Sabaton's 'The War to End All Wars' - Album Review

I do not think that it is exaggeration to say, at least in Europe, that Sweden's Sabaton are one of the biggest metal bands around. Whilst metal has always been a popular genre in Europe, very few bands break into something akin to the mainstream - particularly those of the European melodic persuasion. There are a handful of notable exceptions, however, and Sabaton is one of them. It does not seem that long ago that I was watching the band with a couple of hundred other people at The Hub in Plymouth, but when I see them again next year they will be playing Wembley Arena for the second time. This rise in popularity is nothing short of remarkable, but the band have certainly earned it. Over the past decade or so at least, they have been one of the hardest-touring bands out there - whether this be on their own terms or opening for some of the genre's legends (particularly in America). Sabaton have always excelled in a live setting. Their relatively uncomplicated music is designed to whip crowds into a frenzy, and their presentation has always been slick. The band's stage show has grown with them, to the point where Sabaton feel like true arena headliners at this point. Bigger bands have struggled to make the transitions to arenas purely from a 'show' perspective, but Sabaton's theatricality make them ideal candidates for the world's biggest stages - including the likes of the famous Wacken Open Air. The band's stage show and energy would be for nothing, however, if they did not have the songs to back it all up. Thankfully, though, Sabaton have crafted many a memorable song over the years - most of which stick in the brain after only a couple of listens. Despite this, however, I think that it is fair to say that Sabaton have a sound which they stick to rigidly. You always know what you are getting when a new Sabaton album is released - which can be both a good and a bad thing in my opinion. I like Sabaton a lot and have listened to all of their albums many times, but if I think about them objectively it is my view that a slight staleness has crept in over the past couple of releases. This has never really bothered me, as these albums still included enough strong material to keep me listening, but there is often a tightrope being walked - with each album being only ever a handful of weak tracks away from being a pale imitation of what came before. The balance between strong and weak material has generally fallen in the band's favour, however, but I do feel that their newly-released tenth studio album, The War to End All Wars, comes the closest (with the exception 2007's Metalizer, the band's long-delayed 'debut' album which was finally released after they had already established themselves with two other albums) to disappointing. The War to End All Wars is something of a direct follow-up to 2019's The Great War (which I reviewed here), and contains 11 further tracks detailing stories from the First World War - which did make me wonder if the new material was comprised as leftovers from the band's previous writing sessions.

Thankfully, The War to End All Wars does not seem to be made up of leftovers - but it is also probably their least consistent release since Metalizer. In my opinion, Sabaton need to shake things up a little and push themselves from a creativity perspective - as there are songs here that recycle previous ideas in a big way. There are riffs, melodies, and lyrics here that are very similar to Sabaton songs past; and this is the first album of theirs where I have found myself somewhat agreeing with their detractors. That being said, however, there are still some very strong songs here - and the album does open and close in a somewhat novel way. Clearly inspired by the 'History Edition' of their previous album, The War to End All Wars opens and closes with cinematic, spoken word pieces that have the odd traditional chorus and guitar solo. I have not quite made my mind up yet as to whether I think this works or not. The first of these pieces, Sarajevo, opens the album. I like the idea of narration, but for me it is overused here - and the song ends up sounding a bit like an audio book with a Sabaton soundtrack. The song does have a great scene-setting vibe to it though, at least early on. After a minute or so, however, it feels like it is about to explode into the first song proper - but instead a sluggish chorus kicks in, which is followed by more narration. Some more brevity would have likely worked in Sarajevo's favour, and for me the piece outstays its welcome - undoing the great early scene-setting. The War to End All Wars does not tell a narrative story either, which makes the bookending of the album in story-heavy spoken word pieces seem a bit pointless - especially as The Great War did not make use of the formula and told similar tales. Thankfully, however, the first proper song, Stormtroopers, is much better. It very much sounds like classic Sabaton, but it is a high-energy track that roars out of the gate from the off. The riffing of guitarists Chris Rörland and Tommy Johansson ensures that this energy is whipped up from the start - whilst drummer Hannes Van Dahl lays into his two bass drums throughout much of the song. The song's verses actually have quite an old-school Sabaton vibe to them, and there is much less of an emphasis on keyboards - which is welcome, as they have become rather dominant of late. Frontman Joakim Brodén sounds as good as ever vocally, too, with his deep voice ringing out during the verses - whilst the chorus is very melodic despite containing plenty of crunch. Dreadnought follows, and slows the pace down to create a creeping, heavy vibe - which again actually recalls some of the songs on the band's early albums. The main riff sometimes comes a little too close to Deep Purple's Perfect Strangers for comfort, but this helps to give the song a neo-classical vibe - and injects some creeping melody into what otherwise is a very muscular song. Another criticism that the band sometimes face is that they are just not that heavy for a metal band, but songs like Dreadnought show that Sabaton can inject some weight into their music - whilst still ensuring that their trademark melodies are present.

Stormtroopers and Dreadnought make up for the album's strange start, but for me things then take a dip in quality with The Unkillable Soldier - which is one of the songs here that sounds like a rehash of the band's past. The song's opening is also jarringly heroic following two heavy tracks, which somewhat starts things off on the wrong foot, but what lets the song down for me is its chorus - which sounds like so many of the band's other choruses mashed together. I am pretty certain that some of the melodies used have just been lifted from other songs - and the lyrics contain a number of cliché phrases that the band have flogged to death at this point. It sounds like a song that has been written by a computer that has analysed the rhythm and syntax of all of the band's previous albums with the aim of creating the most Sabaton-sounding of songs. This dip in quality is short lived, however, as Solider of Heaven is much better. The synths that were largely absent from Stormtroopers and Dreadnought are back here in a big way, and the song actually has a bit of a Beast in Black vibe - but toned down to fit in with Sabaton's usual crunch. Van Dahl's drum beats have a real groove to them throughout, whilst the pulsing basslines from Pär Sundström propel everything forward. The guitars are generally mixed into the background here, although Rörland does deliver a memorable, melodic solo, with the song instead focusing on strong grooves, Brodén's rhythmic vocal patterns, and synths. This is not really a vibe that Sabaton have attempted so blatantly previously, but it works well in my opinion - and is an example of the creativity that I wish the band would have played with more on this album. The following song Hellfighters, despite being better than The Unkillable Solider, is sadly another dip in quality. I really like its opening riff, which has something of a melodic thrash vibe thanks to its creepy note choices, but the song overall is one of the weaker cuts here. It is another song that goes for a heavier sound - but its mid-paced approach is neither the break-neck excitement of Stormtroopers nor the doom of Dreadnought. It is a bit of a nothing song for me as a result, with even Brodén's vocal melodies falling flat. The chorus is one of the band's least memorable offerings in my opinion, and it is quite forgettable as a result - despite the great riff. Race to the Sea is much better, however, despite it essentially just being Sabaton 101. It is so much more interesting melodically than The Unkillable Solider, though, and this is largely down to Brodén's vocal efforts. There is nothing in the song that has not been heard before on a Sabaton album, but the vocal melodies are certainly very memorable - and his stabbing synths help to give the song a bit of an edge on what has so far largely been a pretty heavy album. The chorus is one of the album's best too, and it goes for that mid-paced Accept-esque vibe that Sabaton have regularly conjured up - with plenty of big gang vocals.

The rest of the album is largely made up of strong songs, too. Lady of the Dark is one of the most heroic-sounding pieces here, but it lacks the overly-cheesy vibes that plagued The Unkillable Solider. Its opening riff is another memorable one, too. Despite my general reservations regarding Sabaton's stagnating sound, it is clear that Rörland and Johansson have made an effort to construct some different-sounding riffs this time. Sadly, though, these riffs are only generally heard a handful of times during each song - rather than being main building blocks. This is typical of power metal, but Sabaton could make a riff-based approach work well for them - with Lady of the Dark's riff not really ever being capitalised on. Despite this, however, the song is still memorable - with its stop-start riffing and a strong chorus that is packed with vocal harmonies. The Valley of Death is another song that turns the clock back, and it is a fast-paced tune in a similar vein to Stormtroopers - but with more of an emphasis on big keyboards and heroic melodies. It is less heavy-sounding as a result, but there is still a great energy created throughout the song. The only thing that puts me off it a little is the fact that the great opening main riff is extremely similar to the one from White Death - which was featured on 2010's Coat of Arms. Once this similarity has been accepted, however, The Valley of Death becomes another memorable song - with a ridiculously melodic chorus and one of Rörland's best guitar solos to date. For me, though, the band have saved one of the best to last - as Christmas Truce is exactly the sort of thing that I want to be hearing from Sabaton at this point in their career. The epic power ballad is very much classic Sabaton in style, but it sounds just that much bigger - and the arrangement is more complex than is typical for the band. Sabaton have done ballads previously, but it is not something that they attempt regularly. For me, though, Christmas Truce is easily their best ballad to date - and is packed with plenty of emotion, as well as soaring melodies. It builds slowly from Brodén's piano and stark vocals, but soon morphs into a powerful rocker by the time the first chorus kicks in - which has something of a folk metal vibe. Throw in a very melodic guitar solo from Johansson and a keyboard-heavy instrumental bridge; and the song comes together perfectly. It is a piece that sees the band pushing themselves whilst still staying true to their core sound - something which needs to happen more often in my opinion. The album then comes to a close with Versailles, which is extremely similar to Sarajevo in structure and in sound. All of the points that I made about Sarajevo apply here too, but the longer form does work better in the context of a closing statement than it does as an opener in my opinion - as it has something of a end-credits vibe. It helps you to reflect on the album, too, and for me The War to End All Wars is both Sabaton at their best and their worst. The overall heavier nature of the album generally works in the band's favour, but it is perhaps telling that some of the best moments here hark back to the band's first few albums - with less focus on synths. On the flip side, however, there are also some of the band's most derivative songs on this album which detract from those which are genuinely excellent - giving it overall a rather middling sheen.

The album was released on 4th March 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Christmas Truce.

Rosalie Cunningham's 'Two Piece Puzzle' - Album Review

Whilst there are a lot of bands and artists out there who are trying to keep the psychedelic rock vibes of the late 1960s and early 1970s alive, one of the best exponents of the sound in the 21st Century for me is Rosalie Cunningham. There are plenty of bands playing fuzzy, bluesy, late 1960s rock - but few artists really capture the bounce, and almost whimsical nature, of the psychedelic movement. Cunningham has been excelling at it over the past decade or so, however, as the recent release of her second solo album Two Piece Puzzle certainly showcases. I started listening to Cunningham's work properly in 2016, when I saw her previous band Purson at The Junction in Plymouth. I had been hearing quite a lot about the band during the couple of years leading up to 2016, but it was not until this local show that I actually started to pay attention. I am generally not a fan of psychedelic throwback acts, but Purson were so much more than that - with plenty of hard and progressive rock influences on display too. After the Plymouth show I really started to listen to the band's handful of releases in a big way, and saw them again that summer at the Cambridge Rock Festival. Sadly, however, by the end of the year the band were no more - with Purson being another promising young band added to the long list of those who never fulfilled their potential (for whatever reason). Despite being a band, however, Purson was always very much Cunningham's baby. She wrote the vast majority of the band's songs, and played most of the instruments on their albums. I was certainly going to follow her endeavours after Purson, then, and it was with excitement that I listened to her self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here) when it was released in 2019. As I said at the time, Rosalie Cunningham could have really been Purson's third album. I had wondered which direction Cunningham would take following the band's disillusion, and whether she would look to reinvent herself, but it seems that the sound she forged with Purson is where here heart is. As a Purson fan, Rosalie Cunningham was a triumph - and it was great to hear Cunningham continue on with that sound outside of the confines of the band. I was looking forward to seeing what she would do next, and in February I found out when she released Two Piece Puzzle. Two Piece Puzzle follows three years after Rosalie Cunningham, and once again continues Cunningham's forays into the sounds of the late 1960s and early 1970s. For me, though, Two Piece Puzzle is easily the most progressive rock-influenced album that Cunningham has penned to date. There are plenty of similarities to her previous work, but the arrangements throughout the album feel much more complex. She definitely seems to have pushed herself here, and the result is one that is familiar yet expansive at the same time.

As is typical of her work, much of what is heard throughout Two Piece Puzzle comes from Cunningham herself, although there are a number of guests featured on the album. Her partner Rosco Wilson contributes additional guitars throughout, whilst the drums are handled by a mix of Wilson, Antoine Piane, and Pat Kenneally. There are a handful of other guests featured here too, but Cunningham has long proved that she can stand on her own when it comes to most instruments - with Two Piece Puzzle being a true solo album as a result. The album kicks off with an instrumental piece, Start With the Corners, which starts with some distant guitar melodies that gradually get louder as a Hammond organ is added into the mix. Fans of the Hammond organ will find plenty of its distinct sound throughout the album, and the instrument really helps to ground the songs here in the desired time period. Start With the Corners is more guitar-orientated, however, with a number of jaunty leads setting the tone early on - whilst occasional heavier sections that feature prominent basslines and roaring organ add depth. It is a song that nicely sets the tone for the rest of the album - as well as acting as the perfect intro for the two-part Donovan Ellington which follows. For me, this album is not as immediate as Cunningham's previous work, but Donovan Ellington hit me from the off - and the two-part song is easily one of her best compositions yet. It has a great mix of pop melodicism, psychedelic atmosphere, and prog virtuosity - with Hammond-led sections that remind me a lot of Jethro Tull's 1972 opus Thick as a Brick. Depth is added throughout by the violin of Ric Sanders (Soft Machine; The Albion Band; Fairport Convention), and his contributions really elevate the song for me - with his soaring melodies adding to the pomp of the Hammond and Cunningham's cutting guitar melodies. Vocally, Cunningham sounds as great as ever - her slightly deep voice and knack for a whimsical melody sitting perfectly against the song's grand backdrop. Her playful melodies add further to the Jethro Tull comparison, and the first part of Donovan Ellington sounds very much Tull-inspired. The second part is folkier, however. Sanders' violin remains, but some bouzouki and mandolin from Darren Jones add to the song's folk rock depth. Almost all of the heaviness from the song's first part has been stripped away here - with the focus being on acoustic instruments and a certain bounce that comes from Cunningham's vocal melodies. The contrast works well though, and for me the two-part Donovan Ellington is easily the album's overall highlight.

The short, largely spoken-word, piece The War follows. Cunningham delivers the track in a rather spooky manner, against a backdrop of strange sounds, but this vibe does not last for long - as the bouncy, vaudevillian Duet soon kicks in. Duet is based around a barrelling piano melody, and features Wilson on vocals along with Cunningham. Appropriately, the song is sung as a duet - with the two trading vocal lines during the staccato, rhythmic verses. Wilson's voice compliments Cunningham's nicely, as the two sound very different, and the presence of two voices singing in something of a call-and-response manner furthers the song's Music Hall-esque aspirations. The song is still rooted firmly in Cunningham's usual sound, but there are also influences taken from prior to the 1960s this time - and the song's video perfectly showcases the vibe that Cunningham and Wilson were going for here. The dominance of the piano helps to further this vibe, and there is not much of a guitar presence at all - that is until an acoustic guitar solo that comes in about half way through. The song does somewhat shift in tone from this point on, and it becomes a bit more typical of Cunningham's usual sound - with much more of a psychedelic vibe. The Music Hall nature of the piece essentially dies, and the track becomes more prog-inspired with effects-heavy guitar melodies and some distant vocals which repeat until the song slowly fades out. Another lengthy song, Tristitia Amnesia, follows and it introduces yet more new vibes to the album. The song is generally quite progressive rock-inspired, but its early sections have Eastern vibes. These parts remind me of some of Led Zeppelin's more experimental acoustic-based pieces, but the song soon morphs into something more typical of Cunningham's sound. An acoustic base remains throughout, but some of the sounds used throughout Donovan Ellington return. There is more of an organ presence this time, although it is used in a much more subtle way, whilst 1970s-style synth melodies are used to bulk up some of the guitar melodies. Despite this, however, the song is very much one for the guitarists. There are a lot of great guitar melodies and solos throughout the track, and Cunningham takes a lot of opportunities to showcase her skills as a guitarist here. The lengthy solos here are very enjoyable, and the choice of effects throughout recall many of the the classic progressive rock albums of the 1970s. Scared of the Dark takes a much simpler path. The shorter song puts catchy melodies above all else, and the song is a memorable piece of psychedelic pop rock as a result. It reminds me of some of Purson's singles from a few years ago, and generally the progressive rock vibes that have been present throughout the album up to this point are absent here - although the overall feel from the album remains intact. The guitar playing is still generally drenched in effects, and the Hammond organ is once again put to good use as a scene-setter. The fuzzy piece of pop rock is sure to go down well live, and it helps to add something a little more overtly melodic and poppy to the album - which is generally dominated by more complex pieces.

God is a Verb is another short, interlude-esque, piece, but unlike The War it is a 'proper' song - with Cunningham singing against a simple acoustic guitar and keyboard backing. It has an old-school folk/singer-songwriter vibe to it, and it acts as a nice bridge between the relative pop of Scared of the Dark and the album's closing two pieces. Suck Push Bang Blow immediately changes vibe following the acoustic God is a Verb, and it is probably the album's heaviest track - thanks to both a creeping guitar riff and a dense keyboard presence. The song sounds like a bit of a mix of The Doors and Black Sabbath musically, and there is plenty of big riffing throughout. It is done in a way that enhances the overall vibe of the album well, though - and the song does not sound out of place despite its relative heaviness. This is aided by the fact that the song is not purely just a heavy rock track. The riffing throughout has that feel, but much of the song is still very typical of Cunningham's sound - with plenty of playful vocal melodies and sections that ease up on the riffing to allow more psychedelic vibes to permeate. The album's final piece, The Liner Notes, loses all of the heaviness of the previous song, and goes for much more of a whimsical feel throughout. The is a jazz vibe too, thanks to the shuffling drums of Piane and the busy piano playing of David Woodcock, which suits Cunningham's laid back vocal approach - but the song does grow in stature over time. The jazzy sections are always returned to, but the song does get rockier as it goes along - with the opening chorus often returned to in a much crunchier manner, in a way which again recalls Purson's albums. The Music Hall vibes of Duet are also returned to briefly, too. The song takes a bit of a turn about two-thirds of the way through as it morphs into a piano-led pop song - before returning to one last reprise of driving, psychedelic chorus to close out the album. It is also a song that seems to sum up the overall vibe of the album nicely. This is because Two Piece Puzzle is an album that is easily Cunningham's most diverse work yet - but also very much grounded in what she has been doing over the past decade or so. There are moments here that recall her past, but there are also a lot of new sounds which shows that she is continually wanting to expand her horizons. This makes Two Piece Puzzle a very interesting and rewarding listen, and it reinforces my opinion that she is one of the best out there that is currently capturing the sounds of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The album was released on 25th February 2022 via Esoteric Antenna/Cherry Red Records. Below is her promotional video for Duet.

Magnum - Birmingham Review

With the exception of a handful of bands that I regularly go and see live, England's Magnum are probably the most-featured band on this blog. This is not because I hold the band in a ridiculously high regard, although I do like them a lot, but instead because of how prolific they are. In recent years, the band have essentially released an album every two years - and a new Magnum album is always an exciting prospect. Whilst there is always a familiarity to a new Magnum album, the consistent quality of their work makes them auto-buys for me. The band also tours regularly, too. They never broke America, but each new album is always accompanied by a lengthy UK tour - as well as a trek throughout Europe that covers many of the markets on the mainland where Magnum did break through. Considering how often they tour, though, I had only attended one Magnum headline show prior to yesterday evening. I am not quite sure how this has happened but, like The Darkness, Magnum's tours always seem to be scheduled at times when I already have a lot of other gigs planned - with the usual accessible options clashing with other plans or fall on days that are just not suitable due to work commitments. I would have loved to have caught Magnum on their last few tours, as they tend to feature healthy amounts of material from each new album in their respective tour setlists, but sadly the last time I saw the band was in 2016 - on the tour for Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies. The show that I attended was in Bristol, and it was a memorable night. I had seen the band at two different festivals previously, but that Bristol show was my first 'true' Magnum live experience. Until yesterday, however, it was also the last time that I saw the band live. I had tickets to see them in Exeter in 2020, but that show never took place for obvious reasons. I also never got a refund for my cancelled ticket as the venue went into liquidation, so it seemed that seeing the band live again would require more of an effort. Due to some other plans however, which ended up being cancelled, I decided to book a ticket to see them in their home town of Birmingham at the Symphony Hall - a show which had already been postponed a number of times. I was going to tie it in with a trip to London to see Brother Firetribe, but with that show being moved to next year the trip became all about Magnum. Considering how long that I had been waiting to see the band, however, this focus was apt. The fact that the show was taking place at the large Symphony Hall was a treat too. Gigs at the Symphony Hall are always great, and the place is certainly bigger than most of the stops on Magnum's tour. Given that Magnum are from Birmingham, however, the larger room made sense - and I would not be surprised if there were a few others who had travelled from outside of the Midlands, like me, to catch the band in their hometown.

Before Magnum's set, however, the large crowd was treated to sets from two support acts. The first band to grace the stage was the duo Theia - who only played for around 25 or so minutes. Made up of brothers Kyle (vocals/guitar) and Ash Lamley (drums), Theia are the latest entry in the informal club of bands who have decided to replace a departed member with a computer. I saw Anchor Lane pipe in all of their basslines a couple of weeks ago opening for Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts; and this is exactly what Theia did - with the bass, various keyboards, and even bits of vocals coming from a laptop set up by Kyle's microphone. I am not really sure why this is becoming a trend, but it is not one that I am supportive of. This is not intended to be a debate about the wider use of backing tracks, as most bands make use of them to some extent, but I am not a fan of them to essentially replace flesh and blood that used to actually be in the band. It keeps costs down I suppose, but it does not allow for a very authentic experience - especially when some of Theia's songs relied heavily on the bass and synths to the extent that Kyle was not touching his guitar during parts of the set. This moan aside, however, Theia's set was enjoyable - despite it not really being my thing. The band could certainly be called a rock band, but they sit at the pop end of rock - but in the modern/alternative sense rather than an AOR one. Generally this sort of music does not do all that much for me, but Theia's songs contained quite a few strong melodies, and Kyle is an engaging frontman and strong singer. It was also clear just how much playing in a venue like the Symphony Hall meant to the pair. It is always great to see bands enjoying themselves in this way and pushing themselves - especially in front of audiences that may not be receptive to what they are doing. Theia's sound is certainly not naturally suited to Magnum's grand pomp rock, but the band still managed to go over quite well with the growing crowd - which is always nice to see.

The evening's main support act Vega, however, were much better suited sound-wise. Magnum and Vega have toured together before, and in fact it was seeing Vega with Magnum in 2016 that properly turned me on to the former. I have since become quite a big Vega fan, and even travelled to Bilston last year to catch the band at their annual Christmas party. It was a great night, so getting another opportunity to see Vega live again so soon was a treat. They had time for an eight-song set, and the band set about making the night their own from the off with the anthemic Worth Dying For - from 2018's Only Human. The first couple of songs suffered from a really strange mix, however. Whoever was manning the sound clearly really wanted to hear James Martin's keyboards - and I mean really hear them. The first two numbers were drenched in keyboards, which probably confused some of the uninitiated, but the sound levelled itself out by the time the band started to showcase some songs from last year's excellent Anarchy and Unity - their first album with the current line-up. Kneel to You, which was debuted at the Bilston show last year, really rocked thanks to the better mix - with James' piano driving the choruses and his brother Tom Martin (bass guitar/vocals) underpinning everything nicely with some smooth grooves. The band's set was generally very upbeat, but things did slow down with the ballad Live for Me. Frontman Nick Workman, who was in excellent form throughout, strapped on an acoustic guitar for the song; and the vocal harmonies sung by the rest of the band made everything sound huge. Without wishing to disrespect any previous incarnations of the band, for me the current line-up of Vega is the best version of the band yet. All six members sing, which means that big harmonies can be created - with drummer Pete Newdeck being the biggest backing vocal contributor. Older songs like Kiss of Life really benefit from this new approach to bigger vocal harmonies, and there just seems to be less pressure on Workman as a result. There were clearly quite a few Vega fans in attendance, but I would not be surprised if the band made themselves a few new fans with their performance - and the heavier Sooner or Later certainly received a strong reaction thanks to its powerful riffing and soaring chorus. As in Bilston, too, the band decided to end their set with a cover of Def Leppard's Animal. Personally I would have preferred to hear another original song, but the choice made sense considering that there were probably quite a few in the room that were not familiar with Vega - and Animal allowed them to sing along at least once. It capped off 40 or so minutes of great music from the band too, and Vega's set was another enjoyable one from the melodic rock act. The setlist was:

Worth Dying For

Every Little Monster

Kneel to You

Live for Me

Kiss of Life

White Flag

Sooner or Later

Animal [Def Leppard cover]

Half an hour or so after Vega's set finished, the lights went down and Magnum trooped onto the stage (following an amusing moment when the wrong song intro was played for a few seconds over the PA) - immediately launching into their late 1980s single Days of No Trust. Given the enforced break from touring, and the fact that the band have released two albums since their last shows in 2019, I had wondered how Magnum would approach this tour. They generally focus on whatever their latest album is, but with two new albums to promote, as well as a likely desire to play some fan-favourites in celebration of getting back on the road, the setlist was pretty varied - with no one album dominating. Despite this, however, the set was generally split in two - with the first half of the show containing newer songs and the latter half containing some classics. Days of No Trust was the only older song to be featured early on, but the anthemic track was a great way to kick off the set. It ensured that the place was bouncing from the off, with Rick Benton's keyboards doing the heavy lifting musically. Benton was one of three 'new' recruits that have joined the band since my last Magnum gig in 2016 - with Lee Morris (drums) and Dennis Ward (bass guitar/vocals) also being new faces for me. Ward joined the band in 2019, but this run of shows is his first with Magnum - and it seems that he has already slotted in nicely. His backing vocals in particular were a big addition to the band's sound. It is no secret that frontman Bob Catley's voice is not what it was, although he still performs admirably, and Ward's harmonies really seemed to help him out. There were moments throughout where Catley sounded a bit rough, but generally I thought he sounded strong - and Ward's harmonies helped to cover a few of the cracks. Getting back to the set itself, however, the first half was a great representation of the band's recent albums. The symphonic Lost on the Road to Eternity was a real treat, before a couple of tracks from the last couple of albums were featured - The Monster Roars and The Archway of Tears. I had expected more songs from their 2020 and 2022 releases to be featured, but I assume the band wanted to keep things varied - which is understandable. Two songs from each of the newer albums were played, with the pulsing Where Are You Eden? being a real highlight - which felt really melodic having followed the crunching Dance of the Black Tattoo.

A rare outing for The Flood, from 1992's Sleepwalking, was the only other older track in the set's first portion - and it was left to The Day After the Night Before to close out the band's focus on their most recent work. The Day After the Night Before is one of The Monster Roars' most upbeat and old-school sounding tracks, and the driving keyboards helped it to get the crowd going. As such, I would not be surprised if the song became a live staple going forward - as it had a great effect on the crowd. Magnum crowds expect to hear a lot of newer material at the band's shows, but The Day After the Night Before went down particularly well. The rest of the set was made up of older songs, however, most of which being regularly-played fan-favourites. The staccato riffing of Wild Swan, however, is not ever-present in the band's sets. Tony Clarkin's (guitar/vocals) machine gun riffing ensured that the song hit home, and Catley's gravely voice suited the song's weighty arrangement nicely. Much of what followed, though, could be described a setlist staples - but the large crowd did not seem to mind. The piano ballad Les Morts Dansant was as poignant as ever, with everyone singing along, and the groovy main riff of Rockin' Chair got a few people dancing. It is another song that is wheeled out every so often, and it is one that I had seen them do previously - but it was still fun to hear the jaunty track again. The final three songs of the main set were all ever-present favourites, however. The crunchy All England's Eyes saw plenty of singing from the crowd, but the one-two punch of Vigilante and Kingdom of Madness had the whole venue rocking. Vigilante has always been a favourite of mine, thanks to its anthemic chorus and great keyboard melodies, and it is always a treat to hear live. Kingdom of Madness had actually, and surprisingly, been rested for a couple of tours prior to this one - and it probably benefitted from this as the song seemed to hit really hard. Everyone sang along to the chorus, and the band seemed really fired up during it. Interestingly, another ever-present number, How Far Jerusalem, was not played - so it seems that the epic track is currently having a similar rest. It was great to hear other songs instead, however, and the rejuvenated Kingdom of Madness was a great way to close out the main set. There was time for a two-song encore, however, and the band came back out for a couple more. It was clear during On a Storyteller's Night, however, that the band were having issues with their monitors, and it seemed that in the time it took them to walk off the stage and return that all of them had stopped working. The band were clearly annoyed about this, but soldiered on - with On a Storyteller's Night again getting everyone moving. It was left to the excellent Sacred Hour to bring the evening to a close, with Benton getting some time in the spotlight during the song's piano intro. There was a little reprise of Days of No Trust at the end, too, which brought things full circle - and the large crowd made their appreciation known as the band took their bows. The setlist was:

Days of No Trust

Lost on the Road to Eternity

The Monster Roars

The Archway of Tears

Dance of the Black Tattoo

Where Are You Eden?

The Flood

The Day After the Night Before

Wild Swan

Les Morts Dansant

Rockin' Chair

All England's Eyes

Vigilante

Kingdom of Madness

-

On a Storyteller's Night

Sacred Hour/Days of No Trust

I have been listening to Magnum now for a long time, and they are one of those ever-reliable bands that you can always count on to enjoy. This was only my fourth time seeing them live, but it was a great evening that showcased the best of what they are currently up to as well as a good selection of old favourites that certainly pleased the large hometown crowd. Seeing them in a venue like the Symphony Hall was great too, and the band seemed to really enjoy being back on the road. With both Catley and Clarkin in their mid-70s now, it is hard to know how long Magnum will carry on touring - but based on last night's display they do not seem to be slowing down yet.

HammerFall's 'Hammer of Dawn' - Album Review

Despite having a bit of an identity crisis at the beginning of the 2010s which resulted in 2011's Infected (which I happen to like quite a lot) and a brief hiatus, Sweden's HammerFall have long been one of the poster children of modern power metal. The band's first two albums, 1997's Glory to the Brave and 1998's Legacy of Kings, were very important milestones in the power metal genre. Whilst the genre was not exactly dead throughout the 1990s, it was certainly playing second fiddle to other, heavier, metal subgenres - so much so that even the power metal bands that found success were generally at the heavier end of the spectrum (e.g. Helloween and Blind Guardian). HammerFall came along and reminded everyone that metal could be fun and upbeat again, while still retaining enough of an Accept-esque crunch to please those who like their music to have some weight. I think that most would agree that the band's early work is their best, but for me HammerFall have generally been remarkably consistent. Similar to the aforementioned Accept, you generally know what you are going to get when a new HammerFall album drops. The band's up-tempo, anthemic power metal has remained largely intact since the beginning - with only the darker Infected taking something of a different path. Even Infected, however, still largely sounded like HammerFall - but its experimentation led to quite a lot of criticism, so much so that many would probably list it as their least favourite of the band's albums. I like Infected quite a lot, however, and for me the band's weakest album is 2016's Built to Last (which I reviewed here).Whilst not exactly different from anything else that the band has done, Built to Last just sounded uninspired. It did not help that it followed 2014's (r)Evolution (which I also reviewed here), a strong release that saw the band feeling fired up once again following their brief aforementioned hiatus. Luckily, however, Built to Last was a temporary blip - as the band followed it up in 2019 with the strong Dominion (which, again, I reviewed here). Dominion is certainly no classic, but it is textbook HammerFall. A number of the album's song's became live staples on the band's 2019 and 2020 tours - and it is likely that some of these anthems are likely to remain live favourites going forward thanks to their hooky nature. HammerFall do not tend tend to leave it too long between albums and last month they released their twelfth studio album Hammer of Dawn - which has proven to be another solid entry in the band's catalogue. For me it is not quite as strong as Dominion, but there is still plenty to enjoy here - and the whole album has a snappiness to it that means that it really flies by. It seems that band really sought to cut away all of the fat this time, and the result is very enjoyable.

The album kicks off with one of its singles, Brotherhood, an anthemic track that certainly sums up exactly where the band are in 2022. The song's main riff is mid-paced and packed full of crunch, while drummer David Wallin (on this third album with the band) works his way around the kit. The main riff is deceivingly mid-paced, however, as the song itself feels much more up-tempo. The guitars of Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren lay down a machine gun rhythm, while frontman Joacim Cans sings atop them in his usual smooth manner. Cans' voice has lost nothing of its unique tone over the years, and his performance throughout the album is as good as ever. He always manages to come up with memorable (if simple) vocal hooks, too, and Brotherhood is as memorable as it is thanks to his efforts. The riffing is not as memorable as many of the band's songs of the past - so this is a track that relies very much on its pace and Cans' excellent vocal performance. The chorus is very memorable, with a mid-paced anthemic rhythm, and there are also sections that feature wordless choral vocals - which will no doubt go down well live on the band's upcoming tour. Lead single Hammer of Dawn follows, and it opens in a slower fashion with some melodic strings that are a little on the grand side. The song's opening works well, however, and the vibe does not last for too long - as soon a staccato, fist-pumping main riff kicks in. This riff very much channels Accept, and the chanted chorus vocals also bring that band to mind. It is a chorus that is certainly designed to be played live, with a crowd singing the fist-pumping melodies back at the band, but there is still a smoothness to the rest of the track - with Cans' vocal style during the verses taking a brighter path. The song's solo is on the busier side, and actually takes a couple of little melodic deviations which are not expected. It starts out fairly predictably, but some of the note choices are somewhat different from the norm - and it helps the song to remain memorable as a result. No Son of Odin takes a heavier path. The song opens somewhat slowly, with a soaring guitar lead and stop-start power chords, but soon gets going thanks to a flurry of drums and the introduction of a snappy riff. This riff forms the basis of the song's verses, and it has something of an old-school vibe - similar to the sort of riffs that Jesper Strömblad used to write with the band. Listening to the song takes me back to the band's first few albums, and the overall heaviness of the piece also reminds me of the band's early era. They are generally not quite as heavy these days, but No Son of Odin turns the clock back - and is complete with another excellent chorus which slows things down and introduces some excellent vocal melodies that keep me coming back.

Venerate Me opens with a creepy guitar lead, which soon morphs into another crunching verse. The song very much sounds like HammerFall, but it has something of a spooky vibe throughout thanks to some of the guitar melodies. The addition of King Diamond (Mercyful Fate) on guest vocals helps to amplify this vibe - although HammerFall have not suddenly become Mercyful Fate here. Diamond's contributions are relatively small, as he largely just harmonises with Cans (in his usual over the top manner), and the soaring chorus is very much out of HammerFall's go-to handbook. There are little hints of spookiness here and there though. Diamond's occasional vocals add his typical edge to the song, while the aforementioned guitar melodies and harmonies spice things up somewhat - and ensure that the song is a bit different from the norm while still sounding very much like HammerFall. Reveries continues the slightly spooky vibes, but is this is largely just achieved by slowing things down somewhat during the song's verses. Venerate Me is spookier, but Reveries helps to keep the vibe going somewhat with a darker tone and a relatively slow pace. This is only really evident early on, however, as the song builds over time - and the additional instrumentation detracts from the creepy vibe and instead moves the song closer to the band's core sound. This still works well, however, as there are plenty of hooks here - including some great wordless vocal sections that are sure to go down well live. Too Old to Die Young picks up the pace again, and very much returns to HammerFall's core sound after a couple of minor deviations. The opening twin-guitar lead is very much out of the Iron Maiden playbook, while the focus throughout is definitely on bright, catchy vocal melodies. Sometimes HammerFall can turn people off due to their overly upbeat approach, and Too Old to Die Young falls into that category. Cans' voice is very much the focus throughout, and some of his melodies are extremely heroic-sounding - with a few very high-pitched moments. Despite this, however, the song is still very much a strong power metal anthem. The overly upbeat side of the band has never really bothered me, as HammerFall always have the hooks to pull that sound off - and Too Old to Die Young has a good mix of crunchy pace and soaring melodies to make it work. Not Today takes more of a ballad-esque approach. The opening is slow, with guitar arpeggios that Cans croons over in his usual smooth style. HammerFall have written a number of ballads over the years. They have written more memorable ones than Not Today, but the slower song still works well in the context of the album. The hooks are not as strong for me, however, and it lacks the killer chorus that ballads need to really shine. It is not as atmospheric as it could be, either, but the guitar playing throughout is great - with an excellent two-part solo coming towards the end of the piece which is packed full of emotional playing.

Following the respite provided by Not Today, Live Free or Die gives the album a bit of a kick in the backside. It reminds me somewhat of No Son of Odin, with a heavier energy throughout - which again recalls some of the band's earlier albums due to its pace and crunch. It is one of the heaviest cuts here, and it brings the best out of Wallin - as there is plenty of opportunity for him to impress with some fast footwork and a few interesting drum fills. A dual-guitar solo packs plenty of melody into the piece, and another soaring chorus allows Cans to come up with yet more catchy vocal melodies. The song is very much classic HammerFall, but the melodies and the infectious riffing make it stand out - with the excellent duelling solo pulling everything together. State of the W.I.L.D. is similar, and the pace conjured up throughout Live Free or Die is maintained here. The overall crunch is reduced a little, but the song still manages to whip up a lot of energy - and inject some of the upbeat melodies that the band is known for. Cans really shines here, but the band's two guitarists also ensure that they are heard with a few little melodies throughout the song - as well as another excellent, shredded solo. The best part about the song for me though is its chorus, which is certainly made for being played live. The song might not be a career highlight, but it contains a winner of a chorus - which showcases Cans' impressive vocal range and melodic turn of phrase. The album comes to a close with No Mercy, another fast-paced track that continues on the vibe of the previous two songs. The heaviness of Live Free or Die is re-introduced this time, however, and the song has plenty of Acceptisms throughout - with a fist-pumping chorus and a snappy riff recalling the work of the German band. The song is very typical of what has come throughout the rest of the album, but it still works well as an album closer thanks to its emphasis on crunchy riffing. This is not a song that feels overly upbeat, with the riffing and gang vocals helping to ground the piece somewhat. As such, it offers one last opportunity to rock out with the band - who have injected every last piece of energy into the song, as it really steams along with very little let up. In truth, though, much of the album has that vibe. Hammer of Dawn is very much an up-tempo album, with a few changes of pace thrown in here and there to keep things interesting. It also seems to be an album where the band's core sound has been focused on more than ever, and for me it really flies by thanks to the snappiness of its delivery. HammerFall have done better albums, but Hammer of Dawn is another strong one - and the band's fans are sure to enjoy it.

The album was released on 25th February 2022 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Brotherhood.

Martin Turner - Tavistock Review

The Wharf in Tavistock is easily the music venue that I have visited the most in my life. It was home to the very first gig that I went to back in 2006 and, despite catching bands in some of the biggest rooms and stadiums in the country, it is somewhere that I regularly return to. We are lucky in Devon to have a venue like The Wharf. The fact that I have been to it more often than to any of the Plymouth venues past and present should give a clue as to both its longevity and its pulling power. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it is not a place that I have visited that regularly over the past couple of years. I saw a somewhat disappointing performance from John Coghlan's Quo there last August, but before that my previous visit to the venue was in 2019. I have quite a few trips pencilled in for this year, however, and I am looking forward to getting back to The Wharf more regularly - as nights out there are always excellent. Last night was my first trip to the venue of the year, and it was to catch Martin Turner and his band. Turner was one of the founding members of the British rock band Wishbone Ash, who launched proper with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1970. Whilst the band never achieved the fame of some of their contemporaries (Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, etc.), they were a huge influence on many bands who followed on their wake. The dual lead guitar approach brought to the masses by bands like Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden can be traced back to Wishbone Ash, and the band's varied sound made them hard to pigeonhole. Wishbone Ash have gone through many different line-ups over the years, and Turner has not been in the band since the mid-1990s, but he was there all throughout their run of classic albums during the 1970s. He was also a big creative force in the band, as well as one of their main vocalists - contributing to their trademark vocal harmonies. Despite no longer being a member of Wishbone Ash, Turner continues to tour regularly - with setlists that usually focus around the classic Wishbone Ash material of the 1970s. He has released two solos albums: 1996's Walking the Reeperbahn and 2015's Written in the Stars; but live he tends to focus on his career with Wishbone Ash. Turner's shows this year will focus on two of the band's classic albums: 1972's Argus and 1973's Wishbone Four; with the Tavistock show seeing the debut of this new setlist. 2022 is Argus' 50th birthday, so playing it in full made sense (despite this not exactly being a novel concept for Turner); whilst the addition of a full performance of Wishbone Four allowed the spotlight to be shone on a few lesser-played songs from the Wishbone Ash oeuvre. Joining Turner (vocals/bass guitar) on this tour were his regular bandmates Danny Willson (vocals/guitar), Misha Nikolic (guitar/vocals), and Tim Brown (drums/vocals) - who have been playing together for a number of years at this point.

The evening was essentially split into three parts: Argus, Wishbone Four, and an extended encore that featured other Wishbone Ash material. Neither Argus nor Wishbone Four were played in their respective original running orders, but both sets featured all of the songs from each. Argus was played first, with the band opening with the lengthy Time Was to warm applause. I have seen The Wharf fuller, but I have also been there surrounded by far fewer people. It was a shame that a few more had not turned up, but the crowd was enthusiastic throughout and made itself heard. The relatively low turnout did not seem to affect the band, however, who looked like they were having a lot of fun on stage - and there was plenty of banter back and forth between Turner and various audience members. Turner and Willson were the main singers throughout the evening, although Brown also sung a lot of harmony vocals from behind his drum kit. Turner generally sang the solo lead vocal parts, although there were a few songs that Willson took the lead on. Willson also handled the lion's share of the guitar solos, and much of my time was spent watching him sink his teeth into them. Nikolic is no slouch, however, and also impressed when he was called upon to solo - but generally he handled the rhythm and acoustic guitar parts, adding the necessary depth to the Wishbone Ash sound. Argus is easily the Wishbone Ash album that I am the most familiar with, so hearing it in full was a treat. The aforementioned Time Was kicked the show off in fine fashion, with the breezier Sometime World also impressing with its floating chord sequences and wordless vocal harmonies. Blowin' Free, for whatever reason, was moved to the end of set, so The King Will Come followed Sometime World. The harder rocking track has always been one of my favourite Wishbone Ash songs, and its soaring guitar leads showcase why the band became as influential as they did. The song was a real showcase for Willson's playing, and it was one of the highlights of the night for me as a result. Leaf and Stream slowed things down, with Nikolic playing a delicate solo, before the rousing closing one-two punch of Argus wheeled into view with the tougher Warrior and the majestic Thrown Down the Sword. As mentioned previously, the bouncy Blowin' Free closed out the first portion of the night. It acted as the album's 'catchy single', and as such saw plenty of singing from the crowd as the first set came to a close.

Following a short break, Turner and his band returned to the stage for the Wishbone Four set. Whilst many of the Argus songs are setlists staples for him, I get the impression that a number of the Wishbone Four songs are not regular features of his shows. Wishbone Four is a much more musically diverse album than Argus too, which meant that the second set of the night covered a bit more ground than the first. The band kicked off with the bluesy rock of So Many Things to Say and the more folky Ballad of the Beacon - two songs which showcased the diversity of the Wishbone Four album from the off. The lengthy Everybody Needs a Friend, which Turner wrote after the death of his first wife's mother, followed; with the more whimsical Sorrel coming next after a story from Turner revolving around gardening. The gentle Sing Out the Song was then played, which Turner stated was the first ever time that the song had been played live by himself - or any Wishbone Ash incarnation past and present. It had a very different feel from the rest of the set, with a prominent acoustic guitar backing and some atmospheric slide guitar from Willson which had something of a ebow-esque quality to it. It was another stand out track thanks to this rather drastic change of pace; and it provided a bit of respite before the set's closing three rockers. No Easy Road returned to the bluesy rock of the set's opening cut, before another highlight in Rock 'n Roll Widow was wheeled out. Willson sang the song, and handled the excellent slide guitar lines throughout. It was another song with something of a bluesy vibe, but it was also somewhat more atmospheric - with a slightly downbeat groove. It was left to the more upbeat rocking strut of Doctor to close out the main set - which again saw plenty of singing from the crowd. The band left the stage at this point, but came back after only a brief break for a four-song encore. A couple of songs from the late 1970s Wishbone Ash albums were played alongside a couple of early favourites; with the melodic You See Red kicking off this part of the night. The boogie blues of Blind Eye followed, before the lengthy Living Proof became the highlight of this part of the night for me. It was packed full of soloing, as well as plenty of memorable riffs that had much more of a harder rocking vibe than is typical for Wishbone Ash. It was left to the old favourite Jail Bait to close out the night, which again returned to the boogie blues sound that Wishbone Ash often toyed with in the early 1970s. The band then took their bows to a strong reception from the crowd, and it was clear that everyone in attendance had had a great time - including the band. The setlist was (N.B. all of the songs below are Wishbone Ash songs):

Time Was

Sometime World

The King Will Come

Leaf and Stream

Warrior

Throw Down the Sword

Blowin' Free

-

So Many Things to Say

Ballad of the Beacon

Everybody Needs a Friend

Sorrel

Sing Out the Song

No Easy Road

Rock 'n Roll Widow

Doctor

-

You See Red

Blind Eye

Living Proof

Jail Bait

Despite being aware of Wishbone Ash for a number of years, and seeing bits of sets by both the band and Turner at various festivals, it is only really over the past year or so that I have really started to listen to their albums properly. Argus is fast becoming a real favourite, but a few of their other albums have also been played pretty regularly in my house of late. I have a lot more discovering to do, but seeing Turner and his band live has certainly convinced me that I need to make much more of an effort with the Wishbone Ash catalogue - and I intend to start making my way through the pile of LPs of theirs that I have amassed over the years.

Scorpions' 'Rock Believer' - Album Review

I think that sometimes it is easy to take a band like Germany's Scorpions for granted. Bands that feel like they have been around forever, and who have generally released strong albums, can sometimes just feel like a part of the furniture - and it is easy to forget just how important a band has been in the history of hard rock and metal. The Scorpions, especially here in the UK, seem to often fall into that category. I think that it is fair to say that the band are significantly more popular in the rest of Europe and America than they are over here - but any metal fan worth their salt recognises what a great legacy the band have amassed over the years. It is also easy to forget that they will be 60 in 2025, having formed back in 1965, especially as big mainstream success did not really come for the band until the 1980s. This success was huge, however, which culminated in Wind of Change becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time when it was released in 1991. Since then, however, the band have not achieved anything like the album sales that they previously did - but they remain a popular live act. In truth, some of the band's 1990s and early 2000s work probably did not deserve to sell in big numbers, but the last decade or so has seen the band bounce back. Both 2010's Sting in the Tail and 2015's Return to Forever (which I reviewed here) are very solid entries into the band's canon in my opinion. This showed on those albums' respective tours, which saw material from them sitting seamlessly alongside the band's classic songs. One thing that did rub me up the wrong way about those albums however, as well as 2007's Humanity: Hour I (with which I am much less familiar), was the huge reliance on outside songwriters. The songwriting partnership of frontman Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker was what much of the band's success was built on, but the amount of co-writers that were involved with their recent albums made me wonder if they were struggling a bit to come up with quality material on their own. I still enjoyed the albums, but they were certainly Scorpions by committee. This is not the case, however, with the band's newly released nineteenth studio album Rock Believer - which came out at the end of February. Following seven years after Return to Forever, Rock Believer feels like an old-school Scorpions album. It contains 11 songs and lasts for just under 45 minutes - and there are very few co-writers in sight. The Meine/Schenker writing partnership seems to have found its mojo again, and the lead work from long-time guitarist Matthias Jabs is particularly potent. It is also the band's first full-length studio album to feature new drummer Mikkey Dee (King Diamond; Motörhead), who joins bassist Paweł Mąciwoda in the rhythm section. The album is self-produced alongside Hans-Martin Buff, and it has something of a 'live' feel to it - without too many studio tricks and enhancements.

One thing that is worth mentioning about this album early on is that, with the exception of the last song, there are no ballads here. The Scorpions have always written great ballads, but some of the their recent albums have seen them dominate somewhat. Rock Believer is very much an up-tempo, hard rocking album, however, and this allows the album's sole ballad to have much more of an impact as it closes things out. As such, then, the album starts as it means to go on with Gas in the Tank - a memorable hard rock anthem that kicks things off with a bang. The song's opening chugging riff could have come from any of the band's classic 1980s albums, and the use of a police siren during the intro also recalls many songs of the era - as similar sounds were used by lots of bands. This simple riffing style is perfect for the song, however, as it really allows Meine's vocals to shine. He still sounds great, and he barely sounds like he has aged at all. He can be a little bit hit and miss live these days, but throughout Rock Believer he sounds like his old self. The song's melodic chorus really benefits from his anthemic, melodic style - while the verses are a little more gritty to suit the crunchy riffing. The solo from Jabs is another great moment too, as it is packed with chaotic shredded leads that up the energy levels further. For me, Gas in the Tank is one of the strongest songs here - and the album really benefits from it roaring out of the gate from the off. Roots in My Boots is slightly less furious, but it still rocks hard. The riffing style is a little bluesier at times, but the choppy style of Jabs is very much evident throughout. Schenker and Jabs have always made for a great team, and that is evident throughout this album. There are plenty of bluesy leads from the latter throughout this song, while Schenker's riffs and rhythms are as tight as ever. The song's chorus has something of a darker tone this time, but it is still memorable - and each time I hear the song I like it more than I did previously. Knock 'em Dead slows things down somewhat, and takes more of a mid-paced approach - which again recalls the classic era of the band. The song's main riff is quite simple, again, but it is so obviously one from Schenker's canon. His rhythm guitar style is very clearly identifiable - and Knock 'em Dead is very much a quintessential Schenker composition. Meine's voice is a little grittier here too, particularly during the verses which see him almost talking some of the lyrics - before the chorus explodes with AC/DC-esque hooks and a pounding Dee beat. The album's title track follows, and it slows things down further. Whilst the song is a not a ballad, it does take a more mellow path during the verses. It opens with a great stomping, Queen-esque rhythm, with some screaming guitar leads, before everything drops out to leave a simple acoustic guitar to back Meine during the first part of the verse. The verses do build up gradually as they move along, however, but the song truly explodes with its chorus - which is anthemic in the band's trademark style. It is a song that is sure to go down well live thanks to its big hooks - and it is the latest addition to the band's collection of true stadium rockers.

The next two songs take a slightly darker, heavier path - and at times remind me of the band's 1970s output. They are not as neo-classical as the Uli John Roth era, but they are less overly commercial sounding - and allow the band's natural heaviness to shine throughout. Shining of Your Soul is the first of these numbers, and it is built around a hypnotic guitar hook that sits on top of a heavy riff. This melody resurfaces regularly throughout the song, with even the verses' clean guitar rhythms aping it somewhat - although a prominent bass groove from Mąciwoda helps to create some additional life. The chorus is very simple, and is largely built around the same guitar hook - which further entrenches the hypnotic nature of the melody. This melody, or a similar variation of it, is never too far away - and that gives the song a strange, but unique, identity which mixes heaviness and mystery nicely. Seventh Sun is somewhat similar, but more overtly heavy. There is less focus on guitar leads this time, with the riffing of Jabs and Schenker instead driving everything - while Mąciwoda pulses away slowly in the background. The song is one of the slowest cuts here, but this only allows the heaviness to really shine. There is certainly a slight doom vibe throughout, especially during the parts when slow-paced guitar chords are really pouring out of the speakers. The song's chorus is a little more melodic, but it never reaches the anthemic levels of the album's early efforts. The song does not need poppy melodies however, and it is great to hear the band operating as a true metal act - as it is a sound that they have not really toyed with much of late. Hot and Cold, which was written by Jabs rather than Schenker, retains the heaviness of the previous two tracks - but moves the band closer in sound to their 1980s heyday. The verses are much hookier, with something of a call-and-response style employed - with Meine responding to the guitar riffs nicely. It also features a chorus that is more like the album's opening examples, with poppier melodies that instantly stick in the brain and a much bouncier rhythm. As such, the song is a good mix of the band's heavier side and their more stadium-friendly one. It is another song that is likely to go down well live, and Jabs' trademark choppiness is very much pushed to the fore. When I Lay My Bones to Rest ups the pace again, and returns to the pacier approach of the album's opening cuts. The heaviness of the album's mid-section is retained however, and there is real muscle to the track - which clashes nicely against the old-school rock 'n' roll vibes throughout. Some of the riffs here have something of a Chuck Berry feel, and there is a bluesiness throughout. This gives the song an accessibility despite its heaviness, and it is a bit of a feel-good track as a result. There are better songs here, but the song's bounce and good-time vibes help it to stand out, and it is fun hearing the band pay tribute musically to some of their heroes of the 1960s.

The album's lead single Peacemaker, which is the first Scorpions track to be co-written by Mąciwoda, slows the pace down again somewhat - but returns to the band's more anthemic sound in a big way. Jabs' opening guitar melody is really hooky, and recalls some of his best efforts of the 1980s, while the chorus is simple to allow Meine's voice to really shine. Again, his melodies are simple - but they perfectly capture the classic Scorpions sound. It is a song that is easy sing along to, and it worked well as a lead single for that reason. The chorus is very hooky too, but it goes for a surprisingly heavy sound considering how anthemic the song is. This is not the band's usual pop metal, but the song instead has a chorus packed with hard-hitting riffs, screaming guitar leads, and some excellent heroic Meine vocals. Despite it being a short song it is one of the best cuts here, and it is largely due to this snarling chorus and the excellent guitar firepower of Jabs. Call of the Wild is another more blues-based track. It slows things down again further, and uses a mix of snaking, groove-based riffs and clean guitar melodies throughout - with the latter adding depth to the dirty blues of the rest of the song. Funnily enough, the song's main riff to me sounds more like a Michael Schenker riff than a Rudolf Schenker one - with the bluesy groove sounding different to the band's usual approach. The focus on the blues here works well, however, and it is another song that allows Meine to really showcase his vocal talents. The slower pace gives him more room to breathe, and there is a lot of emotion and grit in his delivery here. Jabs' guitar solo is full of aching phrases too. It is less shreddy than the rest of the solos here, and slows things down to allow for some more typical blues phrases - which stand out nicely despite the song's remaining overall crunch. As mentioned near the start of this piece, the album comes to a close with a ballad. The lack of ballads up to this point allows When You Know (Where You Come From) to hit harder, and the smoothness of the piece allows the album to end on a real high. The Scorpions' ballads tend to all take a similar road, and this one is no different, but as it is the only one here the formula still feels fresh. Meine's voice has always really suited the band's ballads, and the chorus is one of the album's best thanks to his emotional delivery. Schenker handles the guitar leads this time too, as he often does during the ballads, and his smoother playing allows for the song to pack more of an emotional punch. Schenker's leads and Meine's vocals are the perfect ballad combination, and as the song's rousing final chorus plays out this could not be clearer. The ballad helps the album to end on a real high, too, although there are no real weak links here. There are a couple of songs here that do less for me than the others, but most of the tracks have already become earworms. Rock Believer may just be the Scorpions doing what they do best but, considering it is an album released exactly 50 years after their 1972 debut Lonesome Crow, hearing the band sounding so vital and passionate all these years on is good enough for me.

The album was released on 25th February 2022 via Vertigo/Universal Music GmbH. Below is the band's promotional video for Peacemaker.

Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts - Nottingham Review

Two-gig weekends in the Midlands are always a lot of fun. I had bought a ticket for Ricky Warwick's Nottingham show some time ago, but decided to make a proper weekend of it - so booked a ticket to see Dare in the town of Nuneaton the night before. You can read all about the Dare show in my previous blog post, but it was a great night out. As such, I was really fired up for Warwick's show the following day. I always enjoy a trip to Nottingham, too, as a night out in the city always reminds me of the many excellent gigs that I saw there during my time living in nearby Leicester. In fact, I made the trip from Leicester to Nottingham to catch Warwick back in 2012 - when Thin Lizzy opened for Guns N' Roses at the city's large indoor arena. The venue for Sunday's show, however, was to be the more modest Rescue Rooms - a place which I have visited many times over the years. It may not be the biggest venue, but every gig that I have seen there has been great. The sound in the room is usually very good, and Nottingham crowds very rarely disappoint. Nottingham always attracts proper rock crowds, and bands love playing in the city for a reason. No rock tour feels complete without a Nottingham date, and Warwick clearly knew the benefits of playing in the city. I decided to make the trip up from Devon as, despite having seen him a number of times over the years with both Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders, I had never seen Warwick as a solo act with The Fighting Hearts. I saw him play a solo acoustic show in Exeter in 2013, which was great, but I had always wanted to see him in full flight as a solo artist. I only became familiar with Warwick when he joined Thin Lizzy, so The Almighty completely passed me by. I have since played catch-up, and as the band do not exist anymore seeing Warwick as a solo artist is really the only opportunity to hear songs by The Almighty live - as well, of course, as songs from Warwick's excellent collection of solo albums. The current tour is supporting last year's strong When Life Was Hard and Fast, which is an album that I played a lot last year. It is a great no-nonsense hard rock album, which is a style that Warwick has always excelled at. Attending the tour was a no-brainer for me, then, and the trip from Nuneaton up to Nottingham was a pretty quick one - despite having to suffer a very overcrowded train as far as Leicester. As expected, the Rescue Rooms was busy throughout the night. Nottingham rock fans always come out in force, and the amount of people that bought tickets ensured that a great atmosphere was present throughout.

Before Warwick's set, however, the growing crowd was treated to two support acts. Both bands I was familiar with in name only - so was looking forward to checking them out. Up first was Anchor Lane from Scotland, a three-piece grungy rock band that had something of a modern American radio rock vibe - with some alternative twists. Being first on can sometimes be a bit of a curse, but Anchor Lane certainly had the swagger to make their short set memorable - even if their grungy sound is not really my thing. One thing that was a shame, however, was that all of the basslines were on a backing track. I assumed that perhaps the band's bassist was ill, or otherwise unavailable, but a look at the band's Facebook page after the show revealed that he had left the band quite recently - and that they have decided to carry on as a three-piece. It is a shame that in doing so the band have not adapted their material to suit this new format - as relying on backing tracks for the basslines is not really a good look. This was especially true during the songs which really relied on the bass during the verses, which was most of them - as many of the band's songs had stripped-back verses and heavier choruses. For me, the band should either find a new bassist or adapt their songs (or who plays what) to suit the new line-up - as the band's current method is the worst of both worlds. That being said, I did not dislike Anchor Lane's set, despite their sound not really being my thing. A few of their songs had strong choruses, and Lawrence O'Brien (guitar/vocals) also impressed with some guitar playing that was a little different from the norm at times. His solos were rarely traditional hard rock-sounding or blues-based, but instead took on different forms - which I enjoyed. Whilst Anchor Lane are too far down the modern radio rock road for my liking, they are an enjoyable band who deserve to be making something of a name for themselves. I am glad that I have now had an opportunity to check them out, and there were certainly a few in the crowd who seemed to be into what they were doing.

Up next was The Virginmarys, a two-piece garage rock band who have been around for over a decade at this point. I remember there was a lot of excitement surrounding the band at one time, with many thinking that they would break through into the big time - but this never happened. Interestingly, The Virginmarys also lost a bassist at one point, but they adapted their sound accordingly rather than relying on backing tracks - with Ally Dickaty (vocals/guitar), I think, playing through two different amps to give his guitar a deeper sound as well as its more traditional tone to compensate. The band's garage rock sound suits the two-piece vibe well, however, and the band impressed during their high energy set. Again, The Virginmarys will never really be my thing - but live they were very powerful. I was amazed at how much of a varied sound that Dickaty was getting out of his guitar, and the drumming of Danny Dolan was extremely powerful - especially considering how small his kit was. Every song that the band played was a punishing assault of hard garage rock, with Dickaty's raspy voice the perfect accompaniment to his guitar playing. They reminded me at times of the rawer end of The Wildhearts' sound, but much more stripped-back. There was certainly a similar energy to The Virginmarys material, and again there were plenty in the crowd who were into what the band were doing. I saw plenty of Virginmarys t-shirts around too, so I would not be surprised if some turned up just to see them. I am not sure that they are the sort of band that I would listen to at home, but I would be tempted to go and see them live again if they played locally. I imagine that it is quite hard to capture the vibe of the band on record, with live being the optimum way to experience their music. It was quite caustic most of the time, but there were moments of light among the shade - and the band's sound was more diverse than I am probably making it out to be. They were a great way to pass 45 minutes of an evening, however, and I am sure that the band made themselves a few new fans with their performance.

Warwick always seems to be a rather straight-to-the-point guy, so it was with little fanfare than he and The Fighting Hearts took to the stage just before 9pm and launched into his rendition of Mink DeVille's Gunslinger - which was included on last year's album. The short, punky song got the gig off to a great start - and allowed the current incarnation of The Fighting Hearts to make themselves known. Ben Christo (guitar/vocals), Richard Vernon (bass guitar/vocals), and Jack Taylor (drums) are backing Warwick on this tour; and the four made for a powerful partnership throughout. Warwick was clearly the star of the show, but Christo also had plenty of opportunities to show off throughout - as he handled the guitar solos as well as most of the key backing vocals. Vernon and Taylor (who I thought could have played a bit more heavy-handedly throughout the set given the toughness of Warwick's material) locked together nicely too, and the four re-created the songs played in a high-energy and up-tempo manner. The focus of the set was on Warwick's solo albums, but a healthy dose of The Almighty's material was also included - as well as a few other treats. Over the Edge was the first Almighty track played, with the big chorus being sung loudly by the crowd, while the smoother The Road to Damascus Street showed off Warwick's somewhat Springsteen-esque side nicely. He paid tribute to his on-going time in Thin Lizzy with a rousing version of Jailbreak, which included a great Christo solo, before returning to the set-opening punk vibes for the fast-paced Never Corner a Rat - which was also culled from the latest album. Warwick largely let his songs do the talking, but did take a few opportunities to tell some tales. He introduced The Almighty's Wrench by describing the writing sessions that produced it, and thanked Planet Rock for their promotion of his current single Still Alive.

For whatever reason, too, the show in Nottingham was longer than many of the other shows so far on the tour. The folk/punk of Schwaben Redoubt was wheeled out in Nottingham, with the Pogues-esque track certainly garnering a strong reaction from the crowd due to its bouncy chorus and general high-energy vibe. This high-energy vibe was generally maintained for the rest of the set, too. Fighting Heart could have been on a Black Star Riders album with its big chorus and guitar leads, and the crunching Jonestown Mind was received well by Warwick's old-school Almighty-loving fans. I imagine that there were some in the crowd that wished that he dipped back into The Almighty's catalogue a bit more than he did, but for me the balance was about right - especially with a new album to promote. The Almighty songs played were easily some of the most well-received songs of the night however, and I imagine it pleases Warwick that his old band is still well-loved. Your My Rock 'n' Roll certainly channelled some of that vibe, however, and the big chorus of the title track of his latest album had plenty singing along. It is another song that could have been saved for Black Star Riders, but it sits well on Warwick's latest effort. Another big Almighty rocker, All Sussed Out, was then wheeled out - which was another track that has not generally been part of the tour's setlists so far. It was great to get a couple of extra songs in Nottingham, which certainly helped to make the night that little bit more special. By this point, however, the end was near. Warwick has never really been a go-off-and-come-back sort of act, so the three songs that would have probably made up the encore just flowed straight from All Sussed Out. Black Star Riders was represented by the inclusion of the fan-favourite single Finest Hour, before a furious take on Motörhead's Iron Fist raised the energy levels even further. This song brought the best out of the band, with Taylor shining on the drums. Another fan-favourite, The Almighty's Free 'n' Easy, brought the evening to a hard-hitting close - with everyone singing along to the simple chorus. It was a powerful way to end the set, and the crowd certainly made their appreciation known as the band left the stage. The setlist was:

Gunslinger [Mink DeVille cover]

Over the Edge [The Almighty material]

The Road to Damascus Street

You Don't Love Me

Jailbreak [Thin Lizzy material]

When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (and Guy Mitchell Sang the Blues)

Never Corner a Rat

Wrench [The Almighty material]

Still Alive

Schwaben Redoubt

Fighting Heart

Jonestown Mind [The Almighty material]

You're My Rock 'n' Roll

Celebrating Sinking

Tattoos & Alibis

When Life Was Hard and Fast

All Sussed Out [The Almighty material]

Finest Hour [Black Star Riders material]

Iron Fist [Motörhead cover]

Free 'n' Easy [The Almighty material]

Gigs in the Midlands are always memorable, and Warwick's Nottingham show with The Fighting Hearts was another one to add to the list. Full band solo tours are a relative rarity for him these days, so I am glad that I managed to get to one of the shows on this current tour. Warwick will soon be turning his attention back to Black Star Riders, as I understand that they have a new album recorded and ready to be released next year - with a lot of touring to follow. There are also plans for more Thin Lizzy appearances, too, meaning that this will probably be Warwick's last run of solo shows for some time. There are still quite a few shows left on the tour, however, so head out and catch him if you can - as the setlist is great and Warwick himself is on fine form.