Monthly Archives juli 2011

Marduk@Getaway 7/7

Kvällen är sen och jag kollar på Alice Cooper med stor förtjusning innan jag går in i den stekheta gasklockan där Marduk passande nog gör torsdagens sista spelning. De låter och beter sig som de veteraner de är utan att falla i rutin och slentrian. Det är som att stå framför ett team spurtande asfalterare och jag förförs av deras styrkedemonstrationer i bland andra ”Throne of Rats”, ”Burn my Coffin”, ”Phosphorus Reedemer” och ”Into Utter Madness”. Likt den babyloniske skapelsegud de lånat namn av har Marduk förmåga att kreera sitt eget universum i musik, hetta, rök och svett och trots att Daniel Rostén kallar oss ”jävla fittor” (så fantasilöst!) tycks de ändå nöjda med publikens respons...

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Monster Magnet @Getaway 7/7

Monster Magnet gör en såsig inledning inför en tunnsådd publik i eftermiddagssolen på Getaways stora scen. Det lyfter dock en aning med gamla ”Tractor” från 1990 men mest står folk och nickar lite slött och det gör bandet också. ”Hallucination Bomb” och gubbiga ”Dig that Hole” från förra årets ”Mastermind” känns bara som en bekräftelse på att bandet ä är på fel plats eller i fel tid. Dave Wyndorf är synnerligen tråkig och vänder sin knubbiga lekamen bort från publiken så fort han inte har något vid mikrofonen att göra. Kontrasten till gitarristen och bassisten blir därmed irriterande tydlig. De försöker åtminstone skapa någon slags kontakt och röjer friskt i ”The Right Stuff” från ”Monolithic Baby”...

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Elevener – Symmetry in motion

”Symmetry in motion” is the second album from Swedish AOR band Elevener. Their first album, ”When kaleidoscopes collide” was released in 2008 and brought the band a lot of well deserved praise. For the first album, Elevener was really just a two piece, with Johan Bergquist covering vocals, keyboards and bass, and Anton Roos handling the drums and guitar work. This time round, Elevener is a proper band with three new members drafted in.

The album has a mix of ballads (”Dare to love” and ”For the time we share”), up-tempo songs (such as ”Never would I”), and classic AOR (for example ”Just as I thought”).

Symmetry in Motion is a good strong album with no weak tracks on it, but equally there are no songs that really stand out as being excellent either – what you have here is eleven good tra...

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Black stone cherry – Between the devil and the deep blue sea

”Between the devil and the deep blue sea” is the third album from US rockers Black Stone Cherry. Their brand of Southern rock has been growing rapidly in popularity since they released their debut album back in 2007, and 2011 see’s them touring the UK with Alter Bridge and playing the Hard Rock Hell festival in December.

The album kicks off with ”White trash millionaire”, a track which is Black Stone Cherry at their best.

”Such a shame” – the song title sums up my opinion on the song. You’ve got a song about death and suffering, but the song fails to deliver any emotion, and this lack of emotion just doesnt sit well with the lyrics.

”Blame it on the boom boom” is one of the best tracks on the album...

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Williams Friestedt – Williams Friestedt

While this duo may not sound immediately familiar, both have an excellent track record. Joseph Williams was the voice of Toto for several years in the 1980s and is now back in Toto as their current vocalist. As well as his time in Toto he has been a backing singer for Chicago and worked as a session vocalist, but where many non Toto fans will have heard his voice is in the Disney movie, The Lion King where he was the singing voice of the adult Simba. Peter Friestedt is a Swedish guitarist/songwriter who has worked with the likes of Chicago and Steve Lukathor as well as having released two critically acclaimed albums (LA project and LA project II).

With two talented members, Williams Friestedt sounds promising, but will it live up to expectations when you listen to it? The simple answer...

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Stream of passion – Darker days

”Darker days” is the third studio album from Stream of Passion. As the band is a female fronted symphonic metal band, it would be understandable if you guessed they orinigate from the Netherlands, and you’d be mostly right. Most of the band are Dutch, but singer Marcela Bovio is actually Mexican.

Marcela has a beautiful voice and this album once again allows her to demonstrate it.

”The Scarlet mark” features a great guitar solo, and the guitar generally is more prominent than in some of the other tracks.
”Spark” is a slower acoustic number with Marcela’s singing accompanied by piano and violin, and this serves as a nice change of pace partway through the album.
”Our Cause” and ”Darker days” are unusual in that they are both sung in a mixture of Spanish and English – its quite rare for a ...

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Theatres des vampires – Moonlight waltz

”Moonlight Waltz” is the ninth album from Italian vampire metal band Theatres des vampires. Despite this being the bands 9th alvum since their formation in 1994, the band is still not very well known in the UK, although two recent live shows including one at the Femme Metal festival in Birmingham may have helped to bring in new fans. In concert the band are known for their theatrical performances (check out live photos on festivalphoto.net for some examples).

The music is dark gothic metal, with a rich symphonic sound...

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IMMORTAL @ GETAWAY ROCK FESTIVAL

True darkness från de norska skogarna flamberar sin besatta publik.
Inte ett fjolligt Darkness som spelade kvällen innan med falsett-sång, pyjamas och papperskonfetti. Nej här är det bonna-skånska, grymtningar, sylvassa nitar och massor av eld.

Sist (och första gången) de norska skogstrollen var på svensk mark så slog Abbath sönder sin gitarr och kastade ut delarna till publiken som i sin tur massakrerade gitarren ytterligare. Fansen slogs blodiga och var i extas. Nu två år senare får vi en andra chans att komma dem nära. Hela vägen till helvetet.

Banderollen hissas upp och hornen riktas direkt mot det gigantiska trumsetet som den respektfulle Horgh intar sin hotfulla position i direkt beredskap för att när som helst bombardera publiken med sina tromber av snattrande föröd...

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Deviant Syndrome: Inflicted Deviations

MDD/Sound Pollution

Russian band DEVIANT SYNDROME can´t have been total beginners back when they formed in 2005. Melodic death metal is their game, and they obviously got popular with the demo “Pictures of Declared Existence”. This album was first released in Russia, but now MDD has decided to put it out in Europe.

I never get these short and ignorable intros. I know they have been popular I am not moved. I immediately note that INFLICTED DEVIATIONS is a tight lot who mixes guitar fueled heavy metal with touches and arrangements of black. The voice of guitarist George Shchelbanin is a mixed bag, from Old School to obnoxious vomits. But the music often speaks for itself...

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Doom Unit: The Burden of Bloom

Hype Productions/Warner

Finland is metal. There is no denying it, simply compare their charts to any of our Swedish equivalents. One of the well-to-do bands at the moment is DOOM UNIT. Their catchy heavy riffage, catchiness and even touches of LYNYRD SKYNYRD have provided them with a second place in the Finnish charts and a 50 shows tour all over Finland. But are they on their way to conquer Europe?

Not many bands care about the importance of album openers anymore, but DOOM UNIT do! “The Cradle and the Grave” is modern stoner meets MOTORHEAD, celebrating the union with a smashing riff, and a rocking straightforward and catchy pace. I actually rate it higher than the first single “Reckoning Day2, though the latter is not without qualities...

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