Album Review thread!!

[Charger]

Been a while since I've done a proper album review and now that I have this place I thought why not....

So if you like to read some of my reviews of albums (new and old potentially) this is the place you'll find them..

ALSO

if you like to write reviews you can post them here too! I would love to read some.

FYI: My reviews always have the classic star system. 1 * is bad 5 * is great!

[Charger]

Let's kick things off with this one that I just finished earlier today:



Does Metal Legend Judas Priest still have some Firepower?


Metal icon Judas Priest returns with a new album called Firepower. It is their second album with new guitarist Richie Faulkner and most likely their last one featuring guitar legend Glenn Tipton who is suffering from Parkinson’s and already stepped down from touring duties. He is still quite present on the album, eventhough most of the solos are already done by Richie, but there are few obvious Glenn moments on there too.

One can say a lot about the vocal abilities of Rob Halford nowadays and yes it is clear that he cannot scream like he did on Painkiller or spew out shotgun vocals like he did on Defenders Of Faith but his middle range is still there and he can throw out the occational scream as well.
It seems that producer Andy Sneap (who also became the bands touring guitarist by the way!) dug bit deeper and found some passion from Rob again which was missing on a lot of Redeemer Of Souls, here he has some strong vocal melodies instead of just speaking through the songs.

Most likely due to Glenn’s diminished abilities to play, the album is missing some of the more classic Priest style dual guitar solos, but then again they weren’t that present on Redeemer either..that was more KK’s thing anyways. There is however plenty of great riffing and yes some great soloing as well.  The songs also seem to have bit more punch than on the previous effort. Scott Travis’ drumming is still good although maybe not quite as energetic and pounding as it was in his early days with the Priest. Ian Hill is still the invisible force behind the band proving the background in the way only he can.

There are some truly magnificent moments on Firepower and the cream of the crop are Children Of The Sun which has without a doubt the best riff and vocal melody on the album, Traitor’s Gate which drives on like the heavy metal monster it is and the fast rocker Necromancer which sounds almost like something that could have been on Painkiller.
The first single/video Lighting Strike is more on the side of what someone might say Priest-by-the-numbers but it works... Evil Never Dies is another strong number with a somewhat suprising (almost Black Sabbathian) tempo change in the middle. The closing number Sea Of Red is Priest’s best closer since the epical Cathedral Spires and frankly it’s only fault is that it isn’t longer with it’s tempo changes and choir presence!

But not all is well on Firepower either, the title track curse of the “new Priest” continues as the song really doesn’t go anywhere and has a quite plodding vocal melody, just like Redeemer Of Souls the track had.  Flame Thrower tries hard to be a fierce song but never gets there sadly, but the worst track of the album is the mid- to slow tempo Rising From Ruins. The song obviously is intented to be something of a semi-ballad in the vein of Beyond The Realms Of Death but it falls short on nearly everything and the pointless little piano intro track Guardians serves no purpose either.

All in all Firepower is a stronger album than the mediocre Redeemer Of Souls was but ofcourse doesn’t quite reach to the highs of Priest classics. However the band has also released albums far weaker than this one even in their “classic era”. There was a time when Judas Priest tried to reinvent itself with every album, but I am glad they don’t anymore. There really is no reason for it because with this Priest proves they still have what it takes to make some classic heavy metal and now that Glenn is forced to step down if this remains their swan song I would be very much okay with that!

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[Tyr66]

Great read !!
Always interesting and funny to see how we feel so different things all of us !

The Guardian/Rising from ruins is one of the best moments, probably its "Nostradamus" side that attracts me. Guardian's name reminds me of Glenn. Intro/riffs/low range of Rob singing /slow drums rhythm . The guitar harmony of 4 "45 up to 5'30 is superb.
My favorite songs are Never the Heroes - What a chorus ! -, Children of the Sun and his bridge à la Halford Solo band, Guardian/Rising from Ruins and of course this grand finale:
No Surrender - waaaayyy too short for a title of this quality
Lone Wolf - this Sabbath-worthy intro Riff and this heady chorus
Sea of ​​Red - one of the rare titles that brings me close to tears, both the intro is emotional / Maybe the last title recorded for the band ... and still this chromosome of Nostradamus with this final Gregorian.
We can say that old masterpiece albums are recognized as much by the overall content as by its conclusion that leaves us this bitter taste to be already finished.
Did you notice the total absence of band photos ? Glenn's situation must be for something. Can't stop thinking about the presence of Tom Allom. May be he had to play the magician with some old tapes ...
I don't like Faulkner's attitude and statements, but he's a good musician. Nothing but respect for KK. He is a dwarf compared to Downing.
Anyway, clearly the best album of Priest since Painkiller, Nostradamus aside. Amazing production with a strong and solid guitar tone.
*****

[Charger]

Thanks bud!

Yeah different songs speak to different people. Which is a great thing!

There was no pics but that's not unusual for Priest...there were no band pictures in Angel Of Retribution either and only one for Redeemer.

Richie sure isn't the most pleasant guy in interviews..he always comes off bit full of himself really...I guess he took it in heart that he is in PRIEST!

Great to read your review as well! I could have mentioned Never The Heroes as well, it is on the better side for sure too...the chorus is great but I think it does lack some punch though.

[Thelemech]

   

This album is where Kreator found their sound in my opinion. At album number four there was only one way to go and that was a Thrashin upward ascent that cemented this band as one of the Big 3 (or Big 4 if you count Tankard) of Teutonic Thrash Metal. It is also their major label debut. It sold respectfully well here in North America and also lead to some success in Europe.
I just special ordered the Remaster Two Disk CD reissue and will be picking it up on Wednesday - but if it is anything like the Terrible Certainty Remaster/Reissue I bought I will be more than happy. I will give a review on it here when I pick it up and give it a thorough listen.
I have high hopes for this remaster partly because one of the albums weaknesses is a shitty sounding mastering and it lacks some power that hopefully the reissue will address.

If you do not know Kreator or their albums but are curious were to start - I always recommend this album as the first Kreator album to digest. Great riffs and intense delivery on all instruments - you will love it!!


* this is just my first attempt at doing this - I hopefully will become better at it - Cheers and thanks for reading!!

[Zzzptm]

Writing a review is very easy if you write a bad one.

There are some bands that are just "good". They rock out, no real bad songs, just stuff to play and then forget until it rolls around again on the playlist. No need to review that stuff, just say if it's worth another listen or not.

For stuff that is truly outstandingly good, but unknown, I want to write the reviews. If it's well-known but making what I consider to be a wrong turn, I also want to write the review, sort of as a warning that this album isn't what you got on the last one.

And then there are the albums considered classic and vital and must-listens by everyone else. Some I listen to only once and realize I got a case of a band that's famous for being famous and the trendy critics are giving them a pass because they're too afraid to say the emperor has no clothes. Then there are the classic albums, like Wishbone Ash's Argus or Patti Smith's Horses that really do electrify, that really are a case of lightning in a bottle, and I want to pass the word on about those.

So in that spirit, I'll review Patti Smith's Horses...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmXcIjjdgX4

Maybe artpunk isn't your first go-to genre, but that's no reason to pass on Horses. Her voice is unique, but her spirit is uninhibited. The lyrical opening is definitely arresting - "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" - and its interpolation into Van Morrison's "Gloria" is a master class in making a medley.

"Redondo Beach" has a reggae flavor to it... sort of a punk Jimmy Buffet song, if such a thing is possible. It's about this time that I realize Patti Smith's style of singing is very close to Joey Ramone's. Given that they were both rocking the CBGB scene around the same time, maybe that shouldn't surprise me.

Next up, "Birdland" - A touching spoken-word intro leads into a 3/4 ballad. I admit that this is a track you either decide to skip or to listen to based on Smith's affected vocal style on it. She alternates between the vocals and spoken-word work and I find it enchanting, well worth the effort to get into it. I understand that the payoff may not be there for everyone, so you've been warned. It's 9 minutes+ long, so it's a pretty big investment of ear time, but the emotional intensity of Smith's delivery makes it all worth while to me.

"Free Money" closes out side one with a late-night NYC bar sound dissolving into a punk freight train. Wow, that sounded pretentious of me to say that, but it's what I heard. I could also go with saying it's got shades of Blue Oyster Cult, if that helps. Great lyrics and really hard-driving song.

"Kimberly" starts off side two, and damn if this isn't a song that sounds like it's got the Talking Heads under the hood, powering this track along. Nice organ textures with a bouncy guitar are a real treat with, again, really lovely lyrics. And was that a snippet of Donovan at the end?

The next song, "Break It Up", has a darker tone and that waltz beat makes it a heartbreaker of a song. The first time I listened to this album, I was convinced of Patti Smith's lyrical genius about half way through this song. It's got the same emotion as Janis Joplin's "Come On", but with a more East Coast feel to it.

Spoken word leads into a chant into "Land", the 9-minute track for side 2. This is where goth punk started, I'm sure of it. Before you know it, you're in "Land of 1000 Dances", like you turned the wrong corner to get where you thought you were going, but now that you're there, you don't want to get back on track... you just let it go... it changes again and again even though the guitar stays on the same chord and the drums on the same beat. It's Smith's lyrical back-and-forth that does it all. Mesmerizing.

"Elegie" starts off kind of jarringly, coming off the last track, but after the intro, Smith's voice brings us into another world and we're in a cold room with scant comfort from either voice or instruments. As the title suggests, it's a stark song, more goth-y than the snippets of "Land" that pointed toward Siouxsie and the Banshees. And then, it's over. Just like that, leaving me wanting for more.

In closing, I'll say that Patti Smith's voice may not be for everyone, but this album nevertheless demands a listen. If you have to pick and choose, go with the "Gloria" opening track, "Free Money", and "Land" as the most accessible rock tracks, with an understanding that "Land" itself is going to be impenetrable at parts if you're only doing casual listening. Ambient music, this is not. Music that demands you pay attention, absolutely.

[Charger]

Candlemass has done a full Omega Cirle with The Door To Doom

Few years ago Candlemass leader Leif Edling said there will be no more albums after Psalms Of Death which was to be their swan song...and my goodness what a swan song it was...but after the unfortunate departure of singer extraordinaire Robert Lowe Candlmass came back with a new singer Mats Leven and released two EPs that were a rather far cry from what the band was capable when it was firing on all cylinders. Major reason for that I imagine was Mats Leven, who by no means is a bad singer, but just a horrible fit for a band like Candlemass as his voice completely lacked the elements that made the band sound the way it did...
The band then started working on a new album and even finished recording it with Leven but out of the blue Leif had the idea to contact the iconic voice of the first Candlemass album Johan Längquist to see if he would be willing to rejoin the band. Längquist had preformed with the band in the past during some special Epicus Doomicus Metallicus shows. He agreed to join and thus Mats Leven was no more. Johan came in and redid all the vocals for the album that was named The Door To Doom.

Now how much did Johan change the songs to fit his own voice is hard to say. But the obvious thing that you hear is just how much Johan’s voice has deepened over the years. It has gained a lot more presense but at the same time lost some of it’s higher pitch...But in Johan’s case that is not a bad thing. In certain places on Epicus his voice sounds bit thin even, but not here. Here he is at full presense. Certainly Johan is no Robert Lowe or even Messiah Marcolin in terms of the operatic sense or voice versatility but he has that kind of raw power which makes him quite unique.

The Door To Doom opens with the fierceness of Splendor Demon Majesty which is classic Candlemass with a modern twist and is one of the album’s strongest tracks. It can be a gift and a curse to start an album off this strongly.
Here is does fall closer to the curse department though as the next track Under The Ocean sounds more like an Avatarium (Leif’s other softer doom project with Jennie Ann Smith on vocals) out take. Johan even mirrors Jennie’s vocal delivery during the verse...The song lacks energy and most importantly doominess. The guitar solo is also something you’d be more comfortable hearing on an Avatarium album than Candlemass’ one. Not to mention the soft part that follows.

Third track is the one that has gotten the most publicity as it does feature the greatest guitar player in the world mr. Tony Iommi on lead guitar during the first two solos. Astorolus The Great Octopus is a great track. It checks all the boxes for a classic Candlemass and classic Doom song. The riff if heavy and it leads into a soft yet sinister sounding verse. Johan’s vocals here are probably the best on the whole album...although there are couple of places during the chorus you’d hope he’d just open it up and stretch some of those notes more, but I can imagine that is the Mats Leven-ghost haunting him. Tony Iommi’s soloing does not sound quite so typical as you’d expect...like it was on his Cathedral guest spot during the song Utopian Blaster for example. He clearly stepped out of his usual comfort zone a bit. Which is not a bad thing, but I do think Tony could have done better too.

Bridge Of The Blind is a strange little song. It is a full blown ballad which is not something one is used to getting from a band like Candlemass. This is what you’d call a filler track, it has very little to offer and it clearly was written just as a bit of an oddity. Or maybe it too is another Avatarium left over it certainly has that vibe. An interesting vocal melody is the one thing that can save an otherwise dull ballad but sadly here that isn’t really working either...and again it feels like Johan is holding back. This is without a doubt the worst song on the album and can easily be called one of Candlemass’ worst ever songs.

But then the band kicks things on a higher and most importantly on a doomier gear once again with Death’s Wheel. The intro riff echoes back to the 70s with the strong distortion and feel. And as soon as Johan’s vocals kick in you know your back in the true realm of Candlemass, this is what you’d expect from the godfathers of doom. The intensity sadly gives in a bit during the chorus but once we get to the incredible guitar solo the song has more than redeemed itself...and so has the band. This is a song that could have easily been featured on Death Magic Doom (which is probably Candlemass’ finest ever effort), it is that good.

The riff extravaganza continues on Black Trinity which most certainly proves that Candlemass still is a force to be reckoned with...even if they to borrow a page or two from Cathedral’s book during the intro. But once the song kicks in there is no doubt that this is Candlemass. And the line “Ambassador’s of Doom” is truly made to be uttered by Johan Längquist at the helm of Candlemass. This is how iconic stuff is being made.

House Of Doom was the title track of their previous EP and the soundtrack song for a themed internet Slot game they did couple of years ago. It is honestly hard to understand the point of this remake but at the same time it is cool to hear Johan’s voice on this one but at the same time I would have rather had a new song.
The closing number is (as usual with Candlemass) the longest track on the album. The Omega Circle has something of an Embracing The Styx (the closing number of King Of The Gray Islands) feel to it. The track also echoes back to the Epicus Doomicus Metallicus days with it’s soft intro, which is kind of fitting for a song called The Omega Circle and being the closing track of the first album to feature Johan since Epicus. There (as usual with CM closers) is a lot going on in the track from the softness of the intro, to the fury of the guitar solo to the abrupt end and the distorted extremely brilliant sounding outro.

The Door To Doom is something of an oddity in it’s own right. The fact that Johan was brought in to re record the vocals already done by Mats Leven, the 7 year gap between albums, the comeback after already declaring Candlemass dead at one point all carry weight that shows on the final product. In both good and bad. Johan most certainly is a capable vocalist and a better fit for Candlemass than Mats was, but he is no Robert Lowe though. And after 3 incredible albums with Robert it is hard to measure up..and this one doesn’t. That being said though this is not a weak album by any means it just has some strong competition. Leif has spread his talent maybe bit too much over the past few years with various projects and he simply did not have enough left anymore for his #1 project to make a #1 album.
All in all The Door To Doom is very enjoyable and with some improvements and more thought out song writing it could have been brilliant.
And if this will remain as Candlemass’ final album they have done a full circle in many ways and no one more so than Johan Längquist who has grown a lot from just being a session vocalist of the first album to something of an iconic voice of doom.

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