Nuclear Blast Allstars - Into the Light (2007)

This is an intriguing concept for a compilation/celebration album. It is not a "best of" collection, as each song has been crafted for this production, however each features a different vocalist - a "Nuclear Blast Allstar". The band includes Victor Smolski on guitars, bass and sometimes keyboards (can you say multi-talented?) and Andre Hilgers on drums for most of the tracks. I guess this means that this album is essentially Rage with guest vocalists and occasionally other guest musicians as well. Smolski wrote most of the music, and Peavey Wagner writes the lyrics for a number of the tracks.

The cover is beautiful - depicting a castle atop a rocky isle, floating in the clouds. All is eerie and digital, with light illuminating the top of the tower. Inside the booklet begins with an introduction from Smolski and then the following double page spread feture the lyrics on the right and the vocalist on the left, along with  a brief passage talking a little about the band, the song and singing the praises of Nuclear Blast Records.

The first track, "Dirty Wings" is vocalised by the lovely Tobias Sammet, of Edguy. The heavy structures are classic Rage, stronger, more bass-ic than Edguy's complex manouverings. Sammet's voice is its typical pure and slightly raw self. The song is not overly stimulating or exciting - just energetic power and strength.

With slamming guitars and raging drums, we roar into "Terrified" with Peavey Wagner (Rage). With some slower moments, and Wagner's strongly accented vocals, more shouting than singing. Aggressive more than frightened, I'd have to say.

"Ruling the World", feating Toni Kakko (Sonata Arctica) is another aggressive and raw number.

Slower, more haunting, starting with piano; steadily becoming heavier, dirge like. We enter "Death is Alive". Mats Levens voice is soaring and echoeey, melodious then raw, accompanied by the haunting vocals of Jen Majura. Levens does backing vocals for Lions Share, which may be why he sounds familiar. He has also performed with Abstrakt Algebra and Therion.  Majura's voice is strong, relatively low and somewhat angelic - in the avenging angel kind of way!

Racing and raging, we rip into "Bloodsucker". The raw, aggressive and ferocious vocals provided by Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer of Destruction. Classic speed/thrash. Fast, heavy bass, brutal vocals and lyrics.

Slower, guitar rolls like dust blowing in the wind; sand swirling and turning across the golden wastes. Then the electronic noises roll in, the bass grows louder, more ominous (with a few twiddly bits and intricate guitaring). We are "Slaves to the Desert" with Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian), his voice low and deep and only later gaining the rasping edge we're more used to from him. This is a more intricate, technical song than BG, with a modern feel.

Heavy, but quite melodic, with the occasional pounding rhythm, And Deris (Helloween) gives us the vocals for "A Perfect Day". The bassline is a force of nature, the guitars weaving an intricate web and the music surging, swelling and soaring in line with Deris' vocals:

"It's just another last goodbye, it's just a perfect day..."

Heavy and churning, "Eternally" then falls into slower and more melodic guitar; dreamy, like floating in the clouds. Odleif Strensland (Communic), has a powerful voice - well suited to epic emotion. Sounds rather like Rage's finer moments.

The "Inner Sanctary" brings us another heavy piece with intricate rhythms and the vocals of Marco Hietala (Nightwish) who has a deeper voice with a razor-edge.

We close with the haunting "In the Picture" which features Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) applying her ethereal voice to vocals. More progressive and technical than Nightwish, but more complex than Rage. There are some beautifully serene moments and, of course, Tarja's voice is second to nonw.

In general, this album feels like Rage with guest vocalists. The music has the epic power and added aggression of some of the later Rage albums, combined with complex guitar structuers and rhythms. The varying vocalists add an interesting touch and overall it is a novel idea for a celebratory album: new tracks with different vocalists.

Rating 8/10.

NZ Music Month - The Grand Finale

The month of May is not over yet, but my collection of NZ music has all been listened to, and thus it is time to move back into the alphabet.

To conclude, I shall share a few music videos from YouTube from NZ bands:

3Ds - Hey Seuss (1994)
This Dunedin 3-piece formed in 1988, releasing 4 albums before disbanding in 1997, then reforming briefly some 10 years later. The name comes because all3 of the members had names starting with "D". They later took on a fourth member, also starting with D but did not change their name to the 4Ds.
This song is a homage to Dr Seuss, and is fun and funky. Also highly irritating when it is top of your playlist and thus played everytime you open up your audio library and it's not set to random. 

Greg Johnson Set - Isabelle (1991)
Greg Johnson left NZ in 2002 and now lives in California. I love this song, which is probably their most successful.

The Front Lawn - The Beautiful Things (1993)
I hated this song when they first started playing it on television. I'm not sure why, because now I actually like it: with its discordant rhythms, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and general quirkiness.
This comedic and theatrical duo comprise of Don McGlashan and Harry Sinclair.
McGlashan was also responsible for:

The Muttonbirds - Dominion Road (1992)
Dominion Road is in Auckland. Obviously it is worth singing about. More well known songs by this band are "Nature" and "Anchor Me" but I didn't really feel like listening to them again.

Crowded House - Chocolate Cake (1991)
This song always makes me hungry. And takes me back about 20 years. Mmmm, cake. The lyrics area tongue-in-cheek parody of the American's tendency for excess. It was not well received in the US.
The Finn brothers are from New Zealand, however, because the other two members (at this time) were Australians and they formed in Australia, they've been stolen by the Aussies, just like pavlova.

Split Enz  - Message to my Girl (1984)
Before they were in Crowded House, Tim and Neil Finn were in Split Enz. They are probably one of our most successful bands. They are best known for tracks like "Six months in a leaky boat", "I Got You" and "I See Red".

Finn Brothers - Won't Give In (2004)
And Tim and Neil Finn won't give in with the singing - they have endured! This song always makes me feel a bit glum.

There's about 100 more songs I can add here, but I'm bored with playing on youtube at the moment, so I'll add to this list later, perhaps.

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

The Brunettes - Structure and Cosmetics (2007)

This is the third full length album by the Auckland twee-pop duo. Some of the playful innocence has been lost, and the cover is more mature, more sophisticated depicting Jonathan and Heather in a white tiled room, Heather is applying make-up while Jonathan gazes up at the camera. It is all very clean, polished and stylish (somewhat marred by the crack across my plastic box, grrr, I think it was there when I bought it). Inside the booklet is equally as clean and polished - black font on bright white, no capital letters in sight (or any punctuation except ' and " and ...). I believe the cd is designed to look like a compact. Very meta.

We open with the dreamy, almost trance-like "brunettes against bubblegum youth". It is heavier on the electronica-pop feel than previous instlaments. Plenty of hand clapping, vocals and the triumphant hum of their various interesting instruments (glockenspiel,  mellotron, rhodes, melodica... I don't even know what half of these are!). Lyrics are repetitive, the same verse repeated numerous times.

"My sugar, my honey, my b-a-b-y, baby..."

Soothing and pleasant listening, but not overly stimulating or exciting.

 It merges right into "stereo (mono mono)" which is a fun piece, in which the two vocalists have fun with the vocals switching between speakers. Heather's voice is sweet and gentle, innocent as a butterfly's flickering wings. Jonathan's voice is low and soothing. This is a quite amusing piece.

"her hairagami set" is a soft, soothing, electronically dominated number. It has a cruisy, dreamy feel to it, like softly lying on a feather bed and drifting off into the clouds. It seems to be a song about playing with your hair. The video is really good - watch it!

Another slow and cruisy number, "credit card mail order" is dominated by Jonathan's vocals, with a melancholic air.

Now it appears to be time for an "obligatory road song" which is also slow and has a somber air. The lyrics are somewhat amusing, however:

"stealing motel condiments on our leap in the dark"

 Heather's vocals take over the melancholy in "small town crew". Another slow and somewhat bittersweet number, with some brilliantly moody backing instruments. It sounds a little like a piano accordian, but it could be an organ, I suppose? The pace picks up a bit at the end, soars and then drops away.

Sweet and innocent vocals lead us into the more typical Brunette duet of "if you were an alien" with its playful guitar strumming and vocal interchanges. Lovely harmonies and references to pop culture. Love it:

"if you were alien I'd call you my martian man
bake banana cake as you drive us through the doom..."

Poppy and maudlin, "wall poster star" begins with Heather, but Jonathan joins in. This feels like a song about the loss of innocence, even though the lyrics are relating mainly to the taking down of wall posters and moving onto a more sophisticated way of living. Which somewhat describes this album. For some reason, I really like this line:

"...bouquets are overrated and diamonds cost too much..."

Even though we're already slow, we drop down further into the bittersweet "structure and cosmetics" with its classical instrumentations. Another beautiful duet, switching between the two with the slow and quirky instrumentations adding little flourishes. It has a dreamy, haunting feel to it. A lovely conclusion to the album.

This album shows an increased complexity and more modern sound than their previous instalments, losing some of the childhood innocence and moving into a more mature, somber affair. The additional instruments - like the clarinet, the glockenspiel, organ, harmonica etc all add an extra element of dreaminess and bring it to life, but overall it lacks somewhat in the playful spirit, having a more sophisticated polish. Perhaps, like all of us, the Brunettes are growing up - albeit that they are doing it with tongue-in-cheek, ironic twists and little quirks!

Rating = 8/10.

Banshee Reel - Orchaestrated Litany of Lies (1995)

Now defunct Wellington band, Banshee Reel, are one of the best New Zealand bands from the mid 90s. Their sound is a fusion of folk and country, with a strong Irish element. They are competent musicians, skillful songwriters and sadly parted ways. Guitarist, Julia Deans, is now a member of Fur Patrol. She is responsible for the female vocals on the album, with Chris O'Connell and Allan Clark sharing the male vocals.

The album looks pretty cheaply made. The cover is white, a simple singlefold affair. Half the cover is some sort of peasant jester, covering half his face, the other is the title set out in a not very exciting font and displaying a somewhat lack of typesetting. Inside there is a band listing and a message to the people of New Zealand, Canada and Alburqueque, as well as a threat to some folks that stole their band equipment.

The album opens with the strumming, tinkliness of "Sorrow", like teardrops dripping down a painted, wooden face. Vocals are filled with sorrow, bittersweet and angsty, with a touch of an Irish accent. Or maybe kiwi-Irish. Catchy rhythms.A rather dramatic mandolin solo.

Slower, bolder; "Never Can Tell" has a slight country-hint to the rhythms and plenty of acousitc guitar. This is a song of murder, deceit and all beautifully sung with accompaniment from Deans and the lislting flight of a tin whistle.

Vocals lead us into "Blood on Your Hands", and then the instruments bounce in with almost carnival-esque rhythms: strong and bold and fast. Fast and surprisingly bouncy given the context is, once again, murder.

There's a brief reel and then we are into the looming, haunting "Lament".  An entrancing, otherworldy piece with beautiful harmonies, backed with strings and guitar. One of the finest, most atmospheric folk songs I own - this is the song that sold the album to me. Well, the cassingle - the album came some years later.

This is followed by the most devastatingly heart-breaking track on the album. "The Miner" starts with piano, but is largely dominated by the heart-renching vocals. Listen to the lyrics - they will haunt you and linger with you and bring a tear to your eye. The music is a soft, sorrowful accompaniment.

".. I don't blame you for leaving, my lovely; I don't blame you for leaving this slum. It was no life for you, watching me die, but I wish was out in the sun..."

 Deans gets the leading vocals on "Honest to God". Not my favourite song - more old school kiwi feeling than Irish, even with the accompaning fiddles. Good pace and entirely danceable.

"In Yer Dreams" is far more rockabilly country-esque with its fast, chugging pace and catchy choruses. Same vocalist as "The Miner".

It's back to the bittersweet melodies with "40 Miles of Pain" - it has a fast pace but the vocals and the voice of the string instruments lend a melancholic air.

More traditional folk - "Burn Me" has nice rhythms and somewhat morbid lyrics.

"First I heard her screaming when I laid my head to sleep. She turned my dreams to nightmares enough to make me weep..."

I'm not sure if she's a real person, deceased or some sort of demonic spirit. Probably the second or third option.

Another with strong country influences, "I Haven't Time" rocks along at a cracking pace, mostly guitar with a hint of fiddles.

"Horses" is slower, with wonderful folk rhythms and  the vocals like a gentle caress. This is listed on the cassingle as "Equus: Fear of Tides". Another achingly haunted piece.

We conclude with "Lament II" - the same structure and rhythms, but slowed down into bittersweet melancholy and with different lyrics (I think) and possibly more strings. A majestic, beautiful piece and a wonderful way to conclude.

Banshee Reel were a talented and original band, that I wish could have been with us for longer. Their music is sublime, variable and gorgeously emotive and their songs linger with you and haunt you for hours afterwards. There are some weaker tracks on this album, but they are vastly overshadowed by the powerful ones. They definitely deserve a 9/10.

Straitjacket Fits - Blow (1993)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blackjack - Deal (1993)

Blackjack were a Hamilton hard rock act. This was their first album, it features Gavin Dempsey io vocals and guitarist Paul "The Axeman" Martin (ex-Nightshade) who also hosts The Rock Metal show: The Axe Attack (sunday nights from 8pm). I used to listen to the show religiously, but nowadays I'm not so inclined to stay up late, listening to the radio with my finger poised over the REC button, in case they play something good. Nowadays, you can buy most music at the touch of a button.

Anyhow, back in 1993, some of the videos off this album received airplay - alas, I've lost them all now to the villainy of mould and time. They are not even preserved on YouTube (come on Paul, release them, I dare ya to!). I once had "Key to the Shade" and I'm pretty sure "Now You Fly" had a video too. Sadly, lost in the voids of space and time.

I don't currently have the cover of this album, because I kinda acquired it via the library.

The album opens with the rather rocky, almost glam-sounding "Merry Go Riding". Catchy rhythms, nicely melodic vocals and a good beat. Not particularly original or unique, but an appealing song indeed.

It is followed up by even more glam-style "Young, Single and Dangerous". Unlike some of the other NZ music from this era, this is very clean and polished, akin to the quality of Warrant, Motley Crue and other bands of the era - just going to show that NZ did have proper music studios. Lyrics are somewhat sexist. But this was the early 90s, after all. Some pretty skillful guitaring there from the Axeman.

There's something familar about "Now You Fly" and I'm not just talking about the fact that I've heard it on numerous occasions and really like it - it is rather reminscient of Queensryche's "Silent Lucidity" with similar structures and the melodic, almost lullaby feel. Vocals soaring, guitar and drums playing light accompaniment. Building into a powerful chorus with an almost classical vibe to it. Okay, so there ARE some classical instruments involved.

A rather heavier follow-up, "Little Trouble" gets off to a dramatic start with a very kiwi-accented news report. Vocals are somewhat funkier, with a quick beat and a catchy, commercial chorus.

Guitar chugs us into a "One Step Sunset". Solid drums, vocals a little lower and less melodious.Solid, powerful bass. Has a kind of Californian vibe. Not sure why - maybe because it's making me think of palm trees? But then, why California? There's a slightly ominous edge to it.

The rather sentimental "Mother" has some heartfelt lyrics and is a touching and beautiful ballad - but just a wee bit sappy and saccharine. And dare I say it - a bit sissy. I'll have to say though - it'd make a nice Mother's Day card and is very well timed:

"M is for memories and a life filled with love, Over and over she's there. T is for her tears, and there were many, H is for the home we all shared. E is for every time she catched me from falling and R is for the reasons when I asked her why?"

This is followed up by the rather rockier "Key to the Shade", which has a good build to it, and a rising feeling of passion, leading into a nicely triumphant guitar chorus.

Another funkier number, with a nicely sleek chorus, "Burden of Freedom" sort of rolls off the tongue. It has a kinda Living Colour feel to it. The way he sings "burden" makes me think "Bird in of freedom" and it sort of soars and swoops like a bird, taking flight after captivity. Nicely jaunty guitar rhythms.

Nifty choral melodies in "Outta Here". Good rhythm, straightforward and a little bit funky.

Another slower, almost Marillion-esque number, "Spinning Wheel" has nifty vocals - low and smooth.

There are two additional bonus tracks. The first being the "guitar version" of "Little Trouble". It is a heavy and energetic rendition with a less technical sound to the former version, stripped of the sampling.

This is followed by the radio edit of the dream-like "Now You Fly". I believe it has less of the classical instrumentation going for it.

Blackjack have a very clean, commercial sound that is sophisticated and polished enough to be truly professional and should have taken them far in the mainstream. It apparently made them the most well known band in Hamilton. Alas, they appeared at a time when NZ music was largely overshadowed in the media. And now the cd is very difficult to find. They're very melodic, pretty mainstream but very appealing and with a nice amount of variety to their tracks. And I rate them an 8/10.

Canis - A Good Solid Flesh Crime (1997)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This song is sharp and subtle as a razor blade.

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

I'm going to rate it 6.5/10.

* that is probably an oxymoron.

New Zealand Music Month

We now interrupt this alphabet play-through for some New Zealand music.
It has just been brought to my attention that May is NZ Music Month. Therefore, I shall now review one album by each of the bands I own stuff by that hail from my home country. Disturbingly, my CD collection yields a grand total of eight NZ music cds - 3x Brunettes (2 of which I have already reviewed), 2x Dead Flowers, 1x Straitjacket Fits, 1x Canis, 1x Banshee Reel, 1x Chills (which actually belongs to my husband). I DO have a bunch of older stuff, but it is all on cassette tape (half of it recorded off the radio because they never made official releases) and was part of my "preserve the reel" project.

Here are some bands that I enjoyed when I was young:

Pumpkinhead: Vocalist Brent went on to front The Valves whom I actually saw live at the Rock to Wellington way back when and thought "that vocalist looks familiar". I saw Pumpkinhead live quite a few times in local concerts.
There's some nice shots of Christchurch in the Pumpkinhead video.

147 Swordfish: From Christchurch. Performed with Pumpkinhead occasionally.

Semi Lemon Kola : Another skinny guy with dreadlocks. I think I saw them live once or twice.

Tempest (and this song) - changed their name to SevenTongues. Then moved to Aus seeking success but never found it.

Straitjacket Fits were one of the more well known NZ bands, and vocalist Shane Carter left to form  Dimmer. I saw them live a couple of times, one of my friends was a big SF fan. I still think of him whenever I hear them!

The Chills are one of the more well known - they have the sludgy NZ Dunedin/Flying Nun garage rock sound.

Blackjack actually released an album. Solid hard rock with melodic metal influences.

Scarf only ever released this one track. Glam vibe.

Push Push experienced some success (they got to #1 on the charts!) before moving to Australia (leaving their vocalist, Mikey Havoc behind) and vanishing without a trace. I REALLY loved Push Push when I was 13. Even dragged my mother to an all ages rock concert. Abandoned her so I could go up the front and mosh.

Nine Livez vanished without even a YouTube record. They also had the glam/hard rock feel and the only information I can find about them is that their guitarist became a policeman and got into issues for shooting a suspect.

Rumblefish also left no YouTube record. They had a funkier vibe, sorta like the RHCP maybe inspired them a bit. I have a copy of their live album "Freaky Dog Live". Must MP3 it at some point.

Saturn Rising were my favourite band in one of the Smokefree Rockquests and I was lucky enough to share a lecture in Uni with one of the members - so he gave me a copy of their demo album. They were nifty, a sort of rock-pop vibe with folkish elements. The school they hailed from was Rudolph Steiner, who consistently had very good bands at the Rockquests.

I should probably mention The Eastern as well. I didn't see them when I was a teenager - I've never seen them live, because they didn't form until more recently - but I went to school with Adam, the vocalist.

Helloween - "Master of the Rings" (1994)

Wit the dismissal of Kiske and Ingo, Helloween took on vocalist Andi Deris from Pink Cream 69 (who never did make it big). Despite my disappointment at the farewelling of my beloved Kiske, I eagerly anticipated this album, wondering if Deris could possibly measure up.


Here's my 1995 review of this album, as taken from my diary (please note: I was 17 at the time):

"In the beginning, out of nowhere we had a dream, and now it's Helloween".Yes, that's right, Germany's finest melodic speed band are back with another album fill of catchy choruses and melodic rifts. The album opens with, suprisingly, a classical instrumental (appropriately titled "Irritation") and follows it up with some excellant songs.  The subtle humour of Helloween comes across in the ironic lyrics of "Perfect Gentleman" and the most brilliant "Game is on". "Mr Ego (take me down)" the first single from the album is also slightly humourous in the way that it appears to be about their previous vocalist, Michael Kiske (who attempted to take over the band), although nowhere does it actually say so. Apart from the glam orientated "Take Me Home" this album is great and marks a return to Helloween's older musical style, from the "Keeper days. Forget about "Pink Bubbles" and "Chameleous" this is the true Helloween.

Okay, so obviously I liked it! Anyhow, let's ignore the rest of the diary (argh, teenage angst, if I'd known then what I know now... well, I think that speculation is true of all of us) and see if my opinion, like my attitudes to life, have changed over the intervening 19 years.

Gawds, it's been nearly 20 years since this album was released. Crikey.

(Also, for the record, Kiske did not try to "take over the band" he was merely trying to dictate the direction their music should take. He and Weikath did not agree, therefore he left.)

The cover is also clearly a jump back to those golden years of the late 80s, with seven rather yellow rings disappearing off into the greater realms of space, and 8 floating yellow-gold symbols. The title and band name are embossed in silver (shiny!). Inside the booklet is neatly laid out with borders and little cartoon pumpkins illustrasting the lyrics. The band photo under the cd tray is disturbingly distorted.. There's also a little passage in some scrawled font connecting this album to the Keeper albums. The rings are like the antithesis of the keys - representing spirit, truth, destiny, love, creation, fulfillment and sanctuary.

The first track is, indeed, a pleasing little classical number rather innapropriately named "Irritation". It is tinkly and stirring, with some nicely dramatic flourishes and building to an explosive conclusion.

Then we rage into "Sole Survivor" in which we have all the time honoured speed and power of Helloween's Keeper albums, only with a (slightly) modernized feel. The vocals are strong, with a slightly sinister edge. Deris' voice is rawer than Kiske's smooth, golden tones and his slightly aggressive edge actually enhances the song; making him sound determined and triumphant, if somewhat jaded by his experiences.

"Where the Rain Grows" is another enthusiastic, fast paced and fun number. The video is quite odd, but they do rather look like they're having fun (even if Deris' hair is awfully straw-like). It starts with a dramatic drumroll and has a bitchin' bassline. An explosive and dramatic number with good rhythms and strong vocals.

"Why?" is a song with a hint of desparation and a religious flavour. "Why, Lord why?" asks the narrator, a desperate plee to bring change in the world. Solid rhythms, not particularly complex, but Deris' voice gets the angst and pleading across very neatly.

"Mr Ego (take me down)" is "dedicated" to former vocalist, Michael Kiske (so wikipedia says, so it must be true). Interestingly, it's written by Grapow, not Weikath as one might expect. It starts with a dramatic build and then surges into a more progressive sound. Drums are a trebly staccato; vocals rising and falling in swoops for the chorus. It's not a bad song, if a bit bitchy. Best insult:

"And I think you are not funny, your brain is just a bloated dummy!"

The very entertaining "Perfect Gentleman" is matched with an equally amusing video. Apparently Deris's wife is in the video. Speculation is she's the one that slaps him. Also watch for the eye-poke at the end. Deris is a bit of a showman, and seems like a fun fellow. The opening chords are nicely dramatic and instantly recognisable. The structure is quirky, with some charming guitar flurries and an amusing little passage towards the end.

Exploring the dangers of video game addiction "The Game is On" is another fun piece, with a faster, rocking pace and some quirky computer noises. Remember this came out in the mid 90s - when handheld games were the Bomb (and the electronic noises very much reflect the error). Nowadays it would be about smartphone games, probably. It has a great pace, and is a gimmicky and highly entertaining piece.  I can think of a few people I could dedicate this song to.

And now for another song about relationships. "Secret Alibi" is not necessarily a love song and contains some of the strangest sexual innuendo I have ever heard:

"Ding by ding can you dig my dong. It may come short but it might come long..."

Weiki, your lyrics are weird. It's a decent piece, powerful with great choruses and Deris' voice again, does the pleading heart well. His voice is smooth and soaring, the opening nicely epic.

Almost 20 years may have passed, but "Take Me Home" is still my least favorite piece. It has an old-school  hard rock vibe going for it, and a really fast pace. Simple structures, the guitars just seem to be running up and down the scale until they actually go into a bit of a flurry between verses. Drums repetitive. Kind of remains me of a train (and by default, their version of "Locomotion Breath").

Time for a ballad! Acoustic guitar leads us "In the Middle of a Heartbeat". Deris does nicely slowed, somewhat sorrow filled vocals with a hint of longing.

The clockwork is winding down, the music box tinkling, door bell ringing, dog snarling. Lots of drama but "Still We Go". This track starts with the passage I quoted in my 1995 review above, in spooky, eerie vocals. This song is written by Grapow, but it's actually pretty good. Pretty heavy. Determined. Dedicated.

"Now we can see a horizon, we're gonna be here to stay. If you cannot see our sign, you must be blind!"

The album ends, but Helloween continue - and thank goodness for that!

This is actually a splendid album - Helloween are still at their quirky best, showing skill and putting forth an album which contains more enthusiasm and passion than the preceeding two. The songs are varied and entertaining, with a healthy dose of irony and humour. Deris' voice is decent and quite versatile, for all that he does not qualify as "silver tongued". Re-listening to this album has been a glorious trip down memory lane for me, and it seems I still remember the lyrics to most of the songs, even though I haven't actively listened to the album in some years!

Rating = 10/10 (or five pumpkins out of five^^).

Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out In Space (1997)

"Land of the Free" is, undeniably, Gamma Ray's finest album and as such was a very difficult act to follow. However, they did a admirable job with this album. Leaving the fantasy theme behind, they have now switched to a space and Egyptian theme, with the cover depicting an Anubis and an Horus bust above a row of pointy rocks, behind which is some sort of swirly time portal in which pyramids are either coming or going away or from space. In the front, Ol' Fangface is looking a little hungry, robed and toothy, and completely blindless today. It's all purples and golds and either acrylic or oil paint, looking very nicely Space Opera-ish.

It begins with the dramatic drum-rolling "Into the Black Hole". It is a fast paced, dramatic song, vocals filled with excitement and expectation as the narrator prepares to "fly beyond the gates of space and time...." and dive into the unknown. Dramatic guitar and drums for the instrumental passage. Captures the feel of the small craft charging into the roiling, writhing, churning black hole.

"Men, Martians and Machines" starts with the five notes from The Twilight Zone (but played on guitar) making a nicely ominous start into a dramatic song about an alien race seeking sanctuary from their destroyed planet and finding planet Earth.  Some nicely spacey/oriental chords there, before we surge into the faster paced and more typical GR skillmanship.

A bit slower, with nicely choral symphonies, "No Stranger (Another Day in Life)" displays a continuing theme of musical competence.

"Somewhere Out in Space" is a whirlwind of a track. It rips on it, swirling in majesty and power; the vocals racing, guitars and drums thrashing against one another, then it calms, the vocals smooth and swell, then its off again into the maelstrom.
(According to Wikipedia - this is inspired by Star Trek)

The "Guardians of  Mankind" is a powerful metal piece, moving at a rapid pace with pounding drums and anthemic chorus.

"The Landing" of aliens almost seems to continue on from "Men, Martians and Machines",  with the aliens arriving and being elevated to gods. It merges into "Valley of the Kings" and, judging from the cover, I would say that it marks the arrival of the Egyptian Gods. Nicely epic feel, great harmonies and more anthemic choruses, combined with some latin choral singing as well.

Dramatic and rousing, filled with passion, it is time for us to "Pray" - for a better tomorrow. This is the closest we're going to get to a ballad on this album. Hansen's voice is suprisingly sweet.

Drumbeats thunder as "The Winged Horse" gallops through the sky. Another powerful piece, this is more fantasy in theme than the rest of the album. It has a nicely dramatic narrative:

"It white horse rears and spreads its wings to reach the sky and search the king. the one will lead to win at last - oh, rulers of the past!"

"Cosmic Chaos" is a drum instrumental, creating a vibe of asteroids rushing through the air. Fast, dramatic.

It crashes into "Lost in the Future" which does indeed have a futuristic feel and makes an interesting contrast to the fantasy of "The Winged Horse". It is deliciously ominous:

"Tomorrow there'll be no sun, hanging high up in the sky..."

It's all dramatic and drastic until suddenly, inexplicably, the guitars break into "Oh Susanna" for a couple of lines and then churn back into the fast, frantic and desperate.

There's a bit of a Judas Priest influence to "Watcher in the Sky" which is fast, frenetic and furious. It's easy to imagine a lone spacecraft endlessly circuiting the planet; watching, always watching, but unable to do anything else.

 Piano and tinkly sounds sparkle as we see a "Rising Star" illuminate the heavens, exploding in a firecracker of light then erupting into "Shine On".  The song explodes with dramatic and explosive power. Very stirring, very inspirational. The ending melodies are lingering and powerful. A grandiose way to include a damned fine album.

Gamma Ray have created their own epic sound, merging the heavy guitar and drums of Iron Maiden with the intricities and anthemic feel of Queen. Combined with Hansen's skillful guitar playing and harsh, yet somehow vocals, a general positive edge to the music and fine musical structures, they have again created an album of epic scale and beauty. It might fall a bit short of "Land of the Free" and is not quite as quirky as some of their earlier albums, but it is a damned fine production and deserves 9/10.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Cuatro (1992)

Hailing from the desert state of Arizona, F&J began in 1982 as Paradox (not to be confused by the German band with the same name) with Jason Newstead as their bassist until 1986, until he left to join Metallica. They rose as part of the American Thrash Metal explosion in the late 80s/early 90s but never received quite as much notoriety as many of their counterparts. Despite this, they are still active today and have retained the same vocalist throughout.

This is their fourth album, as you may have guessed from the name. The cover seems to have been designed by a similar graphic designer to the Watchtower album, having a somewhat pixellated helicopter image beneath a bold band title and name. However, it folds out into a poster with a larger image and the band photos down the side, lyrics on the back.

The album kicks off with "Natural Enemies" - pounding rhythms, aggressive vocals, surprisingly smooth chorus. Eric A.K.'s voice is rough and raw, tending on the slightly higher side but not screechy or shrill. Just angry. Pace is rapid for the verses. Slower for the chorus. Drums pound and guitars churn with shrill confidence.

"Swatting at Flies" begins as a slower number, with darting guitar licks to open. The pace slows, chugging and churning before the vocals erupt, Lyrics filled with pent-up aggression:

"The only thing I ever made in life was a fist..."

American metal is so confrontational! The vocals have a good rhythm to them, punctuated with solid drum beats.

"The Message" is slower but heavy, ominous rifts and some intricate guitar passages.Short and to the point - "have you got the message?"

"Cradle Me Now" thrums with tension, as though it is being restrained and trying to break free. It chugs and churns and thrashs.

The pace drops another notch and we begin "Wading Through the Darkness" which is a borderline ballad. The vocals now have a twisted whine to them, although they still radiate aggression and frustration.

Chugging and churning we step into "Double Zero". Vocals are surprisngly slow and almost melodic, but still with the harsh edge and tending more towards spoken than sung. There is something quintessentially American about the lyrics (which are also about war in the Middle East, of course this was released shortly after the Gulf War):

"Home's where the guns are..."

We pick up the pace in "Never to Reveal" in which the drum pounds and the bass line chugs. Vocals are tongue-trippingly fast - which is reflected in the lyrics:

"...hope my tongue don't slip..."

"Forget About  Heaven" brings us back into the heavy rhythms; slower, aggressive. Kinda highly strung. Nice guitar solo.

We mellow out a bit for "Secret Square". Low, quite strong and rich vocals, light guitar accompaniment. Speeds up, slows down, falls into weird distortiony bits.

We race and pound into the almost-speed metal "Hypodermic Midnight Snack". Despite the not-so-pleasant theme, this is my favourite song on this album. It races through the verses, soars into the surprisingly harmonic chorus and then surges forth once more. Erratic, dramatic.

There's a bit of a glam metal vibe to "Are You Willing?", compelete with a bit of a squeal to the vocals. Otehrwise, he's tripping over his tongue again as he races through the verses.

The final track, "(Ain't Nothing Gonna) Save this World" offers nothing new to the world of music and is frankly, rather dull and uninspired thrash metal.

I've been listening through this album for the last four days. I think it's time to put it to rest and return it to the shelf.


Flotsam and Jetsam are not a bad band, they're just not very inspiring. Their music is modestly competent and well structured, as far as thrash metal goes, they're pretty good - despite their relative obscurity (and many steps down from Metallica). However, I prefer my music a little more quirky and dynamic and thus I shall rate them 5/10.