"The Road Less Travelled" is doubtless one of THE most anticipated Metal releases of the year, and the critical second album by Norway`s Triosphere. Their first CD, "Onwards", was a monumental offering that hinted of greater things to come; the band have always been adept at blending Traditional, Power and Progressive Metal into memorable, catchy songs that lack neither, heaviness, power or depth. I am happy to say that all these elements are present on the new disc; I am also happy to report that "The Road Less Travelled" is even BETTER that "Onwards". And although it`s only late June as I write this, I`m gonna go even further and proclaim "The Road Less Travelled" the BEST Metal album of 2010, and I`ll take you all on, one at a time or all in a bunch to back it up! "Ignition" is a cool intro, moody and atmospheric at first, then building into complete Speed Metal Hell before leading into "Driven", a massive wall of killer riffs and catchey melodic hooks, and one of the best songs Triosphere has ever written. Next is "Human Condition", another winner and an excellent showcase for Bassist/Vocalist Ida Haukland`s singing talents. "Death of Jane Doe" is a monumental [monuMETAL?] track, with huge, soaring choruses and harmonies, and it amptly displays the talents of Haukland, Guitarists Marcus Silver and Tor Ole Byberg, and Drummer Ørjan Aare Jørgensen. Hell, each cuts shows of the instrumental skill this band possesses and the ease with which they handle various stylistic changes within this song, as well as the brilliant title track. The band keeps going from strength to strength with the epic ballad "The Anger and the Silent Remorse", "The Watcher", "Twenty One", and the powerhouse "Worlds Apart", which is the last full-length track, followed by the outro "The Last Haven". [if you have the LTD ED CD, there`s a bonus track called "Echos"; this features mini orchestra versions of all the songs.]All told, Triosphere has managed to dodge the so-called "sophmore jinx" and crafted an album that is not only better than its` predecessor, but actually better than what alot of bands do over their entire career! And as stated previously, this has got my vote for best Metal CD of 2010, hands down; that is, until another one comes along in the second half of the year and totally blows this one outta the water. But it`s gonna have to be something pretty damn spectacular make me change my mind about "The Road Less Travelled"! So horns and thumbs waaaaaayyyy up, highly, highly, HIGHLY recommended, and finally: BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!!!
After nearly 25 years and several studio discs, Finnish Metalists Tarot unleash "Gravity Of Light" upon the world.Give the positive reception of their previous CD, "Crows Fly Black", expectations were high for this one; fortunately, the new album meets those expectations for the most part. "Satan Is Dead" kicks off the CD with the type of monstrous, melodic riffage that is the bands` stock-in-trade; Hietala brothers Marko and Zachary have always steered Tarot towards the darker side of Metal, dipping into melodic territory while narrowly avoiding Doom Metal. No easy task but after all this time Tarot has a handle on how to make seemingly disparate styls work together. Ample evidence can be heard on other tracks like "Hell Knows", "Rise!", "Sleep In The Dark", "I Walk Forever", and especially the epic "Gone". The production on the new album isn`t as good as "Crows..." and the instruments, particulary Zachary`s guitar riffs, tend to sound muted. But the stellar songwriting overcomes any production deficiencies, as any good song should. There are a few tunes that don`t quite make the grade; "Caught In The Deadlights", "Magic And Technology", and "Calling Down The Rain" seem to lack the spark of the other tracks, though perhaps these ae "growers" and may get better with repeated listenings. Minor quibbling aside, this is yet another solid release from a band that is long overdue for exposure outside their native Finland. But with Marco`s high profile in Nightwish bringing in new converts to Tarot, and an upcoming long-awaited appearence at Prog Power USA later in 2010, it looks as if these guys will finally get the attention they so richly deserve! One of 2010`s BEST!!!
“Facemelter” breaks Y&T’s 13-year studio silence, though the Bay Area Hard Rock vets have toured relentlessly during that time. When word got out regarding the impending release of the album, speculation was rampant amongst the fans, and hope was running that this would mark the return to the style found on what is widely considered Y&T’s Holy Trinity: “Earthshaker” (1981), “Black Tiger” (1982) and “Meanstreak” (1983). That the VERY cool cover was being done by the same artists who created covers for those albums [John Taylor Dismukes] further fueled these hopes. Having listened to "Facemelter" for a few weeks now, it has more in common with "In Rock We Trust", an album I dismissed upon its` release but have now come to regard as one of ther best, certainly much better than anything they released afterwards. Well, except for this one! I`m happy to say that Dave Meniketti and co. have crafted one of the best albums of their career. Y&T were always Boogie & Blues based at heart, funelled through screaming Les Pauls and cranked Marshalls. And over 35 years in, this band [Meniketti on guitar/vocals, Phil Kennemore on bass, John Nymann on guitar and Mike Vanderhule on drums] STILL know how to take care of business. Dave`s still retains that Blusey edge that stood him apart from most Hard Rock frontmen back in the `Eighties`, and continues to serve him [and us] well in the present. Then of course there are those powerhouse Pentatonic licks that have made Meniketti one of the finest Blues Rock axemen of his generation; maybe he should have worn a top-hat, had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and spewed out half-assed Amature Hour Blues licks; maybe he would have got more magazine covers!;) And the band, as always, is equal to the task, whether it be out and out Rockers (“On With The Show”, “Blind Patriot”, "I`m Coming Home"), mid-pacers (“Shine On”, “I Want your Money”, “Hot Shot”), or Blues-drenched numbers (“How Long”, “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “If You Want Me”), Y&T has all the bases covered. Production values favor clarity over high-tech, giving the songs even more punch. All told, "Facemelter" does indeed live up to its` name, and sees the band in a very healthy state, and ready to tear up the live circuit as only they can. So do yourself AND the guys a favor, buy this album, check `em out live and see how the pros do it!!
Sweden`s very own Sabaton are back at it again with "Coat Of Arms", 10 tracks of straight-up Euro Metal mostly dealing with the bands` favorite topic: WAR. And while on the surface the new CD continues more or less where their previous album, the conceptual "The Art Of War", left off, the songs on "Coat Of Arms" can just as easliy be taken separately. And they don`t screw around, either; they give it right to ya! From the opening title track, the band goes from strength-to-strength with "Midway", the high-velocity “Screaming Eagles,” “Aces in Exile”, the Priest-like“Saboteurs” to the crushing “Wehrmacht”. While originality may take a backseat on the album, Sabaton concern themselves with "good" ideas rather than "original", an approach that serves them well. There ARE a few bumps and ruffles here and there; "The Final Solution" starts out with a lot of promise but doesn`t quite deliver. "White Death" is just "ok", but nothing special. "Metal Ripper" is a track delivered by the band with tongue firmly planted in cheek, composed as it is of lyrics from some of Metal`s most famous tunes. Astral Doors did something similar with "Metal DJ" on their most recent release, and I`m wondering if this might become a trend. While I have no problem with the at times all-too-serious Metal world poking fun at itself [something all those grim-visaged Black/Viking Metal dudes need to start doing more of!], there IS such a thing as "too much of a good thing". All told, "Coat Of Arms" is another notch on Sabatons` studded leather belts, and a most worthy addition to ANY Metalheads` CD collection!
"Solitaire" is Lucky Number Seven for the Austrian Symph-Metal stalwarts and my first encounter with the band. From the sound of things it appears that I`ve caught them at their very best! While the band still has one foot in their Prog Metal roots, they definitely have the upper hand over a lot of their peers, in terms of songwriting, creativity and just plain heaviness. Most band mining similar territory tend to sound more "polite" and restrained, more concerned with showing off how they earned their Master`s Degrees in music theory than turning up the juice. No such problem with Edenbridge. And while a zillion bands fronted by squeely opera singers still persist in copying "Oceanborne/Wishmaster" ad nauseum, Edenbridge concentrate on SONGS that don`t require thorough knowledge of every dang scale in the known universe! One listen to the brilliant single, Higher", makes this quite plain. The exotic "Skyline`s End" seems to answer the musical question "What would Lorreena McKennitt sound like if she went Power Metal?" [well, I always wondered, anyway...]. "Bon Voyage Vagabond", "Come Undone" and "Out Of This World" are rich in both atmospherics, powerfule orchestral arrangements AND sheer heaviness. At the end of the day, it`s the songs that matter and the CD is full of `em, and they`re all good, with vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher giving her finest performance yet on each and every cut. "Further Afield" is one of several examples where the band sucessfully stikes a balance between heavy and melodic, while "A Virtual Dream?" is just go-for-the-throat Power Metal of the highest calibre. So whether you`re new to Edenbridge [like me] or a seasoned fan, no doubt you`ll be blown away by their latest triumph!!
