With a few notable exceptions, it's remarkable how most recent rock&metal reissues have been outshining the new stuff.
It's also remarkable to see so many reissues and new albums being released on such a regular basis. The rock resurgence continues.
That said, one of the most disappointing new albums is the self titled
Grimmstine (Metal Heaven
) release, a new vehicle for the UK's Steve (Grim Reaper/Lionsheart) Grimmet.
It's closer to Grim Reaper, but to be honest, it has neither bite nor good tunes. Grimmet has one of the most distinctive voices in the genre and is much of a legend, mostly for not making it big despite recording some high calibre material with some great bands. But on this return to his NWOBHM roots, his voice frequently sounds forced and the music flaccid. Ironically, it's only when he's walking down the Whitesnake/Coverdale road that he sounds relaxed and in control. But what the world needs now is not another Whitesnake.
Glasgow's very own glamrock band,
Peepshow are a revelation.
'
Out For Blood' (Street Symphony Records) is brimful of guitar sleaze, sex, sweat and punky aggression. They come out with fists flying, punching hard, roaring anthemic glamrock songs 'The Stand' and 'Turn It Up' like tribal war chants, drawing blood with sharp edged lyrics and raw, acerbic (self produced) performances.
Grand Design's head scratchingly titled '
Time Elevation' (Metal Heaven) gets great only when they junk the
Def Leppard aspirations. Actually, that's only on track 3, when they decide they'd rather sound like Autograph, and make a fabulous attempt at doing so. But on track 4 we're back to that big, airy, polished guitar rock sound, with multi tracked bgvs holding sway. It's melodic, it's professional, it's slickly produced, but it's all been done before, many times, ad nauseam, and consequently makes this album seem a bit pointless.
Germany's
2nd Moon were previously a U2 tribute band, but we won't hold that against them.
'Reveal' (Toolboxx Records) is their first album of original material, and it's pretty damn good.
You'll hear Oz's INXS ('Reveal') and Icehouse ('Feedback') and of course U2, but that's more something you can hear in the playing and the song construction, rather than an overall sound. It's never oppressive or overbearing.
In their favour, one, they have an outstanding vocalist in Marc Schulert and two, they write memorably melodic, naggingly familiar adult rock, where pianos flutter and bass lines pulse, and Schulert's cosmopolitan worldview informs a bunch of sophisticated songs .
As is often the case with rock bands, there's one member whose songs never seem to make it onto their recorded output. That wasn't strictly true with
Stefan Elmgren and
Hammerfall, but on an album by album basis, only a couple of his songs ever made the final cut.
His frustrations were eventually translated into a solo metal album,
'Full Strike-We Will Rise' in 1991 (now reissued on Store For Music Records) written with vocalist Niclas Johnsson.
Elmgren's ambitions don't reach much beyond the
Hammerfall grasp, His bespoke brand of triumphant battle metal may be a little more muted, but he clearly forged a hot songwriting partnership with Johnsson.
It never gets too heavy and is pitched at just about the right level to attract fans across the rock/metal range of genres.
There's a chest thumping slickness to the breezily insistent 'End Of Time', while 'We Will Rise' spins on Elmgren's powerful riffing and tuneful,sharp edged axe work. That said, epic ballad, 'Silent Scream' is a bit special.
More reviews in brief next week.
Written by
Brian Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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