Ozzy Osbourne - Down to Earth (2001)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Just another broken hero..."

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

More melancholy in "Alive":

"What keeps me alive is dreams..."

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

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

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

Let's go for 6/10.

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

In This Moment - The Dream (2008)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deliverance - Camelot-in-Smithereens (1995)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Van Halen - Diver Down (1982)

Time for some classic rock now - Van Halen! This is one of their older albums, and not one of their most well known - but for some reason it is the only one I own on cd: $10 from Echo records, second hand. It contains absolutely none of their notable tracks and is their 5th album.

Van Halen formed in California in 1972, fronted by the charismatic showman, David Lee Roth. The Van Halen brothers - Alex and Eddie were two of the other members, and Eddie is generally considered one of the finest guitar players in the world. Alex was the drummer and Michael Anthony completed the quartet with his bass guitar. They soared to rock n roll fame - with such hits as "Jump" and "Running with the Devil" which are awesome songs and not on this cd, of course. In 1985, Roth departed the band - due to personal conflict with Eddie, and was replaced with Sammy Hagar. Himself a fine vocalist. Roth returned again for a reunion concert in the mid 90s, before rejoining the band permanently in 2006. He is still a member there today.

Whilst this album seems to have faded into the depths of obscurity, it did earn them a ranking in the Guinness book of records for "highest paid single appearance of a band": $1.5 million for a 90 minute set.

Cover is... boring. Definitely ranks in my top #10 of "least interesting album covers" (Along with Warlord's "Best of", Helloween's "Chameleon" and Wrath's "Nothing to Fear". The cover is red, with a diagonal white stripe running from top left to bottom right. Band name at top right, title at bottom left. Not exactly inspiring. Inside it's no better - a band photo in which Lee Roth looks young, blond and pretty compared to the rest of the band who are all dark. The song titles, and some helpful instructions on how to keep your cds in good condition and clean them (straight line, center to edge, with a clean, lint-free, soft, dry cloth). Guess this WAS one of the earliest cds.*

So, slot it in and give it a spin!

"Where Have All the Good Times Gone!" (sic) the first track proclaims and it has a kind of downbeat feel to it. Roth doesn't have his usual "happy voice" going and sounds almost a little lost. Bit repetitive too, not my first pick for an opening track.

With a somewhat more energetic pace "Hang 'em High" rocks on in with very competent guitar flurries accentuating Roth's vocals. Again, it has a more melancholic feel, with Roth's voice being rather more melodious and smooth.

Some interesting instrumention on "Cathedral". Is that clarinet? It soudns almost like synth, but there's none listed, so must be Jan Van Halen adding their touch.

Another slower rock number, "Secrets" has more of a traditional soft rock feel such as is found in bands like Fish.

"Intruder" is a haunting drum and guitar instrumental, with some whining reminscient of industrial machinery towards the end it slips into the distinctive opening chords of "Pretty Woman" which sounds a little odd from Roth's vocal chords. He's a little rougher than Orbison. He does manage a rather throaty purr/growl at one point. Even this track sounds a bit maudlin.

Picking up the pace with some electronica guitar swirls as quirky twiddly squeaky flurries as it's time for "Dancing in the Street". Orginally performed by Marvin Gaye. Could increase the tempo a bit. Make this a livelier number. But no, still seems a bit foot-draggy. I'm not feeling like dancing guys!

"Little Guitars" starts with a very twiddly and complicated flamenco style intro before taking on bouncier rhythms. This one has a more quirky and upbeat nature to it. The chorus is perky and chipper and this is probably the most upbeat song on the album and, so far, my favourite.
Although I would swear he's singing "etch a sketch, etch a sketch"**

And now we're taking a trip back to the 20s with clarinet and "Big Bad Bill (is Sweet William now)". This is a song popular with barbershop quartets, but Van Halen have added in some extra instrumentation. It still sounds weird and a bit out of place on a rock album.

Now, time for some actual rock, "The Full Bug" has faster rhythms and a solid almost glam-rock beat. Very skilful guitar solo as Eddie makes his axe sing.

And possibly the craziest cover song on the album, "Happy Trails" is performed acapella and is short, slightly out of tune and kinda amusing. In fact, it kinda ruined the album for me. It's amusing, but not a strong way to end a weak album.

This is a very different album for Van Halen. It's less energetic, more soothing and has a shadowy sadness to it. The instrumentation is competent, although there are no full on rock-out guitar solos and there's a kind of lacklustre feel to it. Good background music (I might take this to work, actually). But, it's not Van Halen as I know and love 'em and even their choice of cover songs can't make up for the lack.

The only stand-out track is "Little Guitars" 8/10 for that (it's no "running with the devil") and 4/10 for the rest of the album.My recommendation - if you want a Van Halen cd, DON'T buy this one!

Rating = 5/10

* To wikipedia! The first cds were made in the mid-to-late 70s and became commercially available in 1982. The year this was released. 

** It's actually "catch as catch" but still!

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.

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.

Unwoman - Knowledge Scars (2001)

Keeping it Californian, we now have Unwoman - the solo project of Erica Mulkey, who is vocalist and celloist, with electronic influences.

She has been branded as "steampunk" which is a strange genre designation by any means and I have no idea what it refers to. Her music is a strange infusion of electronic noise, vocals - sometimes distorted, cello and overall weirdness. I'm not sure quite what to make of it.

I did not buy this CD, it may have just appeared in my collection, but more likely my brother - he of the most eclectic and avantgarde tastes, passed it onto me. I'm not quite sure if it was because he thought I would like it or because he had two copies of it. I have to confess, I am not overly fond of it, although she does have a very lovely voice, the discordant, disjoined background noise (hard to call it music) does not spark anything in me except for plucking a little at my nerves.

Still, maybe it shall improve with a dissection. In practice, with CDs that I have listened to maybe once previously (like this one), I listen through them entirely before I begin on a track-by-track breakdown.

She really does have a lovely voice. Why oh why can't the music gain some sort of consistency?

Started again from the beginning and it's actually starting to grow on me.

Cover is not astonishing, but has a sort of melancholic air to the portrait. Maybe it's all the purple. Not sure about the steampunk definition - looks more cyberpunk to me - from the font to the format. The music adds an almost sci-fi edge to it.

The band name is taken from "A Handmaid's Tale" the Margaret Atwood dystopia novel (which I have not read) and which I think also reflects the lyrics and general theme.

"In Gilead" begins with something that I cannot quite understand - "the mind has forgot what a woman is meant to be?" It then moves into dreamy cello and drum machine, with crackling sounds like an old record, scratching its way into oblivion. Over this, wails Erica's fragile voice. She has some nice trills to it. Overall, it is dreamy and somewhat surreal. The lyrics are quite dark - defining a woman by her bits - debating

"you have reduced us to our fertility... A womb, a c**t, a dried-out shell..."

More drum machine and samples beckon us into "The Futurist's Nightmare". This does have something of a clockwork feel - a wind-up doll trapped in eternal motion. No lyrics printed, just short, sung lines. Her voice really is like glass, or maybe crystal, stabbing through the distorting electronic noises. The noise is not too loud, but very discordent, twisting and writhing like a cobweb of wires. 

I believe the next song, "Deeper Understanding" seems to be a cover of a Kate Bush song. As such, there are more lyrics, and we get to hear a little more of Erica's vocal talents. She really does have a nice voice, although it does seem kind of thin, and I cannot help but imagine her as this slender waif of a thing, entangled in a cradle ot cables. The music is pure electronic noise, somewhat subdued.


A short way into "Who Programmed My Desire?" I am beginning to wonder - is my CD skipping? Don't think so... Fairly repetitive rhythm. Vocals, but no definable lyrics (none printed either).

We have bongo-style drums and electric cello to begin "Knowledge Scars". It has an almost tribal feel - albeit a weird and futuristic tribal feel. Erica's voice seems to be gaining strength too, as she is given full rein over her own lyrics. So far, this is definitely my favourite song on this album. It seems to have a better definied structure. It even has a discernable chorus and concludes with a rather nice cello solo.

Strident string instruments and distortion mark the beginning to "Freedom from Religion?" Along with sampling. Erica's voice is gaining in strength with every song, as here the hint of venom tempers it. This is a not unpleasant anti-religion song:

"You can't legislate reverence. Our cultures are our own. There is no god for us. We can't believe what we know is false."

 Although the music is still discordant and flavoured with samples and synths and drum machine rhythms, interspersed with wailing vocals.

The beginning of "Sentiment (White Feathers)" is almost painful, and sounds like my speakers are about to explode. Then the drums come in and prove that the noise is intentional, and not a mechanical breakdown. The rhythm of this song is actually pretty good. It is another cover song. I think it may have once been a folk song. Nope, it's a social political song about how meat animals (pigs, cows) are treated. Rather a haunting one actually. Here's the original by Crass. This version is also haunting - but more in a "ghost in the machine" kind of way. I kinda like it. I think I might play it loudly. The rhythm is exceedingly catchy, and a little faster in this version.
The lyrics might make you want to turn vegetarian.

The electronic vibes do funny things to my head, kinda reverberating in my skull. I remember when everyone (except me) was in love with techno, and used to play it far too loudly in the Seventh Form Common Room at school. My locker was just outside the room, and it used to make me feel physically ill. This doesn't make me feel ill, but it does feel kinda weird.

We seem to have some sort of organ-kinda-noise in "Dispossessed".

"Lament for Peter Pan" is rather haunting, the music wailing like a lost spirit over the equally lonely vocals.

Discordance and skipping samples, echo the voices of souls lost in the electronic hell. "Subsistence" is oh-so very weird. I cannot explain it. It's almost like a machine calling for help. Is my CD skipping? If I turn it up louder, will my speakers explode? Are the spirits of cyberspace preparing to unleash themselves upon an unsuspecting world? According to the sleeve, the source material is from "Paresthesia" which  is the sensation of pins and needles. That is EXACTLY what this music replicates. Little prickling needles, electric sensation; prod-prod-prodding at your ears. Growing in volume, breaking, splintering.
It's actually pretty damned freaky.
And it's been going for over four minutes now.

Ringing synth vibrates and echoes into the eerie "You". Erica sounds lost, fractured from reality.

There are samples from "Labyrinth" in "When I Touch Myself".  It is a song about how love can make you weak and tear you away from yourself. It's almost poetry, and written by Dolores Haze - whomever she is.

"What I realised today was that in loving you I forgot to love myself. Then I was nothing and you lost interest. More importantly, I lost interest in myself."

True words, Ms Haze. True words.

"The Drowning Man" drowns you in its churning rhythms and engulfs you in its haunting vocals. The distorted samples are like great droplets, pounding the ears. The echoing, spectral music with its twisting, writhing rhythms and edge of desperation, push you down, suffocating. drowning you.
I think The Cure do it better, though.

More stuttering samples and discordances bring us into "Vacant Skies Revisited". The lyrics are pure morbid poetry, a song of fractured skies and tattered clouds.

This is a weird album, and one I would likely not have bought myself. It is something of an oddity in my collection. The discordancies, the strange samples, the electronic noise twist and writhe into my ears in a manner that is not exactly pain, but not pelasure either. It is tangled, and twisted and surreal and strange. Possibly if I listen to it more often, it might grow on me, or if I turn it up louder it might spark something in my synapses, and make me either ill or put me on an auditory high.

As it currently stands, however (and I'm sorry brother*), I'm going to have to rate it a 4/10. I guess I'm just too mainstream.

* If I recall, you did say "you may not like it" when you gave it to me?

Tempest - Turn of the Wheel (1996)

I stumbled upon this band in the metal section of the music store one day. Being a fan of the metal/folk fusion, I pounced on it. However, it's not metal, it's more just folk with a hint of progressive rock. No matter, because it is a great album, and I feel I should delve further into the folk genre.

Tempest are a Californian Celtic band. They've had a number of line-up changes, but the vocalist throughout is Lief Sorbye (he's Norwegian), who also plays the electric mandolin. Formed in 1988, they have released a number of albums and perform both traditional folk songs and original renderings based on folk tales both real and imagined. Other instruments include octave mandolas, flute, harmonica, bodhran, keyboards, violins and a pennywhistle.

The album jacket suits the music - the cover featuring a button or similar, in which 11 frowning faces encircle a dome.  Inside, the lyrics are laid out in a text with a distinctly medieval font that is, nonetheless, easy to read and interlaid with folkish lineart. The inspiration for each track is noted at the top, giving the listener opportunity to research it further, should they so desire. The lyrics are delightfully narrative and a pleasure to listen to.

The general musical style is jaunty folk, with the traditional intruments infused with keyboards and the electric mandolin. These modern instruments are used subtly, so that it never becomes over-poweringly progrock and make a unique and memmorable blend.

The album opens with "The Barrow Man", inspired by the Norwegian myth of the ancient man in the mound.

"Dunmore Lassies" is an instrumental folk dance, combining two reels from Ireland - "the Dunmore Lassies" and "Toss the Feathers". Get up and get dancing!

"The Soul Cages" tells a haunting tale about a merrow who entrances and entraps men and cages them under the sea.

Then it is into "Bogey's Bonnie Belle" which is a traditional Scottish ballad and with a neatly lilting rhythm. It tells the tale of a young man who takes up work for a farmer, Bogey, but gets involved with a farmer's daughter, Isabelle. As their relationship grows, she winds up pregnant and no amount of secrecy can hide their relationship. Bogey, needless to say, does not take this well and sends our narrator on his way - along with the baby. We end with a couple of further folk reels.

A moodier and broodier song, "The Midnight Sun" - a ale of leaving behind your homeland and making the steps into a brave new world. It is a beautifully original ballad and possibly also autobiographical - as it speaks of fjords and the midnight sun, and Sorbye was Norwegian-born. His voice certainly portrays the emotion well.

A crooked little instrumental is "Winding Road". It is recommended that you do not dance to this one. It has a tempting rhythm but is temperamental and changeable.

Then for another version of "The Farmer and the Crow". Here it is entitled "Bonden Og Kraka", the traditional Norwegian folk song followed by several Norwegian halling tunes. These hallingdans is a solo acrobatic dance performed by a man that involves a fair amount of squat-dancing and concludes with him springing in the air and kicking a hat from a stick held high by a woman.

"For Three of Us" is a haunting travelling ballad, and the sort of song that sparks feelings of being far from home, travelling across broad, open spaces with exquisite vistas and rolling hills.  It is tinted with a hint of winter and fueled by the north wind.

Then into two more Irish reels with "Nine Points of Roguery".

Until finally concluding with the bouncy "Cat in the Corner" which tells the tale of a young man's misfortunes - a rogue wanderer with an eye for the ladies and a thirst for whiskey, he is.

If you wish for an eclectic blend of folk music - performed by a band located in sunny California, then Tempest are the band for you. Their music is polished and practised, overlaid with Sorybe's voice.

Rating - 9/10