30 years now, and Girlschool is STILL in session! The aptly-titled "Legacy" finds the NWOBHM vets eschewing the usual anniversary approach [re-recording their hits, or one of the "Best" albums, etc] and instead releasing a CD of [mostly] new material. The album features several guest appearences by such names as Lemmy Kilminster, Phil Campbell, J.J. French, Eddie Ojeda, Ronnie James Dio, and Tony Iommi. Not bad, huh? "Everything's The Same" kicks things off with a firey, Rock-till-ya-drop riff that could have easily come off of "Motorizer", the latest album from their male counterparts Motorhead. "From The Other Side" continues the momentum, and shows that the band [Enid Williams-bass, vocals, Jackie Chambers-lead guitar, Kim McAuliffe-rhythm guitar, vocals, Denise Dufort-drums] are staying true to themselves and not jumping on the "Riot Girrrrl" bandwagon. Next up is "I Spy", which appears in two versions here; the "Girlschool mix" which features the band and guest Phil Campbell [Motorhead] on lead guitar, and the "Dio/Iommi mix" featuring those gentlemen on vocals and lead guitar, respectively. Some have observed that the "Dio/Iommi" sounds a bit like an outtake from Sabbath`s "Dehumanizer"; pity it wasn`t because it would have made that album sound MUCH better! Both versions are equally great, though. "Spend Spend Spend" has a memorable chorus, something Girlschool has always been able to craft well. Other highlights include a cover of Motorhead's "Metropolis" [featuring Fast Eddie Clarke on lead guitar], and "Legend", a heartfelt tribute to Girlschool`s late, lamented guitarist Kelly Johnson. The band took the unexpected route and made this an upbeat Rocker instead of a more somber, moodier piece, and this approach is much more effective, as well as being the best track on the CD. The band dips back into their past for a couple of tunes, "Emergency" and "London", both of which sound great in their updated form. All told, "Legacy" is another notch on the ladies leather-studded belts, and proof that Girlschool`s legacy CONTINUES! Highly, highly recommended!!
German guitarist Axel Rudi Pell has QUITE a storied career, having released 17 albums in nearly 20 years! "Tales Of The Crown" is yet another stellar album, 10 tracks of melodic Metal that oozes class and power, while featuring some of the best musicians in the business (Johhny Gioeli-vocals, Volker Krawczak-keyboards, Ferdy Doernberg- bass and Mike Terrana-drums). The disc kicks off with "Higher", which features a beautiful intro intro that dives into a powerhouse riff and shows off Pell`s remarkable soloing. "Ain't Gonna Win" is an upbeat, uptempo number that definitely has radio potential, while choice cuts like the hard rocking "Riding On An Arrow" and "Buried Alive", the latter an all-out assault of double-bass drums and fretboard flash! Among the highpoints is definitely "Touching My Soul", a power ballad that should stand as a textbook example of how to do this type of song PROPERLY. Really, there isn`t a duff track to be found here, a testament to the talent and songwriting skills of Mr. Pell. "Tales Of The Crown" will doubtless add to his reputation, and will definitely enhance your CD collection! One of 2008s BEST!
"The Last Alliance" is the fifth release from Finland`s Battlelore, and pretty much carries on the J.R.R. Tolkien themes found on previous albums. While the Epic Fantasy approach to Metal has bordered on oversaturation, there ARE some bands who can do it right; Battlelore is one of them. As I said, the band really doesn`t stray from the Middle Earth mythology, the manage to come up with a fresh approach to a very standard framework. There`s definitely an emphasis on atmospherics than on straight-up Metallic bombast, though there IS plenty of that here. Battlelore`s trademark clean/brutal dual vocals are still present, with the ethereal, haunting voice of Kaisa Jouhki providing sharp contrast tp the guttural delivery of Kaisa Jouhki. Dramatic keyboards weave in and out of downtuned, distorted guitars, creating the right blend of darkness and light without sounding pretentious. Proof can be heard on songs like "Third Immortal", "Daughter Of The Sun" and "Awakening", with my personal favorite being "The Star Of High Hope". The production by Dan Swano is top class, and only enhances the tunes without burying them in studio gimmicks. The digipac version also has a bonus DVD featuring the band live at the Metal Female Voices Festival in 2007. The DVD is ample proof that Battlelore can take their music into a live setting and still make the songs come alive, a downfall of many artists in the genre. Highly recommended!
Has it REALLY been 6 years since the last Shadowkeep CD?! It has, indeed. Due to some shuffling in the personnell department, the UK Metalists had to delay the follow-up to "A Chaos Theory". Now in 2008 they give us "The Hourglass Effect". Worth the wait? DEFINITELY! If you`re worried that Shadowkeep decided to go the dreaded "Modern" route, rest assured; the band has not strayed from the style that put `em on the Metal map in the first place. The latest CD is something of a sci-fi concept album, but not in an anal, "Math Metal" way. It`s pure Old School Metal all the way! Think early Queensryche, Vicious Rumors, Fates Warning, Helstar; American Metal by way of the UK. All the elements that make Shadowkeep so special are still intact; the guitar tag-team of Nikki Robson and Chris Allen still fry the fretboards like nobody`s business. And the bands` choice of Richie Wicks as vocalist is right on the money, as he adds to and expands on the Shadowkeep sound to help brign about their best album yet. Production here is, as expected, first rate, but it IS the songs that matter. However, it`s hard to point out the "best" tracks as, for me anyway, "The Hourglass Effect" is meant to be taken as whole. Twist my arm, however, and I would have to cite "Shadowkeep", "Incisor", "Six Billion Points Of Light" and "With Force We Come" as being amongst the cream of the crop. But it`s ALL good! Forget Dream Theater; Shadowkeep is TRUE Progressive Metal, with the accent on METAL! "The Hourglass Effect" should be on anyone`s "Top 10 Metal albums Of 2008"; it`s certainly on MINE!!!!!
In the late `60s`-early `70s`, Heavy Metal as we know it was still in the formative stages, with Led Zep, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Black Sabbath leading the charge. But there`s one band, however, that was just as heavy, powerful AND had songs that were just as good [perhaps even better] than those legendary bands. Lucifer`s Friend, a 5-piece German/British [vocalist John Lawton, who would later go on to join Uriah Heep, hailed from the UK] band who released their self-title debut in late 1970. Though they had all the same qualities as their peers, they never seemed to rise above cult status. That`s a shame, as this album [just re-issued by SPV/Revisited] clearly shows a band that could stand toe-to-toe w/ the Metal giants of the day. The albums kicks off with "Ride The Sky"; Led Zeppelin comparisons abound here, with Lawton`s Plant-like screams on the intro, followed by the melody for Zep`s "The Immigrant Song".....played on a horn! Now how could you NOT love a song like that? And "Ride The Sky" is a total asskicker, too! Guitarist Peter Hesslein has chops to BURN, and they are clearly on display thoughout. This guy was right up there with the best players then AND now. [check out the instrumental "Horla"; the guy absolutely RIPS!] The music here is not too far removed from what the Scorpions would be doing on "Lonesome Crow", which came out 2 years later, or perhaps early UFO. Every damn song on the album is a winner, so don`t bother asking me to pick out a "choice cut" or we`ll be here all day! This album DID make an impact on the American scene for a while and they did release several more albums over a 10 year span, yet sadly the band never reached the heights of glory that were doubtless in store for them. Fortunately, we had this high-quality reissue to enjoy, and now maybe this shamefully underrated album and band will get the recognition they so richly deserve! Thumbs waaayyyyyyy up for this one!
