds great, but it does feel like a missed opportunity to lay down a more memorable song. On the other hand, “Play to Kill” kicks back in at the right tempo and gets the album moving again in the right direction. A great guitar riff drives the songs and sets the stage for Ralf’s vocals to steal the show.
Moving into the second half of the album, the songs continue in the tempo that the band has set up in the first half, without any real change in which to differentiate what is going on. “Nation in Fear” is a case in point, sounding a bit stale and generic in song structure. “When the Night Comes” is a slightly slower tempo, a steady track that sounds very much like an AC/DC song. It’s an interesting cohesion within. Beyond this comes the final two songs, “Fight to Survive” and “Hatred in My Soul”, both which get back closer to what would be an optimum pace for this band, with Ralf again combining melodic vocals to create a more pleasing finish.
The band sounds great. Tom Naumann and Stefan Leibing on guitars do a great job and have some excellent moments when soloing. The rhythm of drummer Klaus Sperling and band leader Matt Sinner on bass is solid throughout and provide the platform, but for me it is perhaps just a bit too regimented for my liking. The double kick drums keep an even tempo throughout, which is probably just missing a bit of excitement to help lift some songs out of the average.
Trying to blend those high range vocals into the music being written is a tough task at any level. And this is where this just falls down a bit as well. Ralf Scheepers tends to sit back in a more comfortable vocal range than he has for some time throughout most of the album. As a result, it does give the songs a flatter feel musically, because we know what he is capable of. Perhaps in trying to keep his vocals in a safe zone with the songs he has cut out one of his best attributes.

Having been drawn into Primal Fear by the Gamma Ray connection on their debut album, it was a no brainer that I had to check out the follow up release in order to see just what the band could produce on their sophomore album. All of the right ingredients had been put forth on that first album without creating any massive waves. My hope was that the band would gel together better both musically and in the writing process and produce something that would be amazing. That may have been ambitious thinking on my part.
There is a trade-off between what you want and what you have. Primal Fear is a heavier version of the power metal genre because they stick with the dual guitar attack and tone out the keyboards to a bare minimum here. On the other hand, they also omit the super double-kick pace that comes with the speed metal aspect, and that drags the whole feel of the album back a little. And while everything sounds good here, there’s just a feeling that it is missing something that would have taken it to the next level.
I first ventured down the Primal Fear path just over 20 years ago, at the time when I was going down the Euro metal rabbit hole. The first album that I heard was actually the band’s follow up to this album, “Nuclear Fire”, and then “Black Sun”, both of which I loved immediately. Once I went backwards to get the first two albums, both seemed like they were a first step towards the sound that came on those two albums I first heard. It isn’t that “Jaws of Death” is an average album, it is just one where the band hasn’t quite found the best way to utilise their talents and find the sound that was to become their ideal medium. I have pulled out this album over the last week to catch up on what I have missed, as it has been a long time since I listened to this album, and overall my opinion hasn’t changed that much. The album is fine, but it doesn’t have the hooks you need for an album to grab you. Better was to come, at least in my opinion, and that was when Ralf pulled out his whole singing arsenal, and the band pushed harder and faster alongside him.
When it comes to the bands that led Europe through the 1990’s power metal explosion and into the 2000’s, Primal Fear is one of the flag bearers. Their style of music is not the keyboard-dominated one of many of the power metal bands of the continent and as a result they have the harder edge to their music that allows them to cross genres. Both the eponymous debut album “Primal Fear” and this follow up album “Jaws of Death” are a building of that style that Primal Fear took on as their own. As a result of finding their own style these two albums are both good without pushing the boundaries to their limits. That was something that came after this.

1042. Megadeth / Risk. 1999. 1/5

By the time 1999 had rolled around, there was still a simmering of the rift between Metallica and Megadeth that had stretched back to the day in 1983 that Dave Mustaine had been fired from the band and was forced to go out and start his own brand. Despite the wonderful and brilliant albums Megadeth had released over the following 15 years, Mustaine still seemed to feel as though he was in his former band’s shadow. However, in the previous five years, Metallica had gone rogue and released “Load” and “Reload”, albums that had certainly divided fan opinion with their very obvious refining of their sound. On the other hand, Megadeth’s releases “Youthanasia” and “Cryptic Writings” had garnered cautious praise for their songwriting and absorbing of the musical changes around them without losing the essence of the band’s own sound.
The arrival of Jimmy DeGrasso as the band’s new drummer following the firing of Nick Menza on the tour to promote their previous album was the only change to the outfit leading into their eighth studio album. The band spent six weeks writing the songs before spending another four months in the studio to record it. The question of why it took this long has a different answer depending on which band member was questioned. Guitarist Marty Friedman was a major influence on the direction the new album was to take, as he wanted to create some point of difference in their music and pushed the envelope a little. The record company also wanted to see the band offer it more opportunities for exposure on commercial radio, something the single “Trust” had done from the previous album. DeGrasso himself was up for a heavy album, not surprising considering the stuff he would have been playing on tour. Bass guitarist Dave Ellefson was quoted in an interview as saying that the band’s manager wanted them to release something that would have all of the other band out their smack their foreheads and proclaim ‘why didn’t we think of that?!’
While Metallica’s decision making at that time was obviously still extremely popular and profitable, something Mustaine constantly seemed to aspire to, for much of the Megadeth fan base, the continuity that the band had been able to bring to their albums over the years gave them a sense of comfort, and when the new album was announced the feeling of excitement came from the fact that yet another Megadeth barnstorming album was about to hit the shelves with more awesome tracks and headbanging material.

Error.

This album took massive liberties with the Megadeth sound and direction and entitling it “Risk” pretty much covered all the bases. Because it was a definite risk to mess around with what had worked for the band for such a long time, in order to gain more radio airplay or more widespread recognition.
From the opening of the album, there is a highly critical difference in what is offered than what had come on their previous albums. It’s industrial alt-rock mixed with lifeless rock ballads, songs that sound like they are either stretching for commercialism or for the alt-rock credibility stakes, where sales are the driving force but the ‘hey man – this is awesome’ call from the general public.
Now, if you just want to listen to this album and not expect anything from it, there are moments that are tolerable. If you close your eyes, and see mishmash of Nickelback and Creed up there trying to create a heavier sound than they normally do, you could probably get something out of this album. Beyond that... it’s a difficult listen if you turned up for a Megadeth album.
The first half of the album is tolerable. “Insomnia” is a mish mash of strings and screams and patchy lyrics that doesn’t allow you to bang along in time or even sing along to the lyrics, such is its structure. “Prince of Darkness” is a moody, building song but again doesn’t bring any great love to the table and it isn’t a pure heavy metal song. It has its moments where it comes into its own. “Crush ‘Em” has a vibe that you can tap along to, probably because Mustaine wanted this to be an arena anthem and be played around the world. You can hear how he crafted it to be just that. So it’s okay without being any more than a chanting tune, one you could possibly get on board cheering your team into the arena by. Maybe. And “Breadline” has a very mainstream sound to it, mostly lyrically as Dave decides to try and sing in a much softer tone than he normally does which is a dead ringer for that commercial bent. The single did well on American charts, but it just doesn’t do anything as a metal song in the slightest. But at least it isn't a power ballad.
But as for the rest? It doesn’t improve with age. “The Doctor is Calling” has pretty much nothing going for it. Dave chants along while the drums roll slowly and patiently and the guitars play some semblance of a tune before an almost-solo breaks out towards the end, but without any real energy at all. “I’ll Be There” for all intents and purposes IS that wretched power ballad that destroys all heavy music. As average as most of the songs are on this album this is still the one that sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it, and not in a positive fashion. This is the kind of song that could have destroyed Megadeth if it had had any kind of success, because then perhaps the band would have felt the need to keep writing songs like it. No, this is terrible. It is the antithesis of the great Megadeth songs Dave wrote of his ex-girlfriends, the songs that are the greatest in the Megadeth discography.
I can’t even describe the reaction I get when “Wanderlust” comes on. Just what exactly is being thought of in this song is beyond me. This is followed by “Ecstacy” which is the exact incorrect emotion I get listening to this song. It again has gone for a basic musical premise in riff and rhythm, with no excitement or energy appearing in any form. Terrible. There is even less to be said about the remainder of the album. “Seven” is a mirror image of the previous two songs, while the double track at the conclusions of the album, “Time: The Beginning” and “Time: The End” simply don’t carry their weight. The majority of the first track is acoustic based and without any great drive, while the second track is more electric but in such a mournful way that it becomes depressing to even get to the end of the album.

When this album was released, I was driving taxis as my main source of income back home in Kiama after five years living in Sydney, and I spent a LOT of time listening to it while I waited for fares in the middle of the night. I still remember the excitement I felt when it came out and I bought it, and the number of times I listened to it was astronomical. Because, you know, it’s Megadeth, right? It HAS to be good! And I continued to listen to it over and over again. And, after a few weeks of doing this, I finally began to question... is this a good album? Is it enjoyable? And I finally came to the conclusion that... no, it really was not good. Indeed, it was on such a different plane from what I was enjoying at that time of my life that it was hard to believe that this wasn’t very good, and that I was still wasting my time listening to it! But, in those pre-streaming days, that’s what you did, because you could only afford to buy a certain number of albums each year, and when you did, you needed to get your money's worth out of them. The final straw was swapping it in my taxi for Gamma Ray’s “Powerplant” album one day, and the amazing difference in quality relegated “Risk” to the CD shelves for a very very long time.
Are there any redeeming features on this album? My opinion is that it really doesn’t seem like it. The first half of the album, up until the end of “Breadline”, was eventually as far as I would get if I ever put this album on. It was the finish for me, because everything after this point has got nothing that interests me whatsoever. That’s not to say the first half was much better, but I can at least muddle my way through if it becomes necessary. And the fact is that most of the people involved in that album feel much the same way about it now. The title “Risk” apparently came about from a quote by Lars Ulrich, either in a magazine article or a TV interview, where he claimed that Mustaine and Megadeth had to take more risks with their music if they wanted to achieve the kind of success that Metallica had. Well thanks very much for that Lars, way to fuck up TWO bands for the price of one. With the disastrous direction (in my own opinion) Metallica had taken on their last two studio albums “Load” and “Reload”, the announcement of a new Megadeth album had been a welcome relief. It was a great feeling to know that I could expect more of the same from this band, that no matter how bad things were getting, there was no way Megadeth could record an album as uninteresting and boring as “Reload”. Wrong.
Dave Mustaine was apparently quoted as saying “If anyone else’s name was on the cover of this album, it would have sold”. So on a couple of occasions I have put this album on, and just listened, not letting any judgement on the name of Megadeth enter what I’m listening to, just to see if I would enjoy the album as something someone had put on and asked me to listen to it and judge it without knowing who the band was. It did not improve. I have listened to this album a lot over the past month, because it is Megadeth and I needed to know if there could be any change to the way I feel about this album. There is not.
The fact that this was Marty Friedman’s final album with Megadeth was both sad and probably welcome. His own path was leading in a different direction and he needed to take that on his own. For Megadeth, the path that this album took was probably not repeated, but that didn’t mean that there were not albums beyond this that were not questionable when it came to their output.

987. Metallica / S&M. 1999. 3.5/5

Unlike some of their contemporaries from the 1980’s, Metallica seemed to power through the 1990’s decade as though the obstacles that seemed to be in the path of many other heavy metal bands did not exist for them. On the back of their studio albums “Load and “Reload”, the band toured the world non-stop, selling out stadiums wherever they went, and though parts of their fan base were not as enamoured with their musical direction as other parts, they continued to pick up new fans on their journey whose new adulation offset any negatives.
Following this they released their double album cover songs compilation “Garage Inc”, which combined their already released cover songs from previous eras and a bunch of newly recorded cover songs, which again sold so well that they even did a short tour promoting just those tracks. Only Metallica it would seem could sell out concerts playing songs of which none of them were actually Metallica songs.
So, what was next? A new album? Well it seems the band was not ready for that step just yet, and instead they and their management came up with the idea that perhaps they could do something else a bit out of character. The covers album and tour had worked. Thankfully, the band did not go as far as to record and release an unplugged album, though that concept did creep into their shows around this time, something that should never see the light on an official album release. Instead, the band went down the path of playing their bombastic heavy music on stage with the accompaniment of a symphony orchestra.
The idea for this had been around for a while. Michael Kamen, who would eventually compose and conduct the orchestral arrangements for this album, had also been involved in the backing for the song “Nothing Else Matters’ from the Black album, and had suggested at that time that the band could possibly perform some of their material in this way. It was not an unusual approach with the concept having been done since the 1960’s, perhaps most famously by Deep Purple with Jon Lord’s “Concerto for Group and Orchestra” in 1969. Although it took some years to come to fruition, the band and Kamen finally put their heads together to knock out the song list and the arrangements and the performance, which became the album “S&M”

One of the highlights of the album is the beginning, with Ennio Morricone's wonderful "The Ecstasy of Gold", which Metallica has always played as their opening music at the start of each concert. Here, of course, it can be played live by the symphony orchestra in attendance, and it sounds amazing. A real treat from the start. When it comes to the combination of the orchestra and the band, then perhaps the lead off track on the album is still its best response. "The Call of Ktulu", the wonderful instrumental that concludes the "Ride the Lightning" album has always been a majestic piece of music, and here the symphony and metal combine beautifully to create what does sound like a masterpiece. The song is pure enough in itself when the band plays it live, and doesn't need the extra behind it. Butas an enhanced feature, its a beauty. And, coming off "The Ecstasy of Gold" it is the perfect way to start this album and experience. And then, the segue straight into "Master of Puppets", the first call on James's vocals, and of course just the utter power and brutality of the track itself. How would the symphony ride along with this? Well as it turns out, pretty bloody well. The combination of strings and brass alongside guitar and drums, and especially how it ebbs and flows through the middle melodic guitar break back into the MASTER MASTER WHERE'S THE DREAMS THAT I'VE BEEN AFTER and then the full blown guitar solo is quite majestic. Once again the band and Michael Kamen have done a terrific job.
And the fun doesn't stop there. "OF Wolf and Man" crashes out of the speakers with band a strings squealing at you, and taking you on the journey of the song in grand style. This was always one of the stars of the 1991 release and the live version here is every bit as good. And then... My goodness... "The Thing That Should Not Be" is such a monster track on its own, and it sounds terrific here. Then we have the "Reload" heavy hitters of "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains", to slightly opposing offerings. "Fuel" is such a furious song that while it sounds good here doesn't benefit as much from the setting it is played in, while "The Memory Remains" seems to grow legs with the backing of the extended instrumental source, and sounds larger and more responsive as a result. The crowds backing chants help it as well. This is followed by a new track, one that is only found on this album, "No Leaf Clover", which does defy the recent releases by sounding very good, and has become a track that has outgrown its appearance on this album.
Orchestrally, the joining of the songs from "Load" and "Reload" seems to be a snug fit, and perhaps that it because of the way those albums were composed with a less intense and aggressive musical tone that instinctively suits the symphonic renditions. "Hero of the Day" and "Devil's Dance" are the perfect examples here. Both have their moods well covered by the orchestra behind them, allowing the flow of the song to meld with the backing created by Kamen for these tracks. "Bleeding Me" also always felt like it had a purpose further than what Metallica perform on the studio version, and those differing musical platitudes sound better filled here with the backing of the orchestra and the parts written for them to exacerbate them.
Not all the songs gain much from the setting. "Nothing Else Matters" is not amplified by having the symphony backing and remains much as it does for how you individually enjoy it. "Until It Sleeps" does sound good with the backing, with it fitting seamlessly around the original track, while "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is hampered by the extra sonics making the rather simplified track a bit overcharged. So too to the second new song prepared for this album, "- Human", which doesn't match the enjoyment of the earlier new track. And yet another track that has its own power and majesty, "Wherever I May Roam", is given a completely different feel by the orchestics added in for this show, and while the song sounds great it has its guitar power drowned out which lessens its impact.
For the most part, I feel the same way about the rest of the songs on the album from this point on. The only possible point of difference is "Outlaw Torn" which cannot be saved from itself no matter what they added or subtracted from it. But "Sad But True", "One", "Enter Sandman" and "Battery" are all songs that have their own ambiance, a gravitas that allows them to hold their own without additional backing. So while the addition of the composed symphony that envelops them here sounds great, and it was always going to be interesting to hear what they did with those songs for this concert, it does perhaps slightly hinder each track rather than make it a special version of itself. That is certainly the case with "One" that has all of its dramatic passages completely nullified by the orchestra pieces that were written to amplify it.

I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to get around to buying this album if it had not been for the kids I was playing cricket with at that time. Being a 30 year old around 16-18 year olds meant that they were often pushing their music on me to insist that I listen and give it the thumbs up. And I hadn't really any early enthusiasm to get this album when it was released, but after being hounded for weeks that 'you've gotta listen to it, it's awesome!!' I relented and bought myself a copy. And... It was fine. The dual CD - and of course the DVD of the performance, which was probably better as you could see everyone playing their part - was worth a listen. And I won't deny that the opening of that first CD, from the first strains of "The Ecstasy of Gold" through to the end of "No Leaf Clover", is still pretty good to this day. But beyond that, I could easily dismiss the rest. And to be fair I probably have. Over the years when I have listened to this album or watched the DVD, I get to the end of "No Leaf Clover" and then look for what is next in the rotation.
And perhaps this is one of my bugbears. Metallica have never released an official live album, if you do not include the "Live Shit: Binge & Purge" box set from 1993, which has the CD live show from Mexico City on that Black Album tour. Eventually they took on the role themselves through their own company and now offer people the chance to buy every live show they ever play, in soundboard quality. And that's a great thing. But for all of the amazing shows they performed prior to 2005 or so, you have to rely on bootlegs.
So this being the only other officially released live album... and I know it was a gimmick of the time and they rode that wave all the way to the shore... I would probably have preferred a live album without the orchestra. They even did a show they filmed for MTV on their tour to promote "Garage Inc" with all those cover songs live. They could have made THAT a live album, which still wouldn't have solved the main point of my argument. Which again, is this. This album is fine. It has some great songs on it and great versions of songs in a concept that drew more people in to experience what the band had to offer. And I enjoy it as outlined previously. They even did a SECOND one of these 20 -odd years later, which I had never seen nor listened to. Because what you want is to hear the four members of the band, and that's about it. And here you don't have that.
I understand why there are people out there that adore this album and the versions of the songs it contains. I really do. For me though, unless it is on a rare occasion such as having to review it for a podcast episode on its anniversary, I'll be happy to leave it on the shelves.

839. Helloween / Metal Jukebox. 1999. 4/5

At what point of your career do you think you would have to get to before you decided that recording and releasing an album fully devoted to cover songs is the right thing to do? Although this is basically a rhetorical question, it is perhaps one worth considering. Is it a point where you are so comfortable in your band’s success that you are sure that this decision could either be an excellent upselling move to create further record sales, such as the way Metallica’s “Garage Days Re-revisited" EP had done in 1987, and then “Garage Inc” had been the year prior to this album’s release. Or is it a point that it was the perfect time to rekindle a dwindling interest in the band as a whole, to draw back fans lost due to underperforming albums in recent times, such as perhaps Queensryche’s “Take Cover” compilation in 2007. Or is it a point where you’ve got nothing better to do and you just feel like doing some songs, more or less like Ozzy Osbourne’s “Under Cover” album in 2005. And there are many other examples, for which the reasons why they were done can only be asked of the artists themselves.
In the case of Helloween, their trajectory had been on a steady rise once again having bottomed out in the early 1990’s. On the back of some changes in the band and on two excellent albums in “Master of the Rings” and “The Time of the Oath”, Helloween had gotten back on their feet and were making headway again in the difficult musical times they found themselves in.
One of the interesting things about the recording of the album is that all of the music was recorded by each member separate from the others, in different studios around the world. I would think that was interesting because if it is a covers album, it must have been very difficult to organise how the band wanted each cover version to sound. I mean, you couldn’t just ask each member to go in and decide how they wanted to play each song, and then try and piece it all together! That would have been an impossible task. So there had to have been some conversation on the songs and the way they were going to do their ‘Helloween’ versions, in order to make it sound like they weren’t just playing a note for note version of each of the tracks, before they all went to their different locations and physically recorded each bit by themselves. I’d have thought that recording a covers album would have been a fun thing to do AS A BAND rather than singularly and apart.

The song selection by the band for this album covers the gamut of great hard rock and pop bands of the 1970’s, along with a couple of surprises along the way. And the great part about these versions of these songs is that they are faithful to the originals, in the way that if you know the song it is instantly recognisable, but they have also put a bit of Helloween into them to create a bigger adaption, either through instrumentation or tempo or vocal.
Covering a Beatles song is always fraught with danger, so I’m always of the belief that you should accept them with a grain of salt. And their version here of “All My Loving” with double kick and a faster speed does credit to bringing a different light to the song. On the other hand, the cover of Cream’s “White Room” draws out the heavier tones of the track while retaining the original beautiful groove and feeling of the song. Andi sings this particularly well and the band play it superbly. Another song they do excellently is “Hocus Pocus”, the Focus song that many people would know when they heard even if they didn’t know the title or the original band that played it. The original has been used in commercials and films for decades, and this version more than does it justice.
There were several songs here that I was unfamiliar with when I bought the album, and have since gone back to check out those versions to sit alongside these, and Helloween’s versions are comparable. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s “Faith Healer” is a faithful version here (no pun intended), and “Mexican” by Babe Ruth also is an interesting song. The other song I didn’t know was “Juggernaut” by Frank Marino, and this version is a beauty, played at a great clip that mirrors the title of the track.
That leaves the first five songs on the album, by recognisable artists that would seem to have been highly influential on the band’s sound. “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull is a classic favourite of many metal bands of this era, and Helloween’s version is excellent. One of the interesting versions is their take on Faith No More's “From Out of Nowhere”, given the modern age of the band, which suggests this was chosen because it was a favourite of the band rather than an influence. Their aggressive take on Scorpions “He’s a Woman She’s a Man” is fantastic, as is their over-the-top cover of ABBA’s “Lay All Your Love on Me”, one that sears the veneer off the table. And the last track is David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, a real fan’s closely held interpretation of Bowie’s classic.

Much like I have a saying for live albums – that you should really know by now if you have been listening to this podcast for a while – I have a saying about cover albums. And it is this – albums with cover songs have a shelf life. You will listen to them for a certain time, but eventually you are going to want to go back and listen to the original versions, because in most cases they will still be better or more interesting than the cover versions. And that is true here as well.
What I like about this collection is that there is a variety of artists, many of whom you will not have expected the band to choose, and that they weren’t afraid to go after some iconic classics to perform. The Beatles, ABBA, David Bowie... those three songs could have fallen completely flat if they hadn’t done a good job on them. Fortunately for all, they did.
I bought this on its release, more on a promise I made to myself after missing the original release dates of both “Master of the Rings” and “The Time of the Oath” because of the disappointment I had of “Chameleon”. And while I enjoyed it at the time, it wasn’t what I really wanted, which was a new album by Helloween. This was fine, and fun to listen to, but once it had served its purpose at the time it then went back on the CD shelves. Pretty much until the last couple of weeks. I’m sure I’ve listened t it since, but not in a memorable way.
What I discovered over this short time period since I have been reviewing it for this podcast, I have to say that I’ve found it more enjoyable than I remember. It may well be because I haven’t listened to it for some time, or that it is a novelty again, but it has been fun. The shorter time period availed to me at the moment, with so many episodes to produce, may also help in this matter. It IS a well compiled album, with great cover songs of terrific artists, and you can’t ask for more than that. But it won’t be like an album written by the band. You probably won’t listen to it multiple times, and you probably won’t take it out very often to listen to because of its content. But don’t confuse that with it being an average album. It certainly isn’t that. And for the marketplace in these kinds of albums being produced by bands, it ranks at the higher end of the scale.