Well hello release day!
What a great lineup of tunes for the week and the weekend. Getting a fine blend between traditional rock n roll (like The Who and Jack White) and straight into the heavy stuff (such as Arch Enemy and Beartooth). But you can't leave out the crossover bands such as Body Count. OK, well now looking at this list once more as I am typing gives me a more heavy vibe than anything else, but who has ever argued with that? I have done a few articles surrounding the release of some of the albums listed below. So if you get the chance and want to know more about them, click on the AFGM link below the album art.
So the usual rant folks. Show some love to the artists and pick up a copy of their album at your local record store or online retailer. If digital is more your thing, then buy it from an authorized legal source. Cheers and enjoy the selection!
(The Who - Quadrophenia: Live In London)
Quadrophenia finally gets the live production it deserves, as the Who's two surviving members reunite to thrillingly play their 1973 rock opera magnum opus about mental illness, Mods and lost youth, the inspiration for 1979's cult movie, with a dedication to the late author Iain Banks thrown in for good measure.
Where equipment smashing and pyrotechnics were once customary, this show's finale is appropriately subtler – just Daltrey and Townshend doing Tea & Theatre acoustically, the sweatily knackered-looking singer gripping, yes, a mug of tea. -The Guardian
(Anathema - Distant Satellites)
All in all, this album has a natural charm about it. An unforced message to its listeners, and an illustrated journey throughout. Anathema’s ‘Distant Satellites’ is an album that we deeply recommend for when you want to relax at home, especially if you have had a rough day in the big wide world. We cannot wait to see what happens in Anathema’s future in music, and we’re rooting for more sensational albums just like this one to come. -Hit The Floor
(Jack White - Lazaretto)
White and his band showcase everything in their arsenal, from sharp guitar solos and drum beats to orchestral arrangements and a violin solo for the ages. You'd be hard pressed to find anything else like it in contemporary music. Believe me, I've tried. -Cleveland.com
(Uriah Heep - Outsider)
Outsider is no Look At Yourself or Demons & Wizards – but at the same time, similarly to its immediate predecessors Wake The Sleeper (2008) or Into The Wild (2011), it really doesn’t have to be. It’s a classy record from one of the world’s longest-running hard rock acts – and although on Uriah Heep concert fans will always demand to hear “Easy Livin’” or “July Morning”, no one should feel disappointed about the band adding three or four new songs to their set list. Each of them is a hard rock gem in its own right and a valuable addition to the band’s catalog – so is the entire Outsider. Much recommended, not only for Uriah Heep fans, but for hard rock listeners in general. -Hard Rock Haven
(Tesla - Simplicity)
"Classic Tesla fans will love this record as much as I did. 13 of the 14 tracks are winners and when I’m not pushing ahead to the next song, that’s a true sign of a real winner. Simplicity stays true to its intent of giving the listener something simple or ordinary but at the same time truly enjoyable. The record gives you all of that and more. Looks like Tesla co-produced with Tom Zutaut with Michael Wagner mixing. The band knows what it wants and Michael certainly knows what fans want in terms of that endearing Tesla sound. I have to admit given the album had 14 tracks and for me not to connect on only a single track I’d take that average any day. I’m certain Tesla would as well." -They Will Rock You
(Body Count - Manslaughter)
Body Count is a full on metal band, fronted by legendary rapper Ice-T who drops knowledge, violent stories and verbal middle fingers, with a bellowing growl descended from some of punk rock’s most pissed off screamers.
Ice-T and cofounder/lead guitarist Ernie C have perfected their mix of thrash, punk and bottom heavy doom across five albums, hitting a zenith with the unstoppable Manslaughter, backed by bassist/songwriter Vincent Price (with Body Count now for nearly 15 years), drummer Ill Will (joined in 2009) and new guitarist Juan Garcia of EVILDEAD. -Rock N Reel Reviews
(Arch Enemy - The War Eternal)
AFGM: Arch Enemy Continues The War Eternal
War Eternal from start to finish is the sound of a band re-energized by their change in circumstances and personnel. As a band they have arguably never sounded tighter on record with all participants stepping up to new heights. Credit as well must go to the band themselves for the production, the mix is fantastic (as one might expect with Jens Bogren behind the mixing desk) and and provides a clean sound without sounding overproduced. Despite the deserved love for Angela Gossow and everything she did in her time in Arch Enemy (and she’s still guiding them behind the scenes), the addition of Alissa White-Gluz may lead to the band reaching previously unseen heights. -Rock Sins
Though Disgusting doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set forth by its predecessor, it still has a lot going for it, and while there are several points where this latest effort fails to get off the ground, it is far from a complete miss.
Nonetheless, Disgusting is still worth your time. While it may not be the most innovative release of the year, it is without a doubt the crown jewel of Shomo’s career, and an impressive debut effort. Pick it up today through Red Bull Records. -Under The Gun
(The Amity Affliction - Let The Ocean Take Me)
I don’t think there is any question that THE AMITY AFFLICTION has a more mature sound. Their core sound is still very much alive, and there isn’t a bad or forgettable track on the album. This feat is hard for any band to accomplish. Indeed, Joel and company are able to use personal experiences and literally translate them into music. Many of the giants in Heavy Metal instead focus on riff-driven songwriting, which can get stale quickly because there are only so many riff combinations out there and we have heard most of them. THE AMITY AFFLCITION has aptly laid a bountiful feast of beauty and melody, with intense rhythms and brutality among it, and as well as any band I have heard in the genre lately. There is a lot to appreciate here if you allow yourself to simply enjoy the music, rather than trying to categorize or dismiss it because of the genre labeling. I don’t know about you, but I got into Metal to enjoy what I was listening to, and to find bands that were both hard edged and melodic. -Metal Temple
(Hellyeah - Blood For Blood)
The new album can best be described as a combination of between the harsher Pantera moments and the alternative metal leanings of Nothingface and Mudvayne, without the technical and progressive undertones of the latter band.
“Blood For Blood” may lack some true standout tracks on the album, but its more than up for that in overall quality and cohesiveness. It clearly signifies a new chapter in the ongoing Hellyeah story and this record may the one that Vinnie Paul and Co truly come in their own. -This Is Not A Scene
(The Word Alive - REAL.)
On their third full-length, Phoenix metalcore veterans The Word Alive perfect the sound they’ve crafted since their formation in 2008. The first track “Play the Victim” captures the album’s many strengths: heavy rhythms, tasty riffs, well-crafted arrangements, and the soaring vocals of Tyler “Telle” Smith. Other standouts include “Never Forget” and “Glass Castle,” which both underscore the strength of the songwriting on the album. Real demonstrates that, even as the group’s chosen subgenre has lost the trendiness it possessed in the ’00s, metalcore can still sound fresh and exciting when done right. -Revolver
Against all odds and all my petty concerns, Wolves at the Gate has done it again. Building off a solid foundation that was “Captors”, the band has upped the ante on “VxV”. While not reinventing the wheel of what they have previously done, their sophomore album finds them more focused and spiritual than ever. -Indie Vision Music
(VA - Vans Warped Tour Compilation)
Sure fans can pick out their favourites, but like I mentioned earlier, they’ve probably done that using whatever digital service they prefer thus making this whole album somewhat pointless. Otherwise the 'Warped Tour Compilation 2014' is another must-buy for fans of the tour, as it gathers a majority of the best established and emerging bands from both sides of the Atlantic, and wraps it up in some form of messy yet connected ball that allows fans to absorb everything Warped Tour has to offer. -Already Heard
The new Arch Enemy album is not bad. Still getting used to the new vocalist. They did a Mike Oldfield song on the new album which was a surprise. The song is Shadow on the Wall which was from his 1983 album Crises.
ReplyDelete