Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

172 minuter Steve Vai. En klar kandidat till årets spelning

Gitarr-legendaren Steve Vai har länge varit önskad åter till Sverige. Så nu när han äntligen skulle komma till KB, Malmös bästa klubbscen, fick många av oss gåshud innan han äntrat scenen!

Det är fullt och avslappnat när jag kliver in på KB strax innan avfärd till galaxernas mystiska världar. Publiken är mogen med kanske en medelålder på 40 år och står lugnt och sansade, prydligt uppradade framför scenen.
När såväl allas hjälte springer upp på scenen som en virrande orkan så kan man inte göra annat än att stå still och häpnas av Steves magiska kraft. Han har stil. Han har energi. Han är självsäker men har samtidigt en självdistans och vågar driva med sig själv...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Angel Air/Border

Prior to SAXON, back in the first half of the seventies, there was SON OF A BITCH. Deemed unsuitable by the band´s record label at the time, Carrere, the name was ousted in favor of what was to become Barnsley´s most major music export. In 1986 history repeated itself as SAXON originals Graham “Oly” Oliver, guitars, Steve “Dobby” Dawson, bass, and Peter Gill, drums, joined forces with THUNDERHEAD vocalist Ted Bullet and guitarist Haydn Conway, guitars (ex. SARACEN). The band´s debut gig was headlining the Isle of Man TT and things looked good until Peter had health issues and Ted ran into contractual obligations with THUNDERHEAD.

This album opens with one of two question marks...

Posted in Cd Reviews

The Apostates are a three piece band which formed in 2006 in London. Since then they’ve played over hundreds of gigs as well as a session for the Radio 1 punk show. They’re described as ”melodic punk” – in other words nothing at all like 70s/80s style punk, more an indie rock/alternative hybrid.

If you ignore the punk label and accept it’s a hybrid of indie rock and alternative, then the album makes more sense (I doubt there are many people who’d classify this as punk). In that light, it’s actually a very good album. The vocals are very good and thetunes are well written with a nice rock feel.

Check out the video for ”Fire Blanket” below and have a listen for yourself what the band sound like...

Posted in Cd Reviews

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the formation of 10cc, Universal are releasing ”Tenology”, a five disc box set which includes four CDs (two discs of singles, one of selected album tracks, and a further one of B-sides and rarities) and a DVD (featuring all the promo videos and TV performances on Top Of The Pops, BBC In Concert, See You Sunday, Six Fifty Five Special and Pebble Mill). The packaging is impressive looking too.

It’s a very impressive package all round really – Two discs give you all the band’s hits, then the other two CDs give you rarities and tracks that were on albums but didnt get released as singles but which are certainly worth listening to. Add in the DVD and you’ve got a great package for any 10CC fan...

Posted in Press Releases

Nowadays young band’s music videos are coming like candy rain. And we love them. Now, here is a pretty interesting new one from The Drake Equation. Guys are from Västerås, a metalcore band with pop, jazz and electronic influences.

The clip is like a wild dream, in a lovely metal style in the middle of wheat fields. After few jiffs the music kicks you on ass. Starting with a really hard part, melody and British poprock feelings are popping up, and turning again back to the dark dream. It hammers like Korpiklaani’s music, at least pictures are also remind me to the Finish band, but in a young version...

Posted in Press Releases

Some informations regarding tomorrow’s concert of Kreator, Morbid Angel, Nile and Fueled by fire in Ljubljana (Slovenia)

18:15 – doors
18:45 – 19:15 = Fueled By Fire
19:30 – 20:15 = Nile
20:45 – 22:00 = Morbid Angel
22:30 – 23:45 = Kreator

More info: http://www.eventim.si/si/vstopnice/kreator-morbid-angel-nile-fueled-by-fire-ljubljana-cvetlicarna-274438/event.html

http://www.cvetlicarna.info/default.aspx

Posted in Cd Reviews

Ok lets start by making one thing clear – despite the title this isn’t really a Nightwish album. It’s a film soundtrack to the film that Nightwish have made to tie in with their last studio album, Imaginaerum. As such this album is almost completely instrumental.

Still interested? Good, because it’s an album that Nightwsh fans are going to want to listen to. Some of my Nightwish loving friends have long described Nightwish keyboard player and writer Tuomas Holopainen as a genius, and I think this album really shows the true scale of his talent. Without conventional songs with a singer then all the debate about who is the best Nightwish vocalist and the relative merits of the various singers Nightwish have had are all forgotten and we’re left with the music to focus on.

The tracks on T...

Posted in Cd Reviews

A legend of German heavy metal, Udo Dirkschneider came to fame as the singer in Accept, but since leaving them he has forged a solid career with his own band, U.D.O. with whom he has released thirteen studio albums and two live albums (and ”Live in Sofia” makes three).

The album was recorded in Sofia and has a great setlist consisting primarily of his U.D.O. material including several songs from his latest album (Rev-Raptor). Of course no U.D.O. live show would be complete without at least one Accept track, and we get some of them including ”Metal Heart” and ”Balls to the wall”.

The sound on the album is great – nice and clear with a great mix so you get plenty of power from the guitars, the drums are solid and most importantly the vocals are nice and prominent in the mix.

There is howeve...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Following the Deluxe edition of Abba’s ”The Visitors”, the band’s 1975 album ”Abba” is being given the Deluxe edition tratment. The album features classic hits such as ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘SOS’ and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’.

The first disc in the package is a remastered version of the original album plus three bonus tracks – Crazy world, Medley: Pick A Bale Of Cotton – On Top Of Old Smokey – Midnight Special, and a Spanish version of Mamma Mia. The three bonus tracks have been available before – the first two were on at least two of the re-issued versions, and the Spanish version of Mamma Mia was on the COmplete studio recordings box set.

The second disc is a DVD, featuring 60 minutes of previously unreleased television performances, including the complete 1976 television speci...

Posted in Cd Reviews

”Old School” is a collection that spans the ten years of the Alice Cooper Group and includes a whole host of goodies spread over four discs. This Special Edition is a condensed version of the original sold-out Old School: 1964–1974 super deluxe box set released in 2011. The set contains 4 discs containing demos, pre-production and rehearsal recordings of classic Alice Cooper tracks, radio spots, interview anecdotes, plus a full live show captured on the 1971 Killer tour – Live in St Louis – and a 60-page yearbook charting the career of Alice Cooper complete with many rare photos.

While it may be a condensed version of the collection released last year, it’s still an impressive collection, and at just under £25 it’s extremely good value.

It’s great to hear some of the real classic ...