INGLORIOUS – Inglorious (CD)

Wow!!! Just f***ing WOW!!! I’ve seen there’s been a bit of a hype around this band and before hearing them I was not really paying attention thinking it was just one more, no offence, decent but not overly exciting melodic rock project. Well, suck me sideways! Wrong was I!! I damn near stood in attention after the sneaky intro had finished and the first riffs of opening track Until I Die rolled out of the speakers like a raging steamroller! The first band that came to mind was the long lost Badlands fronted by the highly missed Ray Gillen. The power, the riff and the intensity of phenomenal power house vocalist Nathan James just hit me like a brick! One track doesn’t do an album, of course, which second track Breakaway helps to overcome. This one started out with a touch of Aussie rockers Electric Mary with a Whitesnake sounding chorus. High Flying Gypsy provides a bit of Kashmir-feel to the guitar rhythm, but there end the similarities. Another killer bluesy rocker. Holy Water starts out with a cool bluesy riff, the pumping bass and drums come in and we’re now in Whitesnake meets Purple territory, with Nathan hitting that soul-rattling Hughes vibe. A big, powerful, yet cool and bluesy ballad. A dirty, mean, gritty, ugly and lonely guitar starts off the track Warning, joined by a cool slide guitar. Break. Hell breaks loose! Inglorious may not be bastards, but they sure sound like a bunch of bad boys! Bleed For You also enters into a cool, bluesy Whitesnakey vibe, but better than anything that band has done since 1984. Ok, Girl Got Gun is yet another slow piece. It’s a great track, but I hope you’re not falling asleep, guys, are you? Well, You’re Mine answers the question. Nope! The track Inglorious sticks out a bit with it’s simple halftone descent metallic riff, followed by a Magnum-like passage, making me wonder where this one’s heading. It’s a bit like if Led Zeppelin and Magnum had a love child, and that’s all good in my book! Unaware starts off with a soft piano intro, after which the heavy riff masters take over and turns this into a heavy, yet cool riff-oriented hard rocker with a modern melodic rock chorus. Some bluesy 7-chords, a bit of wah and we’re home free! Even though the album closer is entitled Wake, I think Goodnight would be more appropriate. Acoustic guitars and vocals and then 3 minutes into the song some very unplugged sounding drums and a bluesy guitar solo enter. Kind of a Badlands-vibe to this one as well, actually. This will most likely be the cigarette lighter (now iPhone) moment of the glorious Inglorious live show. Damn fine album, indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: Frontiers

Country: UK

Year: 2016

Video: https://youtu.be/SJTdvTfEFGc

MAGNUM - On The 13th Day (CD)

Wow, Tony Clarkin, Bob Catley, Mark Stanway and their crew are definitely back with a vengeance. I was a big fan of the band’s early albums like Kingdom Of Madness, II and Marauder. Great stuff indeed, still is. I don’t think the band ever raised the bar over these albums, even though Vigilante and On A Storyteller’s Night are good efforts. Later day’s Magnum has also kept a pretty decent level of quality even though I’ve rarely revisited the newer albums that often. Well, I’m happy to say On The 13th Day proves this band can still surprise me. The album kicks off with heavy hitter All The Dreamers showing a glance of older days, but with a more updated and quite heavy sound. Blood Red Laughter continues in the same vein and Bob Catley actually sings better than ever. No sign of weakness or weariness. The man can still SING! The mix is full, fat and solid, reminding me a bit of the latest Uriah Heep album. The best part of it all, the songs are really great memorable pieces with nice hooks and ballsy riffs. Blood Red Laughter is a song that will pop up in my iPod quite often I feel. The same goes for the title track. Well, the same actually goes for the major part of the album. Dance Of  The Black Tattoo has some of the chunkiest and heaviest guitars I’ve heard from the band in a long time, plus a chorus that sticks. Another killer track. There are however a few songs that may not be in the top league, such as So Let It Rain (a bit too pop for comfort) and… hmm… well, I guess that’s the only one, and it’s not even bad, just a cut below the rest. So, conclusion, this is without doubt the best album Magnum has produced since their heydays! Congrats, boys!
Janne Stark
Country: UK
Label: Steamhammer/SPV
Year: 2012