Bon Jovi's '2020' - Album Review

I am surprised that it has got to October and I am only reviewing the second release of the year called 2020. Vandenberg released their first album in a long time, 2020 (which I reviewed here), back in May - but since then it seems that most other bands have avoided using the cliché title. Bon Jovi have never been the most original of bands however, especially throughout the last couple of decades, so it should come as little surprise that Jon Bon Jovi and co. have opted to name their fifteenth collection of original material 2020. In fairness to Bon Jovi, I believe that part of the reason for the title was that 2020 is an election year (in America in anyway) and the album cover was designed somewhat to look like a candid political campaign photo - with Bon Jovi 2020 emblazoned in one of the corners. The title still sucks however, just as every other year-based title has in the past - but I suppose at least there was some logic behind it. It is the content within that matters however, and ultimately how the album will be judged. As much as I have enjoyed Bon Jovi's catalogue throughout the years, I think it is fair to say that it has been quite some time since the band released a truly essential album and I would argue that 2007's country-tinged Lost Highway was probably the band's last album to impress from start to finish. This is not to say that the band's most recent albums are all totally throwaway, as they are not, but Bon Jovi's studio output has certainly become pretty patchy of late. The best of the bunch, for me anyway, was 2016's This House Is Not for Sale (which I briefly discussed here) - an album which I did not pick up in time to review properly as I had become quite disillusioned by the band's other recent albums. I was quite kind to 2013's What About Now (which I reviewed here) when it was first released, but my opinion on it has certainly changed over the years. The album has aged about as well as milk for me, with the tame pop sound that the band went for there lacking any sort of bite whatsoever. I am not sure of the whole story surrounding former guitarist Richie Sambora's departure, but I would not be surprised if the ever-more insipid musical direction that Bon Jovi was pushing contributed to it. 2015's odds and sods collection Burning Bridges was the nadir however. It is easily the band's weakest album, which is not surprising considering it was a collection of songs that were not considered to be good enough for other albums. This House Is Not for Sale was, then, a big step up in quality - and easily their best since Lost Highway. The songwriting was mature, the hooks were back, and the production had a great organic quality to it. I had higher hopes for 2020 as a result, but I think it is fair to say that the band's latest opus is a step down in quality again - although certainly not back down to the What About Now/Burning Bridges level. It is also the album where Bon Jovi is now just essentially the solo outfit of their lead singer. The line between Bon Jovi the band and Jon Bon Jovi the frontman has always been blurred somewhat, but this album might as well have been his third solo album - based on the very limited input in songwriting from the rest of the band and the basic arrangements of the material here. Despite the fact that producer and guitarist John Shanks and percussionist Everett Bradley seem to have been made official members of the band here, taking the band's ranks to seven, 2020 is not an album that sounds like it was made by a full-throttle rock act. It is quite a sparse album with something of an atmospheric sound that often produces quite mixed results.

Despite this atmospheric, somewhat laid back, sound, there are a few moments of more up tempo rock to be found here. The band will probably never rock as hard as they did in the 1980s and early 1990s again, but there are still a handful of catchy pop rockers on 2020. One such track, Limitless, opens things up; and it is a song that resembles other recent lead singles such as Because We Can. Long time Bon Jovi fans know what they are getting with a song like Limitless, with chiming guitar melodies and a wordless vocal hook opening things up. A somewhat modern sound is clearly been attempted here, with a pulsing Hugh McDonald bassline driving the punchy verses; while the hooky choruses feature shimmering synths and chiming guitar arpeggios. The song would have probably been better if the band viewed it through an old-school filter, and allowed the guitars to really power through the mix, but in truth it is enjoyable as it is. The band have done better, but as a simple piece of pop rock the song works well enough. Bon Jovi just about gets away with it vocally, although there are some cracks to be found throughout the album, with the simple chorus melody allow him to showcase his enduring knack for stadium-sized melodies. It is a shame then that the album takes such a nosedive after this solid opening. 2020 was originally supposed to be released back in May, but was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, two new songs were recorded in the interim - and both are up next. Do What You Can is the first of two ham-fists issue-based numbers that really fail to hit home, and in fact end up sounding pretty forced and overly-earnest. We all know that Bon Jovi has always secretly wanted to be Bruce Springsteen, but this album shows that he is certainly not fit to wear any sort of similar crown. Do What You Can is about the ongoing pandemic, but the subject matter is dealt with the subtly of a brick to the face; and smacks of the same middle-class smugness that fills much of the mainstream media at the moment with their constant calls for ever-more draconian restrictions on ordinary people's lives. This song does nothing to address the harm of the ongoing lockdowns that are happening the world over, and the overly-jaunty nature of the piece just enhances the vision of someone speaking from their high castle - unaffected by what is going on on the ground. American Reckoning is the second of the new songs, and it tackles the George Floyd murder and the Black Lives Matter movement with a similar amount of subtly as COVID was tackled previously. This song is certainly an improvement over the last one, with a strong atmosphere and a sombre, rallying chorus - but I just do not think that Bon Jovi has the nuance of language these days to tackle these sorts of issues. Listen to this and then listen to Springsteen's American Skin (41 Shots) and compare the two - the difference is night and day. The strange thing though is that Bon Jovi have done serious issue-based songs in the past, and have done them so much better than this. I just think that his songwriting skills are not what they were, especially for tackling issues that have been poured over and debated to the extent that COVID and racism have been of late, and that really comes light during this album's opening handful of tracks.

Luckily however, things improve with Beautiful Drug - a fairly upbeat rocker that features one of the few proper guitar riffs on the album. Guitarist Phil X might as well have not turned up to some of the recording sessions for this album as his skills are certainly not put to good use for the most part, but there is actually a bit of bite here - as well as a strong chorus. There is even a proper guitar solo, something that is a real rarity on this album. X has proved himself to be a great guitarist over the last few Bon Jovi tours, and it is a real shame to see him so underused on this album. The solo here is not exactly a great moment, but it is nice to see him cutting loose a little. The song is certainly an enjoyable pop rocker in a similar vein to Limitless, and it is sure to go down well live where the band will certainly rock it up somewhat on stage. The opening line of 'tear off your mask' after the awful Do What You Can is delivered with absolutely no irony whatsoever however, and it just shows how this album was recorded in a couple of sessions. Story of Love is an acoustic-based ballad, and is typical of many of the songs found on the band's other recent albums. It is not an awful song, but there is just nothing of interest going on here. There are no real hooks, few particularly interesting musical motifs, and there is very little soul. Ballads succeed or fail with their emotional punch, and this one just plods along with some pretty insipid lyrics that serve little purple. Some occasional tasteful piano lines from founding member David Bryan, a man long-forgotten as a musician and songwriter by his boss, and a decent closing slide guitar solo are probably the song's highlights. The song drags on for nearly six minutes too, and the length does nothing to add to its overall appeal. Let It Rain is another sparser number, but there is a bit more energy this time around. Bon Jovi's Springsteen influence is on display here again, but this time it is in the music - with the band evoking the legendary E Street Band with some brash organic guitar chords and a synthesised horn section. As a result, the song is one of the most enjoyable tracks here. It is certainly not world-beating, but there is at least some spirit to be found. Bon Jovi sings the song with a lot of gusto, while Tico Torres' drums really crash through the speakers - which are often doubled by percussive piano chords to boost the ringing vibe even further. The song shows that the band can still produce genuinely enjoyable material, and there is a lot to like within. Lower the Flag sounds a bit like a hangover from the This House Is Not for Sale sessions, with the organic sound that that album went for featured again in a big way. It is fairly acoustic-based again, but there is a much murkier sound present here in comparison to songs like Story of Life. Subtle piano backs up Bon Jovi and his acoustic guitar, while occasionally bluesy guitar swells add colour. The song is also serious in tone, and it shows that Bon Jovi can still 'do' serious and make it work. It is clear that songs like Do What You Can and American Reckoning were thrown together in an attempt to sound current and tapped in to current issues, but as a result they sound half-baked and overly-earnest. Lower the Flag has a genuine atmosphere to it, and as a result it works in a way that those other two songs did not.

The best song on the album, for me anyway, builds on Lower the Flag and showcases that Bon Jovi can still occasionally strike gold. Blood in the Water, in my opinion, is the sort of song that Bon Jovi should focus on in the 21st Century. It is a well-crafted, layered, atmospheric rock song that is packed full of emotion and a features a great performance from the whole band. I will concede however that some of the melodies here are extremely similar to ones found in Dry County from 1992's Keep the Faith, which is one of my favourite Bon Jovi songs, which is possibly why I enjoy it so much. While some of the melodies are so similar it is almost self-parody, Blood in the Water still works. It ends up sounding a little like a sequel to Dry County - which I am not sure was intentional but either way it works. Everyone really pulls together to make the song a success, with lots of subtle guitar textures from X and Shanks bulking things out - while a string section adds to the overall emotional punch. My only criticism is that the short guitar solo is a real tease. If there was a song on this album that deserved a long, flowing solo it was this one - which makes the scant few bars of lead work something of a shame. I wish that part had been longer, but overall the song is still a winner and it is easily my favourite cut here. Brothers in Arms is a step down in quality, but it is still a decent tune. It is probably the toughest-sounding track here, with some brash guitar chords and a great McDonald bassline throughout that snakes in and out of Torres' hollow-sounding drums. It is a fairly unremarkable song, but it stands out because it is the only song here to have this low-fi approach. There is a real lack of prominent keyboard and studio trickery here, which gives the song an honest garage rock feel. I like the approach taken, and it is certainly nice to see the guitars pushed to the fore here. A couple of bluesy leads help the song's overall vibe to shine, but in truth it is the simple riffing and the wordless vocal hooks that help it to stick in the brain. The album comes to a close with Unbroken, a sombre ballad that was actually originally released last year. It is a song that deals with PTSD in military veterans, and it is tackled with a respect and subtlety that is lacking elsewhere. Songs like this make me wonder why Do What You Can and American Reckoning were not better than they were, but in truth this difference in quality really sums up the modern Bon Jovi experience. You never quite know what you are going to get quality-wise - sometimes they can really surprise you, but often they can disappoint. Unbroken is a strong effort however, and it ends what is quite a mixed album on an emotional high. 'Mixed' is the only word that I can use to describe 2020 overall however. There are a handful of very enjoyable songs here, but there are also a few pretty weak efforts - some of which were clearly rushed to make the band seem in-tune with the big talking points and moral debates of the day. I wonder if the original album that should have been released in May would have been an improvement without the rushed additions, but that is something that we will never know; and as it is 2020 sits somewhere in the lower third of Bon Jovi's overall canon, along with many of its other recent siblings.

The album was released on 2nd October 2020 via Island Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Limitless.

Amaranthe's 'Manifest' - Album Review

I have something of a strange relationship with the Swedish pop metal six-piece Amaranthe. Their first two albums, 2011's Amaranthe and 2013's The Nexus, were both heavily played in my house during their release years and, while neither were ever quite Album of the Year material, they remain favourites. I think that those albums, and particularly the debut, came out during a time of musical expansion for me. I had had my fill of classic rock, progressive rock, and metalcore and I was branching out. Power and symphonic metal were the flavours of the months (or years) for me around the late 2000s; but I was also starting to develop a real love for 1980s AOR and melodic death metal. In many ways; with its sugary choruses, harsh vocals, and shimmering synths; Amaranthe was a real hybrid of everything that I was loving at the time. The AOR was present in the stadium-sized choruses; while the sharp riffing reminded me of the Gothenburg scene that I was slowly beginning to appreciate. Amaranthe was one of those 'time and place' albums, and it remains a favourite for that reason. Two years later, and The Nexus was just another hit of the same drug. The Nexus is extremely similar to the debut, but the quality of the songwriting was still high. Ever since The Nexus' release however, Amaranthe have, in my opinion, failed to reach those heights again. 2014's Massive Addictive (which I reviewed here) was decent but by this time the law of diminishing returns was starting to kick in. Amaranthe are a band that, throughout their career, have stuck rigidly to a core sound. Some bands can successfully pull this off, but most cannot. Innovation is what helps a band to remain fresh, but from Massive Addictive onwards the band faltered. I did not even properly cover 2016's Maximalism on this blog because it never really hit home (I wrote about it here, and even spoke positively about it, but time has not been kind to it), and while 2018's Helix (which I did cover properly here) was something of an improvement it still lacked spark. In reality I probably should have jumped off the Amaranthe train some time ago, but I am glad that I did not as the band's latest album, Manifest, is a big improvement over the last few. While I still do not think that it reaches the heights of the first two albums, Manifest is easily the best thing the band have done since The Helix. The choruses here are some of the strongest and catchiest for some time, but the key improvement here in my mind is the variety. While Amaranthe's core sound is still fully intact here, it feels like the most diverse album that the band have done to date. There are a few twists and turns here to help it stand out from the pack, and it feels like the band's current line-up have finally gelled together here on what is their second studio outing together - with Nils Molin particularly impressing vocally. This album has also seen the band moving over to Nuclear Blast records, being managed by Angela Gossow (Asmodina; Arch Enemy), and it also features a few choice guest performances - all of which really work in the band's favour.

Despite the aforementioned variety, the band's core sound also sounds fresher here than it has done for a few years. The album's opening number, Fearless, is probably their best kick-off track since Afterlife back in 2013. From the off, the song really gives the listener a kick up the backside - with Olof Mörck's tight Gothenberg-esque riffs driving the track forward. Everything just seems a bit better this time around, from Mörck's razor sharp guitar tone to the soaring chorus hooks. The vocals also seem to be a bit more evenly distributed this time around too. Elize Ryd has long been the star of the show, but both Molin and harsh vocalist Henrik Englund enjoy plenty of time in the spotlight. All three team up throughout Fearless, giving the fans the band's trademark triple vocal attack right from the off. Englund's role is often to provide growled 'responses' to Ryd and Molin's 'calls' - and that old-school 'beauty and the beast' trope is on full display here. Despite the song's main riff, the verses are actually somewhat stripped back, allowing Johan Andreassen's bass and the synths to form a pulsing, shimmering backing - before everything explodes into a stadium and Top 40-worthy chorus. While the last handful of Amaranthe albums contained strong hooks, the chorus of Fearless really sounds like a jump back to the band's early days. It is just pure pop metal bliss, with Ryd and Molin's voices combining perfectly to deliver the melodies. While not quite as strong, Make it Better is still very enjoyable. The pace is slowed down considerably here, with Mörck opting for a doomy, groove-based riff this time around which allows the band to play around with melody a little. The sparser verse approach is repeated here, with similar dancing synths and Morten Løwe Sørensen subtle marching drum beat backing up the sombre vocal melodies from Ryd and Molin. Amaranthe have done songs like this before, but the slower pace and the heavier riffing feels much more vital this time around. While I prefer the band's core, upbeat songs - it is songs like Make it Better that help Manifest feel like a much more rounded album. The chorus is still classic Amaranthe, just a little slower, but the song overall has much more weight than usual - with Englund unleashing some impressive Randy Blythe-esque roars towards the end as Mörck closes things out with a shredded solo. Scream My Name is similar to Fearless, but goes for the more synth-heavy and overtly modern pop sounds of the band's more recent albums. Part of my lesser opinions of the recent albums is that I think the balance shifted a little too far in the Top 40-esque direction. I prefer the band tackling pop in more of a power metal context, which has been lacking somewhat for me of late. That being said however, Scream My Name is a huge improvement over many of their other recent efforts. The balance is a little better this time, and the chorus is one of the album's most instantly-memorable moments. Englund's semi-rapped harsh vocals actually work well in the context of the song too, with his machine gun vocal patterns acting as the perfect contrast to Ryd's sultry delivery. While this track feels very similar to the sound forged on Maximalism and Helix, the overall delivery of the style works much better this time around.

Lead single Viral sounds like a long-lost cousin of Drop Dead Cynical from Massive Addictive. The heavy mid-paced track has a great groove that is established throughout by Mörck's snaking guitar work and Sørensen's surprisingly busy drumming. The band have certainly written better songs, but the melodies here, particularly during the chorus, are just so infectious. The stomping Drop Dead Cynical-esque groove really elevates the song to the next level however, with the pulsing rhythms mixing perfectly with the heavy riffing and the soaring vocal hooks to make the track an easy-listening piece of pop metal - and it is a track that is certain to go down well live. Adrenaline really harks back to the sound of the first two albums, with an opening synth riff that bursts out of the speakers with dancing industrial beats and sugary melodies. Synth riffs have always been a big part of the band's sound, but the one employed here has a great old-school sound that instantly grabs hold and never lets go. I think that it is on songs like this where Amaranthe sound the best. The contrast between the heavy riffing and the poppy synths is what makes the band shine; and this track has the best of both worlds. As part of their focus on more Top 40-esque pop sounds of late, the band's heaviness also felt toned down somewhat. The riffing and weight is back on Manifest in a big way however, and Adrenaline is a strong, crunching mid-paced track with some real meat on the bones - as well as some delicious synths. Strong is quite a different sounding song for the band, and it features a duet between Ryd and Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) - who is probably one of the best female vocalists in metal at the moment. This is a song that actually left me quite cold on first listen, but it has grown on me quite a lot over my repeated listens to the album. It is definitely less heavy than many of the songs here, with a strong poppy AOR vibe featured throughout. Keyboards twinkle and intertwine with Mörck's slightly muted guitar playing, but the stars here are Ryd and Louhimo. While I do not think that Louhimo's power was fully harnessed here, her voice is different enough from Ryd's to provide an interesting dynmaic - with the poppy melodies proving good fodder for the pair. The Game is another great old-school sounding tune, with Molin really shining vocally. In truth, all three vocalists constantly shine throughout the album - but Molin really stands out here. His voice is always the highest in the mix, and his dramatic vocal delivery really suits the power metal-esque chorus. Some of the album's biggest hooks can be found here; as well as one of the best harsh vocal breaks and one of the best guitar solos. As a result, it is one of the real highlights of the album for me - and it reminds me why I fell in love with Amaranthe back in 2011. Crystalline is the album's obligatory ballad, but some extra help has been brought in in the form of pianist Elias Holmlid (Dragonland) and cellist Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica). As a result of the additional musicians, Crystalline is probably the band's most-realised ballad yet. While I prefer some of their older efforts, there is still a lot to enjoy and the sound created thanks to the guests is huge. The soaring Disney-esque chorus is a real 'fists in the air' moment, with Ryd and Molin both showcasing their softer sides well.

Another single in the form of Archangel gets the album back on a heavier track, and it is probably the heaviest track yet that the band have filmed a video for. There is a creepy vibe injected here with the choice of synths used, and Mörck's riffing throughout is relentless and pretty abrasive. Englund gets a lot more screen time here, with a prominent verse presence; while Molin showcases some of his day job with Dynazty with a few high-pitched power metal-esque screams. Pseudo-operatic wordless vocals from Ryd and some rolling horror piano melodies contribute to the spooky and Halloween feel of the song - but the hooky, poppy chorus should remind any listeners who need it that this is indeed an Amaranthe song. Unfortunately however, despite a string of great tracks up to this point, the album does take a dip in quality with the questionable BOOM!. Englund injected his tongue-in-cheek sense of humour on the previous album with GG6, but BOOM! sounds more like Attila than Amaranthe - and that is certainly not a good thing. The weird djent/rap/metalcore mash-up is a confusing and messy track that is probably not meant to be taken too seriously, which is clear from Heidi Shepherd's (Butcher Babies) spoken word sections, but it sounds so out of place on the album. 'The breakdown goes boom!' section of the song might be the single worst moment on an Amaranthe album to date, and even a decent chorus cannot really salvage it. The rapping worked during Scream My Name, but here it sounds really dated - and this is the sort of song that Amaranthe should really avoid in future. Die and Wake Up is better, and it is one of the most constantly heavy tracks here. Mörck's riffing throughout the song is angular and sharp, while Englund takes centre stage for some of the most furious growls on the album. Songs like this prove that he does not need to write awful deathcore mash-ups to shine in the band, and he dominates here with some throat-ripping harsh vocals. In many ways however, the song is just classic Amaranthe with pop hooks meshing well with heaviness and riffing. There are better songs here, but the melodies still take hold and it is another very enjoyable track on what is overall a strong album. It is left to Do or Die to bring the album to a close, which is an alternative version to the original single version that was released back in February. That version was a duet between Ryd and Gossow, but this version focuses on Molin and Englund - with Ryd providing subtle harmonies. It is strange that her presence on the album's closing number is quite muted, but the song is a strong number and it is nice to hear the band's two male vocalists duetting so well throughout. Fittingly, the chorus is another soaring moment - which allows the album to end on a real high. Something the album version of the track has in common with the single version however is the inclusion of a ripping guitar solo from Jeff Loomis (Sanctuary; Nevermore; Conquering Dystopia; Arch Enemy) - which could be the album's most metal moment of all. Taking all of the above into account, and despite one fairly major blip, Manifest is a great album. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, and for me it is easily their best release since The Nexus. The focus seems to be back on creating strong riffs and pairing them with stronger choruses, and that is the sort of Amaranthe that I enjoy the most.

The album was released on 2nd October 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Fearless.

Fish's 'Weltschmerz' - Album Review

While announcements heralding retirements, 'final' tours, and subsequent reunions are an ever-present feature in the rock world; there are a few artists who I believe when they say that enough is indeed enough. Fish, the Scottish singer who's musical career started in 1981 when he joined the fledgling progressive rock band Marillion, is one such act. Retirement has clearly been on Fish's mind for some. He has been hinting at calling it a day for quite a few years, but he felt that he had one more album in him before finally hanging up his old jester garb. That album is the sprawling, emotional, and hard-hitting Weltschmerz (the German word for 'world-weariness' or a 'sadness at the state of the world' - for which we have no direct English translation) - a lengthy double album that has been long in the making. I remember the name Weltschmerz being thrown around back in 2015, not long after the main touring cycle for 2013's excellent A Feast of Consequences (which I reviewed here) came to close. I think even back then Fish was saying that it would probably be his final album, but I knew back then that its release would be a long way off. Nothing Fish does ever seems to go quite to plan, but being a Fish fan those bumps in the road become part of the journey. He always wears his heart on his sleeve, and is very open with his fans about such bumps. As a result, we as fans became as invested in this album's genesis as Fish was - and it is that that makes Weltschmerz a very bitter-sweet album. While I certainly do not have as much history with Fish as many of his fans do, I have been a big fan of his since around 2008. At the time I was heavily ingesting his work with Marillion, but a show at The Wharf in Tavistock that was promoting 2007's 13th Star was what truly converted me to Fish as a solo artist and a personality. I have followed his work ardently ever since, and it is this that makes Weltschmerz so bitter-sweet. On the one hand I am celebrating what Fish has achieved throughout his career with this latest album, but on the other hand I am also waving him goodbye. All that being said however, Fish deserves to go out on a high. His career, particularly as a solo artist, has not always been easy - but the last few years have seen him rising through the ranks again, releasing critically-acclaimed albums, and pulling healthy crowds on tour. Health scares and family commitments have had their impact, but Fish can certainly look back and be proud of what he has achieved. It is fitting too that Weltschmerz finally saw the light of day in 2020 - 30 years after the release of his debut solo album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors. All of this hyperbole would be for nothing however if the final album did not live up to expectations, but thankfully it does - and then some. Weltschmerz is certainly not always an easy listen, nor is it an album that easily gives up all of its secrets - but it is one that gradually reveals itself over many listens. There is very little traditional rock to be found here, and as a result the album is possibly the most melancholic and atmospheric of his career. Backing up the big man throughout the album is a large cast of characters - some of whom have worked with Fish many times throughout his career as well as some new faces. Regular collaborators Robin Boult, Steve Vantsis, and Foss Paterson are all featured here; as well as other names from the modern progressive rock scene such as John Mitchell (Arena; Kino; Frost*; It Bites; Lonely Robot); Liam Holmes (Touchstone); and Craig Blundell (Frost*; Pendragon; Steven Wilson; Steve Hackett).

Despite all the talent involved, and the writing contributions of his collaborators (particularly Vantsis and Boult), Weltschmerz is still firmly Fish's vision. As a lyricist and a teller of stories, there are few better - and it is possible that this album contains some of his most poignant creations yet. While vocally Fish may not be the singer that he was, as a writer he is still up there with the very best. Each of the ten songs that make up this double album are packed with imagery - and it is fitting that the album kicks off with one of the most vibrant. The Grace of God, which was influenced by Fish's recent health scares, is a perfect mix of haunting and defiant - a vibe which defines the overall album for me - and, sound wise, it sets out the kind of tapestries that listeners can expect from the next 80 or so minutes of music. The slow grind of hospital machinery and swirling synths open the song, before a percussive verse built around Blundell's low-key drum groove takes over. In many ways, this low-key approach is a sign of things to come. Despite Weltschmerz at times being Fish's most lush creation in many years, there are also times when a very stripped-back approach is taken. This bare-bones vibe really allows Fish's lyrics and stories to shine through; and it makes you appreciate the power of the collective when the band take on more of the heavy lifting. There is little of that true heavy lifting here however, at least early on, as much of the song is certainly more of a soundscape than anything else. Subtle strings and synths weave themselves in and among the vocals and grooves to gently elevate some of the melodies - while Doris Brendel (The Violet Hour) intertwines her ethereal voice with Fish's during the mutteringly strident choruses. As with many of the songs here however, the song does build as it moves along. Big acoustic guitar chords kick in about half way through, and the rest of the song slowly builds around this progression. The drums become punchier, and the string section really dominates - their dramatic melodies perfectly complimenting the more pronounced grooves. All of this building culminates in a much more expressive version of the song's chorus, which brings the piece to a rallying close around Fish's defiant cry of 'and there but for the grace of God go I'. The album moves into more familiar territory next with Man With a Stick, one of three songs here that were released ahead of the 2018 tour as part of the A Parley With Angels EP. As far as I can tell, the versions of the EP material presented here are the same versions that were previously released - but when presented within the full context of the album the songs come alive even more. Man With a Stick is one of the album's most hard rocking moments, with drummer Dave Stewart's groove driving everything forward while Boult's gnarly guitar textures create a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. Some Fish songs are little more than backdrops for his tales, which sometimes is all that they need to be, but this one is much more musical in its own right. Paterson's dancing synths leads are very old-school prog, and a nod back to Fish's 1980s work; but the overall interlocking grooves have a great modern feel. The song itself is very catchy too, and as a result it is one of the most accessible pieces here - which is probably why it was popular on Planet Rock when it was released back in 2018.

Walking on Eggshells is almost a perfect mix of the album's opening two numbers. It is certainly more soundscape-esque than Man With a Stick, but there is a bit more of a harder rock aesthetic when compared with The Grace of God. Whimsical, acoustic-based sections showcase Fish at his vocal best; while heavier sections with dancing strings and punchy drumming help to push the song's emotional tale. It is the sort of song that has only really opened itself up to me over numerous listens. There are a few songs here that needed full immersion before I fully appreciated them, and I am sure that I still have a lot to discover throughout the album, but this is one I feel that I have a much better handle on now. The intertwining guitar passages throughout the song really help bring it to life, while the vocal interplay between Fish and Brendel seems to help with the overall story. In Brendel, Fish has perhaps found the perfect harmony vocalist. Her overall tone is not too dissimilar to Fish's, but her higher notes are a perfect foil for his deeper delivery. She is perhaps put to best use here, with her harmonies really lifting the song to heights that it would not reach otherwise. This Party's Over is possibly the simplest track here, and as a result it is one of the catchiest. The main chorus hook here is a winner, and it really throws the clock back to Fish's early solo albums that mixed folk-like storytelling in with his dense progressive rock arrangements. Jaunty acoustic guitars form the basis of the track, while bursts of hearty saxophone from David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator) provide great counter melodies to Fish's stadium-worthy chorus. Many of the songs here are dense and full of deep, emotional stories - but This Party's Over certainly feels like the album's hoedown. The track is certain to become a great live number on Fish's final tours, with audience participation during the chorus very likely to be encouraged by the big man. It is perhaps by design then that the album's first disc (and half) finishes with easily the most complex song here. Moving from the jaunty This Party's Over to the dense, meandering Rose of Damascus really showcases the scope of Fish's songwriting on this album. Rose of Damascus is the longest single track of music that Fish has ever put together in his career, and it tells the story of a teenage girl fleeing Syria in the wake of the ongoing conflict there. I love how the tone of the song changes throughout its 15-plus minutes. The girl starts out as embracing life in her own country, but the conflict gradually erodes this - until she eventually is forced to leave on a small boat, clutching what remains of his belongings, unsure of what the future has in store for her. Fish's lyrics, and the music throughout, detail this change and story perfectly. Spoken word sections enhance the song's growing darkness, while subtle acoustic moments allow for brief moments of hope (or perhaps reflection). Despite the song's length, there is very little virtuosity here. This is a dense, atmospheric piece that perhaps, more than anything else here, really demonstrates the core sound of Weltschmerz perfectly. A short, bluesy guitar solo from Mitchell is a rare moment of melodic excess, but on the whole the dense strings, layers of guitars, and Vantsis' melodic basslines are the perfect backdrop for Fish's dark and hard-hitting tale. The final portion of the song is perhaps the most powerful however, as it details the girl's final escape in the hand's of untrustworthy traffickers and a boat journey to the unknown. The song purposefully ends on a low-key note, to represent her drifting out to sea, which is certainly more impactful that any big crescendo could ever hope to be given the song's context and subject matter.

Despite how impactful Rose of Damascus is, the most emotional piece on the album is the opener to the album's second disc - Garden of Remembrance. While most of the songs here were written with Boult and Vantsis, Garden of Remembrance was put together with Mitchell - although the stark piano ballad is really nothing like any of Mitchell's usual compositions. The song details the early onset of dementia in the context of an elderly couple, and is partly inspired by Fish's parents. His mother, who now lives with him, is living with dementia; so it is easy to believe that there is a lot of her within the Garden of Remembrance. Musically, the song is extremely simple. Holmes' piano is the dominant instrument throughout, but Boult adds occasional classical guitar flourishes for colour. Fish has penned many emotional sets of lyrics in his career, but it clear that is one of the ones that means the most to him. It is perhaps the song's subtlety however that makes it as powerful as it is - with the piano and the occasional guitar lines all it needs to tell what is a complex and moving tale. It is left to C Song (The Trondheim Waltz) to provide something of a lift following 20 plus minutes of downbeat and moving tales; but the more kinetic track is certainly not the uplift that it perhaps initially seems to be. In some ways, the song feels like the dark cousin of This Party's Over, but with less of the energy and drive. The waltz-like nature of the piece allows the song to stand out, while Martin Green's accordion gives it a certain street-esque folk feel. The song's message is defiant, but the slow burn and the sluggish drum groove somewhat mute that defiance - which perfectly fits in with the meaning behind the word Weltschmerz. It is also only a very brief moment of defiance, as the following two numbers return to the dense, downbeat nature that characterises much of the album - with Little Man What Now? being one of the album's densest and least-accessible pieces. Influenced by the Hans Fallada novel of the same name, the song is the second of the A Parley With Angels songs to be rehomed here, and is perhaps the song that sums up the Weltschmerz concept the best. There is very little room for hope here, and Fish's lyrics are among some of the most desperate that he has ever written. I must admit that this is the song that I struggled with the most on A Parley With Angels, and I still find it difficult to listen to and connect with. It has certainly grown on me, but it is not one of my favourite moments here. It is just so bleak, and so downbeat, that I find it hard to latch onto. It is a truly challenging piece of music, but I can imagine that for some it will become a firm favourite. The dense strings, Jackson's weeping saxophone, and Fish's hopeless lyrics all come together to form a song that is very effecting and hard to listen to - which in truth probably means that Fish has succeeded perfectly at what he set out to do in bringing the themes of the original novel to life.

The final of the three A Parley With Angels songs, Waverley Steps (End of the Line), follows Little Man What Now? and in many ways it continues on the darkness and hopelessness of that number - but for some reason I have always gravitated towards it. The song as a whole is certainly more melodic and grand-sounding - with the overall tapestry being more varied throughout. Lyrically however, the song is still heavy going. Topics such as depression and homelessness are covered here, but the overall musical scope makes the song much easier on the ears - for me anyway. Chiming guitars open the song up, which form the backing for the first few stanzas of lyrics - but this is a song that really builds and it becomes possibly the album's most dynamic offering once it really gets going. The use of a horn section here really enhances the song's power, with their main refrain providing the main musical hook. It is possibly the biggest hook on the album for me, and it helps to really bring to song to life. The real success however is how the grander arrangement takes nothing away from the seriousness of the topics covered in the lyrics. Everything seems to come together perfectly to complement everything else - and for that reason the song is one of my favourites here. There is certainly something of the driving, yet organic, sound that filled much of the material on A Feast of Consequences here - which is also possibly why it has become a real favourite, as I think that A Feast of Consequences is one of Fish's best ever collections of songs. Despite the more melodic nature of the piece, there is still a lot going on here musically. I am not sure that Fish has ever been wholly comfortable with the 'prog' tag, but there is certainly a progressive mindset at work here. The song has a big, lush sound that keeps on giving - which helps to make the song's 13-plus minutes really fly by. It is my favourite of the three longer-form songs here. While I feel that Rose of Damascus is more successful from an image-creating perspective, this is a song that contains a bit of everything that has helped make Fish such a great artist throughout the years. It is left to the harder rock of the title track to bring the album to a close. Considering how meaty much of Fish's recent albums have been, particularly 13th Star, it is perhaps surprising that there are only a handful of properly rocking moments here. Weltschmerz is one of them however, with hypnotic guitar lines that actually recall some of Fish's Marillion years dominating the verses; while heavy choruses give the album a final kick up the backside with dramatic vocal harmonies and stark synths. There are certainly more remarkable and deep numbers here, but as a piece of harder rock to bring all of the album's themes together as one it is a real success. It is the perfect way to bring the album to a close too. Each song here has been packed with imagery and emotion, and Weltschmerz instead focuses on the album's broader themes in a more reflective manner - tying everything together neatly with a rare shredding guitar solo and a dark spoken word outro. In many ways, the album's title track sums up my thoughts of the album as a whole and overall, it is a masterful piece of work that is packed with numerous emotions and themes - but everything works together to serve a greater purpose. While I struggle with some of the moments here, and some songs are probably yet to reveal their whole selves to me, this is clearly a huge achievement from Fish and all of the musicians involved here. For a closing statement on a near 40 year career, Weltschmerz is a triumph and it is a collection of songs that Fish can really be proud of when he eventually bows out of music for good.

The album was released on 25th September 2020 via Chocolate Frog Records. Below is Fish's promotional video for Weltschmerz.

Heathen's 'Empire of the Blind' - Album Review

I always find it amusing that genres like hair metal and the modern symphonic metal scene often receive criticism for their over-saturation, when other genres - such as thrash - do not. I think it is fair to say that pretty much every genre of music eventually becomes oversaturated to the point that it becomes hard to see the wood for the trees - but I do not know why an over-abundance of bands is considered by some to be a bad thing. The only negative that I can see is that sometimes great bands can get buried in and among a pile of numerous mediocre imitators - a fate which possibly befell San Francisco's Heathen. During the 1980s, the San Francisco Bay Area was a real hotbed of thrash. It was the grimier equivalent to Hollywood's Sunset Strip which had become the heart of hair metal, and many of the big thrash acts of the 1980s came from that part of California. Having the Bay Area pedigree, Heathen should have been a bigger deal. It possible that releasing their debut album Breaking the Silence in 1987, by which point many of the bigger names in the genre were already well established, hindered the band's career trajectory. It is also possible that the band's mixing of thrash with other musical influences made them harder to pigeonhole. While Heathen are a thrash band at their core, they have always included more melodic and progressive elements in their songwriting. Breaking the Silence included a cover of Sweet's Set Me Free, which should point you in the direction of some of the band's influences - but this more melodic side may have turned some off. The band have also been very slow at releasing new albums. It took the band until 1991 to follow up their debut album with Victims of Deception - and a year later the band was no more. It is clear that success never really found Heathen - although the sheer amount of line-up changes that the band went through, particularly in the early days, cannot have helped. It is perhaps telling then that 2020 sees the release of the band's fourth album Empire of the Blind. Empire of the Blind follows not so hot on the heels of 2009's The Evolution of Chaos, which was the first album that the reunited Heathen put out since regrouping in 2001. Empire of the Blind has clearly been a long time coming, so much so that it was almost a long-standing joke among the band's fanbase. The album is a joke no more however, but is it worth the wait? In fairness, I am not the one to judge the album on that front as I am only a fairly recent convert to Heathen's music - but Empire of the Blind does seem to be a bit simpler and less dynamic than some of the band's previous work. There is still plenty of thrash to enjoy, but the signature Heathen twists and turns seem to largely be absent. This could be due to the fact that the band's two remaining original members, frontman David White and guitarist Lee Altus, have had no input in the songwriting here whatsoever. Both have been the main writers for the band since the beginning - but everything on Empire of the Blind was written entirely by guitarist Kragen Lum who has been a stalwart in the band since 2007. It seems strange that Altus in particular was not involved in the writing of this album at all, as Heathen has always been his band, but I can only assume that he has not been in a creative spell of late. Either that or he has written a lot of material for the album that Exodus are currently working on! As a result, Empire of the Bland is essentially Lum's album that the rest of the band help to bring to life. Joining White, Altus, and Lum here are bassist Jason Mirza (Psychosis) and drummer Jim DeMaria (Riphouse; Generation Kill; Toxik) - both of whom make their recording debut with the band on the album.

The album is bookended by two instrumentals, with This Rotting Sphere opening things up. The mournful, melodic piece is a great contrast to the rest of the album - with Lum's intertwining guitar lines creating a sonic tapestry that slowly builds towards the album proper. Drums and heavier rhythms soon join in, but the piece retains its melodic simplicity until the end - when the big riff of The Blight kicks in and the thrash sound that characterises the rest of the album takes hold. While this is easily the most 'stock' sounding Heathen album yet, there is still plenty of good, old-fashioned thrash to enjoy here. Lum's main riff is simple, yet very memorable, and DeMaria impresses from the off with some precise, fast footwork. The main link back to the Heathen of old however is White. His voice has always been a bit more melodic and musical than many of his thrash peers, and despite having no hand in the writing of this album he still makes his presence felt. His vocal melodies are generally memorable, and the chorus here is a catchy moment - more speed metal than traditional thrash. The song is a strong one to kick the album off with, and it contains all of the hallmarks that one would expect from an enjoyable thrash record. The album's title track is similar. Maintaining the pace of the opening number early on is always wise on a thrash album, as energy and speed is a big part of the genre. While Heathen might not be as furious as some of their peers, they are still an energetic band. The riffs here are packed with character, and there are hints of the older progressive side of the band throughout with Eastern-tinged leads buried under the verses - which add some additional melodies to intertwine with the vocals. One thing that is certainly still present in a big way however from the older Heathen albums is explosive guitar soloing. Every song here is filled with leads and shredded solos from Lum and Altus - but it is on this song that this element of the band's sound really kicks off in a big way. There is a lengthy solo section here that features both of the band's guitarists trading licks - and even joining forces at one point for a great harmonised section. Dead and Gone slows the pace a little, and goes for more of a groove-based approach. Lum and Altus lock together perfectly here for a powerful strutting riff, while Mirza's bass enjoys a prominent position in the mix to really bolster the groove. The groove allows the song to become one of the more instantly-memorable pieces here, but the song has a bit of a modern alternative metal sound mixed in with the band's traditional thrash which may turn some off. The gang vocals certainly add to the hooky nature of the piece, but this might be a bit nu-metal for some. A great solo towards the end of the piece from Altus injects some thrash pedigree back into the piece however, showcasing that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the genre.

Sun in My Hand is a much more dynamic piece, and is likely to appeal to those who find songs like Dead and Gone a bit too rote for their tastes. There are still plenty of hooks here, but there is also more of a technical feel overall. Slow-paced chugging riffs are mixed in perfectly haunting clean guitar melodies, which helps to create a dense atmosphere, while a strong chorus allows White lay down some epic-sounding vocals. The chorus here is one of the more 'all out' moments of the album, with layers of demented harmony vocals and a flashy guitar lead really boosting its appeal. A couple of excellent Lum solos are the icing on the cake, and everything comes together to make this one of the album's standout pieces in my opinion. There is certainly more of the old Heathen to be found here, with slightly progressive tendencies sitting alongside melodic songwriting for a great slab of accessible and melodic thrash. Blood to be Let ups the pace again after a couple of crunchy mid-paced numbers, but it continues on the higher quality established during the previous track. The pacey riffs here help to create a strong atmosphere throughout, while White lays down one of his most potent vocals of the album. The older White certainly benefits from a somewhat gritty vocal approach now, and that is showcases throughout the track. He uses his lower register to great effect, while occasional higher notes help to accentuate what is another memorable chorus. This is the sort of song that is sure to go down well live, as the riffs really whip up a strong energy - while the hooks are there for all to sink their teeth into. In Black opens with one of my favourite riffs on the album. The fast-paced stop-start pattern is instantly engaging, and again recalls the earlier days of the band somewhat. I also really like the way that the band play with pace here. The opening riff has a certain energy to it, but it is then paired with a much slower drum groove that at first sounds strange but over repeated listens really hits home. This really allows the band to turn the song into another dynamic moment; as the pace constantly shifts throughout. Sometimes the song steams along at the pace the opening riff gives rise to, while other moments see the band slowing things down a muscular groove. It is this interplay that makes the song one of the standout cuts here, and a great example of the band's slightly progressive thrash sound. Shrine of Apathy is the album's sole ballad, and it helps to provide a mid-album change of pace. DeMaria's slow drum beat keeps the song grounded, while the guitars chime away slowly - providing mournful arpeggios for White to croon over. It is certainly not the most engaging of thrash ballads, but is certainly is not bad either. It is nice to see Heathen trying to vary the pace and tone of the album throughout however. So many thrash albums are so one-paced, and just pummel the listener into submission throughout their runtime - but Empire of the Blind is more varied than that, despite it lacking some of the band's trademark uniqueness. Shrine of Apathy showcases a different side to the band, and acts as the calm before the storm of the album's final few songs.

The album's closing third is possibly the most furious part of the album; with the band building on the heaviest moments so far and taking them a step further. Devour opens this final leg with speedy riffing and fast double bass drumming, while White turns in another vibrant vocal performance. I actually think that his uses of his lower register vocals are his best moments on the album, and the overall crunch of this song really allows him to showcase this approach. The gang vocals of Dead and Gone return, but this time around they are incorporated a little better and more subtly. The song does not have a strange nu-metal vibe as a result, and instead sounds like a punchy bit of melodic thrash. Excerpts from a speech by Rev. Jim Jones, the architect of the Jonestown mass suicide, are interspersed within the riffing which helps to expand on the song's creepy, yet heavy, vibe; and it is another standout cut as a result. Those who love their thrash full of excellent soloing will love A Fine Red Mist - which is a guitar-heavy instrumental that features soloing from five thrash veterans. Lum and Altus share the stage here with original Heathen guitarist Doug Piercy, Gary Holt (Exodus; Slayer), and Rick Hunolt (Exodus). This is a real who's who of thrash guitar legends, so it is unsurprising therefore that the track is furious and filled with melodic shredding. The five all take their turns to solo, with two often playing off each other at any one time. Lum, the album's architect, opens and closes the piece but the rest all get plenty of time in the spotlight too - with the two original Exodus guitarists particularly shining early on. This exercise in shredding leads nicely into The Gods Divide, the album's final vocal moment and possibly the most openly thrash track here. It is unapologetically fast, and is clearly the band wanting to sign off with a bang. Lum and Altus' riffs throughout are packed with pace and razor-sharp transitions, while DeMaria once again gets a workout behind his kit. Pace is certainly emphasised here, but there are still plenty of melodies to be found. A catchy chorus is one of the album's hookiest moments, while a Altus-Lum trade-off sounds like a hangover from the previous instrumental. It is a raw, heavy song that turns the clock back to some of the more straightforward numbers on the band's debut album, and those who love energetic thrash are sure to enjoy it. It is left to the short, chiming Moment to Ruin to close the album out. The piece is similar in some ways to This Rotting Sphere, but even more mournful and sparse - but the clean guitar melodies close out the album nicely. Overall, despite perhaps not being the Heathen album that some would have wished for, Empire of the Blind is still a strong collection of modern thrash metal songs. It would have been nice if the band's core progressive sound was on display a little more, but there is still plenty to like here. The riffing throughout is potent, and White demonstrates why he is one of the genre's more underrated vocalists. It will probably be some time before Heathen's fifth album is released, so until then Empire of the Blind will have plenty of time to worm its way into the fanbase's conscience and make itself at home in the band's small discography.

The album was released on 18th September 2020 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Sun in My Hand.

Marilyn Manson's 'We Are Chaos' - Album Review

After a period during the late 2000s and early 2010s that saw the once-dangerous Marilyn Manson release a couple of very bland and pedestrian albums, one could be forgiven for giving up all hope of ever hearing anything vital from him again. For an artist that released the ground-breaking and genre-defying Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, and Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (in 1996, 1998, and 2000 respectively), Manson's star fell pretty drastically over the next decade or so. While 2003's The Golden Age of Grotesque and 2007's Eat Me, Drink Me were both enjoyable albums, neither hit the heights that came before them. One can only be dangerous and caustic for so long I suppose, but by the time 2009 rolled around and the lengthy dirge that is The High End of Low was released into the world many had stepped off the Manson train for good. The album opened with a handful of decent songs, but much of the rest of the 70-plus minute runtime felt like some of the worst examples of gothic crooning to ever be released. 2012's Born Villain was a little better, but only really by default. It was still quite dull, but at least the fat had been trimmed to allow a handful of strong tracks to actually shine a little. What had become clear by this point however was that Manson needed to branch out. Long-time collaborators such as Twiggy and Chris Vrenna were just not gelling with him anymore, and Manson needed to find someone new to work and write with if he was to re-capture his mojo. This 'someone' turned out to be TV and film score writer Tyler Bates - and the pair wrote and released two albums together during the latter half of the last decade. Both 2015's The Pale Emperor (which I reviewed here) and 2017's Heaven Upside Down (which I also reviewed here) were well-received albums, and both saw Manson sounding much more inspired than he had for quite a while. The two albums were quite similar, with the pair going for a more bluesy and organic sound than Manson had ever attempted previously, but both sounded unquestionably Manson. I had not enjoyed any of Manson's releases as much since The Golden Age of Grotesque, and I think it is fair to say that they brought a few lapsed fans back into the fold. It was a shame therefore that Manson decided not to work with Bates again on his latest release, but I believe that We Are Chaos, his eleventh studio album, continues on the good work established on the previous two. Instead of Bates, this time Manson decided to team up with country artist Shooter Jennings to write and record We Are Chaos. This might seem like an odd match-up, but Jennings is not your average country musician and he has turned his hand to both rock and metal in the past. The organic approach taken on Manson's other recent albums is maintained somewhat here, but there are also nods back to his heyday. There is certainly more of an industrial and atmospheric flavour mixed in with the bluesy struts this time around - but the clash of styles works in a way that only Manson could pull off. Much of the material here was performed by Manson and Jennings but there are also contributions from a number of other musicians, including the members of Manson's current live band - guitarist Paul Wiley, bassist Juan Alderete (Racer X; Big Sir; The Mars Volta), and drummer Brandon Pertzborn (Black Flag; Ho99o9).

The album opens with the pulsing synths and creepy spoken word of Red Black and Blue. Manson's albums often open with a bang, but We Are Chaos opens slowly. The spoken word recalls the Antichrist Superstar title track a little, but it is more Bill Hicks than Adolf Hitler this time around, and it really sets the creepy tone that comes to dominate the album. After a minute or so, a percussive drum beat kicks in and the song starts proper. Moments of the song really hark back to Manson's glory days, with a prominent bassline driving the whole piece - while a punky chorus sees him turn the clock back to the late 1990s with some trademark vocal howls. Despite the organic feel of his recent work, there were still heavy moments to be found. This song feels much more true to his past however, with a great mix of industrial vibes that are sure to please any long-time fan. The chorus itself is very memorable too, and is in the shout-along style of many of his most well-known tracks - ensuring that the album starts off with a slow-burning bang. The title track follows, and it is a number that really taps into the more organic feeling of his other recent works. Much of the arrangement is quite sparse, with acoustic guitars and cold synths backing Manson's distinct croon during the verses; before a demented U2-esque chorus sees guitars and pounding drums crash in for a more anthemic moment. Despite his abrasive sound, Manson has always known how to craft a strong and hooky chorus. His music has often had that great mix of anthemic and caustic - and this song really showcases this. While it might not be anywhere near as heavy as many of his hits, the song still sounds like classic Manson. It reminds me a little like a modern version of The Nobodies at times - as both songs share a similar acoustic-based darkness that then explodes into a heavier chorus. Don't Chase the Dead (who's video features actor Norman Reedus) is a much more overtly-rocking piece, and there seems to be a big call back to the 1970s glam-influenced Mechanical Animals here. Programming and synths are all over this track, and the main guitar riff has a strident arena rock feel. Mechanical Animals really went for this mix of industrial and glitter in a big way, and Manson has recaptured that sound again here. The song certainly never reaches the heaviness of the album's opening number, but there is still a strong energy here. The bass playing throughout helps to create a strong groove, while sparkling keyboards really offset the darkness of Manson's gothic croon. Those who love Manson's more melancholic but energetic sound will instantly love this track - and it is a real throwback to some classics of the past.

Paint You With My Love slows things down a little, and once again pushes his recent organic sound. It is a bit of a piano ballad, with the instrument dominating the whole song. Being a Manson song however, nothing is ever quite so simple as being described as purely a 'piano ballad'. His songs always have big arrangements, no matter how simple the core idea is - so there is still a lot going on here. The piano always rings through the mix, but industrial grooves and synths are still a big part of the song - while a droning drum groove really helps to back up the sombre choruses. It is a song that continues to build until the end too, with the final chorus taking on a much heavier and urgent feel than the rest of it - featuring some trademark throat-ripping Manson vocals. Half-Way & One Step Forward is similar to the previous song in some ways, as there is a big piano presence here too, but I would not describe the song as a ballad. There is a creeping dread that fills the whole song, which is emphasised by the mid-paced drum grooves, but the core element to focus on here is Manson's vocals. While he is always the star of his albums, the music is not always just a backdrop for his crooning. This song however is a tapestry for him to sing over, and his voice is really prominent in the mix as a result. While Manson has always been a patchy live performer, his voice in the studio has always been excellent. His vocal power is as impressive now as it was in the 1990s, and this song showcases his deep gothic croon at its best. He might not scream and let rip quite as much anymore, but Manson is still a compelling vocalist - as this song proves. Infinite Darkness opens with some of the album's trippiest synths, before a programmed drum pattern kicks off a subtle verse that again recalls the Mechanical Animals sound. That album seems to have been a bit of a touchstone for Manson here, as there are quite a few moments that ape the sound that he forged on his third studio album. That sound seems to suit the older Manson a little better as it is not as abrasive as some of his other work - but he can still scream and headbang with the best of them as he showcases during the song's old-school Nine Inch Nails-esque chorus. The contrast between the heavy chorus and the sparse verses works really well, and the song is a really dynamic piece as a result. Some of the album's heaviest riffing is found within, and as a result I can see the song working really well live. Perfume goes for the demented arena rock sound featured on Don't Chase the Dead, with Mechanical Animals-esque grooves once again being showcased. This is a very percussive song, with a big drum loop and bass presence throughout, and it is also instantly-memorable with a repetitive chorus hook that is present right from the start. There are better songs here, but for pure hard rock excess this is probably the best recent example of Manson at his most strutting. Songs like this really are not that far removed from the sound of Slade and T. Rex - with the synths and gothic tropes merely set dressing what is, at its core, a simple stomping rocker.

Keep My Head Together is a little heavier and darker, but sound wise it is not hugely different from the past couple of tracks. The bass is still the main driving force throughout, but the glittery stomp of the past couple of numbers is replaced by something a little heavier and more grinding. Simple, yet tough, guitar riffs are constantly grinding away in the background; and Manson's voice often blends in with the background to become part of the wider tapestry - which is in contrast to the approach usually taken. In some ways, the song is something of an inversion of the previous couple of tracks - while still keeping the album's core sound intact. It feels similar yet different at the same time - which is difficult to achieve, but it works well in my opinion. There is even a strange guitar solo in the song, presumably from Jennings, which is distorted and chaotic - but it fits in perfectly with the song's overall mood. Solve Coagula is another acoustic-based song, with the organic vibes of the Bates-era albums once again pushed to the fore. I really like how this album is a real mix of Manson's styles from throughout the years. If Mechanical Animals and The Pale Emperor were put in a blender, then We Are Chaos would be the likely result - and the two styles work really well side by side. This is a song that could have happily sat on one of his last couple of albums, and it is great to see that Manson wants to continue on that style in his new collaboration with Jennings. The organic vibes and more acoustic production suits the older Manson well, and songs like this really showcase his great croon and lyrics. The album comes to a close with Broken Needle, another slower song that recalls his other recent albums. It is probably the album's second true ballad, after Paint You With My Love, but it works really well to bring the album to a close. Many of Manson's albums have ended on slower songs - usually bringing all of the album's mournful themes together in one last expression of emotion. That is certainly what Broken Needle feels like - and it succeeds in the same way that Coma White did on Mechanical Animals. The song contains easily Manson's most emotional vocal performance on the album, and it shows that when all of the tricks and synths are stripped back he is still just a great vocalist. He does not need all of the gothic melodrama to succeed, he is just boosting what is already there. I think that is partly why his more recent albums have been so well-received, as they often strip back some of the excess production and just allow Manson as a singer and a songwriter to shine in a more naked and natural way. Broken Needle really does this, and as a result the album comes a poignant close as a result. Overall, We Are Chaos is another really strong album from Manson that continues on his recent resurgence. As much as I liked his other recent albums, and particularly The Pale Emperor, this might be my favourite album of his since The Golden Age of Grotesque. There are a lot of very memorable songs here, and the overall vibe is just spot on - with classic Manson tropes being referenced throughout. At 43 minutes long too, this is a very digestible album - and one that I can see myself returning to a lot over the next few months.

The album was released on 11th September 2020 via Loma Vista Recordings/Caroline International. Below is his promotional video for Don't Chase the Dead.

Perfect Plan's 'Time for a Miracle' - Album Review

Anyone who, even casually, follows the current burgeoning melodic rock scene will know just how important the Scandinavian countries are to keeping AOR, melodic rock, and hair metal alive in the 21st Century. AOR etc. was always very traditionally an American export. Many of the big acts of that ilk that were topping the charts in the 1980s were from the USA, but most of the hungry new bands that are keeping the flame burning in 2020 are from Europe - and Sweden in particular. Sweden's H.E.A.T released one of the best melodic rock albums of the year back in February (H.E.A.T II, which I reviewed here), as did The Night Flight Orchestra which saw Björn 'Speed' Strid and co. turning in fine performances on Aeromantic (which I also reviewed here). Scandinavian AOR has therefore already had something of a good outing in 2020, but in my view there is always room for plenty more. The latest Swedish AOR export to grace 2020 with their presence are Perfect Plan, a band who I have been aware of for a couple of years but had not made an effort to check out properly until recently. I remember the band's 2018 debut album All Rise receiving solid reviews on its release a couple of years ago, but nothing really compelled me to actually give it a listen. Fast forward to 2020 however and, for whatever reason, I decided to check out one of the band's new singles and I really enjoyed what I heard. I imagine that it was recommended for me on Youtube as the band are on Frontiers Records, but I am glad that I decided to click on the link as the song that was contained within was a great slab of pure AOR. I decided that the band's second album Time for a Miracle was worth a pre-order on the strength of the single, and it is an album that I have been enjoying quite a lot over the past month. Time for a Miracle is an album that wears its influences on its sleeve. It is an AOR album pure and simple, and its sound and style is deeply rooted in the mid-1980s. Both the H.E.A.T and The Night Flight Orchestra albums that I mentioned previously have mixed their AOR influences with other sounds (hard rock and prog respectively), but Time for a Miracle at times just sounds like a long-lost Survivor album - especially when considering frontman Kent Hilli's uncanny resemblance to the late Jimi Jamison. Considering that Survivor have not released an album since 2006 however, this is no bad thing. Anyone who wants a new good-time album packed with soaring hooks, gorgeous ballads, and summer beats is sure to enjoy Time for a Miracle. It is certainly not original, but it is not supposed to be - and it really sounds like the band had a great time writing and recording these songs. Four of the five that created All Rise return on Time for a Miracle, with new bassist Mats Byström the only new face - although previous bassist P-O Sedin is credited with co-writing a number of songs featured here.

The great thing about Time for a Miracle is just how easy listening it is. This is not deep music that requires a lot of attention, but the numerous hooks and soaring vocals really help to hold the interest. While the album generally sits at the lighter end of the AOR spectrum, the band still know how to rock out when required; and the album's title track that kicks things is one such moment. It is certainly one of the riffier songs here, and guitarist Rolf Nordström really makes his presence felt from the off. It is often left to keyboardist Leif Ehlin to come up with the songs' main melodies, but Nordström's crunchy riffing dominates the album's opening number. Ehlin's keyboards and Fredrik Forsberg's marching drums do set an atmospheric tone early on; but the song gets going proper once the guitars kick in. It is a song with a lot of weight. Nordström's guitar tone is packed full of crunch, while Byström's bass is high in the mix. Dramatic keyboards and punchy drums add to the overall ambiance; but perhaps the standout player here is Hilli. He is easily the band's secret weapon, as he is, in my opinion, one of the best modern AOR singers. His smooth tone is perfectly suited for the genre, but here he injects some convincing grit into his voice - which really helps add to the song's overall drama. Despite the heaviness, the song still contains a soaring AOR chorus - the first of many here - that demonstrates Hilli's knack for conjuring up a catchy hook. Better Walk Alone was the single that convinced me to pre-order the album, which should give you a clue that it is a smooth, melodic slab of AOR. Despite the blatant ripping off of a Foreigner lyric, which is a bit on the nose even for a band who sound like Perfect Plan, the song acts as a great introduction. Nordström's guitar takes more of a backseat here, providing crunchy rhythms, with Ehlin's keyboards providing the song's melodies. The pompy keyboard riff is similar to many that you have likely heard before, but it is still extremely satisfying. AOR is not the most original of genres generally, but providing the hooks are there I will always enjoy it. There are, thankfully, plenty of them here - with a catchy chorus providing a good centrepiece - and Nordström takes the opportunity towards the end to show off with a fluid, shredded guitar solo. Heart to Stone picks up the pace somewhat and injects some energy into the album - but the heaviness of the title track is not fully revisited. The smoothness of the band's core sound is maintained, but with a little more 'oomph' - which works well. There is a lot more guitar and interplay this time around, which is welcome. Ehlin's atmospheric keyboards dominate certain parts of the track, before knotty Nordström melodies take over to push the song towards an urgent, yet hooky, chorus. There are better songs here, but as an enjoyable, but punchy, piece of AOR the song is still a success. Fighting to Win is the album's first ballad, and it is also the song where Hilli's resemblance to Jamison is the most apparent. His tone and way of singing are almost identical - and I would have assumed that this was a long-lost Jamison performance if I had heard it blind. Imagine Survivor's Man Against the World and that is essentially what Fighting to Win is - even some of the melodies are quite similar. Ehlin dominates here with emotional, rolling piano melodies; while the rest of the band largely just create a rhythm underneath to keep Hilli's vocals within the groove. A Nordström guitar solo provides a slight change of pace, providing a short burst of melodic bluesy playing, but on the whole this a song that focuses more on the piano and Hilli's excellent vocal performance.

Every Time We Cry is a little heavier than many of the songs here, but it still does not quite reach the crunch and drama of the album's opening number. A catchy Nordström riff drives the song, while Forsberg's punchy drumming creates a bit of energy, but the synth leads and melodies from Ehlin stop the track from sounding too meaty. There always seems to a great balance between harder rock and pure pop in Perfect Plan's sound - which is what makes their brand of old-school AOR a real winner. Another thing that I really like about the band's sound is that there always seems to be room for a Nordström solo. While his playing might not always dominate the sound in a way thay would be expected from a rock act, his tasteful style is perfect for the band. He knows when his riffs need to take centre stage, and when to hold back to allow the keyboard melodies to take the lead. His solos are always perfectly phrased too, with the short effort here speeding things up slightly to allow for a little bit of tasteful shredding within what is a punchy and memorable track. What About Love is similar, and continues on the punchier vibe established on Every Time We Cry. Ehlin's ringing piano helps to drive the song forward, while Byström's pounding bass keeps the song moving at a slick pace. Crashing guitar chords help to accentuate some of the more dramatic moments of the song; but the real winner here for me is Hilli. He shines in every song here, but this one might contain his best vocal performance. A little bit of the grit from the opening number is present during some of the melodies here, but elsewhere he truly soars. The chorus is easily one of the album's catchiest moments, with the vocal melodies grabbing you from the off and never letting go. Again it sounds a long-lost Survivor moment, with shades of Jamison once again hanging heavily over the song. Nordström's solo even apes some of the chorus melodies - which really ties everything together nicely. Nobody's Fool goes for more of a bluesy approach, with a sloppy side guitar intro setting the tone perfectly before Nordström's main riff kicks in as the song goes for something of an 1980s Aerosmith vibe. It is one of the most guitar-heavy songs here, with Ehlin's keyboards largely just providing an atmosphere. Nordström seems to relish his time in the spotlight here, his bluesy riffing roaring out of the speakers while Hilli goes for a dirtier vocal approach to fit with the heavier overall sound. The song sounds quite different to most of the rest of the album, but the style works well for the band. AOR bands of the past sometimes took this rootsier approach, and Perfect Plan here show that they are more than capable of rocking out a little harder. Living on the Run sounds like it is going to be another tougher track, as it opens up with some distant weighty guitar chords, but in truth the song is a return to the band's core AOR sound. Sparse, atmospheric verses mix well here with energetic and pomp-filled choruses to create a hooky and enjoyable song that essentially showcases Perfect Plan at their most natural. There are catchier songs here, but this is a good example of the band's core sound. There is possibly a bit more guitar here than in some of the band's songs, but on the whole this is quintessential Perfect Plan despite not reaching the heights the band have shown that they are capable of.

Just One Wish is also quintessential Perfect Plan, but it is also one of the album's best cuts in my opinion. While all of the songs here have memorable hooks (there is not one song on this album that I feel is outright weak) this one is jam packed full of them - and has the perfect AOR song structure. Like the previous song, the verses are somewhat sparse to allow Hilli's vocals to shine - before the band explode into a chorus to really take things to the next level. There are lots of memorable choruses here, but a few really are top level - and this is one of them. Ehlin's keyboard riff during the chorus just adds that extra level of melody to make it stand out - and Hilli is really singing out of his skin here. The song sounds like a long-lost 1980s AOR classic, and that is certainly what the band is going for - so that is probably the best compliment that I can pay it! Don't Blame It On Love Again continues on with showcasing the band's core AOR sound, but this is more akin to Living on the Run than Just One Wish. It does not quite reach the level of quality that Just One Wish does, but there are still plenty of huge hooks here to be found. The chorus is instantly catchy, and the pompous keyboards really cut through the mix to compliment Nordström's somewhat tougher guitar riffs. There are better songs here, but it is another strong cut that makes this an album that continues to deliver the goods with every number. Give a Little Lovin' is certainly one of the more harder rocking tracks here, but the riffing does not detract at all from the melodies. In fact, I actually wish that there were a couple more songs like this here. While the core Perfect Plan AOR sound is a winning formula, there are quite a few songs here that sound quite similar. Give a Little Lovin' certainly stands out due to its riffier nature, but the same level of hooks are still present. The song actually reminds me a little of the aforementioned H.E.A.T II album that I raved about back earlier in the year - with pacey hard rock mixing perfectly with soaring AOR to create an energetic, yet catchy, few minutes of music. It certainly gives the album a bit of an injection of grit after three very similar tracks which, for me, is welcome. The album comes to a close with Don't Leave Me Here Alone, another soaring ballad that is very much the antithesis to Give a Little Lovin'. It is only the album's second true ballad, after Fighting to Win, and the relative scarcity of them here ensures that they both really hit home. A common criticism of AOR albums, both classic and new, is that there are sometimes too many ballads - so I am glad that Perfect Plan only wrote two here, as both are fantastic and hit harder as a result. The chorus features some of Hilli's most emotionally-charged vocals on the album, while Nordström's rendition of the same melodies as part of his guitar solo elevates them further. It might seem strange to end the album on a ballad, but I think it works well. Lots of great albums end on a slower note, particularly those released during the vinyl era, and this soaring, dramatic ballad is great way for the Swedes to close out their second release. Overall, Time for a Miracle is a really enjoyable collection of modern AOR songs that certainly does what it set out to do. While many of the songs do sound quite similar to each other, and a couple more high-energy pieces would be welcome, it is clear that Perfect Plan are going to become one of the go-to acts for those of us who love all of the AOR classics of the 1980s. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for a copy of the band's debut album, and I will be looking forward to where the band go from here.

The album was released on 4th September 2020 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Better Walk Alone.