David Paich's 'Forgotten Toys' - Album Review

Considering how many songs David Paich has been involved with over the years, it is astounding really that he had never released a solo album until August of this year. The Toto founder, songwriter, keyboardist, and vocalist has contributed to probably thousands of albums at this point, and has arguably been Toto's unofficial leader and driving force since the band's 1977 inception, but until recently he had never put out anything under his own name. It is never too late to do so, though, and, at age 68, he has released his first solo album - the short, yet sweet, Forgotten Toys. It is my understanding that the driving force behind the creation of the album was the COVID-19 pandemic. With his health largely keeping him away from regular Toto duties of late, and the likelihood of another Toto album seeming unlikely, it seems that Paich used the downtime to finish off some songs which he had worked on over the years. The result is the seven-track Forgotten Toys - an album that clocks in at just under half an hour, and that contains six songs proper alongside a short intro piece. I will get the album's length out of the way first, as many have raised it as a concern. Whilst I generally prefer albums which are on the shorter side, releasing a 29 minute album does seem a bit strange. Given the amount of songs that he has written over the years, and likely still has lying around, I am sure he could have found another couple to pad the album out to the somewhat traditional 40 minute mark. As it is, though, Forgotten Toys really flies by - and feels more like an EP than the proper album it has been marketed as. A couple of extra songs would have certainly been welcome, but it is the quality of what is contained within that is the most important factor for me - and generally the quality here is high. Paich's songwriting over the years has been varied, and that is certainly on show again here. Many of the songs here were likely written with Toto in mind, and sound very similar to things that have appeared on the band's last few albums, but there are a couple of diversions from that formula, too. Given the number of people that Paich has worked with over the years, the album is unsurprisingly packed with talent. Current Toto frontman Joseph Williams helped Paich to produce the album, as well as duetting with him on one song and co-writing three of the songs. Other Toto alumni to appear here include the band's founding guitarist and sole consistent presence Steve Lukather, one-time bassist Nathan East, and current touring multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham. Also appearing here are session drummer extraordinaire Gregg Bissonette, guitarist Don Felder (Eagles), and legendary singer/songwriter Michael McDonald (The Doobie Brothers) - but there are many other well-known names that grace the album's seven songs.

The brief, keyboard-led instrumental piece Forward opens the album in a symphonic fashion. At around 30 seconds in length, it very much is a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment. In truth, it adds little to the album - but works as an extended intro to the first song proper - willibelongtoyou. willibelongtoyou, ludicrous title formatting aside (bands: please stop doing things like this), is a strong song - and very reminiscent of Paich's songwriting on 2015's Toto XIV (which I reviewed here) as well as the band's latest odds and sods collection Old is New (which I briefly discussed here) from 2020. This is the song that Williams sings alongside Paich, and it is also one of his co-writes - where he handles keyboard and synth duties alongside Paich's piano and organ. Chiming guitars from Lukather and Dean Parks drive the track, at least early on, whilst the tight rhythm section of East and Bissonette form a tight groove. The song's intro is somewhat rocking, with Lukather's distinct power chords, but the verses are more low key - and shine a light onto Paich's piano. His piano playing dominates, with an acoustic guitar backing - and his deep voice sounds as strong and distinct as ever, whilst Williams sings the harder-edged chorus in his upper register. A short, but busy, instrumental section is filled with barrelling piano melodies - which grow in stature as Williams adds his synths, before a final reprise of the smooth chorus then gives way to more Paich keyboard wizardry as he moves back and forth between his piano and organ. Spirit of the Moonrise follows, and features more Toto alumni in founding bassist David Hungate and the band's long-time percussion collaborator Lenny Castro. Parks' staccato guitar playing drives the expansive track, which is easily my favourite cut here, whilst the rumbling bass and Paich's piano add counter melodies. The song has a strong groove throughout, and it picks up the pace compared to the previous song - with a driving verse that Paich owns vocally. Williams adds harmonies throughout, and the inimitable vocal talents of McDonald fill out the chorus. McDonald also adds some brief vocal adlibs throughout, with that silky voice that has graced many yacht rock classics over the years doing its job once again, and the hooks sound even bigger thanks to his contributions. A great organ-led instrumental section allows Paich to showcase his lead playing, whilst Lukather contributes a great closing guitar solo that is at the more melodic end of his wheelhouse - which is perfect for the smooth, expansive song that it helps to round out. First Time slows the pace down, and the song is built on a percussion base - which Paich's synths sit atop. He gentle croons the lyrics in a manner that allows the deeper end of his voice to shine, whilst Williams again adds subtle harmonies when needed. It is one of those songs that sounds simple, but on closer inspection there is quite a lot going on. The percussion layers add a simple groove, despite the song's slow pace, while the guitar textures and some occasional East bass lines add plenty of depth. The first two songs here could have easily sat on a Toto album, but this song feels very different to Toto's core sound - and it shows a slightly different side of Paich's songwriting.

Queen Charade then ups the pace again, and the song is easily the most hard rocking cut here - with a raw, bluesy side that makes the most of Ham's harmonica playing and some snarling Lukather guitar. Felder adds some slide guitar to the track, which adds to the bluesy vibe, whilst the no-nonsense drumming of another session legend Steve Jordan gives the song its kinetic energy. Whilst this does not sound like the Toto of late, it reminds me of some of then rawer songs that the band released earlier in their career - like Rockmaker or All Us Boys. It is less smooth than usual for Paich, but the barroom vibes are certainly welcome here. His piano playing is busy, adding a boogie vibe, and his mid-song trade-off with Felder is great - which follows some bursts of saxophone from Ham. Whilst boogie blues is not really what most would want to hear from Paich, for me the song works well - and it is one of the album's most memorable cuts due to how it takes him out of his general comfort zone. It suits his aging voice, too, and showcases his singing in a different light. Up next is All the Tears That Shine - a song which Paich sang on Toto XIV. Here it is sang by its co-writer Mike Sherwood (Logic), who sadly died in 2019. I am not sure if this version of the song is its original demo, or whether Sherwood's vocals from the demo were set to a newly-recorded version of the song - but it differs somewhat from the Toto version. It feels darker here, despite the arrangement largely being the same. Sherwood's voice cracks more than Paich's, which gives it an emotional edge, whilst the slow-burning piano melodies and floating synths of Paich back him up. The subtle guitar playing here is courtesy of long-time Elton John sideman Davey Johnstone, who adds colour throughout, but the focus here is on Sherwood's vocal performance and the varied keyboard playing of Paich. I can understand why Paich included the song here as a tribute to Sherwood, but given how short the album is it seems strange to include a track that most Toto fans will already know. This old/new version is good, though, but it does stand out somewhat due to the general lack of new material presented here. The album then comes to a close with Lucy - a jazzy instrumental that Paich put together with fellow pianist Mike Lang. The focus throughout is on the playing of Paich and Lang, but there is some subtle guitar added by funk legend Ray Parker Jr. and some jazzy horns courtesy of Jon Diversa. This is another slight diversion of Paich, although Toto have recorded jazzy instrumentals in the past. This song feels more like a pure slab of jazz though, particularly as a result of the duelling pianos and a lengthy organ showcase. This sort of music is not really my thing, but the song works well as an album closer. The track is still pretty melodic, and the organ playing throughout is great - even if some of the piano sections are somewhat busy. Given the length of the album, though, I would have preferred to hear another melodic rocker - but at least there is still plenty of variety here. In many ways, it sums up the album - as both are somewhat curios. I like everything here, but it feels like an unfinished project. It is a shame that there is not more meat on the bones here - and I am not sure that another version of All the Tears That Shine was really needed, even if it was fitting to showcase the late Sherwood. As such, this will probably not be an album that I reach for too often, but as a representation of Paich's many songwriting styles it is a fun listen - and Toto fans will certainly enjoy a number of the cuts presented here.

The album was released on 19th August 2022 via The Players Club. Below is Paich's official lyric video for Spirit of the Moonrise.

Uriah Heep - Birmingham Review

Anniversary tours seem to be a regular feature of my gigging calendar at the moment. Last week I went to Bristol to celebrate Anthrax's 40th anniversary, and yesterday I headed up to Birmingham to spend the evening with Uriah Heep - who are currently celebrating half a century in the music industry. In truth, they were actually 50 two years ago - and this tour was supposed to take place in 2020. Following two postponements, though, it was great to finally head up to Birmingham yesterday to see Uriah Heep again for the seventh time. Despite that, though, it actually was not all that long ago that I last saw the band live. Despite their own tour being postponed a couple of times, the band did a couple of UK shows earlier this year in support of Saxon - who themselves were celebrating their delayed 40th birthday. I caught one of those shows at a sold out Eventim Apollo - and it was a great night of metal. Saxon were the band of the night, of course, but 50 or so minutes of Uriah Heep formed a great part of the evening. Uriah Heep are always worth seeing, even if they only get to a play a short set, but their show at the Apollo back in January certainly whetted my appetite to finally see them on their own terms again yesterday. The last time that I had seen the band headline was in December 2018 - when they were touring the UK supporting that year's release Living the Dream. That show was very much a forward-thinking one, with quite a few of the songs from Living the Dream making the set. Given the celebratory nature of this latest tour, though, I was expecting the setlist to be much more varied - and probably contain a good number of the band's classic tracks alongside some deep cuts. That is essentially what the band ended up doing, in a format that I will get to, but they also decided to forgo having a support act and present the shows in an 'Evening With...' style. This allowed the band to play longer sets, which ensured that a number of different songs could be played. The tour included a healthy number of UK shows but the Birmingham one made the most sense back in 2020. The 2022 Birmingham show ended up on a Monday, which is never ideal - but I was not going to miss this tour for a reason so trivial. The venue was the Symphony Hall, too, which is always a great place for concerts. I was last there in November last year, when I saw Marillion, so it was great to return again. It was not as busy for Uriah Heep as it was for Marillion, but I imagine that the show being on a Monday did not help. Uriah Heep are definitely playing larger venues than usual on this tour, too, but there was still a decent crowd in the Symphony Hall throughout the night despite the handfuls of empty seats around. I ended up with good seats, on one of the slightly raised side sections of the Stalls. The view of the stage from these seats was excellent and, as is typical of the Symphony Hall, the sound was good throughout the night.

As there was no support act, the lights went down at 8pm and Uriah Heep took to the stage in front of a white curtain to treat the crowd to a short opening set of acoustic-based numbers. As an intro to this, though, a video was played that featured a number of prominent rock and metal musicians wishing the band a happy birthday - similar to how Anthrax are currently opening their shows. This set the scene nicely, before 50 or so minutes of acoustic music was played that included a number of lesser-played numbers. Most of the songs in the first set I had not seen the band perform live before, and the gentle nature of the performance eased the crowd into the lengthy show. The delicate Circus and Tales opened the show, and it was great to hear these two deeper cuts live. I am not sure that too many in attendance were that familiar with the songs, though, so the applause was rather polite following them - but the energy levels were kicked up a notch next with a rousing version of Free Me. Frontman Bernie Shaw got up off his stool for this one, and prowled the front of the stage encouraging the crowd to sing along with him during the powerful folk rock chorus. The track certainly woke everyone up somewhat, but the pace was then slowed again for the emotive ballad Come Away Melinda - an old The Weavers cover that Uriah Heep included on their 1970 debut album ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble. This is another rarely-played track, but it is a bit of a fan favourite - and when guitarist Mick Box announced that they were going to play it there was quite a bit of applause. A couple of medleys then followed, and the first of which left just Shaw and Phil Lanzon (keyboards/vocals) on the stage to play a mash-up of the deep cut Confession and the classic-era cut Rain. I was not familiar with Confession, as 1976's High and Mighty is one of the few Uriah Heep albums that I have not listened to, but it came across really well live in the simple vocal and piano arrangement it was presented in. It gave Shaw nowhere to hide vocally, but he nailed it. He is such a dependable live singer, and I do not think that I have ever seen him deliver a bad performance. He has been the band's longest-serving singer for a reason, and he delivered throughout both the acoustic set and the full-blown electric set that was to come. The second of the two medleys featured three songs from 1972's Demons and Wizards played together - and the highlight of this section for me was hearing the album's opening cut The Wizard played live again. It is a real favourite song of mine, but the band do not play it too often, so this was one of the overall highlights of the set for me. By this point the acoustic set was coming to a close, but there was time for the ever-present classic Lady of Black to round it out. This was another song that encouraged quite a lot of audience participation, with the band slowly stopping playing to allow the wordless vocal refrain of the crowd to mark their exit.

Following a bit of a break during which the stage was cleared of all of the band's acoustic instruments, the lights went down again and the curtain dropped to reveal the band in full-on electric mode. The set that followed was filled with songs which have generally been played on and off in recent years, but there were a handful that I had not seen the band do live before - and the selection of songs played perfectly celebrated the band's 50-plus year history. Given the acoustic set that had already taken place, the band did not really feature any ballads in their electric set. The second half of the show was instead one of all-out hard rock - with the barrelling Against the Odds opening things up. Drummer Russell Gilbrook, who had been uncharacteristically restrained during the acoustic set, was back to his usual hard-hitting self by this point. The pulsing, mid-paced hard rock of The Hanging Tree followed, which saw Lanzon take on a more atmospheric keyboard role away from his Hammond organ, before he then laid into his signature instrument during Traveller in Time. The track has always been one of my favourite songs of the band's to hear live because of how hard rocking and rhythmic it is. Box's guitar riff propelled everything forward, whilst the Hammond of Lanzon added the band's signature growl. The poignant Between Two Worlds was then wheeled out, and dedicated to all of the previous members of the band that have sadly died. Shaw was on fire throughout the show, but this one really showcased him. The song rocks, but it is perhaps not as full-on as some of the others played - and this allowed his voice a bit more room to breathe. The band's trademark vocal harmonies made everything sound bigger, too, and the sound mix allowed these harmonies to have the desired effect throughout the show. The pulsing Stealin' then encouraged some more singing by the crowd, but the next big highlight for me was the AOR-tinged Too Scared to Run - the only song from the 1980s that was played. It has always been a winner live for me, and its anthemic chorus really cut through the venue. The moodier Rainbow Demon, with lashings of Hammond, then lowered the tone somewhat - and the slower vibe was continued with the newer What Kind of God, which featured another soaring Shaw vocal. By this point time was starting to run out, though, and it was left to four classic tracks to round out the main set. The soaring, harmony-heavy Sunrise went down well as always - whilst the bouncy Sweet Lorraine was another personal highlight. I had not seen the band do the song live before, and the party anthem really connected with the crowd. The pseudo-metal of Free 'n' Easy then was wheeled out for a last burst of pace, before the epic July Morning closed everything out. The song showcased Shaw again vocally, but Lazon also impressed on the Hammond - before Box took over to deliver a great guitar solo. It ended the main set on a real high, but there was time for a couple more quick ones. The stabbing Gypsy and the big single Easy Livin' made up a two-song encore and they really geed the crowd up one last time - bringing the house down. The setlist was:

Circus

Tales

Free Me

Come Away Melinda [The Weavers cover]

Confession/Rain

The Wizard/Paradise/Circle of Hands

Lady in Black

-

Against the Odds

The Hanging Tree

Traveller in Time

Between Two Worlds

Stealin'

Too Scared to Run

Rainbow Demon

What Kind of God

Sunrise

Sweet Lorraine

Free 'n' Easy

July Morning

-

Gypsy

Easy Livin'

As I mentioned earlier, this was my seventh time seeing Uriah Heep live. They have always been great, but given the length of the show this was likely the best of the bunch. The breadth of songs played was great, and the clear sound mix allowed the veteran band to shine. They seem to be showing no signs of slowing down, either. It is my understanding that a new album has already been recorded, so I expect that we will be getting some news about that once this tour comes to an end. I am always up to hear more from the band, and a new album likely means more UK shows - which I will definitely be getting a ticket for.

A-Z's 'A-Z' - Album Review

Whilst it has never expressly been stated, it seems to be accepted knowledge that the American progressive metal act Fates Warning are no more. They have not played live since early 2019, and following the release of 2020's excellent and moody Long Day Good Night (which I reviewed here) there has been very little news from the Fates Warning camp. I remember some of the band members saying in interviews around the time of Long Day Good Night's release that it could end up being the final Fates Warning album - so it would not surprise me at all if the band had indeed quietly called it a day. It would be a shame if they had, though, as their last few albums have been excellent - but I got the impression from reading various things online that the relationships between some of the band members had become somewhat strained. Something which also points towards the band being over, at least for the time being, is the fact that both of the current line-up's main creative forces have recently released albums with newly-formed projects. I will cover guitarist Jim Matheos' new melodic rock project with FM's Steve Overland, Kings of Mercia, in due course, but today I will be shining a light on A-Z - and their self-titled debut album. A-Z is fronted by Ray Alder (Fates Warning; Engine; Redemption), who has been Fates Warning's frontman since 1987, and it sees him re-uniting with drummer Mark Zonder (Warlord; Fates Warning; Dramatica; Spirits of Fire) - who played with Fates Warning between 1988 and 2005, contributing to six of the band's studio albums. As such, A-Z is the first studio album that Alder and Zonder have appeared on together since Fates Warning's 2004 release FWX - and their new band is called A-Z after their surnames, as they have been the main driving forces behind the project. That being said, though, A-Z is more than just a reunion of two Fates Warning alumni - and the group has a true 'band' feel. Joining Alder and Zonder here is guitarist Joop Wolters (Arabesque; Lalu; Shadrane), bassist Philip Bynoe (Ring of Fire; Warlord; Byron Nemeth Group), and keyboardist Vivien Lalu (Shadrane; Lalu; Hubi Meisel) - all of whom make significant contributions to A-Z. All of the songs here are credited to the whole band, which means that the album has clearly been a very collaborative effort between the five musicians. A-Z is a progressive metal album, but it is very song-based and melodic. None of the songs are especially long, nor is much time dedicated to lots of extended soloing. Given the five musicians involved, though, there is an intricacy and a class to the material here - and there are certainly shades of the more melodic and upbeat end of Fates Warning's catalogue. A-Z is less moody than Fates Warning, though, and shares some DNA with Alder's 2019 solo album What the Water Wants (which I also reviewed here) thanks to its song-based arrangements and focus throughout on Alder's dynamic vocal delivery.

The album starts off in a fairly strident manner, with the brash opening guitar riff of Trial by Fire - which soon takes on a more progressive bent thanks to the intricate drum groove of Zonder. In fact, this opening riff, and how it transforms from a driving hard rock feel to something more akin to melodic progressive metal without shifting significantly, perfectly sums up the overall approach of the album. There is a subtlety to the material here, but there are also plenty of hooks. Trial by Fire boasts an anthemic chorus, which has an AOR edge thanks to Lalu's keyboards and Alder's poppy vocal hooks, which helps to elevate the song to the next level. The verses are heavier, based around that opening riff, whilst the melodic choruses provide the first big hook of the album. A shredded Wolters solo adds some metal grit to the track, and the Dutch musician showcases his ability throughout the relatively lengthy instrumental section - whilst the slower bridge that follows shines a light on Bynoe's fluid bass playing. Given the diversity throughout the piece, it is amazing that it still feels so concise - but as such Trial by Fire is a great overall introduction to the album as a whole. The Far Side of the Horizon ups the heaviness somewhat, at least early on, and opens with a barrelling Wolters riff - which is backed by some percussive drum grooves and the odd Lalu keyboard stab. This creates a rhythmic vibe from the off, which is retained when the verse starts - although the heaviness drops away somewhat. The percussion throughout the verses allows the vibes from the beginning to remain, whilst the bass playing of Bynoe takes on much of the melodic drive - with the guitars and keyboards adding colour. Alder uses this groovy base as a bed for his warm vocal performance, showcasing the smoky tones that he has become well-known for over the years. The chorus ups the heaviness somewhat, with the guitars taking on more of a presence again, but it retains an atmospheric nature thanks to the halo of keyboards and Alder's approach to layering the backing vocals. This atmospheric approach is then continued later on with a brisk synth solo from Lalu - which then morphs into another rhythmic section led by the bass. The Machine Gunner then ups the pace, with a busy, yet melodic, opening guitar riff that then gives way to a keyboard-backed verse. A video was made for the song, and it was the first taste of the project that the public were treated to a few months ago. It is a very melodic track, but in truth much of the album is - so the song is a good representation for everything else here, whilst injecting a bit more energy into the formula. Wolters' guitar playing throughout is knotty, yet very easy on the ear, whilst the keyboard playing takes on more of a prominent role thanks to some roaring organ that backs up the verses. There is a bit more instrumental showboating here, too, with Lalu and Wolters instigating a lead trade-off early on - during which they both shred - before Wolters lays down a slightly longer guitar solo later on. A hooky chorus, which maintains the faster pace of the overall song, provides some hooks, too, meaning that the track overall is one that includes a lot in a short space of time.

Rise Again slows things down, and opens with a percussion loop - which Lalu soon adds his piano to. The song has the feeling of a ballad throughout, and it never really ups the pace or heaviness significantly - although it does grow in stature as it progresses. There is a little of Fates Warning's moodiness here, but the focus on Lalu's piano sets the two bands apart. The piano forms the melodic basis for the song, which Alder sings atop throughout, but Wolters' guitar adds textures and the occasional bluesy lead throughout - whilst Bynoe and Zonder lock together nicely to replace the early loops. After three riffier songs, the more low key Rise Again is welcome. The whole album showcases Alder's vocal talents, but this one gives him plenty of room to breathe - but there is still plenty going on melodically thanks to the overall interplay between the guitars and the piano, which add subtly to the song's overall emotional tug. Window Panes then gets back to the album's core, heavier sound and opens with a hard-hitting guitar riff that is one of the most in-your-face moments on the album. As is typical of the album, though, the song does not remain in this full-blown riffy territory for too long. There is still an atmospheric edge to the track, as the first half of the verses show. The big riff does return for the verses' second half, though, but by this point it is part of the overall arrangement rather than the dominant factor. It still gives the verses some weight, though, and there is a heaviness throughout - which is accentuated by the punchy drumming of Zonder. As Zonder produced the album, it is unsurprising that the drums throughout sound great. The drum tones are full of attack, and every beat is clearly heard. This adds to the album's overall rhythmic sound - and even the song's more atmospheric and melodic chorus benefits from Zonder's busy drumming. Speaking of busy drumming, Run Away opens with a mini drum solo from Zonder, further showcasing his talents, before another big riff kicks in and a faster-paced instrumental section follows. As is to be expected by this point, though, the song is not characterised by this heaviness, and the verses once again go for a more low key approach with prominent synths and bass playing. Despite this, though, there is a big focus on hooks throughout. Alder's vocal melodies are catchy, and the guitar playing throughout has a snappiness to it - even during those moments which are more atmospheric. The AOR edge from the album's opening song also return during the chorus, and it is one of the catchiest moments here as a result - showcasing Alder's more anthemic side. Stranded is immediately less heavy. It grows as it moves forward, though, so does not really feel like a ballad - but the atmospheric side of the band is once again showcased in a big way. The choruses feel weightier, with more of a guitar presence, but the verses are more interesting - as they highlight Bynoe's playing significantly. Given the rhythmic nature of the album, there is a strong bass presence throughout, but he is really pushed to the fore here - with some sliding melodies during the verses that compliment the shimmering keyboards and Alder's emotional vocal display. It is not the hookiest of tracks, but it excels at creating a mood - and there are certainly shades of Fates Warning here. Wolters' guitar solo adds to the song's emotional weight, too, with his bluesy playing cutting through the mix perfectly.

At the Waters Edge pushes the rhythmic side of the band's sound to the max, opening with some groovy keyboard and guitar melodies - which are almost danceable thanks to their overall rhythm. The song does not really proceed in this manner, but it does return to it periodically - to allow an upbeat vibe to emerge from the overall gloom of the rest of the track. Mood-wise, then, this might be one of the album's most varied pieces. It mixes those opening grooves with low key, atmospheric sections - during which Alder lays down arguably his best vocals of the album - and there are also heavier, driving metal sections, too, which include plenty of double bass drumming from Zonder. The song constantly moves back and forth between these vibes, too, and never stays with one for too long. Everything still flows nicely, though, and as such the track is one of the album's most interesting. It was one that stood out to me from my first listen to the album, and it has remained a favourite since. It showcases the band's progressive approach to arrangements in a big way - highlighting the talent of all involved. Borrowed Time is a bit more typical in sound, and returns to the riffier approach that characterised the album's opening handful of songs. It is a track that is consistently heavier throughout, and there is little of the atmospheric vibes that permeate the album. Wolters guitar playing is pushed to the fore, then, and his riffing throughout is upbeat and varied. There are plenty of heavy moments throughout the album, but Borrowed Time is probably the most consistently heavy song here. There are still plenty of hooks here too, though, and the chorus is another with a bit of an AOR feel thanks to some soaring vocal lines and a strong keyboard presence. Unsurprisingly, given the song's riffy nature, Wolters also gets to show off with a fast-paced and shredded guitar solo - although the solo is still very easy on the ear to remain in-keeping with the album's overall song-based and melodic nature. The album then comes to a close with Sometimes, which drops the previous song's reliance on riffs and returns to more of an atmospheric vibe. It opens slowly, with some pulsing Bynoe bass, but it does slowly grow in stature as it progresses. Despite this, though, the song retains a somewhat low key feel as it moves along. This is typical of the album, though, and as such the core sound here is reprised as things come to a close. Occasional bursts of heavy riffing add weight, but these are generally quite short-lived - with the song generally quickly returning to its more atmospheric sound to allow Alder's voice to shine. An emotional Wolters guitar solo is a highlight, though, and it allows him one last chance to shine before the album comes to a slow-burning and atmospheric close. Sometimes is a great representation of the album as a whole, too. Some might have expected something a bit heavier from these musicians, but I like the more low key and song-based approached taken here. There is a lot to like here and, despite the hooks throughout, it is an album that rewards repeated listens. Whether A-Z is intended to to be a one-off collaboration or a more long-term project remains to be seen, but for me this is a band with legs - and I would like to see more from these five going forward if their busy schedules allow for such.

The album was released on 12th August 2022 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Machine Gunner.

Anthrax - Bristol Review

I had barely returned from my recent long weekend in London, where I took in three very different concerts, before I was setting off on my travels again. As far as my concert-going calendar goes, the last few months of 2022 are pretty busy. Many of the concerts that were postponed many times over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic are happening now, so there will be a lot more gig reviews popping up on this blog before the end of the year. I returned to work for two and a half days, before heading back to the railway station to catch the train to Bristol. I had expected some difficulties in getting to Bristol, as GWR workers were supposedly striking - but the amount of trains in and out of Plymouth seemed to be pretty much normal. I got to Bristol with little fuss, then, and checked into a Premier Inn to think ahead to what was to come. The reason for the trip was to catch Anthrax on their 40th anniversary tour. In truth, as guitarist Scott Ian would later note, the American thrash metal band turned 40 a couple of years ago - but the pandemic meant that any celebrations needed to be delayed. I had been looking forward to the show for a number of months, and perhaps surprisingly it was to be my first Anthrax headline show. Previous tours must have fallen at inconvenient times, but also in recent years they have often toured as a high-profile support act to other bands. I first saw them with Motörhead back in 2012, and then again with Slayer in 2015. Since then I have seen them twice at the 2016 and 2019 iterations of Bloodstock Open Air - so I already had quite the live history with the band despite never seeing them as a headline act. The Bristol show of the tour seemed to be destined to be special, too, as it sold out well in advance. Some of the other shows sold out pretty recently, but the O2 Academy shifted all of its tickets quite some time ago. The South West was clearly well up for a night of thrash, then, which was great to see. In truth, Bristol generally attracts decent crowds at rock and metal shows - and none of the numerous gigs that I have been to at the city's O2 Academy have been poorly attended. It is a pretty decent venue, too, for a corporate box - and last night's Anthrax show was blessed with a loud and clear sound mix for all three of the bands that played. What does annoy me about the venue, though, at least recently, is how long it takes to get in. I have been to the venue many times over the years, and getting in never used to be a problem. All three of the times that I have now been since the pandemic, though, it has often taken me around half an hour to get through the doors - and I have not been all that far back in the queue each time. I would have said that it is down to the fact that they only have two metal detectors and insist that everyone empties their pockets and slowly creep through the detector - but they have been doing this for a few years and it never seemed to hold up getting into the venue before. Why it takes so long now is a mystery, but it meant that - as was the case last time - that the first band had started their set by the time I managed to get in.

Thankfully, I do not think that I missed much of Sworn Enemy's set - but missing any of it having turned up well in advance of the doors opening is frustrating. The venue really need to review this, as there were plenty of people behind me in the queue who would have missed a lot more of the show than I did. I knew nothing about Sworn Enemy prior to seeing them last night, but they turned out to be a New York-based hardcore/groove metal act. At first I was pretty non-plussed with their pretty typical sound - but as the set progressed I found myself enjoying them more. A clear sound mix helped, which ensured that the two guitars and the vocals were all well-defined - and I think it was the guitar playing that drew me in. So many bands of Sworn Enemy's ilk really just chug along song after song, but the riffing throughout their set was pretty decent. The lead playing of Jeff Cummings (guitar/vocals) was on point throughout, but it was the riffing that I enjoyed the most - with Cummings and fellow guitarist Matt Garzilli's interlocking grooves being the best parts of the set. The band's frontman, and sole original member, Sal Lococo was a captivating presence, too. He is quite a big guy, so he cut a formidable presence on the stage, whilst his harsh vocals were full of rage. At first I thought that I would get a bit tired of his full-tilt performance after a while - but it grew on me over time. The crowd, which slowly grew as the set progressed, generally seemed to get quite into the band, too. There was a mosh pit that opened up during a handful of their tracks - and the band received strong applause after each song. Sworn Enemy are not the sort of band that I would sit and listen to at home, but their set was fun to watch. Their sort of music often goes down well live, and their high-energy set was enjoyable.

I have much the same view when it comes to Municipal Waste's set, which followed. Municipal Waste are more my thing, though, although their brand of thrash is very much of the crossover/punk variety - rather than the NWOBHM-rooted thrash which I tend to prefer. The same could be said of Anthrax's sound, though, but for me Municipal Waste are very much more of a crossover act. I am not the biggest fan of crossover thrash, but I enjoyed my time with Municipal Waste. Again, they are very much a band that needs to be experienced live. Their short, fast songs have never made much of an impact on me when listening to them at home - but live everything changes. It helped that the O2 Academy was pretty full by this point, and lots were in the mood to mosh. I was stood near the back to stay out of all of that - but following the set's first handful of songs the level of moshing increased and the amount of crowd surfing really rocketed. From that point on, the set was a high energy affair and everyone was really getting into what Municipal Waste were doing. Like with Sworn Enemy's set, what stood out to me the most was the riffing. Guitarists Nick Poulos and Ryan Waste churned out riff after riff throughout the band's set - and the scratchy vocals of frontman Tony Foresta perfectly suited the band's punky music. It was clear that there were a lot of Municipal Waste fans in the crowd, and there was quite a bit of banter between the band and the crowd as a result. This is always nice to see, and the atmosphere throughout the Richmond-based band's set was great. As such, they did their job as a support act very well. Support acts are supposed to get a crowd ready for the main event - and Municipal Waste certainly did that - with their punchy material getting everyone riled up for Anthrax.

It did not seem that long following Municipal Waste's set that the lights went down and Anthrax's set started. Given the anniversary nature of the tour, though, the show started in a slightly unconventional manner with a video being projected onto the curtain which was covering the stage. This video featured various celebrities (mostly metal musicians, but not exclusively) talking about why they love Anthrax - which was quite fun to watch. If done poorly it could have sounded quite sycophantic, but the video was quite short so it did not outstay its welcome - and soon the curtain dropped and the band launched into Among the Living. Given the anniversary nature of the tour, the setlist was largely filled with classics and fan favourites. I have been critical in the past of Anthrax often relying on the same handful of songs live, but given the reason for this tour I expected the setlist to very much be a greatest hits affair. It would have been nice if a couple of deeper cuts were thrown in, but the show flowed very well - and every song really got the crowd going. There was never really a drop in energy - so the band's choice to rely on their standards was justified. Among the Living certainly got the set off to a great start, with the chorus being shouted back at the band loudly, but things really got going with Caught in a Mosh. This has always been a song that really whips crowds up - and it was no different in Bristol. Unsurprisingly there was lots of moshing during the track - and the singing during the chorus was some of the loudest of the night. In truth, though, the crowd sang loudly all night - and I think it actually surprised the band at times. Part way through the show, the crowd sang Happy Birthday to the band - which definitely came as a surprise to them. It was that kind of night, and the energy throughout was great - with even the more mid-paced tracks getting strong reactions. An early highlight for me was the duo of Madhouse, which was probably the first Anthrax song that I got into, and the NWOBHM-inspired Metal Thrashing Mad. The latter in particular went down very well, and contained a great vocal performance from frontman Joey Belladonna - who still has a strong voice. The crunchier Keep It in the Family was then played, which was probably the closest thing to a deep cut featured. It slowed the pace somewhat, but the track still ensured that the night's overall heaviness remained - before the energy levels were kicked up a notch again for the ever-present Antisocial and the raging I Am the Law. The former always encourages a lot of audience participation, and last night's show was no different - with the crowd singing the chorus loudly back at the band.

There was another slight drop in pace next, too, with In the End adding a more poignant edge to the set. It was the only newer song played, too, but the track has become a regular over the years - and it was greeted as warmly as many of the older classics. By this point, though, the band were somewhat on the home straight. Only 14 songs were played, but they were still on stage for over 90 minutes. Some of the band's songs are surprisingly long, and there were also moments that were stretched out a bit to include some extended soloing - usually from Jon Donais (guitar). I have always found it strange though that, as the lead guitarist, that Donais essentially stays rooted to the very side of the stage all night. He has always done this, and I wonder if that is basically what he has been told to do. As the newest member of Anthrax he is basically there to do a job, but it would be nice if the spotlight was shone on him a bit more. Towards the end he did venture away from his designated spot somewhat - but largely he stayed in the same place, even for his solos. He always impressed, though, and his shredding during Only raised the song to the next level. Following a short burst of Bring the Noise, the show-stopping Indians was wheeled out. This song brought Donais and Ian together for the dual guitar leads, and the famous wardance section in the middle saw plenty of moshing from the crowd. The track is always a highlight of an Anthrax set, and last night in Bristol was no different. The band did not play an encore, and instead just stayed on stage for the final two songs of the night. The punky Got the Time saw plenty more moshing, before the strong gang vocals of Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) allowed for one last big sing-a-long before the show came to a close. Unsurprisingly the band then took their bows to huge applause and cheers - and it was clear that everyone in attendance, including the band, had had a great night. The setlist was:

Among the Living

Caught in a Mosh

Madhouse

Metal Thrashing Mad

Keep It in the Family

Antisocial [Trust cover]

I Am the Law

Hymn 1

In the End

Medusa

Only

Bring the Noise [Public Enemy cover]

Indians

Got the Time [Joe Jackson cover]

Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)

When you go to so many gigs so close together the magic can start to wear off a bit, but last night in Bristol still really stood out. Thrash gigs can be some of the best live experiences if the band is on point - and Anthrax very much were last night. Their energy was contagious, and the crowd lapped up every minute of it. I did not even mind the predictable setlist given the circumstances, and it was certainly one of those shows where everyone went home happy - if a little tired from all of the headbanging and moshing that had taken place throughout.

Arch Enemy - London Review

What better way is there to end a long weekend in London that included gigs from Marillion and Lindsey Buckingham? I am not sure that all would answer by saying a night of full-on metal - but that is what I did this past Sunday. Following the lush and majestic progressive rock of Marillion at the Eventim Apollo on Friday night and the more sedate singer-songwriter vibes of Buckingham's appearance at the London Palladium, I headed south of the river to Brixton to take in something much louder. Multi-gig weekends are great, but they are also tiring. Even having sat down for both Marillion and Buckingham - the long days spent exploring London and the late nights meant that by the time Sunday evening rolled around I was flagging somewhat. To get the elephant in the room out of the way first - the title of this piece should actually read Behemoth/Arch Enemy - London Review. This is because the show that I saw at the O2 Academy in Brixton was part of a co-headline European tour by the Polish extreme metal legends Behemoth and the Swedish melodic death metal veterans Arch Enemy. As I have never been a big Behemoth fan, and the fact that they closed the evening, I actually chose to leave after Arch Enemy's set. I had resolved to hang around and give Behemoth another go - but by the time Arch Enemy's powerful set had come to a close I was feeling pretty tired. Half an hour of standing around followed by an hour of so of blackened death metal was not really what I wanted to be doing with the rest of my evening - so I headed back to my hotel. I may end up regretting this one day, but I imagine that I would have, again, been fairly non-plussed by Behemoth's set - and decided to cut my losses after thoroughly enjoying Arch Enemy and the two openers. Arch Enemy were the main draw for me in any case, and this was my fourth time seeing the band. I last saw them live back in 2018, when they were touring 2017's Will to Power. This current tour is supporting their recently released album Deceivers - which contains a handful of great songs but on the whole is quite patchy in my opinion. Will to Power was similar, but the band remain a powerful live act - and I fully expected the best tracks from Deceivers to make the set rather than any of the songs which I am less keen on. I was sure that the band would impress despite them taking something a bit of a dip in songwriting form of late, even within the context of a tour with Behemoth. On paper, the matching seems like an odd one. I am not sure who the tour was really aimed at, as I am not sure that there are too many people who genuinely love both bands. Arch Enemy and Behemoth tend to cater to different audiences, but perhaps that was the point - and plenty of people were packed into the O2 Academy by the time the lights went down.

Before Arch Enemy took to the stage, the growing crowd was treated to sets from two support acts. Opening the proceedings were Unto Others, a gothic-tinged metal act whom I knew a little about but had never really heard much by. I was looking forward to checking them out, then, and I was quite impressed with their set. Sadly, though, their set was hampered by a very muddy sound mix. This generally persisted throughout the night, although Unto Others certainly had to deal with the worst of it. As such, their first two songs essentially sounded like mush - but thankfully things did level out somewhat for the few that followed. I was expecting the band to sound a bit heavier than they were, but instead they essentially channelled the gothic sounds of the 1980s pretty faithfully. There was definitely quite a lot of Fields of the Nephilim in Unto Others' sound, although the songs felt somewhat punchier and there were less meandering, atmospheric sections. As such, there was some metal grit in the band's sound, then. Both Gabriel Franco (vocals/guitar) and Sebastian Silva (guitar/vocals) riffed away throughout the band's short set, which added weight, but they also regularly played melodic, gothic lead lines straight out the 1980s. Despite this reliance on an old sound, Unto Others did not just sound like a throwback. I think the heavier riffing helped to set them apart from the goth bands of the 1980s, and they never really strayed into modern gothic or doom metal territory. As such, I imagine that Unto Others are a band that I would get into quite a bit if I gave them a proper listen - which I intend to do in due course. It was clear that they had quite a few fans in attendance, too, as the reaction from the crowd throughout was generally pretty receptive.

Following a quick changeover, the crowd was then treated to a heavy set from the Liverpool-based death metal act Carcass. I have been a casual Carcass fan for quite a while, but this was the first opportunity that I had had to see them live. Despite the muddy sound persisting throughout their set, the veteran band showcased why they are considered an important piece of the death metal puzzle - with songs from last year's strong release Torn Arteries and a handful of cuts from the influential Heartwork, among others, impressing the large crowd. Like Unto Others, there were clearly a lot of Carcass fans in attendance. Considering how well-loved they are, this was not surprising - and at times the crowd greeted them as warmly as they would later greet Arch Enemy. The mix made all of the guitars sound muddy, but the vocals of Jeff Walker (vocals/bass guitar) managed to transcend this. His trademark growls sounded powerful throughout the set, even if some the nuances from Bill Steer's guitar playing were lost. Steer, and fellow guitarist James Blackford, still soloed quite a lot throughout the set, though - some of which managed to cut through and make an impact. It is a shame that Carcass' sound was so muddy, though, as death metal needs to sound tight and sharp to really work - especially for me. The faster parts of the set were the worst affected - but some of the more mid-paced sections that relied less on drum barrages faired somewhat better. A couple of the more mid-paced tracks that I am more familiar with stood out the most, then, with the new The Scythe's Remorseless Swing and an excellent closing rendition of Heartwork being the overall highlights for me. Carcass are not a band I know well enough to be able to pick out all of their songs, especially with a muddy sound mix, but I enjoyed finally getting the chance to see them - and I will look to complete my Carcass collection in due course and continue to delve into their influential catalogue.

The changeover following Carcass' set was somewhat longer, but it was not too long before the lights went down again and Arch Enemy took to the stage behind a large curtain - onto which their silhouettes were projected in a rather effective way. Given this was a co-headline set, Arch Enemy had around 75 minutes to play with. I imagine that Behemoth were afforded a similar time slot, too, and the shorter-than-average time on stage ensured that Arch Enemy had to really make it count. They wasted little time though, and largely just let the music do the talking. The groove-based Deceiver, Deceiver kicked things off, with Michael Amott's (guitar/vocals) big riff driving everything - whilst frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz prowled the stage. She has always been a great frontwoman for the band, but she continues to grow in confidence with each passing show. She really is the focal point of the band now, and with three albums under her belt most of the set came from her era. One of my favourite cuts War Eternal was up next, which featured some excellent soloing from Jeff Loomis (guitar/vocals) - before an oldie in Ravenous was wheeled out. The band's whole set was well-received, but songs like Ravenous really got the crowd going. It is an anthemic track with a big chorus that saw plenty of fist pumping in the venue, something which also carried on during the mid-paced and more classic rock-influenced In the Eye of the Storm and House of Mirrors - the latter of which in particular really impressed live. If I had a criticism of the current incarnation of Arch Enemy live, though, it would be their reliance on a handful of older cuts. I have never been a big fan of My Apocalypse, but it is ever-present in the set. It is great that they focus so much on their newer material live, but it would nice if they rotated the older tracks a bit and threw in a deeper cut here and there. The catchy The Watcher, with its epic chorus, left the slow-burning My Apocalypse in the dust - and a trip back to Will to Power for the riffy The Eagle Flies Alone brought a strong reaction from the crowd. Another highlight for me was Handshake with Hell - which allowed White-Gluz to showcase her clean singing. It will be interesting to see if the band write more songs that allow her to do so going forward, but the melodic track came across well live - with the slower-paced bridge section creating something more atmospheric. There was not much time left by this point but the thrashy As the Pages Burn went down well as always, before the pace was slowed properly for the instrumental Snow Bound. This was a showcase for Amott, who displayed his Michael Schenker-inspired playing throughout, before the evergreen Nemesis opened up a huge circle pit and generated a loud reaction. This was essentially the end, but as is often the case the band finished with an instrumental portion of the oldie Fields of Desolation - with Amott and Loomis coming together for the dual guitar leads. The setlist was:

Deceiver, Deceiver

War Eternal

Ravenous

In the Eye of the Storm

House of Mirrors

My Apocalypse

The Watcher

The Eagle Flies Alone

Handshake with Hell

Sunset Over the Empire

As the Pages Burn

Snow Bound

Nemesis

Fields of Desolation

Enter the Machine

Despite leaving before Behemoth's set, I still had a great night. I bought my ticket on the strength of Arch Enemy and Carcass being on the bill, so I do not feel that I really missed out on that much as I have never really been a Behemoth fan. I had a McDonald's in Brixton before getting the tube back to my hotel, and there were a few others in there who were clearly doing the same thing. There is always that risk with co-headline tours, but I am sure that plenty of people also enjoyed Behemoth - who were no doubt excellent. Arch Enemy's great set was enough for me, though, but I do hope that they return to the UK again soon - this time as a headliner in their own right.

Lindsey Buckingham - London Review

In retrospect, it seems that I was lucky to see Lindsey Buckingham live this past Saturday. I was not following the former Fleetwood Mac singer/songwriter on any of his social media channels until recently, so I was not aware that the first few dates of his first ever European solo tour were cancelled due to illness. This must have been a real downer for Buckingham and his fans, especially considering that the tour had already been rescheduled from earlier in the year due to him catching COVID-19 just before setting off. It was not to be second time lucky for Buckingham either it seems - although he was deemed well enough to play a show in Germany last week. Three days later he rocked up to the world-famous London Palladium, for his first ever UK solo show - and the first of a planned handful of shows here. It turned out to be the last show of the tour, though, as the following day there were rumours flying around that the rest of the shows had been cancelled due to a recurrence of the illness which had scuppered the first few shows. The cancellation was letter confirmed on Buckingham's social media channels, meaning that the gig in Germany and Saturday's excursion at the Palladium were the only two shows of the tour that actually managed to happen. Considering that this tour was Buckingham's first as a solo artist in Europe, I am sure that many have been left disappointed. I consider myself lucky that I got to one of the shows, especially as it was not one that I was planning to go to until relatively recently. I had looked at getting a ticket to one of his shows when they were originally announced, but the London show clashed with something else which I already had tickets for. I did not pay too much attention when the tour was originally postponed, then, but a few months ago I realised that it made sense for me to stay in London for a long weekend to save coming home between two concerts. It turned out that Buckingham's rescheduled Palladium show fell on that day - so buying a ticket made sense. By the time I bought my ticket, though, there were not many left at all. I ended up getting one in the first row of the Grand Circle, which is the highest level in the venue. I had been to the Palladium once before, when I saw Anathema play one of their final shows just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I sat in the Stalls. I quite liked being in the Stalls, but I did not really like being sat in the Grand Circle - at least right at the front of it. There was so little leg room, even for someone of average height like me, and every time I stood up to let someone past it felt like I was going to fall over the barrier. The venue is definitely showing its age in that regard, but the view of the stage was good - despite the barrier. The sound throughout the show was excellent, too, as was the atmosphere due to the place being essentially full.

There was no support act, so at 8pm the lights went down and Buckingham walked onto the stage with his three-piece backing band. I did not manage to catch the names of his keyboard player or drummer - but he was joined by his long-time associate Neale Heywood (guitar/bass guitar/vocals). Heywood covered the songs' more convention guitar parts, with Buckingham himself taking the lead - showcasing his dynamic and unique playing style throughout the 20-song set. Most of the songs played came from Buckingham's solo albums, and they were a mix of more acoustic-based ballads and spiky rockers similar to his work with Fleetwood Mac. A few Fleetwood Mac songs were played, too, but the early part of the set focused on his solo work. The relatively low key Not Too Late got the show off to a melodic and whimsical start, but it was the harder rocking In Our Own Time which stood out for me early on. The song is quite brash and heavy for Buckingham, and his riffing rang through the venue - with the deliberately messy guitar stings during the chorus in particularly impressing. I am not hugely versed in Buckingham's solo albums, but I recognised the songs played. Shut Us Down was another highlight of the early part of the show, thanks to its delicate textures - and it also marked the point where the band left the stage for a few numbers. This left Buckingham alone for a while, and he made the most of this by delivering a stunning acoustic rendition of Trouble - before dipping back into the Fleetwood Mac catalogue for Never Going Back Again. The classic track was played slower than on 1977's Rumours, but this allowed the emotional core of the song to shine.

Things sped up next though due to Buckingham delivering a powerful version of Big Love - a song which has become an acoustic showcase for him over the years. This arrangement of the song is likely now more well-known than then synth-heavy original recording, and it sounded as great here as it did when I saw Fleetwood Mac back in 2013. Despite his recent illness, I thought Buckingham played well. He certainly looked thin and frail, but his guitar playing was as good as ever. His voice is a little weaker now, though, but I still thought that he did the material justice. The band then came back for three tracks from Buckingham's most recent album. The poppy Scream was a lot of fun, but it was On the Wrong Side that really stood out for me during this part of the show. His recent album is a strong effort in general, though, so it was good to have it highlighted here - before a four-song suite of Fleetwood Mac songs brought the main set to a close. The hard rocking Tusk was a lot of fun, with the keyboard player showcasing his talents with some pulsing synths, before I'm So Afraid allowed Buckingham to cut loose with a lengthy solo. It has always been a showcase piece for him, and it was great to see him solo so furiously - before everyone sang along to Go Your Own Way to bring the main set to a close. A three-song encore followed, and the up-tempo vibe was continued at first thanks to a powerful rendition of the hit song Go Insane - before Buckingham introduced the band and slowed the pace down for the final two songs of the night. The delicate ballad Love Is Here to Stay, from his 2017 album with Christine McVie, came across really well live - and the night then ended in a similar fashion with his version of the Pozo-Seco Singers' 1960s folk classic Time. It was a low key way to end the night, but it had the desired effect - and the venue erupted with warm applause as Buckingham and his band left the stage for the final time. The setlist was:

Not Too Late

In Our Own Time

Soul Drifter

Stars Are Crazy

I Must Go

Doing What I Can

Shut Us Down

Trouble

Never Going Back Again [Fleetwood Mac material]

Big Love [Fleetwood Mac material]

Scream

I Don't Mind

On the Wrong Side

Second Hand News [Fleetwood Mac material]

Tusk [Fleetwood Mac material]

I'm So Afraid [Fleetwood Mac material]

Go Your Own Way [Fleetwood Mac material]

-

Go Insane

Love Is Here to Stay [Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie material]

Time [Pozo-Seco Singers cover]

Given that the rest of the tour was cancelled, I imagine that Buckingham was struggling up there on stage at the Palladium. It did not show, and his performance was as strong as I expected. He is starting to look his age now, and he may not be as enigmatic and caustic he was even a decade or so, but I was pleased to get the chance to see him in a pretty small venue - rather than from the back of an arena as I did when I saw him with Fleetwood Mac. His solo catalogue is definitely something that I need to explore further as I enjoyed all of the songs played, and he said during the show that he is working on another album - which I will have to pick up whenever it is ready. In the meantime, though, I hope that he gets well soon - and hopefully he can get back on the road again in due course.

Marillion - London Review

Considering that it was only until as recently as 2016 that Marillion's London venue of choice was the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, it is amazing how much the band's stock has risen since then. The Forum was the band's go-to London venue for years, throughout much of the 2000s, but following two excellent albums and the general rise in popularity again of rock music more generally they can now call the Eventim Apollo (better known as the Hammersmith Odeon) home again. Following their triumphant 2017 and 2019 shows at the Royal Albert Hall, not a venue that the band realistically expect to book every tour, last year saw Marillion return to the Odeon. They played at the venue a number of times throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but a big drop-off in popularity kept them away for quite some time. It has been great to see the band's recent resurgence of late, then, and it was clear that last year's Odeon shows went down so well that they decided to return again this year - as the closing night of the UK leg of their tour supporting the excellent An Hour Before It's Dark album, which was released back in March. I caught the band in Birmingham last year, which was an excellent show as always, but this time it made sense to go to London. The Odeon is always a great place to go, too, and seeing Marillion play in another prestigious venue was certainly not one to miss. It is great that the band have been playing so many UK shows of late, and one of their tours never seems too far away. Having not seen them for a few years before 2016, I have now seen them live every year since 2016 (inclusive) - with the exception of 2020 for obvious reasons. Considering that Marillion are one of my favourite bands, this has been a real treat. The band generally do a good job of shaking up the setlist between tours, meaning that I have seen them play quite a few different songs over the years, and with An Hour Before It's Dark fresh this promised to be the case this time, too. One of the songs was debuted on last year's tour as a taster for what was to come, but considering how well the album had been received I was expecting them to play quite a few of the new songs live. Following the first night of the tour, though, it was clear that they were going to play the whole thing night after night. I do not think that this had been announced before the tour started, but in my opinion the decision was a wise one. Marillion's albums are generally complete works, and An Hour Before It's Dark has a flow to it that makes it work when played live in full. As regular readers of this blog will know, too, I like it when bands stand behind their new material. I always like hearing a lot of new songs live, so knowing that I was going to hear the album played in full only raised my excitement for the Odeon show. The Odeon is a venue where I usually stand downstairs, but this time I opted to sit in the Circle. The seat that I ended up with was a good one, too, that was fairly central and had quite a bit of legroom as it was behind one of the main walkways across. This did mean that I had to suffer those who wanted to spend the whole evening going back and forth to the bar - but this was only a minor distraction, and the view of the stage overall was good.

Following a brief, but decent, support slot from singer-songwriter Luke Jackson, the lights went down and the band slowly trooped onto the stage - launching into the dynamic Be Hard on Yourself. This was the song debuted on last year's tour, but the album opener also worked well as a concert opener. It is very typical of the modern Marillion sound, but the lushness of Mark Kelly's keyboards really elevates it - and the song's core message was perfect for frontman Steve Hogarth to prowl around the stage to. Hogarth has always been a great frontman, but he seemed more animated than usual this time - and he made use of every inch of the Odeon's wide stage, as well as the occasional costume change! One big change from previous tours, though, was that the band were also joined by percussionist Luís Jardim, who contributed to the latest album. Jardim is probably one of the best-known rock percussionists, and he has hundreds of credits to his name, but I have to say that his presence did not really do all that much for me. I am not known for my love of percussionists, although this has softened of late following deep dives into the catalogues of The Allman Brothers Band and The Doobie Brothers, but Marillion's music is not all that rhythmic. He seemed to spend much of his time shaking a shaker or a tambourine, which Hogarth is known to do on occasion anyway, so he added little to the overall sound in my opinion. It is clearly something that the band wanted to try, but for me it was a bit of a strange choice. Jardim's presence was not a negative, though, and the overall show was a typically excellent display from Marillion. Much of the main set was taken up by the performance of An Hour Before It's Dark - and following Be Hard on Yourself the rockier Reprogram the Gene impressed the crowd. I like the song but it has never been one of my favourites on the album thanks to some clunky lyrics, but live it worked really well. Marillion's recent work is rarely upbeat, and Reprogram the Gene is a rare track that could be described as being a bit of a rocker. Ian Mosley's driving drum beat kept it going, whilst Hogarth enjoyed bouncing along to the groove. One of the main highlights of this part of the show for me, though, was a stunning rendition of The Crow and the Nightingale. The song is a favourite of mine on the album thanks to the choral additions and the slow-burning beauty of the arrangement, but live it was something else. Hogarth put in one of his best vocal performances during the song, and the guitar solo from Steve Rothery soared. He might not include as many solos on the band's newer albums as he used to, but when he does choose to solo he really cuts loose. This was one such moment, and it made the song a real highlight. The floating Sierra Leone was another track that really worked live, particularly the stunning More Than Treasure closing section, but perhaps the best part of the An Hour Before It's Dark showcase was Care. The song is a real fan-favourite already, and the lengthy, varied song came across really well live. The somewhat funky opening section, led by Pete Trewavas' bass guitar, was another fairly upbeat moment - but again it was Rothery's solo that stole the show.

The rest of the main set, and two encores, was then made up of older songs. Hogarth said that they were going to play some songs that do not usually play - although in my opinion this was not really the case. Considering that the band had just played their new album in full, though, pulling out a few old favourites was probably a wise move. The first song played following the album, though, was a bit of a rarity - with the title track of 2007's Somewhere Else getting an airing. I had not seen the band play the song live before, so I really enjoyed hearing it. The album might not be one of the band's best, but that song has always been great - and it is another representation of the band's modern sound. Hogarth's falsetto chorus vocals sounded great, and the section where he sang through a loudspeaker made for an interesting effect. A couple of bouncy sections from the lengthy Goodbye to All That were then played, and in fact the closing four songs were the same four that were played at the Birmingham show that I saw in 2018. The Goodbye to All That excepts added some harder rocking vibes to the latter part of the set, before the evergreen Afraid of Sunlight brought a huge cheer from the crowd. The song is played at most of the band's shows, and it is easy to see why as it always receives such a strong reaction. It has a great chorus, and the overall melodic nature of the track makes it very easy to latch onto. It showcased Kelly's piano playing, too, which is always nice to see given his general love of soundscapes and all-encompassing synths. The main set then came to a close with a powerful rendition of The Great Escape, which is another track that always goes down well live. Again, Hogarth's vocals throughout the song were especially excellent - and the hard-hitting track proved to a powerful set-closer, with the band leaving the stage to huge cheers. Two encores followed, with the first being the lengthy The New Kings from 2016's Fuck Everyone and Run. I always like hearing the longer-form pieces from that album live, and The New Kings has always been my favourite of the three. It has always hit hard live, and the song's message is one that we can sadly all relate to currently. Whilst it might not really be the best encore material, I just enjoyed hearing the song again regardless. The closing section was another rousing moment, too, and the crowd helped Hogarth to sing parts of it - which made for a fun bit of interaction. The second encore was Sugar Mice, with the band taking a relatively rare trip back to the 1980s and the Fish era. The epic ballad always works well live, though, and Hogarth encouraged the crowd to sing the song loudly with them - which they did with relish. The highlight of the song, though, was Rothery's excellent solo. The Sugar Mice solo is often regarded as one of his best, and it was great seeing him play it live again. He even stepped out from behind his pedal board and ventured forward to the front of the stage for it - where the crowd really welcomed him. It was a great end to a powerful show, and there was unsurprisingly a standing ovation when things came to a close. The setlist was:

Be Hard on Yourself - Part I: The Tear in the Big Picture

Be Hard on Yourself - Part II: Lust for Luxury

Be Hard on Yourself - Part III: You Can Learn

Reprogram the Gene - Part I: Invincible

Reprogram the Gene - Part II: Trouble-Free Life

Reprogram the Gene - Part III: A Cure for Us?

Only a Kiss

Murder Machines

The Crow and the Nightingale

Sierra Leone - Part I: Chance in a Million

Sierra Leone - Part II: The White Sand

Sierra Leone - Part III: The Diamond

Sierra Leone - Part IV: The Blue Warm Air

Sierra Leone - Part V: More Than Treasure

Care - Part I: Maintenance Drugs

Care - Part II: An Hour Before It's Dark

Care - Part III: Every Cell

Care - Part IV: Angels on Earth

Somewhere Else

Wave

Mad

Afraid of Sunlight

The Great Escape

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The New Kings - Part I: Fuck Everyone and Run

The New Kings - Part II: Russia's Locked Doors

The New Kings - Part III: A Scary Sky

The New Kings - Part IV: Why is Nothing Ever True?

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Sugar Mice

It is always a treat to see Marillion live, and according to my list this was my tenth time seeing them. They are one of those bands that I always make the effort to see when they tour, as their shows are always something special. Last Friday in London was no different, and the full performance of An Hour Before It's Dark in particular was great to see. It was also great seeing the band pack out the Odeon, too, and it seems that they are there to stay. The rise again over the past decade or so has been great to watch, and the band really seemed at home playing at the venue again - with such a supportive crowd cheering them on at every stage.