Last evening my brother-in-law asked whether I’d heard the new Avenged Sevenfold album. When I told him I hadn’t had a chance yet he recommended I listen to it when I had the chance. I had that chance this morning (Spotify/internet connection – same old story). My bro-in-law described some of the songs as being a bit like Metallica, some a bit like Iron Maiden. He also thought the title track ‘Hail to the King’ was the weakest of the lot. I had heard ‘Hail to the King’ on Kerrang! and was quite impressed by it. If it was the weakest, I said, then the rest must be quite something.
Tag Archives: album review
Reckless Love’s new album – I finally got to hear it!
On release day (in the UK)!
Continue reading “Reckless Love’s new album – I finally got to hear it!”
Review: Black Sabbath – ’13’
Released 10th June 2013
Produced by Rick Rubin
* John ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne Vocals
* Tony Iommi Guitar
* Terrence ‘Geezer’ Butler Bass
* Brad Will Drums
http://open.spotify.com/album/1WLFpcTap1kwv9j2IHuqRg
TRACK LIST
End of the Beginning
God is Dead?
Loner
Zeitgeist
Age of Reason
Live Forever
Damaged Soul
Dear Father
Methademic
Peace of Mind
Pariah
Dirty Women – Live in Australia
I absolutely loved ‘God is Dead?’ when it was released earlier this year, and I’d hoped the rest of the album would be as good.
Well.
Some of it is.
Songs that stand out on first listen are the opener ‘End of the Beginning’, ‘God is Dead?’ (obviously), ‘Dear Father’, ‘Methademia’ and ‘Pariah’.
Listening to the album a second time, I found that ‘Loner’ grew on me. The other 5 songs didn’t make on impression on me either way (I’m not including Dirty Woman – only the new songs).
Overall the album is good, sounds like early Sabbath (as was intended) and has all the hallmarks of their style. Ozzy still has the most distinctive voice around; Tony Iommi’s riffs and the layered guitars are perfection. Geezer is still Geezer. Age and sickness has done nothing to dim their genius.
I know some people aren’t happy because Bill Ward isn’t a part of this album, but to be blunt, it doesn’t matter. Brad Wilk is an excellent drummer and a good fit for the band.
Mr Ward refused to sign contracts, Mr Iommi didn’t know how long he’d be able to work for and cut negotiations off so that they could get on and make the album. They got another drummer. Simple. The album that resulted is good. It’s really nothing to do with the fans and what they want; only what the band want and need.
Black Sabbath are currently touring and will be performing in the UK in December. I hope to see them in Sheffield, if I can get a ticket and the weekend off work.
Rose
Review: Airbourne ‘Black Dog Barking’
http://open.spotify.com/album/4ulIP4JbW6KegM8KNC02k5
Blame Kerrang! for me me reviewing this album. I’d never heard of Airbourne or listened to any of their music until now. I probably wouldn’t have bothered except that there was an interview with the singer, Joel O’Keeffe in a recent issue of Kerrang! (01 June 2013, Issue 1468) and I thought I’d have a listen.
‘Black Dog’ is a metaphor and euphemism for depression, most famously used by Winston Churchill, and the use of it in this album’s title suggests that the band are addressing personal problems. That ignores the rest of the album title. Together they describe the songs and overall feel of the album. It is confrontational, rather than confessional. The band have used their own personal ‘black dogs’ to fuel creativity and produced an upbeat, even fun, album.
It reminds me of Bon Jovi (don’t get mad, I mean lyrically) but heavier. Does that make any sense? They aren’t saying anything new or profound, but they’re saying it with passion. I like this album and I’ll probably try to see them play at Download*.
4/5
*Airbourne play The Zippo Encore Stage 6.15pm – 6.55pm on Sunday 16th June 2014
Review:’LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS’
http://open.spotify.com/album/2P1mjsH61jGlUtdi7EJSks
I’ve finally managed to hear 30 Seconds to Mars’s new album, LLF+D. Several of my friends are
Echelon and have been raving about it.
Jared Leto has covered huge universal topics with this new album. We all have our love, lusts, faith and dreams.
This new album reminds me a lot of their first, self-titled, album, yet is clearly an evolution in their sound, with some of the anthemic sounds that can be heard on third album ‘This is War’. It also feels like I’m looking into Mr Leto’s soul, especially when listening to ‘City of Angels’.
A mix of upbeat and contemplative tracks, skilled song writing, passionate singing to match the lyrics, and a mix of electronic effects and musical talent from Shannon and Tomo, make this album a good addition to the band’s catalogue of work.
I found it an enjoyable, relaxing listen, although I had to listen to it a few times to really get to grips with the lyrics. My personal favourite is ‘Northern Lights’.
And now I’m going to listen to it again and go back to sleep.
Bye,
Rose
Review: HIM ‘Tears on Tape’
Firstly let me declare my biases.
- I’m very fond of HIM, they’re probably the only band I fan-girl over
- There’s a good chance I’d love this album anyway because it’s the first album of new music they’ve released since I first heard their music
Now that’s out of the way I’ll get on with the actual review. Bearing in mind what I’ve just said, and my major fan-girling on Twitter on the morning I received my copy of ‘Tears on Tape’ (29/04/2013), it actually took me a while to get in to the album. It was only on my third listen that it started to grow on me; I really liked ‘Love without tears’ the first time through, and then ‘Into the night’ replaced it as my favourite song on the album. The opening riff on ‘Hearts at war’ is very reminiscent of ‘Love Metal’ era HIM.
Ville Valo’s voice has definitely changed in the last few years; it’s not as strong as it once was although he still manages to carry the songs well, and reprises of old hits ‘Buried alive by love’ and ‘Kiss of dawn’ – live from Finnvox, show that he can still sing their older material. Linde’s riffs are great, Mige’s bass sits quietly in the background holding things together, Burton is still a virtuoso on the keys and Gas is still hitting those drums way too hard. I really like the intro ‘Unleash the red’; it sets the tone for the whole album right from the start. More bands should have instrumental intro’s on their albums.
The more I listen to this album the more I love it. It definitely requires listening to several times to really get in to it and hear all the different aspects and, since the lyrics aren’t in the album, to understand precisely what is being sung, but it repays the time in the quality of the work and the pleasure I get from hearing these gents again. HIM have managed to produce another album of melodic, dark and heavy tracks that reference in their sound all their influences. I like the ‘dirty’ effect they’ve managed to get, like you would hear on a real cassette tape as it warps and changes with being played.
The album artwork, by Daniel P Carter, is rather gorgeously gothic; the new evolution in the
heartagram as a sigil, the skulls, bleeding hearts and
beautiful geometric work is so very representative of HIM, yet so different from their previous album sleeve artwork. I love the cover; it reminds me of the sea under storm clouds. It also reminds me of the afternoon just after the cover art was first released that I spent with my nephew trying to decipher the lyrics written in the world snake. We had fun, and managed to translate the writing (my nephew was very proud of himself). I’m a sentimental git, the music appeals to me, what can I say?
The thing that made me laugh most was the way the album credits were concluded with ‘Ta & Ta Ta’ – thank you and goodbye in Midland’s English (someone’s been hanging around in England for too long methinks).
Right, I’m going to stop verbally fan-girling now and try to sum up.
This album is HIM; it references so many of their influences and yet is different from all of them, it’s a bit heavier than some of their earlier stuff, being closer to Love Metal than Screamworks, and it needs a few listens to really get in to, but it grew on me. A great addition and evolution to the band’s body of work.
Yours, in sonic insanity,
Rose
Review: ‘The Rasmus’ by The Ramus
I don’t often review anything but books, but I felt like reviewing this album. There may be more album reviews in future. Specifically I am reviewing this album because I’m going to see The Rasmus in concert in December, and since I’m going to review the concert I may as well review the album the tour is supporting.
The Rasmus – Lauri Ylonon (Vocals), Eero Heinonen (bass) , Aki Hakala (drums), and Pauli Rantasalmi (guitar), released this, their eighth album in June of this year. Produced in Finland and released on Warner records, this self-titled album shows the influence of Ylonen ‘s solo work. It has more of an electro-pop feel to it than previous albums from The Rasmus. However it also shows a continuation in tone from 2008’s ‘Black Roses’. It is possible to see an evolution in the sound if The Rasmus from their energetic early albums ‘Peep’ and ‘Playboys’, to the more ‘rock’ ‘Dead Letters’ through to the present day. The more mature sound still has a rock edge to it but also returns, a little, to their earlier more ‘pop’ or ‘electronic’ sound.
As usual the subject matter lyrically is that of love lost and found, again a common theme in their albums since 2004’s ‘Dead Letters’. Tackled with their usual poetic lyricism the songs do not feel hackneyed. I particularly like ‘I’m a mess’. I thought the video for ‘Stranger’ the best. Although I still can’t work out why Lauri’s while wandering around a city dressed as a king.
All in all, I enjoyed The Rasmus’s self-titled offering. It’s a bit different, but not such a departure from their earlier albums to make the difference jarring.
5/5
Everything Is Better With Dragons 