Alice Cooper - Welcome to my Nightmare (1975)

Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, but changed his name to Alice Cooper in the 1970s for legal reasons. His wikipedia page is filled with all sorts of fascinating facts. Here are a few random ones:

• Alice Cooper enjoys golf and plays almost every day, with a handicap of two.
• He hosts a radio show in Vegas, "Nights with Alice Cooper" (we were listening to it, whilst in the 'States and it was like "Wow, celebrities have day jobs too!").
• After recovering from alcoholism, Cooper went on to support other musicians suffering from addiction, including Dave Mustaine of Megadeth.
• His oldest daughter, Calico, appears in his stage show (I've seen it, it's pretty brutal)
• He pays an annual royalty to the original band members for using the name "Alice Cooper" commercially.

I saw Alice Cooper in concert at the epic, 2008 Rock to Wellington. In-a never-to-be-repeated-because-it-cost-more-than-they-made occasion I saw Ozzy, Cooper, Lordi, Poison, Whitesnake and Kiss all take the stage. Cooper was by far the highlight.

Anyhow, now let us go back in time to when I first heard Alice Cooper. It was "Hey Stoopid" and it was on television and I was blown away. From there I tracked down my "friends" with albums, and got my hands on several bootleg versions. This was one of them. Now, I am pleased to say, I legally own my cd copy!

Released in 1975, this was Cooper's first "solo" album. It got mixed reviews, but with its cabaret style structures, dark lyrics and an eclectic cornucopia of compisitions, which will make it all the more fun to dissect. It is a concept album, featuring the nightmares of a young boy called Steven and, I would suspect, his descent into madness. It is theatrical and entertaining.

The cover is indicative of this, with its soft, slate blue background bespectled with pastiline insects, and from a triangular cut-out in the centre rises Alice Cooper himself, resplendent with top hat and suit. It's pretty awesome, and strikes me as being more than a little tongue-in-cheek.

The album opens with "Welcome to my Nightmare"which starts with heavy, almost bluesy guitar chords, dripping with ominous brooding. The vocals are soft, yet eerie in their gentility, growing stronger and increasing in menace. The horns add an almost cabaret-vibe.

Gluggy, rolling rhythms reel us into "Devil's Food" with its echoing vocals. It quickly fades into the awesome Vincent Price and an arachnology lesson extoling the vicious virtues of the Black Widow with deliberate glee.

The creepy, meancing "Black Widow" brings more slow and heavy rhythms in an ode to this, the most venomous of spiders who will rise and dominate the human race. Piano adds to the theatrical style.

More piano, finger-clicking and very much a cabaret sing-along style to "Some Folks".

This leads into the controversial, beautiful and rather melancholic "Only Women Bleed". The gentle, twiddly guitars and Cooper's sorrow-laden vocals add to the atmosphere. This is not a song about menstruation, as was incorrectly assumed by several radio stations (who refused to play it) but rather about domestic violence. An uncomfortable topic, as relvant back in the 70s as it is still today.

We pick up the pace and liveliness for the anthemic "Department of Youth", with shadow of "School's Out" follows.

Then time for everyone's favourite song about necrophilia - "Cold Ethyl" is somewhat macabre yet funny and oh-so-wrong:

"One thing, no lie, Ethyl's frigid as Eskimo Pie..."

Discordant, jerking rhythms as we reach into the madness that is Steven's mind."Years Ago" is haunting and erratic, like the soundtrack to slowly crumbling sanity. Like a broken carnival.

Emotions afflict "Steven" with an overload in the similarly discordant, disconnected and broken track that bears his name.

"The Awakening" is a very creepy piece, short and sinister.

We conclude with "Escape" which seems more like an end-of-the-work-week celebration than anything dark and dire related to the previous tracks.

Overall, I like this cd, it is theatrical and interesting, filled with a variety of songs with varying rhythms - some that send a shiver down my spine and others to which I can sing along. It has menace mixed with playful fun.

I rate it 7/10.

Queensryche - Empire (1990)

This is Seattle band Queensryche's fourth album, and this is the album that brought them to the mainstream. Mainly because of one song - you probably know it. But we'll get there in a minute. First off - the packaging.

 Here we have the tri-ryche again, this time in pixelated glory, it soars over the word "Empire" designed like a tower. In terms of graphic design, it is very basic and kinda rubbishy. They could have done better. Let's hope the music makes up for it!

The album opens with the melodic progressive chords of "Best I Can". A radio-friendly song with decent rhythm and the occasional triumphant soaring of keyboards. A little anaemic, however, sanitised and sterile.

We blast into "The Thin Line" in which Geoff Tate starts with his lower, (slightly) deeper vocals. Low tenor, perchance? Some nice guitar interludes and a gentle bridge into the rockier chorus.

A distant shadow of "Revolution: Calling" - "Jet City Woman" starts with similar chords, but fades into a somewhat bland, exsanguinated number. Entirely too accessible and rather lacking in passion.

"Della Brown" is another gentle number. The vocals are quite nice, soothing, good rhythm.

Finally, something with a bit of spirit to it. "Another Rainy Night", the second single, starts with a more dramatic flourish. The vocals have a little more emotion, touched with pain and building to a powerful chorus. Bittersweet lyrics:

"...Strange how laughing looks like crying with no sound..."

 Starting with an answerphone message, we have "Empire", one of the strongest and more energetic tracks on the album. Lyrics are political, and more in the "Operation Mindcrime" league. It builds strong, has nicely echoey chorus, and Tate has a bitter knife-edge to his vocals.

"Resistance" is also pleasingly powerful, building to a strong chorus and again installs memories of OMC. Tate sounds rather more passionate when singing politics rather than love.

The glorious lullaby, "Silent Lucidity" remains the 'ryche's most well known - and probably their best - track. Ever. The use of orchaestral elements gives it majesty and power, and Tate's lower tenor is deeply soothing, slightly sexy and laden with emotion. This track, alone, deserves 10/10. The whispered "help me" sends a shiver down my spine.

"Hand on Heart" tries to be a powerful piece, but "Silent" is a hard act to follow. Tate's voice is smooth and flowing, like a creamy hot chocolate. Some passion, still a bit commercial, however.

Another somewhat sterile, but still appealing piece "One and Only".

The mournful "Anybody Listening?" seems a desperate, anguished plea for someone, anyone, to listen, to realise. The music is strong, thick, laden with guilt and social conscience. Tate's voice tempered with dedicaation and desperation. Deliciously low, thick, melancholic. A fine conclusion.

Something of a santised, polished and radio friendly album from Queensryche. It does contain the one song that made their names known - and is pretty much the only Queensryche song I've ever heard on the radio, outside of specialised "metal" shows (when I used to request a different track from them every 2-3 weeks). The album starts weak, builds to its climax, peaking at "Silent Lucidity", although the songs that follow are still more spirited than the opening. The first four almost had me giving this a lousy 5/10, but I now feel more comfortable lifting it to a 7/10.

The Chills - Submarine Bells (1990)

This is the final NZ CD I shall be spinning this month - although I may move onto my cassette tapes.

The Chills are one of the classic Dunedin bands. Frontman Martin Phillips is the only consistent member of the band, and they have released six full length albums - several compilations and a bunch of EPs. This was their third album, and their most succesful (it attained #1 on the charts) - in part due to the explosion of popularity in the whole Flying Nun/Dunedin sound and aided rather by the opening track and first single "Heavenly Pop Hit" which I still regard as one of the Definitive NZ songs. Many of the more modern NZ bands have a polished, American sound, but the sludgy, low mix of the Flying Nun label will always stick in my head as being the true NZ sound. Although it should be noted, this album was not released on the Flying Nun label - this was their first release on a major label - Slash/Liberation.

The cover depicts, I believe, a jellyfish, although it also rather resembles a translucent mushroom. It is very blue.

The opening organ of "Heavenly Pop Hit" is utterly unmistakable, bringing with it a clarity and joy that stirs the spirit and the heart. Phillip's voice is sweet and moderately high.

We have piano and a slightly British feel to "Tied Up in Chains". It reminds me a little of Blur and Madness and that whole English Rock sound of the late 80s. Not so much the Dunedin sound at all. Of course, this is somewhat ruined by Phillip's very kiwi accent.

Another nicely rock number is "The Oncoming Day". It offers little new - just a good pace and steady rhythms, catchy chrous.

We drop to a slightly lower pace for "Part Past Part Fiction" with its dreamy, slightly surreal feeling.

"Singing in My Sleep" is vocally dominated, interlaid with tremolo guitar and keyboard rhythms.

The swooping and gliding flute leads a soft and lilting edge to "I Soar" with its slight folk feel. It's a pleasing, slow song with sunlight shimmering through dappled leaves and a leaf frolicking on the wind.

More organ/keyboards lead us into "Dead Web" with its catchy and rollicking chorus.

Fast paced "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" is a solid rock number, with its steady rhythm. Phillips' Kiwi twang really shows in this number.

Pianoleads us into the more haunting "Don't Be - Memory". Vocals are slightly distorted, echoeey, with a shade of Pink Floyd (but Kiwi).

The beautifully titled "Effloresce and Deliquesce" has a wonderfully folkish aspect to it. The vocals are fast, and pronounciation, an education! To blossom and decay. What magnificant words. And quite a glorious song too, with its playful rhythms.

"Sweet Times" is absurdly short, almost choral and over too soon.

Another haunting number, "Submarine Bells" has the symphonic power of the opening track, but is overset by a melancholy that makes it spine-chilling.

Aside from "Heavenly Pop Hit", this album was previously unknown to me. At least this time it was because it's not my CD, but my husband's (although I do own some CDs that I've not actually listened to). It certainly seems more English than I had expected - with the pacing and music found in bands like Blur and Madness - the whole Britpop explosion. Although, given this album came out at approximately the same time (or before, in some cases), it makes you wonder whether it was intentional or coincidence. The tracks are short, and the whole album only clocks in at around half an hour.

The clarity of sound is certainly very good, and it is an enjoyable and well produced album - just not entirely to my musical tastes. I could listen to it, but I'd probably not buy it (although I may be persuaded to acquire several of the tracks).

Rating = 7/10

The Brunettes - Paper Dolls (2009)

We are now reaching the end of New Zealand Music Month and I had run out of NZ music cds (excluding my husband's Chills cd, which we have temporarily misplaced the case for, and I still have a number of cassettes to fall back on, anyhow). That was, until I went shopping today. To a music store. Two music stores in fact: the first, Penny Lane, almost lured me into purchasing Pumpkinhead's "Sloth" and the Nixon's "Foma". Luckily I resisted the latter, because I had neglected to remember that whilst there was an NZ band called The Nixons, they had to change their name to Eye TV due to the American grunge band by the same name. And this cd was that of the US band, misfiled in the NZ section.

Anyway, I found my way into another music store (Marbecks) and lucked upon this album instead, for the kingly sum of $10. Now, you might have come to the theory that I am a bit of a metalhead - so the fact that I now own all of the Brunette's full-length albums may surprise you. They are not even close to metal - they are bouncy, poppy; sweet and innocent with a touch of bubblegum and cotton candy. They are rainbows and kite flying; rollerskates and icecream. They are diners and discos; paper dolls and hairagami. They are a duo from Auckland that sound like the belong not only in California, but in California some 50 or more years ago.

They are a charming, quirky, whimsical and playful delight. As is reflected in the album cover. This one is a paperfold out affair with some lovely pencil renderings of Jonathan and Heather, including your very own set of very small paperdolls - complete with clothes. But don't cut them out, because you'll ruin your album cover! It has a clean and polished look to it, rather more whimsical to the sophisticated but sterile whiteness of "Structure..."

As the follow-up to "Structure and Cosmetics", this album also displays a distinct evolution from the 60s bubblegum of their first two albums. It seems they have now attained the 80s.

Piano starts us "In Colours". Colourful, playful, with tinkly, boppy rhythms and percussive instruments. Somewhat more electronic feel than the earlier two albums, and the drum machine merely accentuates that. Heather's voice starts us off, clear and sparkling like a bell, before Jonathan joins her in a harmonising echo.

The drum machine dominates "Red Rollerskates", synth/keyboards soaring back and forth like something from the 80s meeting the 60s - electronica meets retro. Jonathan's voice is distorted, fuzzy at the edges, Heather's chorus pure and sweet - as her asthma problem is cured by the acquisition of a pair of red rollerskates so that:

"...I bought some rope and red rollerskates - now I pull her 'round behind me"

Their lyrics are as delightfully quirky as ever.

Electronica synth retro makes "The Crime Machine" sound almost like an old computer game, bringing us into the 80s. Singing about the 1920s. Echoey computer voices and those high bauble notes should make it feel very dated, but it's so polished and smooth it's just beautiful.

The synth, drum machines and bobbly music continues in "Bedroom Disco" with its powerful rhythms that almost drown out Heather's silver voice. The Macarena is mentioned.

Only the Brunettes could make chip tunes* sound eerie, as "Paper Dolls" has a hauntingly spectral edge to it, enhanced by the slow, high guitar tremelo and the occasional dip and dive of string instruments. It is an unusually eclectic combination of sounds. Heather's voice is its usual, innocent and fragile self; whilst Jonathan's more droll and serious strikes a strange harmony. The lyric sheet finishes about halfway through the song, with some odd stationery references in the latter part:

"... a post it note beside the phone. An HB pencil sharpened well..."

It's time to make a "Connection". Opening with more of the eerie and synthesized keyboards, then the boppy, poppy rhythms come in, Heather's voice all pure sweetness and innocence. Interestingly enough, the lyrics reflect a more modern era than the music does, and it appears that they both enjoy French films. The drum machine is back in, along with some very tinkly rhythms.

There's something very, very familiar about the opening melody to "It's Only Natural". It certainly has very bouncy rhythms. When I saw it on the tracklist I was kinda hoping it would be a cover of a NZ classic, but it's a song about hair colour, I believe. Very boppy and retro. Polka dots and high hair.

And the drum machine is back; bringing with it a somewhat dance vibe. "Magic (No Bunny)" is another playful duet; combining Heather's high and playful innocence with Jonathan's more sophisticated, droll humour.

A hauntingly melancholic piece, "If I..." has a romantic feel to the music, and also the lyrics - until you start studying them closer. The duo discuss their feelings on what should happen if one of them were to, well, die:

"If I should accidentally die and leave you much too soon - would you play and sing our songs the same, with somebody new?"

The reference to Jonathan as a "sweet romantic tool" is quite amusing.

Guitars and actual drums bring us into the closing track, as the duet say "Thank You". To all of the fans, the listeners, around the world. It's bubbly and bright and kind of reminds me of ABBA.

Overall, this is a fun and playful album. The mix is not as strong as the previous endeavours: the electronica chip tunes drowning out the vocals in some of the tracks. Overall it seems a little less experimental, despite the 80s vibe to the instrumentation (I think I prefer the percussion, thank you) and lacks some of the freshness of the earlier albums. Whilst still a pleasing aural experience, it does feel rather like they've found their niche and are now stuck in it.

It's also a very short album, clocking in at around 35 minutes.

Rating 7/10.

* My husband just told me the official name for them!

Dead Flowers - Sweetfish (2004)

Auckland band, Dead Flowers, followed up their 1993 release with this album - "Sweetfish" in 1994. The cover is very colourful and reminds me of some of the Art Trading Cards I've seen on my favourite forums. Lots of faces, eyes, hands and worms all randomly juxtapositioned around each other and all in vibrant and bright colours. It is vibrant and psychaedelic and fun.

First track "Watch Her Play" varies little from those on their earlier album - it is poppy and colourful, fast and sunny.

Still bright and bouncy, but Bell's vocals are taking on a slightly rawer edge with the inappropiately named "Gothic". The lyrics and vocals have a somewhat nasty edge but overall, it's fast and almost cheerful sounding.

Somewhat moodier, "Same Same" might seem an odd song to release as a single - given the chorus is along the lines of "it's the same, same shit... no one to blame everyone to bitch" and of course it got editted when it was played on public television. You can't say "shit" on tv! Another with a bitter edge. Good rhythms: fast verses, smooth purr of a chorus. Kinda catchy, but you've gotta watch where you sing it!

This is followed by the other single release: "Home". Released the year after Pumpkinhead's "Home" and a year before Shihad's "Home Again".  Not sure what it is about NZ bands' obssessions with home. This one is a fast and frantic, helter-skelter piece with aggressive guitar and whining vocals.

A slower number, "She Can't" features the now fairly standard semi-whining vocals. The music is smooth, but with erratic quirks and the chorus a steady and catchy pace.

A nice intro into "Dead Boy" with repetitive twiddly guitar rhythms giving it an almost oriental flavour. repetitive but shows some pretty competent guitaring. The last line is pretty cool:

"Too much like a praying mantis couple - give it up lest your head will tumble."

Now we race into the almost-punk frenzy of "What Do You Take Me For?" Vocals by Damon Newton, who is a lot rawer than Bell.

We mellow a little for "Shades", slowing the pace and with Bell's voice returning in its usual maudlin counterpance.

Heavy bass leads is into "Some Brain Ride" with its low and somewhat ominous vocals and rhythms.

Picking up the pace again, "Not Ready" starts with a guitar eruption and displays some rather competent rockin' out.

Slow again, as we fall into "Slumber". Starts slow and dreamy with the lightest of drums. Building, vocals rising like a gentle embrace. Soothing, soft, like lying in a pile of pillowy clouds. The guitars join in, lightly strumming. Then it surges into awakedness. An goes on for a very long time...

"Spaceboy" is the slow, melodious and haunting conclusion to the album, and the stand out track in my opinion. It's beautiful.


Overall, a fairly uninspiring album, perhaps following too fast on the heels of the debut. Very few of the songs offer anything new or different and it all rather blurs into one. Not a bad album by any regard, just not particularly fresh and original and with few stand-out tracks.

Rating = 7/10

Dead Flowers - Skin of a Stone (1993)

It appears that 1993 was the hayday of NZ rock music. The Dead Flowers were an indie-pop-rock band with a few hard rock elements that formed in Auckland in the early 90s. They received reasonable airplay and modest levels of fame, including opening for some well renowned acts - including Guns N Roses and received good reviews and overall seemed to have been on the road to success.

Their first single was "Lisa" and I actually went to a short acoustic performance at a local music store, and got my cassingle autographed. They laughed at me - in a nice way - because at that point they'd been around for some time and released a lot of other stuff and here I am presenting them with a cassette tape to sign - and not even a full length album , a cassingle. Anyhow, I am pleased to say I now own all three of their albums - two on cd and one of cassette. Although I will confess, they were pretty cheap (this one, for example was 50% off $16.99.

This was the only time I ever saw them live. I guess they never played at underage events locally.

This century, however, it appears they have vanished into obscurity, although vocalist Bryan Bell appears to be pursuing a solo career. The good news is that due to their relatively succesful career, I should have some videos to share with you, the possibly uninitiated reader.

Now, back to their first album release. The cover is one of those fold-out-into-a-poster ones, except that the only cover image is on the bit that sits in front of the cover and the rest is all the lyrics and band photos. The main cover shows a rather distorted and blurry image of an angel statue, next to a headstone. Very moody.

The album opens with the rocking "Be Someone". It's quite heavy, with an edge of aggression. Bell has a strong voice, with a sharp edge of angst. This is a song about paternal child abuse - so pretty heavy stuff, as is reflected in the hard guitars and the angry tone.

"Someday" is somewhat less passionate and inspiring.

There's something undeniably gloomy about "Underground". With its slow rhythms, melodic harmonies on the chorus and general down-tuned sound of the instrumentations. And the lyrics reflect this:

"Goodbye sunshine, hello rain, come tomorrow here again."

 Another somewhat maudlin piece, "Plastic" picks up the rhythm a bit and rises to a relatively stirring (if slightly sarcastic) chorus. I like the video for this one, since they seem to be trying to do the whole vampire-goth thing. The lyrics have a distinctly nasty edge. I would suspect this is a "break-up" song.  Good solo in the middle there, building like a steamroller of disgruntlement.

Sunshine speckled, dreamy guitar with an echoey edge lends us some "Karma" - a song that radiates colour and sunshine, light and love. The vocals are gentle and sweet. A rather short piece.

Erratic, dramatic; like (extremely musical) nails on a chalkboard, we enter into "Madness". There's almost a Deep Purple edge to the opening guitar rifts which are heavy, then dancing up and down the neck. Falls quickly into fairly regular rhythms.

Bright, vibrant and colourful guitar introduce us to "Lisa" this is a cheerful, lively piece with a high edge to the guitar strumming, melodic vocals and a general feeling of sunshine and life.

To follow up the cheer, we have "The Killing of Lisa". This is a slow, acoustic number with a decidedly melancholic edge. You cannot help but wonder how exactly Lisa died - and if it is a physical or metaphorical death:

"Cause you see the sun crashing to the floor. Your rainbows crash and your windmills soar..."

 The not-at-all-country "Better Dead than a Country Singer" follows it up, with its cynical, bitter and somewhat sarcastic edge to the vocals and the mocking rhythms of the instruments.

Another slower piece, with aching vocals, "Ma Ma Picture" has good rhythms, slightly erratic and with a hint of the melancholic.

"Mihi" starts with a quote in Maori, translated into English and then a gentle and sorrow-filled folk song in Maori, from a female singer, Whaea Hadfield (Riqi's wife? Or sister?). About halfway through, Bell takes over, adding his own haunted voice. Another electric acoustic piece.

Final track "Collision" gets off to a headlong, racing start. I reckon this would be a good song to play over surfing video footage. Vocals are fast, frantic and the guitars chug along. Energetic with a hint of aggression and a touch of distortion.

Overall, a polished and very nice album from a skillful New Zealand band. They were professional and talented and produced a good solid, but accesible rock album that has a distinctly kiwi flavour, a touch of sunshine and their own distinct sound. Rating = 7/10

Cop Shoot Cop - Ask Questions Later (1993)

Hailing from New York City, Cop Shoot Cop formed in 1987 and parted ways in 1996. They never achieved commercial success, but did make a few videos and receive at least a little MTV airplay - which was how I discovered them - hearing the awesome "Room 429" on MTV. It was one of those songs that haunted me, I recorded it when it was on, and played it over and over. From then on I would keep an eye out for CSC cds in record stores, without success. Until, finally, I discovered this one in the sale bins in Real Groovy. Sadly, most of the other tracks proved to be a disappointment on first listen - so I listened to it once then filed it away into my collection, to be pulled out and reviewed today.

Unlike most of the bands I listen to, CSC are not guitar heavy. They do not even have a lead guitarist and use a mix of sludgy, grungy sounding instruments, sampling, drums and bass.

It is a cardboard digipack, which means that the labels applied by RG have damaged the cover, tearing off the top layer. It was probably only $5 anyway. Inside it does have a plastic case and the booklet is slotted into the side in the manner that is difficult to remove. The cover features a boy with a gun (I think) printed in red, over what looks like printed duct tape. This duct tape print continues on the inside of the cover and also over the cd booklet which contains the lyrics.

The album opens with the uninspiring "Surprise, Surprise". Industrial noise. Heavy bass. Slow, driving like a sledgehammer. Vocals bold and a little echoey. Shouted, not sung. Aggressive, raw and pretty blah.

This is followed by "Room 429" which is ominous and, although still having the echo qualities, Tod A can in fact sing. He has a low, raw voice which sounds like he's being gargling firewater and chewing sandpaper. I suppose the term gravely would apply, although he manages an almost melodic stretch.

"Nowhere" has a sludgy garage sound. Heavy, clangy drums. Industrial noise. Vocals rising and falling. Low and deep. Like heavy barrels being rolled around a junkyard. Raw and raucous.

The short instrumental "Migration" featured in a Nike advertisement. It has an interesting almost "Ride of the Valkyries" feel, except played through distorted machinery.

With an odd vibrating sound, "Cut to the Chase" contains a mix of classical structures, most of which are played using distortion and bass (low and high) with the addition of violins. It is haunting, looming. The violin is being played in quick little flickering motions, rapid and fluttering like the wings of moths.

Whistling and banging shepherd us in to "$10 Bill". It has a steady tempo, like stomping boots of a marching army, shouted vocals with the hint of a tune. There's trumpets too.

"Seattle" has a grungy, distorted feel to it. All samples and noise gates.  I know what Gates are now thanks to Lions Share.

That steady beating-barrels beat ushers us into the "Furnace". Vocals high, echoe-y and distorted.  I swear someone is shaking a sawblade. Maybe that's what "metal" means under the instrument list.

There's a whiny, exotic quality to "Israeli Dig". Also an instrumental.

Rockier rhythms for "Cause and Effect". More low and high end bass. This is a very bassy album, a sharp contrast to the trebly Polish Thrash bands I was listening to this morning.

Ha-urm, ha-urm. Vocals dominate "Got No Soul" along with an industrial clunking. Kinda reminds me of Nick Cave, accompanied by a machine and strange vibrating, shrill insects. Also maracas, trombones, sax and trumpet.

"Late for work again today. Somebody's lying down on the job again. Will you people please stop jumping under my train?"

Oh my goodness, Tod A can actually sing! "Everybody Loves you (when you're dead)" has an upbeat tempo, despite the negativity of the lyrics. There's even piano in this one, admittedly mostly down the low end. And a lot of random clanging noises. Bit of shouting.

"All the Clocks are Broken" has an industrial goth feel to it. Everything is toned down very low, very bassy. Eerie background noises. Shrill. Ominous. Vocals droning but powerful. Like a voice of nature.

"A broken smile never lies. A busted mirror cannot see you cry."

This album has really grown on me. The arrangements seem to be pretty good and the use of mechanical noise, noise gates and distortion gives it a gritty edge. I'd almost say steampunk, but it's a bit too modern and gritty for that. Initially (when I started listening to it) I was going to give it 5/10. then 6/10 and finally I'm going to settle on 7/10. Repeated listenings work for this one!

Rage - Reflections of a Shadow (1990)

My copy of "Reflections" looks rather the worst for wear. It was a pre-loved copy, acquired because I feared my cassette version would not survive the digital age. The creases are worn, and there is a hole drilled through the plastic box, indicating that before it was being loved, it was being very unloved; lying disregarded in a CD warehouse until finally its price was reduced. And then, of course, its previous owner chose to pass it on too. This poor, slightly battered, slightly marred cd has now found itself a forever home with me.

This is Rage's fifth album, and the third that I have reviewed (I do own their second, which will be reviewed in due course). It is clean, polished, and so very metal. The cover is, well a bit drab, and fairly bleak - a skull lying on concrete, casting a black shadow beneath it. Maybe it's supposed to be a mirror, not concrete. Hmmm. I remember reading once that Peavey Wagner, the vocalist, collected skulls. Alledgely it's legal to keep human skulls in Germany. The things that stick with you. Maybe this is one of his collection. Maybe it's called Yorick. His skull collecting is confirmed by this article here which also contains a nifty description of this cover that I am resisting plagerising and a review of this album.

I'm rambling. Sorry. Shall we give it a spin? Yes, lets.

"Introduction (A Bit More of Green)" is a nicely classically inspired instrumental. It does have a vaguely organic feel to it - like a sprouting shoot rising from a concrete wilderness.

"That's Human Bondage" has slamming rhythms but a relatively sedate pace. It's not about actual bondage, but about being trapped by society. Still, it's quite a fun song to scream along with when you're listening on headphones. Catchy chorus, vocals a bit indistinct in the verses.

The "True Face in Everyone" is another slower, heavy piece with nicely sung choruses. Otherwise kind of dull.

The heartbroken, tortured emotionally "Flowers that Fade in my Hand" is one of the stand out tracks on this album. Peavey's voice seems broken with his anguish and his desperation. And the music is heavy and emotionally fueled. His falsetto shrieks are a little too high pitched, alas, making him sound a little like a cartoon character*. But he can actually hold his notes quite well.This is the compulsory song about death:

"And I know my death holds no scares. There is no mysterium for someone who dares to die..."

Is "mysterium" actually a word? Yes! It means "overwhelming mystery". Wooh, new word to my vocabulary, taught by someone who doesn't even speak English as a first language (ha, Helloween taught me "darkling").

We pick up the pace again with "Reflections of a Shadow" with its thrashing beats, and rousing chorus. Nice keyboard/organ solo towards the end.

Crazy keyboards and distorted show-tunes type music "Can't Get Out". It's like someone is trapped within a record. Then the drums crash in and the beat begins. The vocals are fast, lower, Peavey is quite close to tripping over his tongue, or possibly falling into funk metal. It's nicely erratic and discordant, portaying a feel of confusion and desperation. I like it. It's different and interesting. The fade out is slow and eerie, and we get to hear Peavey speak - sounding not unlike Dan Swano in his Nightingale album, where he too sucuumbs to insanity.

Ah, now for one of my favourites - "Waiting for the Moon" starts with energy and passion, the vocals turning into snarling melody, twisting into a scream and then soaring into the chorus. This is a nicely catchy, faster paced number with good melodies and a refreshing sense of semi-positivity.

Now, we should have a little "Faith" in Rage. Starts with a scream, and then falls into Peavey's lower range, bitter and broken, pleading. The chorus is torn, pained. Strangely beautiful in its hopelessness. Also their most anthemic song - on this album at least, and contains one of my favourite lyrical quotes:

"We are branches on the tree of life, we can only get together by touching with our leaves. But we've got the same roots close in ourselves, so let's grow up to the sky."

A faster, victorious track, it's time to leave it all behind and "Saddle the Wind".

Another death song. We have "Dust" with its haunting and beautiful verses tainted somewhat by the squealing falsetto on the choruses. Peavey should stick to baritone and low tenor. It does create a mood of passionate desperation, however. Like he is screaming out his grief to the world. A fairly competent and invovled guitar solo.

Another raucous piece, "Nobody Knows" returns to the catchy speed rhythms of the past. Screaming, singing, shouting, Peavey seems completely capable of switching between the three within a few bars.

"Wild Seed" has a good narrative - a story about a young man gone wrong from the start. Fast, aggressive, with a nice warble in the chorus.

I'm not sure why, but I always think of Rage as being the aural equivalent of author Dean Koontz. Like Rage, Koontz is prolificate, releasing at least one book a year. Also, like Rage, he has his specific style which is appealing and with enough quirks to keep you reading his books. However, his books tend to blur into one and some are downright terrible, others just plain bland, and every so often you get the one that is pure gold. For Koontz it is "Watchers" and for Rage it is... not this album. Like Koontz, their earlier stuff is better, with more originality and passion, than the later stuff where it starts to feel like they are just in it for the money and because they are good at what they do.

This is not a bad album. It has some really good tracks, particularly the slower pieces. The album as a whole has cut down the pace rather since the earlier albums. It's not speed metal anymore, but not quite power metal either. It is, like a Dean Koontz novel, worth following through to its conclusion.

Rating = 7/10

* Ever since I read that "Skulls" review I can't stop thinking "Mickey Mouse"!

Freedom Call - Live Invasion (2004)

Another of the NWOEPM, German band Freedom Call formed in 1998, with Chris Bay on vocals and David Zimmerman (from Gamma Ray) on drums and a couple of other members, including Sascha Gerstner who later left to join Helloween. It seems quite probable they are named after an Angra album song.

 I purchased this live version because a, I found it in a store and b, it seemed like a good way to get a lot of Freedom Call's songs in one handy package. It also contains a bonus with the unreleased "Taragon" ep and three cover songs (including one from Ultravox). Sadly, most of the banter between tracks is in German and I cannot understand it - not that they're in for idle chatter anyhow.

Packaging - pretty enough, but not overly stimulating. It is a live CD after all. The band, in sillouette,  facing their audience whilst lighting crackles up with the stage lighting. Inside are various pictures of the band, posting in various places, and also their names. They look like a fun bunch of fellows.

The album beings with a chanting welcome - as befits any live concert. Then the keyboards begin, and "The Spell" is unleashed.  You can imagine the spotlights strafing across the stage, the band appearing from the haze of dry ice as the symphonic sound arises around them. Then they fall into "We Are One" as the  melodies take hold. Bay's voice is mid-high and pure, soaring into a slightly nasal higher pitch, as he rises up the octave, sounding like he's smiling all the while. Repetitive lines, guaranteed to make the audience chant along.

Into a ballad now, get out your lighters! But not for long, because soon the stirring guitars and flaying hair will overwhelm you (and cause a fire risk). Bay's voice swoops and soars competently enough into "Freedom Call". Meanwhile the drums charge headlong and the guitars do their thing. Some nice lower vocals later on.

"Tears of Taragon" starts with the crowd rising their hands, clapping them together. The keyboards and low hymnal notes lure us in to this epic style piece. Nice soaring chorus:

"Fallen Angels, flying high in the sky
Fallen Angels, rescue me again"

 It is now time to undertake "The Quest", starting slow and then charging into the harder and heavier. Dramatic guitar, pace picking up. I guess the Quest is underway. Slowing again. Vocals slow, a little desperate, anxious.

"Heart of the Rainbow" offers nothing new, but Bay does sound very happy. Nice smooth chorus. Menacing middle bit. Keyboard solo! Then guitars. Bit pompous.

Fat-bellied keyboards intermingle with guitars as we charge into "Eyes of the World". It is very nice for Bay to introduce all the songs. Similar structures and vocals to all of the above.

Some nice, deep vocals lead us into a "Metal Invasion". The structure of this one is different, almost making me imagine a line up of armoured metal knights, chanting and stomping in unison.  It quickly switches back to the tried-and-true FC formula, alas.


The following tracks - "Land of Light", "Warriors", "Shine on" and "Rise up" offer pretty much the same. Solid structures, pompous keyboards, the occasional racing guitars and vocals that rise and fall up and down the same pitch. Nothing remarkable.

"Hymn to the Brave" is a hymn, an anthem, and is guaranteed for the audience to join in. The vocal style is lower, slower and far more powerful. The lyrics are repetitive but spirited:

"Brothers forever, brave at heart together we fight
Holy in heaven, will we march through space and time
Brothers forever, brave at heart together we fight
Holy in heaven, we will ever hear their cry..."

Tears of Taragon EP (with 4 bonus covers):

"Warriors of Light" begins with a good old-fashioned tribal rhythm, then a chat and falls into the recognised patterns of before. Solid, but nothing remarkable. Otherwise very similar to "Warriors" above.

"Dancing with Tears in your Eyes" is a cover of 80s electronic pop band, Ultravox. They have even captured the synth feel typical of that era, before soaring off into power metal. It's a pretty good cover.

More chanting marks the start of "Heart of the Brave". Lyrics leave a little to be desired:

"Born in a nation
A young generation
Is praying for salvation
Out of damnation"

We have piano to start "Kingdom Come". It's actually kinda haunting. Vocals are sweet and soft, almost feminine. I suppose this is the closest they get to an actual ballad, until of course they fall into the ominous chorus. This is probably one of their more original songs. It's pretty nifty.

"Tears of Taragon" again now, solid power metal song, good melodies - pretty much what you expect. With the added bonus of narration by Biff Byford of Saxon. He has a lightly accented and somewhat ominous voice. We get to learn more about Taragon now - seems to have suffered much the same way as Aina. Pretty much pure cheese, but still rather delicious.

One of my favourites is their cover of "Hiroshima", originally performed by Wishful Thinking in 1968. It translates well into power metal. Starting with traditional twangy instruments, the guitars crunch in whilst the keyboards struggle beneath them. Bay's voice casts the emotional edge well, with the rest of the music dying back as mere enhancement of his vocals.

Finally, another cover, this time one from Helloween. It is "Dr Stein". It's a decent cover of a fun song. I'm sure they love playing it. Bay ain't no Kiske, however.

Freedom Call are competent musicians, that have embraced the Power Metal genre heart and soul. Whilst they do have a certain energy and passion, they do not offer anything particularly new and original to the scene. This performance, containing songs from across three albums, I would consider all I need from this band. It gives me a nice cross section and although they do a decent job, they are not a necessary addition to any metal collection. Also, Bay's voice gets a little tedious after a time. Ultimately, it was the bonus cover songs that saved this collection for me - the cover of "Hiroshima" is beautiful.

Rating = 7/10

Dark Moor - Between Light and Dark (2003)

Dark Moor are a power metal/neo classical band from Madrid, Spain. They have survived through various line-up changes, having shifted through several vocalists, both male and female. The one for this album was Elisa Martin, she also spent some time with Fairyland (on an album I don't own) and now is with Dreamaker. This was her  last album with Dark Moor. I also own another one, "The Gates of Oblivion".

This one is an 8 track EP and has a folk vibe to it. Elisa's voice is lower in pitch and deeper than many of the other females on the metal scene, sounding almost masculine at times, whilst at others been higher pitched with a slightly savage edge. She does lack the high and pure sound of, say, Nightwish.

The album cover is appealing, albeit rather dark and moody looking. Two angels gaze from either side, at the stylised D and M whilst beside them a gloomy horizon. The lyrics inside are set in a large and very easy to read font (I think it might be Century Schoolbook, or maybe Georgia) with the band members faces intermingling with waves between them.

"Memories" opens the album with its haunting melancholia. Elise's voice bleeds desperation. The instrumentation is light and very definitely folk-inspired.

The wispy voice of a flute leads us into "From Dawn to Dusk", another folk piece with light instrumentation and a good melody. There is hope here, and faith, but also regret.

Strumming guitar and mournful melodies lead us into "A Lament of Misery" with  lilting vocals that soar into a swansong.There are strings in this song too, adding to both the lament and the misery.

Piano brings in "Echoes of the Sea" with its haunting and somewhat ominous edge, like some beast lurking out there, beyond the tide. It too has violins, leading into an energetic-ish reel, perhaps a pod of dolphins at play in the waves? This appears to be purely a classical instrumental, so how many of the actual band are involved in it, I do not know. Someone on Amazon called it chamber music, and it is rather peaceful, but quite evocative.

"Mistery of the Goddess" returns to the folk-ish melodies and structures. Elise's voice is gentle and soothing, rising in passion for the chorus.

"In my heart, in my heart, I feel so alive... with you!"

Losing the folk, we head into "The Shadow of the Nile", a bonus track from "The Gates of Oblivion". Here Elisa shows a little more vocal diversity, and is joined by backing male vocals adding a pleasantly deep harmonies. The music is also heavier, with the symphonic influences and a decent guitar and keyboard solo.

The keyboard melodies and energetic, triumphant beat continue into "Dies Irae", a track also on the "Gates" album, but this time with added orchestra. The male harmonies on the choir are excellent, and the rhythms very stirring.

Another classical piece, "Fall of Melnibone" is a bonus track from "Hall of Olden Dreams" and starts with classical arrangements but twists into folk, with choral vocals, before charging into Epic Power Metal. It is based on the writings of Michael Moorcock. Melnibone is his Dragon Isle. Elisa sounds somewhat like an elven queen, she has that slightly pagan edge to her voice and rises octaves effortlessly.

This album is quite different from Dark Moor's other albums, or anything else Elisa has done. The first half is softer, more melancholic and longing with a hint of brooding. The harmonies are more reminscient of mediaeval folk ballads than of the triumphant power metal they are more noted for. I enjoy it because I like the gentle folk songs and the emotive feel, but to some listeners it may prove to be a disappointment. It makes for pleasant background music while writing or engaging in other creative endeavours. The final three tracks are more in the manner we would expect from DM.

My rating is 7/10.

Beto Vazquez Infinity (2001)

I acquired this album the same time as Andre Matos' "Time to be Free". I'm not sure why I bought it, I think it must have been receiving good reviews, but for some reason upon receiving it I never really listened to it. Or, come to think of it, Andre Matos' either. This was absolutely foolish of me, because I either forgot, or didn't realise, it has Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) on vocals, along with Candice Night (Blackmore's Night), Sabine Edelsbacher (Edenbridge) and Fabio Lione (Rhapsody) on it . It also appears to be a concept album.

Beto Vazquez is an Argentinian musician who was with a band called Nepal. When they broke up, he looked for other creative geniuses to help him with his epic scale project, and this was the first album.

The cover is pretty boring and very green. It appears to depict the band - or at least a group of people, off-centre and small enough that all can fit beneath one finger. They are standing under a ray of light. The rest is vast and empty and... green. The interior booket is printed in green on black in a teeny tiny font, which also makes it very hard to read.

This is a concept album and therefore there is a plot. Like all good power metal/symphonic concept albums, it's a bit cheesy. I think. Let me see if I can summarise it:

There is a wizard, who bids farewell to "a girl" as he enters into the leafy forest of Valmourt. While he is away, a Dark King (Sleetor) sends his hosts to inade Zlord*, which I imagine is the good guy's kingdom. They destroy all in their way and kidnap the girl. Who has golden hair, by the way. The wizard returns to find all is in ruins and the king is lonely. The good king, I imagine. The captain of the guard has also been captured and taken, so obviously Dark King Sleetor is starting a collection. A strange cloud covers the valley. Distressed and confused, the wizard locks himself away, his thoughts no longer his own. This seems to somehow affect the magic of the kingdom.

Seven brave souls decide to help their king. They look for the wizard and find a broken magician instead. The only way to restore the wizard's mind is to find the golden haired girl of his past.  They then head off to rescue the captain of the guard. No mention is made of the girl again, so perhaps she IS the captain of the guard. But the hosts of Sleetor aren't happy, and charge Zlord once more. It looks like the bad guys will win, but then the good guys triumph and peace is found.

I think this summary may have lost something in the translation.

Let's see how the storyline is told in music, shall we?

The album opens with "Until Dawn (Angels of Light)". Soothing neo-classical music with Tarja's distinctly Nightwish-esque vocals, her voice soaring like an angel of light; wordless and pure. The keyboards add a somewhat 80s sound. Her clear, angelic voice mourns "my life, my king and my land..." Melancholic, melodic and quite exquisite. Like crystal, pure and sharp.

"Wizard" follows, with what sounds like some sort of traditional wind instrument, but is perhaps a keyboard. Slow, sorrowful, somber. Judging by the lyrics, the wizard is already trapped in his enchantment, and I can imagine a cloaked lass walking the empty, dusty chambers, running her fingers across strange objects of an arcane nature as she tries to understand what has happened and how she can "break the spell and free him from himself..." Oooh, harpsichord. Tarja is joined by Sabine here. Tarja's voice is a little more ethereal, fleeting like the dusty cobwebs that trail from the curtains and skeletons and other wizardly adornments.

Bombastic keyboard begins "The Battle of the Past", which makes sense because Fabio Lione (is that his real name?) of Rhapsody** fame. Hrm, he was also in Labyrinth. The only male vocalist on the album, this song is the heaviest, being pure power.

Another slow and rather maudlin piece, "Sadness in the Night" has Tarja trapped in darkness praying for death and the return of the light.

The next few tracks are all classified in a set called "Voyagers in Time". The lyrics are in the centre of the booklet, using a gatefold technique instead of the booklet style. It opens with an instrumental "Through Times I" with flutes and etheral, ghostly melodies and is followed by "Through Times II" in which Candice Night takes vocal honours.Lots of harpsichord/keyboards and flutes lead a haunting, folkish edge.

"Golden Hair", also with Candice, is sweet and innocent in vocals, even if the lyrics are somewhat more sinister. The army is coming - and likely to overpower them. She is the Golden Queen and also the leader of the army, leading them to victory.

Followed by "Infinity Space", which as a sligthly spacy feel - but that might just be the keyboards and the drums which are more dramatic here.Not surprising, given guitarist Pablo Soler is one of the fastest in Argentina. And there he goes! How many fingers does this man have? Touch of Malmsteen, anyone?

There is more flute and Candice in "Through Times III", along with a touch of sax.

Sabine's doing the vocals in "The Laws of the Future", with Tarja backing her. Tarja's voice is higher and with more of an opera trill to it. I'm not sure whose I prefer. The two entertwine together, like two beautiful birds darting and weaving around each other.

For "Promises Under the Rain", each of the three lovely ladies takes a turn on vocals. The music has a symphonic sound to it, very reminiscent of Nightwish, with choral harmonies. The ladies take turns singing verses, and it's fun to try and pick out who is who. Beautiful song, and a lovely way to end the album.

This album is certainly a pleasant one - it features three of the finest female vocalists on the metal scene and the music is serene and quite soothing with a few heavier moments. Overall, it makes for relatively easy listening, but the packaging and general design somewhat lacks in passion and inspiration.

I shall have to give it a 7/10.

Not sure who to listen to for C! I should make it something entirely different and interesting... Nick Cave, perhaps?

* Who thinks up these names?
** As an aside, he also indulged in a little Eurobeat and did this rather horrendous song "Eye of the Tiger". Which sadly is not a cover of the Survivor classic.

Warlord - Best of (1989)

I was going to listen to Within Temptation, or maybe Wolfspider for W this time through - then I saw the Warlord CD in my collection and I could not resist.

This band formed in San Jose, California  in the 80s, as sorta a low-key Manowar, although according to Wikipedia their influences were actually Rainbow, Angel Witch and Jethro Tull. The band take amusing pseudonyms - Destroyer, Thunderchild, Damien King and Sentinel. They have never performed live, not wishing to be considered part of the LA live scene. Although they did hire a theatre to record their first full length release, and performed to an empty hall.  This possibly explains why they never attained much in the way of notoriety or recognition, but do retain a cult following to this day. They ran through three vocalists: Damien King I, II or III and released a couple of albums, then some compilation and best of albums, basically reusing the same tracks, because they only had one full length album and one EP up their sleeves. They split up without really achieving much of anything, then reformed in 2002 with Hammerfall's Joacim Cans their vocalist. They seem to be the band that other bands like - Hammerfall are named after lyrics in the song "Lucifer's Hammer" and Yngwie Malmsteen cited them as his favourite band in the 80s.

I own two Warlord albums - their original EP release, 1983's "Deliver Us" EP on vinyl (stored in my cupboard, since I can't play records) and the 1993 "Best of" which is the entire Deliver Us EP pls 7 more tracks (two of them new versions of older tracks), probably almost their entirely collection. Since the vinyl is buried, I'll be doing this review of  "Best of". This was their first release on CD. I picked it up because it was cheap and had twice as many songs as a record that I really liked but couldn't play!

The cover is black. With red writing. It is a single fold, and inside declares that if you send $32.95 to an address in CA you can receive a VHS video with live footage, interviews and documentary. Live footage is from their audience-less concert. There's a photo of three members of the band, performing not-live. I doubt I could still get it today, some 20+ years late. <- now available on DVD, apparently.

Anyhow, after that eccentric intro, I bet you're wondering what they sound like - right?

The album opens with "Deliver Us From Evil". Eerie wind, light guitar, building into something dramatic. Definite folk inspirations.  Twiddly guitar, low, wistful vocals "Deliver us from evil". Then.... a pause... and BAM the drums start in a rhythmic, somewhat tinny (this was the early 80s) beat. Like soldiers marching into war. Vocals are a soft tenor. The beat of the song is great - it totally seems like the pounding of a mighty army and could well be their battle song. Except for the fact that vocals are not particualrly aggressive, even if they do get somewhat shrill at times.

Haunting, melancholic melodies and almost feminine vocals usher us into "Winter Tears". Damien King's voice could almost be a lower pitched woman. It certainly has a wistful, ethereal quality. Because this is an 80s recording, it has that almost more fragile edge to it. The song itself is delicate, but has solid beats and a quirky edge to the guitar.

Now we rampage in to "Child of the Damned", a raucous and fast piece with the vocalist almost tripping over his tongue. HammerFall do a pretty good rendtion of this song.

"Penny for a Poor Man" is another somewhat folk-esque piece, with a strong fantasy feel to it, evoking feelings of high stone walls and a man in rags, shuffling his way along the dark, litter infected streets.

An ominous opening leads us to the "Black Mass". Sludgy, primeval. Vocals wispy and ethereal. Has a feeling of early Candlemass about it.

"Lucifer's Hammer" introduces the first synth sounds, swirling and whirling over the heavy bass beat as the:

"... hammer will fall on you..."

Primeval, tribal and dramatic. This track was also on Metal Massacre II.

Thus ends the "Deliver Us" EP and we are now into the slightly later music:

"Mrs Victoria" was a track featured on Metal Massacre III. It has a greater clarity of sound than the early tracks, and haunting synth music that reminds me of King Diamond. Although the vocals are of decidedly lower pitch than Mr Diamond's! The lyrics are vicious and the music manically furious and agitated. It sounds decidedly different from the "Deliver Us" days.

Following up is "Aliens" - starting with a quick drum solo before the guitar overwhelms them with a sludgy garage sound, overlaid with synth. Has a good pace, quite jaunty.

I suppose "Lost and Lonely Days" would be considered a love song. It marks a return to the earlier sound, with tinny drum beats and guitars - but is that a touch of the synth I hear?

Now, something we've already heartd - "Beginning" with a declaration about 1984 and then a repeat of "Lucifer's Hammer". Further research - Google plus Wikipedia, shows that this song is based on a Larry Niven novel by the same name. A comet is crashing to earth. It is called HammerFall. This version has more keyboard (ie: some) in it than the earlier version.

"Solilquy" starts with fleeting guitar, joined shortly by thrumming drums. Vocals are thin and spidery, a little bit lost. As be fits the lyrics which are along the lines of:

"I'm alone, I'm alone again and that's how I'll always be, until the end..."

 The next track is "MCMLXXXIV". It is an instrumental. It appears that Warlord considered 1984 a Very Important Year. Or perhaps that's just because these are taken from their "And the Cannons of Destruction have Begun..." As far as instrumentals go,  it's not particularly memorable.

Now we have "Child of the Damned" again. Slightly less ominous than the former version, and starting with a higher-pitched falsetto scream. I would hazard a guess that this is Damien King II or maybe III. His voice is thin, almost reedy.

And of coures, the immortal line:

"Better to rule in Hell than it is to serve in Heaven..."

Which is from Paradise Lost (the book, not the band that, presumerably, named themselves after the book).

So, that's Warlord. Slightly eccentric, somewhat forgotten, except perhaps in the heart and soul of the actual musicians that they inspired. I'm curious to hear their work with Joacim, and might have to track down some of their more recent stuff. Their sound is pure 80s fantasy metal with folk influences, and like a toned down Manowar with weaker vocals.

But they're pretty nifty, and deserve 7/10.

Here's their newer stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leWVxtcDP7o
They've got Damien King III back, but he's going by Rick Anderson now.

And here the are with Joacim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqA2sOHtdYg
Sounds rather like Hammerfall, not surprisingly. I really should listen to my HammerFall album but, alas, I have so much Helloween they tend to take H priority. Maybe next time through I'll do two.

Vicious Rumors - Welcome to the Ball (1991)

When I decided to review this album for V, I thought it would feel like a new cd to me - as I can barely remember listening to it. However, as soon as I put on the first track, it all came flooding back to me. By the second track, I remembered that their vocalist had died in a car accident (in 1995) which always made the song "you only live twice" particularly ironic.

Vicious Rumors are also considered a Power Metal band. However, unlike most of the PM genre that I listen to, they hail from America. This means that they are closer to thrash metal than the classically inspired PM of Europe. Like many of the US Metal bands of this style, they come from San Francisco's Bay Area, which seems to have inspired a goodly amount of heavier bands with (moderately) more melodic vocals. Musically, their stylings are quite complex and the vocals range from baritone to falsetto. Instead of the "happy sounding" metal of Europe, with strong fantasy elements and triumphant structures, they have gone more for the aggressive and intense.

Founded in 1979, VR released four albums before Carl Albert's unfortunate death (car accident) and made a tribute album for him, going on in his honour. They did experiment a bit with sound however, and suffer from line-up insatibilities. In 2006 they returned to their classic sound, and they are still active today.

The cover says it all, really - the title "Welcome to the Ball" is a phrase with duel meaning, in this case the large metal ball that is about to wipe out what could be a concert hall. The band photo reminds me rather of the Savatage ones, although that may be the permed hair which in this case appears in a variety of colours and various from intensely curly to slightly wavey. The men of this era seemed to have better hair than some of the ladies. Expressions range from glares to the slightest hint of a smile.

The album opens with the pounding, angry rifts of "Abandoned". This is the sort of song I used to play loud and mosh about to in my room when I was feeling angry, depressed and... well, abandoned. Albert's voice is not overly high, but has a razor-edged whine to it.

"You Only Live Twice" introduces a bit more melody into the vocals, as they surge alongside the pounding drums and the guitar plays in short bursts, before being permitted full reign. There is a nice versatility to the drum rhythms. Vocals are still at the same pitch, with the whine and occasional lilting rise. The chorus is nicely melodic.

Starting with some ominous beats, "Savior from Anger" promises to be a powerful thrash song. Vocals are faster paced with a bit of shouting and higher pitched anger. Albert's voice is a pleasant pitch, actually, never getting shrill (like say, King Diamond) and varying up and down from baritone to tenor. This song has political conotations and is (like many of 1991) focused around the conflict in the Middle East.

Another song with social-political conotations,  "Children" is a slower song with meaningful, thought-provoking lyrics, and in the chorus Albert's pleasantly low vocals rise into an almost-falsetto. The guitar and drums are simply in this song, implying that it is almost, kind of a ballad, and it fades into light guitar, vocal accompaniment and children at play.

"All the children are the heirs, taking what we give them..."

 Another slower song, "Dust to Dust" starts with aching guitar before another joins it and the two form a formidable wall. Vocals remind me of Dio - about the same pitch and with the same edge to them.

"Raise Your Hands" is another catchy piece with slower, rockier rhythms and  a rather catchy chorus. Good to shout along with!

"Strange Behaviour" is another solid metal number, with more shouted choruses and good rifts. Nothing outstanding.

Rather sinister girlish giggling begins the thrashing "Six Stepsisters" which has rather disturbing lyrics and races along at a rapid, almost frantic pace.

"I couldn't take it, her screaming like that. Six tortured souls in one body trapped.
They fight to control the thoughts of one brain. Blood thirsty kin one in the same."

Sex or horror? I'm not sure!

For some reason, "Mastermind" seems more familiar than the others. It has a nicely distorted chorus and politically orientated lyrics. Solid thrash metal with good vocals and strong rhythms.

Now it's time for a ballad - "When Love Comes Down" allows the sorrowful edge of Albert's voice a chance to reign, although at times it rises into frustrated and desperate.

The album concludes with "The Ends of the Earth" which pounds away with aggressive determination.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Vicious Rumours. They remind me of other bands of the era - Overkill, Forbidden, Testament, Exodus... many of these from the Bay Area Thrash Metal scene. (except Overkill, who were from New Jersey). Overall, more aggressive than their European counterparts. They have a goodly mix of the fast and the slower, and even a semi-ballad for good measure.

I'll give them 7/10.

Queensryche - The Warning (1984)

This is Queensryche's very first full length album, following on from their "Queen of the Reich" EP. It in inspired by world events of the time and also by the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

On a random aside - Geoff Tate was fired from Queensryche in 2012 - but due to legal issues both the line-up he left behind, now with the ex-vocalist  of Crimson Glory, and he with a "new" line-up including another ex-member, are both legally allowed to use the name "Queensryche". If both manage to get an album out in that time, it could make for an interesting aural battle.

But, in 1984 the wide world of progressive rock stood before Queensryche  - this album achieved modest success but never charted in the US of A, although "Take hold of the flame" became popular in Japan. The Japanese are known for having excellent taste in melodic metal (although I have only one Japanese metal band's album in my collection).

The cover is simple but makes a statement. It depicts a card - like a tarot card, inscribed with the words "The Warning" held in a gloved, and frankly rather unhealthy looking, hand, whilst green lasers shoot from the card like eyes or headlights, behind it is Earth. The message is clear - things are going wrong with our planet.

Here in his younger days (he's 24/25), Geoff Tate has a high and clear voice that rings out strong and clear with an almost bell-like clarity. The album opens with "The Warning", a song of simple structure with rhythmic guitar and drums. It is Tate's voice that gives it the power and emotional impact it implores - powerful, with a hint of desperation. He sure can hold his notes well!
"En Force" gets into a somewhat more dramatic start with tolling bells (their voices relatively high and drum-like) and surging into the vocals. Again, Tate's voice is a fine force and it is easy to see why his is considered one of the best in the genre. The higher notes are sweet and pure, but with the occasional harsher, raw edge. There is an innocence in it as well. The lyrics have a definite dystopia/sci fi edge:

"Light tracers follow me farther into the depths of unknown. The blackness surrounding the borders of hope. We're alone"

  The ghostly drumming and spectral and ethereal vocals give the final verse an eerie and unnerving edge. It feels lost, and haunted.

Before we soar into "Deliverance" a rather faster paced and energetic piece, similar to what we consider the classic Queensryche sound.

Ghostly and slow, feeling distant and haunted, "No Sanctuary" follows. This is not precisely a ballad, but definitely a slower, and softer song - again with an edge of desperation.

Following on from this is another dystopia-inspired song, "NM 156", this one possibly more inspired by the book. The vocals start with computer voices, then Tate's desperate high notes soar over them.

"Microchip logic, have we no more thought?
"Is this wrong" I enter, answers sought"

 The future is  before us, and it is not a pleasant place. Decent and somewhat complex guitar solo, soaring vocals compete with faster, harder, rawer and desperate. Tate can certainly wail.

Now, I believe it is time for a Power Ballad. And "Take Hold of the Flame" certainly fits the bill. The vocals are as bright and clear as the fire themselves, flickering into a gloriously high howl. The chorus is delightfully anthemic:

"So take hold of the flame. Don't you see life's a game?"

 I can almost see those lighters held high! (Of course, nowadays everyone uses cellphones instead - far less likely to cause accidents or fire alarms anyway).

The somewhat heavier "Before the Storm" follows this up with its echoed chorus and more involved guitar structures, the whirling guitar solo imitating a grey sky broiling with clouds.

"Child of Fire" is another song of loss and desolation, heavy with desperation as Tate wails:

"Look around. Is this the end you've foreseen?
The pain? The misery in us all?
What was it that you knew?
Will we someday learn it too?"

 Finally we conclude with "Road to Madness" in which Tate drops half an octave, or maybe a wee bit more and forlorn strings echo his words. His words are tinged with hints of loss and desolation. Like the soundtrack to a lost man, walking forlorn along an endless highway. It turns faster and more urgent as it marches towards its conclusion.

A very fine debut album, with hints at what Queensryche will become. The songs are nicely variable, contrasting with one another to take on personalities of their own. Haunting and memorable but possibly a bit dark and serious to earn it much acclaim at the time of its release - a time when Iron Maiden ("Powerslave") and Judas Priest ("Defenders of the Faith") were having their day and glam metal had laid its roots.  It had a lot of steep competition.

I'm going to give it 7.5/10.

(Note: Yes I posted R and Q around the wrong way, I DO know which way the alphabet works, that was just the way I happened to listen to them, okay?)

Rage - Secrets in a Weird World (1989)

This is German speed metal band Rage's fourth studio album. It has a rather uninspiring cover - the three band members all looking suitably bored in sunglasses and black and white.

It begins with the classically inclined "Opus 33 Nr 3" a slightly ominous piano piece with solid beats - somewhat one-fingered playing.

"Time Waits for No One" is a determined and powerful song. Peevey's voice alternates between soaring and screaming, with a little shouting thrown in for good measure. Nice skillful guitar solo.

The guitar surges with the bass in slow steady beats before taking off at a gallop in "Make My Day".  Lyrics are fast paced and aggressive:

"This is the sign of my deadly hammer, leaving its marks in your face right now..."

My favourite line is:

 "I'd like to smash all your toys to pieces, tickle your feet until you drop down dead..."

"The Inner Search" delivers pure speed with a cruisy chorus and some surprisingly menaingful lyrics:

"Be True to yourself, that's all you have to be..."

There is something inspiring about "Invisible Horizons" which reveals Peavey's love of the extra-terrestrial. This was the first Rage song I ever heard, from the compilation cassette "Thrash the Wall", a single album that pretty much shaped my musical future. It is quite an intense song, with melodic vocals, pounding drums and chugging guitars. 

"She" gets off to an ominous start. The title is rather ambivalent - it could be a love song (but this is Rage, so that seems unlikely), could be about a lady of the night... but no, it's about a car. A distorted, snarling (and possibly backwards) voice gets this song kicking into action. Indeed, this is about Christine, the red plymouth fury of the Stephen King novel.

With a determined beat and guitar flare, we shift into "Light into the Darkness". A slower pace and an almost positive vibe.

"... Blossom's better than decay"

We charge on in to "Talk to Grandpa" - a song about communicating with the dead to find out what happened to his money. Fairly repetitive, but catchy chorus and aggressive riffs.

"Distant Voices" is about those voices you hear before you fall asleep. The ghosts that call for you. Peavey likes to write songs about death and the supernatural - as you may have noticed. It is a slightly slower piece, with a hint of the eerie about it, but mostly classic Rage.

Slower, creepier, with a hint of the classic rock to it, "Without a Trace" has a jerky, rock beat. As you may be able to guess, it's about the Bermuda Triangle and other such mysterious - possibly supernatural, disappearances.

"Lost Side of the World" starts with slow, deliberate beats gathering in tempo until they erupt into the chorus. Has a few slower moments but is otherwise classic Rage.

Rage have found their stride - and whilst it is decent speed metal with good rhythms, catchy choruses and intriguing lyrics, it's nothing exciting or earth-shattering dramatic. They're a good, solid band  but this does not offer anything new or original or different from many of their other albums (admittedly most of which come after this one).

Solid metal, that I'm going to rank a 7/10.

Phoenyx - Keepers of the Flame (1990)

This album was a bit of a gamble - albeit a very cheap gamble. It lay in the Real Groovy Sale Price bins, at the kingly cost of $1 or $2. The band photo on the back makes them look like wanna-be gypsies from the mid 80s - big hair, tattered clothing in a cornucopia of styles. The cover depicts a phoenix so stylised that I only just realised it WAS a phoenix. It's pretty wicked - all celtic design. Nice gold font on the cover too - that must have cost a fair amount to print. Inside, the paper is thinner, more like an actual booklet than the glossy cd covers I'm used to, and the list of instruments is appealing - electric violin, mandolin, tambourine, bodhran, mandola, flute and something called a florlogue.  Also bagpipes and a female vocalist. Hrm, I thought - sounds like folk. Could be folk-metal, could be folk-rock or could be pure folk, either way, it's probably worth $2.

And when I put it in, I fair wooped with glee. DEFINITELY worth $2.

Phoenyx are pretty obscure. They're from San Francisco, California and labelled as "Celtic fusion rock". Googling "Heather Alexander" is interesting - because the vocalist is apparently actually Alexander James Adams - from his website:

Alec is also the appointed heir to Heather Alexander. Heather, who was actually a changeling, was called back to faerieland in November 2006; at the same time, Alexander, the child in whose place she had originally been left and who had been raised in faerieland, was released after beating the faerie queen in a fiddling contest. Thus, Alec now carries on Heather’s musical legacy.

This band just become officially even more interesting (finally reading more carefully through wikipedia I discovered he is transgender and transitioned in 2006). He also indulges in a little filk music. And he's pretty funny too. Okay, so I've got distracted and am visiting his website, where this is video of him performing "He of the Sidhe" - this is the story mentioned above (the duel with the faerie queen) - ohmigosh, that man can fiddle! Seriously, I expected to see smoke coming off the strings. He appears to be a bit of an icon in the Pacific North-West. He now lives in Oregon with his wife and many animals.

This is the only album Phoenyx released and it is (not surprisingly) out of print. But if you think it sounds interesting, there is a bunch of solo stuff available through his website both of his and Heather's.

Now, to get back on track... Inside the booklet, the lyrics are illustrated with simple line art, giving it a real storybook feel and the music, well, let's give it a listen, shall we?

"Banish Misfortune/Lark in the Morning" are two folk reels, playing back to back and inspiring a lively, frisky mood upon the listener, promises of what to expect. There's a slightly discordant edge to one of the instruments, I think Ritual make use of them.

In "Stormbringer" the vocals come in, and oh boy, does Heather have a powerful voice or what! There are definite echoes of the 80s here, with a lilt to her accent and an almost masculine depth* - when she wants it to. Not metal by a long shot, but definitely rock. The music is alive and energetic, giving quirky little trills.

"The King of Elfland's Daughter" is a duet, between male and female (Heather and Alec, now that would be weird and chronologically improbable) - there's no other vocalists listed for this track.

"Black Unicorn" has a menace to it, the music low and looming. Vocals with the lilting accent. Music evocative.

A far more lively number is "Cat and the Fiddle". Pure folk, with very little of the rock but perhaps a tiny touch of country.

"Hey diddle diddle, answer me this riddle...
Hey diddle do, tell me what you will..."

 "Marley O'Reilly"  is a reel jig, with a good rhythm to dance and spin to and some very delicate fiddling.

"The Voices of the Sea" is a haunting number, with eerie vocals drifting in a spectral fashion. Heather's voice is edged with sweetness. This is a siren song - a soft and gentle, luring tune from a mermaid to a sailor, wishing them well on their voyage.

The mysterious "Creature of the Night" gets off to a haunting start. Alexander's voice is powerful and slightly ominous. It increases in tempo and menace, as the sinister Satyr lures the innocent and ithe ignorant into the woods. The gentle music evokes the feel of the dark forest in which strange creatures lurk.

Another set of reels now - starting with the slow and melancholic, "Musical Priest" becomes more lively as it frisks and folics into "Butterfly" then dives and dips into "Swallowtail".

Something a little more aggressive now - "March of Cambreadth". It opens with some marching fiddle and violent lyrics:

"Axes flashing, broadswords swing, shining armour's piercing ring..."

Keeping in the spirit of the Celts, they even spelled "armour" the English way.

Now, something's "Up in the Loft" - something threatening and strange. The turne is dramatic and the chorus jerky and a little discordant, while the fiddles whimper and the drums and guitars thrum with tension.

"Oh but yesterday I heard it, with its haunting mournful cry..."

A jerky and strange intro leds us into the ghostly, modern and pretty intense "Concentration". Vocals on this piece are from Cat Taylor. It's not a heavy song, but the back-and-forth tribal rhythms and the whispered vocals are disturbing and creepy. Very different from everything else.

The album concludes with "Yo Ho!" A rousing nautical tune with somewhat dark lyrics that - partway through, goes into the folk song about sailors that we all know and love (but with possibly different lyrics).
Like all good folk songs at sea, it has a light and whimsical verse, then a rousing chorus that the rest of the crew can join in with.

"If you eat ship rats then you get more meat..."

Hrm, I'm in the mood for pirates now. Maybe I should skip past Q this time (it's just Queensryche again, I've nothing else) and leap into Running Wild. What do you think?

This is a charming album, folk blended with  rock and a smattering of the quirky and curious. It has a light and whimsical feel, like the band were having a bit of a lark when they created it. For something a little bit fun, with some quite entertaining lyrics and a vocalist that sounds like she stepped out of the 80s and does a bitchin' tenor**, this might well be the album for you. Of course, it's out of print, so you're out of luck - unless your local store is trying to clear it at a mega cheap price, that is!

Let's give it a 7/10.

* not surprising, really. 
** I'm trying to prove I know something about vocal scales now. I don't. So if I'm wrong, so be it.

Katie Thompson - Tall Poppy (2008)

Another mild oddity in my CD collection. Katie Thompson is a West Coast, New Zealand singer, with a fine voice. One of my co-workers was a friend or associate of hers, and I purchased this CD to support local music. For a self-published pressing, it looks very professional - the cover depicts the lovely young Katie Thompson with her acousitc guitar, beside a handdrawn poppy. Inside are some quotes and the lyrics of two of the songs - with a link to where you can find the rest. My copy is, of course, autographed.

She has a charming voice and her style of music is country, with a touch of pop. The vibe is very much a West Coast one - as you shall see from the song titles as I go through it track by track.
You can purchase it through itunes.

the first track is "Do It Today" which is essentially vocals and light acoustic guitar. Her voice is strong, but with a sweet edge to it.  She sounds rather like she's smiling.

"Karamea Cowboy" has a real western coutnry sound, which is quite funny given the lyrics:

"Holed up in Hokitika, living my life on Monteith's bitter..."

Firstly, for those of you not in the know, the West Coast NZ is not even mildly like the west of the USA. It's wetter, greener and although there are cattle and it does have a wild feel, it's rather more like Washington state than Wyoming.

"Tall Poppy" is a lovey song, rather sweet, even if the lyrics are slightly bitter. Has more of a pop music vibe.

Back into the true country again - vocals and acousitc guitar, "Gone" is your standing C&W song - ie: about leaving your loved one. Except in this case, she actually is taking pride in the fact that it is she that has ditched him.

The next one I imagine is a real pub favourite - "Monteiths on Tap".  It has a rolicking, sing-along chorus:

"Does heaven have a bar, is Monteiths on tap? Why work so hard, if he can't have that?"

A rather melancholic song - "Tears Me Down" is about the loss and loneliness in relationships and how it haunts you - bruising a part of you forever. The guitars are a little more emphatic here, and the music is very empathic.

Following it is the equally bittersweet, "Is It Ever Gonna Change?" There are some male vocals in this song too, ghosting alongside Katie's sweet, sorrow-filled tones.

"Better Left Unsaid" is a wee bit more upbeat, but still has the haunting sorrow-edge typical of light acoustic guitar and very low bass lines.

Now we get into the slightly more pop "Not the One for You" which has a stronger guitar and a slightly electronic/keyboard edge, which sounds a little out of place, but somehow also works.

This is followed by her rendition of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"* She does manage a bit of power and aggression, but for the most part, it's sweet and delicate. Even when the lyrics are a bit sinister!

The twisty guitar leading into "This is Goodbye" is beautiful and delicate, like petals falling. The vocals are soft and gentle, like tears in the morning rain. The general mood - heartbreaking. Haunting. Lovely.

We conclude with a duet "A Long Time Ago" which as advertised as "acoustic" but I think most of the album sounds acoustic (they might be electric-acoustic). Again, this song is all about the voices, the music more as a support to  than a force of its own.

At the end, we get a repeat of "Monteiths on Tap" so we can 'rock' out to it again. The lyrics have been changed to first person. This is another acoustic duet.

After listening to music where the instruments create a vast cascade of sound, this is a very gentle, very light album, it is sweet and somewhat soothing. Very pleasant to listen to. As far as country goes, it is blended well with the pop stylings. There is an innocence and naivette to her voice - not because it isn't powerful - (it is) but she feels fragile, like a flower, the sort of young lady who has yet to be hardened to the hardships of life, to truly feel love and pain and loss. Long may she keep that innocence!

Country music is "not really my thing" but I'm going to give her 7/10.

Here's her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/katiethompsonz/
Looks like she's moved into more blues now and away from the country, her voice has gotten stronger, the music more sophisticated. She has opened for Elton John.

* I am so proud of myself for recognising this! It probably helps that I listened to Johnny Cash a few weeks ago.

Fish - Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors (1990)

Fish is a somewhat eccentric Scotsman, who started singing in Marillion before leaving them to undertake a solo project. His influences lie in the 80s and there is a sound of Genesis, Pink Floyd and other rock bands of that era in his music, along with a small smattering of the Celtic. This is his first solo album.

It has an interesting, rather 80s rock cover - depicting a man and a woman wrapped in rather strange attire and standing atop a tower of televisions, on each screen is a face - possibly his. In the centre of the booklet, you get to see the entire painting - and it is surreal - a city in the background, a hill covered in crucifixes, nuclear waste, soldiers, men in biohazard suits. It's totally crazy, like a demented collage. The sky above is a black and blue streaked twilight affair, in which at one point sun rays split the clouds and a satelite appears against the black.

We start with the haunting melancholia of "Vigil". Fish's voice actually reminds me a little of Phil Collins, but his songs are more emotive.

The next track - "Big Wedge" - is a rockier number, catchy rhythms and an even catchier chorus. You know, I always thought he was saying "big wave". This is a song with a social message - an anti-America message from the sounds of things. It's all about consumerism.

A pop-py opening to "State of Mind" in which we hear more of Fish's political views:

"I don't trust the government, I don't trust alternatives. It's not that i'm paranoid, it's just that's the way it is..."

Again we've got the Phil Collins-slow rock vibe going on here. The music plays a twiddly and playful counterpoint to Fish's voice.

With a slightly folk-esque vibe, "The Company" is one of my favourite tracks. The music is gentle, an accompaniment to Fish's voice rather than telling a story of its own. It has a dreamy, moody feel with a somewhat Irish feeling chorus.

Gentle piano, and soft strings usher us into the finest song on the album - the haunting and beautiful "Gentleman's Excuse Me". The melodies and lyrics are sublime.

"Do you still keep flowers in the bottom drawer, with your Belgian lace, taking them out every year to watch the colours fade away..."

To me, this is a song of innocence and fragility, and its fleeting nature.

"The Voyeur" is another rockier number, with a vaguely amusing, vaguely sinister air to it.

"I like to watch..."

It seems to be about the voyeur inside us all when it comes to television - how we like to watch video nasties, natural disasters and all manner of terrible and dramatic things happening to other people. So much truer today than it was in the 80s, too.

Back into rather serious issues - "Family Business" is a moody song, with an element of the spirited and angry - the main theme being domestic abuse hidden behind the house doors.

Another moody and melancholic start, "A View from the Hill" quickly takes a turn for the rockier, as the guitars come crashing in for the chorus, then fade out again for the verses.

"Cliche" is another hurt and bittersweet piece. The guitars seem laden with confused misery, the vocals filled with inner fragility. It's almost as though he wants to write a love song, but cannot find the words because "...the best way, is with an old cliche..." And this turmoil, this inability to express how he feels, is driving him into sorrow. But finally, he comes up with the simplest, and the best.

Whilst there are some rockier numbers here, the general mood of this album seems to be melancholic (I know I've used that word a lot, but I'm really feeling it in the music) and moody. It is haunting, and beautiful, the songs centred around Fish's powerful and somewhat distinctive voice (which makes sense, since the album is named for him, after all). The lyrics are interesting, sometimes insightful and overall I rank this album a 7.5/10.

Dream Theather - Images and Words (1992)

Whilst talking to my brother the other day, we were discussing the difference between American and European metal, and I realised there were very few USA metal bands that I really, really liked. At that point, the only one I could think of were Queensryche and White Lion/Freak of Nature but now after some more thought, I would like to add Dream Theater and Savatage to that list. I was first introduced to Dream Theater in the early 90s, when we stayed in someone's house in Nelson. There had been a Japanese student boarding there, and he had left some of his albums. Most were Japanese pop/rock (which was rather pleasant, even with the lyrics all being foreign) and this album. Well, not this actual cd, as I did not steal it! After hearing them, I was hooked and one day came upon the record (vinyl) in our local store-of-goodness, Echo. As this predated eftpos cards, I had to run to the bank to withdrawal the cash. I returned just in time to see someone else buying it. Yes, I know, I should have asked the shop assistant to hold it under the counter for me. Anyhow, I eventually purchased it on cd from Borders, from the look of things, some many years later! And since I cannot currently play my vinyl collection, I suppose it is better that way.

Dream Theater began in 1985 under the name Majesty and hail from Massacusetts, America. They are still active today and have 11 albums under their belt - plus numerous bootlegs. They are one of the early progressive metal bands, similar in some stylings to Rush, but rather heavier. Their sound is rich and dramatic, soaring and proud, filled with complex stylings, keyboards and elaborate structures. The vocals are of the higher register, but vocalist James LeBrie has a crystaline and glorious voice, never shrieking, never screeching.

The album cover is beautiful - a small girl with thick curly hair and a white nightdress standing in an elaborate bedroom - with four post bed, vase of flowers and, slightly offcentre, a floating heart wrapped about with barbed wire. Above, the ceiling changes from the decorative trim of the bedroom to a cloud-swept sky, as though the bed will snatch her away into another world of wonders. It folds out instead of being a booklet, and there is a panoramic photo of the band, standing before some sort of arch, all very purple. On the other side can be found the lyrics.

"Pull me Under" begins with the gentle guitar chords, giving way as the keyboards roll over them in glorious synthesized sound, rising in power. It is almost two minutes in before LeBrie's voice rises like a sunlit storm. A little repetitive, it draws to a very abrupt ending, cutting off mid word.

A slower and more melodic number, "Another Day" stirs the spirit and ignites within a small spark of bittersweet hope. The saxophone adds its melancholic voice to the melody.

The intro to "Take the Time" is rather more dramatic, as the keyboardist is given rein and the bass churns in. The vocal style is different: faster, lower whilst around it the keyboard swoops and soars, then the voice too soars reaching to the skies. The sheer diverseness of the music, the complex arrangements between keyboard and guitar, vocals and drums make you realise how truly difficult it must be to compose music and brings the piece into glorious life*.

Piano and keyboards dance together and we're "Surrounded" by their delicate sound. LeBrie's vocals are a gentle caress, building into something a little more lively and brimming with goodwill and positivity. This song, in particular, reminds me of Marillion. The rising keyboards, the celebratory rhythms.

"Metropolis pt 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" is a spirited and energetic song, with complicated keyboard structures, creating an evocative and imaginative symphony. The lyrics are poetic and beautiful.

"Love is the Dance of Eternity"

Heavy bass brings us into "Under a Glass Moon", another complex and deftly weaven symphony of keyboards and guitar.

Another slower moment, "Wait for Sleep" is exquisite and gentle. The keyboards are vibrant and alive, their sound etheral.This continues on into "Learning to Live". It is quite a mellow, peaceful song, but an inner current of inspiration and the dramatic flairs through it.

In conclusion; a lovely, dynamic elaborate and beautifully woven album, definitely deserving of 7/10.

* If there is one thing I am learning from this listen-to-all-my-CDs project, it is how the combination of various instrumental "voices" and arrangements can truly create a mood - from the slightly discordant and unsettling (Confessor), to the tense and frustrated (Tad Morose), and also to the positive and uplifting (most of my other stuff). There is a lot more to music than I have really appreciated previously. It used to be that I concentrated mostly on the vocals, but there is so much more to music than the voice.