Posted in Cd Reviews

Napalm/Sound Pollution

Danes SVARTSOT really blew me away with their previous album “Mulmets Viser”, so my expectations are sky high for this their third full-length album. No line-up changes or other dangers, only catchy and spirited pieces of mediaeval metal…or?

Opening intro “Staden…” sets the stage. The album hovers on the subject of the Black Death´s arrival in Denmark in 1350. The atmosphere is there, the place is lively and…doomed. What follows is a pretty even history with standout tracks like the in the info sheet strangely unmentioned “Farsoten Kom” the closing tracks. The gloomy ballad, with clean vocals, “Spigrene” is a welcome change among all the growling...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Makaki Music

SOFIA TALVIK har ett rockprojekt tillsammans med I hemlandet England uppskrivna Battle of the Bands-vinnarna BALL OF MAYHEM. Ett hårdrocksband gör alltså om mjuka låtar till tyngre varianter, inte tvärt som. Fler recensioner på kommande delar följer.

Fyra spår med engelsk touch av mjuka svenska poplåtar, kan det bli lika bra som SWEDISH HITZ GOES METAL? Nej, tyvärr måste jag vara glädjedödare. Den publikfriande tuggummimetall som BALL OF MAYHEM gör borde ha strukit med redan på tidigt 80-tal, när QUIET RIOT slutade förslosa RANDY RHOADES talang på musik för japanska tonårsflickor. Enkla komp, billigt skramliga refränger, och inte minsthalvfalskt sjungit, eller värre...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Cornerstone are an Austrian band who were formed in 1998. In 2008 they released their album ”Head over heels” through Atom records, and after touring for that album, recruited their new singer Patricia Hillinger. Now the band are ready to release ”Somwehere in America” and it’s an album worth the wait.

The Press release with the album describes the band as ”Modern AOR pop rock”. I’m not sure I’d agree with that description really though – when I think of pop I tend to think of mindless lyrics and a total absence of guitars, and this is far too good to be classed as pop. The AOR description is more accurate and the Rock description is definitely accurate. I’d describe the music as melodic rock or soft rock, in a similar vein to bands such as Heart...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Guido Campiglio is a guitar player who has chosen to release this instrumental album. Although focussed around his guitar work there are also electonic arrangements included.

Some of the ”song” titles are totally meaningless to anyone other than the artist – ”C.D.T. Symphony” and ”Butterfly suite Op. No 1” for instance, whereas others do at least manage to give an idea of what to expect – ”Tomahawk (Dance of war)” for instance.

Listening to the album I’m left with just one thought – who is the album meant to appeal to? As far as I can see its only going to appeal to other guitarists as an entire album of instrumentals built around the guitar work just isnt going to appeal to many people I’m afraid, despite Guido Campiglio’s obvious talent as a guitarist.

Guido Campiglio would in my opini...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Sista klubbspelningen någonsin.
Ett Slutsålt The Tivoli i Helsingborg.

The Ark är inne på sista svängen på sin avskedsturné. Sorgen och ilskan stramar emot över vetskapen om att ett avslut är nära. Att bokens sista kapitel är skrivet. Hoppet om en framtid med The Ark på scenen och en ny Ark-skiva känns grusade…

Så fort Arkeologerna ställer sig på scenen omvandlas sorgens tårar till glädjetårar och alla tråkiga tankar försvinner med ett stort leende på allas läppar! Den enorma glädjen som fullständigt exploderar när första tonerna till Absolutley No Decorum sprids i det utsålda och glödheta The Tivoli. Taket lyfter nästan av all energi från både publik och scenaktörerna! Publiken tar verkligen i och ger The Ark den respons de verkligen förtjänar.

Några...

Posted in Interviews

”Newcomers” COSFEARACY aim to set a new standard, mixing German metal with the US counterpart. The band consists of lead vocalist Brian O’Connor (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS), guitarist Fabian Schwarz (THE NEW BLACK), bassist Günter Auschrat (THE NEW BLACK, ABANDONED), guitarist Ira Black (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH) and drummer Timo Weis. Most of them being well-renowned musicians with loads of relevant experience. But the questions as to the time limits, other engagements etc also arise. Let´s get some clarifications!

FP: Please describe the new album.

Consf: – The record consists of all types of metal genres from thrash, power, tech, classic and death metal overtones. We wanted to make this record a real worldwide collaboration. American metal meets German metal.

FP: What ca...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Lost reflection are a hard rock band from Italy who originally formed in 1996 as a tribute band for Crimson Glory. After a five year break while frontman Fabrizio Fulco was in Florida working with the ”Ben Jackson Group”, Lost Reflection are back together and have just released their album ”Florida” through Italian record label SG Records.

”Media violence” has some good solid 80’s guitar sounds and combined with the vocals reminds me a lot of Zodiac Mindwarp, and this is fairly representative of most of the album.

”Wings of Glory” is an instrumental with plenty of electric guitar.

”Crucified” is probably my favourite track on the album.

”Nitefall” is an odd track that seems to end naturally after three and a half minutes and then starts again as a totally different style instrumental whic...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

The first things I noticed at Bloodstock this year was the minor changes from previous years. The basic setup was the same, but lots of little details had been improved – better fencing around VIP camping, food available in the VIP area, improved access routes and so on. Lots of little changes that over the weekend made a big difference to the festival, making things more enjoyable.

On the Thursday I came after work to pick up my photo pass and see some bands. The two I managed to catch were Revoker and Beholder...

Posted in Cd Reviews

När Machine Head släppte ”The Blackening” 2007, så gick den varm i min spelare.

Det kändes som en av de mest kompletta metall-skivorna i modern tid.

Många är artisterna och banden som släpper plattor tätt, Machine Head låter arbetet ta tid, när man lyssnar på deras nya skiva förstår man varför.

Efter att ha lyssnat några varv märker man att det är kvalitet, ljudbilden är enorm, det är finstämt, tungt och brutalt på samma gång.
Varje slag som Dave McClain slår på skinnen är distinkt, de fina gitarrslingorna får precis lagom mycket plats.

Ännu en gång har metall kvartetten ifrån San Francisco gjort det, ett nytt mästerverk.

Skivan inleds med spåret ”I Am Hell” (Sonata in C#).
Låten börjar med närmare en minuts vacker kör-sång, sedan kommer ett blytungt ...

Posted in Interviews

There are some new bands that stand out. Every year I get a lot of music for review, and I tend to think I´ve heard it all before. But every now and then a new band proves me wrong.
THE ANDROID MEME hails from Toronto and are not prone to standard solutions. The bow to bands like RUSH, of cause, but also to the likes of MUSE, SKINNY PUPPY and TOOL. The mix and freshness is enough to get me raving on about them for ages. But who better to tell the true stories behind the band, their hidden meanings and various layers than vocalist Stefano Amelio.

Hi Stefano…what about…?

1/Please elaborate on the album, the theme, the influences, the creative process etc…?

– The album was recorded in stages over a year and half...