Sonata Arctica - Silence (2001)

For too long this blog has suffered in silence - and why? Because I discovered QI, the BBC show that is Quite Interesting. Thus the last two months have been spent either watching episodes of that and making art, or writing my stories.

But now I have watched almost all of it, and must savour the last few episodes, and it is back into the music blog.

This time we have the splendiforously titled "Sonata Arctica" from Finland. Formed in 1995 and still active today, this album is their second full length affair.

The cover is quite beautiful, a split shot of day and night, with a similar scene mirrored in each. A dark shadow of a figure, in one bearing a spear, the other a lantern, stands beside a lake, with pine trees about him and grassy foothills becoming snowladen mountains.

We being with the hauntingly, poetical "Silence":

 "It truly makes the most beautiful music, everything it has to give..."

Piano, an archaic, slightly decrepit voice speaking in sightly menacing, slow tones.

Then its time to take off as the disc spins into a fury and blasts into "Weballergy". Triumphant rhythms swell with glory and victory. Tony Kakko's vocals are high and almost obnoxiously cheerful and the drums move along at a trebly tempo. Plenty of keyboards layered upon drums and rhythm guitars soaring like rainbow unicorns with fairy wings.

Light and lilting, ethereal harpischord like a ladybird's wings, before we surge into the glorious, the over hyper-cheerful of "False News Travel Far". There's a nicely fluttery bit in the middle, before the heavier bass reminds me of a bygone era and is swallowed by the dragon of fast guitars and trebly-laden keyboards.

Telephones? Not vey medieaval. Suspicious caller... "you almost got away from me, didn't you...." Now we are in to one of my favoured pieces, the slow "End of the Chapter" in which we aspire to power ballad, with more modern setting, lovelorn messages and aggressive chorus. Alas, Kakko still sounds happy.
Even with lyrics like : "I have never wished you dead ... yet..."
Oooh, almost synth-pop, so many keyboards, I feel like I've been transported back to the 80s.
They should totally cover Ultravox.
He's stalking her too, sneaking into her house at night, stealing her jewellery.
Sounds less happy now, bit dangerous.

Faster, furious - "Black Sheep" is another fast and cheerful piece. I wonder if they're trying to be Stratovarius, but are a little too high on the treble side - like Skylark.
What's with all these bands starting with "S"?
Chorus is wonderfully catchy, followed by a waterfall of keyboards.

Another haunting opening, and then into the faster and more menacing "Land of the Free". Aggressive, frantic.

Then we fade back into something slower and actually romantic. "Last Drop Falls" is a song of love and longing, but mainly realising that the one he loved was rather less than ideal.

Back to the fountaining keyboards. A glorious firework display of sound. This is "Sans Sebastian". Rther lovely keyboard solo, with the guitars charging in to stage a full frontal attack.

"Sing in Silence" is another slower piece, with dewdrop sprinkling like shattered crystals, or maybe delicate keys.

"Fragile as a rose in the snow..."

It has a fragile, delicate beauty.

A snowstorm of crystal rose petals, sharp and deadly is "Revontulet".

More keyboard/piano leads us into yet another power ballad - this one is to "Tallulah". There's a hint of melancholy in Kakko's chipper tones, slower and slightly haunted. Another song of losing love.

Back into the aggressive and full frontal guitar assault (no keyboards, no wait, there they are). "Wolf and Raven" captures the racing wolf as it rampages through the snow, the raven soaring above it.

Slow again for "The Power of One" which starts with rain and music as grey and forlorn as the implied weather. This is the epic track of the album, and starts with some nicely slow and dream-like, longing vocals.

Overall, this album is something of a chore to listen to from beginning to end. It does have a nice blend of the heavier intermingled with the light, but the cheerful vocals start to grate on the eardrums after a while. There is no question that they are skilful musicians, displaying a distinct flare for the dramatic, but I think they need a little more vocal variation.

I rate this 6.5/10

Paradise Lost - One Second (1997)

Like Lake of Tears, Paradise Lost are a band that have evolved with the ages. They began with "Lost Paradise", "Gothic" and "Shades of God" which were pure Doom/Death, and then slowly introduced more melodic, baritone vocals (sung, instead of grunting and growling) and a decidedly more Depeche Mode/80s Gothic influence. This was even more pronounced on the follow-up to this album "Host".

I thought I might listening to one of those songs - from "Host", and I'll have to say - this album is better! (And who let the 80s encroach on the late 90s?), comparing "Permanent Solution" with the glory that is "Forever Failure" just makes me shudder at what they became. Now, however, they seem to have transformed again, this time into a more aggressive vocal style, with the doom influences returning.

Anyhow, I'm not sure if this is going to rate higher or lower than the astonishing "Draconian Times" ("Icon" I still haven't managed to listen through all of, let alone review/dissect). So, let us see how it goes.

Cover is an old, wrinkled man (?) in close up, showing the fine carvings of age upon his skin. Booklet features black and white photos, all slightly eerie in concept, with the lyrics featuring on coloured pages opposite. Vocalist Nick Holmes has cut off his golden tresses.

 Keyboard harmonies lead us into the gothic title track, "One Second". Holmes' wonderfully deep voice is as powerful as previous, but here is allowed a bit more melody.

It's been a few years since I last heard "Say Just Words" - a track we managed to smuggle onto party playlists on more than a few occasions, yet I find I can still sing every word of it. The instrumentations are pure, echoing, late 90s gothica. It has power - na da good beat to dance to.

"Lydia" gets off to a sombre, there's an electronica feel here - and in the entire album - that makes you feel the poor keyboardists should be credited as actual band members, and not just lower in the acknowledgements. Holmes lifts up an octave (or pitch, or whatever you call it) to a more melancholic edge, before dropping down for the chorus. There's some samples too. I guess they were popular at the time.

Remembering their doom roots, we slip into "Mercy", which quickly shifts into a sort of downtrodden synthpop. The keyboards, synthesizers and sounds are there, but slowed down and heavy on the gloom, reminiscent of the goth sound, but cleaner and better polished.

"it's mercy you're asking for... take my life or give me more..."

 Faster, more energetic and more 80s, "Soul Courageous" gets off to a rocking start. Complete with catchy chorus.

"Another Day" draws us away even further from the metal and into a slow, languid summer day, starting with keyboard-esque piano and slow synthpop rhythms. The opening verse is decidedly pop-rock, dropping down into more aggressive and slightly urgent vocals, albeit not picking up the pace.

Organs and synthesizers add an eerie and ominous vibe, falling into a faster, almost dance-pop rhythm, before it is steamrolled by the heavy instrumentations of "The Sufferer". Dropping again, into ominous, whispered chorus.

"A time when I'm all alone and I'm breathing afraid, cause all my pride is gone..."

 I think there might be a bit of the Nu-metal sound here too, but I kinda missed that genre out (thankfully) so cannot say for sure.

Even slower, gentler, is "This Cold Life". Vocals stand all but alone, cold and isolated, supported only by low beats, with the occasional explosion of sound. An isolated, lonely piece. And more synthpop.

"Blood of Another" is repetitive and somewhat sterile, polished. It's got a decent rhythm, and good pace, but ultimately the lyrics consist of:

"You see the blood, the blood of another, you see the blood as we roll in it together..."

There's a few verses, but ultimately this line is repeated numerous times. Sounds unhygenic.

"Disappear" is another maudlin, doom-orientated piece. The lyrics are along the lines of "forever failure" and would suit better with heavier, more aching musical backing rather than the somewhat tacky synth accompaniment and what could well be a drum machine. Nice low vocals, however.

At last, the guitarists get chosen over the keyboards, as we roll into "Sane", the initial instrumentation fades to vocals and drums and an eerie, echoey keyboards.

Another slower number, "Take Me Down" starts with some very gothic keyboards, rather reminiscent of the Sisters of Mercy. Vocals are ominous, low, like whispers in the darkness. Creating a spidery, shadowy atmosphere, filled with predatory menace. It's a strong way to conclude the album, despite the overload of unecessary samples. Somewhat haunting.

Overall, this isn't a bad album, just a tad sterile and dull. Synthpop has been described as anemic and soulless, and whilst this is not precisely synthpop, it does seem to rather lack in passion. The original songs are strong, but by the time you're halfway through the album, you are starting to wonder why you bothered. Also, given the high emphasis on vocals and keyboards, one rather wonders if the rest of the band are feeling a little left out. It feels a little like they're trying to go mainstream, and not quite suceeding. I do like the first two tracks and the last one, however.

Rating = 6/10

Ozzy Osbourne - Down to Earth (2001)

Everyone knows Ozzy Osbourne - or thinks they do. He is a musician that truly needs no introduction. This is his 8th solo studio album. The cover features a three faced figure (two of which are skulls), standing before a cross with arms raised. Inside there are numerous photos of Ozzy divided up into 9-square grids, dominating one half of the concertina fold cover, on the back of which are the lyrics. No wait, no lyrics, just a list of song titles and more pictures of Ozzy. I almost wonder if there's supposed to be some sort of interactive or 3d element to the images which seem to show Ozzy morphing into the 3-faced fellow, but it's all a bit deep and meaningful for my humble little brain. It IS an "enhanced" cd, which means there's an interview on it, but no actual music videos or anything really exciting and interesting.

We open with the self-exploration of "Gets Me Through" - slow piano and dancing flute before the bass and drums surge in, and Ozzy's vocals rasp out melodiously*:

"I'm not the sort of person you think I am - I'm not the anti-christ or the iron man..."

Chugging along at a regular pace, Ozzy sounds almost like he's trying to convince the listener that there ain't nothing that special about him and that he wants to be left alone.
Well, I doubt that is the truth, Mr Osbourne.

Keyboards rising, into the crash of the guitars as we chug into "Facing Hell". Again, the vocals seem a little pained, Ozzy's razor edge seems to be getting more pronounced as he's getting older.

Piano-laden melancholy, and we are into "Dreamer", in which Ozzy's vocals seem a little smoother, a little sweeter. One of the more radio-friendly tracks and undeniably beautiful.

Something a little more energetic now - "No Easy Way Out" in which Ozzy is pretty-much shouting the lyrics. The music is a raucous affair, moving into a smoother chorus, thick and slightly sludgy.

 "That I Never Had" is another perfectly acceptable, but not particularly inspiring rock song. The guitar solo is pretty good though - I believe Zakk Wyld had returned for this album.

Another Ballad in "You Know" - a very short piece indeed.

"Junkie" has a bitter edge to it, not surprisingly (also contains the "Explicit content" warned by the cover). The music is churning, angry, flavoured with tension. A personal song, revealing Ozzy's own struggles with drugs and alcohol:

"...A bird with one wing who's trying to fly..."

Another melancholically wrenching piece "Running Out of Time". I guess Ozzy is starting to understand that he isn't getting any younger.

"Just another broken hero..."

"Black Illusion" surges in with dark and sludgy force.

More melancholy in "Alive":

"What keeps me alive is dreams..."

Sounds like we're getting back into the introspection here, Ozzy. Not even sure if this counts as singing for the most part, he's almost just speaking the lines.

Dramatic start to "Can You Hear Them?" Chugging, clapping rhythms, swelling in force. Vocals the typical Ozzy, double-recorded**, giving it that slightly echoey quality.

As Ozzy gets older, his songs have become more mature, more depressing and more personal. This is darker than my previously reviewed "Ozzmosis" (which felt more introspective). The songs seem heavily laden with shadows and darkness, and even the sweeter, ballad numbers have a bittersweet edge to them. His vocals have worn a little, become harsher with age and it all rather lacks the fun energy of Black Sabbath and earlier songs like "Bark at the Moon". Not remarkedly original or different. Kinda dull, really.

Let's go for 6/10.

* an oxymoron of an adjective+adverb? Well, not if you've listened to Ozzy.
** I'm guessing, but my musical knowledge in this manner is limited. So, feel free to deny this claim if you know better ^^

Memento Mori - Rhymes of Lunacy (1993)

This is one album I was very excited about. As a major Candlemass fan - I had many of their albums on cassette, I had been highly disappointed when Messiah left, and was thus very happy to see him starting a new project. Other members of Memento Mori included Mike Wead of Hexenhaus. Anyhow, needless to say I ordered it as soon as it became available and eagerly awaited its arrival.

As far as albums go, it's not a particularly dramatic cover-  the purple on black print renders it almost invisible and the cover is fairly plain but quite nifty, featuring the MM bat emblem. I used to draw that all over my school books.

*sigh* Ahh, nostalgia.

Inside there is only the lyrics to one song - but that's okay because you can't read them anyway due to the dark font. There's a photo of the band, in which Messiah looks very rotund and everyone else looks like a long-haired clone. The centre double-page spread is taken up with advertisements for other Black Mark albums.

The album opens with the atmospheric chords of instrumental "The Rhyme", the guitar sounding faintly oriental and fairly moody and dramatic.

It merges seamlessly into the achingly slow chords of "Seeds of Hatred". Messiah's voice is still a thing of power and beauty, swelling into a crescendo that could lift volcanic ash into the sky and move the earth. The drums are slow and slightly trebbly.

"Morbid Fear" brings with it a heavily brooding sound and ominous choruses:

"Deep within your soul, wayward child..."

Also some nicely dramatic and intricate guitar-work, intermingling with slamming bass. Strong harmonising.

With strength and power, "The Caravan of Souls" marches on - slowly, ponderously yet a force to be reckoned with. They are the power, the ominous and the intricate. Wead is truly a fine guitarist. Lead by Messiah's Voice, more souls are drawn to join the journey.

With the aching cry of the desert wind, and the beat of hooves (or rather, drums), we approach "Lost Horizons".  The technical aspects and slow rhythms herald the looming and the ominous. Intense and dramatic, powerful. Strong harmonising.

With the subtility of a steamroller, the immensity of "When Nothing Remain" advances like an avalanche. Messiah's voice builds into soaring, roaring from the heavens, punctuated by staccato drumbeats and an ominous wall of sound. The lyrics are filled with the futility of everything we say and do:

"Do you believe our souls survive to live on lucky clouds above?
Or do you fear, when our time is up, something evil awaits below?"

More twiddly guitar strokes and we enter into the instrumental "Forbidden Dreams".

"Little Anne's not an Angel" is something a bit different, it has lyrics suited for a glam song but is, of course, still laden with the ominous and the powerful. The vocals are strong, but threatening, the chorus pretty epic - but then again, so is everything that comes from Messiah's throat. Little Anne's fate is a sad and depressing one. She's not an Angel, and she sin after sin won't get to Heaven. She sells herself and loses her soul and ends up in Hell.

With a long and drawn out beginning: "The Fear of God" involves some pretty intensive guitar and a lot of drum. Then the vocals crack in, and the pacing turns slightly playful - in a slow and looming kinda way.

"The Riddle" starts low, with the rising of the wind and guitars, weaving a spiralling and intricate pattern, like swirling smoke or a dust-cloud looming.

"The Monolith" looms, Messiah's voice like musical thunder whilst the guitar falls like raindrops.

Induitably a powerful album, a force of musical nature. Powerful, but lacking the heartbreaking emotional of Candlemass. Messiah's voice is fine, Wead is a superb guitarist and the compositions are solid and ominous, but it lacks a little in emotion and spirit. Best played LOUD.

Rating = 6.5/10.

Lorien - Secrets of the Elder (2002)

Lorien were a power metal band. They formed in Catalina, Spain in 1996 and split 10 years later. Named after both a character and a forest from JRR Tolkien's Silmarillion. They play their power metal fairly traditionally - complex guitars and song structures, fantasy themed lyrics etc. This was one of my "this looks fairly interesting and is reasonably priced" cds, which I selected in a record store - probably Real Groovy, and gave a spin to before buying.

Lorien have two lead vocalists, David and Jordi Tordera, presumerably they are brothers or otherwise related. Another Tordera plays rhythm guitar. David and Jordi take turns vocalising the tracks, but their voices do not seem dramatically different from one another.

The cover depicts a door, possibly out of a hobbit hole, opening onto a landscape of blue fir trees. It looks cheaply made, and slightly faded with the colours being muted rather. Inside the lyrics are printed in bold black on frosty blue, with wooden borders.

The album opens with "Ballad of the Knight", starting wtih a crack of thunder and teaming rain. Choral vocals - male with female harmonising, softly spectral it soars through several verses before the instruments crash in in their gloriously sophisticated symphony and the vocals take on a stronger, steadily paced, melodious rhythm. Jordi on vocals.

More harmonising builds the epic feel of "Merlin the Wizard", swelling with power and beginning with soft verses - following a very similar structure to the first track. Hey, if it works, re-use it! Jordi on vocals.

Softer, slower with a somewhat lilting rhythm and almost ephemeral vocals, "Don't Be Afraid" is a love song, accompanied by delicate keyboards and guitar. The delicate verses lead into a somewhat more passionate chorus:

"Don't be afraid, all I want is giving you my love. Close your eyes, sing with me this lovely song of love."

Well, the message is clear even if the lyrics lack literary power. David on vocals.

The next track, "The Silent Mermaid" is probably my favourite. It is a duet between male and female (Elena Martinell) and for a "silent mermaid" she is both very vocal and very masculine. It has a good rhythm and a catchy chorus:
"I am the silent mermaid, I'm mute for ever more. Even if I weep I won't be heard..."

Gentle folkish melodies lead us in to "The Voice of Saruman" which grows in power, along with those familar, high "happy" guitar riffs that characterise the power metal sound. Jordi on vocals again. Now that I am listening more carefully to the distinctions, I think he has the stronger vocal capacities, able to concoct a  more volume and power with his voice. Somewhat more operatic. Chorus has everything you need in a power metal chorus - harmonsing, melodies and that catchy, swelling sound that sucks deep within and stirs the soul. I'm guessing this is inspired by Lord of the Rings.

Another power and glory, epic and traditional piece, "The Island of the Dragon" follows similar structures, including female/male harmonising and features similarly banal lyrics:

"The island of the dragon its beauty was magnificent, its people lived in gentle palaces made of silver and gold."

David is back on vocals in "Aurora Borealis" and really, their voices are very similar, although I think his is slightly sharper and higher. Another traditionally Power Metal piece.

Comcluding track "Eternal Life" offers such of the same. The vocals are fine and melodious, the choruses soaring and inspiration, with that bright and ebullient feel characteristic of the genre.

Overall, it's an appealing album, with a generally epic and powerful feel, although it lacks rather in both creativity and direction. Somewhat banal and the lyrics are definitely mozzarella (I actually tried to look up the name of a Spanish cheese, but failed). So, overall a decent album to listen to but nothing new, dramatic, fresh or inspired. Essentially, it's not surprising that they flared and then disappeared.

Rating: 6.5/10

Kari Rueslatten - Other People's Stories (2004)

Released seven years after the other album of hers, this is a lighter weight, more internationally friendly album. For one thing, the lyrics and vocals are in English. Her voice is as sweet and lilting as before, delicate and fragile like a feather on the breeze, but with a power to it too.

The cover booklet is sophisticated and modern, with photographs "enhanced" by white vectored lines that are used to depict motion, perhaps? The paper is sturdy and quite glossy, high quality ink. It almost looks laminated.

The album opens with the gentle "Other People's Stories". The vocals dominate, the gently strumming guitars playing a pleasing background to the lilting vocals and autumnal rhythms.

Another pleasant and gentle piece with some folk-type rhythms, "Sorrow to My Door" is not a particularly cheerful song, although the litling vocals are sweet and pure as bells, even when singing sorrow:

"The house burned down, to the ground, to the ground, ashes and dust."

 "Dog Star" has a slightly bubbly sound to it, like a record. The vocals are playful and oh-so innocent, Kari's accent becoming more apparent. It's a very narrative song, with the lyrics being rather simplistic, befitting the mood.

"Cry" has a slightly technical edge to it, a twirling, whirling accentuation to the vocals - which are again soft and delicate.

"When Lillies Bloom on Winter Days" is like crystalline snowflakes drifting down to gild the frozen flowers. Pure, untainted, with an icy chill lit by sunlight.

Somewhat more modern, almost technical and with the rhythms more typical of one of the dance genres, "Push" is a faster paced and far more commercial in feel.

"Ride" is another combining the vocals with strangely electronically eerie noises and the stronger modern beats.

Even more spectral and vocal, "Fishing" relies entirely on the vocals. Kari's voice dancing up and down the rhythms, high and sweet and pure. Several verse in the instruments start, a whimsical accompaniment.

"Carved in Stone" is another pleasantly gentle piece with slightly more stirring choruses and light electronic accompaniment.

"Life" offers more of the same and "Orlando" offers little more, although it has a pleasingly melancholic feel to it.

 Overall, this is an extremely easy album to listen to - but not a very inspirational one. It makes for pleasing, soothing background music - along the lines of Enya (but less irritating) with its slow pacing and languid, relaxed rhythms. The tracks are short - the longest being just over 4 and a half minutes. Whilst Kari's voice is certainly sweet and aurally pleasing, each track blurs into one and it's a bit dull.

Rating 6/10.

In This Moment - The Dream (2008)

In This Moment started life in 2005, changing their name from Dying Star, along with their musical direction. Fronted by sassy lass, Maria Brink, they have released four albums and developed a fanbase via MySpace, internet marketing and plenty of small gigs. They hail from Los Angeles, California.

"The Dream" is their second album, released in 2008. Mine is a digipack edition and it is rather whimsical in apperance - designed to look like a sepia-toned novel. The cover depicts a raven, a cute fuzzy bunny rabbit and a heart-shaped clock-flower. Inside, things take a somewhat more sinister bend with the spooky fly-rabbit adorning the cd, and some rather creepy photographs flanking the lyric booklet. The lyrics are illustrated with cartoons of Alice in Wonderland characters, each bearing a striking resemblance to the band member pictured beside them.

It is also a cd rom, and appears to contain a video file for "Forever", along with an audio interview with the band.

The album opens with the eerie and dreamy "The Rabbit Hole" before rocking in to "Forever". A bouncy, catchy pop-come-metal piece, this is one track guaranteed to get the audience bopping up and down. Brink's voice is one of those sweet-and-innocent-but-secretly-malicious that I tend to associate with the deviant school girl or gothic lolita. I can almost imagine her prancing around in a tutu and splashing about in the waves. But then again, that might be just because I watched the video.

"All For You" follows similar themes. Steady rock rhythms, keyboards and guitars, boppy and poppy.

We tone things down a bit for "Lost at Sea" where a desperate and haunted edge lends itself to Brink's voice.

"Mechanical Love" brings us back into the steady rock rhythms, boppy choruses, bringing with it a steady dose of relationship angst:

"Oh, and you'll never understand me...."

 A dark and disconcerting piece, "Her Kiss" starts with a spoken whisper, before being overwhelmed by surging guitars, and Brink's soaring vocals cut in, sounding pure and sweet until she falls into the more familiar boppy-poppy rhythms we've grown used to. The song builds into a dramatic climax before fading out once more into..

This is followed by the soft and delicate "Into the Light" with plenty of piano in a shadow of a reflection of Evanescence's "My Immortal". Brink can sound rather sweet when she wants to.

"You Always Believed" sounds like a bitch song - the sort of "you're gone and I'm better off without you" track that was popular of around this era. This feeling is directly contridicted by the lyrics:

"And you held me through it all, and you never let me fall. And you let me fly away and you always believed..."

 As far as love songs go, it's not very convincing!

"The Great Divide" is another heavier number, with Brink squawking like a ferocious speed-metal chick over pounding drums. The chorus is more familiar ITM, although tinged with anger and desperation.

A surging rock number with shouted vocals, "Violet Skies" brings us back into the rockin', kick-arse chick feel.

We conclude with the slow and gentle "The Dream" which seems a fitting way to end the album.

Except it's not the end - for we have two bonus tracks. They're nothing to write home about - one is another version of "Forever" and the second is an instrumental version of "Forever".

Overall, not a bad album but rather reminiscent of the era - Evanescence, Pink, No Doubt and any of those female bitchy-kick-arse-chick singers that I never really paid much attention to, being rather caught in the nostalgias of the past. The songs are a nice variety of soft and fast, boppy and heavy but alas for ITM, Brink's vocals let them down with her typical vocal style getting very tedious after a few tracks. She's good when she sings it slow or lets her voice soar, she should do that more.

I ummed and ahhed between a 6 and a 7, and eventually settled on the good ol' 6.5/10.

Straitjacket Fits - Blow (1993)

Continuing in the 1993 vein, we now have Dunedin band, the Straitjacket Fits, led by Shayne Carter (now of Dimmer). They formed in 1986 from the ashes of The DoubleHappys after the accidental death of one of the members, and rose to prominence on the NZ music scene. They are probably one of the most well known  bands of the era, along with The Chills. One of my High School friends was a bit SF fan, and I became quite familiar with their music - alas at that point they had already parted ways. However, we did attend a couple of Dimmer concerts at local pubs.

This album was their third full length release and I acquired it second hand via Bishopdale Library. Either that, or I've had it out on hire for a great many years! The poor disc has seen better days, being scratched quite badly, but we'll see how well she spins. In terms of album desire - the cover is not overly dramatic - blueish-green, the word "BLOW", some dandelion "parachutes" dancing across it. Inside the band look very young and quite feminine. Carter has adorably high cheekbones.

We rock it off with the cruisy "Done". Carter's vocals are smooth with a bit of a quirky lilt and the music seems to overwhelm them in parts.Slightly fuzzy-sludgy edge to the recording that I've come to think of as the "Flying Nun" sound.

"Falling" gets off to a lively start. The guitar plays a bouncy poppish rhythm, trilling and dancing like some sort of vibrant insect. the vocals leap and dance gleefully around the chords.

A dramatic cascade leads into "Brother's Keeper" with its surging rhythms and sludgy vocals.

"Cat inna Can" is a somewhat playful piece, with poppy-rock rhythms and a "mew-ing"chorus line.

A rather moodier number, "Burn It Up" is laden with sludgy-dreary darkness. The bass kind of looms and the vocals spark whilst the guitars flicker and trace smoke through the air.

Then we surge into the jubiliant "Joyride". Still sounding somewhat mired in fog, but with a youthful enthusiasm.

Gentle plucking picks up the pace as we dash into "Train". There's a sense of "goodbye" here, but also the hopeful expectation of new beginnings - like moving from the old life and into the new.

Another poppy-boppy number "Let it Blow" The guitar strums start light and the vocals thickly distorted. The chorus has a sense of childishness: Probably because of the "la-la-la-la-la-la-la let it blow" which sounds like a pretend "I'm not listening" brush off if ever I heard one.

The hauntingly melancholic "If I Were You" is a beautiful, if somewhat bittersweet piece. The vocals are soft, dancing lightly across the gentle caress of the music.

Heavier rhythms herald the start of "Turn".  Vocals distorted, almost like a feral purr.

Vibrant and poppy; with a cruisy surge to it we ease into the dreamy "Way" with its fleetingly sweet vocals and gentle instrumentations.

Equally cruising and oddly soothing is closing track, "Spacing". There's something lethargic and dreamy about it, thick with mellow rhythms and slow, relaxing.

Overall, the Straitjacket Fits are a gentle, nostalgia inducing band; their thick Dunedin sound combined with quirky guitar (and other instrument) rhythms to add a dreamy, otherworldly quality to their music. They sound young, and fresh. Listening to them always makes me hark back to a time of sneaking into smoky bars (you could still smoke inside, once), of drinking bitter brew (Speights, pride of the South - not my choice!) and talking myself hoarse with my friend Vaughan, who was very fond of the band (albeit we never actually saw the Fits live, only Dimmer, but they did play the occasional Fits song, IIRC).

They've never been a particular favourite of mine, although I do enjoy their music. The production is a bit mired down and the vocals muffled, thus I shall rate this album: 6.5/10.

Canis - A Good Solid Flesh Crime (1997)

Formed in Kingsland, Auckland during a police raid, Canis are a hybrid of 80s, swamp blues, various distortion noises and general sludgy sounds. They practised in a converted bank space (it kinda sounds like this album may have been recorded in it) and brought forth a sound that is akin to Nick Cave in his most under-produced and sludgy, with a touch of industrial metal thrown into the mix. Having listened to Cop Shoot Cop a couple of weeks ago, I would have to say they have a similar vibe.

The cover is quite macabre, depicting a slab of meat strapped to a cross with barbed wire. There are some pretty purple flowers as well, though. On the back cover, a crucified bird hangs.

The album opens with the slow "Womb of the World" with spoken vocals and heavy, slow, ponderous bass line. Achingly borderline industrial, surging hollow drum beats, raw and raucous. Swampy and sludgy. Like metal rusting, dripping with corrossion.

Faster drums, very bassy. The "Seventeenth Century Heaven Death-Head" has low vocals reminscient of early Nick Cave.

"Oh can you slow dance, baby, hung from that tree?"

A hollow drumroll and screeching, stretching guiars ushers us into "Blackslider" with its achingly low and slow vocals, barely mixed above the music.Sighing and growning into guttural harmonies. Ominous, eerie.

Faster but gently ominous, it is time to meet "Jack Hammer Red" - a simple piece that builds from the soft and gentle, louder, louder, aggression, like a jack hammer.

A bit of a slow start to "Arcane World". Low, threatening, like a predator peeking over the bushes, waiting its chance to strike. Then it does, vocals are low, with a good pace to them.

"All Hail (the raving soul)" starts with iron hands clapping, and a rolling barrel kinda rhythm.  Definite Birthday Party feel here. I can almost imagine a metal drum, in which flames and smoke dance forth, swirling through the air, whilst around it dance semi-clad, blood stained hunters, calling upon some sort of arcane deity.

Distortion and more trebly-laced bass, whining metal, the beating of hollow skins. "Cold Hard Sell" is fury entwined with despair.

Low, sludgy, swampy rock - "Kindred" is bleak and  nihilistic. Rolling drums, churning guitars wading through the gloom:

"Children beg your father not to have another son like this one..."

The tempo picks up a notch into the downtrodden lounge feel of "Black Water Janitor". I can actually see the vocalist in his suit and tie, sunglasses, singing in a nightclub - but the sort of nightclub that caters to the downtrodden, the broken, the lost and the forgotten.

This next track, "Daddy God" is apparently reorded on a shitty stereo at Basque Rd. It certainly has an unhealthy level of sludge and distortion. The vocals are quite strong, very angry; spoken more than sung. The backing music distorting and twisting like some sort of out of control machinery.

Hauntingly area, crawling feedback, drums chipping in. Guitars drawl along. Vocals low, snarling their way through "Blood River". Whining instruments, slightly discordent. Creepy, unsettling lyrics.

"Red river, red river run red..."

This song is sharp and subtle as a razor blade.

It has taken several repeated listens, but this album is starting to grow on me. The sludgy NZ under-produced sound has been eliminated from modern music, but here it is king. The low churning swampy sludge lends a grit and authenticity. It could well be recorded in a disused bank vault - but a portion of it is in fact recorded live in studios (which I think means the whole band perform together, instead of individually and it being mixed?). Like CSC, this is industrial sludge, sort of a modern-day steampunk* filled with dark vibes, low (but surprisingly powerful and well mixed) vocals and overall, a decent album. It makes me curious to try out their other album, which apparently has jazz influences. Might be a little more upbeat!

I'm going to rate it 6.5/10.

* that is probably an oxymoron.

Enuff Z'Nuff - AniMaLs WitH HUmAn InTElLiGeNcE (1993)

I first discovered Enuff Z'Nuff through mailorder catalogues through some music company (EMI?) through which I acquired "Strength". Alas, on cassette tape. This album I picked up much later for the kingly fee of $5 from Echo records.

Enuff Z'Nuff formed in 1984 and, amazingly, are still active today. They hail from Illinois and have released 12 studio albums, of which I am only familiar with the second and third. During that time their line-up has changed somewhat, with two memebrs dying - one of a drug overdose and the other of cancer. They began with a glam rock sound, which they mellowed into more of a rock style after the glam rock genre faded into obscurity.

This album was less succesful than its predecessor, and has one of the members - Vikki Fox, airbrushed out of the cover art, despite the fact he appears in every track, because he quit after it was produced. The cover features the three remaining members, all looking very curly haired and moody in blue tones. The back of the booklet shows an old style poster advertisement, featuring two horses - one firing a canon and the other posing beneath the stars and stripes. There are cute little banner cartoons above the lyrics for every song.

The album rocks in to "Superstitious". Good beats, vocals a low, smooth going into the occasional higher range. Nicely paced and catchy.

"Aieee-aieee-aieeee" the "Black Rain" begins. Beats like solid raindrops. Vocals undulate nicely with the rhythms.

"Pret-ty lit-tle sing-ing boy, just be-came a brand new toy..."

Taking on a more mournful, rock ballad feel, "Right By Your Side". Nicely emotive melodies. Vocalist Donnie Vie has a nice touch of angst in his voice, although it does tend somewhat towards the whiny.

"These Daze" starts with dogs barking, but is a cruisier number. Vie's vocals are lilting and raw, with a  touch of whine,  undulating with the rhythms, almost like the purr of a really large cat. This is a rock song about celebrating the wild years, but (presumably) setting them behind you.

A roucher, rawer, wilder number is the "Master of Pain". Heavier rifts. Harder sound. Solid beat. Catchy chorus.

"Innocence" is a sweet and soft song about growing up. It is about the loss of innocence, but

"who's to say it's right or wrong?"

And has good melodies and some nicely emotive guitar play. The lyrics are sensitive and almost reassuring. The lyrics indicate that it is about the loss of sexual innocence, to someone that "you" care for. More romantic than say, Helloween's "First Time". The piano adds nicely to the atmosphere.

Another ballad, "One Step Closer to You" is one of those unrequited love songs. Not creepy, just suggesting that the love interest is currently, technically, unobtainable. It has a faster rhythm, suggesting that this pursuit is not hopeless and that "I" am the better option:

"Every little move I make is getting you away from that loser..."

 There's a slight country-rock edge to "Bring it on Home". Vocals are low, smooth and relatively gentle. Bit rawer on the bridge to the chorus. Really rockin' chorus. Repetitive but catchy.

Another cruisy number - "Taking a Ride" is smooth and sunny. The music has a laid-back, restful vibe. The vocals getly rising and falling with the melody.

 With a  whistle and a chug, it's into the rock and roll of "The Love Train". Catchy and a good pace.

A heavier piece with a goodly touch of angst, "Mary Anne Lost Her Baby" is about abortion and regret:

"...Questions in your head: now the forties pass you by and there's still noone in bed, just a big fat lonely why. Spending life alone when you could have had the joys that make you carry on..."

Lastly, we conclude with a goodly rock number: "Rock N World".

Overall, this is a solid rock album - perhaps lacking some of the more interesting combinations and melodies of "Strength". It's an interesting listen and Vie's voice is strong, with a reasonable touch of angst and not too much whine. Not particularly remarkable and not earth-shatteringly original, however.

Rating = 6.5/10.

Deliverance - Camelot-in-Smithereens (1995)

Deliverance formed in the 80s as a thrash band and gradually morphed their way into a more progressive, melodic sound, akin to Queensryche. Taking a decidedly Christian approach, they were generally overlooked in the metal circles, since most non-Christian metallers don't appreciate being preached to. And their lyrics are quite preachy, but they make up for it by being a jolly decent band. This was their poorest selling record at the time of release (or soon thereafter, obviously).

My exposure to Christian Metal was through a local radio station in Golden Bay. I later found one on another station in Christchurch, one week before it disbanded forever. This introduced me to bands like Sacred Warrior, Crystavox, Virgin Black, Seventh Angel* and possibly some others. I swear I've heard Vengence Rising too, but they obviously didn't leave a lasting impression because I cannot remember their song!

 This is one of two Deliverance albums I own. It is their seventh full length album. I should have listened to the other one first (it's an earlier release) but this one hasn't had so much "ear play".

As packaging goes, it's pretty dull. Designed to look Arthurian I think, in that it's all sepia tones and parchment patterned, with the writing and cross/circle designed to look like embossing on leather.  Lyrics inside and no band photo, although the back cover features a photograph of one of those narrow castle windows.

The album opens with the appropriately entitled "Somber Theme (where are you)". Vocalist Jimmy P Brown has a low voice, a high baritone (at my guess) with good strength to it. He sounds rather like Geoff Tate doing the low notes, but does not do the operatic tenor of Tate. Somewhat repetitive but with a strong somber and sonerous sound.

Second track "Lindsay" begins with heavy rifts and eerie distortion, like the climactic build up during a horror movie. Then the drums and bass guitar kicks in.The vocals are low and smooth, edged with honey. I think this may be a song about unwanted pregnancy - at least a spoken bit (half drowned by bass) indicates this. Apparently those between the ages of 15 and 21 make up 42% of unwanetd pregnancies.

"Not Too Good For Me" has a distinctly Queensryche vibe - albeit from their less interesting days. Brown's voice has a good strong vibe to it, and I want to say "cadence" but I'm not 100% sure if I'd be using the term accurately. Wikipedia isn't too helpful on describing how things sound. Much like this blog really. The beginning is slightly echoey and eerie, before a more typical rock vibe steps in.

The moody "Anymore" beings with slow, entwiningly melancholic guitar. The vocals are, once again, mid-low and smooth and rich, like milk chocolate. Funnily enough, I was just discussing the use of the word "anymore" in writing and whether or not it was appropriate to use it. In this case, definitely. The low sound creates a wall of emotional pain and loss, the strumming bass accentuating this, punctuated by sharp percusson.

Picking up the pace, but not the mood we shift into "Book Ends". The vocals are pitched higher, proving that Brown can manage a passable tenor (albeit not for long) - and does sound quite surprisingly like Geoff Tate (in more recent days when his vocal range has shifted down an octave). Songs filled with reading puns are all good by me!

"...I'm on the shelf..."

Even if it is a "finding God" song and the lyrics print the word "two" as the number "2" which I  do not like. But it is better than in the previous track, where they substituted the word "for" for "4". Ick *shudders*.

The tempo picks up and into the rockin' "Beauty and the Beast". Good rhythms and catchy rhymes. Sound kinda familiar? It's a Bowie song. Brown's voice is not entirely disimilar to Bowie, although not quite as low and sehxy. My favourite so far.

"Make my Bed in Hell" begins with low, distorted vocals, moving faster until the words trip over themselves.

By "The Red Roof" I'm starting to zone out a bit. The songs are good - pleasant to listen to and the vocals are appealing. But they're not particularly inspiring and are beginning to blur together. Perhaps this is why it has taken me almost a week to get around to reviewing this album (I keep starting it then getting distracted from dissecting and having to backtrack a track). It ends with evil and meancing distortion, like mists raising from the gates of Hell.

We then move into another low and moody song - "In-U". Again with the horrible text speak. This was published in 1995. Was text speak even really used then? Anyhow, this is the song that kept playing on my ishuffle when I had this album loaded onto it. It's good, strong, with some very powerful and quite stirring moments. Good bit of emotional overload in the chorus. He seems very passionate in his faith:

"Just when I thought my life was through, it was then that I found my faith in the fact that I believe... in U."

How does this album rate? Well, individually the tracks are pleasing to listen to. The vocals are low and smooth, occasionally low enough to be considered properly sexy, but generally a sort of halfway between tenor and baritone that is not variable enough to sustain the interest for an entire album. The pacing of the songs seems to be consistently slow and a little depressive. Lyrics don't seem to be too much preaching or God bothering. Not as dull as the more recent Queensryche, but not nearly as interesting as the older.

I'd give it 7/10 but the use of single letters or numbers instead of words bugs me too much. So I'll dock them half a point  and rate it 6.5/10.

* Although I believe that was actually through Speed Kills 6 and "Falling away from reality" a song about suicide, actually, the whole album ("Lament for the Weary") is about abuse leading to suicidal thoughts and presumerably eventually the finding of God. Pretty depressing for a concept album.

Acid Drinkers - Strip Tease (1992)

Keeping with the Polish bands, we now have Acid Drinkers. AD are the only band with a similar sound to Wolfspider - they even share a lead guitarist - Popcorn (Dariusz Popowicz?). They are like the mischevious younger brother, full of untamed energy and rebellion, and with  a somewhat crude sense of humour.

The cover is... well I can imagine Americans might find it rather offensive. You see, it depicts the statue of liberty, with helicopters lifting the skirt to reveal rather muscular legs and rather detailed stone phallus. There's a dented coke can in the foreground and three balls in the lamp. 

"Strip Tease" is crazy, chaotic and frantic with the guitarists charging together for the finish line, occasionalyl jumping over one another in their quest for audio dominance. The lyrics are equally frenzied, it's a wonder vocalist Titus doesn't trip over his tongue. You can't understand what he's saying -  the "delightful"* broken English is only apparent when you read the lyric sheet, ie:

"Dear blockhead, dear lovely muthaf**ker, I present you a panorama of my crotch.Are you indignant?"

And I've discovered a new word too - psychical! It means: Of, relating to, affecting, or influenced by the human mind or psyche; mental.

And here I thought they were making it up.

Laughing rhythms and a cough herald "King King Bless You!" Vocals are slower, funkier, and have a kind of cartoon feel. Admittedly that cartoon would have to be South Park. Actually, this really does sound like South Park. If South Park performed Thrash Metal. Titus even sounds a little like Cartman, with the squawk to his voice.

Surprisingly good guitars, and what is this? A Metallic cover! An ACOUSTIC Metallica cover by one of the craziest thrash metal bands ever to come out of Eastern Europe. It's "Seek and Destroy" and has an almost eastern vibe going for it. It's actually really very good. I believe there's a guest vocalist on here, adding a shrill, thin, feminine voice to the chorus. This is the kind of cover song I like - sounding little like the original.

I'm not sure how to describe the intro to "Rock N Roll Beast". It sounds a little like a grown-up pretending to be a toddler that's possessed by a demon. The music is chaotic and frantic, the rhythms a swift and tangled complication. The chorus is fast and funky.

"Rats/Feeling Nasty" has Titus switching from his squawk and into a lower register (at least at first). The guitarist/s seem to be sliding up their guitar. Then it switches to classical, and falls into something akin to funk metal. It's all over the place, but crazy fun.

However, "Poplin Twist" is surprisingly sophisticated. It's slower, with steadier rhythms, some very trebbly percussion lines and vocals of a lower and less cartoon-chicken-like. Some nice harmonising on the choruses. Lyrics are rather nonsensical, but oddly amusing:

"I leave the shadow of my shapely ass for those sick prophets, leave them alone."

 "Masterhoods of Hearts Devouring" starts with a roaring, raucous, rampage; before suddenly switching to piano and melodious guitar rhythms. Just ever so slightly off key, and with the drummer being slightly off time. Then BAM the vocals storm the song, so fast and reckless that it's completely indecipherable.

"You Are Lost My Dear" has stronger metal and funk fusion rhythms.

Back into something weird, "Menel Song" is acoustic and mostly vocal, with only light drums and guitar for accompaniment, along with weird blasting noises. Titus still sounds like a dangerous cartoon bird. Combined, interwoven with the verses is a chorus of  "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life".Which says a lot about where their humour is coming from.

Some rather technical structures, guitars that sound faintly sci-fi, and chug-chug-chug rhythms display that fact that these are competent musicians (despite some evidence to the contrary). "Blood is Boiling" feels more like a traditional thrash song.

"My Caddish Promise" starts with slamming, thrashing instruments and zappy laser noises. Most bands do love songs, AD do a hate song. With really weird lyrics.

"I require it, my sweet sexual straggeler cremate yourself for me."

It's hard to describe the vocals, some words seem to have bits clipped off them, adding an odd accentuation to the lyrics. I think there are two vocalists doing this track, because Titus's squawk is also in there.

"I will hate you tomorrow, just like I hate you today. It is my caddish promise."

Another competent and technical opening to "Mentally Deficient". Vocals hurried and raucous. Slowing, speeding. Twangy guitar rhythms. Slamming drums. Guitar races.


"Hell it is a Place on Earth" is another fast, thrashy, number with an element of melody buried somewhere in there.

Creeping, creeping, we have "Ronnie and the Brother Spider". Seems to be about how Ronnie has died, at the edge of town. Vocals are somewhat funky. Full of explectives.

"I'm a Rocker" is another chaotic and crazy piece, with little to recommend it.


Acid Drinkers are crazy. Quirky. Fun. Titus's voice gets on your nerve after a while: he sounds a little like a caricature. The rhythms are all over the place, racing each other, slowing, jerking back and forth and sometimes out of time (but it seems to be on purpose). The humour is somewhat offensive, and the entire album is peppered with swear words, but it has a playful appeal - for those who like that sort of thing. For those that don't, this album would suck. It's very trebly, with some complex musical arrangements and the guitarists show technical prowess, even if they're indecisive about where to go. They're either insane or geniuses, but they're definitely different.

Rating = 6.5/10

* Where's your punctuation for sarcasm when you need it?

Wolfspider - Kingdom of Paranoia (1990)

My first introduction to Wolfspider, and Polish metal in general, was the Speed Kills 5 album which contained no less than four Polish bands: Turbo, Dragon, Acid Drinkers and Wolfspider. Oddly enough, in the wikipedia page both Dragon and Wolfspider appear to have been forgotten about. Admittedly, Dragon are more death metal (and thus might not appear on a thrash band lsit), but Wolfspider are definitely thrash. Anyhow, I heard the song "Black n Whites", really liked it, found this on cassette tape and bought it. Found another copy or two a while later in the bargain bins for $2, so I bought them too as ways of introducing my overseas friends to them. Then I finally acquired it on cd when it was re-issued and - after years of trying - also managed to get their follow up album "Drifting on a Sullen Sea". So yeh, I like Wolfspider and Acid Drinkers are quite amusing, but the rest of the Polish Thrash scene I can take or leave* - and would prefer to leave, dziękuję.

The cover is moody and strange. The ocean, reflecting the full moon above as a quater moon. A man in (ugly checkered) suit and tie atop a throne from which unrolls a crimson carpet, towards a cage in which three soldiers protest their capture. Between them, a dog with the head of a man grovels at the suited man's feet, his head turned to glare at the soldiers. One cannot help but feel there is some sort of political message here and the lyrics also reflect similar themes of social issuses and political complications, all written in halting broken English. Inside the band all look so young and curly haired.

The album opens with the classically inspired intro to "Manifestants" which is rich and evocative, gutiars interweaving into a fine tapestry that then blasts into rapid drumming and stampeding guitars. Vocalist Jacky shouts for the most part, but he has a silvery iron edge to his voice and falls into erratic, almost funk, rhythms for some of the verses. It's erratic, jerky and surprisingly effective. This is a song of revolution:

"Revolution - we want freedom, we want rights
Revolution - no one will rule us again
People want to rule."

Time for a brief history lesson - Poland were shaking the shackles of Communism 1989-1991 - when this album was written and made.

My favourite Wolfspider song "Pain" is a broken and grieving song, still containing the raw and brutal energy of thrash but containing a deeply emotional, raw side. It is a song of death and loss - a drunk driver steals the life of child and wife, and the husband mourns his loss whilst also raging his anger.  The tempo switches from anger to grief within a few erratic bars making it jarring and real and very affective.

The thrashing "Black n Whites" was the first ever Wolfspider song I ever heard.The vocals are a high and semi-tortured whine. There seems to be a bit of a religious feel to the lyrics, which for the most part do not make a lot of sense:

"Father from the stars, your servants serve you so poor
there are many traitors greedy for dough
father from stars, they don't treat you with respect
it isn't good to follow your footsteps anymore."

The last is sun in an almost melodious manner. His accent shines through in everything he says, and pronounces some words almost phoentically.

"Foxes" is a song about deception. It starts fast and jerky, before smoothing up for a few bars then going chaotic again. Another jerky, erratically tempoed piece.

"Waiting For Sense" has a slight funk rhythm to the vocals, although the instruments are still fast and hard and all over the place. Chorus is, again, surprisingly melodic, as is the rather more traditionally paced guitar solo. At least for the first few bars.

It's time to get funky as we enter the "Desert". The rhythms are mainstreamed now into more traditional funk metal, with the guitars zig-zagging across them and then the drums going wild.

"Sickened Nation" is a crazy and restless song. Jerky, erratic, and with surprisingly polished guitar solo.

The opening guitar chords of "Nasty-ment" are very technical and soon fall into a race with the drums. This is an instrumental, and it is a frantic flurry of instrumentation.

The pace drops back into steadier rhythms for "Survive". Vocals are the high, slightly off-tune whine. The chorus has appeal:

"Look! A bird's flying in the sky so free and so proud
try to bear it like it does, to pass over that."

 Final track, "Weakness" is a bonus not included on my cassette versions. It was a bit of a surprise when I finally heard it (the lyrics were printed on the cassette sleeve, even though the song wasn't on it, so I knew it existed) because it's completely different in tempo and melody, being more reminscient of an old love song, maybe from back in the 60s or something. The lyrics are rather amusing, and seem to be about how girls are his weakness (either that or alcohol). After the opening verse it rapidly declines into the rather frantic, chaotic rhythms we've grown used to, but it slows down for the vocals. It's crazy, fun and quirky. Complete with drunken singing. Just ignore the sexploitative nature to the lyrics.

In small doses, Wolfspider are very cool: with their erratic, jerky rhythms; melodic almost metallic** vocals; crazy lyrics and competent instrumentation. Too much of them, and it starts to wear on you, making you feel sort of edgy and restless. It is hard to relax or concentrate on anything else. Probably due to the pace and chaoticness of the rhythms.

Rating = 6.5/10

* For fun here's some more Polish metal (and it's all pretty thrash and aggressive and not aurally pleasant to me):
Dragon "I Spit in Your Face"
Turbo "Barbaric Justice"

And here's Vader "Never Say My Name" (this is the first time I have heard them)

** I can't think of a better way to describe it - it's a sharp knife-like whine with a softer edge.

Twisted Tower Dire - Crest of the Martyrs (2003)

Funny story time... For T, I was debating whether to listen to this album or To-Mera's "Transcendental" and thus I pulled both off the shelf to give 'em a spin and see what I felt like listening to. To-mera was very dusty, and the sticky label on the slipcase particularly resilient to removal, and when I slipped out the plastic box and opened it. It was empty. No cd. Surely I've listened to this at least once, I pondered, and opened every cd drive in the house, including that of my old computer, of which the HD and box sits beside my desk. All empty. So, either I've managed to misplace the disc or I have never, ever opened this cd box and never received it. On the plus side - my brother may have a copy or I could buy it on itunes for $14.32.  Just debating whether it's worth it. The music store I bought it from - Real Groovy, have all closed their doors now, but I emailed the guy's new store, on the off-chance that the disc is lying around in the "lost boxes" pile somewhere. Not gonna hold my breath though!

Thus Twisted Tower Dire "win" this round!

TTD are an American power metal band from Virginia. They formed in 1995 and don't appear to have much else of note about them - or a wikipedia page (and wikimetal is broken).

It is a highly attractive album. Another digipack. The cover shows a graveyard on fire - the orange and the indigo a pleasant contrast. The flames form a hoard of tiny figures, carrying amongst them crucifixes from which their victims hang. The Grim Reaper rises in the darkling sky whilst lightning crackles around him. The gravestone contains the legend "The Disciple's Hate is darker than the martyrs". This cover is replicated inside on the booklet. The cd is also highly attractive, ringed in runic symbols and branded on the flipside with a ring announcing the band's name and their album title.

The album blasts into "At Night" with its old school metal rhythms and structures - reminiscent of Dio and with a hint of Warlord, even sounding slightly sludgy with that garage sound.

Somewhat more slamming, it's time for "Some Other Time, Some Other Place." Vocals are middling low, lower than most melodic metallers, but higher than baritone. Catchy chorus, over the bam-bam-bam of the drums and the shrill flurry of guitars.

We gallop into "Axes and Honour", another solid rockin' number. The theme is very mediaeval, somewhat Arthurian:

"Come, join our crusade. With axes and honour, our way of life's saved."

 It feels a little like they're trying to capture the mood of Manowar, but their music lacks somewhat in the creative, quirky charm. It's powerful and competent, but perhaps a little too polished, despite the slightly tinny edge to the mix. It feels to me rather like this is actually a record, not a cd.

"To be a Champion" feels like an American Hammerfall. The vocals aren't as pure and high, but the rhythms and structures are strong. The choruses are valiant and the sort you can chant (or scream) along with. Some nicely harmonic chanting too.

Another strong, solid number is "Infinitum". Vocals feel a little closer to shouter than singing, although he does get a bit melodious at times.

Similar structures in "Fight to Be Free". Faster pace. Violent lyrics:

"I'll kill who I can, spill blood upon the sand..."

By "Transfixed" we are definitely fitting into a musical pattern. Every song moves at a decent pace - not too fast but certainly not slow, the vocals vary from shout-singing to the occasional more melodious, same pitch, soaring chorus, and every so often there's a chorus of voices.

Picking up the pass and sliding in the sludginess for "Guardian Bloodline". I must confess, I've kinda tuned out now. The songs are rather lacking in diversity and although by themselves they're decent enough to listen to, in totality, the album is a bit on the drab side.

Gentle guitar, like sunbeams shimmering through leaves. Vocals soft and gentle, like a leaf dancing on the breeze. "The Reflecting Pool" is the most original and interesting track on this album, creating a feeling of golden sunlight shimmering across the azure waters. Of course, then it ruins it by charging back into the same rhythms we've already listened to on the previous 9 tracks. Really rather intense guitar duelling. Rapid drumming. Quite dramatic.

Finally we conclude with "False Orion", another slower number, with some interesting, poetic wordplay:

"As the smoke clears all the children's tears turn to dust in the wind..."

Moody and maudlin, with nice choruses and a good eerie feel. Then we rock on into that style we're becoming rather used to.

If Scanner were a European band that sounded semi-American, TTD are an American band that sound borderline European. The rhythms and structures are good and strong, very competent medieaval/fantasy metal. Not enough variety to totally stimulate my senses, however. The vocals are also a tad tending towards mild irritation.

Rating = 6/10

Paradise Lost - Draconian Times (1995)

I started off P with the album "Icon", by this band, but after listening to four tracks realised I didn't feel like reviewing it just yet. So I plucked out this one instead. It's prettier, and more interesting, musically.

Paradise Lost formed in England in 1988 and started as death metal, moving slowly but steadily further into the doom metal scene, adding goth elements and eventually turning fully goth-metal. This is their fifth and most successful album. They are still active today.

 The cover is beautiful. In rich shades of reds and blues, a man, hands crossed against his chest, butterflies dancing around his face. All in eerie, surreal-ness. Inside, the colours and surreality continues, creating a dream-like, otherworldly feel of lyrics, band portraits, fossils and insects.

The album opens with the haunting piano of "Enchantment". Vocalist Nick Holmes has a low voice, not too deep but rich and gentle, with the occasional shouted line. The song moves at a slow, but steady pace, creating a stirring, not-quite-relaxing atmosphere. It is rich, evocative.

Faster guitar and solid drums urges us to seek "Hallowed Land". Vocals are rougher, rawer, but still accesible. Piano overtakes and the bridge is a haunting melody.

"The Last Time" is a rockier number, with a nicely repetitive and catchy chorus so that you can sing along - even if you cannot ever remember hearing this song before. Good beat, great vocals.

The opening vocals of the next track (following after a sample) awaken something in my subconscious. I had forgotten this song, but I used to love it, playing it regularly and loudly, and knew all the words. Yet somehow I had forgotten all about it! "Forever Failure" might sound like a depressing song, but it stirred something in past me. Although I must admit, the lyrics are quite negative:

 "High times are courageous, but in truth they serve no purpose. Induced, reduced, unable and afraid..."

It's funny that I liked this song so much, because Holmes is doing his guttural-shouting vocals, but it just works. And then as we slide into the chorus he drops into his sexy baritone and sends shivers down my spine.

Another rocking, energetic number; "Once Solemn" has more shouted vocals. Not overly inspiring.

"Shadowkings" is similarly solid and heavy, with shouted vocals. I really wish he would sing more. He has a beautiful singing voice. Ah, there we go - on the chorus.

We drop down into slower rhythms for "Elusive Cure". Mosty gloom-laden and heavy, it does have its softer moments.

With lighter guitar and drums "Yearn for Change". Then the guitar grows in complexity and the pace picks up. Vocals low, a little raw. Later though, the sexy baritone comes back ^^

"Shades of God" starts with haunting, echoing, slow guitar rhythms.Otherwise, much of the same as above.

The opening vocals of "Hands of Reason" reminds me of Ozzy, I think it might also be the slow Sabbathical rhythms.

Following on we have the similarly structured "I See Your Face".

"Jaded" is slow, moody. Gloomy:

"The feeling can't avoid you..."

And thus concludes a decent doom and gloom gothic album. It's not particularly great, certainly not compulsory or compulsive listening. A bit repetitive for my tastes, but with a few stand out numbers. Similar in style to Lake of Tears, but rather lacking in their creative, whimsical charm.

Rating = 6/10

Nemesis - Day of Retribution (1984/2007)

In Edling's own words (from the 2007 re-release of this cd):

Nemesis was never a great band. We were ok some days, crap others. But we rehearsed often, had so much fun, with a burning ambition to do better...

Leif Edling, guitarist and vocalist, was 21 at the time of this album's original release, and he later went on to form Candlemass, one of the most epic and inspiration doom bands ever to step out of Scandinavia. Nemesis was not his first band, but it was the first that released an actual album (an EP). There were 2000 copies pressed originally, about half of which sold and the young, naive band never signed a contract and thus got a bit royally screwed when their record label went bust. After the release of this EP and the legal issues, and the fact they couldn't get another vocalist or a reliable second guitarist, AND a company called NEMESIS were going to sue us if they didn't change the name... Well, the band split and from the ashes, Candlemass was born.

The cover is pink. Edling hates this. He thinks the warrior woman on a horse looks like the scribblings of a 5 year old. This is the second time the album has been re-released and it still features that cover! I kinda like it - the warrior on the horse is abstract, indicated more with smudges of ink than actual lineart. And the CD is inside a nice slipcase with the same image on it. Inside the sleeve is Edling's little rant. It's rather self-deprecating, and quite amusing. That's where I got most of the above information from.

Edling likes this particular re-release - even if it does come with the original pink cover! There's some old photos (so young!) and a bunch of bonus demos - so let's give it a spin, shall we?

"Black Messiah"* has achingly slow drums. Leif's voice is powerful, echoing and deep, ending in a snarl. Rather like a devil, or fallen angel. This is the only album he sings on, even the early Candlemass album has a different vocalist. Deep, slow beats, ponderous rifts. It is raw and sludgy, like something rising from the darkest pits.


Faster, filled with raw savagery, "In God We Trust" makes an effort at catchy choral melodies but does not quite suceed. Does have an interesting, slower bit, giving Edling a change to demonstrate his ability to do doom-esque vocals.

"Theme of the Guardians" is likewise slow and sludgy, ponderous and filled with haunting doom.  The vocals are almost drowned out by the thunderous stormcloud wall of the guitars. Still, it chimes through every now and then, like the tolling of a heavy bell.

We pick up the pace a teeny tiny step, for "The King is Dead". It is dramatic, Edling's voice a chameleon, turning one minute from low, deep and bordering on melodic, to a savage snarl.

The final on the EP - "Goodnight" was an Angelwitch rip-off and not supposed to be on the album at all - but it's one of my favourites. Edling's voice rises from the sludgy mix of guitars and drums, a haunting, fallen angel. It actually reminds me of early King Diamond.

Now we're into the bonus demos, from 1983 - including all of the above, except "goodnight".

The first "In God We Trust" is very raw. The drums sounding not unlike someone thumping on skins way off in the distance. The guitars are a sludgy wall, over which Edling's voice soars and swoops, sounding slightly fuzzy around the edges. It truly makes you appreciate how much mixing and polishing goes into creating the sound that gets to the pressing. It does, however, make the lyrics easier to hear.

"Theme of the Guardians" seems to have greater clarity of sound. Again, the vocals dominate the mix - a nice change from the earlier tracks in which they kept getting bogged in the sludge. Lyrics still indeciperable, except for the occasional word here and there.

This version of "Black Messiah" is pretty good. Edling's voice is strong, although at times sounds a little strained and painful (for him, not me).

And in this version of "The King is Dead" I can actually decipher the lyrics:

 "And the prophet said 'The king is dead, but where did he go?
To serve in heaven? To rule in hell?'"

Ah, literary references.
The mix seems stronger, more polished here, or perhaps I'm getting used to the sludgeness. It truly makes you appreciate the clarity of sound you get in modern recording studios. Then again, the sludge can be half the charm.

And keeping in the whole medieaval theme - let's "Burn the Witch". I can almost see the circling villagers, flaming torches and pitchforks in hand, chanting along with the chorus.

"Burn the witch, burn her down; burn her down to the ground..."

How do you burn a witch to the ground?

Churning, thrashing: "The Act" is fast and frantic. I *think* it's about either attending a metal concert or performing one. Drums are a bit tinny. Actually, listening closer - I think it might be about sex.

Edling is not actually a bad vocalist, comparable with Johann Lundvist from Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. I suspect he is largely let down by the mix, which has all the sludge and garage sound typical of the early 80s.  This is a ponderous, doom-laden and, at times, quite vicious album.

My ranking is 6/10.

* This was recorded by Candlemass under the name "Incarnation of Evil" (on Ancient Dreams), if you wish to compare the two vocalists.

Lions Share - Two (1997)

Swedish band, Lions Share formed in 1987, suffering through many line-up changes. This is their second full length album (as you may have guessed) and is a progressive, melodic hard rock album with metal elements. They are now classified as "Power Metal" by Encyclopdia Metallium.

Just had a listen to a couple of their more recent tracks. Not overly impressed. This one is better.

It has a sort of progressive-hard-rock look to the packaging. Cover features two molten dolphin leaping from a chessboard. Black on white inside, very straightforward and very easy to read. Lyrics one page, band member photo on the other. They all look rather serious. On the back int contains the legend "Absolutely no gates used in this cd". Not sure what that means. So I asked google:

A noise gate or gate is an electronic device or software that is used to control the volume of an audio signal.

So, you learn something new everyday. I guess that means their sound is more authentic?

A chugging with pompous organ-synth opens "Wild at Heart". Full bloated, stirring. Guitars shift in and the rhythm surges forth. Vocals enter, smooth, almost sweet of a pitch not unlike Dream Theater. Surges into more full-blown shouts and bellows, with backing vocals sweeping around it like disembodied voices. Soemwhat savage and aggressive, as befits the lyrics:

"You know I've got a mean streak and you know that nothing can stop me now!"

The keyboards go a little wild in the solo.

The "Lord of the Pain" enters with lower, smooth vocals overlaid with gutteral shouting. Loud, aggressive, with violent rifts and churning emotions.

"Transient" starts with a blast. Shouting and singing combine in this sci-fi themed song with its rock rhythms.

The super-dooper-power-ballad "Don't Come Easy" feels almost like a parody, it's so different from the others. Vocalist Andy Engberg almost seems to be crooning. His voice is filled with passion and this is just like those good old-fashioned rock ballads of the late 80s/early 90s, complete with sing-a-long chorus and backing vocalists. It's uncanny, and quite beautiful, really. Engberg should sing more often.

"Shadows" was the first song I heard by Lions Share - played on MTV and it's a pretty epic hard rock piece. It starts with an aural assault like an avalanche of sound as the guitars and drums thrash, before Engberg's voice rises with the power and clarity of a deity rising from the stone. It is an immense and mighty song.

This is followed by another semi-ballad, "Baptism of Fire" has its slower moments. It is a stirring piece, complete with choirs. And latin. It makes me wonder if Lions Share are a Christian band. There's even a touch of Enya-style warbling. For a heartbeat, no more. There are some odd and intricate little quirks weaving their way through this track, bringing it into dramatic and passionate life.

Now it's time for a New Wave cover. Secret Service's "Flash in the Night". Not sure why metal bands like to cover New Wave tracks - this is the third I've heard in the last week. Here's the original. Whilst keeping the rhythms and structures the same, it is transformed into a dark and brooding Hard Rock piece, still retaining the keyboards. Immense and solid.

Another loud and dramatic piece, "World Gone Wrong" offers more of the heavy rifts, melodic shouted vocals and loud instrumentation, including keyboards. Not a bad piece, but nothing new or dramatic.

We conclude with an instrumental "Rat Race". For an instrumental, it offers little different from the actual songs, except for a bit more keyboard and that rising of drama and tension that builds then fades within a few beats.

Overall, it's an entertaining enough album, if a little too similar to the other bands of the late 90s for my tastes. Except for when they jump back into an 80s power ballad. Bit too shouty and not enough singy.

This earns it a rating of 6/10.

The Best of Noise 1999

No, this is not my listing for "T" because that would be really lame, using "The" when I still have quite a few T albums to work through. This is the opportunity for me to listen to the bonus cd included with Stratovarius's "Chosen One"'s compilation.

Our first offering is "Ring of Fire" by metal legends, Virgin Steele. The vocals are raw, with a razor edge but also a hint of melody. Sounds rather old-school metal, with a definite American edge. Catchy choruses and a touch of keyboards.

Heavenly are a French neo-classical power metal band, but their track "Riding Through Hell" is nothing special. The vocals are raw edged, the instruments fairly repetitive and the structures uncomplicated. There are some nice twiddly guitar bits. This is from their debut album.

"Coming Home" by German band Iron Saviour is equally raw. What is does have, however, is a slightly catchier chorus. It also has Kai Hansen, but he's not doing the vocals -  if he were they would probably sound like Gamma Ray. As it is, they do not stand out stunningly from the preceeding two tracks. Good guitar, of course, cos of Hansen.

Of a faster pace and introducing a more progressive sound, Stigmata IV's "Crusade of Lies". The vocals are uninspiring - raw and rugged. Catchy rhythms and melodies. So far every track has featured a razor-edged tenor vocalist. It must have been a trend of the late 90s. Stigmata IV were a German band that were forced to continuiously change their name and eventually disbanded in 2005.

Kamelot introduce a bit of variety with "Millenium". The fast-paced drums race the keyboards, whilst Roy Khan's voice soars over them. As far as structure and melodies go, it's more akin to speed than the symphonic power metal they are classified under today. This was their first album with Khan, and you can hear the promise of it with the variable vocals and intricate keyboarding. I really must get myself some of the more recent Kamelot.

Introducing a rather more guttural sound - Afterworld bring us "Dark Side of the Mind". Steady pace, galloping drums, harsh vocals. They're a Finnish "power" metal (this ain't power IMO) band that have not even the recognition of a wikipedia page.

Now, here's something with promise - "Shadow Dancer" by Elegy. Vocals are melodic and of variable pitch (ie, he sings both low(ish) and high). Somewhat reminding me of Edguy. It's not extraordinary or original, but it does have appeal and is one of my top picks from this list - partly because the chorus is really catchy. It's colourful and stirring. They were a Dutch band with an unstable line-up. The carnival music at the end is a nice touch.

More raw vocals from German band Symphorce as they are "Retracing the Lines". Again we have unremarkable verses, but a decently anthemic build up to the chorus.

Somewhat dramatic "Thunderstorm" by Iron Fire builds up to the catchy chorus. There's echoes of the 80s reflected in this piece, which reminds me a little of a slower paced Judas Priest. The vocals are slightly lower than most of the other bands in this collection, although he manages something of a crescendo for the chorus. They're from Denmark and this was from their debut cd.

"The Game" begins at a frantic pace, as Headstone Epitaph take their turn. Vocals are more shouted than sung - at least until the chorus, when the backing vocalists display somewhat more vocal versatility than the lead. Uncomplicated, solid with repetitive rifts. I would suspect there are some punk influences here. Formed in 1987, they're from Germany and are still active today - despite only releasing three full length albums.

Bringing in more aggression and making a religious statement, we have Warhead with "The Other Side". This German band have been labelled power metal, but they're more thrash metal with a hint of punk. Despite (or perhaps because of) being very reptitive and mostly uninspiring, this song is annoyingly catchy and will pound through your brain for ages - much as the drums pound through your head while you're listening to it.

Finally we conclude with a rather odd cover by Lefay. Once Morgana Lefay, they dropped the Morgana when they dropped Black Mark. However, it appears Noise wasn't good to them either, because they later returned to BM and reclaimed their full name. The cover they have chosen is "Cocaine" and they have chosen to play it relatively true-to-form - with the solid instruments, slow and steady pacing and relatively low-pitched vocals. Originally performed by JJ Cale, and covered by Eric Clapton, it seems an odd inclusion to the collection, but definitely stands out.

It's not a bad mix, but for a compilation album the songs are all rather similar. There is actually more diversity in Stratovarius' album than there is in this collection of "the best of 1999". It makes for good background noise, and some of the songs are quite catchy, so I'll rank in 6.5/10. The only two bands I am inspired to hear more of are Elegy and Kamelot. Although I am a bit of a fan of Morgana Lefay anyway.

Watchtower - Control and Resistance (1989)

I began today on Operation: Preserve cassette tapes. A few months ago, I purchased this awesome stereo from Dick Smith: Philips AZ1852 (which I see are currently on special for $99, almost tempted to buy a second!). Now, the funky thing about this stereo - which is really rather similar to what they used to call a "Ghetto blaster" is that not only does it play cassette tapes, but it also has a slot to stick a USB stick in and records your cassettes as MP3s. Since I have approximately 3 times as many cassettes as I do CDs (and that's a LOT), this seemed an ideal way to salvage them before the rigours of time claimed them.

It was too late for some - a couple had already succumed to mould, including a Black Sabbath one I was looking forward to hearing again - and others - like my Non-Fiction album, are currently MIA. Luckily I already either own all the bands from that that I liked, or ripped them in a previous project involving headphone cables and Audible. I'm still using Audible, as it is easier to record the entire side of a tape and then divide it up rather then run back and forth hitting stop and record. Especially since there seems to be a delay, and if you push stop-then-record too close together it doesn't record. Also, if you let the cassette stop naturally, it doesn't seem to store it either. Nevermind, I didn't have the whole of "Sanity Assassin" on that cassette anyway - and I DO have it elsewhere.

Today, after several cassette rips, it claimed its first casualty:  Xentrix's "Dilute to Taste". Oh, it has been years since I've heard that horrible crackling and loss of sound that fortells the chewing of a cassette tape and makes you leap to the stereo and try to salvage it. I couldn't - I almost had to cut it to free it, but the stereo seems none the worst for wear and it's not like Xentrix are any good anyhow. I was only thinking of listening to it for "X". But it's not worth the pain that I will have to go through to listen through it!

Anyhow, ramblings aside:
Today's album is another that I first acquired on cassette tape but later purchased on CD for the kingly sum of $9.95 via Echo Records (RIP). It is, alledgely, a special import from Australia. But I guess noone wanted it, which is why it was so cheap. Good for me!

Watchtower are an 80s Thrash/Progressive Metal band from Texas. Their original vocalist, Jason McMaster, went off to join Dangerous Toys (a rather more glam act, alas, not sure what happened to our DT cassette) and they then obtained Alan Tecchio from Speed band, Hades (I have a Hades CD too, you'll eventually get it reviewed here). He later left to join Non Fiction (whose cassette I appear to have misplaced), was later replaced by McMaster, and then returned in 2010 before leaving again.
The cover is kinda nicely done - it's an illustration of a tower, and some arches, with a radiation sign upon them. Most of the cover is purplish-blue and scratched up, with the title being a stark red against it. The limited palatte is quice effective. It does, however, look very 80s. There's a rather cartoony, angry dog on the back. Lyrics inside, and a band illustration in which they all look very young and pretty, with their long, permed hair and posing. They look like they must be in their early 20s at most.

The comparison between American and European metal is quite interesting. Watchtower are loud and aggressive, with jarring, bold basslines, shrill-edged guitars and rapid pace. The vocals are high, a sort of shrieking-snarl*. Ultimately, Americans seems angrier. Their lyrics are more "real" too - dealing with real world social issues rather than the sword-and-sorcery approach of their European counterparts.

The album opens with the powerfully fast, "Instruments of Random Murder". It is based on the Tylenol Terrorist - in which batches of tylenol were laced with cyanide and caused the death of 7 people. Angry, aggressive and of rapid pace:

"We must question the motive of a killer
who kills without vengence, without apparent reason
and leaves death upon the innocent"

"The Eldritch" is epic and forboding. It was the first Watchtower song I ever heard - on the video compilation "Doomsday News". Intense vocals and possibly one of my favourite lines ever:

"Imagination overpowers reason."

Another hectic, frantic, angry song thrumming with tension is "Mayday in Kiev" which is about the Chernobyl Diaster of 1986. The lyrics are very mature with lines like:

"As deadly elemental isotopes spew into the biosphere"

I believe that is the only time I have ever heard "biosphere" in a song. I could be wrong on that though!

And what should we follow that up, but with a song about war and "The Fall of Reason". A slower more ominous start with some nice twiddly complicated guitar bits, adding to the disconcerting, slightly discordant feel. The structures are complex and intriguing.

"Control and Resistance" begins with irratic guitar intermingling with screaming-shrieking vocals. The tensions are high throughout this song, and it is very complex. Watchtower have achieved highily skillful, complicated progressive metal without the addition of keyboards, and without slowing the pace. I am impressed at the way they music weaves itself. I just wish the vocals were a little more variable.

Continuing with the serious themes, "Hidden Instincts" is about brutal crime.The song is equally relentless.

With an erratic beginning, "Life Cycles" settles into a rather smoother passages. I do like some of the messages of this:

"Like the lines on a biorhythmic chart, between the lows the beauty lies. Don't take your failures to heart."

Particularly appropriate since I've just suffered a (admittedly rather minor) blow to my artistic ego and am afraid I am soon to face a worse one.

The album concludes with "Dangerous Toy" a clamorous, cacophanous speed-infused song about not so much a toy as an electric chair. The music is almost like electricity, the guitars exploding up and down in their rifts, whilst Tecchio's shrill warble shrieks over them.

To conclude - a little too much in large doses. The music is complex, riotous and filled with interesting little "twiddly" bits and melodies. The vocals get on your nerves after a time, if only Tecchio could bring it down a pitch or two, perhaps more like he does nowadays. The lyrics are damned fine and quite intelligent, earning this a 6.5/10.

* Tracked down Alan Tecchio on MySpace - now he sings at a lower pitch and sounds more like Dio - great voice!

Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis (1995)

Well, Ozzy Osbourne needs no introduction, but I shall give one anyway.

Born in 1948 as John Michael Osbourne (perhaps his parents were 'Peter Pan' fans?), Ozzy became famous in the 70s as the vocalist of heavy metal forerunners, Black Sabbath - and renowed for living the ideal rock n roll lifestyle of sex, drugs and heavy metal. In more recent years he has become a reality tv star famous for his litany of curse words; shambling, mumbled speech and rebellious teenagers. Of course, the whole family have amtured somewhat now, and probably about half of what we saw on screen was pure Hollywood. I never watched the show - finding it almost an embarrassment, but my brother has read Ozzy's biography and reports him as being an intelligent fellow.

His solo career took a less heavy flavour than Sabbath, more melodic and radio-friendly hard rock. He released a number of solo albums and I own several of them.

In High School (in the early 90s) we had to do a project on a famous person and I chose Ozzy. This was a lot harder in those days - before the tv show, the biography or even the internet, and my research consisted of old fashioned media such as books, my copious collection of metal magazines and a couple of video interviews. At that stage Ozzy was more famous of bring the somewhat creepy guy who bit the head off a  pigeon in a meeting with his recording studio. He also bit the head off a bat in another incident - but he thought it was fake (someone threw it on stage, the sick b**tard). He had to get a rabies jab for that one! It was an effort to find the names of his children, let alone any information abotu them (unlike now, when one only has to pick up the weekly mags).

I saw Ozzy live in Wellington a few years ago. It was pretty exciting, but Ozzy seemed to consider himself a little too "high and mighty" compared to early acts in the evening, like Poison and lacked the stage presence. Also, he kept shouting "I can't hear you" to the crowd - which admittedly was not as big as the promoters would have liked, but possibly it was because he is going deaf - the curse of all musicians that do not take proper precautions when being around very loud music. And the bane of music fans that attend too many live concerts too! (That's why I limit myself to a couple a year).

Anyhow, on to this album. The cover is a monochromatic affair, featuring the silhouette of a naked man, with teeth and eyes superimposed across his body. Inside the cover folds out, revealing the lyrics on one side, and various moody photos of Ozzy and assorted oddments on the other.

The album begins with a track about detective "Perry Mason". It starts with a melancholic orchaestral arrangement (sounds like strings, but could be a keyboard) before cracking into this well-paced rock song. Ozzy has a very powerful voice - soaring and melodic, but with a razor edge to it.

 Again the melancholic orcheastral arrangements, slower this time, as we move into the moody "I Just Want You". It has a powerful feel, but the lyrics seem a little lacklustre:

"...I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, I used to go to bed so high and wired..."

Still, it is not like Ozzy is a young man anymore and this album perhaps reflects a more mature, subdued attitude.

Delicate guitar ushers us into the power ballad "Ghost Behind My Eyes". The music is very polished and quite atmopsheric, but it is quite a lightweight song, very radio friendly. One cannot help but feel that Ozzy was going through something of a nostalgic, wistful time when he wrote this one.

The base thrumms us into the industrial sounding* "Thunder Underground", the music as apt as the name, for it almost resembles a great train booming along the tracks.

 Another mellow number, "See You On The Other Side" is another melodic song loaded with melancholy and a little longing.

A slightly eerie opening welcomes us into the echoing first verse of "Tomorrow". A slightly heavier track but still somewhat edged with darkness and longing.

This feeling continues onwards too, in "Denial". There is a slight urgency to the vocals, the music a somewhat uneasy churning rhythm. One cannot help but feel the words they're hearing.

I have always suspected  "My Little Man" is about Ozzy's son Jack - who would have been about ten when this album was released. Somewhat repetitive lyrics, and a little sickeningly sentimental.

"My Jeckyll Doesn't Hide" picks up the pass a little, with the vocals moving more into urgency and getting closer to the Ozzy we know and love.

Another ballad - this time with piano, is "Old LA Tonight". It's a lovely power ballad, but seems decidedly un-Ozzy.

In conclusion, this is quite a gloomy album. Most of the songs are slow, melancholic and steeped in a sort of wistful longing, tinged with nostalgia, as though Ozzy were being brought, rather reluctantly, to face reality and grow up. The song arrangements are nicely done, and quite emotional, but it lacks the energy and passion of earlier albums. All in all, it feels a bit lacklustre. Also, I am in a bit of a gloomy mood at any case, and I think it is feeding that glumness. I should really be listening to something a bit more upbeat.

Even though I really do like the tunes, I'm going to give it 6.5/10.


* No, it's not the genre known as "industrial" - just industrial sounding - like a train. Okay? And not a train tooting, but a train chugging.