958. Helloween / The Time of the Oath. 1996. 4/5

The return of Helloween as a happy band, along with the return to the sound that their fans knew and longed for, as well as an album in Master of the Rings that was at the top of their form, was a relief. Whatever the aberrations that had occurred early in the decade, it appeared that the quintet was back in vogue, and all that was required now was a follow up album that showed that it hadn't been a one-off, and that they could continue to produce the kind of music their hard core fans were looking for. The question was, could they do it?

For me, the first four songs on the album showcase everything that was good on the previous album, and that the news was good. The opening of "We Burn" comes in hard and fast, leaving nothing to the imagination. The drums and bass line tear along, while speed is of the essence in the solo break as well, while Andi's enthusiasm in his vocals is contagious. This dives straight into "Steel Tormentor", which is one of my favourite songs of this era of the band. The song truly charges along, and is a great audience song too, encouraging plenty of supporting vocals along the way. Uli's brilliant drumming throughout is a star attraction, perfectly matching the urgency that the song requires. Just brilliant. "Wake Up the Mountain" again features that superb drive underneath by the drums and bass with the harmony vocals producing another great sing-along rendition. This is followed by "Power" which features some great guitaring from both Roland and track writer Weiki.
For me, the other two-thirds of the album is a bit of a mish mash. The excellence that is apparent on those opening tracks doesn't quite flow through to the remainder of the album. That doesn't make them bad, just different, or even indifferent. They look for something closer to the reflective though not quite as bad as balladish, and also look to draw upon the epic proportions without quite being able to achieve it. "Forever and One (Neverland)" sits in that power ballad genre, slowing up the tempo of the song and letting Andi sing in his soaring harmonies while the keyboards tend to dominate the structure of the song. It isn't a terrible song, but it is noticeable because of the major tempo shift from the opening songs. This becomes exacerbated by "Before the War" which heads back into that fast paced rhythm of Uli Kusch's drums and Marcus Grosskopf's bass driving the song, before Weiki and Roland's solo section really ups the ante nicely. The solo section of this song is the closest these two have come to mirroring what Weiki and Kai were able to do on those early Helloween albums. It sounds terrific, and is the equal of those opening tracks in true metal style.
"A Million to One" is an interesting song, because it has some musical flavour from the Chameleon album, but is written by Andi and Uli, who are the two members who were not in the band at that time. The differing piece of the puzzle that raises it above that album's songs is the harder and heavier rhythm section, and Andi's driving vocals, rather than soft and soaring vocals that highlighted the disappointing songs on that album. "Anything My Mama Don't Like" is a much more straight forward hard rock track with plenty of tongue in cheek about it, an enthusiastic vocal from Andi and supporting players and a raucous band in good spirits. "Kings Will Be Kings" rocks along at a good clip as well, rarely pausing for breath.
The final three tracks are where some problems lie. "Mission Motherland" is a nine minute epic which mixes a whole heap of different styles and tempos within the song, such that I'm not sure works for me at all. Their epics in the past have done it well, but this song eventually comes to bore me, especially through the middle of the track. "If I Knew" goes one further, really slowing up the tempo to what probably isn't quite what you would categorise as a power ballad, but it has many of the characteristics of it. These two songs, along with "Forever and One (Neverland)" would be the ones on this album that are the less likely ones for me.
The album concludes with the title track "The Time of the Oath", a track that while it has its moments, certainly with the riff and Andi's vocals, just feels to be missing something for me. I think it needed to be faster for me to really get into the song, rather than it have this very heavy riff and slow grunging tempo throughout.. Again, it isn't a bad song but it just lacks something that lifts it for me into that higher category on the album.

Overall Helloween has done an excellent job of returning to its roots, and drawing its inspiration from the beginnings of the band's musical writings, while not trying to reproduce them note for note. This is another excellent album, one that shows further growth from their previous album, and continues to point towards a bright future.

Rating:  "Flashing from down under, flesh and blood and thunder".   4/5

957. Helloween / Pink Bubbles Go Ape. 1991. 2.5/5

In 1991 I was on my first trip to Bali, and apart from sampling plenty of satay and Bintang, I also perused the elaborate cassette stalls that were set up in those days. I was still a vinyl collector in those days and was beginning to move towards CDs as well, but in Bali you could buy practically anything on cassette tape. As I browsed the selections, I came across this strange looking cassette cover with a woman trying to deep throat a fish. On closer inspection it was - FINALLY! - a new album from Helloween! You beauty I cried! And so the purchase was made and I had my first listening of new Helloween material in three years.

Having gotten over Kai Hansen's departure with the release of his new band Gamma Ray's album the previous year, I was interested to hear what Helloween would produce now that one of the main songwriters had moved on. In his place had emerged Roland Grapow, who had taken over the contribution schedule of Kai, as well as Michael Kiske stepping up his writing contributions as well.
So what do we have? Well, I can say with some certainty that although my youthful self was initially excited with the first couple of listens to the album, I knew something was wrong from the outset. This had increased in danger signs by the time I had arrived home from my overseas jaunt, and was confirmed when, even though I went out and bought this album on CD on my arrival home, it has rarely been pulled from the shelf since.
The continued development of the Helloween sound from album to album continues here, but is arguably even more dramatic than what occurred between their debut album and the Keeper albums. There is now no semblance of the speed metal that was a part of every track of the band's early days, and you would argue just how much of this material could really be attributed to the power metal genre either. It has a very easy listening feel to it, it isn't threatening and there's not a lot to get up and jump around with. The question that is raised most by this album is "who is to be credited with this softening approach to the music"? Historically, it has been Michael Kiske who has been lumbered with the blame for how this album, and eventually with the follow up album Chameleon, was written. Given his later comments on the heavy metal music genre, he was probably an easy target. But he wasn't the only writer on this album. Perhaps the larger problem was the lack of material produced by Michael Weikath, who along with Kai Hansen had produced the bulk of the recorded material in the band's history before this. Weiki's only written contributions on Pink Bubbles Go Ape are the second single "Number One", which is a somewhat lumbering power ballad, and a co-write with Kiske on "Heavy Metal Hamsters" which is goofy interlude somewhat in the traditions of "Rise and Fall". Given the almost complete revamp of writers on this album, it probably shouldn't be surprising that the sound of the album is almost a complete 180 degree reversal from their earlier work.
Even when trying to look on the positive side of the album, it is difficult to decipher what works here and what doesn't. The opening gambit of Kiske's "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" was amusing the first couple of times, but appears like an indulgence not worth pursuing after that. The first single "Kids of the Century" is fun enough and listenable enough, as is the follow up "Back on the Streets", but by this time it is obvious the who musical direction is being twisted. Following "Number One" and "Heavy Metal Hamsters", "Goin' Home" and "Someone's Crying" don't inspire any further wonderful feelings about where we are headed. "Mankind" is probably the closest you will come to here of a fully recognisable Helloween song, though it still mixes things within the framework that make you wonder what is happening. "I'm Doin' Fine, Crazy Man" further pushes those boundaries. "The Chance" at least allows Kiske to fully utilise his amazing voice and it travels along in a pleasing way, that perhaps only sounds that way because of what has come before it. Any good work is washed away with acid by the dreadful and deploring closing track "Your Turn", which would do the term 'power ballad' an injustice. Yes, that's how much I think of it.

About the best I can say about this album is that when I put it on today to review, I listened to it five times all the way through, and found I could accept it for what it is without trying to make it something it isn't. By my standards of Helloween the band, this is not a Helloween album. It's an album that has members of that band playing on it, but its like a side project, one where they have diversified their sound from what they would normally play. I can listen to it fine enough, but it brought no feeling in me like the best heavy metal albums do. It is like an easy-listening album. Perhaps that is this album's greatest put down.

Rating:  "We're the Kids of the Century, it wasn't our fault, everything's done now we fall".   2.5/5

956. Helloween / Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2. 1988. 5/5

Sometimes it is handy to have an exchange student come to your school for 12 months. We did so in my final year of high school in 1987, and when Hans returned to his native Norway we kept in touch via letters (no emails and texts and Facebook in the good old days, just hard copy writing) in a story I related in the episode of Season 2 of this podcast that relates to the sister album to this, “Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part 1”. Check it out, it’s a great episode, and a great album. Having introduced us to Helloween in that year he spent at our school, I made mention in one of my letter responses that I was enjoying their music thoroughly. His reply was to send over yet another cassette, this one containing their brand new album, “Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II”, which was all the rage in Norway where it went to #12 on their album charts, but for the time being was nowhere in sight in Australia. And thus was my first exposure to an album that was to dominate my listening for the next 12 months and pretty much the rest of my life.
As has been reported in several media, Helloween’s initial idea for their previous album had been to make it a double album, encompassing all of the Keeper of the Seven Keys. Their record company had refused this and insisted that they be released separately. However, the outro to the first album, “Follow the Sign”, acts as a flow on to the first intro on this album, “Invitation”, so that you can listen to them both as a double album and enjoy the entire experience as the band initially imagined it. And to be honest, if you listen to that first album, how can you possibly not go on to listen to this album immediately after? It is impossible.
“Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1” had had amazing sales, and the tour to promote it had taken the band throughout Europe as well as the UK and the US. It was around this time the first cracks began to appear in the band, with Kai Hansen picketing for time off from their hectic touring schedule to rest, and the first signs of dissention about the songs coming to the fore. As the bands popularity was continuing to grow they wanted to build on that and so stopping touring was not on the table. After 12 months of constantly being on the road, the band then entered the studio to finish writing and to record their follow up to that album.

Modern day reviews of "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2” often appear to either praise the album as a brilliant addition to the band's legacy, and a standard bearer for the genre that they were blazing, or that it is a weaker, less heavy version of the band, stripped of the speed and power that was a part of the band in its beginning. In general, these opinions will vary as to whether those people grew with the band through the 1980's, or came into the band at a later date either through isolation or age barriers. As someone who was fortunate enough to discover the band when they were at their theoretical peak my opinions settle in the first category. In this day and age I can see why others opinions may not match with mine. Listening to the album while trying to put aside 35 years of knowing every note an nuance of the album, and trying to be objective about what I hear in a more modern sense rather than an historical one, there is a slight case that can be understood why younger listeners out there may think this is less dazzling than previous efforts, or even future efforts. Whereas the songs on “Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I” equally drew on positive attitudes towards life along with science fiction themes and even the power ballad, what do we have here? "Rise & Fall" is full of complete nonsense lyrics - fun yes, but very cartoonish in its output. "Dr Stein" pokes fun at the old Frankenstein story, changing it up and really once again having fun with the whole story. "I Want Out" is a teen anthem that could apply anywhere through your lifetime (though perhaps Kai’s lyrics were in fact written about other issues he had at the time), but appears aimed at that age group. But guess what? I LOVE those songs! They are brilliant, mixing the fun of their subject matter into music that is happy and joyous. They all have those 'happy guitars' that made Helloween the band it was during this era. Mixed in with these light hearted songs are the serious, hard core lyrical songs, such as "We Got the Right" and "March of Time" and "Eagle Fly Free". Each of these are epic in their own right. Apart from their lyrical exhibitionism, the songs climb throughout to reach crashing crescendos, while Michael Kiske's vocals soar to unobtainable heights for those mere mortal like me who want to sing along.

“Keeper of the Sevens Keys, Part 2” is heavily weighted with material by Michael Weikath, whereas the previous album had more material from Kai Hansen. Initially this had been because of Michael’s absence for much of the Keeper 1 album, but the balance of having more songs composed by Kai on that album was utilised again here with the majority of the album composed by Weikath, thus each album having a similar style of songs throughout.

The brilliant instrumental "Invitation" segues straight into "Eagle Fly Free", which not only is a marvellous opening track, it also gives every individual the chance to show their wares - Kiske his vocal talents, Weikath and Kai their own solo spots along with the dual harmony break, and Marcus and Ingo both get a solo spot of their own as well. A terrifically constructed song. More than that, it is an epic opening song. If anything could have promoted Helloween to the world, it was this song. Kiske’s vocals especially are out of this world for someone who was still yet to reach the age of 20 when this album was recorded. This is followed by "You Always Walk Alone", which is a come down from the previous song. "You Always Walk Alone" changes in tempo and pace a bit too much, such that it can feel a bit choppy. The final third of the song, from the solo breaks to the climbing vocal strains of the final chorus is excellent, it's just that sometimes the first half of the song can get a bit lost within itself. "Rise and Fall" and "Dr Stein" are the two Weikath fun numbers, which Kiske has a ball with when singing them. “Rise and Fall” combines both a serious side of the song, which seems to be referencing Michael’s breakdown prior to recording the previous album, along with several episodes of the breakdown of relationships, being it dragons and knights, spacemen and wives, Romeo and Juliet. While the music and pieces of the lyrics come across as fun and bright, perhaps the undertones are not quite so much. “Dr Stein” takes on the basic storyline of Frankenstein, and creates as sequel, mixed with Michael’s own semi-serious view on the world. Both of the songs are humorous and playful songs, with the underlying serious nature that the band still had running through the lyrics of all of their songs.

"We Got the Right" and "March of Time" return the album to serious topics within the lyrics, but the songs are quite magnificent. They rise in majesty mainly thanks to Kiske’s vocals and the backing chorus, which helps turn good songs into great ones. The musicianship here also is top shelf, complementing everything that has been inspired by the writing. “We Got the Right” sings for the average person, to stand up to those that believe they have the power to do everything they want, while “March of Time” preaches not wasting your life and using each moment you have. Both of these songs have wonderful, spine-tingling moments, both provided in the main by Michael Kiske’s vocals, and both in the back part of each song. In “We Got the Right” the final chorus is sung with such high emotion that it is impossible to sing along such are the heights of his voice. And in “March of Time”, the final bridge leading into the last chorus is just magnificent, beginning with ‘Please, please, help me see, the best way to be’ into ‘Life’s too short to cry, long enough to try’ and into the chorus, it is one of the best phases of any song ever. Chills.

These are followed by the anthemic "I Want Out", the single from the album whose video showcased the brilliant musicianship of the group as well as their playful side. The lyrics may appear somewhat teenagerish if taken on face value, but the message behind them is significant, and helps to make this one of Helloween's most identifiable songs. Certainly my kids know it off by heart. But there is a deeper meaning to the song, which becomes more apparent when you find out about Kai’s disapproval of what was happening in and around the band at the time. Knowing all that, and listening to the song again, you can hear him asking for a change, to come to terms with what was happening with the band and its management. As Kai’s two contributions to this album, “March of Time” and “I Want Out” tell a story in themselves.
The album then concludes with the second part of what has become known as the Keepers Trilogy, with the title track "Keeper of the Seven Keys", which like its counterpart on the previous album stretches beyond thirteen minutes while telling its tale through the changing tempo and waves of guitar. It is an amazing track, beautifully composed and brilliantly played and sung. It's a fitting way to conclude an album that is epic in its own way.

Apart from the songwriting, the musicianship on this album is beyond magnificent. Ingo Schwichtenberg’s drumming is on another level, precise and intricate, with perfectly punctuating double kick and some amazing rolls throughout the songs that require it. It is probably the finest performance of his all-too-short career. He is amazing on the opening two tracks, but then in “Dr Stein” where he is asked to just play the bare minimum, he is still so noticeable because of the WAY he plays the straight stuff. An amazing drummer and a wonderful performance on this album. Markus Grosskopf once again shows why his is one of the most underrated bass players of all time, with his amazing work throughout. Listening closely to his playing on this album is a joy in itself. His left hand is all over the fretboard, running back and forth and underscoring the guitarists with a base that is as important as any other part of each song. Just magnificent. Kai and Michael’s guitaring is probably the benchmark for the band. The so-dubbed ‘happy guitars’ of Helloween are what mark each and every one of their songs, their harmonies creating the sound that IS Helloween, while their soloing is pure joy. On top of their song writing, they have again created an album that is beyond compare. And then we have the lead vocalist, Michael Kiske. His ability to hit those high notes is one of his superpowers, but it is the emotion he can bring to a song with those vocal chords that truly win the day. The finishing flourish of “Eagle Fly Free”, the final chorus and scream of “You Always Walk Alone”, the emoting throughout “We Got the Right”, and that closing bridge and chorus of “March of Time”, is what still gives me shudders down the spine. This quintet, apart from bring amazing in every way, combine to become greater as a whole than the sum of their parts.

I related earlier in this episode how I came to not only discover Helloween, but first get this album. And I still remember the first time I listened to it, on my parent’s stereo, and how truly amazed I was at it. I already loved “Walls of Jericho” and “Keeper 1”, but this went to another level. It was, and is, the album where the band’s sound matured even more, much closer to a power metal album than a speed metal album which is what their first two releases basically were. “Ride the Sky” and “Eagle Fly Free” are both majestic opening songs from two magnificent albums, but to listen to them both you can notice the slight differences in them.

In 1988 for me, this album was a revelation. Coming off the back of Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” album earlier in the year, this just attached itself to my psyche, and that cassette (on which on the other side Hans had recorded the Helloween EP and some B-side singles) started smoking from the number of times it was played over and over again. Utopia Records soon had my money for the vinyl and eventually CD copies of the album as well. There would barely have been a three-month period in the past 35 years that I haven’t listened to this album. It has gone everywhere with me, either being a permanent member of my car’s cassette collection, or on album playlists in the days of mp3’s, or now as a constant streaming companion on trips anywhere. In the band I had so much fun with not long after this album was released, we had a half-hearted effort at playing “I Want Out” before surprising fans who actually turned up to watch us live by playing “Dr Stein”. It will be easy to conclude that I love this album. Indeed, alongside everything Helloween had released to this point of their career, I find it to be completely brilliant. This was the music of my late teens, alongside the typical contemporaries such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest who obviously influenced them so much. On my work playlist over the last month, surrounded by the albums that make up the episodes around this one on this podcast, it was this album every single time that lifted my head, and brought me out of whatever I was doing, and had me singing along all over again.

As was expected with the building of frustration over the previous two years, Kai left the band following this album, and it took years for Helloween to recover. And while they have managed to write and record some terrific albums since, nothing matches their output prior to Kai’s departure. This was the band’s golden age, and it highlights and dominates that part of my life as well. This album sits comfortably in my top 20 of all time. And so it should in yours.

 
Rating: "Leave time behind, follow the sign, together we'll fly someday". 5/5

955. Helloween / Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1. 1987. 5/5

As related in my review of Walls of Jericho, back in 1987 our school hosted an exchange student from Norway called Hans. He had brought with him his own musical interests, one of which was a band called Marillion, which never really caught on with me but found acceptance amongst others. What did pique my interest was two albums he had on one cassette, that I quickly got a copy of once I had heard them. Both were by a band called Helloween which until that time I had never heard of. On Side A was the album Walls of Jericho. On Side B was an album that had the endearing title of Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I. These two albums changed the way I felt about music in a profound and amazing way.

There are some quite startling changes between the way the music sounds between these two albums, and it almost quite literally comes down to the vocals of the two lead singers. Kai Hansen sang on both the initial EP and on Walls of Jericho. The songs were fast and heavy, true speed metal, and Kai's vocals exacerbated this, with those screams that would become so much a part of his early repertoire. There was no time for rest, this was an album that pushed the boundaries and used all of the skills of the band. But it was Kai's voice in the live setting, along with playing guitar, that led to the band looking for a lead singer to come into the mix. Enter Michael Kiske, the man with The Voice, and with it and his own writing ideas there was an almost immediate maturing of the music, without losing the intensity and the intrinsic heaviness of the material. With it however was a barrier, at least in my mind. Kai's version of the earlier songs always sound better, Michael doesn't quite have the grind that is necessary for those songs. The songs here though had a less speed metal approach, instead moving forth into newer waters, into a genre of metal that perhaps this album and the follow up created, that of power metal.
The album opens with the instrumental stage-setting "Initiation", which segues straight into "I'm Alive", which bursts forth with enthusiasm and an immediate impact of Kiske's amazing vocal talent. Straight away it all sounded so easy to sing, and he had those higher notes flowing freely. The music is terrific. It has those harmony guitars, which from here begin to produce that Helloween patented "happy guitars" sound which became their trademark. Yes, the tempo has slowed from the frantic output of the previous album, and this is noticeable for the majority of this album. Into the second song "A Little Time", and we also have ticking clocks, alarms and other such elements being thrown into the songs. We also have the first real support vocals coming through, backing up the lead vocalist in support of the song. Even the brilliant "Twilight of the Gods" has its tempo reeled in. If this had been performed 18 months earlier, it would have been at twice the pace that this is played at. That's not to say that the tempo is slow here, but it is certainly modified from those songs that came before this album. But the harmony vocals here, along with the harmony guitars, just make this a pleasure to listen to and sing along to. The rhythm of Ingo's drums and Marcus' bass line are winners here again, especially underneath the solo sections of the song. Brilliant.
The one downside of this album is that the song "A Tale That Wasn't Right" could possibly be held accountable for creating the 'power metal ballad', that awful indictment upon the genre. True, the song is a love story, and has those connotations, and the style of the song is what was followed, the template of you will. The problem with this in the long run is that this song is just awesome in the way it is written and performed. Kiske's amazing vocals over the acoustically played guitar, the pitiful wailing electric guitar into the chorus and solo, and the mournful harmony vocals backing up the lead. Yes, that IS the problem, because the fact it is so good is why it was then copied - and everything that followed from it from every other power metal band just comes across as crap, because they can't match how wonderful this sounds. So damn you Michael Weikath and co, you created the bloody power metal ballad.
The second side of the album is opened up by the single and perennial set list classic "Future World", which now finds itself played by two bands everywhere in the world. Again, it is not as frantic as it may have been even those few short months earlier, but it has become folklore amongst the Helloween community, and a crowd favourite sing-along song at all Helloween concerts. This is followed by what is now popularly known as the first part of the Keepers Trilogy, the epic "Halloween", the 13 minutes plus monster that perhaps best spans the two early generations of Helloween, incorporating their longer and faster tracks that have blistering guitar solos and harmonies with the maturing aspect of willing to use the quieter set and lesser paced aspects while giving Kiske his chance to showcase that amazing vocal range and emoting ability. This song has it all, sewn together in perfect order and dropped onto the vinyl in a pristine condition to exhilarate fans everywhere. Each member of the band has their chance to shine here, and each does it with perfection.
The closing segue of "Follow the Sign" seems slightly out of place by the time you reach the end of the album. A quiet instrumental piece with a few spoken words that only runs for a little under two minutes, it seems a strange way to finish off an album. That is, until you are aware of the fact that this was originally supposed to be the first album of a double album, with Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II that second album. This, "Follow the Sign" should have paved the way to moved straight into "Invitation" and then "Eagle Fly Free" from that album. Of course, once both albums were released, you could actually do that anyway.

Perhaps if you were not growing up in this era, this album may not be as important or influential to you as it was to me. This was one of those defining moment in music for me. The music bounds from the speakers, and Michael's vocals pound your senses with immediate effect. It isn't as heavy as their previous work, but it is the forerunner to all that came after it in this genre. To me it still brings back amazing memories from that time of my life, and I still smile every time I put it on. You can't ask for anything more on an album than that.

Rating:  "Make your choice, it's hell or paradise".   5/5

954. Helloween / Walls of Jericho. 1985. 5/5

Back in 1987, in my final year of high school, our school hosted an exchange student from Norway called Hans Hoie. He was a personable funny guy, awkwardly tall, almost goofy in his conversational English, but was a much loved person amongst our student collective. Apart from all of his other friendly attributes, Hans had his own musical tastes, and he had fortunately brought cassettes with him of his favourite albums. Two of those albums were by a band that we had never heard of, called Helloween. The first of these albums was entitled Walls of Jericho.

The opening stanza here is as good as any other album I know. The opening instrumental beginnings of "Walls of Jericho" blow their horns and crash their walls such that is related in the fable, before directly blasting into the start of "Ride the Sky" courtesy of Kai Hansen's amazing high pitched scream. Then we are speeding through the song, driven by those brilliant guitars and the unique and masterful bass line running up and down the neck throughout. Kai's vocals reach heights that were hinted upon on their first release EP. The solo break again defines a Helloween song, with each guitarist having their own solo, intertwined with the harmony guitar between, and finished off by Kai's amazing rising cacophony. It perhaps wouldn't surprise you to know that this is one of my favourite songs of all time. "Ride the Sky" has been so probably from the first moment I ever heard it, played on a tinny old portable cassette player at a party on the beach at the Boneyard in Kiama Downs. As I sat there that evening and listened to this album, I marvelled at what it produced. To that point in time I hadn't heard anything like it.
"Reptile" snuggles its way in between the faster songs on the album, and does in some way halt the momentum that was created by the opening track. Now of course it could just be me coming off my "Ride the Sky" high, but there seems less individualistic joyfulness in this song. Certainly the tempo is completely different, and Michael Weikath's monster obsession comes to the fore again. It's one of two songs on this album that just maybe misses a trick, perhaps just doesn't fit the reigning madness around it. Following on is a return to the manic speed that epitomised the opening track. Wiki's "Guardians" blitzes along, with Kai at high end of his vocal range for almost the whole length of the song, with no pause for breath for any of the group. It's a beauty, but goddamn Kai makes it hard to sing along given the high register, especially the closing lines "PUPPETS ON A STRING! PUPPETS ON A STRING!". Great stuff.
"Phantoms of Death" has been another of my favourite tracks for a number of years. This is not only a great song lyrically about the destruction we bring upon ourselves, musically it is also another belter, blazing along at a great rate, and mixes a fantastic solo section where both Kai and Weiki trade licks at an alarming rate, before we come to the conclusion of the song and the grand reveal of the root of the song, "Who are they? Who are the Phantoms? Will they end our lives? It's you and me, you and me, open up your eyes!".
Side 2 of the album kickstarts with "Metal Invaders" which maintains the rage, mixing the metaphors of invaders from space in metal machines and the mental visions of heavy metal also within the song. Kai's voice again reaches for the ceiling while Marcus' bass line dominates throughout in a brilliant way. This is followed by the groove of "Gorgar", a slower tempo song but with a great guitar riff throughout. This surely must be written from experience, about spending all of their money on playing on this pinball machine. It's another example of a great lyric coming from something so simple. The chanting chorus "Gorgar will eat you" plays over and over in your head. It's catchy as hell. The anthemic "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)" raises the stakes once again, recorded as a 'live' background chants along to give it a live feel. Listen to Marcus's ridiculous bass guitar through the 'crowd chant' led by Kai. It is ludicrous and shows off his amazing talent.
The closing track is the epic of the album. Michael Weikath's "How Many Tears" began life as an orchestral and operatic piece that was transformed into this full boar, no holds barred finale. I still get goosebumps hearing Kai sing that chorus, his vocals soaring again throughout, to the heights of that closing note. This is a masterpiece to finish the album, it's message still as relevant today as it was back then.

This album, and the one that follows, both became milestones for my music listening tastes. It opened up new doors, a real pathway to the burgeoning and building metal scene in Europe. It was my first step in the direction of the power metal wave, that for me has since become almost my mainstream metal listening group. The quartet that played on this album could not have wished for a better platform to thrust themselves into the world of heavy metal, and for me it still stands as a testament not only to their talent and ability as musicians and songwriters, but what can be achieved when the stars align in their magical way.

Rating:  "Rearrange the master plan, take the future in my hands, to be free and not trapped anymore".  5/5

953. Helloween / Helloween [EP]. 1985. 5/5

Most bands, at the beginning of their recording career, often start with a demo to ignite interest in themselves, or a single release or even an EP, or sometimes all three. Some, like Iron Maiden's self-funded The Soundhouse Tapes became legendary and are a major kick start to the band's career. Others may not be as well known, but there would certainly be fewer of higher quality than Helloween's self-titled EP that launched their career with a screaming shriek.

With just five songs on this EP, it doesn't fail to produce, and gives you everything you would expect from a young band trying to make its impact on the world. The album intro, of the alarm clock waking up its occupant with some radio station, and then changing channels while getting up and making breakfast, certainly makes you wonder what the hell you have walked into the first time you hear it. From here though, Kai's ear splitting scream as the intro to "Starlight" brings your senses to attention. There's no doubting what the band are sending towards you from the start of this song. It speeds along at a monumental rate and at volume through your speakers. The twin guitars of Hansen and Weikath are a classic combination, each willing to take on a role by themselves, but also magnificent in tandem harmony. Marcus Grosskopf's bass runs overtime, his fingers running up and down the fretboard like an over excited mouse. It's a unique sound too, not looking to copy anyone, but it gives the Helloween sound a beautiful bass line of its own. Topping this off are the free flowing drums of Ingo Schwichtenberg who fires away on all cylinders, helping to drive the music to new levels. This amazing quartet, full of youth and fire, gives up everything they have in the name of metal.
"Starlight", with its lyrics focused on drug use and dependence, starts off the EP with a bang, before moving into the second track "Murderer", which kicks off with each instrument joining the fray one bar at a time, before exploding into the song proper. It is a superb song. It is almost joyous in its format, with that free flowing riff through the verses as while Kai smoothly blends his vocals over the top, both guttural through the verse and then into the high pitched screams later in the chorus, Ingo's double kick powering through the whole way, before those harmony guitars and Marcus' rumbling bass underneath take us through the solo break. Such an easy song to bang your head along to and play air guitar at the same time. Superb. It sounds so simple, and yet it is technically perfect.
The gunfire and warfare set up the start of "Warrior", before the staccato riff and drums blaze into the song with pace and fury. Again it is the brilliant drum beat from Ingo that drives your love of this song, it just has the perfect combination of toms and double kick to give it a faster feel than a normal 4/4 time. This is followed by yet another brilliant transferral to the harmony and solo guitar pieces, each complementing the other. Awesome. This is followed by the aggressive and even faster "Victim of Fate" which rattles along at a blitzkrieging rate, and Kai giving those vocal chords of his a real testing at their higher altitudes. This is all mixed in with the eye of the storm in the middle of the track, where the pace disappears, all becomes quiet with Kai almost spoken-wording his way through the bridge, before the song climbs back into mayhem to conclude. Just brilliant. The final song "Cry For Freedom" begins and ends with a very Scorpions-like feel to it. It actually sounds like a UFO song, which I guess shouldn't be overly surprising given the heritage of both bands, but it is the only time there is a similarity in the music. Between the bookends however it returns to that same furiosity that exists throughout, keeping the senses tingling until the end.

What wouldn't I do to go back in time and see these guys performing at this stage of their career. It must have been absolute mayhem of the greatest kind. This is raw and uninhibited heavy metal that not only gives a snapshot of how this brilliant band took their first steps on the world stage, but also of the talent that was brimming over, and the promise within that lay ahead for not just one band, but in the longer term for two bands.

Rating:  "Murderer, you're on the run, you'll have to kill, again!"  5/5

952. W.A.S.P. / K.F.D. 1997. 3.5/5

To say this is a different style of album from W.A.S.P. is an understatement. On the first three albums we had plenty of crazy fun, tongue-in-cheek metal played loud and hard with lyrics that ranged from the tended sexual innuendo to political and worldly rights and wrongs. They were great. The follow up was a mature sounding evolution that still combined topics in the lyrical department but with a heavy and progressive sound that hinted at a band that knew where it was going. Following some line-up turmoil came the great rock opera, one that was hailed for its conception and presentation. More band turmoil followed, and the predecessor to this album was lost in direction as much as the writer and performer appeared lost in his own life and career.

My main problem with K.F.D. is not necessarily the change in the musical direction, but that it sounds like there is just a wall of noise coming out at you for the majority of the time. Yes, it has been brought to my attention that this is pretty much an industrial metal album, which is a completely different direction from what previous W.A.S.P. albums have offered us in the past. As a result, most of the songs sound like variations of each other, thus depriving them of their individuality. Sure, it sounds heavy and comes across that way, with guitars turned up to eleven and just raged upon, while Blackie screams over the top, or at least through the middle somewhere. Don't be fooled though, some of these songs are great without that technique having to be used.
There could be a fair case made that Blackie and Chris had anger issues when they were writing this album. There's no holding back here, and their pointed rage is spewed out through the songs all the way through. The opening track and title track "Kill Fuck Die" leaves you in no doubt from the beginning that it is coming at you. This is followed by "Take the Addiction" that continues in that framed, with distorted guitar and Blackie's vocals at your throat. "My Tortured Eyes" sounds like a beefed up version of "The Gypsy and the Boy" from the rock opera, a bit more electric than that of course.
"Killahead" however is a ripper, one from the top shelf of W.A.S.P. songs with its full on pace and rage, but especially in this case because the instruments can be picked out from one another, rather that just becoming one huge ball of crazy. Lyrically it's not one of the most deep and meaningful. It is the one you put on at a party when the alcohol has taken effect and you need to start slamming. "Kill Your Pretty Face" starts off like a couple of numbers here, with the quiet clear guitar and Blackie's high voiced sighing, before building into that wall of noise and screaming coming through that wall. The technique is effective, but I must admit that it's a momentum killer for me, just because the album itself had been building, and then it gets stopped by this track in a couple of ways. It finishes up okay, but not enough to withdraw my annoyance at it.
The short trappings of "Fetus" moves into "Little Death" where a little more rage comes into the mix. Certainly Stet Howland's drumming is a non-stop cacophony throughout this song. Is there any point where he comes to a rest? "U" wanders between the reflective and the anger management course that is built upon by almost every song here. Strangely enough though, "Wicked Love" is almost the most conventional W.A.S.P. song on the album, and yet comes across as perhaps one of the weakest. No, I don't know how that happened either. The final track "The Horror" builds from the quiet to the distraught, but in the end comes across as a slightly manic and disturbed version of the closing track from the rock opera, "The Great Misconceptions of Me". From it's quiet and almost deathly silent beginning, the build up of distortion continues until we have the final conclusion up near the stratosphere.

When this was released I had pretty much given up on W.A.S.P. as a band. After the previous album (that really should have been labelled as a solo release for Blackie) I felt the end had come. In a way I guess it had. The direction and style of this album was completely different from what had come before, and it would not be repeated in the future. Though there are some good songs here, and the album as a whole can be enjoyed when placed in the CD player, it grows tired quickly on repeat hearings unless you an appreciate the style it is recorded in.

Rating:   "I'm the horror on the edge".  3.5/5

951. Heaven & Hell / The Devil You Know. 2009. 4/5

Following on from The Dio Years release, and the tour of the reunited Black Sabbath from the Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules and Dehumanizer era under the reinvented band name of Heaven & Hell, the four members had such a good time that they decided to go ahead and record and release a new album. This was a decision that was met with almost universal acclaim. Imagine another album from these guys! How good could it be? Sure, they might be a little older, and neither Tony or Geezer had written much in the previous few years, but this had to be a winner from the outset.
Hopefully.

Of the three songs that Ronnie and Tony had written for The Dio Years compilation, my favourite had been "Ear in the Wall", because it contained the best parts of the band - a fast song with Dio emoting and Tony and Geezer flailing along. If I could have had an album of songs in that vein I would have been the happiest fanboy around. From the outset though, it is the slower, heavier riffs that dominate the album, keeping the tempo of the album back in the comfort zone that especially Dio has enjoyed for some years. To be fair, there is a mixture throughout, but it is the slower side which dominates, which deep down is still a disappointment to me.
"Atom and Evil" starts off at this pace, with Vinny Appice barely getting out of first gear in guiding the pace along at a snail's sludge. Dio croons marvellously over the funereal opening, which while I do not mind the song as such, is a strange one to open the album with. This is followed by "Fear" which opens up the tempo a little without producing anything over special.
"Bible Black" was the single released before the album came out, and was the kind of song everyone was hoping for. The quietish opening allowed Dio's clear vocals to lull you in, before crashing into Tony and Geezer's guitars and Vinny's pounding drum work and driving along. No doubt most people, like me, thought that the album would be more of the same, and the resulting excitement was hard to contain. "Double the Pain" kept up with a similar tempo, but was again somewhat devoid of anything outstandingly individual from the three member on instruments. It's a bit one riff for three minutes, another for thirty seconds, then back into the main riff.
I'm just not sure about "Rock and Roll Angel" at all. It seems like it is completely devoid of any of that masterful guitar sound that Tony and Geezer have perpetuated over the years, and lyrically it seems like a mishmash of the things that Dio has done before, bit like the darker days of his Dio band. This is probably the weakest song on the album and it feels quite out of place. "The Turn of the Screw" is an improvement, but still feels as though it is mired in the quicksand of sludgey tempo.
"Eating the Cannibals" is the one true fast song on the opus, and when it starts it lights up the album immediately. Dio's vocals soar while Tony's solo rips along in the tradition of his best solos, while Geezer and Vinny's rhythm runs up and down underneath it all, providing the framework of a great track. THIS is what I wanted more of, something with a bit of energy and fire, which would really grab you by the throat. It was these types of songs that brought about the difference between the Ozzy Sabbath and the Dio Sabbath back in the day.
This is followed by the hard grinding "Follow the Tears", which retains the modus operandi of the tuned down riff of Tony and Geezer, and Dio's vocals emoting through the mire. You can feel the awesomeness of Ronnie's lung work coming through the speakers at you, his amazing voice just pulling you in. I like the song, despite its simplistic and similarity chords throughout. "Neverwhere" lifts the tempo again, though if both this and "Eating the Cannibals" followed each other you would be more likely to notice how similar the riffs are within, and certainly the opening to each song. It's probably a little too close for comfort. One wonders if the band and their producers noticed this when putting the album together. "Breaking Into Heaven" closes out the album on a sombre grinding note, one that draws itself out as one of the longer tracks on the album.
The best part of this album is the professionalism and amazing talent of the members involved. Tony's guitaring invokes the best parts of his repertoire, and when he allows himself to break out in solo's along the way you get transported back in time to those younger days. Geezer is still the king of the bass in this environment. It is still amazing how he and Tony can produce such a full, rounded sound with just the bass and guitar. Listening to Geezer run up and down that fretboard is still an amazing experience. Vinny is as professional as ever, so much so that he is often not noticed at all. He doesn't flash out too often, and plays what he is asked to by his bandmates, but his kit and playing still sounds amazing. Dio's voice is still giant killing here. In one of his final recorded efforts, he still has the pipes to send tingles down the spine as you listen to him sing. There are others in this genre - and all genres - who can and do sing brilliantly, but no one betters the great Ronnie James Dio. His performance here is again sensational.

We'll never know if further albums from this quartet were forthcoming. One suspects that there may have been another follow up after the tour for this album was completed, such was the excitement and enjoyment of this band being back together again. Dio's sad demise from cancer put paid to that occurring, and instead led to a reformation of the original Black Sabbath. And while I still enjoy this album when I put it on, there is always that feeling that it could have been much more. But perhaps that is just wishing for the past and not accepting the present. In the long run, fans will get more than enough out of this to enjoy one last time.

Rating:  "Let him go, he can't come back"  4/5

950. Blaze / Silicon Messiah. 2000. 4/5

Following the 'new direction' that Iron Maiden decided upon back in 1999, by bringing back the maligned Bruce Dickinson into the fold and casting aside his replacement for the previous five years, Blaze Bayley went out into the world, put together a new band of replacement parts and surged forth with this album, Silicon Messiah. The question that must have been in his mind would have been 'will anyone be following what I'm doing' given the huge smothering of publicity Iron Maiden's returning superstars were garnering for their new release Brave New World. The answer to that would have been 'I am, Blaze'.

From all reports, Blaze has been working on material that he was hoping to have become a part of the follow up to Virtual XI when he was informed of the decision to move on without him. This material formed the basis of the beginnings of this album. It was always going to be an interesting direction as to what the material would sound like. Much of his two albums with Maiden had been ponderous and somewhat sluggish, while faster songs like "Futureal" seemed to suit Blaze's style better. As it turns out, the styles here are mixed in a similar way, and the similar themed songs build together in a conceptual way to add to the progression of the album.
The album kicks off with the excellent "Ghost on the Machine", a heavy crunching track that combines a great heavy riff and superb vocal. It's the first song that comes at you post-Maiden, and you can't help but be impressed by it. I know that I was when I first heard it, and I still love it now. A great chorus and built-in crowd participation piece late in the song makes it a beauty. "Evolution" follows up with a more progressive output and a slower heavier undertone throughout. This segues straight into title track "Silicon Messiah", which combines the quiet, the heavy and the anthemic chorus all within the mainframe of the song. These opening three songs all sit in a mid-range tempo that is a familiar theme within.
"Born As a Stranger" is a slightly faster tempo and bounding with more energy, combined with great solos and soaring vocals from Blaze. It acts as a real kickstart to the middle of the album. This is followed by "The Hunger" which falls back into the mid tempo heavier riffing, though mixed with clear guitar to allow Blaze to change the mood of the song where necessary. His vocals dominate this song, though for me probably in the best way. It just needs to be of a faster tempo for me to get the most out of it. Anyone who has heard his live albums will know what I mean, and how the songs all sound better because of it.
In this light, "The Brave" is probably the fastest track on the album, moving along with triplet riffing and matching drumming, and is a pleasure because of it. It gets the album moving again. "Identity" could have done with a faster tempo, but still comes across as a winner because of Blaze's vocals. "Reach For the Horizon" builds throughout from the moody to the meaningful, but is probably the one real disappointment on the album for me.
"The Launch" is the short sharp jab in the arse that is needed after "Reach For the Horizon", a speedy number laden with the flailing guitar riffs and punchy vocals that make it a mood lifter. It then seems to be at odds with the start of "Stare at the Sun", which falls back into the quiet almost acoustic to start the song. This builds nicely into the heart of the song to become a winner, but it just seems like a strange way to sandwich a song like "The Launch". Still, "Stare at the Sun" is a ripper song full of emotive vocals from Blaze, and ends the album on a positive note.

While it may be inevitable that people will compare this album with Maiden's Brave New World, and will look favourably to the name brand and their release, I think they're a lot closer than that. Whilst Maiden's album has some great songs on it, it also has two or three that are only average. Here we have a similar situation. Songs such as "Ghost in the Machine", "Silicon Messiah", "The Brave", "Identity" and "Stare at the Sun" are excellent tracks and are comparable to the Maiden album. And even though I will always rate a Maiden release more harshly than others albums because the expectation of greatness is always there, I really think Blaze and his band has done a wonderful job here, and he had set himself up on his own two feet with aplomb.

Rating:  "Fortune favours the brave".  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.)

948. Exodus / Shovel Headed Kill Machine. 2005. 3.5/5

Exodus' previous album Tempo of the Damned had a lot of good things going for it, and had instilled in me a belief that perhaps there was life still left in the old thrash body. Despite this it still had gaps that I hoped would be filled by the new album. The changes that came forth in personnel before this - something that hasn't been unusual in the history of Exodus - probably left more questions unanswered than fulfilled.

The departure of Steve Souza for a second time after that album's release had brought Rob Dukes into the fold. Guitarist Rick Hunolt had also moved on to be replaced by Lee Altus. Finally, drummer Tom Hunting also took leave of the band, and his replacement was the well credentialed Paul Bostaph. With an almost completely revamped line up, it could be argued that it is difficult to say that this was in fact an Exodus album. Of course, songwriter and guitarist Gary Holt was still in charge, and given this position as the holder of the Exodus flame the general theme of the music holds its authenticity.
Everything holds together here apart from the fragility of the band members. Rob Dukes puts in a pretty fair first up effort, channelling the intensity of the music and driving forth with his punishing vocals. Gary Holt's guitaring is as superb as always, especially his soloing which is as instantly recognisable as always. Bostaph's drumming again, as in his other gigs with thrash bands, brings everything together whether it is in the slower intermediate places, or blitzing along with the lead breaks from Holt and Altus.
The danger from thrash albums is that they can get a little bit samey, and then it just depends on the quality of the songs as to whether you can get past that. Personally I think it probably does tend to blend together a bit towards the back half of the album, but the opening carnage of "Raze", "Deathamphetamine" and "Karma's Messenger" is a super way to start the album. "Shudder to Think" has a riff that sounds a little to close to a few Megadeth songs to be comfortable (think "Angry Again" and "Sweating Bullets"). "I Am Abomination" and "Going Going Gone" are the best of the rest.

I still have no qualms putting this album on and giving it a whirl, but I do think that this may be the last of the Exodus albums that I think like that about. From this point on not only is there a decline in the writing, but also the amount of time Gary Holt has with the band, due to becoming #1 fill in at Slayer. This is still worth a shot.

Rating:   "The world spins out of control, all amped up, nowhere to go".  3.5/5

947. Various Artists / Ronnie James Dio: This is Your Life. 2014. 5/5

Tribute albums are a tricky business, as I'm sure I have mentioned here sometime before. They are even trickier when it comes to someone who is quite outstanding on their instrument of choice, because to fall down in that area will then bring apart the whole concept of the album itself. When it comes to sending out a tribute to one of the greatest vocalists of all time, it could easily become a nightmare. Unless it is done by the very best in the business, and is held in the highest regards by those behind the project and the artists who become involved.

This album, to the lasting memory of Ronnie James Dio, shows all sides of this conundrum. The main one of course is that no one can sing like Ronnie, or could hope to reproduce his songs in the same style as he does. The best you can do is play with enthusiasm and sing within your realm of expertise, and don't try and oversell yourself. For the most part that has been done with this collection of songs and artists. The 'fan boys' and 'fan girls' are out in force here.
In one group, we have the bands who have set out to be completely faithful to the original songs, and have played their hearts out in doing so. Anthrax's version of "Neon Knights" that opens the album is perhaps the best example of that here. Joey's vocals are on song, and the band nails its version here. Terrific stuff. So too is Scorpions version of Rainbow's "Temple of the King", with Klaus Meine doing a great job on a difficult vocal. Adrenaline Mob's "The Mob Rules" ticks all the boxes, while Corey Taylor and his conglomerate of musicians also doing a fair job of "Rainbow in the Dark".
It's also great to hear two female vocalists given their reign. Doro's version of "Egypt (The Chains Are On) has been around for awhile, and appeared on other tribute albums, but it still sounds just as good as ever. Halestorm's "Straight Through the Heart" is a ripping version, and Lzzy Hale's vocal is a beauty.
The three generations of the Dio band are also to be found. The majority of the Dio Disciples group - Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo, Scott Warren and Simon Wright - join with legend Glenn Hughes to perform "Catch the Rainbow", the Dio Disciples vocalist Oni Logan is joined by Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson and Brian Tichy to perform a rousing version of Black Sabbath's "I", while Doug Aldrich, Vinny Appice, Jeff Pilson and Scott Warren are joined by another legend in Rob Halford for Rainbow's "Man on the Silver Mountain"
Glenn Hughes and Rob Halford's vocals are perhaps the best examples of why Ronnie is so hard to copy. Halford's vocals have always been superb, but age has tested his vocal chords, and in recent years he has had to modify how he sings Priest songs, let alone "Man on theSilver Mountain". Sure it still sounds fine, but it is a completely different register, and it is noticeably different and less energetic as a result. Glenn has always been The Voice of Rock, but even his version here of "Catch the Rainbow" just proves how magnificent Ronnie's voice was, and his original version of the song.
Motörhead, Kilswitch Engage, Tenacious D and Metallica lend their own uniqueness to their versions. Motörhead is joined by Saxon's Biff Byford for a pleasingly 70's hard rock carousel of "Starstruck". Kilswitch Engage's version of "Holy Diver" has also been around for awhile, but their uniquely played version is still always a hit. The D's rollicking version of "The Last in Line" won Best Metal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 2015, and not only has Jack Black's fantastically approving vocals, but a recorder solo in place of the original guitar solo that brings the house down wherever and whenever I play it. A true tribute. Metallica, no doubt mainly through Lars Ulrich's influence, put together a medley of his Rainbow songs that sounds terrific in their updated way, while James Hetfield ensures he isn't trying to compete with Dio's vocal chords. Combining four great songs, "A Light in the Black", "Tarot Woman", "Stargazer" and "Kill the King", this is a fitting way to add to their historic treatment of the bands that influenced their own career.
The final song is Dio's own "This Is Your Life", the name of this tribute album, and taken from Dio's somewhat disastrous 'Angry Machines' album. It is a quiet reflection on his own career from the time, and if nothing else again showcases his amazing vocal quality.

This is probably the best Dio tribute collection that has been released, if only for the fact that the majority of the vocals on this album do not denigrate Ronnie's own from the originals. They may not quite approach his brilliance, but no one expects them to. Every song here exudes the love of this great man, and while once again a tribute album only goes to proves just how brilliant the original versions of all of these songs are with the originals bands, it does a great service to the man who conjured them, and allows them to pay tribute to him. As a tribute album, it couldn't have been much better.

Rating:  "This is your life, this is your fate".  5/5

946. Deep Purple / Rapture of the Deep. 2005. 3/5

Deep Purple's previous release Bananas had caught me by surprise. It was not of a style that I was expecting from the band, and as a result it took me a number of listens to really come to terms with that. And so when I first got this album on its release, I was determined not to go in with any undue intentions, and let the music tell me its tale without and preconceptions on my part. After all, it was a Deep Purple album, a band that was at the forefront of all genres of music in the last 1960's and early 1970's. It deserved my consideration.

I think it's fair to say that a couple of personnel changes have made the band rediscover where they were at. Steve Morse's guitar had revitalised the band after the departure of Ritchie Blackmore, while Jon Lord's departure had brought in the excellently capable but diversely different Don Airey to take on the keyboards role. And what I hear on this album is something from the cabaret lounge, or the blues club in the basement. It is a band that sounds comfortable in themselves and their environment - and also of their position in the lives. They are no longer the energetic young men who rocked the stages around the world in their heyday, writing and performing songs that stormed the charts and drew audiences to their feet to stomp along in time. That was their ground breaking days, when they wrote songs that will outlive them all. Now we have a band that are happy to slow down the speed and the energy, and put out there songs that they are happy to play in this stage of their career.
It is an obvious statement to make that there is nothing wrong with doing this, nor is there anything extensively wrong with the songs on this album. But it is a real difference in what they have been doing before this, to the point that the deliberateness shown here feels as though it was a decision reached perpetually by all members. This is an album for listening to in an armchair during down time, not for throwing on at a party to liven up the crowd. As much as I admire Don Airey's talent on the keyboard, his style is so different from Jon Lord that it is hard to come to terms with this being a Deep Purple album, because it doesn't contain those wonderfully flavoured Hammond organ licks, duelling with the guitar in a full flow-on effect. Ian Gillan's vocals are still terrific, but he has mellowed along with the songs on offer, and so we get an upbeat blues feel in most of the music, which to me doesn't grab me. Steve Morse still breaks out on occasions so showcase his great skills, and the rhythm section of Ian Paice and Roger Glover is as fantastic as ever, but in a different vein.

There is certainly enough here for the long term fan to listen to and enjoy, as long as that fan is able to adapt along with the band. Because this is old person's music performed by older men who are happy to settle into this stage of their lives. It would be unfair to anyone to compare this album to any of those that have come before it, because they are a completely different style in a different age. Elder statesmen amongst the fans will enjoy this for what it is, but the kids might just listen top this and wonder what all the fuss is about Deep Purple and their legacy.

Rating:  "I feel I ought to tell you, but it's clearly quite absurd".   3/5

945. Scorpions / Lovedrive. 1979. 5/5

I had had a little bit of Scorpions stuff on cassette prior to 1987 (mostly the World Wide Live album), when I walked in to Illawarra Books and Records and first picked up the vinyl copy of this album, the first Scorpions album I ever owned. Yeah, the cover does rope you in a little, but it was the prospect of actually experiencing a full album of this band that had me excited when I found this. There was also the excitement of discovering that Michael Schenker had contributed to the album as well (given I had a couple of his MSG albums before this). I can still remember the day I bought this clearly in my mind, and the first time I put it on in my parents lounge room when I got it home. It has been a favourite ever since.

The album opens with the positive earnest lyrics of "Loving You Sunday Morning", fired along by the first involvement of Mathias Jabs lead guitar, who had replaced Uli Jon Roth the previous year. Everything flows together wonderfully well to open the album in a great way. This is followed by the hard rocking and lyrically tongue-in-cheek relating of "Another Piece of Meat". This has been a fan favourite since its release, not only because of Klaus' wonderful vocal range, but the fast paced rhythm pounding out the song, while returning prodigal son Michael Schenker blazes away over the top with his solo for the song, and Mathias throws in his lead licks throughout. It's a fast paced song that really clicks along, a real mood swinger.
"Always Somewhere" is a song that, by any other band on any other album, could be one of the straws that could contribute to breaking the camel's back. Following hard on the heels of such a raucous song, if this wasn't handled perfectly, it would have stopped the momentum of the album in its tracks. However, this is the Scorpions, and amazingly, it just seems to fit. Yes, I know coming from me that seems incredible, but just occasionally I am able to go with the flow of such peculiar swings in mood and song genre. And it was always the case with this album. Each piece of the puzzle seemed to fit at every section. There's no doubt that, if this came up on a song shuffle, I would very possibly skip it to get to the next action song. but when listening to Lovedrive in its entirety, there's no way I can do it.
Perhaps my favourite part of the album follows this, and some may also feel this is an anomaly. The instrumental "Coast to Coast" is the song, and I simply love this piece of music. It is simple and 'basic', but what a terrific sound! The 2/4 drumming with the bass working alongside, allowing the guitars to do their things over the top of this. For me this has always been an uplifting track, a mood changer, in all of its simplicity but marked with its intricate guitar pieces. A winner. Rudolf Schenker, thank you.
Side Two of the album starts again with the heavier and raucous elements of "I Can't Get Enough". It was certainly enough in the old days to make you get up and turn the vinyl over. And then, such is the joyousness of this album, you can't even feel any enjoyment seeping away when you first notice the complete reggae-ness of "Is There Anybody There?" In fact, with the mood of the album, you move into and through the song as if it is an everyday event for an album based in the roots of 70's hard rock and heavy metal to have a song so flavoured by reggae on it. Klaus' amazing vocals are the star of the show. Crashing out of this is the upbeat return of that magical Scorpions heavy sound in the title track "Lovedrive", driven by that magnificent drum beat and heavy rhythm guitar riff flowing from Rudolf's guitar, and complemented by the leads of both Mathias and Michael. Awesome riffs, just brilliant. Just a great song.
The closing track "Holiday" returns to the quiet melodic half of the Scorpions sound, dominated in the first half by Klaus' amazing harmony vocals over the acoustic guitar, before the band comes in halfway through the song to bring out the fullness of the song and band. Again, reggae flavours this half of the song, though not as completely is it does in "Is There Anybody There?"
This is quite an amazing album, given the ebbs and flows of the music, or certainly the flow from the heavy side to the reflective side. And yet none of it sounds out of place, as can often be said of power metal bands albums of the late previous century and early this century. Scorpions is a band that has its two sides, and especially on Lovedrive they blend as a perfect mixture.

I love this era of the band, and I still love this album today. Choosing between this and Love at First Sting and Blackout would be a difficult thing to do as all three are magnificent, but perhaps the fact that this has such a varied range of material that sews together almost seamlessly, and that it also has "Coast to Coast" on it, could be the swaying factor in my suggestion that this is my favourite of all Scorpions albums. Having waited 30 years to see them, and knowing that I am now going to do just that this coming October in Melbourne, I think this will get a few more playings before then.

Rating:  "She said hey, let's go, don't put on a show".  5/5.

944. Various Artists / Last Action Hero: Music From the Original Motion Picture. 1993. 3.5/5

The lead up to this movie being released was one of contained exuberance. I mean, Arnie had just come off Terminator 2: Judgement Day, so surely this movie that combined action and comedy had to be a hit, right? No. Sadly the answer to that question was a big fat no. It was very very average.
Anyway, I only bring this up because when I first heard about the soundtrack that was being put together for the album, I was actually more excited about this than the film. I mean, when you look at the bands that contributed songs to the soundtrack album, it had to be a hit... right?...

Well...

The list of the bands on here is impressive, and commensurate with what was happening in the music world at the time. Old faithful and rock solid AC/DC lead of the set with what can only be described as a typical AC/DC song. "Big Gun" is as catchy as any of their material had been in that past decade, and while it may not be outstanding it is everything you can expect from the band. The grunge extremities of Alice in Chains are favoured with two songs on this compilation, with "What the Hell Have I" being recorded on the sessions for their album DIRT, and followed up by "A Little Bitter" which comes towards the end of the album. Unlike their best material, this doesn't have the same edge and grind that those songs contain. The sitar-like sound of the first song, along with what sounds like an off-colour harmony on the vocals between Layne and Jerry, just doesn't work for me.
The star attraction is Megadeth's "Angry Again", which doesn't beat around the bush, jumping straight into that dual riff and great vocals from Dave Mustaine. Once again the band has produced a song on a soundtrack, that while it doesn't appear on any of their own albums, is still a memorable inclusion to their back catalogue of great songs. "Real World" by Queensryche, with some additional help from producer Michael Kamen, is endemic of where the band was at this stage of their career. The addition of orchestral pieces within the song, and the walk down the path of progressive rock without the kind of power that they had infused into their music in previous albums means this song doesn't really hold the attention as one would have hoped that it would. This is followed by "Two Steps Behind" by Def Leppard, again another atypical song of the band from this period, which again, as with all but AC/DC and Megadeth's contributions above, are mostly disappointing. This is somewhat rectified by a seven minute long piece of Anthrax magic, "Poison My Eyes", energised by the recent addition of John Bush on vocals.
Aerosmith's "Dream On" is actually a good song when done well, but this version is a live version, done at the ceremony celebrating the 10th anniversary of MTV, and it is a pretty limp, lame version which doesn't cause any great joy in the listening stakes. I have no love of bands such as Cypress Hill, whose well known "Cock the Hammer" is here, and Fishbone, whose "Swim" to me is just a time filler. Tesla contribute the title track to the movie "Last Action Hero" which is a reasonable enough song, before the track "Jack and the Ripper" closes out the album.

In almost every way, the soundtrack here mirrors the movie, in that the excitement beforehand is almost completely shattered by the actual product when it arrives. On the face of it, with the bands contributing to this album, it should be an absolute ripper. In the long run, it takes up room on your shelf as a dust collector.

Rating:   "Angry again, angry again, angry again..."   3.5/5.