Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

1 hour away from Vienna, in the fields of Pannonia, lies the small city of Nickelsdorf next to which the Nova Rock festival is hosted. It started with a good impression as the transport to the festival area from Vienna was well organised, with frequent trains and buses waiting to pick up the travelers and take them to the entrance. And it was cool to pay only 15 EUR for a train ticket valid for 4 days, while one way with the bus was 3 EUR. My first train left with 1 hour delay though, but well, still enough time to catch a lot of music.

The festival area is rather huge. There are two main stages, a tent and a tiny stage that I am not sure where it’s located...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Frontiers/BAM

DAVID COVERDALE´S WHITESNAKE, further introduction is probably superfluous but here I go (again). After leaving DEEP PURPLE mark IV David decided to move while the irons´s still hot and started a solo band The White Snake Band. Before releasing “Trouble” as WHITESNAKE the young band first displayed themselves with an EP called “Snakebite”. Some line-up changes later the glory years was soon to come with bluesy albums like “Trouble”, “Lovehunter”, Ready ´an Willing”, “Come ´an Get It” and “Saints and Sinners”. Up until then the classic line up of David, guitarists Micky Moody (SNAFU etc) and Bernie Marsden, bass legend Neil Murray, plus former DEEP PURPLE compatriots Jon Lord, keyboards and Ian Paice, drums...

Posted in Cd Reviews

7Hard/Cargo Records

Borås/Swedish band SANCHEZ is not far away from where I write these worlds. The band consists of Jose Sanchez, lead vocals, Kieven Klevmyr, guitars, marc White, bass, and the obvious Mr. Drumhead completing the line-up. As individuals they have opened for acts like DEE SNIDER and PAUL DIANNO. As a band they haven´t really got all that much under their belt. The setting is classic AOR/glam/hair metal, style wise they live the legend. They have handled production themselves, and they promise a trip back to the likes of DOKKEN, surprise me!
The KISS feeling is there in “Stand Up (For Your Rights)”...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Pierced Records/Sound Pollution

JERUSALEM is one of the pioneers of Swedish hard rock, forming as early as 1975. Including collections and all they have released as many as 18 albums including this release. This is their first comprising entirely of fresh material in 16 years. Back in 1981 they did brisk business, but what about 2011? Steering the band is as always the perennial Ulf Christiansson on guitars and vocals. He is backed by the almost as persistent bass player Peter Carlsohn and drummer Michael Ulvsgård.

Three songs into the album I realize that time is passing. “Calling On” is a pale opener, “Come On” is somewhat repetitive and “I Want to Leave Her” is close to U2. The arrangements show signs of maturity and experience, but there is little excitement on offer...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

SUPREME PAIN may not mean a lot to anyone, but behind the moniker lurk Messrs; Adrie Kloosterwaard, vocals (SINISTER), Paul Beltman, drums (ex. SINISTER), Bas Brussard, guitars (FONDLECORPSE), Erwin Harreman, guitars, and Alesa Sare on bass. Their third album is described as epic, evil and fast aggressive with an Old School groove. Go on, make my day…

Opening shortie “Dawn of a New Era” is a melodic smattering. Not bad for its kind actually. The ensuing “Dark Army” is very ok, but when they get into gear with “Damned Creation”, they sure get me going. The groovy grinding Old School death with some thrash thrown in is an excellent mix. The SLAYER-esque “Treasonous Disease” has a riff to die for and a melody to go with that...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

Austrian Old School thrash/power metal quartet GARAGEDAYS release their eagerly promoted debut. Marco Kern, guitars/vocals, founded GARAGEDAYS in 2005. Many lineups later he was surrounded by lead guitarist Rene Auer, bass player Dominik Eder and drummer Matthias Mai. The band has issued a demo, “Wild and Dangerous”, before making two albums; “Sight of the Blind” and “Dark and Cold”. The latter has been chosen as their Massacre Records debut.

After opener “Last Breath” I was a happy reviewer. Imagine that it took four Austrians to follow up on METALLICA`S success…and about 25 years. The following six tracks are also pleasant, but not quite in the same division...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Massacre/Sound Pollution

Sword waving German Vikings STORMWARRIOR is back with album number four. True heavy metal and Nordic mythology have served STORMWARRIOR well. Founder Lars Ramke´s vision has paid off and sent them on the road to stardom, via festivals like Wacken Open Air and Motala Metal festival. Success and success again, have they delivered a successor to “Heading Northe”, or have they excelled?

Nevertheless this is a concept album of sorts, sporting eleven metal bullets.
The opening intro “… og Hammeren Häves till Slag” is your typical overblown fantasy evolving shortie. The title track on the other hand is a sight for sore RUNNING WILD mourning eyes. STORMWARRIOR move for the Viking chief position with all swords in the air...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Jag skiter högaktningsfullt i om det endast är tre originalmedlemmar kvar i bandet för de genomförde spelningen bra, ty det har jag själv bevittnat med bra vänner, i bra väder och i en skön publik vars stämning var på topp.
Nya sångaren Ricky Warwick lyckas till och med ge nytt liv i låtarna med sin raspiga röst även om Phil Lynott självfallet hade gjort det bättre.

Med odödliga hits lockar Thin Lizzy en bred publik från åldern 2-80. Stämningen är schysst och till och med den mest vildsinta hårdrockaren kan under ”dancing in the moonlight” inte låta bli att vicka lite på höfterna. ”Waiting for an alibi” och Jailbreak” startar allsång och en onykter moshpit.

Visst är det ett nytt Thin Lizzy som står på scen men deras nya ”Sunset Strip 2011-sleaze” stil ...

Posted in Interviews

Judas Priest Presskonferens

Innebär Downings avhopp slutet för Judas Priest?
– K.K Downing kommer aldrig att spela med oss mer, vilket känns konstigt.
– Vi trodde Downing avhopp skulle vara slutet för bandet men så kom Richie Faulkner och räddade oss.
– Richie har en stor börda att axla, men han har verkligen lyckats fånga känslan av musiken.

Richie Faulkner, hur känns det att hoppa in i ett band som är mitt inne i sin avskedsturné?
– Vi har inga planer på att dra oss tillbaka!
– Vad vi gör nu är endast ett avslut för världsturnéerna men vi kommer fortsätta göra mindre spelningar främst i UK och USA.
– Richie är den som fått bandet att arbeta tillsammans igen, vi ser inget slut på den här resan än.

Varför är det just Richie Faulkner som fått ta KK Downings plats?...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Sällan har det varit så mycket trängsel som framme vid Festival Stage på Sweden Rock. Det är lördag och klockan börjar närma sig midnatt, framme på scenen står farbror Ozzy, glad i hågen och viftandes med armarna som en väderkvarn. Det är sista akten för årets Sweden Rock men publiken är långt från vemodig utan vrålar på som aldrig förr:

”I CANT HEAR YOU?”
”I CANT FUCKING HEAR YOU!”
”LOUDER!”
”LOUDER!”

Kanske bör Ozzy skruva upp hörapparaten lite eller så är det bara hans sätt att få igång publiken? Vrålar gör vi i alla fall allihopa och kanske är det de inbitna fansen längst fram som får vråla högst av alla då de av en garvandes Ozzy blir totalt nedsprutade av någon slags sörja som till färg och konsistens liknar filmjölk...