Category Cd Reviews

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Hype Productions/Warner

Finland is metal. There is no denying it, simply compare their charts to any of our Swedish equivalents. One of the well-to-do bands at the moment is DOOM UNIT. Their catchy heavy riffage, catchiness and even touches of LYNYRD SKYNYRD have provided them with a second place in the Finnish charts and a 50 shows tour all over Finland. But are they on their way to conquer Europe?

Not many bands care about the importance of album openers anymore, but DOOM UNIT do! “The Cradle and the Grave” is modern stoner meets MOTORHEAD, celebrating the union with a smashing riff, and a rocking straightforward and catchy pace. I actually rate it higher than the first single “Reckoning Day2, though the latter is not without qualities...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Hype Productions/Warner

Finland is metal. There is no denying it, simply compare their charts to any of our Swedish equivalents. One of the well-to-do bands at the moment is DOOM UNIT. Their catchy heavy riffage, catchiness and even touches of LYNYRD SKYNYRD have provided them with a second place in the Finnish charts and a 50 shows tour all over Finland. But are they on their way to conquer Europe?

Not many bands care about the importance of album openers anymore, but DOOM UNIT do! “The Cradle and the Grave” is modern stoner meets MOTORHEAD, celebrating the union with a smashing riff, and a rocking straightforward and catchy pace. I actually rate it higher than the first single “Reckoning Day2, though the latter is not without qualities...

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Lion Music/Warner

We´ve all seen the pictures and heard about the situation in Japan. Some people decide to act on it and give a helping hand. LARS ERIC MATTSSON has gathered the finest his Lion Music rooster has to offer for this 2CD, the revenue from which goes straight to the affected in Japan via the Japanese Red Cross. Newly written and never before released tracks from 27 artists/bands, crowned by a special guitar extravaganza called “Embrace the Sun”. The latter features Lars Eric, Borislav Mitic, Milan Polak, Dave Martone, Franck Ribiere (DOUBLE HEART PROJECT), Simone Fiorletta (NO GRAVITY), Francisco Fareri and Daniel Palmqvist of MURDER OF MY SWEET.

There are so many tracks on offer here, something for everyone I believe...

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MDD/Sound Pollution

Russian band MANIC DEPRESSION has been around since 1999, and supported the likes of DESTRUCTION on tour. Their moshing music is described as thrash to the bone, dwelling on subjects like politics and war. Well, how heavy can these Russians get?

Aw, well, opener “Nightmareality” is thrash in the true sense of the world, with force and a fine refrain. An worthy opener of character, in short. “Afterlife” spoils me with Old School US thrash in the vein of VIO-LENCE, but the third track, “Evil in Disguise” seems strangely anemic in comparison. But that is the only unpleasant surprise on the album. They are really convincing in songs like the glorious rifferama of “Global Collapse” and the mixed thrash of “Phobia”...

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Escape/Border

Canadian vocalist ROB MORATTI has an ongoing varied career. He started out with his own band MORETTI in the late nineties, went on to front FINAL FRONTIER and headed straight for the spotlight when in 2008 he replaced Michael Sadler as front man of SAGA. He has now left them to focus on his solo career. With on the venture are; guitarists Reb Beach (WINGER/WHITESNAKE) and Christian Wolff (also keyboards), seasoned bass player Tony Franklin (BLUE MURDER/THE FIRM), drummer Brian Doerner (ex HELIX, SAGA), and keyboardist Fredrik Bergh.

For some reason I am never quite satisfied with opening tracks these days it Is true that people don´t hang around in record stores to get an impression these days, but I still like openers to be the best on offer...

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Lion/Warner

Dutch progressive shooting stars SUN CAGED release their awaited third album. The info sheet says that it´s their most diverse effort yet. Formed by ex LEMUR VOICE guitar player Marc Coenen and drummer Dennis Leeflang in 1999 the band seems to be moving places. They debuted in 2003 with their self titled album, and followed it up in 2007 with “Artemisia”. Coming from highly experimental sounds, they are now an up and coming progressive band with influences from DREAM THEATER to IRON MAIDEN. The album delves in stories and circumstances that can be extracted and into universal and relatable feelings and ideas, and with some eastern philosophy thrown in for good measures. Is this going to be yet another fine progressive album filled with intricate music for driven musicians?

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Massacre/Sound Pollution

German/Italian vehicle LOVE.MIGHT.KILL debuts with their classically tinged debut. Boosting members like FIREWIND/ULI JON ROTH/METALIUM drummer Michael Ehré and excellent vocalist Jan Manenti plus the ex. CROSSROADS guitar duo Christian Stöver and Stefan Ellerhorst the band do their take on fans of DIO and JUDAS PRIEST. Not an easy task, but an area that needs an addition or two these days. Are this lot of the right caliber?

The odd and the well-known goes side by side in opener “Tomorrow Never Comes”. There is some ZAKK WYLDE in the riff, in all oddity, as well as a good refrain. There are actually better openers around, but it is not a bad choice...

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If you ask most rock fans in the UK to list all the Greek rock bands they know, the chances are that in almost all cases, the list will contain just one band – Firewind. Well there are other rock bands from Greece worth checking out, and Outloud are one of them.

Formed in 2004, the band released their debut album (We’ll rock you to hell and back again) in 2008. ”Love Catastrophe” is their second album and is produced by Tommy Hansen (who has worked with bands including TNT and Helloween), and Bob Katsionis. Some of you may recognise the name of Bob Katsionis – as well as being a member of Outloud (playing Keyboards and guitar), he is also a member of Firewind.

”We came to rock” starts with a sound familiar to older listeners – the crackle of a stylus settling on a vinyl album, before a ...

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Frontiers/BAM

Once spearheading the NWOBHM movement in Sheffield DEF LEPPARD chose a more commercial path around 1982/83. The ensuing album, “Pyromania” secured their success as much as the hiatus following drummer Rick Allen´s car crash and loss of an arm cost them betwixt 1984-87. Those years also included three massive years in the studio creating another success, “Hysteria”. Another massive set back was the suicide of guitarist Steve Clark in 1991. Since 1992 the band has consisted of Joe Elliott, vocals, guitarists Phil Collen and Viv Campbell (ex. SWEET SAVAGE, ex. DIO, RIVERDOGS), bass man Rick Savage, and one-armed drummer Rick Allen. This disc has also been sort of delayed, being the first ever live outing from the band.

The most part of the album is made up of songs from...

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Liljegren Records/Sound Pollution

Swedish band REINXEED hails from Boden, and is centered round guitarist/vocalist Tommy ReinXeed. Since 2002 they have been in the business of Adventure metal, there´s new one, all about legends and stories with a twist of heavenly hope. Inspiration comes from GARY MOORE, ANGRA and ROBBIE VALENTINE, a.o. This is album number three, the so called difficult one, let´s see how REINXEED fares.

The opener and title track is a fine example of good arrangements and nice choruses. It´s very Swedish in spite of the influences cited. The album is either somewhere in the vicinity of EUROPE, or a mix of SONATA ARCTICA and STRATOVARIUS...