2024 Albums

[Zzzptm]

Speaking of 80s drums... the first track of the Judas Priest album sounds like they got the drum line for Tears for Fears' "Shout." Guitars soon arrive to change the vibe...

My question is if I'm listening to anything substantially different from Turbo. There's supposed to be more prog stuff on the songs, where they don't just go verse chorus verse chorus bridge solo chorus outro.

Speaking of the bridge, "Panic Attack" has a definite reference to Rush's "Tom Sawyer" in that part just before the solos start.

I'm ready to get excited, but they're not really doing anything with that willingness on my part, not at all like what Saxon bloody went and done.

"The Serpent and the King" is a fast rocker, but... it just sounds so... *same*... I had to skip ahead and didn't get anything different later in the song. Moved to the title track and yeah, that's a fast rocker... but it's not doing it for me. Hang on, I need to check to see if I'm reacting properly to good metal... yeah, I just rocked out to a few mins of Saxon's latest. OK, so now this song is working better for me. Guess I had to prime the pump or something like that.

Nope, this goes on too long... I'm getting ironmaidenitis in my brain as it just. goes. on. and. on. Pass. Also pass on the next song.

"Gates of Hell" does the job, YEAH! But that was after 4 songs that just missed the mark for me. I won't take away from anyone that likes the songs I didn't, but I also won't fault anyone else finding this album lacking somewhat. This is the 14-track edition, so I have 9 more songs to play through.

I skipped over the 6th song... but number 7, YEAH! "As God as My Witness" has a great riffing start to it and is holding my attention. But 2/7 is pretty poor hit rate, no way would I want to pay for the other 5 songs just to get these 2.

"Trial by Fire" isn't too bad... I'm letting it play as I do some server troubleshooting, even though right now I'd be happier with Saxon. It has a little extra part in the middle that I'd barely call "prog". But I guess that's what's prog for Priest. Now I want to listen to the latest Uriah Heep for some proper prog-metal that blew me away from start to finish.

I really shouldn't be thinking about other albums I'd rather be listening to if the album I'm playing is decent...

"Sons of Thunder" is a good rocker, and at under 3 minutes, has a good chance I'll listen to the whole of it. "Vicious Circle" is another good one, at 3:01.

And we done here. 5/14, I'd buy it before I put down money for Lenny Kravitz, but I'd only keep those 5 songs, toss the rest.

[Zzzptm]

And I'm just not getting into the new Hawkwind, it's a bust.

But the Black Crowes one, yeah... that's the winner of those "others" that I found. Getting it now and adding it to my playlist with Drive By Wire and High Desert Queen.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

^^^
Their "Stories from Time and Space" is one of their weaker albums. Such a let down after last years excellent "The Future Never Waits".

[Zzzptm]

I had some high expectations for Hawkwind's album.

Lenny Kravitz I expected somewhat better from.

Ian Hunter was about what where I thought he'd be, and it's a great album for someone else.

After the blandness of the preview tracks, Judas Priest was where I figured they'd be.

The Black Crowes was a quite pleasant surprise.

[Charger]

I haven't gotten the new Priest album yet...which is odd as I've usually gotten them on the day they've come out. Honestly the songs that I have heard haven't impressed me much and that's why it's been on the back burner.

[Zzzptm]

I haven't gotten the new Priest album yet...which is odd as I've usually gotten them on the day they've come out. Honestly the songs that I have heard haven't impressed me much and that's why it's been on the back burner.

Yeah, they really didn't jump out and grab me, except for the 5 I mentioned. When I'm checking my watch and seeing how much time is left on the track, it's not a good thing at all.

[Zzzptm]

Just got excited when Sky Valley Mistress announced a t-shirt pre-order, so maybe that album drops at the end of the month. Oooh, I'll be happy if and when, if and when...

[Charger]

Yeah saw that myself...getting excited!

[Zzzptm]

Yeah saw that myself...getting excited!

Got a follow-up email that explained why the t-shirt and not the album that mentioned it's just two of them right now. Which explains this video:

This is from 4 months ago and on a different YT channel from the one they had before. So stuff be happening but they are determined to get. shit. done. I love it.

[Zzzptm]

New album from Fu Manchu, hoping it sees the band getting back to their early 2000s form, as the last few albums have disappointed me at not being at the level of California Crossing or King of the Road.

https://fumanchuband.bandcamp.com/album/the-return-of-tomorrow

The opening track, "Dehumanize" is getting me where I like getting gotten. It's heavy, chunky, fuzzy, churns along at mid-tempo. The false ending is a nice touch. 1 song good, 12 to go.
"Loch Ness Wrecking Machine" - OK, the title is already a winner. Keeps in the mid-tempo groove with a seventies swagger.
"Hands of the Zodiac" - Is the whole album going to be mid-tempo? I mean, it's working and all, but I'm ready for a fast song. That being said, this one has a NOICE doom groove in it. Very fun solo at the end and I think this is 3 in a row for me. Definitely liking this better than the Judas Priest album.
"Haze the Hides" - slower tempo for this one and lots more doom on it. Totally getting into it, forgot completely that I was asking for a fast song with this offering.
"Roads of the Lowly" - this one kicks ass. 5 good ones in a row and I'm thinking now of making a buy recommendation. Again, not a fast one, but it's a real rocker with a great doomy groove.

So far, the first third is leaning on the doom side, like the band played Sabotage, SBS, Vol. 4 and Master of Reality over and over again and then went into the studio. This is some strong stuff and I'm glad to be playing these tracks.

HOT DAMN A FAST ROCKER!!!
"(Time Is) Pulling You Under" YEAH! That's what I'm talkin' about! I'm getting my money's worth with just the first 6 songs on this album, yessir!
"Destroyin' Light" - I have a rule that a rock song with an apostrophe in place of a final g is a sign of fun times ahead. This one follows that rule. Very Sabbath-y and I'm lovin' it.
"Lifetime Waiting" - You know, I think they were also spinning that Dehumanizer album a lot. Yeah, this one's a slow burn, really liking it. The guitar solo is practically a love letter to Tony Iommi.
"Solar Baptized" - Slow, doomy, and cold-blooded. Guitars like Diamond Head's Brian Tatler. Noice. My head is involuntarily moving to the beat, like it does with any really good song. Man, this one's a trip. So we got 9 for 9 so far on this album.
"What I Need" - This one's OK. Not bad, but it's not grabbing me like the other 9 before it did. But it hits a quiet little prog part in the middle that tells me it'll likely grow on me over time. I'm cool with that.
"The Return of Tomorrow" - Got that Diamond Head feel back again and some of that prog from the track before. I'm liking the colors and flavors on the album for sure.
"Liquefy" - ... and then there's a bit of a ZZ Top vibe all of a sudden on this one before it goes full metal. Playful and classy.
"High Tide" - Last track ends like "Planet Caravan", very chill jamming, even got the same bass tone on this track.



Don't know if it'll be in the top five for me this year, but I think it'll be somewhere 6-10 overall. Strong album, well worth a listen to see if it's something you'd want to buy.

[Charger]

Here's an album that jumped right up there with Blaze and Saxon...


THE CRYPT

Project led by Candlemass / Avatarium mastermind Leif Edling and Marcus Jidell.

Doom metal with a light 70s twist and stellar vocals.

This band kind of came out of nowhere although their history goes back to 2021 when they released their first single and a song to an Online Casino game House Of Doom 2 The Crypt.

I'm really digging this stuff!

[Zzzptm]

That was cool, especially the (no surprise here) fast song.

[Zzzptm]

Some 2024 releases from Savage Magic Records...

First, the dud: https://savagemagicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/motell-scandinavia

Sounds way too theatrical for my tastes, which is a shame as I wanted to like a plucky band of Finnish musicians. Oh well...

Second, the very fun (if also very short): https://savagemagicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/go-ape



That's right THE EGYPTIAN GAY LOVERS. Very thrashy, raucous, uninhibited. 7 short tracks, but it's still technically an album, right? Can't wait to be driving around and someone asks, "who's that on the stereo" and I say, "Oh, it's The Egyptian Gay Lovers!" 100% fun and furious thrashin' rock and roll.

Finally, the one I'm listening to and will likely also buy: https://savagemagicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/20



Late-80s-flavoured metal and not in a hairspray way. It's a traditional metal album with varied tempos and volume levels, so lots to choose from here. I'm liking the slow songs, always a good sign, and there's plenty of fast to keep my interest piqued.

The real gem on this one was their cover of Zodiac Mindwarp's "Prime Mover". I thought I was the only one still listening to it in 2024 and here it is, jumping out in its sonic glory on this release from The Chuck Norris Experiment! Tasted real sweet.

***

This one's not from the above label:



https://sonsofarrakis.bandcamp.com/album/volume-ii

Totally kickass tunes based on the Dune saga. The spice be flowin' on these tracks, as well. Lots of groove metal, heavy beats, and smooth playing on this desert metal gem.

***

Best part is, they're up on Bandcamp, where you can try before you buy. Don't like? Don't buy! And don't be disappointed at least in the short run! But these indie metal bands are putting out some good product and every now and then, one of them can break into the top 10 of our rankings for the year. They're seriously worth checking out a track or two and seeing if you want to do the rest of the album.

[Zzzptm]

=1 from Deep Purple

Total album length is 52:11 and if it's all like this one, I'm gonna have a great microcentury spent with these 13 tracks. Most are around 4 mins, give or take, some closer to 3, last one at 5:50.

Playing it now and "Show Me" is a HELLUVA OPENER wow! The new banjo player is earning his keep, that's for sure. Gillan's vocal is edgy, sharp, a razor line. Instrumentally, I love how it does that hard rock cookin' like it was Highway Star.

"A Bit on the Side" comes next, and it's fast & hard, whatta riff! Simon McBride delivers the goods and Ezrin's production draws out an excellent heavy rocker with some prog subtlety around the choruses. Airey's keys are reminiscent of late-70s synths, so it's got something of a Ian Gillan Band sound to it, something I haven't said about any of the Morse-era releases, and not bad when there's no jazz-fusion going on. Getting to McBride's solo, it draws almost evenly from Blackmore's sound as well as Morse's style. Nice.

"Sharp Shooter" slower pace, very heavy, like "Bloodsucker". I'm taking it as a good sign that I'm only 3 tracks in and am finding favorable comparisons with both Machine Head and In Rock. I'm also starting to wonder if Deep Purple can unseat Saxon at my current #1 spot for Album of the Year. They're making a strong run of it, that's for damn sure. It may all come down to how I'm feeling on the day I make the list. But considering Gillan's 78 and Biff Byford's 73, that's a massive testament to the staying power of their respective voices.

"Portable Door" - coming as it does at fourth track on the playlist, the "Pictures of Home" vibe is even more pronounced, and these songs are whizzing past me. I'm not checking to see how much time is left on them or stuff like that. I'm listening, checking things, typing and then BAM the next song comes up, welcome and fresh.

"Old Fangled Thing" - a fun jumpy little tune and then a great groove for the main lyrics. Wicked little bridge in there for a Iommi-sounding solo from McBride. Loving this album 100% so far, at just a third of the way through. These are a bunch of old blokes that know that they know a thing or three about heavy rock and that they can wipe the floor with most acts out there.

"If I Were You" - This one's the "When a Blind Man Cries" of the first half, I'm guessing. Smooth and bluesy, slow and plaintive. This is one that I'm not immediately in love with, but I'm not unattracted. It's going to grow on me, one of those songs that needs its root system to develop to fully realize its promise. And how is it that the keyboards put out something of a Jethro Tull feel? That's really cool, not complaining. Great solo from McBride. Lovely finish on this one.

"Pictures of You" - Hard rock back in effect, slow-mid tempo. Through the album, Gillan's shown excellent lyric-writing sensibilities and they come forward more on this track, as it's slower than the first 5. Good gosh, I'm already half-way through? Wow, this is an excellent album!

"I'm Saying Nothin'" Actually starts in the last 2 seconds of the previous track, so be sure to play it back to back for best effect. Similar tempo, but the hardness is turned up on the delivery.

"Lazy Sod" - time to pick up the tempo again, and here we have a killer track. Chorus takes me back to Gillan (band) and its style, so this album is now something of a career retrospective of Ian Gillan. If we get psych, that'll be Episode 6 covered.

"Now You're Talkin'" - Fast and hard returns with some really freaky keyboard work. And Big Ian screams effectively on this one, too! I think this one's my favorite, thus far, and it's had tough competition.

"No Money to Burn" - Midtempo and bluesy, hard and tasty.

"I'll Catch You" - Taking down a notch, slow and bluesy with some 60s-sounding keys in the back. Not immediately attaching to it, but I hear another one that I'll grow to like. It's another one of those tunes.

"Bleeding Obvious" - Last track, and it starts with a tricky bit on the guitar, good tempo to it, quick and steady. A little slower on the verses, but drives hard. Haven't mentioned Paice and Glover's work yet, but they've been solid throughout. As for this tune, it steams along through the verses with absolutely lovely choruses. There's a lot of texture in this tune. Midway, a total change that is blowing me away with its delicateness. That part was the Episode 6 nod I was half-expecting, so, yes, it's a full career retrospective for Ian Gillan on this album, and given his career, it's amazing in breadth and quality. When you leave out the stinkers he's done. And again, it's over before I know it. Wow.

All in all, an excellent EXCELLENT album - very much like Purpendicular, where a new guitarist strolled up and turned everything around for a fresh, new ride. Even better, though, is that the band isn't recovering after a tantrum thrown by a former member, but are moving from strength to strength.

[Zzzptm]

Black Country Communion V is out, as well, and it's sounding great on the 2 tracks I've played on the YouTube.

Just when I was already having a tough time picking between Saxon and Deep Purple, these guys come along with a potential smasher.