Hideaki Nakama ~ Point Of No Return (album review) ... The Japanese Satriani!

Style: progressive, hard rock, instrumental, power metal
Label: n/a
Year: 1989
Home: Japan

Members: Hideaki Nakama ~ guitars
Norio Sakai ~ vocals
Satoshi Miyawaki ~ drums
Fumiaki Ogawa ~ keyboards
Hiroshi Kondo ~ bass

Guest: Tatsuya Umehara ~ b. vocals

The Japanese seem to have an undying affection for complicated power metal & six string flights of fancy that would put Hendrix to shame. Just consider the love they have for Mr. Big or even innovators The Ventures, while numerous guitarists, such as Marty Friedman of Megadeth, have moved there ... & seemingly vanished from earth (if you've lived there, as I did for 3 years, you'll know what I mean about its isolating quality). I, on the other hand, just turn to Joe Satriani's Flying In A Blue Dream & call it a day completely satisfied I've gotten my intake of power for the year. Next to Van Halen, he's my choice of 80's power metal instrumentalist. Though Herman Li of Dragonforce gets my attention for the next generation. Yes, you may argue that I'm excluding a lot of great guitarists, which I am, but this should show that I'm not the biggest fan of power metal. But, as I haven't review any Japanese music yet I felt it was time & all I have available is power metal. I used to follow a lot of J-Pop, as it's called, but Hideaki Nakama is one of my few discoveries after the fact. Point Of No Return is the first solo outing by the former lead guitarist of Hurry Scuary, which I think is bad English for Hurry Scary, which is just bad English but typical of what you find in Japan ... a lack of proof-readers though English teachers are in abundance. Much to my liking, Nakama is a Satriani disciple through & through. Heavily overdubbed instrumentals span the range of sounds that can come from a guitar in heavily melodic musical masterb... um, creating. The few songs that feature singing use that stereotypical English language tenor approach common to Japanese musicians that's a bit grating on the ears, let alone sounding too much like disco drag queen Sylvester. Ironically, the tracks with singing ("In 2040, On The Beach") happen to be some of the strongest as they feature more than just a 4 minute guitar solo. But, even Satriani employs under-thrilling singing so one can't fault the disciple if the imitation is too good. & it really is too good. There's one stand out track on the album, "El Giza", which features acoustic guitars with a classical feeling, keyboards floating in the background & acoustic hand drums. This track is some of the best acoustic flavored rock I've heard in a long time, though it's hardly rock & more akin to Indian inspired jazz great John McLaughlin's work with Shakti & the music of Al Di Meola. Besides this track this very well could be a solo album by Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson or any number of guitar players out there & only a diehard fan might be any wiser. The imitation is so strong that I'm wondering why I would just turn to the original, considering there's nothing particularly individual about the playing. & there's definitely nothing remotely Japanese or Asian sounding about it. The strongest point I can bring up about this release is that if you are a power metal fan then don't forget to look outside America if you don't already. Death metal fans regularly & without hesitance turn to Sweden Norway & Germany choosing to not limit themselves to Florida or Texas. There's no reasons fans of other genres shouldn't either. I happen to know there's some great metal coming out of Hungary. Though, I find the Japanese great at imitation while the Europeans better at interpretation. could Bjork have come out of Asia? & how many Japanese rock bands have really made their mark from their original sound? I know the Japanese can make great & original music, the B'z & Globe come immediately to mind, but so much of it seems imitative ... but then, what am I saying? We all know Christina Aguilera is trying to be Lady Gaga on her new album Bionic so imitation is the name of the game.

Phil Keaggy ~ Phil Keaggy & Sunday's Child (album review) ... When the Beatles met God!

Style: christian, retro, folk-rock
Label: Myrrh Records
Year: 1988
Home: n/a

Members: Phil Keaggy ~ lead vocals/guitars/bass
Rick Cua ~ bass
Mike Mead ~ drums
Lynn Nichols ~ b. vocals/guitars

Additional: Lenny Castro ~ percussion
Robbie Buchanan ~ Hammond B-3
Rudy Valentine, Jimmy Lee Sloas ~ b. vocals

Guests: Mark Heard ~ guitars/keyboards/b. vocals
Steve Taylor ~ percussion
Randy Stonehill, Alwyn Wall, Derri Daugherty, Russ Taff ~ b. vocals
James Hollihan ~ guitars

Phil Keaggy is probably one of the most recognized names and guitarists in Christian music, having been performing since the 60's when his first band was opening for prog-rock legends Yes. Albeit, as a guitarist his albums are not stuffed full of expected guitar solos but rely more often on the folk or Neil Diamond approach of interesting melodic arrangements where solos are almost trivial. Keaggy has always had more than a hint of the Beatles in his happy sounding upbeat arrangements, but on Sunday's Child the evolution is complete. This is the legendary lost Beatles album (that you never knew was lost until now)! And, it's quit deliberate ... as Ringo's own drum set was borrowed & only vintage guitars & amps. But, it takes more than equipment to recreate a sound. A few songs are a bit too modern sounding, while a few others are filler, but on the whole this is the Beatles reincarnate. Even the Beatles had filler & they definitely were too modern sounding at times. There's a few rockers (i.e. "I'm Gonna Get You Now" & "I Always Do") but the Beatles approach of melodic little mini-stories shines through with bare bones solos akin to Harrison & Lennon. Keaggy has never changed his musical style to suit the decades & many of his albums have often fall into the world of lightweight overly sentimental pop tunes, though always well-received if for nothing else but their predictably. Sunday's Child breaks the predictability making this the best album for rockers who want to check him out. But, Keaggy is quit prolific, often releasing multiple albums a year, so there's no lack of potential starting points. This further features an all star guest list, including compositional co-credits, of Christian music icons including Randy Stones, Mark Heard and Steve Taylor.

Alamaailman Vasarat ~ Huuro Kolkko (album review) ... This side of Frank Zappa!

Style: experimental, avant-garde, folk metal, world music, progressive
Label: Nordic Notes
Year: 2009
Home: Finland

Members: Tuukka Helminen, Marko Manninen ~ cello
Erno Haukkala ~ horns
Miikka Huttunen ~ pump organ/piano/keyboards
Teemu Hänninen ~ drums/percussion
Jarno Sarkula ~ horns

 

This isn't metal, nor rock, but one of those occasional odd avant-garde releases that uses rock influences & works with it in a non-guitar based environment ... for some chilling results. Horns, strings, organ & drums combine into something instrumental with a metal-esque dark rhythm. No, this is not another Rasputina, the famed goth cello group, though it has the same moodiness. The name of the band translates to "Hammers Of The Underworld", which belays a lot about the music almost more than the label they give themselves on their website: "kebab-kosher-jazz-film-traffic-punk-music". The music is traditional European folk and Klezmer but attacked with the ferocity of 3 chord punk rock. At times the results are reminiscent of not just Rasputina but also Marilyn Manson, HIM & a chunk of the jazzier side of Frank Zappa. & if you don't speak Finnish don't worry as it's all instrumental, albeit I find Finnish a great sounding language. The moods range from contemplative to heavy, jazzy to ethnic, droning to melodic. An interesting release worth checking out if you like experimental & avant-garde music.

Graham Bonnet ~ The Day I Went Mad (album review) ... The day I became a Graham Bonnet fan!

Style: hard rock, heavy metal, power metal
Label: Escape Music
Year: 2001
Home: Los Angeles

Members: Graham Bonnet ~ vocals
Kevin Valentine ~ drums

Additional: Mark Eric ~ guitar
Michael Alemania, Teddy Andreass ~ keyboards
Jamie Carter, Tim Bogert, Matt Boyd ~ bass

Guests: Slash, Vivian Campbell, Danny Johnson, Bruce Kulick, Mario Parga ~ guitars
John Thomas ~ guitars/keyboards
Tony Franklin ~ bass

Maybe I listen to too much music that sounds alike cause I swear a lot of it I forget as soon as the headphones come off. Or, maybe a lot of it is just not that memorable regardless of how good the musicians are. Then, occasionally, I hear something & I can't get it out of my head & I realize how really bland everything I've been listening to is in comparison. I originally started this review months ago but the album has been going around in my head so much I didn't want to let it out of my thoughts by finishing the review. I've felt like a parent having a kid leave home. Will I ever listen to the album again once it leaves me? Will I listen to the next album by this artist sooner than later? It's an album like The Day I Went Mad where I realize my problem is an overdose of bland music & I'm frightened to return to it ... I might go mad. This is a wake up album. I even wrote an e-mail to someone about how good this album was & I was only on the 3rd song. Brit Graham Bonnet is one of the lesser names of 80's singers, though it's not because he hasn't been prolific nor because he has an incredibly recognizable & it's not because he doesn't talented set of vocal cords somewhat in the style of Rob Halford. While his trademark James Dean-esque greaser look in an era of hair metal, though recently he's also been known to show up in a suit, has given him lots of coverage. Further, he fronted Rainbow after Dio left along with the Michael Schenker group & was in Alcatrazz with Satriani & Vai respectively. But, like many musicians the chart-topping hit has eluded him & thus his legacy/name recognition isn't reflective of what it should be. This album is cornucopia of alt-rock, Queen-esque operatic choir, 80's rock & power metal & maybe even a little grunge by way of Alice In Chains. The band is great but it's Bonnet's voice that is the key moving it all to a new level. As good as Halford, Dio, Ozzy or any other famed singer with a voice that can scream or get down to a grinding snarl. The Day I Went Mad is full of incredibly memorable riffs spanning a musical spectrum where each song is like a mini-musical world of its own with none of them sounding alike & not a bit of filler & every song, more importantly, rocks out. You actually begin to wonder what the band sounds like if they just let loose & rock out in a jam session. Some bands you know need the studio, but these guys sound like they could make magic anywhere. But, while this cornucopia approach can make for a difficult listen, & has been the weak spot of many albums, Bonnet's voice is the rope that keeps it all together. I didn't know Bonnet before I came across this & picked it up because I like the name of the album, it reminded me of the Queen song "I'm Going Slightly Mad", but this is one of the most spectacular releases I've accidentally took a chance on. If you can't tell - I've been made a fan. Highly recommended for everyone who likes to rock! Further, this is an album that actually sounds original in a world where nothing is original anymore. Featured in guest spots are Slash, Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell, KISS's Bruce Kulick, The Firm's Tony Franklin & members of Firefly.

Kore Rozzik ~ Kore Rozzik (aka debut) (EP) (album review) ... Killing the clown!

Style: heavy metal, thrash
Label: self-release
Year: 2009
Home: New York

Members: Kore Rozzik ~ vocals
Riff, Karlo ~ guitars
Freeze ~ bass
Tamas ~ drums

There's something exciting about hearing about the new Ozzy or Slayer album, whether it's good or not ... there's something even more exciting about a small band about working on their self-produced & probably self-funded first EP, trying to establish a reputation, looking for gigs, getting noticed. Every Ozzy or Phil started this way so one never knows what band in your backyard might be next in line for the pot of gold. I'll also confess that I have a particular fondness for New York bands since we share the same haunting grounds. Kore Rozzik, a budding metal band from New York, thus particularly gets my attention. & when I read that lead singer Kore got to jam with Steel Panther I know my instincts aren't off. KR advertise themselves as old school meets nu school ... & for once the advertising is not misleading or even too much boasting. Leader singer Kore has gathered around his vision a group of great musicians, from the rhythm section to the ripping guitarists, who pour out some incredibly heavy riffs (i.e. "Kill The Clown") while not falling into the common trap of forgetting the beauty of melody, clarity of vocals, variety in the arrangements & that heavy need not be screaming fast or overly complicated. They've also got an apparent bad attitude & look to go behind it. That's helps too. What's also great about Kore is he hasn't tried to become another screeching falsetto Steven Pearcy-wannabe lead singer, nor fallen into the trap of the throat singing. This is the James Hetfield approach to singing where one uses the natural voice, good or bad, not some slopping imitation approach. Every voice is unique. We can't all be Dave Mustaine. Don't try. Speaking of which ... the highlight track "Doomsday Walks" could be off of a Megadeth album with it's vocal narration overdubs, it's apocalypse themed lyrics & an incredibly dark riff of Megadeth-esque sliding chords. While "I'm Not Alone" is as close as a power ballad they get & shows a more experimental side with softer often electronically distorted lyrics & a less driving rhythm that might be more akin to the mood Live than Megadeth, sans the spirituality. KR has a straight ahead sound that isn't fancy or full of overly-ambitious complexity. It isn't pretentious show-off music either full of the world's greatest solos. This isn't a singer's album, or a guitarist's album but a band album. Well, more accurately a very strong album from a very strong band where everyone sounds like they all sound like they're working together. This is a band worth checking out. I look forward to hearing this band in the future. I hate to also be gender specific, which I rarely do here, but this is metal for the ladies too. Some rock is a bit overly masculine & too difficult or dark to relate to, this is not. This very well could be great party music to set a wild mood. If you like mysterious long-haired rockers Kore ain't a beast to look at either.

Stryper ~ Murder By Pride (album review) ... Eclipse of the sun!

Style: Christian, hard rock
Label: Big 3 Records
Year: 2009
Home: California

Members: Michael Sweet ~ lead vocals/guitar
Oz Fox ~ lead guitar/b. vocals
Tracy Ferrie ~ bass

Additional: Kenny Aronoff ~ drums

Guests: Tom Scholz ~ guitar

Styper was one of the first & most successful openly gay ... sorry, I mean, openly Christian heavy metal bands & became famous for their yellow & black stripped outfits & passing out Bibles at their concerts. Murder By Pride, which happens to be a great title if you contemplate it's meaning, was released on the 25th anniversary of the band & is a wonderful throwback to 1980's hair metal with a touch of modern metal. The highlights are "Eclipse Of The Sun," "Murder By Pride" & "The Plan", which could be on the radio now with their alt rock metal sound, along with "4 Leaf Clover" with the great obviously Christian chorus: "no strength in a unicorn, no luck in a 4 leaf corner, no life unless he's born". How many metal bands write about unicorns? Even Christian ones? This is a solid release, albeit a bit scary because though there's bits of modern rock this is a band that doesn't sound like they've aged a day nor want to. It doesn't help that they do the Boston cover "Peace Of Mind", featuring its author Boston founder Tom Scholz on guitar & could be right out of the Boston catalog. Actually, it would be hard to say that this wasn't Boston if you heard it. Looking a little into Stryper's bio one finds that frontman Michael Sweet is a touring member with the latest incarnation of Boston. What a surprise! Following the 80's mold that this album is in it even features the typical 80's chorus vocals & the the obligatory love ballads "Alive" & "Run In You" a la Bon Jovi, albeit I swear I've heard "Run To You" before. As to the Christian message, not so strong as one might think, but then being a Christian band doesn't mean that every song is about God. Actually, both Alice Cooper & Dave Mustaine of Megadeth are Christians ... Does this mean they'll be adding to their repertoire Boston songs? I mean, Stryper songs? There's nothing here remarkably new or even inventive for a band celebrating a fourth of a century together, or even as Christian as some other bands in the genre. But, it's a solid set of solid music & it's nice to see 80's hair bands continuing to push their music out even when that scene has come & gone & come & gone.

Ozzy Osbourne ~ The Ozzman Cometh (hits comp) (album review) ... Open the door & let the Prince of Darkness in!

Style: compilation, greatest hits, heavy metal
Label: Epic
Year: 1997
Home: England

Musicians: Ozzy Osbourne ~ vocals
Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee ~ guitar
Rudy Sarzo, Bob Daisley, Phil Soussan, Mike Inez, Geezer Butler, Robert Trujillo ~ bass
Lee Kerslake, Tommy Aldridge, Randy Castillo, Deen Castronovo, Mike Bordin ~ drums
Johnny Cook, Don Airey, Mike Moran, John Sinclair, Kevin Jones, Rick Wakeman ~ keyboards

The demos of "Black Sabbath" & "War Pigs," followed by: "Goodbye To Romance," "Crazy Train," "Mr. Crowley," "Over The Mountain," a live version of "Paranoid," "Bark At The Moon," "Shot In The Dark," "Crazy Babies," "No More Tears," "Mama, I'm Coming Home," a live version of "I Don't Want To Change The World," "I Just Want You" & "Back On Earth" with a bonus disc that includes an artist interview & basement tape recordings of "Fairies Wear Boots" & "Behind The Wall Of Sleep." Need I say more? If you know these songs you know how good this greatest hits album is. If you don't know the songs then you're obviously not a metalhead & here's the CD to start your metal path on. & if you only know Ozzy from his clown role on tv then you don't know Ozzy. These are the songs that have made him the Prince of Darkness. There's a few hits that aren't on this compilation, such as "Flying High Again," "Close Your Eyes Forever" with Lita Ford & "Miracle Man," but that would almost be splitting hairs & just complaining for the sake of it because what here is the best of the best for the casual fan wanting a taste of a musical god not a hard-core collector. If you don't like Ozzy after listening to this ... give up now cause you're never going to like him. Further, you're not worthy to be called a metalhead. Ozzy has more certifiable hits, dare I say metal classics even, than most of his solo musician contemporaries who have been around just as long & that's excluding his Black Sabbath catalog. I dare anyone to challenge this assertion. What's more amazing is that this package starts with his solo debut Blizzard Of Ozz from 1980 & ends in 1995 with Ozzmosis, thus excluding the great albums he's made since is chock full of more amazing metal. Most musicians would die just to have half of this collection to their name. Actually, the fact that this album includes 4 Black Sabbath songs, probably the idea of the sales department knowing that many of us would already have all these songs on their original releases, are sprinkle on an already perfect tasting cake & I'm saying this as a Black Sabbath fan too whose eyes pop out at the words demo version. Actually, honestly, the demo tracks with their poor production actually hurt the album as they are not reflective either of the other songs or Ozzy's solo career, particularly since they open it & take nearly 18 minutes to get through. But, But, what I particularly like about this collection is that it goes in chronological order so you clearly hear the progression of the Ozzy sound which is interesting in itself. Though, note, this album was reissued in 2002 as a single disc with "Shot In The Dark" replaced by "Miracle Man" & the 1980-81 songs have their rhythm section re-recorded by Ozzy's 2002 line-up due to unpaid royalties legal action. A sad footnote. But, anyways, I'm looking forward to Vol. II in another 20 years. Ozzy forever!

Nunslaughter ~ Fuck The God In Heaven (EP) (album review) ... & come back for more!

Style: death metal
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Year: 2006
Home: Ohio

Members: Blood ~ guitar
Chris 213 ~ bass
Don Of The Dead ~ vocals
Jim Sadist ~ drums

Little studio tweaks, including some echo on the voice, the sound of ocean waves opening up the 2nd track 'From The Sea' & stereo mixing of the guitars, mark the differences & higher productions values of this EP from other Nunslaughter releases. It's a shame that so many Nunslaughter releases are dripping in the blood of poor production because just a little touch of professionalism makes a big difference even for the most straight ahead predictable band as Nunslaughter is. The studio has become an instrument within itself here, as compared to being ignored & though the Nunslaughter blasphemic onslaught never musically varies, with a song rarely lasting over 2 minutes, the little tweaks on this album make it almost a new band. If you're not familiar with the Nunslaughter legacy, which I'll confess to being a fan of however atrocious, this is a wonderful introductory release with some great songs showing the band at a creative peak both musically & lyrically. Check it out & as Don Of The Dead sings: "let's drink some blood".

Johnny Crash ~ Neighborhood Threat (album review) ... For fans of AC/DC!

Style: heavy metal
Label: WTG
Year: 1990
Home: Los Angeles, California

Members: Vicki James Wright ~ vocals
August Worchell, Christopher Stewart ~ guitars
Adam Rodgers ~ bass
Stephen Adamo ~ drums

 

It's nice to hear a band for a change that doesn't imitate Iron Maiden or Led Zeppelin. Imitation isn't bad ... except when everyone chooses the same band. That being said, this isn't an original band musically ... they've just chosen a different band to imitate. If you're in the mood for some AC/DC with Bon Scott, well, this ain't it but it's a pretty close imitation that's got just as much spirit as the original. Vicki James Wright sings like he's the son of Scott albeit with a few more Steven Tyler-esque screams. The music is raw AC/DC but much more metal a la Los Angeles glam than bluesy. Though, I wrote this last sentence before looking up what city they are based in. It's surprising how there really is a L.A. rock sound that comes through the music of so many of the bands centered there from Guns N' Roses to Lizzy Borden. Albeit, if you asked me to list the traits that separate it from New York rock ... well, how's those Yankees playing? My father in law hates the Yankees ... Anyways, even with the profound imitative nature of the band these guys are really great & have put together an incredibly solid album that rocks hard without going overboard or too much into glam. It's not anything original, even if the singer was not a Bon Scott disciple & it's a style that's plastered across the 80's, but it plays a lot stronger than a lot of it's peers. "Hey Kid" was the MTV track chart-topper but is actually one of the less interesting tracks & thankfully starts the album & let's it take off to higher places without this weak track stopping the flow. "No Bones About It", "Thrill Of The King" & "Axe To The Wax" are very AC/DC-ish songs & even their titles sound like it ... so if you like one band you'll probably like the other & I highly recommend checking out this other one. Some people remember Johnny Crash because following this album Dizzy Reed, on guitar instead of keyboards, & drummer Matt Sorum joined the ranks before the band literally crashed & the two joined Guns N Roses.

Phonic Wave ~ Phonic Wave (aka debut) (album review) ... Hitting the musical road less travelled!

Style: blues-rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2009
Home: Portland, Oregon

Members: Chad ~ bass/vocals
Wesley ~ guitar
Eric ~ drums

I spent a decade north of Seattle in a little town called Bellingham. I remember when graduating from college, Western Washington U., that a lot of my musician friends wanted to become a part of the music scene of Portland, Oregon. I'll even confess to say that many of the best in the jazz circle left because of that drive to move forward irreversibly dampening the Bellingham scene. You may notice that I didn't say Seattle. Seattle is just one music scene of many in the Pacific Northwest that deserve mention. Portland and Olympia, WA are & have been turning out some great bands encompassing national trends but also the innate laid-back character of the area. So, with that in mind it's an honor to open this month's reviews with a lesser known blues-rock trio called Phonic Wave from Portland. Before listening to their tunes you can't help but notice the everyman point of view in the song titles: "Over Worked & Under Paid," "Turn Out The Lights," "Road Less Travelled," "Clichés," "Lost In Thought" & "Shaken Not Stirred" ... as every band should have a 007 reference in it's repertoire, right? Nothing to artistic, frightening, sexual or mystifying. & this gives you a bit of insight into their music. These 3 guys are not aiming for any one crowd with their playing ... come one and all, punks or folkies. I don't review a lot of blues-rock bands here, but that's my fault for ignoring an important part of the rock-metal spectrum as without the blues it would be a far smaller spectrum. PW remind us of the roots of rock by giving both styles their due, albeit these guys throw a little funk into the mix too so this is not pure blues-rock by any means. Chad even sings at moments like a black man, reminiscent of a young Robert Cray (i.e. "Over Worked & Under Paid," "Clichés" & "Turn Out The Lights"), which in the blues context is a top compliment. Though, you won't find any Cray guitar solos here. Actually, you'll not find many solos at all as the guitar is turned into an unobtrusive rhythm instrument allowing more spotlight on the drums & bass which are contributing just as much to the texture. It's the groove approach over the flash approach. "Road Less Travelled" is one of their two quasi-metal songs & I find to be one of their weaker spots sounding undeveloped. The problem is that metal is so guitar based with flaming solos that the purely rhythm approach PW uses means their approach to metal sounds a bit thin without any flashing solos or second guitar. Albeit, while listening to this piece I could hear a rhythm that had more in touch with reggae than metal, which is probably the direction I'd develop the song - funky like PW does best! The vocals also suffer in this song as it's less soulful. "Lost In Thought" is their other hard edged tune, but holds together better. Probably because of the shift in textures throughout the song with echoing bass & guitar that creates a bigger rock sound. PW is a very good band that I expect is gaining new fans regularly as they continue to perform and develop their sound. These are some funky white brothers!