A lot of the publicity for this CD is, of course, one of Ronnie James Dio`s final recordings, "Metal Will Never Die", and rightly so, as David "Rock" Feinstein is Ronnie`s cousin and former bandmate. And a fine song it is and fitting that Ronnie had the chance to record it; equally cool is that Carl Canedy and Gary Bordonaro of The Rods appear on this as well. Since I`m from about the same area as these guys, I can`t but help feel a sense of pride, also. The rest of the album is rather different from Feinstein`s 2004 CD "Third Wish", which was more Power Metal. "Bitten By The Beast" has more in common with Elf and The Rods; think of these two bands material updated a bit and you get a pretty clear picture. The disc has a very raw, basic feel to it; loud, proud, early Eighties barroom boogie & Blues Rock like "Rock`s Boogie", along with more Power Metal stylings like "Run For Your Life" and straight up Metal tracks such as "Kill The Demon", and "Break Down The Walls", as well as a cool cover of Elf`s "Gambler, Gambler". I recently had the pleasure of seeing The Rods live, and they performed several of these tunes, which translate to a live setting quite nicely. Rock has never sounded better than he does here; he`s clearly in his element and obviously loving every minute of it. His solo work on the album is great as always and he piles on the killer riffs like there`s no tomorrow. Feinstein knew what his fans wanted from this album, and he gave it to `em! So when you buy this, make sure you check out more than just "Metal Will Never Die", great as it is. Mr. Feinstein is at the top of his game, as one listen to each and every cut of "Bitten By The Beast" makes VERY loud and clear. Highest possible recommendation!!!
For the last couple of albums Helloween have been on a roll, releasing straight up, high quality Power Metal that keeps pace with the trillion other bands who have copied them all these years. It is definitely among the heaviest things they`ve released, balanced out with speedier passages through out. "Where The Sinners Go" kicks off the CD with monster riffs, while "Are You Metal" definitely is doubtless a Metal anthem made for the stage. Saxon`s Biff Byford makes another appearence on a Helloween album [he did the spoken intro for 2007`s "Gambling With The Devil"], speaking the prologue to the firey and flashy "Who Is Mr. Madman?", while "Raise The Noise" is sure to induce an uncontrollable fist-pumping in its` listeners [it`s good for you, don`t worry!]; hey, it even has a flute solo! Remember, this is Helloween, they do oddball stuff like that from time to time. The production here is thick and heavy yet not muddled; fortunately, they have avoided the crisp & clear approach that so many of the genre utilize, which tends to take the "Power" out of the Metal. "World Of Fantasy" is a catchy track with a fine performance by vocalist Andi Deris, while "Long Live The King" unleashes the high-speed Hell this band does so very well. All told, "7 Sinners" is a winner from start to finish; no, the wheel wasn`t re-invented here, but remember, Helloween [along with a few others] practically invented Power Metal, so good ideas take precedence over original ideas. And there are PLENTY of good ideas here, all helping to make this one of the highpoints in Helloweens` rollercoaster career. So, "Are You Metal?" Well, ARE you? If so, go grab this bad boy NOW!!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
A very cool release here! "After Midnight Live" is a 5-song affair culled from a tape recording of a live radio performance by Manilla Road in their early stages. Recorded at Wichita, Kansas’s KMUW radio in December 1979, the band appeared on the late night radio program of the late Sherry Avett. a DJ at KMUW. The band heard on this recording [guitarist/singer Mark Shelton, bassist Scott Park, and drummer Rich Fisher] is not yet at the level they would later reach on "The Deluge" and "Open The Gates", but the spark is definitely there in all its` embryonic glory. Only about 45 minutes of the session have been found, but it`s a gem, warts & all. The 5 songs here are: “Cromaphobia”, “Life’s So Hard”, “Pentacle of Truth”, "Dream Of Peace" and “Herman Hill”. The band is still searching for their identity at this point, and their love for bands like Rush and Kansas is obvious. The guys seem as if they were winging it at times, especially during the 12 minute “Life’s So Hard”, though they manage to keep it together inspite of the song needing to be trimmed. Things get a bit spacey at times but the guys are having fun, you can tell. Another nice touch is where Sherry Avett speaks in between songs, perserving the whole experience of actually listening to this live on the radio. The sound quality isn`t top-notch, but it`s a 30 year old tape, what do you expect? This is a real Metal treasure any fan would love to own. And maybe Mr. Shelton will happen upon the rest of this session someday. We can only hope!!
Over two years after the release of their 4-song demo, Bellevue, Nebraska`s Ghost Tower are back with their first full length CD, "Curse Of The Black Blood". The CD was recorded by by Doug Decker [along w/ the band] and mastered by the legendary Bill Metoyer. The current Ghost Tower lineup is Ameven (Evilyn Malus) on Vocals, Matt Preston on Guitar, Keyboards,and Backing Vocals, Shaun Mosey on Bass and Mike Biggs on Drums and Backing Vocals. The nine tracks are, as on the demo, pure Old School Metal in the vein of Mercyful Fate, early Fates Warning and more modern day old schoolers like October 31. Unlike the demo however, "Curse...." has a much better production; but not too squeaky clean, mind you; just enough to give it a professional edge while preserving that Old School mid-Eighties US Metal atmosphere. Ghost Tower obviously went out of their way to ensure that each track had its` own personality, and much care went into the compositions of the tunes. The track listing is: "The Offering", "Blood Of The Black Witch", "Sacrifice","Red Harvest", "Midnight Epiphany", "My Dear Killer", "Fate of Beldam", "Atrocity's Tomb" and finally "Whispers From Beyond". Another thing I like about this CD is that it has a spooky, "after Midnight"-feel to it; a strange description I know, but it fits! Want proof? Go to the bands` website, check out the tunes, buy the CD! Supporting bands like Ghost Tower is the way to ensure we get MORE great music like this. Highly recommended!! [Special thanks to Matt for sending me the review copy, truly an honor!!]
