heavy metal

REVIEW: The Darkness – Permission To Land… Again (2023 – 4 CD/1 DVD Box Set) – Bonus Tim’s Vinyl Confessions – Best Reissues of 2023

THE DARKNESS – Permission To Land… Again (2023 Box Set)

Once (and perhaps still) considered one of the biggest jokes in rock*, The Darkness have proven ’em wrong, for it was 20 years ago they dropped this bomb on the world called Permission to Land.  Regardless of the ups and downs, the band continues on today with a documentary film in the works.  Of course, the obligatory box set was also necessary.  Permission to Land… Again collects nearly everything from the era and packs it up for you in a 5 disc set perfect for home consumption.  And it’s affordable, too.

CD 1 commences with the original 2003 album, a monolith of Queen and AC/DC’s bastard children, brought to life in spandex and bandanas.  The album itself spawned four singles:

  1. “Get Your Hands Off My Woman”, the expletive-laden favourite that still delights today as a fast head banger.
  2. “Growing On Me”, perfectly in the pocket, a melodic hard right classic with just enough bite.
  3. “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, iridescent and unforgettable as ever, a classic in every sense.
  4. “Love In Only A Feeling”, bombastic and beautiful guitar chords crashing on this prototype for the trademark Darkness ballad.  Steve Tyler wishes he could write ’em like this today.

That leaves six killer album tracks, none of which are filler.  Opener “Black Shuck” is a monster (literally), rocking heavy and beating the doors down despite your best efforts.  “Givin’ Up” should have been a single, but the language, tisk tisk!  Foreshadowing Justin Hawkin’s drug issues, this song is literally about “stickin’ that fuckin’ shit” up his nose.  Yes it’s surprisingly delightful, and perhaps the most immediately catchy one on the album.  “Stuck In A Rut” is different, blasting fast and loud, with Justin singing at max voice.  Back to lighter, catchy territory, “Friday Night” is a certain fan-favourite.  It easily could have been another single, as Justin literally reads off his weekly schedule.  “Monday, cycling, Tuesday, gymnastics, dancing on a Friday night.”  Bopping piano accents will keep feet moving.  Moving on to “Love On the Rocks With No Ice” (great title), the slow heavy grind smacks you in the head and reminds you this is a rock and roll band.   Despite that, the album closes on a lovely ballad “Holding My Own” which also really could have been a single.

The album on its own earned a 4/5 star rating here previously, though it’s probably at least a 4.5/5.  As time has gone by, these songs have proven their mettle.  They still stand.

CD 1 is beefed out with six extra songs, all demos, of tracks that didn’t make the album and tracks that did.  Speaking of which, they are rough but so similar to the final versions.  Some have bits that were later trimmed out or de-emphasized, like keyboard overdubs and intros.  “Black Shuck”, though without the hard-hitting production, might be better in some ways than the album version, with more twists and vocals.   There is also a demo of “Out of My Hands”, a fine album B-side.

The best inclusions on this disc, however, are the surprises:  demos that didn’t make Permission to Land!  “Live ‘Til I Die” went unreleased until 2019’s Easter Is Cancelled, but this version has Eddie Graham on drums.  This version is very, very different.  Much more AC/DC and dare I say, much catchier and better.   There’a also an early demo of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us”, which was finally released on 2012’s reunion album Hot Cakes.  This one is much more similar to the glossier final product.

CD 2 is a treasure trove of goodies!  Every studio B-side from the album, some non-album singles, some “clean” versions that we wouldn’t purposely seek out to buy; they are all here.  (The live B-sides are included with their respective shows, but we’ll get to those.)  This is comprehensive as heck.

The three tracks from the very rare 2002 EP I Believe In A Thing Called Love are included:  the title track, “Love on the Rocks With No Ice” and “Love Is Only A Feeling”.  The recordings themselves are the same as the final album versions, but the mixes are not.  These earlier mixes have slight, but audible differences and can be characterised as a bit less finished.  The bass may be more pronounced on some places, and backing vocals in another.

Like some British bands before them, such as Oasis, The Darkness seemed to put just as much effort into their B-sides, often making them album (or single) worthy on their own.  The complete studio B-sides here are:

  • “The Best Of Me”, a crankin’ rocker with a southern vibe.
  • The aforementioned “Out of My Hands”, a lighter song with a Def Leppard vibe on the guitars.  Could have been a hit in its own right.  Brilliant chorus.
  • Concert favourite “Makin’ Out”, which has more of that AC/DC vibe that the Darkness really mined in their early days.  A fan favourite for a reason.
  • “Physical Sex”, another riffy number with an outrageously high chorus.
  • The ballad “How Dare You Call This Love?” which also could have been on the album, had it been longer.  The actual album had two already.  A fun song though, with some lovely Lizzy-ish guitar harmonies.
  • “The best instrumental that AC/DC never recorded”, according to Tim Durling, is “Bareback”, one of the Darkness’ best B-sides ever…if not their best.  Thankfully, this song was not just relegated to the dusky corners of the “Growing On Me” single, but received some live workouts too.  More on that later.
  • A song about building a house, “Planning Permission”, is a bit goofy lyrically (mixing cement!), but it gets goofier still as you’ll see.  Fortunately it’s a catchy, upbeat Darkness number that has all their trademark guitar and vocal accoutrements.
  • “Curse of the Tolland Man” is the goofiest of them all, a ghost story, and a song that gets trashed in the liner notes as awful muck, but is defended by Justin and Dan Hawkins as a favourite.  The jury remains out, but they are all correct about it.
  • “I Love You 5 Times” is another ballad, but by this time we’re technically heading outside album territory.  Forgettable, but for the strings and Justin’s silly “m-m-m-meees” stuttery vocals.  It was actually the B-side to a standalone Christmas single, “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”, an excellent song in its own right.

This box set is so comprehensive that it even includes the two singles that were not from it.

  • “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)“…don’t Google what “bell end” means in British slang.  Let’s just say Justin had his tongue in cheek!  Great rocker, very Lizzy, and an absolutely Darkness classic.  Produced by Bob Ezrin!  This track was included on some European editions of the album as a bonus.
  • Then we have the rarest of them all, and finally available physically for us to buy:  2004’s “Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again“.  Though it does have Frankie Poullain on bass, this song is more a part of the story for the second album, One Way Ticket.  The band were experimenting with producer Roy Thomas Baker and this remake was sold digitally.  It is here in both “clean” and “explicit” versions.  A cleaner, sharper incarnation of the song, for better or worse!  The liner notes finally explain the mystery of the added piano part:  It was inspired by Ben Folds’ cover of the song, which they thought was an improvement!

CDs 3 and 4 contain three live gigs, and the balance of the B-sides from this era.  “Gimme a D!  Gimme an Arkness!”

The 2003 set at Knebworth is brilliant.  Opening with “Growing On Me”, the band has a bizarre and comedic stage presence, but the song kicks!  They are a tight band, and a beat is not missed.  They play two B-sides, a manic “The Best of Me” (for dancing, says Justin) and the classic “Makin’ Out”.  “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” from the Knebworth concert was previously issued on a German version of the Christmas single.  I like when Justin asks the audience which version of “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” they’d like to hear, clean or dirty?

On the same disc is a set from the Astoria in 2003.  Opening with a raging “Bareback”, this set is even better than the Knebworth one.  What a start!  Instrumentals can make a pretty killer opener!  From there it’s “Black Shuck”, and a live version of “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” that was previously issued as a B-side to a rare DVD single for “Love Is Only A Feeling”.  It’s notable for the strange “me-me-me” singalong thing Justin does at the end.  Another thing they do in this set is something called “Buffet”, a pretty cool riff, from a part in the show that is explained in the booklet.

Best of all:  The action-packed Astoria and Knebworth shows are both included on DVD inside.  Watch Dan play all the guitars so Justin can do the splits!  The DVD also includes all the music videos, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from their music videos.  There’s a cute bit in the EPK (electronic press kit) explaining why Justin always asked the audience to see their thumbs.  The editing on the Astoria show is absurdly fast!

CD 4 is a full-length show from 2004 at Wembley recorded on Dan’s birthday, and the last show on the tour.  It’s especially cool, because the band were already road-testing new songs from One Way Ticket.  Opener “Grief Hammer” was a new song that would become a B-side in 2005.  It has a stuttery riff with elements of that AC/DC vibe, but the band were clearly moving beyond that pigeonhole.  It takes balls to open a set at Wembley with a new song that nobody had heard before.  From there they visit more familiar territory with the favourite “Givin’ Up”.  A manic “Stuck In A Rut” blasts out immediately afterwards.

Other B-sides played at Wembley include the fan favourite “Makin’ Out”, “Physical Set” and that “Buffet” again!  Future classics “Dinner Lady Arms” and “Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time” are rolled out alongside the hits.  “Dinner Lady Arms” is a tad harder than the soft-Leppard style of the later version, though the chorus still soars into the stratosphere.  “Seemed Like Such A Good Idea at the Time” is presented without introduction, and Justin on piano with a more spare arrangement than the elaborate album version to come.  This is more power ballad, and less experiment in extravagance.

As the 17 song set rolls through classics and hits, it’s clear this disc could be a standalone live album if the band choose to release it as such.  Great banter, and the band were obviously having a blast on stage.  At the end, there are two more surprises.  One is an abbreviated cover of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, performed solo by Justin on piano.  Finally, they close the show with a bombastic “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”, which works brilliantly in the end slot.  There is no feigning joy and surprise here.  All the delight is pure and genuine.

The final ingredient you need in a box set such as this is a kickass booklet with loads of reading.  Look no further, as Dan and Justin exhaustively tell the story from session to session and song to song.  The stories will keep you in stitches as the band shed light on things you never knew before.  Eddie Graham was the most “normal” one of the bunch, but they have survived it all, and the Darkness keep going!

We live in the age of box sets.  The Darkness have risen to the occasion with, dare I say it, the perfect version of Permission To Land.   Will they pull this trick again in the future with One Way Ticket?  They should, because they have demonstrated an understanding of what makes a great box set.  In short:

  • Complete collection of B-sides, even from formats as obscure as DVD single.
  • The rare demos and EP versions we’ve been wanting.
  • Non-album singles.
  • Even those clean versions that we normally wouldn’t try too hard to collect.
  • Live concerts.
  • Extensive liner notes.
  • DVD with added value and live shows.
  • Reasonable pricing and packaging.

5/5 stars

 

* One evening in 2003, I was listening to the Darkness with my girlfriend in my living room, late at night, heavily intoxicated.  I suddenly jumped and said “I get it!  These guys are not a joke at all!  They are dead serious about what they are doing!  Listen!  Just listen!”  It was an epiphany and I was right.

 

BONUS!  Check out Tim and I discussing this box set and more!

REVIEW: Mick Mars – “Loyal to the Lie” (2023) single

MICK MARS – “Loyal to the Lie” (2023) single

Mick Mars is finally out with his first solo track since 1994’s “Bittersuite” and it’s a banger.

Too much of a banger?

In this reviewer’s opinion, the song is recorded for more modern tastes.  Chunky, downtuned guitars and distorted, unremarkable lead vocals (by Jacob Bunton) characterize this fast, heavy smoker.  Everything sounds very processed in a modern way, for punch and impact.  Someone more in tune with this sound would rate it higher.

The best part of the song is, expectedly, the guitar solo, but it’s way too short.

Another reviewer may think differently, but “Loyal to the Lie” lacks a few key ingredients:  a distinctive singer, and memorable hooks.

Mick shouldn’t have to repeat his past with his former band, but a memorable song would have been nice.  Yes, it’s heavy.  But heavy only goes so far.

Mick’s album The Other Side of Mars will be out next year, February 23 2024.

2/5 stars

Lineup:

Mick Mars – guitars/bass
Paul Taylor – keyboards
Jacob Bunton – vocals
Ray Luzier – drums

REVIEW: Loudness – “Slap In the Face” (1991 Japanese CD single)

LOUDNESS – “Slap In the Face” (1991 Warner Japan CD single)

Not long after Loudness released their second and last album with American singer Mike Vescera, a final four-song EP was released in Japan.  Featuring a new song (albeit in an edit version) called “Slap in the Face” with three recent live recordings, the EP was good value for the fans.  Unfortunately it was not enough to keep Vescera in the band, and he soon wound up doing some pretty good music with Yngwie J. Malmsteen.  Loudness continued on with former E-Z-O singer Masaki Yamada, but that is another story.  This one is about Mike’s final release with Loudness.

The edit version of “Slap in the Face” is 4:53.  Although it says nowhere inside, the full length version is 5:14 and can be found on the 1991 Japanese 2 CD compilation, Loudest.  (It was also added as an extra studio track to a later release, 2009’s Live Loudest at the Bodukan.  Both edit and full-length versions are included as bonus tracks on the 2021 deluxe box set reissue of On the Prowl.)

This track absolutely stomps!  It does not sound like something that came out in 1991.  More like 1993.  It was ahead of its time in terms of where metal was going.  It chunks, it rips, it shreds and it thrashes.  The only anomaly is the powerful vocalizin’ of Mike Vescera, who had the kind of high pitched tone that worked well with Malmsteen.  Not that it doesn’t kick ass here, just that style of singing was soon to be out of style…  But what a song!  A Loudness highlight, hands down.  Cut-throat and non-stop, “Slap in the Face” should have been called “Kick in the Teeth”!

The three live tracks that round out the EP are all from the Budokan show that was released in 2009, and were all originally on the 1991 studio album On the Prowl.  “Down ‘N’ Dirty” is very clean and polished.  You could mistake it for a studio cut.  This mid-tempo rocker has some wicked soloing from lead guitarist Akira Takasaki, but really this is hair metal from a band that usually went heavier.

“Playin’ Games” is way heavier.  This is the kind of tempo we’re used to from Loudness.  The goofy title doesn’t relay its deadly intent:  this song is a killer.  Drummer Munetaka Higuchi has a lethal albeit brief drum solo at the end, just enough to crush your head.  The guy was a beast on drums!  Rest in peace Higuchi.

The last track is “Find A Way”, technically a remake of “To Be Demon” from Loudness’ 1981 debut album The Birthday Eve.  This ballady metal track goes from bluesy to progressive to hair metal and back to progressive.  It’s mid-tempo brilliance, and perhaps something that a band like the Scorpions could have done in the early 80s.  Indeed, Klaus would sound brilliant singing it. There’s nothing simple about “Find A Way”!

Though all these songs can now be found elsewhere as is often the case these days, in 1991 this was great value and a fine send-off to Mike Vescera.  The following year, Loudness would come crushing back…but only in Japan.

4/5 stars

 

 

 

REVIEW: Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age (1997 split EP)

KYUSS / QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age (1997 split Man’s Ruin EP)

Sometimes, EPs are essential.  Even better:  an essential split EP, when you actually like both bands.

Kyuss split in 1996, and guitarist Josh Homme was fast out of the gates with a new EP under the name Gammy Ray.  Another Gamma Ray from Germany sued, and so Homme changed the name to Queens of the Stone Age (a nickname coined by producer Chris Goss from Masters of Reality, for Kyuss themselves).

The split EP, Kyuss / Queens of the Stone Age (double self-titled!) offered a debut for Homme’s new band, and a posthumous release for Kyuss.  Kyuss’ side opens with the previously released single “Into the Void”, the Black Sabbath cover.  Far sludgier even than the Sabbath original, this one pukes messy distortion and rolling bass all over the floor.  It gets really cool in the middle section, normally fast and heavy, but here jammy and psychedelic complete with congas.  There’s an original guitar solo by Homme, but parts of it sound like something Iommi could have written.  Other parts are purely Josh.  This is a long-bomber eight-minute version ideal, for headbanging…or spacing out.

“Fatso Forgotso” was the original B-side to the “Into the Void” single.  Here it is paired with “Fatso Forgotso Phase II”, a B-side to “One Inch Man”.  Phase I is the long bomber while Phase II is a faster blast.  The first time I ever heard Phase I, I was sleeping on a floor after a hell of a party.  The room was empty as the others had gone out to a local bar to finish the night.  I awoke to this monster of a riff.  It sounded like the ocean, it was so big.  I just lay there in my drunken state, letting this song wash over me, drown me, and bring me back to the surface.  It is fuzzy aural ectasy for its entire length, which is punctuated by Scott Reeder’s foundation bassline, and Alfredo Hernández’s busy drumming.  John Garcia’s lead vocal is way back in the mix, seemingly making the whole thing seem louder.  The congas kick in halfway through, and it turns into a desert jam with an incredible bass part.  Phase II is a completely different beast.  Four on the floor, quick and to the point.  Breakneck and thudding!  Incidentally, it was reissued on the compilation Muchos Gracias: The Best of Kyuss as “Flip the Phase”.

The Queens of the Stone Age made their debut (without Nick Olivieri, but with Van Connor on bass) on “If Only Everything”, a song that later became “If Only” on their self-titled LP.  The simple riff has always been one of Homme’s best.  This song, and “Born to Hula” are both from the deleted Gamma Ray EP, making the tracks easier to get.  “If Only Everything” could be the best Queens song – your call.  Definitely a strong start.  This version is rougher than the album cut, with vocals more buried in the mix and prominent snare.  “Born to Hula” is more futuristic, droning and hypnotic.  It too is monstrous.  Massive.  Cavernous.  Excellent.

“Spiders and Vinergaroons” was the sole unreleased song on this EP.  It later found a home on a reissue of the Queens’ self-titled album, along with other early EP rarities.  It has an unexpected Queen-like clap/stomp, but over a droning hypnotic lead guitar that meanders tensely through the first half of the instrumental track.  The second half is dominated by huge (like, Titanic) drums, and clavinet.  It shouldn’t work, but there it is.  Sounds like some backwards guitar thrown in for good measure.

This EP is characterised by long, heavy jams by both bands.  It’s not an immediate listen, but it is so rewarding.

4.5/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Helix – “Brother From A Different Mother” (2022 single)

HELIX – “Brother From A Different Mother” (2022 download single)

In 2021, Helix recorded a new song called “Brother From A Different Mother”, about a good friend of singer Brian Vollmer.  It was released in 2022 as a download, complete with “NFT’s” which…I don’t know what you do with that, but the mp3 file can be downloaded and played like any other!

The song “Brother From A Different Mother” is one of the heaviest Helix tunes.  Fast as a shark, and heavy as a rock!  The chorus is as memorable as any other Helix single, but the guitar playing is stellar.  From solo to riffs, the guitar provides the undeniable hooks.  There’s a slow breakdown in the middle with piano, and amazing gritty backing vocals by Cheryl Lescom.

Brian’s lyrics are heartfelt and sincere.  You can tell this was a friendship he really valued.  Let us hope for a physical release, be it a single or an album.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Metallica – …And Justice For All (1988)

METALLICA – …And Justice For All (1988 Elektra)

As I cast my mind back to 1988, the omnipresence of Metallica’s …And Justice For All cannot be ignored.  For one thing, the band’s new studio album was a double album, which was all but unheard of at that time.  The cover art was striking.  The band were now on TV, after stubbornly avoiding music videos for years.  “One” was the name of the song, and it was even more stark and impactful than the album art.  If the band wanted their first-ever music video to be influential and monumental, they succeeded.   However despite all the praise, the cries of “sell outs!” echoed on the “letters to the editor” section of various rock magazines.  How dare Metallica make a music video.  One letter in Hit Parader magazine compared Justice to Bon Jovi.  It’s hard to imagine a reaction like that from the perspective of today, but as much as Justice was Metallica’s most successful album to date, there were thousands of fans who resented them for it.

The other elephant in the room is the production and mix of the album, which is brittle and lacks bass.  There were various stories, such as hazing the “new kid” Jason Newsted by removing the bass, but today Lars and James largely blame themselves, saying their hearing was burned out and they just kept turning everything up until you couldn’t hear the bass.  There are other stories and other parties who received blame at various points of the timeline, but the thing is this:  Justice has sonic issues.  We all are aware of this by now.

Let’s dig into this hour-plus album and hear what the fuss was all about.

A backwards guitar harmony fades in from the start, a striking and cool effect.  Then immediately the riff and drums kick in, and the snare is loud.  It dominates the mix, with the riff itself chugging away behind.  James Hetfield awakens the dead, and this could have been his vocal peak, in terms of grit combined with sheet lung power.  “Blackened” is a blast, like Metallica of old, and though the pace is breakneck to start, it soon switches up to a deliberate march.  Lars is absolutely bangin’ away, and there are so many wicked riffs and licks that you’ll want to go back and take notes.  This is a textbook course in writing metal, with a dose of complexity and catchy challenges.  Kirk Hammett really plays some cool stuff in the solos as well, demonstrating his experimental side just a tad.  “Blackened” is the only song on the album with a Newsted co-writing credit.

The title track is second, almost 10 minutes in length and loaded with riffs and tempos.  Hetfield growls like a beast of the social ills of the world.  Lars’ drum parts are almost out of the jungles.  It’s a cool track, undoubtedly powerful and a peak for a certain kind of Metallica track.  They had come a long way from their New Wave of British Heavy Metal / punk rock hybrid sound of old.  But, much like Iron Maiden at the same time, Metallica were becoming more interested in progressing musically.  You can actually hear some bass on this track ,and Jason’s really playing some wild stuff.

At this point of the album, we’re getting acclimated to the frigid cold mix and brittle guitars.  Kirk’s wild solos are an anaesthetic to the constant cutting of James’ rhythm guitar.

On vinyl, this is where side one would have flipped to side two, opening with “Eye of the Beholder”.  Cool, underrated opening riff to this song, and again Lars sounds like a jungle beast.  James is singing lower, but with the same ferocity.  Lyrically, James tapped into the angst and frustration that their fanbase felt in their lives.  He was able to articulate for them, the things that they were seeing in their world.  And they were pissed off.  Kirk’s solo comes from a more exotic locale, but fits in regardless.

“Beholder” ends somewhat abruptly, and then the opening machine gun fire of “One” announces the arrival of the coming hit single.  The clean guitars that open the track actually sound pretty good, though the snare drum is a sharp contrast to them.  Though not Metallica’s first foray into softer tones of metal, “One” was top-notch.  There’s no need to go into details on the lyrics as that could be a post unto itself.  Like many classic metal bands before them, Metallica took inspiration from literature, though via a film interpretation.  The anti-war word resonated with the audiences of 1988.  The video, using dialogue and visuals from the film Johnny Got His Gun, was all but universally lauded.  As a song, “One” doesn’t need the video to stand up.  It builds until it eventually turns into a musical battlefield, with machine guns made of bass drum hits, and explosions from snares.  Then Kirk’s solo tells a story of its own, a manic tale of fight-or-flight tension.  “One” is every bit as good as they say it is.

This is where vinyl, or even cassette, has their advantages.  This is a good place to give your ears a break, at the end of side two.  Ear fatigue will set in if you don’t take a moment here!  So, on your CD player or streaming service, take a pause.  For vinyl, just keep flippin’.

Side three opened with “The Shortest Straw”, another hammering riff, and then Metallica take it for a twist.  Hetfield is barking mad on this one!  It is not the most memorable of the Justice nine, but it doesn’t play it simple or safe either.  The chorus is one you can shout to, and Kirk’s solo is certainly unorthodox.

“Harvester of Sorrow” became a concert standard, and it is a bit of a needed slower moment after the brutality was that “Shortest Straw”.  The riff is simpler, more deliberate and to the point, and melody is present in the vocal growls!  It’s one of their more accessible moments, but for some irate Hit Parader reader to call stuff like this “Bon Jovi” is utterly ridiculous.  It’s slow but stomping.  James’ vocals would still raise the dead.

Side three’s closing track is the lesser known “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” and I still hate that “oh-wee-oh” bit (“March of the Winkies”) from The Wizard of Oz that opens it.  Totally out of place, and I could swear New Kids on the Block or somebody like that used the bit in one of their songs too.  Anyway.  The band never played it live until 2014, making it the last song from Justice to make it into the live set.  That’s not to say it’s a bad song – there’s a really cool middle section that just builds and builds, and then unleashes an absolute monster of a riff, like Iron Maiden on speed.

The final side features Cliff Burton’s last writing credit, “To Live Is To Die”.  Almost 10 minutes in length, this largely instrumental track features the appearance of the Metallica acoustic guitars, which soon give way to robotic hammering and a monumental set of riffs.  Solo work by both James and Kirk is extraordinary.  There are left turns, and it all serves to set up the closing blast of “Dyer’s Eve”.

“Dyer’s Eve” is a thrash blast of metal; so fast that it’s the only “short” song on the album at 5:12.  It comes in suddenly and after a brief cascade of metal madness, and goes full thrash, pedal to the metal, all burners on full.  It’s so much, packed into such a short space.  It’s one of the most effective songs on the album for that reason, and a bit of a cult classic.  “Dyer’s Eve” is one of the deep cuts that just scream for more exposure.

Justice is a trip, a journey, a series of chapters in a larger story.  It deserves the scrutiny given to its mix but conversely, it also deserves as much attention as your ears are able to pay to it.  Despite the lack of bass, there are things here your mind can dissect down to some brilliant performances if you give them the focus.  Justice is not an easy listen, but they don’t all have to be.  The cool thing with it is, as you grow with it over the years, different songs become your favourites.  Maybe 30 years ago, it was “One” or “Blackened”.  Then after a while, maybe “Beholder”, then “Dyer’s Eve” and “Shortest Straw”!  The album will never cease to have favourite moments if you love Metallica.

It would be easy to give it a 5/5 stars, but the issues with the bass cannot be ignored.

4.5/5 stars

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions: Tim and John the Music Nut get Mike on the Y&T train!

Today Tim’s dropping a special episode of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions:  Getting me into Y&T!  We were joined by John the Music Nut, and they did some gentle arm twisting.  Check out that episode on TVC today.

On my channel, you can watch the unboxing. These are some sweet discs! Have a look for yourself.

REVIEW: Extreme – Six (2023 Japanese import)

A special joint post today with Jex Russell – Pop Culture Nut.  Read his review by clicking here!

EXTREME – Six (2023 Victor Japan)

Extreme fans never stopped believin’.  We’re delighted that people dig the new album Six, but we always knew.  Saudades was great.  Punchline was great.  We have always boasted about what Nuno was capable of, and it’s hard not to love Gary Cherone.  This is a band you just want to kick ass, and they do on their sixth (studio) album, shockingly titled Six.  There’s no dip in quality – there hasn’t been a dip in quality since their embryonic debut back in 1988.  It’s been nothing but peaks since then, though always different from one another.  Reviewing Six is less about praising it (which is easy) and more about seeing what Extreme are doing differently this time.

We talk a lot about riffs here, but rarely have Extreme riffs been as direct and heavy as the one on “Rise”.  This, by the way, is the song with the solo that seems to have taken the world by storm.  The spirit of Van Halen was definitely in the room when Nuno laid it down, and it’s an undeniable highlight of the song.  The solo is as impressive and hooky as a song unto itself.  Another figure that people are starting to notice is drummer Kevin Figueiredo.  It’s hard to stand out when you’re Mike Mangini’s replacement in Extreme, but Kevin kicks it!  (Joke intentional – die hard Extreme fans know.)  “Rise” could be the heaviest Extreme song to date.

Riffing continues on “#Rebel” (pronounced “hashtag rebel”), another contender for heaviest to date.  The riff is definitely a monster, and Nuno augments it with those tasty licks he’s known for.  Gary Cherone, meanwhile, sounds to be in better voice than he was back in the 1990s when he joined Van Halen.  He doesn’t seem to have to push as hard, no longer going overly gritty when he’s givin’ ‘er.  The solo is another marathon workout, and just a pleasure to bang along to from start to finish.  Like most great solos, this is a fully composed piece of musical performance.

Third standout riff in a row, “Banshee” is yet another butt-kickin’ banger.  It’s not fully pedal to the metal this time, with the verses being a little less loud, allowing Gary to get slinky.  Bassist Pat Badger forms a formidable groove with Kevin here, which gives Nuno room to play around.  The solo, once again, is thought out like a miniature song within a song.

Finally on track four, we get a breather!  A brilliant acoustic song called “Other Side of the Rainbow” is just a thing of beauty.  The vocal harmonies of Gary and Nuno gel better here than anywhere else on Six.  This is pure pop, as Extreme have occasionally done (and done so well) on albums past.  There are elements of Extreme II and Waiting for the Punchline here.  It somehow sounds like a lost remnant from the decade of the 90s.  One of the best Extreme songs in the entire canon, and a brilliant Queen-like performance from Gary.

Continuing down the acoustic road, the ballad “Small Town Beautiful” definitely recalls the softer moments on Punchline.  The blend of vocals here is really special; those trademark harmonies.  Things shake up once again on the bass heavy “The Mask”, with co-lead vocals by Nuno Bettencourt, a rare treat.  Gary takes over on the choruses, while Nuno takes the verses in an affected voice.  “Rip off the mask, I’ll show you who I am!” howls Gary on the menacing chorus.

The unusual “Thicker Than Blood” has an industrial tint, but actually is closer to a reflection of Nuno’s 1997 solo album Schizophonic.  It absolutely could have come from that album, but it would have been one of the better tracks if it had.  The solo here is a wicked little number.  They take it down to a heavy grind on “Save Me”, another song with a downtuned 90s flavour, but a searing chorus.  It’s two completely different moods, verse and chorus.  Quality remains high.  Variety continues.

Another soft acoustic number called “Hurricane” sounds like Simon and Garfunkel, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Extreme could do Simon and Garfunkel a hell of a lot better than Disturbed.  Nuno takes a rare acoustic solo here.  A very special song.  Extreme throw another curveball on the effects-heavy “X Out”.  We’re reminded, perhaps, of “Evilangelist” from Punchline, but with more of that industrial synthy vibe.  There’s an undeniable Stranger Things vibe to the synth line.

A complete 180° will spin your head on “Beautiful Girls”, a light tropical summery number about…shockingly…beautiful girls.  It’s just pop, pure and simple, and there’s nothing to feel guilty or shameful about.  (There’s only one line I dislike – “California Girls, I wish they all could be” – gimme Canadian girls any time!)  Bottom line, Extreme have never been shy about going way outside the box.  “Beautiful Girls” represents the furthest they’ve gone since Extreme II back in 1990.  The guitar solo is pure Brian May, 100%.  There’s no denial, except for that wicked burnout at the end!  Some might say, “This sounds like Sugar Ray!”  I say, “Sugar Ray could never sing nor play like Extreme do.”  Interesting that on an album with Extreme’s heaviest rockers, we also find their their most pop song.

The acoustic guitars remain out for album closer “Here’s To the Losers”, another brilliant tune that goes in another different direction.  It has an anthemic shout-along of “Get up!  Chin up!  Drink up!”  (Your beverage of choice, of course!)  It’s like a rallying cry and it’s a terrific closer.  The key change at the end is really nice.

The sequencing of this album is really interesting.  Though the first three songs sell it as a heavy monster, the diversity soon comes into play, and then we run into multiple acoustic songs in a row.  It’s unexpected but it works.  The Japanese CD has its bonus track of course, and it’s a simple radio edit version of “Rise” that allows the CD to end heavy, if you prefer it that way.  The edit version of “Rise” is a full minute shorter, but wasn’t really necessary except to satisfy radio formats.  Fortunately the solo is still a main feature of the song.

Extreme Six was expertly produced by Nuno Bettencourt.  The man’s talent knows no bounds.  In fact Extreme are one of the most talented bands to come from the 80s, end sentence.  Six is among their very best albums, which is to say, all of them but the debut.  The streak continues.  Extreme are the champions.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: The Forrest Williams Democracy – “Halos” (2023 single)

THE FORREST WILLIAMS DEMOCRACY – “Halos” (2023 single)

I said it last year, and I’ll say it again:  Anybody who ever dug Big Wreck (and there are lots of you) should be checking out The Forrest Williams Democracy.  Their debut track “In Service of the Greater Good” made us happy last year, but this time we’re smiling ear to ear at the sound of the new song “Halos”!  It was hard to pigeonhole the Forrest Williams Democracy last time, but we bandied about words such as “Sabbath” and “Zeppelin”.  Not this time.  This time I might use words such as “Rush” or “Foo”!  Whether these were influences in any way, I have no way of knowing, but it’s not bad company to be compared to.

“Halos” is upbeat and irresistible!  There are verses that sound like they could have come from the 80s, but then in crashes a killer chorus with distorted vocals a-la your favourite 90s hits.  I find myself listening on repeat, it’s just that good.  Vocally and rhythmically, this is an outstanding track.  Though it is shorter and more to the point than their previous song, it still has a variety of different sections with different feels.  It all works together to make one concise, killer tune that will sound great with the windows down this summer.

“Halos” is out August 1, 2023.  Keep ’em coming, guys….

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Ghost – Phantomime (2023)

GHOST – Phantomime (2023 Loma Vista)

As they often do, Ghost have followed last year’s excellent Impera album with an underwhelming covers EP.  Fear not, there’s a deluxe version of Impera coming for those who needed more, but in the meantime, the five song EP Phantomime had better tide us over.

Ghost have diverse taste in covers, as past EPs have demonstrated.  This time, they’re taking on 80’s New Wave, 80’s Metal, 70’s Rock, and 90’s Prog.  Let’s see how it shapes up.  The band are still sounding very much like an 80’s hard rock band on this EP, much as they did on Impera.

Television’s “See No Evil” strikes as an appropriate title to cover.  Ghost do a fine job of it, turning it into a Ghost-like hard rock anthem.  The opening bassline really jumps out, and strikes as something Duff McKagan may have been inspired by early in his career.  Smokin’ guitar solo here.  It’ll sound great blasting from the car this summer.  But something about Ghost doing covers…why are they never as great as their originals?  Papa Emeritus just sounds better singing about Satan, perhaps?

A sped-up “Jesus He Knows Me” is another great title to see on a Ghost record.  There’s nothing of Genesis here, really!  If you played this for anyone who didn’t know the original song, you’d assume it was a metal original.  Lyrically perfect for Ghost, though!

The Strangler’s “Hanging Around” is centred on a big fat organ part that sounds great and beefy on this CD.  Very different from the original, but like the previous songs, it’s Ghost-ified by Papa and the Nameless Ghouls.  For better or for worse!  It is not especially memorable as a cover.

The controversial “Phantom of the Opera” by Iron Maiden is fourth.  Why controversial?  Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno didn’t particular care for it.  I disagree with Paul and think it’s the best thing here.  If Maiden wrote the song today, with their current affectation towards keyboards, it might sound a little bit more polished like Ghost’s version.  Ghost maintain the speed, the riffs, the solos, and all the essential ingredients.  It’s just Maiden, but covered by Ghost, and as such it seems to work better than the other tunes.

Finally we have the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome theme song “We Don’t Need Another Hero” by the late great Tina Turner.  An interesting and surprising choice even for Ghost.  Jury’s still out on this one.  Nerves might still be a little too raw after Tina’s unfortunate passing.  The Ghost version was released just before, but now…let’s just say jury’s still out and leave it at that.

Casual fans, stick to Ghost’s original albums.

3/5 stars