The more enthusiastic side of 'B.'
Written for dooyoo.co.uk from 2001–2008. Spot the teeny bobber section, if it can even be distinguished amid the general immaturity. Sabbath still rules though \m/ \m/
Bestial
*****
Written on 20.02.08
This monstrosity of an album is more accurately described by the Kraken-type creature of its cover art than you would probably imagine. Roughly categorisable as sludge doom metal, the L.A. two-piece outfit (not that kind of two-piece outfit) Black Cobra consists of Jason Landrian's distressingly heavy guitars and distorted screams with Rafael Martinez's drums setting the changeable pace from fast and relatively upbeat to torturously slow and staggered. Seemingly inspired by the likes of Acid Bath and sludge bands that have persisted in tuning their guitars to a lower frequency than the human ear can comfortably detect without leading to serious brain damage in later life, Black Cobra is a mostly instrumental, entirely irresistible band, and 'Bestial' is a truly beastly release.
What's so impressive about this album is the way it's arranged, for the most part, as a single, extended song divided into movements rather than individual songs, as each track down to 'The Cry of Melora' leads seamlessly into the next. Rather than making the whole thing sound repetitive, this actually helps to make songs stand out more than they would after a brief silence, as can be seen with the slightly less impressive second half of the album that makes weird use of extended silences occasionally lasting for a couple of minutes at a time, and although the entire album is only thirty-five minutes long, this at least means that each song has been tightly edited, silence anomalies aside.
This is loud and heavy music of the form that can usually only be found in the Southern states, and sludge fans will find all the satisfaction they need here, as the riffs are maintained to the agonising point where it sounds like standing next to a plane's engine that's about to suck your sorry ass in. There's no pattern here to the speed and style changes, most evident in the wildly changeable 'The Cry of Melora' that refuses to be pinned down to a rhythm, but the listener can rest assured that any slow, monstrous dirge will soon be followed up by a faster section to relieve the tension, especially at the changeover point between tracks when the successor jumps into life. As noted earlier, the album becomes a little less engrossing from track seven onwards, though it regains its life by the end, but the first half made for one of the most sickeningly enthralling musical experiences I've had in a long time. Best of all, it only takes about fifteen minutes.
1. One Nine
2. Thrown From Great Heights
3. El Equis
4. Beneath
5. Omniscient
6. The Cry of Melora
7. Broken on the Wheel
8. Sugar Water
9. El Doce De Octubre
10. Sombra De Bestia
11. Kay-Dur-Twenty
Black Dawn
Blood for Satan
***
Written on 20.02.08
Forced to change their name due to a New York heavy metal band holding the rights, this loyal bunch of black metal and Satan followers have opted to call themselves "The True Black Dawn," which really speaks volumes about their exaggerated sense of self-importance. Whether they really are into the Satanic stuff beyond the typical gimmick I couldn't say, but there's nothing about this release to make me excited about hearing any new material under their new moniker.
Treated to a surprisingly clean production job atypical of black metal debuts (but I guess this is the '00s now), this is far removed from the dingy and evil-sounding work of their genre predecessors, but at the same time is loyal enough not to venture into more aggressive death metal inspired territory like Behemoth. All of the band members are talented, particularly Cauldron who beats the drum kit relentlessly and will provide the most appeal to fans of the genre's more extreme tendencies, but their material is essentially a regurgitation (quite literally) of the generic black metal sound as defined by Darkthrone, Mayhem and others in the early nineties.
Every song is principally concerned with speed, apart from the worthless interlude 'When the Shadows Become Flesh,' and although the guitars are more audible than in much black metal where they tend to fade into the white noise, they never do anything of interest beyond keeping up the pace, as seen best in the hardly noticeable changeover between tracks one and two that sounds more like a brief pause in the former. The screams of Prophet Hoath Wrath (see what I mean?) are of high quality, to the extent that you can actually understand what he's yelling about some of the time, but there really is no reason for him to open the long and otherwise fairly decent finale with a guttural gurgle that sounds like he's taking a long spew.
Another extreme metal cliché is overused in the form of overlong sampling of old horror films, in this instance two clips in 'Of Blackest Witchcraft' and 'A Horned Moon Rising' of characters praising Satan and renouncing Christ, albeit in an easily digested, movie fashion, but overall this sounds more like a bunch of black metal fans imitating their heroes in a passable but unimpressive attempt to join their ranks, aided by changing the word "the" to the more sinister "Ye" in the final song to prove how hardcore they really are.
1. Pitbound (The 4th Trial of Acolyte)
2. A Hymn to Grand Darkness (The Creed of Hoath)
3. Of Blackest Witchcraft (The Hoath Manifesto)
4. Enemy of the Day
5. Graverape Ritual
6. A Horned Moon Rising
7. Blood For Satan
8. To Haunt and to Feed
9. When the Shadows Become Flesh
10. Within Ye Woods, Before Ye Throne
Black Flag
Damaged
****
Written on 23.03.08
Black Flag's first album remains their most acclaimed, and one of the most respected and innovative hardcore punk albums ever recorded, before the term came to mean something far less palatable. New vocalist Henry Rollins carries off the hostility excellently, his voice sounding gruff but also intriguingly young (he was twenty at the time), while Greg Ginn's gritty, rumbly guitar tone is rooted predominantly in the low end to work with the rhythm section, though still making plenty of room for screaming solos later in the songs.
Many of the songs here are undisputed classics of the genre, while others that are less well-known still work perfectly alongside, as the album's consistency never slips. As hardcore punk the emphasis is more on aggression than musical accomplishment, but to some extent this album has both, while the narrative lyrics of songs like 'Depression' and 'T.V. Party' prove that the band is capable of spinning a good yarn or punk morality tale. The latter is particularly interesting for being based around such a deceptively jolly riff, one that suits the initial optimism of the T.V. party friends before the inevitable satire slips in, the plot twist of the broken television comes along, and they have to face going out into the real world for a change.
Other songs are notable for their intense emotional expression, the opener 'Rise Above' deservedly being the band's best-known song, and the later 'Damaged II' sounding impressively improvised as the song roars on and Rollins and Ginn bounce off each other. The band even takes time out for some slow and more atmospheric passages at well-considered points, proving that they aren't just aggro-driven punks but real musicians, as 'Six Pack' and 'No More' spend considerable time on introduction before the song eventually reverts to the usual fast, relentless fare. This is the only Black Flag album that's an essential purchase for all punk fans, though not necessarily my favourite.
1. Rise Above
2. Spray Paint (The Walls)
3. Six Pack
4. What I See
5. T.V. Party
6. Thirsty and Miserable
7. Police Story
8. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
9. Depression
10. Room 13
11. Damaged II
12. No More
13. Padded Cell
14. Life of Pain
Black Flag
The First Four Years
***
Written on 23.03.08
Another compilation released betwixt studio albums, 'The First Four Years' is essentially a repackaging of Black Flag's first three E.P.s 'Nervous Breakdown,' 'Jealous Again' and 'Six Pack,' the single 'Louie, Louie' and a couple of additional songs. While it may be seen as a lazy collection in this regard, it at least offers the fans a chance to hear these songs without having to pay extortionate amounts to do so, especially now the originals have been out of print for so long.
Despite lasting only twenty-four minutes, this is still of passable length for a punk album and could easily be taken as a full-length release if not for the tell-tale shifting of singers and sound quality at several junctures. Greg Ginn's clunky guitar is the solid driving force that keeps everything together, though interestingly becomes grittier and harsher along with the vocals as the songs continue, and Black Flag's pionerring hardcore punk sound can clearly be heard evolving from more standard Ramones-esque fare in the first four songs through to the experimental aggression of 'Damaged I.'
This is a more streamlined and less problematic release than its predecessor 'Everything Went Black,' but should only be seen as a supplementary release after the studio albums, though at least saves fans the trouble of tracking down the rare E.P.s.
1. Nervous Breakdown
2. Fix Me
3. I've Had It
4. Wasted
5. Jealous Again
6. Revenge
7. White Minority
8. No Values
9. Clocked In
10. Six Pack
11. I've Heard It Before
12. American Waste
13. Machine
14. Louie, Louie
15. Damaged I
Black Flag
My War
Sing Me Your Ego Song
****
Written on 23.03.08
There was a substantial delay between Black Flag's first and second studio albums thanks to disagreements with the record company, but the equally pioneering 'My War' was well worth the wait, and remains one of the most inventive hardcore punk albums of all time - if it can even be classified so stringently.
There's a much greater emphasis on musicianship here than on the angry 'Damaged,' once again stemming mainly from Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn (who plays both guitar and bass on this album, the latter being credited to the fictitious Dale Nixon), and the band's experiments with a slower, draining style of doom metal would subsequently influence an entire generation of sludge and grunge bands, or really any band playing in a genre that takes its name from something dirty-sounding.
The guitar tone is deep and dirty throughout, whether Ginn is playing slow or fast, and although Rollins is required to use his spoken word style more prominently here, there are still many notable instances of his distinctive passionate screaming, particularly in the first six songs. After this point the album makes a radical shift towards songs that are twice the length (averaging six minutes apiece rather than three), and consequently a great deal slower.
The influence would seem to be Black Sabbath, among other bands inspired by the original masters of doom, and although the songs do tend to drag on, the experiment is wholly successful and must have surprised many contemporary listeners, the first time they turned the LP over and were confronted by a band that had obviously been smoking something pretty strong between sides.
'My War' is my favourite Black Flag album mostly for striking a perfect balance between aggression and melody, especially in songs like the similarly long (but not too slow) 'Can't Decide,' with its narrative lyrics, fun solo and some compelling drumming from Bill Stevenson, while the fast/slow dichotomy of 'Beat My Head Against the Wall' works similarly excellently. This album doesn't have the same classic status as 'Damaged,' which is understandable, but it showcases a more mature and experimental Black Flag that would remain strong throughout the rest of its career.
1. My War
2. Can't Decide
3. Beat My Head Against the Wall
4. I Love You
5. Forever Time
6. The Swinging Man
7. Nothing Left Inside
8. Three Nights
9. Scream
Black Flag
Family Man
****
Written on 23.03.08
I bet no one could see this coming; a hardcore punk album split down the middle, with one half devoted to instrumentals and the other given over to spoken word narratives from Henry Rollins, unaccompanied by backing music until his grand finale 'Armageddon Man.' Black Flag's inventiveness will doubtless surprise anyone who approaches them with preconceptions of what makes hardcore punk rock, as Rollins' occasionally poetic, often surreal monologues are a far cry from the political conscience of earlier songs like 'Police Story.'
The monologues are mostly fairly short, with the exception of the ten-minute 'Armageddon Man' that works brilliantly, and the less impressive 'Let Your Fingers Do the Walking' that reminds me far too much of performance poetry in its half-rhyme/half-rap style. Most of them are far from enlightening, but 'Salt on a Slug' boasts inferior sound quality and seems to have been recorded in front of a small, intimate audience who find Rollins' tale amusing, but which disappointingly cuts off just when the literal account starts to become more philosophical and Rollins imagines himself as the disintegrating mollusc.
The second, instrumental side of the album more than makes up for the vocal dominance of the previous half, and the band manages to make all four songs satisfyingly different. 'Long Lost Dog of It' is comparatively short and pleasant, 'I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!' is brilliantly intricate and relentless across its extended duration, 'Account for What?' has some of the most solid riffs and rhythms, and the finale 'The Pups Are Doggin' It' is fast and manic. This certainly isn't an album that's going to appeal to everyone, and if every Black Flag album sounded like this it wouldn't stand out as anything special, but as a one-off experiment it's a highly memorable curiosity in the history of punk.
1. Family Man
2. Salt on a Slug
3. Hollywood Diary
4. Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
5. Shed Reading (Rattus Norvegicus)
6. No Deposit, No Return
7. Armageddon Man
8. Long Lost Dog of It
9. I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!
10. Account for What?
11. The Pups Are Doggin' It
Black Flag
Slip It In
Drinking Black Coffee
***
Written on 23.03.08
Released only a few months after 'Family Man,' 'Slip It In' could be viewed as offering something a little more customary to the fans rather than the weird spoken word and instrumental stuff of its intriguing predecessor, though it's more likely a result of an incredibly proficient year for the band.
Continuing where 'My War' left off, this fourth album favours a more heavy metal sound than punk, evident in Greg Ginn's stoner riffs and prevalent solos, as well as the song structure. Henry Rollins no longer shouts for all he's worth, but is slightly more laid-back to fit into the style (though still capable of going all-out when required, as in the hasty 'My Ghetto'), but the album entirely avoids being consumed by the Black Sabbath/doom influence that rendered the second half of 'My War' unappealing to some.
Ginn's guitar has an excellent tone throughout this album, rooted in the low end of the scale which accentuates his screaming solos even more, and it's clear from the instrumental 'Obliteration' that he owes some of his style to King Crimson's Robert Fripp, as this song sounds much like an imitation of their 'Red' album. As a heavy metal album, this thankfully stays true to the original meaning of the term rather than the sleazy, pop-oriented glam metal being practiced by many American bands of the time to mind-boggling chart success, and Bill Stevenson's drums sound oddly like a cowbell throughout, which is a nice touch. There are also enough pinch harmonics and down-tuned riffs to keep this appealing to those brought up on nineties groove metal, even though the mixing of genres ultimately weakens this album's character to some extent.
1. Slip It In
2. Black Coffee
3. Wound Up
4. Rat's Eyes
5. Obliteration
6. The Bars
7. My Ghetto
8. You're Not Evil
Black Flag
Live '84
****
Written on 23.03.08
Black Flag's first live album was recorded at just the right time, in the highly proficient year that saw the release of three studio albums which forms the basis for this performance, recorded before the latter two had even been released. The sound quality is similarly perfect: nicely raw and unpolished, but clear enough that each instrument can be audibly discerned, while keeping the distinctive crunch of Greg Ginn's guitar.
At seventy-two minutes this is a generous and full performance, and an easy substitute for buying the studio albums themselves, particularly if you were turned off by the experimental tendencies of 'My War' and 'Family Man' that saw whole halves of those albums devoted to lethargic doom metal and spoken word narrative respectively, neither of which is allowed to impede on the band's customary hardcore punk/metal style here, though there is perhaps a larger quantity of extensive, King Crimson style instrumentals performed by Ginn in the form of 'The Process of Weeding Out' and 'I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!' than you may expect in a live environment.
The band's two broadly-defined eras of punk and metal sit comfortable alongside each other, with some older songs seeming well chosen thanks to their similar style ('Six Pack') and others offering some pleasant punk relief ('Jealous Again'). The only real drawback is that comparatively little of the band's earlier period is represented, though this is understandable considering how rapidly they were moving on, the newer albums they wished to promote and songs they wished to share, and the fact that those early songs had already been repackaged in several compilations by this point anyway. And it's not as if this was the last live album they'd ever release.
1. The Process of Weeding Out
2. Nervous Breakdown
3. Can't Decide
4. Slip It In
5. My Ghetto
6. Black Coffee
7. I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!
8. Forever Time
9. Fix Me
10. Six Pack
11. My War
12. Jealous Again
13. I Love You
14. Swinging Man
15. Three Nights
16. Nothing Left Inside
17. Wound Up
18. Rat's Eyes
19. The Bars
Black Funeral
Moon of Characith
*
Written on 20.02.08
This album irrationally creeps the hell out of me. Indiana's Black Funeral isn't concerned with making music as much as a soundscape of repetitive textures to assist in meditation, spell-casting or whatever else those of a darker nature choose to do with the time between their birth and inevitable death. This third despicable offering was mostly put together by an American bloke who likes to call himself Baron Drakkonian Abaddon, but whose real name is Michael Ford Nachttoter (though I suspect this is further goth deceit), who provides vocals, bass and electronic effects while his buddy/henchman Marcheloz plays guitar and drums when present, which doesn't seem to be very much on this particular album. Each of these nine tracks is similar, and even the ones that are different are eventually repeated later in the somewhat mirrored second half, and it isn't music for the faint-hearted. Or easily bored. Or anyone who actually wants to listen to some music, but I'm sure it has its place.
The typical style of these songs is to introduce a vague atmosphere in the first few seconds, for example the howling wind, gloomy keyboard melody and indefinable vocal of the opening song, and more or less stick that on repeat for four to five minutes without any noticeable joins. There's very little internal variation in any song outside of occasional dips or swells in the volume of backing sounds, and although the album is sure to be memorable - the creepy girl singing the same notes over and over in track two is what gets me - it really is essentially worthless to anyone who isn't preparing for a trance. The only traceable musical features are the keyboard and organ melodies that repeat throughout some songs, and a simple, soft drum beat in track two and its mirror equivalent track six.
This is something to play loud through a secret speaker if you want to traumatise a young child at night time, but is otherwise pointless and annoys me in its pretensions to actual meaning evidenced in the meaningless track titles, which would more appropriately be along the lines of "solo organ melody" and "scary ghost girl in a wood" (for tracks five and two respectively). This has bizarrely been in my collection for years without getting thrown away, I shan't be checking out the rest of the discography.
1. Totentanz
2. Seduction and Devourment
3. Evocation in the Lunar Lodge
4. Rite of Enveloping Shadows
5. Blood Rite - Manifestation of Marchosias
6. Death Gnosis
7. Moon Thirst
8. The Vampire Born - Totentanz II
9. Banishing
Black Label Society
1919 Eternal
***
Written on 20.02.08
Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Zakk Wylde may indeed be one of the most overrated heavy metal axemen (perhaps second only to the late Dimebag Darrell), but his simplistic, catchy groove metal style at least results in albums that can be easily digested. '1919 Eternal' is Black Label Society's most entertaining release up to this point (the band consists of Wylde on vocals, guitar and bass, and some other bloke on drums), but perhaps owes its commercially enjoyable nature to the uncanny similarity it bears to modern Ozzy Osbourne.
Comparisons are understandable considering Wylde pretty much defines the sound of Osbourne's music these days, but songs like 'Demise of Sanity' in particular sound distinctly like 'Down to Earth'-era off-cuts, even down to Wylde's occasional Ozzy imitation vocals. The rest of the time he varies from deep and gruff in the steadier rockers to a Southern singing style in the softer songs that form the bulk of the album's second half, while his guitar also takes the occasional opportunity to branch out from repetitive riffing into Ritchie Blackmore style acoustic plucking in 'Speedball' and the unsettlingly nationalistic 'America the Beautiful,' as well as solos in most songs that aren't anything particularly special, but would be missed if absent.
This is all incredibly formulaic and predictable music, targeted at those who wouldn't enjoy it any other way. Wylde hasn't really done anything to earn his exaggerated reputation, one that I'm sure is more down to his image than anything else (the tale that Ozzy hired him before he'd even finishing tuning up his guitar is quite revealing in this regard). All the same, he's a competent guitar player whose occasional deviations into more authentic stoner rock ('Mass Murder Machine') are balanced here against commercial and less interesting, almost Rob Zombie style generic mediocrity.
1. Bleed For Me
2. Lords of Destruction
3. Demise of Sanity
4. Life, Birth, Blood, Doom
5. Bridge to Cross
6. Battering Ram
7. Speedball
8. Graveyard Disciples
9. Genocide Junkies
10. Lost Heaven
11. Refuse to Bow Down
12. Mass Murder Machine
13. Berserkers
14. America the Beautiful
The Black Mages
The Black Mages
***
Written on 20.02.08
Another Japanese band performing rock interpretations of video game soundtracks, the Black Mages have the advantage of official endorsement from the original composer Nobuo Uematsu, whose work across the popular 'Final Fantasy' series of role-playing games forms the basis of their material. Nobuo himself is involved only at a production level in this debut release, arranged and performed by Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito against a drum machine, but as the project gained a cult fan base, the Black Mages expanded into a full live band and have even seen Nobuo incorporated into their ensemble.
To ease the task of picking and choosing a select number of the songs from the extensive series, which at the time ran to ten games over the course of more than a decade, the musicians opted to focus exclusively on battle music, which is naturally more agreeable with the progressive metal direction of their instrumental performance, at times comparable to Dream Theater. Effort has clearly been made to give a wider perspective, featuring material from games old and new rather than simply the most popular or most recent, but by choosing so selectively the band risks peaking at this early stage with very little to fall back on later on. Fortunately, at least in those terms, much of the music on here is far from exceptional, and some of the best-loved themes are nowhere in sight, ready for interpretation at a later date.
As combat music, the tracks here are mostly energetic and balance the guitar and keyboards perfectly in tackling the original themes, but there are some significant disappointments towards the end of the album in particular, when the rock instruments begin to disappear altogether and it becomes much like listening to the original soundtracks. Not that there's anything wrong with that -the Final Fantasy VII score has been a treasured part of my collection for a few years now - but 'Dancing Mad' is primarily an overlong bit of tedious keyboard and organ showing-off, and the finale 'Fight With Seymour' is so drenched in keyboards that it really sounds like an eighties TV theme, despite being the only song here taken from the most recent Final Fantasy X.
Hardly anyone is going to approach this unless they were a fan of the games first (the same way I didn't get anything out of Animetal), and preferred choice of game will likely influence the favourite songs here, regardless of quality. Unfortunately in my case, as a Final Fantasy VII fan whose memories of the couple of other games I've played in the series are less fond, the FFVII material in the second half is among the least rewarding. 'Fight On!' goes similarly overboard on the keyboards at the expense of guitars and ends up weaker on the whole, despite a fun cowbell for percussion, while my anticipation at the prog metal version of 'J-E-N-O-V-A' led to extreme disappointment that this was chosen as the arbitrary techno track.
Final Fantasy VI comes off best of all, excluding the aforementioned 'Dancing Mad,' with takes on the creatively titled 'The Decisive Battle' and 'Battle' providing a strong, hard rocking centre for the album, the former flooded with enjoyable guitar and keyboard solos as most tracks tend to be, and the later being a steadier affair. It's obvious in many cases that these were originally fairly primitive synthesiser melodies that have been expanded into rock versions, particularly on the themes from the earliest games in the series, but the professionalism and authenticity of all of these songs makes for a far more satisfying experience than listening to some geeky teenager's electric guitar interpretation of 'Golden Axe' themes on YouTube.
If you're not a Final Fantasy fan, there's nothing here for you. Even if you are, you'll probably still complain that they left the best stuff out.
1. Battle Scene (Final Fantasy I)
2. Battle at the Big Bridge (Final Fantasy V)
3. Force Your Way (Final Fantasy VIII)
4. Battle Scene II (Final Fantasy II)
5. The Decisive Battle (Final Fantasy VI)
6. Battle (Final Fantasy VI)
7. J-E-N-O-V-A (Final Fantasy VII)
8. Fight On! (Final Fantasy VII)
9. Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI)
10. Fight With Seymour (Final Fantasy X)
Black Majesty
Sands of Time
***
Written on 20.02.08
Australia's Black Majesty play a brand of power metal more in line with the melodic and grander style of American bands like Kamelot rather than the more repetitive sounds that dominate the European scene, with a healthy dose of classic metal influence from the likes of Iron Maiden and the early prog metal bands, Fates Warning in particular. The impressive thing about this debut, more so than the later albums, is how symphonic it manages to sound despite only using keyboards very sparingly - the guitar riffs are suitably heavy compared to the lighter lead melodies, making for an expansive sound that singer John Cavaliere expertly wails over in his finest soprano wail.
The emphasis is less on speed and arguably even less about fun than the band's contemporaries descended more from the speed metal line, and while many songs are still fairly fast, the focus is on medium-speed choruses that occasionally drift into pop metal territory ('Legacy'), but in a more tasteful way than bands like Brainstorm. Songs suffer a tendency to be overlong, particularly the eight-minute 'Beyond Reality' which features some great riff changes but still doesn't quite earn its duration, and although there's a progressive element to some of the structures in songs like 'Guardian' (reminiscent of Fates Warning even down to the title), it's never permitted to take over at a cost to the simple enjoyment of the song.
Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohammed are a great guitar team, playing some very memorable overtures in 'Fall of the Reich' and the interlude 'Destination' bur really impressing on every single song, and it's refreshing to hear power metal that balances power and melody so well, rather than being rooted predominantly in the high end. The classic metal solos are fantastic, as are the high screams, and despite the repetitive sound overall, the band still experiments down a few typical avenues such as the power ballad, most evident in the piano-led finale 'Lady of the Lake' that ends up sounding like a better version of Savatage. This is an interesting Australian band that isn't playing anything new, but has clearly spent time observing the best and worst of the genre and coming up with a winning formula.
1. Fall of the Reich
2. Legacy
3. Guardian
4. Sands of Time
5. Destination
6. Journeys End
7. Colliding Worlds
8. No Sanctuary
9. Beyond Reality
10. Lady of the Lake
Black Majesty
Tomorrowland
***
Written on 20.02.08
The most recent album from Melbourne-based Black Majesty is a bit of a disappointment, but perhaps one I should have expected considering the subtle changes between their previous works. The songs tend to be a little shorter with less attempts to strive for the "epic" sound that they were never really on top of, but even the fun heavy metal pace has been toned down for the most part in favour of an overly melodic and steady groove.
Black Majesty's primary fault is how similar their songs tend to sound, and this becomes an even greater problem than ever here, with the first four songs all following exactly the same medium-speed style, forsaking the band's satisfying heaviness for a greater focus on melody that's ultimately blander. John Cavaliere's vocal performance is less impressive now that his voice is mainly required to sing softly rather than scream to the heavens, and Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohammed feel similarly stifled in their guitar duty, only really impressing with an unprecedented full-pelt solo section towards the end of the otherwise unremarkable 'Bleeding World,' before 'Faces of War' puts a temporary halt on the mellow style with its heavier riffs and drums and the older style sadly returns in even greater prominence for the predictably shallow 'Wings to Fly.'
The future isn't looking very bright for these Aussies, treading further down the path towards pop power metal that only ends up alienating older fans without drawing in the mainstream crowd, and I can only hope that they regain some of their old splendour by the next time their biennial release is due in 2009. When a cover of Deep Purple is by far the best song on your album, perhaps it's time to rethink your career decisions.
1. Forever Damned
2. Into the Black
3. Evil in Your Eyes
4. Tomorrowland
5. Soldier of Fortune (Deep Purple cover)
6. Bleeding World
7. Faces of War
8. Wings to Fly
9. Another Dawn
10. Scars
Black Sabbath
Master of Reality
*****
Written on 25.05.05
Hot off recording the infernal heavy metal album classic ‘Paranoid,’ Black Sabbath listened to their fast-growing fan base over their numerous critics, and unleashed the heaviest, dingiest and most consistent record of their seventies heyday. Finally shaking off the ‘evil blues’ sound that sadly dates their first two albums, Sabbath refine, define and perfect the genre of heavy metal with this thirty-five minute LP.
What Master of Reality lacks in quantity, it surpasses insurmountably in the strength of each of the five substantial songs, bridged by the unnecessary but pleasant acoustic instrumentals ‘Embryo’ and ‘Orchid.’ Iommi’s disturbingly down-tuned guitars still sound definitively gloomy and crushing today, rendering irrelevant the efforts of the increasingly elaborate and contrived metal acts over the next three decades. Bill Ward’s drums and Geezer Butler’s bass are at their most powerful here on tracks such as ‘Children of the Grave,’ aided by the impressive and fitting production, and even Ozzy’s distinctive vocals still inexplicably suit the music to a tee, before the madman’s move towards a higher pitched singing style on subsequent albums.
1. Sweet Leaf (5.02)
2. After Forever (5.25)
3. Embryo (0.28)
4. Children of the Grave (5.15)
5. Orchid (1.30)
6. Lord of This World (5.24)
7. Solitude (5.02)
8. Into the Void (6.07)
Opening with a looped cough, presumably one of the band members reacting badly to dope, the popular drug anthem ‘Sweet Leaf’ inadvertently perfects the sound that all those early nineties grunge bands were struggling to achieve, twenty years too early. Stylistically, this song is less complex and involved than the four that follow, but its unimposing five-minute duration and the first of many unforgettable guitar riffs on the album serve to bridge the gap between this album and its more accessible predecessor, Paranoid. ‘After Forever,’ Sabbath’s un-ironic Christian rocker, furthers this rock-n-roll sound and does so excellently, before the brief thirty-second acoustic tranquillity of ‘Embryo’ gives way to ‘Children of the Grave,’ unleashing crushing doom metal on an unprepared audience and only increasing in intensity with ‘Lord of This World’ and ‘Into the Void.’
All three songs share similarities, such as slow opening sections that give way to the speedy main riffs, and descent into semi-jam sections in the second half. ‘Lord of This World’ manages to remain weirdly melodic despite the down-tuned guitars and pounding drums, and features some uncharacteristically impressive guitar solos, a far cry from the blues-inspired noodling of the 1970 debut album. The inimitable (but much-covered) ‘Into the Void,’ a song that may not be instantly likeable but is unavoidably memorable, represents the culmination of the album’s attempts up to that point of forging the ultimate metal riff. Ozzy spoils it a little by attempting to whine something about rocket engines in sync, but this album could easily have been the final word on the burgeoning metal genre. But then, they never would have recorded classics such as ‘Symptom of the Universe.’
The sole curiosity on this reasonably samey album is ‘Solitude,’ an enjoyable ballad-esque acoustic song that sounds Medieval. Ozzy’s soft-spoken vocals are hardly recognisable, but the final word seems to be that this is indeed his voice, and not an early vocal stint by Ward. Along with ‘Embryo’ and ‘Orchid,’ which can be interpreted as preludes to the songs that respectively follow them, songs that already include additional introductory openings on bass or guitar, ‘Solitude’ keeps Master of Reality interesting at times when the definitive, ultimate metal of tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 just won’t satisfy.
There's no sub-three-minute rock radio staple in the vein of the band's most popular song 'Paranoid' here, as following such a popularist direction would have ensured the band's descent into bland hard rock territory, several years before such a fate would be destined to befall them anyway. But at the same time, the problematic song lengths of tracks such as 'War Pigs' and 'Hand of Doom' (also from the Paranoid album) have by this point been eradicated; 'Into the Void' is the longest song at a mere six minutes, and along with 'Lord of This World,' 'Children of the Grave' and 'After Forever' packs a lot of musical ideas into a single, concise song. The most glaringly obvious improvement of Master of Reality upon Paranoid is that there is no irritating drum solo on this album.
If Master of Reality is let down in one area, it’s the often-distracting lyrics. While Ozzy’s query, ‘Would you like to see the Pope on the end of a rope?’ in ‘After Forever’ starts the song off on a positive note (despite the silly rhyme) of individualism and questioning, this message soon becomes more an encouragement of Protestantism than the anti-Christian message the band had previously been accused of. As such, the song seems tarnished by a weak, apologetic stance, in the aftermath of the band becoming successful and wishing to avoid alienating potential listeners. To a lesser extent, the environmentally friendly sci-fi plot of ‘Into the Void’ seems a little desperate, almost as if Butler had to rush some lyrics on the day of recording and happened to notice a bottle bank on the way to the studio. Still, great guitar riff. Common themes throughout the album concern the destruction of the Earth by humanity's pollution and 'atomic age,' and a cry out to the children of tomorrow to sort it all out. Whoops.
Newcomers to Black Sabbath would benefit from the broader view offered by a best-of collection covering their classic early seventies period, such as the (fairly) recent ‘Very Best of Black Sabbath’ or even their contemporary ‘We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll.’ Master of Reality is perhaps the only consistent album the band has ever produced, but the heaviness and similarity of songs may deter casual listeners. The preceding albums ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘Paranoid’ represent the true origin of heavy metal, and feature the band’s most widely known songs, while the three that followed see the band experimenting with and progressing their sound to various degrees of success.
Best track: 'Lord of this World.'
Advantages: Landmark heavy metal album, excellent musicianship from all band members, classic songs
Disadvantages: Short and somewhat repetitive
Black Sabbath
Vol. 4
****
Written on 02.09.06
After recording heavy metal’s definitive unholy trinity, Black Sabbath under the helm of guitarist Tony Iommi entered an experimental era that would soon see the band’s popularity and credibility plummet over the course of the decade. The un-cryptically titled ‘Vol. 4,’ the band’s self-explanatory fourth album, represents a thoroughly impressive and inspired cliff edge from which the band would later throw themselves like a kindle of coked-up Brummie lemmings.
Originally to be titled ‘Snowblind’ after the album’s happy cocaine anthem, but soon changed for pretty obvious reasons, ‘Vol. 4’ is one of Sabbath’s very best albums, paling only in comparison to its immediate predecessor, the gritty ‘Master of Reality.’ Rather than replicate their established and massively influential sound, Sabbath instead focused on a more hard rock direction incorporating progressive elements, and for the most part it’s a success. The band continued to pioneer heavy metal as an original genre, and this lack of established guidelines granted them enormous freedom to experiment: as such, ‘Vol. 4’ is more varied and adventurous than most metal albums that would follow, it’s nearly all excellent, and often pleasantly poetic.
‘Vol. 4’ is primarily let down by a generally thin production sound, and a lack of imagination as the album draws to a close. Whether the latter was due primarily to fatigue brought about by rapid album releases, disagreements between band members or the increasingly worrying amount of drugs the band was taking, I can’t be sure. Nevertheless, when this album is good, it really rocks. The unimpressive production is especially disappointing after the spectacular sludge of the ‘Master of Reality’ album, and gives the guitars and drums a more traditional hard rock sound akin to Led Zeppelin. The predecessor’s tightly edited thirty-five-minute playing time is also lost this time around, as the blues influence returns somewhat and causes most songs to over-run with unnecessary jams.
The lyrics predominantly display fear of an approaching insanity, similar to but less eloquent than Roger Waters’ preoccupation in Pink Floyd, and at a stretch this could be considered an unintentional concept album. ‘Wheels of Confusion’ and ‘Tomorrow’s Dream’ both describe a blur between fantasy and reality, while ‘Changes’ is a more simplistic cry for help after bereavement, perhaps indicating the need to escape, and this is picked up on in ‘Cornucopia’ and ‘St. Vitus’ Dance.’ ‘Under the Sun / Every Day Comes & Goes’ offers the final solution, advocating the escape from “their world of make-believe,” and only in the controversial ‘Snowblind’ are the speaker’s eyes opened thanks to the power of drugs. It may not have been intentional but it works pretty well, and likely provides an insight into the band’s collective psyche at this early and successful point in their career. Life is one big overdose.
1. Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener
2. Tomorrow’s Dream
3. Changes
4. FX
5. Supernaut
6. Snowblind
7. Cornucopia
8. Laguna Sunrise
9. St. Vitus’ Dance
10. Under the Sun / Every Day Comes & Goes
Longer Black Sabbath songs have been divided into ‘movements’ right from the debut album, but this is taken a step further when bluesy, hard rocking opener ‘Wheels of Confusion’ morphs seamlessly into a piano-led guitar jam from Iommi. The first note is abruptly loud and clear, but sadly acts as a perfect demonstration of the weak production sound. Ozzy sings Geezer Butler’s customarily pointless fantasy lyrics in a noticeably more irritating whine than the lower pitch of the previous albums, but his trademark cringe-inducing singing style wouldn’t properly develop until the next record. Taking this into account, the second (instrumental) half of this song is far more impressive, as Iommi’s seemingly relentless solo plays perfectly over the simplistic repeated bars of the piano. Depending on my mood, this song could be much, much, much longer.
‘Tomorrow’s Dream’ is the most commercially viable song on the album, and was rightly selected as the single. Taking cues from the earlier ‘After Forever’ and predicting all the big numbers on the next few Sabbath albums, this is a relaxed song that veers on ballad territory but is a bit too heavy on distortion to allow it. Ozzy sings inoffensively for a change, and there’s a nice jazz-influenced break towards the end of the song allowing Iommi to show off some groovy guitar and keyboard tricks, in something of a failed attempt to emulate psychedelia in metal. The next song takes the balladic leap, and it’s not a pretty sight.
I’ve heard that Ozzy and his daughter re-recorded ‘Changes’ a couple of years ago and it somehow got to number one. I haven’t heard it, but I’m very sure it’s godawful. Sabbath’s original is lacking in depth for all the wrong reasons; Ozzy’s echo-enhanced voice is more irritating than it’s ever been before or since, especially when required to fill a vast chasm occupied only by Iommi’s feeble piano ditty that sounds like something a seven-year-old could have come up with. (Then again, much of Basil Poledouris’ soundtrack for ‘Conan the Barbarian’ was based on melodies his seven-year-old daughter improvised. I’m not sure what point I’m making here, but it’s a funny fact). This is one of my all-time least favourite Black Sabbath songs, including their pitiful output from the eighties and nineties – and that’s saying something.
Concluding this undemanding sophomore section of the album, ‘FX’ is nothing but an entirely pointless interlude. The band’s probably trying to sound spacey or surreal, and indeed it might have been pretty cool for the acid-drenched hippies, but two minutes of nothing but random amplifier feedback makes even the most obtuse Tangerine Dream composition sound palatable. I tend to lump it along with ‘Changes’ as the part of the album that it’s always necessary to skip. Things can only get better, and the off-road swinging ‘Supernaut’ doesn’t disappoint. Led entirely by a selection of Iommi’s brilliantly simple riffs, a technique we’ve seen does not translate to piano, this is a relatively roundabout and circular four minutes of rolling guitars and sparse vocals with a fantastic steel drum refrain. One of the high points of the album and a genuine Sabbath classic, perhaps because it really doesn’t go anywhere.
The album takes a more epic turn with ‘Snowblind,’ the band’s not-so-secret song about cocaine that even features a very loud whisper of “cocaine!” after the first verse. Considering the pressure put on the band to remove most of the more oblique references, this really stands out as an effective mockery of Warner records. Laugh in their hypocritical snow-covered corporate faces. The music is slow and dingy, although not to the extent of past classics like ‘Lord of this World’ and ‘Black Sabbath,’ but the tempo and style shift excellently between verses, choruses and instrumental sections. This is the most technically accomplished song on the album and one of the very best, although after the simple fun of ‘Supernaut’ it may take some time to really grow on the listener. Ozzy’s voice defies expectation by sounding really good in the sing-song verses (akin to ‘Into the Void’), and Iommi seems to have finally grasped the potential of keyboards in providing effective background ambience.
‘Cornucopia’ desperately yearns for the production sound of ‘Master of Reality’ or ‘Paranoid,’ and would sound a whole lot more impressive if this had been granted. The trademark sluggish guitars don’t sound anywhere near as powerful in the opening section, and the song doesn’t really pick up until the pace is increased and Iommi adds a couple of solos. Everything about this song sounds like a last-minute re-hash of previous material, but thankfully it doesn’t last too long to become tedious. This is followed by the pleasant but overlong ‘Laguna Sunrise,’ the only acoustic instrumental on this album following the previous release’s ‘Orchid’ and ‘Embryo’ and unfortunately lasts for longer than the combined length of both. At just under three minutes, there shouldn’t be much difference between this repetitive ditty and ‘The Straightener’ so long before, but this one is a whole lot duller. Iommi plays a single repeated riff on a Spanish-sounding guitar that I’m not technical enough to provide any more information about.
Following the instrumental is another below-average-length song, but this time Ozzy contributes some vocals. ‘St. Vitus’ Dance’ has a bluesy feel to it, and acts as a weaker companion to ‘Supernaut’ in its focus on repeated riffs. It’s a nice song, especially for its length, but this time the lack of progress acts as a hindrance rather than an advantage as it was earlier. These things work very strangely. The final song is something of a caged beast, again restricted by weak production from being the Sabbath classic it perhaps deserves to be. Ozzy’s vocals over the guitars remind me a lot of several points on ‘Master of Reality,’ but this song doesn’t work quite as well, sounding repetitive for the most part but saved by some creative guitar by Iommi and a speedy departure into ‘Every Day Comes & Goes,’ which is effectively a different song in-between two halves of ‘Under the Sun.’ Butler’s bass can be heard clearly for the first time under Iommi’s solos. The album ends in excellent fashion, with overlapping melodic guitars soloing their way into the fade in a way Iommi would unfortunately never be able to play live, having only two hands. The final crushing note ends as abruptly as the wail that opened the first track forty-four minutes earlier.
Black Sabbath’s first three albums already contained progressive elements, especially in the Medieval-style ballads that remind most strongly of patriotic English prog bands such as King Crimson and Genesis. With ‘Vol. 4,’ keyboards are introduced and it becomes a lot easier to incorporate established prog traits, most notably the mellotron lurking in the background of ‘Changes,’ a fond staple of progressive music to this day. Only with ‘Snowblind’ does the synthetic sound genuinely add to the song, and the piano / guitar outro to ‘The Straightener’ is a real highlight, if a little self-indulgent at such an early point in the album. The loose and jazzy structures also detract from some of the songs, leaving only ‘Supernaut’ and ‘Snowblind,’ and perhaps ‘Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener’ sounding like true classics, the first of which could quite conceivably be traced as the direct origin of the ‘groove metal’ scene that dominated much of nineties metal, led by bands like Pantera and Machine Head.
A few too many liberties are taken with unnecessary jams in the weirdest places, and for every cool musical innovation (especially in Bill Ward’s percussion) there follows a blatant rip-off of earlier material. The band would proceed to incorporate synthesisers more strongly in their following albums, especially 1973’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ which manages to feature both an accomplished cameo by keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman and an absolutely abysmal composition by Ozzy Osbourne that’s up there with ‘Changes.’ Not down here in Hell where all of Black Sabbath’s best songs really belong.
Advantages: Interesting progressive elements fused with the band's established sound.
Disadvantages: A general air of fatigue and laziness.
Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Sorcerers of Madness
****
Written on 16.03.07
One of the most prominent and memorable Black Sabbath albums, 1973’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ is widely recognised as the band’s first album to depart from the heavy doom metal sound they pioneered, and the first to feature additional instruments and classical elements. Despite neither of these claims being true – its cocaine-soaked predecessor ‘Vol. 4’ remains their most progressive, but didn’t sell quite as well – this later release defined the style that would dominate the second half of the band’s classic period, and ultimately lead to its downfall several years later.
‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ which I’ll call SBS from now on for the obvious reasons (length and severe profanity), remains a typical Sabbath album despite its diversity. Most tracks are full of timeless down-tuned blues-inspired guitar riffs and the discordant shrieks of Ozzy Osbourne, and there’s a trademark lack of consistency to the whole thing. Perhaps the only Sabbath album that comes close to perfect in terms of what it’s aiming for is 1971’s excellent ‘Master of Reality,’ which cheats by being only half an hour long and not bothering to tag on a rubbish synthesiser track. The diversity of SBS largely comes in the division between the ‘classic’ and progressive Sabbath sound, which roughly corresponds to each respective side of the LP. Tracks 1 to 4, with the exception of the acoustic instrumental third track, would fit easily amongst ‘Vol. 4’ material, while tracks 5 to 8 are something not really heard before, a form of accessible heavy rock that anticipates 1990s grunge. The first song, the title track, sounds like traditional Sabbath with interesting acoustic breaks and restless alternation between classic guitar riffs, while the final track explores acoustic integration more fully and makes for the album’s most successful experiment. But when the experiments fail, they fail really, really horribly.
Ex-Yes keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman lends his distinctive flair to ‘Who Are You?’, though his sweeping organ cameo goes all but unnoticed after three minutes of ad nauseam terrible keyboard melody. Like the almost-as-awful piano ballad ‘Changes’ on the previous album, the tune is simplistic in the bad, amateurish, childish sense, plodding along like a slowed-down arcade game through dull verses, accompanied only by Ozzy’s wails, and deteriorating even further in the chorus. This is one of the few songs Osbourne wrote during his decade with the band, and fails to show any potential for the success he would later achieve. Even the dull acoustic interlude ‘Fluff’ manages to be more entertaining, despite being severely overlong; expanding on the brief baroque interludes on the previous two albums, Iommi demonstrates his unplugged flair here and provides epilogue material for endless future live shows. Unfortunately it doesn’t work so well as the third track of the album, and the impressive things going on in the background tend to be lost in the repetitiveness of the main melody.
The album opens with the strong ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ an attack at deceitful record labels and liars in general, and rightfully one of the band’s most popular songs. The fuzzy opening riff crawls out of the gutter and is soon joined by the rest of the instruments and Ozzy’s singing. This was the debut of his high pitched vocal style, something from which he never recovered. It’s not always a bad thing, but sometimes spoils choruses by making the lyrics sound too exaggerated. This is especially noticeable on this opening track, and is the only weak part; Iommi’s multiple riffs have all the heaviness that can be expected of early metal, and the song lasts for a perfect five-and-a-half minutes. ‘A National Acrobat’ follows and is another highlight, with perhaps the ultimate down-tuned sludge riff joined by a higher pitched melody and evolving organically and superbly over the course of six minutes. The real technical triumph all comes within the last minute, as Iommi and drummer Bill Ward produce some of the heaviest riffs in Sabbath history that last for all of ten seconds each, and clearly act as an immediate predecessor to thrash metal. The song ends with a really odd guitar melody that scales frantically higher and higher before ceasing abruptly, and leaving things sounding confusingly unfulfilled. This can only be remedied by beginning the song again, and repeating until bored. As with ‘Wheels of Confusion’ on the previous album, I find this song oddly relaxing, and it would probably be my first choice as song to listen to forever, if the situation ever arose. Ozzy’s vocals are far less prominent in the mix here, and don’t reach quite so high. It is thus much better.
Rick Wakeman’s other appearance comes two minutes into the fourth track, ‘Sabbra Cadabra,’ and signals the song’s instant descent from fantastically fun heavy metal love song to dull jazzy nothing-piece. Ozzy’s love-struck screeching over one of Iommi’s most brilliantly simplistic riffs (in a good way, this time) sets up an incredible song, but sadly the opportunity is lost and lousy experimentation is favoured. The tom-tom percussion from the older song ‘Supernaut’ rears its head again, as does a jazz piano that sounds alternately entertaining or out of place whenever I listen to this. Perhaps Sabbath couldn’t think of a way to continue and conclude ‘Sabbra Cadabra’ naturally, so this radical departure was used as a way out. In this case, I’d still rather this have been a short and sweet two minute piece of giddy optimism amidst the waste. Metallica covered this song for their 1998 covers album and surprisingly managed to improve upon it, though by mixing it with ‘A National Acrobat’ they butchered that great song in the process.
More consistent is ‘Killing Yourself to Live,’ the start of the album’s second half and grunge-esque style, favouring accessibility and focus on bluesy guitar over the mad experimentation that ruined track four. The guitars are really good, but this section of the album ends up sounding like a bland middle ground between the heavy and acoustic elements that made up songs like the title track, also beginning a trend of focusing more on memorable chorus singing than impressive head-banging riffs. Bassist Geezer Butler wrote this song while in hospital for excessive drinking, making for a typically dingy Sabbath premise despite the general uplifting sound. ‘Looking for Today’ pushes this optimism even further, but apart from another deliberately memorable pop chorus, doesn’t offer anything new. There are some nice mellotron and folk elements in the background, reminiscent of early King Crimson, though the guitars are more derivative of Led Zeppelin. Fortunately the album ends on a high note (literally in this case. I’ve made the ‘not literally’ joke on every other music review so far, and I’ve finally found one that does) with the excellent ‘Spiral Architect.’ Becoming a live favourite, this song shows how good Black Sabbath can sound when incorporating acoustic guitar more fully and properly, sounding in many places like a mellowed out version of the first song, especially in the similar verses. Ozzy sounds far more at home when dealing with the lighter material, as evidenced on the last couple of albums, meaning that I depart this album hating him far less than I did forty minutes earlier in the screeching opener.
SBS is a slightly over-rated album as far as Black Sabbath goes, and despite ushering in a more radio-friendly era for the band, which can be viewed as a good or bad thing, it’s the first on which they really begin to lose their sound. It’s likely that this was an inevitable event, especially considering the inconsistency and evident rushed nature of each album (though this adds a lot to their charm), and only ‘Who Are You?’ manages to be truly awful. ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ ‘A National Acrobat’ and ‘Spiral Architect’ are all essential Sabbath classics, as are the first couple of minutes of ‘Sabbra Cadabra,’ so there’s not too much at fault on this album. The follow-up ‘Sabotage’ fails to continue the progression evident here and instead sounds almost exactly like this album, so listeners aggravated that ‘Spiral Architect’ really started taking things somewhere should check that album out for a sound-alike. ‘Vol. 4’ remains the most experimental and diverse, ‘Master of Reality’ remains their most distinctive, and ‘Paranoid’ has the best songs. SBS falls somewhere in the middle, but mainly loses out for coming fifth in such an illustrious line.
Black Sabbath
Sabotage
****
Written on 19.03.08
Although Ozzy Osbourne recorded two more albums before departing Black Sabbath, 1975's 'Sabotage' is the final album of their classic period before band disagreements and a lack of creativity rendered the subsequent releases merely tolerable. Following directly on from the more commercial, hard rock style of its predecessor 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' it's difficult to resist comparing the similar songs from the two albums and indulging in an adolescent debate over which is best. So I won't break with tradition here; 'SBS' was a bit better and more varied, but 'Sabotage' is the more consistent and perhaps even the most mature album the band would record this decade, in a loose sense of the word.
Having supplemented and largely replaced their earlier, heavy style with progressive hard rock touches over the previous two albums, Sabbath returns to form slightly in the first half of the album with the monstrously dark 'Symptom of the Universe' preceded by the short acoustic interlude 'Don't Start (Too Late)' and harking back to the glory days of 'Master of Reality,' arguably their finest album (if I was doing the arguing). After this point the sound reverts to Zeppelinesque hard rock of 'SBS' and 'Vol. 4' with less aggressive guitar riffs, frequent acoustic passages and even the return of the keyboards that characterised the previous album and were one of its major failings due to over-use, particularly in Ozzy's god-awful 'Who Are You?', but fortunately there's nothing of comparable embarrassment on this release. Only the contrived single 'Am I Going Insane' really stands out for seeking mainstream appeal, ironically the most stable song here with Ozzy's calmest singing performance and a lack of the shifting structures and mood swings of earlier songs, while the rest continues to chart Black Sabbath's natural evolution.
Along with the wickeder 'Symptom of the Universe,' 'Hole in the Sky' provides something for fans of the band's louder metal style, and it's admirable that it was chosen to open the album rather than something with more commercial appeal. Tony Iommi's leading riff is great, Geezer Butler's bass is prominent throughout, and Ozzy puts in his first of several manic performances screeching in the same higher-pitched whine he introduced on the previous album, singing intelligent lyrics criticising humanity's self-destructive tendencies and general failure to ensure the planet won't explode some time in the near future.
'Symptom' furthers these sounds to a greater extreme, Iommi's riff now being despicably gritty and his solo loud and blaring rather than the calm, integrated performance of the earlier song, and Bill Ward's drums become particularly frenzied between the verses. The lighter, acoustic finale is a great touch, even if it may disappoint metal fans, and leads perfectly into the album's longest and most intricate song 'Megalomania,' a great performance that may never be rated among Sabbath's classics, but rivals 'Wheels of Confusion' as their most successful experimental piece, one that becomes nicely upbeat and never drags on and will no doubt surprise people who've listened to the album plenty of times over the last few years and have only just noticed in reviewing it that it's almost ten minutes long. Well I'll be.
The latter half of the album suffers in comparison as the band run out of great ideas, the instrumental 'Supertzar' being pretty cool with its choir, even though it sounds like something from a Disney film, but the performance on the whole is insubstantial. 'Thrill of It All' is another mellow hard rock song that doesn't stand out in the band's discography, and overlong finale 'The Writ' fails to recapture the magic of the previous album closer 'Spiral Architect,' though it's nice to hear Ozzy returning to his deranged persona after the comparatively lucid 'Am I Going Insane?' No, you are not, but your next recordings with the band are going to be reasonably rubbish.
1. Hole in the Sky
2. Don't Start (Too Late)
3. Symptom of the Universe
4. Megalomania
5. Thrill of It All
6. Supertzar
7. Am I Going Insane (Radio)
8. The Writ
Black Sabbath
****
Written on 11.10.05
The first in a continuing line of "best of Black Sabbath" collections, the poetically titled 'We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll' has the advantage of being released at the height of the band's success with its original, classic line-up. Well chosen excerpts from their first six albums of the early seventies demonstrate the musical progress made by the band, as well as the success of each respective, highly influential style.
WE SOLD OUR SOUL FOR ROCK 'N' ROLL
1. Black Sabbath
2. The Wizard
3. Paranoid
4. War Pigs
5. Iron Man
6. Tomorrow's Dream
7. Fairies Wear Boots
8. Changes
9. Sweet Leaf
10. Children of the Grave
11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
12. Am I Going Insane (Radio)
13. Snowblind
14. NIB
The single disc edition of We Sold Our Soul features fourteen tracks, appearing in a roughly chronological order save for a couple of exceptions. The self-titled 1970 debut is represented by the doomy blues metal of 'Black Sabbath,' 'The Wizard' and 'NIB,' the bestselling Paranoid donates the memorable singles 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' as well as the more elaborate 'War Pigs' and 'Fairies Wear Boots,' while 'Sweet Leaf,' and 'Children of the Grave' are taken from the shorter Master of Reality, the album that really defined heavy metal. Vol. 4 offers an interesting bunch with 'Tomorrow's Dream,' 'Changes' and 'Snowblind,' but oddly a skimpier section of the album showcases the band's two more recent albums, each lending only one track each.
How many albums now begin with the crunching, demonic power chords of 'Black Sabbath?' The epic song's original status as the opening track of the band's debut album offers a nice excuse for anthologies to be arranged as a timeline. There is no sense of musical perfection about these tracks, as that doesn't seem to go hand-in-hand with the band's attitude of the time, but that doesn't make these recordings any less classic or enjoyable. The main apparent reason for shifting a couple of songs around in order is to avoid repeating a similar style; 'Black Sabbath,' 'War Pigs,' 'Fairies Wear Boots' and 'Children of the Grave' would all be arranged within a couple of songs of each other, and all are lengthy, heavy, plodding pieces that the band perform so well. The latter track in particular captures the early Black Sabbath sound better than any other inclusion, except perhaps the legendary 'NIB' which is shifted to the end in an attempt for a little more musical coherence.
The galloping, almost radio-friendly sound of 'Paranoid,' Sabbath's most famous song and one of the greatest hits of heavy metal, is also found in the madly catchy 'Iron Man,' the cackling 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Am I Going Insane (Radio),' the last two showing a lighter and more accessible sound to the band's music, despite the trademark Ozzy Osbourne wailing and extensive guitar solos. 'Sweet Leaf,' their controversial cannabis anthem, also proves that it was Black Sabbath and not Nirvana who invented grunge.
The remaining tracks all show a different progression of the band's music, giving a taste of more experimental times. 'After Forever' is a good metal ballad, 'Changes' is the band's simple but popular piano ballad, the only non-metal song on the collection, and 'Snowblind' shows the hard rocking, Led Zeppelin-esque side of 1974's Vol. 4.
GOING THROUGH CHANGES
There is an obvious drawback to any greatest hits collection: people's favourites will be missing, while songs they deem of less worth will keep surfacing. Black Sabbath's studio albums, even in their golden years, were usually fifty-fifty in terms of quality and enjoyment, and for the most part this is a very well-chosen collection. Strangely there is a double CD version of We Sold Our Soul, but it only includes a couple of extra tracks that makes the total running time just over the standard 80 minutes of one CD. While a two-disc release at this early point of a band's career seems a little over the top, this slight extension allowed for some of Tony Iommi's acoustic instrumentals to be highlighted, one of the selling points of the Master of Reality and Vol. 4 albums.
Okay, to be honest there is a lot that should have been done differently: time has told, as have I. The inclusion of the reflective 'Changes' begs the question why the far more accomplished, relaxed and jazzy 'Planet Caravan' wasn't deemed worthy of inclusion instead of the average 'Fairies Wear Boots' from the same album. I also would have preferred the far superior metal ballad 'After Forever' from Master of Reality to 'Tomorrow's Dream' from a year later.
My final two gripes: where the hell are 'Symptom of the Universe' and 'Supernaut?' The immortal riffs and odd steel drum refrains of these Sabbath classics from '74 and '76 make them superior tracks to the similar 'Snowblind' and 'Am I Going Insane.' It may be petty, but for this outrage I'm docking the album one star because I can. This is clearly somewhat a matter of personal taste; obviously this release includes nothing from 1977's 'Technical Ecstasy,' the album most commonly seen as the start of the band's deterioration, or the crazy train of descent and vocalist shifts that plagued the band's career ever after. This makes for a far more solid release that nowadays has an easy excuse to avoid the politeness of including disappointing modern material.
BLOODY SABBATH
Rock fans who have heard 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' and want to discover more could look nowhere better than We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll, which gives a fair overview of their achievements in the first half of the 1970s, even if over half of the running time is devoted to songs from the first two albums. The major drawback, and something that didn't matter too much at the time, is that it offers nothing new to fans who already own the source albums: every song appears exactly as it did originally, with no remastering or pointless irritating multimedia features of any kind. The title is excellent but the bland cover means that even completists can avoid purchasing, but we all know what they are like.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are all at the peak of their talents here, in the crazy drug-addled formative years of heavy metal. It's a shame that this album doesn't include, as it may appear at first glance, a new song in the form of 'We Sold Our Souls,' Ozzy screaming his plea to Mephastophilis for twenty-five years of rock in exchange for the souls of the four untidy Birmingham musicians, especially in the post-Sabotage hiatus of the increasingly quarrelsome band.
Not quite an essential purchase, but as great an overview as you will find of Black Sabbath's early years and an eerily accurate time to release a celebratory collection before Black Sabbath lost their way. All the hits are here, balanced out with longer, more elaborate pieces and the occasional thoughtful aside including, of all the band's goddamned satanic instruments, a charming grand piano. Heavy metal.
Black Sabbath
Never Say Die
Never Say Ozzy (Again)
**
Written on 02.10.05
The last album to be released from Black Sabbath's "classic" line-up proved to be something of a disappointment. Although initially seeming more impressive than their previous offering, the watered down, poorly experimental 'Technical Ecstasy,' Never Say Die soon descends into a confusing and mediocre effort. But incomplete and half-arsed though it is, the Black Sabbath touches that remain make me return to this album every once in a while.
HARD ROAD
The original Black Sabbath line-up of Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) produced eight studio albums through the seventies, their music evolving from the "evil blues" of their debut through their most famous era through which they invented, defined and perfected heavy metal, and finally entering something of a low point as synthesiser experimentation and radio-friendly tracks began dragging their albums down.
The mediocrity of Never Say Die is due to record label deadlines and the general discomfort of the band, owing in a large part to Ozzy Osbourne's increasingly erratic and drug-addled behaviour that led to him being fired from Sabbath after this release. It's a true and widely held belief that there is no such thing as a perfect Black Sabbath album; the band by their nature acted on instinct and didn't care too much about who they impressed, which gives their early releases a brilliant atmosphere that is dingy, wicked and also oddly relaxing. Never Say Die wouldn't fare too badly if some of the songs displayed a little originality or longevity, but the truth is, even Sabbath fans are probably best off without.
NEVER SAY DIE
1. Never Say Die
2. Johnny Blade
3. Junior's Eyes
4. Hard Road
5. Shock Wave
6. Air Dance
7. Over to You
8. Break Out
9. Swinging the Chain
The typical hard rock sound of late seventies Sabbath results in 'Never Say Die,' 'Johnny Blade,' 'Hard Road' and 'Shock Wave,' all enjoyable in their own right but lacking whatever it is that keeps classics such as 'Paranoid' and 'A National Acrobat' interesting after decades. Ozzy's vocals are at their typical haunting best, his almost spoken verses and choruses proving that vocalists don't always have to be talented to be entertaining. Iommi's solos aren't particularly memorable, while Bill Ward gets little chance to shine until the jazzy instrumental 'Break Out' and his second stint on vocals (after the previous album's 'It's Alright'), the fairly dull 'Swinging the Chain.'
The album does hold a couple of nice surprises amidst these oddities, notably the unexpected melodic trippiness of 'Air Dance' and the lengthy 'Junior's Eyes,' the best track on this album. There's something a little unnerving about Ozzy singing 'Over to You' two-thirds of the way through the album as his final Sabbath offering.
VERDICT
With its last-minute cover art, poor production and lack of anything really spectacular, Never Say Die is a disappointing final chapter of the original Black Sabbath line-up, pushed into the shadows and almost forgotten along with many of their later albums from the eighties and nineties (that are often truly awful).
The title track, 'Junior's Eyes' and 'Air Dance' are all worth a listen by heavy metal fans, but Ozzy's vocals really grate on a couple of tracks. The band made a wise decision in dispatching Ozzy, which thankfully led to an up-and-down solo career for the star and allowed Sabbath to recruit Ronnie James Dio for the enjoyable albums 'Heaven an Hell,' 'Mob Rules' and 'Dehumanizer.'
Anyone interested in Black Sabbath would be best checking out some of their earlier albums. 'Black Sabbath,' 'Paranoid' and 'Master of Reality' defined their doom metal sound while 'Vol 4,' 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Sabotage' expanded into hard rock territory, similar to Led Zeppelin. 'Technical Ecstasy' and 'Never Say Die' don't catch this classic Birmingham quartet at their best.
Black Sabbath
Heaven and Hell
*****
Written on 20.02.08
The eighties would prove to be a turbulent and wildly varied decade for Black Sabbath, but their two albums with new singer Ronnie James Dio (formerly of Rainbow) provided a welcome boost and a second, albeit short-lived classic period after the final couple of albums with Ozzy Osbourne proved disappointing. 'Heaven and Hell' takes some of the skills Tony Iommi and the rest of the band had used so successfully throughout the seventies, but for the most part wipes the slate clean and inaugurates what is in some ways a completely different band, just one with four of the same faces as the old Black Sabbath.
Dio's operatic wail and domineering presence marks a radical change from Ozzy's detached whine, and is integral in giving this album a grander, epic feel, particularly on the longer, more intricate songs. The rest of the band are partly content to let Dio hog the limelight, not indulging in any of the frivolous instrumental excess of the early albums, but Iommi in particular makes his presence felt with some more timeless guitar riffs to add the Sabbath song book. Opener 'Neon Knights' is a fast, rousing, upbeat start to the album that immediately signals a departure from Sabbath's established sound, actually sounding a lot more like Rainbow.
After this, the speed slows to favour a more palatable groove apart from some brief passages towards the end of longer songs, and Iommi experiments with some excellent acoustic touches to compliment his roaring electric guitar starting in the classic 'Children of the Sea,' which foreshadows the might of the title song. 'Heaven and Hell' is one of the all-time Sabbath classics, and certainly their most accomplished "epic," led by Iommi's ominous riff of doom and backed up by excellent bass and drums from Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Dio's voice is at its best here, suiting the expansive atmosphere and varying from a harsher to a softer tone before his voice starts to seem a little silly and over-the-top on some of the more down-to-earth later tracks.
The rest of the album is less remarkable compared to these three classics, but each song is still inherently high quality. 'Lady Evil' is a nice mix of old and new Sabbath with a catchy chorus and a harder rocking second half, 'Wishing Well' is the same sort of thing but less good, and 'Walk Away' sounds a bit too much like generic seventies hard rock for my liking. On the plus side, 'Die Young' evolves from a seemingly boring ballad into a faster song almost up to speed with 'Neon Knights,' let down by some obvious similarities to that song and to direct riffs from 'Heaven and Hell,' but interesting for Dio's slightly more manic take on the vocals, and unhinged instrumental section. 'Lonely is the Word' is the inevitable slow finale that thankfully isn't a ballad, but isn't particularly interesting either, outside of a pleasant mellow central section that leads to a nice, long guitar solo to go out on.
'Heaven and Hell' is the first notable Sabbath album since 'Sabotage,' and a fantastic start for a new era that would sadly all too soon be over. It's a testament to the integrity and popularity of the Dio years that the line-up (actually the line-up from the next album, with Vinny Appice on drums) reformed last year and headlined festivals under the 'Heaven and Hell' band title, as the title song in particular remains a rock classic.
1. Neon Knights
2. Children of the Sea
3. Lady Evil
4. Heaven and Hell
5. Wishing Well
6. Die Young
7. Walk Away
8. Lonely is the Word
Advantages: Excellent new direction to revitalise Black Sabbath.
Disadvantages: Some songs are too similar, and the sound tends more towards hard rock than metal.
Black Sabbath
Mob Rules
****
Written on 20.02.08
The second Dio album is commonly regarded as the necessary twin to 'Heaven and Hell,' but is a little disappointing when contrasted directly with its predecessor for sounding, at best, exactly the same, and at worst, worse. The experimental side of the last album is still present here, most notably in the prominence of keyboards in track three leading to the entirely synthesised instrumental ambience of 'E5150' (a numerical pun on the word "evil" arrived at through conversion to Roman numerals. Go on, do it), but this sadly leaves the majority of the album sounding very average and indistinct as a result. 'Turn Up the Night' lacks the energy of the previous album opener 'Neon Knights' and is based entirely around Dio's vocal performance, also unchanged and a little tiresome after the last release, and the speed and excitement decrease further in 'Voodoo.' Fortunately, the album picks up after this slow start and becomes an enjoyable imitation of 'Heaven and Hell,' often to the point where I'm unable to tell the difference.
'The Sign of the Southern Cross' is the main offender in the sound-alike stakes, beginning with soft acoustic passages and effeminately high singing from Dio and eventually arriving at a monstrous guitar riff to carry us through this epic song, but it sounds so much like the preceding album's titular 'Heaven and Hell' that it suffers as a result - presumably the band was well aware of the similarity, as the live album 'Live Evil' combines the two songs in a seamless medley. Coming later in the album, 'Falling Off the Edge of the World' follows a very similar style but to less enticing effect, though it does showcase new drummer Vinny Appice better than any other, while Geezer Butler's bass fares well in the closing 'Over and Over,' a dingier harking back to old Sabbath that doesn't quite get there.
This album's title song is thankfully still fresh-sounding and original, a better take on the medium speed groove of the opening songs that doesn't outstay its welcome and explodes satisfyingly out of the speakers after the relative tedium of the instrumental bridge, but the similar songs that follow are less exciting, and too rooted in the hard rock tradition to be of any real interest, the choruses being all that really stands out. 'The Mob Rules' isn't as good as 'Heaven and Hell' but is a nice enough continuation of the sound, even if all it does is to prove how this second incarnation of the band had used its limited ideas up in one short burst. The future wasn't going to be bright after this point, with Dio's departure to form a solo band in a similar style initiating a career slump for Sabbath from which they would never really recover until reunion time, but on the positive side it does mean fans were spared a further ten albums of Dio sounding exactly the same in every single song.
1. Turn Up the Night
2. Voodoo
3. The Sign of the Southern Cross
4. E5150
5. The Mob Rules
6. Country Girl
7. Slipping Away
8. Falling Off the Edge of the World
9. Over and Over
Advantages: Some more great epics and slow rockers.
Disadvantages: Far too similar to 'Heaven and Hell,' and not as good.
Black Sabbath
Live at Last
****
Written on 20.02.08
'Live At Last' was the long-awaited live album from Black Sabbath, which unfortunately had a fairly controversial background by being completely unofficial, despite receiving a mainstream release. This evidently angered the band's management and was likely a key factor in releasing an official answering-back in the form of 'Live Evil' two years later, but fortunately for the contemporary fans who didn't mind giving some cash to an unlicensed product, this earlier release remained appealing and different for being recorded back in the Ozzy Osbourne years, when the band was arguably at its peak (and certainly its most popular). It's a damn sight better than a bootleg too.
This hour-long performance sees Black Sabbath performing songs from their first five classic albums, the emphasis oddly being more on the third and fourth, which makes this even more appealing to me as those are my favourite Sabbath releases, though as is always the way, many of my actual favourite songs are missing. The tracklist is an interesting mix of obvious classics ('Paranoid,' 'War Pigs,' 'Children of the Grave') and some slightly lesser-known offerings that wouldn't appear on some later live releases, particularly 'Killing Yourself to Live' which is the only representation of the 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' (despite being one of its weaker tracks - there I go again). This marks the recording out nicely as a record of a distinct period in the band's early history, which can be contrasted with the entirely nostalgia-based performances of today that expressly favour the most famous ten or so songs with little variation, while also meaning that the band were still young, eager, in the zone and out of their heads.
As an unofficial release produced without the band's knowledge, there's less likelihood of studio tampering to guarantee a genuine audio record of the performance, but the excellent production job proves that the four band members were all performing at their very best, and also grants the songs from the 'Vol. 4' album some extra heaviness more in line with the rest, that was lacking from the end result of that album. While edits have probably been made, particularly as a fade-out after track six marks out the end of the first side of the original vinyl, the extended solos and somewhat annoying improvisation that dominates the eighteen minutes of 'Wicked World' gives a true feeling of the original show, as does the brief tuning up before 'War Pigs.'
All of the songs here are fine examples of the band's best work, with the possible exception of the aforementioned 'Killing Yourself to Live,' and the band's energy is matched by the nicely (but not distractingly) audible crowd response. Fans of the band's early heavy period have a hell of a lot going for them here, with the drug anthems 'Sweet Leaf' and 'Snowblind' alongside their classic 'Children of the Grave' (Ozzy performs the original version of 'Snowblind' with yells of "cocaine" intact after every verse, rather than the single whisper eventually haggled on the studio version), but the album is less grateful for newcomers who've only heard the big hits 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' and desire more of the same; there are more recent live recordings from the geriatric band to suit your needs.
Of course, all of this stage freedom isn't necessarily a good thing, and while it's nice to hear songs performed differently in a live format (or what would be the point of owning them twice?), 'Wicked World' is pushing it. The song itself bookends this eighteen minute odyssey of frantic guitar and (oh god) drum solos, but there are a couple of exciting highlights when the band starts to perform the classics 'Into the Void' and 'Supernaut,' the latter being the only one followed through to any serious degree. While this track is the one to be wary of on repeated listens, this is one of my favourite official live Sabbath albums. Oh wait, except that it's unofficial.
1. Tomorrow's Dream
2. Sweet Leaf
3. Killing Yourself to Live
4. Cornucopia
5. Snowblind
6. Children of the Grave
7. War Pigs
8. Wicked World
9. Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Born Again
**
Written on 21.02.08
Following up the performances of Ronnie James Dio on the preceding two Black Sabbath albums was going to be tricky, but the resourceful band struck gold by recruiting ex-Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan for this one-time performance. Just as Dio brought shades of Rainbow with him, Gillan infuses the eleventh Sabbath album with a distinctly gritty rock style reminiscent of his former band, but hindered by a poor production job (especially noticeable after the polished 'Heaven and Hell' and 'Mob Rules'), the album became an unpopular and happily forgotten entry into the Black Sabbath canon. I guess I'm arguing that it's not all that bad really.
The fuzzy sound quality is pretty distracting, obscuring much of Tony Iommi's rhythm guitar which turns into a mere scratch behind Geezer Butler's prominent bass, and the drums are only really audible when crashing into the cymbal range. Gillan's vocals can be heard loud and clear and are permissibly prominent considering this was his sole Sabbath outing, but he only really hits his stride with 'Zero the Hero' following some piercing and overly maniacal performances in the earlier songs. Particularly compared to something like 'Mob Rules,' this is an unbalanced and unhinged release which can be a good thing on occasion, permitting more time for instrumental sections that continue in a pleasantly hypnotic ad nauseam in 'Zero the Hero,' wail relentlessly with fast solos in 'Hot Line' and screw around messily like bad prog in 'Disturbing the Priest.' On the other hand, the often overly long songs balanced out by short, worthless interludes in the form of 'Stonehenge' and 'The Dark' count against the album, particularly as it wasn't the wisest decision in post-Spinal Tap 1983 to namedrop Stonehenge, though this could be a joking reference to that (especially as Sabbath's own contribution to that memorable scene from the film has been well documented).
While 'Disturbing the Priest' is a little too uneven and 'Trashed' sounds like second-rate Deep Purple, the rest of the album after this point becomes far more palatable, and would be even better if treated to a re-master. 'Digital Bitch' is a nice short, sharp and crude rock anthem that basically succeeds where 'Trashed' went wrong, and even the slower, more melodic songs come off sounding good rather than the sort of sentimental ballad rubbish that would begin to plague Sabbath albums from its lousy successor 'Seventh Star.' The titular 'Born Again' features lots of nice lead guitars even if it's a little too long and mellow, and the finale 'Keep it Warm' is Gillan's finest vocal performance here, with a particularly memorable chorus. While the sound quality is terrible, the music quite uninspired, the artwork cheap and the performances lethargic, 'Born Again' isn't quite as bad as some people make it out to be, though it is pretty bad, and does have the undesirable accolade of being the start of Black Sabbath's downfall.
1. Trashed
2. Stonehenge
3. Disturbing the Priest
4. The Dark
5. Zero the Hero
6. Digital Bitch
7. Born Again
8. Hot Line
9. Keep it Warm
Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi
Seventh Star
**
Written on 18.06.07
The later career of Black Sabbath is characterised by uneven uncertainty, and 1985’s ‘Seventh Star’ is the most significant departure of the lot. In its favour, guitarist Tony Iommi wrote the album with the intention of it being his first ‘solo’ release, the band consisting of an entirely different line-up than was the norm for Sabbath, even in the turbulent revolving door period of the eighties, and the music following a lighter, poppier and more blues-oriented direction than the sludgy heavy metal of Iommi’s previous work. Nevertheless, pressure from manager Don Arden resulted in the ‘Seventh Star’ release being credited informally as the twelfth Black Sabbath album, but credited specifically to ‘Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi,’ a peculiar choice of phrase considering Iommi is himself the only original Black Sabbath member present, and none apart from keyboard player Geoff Nicholls had been associated with the band prior to this.
The deliberate departure from the sound Iommi and his previous band members had pioneered and developed throughout the seventies and early eighties makes this a difficult album for long-time fans to appreciate, but the orientation towards a more commercial sounding form of rock would continue through the next three albums, assuring this record’s influential place in the canon. I should probably point out at this stage that this is my least favourite Black Sabbath album for all the common reasons, but still has enough in its favour as a release that was attempting to diversify to rate it at least equally to the albums ‘Technical Ecstasy’ and ‘Forbidden’ that capture different incarnations of Black Sabbath at their most tired and apathetic.
Glenn Hughes follows in the footsteps of Ian Gillan on the previous album as the second Deep Purple vocalist to act as temporary Black Sabbath frontman, and he performs about as well as can be expected in his capacity as third-rate sound-alike to the big names. The radio-friendly tone of most of the album, particularly the softer love songs, are sung just as anyone who’s ever heard an Aerosmith or Bon Jovi ballad would expect, while the more traditionally hard rock pieces such as the title track sound the more like Deep Purple under Gillan than the bombastic operatics of earlier Sabbath favourite Ronnie James Dio, and the whole thing is miles from the nasal shrieks of the band’s longest serving vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Iommi’s guitar is commendably modest for what was intended to be a solo album, primarily seeming content to riff along with the rhythm section and performing the occasional solo, and if anything this album is his least guitar-oriented up to this point.
Dave Spitz takes over bass guitar duties from old timer Geezer Butler, who departed along with original drummer Bill Ward after the previous album, and he performs with complete mediocrity. Slightly better is Dave Spitz on drums, although he is relegated to providing a slow beat most of the time, while the necessary dreamy eighties atmosphere is enhanced by Geoff Nicholls’ polished keyboards, occasionally pushed to the forefront. These temporary Black Sabbath line-ups were always fairly disappointing, as a group of unconnected musicians are drafted into the studio and gradually fall off the world tour one by one, and it would take until the end of the decade for Iommi and co. to achieve a level of cooperative stability not seen since the Dio years.
1. In For the Kill
2. No Stranger to Love
3. Turn to Stone
4. Sphinx (The Guardian)
5. Seventh Star
6. Danger Zone
7. Heart Like a Wheel
8. Angry Heart
9. In Memory...
A simple glance at the track-list reveals the formulaic structure of this album, boasting a mix of epic songs lasting over five minutes for the hardcore fans, particularly the enigmatic ‘Seventh Star’ backed up by its Egyptian sounding precursor, with the fast-sounding ‘In For the Kill’ and ‘Turn to Stone’ balanced by the obvious ballads ‘No Stranger to Love’ and ‘Angry Heart,’ all edited to running times of 7” perfection. While the album isn’t entirely predictable, sometimes harking back to the old Sabbath sound presumed lost and other times, such as the final two tracks, defying expectation a little bit, this is primarily an album designed to sell well rather than an artistic statement, with recycled pop lyrics avoiding the confrontational pagan and drug themes the band is better known for.
There’s still enough energy to keep things interesting for rock fans most of the time, particularly with songs like the afore-mentioned ‘In for the Kill’ and ‘Turn to Stone’ which play out almost exactly as I had imagined. The chorus vocals in the opening song are light and melodic enough to suit mainstream ears, but thankfully become a little less restrained as the song continues and Hughes starts getting into it. ‘Turn to Stone’ is even more hard-edged as the third track, keeping the energy levels up between the slower tracks two and four, but the structure and even the production sound make this sound more like classic Deep Purple than classic Black Sabbath, obviously enhanced by Hughes’ delivery. Both songs feature medium length guitar solos that aren’t particularly interesting in of themselves, but work as well as any others that escape Iommi’s stumpy fingertips.
Between these, sounding very out of place but obviously attempting to snag casual listeners as early as possible, is the single ‘No Stranger to Love.’ Iommi opens with a slow solo, sounding more like the calculated soaring melodies of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour than his usual blues improvisation, while a background of keyboards sets the scene for this Hollywood-esque ballad that wouldn’t be out of place in cheesy love scenes of contemporary films. Surprisingly, the music video isn’t a montage of such scenes, but does feature actress Denise Crosby who would soon after star in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The slow drums, Bon Jovi vocals and minimal, always melodic guitars follow the tedious template for all songs of this type, and personally I find that it can’t fade out soon enough.
My preferred section of the album is the middle, where something of the classic Sabbath sound shines through and Iommi tackles bolder territory. The pointlessly titled ‘Sphinx: The Guardian’ is a one-minute intro to the title track, ominously setting the scene for the coming storm with keyboards and windy sound effects alone, while ‘Seventh Star’ sees Iommi returning to the epic style of the classic ‘Heaven and Hell’ album. The song is slow paced, based on a bluesy riff that still retains elements of Iommi’s much-imitated ‘stoner’ droning style, with Hughes providing his best vocals that sound more relaxed and casual compared to Dio’s exhaustive falsetto. The keyboard provides an effective backdrop, dark and ominous in contrast to the light and airy backing of the earlier love song, and only resorts to a clichéd Egyptian melody a little towards the end (you know the one. Every metal band has its own Egyptian song that uses the same bloody tune somewhere, almost as bad as the nine-note ditty used to evoke China). The song perhaps lasts a little too long, not featuring the interesting diversity of previous epics, but is slow and relaxed enough that this doesn’t present a problem.
The song that follows is even longer, and even more in line with the Dio era, and as such is my favourite song on the album, the only one really up to the standard of ‘Heaven and Hell.’The pop elements are still there in the vocal delivery and lack of off-putting jam sections or drastic rhythm changes, causing this song to feel a little more restricted than the long-term Sabbath fan is accustomed to, but in this case the accessibility is primarily in the song’s favour. At medium speed, ‘Danger Zone’ is a faster mover than ‘Seventh Star,’ and the heavy guitar riffs are right at the forefront. ‘Heart Like a Wheel,’ the first of two surprising non-ballads with ‘heart’ in the title, is the most traditionally blues-based song on here, based largely on a plodding bass guitar with nicely dirty sounding production throughout, though it’s a little tedious for my tastes. The good news is that Iommi really lets himself go here, breathing in the heavy stoner atmosphere and setting free those squealy, pointless, enjoyable guitar solos for much of the song. The guitars plod along to such an extent that it’s not uncommon for me to space out completely and forget the song’s even playing as it nears the end, the only clashing element being the contrasting clean vocals that sound out of place on this song only, which would be more suited to a heavy smoker or old man.
The title ‘Angry Heart’ implies something of a conflict between the style found earlier in track one with that of track two, and the end result is something like that. It’s not a ballad, that duty falls a little onto the short final song ‘In Memory...’ which is more of a dreamy acoustic song than a cheesy love song in the vein of ‘No Stranger to Love,’ but it does commit the sin of including a Hammond organ (grr!), albeit quietly. The chorus is full-on Bon Jovi pop-rock, and the drums are quite nicely catchy. Both this and the next song are joined by the conceit of simply jumping from one to the other, making me question why this wasn’t simply two halves of the same longer piece as I wondered for tracks four and five, but as the album is only thirty-five minutes long at nine tracks in any case, it was probably another stunt to attract customers to this dying band. The pace does slow down for the final song, marking a change after a few seconds, and the blend of acoustic guitar over electric is quite nice, but this song never really goes anywhere. Hughes seems intent on going out with a bang, holding and ‘warbling’ his notes (for wont of a more technical term), while Nicholls’ keyboards set a pleasant, if unremarkable atmosphere.
So there you have it, a below-par release from a great band in serious decline, but also one that was unduly over-hyped as something it was not, namely a Black Sabbath album. The deviation would be more forgiveable if ‘Seventh Star’ was a truly independent anomaly in the Sabbath discography, but essentially this set the style for all of the subsequent albums up until the short-lived Dio reunion in 1992: commercial sounding rock that can barely be classified in the heavy metal genre Iommi and co. created in the early seventies, complete with soppy ballads and watered down guitars. The next vocalist Tony Martin would at least provide some consistency from ‘The Eternal Idol’ through to ‘Tyr,’ replacing these fickle Deep Purple throwaways, while Iommi’s solo career wouldn’t really take off for some years to come, eventually evolving into a far heavier form than the stinking MTV-oriented stuff on this record.
Almost all Black Sabbath albums are greatly inconsistent, which has always acted as part of their charm for me, as the contrast between classic rock songs and embarrassing failures keep the early albums endlessly entertaining. ‘Seventh Star’ fails so often not because it tries something new, but because it sticks to boring, over-used formulas created by other people, which Iommi, Glenn Hughes and those other blokes are only capable of mimicking, instead of trying something new with. Almost every song fades out after stretching its ideas to breaking point for lack of a strong ending, and the highest praise I can give is that whoever was in charge of these fades, presumably the producer, has a good grasp of average attention span, as nothing really outstays its welcome.
‘Seventh Star’ and ‘Danger Zone’ form a nice central section of twelve minutes or so that almost makes this album worth buying, but the rest is either too unremarkable or too truly terrible to waste time with. I guess ‘No Stranger to Love’ might not seem so terrible to people who are into that sort of thing, but for me it’s a real abomination in the Sabbath discography. Apparently, this album was never released on CD in America after the original vinyl didn’t sell too well, and like much of Iommi’s output after Dio left the first time, is consigned to the vaults of the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Mediocrity.
Advantages: Tony Iommi wanted to try something new.
Disadvantages: Tony Iommi tried something really old.
Black Sabbath
The Eternal Idol
**
Written on 21.02.08
After the shambles of 'Seventh Star,' a mediocre rock album that Tony Iommi wrote and recorded as a solo album before being pressured into re-branding it as Black Sabbath (ultimately leading to the bizarre billing of 'Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi,' despite Iommi being the only band member present who had any type of history with Sabbath at all), 'The Eternal Idol' is a welcome return to form. Unfortunately, that form is pretty much a direct continuation of the last-but-one Sabbath effort 'Born Again,' which ditched their grander heavy metal stylings for more simplistic and generic hard rock.
This is the first album to feature new regular vocalist Tony Martin, drafted in at pretty much the last minute, but sadly his high and epic voice doesn't really suit the more raw and primitive style written for him here, and the album suffers as a result; 'Lost Forever' lacks the required aggression, and Martin's harmonious descriptions of monster in 'Nightmare' lack any sense of Ozzy Osbourne's terrified wailings. Even Tony Iommi continues to work lazily through the recording, throwing out some pretty good riffs in the fast 'Hard Life to Love' and the dingier 'Ancient Warrior' and 'Eternal Idol,' but mostly just going along with it. At roughly five minutes a piece, most of these songs are overlong and too repetitive, and Eric Singer's drums become tiresome in their plodding after the first track.
While there are no real innovations in this disappointing bit of record contract filler, Iommi does experiment quite nicely with acoustic guitar in the opening song and later in the instrumental 'Scarlet Pimpernel,' doubling his melodies up and even adding backing electric guitar, and generally making a nice refrain from the otherwise very standard, unimpressive and ten years out-of-date hard rock of the majority. Only 'Eternal Idol' comes close to matching the Sabbath of old, with Iommi's one truly dark and evil set of riffs here, but Geoff Nichols' keyboards end up killing that atmosphere somewhat by being a little too polished and bad-eighties, rather than the good-eighties performance of the subsequent 'Headless Cross' album, one of my all-time favourites (after the early seventies and Dio stuff, obviously). These mid-eighties Sabbath albums are best avoided by all but the most ardent hard rock fans who desperately crave something exactly the same but slightly inferior to the albums they already own, but this was fortunately the last Sabbath stinker, before their final 1995 lack-of-effort 'Forbidden.'
With the amateur execution extending to the album artwork, it appears that permission to use a photograph of Auguste Rodin's eponymous Eternal Idol sculpture was denied, meaning that, in absence of a master sculptor who could work to a tight deadline, two models were hired, stripped, entwined, painted bronze and photographed.
1. The Shining
2. Ancient Warrior
3. Hard Life to Love
4. Glory Ride
5. Born to Lose
6. Nightmare
7. Scarlet Pimpernel
8. Lost Forever
9. Eternal Idol
Black Sabbath
Headless Cross
***
Written on 22.08.06
A decade of stumbling and flailing ended on a high, demonic note with ‘Headless Cross,’ the finest album from Black Sabbath after a string of mediocrity following Ronnie James Dio’s departure. As guitarist Tony Iommi is the only original member left, this album can’t be expected to live up to the band’s classic period in the early seventies. Nevertheless, the style repeated across these songs represents an excellent fusion of the band’s tried-and-tested strengths with a more contemporary and very eighties edge, resulting in one of the most accessible doom metal albums ever recorded.
The Black Sabbath line-up was in constant flux over that decade. Original vocaliat Ozzy Osbourne had been kicked out, and replacement Dio departed after a couple of good albums. Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan was involved at one particularly unremarkable point, while old-timers Geezer Butler and Bill Ward left Iommi to struggle alone. At least no one was spontaneously combusting. Tony Martin handles vocals for the second album in a row here, his Dio-esque voice sounding at its very best, aided by over-dubbing effects to make for a really powerful screech. Well-known session drummer Cozy Powell makes less of an impression with his anthemic plodding, but Geoff Nicholls adds an extra quasi-epic dimension to the music with his period synthesisers. Add the unknown Laurence Cottle and you get something that doesn’t really resemble a classic line-up, but could certainly come up with something unique.
The flaws with ‘Headless Cross’ lie in its incredibly dated, period-specific sound, although for many this would be a considerable improvement over the increasingly obscure metal the band had previously been playing. The all-English band adopts something of the American hard rock sound, ironically stemming from fellow transatlantic Brummies Judas Priest a decade earlier… although to less commercial success here. The sludgy guitars are distinctly Iommi (apart from a guest solo by Queen’s Brian May), but the drums in particular and the keyboard varnish overlaid serve to distance this release from classics like ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Master of Reality,’ as Black Sabbath look back over the decade and strive to forge the most generic 1980s metal anthems possible. With lyrics about bats and stuff.
1. The Gates of Hell
2. Headless Cross
3. Devil and Daughter
4. When Death Calls
5. Kill in the Spirit World
6. Call of the Wild
7. Black Moon
8. Nightwing
Almost asking for trouble, Sabbath’s subject matter has never been so deeply entrenched in the occult. Sadly for enthusiastic record burners, the lyrics are all in the uncommitted and objective, ‘human-speaker-scared-by-demons’ vein of the band’s own ‘Black Sabbath’ and Iron Maiden’s ‘Number of the Beast.’ Opener ‘The Gates of Hell’ is a nice, short interlude to the title track, featuring plenty of distorted guitar and vocal samples amidst a general hum of horror show sound effects. This would remain the band’s live opener for the next few years, as the exciting guitar build-up at the end could conceivably lead anywhere. Here, it opts to give way to a slow and generic drum-beat intro introducing Iommi’s lead guitar riff for ‘Headless Cross.’ Flooded by synth and featuring an incessantly catchy chorus, it’s no surprise this was selected as a single, despite the slight interchangeability of most of these songs. The production is clear enough to distinguish all the instruments, even the neglected bass in the ambient sections, and despite the long running length, the refrain of Martin’s gruff chorus is nicely done. This is one of the band’s finest songs outside the Osbourne and Dio eras.
‘Devil and Daughter’ opts to use the Satanism metaphorically, allegedly a stab at the band’s former producer and his daughter, Sharon Osbourne. The album’s second single release, this is in precisely the same style as its predecessor, but with an increased focus on the guitar. The solo is a tad boring and the drums really go nowhere, but the chorus is cool, and there’s nice use of backing ‘woahs’ as Martin improvises in the studio. The album thankfully changes direction somewhat with the more sinister ‘When Death Calls,’ not so much a power ballad as a slow song that’s played very loudly. As expected, the song is dominated by faux-acoustic guitar and the drums are used sparingly, apart from the distorted chorus sections. This track kicks into a faster rhythm half-way through in the classic Sabbath tradition, with some excellent instrumental sections. May’s solo is in there somewhere, but it’s not the best on the album.
Perhaps the most technically interesting track, ‘Kill in the Spirit World’ moves from the most pop-oriented sound so far to a dingy, chilled-out instrumental section in the middle before returning to the commercial thing for the conclusion. The guitars are at their best here, and although the song’s very uneven, it’s one of my favourites. ‘Call of the Wild’ has a nice chorus, but that’s not enough to save it from mediocrity; at track six, the album begins to sound really samey. The riff is unfascinating, and the loud bass acts as little more than a metronome. ‘Black Moon’ opens with an interesting and very doom-laden riff, comparable to some of Iommi’s best work. It’s pretty clear that the guy can come up with them on demand, and he grants himself a few fast solos in this otherwise average song.
The album ends on a high note (well, not literally), with the mostly-acoustic ‘Nightwing.’ Iommi really shines on acoustic guitar, especially in the acoustic solo half-way through, and there’s even some acoustic bass to back it up. Martin’s bellowing vocals don’t vary a great deal from the louder songs – he certainly doesn’t try to sing. Even the keyboards work well here, enhancing the wicked atmosphere as they did for the title track. Iommi’s electric riffs towards the end sound like a nod back to Sabbath’s early days, and this song is certainly comparable to the softer offerings of the seventies.
This album was well-received by fans and critics, despite its position outside the Osbourne and Dio periods, perhaps because Tony Martin’s wails are a passable impersonation of the latter, with an added hint of Michael Jackson-style ‘breathiness.’ The band snuck their inherently eighties album in right at the end of the decade, before the bland nineties rolled around and the polished synthesisers became conspicuous. The title track and ‘Nightwing’ are both excellent songs, it’s just a shame that the majority of the album sounds like a second-rate attempt at reproducing them, although some songs are acceptable imitations simply due to the great choruses. This album has potential appeal to both long-time fans and hard rocking Sabbath virgins alike.
Despite possessing the ingredients for a ‘sell-out’ album, ‘Headless Cross’ is Black Sabbath to the core, even down to the title track’s focus on a plague in Headley’s Cross, Birmingham. The keyboards and tedious drums might seem a little unnatural in Sabbath’s sludgy music, especially in light of earlier disasters involving both, but Iommi and his newest friends finally got it right, for one time only, in 1989. And never again.
Advantages: Great title track. Album dragged the band out of the dirt.
Disadvantages: Had to rely on 80s cheese to do so.
Black Sabbath
Tyr
***
Written on 21.02.08
After the shambles of 'Seventh Star,' a mediocre rock album that Tony Iommi wrote and recorded as a solo album before being pressured into re-branding it as Black Sabbath (ultimately leading to the bizarre billing of 'Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi,' despite Iommi being the only band member present who had any type of history with Sabbath at all), 'The Eternal Idol' is a welcome return to form. Unfortunately, that form is pretty much a direct continuation of the last-but-one Sabbath effort 'Born Again,' which ditched their grander heavy metal stylings for more simplistic and generic hard rock.
This is the first album to feature new regular vocalist Tony Martin, drafted in at pretty much the last minute, but sadly his high and epic voice doesn't really suit the more raw and primitive style written for him here, and the album suffers as a result; 'Lost Forever' lacks the required aggression, and Martin's harmonious descriptions of monster in 'Nightmare' lack any sense of Ozzy Osbourne's terrified wailings. Even Tony Iommi continues to work lazily through the recording, throwing out some pretty good riffs in the fast 'Hard Life to Love' and the dingier 'Ancient Warrior' and 'Eternal Idol,' but mostly just going along with it. At roughly five minutes a piece, most of these songs are overlong and too repetitive, and Eric Singer's drums become tiresome in their plodding after the first track.
While there are no real innovations in this disappointing bit of record contract filler, Iommi does experiment quite nicely with acoustic guitar in the opening song and later in the instrumental 'Scarlet Pimpernel,' doubling his melodies up and even adding backing electric guitar, and generally making a nice refrain from the otherwise very standard, unimpressive and ten years out-of-date hard rock of the majority. Only 'Eternal Idol' comes close to matching the Sabbath of old, with Iommi's one truly dark and evil set of riffs here, but Geoff Nichols' keyboards end up killing that atmosphere somewhat by being a little too polished and bad-eighties, rather than the good-eighties performance of the subsequent 'Headless Cross' album, one of my all-time favourites (after the early seventies and Dio stuff, obviously). These mid-eighties Sabbath albums are best avoided by all but the most ardent hard rock fans who desperately crave something exactly the same but slightly inferior to the albums they already own, but this was fortunately the last Sabbath stinker, before their final 1995 lack-of-effort 'Forbidden.'
With the amateur execution extending to the album artwork, it appears that permission to use a photograph of Auguste Rodin's eponymous Eternal Idol sculpture was denied, meaning that, in absence of a master sculptor who could work to a tight deadline, two models were hired, stripped, entwined, painted bronze and photographed.
1. The Shining
2. Ancient Warrior
3. Hard Life to Love
4. Glory Ride
5. Born to Lose
6. Nightmare
7. Scarlet Pimpernel
8. Lost Forever
9. Eternal Idol
Black Sabbath
Forbidden
**
Written on 21.02.08
Whatever the future may hold, 'Forbidden' is still the last album of original works released by Black Sabbath before older line-ups reunited and became something of a tribute band to their first six albums. This is a particularly low note to go out on, admitted by all as a mere contractual obligation cobbled together hastily, and one that really shows. Despite boasting the same line-up as the almost-classic 'Headless Cross' and 'Tyr' albums, it completely fails to recapture that era's dark and epic sound, instead going for more straightforward hard rock on a series of whims. While this inevitably leads to a distinctly mediocre or even sub-par album of unremarkable, unmemorable tracks, it does at least offer a refreshing break from the burden of repetitive Sabbath albums like the preceding 'Cross Purposes' and injects some energy into the performance, if nothing else. It's been in my collection for a while but I think I was always a little scared to listen to it before today, and I found it pretty enjoyable.
There were very few classic Black Sabbath songs recorded in the nineties, the only ones that vaguely qualify stemming from 1992's 'Dehumanizer,' and Forbidden is the least classic of the lot. There's barely a trace of the authentic Sabbath sound as defined in their several notable periods, despite Tony Iommi's attempt to hark back with a failed evil riff in the opener 'The Illusion of Power' which ends up being the weakest song of the lot. Tony Martin's vocals not only lack the power and majesty of 'Tyr,' they don't even seem able to fit into a rhythm, and the spoken word guest appearance from then-popular Ice T is laughable, but at least he doesn't rap. Cozy Powell's drums don't dominate the proceedings as they did on 'Tyr,' but he seems similarly intent on getting noticed by screwing around and failing to keep a steady rhythm in a few songs, notably 'Guilty as Hell' and the overlong, failed epic 'Kiss of Death' that lacks any sense of structural cohesion, and not in the way early Black Sabbath did so memorably.
It isn't all bad though, and most songs are entertaining, though certainly not aimed at the traditional Sabbath fans who will probably just be offended. There's an upbeat, almost punk sensibility in the guitars and vocals of 'Get a Grip' and 'Rusty Angels,' a couple of the best songs here, and other songs like 'Shaking off the Chains,' 'Forbidden' and 'Loser Gets it All' manage to be fun and catchy in a way a lot of late Sabbath didn't manage, particularly boring albums like 'The Eternal Idol.' I'm tempted to give the album three stars, but then I'd really be lying, and my main praise is still based around this not being as bad as I was led to believe. The mellower side of the album is handled by 'I Won't Cry for You' and the lazy, bluesy 'Sick and Tired,' neither of which descend into the realm of the power ballad (presumably the record company knew that chart success for a contrived single would be unlikely), and the album ends up being quite a fun but mediocre shambles that I'd listen to above 'Seventh Star' and 'The Eternal Idol' any day. At least I say that now, a second listen would probably reveal this to be much worse.
1. The Illusion of Power
2. Get a Grip
3. Can't Get Close Enough
4. Shaking off the Chains
5. I Won't Cry for You
6. Guilty as Hell
7. Sick and Tired
8. Rusty Angels
9. Forbidden
10. Kiss of Death
11. Loser Gets it All
Black Sabbath
Reunion
*****
Written on 21.02.08
On the 5th December 1997, the original line-up of Black Sabbath reunited for a show in their native Birmingham, recorded as this double album and the finest official live album the band has released. While this and subsequent reunions with classic line-ups effectively ended Black Sabbath's studio career as they became fundamentally a live testament to their early material, the gimmick of sticking firmly to the Ozzy Osbourne years for this live show gains from the benefit of hindsight, as a more concise and entertaining setlist can be chosen than on previous tours designed to promote admittedly below-par Sabbath studio recordings. With only eight albums to draw material from, the choice is less daunting than a span of an entire career, and though there are inevitably a few strange oversights (nothing from 'Sabotage,' but a track from bleeding 'Technical Ecstasy?'), the bulk of the list is absolutely perfect.
This original Sabbath line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward has always been my favourite, which might seem like a disappointingly obvious opinion to have so I'll confound you with the statement that my favourite albums were the couple that followed 'Paranoid,' though that one's excellent as well. Thus, I lost count of the number of times I excitedly realised they were playing yet another of my favourites from 'Master of Reality' or 'Vol. 4' that I'd naïvely perceived as too obscure for an album like this. Well alright, it happens about four times - but from a sixteen track album with a responsibility to all the obvious classics from the first two albums, it's fantastic to see an enthusiastic response to songs like 'Spiral Architect,' 'Into the Void,' 'Snowblind' and 'Lord of This World,' all of which rank among my very favourite from the band alongside others also represented here.
The band is on fine form as ever, unsurprising considering Iommi had been continuously touring with Sabbath since the early seventies, Butler and Ward had dropped in every so often, and Osbourne had been enjoying an even more successful solo career, but Ozzy's energy and enthusiasm here is really pretty fantastic, from his opening cry of "yeah, you f***ers!" to the credit heaped on Birmingham and feeble impressions of the band members he's happy to be playing with again for the first time in seventeen years. He wastes no time bringing the vocals in far too early in the first song, either to cut to the chase or because seventeen years is a long time, and as he tries and sort of fails to replicate his successor Ronnie James Dio's trend of singing over the lead guitar towards the end, it only serves to remind why this shrieking lunatic is the perfect frontman for this band. His enthusiasm brings a fair amount of crowd interaction, though not in an overly distracting way and there are thankfully no tediously extended solo sections, and the only slightly weird bit occurs when an ecstatic (perhaps in a literal sense) member of the crowd works his way onto the stage at the end of 'NIB' just to proclaim that the band is ace. We already knew, silly.
This really is a fantastic setlist across the two albums, with all of the band's monstrously heavy songs sounding just as good (perhaps better) than ever in the great production job, and there's a reasonable degree of variation (though not much) with some less dirgey songs from later in the seventies thrown in. Highlights include the excellent 'Electric Funeral,' a song only Ozzy should ever be allowed to sing, the epic 'Spiral Architect' and 'Snowblind,' the incessantly catchy 'Into the Void' and 'Iron Man,' and all of the other songs for reasons I can't be bothered to contrive. Apart from 'Dirty Women,' that one's fairly rubbish. As a bonus treat, as if a unique ninety minute performance wasn't enough, the band also hastily recorded two brand new songs that fans shouldn't get too excited about, as neither is very good even by nineties Sabbath standards. Even with these slight disappointments which can easily be avoided by stopping the album after 'Paranoid,' this is a great way to hear the majority of Black Sabbath's finest work without resorting to some cheap Best-Of, and to pretend you were present at this historically significant event. This could have been really disappointing, but it's completely great.
Disc 1
1. War Pigs
2. Behind the Wall of Sleep
3. NIB
4. Fairies Wear Boots
5. Electric Funeral
6. Sweet Leaf
7. Spiral Architect
8. Into the Void
9. Snowblind
Disc 2
1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
2. Medley: Orchid / Lord of This World
3. Dirty Women
4. Black Sabbath
5. Iron Man
6. Children of the Grave
7. Paranoid
8. Psycho Man
9. Selling My Soul
Black Widow
Sacrifice
****
Written on 21.02.08
Although marginally less well-known than Black Sabbath, this Leicester-based occult prog rock band made quite an impression during their very brief tenure in the public eye, surrounding the release of their classic 'Sacrifice' and the subsequent tour that brought their pagan image to the fore, to the extent that a naked actress was routinely offered as a sacrifice at live shows. Although they never went the full way to the more recent excesses of black metal bands that even employed murder, church arson and suicide as routine gimmicks, Black Widow's debut is a great piece of early occult rock, even if it does often seem more like a cliché than anything that can truly be taken seriously.
Based in the early hard rock sound, the main dynamic here is between Kip Trevor's vocals, Jim Gannon's subtle guitar and Zoot Taylor's organ, and the whole thing has a brilliant vibe of the late sixties / early seventies about it (incidentally, Gannon is also credited with handling 'vibes'). Each song is satisfyingly different, and many feature progressive touches, whether in the form of chanted vocals or the inclusion of sax or flute sections from Clive Jones, all of which permeate the album but can be found together in 'Come to the Sabbat,' a song that starts excellently but ultimately falters a little by the end as most tend to, before the album is infused with new life as each new track opens and the process begins again.
The prog element is what makes this appeal to me, though I admit that all the witch stuff is pretty cool too, and although it would be a stretch to claim this album has a dark and foreboding atmosphere about it, the band really does an impressive job in maintaining what there is. There's an emphasis on creating catchy and memorable songs foremost, which works to the album's advantage and keeps it listenable to a wider audience, and it only really fails when attempting something a bit drastic, or merely lasting for too long like the opener 'In Ancient Days' and finale 'Sacrifice,' though both remain interesting throughout with their extensive instrumental sections showing off the band's full range.
It's a shame that Black Widow seemed to fall off the radar and decline as soon as they went back into the studio, apparently forsaking their pagan image and going for something more accessible, and it would have been nice to hear a couple of further releases in this original style, not to mention the opportunity for more great LP covers to adorn my wall.
1. In Ancient Days
2. Way to Power
3. Come to the Sabbat
4. Conjuration
5. Seduction
6. Attack of the Demon
7. Sacrifice
Blackmore's Night
Shadow of the Moon
**
Written on 21.02.08
Blackmore's Night is the understandably controversial project of Ritchie Blackmore (guitars, amongst other things) and his wife Candice Night (vocals), which is a significant departure from Blackmore's hard rocking careers with the legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow. Evidently wishing to expand on the folk influences that had always had a slight presence in both bands, Blackmore here focuses on an almost entirely nostalgic sound of the Renaissance, reviving well-known classics and having the gall to contribute what he and Night consider to be worthy competition.
The main problem with Blackmore's Night is how similar and repetitive most of these songs are, not to mention how uninspired the bulk of their original material sounds. It's a tough task to create a new piece of music in such an old genre, and this ends up sounding more like a tribute to bygone days than any kind of modern revival. And when the music truly does descend into tribute, it's equally unimpressive: just what is the point in covering 'Greensleeves,' a song everyone already hears far more often than they would choose to? Worst of all is the manner in which the band attempts to diversify it, by making it one of two songs (the other is the equally terrible 'Writing on the Wall') to feature a techno backing beat.
The clash of authentic moods and modern touches never really works, and is certainly no competitor for genres like folk rock that achieve far more successful results in far greater frequency. The most entertaining parts of this album are Blackmore's acoustic instrumentals such as 'Minstrel Hall' and 'Possum's Last Dance,' but it's a shame that the more substantial songs are all so lacking.
1. Shadow of the Moon
2. The Clock Ticks On
3. Be Mine Tonight
4. Play Minstrel Play
5. Ocean Gypsy
6. Minstrel Hall
7. Magical World
8. Writing on the Wall
9. Renaissance Faire
10. Memmingen
11. No Second Chance
12. Mond Tanz
13. Spirit of the Sea
14. Greensleeves
15. Wish You Were Here
16. Possum's Last Dance
Blackmore's Night
Under a Violet Moon
**
Written on 21.02.08
Rather than putting in the extra effort to make their sophomore release more exciting and inspired than its dull predecessor, Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night merely unveil an album that's more of the same, only a little worse. While the first album featured appearances from such notable alumni as Ian Anderson, this second release boasts an extensive guest cast that's all but undetectable when drifting away from the tedious revivalist folk that dominates another overlong tracklist.
This album's positive points are only achieved through successful attempts at deviation, meaning that the most interesting songs are 'Morning Star' for its violin, 'Wind in the Willows' for featuring a vocal duet with John Ford, 'March the Heroes Home' for including a cheesy synthesised fanfare (these aren't necessarily impressive traits), and especially those with greater rock influence such as 'Gone With the Wind.' The electronic elements have been dispensed with, which can only be a good sign, but at this stage the band hasn't quite got around to replacing them with anything truly impressive.
1. Under a Violet Moon
2. Castles and Dreams
3. Past Time With Good Company
4. Morning Star
5. Avalon
6. Possum Goes to Prague
7. Wind in the Willows
8. Gone with the Wind
9. Beyond the Sunset
10. March the Heroes Home
11. Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
12. Catherine Howard´s Fate
13. Fool´s Gold
14. Durch den Wald zum Bach Haus
15. Now and Then
16. Self Portrait
Blackmore's Night
Fires at Midnight
**
Written on 21.02.08
'Fires at Midnight' is a small step in the right direction for Blackmore's Night, featuring more elements of folk rock (something that would steadily increase as the albums become correspondingly more enjoyable), but hindered by seeming attempts to reach a more commercial market with the dodgy pop song 'All Because of You,' which also features the return of the despised electronic backing rhythm that really has no place in a Renaissance-themed album.
These semi-rock songs are the most technically impressive of the album as well as presumably the most enjoyable for those who approached this album through Blackmore's reputation, though 'Written in the Stars,' 'Fires At Midnight' and 'Village on the Sand' don't hold up to Deep Purple or Rainbow. There's a clear desire to experiment in this album, which can only be a good sign considering how most songs seem content to sound exactly the same, and even though most of these creative decisions end up a little dodgy - the background sing-along of 'Home Again' and the attempted regal grandeur of the synth-fanfare in 'Crowning of the King' for example - they at least help these songs to stand out amidst the mediocrity.
Elsewhere, the Bob Dylan cover (track two) continues the band's tradition of covering songs people already know, and failing to bring anything new to them whatsoever.
1. Written in the Stars
2. The Times they are a Changin'
3. I Still Remember
4. Home Again
5. Crowning of the King
6. Fayre Thee Well
7. Fires At Midnight
8. Hanging Tree
9. The Storm
10. Mid-Winter's Night
11. All Because of You
12. Waiting Just for You
13. Praetorius (Courante)
14. Benzai-Ten
15. Village on the Sand
16. Again Someday
17. Possum's Last Dance
Blackmore's Night
***
Written on 21.02.08
The Blackmore's Night live album is a rather disappointing affair, but those who have already experienced disappointment with the studio albums should at least find something slightly interesting here to cheer them up, though perhaps not. The folk band led by Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night (do you see what they've done there? The band name is like their names, only with a possessive male apostrophe indicating who wears the trousers in that marriage) isn't particularly suited to a live environment, at least not the type you'd pay to see. As a pub band they would be pretty good, especially if the tavern happened to exist in the sixteenth century, but here the predominant sound is quiet and extremely drawn-out, with most songs being extended unreasonably past their natural end point.
The good news for Blackmore fans is that there's a slightly improved rock element to balance out the folk, culminating in the finale 'Writing on the Wall,' but even the scattered Deep Purple covers aren't really going to appeal to those fans, particularly the very weak rendering of 'Soldier of Fortune.' It's revealing that most of the songs chosen for the performance were among the only ones that stood out for being different, one way or another, in the studio releases, so we're treated to the dubious delights of the pleasant violins in 'Beyond the Sunset' and 'Morning Star,' the embarrassing la-la-la sing-along of 'Home Again' and the frankly cheesy 'Renaissance Faire,' which is at least preferable to another album of three-minute songs that sound exactly the same. This could reasonably seen to represent a "best-of" Blackmore's Night's early years, but it would be extremely disappointing if actually labelled as such.
Disc 1
1. Shadow of the Moon
2. Play Minstrel Play
3. Minstrel Hall
4. Past Time With Good Company
5. Fires at Midnight
6. Under a Violet Moon
7. Soldier of Fortune
Disc 2
1. 16th Century Greensleeves
2. Beyond the Sunset
3. Morning Star
4. Home Again
5. Renaissance Faire
6. I Still Remember
7. Durch den Wald zum Bach Haus
8. Writing on the Wall
Blackmore's Night
Ghost of a Rose
***
Written on 22.02.08
'Ghost of a Rose' is the first Blackmore's Night album that properly gets things right, despite suffering from many of the same drawbacks as its predecessors. Perhaps in response to criticism or just an aspect of natural evolution (I'm not sure how influenced Ritchie Blackmore would be at this stage by people telling him what not to do), this now feels more like a proper band playing traditional folk with occasional hard rock elements, rather than a husband and wife duo drafting in percussion and flautists. Blackmore himself is also a great deal more impressive throughout.
As ever, it's the songs that try something different that stand out and grab my attention, and there are fewer failed experiments here. Opener 'Way to Mandalay' starts with a surprising synthesiser and features the first of several highly enjoyable electric guitars solos in the Renaissance style (not that they had electric guitars in those days, of course), while the violins and other instruments excel in 'Cartouche' and the title song in particular. The covers are also less obvious and more carefully considered this time, though I can't help but find 'Diamonds and Rust' lacking in energy considering I'm only familiar with Judas Priest's take on Joan Baez's original.
The Jethro Tull cover 'Rainbow Blues' is satisfyingly rocking, a style that carries over into 'All for One' but in a less inspired pop fashion, and folk fans will likely be satiated with the fast guitar and violin ditty 'Queen for a Day (Part 2)' and the enjoyable sea shanty of sorts, 'Loreley.' Blackmore's Night is still a somewhat disappointing project, but at least they've learned to overcome most of their failings by this point, and anyone who doesn't like it should have learned to give it a wide berth.
1. Way to Mandalay
2. 3 Black Crows
3. Diamond and Rust
4. Cartouche
5. Queen for a Day (Part 1)
6. Queen for a Day (Part 2)
7. Ivory Tower
8. Nur eine Minute
9. Ghost of a Rose
10. Mr. Peagram's Morris and Sword
11. Loreley
12. Where Are We Going From Here
13. Rainbow Blues
14. All For One
15. Dandelion
Blackmore's Night
The Village Lanterne
***
Written on 22.02.08
Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night have settled into a familiar style with Blackmore's Night, but it could be worse. Their Renaissance-inspired folk is admittedly less than inspired, which writes off about half of the album to sheer mediocrity, but 'The Village Lanterne' fortunately follows suit in upping the ante of less ancient, seventies-style folk rock that makes the rest of the album bearable and even greatly entertaining on occasion.
Opener '25 Years' tries to cram in as much as it can, even juxtaposing violin and synthesised fanfare in a way that doesn't really work but is fun nonetheless, and Blackmore's electric lead guitar melodies and solos carry over into 'I Guess it Doesn't Matter Anymore,' the faster 'St. Teresa,' the Deep Purple worship of 'Mond Tanz/Child in Time' and 'Just Call My Name (I'll Be There),' making these the most rewarding songs to rock fans, which it's reasonable to assume will be a significant proportion of this band's fan base - those that arrived from Deep Purple rather than Mostly Autumn.
The most disappointing trend to be revived here is the inclusion of yet another pointless cover song. In what seems like an attempt to top their earlier 'Greensleeves' as least necessary cover song in the world, here Ralph McTell's busker favourite 'Streets of London' is reproduced exactly the same as the original, but with a woman singing. This reliance on older material is one of the most irritating things about Blackmore's Night, but even sensing its return here, I was unprepared for what was to follow later that year...
1. 25 Years
2. Olde Village Lanterne
3. I Guess it Doesn't Matter Anymore
4. The Messenger
5. World of Stone
6. Faerie Queen
7. St. Teresa
8. Village Dance
9. Mond Tanz/Child in Time
10. Streets of London
11. Just Call My Name (I'll Be There)
12. Olde Mill Inn
13. Windmills
14. Street of Dreams
Blasphemy
Happy Easter, Everyone!
****
Written on 24.03.08
Canadian black metal band Blasphemy accidentally pioneered the sub-genre of "war metal," or rather fast and aggressive black metal mixed with grindcore influence and lyrical themes of annihilation. While almost all of the imitation acts are pretty unbearable, Blasphemy's early material still has the same raw enjoyment as much early black metal, clearly owing a large part of its sound to Bathory (especially present in 'Ross Bay Intro,' which is indistinguishable from early Bathory intros with its howling wind, church bell and other eerie sounds), but absorbing enough contemporary grindcore influence to keep most of the compositions short, sharp and to the serrated point, often going overboard in all areas.
'Gods of War' is Blasphemy's second album, and the prevalence of these ridiculously short songs results in a length of only twenty minutes. Even the slightly longer songs are often made shorter thanks to the overlong and pointless intros, which end up consuming around five minutes themselves, but you have to admire the band's dedication and attitude (and if you don't, you really shouldn't be listening to this in the first place). Some of the guitar riffs are excellent in an early black metal way, particularly that of the band's title song 'Blasphemy,' and finale 'Empty Chalice' sees the rest of the band finally putting in the effort and making a great and agonisingly heavy musical assault.
Due to its short length, it really wouldn't be worth recommending this album even to those who may have been interested, but fortunately the decision was made at some point to append all CD versions with the band's original 1989 demo 'Blood Upon the Altar.' There is some minimal overlap of material, but the quality of these later songs is up to the standards of its predecessor, and the sound quality is surprisingly good for a black metal demo; most of them are still fairly inaudible and garage-quality even with modern recording equipment. There's a greater death metal influence in these later songs, which prevents the album from becoming too samey, but with thirty-second-long songs, tedium isn't really your primary concern.
1. Intro: Elders of the Apocalypse / Blood Upon the Altar
2. Blasphemous Attack
3. Gods of War
4. Intro / Atomic Nuclear Desolation
5. Nocturnal Slayer
6. Emperor of the Black Abyss
7. Intro / Blasphemy
8. Intro / Necrosadist
9. War Command
10. Empty Chalice
11. Ross Bay Intro
12. War Command
13. Demoniac
14. Intro to Weltering
15. Weltering in Blood
16. Ritual
17. Nocturnal Slayer
18. Blasphemy
19. Intro / Blasphemous Attack / Outro
*****
Written on 28.07.04
I am literally short-sighted, but I must educate you readers who are metaphorically blind in the ears.
Blind Guardian are the leaders of the European power metal scene. They have good eyesight.
At least you were spared the other terrible pun titles.
Describing the power metal scene in Britain as ‘virtually non-existent’ is like saying Eric Idle has done absolutely nothing of interest whatsoever since he was in Monty Python, in that both statements are simply objective fact. So let’s forget about this green and pleasant kingdom of boy bands, girl groups and mind-numbing dance ‘trax’ and discover the music being created by more open-minded European lands. Blind Guardian are the best thing to come out of Germany since that video I found in my Dad’s cupboard that soon did the rounds at school.
THE SOUND
‘Blind Guardian’ are:
Hansi Kursch – vocals, bass (early albums)
Andre Olbrich – lead guitars
Marcus Siepen – guitars
Thomen Stauch – drums
Blind Guardian are most commonly classed as ‘power metal,’ a fairly meaningless title that doesn’t give many clues as to their sound, except that you would guess that guitars are involved. Their music is geared more towards speed and melody than heaviness and aggression, but my favourite aspect of the band is their talent for diversity: the thrash band Metallica were capable of producing one classic ballad in their entire career, but every time Blind Guardian experiment with an acoustic track it becomes an instant classic. Their main focus is on creating upbeat, rousing speed metal tracks for an international audience.
If you threw Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Metallica, the complete works of Tolkien, a German folk festival and Queen into a furnace, you would be arrested for multiple acts of murder and would have to face the proverbial music. But the literal music forming from the charred mass would probably sound very similar to Blind Guardian’s seven studio albums.
THE PEOPLE
For most fans, Hansi Kursch is the key ingredient to this band’s success and influence, but it took me a while to get used to his heavy European accent. Kursch is clearly very talented and has a vocal range to rival Bruce Dickinson, but when I was a newcomer to European metal I found it difficult not to cringe at points when his accent would dominate parts of the songs. I’ve grown accustomed to it now, although I still prefer it when he goes into over-the-top high vocals (their excellent song ‘Mirror Mirror’ is the best example of this) as it masks the dialect and also shows bands like the Darkness how girlie screaming should really be done. He does improve with every album also, which is surely a good thing.
Nothing excites me more than some excellent guitar work, not even strange videos with a load of bare people in, and Andre Olbrich is among my favourite guitarists; as the band’s music evolved and matured his style became incredibly distinctive and very original, enhanced by the polished production sound of their recent albums. The clean solos are incredible, the chugging rhythms are up to the standards of the best rhythm guitarists and even the folk-inspired acoustic bits are executed perfectly, even if they are a little hard to digest at first.
The band’s bass players and drummers have been less consistent, especially after Hansi Kursch decided to concentrate solely on his vocal duties, but they are still excellent in setting and maintaining the pace of tracks, even if they are a little less impressive and original than the guitars (I’m sure bass playing fans and drummers would disagree though). From their ‘Nightfall in Middle-Earth’ album the band have incorporated symphonic orchestral elements into many of their songs to add depth and a more ‘epic’ sound, with complete success. These albums are great.
THE WORDS
As well as the foreign accents, polished instruments and more complex musical style, the themes and lyrics of many power metal bands put off many potential listeners who are used to the angst-ridden death rattles and suicidal melancholy of more mainstream rock groups. Again, Blind Guardian are a perfect example of this: all of their albums include a number of songs dealing with fantasy worlds or science fiction concepts, often referencing a work of fiction directly – the songs ‘By the Gates of Moria,’ ‘Gandalf’s Rebirth’ and the tactless ‘Lord of the Rings’ all showing their appreciation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, even to the extent that their 1998 concept album was based solely on Tolkien’s ‘The Silmarillion.’ Songs such as ‘Time What is Time’ and ‘Tommyknockers’ concern the film Blade Runner and a Stephen King novel respectively, although their entire catalogue is full of what would be considered unconventional or even geeky, if you are the kind of person that would say things like that.
I appreciate the value of lyrics that can be related to, but every so often it’s enjoyable to listen to Iron Maiden-style narrative about a wizard doing magic and stuff. The fact that English is a second language to the band doesn’t even hinder the songwriting, although it is amusing to hear the occasional large-scale slip-up: Hansi sings the titular chorus of ‘Time Stands Still at the Iron Hill’ without missing out a single letter, even the silent ‘r’, while his pronunciation of ‘Theatre’ and ‘Chamber’ are also enjoyable. Try and replicate how you think he might have pronounced these words while you are reading this, even if you are at work or surrounded by ill or dying relatives. It’ll give them a good laugh at least.
THE ALBUMS
The band’s first two albums, ‘BATTALIONS OF FEAR’ and ‘FOLLOW THE BLIND’ sound quite different to their current style and are less impressive and distinctive, but still very enjoyable metal albums. The guitars replicate more of a Metallica sound than the melodic nature of their later releases, Hansi’s vocals also tending more towards shouting and almost spoken verses rather than the operatic style he would later adopt. The production quality is a little poor as would be expected for a relatively unknown band’s debut releases, but this more raw sound can provide the perfect listen on occasion.
The band’s third album was their first masterpiece, 1991’s ‘TALES FROM THE TWILIGHT WORLD’: improved artwork, technical skill and the expansion of Blind Guardian’s sound led to the perfect milestone between the early years and their recent work, as the production quality was now raw at no cost to the listening experience. The following year’s ‘SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND’ continued in a similar style, but with more epic songs amidst the thrash-inspired norm: the classic ‘Bard’s Song’ is also their first great acoustic song, and one of their most popular releases to date.
The production quality was brought up to a cleaner and more ‘perfect’ standard with 1995’s ‘IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE,’ a great album that seems a little less impressive when compared to 1998’s ‘NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH,’ Blind Guardian’s most popular album (and also their best). Epic, grand, orchestral, loud, moving, fun and essentially a modern metal masterpiece. I’ve written a review on that album here on Dooyoo too, why not go and read it now? Not afterwards, you’ll have forgotten by then.
The most recent studio album is ‘A NIGHT AT THE OPERA,’ expectedly a little bit of a let-down after ‘Nightfall’ but still a really enjoyable listen, although it does demonstrate how the band need to progress a little further with each release: the overblown epic metal thing is getting a little tired now. According to their website a new album is on the way, so we’ll have to wait and see.
(Century Media records have not allowed the band’s popularity among fans of the genre to go to waste, effectively cashing in with a number of single releases, B-side collections and a couple of live albums, although these have all been produced with care and at least boast some excellent artwork).
VERDICT
You may think that speedy, folky fantasy metal isn’t your kind of thing and judging by the fact that Blind Guardian have never once appeared on Top of the Pops you wouldn’t be alone. They are a band who take some getting used to, even if you are a fan of the musical style in general, but it is ultimately worth it. I was introduced to the band through other progressive and traditional metal such as Symphony X and Iron Maiden, so I’d recommend Blind Guardian to anyone with similar tastes wishing to expand their knowledge of modern power metal: Blind Guardian are among the very best. As my brother’s idol the brilliant Professor Stephen Hawking so often demonstrates, you can still be successful, innovative and highly entertaining even if your voice is a bit dodgy.
Advantages: Original, creative and dynamic, Talented musicians and vocals, Excellent diversity
Disadvantages: Vocals take some getting used to, Early albums are less impressive, The occasional cover of an old, dodgy song
Blind Guardian
Follow the Blind
Dona Eis Requiem...
***
Written on 07.08.04
Any fans of the classic near-epic 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' should immediately recognise the opening chants of this second album by German power metal leaders Blind Guardian. This genre of rock isn't exactly the most well-known and popular in Great Britain, but Blind Guardian's talent for diversity and creating truly epic songs based on fantasy themes have led to them developing a loyal fan base and selling plenty of albums in their more progressively-oriented homeland.
'Follow the Blind' continues with, and improves upon, the style of their first album, but the band still had a few line-up changes and albums to go before they would develop their truly inspirational sound. Then again, you do sometimes prefer a bit of toast to a full breakfast with fried bread, black pudding and stuff.
I HAVE THE POWER (metal)
The term 'power metal' doesn't exactly leak any real meaning to those unfamiliar with the genre, and the same goes for 'epic metal,' 'fantasy metal' and (get this), 'elf metal,' all of which are often stamped upon the band. The essential qualities of power metal are speedy, mostly upbeat instruments with a basis in more traditional heavy metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest) but experimenting with different sounds to enhance the music, especially those of a classical origin. It is very common to hear the occasional lute, jig and choir in albums from all of the reasonably successful power metal bands, including Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Helloween and Dreamevil. There is always a degree of variation between bands however: some may favour faster, more aggressive tracks, while others may prefer piano-led ballads and instrumentals.
Blind Guardian's career has seen them move from comparatively simple heavy anthems to full-blown symphonic metal, with a fair number of surprises and interesting decisions in-between. 'Follow the Blind' is reasonably straightforward though.
STYLE
The influence of popular thrash band Metallica is a little less present here than on the band's debut, but this album still shows similarities to 'Tallica's classic 'Ride the Lightning' album in terms of the guitar riffs and solos. As such, this would likely impress fans of more mainstream metal than some of the band's later albums, but at the same time it would have a lot less shelf life. In fact, this sounds a lot like the American heavy metal band Manowar, but more developed and less silly - the ensemble choruses and themes are very reminiscent.
The instruments are all excellent, especially the guitars from Andre Olbrich. While longer outings such as the title track and the instrumental allow for more experimentation and subsequently more interesting musicianship, many of the riffs and solo sections are quite quickly forgotten at this stage. The most striking and memorable aspect of the album comes with Hansi Kursch's heavily accented vocals which, while nowhere near as developed as on the later albums, help to distinguish this band from similar acts and have an excellent range.
They're certainly not to everyone's taste though, and it took me a long time to get used to some of his pronunciations, especially his over-the-top high singing in 'Valhalla' that pales in comparison to later high-voice classics like 'Mirror Mirror.' I do love a good high-voice classic, but this is overdoing it a little - it's best when he sticks to his raspier voice in the verses at this point which sounds excellent, especially when complimented by backing vocals in the choruses.
The production quality is fairly modest, and as good as can be expected considering this was 1989 and only the second release from a band that had yet to make a name for themselves. The raw sound of the guitars helps the sound rather than acting as a hindrance, and many people prefer this sound to the very polished style of their more modern albums.
FOLLOW THE BLIND
1. Inquisition (0:43)
2. Banish From Sanctuary (5:27)
3. Damned For All Time (5:00)
4. Follow the Blind (7:10)
5. Hall of the King (4:16)
6. Fast to Madness (5:58)
7. Beyond the Ice (3:30)
8. Valhalla (4:57)
9. Don't Break the Circle (4:20)
There is a fair degree of variation in the track here, but not to the extent I had come to expect after hearing their later albums. The strength of Blind Guardian lies in their talent at trying out different types of music and succeeding spectacularly: although they are principally a metal band, their later acoustic ballad 'The Bard's Song' is perhaps their best known work, not to mention the acceptable (but irritating) cover versions of sixties pop songs that they enjoy secreting into their CDs. There is a bonus track to Follow the Blind which is a cover of the Beach Boys' 'Barbara Ann,' but thankfully I was spared this special edition.
Every song on here is fairly heavy, loud and electric guitar-led, but there is still enough variation to keep some of the tracks memorable. The stand-out difference comes only with the introductory track 'INQUISITION', the afore-mentioned Holy Grail flaggelant chant, without the very literal Bible-bashing that accompanied it in the film.
'BANISH FROM SANCTUARY,' 'DAMNED FOR ALL TIME,' 'HALL OF THE KING' and 'BEYOND THE ICE' are all fairly straightforward speedy, heavy power metal tracks, more concerned with simplicity and cheap thrills than making any epic statements. The only problem with this is that Hansi's vocal style remains pretty much the same throughout, which leaves it to the guitar solos to redeem a bit of originality and diversity.
The longer tracks 'FOLLOW THE BLIND' and 'FAST TO MADNESS' are a lot more rewarding, featuring changes in tempo and more opportunities for the musicians to shine. The ensemble choruses are a nice touch, but the repetitive choruses do get a little too noticeable - this is a staple of the band's entire discography, but there should be a reasonable limit as to how many times the title of a song can be repeated.
The final three tracks on the album take an interesting turn, which thankfully keeps the album worth listening to. 'BEYOND THE ICE' is a fast instrumental that allows the guitars in particular greater flexibility than the tighter structures of the other tracks, but this isn't something that can't be found on the band's first album. 'VALHALLA' and 'DON'T BREAK THE CIRCLE' both have a larger, more epic sound than what has come before, 'Valhalla' in particular remaining a live favourite to this day for its rousing chorus, hard riffs and musical progression.
VERDICT
If you're a fan of various forms of metal, I would recommend that you try out Blind Guardian and similar bands, although they may take a while to rub off on you. 'Follow the Blind' would be an easy place to start as it isn't anything too complex, but it would fail to leave any sort of lasting impression. 1998's 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth' remains the band's ultimate achievement, but the Tolkien-inspired metal grandeur may be a little overwhelming to new listeners. 1992's 'Somewhere Far Beyond' and 1996's 'Imaginations From the Other Side' are both diverse and fulfilling albums that deserve to be checked out.
This second release can be excused for its early place in the discography, but doesn't really add anything new to the power metal sound.
Blind Guardian
Look Behind the Mirror
****
Written on 27.09.06
Blind Guardian’s distinctive and much-imitated sound really begins in earnest on their third album, ‘Tales from the Twilight World.’ Retaining the speedy thrash sound of their first two albums but lacking the bombastic epic pomp of their more recent releases, this album still sounds as good despite being justifiably overshadowed by the fantasy-loving Germans’ later work.
‘Tales from the Twilight World’ still showcases pretty much everything that makes Blind Guardian one of the leading forces in European metal, the difference largely being one of scale. Songs are the same length, but rely on extended instrumental passages and chorus reprises to pad out to six minutes, while the band would later fill this time with more progressive and epic elements. Nevertheless, this album boasts a number of excellent speed metal anthems that have finally started to veer away from a Helloween sound-alike, aided by the band’s experimentation with folk elements.
Thrashy opener ‘Traveller in Time’ is one of the album’s highlights, based on Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ for wont of better inspiration and featuring the first of many great choruses and guitar riffs. Blind Guardian songs are always highly memorable, and that’s largely due to the continuing trend of each song title being repeated ad nauseam in the chorus. ‘Welcome to Dying’ is pretty much the same kind of thing, fast heavy metal played by experts, before the album segues into more experimental territory. When the metal anthems return later in the form of ‘Goodbye My Friend,’ ‘Tommyknockers’ and the semi-title track, the music has taken a far heavier and darker turn. ‘Tommyknockers’ represents the pinnacle of this, the most accomplished song on the album with certainly the most infectious chorus, its sinister sound clearly influenced by its Stephen King source.
Like Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian aren’t above browsing their bookshelves and video collections for some handy inspiration, and nowhere is this more plainly evident than in their first fully acoustic song ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Based on some fantasy story or other, the name of which escapes me right now, this song ended up benefiting from the resurgence of interest in Tolkien’s story with Peter Jackson’s films, and led to this becoming a hotly downloaded MP3, despite being over ten years old. As it is, the song is far from Blind Guardian’s best, and actually sound a little amateur compared to their later acoustic ballads.
There’s some nice use of flutes and a cool echo effect on Hansi Kürsch’s soaring vocals, but the acoustic guitar itself is a little primitive, especially in the solo. ‘The Bard’s Song’ soon replaced this as the band’s definitive minstrel ballad. Interestingly, ‘Weird Dreams’ and ‘Altair IV’ are both short songs, lying somewhere between interludes and intriguing instrumentals. ‘The Last Candle’ ends the album on an excellent note, combining elements of all that’s come before and adding a really great guitar riff to the mix.
1996’s ‘Imaginations from the Other Side’ seems a little similar to this earlier effort in both its title and artwork, almost as if the band are consciously attempting to update and improve upon this past release. The latter album is indeed pretty similar, but a whole lot better, though this shouldn’t detract from the distinct sound of ‘Tales,’ one of the most important releases in Blind Guardian’s discography. The acoustic song is pretty stupid and the instrumentals borderline wortheless, but this album represents the necessary and highly enjoyable step between the mediocrity of the band’s early years and the great things they would continue to do for the next decade.
They played their first ever UK show at London’s Camden Palace last night, and tonight they play Dublin – I hope you will all be there with plastic axes held proudly high in hand.
1. Traveller in Time
2. Welcome to Dying
3. Weird Dreams
4. Lord of the Rings
5. Goodbye My Friend
6. Lost in the Twilight Hall
7. Tommyknockers
8. Altair IV
9. The Last Candle
Advantages: A great early power metal album.
Disadvantages: Soon subjugated by more accomplished releases.
Blind Guardian
Somewhere Far Beyond
****
Written on 22.02.08
Blind Guardian's fourth album is the final vital stepping stone before their sound would be fully realised and perfected in the subsequent 'Imaginations from the Other Side' and 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth.' Expanding on the fantasy themes present since their debut, but still including some endearingly strange nods to science fiction, this is essentially Blind Guardian's final speed metal album and the point at which their epic flair started to really break out, even if it did so a little clumsily. Singer Hansi Kürsch still plays bass here and puts in a fine performance, but the album really belongs to the duet between his incredible vocals and André Olbrich's lead guitar, both of which are really put through their paces in this hard rocking release.
Right from the onset, there are still many songs wholly indebted to the sound of the band's earlier albums in the tradition of Helloween, the Blade Runner influenced 'Time What is Time' (taking further cues from Metallica in the glaring contrast between an idyllic acoustic guitar introduction and a scratchy metal riff that usurps it before too long), and the later 'Ashes to Ashes' and the finale 'Trial By Fire' featuring a similar overload of wild guitar solos and fierce vocals from Hansi that disappear in the more epic songs. The undervalued previous album 'Tales from the Twilight World' incorporated more acoustic and folk elements into Blind Guardian's sound that are really taken to the limits here, most successfully in the band's ever-popular pastoral ballad 'The Bard's Song - In the Forest' and most gratingly in the bagpipe interlude 'The Piper's Calling,' which will be especially appreciated by those of you living in Edinburgh, where the screeching call of the piper is seldom heard every single damn time you venture anywhere in the city centre.
'The Bard's Song' is more or less the only song from this album to remain a consistent part of the band's live set-list, or rather the most integral part. It's a strange experience to be amidst several hundred loyal fans singing the verses unaccompanied by Hansi and the band, who just stand there looking a little surprised and delighted despite it happening at every show they play, and it really is a brilliant little ballad. What will surely surprise fans of the band's more recent material who hunt this album down for the song will be the existence of its immediate sequel, 'The Bard's Song - The Hobbit,' which seems to have been otherwise erased from history in a process similar to Holocaust denial. It isn't a great song, but it does feature some great lead guitar work, and while its presence doesn't exactly sully its illustrious predecessor it should in no way be seen as a necessary follow-up, standing completely independent apart from one very excellent quotation of the familiar Bard's Song guitar melody performed in squealing electric glory!
The unfortunate tendency to favour construction of a lyrical epic over a high quality power metal song affects other songs outside of 'The Hobbit,' most notably 'Quest for Tanelorn' which features some great guest soloing from Helloween's Kai Hansen, another German metal god, but is otherwise fairly long-winded and has a far too uplifting chorus. The same goes for the lengthy title track, which is often indistinguishable in my mind outside of the chorus, and certainly speaks of a problem that needs to be ironed out before the band can continue in the epic style - fortunately it was (and then some). So while this album ironically tends to succeed more on the whole when sticking to the band's established style, there are a few very notable instances where progression is shown to be a good thing: 'Journey Through the Dark' has something special about it that I can't quite place, standing unfathomably unique in the band's discography and still being another live favourite, while the excellent 'Theatre of Pain' combines clichéd, over-the-top orchestration with classic wailing heavy metal in a way that looks positively amateurish next to bands like Rhapsody who make their careers out of this, but is undeniably fantastic - and so good, they supplied it twice with the pointlessly identical 'Classic Version' tagged on to the end of my edition of the album, which just boasts slightly inferior production quality.
'Somewhere Far Beyond' holds a few classics as well as some disappointingly forgettable moments, but is another excellent release from Blind Guardian and slightly better than what's come before. 'The Bard's Song' makes the previous album's 'Lord of the Rings' sound childish by comparison, and while the band still evidently thinks it's Metallica in places, the epic tendencies indicate a rising suspicion that their talents are about to be fully realised...
1. Time What is Time
2. Journey Through the Dark
3. Black Chamber
4. Theatre of Pain
5. The Quest for Tanelorn
6. Ashes to Ashes
7. The Bard's Song - In the Forest
8. The Bard's Song - The Hobbit
9. The Piper's Calling
10. Somewhere Far Beyond
11. Trial By Fire
12. Theatre of Pain (classic version)
Blind Guardian
Bright Eyes
***
Written on 22.02.08
For some odd reason I can only fathom to be the 'A Past and Future Secret' single not having been released in Japan, the East is granted a variation of what would later be released elsewhere as 'Mr. Sandman,' with the mere substitution of the last demo track for a different one and the exact same cover art more relevant to its successor. I've made it sound far more complicated than it really is; basically, this is just 'Mr. Sandman' with the first two songs swapped in order, and a different track five. But oddly, it was released a year earlier. That's better.
The 'Imaginations from the Other Side' album was a real triumph for Blind Guardian, a vast improvement over their previous albums and what would have been their definitive album if they hadn't gone and upstaged it with the incredible 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth.' All of its songs are undisputed Blind Guardian classics and still form the bulk of their live shows, so it's great for fans of their particularly geeky and powerful brand of metal to have the opportunity to hear demo recordings and alternate versions on these rare singles.
The edit of 'Bright Eyes' however is an abomination, I think that would be fair to say, shaving over a minute from the five-minute studio version by making a couple of minor clips and one major removal in the form of André Olbrich's fantastic guitar solo, which was one of his best performances on the original album. It's still a great song though, and perfectly captures the spirit and sound of the band as they experimented with increasingly epic directions.
The only track exclusive to this single is the demo of the ever-popular 'A Past and Future Secret,' which sounds decidedly different without all the advanced studio trickery and polishing. The orchestration and flutes are still there, albeit more subtly, and the drums are much more prominent as a result. It's great to hear a more raw and live performance, complete with aspects dropped from the original such as the unison vocals in parts, and it's refreshing to hear it without the overly bombastic finale, fitting better into the chronology established by 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Bard's Song,' the latter of which would see its own polishing-up a number of years later.
On the other hand, the demo version of 'Imaginations' isn't much different from the original, and only really ends up sounding inferior due to the weaker production sound that fails to bring out the guitars and especially the drums in the same way. 'Mr. Sandman' is more or less a novelty cover of the fifties original by the Chordettes that starts out as a loyal tribute before turning all fast and metal and stuff in the second half, and 'Hallelujah' is merely a sub-standard Blind Guardian song destined to be a B-side.
1. Bright Eyes (edit)
2. Mr. Sandman (The Chordettes cover)
3. Hallelujah
4. Imaginations from the Other Side (demo)
5. A Past and Future Secret (demo)
Blind Guardian
Mr. Sandman
***
Written on 22.02.08
Blind Guardian's cover of the Chordettes' 'Mr. Sandman' fulfils the same function as most rock covers of old songs: it's sort of amusing, and a genuine attempt to re-imagine a song the band happens to like, one of several covers later collected on 'The Forgotten Tales' B-sides album. It starts out the same as the original, albeit with Hansi Kürsch's soft vocals, and later becomes a fast metal anthem with wailing lead guitars, pounding drums and an all-out yelled performance from Kürsch, ending in a disappointing muted laugh that implies the whole thing was more or less a joke song. I dislike joke songs, but it's fun enough to be permissible.
This is a bit of an odd single, essentially promoting the contemporary 'Imaginations from the Other Side' album but highlighting a title song that isn't even on the album, rather than the earlier Japanese version of this single that led with the edit of 'Bright Eyes.' That song, the second track on this release, remains a classic from the 'Imaginations' album, but Andre Olbrich's most excellent guitar solo has been chopped, which is a real shame, and the B-side 'Hallelujah' and 'Imaginations from the Other Side' demo are both repeated from that release also.
The only song original to this later single is an alternative demo of 'The Script for My Requiem,' an oft-overlooked song from 'Imaginations' and one that suits a stripped-down, early take like this because of the extent of studio trickery performed on the finished piece. The orchestration sounds a bit more prominent in this fast anthem, and the rousing chorus fits in more naturally with the rest of the song rather than leaping out prominently as it does with the volume fixing of the album. While it would be nice for collectors to have a more diverse tracklist on both of these singles, they were supposed to be pretty much the same thing in two different markets, so a slightly shuffled playing order and swapping of demos is enough - particularly as 'A Past and Future Secret' had already been released in the international market as the first single from the album, and with a bonus orchestral version tagged on to that, we really didn't need it being repeated again here.
1. Mr. Sandman (The Chordettes cover)
2. Bright Eyes (edit)
3. Hallelujah
4. Imaginations from the Other Side (demo)
5. The Script for My Requiem (demo)
Blind Guardian
The Forgotten Tales
****
Written on 22.02.08
An odd marginal release from Blind Guardian when they were really starting to make it big (at least in Europe), this is a mixture of B-sides collection and promo introduction for newcomers to the band, which fails to give any kind of clear picture of what to expect from a regular studio release. Six of these songs are covers of famous, non-metal artists performed with varying degrees of authenticity and artistic license, while the rest consists of earlier Blind Guardian material either re-mixed to a more radio-friendly acoustic form or reproduced from the original, if it was acoustic in the first place.
The resulting album is part novelty release, part fun extra for the band's hardcore fans, and I suppose it has greater mainstream appeal based more on the former market; just as it's worth tracking down the albums of TV stars who fancy themselves as singers and proceed to butcher some of the greats, the speed metal covers of 'Mr. Sandman' and 'Surfin' USA' have the potential to raise a few eyebrows and get some people rocking out on the dance floor, or whatever it is young people do these days.
My main problem with cover songs, apart from the lack of originality, and essential worthlessness of reproducing something unless you're going to tackle it from a drastically different angle... alright, my third main problem with cover songs is that I'm hardly ever familiar with the original, being too cool or sheltered, take your pick. Oh, you went for that one. Fortunately, about half of these are classic and overplayed enough for me to have some degree of familiarity, particularly the Beach Boys stuff and 'Mr. Sandman' from its appearance in 'Back to the Future' that I watched about eighty eight times as a child. The opening tracks are tackled in exactly the same manner: the song begins to be performed authentically, but about half-way through becomes dominated by fast, powerful drums, André Olbrich's screaming guitar solos and Hansi Kürsch's even more screaming vocals, which sound particularly great in 'Surfin USA.' The choices are often zany, but in this latter case it really works.
Later covers are performed with a greater degree of loyalty, which makes them duller in the case of Queen's 'Spread Your Wings' that ends up being my least favourite song here for its irritatingly sung chorus, but Mike Oldfield's 'To France' is handled in a compelling and thoughtful manner, the rock and symphonic elements increasing steadily throughout and Hansi sounding great in the choruses as usual, but my favourite has to be Uriah Heep's 'The Wizard,' a great folk ballad that perfectly suits Blind Guardian's style both thematically and musically, and could easily be mistaken for one of their own. 'Barbara Ann/Long Tall Sally' is very unusual in that its second half is sung by someone completely different more in line with the original, but it's fun to hear Hansi sneak in a chorus from 'Johnny B. Goode,' also heard on the earlier live album 'Tokyo Tales.'
Despite the shocking grief of its first impression, 'Bright Eyes' is not, repeat not, a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's harrowing song about rabbits or whatever, but is the first of several Blind Guardian originals to receive the stripped-down acoustic treatment. Along with 'Mordred's Song,' this was one of the more emotional, more atmospheric and less aggressive offerings from the then-contemporary 'Imaginations from the Other Side' album, and both are well suited to acoustic slimming even though they fail to match up to the originals. Olbrich's acoustic solos are fun and plucky (in a literal sense), but 'Mordred's Song' sounds much better as a screamed energetic outburst than a mellow contemplation, though the former song is almost equally valid in this alternate form.
The short interlude 'Black Chamber' is rather pointlessly re-worked here also, made into an a capella performance from several Hansis that still only lasts a minute and isn't really going to appeal to anyone, while 'Theatre of Pain' is made over entirely and reduced to a purely symphonic version. This is interesting in concept but lousy to listen to, only serving to annoy in the same way piano or orchestra takes on your favourite rock songs only make you long to hear the proper instruments and some singing. But this is the sort of thing B-side albums are for, after all: pointless re-mixes for the fan who has everything.
The final thread running through this loosely woven, distractingly patterned jumper of an album consists of the band's three major acoustic songs from the three most recent albums up to that time, all of which are still live favourites today. The slightly amateur 'Lord of the Rings' and the much more polished 'A Past and Future Secret' are taken straight from their respective albums, while the finest of them all 'The Bard's Song' is a live performance from Germany (evidenced by the pre-song banter) that will possibly blow listeners away as the crowd chants its way through the entire thing with only the most minimal accompaniment by Hansi. It's not the most satisfying thing in the world to hear a muffled crowd singing rather than the band, but it proves the effect Blind Guardian have, and if nothing else, serves to encourage people who were bought this album as a joke to search out for the real thing.
1. Mr. Sandman (The Chordettes cover)
2. Surfin' USA (The Beach Boys cover)
3. Bright Eyes
4. Lord of the Rings
5. The Wizard (Uriah Heep cover)
6. Spread Your Wings (Queen cover)
7. Mordred's Song
8. Black Chamber
9. The Bard's Song (Live)
10. Barbara Ann / Long Tall Sally (The Beach Boys cover)
11. A Past and Future Secret
12. To France (Mike Oldfield cover)
13. Theatre of Pain
Blind Guardian
**
Written on 24.03.08
Every Blind Guardian fan is familiar with 'The Bard's Song,' their classic acoustic ballad from the otherwise often overlooked 'Somewhere Far Beyond' album, but just in case they were finding that widely available album hard to come by - and perhaps to make a quick buck - the band released this extremely postponed single release in 2003, eleven years later. To be fair, it isn't the same version but a self-proclaimed "new studio version" that's the same as the original, but with a more polished and clean sound, and the fabled, elfish bard can finally be seen in the attractive cover art (funny, I always imagined him with a beard). It's a brilliant song, perfectly simple with a fine acoustic performance from André Olbrich and great singing by Hansi Kürsch, and an unshakeable staple of every single Blind Guardian live show. Which is where the B-sides come in; the first track is expressly labelled "new studio version" to differentiate it from the subsequent three live versions of the same song.
I'll repeat that: three live versions of the same song.
This is a bit of a barmy notion, but one I was glad/flabbergasted to see Rhapsody later mimic in their similarly completist release of 'The Magic of the Wizard's Dream' alongside four other versions in varying languages and re-mixes, and while it's nice to hear crowds from Milan, Munich and Madrid all singing along to the same song... what am I talking about? No it isn't, I really don't understand the purpose of featuring three live versions of the same song when the point could be just as easily made with one. They aren't very different at all, and unlike the band's earlier single 'A Past and Future Secret,' another acoustic ballad, there's nothing on here to balance out perception of Blind Guardian as a power metal band. Anyone listening to this would think they were merely a folk band. Worse, a folk band that only had one song.
So there you have it, a pointless single of a good song from eleven years earlier that I presume was only released so that modern Blind Guardian fans were spared the trouble of having to check out the earlier albums, and realise how much better the band used to be in the olden days. It's a good song that you can listen to again and again (four times in a row if you like), but one that's widely available on all live releases after 'Tokyo Tales.' For putting-CDs-into-the-computer fans, you're spared the monotony of the regular single and offered a live video of a song being performed in Stuttgart, breaking the band's habit of only playing in towns beginning with "M" but keeping another pattern intact. Would you hazard a guess which song they play?
1. The Bard's Song (In the Forest) (new studio version)
2. The Bard's Song (Live in Milan)
3. The Bard's Song (Live in Munich)
4. The Bard's Song (Live in Madrid)
Multimedia: The Bard's Song (Live in Stuttgart)
Blind Guardian
Live
*****
Written on 24.03.08
Simply titled 'Live,' this two-disc performance of Blind Guardian live in their native Germany is a fantastic retrospective of the band's extensive career over the previous twenty years. This goes without saying, as any random selection of twenty-two tracks from the strong discography would be a worthy purchase, but being a live album this is guaranteed to contain all of your favourites. Or at least, all of the songs the band likes to play live.
More diverse and twice the length of the previous live release 'Tokyo Tales' a decade earlier, the time was right to justify a new collection of songs celebrating the band's epic triumphs since, while still retaining the strongest material from those early speed metal days to add variety or keep listeners grounded when some of the more recent material veers off course into progressive realms.
Only four songs are present from the band's then-recent album 'A Night at the Opera,' highlighting the difficulty of adapting those overcomplicated songs into a live performance, something that seems to have spurred the back-to-basics ethos of later studio output. 'Soulforged' would be my choice from the album and is justly represented here, its folk chorus and shiny, happy vocals contrasting with some of the more aggressive surrounding material but not standing out as jarringly as the dull ballad 'Harvest of Sorrow' or the average songs 'Under the Ice' and 'Punishment Divine' that fail to make much of a splash on the second disc, and may leave some listeners with a slight irritation that something like 'Banish from Sanctuary' or 'Time What is Time' wasn't included in its place (as if 140 minutes of music spanning an entire musical career isn't enough. There's always one).
More disappointing is the equal lack of much material from the band's defining classic 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth,' which is only represented here by four excellent, if obvious choices, despite being relatively recent in the discography and a fan favourite. Fortunately, their other big hit 'Imaginations from the Other Side' is as well represented as ever, with six of its nine tracks appearing here, all of which have been in constant live rotation since 1995.
Once you get past the songs you like or dislike, there's nothing to fault with this album, apart from the usual irritable things a crowd gets up to when left for long minutes at a time between songs, something that could and perhaps should have been tidied up in the edit. The band's performance is impeccable as ever, and old and new material is handled with equal vigour, though some such as 'Majesty' from way back on the first album do sound a little odd with the newer vocal style; 'Born in a Mourning Hall' soon makes up for this with an unprecedented screaming performance from Hansi.
Similarly ancient classic 'Valhalla' is obviously popular with the fans, and is allowed to drag on at the end as they continually reprise its chorus, while 'The Bard's Song' is carried almost entirely by their singing, as Hansi stands and (presumably) smiles. There's not an awful lot of interaction with the crowd audible on the disc, though it's often the case that such things are the first to be cut for an official release, and the only ones that are present aren't particularly enlightening, such as the introduction to 'Lord of the Rings' that Hansi is probably making up on the spot.
With an extra CD or two this would be the definitive live Blind Guardian album, but having produced so many classic over the years it's impossible to get them all onto a two-disc set without feeling like there's something really significant missing. My only real gripe is the lack of substantial material from the 'Nightfall' album which has always been my favourite and is widely hailed as the band's finest, but the songs that are here are mostly tried-and-tested live favourites; only the compulsory material from the most recent 'A Night at the Opera' seems frivolous, and was justly worked out of the regular set-list once the band moved on from that period. An excellent live album that does the best it can, considering its impossible situation.
Disc 1
1. War of Wrath
2. Into the Storm
3. Welcome to Dying
4. Nightfall
5. The Script for My Requiem
6. Harvest of Sorrow
7. The Soulforged
8. Valhalla
9. Majesty
10. Mordred's Song
11. Born in a Mourning Hall
Disc 2
1. Under the Ice
2. Bright Eyes
3. Punishment Divine
4. The Bard's Song (In the Forest)
5. Imaginations from the Other Side
6. Lost in the Twilight Hall
7. A Past and Future Secret
8. Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)
9. Journey Through the Dark
10. Lord of the Rings
11. Mirror Mirror
Blind Guardian
A Twist in the Myth
***
Written on 23.02.08
The first new Blind Guardian material in five years, 'A Twist in the Myth' was eagerly anticipated by fans even if was always kind of obvious that it wasn't going to be all that good. The past decade has seen Blind Guardian evolve from one of the more prominent bands in the German speed metal tradition to the leading force in international power metal with their epic concept release 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth,' and then spiralling into the more dismal realm of pretentious experimental band without enough good ideas, as captured so perfectly in the disappointing 'A Night at the Opera.'
This most recent album was evidently an attempt to return to the simpler times, writing coherent songs that can actually be played live alongside old favourites, while continuing to advance the band's sound in the new millennium. The bad news is that some of the musical paths embarked on in recent years are continuing to be tread and the album's overall style suffers as a result, but the good news is that this doesn't write the band off completely: they're still an incredible force to be reckoned with in a live environment, headlining major metal festivals with their classic material, and once they get over these bad-prog tendencies they could start making great music again.
These songs aren't bad, at least most of them aren't, but none stand up to classic material from the nineties. As usual, there's a mix between heavier power metal anthems and folk ballads, the latter held up by the orchestral 'Skalds and Shadows' and the more metallic 'Carry the Blessed Home,' but the whole thing is spoiled to a degree by the perseverance of trends from the previous album, namely the predominantly plodding pace that only becomes more energetic on select occasions, the unimaginative repetition of the "slow machine gun" combination of hard guitar chords with drum slaps as if that's enough to make a song heavy, and Hansi Kürsch's squeaky vocal style that really, really starts to get on my nerves as the album proceeds, only letting up for light relief for a few seconds at a time. On the positive side, the overall sound is less busy than in the distractingly complex predecessor, and André Olbrich is back to supplying genuinely memorable guitar riffs and solos, while new band member Frederik Ehmke - the first major line-up change in the band's twenty year career - gets to prove himself with some interesting double bass drum bursts and other techniques in 'The Edge' and a few others. The songs are also back to regular length, and actually manage to distinguish themselves among the throng.
Probably the most deviant songs here are the ones the band chose to highlight with single releases, namely 'Fly' and 'Another Stranger Me' that both feature a new, deeper style of guitar riff not heard before in the band, as well as a continuation of the progressive themes. 'Fly' has a particularly annoying chorus (only if you find New Hansi irritating), but there's some interesting use of electronic effects, while 'Another Stranger Me' is more upbeat and energetic than most, and both songs feature some great, long guitar solos. 'Turn the Page' is more experimental still, particularly in the vocal department as Hansi sings at an oddly increased speed against the steady rhythm and even gets a more-or-less vocal solo, while this and many other songs continue to fill out the soundscape with keyboards in the folk metal tradition, serving to alienate old-school fans even further but perhaps drawing in newcomers at the same time, which can't be a bad thing.
Unfortunately, the rest of the songs, while individual and distinctive enough to stand out, can't boast of the same level of interest, and sound particularly weak when comparable to classic material from the band's past. 'Otherland' sounds like a 'Nightfall' B-side, 'The New Order' tries to be Black Sabbath but doesn't really convince, and 'Carry the Blessed Home' can't help sounding distinctly like what it is; the obligatory ballad in the style of 'The Bard's Song' that will all too soon fade from the live set-list once the album no longer requires promotion. I don't dislike this album, but it's not one I can play too frequently without feeling disappointed foremost, and it doesn't offer many choice selections outside of the singles.
1. This Will Never End
2. Otherland
3. Turn the Page
4. Fly
5. Carry the Blessed Home
6. Another Stranger Me
7. Straight Through the Mirror
8. Lionheart
9. Skalds and Shadows
10. The Edge
11. The New Order
12. Dead Sound of Misery
Blinded Colony
Bedtime Prayers
**
Written on 23.02.08
Blinded Colony is just another in a tediously long line of bands to have sprung up since bands like In Flames and Soilwork corrupted their sound and entered the rock mainstream, and this album is far from being an impressive copy-cat, despite originating in Sweden which ought to at least add some authenticity.
The sound here is as much metalcore as it is melodic death metal, the latter only in the modern In Flames sense rather than the more authentic and exceptional stuff, and it's an irritatingly repetitive listening experience of guitar riffs and drum slaps synchronised against a background of bland eighties synthesiser, in a seemingly desperate attempt to add some melody. Denny Axelsson's vocals are the only element to really stand out, and not in a particularly good way - his raspy yells sound indistinguishable from pretty much every other melodic death metal band attempting to sound like hardcore vocalists, and his inevitable clean singing is as piercing and whiney as his mainstream contemporaries, not to mention the terrible Slipknot-style tortured whisperings inserted into a few songs before the eruption back into violence fails to take us by surprise.
A few of these songs would be fairly decent melodic death metal, if bands like At the Gates hadn't already recorded superior versions over a decade earlier. '21st Century Holocaust' is the most convincingly aggressive and suited to its name, while others such as 'Need' feel overly aggressive in a pointless sort of way. The worst are the more metalcore-influenced songs in which Axelsson shows off his lousy singing talents, particularly 'Revelation, Now!' while 'Aaron's Sons' fails to hide its Soilwork influence completely by opening with a cheesy eighties keyboard melody that wouldn't have been out of place on (the superior) 'Natural Born Chaos.'
At only thirty-eight minutes this is hardly the most generous album, especially considering three of its songs were already available on an earlier promo release, but perhaps another song following exactly the same style as the rest would simply have been too much to bear.
1. My Halo
2. Bedtime Prayers
3. Once Bitten Twice Shy
4. Need
5. Revelation, Now!
6. 21st Century Holocaust
7. Aaron's Sons
8. In Here
9. Heart
Advantages: Might be exciting if you've never heard the bands it's clearly ripping off.
Disadvantages: Nowhere near the level of its influences, and far too repetitive.
Blindside
Blindside
**
Written on 23.02.08
Blindside's career has seen the Swedish Christians move from generic and annoying hardcore to bland and tedious post-hardcore, with very little of note in-between. This first album is surprisingly one of their better releases, still enormously let down by its reliance on Slipknot-style vocals and loud guitars with delusions of heaviness, but taking enough shameless influence from other bands that the album experience is at least not entirely uninteresting.
The Slipknot comparison is more evident in the vocals than anything else, which really do sound like a passable and suitably irritating sound-alike in their whining singing and predominant yells, electronically distorted as these hardcore bands tend to lack the genuine screaming ability found in metal bands. These vocals are supplemented by very dull guitars based around power chords in songs like 'Invert,' 'Nerve' and 'Replay,' while the rest of the album experiments with theft of other 1990s bands' styles in a continuing process of experimentation to find the right sound to rip off, something that arguably should have been carried out prior to actually recording such a revealing album.
Thus, we hear the familiar funky, bass-driven style of Korn in 'Superman' and 'Liberty,' the gloom of Tool in 'Empty Box' and 'This Shoulder,' and the generic sound of grunge making its way into 'Born,' 'One Mind' and 'Teddy Bear,' featuring faux-acoustic guitar before the whole thing returns to cacophonous yelling. The listener's own personal preference when it comes to these obvious influences will likely determine their own favourites here, or in my case least despised, as the Tool-like 'Empty Box' is at least structurally interesting in its mellow minimalism, though I never liked Tool that much either. This is the sound of a band struggling to find its feet and recording the struggle for all to hear, adding some Christian platitudes to encourage us to be forgiving.
1. Invert
2. Born
3. Empty Box
4. Superman
5. Nerve
6. This Shoulder
7. Replay
8. One Mind
9. Liberty
10. Daughter
11. Teddy Bear
12. Never
Blindside
**
Written on 23.02.08
It seems that Blindside had finally found a sound to settle on, for this album at least, but unfortunately it happens to be one of the most inherently irritating sounds in existence, merely a step away from despicable emo. The hardcore screaming has increased in intensity, meaning that Christian Lindskog has merely turned up the dial on whatever he's using to distort his voice, and even worse are the attempts to balance it out with clean singing, which inevitably follows the piercing whine of other emo vocalists who can't sing. Just in case it wasn't all stereotypical enough, 'Vow of Silence' even features a spoken word section. Deep.
Despite the offensive cacophony, there's an interesting experimental edge to this album, mainly present in the use of a string section on certain songs. This is only really incorporated in any meaningful way into the otherwise unsuccessful ten-minute finale 'Nothing But Skin,' but the cello conclusion of 'As You Walk' is a nice touch, even if the later string interlude of 'My Mother's Only Son' blatantly steals its melody from Toto's soundtrack to 'Dune.' The album's general sound is an incredibly irritating one that will only appeal to hardcore fans, and not even the most hardcore hardcore fans who will doubtless find the clean singing as offensive as I do, and whatever emotions the band was hoping to evoke, the only one they succeeded in was to annoy the hell out of me with every song.
1. Vow of Silence
2. As You Walk
3. King of the Closet
4. My Mother's Only Son
5. Act
6. Silver Speak
7. Where Eye Meets Eye
8. Nara
9. In the Air of Truth
10. Across Waters
11. Nothing But Skin
Blindside
Silence
**
Written on 23.02.08
Just when I thought the Christian Swedes couldn't sink any lower, they reinvent themselves as a pop rock band, thankfully toning down the Slipknot rubbish of their earlier releases but only going on to replace it with a dilution of gothic rock, reminiscent of the Cure at their least moody. And Christian Lindskog still doesn't so much sing as pierce the listener's eardrums with his whine. Most disappointing of all is the abandonment of the (admittedly slight) experimental tendencies of the previous album, the only deviations coming in roughly half of the songs, where the band breaks out the basic Machine Head power chords and pinch harmonics to impress the kids with their "heaviness."
I'm glad that the pointless aggro has gone, but bland and wistful melancholia isn't exactly an improvement, even if it's admittedly easier to listen to. 'Caught a Glimpse' sets up the emo whine that only gets worse in 'Pitiful,' a song I believe was released as a single that would at least do the job of diving the audience into those who despise it and those who think it might be okay, and that the album could at least hold something of interest. In this song, 'Cute Boring Love' and 'Thought Like Flames,' Lindskog attempts his best Robert Smith impersonation before moving on to a style more reminiscent of Him in 'Midnight,' but the only song that even approaches the gothic mentality in any way outside of tedious pop is the finale 'Silence,' which unfortunately ends up being mostly boring.
It's clear that even this far down the line, the band has no real idea what it wants to sound like, and breaking into America with the help of their Christian rock contemporaries (so people will listen to anything based on a shared set of values, regardless of its musical ability?), it seems that Blindside are jumping on an off of the pop rock bandwagons as they come and go, from nu-metal to emo-core and gothic rock. I wouldn't be surprised if their next release was a pop punk effort.
1. Caught a Glimpse
2. Pitiful
3. Sleepwalking
4. Cute Boring Love
5. The Endings
6. You Can Hide It
7. Thought Like Flames
8. Time Will Change Your Heart
9. Painting
10. Midnight
11. Coming Back to Life
12. She Shut Your Eyes
13. Silence
Blindside
The Great Depression
**
Written on 23.02.08
The fifth Blindside album is another partial reinvention of the band's sound, and another one that doesn't entirely succeed in any meaningful way. Inspired by the band's experiences in poverty-stricken Africa, this isn't so much depressing as rather boring. I've heard plenty of albums more convincingly distressing and upsetting than this, making this seem comparatively bland and lifeless, until the hardcore shouting rears its malformed head on select songs and the band manages to instil heated anger in me at just how tedious and forced it all sounds.
The band's minor progressive tendencies are still in evidence, seen in the electronic aspects of 'This is a Heart Attack' and the piano sections of 'Yamkela' and 'My Alibi,' but in the end they only sound like a less impressive copy-cat of Pain of Salvation. The screamy hardcore style is just as annoying as the singing, so there really is no winning on the vocal front, and the louder songs (not heavier songs; louder songs) are full of the same bad guitars as the rest of their discography. This band has never produced a decent guitar riff, and this uncomfortable mix of mellow songs and screamy emo-core doesn't bode well for the band's future, which is particularly disappointing considering the promise shown in the previous album. Still, I'm sure unambitious American rock fans will continue to snap them up, blissfully unaware of the far superior practitioners out there, playing a less irritating version of pretty much the same sound.
1. The Great Depression
2. This is a Heart Attack
3. Ask Me Now
4. We're All Going to Die
5. Yamkela
6. Put Back the Stars
7. Fell in Love With the Game
8. City Lights
9. We Are to Follow
10. You Must Be Bleeding Under Your Eyelids
11. My Alibi
12. Come to Rest (Hesychia)
13. This Time
14. When I Remember
Blink-182 in general
*****
Written on 23.06.01
Blink 182 were formed in 1992 by Tom DeLonge, a student in a Californian high school. He started the So-Cal pop punk band "Blink" (they had to change their name when they became commercial due to copyright infringements of some weird Irish band or something) with bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor (the band's youngest member).
The band soon released their first album, "Buddha", which wasn't hugely successful, followed by the more popular "Cheshire Cat" (which spawned the relatively underground single "M & M's"), but it wasn't until their album "Dude Ranch" (1997) that the band got their big break with the fantastically popular single "Dammit" (and less well known singles "Josie" and "Apple Shampoo.") The band were now a big name in the alternative genre, but it was in 1999, with the release of their fourth album "Enema of the State" (and the insanely high-selling singles "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things..." along with the not-so-popular, but better, "Adam's Song") that the band became well known to all people of the world. (By then the band's original drummer Scott had left the bnad to forther pursue his education- he was only 18 when "Dude Ranch" was released- and new drummer Travis Barker had joined Blink). They have basically become a pop group (which sucks) but their music still sounds great, so what the hell? Those little kids can't ruin something as cool as Blink.
The band have thus far released six albums ("Buddha", "Cheshire Cat", "Dude Ranch", "Enema of the State", "The Mark, Tom and Travis Show"- a live album- and new release "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket") and are still going strong. "Take Off Your Pants" was number one in the Virgin charts on its week of release, and it's still a great album, but I prefer "Dude Ranch" overall as I prefer the more punk style. The band have also released a home video (entitled "The Urethra Chronicles") which is quite funny, and is basically about half an hour of the band (that is, Tom, Mark and Travis- Scott is stranbgely completely absent and unmentioned) generally mucking around, both on tour and in their everyday lives, and includes their music videos "Dammit", "Josie", "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things..." The band's other released music video singles (to date) are "Man Overboard" (one of my favourite Blink songs taken from the live album) and "The Rock Show" (a pretty average song from the new album).
Blink have definitely passed the "next big thing" stage, and although they seem to have sold out I still think they're one of my favourite bands. I just prefer the old stuff (although I don't think Scott is as good as Travis- he's not weird enough. Let me know what you think).
Advantages: Cool band, Some amazing songs, Uplifting and great for parties
Disadvantages: Some songs are very pop-style ("All the Small Things..." in particular), The 182 bit in the name- it's dumb!
Blink-182
Dude Ranch
****
Written on 02.06.01
Blink 182 are one of my favourite bands, and this may be their best album. It contains what it widely believed to be their greatest song (the fantastic "Dammit"), along with the other singles "Josie" and "Apple Shampoo." Every track is great, and the album is better than the more popular "Enema of the State" album in my opinion, although my criticism is that it is not as varied.
On "Enema", the light-hearted pop-punk of "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things" is complimented by the very sombre and brilliant "Adam's Song" and the fast-paced lyrical extravaganza of "The Party Song." On this album, all the songs are relatively fast, light-hearted romps performed very similarly. However, the album does benefit from the flat, sober voice of Mark Hoppus (the bass player) being complimented by songs sung from the high-voiced insane guitarist Tom DeLonge, whose vocal talents can be heard on the famous "All the Small Things." The songs are probably mostly sung by Tom, although I guess it's a half and half thing; the first song features a rare collaboration of alternate vocalists for each line in the amazing "Pathetic."
If you have "Enema of the State", you should certainly contemplate buying this- it's the happiest, most uplifting album I own, and I even own some ska! I don't know what the forthcoming album (the innuendo-titled "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket") has to offer, although I'll certainly review it as and when I hear it.
Advantages: "Dammit", Moments of comedic foolery (mucking about), Different approaches with vocals.
Disadvantages: Not much variation (apart from the vocals)
Blitzkrieg
Unholy Trinity
***
Written on 23.02.08
Leicester-based Blitzkrieg were a comparative latecomer to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in the early eighties, and only released one album during its heyday, 1985's appreciated but relatively unknown 'A Time of Changes.' Ten years later, for some reason or other, the band reformed in a very loose sense with singer Brian Ross and drummer Sean Taylor reprising their roles with newcomer Dave Anderson on bass and Tony J. Liddle on guitars, the most talented member of the band who joined at the end of the eighties.
It seems that Blitzkrieg was still operating as a live outfit in the interregnum between albums, which perhaps explains the density of 'Unholy Trinity,' an album packed with material that sadly feels significantly overlong at seventeen tracks compared to the typical NWOBHM average of eight or nine. While it would be a shame for fans to miss out on some of the extra material, especially those who waited ten years for this release, casual listeners are likely to become a little fed up as the sound inevitably becomes repetitive after the half-way point.
The big question here is whether an album released in 1995 could possibly possess the same spark as NWOBHM released in heavy metal's golden era, and while I haven't heard the first Blitzkrieg album for comparison, this is a very accurate and authentic reproduction of the generic NWOBHM sound similar to Saxon or Grim Reaper with a bit of Judas Priest thrown in for good measure, and certainly more authentic than the albums other old-timers were releasing during the same period, for better or worse (mostly the latter). That said, there's nothing particularly special about this album, and obviously there's an issue of how relevant it is in a decade where the metal world was ruled by grunge and those annoying, youth-angst-nu-metal bands, but I see it as a welcome fresh of breath air. Even the production values are kept a little behind modern standards to add to the experience, though I suspect this was less a creative decision and more out of necessity...
The songs themselves are all incredibly predictable and repetitive, but are a hell of a lot of fun, and equal or superior to many of the old bands, excluding the big-name acts that managed to stand above the rest and are still surviving today. Brian Ross' vocal melodies are surprisingly accessible, almost poppy on occasion, but he's still capable of reaching the high notes, and on no occasion is the music permitted to descend into ballads, the love songs instead opting to follow the commercial style of Judas Priest's similar endeavours. Liddle's guitars are clearly the strongest point, indulging in all manner of potentially cheesy and overwhelmingly cool solos and harmonies with himself, though his chugging riffs elsewhere are rendered a little weaker by the production values. He even gets the fun instrumental 'All Hallow's Eve' to show off his abilities, and it's notable that the primary song here to rekindle the NWOBHM flame, 'Take a Look Around,' appears to be a song left off of the previous album.
Overall, this is a fairly mediocre release that's still incredibly entertaining for fans of classic British metal, with consistently enjoyable songs even if there are very few that really stand out, something that isn't helped by the sheer quantity. 'After Dark' is a fairly secretive vampire song that only reveals its true colours at the end, the title track features a dark section with demonic spoken word similar to early Manowar, and 'Countess Bathory' is one of the less successful songs on that theme that I've heard, but this is still classic NWOBHM that sadly arrived far too late for anyone to really notice, even less than they noticed its predecessor.
1. Hair Trigger (Pull the Trigger Part 2)
2. Struck by Lightning
3. Taking Care of Business
4. Field of Dreams
5. Take a Look Around
6. After Dark
7. Crazy for You
8. Zip
9. Unholy Trinity
10. Calming the Savage Beast
11. The Wraith
12. Easy Way Out
13. All Hallows' Eve
14. Countess Bathory
15. Jealous Love
16. House of Pleasure
17. Return of the Zip
Advantages: Revival of the class sound, unhindered by the curse of the nineties.
Disadvantages: Stuck in a time warp, and not the best example of the genre.
Blitzkrieg
Ten
****
Written on 23.02.08
The wait for Blitzkrieg's third album was significantly less than that for their 1995 comeback release, and the experience of recording a new album seems to have injected new life into the band - not to mention yet another drastic line-up change that sees singer Brian Ross and guitarist Tony J. Liddle the only remaining members from 'The Unholy Trinity.' With this third album, Blitzkrieg were finally treated to a modern production job to match their slightly updated sound, now less explicitly rooted in the past with greater energy and even a little influence from contemporary symphonic metal bands.
Alright, the symphonic elements are confined to a couple of keyboard moments towards the beginning and end of the album, but even as traditional heavy metal this is still superior to the previous album, as Liddle's guitars now balance heaviness and melody more successfully, and make the whole thing feel less dated despite some slightly awkward aspects of the eighties remaining in the form of the unison shouted chorus of 'Fighting All the Way to the Top' and unwise bass solo intro of 'I'm Not Insane,' an otherwise great song spoiled slightly by a daft acted section complete with maniacal laugh. Once again, the band resurrect a couple of songs from their early days in the form of 'Buried Alive' and their title song, but unlike with the last album, these arguable "classics" are of the same standard as the newer material.
If there's one major drawback with this release, it's that the songs start sounding pretty similar after the first few are over and done with, and the speed seems confined to a plodding medium tempo rather than the more furious assault of 'Blitzkrieg.' The best songs still borrow from Judas Priest and there's still too much reliance on guitar solos coming along to save the day just when you thought a song was starting to get boring, but as it's classic metal this is all somehow forgivable. The main achievement of this album is being released in 1996 without sounding like a mere throwback.
1. Cavo d'Oro (Intro)
2. Fighting All the Way to the Top
3. Buried Alive
4. The Sentinel
5. The Power of the King
6. Night Howl
7. I'm Not Insane
8. Court in the Act
9. Blitzkrieg '96
10. Nocturnal Vision
Blitzkrieg
Theatre of the Damned
***
Written on 23.02.08
The most recent release from old-time classic metal band Blitzkrieg is slightly disappointing considering the time they've now had to hone their skills, yet the same old problems remain. First is the persistence of line-up changes seemingly rearranging the band every year and destroying any kind of chemistry that could go towards the songwriting process, and second is that Brian Ross' singing, while cool and high in the early eighties way, still sounds weak and frankly dull as he delivers narratives that should be compelling, but end up sounding unconvincing and even slightly daft.
Released in 2007, this benefits from a crisp modern production job that even brings out Paul Brewis' clunking bass, but also draws attention to the repetitive style of the other instruments, especially Ken Johnson and Guy Laverick's guitars. The only really interesting guitar riff in the album is the one that leads the otherwise bland 'Devil's Spawn,' and even that's directly pinched from Testament. Even their attempt at tackling the Phantom of the Opera tale in track two ends up less satisfying than all the other versions I've heard from the likes of Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Anachronia and even the Misfits, but I guess it's still superior to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Blitzkrieg's albums always tend towards similarity in the later songs and this is no exception, the best material always being used up early on, but considering the amusing subject matter and possibility of an overarching concept, I'd expected much more.
1. Theatre of the Damned
2. The Phantom
3. Devil's Spawn
4. My Life is My Own
5. Spirit of the Legend
6. The Passing
7. Into the Light
8. Tortured Souls
9. Together We Are Strong
10. Night Stalker
Blood Duster
Yeest
*
Written on 24.03.08
Grindcore was frequently an amusingly bad genre, and Melbourne's Blood Duster (the band would prefer "Blöod Düster," but I'm not going to give them the satisfaction) certainly brought nothing new to its narrow horizons. Needlessly depraved lyrics of murder, rape and child molestation seek the attention of easily pleased grindcore fans, and what little promise the music shows at an early stage is soon overtaken by laziness and the desire to be obtuse. Some grindcore bands do this really well, producing entertaining albums fullof ten-second outbursts leading nowhere, but Blood Duster are not one of them.
Amateurishness is the order of the day here, from the awful lyrics that rhyme "splattered corpse" with "knife and fork" and don't even seem to be joking, to the repetitive guitars and drums that play pretty much the same thing over and over again, when a song lasts for more than six seconds that is. Tony Forde's vocals are based in the same deep guttural growl characteristic of the whole genre, with occasional screamed outbursts that are reasonably successful in conveying greater emotion, but Finn Alman's guitar disappoints severely after producing some fairly catchy (albeit unoriginal) groove riffs in tracks one and two.
After this point, the short recording really does go nowhere fast, and at times goes nowhere painfully slowly. With tracks three, five and six becoming increasingly brief, the whispered growls and slow riffs of 'Chuck' seem to last forever at just under two minutes, and the six-second 'Strop' is followed by the somehow even less satisfying 'Nasty Chicks,' which spends most of its near-five-minute playing time in tedious guitar feedback masquerading as a sort of solo.
Grindcore freaks may enjoy the band's abrasiveness and bad attitude, but coming in the mid-nineties, it's not like they were the first to do it. In grindcore terms, they're being practically mainstream.
1. Albert
2. Northcoat
3. Motherfuckin' [I had the decency to censor the curses for the family-friendly site, but the horrific album cover didn't go down well in the comments]
4. Chuck
5. Showered With Affection, Part 2
6. Strop
7. Nasty Chicks (With Big Ol' Tits)
Blood Duster
Str8 Outta Northcote
3 Riffs is All We Need
***
Written on 24.03.08
The debut release from Australian grind band Blood Duster was a great surprise to me, as it's actually pretty good. I never expected anything like this from the band that released 'Yeest,' which was wildly unbalanced, talentless and tasteless without even being hysterical. Here, the music is catchy, the styles varied, and the dark humour is actually pretty funny (naming a song 'Stiffy in McDonalds,' for example).
The main difference here is the introduction of the band's stoner rock influence, something that takes equal footing to the grindcore, even if the two styles are never really fused together in a satisfying manner, tending to play alongside each other in separate tracks instead. This means that many songs will be mere ten second explosions of anger, while others take their time with grooving guitars and drums. I was never the biggest grindcore fan in the first place, but Blood Duster's own ability in that area is somewhat less than competitive, failing to live up to the intensity of their progenitors and often seeming brief and pointless merely for the sake of it, but the stoner rock tracks are something else: they are alright. Not particularly good, but fairly enjoyable.
Unfortunately, while the grooves of songs like 'Givin' Stiff to the Stiff,' 'Metal as F**k' and the comparably talented 'Instrumental 1' all make for entertaining listening, there are still several factors holding this album back, some of them obviously inserted merely for the sake of disruption. Ever-present are the arbitrary film samples of people swearing and saying Hollywood-standard-obscene things, much the same as in any other grind band, and there's always the possibility that the next song will be a ten second screamathon that lacks any real passion. Random silences also serve to irritate, but at least the band is honest with its ten-minute finale track, appropriately titled 'Pure Digital Silence.'
If Blood Duster hadn't made this tolerable with some catchy riffs, I'd steer clear. As it is, it's a fairly enjoyable listening experience, even if there wouldn't really be any point listening to it again when there are so many better bands out there practicing both respective styles.
1. Givin' Stiff to the Stiff
2. Hippie Kill Team
3. Metal as Fuck
4. I Hate Girls and Crusty Punx
5. Chop-Chop
6. Tittie
7. Mother Load
8. The Meat Song (Stiffy in McDonalds)
9. Death Squad
10. Instrumental 1
11. The Simple Life
12. Where Does All the Money Go When Releasing a Full Length Album?
13. It's Just Not Metal
14. Celebrating 35% Pig Fat
15. F.S.S.
16. Ohh Ahh
17. Derek 2
18. Roll Call
19. Shoved Up Your Pisshole
20. Ballad of Hoyt
21. Pure Digital Silence
Blood Duster
Cunt
**
Written on 24.03.08
You could argue that naming your album 'C**t' isn't big and isn't clever, but with grindcore bands (not renowned for their size and intelligence) you'd be wasting your breath. Blood Duster's second full-length release, if you can call it that at a mere twenty minutes, continues to push their "porngrind" style ahead by essentially imitating others, diversifying their own discography slightly, but also sadly moving away from the areas that were quite promising on the previous release.
While 'Str8 Outta Northcote' sought to combine grindcore outbursts with stoner rock riffs, here the emphasis is more fully on the former, albeit with a more satisfying death metal tone. The production quality has taken a step down, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it does add a certain atmosphere, but this atmosphere is then spoiled whenever a new track starts and the inevitable, poorly-chosen film sample introduces yet another repetitive song. Unlike most grind bands, who opt for samples of violence and classic horror, the samples here deal almost exclusively with the porn industry, as represented by Hollywood in films such as 'Boogie Nights' and 'Orgazmo,' rather than anything more satisfying obscure and filthy. So essentially, this is less than softcore porngrind.
Tony Forde's vocals go for the deep, guttural croak of brutal death metal and grind, but don't reach the heights/depths of something like Demilich, while Jason Fuller chips in occasionally with the high cawing that Forde disappointingly can't do. What kind of metal bands requires two vocalists? Matt Collins' guitar riffs are ordinary to the point of complete tedium, and the only real band member to shine is Matt Rizzo, whose drum blasts are at least powerful and fast on occasion, if uncreative.
There's not much point going in to the individual songs, as this time round they really do all sound the same, with only a slightly slower groove riff serving to differentiate those such as 'Bigfata**e' from the flaccid mania of the rest. Perhaps most irritating of all is the way the two final tracks are extended by several minutes through the use of pointless, time-wasting feedback and sound effects, meaning that the album only really contains about twelve minutes of music, if you discount the film samples as well. Those twelve minutes won't change your life, and will only make you laugh if you have a tragically low amusement threshold.
1. Wearethewordpolice
2. Bigfatarse
3. Anotherslackarsedaussieband
4. Pornstorestiffi
5. Pissingcontest
6. Ijustfinishedsuckingoffmetalheadsinthemensurinals
7. Hoochiemumma
8. Iloveitwhenjoepesciswears
9. Stocktakin'
10. Letsallfuck
11. Atracksuitisnotappropriatemetalapparel
12. Thecorpsesong
13. Fuckyousceneboy
14. Iskillingclonesillegal
15. Don'tcallmehomeboyya'cunt
16. Spefeven
17. Theobjectistoshiftsomeunits
18. Sweetmeat
19. Dis-Organ-Ized (Impetigo cover)
Blood Duster
Blood Duster
***
Written on 24.03.08
Grind bands are only really successful when they're unpredictable, and while Blood Duster's discography isn't exactly extensive or multi-faceted, it's perhaps necessary for the majority of their releases to be really terrible so that things like this self-titled 2003 album can come as a pleasant surprise. Ditching the stupid porngrind attitude in favour of songs largely centred on the music world, utilising old voice samples of an authoritative man warning of the dangers of occult heavy metal bands, it's clear that Blood Duster have taken this album seriously for a change, combining influences and paying attention to the production job to ensure that every song flows together but also stands apart. It's hard to believe this was the same band that released the amateurish 'C**t.'
Right from the prelude 'For Those About to F**k,' with its Black Sabbath bell chimes and ominous Slayer drums, it's clear that the band has taken a more consciously metallic approach this time round, and while the songs follow a similar bipolar pattern to the first album, with grind outbursts alongside catchy stoner rock, both are given a satisfying death metal finish. The only thing that really disappoints is that the band still requires two vocalists to handle the lower and higher ends of the screaming spectrum, as a tighter act would possess a multi-talented frontman capable of executing both.
The deathrock anthems 'SixSixSixteen,' 'Sellout,' 'I Wanna Do It With a Donna,' 'Bad Habits,' 'Drink Fight F**k,' 'Underground,' 'Drug Fiend' and 'She's a Junkie' end up being the most enjoyable and memorable songs here, and not only because those in-between tend to be less substantial (in the grindcore spirit, even some of these laid-back songs far under the one-minute mark), and it's easy to see why some were released as singles due to the crossover appeal with fans of American stoner bands such as Clutch. The riffs aren't entirely original or spellbinding, but they're performed well, and even the grind songs have a lot going for them when they aren't completely overtaken by voice samples, as is sadly the case with a few.
The production job here is excellent, arguably a lot better than the band deserves, but this is an album that could easily appeal to extreme music fans who would otherwise turn up their noses at grind. It's still not great, but then it wouldn't really be grindcore if it was.
1. For Those About to Fuck
2. Idi
3. SixSixSixteen
4. Cock Junkie
5. Sellout
6. I Wanna Do It With a Donna
7. Fruity Relationships
8. Heroin Punk
9. Sk8er Grrl
10. Bad Habits
11. On the Stage
12. Vegan Feast
13. Drink Fight Fuck
14. Tony Goes to Court
15. On the Hunt
16. Current Trends
17. Underground
18. Drug Fiend
19. Achin' for an 'A' Cup
20. Dahmer the Embalmer
21. She's a Junkie
22. NuCorporate
Blood Red Throne
Come Death
****
Written on 24.02.08
Blood Red Throne is one of the more entertaining death metal bands still performing in the classic style, as defined and instantly perfected by the Florida bands of the late eighties and early nineties, only this band hails from the darkness of Norway. While the lack of any kind of cultural identity could be seen as a bad thing (unless you hate black metal of course), it's oddly refreshing to hear such an authentic reproduction of the classic sound performed by fans with a knack for contributing to the canon. 'Come Death' might not have the same power and intensity as its predecessor 'Altered Genesis,' but it's another solid performance from some incredibly skilled musicians.
Perhaps the main disappointment here is how some of the virtuosity is allowed to go to waste, most evident in the steady guitar riffs that dominate the majority of the album before Død and Tchort unleash their incredible solo talents or breakneck riffs in the faster instrumental sections. This leads to some songs such as 'Deranged Assassin' feeling a little too long and losing interest by the time their six minutes are up, but there are enough technical elements elsewhere to satisfy death metal connoisseurs , even an authentic cover of genre giants Gorguts in the form of 'Disincarnated.' Besides, any attempt to be more overtly tech-death may simply have resulted in another Suffocation clone, based more around aggression and restless riffing for the sake of it, at a loss to the unbeatable catchiness of classic death metal.
New vocalist Vald fits the role perfectly, even if once again he doesn't bring anything new. His primary style is a sustained roar with plenty of echo, but he increases to a powerful, raspy shriek for extra emphasis when required. Emphasis is a key element here, as the faster sections of songs are generally saved up for added effect rather than diluted through over-use, and the same goes for the guitar solos. Last but not least is Erlend Caspersen's bass work, which is some of the best I've ever heard in a death metal band, and is nicely highlighted by the production values.
1. Slaying the Lamb
2. Deranged Assassin
3. Rebirth in Blood
4. Guttural Screams
5. Taste of God
6. No New Beginning
7. Come Death
8. Disincarnated (Gorguts cover)
9. Another Kill (The Human Phenomenon)
Blood Tsunami
Thrash Metal
**
Written on 24.02.08
To arrogantly name your album 'Thrash Metal' twenty years after the genre's heyday is never going to win an up-and-coming band a lot of friends in the metal community, and Blood Tsunami's recent debut is far removed from a thrash classic, or even a particularly enjoyable tribute. For a start, just like Venom's 'Black Metal' which predated that other genre, it doesn't even sound like authentic thrash, mixing elements of eighties American and European thrash (Slayer and Kreator in particular) into a foundation that's most reminiscent of modern melodic death metal, without the good bits.
This Norwegian band doesn't bring anything new to the music scene, even by combining these influences - which many superior death metal bands have already done to substantially greater effect. Most songs turn into a guessing game of spot-the-influence, from the Slayer riffs in 'Evil Unleashed' to the very Testament-like 'Devoured By Flames' and even the Manowar-inspired cover art. Pete Evil's rasping vocals lack any distinctive flair and become tedious as he fails to change his tone even when the music demands it, while Dor Amazon's guitar and Faust's drums are essentially typical thrash, with an emphasis on breakdowns rather than more creative riffs. The only real song to grab my attention was the ten-minute instrumental 'Godbeater,' but it lost it very, very soon.
1. Evil Unleashed
2. Let Blood Rain
3. Rampage of Revenge
4. Infernal Final Carnage
5. Devoured By Flames
6. Torn Apart
7. Godbeater
8. Killing Spree
Bloodbath
Breeding Death
****
Written on 24.02.08
Bloodbath is another side project of Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, formed with members of Katatonia in a seeming attempt to pay tribute to, and perhaps revive the classic Swedish death metal sound of the early nineties, before natural progression and genre divisions (for which Opeth and Katatonia were partly responsible) caused death metal to splinter in a mostly satisfying manner.
These three songs sound authentically dated, but still original within the genre - as these guys are as experienced as you can get - but are blessed by a more contemporary production sound that brings out the power of the guitars, without spoiling them through clinical or polished over-production as befalls many modern acts. The lyrics follow similarly typical themes of gore with just a dash of anti-Christianity for the heck of it, and Åkerfeldt's familiar growl once again shows off its talents, carrying the whole thing through in a deep and compelling tone that can somehow be understood completely.
These three songs aren't particularly varied, though 'Furance Funeral' features a pleasant melodic end section led by keyboard that works as a nice contrast to the darkness of the rest, but fans of classic death metal should find this both respectful and a solid competitor in its own right.
1. Breeding Death
2. Omnious Bloodvomit
3. Furnace Funeral
Bloodbath
***
Written on 24.02.08
Following the positive response to the 'Breeding Death' E.P., allegedly a one-time project, death metal supergroup Bloodbath returned to the studio to record a full-length album in tribute to old-school Swedish death metal. The result is less impressive than its predecessor, partly due to a less tight focus but also largely down to the repetition, as every song follows the same basic style. While this was certainly a trait of many classic death metal bands, I expected more of a group comprised of Opeth, Edge of Sanity and Katatonia alumni.
These songs are generally faster and thrashier than the darker E.P., and more closely aligned to the sound of Entombed, Grave and Dismember on occasion, which is good news for fans of those classic bands, but also means it only ever sounds like a second-rate imitation (Dismember are one of my favourite death bands, but 'So You Die' merely sounds like a 'Massive Killing Capacity' B-side). Another oddity is how often the riffs tend to sound like something else, something not even inside the metal genre. 'Ways to the Grave' features a melody that I'm sure is taken from some old horror film or opera or something, but is ever so slightly camouflaged to the point that it isn't clear whether it's a deliberate or accidental homage, and 'Death Delirium' sounds like Danny Elfman's 'Batman' theme.
Part of the reason this album fails is that it simply seems too long, despite only being forty minutes, as what was once a tribute of sorts has now become a fully-fledged band playing in a derivative style and inevitably receiving greater attention in the extreme metal world than more creative underdogs due to the comparatively high profile of the band members.
1. Ways to the Grave
2. So You Die
3. Mass Strangulation
4. Death Delirium
5. Buried by the Dead
6. The Soulcollector
7. Bathe in Blood
8. Trail of Insects
9. Like Fire
10. Cry My Name
Bloodbath
Nightmares Made Flesh
****
Written on 24.02.08
Mikael Åkerfeldt's departure from retro-death metal band Bloodbath was likely seen as a savage blow by those death fans who seem to think Opeth are the most incredible thing to have blessed the genre, but in truth his absence allows the other band members to exert more creative control and begin to re-define Bloodbath's sound. Even if, admittedly, the end result is more like Edge of Sanity than anything else thanks to the greater prominence of Dan Swano (but they were always a lot more fun than Opeth anyway).
This is a more technically impressive, heavy and varied album than its repetitive predecessor, featuring more in the way of dual guitar harmonies ('Cancer of the Soul'), incessant catchiness ('Brave New Hell') and vastly improved vocals from newcomer Peter Tägtgren (Evil Pete of Hypocrisy), whose more forceful take suits the band more than Åkerfeldt's more controlled growls. While deviations into slower styles often feel like a forced attempt to diversify, especially with the Black Sabbathesque 'The Ascension,' they at least prevent the album from sounding samey and uninspired as the last one did, though this one still loses its steam a little towards the end.
The most enjoyable aspect of this album is how much fun the performers are clearly having, in a manner that translates perfectly to the listener's experience. 'Brave New Hell' is as enjoyable as death metal gets, mixing its classic style with early speed metal, even reminiscent of Judas Priest's genre-defining classic 'Exciter' on occasion, while the completely literal and far-too-detailed lyrics of 'Eaten' are hilarious, whether this was intended as a respectful parody of gore-obsessed death bands or not (I can't believe they just didn't notice). While it will never be quite up to the standards of the early nineties bands it pays tribute to, this album is a fine entry into the classic death metal canon, one that has the dual benefits of hindsight and a team of the finest professionals.
1. Cancer of the Soul
2. Brave New Hell
3. Soul Evisceration
4. Outnumbering the Day
5. Feeding the Undead
6. Eaten
7. Bastard Son of God
8. Year of the Cadaver Race
9. The Ascension
10. Draped in Disease
11. Stillborn Saviour
12. Blood Vortex
Bloodbound
Book of the Dead
***
Written on 24.02.08
'Book of the Dead' is the second album from Sweden's Bloodbound, a competent but not particularly engaging offering of melodic power metal that doesn't stand out from all the other bands playing exactly the same thing, except perhaps that Michael Bormann's singing is a little more hoarse. These eleven songs vary in speed and style completely by the Book: there are fast offerings such as the opening song, cheesy chorus-based anthems like the title track, a rubbish power ballad in the form of 'Black Heart' and a finale that thinks a keyboard introduction and length of seven minutes qualifies as epic, but at least has a satisfying galloping rhythm.
Essentially, this is melodic power metal with a pop sensibility, the choruses having that sense of mass appeal that almost inevitably brings a cost to the credibility, and it's clear that this band is inspired as much by the European power metal greats as the glam metal bands who brought metal greater popularity and greater shame back in the eighties. The best songs are those that try for a more authentic power metal sound with very fast drums and nice lead guitar work from Tomas Olsson, but even these tend to be spoiled by deviation into choruses full of bland singing and shiny keyboard melodies. There are a few attempts at epic touches such as the presence of a male choir in the background of track four that could easily just be the band itself double-tracked a couple of times, but even these are all borrowed from the well of bands like Edguy.
Of course, not every band has to be extreme, fast and epic, and the world needs plenty of easygoing, simplistic and often downright daft albums, which is why we have stuff like Dream Evil. Unfortunately, while Bloodbound may be entertaining enough for those who are just getting into metal and haven't heard the more rewarding offerings, to an irritating smart-arse like me who likes to name-drop how many bands he knows, they're nothing to write home about. Certainly nothing to write a several hundred word review about.
1. Sign of the Devil
2. The Tempter
3. Book of the Dead
4. Bless the Unholy
5. Lord of Battle
6. Flames of Purgatory
7. Into Eternity
8. Black Heart
9. Black Shadows
10. Turn to Stone
11. Seven Angels
Blue Öyster Cult
Tyranny and Mutation
****
Written on 30.03.08
'Tyranny and Mutation' sees New York rock band Blue Öyster Cult's progressive tendencies starting to break through to the surface, though it's still essentially a hard rock album at heart, with traces of what would ultimately come to be defined as heavy metal. Buck Dharma's guitar is mostly based in a blues-rock sound that can get a little repetitive and serves to date this more than the works of other bands of the time such as Black Sabbath, but his playing style is still sufficiently varied across this release to keep things interesting, particularly considering the album seems to have been consciously divided into opposing "red" and "black" sides (to use the original vinyl terms).
There isn't a great deal of difference between each side, most likely as a commercial concern that listeners would end up too confused if they turned the LP over and heard what sounded like a different band playing the last four tracks, and the only major difference is that the second half of the album tends to favour lighter and slower offerings featuring a greater melodic keyboard presence, while the first half is based more around hard rock. This is only speaking very generally, as 'Teen Archer' still possesses the pace and heaviness of side one, but it's notable that the album becomes increasingly dingy and powerful until reaching its peak in the bass-driven fourth track.
Blue Öyster Cult trod a fine line between dark cult band and mainstream rock act, and it's interesting to see the band struggling to find its feet in these early releases, often with very satisfying results. It's certainly more rewarding than their later, stable and blander pop direction.
1. The Red and the Black
2. O.D.'d On Life Itself
3. Hot Rails to Hell
4. 7 Screamind Diz-Busters
5. Baby Ice Dog
6. Wings Wetted Down
7. Teen Archer
8. Mistress of the Samon Salt (Quicklime Girl)
Blue Öyster Cult
Spectres
**
Written on 31.03.08
Following the success of their more pop-oriented 'Agents of Fortune,' Blue Öyster Cult understandably furthered this style with the even blander 'Spectres,' much to the chagrin of old-time fans but clearly the right career move at the time, from a purely financial perspective. The songs here are even softer than those on the previous year's release, and to make things more insulting, there are even a couple of anthems to rock - most notably the text-message-prophesying 'R.U. Ready 2 Rock' - that couldn't sound less like an authentic rock song if they tried, complete with soft unison singing, an almost complete lack of guitars, and clichéd piano playing that I'd be tempted to think was ironic if such things didn't clash so violently with this artistically dry era of the band's otherwise notable history.
The only diversity here runs completely by-the-numbers, from the more energetic rock style of opener 'Godzilla,' a style that sadly never returns across the forty minutes, all the way to piano ballads in the form of 'Death Valley Nights' and 'I Love the Night.' Buck Dharma's guitars once again sound stifled and show none of the virtuosity or creativity of his 'Secret Treaties' work, offering occasional enjoyable but uninspired solos and overly repetitive grooves in 'Searchin' For Celine' and elsewhere, and even the more overt pop songs seem indebted to other artists; the upbeat, hand-clapping 'Goin' Through the Motions' could easily be a David Bowie B-side if that performer decided to become rubbish overnight. Oh wait, this is 1977, he already had.
1. Godzilla
2. Golden Age of Leather
3. Death Valley Nights
4. Searchin' For Celine
5. Fireworks
6. R.U. Ready 2 Rock
7. Celestial the Queen
8. Goin' Through the Motions
9. I Love the Night
10. Nosferatu
Blut aus Nord
Ultima Thuleé
****
Written on 31.03.08
An excellent album from another of my favourite philosophical-ambient-black-metal one-man-bands (at least at this point), Blut aus Nord's first album is really the solo project of Vindsval, who does a stunning job convincing that there's a full band of corpse-painted misanthropes performing on a blizzard-torn mountainside, rather than one talented Frenchman running back and forth in a studio between instruments.
Instantly comparable to Burzum's genre-defining 'Filosofem' for incorporating similarly harsh industrial riffs and ambient keyboards into its traditional black metal base, 'Ultima Thuleé' still has a strong sense of individual character, not least when compared to the later diverse output of this outfit. Black metal fans will find it satisfyingly raw, heavy and powerful without being stilted by poor production values, though this is far from typical black metal as practiced by Mayhem and Immortal.
The songs are all fairly long at an average of seven minutes, but rather than repeating the same relentless, hypnotic riffs to the point of trance or tedium, each song's structure displays a clear progression of ideas, with slower or keyboard-driven sections breaking up the guitar-led majority. This is mostly carried out expertly, the keyboards themselves sounding a little too out of place and polished in the opening song but soon becoming well-integrated, though even in the finest offering 'From Hlidskjalf' the transition from fast industrial riffs to slow, ambient keyboards always seems necessarily jarring.
Vindsval's tortured shrieks are comparable to Count Grishnackh, but his rumbling guitar tone and ethereal keyboards sound more refined and competent than Burzum ever did, even if the riffs are lacking that other band's talent for simplistic creativity. With entire tracks taking time out for extended keyboard and chanting sessions ('Rigsthula' and 'Till' I Perceive Bifrost' respectively), the album remains exciting towards the end, making for one of the more satisfying black metal offerings of my collection.
1. The Son of Hoarfrost
2. The Plain of Ida
3. From Hlidskjalf
4. My Prayer Beyond Ginnungagap
5. Till' I Perceive Bifrost
6. On the Way to Vigrid
7. Rigsthula
8. The Last Journey of Ringhorn
Blut aus Nord
Slaughterday Night Fever
****
Written on 31.03.08
I was disappointed at first by this album, which seemed to abandon the epic touches of its predecessor in favour of a more typical black metal sound, but by the end of the first track I was convinced of its superiority not only within the exceptional French black metal scene, but the genre as a whole.
As can probably be deduced from its bombastic title, 'Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age' is a concept album, which seems to have pushed the band on to reach even more creative and talented heights. Every track is excellent, and although it takes a few listens to fully appreciate and discern the differences (lacking the obvious instrumentals of its predecessor, for instance), this is an album that can be listened to in full or in part for instant satisfaction... assuming that your taste and attention span can tolerate epic black metal.
I don't use the word "epic" lightly, and wouldn't apply it to bands who are trying too hard with lyrics about battling goblins and shiny keyboard solos (Dragonforce would be a good example of a not-epic metal band in this respect), but Blut aus Nord get it just right. While this recording doesn't have the same sense of grandeur as the ominous black metal of Summoning or the frosty solitude of Windir, there's a real sense of a dynamic history unfolding, even if you can't understand a word that's being squawked.
All of the instruments are excellent, which is something that can't be said for most black metal thanks to deliberately shoddy production jobs eliminating entire band members from the mix, as even the bass plays a prominent role here alongside the roaring guitar. The tempo changes frequently as mellow keyboard sections intertwine with more grace than on the preceding album, and each song features enough fast sections to keep black metal fans listening, even if they're a little turned off by the grandiose nature of the whole thing.
1. Slaughterday (The Heathen Blood of Ours)
2. On the Path of Wolf... Towards Dwarfhill
3. Sons of Wisdom, Master of Elements
4. The Forsaken Voices of the Ghostwood's Shadowy Realm
5. The Territory of Witches / Guardians of the Dark Lake
6. Day of Revenge (The Impure Blood of Theirs)
7. Fathers of the Icy Age
Blut aus Nord
**
Written on 31.03.08
Returning after a number of years away from the music scene, French black metal band Blut aus Nord unveiled an extremely disappointing comeback release in the form of not-really-concept album 'The Mystical Beast of Rebellion,' an album so lacking in creative effort that they couldn't even be bothered to come up with names for six songs.
From the onset it's clear that the band is out of practice and out of ideas, falling back on the same relentless drum rhythm as every generic black metal band to maintain a tedious rhythm relatively uninterrupted throughout forty minutes. The guitar hardly plays any real riffs, being mostly content to sound like a jet engine roaring along and switching to a higher or lower frequency every one in a while, and the only real instrument worth noting are Vindsval's vocals, which have the same distorted quality as the earlier releases, as well as anything else released by a black metal band with philosophical overtones (essentially, anything inspired by Burzum's 'Filosofem').
There really is no variation here, with the exception of the fifth song which instead features a slow and dull guitar tune for six minutes, and the only thing that differentiates the tracks to the casual listener is the fact that some are three minutes, while others take ten to do the same thing. Even more irritating is the presence of overlong silence and ambient nothingness at the start and end of many songs, reminiscent of Ulver's similarly too-self-conscious black metal release 'Nattens Madrigal,' except that one had better guitars.
1.The Fall, Chapter I
2.The Fall, Chapter II
3.The Fall, Chapter III
4.The Fall, Chapter IV
5.The Fall, Chapter V
6.The Fall, Chapter VI
Blut aus Nord
Vitruviosity
***
Written on 31.03.08
Blut aus Nord's fourth album at least shows a clearer direction than its muddled predecessor, despite having the capacity to infuriate as many black metal fans as it attracts. This is a distinctly post-2000 black metal release in its enthusiastic (if unoriginal) incorporation of electronic elements into its sound, but in the end this only results in a sub-par version of what many other bands are doing with greater talent and ingenuity. 'The Work Which Transforms God' is satisfyingly diverse, but still manages to irritate with its harsh industrial percussion, pointless ambient interludes to bulk out the tracklist.
There are enough good songs here to merit a listen, but the album lacks the consistency of something like 'Memoria Vetusta,' as some tracks just end up sounding bland and generic ('The Choir of the Dead') or otherwise too extreme for their own good (particularly in the case of 'The Supreme Abstract,' which irritates with its clinically hammering drums). In an interesting trend that at least benefits the first listen, the album tends to improve as it goes along, the finale 'Procession of the Dead Clowns' making for a superbly grand and thoughtful conclusion that sees the band's influences combine in a true fusion for the only time on this recording, but other songs ('Our Blessed Frozen Cells' with its overdone keyboards) try and fail to reach the same epic heights.
This is far from an essential album even within the band's own discography, making its arrogant title all the more contemptuous.
1. End
2. The Choir of the Dead
3. Axis
4. The Fall
5. Metamorphosis
6. The Supreme Abstract
7. Our Blessed Frozen Cells
8. Devilish Essence
9. The Howling of God
10. Inner Mental Cage
11. Density
12. Procession of the Dead Clowns
Blut aus Nord
Mort
**
Written on 31.03.08
Where 'The Mystical Beast of Rebellion' was disappointing for being too generic in its approach to black metal, 'MoRT' sees Blut aus Nord emerge from the other side as a tedious industrial band, where each song still sounds exactly the same.
The French band's move towards an industrial/electronic sound seems like an act of disappointing trend-hopping in the wake of others in the field such as the superior ...And Oceans, and no amount of unusual capitalisation in its title can make 'MoRT' seem as enigmatic as its creators obviously wish it to be. Sure, at first the discordant keyboard tone, infrequent whispered vocals and buzzsaw-like effects create an effectively dark and confusing atmosphere, but then every track follows the exact same style and sound, and the whole thing becomes a chore to sit through. The echoing electronic drums and sax-like keyboards never vary in their application, obviously indicating an incredibly uneventful narrative in whatever story these "chapters" intend to convey.
I don't fully understand this obsession of many black metal bands to head in an electronic direction, but it seems to be a desire to shock through aural ugliness in a way that they feel black metal can no longer achieve. While it certainly succeeds in putting many listeners off through its harsh and uncompromising sound, giving the band the satisfaction of remaining obscure, others like me who enjoyed their earlier material are just left turning away out of boredom, and wishing for a return to the good old days where focus was on the distant past rather than some badly thought-out future dystopia.
1.Chapter I
2.Chapter II
3.Chapter III
4.Chapter IV
5.Chapter V
6.Chapter VI
7.Chapter VII
8.Chapter VIII
Bolt Thrower
****
Written on 31.03.08
With its crusty production values and hasty cover art, 'In Battle There Is No Law' has all the signs of a low budget debut, and for me this contributes much of its charm. Released in 1988 when death metal was still a new and exciting thing, this album captures the sound and attitude of 80s death before grindcore and other elements started to influence bands in Bolt Thrower's home country of the UK in particular, providing this exclusively war-themed album with an authenticity not found in later releases.
That's not to say that this is brilliant. Far from it, most of it's incredibly generic and each track sounds pretty much the same as the last, but the energy of the performance doesn't let up over the half hour, as the band displays a hardcore punk mentality in producing some brutal material. The dingy production sound obviously hinders its accessibility to a modern audience accustomed to the brutal heights of Behemoth, but this adds a certain wickedness to the guitar tone in particular, as Baz and Gar's guitars squeal demonically over the full-pelt paper drums.
Many of the riffs are catchy, but only in a very simplistic way, and Karl's vocals are probably the main weakness, coming off sounding a bit desperate in the background when compared to the Florida death metal bands of the time. While it lacks the originality of the later releases, 'In Battle There Is No Law' is an enjoyable and vital piece of British death metal history.
1. In Battle There Is No Law
2. Challenge For Power
3. Forgotten Existence
4. Denial of Destiny
5. Blind To Defeat
6. Concession of Pain
7. Attack in the Aftermath
8. Psychological Warfare
9. Nuclear Annihilation
Bolt Thrower
Realm of Chaos
****
Written on 31.03.08
Recorded in 1989, 'Realm of Chaos' is still one of the heaviest metal albums I've ever heard (for blast-beat junkies, I'm talking heavy in the murky 'Master of Reality' sense rather than Behemoth). While early British death metal was plagued by bands striving to outdo each other with sickening lyrics, fast drum performances and ridiculously short song lengths, Bolt Thrower sought to make something substantial from their war-themed metal, and the end result is an album every bit as devastating as its subject matter.
The album's production is rooted in the low end, lending all of the instruments a significantly murkier tone than on the previous album. Karl Willetts' vocals have improved greatly, avoiding his earlier shrieks, while Gavin Ward and Barry Thompson's guitars still indulge in tangential solos but also produce much more satisfying riffs, even veering into doom metal territory on songs such as the excellent 'Through the Eye of Terror.'
There's a slight grind influence present in some of the faster drum rolls, but it's never permitted to take over, and while the album is consistent and necessarily samey, songs stand out a lot more than they did on its predecessor, making this a vast improvement and an essential death metal purchase.
1. Intro
2. Eternal War
3. Through the Eye of Terror
4. Dark Millennium
5. All That Remains
6. Lost Souls Domain
7. Plague Bearer
8. World Eater
9. Drowned in Torment
10. Realm of Chaos
11. Prophet of Hatred
12. Outro
Bolt Thrower
War Master
****
Written on 31.03.08
Bolt Thrower's third album is commonly regarded as the death metal band's magnum opus, though even its fans admit a tendency towards repetition.
For a death metal record, 'War Master' is surprisingly accessible, in the loosest possible sense, and this seems to have been a deliberate decision made by the band. Gone are the monstrously heavy riffs of 'Realm of Chaos' as the guitars (I am reliably informed) are tuned up from A ("A?" Who the hell plays in A?) to C#, lending a guitar tone reminiscent of thrash bands such as Slayer, especially in the screaming solos. Also, more obviously, the overall tempo has been significantly slowed.
The doom metal influence on 'Realm of Chaos' was occasionally jarring, but here the doom riffs are more skilfully incorporated into the medium pace, with only a few sections of songs like 'Cenotaph' returning to the earlier, faster speed. The slower tempo means that this album lacks some of its energy, but none of its intensity, and Karl Willetts' deep growls are now more compelling than ever. Games Workshop fans will be pleased that his war-torn lyrics, inspired by the tabletop war game 'Warhammer 40,000,' are all clearly legible despite the growl, and everyone else can just enjoy one of the heaviest things to come out of Coventry.
1. Intro... Unleashed (Upon Mankind)
2.What Dwells Within
3.The Shreds of Sanity
4.Profane Creation
5.Destructive Infinity
6.Final Revelation
7.Cenotaph
8.War Master
9.Rebirth of Humanity
10.Afterlife
Bolt Thrower
Who Dares Wins
***
Written on 01.04.08
It's telling that Earache Records supplied fans with a compilation focusing on the band's early, more successful days at a time when the contemporary studio album 'Mercenary' seemed indicative of a band past its prime. The ten songs here collect the entirety of the 'Cenotaph' and 'Spearhead' EPs from 1991 and 1992, which demonstrate a greater variety and progression within the space of a single year than Bolt Thrower would achieve in the rest of their career to date. The final two songs are taken from Earache's 'Rareache' compilation, and are comparatively worthless.
For fans of old-school Bolt Thrower, the 'Cenotaph' material is going to be the most impressive here, displaying greater refinement than their dingy, grind-influenced albums of the late eighties as the band moves towards the cleaner sound that characterised 'War Master.' This catches Bolt Thrower's music before it slowed considerably, and 'Destructive Infinity' makes effective use of slow guitar sections in the intro at a time when this wasn't merely the normal order of things. The only downside here is the live recording of the normally excellent 'Realm of Chaos,' which is absolutely terrible; the sound quality is so fuzzy and indistinct, you can hardly hear the band at all, let alone make out individual riffs. It's surprising this was ever included to bulk out the E.P. in the first place.
After this point the collection becomes a lot less interesting, but still possesses the band's distinct and talented sound. The extended edit of 'Spearhead' is ridiculously dull at eight minutes in length, but the other songs are all quite enjoyable, even if the groove riffs become a little repetitive by the time of the heavily guitar-based 'Lament.' 'Overlord' is too slow and 'World Eater '94' features some nice melodic guitar work but is still inferior to the original, making for an average, if unexciting compilation that at least provides an affordable means to acquiring otherwise rare material. It's a shame the extra effort wasn't put in to make this truly comprehensive, featuring the exclusive song from the 1989 split release with other death metal bands or even some earlier demo material, but perhaps it's for the best; there's a reason many death metal albums are kept to a strict thirty minutes.
1. Cenotaph
2. Destructive Infinity
3. Prophet of Hatred
4. Realm of Chaos (Live)
5. Spearhead (Extended Remix)
6. Crown of Life
7. Dying Creed
8. Lament
9. World Eater '94
10. Overlord
Bongzilla
Stash
Duuuude
***
Written on 01.04.08
Right, no prizes for guessing what this one-dimensional album is celebrating. Bongzilla's debut is an enjoyably crusty splatter of sludge doom metal, owing its sound entirely to genre pioneers Eyehategod and incorporating elements of stoner rock all the way back to Black Sabbath, concluding with an intriguing sludge cover of 'Under the Sun.'
Muleboy's vocals are squawked in the distorted style of Devin Townsend, always pushed back in the mix and frequently indecipherable, as the main element here is his guitars alongside that of Spanky. Got to love these Southern U.S. bands and their "hilarious" pseudonyms, it almost makes Scandinavian black metal acts seem convincing. The production is rooted in the low end, really bringing out the down-tuned mess of the guitars, prominent bass and slow drums, and the band's tendency to grind to a near-halt enhances the stoned atmosphere.
As a nice surprise, every song doesn't end up sounding like the same slow, lethargic drone as its companions, with 'Sacred Smoke' varying tempo effectively, 'American' featuring a more upbeat groove reminiscent of Sabbath, 'Prohibition' coming close to stoner rock and the overlong 'Harvest' being saved at a crucial moment by some great guitar slowlos. This isn't an album to change the world, but it's better than I expected from a band that thinks "Bongzilla" is a cool name.
1. Gestation
2. Sacred Smoke
3. American
4. Budgun / T.H.C.
5. Prohibition (4th Amendment)
6. Grog Lady
7. Harvest
8. P.O.W.
9. Under the Sun (Black Sabbath cover)
Bongzilla
Apogee
Reefer Dullness
***
Written on 01.04.08
Bongzilla's second album is an appropriately lazy affair, beginning with songs that last for far too long before the band remembers to stop, and concluding with live versions of earlier material, presumably because the effort of going into the studio and coming up with new songs was just too much hassle. It's a less consistent and entertaining album than the debut for these reasons, but will still satisfy sludge metal fans with its mind-numbingly slow and needlessly distorted riffs, and mix of screeched vocals and samples from old footage of authoritarian figures preaching the evils of cannabis.
Half of this album is live, but you wouldn't know if from the audience reaction, presumably as they're in a similar state to the band itself. The sound quality is impressive, even adding a satisfying echo, and the live environment even seems to cause the band to tighten up in comparison to their studio laziness, with less reliance on feedback and an immediate launch from one song into the next. Stand-out songs are thus mostly from this later section, particularly the enjoyably Black Sabbathesque finale 'American,' as some of the earlier songs such as 'Salvation' in particular merely seem to take varying lengths of time (four to ten minutes) to end up nowhere at all.
1. H.P. Keefmaker
2. Salvation
3. Grim Reefer
4. Witch Weed (Live)
5. Dealer McDope (Live)
6. Sacred Smoke (Live)
7. American (Live)
Bongzilla
Gateway
666lb. Bongsession
****
Written on 01.04.08
After a couple of fairly successful but ultimately inconsequential efforts, Bongzilla return in fine forms with their third full-length release 'Gateway,' one of the more impressive sludge albums I've heard, and one that would be even better if the band would give up the stupid gimmick of pot fanaticism.
The sound present here will come as no surprise to those versed in Southern fried sludge doom; monstrously heavy guitars crawling across a bed of distorted feedback, screamed vocals and frequent samples from what seem to be public information films concerning the dangers of marijuana use, though this time effort has actually been put in to make the quotes relevant to each song (for example, 'Greenthumb' is all about growing one's own).
Muleboy and Spanky's guitars are better than ever here, with catchy, heavy riffs in the style of Tony Iommi, mostly content to play along in an approachable groove before descending into something a little stranger, as happens frequently throughout the ten-minute 'Stone a Pig.' The album gets into something of a rut after the half-way point, but prior to this it lets out such excellent material as the heavy 'Sunnshine Green,' the distorted semi-instrumental '666Ib. Bongsession' and even some more upbeat, Black Sabbath (and bong) worship in 'Trinity.'
1. Greenthumb
2. Stone a Pig
3. Sunnshine Green
4. 666Ib. Bongsession
5. Trinity (Gigglebush)
6. Gateway
7. Keefmaster
8. Hashdealer
Bongzilla
Amerijuanican
****
Written on 01.04.08
'Amerijuanican' once again tackles the issue of marijuana culture with the usual subtlety that can be expected from a band called "Bongzilla," and it continues in the same impressive style as the previous 'Gateway,' only slightly less enthralling overall. The sound is still incredibly heavy and slow, and even if you avoid the seemingly prerequisite drug intake yourself, it's at least essential to play this incredibly loud, otherwise there's little point.
One major change here is the move away from gimmicky voice samples, which I never enjoy no matter what the genre, but became particularly irritating within the Bongzilla discography considering they were all on about exactly the same thing all the time. This encourages Muleboy to squawk his lyrics more consistently throughout, while he and Spanky turn increasingly towards stoner rock in their enjoyable and simplistic guitar riffs, the rest of the band easily keeping up to speed - considering the speed is glacially slow on occasion.
There's less variation here than on the previous album, but variety isn't the most important requirement of an album designed primarily for people to get stoned to. 'Cutdown' is a fairly long and impressive instrumental while 'Stonesphere' is far too long and uneven, but still enjoyable in a daft sort of way. Bongzilla never set out to change the face of stoner rock, but have at least provided a few decent offerings for similarly loyal pot fans and anyone else who fancies a listen. The music's a lot less silly than you might expect.
1. Amerijuanican
2. Kash Under Glass
3. Tri-Pack Master
4. Cutdown
5. Weedy Woman
6. Stonesphere
7. Champagne and Reefer
Borknagar
The Olden Domain
*****
Written on 01.04.08
'The Olden Domain' is Borknagar's second album and final with vocalist Garm, and is the first to explore progressive areas of black metal after the less deviant Viking black metal of their debut. A fine balance is struck between harsh black metal and lighter, more atmospheric passages exploring the band's nostalgic and spiritual themes of ancient Norway, usually veering back and forth within each song, but the music never becomes overly aggressive.
Garm's distinctive singing style, also heard in Ulver in Arcturus, lends an eccentric flair to some of these songs and paves the way for his predecessors, particularly in 'The Winterway' and 'To Mount and Rove' that, perhaps coincidentally or perhaps not, are the most entertaining songs here. Garm foreshadows Ulver's own highly experimental William Blake album in the varied first offering, which incorporates piano and acoustic guitar passages seamlessly alongside the album's fastest and heaviest performance from drummer Grim, while I enjoy the latter song so much for presenting a more straightforward alternative in its shorter playing time and leading heavy metal guitar riff.
If the album has one major flaw, it's that most songs contain all of the very same ingredients mixed up in different ways but still essentially similar, and this makes the instrumental tracks 'Om Hundrede Aar Er Alting Gleat' and 'Ascension of Our Fathers' stand out as the folk interludes did on its predecessor, even though, Ivar Bjørnson's keyboards impressing in the former and guitarist and band founder Øystein Brun leading the latter, both of which are satisfyingly repetitive amidst the ceaseless progression of the other tracks.
This is probably Borknagar's best album, and certainly impressed me more than the others had when I finally got round to hearing it, in some part due to my preference for Garm's vocals over those of his equally talented successors but also because the sound is still fresh and exciting here, as well as highly evocative of the ancient lands and history that the band (almost) constantly strives for. Their later 'Empiricism' and 'Epic' are close rivals, but these early albums will likely be more favourable to fans of melodic/epic/non-Satanic-and-pacifistic black metal, though anyone who finds the progressive tendencies a bit much should absorb themselves in the comparative tranquillity of the debut.
1. The Eye of Oden
2. The Winterway
3. Om Hundrede Aar Er Alting Gleat
4. A Tale of Pagan Tongue
5. To Mount and Rove
6. Grimland Domain
7. Ascension of Our Fathers
8. The Dawn of the End
Borknagar
The Archaic Course
*****
Written on 02.04.08
There's nothing inherently wrong with Borknagar's third album, but it does tend towards sounding like a less accomplished and less interesting version of its predecessor 'The Olden Domain,' fortunately standing apart thanks to the very different vocal style of new singer I.C.S. Vortex, who would remain for the customary two albums before departing for Dimmu Borgir. Vortex is the voice I first associated with this band despite him being my least favoured now I've seen the bigger picture, dazzling my young ears with the majestic song 'Colossus' from this album's successor, until one day I noticed how much he sounded like a black metal Kermit the Frog, and it became harder to take his epic narratives seriously.
Vortex is still firmly in Kermit mode on some of these songs, particularly 'The Witching Hour' and 'Nocturnal Vision' it seems, and his clean singing style may deter some people despite still sounding strong and at least highly distinctive in the often generic black metal domain. He actually carries off a more typical singing performance in 'Universal,' though the majority of the album is still led by his black metal rasps that it has to be said, sound even less convincing than his singing, reminding me primarily of a robot (robot frog?) that's suited to industrial-tinged bands like Borgir, but runs contradictory to this band's pastoral themes, perhaps why they chose to follow a futuristic course in the following album. The vortex years are by no means an embarrassing blip in the strong Borknagar discography, but they do jar slightly with the more accomplished ancestral, progressive sound of Garm and Vintersorg's albums, though 'The Archaic Course' is the stronger of the two.
The main reason this album fails to live up to its predecessor is that the songs all sound very similar, which was also a failing of 'The Olden Domain' but was pulled off more convincingly. The more or less fixed style sounds excellent: steady, heavy riffs and drum rhythms overflowing with lead melodies and atmospheric keyboards while Vortex varies his vocal style accordingly, but while it's clear that some songs are a little better than others, this is more the sort of album that should be enjoyed as a whole provided you're not paying enough attention to become bored, a little odd considering the band's evident desire to be progressive and strive for a new sound that succeeds to some extent in other albums, but not so much here.
The incorporation of acoustic guitar and soft piano into certain movements always feels completely natural, and all the guitar work of Øystein Brun is dazzling, but listening to this album alongside its predecessor, it becomes obvious why such a radical departure was required for the follow-up 'Quintessence.' It's still fun to imagine Kermit singing these songs from a lily pad in an ancient Norwegian forest.
1. Oceans Rise
2. Universal
3. The Witching Hour
4. The Black Token
5. Nocturnal Vision
6. Ad Noctum
7. Winter Millennium
8. Fields of Long Gone Presence (Outro)
Borknagar
Quintessence
Black Metal From Space
****
Written on 05.03.07
‘Quintessence’ is the fourth album by Norwegian progressive black metal band Borknagar, from Bergen. If that’s a bit of a mouthful, it essentially means they spawned from Bergen’s prominent and often infamous black metal scene in the early 90s, but evolved to incorporate more of a folk and progressive rock influence into their music, to the point that their most recent album ‘Origin’ is entirely acoustic. No, that hasn’t straightened anything out, has it? Well I tried.
For this particular album, the band intentionally reverted a little to their black metal roots, and abandoned much of the folk influence for space-age sounding keyboards. Vocalist ICS Vortex, as he likes to be called, makes his second and final appearance here before moving on to join Dimmu Borgir, and although his excellent singing style is heard on several songs, it’s primarily substituted for a more standard black metal growl. This sounds similar to the ‘death grunt’ you may have heard from larger death metal bands, but mixed with a Popeye impersonation. In any case, it sounds a lot better coming from Vortex than his contemporaries. The guitars and drums also play faster for the most part, the afore-mentioned keyboards providing excellent background atmosphere and really filling out the sound despite the intentionally reduced production standard, even being granted a solo spot for track five. It seems that the band wanted to produce a really dirty sounding black metal album in the vein of Mayhem, but didn’t have the heart to really kill the instruments.
1. The Rivalry of Phantoms
2. The Presence is Ominous
3. The Ruins of Future
4. Colossus
5. Inner Landscape
6. Invincible
7. Icon Dreams
8. Genesis Torn
9. Embers
10. Revolt
At forty minutes, this appears on the surface to be an entirely standard black metal release, with little to distinguish it. While Borknagar’s sound is one of the most distinctive within black metal, progressive metal, and whatever other genres they belong to (folk metal and Viking metal spring to mind. There’s more to this metal lark than you thought, isn’t there?), this album is admittedly repetitive. The template for most songs seems to be a fast riff on the guitars and drums, slightly under-produced and ever so slightly generous on the treble, with Vortex either growling or singing over the top. There’s usually a slight interlude of either a guitar solo or keyboard wash before the song kicks in again, and ends before the five minute mark. There are some excellent exceptions to be found in the middle of the album, and indeed much of this album’s value lies in the incredible song ‘Colossus.’ Vortex sings with pure viking metal force over an epic soundscape of mid-range guitar, measured drum blasts and, of course, the old trick of using the keyboard to pretend this song was recorded in space. It actually works here, to some extent. After this seminal number comes the afore-mentioned keyboard solo spot with the short but interesting ‘Inner Landscape,’ which tries a little too hard to convince the listener of the outer space thing and ends up falling on its face, allowing the spotlight to fall rightfully back to the other instruments, the synthesiser quietly resuming its background duties with a promise never to do that sort of thing again.
The album opens with the violent ‘Rivalry of Phantoms,’ a cool speedy metal song that’s almost pure black metal, aside from the constant presence of those proggy keyboards. Vortex’s growls are ferocious, and backed up superbly by the high screeching guitars that are at least memorable afterwards. Rather than continuing in this intended direction, the second song reverts to the grander style of the previous album, but remains just as impressive as its predecessor. Space-age keyboards are replaced with a slightly more traditional, medieval-Norway sounding instrument similar to that found in purist bands like Ulver and Empyrium, and although the pace is slowed, this song still remains pretty similar to the rest. Vortex’s singing takes centre stage, and sounds really good. They should have used it more, especially in light of his imminent departure.
The rest of the album really does follow this pattern to the point of tedium, which would be expected for most other bands but disappoints considering Borknagar’s usual higher standard. From ‘Invincible’ to ‘Genesis Torn,’ excluding the two songs already discussed, the vocals rotate from growling to clean for every other song, and the tempo is all pretty much the same. There’s very little chance that anything from tracks three, six, seven or eight will be memorable even if this album were listened to on multiple occasions, though there are occasional pleasant touches like a return of the archaic-sounding keyboards in ‘Genesis Torn.’ None of these songs are inherently bad or boring, it’s just their position on this album that reduces their impact.
Perhaps suspecting that things were becoming a bit repetitive and that subtle changes might not get noticed, the band grabs the listener’s attention in the penultimate track by offering a slow and melodic semi-acoustic instrumental. This nicely sets the tone for the excellent closing song ‘Revolt,’ the most openly progressive song on the album and one that’s more like the more impressive material the band would produce with new vocalist Vintersong on their next two albums. Black metal growls are still present, as they were even in ‘Colossus,’ but take a major back seat. At six minutes this is the longest song, but not too long to become dull. The instrumental changes towards the end are really impressive, and the album manages to leave the listener wanting more, something that would not have been possible had it ended on any of the earlier tracks. Every once in a while, this album really gets things right.
Had this been reduced to an E.P. consisting of the first two tracks, ‘Colossus,’ and then the closing two tracks, I would award it a definite five stars. As a forty-minute album it only gets four, and even that’s a bit generous when compared to the far more excellent Borknagar material that’s out there. The instrumentation is still precise and technically impressive, but there’s not enough variation in the song style, structure, subject matter and the general way everything sounds. For casual metal fans who enjoy the occasional taste of Bergen black metal, this album offers some great songs for listening every once in a while but is a bit of a chore to sit through in its entirety. Plus, ICS Vortex is the second greatest vocalist they’ve ever had.
Borknagar
Origin
**
Written on 02.04.08
'Origin' is Borknagar's first fully acoustic album, perhaps an inevitability considering the folk elements that have been present since their debut release over ten years earlier. Clearly (or at least, hopefully) conceived as an experiment to stand out from the rest of their somewhat diverse discography, this album abandons all pretensions to black metal entirely, focusing instead on acoustic instruments alongside traditional folk staples in the form of a flute, violin and cello. In this way, it's comparable to Opeth's 'Damnation,' similarly indebted to progressive bands of the seventies but with a greater neofolk basis.
This isn't a particularly good album, I'll get that out of the way now, and neither does it seem to have been fully embraced by the band's fan base, at least those who aren't blindly devoted to singer Vintersorg who, it has to be said, is more annoying here than ever. Neofolk is one of my favourite genres outside of metal, so I was hopeful that this album would provide something of a bridge between my interests, but sadly the performance is rather lacking. It's telling that the only song to really succeed here is 'Oceans Rise,' which is an excellent remake of a song from an earlier album rather than something conceived originally for this work, and this allows it to avoid the problems of tedium and repetition that the rest tend to fall for.
At only thirty-five minutes in length this would perhaps be more suited to release as an E.P. rather than a full-length, full-price album, similar to what Månegarm did with 'The Forest Sessions,' and that would also allow me to respect it a little more as a bit-on-the-side rather than a serious work demanding comparison to the other studio albums. Everything that works well only does so because it copies from tradition, whether it's seventies prog bands such as King Crimson or further back to the folk canon, and when it fails it does so fairly disastrously, such as the attempt to produce a sweeping, bombastic overture in 'The Human Nature' that falls flat due to its conflicting minimalism. I'm always excited about the next Borknagar release, even more so after this disappointment as the band needs to reassert itself as a progressive metal force to be reckoned with.
1. Earth Imagery
2. Grains
3. Oceans Rise
4. Signs
5. White
6. Cynosure
7. The Human Nature
8. Acclimation
9. The Spirit of Nature
The Bouncing Souls
I Want to Be Your Dad
***
Written on 02.04.08
'The Good, the Bad and the Argyle' is the collective name given to the songs making up the Bouncing Souls' first album, many of which were originally found on various E.P. releases prior to the full-length debut. Refusing to be pigeonholed outside of the vague notion that they're a punk band, this New Jersey group display clear contempt for the very idea of traditionally structured music, which makes this diverse and unpredictable album both hugely entertaining and inevitably awful at times.
Most songs take a punk rock approach, but this only follows a traditional/commercial style in 'Joe Lies' and the beginning of 'Deadbeats,' before the latter song once again lapses into freeform chaos and Greg Attonito indulges in a spoken word barrage. It's refreshing to hear a punk band still attempting to break all the rules, particularly in the nineties when pop-punk was on the rise, but at times it feels like the band lacks the attention span and even the ability to produce something normal, without relying on gimmicks of film samples ('These Are the Quotes from Our Favourite 80s Movies'), a pointless mental breakdown ('Neurotic') and taking time out for a soft whistling piece ('Lay 'Em Down and Smack 'Em, Yack 'Em').
On the positive side, the Bouncing Souls manage to carry off punk joke songs that are actually funny rather than embarrassingly juvenile, and the songs tend to be short enough that there's no time for them to become boring, particularly in the case of 'The Guest' which careens through various different, successful movements in the space of two minutes. The cover of the Strangeloves' 'I Want Candy' doesn't really fit in, but for the band's agenda this is probably a bonus point, while finale 'I Know What Boys Like' is always going to be annoying no matter who sings it.
1. I Like Your Mom
2. The Guest
3. These Are the Quotes from Our Favourite 80s Movies
4. Joe Lies (When He Cries)
5. Some Kind of Wonderful
6. Lay 'Em Down and Smack 'Em, Yack 'Em
7. Old School
8. Candy (The Strangeloves cover)
9. Neurotic
10. Inspection Station
11. Deadbeats
12. I Know What Boys Like (The Waitresses cover)
The Bouncing Souls
Maniacal Laughter
***
Written on 02.04.08
'Maniacal Laughter' perhaps serves as proof of why the Bouncing Souls spent so much time on the previous album messing around rather than constructing complete songs, as their talents can't be described as anything above mediocre for the genre. Greg Attonito's vocals are reasonably irritating for the majority of this album as he opts for a squeakier register that's particularly loathsome when he enunciates choruses, but there are still enough genuine punk moments between the dull, medium-pace juvenile anthems to keep it interesting, if only just.
This is certainly more of an authentic album than its predecessor, despite clocking in at only twenty-four minutes, as its clearer production and greater consistency allow it to stand stronger on the whole, even if there are few stand-out tracks as a result. Bryan Keinlen's bass is permitted to lead the way the majority of the time, which keeps the songs grounded in a steady rhythm that the less memorable guitars can do their thing over, but the main problem comes in the repetition of the same middling sound through the majority of tracks, with only 'No Rules,' 'The BMX Song' and the brief 'Headlights Ditch' being truly energetic.
As on the previous album, the cover song doesn't really work, this time attempting to re-imagine Johnny Cash material as a punk song without very much effort, particularly when Attonito's voice attempts to sound serious, later on, but a little bit of variety is added in the country-tinged instrumental that follows, at least signalling that this band is capable of creativity and expansion if only they'd avoid the nineties punk rock clichés.
1. Lamar Vannoy
2. No Rules
3. The Freaks, Nerds and Romantics
4. Argyle
5. All of This and Nothing
6. The BMX Song
7. Quick Check Girl
8. Headlights Ditch
9. Here We Go
10. Born to Lose (Johnny Cash cover)
11. Moon Over Asbury
12. The Ballad of Johnny X
The Bouncing Souls
Hopeless Romantic
¡Olé!
****
Written on 02.04.08
The Bouncing Souls' fourth album is an improvement over its predecessors due to the greater amount of effort that has evidently gone into its creation. No longer does every song sound the same as the last, and the album is a more generous length at over forty minutes.
This is still essentially 1990s punk worshipping the classic mainstream tradition and striving for commercial favour, something most evident in the distinct lack of anger present even in the songs that concern fighting, which end up sounding completely amicable thanks to their emphasis on melody; 'Fight to Live' is more of an upbeat party anthem, while the relationship break-up of 'Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)' is far too light for the subject matter, not to mention that Kara Weathington's guest vocals somehow manage to be the more annoying half of the duet with Greg Attonito.
There's an enjoyable range of material on offer here, from the nostalgic slow punk of '87' to the more radio-friendly 'Bullying the Jukebox' and 'Undeniable,' but as usual there are a couple of real, pointless stinkers. There's no reason to record a "cover" of the '¡Olé!' chant, especially one that runs to over two minutes, while 'You're So Rad' fits the bill of an insubstantial short song slotted in just for the sake of it, even if it does help to keep up the faster side of the album. 'The Whole Thing' finishes off in a more drawn-out, almost post-punk way and demonstrates the band's mature elements that crop up occasionally through this recording despite being hidden for the most part, but although this is a high quality modern punk album, it still sits a little too uncomfortably between mainstream pop-punk and the real stuff.
1. Hopeless Romantic
2. 87
3. Kid
4. Fight to Live
5. Bullying the Jukebox
6. You're So Rad
7. Night on Earth
8. Monday Morning Ant Brigade
9. ¡Olé!
10. Undeniable
11. Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)
12. It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity
13. The Whole Thing
The Bouncing Souls
Punk for Kidz
**
Written on 02.04.08
After experimenting to some degree on their previous effort, the Bouncing Souls disappointingly decided to settle on a more commercial punk direction for their first album of the new millennium, one that just might be their most irritating yet. Bizarrely, vocalist Greg Attonito seems to have spent his career in the band learning to become increasingly irritating with each release, and here his constant whine is enough to spoil almost every song, only offered respite with his equally poor attempts at a softer singing style in the far-too-frequent punk ballads.
This is the variety of punk that will appeal more to fans of Green Day and Blink 182 than the more serious political bands, complete with compulsory lyrics of adolescent angst and chirpy production values that rob the instruments of any intensity, and even the attempts to sound more traditional with unison shouting frequently make the songs weaker through their inclusion, being far too upbeat in 'True Believers.' The choruses are memorable, but often for the wrong reasons, and even at two minutes in length, some of these songs become seriously irritating long before their conclusion.
An interesting side of the album is its tendency towards a style of post-rock demonstrated in Pete Steinkopf's relentless melodic guitar intros that are almost always stifled before they can go anywhere interesting, the exceptions being 'Streetlight Serenade (To No One)' and 'Lifetime,' the latter of which is quite interesting for a minute or so before becoming one of the more sickening love songs of this disappointingly shallow disc.
1. That Song
2. Private Radio
3. True Believers
4. Better Life
5. The Something Special
6. Broken Record
7. Lifetime
8. Manthem
9. Break-Up Song
10. Streetlight Serenade (To No One)
11. Late Bloomer
12. No Comply
13. Gone
David Bowie
David Bowie
Enter: David
**
Written on 30.09.05
The thin white duke’s debut album failed spectacularly to catapult David Bowie to stardom in the manner of his subsequent releases, the more accomplished Space Oddity and his seventies works, but as such it remains something of a novelty. Fourteen folky songs dominated by Bowie’s sense of humour and take on life, almost everything offering a taste of what is to come without becoming too impressive in its own right.
Had this been produced and released at the height of Bowie’s glam rock stardom it would have been viewed as some kind of oddball vanity project (though I’m sure many hold this opinion of his expansive discography as a whole), but as such it’s an almost forgotten relic of the past that manages to avoid putting the artist to shame due to its sheer unadulterated fun nature.
1. Uncle Arthur
2. Sell Me a Coat
3. Rubber Band
Bowie’s musical career unsurprisingly begins with a character observation in the enjoyable and brief ‘Uncle Arthur,’ the rather pointless tale of a man who craves childish pleasures. ‘Sell Me a Coat’ and ‘Rubber Band’ both plod along to similar unoriginal rhythms, neither offering anything too entertaining but maintaining the flow adequately.
4. Love You Till Tuesday
5. There is a Happy Land
6. We Are Hungry Men
Bouncy and sentimental, the album’s first (small-time) hit ‘Love You Till Tuesday’ couldn’t be described as classic Bowie but begins the most impressive and fun part of the album. ‘There is a Happy Land’ is uplifting and becomes fairly energetic in the middle, although sadly this isn’t taken to a more rocking conclusion. A strange, Hitler-esque voice opens the horn-led ‘We Are Hungry Men,’ sounding similar to some of the artist’s later ballads (Bowie, not Hitler, obviously), this song is the first on the album that would benefit from lasting longer.
7. When I Live My Dream
8. Little Bombardier
9. Silly Boy Blue
10. Come and Buy My Toys
The slower pace of the subsequent songs spoils the simplistic fun slightly, the dull orchestration on ‘When I Live My Dream’ causing the song to outstay its welcome, especially in comparison to the two-minute openers. The same goes for ‘Little Bombardier’ which, although lasting under four minutes, is undeservingly the longest song on the album. ‘Silly Boy Blue’ and ‘Come and Buy My Toys’ sadly fail to bring out the emotions they seek through being too quiet and plodding.
11. Join the Gang
12. She’s Got Medals
13. Maid of Bond Street
14. Please Mr. Gravedigger
A classic rock-n-roll organ rhythm pervades ‘Join the Gang,’ the first song in a while to have fun with the format and somehow collapse into itself in its conclusion, while ‘She’s Got Medals’ is a classic Bowie tale of transvestism with typically annoying unison chorus, but nevertheless one of the album’s highlights. ‘Maid of Bond Street’ is a short but enjoyable romp and the album closes with the sinister, black humoured vocal solo ‘Please Mr. Gravedigger,’ with great lyrics.
There is essentially little to place this early collection of songs above anything performed by a bloke with an acoustic guitar in a bar frequented by weirdoes and arty types (I love those places), but it’s a fun late sixties folk album done well. A time before Brian Eno, before Mick Ronson and the Spiders from Mars and even before Space Oddity, it’s a quirky piece of rock history that eccentric Bowie fans are going to own and pretend to enjoy, and that everyone else of a light hearted disposition can appreciate if they want to.
Difficult to come by in its original version, these songs appear with various re-workings and demo tracks on the more available Deram Anthology. Nowhere near Bowie’s best, but not his worst.
Advantages: Fun little ditties
Disadvantages: Nothing too memorable
David Bowie
****
Written on 07.10.05
David Bowie's first successful album and the origin of glam rock in 1969. The demise of the hippies and the experimental tastes of music fans saw Bowie aiming for an achieving a completely new sound, mixing the electronic and the acoustic and driving his earlier folk-pop style to more rocking plains.
The album's themes are still entrenched in the social commentary and love/loss songs of folk, the spaced out title track being the only precursor to the Ziggy Stardust days, but the lyrics of many songs on 'Space Oddity' catch Bowie at his witty, story-telling best.
SPACE ODDITY
1. Space Oddity
2. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed
3. (Don't Sit Down)
4. Letter to Hermione
5. Cygnet Committee
6. Janine
7. An Occasional Dream
8. Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud
9. God Knows I'm Good
10. Memory of a Free Festival
The singer-guitarist's first hit single, 'Space Oddity' came along at exactly the right time, when Western world lunatics dreamed of walking on the conquered moon. The spooky ballad of astronaut Major Tom, a character who would resurface in Bowie's music over ten years later, this is the earliest example of the distinctive glam rock sound with its rousing vocals and build up of electronic guitars. A legendary song, and the perfect opening to the album, even if it means that the rest may seem disappointing in comparison.
The folk-rock meld continues with the excellently-titled 'Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed' before softer acoustic melodies take over. After the odd interlude '(Don't Sit Down),' which is essentially Bowie messing around for forty seconds, 'Letter to Hermione' offers a harsher tone, apparently dealing with the break up of Bowie's relationship. This is picked up later in the contrastingly pleasant 'An Occasional Dream.'
'Cygnet Committee' is the second highlight of the album, a contemplative epic dominated by Bowie's subdued but powerful vocals. Despite changing very little through its nine minutes, except perhaps becoming more impassioned in the second half and being accompanied by what seems like an increasing number of instruments forming the background texture, this remains interesting and enjoyable throughout.
With its catchy, Elvisesque chorus and fun guitar melody, 'Janine' is a great track to follow, even managing to keep the thoughtful atmosphere that reaches its peak in 'An Occasional Dream.' 'Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud' and 'God Knows I'm Good' are fun folk songs, the former featuring high keyboards adding a strange, artificially uplifting air to the tale and the latter being a simple, unimpressive but enjoyable Bowie acoustic ditty.
The album closes in grand style with the unexpected 'Memory of a Free Festival,' a sombre accordion leading this seven minute progressive song with a memorable chorus, joined in by ever more voices and rousing keyboards as the music continues for longer than expected before fading to a quiet Bowie solo piece again and exiting.
VERDICT
A spectacular album that can be appreciated by casual listeners and rock fans, this is Bowie's first, albeit flawed, masterpiece. The catchy ballad 'Space Oddity,' the grandeur of 'Cygnet Committee' and the elevating anthem 'Memory of a Free Festival' keep the album interesting from start to finish, but sadly nothing in-between holds up to the same standard. The rock touches are accomplished and perfected with the next year's 'The Man Who Sold the World,' thanks in no small part to guitarist Mick Ronson who is absent from these early, pre-fame recordings.
No track is poor or unworthy of the listener's time, not even the daft '(Don't Sit Down)' which is very short and actually a little fun on repeated listens, but newcomers to David Bowie would most likely appreciate this as a later purchase to his more accomplished 'Ziggy Stardust' or 'best-of' collections. Space Oddity, like much of Bowie's discography, arrived at the right time, and not entirely by accident. Chameleonic and undoubtedly multi-talented and successfully experimental, David Bowie's music really begins here.
David Bowie
I Gazed a Gazely Stare
****
Written on 17.10.05
David Bowie’s third album developed, refined and perfected the glam rock tendencies of ‘Space Oddity’ and ditched the folk angle, resulting in one of the strongest and certainly the hardest and rockiest album of his long and varied career.
STYLE
Bowie’s guitar and distinctive up and down English vocals find their perfect consort in the lead guitar work of Mick Ronson, who would go on to help define the sound of the band’s golden age of the next few years, resulting in the ‘Hunky Dory,’ ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and ‘Aladdin Sane’ albums. The electronic instruments are in full swing here, and the distortion is turned on.
‘The Man Who Sold the World’ is bizarre, unexpected and extremely fun. The bleak, poetic title and unrelated controversial cover art of the singer relaxing comfortably in a long dress make this an album to entice curious music fans even before the first note plays. Although this isn’t Bowie’s most easily accessible album, owing something to the rock and roll of the sixties, it doesn’t seek to alienate listeners (in the way that some later projects did), despite the potentially off-putting song lengths and aforementioned, but historically important, sleeve design.
THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD
1. Width of a Circle
2. All the Madmen
3. Black Country Rock
4. After All
5. Running Gun Blues
6. Saviour Machine
7. She Shook Me Cold
8. The Man Who Sold the World
‘Width of a Circle’ is a surprising start to the album, clocking in at over eight minutes and featuring a changing style throughout. The first of many classic Bowie / Ronson guitar riffs is the slow, powerful driving force of this song from start to finish and sets the thoughtful, melancholy but hopeful tone for the album. This is something of a departure in the band’s music, and not the catchy, radio-friendly opening that would be typical of seventies albums, but works perfectly.
‘All the Madmen’ is a more vocal-oriented song to complement the technical progression of the opener, with a rather muted sing-a-long chorus that could have been more energetic only at a cost to the sombre mood. ‘Black Country Rock’ combines both strengths and makes the best sound yet; a fantastic high guitar refrain swings in to the speakers every once in a while, Ronson’s riffs are hard and Bowie’s almost spoken vocals and occasional screams and outbursts make this a gem to be listened to again and again, not to mention the subtle keyboard and exotic touches that wouldn’t be missed if absent, but add an extra layer to the music.
The band takes a well-earned breather for ‘After All,’ a great soft ballad with a distinctive bass guitar rhythm, brief use of eerie keyboard and some of the best vocals of the album, a soft tone that moves from deep and almost guttural to high and melodic. This song doesn’t stay in the head after first listen as many of the others do, but it’s an excellent addition to the album, and placed at the right interval. The rock and roll returns somewhat in ‘Running Gun Blues,’ a song that does indeed owe a little debt to the blues genre. Bowie’s vocals are now in full fun mode, swaying between flippant performance shouting in the verses and the light unison chorus.
‘Saviour Machine’ harks back to the guitars of ‘Black Country Rock’ a little, but still forms part of this quieter, more reflective central section of the album. Combining distorted riffs with understated and most likely synthesised string and violin sections, this is nonetheless another of the album’s highlights, the moody guitars and chorus reprise in the final minute really drawing the listener in.
‘She Shook Me Cold’ could almost be a Led Zeppelin song, beginning with a squeaky guitar mess-around and brief, restrained drum kit antics before returning full-time to the bouncy glam rock style. The structure of this song is unusual in that the middle is purely instrumental and seems to mainly present an opportunity for Ronson to entertain the listener with a lengthy, bluesy guitar solo before the unremarkable vocals return, clearly present simply to avoid the dreaded ‘instrumental’ description hated by record labels. There’s even something similar to early, blues-inspired Black Sabbath in this deviant guitar outing.
The immortal guitar introduction of ‘The Man Who Sold the World,’ a bridge that returns between each verse and sounds increasingly welcome, is now perhaps more associated with Nirvana, who covered this song in their MTV Unplugged performance months before Kurt Cobain’s suicide. The Bowie original sounds notably different, not restricted to several instruments, and seems to evolve more on each listen: the haunting wails behind the main riff as it repeats endlessly as the song draws to a close, the weird percussion used in the chorus and Bowie’s androgynous singing all add to one of his best classics, and an important moment in the history of music.
Always conscious of structure and expectation, Bowie makes a departure for the next and final track. ‘The Supermen’ is a less accomplished, more relaxed short song that becomes energetic only as the chorus carries on. Nothing spectacular, but a good song to end on and one that doesn’t try to steal any of the thunder of the title track.
VERDICT
With 1969’s ‘Space Oddity,’ David Bowie offered eleven songs that were all inferior to the opening title track. ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ is predictably the best song here, but the difference in quality between tracks isn’t so great; it is also saved for a point towards the end, almost a note to close the album on. This helps the listener to appreciate each song as it comes, from the epic proportions of the grim but enjoyable opener to the high and low parts in-between. There are no bad songs here, just a couple which fail to make much of an impression.
Bowie launched into the seventies with this pioneering work, its moderate success belying the international fame he would soon achieve. It’s obvious why this isn’t his most celebrated album by casual fans, as much as it is the favourite of many with more rock-oriented tastes. Either way, the experimentation with style, the influence of Ronson, the trippy lyrics and the transvestite cover art all mark the start of something big.
Advantages: A strong and influential album
Disadvantages: Weaker tracks, occasional lack of direction
David Bowie
Station to Station
Choo Choo
***
Written on 17.07.07
Whatever your preferred phase, if you even have one, David Bowie’s mainstream career is pretty fascinating, and for fans who were around at the time (I guess), nicely consistent. Releasing an album every year but two from his optimistic, folky debut to the electronic minimalism of his Berlin detox, Bowie’s discography chronicles the rise and rise and permanent fame of the singing star and the evolution of his music as he travelled the world and absorbed its various flavours and drugs.
1976’s ‘Station to Station’ is one of the more transitional albums, like ‘Diamond Dogs’ two years earlier, and represents the culmination of his American-inspired ‘plastic soul’ direction, while also introducing electronic elements he had detected from Europe. Its customary huge success was likely a result of the skinny man’s enormous profile and selling power, as the music is far from the accessible pop of the previous year’s ‘Young Americans,’ sounding more experimental, drawn-out and sinister, and an insightful artefact of Bowie’s fragile mental condition. This is the album he apparently has no memory of making.
Having long abandoned the excessive showmanship of his rock hero era, the atmosphere of ‘Station to Station,’ reflected in the subsequent world tour, is bleak and disordered, but comfortingly smooth thanks to Bowie’s deep croon. The Thin White Duke is a far cry from Ziggy Stardust and all the other song characters Bowie chose to identify with, and is a fair representation of his drug-induced wasting and detachment from the world, which has been much chronicled. A scary skeletal figure in smart attire with an important-sounding title, the Duke is a symbol that I would obviously be drawn towards, what with my unhealthy lifelong Grim Reaper fixation. See, I can be shallow too, only in different and disturbing ways. Performing with Bowie is his unmemorable but stable late seventies line-up led by the similarly important-sounding Earl Slick (though I suspect, unlike Bowie’s Duke, that Earl is merely his Christian name), whose contributions as lead guitarist never approach those of his predecessor Mick Ronson, but still add enough individuality to keep this from being a Bowie ego project. Roy Bittan, recruited from Bruce Springsteen’s band, contributes some distinctive piano and synthesiser effects that lend this album its unique sound, while George Murray, Dennis Davis and Carlos Alomar provide necessary but unremarkable bass, drums and back-up guitar in that order.
1. Station to Station
2. Golden Years
3. Word on a Wing
4. TVC 15
5. Stay
6. Wild is the Wind
Partly because of its eccentric oddness, I have long considered this among my favourite Bowie albums, though it tends to fall quite far down the list once I start thinking about it. There are only six songs, one of which is a cover song and almost all of which are far longer than necessary, but fortunately Bowie’s accumulated diversity of styles makes them all distinctive and easy to remember. There’s no real consistency through this album, from the disorderly sound effects and studio trickery of the first few minutes to the unpredictable high wails and deep croons that alternate on the choruses, but it’s all been arranged in the most satisfying fashion possible. ‘Golden Years’ was the obvious choice for a first single, the only song to restrict itself to a mere four minutes and retaining the inoffensive soul pop sound of the last album, but performed in a much more downbeat way. Although the bassy swinging riff starts to get on my nerves a little as the song carries on, I enjoy the resurgence of Bowie’s high-pitched madman voice in the chorus, which balances out the rumbles of the verses almost as if he’s singing a duet with himself. The only deviation in this straightforward piece is the introduction of a Mediterranean-sounding guitar towards the end. Although ‘Golden Years’ is likely the song most people will be familiar with before approaching this album, its unadventurous style doesn’t really sum up the rest of the album which, while not prog rock or anything so complex, demands a greater attention span and taste threshold.
Having clearly revealed myself as something of a pretentious prog fan, it’s no surprise that the overlong title track is my favourite on here by a long way, and the reason I choose to play this album at all. Some would no doubt argue that the song doesn’t begun until three and a half minutes in, when Bowie’s voice breaks through the sound effects and instrumental zaniness and things start to fall together, but that would be to ignore the great introduction provided by the sound effects and instrumental zaniness. There’s a sound that, due to the lyrics, is obviously supposed to be a train archaically chuffing along, and what sounds like a rattlesnake pre-empting Bowie’s first line, which returns in ‘Golden Years.’ The piano clangs angrily, and the bass and drums tentatively settle into the main rhythm of the song, while Earl Slick noodles around in the distance. The main rhythm is simplistic and slow, and Bowie sings low over the top in his best plastic soul manner, before the song changes abruptly, again, to become more upbeat and exciting until the inevitable fade-out at the seemingly arbitrary end when Bowie is still singing. This main section is reminiscent of Bowie’s earlier glam rock phase, the guitar and piano leads sounding like something off ‘Ziggy Stardust’ in places towards the end, and the vocals all sound pretty exciting, however static the Duke’s performances were alleged to be on stage.
‘Word on a Wing’ is another great song for Bowie’s vocals, as he’s really given the prominent position in this piano-led, semi-operatic number. He sounds positively like a girl in the highest notes of the chorus, which is excellent and again harks back to more exciting times, while the lower parts dismiss the listener’s nostalgia by firmly grounding them in the present (by which I mean thirty-one years ago). Things change drastically for the insane and inane ‘TVC 15,’ a pointless but incessantly catchy rock and roll song more similar to Lou Reed than Bowie, with Roy Bittan playing the kind of piano you’d expect to find in an old saloon. I can’t imagine Bowie standing still for this one, in fact I tend to imagine him bouncing off the walls, but it works perfectly to break up the sorrowful tone of the album, which returns in ‘Stay.’ This is the only song so far that sounds a little similar to what’s come before, merely because the competition’s greater, but sounds more based on funk, with a prominent bass line before the song builds up nicely to the early chorus. The whole song’s repetitive, as usual, and far too long (it’s notable that the 7” release was about half the length), but grooves along pleasantly enough that it’s not too much of a problem. The final song is a strange but effective choice of a cover, originally performed by Johnny Mathis for the film of the same name before being reinterpreted by Nina Simone, whose version Bowie uses. It’s an incredibly pleasant mellow piece, with combined acoustic and electric-that-sounds-acoustic guitar creating a great minimal atmosphere of harmony to counterpoint the disorder of the album’s beginning.
‘Station to Station’ was the final straw before Bowie fled to Berlin to escape his excessive US lifestyle, and it’s an incredibly telling and flawed album written on a diet of ‘red peppers, cocaine and milk.’ As both the successor to the so-called plastic soul of ‘Young Americans’ and the forerunner to the synthetic ‘Low’ and other albums with Brian Eno, this album occupies an unstable and to some extent insignificant middle ground between the two, but still stands out due to the very excess of sound and length that Bowie would very soon turn his back on. There are enough cool call-backs to the Ziggy Stardust era in the form of high wails and rock and roll choruses to make this a fitting end to an era that shouldn’t be overlooked, despite the intimidating song lengths and the Thin White Duke’s creepy long fingers. It’s pretty average now that I’ve really thought about it, and perhaps not worth wasting time with, but there’s something compelling about this one all the same.
Advantages: Daring, intriguing and soothing.
Disadvantages: Overlong, repetitive and confused.
Brainstorm
Liquid Monster
Diluted Beastie
**
Written on 03.04.08
Brainstorm aren't one of the more inspired or intense German power metal bands, but their laidback, poppy style has been enough to attract a modest following and see them release a consistent discography, even if it's only been consistently average. 'Liquid Monster' is their fifth album, and while it's more or less worthless and forgettable for the most part, it does offer up some admittedly catchy choruses and riffs for the more commercially-oriented metal fans to enjoy, and there's nothing wrong with that.
The main problem I have with this album is the evident lack of care put in to making it a classic, as most of the songs couldn't be more obvious filler if they tried. The first two songs start things off well, with singer Andy B. Franck putting in a rousing performance with 'Worlds Are Coming Through' and the more energetic 'Inside the Monster,' but the quality then slips drastically into the lousy slowie 'All Those Worlds,' and doesn't particularly improve even in the faster songs (and the less said about ballads like 'Heavenly,' the better). Torsten Ihlenfeld is a talented enough guitarist, displaying his talents in the simple but fun riffs of several songs and the Egyptian-style guitar solos of the first track (the Ancient Egyptians couldn't get enough of guitar solos), but on the whole the performance is lacking in energy and creativity.
Of course, not everyone listens to rock music for the virtuosity of its performers, and later songs 'Painside' and 'Burns My Soul' follow a similarly steady pace to the first song, with comparably cheesy but enjoyable sung choruses. This isn't the sort of power metal you'd like to be caught listening to by your thrash buddies, but it bridges the divide between the genre and popular music in a way that can only ever be bland, but at least makes a respite from some of the more extreme albums in a metal fan's collection. I'd like to think that this is one of Brainstorm's weaker releases.
1. Worlds Are Comin' Through
2. Inside the Monster
3. All Those Worlds
4. Lifeline
5. Invisible Enemy
6. Heavenly
7. Painside
8. Despair to Drown
9. Mask of Life
10. Even Higher
11. Burns My Soul
Brodequin
Instruments of Torture
***
Written on 03.04.08
Many bands specialise in a certain theme, and for brutal death metal band Brodequin, their specialist subject is Medieval torture, even taking their name from a torture instrument. Vocalist and bass player Jamie Bailey is himself a history graduate, but not even the most devoted fan would be under the delusion that he's actually enunciating all of the gory historical lyrics through the combination of burps and grunts that pervade these songs.
Musically, if not thematically, Brodequin are a fairly typical brutal death metal band, and this album isn't going to hold any surprises for those accustomed to the genre. Twenty-five minutes of relentless high-speed drumming, headache-inducing grind guitars and vocals that sound like Bailey vomiting a stream of wind across the microphone, this is about as extreme as it gets, if not the most sonically fascinating album in the world. Chad Walls' drums are the real highlight, refusing to be pinned down even when blasting away at breakneck speed, he really works the entirety of his kit to the point that it often sounds like there's more than one drummer. Mike Bailey's guitar is less prominent, shoved back in the mix thanks to the low production values but retaining the despicable grind atmosphere.
There's very little diversity across these songs, which are more aimed at the overall experience than anything, but there are enough minor changes, mainly thanks to Walls, to keep it interesting throughout. The first two songs are fairly standard, and it's not until 'Ambrosia' that Bailey's vocals really start to sound as depraved as he would like, reaching their intensity in the best song, 'The Virgin of Nuremberg.' Opening with a film sample of (presumably) a priest of the Inquisition speaking in Latin while a man in the background lets out torturous screams, the song provides a fitting aural equivalent with its hammering instruments and stunningly enthusiastic vocal performance.
All the same, this is typical brutal death fare that's at least not trying to be proclaimed as "technical" for its speed (as befalls the likes of Suffocation), and anyone approaching it as a way to tackle the need for extreme music and history exam revision with one package is going to be disappointed. Still, don't despair: you may end up burping vocals in a brutal death metal band like Mr. Bailey.
1. Spinning in Agony
2. Soothsayer
3. Ambrosia
4. The Virgin of Nuremburg
5. Duke of Exeter
6. Infested with Worms
7. Burnt in Effigy
8. Strappado
9. Hollow
10. Feast of Flesh
Brodequin
Methods of Execution
***
Written on 03.04.08
'Methods of Execution' is Brodequin's best album yet, but that's still not to say it's in any way a revolutionary work of brutal death metal, nor something that's going to appeal to anyone outside of its fairly narrow target audience. With improved production values that not only bring out the full force of every instrument (including the previously unheard bass), but avoid killing the atmosphere though clinical over-exposure, the stage is set for Brodequin's gut-wrenching anthems of historical torture, and the experience is fairly satisfying.
It all sounds much the same, that much is to be expected from this type of band, and it's the primary reason that brutal death metal, like all genres that favour speed over substance, will never be my preferred cup of entrails. Still, the band is content to play within its niche, and all players involved do a fine job executing some fast and harsh riffs and rhythms without letting up across the entire performance.
The most noticeable difference outside of the presence of the bass is the improved guitar skill of Mike Bailey, whose riffs have a lot more variety to them this time round, rather than merely sounding like back-up fuzz for the drums. Although it's still mostly the same riff recycled over and over, songs like 'Pressing to Plead' feature some nicely contrived touches, in this case some squealing pinch harmonics, to set themselves apart a little. Unfortunately, the album ends on a particularly weak note with the seven-minute sound effect-laden title song that's of no real interest, and almost seems like a deliberate anticlimax just for the sake of annoyance.
When they're playing at their best, and have a fine production job to flesh them out, Brodequin are a competitive brutal death act that are miles ahead of most of the imitation acts, but are still some way off matching the leaders in the field.
1. Slaves to the Pyre
2. The Gridiron
3. The Red Theatre
4. Pressing to Plead
5. Tyburn Field
6. Durance Vile
7. Lingering Existence
8. Cast into Torment
9. Verdrinken
10. Punishment Without Mercy
11. Methods of Execution
Brutal Truth
****
Written on 03.04.08
Brutal Truth was conceived by bass player Danny Lilker, when his day-job band Nuclear Assault wasn't quite doing it for him in terms of intensity. With death metal and grindcore being the favoured extreme genres of the early nineties (shortly prior to all the murder and arson carried out by Norwegian black metal bands, when Satan became cool again), Brutal Truth naturally combines their strengths, and the resulting 1992 debut album remains one of the most successful death-grind works ever released.
As with pretty much all grindcore, there's an emphasis on speed and intensity here, culminating in the two songs 'Collateral Damage' and 'Blockhead' that are only several seconds apiece (the former even being released as a contrived music video that went on to be recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest in the world). Fortunately, there's more to the album than sheer speed, which is really saying something considering the stunning performance of drummer Scott Lewis in that regard.
This is primarily an extreme death metal album, and the tempo varies enormously from breakneck blasting to slower, steadier, more intricate riffs in songs such as 'Denial of Existence' and 'Time.' The band even manages to avoid the clichés usually associated with the genre, by focusing on social themes rather than explicit gore, comparable to Napalm Death over Carcass. Kevin Sharp's vocals are similarly varied as they growl, roar, squawk and almost sing over the delightful cacophony, and the only instance of film sampling (something that seems to plague most grind releases) is kept within the boundaries of the track 'Monetary Gain,' which is comparatively chilled... but only comparatively.
The album's only drawback is how similar most of it sounds, which ends up stealing the thunder from Scott Lewis' drums once you become used to the inhuman velocity.
1.P.S.P.I.
2.Birth of Ignorance
3.Stench of Profit
4.Ill-Neglect
5.Denial of Existence
6.Regression / Progression
7.Collateral Damage
8.Time
9.Walking Corpse
10.Monetary Gain
11.Wilt
12.H.O.P.E.
13.Blockhead
14.Anti-Homophobe
15.Unjust Compromise
Brutal Truth
Kill Trend Suicide
***
Written on 03.04.08
I was a little disappointed by this release from Brutal Truth for lacking the band's usual variety in favour of a more exclusively grindcore influenced style, but considering it's marketed as a low price E.P. despite boasting as much content as many grind albums (even taking into account the eight or so minutes of silence that bulk it out to thirty-three), it's easily enjoyed as a marginal release between more substantial efforts.
By abandoning their slower death metal elements almost entirely (the exception being 'Humanity's Folly'), this is perhaps the most intense release put out by the band thus far, displaying hardcore punk ferocity in the opener 'Blind Leading the Blind' with its incredibly fast drums, but making time for the usual stoner-style riffs in songs such as 'Hypocrite Invasion,' complete with feedback-flooded solos but somehow remaining fast and brutal. 'I Killed My Family' features surprising clean vocals and melodic guitar elements alongside the typically harsh elements, but once again there's still the short, sharp shock for grindcore fans in the form of 'Homesick,' though nowhere near the ridiculous extent of the band's earlier four-second single 'Collateral Damage,' which takes longer to pronounce than it does to play out.
The sound quality of this E.P. is a little less impressive than the band's earlier full-lengths, but that doesn't hinder its force one bit and even adds a nice as-live atmosphere, and my only real issue is that the silence separating the two sections of the title song - the first being fairly normal, and the latter filled with discordant riffing and other zaniness - just gets in the way.
1. Blind Leading the Blind
2. Pass Some Down
3. Let's Go to War
4. Hypocrite Invasion
5. Everflow
6. Zombie
7. Homesick
8. Humanity's Folly
9. I Killed My Family
10. Kill Trend Suicide
Brutal Truth
Damn Dirty Apes
***
Written on 03.04.08
The long-awaited third album from New York's Brutal Truth, following a series of E.P. and split recordings, opens with a film sample proclaiming, "still not loud enough, still not fast enough." This instantly spurs the band on to prove its abilities in these areas, which is the main reason 'Sounds of the Animal Kingdom' falls flat compared to the band's earlier, highly accomplished works.
Brutal Truth have evidently worked towards a more grindcore influenced style of death metal over their career, ironically as the popularity of the grind genre died down into the mid-nineties, meaning that this album is comprised of very many very short songs. Not all of them are inadequate grind length, with a few passing the three minute mark and ending up more satisfying as a result, and the inevitable couple that exceed this to a ridiculous extreme and merely end up wasting the listener's time. With these gimmicks intact, there's very little to set this apart from the average grind album, apart from the fact that the band members are all supremely talented.
This talent is sadly wasted on the majority of songs, with only a few permitting time for interesting musicianship, such as the slow beginnings of 'F**ktoy' and 'Machine Parts,' the groove riffs of 'Fisting' and especially the solos of 'Jemenez Cricket,' the only song that really manages to rise above the rest but still doesn't make a lasting impression. Other songs are set apart through weak contrivances such as the sound effects of 'Blue World' and the funereally slow pace of 'Unbaptized' that nevertheless lacks the power of even the average funeral doom metal band, while '4:20' just gives up and delivers thirty seconds of pointless silence. This is repeated by the final track, which cuts off for twenty minutes of nothing after a minute or so of Kevin Sharpe roaring the word "prey" over and over, presumably so that the listener has time to dwell on the layers of subtlety.
This is a good album if you like your music fast and aggressive, and don't mind it lacking anything else.
1. Dementia
2. K.A.P.
3. Vision
4. F**ktoy
5. Jemenez Cricket
6. Soft Mind
7. Average People
8. Blue World
9. Callous
10. Fisting
11. Die Laughing
12. Dead Smart
13. Sympathy Kiss
14. Pork Farm
15. Promise
16. Foolish B**tard
17. Postulate Then Liberate
18. It's After the End of the World (Sun-Ra cover)
19. Machine Parts
20. 4:20
21. Unbaptized
22. Prey
Brutal Truth
**
Written on 03.04.08
Brutal Truth aren't being ironic here; this really is an album targeted exclusively at their fans in the grindcore community, ten years after the genre was at its height. This is a fairly pointless E.P. in several respects, simply reproducing past songs rather than new material under the guise that it's a live release - the live location being a studio in New Zealand, as if playing in a room on the other side of the world is reason enough to merit a special release.
The "live" nature does help to bring out the performance and make it that little bit more real than on a proper studio album, allowing the band to concentrate on working together rather than worrying about putting in their finest take or making a coherent album (not that this ever presented a major concern in the past, it has to be said), but this also leaves the album with a weaker production sound that favours the hammering drums above everything else. Of course, if you are indeed a grind freak, drug crazed or otherwise, you'll probably view this as a bonus.
The band draws primarily on its shorter grindcore material here, songs having an average length of a minute and a half, with only 'Dead Smart' and 'Jemenez Cricket' raising the average slightly with more substantial playing times that result in more satisfying songs as a result. And then, because it's a Brutal Truth album and it's not enough to have to endure twenty minutes of relentless grind, we have to put up with a worthless sound effects outro that lasts longer than several of the previous tracks put together. It's not big and it's not clever, but at least they put a warning on the packet.
1. K.A.P.
2. Dead Smart
3. Blind Leading the Blind
4. Let's Go to War
5. Choice of a New Generation
6. Walking Corpse
7. Fisting
8. Homesick
9. Stench of Profit
10. Jemenez Cricket
11. Untitled
Advantages: Fairly decent grindcore E.P.
Disadvantages: That's all there is to it.
Bucovina
Ceasul Aducerii-Aminte
Vikings of Romania
****
Written on 03.04.08
Hailing from Romania and looking like three Bill Baileys hanging out with their younger, more sensible brother, Bucovina is one of the more curious Viking metal bands out there even if they're not necessarily in the top league with the likes of Bathory, Månegarm and Moonsorrow.
'Ceasul aducerii-aminte' is the band's only release so far, and it's a strong debut of folk-influenced Viking metal that benefits from its obscure locale in a similar way to equally isolated Faroe Islands band Týr. The comparison between these two bands is invited further by the emphasis on melody in the guitars and vocals, the latter of which possess a satisfying exotic air as Florin Tibu sings in true Viking style (with a hint of unintentionally stereotypical vampire accent thrown in) and occasionally supplements the singing with a black metal caw as the music increases in intensity.
Tibu and Bogdan Luparu don't churn out the most stunning or inventive guitar melodies ever heard in the genre, but they're certainly enjoyable, and especially prominent in the instrumentals 'Valea plangerii' and 'Napraznica goanna,' the first of which is a slow and epic heavy metal introduction, with the latter being more of an excuse to go freestyle-crazy. Tudor's bass is commendably audible throughout, especially in 'Strasnic neamul meu,' while there's an interesting balance maintained between speedy and ponderous delivery, as Bogdan Mahu's drums blast away contentedly throughout songs like 'Tara de dincolo de varfuri de brad' while the other band members insist on performing at their standard pace. Oddly, what should present an irritating contrast ends up working surprisingly well.
Tending more towards the classic metal style than the more epic folk of Moonsorrow, songs aren't permitted to drag on needlessly, though the band does tend to run out of ideas half-way through each track, leaving the second half open to internal over-repetition. There's still enough variety to keep things interesting however, with a compulsory acoustic break in 'Sunt munti si paduri' that works well to divide up the track, some very pleasant folk-sounding electric guitars in 'Luna preste varfuri,' thrash riffing in 'Strasnic neamul meu' and the most diverse song of the lot, 'Vinterdoden.'
This songs perhaps stands out a little too much from the rest for being a cover of Norwegian band Helheim (from their second album 'Av Norrøn Ætt'), and with its harsh, tremolo-picked riffs and emphasis on screeched vocals over singing, it was a wise decision to at least place it towards the end of the album, though it still would have been more satisfying to hear the band attempt a more stylised cover version to fit in with their own sound, rather than merely imitating Helheim.
At only thirty-three minutes in length, this is a Viking metal album more concerned with fun than any serious attempt to reach epic heights that would probably fail disastrously, or just end up sounding impressive but deathly boring such as the aforementioned Moonsorrow. Viking metal is one of my favourite genres, and one that, as you can see, I have an unhealthy education in, but even though this album displays a number of tell-tale amateurish signs of a debut album, it still has its heart in the right place. Even if its geographical location is a little perplexing.
1. Valea plangerii
2. Sunt munti si paduri
3. Luna preste varfuri
4. Strasnic neamul meu
5. Tara de dincolo de varfuri de brad
6. Napraznica goanna
7. Vinterdoden
8. Bucovina, inima mea
Advantages: Decent attempt at the Viking metal sound.
Disadvantages: Still learning.
Budgie
Budgie
****
Written on 04.04.08
Budgie are a significant but overlooked band in the history of heavy metal, having participated in its development alongside bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest throughout the seventies, before becoming justly forgotten in the eighties. Their self-titled debut doesn't have the classic appeal of Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid,' but it does share a noticeably similar sound that will cause it to be of interest to rock historians and headbangers alike. It's really very good, even though it's named after a particularly rubbish bird.
The most immediately striking thing about this album is how dingy and heavy it sounds, comparable to Sabbath's definitive 'Master of Reality' and even sharing the occasional riff, but Budgie's sound is clearly striving for more commercial acceptance that never really happened. Burke Shelley's high vocals are typically seventies and don't have any of the fury later associated with metal, but his bass work is impeckable (a bird-based pun there, expect several more before the day is through) and really fleshed out by the low-end production that makes Tony Bourge's sludgy guitars the highlight of the album. He's no Tony Iommi, but Bourge's slow, blues-tinged riffs in 'Guts,' 'Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman,' 'Rape of the Locks' and 'Homicidal Suicidal' compliment his cleaner, more commercial style on 'The Author' and acoustic strumming in the ethereal 'Everything in My Heart' and 'You and I,' the latter of which sounds almost exactly the same as Pink Floyd's 'Pigs on the Wing' released six years later.
There's nothing particularly spellbinding or creative here, but there's an enjoyable mix of material that keeps things nicely uneven in the way all early heavy metal albums ought to be as the musicians experiment with the fledgling sound. The lyrical subject matter is as low-brow as can be expected, 'Rape of the Lock' being an anthem against haircuts for example, but this is still an effective album of proto-heavy metal that should be enjoyed by Sabbath fans, even if every other song sounds like an inferior version of 'Children of the Grave.'
1. Guts
2. Everything in My Heart
3. The Author
4. Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman
5. Rape of the Locks
6. All Night Petrol
7. You and I
8. Homicidal Suicidal
Budgie
Squawk
***
Written on 04.04.08
Budgie's second album is a slight disappointment after the first, at least for those who enjoyed the Black Sabbathesque doom metal of the self-titled debut that is largely absent here, favouring a more hard rock approach in the style of Led Zeppelin. The sludgy guitar tone still occasionally rears its head from the murky depths, but is stilted by upbeat harmonies in 'Drugstore Woman,' and if Tony Bourge's riffs were a little lacking in originality on the previous album they're practically screaming out for some inspiration here.
Everything about this album takes a slight step down from the first, not least Burke Shelley's vocals which have become rather irritating in their whine, and serve to date this further in a bad way, rather than the historically intriguing way the first album was dated. The lyrics are of no interest, full of bland similes (especially in 'Rocking Man'), and weirdly the songs that seem designed to be self-consciously different are grouped together, which sees the Beatles-like acoustic 'Rolling Home Again' immediately succeeded by the acoustic and piano ballad 'Make Me Happy,' something that would have severely weakened the overall quality of the first album, had it been present there. On this album, it's merely one disappointment among several.
It's not all bad though, and fans of classic hard rock should enjoy the Zeppelinesque style of most songs, particularly those with looser structures that take time out for solos and bas sections, such as 'Hot as a Docker's Armpit.' Still, there's a nagging feeling throughout that this album isn't all it could have been, with the bland instrumental 'Bottled' and tedious slow song 'Young Is a World' only been made up for ever so slightly with the fun finale 'Stranded.' It's certainly not as dynamic an album as the artwork might suggest.
1. Whiskey River
2. Rocking Man
3. Rolling Home Again
4. Make Me Happy
5. Hot as a Docker's Armpit
6. Drugstore Woman
7. Bottled
8. Young Is a World
9. Stranded
Budgie
Riding My Nightmare
****
Written on 04.04.08
By the time of their third album, Welsh metal pioneers Budgie had settled into their classic style, combining thunderous hard rock riffs with atmospheric acoustic minimalism, frequently within the same song but otherwise executed on consecutive tracks. 'Never Turn Your Back on a Friend,' despite its rather flowery title, deserves to be acclaimed as an early heavy metal classic, though the majority of its songs will still be largely unknown to fans of the bands they directly influenced.
The finest songs here are those that combine the heavy and light elements in a charming yin-yang, and the least successful are those that favour one style over the other, and end up sounding rather boring. 'Breadfan' opens the album in style and is easily the best song here, with Tony Bourge's memorable guitar riff setting the stage for a fast rocker that erupts once the other instruments crash in, but one that nevertheless grinds to a halt in the centre for a mellow section that some will see as superfluous, but really does help to show off the band's full range.
Although it's a little eccentrically long-winded, the finale 'Parents' does something similar at ten minutes, only with a steadier pace throughout, but the only lasting impression left by 'You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk' is that the song should have ended a lot sooner than it did. I'm still pleased that the band experimented with song length in this way even when the miss count was greater than the hits, as they all serve as examples to future generations of when to call it a day.
The greatest oddity that threatens to make this album less appealing to metal fans, but serves to distinguish Budgie further, is the vocal performance of Burke Shelley, who by this point in his career sounds a lot like Yes' Jon Anderson, seemingly going for the same high, androgynous approach. While this does undermine the harder songs somewhat, it ensures that the band's tendencies towards lighter material, most fully realised in the soft songs 'You Know I'll Always Love You' and 'Riding My Nightmare,' sound more convincing than other metal bands' ballads tend to, even if these still represent the weakest material (not least for sounding exactly the same as each other).
Elsewhere, 'Baby Please Don't Go' and 'In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand' are more blues-influenced hard rock pieces that are still pulled off well, and allow Bourge further chances to demonstrate his newfound axe skills, in the latter song particularly.
1. Breadfan
2. Baby Please Don't Go
3. You Know I'll Always Love You
4. You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk
5. In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand
6. Riding My Nightmare
7. Parents
Budgie
In for the Kill
***
Written on 04.04.08
'In For the Kill' sees the long-awaited return of the doom metal style that characterised Budgie's debut, before softening out to a more standard hard rock tone on the releases in-between. With seven highly uneven tracks containing a mix of classics and stinkers, this is as definitive an album of Budgie's original style as it's possible to imagine, even if the repetition weakens its competitive power compared to the leaders in the field, most notably Black Sabbath.
As on the previous album, it's the opening and closing songs that pack the mightiest punch, leaving everything in-between seeming a little lacking in comparison. 'In For the Kill' is led by slow and seriously heavy guitar riffs balanced out by Burke Shelley's high vocals that reach a higher squeak than ever before, while 'Living On Your Own' is one of the few extra-long Budgie songs to actually improve as it goes along, rather than becoming tedious. Tony Bourge's guitar works excellently against Shelley's bass in this finale making for the finest Budgie song so far, with excellent lead guitars that remain memorable long afterwards.
Sadly, the rest of the album really does fail to live up to these exceptional highlights. 'Crash Course in Brain Surgery' is just typical blues-rock fare, 'Hammer and Tongs' and 'Zoom Club' are fairly slow and tedious, 'Running From My Soul' is even less interesting than the band's previous mediocre instrumentals, and 'Wondering What Everyone Knows' is the compulsory ballad that once again pales in comparison to the band's usual style, though this is noticeably superior to their previous efforts. With a little more focus on creating a strong centre, this could have easily been a required heavy metal classic; as it is, it's distinctly average.
1. In For the Kill
2. Crash Course in Brain Surgery
3. Wondering What Everyone Knows
4. Zoom Club
5. Hammer and Tongs
6. Running From My Soul
7. Living On Your Own
Budgie
Bandolier
Music Bans All Feeling
****
Written on 04.04.08
Budgie's career was arguably at its peak in the mid-seventies, though this isn't saying much considering how little they were known. This three-piece from Cardiff produced some of the finest early heavy metal as well as some really awful material, but their fifth album 'Bandolier' sees an improvement in consistency as well as an increase in ferocity that sees Budgie becoming one of the first New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands before the genre was even recognised.
The production values have improved, moving away from the sludgy, Black Sabbath sound of their earlier works towards something cleaner and tighter, and easily comparable to Judas Priest's work around the same period, especially in the song 'I Ain't No Mountain' which manages to be one of the only ones to clock in at a radio-friendly playing time. The rest tends towards freestyle and repetition at the band's discretion, and although this doesn't always make for the most engrossing listen, the songs are always entertaining throughout, and certainly never become dull.
'Napoleon Bona' is the stand-out song here, another great historical metal epic to add to the canon, which moves from an atmospheric opening into some Rush-style narrative and finally the fastest and most energetic performance the band had ever undertaken, complete with necessarily cool guitar solos. The rest of the album is really quite odd, ranging from standard, riff-led hard rock in 'Breaking All the House Rules' to a minimalist funk riff in 'Who Do You Want For Your Love?' that's even supplemented by harmonica. 'I Can't See My Feelings' is one of the more fascinating offerings, with its semi-acoustic riff, occasional country influence, cowbell and odd lyrics, and 'Slip Away' forsakes the usual ballad for something more resembling a lullaby, with high vocals and clean electric guitar.
With its overlong songs, styles that fly in the face of categorisation and mad cover art, it's clear there's something special about this album, and it's certainly the finest the band had released thus far.
1. Breaking All the House Rules
2. Slip Away
3. Who Do You Want For Your Love?
4. I Can't See My Feelings
5. I Ain't No Mountain
6. Napoleon Bona - Parts One and Two
Budgie
Impeckable
A Dainty Dish
**
Written on 04.04.08
Like the appropriately more well-known Black Sabbath, Budgie's illustrious seventies output reached its nadir with their last couple of albums of the decade, and while 'Impeckable' is a slight improvement over its predecessor, there's still very little to recommend here to the discerning hard rock fan.
The style is fairly uniform throughout the album, with only a couple of very predictable exceptions, most (or perhaps least) notably the usual acoustic ballad 'Don't Go Away.' The songs never exceed a medium tempo and are mostly grounded in a tedious bluesy crawl, with only 'Pyramids' and 'I'm a Faker Too' providing some slight upbeat relief before the finale sees the band approach something of their former grace far too late, in the tellingly titled 'Don't Dilute the Water.'
The remainder of the songs all sound more or less the same, led by the most generic hard rock riffs imaginable, which manage to be catchy even though they're forgotten immediately afterwards. 'Love For You and Me' only scores points for avoiding being a genuine ballad, at least at this early point in the album, but its slower pace is rendered less meaningful by the surrounding material that crawls along regardless of subject matter or intent.
1. Melt the Ice Away
2. Love For You and Me
3. All at Sea
4. Dish It Up
5. Pyramids
6. Smile Boy Smile
7. I'm a Faker Too
8. Don't Go Away
9. Don't Dilute the Water
Budgie
Power Supply
****
Written on 04.04.08
Revived from their late seventies slump, Budgie evolved with the times and the Cardiff trio reinvented itself as a NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) band, partly thanks to the replacement of the increasingly moribund Tony Bourgewith a guitarist amusingly named John Thomas, whose own contributions would unfortunately go steadily downhill from this point onwards.
'Power Supply' really does scream 1980 from every socket, from the shiny album artwork to the music and subject matter that don't bother to hide their obvious influence in Judas Priest and others of the movement, though Priest is the most obvious source here. This is no real problem though, as much NWOBHM tended to sound the same, and the best can only be distinguished by the band's ability to use the standard practices and come out with something inventive, even if this only amounts to a series of cool riffs.
Thankfully, 'Power Supply' has these in abundance, and although most songs are structurally identical, with the exception of the more grandiose 'Gunslinger' and 'Secrets in My Head' that feature acoustic breaks, they all remain distinct thanks to some creative and memorable guitar work and choruses.
Burke Shelley's vocals have made a clear change from the airy squeaks of the band's earlier work to something more credible as metal, and he really shows off his screaming abilities in the title song. Every song here is worth listening to for fans of early (particularly eighties) heavy metal, and even though it's a shamelessly chameleonic performance from Budgie, it's still more worthwhile than much of the similar material being produced by others around the same time. I'd rather listen to this than a Saxon album, but it's no 'British Steel.'
1. Forearm Smash
2. Hellbender
3. Heavy Revolution
4. Gunslinger
5. Power Supply
6. Secrets in My Head
7. Time to Remember
8. Crime Against the World
Budgie
Deliver Us From Evil
An Ex-Budgie
**
Written on 04.04.08
Oh dear, Budgie discover keyboards and their career grinds to a halt. Coincidence? Perhaps, but either way, 'Deliver Us From Evil' is a decidedly less-than-stellar note to go out on.
Shiny, sparkly keyboards were a bizarre element of eighties heavy metal, and music in general, and it's disappointing and cringeworthy to hear Budgie's reliance on the gimmick here, which reaches its height in the pop-centric songs 'Young Girl' and 'Flowers in the Attic,' the latter of which is easily the worst ballad Budgie have ever produced, at least until 'Alison' three songs later. Some of the other songs manage to save themselves in a small way through some showy guitar melodies that are quite good on occasion, particularly in 'Give Me the Truth' and 'Don't Cry,' but the rest really is quite awful.
I'd still rather listen to this than anything produced by an American glam band, but to be honest this Welsh equivalent isn't far off. Although it's deliberately more upbeat in tone than its predecessors, this is the most morally depressingly thing I've heard in some time.
1. Bored With Russia
2. Don't Cry
3. Truth Drug
4. Young Girl
5. Flowers in the Attic
6. N.O.R.A.D. (Doomsday City)
7. Give Me the Truth
8. Alison
9. Finger on the Button
10. Hold on to Love
Budgie
Budgie Flies Again
***
Written on 04.04.08
A remarkable twenty-four years after what was thought to be their final album, expatriate Cardiff hard rock veterans Budgie (having now relocated to the USA) released a new studio album full of songs that distinctly belong in the Budgie canon, perhaps a little too self-consciously on occasion. It's almost like the band nervously over-prepared for this comeback release by listening to everything they ever recorded, as traces can be seen not only of their blues-rock origins and heavy metal conclusion, but also the weird and disappointing funk stuff they did in-between. Needless to say, as a Budgie sound-alike performed by the Real McCoy, or at least two-thirds of the original trio, it's not exactly an album to catapult their career into the twenty-first century, but then they never were particularly recognised even in their prime.
Craig Goldy fills in for session guitar on this album, and it's his crunchy tone that marks this out as a modern release, and even lends it a satisfying stoner vibe on occasion, though sadly that occasion is only limited to the opening song, after which things turn a little stale. Burke Shelley's vocals sound exactly the same as they did in the late seventies, which is nice to hear, but sadly the band doesn't attempt to continue the heavy metal style it was working towards at the time of its original demise, settling on a standard hard rock direction throughout. While this makes songs like 'Dead Men Don't Talk' fairly enjoyable in an outdated sort of way, it's really the lighter half of the album that reduces its quality significantly, as Budgie puts out more ballads than ever before.
The title song itself isn't too bad, stubbornly maintaining its acoustic style throughout and becoming a little tiresome but at least not embarrassing the old boys, but then the album bizarrely continues to churn them out in increasing inferiority. 'Love Is Enough' and 'Captain' are unfortunately as bad as anything from the 'Deliver Us From Evil' album, and other songs are infected with the slow syndrome to the point that 'Tell Me Tell Me' and 'I Don't Want to Throw You' are both essentially ballads with loud bits.
Fortunately, it's not all stale, and the band continues to experiment to some small degree. The funk song 'Falling' is a particular oddity, sounding much like a hard rock version of something the Red Hot Chili Peppers might have done back when they were still good, but pompously-titled finale 'I'm Compressing the Comb on a Cockerel's Head' is really just an excuse for Goldy to mess around with his guitar for a while. It's better than nothing, but you would have thought that twenty-four years away would have at least allowed the band members a little time to come up with something more exciting than this. I have no idea where they're taking it next.
1. Justice
2. Dead Men Don't Talk
3. We're All Living in Cuckooland
4. Falling
5. Love Is Enough
6. Tell Me Tell Me
7. (Don't Want To) Find That Girl
8. Captain
9. I Don't Want to Throw You
10. I'm Compressing the Comb on a Cockerel's Head
Burning Witch
Crippled Lucifer
**
Written on 05.04.08
Inexplicably bearing the same title as the defunct band's only full-length release from 1998, 'Crippled Lucifer' is a comprehensive posthumous collection of rare Burning Witch material that collects together the 'Rift.Canyon.Dreams' and 'Towers...' EPs as well as the tracks contributed to split releases with Goatsnake and Asva.
Burning Witch play an extreme form of doom metal that will hardly be anyone's cup of tea at all, and it's clear from how samey it all sounds that the band wasn't interested in targeting a wider audience outside of the doom community. The main problem I have with it is that it's all so damn boring; not only does every song sound exactly the same, but even listening to one of these ten-minute-plus dirges is enough to drive me over the edge, into sleep rather than insanity.
I appreciate a good doom album, whether it's attempting to be monumentally ponderous like Candlemass, wallowing in self-pity like Warning or merely celebrating the joy of being stoned like bands from the Southern United States, but there's nothing here that appeals to me at all. Edgy 59's vocals are the only thing that keep any of these songs mildly entertaining as he squawks and jeers over the lethargic drone of the guitars and the tedious drums, and the rare instances of a song actually speeding up (as only really happens in 'Sacred Predictions') soon fade as the point of interest isn't backed up with anything else.
The two songs taken from split releases ('The Bleeder' and 'Rift.Canyon.Dreams') are slightly more interesting just for attempting a more epic sound, but the atmosphere is soon dispelled once it really starts to settle in just how much time is uneventfully passing. This band has a full-length album out there, but I won't bother tracking it down; the fact that they couldn't even be bothered to think up a different name for this compilation speaks of just how lazy their output was in general.
Disc 1
1. Sacred Predictions
2. Country Doctor
3. Tower Place
4. Sea Hag
5. The Bleeder
Disc 2
1. Warning Signs
2. Stillborn
3. History of Hell (Crippled Lucifer)
4. Communion
5. Rift.Canyon.Dreams
Burzum
Burzum / Aske
*****
Written on 05.04.08
The self-titled debut release from the most notorious figure in black metal, 'Burzum' really is one of the masterpieces of the genre, and one that can be enjoyed in spite of the atrocities Varg Vikernes (aka Count Grishnackh) would later commit. Alternatively, the murder and arson could serve to make it even more enjoyable, if you're a bit strange.
This album represents the peak of what second wave black metal was striving to achieve, and demonstrates how bands such as Mayhem, Immortal and Emperor were going about it the wrong way, with their emphasis on speed and intensity over real significance. That's not to say that I get wholly enveloped in the Count's ideology here, whatever that may be - as far as I know, his interests lay in a return to ancient values, partly inspired by reading Tolkien - but the songs on this collection offer something better than depth and meaning; they're all incredibly catchy.
That's right, listening to an album like Mayhem's 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas,' on which Vikernes played bass, might not leave the impression that this music can be enormously fun, but there are few albums in my collection that are as packed with irresistible guitar riffs as this one. The majority of songs are led by a repeating riff that would be instantly plundered by guitarists in any genre if only they'd thought of it first, and the Count strikes a fine balance between this effective repetition and progression that sees some songs, most notably the opener 'Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown,' dazzling with every turn and making the more of its seven-minute playing time than Mayhem would achieve in a forty-minute album.
Just to ensure this is as close to his artistic vision as possible, the Count also plays all of the instruments himself, did I forget to mention that? Actually, that's not entirely true: originally released on Deathlike Silence productions, the label of his Mayhem bandmate Euronymous, the guitarist himself contributes a great solo to the close of the short and punchy war song 'War,' a few years before Grishkackh decided he didn't like him very much after all and proceeded to stab him in the back, quite literally, forty-or-so more times than was strictly necessary to kill him. This re-release also includes the three-track 'Aske' E.P., which originally proudly bore the ruined image of one of the churches the Count had set fire to, and bass duties on this short release are handled by Samoth, these two instances making for the only guest appearances in the Burzum chronology.
The inclusion of Aske makes sense as a way to get that material readily available, but the only drawback is the elimination of the original version of 'A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit' that came after the short instrumental 'A Crying Orc,' dropped in favour of reproducing the Aske version and allowing that release to remain more substantial. Whatever purists may think, this missing track doesn't interrupt the flow of the original album, and the second half opens in full black metal force with the phenomenal 'My Journey to the Stars,' easily one of the best songs Burzum ever recorded, and one that remains gripping throughout. Other highlights include the doomy 'Spell of Destruction' that anticipates the sound of Burzum's definitive (but arguably less enjoyable, if I was doing the arguing) album 'Filosofem,' and providing a nice raw contrast for that polished production, and 'Stemmen Fra Tåmet' from Aske, which leads the way with yet another immortal riff from the Count.
It isn't all success, but the experiments that fail, or end up highlighting the lo-fi production quality, only serve to add to this album's unique underground character, making it a far cry from the clinical 'Filosofem.' 'Channelling the Power of Souls into a New God' is a keyboard interlude that sounds more like the background hum from an eighties video game than anything to be taken seriously by a composer, but it succeeds in setting an eerie atmosphere a lot better than some of Burzum's later, more elaborate keyboard compositions, and the only song that I consider dispensable is the overlong and uneventful outro 'Dungeons of Darkness' that wouldn't matter on the original album, but just gets in the way here.
Whatever your preconceived notions of black metal and its devious characters - ones that I've probably only made worse now you've read this - Burzum's debut release should pleasantly surprise you. Who knew depravity and evil could be this much fun?
Burzum
1. Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown
2. Ea, Lord of the Deeps
3. Spell of Destruction
4. Channelling the Power of Souls into a New God
5. War
6. The Crying Orc
7. My Journey to the Stars
8. Dungeons of Darkness
Aske
9. Stemmen Fra Tåmet
10. Dominus Sathanas
11. A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit
Burzum
Det Som Engang Var
***
Written on 02.08.07
The second full-length release by Norwegian one-man-band Burzum moves beyond the primitive raw black metal of the self-titled debut and controversial ‘Aske’ E.P. towards something more refined, involved and emotionally resonant, an experimental balance that would continue with the next two albums before Varg Vikernes was imprisoned for the murder of Euronymous, his former Mayhem bandmate and producer. Released in 1993, ‘Det Som Engang Var’ expands the scope of Norwegian black metal, and is one of the most intriguingly unsettling listening experiences I frequently subject myself to.
The songs are mostly based around simple repeating guitar riffs and pounding, albeit rather quiet drums, all providing the background for Varg’s screams and yells. As with all Burzum releases from this point onwards, the opening songs are more distinctive and perhaps traditional, moving between guitar riffs and featuring distinct verses and even guitar solos, while the later songs tend more towards creating a bleak and hypnotic soundscape to lull the listener into an evil black metal trance. Odd as it may sound, this is actually very effective, although it’s more a case of being so used to the treble-heavy guitar lines and cardboard-sounding drums that they fade into white (black?) noise. The production values are genuinely rather low, but like all good black metal this adds greatly to the tomb-like atmosphere, and is at least genuine in these early 90s releases unlike some recent attempts by big-name bands to purposefully primitivise their sound. An example would be Ulver’s ‘Nattens Madrigal,’ which received large funding from Century Media records that was allegedly spent by the band on cars and girls and stuff, before they finally got round to recording their album haphazardly in a forest. Burzum’s raw production, heavy on the treble but not exactly tinny, lends a distinct buzzing whine to the guitars and holds up well throughout.
1. Den onde kysten (The Evil Shores)
2. Key to the Gate
3. En Ring til å herske (One Ring to Rule)
4. Lost Wisdom
5. Han som reiste (He Who Journeyed)
6. Når himmelen klarner (When the Sky Clears)
7. Snu mikrokosmos tegn (Turn the Sign of the Microcosmos)
8. Svarte troner (Black Thrones)
The Tolkein themes present in the song-titles and album art stem from Varg grounding his musical project in ancient Norwegian mythology, which he claims Tolkein took much inspiration from (the name ‘Burzum’ itself is taken from the inscription of the One Ring, and arguably means either darkness or light, depending on whether Tolkein or Varg is to be believed). Nevertheless, unlike many of the power metal bands influenced prominently by ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ most notably Blind Guardian, the influence is entirely absent from the listening experience, which sounds more like an elongated, torturous release of sorrow and hatred than any kind of epic journey across mountains. ‘Den onde kysten’ and ‘svarte troner’ are both fairly non-ish instrumentals bookending the rest of the album, effectively creating the mood but being mostly redundant, especially as the surrounding material jars with them completely. The album really begins with the excellent ‘Key to the Gate,’ easily the most accomplished and memorable song here in the tradition of all Burzum album openers, which blasts into uncompromising black metal from the onset before settling down slightly into a distinctive riff and crashing, relentless drums. Varg’s vocals are the main highlight of this song, extremely emotive and disturbing as he clearly lets out all the grief plaguing his sad and ill-fated Norwegian life. This is no ‘emo-core’ angsty yelling, but a hellish cackle and wails from the heart that are all pretty disturbing and morbidly fascinating. The song changes rather abruptly into a very pleasant melodic guitar solo half-way through, which is slow, precise and premeditated... much like the murder of Euronymous (sorry, couldn’t resist).
The album sadly takes a rather immediate down-turn after this point, as the songs become increasingly repetitive in the lead-up to the ‘trance,’ also seemingly requiring a major decrease in tempo. ‘En Ring til å herske’ is based around a slower riff, dirty sounding like Black Sabbath, with distant, mostly chanted vocals as Varg calms down a little. Aside from the addition of subtle keyboards towards the end, which will come to prominence after, this song is too long and features too few changes to keep things interesting. ‘Lost Wisdom’ fares better, the last song of the album’s first half and based unapologetically on a catchy riff and drum beat. Who said black metal couldn’t be fun while it’s being depressing and disturbing? Varg’s use of multiple guitars, at least two of which can be discerned through the muddy production, fills out the sound impressively as they focus on different ends of the scale, and there’s another great, slow solo (slow-lo is the term I sometimes use, but that always requires a long explanation in brackets such as these, so I’ll stop using it from now on). Varg’s screams are more animalistic/demonic here, which is a nice change from the very different styles of tracks two and three, and overall this sounds much like the opening song from the next album, only more concise and ten minutes shorter.
Seperating the two sections of the album is the keyboard instrumental ‘han som reiste,’ the biggest departure of this album that takes it more into the realm of electronic silent film scores. The organ-like keyboard is effectively dingy and sinister, but also strangely pleasant, and the endless repetition of the same bars makes this one of many songs that are forced to fade out after an arbitrary time, when the listener’s personal tolerance could extend or constrict the length with each listen, though hopefully not to the extent of the twenty-five-minute piano loop of the later ‘Filosofem.’ ‘Når himmelen klarner’ is another instrumental to follow, but this time utilising the more customary instruments and allowing Varg to better demonstrate his guitar abilities as they take the lead role, though the song noticeably lacks a solo, which would presumably come at a cost to the atmosphere, and doesn’t really go anywhere. The album’s ultimate statement of hypnotic black metal, before this would be perfected with ‘Filosofem,’ is the grand and lengthy finale ‘snu mikrokosmos tegn,’ which brings back the speed and drum bashing but repeats to the extent that the whole thing becomes background noise very quickly.
No Burzum album is an easy listen, and it was at this point that Varg Vikernes’ musical agenda started to become prominent, if executed a little amateurishly. The ambient nature of the later songs makes them less intrinsically compelling than the album’s first half, which can stand strong outside of the dark magical experience the musician is so determined to inflict, and overall the latter half of this album sits rather confusedly between black metal and ambience without really being either. It’s surprising just how relaxing, or perhaps boring, the album can become, especially as anyone walking in would effectively see you chilling out to the sound of someone being tortured, and as such it’s an album that still fascinates me. Despite some peoples’ misguided claims, there’s nothing to be found in Burzum’s music that is any way subliminal towards Varg’s ideologies, which themselves have often been misconstrued, and the listener is more likely to nod off after this listen than go out and burn some churches or stab their friend multiple times in the back. If anything, this only makes you pity the fool.
Advantages: Classic tortured black metal.
Disadvantages: Experiments in ambience are largely dull.
Burzum
Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
****
Written on 05.04.08
Burzum's third album is cited by many as the definitive black metal album, which indicates that these individuals have a very different interpretation of the genre to most. It's certainly as definitive as it comes to an expression of Count Grishnackh/ Varg Vikernes/Burzum's personal creative vision, one that its more well-known successor 'Filosofem' would similarly achieve albeit with less even results, but those who approach black metal for its unparalleled intensity will doubtless be turned off by the long songs, strong keyboard presence, ponderous tendencies and fifteen-minute ambient finale, though there's still plenty of time given over to the traditional. Indeed, Norse tradition seems to be the key element of the Burzum ideology.
The first song in particular is likely the finest thing the Count ever recorded, alongside 'Dunkelheit' from the next album, and it's fifteen of the most exceptional minutes ever recorded in black metal. Those expecting relentless blast beat drums and raging vocals would be more suited to tracks two and three, which follow a similar, albeit more refined style supplemented by keyboards, but 'Det Som En Gang Var' (curiously the same name as the previous album, with different spelling) concerns itself with a phenomenally catchy riff and some excellent ethereal keyboards in an incredible combination that never becomes tiresome, though it has to be said that the final minutes of the song are less riveting than the first ten, which are constantly changing to introduce further lead guitar, keyboard and vocal elements over the repeating core. If only Vikernes hadn't been imprisoned, the world could have been treated to more masterpieces like this, but then he had to go and kill Euronymous.
Without getting bogged down in the politics of the black metal scene that it's impossible to overlook when it comes to the creator of this music, who would soon be imprisoned for murdering his former associate, not to mention all the churches he'd personally set fire to, 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' is quite a spectacular album that clearly displays Vikernes' musical genius, even if it doesn't translate quite as well to vinyl/CD as it perhaps did in his head, not that you'd ever want to venture there. The final song is particularly interesting, an ambient piece performed entirely by keyboard that moves on from a fairly standard atmospheric piece into one of the most beautiful recordings in heavy metal.
If the last seven minutes of this song had been recorded by Vangelis for a sentimental film soundtrack, we'd hear it streamed across TV advertisements everywhere, but for being composed by a convicted and ever-so-slightly evil man in an obscure Norwegian one-man black metal band, it's destined to be a secret treat enjoyed by a small target audience. This album is fantastic, but it could have been even better.
1. Det Som En Gang Var
2. Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
3. In I Stottet Fra Droemmen
4. Tomhet
Burzum
Filosofem
***
Written on 28.02.07
The final album recorded by infamous Norwegian Varg Vikernes before he was imprisoned for murder, ‘Filosofem’ represents the peak of the self-styled Count Grishnackh’s achievement at creating ambient black metal, largely because his project has been put on hold by incarceration.
The fourth album written and performed entirely by the Count, ‘Filosofem’ was a surprising success outside Norway, even reaching the indie charts here in Britain, clearly benefiting from the notoriety of its creator. The twenty-three-stab-wounds murder of Vikernes’ former bandmate from Mayhem, Euronymous, tends to overshadow reviews of both these bands… including this one, clearly. However, this album itself is partly excellent on its own merits, and dealing once again with ancient Norwegian mystical themes and a dash of Tolkien, is free of any trace of the Count’s political leanings. Still, I’ve gripped you now, haven’t I?
1. Dunkelheit (Darkness)
2. Jesus’ Tod (The Death of Jesus)
3. Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments (Behold the Daughters of the Firmament)
4. Gebrechlichkeit I (Decrepitude I)
5. Rundgang um die transzendentale Säule der Singularität (Tour Around the Transcendental Pillars of Singularity)
6. Gebrechlichkeit II (Decrepitude II)
The album consists of six tracks, and can be easily divided into two uneven parts on first listen. The second half of the album consumes most of the playing time, thanks primarily to the efforts of the 25-minute fifth track. Vikernes has explained that Burzum’s music was always intended as evening music ‘to fall asleep to,’ rather than to headbang along to at a live show or club. Intended to conjure mystical dreams of ancient times, the structure is consciously designed to become more ambient and less musically diverse as the album goes on. To paraphrase the Count’s own idea of how to approach this record, the first few songs are intended to invoke susceptibility to ‘magic,’ while the rest continue the journey into sleep. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the album ends up becoming boring, though in this case that’s precisely the outcome.
The first three songs share similarities with more traditional black metal in their relentless, treble-heavy guitar riffs and raspy vocals, but with a more fully realised hypnotic ambience than anything in Burzum’s earlier offerings. ‘Dunkelheit’ especially is the most spectacular, an incredible six minutes of repetitive guitar overdrive contrasted with plodding drums and a simplistic but engrossing keyboard melody. Vikernes’ vocals sound like they’ve been thrice-processed to rid them of anything human that remains, a radical departure from his pained shrieks on the previous albums. While not reducing them to the mechanical coldness of contemporaries Dimmu Borgir or Immortal, this effectively places them more subliminally in the mix, and prevents them from distracting from the flow of things. The two songs which follow continue in this same formula, but are less impressive as the repetitive riffs and melodies are less interesting, and can become noticeably overlong if listened to casually, rather than under the subdued engrossment the record really demands.
The two-part ‘Gebrechlichkeit’ that bookends the monstrous fifth track still possess traces of black metal, and conjures the same images of frozen landscapes and depressed pagans, but on a more relaxed note. There are no vocals in this part of the album, but the guitars and drums still back up the dominating keyboards, which have now been liberated from their subordination in the opening songs. Taking up half the album, ‘Rundgang um die transzendentale Säule der Singularität’ is a complete departure from metal, consisting only of a repeated piano melody that barely changes over the course of a long twenty-five minutes. It’s very successfully spooky, but the effect doesn’t last out. If Count Grishnackh has been successful, you will be asleep by now, and not even notice how boring this is.
This isn’t an album for black metal purists, veering wildly away from the frozen hellish sound developed by Venom and Bathory in the 80s and defined by Mayhem and Immortal in the early 90s, but it still shares enough similarities to be labelled as such. Rather than subject the listener to a torrent of screaming guitar treble, under-produced paper drum blasts and tortured guttural vocals, Burzum has always taken a more relaxed, atmospheric and existential slant, and for now this continuing evolution has been halted at this 1996 half-classic. ‘Dunkelheit’ and ‘Jesus’ Tod’ would be essential additions to compilations of the finest Norwegian black metal, but the remaining forty minutes aren’t nearly so impressive.
‘Filosofem’ starts off incredibly, but soon tails off into overlong tedium, even for an ambient release. Burzum’s future releases will likely continue the formula practiced here, but with more interesting and diverse results. The two ambient albums he was permitted to produce in prison – using only keyboard – are far more disappointing, even for the fallen Count himself. However, his failure to report back on time after a week of freedom, and his subsequent capture in possession of a false passport and a gun, have extended his sentence somewhat, as one would expect. Where’s the justice in that?
Advantages: The first few tracks are superb atmospheric black metal at its finest
Disadvantages: The remainder of the album is nothingness
Burzum
Dauði Baldrs
The Mighty Have Fallen
**
Written on 05.04.08
The final two albums released under the Burzum name are remarkably different to those released prior to Varg Vikernes' imprisonment for murder and arson, as black metal's finest one-man-band has now been limited to a keyboard and a rather pathetic computer program to tie it all together. 'Dauði Baldrs' is Burzum's most conceptual album yet, but you wouldn't know it from the music; the lyric booklet details the story of Baldr despite the songs themselves featuring no lyrics whatsoever, and being forced to communicate Varg's ideas through rather shoddy MIDI programming. I'm making it sound quite pathetic, and indeed it must have been quite humbling for the musician, but 'Dauði Baldrs' can still make for an enjoyable listening experience if you approach it with the appropriate expectations.
Firstly, I'll admit that I can be quite a fan of lo-fi synthesised productions like this, owning several soundtracks to video games that share a similar style. This reminds me most of Nobuo Uematsu's 'Final Fantasy VII' soundtrack, but the similarities are really only minimal, and it's more of a personal thing for me. All the same, I can imagine this being the soundtrack to a roleplaying video game made circa 1990, which would probably have improved its sales based on nostalgia alone.
With all the instruments being synthesised in this very basic means, it's appropriate to view this as more of an album idea produced under severe limitations, rather than a substantial work in its own right. I believe this has ever been confirmed by Vikernes himself, who may have plans to re-record this later material in a black metal form upon his eventual release, and it would certainly be interesting to hear the fully realised versions. The material here isn't too bad, it's mainly the limited nature that makes it so unappealing; songs drag on to ten minutes in the way they always have on Burzum albums, but rather than be entranced by the repeating guitar riffs and keyboard melodies, all we have here are fake synthesised instruments that don't have the same power to compel. Then again, the tedious piano song 'Illa Tiðandi' is of equal dullness to the piano track from the earlier 'Filosofem,' but perhaps wins out by being fifteen minutes shorter.
Perhaps the funniest thing about this album is that on its original release from Misanthropy Records, the band name was somehow mistyped as 'Burzu' on the cover, meaning that these dodgy versions are now collector's items. I mean, as if Vikernes wasn't having a hard time as it is, you have to go and spell his name wrong.
1. Dauði Baldrs
2. Hermoðr Á Helferð
3. Bálferð Baldrs
4. Í Heimr Heljar
5. Illa Tiðandi
6. Móti Ragnarokum
Burzum
Hliðskjálf
Polishing a Turd
***
Written on 05.04.08
Currently the final album produced by notorious black metal musician Varg Vikernes, 'Hliðskjálf' is by far the superior of the two ambient works he was permitted to produce during his imprisonment, but one that still pales in comparison to his earlier metal work. The improvement over 1997's 'Dauði Baldrs' is primarily due to his MIDI keyboard being upgraded to a proper synthesiser, or something like that, as the sound is now more professional and less irritating for the most part, but the improvement in technology doesn't mean that Vikernes has become the next Vangelis.
In truth, some of these compositions are stunning, synthesised or not. 'Der Tod Wuotans' is an incredibly dramatic piece with several impressive movements, from a searing introduction to what sounds like synthesised guitars and finally a synthesised woodwind elegy for the fallen Wotan, this would be a fine inclusion on any of Burzum's previous releases, which always featured a prominent keyboard presence in any case. But this is the main problem with 'Hliðskjálf'; there just isn't that much variety, and even if you've developed a tolerance and appreciation for synthesiser music like I have, it has the capacity to be quite dull and irritating on occasion.
Roughly speaking, the album gets worse as it goes on, meaning that the best material can be found in the first half, or at least any time that the tone is one of darkness rather than light, or whatever exactly the irritating high notes of 'Frijôs goldene Tränen' are going for. At times, Vikernes lets the ever-so-slightly improved technology go to his head, and he attempts to synthesise rock instruments rather than concentrate on ambience, and it's at these points (especially present in 'Frijôs einsames Trauern') that it really fails to impress, by drawing attention to its limitations.
I'm glad Vikernes was permitted to record these albums during his incarceration, but they're only ever going to be sub-par Burzum works that shouldn't be compared to his earlier output as a free man with the means at his disposal to realise his visions more fully. Or with a studio full of standard rock instruments at least. Hopefully his eventual release will see a return to form, as long as he doesn't go and kill anyone else.
1. Tuistos Herz
2. Der Tod Wuotans
3. Ansuzgardaraiwô
4. Die Liebe Nerþus'
5. Frijôs einsames Trauern
6. Einfühlungsvermögen
7. Frijôs goldene Tränen
8. Der weinende Hadnur
What's so impressive about this album is the way it's arranged, for the most part, as a single, extended song divided into movements rather than individual songs, as each track down to 'The Cry of Melora' leads seamlessly into the next. Rather than making the whole thing sound repetitive, this actually helps to make songs stand out more than they would after a brief silence, as can be seen with the slightly less impressive second half of the album that makes weird use of extended silences occasionally lasting for a couple of minutes at a time, and although the entire album is only thirty-five minutes long, this at least means that each song has been tightly edited, silence anomalies aside.
This is loud and heavy music of the form that can usually only be found in the Southern states, and sludge fans will find all the satisfaction they need here, as the riffs are maintained to the agonising point where it sounds like standing next to a plane's engine that's about to suck your sorry ass in. There's no pattern here to the speed and style changes, most evident in the wildly changeable 'The Cry of Melora' that refuses to be pinned down to a rhythm, but the listener can rest assured that any slow, monstrous dirge will soon be followed up by a faster section to relieve the tension, especially at the changeover point between tracks when the successor jumps into life. As noted earlier, the album becomes a little less engrossing from track seven onwards, though it regains its life by the end, but the first half made for one of the most sickeningly enthralling musical experiences I've had in a long time. Best of all, it only takes about fifteen minutes.
1. One Nine
2. Thrown From Great Heights
3. El Equis
4. Beneath
5. Omniscient
6. The Cry of Melora
7. Broken on the Wheel
8. Sugar Water
9. El Doce De Octubre
10. Sombra De Bestia
11. Kay-Dur-Twenty
Blood for Satan
***
Written on 20.02.08
Forced to change their name due to a New York heavy metal band holding the rights, this loyal bunch of black metal and Satan followers have opted to call themselves "The True Black Dawn," which really speaks volumes about their exaggerated sense of self-importance. Whether they really are into the Satanic stuff beyond the typical gimmick I couldn't say, but there's nothing about this release to make me excited about hearing any new material under their new moniker.
Treated to a surprisingly clean production job atypical of black metal debuts (but I guess this is the '00s now), this is far removed from the dingy and evil-sounding work of their genre predecessors, but at the same time is loyal enough not to venture into more aggressive death metal inspired territory like Behemoth. All of the band members are talented, particularly Cauldron who beats the drum kit relentlessly and will provide the most appeal to fans of the genre's more extreme tendencies, but their material is essentially a regurgitation (quite literally) of the generic black metal sound as defined by Darkthrone, Mayhem and others in the early nineties.
Every song is principally concerned with speed, apart from the worthless interlude 'When the Shadows Become Flesh,' and although the guitars are more audible than in much black metal where they tend to fade into the white noise, they never do anything of interest beyond keeping up the pace, as seen best in the hardly noticeable changeover between tracks one and two that sounds more like a brief pause in the former. The screams of Prophet Hoath Wrath (see what I mean?) are of high quality, to the extent that you can actually understand what he's yelling about some of the time, but there really is no reason for him to open the long and otherwise fairly decent finale with a guttural gurgle that sounds like he's taking a long spew.
Another extreme metal cliché is overused in the form of overlong sampling of old horror films, in this instance two clips in 'Of Blackest Witchcraft' and 'A Horned Moon Rising' of characters praising Satan and renouncing Christ, albeit in an easily digested, movie fashion, but overall this sounds more like a bunch of black metal fans imitating their heroes in a passable but unimpressive attempt to join their ranks, aided by changing the word "the" to the more sinister "Ye" in the final song to prove how hardcore they really are.
1. Pitbound (The 4th Trial of Acolyte)
2. A Hymn to Grand Darkness (The Creed of Hoath)
3. Of Blackest Witchcraft (The Hoath Manifesto)
4. Enemy of the Day
5. Graverape Ritual
6. A Horned Moon Rising
7. Blood For Satan
8. To Haunt and to Feed
9. When the Shadows Become Flesh
10. Within Ye Woods, Before Ye Throne
Damaged
Watch TV and Have a Couple of Brews
****
Written on 23.03.08
Black Flag's first album remains their most acclaimed, and one of the most respected and innovative hardcore punk albums ever recorded, before the term came to mean something far less palatable. New vocalist Henry Rollins carries off the hostility excellently, his voice sounding gruff but also intriguingly young (he was twenty at the time), while Greg Ginn's gritty, rumbly guitar tone is rooted predominantly in the low end to work with the rhythm section, though still making plenty of room for screaming solos later in the songs.
Many of the songs here are undisputed classics of the genre, while others that are less well-known still work perfectly alongside, as the album's consistency never slips. As hardcore punk the emphasis is more on aggression than musical accomplishment, but to some extent this album has both, while the narrative lyrics of songs like 'Depression' and 'T.V. Party' prove that the band is capable of spinning a good yarn or punk morality tale. The latter is particularly interesting for being based around such a deceptively jolly riff, one that suits the initial optimism of the T.V. party friends before the inevitable satire slips in, the plot twist of the broken television comes along, and they have to face going out into the real world for a change.
Other songs are notable for their intense emotional expression, the opener 'Rise Above' deservedly being the band's best-known song, and the later 'Damaged II' sounding impressively improvised as the song roars on and Rollins and Ginn bounce off each other. The band even takes time out for some slow and more atmospheric passages at well-considered points, proving that they aren't just aggro-driven punks but real musicians, as 'Six Pack' and 'No More' spend considerable time on introduction before the song eventually reverts to the usual fast, relentless fare. This is the only Black Flag album that's an essential purchase for all punk fans, though not necessarily my favourite.
1. Rise Above
2. Spray Paint (The Walls)
3. Six Pack
4. What I See
5. T.V. Party
6. Thirsty and Miserable
7. Police Story
8. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
9. Depression
10. Room 13
11. Damaged II
12. No More
13. Padded Cell
14. Life of Pain
The First Four Years
I Had a Skateboard, I Was So Heavy Man
***
Written on 23.03.08
Another compilation released betwixt studio albums, 'The First Four Years' is essentially a repackaging of Black Flag's first three E.P.s 'Nervous Breakdown,' 'Jealous Again' and 'Six Pack,' the single 'Louie, Louie' and a couple of additional songs. While it may be seen as a lazy collection in this regard, it at least offers the fans a chance to hear these songs without having to pay extortionate amounts to do so, especially now the originals have been out of print for so long.
Despite lasting only twenty-four minutes, this is still of passable length for a punk album and could easily be taken as a full-length release if not for the tell-tale shifting of singers and sound quality at several junctures. Greg Ginn's clunky guitar is the solid driving force that keeps everything together, though interestingly becomes grittier and harsher along with the vocals as the songs continue, and Black Flag's pionerring hardcore punk sound can clearly be heard evolving from more standard Ramones-esque fare in the first four songs through to the experimental aggression of 'Damaged I.'
This is a more streamlined and less problematic release than its predecessor 'Everything Went Black,' but should only be seen as a supplementary release after the studio albums, though at least saves fans the trouble of tracking down the rare E.P.s.
1. Nervous Breakdown
2. Fix Me
3. I've Had It
4. Wasted
5. Jealous Again
6. Revenge
7. White Minority
8. No Values
9. Clocked In
10. Six Pack
11. I've Heard It Before
12. American Waste
13. Machine
14. Louie, Louie
15. Damaged I
My War
Sing Me Your Ego Song
****
Written on 23.03.08
There was a substantial delay between Black Flag's first and second studio albums thanks to disagreements with the record company, but the equally pioneering 'My War' was well worth the wait, and remains one of the most inventive hardcore punk albums of all time - if it can even be classified so stringently.
There's a much greater emphasis on musicianship here than on the angry 'Damaged,' once again stemming mainly from Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn (who plays both guitar and bass on this album, the latter being credited to the fictitious Dale Nixon), and the band's experiments with a slower, draining style of doom metal would subsequently influence an entire generation of sludge and grunge bands, or really any band playing in a genre that takes its name from something dirty-sounding.
The guitar tone is deep and dirty throughout, whether Ginn is playing slow or fast, and although Rollins is required to use his spoken word style more prominently here, there are still many notable instances of his distinctive passionate screaming, particularly in the first six songs. After this point the album makes a radical shift towards songs that are twice the length (averaging six minutes apiece rather than three), and consequently a great deal slower.
The influence would seem to be Black Sabbath, among other bands inspired by the original masters of doom, and although the songs do tend to drag on, the experiment is wholly successful and must have surprised many contemporary listeners, the first time they turned the LP over and were confronted by a band that had obviously been smoking something pretty strong between sides.
'My War' is my favourite Black Flag album mostly for striking a perfect balance between aggression and melody, especially in songs like the similarly long (but not too slow) 'Can't Decide,' with its narrative lyrics, fun solo and some compelling drumming from Bill Stevenson, while the fast/slow dichotomy of 'Beat My Head Against the Wall' works similarly excellently. This album doesn't have the same classic status as 'Damaged,' which is understandable, but it showcases a more mature and experimental Black Flag that would remain strong throughout the rest of its career.
1. My War
2. Can't Decide
3. Beat My Head Against the Wall
4. I Love You
5. Forever Time
6. The Swinging Man
7. Nothing Left Inside
8. Three Nights
9. Scream
Family Man
Such a Man When You're Putting Up Your Christmas Lights
****
Written on 23.03.08
I bet no one could see this coming; a hardcore punk album split down the middle, with one half devoted to instrumentals and the other given over to spoken word narratives from Henry Rollins, unaccompanied by backing music until his grand finale 'Armageddon Man.' Black Flag's inventiveness will doubtless surprise anyone who approaches them with preconceptions of what makes hardcore punk rock, as Rollins' occasionally poetic, often surreal monologues are a far cry from the political conscience of earlier songs like 'Police Story.'
The monologues are mostly fairly short, with the exception of the ten-minute 'Armageddon Man' that works brilliantly, and the less impressive 'Let Your Fingers Do the Walking' that reminds me far too much of performance poetry in its half-rhyme/half-rap style. Most of them are far from enlightening, but 'Salt on a Slug' boasts inferior sound quality and seems to have been recorded in front of a small, intimate audience who find Rollins' tale amusing, but which disappointingly cuts off just when the literal account starts to become more philosophical and Rollins imagines himself as the disintegrating mollusc.
The second, instrumental side of the album more than makes up for the vocal dominance of the previous half, and the band manages to make all four songs satisfyingly different. 'Long Lost Dog of It' is comparatively short and pleasant, 'I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!' is brilliantly intricate and relentless across its extended duration, 'Account for What?' has some of the most solid riffs and rhythms, and the finale 'The Pups Are Doggin' It' is fast and manic. This certainly isn't an album that's going to appeal to everyone, and if every Black Flag album sounded like this it wouldn't stand out as anything special, but as a one-off experiment it's a highly memorable curiosity in the history of punk.
1. Family Man
2. Salt on a Slug
3. Hollywood Diary
4. Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
5. Shed Reading (Rattus Norvegicus)
6. No Deposit, No Return
7. Armageddon Man
8. Long Lost Dog of It
9. I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!
10. Account for What?
11. The Pups Are Doggin' It
Slip It In
Drinking Black Coffee
***
Written on 23.03.08
Released only a few months after 'Family Man,' 'Slip It In' could be viewed as offering something a little more customary to the fans rather than the weird spoken word and instrumental stuff of its intriguing predecessor, though it's more likely a result of an incredibly proficient year for the band.
Continuing where 'My War' left off, this fourth album favours a more heavy metal sound than punk, evident in Greg Ginn's stoner riffs and prevalent solos, as well as the song structure. Henry Rollins no longer shouts for all he's worth, but is slightly more laid-back to fit into the style (though still capable of going all-out when required, as in the hasty 'My Ghetto'), but the album entirely avoids being consumed by the Black Sabbath/doom influence that rendered the second half of 'My War' unappealing to some.
Ginn's guitar has an excellent tone throughout this album, rooted in the low end of the scale which accentuates his screaming solos even more, and it's clear from the instrumental 'Obliteration' that he owes some of his style to King Crimson's Robert Fripp, as this song sounds much like an imitation of their 'Red' album. As a heavy metal album, this thankfully stays true to the original meaning of the term rather than the sleazy, pop-oriented glam metal being practiced by many American bands of the time to mind-boggling chart success, and Bill Stevenson's drums sound oddly like a cowbell throughout, which is a nice touch. There are also enough pinch harmonics and down-tuned riffs to keep this appealing to those brought up on nineties groove metal, even though the mixing of genres ultimately weakens this album's character to some extent.
1. Slip It In
2. Black Coffee
3. Wound Up
4. Rat's Eyes
5. Obliteration
6. The Bars
7. My Ghetto
8. You're Not Evil
Live '84
I Want You to Touch My Filth
****
Written on 23.03.08
Black Flag's first live album was recorded at just the right time, in the highly proficient year that saw the release of three studio albums which forms the basis for this performance, recorded before the latter two had even been released. The sound quality is similarly perfect: nicely raw and unpolished, but clear enough that each instrument can be audibly discerned, while keeping the distinctive crunch of Greg Ginn's guitar.
At seventy-two minutes this is a generous and full performance, and an easy substitute for buying the studio albums themselves, particularly if you were turned off by the experimental tendencies of 'My War' and 'Family Man' that saw whole halves of those albums devoted to lethargic doom metal and spoken word narrative respectively, neither of which is allowed to impede on the band's customary hardcore punk/metal style here, though there is perhaps a larger quantity of extensive, King Crimson style instrumentals performed by Ginn in the form of 'The Process of Weeding Out' and 'I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!' than you may expect in a live environment.
The band's two broadly-defined eras of punk and metal sit comfortable alongside each other, with some older songs seeming well chosen thanks to their similar style ('Six Pack') and others offering some pleasant punk relief ('Jealous Again'). The only real drawback is that comparatively little of the band's earlier period is represented, though this is understandable considering how rapidly they were moving on, the newer albums they wished to promote and songs they wished to share, and the fact that those early songs had already been repackaged in several compilations by this point anyway. And it's not as if this was the last live album they'd ever release.
1. The Process of Weeding Out
2. Nervous Breakdown
3. Can't Decide
4. Slip It In
5. My Ghetto
6. Black Coffee
7. I Won't Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You!
8. Forever Time
9. Fix Me
10. Six Pack
11. My War
12. Jealous Again
13. I Love You
14. Swinging Man
15. Three Nights
16. Nothing Left Inside
17. Wound Up
18. Rat's Eyes
19. The Bars
Moon of Characith
*
Written on 20.02.08
This album irrationally creeps the hell out of me. Indiana's Black Funeral isn't concerned with making music as much as a soundscape of repetitive textures to assist in meditation, spell-casting or whatever else those of a darker nature choose to do with the time between their birth and inevitable death. This third despicable offering was mostly put together by an American bloke who likes to call himself Baron Drakkonian Abaddon, but whose real name is Michael Ford Nachttoter (though I suspect this is further goth deceit), who provides vocals, bass and electronic effects while his buddy/henchman Marcheloz plays guitar and drums when present, which doesn't seem to be very much on this particular album. Each of these nine tracks is similar, and even the ones that are different are eventually repeated later in the somewhat mirrored second half, and it isn't music for the faint-hearted. Or easily bored. Or anyone who actually wants to listen to some music, but I'm sure it has its place.
The typical style of these songs is to introduce a vague atmosphere in the first few seconds, for example the howling wind, gloomy keyboard melody and indefinable vocal of the opening song, and more or less stick that on repeat for four to five minutes without any noticeable joins. There's very little internal variation in any song outside of occasional dips or swells in the volume of backing sounds, and although the album is sure to be memorable - the creepy girl singing the same notes over and over in track two is what gets me - it really is essentially worthless to anyone who isn't preparing for a trance. The only traceable musical features are the keyboard and organ melodies that repeat throughout some songs, and a simple, soft drum beat in track two and its mirror equivalent track six.
This is something to play loud through a secret speaker if you want to traumatise a young child at night time, but is otherwise pointless and annoys me in its pretensions to actual meaning evidenced in the meaningless track titles, which would more appropriately be along the lines of "solo organ melody" and "scary ghost girl in a wood" (for tracks five and two respectively). This has bizarrely been in my collection for years without getting thrown away, I shan't be checking out the rest of the discography.
1. Totentanz
2. Seduction and Devourment
3. Evocation in the Lunar Lodge
4. Rite of Enveloping Shadows
5. Blood Rite - Manifestation of Marchosias
6. Death Gnosis
7. Moon Thirst
8. The Vampire Born - Totentanz II
9. Banishing
1919 Eternal
***
Written on 20.02.08
Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Zakk Wylde may indeed be one of the most overrated heavy metal axemen (perhaps second only to the late Dimebag Darrell), but his simplistic, catchy groove metal style at least results in albums that can be easily digested. '1919 Eternal' is Black Label Society's most entertaining release up to this point (the band consists of Wylde on vocals, guitar and bass, and some other bloke on drums), but perhaps owes its commercially enjoyable nature to the uncanny similarity it bears to modern Ozzy Osbourne.
Comparisons are understandable considering Wylde pretty much defines the sound of Osbourne's music these days, but songs like 'Demise of Sanity' in particular sound distinctly like 'Down to Earth'-era off-cuts, even down to Wylde's occasional Ozzy imitation vocals. The rest of the time he varies from deep and gruff in the steadier rockers to a Southern singing style in the softer songs that form the bulk of the album's second half, while his guitar also takes the occasional opportunity to branch out from repetitive riffing into Ritchie Blackmore style acoustic plucking in 'Speedball' and the unsettlingly nationalistic 'America the Beautiful,' as well as solos in most songs that aren't anything particularly special, but would be missed if absent.
This is all incredibly formulaic and predictable music, targeted at those who wouldn't enjoy it any other way. Wylde hasn't really done anything to earn his exaggerated reputation, one that I'm sure is more down to his image than anything else (the tale that Ozzy hired him before he'd even finishing tuning up his guitar is quite revealing in this regard). All the same, he's a competent guitar player whose occasional deviations into more authentic stoner rock ('Mass Murder Machine') are balanced here against commercial and less interesting, almost Rob Zombie style generic mediocrity.
1. Bleed For Me
2. Lords of Destruction
3. Demise of Sanity
4. Life, Birth, Blood, Doom
5. Bridge to Cross
6. Battering Ram
7. Speedball
8. Graveyard Disciples
9. Genocide Junkies
10. Lost Heaven
11. Refuse to Bow Down
12. Mass Murder Machine
13. Berserkers
14. America the Beautiful
The Black Mages
***
Written on 20.02.08
Another Japanese band performing rock interpretations of video game soundtracks, the Black Mages have the advantage of official endorsement from the original composer Nobuo Uematsu, whose work across the popular 'Final Fantasy' series of role-playing games forms the basis of their material. Nobuo himself is involved only at a production level in this debut release, arranged and performed by Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito against a drum machine, but as the project gained a cult fan base, the Black Mages expanded into a full live band and have even seen Nobuo incorporated into their ensemble.
To ease the task of picking and choosing a select number of the songs from the extensive series, which at the time ran to ten games over the course of more than a decade, the musicians opted to focus exclusively on battle music, which is naturally more agreeable with the progressive metal direction of their instrumental performance, at times comparable to Dream Theater. Effort has clearly been made to give a wider perspective, featuring material from games old and new rather than simply the most popular or most recent, but by choosing so selectively the band risks peaking at this early stage with very little to fall back on later on. Fortunately, at least in those terms, much of the music on here is far from exceptional, and some of the best-loved themes are nowhere in sight, ready for interpretation at a later date.
As combat music, the tracks here are mostly energetic and balance the guitar and keyboards perfectly in tackling the original themes, but there are some significant disappointments towards the end of the album in particular, when the rock instruments begin to disappear altogether and it becomes much like listening to the original soundtracks. Not that there's anything wrong with that -the Final Fantasy VII score has been a treasured part of my collection for a few years now - but 'Dancing Mad' is primarily an overlong bit of tedious keyboard and organ showing-off, and the finale 'Fight With Seymour' is so drenched in keyboards that it really sounds like an eighties TV theme, despite being the only song here taken from the most recent Final Fantasy X.
Hardly anyone is going to approach this unless they were a fan of the games first (the same way I didn't get anything out of Animetal), and preferred choice of game will likely influence the favourite songs here, regardless of quality. Unfortunately in my case, as a Final Fantasy VII fan whose memories of the couple of other games I've played in the series are less fond, the FFVII material in the second half is among the least rewarding. 'Fight On!' goes similarly overboard on the keyboards at the expense of guitars and ends up weaker on the whole, despite a fun cowbell for percussion, while my anticipation at the prog metal version of 'J-E-N-O-V-A' led to extreme disappointment that this was chosen as the arbitrary techno track.
Final Fantasy VI comes off best of all, excluding the aforementioned 'Dancing Mad,' with takes on the creatively titled 'The Decisive Battle' and 'Battle' providing a strong, hard rocking centre for the album, the former flooded with enjoyable guitar and keyboard solos as most tracks tend to be, and the later being a steadier affair. It's obvious in many cases that these were originally fairly primitive synthesiser melodies that have been expanded into rock versions, particularly on the themes from the earliest games in the series, but the professionalism and authenticity of all of these songs makes for a far more satisfying experience than listening to some geeky teenager's electric guitar interpretation of 'Golden Axe' themes on YouTube.
If you're not a Final Fantasy fan, there's nothing here for you. Even if you are, you'll probably still complain that they left the best stuff out.
1. Battle Scene (Final Fantasy I)
2. Battle at the Big Bridge (Final Fantasy V)
3. Force Your Way (Final Fantasy VIII)
4. Battle Scene II (Final Fantasy II)
5. The Decisive Battle (Final Fantasy VI)
6. Battle (Final Fantasy VI)
7. J-E-N-O-V-A (Final Fantasy VII)
8. Fight On! (Final Fantasy VII)
9. Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI)
10. Fight With Seymour (Final Fantasy X)
Sands of Time
***
Written on 20.02.08
Australia's Black Majesty play a brand of power metal more in line with the melodic and grander style of American bands like Kamelot rather than the more repetitive sounds that dominate the European scene, with a healthy dose of classic metal influence from the likes of Iron Maiden and the early prog metal bands, Fates Warning in particular. The impressive thing about this debut, more so than the later albums, is how symphonic it manages to sound despite only using keyboards very sparingly - the guitar riffs are suitably heavy compared to the lighter lead melodies, making for an expansive sound that singer John Cavaliere expertly wails over in his finest soprano wail.
The emphasis is less on speed and arguably even less about fun than the band's contemporaries descended more from the speed metal line, and while many songs are still fairly fast, the focus is on medium-speed choruses that occasionally drift into pop metal territory ('Legacy'), but in a more tasteful way than bands like Brainstorm. Songs suffer a tendency to be overlong, particularly the eight-minute 'Beyond Reality' which features some great riff changes but still doesn't quite earn its duration, and although there's a progressive element to some of the structures in songs like 'Guardian' (reminiscent of Fates Warning even down to the title), it's never permitted to take over at a cost to the simple enjoyment of the song.
Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohammed are a great guitar team, playing some very memorable overtures in 'Fall of the Reich' and the interlude 'Destination' bur really impressing on every single song, and it's refreshing to hear power metal that balances power and melody so well, rather than being rooted predominantly in the high end. The classic metal solos are fantastic, as are the high screams, and despite the repetitive sound overall, the band still experiments down a few typical avenues such as the power ballad, most evident in the piano-led finale 'Lady of the Lake' that ends up sounding like a better version of Savatage. This is an interesting Australian band that isn't playing anything new, but has clearly spent time observing the best and worst of the genre and coming up with a winning formula.
1. Fall of the Reich
2. Legacy
3. Guardian
4. Sands of Time
5. Destination
6. Journeys End
7. Colliding Worlds
8. No Sanctuary
9. Beyond Reality
10. Lady of the Lake
Tomorrowland
***
Written on 20.02.08
The most recent album from Melbourne-based Black Majesty is a bit of a disappointment, but perhaps one I should have expected considering the subtle changes between their previous works. The songs tend to be a little shorter with less attempts to strive for the "epic" sound that they were never really on top of, but even the fun heavy metal pace has been toned down for the most part in favour of an overly melodic and steady groove.
Black Majesty's primary fault is how similar their songs tend to sound, and this becomes an even greater problem than ever here, with the first four songs all following exactly the same medium-speed style, forsaking the band's satisfying heaviness for a greater focus on melody that's ultimately blander. John Cavaliere's vocal performance is less impressive now that his voice is mainly required to sing softly rather than scream to the heavens, and Steve Janevski and Hanny Mohammed feel similarly stifled in their guitar duty, only really impressing with an unprecedented full-pelt solo section towards the end of the otherwise unremarkable 'Bleeding World,' before 'Faces of War' puts a temporary halt on the mellow style with its heavier riffs and drums and the older style sadly returns in even greater prominence for the predictably shallow 'Wings to Fly.'
The future isn't looking very bright for these Aussies, treading further down the path towards pop power metal that only ends up alienating older fans without drawing in the mainstream crowd, and I can only hope that they regain some of their old splendour by the next time their biennial release is due in 2009. When a cover of Deep Purple is by far the best song on your album, perhaps it's time to rethink your career decisions.
1. Forever Damned
2. Into the Black
3. Evil in Your Eyes
4. Tomorrowland
5. Soldier of Fortune (Deep Purple cover)
6. Bleeding World
7. Faces of War
8. Wings to Fly
9. Another Dawn
10. Scars
Master of Reality
Burning Metal Through the Atmosphere
*****
Written on 25.05.05
Hot off recording the infernal heavy metal album classic ‘Paranoid,’ Black Sabbath listened to their fast-growing fan base over their numerous critics, and unleashed the heaviest, dingiest and most consistent record of their seventies heyday. Finally shaking off the ‘evil blues’ sound that sadly dates their first two albums, Sabbath refine, define and perfect the genre of heavy metal with this thirty-five minute LP.
What Master of Reality lacks in quantity, it surpasses insurmountably in the strength of each of the five substantial songs, bridged by the unnecessary but pleasant acoustic instrumentals ‘Embryo’ and ‘Orchid.’ Iommi’s disturbingly down-tuned guitars still sound definitively gloomy and crushing today, rendering irrelevant the efforts of the increasingly elaborate and contrived metal acts over the next three decades. Bill Ward’s drums and Geezer Butler’s bass are at their most powerful here on tracks such as ‘Children of the Grave,’ aided by the impressive and fitting production, and even Ozzy’s distinctive vocals still inexplicably suit the music to a tee, before the madman’s move towards a higher pitched singing style on subsequent albums.
1. Sweet Leaf (5.02)
2. After Forever (5.25)
3. Embryo (0.28)
4. Children of the Grave (5.15)
5. Orchid (1.30)
6. Lord of This World (5.24)
7. Solitude (5.02)
8. Into the Void (6.07)
Opening with a looped cough, presumably one of the band members reacting badly to dope, the popular drug anthem ‘Sweet Leaf’ inadvertently perfects the sound that all those early nineties grunge bands were struggling to achieve, twenty years too early. Stylistically, this song is less complex and involved than the four that follow, but its unimposing five-minute duration and the first of many unforgettable guitar riffs on the album serve to bridge the gap between this album and its more accessible predecessor, Paranoid. ‘After Forever,’ Sabbath’s un-ironic Christian rocker, furthers this rock-n-roll sound and does so excellently, before the brief thirty-second acoustic tranquillity of ‘Embryo’ gives way to ‘Children of the Grave,’ unleashing crushing doom metal on an unprepared audience and only increasing in intensity with ‘Lord of This World’ and ‘Into the Void.’
All three songs share similarities, such as slow opening sections that give way to the speedy main riffs, and descent into semi-jam sections in the second half. ‘Lord of This World’ manages to remain weirdly melodic despite the down-tuned guitars and pounding drums, and features some uncharacteristically impressive guitar solos, a far cry from the blues-inspired noodling of the 1970 debut album. The inimitable (but much-covered) ‘Into the Void,’ a song that may not be instantly likeable but is unavoidably memorable, represents the culmination of the album’s attempts up to that point of forging the ultimate metal riff. Ozzy spoils it a little by attempting to whine something about rocket engines in sync, but this album could easily have been the final word on the burgeoning metal genre. But then, they never would have recorded classics such as ‘Symptom of the Universe.’
The sole curiosity on this reasonably samey album is ‘Solitude,’ an enjoyable ballad-esque acoustic song that sounds Medieval. Ozzy’s soft-spoken vocals are hardly recognisable, but the final word seems to be that this is indeed his voice, and not an early vocal stint by Ward. Along with ‘Embryo’ and ‘Orchid,’ which can be interpreted as preludes to the songs that respectively follow them, songs that already include additional introductory openings on bass or guitar, ‘Solitude’ keeps Master of Reality interesting at times when the definitive, ultimate metal of tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 just won’t satisfy.
There's no sub-three-minute rock radio staple in the vein of the band's most popular song 'Paranoid' here, as following such a popularist direction would have ensured the band's descent into bland hard rock territory, several years before such a fate would be destined to befall them anyway. But at the same time, the problematic song lengths of tracks such as 'War Pigs' and 'Hand of Doom' (also from the Paranoid album) have by this point been eradicated; 'Into the Void' is the longest song at a mere six minutes, and along with 'Lord of This World,' 'Children of the Grave' and 'After Forever' packs a lot of musical ideas into a single, concise song. The most glaringly obvious improvement of Master of Reality upon Paranoid is that there is no irritating drum solo on this album.
If Master of Reality is let down in one area, it’s the often-distracting lyrics. While Ozzy’s query, ‘Would you like to see the Pope on the end of a rope?’ in ‘After Forever’ starts the song off on a positive note (despite the silly rhyme) of individualism and questioning, this message soon becomes more an encouragement of Protestantism than the anti-Christian message the band had previously been accused of. As such, the song seems tarnished by a weak, apologetic stance, in the aftermath of the band becoming successful and wishing to avoid alienating potential listeners. To a lesser extent, the environmentally friendly sci-fi plot of ‘Into the Void’ seems a little desperate, almost as if Butler had to rush some lyrics on the day of recording and happened to notice a bottle bank on the way to the studio. Still, great guitar riff. Common themes throughout the album concern the destruction of the Earth by humanity's pollution and 'atomic age,' and a cry out to the children of tomorrow to sort it all out. Whoops.
Newcomers to Black Sabbath would benefit from the broader view offered by a best-of collection covering their classic early seventies period, such as the (fairly) recent ‘Very Best of Black Sabbath’ or even their contemporary ‘We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll.’ Master of Reality is perhaps the only consistent album the band has ever produced, but the heaviness and similarity of songs may deter casual listeners. The preceding albums ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘Paranoid’ represent the true origin of heavy metal, and feature the band’s most widely known songs, while the three that followed see the band experimenting with and progressing their sound to various degrees of success.
Best track: 'Lord of this World.'
Advantages: Landmark heavy metal album, excellent musicianship from all band members, classic songs
Disadvantages: Short and somewhat repetitive
Vol. 4
Snowblind in the Sun
****
Written on 02.09.06
After recording heavy metal’s definitive unholy trinity, Black Sabbath under the helm of guitarist Tony Iommi entered an experimental era that would soon see the band’s popularity and credibility plummet over the course of the decade. The un-cryptically titled ‘Vol. 4,’ the band’s self-explanatory fourth album, represents a thoroughly impressive and inspired cliff edge from which the band would later throw themselves like a kindle of coked-up Brummie lemmings.
Originally to be titled ‘Snowblind’ after the album’s happy cocaine anthem, but soon changed for pretty obvious reasons, ‘Vol. 4’ is one of Sabbath’s very best albums, paling only in comparison to its immediate predecessor, the gritty ‘Master of Reality.’ Rather than replicate their established and massively influential sound, Sabbath instead focused on a more hard rock direction incorporating progressive elements, and for the most part it’s a success. The band continued to pioneer heavy metal as an original genre, and this lack of established guidelines granted them enormous freedom to experiment: as such, ‘Vol. 4’ is more varied and adventurous than most metal albums that would follow, it’s nearly all excellent, and often pleasantly poetic.
‘Vol. 4’ is primarily let down by a generally thin production sound, and a lack of imagination as the album draws to a close. Whether the latter was due primarily to fatigue brought about by rapid album releases, disagreements between band members or the increasingly worrying amount of drugs the band was taking, I can’t be sure. Nevertheless, when this album is good, it really rocks. The unimpressive production is especially disappointing after the spectacular sludge of the ‘Master of Reality’ album, and gives the guitars and drums a more traditional hard rock sound akin to Led Zeppelin. The predecessor’s tightly edited thirty-five-minute playing time is also lost this time around, as the blues influence returns somewhat and causes most songs to over-run with unnecessary jams.
The lyrics predominantly display fear of an approaching insanity, similar to but less eloquent than Roger Waters’ preoccupation in Pink Floyd, and at a stretch this could be considered an unintentional concept album. ‘Wheels of Confusion’ and ‘Tomorrow’s Dream’ both describe a blur between fantasy and reality, while ‘Changes’ is a more simplistic cry for help after bereavement, perhaps indicating the need to escape, and this is picked up on in ‘Cornucopia’ and ‘St. Vitus’ Dance.’ ‘Under the Sun / Every Day Comes & Goes’ offers the final solution, advocating the escape from “their world of make-believe,” and only in the controversial ‘Snowblind’ are the speaker’s eyes opened thanks to the power of drugs. It may not have been intentional but it works pretty well, and likely provides an insight into the band’s collective psyche at this early and successful point in their career. Life is one big overdose.
1. Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener
2. Tomorrow’s Dream
3. Changes
4. FX
5. Supernaut
6. Snowblind
7. Cornucopia
8. Laguna Sunrise
9. St. Vitus’ Dance
10. Under the Sun / Every Day Comes & Goes
Longer Black Sabbath songs have been divided into ‘movements’ right from the debut album, but this is taken a step further when bluesy, hard rocking opener ‘Wheels of Confusion’ morphs seamlessly into a piano-led guitar jam from Iommi. The first note is abruptly loud and clear, but sadly acts as a perfect demonstration of the weak production sound. Ozzy sings Geezer Butler’s customarily pointless fantasy lyrics in a noticeably more irritating whine than the lower pitch of the previous albums, but his trademark cringe-inducing singing style wouldn’t properly develop until the next record. Taking this into account, the second (instrumental) half of this song is far more impressive, as Iommi’s seemingly relentless solo plays perfectly over the simplistic repeated bars of the piano. Depending on my mood, this song could be much, much, much longer.
‘Tomorrow’s Dream’ is the most commercially viable song on the album, and was rightly selected as the single. Taking cues from the earlier ‘After Forever’ and predicting all the big numbers on the next few Sabbath albums, this is a relaxed song that veers on ballad territory but is a bit too heavy on distortion to allow it. Ozzy sings inoffensively for a change, and there’s a nice jazz-influenced break towards the end of the song allowing Iommi to show off some groovy guitar and keyboard tricks, in something of a failed attempt to emulate psychedelia in metal. The next song takes the balladic leap, and it’s not a pretty sight.
I’ve heard that Ozzy and his daughter re-recorded ‘Changes’ a couple of years ago and it somehow got to number one. I haven’t heard it, but I’m very sure it’s godawful. Sabbath’s original is lacking in depth for all the wrong reasons; Ozzy’s echo-enhanced voice is more irritating than it’s ever been before or since, especially when required to fill a vast chasm occupied only by Iommi’s feeble piano ditty that sounds like something a seven-year-old could have come up with. (Then again, much of Basil Poledouris’ soundtrack for ‘Conan the Barbarian’ was based on melodies his seven-year-old daughter improvised. I’m not sure what point I’m making here, but it’s a funny fact). This is one of my all-time least favourite Black Sabbath songs, including their pitiful output from the eighties and nineties – and that’s saying something.
Concluding this undemanding sophomore section of the album, ‘FX’ is nothing but an entirely pointless interlude. The band’s probably trying to sound spacey or surreal, and indeed it might have been pretty cool for the acid-drenched hippies, but two minutes of nothing but random amplifier feedback makes even the most obtuse Tangerine Dream composition sound palatable. I tend to lump it along with ‘Changes’ as the part of the album that it’s always necessary to skip. Things can only get better, and the off-road swinging ‘Supernaut’ doesn’t disappoint. Led entirely by a selection of Iommi’s brilliantly simple riffs, a technique we’ve seen does not translate to piano, this is a relatively roundabout and circular four minutes of rolling guitars and sparse vocals with a fantastic steel drum refrain. One of the high points of the album and a genuine Sabbath classic, perhaps because it really doesn’t go anywhere.
The album takes a more epic turn with ‘Snowblind,’ the band’s not-so-secret song about cocaine that even features a very loud whisper of “cocaine!” after the first verse. Considering the pressure put on the band to remove most of the more oblique references, this really stands out as an effective mockery of Warner records. Laugh in their hypocritical snow-covered corporate faces. The music is slow and dingy, although not to the extent of past classics like ‘Lord of this World’ and ‘Black Sabbath,’ but the tempo and style shift excellently between verses, choruses and instrumental sections. This is the most technically accomplished song on the album and one of the very best, although after the simple fun of ‘Supernaut’ it may take some time to really grow on the listener. Ozzy’s voice defies expectation by sounding really good in the sing-song verses (akin to ‘Into the Void’), and Iommi seems to have finally grasped the potential of keyboards in providing effective background ambience.
‘Cornucopia’ desperately yearns for the production sound of ‘Master of Reality’ or ‘Paranoid,’ and would sound a whole lot more impressive if this had been granted. The trademark sluggish guitars don’t sound anywhere near as powerful in the opening section, and the song doesn’t really pick up until the pace is increased and Iommi adds a couple of solos. Everything about this song sounds like a last-minute re-hash of previous material, but thankfully it doesn’t last too long to become tedious. This is followed by the pleasant but overlong ‘Laguna Sunrise,’ the only acoustic instrumental on this album following the previous release’s ‘Orchid’ and ‘Embryo’ and unfortunately lasts for longer than the combined length of both. At just under three minutes, there shouldn’t be much difference between this repetitive ditty and ‘The Straightener’ so long before, but this one is a whole lot duller. Iommi plays a single repeated riff on a Spanish-sounding guitar that I’m not technical enough to provide any more information about.
Following the instrumental is another below-average-length song, but this time Ozzy contributes some vocals. ‘St. Vitus’ Dance’ has a bluesy feel to it, and acts as a weaker companion to ‘Supernaut’ in its focus on repeated riffs. It’s a nice song, especially for its length, but this time the lack of progress acts as a hindrance rather than an advantage as it was earlier. These things work very strangely. The final song is something of a caged beast, again restricted by weak production from being the Sabbath classic it perhaps deserves to be. Ozzy’s vocals over the guitars remind me a lot of several points on ‘Master of Reality,’ but this song doesn’t work quite as well, sounding repetitive for the most part but saved by some creative guitar by Iommi and a speedy departure into ‘Every Day Comes & Goes,’ which is effectively a different song in-between two halves of ‘Under the Sun.’ Butler’s bass can be heard clearly for the first time under Iommi’s solos. The album ends in excellent fashion, with overlapping melodic guitars soloing their way into the fade in a way Iommi would unfortunately never be able to play live, having only two hands. The final crushing note ends as abruptly as the wail that opened the first track forty-four minutes earlier.
Black Sabbath’s first three albums already contained progressive elements, especially in the Medieval-style ballads that remind most strongly of patriotic English prog bands such as King Crimson and Genesis. With ‘Vol. 4,’ keyboards are introduced and it becomes a lot easier to incorporate established prog traits, most notably the mellotron lurking in the background of ‘Changes,’ a fond staple of progressive music to this day. Only with ‘Snowblind’ does the synthetic sound genuinely add to the song, and the piano / guitar outro to ‘The Straightener’ is a real highlight, if a little self-indulgent at such an early point in the album. The loose and jazzy structures also detract from some of the songs, leaving only ‘Supernaut’ and ‘Snowblind,’ and perhaps ‘Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener’ sounding like true classics, the first of which could quite conceivably be traced as the direct origin of the ‘groove metal’ scene that dominated much of nineties metal, led by bands like Pantera and Machine Head.
A few too many liberties are taken with unnecessary jams in the weirdest places, and for every cool musical innovation (especially in Bill Ward’s percussion) there follows a blatant rip-off of earlier material. The band would proceed to incorporate synthesisers more strongly in their following albums, especially 1973’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ which manages to feature both an accomplished cameo by keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman and an absolutely abysmal composition by Ozzy Osbourne that’s up there with ‘Changes.’ Not down here in Hell where all of Black Sabbath’s best songs really belong.
Advantages: Interesting progressive elements fused with the band's established sound.
Disadvantages: A general air of fatigue and laziness.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Sorcerers of Madness
****
Written on 16.03.07
One of the most prominent and memorable Black Sabbath albums, 1973’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ is widely recognised as the band’s first album to depart from the heavy doom metal sound they pioneered, and the first to feature additional instruments and classical elements. Despite neither of these claims being true – its cocaine-soaked predecessor ‘Vol. 4’ remains their most progressive, but didn’t sell quite as well – this later release defined the style that would dominate the second half of the band’s classic period, and ultimately lead to its downfall several years later.
‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ which I’ll call SBS from now on for the obvious reasons (length and severe profanity), remains a typical Sabbath album despite its diversity. Most tracks are full of timeless down-tuned blues-inspired guitar riffs and the discordant shrieks of Ozzy Osbourne, and there’s a trademark lack of consistency to the whole thing. Perhaps the only Sabbath album that comes close to perfect in terms of what it’s aiming for is 1971’s excellent ‘Master of Reality,’ which cheats by being only half an hour long and not bothering to tag on a rubbish synthesiser track. The diversity of SBS largely comes in the division between the ‘classic’ and progressive Sabbath sound, which roughly corresponds to each respective side of the LP. Tracks 1 to 4, with the exception of the acoustic instrumental third track, would fit easily amongst ‘Vol. 4’ material, while tracks 5 to 8 are something not really heard before, a form of accessible heavy rock that anticipates 1990s grunge. The first song, the title track, sounds like traditional Sabbath with interesting acoustic breaks and restless alternation between classic guitar riffs, while the final track explores acoustic integration more fully and makes for the album’s most successful experiment. But when the experiments fail, they fail really, really horribly.
Ex-Yes keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman lends his distinctive flair to ‘Who Are You?’, though his sweeping organ cameo goes all but unnoticed after three minutes of ad nauseam terrible keyboard melody. Like the almost-as-awful piano ballad ‘Changes’ on the previous album, the tune is simplistic in the bad, amateurish, childish sense, plodding along like a slowed-down arcade game through dull verses, accompanied only by Ozzy’s wails, and deteriorating even further in the chorus. This is one of the few songs Osbourne wrote during his decade with the band, and fails to show any potential for the success he would later achieve. Even the dull acoustic interlude ‘Fluff’ manages to be more entertaining, despite being severely overlong; expanding on the brief baroque interludes on the previous two albums, Iommi demonstrates his unplugged flair here and provides epilogue material for endless future live shows. Unfortunately it doesn’t work so well as the third track of the album, and the impressive things going on in the background tend to be lost in the repetitiveness of the main melody.
The album opens with the strong ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ an attack at deceitful record labels and liars in general, and rightfully one of the band’s most popular songs. The fuzzy opening riff crawls out of the gutter and is soon joined by the rest of the instruments and Ozzy’s singing. This was the debut of his high pitched vocal style, something from which he never recovered. It’s not always a bad thing, but sometimes spoils choruses by making the lyrics sound too exaggerated. This is especially noticeable on this opening track, and is the only weak part; Iommi’s multiple riffs have all the heaviness that can be expected of early metal, and the song lasts for a perfect five-and-a-half minutes. ‘A National Acrobat’ follows and is another highlight, with perhaps the ultimate down-tuned sludge riff joined by a higher pitched melody and evolving organically and superbly over the course of six minutes. The real technical triumph all comes within the last minute, as Iommi and drummer Bill Ward produce some of the heaviest riffs in Sabbath history that last for all of ten seconds each, and clearly act as an immediate predecessor to thrash metal. The song ends with a really odd guitar melody that scales frantically higher and higher before ceasing abruptly, and leaving things sounding confusingly unfulfilled. This can only be remedied by beginning the song again, and repeating until bored. As with ‘Wheels of Confusion’ on the previous album, I find this song oddly relaxing, and it would probably be my first choice as song to listen to forever, if the situation ever arose. Ozzy’s vocals are far less prominent in the mix here, and don’t reach quite so high. It is thus much better.
Rick Wakeman’s other appearance comes two minutes into the fourth track, ‘Sabbra Cadabra,’ and signals the song’s instant descent from fantastically fun heavy metal love song to dull jazzy nothing-piece. Ozzy’s love-struck screeching over one of Iommi’s most brilliantly simplistic riffs (in a good way, this time) sets up an incredible song, but sadly the opportunity is lost and lousy experimentation is favoured. The tom-tom percussion from the older song ‘Supernaut’ rears its head again, as does a jazz piano that sounds alternately entertaining or out of place whenever I listen to this. Perhaps Sabbath couldn’t think of a way to continue and conclude ‘Sabbra Cadabra’ naturally, so this radical departure was used as a way out. In this case, I’d still rather this have been a short and sweet two minute piece of giddy optimism amidst the waste. Metallica covered this song for their 1998 covers album and surprisingly managed to improve upon it, though by mixing it with ‘A National Acrobat’ they butchered that great song in the process.
More consistent is ‘Killing Yourself to Live,’ the start of the album’s second half and grunge-esque style, favouring accessibility and focus on bluesy guitar over the mad experimentation that ruined track four. The guitars are really good, but this section of the album ends up sounding like a bland middle ground between the heavy and acoustic elements that made up songs like the title track, also beginning a trend of focusing more on memorable chorus singing than impressive head-banging riffs. Bassist Geezer Butler wrote this song while in hospital for excessive drinking, making for a typically dingy Sabbath premise despite the general uplifting sound. ‘Looking for Today’ pushes this optimism even further, but apart from another deliberately memorable pop chorus, doesn’t offer anything new. There are some nice mellotron and folk elements in the background, reminiscent of early King Crimson, though the guitars are more derivative of Led Zeppelin. Fortunately the album ends on a high note (literally in this case. I’ve made the ‘not literally’ joke on every other music review so far, and I’ve finally found one that does) with the excellent ‘Spiral Architect.’ Becoming a live favourite, this song shows how good Black Sabbath can sound when incorporating acoustic guitar more fully and properly, sounding in many places like a mellowed out version of the first song, especially in the similar verses. Ozzy sounds far more at home when dealing with the lighter material, as evidenced on the last couple of albums, meaning that I depart this album hating him far less than I did forty minutes earlier in the screeching opener.
SBS is a slightly over-rated album as far as Black Sabbath goes, and despite ushering in a more radio-friendly era for the band, which can be viewed as a good or bad thing, it’s the first on which they really begin to lose their sound. It’s likely that this was an inevitable event, especially considering the inconsistency and evident rushed nature of each album (though this adds a lot to their charm), and only ‘Who Are You?’ manages to be truly awful. ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ ‘A National Acrobat’ and ‘Spiral Architect’ are all essential Sabbath classics, as are the first couple of minutes of ‘Sabbra Cadabra,’ so there’s not too much at fault on this album. The follow-up ‘Sabotage’ fails to continue the progression evident here and instead sounds almost exactly like this album, so listeners aggravated that ‘Spiral Architect’ really started taking things somewhere should check that album out for a sound-alike. ‘Vol. 4’ remains the most experimental and diverse, ‘Master of Reality’ remains their most distinctive, and ‘Paranoid’ has the best songs. SBS falls somewhere in the middle, but mainly loses out for coming fifth in such an illustrious line.
Sabotage
****
Written on 19.03.08
Although Ozzy Osbourne recorded two more albums before departing Black Sabbath, 1975's 'Sabotage' is the final album of their classic period before band disagreements and a lack of creativity rendered the subsequent releases merely tolerable. Following directly on from the more commercial, hard rock style of its predecessor 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' it's difficult to resist comparing the similar songs from the two albums and indulging in an adolescent debate over which is best. So I won't break with tradition here; 'SBS' was a bit better and more varied, but 'Sabotage' is the more consistent and perhaps even the most mature album the band would record this decade, in a loose sense of the word.
Having supplemented and largely replaced their earlier, heavy style with progressive hard rock touches over the previous two albums, Sabbath returns to form slightly in the first half of the album with the monstrously dark 'Symptom of the Universe' preceded by the short acoustic interlude 'Don't Start (Too Late)' and harking back to the glory days of 'Master of Reality,' arguably their finest album (if I was doing the arguing). After this point the sound reverts to Zeppelinesque hard rock of 'SBS' and 'Vol. 4' with less aggressive guitar riffs, frequent acoustic passages and even the return of the keyboards that characterised the previous album and were one of its major failings due to over-use, particularly in Ozzy's god-awful 'Who Are You?', but fortunately there's nothing of comparable embarrassment on this release. Only the contrived single 'Am I Going Insane' really stands out for seeking mainstream appeal, ironically the most stable song here with Ozzy's calmest singing performance and a lack of the shifting structures and mood swings of earlier songs, while the rest continues to chart Black Sabbath's natural evolution.
Along with the wickeder 'Symptom of the Universe,' 'Hole in the Sky' provides something for fans of the band's louder metal style, and it's admirable that it was chosen to open the album rather than something with more commercial appeal. Tony Iommi's leading riff is great, Geezer Butler's bass is prominent throughout, and Ozzy puts in his first of several manic performances screeching in the same higher-pitched whine he introduced on the previous album, singing intelligent lyrics criticising humanity's self-destructive tendencies and general failure to ensure the planet won't explode some time in the near future.
'Symptom' furthers these sounds to a greater extreme, Iommi's riff now being despicably gritty and his solo loud and blaring rather than the calm, integrated performance of the earlier song, and Bill Ward's drums become particularly frenzied between the verses. The lighter, acoustic finale is a great touch, even if it may disappoint metal fans, and leads perfectly into the album's longest and most intricate song 'Megalomania,' a great performance that may never be rated among Sabbath's classics, but rivals 'Wheels of Confusion' as their most successful experimental piece, one that becomes nicely upbeat and never drags on and will no doubt surprise people who've listened to the album plenty of times over the last few years and have only just noticed in reviewing it that it's almost ten minutes long. Well I'll be.
The latter half of the album suffers in comparison as the band run out of great ideas, the instrumental 'Supertzar' being pretty cool with its choir, even though it sounds like something from a Disney film, but the performance on the whole is insubstantial. 'Thrill of It All' is another mellow hard rock song that doesn't stand out in the band's discography, and overlong finale 'The Writ' fails to recapture the magic of the previous album closer 'Spiral Architect,' though it's nice to hear Ozzy returning to his deranged persona after the comparatively lucid 'Am I Going Insane?' No, you are not, but your next recordings with the band are going to be reasonably rubbish.
1. Hole in the Sky
2. Don't Start (Too Late)
3. Symptom of the Universe
4. Megalomania
5. Thrill of It All
6. Supertzar
7. Am I Going Insane (Radio)
8. The Writ
We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll
Heavy Metal: The First Six Years
****
Written on 11.10.05
The first in a continuing line of "best of Black Sabbath" collections, the poetically titled 'We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll' has the advantage of being released at the height of the band's success with its original, classic line-up. Well chosen excerpts from their first six albums of the early seventies demonstrate the musical progress made by the band, as well as the success of each respective, highly influential style.
WE SOLD OUR SOUL FOR ROCK 'N' ROLL
1. Black Sabbath
2. The Wizard
3. Paranoid
4. War Pigs
5. Iron Man
6. Tomorrow's Dream
7. Fairies Wear Boots
8. Changes
9. Sweet Leaf
10. Children of the Grave
11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
12. Am I Going Insane (Radio)
13. Snowblind
14. NIB
The single disc edition of We Sold Our Soul features fourteen tracks, appearing in a roughly chronological order save for a couple of exceptions. The self-titled 1970 debut is represented by the doomy blues metal of 'Black Sabbath,' 'The Wizard' and 'NIB,' the bestselling Paranoid donates the memorable singles 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' as well as the more elaborate 'War Pigs' and 'Fairies Wear Boots,' while 'Sweet Leaf,' and 'Children of the Grave' are taken from the shorter Master of Reality, the album that really defined heavy metal. Vol. 4 offers an interesting bunch with 'Tomorrow's Dream,' 'Changes' and 'Snowblind,' but oddly a skimpier section of the album showcases the band's two more recent albums, each lending only one track each.
How many albums now begin with the crunching, demonic power chords of 'Black Sabbath?' The epic song's original status as the opening track of the band's debut album offers a nice excuse for anthologies to be arranged as a timeline. There is no sense of musical perfection about these tracks, as that doesn't seem to go hand-in-hand with the band's attitude of the time, but that doesn't make these recordings any less classic or enjoyable. The main apparent reason for shifting a couple of songs around in order is to avoid repeating a similar style; 'Black Sabbath,' 'War Pigs,' 'Fairies Wear Boots' and 'Children of the Grave' would all be arranged within a couple of songs of each other, and all are lengthy, heavy, plodding pieces that the band perform so well. The latter track in particular captures the early Black Sabbath sound better than any other inclusion, except perhaps the legendary 'NIB' which is shifted to the end in an attempt for a little more musical coherence.
The galloping, almost radio-friendly sound of 'Paranoid,' Sabbath's most famous song and one of the greatest hits of heavy metal, is also found in the madly catchy 'Iron Man,' the cackling 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Am I Going Insane (Radio),' the last two showing a lighter and more accessible sound to the band's music, despite the trademark Ozzy Osbourne wailing and extensive guitar solos. 'Sweet Leaf,' their controversial cannabis anthem, also proves that it was Black Sabbath and not Nirvana who invented grunge.
The remaining tracks all show a different progression of the band's music, giving a taste of more experimental times. 'After Forever' is a good metal ballad, 'Changes' is the band's simple but popular piano ballad, the only non-metal song on the collection, and 'Snowblind' shows the hard rocking, Led Zeppelin-esque side of 1974's Vol. 4.
GOING THROUGH CHANGES
There is an obvious drawback to any greatest hits collection: people's favourites will be missing, while songs they deem of less worth will keep surfacing. Black Sabbath's studio albums, even in their golden years, were usually fifty-fifty in terms of quality and enjoyment, and for the most part this is a very well-chosen collection. Strangely there is a double CD version of We Sold Our Soul, but it only includes a couple of extra tracks that makes the total running time just over the standard 80 minutes of one CD. While a two-disc release at this early point of a band's career seems a little over the top, this slight extension allowed for some of Tony Iommi's acoustic instrumentals to be highlighted, one of the selling points of the Master of Reality and Vol. 4 albums.
Okay, to be honest there is a lot that should have been done differently: time has told, as have I. The inclusion of the reflective 'Changes' begs the question why the far more accomplished, relaxed and jazzy 'Planet Caravan' wasn't deemed worthy of inclusion instead of the average 'Fairies Wear Boots' from the same album. I also would have preferred the far superior metal ballad 'After Forever' from Master of Reality to 'Tomorrow's Dream' from a year later.
My final two gripes: where the hell are 'Symptom of the Universe' and 'Supernaut?' The immortal riffs and odd steel drum refrains of these Sabbath classics from '74 and '76 make them superior tracks to the similar 'Snowblind' and 'Am I Going Insane.' It may be petty, but for this outrage I'm docking the album one star because I can. This is clearly somewhat a matter of personal taste; obviously this release includes nothing from 1977's 'Technical Ecstasy,' the album most commonly seen as the start of the band's deterioration, or the crazy train of descent and vocalist shifts that plagued the band's career ever after. This makes for a far more solid release that nowadays has an easy excuse to avoid the politeness of including disappointing modern material.
BLOODY SABBATH
Rock fans who have heard 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' and want to discover more could look nowhere better than We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll, which gives a fair overview of their achievements in the first half of the 1970s, even if over half of the running time is devoted to songs from the first two albums. The major drawback, and something that didn't matter too much at the time, is that it offers nothing new to fans who already own the source albums: every song appears exactly as it did originally, with no remastering or pointless irritating multimedia features of any kind. The title is excellent but the bland cover means that even completists can avoid purchasing, but we all know what they are like.
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are all at the peak of their talents here, in the crazy drug-addled formative years of heavy metal. It's a shame that this album doesn't include, as it may appear at first glance, a new song in the form of 'We Sold Our Souls,' Ozzy screaming his plea to Mephastophilis for twenty-five years of rock in exchange for the souls of the four untidy Birmingham musicians, especially in the post-Sabotage hiatus of the increasingly quarrelsome band.
Not quite an essential purchase, but as great an overview as you will find of Black Sabbath's early years and an eerily accurate time to release a celebratory collection before Black Sabbath lost their way. All the hits are here, balanced out with longer, more elaborate pieces and the occasional thoughtful aside including, of all the band's goddamned satanic instruments, a charming grand piano. Heavy metal.
Never Say Die
Never Say Ozzy (Again)
**
Written on 02.10.05
The last album to be released from Black Sabbath's "classic" line-up proved to be something of a disappointment. Although initially seeming more impressive than their previous offering, the watered down, poorly experimental 'Technical Ecstasy,' Never Say Die soon descends into a confusing and mediocre effort. But incomplete and half-arsed though it is, the Black Sabbath touches that remain make me return to this album every once in a while.
HARD ROAD
The original Black Sabbath line-up of Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) produced eight studio albums through the seventies, their music evolving from the "evil blues" of their debut through their most famous era through which they invented, defined and perfected heavy metal, and finally entering something of a low point as synthesiser experimentation and radio-friendly tracks began dragging their albums down.
The mediocrity of Never Say Die is due to record label deadlines and the general discomfort of the band, owing in a large part to Ozzy Osbourne's increasingly erratic and drug-addled behaviour that led to him being fired from Sabbath after this release. It's a true and widely held belief that there is no such thing as a perfect Black Sabbath album; the band by their nature acted on instinct and didn't care too much about who they impressed, which gives their early releases a brilliant atmosphere that is dingy, wicked and also oddly relaxing. Never Say Die wouldn't fare too badly if some of the songs displayed a little originality or longevity, but the truth is, even Sabbath fans are probably best off without.
NEVER SAY DIE
1. Never Say Die
2. Johnny Blade
3. Junior's Eyes
4. Hard Road
5. Shock Wave
6. Air Dance
7. Over to You
8. Break Out
9. Swinging the Chain
The typical hard rock sound of late seventies Sabbath results in 'Never Say Die,' 'Johnny Blade,' 'Hard Road' and 'Shock Wave,' all enjoyable in their own right but lacking whatever it is that keeps classics such as 'Paranoid' and 'A National Acrobat' interesting after decades. Ozzy's vocals are at their typical haunting best, his almost spoken verses and choruses proving that vocalists don't always have to be talented to be entertaining. Iommi's solos aren't particularly memorable, while Bill Ward gets little chance to shine until the jazzy instrumental 'Break Out' and his second stint on vocals (after the previous album's 'It's Alright'), the fairly dull 'Swinging the Chain.'
The album does hold a couple of nice surprises amidst these oddities, notably the unexpected melodic trippiness of 'Air Dance' and the lengthy 'Junior's Eyes,' the best track on this album. There's something a little unnerving about Ozzy singing 'Over to You' two-thirds of the way through the album as his final Sabbath offering.
VERDICT
With its last-minute cover art, poor production and lack of anything really spectacular, Never Say Die is a disappointing final chapter of the original Black Sabbath line-up, pushed into the shadows and almost forgotten along with many of their later albums from the eighties and nineties (that are often truly awful).
The title track, 'Junior's Eyes' and 'Air Dance' are all worth a listen by heavy metal fans, but Ozzy's vocals really grate on a couple of tracks. The band made a wise decision in dispatching Ozzy, which thankfully led to an up-and-down solo career for the star and allowed Sabbath to recruit Ronnie James Dio for the enjoyable albums 'Heaven an Hell,' 'Mob Rules' and 'Dehumanizer.'
Anyone interested in Black Sabbath would be best checking out some of their earlier albums. 'Black Sabbath,' 'Paranoid' and 'Master of Reality' defined their doom metal sound while 'Vol 4,' 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Sabotage' expanded into hard rock territory, similar to Led Zeppelin. 'Technical Ecstasy' and 'Never Say Die' don't catch this classic Birmingham quartet at their best.
Heaven and Hell
Cry Out to Legions of the Brave
*****
Written on 20.02.08
The eighties would prove to be a turbulent and wildly varied decade for Black Sabbath, but their two albums with new singer Ronnie James Dio (formerly of Rainbow) provided a welcome boost and a second, albeit short-lived classic period after the final couple of albums with Ozzy Osbourne proved disappointing. 'Heaven and Hell' takes some of the skills Tony Iommi and the rest of the band had used so successfully throughout the seventies, but for the most part wipes the slate clean and inaugurates what is in some ways a completely different band, just one with four of the same faces as the old Black Sabbath.
Dio's operatic wail and domineering presence marks a radical change from Ozzy's detached whine, and is integral in giving this album a grander, epic feel, particularly on the longer, more intricate songs. The rest of the band are partly content to let Dio hog the limelight, not indulging in any of the frivolous instrumental excess of the early albums, but Iommi in particular makes his presence felt with some more timeless guitar riffs to add the Sabbath song book. Opener 'Neon Knights' is a fast, rousing, upbeat start to the album that immediately signals a departure from Sabbath's established sound, actually sounding a lot more like Rainbow.
After this, the speed slows to favour a more palatable groove apart from some brief passages towards the end of longer songs, and Iommi experiments with some excellent acoustic touches to compliment his roaring electric guitar starting in the classic 'Children of the Sea,' which foreshadows the might of the title song. 'Heaven and Hell' is one of the all-time Sabbath classics, and certainly their most accomplished "epic," led by Iommi's ominous riff of doom and backed up by excellent bass and drums from Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Dio's voice is at its best here, suiting the expansive atmosphere and varying from a harsher to a softer tone before his voice starts to seem a little silly and over-the-top on some of the more down-to-earth later tracks.
The rest of the album is less remarkable compared to these three classics, but each song is still inherently high quality. 'Lady Evil' is a nice mix of old and new Sabbath with a catchy chorus and a harder rocking second half, 'Wishing Well' is the same sort of thing but less good, and 'Walk Away' sounds a bit too much like generic seventies hard rock for my liking. On the plus side, 'Die Young' evolves from a seemingly boring ballad into a faster song almost up to speed with 'Neon Knights,' let down by some obvious similarities to that song and to direct riffs from 'Heaven and Hell,' but interesting for Dio's slightly more manic take on the vocals, and unhinged instrumental section. 'Lonely is the Word' is the inevitable slow finale that thankfully isn't a ballad, but isn't particularly interesting either, outside of a pleasant mellow central section that leads to a nice, long guitar solo to go out on.
'Heaven and Hell' is the first notable Sabbath album since 'Sabotage,' and a fantastic start for a new era that would sadly all too soon be over. It's a testament to the integrity and popularity of the Dio years that the line-up (actually the line-up from the next album, with Vinny Appice on drums) reformed last year and headlined festivals under the 'Heaven and Hell' band title, as the title song in particular remains a rock classic.
1. Neon Knights
2. Children of the Sea
3. Lady Evil
4. Heaven and Hell
5. Wishing Well
6. Die Young
7. Walk Away
8. Lonely is the Word
Advantages: Excellent new direction to revitalise Black Sabbath.
Disadvantages: Some songs are too similar, and the sound tends more towards hard rock than metal.
Mob Rules
On a Small World West of Wonder
****
Written on 20.02.08
The second Dio album is commonly regarded as the necessary twin to 'Heaven and Hell,' but is a little disappointing when contrasted directly with its predecessor for sounding, at best, exactly the same, and at worst, worse. The experimental side of the last album is still present here, most notably in the prominence of keyboards in track three leading to the entirely synthesised instrumental ambience of 'E5150' (a numerical pun on the word "evil" arrived at through conversion to Roman numerals. Go on, do it), but this sadly leaves the majority of the album sounding very average and indistinct as a result. 'Turn Up the Night' lacks the energy of the previous album opener 'Neon Knights' and is based entirely around Dio's vocal performance, also unchanged and a little tiresome after the last release, and the speed and excitement decrease further in 'Voodoo.' Fortunately, the album picks up after this slow start and becomes an enjoyable imitation of 'Heaven and Hell,' often to the point where I'm unable to tell the difference.
'The Sign of the Southern Cross' is the main offender in the sound-alike stakes, beginning with soft acoustic passages and effeminately high singing from Dio and eventually arriving at a monstrous guitar riff to carry us through this epic song, but it sounds so much like the preceding album's titular 'Heaven and Hell' that it suffers as a result - presumably the band was well aware of the similarity, as the live album 'Live Evil' combines the two songs in a seamless medley. Coming later in the album, 'Falling Off the Edge of the World' follows a very similar style but to less enticing effect, though it does showcase new drummer Vinny Appice better than any other, while Geezer Butler's bass fares well in the closing 'Over and Over,' a dingier harking back to old Sabbath that doesn't quite get there.
This album's title song is thankfully still fresh-sounding and original, a better take on the medium speed groove of the opening songs that doesn't outstay its welcome and explodes satisfyingly out of the speakers after the relative tedium of the instrumental bridge, but the similar songs that follow are less exciting, and too rooted in the hard rock tradition to be of any real interest, the choruses being all that really stands out. 'The Mob Rules' isn't as good as 'Heaven and Hell' but is a nice enough continuation of the sound, even if all it does is to prove how this second incarnation of the band had used its limited ideas up in one short burst. The future wasn't going to be bright after this point, with Dio's departure to form a solo band in a similar style initiating a career slump for Sabbath from which they would never really recover until reunion time, but on the positive side it does mean fans were spared a further ten albums of Dio sounding exactly the same in every single song.
1. Turn Up the Night
2. Voodoo
3. The Sign of the Southern Cross
4. E5150
5. The Mob Rules
6. Country Girl
7. Slipping Away
8. Falling Off the Edge of the World
9. Over and Over
Advantages: Some more great epics and slow rockers.
Disadvantages: Far too similar to 'Heaven and Hell,' and not as good.
Live at Last
****
Written on 20.02.08
'Live At Last' was the long-awaited live album from Black Sabbath, which unfortunately had a fairly controversial background by being completely unofficial, despite receiving a mainstream release. This evidently angered the band's management and was likely a key factor in releasing an official answering-back in the form of 'Live Evil' two years later, but fortunately for the contemporary fans who didn't mind giving some cash to an unlicensed product, this earlier release remained appealing and different for being recorded back in the Ozzy Osbourne years, when the band was arguably at its peak (and certainly its most popular). It's a damn sight better than a bootleg too.
This hour-long performance sees Black Sabbath performing songs from their first five classic albums, the emphasis oddly being more on the third and fourth, which makes this even more appealing to me as those are my favourite Sabbath releases, though as is always the way, many of my actual favourite songs are missing. The tracklist is an interesting mix of obvious classics ('Paranoid,' 'War Pigs,' 'Children of the Grave') and some slightly lesser-known offerings that wouldn't appear on some later live releases, particularly 'Killing Yourself to Live' which is the only representation of the 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' (despite being one of its weaker tracks - there I go again). This marks the recording out nicely as a record of a distinct period in the band's early history, which can be contrasted with the entirely nostalgia-based performances of today that expressly favour the most famous ten or so songs with little variation, while also meaning that the band were still young, eager, in the zone and out of their heads.
As an unofficial release produced without the band's knowledge, there's less likelihood of studio tampering to guarantee a genuine audio record of the performance, but the excellent production job proves that the four band members were all performing at their very best, and also grants the songs from the 'Vol. 4' album some extra heaviness more in line with the rest, that was lacking from the end result of that album. While edits have probably been made, particularly as a fade-out after track six marks out the end of the first side of the original vinyl, the extended solos and somewhat annoying improvisation that dominates the eighteen minutes of 'Wicked World' gives a true feeling of the original show, as does the brief tuning up before 'War Pigs.'
All of the songs here are fine examples of the band's best work, with the possible exception of the aforementioned 'Killing Yourself to Live,' and the band's energy is matched by the nicely (but not distractingly) audible crowd response. Fans of the band's early heavy period have a hell of a lot going for them here, with the drug anthems 'Sweet Leaf' and 'Snowblind' alongside their classic 'Children of the Grave' (Ozzy performs the original version of 'Snowblind' with yells of "cocaine" intact after every verse, rather than the single whisper eventually haggled on the studio version), but the album is less grateful for newcomers who've only heard the big hits 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' and desire more of the same; there are more recent live recordings from the geriatric band to suit your needs.
Of course, all of this stage freedom isn't necessarily a good thing, and while it's nice to hear songs performed differently in a live format (or what would be the point of owning them twice?), 'Wicked World' is pushing it. The song itself bookends this eighteen minute odyssey of frantic guitar and (oh god) drum solos, but there are a couple of exciting highlights when the band starts to perform the classics 'Into the Void' and 'Supernaut,' the latter being the only one followed through to any serious degree. While this track is the one to be wary of on repeated listens, this is one of my favourite official live Sabbath albums. Oh wait, except that it's unofficial.
1. Tomorrow's Dream
2. Sweet Leaf
3. Killing Yourself to Live
4. Cornucopia
5. Snowblind
6. Children of the Grave
7. War Pigs
8. Wicked World
9. Paranoid
Born Again
**
Written on 21.02.08
Following up the performances of Ronnie James Dio on the preceding two Black Sabbath albums was going to be tricky, but the resourceful band struck gold by recruiting ex-Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan for this one-time performance. Just as Dio brought shades of Rainbow with him, Gillan infuses the eleventh Sabbath album with a distinctly gritty rock style reminiscent of his former band, but hindered by a poor production job (especially noticeable after the polished 'Heaven and Hell' and 'Mob Rules'), the album became an unpopular and happily forgotten entry into the Black Sabbath canon. I guess I'm arguing that it's not all that bad really.
The fuzzy sound quality is pretty distracting, obscuring much of Tony Iommi's rhythm guitar which turns into a mere scratch behind Geezer Butler's prominent bass, and the drums are only really audible when crashing into the cymbal range. Gillan's vocals can be heard loud and clear and are permissibly prominent considering this was his sole Sabbath outing, but he only really hits his stride with 'Zero the Hero' following some piercing and overly maniacal performances in the earlier songs. Particularly compared to something like 'Mob Rules,' this is an unbalanced and unhinged release which can be a good thing on occasion, permitting more time for instrumental sections that continue in a pleasantly hypnotic ad nauseam in 'Zero the Hero,' wail relentlessly with fast solos in 'Hot Line' and screw around messily like bad prog in 'Disturbing the Priest.' On the other hand, the often overly long songs balanced out by short, worthless interludes in the form of 'Stonehenge' and 'The Dark' count against the album, particularly as it wasn't the wisest decision in post-Spinal Tap 1983 to namedrop Stonehenge, though this could be a joking reference to that (especially as Sabbath's own contribution to that memorable scene from the film has been well documented).
While 'Disturbing the Priest' is a little too uneven and 'Trashed' sounds like second-rate Deep Purple, the rest of the album after this point becomes far more palatable, and would be even better if treated to a re-master. 'Digital Bitch' is a nice short, sharp and crude rock anthem that basically succeeds where 'Trashed' went wrong, and even the slower, more melodic songs come off sounding good rather than the sort of sentimental ballad rubbish that would begin to plague Sabbath albums from its lousy successor 'Seventh Star.' The titular 'Born Again' features lots of nice lead guitars even if it's a little too long and mellow, and the finale 'Keep it Warm' is Gillan's finest vocal performance here, with a particularly memorable chorus. While the sound quality is terrible, the music quite uninspired, the artwork cheap and the performances lethargic, 'Born Again' isn't quite as bad as some people make it out to be, though it is pretty bad, and does have the undesirable accolade of being the start of Black Sabbath's downfall.
1. Trashed
2. Stonehenge
3. Disturbing the Priest
4. The Dark
5. Zero the Hero
6. Digital Bitch
7. Born Again
8. Hot Line
9. Keep it Warm
Seventh Star
Tony Iommi Owes Me an Apology
**
Written on 18.06.07
The later career of Black Sabbath is characterised by uneven uncertainty, and 1985’s ‘Seventh Star’ is the most significant departure of the lot. In its favour, guitarist Tony Iommi wrote the album with the intention of it being his first ‘solo’ release, the band consisting of an entirely different line-up than was the norm for Sabbath, even in the turbulent revolving door period of the eighties, and the music following a lighter, poppier and more blues-oriented direction than the sludgy heavy metal of Iommi’s previous work. Nevertheless, pressure from manager Don Arden resulted in the ‘Seventh Star’ release being credited informally as the twelfth Black Sabbath album, but credited specifically to ‘Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi,’ a peculiar choice of phrase considering Iommi is himself the only original Black Sabbath member present, and none apart from keyboard player Geoff Nicholls had been associated with the band prior to this.
The deliberate departure from the sound Iommi and his previous band members had pioneered and developed throughout the seventies and early eighties makes this a difficult album for long-time fans to appreciate, but the orientation towards a more commercial sounding form of rock would continue through the next three albums, assuring this record’s influential place in the canon. I should probably point out at this stage that this is my least favourite Black Sabbath album for all the common reasons, but still has enough in its favour as a release that was attempting to diversify to rate it at least equally to the albums ‘Technical Ecstasy’ and ‘Forbidden’ that capture different incarnations of Black Sabbath at their most tired and apathetic.
Glenn Hughes follows in the footsteps of Ian Gillan on the previous album as the second Deep Purple vocalist to act as temporary Black Sabbath frontman, and he performs about as well as can be expected in his capacity as third-rate sound-alike to the big names. The radio-friendly tone of most of the album, particularly the softer love songs, are sung just as anyone who’s ever heard an Aerosmith or Bon Jovi ballad would expect, while the more traditionally hard rock pieces such as the title track sound the more like Deep Purple under Gillan than the bombastic operatics of earlier Sabbath favourite Ronnie James Dio, and the whole thing is miles from the nasal shrieks of the band’s longest serving vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Iommi’s guitar is commendably modest for what was intended to be a solo album, primarily seeming content to riff along with the rhythm section and performing the occasional solo, and if anything this album is his least guitar-oriented up to this point.
Dave Spitz takes over bass guitar duties from old timer Geezer Butler, who departed along with original drummer Bill Ward after the previous album, and he performs with complete mediocrity. Slightly better is Dave Spitz on drums, although he is relegated to providing a slow beat most of the time, while the necessary dreamy eighties atmosphere is enhanced by Geoff Nicholls’ polished keyboards, occasionally pushed to the forefront. These temporary Black Sabbath line-ups were always fairly disappointing, as a group of unconnected musicians are drafted into the studio and gradually fall off the world tour one by one, and it would take until the end of the decade for Iommi and co. to achieve a level of cooperative stability not seen since the Dio years.
1. In For the Kill
2. No Stranger to Love
3. Turn to Stone
4. Sphinx (The Guardian)
5. Seventh Star
6. Danger Zone
7. Heart Like a Wheel
8. Angry Heart
9. In Memory...
A simple glance at the track-list reveals the formulaic structure of this album, boasting a mix of epic songs lasting over five minutes for the hardcore fans, particularly the enigmatic ‘Seventh Star’ backed up by its Egyptian sounding precursor, with the fast-sounding ‘In For the Kill’ and ‘Turn to Stone’ balanced by the obvious ballads ‘No Stranger to Love’ and ‘Angry Heart,’ all edited to running times of 7” perfection. While the album isn’t entirely predictable, sometimes harking back to the old Sabbath sound presumed lost and other times, such as the final two tracks, defying expectation a little bit, this is primarily an album designed to sell well rather than an artistic statement, with recycled pop lyrics avoiding the confrontational pagan and drug themes the band is better known for.
There’s still enough energy to keep things interesting for rock fans most of the time, particularly with songs like the afore-mentioned ‘In for the Kill’ and ‘Turn to Stone’ which play out almost exactly as I had imagined. The chorus vocals in the opening song are light and melodic enough to suit mainstream ears, but thankfully become a little less restrained as the song continues and Hughes starts getting into it. ‘Turn to Stone’ is even more hard-edged as the third track, keeping the energy levels up between the slower tracks two and four, but the structure and even the production sound make this sound more like classic Deep Purple than classic Black Sabbath, obviously enhanced by Hughes’ delivery. Both songs feature medium length guitar solos that aren’t particularly interesting in of themselves, but work as well as any others that escape Iommi’s stumpy fingertips.
Between these, sounding very out of place but obviously attempting to snag casual listeners as early as possible, is the single ‘No Stranger to Love.’ Iommi opens with a slow solo, sounding more like the calculated soaring melodies of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour than his usual blues improvisation, while a background of keyboards sets the scene for this Hollywood-esque ballad that wouldn’t be out of place in cheesy love scenes of contemporary films. Surprisingly, the music video isn’t a montage of such scenes, but does feature actress Denise Crosby who would soon after star in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The slow drums, Bon Jovi vocals and minimal, always melodic guitars follow the tedious template for all songs of this type, and personally I find that it can’t fade out soon enough.
My preferred section of the album is the middle, where something of the classic Sabbath sound shines through and Iommi tackles bolder territory. The pointlessly titled ‘Sphinx: The Guardian’ is a one-minute intro to the title track, ominously setting the scene for the coming storm with keyboards and windy sound effects alone, while ‘Seventh Star’ sees Iommi returning to the epic style of the classic ‘Heaven and Hell’ album. The song is slow paced, based on a bluesy riff that still retains elements of Iommi’s much-imitated ‘stoner’ droning style, with Hughes providing his best vocals that sound more relaxed and casual compared to Dio’s exhaustive falsetto. The keyboard provides an effective backdrop, dark and ominous in contrast to the light and airy backing of the earlier love song, and only resorts to a clichéd Egyptian melody a little towards the end (you know the one. Every metal band has its own Egyptian song that uses the same bloody tune somewhere, almost as bad as the nine-note ditty used to evoke China). The song perhaps lasts a little too long, not featuring the interesting diversity of previous epics, but is slow and relaxed enough that this doesn’t present a problem.
The song that follows is even longer, and even more in line with the Dio era, and as such is my favourite song on the album, the only one really up to the standard of ‘Heaven and Hell.’The pop elements are still there in the vocal delivery and lack of off-putting jam sections or drastic rhythm changes, causing this song to feel a little more restricted than the long-term Sabbath fan is accustomed to, but in this case the accessibility is primarily in the song’s favour. At medium speed, ‘Danger Zone’ is a faster mover than ‘Seventh Star,’ and the heavy guitar riffs are right at the forefront. ‘Heart Like a Wheel,’ the first of two surprising non-ballads with ‘heart’ in the title, is the most traditionally blues-based song on here, based largely on a plodding bass guitar with nicely dirty sounding production throughout, though it’s a little tedious for my tastes. The good news is that Iommi really lets himself go here, breathing in the heavy stoner atmosphere and setting free those squealy, pointless, enjoyable guitar solos for much of the song. The guitars plod along to such an extent that it’s not uncommon for me to space out completely and forget the song’s even playing as it nears the end, the only clashing element being the contrasting clean vocals that sound out of place on this song only, which would be more suited to a heavy smoker or old man.
The title ‘Angry Heart’ implies something of a conflict between the style found earlier in track one with that of track two, and the end result is something like that. It’s not a ballad, that duty falls a little onto the short final song ‘In Memory...’ which is more of a dreamy acoustic song than a cheesy love song in the vein of ‘No Stranger to Love,’ but it does commit the sin of including a Hammond organ (grr!), albeit quietly. The chorus is full-on Bon Jovi pop-rock, and the drums are quite nicely catchy. Both this and the next song are joined by the conceit of simply jumping from one to the other, making me question why this wasn’t simply two halves of the same longer piece as I wondered for tracks four and five, but as the album is only thirty-five minutes long at nine tracks in any case, it was probably another stunt to attract customers to this dying band. The pace does slow down for the final song, marking a change after a few seconds, and the blend of acoustic guitar over electric is quite nice, but this song never really goes anywhere. Hughes seems intent on going out with a bang, holding and ‘warbling’ his notes (for wont of a more technical term), while Nicholls’ keyboards set a pleasant, if unremarkable atmosphere.
So there you have it, a below-par release from a great band in serious decline, but also one that was unduly over-hyped as something it was not, namely a Black Sabbath album. The deviation would be more forgiveable if ‘Seventh Star’ was a truly independent anomaly in the Sabbath discography, but essentially this set the style for all of the subsequent albums up until the short-lived Dio reunion in 1992: commercial sounding rock that can barely be classified in the heavy metal genre Iommi and co. created in the early seventies, complete with soppy ballads and watered down guitars. The next vocalist Tony Martin would at least provide some consistency from ‘The Eternal Idol’ through to ‘Tyr,’ replacing these fickle Deep Purple throwaways, while Iommi’s solo career wouldn’t really take off for some years to come, eventually evolving into a far heavier form than the stinking MTV-oriented stuff on this record.
Almost all Black Sabbath albums are greatly inconsistent, which has always acted as part of their charm for me, as the contrast between classic rock songs and embarrassing failures keep the early albums endlessly entertaining. ‘Seventh Star’ fails so often not because it tries something new, but because it sticks to boring, over-used formulas created by other people, which Iommi, Glenn Hughes and those other blokes are only capable of mimicking, instead of trying something new with. Almost every song fades out after stretching its ideas to breaking point for lack of a strong ending, and the highest praise I can give is that whoever was in charge of these fades, presumably the producer, has a good grasp of average attention span, as nothing really outstays its welcome.
‘Seventh Star’ and ‘Danger Zone’ form a nice central section of twelve minutes or so that almost makes this album worth buying, but the rest is either too unremarkable or too truly terrible to waste time with. I guess ‘No Stranger to Love’ might not seem so terrible to people who are into that sort of thing, but for me it’s a real abomination in the Sabbath discography. Apparently, this album was never released on CD in America after the original vinyl didn’t sell too well, and like much of Iommi’s output after Dio left the first time, is consigned to the vaults of the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Mediocrity.
Advantages: Tony Iommi wanted to try something new.
Disadvantages: Tony Iommi tried something really old.
The Eternal Idol
**
Written on 21.02.08
After the shambles of 'Seventh Star,' a mediocre rock album that Tony Iommi wrote and recorded as a solo album before being pressured into re-branding it as Black Sabbath (ultimately leading to the bizarre billing of 'Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi,' despite Iommi being the only band member present who had any type of history with Sabbath at all), 'The Eternal Idol' is a welcome return to form. Unfortunately, that form is pretty much a direct continuation of the last-but-one Sabbath effort 'Born Again,' which ditched their grander heavy metal stylings for more simplistic and generic hard rock.
This is the first album to feature new regular vocalist Tony Martin, drafted in at pretty much the last minute, but sadly his high and epic voice doesn't really suit the more raw and primitive style written for him here, and the album suffers as a result; 'Lost Forever' lacks the required aggression, and Martin's harmonious descriptions of monster in 'Nightmare' lack any sense of Ozzy Osbourne's terrified wailings. Even Tony Iommi continues to work lazily through the recording, throwing out some pretty good riffs in the fast 'Hard Life to Love' and the dingier 'Ancient Warrior' and 'Eternal Idol,' but mostly just going along with it. At roughly five minutes a piece, most of these songs are overlong and too repetitive, and Eric Singer's drums become tiresome in their plodding after the first track.
While there are no real innovations in this disappointing bit of record contract filler, Iommi does experiment quite nicely with acoustic guitar in the opening song and later in the instrumental 'Scarlet Pimpernel,' doubling his melodies up and even adding backing electric guitar, and generally making a nice refrain from the otherwise very standard, unimpressive and ten years out-of-date hard rock of the majority. Only 'Eternal Idol' comes close to matching the Sabbath of old, with Iommi's one truly dark and evil set of riffs here, but Geoff Nichols' keyboards end up killing that atmosphere somewhat by being a little too polished and bad-eighties, rather than the good-eighties performance of the subsequent 'Headless Cross' album, one of my all-time favourites (after the early seventies and Dio stuff, obviously). These mid-eighties Sabbath albums are best avoided by all but the most ardent hard rock fans who desperately crave something exactly the same but slightly inferior to the albums they already own, but this was fortunately the last Sabbath stinker, before their final 1995 lack-of-effort 'Forbidden.'
With the amateur execution extending to the album artwork, it appears that permission to use a photograph of Auguste Rodin's eponymous Eternal Idol sculpture was denied, meaning that, in absence of a master sculptor who could work to a tight deadline, two models were hired, stripped, entwined, painted bronze and photographed.
1. The Shining
2. Ancient Warrior
3. Hard Life to Love
4. Glory Ride
5. Born to Lose
6. Nightmare
7. Scarlet Pimpernel
8. Lost Forever
9. Eternal Idol
Headless Cross
Heaven's No Friend of Mine
***
Written on 22.08.06
A decade of stumbling and flailing ended on a high, demonic note with ‘Headless Cross,’ the finest album from Black Sabbath after a string of mediocrity following Ronnie James Dio’s departure. As guitarist Tony Iommi is the only original member left, this album can’t be expected to live up to the band’s classic period in the early seventies. Nevertheless, the style repeated across these songs represents an excellent fusion of the band’s tried-and-tested strengths with a more contemporary and very eighties edge, resulting in one of the most accessible doom metal albums ever recorded.
The Black Sabbath line-up was in constant flux over that decade. Original vocaliat Ozzy Osbourne had been kicked out, and replacement Dio departed after a couple of good albums. Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan was involved at one particularly unremarkable point, while old-timers Geezer Butler and Bill Ward left Iommi to struggle alone. At least no one was spontaneously combusting. Tony Martin handles vocals for the second album in a row here, his Dio-esque voice sounding at its very best, aided by over-dubbing effects to make for a really powerful screech. Well-known session drummer Cozy Powell makes less of an impression with his anthemic plodding, but Geoff Nicholls adds an extra quasi-epic dimension to the music with his period synthesisers. Add the unknown Laurence Cottle and you get something that doesn’t really resemble a classic line-up, but could certainly come up with something unique.
The flaws with ‘Headless Cross’ lie in its incredibly dated, period-specific sound, although for many this would be a considerable improvement over the increasingly obscure metal the band had previously been playing. The all-English band adopts something of the American hard rock sound, ironically stemming from fellow transatlantic Brummies Judas Priest a decade earlier… although to less commercial success here. The sludgy guitars are distinctly Iommi (apart from a guest solo by Queen’s Brian May), but the drums in particular and the keyboard varnish overlaid serve to distance this release from classics like ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Master of Reality,’ as Black Sabbath look back over the decade and strive to forge the most generic 1980s metal anthems possible. With lyrics about bats and stuff.
1. The Gates of Hell
2. Headless Cross
3. Devil and Daughter
4. When Death Calls
5. Kill in the Spirit World
6. Call of the Wild
7. Black Moon
8. Nightwing
Almost asking for trouble, Sabbath’s subject matter has never been so deeply entrenched in the occult. Sadly for enthusiastic record burners, the lyrics are all in the uncommitted and objective, ‘human-speaker-scared-by-demons’ vein of the band’s own ‘Black Sabbath’ and Iron Maiden’s ‘Number of the Beast.’ Opener ‘The Gates of Hell’ is a nice, short interlude to the title track, featuring plenty of distorted guitar and vocal samples amidst a general hum of horror show sound effects. This would remain the band’s live opener for the next few years, as the exciting guitar build-up at the end could conceivably lead anywhere. Here, it opts to give way to a slow and generic drum-beat intro introducing Iommi’s lead guitar riff for ‘Headless Cross.’ Flooded by synth and featuring an incessantly catchy chorus, it’s no surprise this was selected as a single, despite the slight interchangeability of most of these songs. The production is clear enough to distinguish all the instruments, even the neglected bass in the ambient sections, and despite the long running length, the refrain of Martin’s gruff chorus is nicely done. This is one of the band’s finest songs outside the Osbourne and Dio eras.
‘Devil and Daughter’ opts to use the Satanism metaphorically, allegedly a stab at the band’s former producer and his daughter, Sharon Osbourne. The album’s second single release, this is in precisely the same style as its predecessor, but with an increased focus on the guitar. The solo is a tad boring and the drums really go nowhere, but the chorus is cool, and there’s nice use of backing ‘woahs’ as Martin improvises in the studio. The album thankfully changes direction somewhat with the more sinister ‘When Death Calls,’ not so much a power ballad as a slow song that’s played very loudly. As expected, the song is dominated by faux-acoustic guitar and the drums are used sparingly, apart from the distorted chorus sections. This track kicks into a faster rhythm half-way through in the classic Sabbath tradition, with some excellent instrumental sections. May’s solo is in there somewhere, but it’s not the best on the album.
Perhaps the most technically interesting track, ‘Kill in the Spirit World’ moves from the most pop-oriented sound so far to a dingy, chilled-out instrumental section in the middle before returning to the commercial thing for the conclusion. The guitars are at their best here, and although the song’s very uneven, it’s one of my favourites. ‘Call of the Wild’ has a nice chorus, but that’s not enough to save it from mediocrity; at track six, the album begins to sound really samey. The riff is unfascinating, and the loud bass acts as little more than a metronome. ‘Black Moon’ opens with an interesting and very doom-laden riff, comparable to some of Iommi’s best work. It’s pretty clear that the guy can come up with them on demand, and he grants himself a few fast solos in this otherwise average song.
The album ends on a high note (well, not literally), with the mostly-acoustic ‘Nightwing.’ Iommi really shines on acoustic guitar, especially in the acoustic solo half-way through, and there’s even some acoustic bass to back it up. Martin’s bellowing vocals don’t vary a great deal from the louder songs – he certainly doesn’t try to sing. Even the keyboards work well here, enhancing the wicked atmosphere as they did for the title track. Iommi’s electric riffs towards the end sound like a nod back to Sabbath’s early days, and this song is certainly comparable to the softer offerings of the seventies.
This album was well-received by fans and critics, despite its position outside the Osbourne and Dio periods, perhaps because Tony Martin’s wails are a passable impersonation of the latter, with an added hint of Michael Jackson-style ‘breathiness.’ The band snuck their inherently eighties album in right at the end of the decade, before the bland nineties rolled around and the polished synthesisers became conspicuous. The title track and ‘Nightwing’ are both excellent songs, it’s just a shame that the majority of the album sounds like a second-rate attempt at reproducing them, although some songs are acceptable imitations simply due to the great choruses. This album has potential appeal to both long-time fans and hard rocking Sabbath virgins alike.
Despite possessing the ingredients for a ‘sell-out’ album, ‘Headless Cross’ is Black Sabbath to the core, even down to the title track’s focus on a plague in Headley’s Cross, Birmingham. The keyboards and tedious drums might seem a little unnatural in Sabbath’s sludgy music, especially in light of earlier disasters involving both, but Iommi and his newest friends finally got it right, for one time only, in 1989. And never again.
Advantages: Great title track. Album dragged the band out of the dirt.
Disadvantages: Had to rely on 80s cheese to do so.
Tyr
***
Written on 21.02.08
After the shambles of 'Seventh Star,' a mediocre rock album that Tony Iommi wrote and recorded as a solo album before being pressured into re-branding it as Black Sabbath (ultimately leading to the bizarre billing of 'Black Sabbath feat. Tony Iommi,' despite Iommi being the only band member present who had any type of history with Sabbath at all), 'The Eternal Idol' is a welcome return to form. Unfortunately, that form is pretty much a direct continuation of the last-but-one Sabbath effort 'Born Again,' which ditched their grander heavy metal stylings for more simplistic and generic hard rock.
This is the first album to feature new regular vocalist Tony Martin, drafted in at pretty much the last minute, but sadly his high and epic voice doesn't really suit the more raw and primitive style written for him here, and the album suffers as a result; 'Lost Forever' lacks the required aggression, and Martin's harmonious descriptions of monster in 'Nightmare' lack any sense of Ozzy Osbourne's terrified wailings. Even Tony Iommi continues to work lazily through the recording, throwing out some pretty good riffs in the fast 'Hard Life to Love' and the dingier 'Ancient Warrior' and 'Eternal Idol,' but mostly just going along with it. At roughly five minutes a piece, most of these songs are overlong and too repetitive, and Eric Singer's drums become tiresome in their plodding after the first track.
While there are no real innovations in this disappointing bit of record contract filler, Iommi does experiment quite nicely with acoustic guitar in the opening song and later in the instrumental 'Scarlet Pimpernel,' doubling his melodies up and even adding backing electric guitar, and generally making a nice refrain from the otherwise very standard, unimpressive and ten years out-of-date hard rock of the majority. Only 'Eternal Idol' comes close to matching the Sabbath of old, with Iommi's one truly dark and evil set of riffs here, but Geoff Nichols' keyboards end up killing that atmosphere somewhat by being a little too polished and bad-eighties, rather than the good-eighties performance of the subsequent 'Headless Cross' album, one of my all-time favourites (after the early seventies and Dio stuff, obviously). These mid-eighties Sabbath albums are best avoided by all but the most ardent hard rock fans who desperately crave something exactly the same but slightly inferior to the albums they already own, but this was fortunately the last Sabbath stinker, before their final 1995 lack-of-effort 'Forbidden.'
With the amateur execution extending to the album artwork, it appears that permission to use a photograph of Auguste Rodin's eponymous Eternal Idol sculpture was denied, meaning that, in absence of a master sculptor who could work to a tight deadline, two models were hired, stripped, entwined, painted bronze and photographed.
1. The Shining
2. Ancient Warrior
3. Hard Life to Love
4. Glory Ride
5. Born to Lose
6. Nightmare
7. Scarlet Pimpernel
8. Lost Forever
9. Eternal Idol
Forbidden
**
Written on 21.02.08
Whatever the future may hold, 'Forbidden' is still the last album of original works released by Black Sabbath before older line-ups reunited and became something of a tribute band to their first six albums. This is a particularly low note to go out on, admitted by all as a mere contractual obligation cobbled together hastily, and one that really shows. Despite boasting the same line-up as the almost-classic 'Headless Cross' and 'Tyr' albums, it completely fails to recapture that era's dark and epic sound, instead going for more straightforward hard rock on a series of whims. While this inevitably leads to a distinctly mediocre or even sub-par album of unremarkable, unmemorable tracks, it does at least offer a refreshing break from the burden of repetitive Sabbath albums like the preceding 'Cross Purposes' and injects some energy into the performance, if nothing else. It's been in my collection for a while but I think I was always a little scared to listen to it before today, and I found it pretty enjoyable.
There were very few classic Black Sabbath songs recorded in the nineties, the only ones that vaguely qualify stemming from 1992's 'Dehumanizer,' and Forbidden is the least classic of the lot. There's barely a trace of the authentic Sabbath sound as defined in their several notable periods, despite Tony Iommi's attempt to hark back with a failed evil riff in the opener 'The Illusion of Power' which ends up being the weakest song of the lot. Tony Martin's vocals not only lack the power and majesty of 'Tyr,' they don't even seem able to fit into a rhythm, and the spoken word guest appearance from then-popular Ice T is laughable, but at least he doesn't rap. Cozy Powell's drums don't dominate the proceedings as they did on 'Tyr,' but he seems similarly intent on getting noticed by screwing around and failing to keep a steady rhythm in a few songs, notably 'Guilty as Hell' and the overlong, failed epic 'Kiss of Death' that lacks any sense of structural cohesion, and not in the way early Black Sabbath did so memorably.
It isn't all bad though, and most songs are entertaining, though certainly not aimed at the traditional Sabbath fans who will probably just be offended. There's an upbeat, almost punk sensibility in the guitars and vocals of 'Get a Grip' and 'Rusty Angels,' a couple of the best songs here, and other songs like 'Shaking off the Chains,' 'Forbidden' and 'Loser Gets it All' manage to be fun and catchy in a way a lot of late Sabbath didn't manage, particularly boring albums like 'The Eternal Idol.' I'm tempted to give the album three stars, but then I'd really be lying, and my main praise is still based around this not being as bad as I was led to believe. The mellower side of the album is handled by 'I Won't Cry for You' and the lazy, bluesy 'Sick and Tired,' neither of which descend into the realm of the power ballad (presumably the record company knew that chart success for a contrived single would be unlikely), and the album ends up being quite a fun but mediocre shambles that I'd listen to above 'Seventh Star' and 'The Eternal Idol' any day. At least I say that now, a second listen would probably reveal this to be much worse.
1. The Illusion of Power
2. Get a Grip
3. Can't Get Close Enough
4. Shaking off the Chains
5. I Won't Cry for You
6. Guilty as Hell
7. Sick and Tired
8. Rusty Angels
9. Forbidden
10. Kiss of Death
11. Loser Gets it All
Reunion
*****
Written on 21.02.08
On the 5th December 1997, the original line-up of Black Sabbath reunited for a show in their native Birmingham, recorded as this double album and the finest official live album the band has released. While this and subsequent reunions with classic line-ups effectively ended Black Sabbath's studio career as they became fundamentally a live testament to their early material, the gimmick of sticking firmly to the Ozzy Osbourne years for this live show gains from the benefit of hindsight, as a more concise and entertaining setlist can be chosen than on previous tours designed to promote admittedly below-par Sabbath studio recordings. With only eight albums to draw material from, the choice is less daunting than a span of an entire career, and though there are inevitably a few strange oversights (nothing from 'Sabotage,' but a track from bleeding 'Technical Ecstasy?'), the bulk of the list is absolutely perfect.
This original Sabbath line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward has always been my favourite, which might seem like a disappointingly obvious opinion to have so I'll confound you with the statement that my favourite albums were the couple that followed 'Paranoid,' though that one's excellent as well. Thus, I lost count of the number of times I excitedly realised they were playing yet another of my favourites from 'Master of Reality' or 'Vol. 4' that I'd naïvely perceived as too obscure for an album like this. Well alright, it happens about four times - but from a sixteen track album with a responsibility to all the obvious classics from the first two albums, it's fantastic to see an enthusiastic response to songs like 'Spiral Architect,' 'Into the Void,' 'Snowblind' and 'Lord of This World,' all of which rank among my very favourite from the band alongside others also represented here.
The band is on fine form as ever, unsurprising considering Iommi had been continuously touring with Sabbath since the early seventies, Butler and Ward had dropped in every so often, and Osbourne had been enjoying an even more successful solo career, but Ozzy's energy and enthusiasm here is really pretty fantastic, from his opening cry of "yeah, you f***ers!" to the credit heaped on Birmingham and feeble impressions of the band members he's happy to be playing with again for the first time in seventeen years. He wastes no time bringing the vocals in far too early in the first song, either to cut to the chase or because seventeen years is a long time, and as he tries and sort of fails to replicate his successor Ronnie James Dio's trend of singing over the lead guitar towards the end, it only serves to remind why this shrieking lunatic is the perfect frontman for this band. His enthusiasm brings a fair amount of crowd interaction, though not in an overly distracting way and there are thankfully no tediously extended solo sections, and the only slightly weird bit occurs when an ecstatic (perhaps in a literal sense) member of the crowd works his way onto the stage at the end of 'NIB' just to proclaim that the band is ace. We already knew, silly.
This really is a fantastic setlist across the two albums, with all of the band's monstrously heavy songs sounding just as good (perhaps better) than ever in the great production job, and there's a reasonable degree of variation (though not much) with some less dirgey songs from later in the seventies thrown in. Highlights include the excellent 'Electric Funeral,' a song only Ozzy should ever be allowed to sing, the epic 'Spiral Architect' and 'Snowblind,' the incessantly catchy 'Into the Void' and 'Iron Man,' and all of the other songs for reasons I can't be bothered to contrive. Apart from 'Dirty Women,' that one's fairly rubbish. As a bonus treat, as if a unique ninety minute performance wasn't enough, the band also hastily recorded two brand new songs that fans shouldn't get too excited about, as neither is very good even by nineties Sabbath standards. Even with these slight disappointments which can easily be avoided by stopping the album after 'Paranoid,' this is a great way to hear the majority of Black Sabbath's finest work without resorting to some cheap Best-Of, and to pretend you were present at this historically significant event. This could have been really disappointing, but it's completely great.
Disc 1
1. War Pigs
2. Behind the Wall of Sleep
3. NIB
4. Fairies Wear Boots
5. Electric Funeral
6. Sweet Leaf
7. Spiral Architect
8. Into the Void
9. Snowblind
Disc 2
1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
2. Medley: Orchid / Lord of This World
3. Dirty Women
4. Black Sabbath
5. Iron Man
6. Children of the Grave
7. Paranoid
8. Psycho Man
9. Selling My Soul
Sacrifice
****
Written on 21.02.08
Although marginally less well-known than Black Sabbath, this Leicester-based occult prog rock band made quite an impression during their very brief tenure in the public eye, surrounding the release of their classic 'Sacrifice' and the subsequent tour that brought their pagan image to the fore, to the extent that a naked actress was routinely offered as a sacrifice at live shows. Although they never went the full way to the more recent excesses of black metal bands that even employed murder, church arson and suicide as routine gimmicks, Black Widow's debut is a great piece of early occult rock, even if it does often seem more like a cliché than anything that can truly be taken seriously.
Based in the early hard rock sound, the main dynamic here is between Kip Trevor's vocals, Jim Gannon's subtle guitar and Zoot Taylor's organ, and the whole thing has a brilliant vibe of the late sixties / early seventies about it (incidentally, Gannon is also credited with handling 'vibes'). Each song is satisfyingly different, and many feature progressive touches, whether in the form of chanted vocals or the inclusion of sax or flute sections from Clive Jones, all of which permeate the album but can be found together in 'Come to the Sabbat,' a song that starts excellently but ultimately falters a little by the end as most tend to, before the album is infused with new life as each new track opens and the process begins again.
The prog element is what makes this appeal to me, though I admit that all the witch stuff is pretty cool too, and although it would be a stretch to claim this album has a dark and foreboding atmosphere about it, the band really does an impressive job in maintaining what there is. There's an emphasis on creating catchy and memorable songs foremost, which works to the album's advantage and keeps it listenable to a wider audience, and it only really fails when attempting something a bit drastic, or merely lasting for too long like the opener 'In Ancient Days' and finale 'Sacrifice,' though both remain interesting throughout with their extensive instrumental sections showing off the band's full range.
It's a shame that Black Widow seemed to fall off the radar and decline as soon as they went back into the studio, apparently forsaking their pagan image and going for something more accessible, and it would have been nice to hear a couple of further releases in this original style, not to mention the opportunity for more great LP covers to adorn my wall.
1. In Ancient Days
2. Way to Power
3. Come to the Sabbat
4. Conjuration
5. Seduction
6. Attack of the Demon
7. Sacrifice
Shadow of the Moon
**
Written on 21.02.08
Blackmore's Night is the understandably controversial project of Ritchie Blackmore (guitars, amongst other things) and his wife Candice Night (vocals), which is a significant departure from Blackmore's hard rocking careers with the legendary Deep Purple and Rainbow. Evidently wishing to expand on the folk influences that had always had a slight presence in both bands, Blackmore here focuses on an almost entirely nostalgic sound of the Renaissance, reviving well-known classics and having the gall to contribute what he and Night consider to be worthy competition.
The main problem with Blackmore's Night is how similar and repetitive most of these songs are, not to mention how uninspired the bulk of their original material sounds. It's a tough task to create a new piece of music in such an old genre, and this ends up sounding more like a tribute to bygone days than any kind of modern revival. And when the music truly does descend into tribute, it's equally unimpressive: just what is the point in covering 'Greensleeves,' a song everyone already hears far more often than they would choose to? Worst of all is the manner in which the band attempts to diversify it, by making it one of two songs (the other is the equally terrible 'Writing on the Wall') to feature a techno backing beat.
The clash of authentic moods and modern touches never really works, and is certainly no competitor for genres like folk rock that achieve far more successful results in far greater frequency. The most entertaining parts of this album are Blackmore's acoustic instrumentals such as 'Minstrel Hall' and 'Possum's Last Dance,' but it's a shame that the more substantial songs are all so lacking.
1. Shadow of the Moon
2. The Clock Ticks On
3. Be Mine Tonight
4. Play Minstrel Play
5. Ocean Gypsy
6. Minstrel Hall
7. Magical World
8. Writing on the Wall
9. Renaissance Faire
10. Memmingen
11. No Second Chance
12. Mond Tanz
13. Spirit of the Sea
14. Greensleeves
15. Wish You Were Here
16. Possum's Last Dance
Under a Violet Moon
**
Written on 21.02.08
Rather than putting in the extra effort to make their sophomore release more exciting and inspired than its dull predecessor, Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night merely unveil an album that's more of the same, only a little worse. While the first album featured appearances from such notable alumni as Ian Anderson, this second release boasts an extensive guest cast that's all but undetectable when drifting away from the tedious revivalist folk that dominates another overlong tracklist.
This album's positive points are only achieved through successful attempts at deviation, meaning that the most interesting songs are 'Morning Star' for its violin, 'Wind in the Willows' for featuring a vocal duet with John Ford, 'March the Heroes Home' for including a cheesy synthesised fanfare (these aren't necessarily impressive traits), and especially those with greater rock influence such as 'Gone With the Wind.' The electronic elements have been dispensed with, which can only be a good sign, but at this stage the band hasn't quite got around to replacing them with anything truly impressive.
1. Under a Violet Moon
2. Castles and Dreams
3. Past Time With Good Company
4. Morning Star
5. Avalon
6. Possum Goes to Prague
7. Wind in the Willows
8. Gone with the Wind
9. Beyond the Sunset
10. March the Heroes Home
11. Spanish Nights (I Remember It Well)
12. Catherine Howard´s Fate
13. Fool´s Gold
14. Durch den Wald zum Bach Haus
15. Now and Then
16. Self Portrait
Fires at Midnight
**
Written on 21.02.08
'Fires at Midnight' is a small step in the right direction for Blackmore's Night, featuring more elements of folk rock (something that would steadily increase as the albums become correspondingly more enjoyable), but hindered by seeming attempts to reach a more commercial market with the dodgy pop song 'All Because of You,' which also features the return of the despised electronic backing rhythm that really has no place in a Renaissance-themed album.
These semi-rock songs are the most technically impressive of the album as well as presumably the most enjoyable for those who approached this album through Blackmore's reputation, though 'Written in the Stars,' 'Fires At Midnight' and 'Village on the Sand' don't hold up to Deep Purple or Rainbow. There's a clear desire to experiment in this album, which can only be a good sign considering how most songs seem content to sound exactly the same, and even though most of these creative decisions end up a little dodgy - the background sing-along of 'Home Again' and the attempted regal grandeur of the synth-fanfare in 'Crowning of the King' for example - they at least help these songs to stand out amidst the mediocrity.
Elsewhere, the Bob Dylan cover (track two) continues the band's tradition of covering songs people already know, and failing to bring anything new to them whatsoever.
1. Written in the Stars
2. The Times they are a Changin'
3. I Still Remember
4. Home Again
5. Crowning of the King
6. Fayre Thee Well
7. Fires At Midnight
8. Hanging Tree
9. The Storm
10. Mid-Winter's Night
11. All Because of You
12. Waiting Just for You
13. Praetorius (Courante)
14. Benzai-Ten
15. Village on the Sand
16. Again Someday
17. Possum's Last Dance
Past Times with Good Company
***
Written on 21.02.08
The Blackmore's Night live album is a rather disappointing affair, but those who have already experienced disappointment with the studio albums should at least find something slightly interesting here to cheer them up, though perhaps not. The folk band led by Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night (do you see what they've done there? The band name is like their names, only with a possessive male apostrophe indicating who wears the trousers in that marriage) isn't particularly suited to a live environment, at least not the type you'd pay to see. As a pub band they would be pretty good, especially if the tavern happened to exist in the sixteenth century, but here the predominant sound is quiet and extremely drawn-out, with most songs being extended unreasonably past their natural end point.
The good news for Blackmore fans is that there's a slightly improved rock element to balance out the folk, culminating in the finale 'Writing on the Wall,' but even the scattered Deep Purple covers aren't really going to appeal to those fans, particularly the very weak rendering of 'Soldier of Fortune.' It's revealing that most of the songs chosen for the performance were among the only ones that stood out for being different, one way or another, in the studio releases, so we're treated to the dubious delights of the pleasant violins in 'Beyond the Sunset' and 'Morning Star,' the embarrassing la-la-la sing-along of 'Home Again' and the frankly cheesy 'Renaissance Faire,' which is at least preferable to another album of three-minute songs that sound exactly the same. This could reasonably seen to represent a "best-of" Blackmore's Night's early years, but it would be extremely disappointing if actually labelled as such.
Disc 1
1. Shadow of the Moon
2. Play Minstrel Play
3. Minstrel Hall
4. Past Time With Good Company
5. Fires at Midnight
6. Under a Violet Moon
7. Soldier of Fortune
Disc 2
1. 16th Century Greensleeves
2. Beyond the Sunset
3. Morning Star
4. Home Again
5. Renaissance Faire
6. I Still Remember
7. Durch den Wald zum Bach Haus
8. Writing on the Wall
Ghost of a Rose
***
Written on 22.02.08
'Ghost of a Rose' is the first Blackmore's Night album that properly gets things right, despite suffering from many of the same drawbacks as its predecessors. Perhaps in response to criticism or just an aspect of natural evolution (I'm not sure how influenced Ritchie Blackmore would be at this stage by people telling him what not to do), this now feels more like a proper band playing traditional folk with occasional hard rock elements, rather than a husband and wife duo drafting in percussion and flautists. Blackmore himself is also a great deal more impressive throughout.
As ever, it's the songs that try something different that stand out and grab my attention, and there are fewer failed experiments here. Opener 'Way to Mandalay' starts with a surprising synthesiser and features the first of several highly enjoyable electric guitars solos in the Renaissance style (not that they had electric guitars in those days, of course), while the violins and other instruments excel in 'Cartouche' and the title song in particular. The covers are also less obvious and more carefully considered this time, though I can't help but find 'Diamonds and Rust' lacking in energy considering I'm only familiar with Judas Priest's take on Joan Baez's original.
The Jethro Tull cover 'Rainbow Blues' is satisfyingly rocking, a style that carries over into 'All for One' but in a less inspired pop fashion, and folk fans will likely be satiated with the fast guitar and violin ditty 'Queen for a Day (Part 2)' and the enjoyable sea shanty of sorts, 'Loreley.' Blackmore's Night is still a somewhat disappointing project, but at least they've learned to overcome most of their failings by this point, and anyone who doesn't like it should have learned to give it a wide berth.
1. Way to Mandalay
2. 3 Black Crows
3. Diamond and Rust
4. Cartouche
5. Queen for a Day (Part 1)
6. Queen for a Day (Part 2)
7. Ivory Tower
8. Nur eine Minute
9. Ghost of a Rose
10. Mr. Peagram's Morris and Sword
11. Loreley
12. Where Are We Going From Here
13. Rainbow Blues
14. All For One
15. Dandelion
The Village Lanterne
***
Written on 22.02.08
Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night have settled into a familiar style with Blackmore's Night, but it could be worse. Their Renaissance-inspired folk is admittedly less than inspired, which writes off about half of the album to sheer mediocrity, but 'The Village Lanterne' fortunately follows suit in upping the ante of less ancient, seventies-style folk rock that makes the rest of the album bearable and even greatly entertaining on occasion.
Opener '25 Years' tries to cram in as much as it can, even juxtaposing violin and synthesised fanfare in a way that doesn't really work but is fun nonetheless, and Blackmore's electric lead guitar melodies and solos carry over into 'I Guess it Doesn't Matter Anymore,' the faster 'St. Teresa,' the Deep Purple worship of 'Mond Tanz/Child in Time' and 'Just Call My Name (I'll Be There),' making these the most rewarding songs to rock fans, which it's reasonable to assume will be a significant proportion of this band's fan base - those that arrived from Deep Purple rather than Mostly Autumn.
The most disappointing trend to be revived here is the inclusion of yet another pointless cover song. In what seems like an attempt to top their earlier 'Greensleeves' as least necessary cover song in the world, here Ralph McTell's busker favourite 'Streets of London' is reproduced exactly the same as the original, but with a woman singing. This reliance on older material is one of the most irritating things about Blackmore's Night, but even sensing its return here, I was unprepared for what was to follow later that year...
1. 25 Years
2. Olde Village Lanterne
3. I Guess it Doesn't Matter Anymore
4. The Messenger
5. World of Stone
6. Faerie Queen
7. St. Teresa
8. Village Dance
9. Mond Tanz/Child in Time
10. Streets of London
11. Just Call My Name (I'll Be There)
12. Olde Mill Inn
13. Windmills
14. Street of Dreams
Gods of War / Blood Upon the Altar
Happy Easter, Everyone!
****
Written on 24.03.08
Canadian black metal band Blasphemy accidentally pioneered the sub-genre of "war metal," or rather fast and aggressive black metal mixed with grindcore influence and lyrical themes of annihilation. While almost all of the imitation acts are pretty unbearable, Blasphemy's early material still has the same raw enjoyment as much early black metal, clearly owing a large part of its sound to Bathory (especially present in 'Ross Bay Intro,' which is indistinguishable from early Bathory intros with its howling wind, church bell and other eerie sounds), but absorbing enough contemporary grindcore influence to keep most of the compositions short, sharp and to the serrated point, often going overboard in all areas.
'Gods of War' is Blasphemy's second album, and the prevalence of these ridiculously short songs results in a length of only twenty minutes. Even the slightly longer songs are often made shorter thanks to the overlong and pointless intros, which end up consuming around five minutes themselves, but you have to admire the band's dedication and attitude (and if you don't, you really shouldn't be listening to this in the first place). Some of the guitar riffs are excellent in an early black metal way, particularly that of the band's title song 'Blasphemy,' and finale 'Empty Chalice' sees the rest of the band finally putting in the effort and making a great and agonisingly heavy musical assault.
Due to its short length, it really wouldn't be worth recommending this album even to those who may have been interested, but fortunately the decision was made at some point to append all CD versions with the band's original 1989 demo 'Blood Upon the Altar.' There is some minimal overlap of material, but the quality of these later songs is up to the standards of its predecessor, and the sound quality is surprisingly good for a black metal demo; most of them are still fairly inaudible and garage-quality even with modern recording equipment. There's a greater death metal influence in these later songs, which prevents the album from becoming too samey, but with thirty-second-long songs, tedium isn't really your primary concern.
1. Intro: Elders of the Apocalypse / Blood Upon the Altar
2. Blasphemous Attack
3. Gods of War
4. Intro / Atomic Nuclear Desolation
5. Nocturnal Slayer
6. Emperor of the Black Abyss
7. Intro / Blasphemy
8. Intro / Necrosadist
9. War Command
10. Empty Chalice
11. Ross Bay Intro
12. War Command
13. Demoniac
14. Intro to Weltering
15. Weltering in Blood
16. Ritual
17. Nocturnal Slayer
18. Blasphemy
19. Intro / Blasphemous Attack / Outro
Blind Guardian in general
Blind Leading the Unenlightened Deaf
*****
Written on 28.07.04
I am literally short-sighted, but I must educate you readers who are metaphorically blind in the ears.
Blind Guardian are the leaders of the European power metal scene. They have good eyesight.
At least you were spared the other terrible pun titles.
Describing the power metal scene in Britain as ‘virtually non-existent’ is like saying Eric Idle has done absolutely nothing of interest whatsoever since he was in Monty Python, in that both statements are simply objective fact. So let’s forget about this green and pleasant kingdom of boy bands, girl groups and mind-numbing dance ‘trax’ and discover the music being created by more open-minded European lands. Blind Guardian are the best thing to come out of Germany since that video I found in my Dad’s cupboard that soon did the rounds at school.
THE SOUND
‘Blind Guardian’ are:
Hansi Kursch – vocals, bass (early albums)
Andre Olbrich – lead guitars
Marcus Siepen – guitars
Thomen Stauch – drums
Blind Guardian are most commonly classed as ‘power metal,’ a fairly meaningless title that doesn’t give many clues as to their sound, except that you would guess that guitars are involved. Their music is geared more towards speed and melody than heaviness and aggression, but my favourite aspect of the band is their talent for diversity: the thrash band Metallica were capable of producing one classic ballad in their entire career, but every time Blind Guardian experiment with an acoustic track it becomes an instant classic. Their main focus is on creating upbeat, rousing speed metal tracks for an international audience.
If you threw Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Metallica, the complete works of Tolkien, a German folk festival and Queen into a furnace, you would be arrested for multiple acts of murder and would have to face the proverbial music. But the literal music forming from the charred mass would probably sound very similar to Blind Guardian’s seven studio albums.
THE PEOPLE
For most fans, Hansi Kursch is the key ingredient to this band’s success and influence, but it took me a while to get used to his heavy European accent. Kursch is clearly very talented and has a vocal range to rival Bruce Dickinson, but when I was a newcomer to European metal I found it difficult not to cringe at points when his accent would dominate parts of the songs. I’ve grown accustomed to it now, although I still prefer it when he goes into over-the-top high vocals (their excellent song ‘Mirror Mirror’ is the best example of this) as it masks the dialect and also shows bands like the Darkness how girlie screaming should really be done. He does improve with every album also, which is surely a good thing.
Nothing excites me more than some excellent guitar work, not even strange videos with a load of bare people in, and Andre Olbrich is among my favourite guitarists; as the band’s music evolved and matured his style became incredibly distinctive and very original, enhanced by the polished production sound of their recent albums. The clean solos are incredible, the chugging rhythms are up to the standards of the best rhythm guitarists and even the folk-inspired acoustic bits are executed perfectly, even if they are a little hard to digest at first.
The band’s bass players and drummers have been less consistent, especially after Hansi Kursch decided to concentrate solely on his vocal duties, but they are still excellent in setting and maintaining the pace of tracks, even if they are a little less impressive and original than the guitars (I’m sure bass playing fans and drummers would disagree though). From their ‘Nightfall in Middle-Earth’ album the band have incorporated symphonic orchestral elements into many of their songs to add depth and a more ‘epic’ sound, with complete success. These albums are great.
THE WORDS
As well as the foreign accents, polished instruments and more complex musical style, the themes and lyrics of many power metal bands put off many potential listeners who are used to the angst-ridden death rattles and suicidal melancholy of more mainstream rock groups. Again, Blind Guardian are a perfect example of this: all of their albums include a number of songs dealing with fantasy worlds or science fiction concepts, often referencing a work of fiction directly – the songs ‘By the Gates of Moria,’ ‘Gandalf’s Rebirth’ and the tactless ‘Lord of the Rings’ all showing their appreciation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, even to the extent that their 1998 concept album was based solely on Tolkien’s ‘The Silmarillion.’ Songs such as ‘Time What is Time’ and ‘Tommyknockers’ concern the film Blade Runner and a Stephen King novel respectively, although their entire catalogue is full of what would be considered unconventional or even geeky, if you are the kind of person that would say things like that.
I appreciate the value of lyrics that can be related to, but every so often it’s enjoyable to listen to Iron Maiden-style narrative about a wizard doing magic and stuff. The fact that English is a second language to the band doesn’t even hinder the songwriting, although it is amusing to hear the occasional large-scale slip-up: Hansi sings the titular chorus of ‘Time Stands Still at the Iron Hill’ without missing out a single letter, even the silent ‘r’, while his pronunciation of ‘Theatre’ and ‘Chamber’ are also enjoyable. Try and replicate how you think he might have pronounced these words while you are reading this, even if you are at work or surrounded by ill or dying relatives. It’ll give them a good laugh at least.
THE ALBUMS
The band’s first two albums, ‘BATTALIONS OF FEAR’ and ‘FOLLOW THE BLIND’ sound quite different to their current style and are less impressive and distinctive, but still very enjoyable metal albums. The guitars replicate more of a Metallica sound than the melodic nature of their later releases, Hansi’s vocals also tending more towards shouting and almost spoken verses rather than the operatic style he would later adopt. The production quality is a little poor as would be expected for a relatively unknown band’s debut releases, but this more raw sound can provide the perfect listen on occasion.
The band’s third album was their first masterpiece, 1991’s ‘TALES FROM THE TWILIGHT WORLD’: improved artwork, technical skill and the expansion of Blind Guardian’s sound led to the perfect milestone between the early years and their recent work, as the production quality was now raw at no cost to the listening experience. The following year’s ‘SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND’ continued in a similar style, but with more epic songs amidst the thrash-inspired norm: the classic ‘Bard’s Song’ is also their first great acoustic song, and one of their most popular releases to date.
The production quality was brought up to a cleaner and more ‘perfect’ standard with 1995’s ‘IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE,’ a great album that seems a little less impressive when compared to 1998’s ‘NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH,’ Blind Guardian’s most popular album (and also their best). Epic, grand, orchestral, loud, moving, fun and essentially a modern metal masterpiece. I’ve written a review on that album here on Dooyoo too, why not go and read it now? Not afterwards, you’ll have forgotten by then.
The most recent studio album is ‘A NIGHT AT THE OPERA,’ expectedly a little bit of a let-down after ‘Nightfall’ but still a really enjoyable listen, although it does demonstrate how the band need to progress a little further with each release: the overblown epic metal thing is getting a little tired now. According to their website a new album is on the way, so we’ll have to wait and see.
(Century Media records have not allowed the band’s popularity among fans of the genre to go to waste, effectively cashing in with a number of single releases, B-side collections and a couple of live albums, although these have all been produced with care and at least boast some excellent artwork).
VERDICT
You may think that speedy, folky fantasy metal isn’t your kind of thing and judging by the fact that Blind Guardian have never once appeared on Top of the Pops you wouldn’t be alone. They are a band who take some getting used to, even if you are a fan of the musical style in general, but it is ultimately worth it. I was introduced to the band through other progressive and traditional metal such as Symphony X and Iron Maiden, so I’d recommend Blind Guardian to anyone with similar tastes wishing to expand their knowledge of modern power metal: Blind Guardian are among the very best. As my brother’s idol the brilliant Professor Stephen Hawking so often demonstrates, you can still be successful, innovative and highly entertaining even if your voice is a bit dodgy.
Advantages: Original, creative and dynamic, Talented musicians and vocals, Excellent diversity
Disadvantages: Vocals take some getting used to, Early albums are less impressive, The occasional cover of an old, dodgy song
Follow the Blind
Dona Eis Requiem...
***
Written on 07.08.04
Any fans of the classic near-epic 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' should immediately recognise the opening chants of this second album by German power metal leaders Blind Guardian. This genre of rock isn't exactly the most well-known and popular in Great Britain, but Blind Guardian's talent for diversity and creating truly epic songs based on fantasy themes have led to them developing a loyal fan base and selling plenty of albums in their more progressively-oriented homeland.
'Follow the Blind' continues with, and improves upon, the style of their first album, but the band still had a few line-up changes and albums to go before they would develop their truly inspirational sound. Then again, you do sometimes prefer a bit of toast to a full breakfast with fried bread, black pudding and stuff.
I HAVE THE POWER (metal)
The term 'power metal' doesn't exactly leak any real meaning to those unfamiliar with the genre, and the same goes for 'epic metal,' 'fantasy metal' and (get this), 'elf metal,' all of which are often stamped upon the band. The essential qualities of power metal are speedy, mostly upbeat instruments with a basis in more traditional heavy metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest) but experimenting with different sounds to enhance the music, especially those of a classical origin. It is very common to hear the occasional lute, jig and choir in albums from all of the reasonably successful power metal bands, including Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Helloween and Dreamevil. There is always a degree of variation between bands however: some may favour faster, more aggressive tracks, while others may prefer piano-led ballads and instrumentals.
Blind Guardian's career has seen them move from comparatively simple heavy anthems to full-blown symphonic metal, with a fair number of surprises and interesting decisions in-between. 'Follow the Blind' is reasonably straightforward though.
STYLE
The influence of popular thrash band Metallica is a little less present here than on the band's debut, but this album still shows similarities to 'Tallica's classic 'Ride the Lightning' album in terms of the guitar riffs and solos. As such, this would likely impress fans of more mainstream metal than some of the band's later albums, but at the same time it would have a lot less shelf life. In fact, this sounds a lot like the American heavy metal band Manowar, but more developed and less silly - the ensemble choruses and themes are very reminiscent.
The instruments are all excellent, especially the guitars from Andre Olbrich. While longer outings such as the title track and the instrumental allow for more experimentation and subsequently more interesting musicianship, many of the riffs and solo sections are quite quickly forgotten at this stage. The most striking and memorable aspect of the album comes with Hansi Kursch's heavily accented vocals which, while nowhere near as developed as on the later albums, help to distinguish this band from similar acts and have an excellent range.
They're certainly not to everyone's taste though, and it took me a long time to get used to some of his pronunciations, especially his over-the-top high singing in 'Valhalla' that pales in comparison to later high-voice classics like 'Mirror Mirror.' I do love a good high-voice classic, but this is overdoing it a little - it's best when he sticks to his raspier voice in the verses at this point which sounds excellent, especially when complimented by backing vocals in the choruses.
The production quality is fairly modest, and as good as can be expected considering this was 1989 and only the second release from a band that had yet to make a name for themselves. The raw sound of the guitars helps the sound rather than acting as a hindrance, and many people prefer this sound to the very polished style of their more modern albums.
FOLLOW THE BLIND
1. Inquisition (0:43)
2. Banish From Sanctuary (5:27)
3. Damned For All Time (5:00)
4. Follow the Blind (7:10)
5. Hall of the King (4:16)
6. Fast to Madness (5:58)
7. Beyond the Ice (3:30)
8. Valhalla (4:57)
9. Don't Break the Circle (4:20)
There is a fair degree of variation in the track here, but not to the extent I had come to expect after hearing their later albums. The strength of Blind Guardian lies in their talent at trying out different types of music and succeeding spectacularly: although they are principally a metal band, their later acoustic ballad 'The Bard's Song' is perhaps their best known work, not to mention the acceptable (but irritating) cover versions of sixties pop songs that they enjoy secreting into their CDs. There is a bonus track to Follow the Blind which is a cover of the Beach Boys' 'Barbara Ann,' but thankfully I was spared this special edition.
Every song on here is fairly heavy, loud and electric guitar-led, but there is still enough variation to keep some of the tracks memorable. The stand-out difference comes only with the introductory track 'INQUISITION', the afore-mentioned Holy Grail flaggelant chant, without the very literal Bible-bashing that accompanied it in the film.
'BANISH FROM SANCTUARY,' 'DAMNED FOR ALL TIME,' 'HALL OF THE KING' and 'BEYOND THE ICE' are all fairly straightforward speedy, heavy power metal tracks, more concerned with simplicity and cheap thrills than making any epic statements. The only problem with this is that Hansi's vocal style remains pretty much the same throughout, which leaves it to the guitar solos to redeem a bit of originality and diversity.
The longer tracks 'FOLLOW THE BLIND' and 'FAST TO MADNESS' are a lot more rewarding, featuring changes in tempo and more opportunities for the musicians to shine. The ensemble choruses are a nice touch, but the repetitive choruses do get a little too noticeable - this is a staple of the band's entire discography, but there should be a reasonable limit as to how many times the title of a song can be repeated.
The final three tracks on the album take an interesting turn, which thankfully keeps the album worth listening to. 'BEYOND THE ICE' is a fast instrumental that allows the guitars in particular greater flexibility than the tighter structures of the other tracks, but this isn't something that can't be found on the band's first album. 'VALHALLA' and 'DON'T BREAK THE CIRCLE' both have a larger, more epic sound than what has come before, 'Valhalla' in particular remaining a live favourite to this day for its rousing chorus, hard riffs and musical progression.
VERDICT
If you're a fan of various forms of metal, I would recommend that you try out Blind Guardian and similar bands, although they may take a while to rub off on you. 'Follow the Blind' would be an easy place to start as it isn't anything too complex, but it would fail to leave any sort of lasting impression. 1998's 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth' remains the band's ultimate achievement, but the Tolkien-inspired metal grandeur may be a little overwhelming to new listeners. 1992's 'Somewhere Far Beyond' and 1996's 'Imaginations From the Other Side' are both diverse and fulfilling albums that deserve to be checked out.
This second release can be excused for its early place in the discography, but doesn't really add anything new to the power metal sound.
Tales from the Twilight World
Look Behind the Mirror
****
Written on 27.09.06
Blind Guardian’s distinctive and much-imitated sound really begins in earnest on their third album, ‘Tales from the Twilight World.’ Retaining the speedy thrash sound of their first two albums but lacking the bombastic epic pomp of their more recent releases, this album still sounds as good despite being justifiably overshadowed by the fantasy-loving Germans’ later work.
‘Tales from the Twilight World’ still showcases pretty much everything that makes Blind Guardian one of the leading forces in European metal, the difference largely being one of scale. Songs are the same length, but rely on extended instrumental passages and chorus reprises to pad out to six minutes, while the band would later fill this time with more progressive and epic elements. Nevertheless, this album boasts a number of excellent speed metal anthems that have finally started to veer away from a Helloween sound-alike, aided by the band’s experimentation with folk elements.
Thrashy opener ‘Traveller in Time’ is one of the album’s highlights, based on Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ for wont of better inspiration and featuring the first of many great choruses and guitar riffs. Blind Guardian songs are always highly memorable, and that’s largely due to the continuing trend of each song title being repeated ad nauseam in the chorus. ‘Welcome to Dying’ is pretty much the same kind of thing, fast heavy metal played by experts, before the album segues into more experimental territory. When the metal anthems return later in the form of ‘Goodbye My Friend,’ ‘Tommyknockers’ and the semi-title track, the music has taken a far heavier and darker turn. ‘Tommyknockers’ represents the pinnacle of this, the most accomplished song on the album with certainly the most infectious chorus, its sinister sound clearly influenced by its Stephen King source.
Like Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian aren’t above browsing their bookshelves and video collections for some handy inspiration, and nowhere is this more plainly evident than in their first fully acoustic song ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Based on some fantasy story or other, the name of which escapes me right now, this song ended up benefiting from the resurgence of interest in Tolkien’s story with Peter Jackson’s films, and led to this becoming a hotly downloaded MP3, despite being over ten years old. As it is, the song is far from Blind Guardian’s best, and actually sound a little amateur compared to their later acoustic ballads.
There’s some nice use of flutes and a cool echo effect on Hansi Kürsch’s soaring vocals, but the acoustic guitar itself is a little primitive, especially in the solo. ‘The Bard’s Song’ soon replaced this as the band’s definitive minstrel ballad. Interestingly, ‘Weird Dreams’ and ‘Altair IV’ are both short songs, lying somewhere between interludes and intriguing instrumentals. ‘The Last Candle’ ends the album on an excellent note, combining elements of all that’s come before and adding a really great guitar riff to the mix.
1996’s ‘Imaginations from the Other Side’ seems a little similar to this earlier effort in both its title and artwork, almost as if the band are consciously attempting to update and improve upon this past release. The latter album is indeed pretty similar, but a whole lot better, though this shouldn’t detract from the distinct sound of ‘Tales,’ one of the most important releases in Blind Guardian’s discography. The acoustic song is pretty stupid and the instrumentals borderline wortheless, but this album represents the necessary and highly enjoyable step between the mediocrity of the band’s early years and the great things they would continue to do for the next decade.
They played their first ever UK show at London’s Camden Palace last night, and tonight they play Dublin – I hope you will all be there with plastic axes held proudly high in hand.
1. Traveller in Time
2. Welcome to Dying
3. Weird Dreams
4. Lord of the Rings
5. Goodbye My Friend
6. Lost in the Twilight Hall
7. Tommyknockers
8. Altair IV
9. The Last Candle
Advantages: A great early power metal album.
Disadvantages: Soon subjugated by more accomplished releases.
Somewhere Far Beyond
****
Written on 22.02.08
Blind Guardian's fourth album is the final vital stepping stone before their sound would be fully realised and perfected in the subsequent 'Imaginations from the Other Side' and 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth.' Expanding on the fantasy themes present since their debut, but still including some endearingly strange nods to science fiction, this is essentially Blind Guardian's final speed metal album and the point at which their epic flair started to really break out, even if it did so a little clumsily. Singer Hansi Kürsch still plays bass here and puts in a fine performance, but the album really belongs to the duet between his incredible vocals and André Olbrich's lead guitar, both of which are really put through their paces in this hard rocking release.
Right from the onset, there are still many songs wholly indebted to the sound of the band's earlier albums in the tradition of Helloween, the Blade Runner influenced 'Time What is Time' (taking further cues from Metallica in the glaring contrast between an idyllic acoustic guitar introduction and a scratchy metal riff that usurps it before too long), and the later 'Ashes to Ashes' and the finale 'Trial By Fire' featuring a similar overload of wild guitar solos and fierce vocals from Hansi that disappear in the more epic songs. The undervalued previous album 'Tales from the Twilight World' incorporated more acoustic and folk elements into Blind Guardian's sound that are really taken to the limits here, most successfully in the band's ever-popular pastoral ballad 'The Bard's Song - In the Forest' and most gratingly in the bagpipe interlude 'The Piper's Calling,' which will be especially appreciated by those of you living in Edinburgh, where the screeching call of the piper is seldom heard every single damn time you venture anywhere in the city centre.
'The Bard's Song' is more or less the only song from this album to remain a consistent part of the band's live set-list, or rather the most integral part. It's a strange experience to be amidst several hundred loyal fans singing the verses unaccompanied by Hansi and the band, who just stand there looking a little surprised and delighted despite it happening at every show they play, and it really is a brilliant little ballad. What will surely surprise fans of the band's more recent material who hunt this album down for the song will be the existence of its immediate sequel, 'The Bard's Song - The Hobbit,' which seems to have been otherwise erased from history in a process similar to Holocaust denial. It isn't a great song, but it does feature some great lead guitar work, and while its presence doesn't exactly sully its illustrious predecessor it should in no way be seen as a necessary follow-up, standing completely independent apart from one very excellent quotation of the familiar Bard's Song guitar melody performed in squealing electric glory!
The unfortunate tendency to favour construction of a lyrical epic over a high quality power metal song affects other songs outside of 'The Hobbit,' most notably 'Quest for Tanelorn' which features some great guest soloing from Helloween's Kai Hansen, another German metal god, but is otherwise fairly long-winded and has a far too uplifting chorus. The same goes for the lengthy title track, which is often indistinguishable in my mind outside of the chorus, and certainly speaks of a problem that needs to be ironed out before the band can continue in the epic style - fortunately it was (and then some). So while this album ironically tends to succeed more on the whole when sticking to the band's established style, there are a few very notable instances where progression is shown to be a good thing: 'Journey Through the Dark' has something special about it that I can't quite place, standing unfathomably unique in the band's discography and still being another live favourite, while the excellent 'Theatre of Pain' combines clichéd, over-the-top orchestration with classic wailing heavy metal in a way that looks positively amateurish next to bands like Rhapsody who make their careers out of this, but is undeniably fantastic - and so good, they supplied it twice with the pointlessly identical 'Classic Version' tagged on to the end of my edition of the album, which just boasts slightly inferior production quality.
'Somewhere Far Beyond' holds a few classics as well as some disappointingly forgettable moments, but is another excellent release from Blind Guardian and slightly better than what's come before. 'The Bard's Song' makes the previous album's 'Lord of the Rings' sound childish by comparison, and while the band still evidently thinks it's Metallica in places, the epic tendencies indicate a rising suspicion that their talents are about to be fully realised...
1. Time What is Time
2. Journey Through the Dark
3. Black Chamber
4. Theatre of Pain
5. The Quest for Tanelorn
6. Ashes to Ashes
7. The Bard's Song - In the Forest
8. The Bard's Song - The Hobbit
9. The Piper's Calling
10. Somewhere Far Beyond
11. Trial By Fire
12. Theatre of Pain (classic version)
Bright Eyes
***
Written on 22.02.08
For some odd reason I can only fathom to be the 'A Past and Future Secret' single not having been released in Japan, the East is granted a variation of what would later be released elsewhere as 'Mr. Sandman,' with the mere substitution of the last demo track for a different one and the exact same cover art more relevant to its successor. I've made it sound far more complicated than it really is; basically, this is just 'Mr. Sandman' with the first two songs swapped in order, and a different track five. But oddly, it was released a year earlier. That's better.
The 'Imaginations from the Other Side' album was a real triumph for Blind Guardian, a vast improvement over their previous albums and what would have been their definitive album if they hadn't gone and upstaged it with the incredible 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth.' All of its songs are undisputed Blind Guardian classics and still form the bulk of their live shows, so it's great for fans of their particularly geeky and powerful brand of metal to have the opportunity to hear demo recordings and alternate versions on these rare singles.
The edit of 'Bright Eyes' however is an abomination, I think that would be fair to say, shaving over a minute from the five-minute studio version by making a couple of minor clips and one major removal in the form of André Olbrich's fantastic guitar solo, which was one of his best performances on the original album. It's still a great song though, and perfectly captures the spirit and sound of the band as they experimented with increasingly epic directions.
The only track exclusive to this single is the demo of the ever-popular 'A Past and Future Secret,' which sounds decidedly different without all the advanced studio trickery and polishing. The orchestration and flutes are still there, albeit more subtly, and the drums are much more prominent as a result. It's great to hear a more raw and live performance, complete with aspects dropped from the original such as the unison vocals in parts, and it's refreshing to hear it without the overly bombastic finale, fitting better into the chronology established by 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Bard's Song,' the latter of which would see its own polishing-up a number of years later.
On the other hand, the demo version of 'Imaginations' isn't much different from the original, and only really ends up sounding inferior due to the weaker production sound that fails to bring out the guitars and especially the drums in the same way. 'Mr. Sandman' is more or less a novelty cover of the fifties original by the Chordettes that starts out as a loyal tribute before turning all fast and metal and stuff in the second half, and 'Hallelujah' is merely a sub-standard Blind Guardian song destined to be a B-side.
1. Bright Eyes (edit)
2. Mr. Sandman (The Chordettes cover)
3. Hallelujah
4. Imaginations from the Other Side (demo)
5. A Past and Future Secret (demo)
Mr. Sandman
***
Written on 22.02.08
Blind Guardian's cover of the Chordettes' 'Mr. Sandman' fulfils the same function as most rock covers of old songs: it's sort of amusing, and a genuine attempt to re-imagine a song the band happens to like, one of several covers later collected on 'The Forgotten Tales' B-sides album. It starts out the same as the original, albeit with Hansi Kürsch's soft vocals, and later becomes a fast metal anthem with wailing lead guitars, pounding drums and an all-out yelled performance from Kürsch, ending in a disappointing muted laugh that implies the whole thing was more or less a joke song. I dislike joke songs, but it's fun enough to be permissible.
This is a bit of an odd single, essentially promoting the contemporary 'Imaginations from the Other Side' album but highlighting a title song that isn't even on the album, rather than the earlier Japanese version of this single that led with the edit of 'Bright Eyes.' That song, the second track on this release, remains a classic from the 'Imaginations' album, but Andre Olbrich's most excellent guitar solo has been chopped, which is a real shame, and the B-side 'Hallelujah' and 'Imaginations from the Other Side' demo are both repeated from that release also.
The only song original to this later single is an alternative demo of 'The Script for My Requiem,' an oft-overlooked song from 'Imaginations' and one that suits a stripped-down, early take like this because of the extent of studio trickery performed on the finished piece. The orchestration sounds a bit more prominent in this fast anthem, and the rousing chorus fits in more naturally with the rest of the song rather than leaping out prominently as it does with the volume fixing of the album. While it would be nice for collectors to have a more diverse tracklist on both of these singles, they were supposed to be pretty much the same thing in two different markets, so a slightly shuffled playing order and swapping of demos is enough - particularly as 'A Past and Future Secret' had already been released in the international market as the first single from the album, and with a bonus orchestral version tagged on to that, we really didn't need it being repeated again here.
1. Mr. Sandman (The Chordettes cover)
2. Bright Eyes (edit)
3. Hallelujah
4. Imaginations from the Other Side (demo)
5. The Script for My Requiem (demo)
The Forgotten Tales
****
Written on 22.02.08
An odd marginal release from Blind Guardian when they were really starting to make it big (at least in Europe), this is a mixture of B-sides collection and promo introduction for newcomers to the band, which fails to give any kind of clear picture of what to expect from a regular studio release. Six of these songs are covers of famous, non-metal artists performed with varying degrees of authenticity and artistic license, while the rest consists of earlier Blind Guardian material either re-mixed to a more radio-friendly acoustic form or reproduced from the original, if it was acoustic in the first place.
The resulting album is part novelty release, part fun extra for the band's hardcore fans, and I suppose it has greater mainstream appeal based more on the former market; just as it's worth tracking down the albums of TV stars who fancy themselves as singers and proceed to butcher some of the greats, the speed metal covers of 'Mr. Sandman' and 'Surfin' USA' have the potential to raise a few eyebrows and get some people rocking out on the dance floor, or whatever it is young people do these days.
My main problem with cover songs, apart from the lack of originality, and essential worthlessness of reproducing something unless you're going to tackle it from a drastically different angle... alright, my third main problem with cover songs is that I'm hardly ever familiar with the original, being too cool or sheltered, take your pick. Oh, you went for that one. Fortunately, about half of these are classic and overplayed enough for me to have some degree of familiarity, particularly the Beach Boys stuff and 'Mr. Sandman' from its appearance in 'Back to the Future' that I watched about eighty eight times as a child. The opening tracks are tackled in exactly the same manner: the song begins to be performed authentically, but about half-way through becomes dominated by fast, powerful drums, André Olbrich's screaming guitar solos and Hansi Kürsch's even more screaming vocals, which sound particularly great in 'Surfin USA.' The choices are often zany, but in this latter case it really works.
Later covers are performed with a greater degree of loyalty, which makes them duller in the case of Queen's 'Spread Your Wings' that ends up being my least favourite song here for its irritatingly sung chorus, but Mike Oldfield's 'To France' is handled in a compelling and thoughtful manner, the rock and symphonic elements increasing steadily throughout and Hansi sounding great in the choruses as usual, but my favourite has to be Uriah Heep's 'The Wizard,' a great folk ballad that perfectly suits Blind Guardian's style both thematically and musically, and could easily be mistaken for one of their own. 'Barbara Ann/Long Tall Sally' is very unusual in that its second half is sung by someone completely different more in line with the original, but it's fun to hear Hansi sneak in a chorus from 'Johnny B. Goode,' also heard on the earlier live album 'Tokyo Tales.'
Despite the shocking grief of its first impression, 'Bright Eyes' is not, repeat not, a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's harrowing song about rabbits or whatever, but is the first of several Blind Guardian originals to receive the stripped-down acoustic treatment. Along with 'Mordred's Song,' this was one of the more emotional, more atmospheric and less aggressive offerings from the then-contemporary 'Imaginations from the Other Side' album, and both are well suited to acoustic slimming even though they fail to match up to the originals. Olbrich's acoustic solos are fun and plucky (in a literal sense), but 'Mordred's Song' sounds much better as a screamed energetic outburst than a mellow contemplation, though the former song is almost equally valid in this alternate form.
The short interlude 'Black Chamber' is rather pointlessly re-worked here also, made into an a capella performance from several Hansis that still only lasts a minute and isn't really going to appeal to anyone, while 'Theatre of Pain' is made over entirely and reduced to a purely symphonic version. This is interesting in concept but lousy to listen to, only serving to annoy in the same way piano or orchestra takes on your favourite rock songs only make you long to hear the proper instruments and some singing. But this is the sort of thing B-side albums are for, after all: pointless re-mixes for the fan who has everything.
The final thread running through this loosely woven, distractingly patterned jumper of an album consists of the band's three major acoustic songs from the three most recent albums up to that time, all of which are still live favourites today. The slightly amateur 'Lord of the Rings' and the much more polished 'A Past and Future Secret' are taken straight from their respective albums, while the finest of them all 'The Bard's Song' is a live performance from Germany (evidenced by the pre-song banter) that will possibly blow listeners away as the crowd chants its way through the entire thing with only the most minimal accompaniment by Hansi. It's not the most satisfying thing in the world to hear a muffled crowd singing rather than the band, but it proves the effect Blind Guardian have, and if nothing else, serves to encourage people who were bought this album as a joke to search out for the real thing.
1. Mr. Sandman (The Chordettes cover)
2. Surfin' USA (The Beach Boys cover)
3. Bright Eyes
4. Lord of the Rings
5. The Wizard (Uriah Heep cover)
6. Spread Your Wings (Queen cover)
7. Mordred's Song
8. Black Chamber
9. The Bard's Song (Live)
10. Barbara Ann / Long Tall Sally (The Beach Boys cover)
11. A Past and Future Secret
12. To France (Mike Oldfield cover)
13. Theatre of Pain
The Bard's Song (In the Forest)
The One Who Tells the Stories
**
Written on 24.03.08
Every Blind Guardian fan is familiar with 'The Bard's Song,' their classic acoustic ballad from the otherwise often overlooked 'Somewhere Far Beyond' album, but just in case they were finding that widely available album hard to come by - and perhaps to make a quick buck - the band released this extremely postponed single release in 2003, eleven years later. To be fair, it isn't the same version but a self-proclaimed "new studio version" that's the same as the original, but with a more polished and clean sound, and the fabled, elfish bard can finally be seen in the attractive cover art (funny, I always imagined him with a beard). It's a brilliant song, perfectly simple with a fine acoustic performance from André Olbrich and great singing by Hansi Kürsch, and an unshakeable staple of every single Blind Guardian live show. Which is where the B-sides come in; the first track is expressly labelled "new studio version" to differentiate it from the subsequent three live versions of the same song.
I'll repeat that: three live versions of the same song.
This is a bit of a barmy notion, but one I was glad/flabbergasted to see Rhapsody later mimic in their similarly completist release of 'The Magic of the Wizard's Dream' alongside four other versions in varying languages and re-mixes, and while it's nice to hear crowds from Milan, Munich and Madrid all singing along to the same song... what am I talking about? No it isn't, I really don't understand the purpose of featuring three live versions of the same song when the point could be just as easily made with one. They aren't very different at all, and unlike the band's earlier single 'A Past and Future Secret,' another acoustic ballad, there's nothing on here to balance out perception of Blind Guardian as a power metal band. Anyone listening to this would think they were merely a folk band. Worse, a folk band that only had one song.
So there you have it, a pointless single of a good song from eleven years earlier that I presume was only released so that modern Blind Guardian fans were spared the trouble of having to check out the earlier albums, and realise how much better the band used to be in the olden days. It's a good song that you can listen to again and again (four times in a row if you like), but one that's widely available on all live releases after 'Tokyo Tales.' For putting-CDs-into-the-computer fans, you're spared the monotony of the regular single and offered a live video of a song being performed in Stuttgart, breaking the band's habit of only playing in towns beginning with "M" but keeping another pattern intact. Would you hazard a guess which song they play?
1. The Bard's Song (In the Forest) (new studio version)
2. The Bard's Song (Live in Milan)
3. The Bard's Song (Live in Munich)
4. The Bard's Song (Live in Madrid)
Multimedia: The Bard's Song (Live in Stuttgart)
Live
The Fate of Us All Lies Deep in the Dark
*****
Written on 24.03.08
Simply titled 'Live,' this two-disc performance of Blind Guardian live in their native Germany is a fantastic retrospective of the band's extensive career over the previous twenty years. This goes without saying, as any random selection of twenty-two tracks from the strong discography would be a worthy purchase, but being a live album this is guaranteed to contain all of your favourites. Or at least, all of the songs the band likes to play live.
More diverse and twice the length of the previous live release 'Tokyo Tales' a decade earlier, the time was right to justify a new collection of songs celebrating the band's epic triumphs since, while still retaining the strongest material from those early speed metal days to add variety or keep listeners grounded when some of the more recent material veers off course into progressive realms.
Only four songs are present from the band's then-recent album 'A Night at the Opera,' highlighting the difficulty of adapting those overcomplicated songs into a live performance, something that seems to have spurred the back-to-basics ethos of later studio output. 'Soulforged' would be my choice from the album and is justly represented here, its folk chorus and shiny, happy vocals contrasting with some of the more aggressive surrounding material but not standing out as jarringly as the dull ballad 'Harvest of Sorrow' or the average songs 'Under the Ice' and 'Punishment Divine' that fail to make much of a splash on the second disc, and may leave some listeners with a slight irritation that something like 'Banish from Sanctuary' or 'Time What is Time' wasn't included in its place (as if 140 minutes of music spanning an entire musical career isn't enough. There's always one).
More disappointing is the equal lack of much material from the band's defining classic 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth,' which is only represented here by four excellent, if obvious choices, despite being relatively recent in the discography and a fan favourite. Fortunately, their other big hit 'Imaginations from the Other Side' is as well represented as ever, with six of its nine tracks appearing here, all of which have been in constant live rotation since 1995.
Once you get past the songs you like or dislike, there's nothing to fault with this album, apart from the usual irritable things a crowd gets up to when left for long minutes at a time between songs, something that could and perhaps should have been tidied up in the edit. The band's performance is impeccable as ever, and old and new material is handled with equal vigour, though some such as 'Majesty' from way back on the first album do sound a little odd with the newer vocal style; 'Born in a Mourning Hall' soon makes up for this with an unprecedented screaming performance from Hansi.
Similarly ancient classic 'Valhalla' is obviously popular with the fans, and is allowed to drag on at the end as they continually reprise its chorus, while 'The Bard's Song' is carried almost entirely by their singing, as Hansi stands and (presumably) smiles. There's not an awful lot of interaction with the crowd audible on the disc, though it's often the case that such things are the first to be cut for an official release, and the only ones that are present aren't particularly enlightening, such as the introduction to 'Lord of the Rings' that Hansi is probably making up on the spot.
With an extra CD or two this would be the definitive live Blind Guardian album, but having produced so many classic over the years it's impossible to get them all onto a two-disc set without feeling like there's something really significant missing. My only real gripe is the lack of substantial material from the 'Nightfall' album which has always been my favourite and is widely hailed as the band's finest, but the songs that are here are mostly tried-and-tested live favourites; only the compulsory material from the most recent 'A Night at the Opera' seems frivolous, and was justly worked out of the regular set-list once the band moved on from that period. An excellent live album that does the best it can, considering its impossible situation.
Disc 1
1. War of Wrath
2. Into the Storm
3. Welcome to Dying
4. Nightfall
5. The Script for My Requiem
6. Harvest of Sorrow
7. The Soulforged
8. Valhalla
9. Majesty
10. Mordred's Song
11. Born in a Mourning Hall
Disc 2
1. Under the Ice
2. Bright Eyes
3. Punishment Divine
4. The Bard's Song (In the Forest)
5. Imaginations from the Other Side
6. Lost in the Twilight Hall
7. A Past and Future Secret
8. Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)
9. Journey Through the Dark
10. Lord of the Rings
11. Mirror Mirror
A Twist in the Myth
***
Written on 23.02.08
The first new Blind Guardian material in five years, 'A Twist in the Myth' was eagerly anticipated by fans even if was always kind of obvious that it wasn't going to be all that good. The past decade has seen Blind Guardian evolve from one of the more prominent bands in the German speed metal tradition to the leading force in international power metal with their epic concept release 'Nightfall in Middle-Earth,' and then spiralling into the more dismal realm of pretentious experimental band without enough good ideas, as captured so perfectly in the disappointing 'A Night at the Opera.'
This most recent album was evidently an attempt to return to the simpler times, writing coherent songs that can actually be played live alongside old favourites, while continuing to advance the band's sound in the new millennium. The bad news is that some of the musical paths embarked on in recent years are continuing to be tread and the album's overall style suffers as a result, but the good news is that this doesn't write the band off completely: they're still an incredible force to be reckoned with in a live environment, headlining major metal festivals with their classic material, and once they get over these bad-prog tendencies they could start making great music again.
These songs aren't bad, at least most of them aren't, but none stand up to classic material from the nineties. As usual, there's a mix between heavier power metal anthems and folk ballads, the latter held up by the orchestral 'Skalds and Shadows' and the more metallic 'Carry the Blessed Home,' but the whole thing is spoiled to a degree by the perseverance of trends from the previous album, namely the predominantly plodding pace that only becomes more energetic on select occasions, the unimaginative repetition of the "slow machine gun" combination of hard guitar chords with drum slaps as if that's enough to make a song heavy, and Hansi Kürsch's squeaky vocal style that really, really starts to get on my nerves as the album proceeds, only letting up for light relief for a few seconds at a time. On the positive side, the overall sound is less busy than in the distractingly complex predecessor, and André Olbrich is back to supplying genuinely memorable guitar riffs and solos, while new band member Frederik Ehmke - the first major line-up change in the band's twenty year career - gets to prove himself with some interesting double bass drum bursts and other techniques in 'The Edge' and a few others. The songs are also back to regular length, and actually manage to distinguish themselves among the throng.
Probably the most deviant songs here are the ones the band chose to highlight with single releases, namely 'Fly' and 'Another Stranger Me' that both feature a new, deeper style of guitar riff not heard before in the band, as well as a continuation of the progressive themes. 'Fly' has a particularly annoying chorus (only if you find New Hansi irritating), but there's some interesting use of electronic effects, while 'Another Stranger Me' is more upbeat and energetic than most, and both songs feature some great, long guitar solos. 'Turn the Page' is more experimental still, particularly in the vocal department as Hansi sings at an oddly increased speed against the steady rhythm and even gets a more-or-less vocal solo, while this and many other songs continue to fill out the soundscape with keyboards in the folk metal tradition, serving to alienate old-school fans even further but perhaps drawing in newcomers at the same time, which can't be a bad thing.
Unfortunately, the rest of the songs, while individual and distinctive enough to stand out, can't boast of the same level of interest, and sound particularly weak when comparable to classic material from the band's past. 'Otherland' sounds like a 'Nightfall' B-side, 'The New Order' tries to be Black Sabbath but doesn't really convince, and 'Carry the Blessed Home' can't help sounding distinctly like what it is; the obligatory ballad in the style of 'The Bard's Song' that will all too soon fade from the live set-list once the album no longer requires promotion. I don't dislike this album, but it's not one I can play too frequently without feeling disappointed foremost, and it doesn't offer many choice selections outside of the singles.
1. This Will Never End
2. Otherland
3. Turn the Page
4. Fly
5. Carry the Blessed Home
6. Another Stranger Me
7. Straight Through the Mirror
8. Lionheart
9. Skalds and Shadows
10. The Edge
11. The New Order
12. Dead Sound of Misery
Bedtime Prayers
Hey Guys, Let's Just Be Soilwork, Only Less Good
**
Written on 23.02.08
Blinded Colony is just another in a tediously long line of bands to have sprung up since bands like In Flames and Soilwork corrupted their sound and entered the rock mainstream, and this album is far from being an impressive copy-cat, despite originating in Sweden which ought to at least add some authenticity.
The sound here is as much metalcore as it is melodic death metal, the latter only in the modern In Flames sense rather than the more authentic and exceptional stuff, and it's an irritatingly repetitive listening experience of guitar riffs and drum slaps synchronised against a background of bland eighties synthesiser, in a seemingly desperate attempt to add some melody. Denny Axelsson's vocals are the only element to really stand out, and not in a particularly good way - his raspy yells sound indistinguishable from pretty much every other melodic death metal band attempting to sound like hardcore vocalists, and his inevitable clean singing is as piercing and whiney as his mainstream contemporaries, not to mention the terrible Slipknot-style tortured whisperings inserted into a few songs before the eruption back into violence fails to take us by surprise.
A few of these songs would be fairly decent melodic death metal, if bands like At the Gates hadn't already recorded superior versions over a decade earlier. '21st Century Holocaust' is the most convincingly aggressive and suited to its name, while others such as 'Need' feel overly aggressive in a pointless sort of way. The worst are the more metalcore-influenced songs in which Axelsson shows off his lousy singing talents, particularly 'Revelation, Now!' while 'Aaron's Sons' fails to hide its Soilwork influence completely by opening with a cheesy eighties keyboard melody that wouldn't have been out of place on (the superior) 'Natural Born Chaos.'
At only thirty-eight minutes this is hardly the most generous album, especially considering three of its songs were already available on an earlier promo release, but perhaps another song following exactly the same style as the rest would simply have been too much to bear.
1. My Halo
2. Bedtime Prayers
3. Once Bitten Twice Shy
4. Need
5. Revelation, Now!
6. 21st Century Holocaust
7. Aaron's Sons
8. In Here
9. Heart
Advantages: Might be exciting if you've never heard the bands it's clearly ripping off.
Disadvantages: Nowhere near the level of its influences, and far too repetitive.
Blindside
**
Written on 23.02.08
Blindside's career has seen the Swedish Christians move from generic and annoying hardcore to bland and tedious post-hardcore, with very little of note in-between. This first album is surprisingly one of their better releases, still enormously let down by its reliance on Slipknot-style vocals and loud guitars with delusions of heaviness, but taking enough shameless influence from other bands that the album experience is at least not entirely uninteresting.
The Slipknot comparison is more evident in the vocals than anything else, which really do sound like a passable and suitably irritating sound-alike in their whining singing and predominant yells, electronically distorted as these hardcore bands tend to lack the genuine screaming ability found in metal bands. These vocals are supplemented by very dull guitars based around power chords in songs like 'Invert,' 'Nerve' and 'Replay,' while the rest of the album experiments with theft of other 1990s bands' styles in a continuing process of experimentation to find the right sound to rip off, something that arguably should have been carried out prior to actually recording such a revealing album.
Thus, we hear the familiar funky, bass-driven style of Korn in 'Superman' and 'Liberty,' the gloom of Tool in 'Empty Box' and 'This Shoulder,' and the generic sound of grunge making its way into 'Born,' 'One Mind' and 'Teddy Bear,' featuring faux-acoustic guitar before the whole thing returns to cacophonous yelling. The listener's own personal preference when it comes to these obvious influences will likely determine their own favourites here, or in my case least despised, as the Tool-like 'Empty Box' is at least structurally interesting in its mellow minimalism, though I never liked Tool that much either. This is the sound of a band struggling to find its feet and recording the struggle for all to hear, adding some Christian platitudes to encourage us to be forgiving.
1. Invert
2. Born
3. Empty Box
4. Superman
5. Nerve
6. This Shoulder
7. Replay
8. One Mind
9. Liberty
10. Daughter
11. Teddy Bear
12. Never
A Thought Crushed My Mind
**
Written on 23.02.08
It seems that Blindside had finally found a sound to settle on, for this album at least, but unfortunately it happens to be one of the most inherently irritating sounds in existence, merely a step away from despicable emo. The hardcore screaming has increased in intensity, meaning that Christian Lindskog has merely turned up the dial on whatever he's using to distort his voice, and even worse are the attempts to balance it out with clean singing, which inevitably follows the piercing whine of other emo vocalists who can't sing. Just in case it wasn't all stereotypical enough, 'Vow of Silence' even features a spoken word section. Deep.
Despite the offensive cacophony, there's an interesting experimental edge to this album, mainly present in the use of a string section on certain songs. This is only really incorporated in any meaningful way into the otherwise unsuccessful ten-minute finale 'Nothing But Skin,' but the cello conclusion of 'As You Walk' is a nice touch, even if the later string interlude of 'My Mother's Only Son' blatantly steals its melody from Toto's soundtrack to 'Dune.' The album's general sound is an incredibly irritating one that will only appeal to hardcore fans, and not even the most hardcore hardcore fans who will doubtless find the clean singing as offensive as I do, and whatever emotions the band was hoping to evoke, the only one they succeeded in was to annoy the hell out of me with every song.
1. Vow of Silence
2. As You Walk
3. King of the Closet
4. My Mother's Only Son
5. Act
6. Silver Speak
7. Where Eye Meets Eye
8. Nara
9. In the Air of Truth
10. Across Waters
11. Nothing But Skin
Silence
**
Written on 23.02.08
Just when I thought the Christian Swedes couldn't sink any lower, they reinvent themselves as a pop rock band, thankfully toning down the Slipknot rubbish of their earlier releases but only going on to replace it with a dilution of gothic rock, reminiscent of the Cure at their least moody. And Christian Lindskog still doesn't so much sing as pierce the listener's eardrums with his whine. Most disappointing of all is the abandonment of the (admittedly slight) experimental tendencies of the previous album, the only deviations coming in roughly half of the songs, where the band breaks out the basic Machine Head power chords and pinch harmonics to impress the kids with their "heaviness."
I'm glad that the pointless aggro has gone, but bland and wistful melancholia isn't exactly an improvement, even if it's admittedly easier to listen to. 'Caught a Glimpse' sets up the emo whine that only gets worse in 'Pitiful,' a song I believe was released as a single that would at least do the job of diving the audience into those who despise it and those who think it might be okay, and that the album could at least hold something of interest. In this song, 'Cute Boring Love' and 'Thought Like Flames,' Lindskog attempts his best Robert Smith impersonation before moving on to a style more reminiscent of Him in 'Midnight,' but the only song that even approaches the gothic mentality in any way outside of tedious pop is the finale 'Silence,' which unfortunately ends up being mostly boring.
It's clear that even this far down the line, the band has no real idea what it wants to sound like, and breaking into America with the help of their Christian rock contemporaries (so people will listen to anything based on a shared set of values, regardless of its musical ability?), it seems that Blindside are jumping on an off of the pop rock bandwagons as they come and go, from nu-metal to emo-core and gothic rock. I wouldn't be surprised if their next release was a pop punk effort.
1. Caught a Glimpse
2. Pitiful
3. Sleepwalking
4. Cute Boring Love
5. The Endings
6. You Can Hide It
7. Thought Like Flames
8. Time Will Change Your Heart
9. Painting
10. Midnight
11. Coming Back to Life
12. She Shut Your Eyes
13. Silence
The Great Depression
**
Written on 23.02.08
The fifth Blindside album is another partial reinvention of the band's sound, and another one that doesn't entirely succeed in any meaningful way. Inspired by the band's experiences in poverty-stricken Africa, this isn't so much depressing as rather boring. I've heard plenty of albums more convincingly distressing and upsetting than this, making this seem comparatively bland and lifeless, until the hardcore shouting rears its malformed head on select songs and the band manages to instil heated anger in me at just how tedious and forced it all sounds.
The band's minor progressive tendencies are still in evidence, seen in the electronic aspects of 'This is a Heart Attack' and the piano sections of 'Yamkela' and 'My Alibi,' but in the end they only sound like a less impressive copy-cat of Pain of Salvation. The screamy hardcore style is just as annoying as the singing, so there really is no winning on the vocal front, and the louder songs (not heavier songs; louder songs) are full of the same bad guitars as the rest of their discography. This band has never produced a decent guitar riff, and this uncomfortable mix of mellow songs and screamy emo-core doesn't bode well for the band's future, which is particularly disappointing considering the promise shown in the previous album. Still, I'm sure unambitious American rock fans will continue to snap them up, blissfully unaware of the far superior practitioners out there, playing a less irritating version of pretty much the same sound.
1. The Great Depression
2. This is a Heart Attack
3. Ask Me Now
4. We're All Going to Die
5. Yamkela
6. Put Back the Stars
7. Fell in Love With the Game
8. City Lights
9. We Are to Follow
10. You Must Be Bleeding Under Your Eyelids
11. My Alibi
12. Come to Rest (Hesychia)
13. This Time
14. When I Remember
Not a Comedy Band... (but they certainly like to play around)
*****
Written on 23.06.01
Blink 182 were formed in 1992 by Tom DeLonge, a student in a Californian high school. He started the So-Cal pop punk band "Blink" (they had to change their name when they became commercial due to copyright infringements of some weird Irish band or something) with bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor (the band's youngest member).
The band soon released their first album, "Buddha", which wasn't hugely successful, followed by the more popular "Cheshire Cat" (which spawned the relatively underground single "M & M's"), but it wasn't until their album "Dude Ranch" (1997) that the band got their big break with the fantastically popular single "Dammit" (and less well known singles "Josie" and "Apple Shampoo.") The band were now a big name in the alternative genre, but it was in 1999, with the release of their fourth album "Enema of the State" (and the insanely high-selling singles "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things..." along with the not-so-popular, but better, "Adam's Song") that the band became well known to all people of the world. (By then the band's original drummer Scott had left the bnad to forther pursue his education- he was only 18 when "Dude Ranch" was released- and new drummer Travis Barker had joined Blink). They have basically become a pop group (which sucks) but their music still sounds great, so what the hell? Those little kids can't ruin something as cool as Blink.
The band have thus far released six albums ("Buddha", "Cheshire Cat", "Dude Ranch", "Enema of the State", "The Mark, Tom and Travis Show"- a live album- and new release "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket") and are still going strong. "Take Off Your Pants" was number one in the Virgin charts on its week of release, and it's still a great album, but I prefer "Dude Ranch" overall as I prefer the more punk style. The band have also released a home video (entitled "The Urethra Chronicles") which is quite funny, and is basically about half an hour of the band (that is, Tom, Mark and Travis- Scott is stranbgely completely absent and unmentioned) generally mucking around, both on tour and in their everyday lives, and includes their music videos "Dammit", "Josie", "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things..." The band's other released music video singles (to date) are "Man Overboard" (one of my favourite Blink songs taken from the live album) and "The Rock Show" (a pretty average song from the new album).
Blink have definitely passed the "next big thing" stage, and although they seem to have sold out I still think they're one of my favourite bands. I just prefer the old stuff (although I don't think Scott is as good as Travis- he's not weird enough. Let me know what you think).
Advantages: Cool band, Some amazing songs, Uplifting and great for parties
Disadvantages: Some songs are very pop-style ("All the Small Things..." in particular), The 182 bit in the name- it's dumb!
Dude Ranch
Great Album, if Repetetive
****
Written on 02.06.01
Blink 182 are one of my favourite bands, and this may be their best album. It contains what it widely believed to be their greatest song (the fantastic "Dammit"), along with the other singles "Josie" and "Apple Shampoo." Every track is great, and the album is better than the more popular "Enema of the State" album in my opinion, although my criticism is that it is not as varied.
On "Enema", the light-hearted pop-punk of "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things" is complimented by the very sombre and brilliant "Adam's Song" and the fast-paced lyrical extravaganza of "The Party Song." On this album, all the songs are relatively fast, light-hearted romps performed very similarly. However, the album does benefit from the flat, sober voice of Mark Hoppus (the bass player) being complimented by songs sung from the high-voiced insane guitarist Tom DeLonge, whose vocal talents can be heard on the famous "All the Small Things." The songs are probably mostly sung by Tom, although I guess it's a half and half thing; the first song features a rare collaboration of alternate vocalists for each line in the amazing "Pathetic."
If you have "Enema of the State", you should certainly contemplate buying this- it's the happiest, most uplifting album I own, and I even own some ska! I don't know what the forthcoming album (the innuendo-titled "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket") has to offer, although I'll certainly review it as and when I hear it.
Advantages: "Dammit", Moments of comedic foolery (mucking about), Different approaches with vocals.
Disadvantages: Not much variation (apart from the vocals)
Unholy Trinity
Return of the Sleeping NWOBHM!
***
Written on 23.02.08
Leicester-based Blitzkrieg were a comparative latecomer to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in the early eighties, and only released one album during its heyday, 1985's appreciated but relatively unknown 'A Time of Changes.' Ten years later, for some reason or other, the band reformed in a very loose sense with singer Brian Ross and drummer Sean Taylor reprising their roles with newcomer Dave Anderson on bass and Tony J. Liddle on guitars, the most talented member of the band who joined at the end of the eighties.
It seems that Blitzkrieg was still operating as a live outfit in the interregnum between albums, which perhaps explains the density of 'Unholy Trinity,' an album packed with material that sadly feels significantly overlong at seventeen tracks compared to the typical NWOBHM average of eight or nine. While it would be a shame for fans to miss out on some of the extra material, especially those who waited ten years for this release, casual listeners are likely to become a little fed up as the sound inevitably becomes repetitive after the half-way point.
The big question here is whether an album released in 1995 could possibly possess the same spark as NWOBHM released in heavy metal's golden era, and while I haven't heard the first Blitzkrieg album for comparison, this is a very accurate and authentic reproduction of the generic NWOBHM sound similar to Saxon or Grim Reaper with a bit of Judas Priest thrown in for good measure, and certainly more authentic than the albums other old-timers were releasing during the same period, for better or worse (mostly the latter). That said, there's nothing particularly special about this album, and obviously there's an issue of how relevant it is in a decade where the metal world was ruled by grunge and those annoying, youth-angst-nu-metal bands, but I see it as a welcome fresh of breath air. Even the production values are kept a little behind modern standards to add to the experience, though I suspect this was less a creative decision and more out of necessity...
The songs themselves are all incredibly predictable and repetitive, but are a hell of a lot of fun, and equal or superior to many of the old bands, excluding the big-name acts that managed to stand above the rest and are still surviving today. Brian Ross' vocal melodies are surprisingly accessible, almost poppy on occasion, but he's still capable of reaching the high notes, and on no occasion is the music permitted to descend into ballads, the love songs instead opting to follow the commercial style of Judas Priest's similar endeavours. Liddle's guitars are clearly the strongest point, indulging in all manner of potentially cheesy and overwhelmingly cool solos and harmonies with himself, though his chugging riffs elsewhere are rendered a little weaker by the production values. He even gets the fun instrumental 'All Hallow's Eve' to show off his abilities, and it's notable that the primary song here to rekindle the NWOBHM flame, 'Take a Look Around,' appears to be a song left off of the previous album.
Overall, this is a fairly mediocre release that's still incredibly entertaining for fans of classic British metal, with consistently enjoyable songs even if there are very few that really stand out, something that isn't helped by the sheer quantity. 'After Dark' is a fairly secretive vampire song that only reveals its true colours at the end, the title track features a dark section with demonic spoken word similar to early Manowar, and 'Countess Bathory' is one of the less successful songs on that theme that I've heard, but this is still classic NWOBHM that sadly arrived far too late for anyone to really notice, even less than they noticed its predecessor.
1. Hair Trigger (Pull the Trigger Part 2)
2. Struck by Lightning
3. Taking Care of Business
4. Field of Dreams
5. Take a Look Around
6. After Dark
7. Crazy for You
8. Zip
9. Unholy Trinity
10. Calming the Savage Beast
11. The Wraith
12. Easy Way Out
13. All Hallows' Eve
14. Countess Bathory
15. Jealous Love
16. House of Pleasure
17. Return of the Zip
Advantages: Revival of the class sound, unhindered by the curse of the nineties.
Disadvantages: Stuck in a time warp, and not the best example of the genre.
Ten
****
Written on 23.02.08
The wait for Blitzkrieg's third album was significantly less than that for their 1995 comeback release, and the experience of recording a new album seems to have injected new life into the band - not to mention yet another drastic line-up change that sees singer Brian Ross and guitarist Tony J. Liddle the only remaining members from 'The Unholy Trinity.' With this third album, Blitzkrieg were finally treated to a modern production job to match their slightly updated sound, now less explicitly rooted in the past with greater energy and even a little influence from contemporary symphonic metal bands.
Alright, the symphonic elements are confined to a couple of keyboard moments towards the beginning and end of the album, but even as traditional heavy metal this is still superior to the previous album, as Liddle's guitars now balance heaviness and melody more successfully, and make the whole thing feel less dated despite some slightly awkward aspects of the eighties remaining in the form of the unison shouted chorus of 'Fighting All the Way to the Top' and unwise bass solo intro of 'I'm Not Insane,' an otherwise great song spoiled slightly by a daft acted section complete with maniacal laugh. Once again, the band resurrect a couple of songs from their early days in the form of 'Buried Alive' and their title song, but unlike with the last album, these arguable "classics" are of the same standard as the newer material.
If there's one major drawback with this release, it's that the songs start sounding pretty similar after the first few are over and done with, and the speed seems confined to a plodding medium tempo rather than the more furious assault of 'Blitzkrieg.' The best songs still borrow from Judas Priest and there's still too much reliance on guitar solos coming along to save the day just when you thought a song was starting to get boring, but as it's classic metal this is all somehow forgivable. The main achievement of this album is being released in 1996 without sounding like a mere throwback.
1. Cavo d'Oro (Intro)
2. Fighting All the Way to the Top
3. Buried Alive
4. The Sentinel
5. The Power of the King
6. Night Howl
7. I'm Not Insane
8. Court in the Act
9. Blitzkrieg '96
10. Nocturnal Vision
Theatre of the Damned
***
Written on 23.02.08
The most recent release from old-time classic metal band Blitzkrieg is slightly disappointing considering the time they've now had to hone their skills, yet the same old problems remain. First is the persistence of line-up changes seemingly rearranging the band every year and destroying any kind of chemistry that could go towards the songwriting process, and second is that Brian Ross' singing, while cool and high in the early eighties way, still sounds weak and frankly dull as he delivers narratives that should be compelling, but end up sounding unconvincing and even slightly daft.
Released in 2007, this benefits from a crisp modern production job that even brings out Paul Brewis' clunking bass, but also draws attention to the repetitive style of the other instruments, especially Ken Johnson and Guy Laverick's guitars. The only really interesting guitar riff in the album is the one that leads the otherwise bland 'Devil's Spawn,' and even that's directly pinched from Testament. Even their attempt at tackling the Phantom of the Opera tale in track two ends up less satisfying than all the other versions I've heard from the likes of Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Anachronia and even the Misfits, but I guess it's still superior to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Blitzkrieg's albums always tend towards similarity in the later songs and this is no exception, the best material always being used up early on, but considering the amusing subject matter and possibility of an overarching concept, I'd expected much more.
1. Theatre of the Damned
2. The Phantom
3. Devil's Spawn
4. My Life is My Own
5. Spirit of the Legend
6. The Passing
7. Into the Light
8. Tortured Souls
9. Together We Are Strong
10. Night Stalker
Yeest
Stinky Mouldy Flesh is What I Like Best
*
Written on 24.03.08
Grindcore was frequently an amusingly bad genre, and Melbourne's Blood Duster (the band would prefer "Blöod Düster," but I'm not going to give them the satisfaction) certainly brought nothing new to its narrow horizons. Needlessly depraved lyrics of murder, rape and child molestation seek the attention of easily pleased grindcore fans, and what little promise the music shows at an early stage is soon overtaken by laziness and the desire to be obtuse. Some grindcore bands do this really well, producing entertaining albums fullof ten-second outbursts leading nowhere, but Blood Duster are not one of them.
Amateurishness is the order of the day here, from the awful lyrics that rhyme "splattered corpse" with "knife and fork" and don't even seem to be joking, to the repetitive guitars and drums that play pretty much the same thing over and over again, when a song lasts for more than six seconds that is. Tony Forde's vocals are based in the same deep guttural growl characteristic of the whole genre, with occasional screamed outbursts that are reasonably successful in conveying greater emotion, but Finn Alman's guitar disappoints severely after producing some fairly catchy (albeit unoriginal) groove riffs in tracks one and two.
After this point, the short recording really does go nowhere fast, and at times goes nowhere painfully slowly. With tracks three, five and six becoming increasingly brief, the whispered growls and slow riffs of 'Chuck' seem to last forever at just under two minutes, and the six-second 'Strop' is followed by the somehow even less satisfying 'Nasty Chicks,' which spends most of its near-five-minute playing time in tedious guitar feedback masquerading as a sort of solo.
Grindcore freaks may enjoy the band's abrasiveness and bad attitude, but coming in the mid-nineties, it's not like they were the first to do it. In grindcore terms, they're being practically mainstream.
1. Albert
2. Northcoat
3. Motherfuckin' [I had the decency to censor the curses for the family-friendly site, but the horrific album cover didn't go down well in the comments]
4. Chuck
5. Showered With Affection, Part 2
6. Strop
7. Nasty Chicks (With Big Ol' Tits)
Str8 Outta Northcote
3 Riffs is All We Need
***
Written on 24.03.08
The debut release from Australian grind band Blood Duster was a great surprise to me, as it's actually pretty good. I never expected anything like this from the band that released 'Yeest,' which was wildly unbalanced, talentless and tasteless without even being hysterical. Here, the music is catchy, the styles varied, and the dark humour is actually pretty funny (naming a song 'Stiffy in McDonalds,' for example).
The main difference here is the introduction of the band's stoner rock influence, something that takes equal footing to the grindcore, even if the two styles are never really fused together in a satisfying manner, tending to play alongside each other in separate tracks instead. This means that many songs will be mere ten second explosions of anger, while others take their time with grooving guitars and drums. I was never the biggest grindcore fan in the first place, but Blood Duster's own ability in that area is somewhat less than competitive, failing to live up to the intensity of their progenitors and often seeming brief and pointless merely for the sake of it, but the stoner rock tracks are something else: they are alright. Not particularly good, but fairly enjoyable.
Unfortunately, while the grooves of songs like 'Givin' Stiff to the Stiff,' 'Metal as F**k' and the comparably talented 'Instrumental 1' all make for entertaining listening, there are still several factors holding this album back, some of them obviously inserted merely for the sake of disruption. Ever-present are the arbitrary film samples of people swearing and saying Hollywood-standard-obscene things, much the same as in any other grind band, and there's always the possibility that the next song will be a ten second screamathon that lacks any real passion. Random silences also serve to irritate, but at least the band is honest with its ten-minute finale track, appropriately titled 'Pure Digital Silence.'
If Blood Duster hadn't made this tolerable with some catchy riffs, I'd steer clear. As it is, it's a fairly enjoyable listening experience, even if there wouldn't really be any point listening to it again when there are so many better bands out there practicing both respective styles.
1. Givin' Stiff to the Stiff
2. Hippie Kill Team
3. Metal as Fuck
4. I Hate Girls and Crusty Punx
5. Chop-Chop
6. Tittie
7. Mother Load
8. The Meat Song (Stiffy in McDonalds)
9. Death Squad
10. Instrumental 1
11. The Simple Life
12. Where Does All the Money Go When Releasing a Full Length Album?
13. It's Just Not Metal
14. Celebrating 35% Pig Fat
15. F.S.S.
16. Ohh Ahh
17. Derek 2
18. Roll Call
19. Shoved Up Your Pisshole
20. Ballad of Hoyt
21. Pure Digital Silence
Cunt
Nothing, a Rude Word. Next Question?
**
Written on 24.03.08
You could argue that naming your album 'C**t' isn't big and isn't clever, but with grindcore bands (not renowned for their size and intelligence) you'd be wasting your breath. Blood Duster's second full-length release, if you can call it that at a mere twenty minutes, continues to push their "porngrind" style ahead by essentially imitating others, diversifying their own discography slightly, but also sadly moving away from the areas that were quite promising on the previous release.
While 'Str8 Outta Northcote' sought to combine grindcore outbursts with stoner rock riffs, here the emphasis is more fully on the former, albeit with a more satisfying death metal tone. The production quality has taken a step down, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it does add a certain atmosphere, but this atmosphere is then spoiled whenever a new track starts and the inevitable, poorly-chosen film sample introduces yet another repetitive song. Unlike most grind bands, who opt for samples of violence and classic horror, the samples here deal almost exclusively with the porn industry, as represented by Hollywood in films such as 'Boogie Nights' and 'Orgazmo,' rather than anything more satisfying obscure and filthy. So essentially, this is less than softcore porngrind.
Tony Forde's vocals go for the deep, guttural croak of brutal death metal and grind, but don't reach the heights/depths of something like Demilich, while Jason Fuller chips in occasionally with the high cawing that Forde disappointingly can't do. What kind of metal bands requires two vocalists? Matt Collins' guitar riffs are ordinary to the point of complete tedium, and the only real band member to shine is Matt Rizzo, whose drum blasts are at least powerful and fast on occasion, if uncreative.
There's not much point going in to the individual songs, as this time round they really do all sound the same, with only a slightly slower groove riff serving to differentiate those such as 'Bigfata**e' from the flaccid mania of the rest. Perhaps most irritating of all is the way the two final tracks are extended by several minutes through the use of pointless, time-wasting feedback and sound effects, meaning that the album only really contains about twelve minutes of music, if you discount the film samples as well. Those twelve minutes won't change your life, and will only make you laugh if you have a tragically low amusement threshold.
1. Wearethewordpolice
2. Bigfatarse
3. Anotherslackarsedaussieband
4. Pornstorestiffi
5. Pissingcontest
6. Ijustfinishedsuckingoffmetalheadsinthemensurinals
7. Hoochiemumma
8. Iloveitwhenjoepesciswears
9. Stocktakin'
10. Letsallfuck
11. Atracksuitisnotappropriatemetalapparel
12. Thecorpsesong
13. Fuckyousceneboy
14. Iskillingclonesillegal
15. Don'tcallmehomeboyya'cunt
16. Spefeven
17. Theobjectistoshiftsomeunits
18. Sweetmeat
19. Dis-Organ-Ized (Impetigo cover)
Blood Duster
Bloody Heck
***
Written on 24.03.08
Grind bands are only really successful when they're unpredictable, and while Blood Duster's discography isn't exactly extensive or multi-faceted, it's perhaps necessary for the majority of their releases to be really terrible so that things like this self-titled 2003 album can come as a pleasant surprise. Ditching the stupid porngrind attitude in favour of songs largely centred on the music world, utilising old voice samples of an authoritative man warning of the dangers of occult heavy metal bands, it's clear that Blood Duster have taken this album seriously for a change, combining influences and paying attention to the production job to ensure that every song flows together but also stands apart. It's hard to believe this was the same band that released the amateurish 'C**t.'
Right from the prelude 'For Those About to F**k,' with its Black Sabbath bell chimes and ominous Slayer drums, it's clear that the band has taken a more consciously metallic approach this time round, and while the songs follow a similar bipolar pattern to the first album, with grind outbursts alongside catchy stoner rock, both are given a satisfying death metal finish. The only thing that really disappoints is that the band still requires two vocalists to handle the lower and higher ends of the screaming spectrum, as a tighter act would possess a multi-talented frontman capable of executing both.
The deathrock anthems 'SixSixSixteen,' 'Sellout,' 'I Wanna Do It With a Donna,' 'Bad Habits,' 'Drink Fight F**k,' 'Underground,' 'Drug Fiend' and 'She's a Junkie' end up being the most enjoyable and memorable songs here, and not only because those in-between tend to be less substantial (in the grindcore spirit, even some of these laid-back songs far under the one-minute mark), and it's easy to see why some were released as singles due to the crossover appeal with fans of American stoner bands such as Clutch. The riffs aren't entirely original or spellbinding, but they're performed well, and even the grind songs have a lot going for them when they aren't completely overtaken by voice samples, as is sadly the case with a few.
The production job here is excellent, arguably a lot better than the band deserves, but this is an album that could easily appeal to extreme music fans who would otherwise turn up their noses at grind. It's still not great, but then it wouldn't really be grindcore if it was.
1. For Those About to Fuck
2. Idi
3. SixSixSixteen
4. Cock Junkie
5. Sellout
6. I Wanna Do It With a Donna
7. Fruity Relationships
8. Heroin Punk
9. Sk8er Grrl
10. Bad Habits
11. On the Stage
12. Vegan Feast
13. Drink Fight Fuck
14. Tony Goes to Court
15. On the Hunt
16. Current Trends
17. Underground
18. Drug Fiend
19. Achin' for an 'A' Cup
20. Dahmer the Embalmer
21. She's a Junkie
22. NuCorporate
Come Death
****
Written on 24.02.08
Blood Red Throne is one of the more entertaining death metal bands still performing in the classic style, as defined and instantly perfected by the Florida bands of the late eighties and early nineties, only this band hails from the darkness of Norway. While the lack of any kind of cultural identity could be seen as a bad thing (unless you hate black metal of course), it's oddly refreshing to hear such an authentic reproduction of the classic sound performed by fans with a knack for contributing to the canon. 'Come Death' might not have the same power and intensity as its predecessor 'Altered Genesis,' but it's another solid performance from some incredibly skilled musicians.
Perhaps the main disappointment here is how some of the virtuosity is allowed to go to waste, most evident in the steady guitar riffs that dominate the majority of the album before Død and Tchort unleash their incredible solo talents or breakneck riffs in the faster instrumental sections. This leads to some songs such as 'Deranged Assassin' feeling a little too long and losing interest by the time their six minutes are up, but there are enough technical elements elsewhere to satisfy death metal connoisseurs , even an authentic cover of genre giants Gorguts in the form of 'Disincarnated.' Besides, any attempt to be more overtly tech-death may simply have resulted in another Suffocation clone, based more around aggression and restless riffing for the sake of it, at a loss to the unbeatable catchiness of classic death metal.
New vocalist Vald fits the role perfectly, even if once again he doesn't bring anything new. His primary style is a sustained roar with plenty of echo, but he increases to a powerful, raspy shriek for extra emphasis when required. Emphasis is a key element here, as the faster sections of songs are generally saved up for added effect rather than diluted through over-use, and the same goes for the guitar solos. Last but not least is Erlend Caspersen's bass work, which is some of the best I've ever heard in a death metal band, and is nicely highlighted by the production values.
1. Slaying the Lamb
2. Deranged Assassin
3. Rebirth in Blood
4. Guttural Screams
5. Taste of God
6. No New Beginning
7. Come Death
8. Disincarnated (Gorguts cover)
9. Another Kill (The Human Phenomenon)
Thrash Metal
**
Written on 24.02.08
To arrogantly name your album 'Thrash Metal' twenty years after the genre's heyday is never going to win an up-and-coming band a lot of friends in the metal community, and Blood Tsunami's recent debut is far removed from a thrash classic, or even a particularly enjoyable tribute. For a start, just like Venom's 'Black Metal' which predated that other genre, it doesn't even sound like authentic thrash, mixing elements of eighties American and European thrash (Slayer and Kreator in particular) into a foundation that's most reminiscent of modern melodic death metal, without the good bits.
This Norwegian band doesn't bring anything new to the music scene, even by combining these influences - which many superior death metal bands have already done to substantially greater effect. Most songs turn into a guessing game of spot-the-influence, from the Slayer riffs in 'Evil Unleashed' to the very Testament-like 'Devoured By Flames' and even the Manowar-inspired cover art. Pete Evil's rasping vocals lack any distinctive flair and become tedious as he fails to change his tone even when the music demands it, while Dor Amazon's guitar and Faust's drums are essentially typical thrash, with an emphasis on breakdowns rather than more creative riffs. The only real song to grab my attention was the ten-minute instrumental 'Godbeater,' but it lost it very, very soon.
1. Evil Unleashed
2. Let Blood Rain
3. Rampage of Revenge
4. Infernal Final Carnage
5. Devoured By Flames
6. Torn Apart
7. Godbeater
8. Killing Spree
Breeding Death
****
Written on 24.02.08
Bloodbath is another side project of Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, formed with members of Katatonia in a seeming attempt to pay tribute to, and perhaps revive the classic Swedish death metal sound of the early nineties, before natural progression and genre divisions (for which Opeth and Katatonia were partly responsible) caused death metal to splinter in a mostly satisfying manner.
These three songs sound authentically dated, but still original within the genre - as these guys are as experienced as you can get - but are blessed by a more contemporary production sound that brings out the power of the guitars, without spoiling them through clinical or polished over-production as befalls many modern acts. The lyrics follow similarly typical themes of gore with just a dash of anti-Christianity for the heck of it, and Åkerfeldt's familiar growl once again shows off its talents, carrying the whole thing through in a deep and compelling tone that can somehow be understood completely.
These three songs aren't particularly varied, though 'Furance Funeral' features a pleasant melodic end section led by keyboard that works as a nice contrast to the darkness of the rest, but fans of classic death metal should find this both respectful and a solid competitor in its own right.
1. Breeding Death
2. Omnious Bloodvomit
3. Furnace Funeral
Resurrection Through Carnage
***
Written on 24.02.08
Following the positive response to the 'Breeding Death' E.P., allegedly a one-time project, death metal supergroup Bloodbath returned to the studio to record a full-length album in tribute to old-school Swedish death metal. The result is less impressive than its predecessor, partly due to a less tight focus but also largely down to the repetition, as every song follows the same basic style. While this was certainly a trait of many classic death metal bands, I expected more of a group comprised of Opeth, Edge of Sanity and Katatonia alumni.
These songs are generally faster and thrashier than the darker E.P., and more closely aligned to the sound of Entombed, Grave and Dismember on occasion, which is good news for fans of those classic bands, but also means it only ever sounds like a second-rate imitation (Dismember are one of my favourite death bands, but 'So You Die' merely sounds like a 'Massive Killing Capacity' B-side). Another oddity is how often the riffs tend to sound like something else, something not even inside the metal genre. 'Ways to the Grave' features a melody that I'm sure is taken from some old horror film or opera or something, but is ever so slightly camouflaged to the point that it isn't clear whether it's a deliberate or accidental homage, and 'Death Delirium' sounds like Danny Elfman's 'Batman' theme.
Part of the reason this album fails is that it simply seems too long, despite only being forty minutes, as what was once a tribute of sorts has now become a fully-fledged band playing in a derivative style and inevitably receiving greater attention in the extreme metal world than more creative underdogs due to the comparatively high profile of the band members.
1. Ways to the Grave
2. So You Die
3. Mass Strangulation
4. Death Delirium
5. Buried by the Dead
6. The Soulcollector
7. Bathe in Blood
8. Trail of Insects
9. Like Fire
10. Cry My Name
Nightmares Made Flesh
****
Written on 24.02.08
Mikael Åkerfeldt's departure from retro-death metal band Bloodbath was likely seen as a savage blow by those death fans who seem to think Opeth are the most incredible thing to have blessed the genre, but in truth his absence allows the other band members to exert more creative control and begin to re-define Bloodbath's sound. Even if, admittedly, the end result is more like Edge of Sanity than anything else thanks to the greater prominence of Dan Swano (but they were always a lot more fun than Opeth anyway).
This is a more technically impressive, heavy and varied album than its repetitive predecessor, featuring more in the way of dual guitar harmonies ('Cancer of the Soul'), incessant catchiness ('Brave New Hell') and vastly improved vocals from newcomer Peter Tägtgren (Evil Pete of Hypocrisy), whose more forceful take suits the band more than Åkerfeldt's more controlled growls. While deviations into slower styles often feel like a forced attempt to diversify, especially with the Black Sabbathesque 'The Ascension,' they at least prevent the album from sounding samey and uninspired as the last one did, though this one still loses its steam a little towards the end.
The most enjoyable aspect of this album is how much fun the performers are clearly having, in a manner that translates perfectly to the listener's experience. 'Brave New Hell' is as enjoyable as death metal gets, mixing its classic style with early speed metal, even reminiscent of Judas Priest's genre-defining classic 'Exciter' on occasion, while the completely literal and far-too-detailed lyrics of 'Eaten' are hilarious, whether this was intended as a respectful parody of gore-obsessed death bands or not (I can't believe they just didn't notice). While it will never be quite up to the standards of the early nineties bands it pays tribute to, this album is a fine entry into the classic death metal canon, one that has the dual benefits of hindsight and a team of the finest professionals.
1. Cancer of the Soul
2. Brave New Hell
3. Soul Evisceration
4. Outnumbering the Day
5. Feeding the Undead
6. Eaten
7. Bastard Son of God
8. Year of the Cadaver Race
9. The Ascension
10. Draped in Disease
11. Stillborn Saviour
12. Blood Vortex
Book of the Dead
***
Written on 24.02.08
'Book of the Dead' is the second album from Sweden's Bloodbound, a competent but not particularly engaging offering of melodic power metal that doesn't stand out from all the other bands playing exactly the same thing, except perhaps that Michael Bormann's singing is a little more hoarse. These eleven songs vary in speed and style completely by the Book: there are fast offerings such as the opening song, cheesy chorus-based anthems like the title track, a rubbish power ballad in the form of 'Black Heart' and a finale that thinks a keyboard introduction and length of seven minutes qualifies as epic, but at least has a satisfying galloping rhythm.
Essentially, this is melodic power metal with a pop sensibility, the choruses having that sense of mass appeal that almost inevitably brings a cost to the credibility, and it's clear that this band is inspired as much by the European power metal greats as the glam metal bands who brought metal greater popularity and greater shame back in the eighties. The best songs are those that try for a more authentic power metal sound with very fast drums and nice lead guitar work from Tomas Olsson, but even these tend to be spoiled by deviation into choruses full of bland singing and shiny keyboard melodies. There are a few attempts at epic touches such as the presence of a male choir in the background of track four that could easily just be the band itself double-tracked a couple of times, but even these are all borrowed from the well of bands like Edguy.
Of course, not every band has to be extreme, fast and epic, and the world needs plenty of easygoing, simplistic and often downright daft albums, which is why we have stuff like Dream Evil. Unfortunately, while Bloodbound may be entertaining enough for those who are just getting into metal and haven't heard the more rewarding offerings, to an irritating smart-arse like me who likes to name-drop how many bands he knows, they're nothing to write home about. Certainly nothing to write a several hundred word review about.
1. Sign of the Devil
2. The Tempter
3. Book of the Dead
4. Bless the Unholy
5. Lord of Battle
6. Flames of Purgatory
7. Into Eternity
8. Black Heart
9. Black Shadows
10. Turn to Stone
11. Seven Angels
Tyranny and Mutation
Curtains Part and Landscapes Fall
****
Written on 30.03.08
'Tyranny and Mutation' sees New York rock band Blue Öyster Cult's progressive tendencies starting to break through to the surface, though it's still essentially a hard rock album at heart, with traces of what would ultimately come to be defined as heavy metal. Buck Dharma's guitar is mostly based in a blues-rock sound that can get a little repetitive and serves to date this more than the works of other bands of the time such as Black Sabbath, but his playing style is still sufficiently varied across this release to keep things interesting, particularly considering the album seems to have been consciously divided into opposing "red" and "black" sides (to use the original vinyl terms).
There isn't a great deal of difference between each side, most likely as a commercial concern that listeners would end up too confused if they turned the LP over and heard what sounded like a different band playing the last four tracks, and the only major difference is that the second half of the album tends to favour lighter and slower offerings featuring a greater melodic keyboard presence, while the first half is based more around hard rock. This is only speaking very generally, as 'Teen Archer' still possesses the pace and heaviness of side one, but it's notable that the album becomes increasingly dingy and powerful until reaching its peak in the bass-driven fourth track.
Blue Öyster Cult trod a fine line between dark cult band and mainstream rock act, and it's interesting to see the band struggling to find its feet in these early releases, often with very satisfying results. It's certainly more rewarding than their later, stable and blander pop direction.
1. The Red and the Black
2. O.D.'d On Life Itself
3. Hot Rails to Hell
4. 7 Screamind Diz-Busters
5. Baby Ice Dog
6. Wings Wetted Down
7. Teen Archer
8. Mistress of the Samon Salt (Quicklime Girl)
Spectres
Only a Woman Can Break His Spell
**
Written on 31.03.08
Following the success of their more pop-oriented 'Agents of Fortune,' Blue Öyster Cult understandably furthered this style with the even blander 'Spectres,' much to the chagrin of old-time fans but clearly the right career move at the time, from a purely financial perspective. The songs here are even softer than those on the previous year's release, and to make things more insulting, there are even a couple of anthems to rock - most notably the text-message-prophesying 'R.U. Ready 2 Rock' - that couldn't sound less like an authentic rock song if they tried, complete with soft unison singing, an almost complete lack of guitars, and clichéd piano playing that I'd be tempted to think was ironic if such things didn't clash so violently with this artistically dry era of the band's otherwise notable history.
The only diversity here runs completely by-the-numbers, from the more energetic rock style of opener 'Godzilla,' a style that sadly never returns across the forty minutes, all the way to piano ballads in the form of 'Death Valley Nights' and 'I Love the Night.' Buck Dharma's guitars once again sound stifled and show none of the virtuosity or creativity of his 'Secret Treaties' work, offering occasional enjoyable but uninspired solos and overly repetitive grooves in 'Searchin' For Celine' and elsewhere, and even the more overt pop songs seem indebted to other artists; the upbeat, hand-clapping 'Goin' Through the Motions' could easily be a David Bowie B-side if that performer decided to become rubbish overnight. Oh wait, this is 1977, he already had.
1. Godzilla
2. Golden Age of Leather
3. Death Valley Nights
4. Searchin' For Celine
5. Fireworks
6. R.U. Ready 2 Rock
7. Celestial the Queen
8. Goin' Through the Motions
9. I Love the Night
10. Nosferatu
Ultima Thuleé
Return to the Ice-Veiled Throne
****
Written on 31.03.08
An excellent album from another of my favourite philosophical-ambient-black-metal one-man-bands (at least at this point), Blut aus Nord's first album is really the solo project of Vindsval, who does a stunning job convincing that there's a full band of corpse-painted misanthropes performing on a blizzard-torn mountainside, rather than one talented Frenchman running back and forth in a studio between instruments.
Instantly comparable to Burzum's genre-defining 'Filosofem' for incorporating similarly harsh industrial riffs and ambient keyboards into its traditional black metal base, 'Ultima Thuleé' still has a strong sense of individual character, not least when compared to the later diverse output of this outfit. Black metal fans will find it satisfyingly raw, heavy and powerful without being stilted by poor production values, though this is far from typical black metal as practiced by Mayhem and Immortal.
The songs are all fairly long at an average of seven minutes, but rather than repeating the same relentless, hypnotic riffs to the point of trance or tedium, each song's structure displays a clear progression of ideas, with slower or keyboard-driven sections breaking up the guitar-led majority. This is mostly carried out expertly, the keyboards themselves sounding a little too out of place and polished in the opening song but soon becoming well-integrated, though even in the finest offering 'From Hlidskjalf' the transition from fast industrial riffs to slow, ambient keyboards always seems necessarily jarring.
Vindsval's tortured shrieks are comparable to Count Grishnackh, but his rumbling guitar tone and ethereal keyboards sound more refined and competent than Burzum ever did, even if the riffs are lacking that other band's talent for simplistic creativity. With entire tracks taking time out for extended keyboard and chanting sessions ('Rigsthula' and 'Till' I Perceive Bifrost' respectively), the album remains exciting towards the end, making for one of the more satisfying black metal offerings of my collection.
1. The Son of Hoarfrost
2. The Plain of Ida
3. From Hlidskjalf
4. My Prayer Beyond Ginnungagap
5. Till' I Perceive Bifrost
6. On the Way to Vigrid
7. Rigsthula
8. The Last Journey of Ringhorn
Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age
Slaughterday Night Fever
****
Written on 31.03.08
I was disappointed at first by this album, which seemed to abandon the epic touches of its predecessor in favour of a more typical black metal sound, but by the end of the first track I was convinced of its superiority not only within the exceptional French black metal scene, but the genre as a whole.
As can probably be deduced from its bombastic title, 'Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age' is a concept album, which seems to have pushed the band on to reach even more creative and talented heights. Every track is excellent, and although it takes a few listens to fully appreciate and discern the differences (lacking the obvious instrumentals of its predecessor, for instance), this is an album that can be listened to in full or in part for instant satisfaction... assuming that your taste and attention span can tolerate epic black metal.
I don't use the word "epic" lightly, and wouldn't apply it to bands who are trying too hard with lyrics about battling goblins and shiny keyboard solos (Dragonforce would be a good example of a not-epic metal band in this respect), but Blut aus Nord get it just right. While this recording doesn't have the same sense of grandeur as the ominous black metal of Summoning or the frosty solitude of Windir, there's a real sense of a dynamic history unfolding, even if you can't understand a word that's being squawked.
All of the instruments are excellent, which is something that can't be said for most black metal thanks to deliberately shoddy production jobs eliminating entire band members from the mix, as even the bass plays a prominent role here alongside the roaring guitar. The tempo changes frequently as mellow keyboard sections intertwine with more grace than on the preceding album, and each song features enough fast sections to keep black metal fans listening, even if they're a little turned off by the grandiose nature of the whole thing.
1. Slaughterday (The Heathen Blood of Ours)
2. On the Path of Wolf... Towards Dwarfhill
3. Sons of Wisdom, Master of Elements
4. The Forsaken Voices of the Ghostwood's Shadowy Realm
5. The Territory of Witches / Guardians of the Dark Lake
6. Day of Revenge (The Impure Blood of Theirs)
7. Fathers of the Icy Age
The Mystical Beast of Rebellion
Of Blut aus Nord's First Trespass
**
Written on 31.03.08
Returning after a number of years away from the music scene, French black metal band Blut aus Nord unveiled an extremely disappointing comeback release in the form of not-really-concept album 'The Mystical Beast of Rebellion,' an album so lacking in creative effort that they couldn't even be bothered to come up with names for six songs.
From the onset it's clear that the band is out of practice and out of ideas, falling back on the same relentless drum rhythm as every generic black metal band to maintain a tedious rhythm relatively uninterrupted throughout forty minutes. The guitar hardly plays any real riffs, being mostly content to sound like a jet engine roaring along and switching to a higher or lower frequency every one in a while, and the only real instrument worth noting are Vindsval's vocals, which have the same distorted quality as the earlier releases, as well as anything else released by a black metal band with philosophical overtones (essentially, anything inspired by Burzum's 'Filosofem').
There really is no variation here, with the exception of the fifth song which instead features a slow and dull guitar tune for six minutes, and the only thing that differentiates the tracks to the casual listener is the fact that some are three minutes, while others take ten to do the same thing. Even more irritating is the presence of overlong silence and ambient nothingness at the start and end of many songs, reminiscent of Ulver's similarly too-self-conscious black metal release 'Nattens Madrigal,' except that one had better guitars.
1.The Fall, Chapter I
2.The Fall, Chapter II
3.The Fall, Chapter III
4.The Fall, Chapter IV
5.The Fall, Chapter V
6.The Fall, Chapter VI
The Work Which Transforms God
Vitruviosity
***
Written on 31.03.08
Blut aus Nord's fourth album at least shows a clearer direction than its muddled predecessor, despite having the capacity to infuriate as many black metal fans as it attracts. This is a distinctly post-2000 black metal release in its enthusiastic (if unoriginal) incorporation of electronic elements into its sound, but in the end this only results in a sub-par version of what many other bands are doing with greater talent and ingenuity. 'The Work Which Transforms God' is satisfyingly diverse, but still manages to irritate with its harsh industrial percussion, pointless ambient interludes to bulk out the tracklist.
There are enough good songs here to merit a listen, but the album lacks the consistency of something like 'Memoria Vetusta,' as some tracks just end up sounding bland and generic ('The Choir of the Dead') or otherwise too extreme for their own good (particularly in the case of 'The Supreme Abstract,' which irritates with its clinically hammering drums). In an interesting trend that at least benefits the first listen, the album tends to improve as it goes along, the finale 'Procession of the Dead Clowns' making for a superbly grand and thoughtful conclusion that sees the band's influences combine in a true fusion for the only time on this recording, but other songs ('Our Blessed Frozen Cells' with its overdone keyboards) try and fail to reach the same epic heights.
This is far from an essential album even within the band's own discography, making its arrogant title all the more contemptuous.
1. End
2. The Choir of the Dead
3. Axis
4. The Fall
5. Metamorphosis
6. The Supreme Abstract
7. Our Blessed Frozen Cells
8. Devilish Essence
9. The Howling of God
10. Inner Mental Cage
11. Density
12. Procession of the Dead Clowns
Mort
The Work Which Accomplishes Naught
**
Written on 31.03.08
Where 'The Mystical Beast of Rebellion' was disappointing for being too generic in its approach to black metal, 'MoRT' sees Blut aus Nord emerge from the other side as a tedious industrial band, where each song still sounds exactly the same.
The French band's move towards an industrial/electronic sound seems like an act of disappointing trend-hopping in the wake of others in the field such as the superior ...And Oceans, and no amount of unusual capitalisation in its title can make 'MoRT' seem as enigmatic as its creators obviously wish it to be. Sure, at first the discordant keyboard tone, infrequent whispered vocals and buzzsaw-like effects create an effectively dark and confusing atmosphere, but then every track follows the exact same style and sound, and the whole thing becomes a chore to sit through. The echoing electronic drums and sax-like keyboards never vary in their application, obviously indicating an incredibly uneventful narrative in whatever story these "chapters" intend to convey.
I don't fully understand this obsession of many black metal bands to head in an electronic direction, but it seems to be a desire to shock through aural ugliness in a way that they feel black metal can no longer achieve. While it certainly succeeds in putting many listeners off through its harsh and uncompromising sound, giving the band the satisfaction of remaining obscure, others like me who enjoyed their earlier material are just left turning away out of boredom, and wishing for a return to the good old days where focus was on the distant past rather than some badly thought-out future dystopia.
1.Chapter I
2.Chapter II
3.Chapter III
4.Chapter IV
5.Chapter V
6.Chapter VI
7.Chapter VII
8.Chapter VIII
In Battle There Is No Law
In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, There Is Only Death Metal
****
Written on 31.03.08
With its crusty production values and hasty cover art, 'In Battle There Is No Law' has all the signs of a low budget debut, and for me this contributes much of its charm. Released in 1988 when death metal was still a new and exciting thing, this album captures the sound and attitude of 80s death before grindcore and other elements started to influence bands in Bolt Thrower's home country of the UK in particular, providing this exclusively war-themed album with an authenticity not found in later releases.
That's not to say that this is brilliant. Far from it, most of it's incredibly generic and each track sounds pretty much the same as the last, but the energy of the performance doesn't let up over the half hour, as the band displays a hardcore punk mentality in producing some brutal material. The dingy production sound obviously hinders its accessibility to a modern audience accustomed to the brutal heights of Behemoth, but this adds a certain wickedness to the guitar tone in particular, as Baz and Gar's guitars squeal demonically over the full-pelt paper drums.
Many of the riffs are catchy, but only in a very simplistic way, and Karl's vocals are probably the main weakness, coming off sounding a bit desperate in the background when compared to the Florida death metal bands of the time. While it lacks the originality of the later releases, 'In Battle There Is No Law' is an enjoyable and vital piece of British death metal history.
1. In Battle There Is No Law
2. Challenge For Power
3. Forgotten Existence
4. Denial of Destiny
5. Blind To Defeat
6. Concession of Pain
7. Attack in the Aftermath
8. Psychological Warfare
9. Nuclear Annihilation
Realm of Chaos
Foretold Destiny of Perpetual Lunacy
****
Written on 31.03.08
Recorded in 1989, 'Realm of Chaos' is still one of the heaviest metal albums I've ever heard (for blast-beat junkies, I'm talking heavy in the murky 'Master of Reality' sense rather than Behemoth). While early British death metal was plagued by bands striving to outdo each other with sickening lyrics, fast drum performances and ridiculously short song lengths, Bolt Thrower sought to make something substantial from their war-themed metal, and the end result is an album every bit as devastating as its subject matter.
The album's production is rooted in the low end, lending all of the instruments a significantly murkier tone than on the previous album. Karl Willetts' vocals have improved greatly, avoiding his earlier shrieks, while Gavin Ward and Barry Thompson's guitars still indulge in tangential solos but also produce much more satisfying riffs, even veering into doom metal territory on songs such as the excellent 'Through the Eye of Terror.'
There's a slight grind influence present in some of the faster drum rolls, but it's never permitted to take over, and while the album is consistent and necessarily samey, songs stand out a lot more than they did on its predecessor, making this a vast improvement and an essential death metal purchase.
1. Intro
2. Eternal War
3. Through the Eye of Terror
4. Dark Millennium
5. All That Remains
6. Lost Souls Domain
7. Plague Bearer
8. World Eater
9. Drowned in Torment
10. Realm of Chaos
11. Prophet of Hatred
12. Outro
War Master
Oppression Fed By Burning Hate
****
Written on 31.03.08
Bolt Thrower's third album is commonly regarded as the death metal band's magnum opus, though even its fans admit a tendency towards repetition.
For a death metal record, 'War Master' is surprisingly accessible, in the loosest possible sense, and this seems to have been a deliberate decision made by the band. Gone are the monstrously heavy riffs of 'Realm of Chaos' as the guitars (I am reliably informed) are tuned up from A ("A?" Who the hell plays in A?) to C#, lending a guitar tone reminiscent of thrash bands such as Slayer, especially in the screaming solos. Also, more obviously, the overall tempo has been significantly slowed.
The doom metal influence on 'Realm of Chaos' was occasionally jarring, but here the doom riffs are more skilfully incorporated into the medium pace, with only a few sections of songs like 'Cenotaph' returning to the earlier, faster speed. The slower tempo means that this album lacks some of its energy, but none of its intensity, and Karl Willetts' deep growls are now more compelling than ever. Games Workshop fans will be pleased that his war-torn lyrics, inspired by the tabletop war game 'Warhammer 40,000,' are all clearly legible despite the growl, and everyone else can just enjoy one of the heaviest things to come out of Coventry.
1. Intro... Unleashed (Upon Mankind)
2.What Dwells Within
3.The Shreds of Sanity
4.Profane Creation
5.Destructive Infinity
6.Final Revelation
7.Cenotaph
8.War Master
9.Rebirth of Humanity
10.Afterlife
Who Dares Wins
A Monument to War's Terminal Conclusion
***
Written on 01.04.08
It's telling that Earache Records supplied fans with a compilation focusing on the band's early, more successful days at a time when the contemporary studio album 'Mercenary' seemed indicative of a band past its prime. The ten songs here collect the entirety of the 'Cenotaph' and 'Spearhead' EPs from 1991 and 1992, which demonstrate a greater variety and progression within the space of a single year than Bolt Thrower would achieve in the rest of their career to date. The final two songs are taken from Earache's 'Rareache' compilation, and are comparatively worthless.
For fans of old-school Bolt Thrower, the 'Cenotaph' material is going to be the most impressive here, displaying greater refinement than their dingy, grind-influenced albums of the late eighties as the band moves towards the cleaner sound that characterised 'War Master.' This catches Bolt Thrower's music before it slowed considerably, and 'Destructive Infinity' makes effective use of slow guitar sections in the intro at a time when this wasn't merely the normal order of things. The only downside here is the live recording of the normally excellent 'Realm of Chaos,' which is absolutely terrible; the sound quality is so fuzzy and indistinct, you can hardly hear the band at all, let alone make out individual riffs. It's surprising this was ever included to bulk out the E.P. in the first place.
After this point the collection becomes a lot less interesting, but still possesses the band's distinct and talented sound. The extended edit of 'Spearhead' is ridiculously dull at eight minutes in length, but the other songs are all quite enjoyable, even if the groove riffs become a little repetitive by the time of the heavily guitar-based 'Lament.' 'Overlord' is too slow and 'World Eater '94' features some nice melodic guitar work but is still inferior to the original, making for an average, if unexciting compilation that at least provides an affordable means to acquiring otherwise rare material. It's a shame the extra effort wasn't put in to make this truly comprehensive, featuring the exclusive song from the 1989 split release with other death metal bands or even some earlier demo material, but perhaps it's for the best; there's a reason many death metal albums are kept to a strict thirty minutes.
1. Cenotaph
2. Destructive Infinity
3. Prophet of Hatred
4. Realm of Chaos (Live)
5. Spearhead (Extended Remix)
6. Crown of Life
7. Dying Creed
8. Lament
9. World Eater '94
10. Overlord
Stash
Duuuude
***
Written on 01.04.08
Right, no prizes for guessing what this one-dimensional album is celebrating. Bongzilla's debut is an enjoyably crusty splatter of sludge doom metal, owing its sound entirely to genre pioneers Eyehategod and incorporating elements of stoner rock all the way back to Black Sabbath, concluding with an intriguing sludge cover of 'Under the Sun.'
Muleboy's vocals are squawked in the distorted style of Devin Townsend, always pushed back in the mix and frequently indecipherable, as the main element here is his guitars alongside that of Spanky. Got to love these Southern U.S. bands and their "hilarious" pseudonyms, it almost makes Scandinavian black metal acts seem convincing. The production is rooted in the low end, really bringing out the down-tuned mess of the guitars, prominent bass and slow drums, and the band's tendency to grind to a near-halt enhances the stoned atmosphere.
As a nice surprise, every song doesn't end up sounding like the same slow, lethargic drone as its companions, with 'Sacred Smoke' varying tempo effectively, 'American' featuring a more upbeat groove reminiscent of Sabbath, 'Prohibition' coming close to stoner rock and the overlong 'Harvest' being saved at a crucial moment by some great guitar slowlos. This isn't an album to change the world, but it's better than I expected from a band that thinks "Bongzilla" is a cool name.
1. Gestation
2. Sacred Smoke
3. American
4. Budgun / T.H.C.
5. Prohibition (4th Amendment)
6. Grog Lady
7. Harvest
8. P.O.W.
9. Under the Sun (Black Sabbath cover)
Apogee
Reefer Dullness
***
Written on 01.04.08
Bongzilla's second album is an appropriately lazy affair, beginning with songs that last for far too long before the band remembers to stop, and concluding with live versions of earlier material, presumably because the effort of going into the studio and coming up with new songs was just too much hassle. It's a less consistent and entertaining album than the debut for these reasons, but will still satisfy sludge metal fans with its mind-numbingly slow and needlessly distorted riffs, and mix of screeched vocals and samples from old footage of authoritarian figures preaching the evils of cannabis.
Half of this album is live, but you wouldn't know if from the audience reaction, presumably as they're in a similar state to the band itself. The sound quality is impressive, even adding a satisfying echo, and the live environment even seems to cause the band to tighten up in comparison to their studio laziness, with less reliance on feedback and an immediate launch from one song into the next. Stand-out songs are thus mostly from this later section, particularly the enjoyably Black Sabbathesque finale 'American,' as some of the earlier songs such as 'Salvation' in particular merely seem to take varying lengths of time (four to ten minutes) to end up nowhere at all.
1. H.P. Keefmaker
2. Salvation
3. Grim Reefer
4. Witch Weed (Live)
5. Dealer McDope (Live)
6. Sacred Smoke (Live)
7. American (Live)
Gateway
666lb. Bongsession
****
Written on 01.04.08
After a couple of fairly successful but ultimately inconsequential efforts, Bongzilla return in fine forms with their third full-length release 'Gateway,' one of the more impressive sludge albums I've heard, and one that would be even better if the band would give up the stupid gimmick of pot fanaticism.
The sound present here will come as no surprise to those versed in Southern fried sludge doom; monstrously heavy guitars crawling across a bed of distorted feedback, screamed vocals and frequent samples from what seem to be public information films concerning the dangers of marijuana use, though this time effort has actually been put in to make the quotes relevant to each song (for example, 'Greenthumb' is all about growing one's own).
Muleboy and Spanky's guitars are better than ever here, with catchy, heavy riffs in the style of Tony Iommi, mostly content to play along in an approachable groove before descending into something a little stranger, as happens frequently throughout the ten-minute 'Stone a Pig.' The album gets into something of a rut after the half-way point, but prior to this it lets out such excellent material as the heavy 'Sunnshine Green,' the distorted semi-instrumental '666Ib. Bongsession' and even some more upbeat, Black Sabbath (and bong) worship in 'Trinity.'
1. Greenthumb
2. Stone a Pig
3. Sunnshine Green
4. 666Ib. Bongsession
5. Trinity (Gigglebush)
6. Gateway
7. Keefmaster
8. Hashdealer
Amerijuanican
Seven-Track One-Track Mind
****
Written on 01.04.08
'Amerijuanican' once again tackles the issue of marijuana culture with the usual subtlety that can be expected from a band called "Bongzilla," and it continues in the same impressive style as the previous 'Gateway,' only slightly less enthralling overall. The sound is still incredibly heavy and slow, and even if you avoid the seemingly prerequisite drug intake yourself, it's at least essential to play this incredibly loud, otherwise there's little point.
One major change here is the move away from gimmicky voice samples, which I never enjoy no matter what the genre, but became particularly irritating within the Bongzilla discography considering they were all on about exactly the same thing all the time. This encourages Muleboy to squawk his lyrics more consistently throughout, while he and Spanky turn increasingly towards stoner rock in their enjoyable and simplistic guitar riffs, the rest of the band easily keeping up to speed - considering the speed is glacially slow on occasion.
There's less variation here than on the previous album, but variety isn't the most important requirement of an album designed primarily for people to get stoned to. 'Cutdown' is a fairly long and impressive instrumental while 'Stonesphere' is far too long and uneven, but still enjoyable in a daft sort of way. Bongzilla never set out to change the face of stoner rock, but have at least provided a few decent offerings for similarly loyal pot fans and anyone else who fancies a listen. The music's a lot less silly than you might expect.
1. Amerijuanican
2. Kash Under Glass
3. Tri-Pack Master
4. Cutdown
5. Weedy Woman
6. Stonesphere
7. Champagne and Reefer
The Olden Domain
Pale Like the Skull of the Sun
*****
Written on 01.04.08
'The Olden Domain' is Borknagar's second album and final with vocalist Garm, and is the first to explore progressive areas of black metal after the less deviant Viking black metal of their debut. A fine balance is struck between harsh black metal and lighter, more atmospheric passages exploring the band's nostalgic and spiritual themes of ancient Norway, usually veering back and forth within each song, but the music never becomes overly aggressive.
Garm's distinctive singing style, also heard in Ulver in Arcturus, lends an eccentric flair to some of these songs and paves the way for his predecessors, particularly in 'The Winterway' and 'To Mount and Rove' that, perhaps coincidentally or perhaps not, are the most entertaining songs here. Garm foreshadows Ulver's own highly experimental William Blake album in the varied first offering, which incorporates piano and acoustic guitar passages seamlessly alongside the album's fastest and heaviest performance from drummer Grim, while I enjoy the latter song so much for presenting a more straightforward alternative in its shorter playing time and leading heavy metal guitar riff.
If the album has one major flaw, it's that most songs contain all of the very same ingredients mixed up in different ways but still essentially similar, and this makes the instrumental tracks 'Om Hundrede Aar Er Alting Gleat' and 'Ascension of Our Fathers' stand out as the folk interludes did on its predecessor, even though, Ivar Bjørnson's keyboards impressing in the former and guitarist and band founder Øystein Brun leading the latter, both of which are satisfyingly repetitive amidst the ceaseless progression of the other tracks.
This is probably Borknagar's best album, and certainly impressed me more than the others had when I finally got round to hearing it, in some part due to my preference for Garm's vocals over those of his equally talented successors but also because the sound is still fresh and exciting here, as well as highly evocative of the ancient lands and history that the band (almost) constantly strives for. Their later 'Empiricism' and 'Epic' are close rivals, but these early albums will likely be more favourable to fans of melodic/epic/non-Satanic-and-pacifistic black metal, though anyone who finds the progressive tendencies a bit much should absorb themselves in the comparative tranquillity of the debut.
1. The Eye of Oden
2. The Winterway
3. Om Hundrede Aar Er Alting Gleat
4. A Tale of Pagan Tongue
5. To Mount and Rove
6. Grimland Domain
7. Ascension of Our Fathers
8. The Dawn of the End
The Archaic Course
Noble Morsel of Grand Eternity
*****
Written on 02.04.08
There's nothing inherently wrong with Borknagar's third album, but it does tend towards sounding like a less accomplished and less interesting version of its predecessor 'The Olden Domain,' fortunately standing apart thanks to the very different vocal style of new singer I.C.S. Vortex, who would remain for the customary two albums before departing for Dimmu Borgir. Vortex is the voice I first associated with this band despite him being my least favoured now I've seen the bigger picture, dazzling my young ears with the majestic song 'Colossus' from this album's successor, until one day I noticed how much he sounded like a black metal Kermit the Frog, and it became harder to take his epic narratives seriously.
Vortex is still firmly in Kermit mode on some of these songs, particularly 'The Witching Hour' and 'Nocturnal Vision' it seems, and his clean singing style may deter some people despite still sounding strong and at least highly distinctive in the often generic black metal domain. He actually carries off a more typical singing performance in 'Universal,' though the majority of the album is still led by his black metal rasps that it has to be said, sound even less convincing than his singing, reminding me primarily of a robot (robot frog?) that's suited to industrial-tinged bands like Borgir, but runs contradictory to this band's pastoral themes, perhaps why they chose to follow a futuristic course in the following album. The vortex years are by no means an embarrassing blip in the strong Borknagar discography, but they do jar slightly with the more accomplished ancestral, progressive sound of Garm and Vintersorg's albums, though 'The Archaic Course' is the stronger of the two.
The main reason this album fails to live up to its predecessor is that the songs all sound very similar, which was also a failing of 'The Olden Domain' but was pulled off more convincingly. The more or less fixed style sounds excellent: steady, heavy riffs and drum rhythms overflowing with lead melodies and atmospheric keyboards while Vortex varies his vocal style accordingly, but while it's clear that some songs are a little better than others, this is more the sort of album that should be enjoyed as a whole provided you're not paying enough attention to become bored, a little odd considering the band's evident desire to be progressive and strive for a new sound that succeeds to some extent in other albums, but not so much here.
The incorporation of acoustic guitar and soft piano into certain movements always feels completely natural, and all the guitar work of Øystein Brun is dazzling, but listening to this album alongside its predecessor, it becomes obvious why such a radical departure was required for the follow-up 'Quintessence.' It's still fun to imagine Kermit singing these songs from a lily pad in an ancient Norwegian forest.
1. Oceans Rise
2. Universal
3. The Witching Hour
4. The Black Token
5. Nocturnal Vision
6. Ad Noctum
7. Winter Millennium
8. Fields of Long Gone Presence (Outro)
Quintessence
Black Metal From Space
****
Written on 05.03.07
‘Quintessence’ is the fourth album by Norwegian progressive black metal band Borknagar, from Bergen. If that’s a bit of a mouthful, it essentially means they spawned from Bergen’s prominent and often infamous black metal scene in the early 90s, but evolved to incorporate more of a folk and progressive rock influence into their music, to the point that their most recent album ‘Origin’ is entirely acoustic. No, that hasn’t straightened anything out, has it? Well I tried.
For this particular album, the band intentionally reverted a little to their black metal roots, and abandoned much of the folk influence for space-age sounding keyboards. Vocalist ICS Vortex, as he likes to be called, makes his second and final appearance here before moving on to join Dimmu Borgir, and although his excellent singing style is heard on several songs, it’s primarily substituted for a more standard black metal growl. This sounds similar to the ‘death grunt’ you may have heard from larger death metal bands, but mixed with a Popeye impersonation. In any case, it sounds a lot better coming from Vortex than his contemporaries. The guitars and drums also play faster for the most part, the afore-mentioned keyboards providing excellent background atmosphere and really filling out the sound despite the intentionally reduced production standard, even being granted a solo spot for track five. It seems that the band wanted to produce a really dirty sounding black metal album in the vein of Mayhem, but didn’t have the heart to really kill the instruments.
1. The Rivalry of Phantoms
2. The Presence is Ominous
3. The Ruins of Future
4. Colossus
5. Inner Landscape
6. Invincible
7. Icon Dreams
8. Genesis Torn
9. Embers
10. Revolt
At forty minutes, this appears on the surface to be an entirely standard black metal release, with little to distinguish it. While Borknagar’s sound is one of the most distinctive within black metal, progressive metal, and whatever other genres they belong to (folk metal and Viking metal spring to mind. There’s more to this metal lark than you thought, isn’t there?), this album is admittedly repetitive. The template for most songs seems to be a fast riff on the guitars and drums, slightly under-produced and ever so slightly generous on the treble, with Vortex either growling or singing over the top. There’s usually a slight interlude of either a guitar solo or keyboard wash before the song kicks in again, and ends before the five minute mark. There are some excellent exceptions to be found in the middle of the album, and indeed much of this album’s value lies in the incredible song ‘Colossus.’ Vortex sings with pure viking metal force over an epic soundscape of mid-range guitar, measured drum blasts and, of course, the old trick of using the keyboard to pretend this song was recorded in space. It actually works here, to some extent. After this seminal number comes the afore-mentioned keyboard solo spot with the short but interesting ‘Inner Landscape,’ which tries a little too hard to convince the listener of the outer space thing and ends up falling on its face, allowing the spotlight to fall rightfully back to the other instruments, the synthesiser quietly resuming its background duties with a promise never to do that sort of thing again.
The album opens with the violent ‘Rivalry of Phantoms,’ a cool speedy metal song that’s almost pure black metal, aside from the constant presence of those proggy keyboards. Vortex’s growls are ferocious, and backed up superbly by the high screeching guitars that are at least memorable afterwards. Rather than continuing in this intended direction, the second song reverts to the grander style of the previous album, but remains just as impressive as its predecessor. Space-age keyboards are replaced with a slightly more traditional, medieval-Norway sounding instrument similar to that found in purist bands like Ulver and Empyrium, and although the pace is slowed, this song still remains pretty similar to the rest. Vortex’s singing takes centre stage, and sounds really good. They should have used it more, especially in light of his imminent departure.
The rest of the album really does follow this pattern to the point of tedium, which would be expected for most other bands but disappoints considering Borknagar’s usual higher standard. From ‘Invincible’ to ‘Genesis Torn,’ excluding the two songs already discussed, the vocals rotate from growling to clean for every other song, and the tempo is all pretty much the same. There’s very little chance that anything from tracks three, six, seven or eight will be memorable even if this album were listened to on multiple occasions, though there are occasional pleasant touches like a return of the archaic-sounding keyboards in ‘Genesis Torn.’ None of these songs are inherently bad or boring, it’s just their position on this album that reduces their impact.
Perhaps suspecting that things were becoming a bit repetitive and that subtle changes might not get noticed, the band grabs the listener’s attention in the penultimate track by offering a slow and melodic semi-acoustic instrumental. This nicely sets the tone for the excellent closing song ‘Revolt,’ the most openly progressive song on the album and one that’s more like the more impressive material the band would produce with new vocalist Vintersong on their next two albums. Black metal growls are still present, as they were even in ‘Colossus,’ but take a major back seat. At six minutes this is the longest song, but not too long to become dull. The instrumental changes towards the end are really impressive, and the album manages to leave the listener wanting more, something that would not have been possible had it ended on any of the earlier tracks. Every once in a while, this album really gets things right.
Had this been reduced to an E.P. consisting of the first two tracks, ‘Colossus,’ and then the closing two tracks, I would award it a definite five stars. As a forty-minute album it only gets four, and even that’s a bit generous when compared to the far more excellent Borknagar material that’s out there. The instrumentation is still precise and technically impressive, but there’s not enough variation in the song style, structure, subject matter and the general way everything sounds. For casual metal fans who enjoy the occasional taste of Bergen black metal, this album offers some great songs for listening every once in a while but is a bit of a chore to sit through in its entirety. Plus, ICS Vortex is the second greatest vocalist they’ve ever had.
Origin
Borknagar's Inevitable Midlife Crisis
**
Written on 02.04.08
'Origin' is Borknagar's first fully acoustic album, perhaps an inevitability considering the folk elements that have been present since their debut release over ten years earlier. Clearly (or at least, hopefully) conceived as an experiment to stand out from the rest of their somewhat diverse discography, this album abandons all pretensions to black metal entirely, focusing instead on acoustic instruments alongside traditional folk staples in the form of a flute, violin and cello. In this way, it's comparable to Opeth's 'Damnation,' similarly indebted to progressive bands of the seventies but with a greater neofolk basis.
This isn't a particularly good album, I'll get that out of the way now, and neither does it seem to have been fully embraced by the band's fan base, at least those who aren't blindly devoted to singer Vintersorg who, it has to be said, is more annoying here than ever. Neofolk is one of my favourite genres outside of metal, so I was hopeful that this album would provide something of a bridge between my interests, but sadly the performance is rather lacking. It's telling that the only song to really succeed here is 'Oceans Rise,' which is an excellent remake of a song from an earlier album rather than something conceived originally for this work, and this allows it to avoid the problems of tedium and repetition that the rest tend to fall for.
At only thirty-five minutes in length this would perhaps be more suited to release as an E.P. rather than a full-length, full-price album, similar to what Månegarm did with 'The Forest Sessions,' and that would also allow me to respect it a little more as a bit-on-the-side rather than a serious work demanding comparison to the other studio albums. Everything that works well only does so because it copies from tradition, whether it's seventies prog bands such as King Crimson or further back to the folk canon, and when it fails it does so fairly disastrously, such as the attempt to produce a sweeping, bombastic overture in 'The Human Nature' that falls flat due to its conflicting minimalism. I'm always excited about the next Borknagar release, even more so after this disappointment as the band needs to reassert itself as a progressive metal force to be reckoned with.
1. Earth Imagery
2. Grains
3. Oceans Rise
4. Signs
5. White
6. Cynosure
7. The Human Nature
8. Acclimation
9. The Spirit of Nature
The Good, the Bad and the Argyle
I Want to Be Your Dad
***
Written on 02.04.08
'The Good, the Bad and the Argyle' is the collective name given to the songs making up the Bouncing Souls' first album, many of which were originally found on various E.P. releases prior to the full-length debut. Refusing to be pigeonholed outside of the vague notion that they're a punk band, this New Jersey group display clear contempt for the very idea of traditionally structured music, which makes this diverse and unpredictable album both hugely entertaining and inevitably awful at times.
Most songs take a punk rock approach, but this only follows a traditional/commercial style in 'Joe Lies' and the beginning of 'Deadbeats,' before the latter song once again lapses into freeform chaos and Greg Attonito indulges in a spoken word barrage. It's refreshing to hear a punk band still attempting to break all the rules, particularly in the nineties when pop-punk was on the rise, but at times it feels like the band lacks the attention span and even the ability to produce something normal, without relying on gimmicks of film samples ('These Are the Quotes from Our Favourite 80s Movies'), a pointless mental breakdown ('Neurotic') and taking time out for a soft whistling piece ('Lay 'Em Down and Smack 'Em, Yack 'Em').
On the positive side, the Bouncing Souls manage to carry off punk joke songs that are actually funny rather than embarrassingly juvenile, and the songs tend to be short enough that there's no time for them to become boring, particularly in the case of 'The Guest' which careens through various different, successful movements in the space of two minutes. The cover of the Strangeloves' 'I Want Candy' doesn't really fit in, but for the band's agenda this is probably a bonus point, while finale 'I Know What Boys Like' is always going to be annoying no matter who sings it.
1. I Like Your Mom
2. The Guest
3. These Are the Quotes from Our Favourite 80s Movies
4. Joe Lies (When He Cries)
5. Some Kind of Wonderful
6. Lay 'Em Down and Smack 'Em, Yack 'Em
7. Old School
8. Candy (The Strangeloves cover)
9. Neurotic
10. Inspection Station
11. Deadbeats
12. I Know What Boys Like (The Waitresses cover)
Maniacal Laughter
He Who Laughs Last is Rather Slow
***
Written on 02.04.08
'Maniacal Laughter' perhaps serves as proof of why the Bouncing Souls spent so much time on the previous album messing around rather than constructing complete songs, as their talents can't be described as anything above mediocre for the genre. Greg Attonito's vocals are reasonably irritating for the majority of this album as he opts for a squeakier register that's particularly loathsome when he enunciates choruses, but there are still enough genuine punk moments between the dull, medium-pace juvenile anthems to keep it interesting, if only just.
This is certainly more of an authentic album than its predecessor, despite clocking in at only twenty-four minutes, as its clearer production and greater consistency allow it to stand stronger on the whole, even if there are few stand-out tracks as a result. Bryan Keinlen's bass is permitted to lead the way the majority of the time, which keeps the songs grounded in a steady rhythm that the less memorable guitars can do their thing over, but the main problem comes in the repetition of the same middling sound through the majority of tracks, with only 'No Rules,' 'The BMX Song' and the brief 'Headlights Ditch' being truly energetic.
As on the previous album, the cover song doesn't really work, this time attempting to re-imagine Johnny Cash material as a punk song without very much effort, particularly when Attonito's voice attempts to sound serious, later on, but a little bit of variety is added in the country-tinged instrumental that follows, at least signalling that this band is capable of creativity and expansion if only they'd avoid the nineties punk rock clichés.
1. Lamar Vannoy
2. No Rules
3. The Freaks, Nerds and Romantics
4. Argyle
5. All of This and Nothing
6. The BMX Song
7. Quick Check Girl
8. Headlights Ditch
9. Here We Go
10. Born to Lose (Johnny Cash cover)
11. Moon Over Asbury
12. The Ballad of Johnny X
Hopeless Romantic
¡Olé!
****
Written on 02.04.08
The Bouncing Souls' fourth album is an improvement over its predecessors due to the greater amount of effort that has evidently gone into its creation. No longer does every song sound the same as the last, and the album is a more generous length at over forty minutes.
This is still essentially 1990s punk worshipping the classic mainstream tradition and striving for commercial favour, something most evident in the distinct lack of anger present even in the songs that concern fighting, which end up sounding completely amicable thanks to their emphasis on melody; 'Fight to Live' is more of an upbeat party anthem, while the relationship break-up of 'Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)' is far too light for the subject matter, not to mention that Kara Weathington's guest vocals somehow manage to be the more annoying half of the duet with Greg Attonito.
There's an enjoyable range of material on offer here, from the nostalgic slow punk of '87' to the more radio-friendly 'Bullying the Jukebox' and 'Undeniable,' but as usual there are a couple of real, pointless stinkers. There's no reason to record a "cover" of the '¡Olé!' chant, especially one that runs to over two minutes, while 'You're So Rad' fits the bill of an insubstantial short song slotted in just for the sake of it, even if it does help to keep up the faster side of the album. 'The Whole Thing' finishes off in a more drawn-out, almost post-punk way and demonstrates the band's mature elements that crop up occasionally through this recording despite being hidden for the most part, but although this is a high quality modern punk album, it still sits a little too uncomfortably between mainstream pop-punk and the real stuff.
1. Hopeless Romantic
2. 87
3. Kid
4. Fight to Live
5. Bullying the Jukebox
6. You're So Rad
7. Night on Earth
8. Monday Morning Ant Brigade
9. ¡Olé!
10. Undeniable
11. Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)
12. It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity
13. The Whole Thing
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Punk for Kidz
**
Written on 02.04.08
After experimenting to some degree on their previous effort, the Bouncing Souls disappointingly decided to settle on a more commercial punk direction for their first album of the new millennium, one that just might be their most irritating yet. Bizarrely, vocalist Greg Attonito seems to have spent his career in the band learning to become increasingly irritating with each release, and here his constant whine is enough to spoil almost every song, only offered respite with his equally poor attempts at a softer singing style in the far-too-frequent punk ballads.
This is the variety of punk that will appeal more to fans of Green Day and Blink 182 than the more serious political bands, complete with compulsory lyrics of adolescent angst and chirpy production values that rob the instruments of any intensity, and even the attempts to sound more traditional with unison shouting frequently make the songs weaker through their inclusion, being far too upbeat in 'True Believers.' The choruses are memorable, but often for the wrong reasons, and even at two minutes in length, some of these songs become seriously irritating long before their conclusion.
An interesting side of the album is its tendency towards a style of post-rock demonstrated in Pete Steinkopf's relentless melodic guitar intros that are almost always stifled before they can go anywhere interesting, the exceptions being 'Streetlight Serenade (To No One)' and 'Lifetime,' the latter of which is quite interesting for a minute or so before becoming one of the more sickening love songs of this disappointingly shallow disc.
1. That Song
2. Private Radio
3. True Believers
4. Better Life
5. The Something Special
6. Broken Record
7. Lifetime
8. Manthem
9. Break-Up Song
10. Streetlight Serenade (To No One)
11. Late Bloomer
12. No Comply
13. Gone
David Bowie
Enter: David
**
Written on 30.09.05
The thin white duke’s debut album failed spectacularly to catapult David Bowie to stardom in the manner of his subsequent releases, the more accomplished Space Oddity and his seventies works, but as such it remains something of a novelty. Fourteen folky songs dominated by Bowie’s sense of humour and take on life, almost everything offering a taste of what is to come without becoming too impressive in its own right.
Had this been produced and released at the height of Bowie’s glam rock stardom it would have been viewed as some kind of oddball vanity project (though I’m sure many hold this opinion of his expansive discography as a whole), but as such it’s an almost forgotten relic of the past that manages to avoid putting the artist to shame due to its sheer unadulterated fun nature.
1. Uncle Arthur
2. Sell Me a Coat
3. Rubber Band
Bowie’s musical career unsurprisingly begins with a character observation in the enjoyable and brief ‘Uncle Arthur,’ the rather pointless tale of a man who craves childish pleasures. ‘Sell Me a Coat’ and ‘Rubber Band’ both plod along to similar unoriginal rhythms, neither offering anything too entertaining but maintaining the flow adequately.
4. Love You Till Tuesday
5. There is a Happy Land
6. We Are Hungry Men
Bouncy and sentimental, the album’s first (small-time) hit ‘Love You Till Tuesday’ couldn’t be described as classic Bowie but begins the most impressive and fun part of the album. ‘There is a Happy Land’ is uplifting and becomes fairly energetic in the middle, although sadly this isn’t taken to a more rocking conclusion. A strange, Hitler-esque voice opens the horn-led ‘We Are Hungry Men,’ sounding similar to some of the artist’s later ballads (Bowie, not Hitler, obviously), this song is the first on the album that would benefit from lasting longer.
7. When I Live My Dream
8. Little Bombardier
9. Silly Boy Blue
10. Come and Buy My Toys
The slower pace of the subsequent songs spoils the simplistic fun slightly, the dull orchestration on ‘When I Live My Dream’ causing the song to outstay its welcome, especially in comparison to the two-minute openers. The same goes for ‘Little Bombardier’ which, although lasting under four minutes, is undeservingly the longest song on the album. ‘Silly Boy Blue’ and ‘Come and Buy My Toys’ sadly fail to bring out the emotions they seek through being too quiet and plodding.
11. Join the Gang
12. She’s Got Medals
13. Maid of Bond Street
14. Please Mr. Gravedigger
A classic rock-n-roll organ rhythm pervades ‘Join the Gang,’ the first song in a while to have fun with the format and somehow collapse into itself in its conclusion, while ‘She’s Got Medals’ is a classic Bowie tale of transvestism with typically annoying unison chorus, but nevertheless one of the album’s highlights. ‘Maid of Bond Street’ is a short but enjoyable romp and the album closes with the sinister, black humoured vocal solo ‘Please Mr. Gravedigger,’ with great lyrics.
There is essentially little to place this early collection of songs above anything performed by a bloke with an acoustic guitar in a bar frequented by weirdoes and arty types (I love those places), but it’s a fun late sixties folk album done well. A time before Brian Eno, before Mick Ronson and the Spiders from Mars and even before Space Oddity, it’s a quirky piece of rock history that eccentric Bowie fans are going to own and pretend to enjoy, and that everyone else of a light hearted disposition can appreciate if they want to.
Difficult to come by in its original version, these songs appear with various re-workings and demo tracks on the more available Deram Anthology. Nowhere near Bowie’s best, but not his worst.
Advantages: Fun little ditties
Disadvantages: Nothing too memorable
David Bowie (a.k.a. Space Oddity)
The Man on the Moon and the Sun Machines
****
Written on 07.10.05
David Bowie's first successful album and the origin of glam rock in 1969. The demise of the hippies and the experimental tastes of music fans saw Bowie aiming for an achieving a completely new sound, mixing the electronic and the acoustic and driving his earlier folk-pop style to more rocking plains.
The album's themes are still entrenched in the social commentary and love/loss songs of folk, the spaced out title track being the only precursor to the Ziggy Stardust days, but the lyrics of many songs on 'Space Oddity' catch Bowie at his witty, story-telling best.
SPACE ODDITY
1. Space Oddity
2. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed
3. (Don't Sit Down)
4. Letter to Hermione
5. Cygnet Committee
6. Janine
7. An Occasional Dream
8. Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud
9. God Knows I'm Good
10. Memory of a Free Festival
The singer-guitarist's first hit single, 'Space Oddity' came along at exactly the right time, when Western world lunatics dreamed of walking on the conquered moon. The spooky ballad of astronaut Major Tom, a character who would resurface in Bowie's music over ten years later, this is the earliest example of the distinctive glam rock sound with its rousing vocals and build up of electronic guitars. A legendary song, and the perfect opening to the album, even if it means that the rest may seem disappointing in comparison.
The folk-rock meld continues with the excellently-titled 'Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed' before softer acoustic melodies take over. After the odd interlude '(Don't Sit Down),' which is essentially Bowie messing around for forty seconds, 'Letter to Hermione' offers a harsher tone, apparently dealing with the break up of Bowie's relationship. This is picked up later in the contrastingly pleasant 'An Occasional Dream.'
'Cygnet Committee' is the second highlight of the album, a contemplative epic dominated by Bowie's subdued but powerful vocals. Despite changing very little through its nine minutes, except perhaps becoming more impassioned in the second half and being accompanied by what seems like an increasing number of instruments forming the background texture, this remains interesting and enjoyable throughout.
With its catchy, Elvisesque chorus and fun guitar melody, 'Janine' is a great track to follow, even managing to keep the thoughtful atmosphere that reaches its peak in 'An Occasional Dream.' 'Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud' and 'God Knows I'm Good' are fun folk songs, the former featuring high keyboards adding a strange, artificially uplifting air to the tale and the latter being a simple, unimpressive but enjoyable Bowie acoustic ditty.
The album closes in grand style with the unexpected 'Memory of a Free Festival,' a sombre accordion leading this seven minute progressive song with a memorable chorus, joined in by ever more voices and rousing keyboards as the music continues for longer than expected before fading to a quiet Bowie solo piece again and exiting.
VERDICT
A spectacular album that can be appreciated by casual listeners and rock fans, this is Bowie's first, albeit flawed, masterpiece. The catchy ballad 'Space Oddity,' the grandeur of 'Cygnet Committee' and the elevating anthem 'Memory of a Free Festival' keep the album interesting from start to finish, but sadly nothing in-between holds up to the same standard. The rock touches are accomplished and perfected with the next year's 'The Man Who Sold the World,' thanks in no small part to guitarist Mick Ronson who is absent from these early, pre-fame recordings.
No track is poor or unworthy of the listener's time, not even the daft '(Don't Sit Down)' which is very short and actually a little fun on repeated listens, but newcomers to David Bowie would most likely appreciate this as a later purchase to his more accomplished 'Ziggy Stardust' or 'best-of' collections. Space Oddity, like much of Bowie's discography, arrived at the right time, and not entirely by accident. Chameleonic and undoubtedly multi-talented and successfully experimental, David Bowie's music really begins here.
The Man Who Sold the World
I Gazed a Gazely Stare
****
Written on 17.10.05
David Bowie’s third album developed, refined and perfected the glam rock tendencies of ‘Space Oddity’ and ditched the folk angle, resulting in one of the strongest and certainly the hardest and rockiest album of his long and varied career.
STYLE
Bowie’s guitar and distinctive up and down English vocals find their perfect consort in the lead guitar work of Mick Ronson, who would go on to help define the sound of the band’s golden age of the next few years, resulting in the ‘Hunky Dory,’ ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and ‘Aladdin Sane’ albums. The electronic instruments are in full swing here, and the distortion is turned on.
‘The Man Who Sold the World’ is bizarre, unexpected and extremely fun. The bleak, poetic title and unrelated controversial cover art of the singer relaxing comfortably in a long dress make this an album to entice curious music fans even before the first note plays. Although this isn’t Bowie’s most easily accessible album, owing something to the rock and roll of the sixties, it doesn’t seek to alienate listeners (in the way that some later projects did), despite the potentially off-putting song lengths and aforementioned, but historically important, sleeve design.
THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD
1. Width of a Circle
2. All the Madmen
3. Black Country Rock
4. After All
5. Running Gun Blues
6. Saviour Machine
7. She Shook Me Cold
8. The Man Who Sold the World
‘Width of a Circle’ is a surprising start to the album, clocking in at over eight minutes and featuring a changing style throughout. The first of many classic Bowie / Ronson guitar riffs is the slow, powerful driving force of this song from start to finish and sets the thoughtful, melancholy but hopeful tone for the album. This is something of a departure in the band’s music, and not the catchy, radio-friendly opening that would be typical of seventies albums, but works perfectly.
‘All the Madmen’ is a more vocal-oriented song to complement the technical progression of the opener, with a rather muted sing-a-long chorus that could have been more energetic only at a cost to the sombre mood. ‘Black Country Rock’ combines both strengths and makes the best sound yet; a fantastic high guitar refrain swings in to the speakers every once in a while, Ronson’s riffs are hard and Bowie’s almost spoken vocals and occasional screams and outbursts make this a gem to be listened to again and again, not to mention the subtle keyboard and exotic touches that wouldn’t be missed if absent, but add an extra layer to the music.
The band takes a well-earned breather for ‘After All,’ a great soft ballad with a distinctive bass guitar rhythm, brief use of eerie keyboard and some of the best vocals of the album, a soft tone that moves from deep and almost guttural to high and melodic. This song doesn’t stay in the head after first listen as many of the others do, but it’s an excellent addition to the album, and placed at the right interval. The rock and roll returns somewhat in ‘Running Gun Blues,’ a song that does indeed owe a little debt to the blues genre. Bowie’s vocals are now in full fun mode, swaying between flippant performance shouting in the verses and the light unison chorus.
‘Saviour Machine’ harks back to the guitars of ‘Black Country Rock’ a little, but still forms part of this quieter, more reflective central section of the album. Combining distorted riffs with understated and most likely synthesised string and violin sections, this is nonetheless another of the album’s highlights, the moody guitars and chorus reprise in the final minute really drawing the listener in.
‘She Shook Me Cold’ could almost be a Led Zeppelin song, beginning with a squeaky guitar mess-around and brief, restrained drum kit antics before returning full-time to the bouncy glam rock style. The structure of this song is unusual in that the middle is purely instrumental and seems to mainly present an opportunity for Ronson to entertain the listener with a lengthy, bluesy guitar solo before the unremarkable vocals return, clearly present simply to avoid the dreaded ‘instrumental’ description hated by record labels. There’s even something similar to early, blues-inspired Black Sabbath in this deviant guitar outing.
The immortal guitar introduction of ‘The Man Who Sold the World,’ a bridge that returns between each verse and sounds increasingly welcome, is now perhaps more associated with Nirvana, who covered this song in their MTV Unplugged performance months before Kurt Cobain’s suicide. The Bowie original sounds notably different, not restricted to several instruments, and seems to evolve more on each listen: the haunting wails behind the main riff as it repeats endlessly as the song draws to a close, the weird percussion used in the chorus and Bowie’s androgynous singing all add to one of his best classics, and an important moment in the history of music.
Always conscious of structure and expectation, Bowie makes a departure for the next and final track. ‘The Supermen’ is a less accomplished, more relaxed short song that becomes energetic only as the chorus carries on. Nothing spectacular, but a good song to end on and one that doesn’t try to steal any of the thunder of the title track.
VERDICT
With 1969’s ‘Space Oddity,’ David Bowie offered eleven songs that were all inferior to the opening title track. ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ is predictably the best song here, but the difference in quality between tracks isn’t so great; it is also saved for a point towards the end, almost a note to close the album on. This helps the listener to appreciate each song as it comes, from the epic proportions of the grim but enjoyable opener to the high and low parts in-between. There are no bad songs here, just a couple which fail to make much of an impression.
Bowie launched into the seventies with this pioneering work, its moderate success belying the international fame he would soon achieve. It’s obvious why this isn’t his most celebrated album by casual fans, as much as it is the favourite of many with more rock-oriented tastes. Either way, the experimentation with style, the influence of Ronson, the trippy lyrics and the transvestite cover art all mark the start of something big.
Advantages: A strong and influential album
Disadvantages: Weaker tracks, occasional lack of direction
Station to Station
Choo Choo
***
Written on 17.07.07
Whatever your preferred phase, if you even have one, David Bowie’s mainstream career is pretty fascinating, and for fans who were around at the time (I guess), nicely consistent. Releasing an album every year but two from his optimistic, folky debut to the electronic minimalism of his Berlin detox, Bowie’s discography chronicles the rise and rise and permanent fame of the singing star and the evolution of his music as he travelled the world and absorbed its various flavours and drugs.
1976’s ‘Station to Station’ is one of the more transitional albums, like ‘Diamond Dogs’ two years earlier, and represents the culmination of his American-inspired ‘plastic soul’ direction, while also introducing electronic elements he had detected from Europe. Its customary huge success was likely a result of the skinny man’s enormous profile and selling power, as the music is far from the accessible pop of the previous year’s ‘Young Americans,’ sounding more experimental, drawn-out and sinister, and an insightful artefact of Bowie’s fragile mental condition. This is the album he apparently has no memory of making.
Having long abandoned the excessive showmanship of his rock hero era, the atmosphere of ‘Station to Station,’ reflected in the subsequent world tour, is bleak and disordered, but comfortingly smooth thanks to Bowie’s deep croon. The Thin White Duke is a far cry from Ziggy Stardust and all the other song characters Bowie chose to identify with, and is a fair representation of his drug-induced wasting and detachment from the world, which has been much chronicled. A scary skeletal figure in smart attire with an important-sounding title, the Duke is a symbol that I would obviously be drawn towards, what with my unhealthy lifelong Grim Reaper fixation. See, I can be shallow too, only in different and disturbing ways. Performing with Bowie is his unmemorable but stable late seventies line-up led by the similarly important-sounding Earl Slick (though I suspect, unlike Bowie’s Duke, that Earl is merely his Christian name), whose contributions as lead guitarist never approach those of his predecessor Mick Ronson, but still add enough individuality to keep this from being a Bowie ego project. Roy Bittan, recruited from Bruce Springsteen’s band, contributes some distinctive piano and synthesiser effects that lend this album its unique sound, while George Murray, Dennis Davis and Carlos Alomar provide necessary but unremarkable bass, drums and back-up guitar in that order.
1. Station to Station
2. Golden Years
3. Word on a Wing
4. TVC 15
5. Stay
6. Wild is the Wind
Partly because of its eccentric oddness, I have long considered this among my favourite Bowie albums, though it tends to fall quite far down the list once I start thinking about it. There are only six songs, one of which is a cover song and almost all of which are far longer than necessary, but fortunately Bowie’s accumulated diversity of styles makes them all distinctive and easy to remember. There’s no real consistency through this album, from the disorderly sound effects and studio trickery of the first few minutes to the unpredictable high wails and deep croons that alternate on the choruses, but it’s all been arranged in the most satisfying fashion possible. ‘Golden Years’ was the obvious choice for a first single, the only song to restrict itself to a mere four minutes and retaining the inoffensive soul pop sound of the last album, but performed in a much more downbeat way. Although the bassy swinging riff starts to get on my nerves a little as the song carries on, I enjoy the resurgence of Bowie’s high-pitched madman voice in the chorus, which balances out the rumbles of the verses almost as if he’s singing a duet with himself. The only deviation in this straightforward piece is the introduction of a Mediterranean-sounding guitar towards the end. Although ‘Golden Years’ is likely the song most people will be familiar with before approaching this album, its unadventurous style doesn’t really sum up the rest of the album which, while not prog rock or anything so complex, demands a greater attention span and taste threshold.
Having clearly revealed myself as something of a pretentious prog fan, it’s no surprise that the overlong title track is my favourite on here by a long way, and the reason I choose to play this album at all. Some would no doubt argue that the song doesn’t begun until three and a half minutes in, when Bowie’s voice breaks through the sound effects and instrumental zaniness and things start to fall together, but that would be to ignore the great introduction provided by the sound effects and instrumental zaniness. There’s a sound that, due to the lyrics, is obviously supposed to be a train archaically chuffing along, and what sounds like a rattlesnake pre-empting Bowie’s first line, which returns in ‘Golden Years.’ The piano clangs angrily, and the bass and drums tentatively settle into the main rhythm of the song, while Earl Slick noodles around in the distance. The main rhythm is simplistic and slow, and Bowie sings low over the top in his best plastic soul manner, before the song changes abruptly, again, to become more upbeat and exciting until the inevitable fade-out at the seemingly arbitrary end when Bowie is still singing. This main section is reminiscent of Bowie’s earlier glam rock phase, the guitar and piano leads sounding like something off ‘Ziggy Stardust’ in places towards the end, and the vocals all sound pretty exciting, however static the Duke’s performances were alleged to be on stage.
‘Word on a Wing’ is another great song for Bowie’s vocals, as he’s really given the prominent position in this piano-led, semi-operatic number. He sounds positively like a girl in the highest notes of the chorus, which is excellent and again harks back to more exciting times, while the lower parts dismiss the listener’s nostalgia by firmly grounding them in the present (by which I mean thirty-one years ago). Things change drastically for the insane and inane ‘TVC 15,’ a pointless but incessantly catchy rock and roll song more similar to Lou Reed than Bowie, with Roy Bittan playing the kind of piano you’d expect to find in an old saloon. I can’t imagine Bowie standing still for this one, in fact I tend to imagine him bouncing off the walls, but it works perfectly to break up the sorrowful tone of the album, which returns in ‘Stay.’ This is the only song so far that sounds a little similar to what’s come before, merely because the competition’s greater, but sounds more based on funk, with a prominent bass line before the song builds up nicely to the early chorus. The whole song’s repetitive, as usual, and far too long (it’s notable that the 7” release was about half the length), but grooves along pleasantly enough that it’s not too much of a problem. The final song is a strange but effective choice of a cover, originally performed by Johnny Mathis for the film of the same name before being reinterpreted by Nina Simone, whose version Bowie uses. It’s an incredibly pleasant mellow piece, with combined acoustic and electric-that-sounds-acoustic guitar creating a great minimal atmosphere of harmony to counterpoint the disorder of the album’s beginning.
‘Station to Station’ was the final straw before Bowie fled to Berlin to escape his excessive US lifestyle, and it’s an incredibly telling and flawed album written on a diet of ‘red peppers, cocaine and milk.’ As both the successor to the so-called plastic soul of ‘Young Americans’ and the forerunner to the synthetic ‘Low’ and other albums with Brian Eno, this album occupies an unstable and to some extent insignificant middle ground between the two, but still stands out due to the very excess of sound and length that Bowie would very soon turn his back on. There are enough cool call-backs to the Ziggy Stardust era in the form of high wails and rock and roll choruses to make this a fitting end to an era that shouldn’t be overlooked, despite the intimidating song lengths and the Thin White Duke’s creepy long fingers. It’s pretty average now that I’ve really thought about it, and perhaps not worth wasting time with, but there’s something compelling about this one all the same.
Advantages: Daring, intriguing and soothing.
Disadvantages: Overlong, repetitive and confused.
Liquid Monster
Diluted Beastie
**
Written on 03.04.08
Brainstorm aren't one of the more inspired or intense German power metal bands, but their laidback, poppy style has been enough to attract a modest following and see them release a consistent discography, even if it's only been consistently average. 'Liquid Monster' is their fifth album, and while it's more or less worthless and forgettable for the most part, it does offer up some admittedly catchy choruses and riffs for the more commercially-oriented metal fans to enjoy, and there's nothing wrong with that.
The main problem I have with this album is the evident lack of care put in to making it a classic, as most of the songs couldn't be more obvious filler if they tried. The first two songs start things off well, with singer Andy B. Franck putting in a rousing performance with 'Worlds Are Coming Through' and the more energetic 'Inside the Monster,' but the quality then slips drastically into the lousy slowie 'All Those Worlds,' and doesn't particularly improve even in the faster songs (and the less said about ballads like 'Heavenly,' the better). Torsten Ihlenfeld is a talented enough guitarist, displaying his talents in the simple but fun riffs of several songs and the Egyptian-style guitar solos of the first track (the Ancient Egyptians couldn't get enough of guitar solos), but on the whole the performance is lacking in energy and creativity.
Of course, not everyone listens to rock music for the virtuosity of its performers, and later songs 'Painside' and 'Burns My Soul' follow a similarly steady pace to the first song, with comparably cheesy but enjoyable sung choruses. This isn't the sort of power metal you'd like to be caught listening to by your thrash buddies, but it bridges the divide between the genre and popular music in a way that can only ever be bland, but at least makes a respite from some of the more extreme albums in a metal fan's collection. I'd like to think that this is one of Brainstorm's weaker releases.
1. Worlds Are Comin' Through
2. Inside the Monster
3. All Those Worlds
4. Lifeline
5. Invisible Enemy
6. Heavenly
7. Painside
8. Despair to Drown
9. Mask of Life
10. Even Higher
11. Burns My Soul
Instruments of Torture
Horrible Histories: Brutal Death Metal Edition
***
Written on 03.04.08
Many bands specialise in a certain theme, and for brutal death metal band Brodequin, their specialist subject is Medieval torture, even taking their name from a torture instrument. Vocalist and bass player Jamie Bailey is himself a history graduate, but not even the most devoted fan would be under the delusion that he's actually enunciating all of the gory historical lyrics through the combination of burps and grunts that pervade these songs.
Musically, if not thematically, Brodequin are a fairly typical brutal death metal band, and this album isn't going to hold any surprises for those accustomed to the genre. Twenty-five minutes of relentless high-speed drumming, headache-inducing grind guitars and vocals that sound like Bailey vomiting a stream of wind across the microphone, this is about as extreme as it gets, if not the most sonically fascinating album in the world. Chad Walls' drums are the real highlight, refusing to be pinned down even when blasting away at breakneck speed, he really works the entirety of his kit to the point that it often sounds like there's more than one drummer. Mike Bailey's guitar is less prominent, shoved back in the mix thanks to the low production values but retaining the despicable grind atmosphere.
There's very little diversity across these songs, which are more aimed at the overall experience than anything, but there are enough minor changes, mainly thanks to Walls, to keep it interesting throughout. The first two songs are fairly standard, and it's not until 'Ambrosia' that Bailey's vocals really start to sound as depraved as he would like, reaching their intensity in the best song, 'The Virgin of Nuremberg.' Opening with a film sample of (presumably) a priest of the Inquisition speaking in Latin while a man in the background lets out torturous screams, the song provides a fitting aural equivalent with its hammering instruments and stunningly enthusiastic vocal performance.
All the same, this is typical brutal death fare that's at least not trying to be proclaimed as "technical" for its speed (as befalls the likes of Suffocation), and anyone approaching it as a way to tackle the need for extreme music and history exam revision with one package is going to be disappointed. Still, don't despair: you may end up burping vocals in a brutal death metal band like Mr. Bailey.
1. Spinning in Agony
2. Soothsayer
3. Ambrosia
4. The Virgin of Nuremburg
5. Duke of Exeter
6. Infested with Worms
7. Burnt in Effigy
8. Strappado
9. Hollow
10. Feast of Flesh
Methods of Execution
Vomit-Inducing (In a Good Way)
***
Written on 03.04.08
'Methods of Execution' is Brodequin's best album yet, but that's still not to say it's in any way a revolutionary work of brutal death metal, nor something that's going to appeal to anyone outside of its fairly narrow target audience. With improved production values that not only bring out the full force of every instrument (including the previously unheard bass), but avoid killing the atmosphere though clinical over-exposure, the stage is set for Brodequin's gut-wrenching anthems of historical torture, and the experience is fairly satisfying.
It all sounds much the same, that much is to be expected from this type of band, and it's the primary reason that brutal death metal, like all genres that favour speed over substance, will never be my preferred cup of entrails. Still, the band is content to play within its niche, and all players involved do a fine job executing some fast and harsh riffs and rhythms without letting up across the entire performance.
The most noticeable difference outside of the presence of the bass is the improved guitar skill of Mike Bailey, whose riffs have a lot more variety to them this time round, rather than merely sounding like back-up fuzz for the drums. Although it's still mostly the same riff recycled over and over, songs like 'Pressing to Plead' feature some nicely contrived touches, in this case some squealing pinch harmonics, to set themselves apart a little. Unfortunately, the album ends on a particularly weak note with the seven-minute sound effect-laden title song that's of no real interest, and almost seems like a deliberate anticlimax just for the sake of annoyance.
When they're playing at their best, and have a fine production job to flesh them out, Brodequin are a competitive brutal death act that are miles ahead of most of the imitation acts, but are still some way off matching the leaders in the field.
1. Slaves to the Pyre
2. The Gridiron
3. The Red Theatre
4. Pressing to Plead
5. Tyburn Field
6. Durance Vile
7. Lingering Existence
8. Cast into Torment
9. Verdrinken
10. Punishment Without Mercy
11. Methods of Execution
Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses
2.18 Seconds: A Guinness World Record
****
Written on 03.04.08
Brutal Truth was conceived by bass player Danny Lilker, when his day-job band Nuclear Assault wasn't quite doing it for him in terms of intensity. With death metal and grindcore being the favoured extreme genres of the early nineties (shortly prior to all the murder and arson carried out by Norwegian black metal bands, when Satan became cool again), Brutal Truth naturally combines their strengths, and the resulting 1992 debut album remains one of the most successful death-grind works ever released.
As with pretty much all grindcore, there's an emphasis on speed and intensity here, culminating in the two songs 'Collateral Damage' and 'Blockhead' that are only several seconds apiece (the former even being released as a contrived music video that went on to be recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest in the world). Fortunately, there's more to the album than sheer speed, which is really saying something considering the stunning performance of drummer Scott Lewis in that regard.
This is primarily an extreme death metal album, and the tempo varies enormously from breakneck blasting to slower, steadier, more intricate riffs in songs such as 'Denial of Existence' and 'Time.' The band even manages to avoid the clichés usually associated with the genre, by focusing on social themes rather than explicit gore, comparable to Napalm Death over Carcass. Kevin Sharp's vocals are similarly varied as they growl, roar, squawk and almost sing over the delightful cacophony, and the only instance of film sampling (something that seems to plague most grind releases) is kept within the boundaries of the track 'Monetary Gain,' which is comparatively chilled... but only comparatively.
The album's only drawback is how similar most of it sounds, which ends up stealing the thunder from Scott Lewis' drums once you become used to the inhuman velocity.
1.P.S.P.I.
2.Birth of Ignorance
3.Stench of Profit
4.Ill-Neglect
5.Denial of Existence
6.Regression / Progression
7.Collateral Damage
8.Time
9.Walking Corpse
10.Monetary Gain
11.Wilt
12.H.O.P.E.
13.Blockhead
14.Anti-Homophobe
15.Unjust Compromise
Kill Trend Suicide
Subterranean Homesick Grind
***
Written on 03.04.08
I was a little disappointed by this release from Brutal Truth for lacking the band's usual variety in favour of a more exclusively grindcore influenced style, but considering it's marketed as a low price E.P. despite boasting as much content as many grind albums (even taking into account the eight or so minutes of silence that bulk it out to thirty-three), it's easily enjoyed as a marginal release between more substantial efforts.
By abandoning their slower death metal elements almost entirely (the exception being 'Humanity's Folly'), this is perhaps the most intense release put out by the band thus far, displaying hardcore punk ferocity in the opener 'Blind Leading the Blind' with its incredibly fast drums, but making time for the usual stoner-style riffs in songs such as 'Hypocrite Invasion,' complete with feedback-flooded solos but somehow remaining fast and brutal. 'I Killed My Family' features surprising clean vocals and melodic guitar elements alongside the typically harsh elements, but once again there's still the short, sharp shock for grindcore fans in the form of 'Homesick,' though nowhere near the ridiculous extent of the band's earlier four-second single 'Collateral Damage,' which takes longer to pronounce than it does to play out.
The sound quality of this E.P. is a little less impressive than the band's earlier full-lengths, but that doesn't hinder its force one bit and even adds a nice as-live atmosphere, and my only real issue is that the silence separating the two sections of the title song - the first being fairly normal, and the latter filled with discordant riffing and other zaniness - just gets in the way.
1. Blind Leading the Blind
2. Pass Some Down
3. Let's Go to War
4. Hypocrite Invasion
5. Everflow
6. Zombie
7. Homesick
8. Humanity's Folly
9. I Killed My Family
10. Kill Trend Suicide
Sounds of the Animal Kingdom
Damn Dirty Apes
***
Written on 03.04.08
The long-awaited third album from New York's Brutal Truth, following a series of E.P. and split recordings, opens with a film sample proclaiming, "still not loud enough, still not fast enough." This instantly spurs the band on to prove its abilities in these areas, which is the main reason 'Sounds of the Animal Kingdom' falls flat compared to the band's earlier, highly accomplished works.
Brutal Truth have evidently worked towards a more grindcore influenced style of death metal over their career, ironically as the popularity of the grind genre died down into the mid-nineties, meaning that this album is comprised of very many very short songs. Not all of them are inadequate grind length, with a few passing the three minute mark and ending up more satisfying as a result, and the inevitable couple that exceed this to a ridiculous extreme and merely end up wasting the listener's time. With these gimmicks intact, there's very little to set this apart from the average grind album, apart from the fact that the band members are all supremely talented.
This talent is sadly wasted on the majority of songs, with only a few permitting time for interesting musicianship, such as the slow beginnings of 'F**ktoy' and 'Machine Parts,' the groove riffs of 'Fisting' and especially the solos of 'Jemenez Cricket,' the only song that really manages to rise above the rest but still doesn't make a lasting impression. Other songs are set apart through weak contrivances such as the sound effects of 'Blue World' and the funereally slow pace of 'Unbaptized' that nevertheless lacks the power of even the average funeral doom metal band, while '4:20' just gives up and delivers thirty seconds of pointless silence. This is repeated by the final track, which cuts off for twenty minutes of nothing after a minute or so of Kevin Sharpe roaring the word "prey" over and over, presumably so that the listener has time to dwell on the layers of subtlety.
This is a good album if you like your music fast and aggressive, and don't mind it lacking anything else.
1. Dementia
2. K.A.P.
3. Vision
4. F**ktoy
5. Jemenez Cricket
6. Soft Mind
7. Average People
8. Blue World
9. Callous
10. Fisting
11. Die Laughing
12. Dead Smart
13. Sympathy Kiss
14. Pork Farm
15. Promise
16. Foolish B**tard
17. Postulate Then Liberate
18. It's After the End of the World (Sun-Ra cover)
19. Machine Parts
20. 4:20
21. Unbaptized
22. Prey
For Drug Crazed Grindfreaks Only!: Live at Noctum Studios
Read the Product Warning Label
**
Written on 03.04.08
Brutal Truth aren't being ironic here; this really is an album targeted exclusively at their fans in the grindcore community, ten years after the genre was at its height. This is a fairly pointless E.P. in several respects, simply reproducing past songs rather than new material under the guise that it's a live release - the live location being a studio in New Zealand, as if playing in a room on the other side of the world is reason enough to merit a special release.
The "live" nature does help to bring out the performance and make it that little bit more real than on a proper studio album, allowing the band to concentrate on working together rather than worrying about putting in their finest take or making a coherent album (not that this ever presented a major concern in the past, it has to be said), but this also leaves the album with a weaker production sound that favours the hammering drums above everything else. Of course, if you are indeed a grind freak, drug crazed or otherwise, you'll probably view this as a bonus.
The band draws primarily on its shorter grindcore material here, songs having an average length of a minute and a half, with only 'Dead Smart' and 'Jemenez Cricket' raising the average slightly with more substantial playing times that result in more satisfying songs as a result. And then, because it's a Brutal Truth album and it's not enough to have to endure twenty minutes of relentless grind, we have to put up with a worthless sound effects outro that lasts longer than several of the previous tracks put together. It's not big and it's not clever, but at least they put a warning on the packet.
1. K.A.P.
2. Dead Smart
3. Blind Leading the Blind
4. Let's Go to War
5. Choice of a New Generation
6. Walking Corpse
7. Fisting
8. Homesick
9. Stench of Profit
10. Jemenez Cricket
11. Untitled
Advantages: Fairly decent grindcore E.P.
Disadvantages: That's all there is to it.
Ceasul Aducerii-Aminte
Vikings of Romania
****
Written on 03.04.08
Hailing from Romania and looking like three Bill Baileys hanging out with their younger, more sensible brother, Bucovina is one of the more curious Viking metal bands out there even if they're not necessarily in the top league with the likes of Bathory, Månegarm and Moonsorrow.
'Ceasul aducerii-aminte' is the band's only release so far, and it's a strong debut of folk-influenced Viking metal that benefits from its obscure locale in a similar way to equally isolated Faroe Islands band Týr. The comparison between these two bands is invited further by the emphasis on melody in the guitars and vocals, the latter of which possess a satisfying exotic air as Florin Tibu sings in true Viking style (with a hint of unintentionally stereotypical vampire accent thrown in) and occasionally supplements the singing with a black metal caw as the music increases in intensity.
Tibu and Bogdan Luparu don't churn out the most stunning or inventive guitar melodies ever heard in the genre, but they're certainly enjoyable, and especially prominent in the instrumentals 'Valea plangerii' and 'Napraznica goanna,' the first of which is a slow and epic heavy metal introduction, with the latter being more of an excuse to go freestyle-crazy. Tudor's bass is commendably audible throughout, especially in 'Strasnic neamul meu,' while there's an interesting balance maintained between speedy and ponderous delivery, as Bogdan Mahu's drums blast away contentedly throughout songs like 'Tara de dincolo de varfuri de brad' while the other band members insist on performing at their standard pace. Oddly, what should present an irritating contrast ends up working surprisingly well.
Tending more towards the classic metal style than the more epic folk of Moonsorrow, songs aren't permitted to drag on needlessly, though the band does tend to run out of ideas half-way through each track, leaving the second half open to internal over-repetition. There's still enough variety to keep things interesting however, with a compulsory acoustic break in 'Sunt munti si paduri' that works well to divide up the track, some very pleasant folk-sounding electric guitars in 'Luna preste varfuri,' thrash riffing in 'Strasnic neamul meu' and the most diverse song of the lot, 'Vinterdoden.'
This songs perhaps stands out a little too much from the rest for being a cover of Norwegian band Helheim (from their second album 'Av Norrøn Ætt'), and with its harsh, tremolo-picked riffs and emphasis on screeched vocals over singing, it was a wise decision to at least place it towards the end of the album, though it still would have been more satisfying to hear the band attempt a more stylised cover version to fit in with their own sound, rather than merely imitating Helheim.
At only thirty-three minutes in length, this is a Viking metal album more concerned with fun than any serious attempt to reach epic heights that would probably fail disastrously, or just end up sounding impressive but deathly boring such as the aforementioned Moonsorrow. Viking metal is one of my favourite genres, and one that, as you can see, I have an unhealthy education in, but even though this album displays a number of tell-tale amateurish signs of a debut album, it still has its heart in the right place. Even if its geographical location is a little perplexing.
1. Valea plangerii
2. Sunt munti si paduri
3. Luna preste varfuri
4. Strasnic neamul meu
5. Tara de dincolo de varfuri de brad
6. Napraznica goanna
7. Vinterdoden
8. Bucovina, inima mea
Advantages: Decent attempt at the Viking metal sound.
Disadvantages: Still learning.
Budgie
I Grow My Hair to Keep It Fed
****
Written on 04.04.08
Budgie are a significant but overlooked band in the history of heavy metal, having participated in its development alongside bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest throughout the seventies, before becoming justly forgotten in the eighties. Their self-titled debut doesn't have the classic appeal of Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid,' but it does share a noticeably similar sound that will cause it to be of interest to rock historians and headbangers alike. It's really very good, even though it's named after a particularly rubbish bird.
The most immediately striking thing about this album is how dingy and heavy it sounds, comparable to Sabbath's definitive 'Master of Reality' and even sharing the occasional riff, but Budgie's sound is clearly striving for more commercial acceptance that never really happened. Burke Shelley's high vocals are typically seventies and don't have any of the fury later associated with metal, but his bass work is impeckable (a bird-based pun there, expect several more before the day is through) and really fleshed out by the low-end production that makes Tony Bourge's sludgy guitars the highlight of the album. He's no Tony Iommi, but Bourge's slow, blues-tinged riffs in 'Guts,' 'Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman,' 'Rape of the Locks' and 'Homicidal Suicidal' compliment his cleaner, more commercial style on 'The Author' and acoustic strumming in the ethereal 'Everything in My Heart' and 'You and I,' the latter of which sounds almost exactly the same as Pink Floyd's 'Pigs on the Wing' released six years later.
There's nothing particularly spellbinding or creative here, but there's an enjoyable mix of material that keeps things nicely uneven in the way all early heavy metal albums ought to be as the musicians experiment with the fledgling sound. The lyrical subject matter is as low-brow as can be expected, 'Rape of the Lock' being an anthem against haircuts for example, but this is still an effective album of proto-heavy metal that should be enjoyed by Sabbath fans, even if every other song sounds like an inferior version of 'Children of the Grave.'
1. Guts
2. Everything in My Heart
3. The Author
4. Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman
5. Rape of the Locks
6. All Night Petrol
7. You and I
8. Homicidal Suicidal
Squawk
She's as Hot as a Docker's Armpit
***
Written on 04.04.08
Budgie's second album is a slight disappointment after the first, at least for those who enjoyed the Black Sabbathesque doom metal of the self-titled debut that is largely absent here, favouring a more hard rock approach in the style of Led Zeppelin. The sludgy guitar tone still occasionally rears its head from the murky depths, but is stilted by upbeat harmonies in 'Drugstore Woman,' and if Tony Bourge's riffs were a little lacking in originality on the previous album they're practically screaming out for some inspiration here.
Everything about this album takes a slight step down from the first, not least Burke Shelley's vocals which have become rather irritating in their whine, and serve to date this further in a bad way, rather than the historically intriguing way the first album was dated. The lyrics are of no interest, full of bland similes (especially in 'Rocking Man'), and weirdly the songs that seem designed to be self-consciously different are grouped together, which sees the Beatles-like acoustic 'Rolling Home Again' immediately succeeded by the acoustic and piano ballad 'Make Me Happy,' something that would have severely weakened the overall quality of the first album, had it been present there. On this album, it's merely one disappointment among several.
It's not all bad though, and fans of classic hard rock should enjoy the Zeppelinesque style of most songs, particularly those with looser structures that take time out for solos and bas sections, such as 'Hot as a Docker's Armpit.' Still, there's a nagging feeling throughout that this album isn't all it could have been, with the bland instrumental 'Bottled' and tedious slow song 'Young Is a World' only been made up for ever so slightly with the fun finale 'Stranded.' It's certainly not as dynamic an album as the artwork might suggest.
1. Whiskey River
2. Rocking Man
3. Rolling Home Again
4. Make Me Happy
5. Hot as a Docker's Armpit
6. Drugstore Woman
7. Bottled
8. Young Is a World
9. Stranded
Never Turn Your Back on a Friend
Riding My Nightmare
****
Written on 04.04.08
By the time of their third album, Welsh metal pioneers Budgie had settled into their classic style, combining thunderous hard rock riffs with atmospheric acoustic minimalism, frequently within the same song but otherwise executed on consecutive tracks. 'Never Turn Your Back on a Friend,' despite its rather flowery title, deserves to be acclaimed as an early heavy metal classic, though the majority of its songs will still be largely unknown to fans of the bands they directly influenced.
The finest songs here are those that combine the heavy and light elements in a charming yin-yang, and the least successful are those that favour one style over the other, and end up sounding rather boring. 'Breadfan' opens the album in style and is easily the best song here, with Tony Bourge's memorable guitar riff setting the stage for a fast rocker that erupts once the other instruments crash in, but one that nevertheless grinds to a halt in the centre for a mellow section that some will see as superfluous, but really does help to show off the band's full range.
Although it's a little eccentrically long-winded, the finale 'Parents' does something similar at ten minutes, only with a steadier pace throughout, but the only lasting impression left by 'You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk' is that the song should have ended a lot sooner than it did. I'm still pleased that the band experimented with song length in this way even when the miss count was greater than the hits, as they all serve as examples to future generations of when to call it a day.
The greatest oddity that threatens to make this album less appealing to metal fans, but serves to distinguish Budgie further, is the vocal performance of Burke Shelley, who by this point in his career sounds a lot like Yes' Jon Anderson, seemingly going for the same high, androgynous approach. While this does undermine the harder songs somewhat, it ensures that the band's tendencies towards lighter material, most fully realised in the soft songs 'You Know I'll Always Love You' and 'Riding My Nightmare,' sound more convincing than other metal bands' ballads tend to, even if these still represent the weakest material (not least for sounding exactly the same as each other).
Elsewhere, 'Baby Please Don't Go' and 'In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand' are more blues-influenced hard rock pieces that are still pulled off well, and allow Bourge further chances to demonstrate his newfound axe skills, in the latter song particularly.
1. Breadfan
2. Baby Please Don't Go
3. You Know I'll Always Love You
4. You're the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk
5. In the Grip of a Tyrefitter's Hand
6. Riding My Nightmare
7. Parents
In for the Kill
Crash Course in Brain Surgery
***
Written on 04.04.08
'In For the Kill' sees the long-awaited return of the doom metal style that characterised Budgie's debut, before softening out to a more standard hard rock tone on the releases in-between. With seven highly uneven tracks containing a mix of classics and stinkers, this is as definitive an album of Budgie's original style as it's possible to imagine, even if the repetition weakens its competitive power compared to the leaders in the field, most notably Black Sabbath.
As on the previous album, it's the opening and closing songs that pack the mightiest punch, leaving everything in-between seeming a little lacking in comparison. 'In For the Kill' is led by slow and seriously heavy guitar riffs balanced out by Burke Shelley's high vocals that reach a higher squeak than ever before, while 'Living On Your Own' is one of the few extra-long Budgie songs to actually improve as it goes along, rather than becoming tedious. Tony Bourge's guitar works excellently against Shelley's bass in this finale making for the finest Budgie song so far, with excellent lead guitars that remain memorable long afterwards.
Sadly, the rest of the album really does fail to live up to these exceptional highlights. 'Crash Course in Brain Surgery' is just typical blues-rock fare, 'Hammer and Tongs' and 'Zoom Club' are fairly slow and tedious, 'Running From My Soul' is even less interesting than the band's previous mediocre instrumentals, and 'Wondering What Everyone Knows' is the compulsory ballad that once again pales in comparison to the band's usual style, though this is noticeably superior to their previous efforts. With a little more focus on creating a strong centre, this could have easily been a required heavy metal classic; as it is, it's distinctly average.
1. In For the Kill
2. Crash Course in Brain Surgery
3. Wondering What Everyone Knows
4. Zoom Club
5. Hammer and Tongs
6. Running From My Soul
7. Living On Your Own
Bandolier
Music Bans All Feeling
****
Written on 04.04.08
Budgie's career was arguably at its peak in the mid-seventies, though this isn't saying much considering how little they were known. This three-piece from Cardiff produced some of the finest early heavy metal as well as some really awful material, but their fifth album 'Bandolier' sees an improvement in consistency as well as an increase in ferocity that sees Budgie becoming one of the first New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands before the genre was even recognised.
The production values have improved, moving away from the sludgy, Black Sabbath sound of their earlier works towards something cleaner and tighter, and easily comparable to Judas Priest's work around the same period, especially in the song 'I Ain't No Mountain' which manages to be one of the only ones to clock in at a radio-friendly playing time. The rest tends towards freestyle and repetition at the band's discretion, and although this doesn't always make for the most engrossing listen, the songs are always entertaining throughout, and certainly never become dull.
'Napoleon Bona' is the stand-out song here, another great historical metal epic to add to the canon, which moves from an atmospheric opening into some Rush-style narrative and finally the fastest and most energetic performance the band had ever undertaken, complete with necessarily cool guitar solos. The rest of the album is really quite odd, ranging from standard, riff-led hard rock in 'Breaking All the House Rules' to a minimalist funk riff in 'Who Do You Want For Your Love?' that's even supplemented by harmonica. 'I Can't See My Feelings' is one of the more fascinating offerings, with its semi-acoustic riff, occasional country influence, cowbell and odd lyrics, and 'Slip Away' forsakes the usual ballad for something more resembling a lullaby, with high vocals and clean electric guitar.
With its overlong songs, styles that fly in the face of categorisation and mad cover art, it's clear there's something special about this album, and it's certainly the finest the band had released thus far.
1. Breaking All the House Rules
2. Slip Away
3. Who Do You Want For Your Love?
4. I Can't See My Feelings
5. I Ain't No Mountain
6. Napoleon Bona - Parts One and Two
Impeckable
A Dainty Dish
**
Written on 04.04.08
Like the appropriately more well-known Black Sabbath, Budgie's illustrious seventies output reached its nadir with their last couple of albums of the decade, and while 'Impeckable' is a slight improvement over its predecessor, there's still very little to recommend here to the discerning hard rock fan.
The style is fairly uniform throughout the album, with only a couple of very predictable exceptions, most (or perhaps least) notably the usual acoustic ballad 'Don't Go Away.' The songs never exceed a medium tempo and are mostly grounded in a tedious bluesy crawl, with only 'Pyramids' and 'I'm a Faker Too' providing some slight upbeat relief before the finale sees the band approach something of their former grace far too late, in the tellingly titled 'Don't Dilute the Water.'
The remainder of the songs all sound more or less the same, led by the most generic hard rock riffs imaginable, which manage to be catchy even though they're forgotten immediately afterwards. 'Love For You and Me' only scores points for avoiding being a genuine ballad, at least at this early point in the album, but its slower pace is rendered less meaningful by the surrounding material that crawls along regardless of subject matter or intent.
1. Melt the Ice Away
2. Love For You and Me
3. All at Sea
4. Dish It Up
5. Pyramids
6. Smile Boy Smile
7. I'm a Faker Too
8. Don't Go Away
9. Don't Dilute the Water
Power Supply
An Independent Man, a Love Generator Is What I Am
****
Written on 04.04.08
Revived from their late seventies slump, Budgie evolved with the times and the Cardiff trio reinvented itself as a NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) band, partly thanks to the replacement of the increasingly moribund Tony Bourgewith a guitarist amusingly named John Thomas, whose own contributions would unfortunately go steadily downhill from this point onwards.
'Power Supply' really does scream 1980 from every socket, from the shiny album artwork to the music and subject matter that don't bother to hide their obvious influence in Judas Priest and others of the movement, though Priest is the most obvious source here. This is no real problem though, as much NWOBHM tended to sound the same, and the best can only be distinguished by the band's ability to use the standard practices and come out with something inventive, even if this only amounts to a series of cool riffs.
Thankfully, 'Power Supply' has these in abundance, and although most songs are structurally identical, with the exception of the more grandiose 'Gunslinger' and 'Secrets in My Head' that feature acoustic breaks, they all remain distinct thanks to some creative and memorable guitar work and choruses.
Burke Shelley's vocals have made a clear change from the airy squeaks of the band's earlier work to something more credible as metal, and he really shows off his screaming abilities in the title song. Every song here is worth listening to for fans of early (particularly eighties) heavy metal, and even though it's a shamelessly chameleonic performance from Budgie, it's still more worthwhile than much of the similar material being produced by others around the same time. I'd rather listen to this than a Saxon album, but it's no 'British Steel.'
1. Forearm Smash
2. Hellbender
3. Heavy Revolution
4. Gunslinger
5. Power Supply
6. Secrets in My Head
7. Time to Remember
8. Crime Against the World
Deliver Us From Evil
An Ex-Budgie
**
Written on 04.04.08
Oh dear, Budgie discover keyboards and their career grinds to a halt. Coincidence? Perhaps, but either way, 'Deliver Us From Evil' is a decidedly less-than-stellar note to go out on.
Shiny, sparkly keyboards were a bizarre element of eighties heavy metal, and music in general, and it's disappointing and cringeworthy to hear Budgie's reliance on the gimmick here, which reaches its height in the pop-centric songs 'Young Girl' and 'Flowers in the Attic,' the latter of which is easily the worst ballad Budgie have ever produced, at least until 'Alison' three songs later. Some of the other songs manage to save themselves in a small way through some showy guitar melodies that are quite good on occasion, particularly in 'Give Me the Truth' and 'Don't Cry,' but the rest really is quite awful.
I'd still rather listen to this than anything produced by an American glam band, but to be honest this Welsh equivalent isn't far off. Although it's deliberately more upbeat in tone than its predecessors, this is the most morally depressingly thing I've heard in some time.
1. Bored With Russia
2. Don't Cry
3. Truth Drug
4. Young Girl
5. Flowers in the Attic
6. N.O.R.A.D. (Doomsday City)
7. Give Me the Truth
8. Alison
9. Finger on the Button
10. Hold on to Love
You're All Living in Cuckooland
Budgie Flies Again
***
Written on 04.04.08
A remarkable twenty-four years after what was thought to be their final album, expatriate Cardiff hard rock veterans Budgie (having now relocated to the USA) released a new studio album full of songs that distinctly belong in the Budgie canon, perhaps a little too self-consciously on occasion. It's almost like the band nervously over-prepared for this comeback release by listening to everything they ever recorded, as traces can be seen not only of their blues-rock origins and heavy metal conclusion, but also the weird and disappointing funk stuff they did in-between. Needless to say, as a Budgie sound-alike performed by the Real McCoy, or at least two-thirds of the original trio, it's not exactly an album to catapult their career into the twenty-first century, but then they never were particularly recognised even in their prime.
Craig Goldy fills in for session guitar on this album, and it's his crunchy tone that marks this out as a modern release, and even lends it a satisfying stoner vibe on occasion, though sadly that occasion is only limited to the opening song, after which things turn a little stale. Burke Shelley's vocals sound exactly the same as they did in the late seventies, which is nice to hear, but sadly the band doesn't attempt to continue the heavy metal style it was working towards at the time of its original demise, settling on a standard hard rock direction throughout. While this makes songs like 'Dead Men Don't Talk' fairly enjoyable in an outdated sort of way, it's really the lighter half of the album that reduces its quality significantly, as Budgie puts out more ballads than ever before.
The title song itself isn't too bad, stubbornly maintaining its acoustic style throughout and becoming a little tiresome but at least not embarrassing the old boys, but then the album bizarrely continues to churn them out in increasing inferiority. 'Love Is Enough' and 'Captain' are unfortunately as bad as anything from the 'Deliver Us From Evil' album, and other songs are infected with the slow syndrome to the point that 'Tell Me Tell Me' and 'I Don't Want to Throw You' are both essentially ballads with loud bits.
Fortunately, it's not all stale, and the band continues to experiment to some small degree. The funk song 'Falling' is a particular oddity, sounding much like a hard rock version of something the Red Hot Chili Peppers might have done back when they were still good, but pompously-titled finale 'I'm Compressing the Comb on a Cockerel's Head' is really just an excuse for Goldy to mess around with his guitar for a while. It's better than nothing, but you would have thought that twenty-four years away would have at least allowed the band members a little time to come up with something more exciting than this. I have no idea where they're taking it next.
1. Justice
2. Dead Men Don't Talk
3. We're All Living in Cuckooland
4. Falling
5. Love Is Enough
6. Tell Me Tell Me
7. (Don't Want To) Find That Girl
8. Captain
9. I Don't Want to Throw You
10. I'm Compressing the Comb on a Cockerel's Head
Crippled Lucifer
Satan's Got a Gammy Leg
**
Written on 05.04.08
Inexplicably bearing the same title as the defunct band's only full-length release from 1998, 'Crippled Lucifer' is a comprehensive posthumous collection of rare Burning Witch material that collects together the 'Rift.Canyon.Dreams' and 'Towers...' EPs as well as the tracks contributed to split releases with Goatsnake and Asva.
Burning Witch play an extreme form of doom metal that will hardly be anyone's cup of tea at all, and it's clear from how samey it all sounds that the band wasn't interested in targeting a wider audience outside of the doom community. The main problem I have with it is that it's all so damn boring; not only does every song sound exactly the same, but even listening to one of these ten-minute-plus dirges is enough to drive me over the edge, into sleep rather than insanity.
I appreciate a good doom album, whether it's attempting to be monumentally ponderous like Candlemass, wallowing in self-pity like Warning or merely celebrating the joy of being stoned like bands from the Southern United States, but there's nothing here that appeals to me at all. Edgy 59's vocals are the only thing that keep any of these songs mildly entertaining as he squawks and jeers over the lethargic drone of the guitars and the tedious drums, and the rare instances of a song actually speeding up (as only really happens in 'Sacred Predictions') soon fade as the point of interest isn't backed up with anything else.
The two songs taken from split releases ('The Bleeder' and 'Rift.Canyon.Dreams') are slightly more interesting just for attempting a more epic sound, but the atmosphere is soon dispelled once it really starts to settle in just how much time is uneventfully passing. This band has a full-length album out there, but I won't bother tracking it down; the fact that they couldn't even be bothered to think up a different name for this compilation speaks of just how lazy their output was in general.
Disc 1
1. Sacred Predictions
2. Country Doctor
3. Tower Place
4. Sea Hag
5. The Bleeder
Disc 2
1. Warning Signs
2. Stillborn
3. History of Hell (Crippled Lucifer)
4. Communion
5. Rift.Canyon.Dreams
Burzum / Aske
The Devil Has the Best Tunes
*****
Written on 05.04.08
The self-titled debut release from the most notorious figure in black metal, 'Burzum' really is one of the masterpieces of the genre, and one that can be enjoyed in spite of the atrocities Varg Vikernes (aka Count Grishnackh) would later commit. Alternatively, the murder and arson could serve to make it even more enjoyable, if you're a bit strange.
This album represents the peak of what second wave black metal was striving to achieve, and demonstrates how bands such as Mayhem, Immortal and Emperor were going about it the wrong way, with their emphasis on speed and intensity over real significance. That's not to say that I get wholly enveloped in the Count's ideology here, whatever that may be - as far as I know, his interests lay in a return to ancient values, partly inspired by reading Tolkien - but the songs on this collection offer something better than depth and meaning; they're all incredibly catchy.
That's right, listening to an album like Mayhem's 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas,' on which Vikernes played bass, might not leave the impression that this music can be enormously fun, but there are few albums in my collection that are as packed with irresistible guitar riffs as this one. The majority of songs are led by a repeating riff that would be instantly plundered by guitarists in any genre if only they'd thought of it first, and the Count strikes a fine balance between this effective repetition and progression that sees some songs, most notably the opener 'Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown,' dazzling with every turn and making the more of its seven-minute playing time than Mayhem would achieve in a forty-minute album.
Just to ensure this is as close to his artistic vision as possible, the Count also plays all of the instruments himself, did I forget to mention that? Actually, that's not entirely true: originally released on Deathlike Silence productions, the label of his Mayhem bandmate Euronymous, the guitarist himself contributes a great solo to the close of the short and punchy war song 'War,' a few years before Grishkackh decided he didn't like him very much after all and proceeded to stab him in the back, quite literally, forty-or-so more times than was strictly necessary to kill him. This re-release also includes the three-track 'Aske' E.P., which originally proudly bore the ruined image of one of the churches the Count had set fire to, and bass duties on this short release are handled by Samoth, these two instances making for the only guest appearances in the Burzum chronology.
The inclusion of Aske makes sense as a way to get that material readily available, but the only drawback is the elimination of the original version of 'A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit' that came after the short instrumental 'A Crying Orc,' dropped in favour of reproducing the Aske version and allowing that release to remain more substantial. Whatever purists may think, this missing track doesn't interrupt the flow of the original album, and the second half opens in full black metal force with the phenomenal 'My Journey to the Stars,' easily one of the best songs Burzum ever recorded, and one that remains gripping throughout. Other highlights include the doomy 'Spell of Destruction' that anticipates the sound of Burzum's definitive (but arguably less enjoyable, if I was doing the arguing) album 'Filosofem,' and providing a nice raw contrast for that polished production, and 'Stemmen Fra Tåmet' from Aske, which leads the way with yet another immortal riff from the Count.
It isn't all success, but the experiments that fail, or end up highlighting the lo-fi production quality, only serve to add to this album's unique underground character, making it a far cry from the clinical 'Filosofem.' 'Channelling the Power of Souls into a New God' is a keyboard interlude that sounds more like the background hum from an eighties video game than anything to be taken seriously by a composer, but it succeeds in setting an eerie atmosphere a lot better than some of Burzum's later, more elaborate keyboard compositions, and the only song that I consider dispensable is the overlong and uneventful outro 'Dungeons of Darkness' that wouldn't matter on the original album, but just gets in the way here.
Whatever your preconceived notions of black metal and its devious characters - ones that I've probably only made worse now you've read this - Burzum's debut release should pleasantly surprise you. Who knew depravity and evil could be this much fun?
Burzum
1. Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown
2. Ea, Lord of the Deeps
3. Spell of Destruction
4. Channelling the Power of Souls into a New God
5. War
6. The Crying Orc
7. My Journey to the Stars
8. Dungeons of Darkness
Aske
9. Stemmen Fra Tåmet
10. Dominus Sathanas
11. A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit
Det Som Engang Var
Your Nightmares Sound Like This
***
Written on 02.08.07
The second full-length release by Norwegian one-man-band Burzum moves beyond the primitive raw black metal of the self-titled debut and controversial ‘Aske’ E.P. towards something more refined, involved and emotionally resonant, an experimental balance that would continue with the next two albums before Varg Vikernes was imprisoned for the murder of Euronymous, his former Mayhem bandmate and producer. Released in 1993, ‘Det Som Engang Var’ expands the scope of Norwegian black metal, and is one of the most intriguingly unsettling listening experiences I frequently subject myself to.
The songs are mostly based around simple repeating guitar riffs and pounding, albeit rather quiet drums, all providing the background for Varg’s screams and yells. As with all Burzum releases from this point onwards, the opening songs are more distinctive and perhaps traditional, moving between guitar riffs and featuring distinct verses and even guitar solos, while the later songs tend more towards creating a bleak and hypnotic soundscape to lull the listener into an evil black metal trance. Odd as it may sound, this is actually very effective, although it’s more a case of being so used to the treble-heavy guitar lines and cardboard-sounding drums that they fade into white (black?) noise. The production values are genuinely rather low, but like all good black metal this adds greatly to the tomb-like atmosphere, and is at least genuine in these early 90s releases unlike some recent attempts by big-name bands to purposefully primitivise their sound. An example would be Ulver’s ‘Nattens Madrigal,’ which received large funding from Century Media records that was allegedly spent by the band on cars and girls and stuff, before they finally got round to recording their album haphazardly in a forest. Burzum’s raw production, heavy on the treble but not exactly tinny, lends a distinct buzzing whine to the guitars and holds up well throughout.
1. Den onde kysten (The Evil Shores)
2. Key to the Gate
3. En Ring til å herske (One Ring to Rule)
4. Lost Wisdom
5. Han som reiste (He Who Journeyed)
6. Når himmelen klarner (When the Sky Clears)
7. Snu mikrokosmos tegn (Turn the Sign of the Microcosmos)
8. Svarte troner (Black Thrones)
The Tolkein themes present in the song-titles and album art stem from Varg grounding his musical project in ancient Norwegian mythology, which he claims Tolkein took much inspiration from (the name ‘Burzum’ itself is taken from the inscription of the One Ring, and arguably means either darkness or light, depending on whether Tolkein or Varg is to be believed). Nevertheless, unlike many of the power metal bands influenced prominently by ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ most notably Blind Guardian, the influence is entirely absent from the listening experience, which sounds more like an elongated, torturous release of sorrow and hatred than any kind of epic journey across mountains. ‘Den onde kysten’ and ‘svarte troner’ are both fairly non-ish instrumentals bookending the rest of the album, effectively creating the mood but being mostly redundant, especially as the surrounding material jars with them completely. The album really begins with the excellent ‘Key to the Gate,’ easily the most accomplished and memorable song here in the tradition of all Burzum album openers, which blasts into uncompromising black metal from the onset before settling down slightly into a distinctive riff and crashing, relentless drums. Varg’s vocals are the main highlight of this song, extremely emotive and disturbing as he clearly lets out all the grief plaguing his sad and ill-fated Norwegian life. This is no ‘emo-core’ angsty yelling, but a hellish cackle and wails from the heart that are all pretty disturbing and morbidly fascinating. The song changes rather abruptly into a very pleasant melodic guitar solo half-way through, which is slow, precise and premeditated... much like the murder of Euronymous (sorry, couldn’t resist).
The album sadly takes a rather immediate down-turn after this point, as the songs become increasingly repetitive in the lead-up to the ‘trance,’ also seemingly requiring a major decrease in tempo. ‘En Ring til å herske’ is based around a slower riff, dirty sounding like Black Sabbath, with distant, mostly chanted vocals as Varg calms down a little. Aside from the addition of subtle keyboards towards the end, which will come to prominence after, this song is too long and features too few changes to keep things interesting. ‘Lost Wisdom’ fares better, the last song of the album’s first half and based unapologetically on a catchy riff and drum beat. Who said black metal couldn’t be fun while it’s being depressing and disturbing? Varg’s use of multiple guitars, at least two of which can be discerned through the muddy production, fills out the sound impressively as they focus on different ends of the scale, and there’s another great, slow solo (slow-lo is the term I sometimes use, but that always requires a long explanation in brackets such as these, so I’ll stop using it from now on). Varg’s screams are more animalistic/demonic here, which is a nice change from the very different styles of tracks two and three, and overall this sounds much like the opening song from the next album, only more concise and ten minutes shorter.
Seperating the two sections of the album is the keyboard instrumental ‘han som reiste,’ the biggest departure of this album that takes it more into the realm of electronic silent film scores. The organ-like keyboard is effectively dingy and sinister, but also strangely pleasant, and the endless repetition of the same bars makes this one of many songs that are forced to fade out after an arbitrary time, when the listener’s personal tolerance could extend or constrict the length with each listen, though hopefully not to the extent of the twenty-five-minute piano loop of the later ‘Filosofem.’ ‘Når himmelen klarner’ is another instrumental to follow, but this time utilising the more customary instruments and allowing Varg to better demonstrate his guitar abilities as they take the lead role, though the song noticeably lacks a solo, which would presumably come at a cost to the atmosphere, and doesn’t really go anywhere. The album’s ultimate statement of hypnotic black metal, before this would be perfected with ‘Filosofem,’ is the grand and lengthy finale ‘snu mikrokosmos tegn,’ which brings back the speed and drum bashing but repeats to the extent that the whole thing becomes background noise very quickly.
No Burzum album is an easy listen, and it was at this point that Varg Vikernes’ musical agenda started to become prominent, if executed a little amateurishly. The ambient nature of the later songs makes them less intrinsically compelling than the album’s first half, which can stand strong outside of the dark magical experience the musician is so determined to inflict, and overall the latter half of this album sits rather confusedly between black metal and ambience without really being either. It’s surprising just how relaxing, or perhaps boring, the album can become, especially as anyone walking in would effectively see you chilling out to the sound of someone being tortured, and as such it’s an album that still fascinates me. Despite some peoples’ misguided claims, there’s nothing to be found in Burzum’s music that is any way subliminal towards Varg’s ideologies, which themselves have often been misconstrued, and the listener is more likely to nod off after this listen than go out and burn some churches or stab their friend multiple times in the back. If anything, this only makes you pity the fool.
Advantages: Classic tortured black metal.
Disadvantages: Experiments in ambience are largely dull.
Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Ambient Black Metal Classic
****
Written on 05.04.08
Burzum's third album is cited by many as the definitive black metal album, which indicates that these individuals have a very different interpretation of the genre to most. It's certainly as definitive as it comes to an expression of Count Grishnackh/ Varg Vikernes/Burzum's personal creative vision, one that its more well-known successor 'Filosofem' would similarly achieve albeit with less even results, but those who approach black metal for its unparalleled intensity will doubtless be turned off by the long songs, strong keyboard presence, ponderous tendencies and fifteen-minute ambient finale, though there's still plenty of time given over to the traditional. Indeed, Norse tradition seems to be the key element of the Burzum ideology.
The first song in particular is likely the finest thing the Count ever recorded, alongside 'Dunkelheit' from the next album, and it's fifteen of the most exceptional minutes ever recorded in black metal. Those expecting relentless blast beat drums and raging vocals would be more suited to tracks two and three, which follow a similar, albeit more refined style supplemented by keyboards, but 'Det Som En Gang Var' (curiously the same name as the previous album, with different spelling) concerns itself with a phenomenally catchy riff and some excellent ethereal keyboards in an incredible combination that never becomes tiresome, though it has to be said that the final minutes of the song are less riveting than the first ten, which are constantly changing to introduce further lead guitar, keyboard and vocal elements over the repeating core. If only Vikernes hadn't been imprisoned, the world could have been treated to more masterpieces like this, but then he had to go and kill Euronymous.
Without getting bogged down in the politics of the black metal scene that it's impossible to overlook when it comes to the creator of this music, who would soon be imprisoned for murdering his former associate, not to mention all the churches he'd personally set fire to, 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' is quite a spectacular album that clearly displays Vikernes' musical genius, even if it doesn't translate quite as well to vinyl/CD as it perhaps did in his head, not that you'd ever want to venture there. The final song is particularly interesting, an ambient piece performed entirely by keyboard that moves on from a fairly standard atmospheric piece into one of the most beautiful recordings in heavy metal.
If the last seven minutes of this song had been recorded by Vangelis for a sentimental film soundtrack, we'd hear it streamed across TV advertisements everywhere, but for being composed by a convicted and ever-so-slightly evil man in an obscure Norwegian one-man black metal band, it's destined to be a secret treat enjoyed by a small target audience. This album is fantastic, but it could have been even better.
1. Det Som En Gang Var
2. Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
3. In I Stottet Fra Droemmen
4. Tomhet
Filosofem
The Church-Burning Murderer's Most Existential Hour
***
Written on 28.02.07
The final album recorded by infamous Norwegian Varg Vikernes before he was imprisoned for murder, ‘Filosofem’ represents the peak of the self-styled Count Grishnackh’s achievement at creating ambient black metal, largely because his project has been put on hold by incarceration.
The fourth album written and performed entirely by the Count, ‘Filosofem’ was a surprising success outside Norway, even reaching the indie charts here in Britain, clearly benefiting from the notoriety of its creator. The twenty-three-stab-wounds murder of Vikernes’ former bandmate from Mayhem, Euronymous, tends to overshadow reviews of both these bands… including this one, clearly. However, this album itself is partly excellent on its own merits, and dealing once again with ancient Norwegian mystical themes and a dash of Tolkien, is free of any trace of the Count’s political leanings. Still, I’ve gripped you now, haven’t I?
1. Dunkelheit (Darkness)
2. Jesus’ Tod (The Death of Jesus)
3. Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments (Behold the Daughters of the Firmament)
4. Gebrechlichkeit I (Decrepitude I)
5. Rundgang um die transzendentale Säule der Singularität (Tour Around the Transcendental Pillars of Singularity)
6. Gebrechlichkeit II (Decrepitude II)
The album consists of six tracks, and can be easily divided into two uneven parts on first listen. The second half of the album consumes most of the playing time, thanks primarily to the efforts of the 25-minute fifth track. Vikernes has explained that Burzum’s music was always intended as evening music ‘to fall asleep to,’ rather than to headbang along to at a live show or club. Intended to conjure mystical dreams of ancient times, the structure is consciously designed to become more ambient and less musically diverse as the album goes on. To paraphrase the Count’s own idea of how to approach this record, the first few songs are intended to invoke susceptibility to ‘magic,’ while the rest continue the journey into sleep. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the album ends up becoming boring, though in this case that’s precisely the outcome.
The first three songs share similarities with more traditional black metal in their relentless, treble-heavy guitar riffs and raspy vocals, but with a more fully realised hypnotic ambience than anything in Burzum’s earlier offerings. ‘Dunkelheit’ especially is the most spectacular, an incredible six minutes of repetitive guitar overdrive contrasted with plodding drums and a simplistic but engrossing keyboard melody. Vikernes’ vocals sound like they’ve been thrice-processed to rid them of anything human that remains, a radical departure from his pained shrieks on the previous albums. While not reducing them to the mechanical coldness of contemporaries Dimmu Borgir or Immortal, this effectively places them more subliminally in the mix, and prevents them from distracting from the flow of things. The two songs which follow continue in this same formula, but are less impressive as the repetitive riffs and melodies are less interesting, and can become noticeably overlong if listened to casually, rather than under the subdued engrossment the record really demands.
The two-part ‘Gebrechlichkeit’ that bookends the monstrous fifth track still possess traces of black metal, and conjures the same images of frozen landscapes and depressed pagans, but on a more relaxed note. There are no vocals in this part of the album, but the guitars and drums still back up the dominating keyboards, which have now been liberated from their subordination in the opening songs. Taking up half the album, ‘Rundgang um die transzendentale Säule der Singularität’ is a complete departure from metal, consisting only of a repeated piano melody that barely changes over the course of a long twenty-five minutes. It’s very successfully spooky, but the effect doesn’t last out. If Count Grishnackh has been successful, you will be asleep by now, and not even notice how boring this is.
This isn’t an album for black metal purists, veering wildly away from the frozen hellish sound developed by Venom and Bathory in the 80s and defined by Mayhem and Immortal in the early 90s, but it still shares enough similarities to be labelled as such. Rather than subject the listener to a torrent of screaming guitar treble, under-produced paper drum blasts and tortured guttural vocals, Burzum has always taken a more relaxed, atmospheric and existential slant, and for now this continuing evolution has been halted at this 1996 half-classic. ‘Dunkelheit’ and ‘Jesus’ Tod’ would be essential additions to compilations of the finest Norwegian black metal, but the remaining forty minutes aren’t nearly so impressive.
‘Filosofem’ starts off incredibly, but soon tails off into overlong tedium, even for an ambient release. Burzum’s future releases will likely continue the formula practiced here, but with more interesting and diverse results. The two ambient albums he was permitted to produce in prison – using only keyboard – are far more disappointing, even for the fallen Count himself. However, his failure to report back on time after a week of freedom, and his subsequent capture in possession of a false passport and a gun, have extended his sentence somewhat, as one would expect. Where’s the justice in that?
Advantages: The first few tracks are superb atmospheric black metal at its finest
Disadvantages: The remainder of the album is nothingness
Dauði Baldrs
The Mighty Have Fallen
**
Written on 05.04.08
The final two albums released under the Burzum name are remarkably different to those released prior to Varg Vikernes' imprisonment for murder and arson, as black metal's finest one-man-band has now been limited to a keyboard and a rather pathetic computer program to tie it all together. 'Dauði Baldrs' is Burzum's most conceptual album yet, but you wouldn't know it from the music; the lyric booklet details the story of Baldr despite the songs themselves featuring no lyrics whatsoever, and being forced to communicate Varg's ideas through rather shoddy MIDI programming. I'm making it sound quite pathetic, and indeed it must have been quite humbling for the musician, but 'Dauði Baldrs' can still make for an enjoyable listening experience if you approach it with the appropriate expectations.
Firstly, I'll admit that I can be quite a fan of lo-fi synthesised productions like this, owning several soundtracks to video games that share a similar style. This reminds me most of Nobuo Uematsu's 'Final Fantasy VII' soundtrack, but the similarities are really only minimal, and it's more of a personal thing for me. All the same, I can imagine this being the soundtrack to a roleplaying video game made circa 1990, which would probably have improved its sales based on nostalgia alone.
With all the instruments being synthesised in this very basic means, it's appropriate to view this as more of an album idea produced under severe limitations, rather than a substantial work in its own right. I believe this has ever been confirmed by Vikernes himself, who may have plans to re-record this later material in a black metal form upon his eventual release, and it would certainly be interesting to hear the fully realised versions. The material here isn't too bad, it's mainly the limited nature that makes it so unappealing; songs drag on to ten minutes in the way they always have on Burzum albums, but rather than be entranced by the repeating guitar riffs and keyboard melodies, all we have here are fake synthesised instruments that don't have the same power to compel. Then again, the tedious piano song 'Illa Tiðandi' is of equal dullness to the piano track from the earlier 'Filosofem,' but perhaps wins out by being fifteen minutes shorter.
Perhaps the funniest thing about this album is that on its original release from Misanthropy Records, the band name was somehow mistyped as 'Burzu' on the cover, meaning that these dodgy versions are now collector's items. I mean, as if Vikernes wasn't having a hard time as it is, you have to go and spell his name wrong.
1. Dauði Baldrs
2. Hermoðr Á Helferð
3. Bálferð Baldrs
4. Í Heimr Heljar
5. Illa Tiðandi
6. Móti Ragnarokum
Hliðskjálf
Polishing a Turd
***
Written on 05.04.08
Currently the final album produced by notorious black metal musician Varg Vikernes, 'Hliðskjálf' is by far the superior of the two ambient works he was permitted to produce during his imprisonment, but one that still pales in comparison to his earlier metal work. The improvement over 1997's 'Dauði Baldrs' is primarily due to his MIDI keyboard being upgraded to a proper synthesiser, or something like that, as the sound is now more professional and less irritating for the most part, but the improvement in technology doesn't mean that Vikernes has become the next Vangelis.
In truth, some of these compositions are stunning, synthesised or not. 'Der Tod Wuotans' is an incredibly dramatic piece with several impressive movements, from a searing introduction to what sounds like synthesised guitars and finally a synthesised woodwind elegy for the fallen Wotan, this would be a fine inclusion on any of Burzum's previous releases, which always featured a prominent keyboard presence in any case. But this is the main problem with 'Hliðskjálf'; there just isn't that much variety, and even if you've developed a tolerance and appreciation for synthesiser music like I have, it has the capacity to be quite dull and irritating on occasion.
Roughly speaking, the album gets worse as it goes on, meaning that the best material can be found in the first half, or at least any time that the tone is one of darkness rather than light, or whatever exactly the irritating high notes of 'Frijôs goldene Tränen' are going for. At times, Vikernes lets the ever-so-slightly improved technology go to his head, and he attempts to synthesise rock instruments rather than concentrate on ambience, and it's at these points (especially present in 'Frijôs einsames Trauern') that it really fails to impress, by drawing attention to its limitations.
I'm glad Vikernes was permitted to record these albums during his incarceration, but they're only ever going to be sub-par Burzum works that shouldn't be compared to his earlier output as a free man with the means at his disposal to realise his visions more fully. Or with a studio full of standard rock instruments at least. Hopefully his eventual release will see a return to form, as long as he doesn't go and kill anyone else.
1. Tuistos Herz
2. Der Tod Wuotans
3. Ansuzgardaraiwô
4. Die Liebe Nerþus'
5. Frijôs einsames Trauern
6. Einfühlungsvermögen
7. Frijôs goldene Tränen
8. Der weinende Hadnur
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