1100. Northern Kings / Reborn. 2007. 4/5

The Christmas holiday period in Australia always finds me looking back in time with rose coloured glasses on, back to my high school days and the music that dominated that time, both metal and pop music. So when you come across an album that fuses the two together, making metal anthems out of 1980’s pop songs, it is something that is hard to ignore. Thus over the past couple of months I have discovered Northern Kings and their two cover albums, starting with this one entitled Reborn.

Not sure why an album like this has to be released? Well, the answer is why not? This is a one-off super-group type of situation, with the four vocalists - Jarkko Ahola, Marco Hietala, Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto and Tony Kakko - from various Finland metal groups coming together to bash these tunes out. And for anyone like me who not only remembers all of these songs when they were released but also prefers heavier music, this is an enjoyable exercise.
Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” has probably always been a song that could lend itself to a reimagining, and this is one of the better cover versions here purely because it has been speeded up and given a raucous middle section dominated by the duelling guitar and keyboard solo along with the double kick. One of the kings of the AOR movement is given a perfect power metal overhaul here and sounds fantastic.
The version of Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from the movie Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome is perhaps the standout and certainly my favourite in this collection. It doubles down on the emotion of the original track and doesn’t move too far from the structure except to beef up the power and energy throughout. It is still impossible not to sing along at the top of your voice through the chorus, and the four voices together (the only track where all four are involved together) give this a fitting treatment.
Mr. Mister’s “Broken Wings” also sounds great, thanks to Tony Kakko who does a great job on the vocals for this track. On the other hand, Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” has gone in a different direction, going for the slower and lower approach which is the opposite of the vibrancy of the original. I appreciate that they needed to change this version to do something original with it, and I do think that it is fine in that respect. I just love the anger and fire of the original too much. I’d have loved to have heard a real power metal up-the-ante version of this. David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” is giving a fitting tribute which still giving it a varied sound which gives it its originality. To be honest I think Northern Kings version of “Fallen on Hard Times” is better than Jethro Tull’s original, giving it a life that Tull never did. It’s a great track and makes me listen to it in a different way now.
Another high energy track given a slower and more introspective version is Cutting Crew’s “I Just Died in Your Arms”, which to me deserved a real speed metal version instead. Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” sticks closely to the original piece, which is a good thing because it would be an easy song to make sound bad if you are not careful. This rendition is faithful and retains the vibe of the original. This is completely different from the version of Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don’t Bring Me Down” which is given a complete makeover and given the speed and vibrancy that power metal invokes. It is pretty much a completely different song with the same lyrics such is the change in the output. It takes a bit of getting used to if you know the original song well, which most people of my generation will. In the case of the Phil Collins hit “In the Air Tonight” the band again plays a more energetic version of the track without steering too far from the structure of the song, thus giving it a power metal feel without cracking the song for the purists.
There have been a couple of excellent and interesting cover versions of Radiohead’s “Creep”, though I wouldn’t number this among them. They have gone for a heavier slower version rather than go in the other direction, and to my thinking it would have been more interesting to hear that tested out instead.
A close second to song of the album is the souped up, double time version of Lionel Richie’s “Hello”, which is perfectly performed on vocals by Jarkko Ahola. Once again the emotion of the track is enhanced, while also giving the music an edge and a drive that the original does not have. Excellent. The album concludes with “Brothers in Arms” from Dire Straits which holds itself much to the same tempo as Mark Knopfler’s version which perhaps hinders the end of setlist because of it.

Like I said at the start, for anyone who grew up in the 1980’s listening to these songs on the radio and who also doesn’t mind hearing them get a fresh coat of paint this a well worth searching out. After a few listens I was hooked, and I can now put this on at any time, in any company, and get a kick from it.

Best songs: “We Don’t Need Another Hero”, “Fallen on Hard Times”, “Sledgehammer”, “Hello”.

Rating:  “All we want is life beyond Thunderdome.”  4/5

1047. Megadeth / United Abominations. 2007. 4/5

There was a certain amount of anticipation leading up to the release of this album. Dave seemed re-energised, and was talking himself and his band up at every opportunity. He was saying all the right things – but could he back it up? I’m not sure what happened between the recording and touring of [system], but whatever it was, it probably should have happened some time ago. There are albums that can turn you off from the first song, sometimes even the first riff. And there are albums that just take off so suddenly because of the opening track that it is impossible not to like. Having been through a decade where Megadeth hadn’t quite fired on more than two cylinders, I was hooked from the very first moment of United Abominations.

“Sleepwalker” is the track, and I can’t nail down any particular moment from the song that takes me in so much, but it is the combination of all the factors – great double kick throughout, Mustaine’s vocals and lyrics, the dual guitars, the opening riff and drum kick, the solo’s and pleasingly the tempo. This isn’t one of the greatest songs ever written but as an opening track trying to bring you into the album and hopefully take you in, it works. Well, it worked on me.
Then you need to have back up, and continue the good work throughout. While I found a lot of the previous album enjoyable enough, it felt to me as though it was a bit of a drudge, caught in a rut and not uplifting or… fun! Here though the songs are at a better tempo, the drums are really driving each song and there’s a touch of Countdown to Extinction to the writing. Whether Mustaine deliberately went in that direction I don’t know but I’ve always felt there is some comparison in the sound between the two albums. It’s always dangerous trying to compare albums but in this instance I think it is worthwhile
“Washington Is Next!” careers along at that great pace, and with twin solo’s that help make the track a beauty. This jumps straight into the excellent “Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms” which continues the fantastic start to this album. It’s truly the closest a Megadeth album had come to the great ones in over a decade. Other great songs here include “Gears of War”, “Play for Blood” and “Amerikhastan”, while the re-booted track “A Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)” from the Youthanasia album, now featuring Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil in a supporting vocal role, is one I also enjoy.
The new band (yes, an actual band this time) does its job with great purpose. The addition of the Drover brothers, Glen on guitar and Shawn on drums, has added a nice symmetry to the music, while James LoMenzo on bass is terrific, offering a different sound to that of long term cohabitant Dave Ellefson. Everyone does their job well, while Mustaine appears revitalised after recovering from his injured arm some years previously. The songs have their usual political bent but the music and singing is in an uplifting way that makes it not only more accessible but more enjoyable.

Comparing recent Megadeth albums to previous releases is always fraught with danger. Certainly this was their best album since Youthanasia. It was a heartening change I trend, one mirrored by Metallica at around the same time. After a lull of a decade in two of the biggest metal bands, both looked to have found a way through it back into the sunlight. This album is still easy to listen to a decade onwards, which is a sign of its strengths.

Rating: “Did I give you concrete shoes and throw you off of a bridge?”.  4/5

949. Heaven & Hell / Live From Radio City Music Hall. 2007. 5/5

There are some defining moments that come along in life, events that become a part of you and that you carry with you for the rest of your life. The Heaven And Hell gig at Wollongong in August was one of those moments for me.
But this is not to review that night. This is to review the live CD/DVD that has been released.

Recorded early in the tour, this album carries what most of us never expected to hear again - Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio at the helm, playing the material they recorded from their three albums together. And to be quite honest, it is just sensational. The sound from the musicians is quite awesome. Geezer's bass sound and Tony's guitar sound are a stark reminder of just who is responsible for the style of music we like to call 'heavy metal'. Geezer's bass is almost gutteral, Tony's playing is flawless. Vinny Appice on drums again does a sterling job. He mightn't be flashy like a lot of drummers these days, but he doesn't miss a beat and has always complemented this band when he has been a part of it.
And the master, the greatest of them all, Ronnie James Dio, provides the face and the vocals of the band, and continues to be at the top of his game.

Favourites for me here are "After All (The Dead)", "I", "Computer God", "Falling Off The Edge Of The World", "Die Young", "Heaven And Hell" and "Neon Knights". Actually, I just should have listed the tracklist, because it is all just fantastic.

The rumours abound for what the future holds for Black Sabbath in the future - a 40 year anniversary recording with Ozzy for instance. If that happened, I guess it will be great. But this album - and the tour they have been on - to me just proves that a fully fledged new album with Dio at the helm would make for a much better option.

Rating:  "Oh no, here it comes again"   5/5.

(Note - I originally wrote this and posted it on my Rate Your Music page on September 2, 2007, just a month after seeing them live at Wollongong. I must have missed posting it to this blog, which is why it might seem out of place in the way I have written it. BP.)

938. Avantasia / Lost in Space Part 2. 2007. 4.5/5

After Lost in Space Part 1 comes Lost in Space Part 2, and while it is a safe assumption that this could have been consolidated into one EP if it wasn't for that ability of commercialism to try and soak up every dollar from the fans out there, and ensure there is just enough on each EP to force you into buying what is essentially the same single, you will need both if you are going to satisfy your curiosity as to what has been gifted to you on this occasion.

The same lead single exists here, and in retrospect it becomes a little too sugar coated. Let's face it, if my wife can suggest that this sounds like modern day Bon Jovi, then it's a sure bet you lovers of metal out there are going to think the same thing. The song is catchy enough, and I will always sing along with it, but it really is a soft rock song, one that targets an audience that most probably has little interest in the majority of what Avantasia is about.
"Promised Land" is an interesting addition here, if only for the fact that it didn't appear on The Scarecrow, but in fact surfaced on Angel of Babylon a further two years later. Was this a deliberate plan? Or by accident did Tobi realise that it was such a good song it needed to go on an album? I don't know the answer, but it is a terrific song and bounds along here in great style. "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" is a cover of an Ultravox song, and much like the cover songs on the previous EP this is done well with great poise and energy to make it worthy of the original song. "Scary Eyes" is a non-album track, which in retrospect seems like a missed opportunity. Everything here works fine, and for me, unlike the non-album track on the first EP, "The Story Ain't Over", this has the energy and drive and up-tempo feel to hold its own in that company.
"In My Defence" is another cover, this time of a Freddie Mercury-helmed track from a musical called Time, and which I knew from The Freddie Mercury Album that came out after his death. Tobi does a pretty fair job filling the boots of the great man, and this song fits in nicely for this package. The album is then completed by a live studio acoustic recording of... yes... you guessed it... "Lost in Space", which given does sound good in this environment.

Once again, the extra material is worth the listen, as much a any EP carries. As with Part 1, it will eventually be of main interest to fans of the band who like to have their collections complete.

Rating:  "It was you who took my hand, come into the promised land"   4.5/5

937. Avantasia / Lost in Space Part 1 [EP]. 2007. 3.5/5

It was generally assumed after the release of The Metal Opera and The Metal Opera Pt. II that the Avantasia experiment was complete. That all changed in 2007 when two EPs arrived as a prelude to the release of the next Avantasia album,The Scarecrow. Both EPs sprouted the single lifted from the new album, as well as some teasers for what was to come, and some other material to fill out the CD. The single to be released was "Lost in Space", and this is the first EP of the two that surfaced.

The lead single is the title track "Lost in Space", which drips of a commercial nature in order to receive the airplay required to make a single popular. This is followed by a rousing version of ABBA's "Lay All Your Love on Me", which is given the perfect heavier treatment musically, as well as a great vocal rendition from Tobi. It is an interesting phenomenon in that so many bands of this generation from Europe all have a desire to cover a song from a 1970's pop icon such as ABBA - Helloween and Yngwie Malmsteen are just two other example of bands to have covered ABBA songs in the past. Their influence on those in my age bracket, who embraced the band during their formative years in that decade, is still plain for all to see.
"Another Angel Down" is the second song from the upcoming album on this EP, and it is a beauty. Featuring Jorn Lande as well on vocals, it is one of the best songs from the album, and thus was well suited in ramping up interest in what was to come the following year. This is followed by "The Story Ain't Over", a non-album track that fits into the framework of the Avantasia project nicely. This was played by the band on their World Tour to support The Scarecrow, but I can't say it has ever been a favourite of mine.
The orchestral short track "Return to Avantasia" is followed by another hard rocking cover, this time a version of a Lucifer's Friend song "Ride the Sky". Initially I was disappointed, as I thought I would be getting a version of Helloween's magnificent "Ride the Sky", but it was not to be. Still, this is a good version of the song that also came from the early 1970's.

Out of the six songs here, three will be of interest to Avantasia fans, being the two cover songs and the non-album track. It's a solid EP, but probably only one for the collectors and hard core fans.

Rating:  "And who is there to tell me not to give and not to go"  3.5/5

921. Megadeth / That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires. 2007. 3.5/5

When it comes to live albums, for it to be a successful and worthwhile adventure, you need to have a set list that not only commends the work done on the album that you are promoting on that current tour, but has the best tracks available from your back catalogue. You also need to have a band that is tight, raucous and so damn energetic that you can feel that pumping through your speakers when you play it at home. On the first point, this album does a pretty fair effort on the collection of songs recorded. On the second point... well...

Dave's vocals are fine here, but his actual SINGING on some of these songs is almost diabolical. I know in some ways that's a tautology, because his singing has never been the main focus of what makes Megadeth great. But in some places he's just all up in the air, no focus, no attitude. Where the hell is the attitude in "Wake Up Dead"? The lyrics are just floated out there, and let's get on with the song. It really loses its drive because of it. This is a criticism only for the fact that it is the way he sings these songs that gives it the real anger that they were written with, and if they aren't sung 'correctly' the they lose a bit of their power. Judge that against the following song, "In My Darkest Hour", which really needs to be sung right, and it is. It doesn't need the attitude as much as the angst, which is delivered well enough. This is a small and perhaps petty outlook, but this is what Megadeth is, attitude and angst, and if the leader isn't giving off the right signals, then they cannot possibly come across in the right light. "Reckoning Day". What the hell was happening there?! And yet "Angry Again" is perfect! Come on Dave.
Glen Drover is just not very good. For a guy who is in a supremely high profile metal band, his technical ability is very low. And I know he has had to come in following a couple of pretty amazingly technically brilliant guitarists in Marty Friedman and Al Pitrelli, but if you are going to play someone else's material, you either have to play it the way they did and well, or make it your own and play it well. I have no real argument with the songs he has been involved with from The System Has Failed album (though he didn't write or record them), but in the main the older songs really are lacking in his guitaring. Absolutely I am biased, because I had the misfortune to see him completely fuck up the middle part of "Holy Wars" in Sydney in 2004, so much so that it was embarrassing. James McDonough on bass and Shawn Drover on drums are both solid without being anything outstanding. As much as Dave gives them grief, Pitrelli and Jimmy DeGrasso were (and are) far better on their instruments than the Drover brothers.
The set list here is well balanced between the songs that are from the current album they are touring on, and all eras of the band. The dragging feature for me is that the new songs, with the possible exception of "Die Dead Enough" just aren't very interesting, and in the main the other songs that were on the previous tour, and found themselves on Megadeth's first live album Rude Awakening, sounded much better on that release. And the older songs obviously sound more upbeat and aggressive, because they are and they were! Compare the drudgery of "I'll Be There' and then the excitement that bursts immediately following with "Tornado of Souls". It's no contest.

Thus we have an interesting comparison between band members and released music. This line up of Megadeth would be close to its least interesting, and some of the songs close to its least interesting. When the old songs come on the album lights up, and yet when the newer songs are on it is like a morgue. In the long run, as an overall package, there are better Megadeth live releases out there.

Rating:  "You feel my fingertips, you won't forget my lips".  3.5/5

918. Russell Allen & Jorn Lande / The Revenge. 2007. 2.5/5

When I first discovered this project a few years ago, the attraction was the combination of two of the great modern day vocalists, literally battling it out on an album, trying to outdo the other on each song. Surely, if you are going to call an album The Battle, this is what is going to happen, right? OK, well it wasn't quite that, but the concept had enough momentum after that first release to see it repeated again two years later, which brought forth The Revenge.

As with the first album, the driving creative force is Magnus Karlsson, who created all of the music and lyrics, as well as playing the majority of the instruments. It's quite a construction, to practically have complete control over the whole project as though it were a solo album, and yet the end result is titled after the two lead vocalists, and it is their participation that draws in the fans rather than Magnus himself.
Once again, as with the first album of this project, there is a mixture of styles within the general euro metal genre that this sits. With one person in the main chair when it comes to writing and recording the songs, there is the danger that it can get a bit monotonous, or with a similar streak running through the backbone of the songs on the album. Formula-driven is probably the phrase I'm looking for, and this was countered on the earlier effort by the extraordinary voices of the two combatants, Russell Allen and Jorn Lande. To be honest, that hasn't changed too much this time around. Perhaps the main bone of contention I have with this album is that we heard most of this on the first album. Personally after that effort, and with a second album coming out, I was hoping for something more, a stretch from the usual to extend the talents of the two vocalists. I was looking for more of the 'battle', or for the combination of the two to push each other to new heights. While much of the material here is fine and listenable, none of it is remarkable. There was again a real chance to give these two guys a chance to 'bond' on tracks, but it doesn't really show. Perhaps not surprisingly, their combination works much better on their shared pieces in Tobias Sammet's Avantasia project than they do here.
That's not to say this is a lost cause. Completely. There are songs that have the right energy musically and duelling vocally that make them well worth listening to. Perhaps most telling is that, as both vocalists have so many other projects that they are involved in, that everything here gets judged against those, and it therefore makes it difficult case for these songs, given that they had no hand in writing any part of them, and that that job fell to one person. But their singing is magnificent again here, and they are at their best when they have some real energy in the track and they extend their range with emotion and desire. On the tracks that are slowed down and are looking for melancholy and reflection (ok, look, they're pretty much power ballads, but let's not get into that argument again) they still sound great, but the tracks don't work as well.

Overall, after the initial excitement wore off of the first album's partnership, you are left with the same kind of material here on the second album, but it just doesn't have the same impact this time around. Everything is performed with precision and it all sounds magnificent. In the long run, it's all just a little... boring.

Rating:  "Soon you will understand, soon you will see"  2.5/5

834. Iron Savior / Megatropolis. 2007. 3.5/5

Iron Savior have been somewhat of a measuring stick in regards to power metal in the European union over the past 15 to 20 years. While other bands of the genre seem to have their highs and lows in regards to output and the quality of the material they release, Iron Savior has been remarkably consistent throughout. It would probably be a step too far to suggest that they have released some timeless, unforgettable albums, but in almost every regard each album they have released has been of a high quality and wonderfully enjoyable. On Megatropolis perhaps that has slipped just a little, but that doesn't mean it also is not a very good album.

What I like about Iron Savior's music is that it is always upbeat, and rarely gets bogged down in slower numbers that can really kill the momentum of an album. Once again it starts off in a typically pacey manner, fuelled by Piet Sielck's vocal chords and typical guitar riff, along with the rumbling bass guitar on the bottom end and double kick keeping everything together and constrained. "Running Riot" has all of those qualities which mark an atypical Iron Savior start. This is followed by "The Omega Man" which has always been one of my favourites off the album. It has a great riff, a great feel, and Piet moves his way up the vocal scale during the song which increases and enhances the mood of the song as it is required. "Flesh" actually comes across as a very unusual song for this band, but it is surprisingly effective. It is of a slower, heavier tempo with a very un-power metal riff. It is much closer to traditional metal song than that. "Megatropolis" returns us back to the fast paced riffing and drumming that the band is renown for, with great harmony guitars through the middle of the song as well as resplendent with individual solos.
The middle four songs are good solid songs without being outstanding in any respect. "Cybernetic Queen" and "Cyber Hero" both play along with a pleasing beat and nice harmony vocals from Piet. "A Tale From Down Below" and "I Still Believe" both offer mid-tempo ranges throughout. The album finishes with a flourish, and the show closing number "Farewell and Good Bye" feels like the last number of a musical, ending the show on an upward inflection of the final act closes and the curtain falls. I think it is a great song to close out the album, full of lament and emotion from the central character of the song. Excellent stuff.

Megatropolis probably doesn't ring my bells as much as previous albums did, but having said that there are some terrific songs on here, highlighted by the two opening tracks and the final song. Newcomers to this band would probably listen to this album and suggest that it is really all very straight forward without being spectacular. I don't think that opinion is very far off the mark, but it is what fans of the band can squeeze from behind these first observations that make it rank above the average in those respects.

Rating:  'Cause after all I'm just a man, with a broken dream, not man and not machine.  3.5/5

813. Dream Theater / Official Bootleg: Covers Series: Made in Japan. 2007. 4/5

When this idea was originally floated in the Dream Theater ideas room, is there anyone who doesn't believe that James LaBrie was thinking, "Are you fucking kidding? You want me to trying and sing "Child in Time" live the way Ian Gillan does on the original release of Made in Japan? What the fuck are you thinking?!?" Because there is just no way he was going to be able to do it (and that's not meant to be a criticism, it's just a fact). Great job boys lining up your lead vocalist for a very big fall.

This is the fourth in the live covers series that Dream Theater has produced. Having already done Metallica's Official Bootleg: Covers Series: Master of Puppets, Iron Maiden's Official Bootleg: Covers Series - The Number of the Beast and Pink Floyd's Official Bootleg: Covers Series: Dark Side of the Moon, the band here has decided to do a live cover album... on a live album. A slightly off-kilter idea, one would have thought. Sure, Deep Purple's original release of MADE IN JAPAN is a classic and inspirational release, showcasing this amazing band full of amazing performers in their live element. But does it need to be redone as an album cover, almost note for note and word for word in crowd interaction all these years later? It is novel that the band went out of their way to play every piece of the original album note for note, but it seems a bit... of a wank... if you are also trying to get those same inflections that would have been done 'on the spot' in a live performance. Or perhaps that's just me. No doubt the band had a lot of fun with the improvisations necessary to do this to the degree they were trying. However, how many times to do you want to hear a guitarist and a keyboardist and a drummer doing 5+ solos and improvs? Or the moments between lead singer and guitarist? It really is so 1970's isn't it? Given the time of the recording of over 70 minutes, they band could have chosen any album and played that in less time, or for that matter play TWO albums rather than just the one. Imagine if Dream Theater had played Deep Purple in Rock and Machine Head back to back?! Now THAT would have been something.

Still, has the band done a good job on this? Yes, there's no denying that. The musicianship is second to none, and the songs sound terrific. But that doesn't deter from the fact that if you play this, and then listen to Deep Purple's original recording, it is like chalk and cheese. There's only one Ian Gillan, one Ritchie Blackmore, one Ian Paice, one Jon Lord and one Roger Glover. And their way of playing these songs will always be the best. And the five most vehement supporters of that fact will be the members of Dream Theater. This is great for an occasional listen, but it is the original that is still the star of the show.

Rating:  James, never sing "Child in Time" ever again.  4/5

805. Queensrÿche / Mindcrime at the Moore. 2007. 3.5/5

Continuing on with the sequence of studio album followed by live album, Queensrÿche went forth with this in releasing Mindcrime at the Moore. Certainly it was a unique opportunity, in which the band could perform their seminal Operation: Mindcrime album in it's entirety, alongside its sequel Operation: Mindcrime II in its entirety, back to back. Well, it seems like a great idea and historical moment on paper, but is the reality really that awe inspiring? Besides the fact that if you got to see the entire performance live you would probably be happy, but is it a release that is worthy of genuine affection?

The biggest problem facing this is that Operation: Mindcrime had been performed and recorded live before, back in 1991 on the Empire tour when the band regularly did the entire album live. It was then released on both album and video as Operation:LIVEcrime, and that release shows the band at its peak giving the album the performance it deserved. Doing this once again, 15 years later, and missing a vital ingredient in Chris DeGarmo (whose place here is taken by Mike Stone), leaves it open to a rather harsh judgement. Perhaps that is a little unfair, because there is an effort to make this more than just a concert. They have added in actors to do the talk pieces in between songs and make it more of a stage show. And overall the musicianship is still good, and the vocals are close enough to the mark to not make a lot of difference. Yet there is no doubt this has been done before, and will forever be judged against that recorded performance. As good as it is here, I will always prefer to put on Operation:LIVEcrime than I will be to put on the first disc of Mindcrime at the Moore.
The next problem facing this album is that Mindcrime at the Moore is but a pale comparison to its prequel, and though the album is fine in its own setting, it never really had that excitement feel about it, that it would set the stage alight if it was played live. So I always felt they would have to tweak it to make it work live, make it faster and bigger and fuller if it was going to light up the crowd. Well, what appears to have been done is to slow down those initial faster songs at the start of the album, to keep the mood in a similar mid-range tempo. Why? I don't really know, because surely the crowd would have liked to have gotten into the performance more than was surely possible under those circumstances. Apart from "Signs Say Go" and "The Chase", the songs here are quite possibly less enthralling than they are on album, which is somewhat damning of any live performance. In my mind I guess the second half of the album had little to no chance anyway, as it is very dull and lifeless. Still I hoped for better.
The positive note is that this double live album extravaganza does NOT end with the fairly abysmal "All The Promises", which would have been a real downer for the crowd (and the listening audience). Instead, we are treated to terrific versions of "Walk in the Shadows" and "Jet City Woman", when you can really hear the crowd singing along and enjoying themselves immensely. This for me is the damning feature of the release. For the most part of this second CD you can't hear the crowd, but you sure can during these two songs. Pretty much says it all I think.

The DVD is probably more entertaining than the CD version, because at least you get to see a little of what is going on (though mostly it is focused on Geoff Tate, as in the cover of the album). And your enjoyment of this album is directly tied to how much you like the two albums which are played here in their entirety. All in all, it has probably been done better elsewhere, but as a moment in time it is something I can still pull out and listen to from time to time.

Rating:  By day we'll live in a dream, we'll walk in the shadows.  3.5/5

651. Queensrÿche / Take Cover. 2007. 3/5

It seems that every band at some stage of their career decides in this day and age that they need to release a covers album, usually containing songs that have defined their music or defined what brought them together as a band. With the somewhat radical change in musical direction that the band had made over its recent releases, this album was always going to be an interesting perspective into the hearts of the band. Eleven songs populate the disc, with each band member apparently choosing two songs each, and a live song tacked on at the end.

It is an eclectic mix, perhaps more so than any other covers album that I know of. It is a tough ask to review and rate such a mix, as half of the songs I either hate the song or the original band - or both. That's always a little scary too, coming from a band that you have a lot of respect for.
The song choice, and the band's involved in those songs, are perhaps indicative of how the whole Queensrÿche saga has been progressing for a number of years. There is a lot of varied musical genres mixed into this one album, and most of it is a long way from the kind of music that most of us wished Queensrÿche would play! And perhaps this has been part of the morphing of the band's musical sound. Perhaps they really are just a progressive grunge band in reality.
Having said that, they have been brave in taking on some of their song choices. Attempting to cover Queen's multi-layered epic "Innuendo" is a tough ask, and one that they do well enough that they haven't stuffed it up. The same can be said of The Police's "Synchronicity II", another tough song to do well, and they have done a reasonable job of it.
It is other songs that make it hard for me to really enjoy the album. I am no lover of Pink Floyd ("Welcome to the Machine") or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ("Almost Cut My Hair") or Buffalo Springfield ("For What It's Worth") or Peter Gabriel ("Red Rain"), and though I'm sure these songs are performed well, they just don't do anything for me.

Which leads to the final statement. Would you prefer an album by Queensrÿche that you just don't enjoy (for instance, Promised Land) or a Queensrÿche album full of cover songs that you don't enjoy? Oh it's a tough ask, being an admirer of a band that just can't seem to do much right in your eyes anymore. For what it's worth (not the song and no pun intended), this album is worth a listen or two - but that is probably all you will take of it.

503. Killswitch Engage / Holy Diver [Single]. 2007. 4/5

Cover of the great Dio song, released as a single and included on the special re-release of As Daylight Dies. This is an excellent version of this song, and the video that is its companion is equally good, and amusing.

Rating: Well worth a listen or four. 4/5.

484. Hellyeah / Hellyeah. 2007. 1/5

Following the demise of Damageplan after the murder of Dimebag Darrell, from the ashes came drummer Vinnie Paul’s new project Hellyeah.
Now nu-metal is not my perfect cup of tea, and while there are certainly things to like about this album, I think it falls short on too many issues.
For a start – it isn’t unique. That’s not an inherently bad thing, but originality does help in new bands. This sounds like a thousand other bands out there. The similarity of the songs also creates some confusion when trying to decipher which song you are listening to. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as you can pull it off and make it your own. That isn’t the case here.

Indeed, I would back most schoolboy garage bands in the modern day to be able to come out and write and play stuff just like this, and in some cases probably even better it. There is nothing spectacular in the guitars, or the drums, or the vocals, or the lyrics. Kids in the garage would probably play something more inspired.

Rating: Lackluster and without any hooks. 1/5.

422. Helloween / Gambling With The Devil. 2007. 4/5.

There was quite a bit of hype over the release of this album, with suggestions that Helloween were going to revert back to a darker, heavier style such as was found on The Dark Ride. A big call indeed, considering two members of the band left after that album, mainly because of its musical direction.
When this album first came out, I will admit to being taken in by the hype. Despite this, I felt it was a strong album, different again from the previous three albums. I wasn’t sure it was different in a good way or a bad way, but for my initial listening period I felt positive about it.
Come the time to relate and review for this project, and I had a slight double take. On numerous listenings, I found myself questioning my original judgement. Does this album really have the magical Helloween touch? This was difficult, because it is in my workplace, where it is not always possible to appreciate the music being played. So I put it in the car, and drove around, and also played it at home with my 5 year old and 2 year old daughters at a better level of volume. And I rediscovered what I was missing.

In places during the middle album, I feel myself singing along to a song – “As Long As I Fall” and “Can Do It” are the best examples - and I feel almost dirty, like when you start singing along to one of those daggy 1980’s songs that come on the radio, and you only know the words because you grew up with it. It’s an automatic reaction – “I shouldn’t like this!!” Perhaps that’s just me, but it scares me a little that I should feel that way about a song by Helloween. I haven’t done that since Chameleon, and we all know how that turned out.
Then we have songs such as “Paint A New World”, which has all the ingredients of a good metal song, but for some reason just doesn’t sit well with me – and I don’t know why. The chorus seems to annoy me.

That’s not to put all the songs down. “Kill It” is a heavy starter to the album, in a similar vein to “Mr Torture” on the aforementioned The Dark Ride, followed by the faster pace of “The Saints”, which sets a cracking start to the album.
The end of the album redeems any negative thoughts that have gone on earlier. “Dreambound” and “Heaven Tells No Lies” are probably my favourite songs on the album, with great dueling guitar breaks from both Gerstner and Weikath, and the best range of vocals from Deris.

Suffice to say, this is not the next The Dark Ride nor is it like any other Helloween album. It is a mixed bag, and as some people have commented, it probably lacks the consistency of other releases. Breaking the album down, you can see that. Taking the package as a whole, it is another high quality album from one of the best bands around.

Rating: Still at the top of their game and willing to gamble a little. 4/5.

407. Iced Earth / Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1). 2007. 2/5

OK, so we are going to make a concept album (or in this case albums) based on the story from an earlier album we have already recorded. Interesting ploy. It does raise a number of questions.
1) Will the storyline be interesting within the framework of the lyrical content?
2) Will the musical content capture the mood of the lyrical content?
3) Will all the strings pull together to produce a good album?

I must say I still think the beginning of the album – “Something Wicked Part One” and “Setian Massacre” – is catchy, and I still sing along to it. I also enjoy “Ten Thousand Strong”. All good songs, sung wonderfully well.
But what is it that, for me at least, turns me off the whole album? I guess there are a few things. There a number of musical ‘interludes’ between songs – mood setters, I guess you could call them – and I think there are far too many to retain interest in. Also, as much as I am a fan of Tim Owens, sometimes he just doesn’t come off, and on some of the songs here he just doesn’t come off. Whether that is in the writing or the performance is open to question.

So in the long run, I think this missed its mark. I don’t know what the answer is. Will Matt Barlow make a difference? Are his vocals what were required here? I don’t think so. I just think the guys had a reasonable concept for an album, but just didn’t quite grab me with their interpretation. No doubt millions think differently.

Rating: On a different plane from what I expected. 2/5.

406. Vanishing Point / The Fourth Season. 2007. 2.5/5

I should begin by saying that this is my first impression of Vanishing Point's work, and having never heard them before it is a difficult thing to come out and review and rate from a novice's point of view. However, that is exactly what I am doing.

I must say this is much more 'progressive' than I imagined it would be, and their sound is certainly a step away from what a generation of Australian hard rock/metal bands have done. Now - while this is a good thing, because originality is important, it didn't quite grab me like I was hoping. Sure, wonderful vocals and vocal range, good musicianship as well. But the keys and synths are probably a bit much for me and my tastes, and the songs don't quite have the 'oomph' factor to really grab my attention.

Perhaps I wanted to like this too much. I was hoping for an Australian metal band to blow me out of the water. And I have no doubt this material would sound so much better in a live atmosphere. But for me, I'm just a little disappointed.

Rating: Missing an ingredient or two. 2.5/5

363. Foo Fighters / Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. 2007. 2/5

Following In Your Honour I went into this album without any hopes whatsoever. I didn’t run around excited to hear the new album, nor did I allow my expectations to get the better of me. Whether this was the right thing to do or not I don’t know, but when it finally arrived… I found it was no better than I expected.

I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who think this is great, but to me it is a long way from their best stuff. Where has the aggression gone? What have they done with the passion? I read somewhere where someone had said it was as close to the music of Nirvana that Dave Grohl has done. WTF is up with that?!?!
The single that was released from this album, “The Pretender”, is the one song on the album that would nearly make a best-of combination. In reality, it is a complete misrepresentation to the public as to the kind of album this is.

Never mind. You can’t always have what you want. Perhaps they have just drained all of their best stuff, and now they are heading down the road of ‘easy-listening’. If that’s the case, I really can’t see myself investing in their future releases.

Rating: In almost all respects, just not the kind of album I like, nor was looking for. 2/5.

361. Iron Maiden / Download Festival 10-6-07 [Bootleg]. 2007. 4/5.

By mid-2007, Maiden had flogged A Matter of Life and Death all over (most) of the world. With the usual plethora of mid-year festivals coming up to complete, the band decided on a change of tact. Retaining half of the setlist they had been using for most of the previous two months, they then added a couple of extra songs from The Number Of The Beast and called it a 'celebration' of 25 years since that album's release. In essence, the gig contained mostly songs from those two albums.

This bootleg is A- quality, and while are still at the top of their form, we've heard most of the early songs a thousand times (c'mon - why not "Invaders" or "Ganglands", just for a change?!), and the later songs were done better when they played the whole album live in previous gigs.

Rating: If you were to go to a Maiden gig and see only these songs, you'd be disappointed. 4/5.

358. W.A.S.P. / Dominator. 2007. 3.5/5

Ooooh, if ever a band, or a man, had to work his bollocks off to regain lost support after some dodgy recent years, it was Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. Following the critically acclaimed 9/11 themed Dying For The World with the flawed and basically just dreadful rock-opera that was The Neon God Parts I and II, Blackie was a million miles from the sound he had produced that shocked the world back in the 1980's.

I can confirm that Dominator repairs as much of the damage as it possibly can. For the most part Blackie has gone back to the basic formula with his music. Like everything he has released since The Crimson Idol however, it all has the same sort of melody lines and bridges. This isn't a problem unless you allow it to be. His usual ballad (on this occasion “Heaven's Hung In Black”) sounds just like his others have on previous albums of the past 15 years. The majority of the album returns W.A.S.P. to the standing of albums such as Unholy Terror and Dying For The World, a solid release with solid songs. Strangely, the energy Blackie usually exudes seems to be missing for the most part here. Perhaps he is now in a place in his life where his influences on his music from past decades now escapes him.

Favourites for me include “Mercy”, “Long Long Way To Go”, “The Burning Man”, “Heaven's Blessed” and “Deal With The Devil”.

Rating: A return to a much more enjoyable setting. 3.5 / 5.

355. Black Sabbath / The Dio Years. 2007. 5/5

This is the compilation album brought out to commemorate the three albums of the Dio era.
While it would be foolish to argue over the inclusions, when you are only drawing material from three albums and still leaving out great songs, you know you are on a good thing.

Most interest from this album comes from the three new songs written by Dio and Iommi and recorded by them and Butler and Appice – “The Devil Cried”, “Shadow Of The Wind” and “Ear In The Wall”. All three are good solid additions to the legacy, though it is interesting to notice how the balance shifts without the input of Geezer into the writing process. While I think all three are just great songs, "Ear In The Wall" is my favourite - just a little bit more up-tempo than the other two, and this is where the band sounds at its best.

Bring on the new album in 2008!!

Rating: Impossible not to give it full marks. 5 / 5.