Wow, have there ever been some good releases this year. There are more superb slabs of music out on the market right now than any one person could properly digest in the time span that they have been released. And yes, it may be heard to believe after some of the clunkers that have stunk up the shelves but as always, the diamonds shine brighter than the poop.
Poop just doesn't shine much does it. So let's look at most of what shines and recap some of the biggest releases and most spine tingling surprises from 2008. All of which are still circulating through my daily musical rotation. This is a bit massive...but maybe you will find something that got overlooked? And feel free to post anything that might be good that I neglected to mention.
HAREM SCAREM - HOPE
Speaking of fine releases, is there one finer than "Hope"? Hard to say really... while this started out as a solid favorite that had growing power and two songs with amazing potential. Little did I know that a month or so later that these two songs would be daily staples and seem to be headed in that rare territory that is occupied by "If There Was a Time" from "Mood Swings" (which is one of my most important and life saving songs of the past twenty years). These two magic tracks are "Shooting Star" and "Nothing Without You". Just...damn.. good.
MARCELLO VESTRY - S/T
Oh how I still adore this cd, and a few songs in particular. "Fireworks" and "Gone" are just great tracks. They are melodic, catchy and just make you feel all tingly good to listen to. That is certainly enough for my adoration. "Gone" squeezes my heart while "Fireworks" fills it in pure unfiltered glee.
STARBREAKER - LOVE'S DYING WISH
It's just so mysteriously dark. The chunky, hazed guitar rhythms and clean, string crying solos are sparkling superb. Top it with the fiery loathing of Tony Harnell's voice, and you get a real treasure of a modern rock disc. There's enough zip to be metal, and an atmosphere that feels almost goth at times. I think it's a very slow grower, but one that has the potential to unearth brilliance. The stars were just aligned on this one.
REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE - NEW ERA
I dreaded this disc like the plague. After the whole Stratovarius debacle, even the lure of Tobias Sammet and Michael Kiske couldn't keep me locked into this disc for long. Now that I've finally poured over it enough to form an opinion - it all seems like the dread was for naught and the whole "New Era" is a tad lackluster. It's Stratovarius. It just doesn't have the members of Strat on it except for Tolkki of course. Timo's voice seems to loom over every song. They were written for him (whether intentional or not) and you can imagine what it would be like if his presence was truly there - which it isn't. Kiske seems to get the best of the tracks, and Tobi's stuff is a bit more run-of-the-mill. There are some good songs here, but it seems a little deja vu-ish strange. Especially since it carries around a giant hole where Timo should be.
JOURNEY - REVELATION
It's just a great album. Very solid from start to finish and a winning resurrection of the Journey 80s sound. If only some other bands would take note and follow suit... yea yea I know all about artistic integrity and whatnot but that seems more and more like thinly veiled excuses to pump out crappy records for some bands.
WHITESNAKE - BAD TO BE GOOD
It's SHOCKING! David Coverdale HAS returned! And not with some "modern take" on Whitesnake, but the honest to goodness, real deal. I have already written about this extensively but its a great disc and delivers.
JORN - LONELY ARE THE BRAVE
I love his works *shrugs*. This one is not any different and alters my feelings none. Lande is a fantastic singer and instantly bolsters anything that might be sagging in every appearance he makes. His solo albums are often too short and leave you craving more. Yep, there's not enough here, but am glad for the bones he does throw his rabid fans.
AYREON - 010011001
Yea I know the title isn't right, but close enough? Couldn't Arjen be bothered to title his science fictiony epic with a name that someone could actually remember. I just call it "The Binary Album". Two discs, a ton of singers, a pretty interesting Sci Fi plot that would make a good Sci Fi Channel miniseries. Everyone pulls out their grandest performances, notables being Steve Lee, Bob Catley and of course Jorn Lande - who steals the show and runs off with it. Arjen always makes interesting music and this is truly an experience.
BROTHER FIRETRIBE - HEART FULL OF FIRE
OOhhh yes.... my heart is bursting with fire after hearing this marvelous little disc by the Finnish band that knows just how to ignite their fans in glorious waves of 80s nostalgic flames. Giant choruses, huge guitar solos, tons of thick bouncy keyboards and melodies to die for... if you haven't heard Firetribe...shame on you.
BENEDICTUM - SEASONS OF TRAGEDY
Veronica Freeman just blows me away. Her voice is fabulous. If it wasn't for that gender defying voice that blows you away, this wouldn't get such high praise. The music is average 'real' metal in a Judas Priest/Iron Maiden/Dio mishmash, but Freeman lifts it to another level. I urge anyone that continues to blow out nonsense of female singers ALL being "weak" or "pansy" to give Benedictum a quick listen. You *will* change your mind.
KIP WINGER - FROM THE MOON TO THE SUN
Kip's third solo outing is a brooding bit, and has some clunkers that snore through several parts of the album. However, this disc has "Nothing" - one of the most arresting, fulfilling, addictive, incredible pieces of music I've heard in ten years. Or fifteen. In one word - outstanding. And having ONE song of this caliber is enough. Oh it's more than enough, even if some might think its "Nothing". They would be right, and wrong.
LEVERAGE - BLIND FIRE
This is Pekka's other band, besides the 80s joyful rush of Firetribe. Here, he's a bit more serious but that doesn't hamper the music one bit. It's a nice molten marriage of rock and metal, covered by a thick ash of progressive prowess and hooky melodic rock choruses. "Don't Touch the Sun" might be cheesy as hell but it certainly is a fantastic song when taken in context.
OVERLAND - BREAK AWAY
Steve Overland from FM has not sounded this good since.... well... it's been a LONG time. Check this one out just for his expressive performance wrapped up in a hard rock package. I was really looking forward to this one and was relieved that it did not disappoint.
ROYAL HUNT - COLLISION COURSE PARADOX 2
This was one of my big surprises because...
1.Mark Boals has not particularly impressed me much over the past few years (though as a side note, my own mother LOVES The Codex - and thinks I was crazy for not warming up to it, so go figure - she's way past 60 if anyone cares to keep count of such things).
2.Royal Hunt fell off the wagon after firing their charismatic frontman DC after "Paradox". This happened almost ten years ago. I STILL HAVE NOT FORGIVEN THEM.
3.Collision Course is a SEQUEL to Paradox but is missing Paradox's key ingredient - the aforementioned DC Cooper.
...So my hopes were not all that high and it was with trepidation that I approached the disc...
Only to love it.
So go figure. Mark suits Royal Hunt and RH seems to have been inspired to step up their game to match their vocalist. A major contender in the metal arena for 2008, and since it was so early in the year, is probably doomed to be forgotten. Sigh
HOUSE OF LORDS - COME TO MY KINGDOM
HOLs did not disappoint here. It's a good followup and continuation of their "let's celebrate our past" sound. Plus, having Jimi Bell on board is just the biggest boost they could possibly hope for. He's a master guitarist and just impresses on every level. A superb album.
INVISIGOTH - NARCOTICA
Another disc that shook my world and I didn't even realize it was going to. This is such a varied, strange, unique piece. It's reminiscent of niche prog that was prevalent throughout the 90s when bands were pushing boundaries and doing some crazy experimentation in mushing together prog rock/metal with any other genre they could stumble across. The album has serious multiple personality disorder, but who cares? All the personalities are likeable and co-exist and complement one another in the weirdest of ways...
ASIA - PHOENIX
Oh GLORY BE! It is ASIA! After floundering for years, finding their footing and then cutting loose the singer that has pulled them forward ever since the original guy fled the coop just as they tasted success in the earliest of the 80s.... Asia reformed, all members back for the attack. Some people are waffling on the album, saying its too... whatever. Too modern, too retro, too 'Asia', too long, too many ballads, blahblahblah. It's an Asia record, its big, its pompous, its AOR at its most snooty haughtiness and slathered in progressive tendencies and mass amounts of epic pomp. Together with Journey's new one, these are two of the best bangs for your buck to hit this year, the albums can easily be had for under $10USD and are found at WalMart of all places. Having your CD at WalMart in its own aisle cardboard display is the equivalent of having a license to print money. I hope their managers, promoters and everyone that was responsible for cutting such deals with the big box brick and mortar stores get a nice chunk of it. Plus its a good cd!
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