Stone Free Festival

This fest has been going a couple of years now and it's basically a classic rock all-dayer at the O2 Arena. I missed last year's event but I thought let me give it a shot this time with Rainbow headlining. At the time I bought my ticket I had no idea who all the other bands were going to be bar UK old time glamsters Sweet.

Eventually I found out the list of bands and it was an interesting mix of classic rock and newer less well known bands. I've never actually ever been to an all day fest like this in London so it was good to break that duck. I wasn't sure how it all worked out with the stages etc but well I'll find these things out won't I.

To say it was hot in London yesterday was an understatement though it's actually even a bit hotter today. But anyhow yesterday the thermometer was hitting highs which makes us Brits a little uncomfortable shall we say! The event was due to start at 12pm dead with a band called Riff Rath on the Orange Amps stage which was as it turns out a makeshift stage actually inside the forecourt of the O2 as soon as you walk in. These gigs were actually free as anyone is allowed to walk in to the venue after a security check without actually going into the main arena and the other larger venue Indigo which is a 3000 or so venue also inside the O2 complex. All these stages are within 30 seconds walk which was very handy indeed.

I walked in and immediately you could see a band playing on the Orange Amps stage and my festival guide revealed that they were called Tequila Mockyngbird. Nice name and nice gals for they were an all-girl group playing hard and ready hard rock ala Girlschool or Warlock or other rough voiced female led bands. I saw about 3 songs from them they were quite fun and the 150 or so early gatherers seemed to enjoy their set.Nice start and time to get a beer, the first of a fair few!

Next I entered into the Indigo by virtue of producing my ticket which allowed me quick and free entry to the hall which was on a first come first serve basis. It was time for the Crazy world of Arthur Brown. Never seen the old man obviously and I know Fire of course, who doesn't, but my knowledge of Arthur ends there. To say the show is an experience is an understatement. Musically it's a bit dark and mystical and sometimes progressive dark rock. A bit hypnotic and always very interesting to witness and observe. Arthur is a crazy old man that's for sure! Sadly they got the plug pulled on them right towards the end of Fire as they over-ran their 40 minutes. But that was weird and always a spectacle. never seen a show like that. He introduced the song Devil's Grip and said someone told him he's the reason why heavy metal exists when he wrote that song! Definitely a mystical and slightly satanic song! At the end Arthur said he turns 75 next week and we better keep coming as he doesn't know if he'll be alive much longer haha! Mind you more than a few of the band members of all the bands kept mentioning their ages from the stage during each of their sets!

I quickly exited the Indigo and  walked round to catch a few songs from Death Valley Knights. I think they're Brits but not sure but these guys are full on big trad metal with a piercing vocal. I heard about 3 songs but I was gasping for another beer by now so I went to the bar opposite where I can still hear the band but I could also quench my thirst. They were OK but I couldn't really make out any memorable tunes but they looked the part. Big hair, denim and leather and pounding metal! Probably the heavist and most metal band on the whole bill.

Back to the Indigo for a quick listen to Scots Gun who've been around since late 80s early 90s. They were actually rather good and I saw them for about 25 minutes. Very decent catchy hard rock and roll indeed with memorable, poppy tunes. The cover of Word Up was funny and good too. I made for the exits and missed the last 15 minutes of their set as I wanted to catch the full 30 minutes from Massive Wagons, Yorkshire's finest rock and roll band! Or is that only haha!

Got to the Orange Amps stage and the MW dudes strode on and the little fireball Yorkshireman, front man was flying and twirling his mic stand all over the place, nearly knocking his band mates over the stage was that small! The crowd was filling well for them as Gun ended and more than a couple of hundred watched the band. They really have a fantastic set of tunes that are guaranteed to get everyone moving. Their 30 minutes ended rapidly and was very enjoyable indeed. One of the few bands on the bill that I know well and was looking forward to immensely. Could've easy watched another half hour no probs.

I had set aside the next 45 minutes to go and eat some food as I had seen The Answer before and thought I could miss some of their set. I thought I'd maybe catch a few of the songs towards the end if I finished eating quickly enough. I went to eat a pretty hefty burger and chips which went down well obviously and then quickly made my way back to the Indigo to see The Answer, Northern Ireland's finest rock band.

The Indigo was rammed and they closed the main hall but I was allowed to go upstairs to the balcony and it was hopeless up there too with no seat in sight. I must admit The Answer sounded great and put on a really rocking 20 minutes. The front man has a great voice indeed. I should've maybe caught the whole of their set but my stomach won out as usual!

After their set ended a few people left their seats but not many and I managed to find a solitary seat with not a great view of the stage at all but I was just happy to rest the legs to be honest. It would be 45 minutes before epic blues rock legends Blue Oyster Cult would take to the stage. Other bands would be playing outside on the Orange Amps (Massive, Buck & Evans, Evil Blizzard) stage but I don't know them well or at all in some cases and I was just glad to rest a bit and wait for the 'Cult.

Finally after a good wait the old timers, who are celebrating their 45th anniversary, strode out to great applause. The Indigo was rammed to the rafters and any late comers would've been disappointed as the house full signs were up. What I know about BOC you can some up in a couple of abbreviated words. Reaper and Cities. Maybe I've heard more as well, in fact I know I have but I don't call myself a fan so recollection is minimal. But who doesn't love Reaper. One of the best epic pop rock songs ever.

The band sounded good or even great considering the main guys are probably ancient by now haha! One of 'em never took off his dark glasses. I guess he doesn't like house lights or has bad eyes or something. Some of the members were obviously not original as well. probably the bass guy and the keys/guitar guy, "something Castellano" as he was announced. They all sang they, All had extended solo spots. It turns out they were celebrating the 45th anniversary of their debut album and played it in its entirety. Some parts were a bit tedious to be honest but there were interesting and more melodic parts too. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll was treated with great glee by all the old bastards in the house.

After ending the album the band played about 5-6 hits which were to be honest much better sounding than the debut album which was far too blues and Honky Tonk for my tastes. Of course THAT song is played and everyone loves it and then some. The band played a two song encore as well and finally the proceedings were bought to a close at the Indigo for the night as the fest moved to the man Arena for the final two bands in Sweet and Rainbow.

Took a while getting out of the Indigo as everyone is fucking old beyond belief and it takes us all time to sort our bits and pieces out before we head out and make for the Arena! This is an old man fest make no mistake. I am fairly young compared to plenty here that's for sure but I still feel as bloody old as everyone else. Still time for a cooling beer though as it was dark and baking inside the Indigo. Phew!

Walked up to find that our allocated seats in the Arena had been changed as obviously the venue was vastly undersold. I was given a replacement ticket for a seat much closer than my own but still on the upper tier, but a far better view. The thing was I didn't even sit in my second allocated seat either. There were still expanses of seats available as the lights went down for Sweet. But slowly the old folks filled up the venue and it wasn't too bad as Sweet started things up with their slightly pomp, glam rock. My knowledge of Sweet is built around the two massive hits Blockbuster and Ballroom Blitz. After that I'm tested greatly! I did end up knowing more songs too such as the punky Teenage Rampage and the epic Love Is Like Oxygen which was actually awesome. They played Fanfare for The Common Man in between that song which was nice too. There were lots of people up and dancing to old timers Sweet. I liked them as well and Blockbuster is always fun to listen to. The sound was a bit cavernous for Sweet though and left me feeling they would be far better suited to a club show.

Time for yet another beer and a wander before Ricthie's new mob would entertain us to bring this epic day to a close. The venue was as full as it was going to be, maybe just around 10,000 or a little more in a 20,000 seat venue. To be fair Gun n' Roses were playing 20 minutes down the road and that venue holds probably 50k so that took away a fair few fans from Stone Free I guess. The planning was perhaps unfortunate but it couldn't be helped. At just before 9pm, Land Of Hope and Glory was played over the PA as the Union Jack floated on the massive video backdrop behind the stage to signal the start of the show as the band strode on to cheers from the all seated crowd on the main floor. Although everyone was standing up in any case by the time the band started.

The band starts with Spotlight Kid which is not a song I'm familiar with but it was obvious that everyone sounded good with the star being Ronnie, with his voice ringing out loud and clear. This Ronnie chap is a God send for this version of the resurrected Rainbow. Sure JLT should have been considered as he's great but Ronnie Romero has a youthful enthusiasm and power that JLT wouldn't be able to match. Although I'm sure 90% of these old codgers have never heard of him! It's great that Ritchie has given an unknown talent a chance like this and man has not let him down either. I Surrender has everyone singing the chorus and sounds great too with Russ Ballard the original writer joining the band on stage.

Mistreated slows things down and allows Ronnie to use his full range and power. Since You Been Gone brings us back to hit single territory and everyone laps it up. Man On The Silver Mountain is immense and it's a nice tribute to see images of Dio on the video screen behind the current band as the song is played. Quite emotional to watch actually. The set continues with a mixture of Rainbow and Purple classics. Rainbow bring hits like All Night Long and Purple has epic tales like Child In Time and the big blues rock of set closer Black Night.

The band return for a 3 song encore and all three were classics with Burn which everyone sings along with a nice flame effect video behind the band as they play. The epic and mystical Catch the Rainbow follows and finally the world's most famous riff rears its ugly head as we head on to the end with Smoke. A word about Ritchie. The guy's lead work is still as classy as hell though his tone is a bit unclean sounding for my taste. Maybe it will sound much better in a smaller Arena but it sounds too echoe-y in a big arena. However his actual solos are tasteful and as melodic as any. The man is no doubt a legend and a huge influence to the power metal movement that followed in his footsteps. It's good that he decided to pick up the electric again and play a few dates here and there. Special mention to Mr Romero again. They guy was perfect. He sings with emotion and power in spades and is a worthy guy in a long line of great singers that Ricthie has used in his previous bands.

So Stone Free was over for another year and it had been an epic day indeed. However it wasn't even quite over yet! There was an after party held back in the Indigo which I decided to attend and ended up staying an hour and a half! A band from Finland played humpa and hillbilly covers of metal and rock songs and they were the most fun and hilarious thing ever. They were called Steve 'n Seagulls and they put a final smile on every one's face as the more drunk of us were dancing on the floor including some sorry old man dancing sights! The DJ s played metal and rock classics and it was a chance to have a final dance and party before heading home. That's what you call an epic day folks!

Land of Hope and Glory
(Edward Elgar song)
Over the Rainbow
(Harold Arlen song) (Intro)
Spotlight Kid
I Surrender
(Russ Ballard cover)
Mistreated
(Deep Purple cover)
Since You Been Gone
(Russ Ballard cover) (with Russ Ballard)
Man on the Silver Mountain
(incl. Woman From Tokyo snippet)
Soldier of Fortune
(Deep Purple cover)
All Night Long
Difficult to Cure
Child in Time
(Deep Purple cover)
Stargazer
Still I'm Sad / Drum Solo
(The Yardbirds cover)
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
Black Night
(Deep Purple cover)


Encore:
Burn
(Deep Purple cover)
Catch the Rainbow
Smoke on the Water

 

Havok Live Report

Back to the Underworld again after a few days break for a gig of mostly thrash and one death metal band. I've seen Havok before in this very venue and I know you're guaranteed a rollicking great time with these guys. We had three cool support bands to get through first before the main course. First up were American neo-classical thrashers Exmortus whom I've become quite a big fan of the last year or two. These guys shred like a house on fire! I actually missed the first 10 minutes of their allotted 30 minutes due to the massive crowd for the night and me being a bit slow to queue.

I'd actually been looking forward to seeing these guys and they didn't disappoint in the 20 minutes that I did see. The riffs are mind blowingly fast and the solos are basically classical music notes played on guitars at a million miles an hour. It can get slightly boring if you're not a fan I can admit, but to me this was really fun to listen. I wanted to hear the amazing song Slave to the Sword but they never played it or if they did, it was in the 10 minutes I missed. I wish I'd caught their whole set but I was happy to catch a little at least. These guys are masters of the guitar!

Next up were French tech death merchants Gorod. Again I've seen the band on this very stage. They stood out from the others for having more brutal sections and still with plenty of tech chops and grooves. Some of the subtleties of the band is lost in the live arena and they can come off sounding one dimensional a bit but still they were impossibly tight. Plus the bassist is a complete loon. He plays bass like he's making love to his instrument! Slithering, pulling faces, banging away, the whole works, Quite a sight to be hold. Some nice double bass blasting by the drummer too.

Next up were LA thrashers Warbringer. I had actually listened to their latest opus a few days ago and whilst I liked it I wasn't overly bowled over either. However, live, they completely bowled me and the whole God damn place over! They were an absolute riot. Massive grooves followed by pure raging thrash and an insane vocalist. Though he maybe yelling, his vocals are crystal clear and you can still understand a fair bit of it which I always enjoy more if the vocals are less harsh. The thrash rage was strong with these guys and the floor was a sea of bodies and flailing limbs. Great stuff really and I was surprised as I didn't think I was a huge Warbringer fan. So much so that I listened to the new album again today and it sounded so much better having witnessed them live the previous night.

Finally at 10pm dead the Coloradians took their positions and prepared to lay waste. They are a slightly different type of thrash when compared to Warbringer who are much more straightforward and in your face. Not that Havok aren't in your face but their songs are often longer and more intricate with more blistering lead work. The vocals are also more raspy and less understandable, well live at least anyway.

I love the manic, groovy riffs that induce mass headbanging and floor action. Then you get that juxtaposed by relentless battery in the rapid fire sections. Excellent indeed!  I enjoyed their new songs a lot. They have catchier riffs that bounce a long nicely allowing the songs to breathe more. In fact the band has matured very nicely from a crazy type of thrash to a well oiled machine with slick grooves and a mechanised style of riff.

Slowly becoming a thinking man's thrash metal if you will, whilst bands like Warbringer are more meat and potatoes thrash. After just over an hour's worth of set time the Havok lads said their thank you's and left to the roars of the huge crowd. I haven't seen the Underworld this full for a good while that's for sure. It seems thrash is still king in London! Great and enjoyable night overall with guitars shredded to the max by all concerned.

Rock on the Green fest with Tarja and Amaranthe

This fest was initially billed for the Saturday but was moved to the Sunday. Unfortunately the venue booked was vastly undersold. Booking the 2000+ Forum and then getting barely 500 people in there was obviously not a financially sound move. The problem was the bill was just not up to scratch. You need a bigger draw plus this little fest was set around the time of many other gigs and fests and I'm sure that had a detrimental effect on the turnout.

I didn't even bother turning up for the first three bands. Well I did catch a few songs from Octanic who were boring. I missed the first two bands completely.

I wanted to see Amaranthe most of all as I've never seen them. Their hour long set was pretty enjoyable and the band sounded pretty heavy despite having only one guitarist. The melodies are still very strong and melodic. Elize is the star of the band of course most eyes are on her as she belts out the melodies. I'm sure the band were disappointed at the piss-poor turnout but they didn't let it show and put in a solid hour long performance.

Tarja's band is a bunch of guys I've never actually heard of even though she did introduce them. In any case Tarja's fans were here to see the gal herself do her solo thing. I must admit I'm not a fan of her solo material though I do like her a lot in Nightwish. She actually sang very well and her band sounded pretty heavy too. She played just over and hour before this disappointing one day fest came to an end. Next time book better bands!

Nordic Union - st - Review

So here we are barely a week or so into January and we have a new Erik Martensson penned album on the racks again ready to be devoured and dissected by fans of all things melodic. The question is does it eclipse Eclipse to use an awkward phrase. Well in my opinion no it doesn't, but it has a bloody good go!

This is basically a new Eclipse album with a different singer with the singer being Pretty Maids man Ronnie Atkins. When I heard about this project of course I was excited enough because of Erik's name alone. Only thing is I've never been a huge Maids fan although their recent material is really strong and pretty great. I always found Ronnie's slightly raspy voice something good but never great. I guess I just prefer a smoother delivery. Anyway I've managed to get through four plays of this record now and I'm sitting in a fair position to judge it.

I will do a quick song by song as usual.

The War Has Begun - A crunchy and pacing opening riff tells you all you need to know. We're listening to a new wicked tune penned by the one and only Erik Martensson! Soon that familiar chorus comes in and it's a hell of a catch and the subject seems to be very serious as well. Ronnie transfers the emotion of the lyrics very well indeed. The song picks up pace as the solo thunders into view and we're almost at power metal speed before that thunderous chorus takes us to a fitting conclusion. A monster start 9.5/10

Hypocrisy - Hell yeah! Now we're talking. As with Armageddonize which had Stand On Your Feet, this album has a monster second track. Hypocrisy absolutely kills from start to finish. All the regular Erik trademarks are check off one after the other. The chorus is monstrous on this track and I can imagine Erik belting this one out. 10/10

Wide Awake - A better and smoother vocal line opens the song from Ronnie this time and soon that familiar Martensson style rears its big fat head and leaves you with a joyous grin. The song tones down the heaviness but piles on a bigger melody in the chorus. 8.5/10

Every Heartbeat - Time to slow it down with an emotional melody and sung pretty brilliantly by Ronnie I must admit. I don't normally tend to like Erik's ballads but this is a pretty decent one. It's not amazing though, it's just a solid and melodic slow burner with a nice melody and a long repeated chorus. 7.5/10

When Death Is Calling - The song lulls you into a false sense of security, as the opening is quite soft, but then in the second verse a monster riff kicks and the riffs pound headlong into the chorus. The song is quite dark as the subject matter dictates but the melody is very cool indeed. Ronnie's voice is much raspier in this track than say the track Wide Awake. The chorus is as usual a repeated one until the end comes. A great track. 8.5/10

21 Guns - Well well, a fucking killer start on this track and Ronnie singing great. The riff behind the main verses has a killer little melody and soon the chorus surfaces and it's a true monster. Love this! This could well be my fave track on the album. The energy is crisp and Ronnie sounds amazing. I'll be learning that chorus in no time trust me! The song is far too short and begs for the repeat button! 10/10!!

Falling - A pounding heavy opening riff in this mid paced juggernaut of a song and again Ronnie using a smoother voice which suits me better. The song has a great build and the chorus is very 80s AORish. The melody is seriously catchy and addictive but it's quite light sounding compared to Eclipse. The melody is out of this world catchy though so who cares. A superb song and probably the most hit worthy song on the album. If the charts had sense they'd push this to number one! 9.5/10

The Other Side - A mid paced song but Ronnie's vocals sound too rough on the first verse before the chorus soon kicks in and reminds you of the typical Erik formula with a repeated line. The melody is OK but it's not the best song in this bunch by a long chalk. It's a standard solid Erik penned tune with actually a killer lead break which raises it a bit. 8/10

Point Of No Return - I can tell this is going to be killer from that opening melodic riff which hints at a heavier and more melodic approach if that's possible. And yes I'm not wrong as that killer riff leaves your head nodding and feet tapping whilst Ronnie sings very good. I love his voice in this track. Why can't he sing like this in every track? The chorus is not so typical Erik either but the melody is as addictive as ever. The guitar solo is superb as well and Ronnie sings the title over the top. A monster track and one of my faves 9.5/10

True Love Awaits You - The song starts moody and acoustic before simpler chords add a little weight but there is no heaviness in this sweet ballad. The chorus is very melodic and catchy but a little too sugary for my taste. A nice song but no my fave style but I still give a good rate as it's performed so well. 8/10

Go - A sweet tempo to end the album with nice melodic riffs and Ronnie using his smooth in the verse before going raspier in the chorus. Speaking of that bad boy it's another typical Erik monster. I'm sure I heard this chorus before hehe! I know people complain that Erik recycles melodies from his own songs and he probably does but you know what who cares. Better to recycle a brilliant melody than a crap one! The song is really catchy, but I was thinking maybe they'd go out with a heavier bang like they do on Eclipse albums but I ain't complaining. It still kills! 9/10

So there we have it the boy genius does it again. The formula remains the same but the addiction stays strong. I was a bit wary of this project. I haven't loved all of Erik's projects completely in recent years. I've always loved Eclipse and felt he saved his best stuff for his own band but this time he's working with a veteran and I think he pulled out all the stops for Ronnie. He couldn't give him half assed songs to sing and he dug deep to make the songs as catchy and cool as possible. If you like Eclipse this is an absolute no brainer. Personally I rate this a little below the day job as it's a little lighter in places and also Ronnie's vocals whilst very good at times are not always perfect to my ears, but that's just personal taste. The album is flawlessly produced and I will have a hell of a lot more fun listening to this especially in the warm summer nights to come. I'll be blasting this bad boy long into the night and hopefully the neighbours will like it too! 8.5/10

Primal Fear - Rulebreaker - Review

Well I went old school again with this one. I did hear the first single The End Is Near and I must admit I was a little disappointed. It was a fairly average metal pounder with not a whole heap going on musically. The solo saved the song for me but then after that I avoided playing any of the other pre-album promo leaks so that I could listen and judge with a fresh mind. I will do a quicker appraisal than I did for Avantasia as I don't wanna bore every one too much.

Angels Of Mercy - Typical Fear pounder. Much better than I was thinking actually. The chorus suffers from a lack of melody but I love the full on metal attitude. Solid. 8/10

The End Is Near - The Only song I heard before. It's a straight ahead pounder similar to the previous tune. The song has grown on me but is still one of the weakest. Ralf's vocals sound monstrous. The melody is getting better with more plays I'm sure. 7/10

Bullets & Tears - This song was also used as a promo but this is my first listen. This is another tough heavy pounder. So 3 similar tracks in a row but this is the best of the three by far. The chorus is huge and melodic but a little short. It needs more lines! My guess is that this song was written by Magnus. It sounds like his sort of composition. 8.5/10

Rulebreaker - The title track sees a slightly slower mid tempo riff start things off before Ralf starts his awesome heavy vocals. This is like a pure Accept worship song. Udo should do guest vocals on this chorus! The chorus itself is pretty catchy and very anthemic. Killer tune! 9/10

In Metal We Trust - Another song that was available for pre-listening which I successfully avoided. This time the pedal is put to the metal. The song reminds me of a mix between Hammerfall and Dream Evil. The chorus is so easy to sing along with and kicks ass. Of course this will be a riot live. Believe it or not I've yet to see PF live but maybe that will change on this album's touring cycle. I hope so 'cause this fist pumping anthem is brill! 8.5/10

We Walk Without Fear - Woaahh! An 11 minute PF song?? This should be something to be hold and it bloody well is! The beginning is like a dramatic movie score before the guitars come crashing in and we're off into the main body of the song before it slows down again to allow the song to breathe life. The song is so damn epic and melodic with a monster chorus sung amazingly well by Ralf. Damn it. I can't believe this track! Never thought they would go all epic and kicks oceans of ass! 10/10

At War With The World - A mid paced melodic song with typically catchy rocking riffs behind Ralf's heavy vocals. The urge to head bang is strong with this tune before the chorus is really cool and the melody starts to set in your mind. I love this tune. It's simple but it simply rocks! 9.5/10

The Devil In Me - Time to slow it down to a steady groove but still with very melodic and catchy guitar work. The song reminds me of Black Ninja from Battle Beast. The chorus is a tough and mean but not blessed with an amazing melody this time. I still like the power of it and Ralf's vocals are completely over the top in this song. I don't love the song compared to the others but it's still cool. 7.5/10

Constant Heart - Holy crap! What an opening riff! It's guaranteed to wreck necks. This time we're in full Priest mode. The pace is ripping and fast with guitars set to stun and Ralfie doing his best Halford over the the top. Then the simple chorus comes and whilst it should be boring as he just screams the title, I somehow love it! Fucking Amazing! I love everything about this tune as it encapsulates in 5 minutes all the traits about PF that the fans love. Riffs, shreds, screaming vocals and huge melody! 10/10

The Sky Is Burning - The one and only ballad on the album. Something to calm down after the last song is not a bad idea. Ralfie croons until the chorus before the full band join in and the chorus turns out to be an amazing one. I'd guess this was another Magnus penned tune. I don't normally love ballads but this is awesome I'm glad to say. 9/10

Raving Mad - The final track of course sees the band go out with a bang with huge Halfordisms from Ralf. He goes balls out and then the chorus sees us get the urge to scream along with Ralf as the band cuts loose behind. A proper heavy metal song to end with! 8.5/10

So after the initial worry I'm pretty much over the moon with this album. The weakest songs are OK and may get better but there's at least 5 or 6 ball busting heavy metal anthems in there that rate up there with the best ever PF tunes. Ralf is sounding like a man possessed. Can a man ever sound more metal than him?? Wow I'm just glad the 'Fear did not let me down. Overall rate 9/10

Avantasia - Ghostlights - Song by Song Review

1. Mystery of a Blood Red Rose
Not a bad start but there's better to come. A nice rock song anyway with of course a huge nod to Mr Loaf with the piano led pomp style. 7.5/10

2. Let the Storm Descend Upon You
A bit strange to put the album's longest track second. Jorn's parts are awesome. Ronnie Atkins sounds weaker in comparison. The other singer is Robert Mason whom I don't know and he sounds pretty good. The chorus is great in this mid paced tune. Musically the song is a bit unadventurous and even monotonous but vocally it's great and everyone performs amazingly well. Great lead work towards the end. 8/10

3. The Haunting
Featuring Dee Snider and Toby singing lead. The song starts spooky but then the chorus kicks in and has a great melody. The song is slow and slightly creepy sounding as the title would suggest. I love the atmosphere actually and the chorus is really quite moving. I'd probably class this as a ballad which I would normally not like but this is really interesting to listen to. Nice melodic solo as well. Oh and I should say I never knew Mr Snider can sing so melodically. 8.5/10

4. Seduction of Decay
Featuring Mr Tate with a slowish slightly oriental feel to the song. Tate sings very good it must be said. The song has a nice melody but it's just a bit pedestrian. That oriental motif is pretty nice though. The chorus is also a little underwhelming. However the song has really cool verses so I don't miss a huge chorus strangely enough. Both Tobi and Tate sound really good. The song sounds like a slow burning, moody Kamelot song to me. Pretty cool. 8/10

5. Ghostlights
Time for a little power metal! Yes that's what I like - a happier melodic tune with of course Kiske singing amazingly high. Wow his voice sounds so cool on this track. I don't know how he does it. Tobi and Jorn join in on some lines at various times for variety. There are some nice counterpoints between the singers as well which makes it a nice listen. The chorus is really catchy indeed when Toby sings a line in between Kiske. One of the best songs Helloween never wrote! 9.5/10

6. Draconian Love
Something a bit different with a slightly dark Gothic song with vocals by Herbie Langans and Tobi. The song sounds a bit like Sisters of Mercy to me. It has a slowish tempo but the melody is actually great especially come chorus time. I should be skipping this but I actually really like it and I find it strangely uplifting. Different and catchy Gothic melodic metal. 8.5/10

7 Master of the Pendulum
We reach the middle of the album and it's one of my fave songs on the whole thing. This one is full heavy metal! The opening is slow but soon the metal starts to happen and Marco from Nightwish starts to tear it on the mic. The chorus is very Nightwishy as well and it's probably not a coincidence that Marco was given this song to sing. An amazing, pure, melodic heavy metal tune! 10/10

8. Isle of Evermore
A haunting mournful ballad sung by Sharon from Within Temptation and Tobi. It's merely OK in my book. I don't think he utilised Sharon well on this track. She needs bigger melodies to sing IMO. I mean she can do slow and morose but the song is just not  interesting enough to me. The song doesn't have any guitar in it. It's like one of those soundtrack songs you find in a movie like Gladiator or Braveheart. 6.5/10

9. Baybylon Vampyres
Ok now we're talking. That opening riff will spark up the dead! What an awesome energetic and melodic start to a song. Lead vocals by obi and Robert Mason on this tune. Both sing perfectly and the song builds the pace and melody up nicely indeed before we reach a happy go lucky chorus and it's one of the catchiest on the album. The guitars blow me away on this track. It sounds a bit like a super fired up TNT to me with vocals close to Mr Harnell as well. The lead trade offs towards the end are really spectacular as well. Love this awesome tune! 10/10

10. Lucifer
Oddly enough a song called Lucifer is a piano led ballad and not a heavy pounder, well for the first half at least. However the song is melodically pretty amazing. Both Jorn and Tobi turn in wondrous performances on this song especially Jorn. He's superb on this song. The middle of the song suddenly transforms into a rocker with pounding drums and ripping leads. The melodies sung by Jorn at the end are just spine tingling. The shorted song and one of the best IMO. 9/10

11. Unchain the Light
A moodier yet very melodic song sung by Tobi, Ronnie Atkins and Kiske. I especially enjoy the song when Miki kicks in with the high pitched stuff. The chorus is superb and very melodic whilst the verses are far more moody as a juxtaposition. The song is just a great listen thanks to the amazing vocals by all three chaps. 9.5/10

12. A Restless Heart and Obsidian Skies
The final track sees the only appearance of old Avantasia favourite Bob Catley on the album and he sounds in fine form even though he's probably by far the oldest singer on the album. The song is more in the vein of the Meat Loaf show tune and has a lot of pomp flavour. However the melodies are truly captivating and Bob and Tobi grab the listener with this anthemic end to the album. A majestic and triumphant way to finish. 9/10

Wake up to the Moon - Bonus track
Well a bonus track is always nice to have especially when it's as good as this. A number of singers with Jorn in the main sounding amazing as well as Miki Kiske in the superbly melodic chorus. The song sounds like a tune from one of Miki's recent AOR styled albums that he does for Frontiers. I'm not sure how the song fits in with the rest of the album story wise if at all but musically it really is a joy to listen to. A superb slice of melodic rock/AOR this bonus track with all the cast getting a line or two to sing. 9.5/10

So there we have it. Obviously I am totally in love with the album. I liked the last album and the ones before to varying degrees but I think Tobi has out done himself this time song writing wise. I'm sure some people will say he's not metal any more but the album has metallic moments but it also has loads of non-metal but the quality is so damn high and the melodies so addictive that I could care less. My overall rate is 9/10 with a 9.5/10 probable given more than my three plays so far. A bona fide certainty for the the 2016 Top 20 list and we're four days in!

Deathcrusher Live Report

The bill for the Deathcrusher tour was one that would excite pretty much any old school death metal fan worth his or her salt. Having seen the bill advertised a couple of months back, I was pretty quick off the blocks in snapping up a ticket and waited patiently for this four band bill of behemoths to wreck the joint known as the Forum in Kentish Town. As it turns out there was a fifth band as well, namely Herod. So we had Voivod, Napalm Death, Obituary and the mighty Carcass. I personally would've preferred either Bolt Thrower or Cathedral or Morbid Angel instead of Herod or Voivod but that wasn't to be.

Herod opened proceedings with a bludgeonningly heavy and pretty slow death metal sludge. Is this the same Herod that I liked a fair bit way back even. The melodic metalcore Herod has disappeared completely. In its place, a monotonously heavy outfit has taken over, playing crushing, slow death metal with claustrophobic grooves and atmosphere with a front man that looks like Phil Anselmo pretty much. Unfortunately they were not good at all and super boring in my eyes. A few punters head banged though but there were barely 100 people at the front for them. The crowd would swell to well over a 2000 by the end of the night.

The bill proper started with Voivod taking to the stage in double quick time after Herod and getting into their quirky thrashy mayhem. The crowd was suddenly 5-6 and even 7 times what it had been for Herod. Voivod were pretty much going down a storm and they played tight and fast. Unfortunately I have never understood any of the appeal and the live arena was never going to win me over either. The vocalist whom I don't know was rough as arseholes but I guess that's the charm. The drummer was very good from my vantage point on the first row on the balcony. The only member who I have a clue about is Daniel Mongrain the ex guitarist of tech death masters Martyr. The guy plays well although Voivod's quirky speedy riffs got lost in a slighly mushy loud sound and I just couldn't fathom out any cool tunes if there were any not that I know any Voivod tunes in the first place. I was only here for the top 3 in the bill, sorry Voivod!

Napalm Death got ready quick again and the roadies worked like trojans all night getting the stage ready very quickly in between the bands. I haven't seen ND for a good while but having seen them many times I was looking forward to some utter rage from Barney and co. There was a stand in for Mitch on guitars by the name of John Cooke. He played well and supplied the screams that Mitch does. He seemed to fit in seamlessly. Barney was on top form and he looked so lean like he's lost a lot of weight. His stage antics and banter are legendary these days and he has the crowd eating out of his hand. The place was going apeshit during the groove sections and breakdowns on the various ND songs such as Scum and The Silence is Deafening which was absolutely monstrous. The sound was much better for ND than it was for Voivod. Barney's vocals are absolutely murderous live, literally barking rather than growling the vocals. He literally shakes like a rabid dog as he delivers these biting anthems of pure rage. Of course the mid period Napalm that I so love is completely ignored in favour of all the grindcore classics like Suffer The Children and all the short sharp songs which of course ND always play. Barney ended the night by wishing us all a very pleasant evening in his lilting brummies tones. Rather funny considering he'd spent the last 40 minutes wrecking our lugholes with his monstrous roar!

Next up were the Obies whose popularity in death metal sustains hugely it seems. I have totally gone off their rather mediocre comeback efforts but live they always deliver the goods. Main man John Tardy looks like a drunk sea monster swaying from side to side barking and rasping his nonsensical lyrics into the mic whilst his band mates lock on to that infamous Obituary groove. Once again their set list contained a lot of classics and a couple of new cuts. I don't really recognise the classics much as I'm not a huge fan of Slowly We Rot at all but I love for instance the savagery that is Don't Care from world demise. The other Tardy brother was on shit hot form behind his drum kit as well. I'm not sure who the guitarists are these days but the know their job well. Bassist was ex Death man Terry Butler. Big fucker he was too. The Obituary sound mix was perfect pretty much but star of the set if of course John Tardy. The guy is fucking Obituary pure and simple. No one else has vocals as sick as that guy although over the years he's gotten a little more high pitched and clearer sounding and less sick than many probably remember him as being on the Slowly We Rot days. Anyway the Obies were pretty fucking good and got a massive response from the mental moshfest happening down below me.

Finally it was time for the top slot and what the fans had come here for in the main. Carcass were treated with quite a frenzy as they took their positions and Jeff Walker, centre stage delivers one of his typical glass gurgling vocals as they rip into opener Unfit For Human Consumption. The new album maybe pretty good but people are here to hear Heartwork and Necroticism material in the main and soon enough the opening grinding groove to Buried Dreams appears and the place starts to go completely apeshit with the floor becoming a sea of bodies hurling from side to side. I'm too old for that shit and I had a safe and comfortable view from up top where I could concentrate on the music without having to worry about my glasses coming off etc. Incarnated Solvent Abuse followed and once again the floor is levelled with lying bodies. Carcass were going down and playing a storm alright. The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills is one of their best new songs and flew by in a flash. Jeff is a witty fucker( or as he calls it an "unfunny cunt!") and had quips galore for punters down the front. These chirpy scousers are always pretty quick with the one liners!

An old song from reek of Puterfaction was played with both Bill and Jeff suppling lead vocals. Soon we were back on familiar territory with Corporeal Jigsore Quandary once again laying waste to what was once the Kentish Town Forum. I was waiting for No Love Lost which is one of my fave Carcass songs ever although I new pretty much new it would be forlorn wait. They don't tend to play the groovy shit too much going more for the savagery. It was pretty good to hear Keep on Rotting in the Free World though with it's jackhammer staccato riffs. The night ends with Heartwork with once last chance for the crowd to work up the frenzy to the maximum as the band cuts loose with total abandon. Special mention to the new drummer. That guy is fast as all hell leaving Bill and the other new guitarist to churn out those classic Carcass riffs. I don't know how it's possible but Carcass is now by a million miles a bigger band than they ever before at the height of their popularity and I doubt they'll go away any time soon when you sell out a 2000 capacity venue with ease.  A fun night of classic bands but Bolt Thrower should've been on this bill damn it!