Stark Music Reviews

BULLETSIZE – The Apokalypse (CD)

2012-02-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Swedish metallurgists Bulletsize bring the apocalypse. Musically that is. The Apocalypse is quite a mixed bag of styles, forging death metal and thrash with quite technical overtones. The opening title track really brings the hammer down. Second track Out Of Silence however feels a bit messy. It could be the production, but at times it almost feels a bit untight. This is something I hear here and there in other tracks as well. It’s powerful and it’s heavy, still they mix in nice touches of more melodic and classic metal. With so many great death metal bands out there it’s quite hard to reach above the noise. Bulletsize have a couple of things going for them, with one being the musical mix and there are some pretty good songs on the album. The vocals are within the traditional death metal growl formula and the energy sure is there. On the downside the sound could be a bit tighter and I’m not really into some of the guitar solos which are slightly below par, like the end part of Eyes Of The Blind, while others are quite good. All in all a pretty decent release if you’re into death metal.
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Label: Happy Minds/Cosmic Whale
Link: www.bulletsize.se

FREDRIK PIHL – Silhouettes (CD)

2012-02-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

Swedish guitarist Fredrik Pihl now releases his first solo effort. The six track CD starts off with the track Above The Surface. It immediately strikes me that the main riff used is an Indian scale often played by Freak Kitchen’s Mattias Ia Eklundh as an exercise. The aforementioned guitar hero is making a guest appearance on the track so I presume it’s fully legit. Fredrik has a good tone and his playing is fine, but the production is actually quite poor. Quite bad sounding programmed drums, at times overplaying quite a bit, and a mix that sounds like it was done in a laptop with no monitors. I’m sorry, but in this day and age when the possibilities are endless and you can find someone to mix your recording at a fair price. A bad production is not a good excuse. The Demonic Masquerade has a nice melodic verse. I’m a bit surprised the keyboards are so dominant for a guitar album. The track features nice soloing from Fredrik, showing a melodic side as well as a more technical flare. Most of the songs have a fusion-oriented touch with odd rhythms which is nice. The title track, which at times has an almost folky feel, features a guest solo from Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (now in guns ‘N Roses). It’s however a bit too long to keep the interest intact without having any major changes. By The Blue Horizon is a nice melodic keyboard based piece with a guest appearance by keyboardist Lalle Larsson. Unfortunately the programmed drums are again overplaying quite a bit. Nice acoustic guitar melodies, though, while the electric guitar solo feels a bit too jazzy and scale-based to really fit the song. All in all, some nice guitar playing going on, but the songs are in my opinion a bit too dissonant to really catch my attention. I do like fusion, but I still want some nice hooks and melodies, and sure there are, but they come and go quite quickly. Also the production is an issue that really should be put in focus next time around.
Label: self-released
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: www.fredrikpihl.com <http://www.fredrikpihl.com/>

NEVEREVEN - The progress Of Disaster (MCD)

2012-02-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

I love discovering new talented band. Today’s discovery goes under the witty anagram Nevereven and is an American four-piece. I immediately hear some really nice King’s X overtones, and while doing this I read the name Ty Tabor on the cover. Well, the fact that the band used the talents of King’s X guitarist/singer Tabor to master the disc was probably no coincidence. The opener on the MCD, The World Of Tomorrow, has a bunch of King’s X in the main riff, but apart from that they do have a sound and touch of their own. Strong melodic chorus and a great sound. Gary Pickard has a great voice, too, the guitar work is great and I really like bass player Damian Peters’ intense playing. Remainder keeps the flame burning and is another great melodic piece, only small grains of the X-men here. Third track Give continues in the same vein, also with some really nice harmony vocals. They actually remind me of another excellent American band, .end of story, which is a good thing. Winterkill is a slightly darker and heavier track, but still with the really nice harmony vocals. This is a really enjoyable release that will spin a lot in my player. Finishing track Orpheus leaves off in the same vein. I like the tempo change, which is a nice touch and makes the song a bit more interesting. Great stuff indeed! My only criticism would be that if the band makes a full album they should add some tracks that varies a bit more from the format. On this release the opening track is the strongest one, while the other four tracks are great, but a bit too similar in shape and form. Highly promising, though!
Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Label: Self-released
Link: http://www.neverevenmusic.com/

BLACKRAIN – Into The Black (CD)

2012-02-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

It all started under the name Just A Quick Stop, at the time as a duo featuring guitarist Ronny Blylod (Destynation) and singer Daniel Söderberg. They released a pretty promising CD. The band was reinforced by bass player John Vigebo and drummer Henrik Söderqvist and they now became – Blackrain. I first saw the band at the Rock Out Wild festival in 2011, and was truly blown away by the band’s live performance. Into The Black is an outstanding debut, I must say! If you’re into melodic hard rock with a touch of King’s X meets Alter Bridge, but with classic hard rock elements in the mix, this is a must. Heavy, groovy and melodic with singer Söderberg really taking it to the next level. The sound is very organic, in your face, honest and may as well have been recorded live in the studio with some additional overdubs added afterwards. It’s by no means over-produced and even though I really like it, I think it’s here it shows it’s a self-produced production. The song material is really great with lots of cool groovy riffs and nice hooks. The band sounds tight and they really deliver on all levels. It’s very even album with no low points, and no extreme highs either. This is however not a bad thing. I much rather have an even, strong album, that one with 2-3 killer tracks and the rest below average. This is an album you can fully enjoy start to finish. Well done! Already looking forward to the next one!
Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: JAQS
Country: Sweden
Link: www.myspace.com/blackrainsweden <http://www.myspace.com/blackrainsweden>

.end of story - .self-propelled (CDR 11tr)

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

US band .end of story has released one official CD and some very promising demos. One album that was only half-finished was entitled .self-propelled and sounded really great already as an unfinished album. Now guitarist/singer Skot Reed and bass player Dave Eichman have finally finished up the album with the help of drummer Troy Hagar. If you’re into King’s X style hard rock with cool, and quite odd harmonies, detuned riffing, great melodies and heavy grooves, this band is a MUST. There’s not a weak song on this platter, instead it goes between good, great and killer! Among the last category there’s the heavy One Mrs. Hippie, the funky/heavy Reaper Sublime with killer bass work from Eichman, not forgetting the outstanding cool Blue Sun with cool vintage King’s X style variations and harmonies. This is music porn! Besides being a killer guitarist with great feeling and technique, Skot is a formidable singer with a really cool tone to his voice. I sure hope some label picks this one up and gives it a proper release, coz it sure deserves it!
Janne Stark
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Label: none
Link: http://www.endofstory.com/

SCREAMER – Adrenaline Distractions (CD)

2012-01-17T23:57:00.000-08:00

Now here’s yet another combattant in the New Wave of Swedish Heavy Metal. We already know Enforcer, Helvetets Port, Steelwing and Portrait as young bands who have listened to their fathers old tape collections and quite successfully recreated the sounds of the classic 80s heavy metal with all the little charming flaws. Well, add Screamer to the lot. If they had recorded this with a slightly thinner sound, maybe recorded it to cassette and copied it a couple of times to make it lose a bit of quality, man I would’ve been fooled! Quite authentic I’d say. This type of stuff really brings you back to those days of tape trading and plays on the nostalgia nerve. Fans of nu-metal should pay no attention whatsoever to this, but all ye old metal fans out there should definitely add Screamer to your list of CDs to buy. The band sounds pretty tight and good, with a potent singer that deliver the classic eighties lyrics very convincingly. This sounds really good, boys!
Janne Stark
Label: High Roller
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011

BLISTER BRIGADE - Devastating Smile (CDR 3tr)

2012-01-17T23:55:00.000-08:00

We're off to Skellefteå and Blister Brigade. Man, that’s some pretty cool odd riffing straight in your face already in the opening track Devastating Smile. Then it goes into some weird sleaze vein. The band sounds really good and the style quite is quite original. Nice opening indeed. Second track, Rock ‘N Roll Grave, is sort of a semi-ballad which sounds more like Hanoi Rocks, but didn’t really hit me that hard, even though the chorus is pretty strong. Last track, Worst Case Scenario, picks up the pace again, again with some pretty cool riffing mixed with traditional sleaze-oriented metal. The band has a good tight sound. The singer is not a high pitch screamer, but sticks to the lower registers. He may not be the world’s most exciting singer, but he does do the job pretty well. Not bad at all.
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2012
Label: none
Link: http://sv-se.facebook.com/blisterbrigade

BLACKOUT METAL - demo (CDR 3tr)

2012-01-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

Swedish metal merchants Blackout Metal is musically way more exciting than their name. There must be at least a couple hundred bands called Blackout. Tip no 1: Change the name boys! I saw the band live at the Rock Out Wild festival in northern Sweden last year and they did very well live. Opening track Addict starts it off with some really heavy, crunchy riffing topped with clean but powerful vocals. Second track starts out a bit weird, where it sounds like the bass and guitars are either not tuned the same or someone is playing something differently, or it’s just for effect. Anyway, the track reminds me of vintage thrashy Metallica, think Four Horsemen or Whiplash. Final track, Never Again, continues in the same vein. Tight, powerful and good! This band should definitely appeal to fans of good old thrashy metal in the vein of Anthrax, early Metallica, Megadeth, Testament and Vicious Rumours etc.

Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: none
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.blackoutmetal.com/

CROWDBURN - Confronted (CDR)

2011-12-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

I first saw Swedish technical thrashers Crowdburn at the excellent Rock Out Wild festival in August 2011. I was really impressed with the energy and level of musicianship from this young bunch. Well, live is always a bit different. You’re overwhelmed by the sound, the feel and sometimes when you listen back it may not have been that great. Well, now this foursome have sent me their first demo. F***in’ hell! I did like them a lot live, but this sucker rocks!! There are only three tracks here, but I hear a wide range of influences, from Pantera to In Flames, to Lamb Of God to more melodic death metal. They are not afraid to mix in some clean melodic vocals, which really lifts the chorus of the track Burning Crowd. Singer Aron Andersson has a really powerful voice, but also with a nice variety. Guitarist Christoffer Lindmark also impresses with his cool technical chops, which is something that goes for drummer Andreas Grehn as well. Of course, heavy bass player Jonathan Holmgren needs to be mentioned as well, especially for his technical shredding in Pictures, a song that really mixes styles. This is a really competent and well oiled machinery that produces something I find quite innovative in this musically crowded world. I’d be surprised if they weren’t picked up by some label soon. This is really good, I must say! Plus, they really shine live, as well.
Janne Stark
Label: D.I.Y pro-printed CDR
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.crowdburn.se/

TAKLA MAKAN - Mummyfied (CDR 5tr)

2011-12-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

Malmö based heavy bluesrockers Takla Makan caught my attention last year when I heard the band’s demo. Sweden does have some really great bands in this genre such as Sky High and the long lost Blues Bag, but most of them are playing it a bit safe in my opinion. What I mean is that they stick to the standard blues formula and lack that rough edge and they stick within the standard formula. What I really like about Takla Makan is that they stick out and they take the side road. Just listen to a track like House Of Pain, a heavy steamrolling track with some really mellow moments where they really use dynamics the way they’re supposed to. It also contains a nice harmony solo with a touch of southern rock. I really like Tomas Luburic’s guitar style. Cool, slinky, heavy and bluesy without sounding like a copy cat. The vocals are another chapter of my liking. Singer Bobby Djordjevic isn’t your standard blues singer either, but reminds me a bit of JB in Grand Magus. Great power in that throat I’d say. Takla Makan also does some cool low tune riffing in songs like Respect, low down and dirty, and where bass player Ulf Hedlund and drummer Stefan “Stiss” Lundvall show their groovy heaviness. When a song is named Romeo And Juliet, you almost expect a sleazy ballad. Nope, here it’s a driving mid-tempo rocker with a cool guitar riff as the icing on the cake. My tip to you labels: Sign this band and get an album out there with more of this stuff! This band rocks!
Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: D.I.Y
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.reverbnation.com/taklamakan

COLORSTONE - Into The Garden (CD)

2011-12-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

With their roots in westcoast/AOR-oriented Malmö band Time Gallery, Colorstone attacks from a totally different angle. The band’s self-financed debut kicks off with heavy funk-oriented rocker Into The Garden Of Destruction which reminds me a bit of Dan Reed Network, but with a heavier bottom edge. When I come to think of it, it’s actually more similar to Stevie Salas Colorcode, but with vocals more similar to Dan Reed. Well, whatever, this is right up my alley! Killer song indeed! Second track, Silverspoon, is less funky but more driven and rocks out really well. Another killer track! Intoxicated keeps it up, and starts of with some bluesy harmonica. This one is actually more bluesy with cool neck pick-up Strat work going on. Things then mellow out a bit in Show Me The Way and Flowing, before the heavy rocker One Of A Kind pick it up again. I won’t go into all the tracks, just say that there are 17 tracks on the album. For me personally, I would remove 4-5 tracks I feel don’t really belong there. The Secret, for instance, feels like somewhat of a filler. The same goes for popster Solitude Waiting, which feels a bit misplaced but will probably appeal to fans of Time Gallery. Reducing it to 12 strong tracks would have made this one of the best Swedish releases of 2011. Well, it still is, of course, but that’s just me. However tracks like Silverspoon and Tonight's The Night are the type off stuff that gives me a musical hard-on! also, just realized I need to point out a few things. The band is so solid it's scary, plus I'm totally in love with guitarist Fredrik Bergengren's bluesy, funky and Hendrixy style of playing and singer Johan Dahlström's equally bluesy vocals. Killer stuff!

Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Label: Self-release
Year: 2011

ANGELINE - Dis Con nec Ted (CD)

2011-12-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

Swedish melodic rock veterans Angeline returned last year with one of the better comeback albums. The follow-up is now here. To be honest I’m not really sure what to say about this one, but one thing – if you liked the last one, I don’t see no single reason not to like this one. It’s more of the same, but slightly different. Great melodic hard rock with an edge, but still something that will appeal to AOR fans. What I really like about this band is that they balance on the edge of being very commercial and poppy, but they land on the right side with nice rough edge guitars and a singer in Jocke Nilsson that has the proper roughness in his voice. The song material is just as strong on this album. It’s simply a bloody great melodic rock record.
Janne Stark
Label: Avenue Of Allies
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden

THE HELLFIRE CLAN - Hellbound (CD)

2011-12-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

Pedal to the metal, fists in the air, heads down, no nonsense beer drenched hard rock ‘n roll! That’s the short description of Swedish newcomers’ The Hellfire Clan’s debut album. The Hellfire Clan could at times be easily mistaken for sleaze, but don’t be fooled. There are some brutal riffing, closer to Hellfueled or even Zakk Wylde coloured touches, going on. At times I even get a hint of Corabi-era Crüe. I think it’s the combination of the sleaze-oriented vocals and the detuned, crunchy guitars that brings it a bit between the boxes. I really like it, I must admit! The energy is really breathtaking at times and the songs are really well-arranged with some cool twists and turns. It’s by no means your straight ahead, no brains rock ‘n roll. I also do hear some hints of Hardcore Superstar, but this band takes it all to new levels. Highly recommended for fans of high octane, wall of guitar hard rock!
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Label: private
Link: www.thehellfireclan.com

JOHNFISH SPARKLE - Flow (CD)

2011-12-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

Nope, Italy is not the first country that would’ve come to mind when hearing Johnfish Sparkle. On the other hand I had a similar epiphany when hearing their countrymen Smoky Fingers for the first time. This band has vintage UK written all over them. Opening track Hard Times Goin’ On sounds like updated seventies Zeppelin riffing. Ballsy drumming, awesome riffing, great vocals and cool arrangement! Niiiice! The best thing about is… they keep it up! This is a cool riff-rock record that keeps tossing and turning on the chunky crooked road of rock ‘n roll, on-beat, off-beat. This band doesn’t take any shortcuts. In Downhill Blues there’s even some bluesy phychedelica infused. Spiral Confusion is a cool dynamic thing with Dave Perilli furiously working the bass over the cool guitar plucking in the verse, while the bridge brings it all over the acidy hard rock edge. I needn’t say the album has the word vintage written all over it, do I? It sure does and this band sure stand their own against fellows like The Answer, Rival Sons, Tracer and of course many of Transubstans Records’ other artists. This is a fine complement to an already impressive roster. Killer stuff indeed!
Janne Stark
Label: Transubstans
Country: Italy
Year: 2011

SABRE TIGER - Decisive (CD+DVD)

2011-12-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

Japanese metal veterans Sabre Tiger are back with their claws out! The new album Decisive is a full on heavy metal onslaught! Great production and a big dose of classic metal in the same vein as bands like Primal Fear and Dream Evil, but with some heavier and more brutal moments, such as killer track Avenger with its fierce riffing. The album is really packed with great tracks and a production which hits you like a brick in the face. My only slight complaint is the singer’s big, and in the long run quite irritating, vibrato. If he would only keep it straight, I would have no complaint at all as he has a really powerful rock voice, which fits the music perfectly. Well, maybe that’s just me. Besides this slight flaw the band is tight, the songs rock and the album is really consistent all through. So, I definitely recommend a closer listen. The album also comes with a great bonus live DVD recorded in Sapporo.
Janne Stark
Label: Edge Trax
Country: Japan
Year: 2011

WRAPTORS - Held High (CD)

2011-11-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Now here’s a band I can’t make heads or tails of. It’s actually quite funny, since I haven’t heard anything like this in a long time… actually never I guess. Wraptors mixes so many different elements, from seventies hard rock, sixties rock to quirky pop to pure musical insanity. Sometimes I hear a little touch of Them Crooked Vultures or Foo Fighters, but with a totally different sound, mostly in the way they turn rhythms and riffs around. There’s almost a touch of Devo mixed with Zappaesque weirdness, but all held together with a hard rock attitude and a powerful delivery. The guitar sound is quite clean, but still edgy enough to sound rough and raw. It’s very dynamic, but if you’d try to dance to a track like Stoked On Stakes you’d only last for four bars before you’d get stuck in a twisted rhythm pattern and fall over. It’s by no means music for the faint hearted and I don’t expect Wraptors to be on the radio’s A-list, but I really enjoy the album. I can’t even seem to skip to the next track as I can’t wait to hear what will happen next, which is a good thing. This is definitely an album that will grow by every listen, and I assure you it’ll take quite a few to get to grips with the Wraptors’ musical schizophrenia.
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Label: Rakamarow
Link: www.wraptors.se

GUITAR PETE - Raw Deal (CD)

2011-11-26T16:10:00.001-08:00

This is the second Grooveyard release from guitarist/singer Peter Vincent Brasino. To be honest I felt the name Guitar Pete sounded a bit cheesy. Well, an easy way to get the smirk outta my face was to put on the CD. Pete produced heavy, gritty riff-based blues rock with guitars thick as a brick wall. He reminds me, both his musical style and vocals, a bit of Michael Katon, which is really good in my book. The songs are really well constructed in a genre that can sometimes get a bit run of the mill. Pete is a great guitarist with a great bluesy flow in his playing. Pete also does a great heavy rendition of Skynyrd’s old Gimme Back my Bullets. My only complaint would be the boring and unbluesy drummer who unfortunately just can’t get his playing to groove. This flaw aside it’s a damn fine album for fans of gritty, balls-out heavy blues rock.
Janne Stark
Label: Grooveyard Records
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Link: www.grooveyardrecords.com

GUGUN POWER TRIO - Solid Ground (CD)

2011-11-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

I just loved the first Grooveyard release by Indonesian Gugun Power Trio. Power trio certainly being the label of the day here. Gugun is a killer guitarist and an awesome bluesy singer, which he and his fellows drummer Bowie and bass player Jono, immediately proves in the opening title track. Groovy, bluesy, rockin’ and something it’s totally impossible not to play air guitar to. Holy crap, this rocks!! It’s got the classic riff-oriented Hendrixy vibe to it that I love. The album grooves, it sways and it swaggers. It’s a versatile album within the limits of blues rock. There’s the funky vibe in tracks like One Heavy Night and Vixen Eyes, the shuffle groove in Mission, the cool blues in Trampled Rose, the up-tempo strut in Silent Rider, yes, Solid Ground has it all. What I also love is that Gugun adopts his sound to fit the songs. It’s not just one album-one sound. He turns the distortion up when it’s required, adds some wah when it fits and keeps it quite clean when the song needs it. This is definitely one of my favourite blues rock albums of the year!
Janne Stark
Country: Indonesia
Year: 2011
Label: Grooveyard Records
Link: www.grooveyardrecords.com

THE FLYIN' RYAN BROTHERS - Under The Influence (CD)

2011-11-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

American quintet The Flyin’ Ryan Brothers may sound like it, but it’s by no means a circus act. But… If you, however, would compare music to a circus The Flyin’ Ryan Brothers would be people on the trapeze, flying weightlessly back and forth through the air, doing somersaults and all types of daring tricks that makes you gasp for air. This is what their music sounds like. Instrumental, guitar-driven bluesy rock with things happening all over the place, but still so graceful and with immense beauty. Harmonies to the left and right, intense drumming from the late Johnny Mrozek and outstanding bass playing from William Kopecky. I, of course, can’t help comparing the band to Wishbone Ash. I love Wishbone Ash, but to be honest I don’t think they have ever recorded an album as consistent as Under The Influence. There are usually a couple of tracks I don’t really care for, but this one is 13 out of 13. Great melodies, really soulful and tasteful guitar playing ranging from soft melodic passages to full on bluesy shredding. Also, Wishbone Ash, besides being a vocal band, tends to become a bit too pop at times, whereas The Flyin’ Ryan Brothers always spice things up a bit. This is definitely one instrumental album where I don’t miss the vocals at all. No need for them whatsoever. The guitars more than well make up for them. The songs are well-written with great arrangements and they are anything but one-dimensional. There are lots of nice layers with things popping out here and there, like the effects in Loco Motive which just adds a subtle layer that doesn’t meddle with the great build up and trade-offs of the guitar harmony work. This is one album that I will have a hard time getting out of my CD player!
Janne Stark
Label: Grooveyard Record
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Link: www.grooveyardrecords.com

JARLE H OLSEN – Quadrasonic (CD)

2011-11-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

Norway hasn’t really provided that many international shredders, besides Ronnie Le Tekro and a handfull others. Now, young stringsman Jarle H Olsen is here to change that. His first solo album Quadrasonic is a really impressive affair. It’s actually been some time since I found an instrumental progressive album this interesting. With Jarle it’s not just the shredding that is in focus, it’s just as much about the songs. What I really like is that this actually feels more like a band effort, than a regular guitarist-shredding-his-ass-off album. Sure, there is tons of great soloing, but the songs are structured more like songs with vocals. You have your verses, choruses and bridges, although quite a lot of bridges here. The songs, like Dark Matter for instance, have great build ups, with nice dynamics happening. Here Jarle also shows a softer and more balanced side, without any overpowering distortion. There’s also a great explosive technical part in the end, where things happen all over the place. I also love the fact that he’s using real live, and outstanding, musicians to back him up. They do need to be mentioned, so here it goes: the outstanding technical drummer Bjarte K. Helland, Norway’s answer to Mike Portnoy, bass player Rodrigo Garcia who lays down a great foundation, plus proves he’s quite the technical player as well, and finally keyboard player Alex Argento whose playing may not be highly noticeable in some songs (you would definitely notice if it wasn’t there, though), while he really shines in songs like Event Horizon. Quadrasonic is a great album, at times in the same vein as George Bellas, before he started experimenting too much. Great songs, great playing, great production, a sure buy!
Janne Stark
Label: private press
Year: 2011
Country: Norway
Link: http://www.jarleholsen.com/

JÄRNET (CD)

2011-11-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Heavy rock in Swedish? Oh yeah, it’s been done since the dawn of time, meaning November did it already in 1970. That worked. Since then there’s been quite a few and right now there are Horisont, Abramis Brama, Gudars Skymning, and of course S.K.U.R.K, who uses their secret weapon, called “brutal skånska”. Järnet grew out of heavy rock trio AMP, lead by singer/guitarist Per Nilsson. I was expecting the same heaviness, but sung in Swedish, which would’ve worked fine for me. However, Järnet draws from a different musical source. This is leaning more towards garage rock, at times almost new wave. I’m not really sure if I like that. Gata upp & gata ner reminds me quite a lot of Nationalteatern’s Livet är en fest, which I did like… back then, and it has its nostalgia value today. Sorry, but this doesn’t work well for me at all. It feels way to puberty for me. Punkish football choirs just don’t do it for me anymore. It worked ok at parties in the late seventies, but even though I’m a huge fan of the seventies, this is something I don’t really wish to bring back. Sorry boys, but I liked it better the old way, the AMP-way.

Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: private
Country: Sweden
Link: www.facebook.com/jarnetsweden

CORE OF NATION - Septor Of Doom (MCD)

2011-11-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

Swedish doomsters Core Of Nation have been at it for a while, but only released one CD prior to this. Septor Of Doom is a 6-track MCD in a cardboard cover. The choice of cover, Black Sabbath’s Electric Funeral, definitely shows the musical direction of the band. This release also marks the debut for new singer Andreas Hedman, formerly with Scaar. The CD opens with Black Temple, a doomy riffster in the vein of classic Candlemass. It sets the direction of the record and also shows Hedman is a singer well suited for the heavy riffing, similar to the way Johan Längquist fit into the first Candlemass album. Not in the same class, I should add, but still ok. I wish he would let loose a bit more, as he tends to sound a bit stiff in the long run. There can be feeling in doom as well. Musically it’s heavy and it’s slow, but it’s not boring. They do succeed in keeping it interesting enough to keep listening. Nice guitar harmonies spice it up a bit here and there. The cover of Electric Funeral then? Well, first of all, having the balls to take on such a classic gem is ballsy! The result? Well, I’ll give it 2.5 out of 5. It’s just a regular “let’s-play-a-Black-Sabbath-song-coz-we-like-it” version. No personal touches or re-arrangements worth mentioning. Plus the vocals are not really up to par with the original, again because of the lack of feeling. Still, I don’t mind listening to it. The closing track Two Suns is a pretty cool semi-ballad type song adding a bit of spacey experimental seventies effects, which makes it a bit more interesting. The tempo change in the end also adds some new textures to the song. Like I said, not bad at all, but I think the next one will be more interesting!
Janne Stark
Label: Doom Dwarf Records
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.coreofnation.com/

HELLSPRAY - Part Of The Solution (CD)

2011-11-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Jönköping’s Hellspray released their debut a couple of years ago, a really great melodic rocker. They are now back, armed to the teeth and with a new singer. Anders Moberg is more of a gritty rocker, which fits the bands down and dirty hard rock in a perfect way. At times he reminds me of Zakk Wylde, but with more finesse and a wider vocal range. There are some similarities with Black Label Society when it comes to opener Spinesless as well, but like with the vocals, there’s the variety and dynamics I sometimes miss in BLS. The adopt a pretty doomy aura in some tracks, such as Count Your Blessings, where the intro feels like the soundtrack to a nightmare. They however add a melodic feel which changes the picture as it moves on. In Mr Hyde the scene is totally different, almost moving into some high speed power metal territory with a neo-classical touch to the riffing. Interesting. Part Of The Solution is a really great follow-up to the debut, showing a band that has indeed taken their style and sound a step further. This is some heavy shit, man!
Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: Perris
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.hellspray.com/

GRAND ILLUSION - Prince Of Paupers (CD)

2011-11-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

Already after the first track Gates Of Fire I was totally blown away by Peter Sundell’s vocals! I mean, I have heard him before and I do have the band’s previous releases, but either I’ve forgotten just how good he is or he’s brought it up a notch here. He truly sings his ass off, bringing out notes higher than Mount Everest! Grand Illusion is nothing for fans of metal, 70s heavy rock or stoner. If you on the other hand have a soft spot for bands like Journey, Airborne, Sheriff, Trillion, Touch, Styx (from whom I presume the band name was taken – one of the best pomp albums ever) or high class pompy AOR in general, this one’s for you. Grand Illusion is a Swedish trio comprised of musical multi-genius Anders Rydholm, singer Peter Sundell and backing vocalist Per Svensson. At their hand on this album they have killer musicians such as drummer Greg Bisonette and a bunch of really great guitars from Steve Lukather, Tim Pierce, Jay Gradon and Muris Varajic. The songs are very well arranged with lots of twists and turns, still with infectious choruses. Even though we’re talking melodies all over the place, there are some quite biting guitars. Just check out the awesome riffing in the title track. I won’t go into every track, it’s kinda no point since there’s not a weak track on the entire album! If you intend to purchase only one AOR album this year, well, no need to look further!

Janne Stark
Label: AOR Heaven
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.grand-illusion.se/

FASTWAY - Eat Dog Eat (CD)

2011-10-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, I will confess I haven’t really listened to Fastway since the first, outstanding, album was released. After that I thought they went too commercial and I lost interest. Now Fast Eddie Clarke has returned with a vengeance. Eat Dog Eat really takes us back to the classic back to basic hard rock resting on the traditional British bluesy foundation. Toby Jepson sings his ass off and I truly love his vocals. The album kicks off with Deliver Me, which almost makes me think of what would happen if Led Zeppelin and AC/DC had a baby. It’s a very consistent, but still varied ten track collection, incorporating some good old boogie based hard rockers like Leave The Light On, cool acoustic balladry in Dead And Gone and tons of classic hard rock. Great production, great songs, and all in all one album I didn’t know I had been missing until I heard it. It isn’t original, it has no bells or whistles, but it’s a damn fine album, on I will probably wear out.
Janne Stark
Label: Steamhammer
Year: 2011

S.K.U.R.K - Häxa (CD)

2011-10-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Fuckin’ hell! This is brutal! Not sure if this will fully appeal to or be appreciated by non-Swedish speaking listeners, as the vocals are sung in the most brutal Swedish “skånska” dialect. This is the second album by S.K.U.R.K, and this album sure takes the sound and style of the band a few steps further. The lyrics are really raw and brutal, dealing with bitterness, injustice and drug addicted mothers. Lindhe’s vocals are crude and raw, but fits so well with the heavy, rough edged metal this band produces. Nidvinternattens Sorg brings out some touches of vintage doomy Sabbath with Lindhe whispering the lyrics. Songs like Brinn Malmö Brinn and Ku Klux Kerub also have a doomy touch, but with a higher tempo, where the latter reminds me a bit of Children Of The Grave in its tempo. I do hear some touches of Candlemass’ Messiah when Lindhe hits the higher notes as well. The band’s view of today’s night time scene Disco Grotesque is quite melodic in its crudity. The lyrics really grab you and I can find no better way of presenting them than in this way. This is a really good album, both musically and with the fitting vocal presentation. Me like!
Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: Denomination
Link: www.facebook.com/skurk666

KRUX - III He Who Sleeps Amongst The Stars (CD+LP)

2011-10-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

Interesting… I didn’t even notice I had listened to the same album three times in a row. It just keeps on and on without getting boring. Krux is the boiled down who-is-who of Swedish metal featuring singer Mats Levén, guitarists Fredrik Åkesson and Jörgen Sandström, bass player Leif Edling, keyboardplayer Carl Westholm and drummer Peter Stjärnvind. No use going through what each and everyone has been doing, mentioning names like Opeth, Candlemass, Entombed, Yngwie Malmsteen and Therion is enough. Such line-ups can easily become fuck-ups. Well, not in this case. Krux have delivered since their first self-titled release. On their third release they do it again, now more than ever! Three of the members also formed part of the band Abstrakt Algebra and the similarities are many. For some reason Krux however hits me way harder. It’s all about simple melodic riffing with doom written all over it, but without becoming drony and boring, despite the songs being quite long. Plus, Mats’ voice really fits this genre. This is a highly recommended CD, also available on vinyl from High Roller.
Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Label: GMR (CD), High Roller (LP)
Country: Sweden
Link: www.krux.se

STONELAKE – Marching On Timeless Tales (CD)

2011-10-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Swedish melodic metal merchants Stonelake are back with their fifth album. The band is and have always been, really good, but what I’m not convinced by is the mix. There’s a lack of balance with the drums sounding horribly digital and sterile, and also overpowering the sound, making the guitars lack. It feels like things have been recorded in different studios, mixed separately and then just pieced together without really thinking about the sound gelling together. I do have a hard time getting past the horrible drums, both the sound and performance. The guitars probably sound great on their own, but the lack power in the overall sound. Singer Peter Grundström often makes me think of Poodles vocalist Jake Samuel, which is fine by me. The songs are pretty good, and at times remind me of Lynch Mob in their better moments, mixed with Masterplan or Circle II Circle. Some really nice guitar playing from Jan Åkesson, but I think he should concentrate on the guitars and let someone else handle the mix. It’s always good to have an outside opinion (wish someone had forced Yngwie to take that advice, too...). The first half of the album is quite varied and really good, while the second half doesn’t offer as much diversity and it feels a bit too standard to be of greater interest unfortunately. Still, well worth checking out for fans of melodic metal with a touch of power metal.
Janne Stark
Label: Massacre
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011

SILVERDOLLAR - Morte (CD)

2011-10-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Swedish band Silverdollar I remember from the beginning of 2000, when they used to play covers. Their first CD Covers From Hell contained renditions of Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, WASP etc. This actually feels quite evident when listening to the band’s third album Morte. There’s a bit of Judas Priest here, a bit of Maiden there, some Helloween inbetween, topped with a bit of Zakk Wylde-harmonics and a singer that sounds like mixing Kai Hansen, Udo Diskschneider, Rob Halford and adding Bruce Dickinson’s vibrato. I’m not saying this is bad, because it asn’t. It’s just, well, lacking personality. I hear a lot of influenced but very little originality, or even their own spin. Everything sounds like something I’ve heard somewhere before. Like I said, what they do, they do do great, but I have heard it before, and I’m not sure I’ll be listening that frequently.
Janne Stark
Label: Massacre
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011

OPETH - Heritage (CD+DVD)

2011-10-24T02:06:00.000-07:00

I just love the way Opeth have developed. I didn’t care for their old death metal records, but did felt they had a lot of great potential musically. Then, when things started going towards the more progressive side I started listening. Deliverance, I think was the album that made me really listen. After this they have just started growing album by album. The last one, Watershed, as as close to perfect as they had ever come in my book. Now, Heritage is here, and they have dropped the growling altogether, the music is as intricate as ever and there are so many moods and feelings floating around on this album it would make even Ingemar Bergman jealous. The album starts off with a soft piano piece that could have been written by Jan Johansson back in the seventies. Soft, tender and lovely. The piano is played by guest musician Joakim Svalberg. They move into the multi-layered The Devil’s Orchard, which touches on fusion, jazz, but still rests on a heavy, slightly dissonant, proggy/symphonic foundation which brings it forward without stopping. I Feel The Dark starts off softly with just acoustic guitar and vocals, adding piano, mellotron and later on drums and electric guitar, but still not in an overpowering way, not until halfway through when the pandemonium enters. This is definitely an album you just don’t put on and wash the dishes to. It’s quite demanding and challenging, and I really like that! This is an album that gives me something new each time I listen to it. It’s all so well thought out, each part and instrument has a meaning. Nothing is random. What I also like is that the album goes though so many different moods and styles, from the aforementioned piano piece, to fast paced prog metal in Slither (recorded in memory of Ronnie James Dio), to the soft and gentle acoustics in Häxprocess and Famine, where Björn J:son Lindh adds his flute magic against a pretty heavy backing. The Lines In My Hand shows another different, very melodic side, still highly progressive and odd rhythmic, but with nice melodic harmony vocals. This is in my opinion the band’s strongest effort so far, the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. Finally, I must give credit to the cool 3D cover, which really adds an extra dimension, plus the bonus-DVD containing the 5.1 surround mix, bonus tracks and a documentary.

Janne Stark
Label: Roadrunner
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden

BELLFAST - Insula Sacra (CD)

2011-10-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

Now, here’s an interesting combination. A Japanese band playing Celtic influenced hard rock! Intriguing indeed! Another interesting detail is that the album was mixed by none other than Andy LaRoque! Looking at the band photo, these guys and girls mean business! Musically, yes, they do mean business in that department as well. This is actually really really good! Think heavy Jethro Tull meets Thin Lizzy meets Horslips, but with an aggressive and modern metal touch. They also blend in flute and violin in a very well-balanced manner. However, don’t be fooled by this, Bellfast are heavy and more metal than folk when it comes to the sound. The mix also enhances the heavy edge. Great guitar-playing with tons of nice harmony-work, thunderous drums and heavy plodding bass that at times gives it a touch of Steve Harris, but a bit more subtle. The vocals fit in well with the music and the whole package works really great. The songs are very well arranged and you definitely hear this bunch have been at it for a long time. Yes, the band was formed already in 1993, even though this is their debut album. Well worth checking out indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: King Records

Country: Japan

Year: 2010

RENAISSANCE OF FOOLS - Fear, Hope & Frustration (CD)

2011-09-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

Now here’s the return of a long lost great musician. Daniel Magdic was in the first line-up of Pain Of Salvation, but then disappeared into obscurity. In the new unit Renaissance Of Fools we also find singer and guitarist extraordinaire, Kjell Bergendahl, who is also found in heavy rockers Thalamus. The band is completed by bass player Björn Tauman (Without Grief, Chainwreck) and drummer Magnus Karlsson. Daniel, Björn and Magnus actually had a previous band together, called Cudfish, which unfortunately never really lift off. Hopefully this will. Trying to describe what you will find on this band’s debut I can use the first two member’s former and ordinary bands – Pain Of Salvation and Thalamus. Here are songs like opener Precious Life and Ordinary Man’s Diary which both possess the heaviness of Thalamus, but also the progressive, slightly melancholic side of Daniel’s past adventures. In songs like Polarized Round they lean more towards the progressive side. I also want to point out, it’s not progressive as in Dream Theater-like technical cold overload, but more the King Crimson and even Pink Floydish side of that genre. The sound is heavy and think, but still very dynamic with akiller mix by Pelle Saether and mastering by King’s X Ty Tabor. The detuned guitars give it an extra crunch and Tauman’s heavy bass playing really lays the album a powerful foundation to rest upon. Even in ballads like Leave It All Behind they manage to give it an aura of heaviness and power. Here Tauman’s bass playing also really shine through. I truly love Kjell’s voice and the way he embraces the songs and takes the melodies to a new level. The harmony language sometimes makes me think of bands like Anekdoten or The Flower Kings. Fear, Hope & Frustration is an album highly recommended for fans of heavy progressive/symphonic rock.
Janne Stark
Label: Metalville
Year: 2011

CLARK LANE – Bedroom Sessions (CDR)

2011-09-07T01:40:00.000-07:00

Clark Lane live

Suck me sideways! The name doesn’t really say anything, the demo “layout” looks like it’s made by a kid, no contact info or song titles, but holy crap this band sounds good! The opening track made me think of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy meets TNT with a modern twist. Next up is a melodic modern riff-oriented rocker which really kicks ass. I’m not really sure what band to compare this to, as they do have a twist of their own. Great vocals, awesome musicians, killer guitarist and a really cool mix. At times the sound and style of the guitars makes me think of a mix of Ronnie Le Tekro (TNT) and Pete Lesperance (Harem Scarem). Next track makes me think of my favourite Norwegian band Jack In The Box with its quirky riffs and great harmonies. This is by far the best unsigned Swedish band I’ve heard this year! Awesome stuff! The songs have so many layers, with a simple melodic line on top and really complex rhythmic musical patterns underneath. This is music you can find new stuff in every time you listen to it. Stuff I truly love! The closing track follows in the same style and I am truly in love! This band should be signed sooner than as soon as possible! I NEED an album, I DEMAND an album!
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Label: none
Link: http://www.clarklane.se/

THALAMUS - Subterfuge (CD)

2011-09-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

Borlänge-based heavy rockers Thalamus’ debut album was one of the releases that really knocked me out when it arrived. It was one hell of a debut, filled to the brim with fat riffs and heavy grooves. As a small taster for the follow-up the band released a very nice MCD entitled Sign Here For Nothing. When the second full length album Subterfuge now arrives it’s no thunder and lightning and no brutal riff that pleasantly smashes your forehead. Nope, the album opens with almost three minutes of soft, almost jazz/folky, but still quite heavy prog using only vocals, guitars, keyboard, and halfway through also bass, but no drums. It’s definitely a great song, but very surprising. Furthermore it’s only entitled Intro. Well, have no fear, in second track Bring Down Mary they prove the riffs and groove is there! After this When Goblins Cheer brings it all into a dead heavy doom territory, but with a very melodic chorus, which I also didn’t expect. I like that the boys dare to explore new territories, it makes it all a bit more interesting. Blind actually brings in some vintage Purple overtones, distorted Hammond and all, and with a chorus that sounds very much Purple Perfect Strangers era, but with Kjell’s bluesy vocals taking it in a totally different direction. Still Dancing On My Grave brings another dose of ultra-potent riffing which is something of a trademark of this band. The track I Hope You Understand is the only survivor off the intermediate MCD, here re-mixed by Daniel Bergstrand to fit the rest of the disc, and it sure does both musically and soundwise. One of my absolute favourite tracks is the ultra-groovy and almost funky Shot To Hell, which makes it impossible to sit still. The riff fest continues on the She Sells Desolation, which kicks off in quite an unorthodox way with a guitar riff and drums that suddenly stops, like the drummer forgot the rhythm, but soon picks up. Very funny indeed and with another memorable riff. Love Is Shining On The Dead Man almost draws near singer/guitarist Kjell Bergendahl’s side project Renaissance Of Fools with its cool, slightly psychedelic feel. The album finishes with the cool stomping cool riffster Through The Fields, where the riff almost sounds like ugly ogres walking through a stony field, lifting their feet and stomping down hard and firm. Is it better than the debut? I kinda see them as two totally different entities as they are quite different, even though the basic formula is still there, and I feel one completes the other. You can easily play the two back to back without feeling any sense of repetition. Killer stuff!

Janne Stark
Label: Transubstans
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.thalamusband.com/

HEAVEN'S BASEMENT - Unbreakable (CD 7tr)

2011-09-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

Sid Glover, Chris Rivers, Rob Ellershaw and Aaron Buchannan. Five young English guys who sound as American as Jack Daniels. Well, since they sound great and they actually give it their own spin, I’m not complaining. Heaven’s Basement sounds like a grittier, earthier and a lot less sterile bad young cousin of Nickleback. To be honest, they don’t sound like Nickleback at all, they just belong in the same genre, but I do think they will appeal to their fans as well. Heavy, modern, melodic and loaded with crunchy guitars. They do have some cool heavy riffing going on as well, like in Close Encounters. Great choruses, too. Yepp, all the necessary ingredients are there! Destined for success? Well, they do deserve it from the seven tracks presented on this CD.

Janne Stark
Year: 2011
Country: UK
Link: http://heavensbasement.com/

BLACK WATER JAMES - Vol 1 (MCD)

2011-09-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

Retro is the word of the future! Well, at least that’s what’s currently hot, and I do not complain. Growing up with, and still loving, bands like Mountain, Montrose, Stray Dog, Skynyrd, Pat Travers etc., I really love the younger bands giving the classic seventies hard rock a new spin and their own touch. Black also seems to be the word of today with new bands like Black Water Rising, Black Country Communion, Black Stone Cherry, The New Black, Black Tide, Black Robot, you name it. Well, I don’t mind that either (as long as I don’t mix them up). Black Water James is a new black retro band, and, yepp, I really enjoy these guys as well. The Nashville foursome rocks it with a southern bluesy touch, mixing touches of vintage Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynrd and AC/DC giving them a well deserved spot alongside bands like Silvertide, Buckcherry, The Answer and Black Stone Cherry. The songs deliver, the musicians deliver and the sound is ambient, dynamic and in your face. Great stuff, indeed! A band to check out! This is just a six track promo EP, but it rocks!! After reviewing this I checked out the band’s self-titled debut and I tell you, this one’s well worth laying your hands on, too!
Janne Stark
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Label: private
Link: http://blackwaterjames.com/

GUDARS SKYMNING - Mörka Vatten (CD)

2011-08-30T03:39:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure why, but it seems Swedish bands have a certain knack for interpreting, reinventing and rejuvenating the classic old seventies hard rock and elevating it to a new level. Abramis Brama, Graveyard, Magnolia, Mangrove, Blowback, Siena Root, well, they are many and they are good. Now Gudars Skymning presents their second release and they made me a happy man again. Mörka vatten (dark waters). It starts out with a pleasant kick in the joint with the riffster Jag är en trollkarl (I’m a wizard) and continues with the heavy and doomy Södersläntsblues, which actually reminds me a bit of Black Sabbath’s Hand Of Doom. What I like about Gudars Skymning is that the song material is not just plowing down one row, they spread the seeds pretty well. The songs range from straight ahead riffing to some more chords based bluesy stuff, even with some folky overtones in songs like Hyfs och fason. I älvens svarta djup is another cool thing with lots of dual guitars, solos both right and left. One of my absolute favourite riffs is found in two versions on this album, first in Swedish and then in English. Well, not the riff, but the lyrics. Aldrig har jag vetat is a Swedish version of Mountain’s classic Never In My Life, which appears as the last track in its original format. A cool version staying very to the original (except the Swedish lyrics). Another Swedish retro gem to keep a lookout for!

Janne Stark
Label: BloodRock
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.gudarssymning.se/

FULLFORCE - One (CD)

2011-08-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

Swedish power metal all-star constellation Fullforce have been in the starting blocks for some time, but finally the debut has now been released. If the start by revealing the line-up you may get a picture of what this is all about. Vocals are handled by Cloudscape/Planet Alliance singer Mike Andersson, which secures that that department is well taken care of. The guitar department is run by former Hammerfall/Fullstrike stringsman Stefan Elmgren and Narnia/System Breakdown/Grimmark shredder CJ Grimmark. So, guitars: check. The bass work was initially handled by former Hammerfaller Magnus Rosén, but before the album he handed that task over to his Hammerfall replacement Tommy Larsson, and I’m not complaining here either. The drums are handled by none other than Hammerfall, former Silver Mountain, Malmsteen, Planet Alliance, Johansson drummer Anders Johansson, which seals the deal when it comes to musical talent in the band. Well, talent alone doesn’t make a great band. There have to be songs. So, how does the band do in this department? Album opener Mythomaniac actually didn’t fully convince me. It’s by no means a bad song, it just felt a bit – ok, good song, but I do expect some more from this bunch. Well, fear not, second track None Of Your Concern shatters all the previous doubts with it’s driving and heavy riffing, great chorus and powerful delivery. I think fans of Cloudscape, Planet Alliance and even to a certain extent Hammerfall, will feel pretty much at home. We’re talking melodic power metal here. It’s no reinvention of the wheel, but it’s a nice change of tyres I’d say. Songs like Oblivion throws in some nice oriental vibes, which makes a nice change. There’s also some more straight ahead classic hard rock riffing thrown into the mix, which is nice. The album is full of strong choruses, but fortunately not the type of major scale stuff where you’d end up in the Eurovision Song Contest if you remove the distorted guitars. Good solid stuff! I also like the mix by Grimmark. Powerful and with great separation. The song-writing has been shared between Andersson, Elmgren and Grimmark, which I also think contributes to the nice diversity in the songs. This is a good solid debut from a collection of great names, which proves this is not just a product that looks good on paper, it does sound great as well.

Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Label: Steamhammer/SPV
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.fullforce.se/

ROCK OUT WILD, Nalovardo August 12-13 - Festival review (Swedish)

2011-08-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Vem vid sina sinnens fulla bruk drar igång in ny hårdrocksfestival i Norrlands inland, femton kilometer utanför Sorsele, vid foten av ett skidfjäll? Bodil och Maria, två modiga tjejer som älskar hårdrock och festivaler. Det som är desto mer förvånande att trots att det är första gången de arrangerar en festival känns det som de inte gjort annat. De har första året lyckats komma upp i en kvalité som det tagit andra festivaler fyra-fem år att nå upp till vad gäller organisation, band, ljud och allt runtomkring. Jag är mäkta imponerad. Allt bara flyter. Banden börjar på minuten utsatt tid, mat finns där det ska och när det ska, inga bråk, inte en enda sur min och desto mer fascinerande - inte en enda mygga! Visst ligger festivalen lite avsides, men det finns gott om parkeringsplatser och campingmöjligheter. Dessutom går det festivalbussar mellan Sorsele och ut till festivalområdet. Som sagt, allt är väl planerat. Första dagen inleds med det officiella öppnandet av festivalen. Eftersom det är mitt på dagen och en fredag är väl inte publikuppslutningen den största, men vad gör det när Jan-Erik Sorsén drar igång motorsågen för att såga av invigningsstocken. Nu är vi i Norrland och här klipper man inte några fjolliga jävla snören! Jag kommer att återkomma till Jan-Erik lite senare. Festivalen öppnas av att Storumans enda metal band, Vanity Insanity spelar låten de fick äran att skriva: Rock Out Wilds temalåt, naturligtvis döpt till – Rock Out Wild. Jag fick äran att vara med och gästa på låten, så jag är nog lite part i målet, men det är en riktigt bra stänkare till låt. Festivalen var nu officiellt öppnad. En sak jag först måste avhandla är ljudet på festivalen. En sak som förhöjt hela upplevelsen och som jag kommer att återkomma till flera gånger, är just ljudet. Umeå Scenteknik skall ha en eloge av gigantiska mått. Anläggningarna var perfekt anpassade och ljudkillarna i världsklass. Dessutom var de trevliga och ödmjuka grabbar, något vissa andra firmor borde lära sig av. Jag har ofta upplevt att utomhusscener kan sakna botten, men inte här. Det hade likaväl kunnat vara en inomhuskonsert. Bra botten, bra separation, sången hördes perfekt och det var en högst njutbar nivå. Jag är imponerad.

Blackrain
Först ut på stora scen var Örnsköldsviksbandet Blackrain. Jag hade aldrig hört dem förut och namnet sade mig inte så mycket om stilen. Men, snacka om positiv överraskning! Blackrain levererar ganska modern melodisk metall med den riktigt stark sångaren Daniel Söderberg i spetsen. I och för sig har den eminente gitarristen Ronnie Blylod figurerat lite här och där innan. Det låter riktigt tungt, tight och välrepat. Dessutom har de bra låtar, där några fortfarande sitter i bakhuvet.

Vanity Insanity
Jag kanske är part i målet eftersom jag fick nöjet att vara med och lira i bandets festivallåt Rock Out Wild, men Vanity Insanity är en stark konkurrent till band som Crazy Lïxx och Crashdïët. Bandet levererar sleaze-influerad melodisk hårdrock med tyngd och precision. Låtmaterialet är även det riktigt bra och det är även här riktigt tight och välrepat. Bandet har dessutom i Viggo Vain en sångare i yppersta klass. Definitivt ett band att hålla ögonen på!

Assailant

Från Umeå kommer festivalen första riktigt hårda band. Assailant, som hittills släppt två plattor. Stilmässigt är de lite svåra att placera. Jag hör inslag av så väl melodisk dödsmetall som teknisk thrash och melodisk power metal. En blandning som gör det till ett riktigt intressant band. De levererar dessutom rejält live och låter lika bra som på platta. Så här långt bådar utbudet riktigt gott.

Fourever
I ryggen hade de tre tjejerna en resa på 15 timmar och dryga 130 mil, från Olofström till Nalovardo. Någon trötthet visade de dock inga prov på. Fourever har alltid levererat live och fortsätter göra så. Nu har de äntligen spelat in sin debutplatta också. Flera i publiken höjde på både ett och två ögonbryn i positiv förvåning över de späda tjejernas musikalisk leverans och förutom de egna låtarna bjöd de på egna tolkningar av Kiss Detroit Rock City och Europes Scream Of Anger, där publiken fick gissa upphovsbandet och vinnaren belönades med en t-shirt.

Shade Of Grey

Även om Umeåbandet Shade Of Grey inte är några debutanter, så var detta bandets första spelning. Sångaren Leif Grabbe har tidigare hojtat i Angeline och Ramm, basisten Mattias Bernhardsson har varit med i Nocturnal Rites, (förre) trummisen Mikael Ludvigsson i Live Elephant (nu ersatt av Örjan Lundmark - rättelse) och gitarristen Johannes Forsberg i Planet Storm. Trots att det var första spelningen märktes ingen nervositet och det hela satt som en smäck. Stilmässigt fick de mig att tänka på Cloudscape, lite småproggig och melodisk metall med två kanongitarrister, en stark sångare och en rytmsektion som levererar den rätta tyngden. En regnskur (den ena av festivalens två) fick varken bandet eller publiken att lätta på gasen. Även här – kanonbra ljud från Umeå Scenteknik!

Caliber 69

Ännu ett Umeåband, Caliber 69 äntrade den lilla scenen och tog den i besittning direkt. Även här levererades sleaze-osande hårdrock av klassiskt snitt. Lite Guns ’N Roses-touch med Slash-influerade riff och även här en sångare som levererade med övertygelse. Att trummisen Jimmy Borgström även lirat dödsmetall var inte fel. Grabben kunde slå både hårt och tight.

Maryscreek
Även här ett hyfsat långväga band, Linköping närmare bestämt. Jag hade tidigare bara hört debutplattan Some Kind Of Hate och gillade det jag hörde. Jag kunde glatt konstatera att även detta band levererade med klass och övertygelse live. De gjorde definitivt plattan rättvisa och även här imponerade sångaren Mats Nilsson stort. Det är inte många festivaler där jag vid sjunde bandet konstaterat att allt hittills varit bra!

Crowdburn

Crowdburn, ett ungt band från Umeå. Var det dags för en kvalitetssänkning månne? I helvete heller. Crowdburn lirar hård elak metall, med en frontman i Aron, som har energi som ett kärnkraftverk. Det är tight och tekniskt men sitter som en pannbiff i en marmorvägg. Ännu ett band att hålla ögonen på.

Crucified Barbara
Fredagens final signeras Crucified Barbara. Stockholmskvartetten ger som vanligt allt och levererar låtar från såväl första singeln som senaste plattan Till Deaf Do Us Part och naturligtvis schlagermetalhitten Heaven Or Hell. En klart värdig avslutning på festivalens första dag. En liten besvikelse angående publiktillströmningen, som dock växte framåt kvällningen. Dagen höll sig hyfsat varm, medan kvällen bjöd på lite kyligare luft och temperatur nedåt 6-7 grader. Dock inget som avskräcker en hårdrockande publik och något som satte fart på Assailants försäljning av hoodies.

Lördag morgon och solen överfaller min säng! Hade jag försovit mig? Icke, klockan var 05.15. Vad är detta? Vi sörlänningar är inte vana vid sådant. Väl på festivalområdet börjar en sömn- (och i vissa fall alkohol-) drucken publik vakna upp. Dags för nya tag. Jag kan inte låta bli att åter häpna över den fantastiska inramningen, med Nalovardos skidpister som kuliss och utsikten över Vindelälven som utsikt från stora scen.

Coldspell
Lite förvånande kan jag nog tycka att lördagen öppnas av ett band som släppt två högklassiga plattor. Men, ett drag att locka folk ur sängarna och komma till festivalen tidigt kan jag förstå. I vilket fall osm helst, en spelning jag verkligen sett fram emot och som definitivt inte gjorde mig besviken. Tvärt om. Coldspell leverarade till fullo och även de med samma kvalité som på platta. Vad gällde ljudet, inget nytt, fortfarande kanon!

Exciter
Jag ska erkänna att jag lyfte på ögonbrynen när jag läste att Exciter skulle spela här ute i naturen. Nå, nu var inte detta den kanadensiska patrullen utan ortens lokala coverband. Jag skall erkänna att de såg ut som en brokig samling i högst varierande åldrar, lite som en musikalisk släktträff. Döm inte hunden efter håren. När de levererade var det med övertygelse och riktigt bra. Två samspelta gitarrister som axlade så väl Purple som Judas Priest-riff med bravur, en sångerska med bra pipa och resten av bandet inte att förglömma.

Lucid Legend
Ännu ett långväga besök, närmare bestämt från Vara. Bandet såg rätt ut och lät bra, men lyckades inte riktigt nå fram till och få med sig publiken. De jobba de dock hårt på det med sin 80-talsinfluerade, lite sleaziga hårdrock. Bandets sjulåtars CD är väl värd att kolla in.

Blackout Metal

Om jag inte minns fel hade vi tre band bara i Blekinge som hetat Blackout. Även om inte namnet kanske var det mest fantasirika så var musiken desto roligare. Jag tyckte mig höra lite drag av klassiska Metallica ibland från detta Ume-gäng, men de små taktmässiga finurligheter de kastade in ibland tog det hela ett snäpp upp. Bra och tight band som levererade tung metall med övertygelse.

Absorbing The Pain
Här var ett band, hemmahörande i Örnsköldsvik, som jag sett fram emot. Bandets senaste platta Songs Of Hate With Love ligger högt på min gilla-lista. Här snackar vi nedstämda gitarrer och tunga riff. På grund av att sågaren var i slutet av en förkylning (vilket definitivt inte hördes det minsta) så kastade de in några instrumentala saker som tyvärr drog ner takten en aning. Från mitten till slutet var det dock fem poäng av fem möjliga.

Shadow Of The Room
Piteå/Luleå-baserade episka metal-bandet Shadow Of The Room (inte Moon, som jag höll på att säga) överraskade med en späd gitarrspelade tjej som growlade i klass med Angela Glossow. Nu var det dock ren sång som dominerade och growlet var mer en effekt, men en fräck sådan.

Helltrain
Death ’n Roll? Dödsmetall möter rock ’n roll med growl och nästan poppiga melodier emellanåt. Förvånande nog med en dröse backingtracks som uppbackning också. Dock, klart intressant och innihelvete tight. Utan trollkarlen bakom mixerbordet hade detta kunnat låta skit, men nu blev det precis den perfekta tighta, tunga och feta ljudmatta detta band behöver och som fick dem upp till den niva de förtjänar. Jag är inget fan av growl, men jag ryckes med som ett asplöv.

Summoned Tide
En kul detalj på denna festival är att de förmodligen hade fler tjejer på scen än resterande svenska hårdrocksfestivaler ihop. I Summoned Tide var detta i form av basisten Jennifer Sikström. Bandet dompteras av sångaren och gitarristen Rickard Thelin som styr det hela likt en hårdnackad sjökapten. Vi snackar episk metall med lite drag av såväl Crimson Glory som klassiska Helloween med en stark medeltids/folk-vibe. Robertsfors är hemstaden.

Dia Psalma

En bra festival måste ju ha en värdig festival. Dia Psalma, som dessutom lockade ut en månghövdad publik ur gömmorna, bidrog med just detta. Jag ska erkänna att jag inte är eller har varit något större fan. Inte riktigt min stil helt enkelt. Men, jag ska erkänna, detta var riktigt bra live! Medryckande till max, inlevelsefullt och energiskt till max. Bandet drev verkligen Rock Out Wild till sitt klimax! En kanonavslutning på en helt fantastisk festival som kan sammanfattas med tre ord – hjärta, kärlek och hårdrock.

Om nu inte publikuppslutningen var vad den kunde ha varit i år så har detta i alla fall varit ett bevis på att det går att anordna en riktigt suverän hårdrocksfestival i Norrlands inland och det är bara att hoppas att folk inser det, att tvivlen skingras och att nästa år ser en publik med 2-3 gånger så många huvuden. Det förtjänar den utan tvekan. Vi har Muskelrock i södra Sverige, Norrland har nu Rock Out Wild. Gemensam nämnare? Hjärta – kärlek – hårdrock! 2012, då är jag där igen!

VANITY INSANITY - Drop Dead (printed CD-R)

2011-08-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure of getting acquainted with Vanity Insanity at the Rock Out Wild festival. A bunch of nice and great sounding guys live. The band’s first four-track demo proves the songs are just as strong when listening without the live experience. It kicks off with sleazy rocker Better Without You with it’s cool riffing and Skid Row-attitude. Viggo is a great singer with the perfect attitude and vocal tone for the musical direction, with a bit of Sebastian Bach tone actually. The song written for the Rock Out Wild festival is a great groovy rocker with some detuned riffing going on. Drop Dead starts out a bit like Still Of The Night but takes its own path, just as heavy though. Dented Halo is a straight ahead rocker in the vein of classic Poison meets Crüe. Songs that should attract any fan of good old sleaze. The demo was recorded very quickly, which unfortunately shows in the mix and delivery. Give this band a proper studio, a great engineer and I’m sure they will give bands like Crashdïet, Crazy Lixx and Loud ‘N Nasty a run for their money!
Janne Stark
Label: self-released
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.myspace.com/Vanity.Insanity

DISDAINED - Kill My Only Enemy (CD)

2011-08-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Judging from the band picture this is “yet another band with a beautiful front woman and a bunch of ugly guys”. Well there are a zillion bands with only ugly guys and no one complains about that so I’ll leave it at that. It may be a new band, but parts of the band are no newcomers but have been found in bands like Insania (Stockholm) and Satanic Surfers. Disdained are describes as a “female-fronted doom band”, which I however do not agree with. Female-fronted, yes, but doom? No way! Ok, the riffs are heavy, but the songs are generally many many bpm too fast. I’d say they sound like a heavier relative of Within Temptation, but with their own identity. Singer Therése Thomsson has great vocal capacities and she thankfully avoids the Nightwishian opera style wailing, but adds a few well placed growls instead, and they are few and far between. The musicians are also top notch and I’m happy to say here I can actually hear what the bass-player is playing as well. The song material is well-arranged and balances perfectly between the melodic side and the detuned riffing. The mix, by Peter Norlinder and Dan Norman, is dynamic and ambient and at the same time brick-breakingly heavy. It gets pretty theatrical at times, especially in songs like “Numb”, which I really like. It may not be unique, but the competition here in Sweden is pretty slim. Well worth checking out!

Janne Stark
Label: Rambo
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.disdained.se/

ERIC GALES - Transformation (CD)

2011-07-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

Eric Gales stunned me back in 1991 when he made his debut with the self-titled The Eric Gales Band CD. He was a young and innocent guitarist with an incredibly explosive guitar style, like a re-born Hendrix on steroids. Much have happened since, numerous albums and a long personal journey. Eric is quite fresh out of prison for drug charges, where he starts the album by claiming his innocence in the song Railroaded. He talks about being framed. If it’s true story, well, what do I know. If it’s so, it of course sucks, but what really matters is that he once again delivers 100 % guitar magic! He has, on some of the previous albums, strayed away a bit and tried using loops, some more jazzy bits, some more traditional blues, some almost poppy stuff, but Transformation is Eric in the zone. Just check out killer riffage á la carte stuff like Tortured Mind, Railroaded, the heavy funkster Altered Destiny, the slightly ZZ Top:ish I Pity The Fool and the heavy rockers Catchin’ Up With The Past and closing track I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog That Way. Even though Eric’s work on the latest 2-3 albums has been pretty consistent, I think this is his best album in years. His guitar-playing has that perfect mix of feel and edge. At times you can almost see the sparks flying. His vocals are like always pretty laid back, but it fits the songs, so I won’t complain. I also must mention his outstanding backing musicians who really help ignite the sparks: bass player Aaron Haggerty and drummer Steve Evans, to guys who really play a big part in making this rocker roll!
Janne Stark
Label: Provogue/Shrapnel
Year: 2011
Country: USA

CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD - Captain Black Beard (CD)

2011-07-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

I can’t say the name really excites me, but luckily enough the music does. The album kicks off with a couple of high class party oriented mood raisers. High octane major scale straight ahead hard rock ‘n roll. Third track Rock Is My Life kicks the ball in a whole different direction bringing in some very pop-oriented touches in the verse, with a highly AOR-oriented bridge and chorus. American Dream continues in the same direction and I do feel a little bit confused about what type of the band these boys aim to be. Concrete Jungle also features a lot of pop-oriented melodies, but here in a bit more modern way. Singer Sakaria has a clear, clean and really good voice which fits the style perfectly. By Ex-Convict the picture is now quite clear Captain Black Beard is actually more of a pop-oriented melodic rock band than a bunch of party rockers. The first two tracks fooled me a bit there. They do have a highly personal touch to their sound and music and I can’t really say they remind me of any other band. I do get some vibes of long lost band Superfly 69 in some places, like in No Worries, but apart from that I’m a bit lost for comparisons. True Love has some really nice heavy guitar playing, but the vocal melodies screams summer pop. The album ends like it started with some straight ahead party rock in Rockin’ Body. The verse riff gives it a sleazy metal feel, but apart from that it doesn’t really fit the genre. This is actually good, but I can’t really figure out where to place the band. The hard rock approach mixed with the very poppy melodies does confuse me a bit at times. My absolute favourite tracks are the two opening tracks and I sort of wish they would have kept that spirit up a bit more.
Janne Stark
Label: Self-released
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011

BEARDFISH - Mammoth (CD+DVD)

2011-07-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

This band is definitely as weird as the name inclines. And, it’s not a bad thing at all. I’ve actually had something of a time-out when it comes to prog as I got tired of staring at my own navel (or at least listening to bands who were). I’ve however discovered some new bands that have made me get into prog mode again. Beardfish is one band that really intrigues me. They have quite an unconventional sound, with a singer that is not just an excuse for having someone wail over some disrhythmic complex musical patterns. Rikard Sjöblom is a damn good singer for starters. The music draws from lots of different areas, but the foundation is firmly based in the aura of the seventies. There’s some touches of Anekdoten meets The Flowerkings, or Gentle Giant meets King Crimson for that matter, in songs like the instrumental And The Stone Said – If I Could Speak, while there are some more heavy rock overtones in opener The Platform. The boys really mix it up which shows in third track Tightrope which sounds more like a re-visited late 60s pop-tune with touches of Camel and some jazzy passages. Green Waves showcases some pretty cool heavy and intense riffing with more of a heavy rock attitude, while next track Oustide/Inside is a short almost classical piano piece. Akakabotu enters a more jazz-fusion oriented landscape and reminds me a bit of Swedish progsters Fläsket Brinner meets Samla Mammas Manna, mixing distorted Hammond organ and saxophone. Album closer Without Saying Anything on the other hand starts off sounding quite a lot like vintage Kansas mixed with more current band Magellan, but when the vocals come in I instantly come to think of Swedish seventies band Blåkulla. This is truly an interesting musical journey I will most likely embark many more times. The bonus-DVD contains the traditional “The making of…” as well as seven tracks recorded live in De Boerderij in Holland of outstanding quality both sound and picture. I’d go for the deluxe edition, it’s worth it!
Janne Stark
Label: InsideOut
Year: 2011

TWINS CREW - Judgement Night (CD)

2011-07-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

Swedish melodic power metal band Twins Crew (featuring twins David and Dennis Janglöv on guitars) have previously released two EPs in 2008 and 2009. Both releases have been quite promising, however slightly lacking in production. Now the band has taken it to the next step by releasing a full album in a digipack with really nice artwork. The band has also taken it to the next step when it comes to both production and music. The previous releases were really good, but already in the opener Eternal Nights the buys show they mean business. This track is more in the vein of vintage Queensryche. This is also the first time I’ve really noticed what an awesome singer Andreas Larsson is. He has a bit of Geoff Tate in the higher register, but a lot more power in the lower ones, more in the vein of Russell Allen. The guitar work is also more well-composed and feels like it has elevated to a new level. Furthermore, the song material has also been taken to a whole new level. The previous more traditional power metal has changed more into slightly progressive heavy metal with a powerful touch, a bit like Nevermore or Iced Earth (but better) mixed with vintage Queensryche and with a tad Maiden:esque riffing and some Helloweenian melodies here and there. One track, Light, however take it in a different direction, pushing the pedal to the metal and sounds very much like Dragonforce. This is the stuff I don’t really enjoy, to be honest. It’s melodic and all, but I’m not really into this type of speed-twiddle-sing-along stuff. Impressive guitar-playing, though, I must admit. The songs are well-arranged and the production, by Nicko DiMarino and the band, is really good. Definitely an album well worth checking out for fans of melodic heavy metal.

Janne Stark
Label: self released
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.twinscrewband.com/

DEATHDESTRUCTION - Deathdestruction (CD)

2011-07-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

Brutal! To be honest this is not 100 % what I’m into. Still I can really get into the heavy groove and the riffs. Deathdestruction reminds me quite a bit of Pantera in their later days. The vocals by Jimmie Strimmel sound highly inspired by Phil Anselmo, especially in songs like Fuck Yeah and Kill It! You will probably recognize Jimmie’s name from bands like Dead By April, Nightrage and Cipher System. The other members are boys of great musical breeding as well. Guitarist Henrik Danhage, drummer Jonas Ekdahl and bass player Fredrik Larsson are all ex-Evergrey. Fredrik Larsson is of course also found in Hammerfall. Deathdestruction is nothing even remotely close to their former employers. The album is angry! It will bite you in the ass if you put it on and turn your back on it. It will shred your speakers and leave your sub woofer gasping for air. It sounds like they have taken Pantera’s sound and put a turbo charger on it. It’s heavier, fatter and with way more balls to the drum sound. The band made their debut with a live-EP and to be honest this album does sound very stripped down and live as well. No unnecessary overdubs, no wimpy harmony vocals. This is raw, this is brutal, and surprisingly enough I really find myself getting into this. It’s nothing for the faint hearted though – it’s Deathdestruction!
Janne Stark
Label: Sony Music
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: http://deathdestruction.com/

EVERGREY - Glorious Collision (CD)

2011-07-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

With a new line-up and a new label Göteborg melancholy progsters Evergrey return in glory. Well, I’m not just trying to be witty, it IS a really great album! Evergrey sure have had their dark moments, and that melancholy, slightly dark touch has become their trademark. With Glorious Collision they of course haven’t adopted any streaks of Monty Python humour or any major chords for that matter. However, the album does feel a bit more uplifting. New guitarist Marcus Jidell (Royal Hunt/The Ring) has added a bit more guitar harmonies, which feels refreshing, at least I haven’t really noticed them in the past in the same way. I must say, despite 3/5 of the band being new guys, only Tom Englund and keyboardist Rikard Zander remain from the previous album, it sounds very Evergrey.Old fans will not be disappointed. The new people them who are they? Guitars are handled by the aforementioned Marcus Jidell, bass is now played by former Mind’s Eye/Therion bassist Johann Niemann and the drums by Hannes van Dahl. From the first note you feel like this bunch has been playing together for years. It’s solid and it glues really well together. The song material is quite varied going to a variety of places, both in moods and tempos, even though the lower mid-tempo region still prevails. I’m glad to hear some more up-tempo stuff such as Free and Restoring The Loss, the cool balladry in songs like The Phantom Letters, The Disease… and album closer …And The Distance, which takes us from a really soft intro to a heavy chugging finale. I also really love the heavy riff-oriented stuff like I’m Drowning Alone. No weak spots as far as I can hear. A solid, consistent effort which again confirms Evergrey’s high position on the prog-oriented metal map.
Janne Stark
Label: SPV
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.evergrey.net/

ELECTRIC EARTH - Touching The Void (CD digi)

2011-07-07T02:22:00.000-07:00

Electric Earth have been quiet for a while, but now they are back again. It’s been four years since the last release “Vol II – Words Unspoken”, which was a pretty good release. When listening to “Touching The Void” I do hear some development in the style. It’s a bit less post-grungy and a bit more seventies, but also a bit darker and heavier. Tracks like “Collision With A Sun” and “Touching The Void” offer some cool retro-vibes, at times with a stonery touch. They do however offer some great melodies among the heavy riffing, like the chorus of "Free Fall” and the slightly poppy “Need This Time”. One track that really sticks out is the almost punky, “Black Butterfly”. The stonerish overtones shine through in songs like “Sugartooth”. I also hear some touches of Black Label Society in songs like “Harvest Time”, “Bird Of Phoenix” and “Skinstretched”, where the chorus however goes in a totally unexpected, very melodic direction. An album well worth waiting for and checking out!

Janne Stark
Label: TYSS Music
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.electricearth1.com/

THE QUILL - Full Circle (CD digi)

2011-07-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

Holy crap! The Quill is back, and they are BACK with a vengeance with a capital V! I’ve always been a fan, but when things were all changing in the line-up and my favourite singer Magnus left the ranks I was a bit worried. Well, I needn’t be. Magnus Ekwall was replaced by Magnus (Arnar) and this guy sure fills his predecessor’s shoes to the fullest. Arnar has previously recorded with heavy rockers Ground Mower, where he did a great job, as well. He actually has some vocal overtones which reminds me of the band’s previous frontman. He does however put his own stamp on it, and that’s good. So, songs then? Well, some of the stuff on this album, the title track being one prime example, is among the strongest I’ve heard the band produce ever! Period! Crap, there are riffs that give me a mental hard-on here! The current line-up features Arnar on vocals, Christian Carlsson on guitar, Jolle Atlagic on drums and new bass player Rob Triches, who also does a great job laying down some killer heavy bass riffs! The album was produced by the band and Petter Diamant and the sound is really killer! Heavy, fat and organic - me like! In some moments I hear stuff that reminds me of Grand Magus in their best moments, which I haven’t heard before, and that’s not a bad thing. Conny Bloom (Jolle’s formed Hanoi Rocks colleague and Electric Boys' frontman) guests on some citar in “Black Star”, another really cool rocker. These boys sure have swagger and groove as well, where “Bring It On” is one helluva groover. This album has tons of great riffs, stuff that may not be a reinvention of the wheel, but they work and nothing feels like rehashing of old stuff, but they are fresh in a cool retro-way. No, I haven’t been smoking herbs, I promise! I’ve been looking, but I can’t find one single weak track on this album. A killer! Highly recommended!

Janne Stark
Label: Metalville
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.thequill.se/

EVILSEVE - Don't Fall Asleep ....It's (CD)

2011-07-07T00:26:00.000-07:00

Sweden has produced a whole armada of retro metal bands lately, mostly ranging from the vaults of the seventies to the eighties. In the eighties department we find names like Steelwings, Enforcer, Helvetets Port etc. Add Evilseve. Not really sure about the seriousness of these boys, though. Judging by some of the song titles it seems like it’s pretty tongue in cheek. Well, judge for yourselves: what does titles like “Mosquito Balls”, “Rapist With A Blowtorch” and “Spank Me!” tell you? Musically, and lyrically, I find a lot of parallels with Göteborg metal clan Dream Evil. Just listen to a song like “Incompetence Is Bliss” where singer “Puss Peckard” (yeah, right…) sounds very much like Dream Evil’s high pitch god Niklas Isfeldt, which is great in my book. “Puss” is actually a damn fine singer (and I know he does appear in other bands as well). If Evilseve would’ve had the same big and fat production as the aforementioned this album would have been elevated a couple of steps. It’s by no means badly produced, I just wish…. Anyway, the songs are classic metal straight out of the book of heavy metal, and I like it! The band does it really well. It’s well-played, the musicians are great, the songs are really good and I can take a bit of humour in metal, no problem. I actually enjoy this album, I do. One thing I miss is the wigs. Boys, you could either take it all the way like Steel Panther, or go serious. You are great enough to go serious, that’s for sure. I’d go for the Steel Panther road as there MUST me more groupies there!

Janne Stark
Label: Manora
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.evilseve.com/

THE GLORIA STORY - Shades Of White (CD)

2011-07-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I’m not sure if it’s a bit charming or if I get pretty annoyed. But, come on, the opener “Valentino” is such a Thin Lizzy rip-off it makes my skin crawl. Opening phrase “Valentino’s got a friend or two” may as well have been “Valentino’s got a booky shop”, both melody and phrasing, “waiting for me honey” may well have been “waiting for an alibi” – plagiarism or tribute, it’s a bloody fine line. Well, the band does step out of the ”tribute” corner and prooves to be more original than that. However, the album shows quite a lot of influences, such as the guitar harmonies and the way they are recorded, the Phil Lynott influences in the vocals. But, they do find their own ways in the songs. Tracks like When Hearts Cease To Bloom and Highway sounds like if you’s thrown Lizzy, The Hellacopters and Swedish glam-poppers The Ark into a blender. The Gloria Story has a strong pop oriented side, which becomes a bit too much for me. What they do, they do good, though. A decent enough album that should attract fans of the aforementioned bands as well as fans of vintage Kiss, T Rex and even Bowie in his more rocking 70s outfit.
Janne Stark
Label: Rambo Music
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.thegloriastory.com/

BADMOUTH - Heavy Metal Parkinglot (CD)

2011-07-06T02:56:00.000-07:00

Now we’re talking major shape-up here! The band’s self-titled debut received a highly lukewarm review from yours truly. The only song that made some type of impact was album closer “Supersassy baby”, which is quite a lame result. Furthermore, the mix by Paul Sabu was anything but powerful and didn’t do the band’s sleazy hard rock any favours whatsoever. Undynamic and weak. Forget that, all is now forgiven. Sator main man Chips Kisbye understands how great rock ’n roll is supposed to sound. Fat and with the perfect punch. The pick-up also applies to the song material. Badmouth still produces straight ahead, no frills sleazy hard rock, but this time they have found the right hooks and songs that really stick. There’s also little production details that elevates it all, such as the nice upper harmonies in “Silver Lining”. Detials, but oh so important. I also complained about Randy’s untight guitar solos. Even here – great improvement! Sure, the dude hasn’t become a shredder, bu the doesn’t do more than he can handle and what he does he does really well. Even the vocal department has got a slight facelift, even if the prerequisites were there before. It all glues together perfectly and I’m happy to say, this is an album that will pay visit to my CD player several times again. Well done, boys!
Janne Stark
Label: Rambo Music
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.badmouththeband.com/

GORDON FIGHTS - Gordon Fights (CD)

2011-07-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

The album starts off with a slight nod to Black Sabbath’s “Warpigs” in the drum intro but then takes it in an entirely different direction, to suddenly slow the tempo down and get into a heavy riff, which then smoothes out and we are lead into a really soft, almost 60s influenced verse. The song then goes back and forth between heavy 70s riffs and smooth 60s psychedelica with some cool backwards guitars. Interesting indeed! Funnily enough the subsequent track, "Birds & Flowers", starts off very close to AC/DCs “Have A Drink On Me”, but like the the first track these guys are just pulling our legs (or ears) and we head off elsewhere. Here they go all boogie instead. Here they actually remind me a bit of The Hellacopters at times, in a good way. “Dance Quite Well” has some really killer southern style bluesy riffing going on and draws my mind to bands like Preacher Stone, Cry Of Love or Lynyrd Skynyrd in their heavier moments. A killer track indeed. This is a pretty versatile album in all its simplicity, I must say. The sound is quite clean, but still really heavy and with great dynamics. These guys sometimes sounds like they were at their height way back even before they were born. Very authentic indeed and I really like it! Singer Viktor Balkewitsch Persson has a cool voice, quite clean but still a bit gritty when he needs to. A prefect fit for the music. I think this will definitely attract fans of bands like Graveyard, Witchcraft etc as well. Back to the songs, Gordon Fights also do a really killer, southern acoustic porch style blues in “Brothers And Sisters” with some great female gospel style backing vocals giving it an even more authentic feel. I tell you, when these boys bring out guns like “No Rope Around Me” it’s damn well impossible to sit still. These guys rock and they groove! With a capital G! After having let this platter spin a few times I tell you, there’s not one single weak track on this album! It’s all a perfect match, the music, the songs, the sound, the vocals and the musicians. Together with the new The Quill album, they are at the top of my “Best Of The Month” list. I just can’t make any sense of the name, but that’s another story.
Janne Stark
Label: Transubstans
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: http://gordonfights.se/

RAWBURT - Tropheus (CDR 7tr)

2011-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Rawburt is a pretty new Göteborg (Gothenburg) metal unit lead by former Human Race guitarist Robert Hansson. The band also features bass player Jörgen Raneström and drummer Jörgen Tjusling. On the first, outstanding, demo the vocals were handled by Björn Larsson (Two Rocks, Ride The Sky etc), but on this effort Robert has brought back his old Human Race colleague Stefano Marchesini. I really loved Björn’s vocals and was at first a bit worried how Stefan would fit this instalment, which is a bit more metal than his previous work with Robert. Well, after having heard the opening bass crusher In For The Kill, my worries were totally shattered. Stefano does a killer job! In the verse of second track Burning he actually reminds me a bit of Jorn Lande. Holy crap, that song has some devastatingly heavy riffs! The cool thing is that the verses are really smooth. I don’t know what band to really compare to, it’s more that Rawburt (not so convinced when it comes to the band name though…) has picked some bits and pieces from here and there. There’s a bit of Zakk Wylde in some guitar parts, some Jorn in other parts, a bit of Primal Fear in some more metal moments, a touch of Rammstein in one song, but there are also some parts I can’t really place. The songs aren’t complicated or extremely unique, BUT holy crap – they ROCK! The song material is top notch and in combination with the outstanding mix of Solan Gundersen (who?? – this guy should be a star!) this could be one hell of an album! So, my tip of the day – let Stefano re-record the vocals of the first tracks and release this as the album of the year! Yes, it IS that good! …and I want a ManDelKubb amplifier if they all sound this good!
Janne Stark
Label: private
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link:http://www.rawburt.com

DREAMCATCHER - Souldesign (CD)

2011-07-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Man, it was actually a while since I heard any new interesting prog metal bands with the classic old Queensryche touch, but Dreamcatcher was a really refreshing acquaintance with a nod to the old school! The guys and girl however do look quite young. I must say this is a really classy production, both sound-wise and visually, for being a private release. This is something I would expect to see on a label like AFM or Massacre. Dreamcatcher fall in somewhere between bands like Symphony X, Andromeda and old school Queensryche, but with a strong touch of modern melodic bands like Within Temptation and Nightwish. The big difference being that Dreamcatcher are equipped with male singer Lucas Jackson, who reminds me a bit of Geoff Tate (back when he could actually sing well) and Midnight (R.I.P). What also makes me think of these bands are the way the keyboards are used, to create an ambient wall of sound more than the Rudess, Johansson style twiddling. The production is quite big and rich, where my only complaint would be the heavily trigged drums (which has more to do with me being an old school analogue fart). The songs are really good, well-written and flawlessly performed without feeling too technical or pretentious. This is a really good album I must say! Highly recommended for prog metal fans!
Janne Stark
Country: UK
Label: Private
Link: www.dreamcatcherofficial.com

IMPLODE - The Hour Has Come (CD)

2011-06-14T01:46:00.000-07:00

Sweden seems to be a highly fertilized breeding ground for new melodic death metal bands. There seems to be a new name popping up every week. Even though there’s a high risk of all of them melting together in one big pot if you don’t keep close track of them as they appear, a lot of them still have enough personality to shine on their own. I shall however point out that the bands that have already made a name for themselves such as Sonic Syndicate, Scar Symmetry, Soilwork and of course veterans like In Flames, Dark Tranquillity etc. have a much easier task. Fairly new label Supernova seems to be picking up several of these new acts. I have previously reviewed and written about Descend, Sarea and Hate Ammo. One of the newcomers of this label is Implode, voted best unsigned band in magazine Close-Up, before being picked up by Supernova. I agree, Implode is a highly competend, great sounding, tight, well-oiled thrashing death metal machine. The songs are really good and the performance top notch. However, I lack a bit of personality. They have all the right elements featuring angry vocals, (with some clean mixed in), great guitar solos, a really fat and thick wall of sound production, a drummer that knows how to work his feet. But, still, there are a lot of these type of bands out there with the same qualities, the same sound and songs in the same vein. There’s only a few songs that sticks out a bit for me, one being A War Within, which starts out with some cool dissonant clean riffing, moves into an almost doomy territory before the mayhem is released. I also like the kinda off-beat riffing in Black Crown and the Pantera-style riffing in album closer My Scornful Wrath is another highlight of the album. So, great sound, great band, but lacking in personality, at least for me.
Janne Stark
Label: Supernova
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.supernovarecords.com/artists.php?show=32

ABSORBING THE PAIN - Songs Of Hate, With Love (CD)

2011-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Rambo Music, a new Swedish label that is really vacuuming the Swedish market for new interesting acts. Here’s another one – Absorbing The Pain. I had actually missed the debut by these Örnsköldsvik boys, but was quite blown away by Songs Of Hate! If Spiritual Beggars and Black Label Society would have a threesome in a concrete blender that resulted in a bastard child, this might be it. Heavy detuned riffs, staccato crunch and clean strong vocals riding on top of this concrete bed. I do like Black Label Society, but sometimes the songs kinda melt together and Zakk’s vocals become a bit tedious when he does his best to sound angry all the time. I actually liked him much better in Pride & Glory. Singer Jonas reminds me a bit of former Spiritual Beggars, Kayser later Spice And The RJ band/Band Of Spice singer Christian “Spice” Sjöstrand. Yes, the songs are really heavy and the album is quite consistent, but there’s still a lot of variation. The production is quite ambient for such a heavy album. The drums sound quite acoustic as a nice contrast to the mostly overtrigged drum sounds of today’s heavy bands, while the guitars really form a brick wall of sound. I will see Absorbing The Pain on the Rock Out Wild festival, and I’m really looking forward to it!
Janne Stark
Label: Rambo Music
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: www.absorbing thepain.com

PIKKA DOLLS - s/t (demo CDR)

2011-06-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

Picka Dolls (yeah, you have to be Swedish to understand that, I know) is a new Swedish all femme force from Växjö. The band has just recorded their first four track demo and I must say I’m quite impressed. The band is fronted by singer/bassist Carro who has some great pipes. The demo opens with Trashcan Concubine, which is in my opinion the crown jewel of the demo. The band does need some more time in the rehearsal studio to get all the details right and foremost to get it all to glue perfectly together. But, I tell you, the fundamentals are there! Musically they are not as metal as Hysterica or Crucified Barbara, but they actually have a touch of the 70s as well as some vintage punk-elements. An interesting musical mix which sets them apart from many other bands. This is definitely a band too keep your eyes on.

Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Label: none
Website: www.myspace.com/pikkadolls

DESCEND - Through The Eyes Of The Burdened (CD)

2011-05-24T01:13:00.000-07:00

Swedish newcomers Supernova Records are sweeping the Swedish market for new, interesting, upcoming bands in the heavier genres of metal. Descend is one of the new additions to the roster. The band’s debut album opens with nice acoustic plucking which moves into a progressive metal arena, showing great promise for this new five-piece. When the vocals enter, it’s growl. I was brought up on the seventies heavy rock and the 80s metal and used to be allergic to growl, but have actually grown to like some growlers. What I do like is when they have a good vocal tone. Unfortunately singer Nima is not in the category of growlers I enjoy listening to, sorry. However the band sounds quite outstanding musically, tight as a rat’s ass and each musician on top his game. Furthermore the songs are actually killer! I guess you would label this progressive or technical death metal. I really like the way they incorporate some classical guitars into the brutal technical metal of A Sudden Sense Of Clarity (a nod to In Flames, maybe?). However as soon as the vocals enter it sort of ruins it for me. The singer would be better off in a more old school oriented death metal band. I wish the boys would learn from Opeth, Katatonia and even In Flames and incorporate a bit more clean vocals. The songs are killer and I’d definitely wear out this CD, if only… damn, I can’t get over the vocals of this one. Sorry.

Year: 2011
Label: Supernova
Country: Sweden
Link: www.myspace.com/descendsweden

MISS BEHAVIOUR - Last Woman Standing (CD)

2011-05-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

German label Avenue Of Allies are really giving it their all to be a melodic rock force to be reckoned with. With several really interesting releases in their roster they have now taken Swedish AOR band Miss Behaviour under their wings. The band’s debut “Heart Of Midwinter” (2006) was a really good effort. “Last Woman Standing” has however elevated the band to a whole new level. Maybe it’s the fact that original members Erik Heikne (guitar) and Henrik Sproge (keyboards) have drafted Shineth members Sebastian Roos (vocals/bass) and Anders Berlin (drums). Roos is the perfect vocal choice for the band, plus he’s a really great bass player I must say (I was surprised to read he’s also a member of Beatles tribute band Liverpool!). If you’re into bands like Bad Habit, Alien, Shineth, Shiva, H.E.A.T etc, then this is definitely a band you need to check out. I shall admit that some choruses are a bit too poppy for me, where “Give Her A Sign” is borderlining the Eurovision Song Contest, but as a whole it really works well! It’s AOR, melodic, well played, easy accessible and without any forms of thorns, edges or obstacles. The songs just flow through your head without making any bigger fuss. Sounds boring. Well, it actually ain’t. I listen to many different categories of music and I listen in several different ways. I can listen to some records where I really need to focus, where I want to hear every nuance and detail, where I almost want to be an integral part of the music. Then there are albums like this one where I can just enjoy it without having to concentrate, it’s an album I can enjoy while driving, while working, and album that I find myself tapping the rhythm to, humming along. It’s the same as when I’m listening to albums by bands like Survivor, Journey or Swedish fellows Bad Habit, Shineth (maybe not so surprising), Street Talk, Last Autumn’s Dream etc. Speaking of Survivor, the track “Taking Hostage” has some serious Survivor vibes in the intro and chorus. There are a few songs that stick out a bit, such as the heavy “Perfect War”. The production, by former Pole Position drummer Daniel Gese, is well balanced, dynamic and rich. My only complaint would be I’m sort of allergic to drums that sound programmed/triggered where every beat and cymbal sound exactly the same. The track “Perfect War” features a guest solo from Masterplan guitarist Roland Grapow, not that Heikne needs to be relieved of any of his duties as he’s a great guitarist. Highly recommended for fans of classic AOR.

Janne Stark
Label: avenue Of Allies
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.missbehaviour.se/

LINY WOOD - Liny Wood (CD)

2011-05-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

I had never heard about Liny Wood (or Linéa Helge), even though I’ve been at her dad’s guitar shop quite a few times, and she’s from a town only an hour away. The first time I saw her name and heard her outstanding vocals was on the new Brian Robertson album Diamonds And Dirt, where she sings on a couple of songs. Ok, I’ll start by saying Liny’s solo material is nowhere near Robertson’s bluesy hard rock, even though he lends a helping hand on three tracks on this disc as well. There are also some helping hands from Grand Illusion/Code’s guitarist Ola Af Trampe, drummer Peer Stappe, who recorded and played on John Norum’s latest solo-album, plus one track was co-written by Ulf “Chris Laney” Larsson. These are however the only hard rock connections on this disc, even though Liny does look very hard rock herself. The music is very versatile from piano based balladry, almost with an ABBA-touch in Jenny, I also hear a lot of Stevie Nicks in some of the material. Liny however has a greater range and much more power in her voice than Stevie, where Stevie on the other hand has a greater personality in hers. I also hear a bit of Alannah Myles here and there, which is also a good thing. There’s also some more modern pop stuff I personally don’t really care for. Where I think Liny really shines, the moments I really really like on this album is the softer and more acoustic stuff, like Mom, My Love and also Ship, where Robertson does some great soloing. Album closer Leaving You Behind is however my favourite. It’s more of a power semi-ballad with a very big powerful and dynamic sound, where her voice really shines and where Robertson again proves he does still have it. How I wish this would instead have been the softest song on the album. I would love to hear Liny just hang it all out in some powerful melodic hard rock. Her voice would fit like a glove, a studded leather glove with a touch of lace. Maybe next time?

Janne Stark
Label: Polar Studios
Year: 2011
Link: http://www.linywood.com/

UNSOLVED - Lost (CD)

2011-05-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

There’s quite a few really good modern sounding bands popping out of the Swedish woods these days. One new act to definitely check out is Unsolved. They do have some old Alice In Chains moments going on, but the vocal style is totally different and you don’t hear the traditional style depressed harmonies. It’s melodic and all, but at the same time singer Martin is not really in the poppy/neo-punkish style of bands like Hoobastank or Daughtry. He’s got a great versatile voice, showing a great melodic depth in songs like the ballad “You Are Not The One” and the melodic yet heavy “Stay With Me”, at the same time he can rough it up a bit without ever falling into the current growl/screamo-trap, which I really appreciate. Musically they do have a strong streak of Sevendust meets Shinedown with a touch of Tantric here and there, which is great in my book. They do also throw in the occasional guitar solo, which is nice. I also like the fact that there are great riffs, nice guitar arrangements, mixing clean guitars and crunchy heaviness, and not just a lot of chord strumming which gives the songs a nice texture. The song material is actually really great and strong, the mix is great, and with the right backing I think this band could really make it big!
Janne Stark
Label: Ilumnirec
Yeat: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: www.ilumnirec.com

BULLSEYE - Count On Me (MCD 4tr)

2011-05-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, when opener Count On Me started I was really surprised the band did a cover of one of my old Montrose favourites Space Station #5, but it soon prooved to be justa stolen riff. Well, the rest of it doesn’t sound like at all. Bullseye deliver straight ahead, no-frills, slightly punkish hard rock. At times I get a vibe of The Bones but not quite as punky and with a singer that sometimes makes me think of Jocke in Sabaton, especially when the accentuated rrrrrrr’s pop out in You See. Back In The Time pulls the tempo back a bit and shows a more melodic side with a bigger and more exciting side of Johan Hallström’s vocal range, plus it’s got a nice hook in the chorus. A hit maybe? Closing track Over The Top almost made me think of Saxon in the intro riff, while the punkish verse took it a totally different route. This is not bad at all, even if it may not be a CD I would listen to every day. The boys do it good, they have a infectious determination and the song material is of high class. This is definitely music that would kick up a dull party several notches.

Janne Stark
Label: private
Country: Sweden
Year: 2010
Link: http://bullseyeworld.com

THE ITCH - Spreading Like Wildfire (CD)

2011-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Boy, have I been waiting for this one! Ever since they released their four track CD single I’ve been waiting for the boys to get their stuff together. Now they have, and I love it! I’ve been following guitarist/singer Lukas since his (very) young days in bands like The Booze Brothers and he’s always had a great blues rock vibe to his playing. Even though he went a bit astray with doom/horror rockers Tenebre, he’s now found his home again. This is pure brilliant bluesy hard rock in the vein of bands like The Answer, Electric Mary, Roadstar and actually with a touch of The Hellacopters in their prime in songs like (3). Lukas is not only a great guitar player but also a classy singer. Besides the rockers there’s a really nice bluesy acoustic ballad with a touch of vintage Point Blank. One cool thing is the trade-off solo in the middle. As a contrast the subsequent track (10) rocks it in a true really heavy Zeppelinesque way and a riff that really hits home. This is a pretty diverse album ranging from straight ahead rockers to heavy riffsters and the acoustic interlude. Highly recommended!
Janne Stark

Year: 2011

Label: Rambo Music

Country: Sweden

DARKWATER - Where Stories End (CD)

2011-05-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

After having been a big fan of progressive metal for many years with bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Mind’s Eye, Sun Caged etc, I kinda lost interest in the genre a couple of years ago. It started feeling a bit like bands were complicated just for the sake of it. I started lacking the melody and groove. Some CDs attracted me, but unfortunately not that many. I’ve slowly started getting back in the prog groove again and Darkwater, who now releases their second effort, is one of the bands that don’t overcomplicate things just because they can. The band also has a very strong singer in Henrik Båth, which sets them apart from some other bands (I’m one of the people who get incredibly tired of James LaBrie in the long run). Darkwater reminds me a bit of Swedish colleagues Andromeda, but where Andromeda took the hard and less melodic route on their latest album, Darkwater have produced a more accessible platter in “Where Stories End”. A lot of things happen in the songs, but it feels like they are there for a reason. The songs are also created for a singer to sing, not just a complex musical pattern where the singer has to go through hell and high water to find where he can fit some vocal melodies into strange brew. Thus this is not just music for musicians, but an album you can enjoy as a regular fan of melodic metal. A great bunch of musicians, all of them, none mentioned none forgotten. Strong and interesting song material, too makes this a really great album indeed. Fredrik Nordström, Studio Fredman, has previously proven his abilities as sound engineer with multiple bands, not forgetting his own creation Dream Evil. He does a mighty fine job here as well, creating a powerful sound landscape with massive guitars, yet not overpowering the keyboards and vocals. Highly recommended. Ok, this album was released in November last year, but it does deserve being reviewed. A good whiskey does not get old.
Janne Stark
Label: Ulterium
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
Link: http://www.darkwater.se/

BONEDOG - Blame The Cat (CD)

2011-05-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

Sweden sure has its fair share of great heavy bluesbands. Sky High, Moosters, Blues Bag, Bacon Brothers, Gerfast, just to name a few. One band that you should definitely add to this lot is Bonedog. Of course it’s a trio, all the best ones are trios, aren’t they? Bonedog consists of Mikael Ladréhn on guitars and vocals, Peter Forss on bass and vocals and Michael Andersson on drums. Bonedog at times remind me quite a lot of Sky High in their heavier moments, but they also have a touch of Lance Lopez in tracks like Riding. Groovy and nice with quite a tight sound. Great organic guitar sound and fat bass while I wish the drums would have been a bit ballsier and more dynamic. Sounds great, though. Bleeding reminds me quite a bit of Blues Bag, another sadly forgotten outstanding Swedish power trio and the slow soulful All Night Long leans towards late seventies ZZ Top. The band for the most part avoids falling into the standard four bar blues swamp even though it’s not what you’d call inventive. So what? As long as the songs are good and the band grooves, which is the case here, plus I really like Ladréhn’s guitar playing. A really nice slab of Swedish swamp rock well worth checking out. This band probably rocks even better live.
Janne Stark
Label: private
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: www.myspace.com/bonedogblues

ENBOUND - And She Says Gold (CD)

2011-05-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

SHE says gold?! Well, damn it, so do I! Sometimes you just get these positive surprises, things you don’t really expect and that you didn’t see coming at all! Well, to be honest, this one I should’ve seen coming as I do have Enbound’s first promo MCD (2008) and I did like it a lot. However this does exceed my wildest expectations. This is pure gold, I assure you, 24 karat, no less. A great combination of melodic and progressive metal with great hooks and fine melodic lines mixed with great, not overcomplicated, slightly progressive melodic playing. I did call my own band Constancia’s style “melogressive”, well Enboud sure are, too! Melodic, a bit aggressive and a bit progressive. The song material is top notch and all of it is crowned by the outstanding singer Lars “Lee Hunter” Säfsund, also known for his formidable work in melodic band Work Of Art and also as leading star in “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Sweden. Guitarist Marvin Flühberg/Floberg/Flowberg is an outstanding versatile guitar player with quite a few cool tricks up his sleeve. Very tasteful, yet technical playing indeed. Inner Wound Recordings is a new but really strong player starting off with some killer releases! Impressive!

Janne Stark

Label: Inner Wound Recordings

Year: 2011

Link: http://www.enbound.com/

MALISON ROGUE - Malison Rogue (CD)

2011-05-04T04:55:00.001-07:00

For some reason I expected this to be another new classic 80s style heavy metal band in the vein of Steelwing, Enforcer etc., but wrong was I. Malison Rogue actually feels more like a bastard child of Iron Maiden and H.E.A.T with a touch of classic Queensryche thrown in for good measure. The band has a great vocalist in Sebastian “Zeb” Jansson. I sometimes hear a bit of Tempest, sometimes a bit of Midnight and a touch of Dickinson in some spots, but the boy does have a voice of is own. With some more recordings under his belt this guy can become one of our top metal singers, no doubt. This is actually a bloody good album, I must say! A positive surprise. The songs are well structured with nice hooks and great arrangements. The mix, by none other than Mats Leven, is ballsy and clear with a great balance. The guitars are definitely in your face but without being overpowering and the bass also finds its spot in the mix showing Petter “Pete Fury” Furå does know how to handle the four string thing. Jonatan Björkborg handles the guitar playing flawlessly with some really nice solos and some great harmony stuff thrown in. The album is however surprisingly short, only eight songs and under 40 minutes. The positive side of it is that you actually want to hear more and there are absolutely no fillers. A new promising act too keep a look out for!
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Label: Inner Wound Recordings
Link: http://www.myspace.com/malisonrogue

Short mixed reviews

2011-05-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

Jive Mother Mary "All Fall Down" – Good, but some tracks don’t hit me at all, while other are great! A bit inconsistent. Bluesy southern hard rock with a touch of Black Stone Cherry eets Aerosmith and Zeppelin at times. produced by John Custer (Cry Of Love, COC etc). http://www.myspace.com/jivemothermary

Ozone Mama - "Ozone Mama" – A bit like Jive Mother Mary with some great tracks and some that are just too much garagy rock ‘n roll. Reminds me at times a bit of Swedish band The Hellacopters. Ok, but not more. There is however a couple of tracks that really rock! Too bad they didn’t stick to that formula. http://www.ozonemama.com/

Heavy Glow "THe Filth And The Fury" – Good band, with a very raw early 70s vibe! A bit too garagy at times. http://www.myspace.com/heavyglowmusic

David Rock Feinstein - "Bitten By The Beast" – Sounds good. He’s not my favourite singer, but it works pretty good. Sounds and seems like a Rods record in disguise judging from the line-up. Too bad they’ve really mastered it into overload. It even distorts! I hate it when they do that. Even Ronnies vocals are distorted (or it’s supposed to be like that)! http://www.myspace.com/davidrockfeinstein

Hydra – "Live After All These Years" - AWESOME!! Loved the band already back in the 70s. Seems like they’ve really kept up well! This one is a must! Gotta get all the old stuff on CD! Haven’t though about it before, but they actually remind me a bit of Trapeze at times.

INTERVIEW - Neil Daniels - Author of "Don't Stop Believing - The Untold Story of Journey"

2011-05-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

First, tell us a bit about your background and how you started writing.

I started writing for websites before I moved onto magazines such as Fireworks and Powerplay. I know (some) websites are very popular and get more hits than magazines have readers but there is something about a magazine that is far more appealing – the artwork for one. I pitched an idea to Omnibus Press for a biography of Judas Priest when they had just reunited so Omnibus were keen. It got commissioned and from there the books have thankfully rolled on (though it has not been easy.)

Usually people are devoted to one band, which they know everything about. I’m impressed with the variety of bands you have written biographies about, from Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin to Judas Priest to Linkin Park to Bon Jovi and now Journey. Not bands you often find lumped together. Are you a devoted fan of these bands or why these particular bands?

I think it’s a misconception that metal fans only listen to metal. I like a variety of music but with my books I think in some way they all come under the broad umbrella of rock. I mean, they’re all guitar based bands in some way, even Linkin Park. And of course, I am a fan of all the artists I’ve written about; I’d never write a book about a band or a singer I don’t like. I’m not keen on some of Linkin Park’s work but I still love Hybrid Theory and thought Minutes After Midnight was much better than some made out. I think Bon Jovi’s best work is still their first four albums. They try too hard these days to be taken seriously. Robert Plant still startles despite his pretensions. Judas Priest’s last album, I didn’t like at all but I thought Angel Of Retribution was solid. I’m still waiting to hear the new Journey album but I’ve heard very, very good things about it. Revelation was awesome! There are artists I’d love to write about but I don’t think publishers would commission books. At the end of the day it’s all down to what will sell and here in the UK HMV (who owns Waterstones) will not stock books on bands that they think people will not buy. Publishers are at the mercy of the booksellers.

What do you feel is the difference (advantage/disadvantage) between writing an authorized and an unauthorized biography?

I think the biggest difference is that an official book (if it is done badly) will be nothing but a sanitised and watered down version of events. Of course Motley Crue did a great job with The Dirt and have never shied away from the truth but most bands would not be that honest. I doubt Judas Priest would talk much about Dave Holland let alone include a letter written by him from his prison cell (which my book included!) I don’t think Journey (Schon/Cain) would be so forthcoming about their tumultuous relationship with Steve Perry. Unofficial books – and I hate that term – would be objective and as long as they’re done correctly they’d fully explore an artists’ history. It’s only the narrow-minded zealots that see official books as being the real deal as it were.

How do you go about collecting material for your books?

I have a huge collection of rock and metal magazines stored in about 10 boxes; I have quite an extensive collection of music biographies (and yes, they’re not all on rock and metal – some pop too, and blues and even soul) and reference books. I interview people, of course. And the internet is obviously a great reference tool. It all depends on the artist in truth. For the Journey bio it was a balanced mixed of all the above.

What is your writing process like?

It depends on my deadline. With Journey I had a year so I spent the first few months interviewing, compiling research, creating a timeline of events within the band’s history and organising all the facts. I then wrote the barebones of the story and built my research within that. Once the first draft is done I have a break for a week or so and then go back and redraft. That’s pretty much the way I work with all my band books. If I have less than a year – which is very generous – I’ll work in the same way but on a tighter schedule. I have a day job too so it’s not always easy.

How do you approach the artists for interviews? Do you tell them it’s for a biography or do you use interviews you have conducted for other magazines etc?

Both! With Journey they were never going to cooperate with a book such as mine so I used my past interviews and managed to secure new interviews with former manager and Journey founder Herbie Herbert – a fantastically entertaining and forthcoming man – and Journey’s first frontman Robert Fleischman amongst others. It’s often the case that bands won’t cooperate with writers unless the book is a fully authorised one where they’d obviously get paid by the publisher themselves. There’d be a lot of politics involved too, which I don’t have the time for. Most writers use a balanced mix of original interviews and secondary/pre-existing ones from other sources.

Being a writer myself, I always record my interviews digitally, both for concentration issues and also for memory (sometimes the way something is said says more than what it looks like in a scribbled note). How do you record your interviews?

I have an old fashioned Dictaphone and I keep saying I’ll progress into digital but have yet to make that move. I’ve got all my interviews on tape and catalogued in a box. Everything I have is catalogued – interviews, magazines I’ve written for, my own books, etc. I’m a stickler for organisation.

Your books “All Pens Blazing” are really nice reads. It’s not that often we actually get to meet the writers behind the interviews/reviews. How did you come up with the idea for these books?

I had started a section on my website www.neildaniels.com simply called Interviews With Writers. I interviewed not only music writers but authors too, including Kim Newman. (You can view them all at this link: http://neildaniels.com/Interviews/Interviews.html). I had been emailing with Martin Popoff and asked him if he thought it would be a good idea to compile some of those music writers interviews into a book with new and exclusive ones that had not been published on my site. He thought it was a great idea. I had wanted to self-publish a book too because I really admire his own work. The first APB book came out via a UK print on demand company called Authors Online. The quality (dark cover and small text) wasn’t that great because I didn’t know what I was doing but with the second edition it came out much better so I went back to the first volume (at my own cost) and had it redesigned and reprinted. Both books now make a matching pair. I knew there were a lot of people out there interested in reading interviews with ex Kerrang! scribes like Paul Suter, Hoard Johnson and Derek Oliver so it was a no brainer, really.

Were there any facts or information that surprised you?

To be honest, not really. I know there’s a lot of politics behind the scenes and there’s a lot of rivalry between magazines and writers. I was more interested in knowing about those ex Kerrang! writers from the eighties and their experiences interviewing bands. Most of the writers were great but a small few are quite bitter and ego driven. I’m not the kind of guy to name names but some of them need to get of their high horse. It’s not like their Hunter S Thompson or anything. We just write about music, that’s all. For me it is a hobby and a pleasure but a lot of writers do it to pay the bills.

Being a published writer myself I know the amount of work behind it. Would you consider writing a book about some band or musical style you’re not interested in?

There is far too much work that goes into writing a book so I’d only ever write a book on an artist I am not a fan of. I could never write a book on Bono because I can’t stand the guy. I don’t own a U2 album. But at the same time I know when I’m out of my depth so I’d never write a book on, say, the Rolling Stones. I’ve made a little niche for myself and I’ll stick with that.

Have you had any great backlashes which made you almost give up? (I personally recently erased an entire chapter and didn’t have a back-up).

Fortunately, no. And fingers crossed it stays that way. I had some issues over the Judas Priest book but they were only minor but other than that I have been quite lucky I guess. Like I said before, it all depends on the artist.

If you were told something very interesting by an artist in confidence and you were to write a book about this artist. Would you use it even if they wouldn’t want you to?

No, I’m not that kind of writer. Most would but if it is off the record and/or in confidence then it needs to stay that way. That’s the way I see it.

Are there any book plans you have given up on? If so, why?

I have lots of ideas and have spent a lot of time on book proposals and have only given up when I have not been able to find a publisher. Before I begin serious work on a book I always have a contract signed and seal with a publisher otherwise you’re just wasting time. I’d like to know that all my hard work will pay off.

What band/artists would be your dream biography to write?

Well, I have already had two of those books published with my Judas Priest and Journey biography. There are quite a few artists I’d love to write books on so I don’t really want to give my ideas away. I have tried a few times with one book on a certain American artist but I didn’t have any takers so it never moved beyond the proposal stage. I’ll try again at some point and one day it will get published.

What’s your next project?

Well, my Journey biography (Don’t Stop Believin’ – The Untold Story Of Journey) is published by Omnibus Press on 3rd May. After that I have a CD sized book out in the summer on Judas Priest’s British Steel album. That one will be published by Wymer Publishing. Next spring I have a hardback coffee table book out on Iron Maiden by Quayside Publishing in the States. There’ll also be some more print on demand collections too at some point. I’ll pass the 10 published books mark before the year is out.

How did you get a publisher for your Journey bio?

When Journey’s current singer Arnel Pineda was hired I mentioned it to some publishers but I didn’t formally pitch the book. But then Glee took over the world and suddenly Journey were really popular again. I hooked up with a literary agent in London by the name of Matthew Hamilton who - rather conveniently - is a massive Journey fan and he sent a formal submission to Omnibus Press. These things are very slow but Omnibus Press were really keen especially as there wasn’t a single biography of Journey available. Getting a book published on a band like Journey is a great triumph given publishers’ snobbery of AOR and melodic rock. Both myself and Matthew are really pleased with the book and the fact that we managed to get it commissioned in the first place. I have just received an advance copy and I think it looks great. I know Journey fans are real zealots so I am prepared for some (many?) negative comments but I think it gives a tight, objective and detailed account of the band’s entire history. The story really begins with Santana around 1969. To understand the foundations of Journey you have to know a little bit about Santana and Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon’s history with the band. Journey formed in 1973 and the story of Journey is told in chronological order right up to 2010.

Where can we order your books?

You can order them from Amazon through my site www.neildaniels.com or visit my Amazon author’s page at this link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neil-Daniels/e/B0034OPPEK/ref=sr_tc_2_rm?qid=1303201556&sr=1-2-ent.

You can buy my All Pens Blazing books through Amazon and www.authorsonline.co.uk.

ULTIMATE FATE - Beyond The Horizon (MCD)

2011-05-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ultimate Fate is a new young Swedish female fronted five-piece. When you hear female fronted, you more or less immediately think Within Temptation, Nightwish or Evanescence. Well, at least I do. And, yes, Ultimate Fate do not stray that far away. I hear a lot of Within Temptation in the bands sound and style. Jennie Söderberg is a great singer fitting the style perfectly. The band handles their parts very well, too I must say. The three songs showcase the band quite well and makes me want to hear more. Opener Horizon is an mid-tempo thing with a more up-tempo melodic chorus sounding, lots of variation and actually quite a progressive track. Retribution starts off quite acoustic and almost a bit reminiscent of Blackmore's Night, but soon heading of into a heavier vein and with a tempo-change they enter into a melodic metal landscape. Beyond Fear starts off with a guitar riff sounding a bit like classic US metal band Warlord, but like the other tracks it offers quite a varied plate of food, entering into an almost doomy chord-progression leading into an up-tempo oriental sounding verse. This is really great stuff, I must say! It will be interesting to see what this band can come up with next.
Janne Stark
Label: private
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: www.ultimatefate.se

SKANSIS - Leaving You (CD)

2011-05-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Not sure what’s up with Switzerland, but for some reason they have found a certain “sound” that you can find in most bands from this country. Just like a lot of Australian bands have their typicalAC/DC stomp feel to their sound, the Swizz have a typical melodic feel you can find as a common thread in bands like Gotthard,Shakra and even Krokus. Add Skansis (if you didn’t already after their debut album). Leaving You is an excellent follow up to the debut showcasing the cool, but still a bit edgy melodic hard rock of this four piece. Singer Reist Reto has the same slightly rough edged vocal touch as Shakra’s Mark Fox or Gotthard’s late Steve Lee. Great mix and an album that just flows. I don’t mind some sharp thorns here and there, but this one works like a charm in the car. Nice work!
Janne Stark
Country: Switzerland
Year: 2011
Label: Escape

DOOM UNIT - The Burden Of Doom (CD)

2011-05-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Doom Unit… never heard of them! Found out they have one album out before this one. After listening to The Burden Of Bloom it’s quite clear I need to check it out, too. Judging from the name I, of course, thought this was a new addition to the current New Wave of Doom Metal. Nope, not at all. Doom Unit are closer to Finnish colleagues Poisonblack, however not as gloomy and with a different type of “cleaner” singer. I would however still put them in the same musical arena. Modern, melodic, heavy, still without being too wimpy. Not bad at all.
Janne Stark
Country: Finland
Label: Hype Records
Year: 2011

SIXX: AM - This IS Gonna Hurt (CD)

2011-05-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hmmm… this is actually quite good! Not that I didn’t enjoy the first effort by Crüe bass player Nikky Sixx band Sixx:AM, but this exceeded my expectations. Heavy, catchy and groovy! There are the obvious hits such as Are You With Me Now, a melodic pop-oriented heavy rocker in the true Daughtry/Breaking Benjamin-vein with a touch of Adam Lambert to it at times, soft modern ballads Sure Feels Right and Smile and the slightly U2:ish Oh My God (which unfortunately is not really any favourite of mine). As a nice contrast there are heavy crunchy stuff like Live Forever and Deadlihood, still melodic, but way heavier. Another cool, my favourite, track is Goodbye My Friends which sounds like the missing link between Queen and Green Day. It’s great to hear Sixx do something so different from the Crüe stuff, in a way proving he’s quite a diverse composer and actually a pretty good musician. DJ Ashba may sound like a second rate rapper, but he’s a pretty heavy guitar player, too. This band does glue well together and, yepp, they do rock when they put their minds to it!
Janne Stark
Country: USA
Label: Eleven Seven
Year: 2011

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION - II (CD)

2011-04-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Before the debut this really felt like the musical dream team: Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals, Joe Bonamassa on guitar and vocals, Derek Sherinian on keyboards and Jason Bonham on drums. So, was it? Well, I sure wasn’t disappointed in the first effort! On the contrary, it’s been spinning frequently. I did like the pure retro sound of it, even though this has been the subject for debate where some thought it sounded like crap. Already in opener The Outsider you can hear the band has listened to the critique and polished the mix a bit. The guitar is a bit clearer and the keyboards are a bit more prominent. To be honest it does glue together a bit better this time around. I’m surprised they got the follow-up out so quickly considering the problems they had getting their schedules synchronized the first time. I’m not complaining, no sir! This is however no hasty word at all. The songs feel very worked through and no details have been left unattended. In songs like I Can See Your Spirit and The Man In The Middle you find the classic Jimmy Page fifth harmonies nicely tucked in the background. There’s a bigger Zeppelin aura hovering over this album than the previous actually, both in the heavier songs and softer stuff like the acoustic The Battle For Hadriana’s Wall where Bonamassa handles the vocals. A nicely built up number which starts off soft and goes into a fat crescendo section with Telecaster feel in the guitar riffs and a quite subtle but efficient slide guitar mixed with mandolin in the end of the song. Bring back the seventies! I think the combination of Glenn’s and Joe’s is a nice touch. It gives the album a broader sound and both have their own qualities to their voices even if they sound quite different. It feels like they’ve put a bit more effort into the arrangements and production also in a song like Save Me, where it sounds big and dynamic with a touch of Kashmir-style strings enhancing and the beautiful Bonamsassa solo with an oriental touch at times. Another difference is that they have slowed down the tempo a bit and included som softer, yet heavy, songs like An Ordinary Man and Cold. They however don’t stay soft all the way through, but the dynamics are there, in the case of the latter it appears in the form of an double tempo solo part. There are also things that go in a totally different direction. If Bonamassa had sung the southernish Smokestack Woman it would have fit perfectly on any Bonamassa record. Also the subsequent Faithless finds itself in his natural musical habitat, not forgetting the slow blues Little Secret which I hadn’t expected here. The tempo is however picked up again in the phat riffing Crossfire and it all ends with the led heavy Crawl which puts a big fat ending to an album that, after a few spins, actually surpasses the debut!

Janne Stark

Year: 2011

Label: Mascot

Country: USA

BLACK STONE CHERRY - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (CD)

2011-04-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

When you say a band has matured it usually means the energy has faded, the unpolished juvenile glimpse in the eye is gone and you now have a bunch of jaded gentlemen that have cut off the thorns on their musical rose so that no radio listener will get stung by mistake. Well, this is not the case, I assure you, but I will use the term anyway about American southern rockers Black Stone Cherry. And - no, I do not see them as polished gentlemen in starched shirts and hats in hand. The first time I saw and heard Black Stone Cherry I was definitely run over by a musical tornado, at times untamed and on the verge of tipping over. This is however what is now under control. Listen to songs like Change, White Trash Millionaire or Blame It On The Boom Boom and you’ll see there’s no cause for alarm. The energy is still there! The band has always had a streak for great melodies and to write songs suitable for airplay. This album has however received a greater amount of such tracks where some could be seen as a bit too much of a radio flirt, but for some reason I love them! I really like Stay, Won’t Let Go, Like I Roll and In My Blood in the same way I like Nickleback’s radio formatted semi-ballads, where Black Stone Cherry however have a bit more hair on the chest. Where I feel the band has matured is in the way they haven’t just plugged in and played their butts off, but adjusted the sound for what each song needed. There’s a greater variation in solo sounds, from the wah wah wailing in Bame It On The Boom Boom, the fuzzy dirty sound and the baritone/octave riff in Killing Floor to the octafuzz in Change. In the latter and in Shake they have also added an extra melodic guitar phrase which I haven’t heard the band do before. They sure haven’t injected less energy in the guitar playing, but they have adjusted the distortion to fit the song. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea has a dynamic I started feel on the previous album, but which is now in full bloom. I have a feeling this will be the band’s big break through! I sure hope so!

Janne Stark

Label: Roadrunner

Year: 2011

Country: USA

ELECTRIC BOYS - And Them Boys Done Swang (CD)

2011-04-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

(The album has been previously reviewed for Supernova, but has now been issued by Escape, so here it goes again).

To be honest I’m not really sure what my expectations were for this reunion album from the Swedish funk ‘o metal combo, but they sure as hell were exceede! The boys sure prove they mean business already in rock-out-smash-in-your-face rocker opener Reeferlord. Man, this band ROCKS!! Halfway through the song the add some of the old heavy riff funk vibe to the mix as well. The good old funky vibe continues in second track “My Heart’s Not For Sale”. Man, this is really really good! The great heavy and fat production helps elevate it even further. Of course the Beatlesquey vibe previously heard in songs like “Mary In The Mystery World” makes an entrance here as well. This one has an equally dope induced title “Father Popcorn’s Magic Oysters”. Sure they were oysters? Not mushrooms? The track sure has some hit potential without being wimpy. Another one is “Ten Thousand Times Goodbye”, which is more of a ballad type song with a strong Beatles vibe. It’s however when they rock out my feet get going. One prime example is the Zeppelin meets Aerosmith with a strong funky vibe rocker “The House Is Rockin”. Showcasing drummer Sigevall’s Bonham style drumming. The band is tight and well-oiled, and they do swing! Another outstanding funky rocker with a simple, heavy and crushing riff is “Welcome To The High Times”, a track that you just can’t sit still to! Killer!! “Sometimes U Gotta Go Look For The Car” would be a perfect soundtrack, but here it feels a bit more like a filler. Nice riff, but the car doesn’t really take you anywhere. I just LOVE the cool intro/verse guitar riff in “The Days The Gypsies Came To Town”. The song has a really cool late 60s/early 70s bluesy vibe with some cool bass playing from Crystell. Cool vibe, indeed! “Rollin’ Down The Road” is another prime example of the E Boys delivering strong, fat and effective riffs, adding a great melodic chorus. Sometimes bands put the weakest songs in the end. What about this one? Nope, the boys don’t disappoint. The album ends at really high note with up-tempo rocker “A Mother Of A Love Story”, which has a truly Kiss-inspired half-tempo chorus. One fine rocker indeed! All in all this is a really killer album, proving that the boys don’t get older, some just lose their curls or at least cut them a bit shorter. The power’s not in the hair, that’s for sure! Them boys done swang, yes indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: Escape

Year: 2011

Country: Sweden

Web: www.electricboys.com

OSUKARU - Never Too Late (MCD)

2011-04-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Gothenburg based AOR band Osukaru was formed by former Eye guitarist Oskar “Oz Osukaru” Petersson. The band made their debut with the album GBG2LA (Gothenburg to Los Angeles). Musically it was a pretty good effort indeed. However, the vocals ruined it for me. Now Oz is back with a new mini-album and a new front man. That must be the best move he has made since quitting Eye! New singer Carl “CJ” Johan fits the style perfectly, he’s got a killer voice and takes the band to a new level indeed. At times he reminds me a bit of Leckemo of H.E.A.T, especially in second track City Lights. Osukaru is definitely a new force to be reckoned with when it comes to high class Swedish AOR. H.E.A.T, Dynazty, Danger Avenue, Houston and now Osukaru. What’s happening? A new wave of Swedish AOR? Well, as these bands really deliver I don’t have a problem with that, not at all! This EP starts out quite silky smooth with the title track, adds a bit of ballsy guitars in City Lights and goes to yet another level in Whatever It Takes, even though the chorus is as AOR as you get. This is what Firefest is made of, I tell you! Driven By Love is yet another, quite Journey:esque, melodic rocker that rounds of the section of new songs really nicely. The remaining two tracks are a radio edit of City Lights and a karaoke version of Never Too Late. Man, I can’t even image what this would sound like if someone like Beau Hill, Neal Kernon or Keith Olsen would set their teeth into this! This is definitely the next step for these boys, to get a producer/engineer that really understands what great AOR should sound like and that can help bring out the essence and the ultimate performance of this band. Then, this could be huge! The qualities are there, no doubt!

Janne Stark
Label: Dusty Road
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden
Link: www.osukarutheband.com <http://www.osukarutheband.com/>

MOJOBONE - Crossroad Messages & Tales From The Bone (2CD)

2011-04-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

If you were only allowed to buy one CD (and it could be a double pack) I would definitely recommend Mojobone Crossroad Message & Tales From The Bone! This is as phat as it gets! Here you will find the rare 2007 Japan-only release Crossroad Message and the 1999 vinyl only 10” rarity Tales From The Bone. Two records that are essential in the collection of every fan of heavy, low down and dirty riff based seventies influenced groovy hard rock. On top of this you’ll get another eleven tracks, one previously unreleased track and ten demo tracks, some of which were never released. I tell you, this is one hell of a double pack! Founder Per Wiberg was also, up until recently, found in Opeth which may not show here. He is however also part of Spiritual Beggars, which makes more musical sense. Besides Per, Mojobone consists of guitarist Per Mårtensson and drummer Eiron Johansson. On Tales the bass work was handled by Christer Malmesjö, while Crossroads featured Markus Aldén. Mojobone sometimes makes me think of Clutch, but with more variation. I do like Clutch, but Mojobone simply has better songs and a better variety in the song material. Besides being a great keyboard player Per is also a great singer. He has a pretty clean voice for the genre, but I really like that contrast, plus he does let out the occasional roar when it fits. I did have both releases before and I’m of course a big fan of their new album Cowboy Mode. However, as Tales was a vinyl only release, plus some of the tracks we’ve earlier missed out on, such as Burned Out, prove to be in the same high class as the rest of the material – order it immediately. This is one release you don’t want to miss out on!

Janne Stark
Label: Hippodrome Music
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
Link: www.hippodromemusic.com <http://www.hippodromemusic.com/>

LAVA ENGINE - In Limbo (MCD)

2011-04-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Lava Engine is yet another nice surprise from Sweden. Even though I live in the middle of things new great bands seem to pop up from nowhere. Lava Engine is a prime example. The band may be new but the members are no newcomers. Drummer Mick Nordström has previously beaten the skins with Modest Attraction, XT and Ronnie Jaldemark recorded an album with System Breakdown. So, what does Lava Engine sound like? One band that immediately springs to mind is Pain Of Salvation, especially in the dramatic title track, but I also hear some Opeth and a bit of Porcupine Tree in the mix. Common Ground shows a slightly softer side at times, giving it a touch of Enchant in the verses. The track Ctrl Z is another track that reminds me a bit of Pain Of Salvation during their One Hour By The Concrete Lake era, but I won’t say Lava Engine are any copy cats, far from it. They however touch on the same musical and emotional strings. The music is very epic, very dramatic and the track feels like an entire black and white movie going through so many different parts, phases and motions you can almost envision the dramaturgic screen play happening. I haven’t had this type of feeling listening to an album since I heard Opeth’s Watershed, and even though they are similar in style there are no disturbing similarities. See Lava Engine as a long lost musical cousin of the aforementioned. My only complaint would be that five tracks end way too soon. I really love it when progressive music does so much more than just show off skilful musicians and that the composer knows how to combine lots of different rhythms. Lava Engine makes it all fit together seamlessly. It’s a musical journey, short, but still. Can’t wait for the long trip!
Janne Stark

Year: 2011

Country: Sweden

Label: private (Distr: Liljegren Records)

Link: http://www.lavaengine.net/

ETERNAL FEAR - Embraced In Darkness (CD)

2011-04-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Swedish doom influenced rockers Eternal Fear did really good on their previous release, Evil Deeds, released in 2007. Now the follow-up, Embraced In Darkness is here. The line-up is still the same and style as well. The production on the new album is a bit coarser, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When comparing it to its predecessor it feels a bit more rough and primitive, but after listening a while it sinks in and I really like the live-feel of it and the classic right-left stereo-panned guitars. However the song material, which was strong already on the last album, is a notch stronger. I really like the combination of the heavy riffs and singer Ove’s clear and clean voice. A band I can’t help comparing to, both sound and stylewise, is Trouble during their early days. Especially the title track with the classic harmony guitars, Piece Of Me with its Children Of The Grave style rhythm and heavy rocker Beast Within. The guitars does sound a lot like vintage Trouble as well. I shall however admit, I do like Ove’s vocals better than Eric Wagner’s raspy voice. His vocal style (not so much the vocal tone as the vocal style) reminds me of a young Bobby Liebling (Pentagram), which I definitely like. Great arrangements, great variation of the song material, cool feel and a damn fine album indeed! Definitely well worth investing in and enjoying!

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2011

Label: private

Link: http://www.myspace.com/eternalfearmetal

ADRIAN ENGLISH - Innerplanetarium (CD)

2011-04-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

To tell you truth I wasn’t a big fan of US shredder Adrian English’s debut album. It was shred, ok, well over the top, but it felt very stiff and sterile. I’m happy to say with English’s second Shredguy Records release I have been converted and convinced. This album shows a totally different musical delivery. This time with a great bass player and drummer in Ryan Morrow and Chas Chantrell. This time it also feels it’s more about the songs than just the over-the-top shredding. There’s a nice diversity in the song material with some really cool grooves and riffing going on. English has also put some more time and effort into playing for the song. One of the cooler tracks is 10 Ways where there’s a lot happening in the background riffing. Adrian does shred, and he shreds a lot, but he never really overdoes it this time. He does cool down a bit and throw in cool melodies, which I really like. There are songs that really really hit home with me such as the cool Paranormally and the ballady Velvet Rain where Adrian at least tries to restrain himself (and does pretty well, adding some nice harmony work to the mix). Harmony Creek is another slow ballad where the melodies rule for the most part. He really shows he does have a nice sensitive side to his playing. Nice tone, great playing and an overall really great song. Album closer Closure shows another side as well, where Adrian brings out the acoustic and shows he does his thing also in this context. All in all a really great album, which shows a guitarist that has taken a huge leap since the first album. Well done, indeed!! Janne Stark

Label: Shredguy Records

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Link: www.myspace.com/shredguyrecords

BRIAN ROBERTSON - Diamonds And Dirt (CD)

2011-04-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

Some things you don’t believe until you see them. Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson, or “Robbo”, have had a rumour about himself working on a solo album for the last ten years, but nothing has really come out of it. So, it seems hell has finally frozen over and pigs started to fly (or if it was vice versa…). It’s finally here! I guess all kudos should go to Sören Lindberg, the manager that finally made it happen. In all honesty, Robbo did put out some type of solo release in 1995 under the moniker The Clan. There was however a bit more to be desired concerning this one however. So, to my great joy I find he has revived, re-recorded and revitalised some of the songs off this rare release. The revitalisation is foremost courtesy of a way better mix and of course the new people surrounding Brian, singer Leif Sundin (Great King Rat, John Norum, MSG etc), bass player Nalle Påhlsson (Treat, Therion etc), drummer Ian Haugland (Europe) and guest singer Liny Wood (aka Linnea Helge), his new clan. The same treatment has also been given to Thin Lizzy’s old Running Back from Jailbreak, which actually has been recorded in two different versions on the album. His new rendition of It’s Only Money ain’t half bad either (one of my favourite Lizzy tunes). Robbo was actually supposed to guest on John Norum’s cover of that song, which, coincidently is also sung by Sundin, where I’m afraid Norum’s version wins by the tip of a nose. Where this album however really shines is in Robbo’s own songs, such as the album title opener, the driving Texas Wind and the cool Devil In My Soul, with it’s really nice guitar arrangements. It features both acoustic and electrice slide guitar, smooth country style licks mixed with really heavy riffing. Robbo used to collaborate with Irish rocker Frankie Miller and he has here paid homage to him by interpreting three of his songs, one of them being the groovy Do It Until We Drop (Drop It!!). Another one is closing track Ain’t Got No Money, sung by one of my all-time favourite singers Rob Lamothe. Among the new recordings of the tracks from The Clan period you’ll find the Robertson/Lynott composition Blues Boy and the almost folkish bluesy That’s All…. One track that definitely sticks out is the cover of Jim White’s 10 Miles To Go On A 9 Mile Road, where Robbo himself handles the vocal bits, which brought Lou Reed in his most narrative mode to mind. A very different, but pretty cool track. Robbo has previously done some guest spots on albums by bands like Lotus, Five Fifteen etc, but in all honesty I haven’t heard Robbo play this good since the Lizzy days. Balnced, cool bluesy, contained, great tone and great feel. It feels like, yes, I can say it without exaggerating – Robbo is back! He’s definitely found his right musical context and the perfect band to work with. A high quality, easy listening cool record that is hard to pop out of the CD player. Mostly diamonds, but also some well placed dirt. Janne Stark

Label: SPV

Year: 2011

Country: UK/Sweden

THE BLINDED - EP2010

2011-04-05T02:33:00.000-07:00

The Blinded, formerly known as Blinded Colony with two albums under the belt, have finally sorted out their vocalist problems. Instead of one replacement there’s now two. One clean and one dirty. Just like fellows Scar Symmetry, Soilwork etc they now feature both clean and growling vocals. I personally like this concept. I can without a problem accept the growling when it sounds good and they actually add a bit of clean melodic vocals as compensation. I think The Blinded succeeds very well in their combination. The fact is, I actually did like Blinded Colony even when they only were growling, but now even more! When listening through the six songs of this (so far?) digital EP I feel the band has evolved and matured both as song writers and productionwise. Great riffs, strong song material and a really fat and heavy production makes this a highly enjoyable musical experience, although it’s a bit too short. I’m looking forward to a full album experience! This is great stuff which should appeal to fans of In Flames, Soilwork, Scar Symmetry etc. Janne Stark

Year: 2010

Label: none

Country: Sweden

Link: http://www.blindedcolony.com/

THE CITADEL - A Passage Through Eternity (MCD 5tr)

2011-04-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

Semi-proggish Swedish band The Citadel now follow up their debut The Brothers Of Grief with a five track MCD. The debut was a pleasant treat, but this little follow-up actually fits my musical taste buds even better. Opener A Voice Beyond gives me pretty strong Evergrey vibrations, but with a more uplifting melodic chorus than what the Gothenburg quintet offers. A really nice one, dark and heavy but with a slight streak of hope in the chorus. The mix is really fat and heavy adding the right elements to the overall audio experience. Next up is Demon’s Eye (nope, not a Deep Purple cover), which actually sounds even more like Evergrey, with singer Jonas Radehorn taking on a very suitable Tom Englund touch in phrasing and vocal tone. A killer track indeed! In Heaven you however hear more of Radehorn’s own voicing. This song also showcases a slightly more symphonic but yet melodic side, but still maintaining a heavy staccato base. Nice chorus that really sticks. When The Storm Begins is another killer, crushingly heavy thing with an oriental touch in some of the vocal phrases. Also hear you’ll find a more symphonic touch shining through in the chorus. I really dig the long lost classic “fire”-falsetto, which I had expected from bands like Enforcer or Steelwing. The MCS closes with the track 7, which follows nicely in the same tradition as the previous tracks, also here with a pretty dark and melancholic aura hovering over the audio delivery. I guess that is one of the things that makes me think of Evergrey. Five tracks is quite a good move, considering the heaviness and musical richness, yet it leaves me wanting more. A really great and interesting release.

Janne Stark

Label: GMR

Country: Sweden

Year: 2011

ZERO ILLUSIONS - Oblivion (CD)

2011-03-04T01:24:00.000-08:00

I was actually quite blown away by this band’s first effort. The boys sure haven’t disappointed me this time around either. This is good! No, I take it back – this is bloody great! If Zakk Wylde and Biff Byford would ever team up (no I won’t say “and make a baby” coz that would sure be an ugly bastard) I think the result could very well be something like this. Musically Zero Illusions plays great sounding powerful and heavy metal with hints of classic Saxon metal, as well as the detuned Black Label/Ozzy style stuff with the pinched harmonics and all. These boys previously went under the name Pain And Passion and then had a slightly more melodic touch. I’m glad they changed, even though I did like their earlier work. When listening to crushingly heavy stuff like “Who You Are”, this is where it’s at! I’m quite surprised no bigger label has picked this band up yet. This is great stuff! It’s modern without selling out, it’s heavy without being cliché, it’s melodic without being wimpy. Besides sounding great, the song material is great. Great variation, no fillers, ready to be shipped out. Come and get it! This mother rocks!
Janne Stark

Label: private
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
Website: http://www.zeroillusions.com

ELECTRIC BOYS - And Them Boys Done Swang (CD)

2011-02-24T05:56:00.001-08:00

Janne Stark

Label: Supernova

Year: 2011

Country: Sweden

Web: www.electricboys.com

JOHN PERINBAM - Knightfall (CD)

2011-02-11T01:26:00.000-08:00

John Perinbam may not be a name you know, but this album should definitely change this. John has previously recorded two albums with Canadian metal band Ivory Knight. The second album was produced by Annihilator guitarist Jeff Waters, and even though the albums were pretty good they didn’t hit me all that much. Now John’s going solo, and he’s doing it with the aforementioned Waters handling guitars and bass on the album. Some additional vocals are added by fellow Annihilator member Dave Padden and ex-Exciter Dan Beehler, while former Ivory Knight colleague Rob Gravelle plays guitar. A great combination of people indeed. It feels like all the pieces have come together perfectly this time. John has a great powerful voice which fits the music like a glove and he switches seamlessly between clean and melodic vocals to a harsh and rough vocal persona. John’s solo debut is filled to the brim with great powerful, yet quite catchy metal. Stylewise I’d place the album in the same category as Megadeth on “Countdown To Extinction” (their best album in my opinion), Annihilator or Riot in their more metal era. The mix is really dry and tight and the guitars are in your face, but without overpowering. I really love that. Some songs like “Away” and “Not Enough Too Much” are actually quite melodic and should even have a mainstream appeal, while stuff like “The Shepherd” or “Inferno 2008” are full on riff metal at its best. This is a highly recommended piece of killer Canadian metal (even though John was born in Scotland).

Janne Stark

Country: Canada

Year: 2009

Label: private

Buy it here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/perinbam

FAITHEALER - Welcome To The Edge Of The World (CD)

2011-01-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

Ivan Gunn, former keyboard player of UK’s melodic semi prog unit Balance Of Power and melodic band Pride, is back in action with his new melodic union – Faithealer. This time he is co-operating with phenomenal singer Jason Marks (Forever, S.I.N). There’s definitely a touch of Balance of Power, but with much better sounding drums and a more AOR-oriented vibe. There’s really an array of strong choruses on this album, starting with opener “Who Will Stop The Rain” and continuing with the outstanding “Stronger”, which actually reminded me a bit of long lost AOR-gods Touch. The layers of voices in the chorus must have taken up half the ProTools tracks. Fat and juicy indeed. Despite Ivan foremost being a keyboard player, there’s still lots of guitars, solos provided by the excellent melodic shredder Chris Green, formerly of Pride and now found in the outstanding heavies Furyon. “Welcome To The Edge Of The World” is actually a bit more than your ordinary AOR-album, I’d actually place it in the rarely used category “pomp”, together with classic bands like Boston, Styx and the aforementioned band Touch, where there’s a bit more than just a catchy chorus and simple chorus patterns. There’s definitely a twist to it without being progressive, great arrangements which builds the songs up nicely and brings the listener through different phases and moods. This is definitely an album to check out – a great piece of melodic rock!
Janne Stark
Label: private
Country: UK
Year: 2010
Link: http://www.myspace.com/faithealerocks

CELLOUT - Superstar Prototype (CD)

2011-01-25T23:58:00.001-08:00

Cellout is a Swedish combo I’ve followed since their demo days. Finally their debut has hit the streets and I’m not disappointed. Modern, heavy and melodic. This may sound like a general description of quite a few of today’s heavy/nu oriented bands. Well, to be honest, Cellout don’t differ so much from much of what the American recording market gives us today with bands like Sevendust, Trapt, Alter Bridge, Nickelback etc. But, nevertheless, I really like this. Cellout do what they do and they do it really well. Unlike Trapt, who are a carbon copy of Nickelback, Cellout at least give it their own stamp and in some tracks they add a heavier edge to the package. They stretch the boundaries a bit. For instance “All My Demons Inside” almost has a touch of “Dark Tranquillity” in some of the guitar rhythm parts, and “Set Things Straight” is a helluva battering ram. The mix, by Ulrich Wild (Seething, Pantera), is really fat and heavy, yet quite ambient at times. “The Gift” for instance shows some great layers in the verse part, before the detuned guitars crush all barriers in the melodic chorus. Highly recommended!
By: Janne Stark
Label: Nuerra Records
Year: 2010

SPIDERS - Spiders (10" MLP)

2011-01-23T05:38:00.000-08:00

It’s pretty ballsy to make a debut as a 10” vinyl! Spiders look vinyl and they sound vinyl, too, so maybe it’s not that far fetched. The band consists of singer Ann-Sofi Hoyles, Witchcraft guitarist John Hoyles, Midwest bass player Matteo Gambacorta and Graveyard drummer Axel Sjöberg. The style is quite different from their former musical treats and offers more of a garagy vibe. One band I immediately came to think of (and probably noones even heard of) was Suffrajett, both the style, sound and Ann-Sofi’s rough edged vocals. I shall be honest and admit this is not 100 % up my musical alley, but they still appeal to me in some way. I really like the vibe and they also have a pretty cool twist on songs like Nothing Like You and High Society.

By: Janne Stark

Label: Crusher Records

Year: 2011

New reviews coming

2011-01-21T01:59:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all!
Just a short note to tell you there's a bunch of reviews coming! I have, among others, reviewed:
Yngwie Malmsteen - Relentless
Coldspell - Out From The Cold
Last Autumns Dream

Stay tuned!
Janne

GUGUN POWER TRIO - "Far East Blues Experience" (CD)

2010-12-30T01:39:00.000-08:00

Indonesia??!!! Holy crap, I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of any rockers from Indonesia! Japan, China, North Korea and even Singapore, but never Indonesia. Well, there’s a first for everything. I must say if I didn’t know I’d never have guessed it. The far east musicians often have a special touch, at least to their vocals. Gugun, however, sounds perfectly westernized. Well, sounding westernized is no proof of quality however. I’m therefore happy to say, Gugun passes my quality approval test flying colours! This is no holds barred, guitar driven, balls out blues rock leaning on the heritage of Hendrix, Vaughan, Gallagher and Bolin. Gugun is a outstanding player with a great tone, outstanding feeling and great technique. I really love his style of playing, even though it may not bring anything new and revolutionary. If you’ve got IT, you don’t need to. He’s got a solid, great pair of backing musicians in bass player Jono and drummer Bowie that really bring the goods. “Turn It On” is a prime example of a power trio working in perfect unison, with a guitarist rocking it out and a rhythm unit filling up every crack and crevice. Awesome stuff indeed! Gugun has really succeeded in bringing up a classic genre and giving it a new spin, writing songs that rejuvenates the legacy of the aforementioned kings. I truly LOVE the way he grooves in songs like “Fallin’ Down”. It’s impossible to sit still on your arse. This rocks, big time! Gugun is also a very fitting singer for this genre. Great bluesy vibe and the perfect roughness. I can’t find any bad tracks whatsoever on this album. It’s solid as a rock from start to finish. It also has a nice blend of various styles within the blues rock territory, from the funky vibe of “Spinnin’ Around Me” and “Emptiness”, to the “Little Wing” style softness of “Holding On”, the Stevie Ray:esque “Move On” to the raw heavy jams of “White Dog Jam”. A highly recommended gem!
Janne Stark
Label: Grooveyard Records (http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/)
Country: USA
Year: 2011

VINCE HAWKINS & COMPANY SLAVE - s/t (CD)

2010-12-30T01:37:00.000-08:00

Once there was Frank Marino (well, he still IS for that matter), but not that much has come out of Canada since when it comes to retro oriented, rough edged blues players. That is, until now. Vince Hawkins is a new name for me, but man, can this cat jam or what?! Ok, if you’re looking for slick, modern sounding stuff or toothless bar style blues, f’gged it! Vince Hawkins struts his stuff just like classic players like Frank Marino and Hendrix. He’s got that heavy, dirty, rough edge that I just love. Unpolished, raw and it has the perfect nerve to it. Just listen to a track like “Three Kings” and you’ll see exactly what I mean. In some tracks I could have sworn it was recorded live in the studio, but as Vince handles both guitar, bass and vocals it’s physically impossible. So, lots of kudos for making it sound so alive! He uses four drummers on the album, one better than the other and my favourite, a cut above the others, being the loose and lethal Josh Shaw. Not saying the others are nothing short of great, but Josh’s playing, especially in the breaks of opening rocker “The Gods Made Love” is just awesome and really lifts the song. Great song, too, by the way! The material on the album takes a lot of different turns, which is nice and refreshing. One example is the cool and smooth sounding “Peace On Earth”, while “Medusa’s Head” reminds me of a mix between 70s band Rockicks with a touch of Robin Trower. There is some traditional blues stuff in here as well, where “Cathouse” and “Ashes In My Whiskey” are traditional slow blues with a heavier chorus and “My Ship” also treads quite common blues steps. Good enough stuff, and Vince’s guitars shines brightly through it all. I must however admit, I do prefer songs like killer up-tempo back beat rocker “Big City Blues”. That’s the stuff that really gets my mojo going! And, there’s much more of that on this album! Great stuff!
Janne Stark
Label: Grooveyard Records (http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/)
Country: USA
Year: 2011

JOHNNY HUNKINS - "Talladega Pile-Up" (CD)

2010-12-30T01:34:00.000-08:00

Man, this new bunch of Grooveyard releases must be one of the best collection of discs in years! Besides Vince Hawkins, Gugun Power Trio, the Stranger compilation and the never failing Blind Side Blues Band, here’s Jonny Hunkins! Just like Hawkins, Hunkins is a multi instrumentalist, handling bass, guitars, keyboard, harmonica and vocals himself with the additional aid of drummer Ryan Hoyle (Paul Rodgers/Collective Soul). It actually quite hard to believe it is the debut of this American blues rock cat. He sounds like he’s been doing this all his life. Besides being a damn fine guitarist and singer, Johnny is the editor of a hot rod magazine. I swear at times I can hear his guitar being routed through a rumbling V8! Hunkins ain’t your average straight ahead blues rocker, I’d say his style has picked up influences from all over the place. There’s stuff that reminds me a bit of Molly Hatchet, at times I hear some ZZ Top, while some songs draw near the territory of Michael Katon. Take a song like “Floyd County Bootleg” with its detuned heavy riffing, followed by yet another shit-kickin’ down and dirty tractor pulling blues rock crusher in “Over The Edge”. Where he even adds some banjo and harmonica for good measures. Let’s however go back to the beginning with the title track, a fast pace boogie rocker where the verse riff actually reminds me of my own song “Howl For Me”, recorded by BALLS (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ballsrock), not that Johnny has probably ever heard it, but I guess great minds think alike (*wink* *wink*). The album features guest spots from people like Wes Jeans, Chris Duarte and Ryan McGarvey. Well, truth be told, Johnny needs no help whatsoever! Just check out to his phenomenal soloing in “Rock ‘N Roll Party”. The song may be a heads down, no nonsense rocker, but listen to that guitar wail! Holy crap! These cool licks just keep flying out! As I said earlier this is no musically streamlined production, which is proved already in third track “Catch Me”, which is more of a classic hard rocker with a southern touch to it. “Henry Jackson” has some ZZ Top:ish Billy Gibbons flavour to the rhythm guitar work. The production of the album, by Johnny himself, is also worth mentioning. Sounds great! Well, I won’t go into every song, I will just state the fact that there’s not a weak song on this album and I hope this album will also break Hunkins in the world outside of cars. He sure as hell deserves it!
Janne Stark
Label: Grooveyard Records (http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/)
Country: USA
Year: 2011

NYMF - "Nymf" (CD)

2010-12-17T02:28:00.000-08:00

Karlshamn based band Nymf, featuring members from label mates Graviators, make their debut in the true old Black Sabbath manner. Opener “The Grave” feeds you riffs that may as well have been signed Tony Iommi. The biggest difference however is lead singer Niklas Sjöberg’s vocal approach. He often reminds me of Mustasch’s Ralf Gyllenhammar and at times of Christian lindersson (Count Raven/St Vitus), except when he, like in “Dark Autumn’s Fire” decides to go into growling mode. Growl is something I’ve learned to accept and in some cases, even like. I shall however admit that, in this case, I could do without it. However as it’s a very limited effort, I can overlook it this time. In some songs, like “Regardless”, I get pretty strong vibes of Pentagram (the Liebling unit), especially when from a guitar perspective. It’s all about simple but highly effective riffs. The mix, made by Olle Blomström, brother of Johan (Blinded Colony, Overdrive, Kaptain Sun etc), is really fat and rich. The guitars build a massive wall of sound, but without diminishing the drums and bass efforts. One track that kinda deviated from the general theme is “Step Aside”, with its cool intro, but also a slightly different type of riffing and a nice arrangement. A killer track indeed. Also “Forsaken” has a softer atmosphere which gives the album some well needed breathing space. I’m happy Nymf tries not to get stuck in the traditional stoner rut. Even though it’s about heavy and doomy riffs that do rock out, like in “Evil Itself”. The album closer initially features with the most doomy riffs of them all, with a slight touch of Black Sabbath’s eponymous epos, and then picks up speed and provides some classic disharmonic Sabbathian chord changes. A nice mix of Blacks Sabbath overtones and Mustasch undertones.
Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2010

Label: Transubstans

www.myspace.com/nymfband

GOLDEN RESURRECTION - Glory To My King (CD)

2010-12-17T02:07:00.001-08:00

And I thought neoclassical metal was something Yngwie was the only one to still hold on to. Maybe there’s a new wave coming? As Golden Resurrection features former Narnia singer Christian Liljegren and ReinXeed guitarist Tommy Johansson, the choice of style may not be that surprising. Both have been strong keepers and followers of the aforementioned genre for quite some years. Fans of early Narnia will definitely love this album. The style is double bass drum based up-tempo neoclassical melodic heavy metal, in the same style as Narnia once were, actually with a strong touch of Johansson’s more power metal oriented band ReinXeed. Great melodies, well arranged songs and a strong melodic feel that carries the songs in a highly favourable way. I also have to say Christian probably does one of his best vocal works to date. If Calle Grimmark was the six string torch bearer or Narnia, young prodigy Johansson keeps on carrying that torch with pride and great technical skills. He does some really impressive solo work and his technique is flawless. Of course drummer Rickard Gustavsson, bass player Stefan Käck and keyboard player Olov Andersson (Grand Stand) give a strong and highly important foundation that the songs rest upon. I shall also add that this is by no means any streamlined shredder-plodding album. The variation is definitely there, and one of my favourite moments is the heavy, riff oriented and melodic “Never Look Back”, with a chorus that is closer to AOR than metal. On the other hand “Golden Flames” or the intro of “The Final Day” could have been penned by Mr Malmsteen himself. A highly enjoyable album that is a must for fans of melodic power metal and neo classical metal.
Janne Stark

Year: 2010

Label: Liljegren Records

Country: Sweden

www.myspace.com/goldenresurrection

John Waite - Rough & Tumble (CD)

2010-12-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Holy crap!! I’ve been a fan of John Waite ever since I heard The Babys and “Looking For Love” on Swedish radio back in the seventies! I’ve enjoyed most of his solo stuff, too, especially the rockier stuff like “Ignition” and “Rovers Return”. I also had the great pleasure of seeing Mr Waite live in Augsburg, Germany not that long ago and man, he still rocked! Great backing band, too! So, how’s he doing on record? Well, his new album starts off with one nice firecracker of a song, the title track. My first impression is I love the naked, rough, rocking sound. A guitar, a bass, a set of drums, some occasional keyboards and the great voice of Mr W. No unnecessary overdubs, no annoying over-Americanized reverb. This sounds like a pure melodic rock album made with love and honesty. “Shadows Of Love” is another melodic rocker that takes us back to Waite in his best form.

Don’t be fooled by the title of the next track - “Evil”. It’s not the old seventies song and it’s no detuned heavy rocker. Here’s a cool melodic rocker, maybe not as hard hitting as the openers, but still very enjoyable indeed. What really makes it work is that John Waite still possesses THE voice! Next up is a classic Waite-sounding ballad, ornamented with some acoustic guitar and piano. It’s of course hard to exceed tracks like “Missing You” or “In Dreams”, but he does try and this one goes a long way. This time John is using the guitar talents of Luis Maldonado and Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty). The latter also co-wrote a bunch of the tracks. “Skyward” is another semi-ballad following in the same vein as the stuff Waite produced on albums like “Temple Bar”.

The cover of Tina Turner’s “Sweet Rhode Island Red” opens up sounding like mid 90s ZZ Top with dirty finger-picking phat guitars and some shuffle-style snare drumming making this an outstanding full throttle bluesy shuffle rocker. Waite sings his heart out, as usual, no holds barred! “Love’s Going Out Of Style” is a mid-pace semi-soft track with almost reggaeish guitars and a cool Nashville sounding chorus. Great bluesy solo from Kyle. There’s even some saxophones in the chorus, but very much in the background. I hate sax, but for some reason they do work well here. “Better Off Gone” kicks off with a nice guitar riff and continues in a melodic upper mid-tempo mode with the classic Waite tone all over it. It has a cool car driving mode to it, made for a top down ride, full on sunshine and sunglasses on! Next up is “Further The Sky” which is a really cool bluesy ballad with some great guitar playing from Shayne Fontayne. Again I have to praise the earthy, unpolished production giving you the feeling of the band being in the same room as yourself. I truly love that!

“Peace Of Mind “ is a track that sticks out a bit with its spoken verse. Not bad, but not really at par with the other tracks. On the other hand I truly LOVE John’s new version of one of my old favourites “Mr. Wonderful” from the “Ignition” album. Luis Maldonado does a great work on guitar giving it a dirty, bluesy live-feel. This version really rocks! Sometimes you shouldn’t mess with old classics, but this time I won’t complain, at all! Love this version! The second bonus track, “Hanging Tree”, is a previously unreleased track recorded for the sound track of the movie “Me And Will”. A great soft acoustic ballad with John singing as soulful as only he can do. There is no doubt, John Waite has again exceeded himself! I’m prepared to rate this album as one of his best releases ever, and for me “Ignition” is way up there!

9/10

Janne Stark

Year: 2010

Country: UK/USA

Label: Frontiers

www.johnwaite.com

MANGROVE - A Distant Dream Of Tomorrow (CD)

2010-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Transubstans Records have a nice tendency of picking up all the great retro bands of our small but fruitful country. Mangrove made their debut in 2009 with “Endless Skies”, a great debut indeed. The follow-up does not disappoint, on the contrary. “A Distant Dream If Tomorrow” continues where the debut left off. Heavy riffs, great melodic vocals, great musicians and a more classic seventies hard rock sound than stoner. The dead heavy riff in “Never Again” reminds me a bit of bands like vintage Sabbath with a touch of Sir Lord Baltimore. They even have the Black Sabbathian simultaneous dual guitar solo, one in each channel. You don’t hear that too much these days. In the true Sabbath/Zeppelin manner they also mix it up with some nice mid tempo balladry in tracks like “I’ve Been Seen Upon The Sun”. I think I said this in my review of the debut, but I’ll say it again, singer Kataja reminds me quite a lot of Magnus Ekwall of The Quill, which is top notch in my book. They do turn a bit more stoner in some tracks, such as “Mean Woman Blues”, but they still keep their high standard. I also really like the earthy, analogue sounding mix of the album. It’s an album where it actually does happen something when you turn it up! It hasn’t been deviously destroyed in some malicious mastering process where compressors and limiters make everything sound louder than everything else. I hear dynamics, something that unfortunately a lot of albums of today lack. This is a great sounding power trio with all individuals making a serious musical imprint in each and every song. Great stuff indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: Transubstans

Year: 2010

Country: Sweden