Heavy Maytal - lIlwind : "the Unfolding at the End of Light"

 

This Peruvian doom band is not content sticking themselves in one sonic box, despite what you are led to believe going into the album with the more traditional doom feel of "Crimson Skies." The epic bellow of the sorrow-filled vocals is what anchors their place here, rather than if they were another growing funeral doom band or death doom band, sub-genres I enjoy when done right, but these guys are focusing on songwriting rather than checking off the expected boxes for what the cool kids in doom are doing these days, perhaps that is due to being from Peru, and having to live off 80s metal vinyl if they are in a region with no wi-fi. Whatever the case, they are rocking it here, even with the first song being over ten minutes as they are jamming out.  

There is a touh of Candlemass in what they do. "Wanderer" has more of a fuzzed-out stoner rumble to it. They know who both Electric Wizard and Pallbearer are in Peru, it seems. There is more dynamic ebb and flow here as the riffs expand and contract, rather than jsut jamming out into guitar solos like they did on the first song. "Portal" moves with more grace in its rumble to just feel like reverbed out classic metal. There is more of a rock progression here. They are not overt Sabbath worshippers whih is something I appreciate. The first hint of it lies in the blues-tinged rumble of " God of Sleep." I like what the vocals are doing, but it falls pretty solidly within the expected boundaries of doom. It is an almost nine-minute song, so it drags slightly. It builds into some haunting guitar melodies to create a more melancholic tapestry that makes you headbang to, but it's pretty effective. 

It takes a minute for them to get "Lucifer's Mule" going. It carries a more monolithic chug that drives it. They allow things to drift off into more atamosoere a few minutes in. The chug grounds this and is a good sonic weapon for their arsenal of sound. Five minutes in, things begin to shift. A bigger, more metal riff comes in to build it up. They modulate it from their into something with a more aggressive crunch. The emotive feeling to the vocals brings My Dying Bride to mind at times. The guitar solos flow out of the steady build with organic grace. 

They close the album with a sludged out cover of the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog' which seems like too obvious a choice. They do a good job with it andd I like how it's more deliberate to create a heavier tone. The vocals don't change their approach. I enjoyed this album; it was not predictable, though it did employ a few doom cliches, but was not chained to them. I will give it a 9. Dropping July 3rd on Personal Records

Heavy Maytal - Iron Maiden's " Seventh Son of Seventh Son"

 

This album is where some old-school Maiden fans begin to cast doubt on how well it holds up with their classic material. I like it because it is a darker album. "Moonchild" is a great opening song; it's uptempo, and Bruce carries a balance of grit and operatic croon. Lyrically, this album is loosely based on Orson Scott Card's book "Seventh Son." It studies more mystical topics. "Moonchild" is more influenced by Crowley. Despite being a power-ballad of sorts, "Infinite Dreams" might be the album's best song. It finds Dickinson singing in a more nuanced lower register in the verses, and soaring back up on the chorus. 

Where a point of contention on this album is that this is where the band switched from using Roland GR-700s to actual keyboards. I think it's done tastefully, and it's not like they turned into Yes. However, I do remember thinking when this came out that  "Can I Play With Madness" was too happy-sounding with the being harmony vocals on the chorus, felt like a nod in a more commercial direction, but when you sit down and really pay attention to the lyrics, it's clearly not the case. I think if they were trying to stay relevant, they would have gone heavier, as that is where metal was heading in 1988 with bands like Slayer breaking big. Some of the album's most memorable guitar solos are also on this song. 

"The Evil That Men Do" is another great tone with a darker tone and Bruce finding more interesting places for his voice to go than the most predictable belting. Not sure how you think you can get a more epic gallop than what they do on the title track.  Everyone is on point here, though you expect no less from these guys. There is a cool atmospheric breakdown that builds tension well for the guitar solos to explode out of. In some ways, it reminds me of the middle section of "Hallowed Be Thy Name." They bring more bite and a refined take on their classic sound to "The Prophecy". You can hear how this influenced today's power-metal bands. 

"The Clairvoyant" works of a pretty powerful tension that, when coupled with Bruce's intense vocal performance here, works wonders. The guitar harmonies on this album seem to have their own cohesive personality that sticks to the mood of the album. Despite being warned that a demon is going to rape you in your bed at night , the chorus has an upbeat feel to it. This is the band finding a new pinnacle, and it also deserves an 11. Despite its naysayers, it stands toe to toe with the band's best work. 

Heavy Maytal : Acid Reign : "Daze of the Week"

This long-running British thrash band Acid Reign is back with a ripping speed fest that finds the opening song still having purpose rather than jsut slapping you upside the head and running off. In some ways, their approach makes me think of a less punk Vio-Lence with the higher pitched Exodus styled vocals. The title track keeps the momentum going, though the vocals have a more deliberate punch to their staccato accents, and Howard Smith actually sings rather than just shouting at you on the chorus. 

These guys date all the way back to the 80s, so they obviously know what they are doing and come from a time when songwriting mattered more than just being heavy. "Not Truth" jsut kind of races past you while "King of Coniption" is catchier and has more purposeful songwriting. The emphasis on songwriting should always be at the forefront of critical thinking when it comes to music, no matter the genre. The solos are all pretty ripping if that is what you are into. With a song like "Alonely," they clearly understand this concept. 

Midway into "Blind Lies' things get more melodic, which helps create a stronger dynamic sense for the album. At just over six minutes, it's the album's longest song. "Sorrowsworn" finds them stepping on the gas, the drums keeping pace even as the chorus gets more melodic. "Young Old Man" has a more Megadeth-like rock swagger. The vocals bark out in a more hardcore fashion. "Fantastic Passion" kinda blew past me on this first listen to had to give it another try and pay more attention. It's pretty average thrash. The last song, however, might be the album's best as it's the most vocally melodic nad dyanmic. These guys came back and brought it right I will give this album an 8.5, as it is sure to be one of the better thrash releases this year.

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Heavy Maytal - Iron Maiden's "Powerslave"

One of the most amazing things about this band is how they released their most classic albums only a year apart, recording them in between tours. This was brought to its pinnacle as the most finely tuned musical machine imaginable with their most aggressive and epic album to date, "Powerslave". It rips open with the rapid fire of "Aces High," which has a chorus that takes flight in a manner not unlike the subject of the lyrics. The slow down to a more deliberate pace for "Two Minutes to Midnight". "Losfer Words' is the ironically named instrumental, which feels like it has a heavier drive than the previous instrumentals released by the band, though some of the stign was taken out by the melodic solos.

"Flash of the Blade" is about Dickinson's love of fencing. The verses follow a similar formula employed earlier in the album as they race along to build into an anthemic chorus. This album is much more high-energy, with none of the songs leaning towards a power-ballad direction. This high-energy tempo can also be heard in "The Duellists." I think this more aggressive style of writing was perfectly timed as it coincides with the rise of thrash.  They keep the momentum with "Back in the Village."  This song is the lyrical sequel to "the Prisoner". It is one of my favorites on this album.

Despite the album cover, the title track is the only Egyptian-themed song, and even then, it's a metaphor for how Bruce felt about being a rockstar. The most deliberate and powerful song on the album. The sprawling epic "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." It speeds up into more of a gallop, which was mid-paced for them on this album, but to be a song that was such a grandiose prog metal sonic spectacle, the vocal melodies are all catchy as hell. They let things linger in the atmosphere midway through the song before building into a thundrrous climax.This album also goes up to an 11, so that is the score it gets reserved for only the rare upper tier albums, that are flawless classics.  

8.9

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Child of Night : "Conspiracy"

I had to take a break from metal and dig into something different. This album certainly provides a respite from angry power chords, as it's a catchy, quirky take on electro-pop. This is the project's second album. There is more of a bouncy cold-wave feel to "Complacent" that finds vocalist Niabi uttering a simultaneously urgent and detached plea. There is a more mechanical and starker take on what they do with the song "Controlled Burn". They lay down a more dance floor-moving groove with the dense synth bass of "It's Cold In Here." Comparisons could be drawn to Boy Harsher, though she does not employ the same low breathy whisper here. 

The synths sound a bit lo-fi, but not trying to overtly pay tribute to the 80s. "Quiet' does remind me of early Depeche Mode, so almost leaning in a new wave direction, but some darker synths serving as an undercurrent. The vocals are a little more emotive here. Things begin to turn towards a more modern electronic sound, while still using organic synths with "Compromised " and the second part of "Controlled Burn." Things get a little darker for "Bloom" though the synths bring other sonic colors, leaving her moaning vocal to occupy the shadow. 

Things get a little more experimental when it comes to " Incapacitated." Her vocals are drab and indifferent. But it works for what they are going for. The last song is a little more upbeat but is not as catchy as the previous song. I like where they take on you this album, it's interesting, and while it holds some similarites to other indie dark electronic artists, nothing is redundant in that regard. I will give this one a 9 and see how it grows on me. 

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Heavy Maytal - Gus G : "STEEL BURNER"

If it were not for the fact that I am dedicating this month to more traditional metal, I might have let Gus's new solo album fly under my radar. But that would have been a shame because he is obviously metal as fuck, having played with Ozzy and Firewind. He brings in some guest vocalists like Doro Pesch, who is a legend, but they have only added more grit to her pipes. Unlike one of my favorite metal singers who lends his pipes to the track 'Dancing With Death", the motherfucking incredible Matt Barlow.  Who sounds awesome, and this is going to be a tough song for them to beat. It sounds like he just stepped out to the goddamn "Darksaga" sessions to lay these vocals down, unbelievable. 

Then it's back to the instrumentals. I braced myself for the shredding, which is not normally my thing, but he used a manner of restraint on "Advent." His playing is pretty melodic here. If you are a guitarist under 40, chances are you are going to be all up in this. "What If" moves a more synth-wave-like groove before succumbing to the need for shredding. He brings on Ronnie Romero for "Frenemy". Which works well enough, it has a rock shuffle to it, and Romero's voice sounds rooted more deeply in the 80s. 

Dino Jelusick from Whitesnake tackles the vocals on "No One Has to Know." It is easy to understand why he is doing backing vocals for Whitesnake, as he sounds just like Coverdale. I imagine he sounds better than Coverdale does these days. 'Confession" is the obligatory blues instrumental, which is very tasteful and works well. It does build up into a more metallic solo, but remains pretty melodic. "My Premonition" finds Ronnie back to tackle a more Tony Martin-era Sabbath power ballad. "Closure is the kind of instrumental you expect from him, but very well done and not as over the top as I feared. I will give this album a 9.5, as when it comes to shredding metal, he does a great job of it.

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Heavy Maytal- Iron Maiden's "Piece of Mind"

The band's fourth album and first with drummer Nicko McBrain, finds the band getting into even more melodic and progressive territory. It also features some of the most popular anthems from the band, "The Trooper" being the most obvious. On "Number of the Beast," it was conceivable that Paul DiAnno could have at least attempted to sing them; on this album, Bruce's soaring tenor belts them out with operatic power, further widening the divide. The first song, "Where Eagles Dare," is the only one I can imagine Paul even attempting. There is great guitar phrashing and harmony on the song. 

"Revelations" is one of the few songs that is not about a movie or book, but more of a lyrical tapestry teasing some of Bruce's spiritual beliefs, with Thelema being the most glaring.  Musically listening to it now, it brings to mind early Rush. "Flight of Icarus" is one of the album's more anthemic tracks, with a big hooky chorus. The verses give Bruce a great deal of room to sing and just enough gallop to remind you who this is. Bruce hits a rare falsetto when he lets his voice break on the climactic b flat 5,  but belts out a5's on the chorus. 

It has always felt to me like "Die With Your Boots On" belonged on "Powerslave," but no, it was just foreshadowing that album. As previously mentioned, "The Trooper" is their calling card. If you don't know this song why are you even reading this review? It's the anthem of anthems for this band. Their gallop might be best epitomized here. "Still Life" is likely my favorite song on this album, as it's the darkest and most melodic. Compared to the other high-energy songs on this album, it's almost a power ballad. 

"Quest For Fire" is early power metal; there is some cool interplay with the drums, but it's pretty much a straightforward Maiden song, not filler. The chorus to "Sun & Steel" is hookier than the chorus to the previous song, making it more memorable. For the sake of this review, I am just reviewing the album songs and not the bonus tracks. Despite there being a great Jethro Tull cover out there, they should jsut release all the B-sides that are not album tracks on an album. The Dune tribute 'To Tame a Land" was originally supposed to be called "Dune," but when they asked for permission, Herbert sent them a letter to them saying he did not like heavy rock bands like Iron Maiden. Weird way to come out of the closet, dude, but ok. Anyways, the song's pretty damn good, besides being nerdy prog metal. It's safe for me to go ahead and round this one up to a rare 11 as well. 

 

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