...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Album "The Eternal Idol" powstawał w trudnym dla Tony'ego Iommiego okresie. Zmuszony do kontynuowania działalności pod szyldem Black Sabbath, zmagał się z nieustającymi rotacjami w składzie. Jeszcze podczas trasy koncertowej promującej "Seventh Star", po jakiś trzech występach, z zespołu odszedł Glenn Hughes, a jego miejsce zajął Ray Gillen. Wkrótce potem nastąpiła zmiana na stanowisku basisty, które objął Bob Daisley (znany z Rainbow i solowych albumów Ozzy'ego Osbourne'a). Zespół przystąpił do tworzenia nowego albumu - nie bez problemów, bo okazało się, że Gillen zupełnie nie potrafi pisać tekstów. Ostatecznie napisał je Daisley, który zajmował się tym już u Osbourne'a. Najgorsze nastąpiło jednak tuż po zakończeniu nagrań, gdy skład całkowicie się posypał - odszedł zarówno Gillen, jak i sekcja rytmiczna, która postanowiła grać u Gary'ego Moore'a. Iommi nie miał zamiaru po raz kolejny wydawać albumu z jednym wokalistą, a na trasę wyruszyć już z innym. Zatrudnił więc Tony'ego Martina, aby nagrał na nowo wszystkie partie wokalne.

"The Eternal Idol" kontynuuje drogę obraną na "Seventh Star". Dominuje tutaj raczej sztampowe, heavymetalowe granie o wygładzonym brzmieniu za sprawą kiczowatych, syntezatorowych podkładów w tle. Całkiem nieźle wypada otwierający całość "The Shining", wyróżniający się nawet dobrą melodią, zaś w finałowym "Eternal Idol" pojawia się namiastka dawnego mroku i ciężaru - niestety, zespół nawiązuje do swojej przeszłości w zbyt przerysowany - i zwyczajnie nudny - sposób. Wyróżnia się jeszcze akustyczna, instrumentalna miniaturka "Scarlet Pimpernel" - ale tylko ze względu na swój odmienny charakter. O pozostałych kawałkach nie warto nawet wspominać. To po prostu bardzo przewidywalne i raczej tandetne granie, w naprawdę okropnej stylistyce, mieszczącej się gdzieś pomiędzy kiczowatym heavy metalem, a banalnym AOR-em. Jeśli zaś chodzi o Tony'ego Martina, to za sprawą barwy głosu i zamiłowania do zbyt wysokich tonów - najbliżej mu do Ronniego Jamesa Dio. Na szczęście unika typowej dla Dio teatralnej maniery (poza utworem tytułowym), dzięki czemu jest nieco bardziej znośny.

"The Eternal Idol" to po prostu jeden z najsłabszych albumów wydanych pod szyldem Black Sabbath. Zawodzi tutaj niemal wszystko, od bezbarwnych kompozycji, przez denną stylistkę i bezpłciowe wykonanie, po kiczowate brzmienie. Firmowanie czegoś takiego nazwą Black Sabbath to zniewaga dla wszystkich wielbicieli tego zespołu.

Paweł Pałasz


Długo – bo około rok – rodził się ten album. O wierze twórców w jego sukces niech świadczy fakt, że Tony Iommi jako jedyny przetrwał sesję nagraniową od początku do końca, wszyscy inni zrezygnowali w trakcie…

Największym grzechem krążka jest fakt, że Iommi zamiast kroczyć drogą charakterystycznego, sabbathowego stylu, postanowił – zapewne licząc na komercyjny sukces – skręcić w strony, w jakie żadna płyta tego zespołu nie powinna zbaczać. Choć „The Eternal Idol” od początku był planowany jako wydawnictwo Black Sabbath, niewiele ma wspólnego z dotychczasowymi dokonaniami kapeli. Może nie robiłbym z tego wielkiego problemu, gdyby nowy kierunek rekompensował zmianę i wyrzeczenie się tożsamości zespołu. Niestety, ten krążek reprezentuje to, co najgorsze w heavy metalu tamtych czasów. Ba, nie jestem całkiem przekonany, czy o heavy metalu można tu mówić z czystym sumieniem, bowiem bliżej muzyce tutaj zaproponowanej do dokonań zespołów z kręgu glam rocka lub glam metalu, do bólu komercyjnej w jak najbardziej negatywnym tego słowa znaczeniu. Kompozycje są przesadnie uładzone, a przy tym totalnie bezbarwne i nijakie; o ile „The Shining” może się jeszcze podobać, to takie „Hard Life To Love” czy „Lost Forever” nie pozostawiają w słuchaczu absolutnie nic. Rozpoczynający się od dość tajemniczo brzmiących klawiszy „Nightmare” rokuje dobrze, lecz okazuje się, że i tu mamy do czynienia z utworem całkowicie przeciętnym. Znośnie prezentuje się „Glory Ride”, chociaż sabbathowi ortodoksi słysząc go raczej spluną z obrzydzeniem. Akustyczna miniatura „Scarlet Pimpernel” też nie robi takiego wrażenia, jak starsze tego typu kompozycje. Dopiero na koniec – najwyraźniej w ramach osłody po gorzkawym daniu – dostajemy utwór utrzymany w klasycznej stylistyce Black Sabbath. Ciężki „Eternal Idol” może zaczarować mrocznym, dusznym klimatem, w dużej mierze generowanym przez fajnie zaaranżowane gitarowe pajęczynki (chociaż i tak gitarę spiłowano tu aż do przesady, więcej mocy na pewno by nie zaszkodziło), tyle że jedna dobra kompozycja nie uratuje całego krążka.

Za mikrofonem debiutuje w Black Sabbath Tony Martin, zatrudniony w zasadzie w ostatniej chwili. Nie miał wielkiego pola do popisu, bowiem linie wokalne ułożył jego poprzednik, Ray Gillen, i musiał się do nich po prostu dostosować. Wokalista nie do końca jeszcze czuje muzykę zespołu, na dodatek wyraźnie słychać, że brakuje mu charyzmy wielkich poprzedników (Osbourne-Dio-Gillan-Hughes), chociaż kłamstwem byłoby stwierdzenie, że jego występ na „The Eternal Idol” jest nieudany. Po prostu na kolejnych płytach Martin udowadnia, że ma swój styl i większe możliwości, niż zaprezentowane tutaj. Klawiszowiec Geoff Nicholls robi co może, żeby wprowadzić choć trochę mrocznego nastroju, ale nieciekawe w większości partie Iommiego kładą klimat na całej linii. Brzmienie również nie zadowala i powiela błędy producentów lat 80., a więc mamy perkusję z przesadnym pogłosem, nieco spłaszczone gitary i trochę zbyt słabo wyczuwalny bas.

„The Eternal Idol” okazał się klapą, i artystyczną, i komercyjną. Nie jest to jakiś bardzo zły album, którego nie dałoby się słuchać, aczkolwiek od materiału wydanego pod szyldem Black Sabbath wymagać trzeba o wiele więcej, niż przeciętnego, skomercjalizowanego grania, od jakiego zwyczajnie wieje nudą. To jeden z tych punktów w dyskografii zespołu, jakiego mogłoby w ogóle nie być.

Ciemna Stron Rocka


Okładka i tytuł inspirowane są rzeźbą Auguste’a Rodin.

W Internecie można znaleźć kompletny zapis demo płyty z Rayem Gillenem na wokalu. Jedyna pozostałość jego głosu na albumie to śmiech w „Nightmare”. Autorem tekstów jest Bob Daisley, które jednak modyfikowali później Martin i Nicholls.

Po przybyciu Tony’ego Martina Iommi skomponował z nim dwie dodatkowe kompozycje: „Some Kind Of Woman”, która trafiła na stronę B singla „The Shining” oraz „Black Moon”, jaka pojawiła się na singlu „Eternal Idol”.
„Black Moon” została zresztą nagrana na nowo na kolejnym albumie, zatytułowanym „Headless Cross”.
Martin miał 8 dni na nagranie wszystkich wokali.
Choć w książeczce wymieniony jest Dave Spitz, to jednak na basie zagrał ostatecznie Bob Daisley, który po prostu zarejestrował partie swego poprzednika.

Po odejściu perkusisty Erica Singera kilku dogrywek dokonał Bev Bevan (w „Scarlet Pimpernel” i „Eternal Idol”).



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1 - Original Album:
1. The Shining 5:58
2. Ancient Warrior 5:32
3. Hard Life To Love 4:58
4. Glory Ride 4:48
5. Born To Lose 3:43
6. Nightmare 5:19
7. Scarlet Pimpernel 2:06
8. Lost Forever 4:05
9. Eternal Idol 6:37

Bonus Tracks (Single B-side):
10. Black Moon 3:38
11. Some Kind Of Woman 3:15


CD 2 - The Eternal Idol: Ray Gillen Session
1. Glory Ride (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 5:20
2. Born To Lose (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 3:40
3. Lost Forever (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 4:16
4. Eternal Idol (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 6:47
5. The Shining (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 6:28
6. Hard Life To Love (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 5:17
7. Nightmare (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 4:47
8. Ancient Warrior (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 4:54

'The Eternal Idol' was originally released on 1st November 1987 by Vertigo/Phonogram, VERH 51 (832 708-1)
Tracks 1-10 and 1-11 were originally released as B-Sides on the single Black Sabbath - The Shining



..::OBSADA::..

Tony Iommi - guitars
Tony Martin - vocals
Geoff Nicholls - keyboards
Bob Daisley - bass
Eric Singer - drums

Additional personnel:
Ray Gillen - sinister laugh on 'Nightmare', vocals on 2010 deluxe edition Disc 2
Bev Bevan - percussion and cymbal overdubs on 'Scarlet Pimpernel'




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aK-Sxuj8Ys



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

Album "The Eternal Idol" powstawał w trudnym dla Tony'ego Iommiego okresie. Zmuszony do kontynuowania działalności pod szyldem Black Sabbath, zmagał się z nieustającymi rotacjami w składzie. Jeszcze podczas trasy koncertowej promującej "Seventh Star", po jakiś trzech występach, z zespołu odszedł Glenn Hughes, a jego miejsce zajął Ray Gillen. Wkrótce potem nastąpiła zmiana na stanowisku basisty, które objął Bob Daisley (znany z Rainbow i solowych albumów Ozzy'ego Osbourne'a). Zespół przystąpił do tworzenia nowego albumu - nie bez problemów, bo okazało się, że Gillen zupełnie nie potrafi pisać tekstów. Ostatecznie napisał je Daisley, który zajmował się tym już u Osbourne'a. Najgorsze nastąpiło jednak tuż po zakończeniu nagrań, gdy skład całkowicie się posypał - odszedł zarówno Gillen, jak i sekcja rytmiczna, która postanowiła grać u Gary'ego Moore'a. Iommi nie miał zamiaru po raz kolejny wydawać albumu z jednym wokalistą, a na trasę wyruszyć już z innym. Zatrudnił więc Tony'ego Martina, aby nagrał na nowo wszystkie partie wokalne.

"The Eternal Idol" kontynuuje drogę obraną na "Seventh Star". Dominuje tutaj raczej sztampowe, heavymetalowe granie o wygładzonym brzmieniu za sprawą kiczowatych, syntezatorowych podkładów w tle. Całkiem nieźle wypada otwierający całość "The Shining", wyróżniający się nawet dobrą melodią, zaś w finałowym "Eternal Idol" pojawia się namiastka dawnego mroku i ciężaru - niestety, zespół nawiązuje do swojej przeszłości w zbyt przerysowany - i zwyczajnie nudny - sposób. Wyróżnia się jeszcze akustyczna, instrumentalna miniaturka "Scarlet Pimpernel" - ale tylko ze względu na swój odmienny charakter. O pozostałych kawałkach nie warto nawet wspominać. To po prostu bardzo przewidywalne i raczej tandetne granie, w naprawdę okropnej stylistyce, mieszczącej się gdzieś pomiędzy kiczowatym heavy metalem, a banalnym AOR-em. Jeśli zaś chodzi o Tony'ego Martina, to za sprawą barwy głosu i zamiłowania do zbyt wysokich tonów - najbliżej mu do Ronniego Jamesa Dio. Na szczęście unika typowej dla Dio teatralnej maniery (poza utworem tytułowym), dzięki czemu jest nieco bardziej znośny.

"The Eternal Idol" to po prostu jeden z najsłabszych albumów wydanych pod szyldem Black Sabbath. Zawodzi tutaj niemal wszystko, od bezbarwnych kompozycji, przez denną stylistkę i bezpłciowe wykonanie, po kiczowate brzmienie. Firmowanie czegoś takiego nazwą Black Sabbath to zniewaga dla wszystkich wielbicieli tego zespołu.

Paweł Pałasz


Długo – bo około rok – rodził się ten album. O wierze twórców w jego sukces niech świadczy fakt, że Tony Iommi jako jedyny przetrwał sesję nagraniową od początku do końca, wszyscy inni zrezygnowali w trakcie…

Największym grzechem krążka jest fakt, że Iommi zamiast kroczyć drogą charakterystycznego, sabbathowego stylu, postanowił – zapewne licząc na komercyjny sukces – skręcić w strony, w jakie żadna płyta tego zespołu nie powinna zbaczać. Choć „The Eternal Idol” od początku był planowany jako wydawnictwo Black Sabbath, niewiele ma wspólnego z dotychczasowymi dokonaniami kapeli. Może nie robiłbym z tego wielkiego problemu, gdyby nowy kierunek rekompensował zmianę i wyrzeczenie się tożsamości zespołu. Niestety, ten krążek reprezentuje to, co najgorsze w heavy metalu tamtych czasów. Ba, nie jestem całkiem przekonany, czy o heavy metalu można tu mówić z czystym sumieniem, bowiem bliżej muzyce tutaj zaproponowanej do dokonań zespołów z kręgu glam rocka lub glam metalu, do bólu komercyjnej w jak najbardziej negatywnym tego słowa znaczeniu. Kompozycje są przesadnie uładzone, a przy tym totalnie bezbarwne i nijakie; o ile „The Shining” może się jeszcze podobać, to takie „Hard Life To Love” czy „Lost Forever” nie pozostawiają w słuchaczu absolutnie nic. Rozpoczynający się od dość tajemniczo brzmiących klawiszy „Nightmare” rokuje dobrze, lecz okazuje się, że i tu mamy do czynienia z utworem całkowicie przeciętnym. Znośnie prezentuje się „Glory Ride”, chociaż sabbathowi ortodoksi słysząc go raczej spluną z obrzydzeniem. Akustyczna miniatura „Scarlet Pimpernel” też nie robi takiego wrażenia, jak starsze tego typu kompozycje. Dopiero na koniec – najwyraźniej w ramach osłody po gorzkawym daniu – dostajemy utwór utrzymany w klasycznej stylistyce Black Sabbath. Ciężki „Eternal Idol” może zaczarować mrocznym, dusznym klimatem, w dużej mierze generowanym przez fajnie zaaranżowane gitarowe pajęczynki (chociaż i tak gitarę spiłowano tu aż do przesady, więcej mocy na pewno by nie zaszkodziło), tyle że jedna dobra kompozycja nie uratuje całego krążka.

Za mikrofonem debiutuje w Black Sabbath Tony Martin, zatrudniony w zasadzie w ostatniej chwili. Nie miał wielkiego pola do popisu, bowiem linie wokalne ułożył jego poprzednik, Ray Gillen, i musiał się do nich po prostu dostosować. Wokalista nie do końca jeszcze czuje muzykę zespołu, na dodatek wyraźnie słychać, że brakuje mu charyzmy wielkich poprzedników (Osbourne-Dio-Gillan-Hughes), chociaż kłamstwem byłoby stwierdzenie, że jego występ na „The Eternal Idol” jest nieudany. Po prostu na kolejnych płytach Martin udowadnia, że ma swój styl i większe możliwości, niż zaprezentowane tutaj. Klawiszowiec Geoff Nicholls robi co może, żeby wprowadzić choć trochę mrocznego nastroju, ale nieciekawe w większości partie Iommiego kładą klimat na całej linii. Brzmienie również nie zadowala i powiela błędy producentów lat 80., a więc mamy perkusję z przesadnym pogłosem, nieco spłaszczone gitary i trochę zbyt słabo wyczuwalny bas.

„The Eternal Idol” okazał się klapą, i artystyczną, i komercyjną. Nie jest to jakiś bardzo zły album, którego nie dałoby się słuchać, aczkolwiek od materiału wydanego pod szyldem Black Sabbath wymagać trzeba o wiele więcej, niż przeciętnego, skomercjalizowanego grania, od jakiego zwyczajnie wieje nudą. To jeden z tych punktów w dyskografii zespołu, jakiego mogłoby w ogóle nie być.

Ciemna Stron Rocka


Okładka i tytuł inspirowane są rzeźbą Auguste’a Rodin.

W Internecie można znaleźć kompletny zapis demo płyty z Rayem Gillenem na wokalu. Jedyna pozostałość jego głosu na albumie to śmiech w „Nightmare”. Autorem tekstów jest Bob Daisley, które jednak modyfikowali później Martin i Nicholls.

Po przybyciu Tony’ego Martina Iommi skomponował z nim dwie dodatkowe kompozycje: „Some Kind Of Woman”, która trafiła na stronę B singla „The Shining” oraz „Black Moon”, jaka pojawiła się na singlu „Eternal Idol”.
„Black Moon” została zresztą nagrana na nowo na kolejnym albumie, zatytułowanym „Headless Cross”.
Martin miał 8 dni na nagranie wszystkich wokali.
Choć w książeczce wymieniony jest Dave Spitz, to jednak na basie zagrał ostatecznie Bob Daisley, który po prostu zarejestrował partie swego poprzednika.

Po odejściu perkusisty Erica Singera kilku dogrywek dokonał Bev Bevan (w „Scarlet Pimpernel” i „Eternal Idol”).



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1 - Original Album:
1. The Shining 5:58
2. Ancient Warrior 5:32
3. Hard Life To Love 4:58
4. Glory Ride 4:48
5. Born To Lose 3:43
6. Nightmare 5:19
7. Scarlet Pimpernel 2:06
8. Lost Forever 4:05
9. Eternal Idol 6:37

Bonus Tracks (Single B-side):
10. Black Moon 3:38
11. Some Kind Of Woman 3:15


CD 2 - The Eternal Idol: Ray Gillen Session
1. Glory Ride (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 5:20
2. Born To Lose (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 3:40
3. Lost Forever (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 4:16
4. Eternal Idol (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 6:47
5. The Shining (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 6:28
6. Hard Life To Love (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 5:17
7. Nightmare (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 4:47
8. Ancient Warrior (Vocals - Ray Gillen) 4:54

'The Eternal Idol' was originally released on 1st November 1987 by Vertigo/Phonogram, VERH 51 (832 708-1)
Tracks 1-10 and 1-11 were originally released as B-Sides on the single Black Sabbath - The Shining



..::OBSADA::..

Tony Iommi - guitars
Tony Martin - vocals
Geoff Nicholls - keyboards
Bob Daisley - bass
Eric Singer - drums

Additional personnel:
Ray Gillen - sinister laugh on 'Nightmare', vocals on 2010 deluxe edition Disc 2
Bev Bevan - percussion and cymbal overdubs on 'Scarlet Pimpernel'




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aK-Sxuj8Ys



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...( Info )...

Artist: Samoon
Title: Are You Ready to Dream Again?
Year: 2025
Genre: Power, Heavy-Metal
Country: Brazil
Duration: 00:53:48
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio bitrate: 320 kbps


...( TrackList )...

1. And the Story Begins (00:58)
2. Follow My Way (04:49)
3. Reach the Skies (04:56)
4. I Can't Live Without You (04:48)
5. Starlight (04:23)
6. Fly to the Stars (03:05)
7. Life Goes On (02:43)
8. Are You Ready to Dream Again? (04:40)
9. Inside Your Heart (05:53)
10. You've Made a Choice (04:33)
11. Empty Soul (03:27)
12. Wake up and Dream (04:46)
13. Ja E Hora De Viver (Are You Ready to Dream Again? - Portuguese Version) (04:42)

...( Info )...

Artist: Hyperion
Title: Cybergenesis
Year: 2026
Genre: Heavy-Meta
Country: Italy
Duration: 00:39:17
Format/Codec: MP3
Audio Bitrate: 320 kbps

...( TrackList )...

1. Deafening 03:54
2. Rewire, Rebuild 04:46
3. Yet We Still Fight 04:26
4. The Shackles of Chronitus 04:51
5. Blood Over Chrome 05:18
6. Grain of Sand 04:17
7. Rhizome Rider 04:57
8. The Whole of Time 06:48

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Płyta 'The Deluge' wniosła sporo progresywnych elementów do epickiego stylu Manilli. Utwory stały się bardziej wielowątkowe, wielowarstwowe i bardziej rozbudowane, choć nie brakuje również krótkich i szybkich killerów, jak fantastyczne "Dementia" czy "Divine Victim". Wielu ludzi uważa tę właśnie płytę za najlepszą w dorobku Manilla Road, podobnie zresztą jak sam Mark. Wśród wszystkich utworów, na szczególną uwagę zasługuje wg mnie utwór tytułowy. To najdłuższy, najbardziej epicki i najbardziej rozbudowany kawałek. Łączy w sobie spokój i nastrojowość z ciężarem i potęgą. Genialny, monumentalny, balladowy początek, jeszcze bardziej genialne rozwinięcie, gdy zaczyna się "część właściwa". Mark w tym utworze pokazuje słuchaczowi cały swój kunszt wokalny mimo problemów z gardłem. Paleta barw jego głosu jest tak szeroka, że aż zdumiewająca. Bez żadnych problemów przechodzi od delikatnego, słodkiego zawodzenia, do mocnego śpiewu, w którym wspaniale "podnosi" swój głos. Jak dla mnie, utwór tytułowy jest zdecydowanie najwspanialszy z całej płyty. Prawdziwie epicki hymn z łagodnym początkiem, mocnym rozwinięciem i znów spokojnym zakończeniem, w którym słyszymy także szum morskich fal.

Wcale mnie to nie dziwi, bo o ile pierwsza część płyty to zwyczajnie zbiór utworów, to druga jej część jest opowieścią o potopie, zresztą taka tematyka zawsze strasznie Marka interesowała. Jak sam mówi, pociąga go wszystko to, co ukryte, niedostępne dla ludzi czy to pod wodą, czy pod powierzchnią ziemi. Wiąże się to między innymi z fascynacji najstarszą historią świata, gdy życie na Ziemi się tworzyło i ewoluowało przez wieki.

Paweł 'Atreju' Kowalewski


I’m just gonna preface this by saying that The Deluge is my absolute favourite Manilla Road album, and Manilla Road is my favourite band of all time, so it makes sense that this would be my favourite album of all time. The Deluge is something really special. It sounds like nothing this band ever recorded before or since. You can find at least some influence from older albums in each subsequent album; but this one is very much a lightning in a bottle type of album. And I think I know why. This whole thing, I can guarantee you, was both written and recorded on psychedelics. Even if Mark himself didn’t confirm that, which he did, I would 100% believe it and put money on it too. There’s just no way something this pure and magikal could have been written with a clear mind.

The album begins with a light howl, telling of what’s to come, before smashing your skull in with the beginning of Dementia. This opening track is something special. It’s concise, as is the album, but in its 3 minute runtime, totally demolishes your brain. It’s chaotic, especially in the drumming. Randy Foxe’s drumlines are always a bit ludicrous, but when you put that man on acid and give him a ripping track like this to work with, he’s gonna lay down some of the most insane drum tracks you’ve ever heard. They’re so preposterous that not even future drummer Neudi could play the song live, the only times they did were when Randy himself guested! This whole album is a masterclass of battery, every drummer who ever lived, is living or will ever live should listen to this song at least and even just attempt to play some of the shit that’s on it. The song also foreshadows later themes and stories on the album.

“Can’t seem to find the key….”

Shadow in the Black is the most elegant nonsense you’ll ever hear. I love reading the lyrics to this song on the insert, because the most random shit is capitalised for seemingly no reason.

“Here inside The Maze.. Trinity of Flame …
… Until The Dead rise from The Sea…”

The song itself though? It almost feels like two separate pieces. It’s on the longer side, over 5 minutes, but the sorrowful intro piece into the thrashy frenetic blast of sound are almost too different to be on the same track. The whiplash one gets listening to this song for the first time is like no other. This, alongside Road of Kings was the song that really got me into the band, I had never heard anything like it and all I wanted was more.

The next two songs, Divine Victim and Hammer of the Witches, thematically make no sense on this album, but I love them both anyway. They’re the only two songs that were ever really played live, and Hammer was only played because of the iconic quadrilogy: “Masque of the Red Death by the Hammer of the Witches’ Brew!!!!!”. Divine Victim is all about Joan of Arc, and is pretty upbeat and high energy by this album’s standards. It's also the least technically intensive, which is a testament to the pure power of The Deluge as a whole. Hammer of the Witches is a mid-paced beater with the ultimate earworm riff. Seriously, can you think of a better example of a short, simple, catchy riff? Maybe ‘D.Y.T.W.A.C.’ or ‘Medusa’, but neither of them have such a powerful bass backing them up. Scott Park absolutely kills it on this album, and he’s placed perfectly in the mix to give every note a little extra punch.

Morbid Tabernacle may be just an interlude to some, but to me it ties together the last two songs perfectly. It’s an organ, traditionally an instrument associated with the Church and Christianity, playing a tritone and just coming after a song about elden Christian evil. How perfect could it be? It’s even more punishing when I play it from my vinyl copy of the album, since it absolutely blares through the speakers louder than anything else and makes its presence known in your mind. You don’t forget about this mere interlude easily.

Isle of the Dead is a short but intense track to round off side A, and a pretty fun one lyrically. Blasphemous sailors are forever cursed to wind up at the Island Gate to Hell.. where living dead still walk the land… I love this stuff. It pairs excellently with Taken by Storm, which is why I wish this was on Side B so they could transition cleanly on the record… but it’s no big deal. Taken by Storm has some powerful basslines that give us the entry point into the crown jewel of this album, the title track The Deluge.

Would I say The Deluge is my favourite Manilla Road song? I don’t think I could even pick a favourite. Tree of Life, The Books of Skelos, Veils of Negative Existence, The Empire, Mark of the Beast, Venusian Sea, To Kill a King, Reign of Dreams, they’re all quite close. This really is a masterwork, though. Every second, from the beautiful yet somber intro in The Eye of the Sea to the majestic soloing and crushing riffs in The Drowned Lands to the melancholic chimes of the Engulfed Cathedral, the whole experience is a mystical epic of Atlantean mystery, and I love every second of it. This is an essential song in truly understanding what makes this band tick.

Friction in Mass rounds the album out with another quite long track, full of Manillan acid jargon.

“Oh, can’t you tell… The Magik is inside The Well…”

There it is again. The Well. You can’t go one album without mentioning the Well. What is it? Who knows. It must be holy. I’m very proud of the fact that I know the lyrics to this song off by heart, it’s a very weird and confusing song but I love it to bits. It’s also quite thrashy, arguably the most on the album, and it would feel right at home on Out of the Abyss or Mystification. The best part, though, is the spoken word segment in the middle. I’ve found myself listening to this album on long walks at night, and when this part comes on I just lose it in my head. Seriously, this evokes some serious emotion in me. This whole album does.

The Deluge is such a unique album, even by Manilla Road’s standards, where every album sounds extremely distinct. This sets the standard for all metal that goes on to release after it. It’s elegant, poignant, with a sprinkle of divinity and mystery, it’s all the fancy adjectives I love to throw around. If this album doesn’t get you invested in this band, then you probably shouldn’t even bother with them. This is Manilla Road at their absolute peak (of LSD use) and it should be heralded as nothing less than perfection.

MasterOfTheNight


The Manilla Road is long and triumphant. It spans forty years and eighteen studio albums. It’s a glorious one, with few blemishes and high point after high point. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to and reflecting on Manilla Road’s expansive discography since Mark “The Shark” Shelton passed away. Manilla Road’s catalogue is virtually unmatched, with very few bands getting anywhere close to their level of quality, consistency, and volume. Even with a discography as mighty as it is massive, one album stands out to me amongst the rest – The Deluge.

Manilla Road utilize a mix of US power, traditional metal, doom metal, and at times even thrash metal over long and loose song structures to create massive sounscapes. The Deluge represents the culmination and perfection of Manilla Road’s signature epic heavy metal style. Everything that is quintessentially Manilla Road is present here and out in full force.

From the aggressive “Hammer of the Witches” to the epic “Friction in Mass”, Manilla Road show off their superb songwriting capabilities. Mark Shelton was extremely talented at guitar and it showed in his music. The Deluge demonstrates this talent remarkably well – the riffs are unforgettable and incredibly varied. Randy Foxe’s drums are full and organic, helping to compliment Mark’s signature guitar tone. His drumming is impeccable and as aggressive as it possibly gets in the traditional vein of metal. With Scooter right beside him, they form an unstoppable duo of drum and bass that drive the music like no other.

The production on The Deluge is so incredibly raw and 80s that it would have hurt almost any other band. However in this case, it only lends to the Road’s mystical and arcane style of epic heavy metal. A more polished production would have taken away from Manilla Road’s unique sound. Shelton’s distinct “sorcerer guiding you through a dangerous journey” vocals are more suited to this style of production.

The Deluge has the most effective layout of any Manilla Road record. The album starts with several shorter and more aggressive tracks which are followed by two massive epics. The Deluge then closes off with a blistering fast instrumental that shows off Mark’s innate ability to write guitar solos. There’s an incredible array of variety found among the songs and I’ve never found myself bored listening to this record. With a little under forty minutes of material, Mark and co. waste absolutely no time delivering this variety.

Mark Shelton’s immense dedication to heavy metal can never be overstated. He wrote and performed music relentlessly with Manilla Road for over four decades. With his death, metal lost one of its most valiant stalwarts and an invaluable member of the community. Mark’s unwavering dedication to music is what made Manilla Road as great as they are. To me, The Deluge is his crowning achievement – a monolithic slab of epic heavy metal that stands nearly unrivaled.

Rest in power Mark “The Shark” Shelton – you were as good as they come.

Marcohateshipsters



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Dementia 3:09
2. Shadow In The Black 5:25
3. Divine Victim 3:11
4. Hammer Of The Witches 2:44
5. Morbid Tabernacle (Performer - Mike Metz) 1:53
6. Isle Of The Dead 2:53
7. Taken By Storm 3:19
8. The Deluge (8:22)
- Eye Of The Sea
- The Drowned Lands
- Engulfed Cathedral
9. Friction In Mass 6:32
10. Rest In Pieces 1:49


Bonus Tracks:
11. The Deluge (4-Track Pre-Production, Mixed 2015) 8:29
Mixed By [4-Track-Reel Mixed], Mastered By [4-Track-Reel Mastered By] - Neudi
Recorded By [Originally Recorded By] - Jay Merhoff, Max

12. Shadow In The Black (4-Track Pre-Production) 5:49
Recorded By [Originally Recorded By] - Jay Merhoff, Max
Transferred By [Tape Transfer By] - Tom Bartels

13. Friction In Mass (Live 1987) 7:04
Restoration [Restored By] - Neudi

14. Divine Victim (Live 2011) 3:16
Mixed By, Mastered By - Neudi

15. Hammer Of The Witches (Live 2014) 2:45
Mixed By, Mastered By - Neudi

16. The Deluge (Pre-Production, Randy Foxe Only) 8:31



..::OBSADA::..

Mark Shelton - lead vocals, guitars
Scott Park - bass
Randy Foxe - drums and percussion, backing vocals, synthesizer



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-thqF5DYII


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Płyta 'The Deluge' wniosła sporo progresywnych elementów do epickiego stylu Manilli. Utwory stały się bardziej wielowątkowe, wielowarstwowe i bardziej rozbudowane, choć nie brakuje również krótkich i szybkich killerów, jak fantastyczne "Dementia" czy "Divine Victim". Wielu ludzi uważa tę właśnie płytę za najlepszą w dorobku Manilla Road, podobnie zresztą jak sam Mark. Wśród wszystkich utworów, na szczególną uwagę zasługuje wg mnie utwór tytułowy. To najdłuższy, najbardziej epicki i najbardziej rozbudowany kawałek. Łączy w sobie spokój i nastrojowość z ciężarem i potęgą. Genialny, monumentalny, balladowy początek, jeszcze bardziej genialne rozwinięcie, gdy zaczyna się "część właściwa". Mark w tym utworze pokazuje słuchaczowi cały swój kunszt wokalny mimo problemów z gardłem. Paleta barw jego głosu jest tak szeroka, że aż zdumiewająca. Bez żadnych problemów przechodzi od delikatnego, słodkiego zawodzenia, do mocnego śpiewu, w którym wspaniale "podnosi" swój głos. Jak dla mnie, utwór tytułowy jest zdecydowanie najwspanialszy z całej płyty. Prawdziwie epicki hymn z łagodnym początkiem, mocnym rozwinięciem i znów spokojnym zakończeniem, w którym słyszymy także szum morskich fal.

Wcale mnie to nie dziwi, bo o ile pierwsza część płyty to zwyczajnie zbiór utworów, to druga jej część jest opowieścią o potopie, zresztą taka tematyka zawsze strasznie Marka interesowała. Jak sam mówi, pociąga go wszystko to, co ukryte, niedostępne dla ludzi czy to pod wodą, czy pod powierzchnią ziemi. Wiąże się to między innymi z fascynacji najstarszą historią świata, gdy życie na Ziemi się tworzyło i ewoluowało przez wieki.

Paweł 'Atreju' Kowalewski


I’m just gonna preface this by saying that The Deluge is my absolute favourite Manilla Road album, and Manilla Road is my favourite band of all time, so it makes sense that this would be my favourite album of all time. The Deluge is something really special. It sounds like nothing this band ever recorded before or since. You can find at least some influence from older albums in each subsequent album; but this one is very much a lightning in a bottle type of album. And I think I know why. This whole thing, I can guarantee you, was both written and recorded on psychedelics. Even if Mark himself didn’t confirm that, which he did, I would 100% believe it and put money on it too. There’s just no way something this pure and magikal could have been written with a clear mind.

The album begins with a light howl, telling of what’s to come, before smashing your skull in with the beginning of Dementia. This opening track is something special. It’s concise, as is the album, but in its 3 minute runtime, totally demolishes your brain. It’s chaotic, especially in the drumming. Randy Foxe’s drumlines are always a bit ludicrous, but when you put that man on acid and give him a ripping track like this to work with, he’s gonna lay down some of the most insane drum tracks you’ve ever heard. They’re so preposterous that not even future drummer Neudi could play the song live, the only times they did were when Randy himself guested! This whole album is a masterclass of battery, every drummer who ever lived, is living or will ever live should listen to this song at least and even just attempt to play some of the shit that’s on it. The song also foreshadows later themes and stories on the album.

“Can’t seem to find the key….”

Shadow in the Black is the most elegant nonsense you’ll ever hear. I love reading the lyrics to this song on the insert, because the most random shit is capitalised for seemingly no reason.

“Here inside The Maze.. Trinity of Flame …
… Until The Dead rise from The Sea…”

The song itself though? It almost feels like two separate pieces. It’s on the longer side, over 5 minutes, but the sorrowful intro piece into the thrashy frenetic blast of sound are almost too different to be on the same track. The whiplash one gets listening to this song for the first time is like no other. This, alongside Road of Kings was the song that really got me into the band, I had never heard anything like it and all I wanted was more.

The next two songs, Divine Victim and Hammer of the Witches, thematically make no sense on this album, but I love them both anyway. They’re the only two songs that were ever really played live, and Hammer was only played because of the iconic quadrilogy: “Masque of the Red Death by the Hammer of the Witches’ Brew!!!!!”. Divine Victim is all about Joan of Arc, and is pretty upbeat and high energy by this album’s standards. It's also the least technically intensive, which is a testament to the pure power of The Deluge as a whole. Hammer of the Witches is a mid-paced beater with the ultimate earworm riff. Seriously, can you think of a better example of a short, simple, catchy riff? Maybe ‘D.Y.T.W.A.C.’ or ‘Medusa’, but neither of them have such a powerful bass backing them up. Scott Park absolutely kills it on this album, and he’s placed perfectly in the mix to give every note a little extra punch.

Morbid Tabernacle may be just an interlude to some, but to me it ties together the last two songs perfectly. It’s an organ, traditionally an instrument associated with the Church and Christianity, playing a tritone and just coming after a song about elden Christian evil. How perfect could it be? It’s even more punishing when I play it from my vinyl copy of the album, since it absolutely blares through the speakers louder than anything else and makes its presence known in your mind. You don’t forget about this mere interlude easily.

Isle of the Dead is a short but intense track to round off side A, and a pretty fun one lyrically. Blasphemous sailors are forever cursed to wind up at the Island Gate to Hell.. where living dead still walk the land… I love this stuff. It pairs excellently with Taken by Storm, which is why I wish this was on Side B so they could transition cleanly on the record… but it’s no big deal. Taken by Storm has some powerful basslines that give us the entry point into the crown jewel of this album, the title track The Deluge.

Would I say The Deluge is my favourite Manilla Road song? I don’t think I could even pick a favourite. Tree of Life, The Books of Skelos, Veils of Negative Existence, The Empire, Mark of the Beast, Venusian Sea, To Kill a King, Reign of Dreams, they’re all quite close. This really is a masterwork, though. Every second, from the beautiful yet somber intro in The Eye of the Sea to the majestic soloing and crushing riffs in The Drowned Lands to the melancholic chimes of the Engulfed Cathedral, the whole experience is a mystical epic of Atlantean mystery, and I love every second of it. This is an essential song in truly understanding what makes this band tick.

Friction in Mass rounds the album out with another quite long track, full of Manillan acid jargon.

“Oh, can’t you tell… The Magik is inside The Well…”

There it is again. The Well. You can’t go one album without mentioning the Well. What is it? Who knows. It must be holy. I’m very proud of the fact that I know the lyrics to this song off by heart, it’s a very weird and confusing song but I love it to bits. It’s also quite thrashy, arguably the most on the album, and it would feel right at home on Out of the Abyss or Mystification. The best part, though, is the spoken word segment in the middle. I’ve found myself listening to this album on long walks at night, and when this part comes on I just lose it in my head. Seriously, this evokes some serious emotion in me. This whole album does.

The Deluge is such a unique album, even by Manilla Road’s standards, where every album sounds extremely distinct. This sets the standard for all metal that goes on to release after it. It’s elegant, poignant, with a sprinkle of divinity and mystery, it’s all the fancy adjectives I love to throw around. If this album doesn’t get you invested in this band, then you probably shouldn’t even bother with them. This is Manilla Road at their absolute peak (of LSD use) and it should be heralded as nothing less than perfection.

MasterOfTheNight


The Manilla Road is long and triumphant. It spans forty years and eighteen studio albums. It’s a glorious one, with few blemishes and high point after high point. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to and reflecting on Manilla Road’s expansive discography since Mark “The Shark” Shelton passed away. Manilla Road’s catalogue is virtually unmatched, with very few bands getting anywhere close to their level of quality, consistency, and volume. Even with a discography as mighty as it is massive, one album stands out to me amongst the rest – The Deluge.

Manilla Road utilize a mix of US power, traditional metal, doom metal, and at times even thrash metal over long and loose song structures to create massive sounscapes. The Deluge represents the culmination and perfection of Manilla Road’s signature epic heavy metal style. Everything that is quintessentially Manilla Road is present here and out in full force.

From the aggressive “Hammer of the Witches” to the epic “Friction in Mass”, Manilla Road show off their superb songwriting capabilities. Mark Shelton was extremely talented at guitar and it showed in his music. The Deluge demonstrates this talent remarkably well – the riffs are unforgettable and incredibly varied. Randy Foxe’s drums are full and organic, helping to compliment Mark’s signature guitar tone. His drumming is impeccable and as aggressive as it possibly gets in the traditional vein of metal. With Scooter right beside him, they form an unstoppable duo of drum and bass that drive the music like no other.

The production on The Deluge is so incredibly raw and 80s that it would have hurt almost any other band. However in this case, it only lends to the Road’s mystical and arcane style of epic heavy metal. A more polished production would have taken away from Manilla Road’s unique sound. Shelton’s distinct “sorcerer guiding you through a dangerous journey” vocals are more suited to this style of production.

The Deluge has the most effective layout of any Manilla Road record. The album starts with several shorter and more aggressive tracks which are followed by two massive epics. The Deluge then closes off with a blistering fast instrumental that shows off Mark’s innate ability to write guitar solos. There’s an incredible array of variety found among the songs and I’ve never found myself bored listening to this record. With a little under forty minutes of material, Mark and co. waste absolutely no time delivering this variety.

Mark Shelton’s immense dedication to heavy metal can never be overstated. He wrote and performed music relentlessly with Manilla Road for over four decades. With his death, metal lost one of its most valiant stalwarts and an invaluable member of the community. Mark’s unwavering dedication to music is what made Manilla Road as great as they are. To me, The Deluge is his crowning achievement – a monolithic slab of epic heavy metal that stands nearly unrivaled.

Rest in power Mark “The Shark” Shelton – you were as good as they come.

Marcohateshipsters



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Dementia 3:09
2. Shadow In The Black 5:25
3. Divine Victim 3:11
4. Hammer Of The Witches 2:44
5. Morbid Tabernacle (Performer - Mike Metz) 1:53
6. Isle Of The Dead 2:53
7. Taken By Storm 3:19
8. The Deluge (8:22)
- Eye Of The Sea
- The Drowned Lands
- Engulfed Cathedral
9. Friction In Mass 6:32
10. Rest In Pieces 1:49


Bonus Tracks:
11. The Deluge (4-Track Pre-Production, Mixed 2015) 8:29
Mixed By [4-Track-Reel Mixed], Mastered By [4-Track-Reel Mastered By] - Neudi
Recorded By [Originally Recorded By] - Jay Merhoff, Max

12. Shadow In The Black (4-Track Pre-Production) 5:49
Recorded By [Originally Recorded By] - Jay Merhoff, Max
Transferred By [Tape Transfer By] - Tom Bartels

13. Friction In Mass (Live 1987) 7:04
Restoration [Restored By] - Neudi

14. Divine Victim (Live 2011) 3:16
Mixed By, Mastered By - Neudi

15. Hammer Of The Witches (Live 2014) 2:45
Mixed By, Mastered By - Neudi

16. The Deluge (Pre-Production, Randy Foxe Only) 8:31



..::OBSADA::..

Mark Shelton - lead vocals, guitars
Scott Park - bass
Randy Foxe - drums and percussion, backing vocals, synthesizer



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-thqF5DYII


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Świetna sekcja rytmiczna. Kapitalny wokal. Krótko mówiąc, jest to fantastyczny album!!!


The Rods' final pre-hiatus album is an overlooked masterpiece of traditional heavy metal. It's hard-rockin' metal at its finest folks, and features some of the best musical work in the bands history. Recruited to the lead vocalist position is ex-Horizon and Picture singer Shmoulik Avigal, who's clear and soaring voice adds a perfect amount of power and emotion to the album's sound. Heavier than Thou starts with a dramatic minute-and-a-half intro that showcases vocal harmonies and keyboards, and then it's into "Make Me a Believer", a forceful melodic track that opens the album very well. "Angels Never Run", my favorite track on the album, has an excellent hook and chorus. There are bruising, atmospheric slower numbers on the record, like "Crossfire" and "Fool For Your Love", which sound just breathtaking due to Avigal's solid carol.

I really enjoy the humorous intros/outros to certain numbers, like after the song "Chains of Love", where we hear what sounds like the band members cracking up at something. There's also the interesting movie/television sample before "She's Trouble", and the forty-four second closer "The Music Man", which is a cool freestyle harmonica tune. The album delivers superb riff work by David 'Rock' Feinstein (especially in the song "Chains of Love"), and the always-impressive rollicking drum sound of Carl Candey, who by this time in '86 had become increasingly well-known for his producing work. His drum execution is one of the prime factors in The Rods' unique yet straightforward hard rock approach.

The only thing I don't exactly care for on the album is the Led Zeppelin cover of "Communication Breakdown". It's not a bad cover by any means, but I'd rather hear a band like The Rods select a less generic choice, like their Supremes cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" from their '82 LP Wild Dogs. That song was so moving and emotional, and worked flawlessly with the excellent musicianship of Feinstein & Co. Overall, I would recommend this album to anyone interested in any kind of heavy music. This is The Rods' finest moment, and is a tailor-made example of what this style of metal represents.

Kaptain Kill



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Heavier Than Thou 1:56
2. Make Me A Believer 4:08
3. Angels Never Run 3:29
4. Crossfire 5:07
5. I'm Gonna Rock 3:14
6. She's Trouble 4:40
7. Born To Rock 3:44
8. Chains Of Love 4:10
9. Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin cover) 3:19
10. Fool For Your Love 3:46
11. Cold Sweat And Blood 3:28
12. The Music Man 0:50

Bonus Tracks:
13. Life On The Edge (Outtake) 4:55
14. Communication Breakdown/Whole Lotta Led (Live) 12:15
15. Evil Woman/Rabid Thunder/Drum Solo (Live) 9:32
16. Witch's Brew (Live) 5:35


Bonus Tracks information:
"Angels Never Run" must have been written significantly earlier, because it is included in a live set from 1981, that was released with the live box set Metal Will Never Die - Official Bootleg Box Set 1981-2010 in 2022.
"Born To Rock" and "Cold Sweat And Blood" were firstly released as live tracks on the live album Live in 1983.
"The Music Man" is an instrumental. More exactly, it's a harmonica solo of Al Falso and a completely different song than "Music Man" on the album Rock Hard.
"Life On The Edge" is an outtake of the Heavier Than Thou sessions and the only song Garry Bordonaro has ever written for The Rods. It was earlier included on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD re-releases of Let Them Eat Metal.
The live track "Communication Breakdown/Whole Lotta Led" was earlier included on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD re-releases of In The Raw. It's called "Whole Lotta Led" on these releases. The cover medley consists of the Led Zeppelin songs "Heartbreaker", "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)", "Communication Breakdown" and "The Lemon Song".
The live track "Evil Woman/Rabid Thunder/Drum Solo" was also earlier included on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD re-releases of Let Them Eat Metal. It's called "Evil Woman/Popeye's Drum Solo" on these releases.



..::OBSADA::..

Guitar, Vocals - David 'Rock' Feinstein
Lead Vocals - Shmoulik Avigal
Bass - Craig Gruber
Drums, Guitar, Keyboards - Carl Canedy




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku-bi9jZTWg


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Świetna sekcja rytmiczna. Kapitalny wokal. Krótko mówiąc, jest to fantastyczny album!!!


The Rods' final pre-hiatus album is an overlooked masterpiece of traditional heavy metal. It's hard-rockin' metal at its finest folks, and features some of the best musical work in the bands history. Recruited to the lead vocalist position is ex-Horizon and Picture singer Shmoulik Avigal, who's clear and soaring voice adds a perfect amount of power and emotion to the album's sound. Heavier than Thou starts with a dramatic minute-and-a-half intro that showcases vocal harmonies and keyboards, and then it's into "Make Me a Believer", a forceful melodic track that opens the album very well. "Angels Never Run", my favorite track on the album, has an excellent hook and chorus. There are bruising, atmospheric slower numbers on the record, like "Crossfire" and "Fool For Your Love", which sound just breathtaking due to Avigal's solid carol.

I really enjoy the humorous intros/outros to certain numbers, like after the song "Chains of Love", where we hear what sounds like the band members cracking up at something. There's also the interesting movie/television sample before "She's Trouble", and the forty-four second closer "The Music Man", which is a cool freestyle harmonica tune. The album delivers superb riff work by David 'Rock' Feinstein (especially in the song "Chains of Love"), and the always-impressive rollicking drum sound of Carl Candey, who by this time in '86 had become increasingly well-known for his producing work. His drum execution is one of the prime factors in The Rods' unique yet straightforward hard rock approach.

The only thing I don't exactly care for on the album is the Led Zeppelin cover of "Communication Breakdown". It's not a bad cover by any means, but I'd rather hear a band like The Rods select a less generic choice, like their Supremes cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" from their '82 LP Wild Dogs. That song was so moving and emotional, and worked flawlessly with the excellent musicianship of Feinstein & Co. Overall, I would recommend this album to anyone interested in any kind of heavy music. This is The Rods' finest moment, and is a tailor-made example of what this style of metal represents.

Kaptain Kill



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Heavier Than Thou 1:56
2. Make Me A Believer 4:08
3. Angels Never Run 3:29
4. Crossfire 5:07
5. I'm Gonna Rock 3:14
6. She's Trouble 4:40
7. Born To Rock 3:44
8. Chains Of Love 4:10
9. Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin cover) 3:19
10. Fool For Your Love 3:46
11. Cold Sweat And Blood 3:28
12. The Music Man 0:50

Bonus Tracks:
13. Life On The Edge (Outtake) 4:55
14. Communication Breakdown/Whole Lotta Led (Live) 12:15
15. Evil Woman/Rabid Thunder/Drum Solo (Live) 9:32
16. Witch's Brew (Live) 5:35


Bonus Tracks information:
"Angels Never Run" must have been written significantly earlier, because it is included in a live set from 1981, that was released with the live box set Metal Will Never Die - Official Bootleg Box Set 1981-2010 in 2022.
"Born To Rock" and "Cold Sweat And Blood" were firstly released as live tracks on the live album Live in 1983.
"The Music Man" is an instrumental. More exactly, it's a harmonica solo of Al Falso and a completely different song than "Music Man" on the album Rock Hard.
"Life On The Edge" is an outtake of the Heavier Than Thou sessions and the only song Garry Bordonaro has ever written for The Rods. It was earlier included on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD re-releases of Let Them Eat Metal.
The live track "Communication Breakdown/Whole Lotta Led" was earlier included on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD re-releases of In The Raw. It's called "Whole Lotta Led" on these releases. The cover medley consists of the Led Zeppelin songs "Heartbreaker", "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)", "Communication Breakdown" and "The Lemon Song".
The live track "Evil Woman/Rabid Thunder/Drum Solo" was also earlier included on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD re-releases of Let Them Eat Metal. It's called "Evil Woman/Popeye's Drum Solo" on these releases.



..::OBSADA::..

Guitar, Vocals - David 'Rock' Feinstein
Lead Vocals - Shmoulik Avigal
Bass - Craig Gruber
Drums, Guitar, Keyboards - Carl Canedy




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku-bi9jZTWg


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Epitet „kultowy” w odniesieniu do zespołów i płyt przez lata stracił na znaczeniu i dziś wydaje się niemal pustym, nic nie znaczącym sloganem. Jeśli jednak przywrócić mu właściwy ciężar i określić nim jakiś band z całą odpowiedzialnością wagi tego słowa, to Cirith Ungol jest przykładem idealnym. Do tej pory mieli na koncie zaledwie cztery pełne płyty, ale zdążyli dopracować się nabożnego szacunku i grona absolutnie zaprzysięgłych fanów. W epickim, surowym heavy metalu nie jest to specjalnie rzadkie zjawisko, ale mityczna otoczka Amerykanów zaczęła żyć własnym życiem, a zespół rozpalał kolejne pokolenia słuchaczy, mimo braku aktywności przez ponad dwie dekady. Być może jakoś przyczyniła się do tego plotka, według której krytycy mieli określić Frost And Fire (debiutancki album zespołu) mianem najgorszej płyty w historii metalu. Trudno o lepszą reklamę niż całkowicie negatywny kontent. Reszta jest historią.

Od wydania Paradise Lost, ostatniego albumu Cirith Ungol, minęło dwadzieścia dziewięć lat. Co sprawiło, że po tak długiej przerwie grupa postanowiła wrócić do życia? Nie wnikam w faktyczne motywacje muzyków, ale po kilkutygodniowym obcowaniu z Forever Black trudno oprzeć się wrażeniu, że Panowie wrócili, żeby zrobić porządek na scenie. Trzeba jasno powiedzieć, że w wąskim światku metalu spod znaku Conana Barbarzyńcy dzieje się ostatnio naprawdę dużo dobrego. Coraz więcej młodych grup, jak i bardziej ugruntowanych zespołów potrafi grać, choć ze świadomością, że nie da się na nowo wskrzesić martwego od lat trupa. Aż tu nagle przychodzi Tim Baker z ekipą.

Forever Black nie jest rewolucyjnym przewrotem. Dużym błędem byłoby założenie, że surowy, epicki heavy metal można przedefiniować i napisać na nowo jego prawa. Tego zrobić się nie da, a kto może wiedzieć o tym lepiej, niż zespół, który w pisaniu tych praw miał czynny udział? Ale można spróbować wtoczyć w niego świeżą krew, zaaplikować adrenalinę i dawkę silnych elektrowstrząsów. W każdym innym przypadku byłoby to tylko pudrowanie nieboszczyka, ale nie tutaj. Amerykanie przystępują do pełnej reanimacji, doskonale wiedząc, co robią i jaki będzie efekt. Środki są proste – mocarny riff, zaczerpnięta z klasycznego hard rocka solówka, średnie tempa, trochę galopady, melodia i przede wszystkim pomysł, który zepnie wszystko w spójną klamrę i nada cech zwartej, pancernej kompozycji. Do tego jeszcze dwa niezbędne składniki – pierwszy to wciąż niesamowity głos Bakera, którzy wrzeszczy w wysokich rejestrach, a kiedy trzeba potrafi obniżyć skalę do niebezpiecznych poziomów. Wokal zawsze wyróżniał Cirith Ungol na tle konkurencji i robi to także teraz. Trudno uwierzyć, że przez tyle lat w ogóle się nie zmienił, wciąż brzmi oryginalnie, groźnie i bardzo charakterystycznie. Wystarczy posłuchać na przykład Before Tomorrow, by zrozumieć o co chodzi. Drugi składnik to brzmienie – wciąż jaskiniowe i surowe, ale przez lata nabrało mocy i szlachetności. Wciąż jest w nim szczypta prymitywizmu pierwszej płyty, ale czuć też siłę One Foot In Hell i cały posmak tego, czym prawdziwy, wyrwany z doom metalu i hard rocka metal powinien być.

Kompozycyjnie album jest w zasadzie idealny. Doskonałe wyważenie melodyki i okraszających ją riffów, kilka mądrze wplecionych akustycznych fragmentów budujących klimat, worek pomysłów zamkniętych w dziewięciu piosenkach, opartych na średnich tempach. Wszystko to, co znane i kochane przez wielu. W muzyce Amerykanów jest dużo przestrzeni, która sprawia, że numery nie duszą się we własnym sosie, wręcz przeciwnie.

Zaryzykuję stwierdzenie, że Cirith Ungol zatoczył koło. Rozpoczął marsz ku chwale gatunku, wytyczył ścieżki dla innych i ustawił drogowskazy. A teraz wrócił z niebytu, udowodnił kto tu rządzi i doprowadził swój muzyczny świat do ściany. W tej niszy nie da się już lepiej.

Rafał Chmura


Cirith Ungol. The name looms large in the history of heavy metal. Though the mercurial act released only 4 albums, their impact on the genre was great and long-lasting. Their unusual style influenced everything from doom to traditional and trve metal, and countless bands owe their core sound to albums like King of the Dead and One Foot in Hell. They were one of the most unique, quirky bands in metal history and they’ve always held a special place in my heart ov Steel. Loathe though I am to admit it, I never cared for their final album, 1991s Paradise Lost. It felt like a weak, half-hearted ending to a great career and always left me with the taste of ashes whenever I thought about it. Fast forward nearly 30 years, past a number of rumored reunions, and we finally get another Cirith Ungol album featuring 3 original members. Naturally, I was apprehensive that the band could produce something worthwhile after a near lifetime in limbo, and I dreaded the idea of another sub-par release to further tar their legacy. I was but a fool to harbor such doubts, as Forever Black is exactly the album we should have gotten back in 1991. It sounds like a natural follow up to 1986s One Foot in Hell, and most importantly, it sounds like vintage Cirith Ungol, Iron Gods be praised!

As soon as “Legions Arise” burst forth from the speakers, you hear the might and majesty of the REAL Cirith Ungol born again in fire and fury. It’s as if the long years fade away and we’re in the 80s again. Tim Baker’s vocals sound even more forceful than ever somehow and the band sounds full of righteous anger and furious wrath. The song feels like the spiritual successor to their classic “Blood and Iron” but more aggressive and powerful. From there “The Frost Monstreme”1 slows things down into classic Cirith plod and thud territory, and again the band sounds in vintage form. All the elements that made them such a ungainly, awkward pleasure are still there, untouched by the ages or trends.

Along with the titanic opener, the massive “Stormbringer” shows a band still capable of penning enormous pieces of classic proto-metal, on par with and as vital as their early works. It’s exactly what I want from the band, sounding like something off of King of the Dead, merging doom and trve metal into a ponderous chunk of steel so weighty, I can barely move it to my workout playlist. Baker even utilizes clean vocals briefly before launching into his full-throated roars and bellows as the song steamrolls through the Hyborian age, toppling false idols and medieval power structures in the process. The album winds out with back-to-back atom smashers, “Before Tomorrow” and “Forever Black,” the former bristling with primordial old school riffing and trve heaviness. Its plod is juggernaut-like and Tim Baker sounds like an angry, hungry monster. Closer “Forever Black” feels like a call back to “Paradise Lost,” the only great song from the Paradise Lost album. It’s slow, massive sounding, and as metal as metal can be without becoming diamond. It’s also quite dark, which suits Cirith Ungol down to their ancient Tolkienisms.

Is Forever Black a perfect comeback? No. “The Fire Divine” is a bit too awkward, though it benefits from riffing strongly reminiscent of early Pentrgram, and “Nightmare” is a decent song that drags on too long and peters out before the end. Additionally, the standout cuts like “Legions Arise” and “Stormbringer” are so good they make the surrounding tracks feel weak by comparison, though they mostly aren’t. After such a long hiatus do I have a right to expect an album full of songs capable of competing with the very best of their legendary albums? Probably not, but I’m glad we got a few such monumental monoliths. The biggest shock is how amazing Tim Baker sounds nearly 30 years after his heyday. Always one of metal’s most unusual voices, he’s still every bit as wild and off-kilter as ever, and sometimes sounds even better than he once did. Greg Lindstrom and Jim Barraza combine to ensure the band’s trademark offbeat guitar style is adhered to, while adding slightly more upbeat riffing like on “Fractus Promissum.” That all the elements of their inimitable style survived the long absence does my heart good.

I didn’t know what to expect from Cirith Ungol after such a massive layoff, but Forever Black certainly exceeds all expectations I dared harbor. I don’t know if this is a one-off or if the band plans to make a another go of it, but if this is the final stone on the Cirith Ungol cenotaph, it’s a just and proper one. The Lords of the Weird have been appeased and the ways of the trve are ascendant once more. Praise be the black forever.

Steel Druhm


Cirith Ungol Forever Black has just blown me away. In this album, there are no bad songs. Using a combination of good vocals, great guitar and drum play, a combination of old and new styles, and great lyric writing to make an overall amazing album.

First, there are the vocals (sang by Tim Baker). When listing to the vocals I did not expect them to be as good as they are. I loved how at some parts he starting screeching in some parts of the album while not doing it all the time (because screaming like a rabbit in an entire album is annoying as fuck). Next, is the drums (played by Robert Garven). The drumming was just as great as the vocals were during this album. Now, the bass (played by Jarvis Leatherby). The bass was very in tune with the rest of the album and it was perfectly played by Lestherby. The guitars (played by Greg Lindstrom and Jim Barraza) were very great along with vocals and other instruments.

I loved how some of the lyrics had some stories to tell. One good example is Stormbringer which gives you tells you about a blade (most likely a sword but we will never really know) and what it can do but still with some unanswered questions (who is wielding the blade and how are they being one?) Another good example of this tactic they are using is Legions Arise. It is about how an undead army is being summoned with giving you good details but still leaving some questions unanswered like who is the person (or group) summoning them.

Forever Black is a very good reminder of how metal was in the 80s. It was a time when bands like Metallica and Slayer were at their golden age. It was a time before nu-metal took the spotlight (then being brought down by Metalcore bands like As I Lay Dying). Even though, Forever Black is different from Cirith Ungol's earlier album it still brings back traditional metal from the 80s. Although this album does bring back traditional metal it still has some modern feel to it.

In conclusion, Forever Black is a reminder of what metal was like while it still having a modern feel to it. There are some flaws with it but it is nevertheless a great album.

Lord Shadow



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Call 1:04
2. Legions Arise 3:19
3. The Frost Monstreme 5:16
4. The Fire Divine 3:51
5. Stormbringer 5:59
6. Fractus Promissum 4:08
7. Nightmare 6:00
8. Before Tomorrow 3:58
9. Forever Black 5:35



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Tim Baker
Drums, Horn [Horn Of Chaos] - Robert Garven
Guitar - Greg Lindstrom, Jim Barraza
Bass, Executive-Producer, Management [Personal Management] - Jarvis Leatherby




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWdkccqgajA



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Epitet „kultowy” w odniesieniu do zespołów i płyt przez lata stracił na znaczeniu i dziś wydaje się niemal pustym, nic nie znaczącym sloganem. Jeśli jednak przywrócić mu właściwy ciężar i określić nim jakiś band z całą odpowiedzialnością wagi tego słowa, to Cirith Ungol jest przykładem idealnym. Do tej pory mieli na koncie zaledwie cztery pełne płyty, ale zdążyli dopracować się nabożnego szacunku i grona absolutnie zaprzysięgłych fanów. W epickim, surowym heavy metalu nie jest to specjalnie rzadkie zjawisko, ale mityczna otoczka Amerykanów zaczęła żyć własnym życiem, a zespół rozpalał kolejne pokolenia słuchaczy, mimo braku aktywności przez ponad dwie dekady. Być może jakoś przyczyniła się do tego plotka, według której krytycy mieli określić Frost And Fire (debiutancki album zespołu) mianem najgorszej płyty w historii metalu. Trudno o lepszą reklamę niż całkowicie negatywny kontent. Reszta jest historią.

Od wydania Paradise Lost, ostatniego albumu Cirith Ungol, minęło dwadzieścia dziewięć lat. Co sprawiło, że po tak długiej przerwie grupa postanowiła wrócić do życia? Nie wnikam w faktyczne motywacje muzyków, ale po kilkutygodniowym obcowaniu z Forever Black trudno oprzeć się wrażeniu, że Panowie wrócili, żeby zrobić porządek na scenie. Trzeba jasno powiedzieć, że w wąskim światku metalu spod znaku Conana Barbarzyńcy dzieje się ostatnio naprawdę dużo dobrego. Coraz więcej młodych grup, jak i bardziej ugruntowanych zespołów potrafi grać, choć ze świadomością, że nie da się na nowo wskrzesić martwego od lat trupa. Aż tu nagle przychodzi Tim Baker z ekipą.

Forever Black nie jest rewolucyjnym przewrotem. Dużym błędem byłoby założenie, że surowy, epicki heavy metal można przedefiniować i napisać na nowo jego prawa. Tego zrobić się nie da, a kto może wiedzieć o tym lepiej, niż zespół, który w pisaniu tych praw miał czynny udział? Ale można spróbować wtoczyć w niego świeżą krew, zaaplikować adrenalinę i dawkę silnych elektrowstrząsów. W każdym innym przypadku byłoby to tylko pudrowanie nieboszczyka, ale nie tutaj. Amerykanie przystępują do pełnej reanimacji, doskonale wiedząc, co robią i jaki będzie efekt. Środki są proste – mocarny riff, zaczerpnięta z klasycznego hard rocka solówka, średnie tempa, trochę galopady, melodia i przede wszystkim pomysł, który zepnie wszystko w spójną klamrę i nada cech zwartej, pancernej kompozycji. Do tego jeszcze dwa niezbędne składniki – pierwszy to wciąż niesamowity głos Bakera, którzy wrzeszczy w wysokich rejestrach, a kiedy trzeba potrafi obniżyć skalę do niebezpiecznych poziomów. Wokal zawsze wyróżniał Cirith Ungol na tle konkurencji i robi to także teraz. Trudno uwierzyć, że przez tyle lat w ogóle się nie zmienił, wciąż brzmi oryginalnie, groźnie i bardzo charakterystycznie. Wystarczy posłuchać na przykład Before Tomorrow, by zrozumieć o co chodzi. Drugi składnik to brzmienie – wciąż jaskiniowe i surowe, ale przez lata nabrało mocy i szlachetności. Wciąż jest w nim szczypta prymitywizmu pierwszej płyty, ale czuć też siłę One Foot In Hell i cały posmak tego, czym prawdziwy, wyrwany z doom metalu i hard rocka metal powinien być.

Kompozycyjnie album jest w zasadzie idealny. Doskonałe wyważenie melodyki i okraszających ją riffów, kilka mądrze wplecionych akustycznych fragmentów budujących klimat, worek pomysłów zamkniętych w dziewięciu piosenkach, opartych na średnich tempach. Wszystko to, co znane i kochane przez wielu. W muzyce Amerykanów jest dużo przestrzeni, która sprawia, że numery nie duszą się we własnym sosie, wręcz przeciwnie.

Zaryzykuję stwierdzenie, że Cirith Ungol zatoczył koło. Rozpoczął marsz ku chwale gatunku, wytyczył ścieżki dla innych i ustawił drogowskazy. A teraz wrócił z niebytu, udowodnił kto tu rządzi i doprowadził swój muzyczny świat do ściany. W tej niszy nie da się już lepiej.

Rafał Chmura


Cirith Ungol. The name looms large in the history of heavy metal. Though the mercurial act released only 4 albums, their impact on the genre was great and long-lasting. Their unusual style influenced everything from doom to traditional and trve metal, and countless bands owe their core sound to albums like King of the Dead and One Foot in Hell. They were one of the most unique, quirky bands in metal history and they’ve always held a special place in my heart ov Steel. Loathe though I am to admit it, I never cared for their final album, 1991s Paradise Lost. It felt like a weak, half-hearted ending to a great career and always left me with the taste of ashes whenever I thought about it. Fast forward nearly 30 years, past a number of rumored reunions, and we finally get another Cirith Ungol album featuring 3 original members. Naturally, I was apprehensive that the band could produce something worthwhile after a near lifetime in limbo, and I dreaded the idea of another sub-par release to further tar their legacy. I was but a fool to harbor such doubts, as Forever Black is exactly the album we should have gotten back in 1991. It sounds like a natural follow up to 1986s One Foot in Hell, and most importantly, it sounds like vintage Cirith Ungol, Iron Gods be praised!

As soon as “Legions Arise” burst forth from the speakers, you hear the might and majesty of the REAL Cirith Ungol born again in fire and fury. It’s as if the long years fade away and we’re in the 80s again. Tim Baker’s vocals sound even more forceful than ever somehow and the band sounds full of righteous anger and furious wrath. The song feels like the spiritual successor to their classic “Blood and Iron” but more aggressive and powerful. From there “The Frost Monstreme”1 slows things down into classic Cirith plod and thud territory, and again the band sounds in vintage form. All the elements that made them such a ungainly, awkward pleasure are still there, untouched by the ages or trends.

Along with the titanic opener, the massive “Stormbringer” shows a band still capable of penning enormous pieces of classic proto-metal, on par with and as vital as their early works. It’s exactly what I want from the band, sounding like something off of King of the Dead, merging doom and trve metal into a ponderous chunk of steel so weighty, I can barely move it to my workout playlist. Baker even utilizes clean vocals briefly before launching into his full-throated roars and bellows as the song steamrolls through the Hyborian age, toppling false idols and medieval power structures in the process. The album winds out with back-to-back atom smashers, “Before Tomorrow” and “Forever Black,” the former bristling with primordial old school riffing and trve heaviness. Its plod is juggernaut-like and Tim Baker sounds like an angry, hungry monster. Closer “Forever Black” feels like a call back to “Paradise Lost,” the only great song from the Paradise Lost album. It’s slow, massive sounding, and as metal as metal can be without becoming diamond. It’s also quite dark, which suits Cirith Ungol down to their ancient Tolkienisms.

Is Forever Black a perfect comeback? No. “The Fire Divine” is a bit too awkward, though it benefits from riffing strongly reminiscent of early Pentrgram, and “Nightmare” is a decent song that drags on too long and peters out before the end. Additionally, the standout cuts like “Legions Arise” and “Stormbringer” are so good they make the surrounding tracks feel weak by comparison, though they mostly aren’t. After such a long hiatus do I have a right to expect an album full of songs capable of competing with the very best of their legendary albums? Probably not, but I’m glad we got a few such monumental monoliths. The biggest shock is how amazing Tim Baker sounds nearly 30 years after his heyday. Always one of metal’s most unusual voices, he’s still every bit as wild and off-kilter as ever, and sometimes sounds even better than he once did. Greg Lindstrom and Jim Barraza combine to ensure the band’s trademark offbeat guitar style is adhered to, while adding slightly more upbeat riffing like on “Fractus Promissum.” That all the elements of their inimitable style survived the long absence does my heart good.

I didn’t know what to expect from Cirith Ungol after such a massive layoff, but Forever Black certainly exceeds all expectations I dared harbor. I don’t know if this is a one-off or if the band plans to make a another go of it, but if this is the final stone on the Cirith Ungol cenotaph, it’s a just and proper one. The Lords of the Weird have been appeased and the ways of the trve are ascendant once more. Praise be the black forever.

Steel Druhm


Cirith Ungol Forever Black has just blown me away. In this album, there are no bad songs. Using a combination of good vocals, great guitar and drum play, a combination of old and new styles, and great lyric writing to make an overall amazing album.

First, there are the vocals (sang by Tim Baker). When listing to the vocals I did not expect them to be as good as they are. I loved how at some parts he starting screeching in some parts of the album while not doing it all the time (because screaming like a rabbit in an entire album is annoying as fuck). Next, is the drums (played by Robert Garven). The drumming was just as great as the vocals were during this album. Now, the bass (played by Jarvis Leatherby). The bass was very in tune with the rest of the album and it was perfectly played by Lestherby. The guitars (played by Greg Lindstrom and Jim Barraza) were very great along with vocals and other instruments.

I loved how some of the lyrics had some stories to tell. One good example is Stormbringer which gives you tells you about a blade (most likely a sword but we will never really know) and what it can do but still with some unanswered questions (who is wielding the blade and how are they being one?) Another good example of this tactic they are using is Legions Arise. It is about how an undead army is being summoned with giving you good details but still leaving some questions unanswered like who is the person (or group) summoning them.

Forever Black is a very good reminder of how metal was in the 80s. It was a time when bands like Metallica and Slayer were at their golden age. It was a time before nu-metal took the spotlight (then being brought down by Metalcore bands like As I Lay Dying). Even though, Forever Black is different from Cirith Ungol's earlier album it still brings back traditional metal from the 80s. Although this album does bring back traditional metal it still has some modern feel to it.

In conclusion, Forever Black is a reminder of what metal was like while it still having a modern feel to it. There are some flaws with it but it is nevertheless a great album.

Lord Shadow



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The Call 1:04
2. Legions Arise 3:19
3. The Frost Monstreme 5:16
4. The Fire Divine 3:51
5. Stormbringer 5:59
6. Fractus Promissum 4:08
7. Nightmare 6:00
8. Before Tomorrow 3:58
9. Forever Black 5:35



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Tim Baker
Drums, Horn [Horn Of Chaos] - Robert Garven
Guitar - Greg Lindstrom, Jim Barraza
Bass, Executive-Producer, Management [Personal Management] - Jarvis Leatherby




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWdkccqgajA



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..



Absolutna klasyka Heavy Metalu. Drugi album The Rods z 1982 roku.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Too Hot To Stop 4:05
2. Waiting For Tomorrow 3:58
3. Violation 5:09
4. Burned By Love 4:05
5. Wild Dogs 3:25
6. You Keep Me Hangin' On (The Supremes cover) 3:46
7. Rockin' & Rollin' Again 3:16
8. End Of The Line 5:25
9. No Sweet Talk, Honey 3:31
10. The Night Lives To Rock 3:20

Bonus Tracks:
11. Wings Of Fire (Single B-side) 3:49
12. City Girls (Outtake) 2:58
13. Too Hot To Stop (Cleaned-Up Version/Promo 12'' 3:40
14. Rockin' & Rollin' Again (Live) 3:33
15. Waiting For Tomorrow (Live) 3:46
16. The Night Lives To Rock (Live) 3:39
17. Too Hot To Stop (Live) 4:19
18. Power Lover (Live) 4:28



..::OBSADA::..

Bass, Vocals - Garry Bordonaro
Drums, Vocals, Producer - Carl Canedy
Guitar, Vocals, Producer - David 'Rock' Feinstein




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1qOzeBH5B0



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..



Absolutna klasyka Heavy Metalu. Drugi album The Rods z 1982 roku.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Too Hot To Stop 4:05
2. Waiting For Tomorrow 3:58
3. Violation 5:09
4. Burned By Love 4:05
5. Wild Dogs 3:25
6. You Keep Me Hangin' On (The Supremes cover) 3:46
7. Rockin' & Rollin' Again 3:16
8. End Of The Line 5:25
9. No Sweet Talk, Honey 3:31
10. The Night Lives To Rock 3:20

Bonus Tracks:
11. Wings Of Fire (Single B-side) 3:49
12. City Girls (Outtake) 2:58
13. Too Hot To Stop (Cleaned-Up Version/Promo 12'' 3:40
14. Rockin' & Rollin' Again (Live) 3:33
15. Waiting For Tomorrow (Live) 3:46
16. The Night Lives To Rock (Live) 3:39
17. Too Hot To Stop (Live) 4:19
18. Power Lover (Live) 4:28



..::OBSADA::..

Bass, Vocals - Garry Bordonaro
Drums, Vocals, Producer - Carl Canedy
Guitar, Vocals, Producer - David 'Rock' Feinstein




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1qOzeBH5B0



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Jeśli szukasz klasycznego metalowego albumu z dobrym songwritingiem, charakterystycznym wokalem i melodiami, to Witch Cross jest wart uwagi.
Krążek dla każdego, kto poszukuje autentycznej, melodyjnej, poprawiającej nastrój, 'sierocej likantropii' z tamtych przełomowych czasów.

FA


Oh the sweet 80s, what a wonderful history. However, from where I come from if I would have lived in the 80s, I wouldn't have probably known the large number of bands that I came to know since I was first affected by the blackish touch of Heavy Metal music. Time and time again I stumble upon reissues of old 80s albums mostly by bands that I have never heard of. Well, since I am a dead curious like a cat, I had to investigate. Though I haven't reached all of what has been released but I try to keep up as I can. This time Hells Headbangers Records blessed me with the reissue (probably remastered) of something Denmark, yeah the land of the King. I received the debut album, named "Fit For Fight", originally released back in 1984, of the Heavy Metal band WITCH CROSS. The word pure might be delinquent to describe these guys' appreciation towards their roots because they can be categorized as the roots of what is going on today. Nevertheless, these guys also had their derivations and as many back in that time in Europe, took most of their influences from British Metal, meaning NWOBHM, displaying 70s and early 80s JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN but also taking that a bit darkened creativeness of their local MERCYFUL FATE, while even producing the debut in a sound outline that is a reminiscent of the older releases of the Danish giant.

In general, "Fit For Fight" isn't probably a so called uniqueness but that vibe and that old school atmosphere that it generates is so rich, sometimes while playing the album it got me a bit emotional as I felt that the old times came back to life for almost forty minutes. There were plenty of bands back then trying to reach to top, some laid down and die, some paved their road to become stars and some were just there sharing their music and keeping the flame burning. WITCH CROSS could have been something glorious in the 80s, but the curse of the lineup changes struck them hard and they left the scenes in 1986. However, both their legacy and their identity came back alive with this release. Playing traditional, somewhat in the zone of post NWOBHM, upstart Rock along with early JUDAS PRIEST ("British Steel" and "Screaming For Vengeance") and IRON MAIDEN ("Number Of The Beast","Piece Of Mind"), crispy sounded guitaring of the twin axe duo displaying cutting edge riffing plus melodies and harmonics, basic kind of drumming and classy bass in a British fashion, high register vocals that made me tremble reminding some of England's old shouters, energetic soloing filled with passion, lack of bass on the entire album's production all the way, along with a few raw moments especially on the last track "Alien Savage", but I didn't care because this one felt so much like a vinyl so I let it go.

Though some of these track might sound as cliché' in comparison to what is going on today in the worldwide Metal scene, it shouldn't be approached with that attitude. WITCH CROSS is a classic band that played in the classic times of traditional Metal. Everyone wanted to be somebody, as today, but the material that went on back then more or less was less constructive than the racing for exceptionality that has been going on in the present. With "Fit For Fight" the straightforward basics do the talking, of course with great talents and wonderful musicianship because you can't leave without those. "Rocking TheNight Away" blew my head off right away, such a great vibe of "Living After Midnight", SCORPIONS kind, along with MAIDENish soloing. And when Alex "Savage" Nyborg Madsen started popping the lyrics on the verses, it was back to the late 70s. Now I know why this guy was with a LED ZEPPELIN oriented band years back. The riffing is extra crispy, catchy showcasing why I am a huge fan of rhythm guitars and drumming so basic by so fundamental. The instrumental "Axe Dance" better than "Transylvania", though rather poorly produced it kills. It started a bit foggy, probably from the distortions, but it is insanely melodic, great solo section with a profound rhythm support, main riff chops, should have been classic. "Light Of ATorch" is an early kind of street Metal, reminded me a bit of early RATT at first but continued on that great British path. A one powerful intro that filled me with joy and then it started getting PRIEST all around, damn what a great feeling from those riffs. In last few words, take this one why don't you. It might not sound modern or that highly produced, but it is an important piece of Metal history, essential for your survival with this genre so come share the glory.

Lior 'Steinmetal' Stein



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Nightflight To Tokyo 4:23
2. Face Of A Clown 5:17
3. Rocking The Night Away 5:11
4. Killer Dogs 5:04
5. Fight The Fire 5:21
6. Axe Dance 3:21
7. Light Of A Torch 5:42
8. Alien Savage 6:09



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Alex Savage
Guitar - Cole Hamilton
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Mike Wlad
Bass - 'Little' John Field
Drums - A.C.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YdCUmGp1zs



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Jeśli szukasz klasycznego metalowego albumu z dobrym songwritingiem, charakterystycznym wokalem i melodiami, to Witch Cross jest wart uwagi.
Krążek dla każdego, kto poszukuje autentycznej, melodyjnej, poprawiającej nastrój, 'sierocej likantropii' z tamtych przełomowych czasów.

FA


Oh the sweet 80s, what a wonderful history. However, from where I come from if I would have lived in the 80s, I wouldn't have probably known the large number of bands that I came to know since I was first affected by the blackish touch of Heavy Metal music. Time and time again I stumble upon reissues of old 80s albums mostly by bands that I have never heard of. Well, since I am a dead curious like a cat, I had to investigate. Though I haven't reached all of what has been released but I try to keep up as I can. This time Hells Headbangers Records blessed me with the reissue (probably remastered) of something Denmark, yeah the land of the King. I received the debut album, named "Fit For Fight", originally released back in 1984, of the Heavy Metal band WITCH CROSS. The word pure might be delinquent to describe these guys' appreciation towards their roots because they can be categorized as the roots of what is going on today. Nevertheless, these guys also had their derivations and as many back in that time in Europe, took most of their influences from British Metal, meaning NWOBHM, displaying 70s and early 80s JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN but also taking that a bit darkened creativeness of their local MERCYFUL FATE, while even producing the debut in a sound outline that is a reminiscent of the older releases of the Danish giant.

In general, "Fit For Fight" isn't probably a so called uniqueness but that vibe and that old school atmosphere that it generates is so rich, sometimes while playing the album it got me a bit emotional as I felt that the old times came back to life for almost forty minutes. There were plenty of bands back then trying to reach to top, some laid down and die, some paved their road to become stars and some were just there sharing their music and keeping the flame burning. WITCH CROSS could have been something glorious in the 80s, but the curse of the lineup changes struck them hard and they left the scenes in 1986. However, both their legacy and their identity came back alive with this release. Playing traditional, somewhat in the zone of post NWOBHM, upstart Rock along with early JUDAS PRIEST ("British Steel" and "Screaming For Vengeance") and IRON MAIDEN ("Number Of The Beast","Piece Of Mind"), crispy sounded guitaring of the twin axe duo displaying cutting edge riffing plus melodies and harmonics, basic kind of drumming and classy bass in a British fashion, high register vocals that made me tremble reminding some of England's old shouters, energetic soloing filled with passion, lack of bass on the entire album's production all the way, along with a few raw moments especially on the last track "Alien Savage", but I didn't care because this one felt so much like a vinyl so I let it go.

Though some of these track might sound as cliché' in comparison to what is going on today in the worldwide Metal scene, it shouldn't be approached with that attitude. WITCH CROSS is a classic band that played in the classic times of traditional Metal. Everyone wanted to be somebody, as today, but the material that went on back then more or less was less constructive than the racing for exceptionality that has been going on in the present. With "Fit For Fight" the straightforward basics do the talking, of course with great talents and wonderful musicianship because you can't leave without those. "Rocking TheNight Away" blew my head off right away, such a great vibe of "Living After Midnight", SCORPIONS kind, along with MAIDENish soloing. And when Alex "Savage" Nyborg Madsen started popping the lyrics on the verses, it was back to the late 70s. Now I know why this guy was with a LED ZEPPELIN oriented band years back. The riffing is extra crispy, catchy showcasing why I am a huge fan of rhythm guitars and drumming so basic by so fundamental. The instrumental "Axe Dance" better than "Transylvania", though rather poorly produced it kills. It started a bit foggy, probably from the distortions, but it is insanely melodic, great solo section with a profound rhythm support, main riff chops, should have been classic. "Light Of ATorch" is an early kind of street Metal, reminded me a bit of early RATT at first but continued on that great British path. A one powerful intro that filled me with joy and then it started getting PRIEST all around, damn what a great feeling from those riffs. In last few words, take this one why don't you. It might not sound modern or that highly produced, but it is an important piece of Metal history, essential for your survival with this genre so come share the glory.

Lior 'Steinmetal' Stein



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Nightflight To Tokyo 4:23
2. Face Of A Clown 5:17
3. Rocking The Night Away 5:11
4. Killer Dogs 5:04
5. Fight The Fire 5:21
6. Axe Dance 3:21
7. Light Of A Torch 5:42
8. Alien Savage 6:09



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Alex Savage
Guitar - Cole Hamilton
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Mike Wlad
Bass - 'Little' John Field
Drums - A.C.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YdCUmGp1zs



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

'Stronger Than Heaven' jest świetnym niemieckim metalem z połowy lat 80.
To najbardziej kompletny, wszechstronny i wybitny przejaw muzycznej tożsamości zespołu. To narracyjny, nastrojowy, nawiązujący do średniowiecza, a jednocześnie niezwykle konserwatywny i tradycyjny heavy metal w najlepszym wydaniu.
Klasyczne, wyrafinowane, undergroundowe arcydzieło, którego praktycznie nikt nie zna poza najbardziej zagorzałymi maniakami heavy metalu.
Starzeje się jak dobre wino.

FA


Well, let’s throw our minds back for a time being and recall some distant past when Germany was not a place of autobahns, sausages and misplaced guilt stemming from that angst-ridden 1930s/40s period, but rather to an olden age whence wizards and witches inhabited every moonlit forest, threatening idyllic peace and busty maidens, and when Witchfinders (before logic relegated them to society’s unemployment office) had free reign to exact whatever pricking they saw fit as to exact upon suspected minions of the Devil. Stormwitch, as their clichéd moniker might suggest, dwell upon all this and more. And armed with a copy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and some of Hammer’s finest films they set out to conjure just these atmospheres of an earlier Europe ridden with superstition and, er, cottage industry.

The occult certainly wasn’t anything new to metal at this point, even considered somewhat of a cliché by 1986 (enough for certain thrash bands to move rather rapidly away from it, Megadeth, for instance). But I don’t really care what’s considered ‘old hat’ in music and I’ve always been interested by the different ways metal bands use the occult (not literally, of course! I don’t actually believe King Diamond speaks with the ghosts of the undead… though, he does and that’s the important part). Doom bands often use the occult as a representation of personal demons that trouble them (often from a seemingly Christian perspective), whereas other metal bands use it to symbolise a sense of rebellion and rejection of traditional values (Running Wild’s Gates to Purgatory, for example). Stormwitch, on the other – possibly left – hand, simply seem to be singing about the occult because it’s a good way of provoking certain images in their listeners’ heads, and hey, it’s fun to listen to.

In a similar way to how their lyrics may seem initially similar to Mercyful Fate, if perhaps devoid of some of the Dane’s more malefic touches, then Stormwitch’s music can too be said to have something of a Mercyful Fate Lite vibe about it. There’s a lot of pre-Don’t Break the Oath MF distilled into Stormwitch’s sound, and believe me it’s certainly welcome! But as I’ve said, it’s lighter in its overall mood, but that’s hardly of any real detriment. This brings me to another comparison: Helloween. As well as Andy Mück’s vocals having some Kai-alike intonations to them, the band’s overall sound is perhaps a little something like what Helloween would have sounded like if they’d followed some of their more sinewy mid-paced moments on Walls of Jericho (think ‘Phantoms of Death’ in particular) to a more melodic, refined conclusion rather than becoming something of a pop-metal band on Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I. So yes, it’s not the most original and world-shaking thing I’ve heard, but Stormwitch are not artistes who redefine what is capable with heavy music with their music; they’re a highly enjoyable band who are happy to write well-constructed songs that may or may not rhyme “George Michael” with “Menstrual Cycle”.

Surely, you’ve got time for something like that, right? It’s something that German heavy metal bands seem to do very well post-NWOBHM. After all, Britain gave up producing traditional heavy metal in any great quantity by the mid-80s (for reasons I can’t really fathom), so surely someone had to carry on the torch, right? Although, the German thrash scene gets its deserved accolades, the influx of traditional metal bands coming out of Germany in the 80s is certainly not something to be sniffed at in both terms of quantity and quality. Helloween and Running Wild certainly have their fans, as do Grave Digger to a lesser extent, so why not Stormwitch as well? Certainly the material present on Stronger than Heaven puts it way ahead of, say, ‘Headbanging Man’ and its ilk. This band needs more credit, especially when people still deem Hammerfall to a be a worthwhile band!

Stronger than Heaven is certainly an album any trad metal connoisseur will enjoy from the first spin, and although I can’t really say there’s a moment I didn’t really enjoy there’s a few definitely standouts. Opener, ‘Rats in the Attic’ introduces us to the delightful, melodic riff-o-rama, which is given a well-pronounced place in the mix with that lovely mid-80s warm mush of a guitar sound. It’s certainly not the most serious or shadowy number on Stronger than Heaven but still at its most overtly ‘fun’ the album is nowhere near as “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!” as the cover art would suggest. This probably from where I’ve devised most of my Helloween comparisons – it’s certainly the closest they get to Kiske-era Helloween (and a year before the Keepers… began, too). ‘Eternia’ proves another wholly worthwhile number with its ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’ styled guitar work interspersed with misty little verses that move the song forward at a great pace. The title track itself shows the band at their most anthemic; it starts off with an ol’ witch gang-chant, which is fair enough as the witches on the cover have perms… eighties witches, really, their familiar was probably a curling iron. It’s quite an archetypal eighties-styled heavy metal number it wouldn’t really sound out of place on one of the good Dio albums, which is probably a good indication of this band’s melodic class.

But still, my favourite is the rousing, unsettling fast number ‘Slave to Moonlight’. It’s the typical horror tale of changing by moonlight into something far more hairy and waking up covered Pedigree Chum with no idea of what you’ve done the next morning, which is a truly frightening image. I like really like the interjection of cheesy eighties horror sound effects in the sound. Stormwitch really does sound like a great eighties horror movie with all the charm and schlock you could ever ask for – forget society’s ills and politics for a while and captivate yourself with the fears of demons, gypsy curses and that howling sound on the wind that you can’t quite put your finger on.

Acrobat


..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Intro 0:32
2. Rats In The Attic 3:07
3. Eternia 3:59
4. Jonathan's Diary 7:22
5. Slave To Moonlight 4:03
6. Stronger Than Heaven 4:39
7. Ravenlord 3:41
8. Allies Of The Dark 4:16
9. Dorian Gray 5:35


..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant
Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksQC5AAAQk



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

'Stronger Than Heaven' jest świetnym niemieckim metalem z połowy lat 80.
To najbardziej kompletny, wszechstronny i wybitny przejaw muzycznej tożsamości zespołu. To narracyjny, nastrojowy, nawiązujący do średniowiecza, a jednocześnie niezwykle konserwatywny i tradycyjny heavy metal w najlepszym wydaniu.
Klasyczne, wyrafinowane, undergroundowe arcydzieło, którego praktycznie nikt nie zna poza najbardziej zagorzałymi maniakami heavy metalu.
Starzeje się jak dobre wino.

FA


Well, let’s throw our minds back for a time being and recall some distant past when Germany was not a place of autobahns, sausages and misplaced guilt stemming from that angst-ridden 1930s/40s period, but rather to an olden age whence wizards and witches inhabited every moonlit forest, threatening idyllic peace and busty maidens, and when Witchfinders (before logic relegated them to society’s unemployment office) had free reign to exact whatever pricking they saw fit as to exact upon suspected minions of the Devil. Stormwitch, as their clichéd moniker might suggest, dwell upon all this and more. And armed with a copy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and some of Hammer’s finest films they set out to conjure just these atmospheres of an earlier Europe ridden with superstition and, er, cottage industry.

The occult certainly wasn’t anything new to metal at this point, even considered somewhat of a cliché by 1986 (enough for certain thrash bands to move rather rapidly away from it, Megadeth, for instance). But I don’t really care what’s considered ‘old hat’ in music and I’ve always been interested by the different ways metal bands use the occult (not literally, of course! I don’t actually believe King Diamond speaks with the ghosts of the undead… though, he does and that’s the important part). Doom bands often use the occult as a representation of personal demons that trouble them (often from a seemingly Christian perspective), whereas other metal bands use it to symbolise a sense of rebellion and rejection of traditional values (Running Wild’s Gates to Purgatory, for example). Stormwitch, on the other – possibly left – hand, simply seem to be singing about the occult because it’s a good way of provoking certain images in their listeners’ heads, and hey, it’s fun to listen to.

In a similar way to how their lyrics may seem initially similar to Mercyful Fate, if perhaps devoid of some of the Dane’s more malefic touches, then Stormwitch’s music can too be said to have something of a Mercyful Fate Lite vibe about it. There’s a lot of pre-Don’t Break the Oath MF distilled into Stormwitch’s sound, and believe me it’s certainly welcome! But as I’ve said, it’s lighter in its overall mood, but that’s hardly of any real detriment. This brings me to another comparison: Helloween. As well as Andy Mück’s vocals having some Kai-alike intonations to them, the band’s overall sound is perhaps a little something like what Helloween would have sounded like if they’d followed some of their more sinewy mid-paced moments on Walls of Jericho (think ‘Phantoms of Death’ in particular) to a more melodic, refined conclusion rather than becoming something of a pop-metal band on Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I. So yes, it’s not the most original and world-shaking thing I’ve heard, but Stormwitch are not artistes who redefine what is capable with heavy music with their music; they’re a highly enjoyable band who are happy to write well-constructed songs that may or may not rhyme “George Michael” with “Menstrual Cycle”.

Surely, you’ve got time for something like that, right? It’s something that German heavy metal bands seem to do very well post-NWOBHM. After all, Britain gave up producing traditional heavy metal in any great quantity by the mid-80s (for reasons I can’t really fathom), so surely someone had to carry on the torch, right? Although, the German thrash scene gets its deserved accolades, the influx of traditional metal bands coming out of Germany in the 80s is certainly not something to be sniffed at in both terms of quantity and quality. Helloween and Running Wild certainly have their fans, as do Grave Digger to a lesser extent, so why not Stormwitch as well? Certainly the material present on Stronger than Heaven puts it way ahead of, say, ‘Headbanging Man’ and its ilk. This band needs more credit, especially when people still deem Hammerfall to a be a worthwhile band!

Stronger than Heaven is certainly an album any trad metal connoisseur will enjoy from the first spin, and although I can’t really say there’s a moment I didn’t really enjoy there’s a few definitely standouts. Opener, ‘Rats in the Attic’ introduces us to the delightful, melodic riff-o-rama, which is given a well-pronounced place in the mix with that lovely mid-80s warm mush of a guitar sound. It’s certainly not the most serious or shadowy number on Stronger than Heaven but still at its most overtly ‘fun’ the album is nowhere near as “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!” as the cover art would suggest. This probably from where I’ve devised most of my Helloween comparisons – it’s certainly the closest they get to Kiske-era Helloween (and a year before the Keepers… began, too). ‘Eternia’ proves another wholly worthwhile number with its ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’ styled guitar work interspersed with misty little verses that move the song forward at a great pace. The title track itself shows the band at their most anthemic; it starts off with an ol’ witch gang-chant, which is fair enough as the witches on the cover have perms… eighties witches, really, their familiar was probably a curling iron. It’s quite an archetypal eighties-styled heavy metal number it wouldn’t really sound out of place on one of the good Dio albums, which is probably a good indication of this band’s melodic class.

But still, my favourite is the rousing, unsettling fast number ‘Slave to Moonlight’. It’s the typical horror tale of changing by moonlight into something far more hairy and waking up covered Pedigree Chum with no idea of what you’ve done the next morning, which is a truly frightening image. I like really like the interjection of cheesy eighties horror sound effects in the sound. Stormwitch really does sound like a great eighties horror movie with all the charm and schlock you could ever ask for – forget society’s ills and politics for a while and captivate yourself with the fears of demons, gypsy curses and that howling sound on the wind that you can’t quite put your finger on.

Acrobat



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Intro 0:32
2. Rats In The Attic 3:07
3. Eternia 3:59
4. Jonathan's Diary 7:22
5. Slave To Moonlight 4:03
6. Stronger Than Heaven 4:39
7. Ravenlord 3:41
8. Allies Of The Dark 4:16
9. Dorian Gray 5:35



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant
Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksQC5AAAQk



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..



Cudowna epicka przygoda!
Uwaga!
Zero oryginalności!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Cimmeria (Intro) 01:03
2. For Metal, We Ride 09:08
3. Ancestors' Wrath 05:48
4. Phoenix on the Blade 08:29
5. Attack of the Necromancer 05:24
6. Mists of Time 09:50
7. Necropolis (Manilla Road Cover) 03:16
8. Winds of Hyboria 12:07



..::OBSADA::..

Vidarr - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Kicker - Drums, Percussion




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fiFg87mM4



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..



Cudowna epicka przygoda!
Uwaga!
Zero oryginalności!



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Cimmeria (Intro) 01:03
2. For Metal, We Ride 09:08
3. Ancestors' Wrath 05:48
4. Phoenix on the Blade 08:29
5. Attack of the Necromancer 05:24
6. Mists of Time 09:50
7. Necropolis (Manilla Road Cover) 03:16
8. Winds of Hyboria 12:07



..::OBSADA::..

Vidarr - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Kicker - Drums, Percussion




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fiFg87mM4



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

To jest ABSOLUTNY KLEJNOT!!!
Nie miałem okazji poznać tej płyty w epoce.. Dopiero po ponad 40 latach!
Powiem, bez przesady, że gdybym miał (znał go) ten krążek w tamtych latach to ze szczęścia 'sfajdałbym się po same pachy'!!!

FA


As many unsung heroes are hosted here in this column, we couldn’t just leave out from this fine gathering, the mighty Savage. While we been mentioned so many times the love we have for N.W.O.B.H.M. and thrash as genres, still we haven’t written many stories behind proto thrash or N.W.O.B.H.M. on 45rpm albums. “Loose ‘n Lethal” is one of those pioneers of extreme music that only a few remembers it as something more than a typical release of its time and genre. Probably due to the nature o extreme sound and it’s rapidly changing environment the bands that played a bit faster than the usual in the early 80’s never capitalized their pattern as the younger bands across the Atlantic took over with their aggressive style and manners. Think of Raven, Jaguar, Atomkraft and Savage, as only Venom (that was never actually a part of N.W.O.B.H.M. movement after all) capitalized their speedy way of playing, and you‘ll get what I mean. Savage had some speedy songs but as genuine teens that musically came of age in the 70’s were no one track mind guys and tried to have not only fast, but mid tempo songs too, filled with melodic riffs in their guitar driven sound in the veins of Scorpions and U.F.O. Of course they were true rockers and their songs were full of testosterone and caused adrenaline explosion.

Savage was formed in Mansfield, U.K., in 1976 by 16-year-old Chris Bradley on bass, Chris Gent behind mic, Lee Statham on guitars and Mick Percival on drums, but after only one official concert, they disbanded and was re-formed in 1978 by Bradley, Andy Bradbury on guitar, Simon Dawson on drums and his 15-year-old brother Andy Dawson on guitar. Line-up issues continued as Wayne Renshaw replaced Andy Bradbury, and Dave Lindley replaced Simon Dawson. This lineup recorded ‘Let it Loose’ (in 1981 for their first demo tape), and appeared in compilation albums ‘Scene of the Crime’ (1981) and ‘Metal Fatigue’ (1982) and also the double A-side single ‘Aint No Fit Place’/’The China Run’. Mark Brown replaced after a while Lindley.

Their debut album, ‘Loose ‘N Lethal’ was released in 1983. It starts emphatically with its fastest tune, “Let It Loose” that is gets you from the throat. This is their most popular song, as it is the one that Ulrich picked for his band to cover it. “Cry Wolf” continues with its masculine riffs and mid tempo galloping rhythm. Raw sound and pure NWOBHM is what you get on “Berlin”, the third song of the album, too. While the vocal lines isn’t something extra ordinary, still it fits like a glove with the rough melodies and the whole attitude of the band. More razor sharp riffs and macho guitars and lyrics on “Dirty Money”, before we take a break and a deep breath with “Ain’t No Fit Place” that slows down to a more Priest-like composition. “On The Rocks” is a Michael Schenker era Scorpions song that magnetizes you with its catchy vibe and leads to the best track of the album, “China Run” (and one of my wives favorites) that has a simple structure and the typical galloping riffs, but it is an excellent example of brilliant straightforward heavy metal formula. While the album ends -with no filler on its track listing- once again with another Priest-like mid paced rocker, entitled “White Hot”.

Due to a lack of support from management or record company this gem is totally underrated. Savage continued to make the one mistake after the other and in 1984 decided to leave Ebony Records and signed to a new label, Zebra Records. At the end of the year they issued their first release for Zebra, the 12″ EP “We Got the Edge”. This was followed their sophomore studio album “Hyperactive”, that gained some great reviews and that was it. A couple of years later (1986) Savage split-up for 8-9 years before resurrected in 1995 releasing their third album “Holy Wars”. Albums followed in 1998, “Babylon”, and 2000, “Xtreme Machine”. The band was almost dead for a decade while suddenly resurfaced in 2011 with a new album “Sons of Malice”, with the lineup featuring: Chris Bradley on vocals and bass, Andy Dawson and Kris Bradley (Chris’s son and Andy’s nephew) on guitars and Mark Nelson on drums. Their last full length effort “7”came out via Minus2Zebra on October 2015.

Giorgos Tsekas



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Let It Loose 3:19
2. Cry Wolf 4:37
3. Berlin 4:51
4. Dirty Money 4:48
5. Ain't No Fit Place 5:41
6. On The Rocks 3:55
7. The China Run 4:11
8. White Hot 3:50

Bonus Tracks:
9. Ain't No Fit Place (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 5:34
10. Let It Loose (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 3:28
11. Dirty Money (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 5:09
12. The China Run (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 4:03
13. Ain't No Fit Place (Metal Fatique 1982) 4:40
14. No Cause To Kill (1980 Demo) 3:46
15. The Devil Take You (1980 Demo) 4:53
16. Back On The Road (1980 Demo) 3:59
17. She Don't Need You (Demo 1980) 4:53
18. Let It Loose (Demo 1980) 3:36



..::OBSADA::..

Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals - Chris Bradley
Drums - Mark Brown
Guitar - Wayne Renshaw
Lead Guitar, Vocals - Andy Dawson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccm-JZBH3j8


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

To jest ABSOLUTNY KLEJNOT!!!
Nie miałem okazji poznać tej płyty w epoce.. Dopiero po ponad 40 latach!
Powiem, bez przesady, że gdybym miał (znał go) ten krążek w tamtych latach to ze szczęścia 'sfajdałbym się po same pachy'!!!

FA


As many unsung heroes are hosted here in this column, we couldn’t just leave out from this fine gathering, the mighty Savage. While we been mentioned so many times the love we have for N.W.O.B.H.M. and thrash as genres, still we haven’t written many stories behind proto thrash or N.W.O.B.H.M. on 45rpm albums. “Loose ‘n Lethal” is one of those pioneers of extreme music that only a few remembers it as something more than a typical release of its time and genre. Probably due to the nature o extreme sound and it’s rapidly changing environment the bands that played a bit faster than the usual in the early 80’s never capitalized their pattern as the younger bands across the Atlantic took over with their aggressive style and manners. Think of Raven, Jaguar, Atomkraft and Savage, as only Venom (that was never actually a part of N.W.O.B.H.M. movement after all) capitalized their speedy way of playing, and you‘ll get what I mean. Savage had some speedy songs but as genuine teens that musically came of age in the 70’s were no one track mind guys and tried to have not only fast, but mid tempo songs too, filled with melodic riffs in their guitar driven sound in the veins of Scorpions and U.F.O. Of course they were true rockers and their songs were full of testosterone and caused adrenaline explosion.

Savage was formed in Mansfield, U.K., in 1976 by 16-year-old Chris Bradley on bass, Chris Gent behind mic, Lee Statham on guitars and Mick Percival on drums, but after only one official concert, they disbanded and was re-formed in 1978 by Bradley, Andy Bradbury on guitar, Simon Dawson on drums and his 15-year-old brother Andy Dawson on guitar. Line-up issues continued as Wayne Renshaw replaced Andy Bradbury, and Dave Lindley replaced Simon Dawson. This lineup recorded ‘Let it Loose’ (in 1981 for their first demo tape), and appeared in compilation albums ‘Scene of the Crime’ (1981) and ‘Metal Fatigue’ (1982) and also the double A-side single ‘Aint No Fit Place’/’The China Run’. Mark Brown replaced after a while Lindley.

Their debut album, ‘Loose ‘N Lethal’ was released in 1983. It starts emphatically with its fastest tune, “Let It Loose” that is gets you from the throat. This is their most popular song, as it is the one that Ulrich picked for his band to cover it. “Cry Wolf” continues with its masculine riffs and mid tempo galloping rhythm. Raw sound and pure NWOBHM is what you get on “Berlin”, the third song of the album, too. While the vocal lines isn’t something extra ordinary, still it fits like a glove with the rough melodies and the whole attitude of the band. More razor sharp riffs and macho guitars and lyrics on “Dirty Money”, before we take a break and a deep breath with “Ain’t No Fit Place” that slows down to a more Priest-like composition. “On The Rocks” is a Michael Schenker era Scorpions song that magnetizes you with its catchy vibe and leads to the best track of the album, “China Run” (and one of my wives favorites) that has a simple structure and the typical galloping riffs, but it is an excellent example of brilliant straightforward heavy metal formula. While the album ends -with no filler on its track listing- once again with another Priest-like mid paced rocker, entitled “White Hot”.

Due to a lack of support from management or record company this gem is totally underrated. Savage continued to make the one mistake after the other and in 1984 decided to leave Ebony Records and signed to a new label, Zebra Records. At the end of the year they issued their first release for Zebra, the 12″ EP “We Got the Edge”. This was followed their sophomore studio album “Hyperactive”, that gained some great reviews and that was it. A couple of years later (1986) Savage split-up for 8-9 years before resurrected in 1995 releasing their third album “Holy Wars”. Albums followed in 1998, “Babylon”, and 2000, “Xtreme Machine”. The band was almost dead for a decade while suddenly resurfaced in 2011 with a new album “Sons of Malice”, with the lineup featuring: Chris Bradley on vocals and bass, Andy Dawson and Kris Bradley (Chris’s son and Andy’s nephew) on guitars and Mark Nelson on drums. Their last full length effort “7”came out via Minus2Zebra on October 2015.

Giorgos Tsekas



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Let It Loose 3:19
2. Cry Wolf 4:37
3. Berlin 4:51
4. Dirty Money 4:48
5. Ain't No Fit Place 5:41
6. On The Rocks 3:55
7. The China Run 4:11
8. White Hot 3:50

Bonus Tracks:
9. Ain't No Fit Place (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 5:34
10. Let It Loose (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 3:28
11. Dirty Money (Scene Of The Crime 1981) 5:09
12. The China Run (Ebony Records 7" 1982) 4:03
13. Ain't No Fit Place (Metal Fatique 1982) 4:40
14. No Cause To Kill (1980 Demo) 3:46
15. The Devil Take You (1980 Demo) 4:53
16. Back On The Road (1980 Demo) 3:59
17. She Don't Need You (Demo 1980) 4:53
18. Let It Loose (Demo 1980) 3:36



..::OBSADA::..

Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals - Chris Bradley
Drums - Mark Brown
Guitar - Wayne Renshaw
Lead Guitar, Vocals - Andy Dawson



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccm-JZBH3j8


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Tonight we fight
The Horns decide our fate
Fight well - In Hell
Open the Gates!


Słuchając "Open The Gates" Manilla Road można poczuć się jak podczas niesamowitej podróży po mitycznym królestwie, znajdującym się na dnie wielkiego praoceanu. Muzyka na tym albumie niesie nas swym prądem. Od samego początku trwania płyty możemy poczuć niespokojny ruch wirów i fal starożytnej siły, która pulsuje żywą energią, wydzierającą się z przepastnych głębi.

Manilla Road nie trzeba szerzej przedstawiać - w końcu niewiele jest zespołów tak kultowych i tak idealnie chwytających ducha prawdziwego heavy metalu jak oni. Jakość twórczości Marka Sheltona i spółki jest sama w sobie wskaźnikiem doskonałości, jaką osiągnął ten zespół.

Po znakomitym "Crystal Logic" z 1983 roku, Manilla Road znowu pokazała na co ją stać na "Open The Gates", wydanym pierwotnie w kwietniu 1985. Mark Shelton stworzył kolejne prawdziwe arcydzieło, idąc swoją twórczością naprzód, zamiast ograniczać się do napisania jakieś wariacji na temat "Crystal Logic". Dzięki temu kolejny album okazał się godnym następcą, momentami nawet lepszym od swego poprzednika.

Z tego albumu tryska magia i niesamowitość - wokale, które oscylują między podniosłymi, melodyjnymi zaśpiewami, a chrapliwą agresją - gitary, które urzekają wyjącymi solówkami i atakują swym przybrudzonym przesterem - perkusja, która swym jasnym werblem rozświetla kompozycje, jednocześnie bezkompromisowo szarżując niesamowitymi motywami i umiejętnie użytą podwójną stopą. Ponadto same kompozycje są zróżnicowane, a przy tym niezwykle interesujące i klimatyczne. "Open The Gates" może nie niesie ze sobą takiej przebojowości jaką miało "Crystal Logic", jednak nadal prezentuje klinicznie czysty destylat prawdziwego metalu.

Na samym starcie wita nas charakterystyczne i niepokojące intro oraz dudniący wstęp perkusyjny, po którym wchodzi szybki, niepokojący, a przy tym nieco thrashujący główny riff "Metalstrom". Ewidentny speed metalowy sztych, jaki został tutaj użyty, sprawia iż ten numer sprawdza się idealnie jako otwieracz tak napompowanej klasą płyty.

Zawartość albumu co i rusz ciska w nas świetnymi kompozycjami. Mamy tutaj "Heavy Metal To The World" z wyraźnie brylującą w pogmatwanym refrenie perkusją, która tworzy tutaj również niezwykle energetyczny wstęp. Manilla Road nie ogranicza się do jednego sprawdzonego patentu i uderza podniosłym i monumentalnym "Open the Gates" oraz genialnym" The Fires of Mars". W samym "The Fires of Mars" znajdziemy także chyba jedną z najlepszych solówek na tym albumie, których jest tu zresztą co nie miara.

Magiczna i Poetycka "Astronomica" w trakcie swego trwania coraz bardziej stopniuje kolejne szczyty tajemniczości. W ten sposób poszerza głębie w jakiej obraca się klimatyczna muzyka tego fantastycznego amerykańskiego trio z Wichity. Metafizyczną ekspresję muzyczną Manilla Road kontynuuje mroczny klimat "Weavers of the Web" z chwytliwym riffem pod refrenem oraz klasyczny "Witches Brew". W tej kompozycji, która wita nas arkadyjskim, onirycznym wstępie, chropowaty charyzmatyczny wokal Sheltona bryluje pośród ciężkich, nabuzowanych mocą gitarowych riffów. Interludium rozdzielające zwrotki zostało tutaj mistrzowsko okraszone energetycznym leadem. Same solówki, które mogłyby spokojnie konkurować z tymi w "The Fires of Mars", będą nam także towarzyszyć w drugiej połowie trwania utworów, a sam Shelton niemal w nich odlatuje w klimatycznym pojedynku wyrazistości i maestrii. Mark prawie zawsze tworzy niesamowite i cudowne leady do swych utworów, jednak tutaj można rzec, że przeszedł samego siebie.

To nie są jednak wszystkie smaczki, które kryje w sobie "Open The Gates". Ten album nie byłby kompletny bez genialnego "Road of Kings", w którego warstwie muzycznej można się zatracić do tego stopnia, że wejście wokali możemy przywitać lekkim szokiem. Gitary w tym utworze kreują niesamowity destylat epickiej siły i mocy. Niepokojąco pulsująca moc tkwi także pod skórą "Hour of the Dragon", godnie interpretując muzycznie jedno z najbardziej znanych opowiadań Roberta E. Howarda.

Nie mielibyśmy do czynienia z płytą Manilla Road, gdyby na pokładzie nie było przynajmniej jednej epickiej kompozycji. Tutaj tę rolę pełni ponad dziewięciominutowy "The Ninth Wave" - a co się w nim dzieje, to głowa mała. Pełne nieprzeniknionej enigmatyczności pierwsze dźwięki gitar, śpiewające później magiczne unisono, są kunsztowną i wręcz królewską formą dostojności. A potem jest jeszcze lepiej: pełne wewnętrznego ognia dysonansowe symfoniczne solówki, potępieńcze zaśpiewy, kulminacje energii i niemal świątynne bębny. Pod koniec tej wysublimowanej kompozycji Mark Shelton wspina się tutaj także wokalnie na piedestał epickości.

Wokale Marka Sheltona wzbogacają tę płytę. Mark nagrywając tę płytę miał chore gardło i podczas sesji studyjnej uszkodził sobie przez to struny głosowe. Fakt, że nie dysponował pełnią swej możliwości słychać w utworach, gdyż jego wokale są przez to bardziej szarpane, chropowate i ostrzejsze niż na "Crystal Logic" czy na "The Deluge".

Co tu dużo mówić. Konkluzję tej płyty można zawrzeć w kilku prostych hasłach: Podniosłość. Epickość. Poetyka. Klimat. Majestat. Jest to miła odmiana po tych wszystkich chujowych zespołach, opiewających w słodko-pierdzących peanach mordowanie smoków, picie piwa, puszczanie krwi dla diabłów i tak dalej. "Open The Gates" nie zawiera może żadnego utworu, który byłby tak przebojowy jak "Necropolis", jednak składa się z samych rzetelnych i zapadających w pamięci kompozycji.

Sterviss


Open the Gates is the first Manilla Road album with lyrical themes that somewhat make sense. After the first few albums were fueled by total nonsense that Mark and the boys cooked up in their acid-fueled noggins, OTG actually shows some semblance of thought in the lyrics. It’s still that trademark Manilla Road half-poetic half-stoned feel, but you can tell there was real inspiration here. OTG is mainly all about King Arthur, and has a general theme of ‘bravery’ and ‘standing your ground’ throughout. I find this album to be very motivational, whether I’m studying or exercising or doing anything really, it’s my default album to put on if I need to get moving.

Open the Gates is the longest album the Road recorded in the 80’s, coming in at about 52 minutes. Originally, they wanted to do something really silly and have something about this band make sense for once, so they wanted The Ninth Wave to be the ninth song on the album. They were so adamant about this, yet this move meant that one disc couldn’t store the whole album in its intended order. To fix this, they decided to sell it in its original print as a 12 inch LP and a 12 inch EP, with the LP having each song from Metalstrom to Hour of the Dragon, and the EP holding The Ninth Wave and Witches Brew. Every subsequent pressing on vinyl has been on one disc, with The Ninth Wave being placed right in the middle of the album, after Weavers of the Web. Honestly, I believe this change is for the best. It marks the halfway point of the album, and Witches’ Brew is a damn intense song in itself, so having them lead into each other is a bit much. This is something I’ve never seen anybody mention before so I thought I’d bring it up here.

Another little fun fact about this album; the intro to Metalstrom is actually the outro to Crystal Logic’s Dreams of Eschaton, just played in reverse. So if you play these two albums back to back, they lead perfectly into each other. It’s awesome. Metalstrom itself is a great track, setting the mood for the album immediately with a KILLER opening riff. This album has some of this band’s best riffage in it, I tell you. The title cut is one of the shortest songs the band ever put out, and it’s a nice little bridge into Astronomica. On it’s own it’s nothing special, just a nice little catchy hook to keep you listening.

Astronomica is an incredible track, and it set a standard for every following album of the 80s to have a song with an ethereal acoustic intro into a powerful mid paced masterwork. Think about it, we’ve got this one, Shadow in the Black, Spirits of the Dead, Return of the Old Ones and War in Heaven, and I guess Into the Courts of Chaos? It’s one of the best archetypes of Manilla song in my opinion. We even get some later in their career with stuff like Seven Trumpets and Battle for Bonchester Bridge. These all can be traced back to Astronomica, a phenomenal piece of music that really deserves its place in the hearts of Manilla Road fans as one of their greatest ever.

Weavers of the Web, Heavy Metal to the World, and Hour of the Dragon all have something in common, they’re powerful, have some iconic riffs and keep the album moving along nicely. Nestled in between these are The Ninth Wave, mentioned prior, which is this album’s true epic. It never feels like it drags, despite staying at a relatively slow pace and somewhat plodding at points, for the whole 9 minutes it enchants.

The Fires of Mars is this album’s weak point, in my opinion. This essentially means that this song is a 9/10 and everything else is 10/10. That’s how incredible this band and album is. My issue with this song is it’s just not that interesting, compared to everything else here it barely stands out. I love the solo though, a lot. It definitely has its moments but when it ends, I’m more glad that I get to listen to ROAD OF FUCKING KINGSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I discovered The Road with Necropolis like the rest of you, but this song along with Shadow in the Black is the one that kept me listening and what inspired me to get into this band. It’s just excellent, so much energy and POWER all in one song. And it’s inspirational! This plus Hour of the Dragon will get me motivated to do fuckin anything. I will hold this song close for my whole life.

The album closes with Witches’ Brew, which is just as epic as The Ninth Wave despite being somewhat shorter. This is one of the best closing tracks they ever made, maybe only topped by The Books of Skelos or The Empire. It’s a lovely trip out of the album, though the themes of the song itself are much closer to Mystification’s lyrics than OTG but it’s still one of the all-time greats.

Open the Gates has three major factors that I think make it perfect; Mark’s solos, guitar tone, and the drumming. This is I think the best tone they ever had. In the 80’s anyway. Crystal Logic is quite generic, The Deluge is much more bassy, Mystification is pretty off in some way I can’t explain, Courts is a little fuzzy for me. OOTA is the only one that comes close, it’s quite awesome and thrashy, but I just love the medieval sound that OTG has.

Mark’s solos are exquisite in this album. He is often guilty of just noodling, dragging out solos a little toooooo long, or just not doing much with them. I love them but they aren’t perfect, except on this album. They always fit the song, and I can remember every note of each one. They just slot in perfectly to each piece.

Finally, they got a new drummer for this album. His name is Randy Foxe and he is the greatest man to ever touch a drumstick, in my opinion. He doesn’t really show his full potential on this album, which is saying a LOT. In every song, there’s something fun and creative that he does. That’s the word that describes him best - creative. Nobody drums like Randy, and nobody is as creative as him, save for Cory Christner and Neudi, who are both also Manilla Road’s drummers! He really shows off his best work in the proceeding albums, though he does make a big mistake at the end of the decade that we’ll discuss when the time comes.

Open the Gates is the first of many perfect albums that this band would produce. Aside from The Fires of Mars, every single song here is a masterclass, and even that song has its moments. This is the album I’d recommend first to a new listener, as it contains a bunch of classics as well as being actually well produced unlike Crystal Logic. The Deluge is more of an emotional experience, at least for me, so even though it’s my favourite it wouldn’t be my first choice as a new listener as it’s just so different from everything else. OTG is a masterclass in metal as a whole and everyone who’s anyone should give it a spin.

MasterOfTheNight



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Metalström 5:22
2. Open The Gates 2:24
3. Astronomica 5:03
4. Weavers Of The Web 4:20
5. The Ninth Wave 9:33
6. Heavy Metal To The World 3:23
7. The Fires Of Mars 6:18
8. Road Of Kings 5:51
9. Hour Of The Dragon 4:49
10. Witches Brew 6:24

Bonus Tracks:
11. Touch The Sky (Early Rehearsal) 12:55
12. Witches Brew (Live 1987) 5:41
13. Weavers Of The Web (Live 2011) 4:03



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Vocals, Guitar [Guitars] - Mark W. Shelton
Bass Guitar - Scott Park
Drums - Randy 'Thrasher' Foxe




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQ-owmIS0c



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

Tonight we fight
The Horns decide our fate
Fight well - In Hell
Open the Gates!


Słuchając "Open The Gates" Manilla Road można poczuć się jak podczas niesamowitej podróży po mitycznym królestwie, znajdującym się na dnie wielkiego praoceanu. Muzyka na tym albumie niesie nas swym prądem. Od samego początku trwania płyty możemy poczuć niespokojny ruch wirów i fal starożytnej siły, która pulsuje żywą energią, wydzierającą się z przepastnych głębi.

Manilla Road nie trzeba szerzej przedstawiać - w końcu niewiele jest zespołów tak kultowych i tak idealnie chwytających ducha prawdziwego heavy metalu jak oni. Jakość twórczości Marka Sheltona i spółki jest sama w sobie wskaźnikiem doskonałości, jaką osiągnął ten zespół.

Po znakomitym "Crystal Logic" z 1983 roku, Manilla Road znowu pokazała na co ją stać na "Open The Gates", wydanym pierwotnie w kwietniu 1985. Mark Shelton stworzył kolejne prawdziwe arcydzieło, idąc swoją twórczością naprzód, zamiast ograniczać się do napisania jakieś wariacji na temat "Crystal Logic". Dzięki temu kolejny album okazał się godnym następcą, momentami nawet lepszym od swego poprzednika.

Z tego albumu tryska magia i niesamowitość - wokale, które oscylują między podniosłymi, melodyjnymi zaśpiewami, a chrapliwą agresją - gitary, które urzekają wyjącymi solówkami i atakują swym przybrudzonym przesterem - perkusja, która swym jasnym werblem rozświetla kompozycje, jednocześnie bezkompromisowo szarżując niesamowitymi motywami i umiejętnie użytą podwójną stopą. Ponadto same kompozycje są zróżnicowane, a przy tym niezwykle interesujące i klimatyczne. "Open The Gates" może nie niesie ze sobą takiej przebojowości jaką miało "Crystal Logic", jednak nadal prezentuje klinicznie czysty destylat prawdziwego metalu.

Na samym starcie wita nas charakterystyczne i niepokojące intro oraz dudniący wstęp perkusyjny, po którym wchodzi szybki, niepokojący, a przy tym nieco thrashujący główny riff "Metalstrom". Ewidentny speed metalowy sztych, jaki został tutaj użyty, sprawia iż ten numer sprawdza się idealnie jako otwieracz tak napompowanej klasą płyty.

Zawartość albumu co i rusz ciska w nas świetnymi kompozycjami. Mamy tutaj "Heavy Metal To The World" z wyraźnie brylującą w pogmatwanym refrenie perkusją, która tworzy tutaj również niezwykle energetyczny wstęp. Manilla Road nie ogranicza się do jednego sprawdzonego patentu i uderza podniosłym i monumentalnym "Open the Gates" oraz genialnym" The Fires of Mars". W samym "The Fires of Mars" znajdziemy także chyba jedną z najlepszych solówek na tym albumie, których jest tu zresztą co nie miara.

Magiczna i Poetycka "Astronomica" w trakcie swego trwania coraz bardziej stopniuje kolejne szczyty tajemniczości. W ten sposób poszerza głębie w jakiej obraca się klimatyczna muzyka tego fantastycznego amerykańskiego trio z Wichity. Metafizyczną ekspresję muzyczną Manilla Road kontynuuje mroczny klimat "Weavers of the Web" z chwytliwym riffem pod refrenem oraz klasyczny "Witches Brew". W tej kompozycji, która wita nas arkadyjskim, onirycznym wstępie, chropowaty charyzmatyczny wokal Sheltona bryluje pośród ciężkich, nabuzowanych mocą gitarowych riffów. Interludium rozdzielające zwrotki zostało tutaj mistrzowsko okraszone energetycznym leadem. Same solówki, które mogłyby spokojnie konkurować z tymi w "The Fires of Mars", będą nam także towarzyszyć w drugiej połowie trwania utworów, a sam Shelton niemal w nich odlatuje w klimatycznym pojedynku wyrazistości i maestrii. Mark prawie zawsze tworzy niesamowite i cudowne leady do swych utworów, jednak tutaj można rzec, że przeszedł samego siebie.

To nie są jednak wszystkie smaczki, które kryje w sobie "Open The Gates". Ten album nie byłby kompletny bez genialnego "Road of Kings", w którego warstwie muzycznej można się zatracić do tego stopnia, że wejście wokali możemy przywitać lekkim szokiem. Gitary w tym utworze kreują niesamowity destylat epickiej siły i mocy. Niepokojąco pulsująca moc tkwi także pod skórą "Hour of the Dragon", godnie interpretując muzycznie jedno z najbardziej znanych opowiadań Roberta E. Howarda.

Nie mielibyśmy do czynienia z płytą Manilla Road, gdyby na pokładzie nie było przynajmniej jednej epickiej kompozycji. Tutaj tę rolę pełni ponad dziewięciominutowy "The Ninth Wave" - a co się w nim dzieje, to głowa mała. Pełne nieprzeniknionej enigmatyczności pierwsze dźwięki gitar, śpiewające później magiczne unisono, są kunsztowną i wręcz królewską formą dostojności. A potem jest jeszcze lepiej: pełne wewnętrznego ognia dysonansowe symfoniczne solówki, potępieńcze zaśpiewy, kulminacje energii i niemal świątynne bębny. Pod koniec tej wysublimowanej kompozycji Mark Shelton wspina się tutaj także wokalnie na piedestał epickości.

Wokale Marka Sheltona wzbogacają tę płytę. Mark nagrywając tę płytę miał chore gardło i podczas sesji studyjnej uszkodził sobie przez to struny głosowe. Fakt, że nie dysponował pełnią swej możliwości słychać w utworach, gdyż jego wokale są przez to bardziej szarpane, chropowate i ostrzejsze niż na "Crystal Logic" czy na "The Deluge".

Co tu dużo mówić. Konkluzję tej płyty można zawrzeć w kilku prostych hasłach: Podniosłość. Epickość. Poetyka. Klimat. Majestat. Jest to miła odmiana po tych wszystkich chujowych zespołach, opiewających w słodko-pierdzących peanach mordowanie smoków, picie piwa, puszczanie krwi dla diabłów i tak dalej. "Open The Gates" nie zawiera może żadnego utworu, który byłby tak przebojowy jak "Necropolis", jednak składa się z samych rzetelnych i zapadających w pamięci kompozycji.

Sterviss


Open the Gates is the first Manilla Road album with lyrical themes that somewhat make sense. After the first few albums were fueled by total nonsense that Mark and the boys cooked up in their acid-fueled noggins, OTG actually shows some semblance of thought in the lyrics. It’s still that trademark Manilla Road half-poetic half-stoned feel, but you can tell there was real inspiration here. OTG is mainly all about King Arthur, and has a general theme of ‘bravery’ and ‘standing your ground’ throughout. I find this album to be very motivational, whether I’m studying or exercising or doing anything really, it’s my default album to put on if I need to get moving.

Open the Gates is the longest album the Road recorded in the 80’s, coming in at about 52 minutes. Originally, they wanted to do something really silly and have something about this band make sense for once, so they wanted The Ninth Wave to be the ninth song on the album. They were so adamant about this, yet this move meant that one disc couldn’t store the whole album in its intended order. To fix this, they decided to sell it in its original print as a 12 inch LP and a 12 inch EP, with the LP having each song from Metalstrom to Hour of the Dragon, and the EP holding The Ninth Wave and Witches Brew. Every subsequent pressing on vinyl has been on one disc, with The Ninth Wave being placed right in the middle of the album, after Weavers of the Web. Honestly, I believe this change is for the best. It marks the halfway point of the album, and Witches’ Brew is a damn intense song in itself, so having them lead into each other is a bit much. This is something I’ve never seen anybody mention before so I thought I’d bring it up here.

Another little fun fact about this album; the intro to Metalstrom is actually the outro to Crystal Logic’s Dreams of Eschaton, just played in reverse. So if you play these two albums back to back, they lead perfectly into each other. It’s awesome. Metalstrom itself is a great track, setting the mood for the album immediately with a KILLER opening riff. This album has some of this band’s best riffage in it, I tell you. The title cut is one of the shortest songs the band ever put out, and it’s a nice little bridge into Astronomica. On it’s own it’s nothing special, just a nice little catchy hook to keep you listening.

Astronomica is an incredible track, and it set a standard for every following album of the 80s to have a song with an ethereal acoustic intro into a powerful mid paced masterwork. Think about it, we’ve got this one, Shadow in the Black, Spirits of the Dead, Return of the Old Ones and War in Heaven, and I guess Into the Courts of Chaos? It’s one of the best archetypes of Manilla song in my opinion. We even get some later in their career with stuff like Seven Trumpets and Battle for Bonchester Bridge. These all can be traced back to Astronomica, a phenomenal piece of music that really deserves its place in the hearts of Manilla Road fans as one of their greatest ever.

Weavers of the Web, Heavy Metal to the World, and Hour of the Dragon all have something in common, they’re powerful, have some iconic riffs and keep the album moving along nicely. Nestled in between these are The Ninth Wave, mentioned prior, which is this album’s true epic. It never feels like it drags, despite staying at a relatively slow pace and somewhat plodding at points, for the whole 9 minutes it enchants.

The Fires of Mars is this album’s weak point, in my opinion. This essentially means that this song is a 9/10 and everything else is 10/10. That’s how incredible this band and album is. My issue with this song is it’s just not that interesting, compared to everything else here it barely stands out. I love the solo though, a lot. It definitely has its moments but when it ends, I’m more glad that I get to listen to ROAD OF FUCKING KINGSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I discovered The Road with Necropolis like the rest of you, but this song along with Shadow in the Black is the one that kept me listening and what inspired me to get into this band. It’s just excellent, so much energy and POWER all in one song. And it’s inspirational! This plus Hour of the Dragon will get me motivated to do fuckin anything. I will hold this song close for my whole life.

The album closes with Witches’ Brew, which is just as epic as The Ninth Wave despite being somewhat shorter. This is one of the best closing tracks they ever made, maybe only topped by The Books of Skelos or The Empire. It’s a lovely trip out of the album, though the themes of the song itself are much closer to Mystification’s lyrics than OTG but it’s still one of the all-time greats.

Open the Gates has three major factors that I think make it perfect; Mark’s solos, guitar tone, and the drumming. This is I think the best tone they ever had. In the 80’s anyway. Crystal Logic is quite generic, The Deluge is much more bassy, Mystification is pretty off in some way I can’t explain, Courts is a little fuzzy for me. OOTA is the only one that comes close, it’s quite awesome and thrashy, but I just love the medieval sound that OTG has.

Mark’s solos are exquisite in this album. He is often guilty of just noodling, dragging out solos a little toooooo long, or just not doing much with them. I love them but they aren’t perfect, except on this album. They always fit the song, and I can remember every note of each one. They just slot in perfectly to each piece.

Finally, they got a new drummer for this album. His name is Randy Foxe and he is the greatest man to ever touch a drumstick, in my opinion. He doesn’t really show his full potential on this album, which is saying a LOT. In every song, there’s something fun and creative that he does. That’s the word that describes him best - creative. Nobody drums like Randy, and nobody is as creative as him, save for Cory Christner and Neudi, who are both also Manilla Road’s drummers! He really shows off his best work in the proceeding albums, though he does make a big mistake at the end of the decade that we’ll discuss when the time comes.

Open the Gates is the first of many perfect albums that this band would produce. Aside from The Fires of Mars, every single song here is a masterclass, and even that song has its moments. This is the album I’d recommend first to a new listener, as it contains a bunch of classics as well as being actually well produced unlike Crystal Logic. The Deluge is more of an emotional experience, at least for me, so even though it’s my favourite it wouldn’t be my first choice as a new listener as it’s just so different from everything else. OTG is a masterclass in metal as a whole and everyone who’s anyone should give it a spin.

MasterOfTheNight



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Metalström 5:22
2. Open The Gates 2:24
3. Astronomica 5:03
4. Weavers Of The Web 4:20
5. The Ninth Wave 9:33
6. Heavy Metal To The World 3:23
7. The Fires Of Mars 6:18
8. Road Of Kings 5:51
9. Hour Of The Dragon 4:49
10. Witches Brew 6:24

Bonus Tracks:
11. Touch The Sky (Early Rehearsal) 12:55
12. Witches Brew (Live 1987) 5:41
13. Weavers Of The Web (Live 2011) 4:03



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Vocals, Guitar [Guitars] - Mark W. Shelton
Bass Guitar - Scott Park
Drums - Randy 'Thrasher' Foxe




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQ-owmIS0c



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

The Rods was actually almost a remastered re-release of the album Rock Hard with a different title, different album artwork and different tracklist. All the tracks of The Rods, that can also be found on Rock Hard, are actually the same recordings with Stephen Starmer on bass guitar. Only the two new tracks "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole" feature Garry Bordonaro on bass guitar.

Compared to the tracklist of Rock Hard, the ELF cover "Sit Down Honey", "In Your Panties", "Gettin' Higher", and the The Young Rascals cover "You Better Run" were omitted and instead two other cover versions, "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole", were added.

Additional track information:
The version of "Power Lover" here is edited a bit and about 10 seconds shorter than the one on Rock Hard. The alternate mix of the track, that is also included here, is also the shorter version.
"Gettin' Higher" is taken from the Full Throttle EP, that was released in 1981.
The live version of "Nothing Going On In The City" was earlier released on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD-re-releases of In The Raw. But it seems that both versions are not from the same source. The version included on the The Rods re-releases fades in later and fades out later and the sound quality is a bit poorer.

"Nothing Going on In The City" was orginally released by White Honey on the album Some Kinda Woman in 1979.
"Ace In The Hole" was originally released by Robert Fleischman on the album Perfect Stranger in 1979.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Power Lover 2:39
2. Crank It Up 3:36
3. Hungry For Some Love 4:23
4. Music Man 4:25
5. Woman 3:32
6. Nothing Going On In The City 3:46
7. Get Ready To Rock And Roll 3:29
8. Ace In The Hole (Lead Vocals Garry Bordonaro) 4:26
9. Rock Hard 4:10
10. Roll With The Night 2:16

Bonus Tracks:
11. Gettin' Higher (from Full 'Throttle' EP) 3:42
12. Nothin' Going On In The City (Alternate Mix) 3:46
13. Power Lover (Alternate Mix) 2:39
14. Nothing Going On In The City (Live) 3:23



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Bass Guitar - Garry Bordonaro
Drums, Vocals - Carl Canedy
Guitar, Lead Vocals - David Feinstein

Vocals [Uncredited], Bass Guitar [Uncredited] - Stephen Starmer




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSd8skuCG3U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

The Rods was actually almost a remastered re-release of the album Rock Hard with a different title, different album artwork and different tracklist. All the tracks of The Rods, that can also be found on Rock Hard, are actually the same recordings with Stephen Starmer on bass guitar. Only the two new tracks "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole" feature Garry Bordonaro on bass guitar.

Compared to the tracklist of Rock Hard, the ELF cover "Sit Down Honey", "In Your Panties", "Gettin' Higher", and the The Young Rascals cover "You Better Run" were omitted and instead two other cover versions, "Nothing Going On In The City" and "Ace In The Hole", were added.

Additional track information:
The version of "Power Lover" here is edited a bit and about 10 seconds shorter than the one on Rock Hard. The alternate mix of the track, that is also included here, is also the shorter version.
"Gettin' Higher" is taken from the Full Throttle EP, that was released in 1981.
The live version of "Nothing Going On In The City" was earlier released on the High Vaultage and Rock Candy CD-re-releases of In The Raw. But it seems that both versions are not from the same source. The version included on the The Rods re-releases fades in later and fades out later and the sound quality is a bit poorer.

"Nothing Going on In The City" was orginally released by White Honey on the album Some Kinda Woman in 1979.
"Ace In The Hole" was originally released by Robert Fleischman on the album Perfect Stranger in 1979.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Power Lover 2:39
2. Crank It Up 3:36
3. Hungry For Some Love 4:23
4. Music Man 4:25
5. Woman 3:32
6. Nothing Going On In The City 3:46
7. Get Ready To Rock And Roll 3:29
8. Ace In The Hole (Lead Vocals Garry Bordonaro) 4:26
9. Rock Hard 4:10
10. Roll With The Night 2:16

Bonus Tracks:
11. Gettin' Higher (from Full 'Throttle' EP) 3:42
12. Nothin' Going On In The City (Alternate Mix) 3:46
13. Power Lover (Alternate Mix) 2:39
14. Nothing Going On In The City (Live) 3:23



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals, Bass Guitar - Garry Bordonaro
Drums, Vocals - Carl Canedy
Guitar, Lead Vocals - David Feinstein

Vocals [Uncredited], Bass Guitar [Uncredited] - Stephen Starmer




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSd8skuCG3U



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

No i nie mówiłem? Same reedycje i wznowienia ostatnio do mnie wpadają. Jak tak dalej pójdzie, to nic nowego nie będzie już wydawane, hehe…

No dobra, przesadzam, po prostu Hooked on Metal Records specjalizuje się w reedycjach. Tym razem padło na drugi krążek Szwedów z Axewitch. Trzy lata temu ten sam label wypuścił wznowienie debiutu, więc logika (i głód maniaków!) wskazuje, że przyszła właśnie kolej na album numer dwa.

Wydany oryginalnie w 1984 roku (bardzo dobry rocznik, a ponoć ludzie urodzeni w tym roku mają strasznie dużo pozytywnych cech, podobnie jak albumy które się wtedy ukazały) zatytułowany „Visions of the Past” album po tych czterdziestu latach całkiem nieźle się broni. Jest to granie z dużą dozą melodii, która czterdzieści lat temu niekoniecznie oznaczała jeszcze wiochę. Refreny wpadają w ucho i najzwyczajniej w świecie kawałki z drugiej płyty Axewitch możecie sobie nucić przy prostych czynnościach dnia codziennego. Tempa są średnio szybkie, raczej standardowe dla nagrań z tej ery – przynajmniej dla muzyki określanej po prostu jako heavy metal, a nie żaden speed czy coś. Dostajemy również jeden wolniejszy numer i gwoli ścisłości, on również się broni.

Mowa o wznowieniu, więc szanujące się wznowienie powinno zawierać jakieś rarytasy, z drugiej strony nie każdy lubi to rozwiązanie. Hooked on Metal Recrods wyciąga rękę właśnie do tych drugich. Nie ma tu bonusowych kawałków, nie ma żadnych skanów plakatów czy flayersów. Że tak powiem – goła płyta, a muzyka broni się sama.

No i rzeczywiście po tych czterdziestu latach broni się nieźle. Na tyle, że zespół nadal działa i nagrywa. A Katii i Dominikowi chwała za odświeżenie tego albumu.

Oracle

Welcome back to The Lazarus Pit, a look back at should-be classic records that don’t get nearly enough love. Today we’re looking at Axewitch’s 1984 record Visions of the Past. This second album from the Swedish trad/NWOBHM band is an excellent mean median example of a more or less forgotten metal album from 1984, full of heart—overflowing with heart—and embodying everything that made the era so exciting.

Now, a note: anyone following this column over the past few months could be forgiven for accusing me of falling into a sort of doey-eyed nostalgia over poverty metal that really wasn’t exactly turning a lot of heads at the time. But you have to readjust that lens: there are only so many poverty metal albums from 1984 (granted, that number is pretty large), and that’s a time and place that can’t be recreated now. So, sure, I suppose this is a lesson in re-evaluation, a look back at some records that are not top tier, I’m not denying that, but upon closer investigation (something none of us have done with this record in years) contains a certain magic in it that is lost in time, and, indeed, lost to the second tier of metal bands of the era.

So, with that context in mind, put this one on and get it started with the awesome opening title track. Man, there’s a chorus, the unexpected turn in melody when it hits never failing to get the dopamine, and adrenaline, flowing. The song rules—it falls somewhere between cold gothic trad and NWOBHM, I’ve heard countless retro trad bands follow its formula exactly, and it’s a sound that more or less reaffirms life when you need it to. Based on the strength of this song, the discount bins were not were Visions of the Past should have ended up.

“Give them Hell” follows that up with a speedy trad metal rocker with economic riffs flying hard and mighty, a smart choice for a second cut here. “Tonight” just makes you want to party hard like it’s a summer Saturday night in 1984, maybe 1985, all over again. It turns its back on the cover art and is concerned less with the slaying of the dragon than it is with letting the beer flow freely, and Axewitch make you realize, yeah, there’s time for both. “Hot Lady” continues this line of thought, as the band threaten to get a bit too stoopid, but their charm keeps them above the lowest common denominator here, even if the end result is a bit unremarkable.

“Stand Up” kicks off side B with a brisk and energetic anthem, one that, with a bit of convincing, wouldn’t be wildly out of place on a prime-era Accept record. Love the smart songwriting come chorus-time; this must have sounded amazing when played live around the time of this record’s release.

“Heading for a Storm” is ambitious and the band gets through the mellower parts with no shortage of gusto, even if they don’t quite hit the mark; when it picks up, however, it packs a perfect metal punch, solid and sturdy, checking off all the boxes. It’s a bit much at 6:21, but it’s got spirit. “Born In Hell” has both a gallop part and a dirgey swamp part to it; “Time to Live” has a bit of late-album boogie; “Evil Circle”’s opening riff is absolute, 100-percent pure metal glory.

Again, I’m not here to say every metal record released in the ’80s with a castle on the cover is good even though it’s imperfect… but, fuck it, that’s sort of the conclusion I’m reaching here after writing about this stuff for so long. But, also again: it’s not just nostalgia, it’s the realization that these records are time capsules of an era that can’t be replicated. There are some great bands mining trad territory out there today, and they get big horns up from me, but there’s just something special, warts and all, about these old records, young bands shooting high and hard, unaware of what glories or disasters the future may hold as they explore this exciting sonic terrain and, in some very small way, help lay down the framework of the modern metal we all live and die for today.

Greg Pratt


Axewitch jazz things up a bit more (not literally) with their second full-lengther where over the year they seem to generate some juice that’s a few volts hotter than those that sparked their past two powerlines, however this mild, yet noteworthy surge doesn’t burn at the cost of upturned speed values, warmer intensity, or changes in songwriting style. Not really, and strangely as a result of, I dunno, what could be revised ideas and/or clearer thinking, Visions of the Past spins with what could be heard as updated veneer that will likely fall under natural progression, however at the same time one should wonder if metal’s ’83 and ’84 winds of change blew the siding off the five-piece’s pre-’82 house which, by The Lord of Flies, had started to seem kinda dilapidated.

Whatever the reason, the unperturbed roster of Micke, Mange, Wallen, Matte, and Tommy unite once again and this time push more metal dynamic into the daylight that, up until now, had mostly been sheltered by the large hard rock outcropping that has been the band’s balcony since birth. Shove marks made in the gravel by the burly “Give Them Hell”, double bass-rumbled slabs in “Time to Live” and “Stand Up”, proud “Tonight”, and the opening title cut are evidence that Axewitch exuded at least perceptible effort to further burnish their reflective surfaces not unlike same year shiners from Quartz and Battleaxe, surfaces that were always there, hazily, as if smeared with white liquid wax, then neglected for the pouring of concrete.

Even the stony floors of “Born in Hell” and “Hot Lady” as well as jagged edges of “Time to Live” and “Stand Up” have a less morose and brighter climate compared to the band’s prior weather, which could come from the continued half notch or so jazz-up by another Decibel Studio production. Alas, despite what rises somewhere above the mark here, the album’s longest vision is also its weakest. “Heading up a Storm” is a half-ballad that meanders a bit near the start with a story predictably soft and serene, then just as predictably finds a hardened pace, then backtracks to stroll in place by retracing its similar cushion-soled footsteps. Luckily, complacency is blown to the side as it builds some fairly dramatic ‘the power in power ballad’ traction that hoofs it across a finish line that by the end was thirsty for turbulence.

The band’s known songwriting blueprint hasn’t really changed too noticeably since their inception, yet here the rock-to-metal ratio slides happily toward the latter, leveling off on more even terrain where the listener can feel like she’s treading forward through mid-‘80s calendar pages instead of being trapped on one in ’82. A listener could feel this way, or she could know for a fact the wind pushing against her blows in from a more metal-rampant ’84, and despite valiantly trudging forward through the same wind, Visions of the Past could still kinda sound a few gusts behind the times.

My customary research shows Visions of the Past landed at #12 on the Swedish hard rock charts with additional licensing through Neat Records in the U.K., Roadrunner in Europe, and Banzai in Canada. Combine that with the #7 placings of the Pray for Metal ep (beat out by Loverboy as well as everyone’s hard rock icon, Michael Bolton) and The Lord of Flies and we get an act that not only should have been, but still should be contenders to royalty that equals more than a runner-up ribbon from a tractor pull. Well, Axewitch’s (Axe Witch, Axewitch…I say screw the space) show isn’t over yet.

Gutterscream



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Visions Of The Past
2. Give Them Hell
3. Tonight
4. Hot Lady
5. Stand Up
6. Heading For A Storm
7. Born In Hell
8. Time To Live

Bonus Tracks (Demo 1984):
9. Evil Circle
10. Visions Of The Past
11. Give Them Hell
12. Tonight
13. Hot Lady
14. Heading For A Storm
15. Time To Live



..::OBSADA::..

Matte - Drums
Micke - Guitars
Magge - Guitars
Wallen - Vocals
Tommy - Bass



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8KLBoUbxM


SEED 15:00-22:00.
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...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI..


..::OPIS::..

No i nie mówiłem? Same reedycje i wznowienia ostatnio do mnie wpadają. Jak tak dalej pójdzie, to nic nowego nie będzie już wydawane, hehe…

No dobra, przesadzam, po prostu Hooked on Metal Records specjalizuje się w reedycjach. Tym razem padło na drugi krążek Szwedów z Axewitch. Trzy lata temu ten sam label wypuścił wznowienie debiutu, więc logika (i głód maniaków!) wskazuje, że przyszła właśnie kolej na album numer dwa.

Wydany oryginalnie w 1984 roku (bardzo dobry rocznik, a ponoć ludzie urodzeni w tym roku mają strasznie dużo pozytywnych cech, podobnie jak albumy które się wtedy ukazały) zatytułowany „Visions of the Past” album po tych czterdziestu latach całkiem nieźle się broni. Jest to granie z dużą dozą melodii, która czterdzieści lat temu niekoniecznie oznaczała jeszcze wiochę. Refreny wpadają w ucho i najzwyczajniej w świecie kawałki z drugiej płyty Axewitch możecie sobie nucić przy prostych czynnościach dnia codziennego. Tempa są średnio szybkie, raczej standardowe dla nagrań z tej ery – przynajmniej dla muzyki określanej po prostu jako heavy metal, a nie żaden speed czy coś. Dostajemy również jeden wolniejszy numer i gwoli ścisłości, on również się broni.

Mowa o wznowieniu, więc szanujące się wznowienie powinno zawierać jakieś rarytasy, z drugiej strony nie każdy lubi to rozwiązanie. Hooked on Metal Recrods wyciąga rękę właśnie do tych drugich. Nie ma tu bonusowych kawałków, nie ma żadnych skanów plakatów czy flayersów. Że tak powiem – goła płyta, a muzyka broni się sama.

No i rzeczywiście po tych czterdziestu latach broni się nieźle. Na tyle, że zespół nadal działa i nagrywa. A Katii i Dominikowi chwała za odświeżenie tego albumu.

Oracle

Welcome back to The Lazarus Pit, a look back at should-be classic records that don’t get nearly enough love. Today we’re looking at Axewitch’s 1984 record Visions of the Past. This second album from the Swedish trad/NWOBHM band is an excellent mean median example of a more or less forgotten metal album from 1984, full of heart—overflowing with heart—and embodying everything that made the era so exciting.

Now, a note: anyone following this column over the past few months could be forgiven for accusing me of falling into a sort of doey-eyed nostalgia over poverty metal that really wasn’t exactly turning a lot of heads at the time. But you have to readjust that lens: there are only so many poverty metal albums from 1984 (granted, that number is pretty large), and that’s a time and place that can’t be recreated now. So, sure, I suppose this is a lesson in re-evaluation, a look back at some records that are not top tier, I’m not denying that, but upon closer investigation (something none of us have done with this record in years) contains a certain magic in it that is lost in time, and, indeed, lost to the second tier of metal bands of the era.

So, with that context in mind, put this one on and get it started with the awesome opening title track. Man, there’s a chorus, the unexpected turn in melody when it hits never failing to get the dopamine, and adrenaline, flowing. The song rules—it falls somewhere between cold gothic trad and NWOBHM, I’ve heard countless retro trad bands follow its formula exactly, and it’s a sound that more or less reaffirms life when you need it to. Based on the strength of this song, the discount bins were not were Visions of the Past should have ended up.

“Give them Hell” follows that up with a speedy trad metal rocker with economic riffs flying hard and mighty, a smart choice for a second cut here. “Tonight” just makes you want to party hard like it’s a summer Saturday night in 1984, maybe 1985, all over again. It turns its back on the cover art and is concerned less with the slaying of the dragon than it is with letting the beer flow freely, and Axewitch make you realize, yeah, there’s time for both. “Hot Lady” continues this line of thought, as the band threaten to get a bit too stoopid, but their charm keeps them above the lowest common denominator here, even if the end result is a bit unremarkable.

“Stand Up” kicks off side B with a brisk and energetic anthem, one that, with a bit of convincing, wouldn’t be wildly out of place on a prime-era Accept record. Love the smart songwriting come chorus-time; this must have sounded amazing when played live around the time of this record’s release.

“Heading for a Storm” is ambitious and the band gets through the mellower parts with no shortage of gusto, even if they don’t quite hit the mark; when it picks up, however, it packs a perfect metal punch, solid and sturdy, checking off all the boxes. It’s a bit much at 6:21, but it’s got spirit. “Born In Hell” has both a gallop part and a dirgey swamp part to it; “Time to Live” has a bit of late-album boogie; “Evil Circle”’s opening riff is absolute, 100-percent pure metal glory.

Again, I’m not here to say every metal record released in the ’80s with a castle on the cover is good even though it’s imperfect… but, fuck it, that’s sort of the conclusion I’m reaching here after writing about this stuff for so long. But, also again: it’s not just nostalgia, it’s the realization that these records are time capsules of an era that can’t be replicated. There are some great bands mining trad territory out there today, and they get big horns up from me, but there’s just something special, warts and all, about these old records, young bands shooting high and hard, unaware of what glories or disasters the future may hold as they explore this exciting sonic terrain and, in some very small way, help lay down the framework of the modern metal we all live and die for today.

Greg Pratt


Axewitch jazz things up a bit more (not literally) with their second full-lengther where over the year they seem to generate some juice that’s a few volts hotter than those that sparked their past two powerlines, however this mild, yet noteworthy surge doesn’t burn at the cost of upturned speed values, warmer intensity, or changes in songwriting style. Not really, and strangely as a result of, I dunno, what could be revised ideas and/or clearer thinking, Visions of the Past spins with what could be heard as updated veneer that will likely fall under natural progression, however at the same time one should wonder if metal’s ’83 and ’84 winds of change blew the siding off the five-piece’s pre-’82 house which, by The Lord of Flies, had started to seem kinda dilapidated.

Whatever the reason, the unperturbed roster of Micke, Mange, Wallen, Matte, and Tommy unite once again and this time push more metal dynamic into the daylight that, up until now, had mostly been sheltered by the large hard rock outcropping that has been the band’s balcony since birth. Shove marks made in the gravel by the burly “Give Them Hell”, double bass-rumbled slabs in “Time to Live” and “Stand Up”, proud “Tonight”, and the opening title cut are evidence that Axewitch exuded at least perceptible effort to further burnish their reflective surfaces not unlike same year shiners from Quartz and Battleaxe, surfaces that were always there, hazily, as if smeared with white liquid wax, then neglected for the pouring of concrete.

Even the stony floors of “Born in Hell” and “Hot Lady” as well as jagged edges of “Time to Live” and “Stand Up” have a less morose and brighter climate compared to the band’s prior weather, which could come from the continued half notch or so jazz-up by another Decibel Studio production. Alas, despite what rises somewhere above the mark here, the album’s longest vision is also its weakest. “Heading up a Storm” is a half-ballad that meanders a bit near the start with a story predictably soft and serene, then just as predictably finds a hardened pace, then backtracks to stroll in place by retracing its similar cushion-soled footsteps. Luckily, complacency is blown to the side as it builds some fairly dramatic ‘the power in power ballad’ traction that hoofs it across a finish line that by the end was thirsty for turbulence.

The band’s known songwriting blueprint hasn’t really changed too noticeably since their inception, yet here the rock-to-metal ratio slides happily toward the latter, leveling off on more even terrain where the listener can feel like she’s treading forward through mid-‘80s calendar pages instead of being trapped on one in ’82. A listener could feel this way, or she could know for a fact the wind pushing against her blows in from a more metal-rampant ’84, and despite valiantly trudging forward through the same wind, Visions of the Past could still kinda sound a few gusts behind the times.

My customary research shows Visions of the Past landed at #12 on the Swedish hard rock charts with additional licensing through Neat Records in the U.K., Roadrunner in Europe, and Banzai in Canada. Combine that with the #7 placings of the Pray for Metal ep (beat out by Loverboy as well as everyone’s hard rock icon, Michael Bolton) and The Lord of Flies and we get an act that not only should have been, but still should be contenders to royalty that equals more than a runner-up ribbon from a tractor pull. Well, Axewitch’s (Axe Witch, Axewitch…I say screw the space) show isn’t over yet.

Gutterscream



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Visions Of The Past
2. Give Them Hell
3. Tonight
4. Hot Lady
5. Stand Up
6. Heading For A Storm
7. Born In Hell
8. Time To Live

Bonus Tracks (Demo 1984):
9. Evil Circle
10. Visions Of The Past
11. Give Them Hell
12. Tonight
13. Hot Lady
14. Heading For A Storm
15. Time To Live



..::OBSADA::..

Matte - Drums
Micke - Guitars
Magge - Guitars
Wallen - Vocals
Tommy - Bass



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or8KLBoUbxM


SEED 15:00-22:00.
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..::OPIS::..

'Tales Of Terror' ma swój specyficzny urok, bo nie brakuje mu młodzieńczej energii, a jednocześnie opiera się na najczystszej materii, z której wywodzi się wszystko, co angażuje w muzyce tego zespołu. Teksty mają moc przyciągania, zwłaszcza miłośników historycznych realiów i atmosfery, która z nich emanuje.

FA


When it comes to German heavy/power metal, Stormwitch has been quite a heavy hitter for me since I started listening to them some 10 years ago or more. Their play style can remind a lot of NWOBHM bands through their first few albums, but they stood out particularly due to their noticeable German origins and, of course, the originality of their concept. Unfortunately, the history of this group hasn't been the most successful, as their sound progressively evolved into some sort of glam or commercial direction, which didn't work out and most likely was one of the reasons behind their break-up in the 90s. Anyway, the beginnings were a different beast though, as the first effort, "Walpurgis Night", seemed to have been heavily influenced by Iron Maiden with its galloping grooves and melodic approach. The sound was pretty heavy, and the overall pace was mid to fast at times, and singer Andy Mück had quite a long-range voice as well. At this point, coming with the second release, "Tales of Terror", we saw the band starting to expand on that initial playstyle and include some epic elements to the mix, which was, to me at least, a welcomed improvement.

Being an album released in 1985, we were still in a very early stage of the establishment of the power metal genre, but some traces can already be noticed on there. It is definitely not a huge musical shift compared to the first record, but the evolution of their sound displayed here shows a more refined work in general. This time around, we once again have 9 tracks of material and also clocking at 40 minutes. The only difference is that there's no instrumental song, unlike the follow-up "Stronger Than Heaven", which also has one. The "Tales of Terror" album pretty much hooked me from the beginning with the first track it kicks things off with, being "Point of No Return". The song starts with a chanting introduction, and once the first riff goes off, you know you're in for a treat. Structure-wise, it is quite standard, but the catchiness of it didn't take long to have its effect on me. I would also argue that Side A of the album is the better part of it, mainly due to it having the most upbeat tracks. If we take, for instance, "Masque of the Red Death", it goes from a smooth and melodic beat with great vocal performances to a fast-paced passage that leads to a guitar solo in a really smooth way. Despite all that, it isn't to say that the second part of the record is not great by any means, as the epic "Sword of Sagon" with its storytelling concept is an absolute banger as well, with its intense riff delivery. One could notice that the whole pace may have been slowed down a bit on this effort, but Stormwitch had always kept it steady regardless, as we can still see some classic speed metal vibes on the "Night Stalker" track, which displays a great sense of variety.

Although it is very good and catchy in general, there are a few weak parts such as "Trust in the Fire" and the closer "When the Bat Bites", which I always found to be a bit less engaging and impactful due to the commercial vibe of the former and the unmemorable chorus of the latter tracks. One thing for sure is that to enjoy this band's music, listeners may need to get used to high-pitched vocals, as it is the main trademark here, and put on the front end rightfully so. However, people who are Helloween or Judas Priest fans will certainly enjoy this. Other than the vocals, the guitars are surely the band's main force, and not so much the bass or drums. The album production work proves it as well, since they are the instruments that we can hear the most in the mix. The bass and drums are fine, but didn't make a particular impression on me, basically just doing the job, and honestly, I didn't mind it at all. The sound in general is also cleaner than the first album, which was recorded in the same studio as this one, and I would say quite noticeably. The approach that was taken on this album is quite interesting, as when we take an overview of the whole picture of this work, it is indeed very story-based, as each track tells a different tale, hence the name of the album. Although nothing seemed terrifying to me, it is nonetheless quite an original idea, for the time at least.

These guys surely had a great plan moving forward in that conceptual and musical direction, which they did for the next record, but that didn't last long and fell apart in the late 80s. "Tales of Terror" is a good display of progression in that matter, and is to me as good as you can get from them regarding their catalog. Even though the heavy/power metal era was quite short-lived with them, we fortunately have 3 great outputs to enjoy. At this point in 1985, the competition grew quite strong in that musical orientation, and therefore some bands like these guys were lost on the radar. In fact, for the most part, they've always been an underground band that didn't get much recognition, but they're worth checking out, that's for sure. I'd recommend this album to basically anyone who enjoys NWOBHM bands or old school power metal in general, as it delivers well and is very easy to get into, largely because most tracks have something to hook you on.

DesecratorJ


Tales of Terror is one of the essential Stormwitch albums. This, along with Walpurgis Night and Stronger Than Heaven, is a great place to start for those who are new to this legendary band.

The album begins with the solemn tones of a Gregorian-styled monk's chant before you are taken from the point of no return into a world of adventure and breathtaking sights. Stormwitch are more subtle at drawing you into their world than some other fantasy-inspired bands. Instead of lyrics that utilize regal language to paint a landscape, Stormwitch's lyrics are such that the flow of the story is more powerful than the words used. Andy Aldrian's confident mid-range singing style compliments the equally subtle twists and turns of the music and his voice has a narrative quality to it that makes you feel as if he is recalling something that he experienced.

Tales of Terror features a variety of headbanging riffs, energetic solos, and mid-to-fast paced tempos. "Hell's Still Alive" is a menacing gallop with a bristling solo and Aldrian's scream near the end of the track is pure metal. "Arabian Nights" has a fun little skip in its step reminiscent of Iron Maiden's "Twilight Zone." There is an Arabian-flavored melody at 2:57 of this track that seems to come out of nowhere and provides a strong foundation for the solo that follows. Okay, Stormwitch. Admit it. Tony Iommi commandeered your studio during the twilight hours of a particularly rough day of recording and thundered forth those riffs in "Lost Legions." Tell us what you know! Kidding aside, that's a pounding monster of a track that stands out like a monolith on this album. All fans of Black Sabbath must listen to it now. From the impending doom of "Point of No Return" up through the final moments of the vampire-themed "When the Bat Bites," every song on this album is like its own self-contained world that makes you want to visit time and again. You might as well just hit the play button after the CD stops spinning because Stormwitch's music is just that addictive.

Musically, Stormwitch's performance on Tales of Terror is tight and executed in a way that seems to put the good of the song ahead of any sort of unnecessary histrionics. The mystery and magic conveyed through the lyrics is done in a believable way as opposed to the all too common overdramatic approach that some bands use when singing about fantasy concepts. The spoken-word introduction to "Sword of Sagon" may be an acquired taste for some, but the song itself is engaging enough to make you forget about that if that's not your cup of tea.

Overall, Tales of Terror is another engaging album where Stormwitch managed to create a mystical vibe by utilizing familiar elements through a composed and understated approach that invites you into their world where a host of exotic emotions await and to where you'll long to return even after the music ends.

If you're a fan of power metal or classic heavy metal and you've never listened to Stormwitch, then where have you been? Check out Tales of Terror now and experience what you've been missing.

AsPredatorToPrey



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Point Of No Return 5:03
2. Hell's Still Alive 4:28
3. Masque Of The Red Death 4:55
4. Arabian Nights 4:57
5. Sword Of Sagon 5:26
6. Trust In The Fire 3:53
7. Night Stalker 3:42
8. Lost Legions 3:43
9. When The Bat Bites 3:53



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Lead Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9574HofEtYI



SEED 15:00-22:00.
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...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

'Tales Of Terror' ma swój specyficzny urok, bo nie brakuje mu młodzieńczej energii, a jednocześnie opiera się na najczystszej materii, z której wywodzi się wszystko, co angażuje w muzyce tego zespołu. Teksty mają moc przyciągania, zwłaszcza miłośników historycznych realiów i atmosfery, która z nich emanuje.

FA


When it comes to German heavy/power metal, Stormwitch has been quite a heavy hitter for me since I started listening to them some 10 years ago or more. Their play style can remind a lot of NWOBHM bands through their first few albums, but they stood out particularly due to their noticeable German origins and, of course, the originality of their concept. Unfortunately, the history of this group hasn't been the most successful, as their sound progressively evolved into some sort of glam or commercial direction, which didn't work out and most likely was one of the reasons behind their break-up in the 90s. Anyway, the beginnings were a different beast though, as the first effort, "Walpurgis Night", seemed to have been heavily influenced by Iron Maiden with its galloping grooves and melodic approach. The sound was pretty heavy, and the overall pace was mid to fast at times, and singer Andy Mück had quite a long-range voice as well. At this point, coming with the second release, "Tales of Terror", we saw the band starting to expand on that initial playstyle and include some epic elements to the mix, which was, to me at least, a welcomed improvement.

Being an album released in 1985, we were still in a very early stage of the establishment of the power metal genre, but some traces can already be noticed on there. It is definitely not a huge musical shift compared to the first record, but the evolution of their sound displayed here shows a more refined work in general. This time around, we once again have 9 tracks of material and also clocking at 40 minutes. The only difference is that there's no instrumental song, unlike the follow-up "Stronger Than Heaven", which also has one. The "Tales of Terror" album pretty much hooked me from the beginning with the first track it kicks things off with, being "Point of No Return". The song starts with a chanting introduction, and once the first riff goes off, you know you're in for a treat. Structure-wise, it is quite standard, but the catchiness of it didn't take long to have its effect on me. I would also argue that Side A of the album is the better part of it, mainly due to it having the most upbeat tracks. If we take, for instance, "Masque of the Red Death", it goes from a smooth and melodic beat with great vocal performances to a fast-paced passage that leads to a guitar solo in a really smooth way. Despite all that, it isn't to say that the second part of the record is not great by any means, as the epic "Sword of Sagon" with its storytelling concept is an absolute banger as well, with its intense riff delivery. One could notice that the whole pace may have been slowed down a bit on this effort, but Stormwitch had always kept it steady regardless, as we can still see some classic speed metal vibes on the "Night Stalker" track, which displays a great sense of variety.

Although it is very good and catchy in general, there are a few weak parts such as "Trust in the Fire" and the closer "When the Bat Bites", which I always found to be a bit less engaging and impactful due to the commercial vibe of the former and the unmemorable chorus of the latter tracks. One thing for sure is that to enjoy this band's music, listeners may need to get used to high-pitched vocals, as it is the main trademark here, and put on the front end rightfully so. However, people who are Helloween or Judas Priest fans will certainly enjoy this. Other than the vocals, the guitars are surely the band's main force, and not so much the bass or drums. The album production work proves it as well, since they are the instruments that we can hear the most in the mix. The bass and drums are fine, but didn't make a particular impression on me, basically just doing the job, and honestly, I didn't mind it at all. The sound in general is also cleaner than the first album, which was recorded in the same studio as this one, and I would say quite noticeably. The approach that was taken on this album is quite interesting, as when we take an overview of the whole picture of this work, it is indeed very story-based, as each track tells a different tale, hence the name of the album. Although nothing seemed terrifying to me, it is nonetheless quite an original idea, for the time at least.

These guys surely had a great plan moving forward in that conceptual and musical direction, which they did for the next record, but that didn't last long and fell apart in the late 80s. "Tales of Terror" is a good display of progression in that matter, and is to me as good as you can get from them regarding their catalog. Even though the heavy/power metal era was quite short-lived with them, we fortunately have 3 great outputs to enjoy. At this point in 1985, the competition grew quite strong in that musical orientation, and therefore some bands like these guys were lost on the radar. In fact, for the most part, they've always been an underground band that didn't get much recognition, but they're worth checking out, that's for sure. I'd recommend this album to basically anyone who enjoys NWOBHM bands or old school power metal in general, as it delivers well and is very easy to get into, largely because most tracks have something to hook you on.

DesecratorJ


Tales of Terror is one of the essential Stormwitch albums. This, along with Walpurgis Night and Stronger Than Heaven, is a great place to start for those who are new to this legendary band.

The album begins with the solemn tones of a Gregorian-styled monk's chant before you are taken from the point of no return into a world of adventure and breathtaking sights. Stormwitch are more subtle at drawing you into their world than some other fantasy-inspired bands. Instead of lyrics that utilize regal language to paint a landscape, Stormwitch's lyrics are such that the flow of the story is more powerful than the words used. Andy Aldrian's confident mid-range singing style compliments the equally subtle twists and turns of the music and his voice has a narrative quality to it that makes you feel as if he is recalling something that he experienced.

Tales of Terror features a variety of headbanging riffs, energetic solos, and mid-to-fast paced tempos. "Hell's Still Alive" is a menacing gallop with a bristling solo and Aldrian's scream near the end of the track is pure metal. "Arabian Nights" has a fun little skip in its step reminiscent of Iron Maiden's "Twilight Zone." There is an Arabian-flavored melody at 2:57 of this track that seems to come out of nowhere and provides a strong foundation for the solo that follows. Okay, Stormwitch. Admit it. Tony Iommi commandeered your studio during the twilight hours of a particularly rough day of recording and thundered forth those riffs in "Lost Legions." Tell us what you know! Kidding aside, that's a pounding monster of a track that stands out like a monolith on this album. All fans of Black Sabbath must listen to it now. From the impending doom of "Point of No Return" up through the final moments of the vampire-themed "When the Bat Bites," every song on this album is like its own self-contained world that makes you want to visit time and again. You might as well just hit the play button after the CD stops spinning because Stormwitch's music is just that addictive.

Musically, Stormwitch's performance on Tales of Terror is tight and executed in a way that seems to put the good of the song ahead of any sort of unnecessary histrionics. The mystery and magic conveyed through the lyrics is done in a believable way as opposed to the all too common overdramatic approach that some bands use when singing about fantasy concepts. The spoken-word introduction to "Sword of Sagon" may be an acquired taste for some, but the song itself is engaging enough to make you forget about that if that's not your cup of tea.

Overall, Tales of Terror is another engaging album where Stormwitch managed to create a mystical vibe by utilizing familiar elements through a composed and understated approach that invites you into their world where a host of exotic emotions await and to where you'll long to return even after the music ends.

If you're a fan of power metal or classic heavy metal and you've never listened to Stormwitch, then where have you been? Check out Tales of Terror now and experience what you've been missing.

AsPredatorToPrey



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Point Of No Return 5:03
2. Hell's Still Alive 4:28
3. Masque Of The Red Death 4:55
4. Arabian Nights 4:57
5. Sword Of Sagon 5:26
6. Trust In The Fire 3:53
7. Night Stalker 3:42
8. Lost Legions 3:43
9. When The Bat Bites 3:53



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Lee Tarot
Lead Vocals - Andy Aldrian
Drums - Pete Lancer
Bass - Ronny Pearson
Rhythm Guitar - Steve Merchant



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9574HofEtYI



SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

AXEWITCH był jednym z najważniejszych zespołów w początkowych latach szwedzkiej sceny heavy metal. "The Lord of Flies" to debiut z 1983 roku. Album jest dostępny po raz pierwszy jako digipak CD, zawierający 12-stronicową książeczkę, pełną archiwalnych zdjęć, informacji o zespole i tekstów.
Dla fanów: NWOBHM, GOTHAM CITY, HEAVY LOAD, OVERDRIVE.


Here is a reissue of the debut album from Swedish 80s Heavy Metallers AXEWITCH and you can expect a high octane dose of good old early-mid 80s Heavy Metal delivered with sharp precision and with plenty of incredibly catchy hooks! It is pedal to the metal from the get go with the first track ‘Axe Victim’ swaggering out of the speakers with energetic fervent finesse, the guitar sound is nice, warm and crisp with each riff cutting through the mix clearly, the drums pound along like a jackhammer sent to max with a lot of double kick fuelled parts, the bass is hefty and provides a weighty bottom end and the vocals lead the charge throughout reminding me of Sean Harris (DIAMOND HEAD). The lead work has to be mentioned too, all great Heavy Metal bands need strong lead playing and AXEWITCH definitely have that in abundance. This is Heavy Metal with a definite feel good vibe, the kind of Heavy Metal that was made for headbanging, fist raising and beer drinking! I can imagine just how well these songs would work in the live environment in an intimate sweaty setting with the adrenaline pumped up to full and the crowd and band feeding off each other. The production is powerful for its time with the songs really coming out of the speakers at you full force with each instrument clearly audible but there’s just the right amount of 80s style grit too so it definitely dosen’t sound overly polished, they found a good mix production wise back in the day and it does sound very of its time. This will transport you right back to the hey day of the era when the NWOBHM movement was going very strong and still a dominant force in the global Metal scene but these Swedes along with countrymen GOTHAM CITY, TORCH, SILVER MOUNTAIN, HEAVY LOAD etc were also contributing some top class Heavy Metal to the world and helping to put Scandinavia on the Metal map. It is a warm and very welcome revisit to the days when Heavy Metal was mainly just that, HEAVY METAL! There are definite nods to JUDAS PRIEST, DIAMOND HEAD and such bands and AXEWITCH are clearly influenced by such bands and NWOBHM in general. “The Lord Of Flies” will definitely appeal to anyone who loves early-mid 80s fist pumping Heavy Metal.

Kat 'Shevil' Gillham



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Axevictim 4:51
2. Just Another Lunatic 4:16
3. High Power 5:46
4. Let The Strings Cry Out 1:27
5. Sinner 4:40
6. The Arrival Of The Flies (Part 1) 2:10
7. The Lord Of Flies 6:01
8. Down Town 4:57
9. Seven Angels 4:35



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Mange, Micke
Lead Vocals - Wallen
Bass Guitar - Tommy
Drums - Matte

Backing Vocals - Fredrik V. Gerber



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqH3vTZndU



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...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

AXEWITCH był jednym z najważniejszych zespołów w początkowych latach szwedzkiej sceny heavy metal. "The Lord of Flies" to debiut z 1983 roku. Album jest dostępny po raz pierwszy jako digipak CD, zawierający 12-stronicową książeczkę, pełną archiwalnych zdjęć, informacji o zespole i tekstów.
Dla fanów: NWOBHM, GOTHAM CITY, HEAVY LOAD, OVERDRIVE.


Here is a reissue of the debut album from Swedish 80s Heavy Metallers AXEWITCH and you can expect a high octane dose of good old early-mid 80s Heavy Metal delivered with sharp precision and with plenty of incredibly catchy hooks! It is pedal to the metal from the get go with the first track ‘Axe Victim’ swaggering out of the speakers with energetic fervent finesse, the guitar sound is nice, warm and crisp with each riff cutting through the mix clearly, the drums pound along like a jackhammer sent to max with a lot of double kick fuelled parts, the bass is hefty and provides a weighty bottom end and the vocals lead the charge throughout reminding me of Sean Harris (DIAMOND HEAD). The lead work has to be mentioned too, all great Heavy Metal bands need strong lead playing and AXEWITCH definitely have that in abundance. This is Heavy Metal with a definite feel good vibe, the kind of Heavy Metal that was made for headbanging, fist raising and beer drinking! I can imagine just how well these songs would work in the live environment in an intimate sweaty setting with the adrenaline pumped up to full and the crowd and band feeding off each other. The production is powerful for its time with the songs really coming out of the speakers at you full force with each instrument clearly audible but there’s just the right amount of 80s style grit too so it definitely dosen’t sound overly polished, they found a good mix production wise back in the day and it does sound very of its time. This will transport you right back to the hey day of the era when the NWOBHM movement was going very strong and still a dominant force in the global Metal scene but these Swedes along with countrymen GOTHAM CITY, TORCH, SILVER MOUNTAIN, HEAVY LOAD etc were also contributing some top class Heavy Metal to the world and helping to put Scandinavia on the Metal map. It is a warm and very welcome revisit to the days when Heavy Metal was mainly just that, HEAVY METAL! There are definite nods to JUDAS PRIEST, DIAMOND HEAD and such bands and AXEWITCH are clearly influenced by such bands and NWOBHM in general. “The Lord Of Flies” will definitely appeal to anyone who loves early-mid 80s fist pumping Heavy Metal.

Kat 'Shevil' Gillham



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Axevictim 4:51
2. Just Another Lunatic 4:16
3. High Power 5:46
4. Let The Strings Cry Out 1:27
5. Sinner 4:40
6. The Arrival Of The Flies (Part 1) 2:10
7. The Lord Of Flies 6:01
8. Down Town 4:57
9. Seven Angels 4:35



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Guitar - Mange, Micke
Lead Vocals - Wallen
Bass Guitar - Tommy
Drums - Matte

Backing Vocals - Fredrik V. Gerber



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqH3vTZndU



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