Bitesize: Trollheart's Daily Album Mini-Reviews

Trollheart · 02-17-2017, 02:28 PM

Artiste: Black Sabbath
Nationality: British
Album: Cross Purposes
Year: 1994
Label: IRS
Genre: Heavy Metal
Tracks:
I witness
Cross of thorns
Psychophobia
Virtual death
Immaculate deception
Dying for love
Back to Eden
The hand that rocks the cradle
Cardinal sin
Evil eye
Chronological position: Seventeenth album
Rank: Adept
Comments: Oh I like the little cheeky riff from “Black Sabbath” tossed in at the end of the opener! But I'm amazed that's not Dio on vocals; sounds just like him on “Cross of thorns”. Next one is terrible, almost more punk than metal, but then we're back on track with “Virtual death” and that big crushing guitar of Iommi. Vocal harmonies are very good too. “Immaculate deception” sounds like a song title more suited to Slayer, but in fact it turns out to be a little too proggy for its own good. Having said that, Wiki shows the genre here as Power Metal, and I'm finding it hard to argue with that. It's kind of not the Sabbath I know and love, though it is in some places. Odd.

I listened to this in the hope of filling in some of the gaps in my Sabbath knowledge, and while it's not a bad album there's something definitely missing. Maybe it's that Ronnie and Vinnie had left, and Geezer was making plans too, or maybe it's that it's the first I've heard with Tony Martin on vocals (who does a really good job by the way) but it feels like the fun isn't there anymore. Sense of a wake rather than a band? As Monty Burns once said, where's the love? I don't feel it.
Intention: Unlikely to be returning to this any time soon.

The Batlord · 02-17-2017, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Artiste: Black Sabbath
Nationality: British
Album: Cross Purposes
Year: 1994
Label: IRS
Genre: Heavy Metal
Tracks:
I witness
Cross of thorns
Psychophobia
Virtual death
Immaculate deception
Dying for love
Back to Eden
The hand that rocks the cradle
Cardinal sin
Evil eye
Chronological position: Seventeenth album
Rank: Adept
Comments: Oh I like the little cheeky riff from “Black Sabbath” tossed in at the end of the opener! But I'm amazed that's not Dio on vocals; sounds just like him on “Cross of thorns”. Next one is terrible, almost more punk than metal, but then we're back on track with “Virtual death” and that big crushing guitar of Iommi. Vocal harmonies are very good too. “Immaculate deception” sounds like a song title more suited to Slayer, but in fact it turns out to be a little too proggy for its own good. Having said that, Wiki shows the genre here as Power Metal, and I'm finding it hard to argue with that. It's kind of not the Sabbath I know and love, though it is in some places. Odd.

I listened to this in the hope of filling in some of the gaps in my Sabbath knowledge, and while it's not a bad album there's something definitely missing. Maybe it's that Ronnie and Vinnie had left, and Geezer was making plans too, or maybe it's that it's the first I've heard with Tony Martin on vocals (who does a really good job by the way) but it feels like the fun isn't there anymore. Sense of a wake rather than a band? As Monty Burns once said, where's the love? I don't feel it.
Intention: Unlikely to be returning to this any time soon.

Yeah Tony Martin is definitely a Dio soundalike. You should check out The Headless Cross. It's probably their best with him. I'm not a huge fan of Martin-era Sabbath but that album is definitely notable.

Trollheart · 03-09-2017, 05:19 AM

Artiste: Antimatter
Nationality: British
Album: Saviour
Year: 2001
Label: Prophecy
Genre: Rock
Tracks:
Saviour
Holocaust
Over your shoulder
Psalms
God is coming
Angelic
Flowers
The last laugh
Going nowhere
Chronological position: Debut album
Rank: Master Adept
Comments: I don't believe either Mick Moss or Duncan Patterson are religious, but this being their debut album there's a lot of references to religion, especially Christianity. Other than the title, there's “Psalms”, “God is coming”, “Angelic”... As it goes, “God is coming” is a great piece of I don't know what to call it: ambient industrial? A very dark little instrumental anyway. As they would do throughout their career, Antimatter employ the services of guest female vocalists here, splitting duties between Hayley Windsor and Michelle Richfield, (both on “Angelic”) which leaves little chance to experience the vocals of Mick, which are considerable, as I found on the other albums.

“Flowers” is typical of the kind of stark, morose beauty you get with Antimatter, with not a little Wall-era Floyd thrown into the mix, while closer “Going nowhere” is as haunting as I've ever heard this band, which is saying something. I do have to say though, this album doesn't hit me right between my two hearts as the likes of Planetary Confinement or The Judas Table did, but it's a solid effort nonetheless. Given it was theri debut I guess I can allow for that.
Intention: I'm a real fan of Antimatter so I just need to hear one or two more albums of theirs and I'll have heard them all. Then it's just the long wait for whenever they release a new one.

Trollheart · 03-09-2017, 05:22 AM

Artiste: Evergrey
Nationality: Swedish
Album: Recreation Day
Year: 2003
Label: Inside Out Music
Genre: Progressive Metal
Tracks:
The Great Deceiver
End of your days
As I lie here bleeding
Recreation Day
Visions
I'm sorry
Blinded
Fragments
Madness caught another victim
Your darkest hour
Unforgivable
Trilogy of the damned
Chronological position:Fourth album
Rank: Novice
Comments: It's a decent album as it turns out, but kind of doesn't really catch my attention until “I'm sorry”, a cover of the song by Swedish singer Dilba, a really nice ballad. After that it sort of catches fire and it's solid to the end. The bonus track at the end is killer.
Intention: I'll probably give them another go.

Trollheart · 03-13-2017, 11:37 AM

Artiste: Gazpacho
Nationality: Norwegian
Album: Firebird
Year: 2005
Label: Racket Records
Genre: Progressive Rock
Tracks:
Vulture
Symbols
Swallow
Orion I
Orion II
Prisoner
Jezebel
Black widow
Firebird
Do you know what you are saying?
Once in a lifetime
Chronological position: Third album
Rank: Appremtice
Comments: One of the albums made before Gazpacho signed to a major label, this has the often dour tone of their records, though it is more uptempo than say Missa Atropos. It's the old problem though: I can never remember any of these songs. I'm pretty sure I liked the album – wasn't anything on it I didn't like, anyway – but I would be hard-pressed to point to one specific track and say what I liked about it, and later on I won't even remember the album. I could play it again right now and it would all sound new. It's almost like nothing is going in, and it's not me, because I've reviewed god knows how many albums now here, and though some do occasionally pass me by, there is always that one track that stands out. But here: nothing. Weird, as I do like these guys, but I could not hum or sing or even remember one single track from any of the, now four, albums of theirs I have listened to. This has led to me being unable to assign the album a rating or rate any of the tracks. Yeah: a few days after I had written this review I came across one of the tracks in a shuffled playlist; I hit NEXT. That's not good, is it?
Intention: I'll keep plugging away, trying to get into their music. It ain't easy though.

Trollheart · 03-13-2017, 11:42 AM

Artiste: Gerry Rafferty
Nationality: British
Album: On a Wing and a Prayer
Year: 1992
Label: Epic
Genre: Pop
Tracks:
Time's caught up on you
I see red
It's easy to talk
I could be wrong
Don't speak of my heart
Get out of my life woman
Don't give up on me
Hang on
Love and affection
Does he know what he's taken on
The light of love
Life goes on
Chronological position: Seventh album
Rank: High Priest
Comments: It's quite amazing to watch the progression of a breakup through the track listing, as this album came about while Raffery was in the throes of divorce from his wife of twenty years. Tracks like the opener, “Time's caught up on you”, which sounds reflective, move on to “I see red”, which is self-explanatory, though it is something of a ballad with some really nice brass, then the somewhat accusatory “It's easy to talk” and on to bitter songs like “Don't speak of my heart” (although again a ballad, and a beautiful one into the bargain) and the angry “Get out of my life woman.” This is immediately followed by what sounds like second thoughts or fears in “Don't give up on me” with a great latin beat and some fine mandolin and “Hang on”, a snide dig at the ex-wife and her new lover in “Does he know what he's taken on” and ending on the philosophical acceptance of “Life goes on.” Beautiful orchestration in “The light of love”. Superb album.
Intention: There are still some of his I need to listen to.

Trollheart · 04-07-2017, 12:05 PM

Artiste: David Roberts
Nationality: ?
Album: Better Late Than Never
Year: 2011
Label: Avenue of Allies Music
Genre: AOR
Tracks:
Best thing I never had
Better late than never
Someone else's song
Before I go
Stay with me tonight
Be gentle with my heart
Eighth wonder
This is how I say goodbye
If I woulda been there
What I've been missing
Chronological position: Second album
Rank: Noob
Comments: Try as I might, I have not been able to find a scrap of information on this guy. Even the nationality tag on Discogs says “Europe”. Thanks a lot! So I've no idea who he is, if he was with some big AOR band, or if he's even still alive. No thanks to Wiki or even Google, who keep sending me to the wrong pages. Anyway, this is his second album and I'm in the mood for some AOR I've not heard before. Fergie Frederiksen was a real find a few years back, so maybe we'll hit gold again. Or regret ever hearing the name David Roberts. Meh, nothing really grabbing me so far. “Stay with me tonight”, though a nice ballad, borrows way too much of its melody from Steinman's big hit for Air Supply, “Making love out of nothing at all” to impress me on its own merits. “Be gentle with my heart” reminds me of another song (Richard Marx's “Quit playing games with my heart” I think) and “Eighth wonder” is just terrible. I'm hearing a hodge-pog of third-rate AOR, disco and some soft rock/pop; almost a pastiche of everything that is bad in the genre. This guy ain't no Fergie! Oh, and a trite Country ballad to end. Sigh.
Intention: Never again

Trollheart · 02-17-2017, 02:35 PM

Artiste: Tears For Fears
Nationality: British
Album: Elemental
Year: 1993
Label: RCA
Genre: Pop
Tracks:
Elemental
Cold
Break it down again
Mr. Pessimist
Dog's a best friend's dog
Fish out of water
Gas giants
Brian Wilson said
Goodnight song
Chronological position: Fourth album
Rank: Apprentice
Comments: Well it's good; I hear nothing I hate but nothing that piques my interest that much either. Instrumental “Gas giants” is good – oh wait, it's not an instrumental: that's what I get for not listening to it all the way through before commenting. “Fish out of water” is good too. The album ends well with two strong tracks in “Brian Wilson said” followed by “Goodnight song”.
Intention: I'll probably finish off their discography at some point, though I wouldn't be in any mad rush to do so.

Horror · 12-13-2015, 01:49 PM

I'm not sure if you've heard Akiko Shikata before but, if you haven't I can't wait to hear what you think of her. She's something else really. Spiritual, Soft, Hard. I don't even know. I discovered her played a game called Ar Tonelico of which she wrote and sung most of the music for. I love the fact that she writes music but, I can't tell you if she write all her music anyway, here's the album.

I decided on one of her smaller ones because, I know you're busy with so many projects. Anyway, hope you like it!

**Frownland** · 12-15-2015, 12:13 PM

You're right in assuming that I'm a Wolfe fan, but I haven't heard this album yet. From what I'm reading, I think that some of David Lang's (a fellow member of the Bang on a Can All Stars) work might be a little more up your alley.

02-17-2017, 02:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: Black Sabbath Nationality: British Album: Cross Purposes Year: 1994 Label: IRS Genre: Heavy Metal Tracks: I witness Cross of thorns Psychophobia Virtual death Immaculate deception Dying for love Back to Eden The hand that rocks the cradle Cardinal sin Evil eye Chronological position: Seventeenth album Rank: Adept Comments: Oh I like the little cheeky riff from “Black Sabbath” tossed in at the end of the opener! But I'm amazed that's not Dio on vocals; sounds just like him on “Cross of thorns”. Next one is terrible, almost more punk than metal, but then we're back on track with “Virtual death” and that big crushing guitar of Iommi. Vocal harmonies are very good too. “Immaculate deception” sounds like a song title more suited to Slayer, but in fact it turns out to be a little too proggy for its own good. Having said that, Wiki shows the genre here as Power Metal, and I'm finding it hard to argue with that. It's kind of not the Sabbath I know and love, though it is in some places. Odd. I listened to this in the hope of filling in some of the gaps in my Sabbath knowledge, and while it's not a bad album there's something definitely missing. Maybe it's that Ronnie and Vinnie had left, and Geezer was making plans too, or maybe it's that it's the first I've heard with Tony Martin on vocals (who does a really good job by the way) but it feels like the fun isn't there anymore. Sense of a wake rather than a band? As Monty Burns once said, where's the love? I don't feel it. Intention: Unlikely to be returning to this any time soon. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-09-2017, 05:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: Antimatter Nationality: British Album: Saviour Year: 2001 Label: Prophecy Genre: Rock Tracks: Saviour Holocaust Over your shoulder Psalms God is coming Angelic Flowers The last laugh Going nowhere Chronological position: Debut album Rank: Master Adept Comments: I don't believe either Mick Moss or Duncan Patterson are religious, but this being their debut album there's a lot of references to religion, especially Christianity. Other than the title, there's “Psalms”, “God is coming”, “Angelic”... As it goes, “God is coming” is a great piece of I don't know what to call it: ambient industrial? A very dark little instrumental anyway. As they would do throughout their career, Antimatter employ the services of guest female vocalists here, splitting duties between Hayley Windsor and Michelle Richfield, (both on “Angelic”) which leaves little chance to experience the vocals of Mick, which are considerable, as I found on the other albums. “Flowers” is typical of the kind of stark, morose beauty you get with Antimatter, with not a little Wall-era Floyd thrown into the mix, while closer “Going nowhere” is as haunting as I've ever heard this band, which is saying something. I do have to say though, this album doesn't hit me right between my two hearts as the likes of Planetary Confinement or The Judas Table did, but it's a solid effort nonetheless. Given it was theri debut I guess I can allow for that. Intention: I'm a real fan of Antimatter so I just need to hear one or two more albums of theirs and I'll have heard them all. Then it's just the long wait for whenever they release a new one. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-09-2017, 05:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: Evergrey Nationality: Swedish Album: Recreation Day Year: 2003 Label: Inside Out Music Genre: Progressive Metal Tracks: The Great Deceiver End of your days As I lie here bleeding Recreation Day Visions I'm sorry Blinded Fragments Madness caught another victim Your darkest hour Unforgivable Trilogy of the damned Chronological position:Fourth album Rank: Novice Comments: It's a decent album as it turns out, but kind of doesn't really catch my attention until “I'm sorry”, a cover of the song by Swedish singer Dilba, a really nice ballad. After that it sort of catches fire and it's solid to the end. The bonus track at the end is killer. Intention: I'll probably give them another go. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-13-2017, 11:37 AM	#5 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: Gazpacho Nationality: Norwegian Album: Firebird Year: 2005 Label: Racket Records Genre: Progressive Rock Tracks: Vulture Symbols Swallow Orion I Orion II Prisoner Jezebel Black widow Firebird Do you know what you are saying? Once in a lifetime Chronological position: Third album Rank: Appremtice Comments: One of the albums made before Gazpacho signed to a major label, this has the often dour tone of their records, though it is more uptempo than say Missa Atropos. It's the old problem though: I can never remember any of these songs. I'm pretty sure I liked the album – wasn't anything on it I didn't like, anyway – but I would be hard-pressed to point to one specific track and say what I liked about it, and later on I won't even remember the album. I could play it again right now and it would all sound new. It's almost like nothing is going in, and it's not me, because I've reviewed god knows how many albums now here, and though some do occasionally pass me by, there is always that one track that stands out. But here: nothing. Weird, as I do like these guys, but I could not hum or sing or even remember one single track from any of the, now four, albums of theirs I have listened to. This has led to me being unable to assign the album a rating or rate any of the tracks. Yeah: a few days after I had written this review I came across one of the tracks in a shuffled playlist; I hit NEXT. That's not good, is it? Intention: I'll keep plugging away, trying to get into their music. It ain't easy though. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-13-2017, 11:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: Gerry Rafferty Nationality: British Album: On a Wing and a Prayer Year: 1992 Label: Epic Genre: Pop Tracks: Time's caught up on you I see red It's easy to talk I could be wrong Don't speak of my heart Get out of my life woman Don't give up on me Hang on Love and affection Does he know what he's taken on The light of love Life goes on Chronological position: Seventh album Rank: High Priest Comments: It's quite amazing to watch the progression of a breakup through the track listing, as this album came about while Raffery was in the throes of divorce from his wife of twenty years. Tracks like the opener, “Time's caught up on you”, which sounds reflective, move on to “I see red”, which is self-explanatory, though it is something of a ballad with some really nice brass, then the somewhat accusatory “It's easy to talk” and on to bitter songs like “Don't speak of my heart” (although again a ballad, and a beautiful one into the bargain) and the angry “Get out of my life woman.” This is immediately followed by what sounds like second thoughts or fears in “Don't give up on me” with a great latin beat and some fine mandolin and “Hang on”, a snide dig at the ex-wife and her new lover in “Does he know what he's taken on” and ending on the philosophical acceptance of “Life goes on.” Beautiful orchestration in “The light of love”. Superb album. Intention: There are still some of his I need to listen to. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-07-2017, 12:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: David Roberts Nationality: ? Album: Better Late Than Never Year: 2011 Label: Avenue of Allies Music Genre: AOR Tracks: Best thing I never had Better late than never Someone else's song Before I go Stay with me tonight Be gentle with my heart Eighth wonder This is how I say goodbye If I woulda been there What I've been missing Chronological position: Second album Rank: Noob Comments: Try as I might, I have not been able to find a scrap of information on this guy. Even the nationality tag on Discogs says “Europe”. Thanks a lot! So I've no idea who he is, if he was with some big AOR band, or if he's even still alive. No thanks to Wiki or even Google, who keep sending me to the wrong pages. Anyway, this is his second album and I'm in the mood for some AOR I've not heard before. Fergie Frederiksen was a real find a few years back, so maybe we'll hit gold again. Or regret ever hearing the name David Roberts. Meh, nothing really grabbing me so far. “Stay with me tonight”, though a nice ballad, borrows way too much of its melody from Steinman's big hit for Air Supply, “Making love out of nothing at all” to impress me on its own merits. “Be gentle with my heart” reminds me of another song (Richard Marx's “Quit playing games with my heart” I think) and “Eighth wonder” is just terrible. I'm hearing a hodge-pog of third-rate AOR, disco and some soft rock/pop; almost a pastiche of everything that is bad in the genre. This guy ain't no Fergie! Oh, and a trite Country ballad to end. Sigh. Intention: Never again __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-17-2017, 02:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Artiste: Tears For Fears Nationality: British Album: Elemental Year: 1993 Label: RCA Genre: Pop Tracks: Elemental Cold Break it down again Mr. Pessimist Dog's a best friend's dog Fish out of water Gas giants Brian Wilson said Goodnight song Chronological position: Fourth album Rank: Apprentice Comments: Well it's good; I hear nothing I hate but nothing that piques my interest that much either. Instrumental “Gas giants” is good – oh wait, it's not an instrumental: that's what I get for not listening to it all the way through before commenting. “Fish out of water” is good too. The album ends well with two strong tracks in “Brian Wilson said” followed by “Goodnight song”. Intention: I'll probably finish off their discography at some point, though I wouldn't be in any mad rush to do so. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-13-2015, 01:49 PM	#9 (permalink)
Horror Music Assassin Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Hell. Posts: 192	I'm not sure if you've heard Akiko Shikata before but, if you haven't I can't wait to hear what you think of her. She's something else really. Spiritual, Soft, Hard. I don't even know. I discovered her played a game called Ar Tonelico of which she wrote and sung most of the music for. I love the fact that she writes music but, I can't tell you if she write all her music anyway, here's the album. I decided on one of her smaller ones because, I know you're busy with so many projects. Anyway, hope you like it!

12-15-2015, 12:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	You're right in assuming that I'm a Wolfe fan, but I haven't heard this album yet. From what I'm reading, I think that some of David Lang's (a fellow member of the Bang on a Can All Stars) work might be a little more up your alley. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x