Skid Row have been around for a number of years now and, along with bands like Guns N' Roses and Cinderella, rose out of the end of the hair metal years in the 1980s with serious credibility and brought a certain rawness back to the scene. While they have never been too prolific, they have maintained a strong and loyal fanbase through endless touring and remain a great live act to this day. The band's new EP United World Rebellion - Chapter One, the first in a series of three, is their first release since Revolutions per Minute in 2006 and the third with long-time frontman Johnny Solinger. While some fans might be disappointed that after seven years the band could only muster up enough material for a short EP (although, being the first in a series of three, that clearly is not true), this is certainly a case of quality over quantity. Every track here is stellar, there is no filler, and the raw and heavy production makes this a great listen. The now well-honed writing partnership between bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave 'Snake' Sabo has produced more excellent songs that sit just as well beside newer material like New Generation as they do beside classics like Big Guns. Also, this is the first release by the band to feature drummer Rob Hammersmith who has been playing with the band since 2010.
Things get started with the anthemic Kings of Demolition which recalls the best of Skid Row of old. They have been playing this one live for a little while now and it has been going down a storm. The simple and heavy riff drives the song and lyrics that talk of rebellion and retribution are stiring if a little cliché. The song features a trademark big chorus with plenty of backing vocals and lines you can easily sing. Up next is the furious Let's Go, which for me is the best song of the bunch. It is a short, punchy track that never lets up throughout it's duration. Again, the guitar riffs are simple but both Sabo and Scotti Hill here demonstrate that things do not have to be complicated or fancy to be good - in fact quite the oppostite. Another great chorus gets the blood pumping and there is a fast yet melodic guitar solo which is just the icing on the cake of a great track. This is Killing Me gives you a mid-EP break from all the furious rocking with an acoustic-driven ballad that is straight out of the 1980s. Solinger really shines here and shows great range - he can be heartfelt as well as a ball of fury. Another really strong song that would have filled arenas years ago. Get Up follows and, if there is a weak song on the EP, then this is it. However, it is still an enjoyable tune with another simple riff and a fist-pumping chorus complete with gang vocals. Things are rounded up with Stitches. This is another 1980s-style glam anthem with pounding drums and angsty lyrics. It really rocks and ensures that the EP ends in style and whets our appetites for the other two EPs in the trilogy yet to come. Overall, this release is a triumph and will hopefully really put Skid Row back on the map.
The EP was released on 27th May 2013 via UDR GmbH. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Kings of Demolition.
Avantasia have been a side project of Edguy's mastermind Tobias Sammet since 1999 and 2013 sees the release of their sixth studio album The Mystery of Time. I always think that it seems an understatment to call Avantasia a side project. The band is epic in sound and scope and takes the power metal combined with hard rock of Sammet's day job and increases it tenfold creating one of the biggest sounds in the world of metal. As usual, Sammet has mustered a great cast of musicians and singers to help him realise the album's concept and sound. The cast includes Avantasia stalwarts like former Helloween frontman Michael Kiske and Magnum's Bob Catley alongside new recruits such as ex-Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner and Saxon's Biff Byford to name but a few. Guitars and production are once again handled by Sascha Paeth, and the keyboards by Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg, but the drums this time were played by Uriah Heep skinsman Russell Gilbrook who brings a more organic sound to the drumstool. This is the first Avantasia studio album since the double release of The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon in 2010 and the overall sound of the album is largely similar to those albums with the added dimension of the German Film Orchestra Babelsberg who's sound adds a real feeling of class to the album.
The album kicks off with Spectres and a great symphonic intro that shows just what using a real orchestra can bring to a metal album. It has such a warm sound that a synthesisted strings just do not have. It is not long before the rest of the band join in and the song becomes a mid-paced rocker that is built around the 'riff' from the strings. Sammet's recognisable vocals lead the verses backed by some delicate piano before the song really takes off in the chorus. Parts of the song see Sammet backed up by Turner but mostly this song belongs to Sammet. Considering the amount of Edguy and Avantasia albums that the guy has written almost single-handedly, I always find it amazing how fresh he manages to keep his albums sounding. Up next is The Watchmakers' Dream which is a more traditional duet between Sammet and Turner. Their voices are actually quite similar these days, with Turner's becoming slightly lower over the years - but it clear to see that Turner was probably a big influence on Sammet growing up. This is more traditional power metal in the early Edguy vein with plenty of double-bass drumming and fast guitar riffing. Some great hammond organ played by Ferdy Doernberg creates a great contrast with the speedy metal guitars and seem to recal Turner's past in both Rainbow and Deep Purple. There is also a guitar solo from Arjen Anthony Lucassen, himself a master of the metal opera! Following that we get Black Orchid. This is another symphonic rocker that sees Sammet sharing vocal duties with Byford and their two voices contrast well. It is a really epic piece that uses the orchestra to their full potential and has a really stellar chorus. It is also great to hear another side to Byford's voice, away from the balls-to-the-wall metal of Saxon's music. The next highlight is the album's single and ballad Sleepwalking. It is a nice break from all the metal mid album and features the beautiful voice of Cloudy Yang dueting with Sammet. It is similar to Avantasia ballads past but it is always nice to have a balance in an album, and having a break from the pounding drums and harsh guitars is alwasy nice.
Savior in the Clockwork is up next and this is the first of two pieces that exceed ten minutes in length. It is a real tour-de-force featuring Turner, Byford and Kiske along with Sammet on the vocals. It has a bit of everything that has made Avantasia so successful over the years. The word 'epic' is overused thee days (including by me) but there is really no other word that can be used to describe this piece - it just is a monster! All the vocalists are on top of their game here, even Kiske who I feel is a little weak these days, and they make the song what it is. There is also a guitar solo from former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick. Possibly the heaviest song on the album follows with Invoke the Machine. Featuring Pretty Maids' frontman Ronnie Atkins, this is a riff-heavy song that puts the heavy back into metal. However, there is still plenty of melody to be found. The piano in the pre-chorus is fast but tuneful and the chorus makes the best of Atkins' gravely voice. What's Left of Me follows, and is another semi-ballad with the dulcet tones of Mr. Big's Eric Martin giving the song a very 80s feel. Martin does a great job here with a very heartfelt performance. For me, he is the James LaBrie of the 80s, always overshadowed by the musical talents of his bandmembers but here he gets to shine. The next highlight is the final song and other ten minute-plus song The Great Mystery. Sammet, Turner and Byford sound great here as always; but Catley is the star here. He has sung on most of the Avantasia albums to be released so far and still has a great voice after all these years. It is just a great end to a great album. When it comes to Avantasia, you are never quite sure whether each album will be their last or not - but if this is the final note in the Avantasia history then it will have gone out on a high. This album is a real ride through everything that is great about modern melodic metal and features a great supporting cast of singers and musicians. A real highlight!
The album was released on 1st April 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Sleepwalking.
Amaranthe are one of the biggest rising stars in the metal world at the moment. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2011 and was instantly popular as its simple songwriting built around massive hooks and catchy riffs appealed to so many people. Metal fans often are extremely (over)protective of their favourite subgenres and, in my opinion, create so much animosity between themselves that they are all missing out on a lot of good music. Amaranthe are one of the few bands in recent years to really bridge the gap between the different subgenres and appeal to a lot of people. Founding member, guitarist and principal songwriter Olof Mörck has found fame in both the power metal world as a member of Dragonland and the melodic death metal world as a member of Nightrage. Amaranthe seems to aim to fuse those two sounds - with great success - as well as adding in huge doses of good old fashioned pop music. Obviously, there are some metal purists that turn their nose up at this sort of music, but it seems that the majority has been hooked. This year sees the release of their second album The Nexus and the formula has not really changed at all. The songs are still built around simple, yet memorable riffs with plenty of keyboards and the band's trademark tri-vocal attack with Elize Ryd and Jake E providing the clean vocals and Andreas Solveström providing the harsh vocals. The Nexus is the natural successor to Amaranthe and fans of the first album will be pleased with the results here providing their happy with the band not really moving forward in their sound (which I am, at this stage).
Afterlife gets things started and all the hallmarks that were so successful on the band's first album are present here in swathes. Mörck is a proficient keyboardist as well as a guitarist and the song is built around a big keyboard riff that is carried by some fast footwork by drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen. As expected, the chorus is massive - as with pretty much every Amaranthe song - and Ryd and Jake E intertwine their voices together to create melodic heaven. Solveström's harsh vocals are usually only reserved for the verses and breakdowns where his growls give them extra punch. There is also a short but flashy solo from Mörck that allows him to show off his chops. Invincible follows and the formula is very much the same. The keyboards take more off a back seat on this song however and the guitars and bass are more upfront creating a heavier song. Even though the keyboards are not as prominant, electronics still bleep away in the background creating an irresistible dancefloor atmosphere. The title track, which is also the first single from the album, is up next and this is one of the best tracks on the album. A really interesting and different vocal melody in the verse set it apart from the rest of the songs before a seriously delicious chorus blows you away. I think this song really brings out the best in all three of the voices on display. There is also another really melodic and memorable guitar solo from Mörck who shows that it is possible to be technical and still be fun. The next highlight is Stardust. After a simple guitar and bass riff, the instruments drop out and leave Jake E's voice backed only by gentle keyboards and pulsing electronics before eveything kicks back in and Solveström's screams create a great contrast. The chorus is yet another contrast, a seeming change of pace with an interesting melody that becomes an earworm almost instantly. It shows that while the formulas of the songs do not change drastically, subtle changes can create something vastly different keeps things varied and from being boring.
The ballad Burn With Me is next and starts out sounding a bit like Avantasia's Carry Me Over before Jake E's vocals sing a melody that would not sound out of place in your average Top 40 smash hit. In fact this whole song has hit written over it. It will never be marketed in a way that would take it to the top of the charts but if Radio 1 would play it I suspect it would - metal or not. It just goes to show that a good song is a good song, even if it sounds like a chart hit - no snobbery here! Mechanical Illusion is up next and this is back to the metal. With the sheer amount of harsh vocals on display here, it is probably the heaviest track on the album but the chorus is still massive and stops the song from being an onslaught of brutality. The mix between light and shade has always been a key part of the band's sound and it is great to hear it so well displayed here. Electroheart is easily the cheesiest song on the album and borrows heavily from disco music and modern clubland. There is not much to say about this song, but if the band can get a whole load of bearded metal heads to get into songs like this, then they have done well. I'm not proud, I saw turn it up loud and just go nuts! Transhuman is next and this is back to more traditional Amaranthe territory. It seems heavy after the disco beats of Electroheart but that is only relative. The chorus is catchy as always. Ryd and Jake E's voices go so well together and sometimes it is hard to tell who is actually singing because they meld together a lot of the time. Both of them are powerful voices and it is freshreshing to hear a female singer singing in a more pop oriented style and still being successful without having to go down the more classical route that many women in metal go down. The album comes to an end with Infinity and rounds out the album nicely with more big riffs and vocals. I like how Amaranthe make very simple song writing and arrangements sound so big and epic - this is testament to the band's vision and also producer Jacob Hansen who has done an excellent job here with quite a complex mix. I just hope the band have some UK dates in pipeline to promote this album over here!
The album was released on 25th March 2013 via Spinefarm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Nexus.
