Album Review: Perfect Plan - Time For A Miracle

I guess I don't know what success means anymore. There used to be obvious ways of measuring whether or not a band was achieving something, but those have mostly gone by the wayside. Now, bands that I've never even heard of are touting themselves as being among the biggest in whatever sub-genre they want to call themselves. That isn't quite the case with Perfect Plan, who I do remember from their debut album, but when their label is saying they are "immediate rising stars", and their single "built their reputation", I'm left scratching my head. What reputation? Who, other than the most hardcore of European melodic rock fans, knows who these guys are?

I'm not saying that to be dismissive, but to illustrate a point. They are calling themselves stars, but they haven't done anything that would lead me to think that the least bit true. They released one album that didn't make any sort of greater impact in the melodic rock world, let alone outside of that. Maybe this second album can improve upon that, but things being what they are, I wouldn't count on that either.

The record does get off to a good start. The title track leads us off with a bit more heaviness, a solid groove, and a hook that hits pretty hard. It's a really good melodic hard rock track, and has enough muscle to avoid any of the cheese that usually creeps in. That song might not be a reputation builder, but it's a great single, and makes a strong case that Perfect Plan has the potential to be what they already claim themselves as.

Unfortunately, they quickly soften their sound back up, adding more melodrama and 80s tropes. Everything good about that first song is erased with a string of generic Journey retreads. Look, I like Journey too, but that was thirty-plus years ago. We don't need so many bands trying to recreate that sound. Not only does it bring to mind comparisons to a band far better than Perfect Plan, but it's not even what they themselves are best at. The few times they try to rock here are better than their AOR worship, and the album would be stronger if they had headed more in that direction.

They aren't a bad AOR band by any means. The majority of the album is perfectly fine melodic rock, with the exception of "Nobody's Fool", where they try to be a blues band. It doesn't work with the gloss of their sound, and I especially hate that they spend more than thirty seconds at the start playing the riff with such a lo-fi sound. It sounds terrible, and is annoying to sit through before the rest of the song completely shifts gears. A producer should have pointed out how pointless that effect was, and either ditched it, or shortened that section dramatically.

Your view of this record will exclusively come down to how much you like AOR. If that's your jam, you'll be happy with this very standard album of moderately heavy melodic rock. For me, it sounds a bit toothless. I'm caught between wanting it to be heavier and wanting it to be poppier. The record sits in a middle ground where I don't think it goes far enough in any direction, and the remaining eleven songs make me want to listen to the title track again. That song sounds like a completely different, and better, band. I want to hear mroe from them.

Singles Roundup: Helion Prime - Amaranthe, Weezer, & Daughtry

 This week, the new singles I've been hearing are more interesting to talk about than some of the albums I could be covering, so we're going to stick with them today. We've got four new ones to examine, starting with:

Helion Prime - Madame Mercury

I've been listening to "The Forbidden Zone" with great regularity, and the second single from the record follows suit. Written about Katherine Johnson, the key figure in making the space program work in the 60s, the song is another fun jaunt through the world of modern power metal. The guitars give us some nifty playing, as well as that tone that still sounds a bit futuristic (even if it's been around for a while), while Mary delivers the melody that grows each time I listen to it. I don't know if it's just my ears, but everything about the band sounds more melodic and memorable in this new form. I really like it.

Amaranthe - Strong

Another thing I really like is where Amaranthe are taking metal. Plenty of other bands have been trying to do the same thing, and they're always relatively fun, but no one is able to match their ability to make hooks so sticky you can't wash them off. They are the masters of pop metal, and with Noora from Battle Beast guesting on this track, it's got even more vocal firepower than usual. I know it can be a bit much for some more 'true' metal fans, but holy hell is this stuff fun.

Weezer - Beginning Of The End

The horrible gimmick of an album "Van Weezer" has been delayed from this pst May all the way until next May, due to the pandemic, which seems like overkill. It also seems unfair, because as this song indicates, this could be the first Weezer album worth giving a damn about since at least "Maladroit", and maybe even "Green". What this song reiterates is that Rivers is at his best when he's channeling his 80s rock roots, and not chasing pop trends. He can't do modern, or clever, or even sincere, so trying to be Van Halen is perfect for him. I hate myself for liking this.

Daughtry - World On Fire

Speaking of people who should stick with their roots, we have Daughtry, who at least for one song remembers that he became famous for being a rock guy in a pop world. His recent pop albums were terrible, and maybe he's gotten the message, because the guitars are back. This finally sounds like a rock song again, taking us back to the days of the debut and "Leave This Town", which were really good albums. I liked Daughtry a lot back then, and hearing this song, I remember why. He's damn good at making catchy, pop-ish rock songs. If he has a whole record that follows suit, he might rise from the dead next year.

Album Review: Vanishing Point - Dead Elysium

Sometimes you have a thought that seems like a momentary joke, until you find yourself returning to it again and again, unable to shake the fact that a throw-away aside conjured up something closer to the truth than you would like to admit. Judgments are not always deliberated over, carefully constructed from time and deep thought. We often go with our gut reaction, and let a feeling become hardened into a truth. That happened to me when I was listening to this Vanishing Point album. I was trying to think of what it reminded me of, and there was an obvious answer, but then I joked to myself something more ridiculous. By the time I sat down to write this review, that one was all I could think of.

Vanishing Point is a melodic metal band with a few progressive tendencies, and a deeper-voiced singer than most. Because of that, they sound a fair bit like a band whose album I was very fond of called Ascendia. They are more straight-forward, but striking the same tone. That comparison made sense, and was a point in their favor. And then I thought to myself that with the vocal tone, they also sound a bit like if Revolution Saints was a metal band. It was supposed to be a joke, but as more songs came and went, I could hear the AOR influence in some of the melodies, and my flippant remark rang more and more true.

Essentially, what I get out of "Dead Elysium" is a feeling of metallic AOR, featuring a deeper and raspier vocalist. Given that the relative (for lack of a better term) wimpiness of AOR is what keeps me from embracing that genre, this combination is the sort of thing that sounds intriguing to me. The music here is melodic, and it's often compelling, with the lack of brightness keeping things from sounding too saccharine and cloying. It's easy to take this kind of music and go too far into sappy and hokey territory, but the nature of Silvio Massaro's voice anchors the sound in a far more emotive register. In that sense, there are echoes of Evergrey's "Torn" album.

The one issue I have is that like so many modern albums, this one is crying out for some dynamics. The melodies don't have room in the mix to pop, because everything is running full blast all the time. Even when the band is supposed to be a bit softer, every inch of the sonic space is filled up, and I find myself wanting a bit of breathing room. This style isn't super heavy or involved, so it doesn't need to be pushed so aggressively.

And with these ten songs averaging roughly six minutes apiece, that lack of dynamics becomes difficult to ignore. The quality of the record doesn't diminish in the second half, but my enjoyment did, because I could start to feel myself growing tired, and a headache beginning to take root. I liked the music, but I didn't find myself wanting to listen to it, because the production was not inviting. I realize that sensitivity is not shared by all, or maybe even by many.

Vanishing Point definitely has something to offer, and there's a lot of good music on this album. I'm probably not going to be coming back to it as often as I might like to, but that shouldn't stop you. "Dead Elysium" is a very good melodic metal album I wouldn't hesitate to give a chance.

Album Review: Pain Of Salvation - Panther

Even when I was in my prog phase, Pain Of Salvation is a band that ecaped my interest. By the time I was really paying attention, they had moved past their glory days to the "Salt" albums, which were poorly recorded albums filled with mediocre songs that even many of the fans outright hated. They were warmer to "In The Passing Light Of Day" than I was, but even now I find that album to be an intolerable, unlistenable bore. Daniel Gildenlow has his mind set on challenging some normality of music on these new records, and he takes things too far into directions that don't have any musical appeal to them. This album, therefore, didn't come with much anticipation.

Right off the bat, the problems with this group jump out of the speakers. Or I should say they softly waft out of them. The guitars are played in the djent style, but with a loose and flabby tone that makes them sound sloppy, even when I'm sure they are right on time. The production is weak, and the songs themselves suffer for it. When the chorus of "Accelerator" comes, there an instant where it's supposed to sound loud and menacing, but the instruments are buried back in the mix enough that there's no change to the scope. It's a complete failure of recording and producing.

For most of the record, Daniel is in full brooding mode, which means this record is supposed to sound dark and ominous. As I already explained, the production does not allow for that to happen. The record instead sounds haze and old, like a sepia-toned photograph. It's more sad than anything, and is not exactly the sound you would want to listen to for much time straight. After a couple of songs, my ears get tired of trying to pick out the rock elements of the mix, which is mostly Daniel's voice and a mush of noise. I get that there is often some work involved in listening to prog, but it's not supposed to be work to even hear the prog.

Some of that might be salvaged if he was giving us a set of amazing songs, but that's not the case here either. Being so sullen, these songs meander through Daniel's poetry without strong melodies, content to waste our time until he can sing a couple of aimless powerful notes. This is everything prog isn't supposed to be. Prog is about expanding boundaries, challenging your limits, and inverting formulae. Daniel is writing the djent version of emo rock, and not even doing a good job of it. At least emp rockers tend to remember to put in melodies.

Such a sad, miserable album probably speaks to something in Daniel or his life since the last record, but I'm not going to try to decipher that. All I will say is that this is the sort of album you listen to if you want to wallow. If you want to maintain your sanity, I would advise staying away from "Panther", because all it did was make me miserable until it was over. That might be the point, but I get no comfort from hearing someone else's misery. I'm not that kind of person, which means this is not an album for me.

Pain Of Salvation is indeed a pain, yet again.

Album Review: Unleash The Archers - Abyss

We have become well accustomed to concept albums in metal, which has been a decidedly mixed bag. I have my issues with the format, and how it's often executed, but if it gives bands more of a creative drive, then it's fine with me. There are exceptions to that, however, and this new album is one of them. "Abyss" is billed as a sequel to their previous record, which means that I, as someone who didn't listen to that record, either have to do the work of listening to another record just to listen to this one, or I will come in and out of this experience without a full understanding of the story. I doubt I would get that from the lyrics anyway, but the point of it is that I'm not sure how you make new fans by creating an album only fans you already have will fully understand.

Not helping matters, the record gets off to a slow start. "Waking Dream" is nearly four minutes of slow build and one repeated melody that's supposed to be a growing chant, but feels like a boring slog and a waste of time. The payoff isn't worth the time spent getting there. Then the title track follows, and while the band kicks into gear with some fast and intricate riffs, the vocal lines don't have much hook to them, and even when the chorus comes, the song feels a bit flat. Between these two tracks, we're ten minutes into the record, and there has been very little to grab hold of.

"Through Stars" follows with one of my least favorite tropes in the intro, where some simple ringing chords are played, and the drums pound away with a straight kick pattern that is better suited for a faster, heavier section. It makes even less sense once the song moves along, because it's very much a synth-ish almost 80s rock song. It's actually a cool sound, and it works for Brittney's vocals, other than that drum part.

There's a dichotomy running throughout the record, where the band is playing some involved music, but the vocals are usually subtle. The drumming pounds us over the head, the guitars play flurries of notes, and the melodies sort of float in the air, always a bit hazy and hard to decipher. Some of them are pretty, and they sound good when the song is playing, but they evaporate under the glare of the spotlight. That surely isn't helped when "Return To Me" turns over some of the main sections to growled vocals.

It's a bit odd how the band is obviously playing aggressively, and plenty of the record is fast-paced, but something in the production leaves it sounding soft anyway. The record doesn't sound as heavy as it probably is, and it's that lack of bite and grit that I think holds it back the most. All the work they're putting in doesn't feel substantial, because I'm expecting a harder and heavier sound, and it just doesn't come. This album is, if anything, a bit too polished.

Once it gets going, "Abyss" is a fine modern power metal album, all things considered. There are some good songs, and it's all played expertly. Maybe that's the problem, though. It comes so easily to the band that it almost feels like they're going through the motions. I'm not saying it's better when a band struggles, but it's hard to hear the fire and passion in this music. It just doesn't come through in the performances, and that lack of heart is what holds me back. "Abyss" is a rather sterile album that simply doesn't leave an impression on me.

Album Review: Reasons Behind - Project: M.I.S.T.

Sometimes it's hard to stand back and watch the world expand in every direction, not knowing which one you should take, because you cannot be everywhere at once. Simultaneously, we see bands recreating the organic sound of the past in their rock and metal, while others are pushing forward with the most synthetic and modern sounds possible. Both are gaining success, but it feels to me hard to fully embrace both, because they are contrary philosophies to the very idea of how much should sound. Reasons Behind are fully on the modern sound, with an electronic and synth-heavy style of metal that could not have existed before now.

Before I get into talking about the music, I just want to throw out a philosophical question; why do bands start albums with minute-long swells of noise that have no redeeming musical value or ties to the following song? It's a waste of time, and it annoys me greatly.

As for the music itself, Reasons Behind is treading now familiar ground, with a blend of chugging modern metal, synths throughout, and pop melodies. This style has been growing quickly, and I get why. When it's done well, it mixes the heavy crunch of metal with the irresistible allure of pop music. That's when it's done well. Reasons Behind is still working on getting to that point.

There are two main things holding them back; a lack of commitment, and a disagreement in taste. For the former, I was surprised when listening to this record that despite the promise of a more synth-oriented sound, those elements are never pushed to the front of the mix. The synths are details in the background, with the chugging guitars out front doing most of the heavy lifting. I would have preferred the other order, since the guitars don't play the most interesting of riffs (not that they should for the style), and the synths could add extra layers of melody and color to make the songs stand out. The more anonymous part was emphasized, which isn't optimal. For the latter, I'll just say that there will be people who won't enjoy Elisa Bonafe's accent as she sings.

The songs themselves are fine, catchy numbers. They have enough pop to them to go along with the heavier guitars. The melodies have stickiness to them, while several of them fly by with the tempo and rhythm of other popular forms of music. If there's a problem here, it's simply that these songs aren't at the same level as what Amaranthe has developed into, and with another album from them coming shortly, I can't help but hear in this record that their competition is going to raise the bar very soon.

That being said, this record is perfectly enjoyable. If you want a dose of heavy and catchy metal, Reasons Behind has just that for you. This is a record that gives us a respite from thinking about the heavier subjects of life for a little while, and there's nothing wrong with being a diversion. This album might have its faults, and it doesn't feel complete enough to be a concept album (which it apparently is), but it's a fine listen.

Double Review: Blues Pills - Holy Moly!

Editor's Note: Every so often, and album comes along that creates a shared interest, and both of us here at Bloody Good Music feel the urge to talk about. In those cases, you get two takes on the same record. This is one of those times.

CHRIS C: It's sad when potential we see goes unfulfilled. When I first heard Blues Pills' debut album, I saw a world of potential for them. That record is an amazing piece of vintage style rock, perhaps second to Graveyard's holy trinity, and Elin Larsson needed only a few songs to make clear she is one of the best young singers in the game. I loved that record, and I still do. It was a band on the cusp of something amazing, a stepping stone that could reach as high as they wanted to.... and then the second album shifted directions, and I couldn't follow where they were going. The last few years have been a cycle wondering if they were going to right the ship, or continue sailing away from me. Now we find out.

As the exclamation mark in the title might suggest, the band has decided to get back to rocking. This album leaves behind most of the soul influences that kept me from enjoying "Lady In Gold", and gets back to the same spirit as the debut. It's not the same record, though, as both the music and mix are a bit busier and more unrelenting. The band is rocking, but they aren't playing with dynamics and the blues as much as they originally did, and that has a real impact on how the music comes across.

For one thing, the band playing with more aggression gives Elin less room for her voice to sit in the mix. She is still fantastic, but there are fewer moments where her voice stands out and we can hear every nuance of her performance. I miss that element to the songs. For another thing, playing aggressively with such a fuzzy guitar tone gives the opposite result of the intention. When hit hard, fuzz doesn't sound heavy, because it obscures the notes and covers the musicality of the songs with a wash of noise. "Dreaming My Life Away" is trying to rock hard, but it doesn't sound as heavy as "Astralplane" did, despite the added distortion on the guitars.

They find the perfect balance of their previous albums on "California", where Elin belts out notes like Aretha Franklin over chords and pianos, which then builds into a fuzzy solo that serves as a proper crescendo. Right there, I can hear them putting the pieces together and figuring out how to synthesize their various influences into a more cohesive Blues Pills sound. That song shows they can be everything they want to be at the same time, on the same record.

That's how the up-tempo rockers like "Kiss My Past Goodbye" can sit side-by-side with the sinister blues of "Dust" and not sound out of place. Blues Pills are able to sound natural, and that goes a long way. They aren't trying to sound current, or cool, nor are they trying to play for the mainstream. This record sounds authentic, and you can't often fake that.

Other than wishing the production was a little cleaner all around, Blues Pills have returned to form, and delivered a record that sets them up for the future. Here, they have taken the two very different chapters of their story, and written a new narrative to tie them together. Some of us will still prefer the first album, some of us the second, but we should all find something in "Holy Moly!" to enjoy. Blues Pills has managed the difficult task of growing while retaining their identity, and the result is an album that should please plenty of us who enjoy organic, authentic rock and roll.

****

 D.M: The most important mark in the overall analysis of a band’s career is whether or not they improve from album to album. This is particularly important in the first arc of a band’s catalogue, and especially critical within the first three albums.

Blues Pills, the retro rock act from Sweden, has proven their ability to see new pathways and correlate the maturity of their sound into a tangible path of improvement. Their eponymous debut album in 2014 was a start, and then 2016’s “Lady in Gold” showed great promise, but couldn’t sustain it for the duration. Now, in 2020, following multiple pandemic-related delays, we come to “Holy Moly!” and the glimmers of greatness that colored “Lady in Gold” (particularly the single of the same name,) are realized in full splendor.

The functional change here is that a great deal of largesse has been cut out. Gone are the winding wanderings of psychedelia which made the previous album airy and borderline passive to listen to. Instead, we hear that replaced with a resolute, ardent soulfulness that gives the music of Blues Pills a snap it hasn’t possessed to date.

The slight shift in musical idiom comes amidst a lineup change for the band. Bassist Zack Anderson made the move to guitar and a new bass player, Kristoffer Schander, was brought in. We’ve seen this move before in music, occasionally with disastrous results (just ask Fear Factory,) but Blues Pills makes a seamless transition.

Of course, part of the success is that neither Anderson or Schander are asked to go beyond the boundaries of their role for “Holy Moly!” They are demonstrably capable in this style of music, but the lion’s share of the burden is left to vocalist Elin Larrson, and she carries that load with her best performance to date. Her singing is melodious but blessed with just the right touch of earthiness, which means that when she’s slinging righteous vitriol in the album’s opener “Proud Woman,” her voice strikes the difficult balance between being easy to listen to and also backed by conviction.

This dovetails nicely into “Low Road,” which is endemic of the urgency which permeates the entire proceeding. That’s key: more than just the absence of previously employed musical whimsy, “Holy Moly!” benefits from an infusion of energy into the album which pushes and prods and marks a brisk pace from beginning to end. The drums of André Kvarnström are most impactful when pushing the tempo, as he does so capably in “Low Road” and impactfully for “Rhythm in the Blood.” These are kinetic pieces that give Blues Pills the oomph they’ve never had before.

Of course, “Holy Moly!” is not a one-size-fits-all affair, either. The band’s ability to pick their spots means they can drop the instant classic “Dust” right in the middle of the chaos and have it move the listener with an unexpected emotional push. “Dust” is a bombshell. As soon as the album makes you accustomed to the new feel of the proceedings, here comes a blues-rich power rock song that causes closed eyes, slow head nodding and a liquidity of muscle movements in heretofore unexperienced ways.

Lest we get lost in praise, there are a small handful of drawbacks. First and quickest to deal with, the song “California” falls flat. Not that every song on this album need be perfect, but this is worth mentioning because it points to a larger trend – when bands write songs about places, and locations involving the west coast and/or beaches are perhaps the most common among those, the artist tends to try and adapt their sound to what they think that place should sound like. In doing so, they get away from what got them here in the first place, and the result is a dead spot on the album. This is not isolated to Blues Pills by any stretch. The same thing happened earlier this year with The Heavy Eyes “Love Like Machines,” when they wrote a lifeless tune about Vera Cruz.

For one, “Holy Moly!” is one song too long. Or at least, it should be re-ordered. The culmination and subsequent release at the end of “Song From a Mourning Dove” should end the album. But it doesn’t. Following that cathartic statement is “Longest Lasting Friend,” which feels tacked on and fails to rise to the occasion of the events preceding. Blues Pills was clearly going for the same effect as when Graveyard ended “Innocence & Decadence” with the amazing “Stay for a Song,” (bonus tracks notwithstanding,) but “Longest Lasting Friend” lacks the instant magnetism of Graveyard’s heartfelt closing soliloquy. Which brings us to the next point…

…and this is less a criticism than a note. “Holy Moly!” sounds, in many ways, like a Graveyard album, but with Elin Larsson singing. That’s hardly an insult – Blues Pills and Graveyard are countrymen after all, and the latter is one of the ten best bands working today. All that means is that while “Holy Moly!” is a new and unique sound for Blues Pills (and an excellent one at that,) it does not necessarily present the listener with something they haven’t heard before, or even something they haven’t heard somewhat recently.

Be that as it may, there is no earthly reason to miss out on “Holy Moly!” Blues Pills has marched further down the path of musical discovery and released their first true statement album. “Holy Moly!” will be a recurring staple in the playlists of any fan of rock, blues, soul, or hell, just plain good music.

Bloody Good News: Spotify Is The Problem, Not Musicians

Streaming has been a point of contention for several years, but as we continue to shift to that being the dominant form of listening, the complaints of artists continue to grow louder. Spotify, in particular, is a target of ire from many, due to their size and ubiquity. With payouts that require millions of streams to see the kind of royalties that came from even nominal record sales, they make an easy target. When they then make a big deal of announcing they are spending HALF A BILLION DOLLARS to acquire notable podcasts, anything they have to say about the fault of musicians will fall on deaf ears.

Their CEO has managed to choke on his own foot here:

"But unequivocally, from the data, there are more and more artists that are able to live off streaming income in itself.

"There is a narrative fallacy here, combined with the fact that, obviously, some artists that used to do well in the past may not do well in this future landscape, where you can't record music once every three to four years and think that's going to be enough.

"The artists today that are making it realize that it's about creating a continuous engagement with their fans. It is about putting the work in, about the storytelling around the album, and about keeping a continuous dialogue with your fans."

There are two angles we need to take when dissecting these comments.

1) He is both right and wrong about what artists need to do.

With the speed of life we can't seem to avoid, perhaps it isn't possible for any but the biggest of artists to take years off in between releases. If your music is not resonating deeply with people, it is absolutely the case that it can easily be forgotten by the time you are ready for your next release, given the torrent of new music that never stops. While I still prefer albums, I can absolutely see how releasing EPs more often can keep momentum rolling with fewer interruptions.

There is a new band that put out their first single this year. I really loved the song, but the band has been silent for almost six months since then. I don't mean silent in that there hasn't been another song, but silent in that they haven't even posted on any of their social media outlets. In a case like that, yes, it is absolutely the band's fault if they are forgotten.

However, let's be honest about something; Spotify is pushing artists to release music as singles, whether it's good for them or not. The impatient listening and preponderance of playlists is a system psychologically driving listeners to consume only their absolute favorite songs from artists, as well as whatever is new. The very foundation of what streaming is focuses on individual songs. By doing that, Spotify is pushing the industry to a release format that limits how much money artists can make. Singles don't sell for as much as albums, nor do they accumulate as many streams as a full album could if listened to as often, which depresses the potential revenue the artist sees. Perhaps it was inevitable, but Spotify doesn't seem to have any realization of their role in this situation, nor any remorse.

2) He ignores Spotify's responsibility to fairly compensate artists.

I have defended streaming payouts in the past, based on the simple concepts of math. If Spotify brings in a certain amount of money, there is a finite amount to be split up across billions of streams, minus the costs of running the service. The number we would think is 'fair' to pay per stream would bankrupt a streaming company, since there just isn't enough money out there to do it.

I can't say that any longer, not with Spotify paying $500 million to be the exclusive outlet to noted bigot Joe Rogan's podcast. If the company has that kind of money, they could have increased payouts to artists, rather than tie their name to a man who is both openly transphobic and a conspiracy theorist. Spotify was built on music. They did not grow into the industry leader through their selection of podcasts. Spotify is, first and foremost, the pre-eminent library of recorded music. For the company to be lavishing giant payouts to people who were not at all involved in the development and growth of the company, and who will likely never bring in a fraction of that payout in new subscriber revenue, instead of paying the artists whose work is what actually brings people to their platform is absurd.

What we have is the classic case of rich people taking care of rich people, whether they are new money or old. Once you have money, it seems all you can relate to is money, and Spotify is now making it clear they intend to take care of the most well-off content creators only, because they can't afford to alienate the people who have the power to speak out against them. The entire house of cards that is streaming relies on the most in-demand artists playing along.

Streaming doesn't make money. Spotify is not a company that turns an annual profit, and yet they are the gatekeepers to the entire industry at this point. We should talk about them accurately; Spotify is a failure. To run a business for a decade, to bring in as much financing and investment as they have, and to never turn a profit, is pure failure. Other than Tesla, I can't think of another company that is publicly lauded, given an astronomical market valuation, and yet doesn't do what business is supposed to; make money. For the CEO of a failure to criticize anyone else for not being successful is contemptible.

Maybe all of this would be moot if Spotify was successful, and could make enough money to pay artists. It is Spotify's failure that keeps everyone in the music industry poor.

Singles Roundup: Helion Prime, Orden Ogan, Neal Morse, & Nightmare

We have a nice cross-section of new tracks to check out, so let's see what metal and prog have in store for us coming up in the Fall.

Helion Prime – The Forbidden Zone
 

Helion Prime's previous album was a good bit of sci-fi power metal, but I am much more intrigued by the record that is now slated to come out in October, because their revamped lineup features Mary Zimmer's voice (whom you might remember from Luna Mortis and White Empress). This first single is everything I could want it to be; just a little bit different, highly melodic, and wonderfully sung. When I think of sci-fi and music, this is exactly the sort of thing I imagine, and not just because of the Planet Of The Apes theme. The music is slightly futuristic, the keyboard solo is a b-movie rocket to space, and Mary's voice is grounded enough to keep the music from venturing into fairy tale territory. It's great to hear her singing these kinds of melodies again, and this song portends really good things for the album. Power metal might be saved, after all. Or are we already living on power metal planet? The horror!

Orden Ogan – In The Dawn Of The AI

When it comes to power metal, there are few bands that I find truly interesting. Orden Ogan is one of them, because they do something different, something no one else quite matches. The first taste of their new album is here, and it keeps up their run of providing excellent power metal that captures the grandeur and epic scope of a movie soundtrack. They have a wonderful blend of modern chugging guitars, epic choirs, and rousing melodies. All Orden Ogan is good, with only some minor differentiation from one album to the next. This song isn't among their absolute best, but it reminds me how much I'm looking forward to a new album.

Neal Morse – In The Name Of The Lord

For this album, Neal is back to being a solo artist (technically), and I for one like that move. I have nothing against the other members of the Neal Morse Band, but I prefer hearing Neal all the time. This track is hard to judge, since it's part of a larger conceptual piece, but it has Neal playing some of his heavier material of late. The religious story is clear, and fuels the heaviness, but the song suffers from its nature. By being part of a bigger work, it feels a bit incomplete, because I can hear where it's supposed to segue into the next part. It's a fine song, but it doesn't work entirely as a single. Still, it points in the right direction.

Nightmare – Aeternam

This song didn't have a chance of being anything but disappointing. Nightmare's previous album was phenomenal, and a power metal favorite of recent years. That was entirely due to Maggy Luyten's vocal performance which was both exceptional, and aimed straight at my heart (I explained it when I reviewed the record). She has left the band, and the new singer simply doesn't have the same power and grit to match the band when they want to play heavy, nor does her melody really capture me. It's all fine, but it pales in comparison to what Nightmare gave us last time. I can't hear this as anything else. I was hoping for more, and maybe the record will give us that, but this song is a letdown.

Album Review: Powerman 5000 - "The Noble Rot"

 
How many different bands has Powerman 5000 been now?  The band that recorded “True Force” and “Mega!! Kung-Fu Radio” (or “The Blood Splat Rating System,” if you prefer,) was not, thematically, the same band that had an impactful landing with “Tonight the Stars Revolt!” and then was star-crossed with the non-release of “Anyone For Doomsday?”  Which is turn was a different band than gave the world “Transform” and “Destroy What You Enjoy.”  Which, again, was not the band that composed the re-birthing album “Builders of the Future” and the follow up “New Wave.”  

It’s been a continual journey of reinvention spanning nearly thirty years for PM5K, which is reflected most obviously in the changing music, but also in the shifting landscape of the band’s membership since the release of their hallmark effort in 1999.  The one curse of having released a platinum album is that there are fans who will hold a band to that standard for the duration of their natural lives, and thus Powerman 5000’s (and really, frontman Spider’s) musical journey to find new sounds comes as anathema to those who have never matured past “When Worlds Collide.”

Yet, none of us are the same people we were in 1999 (and there’s probably a fair percentage of those reading this who were not even born then,) and who are we to judge an artist’s attempt to grow and change and evolve?

With that as the backdrop, we come now to Powerman’s new effort, “The Noble Rot.”  In America, we struggle mightily with the concept that any public person can be two things at the same time.  Russell Crowe can be a great actor and a difficult personality.  Michael Jordan can be a sublime talent, an antagonist to his teammates and possibly a sociopath.  These things are not mutually exclusive.  Which fits into the conversation of “The Noble Rot” because there are inalienable truths of this record – this is another reinvention of Powerman 5000, and is it a fun album that can stand on its own merit.

Many moons ago, we had occasion to interview Spider, and he confessed to the fact that some of his critics are spot on – he has absolutely been trying to tap into the sound of popular music, and infuse that into his own style.  He is fascinated by the structure of pop songs and is aware of just how difficult it is to write something that appeals to a large base.  He views this (or did at the time,) as a sort of grand life-quest, which has come home to roost for “The Noble Rot.”  PM5K had been trending toward beat-based electronics for years – each album cycle saw the band pivot ever so much closer to the target, shedding the cocoon of metal and industrial and trying to grow the gossamer wings of something more.

And you needn’t get far to see the effect.  “Cannibal Killers That Kill Everyone,” leads the album and is most emblematic of the Powerman of old.  It’s the most infectious song that the band has written since the haunting lilt of “I Can’t Fucking Hear You,” and repeats a simple but effective chorus until it is destined to become a crowd chant.

The album acts though, as if it wants to get that out of the way, for the experience never returns to the same idiom, and what we get from that point forward is varying degrees of an electronic pop album that possesses certain metal aspects.  “Brave New World,” the album’s second track, kicks off what can only be described as an album-long tribute to new wave, Billy Idol and David Bowie.  Almost all of the proceedings sound like a blend of those elements, combined with “Pretty Hate Machine” and oh, some Powerman 5000 to flavor the mix.

The album’s first single is “Black Lipstick,” which comes with a fun video, but musically is one of the record’s weaker offerings.  For all that Spider wants to tap into his love for dark wave, this romp about a fleeting love affair is too melodramatic and too far out of bounds for the band’s style, even in the wake of their current re-invention.  The 69 Eyes have written this same song a hundred times and have done it better at least half that.  “Black Lipstick” also has the strange fate of making it sound like Spider and Peter Steele may have had encounters with the same woman.

Other than that and the utterly flat “VHS,” though, the album bounces along with enough retro goth charm to evoke a smile from the listener. Spider has not spent his years of toil and study idly; to some degree he’s found the working formula, and it’s all to the credit of “The Noble Rot.” 

When the band released “New Wave,” one of the more common themes of the reviews of it was that it was fun, but lacked real substance or staying power.  This is not true for “The Noble Rot,” which stands strong with memorable tracks like “Play God or Play Dead.”

Twice, we see the possibilities of real synthesis between the ‘old’ Powerman and the ‘new.”  Both “Special Effects” and “Movie Blood,” stick to the game plan of heavy-handed synthetic beats, but bring some teeth with loud, brash choruses and snapped off vocals that ring true to the ear of the Powerman purist.

To that end, tip of the cap all around to the production team.  The bass is deep and resounding, the riffs, for what they are, cut effectively, and Spider sounds convincing and brazen in his intonations.  It’s rare in the digital music age to be wowed by the mere production of a record, but “The Noble Rot” positively bristles with rich sounds and deep experiences.

This new album sees Powerman 5000 in a new space, but, it is a space in which Spider and company appear to feel very comfortable.  The songs are punchy and catchy, which is exactly the kind of thing Spider has been building toward for more than ten years now.  Powerman 5000 is dead; long live Powerman 5000.

Album Review: Arctic Rain - The One

                                   

I've said repeatedly that I don't quite understand the obsession with the 80s. Both politically and musically, it was a time that doesn't have a whole lot I think carries over to today. When it comes to rock, we're talking about the days of hair metal. Do we really have that many people clamoring for the return of that sound? Does anyone still believe Poison was a good band? Someone must, because Arctic Rain is yet another young band made up of people who probably weren't alive when that style of music was actually popular, yet that's what they have chosen to make for themselves. Even though I was born in the 80s, I would rather not go back to that time.

Still, I can look at the music in a mostly objective way, despite it not being my preferred sound to listen to right now. Arctic Rain are going for the straight-up 80s stadium rock sound, and not the softer style The Night Flight Orchestra has made popular once again. They are trying to write another "Livin' On A Prayer", not another Hall & Oates classic. At least they have that going for them.

The reason I struggle with 80s revivalism is that we're talking about a time when rock was popular, but hadn't yet invited in pop melodies. 80s rock was about gang chants and simple refrains, which I find wear thin the more you hear them, even when they're written well. Arctic Rain, whether intentionally or not, avoids that style of writing across much of this record. Their songs have that sound, but the hooks are sturdier than the layers of vocals holding them up. A song like "Lost" would have absolutely been a radio staple in 1984. We've been hearing "Round & Round" on tv in those Geico commercials lately, and the shortcomings of 80s rock are made clear even in those fifteen or thirty seconds.

By the time we're halfway through the album, I'm not fully bought-in to the nostalgia show, but I have put aside my feelings and can fully enjoy what Arctic Rain is giving us. The songs are delivering energy and fun better than most of the 80s revivalists, and even a skeptic will come around to this record having charm to it. They actually show that Steel Panther could have a real career if they weren't intent on demeaning women at every turn for the sake of 'humor', because well written rock of this style does jump out when compared to the dour stuff that populates the mainstream right now.

Traditionalists will love what Arctic Rain is doing on this album, and even those of us who look at it with a sideways glance will eventually admit our skepticism wasn't needed this time. "The One" is a lot of fun, and makes a stronger case for the 1980s than most of the bands from that era who are still out there on the scene. I've had the misfortune of hearing the recent RATT, Quiet Riot, and LA Guns albums, and Arctic Rain puts all of them to shame.

Album Review: Black Rose Maze - Black Rose Maze

I've talked before about how many of us have gotten to the point of laughing at 'reality' tv, and singing competitions in particular. It's easy to do, given how phony some of them can come across, but we have to take a step back and remember that there is real talent you can find on those shows, people who are just looking for a break to get their foot in the door. Heck, sometimes it turns out that person you see on a cheesy show turns out to become a great artist, and you would feel like an idiot if you missed out because of a prejudice regarding how they started out. And so, Black Rose Maze comes to us as the vehicle for Rosa Laricchiuta, a former contestant on the Quebec version of "The Voice". She has also been on stage with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, so let's not write her off before we start.

Before the first chorus of "In The Dark" hits, I can already hear why she did so well on the tv show. Rosa has a voice that's perfect for melodic rock, sweet and smooth with just a hint of grit. She would be perfectly at home singing some of the classic 80s Heart power ballads (I'll just say this; those are the Heart songs I love most). She is clearly a talented vocalist with enough charisma to come through on record. She more than holds her own on the duet with Jeff Scott Soto, "Laws Of Attraction". I could hear them putting together one of those popular duets albums, given how their voices sound together.

But even great voices need great songs if they want to create fans. There are a lot of talented singers out there who fly under the radar because they don't have songs people want to listen to. That problem has popped up a few ties recently with artists sharing the same label as Rosa. Thankfully, Rosa's writing and her choices in outside compositions are better than average. She's assembled an album of fairly heavy melodic rock featuring hooky choruses you can easily and quickly sing along with. You need something memorable to make a lasting impression, and this record does a solid job of that.

My favorite moment of the entire record is the beginning of "Look At Me Now", where Rosa is singing with passion over a soft guitar accompaniment. She sounds remarkably like Lzzy Hale in that moment, who just so happens to be the best rock singer of her generation. That comparison is high praise.

There is one thing I have to address; I don't know if it was just the quality of the stream I received, but what I heard was a bit rough and brittle, with drums that sounded like they were clipping every time a cymbol was hit. Both Rosa and the songs are good enough to deserve a better sound than that. It isn't enough to ruin things, but it was noticeable enough for me to be distracted at certain points.

Sometimes you don't need to say a lot about a record to get the point across. I feel that way with this one. Black Rose Maze is giving us some really good, heavy melodic rock. It hits the sweet spot where all four quadrants meet, and should hold appeal for fans of every stripe of hooky hard rock. "Black Rose Maze" is one of the better melodic rock albums I've heard this year, and Rosa is one of the best new singers to pop up recently. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Album Review: Taylor Swift - Folklore

In some ways, "1989" was both the best and worst thing that ever happened to Taylor Swift. It was the record that cemented her as a pop star, and one with massive hits no less, but it also defined her as a pop star. What's the problem with that? Taylor Swift never was a pop star. She was always the songwriter who came up in the country scene, but who had an ear for pop melodies. She was never comfortable being what a pop star is expected to be, personally or professionally, and the pressure of having to live up to that image is what led "Reputation" to be such a bloody mess of a record.

She tried to rebound with "Lover", but the effort of being Taylor Swift was still there. From the cookie-cutter Ryan Tedder production, to the hackneyed "there ain't no I in team, but there is a me" lyrics, it was all a veneer of trying way too hard. For the last two records, the moments Taylor Swift was most effective were the quiet songs she never intended to get any radio play. That's what makes "Folklore" so obvious.

Taylor Swift goes indie-rock doesn't sound like a headline you would expect, but it makes perfect sense. Taylor is at her best when she's in a genre where her ear for melody is better than everyone else's. She was a country star who wrote catchier songs. She tackled 80s synth-pop with stronger hooks. And now she's going into somber indie with better songs than the usual bleak fare. She's back in her wheelhouse, making herself look better by comparison.

It helps that in addition to being smarter this time around, Taylor has a great set of songs to work with. The muted tones and quieter mood fit her vocal range, and let her hooks sparkle against the grey backdrops. The more organic sound of the record works to convince us Taylor is telling us truths, even when she says the songs aren't all about her. Then again, maybe a layer of separation is just what we needed. Is "The Last Great American Dynasty" really about Rebekah Harkness, or is it about Taylor herself? Not being sure lets us believe what we want to about Taylor. It might be hard to create sympathy about someone who owns a multi-million dollar beach house, but she pulls that off. Imagine that.

"Cardigan" should rightly surpass Weezer's "Undone" as the best song ever written comparing yourself to a sweater, while "My Tears Ricochet" is a masterful line that plays into the perceptions of Taylor, and how most people would bat aside her sadness without any care.

Taylor is still trying too hard, though, if I'm being honest. The record doesn't need sixteen songs and an entire hour of running time. Especially with the subdued nature of the music, she overstays her welcome a little bit, which dulls the impact the best songs here make. Moreover, does Taylor Swift really need to start singing "fuck" and "shit" in her songs? She's a good enough writer to not rely on those crutches, but I don't think they are crutches here. It sounds to me like she's trying everything she can to fit into this indie scene, much like she did the pop scene before. I don't think anyone truly knows the real Taylor, but those instances feel inauthentic to the person she has let us believe she is. At least as an artist.

The gloss might be different, but the bones of this record get back to Taylor Swift's roots, and it's a reminder that sometimes we need to embrace who we are and what we're good at. Taylor is great at writing lyrical songs that elevate the pop sensibilities of genres that don't have much of that. She is not a 'pop star', even though she is a pop star. This record proves that, and provides us with one of the most 2020 albums of 2020.