Heavy Maytal- Dio's "Holy Diver"

Ok, now it's time to dig into Dio's solo album. Sure, Dio is also what he named the project, but it's clearly his band. This album is perhaps his best. I guess we will uncover that as I tackle his work, the only album I won't be reviewing again is "Sacred Heart," which I already covered last November. "Stand Up and Shout " is a faster, more aggressive anthem that serves as a suitable anthem. His calling card for his solo work is, without a doubt, the metal classic and title track.  The vocal is perfect, the lyrics mysterious, though he has gone on record saying "ride the tiger" which comes from a Chinese proverb that states 'he who rides the tiger is afraid to dismount. Not sure where the stripes being clean come into play. 

"Gypsy" is more of a straightforward rocker that works off its energy. Dio belts it out with more grit but the vocal hooks are not as memorable as the first two songs. "Caught in the Middle" has more groove and gives his vocals a clearer space to occupy, thus a better vocal performance from him. It is more upbeat musically and the chorus more melodic. He adapted to the 80s well. "Don't Talk to Strangers" is darker , is more subdued vocal tone sets this up for when things take dynamics shift that is foreshadowed in the lyrics. This shift makes it even more sinister. "Straight Thru the Heart" sounds like it could have been written during his Black Sabbath days. The melodic middle section is a staple in the Dip songwriting formula, but it also showcases some nuance in his voice.

It's cool going back and listening to these albums as I was 12 when I first got this album, and had almost forgotten about the song 'Invisible' which taught me how melodic metal can be while still packing a punch. Lyrically there is a lot going on here with the story it tells , which Google might not want me to lay out in detail for you here with it's abuse themes. If the keyboards were not present on "Rainbow in the Dark' were not present, I might like it more. Dio's vocals are great but the synth sound ruin the chorus for me as it makes it too happy.  

"Shame on the Night' has a darker creep to it. His lyrics are great , and vocals runs remarkable. This album is a classic but I am going to give it a 10 which is a perfect score, but it does not quite hit the 11 mark like some of Maiden's albums, but that does not mean it's not in the upper tiers of classic metal, someone the sound might just be a product of the time but it's flawlessly performed. 

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Heavy Maytal- Savage Master/ Mystic Storm : "The Power / Wandering Time"

 

This split mini-album from these two bands is set firmly in the days of yesteryear. Savage Master is no stranger to us here, as I really enjoyed the last album, "Dark & Dangerous," that found them moving in a darker direction, but it will be my first time checking out Mystic Storm. Savage Master's first track is more anchored in rock n roll and high on high energy. "The Last Kiss" is similarly paced, though with a marginally darker mood. There are some more deliberate passages. 'The Power finds them locked in a more midtempo headbanging chug that is not unlike Accept or the Scorpions. The pace picks up on the chorus. The songs are all very compactly arranged; they do not break any new ground, though they might lean in a more rock direction. 

Russian band Mystic Storm starts off the first of their three songs with spooky ambiance before, going into 80s worshipping proto thrash lead by what might be considering King Diamond like  falsetto wailing if it was not coming from a woman which makes it a blended register soprano jump, since it's easier for a woman's vocal chords to flip over into this . I like the melodic guitar passages injected in their. I might actually like them better than what Savage Master was doing as it's darker in a more Mercyful Fate direction. The title track to their contributions has a more deliberate menace,. It does slowly build into more of a gallop the time the vocals come in. I am also picking up an old Scorpions influence. 

The last song from these guys "Into the Abyss" has a more Maiden like harmony guitar run, with a very 80s palm muted riff driving the verses. The chorus being darker and more melodic. The melodies she uses a more darkly powerful than what we heard from the more rock approach Savage Master used. It is kinda of weird to rate an album like this but the best way to think of it is that I would give Savage Master's songs a 9as they were a well composed representation of what they do as a band, even though it's a snap shot of them moving in a more rock direction, they did this in a manner that is true to who they are. With that said Mystic Storm's three songs would get a 9.5 as they made we want to search out their other music and dive deeper into who they are. This drops on  Shadow Kingdom June 24th. 

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Heavy Maytal- Iron Maiden's "Final Frontier"

The band's 2010 album was darker and grittier, though also more sprawling and epic, as heard in the almost nine-minute opening track, which takes two and a half minutes to build. I remember liking this album when it came out, but giving it another listen, I can appreciate the sonic layers captured here. This is not like other Maiden songs, which is impressive, though midway it busts into something more accessible to Maiden fans, as hookier vocals kick the door down. 

"Mother of Mercy" is more melodic with a rare strum coming from the guitar. Bruce sounds great, though past the age of soaring vocals, he works with what he has and has retained much of his power. The song builds into the expected gallop, though more mid-paced. You can hear the opening riff off "Coming Home' and know exactly who this is. Some of the best guitar solos from this era of the band, the song has its twists and turns without being overtly proggy, as everything flows well. "The Alchemist" is a more uptempo song that recaptures the direction the band was heading in on "Poweslave" just with the bombast dialed back with age. However, it gets the point across. 

"Isle of Avalon" starts off with a darker tension, which is always hte side of the band I appreciate the most, but the chorus rockets into the realm of their anthems. The choruses are really strong on this album; Dickinson puts a great deal of hooks in them as you can hear on "Starblind". There is more of a folk feel to the beginning of "The Talisman".  Not the first time we have heard this from the band. It occupies the first two minutes before the band comes galloping at full power. Bruce is knocking the top notes out of the park very casually. One of the reasons I like doing these stints of digging into my favorite artists' discographies is it gives me a chance like this to rediscover songs I had forgotten about. "The Man Who Would Be King" also follows their melodic, mysterious intro formula before working its way into something more powerful and metallic. This time is more atmosphere creating a fantasy environment for the epic guitar harmonies to emerge from. They jam out a bit on the instrumental section. 

They close the album with the 11-minute "Where the Wild Wind Blows." When it comes to their sprawling prog adventures, I normally expect things to start in a more subdued fashion like this, after all, they are going to have to have peaks and valleys to keep your interest. This intro part is two minutes before building to a more frolicking folk metal type riff, which, of course, they are the originators of. With three guitars, they can also fill up some time by giving everyone the chance to step into the spotlight. Here, they give this instrumental space, just over two minutes, so nothing excessive. Nine minutes in, they return to the guitar solos.  Metal is about sonic excess, but they use restraint and instead break things back down into the opening theme. This is another underrated album from this later period of the album that you should give a chance, as I give it a 10.  

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Makes My Blood Dance : "Z3r0 2 LGHT $p33d!"

The project from New York plays a dancey, upbeat version of modern goth rock. It has more of a neon feel than typically being dark, though even on the opening track, there are moments when they ebb into a more organic atmosphere. Much like Mindless Self Indulgence or more recent Marilyn Manson, the electronic elements are balanced out by actual instruments. "Black Summer" is darker than the first song. It almost feels like a 90s alt-rock power ballad, though it swings into a more hip grinding groove. I suppose you could even throw in Orgy as a point of comparison. 

"Impossible Odds" has a robotic vocal that chimes, but overall it's a brighter, more dance-oriented song. Yes, even with the gang vocals. There is a much more Orgy sound despite the more emotional atmosphere on "Your Little Hand in Mine". I am also getting "Issues" era Korn vibes at times. Though it's poppier than any of the artists I have used as musical reference points so far, the lements of those artists still leave their thumbprint on what is being done here. "Lately' features Macy Gray, which is odd on a few levels. The overall sound is too happy for my tastes. 

I prefer the mood on "Heavy Metal Armour" whih is not metal at all. But works off a decent groove. There is also an element to what is going down here that reminds me of the band Strvngers, though this is not as dark. "Forget to Let it in" has more of a 90s alt-postindustrial feel, though the production is a little too slick and takes the edge off it. I had to listen to it twice, as the first time it did not really grab me. There is a marginally more organic rock feel to "Invisible Friend' which benefits from the dynamic arrangement. The overly emotive vocals work for this kind of music but can be either a selling point or a deterrent, depending on the audience. "Spin You Around" splits the difference between 90s goth rock and early 2000's emo pop. I will give this an 8.5, as it leans perhaps too far in a birght pop diretion and could stand to be darker, but I am sure some kids will be into this, it's well done for what it is. takes you back to the days of Myspacce. Out June 5th on Metropolis Reccords. 

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Heavy Maytal - Eradikated : "Wiring of Violence"

 

This Swedish thrash band leans pretty heavily onto the more punk side of thrash on the opening track, with the taunt Slayer like riffing anchoring them in metal. Their lyrics are often political, and spilt out in an angry fashion that is suited for that they are doing. Though everything races at you with such ferocity, I lost track of where I was by the third song and had to go back and give things a better listen. "Mortality" carries a more metallic chug. The vocals are accented more like Nuclear Assaults' though not screamed in the same manner. "Again I Rise' finds them wisely changing things up to gather a more deliberate purpose that pays off as it's the best of the first three songs. Gang vocals in the chorus help break things up. 

"Culling" find the drummer going more ballistic. It hammers in a more straight ahead fashion, though the vocals are pretty well articulated. It's not as catchy as the previous song. Seems like some very deliberate winks in the direction of Slayer riff-wise. "Tsar" is another rapid blitz, with the lyrics yelled at you wit ha caustic spit flying. They are all in on the Slayer tribute with "Precipice". But it works fairly well, as it's driven by a cool riff. There are a few places where he comes closer to singing. The title track charges at you head first with a more punk intensity. It's a bout a mass-shooting, and barrow a little from "War Ensemble". 

"Confession Obsession" might not be the most original thing I've heard but the guitar is pretty powerful and makes for one of the album's strongest moments. "Ashes" finds a hooky more melodic chorus tempering the rush of the punk thrashing that overtakes the verses balancing it out. I will give this one a 9 despite it's blatant Slayer influence as it's a great deal of fun. 

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Heavy Maytal- Iron Maiden's "A Matter of Life and Death"

I now remember why I liked this album so much when it came out. Aggressive and rapid riffs but still allowing for melody. Bruce's vocal lines flow better than what we heard on 'Dance of Death". The more progressive vibes to "These Colours Don't Run" groove impressively. It has one of the album's strongest choruses to deliver a huge epic sound. Nicko's drumming is even more dialed in to give the songs the needed punch. The middle section holds the tension to set up the guitar solos. 

Bruce's voice sounds pretty youthful against the odd time, almost Tool-like pulse of "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns". Some pretty mean crunchy riffs on this do not sound dated and lack the nostalgia grab their peers tend to go for. It makes sense, as at this point, they had been playing festivals and seemed to have paid attention to where music was going. I am surprised that this album did not sell better outside of their fan base. In 2006, we were entering a phase where people began to stop buying music. They do lock into their classic gallop, but it is not looking back at the 80s for approval. 

"The Pilgrim" has more of a classic Maiden feel. The chorus is not quite as catchy as the previous songs. The verses to "The Longest Day' are darker where they have the huge anthemic chorus they are known for, which they swell into, shifting the mood. "Out of the Shadows" is a moody power ballad of sorts, and more melodic works really well; Bruce shines here. 'The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" is another powerful performance from Beuce, it's a deliberate and dynamic rocker that is more effective than pouring on the speed and guitar harmonies. 

By this time in their career, it is clear they have developed a new formula that takes a power-ballad-like dynamic to open a song, before transitioning into what you more typically expect from this band. This can be heard in action on "For the Greater Good of God". Though this means being expanded in epic prog metal for this song. "Lord of Light' starts off with a darker tension, before exploding into the gallop at the minute-and-a-half mark. The last song, "The Legacy," goes from being a folkish ballad to one of the most epic post-"Fear of the Dark" moments the band has summoned, and Bruce flexes his pipes as he gets up there. This album still holds up and is the most underrated in their catalog I will give it a 10.

 

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Apostle : "A Splinter in the Infinite Noumenon"

 This Atlanta trio plays a dark, chaotic take on hard-core that at times has the desperate sound of screamo. The opening g track "Exiting the God Hologram" finds atmospheric dissonance colliding with a feral frenzy. There are bits of breathing room allowed to create tension. The sound swirls around you in a more experimental way than what you normally get from this sort of thing, as it ends with a more expansive post-rock atmosphere. "Illusion of Loss' finds the main vocal squawked in a more abrasive manner than what the music seems to be calling for at this point, though it's a murky sonic swamp of sounds that floods your ears here. 

"Swine' is a noisy, punishing barrage. The vocals begin to feel a little like a one-trick pony, though they are layered with a more typical hardcore shout. Blackened tremolo-picked guitars cut through the murk. They are almost getting lost in their own chaos here. "Distortions of Light" finds samples being woven around dreary post-rock guitar before colliding with things in a more downtrodden sludge manner. I like the dynamic juxtaposition with this one, as it is dark enough for me to forgive the vocals for sticking to the same old, same old. The noisy ambiance is one of this album's defining traits and the band's strong suit. It is almost shoegazey in places. 

"Oscillating Polarities" finds the screaming continuing as the beatings improve their morale.There is less of attempt at the guitars creating melody here, as things just sink into the blood soaked feeding frenzy with death metal growls joining in. They do return to a woozier shoegazing guitar tone, that is allowed to ring out amid the temper tantrums. The noise eventually consumes the hardore heart of this song. 'At Ease' closes the album. It is over seven minutes long but almost a minute of fat could have been trimmed off that lead in. It's not as frantic, but I  am more focused on where the meldoeis are going to come from and how is this going to hook me in. They are less certain about this part and try to just wash things away with hypnotic post-rock.I will give this an 8.5 as I appreciate the direction they are experimenting in, perhaps in time they will grow into this sound and be more song focused, Drops on Terminus Hate City June 5th. 

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