Category Archives: Reviews

Alestorm – No Grave But the Sea

Alestorm - No Grave But the SeaAlestorm, those cheeky Scottish lords of the Seven Seas, have a new album out today, No Grave But the Sea. And Angry Metal Guy already gave them a 4.5 out of 5. Which seems really cool given they tend to reserve high praise like that to black and doom metal bands.

This album is rife with the same singalong and shout & response feel as previous albums, but somehow more?

The album kicks off with the title track, full of chuggy guitars, awesome keytaring, and singing about quests! And a borderline disco beat in the chorus.

I’ve already shouted about the greatness that is the tracks Alestorm and Mexico, and how they’re primed to be fan favorites when they tour. I mean who doesn’t want to shout “RUM, BEER, QUESTS AND MEAD” over and over? Because it’s fun as hell.

The songs also seem to be more complex than their earlier work. Lots of key changes and rhythms that are funkier and poppy and less just crazy metal all the time always. It’s awesome.

Treasure Island is a great closer, perfect for the pre-encore finale when they tour. Methodical for the first half then taking a frenetic turn, with a chorus that’ll be great to hear shouted throughout any venue.

It’s gotta be hard to put together a few songs that have great singalong portions to them, let alone an entire album. And yet Alestorm’s done it on almost every album they’ve released. Go listen to the album. Then listen to it again. Then listen to the dog version. Then go on a quest for mead.

Oh also the deluxe edition comes with all the songs, but the vocal tracks are replaced with dogs barking. Or borking. Either way it’s goofy and hilarious and I look forward to it showing up on jukeboxes just so I can mess with people.

P.S. Quest.

Gloryhammer – Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards

Gloryhammer_-_Space_1992Gloryhammer, the side project of Alestorm’s keytarist & frontman Christopher Bowes, recently released their sophomore album, Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards. Most people worry about a sophomore slump, especially when a first album is peppered with some amazing tracks as Tales from the Kingdom of Fife is. Fortunately, Chaos Wizards is as tight and well composed as their debut.

Just like the first album, Space 1992 starts with an ominous intro setting the stage for what’s to come. That, in the far off future of 1992, war has returned to the galaxy. Horns & excellent composition make it feel like the intro credits to a movie; Zargothrax played by Sam Rockwell, Angus McFife played by Seth Rogen or something. I don’t know.

The album is rife with gallop rhythms, wicked guitar solos, and quests. If I know one thing about Gloryhammer & Alestorm, it’s that quests are important. Thomas Winkler’s vocals offer an edgy/gritty combination that gives me occasional feelings of Dio. And since he’s singing about space goblins, dragons, and wizards, that’s a great thing.

Legend of the Astral Hammer is going to get added to “lyrics I mishear” as Legend of the Asshole Hammer. However, it’s a great track, with similar drive to Hail to Crail. Set the Universe on Fire has a ton of synth and a bigger dance rhythm than you’d expect on an epic space metal album, and it really sounds great. And the Hollywood Hootsman is just a great track altogether.

Having Christopher Bowes compose the tracks on both albums means that there’s strong thematic links between the two. Not just in the “oh hey they use gallop rhythm & double kicks” technical stuff, but the chord progressions and phrasings link back to Tales from the Kingdom of Fife. Few bands will release a fun concept album, then a sequel that is also a concept album. Fewer can succeed at it. Gloryhammer is one of the bands to do it.

Also: If you get the fancy ass edition of the album, there’s a second album that’s orchestral instrumentals following the general theme of the two albums. It sounds like the score to a movie. An epic space movie. I look forward to the day they’re able to put it together. Also when they tour the US. I bet they’re amazing live.

Music of 2014 – In No Particular Order

Hah so every jagweed and dilsnoofus is making top ten albums lists of 2014 so I’m going to try to do the same. I imagine it’ll be more like a top 7. Maybe 8.

alestorm-sunset-on-the-golden-age Alestorm – Sunset On the Golden Age: I’ve been a huge fan of Alestorm since Captain Morgan’s revenge. Their brand of pirate metal is tighter than ever on Sunset on the Golden Age, jumping from frenetic pit screamers like Wooden Leg to mellow party classics like Hangover. Chris Bowes’ vocals continue to give off a great pirate bent while still stretching his skills, and I think the addition of a second keyboardist not only fills out the sound, but allows him to focus more on the singing than the keyboarding from time to time.
D'Angelo_-_Black_Messiah_Album_Cover D’Angelo & The Vanguard – Black Messiah: Hah I write about metal here all the time, and here’s a crazy great funk album. I think I listened to it five times in a row when I first got it. Life needs more funk in it. And not just funk, good damn funk. This is it. I know plenty of butts are already moving to “Ain’t that Easy” and I can only imagine how many kids are going to be born in September because of this album.
Black_Moon_Rising_(Falconer_album)_coverart Falconer – Black Moon Rising: Man Mathias Blad has a phenomenal set of pipes. This album starts off with a blast with Locust Swarm, bringing you into all the might and majesty that you expect from a Falconer album. A healthy dose of double kick bass drums, proper balance between noodly and chunky guitars, and Blad’s vocals lilting over it all. Now if only they’d tour the US…
murder-city-devils-white-ghost-blood-on-its-hands-again-cover-art Murder City Devils – The White Ghost Has Blood on Its Hands Again: I grew up across the lake from the city and cut my teeth on plenty of Murder City Devils back in the late 90s. I even saw their first last show, Halloween 2001. These guys have put together their fare share of rock albums, and The White Ghost Has Blood on Its Hands Again takes it to a new direction. A few of the songs, like Pale Disguise, have a kind of unnerving, foreboding feel to them, gives me Nick Cave vibes.
Primus_&_The_Chocolate_Factory Primus – Primus & The Chocolate Factory: Speaking of unnerving and foreboding. Take one of the most terrifying movies of many childhoods, add in Les Claypool, and you have something that probably keeps a few adults up at night. Based on the music from the 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Primus manages to take the songs that were already creepy and add a slow crescendo of dissonance and terror, turning this into a go-to album for many halloween mixes.
DragonForce-Maximum-Overload Dragonforce – Maximum Overload: Much like Falconer, I got a little bored with Dragonforce for a bit. I think it was the singer they had or something after the original left. Anyway, they got a new singer and they have reclaimed a place in my heart! Especially with a power metal cover of Ring of Fire. That’s just great. The album has the same great key changes and codas you expect from classic Dragonforce, and the new singer does a grand job keeping up.
JudasPriestRedeemerSouls Judas Priest – Redeemer of Souls: I’m not sure how a bunch of guys in their mid 60s can rock as balls out as Judas Priest do, but they manage to pull it off on Redeemer of Souls. The vocals aren’t as brutal as, say, Screaming for Vengeance or Painkiller, but you get such a solid performance from Halford no matter what octave he’s hitting. Scope out Dragonaut, and wonder if that’s a space dragon or a guy who flies around and battles on a dragon. And then get your face melted with the Halls of Valhalla!

Whattaya know, it’s seven!

Alestorm – Sunset on the Golden Age Review

alestorm-sunset-on-the-golden-ageAlestorm, those cheeky Scottish pirate metal bastards, have a new album available, Sunset on the Golden Age, picking up where they left off with Back Through Time. A lot of people expect bands to expand and do crazy stuff and whatever; I want bands to play what they like and have fun, and Sunset on the Golden Age sounds like they had a lot of fun making it.

They incorporate a lot of wind, brass, and strings into their recordings, and it gives the songs a unique feel, like tying back to their source material. I’ve heard they book live actual performers to record those parts, as opposed to using a keyboard to fill out the parts. You can also hear some funky bass lines throughout their songs, which is usually kind of counter to most metal acts.

Right off the bat, they kick you in the teeth with Walk the Plank. Big horns and big chords lead into a sick guitar intro and the kind of Alestorm that you want to hear. The chorus has a great shout to it that I’m sure will be heard far & wide when they tour to support the album. That’s one of the things I really like about Alestorm; they format their choruses so the crowd can get in the mix.

WE ARE HERE TO DRINK YOUR BEER! Man they are really apt at creating party anthems, or just the kind of stuff that will play really well live. This song also ties in a lot of their previous work, which is a good way to fill out a song. The referenced old hits on a track in Back Through Time as well, and the references are pretty well placed. Also the music video for this song is pretty awesome.

Magnetic North sounds like it has the In the Navy bass line in it. Which is pretty interesting. You can hear it during the “HEY” part after the chorus. I’m a little bummed “In the Navy” didn’t make it onto the album. I know it’s tied to a DVD of one of their tours, but I like hearing their cheeky covers in albums. And 1741 (The Battle of Cartagena) starts off with some chiptunes which is great, and then drops straight into the historical pirate battle metal that is a deep well for inspiration.

Wooden Leg! is probably my favorite track off the album. It leads with a solid bass groove, then kicks into high gear, and almost sounds a bit more like a punk or speed metal track than power metal. And clocking in at 2 minutes and change, it fits the bill quite well. I can already picture the circle pit that’ll get started when they play this live. WOODEN LEG WOODEN LEG!

Their cover of Hangover is brilliant. A buddy of mine and I didn’t know it was a cover initially, and we came to the conclusion that Katy Perry needed to turn it into a pop hit. It’s already a pop hit apparently; I’m just old and only listen to metal. Anyway, this song fits really well with the idea of being a pirate, so I’m glad the song about getting shit-faced-ed got proper respect by these great pirate metalers.

If you get the limited edition album, it comes with a second disc full of instrumental versions of their hits: Over the Seas, Nancy the Tavern Wench, Keelhauled, The Sunk’n Norwegian, and Shipwrecked. There’s also a bonus track, Questing Upon the Poop Deck, that is apparently not a song about anal sex. All the acoustic tracks are fantastic and are great at showing off the full extent of the band’s musical chops. It also makes them sound like they should be sea shanties you hear in Assassin’s Creed: I’m on a Boat.

All in all, this is yet another awesome album from Alestorm, chalk full of party anthems and songs that will be excellent to hear live. The songs have a great driving force behind them, and the backing horns and strings give added weight. Despite what they claimed in Back Through Time, Running Wild didn’t cover all the themes of pirate metal, and Alestorm hasn’t started scraping the barrel quite yet. Though I think they said quest something like 150 times. Which is pretty awesome.

Judas Priest – Redeemer of Souls Review

JudasPriestRedeemerSoulsJudas Priest has been around for 44 years. That’s insane. Bands aren’t around that long. Usually they like… choke on vomit, or get fat and lazy, or turn into some weird lounge act and then they play at the Emerald Queen Casino. Not Judas Priest. They have been destroying arenas across the Earth and still sell out massive crowds. I think they’re one of the few bands where you could see three generations of metalheads all rocking out to Painkiller live.

Redeemer of Souls is their 15th studio album. I’m not counting the Tim “Ripper” Owens albums. And it’s a step back to their roots after the hifalutin rock opera that was Nostradamus. While it’s not as balls out as, say, Screaming for Vengeance, it’s still a solid album and a great addition to 2014’s metal lineup.

The first track on the album, Dragonaut, is not a cover of the Sleep song of the same name. I found out of about this when a bar I frequent had a specialty drink called the Dragonaut. It’s a white Russian but they use a chai-infused vodka, the drink, not the song. So I asked if it was in prep for the new album and they got confused and said “only if it’s a cover of Sleep’s song.”

Anyway, Judas Priest’s version of Dragonaut starts with stormy sounds, dropping into a great guitar riff and the solid drumming you expect from a late-80’s era Priest track. The guitar solo is technical, tight, and does the awesome cut from one guitarist’s style to the other, one of my favorite moves in metal.

The title track has a bit of a One Shot at Glory vibe to it in terms of rhythm. Halford stays in a comfortable range for vocals on this track, sounding a bit similar to his work on Angel of Retribution or even Nostradamus. I guess after so many years of bombing out crazy screams for Painkiller or Screaming for Vengeance, your vocal chords might not be as pliable.

This is the debut album for their new guitarist, Richie Faulkner. Formerly of a few bands, including a stint with Christopher Lee, he’s a great addition to the band and fills out the sound nicely. Oh he played guitar on Steve Harris’s daughter’s band. I saw her open for Maiden in their Somewhere Back in Time tour. I don’t know how to follow up that statement.

VALHALLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAA. Halford attempts a couple screams on this track, and they’re alright, but it does sound a little… off. However, there is no better pairing than metal and Vikings. The dueling guitars in the intro definitely give me the impression this song could have the band synchronized guitar dancing. Kind of like in Breakin the Law, or pretty much every other Priest song ever. Also, Valhalla is where I belong. Or Valhalska.

Crossfire is a weird departure. A psychedelic-ish sounding track, it starts off with a bit of a Jimi Hendrix vibe before dropping into a rollicking blues track. It definitely stands out from the rest of the album, which might not be the best thing. I’d be interested to hear more blues rock from Priest, but maybe not in the middle of great tracks like March of the Damned or Sword of Damocles.

The album does close out with a ballad, which is cool if you like ballads. Beginning of the End covers what it is to be old or something, which I guess after 44 years they might be experts on the subject. Anyway, it’s a bit of a slow close to an otherwise fast Judas Priest album.

Overall, Redeemer of Souls might not have quite the same punch as Priest’s earlier work, but they still manage to put together a full album of good, solid metal. It’s a bit more guitar heavy than previous albums, but the solo work is great and I’m glad to hear it in there. I could do without the ballad, but that’s me. I’m not a fan of ballads.

Falconer – Black Moon Rising

Black_Moon_Rising_(Falconer_album)_coverartBack when Chapters Through a Vale Forlorn came out, my buddy Pat left the album on loop in his car. For probably six months. Hearing the Lament of a Minstrel in the Decadence of Dignity was just great during our epic quests to get Taco Bell. Falconer is one of those bands that feels like the embodiment of power metal. Fast drums, big guitar work, and an incredibly talented signer, all squished together into epic tales of times long passed.

Unfortunately, for me, there were a couple albums in the mid to late 2000’s that seemed to have a stronger political slant, and it kind of turned me off from Falconer for a while. There were also a couple albums with a different singer, and that just felt like blasphemy. But now that I’ve heard Black Moon Rising, I’m back in. This album sounds like the Falconer that accompanied quests to pick up new video game releases, or just go to the grocery store. If you listen to Falconer while en route to get TP, the TP becomes 95% more epic.

The album starts with Locust Storm and a great dual guitar/double bass kick intro, and once the vocals kick in you’re prepped for a great ride. There’s even a break after the first chorus that has a kind of ominous bend to it, like the locusts are wreaking havoc on the land, eating all your stuff. The chorus features the similar dissonance of insanely fast drumming with Mathias Blad’s fantastic singing, something few bands can really accomplish like Falconer.

I’d like to talk about the vocals for a bit. Most of the time I listen to metal I’m all about noodly guitars and crazy basslines, because, hey, heavy metal. I do love hearing great, unique vocal work, such as the crazy falsetto of Cam Pipes or any of the metal gods like Halford or Bruce Dickinson, but most acts I follow for the guitars & drums & stuff.

The vocal work in Falconer seems more fitting in theater than power metal, and that combination really amps up the pomp of the material. This is all due to Mathias Blad, one of the most amazing singers in metal, and really in music in general. As a formally trained opera singer, he is able to hit great notes while staying within a natural range. You don’t need to scream out a falsetto or get all guttural when you can ride a note for a few measures no sweat. I am very certain he could recite the phone book and I’d give it at least a couple listens. Given his theater and opera background, it’d probably sound awesome.

Back to the album, Wasteland is one of my favorite tracks. Going from feedback to explosions to massive drums right in your face just amps me up for the vocals that lilt and dance above the instruments. Karsten Larsson does some amazing stuff with the drums, able to run crazy fast double kick while layering in complex rhythms that help drive the songs along. The song has a bit heavier/chuggy feel to it, reinforcing the mood that there’s some form of escape going on. And breaking free out of this wasteland, that seems important. This is another one of those songs that you drop into the end of an exercise mix just to see how fast you can get your heart going when you think you’re out of gas.

There’s a Crow on the Barrow shows off some of the gallop rhythms that are part and parcel of power metal, plus some of the guitar phrases familiar to older Falconer tracks. And I just learned a barrow is a small hill or mound. Thank you, Falconer, for teaching me! And if you’re looking for folky power metal, the Priory is a great fit.

Some people want bands to continually change and evolve their sound. But sometimes it’s great to just settle in and get your face rocked with familiar and solid power metal. Falconer is able to play different themes and styles into their music with deft skill, going from balls out fast metal, to power ballads, to folk metal, and back. This is definitely a top metal album of 2014 for me.

 

Locust Swarm: