For the majority of the past month I have been rather under the weather so my tastes in music have ranged more on the familiar side of things with just a few newbies thrown in for good measure. That's just how it goes when you aren't running quite up to speed I suppose.
On the bright side, I have had the opportunity to play the Playstation 2 video game, Guitar Hero, which is played using a giant guitar controller. Yep, a plastic guitar. The game attempts to simulate playing the axe the best it can with several brightly coloured fret keys and strumming the bar where you would be picking the strings. Notes fly at you on the screen at varying speeds and it even implicates the hammer-on, pull-off techniques. Considering that I have not touched a guitar since about 1998, this has been a challenge for me, but a fun one. The game has about 30 licensed songs and another 15 or more bonus indie tracks you can unlock. What impressed me was the dedication to replicating the sound of the originals (these are all cover songs), especially in the guitar tone department.
The warmth of Ritchie Blackmore on "Smoke On the Water", the fancy zing of Brian May on "Killer Queen", the crunchy power of that classic rhythm on "Symphony of Destruction" from Marty Friedman...all of these (and more) are re-created lovingly, so much so that it is difficult to tell them apart from the originals. The singers do not match quite as closely, the guy attempting to mimic Dave Mustaine has trouble with some of the growls and the Ian Gillian wanna-be just falls apart in places, sounding nothing like Gillan at times. The biggest offender is probably "Freddy Mercury". Heh. I have heard so many people manage to hit him perfectly, and this guy just doesn't do it. Ah well... the guitars are what matter, since its not a karaoke game but a guitar lover's video game wet dream. I recommend it to anyone interested in playing the guitar or that likes rhythm games. Which I am both so this is a ton of fun for me. YAY.
Ok so here's the playlist:
Swedish Erotica - Too Daze Gone
I have followed Mats Leven throughout many of his bands but this is one that I never visited, till now. This is a bunch of demos that were to become their second album but was buried due to trouble with the label. How many times has this happened to bands over the years? Ugh, too many to count... but now it has finally arrived and is quite the enjoyable slice of 80s-centric rock. "Muscle In Motion" is especially fun. :) Awesome that this was given the greenlight and I can't stop listening to it.
Aina - Living in a Boy's World
Totally chick pop rock that sounds like Vixen collided with Taylor Dane. I like it but its so sugary it can only be tolerated in small, tiny doses. Yum.
Bruce Turgon - Outside Looking In
A dark, brooding disc that seems to follow me wherever I go. It fits my mood, or perhaps my mood fits it ? Hmmm... look for a review soon.
Lande/Allen - The Battle
Ok so its really Allen/Lande but that somehow diminishes the heavyweight power of Jorn on this disc. This was so highly anticipated by me for so long, and lived up to the hype and then some. I just can't let it go or put it away. Great, fantastic music. Some of the best that has come down out of the pipe in... a decade?!
Gaskin - End of the World
It's 1981 all over again. Just listen to the power and glory of "Sweet Dream Maker" that is like a super melodic NWOBHM song on steroids. One of my fav albums of that early era. It just has this kick and raw punch that is lacking these days and the smooth vox over the top... well... if you can find it, grab it.
Silver Mountain - Universe
Yep, another great album that has received little to no attention. I would be surprised if anyone has even heard of this lil buried gem. This is one that needs to get dug out and unearthed for a new generation. Just a super package of Rainbow-esque metal with some nice vocals and sizzling guitars. It's a shame that this one didn't include the Johansson brothers like the disc before did, "Shakin' Brains". Did you know that founder Jonas Hansson named his band after a Rainbow song? That is how strong the influence was here. "Too Late" is very Dio-esque.
Therion - Vovin
A favorite to get cozy with is the bombastic, explosive, aural assault of Therion! "Eye of Shiva", "Clavicula Nox", "The Wild Hunt", "Birh of Venus Illegitma" - Good Lord this is just jam packed with great tuneage. "Clavicula Nox" gives me chills everytime I hear it.
Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
Has there ever been a duo of songs that fit as perfectly together as "Kayleigh" and "Lavendar"? Fish's gorgeous voice is soothing to the soul, especially on these two tracks. The children's classic "Lavendar" is done so delicate and tenderly that it sends a well of emotion up in the throat, especially in context with the album. That is the song... that he wanted to write, and he heard the children singing it...
Lacuna Coil - Comalies/In A Reverie/Unleashed Memories
What a triple threat! I love all three of these...
WASP - Unholy Terror
I picked this up originally at a pawn shop several weeks before its release date. This was back when I used to frequent the places trying to find rare or cheap discs. This was just sitting there, staring back at me, waiting to find a new home. $4 for a cd that wasn't even released yet? Of course it was finding its way to my CD player. Unfortunately, I had such a glut of discs at the time that the only song that received alot of airplay was "Raven Heart" so I've been giving it a second chance lately. I was inspired after seeing Blackie do that ridiculous heavy metal version of the Riverdance on that old WASP video. That was some funny shiat I tell ya!!
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Stranger In Us All
"Hunting Humans (Insatiable)" is just sexy as hell. "Ariel" is ethereal and beautiful, and "Black Masquerade" gets the bloody pumping on a wild journey through the dark of night. A great album that shows Doogie giving it his all. Too bad Ritchie dissolved Rainbow shortly after they toured and this was the final hurrah for the band. It sure doesn't seem like it has been ten years since this saw the light of day...and we still haven't seen Rainbow make a re-return to the metal fold. Maybe someday...
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