Oh Shenandoah

VALKYRIE – “Man Of Two Visions” CD ’08 (Noble Origin, US) – I was just having an email chat the other day with super cool guy Racer over at The Ripple Effect about the season of autumn, how refreshing it is to some of us. And, not to steal any of his thunder (as he has some very cool thoughts about it over on his site), but it got me to thinking about that: the coolness in the air, the different smells, the look of the trees, campfires, etc. It also got me thinking about the family weekends when I was younger, when we’d load up the car & drive down to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in October to see the changing of the leaves. It was such a great, pensive time and, no matter how rat-raced-out the city got me, it was a natural purging, a gift of oneness with nature that I’ve never felt anywhere else. So coincidental then (or was it?) that the very next day I received in the mail this 2nd full-length offering from Harrisonburg, VA’s VALKYRIE. Located in that very same Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg is the home to a band who has become one of my very favourites. On both their split effort with Vog (2004) and their self-titled full-lengther (2006), this 4-piece unit has taken the essence of bands like Maiden & Sabbath and infused it with something very special that is sometimes easier to feel than even describe. There is melody there, most notable in the dual harmony guitars of brothers Jake & Pete Adams, that draws to mind artistry from the early ‘70’s, especially the work of Andy Powell & Ted Turner in Wishbone Ash, obviously a big influence on their playing. But there’s something even deeper, a rustic sense of nature and the small-town rural world that imbues this music and it’s felt even more so on their 2nd album, “Man Of Two Visions.” From the very beginning, just looking at this disc gives me a warm, timeless feeling. Beyond the striking cover artwork, when I turn the record over, I see 7 songs. This used to be such a key for me in the old days. Seven songs on an LP in 1971 meant that these were not 2-3 minute pop ditties. This was a band who’s playing was relaxed & deliberate: i.e., there was gonna be some axe work going on here! There is! Interestingly enough, opener “Running Out” is the song that’s perhaps the least in line with the expected VALKYRIE style. It’s a fairly straight-ahead, fast-paced pummeler that serves a very distinct purpose, at least for this listener: Ok buddy, you’re life is on a merry-go-round, you’ve gotta go to Home Depot, Wal*Mart and then pick up the kids…but…you’re going to sit down, lay back and let this album wash over you! Don’t try to resist it! And, you couldn’t anyway because as that 5-minute bomber ends, “Dawntide’s Breeze” begins. This is a sublime 6 minutes. Classic VALKYRIE…opening with a very snaky, psychy riff, harmony leads abound, Jake & Pete’s insistent vocals regard your ears with passion and clarity and you’re swept away on a 37 minute journey that will be one of the best you’ll take this year. Next comes “Green Highlander” and this, my friends, this is one of the many reasons this album is so special. While the record’s shortest number (just under 3 minutes), it is a simply gorgeous instrumental. Had Tony Iommi recorded “Laguna Sunrise” high atop Hawksbill Mountain in the Shenandoah Range, this is how it may have sounded. A regal harmony intro announces “Apocalypse Unsealed” before it quickly shifts gears into a pillaging, galloping ride across a NWOBHM-ish terrain, Jake & Pete once again placing sign-posts along the trail with dual leads as sweet as homespun honey. And, before you think this is a 2-man show, lest I not forget to give credit where credit is due. Will Barry-Rec (bass) and Warren Hawkins (drums) form a rhythm section that is living and breathing, always grooving yet never afraid to embellish ever-so-slightly in ways that artists of the past, Butler & Ward, Turner & Upton would do so effortlessly. And it’s here I think of the past again. Those dusty record shops revealing their cardboard & vinyl jewels, gatefold gemstones called “Argus” & “Machine Head,” those mystical 7-songed hydras where the last 3 songs would be the best…could it continue? “False Dreams” is heralded by an intro so beautiful in melody that I’m nearly physically forced to hit the reverse button and listen again. Then, as the song-proper begins and Pete & Jake hit a certain vocal harmony in the chorus, I’m stricken with a single thought. These guys are members of the very elite. They are not reminiscent of, say, Wishbone Ash or Iron Maiden. They are on the same level because they are creating art at the same high watermark. This is the real deal. And, my hopes continue to rise and are then exceeded. “The Gorge” is an instrumental guitar piece and this time, clocking in at 5:00 minutes, it is a work so singular it could only fit this perfectly on a VALKYRIE album. Combining elements of bluegrass, country, jazz-like runs, this is such special stuff that it’s only natural successor could be what may be the band’s most complete song to date, the stunningly heavy title track. With this one, they have not only ended the record with their most crushing song sonically. They’ve also created a showcase in how something can be elevated well beyond it’s strictly metallic plunder with a sense of atmosphere that’s at once pastoral, perceptive and supremely confident…all while oozing emotion. If you think I’m busting a gut over this new disc by VALKYRIE, you’re right, I am and for very good reason. A precious few times, I’ve had the thought cross my mind to sit with a record, in the same place it was created and try to absorb so much of what the artist felt. I’ve imagined listening to Thin Lizzy’s “Vagabond’s Of The Western World” standing at Giant’s Causeway. I’ve pondered hearing Side Two of “Black Sabbath” as an iron forge banged in the background in Birmingham. And, now, I long to spend an autumn afternoon in a harvest field in the Shenandoah Valley, immersed in VALKYRIE’s “Man Of Two Visions”. 10.0
http://www.thevalkyrierides.com/
www.myspace.com/valkyrie
NOTE: Congratulations to Pete Adams, who has recently taken the vacant guitar position in BARONESS. Great band, longtime friends of Pete and what a cool opportunity. Most importantly, brother Jake Adams tells me that they still plan on keeping VALKYRIE going strong. Stay tuned for an interview with Jake on these very pages!

GRAND HALLS 7

SAVOY BROWN – “Hellbound Train” LP ’72 (Parrot, Eng) – This is an interesting one for me. I see it bad-mouthed sometimes, in relation to a few other SAVOY records from the time, like “Street Corner Talking” or “Raw Sienna.” True, “SCT” may have been a little more fiery on the surface & “Raw…” has a spot in Crayola’s 64 box but…. There’s something about this record, which showed up barely a year after “SCT.” SAVOY BROWN has been a cornerstone of English blues rock since I don’t know when, and despite surrounding line-up chaos, Kim Simmonds (guitar) has always been it’s heart & soul. On this record, the man is joined by vocalist Dave Walker, Paul Raymond (yup…keys), Andy Silvester (bass) & Dave Bidwell (drums). Yeah, there was something about this from the very beginning. I remember pulling it out of the sleeve back then, as a 15 year old amateur guitar freak and the first thing that grabbed my eye was that long, wide band of the last song, stretching halfway across the end of Side Two. I dutifully flipped the platter over to it’s first half, but even as I did, and the nearly-Beatle-like strains of “Doin’ Fine” spilled jauntily out of the speakers, it was the spectre of that last cut, that I now knew spun backwards against the turntable mat, that haunted my listening. And, the album itself seems to take on the feel of an alternating waiting game. That’s not to minimize the first 6 cuts, by any means. Each is a quality cut, yet still they seem to be a balancing act, toggling back & forth between mid-paced seething Hammond-driven blues (“Lost & Lonely Child,” “It’ll Make You Happy”) and upbeat boogie rockers (“I’ll Make Everything Alright,” “If I Could See An End”). Each is also underpinned by the stalwart groove of Kim Simmonds warm, creamy guitar, a force that also rises to the top, like on “Lost & Lonely…” in particular. Finally, having turned the record over, the train has finally made it’s way slowly from the platform as the tone arm enters that staunch 10 minute final band. The patient groove laid down by Silvester & Bidwell supplies the churning wheels of a trip headlong into hell, actually, a song Simmonds spoke of in terms of Viet Nam reflection. Gradually building, ascending in both pace and intensity of music, Dave Walker mirrors the anxiety level with his mounting vocal presence and finally, Simmonds takes over in a haunting, spiraling guitar cascade that’s a thing of beauty until the song ends abruptly, like a runaway locomotive barreling off the end of a twisted track and down a cliff into the Grand Hall of Pandemonium. A gorgeous piece of social commentary, personal anguish and musical dynamics, “Hellbound Train” ends the album of the same name in masterful fashion. Is this record Kim Simmonds most blistering lead-laced hunk of plastic? No. Is it SAVOY BROWN’s most complete and overall satisfying album? Probably leave that to “Street Corner Talking.” But as a singular study in setting up tension, then letting it escalate to a boiling point, all in the blues rock format, it can’t be beat. 9.0
NOTE: Some CD issues of “Hellbound Train” feature a version of the title song that, unfortunately, fades out at the end rather than cutting off suddenly, as the original vinyl did. Suffice it to say that this latter brusque ending is far more potent and the song can only be appreciated appropriately with that conclusion.

GRAND HALLS 6

IRISH COFFEE – “Irish Coffee” LP ’71 (Triangle, Bel) – Here we have a band who seem to have had a bit of national confusion! They were from Belgium and yet called themselves IRISH COFFEE. Well, perhaps this is because Belgium is not known for particularly great coffee. I seem to remember when my friend from Antwerpen used to visit, the first thing he’d love to do every morning was grab a cup of coffee. So, methinks if he loved American coffee that much, then Belgian coffee might have sucked. Ah well, the avenues I go down to get a freaking review up & running, eh? IRISH COFFEE were a four-piece band composed of: William Souffreau – vocals, bass, guitar; Willy DeBisschop – bass (another bass player?); Raf Lenssens – drums; Paul Lambert – keyboards. The minute the first number, “Can’t Take It” enters the frame here & I’m reminded of the jazzier moments of the first Sabbath record. Not as heavy, mind you, but then here comes “The Beginning Of The End.” Hmm…this is proggier, more keyboard-laden. Must’ve been a bit of a downer day for the singer, his vocals taking on a very somber tone, laced with a bit of desperation in this one. Think Peter French in Leafhound, if that helps you a little. “When Winter Comes,” the little tickle in the back of my mind makes the connection I’ve been trying to make with the production comes into focus. Pastoral, organic…Roger Bain! Well, it isn’t produced by Roger Bain but sure as hell could’ve been. The 2-part “The Show,” on it’s surface, ascribes a rock & roll, positive feeling to things but there’s a bit more complexity going on underneath if you listen closely. And heck, “A Day Like Today” is a minor epic, once again with that darker, bluesy, backwater vibe making itself known. I’m not sure how good of a drink Irish Coffee really is, as truth be known, I don’t like coffee at all. Still, this is a pretty damn nice early ‘70’s obscurity that pops up on a sweet LP-styled CD sleeve edition. If you’re into the jazzy 1st LP Sabs, Rooster, Leafhound or such this is worth grabbing. 9.0

Soldiers Just Came Back!

BLACK WIDOW USA – “Soldiers From Hell” CD ’08 (Private, US) – One thing I can tell you is that I’m Ray. Surprised? Don’t be, I have been all my life. See, I’m not Nostradamus. That’s not even my middle name. Hmm…Ray Nostradamus Dorsey….Well, I digress. Point is, while I may not be history’s most legendary prognosticator, I do know some things ahead of time. At least, I’m pretty sure of ‘em. For instance, new BIBLE OF THE DEVIL album comes out, top-shelf ass-kicker. The 2nd COLOSSUS album will come out and the world will be kneeling before the entire state of North Carolina. New IRON RIDGE bluegrass album comes out, all stringed instrument players weep. The 2nd BLACK WIDOW USA disc hits the streets and…well…um…this prophet didn’t have an answer. See, BWU’s first effort “Satan’s Playground” showed up in a local CD store a few years ago and, noticing a metal band with a Baltimore imprint, I decided to snag it. It was pretty good, nothing to write ma about, but decent ‘80’s style metal (think “British Steel” Priest without the production values, a bit of Maiden, a touch of Iced Earth). I was pretty unimpressed, though, by lead singer Cat. To me, her voice had a kinda nasaly, annoying quality that actually detracted from the rest of the music. But, in the way Ray’s mind works, I filed the band’s name away until just last week, when ambling around the same audio emporium, I spied a brand new effort by BLACK WIDOW USA. I picked it up…sat it back down…picked it up…sat it back down…finally, I said, “You know what, it’s only $ 9.99, let’s see what’s happened with this bunch.” Turns out a lot! In truth, “a lot” may be the understatement of the year, for, in my 40-some years of listening to music, there haven’t been many times I’ve heard a band and, in particular, a vocalist make such dramatic strides. Seriously, after my initial listen to “Soldiers From Hell,” I went back and re-listened to “Satan’s Playground” and shook my head in admiration because “SFH” sounded for all the world like it would’ve come 2 or 3 (or 4!) albums after that initial effort, rather than next. To begin with, the first thing that hits you is the production here. While the first record sounded ok, “Soldiers…” sports the kind of in-your-face full-metal sound that was born in the early ‘80’s and could have names like Tsangrides or Birch tacked to it’s lapel. The drums are cacophonous without being too arena-like and John Anthony’s guitar has that awesome BC Rich/Charvel kinda crunch that was so cool back in the day. And, speaking of guitar, John has really stepped up his game on this disc. All through the album, he laces the tracks with copious amounts of melody and lead, especially his work in the lengthy title cut, where he gives you a real feeling of…hm, let’s say Mark Shelton playing Tipton’s solo from “Run Of The Mill.” The songs themselves see the ante upped once again, seeing the band emerge with deep chorus hooks and melodies that will stay alive for the listener a long time. Listen to practically anything here, “Comfort In The Dark,” “The Serpent” and the aforementioned 11 ½ minute “Soldiers From Hell.” This is damn good stuff. So, last but not least we come to Cat’s vocals. I cannot stress, once again, the kind of job this lady has done here. She has taken her vocals and done what can be only be called a mammoth job in raising the bar to where I honestly have to say this is one of the best female-fronted metal albums I’ve heard in many a year. Listen to her work throughout and tell me if she does not sound like a completely powerful and yet feminine take on Manilla Road’s great Mark Shelton. One of the greatest things to me, in writing about music, is watching a musician apply themselves and do something completely special and Cat has done just that here. My friends, there is very little else for me to staple, lash or tie to this review. The bottom line is that if you like’80’s metal, and want to hear one of the truly most UN-trendy records you’ll spin all year, buy this now! 9.5
http://www.blackwidowmetal.com/
www.myspace.com/blackwidowusa
NOTE: BLACK WIDOW USA is from Baltimore MD (yeah, hometown!) and if you’re from around here, their disc can be purchased at The Sound Garden in Fells Point.
http://www.cdjoint.com/

GREY DATURAS – “Return To Disruption” CD ’08 (Neurot, Australia) – Aussies, GREY DATURAS are noted for not practicing…just getting together to play and create soundscapes that combine drone, scathing aural assaults and such. And what they have created here are…drone, scathing aural assaults and such. See, that’s the problem. Whereas a collective such as Sunn O))) makes this kind of music interesting by interspersing captivating sign-posts along their journeys upon which they then embellish, GREY DATURAS simply make varying degrees of noise. That can be ok in passing, but it does nothing to make me want to come back for a repeat. Boring. 3.0
http://www.neurotrecordings.com/

GRAAL – “Tales Untold” CD ’07 (BloodRock/Black Widow, Ita) – From Italy comes a band called GRAAL and their debut effort has just reached my desk, although it came out in 2007. Better late than never, and I’m glad I finally got it because these guys are pretty dang good. Through a series of lengthy cuts, GRAAL issues a nice brand of ‘70’s style hard rock, filled to the brim with Wishbone Ash-like guitar harmonies, dashes of keys and throaty vocals that cast a nostalgic eye to a day gone by. The only minor complaint to me is that numbers such as “After,” “Silver Wings” and “Knife Edge” would have an even stronger impact were the production here something that called more to mind the work of Roger Bain than the apparent modern studio values. Still, that’s a relatively minor gripe when it comes to a damn enjoyable slice of hard rock. 7.5
http://www.bloodrockrecords.com/
http://www.blackwidow.it/

PRESENCE – “Evil Rose” CD ’08 (Black Widow, Ita) – Mention the word “PRESENCE” around a bunch of rock/metal aficionados and more than likely, you’ll get a host of opinions on one of Led Zeppelin’s heaviest albums. It’s actually my favourite Zep piece as well. Still, I wonder how many people are aware that there’s an Italian band called PRESENCE who have released not 1, not 2…but 6 albums, the latest of which has just seen the light of day on Black Widow Records. Does PRESENCE sound like Led Zeppelin? No, not at all, but as much as I like Page, Percy & crew, that’s not a bad thing because this 3-piece surely has their own deal goin’ on. Composed of Sophya Baccini (vocals, piano), Sergio Casamassima (guitars) and Enrico Iglio (keys, multi-instrumentalist) PRESENCE has a sound that is progressive at it’s very core. I say that because this bunch definitely is not any kind of Genesis, Gentle Giant or Yes clone, no siree, they really don’t sound like anybody else in particular. That’s not to say that there aren’t some nice frames of reference. PRESENCE turns on musical dimes, but not necessarily in the chaotic, neck-snapping sense. More so, they morph from overdriven metal chords lain down by Casamassima to ethereal, dark washes of sound generated by Iglio. Through these chameleon-like movements, Baccini’s vocals float, bob and weave, almost like Kate Bush if she had maybe one Valium. This carries through a series of songs that are very long (“Cassandra” 7:03, “Orphic” 10:39, “Evil Rose” 18:35!!!) but never over-stay their welcome. If there’s any drawback to this album, I’d have to say that I’d prefer the production to have slightly more balls but this is a fairly minor gripe and I have to remember that everything shouldn’t sound like new Metallica with Rick Rubin at the knobs. In all, if you’re interested in music that is certainly progressive and heavy in both sound & mood, your PRESENCE is requested. 8.0
http://www.presence.it/
http://www.blackwidow.it/

In Living COLOUR

COLOUR HAZE – “All” CD ’08 (Elektrohasch, Ger) – It’s true that COLOUR HAZE began as a unit steeped in a German interpretation of the early Sabbath sound. They had the feel, the vibe of guys who had found a copy of Hairy Chapter’s “Can’t Get Through” and Scorpions’ “Lonesome Crow” and forged an amalgam of these. Good stuff, yet the band weren’t content to rest on these 1971-styled laurels. Instead, over the last several years, they’ve evolved in a way that’s allowed this heavy base to remain while freeing themselves up to shove off into the universe as major astral travelers. In a sense, the COLOUR HAZE of today reminds me, not so much in style but in exploratory ease, of an English band called Ozric Tentacles. Both units are so comfortable in their skins as musicians that they can move into deep space directions with an effortless glide. With the ‘HAZE, they really love that trippy, psych-y feel indicating they may not have heeded the acid warnings at Woodstock. Hmm…come to think of it, they’re probably too young to have gotten that memo anyway. But listen as Stefan Koglek’s guitar leads the shroom-a-ganic trio (completed by Philipp Rasthufer – bass and Manfred Merwald – drums) into lengthy workouts like “Silent,” “Lights” and the sprawling title number. And the truth of the matter is, “workouts” is probably not the best word as there is such a calm, flowing continuum here. This is floating, pulsing music that somehow retains enough of a form and shape to be both calming and invigorating at the same time. Koglek’s liquid guitar lines stretch like strands of plasma and mingle with his mid-to-high vocals in a way that the entire thing fuses as one cosmic instrument. Don’t get the idea that this music is boring, though. While it’s not going to be in rotation at a party where people are screaming for the first Van Halen album or The Chuck Norris Experiment, you might find yourself spending several hours with it, reclining on the couch the next morning. Sweet stuff. 8.5
http://www.colourhaze.de/

TESTAMENT – “Formation Of Damnation” CD ’08 (Nuclear Blast, US) – It must be an interesting time for a band like TESTAMENT. They’ve surely been through their fair share of down times, what with Chuck Billy’s cancer, and now they’ve come back with “Formation Of Damnation.” The dumb title aside, they’ve assembled a classic line-up, released this record and what happens the same year? Metallica has climbed out of a long, deep hole, dusted themselves off, laid the wood to 74 minutes of recordable plastic and asked a very simple question of other bands in this genre: Who’s your daddy? While it took them 20+ years, the fact remains that they’ve raised the bar and bands like TESTAMENT, Exodus, Death Angel and such are left looking a bit like deer in the headlights. Sure, these groups all took up the gauntlet during the nearly 2-decade period that Metallica schlepped around from rehab to shrink and released some pretty damn good records in the process. Nobody on my watch is gonna dis scorchers like “The Gathering” and “Shovel Headed Kill Machine.” The problem here is, despite it being nice to hear Billy actually singing again at times, TESTAMENT sounds largely tired and by-the-numbers on this release. Sure, “More Than Meets The Eye” and “Fear” get the juices flowing a bit but in all most of the songs on “Formation…” seem to congeal into a formless blob of riffs that have been heard one too many times and all the Alex Skolnick lead fireworks in the world just can’t raise the excitement meter. Simply put, in the wake of not only the old masters’ return but also fresh & energetic new blood on the thrash scene like Fueled By Fire, it’s simply got to be better than this. 4.5
http://www.testamentlegions.com/

GROUP DU JOUR – “Listening In…To The Past 25 Years” CD ’08 (New Weave, US) – I just love “genres” sometimes, and the creative descriptions people have for them. In the case of Oregon’s GROUP DU JOUR, they consider themselves to be “experimental-techno-ethnic-rock-based.” That’s quite a mouthful but, despite the awkward label, I understand what they’re talking about. Think, on a known scale, the Afro Celt Sound System or perhaps, for those who’ve read this page awhile, Mawwal (keep reading for news on them, by the way). Now I’m not going to kid anybody into thinking that GDJ is on the level of that New England outfit. Still, this unit, formed in 1983 by Daniel Crommie, Bo & Paul Parker has put together a worthy career and this “best of” disc is a nice overview. While the band’s beginnings can be traced to a more folk/pop leaning (listen to “Romance Demystified”), the style alluded to above can be heart mightily in “We Built The Machines” & “Listening.” All in all, this is a good collection and introduction for the open-minded listener to GROUP DU JOUR. 7.0
http://www.newweave.net/

AIRGED L’AMH – “Ode To Salvation” CD ’08 (Private, Gre) – I remember back in the days when I used to collect a lot of rare metal vinyl, man, the Greek guys were really somebody to talk to. Sure, they knew about records from their own country, like Vice Human & Vavel but they could also talk a blue streak about stuff like U8, Sorcery and White Boy & The Average Rat Band as well. That’s why I was a little excited when I read something online about this here Greek band AIRGED L’AMH, who were supposed to combine classic/power metal with a Celtic vibe…hence mixing a couple genres that I’m just a little fond of. So, I contacted the band to ask them to send out a CD. Of course, as always happens, in the middle of a splurge of similar contacts, this one, which I anticipated the most seemed to take the longest to arrive (does anybody else have this happen?!). As it turned out, this band had a reason for the delay as they were taking the time to assemble for me a really nice promo pack, including the CD, a DVD, etc. Was it worth the wait? Oh, yeah! Too many times, you wait by the mailbox for shit you think will float your boat and too many times, the boat takes on a likeness disturbingly similar to the Titanic. This time, thank God, we get a supercharged hydroplane. First off, the cover artwork of this thing has the look of a rare metal LP from 1984. Secondly, they’ve got 2 guitar players. That’s generally good, but the proof is in the pudding and this pudding is being stirred viciously. Without a hesitation, this 6-piece charges into an album replete with 5-7 minute tracks that simply captivate the listener. There are lots of things going for AIRGED L’AMH throughout this disc. First, the guitar work of George Sofikitis & Alexander Vasilopoulos is great, and at times breathtaking, as they move from heavy-handed riffing to elegant lead harmonies with a deft finesse. Secondly, I’m always a bit skeptical when I hear the term “power metal,” thinking I’m going to be in for a teeth-grinding trip through Bland Guardian “national anthem” metal. Fear not, here, though as the aforementioned guitars are way heavier & ornate than that, and Steve Vanardo’s vocals are everything from deep to mid-ranged, adding to the fierce power here. In fact, even the keys of Manolis Gaudlas do nothing to lighten things, actually helping to lend some of the more haunting, Celtic vibe to the proceedings. As a metal fan, you simply can’t lose as cuts like “The Hunter’s Path,” “Dine In Hades” & “The Ritual Lair” chug & crunch by, and I can even see those into a more doom-laden path being taken by some parts of this superb record. In all, “Ode To Salvation” is a smoking, top-notch metal ripper through and through, with tips of the hat to everyone from vintage Manowar to Thin Lizzy. With that in mind, I have no qualms in giving this one an extremely high rating (it’s a grower every time), and saying, with horns held high: BUY! 9.5
http://www.airgedlamh.com/

MAWWAL – “This Is All There Is, There Is No Other Place” CD ’08 (Ancient, US) – When it comes to ethnic, world, etc. whatever-ya-wanna-call it music, there has been no single person who’s impressed me over the last several years than Jim Matus. His bands Paranoise, and now MAWWAL have been head & shoulders above everything else I’ve heard in this area, doing so by gleaning the essence of music from the world over, then somehow fusing them to modern rock in a seamless flow. His ability to then go further and add an element of forward-thinking intelligence, based on the world condition makes his stuff truly appealing to me and, that trend continues on this latest release. Always an innovator and one to surprise, this time Jim has taken the sound that was present on MAWWAL’s last amazing effort, “Black Flies” and given it a different spin by removing the electric instruments and going for a far more wooden sound. It’s a move that works well and reaches it’s apex in numbers like “Ho Gaye,” replete with instruments like mandocello & violin, plus the title cut & “Agg Damen.” I must admit that I miss the sting of Matus’ electric guitar that spread a Gilmour-esque tone over a lot of “Black Flies.” Still, don’t take that as a detractor, just personal preference on my part, as there’s plenty here to get excited about if you’re an adventurous music fan. 8.5
http://www.mawwalmusic.com/

MOTLEY CRUE – “Saints Of Los Angeles” CD ’08 (Eleven Seven, US) – I won’t make any bones about the fact that I really liked THE CRUE’s “Dr. Feelgood” album…back in 1989…the year I married my first wife…yikes! Anyway, unlike a lot of metallers, who’ll give the band props for the first 2 records but never admit to liking any others, I thought “…Feelgood” was…er…pretty damn good, driven along by a killer production job and some truly kick-ass songs like the title cut and “Kickstart My Heart.” In fact, show me a time the latter comes on the radio & I’m not pounding the dashboard along with it. The point is, all things considered, this is probably the first “real” CRUE record since then and…well, they shouldn’t have bothered. From stem to stern, there isn’t one song I can remember here after 4 or 5 listenings. Granted, “Down At The Whiskey” isn’t bad but that’s absolutely all there is. Other than that, “mediocrity” would be a good-day compliment to “The Animal In Me” and the frankly embarrassing, “Girls, Girls, Girls” wannabe, “Chicks = Trouble.” Sure, “Motherfucker Of The Year” may be a great title, but it fits this album perfectly. Style over substance. 3.0
http://www.motley.com/

DARSOMBRA – “Eternal Jewel” CD ’08 (Public Guilt, US) – DARSOMBRA is basically a one-man project from Baltimore native Brian Daniloski, who also serves a guitar post in the angular heavy prog band Trephine. With his most recent effort under the DARSOMBRA name, Daniloski lays down 5 tracks that have the word “atmosphere” written all over them. Take a bit of Thrones and even some of the more audibly clear moments of SunnO))), then perhaps stir with one of the more disturbing horror soundtracks you can find and you might be on the trail of this dense, threatening music. DARSOMBRA is surely not for the faint-hearted and it’s also not something I can listen to every moment of the day, for instance, like I might pull out a Thin Lizzy album. Still, there are times, possibly more than you think, that a journey into a dark, deep forest of sonic fear like this might be well in order. 8.0
http://www.darsombra.com/

New Shimmer? Or is it METALLI-HEAD?

MOTORHEAD - "Motorizer" CD '08 (SPV, Eng)
METALLICA – “Death Magnetic” CD ’08 (Warner Bros., US)
What the hell am I doing? Two reviews in one? It’s a floor wax and a dessert topping! You got chocolate in my peanut butter! But hey, you know what, Charlie Horse? The M & M Boys just go together, don’t they? I mean, fer Crissakes, didn’t James & Lars get together in the first place because of their mutual love of Lemmy & Co.? Ok, I know Diamond Head played a role in that too, but we’re not going to split hairs over this shit, are we? The bottom line is, these 2 metal legends have just sent their new discs in for a landing on the Realm’s desk and, although they’ve taken quite different routes, they’ve both arrived with very comparable results held high in hand. Wait, isn’t that part of a Rush lyric? Anyway, let’s talk for a minute about MOTORHEAD. I was just reading Mr. Kilmister’s book, “White Line Fever” a few months ago and you know what really twists Lemmy’s lug nuts? When people say crap like, “MOTORHEAD, cool, dude, ‘Ace Of Spades!’” He’s like, “Yeah that was 27 years ago or whatever, where the hell have you been for our last umpteen albums?!” The man has a point. The Lemmy-Phil Campbell- Mikkey Dee line-up has been around longer than any other now, by far, and contrary to a lot of people’s paltry knowledge, has emitted a long, strong series of some of the band’s finest emissions, going by names like “Bastards,” “Inferno,” “1916,” etc. That is, of course, up until now. I say “up until now,” because I believe one could make a very strong case for “Motorizer” being THE best album the band has done, rather than simply “one of.” I know, I know, I’m making a Goddamned fool out of myself, you say, with a band like MOTORHEAD, how can you really say that one album is their best and, really, dude, how could it be better than “Ace Of Spades?!” Bite me. From the opening salvo of “Runaround Man,” through a pounding thrasher like “When The Eagle Screams” in all it’s 2:07 glory, to the gnarled blues of “One Short Life,” this is metal not forgetting it’s rock & roll & rock never forgetting it’s dangerous as hell. Truthfully, it’s as balanced a record as this band has ever made, all the way to the incising slide-laden “The Thousand Names Of God” and the massive production job just nails it. Yeah man, MOTORHEAD has stayed an even, consistent course over the last…damn!...20 years and their persistence has paid off this time in spades (sorry!) as “Motorizer” is a real sumbitch…even by the usual Lemmy-Phil-Mikkey standards.
And what of METALLICA? Well, let’s see…those Bay Area Boys! That’d be James, Lars and…Robert…yeah, he’s the bass player now. In fact, it was funny, after listening to the first song here, I had to stop for a minute and think: Ray, you’re getting old but what is that high-pitched instrument doing all that squawking and wah-ing and who plays that? Oh, that would be Kirk, apparently he’s back in the band now. Actually, know what? The truth is that after that first song, “That Was Just Your Life,” I was in no position to be thinking about anything other than trying to get the license number of that fucking truck that had just run over my head. Suddenly, I’m back in 1988 and METALLICA are full-grown men playing thrash metal and all’s right with the world. But, it’s a tease, we all know that, and the country twangs, the Seger cover’s and the angst-ridden horseshit is going to start…but then comes “The End Of The Line” and not only are METALLICA still a thrash band, but I’m noticing, as I’m shaking my damn head off my shoulders, that they’re back to using the “old” logo. Then comes “Broken, Beat & Scarred” and I am. Dang, the guitar solo in “Cyanide” must be 2 minutes long itself! There are more killer, ripping Kirk-explosions on this record than there have been actual METALLICA songs in the last 20 years. Sure, there are 2 ballads, “The Day That Never Comes” and “The Unforgiven III” but the former is more akin to “Fade To Black” than “Nothing Else Matters,” ripping into riff action in it’s 2nd half and the latter is way, WAY better than the name implies. It all ends with the pure aural assault of “My Apocalypse,” one of the absolute greatest 5 minutes of thrash-violence this band has ever conceived. I mean, when Hetfield growls “Split apart! Split apart! Split apart! Spit! Spit it out!” and Kirk leans on the wah-wah and just unloads, well, if you aren’t close to having a musical orgasm, you need to stick with the training wheels. Best thing I can tell you? Yesterday I heard “Enter Sandman” on the radio and the hacking rifferama on this record made that sound like a pop hit.
So, what the hell am I doing? Two reviews in one? So MOTORHEAD took the direct road, METALLICA took the scenic route but both got to the same point here in the late summer of 2008. That point is kicking your pathetic ass. Buy or die. Every Numerical Rating Higher Than Everything Else
http://www.imotorhead.com/
http://www.metallica.com/

GRAND HALLS 5

CONNEMARA – “Beyond The Horizon” CD ’93 (Blix Street, US) – Most people who know me, know me to be a rocker, a metalhead. See, I’m this 280 pound guy with waist-length hair, a gnarled beard, tattoos from neck to ankle, huge wallet chain and jacket with logos of Death, Entombed and Celtic Frost emblazoned all over. But in reality, the people who really know me know I’m far more than a rivet brain. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you, but I kinda lied before. I’m really 200 pounds, basically have no hair and a tiny (albeit often long) facial growth that my 6 year old daughter ridicules as my “goat beard.” And, when it comes to fashion, while I do own some band shirts like Highbinder, Thunderlip and U.S. Christmas, I’m more often seen sporting one of my “zoo” t-shirt collection or a Washington Nationals “t.” (I know, no accounting for sports taste). Point is, with everybody, there’s more than meets the eye and with me, musically, that’s definitely the truth. While I try to bring that out in the pages of RAYSREALM, sometimes I think not enough and that’s why today, in a fit of who knows what, I decided to regale you with a bit about one of my favourite Celtic folk albums, CONNEMARA’s “Beyond The Horizon.” This one is a big one for me, in one sense, because it’s the one that got me bit by the Celtic folk bug. On the advice/insistent urging of a friend, I made the drive many years ago to the Potomac Celtic Festival to check out CONNEMARA, a semi-local band consisting of Grace Griffith (vocals, guitar), Cathy Palmer (fiddle) & Tracey Brown (Celtic harp). What I was immediately stricken by that day (other than a fecal horror beyond human imagination in one of the port-a-pots) was the correlation between Celtic folk and the hard rock/metal that’s so dominated my listening hours. This was driven home to me not only by seeing CONNEMARA perform live then, but upon repeated listening to this disc, which I purchased from their merch stand. Just the energy level alone was quite a shocker to me. When the band launches into the reels & jigs, fast instrumental numbers like “Christiana’s Jig” and “Lark In The Morning,” there is no way you can resist banging the ground with your feet and bobbing your head along to the fast-paced rhythms. Seriously, put this through a Marshall, add a little distortion and you’re not going to be that far off from some of the instrumental parts of Maiden songs. The musicianship is another factor. You can hear it anywhere on this album, but check out the “Fiddler, Play The Light” featuring Cathy Palmer’s killer playing. Huge comparison to a metal guitarist going off, really, and I was amazed by my instantly being dragged into the wake of a new instrument for myself: air fiddle! What really got me going, however, was the vocal prowess of Grace Griffith and the songs themselves. Throughout “Beyond…,” Grace puts on a world-class vocal performance that fans of nearly any style would appreciate. Whether it’s the soaring “My Heart’s In The Highlands,” the hook-laden “The Scholar” or the hopeful “Free & Easy,” Grace’s interpretations are borne on such a pure, smooth and glorious voice that she immediately elevates herself beyond the genre to a status as one of the best vocalists these ears have had the pleasure to hear. This all reaches a mind-blowing apex on the devastating “Tha Mi Sgith/All Soul’s Night/Seann Triubhas Uilleachain.” Listen to this haunting, ethereal masterpiece and tell me that music has to be highly amplified & over-driven to be heavy. In all, will every person who’s I-Pod is crammed with Testament, Judas Priest & Slayer be able to make the connection to Celtic music? Possibly not, and yet I still think the answer may be a higher percentage than one might initially think. If you’re ready to open your minds, there is no better place to start than the magnificent “Beyond The Horizon.” 10.0
www.seamaid.org