1081. Motörhead / Clean Your Clock [Live]. 2016. 3.5/5

And so here we are, at the end of the road. The final curtain has been drawn and we have the last release from a band that spanned 40 years and inspired several generations of musicians and artists. A live album, a final live album, to round out a discography that managed to continue to be relevant through the multitude of changes in the popularity of music during that time. It’s a chance to listen, to take stock, and to enjoy.

When it comes down to it, this album really only owes its existence to the fact that it was recorded live just six weeks before Lemmy’s untimely death. That may seem like a simplification, but in essence it is the truth. Yes the tour it was recorded on was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation and would no doubt have found its way into our hands at some stage because of that. And though there is a changing of the guard when it comes to the set list – not entirely, but probably enough to just make it interesting in comparison to the great live albums of the band’s past – would most people have been inspired enough to buy it if not for the position it now holds?
That position of course is the last ever professionally recorded material by Motörhead prior to Lemmy’s death and the obvious closure of the band as a result. It’s interest does lie in listening to Lemmy performing a mere six weeks before he was diagnosed with the ravenous cancer that took his life a couple of days after the diagnosis. He had been having health problems for a long time, and many shows in the past 18 months had been cancelled because of it. But on these two days he managed to get through both gigs, and the result of that first night is here.
Nostalgia will always win out in the end, and that is what I feel here. Lemmy is noticeably weaker vocally than in the past, and it isn’t just age that is wearying him. The DVD video of this gig shows a man who is wasting away in front of your eyes, and that does come across in the music here. Not so much that it destroys the songs, but in comparison to even the dual live releases of 4-5 years ago it isn’t the same. Still, to hear “When the Sky Comes Looking For You” from the Bad Magic album and “Lost Woman Blues” from the Aftershock album is worth it.

An era ends and it’s a sad way to go. But perhaps this album is a fitting way to do so. Motörhead was always known as a live band, THE live band. They played for their fans and gave their all on stage. Motörhead performed only nine times more after this gig, which gives this recording a special place in music history. It may not be the best live album you will ever hear, but it’s one you should listen to at least once and reflect on the legacy that Motörhead left on the world of music.

Rating: “Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud, so good you can't believe it's screaming with the crowd”. 3.5/5

1049. Megadeth / Dystopia. 2016. 3/5

I was mildly disappointed in Super Collider and I must admit that I had reservations about what was to come on Dystopia. After such a long and prolific career, did Megadeth and Dave Mustaine have anything left in the tank? The addition of new guitarist Kiko Loureiro and fill-in drummer Chris Adler from Lamb of God was a chance to revitalise the direction the band was heading after a slight downward trend in the past couple of albums. But the danger now was that age may be catching up.

Is it my imagination or do all of these songs seem to sound too similar? Most of the songs here seem to have a standard riff and tempo direction which sounds fine but makes for an album that technically has nothing new to offer.
“The Threat is Real” starts off on the right foot, motoring along and dragging you into the album in the right way. This is followed by the title track “Dystopia”, which in itself is a bit whiney in both music and vocals. There isn't a real drive from the music, and the vocals aren't showing either emotion or force that Mustaine generally infuses. “Fatal Illusion” is interesting enough, by which I mean it is a good song without sending me into a frenzy of love about it. "Death from Within", "Bullet to the Brain" and "Post American World" all rattle along interestingly enough.
“Poisonous Shadow” is one of those songs that seems completely out of place, with machine-gun double kick which Adler is renowned for in his main act band, but a simple tempo song and mournful lyrics from Mustaine don’t inspire much enthusiasm. It is just really uninteresting and 'yawnable'. “The Emperor” is another case in point. The layered vocals seem almost corny, and completely out of sync with the riffs going on underneath them. It’s a bit monotone as well which doesn’t fit at all. And then when Dave says “you’re so bloody perfect”, he really just speaks it, he doesn’t spit it out in anger. And there is the difference between a great Megadeth album and an average one. If there is still anger and emotion here, you wouldn’t know it. Is it old age? Or is it just because the effort in writing and performing is now a job rather than an outlet?. Fast forward to the next song, and the vocals on “Lying in State” vary from gruff attempted singing back to virtually just speaking the lyrics. Is Dave’s voice completely shot? On the other hand the instrumental “Conquer or Die” is a nice track to have on a Megadeth album again. Though the opening third of the song is quiet and barely seems necessary, once it busts open it works well and is one of the better tracks on the album. It all finishes with a rather lacklustre version of Fear's "Foreign Policy"
The album is a hybrid of what should be good and what didn’t work. There’s an attempt at various types of metals genres which rather than meshing together into that super hybrid instead sounds like a confusing mashing of said styles. While the guitars sound like they are trying to channel some relics from the band's thrash past it never really comes close to sounding like a real partnership. It's technically proficient but it doesn’t seem to gel together like Mustaine has with others in the past. Adler's drumming is good but it too doesn't feel like it fits here. Ellefson as always rumbles along.

There’s every chance I have never given this a fair hearing following my disappointment in Super Collider. The problem in the modern age is that because there is so much access to so much music, if an album doesn’t grab you early on then chances are it will be consigned to the racks. To my ears this album has no idea what it wants to be. It is filled with ideas and riffs and time changes that both sound familiar from the past and also have no place on an album like this. After a reasonable run with a couple of albums in the late 2000’s, this feels like a poor attempt to keep the old fans and grab the metalcore fans, and you can’t do both on the one disc.

Rating:  Back to the drawing board.  3/5

1006. Hansen & Friends / XXX: Three Decades in Metal. 2016. 4.5/5

Over the years Kai Hansen has been an inspiration and a leader of the European heavy metal community. Not only has he been a foundation member of several bands, all of which have made their sizable contribution to the metal universe, but he has guested on several other band’s albums with either vocals or guitar or both, or even acted as a producer. His contribution to the cause has been enormous and almost unparalleled. So when he announced that he would be doing this album, which is sort of a solo project and sort of a concept project, one could only wonder just what it would produce that would be different from everything else he had done over 30-plus years.

In moving aside from his other musical commitments in order to put this album out, it had to be a conscious decision that he wanted to be free to make something that couldn’t be held within the framework of the other band’s he has been associated with. He obviously wanted to be free to make decisions with the direction of songs without being held accountable to a band or the fans of that band and judged in that court. So apart from bringing on board musicians from other band’s to lay down the album, he has also invited some special guests and friends to help him out along the way.
I listened to this album a lot in the weeks after its release, and for me there was one glaring difference between it and Gamma Ray. I like this album a lot and listen to it with ease. But, how many songs here jumped out at me so much that I knew them from their opening riff, and knew the lyrics and actually sing along with them every time they come on? The answer is, about half, and that was significantly less than every Gamma Ray album ever, even than last couple which have probably not been quite up to the extremely high standard of the others. Therein lies the rub. It isn’t a Gamma Ray album, it is an obvious attempt by Kai to get out there and do something a bit different from what he has done with his number one band.
The band members here are excellent and perform their jobs accordingly. Eike Freese, the vocalist and guitarist from Dark Age, Alexander Dietz, the bass guitarist and backing vocals from Heaven Shall Burn and Dan Wilding, the current drummer of Carcass all play terrifically and sound fantastic, especially in songs like “Born Free”, “Contract Song” and “Follow the Sun”. Despite this being a Kai Hansen driven album, their contributions should not be overlooked.
All of the songs apart from the opening track feature friends participating, contributing either vocal parts or guitar solos to the mix, which makes it a fun romp throughout. “Born Free” acts as the single and opening track from the album, setting the scene for what is to come. “Enemies of Fun” combines the appearance of original Gamma Ray and current Primal Fear vocalist Ralf Scheepers and lifelong friend and Iron Savior frontman Piet Sielck for vocals. This is followed by “Contract Song” which has quite a bit of anger and angst behind it, and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister along for the ride. Yes, you can happily spit out the lyrics in this song, the venom behind them is obvious and somewhat joyous to sing along to. “Making Headlines” enables Tobi Sammet to return the favour Kai offered him on the first two Avantasia albums by combining his great vocal strength alongside Kai’s. This is followed by “Stranger in Time” which has another great combination of talent, with Tobi joined by current Gamma Ray part-time vocalist Frank Beck and also Michael Kiske, with some great harmonies and melody lines.
Into the middle of the album, and there is a change in tack and direction. “Fire and Ice” starts the process – and has anyone else picked up the similarity towards the end of this song to the end of Halford’s “Silent Screams” from his Resurrection album? That had to be deliberate, surely! “Left Behind” is the best example of a change in style for Kai and his music, with the writing feeling as though it was very much driven for the vocals of Clémentine Delauney initially before the introduction of the growl/scream vocal combination from Marcus Bischoff and album bass guitarist Alexander Dietz from Heaven Shall Burn. This is exacerbated by the very power ballad stylings of “All or Nothing” where Kai and Clémentine combine their vocal talents again. The changes in style here for me are the most difficult to get used to. It’s not that they are bad. In fact, they are performed fantastically. What I like most is that Kai has taken the opportunity of doing this on his own album rather than within the framework of his main band. I only wish other bands would do the same thing rather than mixing their song styles.
“Burning Bridges” helps to pick up the slackening tempo, but it is still very much in a straight forward hard rock song, with a simplified rhythm and drum basis and Kai not extending his vocal range in any way, keeping to a mid-range almost all the way through the song. The vocal talents of Eike Freese are also utilised here. The album finishes on a highlight though, with “Follow the Sun” rifling along with a great riff and drum pattern, and the awesome vocals of Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kürsch leading the charge with further help from Marcus Bischoff. This is almost the most energetic song on the album, and it is an excellent way to bring it to a close. Those vocals from Hansi and Kai here are awesome.

Since the first moment I heard him sing and play on a Helloween album, and when I first held in my hands the vinyl release of Gamma Ray’s Heading for Tomorrow album, Kai Hansen has been one of my music heroes, a man who seems to make magic flow from his fingers and vocal chords. Every other project and guest appearance he has made has always improved and lifted because of his involvement. This album did take a while to grow on me, but it has become one of my favourites in recent times. In the long run, that is no surprise whatsoever.

Rating:  “The key to your own heaven and the hell of your demise”.   4.5/5

982. Operation: Mindcrime / Resurrection. 2016. 1.5/5

I guess we can be brutally honest about this. There must be someone, somewhere out there, that thinks that what Geoff Tate is doing in his current musical field with his band Operation: Mindcrime is the equal of or better than what is happening in the Queensrÿche camp. I don’t know any of them mind you, but there must be fans out there who are enjoying this stuff. And what it shows is that the split between the two should have happened a long time ago, and let Geoff do this without dictating to others what should work best for them.

You can’t argue with his work ethic though. Albums keep coming forth on a regular basis, and he tours as he feels it necessary. The fact that he celebrated the final parting with Queensrÿche by christening his new ‘band’ by the title of its most famous album, and then engaged in writing and releasing a concept album trilogy, of which this is the second chapter, makes it even more thought-provoking as to why he stuck with it for so long. No doubt the name of the band was making more money.
And so on to Resurrection, which is Part Two of this story that apparently details virtual currencies, internet banking and stock trading. Honestly I haven’t listened to the lyrical side of the songs hard enough to garner that information out of them, I just found it on Wikipedia and threw it in here. And was it not for the addition of Spotify into my life, I am quite sure I would never have heard this album because the utilising of virtual currencies, internet banking or stock trading to purchase this album was out of the question given the two albums that preceded this. So I had no illusions going in. I was probably going to hate this.
Is hate too strong a word? Having now listened to this album in full on a number of occasions, it probably is. But is there anything likeable about it? Very little as you can probably imagine, and that is simply because it is nothing like any kind of music that I do like. It’s like asking me to review anything by Justin Bieber – I don’t like his music, so any review or rating is going to be coloured by that. Resurrection more or less takes up from where The Key leaves off. It is dreary. It’s like listening to the rain at the end of Queensrÿche's “Della Brown” and expecting to hear “Another Rainy Night” but instead getting “The Queue” from the previous album. Honestly, this album goes for over an hour, but it feels like an afternoon. There is little to distinguish between the songs, they all roll into one another. Geoff’s vocals all remain monotonic for great passages, even when layered on each other. There’s more synth than guitar or drums. It almost redefines a progressive rock genre into something far less, almost into easy listening. Most of it will lull you off to sleep if you allow it. It’s not that it is all terrible, but there are parts that cannot bring out any other adjective apart from that. 

“Taking on the World” is the closest this album has to a hard rock song, and having brought on Tim “Ripper” Owens and Blaze Bayley to take part as guest vocalists for this one song should make it the centrepiece of the album. The fact that it is, even though it doesn’t allow Ripper to actually unleash his powerhouse vocal (perhaps for fear that it would overshadow Tate’s degenerating vocal abilities) is a shame. This is the one song on the album I can almost get on board with, and I would be lying if I said it was for any reason except for Ripper and Blaze’s appearance.

The fact that Tate has struggled gain the Operation: Mindcrime name seems absurd given that the albums are practically still a two man show, with himself and Kelly Gray doing the bulk of the instrumentation. Why not just stay as Geoff Tate or The Geoff Tate Band? Is it so necessary to market himself based on his past with his other band? Despite this, the music will still be what he is judged on, and so I come back to the way I started this review. There must be people out there who like what Tate has been writing, both here and in the last ten years of his time with Queensrÿche. I’m just not sure who they are. This album is probably a little more interesting that The Key. That’s about the best I can say about it.

Rating:  One long monotone.   1.5/5

978. Serious Black / Mirrorworld. 2016. 2/5

I came into the first Serious Black album on the coattails of Roland Grapow being involved, and at the end of that first album I hoped for a follow up to judge the progress that could be made from that. That has come to pass with Mirrorworld, but without the continuing presence of Grapow who has moved on back to his other projects. Despite this, I was happy to go forth and give this its chance to grab my attention.

The first mystifying piece of this album is the two minute opening instrumental "Breaking the Silence". If you don't have your stereo up loud enough, you would imagine you have forgotten to press play. It's just a waste. Eventually we come into "As Long As I'm Alive", the opening play of reasonable power metal, driven by guest muso Alex Holzwarth from Rhapsody on drums and Urban Breed's vocals leading the way. Following this solid start comes "Castor Skies" that again leads off with the drums and vocals pushing the song along, before the twin guitar harmonies come within the middle. It's a harmless addition to the catalogue that doesn't raise to any great heights but doesn't offend either. "Heartbroken Soul" cartwheels into power ballad territory, a sure sign that by song three on the album they are already running out of ideas. "Dying Hearts" is probably a dead giveaway in the title, and while it remains on that track it does have a bit more oomph to it that the previous song. "You're Not Alone" creates new hope in the heart however, with a fast paced opening containing true melodic guitars over the double-kick drums and Breed's layered vocals throughout. This is far and away the best song on the album, and one that to me shows the true potential this band has when they do the good things right.
The title track "Mirrorworld" is catchy enough but it is pure AOR without pretense and if you love that style then you should enjoy this song- but for a power metal band I would have been hoping for a bit more grunt behind it. It's a similar story in "State of My Despair", where the drums may be trying liven things up as best they can (thanks Alex Holzwarth) but the rest of the song just sounds... weak. The vocals are almost in the background and certainly not making their presence felt at all, while the rest of the band barely seems to be making an effort. Disappointing. The final track "The Unborn Never Die" moves along a similar track, never really defining itself from the motley of other songs here that just seem to be missing the engine room. And then, almost before you know it, the album is over. And to be honest, it comes as a relief to find there is nothing more to follow.

For those that like their power metal really watered down to the point of being like weak tea, then you will probably get the most out of this album. And I really wanted to like this, because I think both this album and its predecessor has some good things about them. But in the long run, it just can't get past the fact that the vocals are fine but have no power, and the band just doesn't seem inspired enough to put down something with enough individuality to make this stand out from the crowd.

Rating:  "Too many die alone, don't die without a fight". Much like this unfortunately.   2/5

963. Testament / Brotherhood of the Snake. 2016. 3/5

Since the reformation of the (almost) original line up of Testament in the past decade, there have been only good things coming forward. New albums to enjoy, a great feeling coming from the band at large, and tours to most of the world. The thought of a new album was something to be celebrated. And perhaps this is where some of the anomalies lie.

The two comeback albums, The Formation of Damnation and Dark Roots of Earth have been good – spectacular in places even, backed by opening tracks that kick start the momentum immediately. The energy present in “More Than Meets the Eye” and “Rise Up” is contagious. Here though, the title track “Brotherhood of the Snake” doesn’t match that, and comes across a little weak in that respect. You would hope for better to follow, and while there are songs that can bring a bit of vibrancy to the album such as “The Pale King”, “Centuries of Suffering” and “Neptune’s Spear”, something isn’t quite right.
What perhaps is a little troubling here on Brotherhood of the Snake is the sameness of the song content. Some may feel this is a general attitude of this genre of music, but Testament has always managed to steer clear of the similar rhythm and riffing that can bring this comparison. Here though it has sounded like it has crept in. The consistent double kick of Gene Hoglan’s drum kit can be attributed to some of that, but it is a combination of factors such as the drums, the rhythm guitar and bass riff blending in together, and Chuck Billy’s vocals not really moving out of the one key for the majority of the album. This might appear to be ill informed or just plain wrong to many people, but I have been waiting for this album to grab me since its release. Usually I can at least attached myself to a couple of songs, and from that point I have a connection which drags me in. That hasn’t happened here. Sure, I can put the album on, and I can have it play in the background and listen to it easily enough. But there is no pull to MAKE me put it on in front of any other album on my current rotation, and that spells trouble to me.

For the first time in a long time, I just feel like we’ve heard it all before. It’s not a bad album, it is just an average album. No doubt many of these songs will sound much better in a live environment, and I hope I get the chance to experience that. Compared to what they have produced in the past, this is slightly disappointing.

Rating:  “There's no place to hide, our sights are set on you”.   3/5

962. Metallica / Hardwired... to Self Destruct. 2016. 3.5/5

I had truly begun to wonder if Metallica would even bother to ever release another album of new material. In a day and age where money is made by touring rather than selling albums, did they even need to bother? They will forever sell out concerts around the world playing everything off the albums of their first ten years. After the horror of much of the material from Load and Reload and St. Anger, did they need to put themselves through all of that again? Sure, Death Magnetic had half an album of good material, but do you actually want to hear any of that live? All of this sounds negative, but in the long run, on the announcement that they had indeed pulled their finger out and recorded a new album, I can honestly say that, on this occasion at least, I was looking forward to hearing what the band had come up with.

What is the deal with releasing double albums? Iron Maiden did it with The Book of Souls, and now Metallica has done it here with Hardwired...to Self-Destruct. Is it a payoff for the length of time between releases, or just an inability to edit and cut out songs to fit it all on one disc? The ludicrous situation comes when you have to put out THREE vinyl albums to fit the material on it! Obviously, if every song is strong enough to warrant inclusion then this is okay. Much like Maiden’s last release, I’m sure the consensus is that a little editing could have been done.
At least you can say that on this album, Metallica has had a crack at finding that lost ground from 25 years ago. It’s not completely successful, but as with the previous album there are at least places here where you can hear that not everything has been washed away from the original item. It would not be an accident that the first three songs that were released as teasers to the album were “Hardwired”, “Atlas, Rise!” and “Moth Into Flame”, as they are still the three songs that give you the best feeling about the album and the band. Harder, faster, vocals that spit and guitars that flame. They won’t necessarily be everyone’s favourites on the album, but they are the ones that best portray the old warm feelings that Metallica once harboured in all fans. “Now That We’re Dead” sits between these, and while the tempo is not the same as the others, the groove works despite its similarity to pieces of Load.
The slower songs still dredge up bad memories of stuff from Load and Reload. It’s that slow sludgy lack of momentum that really harks back to that era of Metallica, an era that sends shivers down the spine for all the wrong reasons. “Dream No More” is the first impact of this. This could almost have come from the sessions from those albums. “Confusion” also drags up memories like that, but probably more from James’ layered vocals, which are a staple of their releases from the 1990’s. “Halo On Fire” finishes much better than it starts. “ManUNkind” is only average at best, mixing as it does some Sabbath-like riffs along with a halting tempo that I find difficult to like.
“Here Comes Revenge” is a creeper, starting out somewhat morbidly before growing throughout until it concludes with you moving to the music without even realising you are doing it. “Am I Savage” is another where the tempo just doesn’t sit quite right. Again it’s that 1990’s tempo, one where the band moved to after its conversion period, and while the build to the end of the song improves dramatically overall it is average.
I must admit that while “Murder One” is not a bad song, I don’t understand why you would write a song in tribute to Lemmy Kilmister that is played at this tempo. Surely it would have made more sense to get it up to the tempo of those great Motorhead songs that he wrote – I’m not suggesting rip them off, but make it a celebration of the man and his music. Instead, we are stuck in this low tempo grunge that had little to do with his music at all. Strange. “Spit Out the Bone” though ends the album on a positive thrashier note. It’s just a little strange that the preceding songs were of such a different vibe that this is suddenly thrown at you as the closer. It lifts your perception, but in many ways it is a false perception.
As a band the individuals still all have what it takes. Robert Trujillo, while in some places still appearing to be overwhelmed by the wall of guitars in the mix, does an excellent job once again. His part is as support player in the band, but he is terrific again and when he is allowed to break out it is noticeable. Kirk Hammett, following the disasterous St. Anger no-solo experiment, again proves he can put together his craft at a high point. James Hetfield strives to find that middle point between youthful screams and middle age lower tone with his vocals again, and for the most part succeeds. The elephant in the room is still the drums. They sound fine, and at least Lars has never repeated that god-awful sound that he decided was awesome on St. Anger. But honestly, has he even put any effort in to what he’s playing? Yeah, he’s rich and clicked up enough credits in those early albums to allow him (and the band for that matter) to do whatever they like, but seriously? Like millions of my generation, when ...And Justice for All came out I spent hours and hours trying to play those songs just like Lars did, and it was fantastic. He was the top of the pile then. Now I reckon my nine year old could play this album with barely a listen. It’s not the only reason the songs these days can’t match their earlier stuff, but to me it’s a major one. Lars inspired generations of drummers with his playing in the 1980’s. Now everyone has gone past him. It’s a little sad to see, and hear.

Initially I thought the album sounded good, with pieces attracting me immediately, and some not so. At the time, it was my assumption that, like many albums, it would grow on me over time the more I listened to it, and that I would be better for it. To be honest for me that wasn’t the case here. The songs that grabbed me straight away I still listen to happily. Most of the songs that I had trouble with have mostly remained that way. If you played only the opening track and the closing track to someone, they would probably think this album could be a rival to the first four albums the band released. If you play two of the songs from the middle, that same person may think this was a rival to those albums from the 1990’s. That’s how subjective it is. I think it is overkill, and by having the courage to remove two or three songs and making it a 60 minute single disc album it would have worked better. But hell, what would I know.

Rating:  “Plug into me and I'll save you from emotion”.  3.5/5

941. Jorn / Heavy Rock Radio. 2016. 4/5

Covering other artists songs, and indeed releasing whole albums worth of cover songs, is not an unusual practice for Jorn Lande. The actual recording of cover songs has been going on for years, and this could be considered his third full album of such material, following Unlocking the Past and Dio. But if you can do it well, and the market is there, then there is nothing to stop you from going ahead with it, and that is certainly the case for Jorn Lande. His amazing voice, and ability to find players who can really do justice to such material are the key ingredients. Then it is a matter of choosing what songs you are going to have a crack at. And when you make some choices that are of interest, then you will garner the same from your fans.

"I Know There's Something Going On" was a pop hit back in the early-1980's by ex-ABBA alumni Frida, in a very pop-orientated era and direction. It's easy to see how ABBA was popular and influenced so many kids of that generation, such that they grew up as singers they still had those roots in their system. Jorn and his band do an excellent job here of updating it for the modern age, and putting that heavier rock riff into the song to uphold the title of the album. It's done well. Not as well as the next song, which proves to be the best of the album. The excellent version of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" is a ripper, and probably the highlight of the album for me. While Kate's original version has always been one that I've admired, Jorn's version here takes the best bits of that, and enhances it with a great heavy riff and fantastic vocals from Jorn himself. This is a winner, and shows the better side of covering a pop song and making it your own. Add to this the excellent version of Foreigner's "Rev on the Red Line" and you have a pretty impressive opening to the album.
I am constantly surprised, as an Australian, that John Farnham is well enough known through European countries that his music has been an influence to them, and well enough that his music is covered by them. Jorn is the second artist, after Blind Guardian, who I have now heard cover Farnsy's hit song "You're the Voice". Given that having heard it for what felt like a thousand years on the radio when it was released in Australia in the late 1980's, it's a biased view I hold over how good this version of the song is. In fact, it is still difficult to listen to without feeling nauseous. Sorry guys.
One song that most definitely does not come up to scratch is the cover of Paul Stanley's solo hit "Live to Win". The original starred Stanley's wonderful vocals at their very best, and the song is a hit because of the energy he puts into the song and makes it a real anthem. On this version, Jorn doesn't go for the vocal copy (which he possibly couldn't replicate anyway), and we have a song that fluctuates between keys both vocally and musically, and the constant changes are the biggest hindrance to finding a happy medium. The extended solo break to close out the song does its best to hide the short fallings of this version, but to no avail. This is followed by Journey's memorable "Don't Stop Believing", another really tough song to take on vocally, given Steve Perry's original and unique recording. Still, giving Jorn his credit here, he makes this version his own without causing any damage to the memory of the original song.
You start treading on eggshells when you take on classic songs that are renown for their original performance and recording, that to try anything different with them would be seen as sacrilege. Unless of course you did it really, really, really well. Queen's "Killer Queen" is treated with the reverence it deserves, also given the status of the original singer as perhaps the greatest of all time. The song doesn't waver too far from the original, and Trond Holter's guitar sticks almost perfectly to Brian May's original, while Jorn's vocals are duly respectable of the shoes he is filling. Perhaps the bravest song Jorn takes on for this album is a cover of the Eagles' massive hit "Hotel California", a really tough challenge given the high esteem it carries through all genres of music. And to be honest, it's a bridge too far. Trying to take on Don Henley on this track is a big ask, and while Jorn's vocals here are fine and he tries to add his own arts to it to make it his own, and the guitars of Holter especially at the conclusion of the song are strong,
Of the final four songs on the album, two of them can be found on other Jorn releases. "Rainbow in the Dark" by Dio appeared on the album of that name, that acted as a singular tribute to the man who obviously influenced Jorn's career from the outset. It's a more than serviceable version. "Stormbringer" by Deep Purple was a bonus track on his Lonely Are the Brave album, and is a brilliant version of this classic song, highlighting all of the best parts of the song and giving it a modern touch up along the way. A terrific version. "Die Young" by Black Sabbath is another in the long line of Dio-related songs that Jorn has covered throughout his solo career. "The Final Frontier" by Iron Maiden was somewhat of a surprise, being as it was only released in recent years, and the number of other Maiden songs that he could have covered. However, this is the one he has chosen, and they do a reasonable job of the translation, the main opinion being of course that there is little chance of ever being able to do it better than Bruce Dickinson does.

The surprising diversity of artists covered here gives this album a fair chance of being played for a longer period than most cover albums will. My usual spiel with albums of cover songs is that while the novelty is still apparent then the album will be played and enjoyed. In the majority of cases, eventually the decision will be reached that the original version of the majority of these songs will always be the better one, and so this will go back to collecting dust on a shelf. This album probably isn't too much different. Apart from the excellent conversion of the opening two tracks, and the better than average treatment of the other songs here, they are still cover versions, and by and large you will go to the original. As a novelty piece though, this is a nice collection, and a reminder especially of the great voice that Jorn has.

Rating:  "You're the voice try and understand it"... uuuuuggghh.  4/5

940. Death Angel / The Evil Divide. 2016. 4/5

The first thing that I have to ask is - where the hell did this version of Death Angel come from? Because it is beginning to become something quite out of the ordinary with their usual foray into music. Certainly there has been a movement in this direction in recent times. But it still takes a little getting used to in places when you are looking for the style you have known and loved for so long. The vocals leave you in no doubt as to the rage that is fired from within, but we are in a new world for this band as far as I'm concerned. In places, Mark's vocals could be imitating Tom Araya's from Slayer, such is the strength and ferocity of the screaming. And there's no serious drama with that occurring, except for the fact that on those songs, it sounds like a Slayer album rather than a Death Angel album, except a Slayer album would probably still closer to raging thrash speed than a lot of this album is.

"The Moth" kicks things off in the Slayer range, which for all intents and purposes gives the listener a real earful from the start. "Cause For Alarm" follows this, and is pretty much a less frantic version of the band that has come before this. I like the song and the way it is performed, but it's a little like putting a thrash metal vinyl album that is supposed to be played at 45rpm on 33rpm. It's just stripped back in some areas, which does take some getting used to.
Then we have "Lost", which is a mighty step taken by the band. Because this isn't a thrash metal song. In fact, I'm not sure how you would classify it at all. The pace of the song is stripped right back, with a relevant riff running through the song accompanied by the double kick (albeit slowed down tempo) drum. Is this a thrash metal ballad? Has there ever been such a thing?! No, probably not, but it is a brave step by the band I feel to do such a song.
"Father of Lies" is the basis track of the album. It's good to sing along to, the guitars are great, the drums hum along, Osegueda's vocals are great. This is a heavy metal song in all respects. "Hell to Pay" may well be the first real version of thrash on this album. It starts off on fire, speeding through the intro and taking off once Mark's vocals kick in as well. Great stuff. However, "It Can't Be This" is another song that doesn't have the tempo of a good old fashioned thrash track. I'm not denying that it is a heavy track, but it sure isn't a thrash track. And perhaps in the modern age, this is where Death Angel has morphed into. With songs like this and "Lost" the band has traded speed for a heavy back track rather than insane speed of riff or drums. And with songs like "The Moth", and then the track that follows "It Can't Be This", the guest riff-assisted "Hatred United / United Hate" with Sepultura's Andreas Kisser, we have god-damned heavy riffing, and the screaming vocal set from Osegueda that really must hurt his throat. It's loud, it's angry, and my goodness it must sound awesome live, but it's not what I would consider thrash anymore.
"Breakaway" in place has the sound of a Symphony X song, which is somewhat surprisingly, but this tracks along nicely without any brakes on the music. This is followed by "The Electric Cell" which employs perhaps the fastest double kick of the album to punch it along. "Let the Pieces Fall" is a great song to complete the album, and a pretty good example of the mid-tempo thrash style that Death Angel employ all the way through this release. It sounds great, with a catchy guitar riff and double kick, but there's no real speed to speak of. It's thrash metal for old timers, both playing it and listening to it no doubt.

Despite any negativity you may get from reading the above, this is a terrific album again from a band that has made the most of its second chance in the metal world. There may no longer be the soaring vocals that we heard and loved on those early albums a lifetime ago, but that is not to suggest that they don't sound great here in their latest incantation. It may not have the speed that you would associate with the band in earlier days. Don't go into this thinking you will find a thrash album such as what was released at the height of the genre's powers back in the 1980's. But come looking for a great heavy metal album, because this quintet still knows how to play, and how to put an album together. The more you listen to this, the better it gets.

Rating:  "You'll never flee, they have trained you well".   4/5

935. Avantasia / Ghostlights. 2016. 3.5/5

Yet another Avantasia release crept up on me while my attention was diverted elsewhere, and on the back of it another world tour of the project. Though it will never likely reach Australia shores, I can at least content myself with the fact that this new album has some excitement about it. This purports to be the closing chapter of The Mystery of Time, and thus has a mixture of constant companion artists and some new artists joining the fold for this album. With a slight changing of the styling of the music on the previous release, would this album be able to produce the material that will not only give a satisfying end to the story, but capture the imagination with the music?

Perhaps the most amusing part of the Ghostlights album is the opening track, "Mystery of a Blood Red Rose". Not only was it apparently written for Meat Loaf to be the vocalist on the track (something that was apparently first agreed to, and then rescinded), it also became a contestant for Germany's entry to the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, and while it made the final qualifying stages it ultimately was not chosen. That's a roller coaster rise for the first track on a new Avantasia album, that's for sure. Tobi eventually was the sole lead vocalist on the track, which while it is fine in all respects, certainly is not anything special - though it does feel as though it would have suited Meat Loaf down to the ground and given it a much more rock opera appeal.
"Let The Storm Descend Upon You" is probably the epic opening track the album needed, before the pushing of the previous song for higher honours began. Incorporating the same theme sound that punctuated the previous album, the song here is spread between the vocal talents of Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins and Robert Mason, as well as Tobi as ever, and the harmonising between them is the highlight of the track. At just a tick over 12 minutes in length it needs to be good to hold your attention, and for the most part this song does that.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Dee Snider was making an appearance on the album as one of the guest vocalists, but I must say that I felt a bit let down by the song written for him to perform on. "The Haunting" is certainly not like anything that Dee has sung on before, and in essence that isn't a bad thing. It's good to have a vocalist come in and try and interpret a different style of song from what the listening public knows them for. In the end, I just think "The Haunting" is not one of the better songs the project has produced, and that Dee is somewhat wasted on such a song. "Seduction of Decay" is another moody, sludgy paced song, the type that haven't been seen very often in this project's history. The fact that Geoff Tate is the guest vocalist on it is probably fitting giving the mood of his music over recent decades. In the end, it is up-tempo just enough to raise it above the mediocre, and Tate does a good job within the framework of the track.
The title track "Ghostlights" returns us to a more atypical Avantasia song, where as has been the case in the past, Michael Kiske comes along, with a double kick drum and flying guitars, and dominates the track with his amazing vocals. Oliver Hartmann again provides the perfect riposte with his guitar solo, and Jorn Lande drops in to lend Michael and Tobi a hand on vocals. This track lights the album up after, and let's be blunt, a fairly average start to the opus. "Draconian Love" has a unique sound to it, with thanks to Herbie Langhans who deliberately sings an octave lower than Tobi to give the whole song a different perspective. Intriguing. "Master of the Pendulum" explodes out of the blocks and kicks along at a pleasing pace throughout, with Marco Hietala doing a great job as "The Watchmaker" and singing up a storm. This is followed by Sharon den Adel in the very power balladish "Isle of Evermore", which might be tangible to the story, but is also an automatic song to go for the skip button. "Babylon Vampyres" conversely jumps out of the blocks, driving along by a much more high tempo beat, which Robert Mason takes full advantage of to get the album back on the front foot.
"Lucifer" kicks off as the epitome of the dreaded power ballad, featuring piano and keyboards, with Jorn crooning over the top. However, halfway through this the band joins the party, finishing off the song in a stronger, more powerful fashion than appears likely in the first half of the exercise. It's a two way switch, which depending on your leanings and possibly your mood at the time will either excite you or make you cringe. But it's okay! Because "Unchain the Light" lifts that tempo once again, and also sees the return of the double kick and a decent guitar riff. So, by now you should know who it features on vocals, right? Yep, our old friend Michael Kiske returns, and his anthemic music as insisted upon by Tobi Sammet again jumpstarts the album. Along with Tobi himself and Ronnie Atkins, and the chorus as well, and Oliver Hartmann again providing the guitar solo, "Unchain the Light" proves to be one of the better tracks here. "A Restless Heart and Obsidian Skies" is anchored by Bob Catley, who along with Tobi and the chorus gives us a closing track that settles into the soft rock or AOR genre, and perhaps most disappointingly concludes the album this way, in almost the same way the other recent Avantasia albums have done, more with a whimper than a bang.

I probably wanted to like this too much, which has perhaps clouded my ability to take in everything on offer on the album. What strikes me the most about Ghostlights is that it seems to be trending much like the recent Edguy albums have been - away from the roots, away from what made the best albums of both those bands great, and into a style that becomes more like a formula, and with a lessening degree of inspiration and excitement. Perhaps this is still too new in my collection, and on a second coming will prove to me a better album than I have in my mind at the moment. Or maybe the concept has run its course, and it's time to try something else.

Rating:  "And after it's all said and done, we won't fear the transience no more"  3.5/5

929. Killswitch Engage / Incarnate. 2016. 3/5

Another album that caught me by surprise by its release was this one. Disarm the Descent had been an album I enjoyed on its release, but it certainly fell from my listening favour after its newness had rubbed off, and I hadn't thought any more about Killswitch Engage from that moment on, until I found this in the new release racks. I got this along with a whole stack of other new releases from around the same time, so it took me some time to not only get into the album but to have it find its place amongst my current listening list. Part of that was from pretty much knowing what I would find once I put the album on, and part was whether or not I needed another KsE album in my collection.

The best songs here are the ones that just keep racing along, driven by the guitars and drums, and don't stop to change the tempo every couple of verses to allow a bit of the somewhat clichéd screaming metalcore growl to be the most overriding point of the song. "Until the Day" is the best example of the good side of this statement.
The middle section of songs are those mostly typical of Killswitch Engage. Those that start off at that fast tempo and aggression, but have the pieces in the middle where that tempo does step back a tad where the vocals mull over the top of the music, and yet pick up again for the guitars and drums to take centre stage again. The opening tracks "Alone I Stand" and "Hate By Design" kickstart the album in this vein, and by default drag you in with air guitar and drumming flying in precision with the songs.
The drop back in tempo, emphasising the clear guitar in the middle and using a more melancholic atmosphere in "It Falls on Me" is an example of the side of the band that I could see a lot less of. "We Carry On" doesn't quite attract my ire as much as "It Falls on Me", in that the tempo of this song does not change throughout, the guitars and drums chug along in the same riff and beat for the entire three and a half minutes, while Jesse pretty much sings without the scream all the way through, which is an unusual occurrence. "Ascension" then does a similar music theme, with a growing aggression in vocals and instrumentation, but does tend to borrow heavily from the previously mentioned songs. I understand the ability to project heaviness by playing in a hard fashion at a slower speed to try and emphasise this heaviness, but I find this becomes... well... boring after awhile. "Cut Me Loose" almost sounds like Alice in Chains in places. Drowning people to sleep with slow heavy beats.

I find I have mixed reactions over Incarnate. Whereas the band still sounds absolutely fantastic, and their precision is second to none, the songs themselves just reek too much of coming from a conveyor belt of similarity. The imprint seems to have become the template, and most of the tracks here seem to follow it almost to the letter. I have trouble distinguishing one song from the next, while the songs on the back half of the album don't grab me at all. Despite these thoughts, there are undeniable catchy elements throughout which will please long time fans of the band, if not satisfy them completely.

Rating:  "We keep this path alive. Never break the ties".   3/5

928. Blaze Bayley / Infinite Entanglement. 2016. 3.5/5

Despite my admiration for much of Blaze Bayley's work, this album slipped me by on the release date, and for some weeks afterwards. Despite following him on social media and often checking in to the website and other such platforms, I just didn't realise that Infinite Entanglement was in fact the name of his new album, and that the fact its name was emblazoned around the place meant it had actually been released to the public. Such is the world I guess when an artist doesn't have the publicity machines of those backed by major labels.

Once I had obtained the album, the next surprise in store was that it was a concept album, centering on Blaze's previously explored passions of sci-fi and the future and other such stuff. Well, that's not a bad thing. I like concept albums as a rule, or albums with a common theme running through them, but as I am sure I have mentioned in previous reviews, this enjoyment is also directly related to how accessible the songs are. Or in layman's terms, are the songs any good? Throwing in a range of songs in different styles can often plug up the flow of an album. On a concept album, it can be used to help tell the story. The danger is that the mix in styles will still affect the listening audience in an adverse way.
The story revolves around the first manned trip to the outer planets, and how that person's life expectancy is extended to allow the trip, and how it affects him along the way, to the point where he begins questioning everything that is happening around him. It is purported to be the first album of a trilogy in this story, which will interest some and not affect others. I admit that the concept is intriguing enough to remain interesting, but the telling of the story has to have the right accompaniment to make it work. The spoken interaction between or at the end of songs can be a distraction to those who just want an album full of songs, but as a part of the story process they are a necessity.
The songs themselves are of a mixture as mentioned previously, and some probably work better than others. The opening stanza of "Infinite Entanglement", "A Thousand Years" and "Human" all come at you with the speed and energy that you come to expect of Blaze's work - but it isn't quite as belligerent as it could be. The vocals are just a bit to much in the front of the mix, and the bottom end doesn't sound like it is there enough to give these songs the real boost they deserve. It's a small complaint, and no doubt these songs will sound much fuller and complete in a live environment, but even after twiddling with volume and bass controls I am left a little underwhelmed where I should be not even thinking about that kind of stuff.
"What Will Come" will surely be a heated discussion point amongst fans. Dominated by the acoustic guitar of his frequent collaborator Thomas Zwijsen and the violin of Anne Bakker, there is no other accompaniment to Blaze's vocals on this song. It's a bold statement, and really Blaze performs this wonderfully, and the musicianship of Thomas and Anne is not in question. However - does the song suit the album? Or the story at this point? Or do you just love this kind of song or find it is a barrier to the best parts? It's the barrier that is raised for me. I'm not against the style of song or the fact that it sounds terrific, but I want more grunt and more speed.
"Stars Are Burning" and "Solar Wind" return the album to that train-rattling kind of momentum that Blaze has through most of his releases. This is followed by "The Dreams of William Black", which combines a narrative with some vocals, and a stilted kind of music background that certainly forms a part of the wider story being told and is important in that context, but which cannot be suggested as a stand alone piece. The second half of the album comes home with mixed metaphors musically. Each song has its strong parts, emphasised by Blaze's vocals, or the double kick of Martin McNee's drums, or the solid riffing from bass guitarist Karl Schramm or the solo work of guitarist Chris Appleton. In each case though - for me personally - parts of each of those songs just don't mesh with the rest, leaving me feeling that they are unfinished or intangible. "Independence" should be a triumph but is left hanging with the up and down mood of the song. "A Work of Anger" just should be harder and faster, but instead feels a little sludgy. Blaze's band here sound great, apart from the stated fact that the bass feels lost amongst the majority of the album.

In my heart I feel as though this was a missed opportunity, to really bring the best and heaviest parts of his earlier solo albums to this project and really blow people away. That hasn't happened inn the long run, and the quest for the concept trilogy has become the driving force. I can continue to listen to and enjoy this album as it is without any qualms, and yet I still long to have heard something a bit more aggressive to have come across. Perhaps on the next installment?

Rating:   "Tough times never last though people always do"   3.5/5

927. Rainbow / Boston 1981. 2016. 4/5

I must admit that when I saw this album a couple of weeks ago, I was tremendously excited. I am always up for a Rainbow live album, especially one that covers different eras of the band, and I was looking forward to hearing Graham Bonnet singing not only the material from the album he was involved in, but also the Dio era of the band. Of course, on further inspection, it was not a Bonnet era live album, but one with Joe Lynn Turner at the helm, on the tour that promoted the first album he was involved with the band, Difficult to Cure. No matter. I like JLT's stuff with Rainbow, and I was more than happy to delve into a recording from this tour. I guess the title Boston 1981 should have been a giveaway really...

The album and show starts off with the wonderful "Spotlight Kid", where Joe really showcases his best. As one of the songs he has performed on he knows where and how to sing it, and this comes across brilliantly, full of the energy and enthusiasm it exudes and deserves. A terrific opening track. This is followed by "Love's No Friend" from the Down to Earth album, and is almost the mirror image of the opening song. It lacks that fire and energy, and falls back into the category that the band had begun to seek from this point in time, the cracking of the mainstream market in the United States. There's nothing overly terrible about the song, and it's obvious that this is where Joe's vocals are at their best, in this kind of song, and he equals Bonnet's original version. But as a great Rainbow song? No, sorry. Next comes "I Surrender", another of the JLT fronted songs that he does the best on. Following this comes a somewhat stilted and difficult version of "Man on the Silver Mountain". Honestly, what were they trying to do here? This is almost like an 'easy listening' version of this great track, dominated here by the keyboard (which should be settled nicely in the background, but instead dominates) and with Joe going a completely different route with the vocals from the originals. Oh dear. "Catch the Rainbow", on the other hand, may not be Dio-esque, but Joe does do quite a good job on the song, and Ritchie loves to play along in this kind of atmosphere and situation. The ability to freeform and extend the song to the band's liking always come in handy as well. Though it again takes up time that another song or two could have filled. Another song off the new album being toured, "Can't Happen Here" comes in next, and again Joe is comfortable in its execution.
"Lost in Hollywood" is a disappointment. Joe's singing of the song is wildly disproportionate to the original version with Bonnet on vocals, and that is a pity. It fuses in parts of "A Light in the Black" - which would have been better hearing Joe have a crack at the full version... or, after this, perhaps it was best not. Still, it should and could have been a lot better. This then segues straight into "Difficult to Cure", which sounds as terrific as it always does. Then Joe has a turn at trying to reproduce "Long Live Rock and Roll". Now, this is a difficult task again. Rainbow's original vocalist pretty much has a mortgage on how to sing his own songs. I guess, as with most of his material, Joe tries to turn this into a commercial version and vision of the song. That's pretty tough, and perhaps for those seeing the band live back then 35 years ago they could accept it as it is performed In the end we run into the same problems that faced the version of "Man on the Silver Mountain earlier". I think listening to it here, any version with Dio singing on it is a better version of the song.
Then we come to "Smoke on the Water", with a little bit of "Lazy" and "Woman From Tokyo" at the start. Now, here we are some six years after Ritchie had left Deep Purple, and he still felt it necessary to re-include this song into the band's set list. Personally, if he had done an instrumental medley, pasting together some of the best riffs from his Purple days, it would have been much more effective. Really, if you go to see Rainbow, with five albums worth of material behind them by this point in time, do you really want this played instead of one or two others? What about "Stargazer"? "Or "Gates of Babylon"? Was Joe less intimidated singing "Smoke on the Water" than these two songs? It seems strange.

As a recording of a moment in time, this has its place. It sounds great, the band is in good form, Joe does his job (as already discussed, with highs and lows), and Ritchie... well, is Ritchie. If you are a fan of the band you will enjoy this, even despite some of things I have said here. It just... could have been better... on any number of levels.

Rating:  "You're in love with the spotlight".  4/5

926. Primal Fear / Rulebreaker. 2016. 3.5/5

Primal Fear has had a long and storied career, and some of their early albums are standard bearers of the European speed/power metal genre from the early 2000's. They were fast, fresh and powerful, and their original take on what was occurring in music at the time gives them a high place amongst those releases. In recent times, the speed seems to have leaked away from their music, which isn't a problem as long as the song writing and musicianship remains solid and accessible. As much as I enjoy Primal Fear's work, when this album came to be released I felt that, for me, it was a crossroads that had been reached, and needed to be negotiated.

First impressions can be deceiving. It is immediately noticeable that, like recent albums, that tamping down of the tempo in the songs has been continued. There is nothing frantic about the music, and in fact all of the early songs on the album have a one-time tempo, a mid-range emphasising that is not in first gear, but probably only second or third at best. That is not meant to be a criticism, but it is a big change from those early albums. It's a big pull back from the roots of the band, and of the genre they come from. The good news is that it doesn't affect the quality of the music, just that they are all back in the mix now from where they used to be. Ralf Scheepers has also dragged his vocals back from the heights of his pitch from twenty years ago to what must be a much more comfortable area for him to sing. It doesn't stop him from reaching those heights when he wants to, and there are moments he does extend himself here, but in the same way that the band's music has become less frantic, so has the vocals. Again this isn't meant as a criticism, just as a fact of comparison.
So as we have established that this is now probably more of a traditional heavy metal album than a power metal or Euro metal album, how does it stack up? To be honest, it is just as enjoyable as their recent releases. There is nothing stunning on the album, or anything that really stands out as an instant classic or divergent from the pack in regards to song quality. The opening tracks are all finger tappers, songs that have the right drum beat to drive the song along and keep it active, not allowing the mind to wander while listening to the album. Every listen to the album improves the outlook. "Angel of Mercy" merges nicely into "The End is Near", with some nice touches from guitarists Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt. Other songs that are note worthy are "Bullets & Tears", "The Devil in Me" and "In Metal We Trust". There are songs here that have lyrics that are instantly catchy - just one playing of the title track "Rulebreaker" had my young daughter and son walking around the room singing along to the chorus, though perhaps they just thought it was appropriate for their behaviour. "The Sky is Burning" is perhaps closest in breaking the mould, being more in the style closest resembling the god-awful power ballad. This is recovered by the more pleasing pace of "Raving Mad" which is the closing track on the album and completes the album in a pleasing fashion.

While hesitating to use the metaphor, recent albums from Primal Fear have become almost AC/DC-ish in nature. Each has as similar tempo and song layout, and after having enjoyed and experienced Rulebreaker over the past few weeks, I can only say that they are now the kind of band that you know what you are going to get. It's solid, it's reliable, and it is enjoyable. Mat Sinner retains his stamp on the band, and one can't argue with what he has managed. While some may be disappointed they haven't provided more, others will be pleased just for the fact that they have the familiarity around them once more.

Rating:  "Can't sort the pictures all blurred and skewed, dystopian vision I'm simply screwed"  3.5/5

923. Anthrax / For All Kings. 2016. 4/5

There was a growing sense of excitement when Anthrax finally announced they were releasing a new album. It had been four years since the release of their return opus with Joey Belladonna on vocals (five years by the time it was released), and while that album had been well liked, there was always the feeling that it was just the start of the reboot, and that better was to come once they had toured this album for awhile, and then sat down to write new material. There was unfinished business, and this new album was going to set it all right, and be the kickstart that has been missing since the bust up with John Bush well over a decade ago. It all felt good in the lead up. This was the time.

The first thing that came across to me on the first listens I had of the new album was that there seemed to be a lot that sounded like it should have been on the last album. "You Gotta Believe" has a very similar sound musically to that of "Fight 'Em Till You Can't" from Worship Music. "Monster in the End" holds the same kind of melody through the chorus that is prevalent on "In the End" from the previous album. On "All of Them Thieves", Joey's melody lines are the same sort that he used on the last album. "Suzerain" again vocally sounds like material from the previous album. If it was just one song, or pieces here and there, then I could've let it go and moved past it. But these flashes kept coming at me as I moved through the album, and didn't fade over time. In fact, perhaps the only song that hits me slightly differently is "Breathing Lightning", but it reminds me so much of a Stryper song its not funny. In fact, I can't get past the similarity between it and "Makes Me Wanna Sing" off Soldiers Under Command. Not lyrically of course, but musically the similarities are quite stunning.
Overall this shouldn't be a problem, but really, there is a five year break between releases. I'm not suggesting that it has to be a completely new sound for every album, and that vocally everything must sound completely different from the previous release. But the similarities are to me too startling to ignore. No one wants Worship Music PART 2. We want For All Kings. The drum rolls all seem to synch up between the material. The riffs just feel as though they have been continued from the previous song. Joey's vocals are in a similar tone most of the way through the album. Perhaps they need to be now to operate, and if that's the case then fine. But there is no change in desire or emotion or drive. The parameters are set and that's what they sit between.
This is not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination. There are things about it though that hold me back from loving it. The tempo throughout doesn't seem to change much. It isn't outright thrash and speed like the old days, and it isn't that mid-tempo range that many bands of this generation began to fall back into - it is somewhere between those two, which isn't bad except that it tends to sit there for the entire album. More than anything else, I just waited for the songs to grow on me, for them to become... better. In the whole time I've had the album, that hasn't happened. I LIKE the songs, but I just can't seem to love them, to get to the stage where I am singing along with them.

I know I probably need to hear this album more than I have to be able to get my radar set properly on it, but the problem with that is that it just isn't generating that kind of interest in me. It isn't demanding repeat playings. I come to the end of the album, and more or less look for the next album to put on, rather than thinking "damn, this new album is so awesome I think I'll listen to it all over again!" And it is that reaction that drives me to write the review I'm writing for it, because if an album is giving off those vibes at this early stage of its purchase, then it probably doesn't bode well for it in the long run. I may well end up feeling differently about For All Kings in the long run, but for now, it doesn't have the hooks required to raise it into the ranks of the indispensable.

Rating:   "Young blood of the old blood, for all kings are through"  3/5