Black Sabbath-The Eternal Idol-Review

   Released in 1987, the Eternal Idol is Black Sabbath's thirteenth studio album, and their first with new singer Tony Martin. Widely considered to best either the best or second-best album of the Tony Martin years, the album has even earned a deluxe edition reissue in addition to all the recent praise. Is the Eternal Idol the best album of the Martin years? Read on my fellow headbanger...

       First up is "The Shining". The lead single from the album, it is certainly catchy and attention-getting. Featuring a very heavy Tony Iommi riff, I really enjoy the song. Top-notch drumming (the metallic-sounding drums have been fixed from Seventh Star), and great vocals from the very under-rated Tony Martin. A tad too long-winded, but still a great song. "Ancient Warrior" is a great song, featuring one of the heaviest riffs ever created by Tony Iommi. Concerning what seems to be the legend of a dead warrior, the song is a bit on the silly side lyrically, but the great riff, hard-hitting drumming from Eric Singer, and technically brilliant vocals from Martin round out a nice package, one of the strongest songs on the album. 

           "Hard Life To Love" continues Iommi bringing out all the aces, a phenomenal verse riff. It seems to be about someone living life without reservations and morals, burning out quickly. A little "Whitesnake-ish" in terms of production, a bit too sheen and polished, again bearing the hand of famous "over-producer" Jeff Glixman. A decent song. "Glory Ride" is my favorite song on the album. Concerning the Battle of Britain, I love the imagery painted by the lyrics, similar to "Aces High" by Iron Maiden, lyrically speaking. A side note, I actually prefer the version of the song sung by Sabbath's previous singer, the late "Ray Gillen". The deluxe edition contains the album mixed with Ray Gillen's vocals, so you can decide whose vocals you like better. Overall, I prefer Tony Martin as a singer, but this is one of the tracks where Gillen just did it better.

    "Born to Lose" is another bluesy-metal song. Definitely over-processed, I really don't like Eric Singer's drum sound here, far too busy and high in the mix. Also, Martin's vocals need not be covered in so many effects, especially considering his raw talent.  The "evil woman" type lyrics are decent enough, but Martin sounds a little green for this type of song,too young and bright-eyed to truly bellyache about this lyrical topic. Like a fine wine, I believe that Martin's vocals and lyrics only got better as Sabbath went on (except Forbidden, stay tuned for that review in a few weeks). A decent song, but not a stand-out for me. "Nightmare" shows the coming direction the band would take for their next album, Headless Cross. The song again reminds me musically of Whitesnake, featuring a very bluesy riff. The song concerns the trickery of Satan, a common theme explored by the band during the Martin years. I like the catchy chorus, and the riff is certainly enjoyable, but something doesn't work for me about the song. I believe it is the production of the song, a glossy 1980s "knob-job" that just sounds too slick and processed, miles away from the 1970s and even early 1980s rawness of Sabbath.

   "Scarlet Pimpernel" is gorgeous. A classical-sounding guitar piece, I find the song relaxing and delicately beautiful. A little too heavy on keyboards and effects, but it is my pick for my favorite of Tony Iommi's many guitar instrumentals. Sadly, the song is very short. "Lost Forever" is a very heavy tune, featuring one of Iommi's driving riffs. I like the bass work of Ozzy/Rainbow bassist/songwriter Bob Daisley,much more prominent in the mix than the previous album. The song seems to concern damnation, someone who has become pure evil. Iommi's solo smokes here, the best lead on the album. Martin sounds very good, over-singing a bit, but quite an enjoyable vocal performance. Last up is the title track. "Eternal Idol" is a very slow and long song. Like the song "Black Sabbath", a plodding riff drives along the song. A little keyboard-heavy, but it sounds pretty good, the best-produced track on the album, very atmospheric and creepy. The cryptic lyrics perfectly accompany the unsettling music. I like the track, and it is actually quite similar both lyrically and musically to "God is Dead?" from the new album "13".

    "the Eternal Idol" is a decent album, but certainly not my pick for the best album of the Martin years. A little too slick in terms of production, it also seems to me that Martin was a little over-whelmed by being thrust into Sabbath so quickly upon the departure of Ray Gillen. While he sounds very good, I believe that he would come into his own later in the band's discography. Leaps and bounds better than Seventh Star, but only the start of bringing back the reputation of Black Sabbath.

Rating-7/10

    

Metallica-Ride the Lightning-Review

    Released in 1984, Ride the Lightning is Metallica's second studio effort. Often sandwiched between the mighty Kill Em' All and Master Of Puppets, I feel that the album is the proverbial "middle child" of the Metallica discography, slightly ignored and under-valued compared to its siblings. 

     The album opens with the beautiful classical guitar introduction of "Fight Fire with Fire". After about forty seconds, the band unleashes an all-out metal attack. Like "Children of the Grave" by Black Sabbath, the song is a very "gloom and doom" look at the military-industrial complex that hangs over us in the modern world, very apocalyptic. A classic Metallica song to say the least, with fantastic drumming from Lars, one of his best drum parts in my opinion. The title track "Ride the Lightning" shows Metallica moving away from the break-neck speeds of Kill Em' All and more to a focus on developing melody. A strong condemnation of capital punishment, the song shows Metallica at their most political. Kirk Hammett is a revelation on the song, and you can start to see his solos moving towards a very melodic playing style, more refined than the "in your face" guitar attack on Kill Em' All. The song is one of the first "epic" Metallica songs, preparing us for what will come on the next album. Not as technically complex as the song "Master of Puppets", but a progressive step in that direction. In any case, a fantastic song.

   "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is an absolute beast of a song. I have always loved the lead bass guitar introduction, delivered by my no.2 favorite bassist (Geezer is no.1) of all time, Cliff Burton. The lyrics are based on the Hemingway novel of the same name, and concern the experience of war, and all of its horrors from the perspective of a soldier. Lars keeps a solid and pounding beat throughout, and Hetfield delivers his best vocal on the album, and on of the best of his career. But the highlight for me is the lyrics and bass-work of the very missed Cliff Burton, the heart of Metallica. A great song, and my favorite on the album."Fade to Black" is likely the most famous song on the album, and has largely survived in the modern Metallica set-list. Gorgeously classical, the song is a very heart-wrenching tale of hopelessness and suicide. The riffs are crushing and bear the mark of Black Sabbath, very heavy for the band, but somehow softer due to the acoustics throughout. A great song, one of Metallica's best.

     "Trapped Under Ice" is a fan-favorite, a deep album cut. More like something off Kill Em' All, it is the fastest song on the album. I have never loved the song, but I would not say it's a bad song, just more thematically and musically in line with their first album, a bit of a "refugee" on this album. Lars' drumming is an obvious highlight, and the lyrics are pretty stark and bleak, but not a classic "Tallica" song for me. "Escape" is another deep cut. A classic metal tale of not following the rules, the song feels a bit hollow lyrically, an all-too common theme explored during 80s metal. I honestly don't care for the song, sounding positively slow motion compared to most tracks off Kill Em' All. The whole song feel anti-climatic, like a demo fleshed out to fill the length requirements of the album.

    "Creeping Death" is an obvious favorite of many on the album. Like a cold shower, the song wakes us from the coma that "Escape" put us in. The best song ever written about a plague, I love everything about this song, it is the sound of Metallica beginning to approach their creative peak that would culminate on the next album (Load still sucks, and you know it).Lars is like a freight train running down the tracks, and I can't understand why he has some many detractors, he's a solid drummer. One just need listen to this song to hear his talent. Hammett and Hetfield both deliver killer guitars, one of the best Metallica riffs to ever exist, absolutely punishing. The album closes with the Cliff Burton track "The Call of Ktulu". Inspired by the H.P. Lovecraft story, I like the song, and I especially love the bass leads of Cliff Burton, bringing back the bass sound he explored on "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" from Kill Em' All. Hammett's leads will make you green with envy, and will make you ask the question, how can someone be so proficient in their early 20s? A true showcase of his talent, as well as all of the other members of the band.

   "Ride the Lightning" is a very good album. I prefer the much-lauded "Master of Puppets", but consider this album a close second for my pic of best Metallica album. Despite a couple filler songs, most songs are metal classics, songs that many bands only wish they could write. The sound of a band hitting their stride, ascending to the top of the rock world, and what a sound they made on their way up.

Rating-9/10

 

  

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats-Blood Lust

  Released in 2011, Blood Lust is the second album from Cambridge retro-rockers Uncle Acid and the deadbeats. The band has made quite a splash since their 2009 formation, and with good reason. And, with a cover like that, closer attention is absolutely needed.

     Rooted in late 1960s psych/pre-metal, the band takes elements of Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, and even Shocking Blue/Blue Cheer and presents the song through a thoroughly modern filter, incorporating elements of the Black Keys and Wolfmother as well as modern doom bands such as Electric Wizard. What you get is a delicious concoction of raw and warm sounding recordings, which were apparently recorded using vintage equipment . First up is "I'll Cut You Down". The riff is huge, and the influence of Tony Iommi and company can absolutely be heard. But Uncle Acid himself steers away from the vocal style of Ozzy, adopting an almost Alice Cooper like vocal style, a Vincent Price-esque near falsetto. Fans of guttural vocals might find Uncle Acid's vocals a bit soft, but I think they are perfect for the songs.  In case, "I'll Cut You Down" has a great swagger, basically a great piece of doom-tinged blues about getting back at a woman who has severely mistreated people, a classic revenge song. "Death's Door" is a revelation. Geezer Butler-like bass comes from Dean Millar, and it sounds awesome, very intricate. The riff is very Sabbath, but also bearing elements of earlier bands such as Cream and even the Doors. However, the lyrical content is obviously much darker, appearing to be about the classic "doom metal" topic of the execution of witches. At 7 minutes, you would think the song drags on, but alas, I never felt a moment of boredom. Some very nice solos fill out the song, and I particularly like the solid drumming of Thomas Mowforth. A great song, the best doom metal song I have heard in years.

    "Over and Over Again" unleashes another "Sabbathian" riff. The song instantly reminds me of "Wolfmother", but obviously containing more proverbial "balls".  Another song about burning witches, the album could certainly be seen as having an over-arching theme of witch-craft. Strangely poppy for a song about burning witches, it shows what makes Uncle Acid such a different kind of doom band. They are able to write songs that don't immediately alienate the listener, as so many other incredibly slow and plodding doom bands often do, they are dark and gloomy, but like Sabbath before them, able to incorporate elements of popular music. A great f-ing song. "Curse In The Trees" slows the music down, quite a lot. Like the song "Black Sabbath", a slow and doomy riff opens the song. The song then speeds up, heading into a bluesy-jam, a la "Hand of Doom". A great vibe, but I do have one caveat about this song, and the album in general. It is often hard to discern what Uncle Acid is saying, the vocals are somewhat buried in the mix and covered in effects. No matter, a great song.

   "13 Candles" is the most Sabbath-like song on the album. The riff approaches "Iommian" mastery, a wonderful slab of metallic glory. Uncle Acid briefly reminds of Ozzy here, and this is my favorite vocal on the album. The song concerns black magic, and like a good horror movie, is pretty creepy, easily giving Geezer Butler and company a run for their money in terms of the lyrical depth. A great song, and enough for me to consider the band to be the true heirs to Sabbath's throne. Long live the new kings of doom! "Ritual Knife" is more modern, more like 80s doom bands such as Candlemass. The drumming is phenomenal, but the song middles about too much for me. The solo is very competent, but one of the weaker songs on the album, structurally speaking. "Withered Hand Of Evil" is a very cool song, featuring a Mellotron and a crushing riff. Like Sabbath before them, the song concerns Lucifer and the tricks he employs to gain minions here on earth. But like Sabbath before them, I find the song to be more of a warning than something evil, but I guess you can interpret it in your own way. In any case, the song is epic, one of the best song I have heard in a long while. I love the keyboards, they add a depth that many song in doom metal lack. "Down To The Fire" ends the album with an acoustic song. A tale of a lost and wicked soul, it tells of someone who has no hope of salvation, and has condemned themselves through their wicked ways. Flutes are present on the song, a cool nod to Tony Iommi and his flute work with Sabbath.

   "Blood Lust" is a great album. Very heavy and dark, but for fans of doom metal and Black Sabbath, you will likely find much to like. I look forward to what this band has to offer in the future. As the sun will soon likely set on the mighty Sabbath, the world will certainly need a band to fill the massive hole that one day will sink our hearts, and I think we may have found it.

Rating-9/10

  
  

Black Sabbath-Seventh Star-Review

       
   Released in 1986, Seventh Star is Black Sabbath's twelfth studio album and first and only with former Deep Purple/Trapeze vocalist Glenn Hughes. However, the album was originally intended to be the first solo album by guitarist and then only original member Tony Iommi. Given the incredible amount of line-up changes prior to the album, one would think that the music on the album is fractured and unfocused. Well many think so, and the album us usually mentioned on the bottom rungs of the Sabbath discography. Do I agree with the haters? Does Seventh Star really blow? Find out below....

     First up is one of the better songs on the album. "In for the Kill" is a fairly competent 80s rocker. I absolutely hate the drum sound, but Eric Singer does do a good job with the beat. The drums sound terrible on pretty much the whole album, very metallic and brittle, similar to Lars Ulrich's much-hated drum sound on St. Anger. Hughes sounds great as always, one of his best vocals in my opinion, but not really suited to a metal act, he is much better with r and b/soul music. "No Stranger to Love" is a fairly poppy song, a somewhat cheesy 80s ballad. Almost all vestiges of Sabbath were gone by this point, and I don't honestly like the pop direction this tune took. But Hughes sings with fire and passion, a great vocals and some very deep lyrics. A decent song, but not suited for the Sabbath canon, very out of place.

   "Turn To Stone" is the most Sabbath-like song on the album. Eric Singer's drumming is very thundering and capable, but the very thin and metallic 80s rock drums sound terrible today, one of the worst drum sounds in rock history in my opinion, very cheesy. Hughes again sounds great, and Iommi lays down some nice leads and a solid riff, but something just doesn't feel right about the song. Honestly, I think it is the mix of the doomy riffs with Hughes' soulful voice, an odd pairing that never really works on this album. "Sphinx (The Guardian) is a cool synthesizer instrumental, very spooky and atmospheric. Sphinx leads into the title track, "Seventh Star". A slow and plodding number, the song is based around one of Tony's groove riffs, a la "Zero The Hero" off the Born Again album. The lyrics are fantasy-based, which is par for the course for Tony, but sound very silly coming from Glenn Hughes, who is obviously more comfortable singing about making love and being mistreated, again, quite out of character for Hughes. Not a total bust, but it just doesn't seem genuine for Hughes, and even Iommi seems a little out of sorts on this track, delivering one of the weakest solos of his career.

    "Danger Zone" sounds like something off the previous Sabbath album, Born Again. Hughes is more comfortable here, as the song is certainly somewhat reminiscent of Ritchie Blackmore and his guitar work in Deep Purple, very driving. Tony's guitar sound is problematic on the song. Producer Jeff Glixman seemed to be going for a much more contemporary sound, taking a lot of rawness away from the guitars, adding too many effects that "neuter" the riffmaster's once nasty riffs, too polished and slick for me. The solo is not bad, but not enough to save the song, despite Hughes sounding pretty darn good and clearly more comfortable with the love and longing character of the lyrics. "Heart Like A Wheel" is one of the rare examples of Sabbath doing a blues song. The singing is great, Hughes even reminds of his early days in Deep Purple. Iommi's leads a great, and the solo really smokes, despite being extremely long and somewhat drawn out. But something about the song doesn't work for me, likely the fact that I have never been a big fan of Sabbath playing blues music, this song being no exception.

   "Angry Heart" sounds like a heavier and doomier version of Deep Purple, even utilizing an organ. Easily the best track on the album, I love the heavy riff, which is backed by the organ, a la Deep Purple. New bassist Dave "The Beast" Spitz finally stands out on this track, delivering some nice bass lines, despite having the bass essentially buried in the mix. But the highlight is the vocals, great stuff from Mr. Hughes, one of his best in my opinion. "In Memory" finishes the album on a sombre note. A eulogy to Tony Iommi's then recently-deceased father, the song sends chills down the spine. Even so, the song is very touching and reflective, and Hughes vocals really convey the weight of the events surrounding the song. A great track, but pretty lyrically heavy.

   "Seventh Star" is easily the worst Black Sabbath album.  But that is because it is not really a Black Sabbath album per se. As I mentioned, it was originally intended (some say until days before release) to be a Tony Iommi album. As a solo album, it certainly can be viewed in a somewhat positive light. But in the treasured Sabbath discography, there is little room for this album.

Rating-6/10

     
    

Megadeth-Super Collider-Review

    Released this year, Super Collider is Megadeth's second studio album in less than two years. Very productive for a band who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. Certainly a "bread and butter" metal act. Nevertheless, the band's recent output has been considered less than stellar, and many consider the band's "glory days" to be long behind them. What do I think? Find out in my first Megadeth review below.

   The album opens with "Kingmaker". A great riff powers the song, and it certainly sounds pretty good to me. Dave Mustaine's vocals have never been amazing in the traditional sense, but he sounds pretty good here, ragged from the years, with a mature intensity. Drummer Shawn Drover sounds great, and I can see why Megadeth has kept him around, having one of the longest runs in Megadeth drummer history, a great talent. The lyrics are fairly typical for Megadeth in terms of lyrical content, very focused on materialism, hedonism, and the current state of political and social decay. However, a great song, despite being somewhat "Megadeth by numbers". The title track, "Super Collider" is not typical for Megadeth. More accessible than a lot of their recent material, the song is actual fairly poppy for Megadeth.  It is very nice to have original bassist "Dave Ellefson" back in the fold, an amazing bassist, and this song really shows off his talents on the four-string. The chorus is kind of repetitive, but I like the attempt at something new for the band, a clear attempt for Dave Mustaine to step back from the overtly political lyrics that have gotten him in some hot water recently. A good song, quite unique in their long discography.

   "Burn!" brings back the heavy. After some shredding, Mustaine comes in with some scathing lyrics about wanton destruction and burning things. One of the most traditional rock songs I have ever heard from the band, like the title track, it is also quite unique in the Megadeth discography. The song seems to be told from the tale of an arsonist, with the words "burn" shouted hundreds of times throughout the song. I like the lead guitars, and the drumming is solid, but the song feels somewhat hollow. Mustaine seems tame here, almost afraid to push his lyrics to the proverbial limit. Not one of my favorite Megadeth songs. "Built For War" sounds like Slayer-lite, and easily the most traditional thrash song on the album. It is nice to see some major riffs coming back after the last two tame songs, but again, the lyrics seem repetitive, and honestly, superficial and held back. I like the eerie chanting that happens in the middle of the song, and the solo is top, but the lyrics keep me from totally loving this song.

   "Off The Edge" is another Megadeth tale of mental break-down. Very reminiscent of mid-1990s Megadeth, it is one of the more traditionally Megadeth songs on the album. The riff is very thrash yet again, pretty heavy without being distracting. Mustaine sounds great, as creepy and angry as usual. Great leads top off a pretty good song, one of the highlights of the album. "Dance In The Rain" is another progressive song by the band, incorporating some cool new elements. I like the addition of a string section. The song is basically another warning by Mustaine, telling the tale of an individual broken down by corporations,  government surveillance, and life in general. The song is however quite optimistic, telling people to make the most of the current state of social and political decay that most would agree we are in. I really like the song, easily my favorite Megadeth song in years. This is the Dave Mustaine I know and love, speaking his mind without concern. The Metallica like end section is the best part, super fast and heavy, an amazing song.

    "Beginning Of Sorrow" seems to be about the conditions that dictate how our lives turn out. A pretty heavy song lyrically, and definitely classic Megadeth. Not exactly a heavy thrash tune, it reminds me again of the bands' 1990s output, more modern metal than traditional metal really. The highlights of the song however are Ellefson's bass introduction, a lovely sound for any metal-head, and very reminiscent of previous triumphs by the band. The acoustic guitars don't really do anything for me on this track, but don't really detract from it. A decent song, but not a true stand-out track for me. "The Blackest Crow" is a definite bold move for the band. A la Volbeat, the band combines American folk influences into a metal setting with banjos and fiddles in the mix. I appreciate the bold attempt by Mustaine, but not a great track for me. Too much a mish-mash of folk and metal, Volbeat honestly do this kind of thing much better in my opinion.

   "Forget To Remember" is another step away from thrash and a giant step towards traditional rock. I really don't like the song, sounding somewhat like a 1990s brit-pop band with their amps turned up. Mustaine's gritty and almost spoken-word vocals are not suited to traditional rock songs, and this song is not exception. Easily the worst song on the album, avoid this one at all costs. The album closes with "Don't Turn Your Back". Opening with a bluesy jam, the song then kicks into a thundering metal pound-fest. After a very heavy verse, the song then kicks into a very punky chorus, an odd mix to say the least. I love the heavy thrash of the verses, but the contrast between the two styles is too much for me to take. A lot of potential and some very good drumming, but a very out of place chorus. A cover of the 1983 Thin Lizzy classic "Cold Sweat" is included. Yes, it is as back as you can imagine. Don't even bother if you, like me, love Thin Lizzy.

    Super Collider has moments of brilliance. But some major stylistic shifts on some of the songs really don't work. A little too ambitious, it will certainly alienate some of Megadeth's traditional fan-base with a lot of traditional rock elements, banjos and fiddles, string-sections, and pop choruses. Nevertheless, I do appreciate Mustaine's attempt to broaden the horizons of the band, but most us just want to rock like it

 Rating-7/10

   

KISS-Lick It Up-Review

    Released in 1983, Lick It Up was the first "non-makeup" album from the band. Generally regarded as similar in sound to 1982's Creatures of the Night, most regard Lick It Up as inferior to Creatures. More known for the title track and the revealing of their faces, I feel that the album is often overlooked in the long KISS discography. Let's take a look and see if there is any substance to Lick It Up...

   The album opens with the explosive "Exciter". KISS are in full 1980s mode here, very loud and punchy, mainly due to the influence of guitarist/madman Vinny Vincent. Very sexually-charged, it reflects the sound that Paul Stanley would purse for the remainder of the 1980s, a variation of the "glam metal" that was dominating rock music at the time, pop music covered in a metallic shell. The highlight of the song is Vincent's solo, proving that outside of Ace Frehley, he is easily the best lead player that KISS has ever had. A good song, my favorite on the album. "Not For the Innocent" is a pretty heavy tune, very reminiscent of Creatures of the Night, especially "War Machine" off that album. Gene sounds great, and I believe that he only grew as a vocalist during the 1980s and 1990s. I love the gory and sexual lyrics, a perfect combination for the very heavy music. Eric Carr sounds great, and despite the fact that I love Peter Criss, Carr remains my pick for best KISS drummer to date. A fantastic track, great to see KISS rocking hard after the wussy early 1980s pre-Creatures albums.

   The title track has never been one of my favorite tracks, but is always stuck in my head, and is easily the catchiest KISS song to date.  Very repetitive and shallow, I really do not like the song too much, but can't stop singing it around the house, on the bus, pretty much anywhere. So, I have to respect the song for that fact alone, and I can see why it has endured and helped make the album the relative success it was. Going tit for tat with Paul, Gene comes in with "Young and Wasted". Another heavy tune, it makes Paul's songs look pretty tame in comparison. I love the combination of Vinnie Vincent and Gene, they shared a very special chemistry together and crafted some great rock tunes. This one is not exception. Vinnie's solo is great, like an over-driven version of Ace, but much more technical. The late Eric Carr is a beast on the kit, very loud here, a great complement to Vincent's extremely driven guitars. Gene sounds great, and the lyrics are pretty deep, seemingly about addiction, from what I get, drug addiction.

    On "Gimme More" Stanley takes it up a notch as well. Vocally, Paul sounds great as well. I think he did his best vocals in the early to mid 1980s. I'm not crazy about the chorus of the song however, a little ridiculous with its very processed vocal effects. The true highlight of the song is Vinnie's solo, and indeed the main verse riff, the guitar work being the highlight of the track for me. Not bad at all, just not a classic for me. "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" features Paul Stanley rapping. The rap section has never been for me, almost as ridiculous as Debbie Harry from Blondie rapping. But I do like the chorus, classic 80s KISS, very "stadium-friendly", a great crowd-pleaser. "A Million to One" is a power ballad from Paul, a style which would dominate the majority of the rest of KISS' 1980s albums. A classic Paul ballad, I really like the longing Paul evokes on the song. The solo is one of Vinnie's best, and I really like the brief moments of "finger tapping", very 80s.

    "Fit's Like a Glove" is a pretty average song. The beginning of a long decline for the quality of Gene songs, I think the song suffers from lack of assistance of Vincent, who helped both Paul and Gene write the majority of the album. Gene sounds almost too aggressive, screaming at the top of his lungs, a disturbing sound. The solo smokes, but an average song to say the least. "Dance All Over Your Face" is another mediocre Gene song. It sounds like "Juke Box Hero" by Foreigner, and I wonder if Gene had outside help with the song, it doesn't real sound like his songwriting style. Whoever wrote it, I find the lyrics pretty misogynistic, a trend that would continue with Gene songs through the 1980s. The song also suffers from the worst production on the album, very tinny sounding. Not a great track. Last up is "And On The 8th Day". Another Gene song, I find it pretty cheesy and lame. Catering to a very adolescent fan base, the song feels tacky for Gene, an attempt to match the "rock free" zeitgeist of the 1980s. Not horrible, but lame.

   "Lick It Up" is certainly not horrible, but contains quite a few stinkers. I have never liked the album as much as Creatures, and consider the album the start of a long artistic decline that would consume the band for the majority of the 1980s.

Rating-6.5/10

  

   
  

Blue Murder-Blue Murder-Review

     From the rubble of  the collapse of Thin Lizzy, and later being fired from Whitesnake, axe-man supreme John Sykes formed the hard rock/metal super-group Blue Murder. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1989, and has only gone on to increase its reputation as one of the best hard rock albums of the late 1980s. I recently got my hands on a copy of the album, so let's take a look at Blue Murder. 

     The album opens with "Riot". After some nice synths, and some cool fretless bass, the main riff comes in. Sykes is certainly not a delicate player, and the main riff is very muscular. Not a huge fan of the keyboard and rubbery bass sound, but Sykes sounds great, vocally and in terms of guitar playing. Also, Carmine Appice (yes, Vinny's brother) sounds great on the kit, and any fan of hard rock should be familiar with his very heavy-handed drumming, a perfect fit for Sykes' often screeching guitars. A good song, but slightly dated sounded in 2013 given the cheesy synths. "Sex Child" is the most "hair metal" song on the album. I honestly don't like the song, the bass sound of Tony Franklin is one of the main points of contention, very jazzy and out of place on a sleazy rock song like this, almost like wearing track-pants in a Bentley. Also, there are far too many digital effects on the vocals, and the lame synth strings sound bad, even for 1989 standards. Add that to pretty laughable lyrics, and this one is a dud.

      "Valley of the Kings" is probably the most remembered song on the album. I actually like the synthesizer introduction here, it gives an epic feeling to the song. Carmine Appice sounds great as well, very driving on a very steady beat. The mythical lyrics are far more interesting than the previous song, and Tony Franklin also sounds quite good, adopting a more rocky tone for this tune. Very Zeppelin-like, it instantly reminds of Kashmir, with its middle-eastern influenced progressions. A tasty solo completes a very good song. "Jelly Roll" is an attempt at blues, certainly influenced by Led Zeppelin III. Over a bluesy acoustic, Sykes sings about the "evil woman" blues archetype. Some electrics feature in the song, but its mostly acoustic until the second section/solo. But before the solo, the song warps into a 1980s power ballad, complete with strings and effect-covered guitars, somewhat unexpected given the first half of the song, a patch-work song to say the least, but it somehow works. A decent song, but I left feeling as if I had just distinctly heard two separate songs.

    The title track comes next. "Blue Murder". The closest link to Sykes' time in Thin Lizzy, the song would have not sounded totally out of place on Thunder and Lightning, the last Thin Lizzy studio album. The vocals are pretty cools, Sykes almost "rapping", spitting out lyrics rather quickly, rushing to get his syllables in, just like Phil Lynott often did. The guitars are great on this track, easily proving why Sykes is considered one of the greatest hard rock/metal guitarist of all times. Tony Franklin also delivers very nice bass work, and it is easy to see why you can find his credits all over rock albums by countless artists. Add some of best rock drumming you have ever heard, and you have a great song. "Out of Love" brings us firmly into the late 1980s. A fairly sappy power ballad, I've always enjoyed Sykes at higher tempos.However, the song is pretty deep and emotional, and I can only guess based on a real break-up. Vocally, it is the strongest song for Sykes on the album, but just not really my thing, especially from hard rock super-group.

   "Billy" is loaded with synths, a little too much for me. But once the introduction subsides, a nasty riff kicks in and redeems the song. Syke's machine-gun riffing works nicely in this song, it adds a punch and aggression that balance against the poppy keyboards.  The song seems to be about a kid from the "wrong side of the tracks", a common theme in Sykes' song-writing. Catchy chorus, smoking guitars, and a song about lawlessness, what else could a rock and roller ask for? Next is "Ptolemy". After a short introduction sampling what appears to be a bazaar, Sykes comes in with a hugely powerful middle-eastern style riff, very interesting and bold. Another tale of crime and the under-world, I enjoy Sykes' seedy tales of the dark underbelly of cities, obviously an affinity shared by Phil Lynott and Sykes. Franklin's bass is again a little too jazzy for me on this song, especially given the insanely fast metallic soloing of Sykes. The chorus of the song doesn't come in until near the end of the song, a structural strange choice for a song, but Sykes has never really one to follow conventions of standard songwriting. I enjoyed the song, especially the very groove-orientated riff.
Lastly, we have "Black-Hearted Woman". Another song about the rock and roll/blues "evil woman" character, Sykes again angrily tells of a terribly evil woman who ripped out his heart. The riff is stellar, and the chorus is extremely awesome, with Sykes reaching the upper limits of his mid-range voice. The guitars are the real highlight of the track, with Sykes even resurrecting his "tapping" from the Lizzy days. Great song.

   "Blue Murder" has a couple of mediocre song, but the album is overall quite good. I would recommend this album to fans of 1980s metal and rock, and especially anyone who has enjoyed the work of John Sykes in any capacity.

Rating-7.5/10
   

  

  
    

  

Black Sabbath-The Mob Rules-Review

   The second studio-album by the Dio-fronted incarnation of Black Sabbath was released in 1981. Highly regarded among many in the metal community, it nonetheless is usually regarded as an inferior album to its "older brother" Heaven and Hell.  However, many prefer this album to said album. What do I think?Well....read on............

   Opener "Turn Up the Night" opens the album with a roar. Very fast and heavy, I quite like the song.Like a tank rolling through the open plains, the song really has a driving rhythm, with new guy Vinny Appice actually sounding more energized than Bill Ward did on Heaven and Hell, albeit less jazzy and complex. Dio sounds ferocious, especially just before the point when Tony Iommi's solo starts, one of my favorite Dio vocal moments. A very good song by all accounts. "Voodoo" is killer, a great riff, cool bass-line, and one of the best vocals Dio ever laid down, in my opinion anyways. The lyrics reflect the dark direction that band took under Dio's wing, certainly less innocent than both Geezer and Ozzy, definitely more into the darker side of life.

    "The Sign of the Southern Cross" is my favorite song on the album. Starting like "Children of the Sea" a year before it, it contains a beautiful acoustic guitar introduction, accompanied by Ronnie sounding surprisingly fragile and certainly operatic. Geezer's delicate bass-lines mimic Dio's vocals during the introduction, very impressive, even for Geezer. Synthesizers join the band during the verses, and actually add to the camp-fire/fantasy movie atmosphere. Vinny is a bit loud on the drums during the verses, but can pound the crap out of the kit during the amazingly powerful chorus. Dio sounds wonderful throughout the song, proving why he was certainly more technically capable than Ozzy and most other metal singers.  A great song, rounded out by a nice solo from Iommi. "E5150" is a fairly useless instrumental, that besides the cryptic title, does little for the album. Some cool effects, especially on the bass, but this track, like "FX" and "Fluff" before it, fails to capture my interest.

   "The Mob Rules" was originally recorded for the soundtrack to the movie "Heavy Metal". This version is less raw, and more slickly produced.  Vinny is the true highlight of the song, giving new life to the band behind the kit, a wonderful racket. The lyrics are fairly adolescent and repetitive for Dio, but his vocal sounds awesome, so who really cares. Tony is on point as par for the course, but I find the solo a little short, and begged for more. Never a favorite of mine, I like the song, but rarely listen to it, another "middling" Dio-era song without real impact for me, largely due to a lack of a clear transition between the verses and choruses, structural speaking. "Country Girl" may have a stupid title, but it f-ing rocks. A classic riff from Tony provides the backbone of the song, very infectious. Dio's lyrics read like a beautiful love story, a tale of two star-crossed lovers taking on the world. I hate this word, but epic. The vocals are equally beautiful as the lyrics, majestic to say the least.

    "Slipping Away" has never been one of the Dio-era's stand-out tracks for me. The Zeppelin-like riff and slightly poppy chorus don't stack up to the rest of the album. There are some moments or brilliance, especially when Tony and Geezer trade solos near the end of the song. Vinny's drumming is pretty powerful and tight, but it really does also sound like an emulation of a Jon Bonham beat. Besides "E5150", easily the worst song on the album. "Falling of the Edge of the World" is a revelation, and really is an amazing piece of music. It starts with a slow introduction, in which Dio bemoans over desolate strings and sparse Iommi guitar. A march-like drum beat is accompanied by a slow, chugging, Iommi riff, and then the magic truly happens. Iommi plays a riff so amazing, it will literally blow your metal mind. Dio joins the insanely fast riff with some very muscular vocals, gruff and lean, yet very melodic. The solo slays, and Iommi sounds re-energized, like his fellow band-mates, finally finding fire again in the passion and vocal aerobics of Dio. A great song, one of the best recorded by the Dio-era of the band. "Over and Over" is the perfect close to a very good album. Very desolate and icy, the song tells of the pain of living in a world that offers like pleasure for the narrator, a bleak tale of isolation of desperation. Being metal, that is surely not a problem, and there is certainly solace in Dio's emotions, particularly haunting given Dio's untimely and unfortunate battle with illness, something we are all still in mourning from. A fitting epitaph to Ronnie, even if unintended. A great song.

    "The Mob Rules" is fantastic. In many ways better than Heaven and Hell, at least in terms of the consistency of awesome songs. But, the albums are really companions, and therefore, almost defy comparison, being almost one and the same. In any case, pick up this often overlooked Sabbath album, as it truly needs to be heard. The last album before a long break with Dio, and a return that would yield some less than stellar results in the 1990s.

Rating-9.5/10
  

  
  

   

Black Sabbath-Heaven and Hell-Review

    Rising from the ashes of the break with Ozzy, Black Sabbath reformed with Ronnie James Dio and released Heaven and Hell in 1980. Universally regarded as an metal masterpiece, the album has gained a whole new generation of fans, and even provided the name for the Dio-fronted "Heaven and Hell" band that was active until Dio's unfortunate and untimely death in 2010. With all of this praise, one would think that the album is certainly flawless, well, let's find out.......

   The album kicks in with the rip-roaring "Neon Knights". Certainly influenced by the burgeoning NWOBHM "movement" (itself, very heavily influenced by Sabbath). The lyrical subject-matter is course very different from when Geezer and Ozzy principally wrote Sabbath's lyrics. Much more based in fantasy, the theme would mostly be continued throughout Dio's career and time with Sabbath. I like the song, very energetic, and the band sounds re-energized after the somewhat lifeless Never Say Die. Next is "Children of the Sea", one of the best songs recorded by the band, with or without Ozzy or Tony Martin for that matter. The introduction is amazing, I love Tony Iommi's gentle and pastoral acoustics, which are accompanied by Dio's very ethereal vocal. The song then turns it up, heading into a very heavy, Iommi riff, backed by Geezer's very rubbery bass (I don't really like his tone on this album, a low for me) and Bill Ward's fairly solid, if somewhat deflated drumming. I also really like the choir near the end of the song. A very nice song, and a live staple of Dio and Heaven and Hell for years to come.

      "Lady Evil" is a good song that sounds pretty bad. I love Martin Birch's production, but for some reason, this one sounds all wrong. Very tinny, it seems to lack the mid-range so present in most hard rock and metal songs. Other than the production, it's a decent modern re-telling of the classic blues "evil woman" tale, certainly a teenage boy's fantasy come to life. Dio would repeat this theme many times throughout his long career, but this is my favorite example of this style of song from Dio. Iommi's solo is pretty stellar as well, very nice, but somewhat held back by the lagging rhythm section, which appears to be half asleep. A half-decent tune, but not amazing for amid a sea of killer tracks. The titular "Heaven and Hell" is an amazing track, one of the best by the band. Coming in along a hypnotic bass-line, Dio delivers one of his most powerful vocals, as well as some amazingly deep lyrics. Iommi awakens about a minute in, and delivers some very nice leads, followed by a great, chugging riff, metal heaven. The instrumental  middle of the song is pretty long, but Iommi and co. keep your interest with some nice leads, and a very tight rhythm section, much better than the last song. A great track, an absolute classic. I love the short classical guitar outro, a perfect way to end the very long song.

    "Wishing Well" is most people's least-favorite tune on the album, and I would have to agree. Although the band and certainly Dio sound great, I'm not a huge fan of the structure of the song. Kind of middling, it seems to never really "go anywhere" musically, sitting around the same chord progressions for most of the song. Also the lyrics are kind of cliche and corny (sorry RJD), not a bad song, but not in the same league as the other "class A" songs on the album. "Die Young" certainly brings the listener back in, an amazing song, and my favorite song recorded by the band with Dio. I love the vintage analog synthesizers provided by Geoff Nichols, very atmospheric. When the song kicks in, you swear that a fire-breathing dragon has just awakened. The song is blistering fast, with Bill Ward himself struggling to keep up at times. Dio sounds amazing, at the top of his game. Geezer's bass-lines are very complicated, beautifully intricate. The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful, telling of both the dangers and joys of burning out before you get old, very poetic. Metal at its best.

   "Walk Away" has a tough act to follow in Die Young. Honestly, I have never been a huge fan of the song. Again, my problem is more with the goofy lyrics and very 1970s classic rock songwriting. The song sounds very dated for 1980 standards, like a Rainbow outtake or demo. A decent solo is a highlight, and Dio's vocals sound great, but not enough to save the song for me. Skip it. Last up is "Lonely is the Word". Painfully slow and plodding, I find the song to be another dud. Dio sounds good as always, but the guitars again sound thin and metallic. Bill Ward seems to be losing the groove occasionally, and you can actually hear the pain he was going through (substance abuse, family deaths) in his very mellowed and more reserved drumming. Although he is certainly more technically capable than Vinny Appice, it was clearly the right decision to have Vinny come in on the next album (Mob Rules review coming soon!). Meh!

    "Heaven and Hell" is a very good album, but contains a couple filler tracks amid the killer tracks. But the great songs are bona fide classics, so they really do balance out the album. Fans of Dio, Sabbath, and/or metal in general should have already heard this album, but if you have not for some reason, you could do a lot worse than this stellar document.

Rating-8/10


  
   

Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath-Review

  What more is there to say about likely the true first metal album, other than it inspired a revolution in music and single-handily created an entire genre of music. However, the album is often merely lauded for these details. I would like to take a deep exploration and analysis of this often talked about, but rarely listened to album.  For reference, I will be reviewing the original US/Canadian vinyl, so the track-listening may obviously differ from your version. Enough details, let's rock....

    "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath on the album Black Sabbath really says it all, extremely dark and easily the most disturbing song written by the band to date.  Anyone familiar with heavy music has certainly heard the track, but it still sounds amazing after the hundredth(probably a lot more) listen.  The riff is positively creepy, and is supposedly based on the "tritone", a supposedly evil chord progression. I love the deluge of rain at the beginning of the song, a perfect opening for the "theme song" of heavy metal. Ozzy's singing is bone-chilling, sending shivers down the spine of anyone with a soul. Bill's minimalist jazz drumming keeps the tension high, as well as Geezer's low rumble of a bass line. But the real star of the show is Tony Iommi, playing the main riff (very simple) with an amazing degree of vibrato and tension. The song picks up near the end, and Bill provides a military-like march to oblivion, warning of the coming of Satan. The has been interpreted in many ways, but most agree that the lyrics are really a warning about the dangers of the occult and black magic, rather than an ode to evil.

    "The Wizard" is supposedly about Gandalf from J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" saga. Showing the band's early blues sound, it features Ozzy performing on harmonica, quite well I might add. The riff is quite simple, again based around three chords. But the simplicity works, and Bill Ward's complex and thunderous drumming keeps your interest the whole way though. Ozzy sounds great as well, very gritty and bluesy, a great song. "WASP" is first part of "Behind the Wall of Sleep", and has been merged as such on most reissues of the album. A short instrumental, I like the celtic-tinged progressions, but otherwise not much to talk about. "Behind the Wall of Sleep" kicks in with the classic Sabbath sound, jazzy pounding from Bill and intricate bass fills from Geezer. Ozzy sounds pretty gruff here as well, singing much lower than usual, an stylistic characteristic of late 1960s blues acts. I like the song, but what comes next is the highlight of the album.

    "Bassically" is just another name for the short bass solo by Geezer Butler before "N.I.B." smashes its way into the world. "N.I.B." is considered to be the best Sabbath track by many, and I often agree with that statement. So monumental is the racket made by N.I.B., it is really hard to fathom that the song was recorded in 1969. The riff "bassically" invents the motion of headbanging by begging that thou head be banged, Iommi clearly invents tapping (or, at least stylizes it) during the solo, and Geezer would inspire a generation of metal bassists with the very intricate lines he created for the song. All of this is backed by Bill's forceful drumming, and insanely unsettling lyrics, a love song written from the perspective of Satan to his minions. Pretty brutal, but an amazing sound.

   "Side 2" opens with "Wicked World". Not included on the U.K. version, I nonetheless really like the song, certainly more than the U.K. inclusion of "Evil Woman", which I consider to be one of the worst songs ever recorded by Sabbath. A pretty depressing tale of injustice and poverty, it clearly shows how Sabbath were originally given the "downer rock" tag. Ozzy sounds amazing here, his voice still untouched by the years of substance abuse that would give him the rasp he would later develop. I like Tony Iommi's half-reversed solo, an amazing feat give the two days that this album was recorded in. The solo is also great, and it is played in isolation, giving the space all to Tony, very cool idea.

    "A Bit of Finger" is not really a song, but another introduction to a song (why did Warner do this?). A few gentle acoustic chords strummed over the sounds of a lonely "jaw harp", nothing really to say. The song then transitions into "Sleeping Village". I have always loved "Sleeping Village", an immensely unsettling song that reminds of many a horror movie, in which villagers turn to zombies, or whatever sort of creature the movie may be about. Ozzy sounds great, delivering a very disturbing moan of a vocal. "Warning" occupies the last ten minutes of the album, but has always been a bit too "jammy" for me. I like the "evil woman" lyrics, and the bluesy riffs and jazzy drumming, but get a little bored with the relentless drum fills and guitar solos near the end. It just seems to drag on past the point in which it should be over, the band likely trying to transfer their very long live songs at that point into a studio context.

  "Black Sabbath" is a very good album, and has more than enough moments of brilliance that show why the band would reach the heights of success that they did. The recording is a little raw, but therein lies a lot of its charm, the sound of a band reaching for success, giving it literally all they had. Witness the birth of metal in this album, painful at times, but what a noise.

Rating-9/10 

  

    

Van Halen-A Different Kind of Truth-Review

    Released in 2012, A Different Kind of Truth was Van Halen's first studio album with David Lee Roth since 1984's appropriately titled 1984. One would think that such a long span of time could certainly leave the Roth-era line-up(most of it anyways) of the band rusty and out of sync with each other, and to a certain extent that would be fair. But the album must retain some of the charisma and flash that made Van Halen the international superstars they are now today, shouldn't it? Let's dive in....

      The album opens with the comeback single "Tattoo". The song received a lot of mixed reviews from the rock press, but I happen to like the very fun and classically goofy song. Roth sounds quite good, a little haggard from years of rock and roll, but certainly vibrant and as charismatic as one could expect from a man closing in on sixty. Eddie sounds back alive, after the Van Halen III debacle (see my review of said album, check the 2012 reviews). A great comeback song, despite the detractors. "She's the Woman" is classic Van Halen, literally, as the song was demoed long before Roth's departure in 1984. I love the song, a great riff and pretty solid bass playing from Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen. The songs is a little short, and the lyrics are pretty silly, but this is Van Halen, lyrical depth is often few and far between.

    "You And Your Blues" is one of the weaker songs on the album in my opinion.  The song would have honestly worked better for Sammy Hagar, more suited to the more poppy and ballsy grit of Sammy's moan. Roth reaches for the high notes, but just barely hits them, vocally straining himself. Not bad, but not a stand-out track. "China Town" aims to replicate the lightning-fast insanity of early VH. I like the funny, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Alex Van Halen sounds great on the drums, still a very fast drummer, holding up a very solid beat. Eddie's solos are quite good as usual, the guitar equivalent of gymnastics.  I really like the tune, one of the best on the album.

   "Blood And Fire" slows down the album, a quasi-ballad. I like the classic Eddie verse riff, very classical/jazzy, with hints of blues, always a nice-fit for Roth. Pretty mellow, but heavy enough during the chorus to satisfy, a nice chill-down after the very heavy previous songs. The song is lyrically sparse, with many gaps in places where lyrics should seemingly be. In any case, I like the solos and Roth does sound quite good at times, but lacking some depth for me, especially in the lyrical department. "Bullethead" is the most "metal" song on the album, very heavy and pretty fast. A little reaching for the aging Van Halen, they can still hold up a fast beat, but it sounds a little "out of character" for this version of the band, a little too heavy for Van Halen. But not a bad song, a little short and too modern-sounding for the band, but an interesting direction. The metal attack continues with "As Is", another very fast song. At moments within the song, you can hear the "magic" that the band created in the 1970s and 80s, if a little faded over time. The magic truly comes in with the solo, a blistering hot piece of molten metal from Eddie, very tasty. Also, Wolfgang is quite a highlight on the track, proving that he certainly has the talent to live up to his father's name. Pretty good, and I would like to see other aging bands rock this fast, very quick on their feet.

   The albums continues on with "Honeybabysweetiedoll". After some guitar trickery and radio sampling, an odd "Primus-like" riff comes in. Very different for the band, and the most modern song on the album. Not very poppy at all, it reminds of some of the darker material from Fair Warning, VH's deepest and darkest album in this author's opinion. Roth's lyrics/spoken word interjections are pretty creepy, and sufficiently cryptic. Roth lets out a scream near the end that certainly reminds of the glory days, easily one of the greatest moments on this album. Wolfgang sounds very comfortable here, really exploring the intricacies of the bass, and developing confidence from years of touring. A good song, but not very accessible for casual fans. "The Trouble With Never" has a very Sammy-style riff, reminiscent of "Poundcake" in many ways. But the chorus is classic Roth-era, and he is backed by the classic "barber-shop" style harmonies that VH are so famous for. Bassist Michael Anthony is certainly missed however, as his harmonies were a true highlight of the VH listening experience, a true shame, despite the obvious skills of Wolfgang. I quite like the spoken-word section of the song, very cool poetry from Roth, one of his coolest and self-referential lyrics in my opinion. A good song, certainly close enough to the classic VH sound for me.

    "Outta Space" is based on another demo that the band had lying around a studio, and it certainly sounds vintage. The purest facsimile of 1970s VH, it could have easily fit into the track-listing of Diver Down or even Women and Children First.  My favorite track on the album, it just works right. Of course Michael Anthony is missed, but all of the other elements are in place. Roth sounds great, the riff cooks, and Alex pounds the crap out of the skins. Wolfgang certainly earns his weight too, a very nice bass-line. If the song had been recorded in the 1970s, this would easily be one of their most remembered songs. In 2012, it still kicks ass, classic. "Stay Frosty" is this album's equivalent to "Ice Cream Man". A short, folky/bluesy jab at blind fundamentalism and misguided faith, I love the song's fire and bite. Electrics come in and bolster the song, but I honestly wish they had left the song mostly acoustic, maybe keeping the solo. The song retains the classic "surfer-dude" philosophizing of Roth, deep, as if almost without even trying, very nonchalant. Eddie delivers not just one, but two killer solos. A great song, and really leaving the album without much filler at all.

    "Big River" is a great song. A "Running With The Devil-lite" riff dominates the song, and is very infectious. The soulful and playful lyrics, reflect the "everyman" appeal of the band, very accessible and perfect music for taking a load off. The chorus is a little repetitive, but I like the verses where Roth sings ode to famous rivers, an interesting muse to say the least. The solos are amazing, and I love the guitar tapping here, the master of tapping has certainly perfected his art. A great rhythm section rounds out one of the best songs on the album, excellent. "Beats Workin'' closes this fairly long album. Eddie delivers a slow and crunchy metal riff, but the album is certainly rolling to a close. Not a bad song, but quite plodding, a bit too sludgy and sloppy. One of the weaker songs on the album, but certainly not awful.

   "A Different Kind of Truth" is as good a comeback album as anyone could have expected. Yes, Michael Anthony is not here, but Wolfgang does a great job, and is coming along nicely. Despite all the turmoil, Eddie still sounds great as well. David Lee Roth's vocals may be somewhat diminished, but he still sounds good, and at times, amazing. Alex is still the madman of the group, and hits those sticks like there is not tomorrow. If you like VH, and you have not heard this album, do yourself a favour, and give this a listen, Beats Workin indeed.

Rating-9/10
   

Black Sabbath-Sabotage-Review

  

    Black Sabbath steamrolled through the mid-1970s with 1975's Sabotage. Considered by many to be their magnum opus, I have always been a little more critical of the album. Let's see what I like (a lot) and what I don't like (not a lot) about Sabotage.

    "Hole in the Sky" is an absolute monster of a song, brutally heavy for its time. Bill Ward hits the drums so hard, you would swear they are about to break into fragments of wood and metal. The riff is relentless, one of Tony Iommi's best. Then there is Ozzy, singing as if possessed by something superhuman.A great metal song, and the best on the album in my opinion. "Don't Start (Too Late)" is another Iommi classical guitar piece. Very latin-sounding, I like the sound of the guitar and the progressions, but it's nothing more than a transition in this author's opinion. "Symptom of the Universe" is basically the blue-print of thrash metal, incredibly fast and aggressive. The DNA of most modern bands has at least a few strands of Sabbath DNA, and "Symptom" is certainly going to be found in nearly all "DNA" samples of modern metal music. Ozzy sounds killer here, his voice about to give out at any moment. Geezer's bass is positively elastic, flying all over the fret-board like a maniac. An amazing song, even the acoustic second half of the song, which gives the listener a much-needed chance to chill out after the rapid-fire riffs of the first half of the song, very jazzy.

   "Megalomania" is probably the tripiest song written by the band. Covered in effects, Ozzy tells of a fragile megalomaniac losing his grip on power and reality. A true mind-trip, the song will surely send shivers down your spine, very spooky. Iommi's guitars are icy and distant, and Bill's swing beat fits the lyrically nature of the song, very scattered. After a short piano-accompanied breakdown, the song picks up speed again over a driving Iommi riff, and Ozzy delivers easily the finest vocal of his career, at least in terms of vocal power and force, especially the famous line, "suck me!". uttered by Ozzy near the end of the song. An essential Sabbath song, but unfortunately not part of their modern set-lists.

   Side 2 opens with "Thrill of it All". After a somewhat "swing" inspired introduction, Iommi unleashes another deadly riff. Ozzy sounds f-ing awesome, and I don't know what transpired to make him sound so good on this album, vocally at the top of his game. After playing around with the riff for a couple minutes, and throwing out some existential lyrics, the album heads into a strange section dominated by a high-sounding synthesizer, not crazy about the synth on the song, but a nice beat and great guitars from Tony save the song. A good track, but not a stand-out for me. "Supertzar" is a fan favorite, and many people say it's Sabbath at their most progressive. I'm not a huge fan of the song, finding that it gets lost in its own ambition. Iommi's guitars clash with the choirs in my opinion, mixing the raw and distorted guitars with the pristine-sounding choirs just doesn't sound "right" to me.

     "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" has never been one of favorite songs. I find the song a bit repetitive, the chorus being repeated near-countless times before the song is over. Also, Geezer's bass lies buried in the mix, lower than usual. In any case, one of my least favorite Sabbath songs, and my pick for worst song on the album. "The Writ" redeems the album totally, and is a great song about the horrors committed upon the band by their lawyers. Awesome vocals, a steady bash of a beat, and an interesting bass sound (covered in flangers/wah?) from Geezer. After a short bass solo and some reversed drums, the main riff kicks back in and Ozzy sounds even more ferocious than during the first verse. The anger of the band is clearly evident, and their legal troubles were clearly the source of inspiration for this song. The ending of the song is oddly quiet, throwing everyone for a loop upon initial listens, but the song then kicks in yet again with the same crushing riffs and drum beat introduced early in the song, a great play of loud, quiet, loud. Musically very complicated, it reflects the very progressive nature of the album, technically speaking.

   Sabotage is a very good album, but not Sabbath's best album in my opinion, not even second. But, there is a lot to enjoy, and fans of heavy Sabbath songs will find a lot to like on the album.

Rating-8/10
   
 

Black Sabbath-Technical Ecstasy-Review

   Most critics and casual fans of the band consider 1976's Technical Ecstasy to be a monumental disappointment, and the "beginning of the end" for the band's original line-up. While I agree that the album does pale in comparison to earlier Ozzy-era albums, it can't be all that bad, or can it?

   First up is the galloping rhythm of "Back Street Kids". Moving away from the occult, the band instead turns its attention to social issues. About a tough kid from the wrong side of the tracks, it could certainly be autobiographical for all members of the band, who all came from modest beginnings.  Less doom and gloom than previous outings, the song still packs a lot of aggression in its relentless rhythm, provided by Bill Ward. Not a bad song, but somewhat cliche lyrics and a relatively boring bass-line from Geezer start to shows the sign of ennui that band were certainly feeling at this point in their career. "You Won't Change Me" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, I like the creepy organ running through the verse, very unsettling and moody. Geezer Butler is back on point for track 2, providing a very nice, if somewhat subtle bass-line. Ozzy sounds great, and delivers a great vocal, one of his strongest with Sabbath.

    "It's Alright" is an interesting song. The first lead vocal sung by Bill Ward, it is very Beatles-esque. A soft piano is accompanied by Geezer's rolling bass, and a solid beat from Ward himself. Very out of place on a Sabbath album, but by no means a bad song. Iommi finally kicks in with a solo, and a very nice solo at that. But the song limps back into the verse section, even more calm and acoustic than before, somewhat anti-climatic, but an enjoyable song, very gentle and sweet from the masters of doom. Side 1 closes with "Gypsy". Opinion of the song is very divided among Sabbath fans, some consider it crap, and some consider it an interesting curiosity. A little too trite for me during the verses, it seems to aiming for the masses with its 1970s "cock rock"  ambitions. I do love the break-down and solo/coda section of the song, as a classic and very heavy Iommi riff does eventually kick in. A decent song, but it takes a while to really kick in, a "grower" of a song for me.

      "All Moving Parts (Stand Still)" is a very odd song, even for this album. Supposedly about a transsexual politician, the lyrics are certainly unconventional. Musically, I like the groove of the song, very funky. The band would move towards more funky songs on their next album, usually with good results. Bill Ward's drumming is great on the song, and he gave a very solid performance on this album, easily the stand-out aspect of the album. "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" is rather traditional rock for the band. It's as if all the layers of doom and heavy riffs have been peeled away at this point. The bar-band pianos give the song a more bluesy feel, coupled by a very blues-tinged riff. The lyrics are an "ode" of sorts to the various dealers that supply rock n rollers with their "medication", something that Ozzy and co. certainly had experience with. Not a terribly bad song, but very conventional and safe for Sabbath, the sound of a groundbreaking band taking a musical step backwards.

   "She's Gone" is a great song in my opinion. Accompanied by somber strings and gentle acoustics, Ozzy sings of lost love. Very slow and very depressing, but a hauntingly gorgeous song for me, one of the best on this album. The album closes with the best song on the album (although I prefer the live version of this song from Reunion), Dirty Women. I love the verse riff for the song, but it sounds a little muffled here, being almost drown out by the organ. I could honestly do without the organ on the track, very out of place for Sabbath, too "Deep Purple-like" without the finesse of the late Jon Lord. I'm glad that the very distracting organ sound has been essentially removed from modern lives performances of the song. Very complicated, the song even features a "Santana-like" jazzbreak-down. After the break-down, a great riff comes in, with Ozzy delivering some very gruff vocals, sounding absolutely haggard.  Great stuff, and very complicated musically speaking.

   "Technical Ecstasy" is not a great album. It is at times very good, but the relative lack of heavy riffs(mostly no down-tuning here) and lyrics focused more on social problems slightly turn me off compared to earlier Sabbath albums. While I do listen to it once in a while, there are only a few songs that really keep me coming back.

Rating-7/10

  

Black Sabbath-Paranoid-Review

  Their second album released in 1970, "Paranoid" brought the band closer to international stardom and is generally their most recognizable album. Easily their biggest success, usually this accessibility brings conflict with artist merit. Is Paranoid as artistic valid as the other mighty Ozzy-era Sabbath albums. Let's take a trip.

     First up is the former title track (the album was originally to be titled War Pigs).  A scathing critique of the military-industrial complex, it was released during the height of the Vietnam War, flaring tempers of angry young rockers. What is there to say about the song, great riffs, great drumming, and fantastic vocals by Ozzy. All of this is compounded by Geezer's amazing lyrics, very poetic and pissed. Next is the title track. I have never been a huge fan of Paranoid. It was put together in the studio in a matter of hours, and to me it sounds like it. Although it has been a huge hit for the band, I really don't have much time for it. However, the song could certainly be seen a the blueprint for the punk music that would come later in the decade, as it was easily one of the fastest rock songs unleashed by any artist in the early 1970s. An average song, great singing, but a little shallow instrumentally speaking.

   "Planet Caravan" is my favorite song on the album. Covered in effects, Ozzy sings a trippy vocal that is instantly recognizable. The rest of the band delivers their jazziest instrumentation yet. Bill's percussion is a revelation, showing that he was certainly comfortable outside the kit. Tony delivers some great leads, very jazzy and mellow. A perfect chill-out song after the raw aggression of the first two tracks.   "Iron Man" is another massive hit by the band. Like Paranoid, the song feels a bit rushed for me, a little shallow both musically and lyrically. The lyrics are fairly comic-like, slightly juvenile for me, given the band's very deep subject-matter on most songs. The riff is of course very "tasty", but I honestly cannot really listen to the song, given its status on classic rock radio, I can only hear it so many times. Not a bad song, but not one of my favorites by the band.




   Electric Funeral is a great song to start Side 2.  I love the incredibly simple but effective riff. The lyrics are somewhat goofy like Iron Man, but somehow are scarier here. Very apocalyptic, I like the very doomy vibe of this song.A Sabbath classic. "Hand Of Doom" is one of the darkest songs written by band. A sort of bluesy number about heroin addiction, the lyrics are very introspective, and one of the first songs to really tackle drugs head on. When the song kicks in, Ozzy nearly tears his vocal chords out he screams so loud, a very powerful vocal. One of the first songs to perfect the "quiet-loud-quiet-loud" formula of heavy rock, it certainly is a trip. A great track, and my second-favorite on the album.

   "Rat Salad" is a jazz-metal instrumental. I love Bill's very intense drumming fills, and he is really the highlight of the track. Tony and Geezer's guitars are certainly nice, but the drumming is simply out of this world, a great showcase. Other than that, the song is quite short and feels like a studio experiment. The album closes with "Fairies Wear Boots". An anti-skinhead taunt, I love the playful lyrics of the song, a direct assault on ignorance and narrow-mindedness. A great song, and one of the band's most musically complex.

    "Paranoid" is very good, and there are reasons why it has been so successful. However, it is not a favorite of mine within the early Sabbath discography. It suffers from the "rushed" character of many second studio albums, and I feel the band would have benefited from some time off to write and record the album. Still, this is great music, and casual fans will find more than enough to rock your house.

Rating-8/10
              

Black Sabbath-Sabbath Bloody Sabbath-Review

    Released in 1973, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is a considered by many to be the best studio album by Black Sabbath, a true masterpiece of early heavy metal. Do I agree, well of course with the masterpiece part , my sillies. But, is it their best effort? Let me tell you the answer.

    The title track "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is one of my favorite Sabbath tracks. Easily their most loved riff, Tony crushed all would-be heirs to his throne of riffage by producing this amazing, earth-shattering riff. I love the jazzy break-down/chorus, it is amazingly gentle and serene compared to the menacing verse riff. Ozzy's vocals are so good, he cannot even sing the song today, as it is now vocally out of his range. The grinding second break-down unleashes the heaviest riff by any band to date at that point. During the same section, Ozzy's vocals begin to crack, he is literally giving it all he's got. Amazing. The onslaught continues with "A National Acrobat", a great metal song, and my second favorite by the band. Bill Ward's jazz drumming is second to none, an amazing racket, yet very tight in form. Geezer Butler and Tony's guitar/bass inter-play is better than ever here, incredibly tight and in total simpatico. I love Geezer's creepy sci-fi lyrics about what appears to be artificial insemination, a then taboo topic. A true stand-out track, one of the best by the band.

     "Fluff" is a fairly useless instrumental track by Tony. Gentle acoustics provided a similar vibe to "Laguna Sunrise" off of "Vol. 4", released the previous year.  A good break from the heavy riffs, but pretty much a throwaway track on this otherwise stellar album, very sleep-inducing, and far too long for a Sabbath instrumental. "Sabbra Cadabra" jolts you awake with a blistering-fast riff from Tony, and elastic bass-playing from the nimble Geezer. Bill Ward smacks the crap out of his kit, and approaches near god-like status. A very positive song, it really is a love song wrapped in a tough, metallic exterior. I don't normally like overt synth-lines on metal songs, but Rick Wakeman of YES delivers some very keys here. I love the bluesy outro, Ozzy delivers some great showmanship vocally, playing with the song and the audience, his vocals cut up and mangled amid sick-sounding groans and taunts, very clever studio work.

    "Side 2" (are you really going to listen to this on CD/MP3/Youtube/, c'mon, get serious) kicks off with the very dark "Killing Yourself to Live". An early blueprint of "doom metal", the song contains a crushingly heavy chorus and lyrics, very "down-tuned" in terms of guitars. Ozzy delivers his vocals with heart and fire, never to better himself than on this album, in this author's opinion. Hopelessly bitter and angry, it is a rejection of the pressures that society places on us, a nihilistic rejection of "the man" and his old, tired values. Metal at its best, revolutionary in spirit and sound. "Who Are You" is a one of the weirdest songs by the band. Composed and written mostly by Ozzy, it feels like someone experimenting in a studio. The synthesizers are pretty cheesy and dated nowadays, but don't take away too much from the track. I would have liked more guitar work from Tony on the track, but the guitar/piano break-down does more than suffice, and it is hauntingly beautiful. The song awkwardly limbers back into Ozzy's synth experiment of a verse, one of the weaker moments on the album for me.

   "Looking For Today"  is a more mellow song on this pretty heavy album. More classic rock sounding, it shows the band's movement away from the doomy, "downer rock" tag that they had been given during their formative days. Not a bad song, but it lacks the impact and driving force of many other songs on the album. Not a big fan of the strings and flutes, "Looking For Today" represents the stylistic shift that the band would take on their next two albums. "Spiral Architect" closes the album with an epic bang. A gentle acoustic introduction then kicks into one of Iommi's greatest riffs, very intricate. The jazzy influence of the band is all over the verses, and at the same time, a "Mellotron" brings the band into "prog rock" territory. A great closer.

   "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is not Sabbath's best in my opinion, but nonetheless a very fantastic album. Besides the quite boring "Fluff", all of the songs are classic Sabbath tunes and are easily recognizable among any fan of hard rock or metal. This is classic rock at its best, and it begs to be heard, repeatedly.

Rating-9/10

   

  

  
  

Ace Frehley-Ace Frehley-Review

     In my final KISS solo album review, I will take a look at what most people consider to be the best KISS solo album, usually by a long shot. Was Ace's album a masterpiece? Did he finally trump Gene and Paul (trumping Peter on these solo  in both artistic and commercial success? Read on....

     First comes "Rip It Out". A brutal assault on the senses, the song is a very bitter and angry look at the trappings of love. Ace sounds positively pissed off, and lays down some very heavy riffs, some of the heaviest ever recorded by any members of the KISS camp. A great song, very "f- the world"in terms of attitude and swagger. Immediately striking is the phenomenal drumming provided by Anton Fig, a current member of David Letterman's "CBS Orchestra".  "Speedin' Back to my Baby" reflects the chaotic nature of Frehley's life in 1978. Prone to speeding and car accidents, the song perhaps suggests that love was the cause of his infamous run-ins with the law. In any case, it's a great rock and roll song, and I love the female backing vocals and reversed solo ,slightly ridiculous given the dark nature of the song, but that's what is so great about this album: certainly dark, but it doesn't take itself too seriously.

    "Snow Blind" is a obvious reference to Frehley's growing interest in the white stuff. I love the crushingly heavy riff. Frehley sounds torn and frayed vocally, but it only adds to the desperation and danger of the song. A great solo is backed by a strange choice in an organ, but the solo smokes so much you barely notice the slightly cheesy organ during the solo. A great song, one of Frehley's best. "Ozone" is a more bluesy song, based around a Zeppelin-like riff and Bonham-esque drum-beat. Fig pounds the sticks with abandon, a great musical force. Frehley sounds great on the track, proving that while he is certainly not Robert Plant or Freddie Mercury, he has a burned out rock and roller drawl that really accents his "sloppy on purpose" playing style. A stoner anthem, one need only listen to the lyrics to discover that Frehley certainly enjoyed partaking in recreational substances. A little long-winded, but a very good track.

    "What's On Your Mind" is my least favorite track on the album. More poppy and acoustic, it hints at the direction that many of Ace's songs would take during the last days of the original line-up of KISS. Not a bad song, and certainly not a tacky pop song, but a little out of character for this very heavy and classic rock album. The biggest hit of the KISS solo albums was "New York Groove". Originally written and performed by Russ Ballard (the first Ballard cover for KISS as they would later cover/rework "God Gave Rock N Roll To You" on Revenge). Quite discoish, it nonetheless has  a certain charm. A little rough around the edges to be classified as pure disco, you can instantly picture Frehley strutting around the streets of NYC upon hearing the song, easily his most confident performance to date. A nice cover, and certainly better than the somewhat dull original. "I'm In Need of Love" is a very bizarre song. Frehley plays with various guitar effects, while pinning over the love of a female. Bass interjections from bassist "Will Lee" add a jazzy depth to the song, and the bass perfectly accompanies Fig's Rich/Bonham style of jazz-rock drumming. At one point Fig provides a  drum beat that stutters like Frehley's vocal, great musical simpatico.

   "Wiped Out" is a pretty wacky song. Following a surf-like introduction, the album heads into Frehley telling tales of being wasted and stoned, over an infection Jimmy Page-lite riff. The song then metaphorically takes a "downer", heading into the depths of lyrically darkness during the very heavy chorus. A great song, a perfect musical equivalent to the highs and lows of the hard-partying lifestyle that Frehley was certainly living in 1978. This is natural artistry, unlike Gene or Paul and certainly Peter, Ace is pouring his heart out, there is blood and likely quite a bit of "vomit" on these very damaged tales of hedonism and excess.  Fantastic. The album then closes perfectly with the first entry in the "Fractured" series of guitar instrumentals by Frehley. A doomy riff accompanies a gentle acoustic, only to be backed by layers of synthesizer-sounding guitars that puncture Fig's drumming like gentle lasers, very cool sounding, proving Frehley's innovation sonically, a very ground-breaking guitarist, easily one of the most influential on today's generation of rock players. I love it.

       "Ace Frehley" is great, better than some KISS albums. A fantastic triumph for a man who was all but written off by his band-mates during the immediate lead-up to the start of the solo albums. Gene and Paul may be continuing KISS today, but without both Peter (the heart) and Ace (the soul), KISS is and will always be a pale imitation of its former self.

Rating-10/10
   
    

Paul Stanley-Paul Stanley-Review

    
      Released with the other three solo albums in 1978, Paul's album is generally regarded as a decent attempt at the solo album project, and it considered to be the most "KISS-like" of the four solo albums. But many consider it to be too poppy, and somewhat sappy. I would partially agree with the previous statement, but that's really most Paul songs, so I don't really understand such a critique. Let's take a look at the  "Starchild's" first stab at solo album.

      The first track is by far my favorite Paul track of all time. "Tonight You Belong to Me" is a classic KISS (almost anyways) track. Very dreamy, I love the gentle acoustic introduction, which is then followed by a kick-ass riff and a very catchy and infectious chorus. Steve Buslowe provides great bass on the track, and Paul's guitars really shine, good song. "Move On" is classic 1970s Paul Stanley. It sounds a little "off" without the rest of the band playing on the track, but this would become the norm on later albums such as Dynasty, when individuals members of KISS would often play on multiple tracks. Nice backing vocals (classy, unlike the very gaudy vocals on Gene and Peter's albums) and great solos and drumming, the songs kicks it up to "eleven", a great rocker. "Ain't Quite Right" slows the album down a bit, but rocks enough to satisfy. I like the mellow riff in the verses, followed by crunchy and raw guitar riffs in the chorus. The songs middles around a bit and doesn't hit the climax you quite expect from Paul, but a good song nonetheless.

     "Wouldn't You Like to Know Me" shows the early influence of the New York Dolls and other New York bands such as the Ramones on Paul. A simple and garage-like riff provides a very raw sound, very refreshing compared to the bloated-nature of Gene's solo album, a very different sonic approach from Paul compared to Gene. Nice drumming from Richie Fontana, at times even better than Peter Criss around the same time and certainly than on his solo album. "Take Me Away (Together as One)" is the first real ballad on the album. Despite being a ballad, the song doesn't lack grit or aggression, its quite heavy and loud, and Stanley delivers stellar vocals. A little bit too long in my opinion, but a very good song. "It's Alright" is another Paul Stanley rocker, very 1970s, quite orthodox in terms of the classic KISS sound. Pretty simple musically, but then again, most of Paul's early song revolved around some fairly basic blues-influenced chords. But it certainly works, and has all the charm and pizazz of Paul's KISS output, a very fun rocker of a song. 

    "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart) was Paul's main single from the album. Sounding like a refugee off a Bee Gees album, I really don't care for the direction Paul took on the song. Very mellow and sappy, it's a sugary concoction of  Paul at his most pop and romantic. Not a terrible song, just not what you expect from the de facto leader of one of the world's biggest hard rock bands. Again, production is fine on the song, but just too mellow for me. "Love in Chains" kicks up the decibels again. The heaviest song on the album, the punchy riff rolls through the track like a tank, very heavy. The chorus is a bit poppy, but still quite enjoyable. Bob Kulick (Bruce's brother) delivers some very hot guitar work on the track, and I often imagine what KISS would have sounded like had he joined instead of Vinnie Vincent. "Goodbye" closes the album with somewhat of a whimper. Very formulaic for Paul, it just doesn't stand out among his better songs on this album. Kind of a boring track, despite some good playing from all of the musicians on the album.

   "Paul Stanley" is a good album, certainly better than Peter and comparable to Gene's in terms of quality. Very different from both of those albums, it is certainly the most KISS-like of the bunch.

Rating-7/10