Opeth's 'Sorceress' - Album Review

Opeth are one of those bands that, despite owning nearly all of their albums, I do not think I have ever really 'got'. Some days I am really in the mood to listen to them, and I love their work; and on other days an Opeth album is the last thing I want to hear. They are the ultimate 'mood' band, but when you are in the mood for them they can truly hit the spot like no other band. The Swedes are easily one of the biggest modern progressive bands, and have built up a large global fanbase by relentless touring and releasing a huge array of diverse and challenging albums that attract those who like something a little different. For the majority of their career, Opeth's sound was defined by extreme use of dynamics and light and shade. Long, complex progressive metal songs containing a melting pot of influences, mainly death metal and progressive rock, was the band's trademark, although hints of blues, jazz, and folk were all a regular part of the band's sound. Vocalist, guitarist, and main composer Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth's sole founding member in the band's current line-up, has become known throughout the metal world for his extremely diverse vocal range. It was not uncommon for him to use both brutal death growls and gorgeous clean vocals in the space of the same song, which helped to link all of the band's influences together. Since 2011's Heritage, the band's tenth album, Åkerfeldt decided he wanted to take Opeth in a new direction. Gone were the death metal sections, and instead he chose to focus on the progressive rock side of the band's sound, with organic keyboards and fuzzy drums included to produce a retro sound. This has been Opeth's way ever since, which has been divisive in the band's notoriously precious fanbase, but has also opened the band out to a wider audience. Åkerfeldt's love of bands like Camel, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Gong have been clear on recent works, and Sorceress, the band's twelfth album, is the culmination of the retro prog sound Åkerfeldt has been chasing since Heritage. While being noticeably heavier overall than Heritage and 2014's Pale Communion, with some great doomy riffs clearly inspired by early Black Sabbath, Sorceress really sticks to the retro prog ideals. Keyboardist Joakim Svalberg, now on his second album with the band, is all over this album. His grinding hammond organ lines help to drive the entire album and he often steals the show, especially when he gets to cut loose with solos to rival those of Keith Emerson. It is his contributions that really enhance that prog sound, and he comes into his own here. Incidentally, this the first Opeth album since 2005's Ghost Reveries to not be released via Roadrunner Records, with the band opting to go with Nuclear Blast this time around. Roadrunner have lost two big bands recently, with Alter Bridge jumping ship as well, so it makes you wonder why a label would want to loose bands of Opeth's stature!

The album is bookended by two short instrumentals. Persephone starts things off with delicate guitar melodies, and the spoken word section from Pascale Marie Vickery adds a strange and slightly ethereal quality as the shimmering keyboards join in. This leads nicely into the first 'proper' song on the album, which happens to be the title track, which takes a sudden turn into jazz-fusion territory with discordant keyboard melodies that intertwine playfully with Martín Méndez's fat bassline. This does not last too long however, and a doomy, chugging riff introduces the verse and Åkerfeldt's vocals. His clean vocals these days have much more grit and weight behind them then they did in the band's early days when the clean vocals were used in contrast with his death growls. His cleans are now his exclusive voice on new Opeth albums, and he showcases a much greater range than previously. The song has a very old-school vibe, with hammond organ often dominating the sound, as the two guitars and the bass chug away below in simplistic fashion. The ending of the song is fantastic, with a soaring keyboard riff that sounds like something that could have been on any classic Emerson, Lake & Palmer album! The Wilde Flowers is, on the surface, a much simpler after the meandering title track. The main verse moves along at a mid-pace, with stabs of guitar and hammond organ, recalling classic Deep Purple. Eastern melodies are also included, with plenty of snaking guitar lines for Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson to sink their teeth into. It has the album's most obvious choruses too, with some surprisingly catchy vocal melodies from Åkerfeldt that soar above the majestic music below. The album's first true guitar solo is also included too. I presume this is Åkesson's handiwork, as he seems to take the lion's share of the band's guitar solos these days, really lets rip with some chaotic shredding that works in great contrast to the methodical crunch of the rest of the song. Will O the Wisp is a great bit of acoustic folk rock that comes in after the previous two heavier songs to show off the delicate side Opeth have always had. This is very reminiscent of Songs from the Wood-era Jethro Tull, and the keyboard sounds used here even evoke the sound and feel of a flute at times! Åkerfeldt sings these sort of songs perfectly, and with a voice like this it is clear to see why he has taken a step back from harsh vocals. Floaty sections of lead guitar occasionally break out, especially during a spacey prog section towards the end, but the song is mainly focused around the vocals. This is a very uncomplicated song on an album that generally takes many twists and turns, and that makes it stand out even more. Chrysalis breaks the serene mood with Martin Axenrot's drum flurry, before launching into a fast song with an urgent verse led by a riff that would seem thrashy if it was not for the warm guitar tones. There is a large focus on the instrumental side of the band's playing throughout, with plenty of solo sections for all involved. That being said, the vocals are still very memorable, with some of the strongest vocal melodies on the album. It is one of the best songs on the album due to this excellent mix of strengths, and the guitar/keyboard duel that takes place part-way through and is pretty breathtaking at times. It recalls those classic moments between Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord in Deep Purple, with all the musicians playing off each other perfectly and adding their own tastes and colours to the song. After this excitement, it slowly fades out with repeating lyrics which works well to end a great song.

Sorceress 2 is another largely acoustic number, but fails to hit the spot like Will O the Wisp did. It seems strangely placed, as not much time as passed since the last acoustic song, and might have had more impact if it was moved to a later spot in the album's running order. I am not sure why it is called Sorceress 2 either, as it does not seem to have any lyrical or musical similarities with the album's title track, maybe it was just to be quirky? It has quite a nice haunting atmosphere throughout, helped by some really cold-sounding keyboards, but it just falls a little flat in comparison with what has come before. The Seventh Sojourn also starts off acoustically, but some tribal percussion soon joins in and the song gradually builds up over time. The Eastern melodies that the band experimented with earlier in the album are back in force here, and the song has a very Arabic feel throughout. It is also largely instrumental, which gives you a chance to focus on what is going on musically throughout. Méndez's bass guitar is surprisingly high in the mix here, and helps to dominate at times with rumbling notes that act almost as percussion to add weight to the jangly myriad of acoustic guitars dancing beneath. A spacey vocal section kicks in towards the end, with delicate piano lines and Åkerfeldt's vocals which have a strange effect on them. It sounds like something The Enid would do, and feels really strange after the Eastern instrumental workout. The song then moves seamlessly into Strange Brew, which opens with piano and Åkerfeldt's delicate vocals once more. The song's intro is very classic prog, with layers of keyboard coming in a out, and subtle guitar leads making whale-like noises for effect. A gorgeous clean guitar takes over, but this is soon blown out of the way by Axenrot crashing the party with his whirlwind drumming and the album starts to rock again. The album has sat in acoustic/mellow territory since Chrysalis, so it is a bit of a shock when this section kicks in and the band ramp up the gears once more. Both Åkerfeldt and Åkesson get a chance to solo by the sound of it, with two lengthy guitar solos following one after the other, with a pulsing hammond riff below for a grinding backing. This song has the feel of classic Opeth, without the death metal elements of course, as it continually changes between heavy rock sections and more delicate piano-led moments. It is the album's longest song too, at well over eight minutes long, and is one that really grows on you over multiple listens. Any old-school Opeth fans who are suspicious of the band's newer sound should give this song a go, as it contains all of the band's classic trademarks. A Fleeting Glace opens with a renaissance, Greensleeves-esque guitar melody, before a harpsichord melody takes over to play a staccato riff that, when paired with Åkerfeldt's mirroring vocal melodies, ends up sounding a bit like Supertramp. The song mostly sits in the 'floaty prog' camp and is never particularly heavy. There are occasions where the guitars are ramped up, but on the whole it has a very laid back feel. This is a great contrast to the album's penultimate song Era which is pretty furious and heavy throughout. Although it opens with piano, it is not long before the song's main riff hits you like a hammer and Axenrot's slightly off-beat drumming hits you from the other side! The result is quite confusing at first, as the two do not seem to fit together, but Opeth manage to make it work. Despite this, the song is pretty simple by the album's standards, and helps to end the album with a easily digestible bang. The album ends, as it began, with Persephone (Slight Return), although this time with piano rather than guitar, and things come full circle. Overall, Sorceress is a triumphant piece of work from a band I have never fully 'got' but nevertheless have a huge respect for. This is easily my favourite of their 'classic prog' releases, combining the best of Heritage and Pale Communion for some excellent results. The album artwork is fantastic too!

The album was released on 30th September 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Sorceress.

Epica's 'The Holographic Principle' - Album Review

With the exception of Nightwish, there is no symphonic metal band out there more popular than Epica (Within Temptation are excluded from this as they are not really a symphonic metal band these days!). Since forming in 2002, the Dutch band have been perfecting their over-the-top, heavy brand of symphonic metal that includes plenty of influences from death metal and progressive music. While the band have never made a drastic departure from the basic sound that has been in place since their 2003 debut album The Phantom Agony, each album does tend to have a slightly different identity driven by intertwining lyrical themes. The theme behind The Holographic Principle, the band's seventh album, is similar to that of the band's previous opus, 2014's The Quantum Enigma (which I reviewed here), and could be seen as a natural companion to that album. Much of the band's previous work has been more focused around more 'romantic' tops, with the Mayan civilisation and questioning the existence of God being a couple of examples. This album deals more with reality and how we view the universe, often with slightly science-fiction leanings, which follows on from The Quantum Enigma's themes. As I said at the time, The Quantum Enigma was a big step forward for the band as far as production goes. Gone was the overly-compressed style of long-term producer Sascha Paeth, something which I felt had really hampered 2012's Requiem for the Indifferent, and in it's place was a bright and bombastic production courtesy of Joost van den Broek. For me at least, van den Broek's work with Epica was a revelation. Paeth was in a bit of a rut generally, with many albums he had had a hand in around the same time as Requiem for the Indifferent had extremely flat and compressed productions, and Epica were wise to step away and seek someone else's services. Paeth has upped his game again since, and his more recent works have sounded better, but van den Broek is clearly the man for Epica now. He returns again here and, in sound as well as theme, The Holographic Principle is a great companion piece of The Quantum Enigma. As with all of Epica's albums, the band have introduced a few new little sounds into the mix while sticking firmly to their successful and signature formula. More electronic sounds seem to be used this time around, with futuristic synths mixing in well with the more traditional orchestral and piano sounds. There is even a song here that has a real classic rock groove, and it is these little changes that help to keep the band sounding fresh. On a final note before I get into the review proper, this is the band's first album where founding member Mark Jansen has not been credited for playing guitar on the album, only for his trademark harsh vocals. He still plays guitar live, and still seems to have a strong hold over the band's songwriting and thematic direction, so it seems strange that he chose to hand all guitar duties over to Isaac Delahaye this time around? It makes no real difference to the album's overall sound however, it was just interesting to read in the album's sleeve notes!

As with all of Epica's albums (and, in fact, the vast majority of symphonic metal releases) The Holographic Principle starts off with an orchestral instrumental. Eidola is the piece here, and helps to set the tone for the album with dramatic orchestrations and some beautiful vocals from a young child. This leads nicely into Edge of the Blade, one of the album's 'singles' and a song that will instantly be a hit with Epica fans due to it's recognisable style. A synth riff sits atop a snarling prog metal riff, before a groove-based verse introduces Simone Simons' angelic vocals once again. Her performance here is fairly restrained by her standards, before really letting rip in the powerful chorus backed by Jansen's growls. The song is instantly memorable, and is destined to become the band's latest concert opener. It has everything that is great about Epica's sound crammed into four and a half minutes, with a heavy focus on Delahaye's technical riffing. A Phantasmic Parade is more of a mid-paced piece, that opens with some plucked strings before exploding into a grinding rhythm and a verse that sees Simons use the higher end of her vocal register while a three-note melody repeats to great effect. Drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek is the song's principle composer, which makes the focus on rhythm here more obvious. The drum patterns are varied too, especially during the verses which have an off-kilter technicality to them, but is the the flat-out death metal section late on complete with blast beats that really shows off his skills. Universal Death Squad, the first song released from the album online a few months ago, was a great introduction to the overall themes and sound of the album. A great groove-based riff sits over a fast drum pattern, which acts as a great contrast, and Coen Janssen's synths and gorgeous orchestrations soon join the party to add more layers of melody. This is another microcosm of Epica's entire sound, with strong choral-led vocal sections, and one of the album's best choruses with a snaking vocal melody from Simons that sits atop Delahaye's staccato riffing. The song is consistently pretty heavy but a grinding slower section later in the song, complete with Jansen's powerful harsh growls, amps up the 'metal' before a speedy section complete with classical piano runs shows the band's diversity. There is even a short guitar solo thrown in, and all of this is in the space of little over a minute. If someone was to ask me what Epica sounded like, I would direct them to this song, as I feel it perfectly sums up the band's raison d'être. Divide and Conquer shows the simpler and atmospheric side of Jansen's songwriting with a lengthy orchestral intro and plenty of choral sections throughout. The progressive elements are paired back somewhat, and a call-and-response verse between Simons and Jansen provides some early crunch. The guitars are more a background instrument here, which is more reminiscent of the band's early works, which lets the orchestrations and vocal melodies shine through. Simons' chorus vocals are particularly strong, with a surprising lack of other interfering melodies to compete with. This song definitely has an old-school Epica vibe, which shows how far the band has come musically without ever making any dramatic changes in their sound. The political soundbites used, including a rather rousing one from former British Prime Minister David Cameron, also hark back to the band's early work. Beyond the Matrix is a real mish-mash of different sounds, but the influences meld together and manage to create something cohesive. The choral intro is typical of the band's sound, but the verse comes out of left-field with Rob van der Loo's bass dominating and Simons delivering the vocals with a real classic rock strut. The choral intro also forms the song's chorus, but it is the verses and the build up to these chorus sections that show the band at their most creative. Simons uses her full range her and shows considerable depth in her performance, going from uncharacteristically warm, low vocals, to higher notes within the space of a few words.

So far, The Holographic Principle has been a pretty relentlessly heavy affair. The changes on Once Upon a Nightmare, which is a ballad in the band's traditional style. Epica have always done strong ballads along side their heavier material. Janssen is the band's principle ballad writer, and his piano dominates here, as well as a varied vocal display from Simons with some parts of her delivery sounding almost like whispers, which works really well. She also unleashes her full-on operatic voice at some points, which fit perfectly alongside Delahaye's soaring guitar leads that come in at the same time. The pairing creates quite an emotional sound, and is the start of the song moving into heavier territory. It never totally leaves it's ballad routes however, and the song moves between heavier and quieter sections with ease. Janssen's piano and synths are always the dominant instrumental however, and shows what he brings to the band. The Cosmic Algorithm is probably the first song on the album that fails to really connect with me. After the diverse and strong material that has come before, this song does not have the wealth of hooks or melodies that the others have. Simons turns in a great vocal performance however, but the music is flatter and less interesting than other songs on this album. Ascension - Dream State Armageddon picks up the quality with a really strong mid-paced heavy song that showcases Jansen's harsh vocals. His vocals are often used more in the background, or on heavier breakdown-type sections of songs, but here he has more a staring role with big sections of the verses dedicated to him. Simons' operatic voice is used again here to great effect, and gives the chorus some real class. The song's mid-section is almost symphonic black metal, with van Weesenbeek's blast beats (he also contributes some eerie spoken word parts) and gothic orchestrations which fit perfectly with Jansen's howls. Dancing in a Hurricane is another instantly catchy song, but this time the band use some strong Middle Eastern influences to create some fantastic melodies. The opening has a very percussive feel, with tablas and other ethnic percussion used to great effect, and the orchestrations and guitar melodies also add to this feel. The song takes a while to build up, using Simons' voice to help grow the sound, but when the song explodes into the chorus it really begins to hit home. It is one of the most instantly powerful songs on the album, driven by that percussive feel and the triumphant chorus. There are heavier sections too, with harsh vocals, but this song is all about Simons really, and showcases her unique vocal talents. Tearing Down the Walls is a song that sounds quite different from anything the band have done before, yet it is hard to say why that is the case as there is nothing obviously radically different! Jansen's vocals again dominate, which is possibly why, but I think it comes down to the fact that the melodies are slightly out of keeping with the band's usual style. It works well though, and Simons sounds freed during certain parts, using bits of her voice that are not on show too often. As is usual with Epica albums, The Holographic Principle ends on an epic song. It is the album's title track that provides the album's final entertainment, and has everything you would want from a prog epic and more. As you would expect, the song moves through many different sections, but keeps returning to a great heavy riff with Jansen's devilish vocals atop it. Everything including Gregorian choirs, atmospheric guitar solos, and beautiful vocals from Simons are present here, and this is probably my favourite epic from the band since the title track of 2005's Consign to Oblivion. It is extremely melodic and memorable despite it's length, and is the perfect way to end the album. Overall, The Holographic Principle is another excellent album from one of the biggest creators of symphonic metal. They are a band that continues to deliver and showcase all of their strengths on this latest opus.

The album was released on 30th September 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Edge of the Blade.

FM - Nottingham Review

Since first seeing the band, coincidentally in Nottingham, over two years ago, I have been fortunate enough to catch FM live a few times. While they do not have the heaviest touring schedule, I always seem to be able to make it when they announce a run of UK shows, and the band continue to deliver live which draws me back. I last saw the band back in July when they were supporting Heart at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Despite only having 40 or so minutes on stage, they still managed to deliver a winning set, and it acted as a warm-up for this show. This year is the 30th anniversary of the band's debut album Indiscreet, and FM announced that they would play it in full at selected shows. The show at Nottingham's excellent Rescue Rooms venue was one of these shows, and it was the easiest one I could make with it being on a Saturday. Nottingham is somewhere I used to visit regularly, but I had not been for over a year. A trip back to Nottingham is always a good thing, and gigs there are always special. Nottingham is a proper rock town, with big crowds usually turning out for rock shows creating fantastic atmospheres. This show was no different, with the venue being pretty much full by the time FM hit the stage. An extra treat was the addition of former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden to the bill. Whitesnake are one of my favourite bands, and he was one of the key reasons for their early success. I even got the chance to meet him before the show, and chat to him for a short while while he signed my LP copy of Live...in the Heart of the City, which just made the evening that little more special. He was one of the most down to earth musicians I have met too, which is always nice to find out.

His set was entirely acoustic, and played for about 40 minutes and helped to warm up the growing crowd with his songs and stories, many of which involved David Coverdale! Many of the songs played were from his time in Whitesnake, with Till the Day I Die getting things off to a good start, before the old blues standard Linin' Track shows that Marsden has a powerful singing voice of his own. Despite being more known for his guitar playing, this set was more vocally-focused with an acoustic guitar backing. Soloing on an acoustic guitar is always tricky, but he did throw in a few little lead sections. It was the Whitesnake songs that brought the biggest reaction from the crowd, and unfortunately large sections of the crowd decided to chat loudly through the others. I hate this behaviour at shows, as it is extremely disrespectful to the artist on stage. It is obviously more noticeable during acoustic sets, and I really wish people would have the sense to be quiet while the music is playing. Either that, or cut down on the drink! Ain't no Love in the Heart of the City had everyone singing along however, which was great to see, as did the closing Beatles cover With Love From Me to You. Despite the talking, Marsden's set was great. I would live to see one of his full band shows one day, but seeing his acoustic and getting to meet him will do for now! The setlist was:

Till the Day I Die [Whitesnake material]
Linin' Track [Traditional blues standard]
The Time is Right for Love [Whitesnake material]
The World Keep on Turning [Fleetwood Mac cover]
Ain't no Love in the Heart of the City [Bobby 'Blue' Bland cover]
Ain't Gonna Cry No More [Whitesnake material]
Key to the Highway [Traditional blues standard]
With Love From Me to You [The Beatles cover]

FM are one of those bands who should have been much bigger and more successful than they were. Indiscreet hit at the height of the AOR trend in the mid-1980s, and probably suffered for not being American! AOR was certainly an American-lead phenomenon, so FM were on the outside looking in. That being said, they did have moderate success at the time, and have remained pretty popular ever since. The sound that erupted when the lights went down was a testament to that success, and the band started strong with Digging up the Dirt from last year's Heroes and Villains. FM setlists are usually a good mix of old and new, but this evening was definitely a nostalgia fest (for obvious reasons) with most of the songs coming from the band's first two albums. The songs from Indiscreet were spread throughout the set, and not played in one big chunk, which I think worked better and helped to keep the set a surprise. I Belong to the Night, which is easily the best FM song, received one of the biggest cheers of the evening. Jem Davis (keyboards/harmonica/vocals) owns the song, with his synth stabs and keyboard leads dominating, before Steve Overland (vocals/guitar) belts out the anthemic chorus, helped out by the entire crowd. Another early highlight was the early single Let Love be the Leader, before Someday was a surprise inclusion. Five songs from Indiscreet followed, none of which are set regulars these days. The high points of this section were definitely the bouncy Heart of the Matter and the smooth AOR of Hot Wired. The only song in the set that I felt did not really work was American Girls which just did not have the cheesy punch of the original album version. The keyboards were just not high enough in the mix for it, and it came off sounding rather flat. Bad Luck was a great cure for that though, and was another huge sing along moment for the crowd to really get behind. It was one of the many numbers played that featured fantastic guitar playing from Jim Kirkpatrick who played his heart out all evening. He has really given the band some youthful energy, and has been a key asset to FM over the past few years. The hit single That Girl and the heavy blues rock of Burning My Heart Down brought the main set to a close. There was time for more however, and the encore section started in mellow fashion with just Overland and Davis performing Story of My Life from 2013's Rockville. It was a good contrast to the rock that had come before, and was to come after, so this stripped back ballad was nice to hear. The final of the Indiscreet songs, Other Side of Midnight, was then played with Davis strapping on his keytar and rocking at the front of the stage with the rest of the band. I suppose that was real end of the set, but there were two more songs, both Whitesnake covers featuring Bernie Marsden. I have to be a bit critical here, as it all fell rather flat at this point. The band felt under-rehearsed for these songs and Overland clearly did not really know the lyrics, plus he does not really have the voice for these kinds of songs. Marsden's playing was spot on, but this little bonus at the end of the show really did not fly like it should have done. In contrast, FM did a similar thing when they headlined the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2014 where Marsden came on stage and they did Here I Go Again together. That time, Marsden sung it, and it all worked much better. It was a shame that it did not really work this time however, as it robbed the show of a truly stellar ending. The setlist was:

Digging up the Dirt
I Belong to the Night
Life is a Highway
Let Love be the Leader
Frozen Heart
Someday
Face to Face
Love Lies Dying
Heart of the Matter
Hot Wired
American Girls
Bad Luck
Tough it Out
That Girl
Burning My Heart Down
-
Story of My Life
Other Side of Midnight
Walking in the Shadow of the Blues [Whitesnake cover w/ Bernie Marsden]
Here I Go Again [Whitesnake cover w/ Bernie Marsden]

Despite my reservations about the show's ending, FM still put on a fabulous performance celebrating their debut album and it's place in the world of 1980s AOR. The set featured quite a few songs that do not get played live too often, which is always a treat. I am sure it will not be too long before I see the band again, at least I hope not!

Kansas' 'The Prelude Implicit' - Album Review

This my come as a surprise to those who know me and my music preferences, but Kansas are a band I know relatively little about. I have obviously always know about the band's expansive and hugely influential discography, and were familiar with their most well-known songs, but it was not until fairly recently that I actually got any of their albums. I year or so ago, I got a copy of their 1976 classic album Leftoverture and finally gave the band a proper listen. I have to say, I was not impressed. I am not sure why but I did not, and still do not, connect at all with Leftoverture. Of course Carry on Wayward Son is an absolute classic piece of melodic hard rock, but the rest of the album left me cold. Repeated listens have not really changed my views on this album, so I put Kansas to the back of my mind. Earlier this year however I took a punt on a cheap copy of 1977's Point of Know Return at a record stall at a festival. Something about the band fascinated me, and I really wanted to 'get' the hype. In stark contrast to Leftoverture, Point of Know Return was a hit with me from almost the very first note! The album made quite an impression on me, and I have played it quite a few times since. Around the same time there was lots of talk of the band releasing a new studio album, their first since 2000's Somewhere to Elsewhere and I knew I had to check it out. I pre-ordered the album, which is called The Prelude Implicit, and spun it eagerly. At first I was left a little cold, but repeated listens (especially those with headphones) have revealed the album to be very strong indeed! The band seem really energised on this first album in 16 years, and the new-look seven piece band all pull their weight to create a great modern-sounding melodic hard rock album with more than a hint of their classic 1970s sound. Founding members guitarist Rich Williams and drummer Phil Ehart, along with long-time members bassist Billy Greer and violinist David Ragsdale, are joined on The Prelude Implicit by three new recruits. Many wondered how the band would cope without their longtime singer and key songwriter Steve Walsh, who departed the band in 2014, but the band have bounced back and new singer Ronnie Platt does a fantastic job throughout. Walsh, who also played keyboards, has been effectively replaced by two people. Platt handles the vocals (although does contribute some keyboards live and some piano on this album), and David Manion handles the keyboards. The band have also been joined by guitarist Zak Rizvi, who was originally hired to produce the album and ended up joining the band (and contributing greatly to the songwriting of the album) in the process. This has the sense of a real 'band' album too, with songwriting distributed fairly evenly between all of the seven band members and plenty of chances for each individual to shine.

The album starts in fine melodic fashion with With This Heart, which immediately introduces new keyboard player Manion to the world with some fantastic piano melodies that have a really floaty quality. The song has a strong AOR sheen throughout (as does much of the album), with plenty of acoustic guitars during the verses, and a powerful chorus which is the first chance for Platt to show his strong voice. He is quite similar to Walsh, but has enough of his own characteristics not to be a clone. Platt is an inspired choice to front Kansas, as he brings a certain familiarity in style with him, but also proves himself to be a fine songwriter and performer in his own right. This song in general has a very familiar feel, especially when Ragsdale's violin leads kick in part-way through. His playing is all over this album, and this is the first of many folky prog melodies he provides. Visibility Zero is heavier, and kicks off with a grinding guitar/keyboard riff that has shades of classic Deep Purple and Uriah Heep about it. Manion's organ playing is strong here, and Williams and Rizvi form a formidable guitar duo with plenty of stabbing rhythms and laid-back acoustic passages. In fact, Uriah Heep is a good comparison for this whole song, with lots of strong harmony vocals throughout, and a cracking violin solo which does what no guitar could do in it's place! The Unsung Heroes is mellower, and opens with  a soaring violin melody, before dropping off with a piano-led verse that has a slight waltz feel to it. It is a bit of a crooner really, with soulful vocal display from Platt that fits perfectly with the booming piano chords. Despite the basic power ballad structure the song conforms to, there is a great instrumental section near the end which harks back to the band's prog roots with duelling guitar and violin lines. Rhythm in the Spirit is next, and makes the previous three songs feel like warm-ups in comparison. I would say this is the album's best song, and contains everything that has made Kansas the classic band they are over the years.  Another big guitar/keyboard riff drives the song, with a subtle addition of violin, until a slightly funky verse takes over led by a big Greer bassline and some snaking guitars. It actually sounds a little like Toto, something which carries on into the pre-chorus with some high vocals from Platt and some bouncy guitar melodies. The chorus is pure Kansas however, with a jaunty violin lead behind Platt's soaring, and extremely catchy, vocal melodies. It is easily the best chorus on the album, and helps to elevate the song to new heights. Guitars, keyboards, and violin all have chances to shine throughout with prominent solos or melodies, and the mix of instruments keeps the song exciting. After the bombast, Refugee is a much more serene song, dominated by William's delicate acoustic guitar playing. Ragsdale's mournful violin adds a certain moody drama here and there, but this song is mainly about Williams and Platt, who might have laid down his best vocal display yet on this song. This dark, but calm ballad provides a great mid-album break from all the rock that has come so far, and shows a different side to the band's songwriting.

The epic progressive rock of The Voyage of Eight Eighteen is the album's centrepiece and the longest song here. Platt provides some piano work here, giving the album a two-keyboard attack that helps to fill out the sound nicely. The opening lengthy violin spot is perfect, and really sets the song's nautical theme with melodies that could have come from old sea shanties. The verses rein in the bombast for a more laid back vibe, with subtle piano over some rhythmic drumming from Ehart. The song does not have a chorus as such and eschews traditional structure as it moves forward. The song is a real journey, which is perfect given it's title! Some of the most progressive moments on the album are contained in this song with synth melodies, retro organ solos, and soaring violin jigs mix together perfectly to create a wall of different sounds. After Rhythm in the Spirit, this is the album's best song, and is a really excellent display of melodic progressive songwriting. Camouflage gets back to the more concise songwriting that dominates the album. Again, there is a grinding guitar/keyboard riff that drives the early part of the song, and again there is a strong Uriah Heep influence. The organ continues to play throughout the song, encompassing everything in a dark glow. The chorus is another melodic delight however, with plenty of harmony vocals to make the melodies stand out, and bring the best out of Platt's voice. Summer stands out on this album as it is the only song not sung by Platt. Greer takes the lead instead, and proves he has a strong voice too, and provides a slightly rougher take on Kansas' sound than Platt, which is nice to hear. It is an upbeat rocker, with loads of great keyboard sounds and plenty of catchy violin leads - especially during the verses. The chorus is pure AOR, and it is seriously catchy. I guarantee anyone who hears it will be singing it and hearing it in their head for a long time after! Crowded Isolation comes along as a bit of a shock after the previous upbeat song, and hits hard with a groove-based guitar riff and plenty of dark keyboards. It is probably the heaviest moment on the album, with the biggest and most prominent guitar parts and the bass is nice and high in the mix which adds to the darker overall sound. There is a great synth solo here too, which shows off Manion's skills, and adds a real old-school vibe to the song. This song leads nicely into the closing number, the instrumental Section 60. The song is inspired by, and dedicated to, US troops who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan and contains all the band's instrumental hallmarks. It is a great way to end the album, and features little bits of what has come before and what makes The Prelude Implicit a resounding success for Kansas. Overall, this album is great, and brings Kansas back to the forefront of the rock world with a bang. It also shows that a band can survive loosing key songwriters, as neither Walsh nor founding member Kerry Livgren have had anything to do with this album. I hope this is not the last we hear from Kansas, and this album kick starts a whole new chapter in the band's already long history.

The album was released on 23rd September 2016 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Visibility Zero.

Marillion's 'Fuck Everyone and Run' - Album Review

Since forming in 1979, English progressive rock veterans Marillion have always been pioneers. In the 1980s, they almost single-handedly spearheaded a progressive rock revival with a punishing world touring schedule and albums (and singles) that took the UK charts by storm. It is not an understatement to suggest that they were one of the biggest bands of the world at one point, which is something that makes their current position as a slightly mysterious cult band even more interesting. If you put a gun to my head and told me I had to pick one over-arching favourite band, I would probably pick Marillion. All of the band's 17 studio albums are good in their own way, and each one has a unique sound and feel that means there is a Marillion album for almost any situation. Despite never truly loosing touch with the mainstream music media, Marillion have essentially been a cult act since the mid 1990s, but the support of their large (and extremely loyal) fanbase has allowed them to remain extremely active and continue to release quality music. 15 or so years after the likes of Kayleigh and Lavender were soaring up the single charts, Marillion were still acting as musical pioneers. 2001's Anoraknophobia was totally funded by fan pre-ordered, which allowed the band to act without record label support, something which they have continued to use ever since. Marillion are credited with being one of the first bands (if not the first band) to use 'crowdfunding' to finance their activities, something which is now extremely common place for bands that are outside the musical and commercial mainstream. In an act of coming full circle, Marillion teamed up with crowdfunding website PledgeMusic to release their 18th album Fuck Everyone and Run which was released last month. Often referred to as simply F E A R, this new album is the band's first for four years, since the release of the excellent Sounds That Can't be Made in 2012. Soundwise, F E A R is quite similar to that album, but also borrows heavily from 1994's dark concept album Brave and 2004's sprawling double album Marbles. As a result, F E A R is a very varied and dark album, and easily the most 'progressive' the band have sounded for a while! Gone are accessible rock songs (mostly) and instead the album is centred around three multi-part epics that are each like mini-albums in themselves. Two more 'traditional' songs and a short outro complete the 68 minute album, which is something that needs multiple listens to fully appreciate. This is an angry and extremely political album, which might put some people off, but it is also extremely heartfelt and emotionally charged. As an aside, this is an album that saw Marillion bother the charts once again, with this album hitting number 4 on the week it was released! This the highest position the band have reached since 1987's Clutching at Straws, and is the highest-charting album of the Steve Hogarth-era!

The opening number, El Dorado, is one of the three long, multi-part epics, but it actually starts in rather understated fashion. Steve Rothery's delicate acoustic guitar melody dominates the short first part Long-Shadowed Sun, before Mark Kelly's dense keyboards take over for The Gold. Hogarth's vocals are fantastic throughout the whole album, with plenty of diversity on show early on. Long-Shadowed Sun has  folky, singer-songwriter feel to it, whereas the opening to The Gold sees his oft-used mumbled falsetto that is reminiscent of modern bands like Radiohead. More traditional 'rock' soon takes over as Pete Trewavas' melodic, growling bassline takes over for a groove-led section with pulsing rock organ and a strident vocal display from Hogarth. The amount of diversity crammed into this opening few minutes is more than you would see in many whole albums, and is a real taster of what is to come. The Gold climaxes in one of Rothery's trademark emotional guitar solos, which is the one thing that links all the various faces and sounds of Marillion. He is one of the world's most underrated guitarists. and this soaring section is proof as to why. Demolished Lives definitely has the marks of Brave all over it, with a complex bassline and layers of keyboards that have an eerie, unsettling sparkle. Echoey vocals herald the arrival of F E A R, another dark piece of music that is focused around one of Rothery's affects-heavy arpeggiated guitar melodies, as Kelly's space-age keyboards scream and fly around above. Hogarth's vocals are at his most caustic here, with serious bite and anger on show as he spits out the visceral lyrics. The Grandchildren of Apes, the fifth and final part of El Dorado, is almost a return to the floaty, folky intro. Delicate piano chords dominate, and Hogarth's vocals are much more relaxed after the poisonous display of the previous part. It ends on a rather anti-climactic note, but it actually works well, with the fading keyboard notes acting as a great contrast to how the rest of the song slowly built up emotionally and musically. Living in F E A R, the first of the two stand-alone songs on the album, is typical modern Marillion. The verses are quite sparse, with a bass-heavy sound and layers of keyboards. The song picks up during the chorus, which is noticeably louder and more 'rock' than the rest of the song, with Hogarth letting rip with the vocals over the top of Ian Mosley's crashing drums. Those who are fans of the sound the band forged on Sounds That Can't be Made, or 2008's Happiness is the Road, will certainly enjoy this, and it acts as a great contrast to the two epics that bookend it.

Opening with some very old school keyboards, The Leavers is the second epic. It is probably the least interesting of the three, but it is still great with plenty going on. The first part, Wake up in Music, is quite a funky, and slightly trippy, song with the aforementioned keyboards dominating, and a later bassline creating quite a dancey vibe throughout, helped by some great offbeat drumming. The Remainers is much more restrained, with dry-sounding keyboards and a sparse vocal display, featuring some more of Hogarth's falsetto. Rothery's guitar here is also pretty hypnotic, which fits in perfectly with Hogarth's voices. Things ramp up again with Vapour Trails in the Sky, which opens with big bass notes and soon morphs into a soaring piece of modern piece of progressive rock with Rothery's effects-heavy guitar taking the lead. There is a lot going on here, with playful piano melodies often cutting through the guitars, and eventually taking over completely for the ambient second half. Piano also dominates The Jumble of Days, with a melody that sounds like something the band would have come up with in the 1980s, but it is not long before Rothery takes over with what could possibly be the best guitar solo on the album. The bass and keyboard backing is perfect, and makes for a dramatic instrumental section as his unique phrasing and sense for melody shines through. There is nothing quite like a Steve Rothery guitar solo, and they are always some of the highlights on any Marillion album. The Leavers comes to an end with the delicate One Tonight, which is, again, piano-led and rounds out the second epic of the album perfectly as it builds towards a crescendo dominated by Hogarth's soaring vocals. White Paper is the second of the two stand-alone songs, and is the better of the two. In my mind, this is what Invisible Ink from Sounds That Can't be Made would sound like if it was more of a rock song, and in any case this definitely seems like a companion piece to that song. Kelly's piano is the most prominent instrument during the song's early stages, as Hogarth's fragile, shaky vocals croon above. The song gradually builds throughout, as drums, bass, and guitar all join in to take the song to new heights. Rothery's stark notes cut through everything to form the song's main melody for the heavier sections, but it is not long before everything drops out again. This is a song that moves through many distinct sections despite it's relatively short length, but it all holds together perfectly. I really like the song, and it manages to hold it's own despite the album's focus being on the three lengthy pieces.

The real highlight of the album however if the final of the three epics The New Kings. Fuck Everyone and Run is the opening piece, with a distinct verse-chorus structure with Hogarth's soaring falsetto singing the profanity-heavy chorus with little of the anger you would expect. It has a mournful feel, which is different from the groove-based rock of the verse sections, and this sets the tone for the rest of The New Kings. A dark-sounding guitar solo bridges the song into the oft-repeated refrain of: 'We're too big to fall, we're too big to fail', something which certainly encompasses the song's, and indeed the album's, theme of the distrust of modern political and economic policies. The New Kings is easily the most cohesive of the three epics, with less diversity, but this works in it's favour to create a masterful piece of work that contains everything that is great about Marillion. Russia's Locked Doors, the second part, is like a darker version of Fuck Everyone and Run, with the music getting slowly more sinister and the lyrics getting more and more angry. It ends with a repeat of that familiar refrain, before Rothery launches into another of this fantastic guitar solos, this one driven by a driving drum beat and haloed with gorgeous warm keyboards. A Scary Sky is a much more atmospheric and ambient piece, with Kelly's keyboards taking over with a myriad of sounds and feelings, not unlike the sound that dominated 1999's marillion.com. This acts as a bridge between the epic guitar solo at the end of Russia's Locked Doors and the anthemic hard rock final chapter Why is Nothing Ever True?. This part of the song actually reminds me of the final couple of minutes of the song Fugazi, which has similar political sentiments and sing-a-long vibe with big piano notes and catchy vocal melodies. I suspect this was deliberate and, despite the fact more than 30 years separate these two songs, it shows that the core of Marillion has never really changed. It is the perfect ending to an epic piece of music that could be the single greatest Marillion moment for quite some time, and shows the band at their musical, and lyrical, best. A short closing number, Tomorrow's New Country, follows, and this has the feeling of music that plays over the credits after a film finishes. It has a reflective feel to it, and ends the album on a calmer and atmospheric note, which is a great contrast to all the previous drama. Overall, Fuck Everyone and Run is a fantastic album that is certainly a gift that keeps on giving. It shows a band who, having been pioneers their whole careers, once again show the world that they can produce something that sounds unique and distinct. This is an album that will probably come to define what Marillion are about in the 21st century, and is a masterwork in modern progressive songwriting.

The album was released on 23rd September 2016 via Intact Records/earMusic. Below is the band's abridged promotional sound clip for The New Kings.

Steel Panther - Cardiff Review

I had done two gigs on the trot before (sometimes by the same band - Mostly Autumn and Glamour of the Kill jump out in this category), but I do not ever remember doing three before! This Steel Panther show at Cardiff's premier music venue, the Motorpoint Arena, was my third gig in as many days in a trip that had taken in Bristol and London beforehand! Some might think me mad, but I love it and would do this sort of thing more often if time and money were not an issue! This was also the biggest gig of the three, with the sizes increasing over the course of the trip. Arena shows are a relative rarity in my gigging life, as most hard rock and metal acts cannot dream of filling venues of this size, but with the popularity of the genres slowing increasing again, more and more bands are starting to fill arenas. Steel Panther are a band that have grown a lot since I last saw them, which was in 2012 at Nottingham's Rock City on the Balls Out tour. I had seen them once before that too, also in Nottingham, but this time at the large arena supporting Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe. Steel Panther, despite their comedy image and lyrics, are a genuinely great live band too, and their music that both parodies and celebrates the 1980s hair metal scene is perfect to fill big arenas. I had deliberately missed the band on their last few UK appearances, as there just is not the time or money to see every gig I would like to, so when I saw this short arena run announced back in February I jumped at the chance to see them for a third time. The fact that American sleaze rockers Buckcherry were chosen as one of the support bands also helped my decision, as they are a band I have wanted to catch live for a while. On another positive note, the venue was pretty much full for this show, and it was great to see such a large crowd in an arena for a rock act!

The aforementioned Buckcherry opened the show with a seven-song set of their patented sleazy hard rock. This sort of music is made for big crowds, and many present already seemed to be familiar with much of their material. I was actually somewhat disappointed with the band's performance however. Frontman Josh Todd just sounded plain weird throughout the entire set, and was almost unintelligible throughout. It was not that that he was low in the mix, as he was not, I could barely understand a word he said (or sung) all night, which was a shame. The rest of the band were great however, with guitarists Keith Nelson and Stevie D. trading dirty riffs, slide sections, and shredding solos with ease. Despite Todd's performance I still enjoyed the band's set, and the highlights were the speedy melodic hard rock of Gluttony and the closing number Crazy Bitch that had everyone in the growing crowd singing along passionately. The setlist was:

Sunshine
Ridin'
Gluttony
Out of Line
Lit Up
Say Fuck It [Icona Pop cover]
Crazy Bitch

On the other band, main support band Bowling for Soup genuinely impressed and turned in an impressive performance. The American pop punk band are easily a contender for the worst headline band I have ever seen live before, when they played a sloppy and drunk show in Plymouth back in 2007 (I think). Since then I have pretty much ignored anything they have done, but this 50 minute set in Cardiff was packed full of songs I remember hearing on Kerrang! TV back in the day! I am not usually one for nostalgia, but this set made me remember how many catchy songs Bowling for Soup have written, and their performance this time was tight and full of energy. Teen anthems like High School Never Ends and Almost had even the most harden hair metal heads in the crowd singing along, and their rocking cover of Fountains of Wayne's Stacy's Mom (which apparently lots of people think is by Bowling for Soup so they play it live now as a joke) went down well. It was the last two numbers, 1985 and Girl all the Bad Guys Want, that brought the biggest cheers however, and ensured their set ended on a high. I was genuinely impressed with this live this time, and this set has gone some way to cleanse my mind of the previous horror show I had witnessed all those years ago.

It was Steel Panther that everyone was here to see however, and when the lights went down the place went crazy. Satchel's (guitar/vocals) opening riff to Eyes of a Panther set to the tone for the night, and the crowd were loud and energetic from the off. The band's sound mix was perfect too, with everyone sounding nice and loud with just the right amount of sparkle. Two more modern hair metal anthems followed, culminating in Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World which frontman Michael Starr sung with ease. Steel Panther are part-band and part-comedy act, and one of their ad-libbed spoken sections followed. These are the parts of Steel Panther shows that make me switch off in all honesty. They can be funny for a few minutes, but this section must have gone on for a good 15 minutes of banter between the band members and the audience, and it did get tiresome. They could have easily fitted in another couple of songs instead! I know many people enjoy these sections, but it did get rather too much after a while. When the band are playing music however, they are untouchable. Asian Hooker and Turn Out the Lights came in quick succession, and It Won't Suck Itself  has one of the craziest guitar solos in the band's catalogue. A short acoustic section followed, where a fan was brought on stage and the band sang to her, and attempted to make up a song for her on the spot which was actually pretty funny. This culminated in a crowd sing-a-long of Girl from Oaklahoma which went down well. More girls were brought up on stage from the crowd after this, and the show became one huge party until the end. 17 Girls in a Row and the closing number Death to all but Metal were the highlight of this section of the show, and saw plenty more soloing from Satchel. There was time for one more song as an encore, and Party all Day (Fuck all Day) was chosen. Members from the band The Lounge Kittens got up on stage and joined the band by adding extra backing vocals, and the show ended on a real high with one of the catchiest songs in the band's repertoire. The setlist was:

Eyes of a Panther
Just Like Tiger Woods
Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World
Asian Hooker
Turn Out the Lights
Let Me Cum In
Guitar solo
It Won't Suck Itself
She's on the Rag
Girl from Oaklahoma
17 Girls in a Row
Gloryhole
Community Property
Death to all but Metal
-
Party all Day (Fuck all Night) [w/ The Lounge Kittens]

Overall, this was a triumphant set from a band that have really helped bring 1980s hair metal to the younger generation while making a string of excellent, and funny, records themselves. I am sure we will be hearing from Steel Panther for quite some time yet, and with a new album due in February, I expect there will be more UK shows next year!

Sonata Arctica - London Review

After a great show from Stream of Passion in Bristol the night before, it was up to the London for my second gig in a string of three. Finnish power metal veterans Sonata Arctica were the reason for the trip, who are a band I have liked for some years. They were one of the first melodic metal bands I got into when I was discovering this sort of music, so they will always hold a special place in my heart despite the fact I do not listen to them anywhere near as often as I used to. I first saw the band in 2011 in Wolverhampton, which was quite a while after I first got into them, and was impressed by their energetic live show. I also saw the band a couple of years later in Nottingham. That show was marred by bad sound issues, and was subsequently not as impressive as my first outing. I have missed their past couple of UK shows, as heading up to London from the South West us not always easy, so I jumped at the chance to see them again as part of my epic three-gig marathon. London's Shepherd's Bush Empire certainly is not the capital's best venue, with a reputation for dodgy sound. I cannot say I have ever had any issues there previously, and this evening also proved to be issue-free. It could also be seen as an upgrade for the band, who have been playing the smaller O2 Academy in Islington on their past couple of UK tours, and it was great to see a good-sized crowd for a European melodic metal band, with plenty of people on the floor and up in the balcony seats. The weather did conspire to put a dampener on proceedings however, as torrential rain hit about 45 minutes before the venue opened which soaked everyone in the queue! I have never stood in rain like it, and luckily managed to seek shelter under some scaffolding that was erected at the side of the venue! It is safe to say that everyone was relieved when the doors finally opened (about 10 mins late, something which this venue is also known for...) and we were all allowed into the dry!

Before Sonata Arctica came on, we were treated to two good support acts. Up first was Power Quest, a British power metal band who reformed earlier in the year after a three-year break with a revamped line-up and a new EP called Face the Raven. I missed part of their first song due to the slow-moving queue, but what I finally got in I was impressed with their performance from the off. New frontman Ashley Edison has a fantastic voice for this type of music, and his some extremely impressive high notes throughout their half an hour set. Both of the new songs from the EP were played, with the title track easily being the highlight of the set for me, along with some older songs which I was no familiar with. Power Quest are a band I have always been meaning to give more time to, and after this stellar performance I will certainly be exploring their back catalogue. Founding member Steve Williams' (keyboards/vocals) smiles throughout told you how happy he is with this latest incarnation of the band, and the vocal nature of the gathering crowd showed there is still a lot of love for this British band despite their hiatus.

Swedish rising stars Twilight Force are the main tour support for Sonata Arctica's European run, and they impressed from the off and kept the large crowd entertained during their hour-long set. Despite a sightly muddy live sound mix (a bit like their latest album really!) the band really impressed with good stage-craft and a set packed with catchy power metal anthems from both of their albums. The band's second album, Heroes of Mighty Magic, is only a couple of months old but it dominated the set and provided the best cuts during their set, including the overall highlight for me Flight of the Sapphire Dragon. Frontman Chrileon, who had been unwell earlier in the tour, seemed back to pretty much full strength in London and displayed his impressive vocal range throughout the challenging the setlist. Lynd (guitar) easily had the most solos of any guitarist on show this evening and channelled his inner Yngwie Malmsteen throughout the set which brought plenty of cheers from the crowd. This is a band who's star is certainly rising, and plenty in the large crowd already seemed to be fans of theirs. I suspect this is a band we shall hearing plenty about for years to come in the metal world, and this performance was worthy of all the accolades. The setlist was:

Battle of Arcane Might
Forest of Destiny
Enchanted Dragon of Wisdom
Riders of the Dawn
Powerwind
Flight of the Sapphire Dragon
There and Back Again
Gates of Glory
The Power of the Ancient Force
Knights of Twilight's Might

With their new album, The Ninth Hour, just over a week old, Sonata Arctica are currently out promoting this release and featured five songs from the new album in their 90 minute set in London. I had not had chance to listen to the album many times before the show, and not much of the material had really jumped out at me, so I was looking forward to hearing some of the songs live. They opened the show with the opening two numbers from the new album: Closer to an Animal and Life, both of which are good songs. The former is a strange album opener, and even stranger concert opener, but then Sonata Arctica have always been a strange band. If anyone is going to make it work then they are, and they pulled it off. Frontman Tony Kakko has one of the smoothest voices in the genre, and he crooned the mid-paced tune, before the band launched into Life which has similarities to their older sound with big keyboard leads from Henrik Klingenberg and some big double bass patterns from Tommy Portimo (drums). Old and new material sat well alongside each other throughout, and an early highlight was The Wolves Die Young from the band's previous album. This is such a melodic anthem, and saw plenty of singing from the large crowd. The old power ballad Tallulah was greeted like the old friend that it is, before another new number, Fairytale, went down pretty well. Of course, one of the biggest reactions of the evening was for FullMoon, one of the band's best known songs, and there was plenty of shredding from Elias Viljanen (guitar/vocals). The second half of the show included some more new material and some lesser-played songs. The ballad We Are What We Are, from the new album, was really well received; while the speedy Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited saw a rare live outing. The main set ended with another rare outing for the 10 minute-plus The Power of One, from the fan favourite album Silence. This piece of epic progressive metal was the perfect set-closer, and the band left the stage on a high. There was of course time for a little more however, and I Have a Right was the first song in the encore section. Having seen Stream of Passion play a storming version of this the previous night in Bristol, it only made me realise how insipid the original version of this song is. It has to be one of the band's worst songs, and I really wish they would drop it from their live sets. It was the only low point in what was overall a strong set however, and they redeemed it with a closing performance of the fabulous Don't Say a Word, which saw a lot more singing from the crowd and a fantastic guitar/keyboard duel from Viljanen and Klingenberg. It does annoy me a little that the band still insist on performing the rather puerile Vodka outro, which they have been doing for years now, as the novelty of it has really worn off! The setlist was:

Closer to an Animal
Life
The Wolves Die Young
In Black and White
Tallulah
Fairytale
FullMoon
Among the Shooting Stars
Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited
We Are What We Are
The Power of One
-
I Have a Right
Don't Say a Word/Vodka

Overall, this was another good gig from the Finnish power metal veterans, who prove why they are such respected names in the genre. After seeing such a poor turnout in Bristol the night before for a band with a similar fanbase, it was reassuring to see a healthy crowd at this show. The atmosphere was great throughout, and all three bands played great sets that impressed.