Blanc Faces. Falling From The Moon
Excellent AOR effort. Crystal clear production and charming compositions with a rich body and a deeper outlook on life. Addictive stuff.
Bon Jovi. The Circle (CD + DVD)
We Weren't Born To Follow is a massive blast and a sure winner while Superman Tonight is a slower, but very satisfying and catchy semi-ballad. Then there are some pretty good songs and a bunch that just doesn't really catch on.
I would have preferred heavier guitars and a bit more attitude and then there's way too much "Ohhh, Ohhh", "Sha La, Sha La", "Halle, Halle" and so on.
Overall a rather good disc but not up to the standard we know the band is capable of, I was hoping for something more in the vein of Have A Nice Day, now that was a smashing album.
Bon Jovi. Live At Madison Square Garden (DVD)
Raise Your Hands is sparkling and Sambora totally nails the solo in that one. The whole thing could have had a more ballsy production and sometimes I'm thinking "come on, step on it". Anyway it's refreshing hearing a song like Blood On Blood in a slightly different version but what's the deal with the shortened half version of Bad Medicine at the end as the credits roll by...That's just a disaster.
Jorn. Out To Every Nation
A really strong Heavy Rock album with a big fat sound and some extremely convincing vocals. Among Jorn's best works.
Harem Scarem. Hope
A record with it's own comfortable flow, rich and melodic.
Leverage. Circus Colossus
Catchy, symphonic, crunchy and immensely varied. Leverage has found a style of their own and it works out very well.
Liberty N' Justice. Light It Up
An inconsistent experience with some ups and downs but overall its pretty enjoyable. The "Ted Poley/Vic Rivera" and "Harem Scarem" cuts are among the most memorable ones.
Los Angeles. Neverland
After the fantastic debut I must say that I'm disappointed, this is no way near that level. Luppi still sounds great but I expected more from him and the song writing leaves a lot to wish for, a few strong compositions but it's simply too average as a whole.
Metallica. Master Of Puppets
Metallic perfection. Starting out with Battery and ending things of with Damage Inc. kind of says it all, even my least favourite Leper Messiah keeps sounding enticing after all these years. If they only could write a few songs like these nowadays.
Mob Rules. Radical Peace
New output from the German Power Metal compo is both classical in approach and rather progressive; I guess a 18-minute track tends to go in that direction. Some ideas work out while others don't really leave much of an impression.
Shadow Gallery. Digital Ghost
A deep, lingering atmosphere roams within this the bands first album after the passing of Mike Barker (R.I.P.). New singer Brain Ashland has a comforting, mellow voice and fits in nicely. A full-bodied production and loads of clever technical stuff pulls it in the right direction even though some songs never really sinks in.
Signal. Loud & Clear
It gets off to a good and enticing start but soon loose impact. Overall good disc.
Spin Gallery. Embrace
A nice round of AOR with Just A Momentary Why and You Do The Things You Do standing out as deliciously catchy.
Virgin Steele. The House Of Atreus Act II
No other band manages to sound this epic; the historical drama becomes so vivid as David portraits these damned characters with incredible conviction. Edward Pursino shines on so many occasions (Arms Of Mercury still leaves me stunned) and I simply love the way all the shorter tracks make up a complex and extremely varied experience as disc two unfolds its magic.
Voyager. I Am The Revolution
One of the biggest surprises of the year, excellent Progressive Metal that slowly gets under your skin. At first the album appears rather modest but it's actually quite ambitious when you listen carefully.
A precise and well-oiled rhythm section sets the path while clever melodies and catchy vocal harmonies makes it very memorable.
| |
