Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror Review

Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror [Power Metal]

This album's been sitting on my iTunes for a very long time, and I still do not know what to feel about it. Some immediate thoughts when I first listened:

1) Strange production. It's relatively dynamic at DR8, but the mix seems hollow and dull on my headphones, even with my speakers (which act as an amplifier for my headphones) set at the highest treble. Bass drums sound good, but the drumming itself isn't very inspired.

2) Melody has been on the forefront of songwriting. This album is relatively simple by Blind Guardian standards, closer to their earlier years. A lot of the choruses here are very catchy, but the same can't be said for the verses.

3) Hansi Kürsch sounds fantastic at 48 years old. He has been avoiding the high notes on live performances to protect his voice (although this must be disappointing to the fans), but he still uses them tastefully throughout the album. However, he opts for a more theatrical approach, and his visceral roars are sparse. Hell, I loved his backing vocals on Iced Earth's Plagues better.

4) The songs are far too slow. The drums plod tiredly and the guitars sounds like they are dying. This doesn't necessarily have to do with tempo, it could just be production, but the band seems to pack far too many unnecessary portions to each song, which could have benefited from tighter song structures.

5) Orchestra sounds too over the top. This is probably also why the album has been forced to be it bit more dynamically mastered, but at what cost? The guitars sound thin but the orchestra is in your face. As mentioned in first point, mix is very strange, but the orchestral music itself sounds out of place.



Unsurprisingly, the songs that minimize orchestral arrangements are the songs that I have enjoyed here (Ashes Of Eternity and The Holy Grail). This songs are uptempo and sound more focused, without compromising melody. However, every other song could do with major trimming, especially when most of the verses are blatant filler to bloat the record.

★★☆☆☆

Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon Review

Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon [Thrash Metal/Power Metal]

It's been a long while since anyone has posted on this blog, so I thought it'd be good to write a review of an album I'd anticipated for quite a while.

Unlike most of the legions of hardcore Iced Earth fans, I did not grow into the band during the Matt Barlow era - as such it is to be expected that this review will not attempt to draw too many comparisons between Barlow and current Iced Earth vocalist Stu Block.

At this juncture I must point out: despite not being an Iced Earth follower from the early days, I obviously took it upon myself to listen to the work that the band did with Barlow and Ripper; I have tremendous respect for the abilities of both singers, and can totally understand why so many people continue to pine for Barlow's return (not happening, people - get over it! hahaha). Barlow was a fantastic technical singer in his own right: good range, great power and rich tone. However, what stood out most about his singing was the quality of his delivery - it's one thing to sing a song and another to own the hell out of it. 

I have to say now: Stu Block owns the hell out of a few songs on this album. I've always thought - and Iced Earth hardcores can hate on this all they want - that Stu Block, dating from his time with Into Eternity - is a far more technically-proficient and stylistically versatile singer than either Barlow or Ripper ever were. 

Evidence of Stu's vocal chops can be found in tracks like 'Cthulhu' - where Stu busts out a piercing Rob Halford-style scream - and the surprisingly accessible piece 'If I Could See You' - where, during the clean verses, Stu channels his inner Myles Kennedy and goes all rock-ballad. A minus point here, though, is that Stu's vocals, at least the clean bits, were obviously auto-tuned, even though clearly he doesn't need the aid of software. God forbid that Iced Earth eventually trends towards the direction taken by 'rock' bands like U2.

However, not much can be said in the defence of the rest of the band in this album. Notwithstanding that Jon Schaffer and company did well showcasing their new vocalist (as well as guest stars like Hansi Kursch and Russell Allen), the riffing and song structure were pretty much standard Iced Earth fare - not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but after a couple of decades doing this you'd think the band would wish to take the chance to innovate. At times, it felt like the sporadic moments of brilliance from Stu and the blistering guitar solos from Troy Seele - who is in fine form here, by the way - were placed strategically to ensure that any attention lost during the verse and bridge segments was regained.

The album as a whole had a rather mid-tempo feel to it, replete with the usual Jon Schaffer-driven cliches (harmonised guitar breaks, E-flat tuning, and a ton of open string chugging). Objectively speaking - not one of Iced Earth's more inspired offerings. Also of note: this is also the Iced Earth debut of drummer Raphael Saini and bassist Luke Appleton, but you wouldn't know it, because there is nothing about the rhythm work to separate this album from the rest of Iced Earth's considerable body of work - not that this can be attributed directly to the two of them, though.

Overall, you can almost sense that during the songwriting phase, the band leaders decided that they would actively attempt to utilise the considerable talents of Stu Block - not a bad thing, mind - but in doing so compromise on any attempts to write new harmonic and rhythmic material. What this album offers in terms of vocal and melodic interest is largely negated by the blandness of the riffing ideas and the almost-lethargic feel of much of the songs.

★★☆☆☆ Passable - One or two good songs, a bit of flow

Written by: The Buona Vista Musician

Stratovarius - Nemesis Review

Stratovarius - Nemesis [Power Metal]



It's February, and finally I've gotten around to writing a proper full-length review on an album.

Anyhow, it is pretty much accepted among fans of Scandinavian/power metal that Stratovarius are, if anything, predictable - you know what you'll get from them each and every release, which isn't necessarily a bad thing nowadays, what with bands and artistes overextending their capabilities and consequently producing rubbish tracks/albums.

Well, listeners are in for a bit of a curveball.

'Nemesis', which is set to be officially released later in February, has many of the typical Stratovarius elements but, surprisingly, doesn't play too much too stereotype. If anything, tracks like 'Unbreakable' and 'Halcyon Days' have a decidedly Japanese-anime-rock feel to them. Some people will like it and some won't - my actual reaction to it was pleasant surprise with a dash of 'WTF?'.

I mean, just have a listen to 'Unbreakable' (the album's second track and first single).

The keyboards that lead into the intro riff, the intro riff itself (enmeshed with some key work), the pace and tone of the vocal delivery and the way the verse introduces the chorus - all of them scream 'DIGIMONNNN'. If you're reading this as a criticism or a pot shot, don't. I love Digimon. I haven't even gotten to the best part - this song is a friggin' love song. In all seriousness, Kotipelto's lyrical and vocal delivery don't match his best efforts - but then again, who says he's even trying to do so? The track is fun, catchy and a remarkably easy listen, even for people who aren't into metal. Jens Johansson proves his genius on here once again - if there is a metal keyboardist out there who combines technical skill, musical feel and cross-genre versatility better than this man, find me him. Johansson's accents and fillers add a delightful, breezy touch to this song.




Here we have 'Nemesis', the album's title track, which is more typically Stratovarius. The riffing and drumming are up-tempo and energetic, and the chorus is catchy and anthemic. If 'Unbreakable' is for the new listener, 'Nemesis' is for the longtime fan. The keyboard and guitar sequence starting at 2:47 is a particular delight.

The album, overall, isn't groundbreaking or avant-garde by any means. However, as far as entertainment value goes, this album is more than worth a listen. Stratovarius must be commended for putting together such a fun collection of tracks while not compromising on their musicianship and production (a separate note on the production: the guitars are a treat. They absolutely slice through the mix, yet aren't overpowering or jarring. Bravo).★★★★☆ Good - Strong flow, immediately grabs you

Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell Review

Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell [Power / Speed Metal]

I am admittedly not a huge fan of power metal, but this album has a lot more to offer than most power metal bands out there, and may prove to be one last gasp before this genre eventually dies out (and with the overwhelming number of death and black metal bands out there, this will be inevitable).




The cover and album may have been part of the success of this album, because it was so bad I had absolutely zero expectations for this band, whatever their past endeavors may have been. But within the chorus of the opening 'Nabataea' I was unconsciously sucked into the gleeful joy of this record. Words to describe the band would be cheesy, happy and campy, but for some reason, it is still a pleasant listen because of some truly glorious instrumentation from guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner that recall the heyday of 80s metal. Unlike early Dragonforce, who tended to get carried away with their instrument prowess, there is an undeniable sense of fun in the riffs and solos that pepper the album. Bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble are mediocre at best but serviceable, but the one man who truly dominates the album is vocalist Andi Deris. His voice is powerful and heartfelt, by no means groundbreaking but in its own way unique and rare since people hardly sing like this anymore. His range but not be formidable but his control is, letting his voice fade out in a whimper or shrieking back with forcefulness at the precision of a drum beat. For me personally, he is the heart of the band, and his song-writing capabilities that add depth and complexity, or modern twists to old school songcraft, are what propel the music to listenable standards.

However, that novelty is shallow and doesn't stand the test of time. This is a good album, but not good enough for this time. Power metal has many limitations but bands like Into Eternity and Demons & Wizards have managed to break through them (I don't even have to bring in the mighty Symphony X), and whilst Straight Into Hell does have its merits, it does not have enough to make it stand out. Still a worthy listen here and there, but the album does have as many weak songs as it does good songs. Standout tracks are the opener 'Nabataea', 'Waiting For The Thunder' and 'Church Breaks Down'.

★★★☆☆ Average - Half of album is listenable

Kamelot - Silverthorn Review

Kamelot - Silverthorn [Power Metal]



Kamelot's tenth album marks the debut of new vocalist Tommy Karevik, who has the unenviable task of replacing/outdoing/obliterating all memories of former vocalist and undisputed fan favourite Roy Khan.

Silverthorn is a concept album that chronicles the fictitious journey of a girl called Jolee (who is depicted on the cover).

The concept is worthy and the band must be commended for their attempt, but ultimately I do not find the premise gripping enough.

On to the actual music - things don't get a whole lot better here, unfortunately, and I say this with a great deal of disappointment as a Kamelot fan.

Superficially, many of the 'expected' Kamelot elements are present in the album: dramatic, operatic vocals, steady and tasteful drumming from Casey Grillo, the usual keyboard sprinkles and more.

A deeper look, however, will reveal the following:
- Tommy Karevik is clearly a competent and respectable vocalist. However, he makes the grave mistake of trying too hard to emulate Roy Khan and falls flat. I'm not one of those MARTY FRIEDMAN WILL ALWAYS BE MEGADETH'S BEST GUITARIST LOL types who clings onto the past, but it's painfully obvious that Karevik is way out of his depth trying to be the second Roy Khan.

- The spoken word segments in some of the songs don't add a great deal in the way of either atmosphere and meaning. They do at times get fairly annoying.

- Guitarist and founding member Thomas Youngblood hasn't improved one jot as a musician or composer since the last album. It seems that he's content to just coast through his career with the band, which is disappointing.

- The guest vocals from Elize Ryd and Alissa White-Gluz don't add a great deal to the songs. The two ladies are obviously talented (White-Gluz packs a mean scream) but here, their vocals have been edited and processed to death and as a result sound sterile. Kamelot has in the past worked wonders with guest vocalists - this time around, the same cannot be said.

Not all is doom and gloom with the album, however: keyboardist Oliver Palotai seems to be reveling in his newly-increased role with the band and puts out a few snazzy lines and solos, drummer Grillo is his usual solid, steady self (if a bit restrained) and bassist Sean Tibbetts holds everything together with his understated style. The production is clean-cut as well and a marked improvement from earlier albums.

However, when compared with past efforts, this album doesn't fare very well at all. The songwriting is unusually bland (a huge let-down considering what the band members are typically capable of), the vocals are overprocessed and a tad try-hardy and the guitar work from Youngblood is mediocre (as has always been the case, but you always hope for something positive with each album).

Fans of Kamelot or power metal/operatic music in general, don't expect a lot from this album.Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Passable - One or two good songs, a bit of flow