Chris Bickley – Digital Reflection (CD)

This is US guitarist Chris Bickley’s second effort (it should be noted he also plays with the resurrected 70s American rockers Thunderhead). His first album, Tapestry Of Souls, was a good start, but on Digital Reflection he has definitely perfected his crafts. The album has a better flow, stronger song material and definitely a way better mix. Yes, this is a (mainly) instrumental guitar album, but Chris does write really good songs where the guitar handles the “vocals”, so not only a lot of shredding, but actual melodies. Chris is backed by bassist Dino Fiorenza and drummer Gaetano Nicolosi, both great musicians who provide a solid foundation for Chris guitar playing. Dino also does some pretty impressive slapping here and there. Furthermore, Jimmy Pitts fills out the cracks and crevices with some nice keyboards. The album also features some other guest guitarists, such as Adrian English and Mike Abdow. The songs range from mid/up-tempo rockers to soft and nice ballads such as Arigato and one of the two vocal tracks, Tragedy (sung by Steve Johnstad). The other vocal track is a surprising cover of Iron Maiden’s Wasted Years, sung by Teri Lane. She does a good job, even though I would have wished for a bit more edge and a little less vibrato. It’s a good track, but I honestly don’t think it fits that well into the rest of the material. If Chris would’ve made an instrumental version it would maybe have been a bit more fitting. Well, the rest of the material kicks ass, and it’s a great album indeed! Shredding is alive and well!

Janne Stark

Country: USA

Year: 2017

Label: Shredguy Records

EDDY MALM BAND – Northern Lights (CD)

I heard the Eddy Malm Band demo several years ago and liked it so much I wanted to include a demo track on the compilation for my latest encyclopedia. According to the liner notes on the CD this track was what made No Remorse pick up the band, which makes me happy and proud! So, yes, I am happy the album is finally out! It’s funny, I was expecting Heavy Load, but what I hear is more of Eddy’s band prior to Heavy Load – Highbrow, and that makes me even more happy. To be honest, I was a bigger fan of Highbrow than of Heavy Load. It’s not really raw, raunchy and brutal, but quite clean and melodic, and I really like that! I’ve also always been a fan of guitarist Per Hesselrud’s guitar playing, even though it has mostly been displayed in his quirky bands Bosse and IFK Doom (a hilarious band where they do Sabbath songs in Swedish). The rhythm section featuring drummer Mike Kerslow and bass player Tomas Malmfors is tight as a rat’s ass. I Had Enough is a straight ahead classic rocker, closer to AC/DC than Heavy Load, while Turn It Down sounds like it was written for Highbrow. Nasty Woman slides in closer to the classic NWoBHM era. Heavy Load fans will most likely recognize track #6 – a new rendition of Dark Nights from the Heavy Load Metal Conquest MLP. It always tough to record a new version of an old and well-known track, but I like the heavier punch to the new version (and, did I mention I like Per’s guitar playing?). The boogie-oriented Get Out Of Here again takes us back to the NWoBHM era and bands like Saxon, Maiden, Chevy and Dedringer. Danger is a cool stomper where Eddy shows he hasn’t lost his vocal power from the 80s. Next is yet another re-make, this time the A-side of the first Highbrow single from 1978, A Loser. A really great version, actually, except for the weird clicking sound (echo??) in the chorus, which I don’t really get. The album finished with the heavy rocking title track. A really good album indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: No Remorse

Year: 2016

Country: Sweden

Martin J. Andersen – Six String Renegade (CD)

Martin Andersen may not be a household name, but if you’re a fan of the Danish dynamite band Blindstone – you KNOW who HE is! Martin is an outstanding heavy, bluesy guitarist and an awesome bluesy singer, and now he gets the chance to shine on his own. Here he also plays bass and keyboards, while Klaus Agerbo handles the drums. Well, don’t expect a pop, metal or jazz album. When Martin goes solo, you will make no mistake he is the driving force behind Blindstone. He’s always had a cool funky touch that makes me think of Frank Marino. Well, he keeps on nurturing it here as well, but he also stretches out with some nice instrumentals. One, which I must comment on initially, is the highly surprising “The Trooper”, originally by Iron Maiden. Martin really puts his own spin on this one making it a cool instrumental hard rocker! There is also some more classic bluesy stuff here such as “Dirty Little Angel” and Johnny Winter’s “Stranger”. Another, not as far fetched, cover is “Strange Dreams” by Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush. A perfect fit indeed and a killer version! Despite being perfectly in Martin’s wheelhouse, he does put his own spin on it, especially when it comes to the extra spicy guitar tone. “Never Ending Climb” keeps the heavy, funky vibe going and this one is closer to the house of Blindstone, but it also has a different melodic quality added to it. “Freak Flag Flying” really gets the Hendrix mojo  going and “Funky State Of Mind” is what it sounds like. Funk rock with a nod to the old school of Parliament and Funkadelic. The album ends with the ten minute instrumental guitar orgasm featuring guest benders Michael Denner, Torben Enevoldsen and Soren Andersen. This track really builds up like a movie, starting all cool and melodic with a bit of drama coming in after a while. Halfway in the real guitar drama begins with one solo leading into another. A great album, giving Blindstone fans yet another bite to chew and the opportunity to discover the Danish guitar gems. Highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Country: Denmark

Year: 2015

Label: Grooveyard Records

THE HIDDEN – Fearful Symmetry (CD)

Long time, no see, but NOW finally - see! The Hidden was a powerful technical thrash project that recorded an album back in 2000, which was never released. I featured one of the songs on the bonus CD of my third encyclopedia since I felt it just HAD to be heard! Well, now the guys finally took matters into their own hands and released this hidden (noooo, no pun intended) gem. The band features Patrik Sporrong, drummer Matte Modin, singer/guitarist Teddy Möller and bassist Peter Laitinen. Names I guess you all know from bands like F.K.Ü, Lost Souls, Midas Touch, Dark Funeral, Defleshed and Imperial Domain. If you’re into mind-crumbling, technical power thrash with Iron Maiden style guitars, high pitch vocals and energizer bunny drums, this is for you. I personally love it! Musically it’s like a mix of furious thrash, classic heavy metal and progressive metal. It’s like if Agent Steel, Iron Maiden, Death and Dream Theater had group sex and this little bastard was the result of it. Ten powerful and great songs with not a second wasted on nonsense. A shovel in the face feels like a summer breeze in comparison. Kick ass stuff!

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014

Label: Divebomb Records

ALLOY - The Path So Frequently Trodden (CDR)

Alloy is a new Swedish combatant on the battle grounds of classic heavy metal. To quote themselves they are on a path frequently trodden. Alloy plays classic sounding eighties heavy metal, showing quite obvious traces of Iron Maiden and Manowar, but also US metal band Brocas Helm. They place themselves alongside newcomers like Enforcer, Steelwings, Helvetets Port and Evilseve, and they do pretty well. There are some flaws here and there, but nothing major. The songs have all the necessary elements with good vocals, a great guitarist and a solid rhythm section. The recording is liberatingly free of autotune and trigged drums, and relies on a classic analogue sound. The vocals are often the band’s Achilles’ heel, and Jonas Edström may not be any Bruce Dickinson, but he does a really good job. The songs are also good and solid with my favourite being the slightly heavier Sea Of Lies with its of gloomy riffing. A really good start, boys!
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Label: none (demo-CDR)