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

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Label: Sony Legacy

Website

Defenders of the Faith is a Judas Priest classic metal album that is celebrating 30 years since its initial release. The 30^th 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 30^th 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

Rock-Pop Review: The Beatles-Rubber Soul 180 gm Vinyl LP

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Label: Capitol/Parlophone

Website

The Beatles went through several formative phases during their incredibly successful career. The series of mono 180 gram vinyl LP releases in mono is a tribute to their originality. The albums are how the band believed they should sound after recording.

Rubber Soul was a pivotal album that initiated a major change in their style and complexity with music, lyrics and overall direction.The album came on the heels of the enormously successful Help! album and subsequent movie.

The McCartney and Lennon writing partnership reached new heights with Rubber Soul. “Nowhere Man” and “In My Life” are fine examples of their maturity with the lyrics and the musical presentation. These classic tracks still stand as monumental achievements in The Beatles catalog of recorded works. Of course the all-important lead off track “Drive My Car” was nothing to sneeze at; it was an incredibly huge hit and a great way to kick off the album.

Ringo got his moment in the spotlight leading off side two of the LP with “What Goes On.” He also got writing credit with Lennon and McCartney under his real name Starkey. The songs Ringo provided lead vocals on always had a different musical direction and a welcome one at that. This one had a certain country twang that separated it from all the others besides Ringo’s very distinct vocal style.

So The Beatles released yet another album chock full of hits just as everyone expected. What was to come after this recording would set them on a path into the world of psychedelic rock with more intricate music followed by a succession of complex lyrical endeavors. This made them less predictable and multi-dimensional (in a good way). With each subsequent release things got more adventurous and experimental but Rubber Soul is where the biggest change happened ushering in new era for the mop tops.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Nowhere Man, In My Life, Drive My Car

Track Listing:

Side 1: 
1. Drive My Car (2009 - Remaster)
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (2009 - Remaster)
3. You Won't See Me (2009 - Remaster)
4. Nowhere Man (2009 - Remaster)
5. Think For Yourself (2009 - Remaster)
6. The Word (2009 - Remaster)
7. Michelle (2009 - Remaster)

Side 2: 
1. What Goes On (2009 - Remaster)
2. Girl (2009 - Remaster)
3. I'm Looking Through You (2009 - Remaster)
4. In My Life (2009 - Remaster)
5. Wait (2009 - Remaster)
6. If I Needed Someone (2009 - Remaster)
7. Run For Your Life (2009 - Remaster) Item #: BGLPB508
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Write A Music Review Founder

November 1, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music 

Gear Review: Vox AC4C1 - Review & Demo

03/09/2014

The Vox AC4TV was an all around hit for budget musicians, bedroom players,  and those who want to record cranked tubes at lower volumes. Following in the trails of success comes the AC4C1, offered in two cool colors and a couple new updates, all for $50 extra.

Features & Build
The AC4C1 has a very limited control panel - Gain, Treble, Bass, and Volume. This is exciting, considering the AC4TV only has Tone, Volume, and OP Level. There is one input, and also a 16 ohm jack for connecting an external cabinet. However, these additional tone sculpting options come at a cost - unlike it's cheaper sibling, there is no attenuator built in. All of this tone is being pushed through a custom 10" Celestion speaker. Mine came in limited edition cream. The tolex looks very pretty, and the amp looks slick with the gold logo and silver grill cloth. It is very lightweight, making it super easy to transport.

Sound
Plugging in my Fender Stratocaster (Vintage Noiseless pickups), the amp has that compression and chime that Vox is famous for. Keeping the gain below noon, you can keep a single coil equipped guitar clean at pretty much any volume. Turning up the gain to about 1 o' clock gives you just enough grit to summon up "The Joshua Tree" tones. That is why I purchased this amp, and for that purpose, it greatly succeeds. For a humbucker equipped guitar like my ESP LTD EC-1000 (Seymour Duncan JB/'59), it is much more difficult to get a clean sound.  A light crunch sounds very good, but as you turn up the gain knob (past 1 o' clock), the sound gets very fuzzy despite where the volume is. This is a characteristic that many small tube amps have, so I'm not too surprised about that. Regardless, that fuzziness inspired me to embrace the tone and learn some classic 60's rock n' roll. It was a blast.

I have to admit, the built in speaker isn't that great. Unfortunately, the combo sounds small and boxy. You can't get the complete package for $300, but I believe the external speaker jack helps make up for this. Plugging into my Marshall 4x12 with Celestion G12C's, the amp really came to life. The tones sounded much fuller, less fizzy, and overall bigger. The AC4C1 also takes effects surprisingly well. Throwing a delay up front, the sound never gets muddied up or busy. I was able to plug in a myriad of effects without a problem, and they all sounded fine to my ears.

The Verdict
The AC4C1 is a lot of amp in a cheap package. Although it'll struggle to keep up with a drummer, it can still sound huge in a recording situation. And believe me, these 4 all-tube watts are still very loud.  The external speaker option is my favorite inclusion, just because it turns the amp from small and boxy, to full and rich. This is Vox "Top Boost" tone in a 4 watt amp. If you're looking for a tiny Vox to jam on, this should be on the top of your list.

tonechaser score - 8/10
 

Gear Review: Vox AC4C1 - Review & Demo

03/09/2014

The Vox AC4TV was an all around hit for budget musicians, bedroom players,  and those who want to record cranked tubes at lower volumes. Following in the trails of success comes the AC4C1, offered in two cool colors and a couple new updates, all for $50 extra.

Features & Build
The AC4C1 has a very limited control panel - Gain, Treble, Bass, and Volume. This is exciting, considering the AC4TV only has Tone, Volume, and OP Level. There is one input, and also a 16 ohm jack for connecting an external cabinet. However, these additional tone sculpting options come at a cost - unlike it's cheaper sibling, there is no attenuator built in. All of this tone is being pushed through a custom 10" Celestion speaker. Mine came in limited edition cream. The tolex looks very pretty, and the amp looks slick with the gold logo and silver grill cloth. It is very lightweight, making it super easy to transport.

Sound
Plugging in my Fender Stratocaster (Vintage Noiseless pickups), the amp has that compression and chime that Vox is famous for. Keeping the gain below noon, you can keep a single coil equipped guitar clean at pretty much any volume. Turning up the gain to about 1 o' clock gives you just enough grit to summon up "The Joshua Tree" tones. That is why I purchased this amp, and for that purpose, it greatly succeeds. For a humbucker equipped guitar like my ESP LTD EC-1000 (Seymour Duncan JB/'59), it is much more difficult to get a clean sound.  A light crunch sounds very good, but as you turn up the gain knob (past 1 o' clock), the sound gets very fuzzy despite where the volume is. This is a characteristic that many small tube amps have, so I'm not too surprised about that. Regardless, that fuzziness inspired me to embrace the tone and learn some classic 60's rock n' roll. It was a blast.

I have to admit, the built in speaker isn't that great. Unfortunately, the combo sounds small and boxy. You can't get the complete package for $300, but I believe the external speaker jack helps make up for this. Plugging into my Marshall 4x12 with Celestion G12C's, the amp really came to life. The tones sounded much fuller, less fizzy, and overall bigger. The AC4C1 also takes effects surprisingly well. Throwing a delay up front, the sound never gets muddied up or busy. I was able to plug in a myriad of effects without a problem, and they all sounded fine to my ears.

The Verdict
The AC4C1 is a lot of amp in a cheap package. Although it'll struggle to keep up with a drummer, it can still sound huge in a recording situation. And believe me, these 4 all-tube watts are still very loud.  The external speaker option is my favorite inclusion, just because it turns the amp from small and boxy, to full and rich. This is Vox "Top Boost" tone in a 4 watt amp. If you're looking for a tiny Vox to jam on, this should be on the top of your list.

tonechaser score - 8/10