1104. Powerwolf / Metallum Nostrum. 2019. 4.5/5

From all accounts, this album was actually released as a bonus disc on the Japanese release of the Blessed & Possessed album back in 2015. While that must have been gold for the Japan fans, it’s also nice that it is getting a full release for the rest of the world to enjoy as well. Given that this is an album of cover version of Powerwolf’s favourite artists, it also acts as a window to the band’s influences in their music over the past fifteen years, and how that has helped shape their own music over that period.

Unlike the two Northern Kings albums I have reviewed recently which concentrated on redoing 1980’s pop songs, this tribute album is to songs and bands that have obviously heavily influenced the music that Powerwolf produce themselves. The song list is impressive and shows me that the members of the band grew up with much the bands that I loved at that era (though I would be about a decade older than these guys I would suggest). That to me is interesting because the base of their own sound absolutely comes from the 1980’s metal rather than the 1990’s or beyond, and that is where most of the songs reside.
Not only are all of the songs chosen here brilliant and, for the most part, also personal favourites of mine, the versions that Powerwolf have performed are carefully created and in no way denigrate the original versions. There is no attempt to fiddle with the perfection of the original tracks, instead they are given the tweaks that give them the Powerwolf metal sound as they should sound in the modern-day environment.
The album is bookended by two tracks from Judas Priest’s Painkiller – starting off with “A Touch of Evil” and concluding with “Night Crawler”. Both are terrific, maintaining the pace and intensity of the tracks while still adding that Powerwolf influence, especially vocally where they sound great. There is an absolutely cracking version of Running Wild’s “Conquistadores”, which for me betters the original by some margin, highlighted by Attila’s Dorn’s vocals. I don’t know the Chroming Rose song “Power and Glory”, but I do know I like this version so I should certainly track it down in the future if only to be able to compare it to this. Also, it is interesting to note the obvious vocal related differences in this cover of Amon Amarth’s “Gods of War Arise”, and is another great job done by the band as a whole. I am also impressed with Powerwolf’s work on Savatage’s “Edge of Thorns”, which retains all of the angst and emption of the original and is a fitting tribute to Criss Oliva’s memory.
If there is any doubt about the ability of the members of this band on their instruments, then the remainder fo the album should put that to rest. Not only have they chosen brilliant songs to pay tribute to but they have done a magnificent job in covering them. There aren’t too many bands who could pull off such loving and accurate representations of songs such as Gary Moore’s “Out on the Fields”, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Shot in the Dark”, Black Sabbath’s “Headless Cross” and Iron Maiden’s “The Evil That Men Do”, but that is exactly what you get here. “Shot in the Dark” and “Headless Cross” especially for me are just brilliant. Like the other songs they don’t step too far from the template, but they still give it their own voice, and I really enjoy that of this album.

My age-old philosophy on tribute albums, I believe, still applies here – that no matter how good the versions of those songs that are performed here are, eventually you will drift back to the originals because they will always be the best. Still, several weeks after first listening to this album it is still in my rotation, and I am enjoying it as much as ever. Anyone who knows these songs and enjoys them should check it out, just to see what fans like you who are also pretty handy musicians play them like.

Best songs: “Touch of Evil”, “Conquistadores”, “Shot in the Dark”, “Headless Cross”.

Rating:  “All men are equal till the victory is won.”   4.5/5

1103. Avantasia / Moonglow. 2019. 4/5

Avantasia started off as a pet project that had a wonderful concept – a metal opera – and when the initial stretch of two albums was completed it was appetite sating. When the next trilogy came through it also was exciting. Two further albums have since surfaced and have been well received. Following the album and tour for Ghostlights Tobias Sammat expressed he was tired and would need to do something different for a time. Some thought it would be a solo album, I hoped for a return to form with Edguy. Instead, surprise surprise, what eventuated... was another Avantasia album. Not that I’m complaining, it just seemed a little too predictable to stay with the supergroup concept than to return to the band he began with.

Tobi isn’t reinventing the wheel here. He is using a well-worn formula that has worked for him and his cohorts over the past three or four Avantasia albums. Listening to Moonglow you will come across plenty of sections of songs or chorus lines or vocal melodies that will remind you of several songs from the Avantasia catalogue. That’s probably always going to be an end result of this kind of project and with plenty of similar people being involved throughout. I have only been listening to it for the past week since its release and can already pick out the similarities. This is nit-picking of a type as none of it matters if you enjoy the songs and album as a whole.
Try it for yourself. Apart from Tobi’s sweet high range throughout each song of the album, you can pick out the usual suspects. Ronnie Atkins and his soft but strong vocals range, Eric Martin still crooning like it is the early 1990’s, Bob Catley piercing through the speakers every time he has his piece and Jorn Lande’s honeyed booming vocal chords dominating front and centre in each song he is a part of. It is the familiarity of these vocalists within the project that makes Avantasia what it is, and not just a different sounding album with every release. Their consistent contributions add that stability to the group and allow the newcomers who arrive on each album a chance to make their own contribution without having their toes stepped on.
The addition of Candice Night is a winner, and the harmonies between she and Tobi on the title track “Moonglow” are worth the admission price alone. It’s a shame she isn’t given a part in one of the heavier song to really give her something different to work with. The small part that Kreator vocalist Mille Petrozza adds to “Book of Shallows” is also terrific.
The introduction of Hansi Kursch to the mix is an inspired one. His unique vocals go a long way to not only giving the songs he is involved in a point of difference from the others on the album but will also be the watermark down the track when Moonglow is compared to the other Avantasia albums. “Book of Shallows” and “The Raven Child” are lifted by his presence alone.
I don’t much like songs like “Invincible” which is very much of the ballad variety, but what does mark this as special is the vocal performance by Geoff Tate, who makes this his own. Sadly this is the route Geoff has taken his own music over recent years, but he does a terrific job with this song and makes it better than it would have been. The much heavier and faster paced “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” has him join the whole ensemble of well-versed Avantasia vocalists, and he shines here as well which is gratifying to hear.
As ever, Michael Kiske’s appearance and performance is one of the starring efforts of an Avantasia album. His amazing vocals lift every song he is a part of, and this is once again the case with “Requiem for a Dream”. The song itself is upbeat and lively, filled with the double kick and racy guitar riff that are the best elements of the best Avantasia songs, and yet Kiske’s vocals kick it up a further notch. His high pitched perfect notes, well supported by Tobi, make this probably the best song on the album for me. It’s interesting that Kiske’s contribution was left to the end of the album, no doubt his involvement with the reformed Helloween cut down his ability to contribute more heavily this time around.
The music itself is once again a revelation even if in places it does sound a bit formula driven, that a drum beat and bass riff is found and is drawn out to the ends required. Long time collaborator Sascha Paeth again contributes all the guitars on the album and Edguy drummer Felix Bohnke again does double duty here, while Tobi holds the bass guitar once again.

I’ve always looked forward to each Avantasia release and have enjoyed them all. This time around it was more exciting given they are finally touring Australia and I will see them live on this tour. It means I will be listening to this album a lot more over the coming months as I prepare myself for what is to come. And while this isn’t their most outstanding effort it still ticks most of the boxes for anyone who enjoys this genre of the artform. And that’s the key to this album. Someone coming in having not experienced the previous albums is at a disadvantage because the way you listen to the vocals on this album is directly tied to what has come before. You can listen to this and enjoy your favourite vocalists for their contribution, but it is the combination of all as a part of their characters in the story that makes this the full experience rather than just an album full of songs. It’s a small concession, but I do think fans of the Avantasia experience will get more from this than a first timer coming in at this stage of the game.

Best songs: “The Raven Child”, “Requiem for a Dream”, “Book of Shallows”, “Moonglow”

Rating:  “Everything you've come to dream is gonna turn out real.”   4/5

1102. Northern Kings / Rethroned. 2008. 3.5/5

You never know... lightning might strike twice. Following the reasonable success of their first album together, the super-group conglomerate of Northern Kings obviously decided that it was worth a crack, and came together once again to record another album full of cover versions of songs from the past. It was a bold move, one that was always fraught with the danger that too much of a good thing would end up being the opposite. In the end, this was probably closer to the truth than the opening sentence of this review.

Rethroned brings together another eleven songs of mixed heritage to have new life breathed into them by this stellar array of vocalists and their supporting band. For me though, while I enjoyed the first album immensely, this time around I was not as enamoured. This has nothing to do with the musicianship or talents of the vocalists on show, indeed it has almost everything to do with the songs that were chosen to be covered. Whereas I knew and liked almost all of the songs on Reborn, here I knew about half the songs but didn’t necessarily enjoy the ones I knew. That made listening to this album a much more difficult process.
Four of the songs I was unaware of at all. I have of course heard the “Training Montage” before in the scene from Rocky IV where Stallone is getting ready to fight Ivan Drago, but I wouldn’t have recognised it in a million years. Being an instrumental it gave the band itself their time to shine to start the album off. “Strangelove” by Depeche Mode I don’t think I have ever heard, but the version here is listenable enough. “Killer” by Adamski and Seal I have no knowledge of at all, while "Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" by Thin Lizzy I must have heard before, especially as it was the one album Gary Moore played on, but I simply don’t recall it at all. First rule of listening to a covers album is knowing all the songs recorded on it. Fail.
Five of the remaining seven songs are hit and miss, depending on your individual taste. Bon Jovi’s “Wanted: Dead or Alive” is a difficult song to cover well at the best of times, let alone by converting it to a faster tempo and trying to inject as much ‘power metal’ into it as you can. The vocal line itself is a tough one to carry off. I’m not sure it really works here. Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” from Batman Forever is another which is hard to do justice to, but on this occasion, I think they’ve done it. By remaining more faithful to the original, expressing the emotion in the vocal lines where it comes and using the energy from the song to make an up vibe and faster tempo track, I think they’ve produced a great version. It helps that all four vocalists were involved in the track as it certainly increases the power and melody of the vocals. Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” which was popularised by Sinead O’Connor, has not been a long-held favourite of mine, and the version here is serviceable. Much the same could be said of the cover of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. Given the reverence it is held in it was an interesting choice to do here, but I have to say they did a good job of it without taking away from the original. On the other hand, there is very little reverence held for Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky” given its life as the poppiest of pop songs, so the dual attack of this cover version, which begins as a slow, low and deep rendition for most of the track before breaking out in the last third to a fast paced scream gives this the perfect way of honouring this song that everyone knows but no one can actually admit that they like or liked.
The two remaining songs are my favourites. Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” from the James Bond movie of the same name is excellent, again helped by having all four vocalists involved in the harmonies throughout. I don’t think it betters the original (though I have a soft spot for all of Duran Duran’s music) but it does mirror the emotion and power of their version. Then there is A-ha's “Take on Me”, which the Northern Kings nail here in a symphonic masterpiece of vocal harmonies that perfectly enhance the vocals from the original version. This is a beauty, the kind of cover version of a song that shows off the qualities of both the original and the remake.

I don’t think this matches the previous album, but that is more for the songs chosen than the quality of the musicianship and vocals. Each song here sounds fantastic and the singing is fabulous. This was the second and last release from this supergroup, and perhaps their creative flow together had been sated by the two releases. No matter what the reason, I for one am glad they made the effort.

Best songs: “Take on Me”, “A View to a Kill”, “Kiss from a Rose”.

Rating:  “Until we dance into the fire.”  3.5/5

1101. Judas Priest / Nostradamus. 2008. 3/5

I’m sure there were others like me out there that felt some disappointment in the offering produced by the reformed Judas Priest as their comeback album, Angel of Retribution. Over-excitement was definitely a factor in that. So, when the band announced they were going into the studio to record their follow up there was cause for further tingling of the senses. Surely this time they would not only find a way to hold true to the Judas Priest metal ideals, but would also eliminate those slight anomalies that were on the previous album and produce another masterpiece. It turns out that I ended up feeling slightly let down once again.

“Ambitious” is probably the word that best describes the whole Nostradamus concept from start to finish. From the time it was announced that the next album would be a concept album based on the life of the seer, a musical symphony or rock opera as such, and that it would span two discs, it felt like it was not only going to be overblown but also very un-Judas Priest-like. Certainly not what I considered the band and its music to be like. Even so, I reserved judgement until the album had arrived and I had put it on to listen to for the first time.
Did I have problems with it when it was released? Yes. Do I still have problems with it now? Yes. This is a complex album and one that is almost beyond just being able to put it on and listen to for pleasure. It isn’t like taking out Defenders of the Faith or Painkiller and knowing the songs and headbanging along in glee. This, like an opera, is an entire musical piece, one that is difficult to pick pieces out at random and just enjoy those tracks because in essence they all have to fit together. For me this is the most difficult part of the album. Even with Queensryche’s brilliant concept album Operation: Mindcrime you can enjoy the songs on their own as well as part of the whole album. Here on Nostradamus I find that almost impossible. And in essence that seems to be because the songs themselves as individual components just aren’t great, or inspiring, or energetic.
More than anything, it is just looooooooooong. Because of the fluctuations between the style of songs as each tries to tell another part of the story, and with the short instrumental interludes between songs that are used to connect these parts of the story, it feels as though it stretches out eternally. At almost 103 minutes in total, it is a long time to commit to get through from start to finish, especially when there are tracks that just don’t appeal my general music taste.
The opening of “Prophecy” and “Revelations” is enjoyable enough, mixed in as it is with the synths and keyboards and the symphonic sound that is incorporated throughout. The closing song of the first disc “Persecution” is probably the best song on the album because it sounds like the Priest songs that I love. “Alone” is different from that but in the course of the album is another I don’t mind, along with “War”. “Nostradamus” flows with an energetic burst towards the end of the second disc. To be honest, for me that is as much enthusiasm as I can raise for the individual tracks here, and even that is a stretch.

Is it a flawed masterpiece? I’m not sure. Certainly, the concept and the way it was written and recorded highlights that a lot of thought and work went in to this album, and the band had to know beforehand that because it was unlike anything they had ever done before that it was going to be a hard sell to the fans. As musicians and artists this must have been something they felt very strongly about recording, and I admire the fact that they went outside of their pigeon hole to produce it. I have spent the past couple of weeks reacquainting myself with it for this review and I believe that I appreciate it more now for what it is than I did when it was released. Actually, I’m sure of that. However, as an album to put on for the afternoon to listen to while having a couple of beers, this definitely isn’t the one you are going to grab off the shelves.

Best songs: “Prophecy”, “Revelations”, “Persecution”.

Rating:  “They will not eradicate me, break my will or suffocate me.”  3/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

1099. Skid Row / Slave to the Grind. 1991. 4.5/5

Back in the deep and distant past when I still had more vinyl than CD’s, I was a big fan of Skid Row’s debut album, and having then seen them on their subsequent world tour I had pondered what their next album would be like. We had been given a sneak preview at their 1990 Sydney gig with the playing of a new song “Get the Fuck Out” (only the second time they’d played it live), which augured well to my ears. When I then came across a pre-release copy of Slave to the Grind while in Bali in 1991 and first played it on my cassette Walkman that afternoon, I can honestly say that I never expected to hear what I heard.

How do you go from the happy-go-lucky feel of Skid Row to the crunching monster that is Slave to the Grind? There was attitude on the debut, but it was the attitude of teenagers taunting adults from a safe distance and then running away laughing. That’s not what is thrown at you on this album. The attitude here is from a confident adult who isn’t afraid to stand their ground and be seen for what they are saying. That attitude on the first album is increased tenfold here on the sophomore effort.
From the first time I put on the album I was transfixed. I had expected something similar to what the band had produced with Skid Row, but I was very much mistaken. The opening scream at the start of “Monkey Business” was just the beginning. But it is that guttural guitar riff and rolling drum beat opening on the title track “Slave to the Grind” that topped it all off and really gets you in. Fast and heavy, and that chunking guitar riff that blows the speakers apart. This was no hair metal band singing about the youth going wild or wanting to remember you, this was a bonafide heavy metal band exploding onto the scene with a presence and heaviness that could not have been predicted.
Some songs may have a similar structure and sound - “Psycho Love” and “Creepshow” I can still confuse before I start singing the lyrics and realise which song it actually is – but the mixture throughout is one of the strengths. The album doesn’t go hard for the duration, nor does it let you stop and wallow in the slower and more reflective moments for long enough to stop the album’s momentum. Every outstanding aspect of the band shines through in the songs and track list as it is set out.

The songs and music written for this album are just brilliant. Heavy riffs perfectly woven by Dave Sabo and Scotti Hill and driven by the hard hitting rhythm of Rob Affuso on drums and the added huge bottom end from Rachel Bolan on bass. Bolan and Sabo were again the main songwriters for the album and their growth over the previous two years is obvious in the songs they have collaborated on.
But the star attraction of the album is still the amazing vocals of Sebastian Bach. He is what makes this album so brilliant, because his versatility and range and ability to stretch from the heaviest vocal track to the highest rock ballad without compromising his harmony and pitch is pure gold. The vocal especially in “Living on a Chain Gang” is just superb. It drives that song to new heights, while the supporting vocals underneath perfectly offset Seb’s tangents. And then his performance in those angry tracks such as “Get the Fuck Out” and “Riot Act” shows great strength and purpose.
Even the hard rock ballads they produce are difficult to dislike, as Seb’s vocals roll like oozing honey out of the speakers at you. This is especially true of “Quicksand Jesus” and “In a Darkened Room”, two songs that I would usually have trouble enjoy but have no qualms about while listening to Seb singing them, while his vocal on the closing track “Wasted Time” is reminiscent of that on “I Remember You” from the first album, but with a greater authority and maturity than that song. Superb.

This should have been the springboard to a massive future for Skid Row as a band. Having come in with a hair metal confidence they had progressed to a real heavy metal attitude with this release, and set themselves up to become as big as they could possibly be. And then it went pear shaped. Whether it was the tension within the band or just the fact that music went through such an enormous upheaval with grunge and then hardcore changing the landscape, Skid Row never again produced anything like this album. For me it was one of the great tragedies of the 1990’s.

Best songs: “Slave to the Grind”, “Get the Fuck Out”, “Livin’ on a Chain Gang”, “Riot Act”.

Rating:  “A hungry politician is the wolf that's at the door.”  4.5/5

1098. Mötley Crüe / Mötley Crüe. 1994. 2.5/5

After the monster that Dr. Feelgood became on its release in 1989, and the subsequent tour that followed, I can confirm that there was a great deal of anticipation on the follow-up album and how it would go in comparison. There was a lot to live up to, not just from that album but from the releases of the previous decade. Whether or not what then occurred leading up to this album being released was predictable or not is hard to gauge, but it is fair to say that by the time Mötley Crüe finally hit the record shelves that it was not anything like I expected it was going to be.

Five years passed between albums, and lead vocalist Vince Neil had departed on somewhat acrimonious terms, requiring a new member to come on board. Enter John Corabi, lead vocalist of The Scream who also plays rhythm guitar. I have never heard any of their music so it is impossible for me to judge what their style may be, but a lot has changed since Dr. Feelgood grabbed the headlines. The sound on Mötley Crüe is tied very much to the times. Grunge had come and had eradicated the hair metal movement, or at least the sound that it had proliferated to the point between 1981 and 1991. Those hair metal bands that had not disappeared had for the most part tried to adapt to the new landscape. This is Mötley Crüe’s answer to that, a stripped back sound with a grungier outlook and a different vocal direction, though that is an obvious one given that it was a different vocalist on board.
Play this back-to-back with any of the previous Mötley Crüe albums and you would swear they are by different bands. It’s not just the vocals. The whole sound is completely different to what has come before. And that takes some getting used to. The best way to approach this album is to listen to it without knowing who the band is, so that you can give it the time it needs without the judgement of the band's past. Easier said than done when you buy the album for the name of the band emblazoned on the front of it. As a result, there is not so much joy and intensity and fun in the music here that had been such a part of their earlier albums.
For me, this is the equivalent of what Metallica did in the same era with the Load and Reload albums, a really definitive decision to slow the music down and incorporate the changing times of the popular alternative movement that had occurred. With the none-too-subtle change in the musical direction of both bands at this time, who should be in charge of twiddling the knobs of those two Metallica albums? Bob Rock. And who was also in charge on Mötley Crüe? Bob Rock. Coincidence? If it is it is a massive one. The slower, crunch guitar rather than the fast paced, squealing guitar and solos is a feature of both of these bands' previous releases. While Metallica’s foursome had been retained though, at least Mötley Crüe’s recruitment of Corabi gave some semblance of originality to the changes that came forth. Five years between albums, and the amount of change that had happened in the music scene during that time, certainly added some reasonability to it.

If you judge this album as an alternative or grunge album you will certainly find some positives within the songs. Perhaps it is heavier than an average alternative album but it is rooted in that genre. Which means that it is difficult to please either or any fans. After the opening tracks of “Power to the Music” and “Uncle Jack”, “Hooligan’s Holiday” starts off okay but drags on far too long without changing tune all the way through. “Misunderstood” too just goes on far too long. I mean, it’s not the kind of song I like in the first place, and the fact that it drags that soft acoustic start out so long, and then does exactly the same thing at the end of the track, doesn’t help my love of it. The attitude in the middle goes some way to offsetting that, but it still is a bit too close to country rock in places for my liking. The comparative shortness of “Loveshine” at least compensates for its lack of excitement. “Poison Apples” and “Hammered” at least allows Mick Mars to break out a decent solo to get the tracks moving. “Smoke the Sky” is probably my favourite track along with these two because of the better tempo.

Corabi has been touring in recent years playing this album in full, in order to give it a fresh audience or chance to see the light. He in fact comes to Australia very soon to do just this, which is part of the reason I have resurrected my copy to listen to again. But here is the twist, because I could rate this album anywhere between 1.5 and 3.5 depending on the mood I’m in on the day. As a Mötley Crüe album such as the ones released in the past, it doesn’t rate well. As a stand-alone album of the era, I can find things I like about it. The problem has always been that as a grunge or alternative album it still lacks a quality that can lift it above the average, and that is still the fact of the matter. No matter which way you try to look at this, it is just an average album.

Best songs: “Smoke the Sky”, “Poison Apples”, “Hammered”.

Rating: “Telling evils of the reefer, but all through time we've smoked the sky”. 2.5/5

1097. The Unity / Rise. 2018. 3.5/5

With Gamma Ray still on hiatus as Kai Hansen participates in the juggernaut that is the Helloween reunion tour, The Unity continued on their way as a group uninterrupted and decided to follow up their debut album with another one in quick time, no doubt as they had been writing songs on the road but also to give them a better choice of material to perform live. Thus we have Rise.

I went in to this album expecting a lot more than I did of the first, mainly because they had now been on the road and come together as a band for twelve months, and now for their sophomore effort I wanted to hear the growth that would have come from that time together. There was always going to be the anticipation of something close to what Gamma Ray has always produced, but more than anything else I wanted something hard and fast and catchy. I got some of that, but maybe not as much as I was hoping for.
The opening tracks do come across as the best on the album, which sets it up to drag the listener in hard at the start. The opening instrumental “Revenge” leads in to the fast and flailing opening track “Last Betrayal”, full of great guitars and high pitched vocals that illuminate the best of the power metal sound. This cascades into the harder edge of “You Got Me Wrong”, full of excellent riffs and layered vocals that hit the right chords. “The Storm” follows this, but it is a fairly average hard rock song that doesn’t provide any real excitement beyond the standard lyrics/chorus/guitar signature. “Road to Nowhere” has a much better sound to it, with the harder edged drums and guitar riff thumping through the song.
The middle of the album keeps the album on an even keel, perhaps promising more than it delivers depending on your own point of view. I enjoy “Welcome Home” which is upbeat and vibrant, with a join-in-chanting chorus that just begs for a live audience to sing along. “All That Is Real” is a change up in style that actually works better than I would have expected. It utilises the emotional value of the spectrum without pulling it into the dark depths of a power ballad, and for me this track is perfectly executed, especially with the keys around the vocals. This is followed by “No Hero” which like “Welcome Home” is another sing-along song - though it probably feels more like that as they released a lyric video for it – and though it doesn’t procreate the genre it is still one of those songs that is catchy and gets in your head.
“The Willow Tree” slows down the pace again, bringing in the emotive vocals without completely digressing into the power ballad area. Though it sounds great, and Henjo’s guitar work is just terrific, the song is not one I can get on board with. “Above Everything” is designed as another crowd involvement number and again is performed well but sits a bit right of centre for me. For my taste these songs are missing something that would make them worth listening to time and again, and it is just the style more than anything else.
“Children of the Light” is much more in my musical frame with a much more enjoyable tempo led by the sterling double kick drumming from Michael Ehre and brilliant soloing from Henjo once again. “Better Day” and “L.I.F.E.” not the closing songs I was looking for, as again like a few songs in the middle they are missing that ingredient that appeals to my taste. Everything just seems a bit flat and lifeless compared to the better tracks on the album.

There can be no argument about the ability of the members of the band and their musicianship. Everything sounds great and is performed perfectly. The songs here cover a broad range of the genre, with the faster and more lively songs such as “Last Betrayal” for me being the star attractions, while the songs that settle in the middle range don’t quite have the kick necessary to drive any enthusiasm.
When I first heard the album I was immediately won over. After thirty or so listens I find that the good songs still resonate with me, but the ones that are not up to that high standard tend to pull the album back as a whole. Jan Manenti has a great set of vocal chords and gives another great performance here, showing similarities to Jorn Lande along the way. Henjo Richter is superb once again on guitar and is well supported by guitar partner Stefan Ellerhorst and Jogi Sweers on bass. Michael Ehre’s drumming is as solid as always.

This is a better-than-average album for those who enjoy this branch of the heavy metal tree. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, and it won’t be an outstanding addition to your collection. Despite this, there is more than enough here to enjoy, and in a year where there was not a great deal of outstanding albums released this is one that will be better than most.

Best songs: “Last Betrayal”, “You Got Me Wrong”, “Welcome Home”, “All That is Real”, “Children of the Light”

Rating: “You think you're strong, but I won't give up anymore”. 3.5/5

1096. Lazy Bonez / Kiss of the Night. 2019. 3/5

Until I began searching through the Rate Your Music charts list last week, and came across the very early stages of the best metal albums released in 2019, I had never heard of the band Lazy Bonez nor heard any of their music. Probably not surprising given that they are from Finland which is half a universe away from Australia. However, early posts on the album had given it a few raps that encouraged me to search it out, and with the magic of Spotify in this wonderful digital age I was able to discover Kiss of the Night.

Their music is very non-confrontational. Based on a similar format of other power metal bands with a European heritage, the sound is much like contemporaries like Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius and various projects that Jorn Lande has been involved in. Whereas those bands have since developed their sound into something more unique, what I initially enjoyed about this album is that it doesn’t try to be something it is not, or to try and be overtly ambitious with their music. It is good basic power metal, almost on a hard rock scale as the songs have a good basis of the rhythm of drums and bass holding the song together while the guitars and keyboards play fluently and pleasantly together. On top of this is the excellent vocals of Tommi Salmela who does have an uncanny knack of singing in a similar vein to other vocalists of the genre. Together this package has put together a collection of songs that are very easy to listen to and enjoy.
The album flows wonderfully well from one song to the next. It has a rock emphasis that is different from other power metal albums, the biggest asset for me is the 'almost’ absence of the power ballad that bogs down albums on a major scale. Because every song here has its own solid continuity and doesn’t look to change things up too much throughout the album, it means that there are no dull moments that could slow up the momentum of the track list. I for one believe this is one of the great positives of the album. If you are looking for blistering solos or orchestral keyboards or seventeen time changes within a few bars, then you are in the wrong place. If on the other hand you enjoy your power metal in its simplest form without all of the improvisations and experimentation the you will get a kick out of this.
The opening three songs set the platform for the enjoyment to follow. Opening track “Everlasting” is a good introduction to the album, and is followed by the catchy “Run” which has you joining in singing the lyrics in quick time. The double kick and happy guitars come out on the title track “Kiss of the Night” to give the middle section the boost that power metal albums can give.
After an excellent opening the album settles down into the solid basis of the power rock that I spoke of. Some may feel that it is a bit humdrum given that it doesn’t offer anything outstanding to hang their hat on, and that is possibly a fair comment. Putting on the album to listen to as a background experience makes this very listenable, but to others who are looking to have their socks blown off it may come across as humdrum.
There does come eventually the moment all power metal bands must indulge in – the power balled. “Forever Young” is this album’s version of this horrific part of the genre, and though it is my least favourite part of this album it is tolerable in this instance.

If you have listened to any of the Allen/Lande project albums you will have a sense of deja-vu listening to this album, as there are touches of the format and the vocal style throughout this album – not a copy I rush to add, but just a similarity in song structure and singing pitch. Whether it is a deliberate thing or not I don’t know, but it kept me listening to this album long enough to enjoy it as its own entity rather than comparing its style to other bands. It may not be the best album released this year but it is one that you will be able to reflect on in later months and years and think it was worth finding in the first place.

Best songs: “Everlasting”, “Run”, “Kiss of the Night”, “Tears of Gold”

Rating: “There’s nothing in this world that I can’t do”. 3/5