Rush: Rush

   Being a resident of the Greater Toronto Area and a proud Canadian, I do love Rush. Released in 1974, their first album is regarded as their most rock and roll and their most straightforward. Let's take a look.

   First up is the Zeppelin-like "Finding My Way". A massive sound from a trio, Geddy Lee sounds fantastic here on bass and vox. Surely attempting to sound somewhat like Robert Plant, but with great results. Alex Lifeson produces a great riff and a killer solo, and its amazing that the band were so young and so talented. A great track, an early Rush classic. I love the sound of Geddy's love bass notes hitting at the same time as the drums hits of the sadly-departed John Rutsey, a great racket. "Need Some Love" is a classic boogie-like rocker. Also quite influenced by Zeppelin, it nonetheless has a unique quality due to Geddy's high voice, intricate bass playing, and Lifeson's unconventional playing. Lifeson somehow skirts the notes that you expect him to play. A great tune.

  "Take A Friend" steers away from Zeppelin and sounds more like label-mates "Max Webster". A very "Can-rock" song, its one of the weaker songs on the album. Not really bad, but kind of boring and typical for a band that constantly makes new ground. Rush would move away from such a conventional sound after this album, but it's interesting hearing them trying to be contemporary on this album. A progressive-like riff does come in at the end of the song, adding a unique touch to the album. "Here Again" slows down the action. Jazzy in nature, it's a great chill-out song. Rutsey seems a little more uncomfortable with jazzy drumming, and perhaps he was a little limited in terms of flexibility when compared to the mighty Neil Peart. I dig the song, similar to the sound that the band would take for my favorite Rush album, "Caress of Steel".

   Side 2 opens with "What You're Doing". The song reminds me of Deep Purple, with a great sway and funk to the main riff. A great Lifeson riff and solo, the only issue I have with the song is Geddy's vocals. Far too many effects cover his voice. Rutsey's manic drumming is always a highlight, the band were literally a power-keg ready to explode at this point, a very high-intensity song and album. "In The Mood" is one of the most well-known tracks on the album. The style of the song is pretty typical for the early 1970s. The sexually-charged, almost "cock-rock" lyrics seem comical coming from Lee, but the song is great in its innocence. A very catchy Rush staple, I enjoy the song despite being pretty standard-sounding.

    "Before and After" shows the early signs of the band's progressive tendencies. The first half of the song is a dreamy instrumental. I love the bass playing during this section, proving that Geddy is a force on the four-string. The song kicks into one of band's most raw and garage-sounding songs. Very Zeppelin-esque, it reminds of Moby Dick by said band. Geddy hits some pretty high notes here, and its amazing how high his voice actually was during the early days of the band. I like the song, but not among the album's best. The album closes with the song that many consider to be the crown jewel of the album. "Working Man" is a masterpiece of rock music, and is one of the best Canadian songs ever written. A massive riff accompanies Geddy's love letter to the working classes. The song helped break the band, and it is a staple of classic rock radio. If you haven't heard it, what's wrong with you? Hear it now!

    "Rush" is a great album for a first effort. It's not perfect, and like many first albums, suffers from production issues. It is however, their most straightforward rock album, lacking most of the complex progressive experiments of later albums.

Rating-8.5/10
 

Twisted Sister-Stay Hungry

   Released in 1984, "Stay Hungry" is the most remembered and well-known album by Long Island's own Twisted Sister. Infamous for the sight of singer Dee Snider(and the other boys) in make-up on MTV on a near-constant basis, I feel the time has come to look beyond the theatrics at take a look at the music. Let's dive in....

   The album opens with the near speed-metal title track. "Stay Hungry" is a great, fast-paced rocker. Drummer A.J. Pero keeps a solid beat, and Dee sounds great here. The twin leads during the solo are also a nice touch, as Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda trade guitar licks. A metal classic, easily the best song on the album. The band is known by the general public for "We're Not Gonna Take It". The Slade-like party anthem ages decently, but after to 10,000th listen, I don't know how much more I can take of it (pun intended). You've heard it before likely, so it is what it is, a decent 80's metal-lite tune.

   "Burn In Hell" shows the band's earlier edge, before they adopted a poppier sound with cartoon aesthetics. The heaviest song on the album, it is the most traditional metal song on the album. A heavy riff dominates the song, with Dee singing some occult and creepy lyrics that would later get the band in trouble with Tipper Gore's PRMC. Dee's speech at the PRMC meetings is the stuff of metal legend, but the song remains a decent tune, fairly complex musically with some great lyrics. "Horror-Teria" is divided into two parts, "Captain Howdy" and "Street Justice". "Captain Howdy" capitalizes on the boom in horror movies during the early 1980s, and seems to tell the tale of a psycho killer named Captain Howdy. The main riff is heavy and the drumming from Pero is excellent, but it is a fairly lame song, despite some high nostalgia points.  "Street Justice" seems to continue to story of Captain Howdy, telling of his capture, getting off on a technicality, and then being brought to justice by an angry mob. The most punk-like song on the album, fairly basic and bare-bones really, with Dee's vocals low in the mix and Mark Mendoza's bass barely audible. Not a bad tune, but the production is a little on the weak side.

   Side 2 opens with the 80's classic "I Wanna Rock". Another Slade-influenced tune, the song takes a distinctive American turn compared to Slade. A great party anthem, but nothing complex musically and lyrically speaking. Then again, people don't usually listen to Twisted Sister for philosophical insights, and that's fine. A very good song, with some killer drumming (I can't explain how solid Pero's drumming is, fantastic). "The Price" is an attempt at a power ballad (every 80's album had one).Not the band's strong suit, but not a horrible song. The problem is that Dee's voice is much better suited to in-your-face rock anthems as opposed to slower songs. A decent song.

  "Don't Let Me Down" is another almost speed-metal song. Very fast and raw-sounding, it reminds me of earlier albums such as the underrated "Under The Blade" from 1982. A great song, it shows the band before they became a little too commercial-sounding for many rock fans. An interesting note about the song is the twin solos (also on Burn In Hell), with Jay Jay and Eddie trading off solos (the speakers that you will hear each guitarist's solos are even listed in the linear notes).  "The Beast" is a pretty heavy song, seemingly about another monster or killer named the beast. Dee sounds devilish on the track, I actually like his voice a lot on these heavier songs, very gritty and dark. A good song, one of the heavier songs recorded by the band. S.M.F. is a love letter to heavy metal and its place on the outskirts of society. A great anthem, it basically gives the finger to society's judgement of metal, in a musically statement. A great closer.

   "Stay Hungry" is a great album. If you look beyond "We're Not Gonna Take It", you can find a lot to like here. Twisted Sister has always been a band of scrappy misfits, a true underdog of a band. They may not play like Rush, sing like Judas Priest, or solo like Van Halen, but they have a lot of spunk and spirit, and that's what rock and roll should really be about.

Rating-9/10
  

King Diamond:Voodoo

   Released in 1998, "Voodoo" is King Diamond's eighth studio album. Pretty much overlooked by the North American public and press upon release, the album has nonetheless been gaining important recognition in recent years. Let's take a look at what may be a lost metal classic.

   The album is a concept album. Concerning the lives of a Louisiana family during the 1930s and their exploits with voodoo. The album opens with the appropriately titled "Louisiana Darkness". Basically synthesizers and some creepy child-like singing from King Diamond, there's not much to write home about for this track, a creepy intro though. "LOA House" brings on the metal assault. A huge riff and blast beats dominate the song while creepy lyrics set the stage for the concept of the album. King Diamond's trademark falsetto is in full effect on this album, so people that are turned off by it will not be changed by this album. The song is classic King Diamond, but I could have used a little more crisp and clear production, the vocals are a tad muffled on this track and most of the album.

   "Life After Death" is a spooky song. A chugging metal riff is accompanied by the King's organ, a very nocturnal sound, something which I quite enjoy on his albums.  The drumming is somewhat off in terms of timing, and overall, the production and tightness of the band was not great on this album. A decent song, but it sounds muddy at times, especially King's voice, which should be the centerpiece of the song. Title track "Voodoo" is an interesting song. It opens with some tribal drums atop a big riff. Production is very 1990s on the track, and far too many layers of seemingly digital effects make the album suffer it terms of fidelity. A decent solo from the late Dimebag Darrell (RIP) breathes some life into the song, but it's not a King Diamond classic for me.

   "A Secret" is classic King Diamond. A nice classical-influenced riff rides along with Diamond's macabre lyrics about all things that go bump in the night. The drumming is much tighter on this track, and King's vocals are much easier to hear. One of the best tracks on the album, definitely a step back in the right direction, with some killer lead guitar to boot. "Salem" continues the story of the album. Fans of King Diamond's storytelling will delight in the complexity of the story, but I for one am not usually a big fan of heavy metal concept albums. But upon further reading, I can appreciate how King has tried something different in the metal world, and the stories usually make for an interesting read. In any case, the song is about a house servant named Salem who practices voodoo with a devilish doctor. Ummmmm, in any case the song has some cool moments. I like the operatic chorus, and the main riff is quite heavy and infectious. A decent track, with a great solo from the underrated guitarist Andy LaRocque.

   "One Down Two to Go" starts off with an acoustic, almost folk-like introduction.Of course that turns into a blast of metal to melt your face (metaphorically). The song reminds me of Mercyful Fate, a very speedy track, with some great guitar aerobics. Easily the best song on the album, don't judge it by the fairly lame acoustic sections, they just provide tension to amp up the song even more when it really kicks in. "Sending of Dead" is a weird song. The first part of the song features some jazzy drummer and circus-like organ playing, before of course picking up with a heavy riff and blast-beat drumming. Not bad, but not one of my favorites by the King.

   "Sarah's Night" opens with a harpsichord introduction. Orchestral strings back up King Diamond as he sings about the tale of Sarah (the daughter of the family in the story) as she is possessed by a voodoo spirit. A creepy song and some very disturbing vocals from the King, but not a great song musically speaking. The harpsichord sounds cheap and dated even for the time, as do the strings. "The Exorcist" is almost a great tune, but King Diamond's vocals are muffled and have a weird reverse effect applied to them. I love the white-hot guitars, and some great drumming from John Luke Hebert. The bell sound in the song is truly haunting, as are the double-tracked guitar leads, a great sound. A good song.

   The very long album continues with "Unclean Spirits". Not really a song in the strictest definition, it is just some creepy organ with what appears to be an exorcist try to remove a demon from someone's body. An interesting and creepy interlude, but nothing special. "Cross of Baron Samedi" is a decent song. Telling the story of a magical ancient cross belonging to an undead spirit, the song's subject matter is somewhat over-the-top, but most of King Diamond's albums are, so again, if you enjoy his brand of storytelling, you will likely find plenty to like here. The song is slow in many sections, with operatic vocals telling the saga of the cross. The song picks up with a thunderous riff, telling the story of how the cross was used on Sarah. Not bad at all, and at this point the story is actually becoming kind of interesting. "If They Only Knew" is a short interlude with the character of Salem speaking about the origins of the house that the family lives in and why it is haunted. "Aftermath" closes the album with Salem divulging more about the what happened to Sarah and how her baby is speaking in tongues. Creepy.

   "Voodoo" is a good album. Casual fans of King Diamond might want to explore the more accessible "Them" and Abigail" first. But, for fans of him and the band, there is a lot to like here. Somewhat too long, with some spotty production, the album is not a masterpiece. But the storytelling is as dark and foreboding as usual, with some great music to go along with the story.

Rating-7/10

  

 

Ghost: Opus Eponymous

 

   Released in 2010, Opus Eponymous garnered rave reviews from the rock press and landed on many critics' top albums lists of that year. I somehow avoided the hype until recently, but I have decided that I can no longer do this as this band and its albums have entered the pantheon of modern metal. So, let's see if the hype surrounding this album is warranted.

    First we have the spooky introduction "Deus Culpa". Just a simple organ-based tune, it nonetheless sets a creepy tone for the album. "Con Clavi Con Dio" opens with a nice distorted bass riff, before being joined by some heavy guitars. Original vocalist Papa Emeritus sounds great on the track, like King Diamond without his trademark falsetto. The satanic subject-matter of the music will certainly bother some, but with Ghost it feels more theatrical than genuine.  The chanting in the background enforces the creepiness of the song, a great opener. "Ritual" is my favorite track on the album. I love the main riff, which is contains elements of doom metal and groove metal at the same time. Emeritus sounds great on the track, and its hard to believe that these fairly smooth and pop-like vocals are coming from a man dressed like a demon pope. As the musicians in Ghost remain nameless (they call themselves Ghouls), I cannot directly comment on their work. However, the guitar solo is great, as is some solid bass playing throughout the album.

   "Elizabeth" is another song about the murderous Elizabeth Bathory. The subject-matter has been discussed in metal ad nauseum, but remains an interesting subject. The song is quite simply awesome, retaining a very catchy and almost poppy feel despite being about the worst female serial killer in history. I love the organ playing on the track, it adds a unique feel and separates Ghost from many other bands. "Stand By Him" is another ode to Satan (they all are, really). The song instantly reminded me of Alice Cooper, with its roots firmly planted in the sound of the 1970s. After some nice guitar aerobics, we are treated to some spooky organ and even more chanting. But then that chorus comes back in, a wonderful piece of songwriting that will stick in your brain for long after you have stopped listening to this album. A stellar solo closes out the song, and at this point I realize what all the fuss is about.

  "Satan Prayer" is one of the weaker songs on the album in my opinion. The lyrics are starting to blend together. Like King Diamond, the satanic theme gets to be a bit much. Much more modern sounding, the song has some pretty heavy riffs. The bass work is excellent on the track however, as it the bone-chilling solo. "Death Knell" opens with a cool bass riff again. Crunchy guitars drive the song along, peppered with that omnipresent organ. The organ will certainly turn off some hardcore metal listeners, but it makes the music even creepier in my opinion. Despite the over-the-top lyrics, the song is quite good. Black Sabbath would be the reference point for this tune, very doomy and sludge-like. Emeritus can sing like an angel, despite the ghoulish appearance, a great voice in rock and its nice to hear a metal band actually singing nowadays, as opposed to grunting in a extremely low voice.

   "Prime Mover" is another doomy and sludgy song. A lead bass riff drives along the song. Bass forms an integral component of the band's sound, and the bass playing is great on the album.  The demonic organ and chant-like vocals really creep you out, not the heaviest sound in terms of distortion, but heavy on so many other levels. Latin is thrown into the song, obviously drawing parallels to the Catholic mass. Sacrilegious? Obviously....a good song? Yes. "Genesis" closes the album. A classical-tinged clav riff opens the track, showing that Ghost are not afraid to try something different. A heavy riff accompanies the clav, and it actually sounds great. Lonely and sombre guitar leads play over the bass and clav, and the sound in wonderfully desolate and dark. Piano comes in, adding a further element of isolation. A great instrumental, it really shows that the band have chops, despite all the smoke and mirrors.

  If you are offended by spooky and satanic lyrics, stay away from Ghost and Opus Eponymous. However, if you are able to separate the message from the music, you will find something to like here. Seamlessly combining 1970's hard rock and modern metal, the band is a great fusion of old and new.

Rating-8.5/10
  

London:Non-stop Rock

  Famous for being Nikki Sixx's first major band, London never really hit the big-time. However, they did release a few decent albums during their short recorded lifespan (they are back together, but have not produced any new material). Let's take a look at their first album.

  Released in 1985, this version of London was actually a reformed incarnation that arose after the disbanding of the original band during the early 1980s. Featuring a new line-up, founder and guitarist Lizzie Grey sought to capitalize on the glam scene that London had certainly helped create. First up is "Dirty City". The first thing that you will notice is the incredible racket that the band made. Very much in the same vein as Motley Crue and W.A.S.P., the band is in the heavier spectrum of glam metal. I love the thunderous drums, electrifying solos, and great vocals from Nadir D'Priest. L.A. metal at its finest, the songs sordid tales of the underbelly of L.A. are a perfect fit for the nasty-sounding riffs. Next up is the title track. "Non-Stop Rock" reminds me of "Knock Em' Dead Kid" by Motley. D'Priest sounds a lot like Vince Neil, but with even more aggression and growl in his voice. A great anthem, the song is about having a good time and rocking and rolling. Grey is a great guitarist, and it was a shame that he is more of a local figure than a superstar. A great tune, everything that Vinnie Vincent Invasion could have and should have been, fast-paced metal with blistering solos.

   "Werewolves In London" bears no similarity to the Warren Zevon hit. The song's lyrics are somewhat ridiculous, but have a certain 1980's charm with its horror-movie kitsch and cheap keyboards. Not the greatest song on the album, but cheesy in all the right ways, especially the constant grunting of "wild in the streets" over and over again. The guitar playing is especially top-notch, some great lead guitar is featured on the track. "It's Rock & Roll" is a pretty fast number with a cool classic rockin riff. The song is an homage is rock and roll and its history. The musical structure of the song is odd, with some weird structural changes, but it's fun enough. Drummer Bobby Marks hits the sticks pretty hard and fast, but definitely had some timing issues on this track. Not a bad tune, but far from a classic.

    "Stand Back" sounds very much like peers W.A.S.P. However the song is not nearly as proficient or catchy as anything released by that band. The song is weird in that the chorus reminds of poppy bands such as Poison, but has a very confrontational message warning the listener to "stand back". Not a great song at all, its structure and out of place lyrics hold it back from greatness. "No Tell Motel" is a sleazy tale of after-hours escapades in various hotel rooms. I like the song, despite the somewhat stupid and cliche main riff and lyrics. Very Crue-like, fans of early Motley will certainly enjoy London and this song in particular.

   "Party In Hollywood" is classic L.A. metal. Bashing drums are accompanied by what basically equates to cat calls from London. Poison took everything they did from this song, and you can clearly hit the blue-print for Poison within the DNA for this party anthem. A fun song, a lost nugget from the era of big hair and ridiculous clothes. London were certainly a fun band, and one only needs to watch "The Decline of Western Civilization II" to see the band in action during the peak of the hair metal era. "Masters of the Airwaves" is a pretty aggressive song. Another metal anthem, the song basically tells of the band not giving a shit about people telling them what to do. I love Lizzie's solo, one of his best. The bass work of Brian West is also particularly solid on this track. Very raw and unpolished, London captured the sound of hair metal before it was put through the commercial record-making machine of the major labels. A great sound, if a little too raw at times. Last up we have "Radio Stars". An American interpretation of 1970's English rock, the song is innocent enough and sounds very similar to early Crue tracks. A catchy song, but somewhat corny.

  "Non-Stop Rock" is an essential listen for fans of hair/glam metal. For casual fans of the genre, this album would be good to explore if you are feeling bored with the usually Crue/Poison/Cinderella albums. You could do better than London, but you could certainly do a lot worse.

Rating-7/10

 

  

Tommy Lee: Tommyland: The Ride

 The history of Motley Crue solo projects is a sordid and torrid history. From Vince Neil's horrible "Exposed" to Nikki Sixx's utterly average "Sixx: AM", were not exactly dealing with great music here. So, you would think Tommy would strike out as well? Tommy's full of surprises...so let's take a look.

   Opener "Good Times" sounds like a late 1990's pop-rock song. Like Vertical Horizon, Everclear, and blah blah whoever, the song would sound totally in the right place rolling during the credits of some teen movie from the late VHS era. Dated even for the time of the album's release, it is nonetheless a decent slice of pop that is not as bad as it seems, a fun and simple song. "Hello, Again" is in much the same vein as Good Times. A sugary and sappy pop song, it sounds like a song written and recorded by a group of teenagers rather than a 40-plus(at the time) heavy metal drummer. I love the bass playing and sound, a true highlight of the album. A decent song, and totally unexpected from Lee given his exploration of drum and bass, hip-hop, and heavy metal over the years. Not terrible, pretty catchy in fact.

   "Tryin to Be Me" brings guest star and supreme douche-bag Chad Kroeger. Sounding like a Nickelback song (hate that band so much), I don't really like the song at all. Lee's drumming is excellent as always, but the laughable lyrics and Chad grunting instantly turn me off. Skip this one, unless for some reason you really enjoy the works of Mr. Lavigne. "Sister Mary" is an odd song. Very inspired by Paul McCartney and the Beatles, the insanely heavy drums do not match the very English feel of the song. The gentle and flowery guitars and signing are nearly ruined by Lee's racket, which sounds good for metal, but is far too heavy-handed for this slice of pop. The lyrics are actually quite good, and tell the story of a woman who has taken a few wrong turns in her life and has turned out to be what seems to be an exotic dancer. "The Butler" takes a cue from hip-hop albums. A short "skit", it is a recording of Lee's purported butler. A strange idea for a rock album, but it's kind of funny.

   "Tired" is Lee's attempt at a pop-punk tune. His faux-English sneer will make you cringe. A high-pitched synthesizer squeal runs through the song, an awful sound. To make matters worse, Joel Madden from the horrible Good Charlotte sings on the song. The song is a train-wreck from start to finish, one of the worst songs I have ever heard in my life. "I Need You" shows off Lee's exploration of electronic music. Featuring Andrew McMahon of Jack's Mannequin, the song is actually one of the better on the album. Lee doesn't sing on the track (probably a good thing on this track) and it's a decent and catchy pop ballad. "Make Believe" also bears the hallmarks of Chad Kroeger, and he was certainly involved in the production and writing of this song. Again, I cannot recommend anything connected to Chad, and this song does not sway my opinion. Skip it, unless your wildest fantasies involve Tommy Lee singing a Nickelback song.

   "Makin Me Crazy" is Tommy attempting country-pop. Featuring British songstress Dirty Harry, the song is not really any better or worse than most of the crap I hear on country radio. Not a terrible song, but not really within my stylistic preferences and pretty repetitive. At this point, the album is really all over the map musically speaking, with countless genres and writers represented. "Watch You Lose" is the most straight-up rock song on the album. Still sounding like Nickelback, the whinny lyrics and emo-feel don't really do it for me, but the guitars are heavy and the drums kick ass, one of the better songs on the album.

   "Say Goodbye" brings us back into pop territory. Pretty 90's sounding, the song reminds me of the Goo-goo Dolls and other similar bands. Again, not horrible, but not something you would expect from a man that rides a drum kit strapped to roller coaster while swigging Jack Daniels, very soft and mellow. "Hello, Again (acoustic)" is just what the title says, an acoustic version of track 2. The acoustic version is actually better, and is still not a bad song, but not a classic.

  "Tommyland: The Ride" is not horrible. There are some great pop moments. But the album's long list of genres and guest stars cause a lack of consistency. While I appreciate Lee's efforts to branch out musically, the Chad Kroeger songs and Joel Madden song nearly derail the album. Lee is certainly best at metal drumming, but it's nice to see him try something new. Although the results may be varied, his songs are often tender and certainly always from the heart. Don't expect Shout At The Devil, but for those with an open mind, you might find a few things to like about Tommyland.

Rating-6.5/10

  
 
   

  

Deep Purple: Slaves and Masters

   Lucky for album number 13? Not according to many. Deep Purple try their luck with Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. The results are........find out below.

   Firstly we have "King of Dreams". A very digital-sounding track, the instruments sound like the processing chip from a 16-bit game system like the Sega Genesis. Turner's vocals are decent enough, but the production is so weak and thin-sounding, I cannot recommend the song as is. "The Cut Runs Deep" is a step back in the right direction. Ritchie Blackmore delivers an almost classic riff, and the recently and sadly departed Jon Lord sounds great on the keys. Turner did a pretty good job on the vocals, but I keep imagining the songs as if sung by Ian Gillan. But alas, Blackmore's solo smokes, and the song is actually quite good in terms of production, despite a very digital and Def-Leppard-like metal drum sound.

   "Fire in the Basement" is a boogie number that brings to mind the band's heyday. Turner sounds very good here, channeling Ian Gillan and at times more controlled and refined than the Purple main-man. Lord's organ playing is the stuff of legends, and it is no exception here. The classic trading off of organ and guitar solos happens here, and will instantly please fans of the band, proving that Lord was truly a master on the keys. A silly title and lyrics (likely a play on Smoke on the Water), but a great song. "Truth Hurts" reminds me of a Turner-era Rainbow song, very slow and somewhat mystical. But the song has pop ambitions, and is more of a ballad than anything. A decent song (especially Blackmore's solo), but very typical of late 80's rock ballads in terms of sound and feel. Not a bad song, but not up to caliber enough to carry the mighty Deep Purple name.

   "Breakfast in Bed" opens with some cool sounding, but very dated digital synths. Like many late 1980's ballads, it takes a page from the Bon Jovi book of songwriting by adopting a western/cowboy influence and sound. It feels pretty unnatural for Purple, far too American for them(perhaps the Turner influence) and forced.  I could do without this track, one of the weakest by the band. The highlight of the song for me is bassist Roger Glover's bass-lines, some great work by a very underrated bassist. "Love Conquers All" is another ballad. I love the string introduction and the delicate and soft riff by Blackmore over sombre organ from Lord. A pretty decent ballad, the song could certainly have been a big hit if it had gotten more radio play. Turner's voice really shines here, a very clear and smooth rock voice. I like the track, and Blackmore's solo is one of his most haunting and beautiful.

   "Fortuneteller" is very AOR, despite retaining vestiges of the band's glory days. The song reminds me of Rainbow, but speed down to a much slower speed with a healthy amount of digital production that actually hampers the song.  Also, the mighty vocals of Ronnie James Dio are immediately what I think of upon hearing this song, it would have sounded great with him on vocals. Not a bad song, but it could have been so much more with better production and a less pop-focused sound. "Too Much Is Not Enough" brings back the speed and metal. A chugging riff drives along the song, and Ian Paice delivers some solid drumming. However, a horrible digital brass sound nearly kills the song. It seriously sounds like a Mario game from the era. The keyboards on the album are very brittle and cheap sounding, a low-point for Slaves and Masters. Not a great tune, skip this turd. "Wicked Ways" closes off this album. A fast-paced number, the song gets an A for effort. Not bad at all, I like the steamroller classic Purple sound, very manic and fast.

   "Slaves and Masters" has some enjoyable moments, but they are few compared to the average moments. Better than 1987's absolute disaster "The House of Blue Light", but a far cry from the band's 1970's glory days. If you are a Purple fan, this album will certainly be an interesting side-note in their long discography. For casual fans, I would not recommend this as an essential listen.

Rating-6/10