Showing posts with label Heavy Metal Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heavy Metal Reviews. Show all posts

11/07/2019

Heavy Metal Review: Anthem-Nucleus

Release Date: March 29, 2019
Label: Golden Robot Records

Over the course of more than an hour, Japanese heavy metal band, Anthem, relentlessly delivers hit after blistering hit on their latest compilation album, Nucleus. This Greatest Hits Collection features re-recorded English language versions of songs that have gripped metal fans since the Tokyo-based band first achieved success in 1985. Even though this album’s content is pulled from source material more than three decades old, sonically, the songs blend seamlessly together.

Each track on this project is comprised of elaborately produced acoustic layering which serves to distinguish Anthem’s sound. The band has frequently remodeled their line-up over the years, but with a seemingly endless Rolodex of talented musicians to call on, Anthem continues to zealously create eclectic and ecstatic heavy metal. On Nucleus, Yukio Morikawa provides the lead vocals, Akio Shimizu plays guitar, Naoto Shibata is on bass, and Isamu Tamaru wows on drums.

If the group’s years of personal hardship and hiatus have done anything to their music, it seems to have only invigorated them. The first track, “Immortal Bind,” is a vigorous, testosterone-pumping, cyclone of energy. It’s almost five minutes of sustained spirit, complemented perfectly by thrilling guitar solos and screaming vocals. “Black Empire,” a power-metal track and the lead single for this release, similarly highlights lead-vocalist Morikawa’s impressively breathless delivery.

On the electrifying track “Stranger,” Tamaru stuns the listener with a dizzyingly fast drum performance, which pairs with terrific soloing from Shimizu and another powerful vocal delivery to achieve an album highlight.

Another high point is “Ghost in the Flame,” which wraps up at just under eight minutes. Placed right in the middle of this compilation, it’s a refreshing switch-up from the band’s tried and tested formula. It’s a slower song than what Anthem has delivered up to this point, the drums take a backseat to gorgeous guitar licks and deep lyrics are delivered without the routine manic intensity. As the song goes on, the guitar shines through in an ascending, glorious crescendo.

“Awake” is a similarly well-balanced track, which seesaws proportionately between vehement main guitar, layered backing guitar, and emphatic drums. This establishes a splendid base upon which Morikawa delivers euphoric vocals. The final song, “Unbroken Sign,” also leans away from the band’s power-metal sound which results in a harmonious, strong, and even finish.

Ultimately, Anthem delivers a tireless, emphatic performance throughout this album. However, as each song rolls into the next, the band’s one-dimensional formula threatens tedium. “Ghost in the Flame,” “Awake,” and “Unbroken Sign” are all tracks that sufficiently address this over-cohesiveness and break the mold. Never lacking energy, but perhaps at times innovation, Anthem’s Nucleus is a wickedly exciting, intense, and powerful foray into this metal band’s long, distinguished career.

Nicholas Lane-MuzikMan.net Staff
October 30, 2019

Reviews Provided By:

Tracks: 
01. Immortal Bind
02. Black Empire
03. Overload
04. Stranger
05. Linkage
06. Eternal Warrior
07. Ghost in the Flame
08. Venom Strike
09. Awake
10. Omega Man
11. Pain
12. Echoes in the Dark
13. Unbroken Sign

 

3/24/2018

Heavy Metal Review: Judas Priest-Firepower

Release Date: March 9, 2018
Label: Sony

Judas Priest is not making music for the sake of doing so. This band puts their heart and soul into everything they do. It all started 50 years ago…I know, hard to believe right?

So here we are in 2018 and the latest from the legends of metal has arrived. Aptly titled Firepower, it is heavy and pounding metal reminiscent of Screaming for Vengeance. Interesting enough, that is my favorite Priest record. This one comes in a close second. If it were not for sentimental value, it would be in a dead tie.

I decided to order the book version of the album through Pledge Music rather than waiting for my promo copy like I usually do. I also do not mind supporting bands with something other than reviews. Getting a download of a few tracks before they were released then the complete download before the official release of the album was nice too. I have used the Pledge Music service several times and I really like the way it brings in income for the artists.

So, where to start with 14 tracks for all us heavy metal maniacs? I am straight up and true with what I heard, this is all metal, and still some of best you can find. Asking Priest to do anything less would be like asking the devil to be the Easter bunny for a day. Their music has a common thread of darkness and evil about it, but that is what we expect for the subject matter. Like a sledgehammer, it permeates your soul. It comes at you full throttle, track by track, minute by minute.

Firepower is everything the title implies. It is their finest release since Nostradamus in my opinion. I realize there a few albums over the years that are not fan favorites but I would bet my last dollar that this one catches fire and becomes one of their most successful. The amazing thing about this band is that they are all in their late 60s now with the exception of guitarist Richie Faulkner, who has been a shot of energy and inspiration ever since he joined the band to replace K.K. Downing.

Every track is killer on this album, however, if I had to pick some favorites, they would be “Firepower,” “Evil Never Dies” and the superb closer “Sea of Red.” So, you have dynamite opening and closing tracks with plenty of gutsy meat and potatoes in between. That is what heavy metal is to me.

Longtime Judas Priest fans will be overjoyed with the release of Firepower. For a band that has been around long enough to finally call it day, they are robust, vital and relevant as they ever were. I think it’s refreshing and they stand as a monument to preserving heavy metal music and a great inspiration to those wishing to carry the torch in the future. Keep the flame burning gents, you are doing a fine job!

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
March 24, 2018

Founder of:

Review Provided By MuzikMan Reviews & News

Tracks:
01. Firepower
02. Lightning Strike
03. Evil Never Dies
04. Never The Heroes
05. Necromancer
06. Children of the Sun
07. Guardians
08. Rising From Ruins
09. Flame Thrower
10. Spectre
11. Traitors Gate
12. No Surrender
13. Lone Wolf
14. Sea of Red




Heavy Metal Review: Judas Priest-Firepower

Release Date: March 9, 2018
Label: Sony

Judas Priest is not making music for the sake of doing so. This band puts their heart and soul into everything they do. It all started 50 years ago…I know, hard to believe right?

So here we are in 2018 and the latest from the legends of metal has arrived. Aptly titled Firepower, it is heavy and pounding metal reminiscent of Screaming for Vengeance. Interesting enough, that is my favorite Priest record. This one comes in a close second. If it were not for sentimental value, it would be in a dead tie.

I decided to order the book version of the album through Pledge Music rather than waiting for my promo copy like I usually do. I also do not mind supporting bands with something other than reviews. Getting a download of a few tracks before they were released then the complete download before the official release of the album was nice too. I have used the Pledge Music service several times and I really like the way it brings in income for the artists.

So, where to start with 14 tracks for all us heavy metal maniacs? I am straight up and true with what I heard, this is all metal, and still some of best you can find. Asking Priest to do anything less would be like asking the devil to be the Easter bunny for a day. Their music has a common thread of darkness and evil about it, but that is what we expect for the subject matter. Like a sledgehammer, it permeates your soul. It comes at you full throttle, track by track, minute by minute.

Firepower is everything the title implies. It is their finest release since Nostradamus in my opinion. I realize there a few albums over the years that are not fan favorites but I would bet my last dollar that this one catches fire and becomes one of their most successful. The amazing thing about this band is that they are all in their late 60s now with the exception of guitarist Richie Faulkner, who has been a shot of energy and inspiration ever since he joined the band to replace K.K. Downing.

Every track is killer on this album, however, if I had to pick some favorites, they would be “Firepower,” “Evil Never Dies” and the superb closer “Sea of Red.” So, you have dynamite opening and closing tracks with plenty of gutsy meat and potatoes in between. That is what heavy metal is to me.

Longtime Judas Priest fans will be overjoyed with the release of Firepower. For a band that has been around long enough to finally call it day, they are robust, vital and relevant as they ever were. I think it’s refreshing and they stand as a monument to preserving heavy metal music and a great inspiration to those wishing to carry the torch in the future. Keep the flame burning gents, you are doing a fine job!

5/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
March 24, 2018

Founder of:

Review Provided By MuzikMan Reviews & News

Tracks:
01. Firepower
02. Lightning Strike
03. Evil Never Dies
04. Never The Heroes
05. Necromancer
06. Children of the Sun
07. Guardians
08. Rising From Ruins
09. Flame Thrower
10. Spectre
11. Traitors Gate
12. No Surrender
13. Lone Wolf
14. Sea of Red




7/02/2017

Heavy Metal Review: Rob Halford-The Complete Albums Collection

Release Date: May 19, 2017
Label: Legacy

Rob Halford is The Heavy Metal God. I don’t think too many people would dispute that claim. Although there are a few others like Ozzy that can stake claim to that title however he is the self-proclaimed prince of darkness. Halford has made his mark with the legendary band Judas Priest and he did have a remarkable solo career for several years. He is on his second long term stint as their front man and doing very well indeed.

I never got into his band Fight before and this was a great opportunity to do so. I really enjoyed the four recordings that are part of this box set. Even the K5: The War of Words Demos were good. And as far as demos go I would have to say excellent.

Halford put together a young and energetic band that really knew how to bring down the house. All you need is a good band and Halford fronting it, and you the perfect recipe for heavy metal mayhem.

When Resurrection and Crucible came out I remember being very anxious to hear them. I was wondering without Judas Priest if the man would lose his core sound and command in songs. Well that thought was dispelled quickly as those two releases cemented his solo career once and for all. We are all glad he went back to Priest but he did carve out an excellent solo career. It’s all about talent and chemistry and those two elements blended well on those excellent releases.

Live Insurrection is one of the better live albums I have ever heard. For my metal tastes, it ranks right up there with Deep Purple’s Made In Japan and Uriah Heep Live, both 70s classics that I played all the time. The only qualm I have with this box set is the inclusion of two other live albums, which are good but they don’t touch Live Insurrection. I really don’t think there was a need to have three live albums in one box set. More rarities would have been appropriate for this type of career spanning release.

Two was an experiment and it doesn’t sound like it belongs in this set at all but it was one of Halford’s solo projects. Halford III: Winter Songs was a novelty and now he can say he did a Christmas album. I thought it was a waste of time when he released it and it is the one blemish on his otherwise incredible career. Halford IV: Made of Metal would get him back on track again although it was not one of his best it was a good listen. He reclaimed his title as the heavy metal god once again and moved on to make some incredible music with Judas Priest (and they are working one another album presently).

So, take away two live albums and the Christmas album and what you have is various shades and levels of heavy metal music with one of the best voices in the history of the genre. Those three releases could have been replaced easily for us hungry metal fans with other recordings in the vaults. Perhaps that will be for another day though.

When you hear the scream like a banshee on “Resurrection” you know there is nobody that did it like Rob Halford. So just crank it up and enjoy. I started every day off for a week listening to this music on my morning drive. Metal and a cup of joe always set me right.

Check out the amazing solo career of Mr. Rob Halford. His work with Judas Priest continues to be excellent and what he did on his own certainly made a statement as well. He can hang his head high knowing his music represented Heavy Metal in the best way possible. 

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
July 2, 2017
Founder of:

Review Provided By Write A Music Review



Rob Halford The Complete Albums Collection

Albums:
Fight
K5: The War of Words Demos
War of Words
Mutations
A Small Deadly Space
2wo
Voyeurs
Resurrection
Live Insurrection
Crucible
Live in Anaheim
Halford III: Winter Songs
Halford IV: Made of Metal



8/29/2016

Concert Review: Black Sabbath At The Mohegan Sun Arena Connecticut


Aug 27, 2016

I thought I would never have the opportunity to see Black Sabbath live and it was likely they would never get back together to record again. Well I was wrong as both events happened and I can now check off another bucket list group. The improbable happened once again. What a great show I witnessed last evening at the Mohegan Sun. It is quite a facility and walking through the casino was very entertaining. It is like a little city contained in one building. It is very impressive.

I was very familiar with the opening band Rival Sons.  I have most of their music and they have amassed quite an impressive catalog I must say. Their most recent release is Hollow Bones which is excellent and it has some amazing artwork on the cover.

I find their music an energetic and moving type of blues rock and on some their tracks they sound like they stepped out of the 60s. They are different and original and that is what attracted me to their sound right from the start.


The lead vocalist is Jay Buchannan and good lord does the man have a set of pipes. I would recommend checking out all of their music and make sure you get to the Sabbath show early enough to catch them live. A lot of the crowd showed up when Sabbath came on and I had though the house would have been packed right from the start but it took a while.

Rival Sons Set List:
Electric Man
Secret
Pressure and Time
Tied Up
Torture
Fade Out
Open My Eyes
Keep On Swinging

After a break Black Sabbath came on stage. The huge white sheet with Black Sabbath emblazoned across it that was covering them dropped and then we were off! 

Most appropriately they opened up with “Black Sabbath.” Ozzy sounded pretty good and the band was very tight. I felt a chill come over me with the realization I was living out another lifetime dream.

Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman were the additional members backing original members Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Geezer Bulter (bass) and Tony Iommi (guitar). 

Wakeman was in a little tent off to the side of the stage and Clufetos was very prominently displaying his talents all night long including a phenomenal drum solo after the instrumental “Rat Salad” (Paranoid album).

Ozzy was a hit or miss all night with his vocals. It seemed some songs were spot on and others he was a bit off. “Snowblind” (Volume 4 album) was amazing. And “War Pigs” was great as well as the entire capacity crowd joined in. Ozzy was very animated and mobile, always urging the crowd to clap their hands and get into the flow of the music. “Hand of Doom” was also excellent. I was surprised that there was no coverage from their album 13 at all. That didn’t seem to bother the audience at all though, they loved every minute of what they were getting and so did I. I have to give the nod to the special effects backdrop as well it was very colorful and entertaining with a lot of close up shots of the band members, especially Geezer’s rapidly moving fingers on his bass!

During “Dirty Women” (Technical Ecstasy Album) the sound crew turned up Tony’s guitar so loud Ozzy could not hear himself singing and we could not even hear the drummer. I can see putting the spotlight on the lead guitar man but not at the expense of the rest of the band. That was the latter half of the show but very noticeable. Ozzy was relaying hand signals to let them know as well.

I picked up a tour shirt and special CD release that is only available at the concert with eight previously unreleased tracks. Four of the tracks never made it on to the last studio album and the other four are live recordings. I thought it was a bit pricey at $30, I think $20 would have been more reasonable but I got it anyway, it was a one shot deal and I would have regretted not getting it. I am all for supporting touring bands as it is more difficult to sell music in this day and age.

I am happy Tony Iommi is in remission of his cancer and he is here to bring the Black Sabbath legendary sound to life on stage for us. They ARE the godfathers of heavy metal without question and everyone else comes in second.

This is a great show that should not be missed! Once it’s over it really is The End for Black Sabbath, or so they say….

Black Sabbath Set List:
Fairies Wear Boots
After Forever
Into the Void
Snowblind
War Pigs
Behind the Wall of Sleep (with "Wasp" intro)
N.I.B. (with "Basically" intro)
Hand of Doom
Rat Salad
Iron Man
Dirty Women
Children of the Grave (with "Embryo" intro)
Encore:
Paranoid

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

10/20/2015

Heavy Metal Review: Iron Maiden-Book of Souls

Release Date: September 4, 2015
Label: BMG Recorded Music

Iron Maiden is one of heavy metal’s most legendary bands, who rose to fame and dominated the charts during the 1980s. This is one of those cases where if you do not know who they are, you must have been living under a rock for the past few decades. Formed in London in 1975, the current incarnation of the band consists of Bruce Dickinson (lead vocals, piano), Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar), Janick Gers (guitar), Steve Harris (bass, keyboards), and Nicko McBrain (drums). 

The Book of Souls is their sixteenth studio album, and their first since 2010’s The Final Frontier.  This eleven song double album clocks in at just over ninety minutes, and it is ninety minutes well spent.  While hitting on themes of mortality, the soul, death, and sorrow, The Book of Souls is one wild ride, leading to an unforgettable and incredible finale. 

“If Eternity Should Fail” is an all-around fantastic opener. First, there is the thrilling atmosphere in the beginning and, second, are the stellar vocals that bring everything to the next level. The music and vocals fit so well together that I would never want to separate them. There is also a great solo section a bit after the halfway point for good measure. Overall, it is a grand and mythic song musically, vocally, and lyrically. It is the perfect song to open the album, because if you like it, then I would be astonished if you did not like the rest. Living up to its name, “Speed of Light” is a hard-hitting rocker that comes out soaring like a comet through the night sky. There is great energy in the vocal performance, but the guitar work steals the show on this one.

“The Great Unknown” opens with a killer base line and astounds with its otherworldly sound. The vocals reach new heights that the previous songs did not, and the guitar solo around the five minute mark absolutely tears things it up. A towering beast of a song, “The Red and the Black” grabs you by the hair with its delicious opening riff, and then continues to groove right along. It is a fairly long, clocking in at just over thirteen and a half minutes, and though it does an adequate job of not wearing out its welcome, I was waiting for it to end by the eleven minute mark. Pulsating with energy, “When the River Runs Deep” is a fast paced, head-banging tune. “The Book of Souls” starts off mellow with an acoustic opening, before the whole band drops in to turn things up to eleven. The song has a great flow, leading to the most memorable riff on the album, making for a fantastic end to the first album. 

Starting off the second album in glorious fashion, “Death or Glory” is a high tempo track packed with unrelenting energy. It is a ripping and roaring song that absolutely soars, and has a great eighties throwback vibe to its sound with its riffs and melodies, making for a rock solid metal tune. The jarring opening of “Shadows of the Valley” has a slightly sinister feel to it and it could be the theme song to a dark fantasy film. The music is nice and controlled metal during the instrumental. 

“Tears of a Clown” is an interesting song, because it is a bit of a heavy metal lament. As you can tell by the title, the lyrics are sad and depressing. There is a nice guitar solo to lift the spirts up, as much as it can on a song like this. “The Man of Sorrows” is a haunting song with plenty of emotion. I am also thinking that it possibly makes “Tears of a Clown” a tad redundant. “Empire of the Clouds” is the closers of all closers, a truly epic and stunning song. There is the beautiful piano opening, an album highlight for sure, that moves seamlessly into metal territory with some nice harmonies and killer guitar parts.  It is by far the album’s longest song, but it never wears out its welcome.

It is safe to say that Iron Maiden has knocked it out of the park with The Book of Souls, and it made it over the fence with plenty of room to spare.  Despite a few minor glitches, I have found that this album has grown on me with each listen. This album is a must for Iron Maiden fans. The Book of Souls is a 21st century metal masterpiece. 

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: If Eternity Should Fail, The Great Unknown, Death or Glory, Empire of Clouds

Tracks:

Disc One
1.If Eternity Should Fail
2.Speed of Light
3.The Great Unknown
4.The Red and the Black
5.When the River Runs Deep
6.The Book of Souls


Disc 2
1.Death or Glory
2.Shadows of the Valley
3.Tears of a Clown
4.The Man of Sorrows

5.Empire of the Clouds


Brian McKinnon - Write A Music Review Sr. Staff
October 20, 2015
Review Provided By Write A Music Review



Heavy Metal/Prog Metal Review: Iron Maiden-Book of Souls

Release Date: September 4, 2015
Label: BMG Recorded Music

Iron Maiden is one of heavy metal’s most legendary bands, who rose to fame and dominated the charts during the 1980s. This is one of those cases where if you do not know who they are, you must have been living under a rock for the past few decades. Formed in London in 1975, the current incarnation of the band consists of Bruce Dickinson (lead vocals, piano), Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar), Janick Gers (guitar), Steve Harris (bass, keyboards), and Nicko McBrain (drums). 

The Book of Souls is their sixteenth studio album, and their first since 2010’s The Final Frontier.  This eleven song double album clocks in at just over ninety minutes, and it is ninety minutes well spent.  While hitting on themes of mortality, the soul, death, and sorrow, The Book of Souls is one wild ride, leading to an unforgettable and incredible finale. 

“If Eternity Should Fail” is an all-around fantastic opener. First, there is the thrilling atmosphere in the beginning and, second, are the stellar vocals that bring everything to the next level. The music and vocals fit so well together that I would never want to separate them. There is also a great solo section a bit after the halfway point for good measure. Overall, it is a grand and mythic song musically, vocally, and lyrically. It is the perfect song to open the album, because if you like it, then I would be astonished if you did not like the rest. Living up to its name, “Speed of Light” is a hard-hitting rocker that comes out soaring like a comet through the night sky. There is great energy in the vocal performance, but the guitar work steals the show on this one.

“The Great Unknown” opens with a killer base line and astounds with its otherworldly sound. The vocals reach new heights that the previous songs did not, and the guitar solo around the five minute mark absolutely tears things it up. A towering beast of a song, “The Red and the Black” grabs you by the hair with its delicious opening riff, and then continues to groove right along. It is a fairly long, clocking in at just over thirteen and a half minutes, and though it does an adequate job of not wearing out its welcome, I was waiting for it to end by the eleven minute mark. Pulsating with energy, “When the River Runs Deep” is a fast paced, head-banging tune. “The Book of Souls” starts off mellow with an acoustic opening, before the whole band drops in to turn things up to eleven. The song has a great flow, leading to the most memorable riff on the album, making for a fantastic end to the first album. 

Starting off the second album in glorious fashion, “Death or Glory” is a high tempo track packed with unrelenting energy. It is a ripping and roaring song that absolutely soars, and has a great eighties throwback vibe to its sound with its riffs and melodies, making for a rock solid metal tune. The jarring opening of “Shadows of the Valley” has a slightly sinister feel to it and it could be the theme song to a dark fantasy film. The music is nice and controlled metal during the instrumental. 

“Tears of a Clown” is an interesting song, because it is a bit of a heavy metal lament. As you can tell by the title, the lyrics are sad and depressing. There is a nice guitar solo to lift the spirts up, as much as it can on a song like this. “The Man of Sorrows” is a haunting song with plenty of emotion. I am also thinking that it possibly makes “Tears of a Clown” a tad redundant. “Empire of the Clouds” is the closers of all closers, a truly epic and stunning song. There is the beautiful piano opening, an album highlight for sure, that moves seamlessly into metal territory with some nice harmonies and killer guitar parts.  It is by far the album’s longest song, but it never wears out its welcome.

It is safe to say that Iron Maiden has knocked it out of the park with The Book of Souls, and it made it over the fence with plenty of room to spare.  Despite a few minor glitches, I have found that this album has grown on me with each listen. This album is a must for Iron Maiden fans. The Book of Souls is a 21stcentury metal masterpiece. 

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: If Eternity Should Fail, The Great Unknown, Death or Glory, Empire of Clouds

Tracks:

Disc One
1.If Eternity Should Fail
2.Speed of Light
3.The Great Unknown
4.The Red and the Black
5.When the River Runs Deep
6.The Book of Souls


Disc 2
1.Death or Glory
2.Shadows of the Valley
3.Tears of a Clown
4.The Man of Sorrows

5.Empire of the Clouds


Brian McKinnon - Write A Music Review Sr. Staff
October 20, 2015
Review Provided By Write A Music Review



4/29/2015

Heavy Metal / Hard Rock Review: UFO-A Conspiracy of Stars

Release Date: February 23, 2015
Label: Steamhammer

There is something to be said about longevity, the ability to last and endure despite all that life throws at you.  And enduring is just what UFO has been doing for decades, which is even more impressive as a band, because audiences are fickle and music fads and trends come and go, but the real artists remain. 
Formed just as the 1960s were ending, Phil Mogg, Pete Way, Mick Bolton, and Andy Parker made-up the original line-up. They put out two albums before Bolton left and was eventually replaced by Scorpion’s Michael Schenker, which began their successful 70s years.  Like many rock bands of that era, UFO has experienced many personnel changes with Phil Mogg (vocals), Vinnie Moore (lead guitar), Paul Raymond (keyboards, rhythm guitar), Rob De Luca (bass), and Andy Parker (drums) being the most recent incarnation.  A Conspiracy of Stars is UFO’s twentieth album and is it full of guitar-driven hard rock goodness.

“The Killing Kind” gets things going with a nice guitar riff and some pulsating drums.  It is a good song to start the album and is a nice indication of what is to come with some gorgeous sounding guitar action that can be found all over the album.  They turn it up on “Run Boy Run.”  The song has some real attitude, coming out heavy and hard.  It is one of the more memorable songs on the album.  The guitar is all over this one and tears it up near the end.  With great hooks and a cool western feel to it, “Ballad of the Left Hand Gun” is a very dynamic song that rocks hard and does a good job of heating things up.

Switching things up is “Sugar Cane.” The tempo comes down, the sound has a bluesy ring to it, but things stay as heavy as ever.  The guitar solo in the second part of the song is amazing and really sticks in the mind.  It definitely is the main factor for me in coming back to this song again and again, because it is such a great part.  “Devil’s in the Details” keeps things hard and heavy and sports a pretty sweet groove as well.  The power ballad, “Precious Cargo,” follows it up nicely.

As the album nears the end, “The Real Deal” and “One and Only” are two quality rock songs that keep things hot and jumping.  “Messiah of Love” brings back the heavy sound and it is gorgeous. Everything is on point here, the vocals, the guitars, and the drums are all tight and in perfect form. I would not be surprised if this becomes an album favorite for many fans.  “Rollin’ and Rollin’” is a strong closer that is pure hard rock brilliance.  The guitars that tear it up near the end are just the icing on the cake.   The limited edition bonus track, “King of the Hill,” is thrilling with its rip-roaring opening and cool riff that rolls right along through the song.

UFO’s A Conspiracy of Stars proves that you are never too old to rock out.  Through all the years and line-up changes, UFO still has the juice to put forth a very solid effort.  This is definitely the type of album that longtime fans of the band and hard rock fans can get behind.  There are plenty of meat and potatoes here with very little fluff.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Run Boy Run, Ballad of the Left Hand Gun, Messiah of Love

Tracks: 
01.The Killing Kind
02.Run Boy Run
03.Ballad of the Left Hand Gun
04.Sugar Cane
05.Devil’s in the Details
06.Precious Cargo
07.The Real Deal
08.One and Only
09.Messiah of Love
10.Rollin’ and Rollin’
11.King of the Hil
l


Brian McKinnon - Write A Music Review Sr. Staff
April 29, 2015
Review Provided By Write A Music Review

4/07/2015

Heavy Metal Review: Judas Priest-Defenders of the Faith 30th Anniversary Deluxe

Release Date: March 10, 2015
Label: Sony Legacy

Defenders of the Faith is a Judas Priest classic metal album that is celebrating 30 years since its initial release. The 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition offers the original album remastered with two additional discs of live material. All the live recordings are from a show at The Long Beach Arena on May 5, 1984. The set comes in a cardboard fold out case with a slip cover the goes over the top of the demon on the cover. A booklet with some accounts of the band is included with several pictures of the time period. It is a quality package that music fans and collectors will appreciate.

The live material shows a band at height of their powers and in full command of their live set with the ability to energize a crowd, not to mention the Metal God had a full head of hair. The sound quality is excellent. I have heard some of these live tracks on previous reissues however this is the entire show all packaged together for this special release.

After going through their entire catalog over the years and having the opportunity review their box set three years ago, and then seeing how this album stood up against the rest I felt it was a good album but not great. Well I think after hearing it once again coupled with the two live discs I have a different viewpoint (of course that is ever changing and evolving with each passing year).

Defenders of the Faith does stand up there as one of their best and certainly they have several great albums that have been released in their long illustrious career, Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel and Nostradamus come to mind quickly. Having had the pleasure of seeing them three times now on a stage I can attest to their appeal to metal fans worldwide. I saw them on the British Steel 30th Anniversary Tour and it was amazing. I don’t know if it’s in the cards to do the same thing with the Defenders of the Faith album but it would fun.
Of the ten tracks presented on the album most hold up well to this day. “Jawbreaker” still holds you spellbound with electricity and power while “The Sentinel” (albeit with some melodic guitar lines to kick it off) has always been a favorite and of course the tribute to the blood lusting vampire “Love Bites,” still can grab your attention and bring visions of horror and evil. “Heavy Duty” is just that, heavy metal at its very best. It has the perfect title and the term “heavy” is easily assimilated and envisioned through the music.

This is a strong album but not a 5 star affair as some of the aforementioned releases, however it is still very strong and given further recognition with this special anniversary edition that includes an excellent portrayal of the band in the 80’s. It is classic Judas Priest, what more can one say, it is without a doubt a must have for fans of heavy metal and a testament to their undying popularity and relevance in the metal community. The front cover should be adorned with the sticker “Gotta Have It!”

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Jawbreaker, Love Bites, The Sentinel

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Write A Music Review Founder
April 7, 2015
Review Provided By Write A Music Review