Monthly Archives juni 2011

Posted in Cd Reviews

”Held High” is the debut album from Swedish band Wraptors.

The band talk about not following rules, well that may be the case, but the album feels like they are sometimes doing things just to be different and as a result the music feels disjointed and fails to flow. You get brief bursts of something that sounds great, then the tune shifts and spoils what was starting to be a promising song.

The bands website comments ”When death metal guitarists join forces with an awkwardly tight rock rhythm section the outcome is something completely different”. Well from listening to this album, sadly it would appear that what happens is that any death metal influences are thrown in the bin, leaving behind a fairly bland indie/prog rock album.

I was very disappointed by this album...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Amaranthe is a power metal/melodic death metal band that originates from Sweden and Denmark. Amaranthe break the traditional mold for this type of band with their vocalists. Usually when the band has a female singer, they do the clean vocals and a male band member does the screamd and growls. Amaranthe have chosen to have two lead singers doing clean vocals – one male and one female, with another band member doing the screams and growls. This simple change does make a big difference to how they sound, and helps them stand out from similar bands.

In some of the tracks, the vocals at times, remind me far too much of Ace of Base – this is particularly noticeable at several points during ”Automatic”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Frontiers/BAM

NIGHT RANGER don´t really need an introduction, but here goes. Formed back in 1982, after some years as a trio under a different moniker, consisting of Jack Blades (ex. RUBICON), bass/vocals, guitarists Brad Gillis (ex. RUBICON) and Jeff Watson, drummer Kelly Keagy (ex. RUBICON) and keyboard player Alan Fitzgerald (ex. MONTROSE, ex. GAMMA). Their early eighties albums are all legends, and they made a name for themselves with songs like “(You Can Still) Rock in America” and the perennial power ballad “Sister Christian”. In the latter part of the eighties the band encountered harsher times, with members coming and going in vane attempts at a return. Things seem only to have started stabilizing in the late nineties and not until now they feel like a proposition to count on...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Avenue of Allies/Sound Pollution

Italian band LIONVILLE is a brand new but nostalgic AOR/Westcoast project from Italy. Perhaps international is a better word since guitarist, vocalist and main man Stafano Lionetti has attracted an impressive host of musicians from all over the world; vocalists Lars Säfsund (WORK OF ART, ENBOUND), and Arabella Vitanc (ALYSON AVENUE), and Erik Mårtensson (WORK OF ART, WET), guitarists Bruce Gaitsch (RICHARD MARX, CHICAGO), Tommy Denander (RADIOACTIVE, HOUSTON), and Sven Larsson (STREET TALK), plus a heap of others. The project is a labor of love with hand crafted songs by the involved musicians, as well as a carefully selected cover of JOHN FARNHAM`S movie track “Thunder in Your Heart”. Anyway, on with the show!

Opener “Here by My Side” is classic and ...

Posted in Cd Reviews

MDD/Sound Pollution

German band LEGIO MORTIS have been around for ten years, and three releases including this CD. Their brand of dark/death metal is this time around mastered and mixed by Alexander Krull of ATROCITY and LEAVES EYES. The vocals are augmented by Liv Kristine of LEAVES EYES in the song “Life Denied” as well. This lot has supported the likes of NILE and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, and seems to be something of a house band at Metalfest Germany, so I guess I have expectations.

The opener “Intro” is a combination of an air raid siren and some monstrous grunts. The real opener “Unholy Four” is a heavy piece framed by a choir and some beautiful keys. The keyboard work is actually a stunner throughout. On the stunner side I count “Mass Murder” and the Liv Kristine sung “Life Denied”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

London band Devilish Presley are singer/guitarist Jacqui Vixen and guitarist Johnny Navarro. Devilish Presley are a hard band to categorise easily. There is a strong punk feel, but there are also gothic influences, as well as glam rock and metal. Gothic Punk is probably the best fit, but really what genre they are isn’t that important. What is important is the fact that they are clearly a very talented band and this is a fantastic album.

”The Dark Triad” is the band’s fifth album, and the first to have Jacqui Vixen doing the lead vocals instead of Johnny Navarro. After listening to the album I have to wonder why its taken them so long to get Jacqui doing the vocals – she’s done a superb job on this album.

”The beast must die” is the first single from the album and is a fantastic song...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

One last well timed train-bus combo brings me to the warm and sunny festival area, much earlier than desired but the next train would have been too late though, hence I ended up watching the Sheffield metallers Bring Me The Horizon. I don’t know how young the tattooed boys performing a fast and aggressive metalcore are, but they mainly all looked under or around 20. The main vocalist was in charge for the screams, while his band mates gave the needed support with growlings in the death metal influenced melodies that brought them the Kerrang! award for Best British Newcomer...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Leaving behind a windy and cloudy Vienna, I arrive to a sunny, warm and even more dusty festival area just in time to see Clutch on the Blue stage. I was so looking forward to see them again and it was delightful. Neil Fallon’s deep voice is just beautiful and a treat for the ear. Show wise it’s not much to see, but they compensate with the quality of their groovy blend of rock, punk and blues rhythms and insane pedal effects for their solos. This counted for a perfect start of yet another hot day at Nickelsdorf.

Off to the Red stage to catch the Norwegian quartet, Katzenjammer. I heard a decent part of the soundcheck, as every tiny bell, banjo, harmonica and sound making stick or chord on stage had to sound accurate...

Posted in Interviews

Formed as a jazz quartet in 1999 by saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Jørgen Munkeby together with fellow students from the Norwegian Academy of Music, Shining is a band who quickly caught the eye of music lovers by always pushing the boundaries and having a very daring approach to combining a variety of elements.

For their first release, Where the Ragged People Go, a description such as modern acoustic jazz might fit. The same idea on the second one, Sweet Shanghai Devil, but this time with more elements brought from outside the jazz genre or even inside, but more experimental than classic.

Without leaving aside their jazz roots, Shining’s sound started to blend progressive rock in the tunes of their next album, In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

1 hour away from Vienna, in the fields of Pannonia, lies the small city of Nickelsdorf next to which the Nova Rock festival is hosted. It started with a good impression as the transport to the festival area from Vienna was well organised, with frequent trains and buses waiting to pick up the travelers and take them to the entrance. And it was cool to pay only 15 EUR for a train ticket valid for 4 days, while one way with the bus was 3 EUR. My first train left with 1 hour delay though, but well, still enough time to catch a lot of music.

The festival area is rather huge. There are two main stages, a tent and a tiny stage that I am not sure where it’s located...