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06-29-2012, 10:49 AM
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#1 (permalink) |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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Expect the ... uh, expected
  Artiste: Axxis Nationality: German Album: Utopia Year: 2009 Label: AFM Genre: Heavy metal/Power metal Tracks Journey to Utopia Utopia Last man on Earth Fass mich an Sarah wanna die My father's eyes The monsters crawl Eyes of a child Heavy rain For you I will die Underworld Chronological position: Twelfth album. Familiarity: “Kingdom of the night”, “Axxis II”, “The big thrill”, “Matters of survival”, “Voodoo vibes”, “Pure and rough”, “Back to the kingdom”, “Eyes of darkness”, “Time machine” and “Paradise in flames”. Also the live album “Access all areas” (shoulda called it “AXXIS all areas...”)  Interesting Factoid: This album marked the twenty-year anniversary of the band. Their latest, released this year, is a collection of covers of … disco hits! I kid you not! Impression: No disappointment if a little predictable. Best track(s): The monsters crawl, My father's eyes, Fass mach in, Heavy rain Worst track(s): No, not really any. Some are a little weaker than others, but nothing I would categorise as bad. Intention: Just keep listening to everything this band turns out. Comments: Look, no-one (least of all me) is going to suggest that Axxis are going to change the face of heavy metal. At best, they're a decent metal band with a good line in hooks and some great guitar, complemented by excellent keyboard licks and the occasional foray into the orchestral/operatic sort of territory more confidently trodden by the likes of Epica, Within Temptation and Nightwish, and at worst they're a generic metal band, one among thousands. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy them. A band doesn't have to be totally experimental, change the game or open up new horizons for me to like them. Were that the case, there are a whole lot of bands --- metal and otherwise --- to whom I would not give the time of day. But for what they do, Axxis do it as well as anyone, and better than some. I'm not entirely sure what a seamonster has to do with Utopia, though, but this is a decent album. It's not anywhere near as impressive as “Paradise in flames”, but then, nothing before or since has been, in my opinion. But it's well up there with the best of the rest. It's interesting to see Axxis include a German-language song on the album, and though I have no idea what the title means, it's good enough that you quickly forget it's not in English. Elsewhere there are great rockers like “The monsters crawl”, “Last man on Earth” and the title track, not to mention the moving ballad “My father's eyes”, which is where I see Axxis standing just a little apart from the rest of the crowd. They have a talent for melding hooky, almost AOR-style keyboard runs with the heavier guitar work to form something that is more than the sum of its parts, and makes Axxis just that little more than another run-of-the-mill heavy metal band. This album is unlikely to make you a fan if you're not one already. On the other hand, if you are one of those who, like me, enjoys their music, you'll be happy with this album.
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 01-13-2015 at 05:15 AM. |
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07-25-2012, 01:26 AM
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#2 (permalink) |
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 13,153
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^ Your review on As The World Bleeds gives me goosebumps. It's my favorite album by them and I am excited to hear that you enjoy it. You'll enjoy their other albums as well. Martyr and Mirror of Souls off the Mirror of Souls album are both incredible pieces. You will not be disappointed with this band, I can promise you that.
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07-25-2012, 07:04 PM
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#3 (permalink) |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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Learn how to sing, man!
  Artiste: Kings of Leon Nationality: American Album: Because of the times Year: 2006 Label: RCA Genre: Rock Tracks Knocked up Charmer On call McFearless Black thumbnail My party True love way Ragoo Fans The runner Trunk Camaro Arizona Chronological position: Third album Familiarity: Zero Interesting Factoid: Could not be bothered even looking for one Impression: Absolutely hate this, and it's a long time since I said that about any album. Best track(s): Arizona (just about) Worst track(s): Everything else Intention: Try to forget I ever listened to this band. Comments:Another band I've been meaning to listen to for some time. Like a lot of the bands I have on my computer but have yet to listen to, I know Kings of Leon by reputation only, and can honestly say I have never heard one single song by them (no, not even Sex on fire!) so when I say my familiarity with them is zero, I mean it. I know so little about them that until I Wiki'd them I thought they were English! Who's that laughing? Yeah, you there at the back... Well, it's running now and I don't hate the opener, Knocked up, quite catchy in fact, but you can keep Charmer: it's just terrible, like the Smiths doing punk! Ugh! Will this, I find myself wondering, be an album of extremes: some tracks I'll like, others I'll hate? Perhaps not: God I hate this guy's voice! It just grates on me like nails on a blackboard! I doubt much can rescue this album, indeed this band, for me now: sure, we're only four tracks in, but hey, if you can't stand the singer you're exceptionally unlikely to warm to the band, and though the music is generally okay, I don't see where the love for these guys is coming from, as to me they sound very distinctly average. Black thumbnail has a certain Springsteen charm to it, until suddenly it speeds up and loses the feeling; I'm really struggling to find anything decent to say about this album at all. There's a decent guitar solo near the end of True love way, but really, it's a little crack of light in the overall darkness. Do Kings of Leon do any instrumentals? I could really do without hearing --- what's his name anyway? Caleb Followill --- Jesus! These guys are all brothers? Well, I'll persevere to the end of the album, because I never leave a review half-finished (unless I hear death vocals, my one rule that never gets broken: I hear them and it's hit stop right away, and I'm outta here), but who the hell told this guy he could sing? He sounds half the time like he's hoarse, and he certainly has (to me anyway) no charm, warmth, charisma or class in his voice. Right, let it run on. Okay vocal harmonies and a decent melody to Fans, another good solo, but the big problem is still there, and our man Caleb ain't going away! Guess I'm in the minority, as KoL have been very successful, but then, so have a lot of bands I would not rate. Aquired taste? Maybe, but I don't see myself ever savouring his vocals, and the music, though not terrible, is nothing that special either. There's a nice idea in The runner, but it never seems to really get going, and there's a sleazy, Chris Isaakesque feel to Trunk which isn't bad, but Caleb seems unable to stay in tune (seriously!) and ruins it. Okay, okay! The closer is quite nice, and even Caleb's singing is not too irritating or distracting, in fact weirdly Arizona reminds me of Chris Rea's Nothing's happening by the sea. But by now it's way too late for a rearguard action or a last minute push, and Kings of Leon have lost me. I hate this album, and as long as this guy remains with them (which I guess is still the case today) I won't be listening to any more of their records.
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 01-13-2015 at 05:30 AM. |
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07-27-2012, 03:41 AM
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#4 (permalink) | |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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Quote:
Isn't it great when you take a chance on a band and it really works out? Watch this space for an example very soon of the reverse of that... 
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 |
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07-29-2012, 12:17 PM
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#5 (permalink) |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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Folk to the max. Or something.
 Artiste: Newton Faulkner Nationality: British (English) Album: Hand built by robots Year: 2007 Label: Ugly Truth Genre: Folk Tracks Intro To the light I need something All I got Dream catch me Feels like home Teardrop Gone in the morning Sitar-y thing Uncomfortably slow Straight towards the sun People should smile more She's got the time UFO Face (her) Ageing superhero Lullaby Chronological position: Debut album Familiarity: Zero Interesting Factoid: I used to have a friend called Tony Faulkner, and he too was/is a talented musician. This factoid is of interest to no-one but me, but hey, in ways that's one of the things that drew me to this artiste. Love the title too! Impression: Not bad, wouldn't have pegged it for a number one album. Interesting certainly, but didn't exactly blow me away. Best track(s): Dream catch me, Teardrop, Uncomfortably slow, Straight towards the sun Worst track(s): To be fair, I don't think any track could be properly categorised as bad. Intention: Dunno. Not totally encouraged to seek out more of his music, but not repelled by it either. Just okay I guess. Comments: You know, be it folk rock, folk pop, psychedelic folk or just, folk it, pure folk, I realise I don't listen to enough folk. Stop saying folk!! Okay, but really, it's a very neglected genre in my music collection, as is Irish Traditional (trad) music, and I really should do something to try to address that, because unlike some genres I pretty much know I wouldn't like --- punk, jazz, death metal, grindcore and so on --- I've heard some folk music down the years and I've never hated it, never made a mental note not to listen to it on any deep level. But I don't tend to get many folk albums, and know few folk artistes. Of course, some of the artistes I listen to could be characterised as at least partially folk, but not fully. So this is going to be interesting. I love the album title, also the fact that Newton Faulkner was apparently surprised by how well his debut was received, quickly rising to the number one spot. He comes across as quite honest and down-to-earth, which is I suppose a trait you'll find in this scene --- not too many folk super-egos out there! Well... Anyway, this album sounds like it could be a fun listen, so let's spin it. After a short acoustic guitar intro the album gets going with a sort of mix of folk and almost funk, very upbeat, particularly I need something, which utilises some good solid organ melodies, Faulkner's voice and style putting me in mind of a sort of male Tracy Chapman. The songs are all short, averaging about two to three minutes, with one edging towards four but stopping short, and one or two a minute or less. There's a nice, mostly acoustic sound to the songs which fits in pretty well with the folk nature of the music, and occasionally veers off more towards the harder edge of pop/rock, as in Dream catch me, with some guitar work that reminds me of Irish band The Script. There are also elements of Damien Rice and Joseph Arthur in Faulkner's style, and a smattering of a more acoustic David Gray perhaps, though he certainly has his own voice and is highly talented, writing or co-writing every track here, bar the cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop, which he does a good, impassioned, stripped-down version of. A nice change then for Straight towards the sun, the first piano-centric song, a nice moody ballad, a sort of semi-reggae beat for the uplifting if a little simplistic People should smile more, and there's a lot of fun in the jaunty UFO, with some telling lyrics: ”They come in peace/ We stay in war”. Good album, not a great album. It hasn't made me a fan, but I wouldn't be totally averse to listening to another of Newton Faulkner's efforts some time in the future. Based on this though, he won't be racing to the top of my listening queue, but we may certainly cross paths again some time down the road.
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 01-13-2015 at 05:31 AM. |
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07-30-2012, 12:59 PM
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#6 (permalink) |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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(Note: it's occurred to me that I've placed certain sections of this review incorrectly. As my comments come last, things like “impression” and “intention” may already telegraph my view of the album, before the comments are read. Basically, it's back to front, and although most of it is fine the two sections need to be switched around. So as of from today I'm putting the “comments” before “intention” and “impression”. I'm also adding another sort of sub-heading, breaking “impression” into “initial impression” and “overall impression”. The initial is how I felt on my very first listen, say from track one, but of course this can change (for better or worse) as the album progresses, and so therefore the overall impression will be the impression I'm left with after having listened to the album all the way through. Now, didn't you really need to know that?
 )All roads lead to Fergie!   Artiste: Fergie Frederiksen Nationality: American Album: Happiness is the road Year: 2011 Label: Frontiers Genre: AOR Tracks Angel Elaine First to cry Follow your heart Happiness is the road I still believe Lyin' eyes Love waits for no-one Writing on the wall The future ain't what it used to be The one The saviour Chronological position: Fourth solo album, but he has been involved in more than thirty albums overall, between Toto, Angel, LeRoux, Survivor, Trillion and a whole host more. Familiarity: Zero Interesting Factoid: Well, inspiring really. Fergie was diagnosed in 2010 with inoperable cancer of the liver, but unwilling to just accept that, he looked into alternative medicine and seems now to have made almost a total recovery, quite against the rules of medical science. Initial Impression: Oh man! I love this from the first few notes! Talk about catchy! Best track(s): Angel, First to cry, Follow your heart, Happiness is the road, Lyin' eyes, Writing on the wall... I'll just stop now, shall I? Worst track(s): This guy does not do bad tracks... Comments: My initial annoyance at the theft of the title of Marillion's last album evaporates as this album kicks into gear, and right from the start it's a powerful dive into melodic rock/AOR territory, with the very best of every AOR band you can name, from Night Ranger to Journey and everything in between. There's not all that much information on the album, so I can't tell you who the band is, but they're damn tight! Opener Angel sets the scene, and things just get better from there on. Known for his work with such luminaries as Toto, Survivor and Trillion, Fergie was in hot water with the first band when he left them but continued to play some of their songs onstage, even using the name Toto! After taking a break from the music business, he found it was in his blood and he couldn't do without it, and lucky he did, or we might not have had albums like this. There are power-hooks all over the place, his voice is rich and strong, commanding and clear, and the music is a perfect backdrop to his voice, hitting mostly the harder edges of the AOR spectrum on songs like First to cry and Writing on the wall, though he can bring it right down to the softest of piano ballads on the likes of Follow your heart, with some beautiful strings backing, where you really get an idea of how versatile an instrument his voice is. Honestly, there's not a bad track on here, and almost all of them are top-class, so it's hard to choose favourites. There are more hooks in this collection of songs than at an anglers' convention! It's just a total joy, one of those rare finds you come across, where you don't expect all that much and get completely blown away. There are a few tiny niggles: a very familiar guitar solo in First to cry, though I can't quite place it (if anyone reading this can, let me know, as it's driving me mad!), a really Journey-style opening to Elaine and a serious nod to Foreigner's Cold as ice with the keyboard opening on The one, but these are as nothing compared to the overall brilliance of this album. If you like AOR, good melodic rock, well-constructed songs and powerful singing, this is an album you should have in your collection. Overall Impression: Just got better with every track. Totally blown away. Intention: Seek out more of this man's music.
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 01-13-2015 at 05:32 AM. |
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08-01-2012, 05:17 AM
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#7 (permalink) |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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Yes, yes. I know I'm late to the party...
 Artiste: Sigur Ros Nationality: Icelandic Album: Takk... Year: 2005 Label: Geffen Genre: Post-rock/Ambient/Art rock (thanks, Wiki...) Tracks Takk... Glósóli Hoppípolla Með blóðnasir Sé lest Sæglópur Mílanó Gong Andvari Svo hljótt Heysátan Chronological position: Fourth album Familiarity: Zero Interesting Factoid: Initial Impression: Am I back in Solar Fields territory? Best track(s): Hoppípolla, Sæglópur, Mílanó, Andvari Worst track(s):No, I don't think there was anything on this album I didn't like. Comments: So once again we come to a band most people here seem to know, and love, but of which I am completely ignorant. However, in an effort to step away from my English-dominated music collection, I'm prepared to branch out and give these guys a go. They've certainly been successful, though I'm a little unsure, going by the less-than-clear genres Wiki slaps on them, if they'll be my cup of Tetley, but sure, as they say, we'll give it a go. What's the worst thing that can happen? (You had to ask, didn't you?) Nice, ambient synth opening on the title track, very short, just under two minutes, with a sort of prelude perhaps to the album? Not an awful lot in it, but we shall see how it goes from here in. Things staying nice and relaxed, with some sprinkly piano and a rather nice female vocal on Glósóli: of course I have no idea what she's singing about, but if the music is good enough that can matter less than it usually does, and this music is quite nice I must say. More percussion coming in now, nice powerful guitar ramping up the tension. Have to admit, I like this so far. Beautiful piano intro to Hoppípolla, soon joined by slowly thumping drums and some nice strings. Oh, wait. I'm wrong about the singer; the falsetto vocals of Jón Þór Birgisson fooled me into thinking he was female until I checked, and I see he's a guy. Woops! Well, he puts in a fine performance here, but you could definitely be forgiven for thinking Sigur Ros have a female vocalist. Um. Anyway, lovely use of a full choir too on this track. Sé lest is very interesting: almost nine minutes of pretty much pure ambience, that falsetto vocal rising above tinkling piano to form a really lovely soundscape, while Sæglópu changes everything, kicking it all up and becoming easily the heaviest and most dramatic track on the album so far. The longest track then, at just over ten minutes, Mílanó keeps things fairly strong but with some more nice soft piano running like a river through the tune; surprisingly, it's over rather quickly. Things get a bit manic with Gong but then slow right back down as the album winds towards its end, with Andvari pulling back on the throttle and idling along, and it's nice and slow then for the final three tracks. I do like this. It's different, and of course, among the very many languages I can't speak is Icelandic, so not being able to understand the lyrics is a little off-putting and perhaps leads to an overall lesser enjoyment of the album for me than someone who's fluent in this language might have, but I still found a lot to keep me interested and make me come back to check out this band some more. Overall Impression: Very nice, a new band to look into. Intention: As above, listen to some more of Sigur Ros's material.
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 01-13-2015 at 05:33 AM. |
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08-04-2012, 05:57 AM
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#8 (permalink) |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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 Mayhem - Imelda May - 2010 There's a cold hand of dread touching my shoulder as I look at the genre here. I've never been any sort of a fan of rockabilly music, but to be fair, I've never listened to a full album of it before, so what am I judging my dislike on? Well, mostly its affiliation with the fifties, a decade whose music I generally can't stand. Happy Days? You can keep it, mate. Just not into all that stuff. But hey, Imelda's an Irish artist and I should at least give her a shot. Doubt I'll be breaking open an extra packet of cookies on this one, though! Starts off okay, to be fair: decent guitar rock. Imelda has a good voice, though I could do without the annoying wolf-howls on "Psycho", and the addition of brass on the title track just doesn't really work for me, but then I'm not overfond of brass anyway. Much better is the slow ballad "Kentish Town Waltz", really beautiful and touching, showing another side of Imelda as she reins in the madcap freneticism to turn in a truly lovely song. Course, it doesn't last, but the cool shuffle of the almost thirties-inspired "All for You" keeps the quality high, and there's a touch of Fleetwood Mac's "When the Sun Goes Down" in "Eternity", while there's an eclectic mix of reggae and swing on "Inside Out". This seems to be a thing with Imelda May: far from being just a rockabilly artiste, she appears to cross over and mix several genres, from thirties swing and jazz to reggae and country-infused folk, seemingly equally comfortable wherever her music takes her. But her main love does remain rockabilly, and she rocks out in no uncertain fashion in this style on tracks like "Sneaky Freak", "Pulling the Rug" and "Let Me Out", with a curious mix of Mariachi and Hawaiian music in "I'm Alive" that somehow works. The album ends on an interesting rockabilly take on Soft Cell's "Tainted Love": always hated the song, and I have to say this doesn't make me like it any the more. Interesting album, certainly eclectic, decidedly diverse. Not the sort of music I normally listen to, and I'd probably not be in a hurry to listen to another album of hers, but for what she does Imelda May does it well, and I suppose the biggest compliment I can pay this album is that I know what I hate, and I don't hate this. Much. TRACK LISTING Pulling the Rug Psycho Mayhem Kentish Town Waltz All for You Eternity Inside Out Proud and Humble Sneaky Freak Bury My Troubles Too Sad to Cry I'm Alive Let Me Out Tainted Love
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 04-10-2022 at 01:36 PM. |
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08-04-2012, 10:23 AM
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#9 (permalink) | |
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 13,153
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08-04-2012, 01:08 PM
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#10 (permalink) | |
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Born to be mild
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 404 Not Found
Posts: 26,996
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Quote:
and also how the guy's voice made such an impression on me, and was so different that I did in fact mistake it for female. Always think it makes the review seem a little more real/honest if you admit the mistakes you made while reviewing, eg "There are no ballads on this album --- oh wait, there's one" or "This beautiful piano piece which lulls you to --- ah. Just became a heavy guitar-oriented track. I see." Leaves you with more of an impression of this being a first-time review, as all these are.
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