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Music, Reviews

“Armoury Records/Eagle Records 2009 Sampler” by Various Artists

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Artist: Various Artists
Title: “Armoury Records/Eagle Records 2009 Sampler”
Label: Eagle Records
Release Date: 8/11/2009
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Rating: 4/5

As far as free samplers go this is a relatively strong one as it presents music that was released on not only Eagle & Armoury Records, but also material that originally hailed from the now shut down Spitfire Records. As a Metal fan I generally loved what Spitfire was dishing out for they had a number of bands that I was passionate as a supporter of the genre and since their closure both Eagle and Armoury have kept this charge pressing forward. The bands that are presented are very well known to fans and you really cannot go wrong with any of the tracks when it comes down to it. Here’s some thoughts on what you get for those fans that are looking to update their music library and perhaps have these songs assist them in future purchases. We get two tracks from Black Label Society who I like but have never regarded as one of my favorite bands above any others. I was not sure why they gave us two songs but perhaps with Zakk’s continued popularity this was the case. I would have preferred a heavy tune from the Black Crowes as opposed to a second one from the NJ Berzerker. There are four live tunes by way of Dio, Poison, Rainbow and Napalm Death and each of these showcases just how good those acts are in the live sense. The Poison one might intrigue people quite a bit since it features Richie Kotzen on the lead guitar as opposed to C.C. DeVille. Dio’s number of course is a legendary staple from his debut album and performed to crushing perfection and he is also the singer for the Rainbow tune which comes from his tenure in the famous band created by Richie Blackmore. Speaking of Blackmore we also get a recent tune from his former band Deep Purple which now finds guitarist Steve Morse slinging the axe.
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Music, Reviews

“We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year” (Deluxe Edition) by Various Artists

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Artist: Various Artists
Title: “We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year” Deluxe Edition
Label: Armoury Records
Release Date: 9/14/2010
Genre: Holiday Metal
Rating: 4/5

A couple of years ago the folks over at Eagle Records gave the Metal fans a holiday album that was really something up their alley. Though not as much a story-telling enterprise as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra or as tongue in cheek a delivery as a Twisted Christmas, this really had some interesting and fun stuff to enjoy. Having reviewed the original CD and then its EP follow-up, I decided to combine and slightly rework those thoughts based on Eagle Records re-releasing these albums in time for the 2010 holiday season as one package.

“I’ve been a fan of the holiday juggernaut that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for several years now, but there was no way that my experience with that would have prepared me for how Twisted Sister would deliver their “Twisted Christmas” release. I bring them up as it originally hit me as one of the most absurd items in reviews to do pile but after several listens I found myself intrigued at just how well the conventional Metal vibe worked when crafted together with Holiday classics that they chose. It was an album that left you hungry for more and that made the arrival of the “We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year” release something I was eager to dig into. The players on this one are as vast as the Metal genre itself and as result finds legends like Alice Cooper and Ronnie James Dio performing along with the likes of diverse quality players like Steve Lukather and Ray Luzier and many, many more. The vibe of this release is rather heavy which was good and I admit it that it almost felt like a Motorhead track when Lemmy gave it a go at “Run Rudolph Run”. Shock master Alice Cooper and John 5 delivered the creepiest “Santa Claws Is Coming To Town” I’ve ever heard and believe me at the end of this one, the fact that he knows when you are sleeping and knows when you are awake will scare the Charles Dickens out of you. Winners come shining through during a few numbers like “Silver Bells” which has a powerful modern Metal drive to it and Geoff Tate singing and I felt the same way about the albums opening title track that gave us the magical voice of Jeff Scott Soto, a singer I have always been able to enjoy. Dio is at his ominous best with Mr. Iommi and company for “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and the best way to describe this one is as imagine the band Heaven And Hell doing the track. Weird huh, but it does work on some levels. I had to say that I was put off by the Death Metal growls of Chuck Billy and Thrash treatment given to “Silent Night”, as this is a track that I like to much to see given such a reworking. Of course there are some who might enjoy the chance to finally hit the circle pit to this one, so here you go folks. Former Judas Priest/Iced Earth front man extraordinaire Tim Owens hits it out of the park with “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” and he sounds like he is having a blast and the same can be said for King’s X vocalist Dug Pinnick during “Little Drummer Boy”. It wouldn’t be fair for me to ruin every single surprise on the album so I shall leave the remaining tracks to your own surprise as you unwrap this present with glee after you taking it from the spiked leather stockings that are hanging on your mantle. It does end with a rousing rendition of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” and I love this tune and felt the guitarist/singer did a fantastic job of it. He is joined by Toto’s own Steve Lukather who can deliver the goods in any situation it seems.
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Music, Reviews

“We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year” (EP) by Various Artists

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Artist: Various Artists
Title: “We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year” EP
Label: Armoury Records
Release Date: 11/24/2009
Genre: Holiday Metal
Rating: 2.5/5

This is a review of the four-song EP that is being released as a digital download only companion piece to the original release of “We Wish You A Metal X-Mas & A Headbanging New Year. Since we reviewed that recording last year, we are representing it to get you up to speed and then we shall examine the new four song EP tracks. We enjoyed that original album and gave it a ranking of 4/5. Read on.

“I’ve been a fan of the holiday juggernaut that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for several years now, but there was no way that my experience with that would have prepared me for how Twisted Sister would deliver their “Twisted Christmas” release. I bring them up as it originally hit me as one of the most absurd items in reviews to do pile but after several listens I found myself intrigued at just how well the conventional Metal vibe worked when crafted together with Holiday classics that they chose. It was an album that left you hungry for more and that made the arrival of the “We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year” release something I was eager to dig into. The players on this one are as vast as the Metal genre itself and as result finds legends like Alice Cooper and Ronnie James Dio performing along with the likes of diverse quality players like Steve Lukather and Ray Luzier and many, many more. The vibe of this release is rather heavy which was good and I admit it that it almost felt like a Motorhead track when Lemmy gave it a go at “Run Rudolph Run”. Shock master Alice Cooper and John 5 delivered the creepiest “Santa Claws Is Coming To Town” I’ve ever heard and believe me at the end of this one, the fact that he knows when you are sleeping and knows when you are awake will scare the Charles Dickens out of you. Winners come shining through during a few numbers like “Silver Bells” which has a powerful modern Metal drive to it and Geoff Tate singing and I felt the same way about the albums opening title track that gave us the magical voice of Jeff Scott Soto, a singer I have always been able to enjoy. Dio is at his ominous best with Mr. Iommi and company for “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and the best way to describe this one is as imagine the band Heaven And Hell doing the track. Weird huh, but it does work on some levels. I had to say that I was put off by the Death Metal growls of Chuck Billy and Thrash treatment given to “Silent Night”, as this is a track that I like to much to see given such a reworking.
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Events, Reviews

Stratovarius @ Nokia Theatre Times Square (9/16/2009)

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Logo - Stratovarius

Artist: Stratovarius
Venue: Nokia Theatre Times Square (New York, NY)
Opener: Pagan’s Mind, Ethereality
Date: 9/16/2009
Label: Armoury Records

Even though I had missed the last time that Stratovarius toured around these parts it has still been a few years since they were able to come back and do some gigs and this is based on the band being in a bit of a limbo for awhile. This status first came from guitarist Timo Tolki who eventually decided that he was done and that the band had been broken up, but when Timo Kotipelto informed the world that they were indeed alive and breathing and that music would continue, it was just a matter of time before the right player was found to replace the now absent Tolki. Tonight the scene of the action would be the Nokia Theatre in Times Square where the band would present their newest material from the smoking “Polaris” CD along with their long revered classics and introduce us all to their new guitarist Matias Kupianen. They would be touring with Pagan’s Mind as direct support and our area show found some local boys from New Jersey called Ethereality kicking off the fun. Here is how the night went down.
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Music, Reviews

“Polaris” by Stratovarius

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Artist: Stratovarius
Title: “Polaris”
Label: Armoury Records
Release Date: 5/26/2009
Genre: Power Metal
Rating: 4/5

A band has two options when one of its primary creative forces chooses to move on from the lineup and that is to either cease to exist and begin other projects or rise from the ashes of disruption, find a replacement and get back to business. Such was the dilemma faced by Stratovarius when key member and guitarist Timo Tolki decided to quit the band and leave it hanging out to dry. Lucky for the world’s Stratovarius fans the guys were more than willing to press on and soon found the talented Matias Kupiainen handling the necessary duties on the axe. In the public eye this was a pretty big pair of shoes to fill as Tolki had written some 95% of the bands material since 1989, so not only would his successor need to be adept on his own but also be able to handle all of the acrobatics that were regular practice for Tolki. So how do the new guy and new album sound? Well in a word this is probably the strongest material that Stratovarius has released in years and stands high above the utter garbage that was their last album “Stratovarius”. Matias is an exceptional guitarist and to quote my Dad I can say that “no one is irreplaceable” and in the end I think that new life has been breathed into this band that will make their fans proud. I was instantly drawn into the tasty riffs that were being dished out as opener “Deep Unknown” blasted through the stereo but it was in tracks like “Blind” and “Forever Is Today” that did the most for me and had me not only repeating them but also playing them louder and louder each time while playing either air guitar or air drums.
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