Back in the 80s when I was a teenager “Denim and Leather” was one of my anthems along “Breaking the Law”, “Wrathchild”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and many others. The golden years of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal were gone with the eruption of the grunge, the raging of thrash and death metal and the insurrection of the industrial genres. Bands like Judas Priest managed to re-innovate them self album by album through the 90s, but most of the others survived only by touring Japan and Germany where still are a large fan base for the old-school metal while others simply disappeared, shot down in flames. Saxon had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s, including 4 UK Top 10 albums, numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart and sold more than 13 million albums worldwide. Still, getting to their 19th studio album, seems to be unexpected.
Vocalist Peter “Biff” Byford never had the voice and status of a “metal god” as Ozzy, Halford or Dickinson and after “Crusader”, their sixth studio album released in 1984, which by the way, sold over 2 million copies, gradually I lost my appetite and any interest in them. Read more Saxon – Call to Arms (2011)
Monthly Archives: June 2011
The Vines – Future Primitive (2011)
For more than two decades, The Beatles seems to be the most addictive and obsessive band ever. I’m almost scared each time I play a band labeled “indie” not to stumble into some Beatles copy. With these guys from Australia I wasn’t so lucky. Some may say it’s quite natural, eight years ago an angrier Vines released a song called “Fuck The World” and well, it didn’t get too much radio attention, I wonder why? They revisited the song’s theme for the band’s new album and this time it’s called “Screw The World” and they swallow much of their anger meantime. 33 years old Craig Nicholls says “”We’re trying to be more mature” – and mature, accidentally means John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I try to figure out, with the looks of Guns’N’Roses and that Beatles copy sound, what the tuxedo-potato-heads from Sony smelled in it and gave them a last shot chance? Read more The Vines – Future Primitive (2011)
John Scofield – A Moment’s Peace (2011)
Since the 70s, John “Sco” Scofield always is up to something, he’s shifting from one thing to another, rewinding now, I recall that “This Meets That” released in 2007 was filled up with horny horn section and blasting jazz, the previous “Piety Street” lead us to the gospel flavored edge of jazz and this brand new “A Moment’s Peace” have the smoothness of the quiet, dinner-jazz. Don’t expect this time punchy funk-playing, Sco bring the blues and some shattered bop after-taste with bittersweet harmonies and solitary, intimate solos. Some classics (You Don’t Know What Love Is or I Loves You Porgy), some his own, Sco with pianist Larry Goldings, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade serve us 12 “luxuriates in balladsâ€. Ivan Hewitt from The Telegraph said “it’s lovely for five minutes, enervating after 20” and perhaps for some that might be true, but others probably will really enjoy it more and more after the first 20 minutes. Taste are not a matter to discuss. As it’s also true, many journalists and critics expect more than a free CD to write a few nice words in a review. Well, there’s no lunch as free lunch after all, isn’t it? Read more John Scofield – A Moment’s Peace (2011)
Kaiser Chiefs – The Future is Medieval (2011)
It’s quite simple and innovating. Select 10 songs out of 20, design your cover and finally, but not at least, pay £7.50 and download. Released on their official website on June 3, 2011, this is the way the band decided to deliver their fourth album, “The Future is Medieval”. If you want all the 20 tracks, you will take off from your pocket/wallet 15£. Fans, customers, will also be able to share their version of the record with other people once it has been created, and earn £1 each time it is purchased by someone else. It’s an original way to promote your stuff, but still, I’m wondering how marketing, management, expensive videos, t-fuckin’-shirts and all the accessories took over music and we ended up having music business where the music actually is quite secondary.
On the other hand, it’s quite ok that you can listen these songs and decide if it’s worth or not to pay for them, it’s almost cool that they make you feels like matter and involved in the construction of the album, well, the idea, let’s admit it, it’s catchy. Perhaps, user fuckin’ friendly. Still, I believe, now days a band should play their ass off and sell their CDs at the gigs in the good-old-fashioned way, back to the basics, face to face. But I also admit it, a band from New Zealand or South Africa probably will never make it to Toronto, San Francisco, Berlin or …Leeds. Read more Kaiser Chiefs – The Future is Medieval (2011)
Lynch. – I Believe in Me (2011)
Lynch. was formed in 2004 by Hazuki (formerly in Deathgaze) – vocals, Reo – guitar, and Asanao – drums, in Nagoya, Japan. With Yukino as a support bassist, they released their first album, “Greedy Dead Souls” (2005) on the label Marginal Works and toured nationally. In 2006, Yusuke joined as a second guitarist and 2007 bring to surface two more albums “The Avoided Sun” and “The Buried”. Their fourth full-length album, “Shadows”, was released in 2009.
In July 2010, the band announced they would be joining a major label and the band started their last tour on their independent label titled “The Judgement Days” in September 2010. Lynch. has announced that Hazuki will not be participating in the “The Judgement Days” due to being diagnosed with “acute pharyngitis and laryngitis, accompanied by swelling of the vocal chords”, but he will continuing studio recordings. Read more Lynch. – I Believe in Me (2011)
Dazzle Vision – Kirari (2011)
Dazzle Vision are a band from Tokyo, Japan and “Kirari” is their forth studio album filled with tasty metalcore songs, Maiko – their female singer and songwriter, Yu – guitars, Takuro – bass and Haru – drums, managed to delivered an energy full, pumping and more colorful material than most of the actually trendy metalcore products from the market. Maiko growls, screams and sing, Yu catches a few good riffs and exciting themes while the rhythm section is balanced and offered solid bases. But most of all, Dazzle Vision write a few exciting themes and good songs.
Formed in June 2003, Dazzle Vision construct on hard rock and heavy metal bases inserting explosive emo/screamo and metalcore elements. In 2006 they toured all around Taiwan, met with good reviews at Spring Scream 2006 an outdoor music festival there, and subsequently released their first album in Taiwan on the waves of the tour’s success. They released their first album “Origin Of Dazzle” in November of 2006 followed by a tour of Japan. Their second album, “Camellia Japonica” was released in April 2007, “Origin Of Dazzle” was re-issued in 2008, followed by their third album, “Crystal Children” in November 2008. Read more Dazzle Vision – Kirari (2011)
Liv Moon – Golden Moon (2011)
Merging progressive, symphonic heavy metal with opera singing is the recipe used by producer Tatsuya Nishiwak to conquer the world in the footsteps of Nightwish and Within Temptation. Bands in this genre often feature a female lead vocalist, most commonly a mezzo-soprano, and Liv started her journey as a performer from a Takarazuka music school where she participates in various stages. She took a short leave from the group to travel to England in order to learn singing. In the Beckenham Festival, she managed to win the Singer of the Year award and attracted a lot of attention worldwide.
The debut album, “Double Moon” was released in 2009, “Golden Moon”, followed by “Scream As A Woman”, a collection of covers released in 2010 and their second effort, this “Golden Moon” was released on March 16 , 2011 and consist in 14 new songs. Read more Liv Moon – Golden Moon (2011)
Devilish Presley – The Dark Triad (2011)
Hailing from the dark streets of East London, Devilish Presley finished their 5th album and make no mistake, they gonna rip your heart out. Jacqui Vixen reminds me of the raging Nina Hagen, and Devilish Presley crossing over between genres, blending explosively death, goth and punk rock into their own boiling and furious music. While we’ve got an “Evil Elvis” (aka. Glenn Danzig), a Devilish Presley comes quite as a necessity. 😀 Merging the dark side of the goth and horror rock with the energy and wildness of punk rock, Devilish Presley created an unique and extremely exciting “something” and beneath all, they write some quite catchy songs. “Cocaine Joe” or “Kiss Kiss Apocalypse” have anthematic charm, strikes instantly and “The Dark Triad” is full of good riffs, catchy vocals and singable choruses, pumping drums delivering perfect tempos for the craziest pogo. Read more Devilish Presley – The Dark Triad (2011)
Ikon – In the Shadow of the Angel (2011)
In the mirage of Joy Division and The Sisters Of Mercy, preserving their inheritance, Australia’s Ikon are for twenty years in the spotlight, has achieved an international fanbase and critical acclaim. Originally released in 1994, their brilliant debut album now it’s see the light once again, re-issues and remastered and filled with some previously unreleased tracks.
Chris McCarter (vocals, guitar, programming) and Dino Molinaro (bass) began to write songs as high school students in 1988, inspired by their love of alternative music. In 1991, the original band name Death in the Dark was replaced by IKON. Michael Carrodus, the band’s original singer, joined them in creating the first two albums “In the Shadow of the Angel” (1994) and “Flowers for the Gathering” (1996). Both albums are re-issued now and “This Quiet Earth” (1998) and “On the Edge of Forever” (2001) are scheduled to be remastered in 2012. Read more Ikon – In the Shadow of the Angel (2011)
Ankst – Dystopia (2011)
In the footsteps of Fields of the Nephilim and The Sisters Of Mercy, Ankst, a band formed in 2006, in Durban, South Africa, delivered a quality goth/deathrock album. You can grab the 10 song for free directly from the band’s official web site.
The original line-up consist of Raymond Ross (Vocals), Aiden Botha (Guitar) and Dylan Van Collar (Keyboard) and later joined by Noel Hall (Bass). “We Become Godsâ€, the debut EP was released in 2007 followed by touring South Africa extensively and the band gained popularity. Their song “Better Than Meâ€, was included on the German Gothic compilation “Smoke and Spotlight Vol.2†and the band shared the scene with bands such as Battery9, Wintersoul and the German synthpop outfit Psyche. Read more Ankst – Dystopia (2011)
