As if the first wasn't enough to pay homage to Ritchie Blackmore, the follow up to the 2003 tribute record delves even deeper into some of the more obscure tracks his imperial axework, with a few longtime faves here and there. Very much paralleling the first volume,
Volume II, not only offers more great tracks within the Deep Purple/Rainbow catalog, but yet is more consistent than the first with these bands using a more straight ahead approach when performing these cuts, the same way Blackmore would, letting the songs and the guitar playing do the talking.
Starting out with Domains version of "
Stormbringer," a fairly "busy" and yet hard driving take on the classic Purple opus, and like many of the tracks here, they are played within the style of the band that is covering the material, paying their own homage the originals, rather than outright copying the style. The many other highlights on this album is the anthem cover of "
I Surrender" by Daniel Flores, Baltimoore's "
Kill the King," as well as "
Maybe a Leo" by newcomer prog rock duo Man on Fire, not to mention the darker tracks that add contrast to the otherwise upbeat record such as Michael Harris' cover of "
Lady of the Lake" and Takara's version of "
Can't Let You Go" that prove that not only his guitar playing is strong, but his songs remain some of the strongest metal and hard rock opuses ever written.
It's strong material from these bands and it is covered in an exceptional way, removing any of the tribute taboos that many might have. The bands that are performing pretty much speak for the whole compilation, and we don't expect any lesser performances from these bands and they pull it off with ease, worthy of playing Blackmore's material. With all the soloing and musicianship involved, it is worthy of bearing the name of Blackmore.
Written by
Hashman Monday, March 21, 2005
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