One word review: Fantabulous

Favorite songs: God's Driftwood, Abydos, Far Away From Heaven, You Broken The Sun, Radio Earth, Silence, Wildflowersky, A boy named Fly.

Quick Review: Maybe the most mental album title ever? Fortunately the album lives up to its title and brings an original and challenging 70 minutes of music. It's a wonderful album that is equally progressive, melodic and spellbinding. Andy Kuntz's vocal performance is enticing to say the least and brings emotional depth to the complex concept. Even though the songs are connected, each has its own identity and is an important brick in the, often musical-like, experience. Not surprising since the album is based on Andy's stage play, with him contributing lyrics, direction and vocal melodies while most of the music has been written by Michael Krauss and Stefan Glass, who is also responsible for the formidable and lively production which only adds to the wonder.

Style: Progressive Metal

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One word review: Compelling

Favorite songs: Highway to Hell, Touch Too Much, Walk All Over You, Night Prowler, Girls Got Rhythm.

Quick Review: The album has a prevailing amount of party rockers delivered with great energy and enthusiasm. There is an infectious groove to the album and after a few listens I was hooked and coming back for more. Something about this album just works.
Bon Scott sings his heart out, is in total control and shows no fear. He is all heart and brings a touch of magic into the album. Sadly the last AC/DC album with Bon Scott. My first but certainly not last of that era.

Style: Rock n'Roll

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One word review: Honorable

Favorite songs: Let Me Put My Love Into You, Shoot To Thrill, You Shook Me All Night Long, Hells Bells, Back In Black, Have a Drink on Me.

Quick Review: The first AC/DC album with Brian Johnson on vocals and quite different from Highway to Hell. Hearing the two albums back to back a comparison is inevitable. There's less infectious energy in the vocals and a certain loss of charm. This is compensated for by intensity and sheer power.
The songs are well thought out, include a handful of classics and are all played with great enthusiasm and skill. I currently prefer the high energy and infectious charm of "the highway" but it is a close race and Back in Black ends up as being just as exceptional, only in a different and slightly darker way.

Style: Rock n'Roll

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One word review: Enduring

Favorite Songs: Money Talks, The Razor's Edge, Fire Your Guns, Are You Ready and last but certainly not least... Thunderstruck!  

Quick Review: I bought this album on tape back in the early nineties so this remastered edition has been a nice trip down memory lane. Thunder, Fire, Money and Razor open the album in an explosive, forceful, melodic and intense way respectively. With Mistress the album takes a slide but the trilogy of Ready, Balls, Love puts the album back on the rise. Another great album where a handful of classics are served with much vigor.
Similar for all three 2003 remasters are interesting liner notes, especially for Back In Black and fine digipack wrapping.

Style: Rock n'Roll

Rating: 7/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One word review: Ooomph!

Favorite songs: Balls To The Wall, Turn Me On, Fight it Back, Losing more than you've ever had.

Quick Review: A classic which sounds occasionally dated but holds up remarkably well. Udo's powerful croak runs wild in an unrestrained and rampant way that is both enjoyable but also sporadically flaky. There's a joyful innocence to the album, the lighthearted and sometimes quite hilarious lyrics included, but it also lacks some depth. When it works it's brilliant though. A song like Turn me on has an intense and powerful build up, perfectly released in its chorus. The guitar riffs are mean enough to overshadow any shortcomings and nearly every song is strong enough to still make an impression today.

Style: Heavy Metal

Rating: 7.5/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One word review: Resolute

Favorite songs: Aiming High, Russian Roulette, Monsterman, Heaven is hell

Quick Review: Some of the fun from Balls To The Wall is gone but replaced by more mature sounding songs. A natural progression. Udo's voice works best when he goes all-out screaming at the top of his lungs, which is 90% of the time. Excellent guitarwork, strong melodies and a forceful approach makes this , and Accept in general, a fine cocktail. Now I just have to get hold of the rest of their albums. Altogether almost as strong as BTTW even if it's lacking the "hits".

Style: Heavy Metal

Rating: 7/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One word review: Resurgence

Favorite Songs: Beat The Bastards, The Abyss, Blood Of The Nations, Teutonic Terror, Time Machine, No Shelter

Accept returned in 2010 with this superb slap of heavy metal. There is a definite old school vibe to the music, just as there should be. New singer Mark Tornillo is the ace in the sleeve. He has an excellent, raw voice that fits the music. I adore the Jon Oliva vibe his voice has, when he goes all out. The "I don't think so" line in The Abyss can't be anything but a homage to Jon Oliva and Savatage. It perfectly captures that special atmosphere. Andy Sneap has produced a fantastic sounding record, heavy, with plenty of power. Most importantly the music has the feel of a band that is alive and inspired. Especially the first four songs are killers.

Style: Heavy Metal

Rating: 7/10

Posted by Steen - Sunday, May 29, 2011



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One word review: Allegiant

Favorite songs: Second Sight, In nomine., The Stringless Violin, Sanctus Ignis

Quick Review: A highly promising debut from this French band playing Symphonic neo-classical heavy metal with some progressive and power tendencies. The band excels in capturing a grand atmosphere and the music is technically very impressive, especially guitarist and main songwriter Stéphan Forté lays down some outstanding work. The music has lots of orchestration, is varied and often changes pace and atmosphere through the songs but the instrumental sections still drag on at times and make me lose focus. I think it is mostly due to the dull drum sound since both guitar and keyboard provide some interesting rides. There is huge potential here and most ideas work well. There is a cohesion to the album and it works as a concept album based on religious themes. I'm not sure why I never continued following Adagio. They seem to have slipped through the cracks.

Style: Symphonic Neo-Classical Heavy Metal

Rating: 6.5/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, January 8, 2011



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One Word Review: Dawn
 
Favorite Songs: Leaden Legacy, Semblance of Confusion, Follow in the Cry, Yield To Temptation

On their 2000 debut album the Dutch band After Forever experiment with the marriage of female soprano and deathly growls to good effect. Prison of Desire shows signs of being a debut. Some tempo changes and melodies feel awkward while others work better. Leaden Legacy is an example of a song where a radical shift in tempo in the last part diminishes the impact of the slow and intensely built up atmosphere. Through the album the music moves back and forth from beautiful and atmospheric to heavy and angry and these two opposite expressions keep the album varied but some glue is missing to make the whole experience soar.
 
Floor Jansen has a stunning voice. I could listen to her sing all day. The growls and screams by Sander Gommans and Mark Jansen respectively, not so much. Combined, however, the different vocal deliveries does give the album a special mix of melancholy and sadness. I've had a long love/hate relationship with the "oh so evil" growling singers. Some of them I find unintentionally funny while others, those who really have the voice to pull this off, make a grand impression (Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt comes to mind). Sander Gommans resides in the better half most of the time and delivers the goods in a way that is convincing but Mark Jansens screams never feel quite right, fortunately they are few and far between.
 
Overall a promising debut with songs that often shine but have failed to make a lasting impression.

Style: Soprano Metal

Rating: 5.5/10

Posted by Steen - Monday, January 17, 2011



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One Word Review: Dew
 
Favorite Songs: Emphasis, Intrinsic, Thy Pledge of Allegiance #1, Imperfect Tenses, Monolith of Doubt.
 
Decipher was After Forever's sophomore album and it is clear that they have improved in every way since the debut. The songwriting is sharper, resulting several memorable songs. Emphasis is on heavy riffs and tight musicianship and the various passages of songs fit together in a more convincing way.
 
The music has evolved in a slightly heavier direction since the debut but there is still room for slower passages where the beauty core of After Forever shines. Floor Jansen's voice is still stunning. Compared to the debut she sings with a stronger voice, showing more confidence and more control. A song like Thy Pledge of Allegiance #1 shows how the interaction between Floor Jansen (soprano) and Sander Gommans (growls) has improved as well. On the other hand, Thy Pledge of Allegiance #2 shows that the band has still to perfect the balance. Monolith of doubt is another example where the vocal interaction between the two really works as Sander's voice roams in the background as an ominous sign of warning. Mark Jansen's screams still don't do anything good for my overall impression. Things like the duet on Imperfect Tenses, the heaviness of Emphasis, the chorus melody of Intrinsic and the atmosphere created by Sander's voice in Monolith of Doubt are standout moments for me.
 
Decipher shows the band stepping out of the shadows of any of their influences and creating their own identity. Atmospheric, melancholic, symphonic, heavy. Great stuff.

Style: Soprano Metal

Rating: 6.5/10

Posted by Steen - Sunday, February 27, 2011



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Emphasis was the first single of Decipher and my favorite song of the album, so good choice. The interesting stuff comes with the Queen cover Who Wants To Live Forever, an Ayreon co-operation with Damian Wilson on guest vocals and a previously unreleased version of Imperfect Tenses, also starring Damian on guest vocals.
 
Who Wants To Live Forever is a bold choice for a Queen cover but I guess any Queen cover is. Freddie Mercury made the original version unforgettable and infused it with a special kind of magic, which is not completely captured by this cover. Subtlety and dynamics are the keywords of the original and this cover looses some momentum by turning up right away and having the orchestration so far in front. When the climax comes it is too shrill. That said, it is still a most excellent cover and a direct comparison is unfair since nothing matches Freddie Mercury's way of handling a Queen song.
 
Imperfect Tenses has a different vibe compared to the album version since Damian's voice is less of a contrast to Floor compared to the tenor, Rein Kolpa, on the album version. Interesting duet and overall a single worth picking up.

Style: Soprano Metal

Rating: 6/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, March 5, 2011



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This was the second single of the Decipher album with the always trusted opening song in focus. Offering some value for money, this is a single version of the song and it differs from the album version in this version being a solo performance by Floor. It gives the song a brighter edge but I actually miss the dark tension Sander Gommans voice gives the album version. Still quite interesting.
 
For The Time Being is a previously unreleased song and must be a leftover from the album. A good song with several interesting passages. As the song evolves through its aggressive- and then full blown choir phase it has built momentum and peaks quite well.
 
Imperfect Tenses is obviously a song which the band experimented a lot with since it is included here in its third version. This is the orchestral version, which is interesting since it gives the song a special frail atmosphere and works quite well.

Another After Forever single worth picking up.

Style: Soprano Metal

Rating: 6/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, March 5, 2011



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One word review: Transition
 
Favorite Songs: Glorifying Means, My Choice
 
This mini album is the beginning of the After Forever Mark 2 line up, without Mark... (Jansen, songwriter and a founding member of the band). With Exordium comes several changes. There is less atmosphere in the music, but it has added complexity and is more in your face. The lyrics also seem to be shifting focus from inside out to outside looking in.
 
Glorifying Means stands out with a brilliant interaction between Sander and Floor. When the vocals shift from growls to soprano the effect is hair raising and very powerful. A supremely excellent song. Sander's growls have become deeper and are rather overpowering, a very good sign.
 
The two cover songs, of Iron Maiden and Randy Crawford respectively, prove very interesting adaptions and After Forever put their own mark on both of them.
 
After Forever may have lost part of their personality but emerge from this mini album as a tighter more focused band. 
 
Exordium comes with a bonus DVD, which shows the video for My Choice, the band members goofing around during the recording and a few other attractions. Overall good value for money.

Style: Soprano Metal

Rating: 6.5/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, April 9, 2011



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One Word Review: Foreverish
 
Favorite Songs: Sins of Idealism, Eccentric, Two Sides, Life's Vortex
 
Released in 2004 Invisible Circles was the third full length album from After Forever, a concept album dealing with the darker aspects of a relationship gone wrong and its far reaching consequences. This is their crowning achievement so far. A well conceived concept, detailed and realized in a moving and exhilarating way due to some truly magnificent songs and several soaring moments.
 
The band's confidence shines through and results in ultra tight musical base. The music is like a sea of raging emotions, upon which, Floor's soprano and Sander's growling unleash every one of them with so much force, that I often feel the need to sit back and go... "wow!". Both put on magnificent performances and go all out. For the first time I feel Sander Gommans vocals fit the music perfectly. His voice has evolved in a deeper, darker direction since the debut. Floor's voice is still stunning and she hits some really chilling notes throughout the album. An example is the "That's all you can see" line of Sins of Idealism.

The lyrics are well written and the artwork and booklet add to the emotional impact. Overall a fantastic achievement even if the album falls prey to The Narrator's Curse.

Style: Soprano Metal

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Steen - Saturday, April 9, 2011



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One word review: Mumbled

Favorite Song: Awaken the Swarm
 
This is obviously the completely wrong place to begin with Agent Steel but it is the only album I have of theirs. I remember buying it because of its cool title. Omega Conspiracy is their first album after an 11 year hiatus and the first with new vocalist Bruce Hall. Musically this is pretty solid speedy thrash metal with a tendency towards conspiracy and U.F.O. themed lyrics. But the frantic speed and some very nice guitar work can't overshadow the fact that Bruce Hall does not deliver the best vocal performance. He is all over the place and though his voice has a strong tone in several passages (Example: "Revealing all their darkest crimes" during Destroy The hush), overall his performance is too uneven and mumbled.
 
There are moments where a special atmosphere is hit but after more than 10 listens, I still struggle to remember any specific song, and that is not exactly a good sign. Bruce recently left the band and original vocalist and band founder John Cyriis rejoined. They are playing at Sweden Rock in June, so that is obviously a great opportunity to get a new introduction to the band.
 
There is something strangely attracting about the band but it is not flourishing here and I remain unmoved.

Style: Thrash/Speed/UFO metal

Rating: 5/10

Posted by Steen - Sunday, May 29, 2011



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One word review: Imaginative

Favorite Songs: Rebellion, Silver Maiden, Flight of Torek, Serendipity

Revisiting this Metal Opera 7 years after its initial release has been a great pleasure. I have mostly listened to Rebellion since I reviewed the album, as that song was a personal favorite, but sitting down and listening to the whole album again, any hesitations I had, about it not enduring the test of time, were put to shame. I quickly rediscovered how enjoyable and surprisingly complex the music is. Glenn Hughes is still the standout vocalist, among many greats. Even if it falters slightly towards the end, this is an outstanding concept album, done right. If you missed it first time around, I recommend you to seek it out and if you're a complete Aina fanatic, be sure to read my interview with Amanda Somerville. I am still patiently awaiting the sequel.

Style: Far-reaching Symphonic Heavy Metal

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Steen - Sunday, May 29, 2011



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One Word Review: Purriffic

Favorite Songs: Blue Turk, School's Out, Luney Tune, Alma Mater, Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets

There is something distinctly cool about this album and it took me by surprise. I was instantly suaved by the theatrical atmosphere and the multi-layered instrumentation. The songs put a clear image in my mind by means of small but inspired touches, be it Vincent's colorful voice, lyrics underlining numerous humorous references, Dunaway's outstanding bass playing or of all things, a tuba. It's hard to put emphasis on just one thing since the album is very varied and has a sense of fun and experimentation all over it. The sound and execution is in several places, naturally, totally oldschool but it works, even in this day and age, because it has a strong sense of place.
 
The beauty of this loose concept album is that it takes me back to a certain state of mind, a place of innocence and wide-eyed wonder. 

Style: Multi-flavored Rock

Rating: 8/10

Posted by Steen - Thursday, July 28, 2011



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