American hard rockers Skid Row make fairly regular trips to the UK, and seem to be undergoing a bit of a resurgence of late. While there are still many blinkered former fans who sadly will not give the band's recent line-ups a chance, there are plenty of us who still love what Skid Row have to offer. The band undertook a lengthy headline tour in the UK last spring, and opted to return less than a year later to headline another tour - this time in much larger venues and with a strong undercard of support acts. While only a reasonably short tour this time around, with only four shows booked, the venues chosen were some of the biggest the band have played in the UK for quite some time. When I saw first saw the band live back in 2013 they were playing at the tiny, now sadly demolished, White Rabbit in Plymouth I never imagined that I would be seeing them only a few years later headlining the O2 Forum in Kentish Town! This large upgrade in venue shows not only the band's own personal resurgence in recent years, but that of hard rock music in general too. It seems that year on year more and more fans are willing to head out and catch bands live again, which is great to see. Skid Row were always too good for venues like the White Rabbit, so seeing them play to a packed out O2 Forum really was a great sight. The band sold out the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire last year, admittedly with the help of Night Ranger, and while I do not think the O2 Forum was sold out this year it had to be pretty close to capacity! Of course the strong string of support acts certainly helped, with the Backyard Babies, H.E.A.T, and Vega joining Skid Row on this four-show tour, but I have no doubt that the majority of those in attendance were there to see Skid Row. Due to the size of the bill, the venue opened at 5pm with the music kicking off around half an hour later. The proceedings carried on until just before 11:30pm, which made for a very long evening of music! While this was quite hard on the feet at times, there was so much going on to enjoy that time just flew by.
The London show featured an extra opening act, with local rockers KilliT having the task of opening the evening. I had seen the five-piece last year at the Stone Free Festival at the O2 Arena and had quite enjoyed their set, but they impressed a little more this time around. I remember that the vocals were a little buried in the mix last time, but this time frontman Gaz Twist's powerful voice shone through and how showed that he has the makings of great frontman. He is a little more reserved and less glamorous than your average rock frontman, but he pulls the smooth, cool vibe off well. Niro Knox (guitar/vocals) is a great foil for Twist, and really drives the band forward with his bluesy riffing and loose, soulful solos. Being the opening band, it was inevitable that the sound would be less than perfect. Sadly the rhythm guitars were very quiet which meant that some of the depth was lost, and the bass did rather overpower everything at times. That being said, many of the solos and vocal line were still audible and allowed KilliT to show off their skills. Their six-song set was certainly very enjoyable, and got an evening of hard rock off to a great start.
The softest of the five bands was up next, and England's Vega hit the stage around 15 minutes later full of energy and ready to impress. I saw the band back in 2016 supporting Magnum but had not been able to catch them live since. While I am only really a casual fan of the band's albums, their concerts are a different story. Clearly not phased by being the second act of a bill of five, the British six-piece were brimming with confidence and treated the show as if it were their own - and for 40 or so minutes the stage really was their own! Opening with the tougher Let's Have Fun Tonight from last year's Only Human was a wise move, as the heavier riffing would have have drawn in some of those who may think some of the band's material is somewhat on the tame side, before hitting them with AOR anthems like Kiss of Life and Last Man Standing later on in their set! Frontman Nick Workman is a true rock star, and commands the stage as if he was born to do so. He has the voice to back the image up to, and he belted out chorus after chorus as if his life depended on it - ably assisted by Michael Kew (guitar/vocals) who added some Def Leppard-esque harmonies throughout. While the sound was not perfect, with James Martin's keyboards sadly buried in the mix, the band pushed through and put on a show worthy of a slot higher up the bill. It was great to hear the anthemic Stereo Messiah live again, complete with some excellent shredding from Marcus Thurston (guitar/vocals), and ending on the strident hard rock of Savin' Grace caught everyone's attention one more time right at the end. While there were plenty of Vega fans along with me down at the front, I would not be surprised if some of those loitering around near the back of the venue were converted with this excellent showing. The setlist was:
Let's Have Fun Tonight
Explode
Kiss of Life
Last Man Standing
Every Little Monster
Stereo Messiah
Worth Dying For
White Flag
Savin' Grace
Another AOR act followed, but Sweden's H.E.A.T are certainly more in-your-face and full of energy than your average exponent of the genre and had around 50 minutes to play with. It was only back in September of last year that I last saw the band, at the same venue no less, so I was excited to see the five-piece live again. With two shows at the same venue in a matter of months, the band wisely elected to shake up the setlist a bit this time around, although things got off once again with Bastard of Society from the band's latest album. The sound was not all that great back in September, but it was better this time with frontman Erik Grönwall's voice standing out. Sadly the keyboards were again quite buried (clearly this was not an evening for keyboards!) but overall H.E.A.T sounded strong, and when drummer Crash launched into the intro for Breaking the Silence the excitement levels really rose. Grönwall could arguably win the Frontman of the Night award, if such a thing existed, as his performance was stellar. He has such a roguish, but likeable, persona and he definitely had the whole crowd following his every move. Emergency, one of my personal favourite H.E.A.T tracks, was thrown out early on to the joy of the crowd, and the tougher hard rock of Shit City allowed Dave Dalone (guitar/vocals) to lay down some bluesy riffs. The soaring AOR of Living on the Run, arguably the song that got me into H.E.A.T back in the day, was another highlight, before the older Beg Beg Beg caused carnage with Grönwall's antics and snippets of AC/DC and Erma Franklin songs giving the crowd the chance to have a bit of a sing along. By this point I think even the most-sceptical in the crowd was willing H.E.A.T on, and two songs from 2014's Tearing Down the Walls album saw the set come to a close. The mid-paced keyboard-heavy Mannequin Show proved to a bit a brief, but welcome change of pace, before the foot-stomping anthemic A Shot at Redemption brought everything to an end. Those of us down the front really shouted the words back at the band, and as they took their bows the large crowd let out a big cheer. H.E.A.T had impressed nearly everyone, and their performance was certainly headline-worthy. I have now seen the band twice, and hopefully my third time will be at one of their own shows. The setlist was:
Bastard of Society
Breaking the Silence
Emergency
Shit City
Redefined
Living on the Run
It's All About Tonight
Beg Beg Beg/Whole Lotta Rosie [AC/CD cover]/Piece of My Heart [Erma Franklin cover]
Mannequin Show
A Shot at Redemption
After two AOR-based acts, the rawer punk rock sound of Sweden's Backyard Babies was certainly a shock to the system. I had seen the band put on a rather muted showing with Black Star Riders in 2017, so was not really looking forward to seeing them again, but this time they seemed to mean business! I had been disappointed with how tame the band had seemed a couple of years ago, but this time they were loud and raw - and perhaps better suited to acting as special guests to Skid Row rather than Black Star Riders. Down at the front there were a lot of Backyard Babies fans who helped to whip up a bit of atmosphere while the sullen Nicke Borg (vocals/guitar) and the crazy Dregen (guitar/vocals) traded dirty riffs, vocal lines, and fast bluesy solos during the band's hour or so on stage. I was not really familiar with any of the band's songs, but there were a few that stood out. Heaven 2.9 was a good mix of melodic vocal lines and punky guitar riffs, while the new single Shovin' Rocks filled the O2 Forum with raw, anthemic songwriting. Given the Backyard Babies' punk roots, it was surprising to see them also offer the evening's quietest moment with a song performed entirely acoustically. It was a nice change of pace however and it allowed the large crowd to see a different side to the band. It was business as usual after this however, and a few more upbeat punk numbers brought the set to a close. I had not expected to enjoy the Backyard Babies, so I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. Punk is not my favourite type of music, but the band put on a high energy show that blew the time I saw them in 2017 out of the water.
Despite a really strong bill, with all four bands impressing, it was Skid Row who were to put on the performance of the night! The band's show in London last year was quite short, but this time they pulled out all of the stops to deliver an 18-song setlist that contained a few lesser-known tracks as well as all of their classics. As with the previous Skid Row shows that I have seen, the night started off with Rob Hammersmith (drums) taking to the stage to start playing the intro to Slave to the Grind, with the rest of the band rushing onto the stage when it truly kicks in. It was a thrilling intro, and when frontman ZP Theart launched into the punky chorus the whole crowd was enthralled. What followed was an hour and a half of excellent music, and Big Guns proved to be the first big sing-a-long of the evening with the crowd shouting the chorus back at the band. Things started to get quite rowdy down at the front where I was originally stood so I decided to move further back to avoid a few people who had started to behave quite unpleasantly. Sadly there were quite a few in the crowd who did not seem to know how to behave, but luckily this did not affect my enjoyment of the night that much - especially after I had moved. There were a few songs featured which I had not seen the band perform before, and Psycho Love was one of, but this was then followed by a string of classics including the timeless 18 and Life which was sung perfectly by Theart and included a brilliant guitar solo from Scotti Hill (guitar/vocals). While some of the support acts had suffered from somewhat muddy sound, this was not the case for Skid Row. The guitars sounded big and powerful, and Rachel Bolan's bass cut through everything to give the set a lot of drive. Another lesser-played number Ghost proved to be a nice change of pace, but this gentler vibe was not to remain for long as Bolan then stepped up to the microphone for his customary take on the Ramones' Psycho Therapy. This moment of pure punk really got the crowd going, and this energy continued on into Medicine Jar, from 1995's underrated Subhuman Race. The heavy blues of the piece seemed to excite, and Theart really nailed the piece vocally. While Ghost had gone down well earlier on, the ballad that everyone really wanted was I Remember You so unsurprisingly it went down a storm when it was played. Dave 'Snake' Sabo (guitar/vocals) strummed away on his acoustic guitar while the crowd helped Theart out with the vocals - and it was an excellent moment. Monkey Business and Makin' a Mess then brought the main set to a close, and the crowd begged for more. No less than five songs, split into two encore sections, followed with the newer anthem We Are The Damned getting the latter part of the evening off to a great start. Get the Fuck Out and Mudkicker followed before the band left the stage again. I had assume they would just come back out to play Youth Gone Wild to finish everything up once and for all, but before that true anthem the crowd were treated to an excellent rendition of In a Darkened Room, another slower number but one with a bleaker vibe and lots of excellent guitar leads. Of course the aforementioned Youth Gone Wild was up next and it was easily the best-received song of the night. The crowd went crazy and the evening ended on a real high! The setlist was:
Slave to the Grind
Big Guns
Psycho Love
Sweet Little Sister
18 and Life
Piece of Me
Livin' on a Chain Gang
Ghost
Psycho Therapy [Ramones cover]
Medicine Jar
I Remember You
Monkey Business
Makin' a Mess
-
We Are The Damned
Get the Fuck Out
Mudkicker
-
In a Darkened Room
Youth Gone Wild
It is quite rare for a five-band bill to be filled with the quality to make the long night worth it, but this was an example of when it can work. The night felt more like a mini festival at times, with all five bands receiving strong receptions from the crowd and sets that were long enough to really make their points. Skid Row were the band of the night, but all five bands impressed!
Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Sunday, 27 January 2019
Blood Ceremony - Plymouth Review
This was not the first time that my first gig of the year took place at The Junction in Plymouth. 2017 started with Fragile Things playing to a small crowd at the Plymouth venue, and 2019 also started in similar fashion. The band playing there this January that interested me was Blood Ceremony, a Canadian four-piece that fuse progressive, folk, and doomy rock sounds together to create a retro vibe that sounds like a bit of a mix of Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, and Curved Air. They are a band that I had been aware of for some time, thanks to some articles that a fellow blogger friend posted quite a few years ago, but I had never made much of an effort to check them out properly until they announced a slightly random one-off headline show in my hometown. The show at The Junction fit in to a larger UK trek which saw the band supporting Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. I assume that the tour had a bit of a gap in the schedule, so Blood Ceremony took the opportunity to fill it with a show at The Junction. The Junction is a well-used venue in Plymouth, which probably only fails to get more gigs that I would attend due to its size. I have lived in the centre of Plymouth for three years now, and have only visited the venue a handful of times in that period. The last time was for a packed, sold out show in November courtesy of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons which proved to be an excellent evening of live music. I was looking forward to returning but assumed that the turnout would not be quite as strong this time! Usually the turnout at The Junction is either awful or excellent - but Blood Ceremony managed to attract a reasonably strong crowd. Compared to the 15 or so fellow gig-goers that I have been joined by in the Junction before, the 60/70 odd people that turned out to see the fairly obscure Canadian band should be considered a success. Those who turned up and packed the front of the stage during the evening helped to create a strong atmosphere that helped 2019 get off to a good start as a gigging year.
Before Blood Ceremony took to the stage, the growing crowd was treated to a strong support set from the Cornish psychedelic three-piece Cybernetic Witch Cult - a band who I last saw at the same venue back in 2016 supporting Purson. There is a big Black Sabbath and Clutch vibe to the band's sound, with busy basslines, fuzzy riffs, and somewhat howled vocals. The band's songs all seem to be based around Sci-Fi films and books, which gives their lyrics a fun, schlocky vibe. It seemed to take the crowd a few numbers to really get into what Cybernetic Witch Cult were doing, but by the end of the set everyone was down near the front of the stage and headbanging. The early portion of the set did suffer from slightly muddy sound, with the vocals buried under the band's heaviness, but this seemed to balance out as things progressed. I remember casually enjoying the band in 2016 and my feelings were much the same this time around. The dialogue clips from various films that are spliced into the band's songs help to create a quirky vibe, and the band's energy helped to whip up a strong atmosphere in the crowd. The band received a strong reception as they left the stage, and I would not be surprised if they had made themselves a few new fans with this performance.
After a pretty quick changeover, Blood Ceremony took to the stage to perform a bit of a soundcheck and then just launched straight into their set without much fanfare. I am only familiar with the band's first album, so was unfamiliar with much of the material, but I enjoyed the band's rocky, powerful sound. Sadly however it seemed the band were battling with some technical issues throughout their set, with Alia O'Brien's (vocals/keyboards/flute) keyboard often playing up. From signals that she made on stage during the first number it seemed that the keyboard was actually smoking at one point, which is never a good thing! As a result she seemed a little on edge throughout the set, which is certainly understandable, and there was sadly no encore as a result. Despite these issues, the band managed to still put on a strong show with the single Goodbye Gemini and Half Moon Street standing out early on. When the keyboards were working the songs were able to take on a bit of a Doors-come-Uriah Heep vibe to really fill out their sound, with Sean Kennedy's (guitar/vocals) bluesy, organic riffs and subtle guitar leads taking over at other times. Some of my favourite parts of the set however were when O'Brien and Kennedy teamed up to duel with their flute and guitar respectively. Some of the flute playing was very much out of the Ian Anderson school of rock-based flute melodies, and the way the two musicians teamed up to create a haunting, melodic sound. Other songs that stood out for me were the new single Lolly Willows which had a jauntier sound than much of the rest of the set, and the heavier Oliver Haddo which - if anything - may be the best representation of the band's gothic tinged sound. It is also somewhat lengthier which allowed the band's more progressive side to show. The show came to a close with the folky I'm Coming With You - a song which is certainly more instantly accessible than some of their pieces. It featured lots of excellent flute playing and an excellent vocal performance from O'Brien as she showed off her slightly strange, witchy voice. Sadly the show came to a bit of a halting end due to the technical issues and it was quite clear that O'Brien did not want to come back on stage which was a bit of a shame. I can understand why though, and I am just glad that the band managed to solider on through the issues as best as they could!
Overall this was a fairly low-key, but enjoyable first gig of the year. It was great to see Blood Ceremony venture down this far south, it was just a shame that some technical issues hampered the night somewhat.
Before Blood Ceremony took to the stage, the growing crowd was treated to a strong support set from the Cornish psychedelic three-piece Cybernetic Witch Cult - a band who I last saw at the same venue back in 2016 supporting Purson. There is a big Black Sabbath and Clutch vibe to the band's sound, with busy basslines, fuzzy riffs, and somewhat howled vocals. The band's songs all seem to be based around Sci-Fi films and books, which gives their lyrics a fun, schlocky vibe. It seemed to take the crowd a few numbers to really get into what Cybernetic Witch Cult were doing, but by the end of the set everyone was down near the front of the stage and headbanging. The early portion of the set did suffer from slightly muddy sound, with the vocals buried under the band's heaviness, but this seemed to balance out as things progressed. I remember casually enjoying the band in 2016 and my feelings were much the same this time around. The dialogue clips from various films that are spliced into the band's songs help to create a quirky vibe, and the band's energy helped to whip up a strong atmosphere in the crowd. The band received a strong reception as they left the stage, and I would not be surprised if they had made themselves a few new fans with this performance.
After a pretty quick changeover, Blood Ceremony took to the stage to perform a bit of a soundcheck and then just launched straight into their set without much fanfare. I am only familiar with the band's first album, so was unfamiliar with much of the material, but I enjoyed the band's rocky, powerful sound. Sadly however it seemed the band were battling with some technical issues throughout their set, with Alia O'Brien's (vocals/keyboards/flute) keyboard often playing up. From signals that she made on stage during the first number it seemed that the keyboard was actually smoking at one point, which is never a good thing! As a result she seemed a little on edge throughout the set, which is certainly understandable, and there was sadly no encore as a result. Despite these issues, the band managed to still put on a strong show with the single Goodbye Gemini and Half Moon Street standing out early on. When the keyboards were working the songs were able to take on a bit of a Doors-come-Uriah Heep vibe to really fill out their sound, with Sean Kennedy's (guitar/vocals) bluesy, organic riffs and subtle guitar leads taking over at other times. Some of my favourite parts of the set however were when O'Brien and Kennedy teamed up to duel with their flute and guitar respectively. Some of the flute playing was very much out of the Ian Anderson school of rock-based flute melodies, and the way the two musicians teamed up to create a haunting, melodic sound. Other songs that stood out for me were the new single Lolly Willows which had a jauntier sound than much of the rest of the set, and the heavier Oliver Haddo which - if anything - may be the best representation of the band's gothic tinged sound. It is also somewhat lengthier which allowed the band's more progressive side to show. The show came to a close with the folky I'm Coming With You - a song which is certainly more instantly accessible than some of their pieces. It featured lots of excellent flute playing and an excellent vocal performance from O'Brien as she showed off her slightly strange, witchy voice. Sadly the show came to a bit of a halting end due to the technical issues and it was quite clear that O'Brien did not want to come back on stage which was a bit of a shame. I can understand why though, and I am just glad that the band managed to solider on through the issues as best as they could!
Overall this was a fairly low-key, but enjoyable first gig of the year. It was great to see Blood Ceremony venture down this far south, it was just a shame that some technical issues hampered the night somewhat.
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Soilwork's 'Verkligheten' - Album Review
Sweden's Soilwork have been slogging away for the best part of a quarter of a century. The metal quintet will celebrate their 25th anniversary next year, and they will be able to look back on a career packed with memorable albums and energetic live shows. Like many Swedish bands who came out of the country's melodic death metal scene that really boomed in the early 1990s, Soilwork have continued to tinker with and refine their sound and approach over the years. While Soilwork's evolution is no where near drastic as that undergone by fellow Swedes In Flames, they have certainly polished and cleaned up their sound over the years. The Soilwork of 2019 is a much more melodically-aware beast, and focuses less on the brutality of their early work - to the chagrin of some of their fans. That being said, Soilwork are as popular as ever and released their eleventh studio album Verkligheten earlier this month. Verkligheten, which means 'reality' in English, is the band's first album in four years and follows on from the enjoyable but somewhat underwhelming The Ride Majestic (which I reviewed here) that was released back in 2015. The Ride Majestic contained some good song, but suffered from having to follow the band's epic double album The Living Infinite from 2013. The Living Infinite is quite possibly one of the most-consistent double albums to be released by a metal band, and contains a whole host of memorable tracks. Doing another album only two years later was probably a mistake, which is possibly why fans have had to wait four years for Verkligheten! The wait was well worth it however as, in my opinion, Verkligheten is one of the best albums that Soilwork have ever done. It is an album that represents the very best of Soilwork in all their guises, and contains some of their heaviest work for quite some time - as well as some of the most melodic. There are some songs that hark back to the band's early days, with frontman Björn 'Speed' Strid unleashing some of his most devastating harsh vocals; while others are more reminiscent of Strid and guitarist David Andersson's melodic rock side project The Night Flight Orchestra with Sven Karlsson's keyboards high in the mix and choruses to die for! The variety on offer here makes this an album that needs revisiting a few times to fully appreciate, but repeated listens are extremely rewarding. Strid and Andersson wrote all of the songs here, and have produced some of their best work as a writing duo yet. While it is a bit of a shame that Karlsson or the band's other guitarist Sylvain Coudret did not get a look in where the songwriting is concerned this time around, it would seem that Strid and Andersson were so inspired that it would be foolish to pass up on the material that they were coming up with. Joining the four long-time members is drummer Bastian Thusgaard (Blood Label; Dawn of Demise) who made his debut in the studio with Soilwork on this album. He joined the band in 2017, and shows a wide range of skills throughout the twelve songs here. The band are still currently without a full-time bassist, so the bass duties here were handled by Andersson, who also contributed some additional keyboard parts.
After the short instrumental title track, which builds up slowly with a dense wall of pulsing synths and subtle clean guitar melodies, the album proper gets underway with Arrival - a track that is one of the heaviest things the band have released in a while. Thusgaard makes his presence known straight away with a furious blast beat that backs up some thrashy, mid-1990s melodic death metal guitar riffs, all while Karlsson's all-enveloping keyboards provide a spacey atmosphere. Strid, who often seems to favour his clean vocals more and more these days, takes a harsh approach for most of the song which fits with the heavier feeling. That being said the blast beats, which also form the basis of a speedy chorus, see clean vocals overlaid which works better than many might think. The choice to use harsh vocals for the majority of the verse lines however works really well, and ensures that the album goes for the jugular from the off. Despite this heaviness there are still more atmospheric moments. A keyboard-heavy slower section precedes the guitar solo, which then sees Andersson and Coudret trade up-tempo shredded licks with ease. Bleeder Despoiler takes more of a mid-paced approach, with a strident groove-based driving everything from the off. Shades of Lamb of God can be seen throughout parts of the song, especially when the song slows down a little and allows the grooves to shine through, but the verses reek of classic Soilwork with tricky drum footwork fills and Strid's throat-shredding harsh vocals. The Lamb of God-esque riff also forms the basis of the chorus, which seems less groove metal and more power metal with the addition of some soaring vocal melodies. This contrast works well, and a keyboard-led section late on helps to add to this more melodic feeling. Full Moon Shoals is one of the album's main singles, and features a much more melodic approach overall with Strid's clean singing dominating. The song once again slows things down to more of a mid-pace, and is driven by a very simple riff that has a bit more of an anthemic feeling while Thusgaard keeps time with a precise yet potent beat. Parts of the song strip everything back, often letting the keyboards dominate the mix while the guitars provide colour with some clean chord strikes, but the chorus sections see everything build back up to accompany Strid's soaring vocal harmonies. This is certainly a song that was written to be a single, and lacks many of the heavier moments that define the album, but things do speed up after the second chorus which allows room for a burst of harsh vocals and leads into a fast-paced solo from Andersson. This heaviness does not last for long however, and a final reprise of the melodic, AOR-esque chorus places this song firmly back at the lighter end of the band's sound.
The Nurturing Glance opens with some gorgeous floaty guitar lines which establish a calm tone, but this does not last long before Thusgaard's double bass pedal drumming kicks in and powerful, melodic guitar line gets the blood flowing. After the lighter previous number, this song re-establishes the heaviness with some harsh creams during the verses that see Strid unleashing screams that are higher and more tortured sounding than his usual deeper growls. As with most of the songs here however, the chorus is extremely melodically-focused. While not as catchy as some that have come already and some that are yet to come, it is still a moment that will embed into the brain. The highlight of the song for me however is the fairly lengthy guitar solo that comes part-way through. The guitar solos up to this point have been quite short, but this song allows the band's two guitarists to let rip a little, with Andersson taking the first, slower section before Coudret lights up his fretboard with some mean shredding. When the Universe Spoke also opens fairly slowly, with a guitar pattern similar to that of the previous song, and like the previous song also explodes into a heavier section with more blast beats from Thusgaard. This is much heavier than the previous song however, and features some riffing early on that actually sounds a little like something your average black metal band would come up with, with a chaotic mix to match. Unsurprisingly Strid's harsh vocals dominate the song, but he still finds the time to add a more melodic chorus although its impact is lessened somewhat but the crazy mix. On the whole this album is very well produced, but this song is probably an example of where things have not been balanced quite properly. There is a lot going on here, and at times it can feel a little overwhelming as everything competes to be heard. Stålfågel, another single, supposedly features Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist; Arch Enemy) contributing some extra vocals - but considering her name is nowhere to be found in the CD booklet and her distinct voice cannot obviously be heard I am finding this hard to believe. I am not sure why every time this song is mentioned online it mentions White-Gluz, and if she has indeed contributed to this song it must be in a very limited capacity - probably on backing vocals. Some of the chorus screams might be her, but beyond that I cannot see what her contributions might have been! That being said, the song is another strong one and features more overt melodies. The chorus is quite a hypnotic one, which works well with Thusgaard's more hypnotic drumming and Strid's clear vocal delivery. The Wolves are Back in Town is the first of two songs in a row that have ludicrously catchy choruses! Strid and Andersson are known for their love of all things AOR, and that influence really shows here. The song itself is pretty simple, with a fairly standard melodic death metal verse with stabbing guitar riffs, but as soon as the chorus is reached the bar is raised higher. The key change feels like something straight out of the 1980s, and the melodies are full of joy and uplifting inflections. This is one of the songs that stood out the most when I first heard the album, and the chorus remains one of my favourite moments.
Witan is similar. While the chorus is not quite as catchy as the previous song's, there is not much in it! A guitar and keyboard riff dominates the song, and overall the song just has a lighter tone. This is probably why it was chosen to be one of the main singles, but this does not stop it containing a heavy verse with some excellent twin guitar interplay and Strid's distinct harsh vocals. What sells this song however, as with the previous number, is the chorus. The verses are strong and full of energy, but for me it is the chorus melodies that really shine. Karlsson's keyboards provide a dense atmosphere and Thusgaard's drumming is relentless, but the poppy melodies shine through strongly and are certain to be sung loudly by crowds when the band play this number live. The Ageless Whisper opens slowly with some simple drumming and clean guitar melodies, and builds up over the first minute or so towards an anthemic mid-paced guitar riff. The verses are once again a bit of throwback to the band's earlier sound, with tricky guitar interplay and harsh vocals the order of the day, but Strid seems to not want to focus on one vocal style for too long at the time here, and mixes clean and harsh vocal lines together throughout. The guitar work here is inventive, and mixes melody and heaviness together really well, but the standout musical moment for me here is Karlsson's keyboard solo. Keyboard lead work is not so common in Soilwork's sound so it is great to hear him cutting loose a little here. The retro synth leads really stand out, and lead nicely into Coudret's flurry of notes that follows. Needles and Kin features guest vocals from Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis) who uses his deep growls to combine well with with Strid's screams to make for a powerful harsh vocal attack. It would have been nice to hear his clean delivery here too, but Strid takes on all of that responsibility himself during the choruses - and even throws in a couple of power metal-esque screams that are certainly not something he usually employs! This is a song that is packed full of energy as it never really lets up throughout. After a few lighter songs that have focused more on melody, it is good to hear the band once again putting the heaviness at the forefront. The album comes to a close with You Aquiver which features backing vocals from Dave Sheldon (Exes for Eyes). As is common with this album, the songs starts out quite slowly but grows into a heavier beast as it moves along. There seems to have been a conscious effort here to create more of an anthemic piece to close out the album on, and I think the band have succeeded. The almost hair metal-esque rhythm and melodies that fill the chorus certainly is packed full of energy, and the slightly punky verses feature Strid and Sheldon's voices mixing together well. While not the best song here, it does work well as an album closer and keeps the energy flowing right until the end. Overall, Verkligheten is a really strong album from the veteran Swedish metal band is certainly up there with their best efforts. The focus on more melodic songwriting has certainly yielded some memorable results, and the heavier moments are likely to appeal to those who have felt the band have softened up somewhat in recent years.
The album was released on 11th January 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Witan.
After the short instrumental title track, which builds up slowly with a dense wall of pulsing synths and subtle clean guitar melodies, the album proper gets underway with Arrival - a track that is one of the heaviest things the band have released in a while. Thusgaard makes his presence known straight away with a furious blast beat that backs up some thrashy, mid-1990s melodic death metal guitar riffs, all while Karlsson's all-enveloping keyboards provide a spacey atmosphere. Strid, who often seems to favour his clean vocals more and more these days, takes a harsh approach for most of the song which fits with the heavier feeling. That being said the blast beats, which also form the basis of a speedy chorus, see clean vocals overlaid which works better than many might think. The choice to use harsh vocals for the majority of the verse lines however works really well, and ensures that the album goes for the jugular from the off. Despite this heaviness there are still more atmospheric moments. A keyboard-heavy slower section precedes the guitar solo, which then sees Andersson and Coudret trade up-tempo shredded licks with ease. Bleeder Despoiler takes more of a mid-paced approach, with a strident groove-based driving everything from the off. Shades of Lamb of God can be seen throughout parts of the song, especially when the song slows down a little and allows the grooves to shine through, but the verses reek of classic Soilwork with tricky drum footwork fills and Strid's throat-shredding harsh vocals. The Lamb of God-esque riff also forms the basis of the chorus, which seems less groove metal and more power metal with the addition of some soaring vocal melodies. This contrast works well, and a keyboard-led section late on helps to add to this more melodic feeling. Full Moon Shoals is one of the album's main singles, and features a much more melodic approach overall with Strid's clean singing dominating. The song once again slows things down to more of a mid-pace, and is driven by a very simple riff that has a bit more of an anthemic feeling while Thusgaard keeps time with a precise yet potent beat. Parts of the song strip everything back, often letting the keyboards dominate the mix while the guitars provide colour with some clean chord strikes, but the chorus sections see everything build back up to accompany Strid's soaring vocal harmonies. This is certainly a song that was written to be a single, and lacks many of the heavier moments that define the album, but things do speed up after the second chorus which allows room for a burst of harsh vocals and leads into a fast-paced solo from Andersson. This heaviness does not last for long however, and a final reprise of the melodic, AOR-esque chorus places this song firmly back at the lighter end of the band's sound.
The Nurturing Glance opens with some gorgeous floaty guitar lines which establish a calm tone, but this does not last long before Thusgaard's double bass pedal drumming kicks in and powerful, melodic guitar line gets the blood flowing. After the lighter previous number, this song re-establishes the heaviness with some harsh creams during the verses that see Strid unleashing screams that are higher and more tortured sounding than his usual deeper growls. As with most of the songs here however, the chorus is extremely melodically-focused. While not as catchy as some that have come already and some that are yet to come, it is still a moment that will embed into the brain. The highlight of the song for me however is the fairly lengthy guitar solo that comes part-way through. The guitar solos up to this point have been quite short, but this song allows the band's two guitarists to let rip a little, with Andersson taking the first, slower section before Coudret lights up his fretboard with some mean shredding. When the Universe Spoke also opens fairly slowly, with a guitar pattern similar to that of the previous song, and like the previous song also explodes into a heavier section with more blast beats from Thusgaard. This is much heavier than the previous song however, and features some riffing early on that actually sounds a little like something your average black metal band would come up with, with a chaotic mix to match. Unsurprisingly Strid's harsh vocals dominate the song, but he still finds the time to add a more melodic chorus although its impact is lessened somewhat but the crazy mix. On the whole this album is very well produced, but this song is probably an example of where things have not been balanced quite properly. There is a lot going on here, and at times it can feel a little overwhelming as everything competes to be heard. Stålfågel, another single, supposedly features Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist; Arch Enemy) contributing some extra vocals - but considering her name is nowhere to be found in the CD booklet and her distinct voice cannot obviously be heard I am finding this hard to believe. I am not sure why every time this song is mentioned online it mentions White-Gluz, and if she has indeed contributed to this song it must be in a very limited capacity - probably on backing vocals. Some of the chorus screams might be her, but beyond that I cannot see what her contributions might have been! That being said, the song is another strong one and features more overt melodies. The chorus is quite a hypnotic one, which works well with Thusgaard's more hypnotic drumming and Strid's clear vocal delivery. The Wolves are Back in Town is the first of two songs in a row that have ludicrously catchy choruses! Strid and Andersson are known for their love of all things AOR, and that influence really shows here. The song itself is pretty simple, with a fairly standard melodic death metal verse with stabbing guitar riffs, but as soon as the chorus is reached the bar is raised higher. The key change feels like something straight out of the 1980s, and the melodies are full of joy and uplifting inflections. This is one of the songs that stood out the most when I first heard the album, and the chorus remains one of my favourite moments.
Witan is similar. While the chorus is not quite as catchy as the previous song's, there is not much in it! A guitar and keyboard riff dominates the song, and overall the song just has a lighter tone. This is probably why it was chosen to be one of the main singles, but this does not stop it containing a heavy verse with some excellent twin guitar interplay and Strid's distinct harsh vocals. What sells this song however, as with the previous number, is the chorus. The verses are strong and full of energy, but for me it is the chorus melodies that really shine. Karlsson's keyboards provide a dense atmosphere and Thusgaard's drumming is relentless, but the poppy melodies shine through strongly and are certain to be sung loudly by crowds when the band play this number live. The Ageless Whisper opens slowly with some simple drumming and clean guitar melodies, and builds up over the first minute or so towards an anthemic mid-paced guitar riff. The verses are once again a bit of throwback to the band's earlier sound, with tricky guitar interplay and harsh vocals the order of the day, but Strid seems to not want to focus on one vocal style for too long at the time here, and mixes clean and harsh vocal lines together throughout. The guitar work here is inventive, and mixes melody and heaviness together really well, but the standout musical moment for me here is Karlsson's keyboard solo. Keyboard lead work is not so common in Soilwork's sound so it is great to hear him cutting loose a little here. The retro synth leads really stand out, and lead nicely into Coudret's flurry of notes that follows. Needles and Kin features guest vocals from Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis) who uses his deep growls to combine well with with Strid's screams to make for a powerful harsh vocal attack. It would have been nice to hear his clean delivery here too, but Strid takes on all of that responsibility himself during the choruses - and even throws in a couple of power metal-esque screams that are certainly not something he usually employs! This is a song that is packed full of energy as it never really lets up throughout. After a few lighter songs that have focused more on melody, it is good to hear the band once again putting the heaviness at the forefront. The album comes to a close with You Aquiver which features backing vocals from Dave Sheldon (Exes for Eyes). As is common with this album, the songs starts out quite slowly but grows into a heavier beast as it moves along. There seems to have been a conscious effort here to create more of an anthemic piece to close out the album on, and I think the band have succeeded. The almost hair metal-esque rhythm and melodies that fill the chorus certainly is packed full of energy, and the slightly punky verses feature Strid and Sheldon's voices mixing together well. While not the best song here, it does work well as an album closer and keeps the energy flowing right until the end. Overall, Verkligheten is a really strong album from the veteran Swedish metal band is certainly up there with their best efforts. The focus on more melodic songwriting has certainly yielded some memorable results, and the heavier moments are likely to appeal to those who have felt the band have softened up somewhat in recent years.
The album was released on 11th January 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Witan.
Tuesday, 1 January 2019
Music of 2018 - Part 2
Well, here it is! As promised yesterday in the first part of my roundup of the 2018 musical year, this article will contain my very favourite albums that were released during the past year, as well as the best gigs which I have been fortunate enough to attend. Deciding on the best ten albums of any given year is always extremely difficult, but this list has been one of the hardest to finalise. There were a lot of worthy candidates this year as always but, in my opinion anyway, 2018 lacked those couple of albums that just instantly race to the top of the list without much thought. I felt that lots of the albums were of a similar standard, so narrowing it down to just ten was hard. Inevitably there will some albums that I have enjoyed a lot this year that miss the cut, including the new album from one of my very favourite bands, but I have to put these kind of biases to one side and pick the albums which I think are genuinely the best of the year. Of course if I sat down a week or a month from now and did this exercise again, the chances are the results would be different. That is the nature of trying to (arbitrarily really) order something as subjective as music. The list that I have come up with thought certainly will give you a glimpse of my musical year, and hopefully you will be able to make a new discovery here. The most obvious omission from the list for regular readers of this blog will be Mostly Autumn's new album White Rainbow - but this has not been included because it will officially be released to retails later this year, making it a 2019 album in my eyes. You will all have to come back to this blog in a year to see whether or not it made the cut! Anyway, without further ado, I can now present you with my Top 10 Albums of 2018. As always only full-length studio albums are eligible for contention, meaning that EPs, live albums, compilations, or any other non-original collections of songs are ineligible for inclusion here.
10) Seventh Wonder - Tiara
Seventh Wonder fans were made to wait eight years for the band's fifth album, but when it finally dropped in October the fanbase was sent into raptures. While Tiara is very similar on a structural and musical level to their 2008 opus Mercy Falls, it is packed so full of tight songwriting, soaring melodies, and technical instrumental breakdowns that the comparisons do not seem to matter. Being another concept album, the album has a story weaved into the lyrics which adds more depth and enjoyment to repeated listen - but the music and melodies are enjoyable enough to absorb without that extra layer for more casual fans. The real star of the album however is frontman Tommy Karevik, who's extremely diverse and emotional vocal performance showcases his immense talent, and this album could well contain his very best recordings to date.
Listen to: Dream Machines, Victorious & Beyond Today (Farewell - Part 3)
9) Leaves' Eyes - Sign of the Dragonhead
A real early highlight of the year, the symphonic metal veterans Leaves' Eyes rocked January with their seventh album Sign of the Dragonhead - their first effort with frontwoman Elina Siirala. The personnel change did not lead to a big change in sound for the band, but did seem to bring with it more focus. The band's last album King of Kings was a little bit of a disappointment for me, and this new album saw the band really getting back to basics and showcasing everything that is great about their folky, dark symphonic sound. The songs were catchier, the riffs were bigger, and the orchestrations soared higher than on anything the band had attempted in the last few years, and it really took me back to hearing Njord for the first time nearly ten years ago! 2018 was also a great touring year for the band, and it seemed to complete the rebirth that has been going on over the past couple of years.
Listen to: Sign of the Dragonhead, Jomsborg & Waves of Euphoria
8) Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog
The grunge legends' sixth studio album dropped back in August after five year wait and was instantly welcomed with open arms by the band's large fanbase. I have been a fan of the band for quite some time, but this was the first album of theirs that I bought when it was released, and enjoyed it almost instantly. No-one quite does ghostly harmony vocals like Alice in Chains, and when William DuVall and Jerry Cantrell team up to sing then magic is sure to happen! Despite sticking closely to the band's well-established sound, this is a pretty diverse album with crushing heavy rockers sitting next to pseudo-southern rock ballads, and even stoner-like moments that are filled with dirty riffs and psychedelic chord progressions. This is probably the band's best work since reforming in 2005, and could well be the best the thing they have done since 1992's masterpiece Dirt.
Listen to: The One You Know, Drone & All I Am
7) Amorphis - Queen of Time
Finland's Amorphis have become one of the most consistent metal bands on the circuit over the past few years. The band's unique mix of progressive, folk, and melodic death metals has been honed to perfection over the past decade or so and Queen of Time - the band's thirteenth album - feels like pure Amorphis through and through. I thought it would be hard for the band to top 2015's Under the Red Cloud, but I feel that they have at least equalled it here and have managed to include a few extra little tricks too. The use of saxophone sparingly is great, and employing Anneke van Giersbergen to duet with frontman Tomi Joutsen on one song was a masterful idea. Despite these extras however, it is the band's core sound that shines through the most, with the folky guitar leads and retro-sounding synths sounding as good as ever.
Listen to: The Bee, Message in the Amber & Amongst Stars
6) The Temperance Movement - A Deeper Cut
Most of this list is dominated by heavier bands, but one less-heavy act that really impressed me this year was The Temperance Movement. I have been a fan since almost the beginning, but 2018 seemed to see the band finally coming through in a big way. The excellent new album A Deeper Cut is a big reason for this, and it more than makes up for the somewhat lacklustre White Bear - an album which saw the band unsure of the direction they wanted to go. Having firmly settled on the blues-based rock that made the popular in the first place, with a modern twist of course, A Deeper Cut is packed to the rafters with fabulous songwriting, catchy riffs, and some of the most beautiful ballads from the band yet. There is also a quirkiness throughout too that shows that the band do not take themselves too seriously, and that all helps to translate into a fun album that I can listen to over and over again.
Listen to: Built-In Forgetter, A Deeper Cut & Backwater Zoo
5) Uriah Heep - Living the Dream
One of the most prolific bands on this list, hard rock pioneers Uriah Heep rarely disappoint. The band's twenty fifth album, Living the Dream, released back in September was no different and contained the band's hard-hitting modern sound showcased in its best light. One ballad aside, Living the Dream is a powerful, in-your-face slab of hard rock that does not sound like a band that are soon approaching their fiftieth anniversary. Uriah Heep have a drive and an energy that puts bands that are a fraction of their age to shame, and all of that is perfectly captured on this latest album. As an aside, it is always great to hear a real Hammond organ, and this album is packed full of excellent moments courtesy of Phil Lanzon.
Listen to: Grazed by Heaven, Rocks in the Road & Waters Flowin'
4) Judas Priest - Firepower
Another older band with energy to spare is Judas Priest, who's eighteenth studio album Firepower hit with such force earlier this year when it was released onto an unsuspecting fanbase back in March. After 2014's enjoyable but fairly workmanlike Redeemer of Souls, I do not think that anyone was expecting Firepower to be quite as good as it is! The production is razor sharp, the riffs are heavy and packed with attitude, and frontman Rob Halford sounds better than he has for years. It should probably not be so surprising to see one of the pioneers of the heavy metal genre releasing an album that sounds so 'heavy', but Firepower really sounds like a band reborn. Judas Priest have not sounded as vital or as ready for action since 1990's Painkiller, and this is comfortably their best album since then too. Anyone who had written the Metal Gods off as being past it or nothing more than a nostalgia act needs to give this album a fair hearing.
Listen to: Firepower, Evil Never Dies & Children of the Sun
3) Saxon - Thunderbolt
Saxon albums impressing should no longer surprise me, but after a minor blip in the form of 2015's Battering Ram, Thunderbolt really gave the metal world a kick up the behind when it was released back in February. Much like the previous two bands featured on this list, Saxon are a band with energy and power beyond their years, and Thunderbolt is quite possibly their best album for many, many years despite some strong recent competition. While the band as a whole are responsible for this longevity, I cannot help but feel that frontman Biff Byford is the true driving force these days. His vocal style has never really changed throughout the band's near-forty year career, and he sounds like a man possessed here. It is quite possibly the heaviest the band have ever sounded on record too, showing that Saxon do not plan on slowing down just yet!
Listen to: Thunderbolt, They Played Rock and Roll & Predator
2) Angra - Ømni
The Brazilian progressive metal band Angra have gone through a bit of a rebirth during the past few years since frontman Fabio Lione joined the band in 2012. Ømni, the second Angra album to feature him, feels like the the culmination of this rebirth and a perfect springboard for the next stage of the band's career. More melodically-focused and less stylistically-varied than 2015's Secret Garden, Ømni is a powerhouse of tight, soaring progressive metal that is extremely easy on the ear all while bombarding the listener with idea after idea. All of the songs feature huge choruses, which showcase Lione at his best, but plenty of lengthy guitar solos and tricky instrumental passages should impress those who enjoy a good note-fest. This is an album that I have listened to a lot this year, and could possibly be my favourite offering yet from a band who have already given so much.
Listen to: Light of Transcendence, Black Widow's Web & Insania
1) Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs
When I first heard this sixth album from the Israeli metal act Orphaned Land back in January I had a feeling that it could well end up being my album of the year - and I was not wrong. I had only ever really been a casual fan of the band up to this point, but Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs changed all that and made me truly love them! The mixture of progressive and death metals, along with traditional folk music and instruments, make Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs such a deep and rich listen, that genuinely reveals a little more to me each time I listen to it. It is also somewhat more accessible than some of the band's dense and meandering early work, but still maintains the bite and heaviness that 2013's All Is One was largely missing. Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs is, in my eyes at least, the band's most complete work to date and an album that is more than worthy of being crowned my Album of the Year!
Listen to: The Cave, Like Orpheus & Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War
Well, there you have it, my Albums of 2018! As stated before, this was a very hard list to make, and there were lots of worthy albums that missed out. I feel very strange not including Kamelot's The Shadow Theory here, as I have listened to it a lot and really enjoy it, but I just do not feel it is quite up their usual high standard. Another worthy contender for inclusion was Ghost's Prequelle, the album which finally made me a fan of the Swedish occult rockers. I have listened to it a lot this year, but it just did not quite make the cut! A final shout out goes to MaYaN's Dhyana, an excellent symphonic metal album that threw everything - including the kitchen sink - into the mix! As with the last few years I would also like to highlight of the best gigs that I have been to this year. Again I have broken them down into the loose 'big' and 'small' categories with the former being arenas and stadiums and the latter being theatres and clubs. As with the albums, these little lists were hard to narrow down, but the below gives you a good idea of some of the very best of 2018's gigging:
Top 3 'Big' Gigs of 2018:
3) Nightwish, Arena Birmingham, 10/12/2018
Nightwish spent 2018 celebrating their twentieth anniversary with the Decades compilation and tour, and this included three UK arena shows. A two hour set that included fan favourites, epic sprawling progressive numbers, and deeper cuts was a Nightwish fan's dream, and included a number of songs that the band had not played for years. The closing double salvo of The Greatest Show on Earth and Ghost Love Score is hard to beat as a closing half an hour of music, and the large crowd that filled the Arena Birmingham lapped up every minute of it. As an aside, it is fantastic to see a band like Nightwish being able to successfully pull of three arena shows in the UK.
2) Roger Waters, Arena Birmingham, 07/07/2018
The former Pink Floyd leader has long been on my list of acts to see, and I finally got the opportunity to earlier this year when he brought his Us + Them tour to the UK. The setlist mostly focused on Pink Floyd's golden years, but included a good helping from his most recent solo album too to shake things up a bit. Waters and his excellent band stormed through the two hour-plus set with ease, which included some of the very best special effects I have ever seen at a concert. The second act in particular, with the Battersea Power Station extending down this middle of the arena is not something I will forget in a hurry - especially as Dogs was playing during most of it!
1) Def Leppard, Motorpoint Arena (Nottingham), 08/12/2018
While not as 'showy' as the other two concerts on this list, Def Leppard's showcasing of 1987's Hysteria has to be included here as it was one of the very best hours of live music I have ever sat through. The band were on fire, and ran through one of the best albums of the 1980s with ease as a capacity arena crowd hung on every word. Most of the album is full of classics, but even the deeper cuts really shone through and made for a varied set. An extended encore followed that featured even more well-loved songs, and I doubt that anyone who left the arena in Nottingham on that Saturday night would have been disappointed at the show that they got!
Top 3 'Small' Gigs of 2018:
3) The Quireboys, O2 Forum Kentish Town, 14/09/2018
Despite feeling like a 'small' show, especially in comparison to the above, the O2 Forum in Kentish Town is actually a big venue for a band like The Quireboys to play. The band booked the venue to showcase the tenth anniversary of their album Homewreckers & Heartbreakers, and managed to sell the place out! A fabulous bill that included H.E.A.T and Aaron Buchanan certainly helped, but the draw of seeing the whole of Homewreckers & Heartbreakers played live certainly was the main attraction. The first hour of the set flew by with the album featuring in full, with many of the deeper cuts standing out the most. Older classics followed and the evening became one big party that no-one is going to easily forget.
2) Marillion, Symphony Hall, 14/04/2018
While pushing the boundary for what could be considered a 'small' gig, this show in Birmingham featured Marillion at their best. I have seen the band live three years in a row now, and they just seem to get better and better. A large chunk of the band's latest album Fuck Everyone and Run made up most of the setlist, but there was still plenty of time for older material, including lots of songs I had not heard the band perform before. I am so glad that Marillion are at a stage in their career again where they can fill these larger venues successfully, as it makes for majestic and expansive shows for the fans. This was one of those evenings where you had to sit back and just let the music wash over you, and it was all the more powerful for it.
1) Saxon, The Great Hall, 23/02/2018
The first show since the Thunderbolt album was released, Saxon came out of the gates raring to go. They debuted six new songs throughout the evening as part of a two hour set that was packed full of classics from the 1980s and newer numbers that the huge crowd lapped up. I was down near the front and the energy whipped up throughout the night was insane. Everyone was there for a good time and the band knew it, and this seemed to spur them on to even greater heights. It was great to hear the excellent new Thunderbolt material for the first time live, and by the time the evening came to a close the classics were flowing and the crowd were in fine voice. A stunning evening and one that will certainly live long in the memory.
10) Seventh Wonder - Tiara
Seventh Wonder fans were made to wait eight years for the band's fifth album, but when it finally dropped in October the fanbase was sent into raptures. While Tiara is very similar on a structural and musical level to their 2008 opus Mercy Falls, it is packed so full of tight songwriting, soaring melodies, and technical instrumental breakdowns that the comparisons do not seem to matter. Being another concept album, the album has a story weaved into the lyrics which adds more depth and enjoyment to repeated listen - but the music and melodies are enjoyable enough to absorb without that extra layer for more casual fans. The real star of the album however is frontman Tommy Karevik, who's extremely diverse and emotional vocal performance showcases his immense talent, and this album could well contain his very best recordings to date.
Listen to: Dream Machines, Victorious & Beyond Today (Farewell - Part 3)
9) Leaves' Eyes - Sign of the Dragonhead
A real early highlight of the year, the symphonic metal veterans Leaves' Eyes rocked January with their seventh album Sign of the Dragonhead - their first effort with frontwoman Elina Siirala. The personnel change did not lead to a big change in sound for the band, but did seem to bring with it more focus. The band's last album King of Kings was a little bit of a disappointment for me, and this new album saw the band really getting back to basics and showcasing everything that is great about their folky, dark symphonic sound. The songs were catchier, the riffs were bigger, and the orchestrations soared higher than on anything the band had attempted in the last few years, and it really took me back to hearing Njord for the first time nearly ten years ago! 2018 was also a great touring year for the band, and it seemed to complete the rebirth that has been going on over the past couple of years.
Listen to: Sign of the Dragonhead, Jomsborg & Waves of Euphoria
8) Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog
The grunge legends' sixth studio album dropped back in August after five year wait and was instantly welcomed with open arms by the band's large fanbase. I have been a fan of the band for quite some time, but this was the first album of theirs that I bought when it was released, and enjoyed it almost instantly. No-one quite does ghostly harmony vocals like Alice in Chains, and when William DuVall and Jerry Cantrell team up to sing then magic is sure to happen! Despite sticking closely to the band's well-established sound, this is a pretty diverse album with crushing heavy rockers sitting next to pseudo-southern rock ballads, and even stoner-like moments that are filled with dirty riffs and psychedelic chord progressions. This is probably the band's best work since reforming in 2005, and could well be the best the thing they have done since 1992's masterpiece Dirt.
Listen to: The One You Know, Drone & All I Am
7) Amorphis - Queen of Time
Finland's Amorphis have become one of the most consistent metal bands on the circuit over the past few years. The band's unique mix of progressive, folk, and melodic death metals has been honed to perfection over the past decade or so and Queen of Time - the band's thirteenth album - feels like pure Amorphis through and through. I thought it would be hard for the band to top 2015's Under the Red Cloud, but I feel that they have at least equalled it here and have managed to include a few extra little tricks too. The use of saxophone sparingly is great, and employing Anneke van Giersbergen to duet with frontman Tomi Joutsen on one song was a masterful idea. Despite these extras however, it is the band's core sound that shines through the most, with the folky guitar leads and retro-sounding synths sounding as good as ever.
Listen to: The Bee, Message in the Amber & Amongst Stars
6) The Temperance Movement - A Deeper Cut
Most of this list is dominated by heavier bands, but one less-heavy act that really impressed me this year was The Temperance Movement. I have been a fan since almost the beginning, but 2018 seemed to see the band finally coming through in a big way. The excellent new album A Deeper Cut is a big reason for this, and it more than makes up for the somewhat lacklustre White Bear - an album which saw the band unsure of the direction they wanted to go. Having firmly settled on the blues-based rock that made the popular in the first place, with a modern twist of course, A Deeper Cut is packed to the rafters with fabulous songwriting, catchy riffs, and some of the most beautiful ballads from the band yet. There is also a quirkiness throughout too that shows that the band do not take themselves too seriously, and that all helps to translate into a fun album that I can listen to over and over again.
Listen to: Built-In Forgetter, A Deeper Cut & Backwater Zoo
5) Uriah Heep - Living the Dream
One of the most prolific bands on this list, hard rock pioneers Uriah Heep rarely disappoint. The band's twenty fifth album, Living the Dream, released back in September was no different and contained the band's hard-hitting modern sound showcased in its best light. One ballad aside, Living the Dream is a powerful, in-your-face slab of hard rock that does not sound like a band that are soon approaching their fiftieth anniversary. Uriah Heep have a drive and an energy that puts bands that are a fraction of their age to shame, and all of that is perfectly captured on this latest album. As an aside, it is always great to hear a real Hammond organ, and this album is packed full of excellent moments courtesy of Phil Lanzon.
Listen to: Grazed by Heaven, Rocks in the Road & Waters Flowin'
4) Judas Priest - Firepower
Another older band with energy to spare is Judas Priest, who's eighteenth studio album Firepower hit with such force earlier this year when it was released onto an unsuspecting fanbase back in March. After 2014's enjoyable but fairly workmanlike Redeemer of Souls, I do not think that anyone was expecting Firepower to be quite as good as it is! The production is razor sharp, the riffs are heavy and packed with attitude, and frontman Rob Halford sounds better than he has for years. It should probably not be so surprising to see one of the pioneers of the heavy metal genre releasing an album that sounds so 'heavy', but Firepower really sounds like a band reborn. Judas Priest have not sounded as vital or as ready for action since 1990's Painkiller, and this is comfortably their best album since then too. Anyone who had written the Metal Gods off as being past it or nothing more than a nostalgia act needs to give this album a fair hearing.
Listen to: Firepower, Evil Never Dies & Children of the Sun
3) Saxon - Thunderbolt
Saxon albums impressing should no longer surprise me, but after a minor blip in the form of 2015's Battering Ram, Thunderbolt really gave the metal world a kick up the behind when it was released back in February. Much like the previous two bands featured on this list, Saxon are a band with energy and power beyond their years, and Thunderbolt is quite possibly their best album for many, many years despite some strong recent competition. While the band as a whole are responsible for this longevity, I cannot help but feel that frontman Biff Byford is the true driving force these days. His vocal style has never really changed throughout the band's near-forty year career, and he sounds like a man possessed here. It is quite possibly the heaviest the band have ever sounded on record too, showing that Saxon do not plan on slowing down just yet!
Listen to: Thunderbolt, They Played Rock and Roll & Predator
2) Angra - Ømni
The Brazilian progressive metal band Angra have gone through a bit of a rebirth during the past few years since frontman Fabio Lione joined the band in 2012. Ømni, the second Angra album to feature him, feels like the the culmination of this rebirth and a perfect springboard for the next stage of the band's career. More melodically-focused and less stylistically-varied than 2015's Secret Garden, Ømni is a powerhouse of tight, soaring progressive metal that is extremely easy on the ear all while bombarding the listener with idea after idea. All of the songs feature huge choruses, which showcase Lione at his best, but plenty of lengthy guitar solos and tricky instrumental passages should impress those who enjoy a good note-fest. This is an album that I have listened to a lot this year, and could possibly be my favourite offering yet from a band who have already given so much.
Listen to: Light of Transcendence, Black Widow's Web & Insania
1) Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs
When I first heard this sixth album from the Israeli metal act Orphaned Land back in January I had a feeling that it could well end up being my album of the year - and I was not wrong. I had only ever really been a casual fan of the band up to this point, but Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs changed all that and made me truly love them! The mixture of progressive and death metals, along with traditional folk music and instruments, make Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs such a deep and rich listen, that genuinely reveals a little more to me each time I listen to it. It is also somewhat more accessible than some of the band's dense and meandering early work, but still maintains the bite and heaviness that 2013's All Is One was largely missing. Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs is, in my eyes at least, the band's most complete work to date and an album that is more than worthy of being crowned my Album of the Year!
Listen to: The Cave, Like Orpheus & Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War
Well, there you have it, my Albums of 2018! As stated before, this was a very hard list to make, and there were lots of worthy albums that missed out. I feel very strange not including Kamelot's The Shadow Theory here, as I have listened to it a lot and really enjoy it, but I just do not feel it is quite up their usual high standard. Another worthy contender for inclusion was Ghost's Prequelle, the album which finally made me a fan of the Swedish occult rockers. I have listened to it a lot this year, but it just did not quite make the cut! A final shout out goes to MaYaN's Dhyana, an excellent symphonic metal album that threw everything - including the kitchen sink - into the mix! As with the last few years I would also like to highlight of the best gigs that I have been to this year. Again I have broken them down into the loose 'big' and 'small' categories with the former being arenas and stadiums and the latter being theatres and clubs. As with the albums, these little lists were hard to narrow down, but the below gives you a good idea of some of the very best of 2018's gigging:
Top 3 'Big' Gigs of 2018:
3) Nightwish, Arena Birmingham, 10/12/2018
Nightwish spent 2018 celebrating their twentieth anniversary with the Decades compilation and tour, and this included three UK arena shows. A two hour set that included fan favourites, epic sprawling progressive numbers, and deeper cuts was a Nightwish fan's dream, and included a number of songs that the band had not played for years. The closing double salvo of The Greatest Show on Earth and Ghost Love Score is hard to beat as a closing half an hour of music, and the large crowd that filled the Arena Birmingham lapped up every minute of it. As an aside, it is fantastic to see a band like Nightwish being able to successfully pull of three arena shows in the UK.
2) Roger Waters, Arena Birmingham, 07/07/2018
The former Pink Floyd leader has long been on my list of acts to see, and I finally got the opportunity to earlier this year when he brought his Us + Them tour to the UK. The setlist mostly focused on Pink Floyd's golden years, but included a good helping from his most recent solo album too to shake things up a bit. Waters and his excellent band stormed through the two hour-plus set with ease, which included some of the very best special effects I have ever seen at a concert. The second act in particular, with the Battersea Power Station extending down this middle of the arena is not something I will forget in a hurry - especially as Dogs was playing during most of it!
1) Def Leppard, Motorpoint Arena (Nottingham), 08/12/2018
While not as 'showy' as the other two concerts on this list, Def Leppard's showcasing of 1987's Hysteria has to be included here as it was one of the very best hours of live music I have ever sat through. The band were on fire, and ran through one of the best albums of the 1980s with ease as a capacity arena crowd hung on every word. Most of the album is full of classics, but even the deeper cuts really shone through and made for a varied set. An extended encore followed that featured even more well-loved songs, and I doubt that anyone who left the arena in Nottingham on that Saturday night would have been disappointed at the show that they got!
Top 3 'Small' Gigs of 2018:
3) The Quireboys, O2 Forum Kentish Town, 14/09/2018
Despite feeling like a 'small' show, especially in comparison to the above, the O2 Forum in Kentish Town is actually a big venue for a band like The Quireboys to play. The band booked the venue to showcase the tenth anniversary of their album Homewreckers & Heartbreakers, and managed to sell the place out! A fabulous bill that included H.E.A.T and Aaron Buchanan certainly helped, but the draw of seeing the whole of Homewreckers & Heartbreakers played live certainly was the main attraction. The first hour of the set flew by with the album featuring in full, with many of the deeper cuts standing out the most. Older classics followed and the evening became one big party that no-one is going to easily forget.
2) Marillion, Symphony Hall, 14/04/2018
While pushing the boundary for what could be considered a 'small' gig, this show in Birmingham featured Marillion at their best. I have seen the band live three years in a row now, and they just seem to get better and better. A large chunk of the band's latest album Fuck Everyone and Run made up most of the setlist, but there was still plenty of time for older material, including lots of songs I had not heard the band perform before. I am so glad that Marillion are at a stage in their career again where they can fill these larger venues successfully, as it makes for majestic and expansive shows for the fans. This was one of those evenings where you had to sit back and just let the music wash over you, and it was all the more powerful for it.
1) Saxon, The Great Hall, 23/02/2018
The first show since the Thunderbolt album was released, Saxon came out of the gates raring to go. They debuted six new songs throughout the evening as part of a two hour set that was packed full of classics from the 1980s and newer numbers that the huge crowd lapped up. I was down near the front and the energy whipped up throughout the night was insane. Everyone was there for a good time and the band knew it, and this seemed to spur them on to even greater heights. It was great to hear the excellent new Thunderbolt material for the first time live, and by the time the evening came to a close the classics were flowing and the crowd were in fine voice. A stunning evening and one that will certainly live long in the memory.
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