The last few weeks have been very busy gig-wise, with plenty of travelling between the South West, London, and the Midlands - and with more trips planned over the next couple of weeks this busy trend is set to continue. Next weekend is going to include a mammoth trip, with three gigs in three places in three days, but my Easter weekend away in London was rather more sedate. Or at least that would have been the case had the public transport systems not been in turmoil, which sadly seems to be becoming much more of a regular occurrence, with delays to my trains both ways as well as significant issues with the Circle line meaning that quite a bit of time was lost on Saturday before I managed to get to King's Cross - where I was staying. Despite these delays, I still ended having a decent afternoon with surprisingly good weather, meaning that my walk up to Islington to look for records and CDs was rather pleasant. A couple of hours were then spent relaxing in the hotel with the football coverage before it was time to head up to Camden to my fairly regular haunt of The Underworld to catch the Greek power metal band Firewind play what, in recent years anyway, was a pretty rare UK headline appearance. It was my fifth time seeing the band, so they have been pretty regular visitors to the UK over the years, but recently that has dropped off - with this show being, I think, their first proper headline appearance here since their 2017 tour. Their visits since have tended to be with other bands and the last time I saw Firewind was in 2019 - when they opened for Queensrÿche in Manchester. Firewind used to undertake proper UK tours, but sadly that no longer seems to be the case. Perhaps it is just not viable for them to do so anymore, so when the show was announced I knew that I had to get a ticket. I missed out on their last UK run with Beast in Black as the dates fell around the same time as other plans, so I was really keen to see the band again - as I had not seen them since frontman Herbie Langhans came on board. I missed the entire touring cycle for Firewind (which I reviewed here), then, so with Stand United (which I also reviewed here) fresh out of the gate it seemed like a good time to catch them. The UK date was a somewhat random addition to the end of the band's co-headline tour with Masterplan - but Masterplan did not make it over to the UK with Firewind. Given that I do not know too much about Masterplan, their absence from the show was not a concern - and I was just glad that Firewind added a UK headline show at all. The Underworld seems to be their London venue of choice these days and I had seen them twice at the venue previously - once on their own and once co-headlining with Rage. They are a band that has been around long enough to deserve headlining bigger venues - but in fairness The Underworld tends to produce good nights all round, so perhaps the band just enjoy playing there. Given that it was the Easter bank holiday weekend, too, it was unsurprising that the show attracted a healthy crowd. I do not know if the show was sold out or not, but plenty of people turned up to see Firewind.
It was an early show, too, with the doors opening at 6pm and a 10pm curfew. The doors ended up opening around 15 minutes late, so by the time everyone was inside it was not long before the evening's sole support act Fury kicked things off - and the five-piece impressed the crowd during their 45 minute set. I had seen the band before, at either the 2015 or 2016 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air, but I had not really kept up with them since, despite enjoying them at the time. They are a band I have heard a lot about since, though, so I had been meaning to properly check them out again - so seeing them open for Firewind was the perfect opportunity to do so. I think that only main man Julian Jenkins (vocals/guitar) remains in the band from when I last saw them but I think that it is fair to say that the band has improved over the years - with new guitarist Tom Atkinson impressing with plenty of excellent guitar solos and and a boost in the vocal department courtesy of Nyah Ifill. Perhaps my only real criticism of the set would be that I did not think the band made enough of Ifill's talents. That is to take nothing away from Jenkins, who is a fine singer, but Ifill added something different with her powerful, somewhat soulful, voice and it was a shame that she was largely utilised for harmonies and backing vocals. I think that she is only a recent permanent addition to the band, having previously essentially been a session backing singer, so I am hoping that going forward she will have more of a role - as I feel that her presence allows for some interesting vocal arrangements which would help to set Fury apart from the crowd. That nit-pick aside, though, I really enjoyed Fury's set. Sound-wise the band are a mix of traditional heavy metal and power metal - with the occasional thrashy turn. They are fast and heavy, but all of their songs are packed full of hooks - and there were plenty of strong choruses throughout their set. Ifill took the lead on the storming Prince of Darkness which went down well, but it was perhaps the more anthemic tracks like the lengthy Lost in Space and the closing Road Warrior which were the best received. The former saw plenty of singing from the crowd when prompted - as well as lengthy soloing from everyone involved. It was the sort of set that could have been a bit longer and there would not have been many complaints - as the crowd really got into Fury. I think there were quite a few fans of theirs in anyway, but even those like me who only had a passing familiarity with the band got sucked in - and I think that it is fair to say that Fury did their job of warming the crowd up for the headline act to follow.
There was meant to be a half an hour break between the two bands, but the lights went down after only around 20 minutes - and for the next 90 minutes the large crowd were treated to a 17-song set from one of the best power metal bands in the business. Taking material from most of their albums, as well as including half of the new album, the set was generally a heavy and hard-driving affair - but it was well-paced, with thrashy pieces sitting nicely side-by-side more melodic pieces. Given that this was my first time seeing the band with Langhans and as four-piece I was not sure what to expect, but from the off the band impressed. Gus G. (guitar/vocals) was perhaps more impressive than ever in this setting, with most of the focus on him, and, whilst I would have preferred live keyboards, the live experience did not suffer as a result of the slimmed-down line-up. Two new songs kicked things off, with the excellent Salvation Day getting the set off to an excellent start. It is easily my favourite of the new cuts and it perfectly set the tone for the rest of the show. Langhans owned the big chorus, and I also thought that he was a great frontman. He might have been the most animated of the Firewind frontmen that I have seen in the flesh; and he seems to be the perfect foil for G.'s guitar heroics. His tough voice has made the band heavier, too, with cuts like the thrashy World on Fire and the more anthemic I Am the Anger sounding meatier than ever thanks to his pipes. The slimmed-down line-up also placed more emphasis on Petros Christo (bass guitar) in my opinion. His bass playing was high in the mix throughout, and seemed to take up some of the slack of the previous, more expanded, line-up. He really propelled the band alongside acrobatic drummer Johan Nunez - with each song sounding more powerful than the last. It was also clear early on the crowd were really up for the show. In between nearly every song there were loud chants of the band's name - so much so that the band seemed genuinely shocked. I rarely believe bands when they say that crowds are the loudest they have heard on the tour so far - but I did actually believe both Langhans and G. when they said as much. The crowd did not let up throughout and the atmosphere was excellent as a result - with the chorus of the aforementioned I Am the Anger feeling huge as a result. Over the half of the set consisted of songs which I had not heard the band do live before - but some of the classics hit as hard as ever. I have never been the biggest fan of instrumentals, but G.'s showcase The Fire and the Fury went over as well as it always does - before the only slower moment, the ballad Longing to Know You from the previous album, acted as a change of pace. Hearing so many of the new songs live was a treat, too, with the AOR-esque Chains injecting some pop hooks into the night whilst the driving riffing of Fallen Angel was another which whipped up plenty of energy. The night flew by, and by the time the thrashy Rising Fire and the disco strands of Maniac were done the band were waving goodbye and leaving the stage. There was time for a couple more, though, and the epic Ode to Leonidas may just have been the song of the night. It has always been a favourite Firewind cut of mine, but Langhans really did it justice - and customary rendition of Falling to Pieces, with plenty of jumping, saw the night come to a close. The setlist was:
Salvation Day
Stand United
World on Fire
Destination Forever
Destiny Is Calling
I Am the Anger
Wars of Ages
The Fire and the Fury
Longing to Know You
Mercenary Man
Chains
Allegiance
Fallen Angel
Rising Fire
Maniac [Michael Sembello cover]
-
Ode to Leonidas
Falling to Pieces
I have always enjoyed seeing Firewind live, but I remember their set with Rage being cut short due to technical difficulties and their set with Queensrÿche was also short. As such, it felt like a while since I had really seen Firewind do what they do best - and they really knocked it out of the park last night. It could well be the best showing I have seen from the band to date - and it was certainly one of the best atmospheres at a metal show in a long time. The band seemed to really feed off the crowd's energy and it is always special when that happens. I really hope that the experience prompts the band to schedule a proper UK tour again soon, but given that their next European trek will be with Sonata Arctica, who have left the UK off their upcoming tour despite being another band who regularly visited the UK previously, it may sadly be a while before Firewind return.
Eagle-eyed readers of this blog will know that, in recent years at least, I review albums in chronological order of release. This helps me to keep up with what I have covered and what I have not - and it also helps me to judge if, by the time I get to an album, whether I should still review it. I do not like to review albums a long time after their release dates, as there is limited interest in such by that point, so there are always decisions to be made about what to cover and what not to. I do not get sent albums by bands or record companies for review, so I cannot be ahead of the game like other reviewers, with every album I cover here having been purchased myself on release. This is why it is frustrating when albums are delayed in getting to me - and I have noticed a trend in recent years when it comes to releases by AFM Records. I do not like criticising the label, as their output is generally great and their digipacks are always really well put together, but in recent years their distribution in the UK has been rubbish. I have often had to wait two or three weeks after release dates of AFM Records' albums when ordering from Amazon UK - but recently this has gotten worse. Amazon UK cancelled my order of the album I about to talk about as it did not know when it was going to be getting any stock and I recently received an email saying that they do not know when they would be posting out my copy of Leaves' Eyes new album Myths of Fate which came out last week either - but stopped short of cancelling the order. I do not know why AFM Records makes so little effort with the UK. I recently emailed the label to ask why, but I am yet to receive a response. HMV's website seems to try and guess when the albums will be released, but the dates keep getting pushed back - and there is no communication from the label as to why. As such, I had to get my copy of Firewind's tenth studio album Stand United from abroad - and it only arrived on Monday, just in time for me to get a few listens in before heading up to London to see them live tomorrow! Moving onto Stand United, then, as that is enough ranting about AFM Records for one day, it is the band's second album with their current line-up - and their first album since 2020's self-titled release (which I reviewed here). Firewind was a bit of a re-set for the band and it harked back to the tougher sound of their early days - with the band's more epic side reined in following the departure of long-time keyboard player Bob Katsionis. He has never been replaced, leaving the band's founder and guitarist Gus G. to lead the line alone - meaning that Firewind focused on his riffing and soloing more than ever. The album also saw the debut of current frontman Herbie Langhans, who did a great job, and he has fully integrated himself into Firewind over the past four years. With long-time bassist Petros Christo and drummer Johan Nunez rounding out the line-up, the current four-man Firewind is a lean and heavy beast - although G. actually handled all of the bass, as well as the keyboards, on this album. G. has always been Firewind's leader, but I think it is fair to say that Katsionis played a key role as his foil and significant songwriting contributor, so Firewind and now Stand United has seen G. reassert his authority on the band - and in Langhans he has found frontman who has enough grit to suit his vision and can cover the styles of the band's four previous frontmen live.
Stand United generally carries on the sound re-established on Firewind, but there is perhaps a bit more of a classic rock influence throughout. It does not feel as heavy overall as the last album, but there is still plenty of Firewind's trademark crunch - and the slight difference is not so drastic that the album sticks out like a sore thumb. Salvation Day, one of my favourite cuts here, kicks things off and the Queen-esque opening vocal harmonies which are the first things heard establish that classic rock sound. The song is very much classic Firewind in tone though, and when the first big riff from G. kicks in his style is apparent - and his soaring opening guitar lead is packed full of energy and melodic hooks. This whole song is very hooky, too, and, as such, it opens the album in fine fashion. The verses are crunchy and relatively fast-paced, with a surprising amount of keyboard backing and occasional piano given the general focus on guitars - whilst the chorus sounds like something which could have sat on either of the band's first two albums. There are a few big choruses here, but Salvation Day's may be the best. Again, it is quite fast-paced, but Langhans' vocal melodies are slightly different from the norm - with his twists and turns ensuring that the chorus really lodges itself in the brain. It is a song which pulls the listener in from the off, then, and G. also impresses with a lengthy guitar solo which builds on some of the opening melodies whilst introducing plenty of his trademark controlled, shredded leads. This is the sort of song I want from this version of Firewind - and the album feels strong due to its presence. The title track follows, and it goes for more of an all-out power metal feel - with Nunez laying into his double bass drums from the off and G.'s main riff having a thrashy side to it thanks to the pace. Despite being a power metal band, Firewind have always sat at the heavier end of the genre. They have never felt too upbeat or sugary - and Langhans' gruffer vocal delivery helps to ensure that the band sound grounded. He can still deliver plenty of vocal hooks, though, and the chorus here is a real power metal anthem with long-held notes and a bit more of an epic overall feel. The pace slows somewhat for the chorus, with G.'s guitar melody backing Langhans nicely, and the more epic feel contrasts nicely with the thrashy, heavy pace heard elsewhere. Firewind have been writing songs like this for years, but again it feels like a bit of a throwback to the first couple of albums. Firewind gradually got more epic and lush from 2006's Allegiance onward - culminating in their most ambitious album Immortals (which I reviewed here) in 2017. As much as I love Immortals, I do like how the band have returned to their original sound more recently - and Stand United is packed full of crunch and hooks to hark back to the early 2000s. Having said that, though, Destiny Is Calling sounds like something that could have easily sat on 2008's The Premonition with its synth melody which backs G.'s fast-paced opening riff. The track feels more upbeat and overtly-melodic than the opening two songs - with a bouncy chorus that recalls some of the band's best-known singles and a smoother overall sound. There is still plenty of crunch thanks to G.'s guitar riffing, but his keyboard playing gets more focus placed on it here - with the chorus making good use of the opening synth run. Langhans' voice is grittier than Apollo Papathanasio's ever was, though, and the former's gruffer approach helps to ground the song in the modern Firewind sound rather than it truly harking back to what is arguably the band's classic era.
After three pretty up-tempo tracks, The Power Lies Within goes for a more mid-paced sound overall - packed with groove and some memorable guitar leads. The bass and some effects-heavy guitar open things up, but a muscular guitar riff soon takes over - and the song's tone is set from here. Firewind's material is generally on the faster side, and they do not release too many genuinely mid-paced, groovy tracks. I like it when they do, though, and this is a song which showcases that classic rock influence mentioned earlier. Despite this vibe, though, the overall heaviness has not been reined in. G.'s guitar tone is as crunchy as ever, and the bass is high in the mix to add to the overall bulk of the piece. Nunez's drumming is also a bit more paired back, but his booming playing adds perfectly to the groove - and it is nice to see him laying down something like this rather than his usual blistering approach. Throw in a great neo-classical guitar solo from G. and a chorus which could rival Salvation Day's as the album's best and the track is a creeping, heavy beast which really showcases the toughness of the band's current line-up nicely. The opening four songs here are, in my opinion, the album's best - but there is still plenty to enjoy. For me, though, Come Undone is a bit of a step down compared to the opening four songs - and it returns to the sound of Destiny Is Calling with a synth melody sitting under the opening guitar riff. I think that the former song did this style better, though, but I do think that the chorus here is still pretty strong - even if it does not fully capitalise on the hooks of the aforementioned synths. Unlike the previous similar track, the synths are not used during the chorus - with the chorus instead being more of an epic, Helloween-esque moment with driving double bass drums and ringing guitar chords. I like the chorus in and of itself, but the song feels like it is trying to be a couple of different things at once - which lets it down a bit for me. Fallen Angel is better, though, and after the opening effects-heavy guitar riff which sounds like something from an old video game soundtrack the groovy piece gets underway with a pacey riff and plenty of bass. There are occasional keyboard flourishes which add colour, but in general the piece is another somewhat of a hark back to the band's early sound - albeit with a slightly more organic guitar tone which again showcases that classic rock influence. The guitar playing is a bit simpler here, so the big standout is Langhans - who really delivers during the flowing chorus. The hooks here are a bit different for Firewind, but his grit means that he pulls them off nicely - and the song is one of the album's underrated sleeper cuts for me. Chains goes for a bit of a smoother sound. Whilst not exactly a ballad it has a poppier edge - and the overall approach reminds me somewhat of Mercenary Man from The Premonition. The keyboards are a bit more prominent here, which gives the track a poppy sheen, whilst G.'s guitar playing feels a bit thinner - without the usual wall of sound approach he is known for. Firewind have done this sort of thing before, though, and I like it when they write more of a traditional pop rocker - and the chorus here is packed full of AOR-esque melodies and a similar sheen. The band excel when operating in a heavier way, but the melodies and hooks here are hard to resist - and it is always fun when the band throw in a 1980s-inspired cut like this.
Land of Chaos returns to the album's core sound, though, and opens with a muscular riff which is packed full of G.'s trademark character. He has such a distinct riffing style which really sets Firewind apart from other power metal bands - and this track is a really good example of that. Many of the band's core elements are present here, and the track feels like a faster piece despite it actually being a bit groovier than average. Nunez's powerful drumming keeps the track moving, but despite his double bass drum patterns the piece is snaking and with a bit of a Pantera influence at times - with a breakdown riff which kicks in just before the main guitar solo sounding a bit different for Firewind, despite the rest of the track exhibiting lots of classic elements. The solo is another big shred fest, too, whilst Langhans really excels in this gritty atmosphere - with a mid-paced chorus which sees some of his gruffest vocals on the album. Up next is a cover of the new wave/power pop band The Romantics' Talking in Your Sleep. I cannot say that I am familiar with The Romantics really, but Firewind have occasionally covered slightly left-field pieces - and famously did Maniac from the Flashdance soundtrack on The Premonition. Clearly wanting to do something similar with Talking in Your Sleep - the track has been morphed into a pretty tough, groovy rocker and I think that the arrangement works pretty well. Langhans is the real star here, his gritty voice boosting the vocal hooks in a big way - with the crunchy and off-kilter chorus popping out of the speakers nicely. There are heavier songs here, of course, but the cover is a fun one. It allows G. to experiment a little more with both his guitar and bass playing. Some of the basslines here are pretty funky, and often lead parts of the verses, whilst his guitar playing is a mix of more traditional riffing and clean accents. Covers can sometimes ruin the flow of an album, but Firewind have become pretty good at these unusual covers over the years that Talking in Your Sleep adds quite a bit to the album in my opinion. The album then comes to a close with the more epic Days of Grace. It is not a true ballad, but it is certainly a more dynamic piece - with clean guitar sections and more of an atmosphere which build up towards a powerful chorus which is more typical of the band's sound. I have always liked G.'s clean guitar playing, his precise picking always leads to melancholic yet perky sections, whilst the slower moments here allow for more of keyboard presence and a more emotional vocal from Langhans. He might not have the biggest range, but he tones it down a bit for the clean sections before letting rip as the riffs kick back in the chorus arrives. Given the song closes out the album, there is unsurprisingly a big centrepiece guitar solo - and the song also fades out with some aching leads later on. G. takes plenty of opportunities to show off his varied guitar playing here, then, and the overall dynamics of the piece allows the album to feel somewhat grander as it fades out. Overall, then, Stand United is another very enjoyable album from the Greek band. I do think that it is a bit top heavy, with much of the best material coming early on, but it flows nicely and the subtle sound variations help each song to stand out. I do not think that the band will ever top the majesty of Immortals for me, but I like this more stripped back Firewind of late - and I am looking forward to hearing some of these tracks live tomorrow.
The album was released on 1st March 2024 via AFM Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Salvation Day.
All things considered, it is surprising how many veteran bands are still putting out new material. In an era where it is, often wrongly, assumed that nostalgia and short attention spans mean that new material from classic bands is redundant - there are plenty of bands out there bucking the trend. Already this year I have reviewed new albums from Magnum, Saxon, and Bruce Dickinson - all of whom can trace their careers back to the 1970s. Recent years have also seen albums from the likes of Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, and Yes, too, which shows that plenty of classic bands are still feeling creative and wanting to deliver new experiences for their fans. It is true that some fans only want to hear the same few hits over and over, but those of us who live and breathe these bands' catalogues love to see them added to - and I will continue to celebrate new music from old bands. Whilst the British heavy metal legends Judas Priest have not been as prolific in recent years as some of those bands mentioned earlier, they have nevertheless remained busy. Since reuniting with their classic frontman Rob Halford in 2003, the band have now released five studio albums - and have filled the years between each release with plenty of touring. Until earlier this month, the band's last album was released in 2018. Firepower (which I reviewed here) was well-received when it was released and it has, generally, since been considered something of a late career highlight for the band. It made it into my Albums of the Year list in 2018 and it is one that I have listened to a lot over the years. For me, it was easily the band's best album since 1990's Painkiller - and maybe even since 1984's Defenders of the Faith. I like most of what followed Painkiller, but I think that it is fair to say that there were some missteps on the nu metal inspired Demolition from 2001 and the sprawling concept album Nostradamus from 2008. 2005's Angel of Retribution and 2014's Redeemer of Souls (which I also reviewed here) were some of the hight points, though, but, for me, Firepower beat them all. Bringing producer Andy Sneap on board certainly helped the band to sound truly metallic again. Some criticise his homogeneous sound, but given how great Firepower, all of Saxon's recent albums, and many other modern metal releases which Sneap has been involved in sound, I do not mind such uniformity. Six years on from Firepower, then, Judas Priest are back with Invincible Shield - their nineteenth studio album. With Sneap fully ensconced in the band's live activity in recent years filling in for ailing guitarist Glenn Tipton, he returns here again as the album's producer. As such, Invincible Shield sounds similar overall to Firepower - but I think that the songwriting here is a bit more adventurous, and there are a few nods to the bands 1970s output alongside the expected more metallic sound developed from the 1980s onward. It features the same line-up as the previous album, but I do wonder how much input Tipton actually had given his worsening Parkinson's disease. He looks very frail these days, so I would not be surprised if Richie Faulkner was responsible for most, if not all, of the album's guitar playing. Either way, though, the classic Judas Priest twin guitar approach is well represented - alongside another excellent performance from Halford, who often puts singers half his age to shame.
Despite there perhaps being a bit more variety here, I still think that Firepower is a touch stronger. That being said, though, the first half of this album is really strong. It does tail off a little towards the end for me, but there is still a lot of quality material here which is up there with the best of Firepower. The album kicks off with one of its most in-your-face metal cuts: Panic Attack. The song is very reminiscent of the band's post-Painkiller sound, but the opening guitar and synth melodies do feel a bit more classic and progressive rock in tone - albeit with the rest of the song being much heavier. These snaking melodies set the tone nicely, though, and when the song's main guitar crunch kicks in the Sneap sound is fully realised and the band break into a full-tilt metal assault. The guitar riffing throughout the track is fast, but this is not a thrash track. There is plenty of groove throughout, and Halford sounds gritty during the crunchy verses - with the occasional higher note accenting some of lyrics. It is a proper headbanging piece, then, but the pace is upped for the snappy chorus which features machine gun vocal rhythms from Halford and some extremely fast double bass drum patterns from long-time drummer Scott Travis. The track is more varied than it initially seems, too, with breakdown sections including some slower riffing and snarling vocals - before a repetitive guitar melody returns to the slight prog edge of the song's opening. A lengthy solo section includes plenty of melodic shredding - and with the song also closing out on another solo, Panic Attack is certainly one for the guitar lovers. The Serpent and the King opens with a riff and guitar tone which could have easily sat on 1982's Screaming for Vengeance - but the track overall is much heavier than that album ever was, and it potentially contains Halford's best vocals on the album. I feel like he would struggle to sing this song live these days, but his high-pitched delivery throughout the fast-paced verses does not sound like it comes from a man who started his singing career in the 1970s - proving that he can still very much deliver in the studio. Structure-wise, this song is the opposite of the previous one - with faster verses featuring shrieked, rhythmic vocals whilst the chorus is more epic - with a slower pace and Halford singing in his lower register. Both main sections are very hooky and the track is one of the album's best as a result of Halford's excellent performance. It is perhaps less dynamic than the opener, but it is full of crunch and classic heavy metal flair - which is all we really want from Judas Priest.
The title track follows and it is the longest here. Most of the songs here are between four and five minutes long, but Invincible Shield is over six minutes long - and it feels like the album's anthem. Travis lays into his double bass drums throughout, propelling the song from the off, and the piece is very much rooted in the sound of Painkiller. The pace never really lets up throughout and the track is a pure slab of classic heavy metal. Halford again utilises lots of higher notes during the verses, and plenty of guitar leads are also thrown in as punctuation between the lyrics. As such, this is one the pieces here with the most lead guitar moments - and it is great to hear Faulkner letting rip a bit more here. His guitar playing throughout is excellent, but he feels a bit more off the leash here - and the big centrepiece solo is another excellent one with some harmonised leads and lots of memorable runs. Throw in another big chorus with some call-and-response style vocals - and the track is another excellent modern cut from the band. Whilst Devil in Disguise is a slight step down in quality from the opening trio, it is still a strong track. In reins in the pace somewhat and goes for much more of a crunching, mid-paced sound packed full of groove. The riffing here is less sharp in tone, instead going for something more weighty - whilst Travis pulls back to deliver a looser drum performance. This grinding riff allows Halford to take a bit of a different approach vocally. He rarely goes for a higher note here and sings instead in a bluesier way during the crunchy verses - before going for more of a stadium rock approach during the chorus with some subtle harmonies and echo effects. Despite the more primal approach overall, there are still some knotty guitar moments - but this is generally a track which focuses more on groove. A riff-led section before the guitar solo exhibits a more classic rock approach, too, and the aforementioned solo is also less busy - with a bluesier tone overall. This is one song that harks back somewhat to the band's 1970s sound, but there is still a toughness throughout which keeps it at home on the album. Despite the album's singles and live cuts all being great, for me the real sleeper on the album is Gates of Hell. It could well be my favourite thing here as it is the sort of track which just goes all out hook-wise. It reminds me of the sound which the band pursued on 1986's Turbo - but without all of the synths which some felt held it back. This track sounds heavy and metallic, but it is filled with memorable guitar hooks throughout, which are often harmonised, and some of Halford's most strident vocals. There is plenty of groove throughout the mid-paced verses, which also feature Ian Hill's bass playing a bit more than is typical, but everything builds towards what is easily my favourite chorus here. It is the album's most stadium-ready moment and it is crammed with hooky melodies - but without any unnecessary sheen. There is a bigger backing vocal approach taken than is typical, and some subtle synths add depth, but generally it is just Halford's vocal hooks and an accompanying guitar melody which make the chorus sing. It is a very uncomplicated song, but it does everything that I want it to - with another lengthy guitar solo section seeing Faulkner let rip.
Crown of Horns slows things down somewhat and it is the closest thing on the album to a ballad - but in truth the track is just a 1970s-style hard rocker with a more organic overall sound. There is still plenty of bite here despite the restraint exhibited and there are lots of excellent guitar moments. The opening guitar lead perfectly sets the tone, whilst the harmony guitar melodies which form the basis of the chorus have a Thin Lizzy-esque charm. The song certainly harks back to the sound of albums like 1977's Sin After Sin - albeit with a chorus that sounds later. The bass is a bit more prominent again here, particularly during the verses, and the guitars are more overdriven than metallic - which suits the 1970s vibe. With the exception of a couple of moments the album does not reach such heights again - but there is still plenty to enjoy. After a few mid-paced tracks, the band's thrashier sound is brought back with As God Is My Witness. It is a very energetic piece which packs a punch, but not as much thought seems to have been put into the hooks this time. I do not find the chorus to be as enjoyable overall - but the riffing and overall energy of the track still helps it to be somewhat infectious. The buzzing of Hill's bass keeps the verses moving, but the dual guitar riffing and relentless double bass drumming are what sets the piece's character from the off. The chorus is not bad, but is certainly lacks the pull of many of the others here. It is a shame that it does not quite hit home, as otherwise the piece would be another winner, but as it stands the song is very much an enjoyable one - even if there are better examples of this sound here. Trial by Fire ups the overall quality again, and the mid-paced single comes close to some of the earlier heights. This is another track which could have sat quite nicely on Screaming for Vengeance with its muscular mid-paced groove - but there are a few twists and turns which help to keep things interesting. I like the verse riff and drum pattern, which are a little different from the norm. The occasional off-kilter drum inclusion helps to keep it interesting - whilst there are short moments which make use of clean guitars to add depth. These little additions stop the track from feeling like everything else on the album - and it helps the track to stand out during the album's back half. It helps that the chorus is very much an epic one. The lack of any real pace allows Halford to stretch out his notes a bit more - and the chorus here is one that stood out from the off with its mix of a more epic approach and the way it crashes into the song's main riff at the end of each rendition.
Escape from Reality is relatively slower track, but it goes for a much doomier sound. Judas Priest have done doomy songs occasionally in their career, but it is not a sound for which they are especially known - and there certainly feels like a bit of an influence from Black Sabbath at times. The vocal effects in the chorus certainly have shades of Ozzy Osbourne's trademark feel at times, but the razor-sharp guitar tones root the song is Judas Priest's sound. No-one is going to mistake this song for Black Sabbath, but there is certainly more of a weight to the riffing - and the mixture of heavier riffing and melancholic clean guitar melodies only adds to the doomy sound. The song does not grab me as much as some of the others here - but it has grown on me quite a bit. I did not like it all that much at first, but the chorus has stuck with me more on each listen - and I like the fact that the band have gone for something heavier here. The album's shortest piece, Sons of Thunder, returns to the album's core sound - and at just a shade under three minutes the compact track exhibits plenty of classic Judas Priestisms throughout. It is not as fast or furious as some of the others here, but the main riff is weighty and Halford goes for a pretty gritty vocal performance throughout - between which Faulkner really shreds. One thing that stands out for me about the track is the gang vocals during the simple chorus. Judas Priest have not often been a gang vocal band, but the shout-along chorus works well given the song's short length and simple arrangement. It is an injection of primal energy on an album which is generally more complex - and such is welcome. The album then comes to a close with Giants in the Sky, a mid-paced song which goes for more of a groove-based approach - and some riffing which feels more rooted in classic rock than metal. There is plenty of metallic bite, but the song overall feels like a bit of a throwback to the band's earlier work - even if Halford does use some higher notes during the chorus. Overall, though, the drums just feel more booming than usual and the guitar tone is a little more organic. Some of the leads have more of a bluesy twang, too, and Halford's vocal performance is more grounded aside from the aforementioned higher harmonies. The guitar solo is bluesier, too, and I also like the classic guitar melodies throw in a bit later on - as the song deviates into a slightly Queen-esque section. It may have been better to end the album with something more up-tempo, but the song is another pretty strong cut - and Halford ends the song with a lengthy scream as the albums comes to a close. Whilst there are a couple of dips in quality, there is nothing here that is poor - and the album overall is an excellent one. Whilst I might prefer Firepower overall, this album feels more diverse and more concise at the same time - so in time it may overtake Firepower, particularly given how strong the first half is. Whether there is more to come from Judas Priest in the future remains to be seen, but it is great that Invincible Shield exists - and it is likely to be high up on many Albums of the Year lists come December.
The album was released on 8th March 2024 via Columbia Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Panic Attack.
Coming from the South West of the UK, I generally have to travel to see my favourite bands live. Not many bands come down to Plymouth, with Bristol generally being the closest city which is regularly visited by bands. As such, I often travel to London, Birmingham, Bristol, and other places to see bands - and, as I have discussed on this blog recently, Wolverhampton has become a pretty regular destination of late. Given the travelling from the South West, it often makes sense for me to try and tie gigs together to keep costs down. Trains to and from the South West are often expensive, so staying in the Midlands or hopping between the Midlands and London for a few days usually makes money go further - and that is what I did this past weekend, when I stayed in Wolverhampton for a couple of nights to take in a couple of gigs. My previous post here deals with the hard rockers Mr. Big putting on a strong show at KK's Steel Mill - whilst this post will cover the follow-up show, when The Gaslight Anthem took to the stage at the relatively recently reopened Civic Hall. I have said on this blog before, though, that sometimes consecutive gigs can end up undermining each other. I have certainly had second shows affected by memories from the first - but I think this tends to happen when: a) the two shows are very similar genre-wise; or b) the first show is particularly great. For me, Mr. Big and The Gaslight Anthem are different enough to make comparisons somewhat meaningless - and, despite being great, Mr. Big's show was certainly not an all-timer. I had not seen The Gaslight Anthem live before, either, so that also made the second night one to look forward to. Whilst I have been a casual fan of The Gaslight Anthem for a while, I think that it is fair to say that I only became a proper fan last year with the release of their latest album History Books (which I reviewed here). I have listened to that album an awful lot since its release and I also included it in my Albums of the Year list for 2023. I have since completed my collection of the band's albums, all of which I listened to a lot in the lead-up to last night's show. I was also looking forward to going to a new venue for me - which is a pretty rare occurrence these days. Whilst I visited the smaller Wulfrun Hall in the same building quite a few times prior to the complex's lengthy renovation, I had never been to the main Civic Hall before. I was supposed to visit for the first time back in October to see Europe - but storms and the fragility of the railway put a stop to that on the day. The Civic Hall's lengthy closure from 2015 to 2023 helped to make Wolverhampton a bit of a gig dead zone for a while but, with both the Steel Mill and the Civic Hall now thriving, Wolverhampton is back to being a great place for live music - and I enjoyed my first visit to the Civic Hall. It was a bigger venue than I expected - and it looked bright and fresh following its redevelopment. It is certainly nicer than many of the similarly-sized Birmingham venues which I have been to quite regularly over the years - and the room was pretty full throughout the night.
An hour or so after the venue opened its doors, the evening's sole support act Emily Wolfe took to the stage. She is a musician and songwriter whom I had heard of, but I had not heard any of her work before last night. Whilst I think that it is fair to say that her music is not wholly my thing, I did not dislike Wolfe's set. I generally struggle a bit with what I think of as modern garage rock (i.e. buzzy, distorted guitars against a primal beat and the general lack of big hooks) and I think it is fair to say that Wolfe's songs very much fall into that sound. Despite this, though, I enjoyed Wolfe's approach to the guitar. Her songs were generally a bit riffier than I expected and her lead work and atmospheric playing also impressed. I also liked her drummer's approach to groove, too, and the way his kit was tuned really snapped out of the speakers. For me, though, the songs did not really stick. I am not generally a fan of the quite breathy vocal style which is quite popular with female singers of all genres these days, and Wolfe's voice did somewhat fall into that category in my opinion. I also felt that her songs were not all that hooky. The riffy and somewhat atmospheric approach worked, but I felt that there was generally a lack of strong choruses throughout. This is often the case with this type of music in my opinion, so I think it is just fair to say that it is not for me. Despite this, though, I did not feel that Wolfe's set dragged. Her songs were pretty snappy, so they came thick and fast, and her riffing and guitar playing came across live well. As such, Wolfe's set was certainly not an unpleasant one - even if I am not going to now go out and immediately buy all of her albums.
Half an hour following Wolfe's set finishing, the lights went down again and The Gaslight Anthem took to stage stage to very little fanfare - and crashed into the excellent Positive Touch from the new album. The band are one who tend to change up their setlist night-to-night, so you are never sure exactly what songs you are going to hear. For the next 90 minutes, the band played 21 songs - and featured half of the new album along with a lot of cuts from their back catalogue, including many of my favourites. As such, the setlist suited me nicely, particularly as I had not seen the band live before. It was a good representation of their catalogue as a whole - and the live sound mix captured the band's power and subtlety nicely. The only strange thing about the set for me was the real lack of any interaction with the crowd - which surprised me. I had assumed that frontman Brian Fallon would be one with something to say and the want to make a connection - but he barely said anything to the crowd during the set, which I found quite strange. The band on the whole seemed a bit detached from the crowd, then, but this did not really seem to affect the overall atmosphere - as everyone was very much into the music. The lack of interaction was particularly highlighted, though, during a few lengthy pauses between songs whilst guitars were changed, tuned, and members of the band had chats between themselves. It was a shame that the band seemed quite distant, but their performance musically was spot on - and the hits came thick and fast early on with a huge rendition of Handwritten getting everyone singing along before the riffy American Slang saw plenty of bouncing. There was a good mix of more rocking material and slower songs throughout, but I felt that generally the balance favoured the more rocking songs - which suited me. This kept up the energy early on, with We Came to Dance from the band's first album being pulled out - whilst the more classic strut of High Lonesome also kept the rock flowing. Quieter moments were interspersed, though, with Underneath the Ground providing a change of pace - alongside a strange cover of Billie Eilish's Ocean Eyes, which was included for reasons unknown. I do not need random covers from The Gaslight Anthem given their strong catalogue, and I would have preferred to hear another song in its place. The middle part of the set saw a bit of a lull, too, with Wolfe coming back out to duet with Fallon on a couple of numbers. The delicate The Weatherman from the new album was boosted nicely by Wolfe's harmonies, whilst she also added some guitar leads to Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts before departing. Speaking of guitar leads, I was impressed throughout by Alex Rosamilia (guitar/vocals) - even if he was wearing his raincoat on stage for some reason. His guitar playing is a big part of the band's sound, and his subtle melodies throughout many of the tracks helped bring them to life. He can also riff with the best of them, too, as The Patient Ferris Wheel later showed - and much of the later portion of the set was generally hard rocking, with the exception of a rare outing this tour for Here's Looking at You, Kid and the excellent Michigan, 1975 from the new album. Speaking of the new album, Spider Bites also impressed during this closing section, but it was generally the big hits which kept the energy levels high. The last two songs of the night, "45" and The '59 Sound, really got everyone going one last time - and both were sung back loudly by the crowd as the show came a low key end, again, without any fanfare. The setlist was:
Positive Charge
Handwritten
American Slang
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
We Came to Dance
Helter Skeleton
Ocean Eyes [Billie Eilish cover]
Underneath the Ground
High Lonesome
1,000 Years
The Weatherman [w/ Emily Wolfe]
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts [w/ Emily Wolfe]
Mulholland Drive
Autumn
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Here's Looking at You, Kid
Spider Bites
Michigan, 1975
We're Getting a Divorce, You Keep the Diner
"45"
The '59 Sound
Despite a bit of a strange vibe at times due to the band's lack of interaction with the crowd, I enjoyed my first experience of The Gaslight Anthem live. They played a lot of my favourite songs and the mix was very clear - which allowed the delicate guitar moments and subtle keyboards to shine. Fallon was also in fine voice throughout and the songs came alive really well on stage. I would definitely see the band live again if the opportunity arises - and it was great to tick them off the list.
This week is rather a crazy one gig-wise. After one trip to the Midlands earlier in the week to catch Judas Priest, Saxon, and Uriah Heep in Birmingham on Tuesday; I headed home for one working day before returning to the Midlands, this time Wolverhampton, for a double bill of live rock. In recent years, Wolverhampton has become a real hot-bed of live music again. This followed a few fallow years, with the 'temporary' closure of the Civic Hall complex for refurbishment essentially leaving the city without a decent music venue. The Civic Hall has now re-opened, though, and the relatively new KK's Steel Mill has also become a go-to venue in the city for rock and metal bands. I first went to the venue in 2019, when it was still fairly new I think, and I have returned a number of times since. It has become one of my favourite venues in the country. Every show I have attended there has had a great atmosphere and a strong turnout; and the sound system is great - meaning that every band sounds their best when playing in Wolverhampton. Despite having no connection to the city, either, I always enjoy visiting Wolverhampton. It retains its honest, working class core which a lot of cities have lost over the years due to various gentrification and redevelopment projects - with Wolverhampton a bit of a relic of the industrial Midlands of the past. There are more glamourous places to go, but I tend to visit a handful of times a year now - and it has become one of my favourite gigging destinations in general. As such, tying two gigs in the city together made for a relatively lengthy trip away, for me. My next post here will discuss The Gaslight Anthem and my first ever visit the main Civic Hall - but here I will talk about last night's trip to the Steel Mill to catch the American hard rockers Mr. Big. Mr. Big are winding down, and are currently on their lengthy farewell tour. Following the death of their founding drummer Pat Torpey in 2018, and the finishing up of the touring commitments booked at the time, it did seem like Mr. Big were done. I saw what could have ended up being the band's last show at the 2018 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air, and interviews with frontman Eric Martin suggested that maybe Mr. Big were no more. Clearly not wanting to end in such a low key manner, though, a few years later the band announced The Big Finish Tour - a lengthy farewell tour taking in much of the world which will allow the band to bow out on a high and also feature full performances of their 1991 best-selling album Lean into It. The tour also marks a change in the band's line-up, as drummer Matt Starr, who had been playing live with the band since Torpey's Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014, was not brought back this time - with Big Big Train and former Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio instead stepping into Torpey's shoes. The prog drummer's looser feel certainly seems a better fit for Mr. Big's quirky sound than the more traditional hard rock grit of Starr. Mr. Big have toured the UK fairly often over the years but, apart from the aforementioned Bloodstock set, this was my first time seeing them properly - so it was a date on the calendar which I was really looking forward it.
The show was popular and drew a big crowd, but whilst the crowd was gathering the evening's sole support act Jared James Nichols did his thing for around 45 minutes. The bluesy singer and guitarist was someone I had been familiar with in name-only for years, but I had never previously checked him out or seen him live. I was not sure what to expect, but I ended up enjoying his set quite a bit - with his muscular guitar playing and gritty voice making for an enjoyable set. His sound is certainly at the rock end of blues rock and, despite a few slower moments, the set was one which very much roared out of the venue's PA. It is hard to know exactly who to compare Nichols to, but there were moments which reminded me of the bluesy end of Ted Nugent's classic 1970s output. He certainly had the riffing and attitude to match Nugent's energy, but there was generally more of a blues finesse throughout. Nichols' USP is the fact that he never plays with a plectrum. This is not necessary unusual in a more delicate guitar playing context, but it is quite rare for someone as hard rocking and riffy as Nichols - and it was impressive to watch him work. As such, then, the best parts of the set were Nichols' guitar explosions. All of his songs featured lengthy and dynamic guitar solos which set the Steel Mill alight - and his tight rhythm section backing gave the set plenty of punch. As is sometimes the case with bluesy power-trios, though, I did not always think that the songwriting was a tight as it could have been. I do not tend to find this sort of music to be that hooky, and I do not tend to listen to such acts at home that often, as generally as the songs are written to be vehicles for high-octane guitar playing rather than tight songs in their own right. That being said, though, some of Nichols' songs did seem a bit tighter than some of his peers' efforts - but there were some which definitely focused on guitar pyrotechnics over hooks. This should take nothing away from the impressive nature of Nichols' set, though. Whilst his music is not wholly my thing, he is certainly a great guitar player and I enjoyed seeing him and his unique guitar playing style deliver such a strong set. For the reasons mentioned I cannot see myself really listening to him much in my own time, but as a live act, particularly during a relatively tight 45 minutes set, Nichols was a lot of fun. The crowd generally seemed to enjoy his set quite a bit, too, and he warmed up those gathered for Mr. Big nicely. Given the West Midlands location, too, he ended his set with a rollocking and bluesy version of Black Sabbath's War Pigs - which conjured up some singing along as Nichols' 45 minutes came to a close.
By the time 9pm rolled around it was time for Mr. Big - and for the next two hours the Steel Mill crowd enjoyed a set of quirky, bluesy, melodic rock from some of the best musicians in the business. This was a slightly different show from the norm by the band, too, as they were augmented by Whitesnake's keyboard player Michele Luppi - who added some additional vocals throughout. Since the start of the band's European tour, Martin has been suffering with throat issues - so he brought Luppi along to help him out somewhat. Martin still sang the whole set, but Luppi often harmonised with him and took over during some of the bigger choruses. I had therefore expected Martin's voice to sound worse than it did, although he definitely struggled during some of the songs, but he did his best and sounded fairly close to his usual self in spots. Having Luppi there likely allowed him to pull back somewhat, though, and I do not think that the show suffered in any way due to this make-shift arrangement. No songs were cut as a result, either, and the band gave it their all for two hours. Everything played came from their first four albums, with a few choice covers thrown in at the end which harked back to the sort of sets the band played during their initial years. When the lights went down a cacophony of notes from guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan heralded the start of Addicted to That Rush - with the anthemic rocker kicking off the set in fine fashion. Not wanting to take anything away from Martin, a big part of Mr. Big's appeal has always been the musical interplay between Gilbert and Sheehan. They are both masters of their craft, and the set was propelled by the former's soloing and the latter's impressive grooves and occasional lead lines. The riffy Price You Gotta Pay really showcased this, but before that a subtle drum groove from D'Virgilio led the smoother Take Cover - a piece which showcased the band's occasional AOR-esque approach. These first three songs got the show off to a fine start, setting the tone nicely, but it was arguably the full performance of Lean into It which was the real meat on the bone. Whilst some of the album's songs are setlist staples, it also contains a few which have not been played live that often over the years - so it was a great opportunity for some deep cuts. The first three tracks played, though, are setlist staples, with the groovy Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song) kicking off this portion of the show - with Gilbert and Sheehan doing their traditional drill solos part way through. Alive and Kickin' and the poppier Green-Tinted Sixties Mind, with the excellent Gilbert intro, followed, keeping the hits coming. By this point, too, Martin seemed more at home after struggling a bit early on. His voice grew into the set I thought, and he sounded pretty powerful during the bluesy and boisterous Voodoo Kiss - one of the overall highlights of the set for me.
Mr. Big have always done ballads well, and another big highlight for me was a powerful rendition of Just Take My Heart. It was one that saw plenty of singing from those around me, and Martin gave it his all despite struggling a bit during the chorus. I really felt for him during the set. His voice has got rougher over the years anyway, but he was definitely not feeling his best. His effort was the same as ever, though, and I do think that Luppi helped him out quite a bit even if the latter was quite low in the mix overall. Another favourite of the night for me was a rare outing for My Kinda Woman - not a song I have ever paid that much attention to on the album, but live it came across well. It is not one that the band have played all that often over the years, so it is great that it is getting a chance to shine on this tour. I also enjoyed the slower, tougher blues of A Little Too Loose more live than I ever have on the album. The track is similar in style to the sort of material the band have done more recently, but it came across well live - with some more bluesy soloing from Gilbert rather than something more shred-happy as is more typical. It was, of course, left to the big hit ballad To Be with You to round out the full rendition of Lean into It - and the crowd helped Martin out by singing the choruses loudly. There was still quite a bit of the set to go at this point, although I think that the Lean into It portion of the night was the best. I enjoyed the rest of the night but it did get a bit bogged down with extended soloing for a while - which is to be expected but those moments did drag a bit. Another acoustic song in Wild World kicked the final portion of the set off, though, which saw plenty more singing - but this was following by a very lengthy solo from Gilbert which did outstay its welcome a bit I thought. I enjoyed the first few minutes - but a tighter solo spot would have been welcome, with the rollocking Colorado Bulldog getting things back on track. This was then followed by another lengthy solo, this time from Sheehan. Again, though it outstayed its welcome a bit, and I was glad when it came to an end and the band went back into Sheehan's past for a rendition of the old Talas track Shy Boy - which Sheehan also famously recorded with David Lee Roth. It was then left to three cover songs to finish things up, with the bluesy 30 Days in the Hole revisiting the version from the band's debut album and Good Lovin' seeing the band members swapping instruments - with Gilbert giving the drums a good pounding during the pop classic. The two hour set then came to an end with The Who's Baba O'Riley - a song which the band used to cover a lot in the early days. The hard rocking rendition of the anthemic piece ended the set on a high and it was greeted by huge cheers from the crowd - with the band lapping up the love following the song as they took their bows. The setlist was:
Addicted to That Rush
Take Cover
Price You Gotta Pay
Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)
Alive and Kickin'
Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
CDFF-Lucky This Time [Jeff Paris cover]
Voodoo Kiss
Never Say Never
Just Take My Heart
My Kinda Woman
A Little Too Loose
Road to Ruin
To Be with You
Wild World [Cat Stevens cover]
Guitar solo
Colorado Bulldog
Bass solo
Shy Boy [Talas cover]
30 Days in the Hole [Humble Pie cover]
Good Lovin' [The Olympics cover]
Baba O'Riley [The Who cover]
Given that Mr. Big are currently on their farewell tour I imagine that I will not get another opportunity to see them live, which is a shame, but this set contained a lot of the band's best work and the performance overall was strong despite Martin's vocal issues. As much as I enjoyed seeing them at Bloodstock, I am glad that I got to see them properly at least once - and with talk of perhaps one final album to come it seems there is still a little more life in the band yet.
Considering how important Judas Priest have been to the development of heavy metal over the years, and how much I like them, it is strange to think that, until yesterday, I had not seen the band live at one of their own shows before. I had seen the band live twice previously, but both of those appearances were at festivals - in 2011 and 2018. They were great both times, but I had wanted to see the band on their own terms for a long time. For whatever reason, though, Judas Priest have never focused much on touring in their own country. They were always much bigger in America, with many of their 1980s 'world tours' essentially just consisting of a few laps around America, and their UK-based fans have often been made to wait years between proper tours - with the odd festival appearance used as the occasional thrown bone. There was no UK tour supporting 2018's Firepower (which I reviewed here), which irked their UK-based fans, and their persistence in sticking with the long-doomed Ozzy Osbourne tour which never happened further left a bad taste in the mouth. As such, a UK tour was very much overdue by the time one was announced last year - so the dates came as something of a sigh of relief at first, but over the months leading up to the shows excitement levels started to build. This was especially the case following the announcement of the band's nineteenth studio album Invincible Shield towards the end of last year - and it became apparent that the UK tour would essentially launch the wider touring cycle for the new release. Finally it seemed like Judas Priest were paying some proper homage and attention to their home country - and the stacked undercard certainly got most fans of traditional heavy metal rather excited. Given that the band were targeting arenas, which they have generally not been big enough for in the UK for a while, it was wise for them to bring both Saxon and Uriah Heep along for the ride. Saxon are probably the most in-form of the NWOBHM-era British metal bands still going - with the Yorkshire-based five-piece showing no signs of age. Saxon also have released a strong album this year, Hell, Fire and Damnation (which I reviewed here), but this is nothing new for them. They have been putting out excellent albums essentially non-stop since starting back in the 1970s, with this latest album just the latest in a long line of excellent efforts. Uriah Heep are also in a real purple patch currently, and are possibly in the form of their lives both in terms of songwriting and live health. I have seen both Saxon and Uriah Heep live many times over the years, but they still made the three-band bill an exciting prospect despite this. Judas Priest were certainly the main draw for the reasons outlined, but I am never going to turn down opportunities to see Saxon and Uriah Heep - so I picked up a ticket for the Birmingham date of the tour, at the Resorts World Arena. It had been a couple of years since I last visited the venue, and around a year since my last 'proper' visit to the city. I always enjoy visiting Birmingham, so it was good to get back there after something of a break. It is never ideal having to get the train out to and back from the Resorts World Arena from the city centre, but I will make the effort when worth it - and I think that it is fair to say that Judas Priest would be.
The main arena opened at 6pm, with Uriah Heep kicking things off at 6:40pm. They only had 35 minutes to play with, which is not a lot for a band of their stature, but they were clearly the 'smallest' of the three bands on the bill so had to take the hit. Whilst not a metal band, Uriah Heep certainly influenced a lot of metal to follow - and they have toughened up themselves in recent years. Fitting their whole career into a seven-song, 35 minute set was always going to be a challenging - but I think that the band gave a good account of themselves, showcasing some new cuts and some old favourites. This run of shows also marks the debut of some of the material from last year's excellent Chaos & Colour live. I am not sure why it took the band over a year to play some of the songs, given that they have usually been very forward-looking setlist-wise over the years, but I am glad that they finally did - and the set opened with the rollocking Save Me Tonight. The sound for all three bands was generally pretty good, but Uriah Heep lacked their backing vocal heft. Frontman Bernie Shaw sounded as good as ever, though, and Phil Lanzon (keyboards/vocals) generally roared through the mix with his Hammond organ. The place was still filling up whilst the band played, but they generally received a strong reception. Another newer cut in Grazed by Heaven kept the pace up, before the only slower track played, Rainbow Demon, turned the clock back to the 1970s. Given the metal which was to follow, it was wise for the band to go for a heavier set. The hard-hitting Hurricane, also from the latest album, went down well - but it was the final trio of classics which saw the biggest cheers. Shaw introduced founding member Mick Box (guitar/vocals) for the proto-metal of Free 'n' Easy, which filled the venue with its fast pace and energy, whilst the spiky and organ-drenched Gypsy proved to be a winner as always. Time was running out by this point, but the band's signature anthem Easy Livin' was of course wheeled out at the end. The last time I saw Uriah Heep, which was also in Birmingham, they played a lengthy set as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations - but they put their all into their 35 minutes last night, and I am sure that they will be back with their own UK tour in due course. The setlist was:
Save Me Tonight
Grazed by Heaven
Rainbow Demon
Hurricane
Free 'n' Easy
Gypsy
Easy Livin'
20 minutes later and the stage was ready for Saxon, who had just over an hour to play with and much more of the stage to make use of. Some of my favourite live concert memories have been with Saxon, so it was great seeing the band again - and they smashed through a 13-song set was ease. The set was largely made up of classics, but with three new cuts and another song from their more recent work featured the band managed to showcase what they are about now as well as some hits from the 1980s. The set opened with the title track from the new album, and the song worked really well as an opener. The stomping, mid-paced anthem is made for the stage, and frontman Biff Byford easily cut through the mix as he sang the epic chorus. This was my first time seeing the band since Brian Tatler (guitar) came on board, and he really impressed. The setlist seemed to particularly favour him, although Doug Scarratt also had plenty of soloing opportunities, and I felt that he fit the band perfectly - despite his bluesier approach overall. Byford was easily the chattiest of the three frontmen of the evening, but generally the band just let their music do the talking giving the time constraints. MotorcycleMan and Sacrifice came thick and fast early on, but an early highlight for me was the new There's Something in Roswell - which came across live very well. It is the sort of muscular mid-paced metal which Saxon excel at these days, but there was plenty of time for faster cuts too - with the double bass-led Power and the Glory wowing the crowd later. All three bands received strong receptions from the crowd, but I felt that perhaps the crowd were the loudest at times during Saxon's set. Saxon are one of those bands that just always deliver live, though, and I imagine that many of those in attendance were big Saxon fans as well as big Judas Priest fans. This is likely why Saxon felt able to play some newer songs, too, and when Nibbs Carter (bass guitar/vocals) started up Madame Guillotine there was a decent-sized cheer. There was a louder cheer, though, for the classic Heavy Metal Thunder - which was wheeled out at this show due to Tatler's links to the area and heavy metal in general. It kick-started a run of genuine classics which saw the set through to its close - with each track exciting the crowd more. Dallas 1pm was chosen by the crowd from a handful which Byford presented - with 747 (Strangers in the Night) and the more hard rock-feeling Denim and Leather following. The former featured lots of lead work from Tatler and he nailed all of his parts. I still find it amusing that he is in Saxon now, but he deserves the spotlight having toiled away with Diamond Head for decades, and no doubt the band will carry on for years to come with his help. There was only time for a couple more by this point, but the riffy Wheels of Steel got everyone in the crowd going - and prompted a bit of a sing-a-long in the middle led by Byford. The thrashier Princess of the Night then brought Saxon's part of the night to a close and the cheers from the crowd certainly signalled that a job had been well done. Given the new album, I imagine that an announcement pertaining to a Saxon headline tour is not too far away - and I will be in attendance whenever that is. The setlist was:
The Prophecy
Hell, Fire and Damnation
Motorcycle Man
Sacrifice
There's Something in Roswell
And the Bands Played On
Power and the Glory
Madame Guillotine
Heavy Metal Thunder
Dallas 1pm
747 (Strangers in the Night)
Denim and Leather
Wheels of Steel
Princess of the Night
With two excellent sets in the can, it was now time for the evening's headliners to step up. Judas Priest really delivered in a big way, but their set got off to a strange start. After an intro of Black Sabbath's War Pigs stopped, the stage was lit up with a large banner containing to lyrics to the new album's title track hanging in front of the drum kit. For the next couple of minutes, though, nothing happened. I assume that some sort of atmospheric music and light show was supposed to be happening - but the arena just sat there in silence for a moment. It all felt a bit awkward, and likely not how the show was supposed to start, but clearly someone decided to cut any further losses and triggered the opening synth melody of Panic Attack to play - meaning that the band soon kicked in and the show got started. Everything from that point appeared to go as planned, though, and for the next 90 or so minutes the crowd were treated to some excellent metal from one of the genre's best. Panic Attack was one of three new songs played, with a good chunk of the set made up of classic material - as well as a handful of deeper cuts. Panic Attack is one of the best songs from the new album in my opinion, and it worked really well as a set-opener. Frontman Rob Halford sounded great throughout, hitting the high notes in the chorus with relative ease, whilst the duelling guitars of Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap filled the room. When I saw the band back in 2018 I felt that Halford seemed hindered physically and not in particularly great voice, but this time he looked and sounded great for the vast majority of the set. He particularly shone when a grittier approach was necessary - with You've Got Another Thing Comin' shining early on. It was strange hearing that and Breaking the Law so early in the set, but it felt as if the band wanted to get them out of the way somewhat and get onto more interesting material. I do not blame them, but the hits certainly got the casuals into the show early on - before a few lesser-known tracks impressed the die-hards. Rapid Fire, which had not been played for a few years before this tour, then showcased the band's slightly thrashier side; but the big early highlight for me was the epic Sword of Damocles. From 2014's Redeemer of Souls, the power metal-esque track has been debuted on this tour - and it came across live really well. Scott Travis' (drums) double bass groove kept it ticking, whilst the twin guitar leads from Faulkner and Sneap conjured up Blind Guardian-esque images. The chorus really hit home, too, and it was great hearing one of my favourite newer cuts from the band live.
Turning the clock back, the band then pulled out a couple more relative deep cuts - with the staccato stomp of Love Bites showcasing a different side of Judas Priest. Nothing else that the band have written really sounds like Love Bites, but Travis once again led everything from behind his drums - and the song allowed Halford a chance to really deliver some creepy vocals. Saints in Hell, from the band's 1970s output, then upped the heaviness and created a more oppressive atmosphere in the room. The song is not a particular favourite of mine, but I like how heavy the current band make it live. It took on a new life compared to its studio counterpart, then, and it acted as a moment of toughness and riffing before a couple of slower numbers. Such a change came in the form of Crown of Horns from the new album - a song which certainly harks back to the band's 1970s albums. More hard rock than metal, the organic guitar leads and sing-a-long chorus came across well live - and it seemed that there were plenty in the crowd who were familiar with the piece despite the album being only a couple of weeks old at this point. Despite this, though, I did not think that the crowd were as audible as they had been during parts of Saxon's set. I think Judas Priest's sound was more all-enveloping, and hearing crowds in arena shows can sometimes be hard, but I did think that, at times, the crowd could have been a bit more vocal. Turbo Lover was one track, though, where there was a bit more singing - with the synth-heavy chorus benefitting from the crowd's singing. Halford took the chance to address the crowd a bit more following Turbo Lover, which was nice. He did not speak to the crowd that much during the set - but he took a more extended break here to do so and ended up introducing the new album's title track, which was another winner live. All three of the new songs played sounded great and, in truth, I would have rather heard a couple more from Invincible Shield in place of a couple of regulars. It is a strong album and it deserves to be pushed, but I was glad to get the three - and it is hard to argue with the setlist really when The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) later rocked up the crowd with its bluesy riffing and classic rock strut. The main set was almost at an end by this point, but there was time for Painkiller - which ended up being the sole real disappointment of the night. Despite sounding pretty great throughout the set, it was clear that Painkiller is beyond Halford these days. He really struggled with it, and I do think it might be time for the track to be retired. It is a challenge for anyone to sing, let alone someone who is 72, but thankfully he still sounded great during the four-song encore which followed. The band's time off stage was brief, and they came back whilst The Hellion was playing over the PA to launch into Electric Eye - before Halford rode his bike out onto the stage for the customary romp through Hell Bent for Leather. It was following this that Halford welcomed Glenn Tipton (guitar) to the stage for his first appearance of the tour. Given that the show was a hometown appearance, Tipton's cameo felt inevitable - but rousing a performance of Metal Gods and a fists-in-the-air rendition of Living After Midnight, complete with a Birmingham bull on the stage, brought the night to a memorable end. The setlist was:
Panic Attack
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Breaking the Law
Rapid Fire
Sword of Damocles
Love Bites
Saints in Hell
Crown of Horns
Turbo Lover
Invincible Shield
Victim of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) [Fleetwood Mac cover]
Painkiller
-
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Metal Gods [w/ Glenn Tipton]
Living After Midnight [w/ Glenn Tipton]
It is hard to argue against an evening such as this. All three bands brought their all, and the crowd certainly got value for their ticket outlay. It would have been nice to have heard a bit of a longer set from Judas Priest, but 90 or so minutes is about what should be expected really - and with a good-length set from Saxon and a cameo from Uriah Heep the night felt jam-packed with excellent music. It was good to see the arena looking pretty full, too, and this tour in generally seems to have been a success so far.
Considering how frequently Iron Maiden have been on the road since Bruce Dickinson returned to the band in 1999, it is not a surprise, if a shame, that his promising solo career which he undertook during the 1990s whilst out of the band had, until recently, essentially stalled. Prior to earlier this month, his last solo album, Tyranny of Souls, came out in 2005 - and he had not been on the road as a solo artist since before that. Clearly a lot of good has come from him re-joining Iron Maiden - but it is a shame that doing so had to come at the expensive of his solo career, which saw him exploring a type of hard rock and metal rather different to that which made him, and Iron Maiden, famous. I am certainly no expert on Dickinson's solo career, but I generally like what I have heard - especially the two albums he released in 1997 and 1998: Accident of Birth and The Chemical Wedding. He would never have been able to release such albums with Iron Maiden - and they seemed perfect for the time, with a heaviness and a post-grunge approach mixing well with Dickinson's traditional rock, metal, and prog tendencies. As the release of Tyranny of Souls, an enjoyable record but not one as strong as the two which preceded it, showed, though, Dickinson was still keen to put out albums under his own name. Iron Maiden have been fairly prolific, at least for a legacy act, in the 25 years since Dickinson re-joined the band, though, putting out six albums in that time - and they have also undertaken multiple lengthy world tours. Iron Maiden never seem to truly slow down, so it is not hugely surprising that Dickinson had not, until recently, put out anything himself since 2005. There has often been talk of a new solo album from him, though. Even back in 2015 when The Book of Souls (which I reviewed here) was released, Dickinson noted that one of the songs which ended up on Iron Maiden's sixteenth studio album had been repurposed from an upcoming solo project. I am not sure that, nine years on, such a project could really have been described as upcoming - but when Dickinson's seventh solo album The MandrakeProject dropped at the beginning of the month there was plenty to be excited about. The album certainly felt like a bit of a statement, too, with some deluxe versions coming with a comic book telling the story of the album's concept. It also saw Dickinson reunited with Roy Z (Driver; Tribe of Gypsies; Halford), with whom he co-wrote and co-produced some of his best solo work. Z handles the guitars and bass guitars here, then, with keyboardist Mistheria (Viracocha; Artlantica; Tower of Babel) and drummer Dave Moreno (Puddle of Mudd; Tribe of Gypsies; Love/Hate) both returning from Tyranny of Souls. These four musicians are responsible for much of the album - although there are also a couple of guest guitar solos from Dickinson's new touring guitarist Chris Declerq and the legendary Gus G. (Firewind; Dream Evil; Mystic Prophecy; Nightrage; Ozzy Osbourne). As I said before, I am no expert in Dickinson's solo catalogue - but The Mandrake Project fits in nicely with those releases from the back end of his solo career to date. His earlier albums felt quirkier and an attempt to do something different, but from Accident of Birth onward he came into his own - and The Mandrake Project feels like the successor to those released, whilst also exploring some new ideas.
The album's overall structure is quite interesting - as the first two thirds is generally made up of heavier pieces, with the closing third being much slower. It definitely feels like a journey as a result, and The Mandrake Project opens with one of its heaviest cuts: Afterglow of Ragnarok. There are strong doom vibes throughout the murky piece and it builds slowly over a synth-heavy backing - with Moreno's drums sounding powerful and organic, whilst Z's guitar tone is dark and relatively modern. Overall, I really like how this album sounds - but I do sometimes feel that Dickinson's voice is a bit low in the mix. This has often been the case on the more recent Iron Maiden albums, too, and it is a shame. This is not too much of a distraction, though, and the overall sound of the album is tight and consistent - with driving riff of Afterglow of Ragnarok really jumping out of the speakers, whilst Moreno's double bass drum patterns feel tight and mechanical. The verses make us of this riff and drum pattern, whilst Dickinson delivers some creepy vocals in his lower register - but he starts to let rip during a pre-chorus section which then gives way to a more synth-laden and expansive chorus. The vocal hooks are memorable, and the chorus is one of the best moments on the album for me. There are lots of memorable vocal hooks throughout the album, though, which is unsurprising as it is much more song-based on the whole. There is much less of a focus on instrumental sections than on an Iron Maiden album, but Z still adds a screeching guitar solo to the track - albeit a short one. Many Doors to Hell picks up the pace somewhat, but the song is much more typically hard rock than metal - with Mistheria adding a lot of Hammond organ throughout. As such, then, there is a strong Deep Purple or Uriah Heep vibe during the track - which harks back somewhat to the more hard rocking sound of Dickinson's debut solo album Tattooed Millionaire from 1990. The song is less quirky than that album's core sound, though, and it fits in nicely here despite not being as heavy as the song which came before. Z's main guitar riff is relatively jaunty, which is nicely augmented by the organ, whilst the verses are a bit more subdued - with the organ setting the tone whilst Dickinson sings in a less over-the-top manner. He pushes himself during the chorus, though, and the famed air raid siren approach is put to good use over Z's repurposed main riff to create a hooky chorus which is very Deep Purple in style. Dickinson spoke in his autobiography a lot about his love of 1970s hard rock and prog, so it is good that he included a song here which very much allowed him to channel those influences. Moving to something more quirky, Rain on the Graves channels vaudeville and classic horror influences - with a snappy vocal approach and plenty of atmospheric depth from Mystheria. The verses here are essentially delivered in a spoken word/poetic manner - whilst the occasional tough guitar riff interjects to provide some weight. As has been referenced a couple of times already, Dickinson has a bit of a quirky streak when it comes to songwriting - and that is on full show here. His spoken word approach is fun and the overwrought horror organ which is utilised occasionally helps to add to the vibe. The chorus is more typical in approach, though, but it essentially just repeats the song's title over and over - a trope which has been annoying Iron Maiden fans for years. I like the song overall, and it includes a great solo from Declerq, but it certainly seems to be trying quite hard to be zany - so it will not be for everyone.
Resurrection Men opens with the pulse of the bass and an acoustic guitar being strummed; and it morphs into something of a bluegrass-inspired rocker with a driving drum groove, prominent additional percussion, and some acoustic guitar melodies which sound like something from a Spaghetti Western soundtrack. The track is generally pretty up-tempo, and does feel heavier when more traditional electric guitars take over, but the overall vibe is rather strange. It feels like Dickinson wanted to do something of a country rocker, and maybe include some of Z's Brazilian influences, but somewhat chickened out. Much of the song ends up feeling very straight forward after the interesting intro, and the raw production gives the feel of something which could have been on the first Black Sabbath album. Z's guitar tone and riffing style is quite Tony Iommi-esque once the acoustic guitars and country elements are swept aside - although the bass playing is funkier, which, again, introduces some different ideas. I am not sure that the song manages to successfully meld all of its influences together - and it is one of the weaker cuts here as a result. Fingers in the Wounds is much better, though, and it slows things down somewhat - going for a more epic sound. The song is piano-driven, with the verses essentially featuring Dickinson singing against a drum and piano backing - but the song opens up during the chorus, which is much more string-filled and heavy. Eastern-tinged melodies are used during a later mid-section to create something a bit different, but in general the song feels more classically-inspired - with Mistheria's piano essentially ever-present and the chorus taking on a bit of an old-school prog feel. Given how much goes on throughout the song, it is surprising that it is the shortest here. It is the sort of song which could have probably been expanded on a bit, but I like the brevity and variety as things stand - and it is fun to hear Dickinson singing against a piano backing. It was mentioned earlier that Dickinson repurposed one of his solo pieces for The Book of Souls. That song was If Eternity Should Fail, and the original version Eternity Has Failed has been presented here as it was originally intended. There are subtle lyrical differences and it has been re-arranged somewhat - but overall the two songs are very similar. Given that Dickinson had already used the song I am not sure why he reused it here - I can only assume that it is key to the album's concept. I liked the Iron Maiden song, though, so I also like this version - with the chorus here perhaps sounding a bit more powerful. The song feels weightier overall, too, which is due to the overall production of the album, and it also features G. shredding a great solo. Mistress of Mercy then ups the pace. As it is the last genuinely heavy track here it seems fitting that it is the album's most in-your-face piece. It reminds me a little of the approach of Many Doors to Hell - but the track feels heavier overall. There is still an organic feel throughout, with the Hammond again getting some screentime, but the guitar riffing feels much more metallic - and Moreno goes all-out behind his drum kit with plenty of busy fills and double bass patterns. After a few more varied pieces, too, it is good to return to a more straight ahead sound - with a powerful chorus that brings the best out of Dickinson and some great lead guitar from Z. It is the sort of song that I can imagine going over live really well - so I would not be surprised to see it included in the setlist for Dickinson's upcoming tour.
As mentioned earlier, the last third or so of the album is generally slower and more atmospheric. There are still heavier moments to come, but generally what follows from this point on is more melancholic - with Face in the Mirror kicking off this closing trilogy. It is another song which is led by the piano, but it is a ballad instead of a more string-led rocker. Dickinson has generally sung ballads well over the years, but his performance on this track feels a bit off for some reason. I cannot really put my finger on why - but he sounds a bit thin and tuneless. The chorus also includes some strange vocal harmonies, too, and overall the piece does not really do it for me. I like the acoustic guitar solo which comes later, and it is always nice to hear some piano, but Dickinson does not feel as emotional or as weighty as he has often done when singing ballads. Perhaps he has lost some of that over time - but his performance on the following two songs would suggest that is not the case. Shadow of the Gods is another slower track, but it feels more epic than the previous one - with sombre piano, strings, and punchy drums, over which Dickinson sings. The thinness of his delivery from the previous track is absent here, and he sounds more like how I would imagine him to sound whilst singing a slower piece. I am not sure why Face in the Mirror sounded the way it did, then, but Shadow of the Gods is better in every way - with the rumbling piano performance grounding everything, whilst the strings elevate the track greatly. Perhaps it is the fact that this song is more epic-sounding that Dickinson sounds better vocally here. It encourages him to push himself a bit more - and the strings require a more dramatic delivery. It is also more diverse arrangement-wise, as it does get heavier as it moves along - with Z's guitar riffs kicking in part way through to create a chugging, mid-paced groove. There are even sections here where Dickinson sings in a somewhat chanted manner with some effects on his voice which sound like his interpretation of harsh vocals. The song works well due to its dramatic arrangement and varied delivery, then, getting things back on track following the weaker previous cut. The album then comes to a close with the lengthy Sonata (Immortal Beloved), a slow-burning piece which takes on a more progressive atmosphere throughout. It is just shy of 10 minutes long, so is the longest piece here, and it does not sound like anything else on the album. It is essentially another ballad, but it goes for a much more atmospheric approach - with stark percussion, effects-heavy slide guitars, and doomy keyboards acting as a great backing for Dickinson's thespian vocal delivery. He hams it up a lot here, which suits the song's meandering arrangement nicely, although the chorus sections are a bit more typical-sounding with heavier guitars. It is hard to know what to compare the song to, but it reminds me somewhat of Fish's epic piece Rose of Damascus - just in the way the arrangement creeps along, the mix of sung and spoken vocals, and the relatively sparse arrangement despite the song's length. Despite the song's length, though, it never really drags for me. I imagine that not everyone will like it, as it lacks Dickinson's usual bombast or any real metal, but there is something compelling about the melodies and atmosphere - and it is great hearing Z's slide playing and some excellent lead-based moments which come in towards the end. The songs ends the album really well in my opinion, and it is quite daring for someone like Dickinson to include a piece like this here - particularly given his lack of solo output of late. Overall, then, despite a couple of weaker moments, The Mandrake Project is a lot of fun and surprisingly varied. Dickinson has always been more than just a NWOBHM singer, as his varied solo albums have shown, and that variety continues throughout the 10 songs here. Not every experiment works, but there is a lot to like here and I am looking forward to hearing some of these songs live in May.
The album was released on 1st March 2024 via BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. Below is Dickinson's promotional video for Afterglow of Ragnarok.
Whilst I have been something of a progressive rock fan for a long time at this point, I think it is fair to say that my love of all things prog has increased massively in recent years. I had select prog bands that I regularly returned to, but that window was been opened much further of late - and I am loving the never-ending journey of discovery which my prog adventure has become. I have also been making a lot more effort with extreme metal, too. I have mentioned a few times on this blog recently how I have been listening to the heavier end of thrash and death metal a lot more - and have already reviewed albums and shows by extreme metal bands this year. Lots of bands over the years have fused both progressive music and extreme metal to create a myriad of different sounds - with one such being Norway's Borknagar. Formed back in 1995, their self-titled album from 1996 exhibited a much more traditional black metal sound, with some folk influences, but over the years the band have morphed into something much more atmospheric, melodic, and progressive - all whilst retaining their core black metal roots. I cannot claim to be a big expert on Borknagar's history, but I have become something of a casual fan over the past couple of years - and enjoy both 2016's Winter Thrice and 2019's True North. I have not ventured further back in the band's catalogue yet, and I fully intend to, but it is currently time to look forward instead - as last month saw the release of the band's twelfth studio album Fall. Their first release since True North, Fall very much seems to be continuing on the more atmospheric, and arguably less heavy, sound of True North. Following the departure of the band's long-time harsh vocalist Vintersorg in 2019, True North seemed to focus a little less on growls than previously. Bassist and co-lead vocalist ICS Vortex took on the harsh vocal duties alongside singing clean, with long-time keyboardist Lars Nedland also providing clean vocals, and True North felt somewhat different than Winter Thrice as a result - despite the band's core mix of sounds being retained. The change was not night and day, but I think the departure of Vintersorg made the band somewhat re-evaluate their approach - which led to True North's dreamier sound. It should also be noted that Nedland has become much more involved in the band's songwriting from True North onward, which is likely part of the reason why his keyboards play a bigger role here than ever. Fall, then, takes this emphasis on atmosphere further. There are plenty of heavier sections, and Vortex's harsh vocals are strong, but there is generally more of a focus on progressive soundscapes, cinematic guitar leads, and folky textures than ever - at least in the context of my limited knowledge of the band. It helps that all of those who made Truth North return on Fall - with the new album being the second release by the current five-piece iteration of Borknagar. Joining Vortex and Nedland here are founding guitarist and principal songwriter Øystein Brun, lead guitarist Jostein Thomassen and drummer Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow.
There are only eight songs here but they are all pretty lengthy and varied. It is the sort of album that needs a few listens to appreciate - but there is also quite a bit that jumped out at me from the off. Opener Summits is one of the heaviest pieces here - at least early on. It very much focuses on a more extreme metal sound - with Vortex's harsh vocals dominating. It does not take too long to get going either, as some big guitar chords kick in after a few seconds of textured keyboards set the scene - before a fast-paced black metal tremolo guitar pattern kicks in, backed by some blast beats from Rønnow. Vortex's raspy harsh vocals are easy on the ear, though, and are less grating than many black metal screamers. The vocal style has always been part of the reason why I tend to struggle with black metal - but I like Vortex's approach here, and he often switches up to also utilise his enigmatic and theatrical clean vocal style. Nedland's vocals are a bit more subdued, but the three different approaches work well throughout - and all three are put to good use throughout the early sections of this track, despite the harsh vocals dominating. Arrangement-wise, early on the song is quite typically structured - with heavy verses augmented nicely with a more soaring chorus. The guitars rip through the verses with their black metal tones, but the keyboards are ever-present - and really come to the fore during the chorus which sees Vortex delivering some anthemic vocal melodies. The song takes a turn as it moves along, though, descending into a folkier territory with clean guitars and plenty of keyboards adding new textures. The song remains in this slower pace for quite a while, with the occasional vocal interjection, but generally this is an instrumental passage which focuses on Nedland's warm synth playing - before Thomassen takes a slow-burning guitar solo. Vortex's vocals again dominate the later portions of the track, but the vibe shifts again to a more of a big, harder rock sound - with bright vocal melodies and an anthemic drum groove bringing the song to a powerful and hooky close. Nordic Anthem opens slowly, with dense keyboards and percussion creating a folky setting. The whole song essentially remains similar, even when Nedland starts to sing. His slightly deeper delivery than that of Vortex fits with the darker tones the song looks to create - but the darkness here does not come with a significant amount of heaviness. This song is heavy in tone and atmosphere instead, with the layers of keyboards creating a murky soundscape - whilst the guitarists add simple stabs of distorted guitar to bulk out the percussive approach. There is a lot less going on here as a result, then, but the song excels at creating a strong atmosphere. Occasional folky guitar melodies are woven into the piece, but they tend to be quite low in the mix, whilst Vortex's subtle vocal harmonies add a brighter tinge to the chorus with proper drums also adding a little more weight. All of these additions add colour but do not significantly change the song's overall direction - and I really like the approach which has been taken here to create something that lacks any true metal yet still fits in with the album's core sound.
Afar builds from a slow-burning guitar lead which, alongside some staccato drumming, creates a bridge from the previous track to this heavier piece. The atmosphere from the previous song feeds the intro here - but as soon as Vortex starts to scream the heaviness from the first song returns. The riffing early on is more traditional metal in scope, with a chunkier, more lead-based pattern backing Vortex's screams - before another blast beat kicks in and the track returns to a more typical black metal approach. Much of the song is quite fast-paced, then, even during the more melodic sections. Rønnow's drumming is generally pretty full on here, with lots of double bass patterns present, but this only emphasises the band's metal credentials following the slower previous track. There are moments which return to the more riff-based approach of the early part of the track, which sees the speed slowed somewhat, but generally this tracks powers forward - with a great mix of screams and theatrical clean vocals. Thomassen gets quite a lot of time in the spotlight here, too, as there are some great lead-based moments, with his aching playing often a counter for Brun's abrasive riffing beneath - and there is also a retro and very proggy synth solo from Nedland which could have definitely been a bit longer in my opinion. With most of the album written by Brun and Nedland, Moon came from Vortex - and given his background in extreme music it unsurprisingly roars out of the gate with a driving, thrashy riff which features more some more straight ahead double bass drumming from Rønnow. There is less of a black metal approach throughout, though, with the heaviness being more rooted in traditional metal. Thomassen gets plenty of opportunities to show off again with some heroic lead guitar moments, whilst the keyboards here are generally mixed more into the background. There is a less atmospheric sound this time, then, and the track is more in-your-face and vocally-orientated. Despite the riffy approach, vocally Vortex sings clean. His clean vocals have always been full of character, though, and he adds plenty of drama to the track - often fighting Thomassen for the spotlight due to the plentiful guitar leads and solo spots present here. The song feels less progressive, then, but there are some brief atmospheric moments to change the pace slightly. This is a piece which focuses more on hooks and it was one of the tracks which stood out the most to me early on. Stars Ablaze again opens slowly, and at first it seems as if it could be another low key piece similar to Nordic Anthem - but there is much more of a punch here despite the creeping, slow-burning arrangement. Nedland's keyboards are back to the fore here, but there is also plenty of melodic clean guitar playing - which reminds me a little of Marillion at times. The arpeggiated guitar playing helps to create a rich sound alongside the keyboards - and the occasional synth lead utilised here sound like something from the 1980s, too. Unlike the previous song, though, there are some black metal trappings. After a more enigmatic build up with the aforementioned clean guitars, a drum punch, and Vortex's soaring cleans, a heavier section kicks in with some rasping guitar textures and plenty of cutting leads from Thomassen. The harsh vocal sections are relatively short, but they help to give the song a bit of a kick. There are fewer blasts here, though, with the heavier sections feeling more guitar-led - but the overall texture of the song is dense, thanks to the dominance of the keyboards and clean guitars.
Unraveling is heavier overall, but there is a retro vibe throughout. Along with Summits it could well be the heaviest thing here - but it has more of a classic rock strut despite plenty of harsh vocal-led moments. Rumbling Hammond organ often sits in the background of the track, adding a growl to everything, whilst the mix of clean and harsh vocals seems to be balanced in favour of the latter. The chorus in particular sees the two styles play off each other nicely, whilst other moments have clean and harsh vocals sung in unison - often whilst Rønnow adds plenty of double bass drum patterns and the lead guitar playing of Thomassen adds some heroic melodies. I really like the mix of sounds present throughout the track and I also like how it places more focus on the band's heavier side. There is less of an atmospheric approach taken here, with the guitars feeling weightier overall and Nedland relying more on his Hammond than synths. There are shades of modern Opeth here, and could well represent how Opeth would sound today if they took a different approach vocally. The old-school grind of the keyboards is welcome, then, and the shorter track packs a punch due to this less progressive approach. The Wild Lingers slows the pace again, and opens with a lengthy lead guitar moment - which recalls Pink Floyd somewhat. This opening instrumental section meanders somewhat for a while, setting a delicate tone, and the song generally proceeds along a similar path. There is little metal here at all and the song goes for a much more pastoral approach. It is different from the dense darkness of Nordic Anthem, though, as The Wild Lingers feels more like a lost progressive rock song from the 1970s. The vocal approach, featuring both Nedland and Vortex, is more laid back - and the keyboard textures are a good mix of retro and cinematic. There are occasional heavier guitar chords for depth, but generally the guitars add clean textures and melodic leads - whilst the occasional synth melody takes this approach further. The track perhaps lacks a big build towards a climax, but its overall feel is welcome - and the lack of metal again is notable for a band like Borknagar. The album then comes to a close with the lengthy Northward. The longest track here, the song morphs through a lot of different sections - but opens up in a heavy manner with black metal rasps, plenty of double bass drumming, and lots more excellent guitar leads. The track overall is much more focused on a metallic sound than some of the others here, but there is still plenty of light and shade. There is a lot of tough riffing and growling early on, but there are also lots of clean vocals and soaring guitar moments. Overall the track is crunchier, though, and it is fitting that the album closes with a bit more of a bang. Black metal rasps and blast beats are never far away - but the soloing of Thomassen is also given a lot more space to breathe, with his guitar playing here being some of the album's best. The ending section of the track is less heavy overall, but there is still plenty of weight from the guitars and drums despite the harsh vocals being dropped. Vortex's big hooks are a great way to close out the album, though, and there is still a punch packed as things fade out. Whilst this band is yet to fully sink its claws in, I have been enjoying Fall a lot since it dropped. I have never made a secret of my general dislike of black metal, but Borknagar's mix of it with other sounds interests me greatly - and there is a lot to like here for prog and metal fans alike.
The album was released on 23rd February 2024 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Moon.
