Singles Roundup: Michael Monroe, Yours Truly, James LaBrie, & Any Given Day

This week's look at bite-sized pieces of music comes in the form of surprise. There are two unexpected one-off singles, and an album announcement I was not even thinking to expect.

Michael Monroe - Murder The Summer Of Love

Let's start here. I have loved the previous two albums Michael Monroe put out, but I was not expecting a new one to be coming. I'm not sure why, but it was a complete surprise to see this song pop up, along with the news of an album coming over the summer. "Blackout States" was a shock to my system when it came out, and there is still a part of me that thinks rock 'n roll could learn a lot from that album, along with "One Man Gang". This song doesn't change the formula. It's gritty in that old-school punk way, which befits Michael's voice, but dedicated to being an anthem. Perhaps it isn't quite as strong as singles from its predecessors, but it sounds fresh compared to the stale realities of rock, and it shows the magic isn't yet used up. The coming album will be one of the big events of the summer.

Yours Truly - Lights On

This is now the second one-off Yours Truly has put out in recent months. Unlike the previous one, this finds the band reverting back to their core strengths. They have proven themselves to be among the very best at writing slightly emo pop-punk, and that's exactly what they deliver again here. There is a bit more shimmering dance to both the guitars and the programmed sounds, but Mikaela nails her delivery of self-doubt with a swelling melody and just the right amount of attitude. This song sounds like the logical next step from "Self Care", and if it's a harbinger of more to come, I'm all on board.

James LaBrie - Devil In Drag

I love James' last two solo albums, so hearing this will be an abrupt about-face, and with a different writing partner, was cause for concern. Gone is the modern death metal and pop melody fusion, and in its place is a more acoustic and restrained sound. Organs and synths augment the acoustic groove in a highly 70s vibe, but the song moves into the present day when the chorus comes, and James is allowed to show his melodic best. He often sounds better on his solo work than in Dream Theater, and this is no exception. It lacks the bite from his previous records, but maybe it was time for a change. This is different, but still a pleasing number that has me interested in hearing what else they have in store.

Any Given Day - Apocalypse

I hadn't thought of Any Given Day in a while. Their "Overpower" album was excellent, taking the sound of Mark Tremonti's solo outings, adding in growled vocals for even heavier verses, and then doing it better than the man himself. They have now returned with a new single that picks up right where they left off. They swing from verses of crushing groove and wrenching growls to a chorus that is the best of radio rock. The two sounds take the elements of metalcore further in both directions, and it shouldn't work this well, and yet it does.

Album Review: Misfire - Sympathy for the Ignorant

Every few years, there comes a band who says with confidence that they will take up the flag of thrash and carry it proudly into a new generation.  Since the turn of the millennium, multiple acts have wrested control away from their contemporaries and walked miles with the standard flying high – Warbringer, Lazarus A.D, Black Tide (okay, not all flying high,) and most recently Power Trip, just to name a few.  All of them have contributed to the thrash zeitgeist, but all have had to give up their grip on the genre for a variety of (often heart-breaking) reasons.

The flag seldom lay still for long, though.  Enter into the conversation, Misfire, a three-piece outfit based in Chicago who seems on their face to have ‘understood the assignment,’ as the kids are so fond of saying these days.

If there’s something that seems familiar about Misfire, your ears don’t deceive you – two-thirds of Misfire is made up of a band who used to vie for control of thrash, Diamond Plate.  Diamond Plate, for those who don’t recall, were part of a wave of bands that sought to usher in a youth movement in the American thrash scene and left us with two albums, the raw but respectable “Generation Why?” and the excellent, deep-grooved “Pulse,” before fading away into the recesses of memory.  In the aftermath, nine years after “Pulse” left us asking for a little more, we have the debut of Misfire, and the name of the band can’t help but strike of a little irony.

The record, “Sympathy for the Ignorant,” succeeds in that there is no feeling-out here – too often in thrash, we are presented with an artist who hasn’t quite worked out their sound yet, or who has embraced the formula of thrash without a complete understanding of why the constants in the pattern are what they are.  Conversely, from the opening strains of album starter “Fractured,” we see Misfire give us all the tricks and conventions we’re used to while displaying mastery of the form.  There is a catchy riff off the top, which introduces the tone while still leaving enough empty space for the impact of each musical phrase to mean something.  As the bass starts to reed through, the lead evolves, until eventually the engines are ignited, and now we’re off to the races.

The tone is important here.  Thrash has long been built on the proverbial buzzsaw of guitar, and while Misfire respects that, there’s more ingredients in the brew than a simple recitation of the old days when Kirk Hammett’s guitar sounded like it was made out of ground glass and aluminum foil.  Skip down to the middle of the album and “No Offense,” and while Misfire’s tone hasn’t changed, damned if this song doesn’t sound like it would have been at home on “Vulgar Display of Power.”  

That adaptability is the secret of “Sympathy for the Ignorant,” and evidence enough that Misfire has spent a lifetime studying, learning and applying lessons from the masters.  The average listener on the street might not be able to discern between thrash and groove metal, certainly not as Misfire portrays them here, but metal sommeliers will appreciate the manner in which Misfire has made a versatile blend.

While the album is easy to recommend for both thrash veterans who need a fix or the new generation of would-be thrash fans, there are some points worthy of discussion.  “Sympathy for the Ignorant” carries some dead weight.  For every mosh-ready ripper like “Red Flag” or breakdown-bearing bludgeon like “Death Trap,” there is a “He Said She Said,” an aimless banger that isn’t bad, but carries no real menace or sense of the moment.  It’s a common issue in thrash records, not at all limited to Misfire, where maintaining the speed and gravitas of the album through every track is a nigh-impossible task.  All the greats have suffered from it.

Additionally, “Sympathy for the Ignorant” doesn’t showcase the singular personality of many of the great thrash records that have come before.  Misfire doesn’t present the inherent dread of Slayer, the boisterous threat of Pantera, or even the inherent recklessness of a band like Pro-Pain; they are caught between these three things, without accentuating one of their own.  There is plenty of room for optimism, though – Diamond Plate’s debut was much the same and their sophomore effort fixed all of that.

The takeaway here is this: Misfire aims to be the next band to take up the flag for thrash and spearhead the genre for a new generation of fans.  That’s laudable in and of itself, and “Sympathy for the Ignorant,” while not perfect, is a truly worthy successor to the bands that have borne the weight this far.

Album Musing: Origin Of Escape - Shapes

I've been thinking this year about the impact music has on me, in an emotional sense, because nothing I've listened to has had any. There have been good records, no doubt, and records I have listened to many times because of how much I enjoyed them, but I can't say any of them make the sort of deep impression on me I'm looking for. I would be quick to say this is just the result of burnout, but I know that isn't the case. At the same time these new albums haven't been making such a lasting impact, I have been listening to the Jimmy Eat World records I missed out on at the time, and they have been hitting me. So what is it about recent music that hasn't been speaking to me?

Mostly, I think the answer is tone and mood. When we look at the rock and metal worlds, right now there is such an abundance of 80s throwbacks, there isn't much in the sub-genres I listen to that has a melodic, melancholy feeling. That's where my head has been, but it isn't where the artists happen to be. So much of the new music I find myself listening to is trying to be an uplifting moment of optimism, trying to posture with bravado, or trying to purge a deep pit of anger. None of those approaches are resonating with me. In recent years, many of my favorite records were those that acknowledged the darkness, and used it as a backdrop for taking the first steps back toward the light.

Let's use Soen as an example. Three times I have given them the Album Of The Year award, and it's for good reason. Their music can be described in many ways, but the key for today is that they make metal with darker guitar tones and heavily melancholy vocals. Many of their melodies are fighting toward optimism, but the sound roots them in the reality that it may be a futile effort. Katatonia has mastered that art; showing the beauty the moonlight can illuminate when things are at their darkest. It isn't about depression, but instead about embracing all aspects of the human condition.

It was pure chance that something about Origin Of Escape's "Shapes" caught my attention. I scroll through the list of albums being released every week looking for the gem that hasn't been polished yet, and it is an inexact science. I write some off because of their name, some because of their genre, and some because of the impression their artistic sensibilities give me. Origin Of Escape caught my eye for reasons I can't fully explain (maybe it was the album art - just look at that!), and it is those bits of luck that pay off all the others I wish hadn't.

The core sound of the album is a blend of Katatonia's "City Nights" album, with hints of Soen's percussive guitars added in. It is not a 'happy' album, by any means, but it has the sense of appreciation for what lies in the shadows I have been so drawn to. It's a subtle album, one that doesn't hit you over the head with either its riffs or its melodies. It requires a bit of time and patience to wade through the fog. Many of the verses trade in atmosphere, using dynamics to set up a harder attack when the songs are ready to explode. There is a percolating energy to these songs, wherein we build to the emotional response in a way that feels both natural and deserved.

I don't like the idea of needing to work to understand an album, but there is something to be said for not being handed everything right off the bat. "Shapes" is not the most immediate of albums. You won't find yourself singing the melodies after one run-through, but you may remember the feelings they evoke. At least I did.

And there is the magic word; 'feelings'. What I've been missing from music is having a record point to something in me I was already feeling, or even something I didn't know I was feeling. Music has a magical gift for taking thoughts and feelings exiting within us, turning them into something beautiful, then letting us see ourselves reflected in the jewel. When I'm listening to the deep guitars and the painful howls as they stand resolute in the face of an even bleaker future, it feels like an honest reflection of the world, it mirrors many of my own feelings.

That is why "Shapes" is standing out to me right now as the one album this year making the most important of connections. While others have some fun songs to sing along with, or have guitar playing that is a remarkable showcase of skill, this is the album that transcends the disposable nature of music in our modern age. It isn't often that something, no matter how good it is, makes itself seem vital. "Shapes" has done that in this first part of the year.

What more can I say?

Album Review: Askvader - Fenix

There's something I think about regarding whether or not classic rock is actually timeless, or we have simply conditioned ourselves to think of one period of time as being somehow above all others. We consider bands that sound like the 70s to be 'timeless', yet they are absolutely rooted in a particular sound tied to a particular time. It might be more natural, or more organic, but it's still the sound of a certain period of time regurgitated to us again and again. It seems what actually makes music timeless is our memory of it, and since most of 'the powers that be' grew up when 70s rock was king, that's what has become the archetype everyone competes with, and apparently will until that group ages out entirely.

Askvader is yet another band that has been convinced of this, as "Fenix" is a record that sounds entirely like a Thin Lizzy record from the late 70s. The guitar tones have the right rounded tone you can tell are created with just a hint of fuzz, and the sound decays in a way modern productions wouldn't allow. The band is trying to sound timeless, which only makes them sound even more out of time. The writing is similarly anachronistic, aiming for an audience who haven't wound their watches in years. And yes, they still wear watches, rather than checking their phones.

Here's the thing about that; it can still work. As we have seen several times with Graveyard or Blues Pills, the old rock sound works so well both because it is what we associate with the sound of rock, but also because it gives the songs the space to breathe and prove themselves. The opening "Blurry Lines" builds to a catchy hook, and it wouldn't be nearly as effective if the guitars were saturated into a wall of noise. It's the old-school production that lets each idea stand apart, and lets them seep their way in.

Askvader takes advantage of that, writing songs that aim to provide those hooks. They aren't the kind of classic rock band who put the guitars above everything else. I hear that far too often, but Askvader uses their riffs to build energetic songs that want to be catchy bursts of rock candy. That might be exaggerating their effectiveness a little bit, but the sentiment is there.

The majority of these songs come in at less than three minutes, so the record has a manic energy to it that works to keep it from ever getting dull, but it also means some songs could possibly use a bit more development to wring the most out of them. It almost gets to the point where the songs are so short they feel inconsequential, which can send an unintentional message they don't need as much of your attention as a song that comes across more substantial.

But if we're concerned about how weighty the album feels, let's not ignore the fun factor. This jaunty little record delivers classic rock that absolutely brings the songs. There can't be any complaints that these guys didn't pick up lessons on how to write songs. There's just enough pop to these songs to make them effervesce in a way you're not going to get from bands like Horisont or Witchcraft. Modern classic rock isn't often fun, but Askvader sets their sights on that target. They're the band you might see in a dingy club, and before you know it you're won over by their simple devotion to providing a good time through good music.

If you listen to "Nightcap" and aren't charmed, then nothing I say can make any difference. That song embodies everything great about "Fenix", which does the modern classic movement proud. Askvader got in a time machine, and they came back with a better record than most of their peers.

Album Review: Hardcore Superstar - Abrakadabra

I've lost touch with Hardcore Superstar over the years, but I still have a fondness for them, stemming from their "Dreaming In A Casket" album. Not only is the title track one of those songs that has always stuck with me, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget they had a song called "Wake Up Dead In A Garbage Can". If anything has ever better embodied the idea of sleaze rock, I don't think i've heard it. That record is ridiculous, but in the right way. As ugly as it is, you never get confused into thinking it isn't schtick. It was sort of a version of The Darkness that focused on Guns N Roses instead of Led Zeppelin.

So all these years later, I'm returning to the band's music to see where our paths have diverged. I'm sure I'm not as on-board with the sleaze as I was then, but is the band? That's what we're here to discuss.

The band's sound hasn't changed much. They still trade in heavy sleazy riffs, which pair perfectly with Jocke's vocals. He's always sounded like Axl Rose, if his voice didn't implode and die in his throat. It's a very shrill tone, and it wouldn't work in any other context, but when you want your music to sound like it's still strung out on the Sunset Strip in the late 80s, you can't do much better.

What is noticeable between this record and the one I keep going back to are two things; energy and humor. This record, whether it's circumstance or age, doesn't have the same burst of energy I remember from the band. Slowing down isn't a bad thing, in and of itself, but the manic energy is what keeps sleaze from sounding as sad as the lifestyle really is. At least if it never stops moving, you forget that it's all about self-destruction trading one moment of slight improvement for a lifetime of paying for it. The other thing is that this record doesn't have the same ridiculous sense of humor. There is no "Garbage Can" on this record, and the lack of obvious humor makes the rest of the songs sound more genuine and serious than they should be. Instead of sounding like an absurd send-up, it sounds as tired as if they had never grown up. Slow sleaze is like watching Ron Jeremy at the end of his career, when he had to squeeze his junk like it was a balloon leaking air.

Let's boil this down. The band sounds less energetic, less humorous, and the guitars all over the record are scratchy in a way that is unpleasant to listen to. Compared to the band's past, the only thing that remains is their ability to write catchy songs. None of them are anthems the way "Casket" was, and the mixing of the record doesn't help propel the hooks the way it could. This is a solid set of songs that is made harder to listen to because of the production of the record. The guitars sound bad, and the mix buries some of the chorus vocals. The entire thing sounds red-lined, and when the music doesn't have the power and life to make it obvious there was no way the songs could be anything less, it sounds like a forced effort to overcompensate.

We can chalk this album up as another one that had potential, and didn't get followed-through on. There are good songs here, and the band probably can make the pivot to being more serious, but this particular album has too many flaws to make it appointment listening. It's worth giving it a chance, but it doesn't have any magic up its sleeve.

Album Review: Michael Romeo - War Of The Worlds Pt II

This is another one of those cases where things don't seem to add up in any way that makes sense to me. First is the fact that Michael Romeo is releasing this as a solo album, and not as a Symphony X record, since much of it could serve either purpose, and we all know which one would have the most attention and success. Second is the fact that this is the sequel to his previous solo album, but this one features a different singer than the last time out. It didn't make any sense when Iced Earth switched singers between chapters of a larger concept, and it doesn't make much sense here either. But I digress.

This time, Romeo is joined by singer Dino Jelusick, who has made a name for himself as one of the best Ronnie James Dio/Russell Allen style singers of the younger generation. That's another layer of confusion, but it's nice to see Dino getting a bigger platform after his issues with the label that was putting him in his various projects. Dino is great, so there's no worry about a guitarist's solo album slacking on anything but the guitars. Romeo throws out flashy runs of notes, for sure, but Dino can stand toe-to-toe with him.

All you have to do is listen to "Divide & Conquer" to know this. The song speeds along, and Romeo throws in a solo full of sweep picking and other technical tricks, but then Dino bellows a huge chorus that serves as the anchor around which everything else can turn. Whether you want to call it power or progressive metal, it doesn't get done much better than that song.

That holds true as the next couple of songs, "Destroyer" and "Metamorphosis" both tone down the hooks as the heaviness gets upped slightly. The same thing happened on Symphony X's "Iconoclast" album, where the songs relied more on power and less on melody, which doesn't need to happen. The two can coexist, and things would be all the better if they did. These songs are still good, don't get me wrong, but if the hooks were even stronger, we would have something special on our hands.

That said, I do have some confusion that comes in regarding the sequencing of the album. It starts with an instrumental intro, we get those three songs, and then it's back to an intermission instrumental piece. I don't hear what reason there is for throwing a semi-orchestral two minutes in the middle of the track listing. I guess it's supposed to set something up, but what it does for me is disrupt the flow and momentum the proper songs establish. Those first three are a great start, and "Just Before The Dawn" coming out of that is a fantastic ballad, so I'm not sure what breaking them up accomplishes.

We also get "Hunted" as a full-throated instrumental, which means of the eleven tracks on the record, four of them are sans vocals. For someone like me, who is all about 'the song', that decision makes the album much harder to enjoy. The record is at its best when Romeo's riffs are paired with Dino's huge voice. Every time the album pulls back from the winning formula, I'm left wanting. Anticipation makes the heart grow fonder, but there are limits to that.

The tracks with Dino, if we take just those, are a pretty darn good album. In the progressive metal world, it's been a while since I've heard anything definitively better than those songs. This is an easy recommendation on that basis. The thing is, we still have those instrumentals to consider, and I can't say 'just skip them' as if they don't exist. They are there, and every second of their running time is a second that could have been used on another top-notch song. So there is a lot of good on this record, but also decisions that pull the album away from my taste. That won't be true for everyone, so you can make your own decision.

For me, Michael Romeo has delivered some great music I probably will only absorb in small chunks, and not as an album. That's a shame.

Quick Reviews: Ronnie Atkins & Children Of The Sun

Rather than choose one or the other to make mention of, today I'm taking the opportunity to once again share more condensed thoughts on two albums. This way, you get two opinions for the price of one, and I can boil things down to only the necessary. Let's go.

Ronnie Atkins - Make It Count

Following just a year after his previous solo album, Ronnie Atkins is making the most of his time. Not letting his health issues get him down, he has another set of songs trying to find some optimism and light in a world that doesn't always make it easy to do so. That's most apparent on songs like "The Tracks We Leave Behind", which are softer and a bit cheesier than he could get away with if they were Pretty Maids songs. He wants to give us a few feel good moments in between the heavier and less hopeful songs.

The album follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, sounding like a continuation of that very solid record. Ronnie focuses on giving every song a strong chorus hook, and that is the clear appeal to these tracks. Whether it's a more pop track, or a heavier one that tip-toes around being metal, Ronnie's voice and melodies anchor things to the accessible. If I'm being honest, I don't think any of these songs quite reach the heights of the best songs off "One Shot", but it's good to hear Ronnie still sounding so good, and these songs are enjoyable enough on their own. There's still plenty to like about this one.

Children Of The Sun - Roots

We can call this vintage, rootsy, or hippie, but there's an admitted Woodstock influence to this band's take on the classic sounds of rock's early days. We get some bluesy classic rock along with a solid dose of folk, with perhaps a hint of psychedelica thrown in just to make sure we don't forget the time period the band is referencing. Josefina provides outstanding vocals throughout, showing there is no shortage of great singers coming out of the woodwork. Much of the record hits the sweet spot, but there are a few places where the folk slows things down a little too much, and the record drags where it perhaps could use a bit more energy.

A couple years ago, Lykantropi released their wondrous "Tales To Be Told". Children Of The Sun take inspiration from the same sounds, but filter them through the sunshine of an afternoon on the commune, rather than the moonlight around a campfire. I know which of those two I prefer, but both have their merit. I think Children Of The Sun could stand to hone their focus a bit more, but they show a fair amount of promise on this record. If they can grow and develop the way Lykantropi did, they have every chance of achieving the same feat.

Album Review: Shining Black - Postcards From The End Of The World

Time is a funny thing. I remember sitting down to listen to the first Shining Black album, but it doesn't seem nearly long enough ago for the second one to be here already. Maybe it's just age playing tricks on me, or maybe the mountain of music we are always staring up at has warped parts of my mind, but the cycles seem to be getting shorter, even when they aren't. Records come and go, and even when they are good, they get caught up in the sweeping storm as the sands of time erode whatever memories the music might have etched in my mind. These are not the Nazca lines, after all.

Described as 'cutting edge melodic metal', I'm not sure the project ever does anything close to that proclamation. It's moderately heavy melodic metal, and it's more modern than some of the more AOR focused stuff, but it's firmly in line with any of the albums we regularly hear from Magnus Karlsson, et al. In fact, if you ever heard the album from The Codex that Mark Boals made with the aforementioned Magnus, this isn't that far off from that.

What that means is Shining Black is expertly played and produced melodic metal that sounds grand and big-budget. The mix is bright and clear, letting the guitars crunch as they should, with Boals' vocals ringing out beautifully. It's always better that way, but especially in a melodically focused genre, having the vocals sitting right is key to making those hooks stand out and stick. They still have to be written as such, but the production absolutely makes a difference too. It's hard to get hooked by something you can't hear well.

As for those hooks, that's where Shining Black still needs a bit more polish. These ten songs are lovely and enjoyable, but the melodies come from that school that are just a hair too tame, lacking the inertia to really turn over the engine of memory. Boals soars for many of them, but his notes ring out for stretches that are the style of melody I have always found staid. They are melodic, but lack the 'hook' factor. It's hard to put into words, but the end result is these are the kind of songs that don't latch on, and will slide out as the pick-axes can't maintain hold in the torrent.

For those less concerned with an album's lasting impression upon first listen, Shining Black delivers. As the album progresses, the quality seeps through and you get caught up in the soft and sumptuous version of metal they create. It isn't a fist-pumper, but rather the sort of metal album you put on while you close your eyes and let your thoughts wander. Maybe that's not what you want out of metal, but that's what I got out of this record, and by no means is that a bad thing, in my estimation.

So we come to the hardest question to answer. Am I going to find myself sitting here two years from now saying the exact same things yet again? I can't predict the future, but I would lean toward putting my money on 'yes'. For as enjoyable as Shining Black is, and the album is a lovely time, I don't get the sense from it I'm going to be drawn to come back to it months from now, let alone years. It's an album that gives me some pleasure right now, and that's nothing to complain about. Not at all.

Album Review: Eric Wagner - In The Lonely Light Of Mourning

Oh man, I've been dreading writing this review. That isn't anything to do with the music, but rather than man behind it. Eric Wagner was the voice of American doom, the unique air-horn powering Trouble as they cemented themselves as one of the seminal bands of the genre. Their very non-doom 1990 album is one of my favorite metal albums, so it's not as though I'm coming into this with an agenda.

This album is posthumous, and therein lies the problem. Talking about anything where the creator is no longer with us is tricky enough, but it gets even harder when you have utterly no sympathy for how that fact came to be. Eric Wagner was an anti-vaxxer, and he went on tour right into the eye of the Delta strain's storm. The inevitable happened, and while there was an outpouring of memories and sympathy, don't look to me for any. Tragedy is when something bad happens to someone who doesn't deserve it. When you knowingly put yourself in danger, and your luck runs out, it's not a tragedy. I'm not even sure how sad it is.

And now that I've alienated many of you, let's talk about the album itself, which is following The Skull's most recent effort, which I thought was the best thing Wagner had been a part of since "Manic Frustration". He had finally found the right people and the right approach, and he successfully merged the two eras of Trouble's sound into the achingly sad and heavy tone that was his and his alone.

His songs have long been consumed by the subject of death, but listening to these songs in this context, it's hard not to read subtext into them I probably shouldn't. When death is framed as 'home', the attitude makes it even harder to consider it a tragedy in this case.

"Maybe Tomorrow" was the song chosen to preview the album, and it's easy to hear why. It has the old Trouble sound to the heavy riffs, and Wagner's unique vocal provides a simple melody that's hard to forget. It's all the things we like about Wagner's music, wrapped up in a package where his diminished voice is a fitting centerpiece. A few other songs fit this same bill, showcasing Wagner's skills as a purveyor of doom no one else has ever had. His voice is more of a tortured yelp than many, sounding as pained as doom is supposed to be, the dirty old bottle of booze being used to disinfect the wound.

"If You Lost It All" is the blight on the album, a turgid ballad that never moves beyond its funereal pace, never offers up a strong melody, and feels unfinished with some of the details. On a sad and miserable album, leave it to the most miserable song of them all to be the one dragging things down.

The heavy songs are great, classic Eric Wagner doom. I mentioned "The Endless Road Turns Dark" by The Skull earlier, and it echoes through every second of this record. The names may change, but the sound and the feeling are the same. Wagner found his stride on the former, and he was continuing to move forward with this one. They are borne from the same cloth, one more mildewed by the sun than the other.

Eric Wagner was the only voice that ever got me interested in doom. I love that we get this last album to serve as a reminder of what the genre should be. I hate that this album is tied up in the reality surrounding its release, because I'm not sure if I can listen to these songs without wanting to blame him. Blame him for being reckless, black him for being stupid, blame him for all the music that won't get made now.

So yeah, this album is good. It also sucks.

Album Review: Ghost - Impera

We have talked many times about the unexpected rise of Ghost, who have gone from being masked nobodies to one of the biggest bands in the rock world. I don't think anyone could have seen this coming, where Ghost is on late night talk shows and playing arenas, where other than the old names who have been around for decades, they might be the only rock band who is genuinely popular in the mainstream sense of the word. Ghost is an outlier, a phenomenon, and in crisis.

We ask what happens when a dog chasing its tail catches it. That's where Ghost is, because they have achieved all the fame and success they could have ever hoped for, but there is now a question to be asked; what will they do with the spotlight now that they have it?

The answer to that is apparently to shun everything that has made them who they are. From "Cirice" to "Square Hammer" to "Dance Macabre", Ghost is a singles band that throws everyone a few ghoulish pop songs that go down easy on radio, while the rest of the albums throw in some weird tangents. They have the hits to make crowds happy at shows, and the deeper cuts that must make Tobias happier to write and record.

Until now, that is. The three singles preceding this record are the weakest of the band's career. The criticism about how pop "Prequelle" leaned must have gotten into Tobias' head, because these songs don't have an ounce of pop to them... or a memorable melody. All three songs are heavier attempts to prove Ghost really is a rock band, but what they do is show that they aren't. By toning down their pop side, and by taking away what makes their songs enjoyable to the casual listener, Ghost has become average.

Scratch that. They've become not good enough to overcome the gimmick.

Let's be honest about one thing; Ghost has never been a band to deliver great albums. "Meliora" is the only one I think holds up as a unit, and even that has its obvious peaks and valleys. This record does too, as Tobias is too good to not throw in a few songs that hook you in. "Spillways" is the fluffy Satanic rock I want from Ghost, but I get why it was relegated to being an album cut. It's too soft and fluffy, and it's very similar to "Witch Image", which was the real highlight of the previous album.

Like "Meliora", which shared the same production team, this record trades on the darker tones of Ghost's sound. Unlike that album, this one doesn't have those two or three keystone songs that stand out as tent-poles the 'narrative' can be propped up by. There isn't a "Cirice" or "He Is" on this record, which makes for an odd feeling as the record plays out. Without the obvious hits, this record actually feels more cohesive than the usual Ghost affair, but it also feels more pedestrian because of it. Much like how a record with no dynamic range makes the loud and the soft sound the same, a record with little range in quality can have the same effect.

"Impera" is a pacemaker on Ghost's career; it keeps their momentum going at a steady clip, but if you stop and listen to the metronomic beep long enough, it will drive you crazy. This is a record where I feel like I'm digging and digging to find enough to satisfy me, and I'm not sure why I'm giving Ghost that much effort. The fact of the matter is that this album is entirely mediocre, and with a bit of hindsight, I shouldn't be surprised. This is who Ghost is, and who they've always been. I trick myself into thinking they're a better band than they are, because a collection of their singles and best songs up until now would be absolutely phenomenal. But how much do we really love a band if their greatest hits is the only album we ever need to hear?

That's my way of saying you don't need to feel bad if this flawed record doesn't convince you of Ghost's greatness. Up until now, I understood how and why Ghost was getting so big. This record is going to challenge that, because I don't know what other people are hearing in it to call it anything but a disappointment.

For me, if I want to hear Tobias' best work, I'll go listen to Subvision's "So Far, So Noir". In fact, I'm going to go do that again right now. That album fucking rules.

Being Overly Melodramatic

"Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable, or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

Those are the words the character Rob Gordon speaks in the movie "High Fidelity", and I have quoted them often in my own use. Causation and correlation can be easy to confuse, and sometimes we are too close to a situation to be able to untangle the knot the thread of our lives becomes. We can see the beginning and the end, but the route taken to get there remains hidden in a clump of experiences the forge of life has melted together. In other words, for as much time as we might spend being introspective, we don't always know ourselves nearly as well as we would like to think.

I am a melodramatic sort. I know this about myself. I am prone to noir and passages of purple writing. That's just who I am. But the question is whether I happened to be that way, and then gravitated toward music that played into it, or if I was made that way by the music I was listening to.

It's difficult to parse the difference, since I don't have strong memories of either myself or the music I was exposed to prior to 1993. I have told the story many times about Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell II" being the record that turned me into a music fan. It is the embodiment of all the melodrama I am talking about, but it was hardly alone. Around that time, as I was settling into music being a focus of my attention, the other vivid experience I have memories of is watching the video for Guns N Roses' "November Rain" playing on MTV.

That song is wrought with just as much overblown drama and emotion, and it takes up the mantle of going over the top so you can see what's on the other side. How odd it is to think two of the first songs that I truly loved were both overly long ballads written by strange people who loved camp appeal and theatrical grandeur. Considering that a coincidence is a bit of a long shot, if I'm being perfectly honest. I don't believe the odds could support those songs being completely independent in their penetration of my mind. There was a shared opening they both stepped through, but how was it opened?

I have always described myself as a 'sucker for ballads'. As I got into heavier music, I would often hear people talk about albums, only to write off the ballad as the weakest song of the bunch, simply because it was slower and softer. That was precisely why I loved them so much. They were the songs that evoked something resembling an emotion, the songs that didn't feel like posturing about how hard and heavy you have to be to live up to expectations.

Without having access to old playlists from early 90s radio, I can't say whether I was the product of a stream of ballads poured into my brain or not. It could be that I heard "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" one too many time, or that REO Speedwagon and Journey gave me the wrong impression of what being a rock band meant. It could be that my memories are frozen in the amber of time, because they are all sappy. That terrible joke falls into the same category, but I'm not going to apologize for it.

Psychology is malleable, but only to a certain degree. There are pillars of our identity, and they can only be changed in the most extreme of circumstances. I have not experienced anything like that, in a musical sense, to convince me this is not the way I always was. My senses have always been attuned to drama and larger-than-life emotions, perhaps because I have felt those lacking in myself. I may have been using music to fill a reservoir so empty it had no water line to measure. The bigger the music, the easier the pantomime for an untrained and unskilled actor to understand, to recreate.

So which came first? I don't think either did. The music and I were always heading in the same direction, but it was only when I found my voice echoed in the songs that I was able to follow the tracks. We have run parallel ever since, trying to escape the same shadows. Those songs made it easier to find myself, but I don't think I would be a radically different person if the dial had been tuned to a different station. I can't believe my identity could be that dependent on chance.

Was it me or the music? It was both, it was neither, it was a combination. At the end of the day, we're all still enigmas to ourselves.

Album Review: New Horizon - Gate Of The Gods

There are certain albums in every genre that stand out to you, even if you can't put your finger on exactly why. Sure, you think they're better written, but it's hard to put into words what details of the compositions elevate that one over all the others that fill the same spaces. That is true of the band H.E.A.T., who put out an album called "Tearin' Down The Walls", which for whatever reason stands out as one of the best melodic/pop rock albums during my tenure as a critic. There are others, of course, but that one is on the short list of records I would point to as an illustration of what the genre can and should be.

I say that as preface for this review, because singer Erik Gronwall and guitarist Jona Tee were members of that band, and here they are with a new project that takes them in a new direction. Is it possible for two people to make one of those standout records in more than one style? There's an interesting question; has anyone managed to do that? Perhaps I will muse on that subject sometime.

The thing about power metal that stands out more with each passing year is how staid the compositional formula is. By that, I mean that so many songs charge out of the gates, with the chugging riffs and steady bass drumming keeping a monotonous tempo that never varies. There's no swing, no swagger, to the music. It moves along predictably, and doesn't have anything you can nod your head to nearly often enough. It does put the focus on the vocals, but that only means the bands have to nail the hooks even harder.

Erik is a more than capable singer to make the transition from rock to power metal. His voice is still remarkable, with the exact right amount of grit to balance melody and power. That's the key to New Horizon, because it's his voice that can elevate some of the tropes of power metal into something that sounds a bit more special than the ordinary. He manages that feat on "We Unite", which opens the record as predictably as possible, but still works because of how good Erik is at selling the rote chorus.

"Stronger Than Steel" is much better, because it turns on a riff with some groove to the chug, which in turn gives contour for the vocal. Everything has more hook to it just by virtue of pulling back ever so slightly from the rapid-fire approach. That song sounds more like a H.E.A.T. track with everything turned up to eleven, which is what this record needs to be.

The balance between the two is where the record rests. The songs like "Call Of The Underground" which have a little bit more rock attitude to them are great, while the songs like "Stardust" that are more traditional power metal don't have the same appeal. They get rescued from sinking into tedium the way a lot of power metal does by Erik's performance, but they are clearly the lesser chunk of the album.

Which way does the scale tip? Clearly, things are pointed in the right direction. The majority of this record is far beyond the rote and average power metal I usually hear, and it would be so even without Erik's vocals. With them, this is the sort of record that can remind me why I used to be quite into this style. I can't really ask for very much more.

Album Review: The Flower Kings - By Royal Decree

It's time for another Flower Kings album, but not just that, another double album. The band has always specialized in going long, but I have to say the prospect of another 90 minute album is not appealing in the least. I have grown more impatient with my time as I have gotten older, so spending this much time on an album doesn't sound to me like a fun roller-coaster ride, it sounds like the scraping metal as the bar is being raised. For whatever standards I have for an album, when it gets stretched out and demands double the amount of my time to listen to it, you'd better believe I'm expecting, nay demanding, it be even better. Mediocrity is intolerable when it drags on.

The last couple of Flower Kings records have been just that. In fact, the last Transatlantic was too. Roine Stolt has been trading in dad-prog forever, but lately it's become even more of a dad-joke. The songs drag on, but there are rarely the musical motifs and hooks to make the trip worth it. It's all pleasant music to listen to, and he's apparently still got tons of guitar solos left to play, but at the end of the day it doesn't hand on a framework that shows it off. It's a lump of dirty clothes waiting to be picked up and folded.

Things come out of the gates well, with "The Great Pretender" and "World Gone Crazy" both being song-oriented tracks that balance the instrumental play with some nice vocal melodies. They're the sort of thing where I think The Flower Kings are at their best. But just when it seems things are going so well, we get "Blinded", which starts off interesting with some jazzy saxophone, but then drags on for eight minutes with an extremely long sax solo that completely loses me long before we get to the end. Not having enough song around it is exactly what prog gets criticized for, and this track is a prime example of it. It sounds like guys playing because they love playing, without giving a toss if it's going to be interesting for a listener. That needs to be taken into account when you're putting something on a record you.... want people to listen to.

The same is true of "A Million Stars". The song is nice enough as it goes along, but then it stops, and there are still almost three minutes left. That time is filled with ambient sounds and a few guitar notes. It's essentially wasted time that contributes nothing musical to the proceedings. So please tell me why this album needs to be so damn long when it has time to spend on nonsense. That's an easy edit to make, and there are more of them just like it.

I point that out because of what I said about raising the bar. A double album needs to justify every single second of its existence. Like every one I've ever encountered, this doesn't. A single album with filler material is bad, but a double is even worse. It's worse precisely because the contours are there to see the really good single album it could be. Rather than being a case of not having enough good songs to fill out an album, this is a case of indeed having one in the bag, and then watering it down to the point it would fail a drug test for being diluted.

If that sounds harsh, it's because it is. Artists need to remember the audience's time is valuable too, and albums like this treat it as though we have nothing better we could be doing. Prog is pompous, but this particular bit of self-importance pisses me off. There's a stretch in "Peacock On Parade" and "Revolution" where we go nearly ten minutes without a vocal. There are solos, an ambient build, and no structure whatsoever. It might have been fun for Roine to play, but it sure as hell isn't fun to listen to. Not for that long.

And that's the story of the album as a whole. There are good moments, and good songs, don't get me wrong. But we've got 45 minutes of good Flower Kings songs rattling around in a 90 minute package. Being only half good wouldn't be enough for a recommendation no matter what the length of a record, and for one this long, it gets marked down even further. Unless you are a die-hard prog fan, I don't see how I can tell you to listen to a single second of this.

Album Review: Sabaton - The War To End All Wars

Sabaton has made a living by bringing stories or war to life, but that's the main reason I don't find myself interested in what they do. I talked about this with the albums from the band Warkings, but glorifying war strikes me as a foolish thing to do. Even if you're telling stories about the heroes of war, it's still glorifying violence and telling us there is something noble in abandoning our humanity. Sometimes it is necessary, yes, but it should never be celebrated as a thing for us to shout and raise our fists about as if we're having a good time. The lessons are to be learned to avoid ever going through that again, and I don't think Sabaton feels that way at all.

Writing this review as the largest ground operation in Europe since WWII unfolds, I find the focus even more tasteless. People are literally dying in the streets, and Sabaton is making money off wars of the past. Millions died fighting, and Sabaton has turned that human suffering into cheesy entertainment they think is a bonding experience. I just don't get it.

The song I find most offensive is "Christmas Truce", which paints as a lovely story how the soldiers on both sides stopped fighting on Christmas, celebrating together. Joakim sings about them as all being 'friends', which is pulled from a letter written by a soldier who was there. Despite it being historical, it makes no sense in the context of the song, because of Joakim's poor writing. The song is written in both the past and present tense, and the word is used in both. In the present tense section, it could be understandable that they used the term in the moment, possibly in the same way politicians who clearly hate those on the other side still refer to their colleagues as 'friends'. In the past tense, it is not so understandable, and Joakim's lyric doesn't make clear if he is referring to soldiers on both sides, or just his own. His framing of the story makes it confusing.

But the story itself is a head-scratcher, as to why he wants to promote it as a wonderful moment. The soldiers were trying to kill each other, then stopped, then went right back to trying to kill each other again. What that indicates to me is their ability to call off the fighting for one day shows they could have done that at any point, but continued killing anyway. How is that a cheerful, noble story? It's beyond sad to me.

That song at least works as a song. "Sarajevo" opens the record as a horrible mistake. It's a pastiche of narration with a chorus, and can someone tell me what a spoken history of the beginnings of WWI has to do with a guitar solo? It's a poor way to introduce us to music we might want to listen to, because all I want to do is hit 'skip'.

Beyond those issues, Sabaton's brand of power metal has its appeal. It's a simple formula; a stock riff, a big choir of voices, and a guitar solo. When it works, I get why they're as big as they are. There is something communal about voices coming together and singing a triumphant song. I just wish they could direct us toward that goal without it having so many negative connotations. Could you imagine watching "Saving Private Ryan" and having the audience all holding prop guns and making 'pew pew' sounds as the beaches get stormed? Of course you can't, but that's sort of what Sabaton will be doing when they ask 80,000 people at Wacken to sing along with them.

Perhaps all of this is a calculated play, because Joakim's voice is not what we would normally call 'good'. His voice rumbles with an odd timbre, and I have my doubts he can pull off subject matter other than this. His voice doesn't have the expression for more complicated emotions, and his performances have the odd quality of growing softer in many of the choruses, where he lets the backing vocals cover up the fact he can't elevate his voice beyond where he's singing in the verses. The dirty theater of war covers for his shortcomings.

What that all amounts to is that Sabaton is a band of completely divergent thoughts. On the one hand, this album is full of thundering and catchy power metal. It's a fun ride. On the other hand, this album shouldn't be fun, because we shouldn't be making horrors into fluffy entertainment. So that leaves me in the weird position of saying this album is one of the best experiences I've had with Sabaton's music, but it also offends my sensibilities. It's good, but I hate it. I enjoyed my time listening, but I didn't want to. Maybe in a world where these stories sound like fiction made up to dramatize the past, but not in a world where they are still happening. This is the wrong album for this time.