Category Cd Reviews

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Celebrator is the new release from U.D.O. – the band fronted by former Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider. It’s hard to believe but U.D.O. has been around for 25 years – the band’s first album (Animal house) was released in 1987. While Accept have released only a few albums since Udo’s departure, he has been far busier, releasing a steady stream of new albums, with last years ”Rev-Raptor” being ther most recent U.D.O. album and whcih was also the band’s biggest commercial success. Celebrator is not a new studio album, but instead is a collection of rare tracks, spread over two CDs.
As well as marking 25 years of the band U.D.O. this album coincides with the 60th Birthday of Udo himself.

So what do we get in the album? A few collaborations (with Raven, Faktor 2, Hammerfall, and Lordi), som...

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78 Productions/Music Buy Mail/SP

BANG TANGO was not an ordinary hair metal band, in fact they were only similar in hairstyle. Their first opus, “Psycho Café” was issued by MCA in 1989 and saw the band getting major airplay on MTV´s Headbanger´s Ball. This is their sixth studio album, but counting everything before and after their studio album debut they have actually 12 releases to their name. Speaking of name the only remaining original is vocalist Joe Lesté, the ranks are completed by guitarist Scott LaFlamme, bassist Lance Eric and drummer Trent Anderson these days.

Do not expect much funk injected into the music these days. Their mainstays today are the attitude, the voice, the groovy bass and the stubbornly repetitive refrains...

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GMR Music

Nine albums, a variety of fantastic musicians with a pedigree and still they are most major only in Japan. Since vocalist/keyboardist Mikael Erlandsson formed the band together with FAIR WARNING guitarist Andy Malecek they have released nine studio albums plus one live and one best of. Ian Haugland and John Levén of EUROPE came and went, in came Jamie Borger and Nalle Påhlsson from TREAT and only the latter left as he also left TREAT for THERION. Marcel Jacob (R.I.P) left us and LAST AUTUMNS DREAM too soon. But everything leads us to 2012 and the new album from Erlandsson & co.

Anyone who likes this band will be pleased with opener “In a Perfect World”. The smart opening, the refrain, the riff, it´s all there...

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Abba’s eighth and final album, The Visitors is the latest to get the Deluxe edition treatment from Universal. As we’ve come to expect with these Deluxe Editions, this release is packed full of extra stuff – extra songs, video footage and so on.

Disc one is the CD and contains all nine songs from the original album along with seven other songs including the demo medley From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel, the first previously unreleased ABBA recordings since 1994. Disc 2 is a DVD which includes rare and previously unreleased material from the archives, including TV commercials, TV appearances and more.

The album is great – despite not having any smash hit singles on it it’s still top quality stuff. The bonus tracks are also great, with ”Under attack” being my favourite...

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Slipstream is the nineteenth album from Bonnie Raitt. It’s her first album for seven years – her last album, ”Souls alike” came out in 2005. Slipstream is being released on her own label, Redwing Records.
The album’s title is an indication of her place in the music community. ”I’m in the slipstream of all these styles of music,” she says. ”I’m so inspired and so proud to continue these traditions, whether it’s reggae or soul or blues. I’m in the slipstream of those who came before me, and I’m leaving one for those behind me. I’m holding up the traditions of the music that I love.”

After touring her last album Bonnie Raitt took time out from working. ”I took a hiatus from touring and recording to get back in touch with the other part of my life,” she says...

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Legendary Swedish rock band Europe are releasing their latest album, ”Bag of Bones” at the end of April. The album was recorded with producer Kevin Shirley who has produced albums for Iron Maiden, Joe Bonamassa, Black Country Communion, Black Stone Cherry and Journey – a pretty impressive CV.

The first time I put this album on I actually thought at first that I’d put the wrong CD on – this album is heavier with more of a classic rock feel than anything the band have done before, and it just blew me away. The bands last album, ”Last look at eden” was great, but this is just superb. It’s definitely my favourite Europe album ever, and Joey Tempest agrees – saying it’s probably his favourite Europe album yet.

The first single to be released from the album is ”Not supposed to sing the blues”...

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Over the last few years British band Furyon have been making a name for themselves with some great live performances as they tour and play at festivals. Their debut album, Gravitas was given away free with Metal Hammer magazine in the UK, but is now receiving a proper release both in the UK and the rest of the world.
For anyone who got it with Metal Hammer this new full-blown release comes with better packaging and more importantly comes with two bonus tracks.

If you haven’t listened to Furyon yet, the first question is what the hell are you waiting for? They play rock music with a big guitar sound, great riffs and great vocals and most important – they write damn good songs...

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Five years after Ministry called it a day and split, they’re back with a brand new album. “The funny thing is I didn’t even want to do another Ministry record,” Jourgensen says. “I was working on my stoner country album by Buck Satan & the 666 Shooters, and [guitarist] Mikey [Scaccia] and I started messing around with these heavy riffs just as a change of pace. And then we realized the stuff we were coming up with were totally Ministry. Mikey was like, ‘Dude, we’ve gotta do something with this. We’ve gotta make another Ministry record.’ And I went along kicking and screaming.”

Most fans are going to be over the moon at the return of Ministry. They’ve been sorely missed and with this new album they seem re-energised and on great form.

A few brief comments on some of the ...

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Polish metallers Crystal Viper are back with their new album and are sounding better than ever. The new album, Crimen Excepta is a concept album about holy inquisition, black magic and witches, where fiction is mixed with historical facts

The album cover has been painted by French artist Chris Moyen, who has worked with bands including Slayer, Trivium, Beherit and Blasphemy.

In terms of vocals, Marta has a traditional heavy metal vocal style, similar to bands including Crucified Barbara, Hysterica, Bitch Doro and others. Musically there are clear Iron Maiden influences, and German heavy metal bands including Accept sound to be influences too.

Comments on a few of the tracks…

The track ”Crimen Excepta” features some guest vocals from Hell singer David Bower although these are limited to j...

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German metal band At Vance are back with their new album, ”Facing your enemy”. Formed in 1998 this is their tenth album, and guitarist Olaf Lenk is now the only remaining founding member.

Comments on a few tracks..

Opening track ”Heaven is calling” is great hard rock – plenty of guitars, pounding drums and lots of power.

Facing your enemy is a slower less powerful mid-paced rock track.

Really those first two tracks sum up the album – it alternates between mid-paced rock and heavy rock, with a couple of ballads thrown in for good measure.

The album includes a cover of the hit by German band Tokyo – the self titled song ”Tokyo”...