866. Diamond Head / Borrowed Time. 1982. 2/5

When all is said and done, despite arguments to the contrary, while this may be Diamond Head's first album with a major record label, it will always be regarded as their second album, after the "this is a demo" "no it is not" release of Lightning to the Nations. As such, taking that album as the debut, and comparing it to this album, dutifully the follow up, makes it a tough task for Borrowed Time in regards to any review or rating.

I cannot claim to know what the band or the label decided upon when it came to releasing this album. Two songs have been 're-recorded' from the 'first' album and placed here. Around those two songs come five other new tracks, all of which are lengthy and of a different style than the first album took. In fact, there is quite a difference between the heavy and fast pace of the debut album, to the toning back of the riffs and more progressive nature of the songs on this album. it is a quite dramatic change if you listen to the two albums back to back, and one which is somewhat startling.
The album starts off with "In the Heat of the Night", a song that takes a little time to get going, but progresses through the basic drum beat and bass line to a reasonable lyrical performance from Sean Harris and decent middle solo section from Brian Tatler which stretches out to the end of the song. To be honest it took me a while to warm to this song, as it was totally unexpected as to its style, but once I moved past this and had a number of listens I was able to enjoy it for what it was. This moves into "To Heaven From Hell", which is held in check by the stagnant drum beat that tubs its way through the first half of the song, without any change in the guitar riff and the vocal range. When we get past the halfway mark the drums break out to a different pounding, and the guitar solo break picks the song up from the everyday hammering that had come before. The first half of the song is most definitely missing the breeze of metal guitar and freedom that the second half of the song shows off. It could have been a much better song if it had changed that way. "Call Me" comes across as wanting to be a commercial rock song, but without wanting to alienate their core fans, which in the end probably means it does neither. The crooning vocals and back up support don't go far enough if they really wanted that commercial success, while the base of the song also doesn't show anything like what would be needed. Yet by attempting this, they seem to leave their original fans out in the cold, wondering how exactly this song fits into their catalogue. "Lightning to the Nations" completes side one of the album, and only confuses the issue as to the sound this album is going for with an example of the sound from the previous album.
Side two presents two seven-minute-plus plodding tracks to start off with. something that again reveals the developing style of the band. Both songs are progressive in nature, stretching out beyond a typical length song, and incorporating the typical drawn out middle sections where the vocalist will croon over the top of a sullied rhythm section and a slow and stifled blues guitar riff. Certainly when done well these kind of songs are good to listen to, but did Diamond Head need to go in this direction? To me it seemed to go against everything they had done in their initial song writing and recording. I feel as though "Borrowed Time" is what the band is on listening through it once again, while "Don't You Ever Leave Me" is somewhat the worse for wear, slower and even more painful to sift through. The terrible lack of energy or intensity or anything to do with this song is even further exposed by the final track, the amazing "Am I Evil". Sure, it may be unfair to compare a track that has its own place in heavy metal history, but it shows up the stark difference between the inspiration of the track that were first written and performed by the band on the 'previous' album to what they came up with for this album, and especially the two songs which proceed it.
Brian Tatler's guitar breaks are the highlight of the album. Even when the songs themselves aren't able to draw much enthusiasm, his guitaring still elicits a smile and some passion in their slots. Sean Harris' vocals are again serviceable, but unfortunately have little to work with from the way these songs are put together. Colin Kimberley on bass and Duncan Scott on drums are similarly solid if uninspiring.

While this album still often receives praise for its place in history, it really suffers greatly from the raw energy and uncompromising attitude of the collection of songs from the first album, something this album has none of (apart from the two songs here that came from that era).

Rating:  Through delirium of a tortured mind, her face gave me strength to this day.  2/5

865. Faith No More / Sol Invictus. 2015. 3/5

There is an inherent danger in getting over-excited about a band that you loved before they broke up, only to re-emerge some years later and announce that they are producing a new album. It's hard enough when you have a band you love still putting out albums every couple of years that never match your expectations of the two or three albums they produced 25 years ago that were 'legendary', so how do you prepare yourself for what is to come in the previously mentioned instance? With great trepidation is how.

Faith No More's final album before their break up 15 years ago, the brilliantly titled Album of the Year, was average. It had maybe three songs on it that I enjoyed, and the rest was just filler. It lacked all of the energy and passion of previous releases, and in many ways came across as an old man's release. their break up, while sad, to me came at the right time to avoid continuing in the same direction. Their reformation and touring again was to me a money spinner. When a new album was announced, I was cautious, hopeful and pessimistic of the result. Because I knew it wasn't going to be The Real Thing, or Angel Dust, or King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime.
Thus, having gone in with little expectation, I was not disappointed with the result once I heard it. It goes without saying that I was also not inspired and captivated either. The mellow opening of "Sol Invictus" sets the tone for what I believed was going to be another easy listening type of album, granted with that Faith No More styling. "Superhero" mashes up everything the band can throw at you, with Mike Patton's vocals transforming between his screaming best to chanting the same vocal line over and over again in his normal register, all the while having the keys and drums crashing on in no particular phrasing towards the back half of the song. I am just old now, or is this just a meshing together of noise in a vague semblance of a song? "Sunny Side Up" comes back in a more typical arrangement, much like songs from the end of their first marriage. "Separation Anxiety" Is the first song on the album that I can relate to with the band, with solid drum work from Mike Bordin, Mike Patton's vocals going from quiet to scream, and the guitars and keyboards crashing in appropriately and now sounding like the Faith No More of old. By far the best song on the album.
"Cone of Shame" again does the start-slow-and-quiet-to-rise-to-loud song structure, but without the hook and real drive of the previous song. "Rise of the Fall" stays far too much on the mellow side of the centre point to grab your attention. "Black Friday" delves into both halves of the band's psyche, the light and the black. The single "Motherfucker" tries to shock more in lyrical content than in musical direction. "Matador" in the same way feels almost too structured, with the same rhythm moving throughout the song, leaving Patton to sing in a form that creates few surprises. "From the Dead" is one of those latter day Faith No More songs, complete with backing melody vocals, that is a feel-good song, harmless and showcasing the saner side of Patton's vocals and the band as a whole. In other words - wow, where did this come from?! Yes, it's from the Commodores "Easy" side of the band's facade, and while many fans will enjoy it, it behoves me to say that I'm not one of them. Anyone who has followed Patton's career, especially recently with Tomahawk, know that he hasn't become any saner when it comes to song writing, but would be still surprised by a song like this.

Trying to describe how I feel about an album like this is difficult, because while a song such as "Separation Anxiety" combines everything I love about this band, the remaining songs seem to err too much on one side of this wall or the other. They are unable to find that balance that allows their crazy side to meet their sensible side in a way that, certainly in the past, made this band what they were. The effort here is admirable, but for me at least they don't come quite close enough to pulling it off.

Rating:  It's like when your mind has a mind of it's own.  3/5.

864. Def Leppard / Mirror Ball: Live & More. 2011. 4/5

It is perhaps a little unusual that it took this long for Def Leppard to release a live album. Most of us purchased the live VHS video of In the Round, in Your Face on its release back in 1989 which is still one of the standard bearers of live videos, with a cracking set list and the band at the top of its game, and featuring the sadly passed Steve Clark. It was not for another two decades that we had a repeat to be placed on CD for us all.

Mirror Ball: Live & More covers the majority of eras of the band, harping on the golden albums for the majority of the tracks, and for the most part delivering in all respects. From the top you can be assured that the band still sounds fantastic. Rick Savage's bass could probably be more prominent in the mix, but you get that sometimes. Both guitars of Phil Collen and Viv Campbell are brilliant, as are all of the back up vocalists, they really do a sterling job in the live environment in keeping the song balanced. Joe Elliott's vocals are remarkably good, and hold up exceptionally well especially on the older material. Where he really screamed it out in his youth, he now sings with composure. Best of all for me is the drumming of Rick Allen. I love how he has moved back to a semi-acoustic kit to get that real drum sound rather than a completely electric kit, and you can still marvel at the way he plays some of those rolls alternating between his arm and his feet. His kit sounds brilliant on this album.
You will always get an argument with me about the best set list, because it will always contain material from the years after 1992, from which point I find it hard to give an unbiased opinion of their music. And even some of the songs before that are too flowery or sugary for me to enjoy fully, such as "Love Bites", "Hysteria" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (which doesn't stop me singing all the words). So songs such as "C'mon C'mon", "Make Love Like a Man", "Two Steps Behind" and "Nine Lives" are ones that just slow the whole listening process down. I understand that there are plenty of people out there who love this songs, but I can't be numbered amongst them.
But check out the great stuff, starting off on the front foot with "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)", "Rocket" and "Animal", before later serving up "Too Late for Love", "Foolin'", "Rock of Ages" and "Let's Get Rocked". there is also the wonderful acoustically started and electrically finished "Bringin' On the Heartbreak", before my favourite part of the album when they continue on, as is done on High 'n' Dry, straight into "Switch 625". Awesome. Brilliant. I must also mention the great version of "Bad Actress" from the Songs From the Sparkle Lounge album, which is my favourite track from that album and comes up great here.
There are also the two cover songs that came from the Yeah! album, those being David Essex's "Rock On' and Sweet's "Action", neither of which fill me with any ecstasy. Also as a part of the 2 CD package there are three new songs, those being "Undefeated", "Kings of the World" and "It's All About Believin'", which are no better or worse than anything recently released by the band. Except "Kings of the World". It is pretty awful.

So there are no real arguments here. As a live album performance wise it is terrific. It showcases the band in its most favourable light and gives the fans something to listen to in that environment. As a collection of songs it has its moments and its lacklustre ones as well.

Rating:  And I want, and I need, and I lust.  4/5

863. Paul Di'anno's Battlezone / Feel My Pain. 1998. 2.5/5

It had been ten years since the last incarnation of the band Battlezone, and eleven since the last album Children of Madness had been released. In that time Paul Di'anno had formed and disbanded yet another band (Killers), toured as lead singer with Praying Mantis, collaborated with fellow former bandmate Dennis Stratton (The First Iron Men), and generally moved around from project to project showing glimpses of excellence and potential, and then relative obscurity again.

I'm not sure of the reason to resurrect the Battlezone moniker, apart from the fact one other member, guitarist John Wiggins, survives in this adaption of the band. Certainly the majority of the music here has absolutely no similarity to the music that was released on the first two albums by this band. It's a decade later, and music has had some dramatic changes in that time. And somewhat disappointingly, it appears that all of those factors are attempted to be fused together on this album in the hope of achieving success.
"Feel My Pain" immediately shows off the differences between the previous formation of this band and the current one. The riffs are in a heavier direction, there is now a lot of double kick in the drums, and Di'anno has moved his vocals around so that they are not as they once were. Though this is a heavy start to the album, there is a 'modern' metal feel to it, requiring the vocals to lower in register for the majority of the song n a nod to the industrial metal sound that was beginning to become prevalent. "C.O.M '98" is a remake of "Children of Madness" from the album of the same name, but it really doesn't improve much. Though it is attempting to be intensely heavier through both guitars and vocals, it actually doesn't improve on the original. Di'anno tries to sing it in his new modern vocal range, but if you are going to redo one of your own songs, surely you would really try and make it separate from the original, rather than just what they have done here by re-recording it with a slightly edgier feel. Perhaps a wasted opportunity. "Victim" is the one song that really hails back to the roots of the first two albums. It's fast pace and guitars are ably suited to Di'anno's high register singing here. This is where Di'anno - and his band - do their best work. The double kick drumming and enjoyable riff and solo guitaring allow Di'anno to do what he does best. this is direction the band should have continued on for this album.
"The Forgotten Ones" is another attempt at the 'epic' song, much like "Metal Tears" was on Children of Madness. To be honest, it works about as well. It's not terrible, but it doesn't evoke the feelings in me that they were probably looking for when they wrote it. "Push" is a standard heavier song, again using the same template as most of the songs released by this band have been. The riff works fine, the vocals are fine, trying to use a heavier edge by going into a lower register, and the dual solos work fine, but it just isn't hooking me, grabbing me and not letting go. It's an average kind of fare that you don't hate but just don't love either.
"Snake Eyes" is a slower plodder which slides between this and faster thrills, where Di'anno moves from growls to screams with ease, using every extreme of his vocal register all within moments of each other. it's almost like taking two different songs, slicing it up and then throwing it back together again. It works okay, but only by the end.
"Smack" is just an blatant rip off of Alice in Chains. I mean, I can't even find it amusing, because it is so obvious. Di'anno even tries to sing like Layne and Jerry, and it really, REALLY doesn't work. This to me was the biggest shock on the album. I guess you can do what you like when it comes to song writing, but if you are going to do something so dramatically away from what is your normal state of affairs you'd want to make it spectacular. This is not. "The Black" plays a lot like "Snake Eyes", while "Fear Part 1" closes out the album - and Battlezone - with another standard riff-repeating, Di'anno growling, hard rock rendition which has vague similarities to the same era Tim Owens-led Judas Priest.

On the surface, you can see why this album and toured went so well in South America, and why it bombed back home in the UK. This album's sound is geared to the kind of metal that had been coming from that continent for some years, while it was diversified away from what the UK produced in their music. Again, you can make the case that this isn't a bad album, but it is anchored to the time it was recorded in a clichéd way. It's hard to say what could have made it more appealing, but there is definitely something required here to have made it more appeasing to all than it is.

Rating:  You tear me up then kick me down, destroy me with your lies.  2.5/5

862. Paul Di'anno's Battlezone / Children of Madness. 1987. 2.5/5

If you happened to grab a copy of Battlezone's first album Fighting Back, you most probably are/were a fan of Iron Maiden, and wanted to hear what their former lead singer Paul Di'anno was up to on his departure from that band. If you were like me, you would have been sufficiently impressed to search and discover this album, the band's follow up to that release, entitled Children of Madness.

Though this was released only a year after the first album, there have been subtle changes to the songs and arrangement here, turning it more towards a commercial sounding album than the first one.
It starts off well with "Rip It Up", the song speeds along at a decent clip and even has Di'anno screaming over the top of his own vocals in support. "I Don't Wanna Know" is a typical Di'anno styled hard rock song with a simplified riff and drum signature and Paul sticking to his mid range vocals along the way, and a catchy lyric and chorus line. "Nuclear Breakdown" follows a similar pattern, a mid-tempo song with mid range vocals, over a standard riff and standard 2/4 drum beat. It's harmless in an AC/DC way, but there is a lack of inspiration in the music. "Torch of Hate" tries to up the tempo a little and inject some energy into the album, but it is lacking in the sound, where the instruments feel like they have been withdrawn to the rear of the mix, This sounds like a song written and recorded at the very start of the 80's decade, not one nearer to the end of it. "Whispered Rage" seems to combine elements of that early 80's hard rock again, with backing vocals from the band that reminds me of a cross between Gary Moore and Angel Witch.
The stand out song of the album is the title track, "Children of Madness". Perhaps this could be seen to be a contradiction given everything I have said above, because "Children of Madness" is a plodder of a song, it rarely changes out of the same riff pattern and its tempo is not anything above mid range. But for some reason it works. Di'anno's vocal works, and the solo fits perfectly in the middle. So though in many ways it is derived from the earlier songs on the album, it really is the one that reaches out and grabs you. Go figure.
"Metal Tears" wants to be the rock opera, an epic that drags you in to its story and doesn't let you go until it is concluded. This is what it wants to be. Whether it succeeds would be up to the individual. It isn't a bad song, but I wonder if it suits the band. It certainly sticks out from the crowd of everyday heavy or hard songs on the album. "It's Love" goes full circle, and becomes the hard rock poking-your-tongue at generic lyric about boy-meets-girl in a very Van Halen-ish kind of way, without the playfulness that David Lee Roth would portray in this situation. Following "Overloaded", similar themes are explored in "The Promise", this time with overtones of Skid Row (though again without that lead singer's playful vocals).

Whereas as on Fighting Back the songs had a real energy to them, some speed, and certainly some cracking solo breaks that really added to the flavour, this album has been sterilised of most of that. The songs have dropped back a step in pace, the guitars are less prevalent in a dual and duel capacity, while the rhythm section gets locked in at the start and barely moves away from it for the whole album. though the first album was still limited in a way as to how it was written, it was still performed with gusto which brought it to life. Unfortunately, Children of Madness doesn't have the same enthusiasm about it, and because of this is unable to bring the same energy and joy to the listener. Which is a shame, because there was potential there that has not been realised here.

Rating:  Oh can't you see, you're killing me, this time can go on.  2.5/5

861. Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone / Fighting Back. 1986. 3.5/5

Paul Di’Anno’s ejection from the lead vocalists role of Iron Maiden in late 1981 remains a talking point almost 45 years after the event. It became a focal point of the band leaping into the stratosphere and becoming the band that they are today, and although Di’Anno had ben a huge part of the band’s growing popularity to that point, it left him with a huge hole to fill. From this position so far in the future, it seems only logical that the profile he must have had, having been the lead singer of the band as they broke into commercial popularity through Maiden’s first two album releases, should have been his own platform on which to launch a new band or a solo career.
What came next was… underwhelming, to say the least. He fell into a project that was eventually eponymously named and featured a debut album of the same name, “Di’Anno”, which was absolutely nothing like the sound of the band that he had come to prominence in. It was an album that had mixed styles and also mixed agendas, and although the band toured on the back of the release, the tour seemed hampered by Di’Anno’s refusal to play any of his former band’s songs in the live set. It was well received in some areas but the internal fighting and lack of any commercial success saw the project fold.
Next came the so-called supergroup uniting of Gogmagog, and their single release “I Will Be There”. If you are interested in the history of this short-lived combination, you can find it on Episode 51 of this podcast. Suffice to say, this also had a very short lifespan. In almost four years since he had lost his most profitable and self serving job, Paul Di’Anno had little to show, and with Iron Maiden by now going from strength to strength without him, his collateral had also almost run out.
Di'Anno’s next move was to form a new partnership which initially went by the name Strike. He recruited drummer Bob Falck, formerly of Overkill and the Hurley brothers John on guitar and Chaz on bass. As with most of the groups that were set up around Di’Anno, there were a number of changes and movements in personnel before actually getting down to putting the sounds on vinyl. John Wiggins, who along with John Hurley had been in bands such as Deep Machine, Lonewolf and Iron Cross, came on board as second guitarist, while after a few different changes on bass guitar that role was filled by Pete West. Through all of this, the group finally found themselves together. The project was eventually named Battlezone, after a name straight from a comic book. Based around material that was almost completely composed by John Hurley, the band that became popularly known as Paul Di'anno's Battlezone - no doubt by the record company to cash in on the lead singer's renown – was ready to activate. Given the changing route of the music he had produced in the previous projects he had been involved in, there was no doubt some interest at the time as to what direction the music that this new project produced would take.

The album starts off on the right foot with "(Forever) Fighting Back" hitting the speakers with a solid riff and drum combination, and Di’Anno’s vocals finally finding the kind of style that fans had been hoping for from the beginning, and not the rather wimpy aspect that he had performed on his other projects prior to this. It’s energetic, it had a fast tempo, and it is a short and sharp opening assault. The guitar solo section is solidly performed, and the suddenness of the song’s climax is well achieved. Better yet, we have a couple of Di’Anno screams that highlight that this is a return to form. This then moves into "Welcome to the Battlezone", lyrically following on from the opening track and further imaging those visions. Again, this is a hard rocking anthem that place immediate focus on Di'anno's best vocal characteristics, and some clean guitaring skills from John Hurley and John Wiggins. Musically this offers a solid hard rock theme throughout, with lyrics that are easy to chant along to and a guitar solo section that suits its purpose. It might sound like a simplified storyline in the modern age, but the album has opened up well.
Leading on after this is "Warchild", which amplifies the faster tempo track that dominates the album, along with an anthemic lyric again that attempts to draw you in and sing along with the band. The main guitar riff is catchy and offers a melodic offshoot, suiting Di’Anno’s vocals down to the ground. Lyrically it remains in the same quadrant, but it is nice to hear a bit of the Di’Anno attitude in the tracks at the top of the playlist, bringing his style firmly into view. Another great solid hard rocking track.
"Into the Darkness" offers the first example of a willingness to showcase something a little different without stepping away from the mould. Starting off with the clear guitar, and Paul offering us his sweeter higher vocal reminiscent of what he has done on a couple of songs from the past, before building into the main riff and hard drums is a nice touch. There can be an argument raised that much of this is very much cut and paste styled hard to heavy rock, but “Into the Darkness” at least shows a willingness to give it a slightly different focus. Paul’s vocals are great here, well supported by Hurley and Wiggins. It does drop into a settled riff and tempo that pushes the song that while it sounds simplified and repetitive is brought to life by Di'anno's vocals. The solo break along with Di’Anno’s recognisable style again highlight the strengths of the songs, and able to overwrite any perceived weaknesses.
"The Land God Gave to Cain" is the closer of the first side on the album, and is the attempt at the album epic tune. At over seven minutes in length, it suffers from being long-winded and also of overusing the same riff for far too long to make this completely satisfying. However, take a listen to the opening riff, and tell me Megadeth didn’t use this on their “Cryptic Writings” album on the song “A Secret Place”. Go on, take a listen. And don’t get me wrong, it isn’t the same riff and no one is copying, but the similarities come back to me every time I listen to this album. This is not a complete loss of a song, but there are things that needed to be looked at. The breakdown in the middle of the song is clumsy and unnecessary. It seems to have been incorporated as a necessity to show that the band can mix things up, and offer a bit of progressive rock to their music, and that they are not just a one trick pony. And in the normal course of things, once you listen to the album a number of times and are used to the way the album moves to this point, and you listen to this song, then you can get past the deficiencies that are apparent during this song and accept it for what it is or perhaps more importantly wat it was meant to be. Without it of course this would be just another song of a similar style as the others on the album. It is a shame, because the bridge into the chorus, and Paul’s vocals at those points are actually tremendously good.
The second side of the album opens with marching drum beat and mostly clear guitar along with Di’Anno’s softer sweeter vocal lines supported by Wiggins and Hurley, before breaking out into the hardest and faster portion of the album to date. "Running Blind" indeed. This then follows the path of the opening tracks, with raging Di’Anno vocals and the strident carry of the guitar driven track. There is very much a New Wave of British Heavy Metal theme about the music and soloing of these tracks, which is fitting given the vocalist of the band and where he came from in all of that movement, and even though it is halfway through the 1980’s decade when this came out it still seems to fit. Though of course, when listening to the album this far in the future, the timing of the release is far less important. "Too Much to Heart" takes some liberties with the vibe of the remainder of the album, making a hard rock 'ballad' that isn't really compromising what has gone before. Di’Anno’s vocals soar beautifully at moments during the track, mostly during the pre-chorus to the chorus which are in fact the best parts of the song. It is a shame that he mixes the chanting side of his singing mixed in with those excellent soaring places on the same song. He has such a great voice at this point of his career, and much more could have been utilised by better songwriting that showcased it.
"Voice on the Radio" falls back to a typical hard rock tone of the era, utilising the backup vocals of the other members of the band more than the majority of the songs on the album, while sticking with that hard rock theme formula with the standard solo thrown in for good measure. It is for all intents and purposes a rock song written for the radio. "Welfare Warriors" is a ripping track, again combining the dual guitars with Di'anno's vocals at an up tempo click. There is a little bit of old Iron Maiden in the feel of the opening of the track, but from here it progresses along the same path that most of the songs on the album have set – great energy, driven by the rhythm and the guitar riffs in place, and Dianno’s terrific vocals. It is the pace of this track, and the others like it, that make it fun to listen to. The tempo drives the enjoyment. Sure, lyrically it isn’t going to set any records, but this is what Di’Anno was always meant to do, make songs that are FUN to listen to, to have his spark and cheeky character coming through in the music and songs, and this is a great example of it. The power of his voice here is at its best. "Feel the Rock" is a simplified hard rock track to end the album. It follows the formula that the album has given us, it offers some supporting chants along the way, a good solid riff like what has followed, and leaves the end of the album to conclude in a satisfactory way.
“Formula” is a reasonable word to use to describe this album. Because although in truth this is a very formula driven album, almost 'rock by numbers' in many places, and will probably lose many people’s interest before they reach the album’s conclusion, it is catchy enough to make you sit up and enjoy it for what it is. The band is really quite good, solid in all respects, and while the riffs tend to come from that same school of 'how to write a hard rock song', there is enough to distinguish this from the ordinary to make it worthy of listening to. The guitar solos too add the flavour to the songs to help them rise above the average. To top all of this off, Di'anno's vocals still sound great, even if they do tend not to change tone too often, and probably still show the lack of variation that was a contributing factor to his being moved on from his previous high profile band. Still - his voice is absolutely distinctive and enjoyable, and remains that here for all to hear.

I didn’t know about, nor did I get to listen to anything by Battlezone until long after these albums had been released. More is the pity whenever I get around to listening to this album. Because I believe that if I had heard this album in particular at the time that I was discovering heavy metal and Iron Maiden in particular, I would perhaps adore it as much as other albums of the era now. Because it is very distinctive in its sound, very much in the same way as the old NWoBHM albums are tied to that era, and that if you enjoy that style and sound of music – which I do – then you’ll enjoy most of those albums and bands. This is very mid-1980’s in its style, and I like albums of this style of that era, so there is no reason why I wouldn’t have jumped onto this. However, it wasn’t until the new century, at the time when I was searching for old music I’d never heard, in an age when file sharing allowed easier access to such material, that I discovered Battlezone and their debut album.
As is often the case with bands and albums like these, there is very little middle ground when it comes to the fandom. You either find what you are looking for in the music and enjoy it immensely, or you can’t see past where there are flaws and oversights and you dismiss it outright as something that isn’t very good. And there is simply no denying that if you listen to this album critically, tearing down each track and highlighting what is good and what is average, you can easily come to the conclusion that this is only an average album.
But here is the kicker. Do you listen to music to critically analyse every single moment of every song, to justify why you like or dislike it? If you do, and that is your sole judgement on bands and albums and music in general, then it is going to be hard to get much out of anything. When I first got this album, what I enjoyed most was Paul Di’Anno’s vocals. Because I LIKE Paul Di’Anno’s vocals, at least those from this era. His latter day screaming and growling is far less effective in my view. But when he just sings with his swagger and attitude, he is great to listen to. And the songs themselves here are, I think. Great to listen to. They aren’t groundbreaking, and they are for the most part formula driven to an extreme. But it works. I enjoyed it when I first found it.
Listening again over the past couple of weeks, I can be as critiquing as the next person. Yes, it lacks a bit of polish. Some of the songs show great promise and don’t quite deliver on it. The clunky way the middle breakdown comes in “The Land God Gave to Cain” is savage. A great idea, poorly executed. Having someone else there, say a Martin Birch, to get the band to make it better and work these ideas into a better mix, would have been extremely helpful. But – and this is where I think I am at with “Fighting back” – when I just put the album on and listen to it, do I enjoy it? The answer again is yes, I do. And with music, on a personal level, that is simply all that matters.
As a mid-80's hard rock album there is enough here to make it worth the while of the average punter to have a listen, and see what Di'anno could do with a different writing team around him. This album is not for everyone, but I for one still enjoy hearing Di’Anno in his post Maiden days having a good crack at utilising the talents he has and giving us more music.

860. Buzzcocks / Another Music in a Different Kitchen. 1978. 4/5

There is some deal of satisfaction about delving back into British music in the late 1970's to the early 1980's, and listen to what was forcing its way through onto people's turntables, and the way it transformed through those short years in so many different ways. Sure, there are bands who were more infamous for their stage antics and rebelliousness than their music, and there are others who mass produced albums at a rate of knots in a very short space of time, almost knowing that they had to get their stuff out into the world before their short burning flame died out. Many were ahead of their time, and others missed their chance, and other timed it perfectly. And perhaps the Buzzcocks personified each and every one of these things.

Another Music in a Different Kitchen is their first album, the first of three albums released over eighteen months. It flies in the face of the generic description of punk rock bands, whom were popularly thought of as unkempt and musically inept, unable to play their instruments well and vocally incompetent. In fact the first thing that hits you about this album is how tight the band is, with the rhythm section locked together perfectly. John Maher's drumming is superb, with each drum roll and fill absolutely locked in perfect synchronicity with Steve Garvey's bass guitar. They provide the perfect platform through every song, never missing a beat, and its not basic stuff either. This allows the lead guitar and vocalist Pete Shelley and rhythm guitar and vocals Steve Diggle to throw their riffs over the top and fit together like the final pieces of a puzzle.
On this album the band mixes genuine punk rock with pop similes in places to create what is a very listenable album no matter what your music tastes are or have diverged to.
The album opens with the show starting "Fast Cars", featuring those true punk vocals and guitars to kick start on a fast footing. "No Reply" follows this in a similar fashion utilising the dual vocals and repeating three chord riff from guitar and bass. "You Tear Me Up" too enters this category.
"Get On Your Own" is another good song that draws in some pop influences vocally and a less aggressive guitar riff and solo, with back up 'wooos' and lead vocals that start to try and be more in that fashion as well. "Love Battery" is almost the high definition of what punk was in those early days, and given that the Buzzcocks were at the forefront of the movement with very few contemporaries to learn from, you could consider this sound to be a part of their makeup.
"Sixteen" is one of the anarchy-type formatted songs, with two minutes of the same riff and drum fill, before a whole lot of freeform musicianship through the middle before returning to that basic riff to finish the song. This is followed by the single "I Don't Mind", where the change in style is stark and complete. This has the very pop oriented punk rock style, both musically and vocally, and you can hear the difference from what has come before, and why it was chosen, or written, for radio airplay. "Fiction Romance" is a different style again, featuring a very monotone vocal over a steady and looping guitar riff which barely changes throughout the song.
"Autonomy" is one of the most 'accessible' songs on the album without intending to be so, with its very alternative sounding guitars rather than punk rock, and harmony vocals throughout, and a singable chorus. Ahead of its time, really. Fast paced punk returns with "I Need", with atypical punk rock chords, and a great running bass line which steals the show in the middle of the song. "Moving Away From the Pulsebeat" closes the album in a most deranged way, with all instruments going off in their own directions by the end of a very long 7+ minutes.
Overall I think the album has the two halves of the album, with the songs that you would consider to be of a classic punk sound and the others that show the other influences of the band which they weave in. I think the start with "Fast Cars", "No Reply" and "You Tear Me Up", along with the change up of "Autonomy" are my favourite tracks on the album.

This is still a joy to put on and listen to. Even after over 35 years this still holds up well in the current music climate, and must be as influential to young bands of this genre now as it has been in the past.

Rating:  They may win you admirers, but they'll never earn you friends.  4/5

859. Helloween / My God-Given Right. 2015. 4/5

I don't know what excited me more about the release of My God-Given Right - the fact that we were about to receive another new Helloween album, or the fact that the band announced it would tour Australia once again after seven years. It was probably equal amounts, because Helloween's recent output has been excellent, not only holding up the flame for the power metal genre that they pretty much invented, but not resting on their laurels when it comes to making great albums.

Whereas 7 Sinners was more of a typical speed power metal utilising noticeable keyboards throughout, and Straight Out of Hell tended to have less of the keyboard element and wind back those ultimate power metal elements, My God-Given Right winds everything back even more, and is much closer to pure heavy metal album than those previous two. it is not completely devoid of those elements, but there seems to be a real effort to get back to what made Helloween great, which was those amazing happy guitars melodically playing off each other, over the top of that amazing rhythm section of bass and drums and with the sweet vocals rising above it all.
"Heroes" is driven along by Daniel Löble's double kick throughout, and induces an anthem-like chorus that has you joining in (especially when listening to the album while driving along in your car). This segues straight into "Battle's Won" which immediately increases the speed of the album, and vocally and musically transcends the ages of Helloween. "My God-Given Right is another great anthemic-like song, featuring the best of Andi Deris' vocals and speed metal riffing, while "Stay Crazy" holds itself into straight forward power metal, with solid drum and guitar riffs enhanced by Andi's vocals and great solo licks.
"Lost in America" channels that playful element of Helloween, both lyrically and musically through the twin guitars. It reminds me a lot of another playful song, Gamma Ray's "Master of Confusion" from last year's Empire of the Undead album. Not only does it harp on a true incident where the band had no idea where in South America they were after several delays and changed plane trips, musically it reminds you of the best that this band can produce. This is followed up by "Russian Roule" which tunes down into a generally heavier song. "The Swing of a Fallen World" turns a corner from all of this merriment, focusing on darker elements lyrically and musically. There's no happy guitars in this song, it is set hard on a grinding guitar riff that is the platform for the song with Andi's vocals over the top, while even the solo sections settle into that heavier rhythm. "Like Everybody Else" follows a similarly darker, deeper path. "Creatures in Heaven" rifles along at a more Helloween-ish speed, before the return of an old-fashioned-type Helloween song in "If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll", almost cartoonish in both lyrics and music, with a catchy chorus break and great solo's, along with a crowd-involvement dubbed in for the masses.
"Living on the Edge" is Markus Grosskopf's addition to the album, and as with most of his songs is has a lively vibe and a great bass undertone  "Claws" sets off back in an up-tempo realm, and wends its way throughout in classic Michael Weikath tones and tome. The closing song "You, Still of War" could be paired up with "The Swing of a Fallen World", though its music is lighter than the earlier track, and contains more noticeable keys, as well as having a more 'epic' feel to the song structure. The first couple of times I listened to the album I wasn't overly enamoured by the song, but as my CD has clicked over each time I have grown to appreciate it much more.
The mood and path of the songs all follow the lyrical content. Those songs with a darker element are all more of a slower, heavier riffed atmosphere, such as " The Swing of a Fallen World" and "Like Everybody Else". These songs in particular echo their subject matter in their musical style. Those songs that are of a light-hearted nature are further enhanced by those happy guitars, such as in "Lost in America" and "If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll", where they are in their element.

From all reports, over 30 songs were written and rehearsed for this album, and the producer and other staff were given the job of picking the songs that went on the final album. That's a massive amount of control for the band to willingly give to others, but perhaps in the long run it allowed them to do the best they could on the songs, and not be so invested in their own contributions such that they fought over their own inclusion.
All members apart from Daniel Löble contributed to the writing process, and the varying array of topics covered by the songs is just as extensive. The fact that many seem to be drawn from actual experiences of the band members would make this a rather personal album for them all. Indeed it comes across as rather urban in places because of it. The music itself seems to come from several different eras of the band, with similarities ranging from the Keepers era to the Dark Ride era to more recent era. The influences as a result provide a colourful conglomeration of songs.
The band itself is firing on all cylinders. The vocals of Andi Deris continue to produce amazing highs and lows, depending on what is required of the song. He can sit comfortably in that middle range for his vocals, but can still hit those high and faster notes when the occasion calls for it. Markus Grosskopf on bass is just as brilliant as ever. Many may not even notice what he does on his instrument underneath everyone else's involvement, but it is quite amazing how much he contributes to the sound Helloween gets with that big flat bottom sound rumbling along, holding each song together. Daniel Löble's drumwork is as precise as ever, and along with Markus keeps the bottom end grounded while the guitarists play their games over the top. Both Sascha Gerstner and the timeless Michael Weikath are still producing wonderful riffs as well as their own solo pieces.

If you only listen to this a few times and take it only on face value, you may well cast this aside as just another failed effort in combining the past and the present by a band that may or may not still have what it takes. But go a little deeper, listen to the album a few more times, and actually listen to the songs and the way they are structured. I think you'll find that there is more to this album than the surface. In fact, the multi-layered part is that each song really is that combination of past loyalty and present mindset. If you are yet to discover Helloween the band this would not be your starting point. But it should definitely be part of that journey if you are a fan of Helloween, or are to become one. It may not be immediately brilliant as those classic and legendary previous albums, but it has the qualities to at least make you believe they can still do the job.

Rating:  Others say that god's a little mad, secretly he'd wear the black, you know.  4/5

858. Fear Factory / Genexus. 2015. 3/5

The news of a new release from Fear Factory still breeds in me growing expectation, that perhaps this new album will not only improve on all of the great things that were on the previous album, but that it will finally fix or eradicate those things that annoyed the hell out of me on that previous album. It is something that I guess I have thought about for most of the band's albums of the past fifteen years, and while there have been occasions where I have been happy with the results, I can't say I have ever felt completely comfortable with the resulting album when I first put in on the CD player. As you may well already know, that hasn't changed with the release of Genexus.

If you don't like drums being at front and centre in your mix of your music, then you are in the wrong place, because that's where they are. As is now the main, the machine gun drumming of the double kick drum is what takes prominence throughout, except when Burton's hardcore lyrics are in the frame. As always, the vocals switch often between the hard and loud variety which crash out of you speakers and smash into your senses, while the clear variety settle into the background behind the wall of sound coming at you. There is always a clear context between the two, which works mostly on the level that the clear vocals for me are still just too weedy when they come in. They aren't really sung with gusto either, it still feels as though they are being forced and are reaching for something they can't attain. Anyway, the same old prejudices still exist from me in that respect.
The album starts off rapid fire with "Autonomous Combat System", one of the best songs on the album, perhaps the best. "Protomech" is better than average in this respect as well, and I do like "Battle for Utopia". Then there is what can be labelled as Generic Fear Factory, songs such as "Anodized", "Soul Hacker", "Genexus", which barrel along with the same intensity and drum beat (possibly programmed) and riff and vocal duality as most Fear Factory songs have done for the past fifteen years. That's not a criticism outright, it's just a general fact, and if you like Fear Factory you will get no less enjoyment from these as you have from those in the past.
I again have problems with the closing track on a Fear Factory album. "Expiration Date" flops along barely raising a hand in anger. Clear vocals dominate, there's no riff, and we fade out to a couple of minutes of almost silence again. What the hell is this? The Fear Factory version of a ballad?!? Obviously there are people out there who are critical of the similarity of most of the band's music, but this is just so far off course it feels like it comes from Bizarro Fear Factory! How on earth am I supposed to cope with this kind of closing song on an album. Sorry, this is like missing a kick from the penalty spot.

It really has all been said before. The Fear Factory groove has been set, and each album follows it to the letter. It's a world away from albums such as Demanufacture and Obsolete, and in so many ways it all feels so mechanised now (no pun intended) that a machine could actually write and play it. There is still some great stuff here, and overall the album is still enjoyable to listen to, but there are also those couple of factors that for me just drag it back towards the average. Modern day fans may well disagree, but the time to introduce some solo work in the mix, and perhaps toughening up those clear vocals, has surely arrived in order to give the band a reboot.

Rating:  I'm a revelation of your future and past.  3/5

857. Level 10 / Chapter One. 2015. 3.5/5

Is it just me, or is there a lot more of band hopping and project jumping going on now than has ever occurred before? Seriously, there used to be bands that musicians would be a part of... until they either quit or were sacked, and then they would move on to something else. Nowadays, it appears that some musicians have two or three bands that they spread their time between, recording and then touring, and then doing the same with one or more of their 'other' bands. I mean, I understand in this day and age that you need to tour to make money, but how many bands can you have before they begin to overlap and start causing problems? Tobias Sammet does it with Edguy and Avantasia, Kai Hansen once did it with Gamma Ray and Iron Savior, and now with Gamma Ray and Unisonic, but any more than that would be ludicrous... wouldn't it?...

So here we have yet another 'supergroup' gathering, titled Level 10, and their debut effort Chapter One. It features some serious talent, though how they find the time to write and record is beyond me. It's core consists of bass guitarist Mat Sinner, who not only plies his trade in Primal Fear but also his own band Sinner, and vocalist Russell Allen, who has a dozen projects going at once, including his main gig in Symphony X and another in Adrenaline Mob. These two have also utilised the talents of Roland Grapow, who apart from helming Masterplan was also a part of Serious Black and their release earlier this year.
To the album itself, and while it is enjoyable, it comes across as 'harmless' and doesn't inspire anything new or out of the ordinary. The songs are generic in a way that that doesn't cover you in boredom, but also doesn't often generate any true excitement in the offering either. You can't help but like songs like "Cry No More", which opens the album in a positive frame of mind, and "When the Nighttime Comes", which mix great harmony vocals from Russell with great riffs and soloing from Roland and Alex Beyrodt. "Blasphemy" too falls into this group, while "In For the Kill" starts off on the right foot in speed and riffage, ticking most of the boxes that a band of this calibre should be able to. Unfortunately the averageness of the other tracks tends to overshadow this good work by making it hard for the album to retain momentum.
There has to be the power ballad, and the one produced here, "All Hope is Gone", follows the same path as almost very power ballad ever written. Yep, it's clichéd, it is slow and monotonous, it whines, the guitar solo is supposed to empathise but just embodies regurgitation. It follows all of the instructions in the 'power ballad' textbook. What gets me is that, also according to the textbook, it is followed up by an immediately up-tempo song that attempts to kick start the album again like a dying heart attack patient. "Demonized" does a reasonable job of this, but why oh why can albums and bands of this genre be so predictable? Just don't DO it!! "The Soul is Eternal" is a solid track as well, while the album closes with the excellent "Forevermore", which acts as a reminder of the talent gathered in the band.

With all of the terrific people involved in this band, I really wanted to like this more than I eventually did. The material is just far too varied throughout, never really settling into a groove that allows you to enjoy the album overall, rather than just picking out selected tracks that do it for you. No doubt these variances come from too many cooks in the writing broth. Perhaps just letting the major influences in the band have their hand... well... maybe that wouldn't work either. Surely a follow up to this will come sometime in the future, and if it does, hopefully a discussion about what worked and what didn't will make that release all the better for it.

Rating:  I'm pleading with the true believers, you're needed to expose the lies.  3.5/5