Sunday today, so it is time for a rest for my poor tired back from all the rigours of the past week. Why have I named this post 'Requiem for a dream?'...simple actually.
Me, Raphael and Jade were doing some band practice yesterday when Jade started to play this beautiful haunting theme on her synth. It didn't take Raphael too long to start playing some heavy riffs alongside. After a few moments to suss out the the chords for the song, we started jamming along with Jade, and produced this little gem that I have linked to :here: (the file is 2.4Mb) .
Fortunately I had my trusty HP PDA with me, and I recorded it on to the device. I didn't think it would sound this nice, but it is just right. Still a garage recording obviously, but free from distortion.
You know what? This little number could make a nice four minute filler in our set. So simple, just three chords really, and so moving and satisfying to play. It is taken from the film bearing the same name as the title, on the evil of drugs and what harm they cause. I saw the movie lately. It is so shocking and ultimately believable. So sad . . . my advice? Steer clear of drugs.
Drugs are for mugs!
Keep safe and keep metal \m/
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
The wait is over...
At long last the wait is over. We have in our grubby little hands the creation that has meant so many sleepless nights, empty pockets and endless sacrifices for the Stillborn team. So much work and dedication have gone into creating this little masterpiece. Sales from this album will help us gear towards recording a new second CD. We have so much material waiting to burst forth that it is incredible to think what a long journey the music has to travel...but as long as the path that it follows leads to your heart...that's all that matters.
If your dreams are strong enough, then truly nothing can stand in your way!
Keep Safe
\m/
If your dreams are strong enough, then truly nothing can stand in your way!
Keep Safe
\m/
Saturday, March 24, 2007
GO FINLAND!
Leave me alone! That is the winning track from the land of HEAVY METAL! Take a look at the winning song from Finland. This is an Evanescence type song, with powerful voice delivery and impressive guitar work. How can we have otherwise from the country that gave us Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and many more metal bands? This is a hit in my humble opinion.Olivia? Hold on to your butt! In my opinion we won't even make the final.
HEAVY METAL RULES!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Yep..well worth the asking price
Well of course I had tried my new BC Rich at home, but to tell the truth, nothing beats a balls-to-the-wall heavy session in a small garage to appreciate the real wall of sound that this guitar emits. Jesus wept! I had to keep the amplifier down to a bare minimum so as not to have my ears scorched by the deep booming emanating from the pickups. So yes, it was well worth the price. Now if we can only start to write new material. I know we have it in us!
On an even more positive note, regarding my very bad health issues, things seem to be moving on quite well. The reason? New medication in the form of VERY expensive injections, along with methotrexate pills, are enabling me to be myself again. Yes, I am back...but I am also totally new. This is an incredibly moving moment for me and my family, who has had to suffer from the consequences of my illness. The damage has been unfortunately done, but the medication will help to not only soothe the pain, but even slowly build on the damaged joint I have. In all probability, I will have to take these (self-administered) injections until the day I close my eyes forever...but hey...who knows when that moment will be?
On an even more positive note, regarding my very bad health issues, things seem to be moving on quite well. The reason? New medication in the form of VERY expensive injections, along with methotrexate pills, are enabling me to be myself again. Yes, I am back...but I am also totally new. This is an incredibly moving moment for me and my family, who has had to suffer from the consequences of my illness. The damage has been unfortunately done, but the medication will help to not only soothe the pain, but even slowly build on the damaged joint I have. In all probability, I will have to take these (self-administered) injections until the day I close my eyes forever...but hey...who knows when that moment will be?
Saturday, March 17, 2007
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!
Barely 5 days have passed since it was sent out from the nice guys (grovel grovel) at thomann.de and my nice new shiny BC Rich is already hanging from its post next to my Fender replica baby. What a sight for sore eyes they make as I gaze at their splendour! And what incredible value for a highly crafted instrument. Dreamy chrome fittings and solid black glossy paint adorn a simple but beautiful slightly arched-top bass guitar. The pic below shows it on the right, next to my trusty Skylark.
Okay, so what about the sound? Hell it is already loud by itself, let alone plugged into an amplifier. And the playability...wow..that's why a well-crafted instrument will always bring out the best of you. With trepidation I tried it out to the beautiful bass-line of 'Sultans of Swing' , and . . . . and it plays beautifully!!!I actually wasn't home when the guitar arrived by van. My crafty wife and kids didn't say anything to me as I headed to the computer room and let out a scream of delight as I saw the huge tightly packed box next to the sofa! So thanks to the guys at www.thomann.de for their fast delivery and amazing prices. Give them a try! Extremely helpful guys...Full Marks!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
New Guitar on the way!
Well, I'm as proud as punch...I'm gonna be a parent again..well actually to a guitar! Hehe. I just happened to be on a German website www.thomann.de when I noticed this gleaming BC Rich Eagle Platinum going for a song. Just 148 Euros was the asking price for this black beauty, quite a lot down from the RRP of 650 Euros. What could I do but buy it? So now I am waiting eagerly for the mailman to call me to collect it! I can't imagine my local postie dropping this monster through the letter box.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Visions of Atlantis album pushed to May 25th
Well yesterday, wonder of wonders , fans of VoA got a mail from Thomas, (drummer of VoA) with a link to download audio samples of the band's new offering, 'Trinity'. After the news that Nicole had departed, I was a bit wary of what I was about to hear, but new vocalist Melissa made up for any fears I might have had.
Me and my daughter really enjoyed 'Castaway' , the band's previous offering, and we are really really waiting for the album with great trepidation. After hearing the sample tracks, I can say that the wait will be even more interminable. This is going to be good, really good. I left feedback to Thomas on their website and he replied back immediately, scarcely within 7 minutes. Now that is what I call honest to goodness availability.
Me and my daughter really enjoyed 'Castaway' , the band's previous offering, and we are really really waiting for the album with great trepidation. After hearing the sample tracks, I can say that the wait will be even more interminable. This is going to be good, really good. I left feedback to Thomas on their website and he replied back immediately, scarcely within 7 minutes. Now that is what I call honest to goodness availability.
So yes, although the album release has been pushed back to 25th May, the samples will do to whet our appetite. Thanks Thomas, and VoA...meanwhile we will just have to listen to Castaway again and again..but that's not a bad thing after all...Castaway has been one of my top three albums ever since it was released. 'Lost' still gives me the shivers after all these years.
Manowar - Gods of War review
This is Manowar's first full length album since 2002's Warriors of The World, an awesome album that was filled to the brim with tunes that rank as high as any in their entire catalog. Songs like 'Hand of Doom', 'House of Death', and 'Call To Arms', became personal anthems. That album came out during the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and contains the perfect amount of emotional drive.
Mixed with the historical context of that day, I felt that it was successful in its attempt to portray a call to arms, time for us all to get off our collective asses and fight. Even though I had been a fan of their music for years, that was the first time I actually took them seriously. It was then, because of the context, that I came to realize they are serious about their message, and it is this message that never wavers. Unfortunately, it is a message that never wavers. It starts and ends with the big guy, Odin, and the goal of all Norse warriors, to fight valiantly and die in battle so he can cross over the rainbow bridge and chow down in the great mess hall that is Valhalla, sitting next to their King, Odin.
It is this imagery, though, that causes people, including me, to snicker and visualize a bunch of white dudes standing around a fire with horns on their head, waving animal carcasses on a stick, and shouting 'By the power of grey skull!'. This is a different time than it is was then. Yes I know, the age of war is not over, but without the real world context this time around, I cannot take the message seriously.
Gods of War isn't another call to arms as Warriors of The World was. It is a concept album, one in a series of tribute albums to come covering the Norse Gods of legend. The series kicks off with this rousing tribute to the head honcho himself, Odin. In a series dealing with Norse Gods, to begin with anyone else would be completely disrespectful and potentially catastrophic. Odin just might send over Thor to jam a lightning bolt up your ass if you didn't.
I am not much of a fan of concept albums, because what it really boils down to is this, I want to hear the music, not all the peripheral stuff. Such is the same with Manowar, I want to hear multitudes of rising anthems, crescendos that come fast and furious. I want to heat their version of power metal, long carrying the torch of true metal, played like they just invented it. The new album contains several of those moments, but there are as many moments that do not.
Believe me, I get concept albums, there are going to be lulls, ebbs, and flows. There is a story to be told, and sometimes a band has to go outside the song to lay the groundwork for the story. Something the songs cannot do this by themselves. So, what eventually happens is, concept albums tend to wander off on tangents and normally I will let it take me with them, for short necessary trips, but with Gods of War, nearly half of the album is spent ring around on these tangents.
And that is what kills this album in the end. The flow is needlessly thrown away in momentum damaging overtures that don't necessarily assist in telling the story. Example: Beginning the album with two overtures, lasting nearly nine minutes. That's too much set up, when all I really want is to hear the metal, this is a metal band after all, am I wrong? Another example is the placement of the hymn, 'Army of The Dead Part 1', which stops the momentum that 'King of Kings' created dead in its tracks. When 'Sleipnir' gets going, which is a nice little power metal diddy actually, the pace quickens again and stays moving forward through to the next tune, my favorite track, 'Loki God of Fire'. The guitar riffs that accompany the chorus are deliciously different than everything else on the album. Coupled with their only real attempt at groove, the song might actually make it into a personal top ten Manowar list.
Manowar is not a stranger to ballads, and this album does include them. I just question the placement of them. After the double shot of good metal I mentioned earlier, I think it was too soon to slow it down. In this case what did it was 'Blood Brothers', a good ballad for sure, but it is repetitious, and quite frankly, would have been great at the end, fading away as the album closes. If that didn't fully kill the momentum, what followed further cemented my desire to hit the skip button. The Odin trifecta, situated directly and smack dab in the middle of the album. 'Overture of Odin' is exactly what it says, 'The Blood of Odin' is nothing more than atmospheric dialog, and then, finally, the band gets around to picking up their instruments again to finish off the trio with 'Sons of Odin', a typical Manowar song, and really, not all that good.
There are more overtures and dialog to come. I'm not quite sure why, after all that. 'Gods of War' sounded so good to me, after all it is a pretty simple hymn. Either it really is good, or it was the fact that I had to wait almost a half an hour to hear it. In the end, I came to the conclusion it's combination of both. Only one track remains on the regular album that is worth noting, the curiously titled 'Odin', a mid-paced rocker that could have been better suited sandwiched in between 'Loki God of Fire' and 'God of War'. The copy I received has a bonus track 'Die For Metal' which is a classic fist pumping anthem for and about the desire to save metal. Falling completely outside of the concept box, which I suspect, is why it is a bonus track.
RATING - 4/10 - I am just not a big fan of the over indulgence of the set ups, overtures, quiet instrumentals, and dialog. Is this Manowar? or is it Rhapsody of Fire? Much of this could have been cut out, the track listing consolidated, and emphasis placed on the actual metal tunes. Then, follow it up with a ballad if you must. But after forcing myself to listen to the entire album, as is, several times, I cannot in good faith say that I ever really want to listen to the tangents anymore. In the age we live in though, you can just take a big giant axe to much of the album, rearrange what's left to your desired listing, and you can actually salvage this album.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Oooops
Cor what an error...I was reasonably sure that the new Nightwish album would be out in May, but it seems that I was mistaken...It will actually be out on the 26th of September, just the perfect gift for me since my birthday is the day after! So long to wait...
A friend of mine has informed me that March will also see a new Judas Priest offering. Nothing on the website though. If it is true and the album is as good as 'Angel of Retribution', we are in for a treat!
Meanwhile, we at Stillborn are finally going out on the road...the last week of April should see us on stage with another local band. Clarifications and plans are still being hammered out. More news later on then!
A friend of mine has informed me that March will also see a new Judas Priest offering. Nothing on the website though. If it is true and the album is as good as 'Angel of Retribution', we are in for a treat!
Meanwhile, we at Stillborn are finally going out on the road...the last week of April should see us on stage with another local band. Clarifications and plans are still being hammered out. More news later on then!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
What a year this is going to be.
What a year this is shaping up to be. Why is that then? Certainly everyone knows my passion for music. So I will just say the following in a hurry... Rush , Nightwish , Visions of Atlantis and of course Stillborn. What is it with these bands then? Oh come on...new albums of course. Rush are to release 'Snakes and Arrows', a much awaited release after the hugely successful 'R30' tour...hmm...now did I have fun or what? Fucking awesome shows in UK.
So now we come to Nightwish. After unceremoniously dumping lead singer Tarja Tuurunen following the Hartwell concert 'End of an Era', Tuomas and gang have been looking for a new singer. For me it will be Nicole Bogner from 'Visions of Atlantis'...The VOA singer left the band right after Nightwish sacked Tarja (what a mistake that was!). This album will make 'Once' child's play...Slated for a May release, I simply can't wait.
Now we come to Visions of Atlantis. This is a relatively small band, but I tell you, they have an awesome album in Castaway. I suggest you get a good listen to this offering, as it is simply awesome. The official site has also a video of their incredible single 'Lost'...fair gives me goosebumps. So yes, I am waiting for this album with gnashing teeth.
Last, but certainly not least, we come to 'our' Stillborn album...'Thy Feeble Soul' is an incredibly deep album, with really good progressive riffs. This is without a doubt one of the best albums I have heard for a very long time. I haven't been excited about a local release since 'Fire's' debut album in August. If we only had decent backing abroad, we would really make a killing with this release. Slated for mid-March, you should get this if you are into progressive rock.
Keep Metal \m/
So now we come to Nightwish. After unceremoniously dumping lead singer Tarja Tuurunen following the Hartwell concert 'End of an Era', Tuomas and gang have been looking for a new singer. For me it will be Nicole Bogner from 'Visions of Atlantis'...The VOA singer left the band right after Nightwish sacked Tarja (what a mistake that was!). This album will make 'Once' child's play...Slated for a May release, I simply can't wait.
Now we come to Visions of Atlantis. This is a relatively small band, but I tell you, they have an awesome album in Castaway. I suggest you get a good listen to this offering, as it is simply awesome. The official site has also a video of their incredible single 'Lost'...fair gives me goosebumps. So yes, I am waiting for this album with gnashing teeth.
Last, but certainly not least, we come to 'our' Stillborn album...'Thy Feeble Soul' is an incredibly deep album, with really good progressive riffs. This is without a doubt one of the best albums I have heard for a very long time. I haven't been excited about a local release since 'Fire's' debut album in August. If we only had decent backing abroad, we would really make a killing with this release. Slated for mid-March, you should get this if you are into progressive rock.
Keep Metal \m/
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Stillborn are back!
Well for the last 6 months I have been living a different dream. After some silence, I thought it best to own up. I was invited to provide bass playing for fun with a friend and friend of his. Well it turned out that these two guys were part of a band called Stillborn, of which I am a fan. Things started very well. What we didn't know was whether this was a side-project to the band,but then we had the singer back, followed by the drummer! Well , I invited Jade, an incredibly talented keyboard player, and suddenly Stillborn are re-born!
Next thing we know we are practicing the long lost Stillborn album! It has been a brilliant 6 months, and we need to cap it up with a good show to promote and launch the album.
It has brilliant guitar work and incredibly deep vocals. I am amazed still today at the depth of song-writing and execution! And now we are working on new songs...The new stuff is lighter, not so dark and brooding, but fantastic material just the same.
Watch this space for further info!
Meanwhile you can watch us on www.myspace.com/stillborninfo
Thanks for watching...the rollercoaster continues on its journey!
Next thing we know we are practicing the long lost Stillborn album! It has been a brilliant 6 months, and we need to cap it up with a good show to promote and launch the album.
It has brilliant guitar work and incredibly deep vocals. I am amazed still today at the depth of song-writing and execution! And now we are working on new songs...The new stuff is lighter, not so dark and brooding, but fantastic material just the same.
Watch this space for further info!
Meanwhile you can watch us on www.myspace.com/stillborninfo
Thanks for watching...the rollercoaster continues on its journey!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Ouch
It has been some time since I posted, so what I will probably do is try to go back to my diary and write down my thoughts as they have occurred.
Last Saturday was a new first for me. It was the first time I had a car accident. This er...'lady' came out of nowhere and hit me straight on my side. The result? Two new doors are needed, but most important is the really hard knock I got. The car finished with the driver-side wheels about six inches off the ground. Thankfully, since I was on the hospital-bound road, I got help from paramedics who fitted me with a collar brace and took me for a check-up.
After an hour it was back to the accident site since the traffic police had not arrived yet...Oh well, just another bad episode in a period of disasters!
Last Saturday was a new first for me. It was the first time I had a car accident. This er...'lady' came out of nowhere and hit me straight on my side. The result? Two new doors are needed, but most important is the really hard knock I got. The car finished with the driver-side wheels about six inches off the ground. Thankfully, since I was on the hospital-bound road, I got help from paramedics who fitted me with a collar brace and took me for a check-up.
After an hour it was back to the accident site since the traffic police had not arrived yet...Oh well, just another bad episode in a period of disasters!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Bugging me!
I just have to say something which has bugged me a whole frickin' lot! There was NO coverage whatsoever of the results in the internet media yesterday! OK, I got to know the results from the FIRE website, but nothing elsewhere. You would have thought that pres-malta would at least have the intelligence to update their web-site with the results!
I spent a WHOLE DAY surfing to find results, just to see what happened..and came up with a big fat zero.
It was Sunday night after all, and most folks have kids, who we simply have to take to bed sooner or later. Well organised, but you should have thought this one up.
For those still in the blind...the final results were
1. Fire
2. Mindstate
3. Cable35
I spent a WHOLE DAY surfing to find results, just to see what happened..and came up with a big fat zero.
It was Sunday night after all, and most folks have kids, who we simply have to take to bed sooner or later. Well organised, but you should have thought this one up.
For those still in the blind...the final results were
1. Fire
2. Mindstate
3. Cable35
Monday, October 30, 2006
Fire victorious at the Battle of the Bands!
Great rocking fun once again!
Please follow this link for the complete review!
Well done to ALL the participants...and thank you for the music!
Please follow this link for the complete review!
Well done to ALL the participants...and thank you for the music!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Link for the FIRE clips
Please find the clips for the gig here . Just click on the metal radio icon! They are hosted on my local server, so you don't even waste any bandwidth. The first clip is around 69Mb in size, while the other is 29Mb. 69 Eh? Wonder how that came about! A nice round number.
Unfortunately today my slipped disk has enlarged , not to a compact disc...but to a long play..so it's a couple of days of rest...listening to metal, namely the new Epica album , as well as Kamelot...suck me sideways! I hope my daughter hasn't taken the CDs with her to school...bugger! Not forgetting my motorhead of course!
il grillo . . . .keep metal
\m/
Unfortunately today my slipped disk has enlarged , not to a compact disc...but to a long play..so it's a couple of days of rest...listening to metal, namely the new Epica album , as well as Kamelot...suck me sideways! I hope my daughter hasn't taken the CDs with her to school...bugger! Not forgetting my motorhead of course!
il grillo . . . .keep metal
\m/
Friday, October 06, 2006
Open Fire !
Now that I have managed to open my eyes that little bit more, it is time to pen down my thoughts on yesterday's gig at Qormi. I had been a bit apprehensive as to whether the show would go on, but a quick call to Kenneth confirmed that despite a bad cough and truly inclement weather in the afternoon, things would go on as planned....'You don't think that the water will extinguish FIRE don't you?' were his parting words.
That was sweet music to my ears as I had been waiting for this gig for weeks now. Making our way to the festival grounds, I realised that year in , year out , the Lowenbrau script goes unchanged. Same old stalls on the right , new car on the left, being kitted out with some outlandish sound system blaring out (c)rap , same stage on the left for the (supposedly) more popular music , and the same smaller 1565RockStage. Well let me tell you something beer guys....there were FAR more people at the rock stage than at the pop shite stand..so get your priorities right.
Oh, it was organised alright, squeeky clean and all that, but a bit of a change is needed. All in all
though, good family fun is there to be had by everyone...and of course... there is the beer. Yummy!
So let's move on to the music, because that is what pulled me there. I was a bit worried at my arrival by half-past eight. There was virtually NO-ONE at the stage the band was to play. 'Ooops...' said my wife. I assured her that by the time nine o'clock would chime, the rockers would be drawn here like a gnat to an ass! (This was the first time she had seen the band live, and was suitably impressed.)
And sure enough the guys and girls, most of them now recognisable from previous FIRE gigs, began to turn up like bad pennies! By the time the band started, I was in my usual place at the front of the pack. Looking to the back I could see that the crowd was quite sizeable. You simply cannot keep a good rocker away from what he craves.... good old-fashioned rock n'roll....
And as if to defy the weather, the band started off with Stormbringer, a Deep Purple favourite, going on to their 'Get out of my way' and progressed on to 'Grinder' from Judas Priest. THIS is what we have been waiting for...
Throughout the rest of the set, the crowd was treated to another couple of tracks from their super album 'IGNITE' (Manhunter and Taste this Rock n'Roll) as well as various other tracks, namely - SpeedKing , Walking by Myself, Play that funky music, Whole Lotta Rosie , Highway to Hell and the closer Saturday night's all right for dancing. All in all I felt that there was a better vibe going on than at Marsaxlokk.
While the music was simply great, the set was way too short. I feel that the band's new direction now should be either to extend their playing time or to organize a concert simply for themselves. For us fans it is disconcerting to see good bands being bogged down by rules such as time constraints or having to pack up their instruments because another band has to play after them. I obviously realise that on this little island of ours, a concert will simply cost too much with little returns. Will people pay to see the big bands play? HELL YES!
On a more positive note, Kenneth announced that FIRE will be opening for Swiss outfit Krokus when the band (led by Marc Storace) will give us their long-awaited concert on the 25th of November. Jot that date down on your diary...FIRE opening for Krokus...or is it Krokus opening for FIRE? Whatever, it will be a thoroughly enjoyable evening!
So hang on to your steel hats guys, the flames are gonna get hotter!
Oh..and did Kenneth mention that the new album is still on sale? Thought so!
Cheers...now where the hell is that CD?
That was sweet music to my ears as I had been waiting for this gig for weeks now. Making our way to the festival grounds, I realised that year in , year out , the Lowenbrau script goes unchanged. Same old stalls on the right , new car on the left, being kitted out with some outlandish sound system blaring out (c)rap , same stage on the left for the (supposedly) more popular music , and the same smaller 1565RockStage. Well let me tell you something beer guys....there were FAR more people at the rock stage than at the pop shite stand..so get your priorities right.
Oh, it was organised alright, squeeky clean and all that, but a bit of a change is needed. All in all
though, good family fun is there to be had by everyone...and of course... there is the beer. Yummy!
So let's move on to the music, because that is what pulled me there. I was a bit worried at my arrival by half-past eight. There was virtually NO-ONE at the stage the band was to play. 'Ooops...' said my wife. I assured her that by the time nine o'clock would chime, the rockers would be drawn here like a gnat to an ass! (This was the first time she had seen the band live, and was suitably impressed.)
And sure enough the guys and girls, most of them now recognisable from previous FIRE gigs, began to turn up like bad pennies! By the time the band started, I was in my usual place at the front of the pack. Looking to the back I could see that the crowd was quite sizeable. You simply cannot keep a good rocker away from what he craves.... good old-fashioned rock n'roll....
And as if to defy the weather, the band started off with Stormbringer, a Deep Purple favourite, going on to their 'Get out of my way' and progressed on to 'Grinder' from Judas Priest. THIS is what we have been waiting for...
Throughout the rest of the set, the crowd was treated to another couple of tracks from their super album 'IGNITE' (Manhunter and Taste this Rock n'Roll) as well as various other tracks, namely - SpeedKing , Walking by Myself, Play that funky music, Whole Lotta Rosie , Highway to Hell and the closer Saturday night's all right for dancing. All in all I felt that there was a better vibe going on than at Marsaxlokk.
While the music was simply great, the set was way too short. I feel that the band's new direction now should be either to extend their playing time or to organize a concert simply for themselves. For us fans it is disconcerting to see good bands being bogged down by rules such as time constraints or having to pack up their instruments because another band has to play after them. I obviously realise that on this little island of ours, a concert will simply cost too much with little returns. Will people pay to see the big bands play? HELL YES!
On a more positive note, Kenneth announced that FIRE will be opening for Swiss outfit Krokus when the band (led by Marc Storace) will give us their long-awaited concert on the 25th of November. Jot that date down on your diary...FIRE opening for Krokus...or is it Krokus opening for FIRE? Whatever, it will be a thoroughly enjoyable evening!
So hang on to your steel hats guys, the flames are gonna get hotter!
Oh..and did Kenneth mention that the new album is still on sale? Thought so!
Cheers...now where the hell is that CD?
The water can't extinguish the FIRE!
Once again I am writing down my thoughts after another FIRE gig.... it is , however well past midnight, I am tired , my bad back is playing up again , and the little movie clip I am doing is taking ages to render... so I will just promise to write up not only the review tomorrow, but set-up the video on my server so that fans can download it... after permission from the band obviously.
Meanwhile here's a pic to whet your appetite. As usual, the band pulled in a sizeable crowd despite the less than satisfactory day (Thursday! My daughter was livid with anger and disappointment), and of course the inclement weather, which put off quite a number of people...
Apologies for the lack of quality, both on the pictures and the clips to follow. (since my SONY got busted , I have had to make do with a super disappointing noisy , low-res-video Canon. Do yourself a favour... shoot yourself before buying a Canon!)
Keep Metal ! \m/
Friday, September 08, 2006
Year 02
It is Friday evening as I write this. Late...very late...So late, in fact that is almost early...the next day of course. I have quietly celebrated by myself the second anniversary of one of my most important dates in my life. Birthday? Nope...wedding anniversary? Come on, gimme a break, who remembers those? Well today is the second year of my travels to England to watch THE band...RUSH...at Wembley. A four day trip that I will remember for as long as I live...hence the title Year 02.
A most memorable concert,that I enjoyed fully, not sitting down for a second. review here
And it all ended up in a great big muddle, from the moment I stepped onto the platform of the C2C train at King's Cross Station.....and the speakers announcing 'mmmf...mumble...mmf...02 minutes...**leigh'...bloody train speakers...I am flipping sure I heard that it was going to Rayleigh, but what it really meant was that this particular train was going to Leigh station,not Rayleigh...where my beloved relatives were waiting. Oh..and this was around 1.15 in the morning! I realised something was going wrong when the train passed the Dagenham Ford factory.
So there I was at 1 in the morning, with no credit left in my phone, and my relatives miles away at a different train station. Finally I got a call, and I informed them that I was at Leigh. They duly picked me up and argued funnily about it for a while....only to find in the morning that I did get the correct train from the correct station, but the 12.02 was the only one that went to Leigh. Hehehe....good one that.
Well, it is only now that I am laughing about it...cos at that time it was anything but. I was the only living thing for miles!
Happy Anniversary!
A most memorable concert,that I enjoyed fully, not sitting down for a second. review here
And it all ended up in a great big muddle, from the moment I stepped onto the platform of the C2C train at King's Cross Station.....and the speakers announcing 'mmmf...mumble...mmf...02 minutes...**leigh'...bloody train speakers...I am flipping sure I heard that it was going to Rayleigh, but what it really meant was that this particular train was going to Leigh station,not Rayleigh...where my beloved relatives were waiting. Oh..and this was around 1.15 in the morning! I realised something was going wrong when the train passed the Dagenham Ford factory.
So there I was at 1 in the morning, with no credit left in my phone, and my relatives miles away at a different train station. Finally I got a call, and I informed them that I was at Leigh. They duly picked me up and argued funnily about it for a while....only to find in the morning that I did get the correct train from the correct station, but the 12.02 was the only one that went to Leigh. Hehehe....good one that.
Well, it is only now that I am laughing about it...cos at that time it was anything but. I was the only living thing for miles!
Happy Anniversary!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
A matter of life and death.
Welcome to the review of Iron Maiden's new offering. With daring constant themes of war and misusing religion to cause it , this may seem as a concept album. It isn't that, although it is actually very close. As can be seen from the cover artwork down to the lyrics, this is a full-scale attack on the futility of it all. Contrary to their previous efforts, there seems to have been some serious thought put into this album.
I think that two of the tracks that stand out are 'The Longest Day' and 'These Colours Don't Run'. I can see the Longest Day as a stand-out in live shows while Colours is magnificent.
'For The Greater Good Of God' bleeds into another big arena swinger , with changing tempos and three way lead solos that will leave you quaking. It's another Maiden classic that does not compromise heaviness in achieving its nine-minute span. Nine minutes! There are actually five tracks over seven minutes long , and two niners.
'The Pilgrim' and opener 'Different World' are straight to the balls standard rockers, while Bruce lets go with an amazing vocal performance on the balladic 'Out of the Shadows'.
I'm sure many fans will revel in the gallop and surge of 'Brighter Than A Thousand Suns', Steve Harris' bass twanging high in the mix, while the closing track, 'The Legacy' - concluding the theme of war breeding more war - features a call-to-arms fanfare of electric guitars blaring intermittently through movie soundtrack ambience and acoustics.
I think that Iron Maiden have really bitten the bullet with this album. I am sure that many will not find it too palatable, but long time fans will surely persevere beyond the first two spinnings of the CD. Because I honestly did not like it at all!!! Yep , there I was on my bed listening to the CD through headphones, and I really had to check the CD Display to see whether the tracks were really advancing.
Why? There is a 'sameness' to the tracks, especially the intros and choruses. This is something that I have been noticing when Bailey replaced Dickinson as singer. 'Brave New World' and the (really good) 'Dance of Death' confirmed this trend. The latter had 'Rainmaker' which really stood out in the old style of Iron Maiden. Musically of course, hats off to the guys...so I will treat this cd as a concept when I am listening to it. Obviously on subsequent spins, the album grows on you. I can guarantee that.
Maiden are gradually evolving into a different breed of metallers. Any old rocker worth his salt remembers the galloping and so 'tuneful' Run to the Hills , The Trooper , Somewhere in Time and similar tracks. I miss those days so much , but the guys are thankfully moving on...as it should be.
On a high note, I am really enjoying the way that many 'big guns' are recording their albums these days. No laying down of individual tracks, but a 'live' studio performance where the band plays all at once. I think that this sounds really good on the final product, and the emotion of playing is transmitted to the listener at a broader level.
The conclusion? I feel that new Maiden fans will struggle to get to grips with this album , but for us seasoned rockers, another grand album that is worth every cent....thanks guys!
I think that two of the tracks that stand out are 'The Longest Day' and 'These Colours Don't Run'. I can see the Longest Day as a stand-out in live shows while Colours is magnificent.
'For The Greater Good Of God' bleeds into another big arena swinger , with changing tempos and three way lead solos that will leave you quaking. It's another Maiden classic that does not compromise heaviness in achieving its nine-minute span. Nine minutes! There are actually five tracks over seven minutes long , and two niners.
'The Pilgrim' and opener 'Different World' are straight to the balls standard rockers, while Bruce lets go with an amazing vocal performance on the balladic 'Out of the Shadows'.
I'm sure many fans will revel in the gallop and surge of 'Brighter Than A Thousand Suns', Steve Harris' bass twanging high in the mix, while the closing track, 'The Legacy' - concluding the theme of war breeding more war - features a call-to-arms fanfare of electric guitars blaring intermittently through movie soundtrack ambience and acoustics.
I think that Iron Maiden have really bitten the bullet with this album. I am sure that many will not find it too palatable, but long time fans will surely persevere beyond the first two spinnings of the CD. Because I honestly did not like it at all!!! Yep , there I was on my bed listening to the CD through headphones, and I really had to check the CD Display to see whether the tracks were really advancing.
Why? There is a 'sameness' to the tracks, especially the intros and choruses. This is something that I have been noticing when Bailey replaced Dickinson as singer. 'Brave New World' and the (really good) 'Dance of Death' confirmed this trend. The latter had 'Rainmaker' which really stood out in the old style of Iron Maiden. Musically of course, hats off to the guys...so I will treat this cd as a concept when I am listening to it. Obviously on subsequent spins, the album grows on you. I can guarantee that.
Maiden are gradually evolving into a different breed of metallers. Any old rocker worth his salt remembers the galloping and so 'tuneful' Run to the Hills , The Trooper , Somewhere in Time and similar tracks. I miss those days so much , but the guys are thankfully moving on...as it should be.
On a high note, I am really enjoying the way that many 'big guns' are recording their albums these days. No laying down of individual tracks, but a 'live' studio performance where the band plays all at once. I think that this sounds really good on the final product, and the emotion of playing is transmitted to the listener at a broader level.
The conclusion? I feel that new Maiden fans will struggle to get to grips with this album , but for us seasoned rockers, another grand album that is worth every cent....thanks guys!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Rockin at Marsaxlokk
It's 3am on a Sunday morning...and the Hunchback of NotreDame has conveniently forgotten to stop his work!
There's this incessant buzzing in my ears...the reason? Simply a great night of good old-fashioned rock music at the little sea-side village of Marsaxlokk.
But as the saying goes....'If your ears ain't ringing at the end of the show....it ain't been loud enough!'...and I heartily agree.
So , four bands hailing from the local scene were invited by the local council for a rock-festival. In order of appearance the bands were Frenzy Mono , Stillborn , Angelcrypt and the mighty FIRE.
I met up with my mates Silvio (with Sue and Tiny terror Sarah), Paul, Robert and Mario at the venue, and obviously made our way to the front! Some of my usual rocking mates were there too....can't keep a good guy (or girl) away. So a big hello also to Damian, Alex, Jade and Tony. Keep it hanging my friends!
OK then, let's see what the guys cooked up.
First off with Frenzy Mono. To be frank, I hadn't heard from this band before the Farsons beer festival, but if they keep the momentum going, they will be big. Hmmm, so how am I going to describe this band? Easy actually, think of the rolling blues-rock of Led Zeppelin (all kneel) mixed with a healthy dose of Guns n' Roses, and you have Frenzy Mono. A true pity that this band started
first out, as there were only a few people who had showed up yet. Cool, tight riffs and a brilliant singer shone in the offerings. The band did a few of their own numbers, which I thought were really good. They also covered 'Welcome to the jungle' by the Guns, and 'Heartbreaker' by Led Zeppelin.
Absolutely brilliant. I simply adore the Zeps so I will make sure to order their album as and when it is out on the streets. Great mixing of the audio delivered a crisp, professional impression. Great Stuff. Sometimes I wonder why these guys don't simply leave this little island and make a fortune on
European shores.
After a short break for beer and a wee-wee, the second band, Stillborn, was promptly on the (tiny) stage. Raphael , the guitarist from this band works with me, and I only knew about this concert from him. Nothwistanding our friendship, this is an honestly unbiased review of their performance. So,
Stillborn are a seven piece progressive metal band, with longish tracks in the deepest tradition of Rush. This band were the only one with all original compositions, and the songwriting simply is fantastic. I must confess to liking their tracks....a lot...they should be seen when they get into the groove and rhythm...you could tell that they were really enjoying themselves, a clear sign of
confidence. As for their tracks, I think that 'Thy Feeble Soul' is simply awesome , and for the final track , 'Cross of Fire', words simply fail me. I humbly confess to not liking this track when I heard it first, some months back. But wait...it was recorded in a garage, and still a 'work in progress'.
The final version is beyond comprehension. I dig this style very much, and will be first in line for their album. Come on guys .... save our souls!!!! Give us your album! We don't care for the cover sleeve. On a negative note, I think that the amps were way too loud, which distorted the sound a lot. I also feel that the vocalist needs to tune her voice a little deeper, but maybe that is only because of the (extremely) bad mixing. However I see a bright future here! The small free space on stage constricted them a little as I felt that they were more than ready to gallop away to the rhythm. I am honestly a great fan of prog and symphonic metal, so I obviously enjoyed Stillborn a lot.
Next up were Angelcrypt, after a long period of being out of the scene. This band have been, in their own words, in hibernation. The mixing was not very good again, but one can tell that there is real talent and work behind this band. Personally I thought that the guitarist and bassist are simply
awesome, chugging out riffs with a tight precision. Marvelous. Surprisingly for a thrash metal band, they had a keyboard player...and their compositions made allowance for the keyboards to sound really up-front. Good stuff. I think though, that the vocalist was nothing special. Again, this could be
because of the bad mixing, because on the official recorded demos from this band, I thought he was quite good. The two covers this band played were amazingly glorious...first up was 'Seek and Destroy' , my favourite Metallica track ever. They played this to perfection. One could close his eyes and think that the guys from LA were on the stage themselves. Their second and final offering was
the Lordi blaster 'Hard Rock Hallelujah'. Suck me sideways! What a rendition! Great stuff. People strolling around outide the area reserved for the festival were also stopping and taking a peek at what was happening. This band also has a group of fanatically loyal supporters who headbanged
their way into bliss.
Finally it was up to the mighty FIRE to take the stage. By this time the numbers in the audience had swelled to an admirable amount. FIRE have been around for a long number of years. Hell I remember going to Laurence, Robert and Pejxa's initial concert in 1981 in the old Orpheum at Gzira!!!
FIRE started off with 'My Sharona' ... and never looked back.
Kenneth, Laurence, Charles, Robert and Pejxa are building a fast-growing reputation as being THE premier rock band in Malta...I heartily agree!
The band covered the following tracks between their own (high quality) compositions.
My Sharona (Opening song). A crowd pleaser. Soon had us jumping.
Walking in the shadow of the blues (Gary Moore). My goodness what a song. Laurence the drummer was in his trademark shorts and barefeet, belting out the pounding rhythm on his drumkit.
Don't break my heart again (Whitesnake).Another great song by Whitesnake, and really performed well by the band. Kenneth really surprised me with his singing here as Coverdale is a notoriously hard man to imitate vocally.
Speed King (Deep Purple). Who's this dude Blackmore? Give me Pejxa anytime. the guy was going
absofuckinglutely nuts on his Strat. The crowd here went simply wild. Charles, the bassist was
magnificent. One could see that he studies a lot of RUSH. His playing is quite similar to Geddy Lee's.
Robert traded solos with Pejxa, showing their familiarity.
Play that funky music. I never heard this track in a heavy version, but I tell you it was great. A different kind of boogie, one can say.
Saturday night's all right for dancing(Elton John). Another song not usually associated with metal, but a great re-write nonetheless and a pleasure to listen to.
At this point the fuzz wanted the band to stop, since it was well past midnight. But the audience pleaded for more , and the band were granted another ten minutes.
Highway to hell. FIRE finished off their performance with this belter from AC/DC. I tell you we were past caring at that point. The crowd sang and chanted to this metal anthem as if we were at Wembley. Finally , the band regretfully gave us their farewell, and with another umpteenth reminder from Kenneth that their album IGNITE was on sale at a stall at the back, stepped down. I have been waiting for the album for a long time, and eagerly made my purchase.
I am listening to it as I write. Do NOT lose out on a piece of magnificent work. Well worth every cent of the cost. PLEASE do not copy this album. Give the band what they deserve! It is the fourth time that I have listened to the album, and each spin is better than the previous, as the tracks settle into familiarity. Surprisingly there are no filler songs in the album, as all the tracks gel into a complete listening experience.
So to the conclusion. Four bands that are easily up there with the best, and my only wonder is this. How come their music isn't heard more away from our shores? I think it is the marketing, as all of the mentioned groups are of the highest quality, and far better than some of the big names that have been hitting the metal scene lately.
I cannot imagine, for example, how much time, patience and money has been spent by Stillborn on 'Cross of Fire'. IGNITE is similarly highly finished production, totally produced locally, and the sound is far brighter and clearer than any sony or mercury production I have heard. Anyone who has heard the latest Ozzy and Metallica offerings know that they sound crap!
OK, I'm off to bed now, maybe that damned hunchback will cease his tolling, but I won't bet on it! Ah well, at least I won't hear my wife snoring! Metal rules!
There's this incessant buzzing in my ears...the reason? Simply a great night of good old-fashioned rock music at the little sea-side village of Marsaxlokk.
But as the saying goes....'If your ears ain't ringing at the end of the show....it ain't been loud enough!'...and I heartily agree.
So , four bands hailing from the local scene were invited by the local council for a rock-festival. In order of appearance the bands were Frenzy Mono , Stillborn , Angelcrypt and the mighty FIRE.
I met up with my mates Silvio (with Sue and Tiny terror Sarah), Paul, Robert and Mario at the venue, and obviously made our way to the front! Some of my usual rocking mates were there too....can't keep a good guy (or girl) away. So a big hello also to Damian, Alex, Jade and Tony. Keep it hanging my friends!
OK then, let's see what the guys cooked up.
First off with Frenzy Mono. To be frank, I hadn't heard from this band before the Farsons beer festival, but if they keep the momentum going, they will be big. Hmmm, so how am I going to describe this band? Easy actually, think of the rolling blues-rock of Led Zeppelin (all kneel) mixed with a healthy dose of Guns n' Roses, and you have Frenzy Mono. A true pity that this band started
first out, as there were only a few people who had showed up yet. Cool, tight riffs and a brilliant singer shone in the offerings. The band did a few of their own numbers, which I thought were really good. They also covered 'Welcome to the jungle' by the Guns, and 'Heartbreaker' by Led Zeppelin.
Absolutely brilliant. I simply adore the Zeps so I will make sure to order their album as and when it is out on the streets. Great mixing of the audio delivered a crisp, professional impression. Great Stuff. Sometimes I wonder why these guys don't simply leave this little island and make a fortune on
European shores.
After a short break for beer and a wee-wee, the second band, Stillborn, was promptly on the (tiny) stage. Raphael , the guitarist from this band works with me, and I only knew about this concert from him. Nothwistanding our friendship, this is an honestly unbiased review of their performance. So,
Stillborn are a seven piece progressive metal band, with longish tracks in the deepest tradition of Rush. This band were the only one with all original compositions, and the songwriting simply is fantastic. I must confess to liking their tracks....a lot...they should be seen when they get into the groove and rhythm...you could tell that they were really enjoying themselves, a clear sign of
confidence. As for their tracks, I think that 'Thy Feeble Soul' is simply awesome , and for the final track , 'Cross of Fire', words simply fail me. I humbly confess to not liking this track when I heard it first, some months back. But wait...it was recorded in a garage, and still a 'work in progress'.
The final version is beyond comprehension. I dig this style very much, and will be first in line for their album. Come on guys .... save our souls!!!! Give us your album! We don't care for the cover sleeve. On a negative note, I think that the amps were way too loud, which distorted the sound a lot. I also feel that the vocalist needs to tune her voice a little deeper, but maybe that is only because of the (extremely) bad mixing. However I see a bright future here! The small free space on stage constricted them a little as I felt that they were more than ready to gallop away to the rhythm. I am honestly a great fan of prog and symphonic metal, so I obviously enjoyed Stillborn a lot.
Next up were Angelcrypt, after a long period of being out of the scene. This band have been, in their own words, in hibernation. The mixing was not very good again, but one can tell that there is real talent and work behind this band. Personally I thought that the guitarist and bassist are simply
awesome, chugging out riffs with a tight precision. Marvelous. Surprisingly for a thrash metal band, they had a keyboard player...and their compositions made allowance for the keyboards to sound really up-front. Good stuff. I think though, that the vocalist was nothing special. Again, this could be
because of the bad mixing, because on the official recorded demos from this band, I thought he was quite good. The two covers this band played were amazingly glorious...first up was 'Seek and Destroy' , my favourite Metallica track ever. They played this to perfection. One could close his eyes and think that the guys from LA were on the stage themselves. Their second and final offering was
the Lordi blaster 'Hard Rock Hallelujah'. Suck me sideways! What a rendition! Great stuff. People strolling around outide the area reserved for the festival were also stopping and taking a peek at what was happening. This band also has a group of fanatically loyal supporters who headbanged
their way into bliss.
Finally it was up to the mighty FIRE to take the stage. By this time the numbers in the audience had swelled to an admirable amount. FIRE have been around for a long number of years. Hell I remember going to Laurence, Robert and Pejxa's initial concert in 1981 in the old Orpheum at Gzira!!!
FIRE started off with 'My Sharona' ... and never looked back.
Kenneth, Laurence, Charles, Robert and Pejxa are building a fast-growing reputation as being THE premier rock band in Malta...I heartily agree!
The band covered the following tracks between their own (high quality) compositions.
My Sharona (Opening song). A crowd pleaser. Soon had us jumping.
Walking in the shadow of the blues (Gary Moore). My goodness what a song. Laurence the drummer was in his trademark shorts and barefeet, belting out the pounding rhythm on his drumkit.
Don't break my heart again (Whitesnake).Another great song by Whitesnake, and really performed well by the band. Kenneth really surprised me with his singing here as Coverdale is a notoriously hard man to imitate vocally.
Speed King (Deep Purple). Who's this dude Blackmore? Give me Pejxa anytime. the guy was going
absofuckinglutely nuts on his Strat. The crowd here went simply wild. Charles, the bassist was
magnificent. One could see that he studies a lot of RUSH. His playing is quite similar to Geddy Lee's.
Robert traded solos with Pejxa, showing their familiarity.
Play that funky music. I never heard this track in a heavy version, but I tell you it was great. A different kind of boogie, one can say.
Saturday night's all right for dancing(Elton John). Another song not usually associated with metal, but a great re-write nonetheless and a pleasure to listen to.
At this point the fuzz wanted the band to stop, since it was well past midnight. But the audience pleaded for more , and the band were granted another ten minutes.
Highway to hell. FIRE finished off their performance with this belter from AC/DC. I tell you we were past caring at that point. The crowd sang and chanted to this metal anthem as if we were at Wembley. Finally , the band regretfully gave us their farewell, and with another umpteenth reminder from Kenneth that their album IGNITE was on sale at a stall at the back, stepped down. I have been waiting for the album for a long time, and eagerly made my purchase.
I am listening to it as I write. Do NOT lose out on a piece of magnificent work. Well worth every cent of the cost. PLEASE do not copy this album. Give the band what they deserve! It is the fourth time that I have listened to the album, and each spin is better than the previous, as the tracks settle into familiarity. Surprisingly there are no filler songs in the album, as all the tracks gel into a complete listening experience.
So to the conclusion. Four bands that are easily up there with the best, and my only wonder is this. How come their music isn't heard more away from our shores? I think it is the marketing, as all of the mentioned groups are of the highest quality, and far better than some of the big names that have been hitting the metal scene lately.
I cannot imagine, for example, how much time, patience and money has been spent by Stillborn on 'Cross of Fire'. IGNITE is similarly highly finished production, totally produced locally, and the sound is far brighter and clearer than any sony or mercury production I have heard. Anyone who has heard the latest Ozzy and Metallica offerings know that they sound crap!
OK, I'm off to bed now, maybe that damned hunchback will cease his tolling, but I won't bet on it! Ah well, at least I won't hear my wife snoring! Metal rules!
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